Baby Shower Fun

I just had my baby shower on Saturday, September 10th and it was better than I ever imagined it would be. If any of you have ever known the feeling of wanting something so badly and thinking you may never get to experience it, well, lets just say that is me when it comes to the baby shower, or really just having babies. My friends did an awesome job at making it a memorable experience for me and it was of course, a very emotional day for me.

It all started the night before the shower when i met my friends Christie and Wendy (who were throwing me the shower) for dinner to celebrate Wendy's birthday. After I sat down at the table, out popped Christina, who came all the way from Sarasota to surprise me. I know it was so hard for her to leave her 10 month old for the first time and come all that way but it meant the world to me that she was there. We had a great dinner filled with many laughs, lots of wine (not me) and many silly pictures, so the shower weekend had begun!

Not only did Christina come from Florida, but Stefani from Tulsa and Maureen from California and a ton of family from Tuscon and Safford. I really never expected so many people from out of town to be there, I thought it would be a small shower, but actually there were so many people there and I felt so special all my friends and family came so far to see me and celebrate the babies.

The shower was a French theme, because I am in love with Paris. It was one place Tommy and I went on our honeymoon. The first game was matching English baby words to French baby words and you would think since I am trying to learn French through Rosetta Stone right now, I would have known more but I really only knew a few answers. I guess I have not gotten to the baby section of my studies yet. My friend Lauren won that contest. She came to the shower even though her new baby is only two weeks old. Bless her heart.

There was yummy food everywhere, salad, cheese, crackers, fruit, and croissant sandwiches which I am still enjoying today. Christie made her cake pops and I could probably eat about 10 of those they are so good! The cake was beautiful as well. The next game was where they cut the yarn to try to guess how big my belly was. A lot of people got really close but Ryan, my sister  in law, actually got it dead on! I thought it was so cool that she won!

The girls had a photo booth set up with a Paris poster in the background, berets and a fake mustache for people to take turns taking their pictures together. What a cute idea! We started opening presents soon after and that's when the water works began. All I had to do was open the card from my 11 year old nephew, Matthew and I was crying. I don't know why. It was just the sweetest card and I guess my hormones are just in full swing, along with the fact I have been waiting for this for so long. It was not the only card I cried at. It was hard to stop there. You could just tell my friends and family put so much thought into what they wrote or the cards they choose and even some of the gifts,  it just really touched my heart.

We ended up getting a lot of the items we needed and we even got some home made baby blankets. Someone my mom works with made us picture frames, one for each baby, with their names in different colors. So darn cute!

All in all it was a very special day, filled with good friends, family, great food, fun games, smiles and hugs. These babies will be so loved. Lastly I just want to say thanks to Christie and Wendy for throwing me the most amazing baby shower (they made all the food, desserts and even the banner themselves) and to Christina for coming all this way to help them out and be there for me, and to everyone else who traveled from near or far for being there to make it such a memorable experience for me. Love to all! God Bless!

Whats in a name?

Well, this is the first week in awhile I have not had a doctors appointment and I must say, its kind of nice. I thought I would take a few minutes, now that we have announced the names, to explain how and why we choose them.

Baby A is Georgia Dawn. I have always loved the name Georgia and ever since we lost my dad 2 and half years ago, I knew I wanted to name my first child after him. I thought, if its a boy, George, of course, but if its a girl, Georgia. I did not know then however we would be having three!! Luckily Tommy liked these names as well. Her middle name, Dawn, is after my grandfather (my moms father). My mother also lost a child (my sister) soon after birth and her middle name was Dawn as well. So, Georgia Dawn is a very special name to me. My dad was the best man I have ever known and my relationship with him was more than special to me, it was one of a kind. I hope to have the same relationship with all my children.

Baby B is Jolynne Marie. Tommy and I had a long list of girl names we liked but this one has little more meaning than the others. Joseph is Tommy's middle name and Lynne is my middle name, so we combined to two and came up with Jolynne. She is a part of both of us and we are each a part of her. We also like that it is not a common name. There wont be anyone quite like Jolynne! Her middle name, Marie, is from Tommy's side of the family. We wanted to honor all the Mary's and Maria's we know and love so dearly.

Baby C is Mickey Aaron, our boy. Mickey is such a great name! No, we did not name him after Mickey Mouse, but even if we did, Mickey Mouse is a pretty great guy! Mickey was another name that was not too common, that we thought was strong. There are a lot of baseball greats named Mickey and Aaron and yes, Tommy thinks it is a great baseball name. If our boy, grows up to play ball, he will fit right in. However, Mickey is not named after any one Mickey or Aaron in particular. We are quite certain he will be his own person and develop his own legacy.

