Team PINK

Earlier this week we went in for the 20 week ultrasound (actually 21 weeks 1 day). I always find ultrasounds nerve wracking. I think it is because the first time I ever had one it was the day we learned our first baby didn't have a heartbeat and that I was going to miscarry. So, since then, I tend to get a little worried.

Everything went wonderfully. They managed (after much poking and prodding to get baby into the positions needed) to take all the measurements, check all the limbs, organs etc. The Dr said everything looked great, that baby was around 1 pound and was measuring around the 60th percentile. Big sigh of relief!

The Dr also knew what the sex was and asked if we wanted to know. We are having a GIRL!

The 2nd part of the ultrasound was done transvaginally to check my cervical length. With the twins at this ultrasound (done earlier at 19 weeks) my cervix had gotten really short (13mm) and I was admitted for a cerclage surgery and spent a week in the hospital on bedrest, before being sent home on bedrest. This time there was much better news. My cervix is staying long (around 50mm) and showed no signs of funneling. Again, big sigh of relief!

Trip to the hospital

I am home again. Went for my OB visit on Thursday and had my BP checked with the cranky nurse (who has gotten really high BP readings for me before when pregnant with the twins), it was really high. Then my OB went to do the doppler and couldn't find the heart beat (she said she thought that she could hear the baby moving, but basically gave up on finding the heartbeat) Well that freaked me right out. So because of those two things, and the state I was in, she decided I should go to the hospital to be checked out/monitored for 24 hours. Because I was now an "inpatient" I got to jump the line and have an immediate ultrasound (all was fine. Baby was just super active, refusing to stay still for more than a few seconds which is why it was hard to doppler the heartbeat.) Got to hear a nice heartbeat and see baby moving, so felt better after that. They kept checking my BP during my stay and never once did it go super high again like in her office. It is up a bit, but nothing to be super concerned about. So there are 2 scenarios. 1) The nurse/equipment at the OB's office sucks and it was a false reading 2) After driving, waiting in the waiting room, seeing the cranky nurse, etc. I was worked up and that shot my BP up , which means that at other times when I am stressed I am probably having really high BP moments as well although that is the only place I have ever had such a scary high reading. So if it is #1 or #2 we really don't know. My OB wants to err on the side of caution and for me to take life super easy at home right now. I am not on strict bed rest, just bedrest when ever possible/limited activities. Pretty scary that at 18-19 weeks I am already having BP issues though. I really hope that I can find help so that I have less to do, and that I can keep myself from being so stressed. With Ian being away, kids sick with colds, renovations, pregnancy, Ian being super worked up/busy at work I have been finding it hard to relax and get good night sleeps etc. I also very rarely have any time away from the kids, if any. Being in the hospital for 24 hours I realized I need to take more time for me, to just relax and to not constantly be on the alert of what the kids are up to.

Soon to be a family of 5

I realized I haven't updated my blogs for ages. I have some rather big news to share though. I am 18 weeks pregnant, due in September! I feel badly that I haven't document this pregnancy so far like I did when I was pregnant with the twins. Hopefully I will find a few moments to do so in the future.

Alex's haircut

BEFORE




AFTER




Alex had his first haircut in the NICU, where they shaved his little blond fluff off to put in IVs. I was so sad as it totally changed how my baby looked. Since then his hair has been growing up a storm though, and it was reaching almost to his shoulders. Time had come to cut his blond locks. This haircut was much less traumatic for me. He looks like such a cute little boy with his ends trimmed off and I am no longer constantly brushing his hair out of his eyes for him. Thanks to Cathy for performing the task and literally chasing him around the room with her comb and scissors to find a rare moment of stillness.

Playing in the snow

Christmas fun

A Year and Half

Happy 1/2 birthday to Anna and Alex today. They are 18 months now, only 6 months before we hit the "terrible twos :)

It is hard to believe that my little 3lb12 oz and 4 lb 1 oz babies are now well over 20 lb toddlers. (Alex, who is lighter than Anna, was 22 lbs a month or 2 ago when he went to the Dr.) They are growing up and turning into little people so fast.

I haven't updated for a while, but there hasn't been too many changes. Alex has all his teeth (16, he still has his 2 year old molars to get) Anna has 12 teeth. We are still waiting for her 4 canine teeth to break through, and of course her 2 year old molars as well. Both are walking, running, climbing, jumping, rocking, dancing, hopping and falling like crazy. They are very active kids (compared to the 4 or 5 other kids of the same age I know well) and are always into stuff. I tell myself that their curiosity about the things around them means they are intelligent, not that they are out of control... I hope I am right:)

Both are making all kinds of new sounds and are trying to use words to communicate. Alex has more words that we understand than Anna. Some of his favorites include "tickle tickle", "all gone", "apple", "orange" and "cat". They both seem to understand a lot of the words that we say and are good at following simple directions (when it pleases them).

They really enjoyed Christmas. This year, for the first time ever, we stayed at home. It was a lovely day. Grammy Olga came to visit and to share our Christmas dinner. We spent most of the day opening up new toys and taking the time to play with everything. It was a totally relaxing day.