Top Dog at 70 days

Well, I am now the "top dog" of the Antapartal Unit.  Another patient and myself were admitted here on the exact same day 70 days ago today.  We both were the patients that had been here the longest.  Yesterday she delivered.  Now I have been here for the most days.  I can't believe it! 

Monday we made it to 33 weeks!  I can't believe March is only a week away.  A week away from being 34 weeks!  Today we had another BPP ultrasound.  The twins looked great!  The ultrasound tec kept commenting on how these babies move....Yup, I could tell you that! :)  The highlight from the appointment was getting to see baby girl open and close her eyes.  So cool!

33 weeks picture.  I am wearing the same shirt from our last photo shoot.  I have a limited amount of clothing that fits and that is washed these days.  As you can see my belly has gotten very big - the size of a full term belly. 

Now that my belly has gotten bigger it is much harder to get comfortable.  It's hard for me to sit up because I have some baby feet lodging their way in my lungs.  It's hard to get comfortable in bed either laying down or trying to get out of bed.  I feel those ligaments stretching a lot more lately.  I guess my stomach is trying to make more room for these growing babies.  

Some of my Third Grade students made this Valentine's Day decoration for my door. 

What's left of our chain!  The last link is marked 33 weeks and 6 days.  For some reason I had Lindsay and Jenny stop there when making my chain.  I didn't want it to look that long so it wouldn't be too overwhelming.  But at the very beginning it was!

The Wall of Achievements.  These are all of the big milestones achieved while being here in the hospital for 70 days.

Happy Valentine's Day - Babies you're 32 weeks!

Yay!!!!!  I couldn't be more excited for Valentine's Day to be here!  Not so much because of the holiday, but more that today the babies are 32 weeks along.  This was the ultimate, long term goal Kevin and I had for our twins.  I remember the doctors telling me how good it would be to get to 32 weeks.  I checked my calendar and saw 32 weeks exactly put us at Valentine's Day.  I really didn't think I was going to make it to February.  That was two months away!  If I was able to meet this goal, I really wanted to do something fun to celebrate.  I wanted to paint my stomach with a heart.  Well, it is Valentine's Day so I got to have the fun photo shoot I was wanting.

We also had a growth ultrasound for the babies today.  The last time we had an ultrasound was at 28 weeks and the babies measured at 2 lbs. 9 oz.  Today, a month later, the babies were measuring a little over 4 lbs! Their weight put them in the 56th percentile again.  Kevin was able to go to the appointment with me.  I am glad we're able to experience these moments together because who knows if we will get another chance for an ultrasound.

I also had my cervix checked again by the doctor.  We learned I am now dilated to a 4 and pretty much 100% effaced (meaning the length of my cervix is now gone).  Because of these results the doctor decided not to send me home.  So here I stay with my nurse friends.  I feel comfortable with staying at the hospital at this point with labor coming at anytime.  I was afraid of going home and being home alone and going into labor.  Kevin and I feel comfortable with whatever happens now. They both seem to be healthy, active babies. Like the doctors day, "The days after 32 weeks are like icing on the cake."  We'll pray for more days but are putting it in God's hands.   

Kevin and I didn't get to celebrate Valentine's Day going out to eat or making supper at home together.  Instead we got to do something just as exciting....remove the 32 link from our chain!  Together we celebrated this miracle we have accomplished for our baby girl and baby boy. 

Last year at this time...

We were in California celebrating Valentine's Day.  Crazy to think how much has changed in a year.  Then it was just the two of us making up our family.  Now soon we will be adding two more to "The Willms" family.  Our lives will be changed forever!

New Camera and Adventures

This weekend we finally got a new camera.  I had received the okay from my husband to get a new camera.  I kept putting it off not knowing which kind I wanted to get.  I knew I wanted to have a new one before the babies arrive and well....that day is could be here soon.  So I sent Kevin on a shopping mission for the Canon camera I had picked out.  So this weekend I have been playing around with it taking lots of pictures.  This isn't unusual though, I love taking pictures so a good camera is important to me.

Kevin with one of our favorite nurses, Julie

 Phyllis - she's a fun nurse and has shown me her tap dancing skills while doing the required "victory dance" after removing a link on our chain.

New Adventures!

I also got to go on some new trips at the hospital.  Sounds exciting huh?!  Well for this girl who has been "living" here for the past 60 days it's a real treat.  First, I actually got to walk out of my hospital room to the nurses station for the first time.  This is a sight I had only seen being wheeled in a bed or wheelchair.  Actually it's was my first time ever walking out of my room!

