Saturday, July 4, 2009
Luke taking control
Luke has started to grab the bottle from us while we are feeding him. In his last feeding tonight he held the bottle for almost 2 minutes all by himself before he lost control of it.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
4 Month Checkup
On June 17th Luke & Anna had their 4 month checkup. Anna was 11lbs 13 oz and 22" long. Luke was 15lbs and 24" long. They are both doing very well and growing way too fast. Here's a picture of each them around the time of their visit.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Luke Rolled Over
Only one week after Anna, Luke rolled over. Anna hasn't rolled over since she did last week or at least that we've noticed. Luke rolled over 3 times in a row. I'm guessing he'll be rolling over all the time now. Anna doesn't seem to see any reason to roll over.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Rolling over
Anna wins. She was the first to roll over. Luke has been trying his best to do it this past week, but can't quite make it. He only rotates his shoulders, not his hips.
Monday, May 18, 2009
3 Months
Anna & Luke are now 3 months old. This has been an interesting month for them. At first they started sleeping worse and worse. This lead to a decision for us to move my office down into the basement, giving Luke my old office room as his bedroom. Immediately we noticed a difference in how well they've slept. During this past week they've slept 6-10 hours stretches during the night. It's amazing how much this improves our mood. We've come a long way from me cuddling with Luke throughout the night in our bed upstairs. They are growing up so quick, I'm trying my best to appreciate when they are so little.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Two Month Checkup
Luke and Anna had their two month check up this afternoon. They have both gotten bigger. Luke is now 10lbs 14oz and 22.5" long. Anna is 8lbs 15oz and 21.5" long. They both look great according to the Doctor, which is always good to hear.
This checkup included their first round of shots. That was definitely not fun. Luke made the saddest face I'd ever seen after the nurses stuck him with the three shots. I wrapped him up real quick and had him calmed down after a few minutes. Anna wasn't happy either. She spit up what seemed like a majority of the liquid vaccine they gave her.
They in general are doing very well. April and I both are still getting up a few times a night to feed them, but its getting better. My guess is that by the 3 month mark we may be really close to having them sleep throughout the night. I really hope they are sleeping through the night by our District Convention. We went to our Special Assembly day yesterday with only 4 hours of sleep. There is no way I could do that 3 days in a row.
This checkup included their first round of shots. That was definitely not fun. Luke made the saddest face I'd ever seen after the nurses stuck him with the three shots. I wrapped him up real quick and had him calmed down after a few minutes. Anna wasn't happy either. She spit up what seemed like a majority of the liquid vaccine they gave her.
They in general are doing very well. April and I both are still getting up a few times a night to feed them, but its getting better. My guess is that by the 3 month mark we may be really close to having them sleep throughout the night. I really hope they are sleeping through the night by our District Convention. We went to our Special Assembly day yesterday with only 4 hours of sleep. There is no way I could do that 3 days in a row.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
One Full Night
Luke just slept 7 hours straight last night. April and I had been playing a new board game, Settlers of Catan, until almost 12:30am. We fed the kids and both went to sleep. Luke took awhile to get settled down, but then he proceeded to sleep until almost 8:15am.
Luke seems to be fighting sleep all the time now. I think that is what contributed to him sleeping through the night. He rarely sleeps for any extended blocks during the day. This makes him very cranky though. I'm hoping we can strike a balance over the next few weeks. 7 straight hours is so much better then 7 hours broken up over 12.
Luke seems to be fighting sleep all the time now. I think that is what contributed to him sleeping through the night. He rarely sleeps for any extended blocks during the day. This makes him very cranky though. I'm hoping we can strike a balance over the next few weeks. 7 straight hours is so much better then 7 hours broken up over 12.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Doctor's Visit
We took Luke & Anna to their 5 week checkup. Normally babies only get a two week and then a two month, but the Doctor wanted to have one in between to make sure they were growing well. Turns out they are both doing great. Luke went from 6lbs and 19" at two weeks to 8lbs and 21" at 5 weeks. Anna went from 5lbs 9oz and 18.5" to 7lbs 2oz and 20.5". It was interesting to see that they both grew the same number of inches, but Luke has almost a pound on Anna now. Boys just grow faster I guess. It's great to know that they are both doing very well.
Quick Update
The kids are now 5 weeks old. They are doing very well. Last week was a rough week for sleep. They still haven't quite reached a schedule when it comes to sleeping. Somedays they think night is day and vice versa. April and I both caught up on some sleep this weekend. Hopefully they continue this trend. Currently the thought of work, kids, and all my other responsibilities is a bit much to swallow.
Today Luke & Anna go in for a 5 week checkup.
