27 Weeks!!

We had a great visit with Dr. Cresan today.  Both babies look really good and their fluid levels were exactly where the should be.  Dr. C hadn't seen us since the day it was determined I needed a rescue cerclage and was admitted to the hospital.  She was very pleased to see everyone doing well and agreed that the stitch is holding stable.  Next week I will we her again and also see Dr. Daum for routine 28 week testing.
Bed rest has been pretty uneventful, thankfully.  It was over two weeks ago Dr. D said we would be lucky to make it two more weeks and I'm proud to be home with no signs of labor.  We have relied so heavily on our faith throughout this journey and chose to pray and BELIEVE that we would beat the odds and statistics. There are days when the quietness and stillness of it all get to me, but I always come back to how grateful I am to still be carrying our babies.  It's a blessing that I am very aware of.  I know several families who were not so fortunate.  My heart breaks for those families.

So here is what's happening during the 27th week.

How far along? 27 going on 30 + !

Total weight gain: 23. My goal is to stay at or under 40-45lbs in total and any less are bonus pounds I won't have to work off during the holidays. That ought to prove an interesting challenge! Hey, that's what New Years Resolutions are for, right? Recommended gain with twins is 35-45. I set my goal at 35 originally, but due to no activity with bed rest the higher end of that range is more realistic. 

Maternity clothes? Yes and no. I wear maternity tees, tanks and yoga pants, but I also wear a lot of Aaron's tee shirts. Sadly, the cute maternity clothes I bought are hanging in my closet   wondering where I went.  I rarely wear makeup and don't dry or straighten my hair to avoid sitting up more than I need to.  That should mean radiant skin and healthy shiny hair, right!?

Stretch marks? None so far. Fingers crossed. Tightly.      

Sleep: Overall I sleep well. I was concerned I would have trouble when I went on bed rest, but surprisingly I've slept a bit better. I get up 2-4 times a night to use the bathroom and usually fall asleep after my last medication alarm goes off at midnight. I wake up between 8am-9am. When I don't have visitors during the day I usually take an hour or so nap. It helps to pass the time.                    

Best moment this week:  My weekly highlights.  1. Good report from our weekly check up.  2. Getting out for my doctor appointment today. It felt great to put on a little make up, my wedding ring, and feel the sunshine.  3. We received a few baby gifts in the mail which is always exciting.  4. My friends continue to love on us. In the last week Tracy, Spencer, Jenn C, Jenn D, Kacey, Krystal, Alison L, Lauren A and Sara all came by to visit and drop off goodies. Mom continues to stay once or twice a week to help out. We are truly blessed! 

Miss anything? I miss swimming with friends, sushi, church and my freedom, BUT not more than my desire to keep our babies safe and sound! 

Movement:  Constantly!  The doctors often have to maneuver around quite a bit to measure because they are so busy. It's funny to see my stomach move and bulge in various spots. 

Food cravings:  Chocolate! 

Symptoms:  Heartburn.  Often. 

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Nope. 

Labor Signs:  Not really. I have Braxton Hicks occasionally, but the Procardia every six hours keeps them under control. Praying we don't have labor signs for many more weeks! 

Wedding rings on or off? Off. I don't wear jewelry at home. It does fit, however. So far, no swelling. 

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy much more so than moody. I know many women fight depression, sadness, anger ect on long term bed rest, but thankfully that has not been the case for me. Each day I wake up thankful for making it one more day. I've read that one day of carrying prior to preterm is 3 less days in the NICU. Not sure how accurate that is but sounds good to me! 

Looking forward to:  Meeting our son and daughter. The holidays. The ability to do things for myself. Hitting our 30 week goal. 

Grayson on top and Hallie on bottom. 

 My big ole 27 week belly before heading to the doctor. 

Twin's Nursery

The nursery is still a work in progress, but is coming together piece by piece.  Aside from accessorizing I have all of the large pieces chosen/ordered.  I decided not to go with a theme, but instead chose a neutral color palette of gray and white with soft opulent accessories. I found a beautiful tapestry from Restoration Hardware with script of a French poem by Charles d'Orléans to hang on the main wall behind an upholstered white wingback rocker.  The cribs, rug, chandelier and dresser/changing table are all in place.  I still need to find/order drapes, shelving to hang above the changing table, letters to frame above the cribs, a lamp to put on the side table and a possibly a medium sized ottoman with a subtle and pretty pattern.   Choosing neutral bedding that's not too feminine or masculine has been the most challenging find.  I picked out simple white quilts that will have Grayson and Hallie monogrammed in pink and gray and pleated white crib skirts that contrast nicely with the gray cribs.  I wish I was able to do more in the room, but bed rest has afforded me plenty of time to shop and research online.  Silver linings!  

