4 weeks....already?!

Well it's been 4 weeks since the twins were born. Wow....really? lol Guess time is flying. My days are counted in 3hr shifts so they just seem to fly on by.

Christmas was very nice. All 3 girls got a TON of clothes and of course Great Grandma bought Nevy way more toys then she knows what to do with lol. Nevy is no longer a (as she calls it) "happy cake" lover but thanks to Christmas and Grandma making 4 different pies she is a "happy pie" lover...lmao. That kid ate more pie then dinner and she was up until midnight because of it but Christmas comes once a year. So I let her go pie crazy.

The twins are doing wonderful. They are now eating about 20-22oz in 24hrs. They are eating about 3-4oz at every feeding. Celi is really packing the pounds on. For a while she was a little smaller then Ari but I'm starting to think she weighs more now.....chubby monkey! My guess buts them both in the low 7lbs range by now. They are fitting in newborn clothes and have grown out of most of the preemie stuff. Their reflux is still here and I'm waiting for the Pedi. to call me back with what we do next. Rice cereal is usually the next step with some Zantac but with the family history Nevy has we may skip the Zantac and just do Prevacid. I really want this treated early because I know Nevy's reflux started to get worse around the 6-8 week mark and it went downhill from there.

On a lighter note the girls due date was yesterday and they are offically "Newborns". They are really filling out and no longer look like peanuts lol. Nevy still loves to kiss them and help out. We are hoping to get back to potty training as soon as I have a little time. She was almost fully potty trained before I was put on bedrest but with me being on bedrest and the hospital stays and the twins birth it was screwed up. So back to square one and we start over again. She's a faster learner so I doubt it will take long. I just need the time. Jose gets two more weeks of vacation after the New Year. So maybe he can take a few days off so I can work with her. We are already eyeball high in diapers so it's not like potty training will be a relief for us lol.

Well I'm off to wait for the Pedi. to call back. So HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE and I hope this next year is as blessed for us as this one was! :)

Enjoy some X-mas pics....

Arianna, Nevaeh & Araceli


Arianna & Nevaeh


Araceli & Nevaeh


Arianna & Araceli



Nevaeh


Nevy kissing Celi


Nevy kissing Ari

3rd week home.

Well things seem to final be calming down around here. Jose went back to work yesterday and I was surprised at how well I did on my first day "alone". The twins pretty much sleep all the time but that is because they are preemies and don't have much energy. Nevy is slowly getting back to her old naptime/bedtime routine which allows me 1.5hrs of "me time".

Now "Jose time" doesn't exist at the moment lol because by the time he gets home from work (6-7pm) the twins are ready for their 8pm bottles and then I get everyone ready for bed and I'm sleeping by 9:30-10pm to be ready for the 4am feeding (Jose does the 11pm one). So I hardly see him right now which sucks but once things calm down at work and he gets days off again it will be easier.

The girls are going about 4.5-5hrs at night between feedings. Which is allowing me some sleep (yay!) but after that one stretch of time I HAVE to wake them every 3hrs to feed (preemies will sleep through feedings). Having 5hrs is better then nothing! lol They are now up to about 3oz bottles of either breastmilk or formula which is about 10-11oz in 24hrs. Exactly where they should be! My guess is they are a little over 6lbs now.

It also looks like they have the same milk/soy protein allergy Nevy did. Celi is showing signs of reflux as is Ari. We are dealing with the protein allergy first and hoping it helps before moving on to meds for the reflux. I was really hoping to avoid all this with the twins. It was HELL with Nevy. The only things I am thankful for is 1) I knew the signs and caught it right away. 2) I've dealt with it before I know the tricks to help ease their pain. 3) I know how to get them the treatment they need to feel better. It's VERY hard dealing with GERD babies but Nevy taught me alot and I'm hoping that knowledge will help the twins cause I'd hate to see them suffer as long as Nevy did.

Well now for some good news! Ari lost her cord last week so both girls got their first baths (12/12). They loved the water (yay more water rats! lol) but holy cow it was hard trying to get both of them done at the same time! Even with Jose helping! I gave them another one yesterday which was easier because I did them one at a time but it took me 45mins. I can't wait for them to be old enough and I can just toss all 3 stinky butts in the tub at once! lol

So to answer the question I've been asked a 1,000 times already......

YES! THE TWINS ARE FRATERNAL! :)

That means "not alike". Two embryos in = two seperate babies out. They are no more alike then me having 3 seperate pregnancy instead of just two. All the girls are their own person even though they came from the same batch of embryos.

Yes I do agree that the twins look alike but so does Nevy lol. Arianna & Nevy could have been twins as babies they look so alike but Araceli is my "special" baby lol because she is the ONLY white kid I have lol! Yep thats right I have one Mexican twin and one White twin. Thats how I know they are fraternal for sure. It's hard to tell in pics but Celi is way lighter then Ari. She also has a smaller head and is the only one with Jose's chin (Nevy & Ari have mine).

Well I'm off to wash bottles and change poop (oh joy!) Have a HAPPY HOILDAY if I don't post by X-mas and enjoy your family because I sure enjoy mine! :)



Arianna's bath



Araceli's bath



All clean! (Ari & Celi)


(Yes they get Paci's for the reflux. No I didn't want them to have them cause of what I went through with getting Nevy's away but I rather they have them then be in pain from reflux all the time. The swallowing motion keeps the acid down)

The 2nd week...

Well the Twins are a little over a week old now. They are both doing really well. Dr.'s appt on Monday put them both back up to birth weight with Ari being 5lbs 3.5oz (.5oz from birth weight) and Celi at 5lbs 3oz. They are eating about 2oz at each feeding which is still a little less then they need to be but Ari took an extra .5oz today. So I'm hoping they will be moving up to 3oz feedings soon. They are also going about 4hrs at night now. Which means we are getting a small amount of sleep again.

Celi lost her cord last night and it looks like Ari is not far behind. I gave them both a sponge bath today which they both hated lol. I can't wait to give them real baths...the little stinkers! I'm still pumping so the girls are getting a breastmilk/formula mix. It probably wont be until they are closer to their due date that they will be able to breastfeed well.

Nevy has been doing great with the girls. She loves them so much. She is still going through the "twos" and gives us a hard time about other things (like picking up her toys) but she has been so good with the babies. She loves to help and acts like a 2nd Mommy.

