8 Weeks and counting

Well tomorrow, Thursday, makes 8 weeks. Where has the time gone?

I know, I know...I've been really bad about writing. Sorry. Honestly, it's hard to find the time I had before and with the lack of sleep it's difficult to string these words together in any sort of coherent, entertaining sort of way.

Everyone that has children assures me that sleep will come eventually. I sure hope so!

Shelly came up and took some great pics of the girls. If all goes well, they'll be in Wonder Times magazine sometime around June or July.

Here's a few of the shots but I'll try to get more up soon. Time to feed...enjoy!

BTW-The other cutie is my niece Sophie.

As I write this, Poppy is laying with her head in the crook of my elbow. So excuse me if my typing is off!

I can sit here for hours and just look at her. The way her eyebrows are starting to grow in while the hair on her head is disappearing...though it looks like there is new peach fuzz to make up the difference.

But the way she moves her lips, the way she turns deep red and back to normal coloring in a matter of seconds, and the way she goes from a peaceful, almost angelic, expression to one of pure frustration instantly, all amaze me.

We went to the pediatrician today for our 1 month check up (really 5 weeks). The girls have both put on more than 3 pounds since birth. Poppy weighed 7lbs 2oz and Matilda was 7lbs 9oz. Both were 19.5" in length.

Gina said it's no wonder they're fussy, we'd be fussy too if we just about doubled our weight in a month. I guess I'll cut them some slack...for now!

Maybe it's just gas.

The girls have started smiling, it seems intentionally. They really smile for Gina especially when she tickles their face.

She even noticed that they do things with a day or 2 of each other. Tilly was smiling a couple of days ago and Poppy started today. They've both really started to focus on things but they still have little control over their extremities.

I'm continually amazed at their progress. Not that our girls are doing anything different than other babies their age. I guess it would be better to say I'm amazed at how quickly they, meaning all babies, develop. I know it's minor compared to the previous 36 weeks (going from 1 cell to a baby and all!), but it seems major because it's happening right before our eyes and our eyes are always on them.

Go Gators!

A fan as far back as she can remember!

Downtime

Finally there is some downtime. Gina is off getting a mani-pedi and I am watching the girls. Poppy is sleeping...finally! And Tilly is sitting next to me fighting the urge to sleep. She just keeps looking around with eyes wide open, but blinking slowly, and making her dolphin-like sounds.

Yes, she has a unique sound...or should I say sounds. Sometimes it's like a dolphin calling er pod and some of them are like seagull. We just can't pinpoint the sounds. And she makes noise when she's feeding, too. And when she sleeps. And when she poops. She just made a winnie sound like a horse. I have no idea what it all means.

We went up to the cabin on Saturday for the night. They did great in the car, sleeping most of the time, and did fine up the river. Last night for the ride home they were dressed in the same outfits they wore home from the hospital, and the fit!!! I'll try to get new pics of them posted but for now, scroll down to the pics of them in their car seats and imagine them fitting into those outfits...in less than 5 weeks. I was blown away.

Sure, I know they've been growing but I had no idea how much. They packed on the weight when we first brought them home but we haven't been to the doctor since a week after we came home and they don't feel heavy like they did that first week. So Thursday we'll find out just how much they've grown, as we have an appointment with the pediatrician.

Personally, I hope they're pushing 8 pounds so they'll fit "properly" into the Baby Bjorn. We put them in it now but they're swaddled so they can't be that comfortable. I don't think they'll weight 8 pounds but they've got to be over 6 because they're both in "newborn" diapers and the "premies" only went to 6 pounds.

Thursday they'll also be 5 weeks old. It's absolutely amazing that it's been 5 weeks and I have absolutely no idea where the time went. I remember the hospital stay well but after that it's all a blurr. I'm afraid just how quickly time is going to pass.

The Motherload!

Finally I know! Sorry for the delay with your picture "fix". I wish I had a better excuse than "twins" but that'll have to suffice...this time. Hope you enjoy them and here comes the disclaimer...these are pretty much all we have at the moment. There will be more. But for now this is it! I'll try to write more soon, too. That is, after all the Christmas decorations come down and I've had enough sleep to actually think while I write.

Please feel free to leave a comment, and please use the "other" option or sign it so we will know who you are!

Happy looking!

A Truly Happy New Year

2006 has turned out to be one of the best of my life. Now that I think about it with the twins and buying the house in Monte Rio, it's probably been THE biggest for sure. And here I sit writing this and I don't feel that much different than I did last year at this time...maybe a bit more tired due to the now 3AM feedings, but overall very much the same.