So, Georgia, Jolynne and Mickey will be here is just few short months and we cannot wait to meet them. This past week, I have actually done a lot of reflective thinking. Up until this point, I have been so focused on making it to the next day, or the next week, or the next doctors appointment, so focused on if the babies are ok, I have not really done much thinking at all about the fact that I am actually, really going to have 3 babies very soon! This is weird for me because I am always thinking about the past or the future, but this pregnancy has had me really focused on the present. Its like I have not, until now, actually let myself fully believe this was going to happen in order to protect myself from heartbreak. Now that its sinking in - I must admit, I am getting a little nervous. I know in my heart it will all be fine, but the reality of the surgery and recovery is something I am preparing myself for. Mostly though I have been thinking about the kind of parent I will be and wondering what my children will learn from me. What imprint I will leave on them? I know and think all the time about how influential my parents have been in my life. I hope I can do as good of a job as they did!

Inching closer toward our dream

Well, tomorrow I will be 22 weeks preggo with these little miracles! We had a great appointment yesterday. When I say great - I mean they are healthy, their fluid levels are good and they are growing at a normal rate. Baby A and C are both 1 pound, 2 ounces. Baby B is a little behind at 14 ounces. She has always been a little slower to grow though and the doctors say its normal. They are less concerned with the twin to twin transfusion at this point which is a relief. We are still at risk for it throughout the pregnancy but as of now we don't have it. They think the fluid imbalance may be more of a placental share issue, where one twin has more of the placenta than the other. It can mimic TTTS but its not as severe, although it does have its risks as well. The doctor even went so far yesterday as to say we may have been "prematurely diagnosed" with TTTS. As frustrating as this is because of how scared we were and as angry as I am that we were told to basically kill one or more of our babies when they were not even that sick, I am relieved to hear it was a mistake and that right now, they are fine. I even get to go two weeks until my next appointment instead of one. Yay!

I have been struggling with these migraines for about 6 weeks now. I get the headaches every day and every afternoon, I am pretty much useless for awhile, sometimes the rest of the day depending on how bad it is. I cant look at the TV, computer, read a book, nothing until it passes. Its very frustrating. A solution has been offered though and so hopefully by my next update they will no longer be an issue. The heat has not been helping and I know I complain about it a lot. I never really cared about the heat before. But when you are stuck inside all day and cant go anywhere, it would be nice to be able to get some fresh air in the back yard, its just not a possibility for me at this point. I am praying for cooler weather soon.

In terms of my restrictions on what I can and cant do, the doctors still want me to take it easy. So far so good, lets not mess anything up by overdoing it. I try to keep my feet up most of the day and I really need to start getting in the pool and doing some leg exercises at night. My knees are really sore to bend and my feet feel like I have been at Disneyland all day. I think my muscles are just stiff. My hands still hurt but its tolerable. Its all tolerable actually except the headaches. All in all I would say I am doing very well considering I have three new lives growing inside me! Every once in a while I get out of the house for short periods of time and that helps.

We have a lot of exciting events coming up! This weekend I am having some maternity photos taken. I am looking forward to capturing some decent pics of myself and Tommy, and my belly. I am getting my hair done and am also excited just to feel a little prettier than recently. It will be nice to be able to show off my stomach and not have to be self conscious about it (for once). :-). Then, the next weekend is my baby shower. I don't have to go into how excited I am for that because I already did. The closer we get, the more excited I become. I cant wait to see everyone!

We will be announcing the names in the next few days so stay tuned. I will also try to add some of the maternity pics if possible. I am not sure how long those take. Tommy and I have dreamed of this moment right now our whole lives, long before we ever knew each other. Our dream came true when we met each other and now the rest of our dreams are falling into place. Our very own family. Every week we get closer and despite the aches and pains and worry that comes along with pregnancy, I cant even describe how happy I am.

PS. The babies are moving all the time now and I am loving it!

Somebody Kicked Me!

I can't believe I am 20 weeks pregnant! I really feel like getting to this point has been another milestone for me. I remember when all I could think about was making to 12 weeks and here I am at 20. I am more than half way there. There is still a ways to go and we still are not out of the woods yet in terms of TTTS, but I am optimistic.

The coolest thing happened this past week. I felt the babies move for the first time. I woke up at the usual 2am a few nights ago and I felt this sudden movement in the upper part of my belly. I knew it was them right away. Then I was so excited I could not go back to sleep for two hours. Since then I have been feeling them a lot more. Its the most amazing feeling. I cant even describe to you the happiness it brings me. The kicks are still not strong enough for Tommy to feel but I know it is only a matter of time and I cant wait for him to feel them too.

I had my first experience with acupuncture today and so far so good. It was not that bad and it did not hurt at all. Once you get past the mental aspect of having all those needles sticking out of you, your fine. So far I have not had a headache today which is the first day in a few weeks. I have not even taken one Tylenol. I really hopes it lasts and this helps. Its pretty expensive and we cant really afford for me to go on a regular basis so I pray this works for awhile. I guess the babies can feel acupuncture too because the whole time I was laying there they were moving around like crazy. This lady said they can feel it but I didn't really believe her and then BAM, they were kicking!