I can't believe a 1.5 weeks have gone by! Jose has to go back to work next week and I have NO IDEA how I am going do this alone! Right now we take shifts at night so we both get 5-6hrs of sleep and during the day we both feed them but once he goes back to work he wont be able to do the night feedings anymore. I'm hoping to get Nevy to start going to bed earlier so that way I can as well and Jose can do the last feeding (between 10:30pm-12am) and then I only have one night feeding (between 2:30am-4am). He would be gone for work before the AM feeding.

It's been hard these last 9 days with recovering from surgery, taking care of the twin, keeping things as normal for Nevy as possible and still finding time for myself to eat and shower but it is such a blessing to see these two perfectly healthy babies and know that everything I went through all the pain, problems and hormones was so worth it! To have 36 weeks twins that only spent 48hrs in the NICU and got to come home is such a blessing. Thank you all for sharing this journey with me! :)

The Twins Birth Story!

Well since I FINALLY have a minute.....


THE TWINS ARE HERE!




Yep our little girls were born on November 30,2009. Baby A- (Arianna) was 5lbs 4oz 19 1/4 inches she was born at 2:21pm. Baby B- (Araceli) was 5lbs 3oz 19 inches she was born at 2:22pm.

So here is how it all happened...

On Monday (11/30) I had my Dr.'s appt and Non stress test at 8:30am. I had been having regular contractions since Sat. night but they were not painful and only lasting 30sec. So I assumed they were braxton hicks. The girls did great on the non stress test and the Dr. came in to talk to me. I told her about the contractions and she said "They sound like nothing to worry about but I'll check you anyway". She checked my cervix and had a shocked look. I asked what I was and she said 4cm but only 5% effaced. We were told to head over to the hospital to be on the safe side since Baby A was a footling breech again and if my water broke her cord or foot could come out. Jose dropped me off and went home to drop off the the car and get my hospital bag. In triage my contractions were showing up in the 30-40's (with Nevy they were over 160!). So they were not very painful just a little annoying. They would come every 5,8 or 10 mins. So not regular at all. My Dr. came down (ya she was on call that day!) and said she was keeping me b/c I was over 4cm but since I had just ate breakfast we had to wait 6hrs for the c-section. So it was planned for after 3pm. Jose arrived and I was sent upstairs to a recovery room were I would be monitored before and after the c-section. The Dr. decided to check me again at about 11am. I was 5cm and still 5% effaced. So I was in labor though I never had hard contractions. The next few hours were a blur of Dr.'s and nursing coming in and asking us to sign things or stupid questions that kept being asked over and over. At about 1:30pm I had to pee and got up to do so. I noticed some blood and told the nurse. She said it's probably from everyone checking you so often. I layed back in bed and about 10 mins later I felt pressure. I told the nurse and since my Dr. was right down the hall she went to get her. I was checked and was 6cm 100% effaced! Thats when things went really fast! The dr. said we had to deliver now b/c these kids were coming fast (still no real contractions! Lucky me right? Had Nevy's labor been that easy I would never of needed a c-section!). Next I know I'm being taken to the OR. I got a resident to do my Epidural and of course he took 3 tries to get it! Finally all numb I was layed down and they started. Jose was brought in 5mins later. About 20 mins into the c-section the twins were born. They both screamed (Ari was very loud and wouldn't stop crying lol). I didn't get to see them b/c the NICU staff had to take them but after a few mins Jose got to go see them. The NICU Dr. came in and told me their weights and that they were doing great. About 15mins later Jose brought both of them to me. Ari was still crying and kept on crying lol. The Dr. finished up and we all went to the recovery room.

In recovery the nurse kept trying to talk me into giving them formula but all I wanted to do was breastfeed them both but Celi had a hard time latching and both their sugar levels went below 55. So I HAD to give them a bottle. After 20mins they checked both girls again and Celi was up to 67 and Ari was only up to 36. So the called the NICU and they came up to take Ari. I was really upset but I knew and prepared myself for an NICU stay since I found out we were having twins. It wasn't so bad since Celi was still with us. I got to breastfeed Celi for 15 mins and then I had to give her formula to make sure her sugar stayed up. The nurse came in and wanted to do another sugar check. I told her she didn't finish eating the formula yet and if she could come back when she was done ( I knew from Nevy's birth that the glucose level peaks 20mins after a feeding and that if she checked before she was done it would be low since she was buring calories to suck) well sure enough her level was below 55. I was so mad at that nurse b/c she KNEW it would be low if the baby wasn't done eating and she was to much of a b**ch to just come back and check later. So off to The NICU Celi went which is when I really broke down b/c both girls were gone.

Celi never had another low sugar level. Her level down in the NICU about 15mins after that feeding in recovery was way over 55! So really Celi never had sugar issues. I was still really numb and had to stay in recovery until I could feel my feet. That took 4hrs instead of 2hrs b/c I was given some extra Epidural right at the end b/c I was starting to get feeling again. I had a pain block done (AWESOME! If you have the option get one!) It's were they use a needle (guided by ulrasound) to inject pain meds into the layers of your uterus and skin. It's done while your still numb so you dont feel a thing. It lasts 24 hrs and works great. I was sent to my room and told I could walk after 8-12 hrs depending on my pain. By 4am I was ready to get up (with Nevy I stayed in bed for 3 days and paid for it. The more you move after a c-section the better you will feel). I wanted to go down the NICU to see the babies right away. So Jose took me at 5:30am. Ari was doing really good her sugar levels were stable and she had a sugar IV in. Celi on the other had had some bloating which they ran tests and x-rays on. They thought she "may" have an infection so to be on the safe side they stopped her oral feeding and gave her an IV and a tube (down the nose) feedings until the blood test came back. It was neg. so they took the tube out and left the IV in until her tummy could tolerate full feedings again. I guess it was from the NICU pushing her to eat so much to keep her suagrs up she got bloated.

That next moring at 9am Ari's IV was removed and the 24hr count down began(they have to go 24hrs without any low suagrs readings to leave the NICU). At 3pm Celi's was removed. We spent the day in the NICU with the girls and family visiting. Nevy got go to the lobby so I could see her and so could Jose. We showed her pics of the babies and then took my mom and grandparents up to the NICU to see the twins while Jose spent time with Nevy. On Wed. morning we went down and were told the girls could come up after the Dr. gave them the ok. At 12pm the girls were both released and got to come to my room. It was soooo nice having them with us again. They eat so well! They were putting away whole 2oz bottles which some full term babies can't even do!