Then again maybe I'm delerious or demented. The days seem to melt together like a grilled cheese sandwich. One feeding and diaper change runs into the next and I have a hard time remembering details about what happened at the last one...or maybe it was the time before that...no... it was 2 days ago...yeah, now I remember.

What's in a name?

How did we come up with the names? More than a few have wondered, so here it is in a nutshell.

Turns out we both decided on their first names and then each chose a middle name.

Poppy Sarafina Rose - Gina sent me a list of names she liked and her favorite was Poppy. It took a while, but the name really grew on me. Sarafina is a derivation of her Mother's name Sarah. And Rose is my Mother's middle name.

Matilda Hope Andreana - Matilda was also proposed on that list and it's a name that I've loved ever since the Steve Martin movie "A Simple Twist of Fate". There was an adorable little girl in the movie who was named, you guessed it, Matilda. Coincidentally, there is a distant Grandmother, and I mean distant, in Gina's family that also shares the name. Hope is a tribute to our first born Teagan Hope. And Andreana is a derivation of my middle name Andrew, which was also my Grandfather's name.

That's it in a nutshell...still it took us 4 days after they were born to commit to them.

Gotta go...Time to feed.

The whirlwind cometh.

It was a day like any other day. I took a group of dogs out, came home, had a bit of something to eat and then we went to the hospital around 3pm. We sat in the pre-op room for about 2 hours while they ran an IV. The anesthesiologist, Paul, was the one that got the stick and turned out to be the favorite player in this game. He gave us the heads up about what to expect. I would be sitting with him, at Gina's head, behind the curtain.

"Can we take pictures and a video?" said I.
"There are signs posted that say you can't, but if anyone says anything tell them I said it was ok." he said.

The Grandparents -1 came in quickly to say hello and then headed up to the waiting room, then I changed into my "scrubs". Actually it was a paper-like fibrous suit that had so much static in it because of the weather.

Shortly thereafter (actually after our 5pm scheduled start time) we headed up ourselves.

Shelby had me wait in the hall while she brought Gina into the O.R. to get her prepped for surgery. Not more than a couple minutes later she came out and said they were letting me in early. I think it was Paul that gave the ok on that, too.

I was told not to touch anything...ANYTHING, so I just stood in the middle about 3' from anything.

Gina got her spinal and I got into position at beside her head. The surgeons suited up, washed up and came in.

Dr. Green was the primary surgeon. She did the proper introduction of the other surgeon that would be working with her and qualified him, them, as the team that has probably delivered more twins than anyone in San Francisco...at least at CPMC. She did introduce the co-surgeon, but never herself. Gina had appointments with her but I wasn't able to attend so I didn't know her from those. And when I say never introduced herself, I mean, not in the O.R., not in the hospital room when she was making rounds, not in the hallway. I still haven't "met" her! I mentioned it to a couple of the nurses and they weren't surprised at all! If I had anything to complain about it would be that...and that nobody really checked the juice machine to see if it was low or out of concentrate so they could defrost some more and have a continuous supply (good thing I worked in a restaurant and knew how to use the microwave!) but that's all.

Back to the story...They put a cover on Gina that had some sort of adhesive "window" that was placed over her belly, where they were going to do the c-section and unfolded it over her legs and towards her head, where it was clamped up to become the curtain. It was perfect because I didn't really want to see what was going on "down there".

So Paul, took a video of us while we were waiting for things to begin. The teams that would take the babies and clean them up came in and were in position.

I smelled something funny, like buring hair and thought it was just the heat lamps above where the girls would be placed to clean them. Then I hear Dr. Green say, "I went in right through the old scar." Turns out that buring hair and skin smell quite similar. I know that sounds awful but the scalpel cauderizes the incision as it cuts to prevent bleeding.

So Dr. Green says, "Time." And Paul says, "I've got 51." I am sitting there, camera running and waiting for them to hold the girls up over the curtain when I hear, "Daddy, do you have your camera ready."

With that, I stood up and was in time to see Baby A being pulled out and flipped down onto Gina's legs. The put the first clamp on the umbilical cord, then the second and then a cut, followed by a pass of a very floppy, flailing baby to the first team for clean up.

From where I was standing I had a great shot at them wiping her off and suctioning out her mouth and bundling her up, amidst a constant cry, one of the most beautiful sounds EVER!

Gina was craning her head, trying to get a glimpse of her.

I turned the camera back just in time to see them cutting the cord on Baby B and then the pass of her, also floppy and flailing, to the team that would clean her up. Now there were beautiful sounds in stereo.

