So today we had a dr's appt - R & Q are doing well but have run out of room. They maybe grew an ounce this past week and their fluid is getting low. So we are officially scheduled for a c-section tomorrow night at 6pm! So excited but getting nervous. Ready to meet my little ones for sure :) Please keep them in your prayers!
Just a quick M&M update. Looks like they won't be making their appearance anytime soon! (Well, soon being a relative term, meaning not this weekend!) We had our 35 week appt today and everything was great. The babies actually picked up quite a bit of weight in the past week. Ryan was measuring right at 4lbs 14oz and Quinn was at 4lbs 9 oz. Quite a change from their 4lbs 2oz and 4lbs even, respectively, that there were last Thursday! And believe me, I feel every last ounce :) Or my back does at least.
So because their growth increase was so good, they weren't in danger of falling below that 10th percentile mark yet. All the fluid around them looks fine & they seem to be really cozy in there -- so we'll hang on for at least another week! I go back next Thursday to check things out.
Little Miss Quinn (who is becoming quite the princess) has flipped once again and is now transverse breech. Butt first. Awesome. Looks like a c-section may be the way we are heading.
To be honest, I wouldn't complain too much about that -- after worrying incessantly about her for the last 12 weeks or so, I will just be eager to get her into this world quickly and into the hands of the people who can help her. But whatever the doctor decides is best for them will work for me.
Hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! Thanks for 94-95 degree temps here in H-town, I'll be camping out in front of the AC vent all weekend with a Sonic slush. Oh, the excitement!
Matt & Meagan - approx 32 weeks
Front belly - 32 weeks
Whoa - side belly
Wonderful shower hostesses, Ash & Erin from Houston shower
Me & the grandmas
Meagan and "GiGi"
Holy diapers.
Changing table/dresser
Beginning stages of closet (it looks 100 times better than that now!)
Ryan's crib
Lovely recliner with their monogrammed "lovies"Next Thursday I will officially become unemployed. Not by force, thank goodness, but by choice. When we found out we were having twins last fall, I started doing a little research on daycare options. And whoa, it quickly became evident that putting 2 infants in daycare would only be worth it if I was making beaucoups of $$$.
And I work for a non-profit, so I don't :)
So next week is my last week of work and I am feeling somewhat bittersweet about it. I am excited because it means I am beginning a new chapter of "Stay at Home Mommyhood" (at least for the time being). But obviously I am going to miss my work.
Since graduating college, I have been a temporary employee at a personnel service (the economy was really bad in '02), a Center Director at an educational/tutoring center, an Investment rep/Personal Banker (5 years of h.e.l.l.) and finally, a Communications/Admin Director of 2 wonderful churches for the last couple of years .
I can honestly say that working for a church was a curveball I never anticipated as I pranced and partied my way through my college years. But God had other plans for me. And 2 1/2 years later, I am incredibly grateful & humbled to have had the privilege.
It has been the most wonderful, spiritually challenging, and engaging job I have ever held. And mostly because I didn't so much consider it a job -- instead it has just become my way of life.
Sure, not all days are perfect. Just because you work for a place of worship does NOT mean that everything is always hunky-dory and without conflict and trial. After all, we are still just flesh and human - and we fall. A lot. Way more than I would care to admit.
But there is a certain comfort in knowing that you are ultimately working for something bigger than yourself - and it's truly humbling.
And I will miss it dearly.
So now it's time to open a new chapter. To a life where sleep deprivation is commonplace, there is no salary, no 401K options, no insurance. To snotty noses, dirty diapers, and hysterical crying (maybe from all 3 of us!). To sweet smiles, cuddly coo's, and that wonderful clean baby smell. To first laughs, first teeth, and first steps.
And I can't wait.
No doubt it will probably be the hardest job I have ever held. But I am willing to try. I feel truly blessed that I have the opportunity to do so - I know that not everyone does. And I also know that it's not for everyone to be a SAHM --- I don't know if it's right for me. But we'll find out.
(Editor's note: Stay at home mom vs working mom is a VERY personal decision. Every mom has to do what is right for their family and it's different for everyone. I do NOT wish to enter into a debate about which is harder, which is better, etc. I know a myriad of success stories to support either side. For us, financially and otherwise, staying at home is right for us. But I 150% support all of the mom's who work a 40 hour+ week outside the home AND come home to raise their children. Major kuddos.)
