{Bumpin' Along}

Today marks 37 weeks, 4 days in.

Here's a little update on the baby front:

-Went to the doctor yesterday afternoon and found out I am 5cm!!! What in the world?! HOW am I still walking around like this, practically about to push these babies out??"Active labor is said to start at 4cm....soooo, I guess that makes me officially in labor, no? I like to think so.

-My doctor is not on call again until tomorrow morning at 8am, so I am "holding out" until then. I REALLY want her to be the one to deliver the babies. But, the doctor on call today is also amazing and delivered Judah 2 years ago. SO, I am just monitoring my contractions and waiting to see how things go.

-I was instructed to come in when my contractions are 10 minutes apart or less. Well, let me tell you they have been 8-10 minutes apart for like 3 weeks now....so, I am really not taking that all too seriously. Last night when I went to bed they were 7-8 minutes apart, but not unbearable. I am starting to wonder if I just have a really high pain threshold? Andrew is a little worried that I might wait too long. He was panicked this morning when I told him to just go to work and I would call him if things got moving along more quickly. We are literally FIVE minutes from the hospital, so no point in bumming around there when I can relax at home. My doctor said that if I went in right now, at 5cm, they would not let me leave.

-And now, they are still the same, 7-8 minutes apart, but not so intense that I can not talk, ect.

-My doc will be on call starting at 8am tomorrow, so babies, lets just take it easy until then :) I never thought I would ask them to stay put another day, but I think I can make it 12-14 more hours :) My sister will be happy about this plan too because she will be flying in from Colorado tomorrow afternoon!

{37 Weeks, 2 days}

We thought today was going to be THE day.

The bags were packed, the house cleaned, plans made, and we were READY!

I couldn't fall "asleep" until midnight even knowing that I had to get up and call Triage at 6am.

I woke up about 10 times last night to check the clock, I just knew that the alarm would forget to go off at 5:45. AND IT DID. Luckily my bladder woke me up at 6:03. I frantically sprung out of bed and shuffled around in the dark for the information my doctor had given me. I shook Andrew and told him to go get in the shower NOW and called Triage.

As soon as the nurse answered I could tell that she was not going to have good news for me. She said that there were a few women about to give birth and that some rooms would surely be free if I called back at 9am. 9AM?! It sounded like an eternity. Dear ol' Andrew had already fallen back asleep, so I shook him again and told him them news. I tried to fall back asleep again, but could only lay there and pretend until 7:30.

We tried to act like we were not going crazy with anticipation, but the tension was thick. My back ached, my skin ITCHED like nuts, my head was pounding...I HAD to give birth today! How could I go another day?! I was going to burst at the seams with babies!

Finally it was 9AM...actually it was 8:58AM, but Andrew and I decided that was close enough & we called again. Same nurse. Same response. But this time she said she would call me back "later this morning" (ugh. I guess calling 2 minutes early was not cool) She was sure that I would get in by the afternoon. Some more women were "just about to pop out their babies."

So we waited. We constructed an elaborate train track system in Judah's room. We watched the clock. It was almost noon. They're killing me! Later "this morning!" My mind was racing. Maybe they forgot me. Should I call my doctor and see what she's up to? Maybe she could just come on over to our place and get this show on the road.

And then my phone rang at 11:47AM. The voice on the other end of the line sounded semi-terrified to be calling such a severely pregnant woman with what was no doubt BAD news.

"Hi there, Sarah. I ugh, just talked to your doctor and SHE said that SHE thinks we should go ahead and wait until Wednesday when she is on call next. You know, we are just really busy and we are very sorry, but we just do not have the staff or the rooms available today. But, she said go ahead and call her if you start getting any contractions and come and see her on Monday at the clinic."

I nodded my head and tried not to cry hysterically about how I REALLY had to have these babies today or I would just DIE...and how I was sure there HAD to be some extra room SOMEWHERE at the hospital, really I am not too picky at this point. And did my doctor say what she was doing this afternoon? Did some fun plans come up that she couldn't miss? Was she having a bad hair day? Whatever it was, I was sure we could figure it out and get me in today sometime!!!

But, I just said OK like a polite pregnant lady should and after I hung up proceeded to cry like a crazy woman.

My poor husband.

So, here I am. It's 6:30 at night. I should be holding two squirmy, fresh new born babies right now. I should be able to see my toes again. But, instead I am whining about my STILL pregnant state for all the world to hear, and once again counting down the days until I get to see these babies.

THE END.

{36 Weeks}

Today I am 36 Weeks, 4 days.

The babies are measuring in at 6 pounds 9 ounces and 6 pounds 3 ounces! We will see how accurate that is in a few days....but almost 13 pounds of babies feels about right to me! Ouch.

On Friday the babies will officially be considered full term for twins! Way to go babies!

We are so anxious to meet these two little munchkins. Andrew goes to work every day on high alert, expecting to get a call from me telling him to get his butt to the hospital! Every day his coworkers say good bye like it is the last time they will see him for a month....but every day he comes home to his severely preggo wife in the same condition he left her in that morning. He has never had worse anxiety in his life he told me :) Poor guy.

As for me, I am no longer sleeping...just taking 10-15 minute cat naps from 11pm-6am and if I am lucky an hour nap during the day when Judah decides he needs a rest :) My lack of sleep is due to a HUGE belly, aching back and worst of all this intensely itchy, crazy pregnancy rash that 1% of pregnant women are so lucky to get. My doctor said it is 10x's more itchy than poison ivy. I would have to agree. 75% of women who get it are carrying twins or boy babies....so I guess I was extra susceptible! It will go away within a few days to weeks of delivering the babies.