We spent the next two days getting use to having twins (ha! right lol). We came home on Friday (Dec. 4th). We have been home a little over 24hrs and now and I have to say its been nuts! Nevy couldn't wait to see the babies. I pulled the cover off Celi's carseat and Nevy pokes her in the nose and said "dolly". Then Celi started to cry and Nevy realized she was real and looked and me and screamed "Baby! Mommy baby!". It was to cute. She wanted to hold them right away. So I sat her on the bed and gave her both girls on my body pillow. She was so happy! She's been such a good big sister. All she wants to do it kiss them, hold them and help Daddy hold the bottles. She just loves them to death.

They are doing very well. Celi is my pro breastfeeder. I can get her on for 30mins and she still kills 1-1.5oz of formula. Jose went to get me a breatspump today (we tried to get one yesterday but they were closed) and I've been pumping like crazy. Right now I almost make enough to feed both of them. I am really surprised my milk came on the 2nd day this time. With Nevy it didn't come in until 6days after she was born! Since the girls are preemies they dont suck very well and have a hard time latching though Celi does pretty good. I'm hoping to get them off formula soon and either bottle feed breatmilk until they get better at breastfeeding or just keep pumping and using a bottle. Celi acts a little closer to term then Ari. She can eat for longer, eats more and is awake more often but they will both be doing well in a few weeks. We have to feed them every 3hrs b/c they are preemies the Dr. doesnt want them going any longer. So yeah very sleepless nights! Jose is off work the next 2 weeks and I'm so happy he is b/c I really need the help! :)

Well thats it!( Yes I know this was a novel but not only is this blog for everyone to enjoy its my way of keeping a journal for the kids. So I try not to miss a detail). It's going to be hard but I know it will sooooo be worth all the effort in the end. I love my 3 little princesses with all my heart and Jose and I could not be happier with them!

35-36 weeks...

Well here I am at almost 36 weeks. Really don't ask me how I did it b/c I don't have a clue. I was pretty sure with my history of pre-term labor that the twins would be here by now. The Dr. was guessing by now as well b/c of my pre-eclampsia. So far (knock on wood) my BP has stayed in the 140's/90's which isn't great but it's not horrible either. I'll be doing another 24 hour protein test next week to see if my numbers have gone up at all.

At this point I've made it farther with the pregnancy then I did with Nevy's. I delivered Nevy at 35weeks 6days which is what I am today. So one more day and it will be a real goal for me to reach a full 36 weeks. I have to keep telling myself just one more week until FULL term (37 weeks) and just 2 weeks until my c-section date (12/14) which I really hope I don't see at this point b/c my poor uterus is dying with all this baby (about 12lbs of baby in me right now).

This weeks Dr.'s appt went great. I'm still at a 13lbs weight gain (yeah I know it's not much but I haven't gained the last 3 weeks since I no longer have room to eat). The twins did great on the non-stress test and I'm still 2cm dilated. After the exam I started to leak fluid and two days later (Thanksgiving) I was worried my water might have a leak. Yes I know it wasn't very good of me to wait 2 days before calling the Dr. but "Airhead" was on call Wed and I didn't want to see her. So after Thanksgiving dinner I gave my Dr. a call and we dropped into L&D for a fast "fluid swab" which came back neg. Dr.'s guess is it's still my mucus plug coming out but just thinning out a bit. So the babies are still baking and I'm still feeling like crap lol.

My next appt is Mon. and then Wed. If everything goes ok I'll have two more appts that next week and then my c-section (really hoping they come before then!). Don't get me wrong I'm so happy to have made it this far but a persons body can only take so much which is why the average for twins is 35-36 weeks. I have one more week until my final goal which seems like a lifetime away but I know we can do it. It's been a long long long long long....long pregnancy (well for me at least) and I just can't wait to hold my little girls. So wish us luck these last two weeks b/c no matter if they want to or not they WILL be out by Dec. 14th! :)

The week from hell!

Were to start? Well I guess I should back track to Monday.... (You may want to get a snack this is gonna be long!)


Monday I had my growth ultrasound and everything went ok. The girls are both doing great. Baby A was 4lbs 13oz and Baby B was 5lbs 10oz. First off the ultrasound tech way OVER measured baby B. I watcher her do it and even made a comment about it. I was really mad. She had a hard time getting A since she is laying in a funny way. So when she did B she just zipped right through and didn't even try to be accurate! Nevy was 5lbs 10oz at BIRTH which was 36 weeks and I had gestational diabetes with Nevy! There is NO WAY a baby who was in the 50th %tile this whole pregnancy gained 3lbs in a month and went from 50% to 75%! Twins gain slower then singletons...not faster! Plus she has been almost the same as her sister this whole pregnancy. My guess puts her at about 5lbs 2oz right now. Anyway... Baby B is still breech and Baby A is in a funny sideway/breech combo. Her butt is in my cervix and she is laying sideways (picture her using my pelvis as a recliner with her butt in my cervix and her head resting on one side and her feet going up my other side). So she isn't head down (boo!) but at least she is no longer a footling breech which lowers the risk if my water breaks at home. I'm still holding out hope that she will flip but at this point it probably wont happen but keep praying anyway!

So after the ultrasound Jose and I went home. It was about 4pm by the time we got home. I had been having a headache most of sunday and even monday. So when I got home I took some Tylenol and laid down. An hour later it was worse instead of better. I had my grandma check my blood pressure and sure enough it was 140/100. I called the Dr.'s office and my Dr. said to head into the hospital. She ran a few tests and everything came back normal. I only had one high reading while there and so she was about to send me home but she asked about my headache and when I tod her I had it since sunday and it wasn't going away she decided to keep me and do a 24 hour urine protein check. I wasn't happy she was keeping me there for the urine check when I could do it at home but my head hurt to much to fight her. So up I went to my room.

Not much really happened the first day. My headache didn't go away even with all kinds of fun meds. I didn't really get much sleep which probably made it worse. The only NICE thing about the hospital was the food. Yes my hospital has some kickass food lol! You get room service whenever you want it and you get to pick off a huge menu lol. Shhhh I'm pregnant with twins all I think of is food! Anyway I finished my test and the next morning (wed) I got the results which were 300mg. That is borderline pre-eclampsia but still low enough not to be to serious.....yet.