Today Luke & Anna go in for a 5 week checkup.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Our long hospital stay
Initially I was going to write a long drawn out post on all the things that went wrong at the Hospital. After a weeks worth of reflection I've decided against it. 90% of the time went well as the nursing staff was extremely helpful. I'll quickly summarize what we went through though. April's hemoglobin dropped to 5.9 after her c-section, which made for a long 5 and a half day recovery in the hospital. It lead to her passing out once, which was scary. She also had to deal with a poorly done IV, which missed her vein and caused a huge bubble to form under her skin. Lastly, nurses working at night in OB are usually very cranky due to being overworked and tired. Overall it wasn't the most fun recovery.
By Saturday we were both begging to be out of the hospital. The nursing staff was awesome and very nice, but you start to feel like you are trapped in a box. They finally discharged us around 7pm. The babies did great on their way home and didn't even make a peep.
Time to start our happy family life.
By Saturday we were both begging to be out of the hospital. The nursing staff was awesome and very nice, but you start to feel like you are trapped in a box. They finally discharged us around 7pm. The babies did great on their way home and didn't even make a peep.
Time to start our happy family life.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The story of the babies delivery
A little over two weeks ago April and her Doctor decided to move things along and schedule a c-section. This was done for a number of reasons, but overall they both felt it was the appropriate action to take. April had a amniocenteses scheduled that Thursday to verify the babies lungs were developed. They were going to try and do the c-section the following day, but didn't get all of the results in time so instead they set it up Monday. The results showed that the babies lungs were fully developed.
Throughout the day Sunday April was having discomfort and contractions off and on, pretty normal for multiples. Then around 1:00 am, I wake up and she is hunched over the bed having a big contraction, next thing I know I'm awake and timing them. Throughout the night they kept getting closer and closer together. Our surgery was scheduled for 8am that morning and we had to be up at the hospital by 6am. By about 4am, we decided we didn't want to wait any longer and just went up to the hospital. Even though the chances were low that we'd deliver earlier, we didn't want to risk having to try and deliver twins on our own.
We got to the Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital fairly quickly and they admitted us right away. From there continued the fun of going through contractions, but now in the full view of all the hospital staff. The hardest thing was tuning out everyone else so I could help April breathe through the contractions. I think we did pretty well.
Since we were so close to the original surgery time, we still ended up going forward with it. An ultrasound confirmed that Anna was in breach so it still made the most sense to go forward with the c-section. It would turn out later that Anna actually shifted heads down, but there was no way to anticipate that. She also could have switched around when Luke was delivered so I think we made the right decision in going with the c-section.
As they wheeled April to the operating room, a nurse directed me to where we would be staying after. Lugging coats, clothes, and bags, I made my way and deposited the items. All this time I'm wearing a very interesting surgical outfit. They then put me in the "Daddy room" while they prepped April. This was nothing more then a supply closet with a sink and chair for me to sit in outside of the operating room.
I sat in there for what seemed like forever. It was during this time that the anxiety of everything hit me. Could I handle seeing April in surgery? Would the sight of the my wife all cut up make me pass out? Will I be a good Dad? I kept focused though, breathing deep breaths and praying to keep myself relaxed.
A nurse eventually came in and told me it was time for me to enter the room. They had a small chair in a cramped section for me to sit in right next to April. Her head popped out on the other side of a drape of cloth. She was a trooper throughout the whole process. She kept commenting on how weird it felt to be numb from the waist down. That didn't stop her from feeling her non-numb body parts being jostled around. I can't imagine being in that position. I was very glad at that point that all I had to do was sit there and be supportive.
After only a short while I could tell that the Doctor's were getting very close to bringing the babies into this world. First came Anna, at 8:37am, there was a sweet beautiful cry as she emerged. Doctor Hannah lifted her over the curtain for us to see her before she was quickly passed over to a nurse. Luke came immediately afterward at 8:38am. He also started to cry, which brought us great relief. Both April and I were choked up and so overjoyed to be parents.
From what I was told I thought I'd immediately be heading out of the room with the babies, but we stayed there for a good 10 minutes. I kept standing up peaking over the curtain to look at the babies in the opposite corner. I told April every tidbit I could glean from my distance. During this time also, the curtain separating April's head from the rest of her started to drop. Neither of us were able to see anything though.
Eventually they escorted me out with the babies as they started to give April some medicine to help her sleep. As I was heading out I looked back to say goodbye. It was then that I got to see how the full process unfolded. Seeing the inside of your wife's belly is definitely a surreal moment. I'm just very glad she was in very capable hands.
The babies and I then made our way to their recovery room. They were placed in incubators and all their vital signs were monitored. Luke's O2 stats were a little low, 95% if I remember correctly at first. By the end of their 3 hour stay in recovery they jumped back up to 100%.
