Gabriella under the Blue Light

Gabriella under the Blue Light
Originally uploaded by mrs.steiger

A Quick Update

This will just be a quick update because I just have so much to do! The girls are doing the same. They tend to gain weight, lose a little, gain a little more. It is a slow process, but they are going up. The doctors think it may take them another week at the least to another three weeks. They both get my milk through the bottle and then what is left is put through their feeding tubes. I have noticed in the past couple days they have been just a little more awake during the day.

Vanessa Under the Blue Light

I decided it was best that I go back home to be with Ian and try to get life a little back to normal again. After two and half months I was feeling a little depressed. Yesterday we brought the girls to the hospital in the center of Zurich. They were placed in the Neonatal Care Unit. Next to it was the room for the intensive care babies. I saw one little one born at a little over 800g, so sad. I am just glad my girls are doing as well as they are.

The procedure now is going to visit them everyday and bring my milk over. It was so hard to leave them yesterday. I felt like I was being pulled in two directions, one towards my son and the other towards them. I feel that this is what is right for us now. Ian gets to spend time with us as a family again before the big change of the girls comes and I also get to see the Girls everyday. So now all of my children get to have time with their parents everyday.

4 Days Old- Gabriella and Vanessa

It is stressful no matter which way you do it, but I hope soon for them to drink well so we can be home all together as a family. For those who have to go through this, I really have a new respect for you!

I hope to have another update with fresh pictures soon. As for now, there is so much to do around the home! I didn’t realize how many baby clothes I have to go through and Ian’s clothes still need to be sorted through and fixed up in his new room. Busy Busy…

4 Days and Feeling It!

Gabriella and Vanessa are now 4 days old and what a crazy four days it has been. They have been doing pretty good but are having to jump through a few hurdles.

Vanessa Catching Some Zzzz

Gabriella had to have a feeding tube for one day, no biggie though. Since they have lower birth weights they need to keep from losing any weight. My feeding routines with them are pretty much a try and see if it works kind of thing. Personally I really would like breastfeeding exclusively to work but I do have to look on the real side of things. For the first 3 days I breastfed one, while the other got a bottle, then the breastfed one got a bottle, then I would pump the rest. Talk about time consuming, when you are doing it every 3 hours!! My milk has finally started to come in pretty good now but the girls don’t seem to have the energy to get the full amount they need, then a bottle. They have lost some weight, so today I am going to try exclusive pumping and giving them just that in the bottle. The goal is to get the weight on and then I can try to breastfeed again. I just want something that works for the both of us. Getting a routine, I am finding is pretty difficult.

Vanessa

Yesterday Gabriella’s jaundice level went only 4 points above the acceptable mark so she got to chill out under the blue light for 12 hours. She really enjoyed it and slept so well. I almost wanted to jump in with her! Today her levels are good.

Gabriella Under The Light

Gabriella Under The Light

Now my emotions need to level out so can get through the day. Since hearing the news that Gabriella lost some weight today and that I should try another feeding routine just brought on my waterworks. I guess it is from the exhaustion and my hormones being out of balance. If I remember correctly, I went through this stage with Ian too.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Have a great Friday!

Welcome to the World Girls!

They've arrived at 35.2 weeks Their names are Gabriella Catherine and Vanessa Lynn. Born on May 18th. Gabriella arrived at 8:47pm weighing 2370g (5lbs 4oz) and Vanessa arrived at 8:51 weighing 2440g (5lbs 7oz).

Gabriella Catherine

Vanessa Lynn

The labor went fantastic no c-section and fast compared to Ian. I will give you all the whole story when I have the time. Twins keep me pretty busy, when one is not eating its the other ones turn or it is time for me to pump. Haha. Andy, Big Brother Ian, and I are so overjoyed that they are so healthy after me being on bedrest for 2 months to keep them in. Thank you Lord for the medication, because as soon I was off of it they were ready to make their arrival.

I put pictures up on my flickr account for you all to see Http://www.flickr.com/photos/wowamom/

Until next time...

Week 34 and a Bright Outlook

Am I really almost 35 weeks? The safe period for the babies to be born in this hospital is right around the corner. I was told yesterday that on Monday May 14th they will be pulling out my IV and letting my body go ala natural! They also say I can go home but I seriously have a feeling that will not be happening. Last week my IV needed a refill and it took the nurses about 45 minutes to get it (never happened before) and I started getting pretty regular contractions. So it is really an all play it by ear thing. But seriously, only 4 more days for me to endure in this hospital bed! Can I do it, yes I can!!

