"Twice the Gift"

The local TV news featured a story on our surrogacy journey. It was the headline story tonight called Twice the Gift. I think they did a nice job for a short news piece. It's so cute that at only 5 days our boys are already celebrities! :)

Update

Sorry for not posting an update sooner. As you can imagine I'm pretty wiped, but most definitely not complaining! I'm madly in love with these two little peanuts and won't let sleep deprivation keep me from enjoying my dreams come true!

Both Liam and Silas are still in the Special Care Nursery. They are making great progress, but can't go home until they get better at feeding and gain some more weight. Both boys lost weight, which is expected, but haven't quite mastered the suck, swallow, breath stuff without tiring easily. Monday the pediatrician wanted to incorporate bottle feeding into our routine, so I was nursing, bottle feeding, and pumping every three hours. This meant that I'd get 1-1.5 hours of sleep at a time for about a total of 4 hours a night (the hospital gave me a room to stay here with the boys). Today we started using a supplemental nursing system, which seemed to be a better alternative for the boys, because they only had to "work" once instead of twice to get their food. Also, the boys have been given NG tube feedings to help them grow while they're improving their feeding skills. So far the boys have only been given my breast milk (and K's colostrum), but I presume my frozen supply will run out soon. At that point they'll be given formula along with the breast milk that they get while nursing and from the little I pump. I have to admit that I'm unsure how I'll be able to maintain this routine when I'm home, but I'm happy that I'm doing what I can now.

Liam's and Silas' personalities are already showing. Silas is my "wild child"--he likes to move about more and really gets demanding when he wants to feed. Liam is a little more laid back and patient. Liam is a great nurser and immediately takes to the breast, but Silas is a little more pokey. He prefers to let his brother get the milk to let down before he begins his feedings. Although both boys like to cuddle with mamma, Liam is my little snuggle bunny. He just loves to cuddle skin to skin with me after he feeds.

J is such a great daddy! He's very confident in his abilities to change diapers, give baths, and handle the boys. It melts my heart to see him loving his boys! Today J went to work, which just so happens to be at the same hospital where the boys are staying, and came to visit them several times. After work he was telling them how much he missed them and gave them kisses. It was so cute!

The Grandmas and Grandpas came to visit again today and finally got to hold the boys. I think it made their day!

I've been reading books to the boys. I started with big brother Myles' favorite book I Love You Stinky Face. I talk to them all the time and feel fairly confident that they can now recognize my voice. When I talk to them they turn their eyes to me, which warms my heart! I look at them and sometimes can't believe that they are mine. I am so very, very blessed!

K is doing quite well too! She's coming to visit the boys tomorrow and I know they are excited to see her! I know I am! K said she'd post an update, so I'll let her fill you in on how she's doing.

Our local newspaper wants to do a feature story on us, which is pretty cool, so tomorrow the photographer is coming to take some photos of us and on Friday the reporter is coming to interview us. When the article runs I'll make sure to put a link on the blog. I'm delighted that a heart-warming, beautiful story of surrogacy is going to be shared with the world. I think our story is one of inspiration and hope, so I hope others enjoy reading about it.

Off to feed my boys ...

Liam & Silas

Silas:


Liam:

33 weeks

The 33 week appointment was eventful, but it went well. K is doing great--bp is still perfect! Both boys had strong heart rates and are growing right on track--Liam's weight was estimated at 4lbs 14oz and Silas' weight was estimated at 4lbs 12oz. I'm thrilled that the boys are nearly 5lbs each!



K had a biophysical profile (BPP) just like last time. Liam easily passed the BPP scoring 8/8. Silas on the other had refused to cooperate. He was very active during the scan, but didn't do enough practice breathing. The u/s tech had K roll on her side to try to get him to cooperate, but he just didn't feel like showing us his breathing. Silas would practice breathe for a few seconds, but not for the minimum 20 seconds at a time that is required during the scan. Therefore, he earned a 6/8. I was a little stressed and worried about Silas not passing the test, but K's ob and the u/s tech didn't seem too worried. They tried to reassure me that all was likely okay.




Because Silas didn't pass the BPP K had to have a non-stress test (NST). During the NST both Silas and Liam were monitored in addition to K's contractions. In order to pass the NST the babies need to have at least 2 accelerations of heart rates during a 20 minute time period. The nurse gave K some apple juice to give the babies a sugar boost to get them going. Liam who's normally the calm baby was bouncing all over and had his 2 accelerations almost immediately, but the little stinker, Silas, decided to take a nap. Finally towards the end of the time period Silas had a couple of small accelerations, which were enough for the ob to call it good, and let K go home. As soon as K got home Silas "went into overdrive" with his activity. I guess we have one little boy who's already strong-willed and does his own thing.

31 Weeks

K is still doing amazingly well! Today at 31wks she's measuring 43wks. Her blood pressure is great and swelling minimal. Both boys had heart rates in the 140s and appear to be growing based on K's ever expanding belly. We didn't have an ultrasound today, so we'll have to wait until 1/15 to see them.