That was at 6:30am and I was told to wait for the on call Dr. to come and talk to me before I got to go home. At 7:30am I gave up trying to sleep and order breakfast. Which was awesome lol! Right before my food came I started to have cramps but once my food came I ignored them and ate. I was sorry after I did that b/c they just got worse after all that food. I though maybe I had to go to the bathroom and that was the problem but it wasn't and I figured that out once I went pee and realized I was losing my mucus plug. I went back into the room and called the nurse. I started to get contractions after that. The nurse came in and decided to call the on call Dr. The Dr. came in and what luck I have it was the "Air head" one from last week. She pretty much ignored everything I said and told me I was fine and to go home. I asked her to check my cervix and was told I was 2cm dialted. I was only 1cm the night before and was concerned that I was in ealry labor. Once again I got the brush and was told I could go home. Fine whatever I rather be home then there anyway.

The nurse however was worried about how much I was contracting and decided to hold off on my papers for an hour to see if they came closer together. They never did but she still paged the Dr. anyway just to be safe. The Dr. took 4hrs to get back to her and once again said "Send her home. Early labor can last for days or weeks but make sure she sees her Dr. on friday". So FINALLY at 2pm I got the go ahead to leave but of course I ordered lunch first :) We came home and I passed out I was sooo tired.

Not much happened thursday. Jose took the rest of the week off to help me since the Dr. put me on strict bedrest along with having Dr.'s appt 2 times a week. I was so happy to see Nevy. I missed her so much! She was happy to see Mommy too!

Friday (today) I had my Dr.'s appt and my BP once again was high (141/92). She didn't want to send me back to the hospital since we already know I'm starting to get preeclampsia. It's a lot more common with twins. Twice the blood volume, twice the placentas is going to equal twice the blood pressure. She really thinks I'll be going into labor before it becomes a really issue and she is forced to deliver me. I am in early labor (have been since Wed.) and still keep getting cramps and contractions. However I'm still only 2cm. Dr's guess is the twins arrive before Thanksgiving (which was my guess from day 1). Since they are still breech I'm not getting enough pressure on my cervix to dilate me but all the weight from them is slowly getting things moving. I think my water will break before I go into labor.

She is keeping me on strict bedrest until I deliver which means.......yes the worse possible thing in the world......I CANT GO TO THE MOVIES!!!!!! (Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!) So NO New Moon for me! (insert kicking, crying and screaming here). I was so upset I even BEGGED the Dr. to let me go. She wouldn't give and told me I had to wait to see Rob (guess she is a fan too ;) ). I was so upset even Jose felt bad. I know it's the best for the twins but I was so looking forward to that all week that now I'm in a funk and stuck in the house on what I call "house arrest" and not "bedrest". It sucks but what can I do?? Jose offered to get me the bootleg from a friend but it's not the same as seeing it in the movies. So I guess I'll be seeing New Moon at the movies with two babies stuck to my boobies b/c I'm NOT missing it!

All in all I feel like total crap. The cramps, pressure and contractions are killing me. I cant eat or sleep and now I'm stuck in bed (yes that was for all of you who said I didn't really make any whines during this pregnancy lol). Welcome to the "horrible last weeks of a twin pregnancy". I finally know what all the twin moms were talking about. After 34 weeks it's hell and all you do is take one day at a time! I'll be 35 weeks on Sunday (I had Nevy at 35weeks 5days) and I'm just hoping to get as close to 36 weeks as I can so the babies can come home with me and not get stuck in the NICU.

Ok if your still reading this BLESS YOU b/c I know its a novel by now but I try to keep everyone as up to speed as I can. This pregnancy has been a ride but I know in the end when I'm holding those two cute, pink and screaming babies it will all be worth it. <3

The "33rd" week!

Wow I'm just one more week from my second to last goal! I can't believe we have come so far! My Dr. was so sure the twins would be here by now but they just keep showing her wrong! They really are stubborn little twinkies!

Ok for my usual update. I had my 33 week appt. today. I have finally met all 5 Dr.s in the practice and so far the only one I dont like is the one I met today lol! She made me wait 45 mins past my appt time and was a total air head! I PRAY to GOD I don't get her when I go into labor!

All in all things are perfect. My cervix is STILL closed (yay!) and the girls are moving great. Dr. "Air Head" did a fast in-room ultrasound to check the heartbeats and had a very hard time finding Baby A. She "thinks" that Baby A "MAY" be either sideways now or head down. I so dont want to get my hopes up. So I'm going to pretend she didn't say that. I have my final weight/scan ultrasound next Mon. and I'll know for sure. So keep praying she goes head down!!

Well these 33 weeks are finally getting the better of me. My poor uterus is measuring some where around 43-44 weeks (EEK!). Yes that is like being a month past your due date! Rolling over in bed is now a workout and bending over has the risk of not coming back up without help lol. Nevy's been great. She is an awesome "shoe finder" lol and "put on" girl! She is going to be such a great big sister. I'm done shopping for the twins (woo hoo!). Just waiting on the stroller, co-sleeper and diaper bag to ship. I have to buy some diapers but I'm waiting for Jose to have off b/c walking around the store is hard. Other then that I am DONE!......well.....I do have some washing to do but shhhh I'm trying to pretend that pile of babies clothes doesn't exist.

Well that it for this weeks update on us. Stay tuned for next weeks ultrasound, weight updates and appt! :)

32 weeks and PISSED!

Well before I get into the reason why I'm so mad. I'll give my usual twin update.....

The girls are both doing wonderful. I had a bedside ultrasound (which is just a small fast one in the room). So I don't have weights or anything like that. I'll have a regular level II ultrasound on the 16th (my last one). I got to see the twins breathing fluid and moving around. Baby B has flipped......SHE IS ALSO BREECH!! (uhhhh!) Yeah these two are making me nuts already lol. Now they are both breech. I just hope they go hand in hand and flip head down together in the next 2 weeks lol.

My cervix is still high and closed. Everything looks great and I should make it to 34 weeks without any trouble. Once we hit that mark the twins can come at any point. So just about 1.5 weeks to go. I have a few odds and ends we still need but all in all I have everything the twins need.

So the reason I am pissed off...