Ian and Daddy spending time playing under the stairs

The past couple weeks have been a little rough. I started getting some major generalized itching..talk about ANNOYING! It got to the point where I couldn’t sleep at night and was tearing my skin up. They have given me about 4 liver tests and have concluded that I have Obstetric Colestatsis. It is getting better now that I have the correct pills to take and some creams to put on. For once, about two nights ago, I slept pretty well! That for sure is one thing I miss, since at about 9 30 in the morning I am almost falling back asleep again. I was watching CNN the other morning and fell asleep; woke up 30 minutes later sitting up and my mouth hanging open, haha!

Ian having an afternoon tea

Not only have I had to endure that, but now they have been finding light protein in my urine so I have to give the lovely pee sample every day and get my blood pressure checked 3x a day and yesterday the dreaded catheter (2x!!). So far everything is remaining stable.

This momma is so ready to be finished. I have at least 10lbs or more of baby in me now and they are getting stronger and more cramped everyday. Although I will miss being able to see and feel feet and hands trying to poke out of my belly and looking like a Beluga Whale, I feel it is soon time for them to come into this world. They need a good stretch after being cramped up for 9 months!

Thank you to everyone that has helped me get through almost two months of hospital bedrest. Thank you Grandma, Grandpa, Lonnie, and Linda for your cards. There is nothing like getting words of encouragement. Thank you to my parents for providing me with some more stretchy lounge pants for my ever growing belly. Lastly, thank you to my Husband and his family for all the care you have given me and Ian. Each one of you has helped me pass these days without completely going crazy. Thank you!

Clothes by Ian, Accessories by Uncle Mike

For those that want to keep an eye on the babies arrival, my hospital has a baby photo gallery where the babies photos are placed when they are born.. Click Here …otherwise keep an eye out here on my blog.

Good Golly 32 is Kicking My Butt!

I am a little on the “I’m a big cry baby” side today. As of last Monday (March 27) I hit 32 weeks and it was nice to know I arrived at the doctors’ first big goal for me. I had a pretty unemotional week and was looking forward to this weekend. They had to get my off the IV first to allow me some weekend time at home so Wednesday evening they changed my dosage, which brought on a few more contractions but didn’t change my cervix at all. Then at around 4pm Thursday they changed it again and then monitored me and I was having contractions about every 8 minutes. So the doctors thought my body needed to get used to it first so they waited 4 hours but it wasn’t getting any better. I was sent downstairs for another cervix check and it had gone from a 1.8 to a 1.5, not too bad. They wanted to monitor me for contractions again so I was on the monitor for 2 hours. For about the first hour I was having contractions every 6 minutes but actually wasn’t even feeling them; amazing! Sadly they decided this is just too much and changed my dosage back to its original. I am now stuck on the IV for awhile and not going to visit home this weekend.

Hearing this news didn’t get me down too much because I knew something was going to go wrong, but this morning I asked if I could go out in the wheelchair to the garden today and was told no, can we say WATERWORKS show! I just need to get outside and enjoy my family for a little..so she said if I can’t mentally handle staying in here I can go out for 10 minutes or so. You better believe I am hitting that one up! It really doesn’t help, though, that the nurse just told me most people on this floor are going home today. Oh the agony… (okay maybe not that bad). Just please no more pokes in my arm to get blood and no more catheters! Speaking of blood taking, the results came back abnormal so they took a swab of my down south; it takes 3 to 4 days to receive results. I hope I don’t have an infection.

Me looking horrible but happily enjoying my "32 weeks cake" from my dear Hubby

The good thing about it all is the babies are still cooking and that is what matters the most. I actually got them to move around to some George Michael songs yesterday, not that I enjoyed them tap dancing on my door or doing some jumps on my ribs, but it was good to see them interacting with the outside world.

Happy May 1st!

Had to insert this funny story: I woke up this morning and thought someone was in my room so I roll over to see who. They were not quite in my room but a big crow was on my window sill stealing from me. My Husband put some juice boxes out there to cool my drinks and Mr. Crow had his gargantuan beak in it sipping his morning juice. He could have cared less that I was only 10 inches aways from him.