They were such a beauty to behold. I didn't know what to do with them and was so nervous to even touch them. I believe I asked a nurse if could touch them before I did so. They could tell I was a nervous first time father. Both babies grabbed strongly onto my hands. Luke was definitely the feistiest. He kept grabbing all of the cords and would occasionally cry out.
Eventually I stepped out and invited the rest of the family in the waiting room to come and see the babies through the glass. Everyone was so overjoyed. It was an amazing moment.
I know this is one day I will never forget.
Anna
Luke
Throughout the day Sunday April was having discomfort and contractions off and on, pretty normal for multiples. Then around 1:00 am, I wake up and she is hunched over the bed having a big contraction, next thing I know I'm awake and timing them. Throughout the night they kept getting closer and closer together. Our surgery was scheduled for 8am that morning and we had to be up at the hospital by 6am. By about 4am, we decided we didn't want to wait any longer and just went up to the hospital. Even though the chances were low that we'd deliver earlier, we didn't want to risk having to try and deliver twins on our own.
We got to the Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital fairly quickly and they admitted us right away. From there continued the fun of going through contractions, but now in the full view of all the hospital staff. The hardest thing was tuning out everyone else so I could help April breathe through the contractions. I think we did pretty well.
Since we were so close to the original surgery time, we still ended up going forward with it. An ultrasound confirmed that Anna was in breach so it still made the most sense to go forward with the c-section. It would turn out later that Anna actually shifted heads down, but there was no way to anticipate that. She also could have switched around when Luke was delivered so I think we made the right decision in going with the c-section.
As they wheeled April to the operating room, a nurse directed me to where we would be staying after. Lugging coats, clothes, and bags, I made my way and deposited the items. All this time I'm wearing a very interesting surgical outfit. They then put me in the "Daddy room" while they prepped April. This was nothing more then a supply closet with a sink and chair for me to sit in outside of the operating room.
I sat in there for what seemed like forever. It was during this time that the anxiety of everything hit me. Could I handle seeing April in surgery? Would the sight of the my wife all cut up make me pass out? Will I be a good Dad? I kept focused though, breathing deep breaths and praying to keep myself relaxed.
A nurse eventually came in and told me it was time for me to enter the room. They had a small chair in a cramped section for me to sit in right next to April. Her head popped out on the other side of a drape of cloth. She was a trooper throughout the whole process. She kept commenting on how weird it felt to be numb from the waist down. That didn't stop her from feeling her non-numb body parts being jostled around. I can't imagine being in that position. I was very glad at that point that all I had to do was sit there and be supportive.
After only a short while I could tell that the Doctor's were getting very close to bringing the babies into this world. First came Anna, at 8:37am, there was a sweet beautiful cry as she emerged. Doctor Hannah lifted her over the curtain for us to see her before she was quickly passed over to a nurse. Luke came immediately afterward at 8:38am. He also started to cry, which brought us great relief. Both April and I were choked up and so overjoyed to be parents.
From what I was told I thought I'd immediately be heading out of the room with the babies, but we stayed there for a good 10 minutes. I kept standing up peaking over the curtain to look at the babies in the opposite corner. I told April every tidbit I could glean from my distance. During this time also, the curtain separating April's head from the rest of her started to drop. Neither of us were able to see anything though.
Eventually they escorted me out with the babies as they started to give April some medicine to help her sleep. As I was heading out I looked back to say goodbye. It was then that I got to see how the full process unfolded. Seeing the inside of your wife's belly is definitely a surreal moment. I'm just very glad she was in very capable hands.
The babies and I then made our way to their recovery room. They were placed in incubators and all their vital signs were monitored. Luke's O2 stats were a little low, 95% if I remember correctly at first. By the end of their 3 hour stay in recovery they jumped back up to 100%.
They were such a beauty to behold. I didn't know what to do with them and was so nervous to even touch them. I believe I asked a nurse if could touch them before I did so. They could tell I was a nervous first time father. Both babies grabbed strongly onto my hands. Luke was definitely the feistiest. He kept grabbing all of the cords and would occasionally cry out.
Eventually I stepped out and invited the rest of the family in the waiting room to come and see the babies through the glass. Everyone was so overjoyed. It was an amazing moment.
I know this is one day I will never forget.
Anna
Luke
Friday, February 13, 2009
They're Coming
It is official. All tests are back, the babies lungs are mature- the last organ to mature. Which means (dadadadum) that they are ready to come out of the womb. YEAH!
I am scheduled for a C-section Monday at 8 am the babies will be 37 weeks and 1 day old at that point in time.
