Friends and the UPS man

UPS

In East Texas there a lot of trucks on the streets. We live in jack-it-up, bigger-the-better, more-gas-consumption-the-merrier, and if-it-ain't-loud-why-drive-it country. If our alarm clock doesn't go off in the morning, one of four diesel pickups on the block will roll past the house and wake you up at 5, 5:30, 6:30 or 7am.

Yesterday I heard a truck on the street and from the sound of the engine I knew what type of truck it was. It was not a pickup from the block, a maintenance man or other large vehicle. It was the distinctive engine sound of the UPS man! I don't know about you, but when I hear the UPS man's truck on the block, I hope and wish he'd stop at my house! Yesterday he did! I hadn't ordered anything and neither had Sarah. The boys are already mischievous, bumping, rolling and kicking in Sarah's belly, but their internet surfing skills are still not well formed. So what was the UPS man bringing to us!?

Boehme-made receiving blankets
How about two of the most beautiful receiving blankets handmade by our friend Katie Boehme? They are kiwi/lime green with grey/brown and slate/light blue with grey/brown... a perfect match to the decor we've picked out for the twins! WOW! Thank you Katie and Chris Boehme!!

Star light...

March star
Star light,
Star bright.
First star I see tonight.
Wish I may,
Wish I might.
Grant this wish I wish tonight:

An uncomplicated labor for Sarah,
20 fingers, 20 toes,
2 healthy boys,
And clear sailing for another 3 weeks.

One month from today

Full term for twins is generally considered to be 37 weeks, which is just a month away. It's hard to imagine how much our lives are going to change in a very short time.

Although I know it's for the best, sometimes I get so frustrated by being on bed rest. There are so many things I want to do to prepare for the boys' arrival, but all I can do is watch Christian try to juggle everything on his own...preparing the nursery, cleaning and organizing the house, and caring for me. I know it will all be worth it in the end. I just wish I could be more of a partner to Christian right now.

32 weeks and counting...

Our most recent doctor's appointment was this past Tuesday... the little sprouts have made it to 32 weeks! Christian and I were excited to see them during the ultrasound exam, which estimated Baby A's weight to be 3 pounds 14 ounces and Baby B's weight at 4 pounds 2 ounces. Both were still in the vertex (head down) position, but I have a sneaking suspicion that Baby B flipped into the breech position a couple of days after the exam.

Aside from their daily rolls, bumps, kicks, and jabs, hiccups are also a regular occurrence. These little boys are quite active! They also tend to perk up when Christian gets home from work. I think they hear us talking, and it gets them moving!

With children @ 31.75 weeks

I took Sarah outside this evening for a quick documentation of her and the twins. If the doctor asks, she was just taking a round-about route to the bathroom... since Sarah only has "bathroom privileges!"

"With children, Feb. 27, 2009"

Terbutaline

Tuesday evening Sarah started timing contractions again. At 6 p.m. she had counted 7 in an hour, and they were getting closer together... from 8 minutes to 6 minutes apart. This is not desirable nor comfortable. I decided that we needed to call Dr. Schaus for advice. I got her answering service since it was after 5 p.m. In a few minutes she called me back, and I told her about Sarah's situation. She recommended that Sarah begin taking Terbutaline. (Terbutaline relaxes bronchial tubes and eases asthma symptoms. It also is thought to relax the muscles of the uterus.) Sarah and I hate all of these drugs. This is not the kind of pregnancy we wanted to have. So far, the Terbutaline is working, but the side effects are obviously no fun! There's jitteriness like Sarah's hopped up on 10 cups of coffee, and her heart rate increases. I have to take her pulse from time to time making sure she's under 120 bpm.

Now she's on both Terbutaline and Procardia. We HAVE TO make it to 34 weeks, at the very least, in order for the twins to be developed well enough for birth here in Nac. Our primary care doctor, Dr. Schaus, and all of our research tells us that an arrival before 34 weeks will necessitate a trip to Shreveport or Houston for the more advanced prenatal care available at hospitals in those cities.

I cannot wait to meet these little guys. I just want them to bake a little longer!

Fun Facts

I now weigh more than my husband, and my hair is shorter than his!

A good Saturday

After a rough week for the both of us, Sarah and I had a really great Saturday. I did break my rule of no-work-on-weekends, but it was just for an hour because management was needed downtown.

Saturday afternoon Sarah received a visit from her favorite stylist, Brian Boone, at Oasis Spalon. I stopped by the salon earlier in the week to see if Brian would be willing to make a house call. He agreed, and Sarah was thrilled to get a new 'do' in the kitchen.

House call from Brian
We also received a visit from our friend Karon Gillespie. Karen "wowed" us with a care package of food and flowers! Ham, veggies, soup, salad, quiche, and cookies... oh my! This was unexpected and WONDERFUL!