Gina said I was sobbing when I saw them...If I was it isn't on the video, not even the audio, so I don't believe it! I was definitely tearing up, maybe even crying, but not sobbing. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

So they bundled them, in a big poofy Christmas Story down jacket sort of way, and brought them over so we could see them and I had the honor and privelege of holding one for the first time, again Paul got it on video. We were both crying and then they put them into a crib together and said this baby train is leaving. So I got onboard and headed for destinations unknown while they finished the surgery.

We passed 3 of the grandparents enroute to the Wellness Nursery.

Once inside, didn't let up a bit. The girls were quickly taken from their lucite crib, unwrapped and placed under a warming element like a cheeseburger and fries waiting to go out to the table. They were each weighed and measured. Matilda was 4lbs 8oz and 18" long, Poppy was 4lbs 0oz and 17" long. They put ointment into their eyes, gave a vitamin K injection, manipulated their legs to check their hip sockets, pricked their foot to test for blood sugar levels and gave them a bottle. I don't know how long this took, but it seemed like 2 minutes.

There was an Asian family looking at the girls as they were checked out and boy did they look happy. It dawned on me that I should call the grandparents and have them come down to the nursery to get the first glimpse of the new arrivals.

In no time their familiar faces were peering in...their noses might even have been pressed against the glass!

So I'm rolling video with my right hand and snapping pictures with my left and the grandparents are taking pics looking in. And it's a good thing we have the documentation as the whole thing was, and is, such a blur.

So I leave the nursery and stop to visit with the 3 grandparents (the Trio) on the way to Recovery to see Mommy. Of course they want to know names. We had managed to keep them secret until now...mostly because we hadn't really decided on them. So I tell them that one is named Matilda and the other is Poppy.

They weren't thrilled. They weren't even amused. The looks on their faces spoke volumes, and immediately wanted to know if they could call them something else. To which I blurted out, "You'll call them what we say you'll call them!"

It was a rude and defensive reaction on my part and it hurt feelings, for which I'm sorry. But this was the happiest day of our lives and I was just told, in not so many words, "we don't really like the names you've chosen." Gina's dad thought she was kidding when she told him the names.

It must be generational...the grandparents and their generation don't much care for their names but our friends love them. Interesting...very interesting. Kind of like when I had long hair!

So the grandparents went to get some dinner and I went to Recovery to see Gina. While we waited for Gina to get discharged to her (our) room, I called her Dad and told him the good news.

We finally made it up to the room as the Trio was coming back from dinner with their pet name for Matilda...Tilly. Little did they know that Gina and I had came up with the same pet name for her while in Recovery.

As I finish this it's 2 weeks later and I can't remember if I went to the nursery to get the girls or if they brought them in to see us. It's all such a blur.

A 4 day blur with a few lucid moments!

That first night I learned how to hold them for feeding and burping, how to change their diapers, where to get lemonade, how to find the nursery, how to make up the cot, 2 ways to swaddle.

Mostly we just looked at the girls. Little hands, little feet, tiny noses. Beautiful, just beautiful. Much like our time spent with Teagan, we just marvelled at their beauty and perfection and the miracle that they are.

There was a lot of that the entire time. It was all so surreal but in the end we got to take them home with us.

Reality has hit...usually around 4 in the morning these last couple of days! A little sleep deprivation and I'm having a hard time thinking straight!

"It's only temporary"...that's what I'm told. That is more like a mantra...no...
Maybe it's more like a prayer... does anyone know if there's a Saint for peaceful nights and restful sleep?

The twins are 1 week old.

Well it's been a week and this is really the first time I've had a chance to write. This has been such a great week even with the lack of sleep. I love my family.

What have I learned this week?

How to feed, how to burp, how to swaddle, how to change a diaper, how to hold the girls. The learning curve is quite steep when thrown into it.

The scariest part of this week was when Poppy spit up and it came gushing out her nostrils. Talk about panic. And I mean everyone freaked out starting with Poppy as she struggled for air, followed a millisecond later by Gina. So we also learned how to use the "bulb" to suck the gunk out of her nose. Gina has become much more calm when it happens.

We learned that we weren't doing as good a job as we needed at burping so we have become more thorough at it and now don't really have the spit up problems.

It's off to bed now as I have a 4am feeding but I'll write more soon.

Surprise!

As Ty Penington would say: "Welcome home, Baby Girls. Welcome home."

We were all discharged from the hospital yesterday, even Poppy. There was the possibility that Matilda would come home with us and Poppy would have to stay in for a while, but she proved that she could put on weight and so they were happy to let us bring them both home.

