Friday, September 30, 2016

Sweet Babies { Weeks 34 & 35 }

Dear sweet little babies,

We are gearing down to our final few days, and I'm trying to get caught up with all things documented, so that we are ahead of the game for when you two make your appearance.























The last 2 weeks have been pretty uneventful, and for that we are extremely grateful. Not pushing myself to "get too much done" has done wonders at keeping you two inside. I rest when I can, thanks to your dear Aunt Courtney who is here helping (and who decided to job hunt/settle down in Washington) and amazing Daddy (who takes on tasks he usually doesn't take one). They're such a support to Mommy right now, so that you two can continue to grow and do your thing inside, before you come out. You better thank them with extra snuggles/cuddles when the time is right.

We got one last peek at you both the other day... The ultrasound was super uncomfortable, because Mommy had to lay on her back, and that is just hard to do these days... but we got some good looks at you both.

Baby A, you are head down... face down. So we couldn't even see your face (or check on your lip)... but, boy did the sonographer say you had a lot of hair. We'll see how accurate that is, when you come out. You are "in position". Your body kicks up towards Mommy's top right. You measured in at 5 lbs 12 oz... that was 1 week ago (so I'm sure you've gained even more sing then).

Baby B, you were transverse at the time of the ultrasound... laying across the top of Mommy, so that you and your sister were playing footsies together. You showed your face to us... and we saw the chunkiest of cheeks. You measured in at 5 lbs 6oz.

We started passing our NST appointments, FINALLY. It's so terrible difficult to get you both on the monitor at the same time... when one of you moves, the other moves, etc. So, the nurse decided to start monitoring you two separately, and that does the trick, even though the appointments take twice as long.

Tuesday we had one last appointment with Dr. Peterson (who may or may not be the ones to deliver you... it all depends on who is on hospital rounds).  He took a peek at you two with his ultrasound, to check on your fluid levels, and to check on the placentas. To his surprise, Baby B... you weren't transverse! You were head down, snuggled up to your sister... on Mommy's bottom left side (hence why in these pictures, I'm lopsided, and have more of me "sticking out" on my left side). You were sort of spooning your sister, and you seemed so super content. Now it makes sense why the day before, it looked like I dropped... it was because you did Baby B. Your fluid levels were perfect... and we even got to see you both practicing breathing like champs. Which is a great sign!

Because of the gestational diabetes, you two officially have an eviction date of 4 October. Tomorrow we hit your due date month, October... I'm hopeful that you two will decide to come on your own, so we don't have to have a pitocin party at the hospital. But either way... we will meet you two very soon.

Keep growing little ones... we are so thrilled to have you be a part of "us",

Daddy, Mommy, Charlotte, Marley, and Finn.
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Thursday, September 29, 2016

Dear Charlotte Wray { 9 years old }

Dear Charlotte Wray,

We can hardly believe that you are 9... how is that even possible? You're 1 year away from being a whole handful, and I don't think we're even coming to terms with this... yet.






















What a year full of changes... more teeth, bigger feet, taller height (still have those skinny "mile long" legs"), new "do", new gymnastics triumphs, new place to call "home... in school rather than homeschooled, new friends, many more lessons learned (usually the hard way)... we could go on and on. But through it all, you've remained the Charlie we love and have come to know so well over the last 5 years. You're still the spunky, full of pizzazz, energetic, colorful, lover of life, kind of girl.

Your favorite color has changed quite a few times this year, the same way it always does each year.... currently, BLUE is your favorite, but purple comes in close second. You can eat and eat and eat all day long, and not gain any weight... we have no idea where all that food goes. Your favorite meal changed to beef stroganoff... you said "bye bye" to spaghetti and meat sauce a few months ago, and prefer your spaghetti with butter now (the same way your sister likes hers). You still adore gymnastics and working out... you have an awesome back handspring. You love to perform shows for us and "floor routines"... You adore creating. Whether it's coloring, painting, making books, etc... you're all in when craft supplies are involved. You still seek out adventures... exploring never gets old, something new is always discovered.

You're in the third grade now, in school... and just adore it. We're trying to get you all the resources you need currently in order to fall in love with learning and enjoy your time there... since your eyes and ears hold you back a little bit. You love your teacher, you love your classmates, and you love music class and P. E. ... A LOT. That doesn't surprise us.

Every year... on this day... I think about your biological mother, that we'll never know... the one that brought you into this world. We are forever thankful for her... and even more so to the Lord for watching over you those years that we weren't there. You are our world sweet girl... the one who made us Mommy and Daddy... a treasure that we don't take for granted.

