Unexpected Turn of Events...

Tuesday, May 8th- Today I started experience very intense lower abdomen pain that kept me up all night. Being the good patient that I am I called my doctor's office first thing in the morning and they told me to come in ASAP.  After spending some time doing a non-stress test I was sent home and told to take it easy.  I did just that but was still having pain off and on.  That night things took a dramatic change.  I went to bed or at least I tried to.  I slept for probably about 30 minutes until I was awaken by pain that was very different and intense.  I jumped up and started pacing my room.  I could not figure out what was going on.  I tried stretching and bending in many different ways (yes I am crazy and was desperate for relief) and nothing worked.  I finally laid down when something strange happened.  My water started to break.  YIKES, I was seriously not ready for this.  I was 32 weeks pregnant and had planned on having at least 4 more weeks to prepare.  I called down to James and he rushed up stairs to my aid.  He was so cute running around the house trying to help me get in the car and get to the hospital in one piece.  When I got out of the car at the ER my water really decided to break.  It was very embarrassing and funny at the same time.  I was put in a wheel chair and brought up to labor and delivery in an instant.  Once in my room I was assessed by an awesome nurse and immediately put on IV medications to stop my labor.  After being assessed I was shocked to find out I was fully effaced and 2 centimeters dilated.  Thankfully my body started to respond to the meds right away and my labor stopped.  My first night in the hospital was crazy but I am happy to say that since then each day/night has gotten easier.

Wednesday, May 9th to the present- I am currently on hospital bed rest and have the one goal of keeping these precious babies "baking" for as long as possible. So far as good!!   My doctor's are very positive and are happy with the way that I have responded to all the meds.  My nurses have been great here at Mission and I am grateful for each hour the babies are still inside me.  James, my mom, my dad and my sister Hillarie have gone above and beyond to take care of me.  I am one lucky patient!  Also, I have received an outpouring of love and support from my amazing friends and church family.  All of the prayers, emails and texts have brought me to tears many times.  I don't think I will ever be able to express to everyone how much they mean to me.

Celebrations- I got to celebrate my very first Mother's Day here at the hospital.  My sweet parents bought me beautiful earrings and other wonderful treats and James spoiled me with a card and beautiful necklace.  Then today, May 14th, James and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary.  James and I are beyond blessed and have SO many things to celebrate!!

32 Weeks and LOTS of changes

This week has been the most eventful week in my pregnancy thus far.  I got word from my doctor that Friday, May 4th was to be my last day of work.  In my mind that was fine.  State testing would be done and I would have time to say good-bye, pack some more things and meet with my wonderful long term sub.  Funny how my plans got changed so very fast.
During my appointment on Monday they did an umbilical cord blood flow read and my doctor was a little concerned with the number his tech got.  He wanted to be sure so he made an appointment for me with Dr. Posner (a specialist) just to be on the safe side.  Being the good patient that I am I went to my appointment with Dr. Posner.  Long story short, while at his office they found that I was having some minor contractions but that the umbilical cord flow was fine and the babies heart rates were fine too.  My OBGYN is very careful about everything so he sent me over to Labor and Delivery at Mission to be monitored until they got the test results back to see if I had the "labor" protein.
My experience at Mission was wonderful.  Everyone was so great to James and I.  I think it was a good practice run for the real thing.  I spent about 2 hours at the hospital being monitored for contractions.  After a shot, some rest and great news that I was not going into labor I was sent home on bed rest.  That meant no more work for the rest of the year.  That was not what I had planned but thank goodness for an amazing principal, teaching team and other school staff that worked everything out for me.  My long term sub took over faster then she had planned and I am confident that my students are being well taken care of.
I had another appointment with my OBGYN this week and he told me that Phoebe and Piper are at the correct gestational age, they are just a bit small.  He wants me to rest in order to help the babies put on weight and also to be sure that their placenta's are functioning properly.  I am now going to the doctor twice a week for checks.  I love that my doctor is very careful and will be watching my girls so closely.  I am confident that everything will be fine and that the girls are going to continue to grow and thrive.

Dr. Posner took this picture Phoebe and Piper, as he put it "butting heads"!  Oh no it has already started.  He also had a hard time getting some of his reading because these girls are extremely feisty.  They are constantly moving and kicking.  I honestly love it and will miss it one day.

31 Weeks

WOW, it has been way too long since I last updated the blog.  James and I have been very, very busy.  We have taken a couple of baby classes at Mission Hospital.  I have LOVED them all.  The teacher who has taught most of the classes is hilarious.  I think the whole process of child birth is SO amazing.  I am sure I will be feeling different once I am in the middle of all the pain.  The classes have just confirmed that James and I made the right choice to deliver at Mission.

In addition to classes Phoebe, Piper and me have been showered with love and super fun baby stuff.  I feel so loved and blessed to have such amazing family, friends and church family.

The nursery is still not done...YIKES!  James (aka my Hero) stepped up in awesome daddy fashion and has set up a day to paint the nursery and move a ton of our things to storage.  I am very excited for this huge step to be done.  Then I can move forward and organize.  I know most women go through a "nesting" period but I have heard that with twins the "nesting" goes right out the window because the pregnant mommies are too tired.