Now both are sucking down their bottles like they've been in the desert for 36 weeks! Well maybe not that bad, but still quite quickly. It took a while to figure out which nipples we should be using and which formula to use for which but I think we've got it figured out.

As promised...

Here are some good pics of the twins. I'll write and post more soon...I hope!

A few more.

The girls.

X-)

<:-)

I promise more...

I'm having a difficult time getting a signal at the hospital, I'll write more and post more pics when I can.Thanks for all the comments, we love them.

More Pics!

More Pics!

They sure clean up well.

Here are some better shots after their bath.

They're here!

Introducing Poppy &amp; Matilda

One last look.

We had our last NST today. Our last chance to see the girls before they arrive.

It really is difficult to imagine how big they're actually going to be based on what is on the screen. If it were actual size, they'd be HUGE! The foot we saw was big, like about 2.5-3" long. But we could see toes... they looked like pudgy little toes. And long fingers, or so they seemed. We'll find out in 2 days time.

We have been so fortunate to be able to see the girls develop during this pregnancy. It has allowed me, and I'm sure Gina, too, to bond with them in a completely different way. I can't feel them the way she can, obviously, but I could see them and all their bits. It's also been reassuring because we were able to see they were developing properly. It's really been quite awesome.

Everyone asks if I'm getting excited. I've been excited for about 35 weeks, 6 days but I don't have that belly full of caffeine feeling...yet. I don't know if it's going to start tomorrow, or on Thursday morning, or when we are going into the O.R., or I first see them, or the first time I get to hold one of them. I do have a sneaking suspicion we aren't even prepared for the whirlwind that is about to hit us. Sure, everything is stocked up and in it's place, but as soon as the girls get dropped in the middle of all this organization it'll be a different story. .. I'm guessing we won't even have time to notice.

Thank you Saint Jude.

Have you ever been looking through the classifieds and seen this? I have, but never knew what it meant. I now know.

Being raised Catholic, Saints are normal to me. If you aren’t familiar with them, they are people that performed miracles or were martyred while living and have performed miracles in death. They all have an area of “expertise”, if you will, and can be petitioned to help. It’s sort of like asking a friend to pray for you, but as a Saint, they will pray directly to God on your behalf... sort of like whispering in His ear!

Saint Jude helps out when all is hopeless. I will tell you that I know first hand, the power of prayer and St. Jude’s intercession.

I said this for Teagan's pregnancy and we were blessed with an Angel. 2 months later we went to New Orleans, to the police memorial, which used to be a Catholic church. There we visited the largest statue of St. Jude and in his shrine, like so many others, we slipped our written requests under his statue, and said a prayer for his assistance. Here in the City we've visited his shrine at St. Dominic's and lit a candle, and prayed for his assistance. At home we have a St. Jude candle that we burn for him and I'm sure more than a few prayers have been said over it. And then there's the Novena, a prayer to St. Jude asking for his help, followed by 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory Be and 1 Sacred Heart...said 9 times per day for 9 days. With Teagan I prayed the Novena for more than 27 days (just to be sure.) With the twins I prayed the Novena 1 time (9 days).

For 36 weeks we've been blessed with the miracle of Life, watching the girls grow and develop literally from embryo to birth this Thursday. Do I believe St. Jude played a role in this blessing? Absolutely. So I give thanks to God for our daughters, all 3 of them, and a special thanks to St. Jude for his "whisper".

As part of seeking his assistance I am to make his name and works known, in the hopes others would seek his assistance should they find themselves in a truly hopeless situation.

I pray you should never need his help, but if you ever find yourself in such a situation don't be afraid to ask.

The prayer is known as a novena. It is said 9 times a day for 9 days. There are many versions which can easily be found on the web, I found these at www.stjudenovena.org. Being Catholic, Our Father, Hail Mary, and Gloria are also part of my novena. This is what I prayed:

“Holy Saint Jude, apostle and martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all Who seek your special patronage in time of need. To you I have recourse from the depths of my heart and humbly beg to whom God has given such great power to come to my assistance. Help me in my present and urgent petition, (insert what you are praying for). In return I will make your name known and cause you to be invoked. Saint Jude pray for me and all those who invoke your aid, amen."

Repeat the next 3 prayers 3 times. I did OF, HM, G, OF, HM, G, OF, HM, G

“Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kindom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as weforgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, amen.”

“Hail Mary, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary pray for us sinners now and in our hour of death, amen.”

“Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, now, and always will be, world without end, amen.”

And then closed each novena with this:

“May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved, and preserved throughout the world, now and forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us. Saint Jude, worker of miracles, pray for us. Saint Jude, helper of the hopeless, pray for us. Amen.”

