32-34 Weeks (FINISH LINE)...Last Pregnancy Post

My Buddha Belly at 34 weeks!

These past 2 weeks have been filled with anticipation, tears, impatience, and excitement.  Although filled with doubt and skepticism from the beginning, our doctors are just as overfilled with joy just as much as we are.  Tomorrow, November 26 2012, our twinnies Serena and Ellisa will be born at 9AM.  This Thanksgiving Holiday is perfect timing for their arrival.  There's nothing more than I'm thankful for than God's Miracle of Life, growing and thriving within my womb.  All I can simply say is GOD IS GOOD!!!

32 Weeks: I'm Faced With The Biggest Decision Of My Life
From the very beginning, our medical team have considered our twinnies to be unusual when compared to other twins.  Their hearts are very reactive and strong more than usual.  Their weights and measurements are more than usual.  This was no surprise for me, because when their survival was doubted by our doctors, inside I felt their strength and their will to survive.

Because of this, one of our maternal-fetal specialists suggested we prolong our delivery date to 35 weeks.  He mentioned some current long-term studies showed some evidence of learning disabilities with pre-term babies.  This was much different than the original plan of delivery at 34 weeks.  So, he assured me that their group would meet and come up with a consensus on which would be best for our delivery date.  However, I knew the final decision would rest on me. 

Another specialists, disagreed with him and felt that 34 weeks would be the safest.  He discussed with us that the benefits of waiting a few more days is immeasurable, however the risks of fetal demise dramatically increases every day.  He also mentioned that > 50% of MoMo twins are delivered at 32 weeks and so 34 weeks would be considered pushing it for some physicians.  He stated that making it to 34 weeks is such a big accomplishment already that pushing it beyond could be considered 'greedy'.

So...for a whole week I was faced with a dilemma.  The decision I made could be a determining factor in their ability to develop, learn, and most important..... SURVIVE.  The pressure was overwhelming.  I cried and cried faced with the LIFE-OR-DEATH decision for my babies.  I never felt so much pressure, this was the single most important decision of my entire life.

33 Weeks: The Decision is Made
At 33 weeks I was finally told that 5/6 of our maternal-fetal specialists voted for 34 weeks.  This made my decision easier.  We decided to stick to our plan to deliver on November 26, 2012, making our babies 34 weeks and 2 days old.  I prayed for God's guidance on this decision and I feel 100% confidence it is the right one.  When faced with an important decision, always Look to God for Guidance And You Will Never Fail.  

The Finish Line was right around the corner.  I have been inpatient with continuous monitoring for 10 weeks.  My nurses were so surprised of how fast Rob and I packed up my hospital room.  One minute it looked like a dorm room, the next a real hospital room.  They laughed at our eagerness.

As I look back, it seems like it has gone by so fast.  But, looking forward another week seems so distant.  My last week has turned out to be the longest week of my life.

As soon as we made our decision on the date of delivery, Rob & I had no problem packing up everything in my room.  It took no time at all!!!

34 Weeks:  FINISH LINE
WE DID IT!!!!  Rob and I will officially be parents of identical twin baby girls tomorrow morning!!!  As I'm writing this blog, he's at home; doing laundry, cleaning, organizing, grocery shopping, trimming Kitty's nails, brushing the dogs/cat.....getting our house ready to be a HOME FOR A FAMILY.

Rob has been such an amazing husband during all this.  I've always felt that destiny brought us together and this continues to be evident in what we've been through these past 8 months.  Rob may not always know the most comforting words to say, but his actions have more than made up for this.  In addition to working full time, he's done an amazing job caring for our home, pets, and me!  If any husband deserves an award it would be Rob, NO DOUBT!!! 

As we finish this phase in our life...I would like to thank all of our friends and family for their support and prayers.  From the beginning, the power of prayer have produced Miracle After Miracle.  We thank each and everyone from the bottom of our hearts!!!  God Bless You All!!! 

At 34 Weeks (Nov 25, 2012)....I watched Fireworks outside my hospital room window.  I think it was for the XMas Tree lighting ceremony at Jax Landing.  Yes!  It is a time of celebration!!!

31 Weeks (3 more to go!)

31 Weeks...I'm not a fan of odd numbers and thought this would be a boring and uneventful week.  SO I THOUGHT!  Let's start from the beginning.....

SATURDAY (Nov 3): Girls' Night In!!!
I was looking forward to this day the most.  My girlfriends, Leah & Natalie, decided we needed a Girls' Night In...a movie & popcorn night.  I looked forward to this night all week because they were bringing Magic Mike, which I've heard sooo much of Channing Tatum's assets from almost every girl.  Even my nurses were excited for Magic Mike Night.  My girls came bearing gifts: chicken-n-dumplings, chocolate trifle, french macarons, popcorn with yummy greasy butter, and the 2 movies (Magic Mike & Rock of Ages).  Natalie's recent movie obsession is Rock of Ages and said I HAD to see it.  Here's my review.....

