We're Home

Yup that's right, it was a no go! The cerclage removal went fine, they gave me some drugs, which made me feel no pain and in fact I don't remember much of it. Once the cerclage was removed I was 2 cm. dilated and 90% effaced. So we walked and thought that maybe today was the day. No such luck, after two hours of walking and some time on the birthing ball, still the same and only three contractions in three hours.

So I am home and now we wait. The OB said the furthest we could make it was September 23rd (38 weeks), but thought it might happen before then. So the wait is on!

We are a bit relieved that it didn't happen today as Gabe and I have both suddenly come down with a pretty bad cold. Yesterday we thought it was allergies, but today we are pretty sure it is a cold. So at least now we have some time to get better.


I go back in again tomorrow to the OB's office to be checked. He will be closely watching me from here on out.

Thanks for the good thoughts and prayers.

36 Weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Off to L&D to remove the cerclage and walk walk walk. Today may be the day our little guys make their grand appearance into the world. Please say a little prayer and think good thoughts for the four of us. We will keep you posted!

Love,
Tiffany, Gabe, Noah, & Aaden

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement. www.babycenter.com

The Belly!

I realized it had been awhile since I took a belly shot and it is for one reason only. My camera! It is packed, charged, and waiting in the hospital bag. So yesterday my Mom took one with my phone and voila, here it is... Don't be alarmed! Hehe!
So yesterdays appointment was uneventful. My cervix is pretty much gone, but still closed. I can stop the blood pressure medicine, which keeps the contractions away, and both boys were doing well. I go into L&D at 8 a.m. on the 9th. They will hook me up to an IV with a tiny bit of pain med and remove my cerclage. Once removed I will wait until the pain medicine wears off and then the walking begins. I will walk for a couple of hours, then they will hook me up to the monitors. If I begin to dilate and have some contractions they will do the c-section. If not, I will be sent home to go into labor on my own. A planned c-section would not be preformed until the 23rd! Ugh! The 23rd! Honestly, I don't think I will make it that far, but who knows at this point. My OB thought I wouldn't make it to 32 weeks and here we are at 35/2.

Our hospital offers a program where they send a nurse to the house to help answer our questions and help with the babies and breastfeeding. This is a free program, so of course I took advantage of it. She came for the first time on Wednesday evening and we liked her a lot. She will come whenever we need her for the first year and when we have a question we call her on her cell. The first visit was just to talk mainly about being prepared, which, uhhhh, if you know me I had that well taken care of. She looked at the boys room and said it was the cutest room she had ever seen. Not a stone has gone unturned in my planning. Two breastpumps, a variety of bottles, two changing areas, two sleeping areas, monitors, fans, sleeping wedges, a variety of pacifiers and breast shields, etc.. etc... etc.. We also talked about how to handle visitors, stress, and emotions, and about how this will be an important bonding time for our new little family of four. I brought up some of my particular worries, and then we talked about the c-section. I brought up PPD and she said she didn't want to talk about it too much, because she wants me to think positively that I will not get it, but she will closely watch me during the first few weeks. She said the boys and I will most likely be in the hospital for about 5 days. Does that seem right? I was thinking three or four. How long did you all stay after a c-section? On another note she told us about her son, born at 34 weeks weighing five pounds exactly whom went home in 5 days. As we all know, our boys will probably be closer to 6 pounds, so of course her story made me feel very positive. On another uplifting note my good friend Heather had her son at 35 weeks weighing a little over 5 pounds and he too went home in 5 days. So as long as both boys are healthy (which I pray for constantly,) the boys may very well have no NICU time even if they came today. So so thankful to be in a safe zone.

Hernandez Wedding

So it was too big for email, and you tube rejected the length lets see if this works.  I will have it on DVD for you when you get here.  Love you!!!

35 Weeks

I honestly cannot believe we have made it this far, on May 20th I just prayed and prayed to make it to 24 weeks. Now I am wondering if these boys have plans on coming out at all. The average twins are born at 35 weeks so lets see if these boys are average. I would welcome average right now with open arms. I am at that point where "I am ready!" The sleep is horrible, my bones ache...... I am going to stop right now! NO COMPLAINING! I wanted this, I got this , and I am truly blessed. I am loving every gosh darn minute of this, really I am. The aches, pains, and fears are so very worth it.

Could these be any more perfect?

Dear Noah & Aaden,

My dear sweet pumpkins, I cannot believe how far we have come. We have had a bumpy road to get here and I am so thankful to finally be to such a safe point. I never would have imagined we would make it this far. You boys are so very strong and blessed. I have done my very very best trying to keep you safe and healthy. Now I am anxious to meet you and hold you in my arms. Anxious to comfort your cries, feed you, stare into your eyes, and inspect every inch of your little bodies. I am anxious for Daddy to see you and so excited to be starting our family of four. Just thinking about that day I will meet you and our future brings tears to my eyes. I have been waiting to hold you since I was a little girl. I dream about you often and imagine what you will look like. I pray constantly for your health and safety. You are more loved than you will ever know. Hope to see you soon, healthy with no unexpected surprises.