Now repeat 8 more times.

Don't forget to give thanks for the many blessings in your life, and there are many if you take time to recognize them.

What a sunset!

This is only a test of the Newborn Broadcast System.

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, THURSDAY!!!

I can't believe we're, that is to say, Gina, is going the full 36 weeks...to the day! Are we ready? I'd like to think so...probably not.

The house is decorated for their 1st Christmas. The nursery is ready, wet wipes in the warmer, tiny diapers in the basket, sleepsack in the crib. All the bottles have been washed and are ready for sterilization.

Still, the whirlwind of those that are our greatest blessing is still unknown.

This weekend it's just about relaxation, maybe a mani-pedi for Gina, getting the decorations up and tying up a few loose ends before the big day.

Be sure to "tune in" on Thursday night, as I'll be posting the first pics of the girls here as soon as I can take them and get a signal with my cell phone to upload them. That's right, I get the exclusive scoop and you'll get to see them before anyone who hasn't visited before you!

BD -9

We're getting closer and closer. The girls were squirming more at the NST than I think I'd seen before, but everyone thinks they're going the full 36 weeks. That's good news for the twins but not so good for Gina.

The quest for names is still on. You'd think with a little more than a week to go we'd already have them. We have an idea, but now Gina isn't quite sure if she is happy with their first names. Then we have to work on middle names, of which I expect them to have more than one... I keep saying they're gonna have 7 middle names! We'll see.

So the nursery is finished, with the exception of hanging a couple of pictures and now we need to get the Christmas decorations up. And when I say 'we' I mean 'me'! The house has to be ready for the girls' first Christmas. I'm planning on getting a smaller tree than years past and putting the ornaments that won't fit on garland. Teagan's tree is already upstairs but I have to find the ornaments for it. It should all come together by this weekend...I hope!

The last couple of years, since Teagan was called Home, Christmas hasn't really been Christmas, especially for Gina. This year should be different. This year the magic should be back. Sure we'll be exhausted but as far as I'm concerned, it'll be perfect.

B-Day minus 12.

I guess this could be considered our 12 days of Christmas. Except this year I'll get the best presents I've ever received. Sure, when I was little I'm sure Santa brought many gifts that were the "best ever" but I'm certain this really will be THE year for the BEST EVER!

Of course, 12 days is the longest we'll have to wait, if they come sooner that'll be good, too. Gina is already having contractions and they're not front or back ones - it's the whole uterus doing its glorious thing, getting ready for the finale of its ultimate purpose.

And so we wait...Gina doesn't sleep well now but I'm like a baby...except for the crying...and the diapers.

And speaking of diapers, we're stocking up on premies. Gina has just ordered a case that, combined with what we already have, will make just about a weeks worth. "How many is that?", you ask. About 200 per week! That's a whole lot of diapers, not to mention the stuff inside them. Our Diaper Champ is definitely going to get a workout.

Baby B cooperated last night and let me feel her move and hiccup. They are so close to the surface now, it's much easier to feel heads and bottoms. I swear they are separated from the outside world by less than 1/2", or so it feels.

Sometimes I think I should be disappointed that I haven't been able to feel them move that much. Truth is, I'm not even phased by it. The way I figure it is that I'll feel them squirm plenty very soon plus all my other senses will be "tickled... soon... very soon.

More Great Pics.

Unfortunately Aunt Shelly couldn't make it up to take pics of Gina so I had one of my clients take them...don't worry Shelly, you will still be our "official photographer" for the girls.












Can you believe there are 2 in there?

The Nursery is Finished!!!

Well, functionally, we're ready. The mattress is in and covered with a sheet and the only things missing are the girls!

Sure I have to frame and hang the pictures, maybe put up a shelf or 2, but that's just accessorizing.

Here are some pics.


The roadblock of a crib. Even this one arrived cracked too but useable so I didn't want to wait for the replacement headboard... I'll fix it later!








Gina wanted a chandelier for the girls room...already they're princesses!










Here's a baby's eye view from the crib!

Updated pics of Mommy and the Belly.

It's just so amazing how big the girls are now. And there are 2 in there! It seems like she could pop any time now. Her belly is so tight you could bouce a quarter off it! But we won't do that, right?

What a busy week it's been so far.

Monday morning we ended up at OB Triage because Gina was up all night with stomach cramps but didn't know if it was contractions or some sort of stomach thing. She was having a few mild contractions but the nurse just referred to them as "irritability". Our awesome peri, Dr. Katz, was doing rounds at the hospital so he came down and saw her, did another FFN, then sent her home.