Unexpected Hospital Visit

By week three of bedrest I fully expected to have settled into our new normal.  I've had some anxiety brought on by too much Google and time to overthink, but was feeling calm for our weekly doctor appointment Wednesday.  Little did I know we were about to have another eventful week.  Dr D started by measuring the babies. Grayson 2lbs and Hallie 1.11lbs...growing so fast!  The second half of the exam is the nerve racking part; to see how my cervix is holding up.  Unfortunately, my cervix shortened again, this time down to the stitch. Dr. D measured it about 2.1cm which concerned him a great deal.  He felt I needed to go the hospital to monitor signs of labor.  He wasn't sure if we should go to Harris Methodist or stay in Mansfield.  Harris has a level 3 NICU for the extremely premature babies born prior to 30 weeks and is an excellent hospital with an excellent staff.  I was 24+4 which was his main concern.... Much too early for their arrival.  Dr D was concerned I was going to go into labor within the next two weeks based on his opinion of my cervix, but wanted Dr. Trimmer to do an exam as that is his area if expertise. He has consulted with Dr Taber and Trimmer regularly.  After speaking with Dr. Taber who would deliver the babies at Harris and is the top perinatalogist in Ft Worth, he decided to keep me in Mansfield since I was not showing signs of labor.  RELIEF.  Both Aaron and I stayed calm as I was wheeled from the office over to the hospital although I was shaky like I get when we get unsettling news.   I still felt, regardless of Dr. D's concerns that we WILL make 30 weeks or more. Keeping the faith, believing and trusting.

Fortunately, my hospital stay was brief this go round.  I was given a round of steroids that will help develop the baby's lungs if they make their entrance in the next two weeks.  Dr. Trimmer visited late Wednesday afternoon and gave us a lot of hope.  He felt we have a great chance of going the distance (32-36) weeks as long as I don't start to labor.  The cerclage is holding in place well.  Based on my incompetent cervix he didn't expect my cervix to stay at 4.5cm after surgery. He said it just proved that it's doing it's job and we needed it  to do... Holding the babies in place.  He said I could head back home and keep cooking!

Thursday, after round two of my steroids I was discharged for home.  Dr. D now prefers I see the specialists on Trimmer's team during this crucial time so that we are consistent in who is seeing and measuring me weekly.  I'll see him for glucose testing in a couple of weeks.

It's always nice to come back home to my furry kids and my bed.  I had a few scares shortly after coming home (lower back pain and fluid leaking).  Both made me very nervous as I now know the  signs of pre-term labor, but was told to observe and relax unless I started contracting consistently or my issues worsened.  Thankfully, they did not!  Aaron moved our guest bed into the living room so I could be more comfortable while in the living room.  I get very sore from laying down so much so the bed was a welcomed change. We are continually blessed by our friends and family who are helping with cooking, cleaning and loving on us.  We have had daily visitors to keep us company and keep my mind from going where it doesn't need to go.  Today Aaron's cousin Elizabeth is coming from Sachsy.  It will great to see her sweet face.  The Supper Sisters are coming Monday and Tracy has been spending the night with me Mondays and staying during the day Tuesdays to help Aaron take care of me.  She is an awesome nurse!

I can't forget my weekly milestone... I turned 25 weeks this weekend!!  5 more weeks and we will be out of the 20ies! Each week is so important and with each new week the babies survival rate increases and risk for major complications decreases.  Aaron and I will breath a huge sigh of relief when we hit the 30ies!

In other exciting news, Erika delivered baby Jack on Friday!  It was very unexpected as she wasn't due until mid September, but her and baby are both doing great.  He was born yesterday at 2lbs and 14oz and is as beautiful as can be. 

July 4th

Happy Independence Day!! 

Love,

The Clark Family

24 Weeks!!

This weekend we will celebrate my 24th week!  At 24 weeks the babies are considered viable at birth. Of course we plan to go much further, but when this all started my biggest fear was labor before 24 weeks. Tomorrow marks two weeks of bed rest.  Surprisingly it has gone by fairly fast.  Having the mindset of 'whatever it takes' has helped.  In the midst of not knowing what was going to happen I promised myself not to complain about bed rest no matter how long or mundane if we could just prevent pre-term labor.

Yesterday we had my first doctor appointment since leaving the hospital.  We saw one of Dr. Trimmer's partners, Dr. Rodriguez.  She was as pleasant as the rest of his team.  She said my stitch is doing its job and keeping the three of us stable.  She measured a little differently than Dr. T who measured my cervix at a 4.5 abdominally.  She measured a 3.2, but said threre was no cause for concern as it's normal to have different results measuring abdominally versus internally.  Dr. R said the babies look 'beautiful' weighing approximately 1.6 lbs each.  They move around constantly.  I love this and know they are doing well when I feel them all day long. Aaron is now able to feel and sometimes see them when they move in certain positions.  Aside from mild but annoying heartburn I feel great going into my 6th month.  I've gained about 19lbs so far.  My appetite hasn't been the same since this ordeal, but I attribute much of that to not burning as many calories.  I'm craving watery fruit  and no longer have any aversions to chicken or cooked veggies.

Tomorrow is the 4th of July.  Aaron's family is coming over to BBQ for lunch. I can't remember the last time I didn't see fireworks on the 4th.  Last year at this time we were praying that we would start our family soon.  Next year we will have two sweet little ones to dress up and take to 4th of July parties.  What a difference a year can make!

Happy Independence Day!!

Showered with Love

Aaron and I can't believe the outpouring of love and support we have received from friends, family, co-workers and church family. We are blessed beyond measure and are so grateful for each and every person who has called, messaged, visited, brought food, helped clean and sent sweet flowers and gifts. We can't thank everyone enough for their kindness! Kacey set up a meal calendar so we will have dinner brought to us every other night - huge help for Aaron. Tracy plans to spend every Monday night with us helping clean and cook - another huge help and I love the company and QT. Mom plans to work from home and stay with us when she can. One of the aspects of this journey I'll never forget is how abundantly blessed we are by our loved ones.