We took a picture together outside of my room.  

Also, I went outside for my wheelchair ride.  It was 30 some degrees and I wanted to feel what that felt like again.  This time I documented my trip outside.

Can't wait for when I get to walk outside myself and not be wheeled!

Saturday night we also had our friends Mark and Allison visit us.  It was fun to have people over at night on the weekend.  We had a great night playing games which brought us back to our childhood days - Old Maid and Crazy 8's. 

Allison, Mark, myself, and Kevin

I volunteered Mark to remove the link for the night since he had experienced the excitement before. :)

And you can't forget the victory dance!

A Walk Down Memory Lane......

 This is what my chain looked like back at the beginning of January and.....

now this is what it looks like as of Feb. 12.  I feel very proud of my accomplishment for our future family!

30 and 31 Weeks

I am a little behind on my blogging this past two weeks.  Last week we had some long, rough nights with many contractions.  It definitely gave Kevin and I a scare that I was starting labor.  Needless to say I was very tired from being up most of the night and didn't enjoy being on extra medications.  But here I am making it yet another week!

30 WEEKS! 
On Monday, January 31st, I made it to the big 3-0! 

I actually got to remove a link from my chain!  For those who know when you remove a link we have a tradition.  You must do a celebration dance.  This was started by my husband.  I didn't get too crazy with a dance.  Didn't want to start labor getting jiggy-with-it!

Hello big tummy!

The last weekend in January my parents came up to visit and get some work done for us.  I really wanted to get our spare bedroom painted.  I wanted the room put together because I know once the babies arrive we are going to have a lot of visitors.  My parents were the only takers on my painting project.  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you mom and dad!!!  I haven't seen it yet in person, but Kevin took a picture of it and it looks great!  I am going to have so many new changes at my house by the time I get home...whenever that might be. ;) 

My parents and me - Love You and thanks for all of your help and hard work.  I know dad...just add it all onto my bill.

My mom enjoying the game, Double Shutter.  This game has been a hit for visitors.  It is very hard to win.  So far only Aunt Mary has been a Double Shutter Champion.



Comfortable Kev? 

More Visitors!

My two co-workers, Heather (and her son Blake) and Jennifer, came to visit me during the day.   I love day visitors since that is the time that seems to drag on most for me.  Heather made a "hot dish" for all of us for lunch and Jennifer brought cupcakes to celebrate Heather's birthday.  Blake, Heather's son, loves to come to the hospital to hear the babies on the monitors.  This visit he even got to feel the babies moving in my tummy.  It was so cute to see his reaction and his face light up.  He also likes to color me pictures and then hang them on my wall. 

Jennifer, Heather, Blake, and me

Thanks for being fun visitors and also making me laugh!

31 Weeks!

Yesterday I made it to 31 weeks!  Only one more week until 32 weeks or 8 months!  Kevin and I really want the babies to make it to that next milestone.

At this point in a pregnancy with twins you are typically measuring around 37 or 38 weeks gestation with a singleton.  I don't even know how much more my uterus is going to be able to grow.  It's amazing how the babies find room. 

Wheelchair rides.  Starting this past week I received "wheelchair privileges".  I can take a 10 to 20 minute ride around the hospital.  My highlight so far was being able to go outside and get a big breath of fresh air.  I know it's cold outside, but that refreshing air felt so good in my lungs.  I hadn't been outside or really even seen outside at that point for 50 days!  It's just nice to get out of my room and see some different scenery.

Bye, Bye January.  Hello February! 

When first coming in on bed rest I really wanted to make it to see the month of February.  That goal seemed so far away at the time.  A goal I really didn't think I was going to achieve for our babies.  It felt AMAZING to cross off that last day in January and begin February.  I can't say I really want to think about going into March yet.  Another month of bed rest sounds hard at this point.  I am starting to hit my wall - mentally and physically.  I am taking it all one day at a time through February.  As I look at my December and January calendars and see all of the days completed, it's a great feeling to see how far I have come.  I am now on the downhill slope, and the days of meeting our little ones could quickly approach us. 

Next Monday - Valentine's Day - we will have another growth ultrasound.  It will be fun to see how big they are now.  I am praying the little man is still head down or "vertex" as the doctors call it.  During the ultrasound we will also have a test done on the babies called the BBP.  This rates their lungs and breathing for their gestational age.  I also will have my cervix checked.  This time just by the doctor to see if I have dilated anymore since I was checked 2 weeks ago.