When I talk to people they will ask me if I have written down what I just said, I tell them "no, but I will". Well 7 weeks after having my twins I have yet to write much of it down, I think because I don't have 3 hrs. to myself to hand write what has happened, so I'm going to use this blog to maybe fill it all in.
It didn't start just 7 weeks ago. It started in the year 2000!!!
Scott and I met in October of 1999, but didn't start dating until May 29th, 2000. We were engaged on July 31st and married on November 17th, 2000.
In December of 2003 we started trying to expand our family with no luck over the next 2 1/2 yrs. but on Feb 7th, 2006 I found out I was finally pregnant, I was so elated I couldn't contain my excitement and I had to tell everyone as soon as possible.
I had to have several U/S's because I was on Clomid to concive. The first one at 9 wks to check the number of fetuses, only one, and there had been some concerns with my overies being enlarged. At 13 wks I had another one to check for possible Downs or Spina Bifada and I mentioned that the Dr. had requested that measurments be taken of the right overy, I was pointing it out because I was having a little pain. After we left the office being told that they don't do that with this appt. I was crying because I was in alot of pain. We called the Dr. on call she prescribed another U/S and Lortab, I had developed a fibroid tumor that wasn't getting the blood supply it needed to survive. After a few days on the Lortab and the pain was gone. Besides the fibroid this pregnacy was everything it should be "perfect". My first little boy Ethan was born on November 2nd, 2006 and proceeded to be a perfect child dispite the colic, the 4 mos. of sleepless nights and learning everything for the first time.
When Ethan was 6 mos. old I saw my O/B and told him we were ready to try for another baby in about 3 months, with all the trouble we went through to conceive Ethan I wanted to be prepared in advance if I needed to take Clomid again. My O/B recommended we not delay the 3 months, use them to see if I would get pregnant on my own, when the 3 months were up I got my perscription filled and got my positive pregnancy test on October 14th, 2007.
On November 14th, 2007, I went in for an ultrasound to confirm, and since I was on Clomid, see how may babies we had. I never even concidered more than one baby, but there on the table at ZOE, the local women's clinic, I was told I was having twins!!! I wish I had taken my video camera, there was a lot of laughing and crying and "Are you sure". We went right out and 3 days later had traded in our SUV for a minivan.
We wanted to wait until Christmas to tell everyone we were pregnant, but upon finding out there were 2 babies, we told everyone right away so they could start planning with us.
And thus starts our eventful year of 2008!
On Jan 9th I recieved a call from my little sister Chelsea telling me that my Dad had suddenly passed away from a heart attack. So we headed straight home to Utah for the funeral. At the funeral several people told me how excited my dad had been about the babies. As I figure it, I have been told that twins skip a generation, well, my grandmother had twins, out of her 9 children the average family is about 6 times that by her 8 living children that's 48 grandchildren and I'm the one it skipped to.
On Jan. 30th I was scheduled to have another U/S. The big 20 week one. We found out we were having 2 boys and thinking nothing of it we were schedule for another big U/S at 24 wks. to get some more measurements. Who knew that in Mar. my whole prespective of being pregnant with the joys and anticipation that come with it would suddenly turn into the scariest time of my life. My whole world turned upside down.
After the U/S on Feb 27th, at 24 wks. we were told that one of the babies has skelatal dysplasia. My OB, Dr. Bradford sent me to a specialist in Billings, Dr. Damron. I saw Dr. D on Feb 29th he did another U/S and came to the same conclusion. Baby B's arms and legs measured about 5 wks. behind schedule. He gave it a name Acholdroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. However, he wasn't completely convinced, so he scheduled us back at 28 wks. for another U/S. He wanted to recheck the arm and leg measurements, and his biggest concern was with the ribs, as of yet they were not a concern.
