Goobers Is A Driver Now

 Poor Goobers has been working to her drivers Licence for a very long time.  Every time we went to take the big test something else would happen.  We finally had a date and time all set at the Department of Motor Vehicles.  Not sure how the day would unfold with the Twins, Adorable and Beautiful, and with mom, poor Goobers wasn't sure it would happen but it did

 Dad and Pookers made sure their schedules were clear so they could take her.

We all are known to get so nervous that we sometimes forget the little things.  That can kill you when taking "The Test!"

 

Not Goobers, she aced it.  

We know that you are safe driver and we are so thankful that you did so well on your test.  I love that you have already used the licence to drive the older kiddos to and from the hospital to visit the twins.   Congrats to Goobers.  We are so proud of you and love you bunches and bunches.

Happy Birthday Adorable and Beautiful!!!

Saturday morning the kids had a swim meet.  I sat at the hospital all by myself.  I felt worse today than I had any other day.  There was not one thing wrong specifically but I was feeling sicker and sicker.  A few nurses that had me earlier in the week grew worried.  Calls were made and before I knew it I was told that I needed to try to get dad to the hospital as soon as possible.  They would wait for the doctor but may be not for dad, it just depended on my health. 

I felt too sick to be worried about the c-section.  I had not wanted one and yet now I just wanted it to be over.  The babies would be OK, I just had to trust that.  I texted J and then called him a few minutes later.  He was already on the way and so were the kids.  They had to finish up part of the swim meet and then were pulled from the rest.  Pooker had that well under control.

I saw J for just a few minutes as I was wheeled passed him into the operating room.  The spinal block was put in and then I realized my doctor had rejoined the crowd.  I was told that he was very quick at the C-sections so that I would not have to worry about being flat for too long.   I had so much anxiety over that, but in truth all anxiety left as it was happening.  

Twin A, Adorable, born May 19 Th, 2012 at 1:50 P.M. weighing 5lbs 12.2 oz, 17 inches long

Twin B, Beautiful, born May 19 Th, 2012 at 1:51 P.M. weighing 4 lbs 10.2 oz, 16 3/4 inches long

J said a few things to me and then before we finished our first talk he was called away to check out Baby A.  I heard that this was a big baby for being week 32.6 only.  She cried a little but then J was gone with her snapping pictures.  I heard over and over again.  "Dad look here, grab this shot."  Baby B's time of birth was called at 1 minute after Baby A's.

At this point I was beginning to think that I really liked the c-section it was very fast.  I was so glad that the staff kept reminding dad to take a picture.  I am afraid he might have been so overwhelmed that he would have just watched.  This time I couldn't see anything.  I got to look at the babies for just seconds and then dad was handed the bundles, someone took their picture and then they headed off the the Neonatal Intensive Care unit.

I was left behind to relax for the first time in months.  I was so thankful at that moment for all the prayers that were being said for us from all over.  I was sick and that is why we took them, the babies were 8 weeks early and yet were good sizes.  Thank you GOD!  And Thank you for answering all those prayers from all those people.  

J was so proud of the scrub shirt.  He fell in love with Adorable and Beautiful within the first second of seeing them.  He is one very happy man who loves his children more than anything in life.  This was one of his life time highs right here.

Pookers and Goobers got there in time to catch dad in this moment of prayer.  I am told he had tears of joy in his eyes and was thanking God for two more children.  

I have seen that look of joy many times over the years.  My hubby loves his children, there is not doubt about it.  He doesn't cry often but when God blesses him with a baby he can't help it.  The first time I ever saw J with tears in his eyes was at Pooker's birth and I think it is so wonderful that she got to see it this time, knowing that he has loved each of them the same way right from the start.

This was a very different experience for everyone even the kids.  We let them be at hospital while I was in surgery.  In the past they had stayed at home.  They requested to be there this time.  They wanted to be as much a part of this as they could.  Look at those faces, I have never seen the kiddos as joyful as they are in these photos.

I was unaware that all these things had happened.  You would think that having your children off the NICU would make mom nervous.  I only get nervous looking back at the pictures and yet all of the staff that I see have come to me and told me how wonderful my kiddos are.  I was so glad to hear that they were off making sure each other was taken care off.  Seeing babies in those beds would have been hard for the kids because that isn't the normal for them.  Looks like they took care of the little ones and each other and made sure that Twin Adorable and Twin Beautiful would know that when a T family member is born the rest of them are there to support you.