Tuesday started with the fetal non-stress test followed by a growth u/s. A very excited Grandma "M" came to get a glimpse of her grand daughters. The girls weren't very cooperative, though. They hardly let us get a good look at them as they're so cramped in there. The u/s tech we had was all about business, not really having a look around, even to try to get any pics for the collection. Oh well. The girls are measuring about a week behind, at 3lbs. 14oz. and 3lbs. 15oz., but are well within the acceptable range for developement. That means 4lbs is well within reach and definitely doable if we have a little cooperation!

We also learned that Monday's FFN came back positive. The test, when negative, is a great predictor that labor won't start for at least 10-14 days, however a positive result is NOT an indication that labor will come within the next 2 weeks, only that it is a possibility.

So that's where we are. Tomorrow marks the end of week 33 and Gina keeps saying that they'll be here by week 34.

The end of week 34 happens to be Thanksgiving.

How appropriate...We certainly do have a lot to give thanks for.

It's close to being finished!!!

The crib came this morning and, though it has a slightly cracked headboard, I put it together tonight. The replacement headboard will take about 2 weeks to get here but I couldn't wait, we just needed to get the furniture situated. I must say the nursery looks better every day. I'll pick up the matress tomorrow evening and we'll get the crib set up and then post some pictures. We now just have to get these awesome Shag Disneyland prints framed and on the wall and...we're done.

I got a massage last night and it was awesome. Part of the conversation, polite chit-chat, was about the twins of course. My masseuse said she was going back to school so she could become a nurse midwife. Great idea. But she said something during the conversation that kind of caught me offguard. I may be making something out of nothing but she said she thought it was awesome how her friend's body could make a little woman. The obvious thing would be to point out that her friend gave birth to a girl and that someday she'll be a woman.

But that wasn't the thing that got my attention. It was that her friend's body made her baby. Wow. I wonder how many people have this idea, as if the baby is just another part of mother. No, it's not. From the moment of conception the baby has DNA unique to itself. For quite a few days it develops without even being implanted and when it does implant the placenta is formed and this insulates the baby from the mother and prevents her body from rejecting the baby because it has different DNA. Sure, the things Mom puts in her body nourish and affect the baby but the baby develops according to its own schedule. And half the DNA comes from Dad, but I would never even think of saying that it's awesome how a man's body produces a baby.

I think this concept may be born (pardon the expression) from the idea that it's a woman's body and no one should tell her what to do with it. After seeing our 2 girls develop, and even Teagan at nearly 19 weeks, it's patently clear that this just isn't so. They really are their own bodies and they just happen to be living inside and are supported by Mommy. That's just the way God designed it.

She was right about one thing though...the miracle of life is truly awesome.

Another Look

Gina had her first Fetal Non-stress Test (NST) last Friday. I couldn't stay for it but wish I had. She said they really got to see them moving well and saw their chubby cheeks. The only concern they had was that their fluid levels were lower than they had hoped to see. So instead of having an NST every week we now have them twice a week. Of course we don't mind seeing the girls every 3 to 4 days. The one on Tuesday was great. They still want to keep an eye on the fluid levels but said the girls looked great.

So tomorrow will be the 3rd and I won't miss seeing the girls. Especially since they wake them up and get the girls to move. They were pissed off on Tuesday when they were putting the monitor probes on Gina's belly but I missed that. I haven't seen them too active and I don't get to feel them moving that much, as everytime I put my hands on the belly...they stop! So to see them move and kick should be awesome.

We're getting close.

The ceiling and wall are painted and look great, albeit bright, and now only needs to have the trim painted and some touch up some of the "opps" and then we can put in the furniture and viola! Ready for babies.

Last night was a beautiful Southern California night.

It was a balmy 70 degrees at 7:00pm. The scent in the air and the feel of the night brought me immediately back to Southern California. Back to one of the best times of my life. There were so many nights working on the patio of Hof's Hut, late night meals after 2 Steppin at the Neon Cactus, Grandma Sugarplum's Cafe Royale and a walk through Naples, and so many nights spent at Disneyland. So many friends that I haven't seen in years and some I just talked to the other day. Yeah, it really was a great time. As memorable as those times were, I know the life I have now and what the future holds will outshine those like the sun does the moon.

So would I trade any of this for all of that? Not in this lifetime. I have a wife I adore and 2 baby girls I'm already in love with...not a chance.

Although, I would like to be able to see my SoCal friends more often, and, of course, would love to go to Disneyland on a whim (or daily...whichever comes sooner!)

