Ultraound 27 Weeks 4 Days

We went in this morning Tuesday March 27th for another ultrasound. Brandon and I get so excited for ultrasounds because we know we get to see our baby girls. At this point in the pregnancy we can definitely feel them and see them moving around in my belly, but there is nothing better than seeing our two angels.
  I started with my normal check in with the nurse where she took my blood pressure (118/70). She was very happy with the number and said I am right on track. Next we went to see the ultrasound tech to perform the exam. Her name was Jessica and she was an identical twin. About 2 minutes into the exam I started getting nausea and the room started spinning. I had to stop the exam and sit up. I told the tech I have major problems anytime I am on my back and usually get sick if not pass out. She was very understanding and said with two babies it is incredibly difficult to lay on your back as it cuts off the oxygen support to me. She let me lay completely on my side which was amazing. Both babies are doing fantastic and are right on track. Baby A is still head down and has not shifted at all. If she continues along this path I will be able to have a vaginal delivery. Baby B on the other hand was laying sideways all sprawled out. Baby A's heart rate was 157 and Baby B was 133 which the tech said was normal. Baby B had the hiccups and has started growing hair on her head. Baby A is still bald at this point, but we will wait and see. Baby A is practicing her breathing and developing her lungs. The tech said they usually see this more around 29 weeks so Baby A is a little over achiever :) They are both incredibly active and would not stop moving around. We told the tech they are feisty girls and move all the time. She was amazed at how active they were.  Unfortunately because they are so active we were unable to get any pictures today as they would not sit still.
   After the ultrasound we met with the Doctor whose exact words were "the babies are perfect". It was music to our ears. The babies are growing right on track. Baby A is 2 pounds 9 oz and Baby B is 2 pounds 13 oz. The ultrasound could not have gone any better. We now switch to going every two weeks and have another one scheduled for April 10th. Can't wait to see our girls again.

My "I feel Silly Moment"

Yesterday Thursday March 22nd I was feeling a little different than normal. My stomach was rock hard all over, I had a shortness of breath, sweating, didn't feel the babies move, and just didn't feel like myself. From our birthing classes I learned the best method is to drink lots of water and lay down. So I did just that. It was not helping much so I went for a walk and still felt off. I contacted my friend Erica who has twins in Florida to ask for some advice. It sounded like I was having Braxton Hicks Contractions. I was thinking as the day went on they would subside. However, my stomach stayed rock hard. Luckily, in Canada they have a Health Link Line you can call 24 hours a day to speak with a nurse to discuss whatever symptoms you might be experiencing. So last night just before 10pm I decided to call. I spoke with a nurse who told me to hang up the phone and go straight to the labour unit at the hospital. I was a little freaked out as I did not know what to think at that point. Brandon happened to be out of town so our friend Angie came to pick me up to drive me. The hospital is about 40 minutes from our house.
    We got to the hospital and parked. It was our first time there so we were trying to figure out where everything was. We went to the main entrance where the door was locked. We hit the call box and had to have someone page us on. Upon entering we took the elevators to the sixth floor to check in. When arriving they asked for my health card and ID. I gave them the information, but the lady behind the desk was having a hard time finding me by my health care number. She called down to the main lobby where we realized the reason they were having a hard time was I had never been to the hospital before. So we had to fill out some paperwork. The positive side of this is when I go into delivery I will be in the system and already have a chart on file. Next, they brought me back to the room and hooked me up to the monitors. As we were walking back we heard a woman moaning and sounded like she was miserable. That definitely did not help calm my nerves about labour.  I had three monitors (one for each baby to trace their heart rates and one to monitor contractions). They took all my vitals which were normal. The babies heart rates were normal. It took them awhile to get all the monitors on as the babies would not sit still. When I was all hooked up they monitored me for about an hour. Then the nurse came in to do a health history followed by the resident on call to check up on me and finally the Doctor. I spent most of the time talking with Angie about having babies. The Doctor reassured me and said everything looked good and the trace from the babies was normal. She said she wanted me to come back the following morning for an ultrasound as I was still not feeling Baby A move. So they took me off all the monitors and we headed home. We got home just before 2am. I was very fortunate to have Angie here to take me. She is a sweetheart and a very dear friend. I called Brandon to fill him in and to let him know I was ok. I went to bed and set my alarm to get up 4 hours later.
   I went in this morning for the ultrasound. The nurse came in and listened to the babies heartbeats and took my vitals. Everything looked good still. Of course this morning I felt the babies move :) She told me because I did not have an order for the ultrasound I would probably be there all day. They called the Doctor that saw me last night to tell them all looked good and ask if I could go home. The Doctor said she would leave it up to me. I decided since I have an ultrasound scheduled for Tuesday morning I would go home. They told me if anything changes to come back to the hospital. So now I am back at home feeling good. I definitely felt silly going into the hospital last night, but better to be safe than sorry. Our goal is to keep those girls inside and healthy until at least 36 weeks.