I have always made sure to get one kid shot after each delivery.   I was not where around and my wonderful children made sure that the twins would have that welcome to the family shot just like their own pictures.  Yes it is different because the babies are in beds but I know what the kids were going for and I appreciate it so much!

I spent the rest of the day pretty sick still.  My blood pressure was still to high to do much.  I was put on some medicine to prevent a seizure and stuck back in the bed.  The kids reported to me that they were not allowed to hold either twin and it broke my heart but I reminded them that I had not even seen the twins for more than a second or two.  Each kiddo told me about their experience and what they saw.  They showed me pictures.  I longed to see the babies but knew that they were OK.  The kids were calling them by name and this was bothering me.  What if I didn't like the names once I saw the babies?  J assured me that the names were correct and I would agree once I saw the twins.  

Pooker and Goobers took the kids home a very long day knowing that they would all get a chance to see babies again the next day.  It was after 11:00pm when I finally was stable enough for my bed to be pushed into the NICU.  This was such a different experience.  I wanted to keep each baby in my arms and look at each one but my time was limited.  They needed to stay in their beds to regulate their temperatures.  What I did notice was that the names that the kids had used all day were the right ones.  I got to pick the spelling but other than that the kids were right.

Our two little T's got the "life isn't fair, but dad and I will always be there to help to get what you need." speech.  Then my time was up.  I was sent back to room to rest.   I will be more specific about each twin and their medical needs in future posts.  Please join me in thanking God for their safe delivery and in my health throughout the process.  Please continue to pray that we will all continue to recover.  In the end the Twin to Twin issues may have been at play Twin B was not 25% in weight to Twin A but there was a noticeable difference.  The placenta has been sent to the lab for study.  The doctor said he would be shocked if he learned that this was a fused placenta.  The study should show that we have identical twins that are the cutest babies I have seen in years!

Happy Birthday Ladies!  We couldn't love you more that we already do.  You make us so proud and we promise to do all that we can to get you healthy and home as soon as possible.

   Happy Birthday 

Twin Adorable and Twin Beautiful!

Twin Pregnancy Comes With Risks

Monday started with a doctor's visit.  I was feeling awful so J and I headed in thinking we would grab a bite to eat after and then I would be banished back to the bed at home until Thursday.  That was not to be the case.  

The doctor was worried so off to the hospital we went.  We had no bags and were surprised.  At first we thought they might be taking the babies by way of c-section right then.  So here we were with Goobers and Sugar still in St. Louis and M & M on the way.  This was way too much stress for me.

 J took care of things like he always does.  As mom was hooked up to everything to monitor babies and mom, he made arrangements to bring them home early the next morning.  I was started on something to prevent an seizure and slow any possible contractions.  The next morning my girls showed up and I was thrilled.  

 Having all my kiddos together was the highlight of the week.  Now to the babies.  My stress was growing and growing because I was reminded all the time that the longer the babies were inside the better off they would be, BUT we needed to watch for signs of me crashing physically.  I did not handle this well at all.  The Idea of just wanting to get worse drove me insane, not to mention that I was still gaining even more weight.  My legs, knees and belly ached all the time due to the edema.

J felt better about the babies coming early after he visited the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with this Hospital.

                                           (This picture was taken on Thursday night Week 32.4)
J and the kids did everything they could to make me feel better.  I loved all their visits but it was the longest week of my life.  Each day waiting to see my children who all had wonderful stories about life at home without me, all while waiting to feel worse so I could have surgery.  I know that isn't how I should look at it but it was a long dark week for me.

 All of the wonderful baby showers that had been planned for the weekend had to canceled.

 J found that this was a fun way to pass the  time while visiting.

 Each evening they brought a few gifts and we opened night after night.  Thank you to all of our St. Louis family that send gifts for the Baby Shower over Skype that never even happened.  You all are very generous and I really would have loved to have spent time

 Sugar had been staying with me for a few nights.  She was wonderful at getting what I needed.  J stayed one night but honestly Sugar was better company.

 Each kid had their questions about what was going on just like J and I did.  I must be honest that the nursing staff was wonderful.  They were there to answer all questions of mine and of the little ones.

 By Friday night I was overwhelmed with how long I had been there and how much longer it would be.  

The kids had a swim meet the next morning so I knew I would spend the night alone.  This was not an easy night for me.  One nurse pointed out that God was with me even if I didn't feel Him, I said that I knew that but it still didn't feel good.  She then said that the teacher is never talking to you during a test and yet they are always watching.  I did not do well with this test.  