Week 30

Yesterday's doctor's appointment went well and marked the end of week 30. Finally, we're in the 30s! My belly is now the size of a full-term singleton pregnancy, and the babies likely weigh between 2.5 and 3 pounds each. Dr. Schaus doesn't seem to think I will make it to 37 weeks, which is considered full term for twins. I'm still going to try, though! If labor begins before 34 or 35 weeks, there's a good chance we'll be sent to Shreveport or Houston to deliver. We definitely don't want that!

Registry

Some have asked so...
Sarah and I have been working on our registry for the boys. It's a work in progress, so we still haven't added a lot of the "essentials." We'll hopefully get around to that within the next week or so. Also, if anyone has suggestions for things to add, we'd love to hear them. We're using MyRegistry.com, Babies"R"Us, and Target.com. MyRegistry.com is kinda cool because you can shop anywhere and still mark an item as purchased from the registry. We've tried to find the best prices on items listed on our registry, but it still might be worth it to shop around. And remember, handmade gifts or gently used items are welcome, too!

Pain in my $#%^@#

Well, Sarah's got a pain in her... rib (her left lower rib area, to be exact). The boys are getting bigger (a good thing), but her body can only expand outward, which includes pressure on the ribs. This is common during pregnancy, especially with twins. In some cases the rib(s) can be moved out of place and chiropractic adjustment is often recommended. Sarah's been in pain for days. We have our weekly doctor's appointment on Tuesday afternoon and will get Dr. Schaus' advice then. For now, Sarah's trying to resist movement and is reluctantly taking a Tylenol once or twice a day.

Thank you to Michelle and Neal Cox for the wonderful dinner last night! Spinach linguini, a hearty salad, rolls and apple pie. Thanks to the meals from friends, I was able to get a bit more organized around the house this weekend, do some yard work, clean a bathroom, clean 2 1/2 loads of laundry and work a few hours for the gallery on Saturday and Sunday. I gotta cut that last duty out of my weekends!!

No working on weekends!

Mail

Mysterious package!
A mysterious package from some place in NY arrived in the mail yesterday! It was a foam container labeled with warnings about the 'dry ice' contents. Sarah called me at work about it, and I immediately asked myself, "Who has it out for me?" "Is it a bomb?" I thought. When I got home, I carefully opened the foam case and discovered W.M.D.s!... Wonderful Microwaveable Dinners!! My preschool friend Laura Tuggle-Anderson and her husband, Ned, sent a care package of food to Sarah and me! Gourmet chicken pot pie, mac and cheese, and chocolate torte! We ate well on Thursday night, and I was able to get a few tidying projects done around the house.

Today was a long day at work, but Sarah was well provided for. Our arty friends Chad and Pam provided a beautiful veggie soup for lunch, and Kathie Robinson (my department chair's wife) brought by dinner: gumbo and cornbread for dinner and an apple cardamom galette for dessert.

Now, I know that I've blogged a lot about food, but we are so thankful to our friends and family for the meals brought to our door every day (and I'm a guy, and I love food). Before the pregnancy complications, Sarah and I would spend time together in the kitchen prepping dinner together. It is one of our 'together activities' that we have lost to bed rest.

The last bit of news... we got the boys' car seats in the mail today:

Graco Platinum Snug Ride Car Seat

February 10, 2009

Yesterday I was able to break my bed rest rules and venture out into the world for a doctor's appointment. We learned that both babies are in the head-down (vertex) position (at least for now), and Dr. Schaus thinks that their neurological development is a couple of weeks ahead of schedule. All good news!

First drawing of the boys, by Dr. Schaus

Sunday

dinner menu
Today was a full day and so was Saturday. I ended up working 8 1/2 hours on Saturday readying for the opening and film (which were great successes and an article in the Daily Sentinel really brought the community through the doors). This warranted a late dinner of the best vegetarian chili and rice we've ever had... served with Asian pears. Thank you Sonnie and Kreg!

Sunday was filled with sleeping-in, grocery shopping, vacuuming, finishing paint work on the antique guest bed, installing the guest bed, and tidying around the house. My Aunt Leslie dropped off some stew for freezing, and Marty Prince brought by a casserole, sweets, and some extras. Dinner was graciously provided by Tracy and Merci. It came with a menu and cat treats! Orion LOVES edamame!

if it's green, he eats it
Needless to say, the meals are a HUGE help to us. Words cannot sufficiently express our gratitude to friends and family!

Home again

After being admitted to the hospital on Sunday evening and spending three nights there, it is such a relief to be home. I missed Christian (though he visited me every chance he had), our comfy bed, and good food.

chicken tortilla soup from the Dolans
Speaking of good food, our friends have been delivering wonderful meals daily to our doorstep. Since Christian has to do everything around the house, the meals have been extremely helpful. He doesn't have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen cooking and cleaning, which frees up time to get other things done around the house. These daily gifts make a huge difference. We can't thank our friends enough.

Shortly after Christian brought me home from the hospital on Wednesday afternoon, our friend Corinne dropped off a delicious stew along with some red tulips (one of my favorite flowers). Every time I look at them they brighten my day!

Tulips from Corinne