The next U/S came on March 21st. Walking into the clinic Iwas hoping to hear that everything was right on schedule and nothing to worry about, or at least hearing that everything was right on schedule for the Achondroplasia. It never crossed my mind that the Dr. would change the diagnosis. Especially after all of my studying of the differant dysplasias, I never in a million years would have expected to hear "Thanatophoric Dysplasia". The most common form of lethal skelatal dysplasia. Were told to expect Caleb to survive until birth, but because his ribs now at 28 weeks gestation were only measuring 19 weeks, but not to survive more than a few days.
I sat on that U/S table stunned, saying all the right things to the Dr., "These were the things you told us to prepare for" "We're still going to pray for our miracle". I stayed so composed as we left the clinic, even as we waited for our car to be brought from valet parking. As soon as I got in the car and the doors were closed I lost it. I haven't cried that hard ever in my life. I felt as though my heart had been ripped out of me, stomped on and put back in my chest. It hurt so much. On the drive home we called our parents to give them the news. In the 7 years Scott and I have been married I have only seen him cry one time. He stayed pretty composed until he told his dad that he would need to be here because they would need to give Caleb his blessing before he passed. The emotions that came from my husband that day as he told his dad that his little boy was going to die, were heart wrenching. Tears and heaves that could only come from the depths of one's soul.
In April between the 2 Dr.'s I started seeing one of them every week. Dr. Bradford did all the check ups on me, to make sure I was doing fine. I saw Dr. Damron again on the 23rd of April. At this appt. he told me that Caleb had alot of excess fluid, he could tell how uncomfortable I was, and was concerned that it was putting excessive pressure on David. He scheduled me to have an amniocentisis on April 30th to remove the excess fluid.
April 29th, the ladies in my church threw me a baby shower, it was wonderful the thoughtful things I got, I was given enough money to purchase a double stroller that would accomidate 2 infant seats. The women that didn't give money gave me two gifts, in hopes that Caleb would make it. The fact that these women would talk to me about what was going on and were willing to listen, was the very most wonderful gift I could have been given.
April 30th Scott, Ethan and I drove to Billings, we dropped Ethan with our friends Ammon and Francine. I had 3 appts. that day, the first at 11:00 was with all the people who might be involved with the birth of our twins. We met with a social worker, who set up any conncetions we would need, such as hotel rooms, the Ronald McDonald house, charitable donation organizations, our birth plan. We met a Chaplin, she would make sure things were followed according to our faith, and if we needed spiritual guidence, she would be able to contact our church.
We then proceeded to the NICU for a tour, since more than likely either of the twins would end up there, we met the nursing staff. We toured the Labor and Delivery.
We then returned to Dr. Damron's office for the amnio. scheduled at 1:00. As he began the amnio, by the way, the needle is not as bad as everyone says, Dr. Damron said to expect alot of pain, he penetrated the skin, I said "Oh, that wasn't so bad" his response, "Just wait", I waited and then it came. As he inserted that needle in through the uterus, the pain was incredible, it hurt so much worse than I had expected. Angela, the nurse had prepared 2 -1 liter bottles. We filled those up very quickly, we started a 3rd bottle, then a fourth, by the time that was full and we continued to fill the fifth bottle before the sac was emptied to a normal amount of fluid, everyone in the room was shocked. 5 -1 liter bottles of fluid removed from my baby's sac, because his ribs were now so small he wasn't able to swollow and pass the fluid through his system.
After the amnio I sat up on the table and was amazed at how much better I felt. I felt as though I could run a marathon, then it hit. The contractions started. Dr. Damron had said to expect it, then came another one, stronger, then another, consistantly 4 minutes apart.
I was observed for an hour, when they didn't stop, I was sent to the Labor and Delivery to recieve a dose of "Turb" a medication used to stop contractions. It worked within a few minutes. I was told that if everything looked okay I could leave at 6:00.
With everything settled and 6:00 passed the nurse came in and told me she was going to check if I was dialated before I could leave, she did and another nurse did, I was 4cm., I was then told that I was being admitted over night. Over night turned into every night until the babies were born.
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