We love you sweet Charlotte,

Daddy, Mommy, Marley, Finn, and the twins.
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Monday, September 12, 2016

Sweet Babies { Weeks 31, 32 and 33 }

Dear sweet little babies,

Oh you little trouble makers (although that's been recent for us)... you guys have been keeping us on our toes these last few weeks. Hopefully it'll calm down for the last few weeks... that would be really nice, if you could ease up a bit.















Things have been going great since that last ultrasound... haven't had another since, so we're not really sure how big you are... but Mommy is guessing around 5 lbs for each of you by now. We should know more size wise in about 1.5 weeks at the next ultrasound. You two have been spot on with growth, so... and right now you should be gaining about .5 lb a week.... which means, Mommy is feeling bigger and bigger.














Somehow I still don't have stretch marks, but my oh my how you to have "dropped"... I'm sure more "dropping" will happen... but you guys are getting tough to lug around everywhere. Mommy's belly band has been helping, but at times, you guys hate it, because it's pretty snug and you two don't like snug. You'd rather stick out. Not too much fits in the way of outfits, so I've been rotating about 4 tops these days. Trying to keep it minimal, because I'm hoping that once you two are out, my belly will drop a WHOLE lot to nothing. It feels like it's mostly babies these days. I did have to take off my rings.. they're tucked away until I can feel comfortable in them again.















I started NST (non stress test) appointments last week... during my 33rd week. The first appointment went "eh"... we were let go, after 1 hour of monitoring. You two are hard to monitor at the same time... and that's why our second NST appointment on Friday, landed Mommy in the triage. During the appointment, we tried to get you both in a spot (while sitting upright, which you hate) that you'd like, so we could monitor you at the same time... but in the end, Baby B... you wouldn't have any of it. Your heart rate kept dropping, and signs of contracting were present. When the nurse rolled Mommy over onto her right side, your heart rate stabilized, but then Baby A, your heart rate excelled, because I was putting too much pressure on you. Apparently, you don't like to be monitored whiled reclined or while I sit upright. So Mommy was admitted into Labor and Delivery, and they spent the next 7 hours monitoring the two of you. Once we figured out that your heart rates were fine while I laid down, you were good to go. But Mommy was still showing some light contractions (though she couldn't feel them). They felt more like pressure... right before one of you two usually move. Mommy was given an IV to hydrate, and then a steroid shot in the butt... They decided to "check" me, to see if I had any progression... Mommy measured 3 cm dilated at a -3 station. The doctors decided to keep Mommy for 2 more hours to see if dilation continued, or if that was Mommy's baseline coming into this pregnancy, since they'd never checked her before. Two hours later, your heart rates were still awesome, and when they checked again, Mommy was still at a 3cm... so they released me, and I was able to go home. On Saturday, Mommy had one more steroid shot in the butt (this is to help your lungs develop a bit more quickly, and to help slow down labor/contractions)... and when they monitored you on the doppler for 2 minutes, you two were just fine. Baby A you had a 145 HR and Baby B you had a 135 HR.

So, I have been on "light bed rest" the last 2 days... taking it easy, not doing much... lots of laying. I'm hydrating twice as much as I usually am, so I'm peeing about every 2.5 minutes instead of 5 minutes... but it seems to be doing the trick. No more pressure anywhere... except for the normal skin stretching pains (since you two are obviously growing like weeds). This seems to be keeping you two completely content... so that's what I'm going with. I'm not sure about these NST appointments... I think they're more stressful than they are non stressful.. so unless we can figure out a way to monitor you two while we are "comfortable in position"... I don't find them to be very useful. The nurse even said, it's so common to fail the NSTs... it just doesn't sound encouraging. So for now, I'm going to beg to only go to 1 NST a week, instead of 2... hopefully they can grant us that, so we can just continue to rest.

Daddy has been so amazing, taking on all of Mommy's tasks, while still doing his own. He's the best Daddy ever... seriously. He kept saying all weekend, "I don't know how you do it all... because I feel like I just can't." But, he did. He has been the greatest help, especially watching your other sisters and brother. You are just going to melt when you meet him... he protects us and takes care of us so so well. There's no one that I know that takes on the meaning of "Papa Bear" quite like he does. But for now, lets rest, so we can enjoy you even more when you come out and meet us!

Keep growing little ones... we are so thrilled to have you be a part of "us",

Daddy, Mommy, Charlotte, Marley and Finn.


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