Today, after seeing my miserable state, my doctor said she would be inducing me this Saturday (January 28th) if I do not go into labor before then. She really could not believe I was still waddling happily around. It really helps to have an end in sight, something solid to count down to. THREE MORE DAYS at the most! I am really hoping they just decide to come on their own, but I also know I can not endure more than three days of this rapidly growing, insanely itchy hive-type rash!!!!

My mom and I hustled all over town finishing up my last minute errands and collecting an arsenal of lotions and soaps to soothe my rash and keep me from clawing myself to pieces. The best one so far works like a dream, but smells like an old man sitting by a campfire---Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap, I LOVE YOU! As we were running errands I had a few "oh my goodness" contractions, one that even made me chuck my Grandpa soap at my mom because it took my by surprise. I thought for sure things were movie' along today...but alas it looks like another labor trick.

Tomorrow is Judah's 2nd birthday! We are not sure if all three of the boys would appreciate or hate a shared birthday....it would be pretty crazy though!

Can't wait to share some pictures of our new little buddies :)

{35 Weeks-- It's a LONG one!}

35 weeks....I CAN NOT believe we have made it this far! With all the contractions I have been having the past 15ish weeks, I never thought these guys would still be cookin' away at this point. But, I am SO thankful that they have and that they are doing so well! God is good.

If they were born at any time now they would have fully mature lungs and only need to stop by the NICU for a quick evaluation (standard before 37 weeks).

Although I am VERY thankful for two healthy babies cookin' away in there, I can not lie, things are getting VERY uncomfortable! I am trying to be patient and keep my eye on the prize...every day they are in there is a bonus for them...but, oh my this is HARD. It is the most difficult thing I have ever done physically in my life. My pregnancy with Judah can not even compare....it was a cake walk compared to the marathon that is a twin pregnancy.

On Friday I stopped in to see my lovely doc & she said she was certain that these babes would be arriving ON THEIR OWN within the next week...on Friday she said "I wouldn't be surprised if they came tonight!" Ha....no such luck, but hopefully she was right about the whole within the next week thing! She said I was 3cm already and that baby A was super duper low...all good signs that they are just about ready to pop!

I am also measuring at 39 weeks for a singleton...FULL TERM, baby! Only, these babies amount to much more than the average single term baby...They are approx. 5.5 to 6 pounds each...wowza...that's 11-12 pounds o' baby PLUS all that other luggage they tote with them! My achin' back!

My mom was here the past 5 days helping out and getting everything ready for the babies...also hoping that MAYBE they would arrive while she was here. Little stinkers...I just know that I will go into labor as she pulls into her driveway this afternoon :) We got all the newborn and 0-3 month clothes washed and ready to go, my hospital bags packed, camera batteries charged, nursery set and house SERIOUSLY cleaned from corner to corner. WE ARE READY.

Here is a quick snap of me at 35 weeks:

(*excuse the horrible lighting*)

Also, please note the sweet photo in the background that Andrew designed for me:

FIRST A JUDAH JAY, THEN TWO FOR JOY THEY SAY...

It is (partially) from an old children's poem that goes:

(*It is referring to how many magpies (type of bird) that you see when you are pregnant*)

One for sorrow

Two for joy

Three for a girl

Four for a boy

Five for silver

Six for gold

Seven for a secret, never to be told

Eight for a wish

Nine for a kiss

Ten for a bird you must not miss

We changed it from one for sorrow, to first a Judah Jay :0)

It will be the theme of the babies' room when we move this spring! Love it.

They first time we ever heard of this poem was actually from some of the lyrics in mine and Andrew's favorite song by Jeffery Foucault called "One For Sorrow"

We LOVE that song and feel like it really speaks to our life and dreams right now.

More on that another time :)

{34 Weeks}

We reached an important week for the babies today, 34 Weeks!

My doctor said that if we could make it to 34 weeks we were golden :) If I go into labor from any point here on out they would not stop it. With the babies being a good size it is unlikely they would need any NICU time, possibly a few days at the most if they were born this week, but they are out of the woods for any major issues. SO thankful to have made it this far!

Yesterday my doctor sent me into the hospital for evaluation because of some new low back pain and stronger contractions. The babies were monitored for three hours and had great heat rates and movement. I was having contractions every 5-7 minutes, but nothing really changed in the time I was there so I was able to come home after three hours.

Tomorrow is Andrew's last day of break, I can not believe how quickly these past two weeks went by. It has been SO amazing having him around to help with everything and let me rest. Today was the worst day so far in terms of how I feel. I just hit a wall today and could barely move from the bed. Everything just hurts. Thankfully we have Andrew's first week back to work covered by mom and Andrew's mom coming down to help with Judah and take care of things around the house. I don't think I would survive the week if they were not coming!

I have been horrible at taking any pictures of myself lately...really have to do that this week, it might be one of my last opportunities!

I just have this uneasy feeling not knowing when it will happen...with Judah we had a set date and I was prepared and ready to go. But, this time it will be a surprise! On average twins arrive at 35 weeks compared to the 40 week average for a single baby...so we are really close to meeting these two boys....oh my, I don't know if I am ready! NO MORE THAN 4 weeks to go though, that's for sure! My doctor does not let twins go past 38 weeks gestation. Thank the LORD!