I am just so excited about the girls and so anxious to take them to Disneyland and ride King Arthur's Carousel and Dumbo and the Disneyland RR and the Jungle Cruise and Peter Pan and see Mickey and Minnie and Goofy and Pluto and Donald and... and... and...and see it through my childrens' eyes.

All in due time. All in due time.

Proudly making their debut...

Here are some long awaited pictures. These are actually the first ones we've been able to get that really shows them well.






These 3-d images are all of Baby B.












Her sister's foot is above her right eye!












This is our favorite picture. Look at that cute little face. Gina says she has my nose!











Baby B's profile...mouth open.











Baby A's profile...not so open.










Another great headshot, she's looking right into the camera...what a star!

What a party!

We had our baby shower today and a huge "Thank you" to Julie & Pam for hosting it and being so flexible and accomodating to the last minute changes.

We moved the shower to our house so Gina could be there, afterall everyone wanted to see her belly. The food was great, as was the company. I'm getting used to the coed showers...they're not bad without the games! Fortunately the only game at the shower was bingo.

We've got diapers coming out our ears...at least for now! It's probably only a weeks worth, though.

I'd say we're pretty stocked up on most of the things we'll need when the girls finally make it home, so a huge "thank you" for all the prezzies and the love.

Soon...

It is conceivable that the girls could be here in less than 20 day. Huh? 20 days!

My biggest worry is not their arrival (I am so excited about that), it is that the nursery isn't even close to being finished. Of course if they do come that soon they'll be spending time in NICU so I'll have more time to work on the room...then again, I'll be spending as much time at the hospital as possible.

One way or another it'll all work out. It just stresses me.

That was nice.

Well, Gina is back home and on bedrest basically until the girls arrive. After being monitored for 2 days they didn't see any contractions and they did the FFN test which came back negative...that means she shouldn't go into labor in the next 2 weeks. So they said she could come home on Friday evening but she could only get out of bed for 1 shower a day and necessary potty breaks. They seem to think that her body may be telling her cervix that the babies are done and that it needs to get ready to let them out. Not yet girls...hang in there!

So our goal is to make it to 32 weeks as their lungs will be developed by then and they'll know better how to feed. As Dr. Katz puts it: "In 2 weeks it'll be week 31 and we'll do another FFN if that comes back negative that'll be week 33, and anything after that is fine." So they seem to think that we will make week 32 without any problem and probably go longer, still aiming for a scheduled December 7th delivery.

That was refreshing.

Well I guess we had a chance to catch our breath. Now back to business. Today we went in for an ultrasound and it was great. The girls are as beautiful as ever and we even got pictures. Phenomenal pictures! We were able to get a 3d pic of Baby B. Gina says she has my nose... I keep telling her it's only a computer rendering we'll have to see when she gets here.

Gina's mom was here for the u/s and she was excited to see them, but we did have some concerning news. The measurement of the cervix had gone from a substantial 5cm to 1+cm (I thought it was 1.9 and Gina thought it was 1.0) Not that it mattered, they weren't happy with it so they admitted her to the hospital for bedrest and observation. AARRRGG!

Listen to this.

Sounds From Innerspace #4 - Hicups

Gina called me in to hear this so we recorded it. The audio seems to cut out at times but the rythmic sounds are hicups. Damn are they cute!

Finally we can breathe easy!

We have finally cleared the 28 week milestone and now we should be able to breathe easy and maybe even enjoy the pregnancy...well one of us can breathe easy, one of us is actually having a very difficult time breathing (that would be Gina!) Poor Mama, the girls are pressing on so many different parts of her. Unfortunately one of the spots is her diaphram! So she can't eat much and she can't breathe deeply but she can sit in a meeting and watch her belly move when the girls kick.

They still don't really kick for me but I did feel a little something and last night when I put my hand on Gina's belly, I was able to press in and feel something. It didn't kick but it did feel like a knee or a foot or some other little appendage!

It really is awesome.

I can only pray I'll be a dad like this.

This is an amazing story. I was sent an email about a father and son team that competes in triathalons together. That sounds all well and good but there is a huge twist to the story. The son was born with CP and so dad pushes, pulls and rides his son in each event...and does great. Read this story and then check out the video. Make sure you have some tissues nearby...

Click here> Team Hoyt

~

More sounds from innerspace.

Baby A's Heartbeat

This is Baby A's heartbeat. It's a little quiet but about 28 seconds into it you can hear a kick!



Baby B's Heartbeat

She's much closer to the surface I guess as her heart is much louder. I would turn down the volume before playing this one!

Take a listen yourself!

Gabcast! Heartbeat

Baby's heartbeat




Tell me that isn't the sweetest sound!