Northwestern has just passed an H1N1 policy at the hospital. No children under the age of 18 years old are allowed to visit. So that means Nevy can't see her sisters in the hospital even though she'll have her H1N1 shot by then! I'm just sooooo freaking pissed! I wanted her to be able to see the babies right away. Now I can't even see my Nevy for 3-4 days because she's not allowed in the hospital. This also means my sisters and brother can't see the twins or Jose's nieces or any one else really because all the kids in the family are teens or little. I know most people can't find baby sitters either. So I doubt anyone will really be able to come to the hospital now. I know this is for the twins and my protection but I hate that Nevy can't see them or me.

My Dr.'s office now has the same policy. So Nevy can no longer go to ultrasounds or appt.s with me. I understand how serious H1N1 is (I was first in line for my shot) but I think this is BS! Seasonal flu kills more people in a year and they never had this rule before! My hospital is actually the last one in our area to make this rule. Almost every hospital now has this rule in place. I think it's over reacting not to allow siblings to visit but I guess we don't have a choice.

Well I'm off to take care of my sick baby. Nevy has ANOTHER cold. I'm so sick of her getting sick! It seems like everyone likes to bring there sick kids around my baby. She has such a crappy immune system from being preterm and she gets colds so easy which I then get! I really think we are going to go "hermit" for the next few months. That way she wont bring anything home to the twins. I hate watching my baby suffer. It's just not fair.

31 weeks 3 day and still pregnant!

Everything seem to be going well. Both babies are active and doing great. They are still breech and sideways but Baby B dropped down a little. Probably because of all my contractions squeezing her head. At this point I doubt Baby A is going head down so it looks like I'll be having a c-section (sooooo not happy about that).

Dr. said my cervix is a little more soft then last week but it's still closed. So she said I "should" make it to 34 weeks. At which point labor would no longer be stopped. My guess is Thanksgiving week sometime (about 35-36 weeks). The Dr. said since baby A is not head down putting pressure on my cervix I may make it to the full 38 week c-section date (Dec. 14th). I doubt that but it would be nice to have FULL term twins.

At this point I think I'll be begging for a c-section soon. I'm just so sore, tired and all around aggravated. I hate that I can't even walk up 3 stairs without being out of breath. My tummy is getting so big I can't roll over in bed! I've only gained 11lbs so far but it feels like 50lbs! Ok enough self pity lol.

We just have a few things to get and we are pretty much done. I can't believe they could be here in 2.5 weeks! Time is just going to fast.....:snort:..... NOT! lol Anyway....my next appt is Nov. 4th (next Wed.) so I'll have more updates then. My last ultrasound is set for 34 weeks (Nov. 16th) and I'm excited to see how big they are getting! Ok I'm off to bed. I'll be back in a week..... :)

30 weeks! (Just 2 more goals!)

Today I had my last 2 week appt. So now I'll be updating eveyone with weekly appts. I'm now 30 weeks and the twins are doing great. They still measure the same as singletons. Baby A was 2lbs 13oz and Baby B was 3lbs 2oz. Since they are bigger and in weird positions it's getting harder to get exact weights but a 4oz difference is no biggie.

They are still breech and sideways. So we sat down and had the big "looks like your screwed" talk. Twins tend to flip all over up until birth but mine have stayed the same. Which means the odds of Baby A flipping head down are slim (still pray really really hard that she does!). So a c-section has been set. Hospital policy is it can't be set until 38 weeks. Ours has been set for Monday Dec. 14th (38 weeks 1 day). The odds of me making it to that date are about 5%. So most likely I'll have an "emergency" c-section when I go into labor if Baby A doesn't flip by then.

My cervix is still the same (woo hoo!) but with baby A being a footling breech I still can't go far from the hospital. I am also very lucky to have such a great Dr.'s office b/c they are the first office at Northwestern to be offering the H1N1 shots. They got them in wed. of last week and have already given them to 10% (about 300 women) in their office. Since I'm high risk I got mine today (yes I know my risks, yes I've done a TON of research and no I'm not "dumb" for getting one. It's serious people! Get your facts straight, weigh your risks and get a shot!) I'm hoping to get Nevy hers in the next 2 weeks but we will have to see when her office gets them in.

Well thats about it. No news is good news! Just 4 more weeks and I'll reach my 2nd to last goal! I'll be so happy to deliver after 34 weeks but I really hope to make it to 37 weeks. I can't believe time is flying by and these babies could be here at any time (not that I want them here this early. Bake chubby girls BAKE!). My next appt is 10/28 and I'll be back with more updates then! :)

28-29 weeks = 40 week uterus! (eek!)

Not much to update on.....which is a GOOD thing lol.

Cervix is still the same (yay!) and the babies both sound great with heartbeats in the 140's. I'll have a growth ultrasound at my appt in 2 weeks. So it was pretty much just a fast visit. Dr. decided to check my uterus height and I am officially FULL term! Yep my uterus is measuring a full 40 weeks. I sure feel "term" lol. So every week I go from this point is like going over due with a singleton. I am really feeling the effects of this pregnancy. I hurt everywhere and my poor body is running out of energy. At this point I am just praying to make it to 34 weeks (little less then 6 weeks from now). I hope I make it to 36-37 weeks but I'm running out of steam.

Really people don't understand what it's like to be pregnant with twins....well unless you HAVE been. It is a LOT LOT harder then a singleton. Nevy's pregnancy was a walk in the park compared to this one. I'm getting to the point where I might just put myself on bedrest because walking kills my back. Ok enough ranting lol.

The Dr. did say I'm still not allowed to go more then 20-30mins from the hospital which really sucks! She is worried about how fast I might deliver since this is my second pregnancy and baby A is a footling breech which could be serious if my water breaks (yes I feel like a walking time bomb lol). I did get the "OK" to go to the pumpkin patch next week but thats it. After that I'm not allowed anymore "adventures" as she called it. I'm fine with that. I want them to be safe and I am willing to do whatever it takes. (So sorry everyone who has family parties that are far away I wont be able to go to them anymore.)

Well that it for now. I'll let everyone know how my 30 week appt. goes on the 19th.

26w3d and counting...

I know I updated most of you on facebook but here is the full update!......yay!