I still can't believe the amount of swelling I have.  Everything ached and it was hard to move my body in any direction.  The could feel the babies move around and to be honest this did offer comfort.  At least I had the divine Mercy Chaplet to listen to as I tried to rest.  The anxiety issues that I have had with pregnancy and insomnia were back full force.    I had to trust that God would be close to me when I needed Him most, even if I couldn't feel Him.  How long would we wait?

Neighborhood Crawfish Boil

It's a Southern Thing and it is a huge deal.  This is something I will never understand.

 I can't believe how much this girl loves them.  Princess would have had a hard time if she hadn't been allowed to go.  As luck has it Sugar and her extreme allergy was gone (St. Louis) so we were safe.

 Jumba was showing off his new clothes.  Pooker was able to take him shopping even though  couldn't.  This was the most helpful thing ever.

Fr. Tom took the other two to a parish festival in St. Louis - a northern tradition.  The busy week was filled with fun and excitement.  Good food and good fun was had by all even though mom was stuck in bed.

Restricted Mother's Day

I was at home all day Sunday.  No permission to leave the house at all.  Jason did sneak me out to drive for about an hour.  It was nice because I slept then. The kiddos left for Mass and I took a long hot shower.  It was hard being left behind but I knew it was what had to be.  The group got home with Bear walking to me with his hands cupped.  Everyone stood around him.  I had no idea what was going on, at first I thought he caught a bug.  It was Bagel who giggled and then said, "No mom, he has Him, ya know God, He got you Communion."  This is when the tears started to flow.   The best gift ever given to me from Our Lord in the hands of my own children.  

 

The kids got Olive Garden for me.  They brought it home and we all had a great meal but missed Sugar and Goobers.  We did Skype but it isn't the same.  We also Skyped Dad's family.

At the end of the day I felt very lucky to have my children and to know that they all love me.  I felt blessed to have two more little ones on the way.  I can't wait to see them.  

Happy Mother's Day to all those wonderful Mom's out there!  You inspire me to be a better mom.   

Week 31: A Shocker for Mom

Great news, we had an ultrasound and babies look FANTASTIC.  As of now both are in position with Baby A wedged way down in there ready to peak out as soon as the time is right.  Baby B is right there next to her not giving her much of a lead.  At week 31.3 one baby weighed 4lb 10 oz and the other was 4lb 9oz which has them in the 70% for weight.   They seam to be sharing the placenta very nicely.  They are still very active with strong heart beats and the doctor could not ask of more for each of them.

Thanks to my Pickle I want you to wrap your brain around this question.

"How many souls were there at conception if there was only one baby but God knew all along it would divided into two?"  I love how this kid's brain works.  This has caused some real thinking in our house over the past few weeks.  Each kiddo has kind of reached their own educated guess, and I even told Pickle in a moment of frustration that he just needed to ask God when he prayed because I was not smart enough to figure it out.

OK back to the Wednesday's Doctors appointment and mom.  Like I said the babies are in great shape it is mom who isn't.  It started as every appointment does, the weigh in.  I have been very careful diet wise and have been drinking lots of water to help with fluid gain.  I really thought I was doing every thing right.  It had been 16 days since my last weigh in and I had gained 15 pounds.  This set me off.  I knew that it was a bad sign.  Lots of weight gain in a short amount of time.  Then my blood pressure was taken and it was very high.  Now I was a wreck.

The ultrasound began and the babies were checked.  They were fine, like I said which was good news. So now J and I had a short wait until the doctor came in to discuss the newest changes.

What is going on with mom?  How can the babies be so good and mom be so bad.  Pre eclampsia is somewhat expected or at least I was being monitored for it because of  having twins.  It can develop into having deadly results but can be somewhat managed to give babies a chance to grow as much as possible.  So I was immediately given the first of two steroid shots.  These shots are for the babies.  They are given to jump start and push the development of the lungs.

The only cure for Pre eclampsia is delivery.  So we have to hold mom off long enough for it to be safest for babies.  I was put on bed rest from here on.  That will help with blood pressure and edema.  The swelling is normal but the excess weight I gained was extra fluid in legs and feet, and so much of it will not help with the blood pressure.  We need to keep mom rested so that the fluid doesn't continue to build up.