I must admit I was worried.

When Gina told me she had ordered the BabyBeat heartbeat monitor I was worried to say the least. I knew she was already stressing about how the babies were doing and all I could think about was that if she couldn't find the heartbeat there would be nothing but trouble. I told her that the first trip to the ER only to find out everything was fine, and I was taking it away! I didn't want anything to add stress. Fortunately she was able to find the beat if she tried long enough. And I have to admit it is great, and reassuring, to hear them.

She was supposed to return it at the end of September but she held onto it and I'm happy she did. Last night she tells me Baby B has the hiccups so she puts the BabyBeat on her and we can hear her rythmic spasms. It was awesome! It even sounded like a normal hiccup.

It really does add a whole other dimension to falling in love with them before we can actually see and hold them, and it's especially great for daddy because I don't get to really feel them like mommy does!

Update Belly Pics

Here they are: Mommy, Baby A and Baby B. Aren't they beautiful? I can't believe how quickly they went from little belly to "When are you due?" I'm sure it's because they are twins so she is growing exponentially faster than were this to be just one baby. I feel sorry for her, too, because they are always pushing at her diaphram and waking her up at odd hours of the night, AND making it impossible to eat any meal larger than snack size and not many restaurants worth eating at have snack sizes on the menu!

It is all happening so fast.

We put new windows into the nursery today. Now I can finish taping the walls and then prime and paint after Gina picks the colors. It seems like none of this will get done in time. I think getting the nursery ready will be the most daunting, well that and cleaning out the garage, but once it's finished we'll be able to get the closet/cabinet/drawers or whatever we decide, installed and the crib put in. It's all so overwhelming and yet the actual arrival of the girls isn't stressing me out in any way...not yet at least!

Finally!

Last night I got to feel the girls, well one of them at least, kick or punch or something. I couldn't quite figure out what I was feeling they felt too small to be a foot. Then again it could have just been her toes. Not to break the tradition, she didn't kick for long after I put my hand on her. Still it is such an awesome thing knowing that our daughters are in there and they really are little people!
Gina does this neat little trick to try to get them active so I can feel them. She puts the BabyBeat monitor speaker side down on her belly and then uses the transducer on the other baby. We were laughing our fannys off the other night because it was making them move and kick and we could hear it and feel it. I can't even imagine how loud it is in there.... probably like a Who concert!

What did we learn today?

Well to start our little girls weigh 1lb 6oz and 1lb 7oz. Baby A has a great profile, unfortunately we couldn't get a clear look at Baby B's face but what we saw was beautiful in an ultrasound sort of way! Everything looks fantastic and the doctor didn't even need to do any extra u/s after reviewing the films. They're happy...we're happy.

I love seeing the girls. I look forward to those appointments more than anything else. Of course I'd love it if the girls would kick for me but it seems they stop everything when I'm in the room! So in the u/s I can actually participate...in a way. I know that soon I'll see them and really feel them kick, I don't know how soon, but soon. They kick Gina all day long and she can even see the kicks now. Tonight she was pushing at them and they were pushing back. Just last night I was doing the dishes when Gina saw the kick and she felt a hard kick. She called me in and as soon as I put my hand on her belly they stopped. I walked back into the kitchen and they started up again! Figures. And I thought girls were supposed to be easier!!!

Excitement is building

I am getting so excited. We're only 2 days from a major milestone and we get to see you again a week from tomorrow. And that time will pass so very quickly.

We went to a Twins, Triplets & more class last week just to give us a hint at what we're in for. I think I'm supposed to be scared! Feedings every 1 1/2 - 2 hours... for about 20 minutes each... if they tag team Mama (worse case scenario) that means about 50 minutes in a stretch... maybe I should be scared!!! How cranky will we be?!? Something like 162 diapers per week! I guess it won't take too long to get the hang of changing them. I have a feeling that picking up dog poop may take a bit of the edge off baby poop... but only the edge!

Still, I'm looking forward to it. All I think of are cute little dresses, cute little shoes, cute little hats and socks. We already have adorable matching outfits for pictures.

I'd say this is going to be great but it already is!

Let the decorating begin...

Well girls, your Grandpa M. came down and helped start on your nursery. We don't yet have the colors picked out but we did sheetrock the wall and checked on new windows. So very soon you'll have a room with a wonderful view.

And when Mommy figures out what your bedding is going to be, we can dicide on colors for the walls and get it decorated for you.

I'm so excited for your arrival but for now just hang in there... literally!!! We're 4 days away from a major sigh of relief, and 4 weeks and 4 days away from relaxation.