After my appt. 2 weeks ago I started to have some cramping. It went away that night and I figured it was from the cervix exam that day. Well on Wed. I woke up feeling really yucky. Lucky me I had caught Nevy's cold. Nevy and I spent the day in bed watching Dora (like I didn't feel crappy enough I was tortured! lol). At about 5pm the cramps came back and I decided to take a bath.....not very relaxing when your 2 year old HAS to be in there with you lol. I have a waterbug for a toddler. They seemed to have stopped after about 30 mins. So we got out and I laid on the couch reading Nevy books until Jose got home at 7pm. Not long after he got home the cramps started yet again and this time my back was hurting. I figured another bath might be a good idea.....ALONE this time lol. I sat in there for 1.5hrs and they were just getting worse. So after my nice "talk" with the Dr. the day before about not calling in when something like that happened I decided to call and YAY she was the Dr. on call! Of course she was worried and wanted me in L&D right away. So off Nevy went next door and off to L&D we went.

I've been in the NEW Prentice Women's hospital before but just the NICU for Jose's cousin's baby. So yeah I was shocked that my L&D room looked like a huge hotel suite complete with flat screen TV, huge windows over looking the lake and anything you could think of! Even Jose was shocked that the huge window seat turned into a bed for him. Yes a bed! Not some weird chair bed like they use to have! Anyway....I was attached to the monitors and of course my babies can't behave! Since most of the cramps were low and in my back they weren't picking up much. After 20mins the Dr. came in and checked my cervix. She said it was still closed but seemed to have softened a little more. Since I had a cold she decided to rehydrate me and see if it helped. We were kept until about 2am when the cramps stopped. They babies did great the whole time. Kicking the monitor and staying active. So we got to go home. I had to go back in that Friday for a cervix re-check.

On Friday everything was fine. My cervix had not changed from the L&D trip and the babies looked great. My blood pressure on the other hand was a little high..... 130/100. I always get a little spike in my BP when I'm sick but since high BP with twins is common and can be serious she ran a blood panel and I left with instructions to take it easy all weekend. She now believes the high BP was from the cold med I was taking (safe in pregnancy but can cause high BP).

My blood panel came back fine (which I knew it would) but the only thing was I had borderline anemia. So I was told to start iron. The rest of the week went by fast without any more cramping. Had my normal Dr. appt yesterday. Baby A is 1lbs 12oz and Baby B is 1lbs 13oz. A is still breech and B is still sideways which means if A doesn't turn soon I'll be have a c-section.....poop! They measure on target with singles which is awesome! My cervix still hasn't changed which is even better news and my BP was 120/82! So all was great! We did get to see a great ultrasound view of the twins face to face touching each others cheeks. It was soooo cute! Well it was until baby B pushed baby A away lol.

My next appts. are Oct. 7th & 19th then they become weekly since I'll be 30 weeks and in the "gray zone" for delivery. 85% of twins come before 37 weeks (full term). The average is 34-36 weeks. Which puts us at "some time" in Nov. My guess is I'll be in the hospital for Thanksgiving since that is my 35th week and about the same time I had Nevy. Either way they will be here by Dec. 14th (38 weeks) since I can't go past then (not that I want to! My poor uterus will be measuring over 50 weeks by then! Can you imagine? Thats like going 2 months overdue with a single!).

Well thats it for now. We are getting so close to having these two and I can't wait! They are now at a 90% chance for survival if they come but of course with NICU time. We are pretty much done with buying everything and packing is almost finished.

Stay tuned as the drama unfolds.......lol

I passed!!

I'm in shock!


I just got a call from my high risk OB....


I PASSED my 3hr glucose test!


How this happened I have no idea!!


I failed really bad with Nevy. So bad my endo checked after my pregnancy to make sure I didn't have type 2 diabetes. I was diet controlled the whole pregnancy but right when I delivered at 35w5d my levels had gone up enough that I would have needed insulin if I didn't deliver in the next few days.

He was about 100% sure I would need insulin this time since logic says two placentas = two times the insulin resistance. We figured I would start the gestational diabetes (GD) diet early (I did at 12 weeks) and hope it would keep my levels down until about 30 weeks. He didn't think I could make it pass 30 weeks without insulin.

I skipped the 1hr test this time b/c I had failed so bad with Nevy I knew I would end up with the 3hr test. Guess I was wrong! My levels were awesome!!


Fasting- 85 (cut off is 100)
1hr- 153 (cut off 180)
2hr- 157 (cut off 160)
3hr- 126 (cut off 140)


I am very shocked my 1hr was so good. With Nevy it was 200. I guess those 40lbs I lost before getting pregnant paid off! I will keep following the GD diet just to make sure I dont develope it later in the pregnancy but I'm so happy I can keep eating small amounts of sugar lol!


So I guess the old saying of once a GD pregnancy always one doesn't apply to me!

24 weeks!

Well we made it to the 24 week mark and so far so good! I had my appt. today and the girls are doing wonderful. Baby A is still breech and Baby B is sideways.....as always lol! I had some cramping Sat. night that I "thought" was just braxton hicks since they went away after I took a bath but it turns out they were contractions. The outside of my cervix did thin a very small amount but nothing to worry about. The inside is still thick/long and I am closed. So it was just a little warning that it's time to slooooooow down. My last day of work is friday and we will be moving by my grandparents very soon since demo is about to start on the house before Oct. So I will be able to go on semi-bedrest if I need to.

I didn't get a growth scan this week but I'll have one at my next appt on 9/22. They should be around 2lbs each by then. My 3hr glucose test went well. I should have the results in the next two days. I hope I passed but since I had it with Nevy I doubt I will. Either way all that matters to me is nice BIG, healthy and at least 34 week twins!

Nevy has been sick with a cold this weekend. It's pretty bad she even lost her voice. My poor baby sounds like a frog when she talks. Once she gets over this cold we will all be going into CVS for our regular flu shots. Since I fall in the really high risk area I have to get a "swine flu" shot as well. Nevy and Jose will both have to get one too. So I'm trying to space the shots out as far as I can buy getting the flu shot early.

Well thats it for now. I'll update again when I know more. Thanks for sticking with us everyone. I know this pregnancy seems to be flying by (well for everyone but ME! lol) and I will try to keep you up to date on all that is going on.

22 week appt!

Yes they are both STILL girls lol. They are doing wonderful! Baby A is 1lbs 1oz and Baby B is 1lbs 0oz. A perfect 48th %tile. I had my iron tested today and should have the results tomorrow or thursday. I've been thinking my iron is low since I've been so tired. I'll have my 3hr glucose test at my next appt. (Sept. 8th) and another ultrasound at the end of Sept.