Here's looking to the future and the pictures of the babies instead of pictures of my belly.
I am scheduled for a C-section Monday at 8 am the babies will be 37 weeks and 1 day old at that point in time.
Here's looking to the future and the pictures of the babies instead of pictures of my belly.
Monday, February 2, 2009
35 weeks and counting...
So that's my current accomplishment the twins are still in there at 35 weeks, 2 more and they reach full gestation, which is all you can hope for with twins. I'm not on bedrest, but I do feel some days as if I am little more than an incubator.
The pregnancy has proceeded almost ideally from the twins side of things. All Non-Stress Test results are perfect, no sign of abnormalities on any ultrasounds, no defiencies in any of the bloodwork.
For mama to be however...
I currently get steady numbness on my left leg, Anna likes to push on a nerve on that side, my right side is more obviously swollen than my left now, its freakishly obvious at my ankles and hands, the heartburn is returning despite taking prilosec, I'm not getting more than 4 consecutive hours of sleep, hungry all the time, fatigued all the time, oh and did I mention the twins are just as active as ever-books say they slow down as they get bigger, the books lie. Of course high kick counts means the babies are healthy, it also means my rib cage and anything else they can reach gets worked over. To top it off my waist is currently 46 1/2inches circumference, approximately 20 inches more than at the start of the pregnancy and I've gained over 60lbs. not to mention my stomach is so covered in stretch marks that a one piece is my only swimming option from here on out.
A note on stretch marks, they are genetic, dont let anyone talk you into any kind of special cream to prevent them. Yes using cocoa butter feels good on your skin and should be used because the hormones have a drying affect on your skin, but do not kid yourself that it is going to stop the scaring of your abdomen.
With all that said our next Doctor's visit I am asking for an amnio to see if the babies are mature enough to be cut out. Because I can't be pregnant anymore. So whether I go into it naturally or not I'm having these babies at 37 weeks.
The pregnancy has proceeded almost ideally from the twins side of things. All Non-Stress Test results are perfect, no sign of abnormalities on any ultrasounds, no defiencies in any of the bloodwork.
For mama to be however...
I currently get steady numbness on my left leg, Anna likes to push on a nerve on that side, my right side is more obviously swollen than my left now, its freakishly obvious at my ankles and hands, the heartburn is returning despite taking prilosec, I'm not getting more than 4 consecutive hours of sleep, hungry all the time, fatigued all the time, oh and did I mention the twins are just as active as ever-books say they slow down as they get bigger, the books lie. Of course high kick counts means the babies are healthy, it also means my rib cage and anything else they can reach gets worked over. To top it off my waist is currently 46 1/2inches circumference, approximately 20 inches more than at the start of the pregnancy and I've gained over 60lbs. not to mention my stomach is so covered in stretch marks that a one piece is my only swimming option from here on out.
A note on stretch marks, they are genetic, dont let anyone talk you into any kind of special cream to prevent them. Yes using cocoa butter feels good on your skin and should be used because the hormones have a drying affect on your skin, but do not kid yourself that it is going to stop the scaring of your abdomen.
With all that said our next Doctor's visit I am asking for an amnio to see if the babies are mature enough to be cut out. Because I can't be pregnant anymore. So whether I go into it naturally or not I'm having these babies at 37 weeks.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
April at 34 Weeks
These pictures were taken at the baby shower. She technically is 33 weeks and 5 days.
Baby Shower
This past Saturday was our second or actually third baby shower. We got a lot of nice things. The key things being our baby car seats. The babies would have to stay at the hospital forever if we didn't have them :) The shower was held at my mom's house. We had a lot of people show up and had a lot of fun. I actually attended this one so that I could help April out with things. It's a little too hard for her to open the big boxes by herself.
33 Week Ultrasound
This was done on January 20th. Both babies are doing very well still. If you look closely, you can tell that Luke (on the left) is sucking his thumb.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Stress Test Today
This morning was our first fetal stress test monitoring. It's standard procedure to start these at 32 weeks. Since we are having twins we couldn't do it at our Doctor's office so we had the test up at Oakwood Hospital. I'm glad we could go there rather then Wyandotte since it is a lot closer and we need to go up there twice a week.
It took a while to figure out where in the hospital we needed to be, but once we found the place things moved along fairly quickly. The test takes about 20 minutes to run. It was a really nice experience for both April and I as it was the first time we have actually heard the babies heartbeats. The babies hearts are working great and responded as expected to activity.
It took a while to figure out where in the hospital we needed to be, but once we found the place things moved along fairly quickly. The test takes about 20 minutes to run. It was a really nice experience for both April and I as it was the first time we have actually heard the babies heartbeats. The babies hearts are working great and responded as expected to activity.
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