Love Always,

Mommy

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (not our guys, they are probably closer to 5 3/4) Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight. http://www.babycenter.com/

Necklace and a Change

Mondays are my LOOOOONNNNGGGG days. I have come to despise Mondays even more than ever now. Most Mondays I have no human contact for at least 16 hours. Well, today is most likely my last long, no human contact Monday EVER! Seems so WEIRD! See next Monday is a holiday so Gabe will be home and hopefully the following Monday I will be a MOM!!!

Today on my last long Monday a package arrived, which brought a smile to my face, I knew right away what it was. I have been waiting for it...

So, we have a slight change in delivery plans. The Peri disagreed with the OB and put a halt on the scheduled c-section. She wants me to hold on as long as possible and go into labor on my own. I will know more details on Thursday, but for now I will have the cerclage removed the morning of the 9th at L&D here in town and then walk around for two hours. If in those two hours I have dilated we will go ahead with the c-section. If not, I will go home and wait to go into labor or wait for September 23rd (38 weeks) to be induced. Of course I was a little bummed because I am such a planner, but my OB seems to think it will still probably happen around the 9th or sooner, so we will see. I want whatever is best for the boys, but am really getting anxious to meet them and well... ummmm... just a little uncomfortable. Okay, who am I kidding? A lot uncomfortable!

Five Years

What a long and winding road it has been. Five years ago today I married the love of my life and we embarked on a new chapter. I love you Gabe, thank you for making all my dreams come true and being my rock. Wow, I can't believe it has been five whole years!

Our day was not everything I had always dreamt of when I was a little girl, money was tight (we had just bought our first house), but we managed to have a beautiful wedding for around $4,000, and most importantly we had a good time and didn't go into debt doing it. The wedding included 120 guests and a fantastic dinner. It was a day I will never forget. Looking back I wouldn't have it any other way, I am so glad we didn't go crazy over board, because we have great memories and great pictures. Pictures, memories, and love are what last a lifetime, however I really wish we would have splurged for a honeymoon. Since we didn't take a honeymoon, each anniversary we have gone on weekend getaways. Those weekend getaways where it was just the two of us have been some of my favorite memories. We won't be doing a weekend getaway this year, but I will say it is still a VERY memorable anniversary.

Truly Blessed, Our Pregnancy (same video two ways to view it)

34 Weeks and an Appointment

34 weeks! 34 weeks! 34 weeks!

The boys look great! My cervix is completely thinned out and the only thing holding it closed is the stitches. We had planned to have the cerclage removed at the Peri's office on September 9th, but plans have changed. My OB believes that once it is removed I will go into labor, so he wants to remove it and feels it best to just remove it during a planned c-section on September 9th, instead of driving an hour and half away and going into labor on the drive home.

So, the plan is to go back again next week. If I am not dilated then we are still set for September 9th, if I am then maybe we do it sooner, but for now it is holding well and probably the only thing stopping me from dilating. He instructed me to go to L&D at the first sign of bleeding or if I have at least 6 contractions in an hour.

So why a c-section? In his opinion it is safest with twins, a lot can go wrong and he prefers it this way. He also prefers planned vs. emergency c-section with babies in distress. I am totally fine with that... I think. I guess this is what I wanted, I just wanted someone else to make the choice for me. So there... it is done! 09-09-09 unless Noah and Aaden say otherwise!

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (not ours, they are more like 5 1/2) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies. http://www.babycenter.com/

Our babies will be here in less than 14 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For Real?

This is a true story... seriously it is!

Setting: In bed 12:35 a.m. Gabe is asleep, I am tossing and turning and still have yet to fall asleep and have been up every hour on the hour to pee.

Gabe: (Awakes suddenly from sleep) Ahhhh.. I am uncomfortable!
Me: What? (I heard what he said, but I guess I just wanted to hear it again)
Gabe: I am uncomfortable!
Me: Are you freakin' kidding me?
Gabe: What?
Me: (struggling to get out of bed to use the bathroom yet again) JOIN THE CLUB!


I return back to bed a minute later, he is already sound asleep AGAIN. If only my only struggle to falling asleep and uncomfortableness was the fact that Phoenix was laying at my feet. Tonight I will pump him full of salt until his feet and hands swell like sausages, then I will make him swallow a whole watermelon, feed him peppers to inflict heartburn, and have him run until his whole body aches. Maybe then he will know what uncomfortable is. Just kidding, really I am, and I probably shouldn't have said that out loud, but ehhh well... I did! And I am not complaining about my uncomfortableness, because it means our boys are big and healthy. I am sure he was "uncomfortable," but ummm... just think about who you are saying it to before you complain. Love you honey! Thanks for the laugh!!!


Happy Birthday to my dear sweet Elianna! Today she is 12 years old.


I have my 34 week appointment tomorrow. I will post an update when I get home... if I come home. I have a feeling we might be making some progress. I am feeling a lot of pressure and I think Noah has dropped even lower. So, we will see. Still hoping for another week or two, but SO thankful for how far we have come.


Thursday I will venture out across town for an hour to a "Mommy lunch." I can't believe it, I was invited to a real Mommy lunch. My friend Katie asked me out to bagels for Mommy talk. Along with Katie comes her little Hayden, another Mom and her son, and Katie's SIL, Jen whom has four week old twin boys! I cannot wait to go to my first Mommy lunch and to meet Jen and pick her brain.