I went back in the next day for the second shot for the babies.  They need about 48 hours for those to be helpful.  I also began a 24 hour test to check for protein over flow in the urine, I think they are also checking liver and kidneys, but that is all beyond me.  The doctors will tell me if I need to be worried.  Blood was drawn when that was turned in this morning.

I am now on a weekend of bed rest with a doctors appointment on Monday.  We will then see if my blood pressure is down and what my other tests revealed.  I am hopeful that we can take it easy and give these babies a little more time to grow. I on the lookout for signs of labor, any crazy pains need to be reported.  I am told that I am lucky that I am at home, if my blood pressure was much higher then I would probably be in the hospital.  So I will make the most of the bed/couch this weekend and try not to go crazy sitting still.  Be warned it could mean lots of blog time.  

So we are sitting here at Week 31.5 headed back to bed.  For your own  enjoyment read the Catholic Answers response to question just like Pickle's question.  

Jim Blackburn Catholic Answers Apologist Join Date: May 3, 2004 Posts: 634 Religion: Catholic

Re: When do identical twins get their souls? As an identical twin myself, this question has always intrigued me. To the best of my knowledge, the Church takes no official position on this matter. Catholics are free to explore different theories. We know that human life begins at conception. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) states, “Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception” (CCC 2270, emphasis added). In the case of identical twins, as in the case of singletons, conception (fertilization) occurs only once therefore, each twin’s soul must exist at their shared conception. We also know that, for some time after fertilization, embryos have the ability to generate all the cells and tissues of more than one person. In his presentation concerning cloning, Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, states, “The totipotentiality of a cell consists in its ability to generate all the cells and tissues of a complete organism, including (if satisfactory circumstances exist) the development of an individual. In the human, each embryonic cell remains totipotent for a few days after fertilization. Homozygous germination (the phenomenon of identical twins) is the result of an incidental embryonic fission of the totipotent cells that make up the embryo in the first stages of its development” (footnote 8). Science is presently unable to explain why “embryonic fission” (the division of an embryo resulting in identical twin embryos) occurs. It is important to consider both the cause itself as well as the timing of the cause. My identical twin brother, Jeff, and I propose the following theories: 1. At- or Pre-conception Factors: One or Two Souls May Exist at ConceptionDue to presently unknown genetic or environmental factors existing prior to or at conception, the zygote (fertilized egg) is destined for embryonic fission. Therefore, when conception occurs, one of two things happens: (a) two souls exist within a single zygote, one for each embryo at embryonic fission; or (b) one soul exists, destined for “soul fission” (the division of a soul resulting in identical twin souls) - a new soul cannot come into play, as each embryo’s soul must have existed since conception, and each was conceived only once and at the same time. 2. Post-conception Factors: One Soul Exists at ConceptionIn this case the zygote is no different at conception than that of a singleton’s zygote because factors causing embryonic fission do not yet exist. Therefore, only one soul must exist. Later, presently unknown environmental factors cause embryonic fission and, as with theory 1(b) above, soul fission must occur.

In these first two theories, presently unknown genetic or environmental factors are the cause of embryonic fission. Whether these factors occur (1) prior to or at conception or (2) after conception is important. If they occur prior to or at conception then the zygote is destined for embryonic fission from the start so it is possible that either one or two souls exist at conception. On the other hand, if factors causing embryonic fission do not exist until after conception then the zygote is no different at conception than that of a normal singleton zygote so only one soul, later becoming two, must exist. In our third theory, embryonic fission relies on neither genetic nor environmental factors but, rather, divine intervention. 3. Supernatural Factors: One or Two Souls May Exist at ConceptionFor reasons unknown, one of two things happens: (a) one soul exists at conception but divine intervention later causes soul fission to occur which, in turn, causes embryonic fission; or (b) divine intervention at conception causes two souls to exist within one zygote and the very existence of two souls causes embryonic fission. In either case, identical twins are a miracle.   I love that Catholic Answers has tried to tackle this thought as well.

I know many of you are praying hard for us.  I just wanted to say thank you.  The whole family feels the prayers.  We will have a crazy weekend while we wait for Goobers and Sugar to get back so we can work of having us some babies.  Actually I am hoping that we can hold things off until after next weekend (fun baby showers).  The good news is that the Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome has not effected us as of yet.  Thank you God.  Now let us get mom as healthy until birth.   I would selfishly like to pray for a natural delivery but it might be impossible with the high blood pressure.  I am just thankful that the babies are doing so well.