Working on the Nursery

I cannot believe we are starting to put together the nursery. Brandon had finished painting the room  before and we decided to move on to the next project. We rented a carpet cleaner and cleaned all the carpets. Once the carpets dried Brandon built one of the cribs as well as the dresser/changing table combo. The other crib is back in the States and I will pick up when I head home for the Baby Shower next week. We put on the changing cover and the crib bumper around the crib to get a sense of what things will look like. We still have a bit of work to do with wall decor (a zebra themed border), building the second crib, hanging letters above the cribs, lighting, etc. It is so fun to walk in the room  now and realize our two little angels will be living here in a few months.  We will post more pictures as more gets updated.

Crib #1

Dresser/Changing Table Combo

Changing Pad Cover

I absolutely love this color and pattern

Crib Bumper. It is not tied on yet and there are no sheets. Just wanted to see what it looked like

Another View with a blanket. I love this!!

24 Week Baby Update

We have hit the 24 week mark!! We met with our Doctor on Friday February 10th for the first time. In Canada you see you GP until around 20 weeks and then switch over to an Obstetrician. Our Doctors name is Dr. James Graham and he works out of Chrysalis Obstetrics and Gynaecology Office. He is a very nice man and extremely laid back. We will start seeing him once a month and then eventually switch over to every two weeks. Our next appointment with him is Thursday March 8th and we are very excited.
   We had another ultrasound on Friday March 2nd. Our ultrasounds have now switched to Fetal Assessments. Each time we go in we see a nurse before the appointment to check my blood pressure, an ultrasound to check the babies growth, and then a Doctor to go over all the results. Our ultrasound went great. My blood pressure is right on track and the babies are growing beautiful. One baby is 1 pound 9 ounces and the other is 1 pound 12 ounces. The doctor said we are right on track and my chances for preterm labour are very low which is great news. We did not get the best pictures as the babies were very active and did not want to pose.  We scheduled another ultrasound at the end of March (I will be just shy of 28 weeks). After that ultrasound we will switch to having one every two weeks and then once a week as we get closer to the delivery date. It is amazing to see all the changes each and every day, but the most special part of this is holding Brandon's hand and seeing our two beautiful baby girls on the screen. It is a moment I will cherish forever!!

24 Week Belly Bump

Growing by the Day

Spine Twin B

Spine Twin A

Profile Twin A

Profile Twin B

Fingers Twin B

Leg and Foot Twin B

Nursery

The nursery has officially started. We moved all the bedroom furniture out of the room to start. Well Brandon moved everything while I supervised. We put up paint swatches on the wall to try and decide on a color. We knew we wanted a pale shade of pink, but who know how many different shades of pale pink there was. We finally came to a decision and went to Home Depot and purchased the paint, painting supplies, and drape to cover the carpet. We made sure to mix in the no chemical solution in the paint so there would be no odours and it would not be harmful to the baby. We came home and put the tarp on the floor and proceeded to tape the room off. The next day Brandon started painting. I did not help as I could not stand the smell and thought it would be better to just take pictures. Once the first coat finished drying Brandon painted the second coat. The color turned out absolutely amazing and we both love it. We also bought a zebra print chair rail to go around the border of the room. We might put a hot pink strip around the zebra chair rail, but are undecided yet. So officially the room is painted. Our next step is we are having the carpets cleaned and will then put up the zebra print and start building the furniture. I cannot wait to see this room come together for our two beautiful girls. I will post more pictures as we progress, but here is the start of them. The final coat of pink is hard to see, but trust me it is beautiful.

The room prep

All taped off and ready to paint. The room started with a purple color

The first coat of paint

Brandon painting. He is such a good husband

The Final Outcome

We love the pink

Work Baby Shower

On Friday February 24th I got the surprise of my life. My coworkers planned a surprise Baby Shower with the help of my husband. Little did I know my coworker Colleen had been talking with my husband to arrange all the details. The shower was a Diapers and Wipe Theme held at Julio's Barrios Mexican Restaurant. Brandon made an excuse that he was going to be in Calgary on Friday and would pick me up after work. I thought it was a little strange since he had baseball practice, but was happy to take the ride home. Brandon picked me up from work about 4:45pm. As soon as I got in the car he made an excuse he had not had a chance to eat and was starving. Of course being pregnant I was happy to eat. So he said he had heard this Mexican restaurant was really good and we could try there. We parked the car and as we walked in Brandon walked right past the hostess. I told him we have to wait to be seated which he replied we already have a table. As we walked in he said I believe these people are waiting on you. I looked up to see all my coworkers sitting around a huge table. I was in such shock I did not know what to say. We sat down and they put sombrero's on us. There was a cake, a diaper cake, and lots of presents (which were all diaper and wipes!!).One of the funniest moments was a game they played. They pulled out three baby bottles filled with some beer and the goal was to see who could finish first. Brandon was one of the participants and of course won!! It was so funny and afterwards he said his jaw hurt so bad and he did not know how babies did it.   Everyone was so sneaky and it was so much fun.  We had a great meal and a lot of laughs. I truly have the best coworkers and was beyond touched.

SURPRISE

Brandon and I

My coworkers trying to stick their bellies out

Coworkers and Brandon

Cake my coworker Leanne made. So beautiful and Yummy

Babies on the cake

Diaper Cake my coworker made. Gorgeous

Brandon playing the baby game. He won

My coworker Ana and I. She is a sweetheart

Group Shot