Everybody, and I mean everybody including this lady today and all my doctors say I need to drink a lot more water and increase my protein intake and that might help with the carpel tunnel and headaches. Its like, I drink water ALL DAY long, probably more than a gallon a day and I drink 3 protein shakes a day PLUS my regular three meals. I don't think its possible for me to drink anymore than already am without exploding. I mean honestly people, I am drinking water to the point where by the time I go to bed at night, one more drop and I would be sick. I think these three babies are just taking most of it from me, but that's why I am doing this right. Its all for them!

My baby shower is coming up in a few weeks and I am super excited. My good friend Christie, did an awesome job on the invitations, they are so cute and so me and they even kind of go with the title of this blog. I cant wait to see everyone and celebrate the babies! I don't get out much these days as the doctors have me resting and feet up as much as possible. Sometimes the days drag on, but then when I hit milestones like 20 weeks, it makes it all worth it. My plan is to keep working from home for now and try to make it as long as I possibly can, so I have more time with the babies after their born. I think I want to try and make it through September if things keep going well, but honestly it just all depends on these babies. Every time I think I have it planned out they change the plan :-)

Tommy and I will be attending our first baby care class at the hospital Monday night. I need to get that out the way while I can still move around a little. Then soon after is the first aid/CPR class, although its in September and I am not sure if I will still be able to get around at that point. We will play it by ear. The closer we get the more exciting this is. I can't wait to get back to working on the nursery. Tommy got the chandelier up and he is getting the chest this weekend from IKEA. That is something we decided not to spend a ton of money on.

Tommy has been out of town so much lately I think he may be more tired than me. It sure is hard on me when hes gone but I know it is hard on him too.There are some days he is gone and I don't think I will be able to get myself off the couch. I kind of sink in and then my hands hurt so bad I cannot put any pressure on them to get myself up. Its kind of funny actually.

I guess that's all for now. Babies are moving, we hit 20 weeks, shower is coming up, all is good for another week or so. I love saying that!

19 Weeks

Its been another great week for us. Tuesday we had another successful doctors appointment, meaning the fluid levels on all babies are looking good for now. I really like the doctor I have seen the last two times we have been in. He seems to have a much better grip on what is happening with me and the babies. He reminded me again that things could change any week, and he will need my full attention when/if that happens but for now we need to envision ourselves having three healthy babies at 36 weeks...gosh I hope I can make it that long. Every week I go through an emotional cycle of worry and stress the day before the appointment to cloud 9 the next few days after the appointment and then slowly back to the worry by the end of the week. What a roller coaster we are on!

We actually bought the bedding this week for the nursery. Pink, Blue and Chocolate Brown are the colors, with stars, strips and polka dots. Its the first real fun decorative thing we have purchased and I feel like I can finally start to see in my head what the nursery will look like. Up until this point, I have been really nervous about buying anything because of all the what ifs. But there is no telling what could happen at any point in the pregnancy and I cant just sit here and do nothing because we are high risk. So, I am moving forward.

I got the invitation for my baby shower the other day. It is the cutest ever! With a french theme, just like this blog. My friends know me too well. They did such a great job on the invitations and now I am really getting excited. All this stuff, I once upon a time wondered if I would ever have the chance to experience and know I am. It fills my heart with happiness. Despite all the aches and pains and worry that come with pregnancy, it is something I have always wanted to experience and am so grateful.

In addition to this carpel tunnel I have and the stuffy nose, I am getting migraines every day, some are worse than others and nothing seems to help. So, next week I am going to my first acupuncture appointment. This woman comes recommended from my doctors office and specializes in pregnancy and reproductive health. I am very nervous as this is new for me but excited also to finally see what this is all about and hopefully find some natural relief to my headaches. I measured my belly yesterday as well and it is 42.5 inches or 3.5 feet. So funny to think about.

19 weeks means I am more than half way to the finish line, and every week I get closer and closer to meeting my babies. I cant wait to hold them in my arms. A couple more weeks and maybe we will share the names with you. Its been so hard holding that back also but given what we have been going through, we want to wait a little longer!

Cheers to another great week!

The Joys of Pregnancy

I am so excited that I hit the 18 week mark today! I cannot believe it hardly. I remember clearly at 9 weeks, just wanting to make it to 12 and then to 15 and now I am at 18 weeks! I still have a long way to go and as you know we still have some hurdles to get through but today I want to write about all the normal, little things that go along with being pregnant. These things that I may only get to experience once in my life time and some I only want to experience once.