K has been having contractions periodically, but mainly seem to come after she's been standing all day at work. Even these are few and far between and don't seem to be anything to worry about. Yesterday was the first day that K was a little worried about contractions. Liam is still breech and kicks down on her cervix hard. While kicking down yesterday he was causing some painful contractions that spread upwards from the cervix. Fortunately Liam settled down and so did the contractions. The ob said that this often happens when the uterus becomes irritable from the direct kicks to the cervix and didn't seem slightly phased by this news. He did mention that he can probably schedule the c-section for 38wks, which would be 2/19, but doesn't seem too optimistic that she'll get to that point because according to the ob over half of of twins are born by 37wks.

The ob does feel quite confident that the boys won't come before 34wks, which is encouraging to us! If they do come before 34wks, K will be transferred to a different hospital with a Level III NICU. I asked to have her transferred to a different hospital than the one where I delivered Myles--too many memories. I think the NICU care Myles received was wonderful, but I just don't want to go back to that place. The ob and K understood and were fine with that. We're feeling confident that this won't even be an issue because these boys are going to bake for at least 3 more weeks! Keep your fingers crossed for us! It seems surreal for me to think that in a month I could have two babies! WOW, WOW, WOW!! It makes me teary to even think about. K you are AMAZING and my angel on Earth!

Happy New Year's Eve! I can't wait for 2010 ... it's going to be an AMAZING year!

19 wk beautiful twin belly

K thinks she looks better in the 2nd photo, but I think she looks equally beautiful in both of them! I can't believe how big her belly is getting already! K's feeling extremely exhausted and is having some swelling already in addition to the heartburn and leg cramps that have been bugging her for weeks. I wish she didn't have to suffer any annoyances and if I could I take the bad stuff for her. K wanted me to post the following notes to my blogreaders about the photos ...

* "My hair was so big because I was going to see Rob Thomas in concert and trying desperatly to get on his tour bus ;-)"

* "Why did my husband cut off my jeans and shoes? (they rocked!)"

The Expecting & The Pregnant

This is a photo of K and I taken today at a baby shower for our sweet cousin, L. There were 3 pregnant women at this shower and I couldn't get enough of the baby bellies. Of course K's belly is my favorite and I wanted to rub it non-stop, but used some self control. K's belly is absolutely beautiful. K's total weight gain to date is 11pounds and it's all in her belly! (Try to ignore the balloons coming out of my head!)

First Belly Pics - 10wks

Now isn't that the most glowing, beautiful pregnant woman you've ever seen? Honestly this is the first time in a very long time (well let's be honest since I was pregnant with Myles) that I've stared so lovingly at a pregnant belly! K had her dh take these photos today at 10wks. I think she looks fabulous, but she wanted me to remind everyone that these photos were taken tonight after she worked all day. I seriously wish I looked that good after a long day of work! K kept telling me that her belly was getting big and I guess she wasn't kidding! If it works for K to take a weekly photo, I'll try to post a new belly photo every Friday! I'm excited to watch K's belly getting bigger week by week!

Myles, Groundhog's Day & K

When I arrived to the NICU on this day a year ago to visit Myles I arrived to find a sign that said Happy Groundhog's Day! The significance of this day is that it was the first day that Myles finally got to "eat" my breast milk. I had been pumping every two hours and freezing it, so we had quite a bit stocked up for him. They were doing micro-feedings at 1/2cc every two hours to see how he responded. The day nurse, Shannon, could tell that the milk passed Myles's stomach, but that it would take awhile to pass through his intestines and into a diaper. I was so excited that I finally got to really do something for my little guy and coudn't wait to change his first poopy diaper!

The night nurse this day was our other favorite nurse, Tanya! She was so friendly and so supportive. Tanya loved taking care of Myles and indicated that she had requested to be one of his primary care nurses! We were so excited to know that he'd now have two nurses consistently caring for him. Myles was quite the popular and eventually had 4 primary care nurses!

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Being that I don't have my own symptoms to obsess about I've now started to ask K about hers. Apparently I can't handle the 2ww without having something to obsess over. K told me that her boobs are super sore today. She also told me that she had to go to the store to get OJ and she drank about a gallon today! K reminded me that this is what she craved and did while pregnant with both of her boys! I'm hoping these are some good signs!

Unfortunately today is one of those days when I'm feeling disappointed about the cycle and am convinced it didn't work. I'm sure most of you IFers know how that goes. I seem to have days like this in the 2ww of every cycle! I had several of them when I got pregnant with Myles. I'm hoping that tomorrow will be a day when I'm convinced it worked!

A lining to envy

K's lining is nice and fluffy at 12mm just as we had hoped! Getting her phone call around 7am with the good news was just the way I needed to start this difficult week! It put a huge smile on my face to know that all is picture perfect on K's end. This is the type of lining I've always dreamed of having during my cycles. We are set for our FET at 10:30am on 1/29. I arranged for my acupuncturist to come to the clinic to do a pre- and post-transfer session with K--this will be her first acupuncture experience and I'm hoping it's a good one! Now we all need to start thinking positive thoughts for my two totsicles!

Beautiful K

Isn't K just as beautiful of a person on the outside as she is on the inside? This picture of us was taken today when we went out to lunch with our Grandma and some other women in the family.

K will be arriving at the clinic bright and early tomorrow morning for her lining check. She's going to text and/or email me right away to let me know the status. I'm thinking it will be nice and fluffy given the abundance of cervical mucus K's been having lately! (Sorry K if I'm giving away TMI!) Fluffy lining dust is coming your way K!