The OB did check my cervix which is closed and thick. So that is REALLY good! The official weight gain so far is about 3lbs and yes I really am trying to gain weight but my poor tummy is running out of room for food.

I guess our "talk" didn't go so well since baby A decided to turn butt down instead of head down lol but baby B is still sideways. Other than that the appt went really well. We are just about 1.5 weeks from the 24 week mark of survival outside the womb! Lets just hope I can make it to at least 35 weeks. I'm starting to feel like a house and don't know if my poor uterus can grow much more lol.

Thats it for now! I'll update in another 2 weeks at my next appt! :)

It's official...

We have NAMES!! Yep thats right! After locking Jose in a closet for a week with no food or water he gave in and picked out two names lmao! I'm just kidding but after some fighting and a few days to think about it we have decided to name the girls......


Arianna Faith Banderas
and
Araceli Grace Banderas


I'm still working on the spellings since you can spell both about 20 different ways and the middle names may be switched or changed but I'm pretty sure they will stay as is. They are pronounced: Are-e-on-ah and Air-ah-celey. Nicknames will be Ari and Celi. Ari's name means Holy one of Faith and Celi's means Alter of heaven and grace.

Arianna was my pick and Jose picked Araceli. Still trying to figure out who is who but I think Ari will be Baby A and Celi will be Baby B. So it looks like the twins wont be Thing 1 and Thing 2 lol! Nevy is VERY happy about her sisters. She just loves the belly! Not sure they love her laying on the belly or trying to sit on the belly but you know how sisters can be lol. I think Jose has finally got used to the idea of a house full of girls. He's really excited and can't wait to see them.

As for a son.....

HAHAHAHAHAH.....wait my side hurts.........HAHAHAHAHAHAH........deep breath........HAHAHAHHAHA..........Ok no really.......lol

I've decided to keep that door cracked. Maybe not open but cracked lol. I decided a LONG time ago that b/c of my PCOS and how hard it was to get pregnant both times that I want to be done before I'm 30 years old. So maybe just MAYBE when the twins are 5 years old I may try for another one. Of course this time we may ask the Dr. to do a gender test to the embryos b/c I wont be having more then 4 kids! So the next BETTER be a boy! lol

20 week update!

So we had our 20 week anatomy ultrasound today. It was so great to see the twins again. It was "supposed" to be 1.5hrs but Baby A (my flipper) decided to show off and would not hold still for more then 5 sec. I could not believe how active the baby was. Baby B on the other had just sat there sucking it's fingers and not moving lol. I guess they are going to be exact opposites. I can see Baby A is hyper like Nevy. My ultrasound ended up taking almost 3hrs but it was so nice to just watch them move. They both have big feet like Nevy too!

So the official report is Baby A @ 11oz and Baby B @ 12oz. PERFECT for 20 weeks! They are both laying transverse (sideways) with both heads on my left side and facing each other....STILL! I guess Baby A needs a "little talk" about going head down so Mommy doesn't need another c-section. Baby A's placenta is against my back and Baby B's is against my tummy (which I knew and explains why I dont feel B as often). Since Baby A would not hold still the tech had a hard time seeing the heart chambers. So I go back in 2 weeks for another ultrasound just to double check. My OB appts are now bi-weekly as well. So I will see the Dr. and get an ultrasound on the 25th.

The Dr. said everything looks great with all of us. Babies weights and fluid level are fine. I will have my cervix checked at my next appt. So all in all the three of us are healthy and doing very well but of course with twins that can change day to day. My first goal is to make it to 24 weeks (which is the earliest for survival outside the womb) then to 30 weeks (less chance for development problems) then 35 weeks (less chance for NICU time) and my last goal which I pray very hard to make is 37 weeks (which is considered full term). I wont be allowed to go past 38 weeks (Dec. 14th) since your uterus gets way to big and can cause problems. The average for twins is 35-36 weeks. So as long as I can make it to Thanksgiving I'll be happy!

And now for my EXTRA ADDITION OF NEWS.....

Jose and I have talked and since there really isn't much of a surprise to it anymore we decided to tell everyone the sexs. We were both VERY VERY shocked. I think he is still adjusting to the news but I've come to terms with it and I am very happy. So without further waiting..........................................................................................................pause...........................
.................Ok I lied about the further waiting part lol..................................................

We are Having................................................................lol...............am I driving you nuts yet??..........


TWO VERY HEALTHY...................................................AND VERY CUTE.....................................


BABY GIRLS!!!

Yep Twin GIRLS!! God save Jose! Poor man has 4 women to live with now! Good thing the new house will have two bathrooms! hahahahahah! Plus side is we don't really have to buy anything now. Down side is I dont think they will EVER have NAMES!!! lol

20w3d Twin belly shot......hey and I've only gained 2lbs!

I'm pregnant with an Octopus!

I'm starting to think I have Quads in there lol. It seems like I get kicked in 16 different places at once. These two are getting soooo active and STRONG! I swear one kicked my bladder yesterday and I had to RUN to the potty lol! They seem to be most active when I'm trying to sleep. So needless to say I haven't been getting to may Zzz's!

It's so weird how different being pregnant with two is vs. one. Nevy didn't become this strong until I was about 26 weeks. Humm....I wonder if they are already working together to drive me crazy HA! Well no matter how painful.....and yes it does create PAIN when they kick at the same time.....I'm still happy to know they are both doing well. :)

I have tried to get Nevy to feel them move but she wont hold her hand on my tummy long enough. You know there are more important things to a two year old then feeling babies kick.....like hiding grapes under my TV or drawing all over herself with a pen :insert eye roll here: lol. As for Jose, Well they seem to enjoy teasing him already b/c every time he puts a hand on me they move to the other side of my tummy lol. It's just to funny! I feel bad for him since he really wants to feel them but I can't help laugh when they do it. It's like they know DaDa wants to feel them and they want to tick him off already! lol poor Jose!

Well thats it for now. I doubt you want to here about my hip and back pain. So I figured I'd share the nice side of a twin pregnancy and not the "whine and vent" side lol. My ultrasound is Wed. the 12th. So I will have another update for everyone in 2 days. :)

SwagBucks BABY!!