I sent my sweet sister Natalie a recent photo of my belly and this is the response I got..."Holy Cow!  It looks like you are smuggling a red handball in your stomach."  I laughed so hard, but she is seriously right.  I love the belly but my back does not.  I have learned all to well what Sciatica is.  The pain only stops when I am sitting down.  If I had an office job that would be great, but being a 2nd grade teacher makes things very interesting.

Here is a picture of all the "expecting" momma's from Rancho Capistrano.  (I personally know we are missing some so this picture is not complete).

Week 28...Third Trimester, Really??

Wow, what a day!!  It seriously felt like I was in a doctor's office or in a waiting room waiting for the doctor all day long.  Thank goodness for Spring Break and extra time.  If I was working right now I would have been in big trouble. Ok, complaining time is done. :-)

James and I got to see our precious twins today which was such a wonderful treat!  The babies are looking good, moving and kicking up a storm.  I know I am going to miss the kicking feeling when the babies are no longer safe and quiet inside my belly.  So I was about to leave my OBGYN appointment feeling good when the doctor wanted the ultra sound tech to do a few more measurements.  That lead to the craziness that ended up being the rest of my afternoon.  After spending more time in the ultra sound room I saw my wonderful OBGYN again.  He came in and said, I am 99% sure everything is fine but I would like to send you right over to the Perinatologist just to double check the umbilical cord blood flow.  Being the good patient that I am I walked myself over to the specialist's office and proceeded to wait FOREVER to see the doctor.  In the end it was totally worth the wait.  I adore Dr. Posner, he was wonderful, patient, and filled with a ton of great information.  He spent so much time with me doing extensive measurements of the babies and the umbilical cord.  I am SO pleased to report that the babies are just fine.  All of the numbers and measurements were normal.  To me "normal" is awesome!!!

I am scheduled to go back and see my OBGYN in two weeks.  Maybe this time both twins will show their precious little faces.  This time around one of the twins was being very stubborn and not cooperating.  I hate to say it but it sounds a bit like me!

Babymoon

This past week James and I were able to get away for a quick "babymoon" trip to Catalina Island.  This was my first visit to the island and it was a great one.  The boat ride over to the island was super crazy and rocky but once we got there it was smooth sailing.  Some of the highlights of our trip:

1. Playing miniature golf and getting a hole in 1 despite the big pregnant belly
2. Finding a great little lunch spot with delicious, healthy, fresh food (The vegan roasted peach and butternut squash soup was amazing)
3. Playing/attempting to play mini bowling.  James almost got a turkey, he was great!
4. Looking in all the cute shops
5. Relaxing and doing NOTHING
6. People watching
7. Eating our first ever buffalo burger (the babies really liked that one)
8. Renting a golf cart and taking a scenic tour of the beautiful island
9. Renting movies and watching them in our cozy little hotel room
10. Last and best of all spending time with my sweet, handsome, wonderful hubby James

It is crazy to think that this is the last trip James and I will ever take that will be just us.  Life is going to change so much in a few short months and I honestly could not be more excited about it!

"Ralston" Family Baby Shower

This past Saturday my mom, sisters and friends threw me a WONDERFUL baby shower!  I am so grateful for them and all of their hard work.  It was so much fun seeing friends and family I have not seen in so long.  The food was delicious, the cake was too die for (I seriously ate the left over cake all weekend long) and Julie's famous cookies were so good that people in my family, who I will leave nameless, were fighting over them.  Piper and Phoebe will be the best dressed little baby girls in town.  A special thank you must be given to my sister Natalie for flying out all the way from Maryland.  I was so glad to have both of my sisters there to share in this special day.  It was also very special to have my grandma there too who will be 94 in April.  My girls are going to be so lucky to have Gigi around.

I am 26 weeks now and the belly is growing more and more everyday!  I am feeling great right now and am enjoying every moment of my 2nd trimester (from what I have read and heard the 3rd trimester is not so much fun, especially with twins).

I think I have said before that I am working on the nursery, well that project is still a work in progress. It is amazing to me how slowly I have moved on it.  Time has just gotten away from me.

James and I have an appointment with my OBGYN in two weeks.  We are hoping to get new ultra sound pictures that we can post then.

Week 24

At the beginning of the week James and I went to see my amazing doctor in the hopes of getting more pictures of our precious baby girls.  I am sad to say that we did get to see them but we did not get new pictures.  I was not feeling well that day so I think my doctor was trying to get me home as quickly as possible.  Our next appointment is the first week of April where we were promised more measurements and detailed information about the twins.  Until that time I will still post updates and pictures of my ever growing baby bump.  I feel like my belly is growing every single day!!!

Last night James and I hit up the maternity store in hopes of finally getting me some maternity essentials.  My mom bought me some super cute things at Christmas time but I am in need of a good pair of jeans and maybe a few other things.  Despite my high hopes and many choices to choose from I left the store without a new pair of jeans.  It is very hard being a tall girl.  None of the jeans were long enough!  I think my next stop will be online shopping.  I did get a couple super cute tops and James got a double scoop of ice cream for being such a good sport!