Soon enough, I will become a mommy. Wow. I am scared.to.death. Now that the due date is quickly approaching, I am trying to switch over from "incubator" mode to mommy-mode. It can be easy to forget that during this pregnancy thing, you are actually preparing for 18+ years of parenthood. (Kind of like when you are engaged and you get caught up in "wedding fever" and the excitement of getting new china --- and you forget for a time being that you are preparing to be MARRIED for the REST OF YOUR LIFE.)
At any rate, they will be here before we know it. At our doctor's appt yesterday, he said it would probably be sometime in the next couple of weeks (I am 34 weeks tomorrow, so they would still be early, but not devestatingly so). Their growth has started to slow in the last couple of weeks - the poor M&M's are just running out of room! Right now, they are a little over 4lbs apiece and they fall in about the 15th-18th percentile. If they fall below the 10th percentile, then my doctor will induce. At that point, you have to weigh (pun intended) their potential growth in utero to their projected growth once they are born.
So we'll see! I'll go back to see him next Thursday and will hopefully have a few more answers. The great news is that even though they are on the smaller side, they still look very healthy and Quinn seems to be tolerating her heart condition very well while in utero. She's a little fighter. And her big brother doesn't cause us any trouble at all which makes Mommy & Daddy uber-proud.
Life is going to look and feel dramatically different at the Clanahan house in just a few short weeks. It is only with a small amount of trepidation & fear that I say "Bring it On" :)
I have some other blog posts in my mind, but because people have been asking, here is a quick Quinn update. I aim to please :)
We had another appointment on Tuesday at Texas Children's for a second fetal echocardiogram of Quinn's heart. After another looongggg ultrasound (at least an hour, if not more), we found out some new or updated info on what's happening.
First, one thing they were measuring was the growth of her Pulmonary Artery and the blood flow to that area. As it stands now, they were able to track an upwards growth of the flow, which was a great thing. That typically is an indicator on whether she will require surgery at 1-2 days old to place a shunt in the artery as a temporary relief measure. So, tenatively we can say it looks good that she will be a "wait & watch" candidate when she is born, as opposed to being guaranteed surgery.
They did note a bit of leakage in one of the valves not previously viewed in the last echo. Not a huge concern at this point, but something we will watch when she gets here.
Her heart function & growth is progressing normally for a fetus her age.
Based on all of this news, this is what we pray will be the best-case scenario when she arrives:
She will go straight to the NICU when born for observation. If needed, they will give her a special medicine to aid the Pulmonary Artery function. And if needed, we will meet with surgeons to discuss putting in a shunt vs a catherial stint - but only if her function is diminished.
They will do an echo on her heart and check out how it's working. Depending upon how she is doing, she will be able to come home - just probably not as early as Ryan. Most likely she will be moved from the NICU down to the Cardiac floor, which has a "room-in" option that I could stay in with Ryan during her stay. And then hopefully, following observation there, we will be able to go home! No time frame was really discussed since the length of stay will also be dependent upon whether or not these guys come early or not.
Then, we will be facing the "major repair" (as they call it) to fix the Double Outlet Right Ventricle, correct the Pulmonary Stenosis, and the Ventricular Septal Defect - I know!! Look at all those SAT words. The hope is that she will be able to wait until she's 6-9 months old for this repair but it will all be dependent on how she actually does when she gets here. BUT her prognosis to get to that point & survive after surgery is GREAT. That confidence on survivability had really not been expressed to us yet, and wow - what a great feeling to hear those words.
In fact, our fetal cardiologist fully indicated that her ability to live a normal life would not be comprimised. She even mentioned that she would likely be able to play soccer at age 4 or do ballet if she wanted :) I don't know how the dr knew to say "soccer" to me, but I got tears in my eyes when she said those magic words!! Of course, my little Quinn can do whatever her heart desires, but this soccer momma can't help but hope that she gets some of my passion for the game!
Anyway, after that great appointment on Tuesday, I had another appt with my high-risk doc on Friday. While the office staff leaves MUCH to be desired in the way of common courtesy, my doctor is great. I really like him and appreciate the way he asks me questions and then (gasp!) actually listens for the response. He makes me feel so confident about this pregnancy.