So I know I've gone on and on and on....and on (lol) about Swagbucks but I can't help it! The site is awesome!! I've earned six $5 gift cards for Amazon.com and two $5 gift cards for EuphoriaBaby.com. I bought Nevy some books last week with my Amazon cards and I bought a two pack of natural breast flow bottles for the twins from Euphoria and guess what I DIDN'T PAY A THING! So you must be wondering how am I earning all these gift cards without buying or spending a dime??? Well let me share the wonderful world of SwagBucks with you!!! :) .......

Swagbucks is a search engine. Yep thats it just a plain old search engine like google or yahoo. All you do is join, download the search bar from their site and use it to make everyday searches! Thats it! See how easy it is!! As you search sometimes a little box will pop up with your search and say "You have won $1 (or anywhere between 1 and 5) Swagbucks!" It adds it to your account for you. So you dont have to do ANYTHING! As the swagbucks add up you simply go to the "prize" section of the site and pick a prize that you have enough swagbucks for. You can buy a $5 Amazon card for 45 swagbucks or a $5 EuphoriaBaby card for 5 swagbucks! They have TONS of prizes. Not just gift cards (like Jc Penny, Barnes & Noble, Starbucks & Target which range from $5-$150) but you can buy shirts, music downloads, trading cards, an Xbox 360, posters and so so much more!

Ok so lets say you don't want a gift card to a store or anything else I've talked about..... how about cash.....yes you heard me I said CASH! You can get $5 in Paypal credit for 70 swagbucks! Or a $10 MasterCard for 135 swagbucks! Yep you heard me right that is cash for doing nothing but using a search engine!

No Junk mail! No questions! No phone calls! No bugging you period! The only emails I receive from Swagbucks is to confirm I bought a gift card and to let me know when its ready to be used (in about 5-10 days). Most never expire but some need to be used in 30 days or so.

This is an AWESOME way to earn extra $$$$! You dont do anything other then your normal everyday searching and I DO mean NORMAL searching. Dont go into hyperdrive and search like 500 sites in 5 mins. It wont make a difference. I normally win at least 2 swagbucks a day doing about 10 searches. Sometimes I win a 3 swagbucks or a 5. In two months I've made over 200 swagbucks! It's easy and free!

Dont believe me?? Ask the thousands of fans Swagbucks has on Myspace, Facebook, Twitter and everywhere else! Best part if you add them to your accounts you can watch for free Swagcodes! Whats a Swagcode??... It's when swagbucks feels nice and gives away an extra 1 or 2 swagbucks just because! There is at least one everyday! Get the code add it to you account and thats it! Check out this blog that announces when swagcodes are out, where they are and how long you have to snag them! http://www.we-love-swag-bucks.com/ (they even have proof of their winnings on the site!)

Well all I can say is this.... if your STILL reading this and STILL don't sign up for Swagbucks then you must be rich and not need the extra $$$ because there is NO reason NOT to join! Free stuff, No bugging and no work! Why not join???!



CLICK the link BELOW to JOIN SWAGBUCKS NOW!! (You get 3 free swagbucks just for joining!)

*>>>>>http://swagbucks.com/refer/Banderas85<<<<<*




Then go to the site http://www.swagbucks.com/ and DOWNLOAD THE TOOL BAR (you cant earn if you don't have a tool bar to search!) and check out the prize area!



Also they have drawings on the Blog to win stuff like 500 swagbucks (3 swagbucks to enter) or an Xbox 360 or a signed poster by a band! Everything (even the gift cards) are donated by the sponser. So your NOT winning STOLEN stuff and TRUST ME the gift cards work and they DO mail out the prizes (if you order something like a shirt). So make sure to give your correct address for them to mail things to!

(On a side note: It can take 4 weeks to earn 100 swagbucks at first but as you learn how to use the site and how to win you can earn them faster. Earning free stuff doesn't happen over night but even if you only get one $5 gift card a month thats STILL a FREE $5 every month. I average about 2-3 $5 gift cards a month right now. It's sooo worth it!)

The name game...

I wish I could just toss all the girl names I like into a hat and draw two lol! Then Jose wouldn't have a choice on what names we used. I think he assumes that if we don't pick girl names out then we wont have any more girls...riiiiight.....nice try buddy. I like to be prepared. I've spent the last 17 weeks calling my twins "it" "they" and my favorite "hey you stop kicking my bladder". So I can't wait to find out what they are and give them names. I want to have everything lined up for my BIG ultrasound on Aug.12th but Jose wont agree on ANYTHING....can you say pain in the butt!

We have boys names picked out. Our first son will be Jose Artemio Banderas Jr. (like the world needs another Jose but I promised him a JR.). If it's two boys the second will be James Robert Banderas (after my father Robert James Tracy). So yeah if its girl/boy or girl/girl twins I guess they will be called "Thing 1" and "Thing2" (yes Nevy reads to much Dr. Seuss).

Personally I really like Jazmin Faith or Jacquelyn Anya for the girl/boy twins. If it's girl/girl I really like Allison Hope and Addison Faith (Ally & Addy) or Arianna Faith and Ayanna Hope. Jose hates all of them except Jacquelyn Anya. I really want to stick with the whole "heavenly theme" because of Nevaeh which is why I picked Hope and Faith as middle names (because Jose hates them lol). I wouldn't mind input but thats the problem! He doesn't want to think about girl names.....like at ALL! Uhhh men I tell ya!

So at the moment that is where we are. Stuck with no girl names. Which is why when everyone asks me "So do you guys have names yet?" I say "Dont ask. Sore subject!" :P Now you know why I dont want to talk about it lol.

Welcome to MY WORLD!!

I have decided to start a blog since my crazy preggy brain seems to forget EVERYTHING! I really want to remember the twins pregnancy and having 3 kids under 3 I'm sure it will be a fun ride once they get here! So to start the blog here is a little info about us....

My name is Jennifer (I'm the one doing all the incoherent postings :) hehe). I'm the proud wife of Jose my loving hubby for the last....oh God what is it now.....hummm.....lol.... almost 5 years! I'm also a SAHM (stay at home mom) to my adorable daughter Nevaeh Inez (Nevaeh is Heaven spelled backwards :wink:). My princess will be turning TWO in about a week (eeeek!!). I am also expecting TWINS (eeek AGAIN!) in Dec. (that puts me at 17 weeks). As you can tell I'll be going crazy in a few short months. Which is why expecting double the trouble means I'll have triple the fun with the 3 of them!!!

So stop on by to get your dose of laughter as I share our crazy journey with 3 kids under 3 years old!