I think today is the first day in two weeks I have put on makeup. I don't see the point anymore now that I am working from home. The farthest I normally go from the door of my house is outside to the pool or down the street for the mail. Even when I have a doctor's appointment I don't put on make up anymore. I figure I usually cry, whether they are happy tears or sad tears and then the makeup is all over my face and I look even worse. But today I did put some on and it was kind of nice actually. Made me feel like not such a blob on the couch which is how I feels sometimes.

Speaking of make up and such, I thought pregnant women were supposed to have this clear, glowing skin....not me. I look like I am 13 again, my face is breaking out so bad, and I'm wearing less makeup so not sure what the problem is there. My other issue now is my fingers and my hands. They don't look swollen but they are super sore and stiff. I guess you can get carpel tunnel when pregnant and then when you have the babies, it just goes away. Weird! Anyway, I am wearing a wrist brace at night to keep my hand from bending in weird directions. Its seems to be helping a little. Its pretty funny watching me trying to get up from laying in bed or on the couch. I cant put the weight on my hands so its quite the struggle. Tommy is now opening everything for me, including water bottles. I cant twist the caps off. On a side note, my feet seem to be OK for the moment, I don't use them that much though.

I love watching my belly get bigger. It the only time I will be excited about gaining weight! The bigger I am, the healthier the babies are. I wish we could do more baby shopping but I am just not ready to yet with everything else going on. I am really excited to get back to working on the nursery though. The last appointment, the babies weighed 7-8 oz which is right where they should be. I guess they are as big as a bell pepper! I cant feel them yet, but should be any time now. They are so active every ultrasound though, its amazing to me!

Update and Gender News!

First I would like to thank each and every one of you for all your prayers and messages of concern. I have already mentioned to some that I was so moved by your thoughts and prayers. It is proof that despite all that goes on in the world with all the divisions that exist between people of different political and religious beliefs, that there is hope for the future if we all stick together and support one another. To have people I hardly know start prayer chains for Tommy and I speaks a thousand words. They don't get anything out of it. They are doing it because they genuinely care. Again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

If you have sent me a personal message or email, and I have not gotten back to you, my apologies, it has been a roller coaster of a week, but I do read all your messages, they do not go unnoticed and they do lift my spirits!

Without boring you with all the details, lets just say that after spending most of this week on the phone with doctors on both sides of the country, forwarding on my medical records and getting another ultrasound yesterday to confirm the diagnosis, all hope is not lost. Although my babies are in an early stage of TTTS, and they are showing signs that things could progress quickly to a more severe level, for now (meaning this week), they are stable, and Tommy and I will not be forced to make the decision we were presented with on Tuesday. It has been made clear to us that this could change at any moment and we need to be prepared to act, and so we are. There is a doctor in Miami who is supposed to be one of the best. He is reviewing my records after every appt. and monitoring the situation from there. If after our appt next week or at any time in the coming weeks, the babies do get worse, we can fly there and he will preform the laser procedure to fix the problem. There are still many risks involved if that is needed but he assured me the chances are more like 60-70% all three babies would survive rather than the 10% chance given to us on Tuesday. In addition, my wonderful insurance will cover the cost of my travel and lodging if we have to do that. I am so lucky to have such great insurance! That being said there is no way that Tommy and I will be choosing to selectively terminate any of our babies. We could not have done it anyway, but now we have hope and other options. As far as that other doctor on Tuesday, I am trying to decide whether to file a formal complaint. What if some other poor couple given the same diagnosis makes some drastic decision based on what he says when it might not even be necessary. Its a very scary thought.

So for now, until I am told otherwise I am focusing on rest and nutrition. All I do is eat and I am never hungry. How can I be? Protiein. Protein. Protein. We are also planning to move forward as normal with all the planning. We have to have these fun things to focus on so we don't get caught up worrying about worse case scenarios and what ifs.

Given all of this I happy to announce that we are expecting 2 girls and 1 boy! Team Pink AND Team Blue! The girls are the twins and the boy is the singleton. They are already developing their own personalities. The boy is doing every thing he can to stay as far away from the girls as possible. At every ultrasound he has distanced himself further. He is always low key and just minding his own business. Baby B is the girl who is struggling right now in her development. She does not cause any problems but being the middle child at this point she is definitely getting pushed around a little by her siblings. I have a feeling though that once she gets stronger she will not take it anymore. Baby A is our other girl and the problem child. She is always hogging the camera and acts a bit like a drama queen. She is also always kicking her brother and sister in the face and out of the way. She will be trouble.

So, I guess all of your prayers are working but we still need them. Our babies are still sick and there is a chance they could get worse at any minute. We are choosing to focus on the positive but please don't stop praying for them as they cannot help them selves right now. I truly believe this all could end well if we don't give up on them and keep fighting for them.

One last thank you to all the people who got me in touch with the right doctors and experts who could help us make the right decision. Without your help, we might have made a terrible mistake and our babies would not have had the chance they do now!