The one thing about going to a high-risk doctor is that they have seen it all. My case is not special there and really even is quite ordinary. Just the way I like it. While I appreciated my regular OB's attention to me, I realize now that she made me so darn nervous because she jumped at every unusual observation. I felt like I was going to go into labor every time I was in that office! But now, everything is routine to Dr. K and he doesn't get rattled about my situation. In fact, just in the past year, he has delivered at least 10 sets of twins where one baby had a congenital heart defect. Not just 10 sets of twins - but 10 sets with our specific problem. That is just awesome.
Dr. K gave me a clean bill of health and sent me on my way rather quickly. I'll go back in 2 weeks and we'll go from there! Ryan and Quinn are now measuring about 3lbs 2oz each. I can't believe I am carrying 6.5lbs of babies now! They both look great and are moving as they should and all that good stuff. Whew!!!
One huge thing I have been reminded of the past few weeks is how much a positive attitude plays a role in how I physically feel.
When I was going to my old doctor & we were unsure of Quinn's diagnosis, I was big-time down in the dumps. And not surprisingly, I felt horrible - tired, cranky, and emotional.
And now, the past couple of weeks I have felt so much more positive about where things are going & her prognosis --- and yes, I feel much better too. Tired, yes :) But not the bone-crushing exhaustion of before.
We have a choice. I have a choice. Everyday. To make the decision to live with a more positive attitude. God is in control of this situation BUT He does NOT control how we choose to deal. That's where free will comes in. We have the power to choose.
Today I choose positivity. And tomorrow I will choose positivity.
So last night I was telling my husband about our friends who have twins --- and how exciting it was that they got to sleep through the night. A full 8 hours! I was really happy for K&J and found it very encouraging news - that yes, twins too, can be put on a schedule and actually sleep.
A funny look came over my husband's face.
"How old are they?", he asked.
I replied that I thought they were around 9 or 10 weeks old.
In an incredulous voice (and probably just a scotch higher than his normal Matt voice), he said, "And they are just NOW sleeping through the night??!!??"
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
How I just laughed at him.
What did you expect? A full night of sleep at 2 weeks old?
And my, oh my. How I will probably not be laughing in just a few short weeks.
But honestly, at this point, anything longer than a 2 hour stretch sounds amazing to me.
Sleep, which has been hard to come by, most of my pregnancy, is now virtually non-existent.
The babies are all up in my ribs and most likely interfering with my breathing, so even laying on my side makes me feel like I am slowly suffocating to death.
It's going to be a looongg 7 or 8 more weeks --- that's right, I am 30 weeks today!!!
But I know it's all worth it for my little M&M's. :)
Well, we are still alive over here! Bad blogger, bad blogger.
What can I say? When I am less busy, I find myself much less productive and much more willing to devote countless hours to mindless television and people.com reading. Which is sort of counterintuitive - because you would think the more time I have on my hands, the more likely I would be to do the things I enjoy. But not so much. My brain has been mush lately. Be glad, I was just trying to protect you from my ramblings.
Anyway - we have had quite the time the last few weeks. Last week, I ended up in Labor & Delivery for a little monitoring to make sure I wasn't contracting (I wasn't but my dr was worried about my cervix). That was a fun way to spend my 30th birthday. And it was enough to scare the crap out of me and to make sure I got in some quality bed rest time. And thanks to a viscious cold that lingered for 6 days, I pretty much was in bed the majority of the time.
And it paid off - today I had my first appointment with my high-risk OB and it was GREAT. First appointment I've had in awhile that actually left me feeling confident and happy. The babies look awesome and are measuring wonderfully. Quinn is 2lbs 11oz and Ryan is 2lbs 8oz. Dr. K was very pleased with their size and how everything looked. And my cervix is back to normal! He also said he didn't see any reason why we couldn't carry these babies for another 2 months which was music to my ears. No one has expressed that vote of confidence to me and boy, it makes a world of difference for my mental health.
So all is good in the Clanahan world and we are looking forward to a busy weekend - we have our first 2 birthing classes this Saturday & Sunday. Seriously? 12 hours of instruction? Maybe I am naive, but I sorta thought I could comp out for watching Baby Story re-runs. Doesn't that teach me everything I need to know?
Honestly, all I want them to tell me is one thing: When do I get my epidural?
And when do I get to see these little precious M&Ms? :)
Ryan - 28 weeks (above)
Quinn - 28 weeks
Happy Weekend, y'all!
Meagan