• Magic Mike:  The 1st scene locks you in!  Channing Tatum wakes up....WAIT FOR IT...WAIT FOR IT.....and gets out of bed NAKED!  With full-backside, I've never seen a more perfect gluteus maximum on a man before!  I've never been much a fan of his, but now I found myself watching Dear John, which was really boring.  The Magic Mike plot was a waste, but I don't think that was the point of the movie.  I was entranced by his dancing skills...probably more so than his HOT BOD.  I imagined what it would be like if Rob put as much energy into learning how to dance like Channing Tatum as he does with his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. HHHMMMMMMM!!!!
• Rock of Ages:  Yes I'm a broadway musical fan, but not of Tom Cruise.  There's something about him that creeps me out.  But, I have to admit, Rock of Ages was slightly more entertaining than Magic Mike....WHAT???  I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST SAID THAT!!!  The reason is Rock of Ages will make you LAUGH....Magic Mike just makes you BLUSH!  I guess I'm more of a FUNNY HA HA girl than a male review groupie ;-p!

SUNDAY (Nov 4): Where's my baby??? 
My twinnies have always been so easy to trace on the monitor, but today one of them decide to play Hide-N-Go-Seek.  It took my nurse over an hour to find her and even had to bring in the US machine.  I was seated in the recliner at the time and as soon as I got back in the bed, she was found.  I decided this day that I would no longer take advantage of my outside privileges and stay in the bed more.  The whole reason for my hospitalization is to monitor the babes, I have to put myself aside and do what I need to do for them.  I don't ever want them to disappear from monitoring ever again!

MONDAY (Nov 5): DVT Scare!!!
I am frequently questioned by my nurses and doctors if I'm having any swelling or cramping.  Prolonged bedrest increases the risk for a DVT (a blood clot).  For about 2 weeks I've been experience numbness/tingling in my left leg, that I figured was pressure from my uterus on a nerve.  The past 3 days my left thigh muscles have been feeling crampy, which attributed from immobility or atrophy.  However, this AM I woke up and my left foot was significantly more swollen than my right.  I told the doctors right away.  They they a doppler and thank goodness it came back negative. 

TUESDAY:  (Nov 6):  FOOD POISONING!!!
I haven't been eating dinner because i just do not have enough room for a 3rd meal anymore.  If I do, I spend all night tossing & turning from abdominal discomfort.  This big belly, ain't no joke!  Well, this morning I woke up at 11AM because my I tossed & turned from the Filipino meal mom & dad brought.  Therefore I completely skipped breakfast and was starving.  Lunch doesn't arrive till 1PM, so I decided to eat left-overs in my fridge.  I was STARVING!!!  I saw some fettucino alfredo and was soooo excited to eat it, so I did.  I even told my nurse to bring in my lunch tray cause I would eat that too.  However, after a few bites from my lunch tray my stomach started to cramp.  I thought, "oh it's just a little belly ache.  I'll sleep it off."  So I closed my eyes and tried.  OH NO!!!  That was not going to work.  The next thing I know I was having stomach spasms and nausea.  It didn't help that the babies kept kicking my already irritated bowels!  I had to call the nurse.  I couldn't hold my head up.  I tried to use the bathroom, that didn't work.  I got the most relief from FORCING MYSELF TO VOMIT over and over!!!  They had let my nurse go to vote for the election and the nurse covering her had never taken care of me before.  Poor, thing, I really scared her.  To make the story short...I ended up with IV fluids, Zofran, MOM, and antacids.  I never felt so miserable in my life!  I will never eat Olive Garden ever again!!!  All my days are mixed up and I didn't realize my left overs were A WEEK OLD!!!  I learned a big lesson and threw away any left-overs I had in the fridge, even the Chicken-N-Dumplings Leah made for me ;-(.

WEDNESDAY (Nov 7): GROWTH SCAN DAY.....YAY!!!!
The twinnies look as beautiful as ever!  They continue to good cord flows, plenty of amniotic fluid , and normal heart rates.  They are now 31 weeks and 4 days gestation and their measurements are OUTSTANDING!!!  Their weights are 4 lbs 7 oz and 4 lbs 4 oz!!!  The doctors, nurses, nor I could believe how BIG they were already at this point!  I'm so proud of my girls, so determined, so full of life, energetic, and hairy.  Yeah, on all the US they have my big ears/lips, Rob's nose, and both of our afro hair.  We are so excited to meet our ItaliaPinos!!!  Keep up the good work little babies and Mommy promises to not get food poisoning again while my little Hawaiian Rolls are in the oven!