the twinfants' Journal

5:02pm: isaac says:
ghtz3 frbvc v8 xtb 76 987gub 6n 865bn cbumn xzm gvbn ./ ,. nbvn fvfbv bvn n gghhhhhhhbn 8 nc 4e 4n /./ in b v jk,m bn ggggggggggg



mommy says:
these babies live to bang on the keyboard.

see?!

9:47pm: googooogoooo
long time, no update!

where do i start?
isaac and aaron are very big & very healthy!
at last weigh in, isaac was 12lbs8oz - 23.25" and aaron was 14lbs10oz - 25.75"!
from birth, that is a gain of 9lbs4.5oz & 9" for isaac and 11lbs2.5oz & 10.25" for aaron!
aaron is wearing all 3to6 month clothing while isaac is akwardly inbetween 0to3 & 3to6 month!
that won't last long, though.. nothing does around here.
we are going to the high-risk checkup on the 9th and most likely, aaron will begin physical therapy for birth related issues with his muscles.
i am just hoping nothing much comes of this visit and we shall see.
as far as age goes, they are now 7 months old actual and almost 5 months corrected.
they are doing good development wise, i think.
they roll all over the place and hold their heads high while lying on their tummies.
they smile and interact wonderfully. they love to play and each has a favorite toy!
isaac loves his butterfly rattle while aaron prefers the wormy.
both have continued to sleep through the night (mostly) and i am so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so thankful! believe me, i realize how lucky i am and had i the oppurtunity to choose one break in parenting, that might have been it.
honestly, twins sleeping through the night from 2 months (corrected) and up! yay!
i'm sure i am forgetting a lot but i promise that if/when i think of it, i will add it!
OH YEAH!! look, just in time for chanukah/christmas/kwanzaa/whatever you want to give them gifts for!!
SUPERFUN TWIN PRESENT BUYING TIME!!!!!!
there's a lot on the list, i know! don't look at me, the babies asked for all of it!

ok, the end.

love,
mom&i&a.

ps: remember, pictures are always found here: http://www.picpix.com/amber

2:56pm: isaac says:
ujj rmhj,m x j mmmmmmm

12:46pm: aaron says:
hi! we are now 4 months old! can you even believe it?
we are acting like 7 week olds tho because that is how old we should be.
we smile a lot now and we can hold our heads up, kinda.
mommy says we are big, too! i am about 12lbs and isaac is 9!
we sleep a little longer at night but not enough says mom.
she loves us a lot so she took us to new york and we got to meet grandma!
we went to the hospital to see her and shes hooked up to a ventilator
just like we were! i said to isaac "look! they do it again when you get big!" but mommy says they don't unless we are very sick so now i feel better but isaac is still a little nervous about the whole thing.

mom has taken 8768767 pictures of us and she will share when we go home.
oh man, i'm hungry! time to scream for a bottle.
byeeeeee.

12:53am:

ashley took pictures of us today and now we have a new icon.
thanks, ashley.

oh yeah.. we are home, too.
we like to wake our mommy up every three hours, it is fun.
that is all. byeeeeeeee.

12:21am: isaac.

cuteness comes in pairs around here.

12:46pm: aaron.
so cute! i can barely stand it.

12:50am: baby bonding.
we love each other! see?

6:23pm: hi world.
we are born!

Isaac Noah: 2lb 13.5oz, 14.25 in. Born May 1 2003 at 4:05pm

and

Aaron Mathew: 3lb 07.5oz, 15.5 in. Born May 1 2003 at 4:06pm

we are in neonatal intensive care where they are taking very good care of us.
we're getting better each day! isaac is breathing on his own which is causing some
sibling rivalry. we like to move our eyebrows and we have lots of cute hair.
want to see pictures of us when we were just a few hours old? good!
isaac & aaron.
new pictures coming soon.
okay so byeeeeeee.

12:02pm: sigh.
things have changed.
baby a has an amniotic fluid level of 7.
they deliver at 5,
normal is about 21.
he also has went back to a reverse diastolic cord flow
which is much worse than absent, where he was before.
baby b's fluid is high & rising.
so they may be here sooner than we thought.
i'm just about to go down for my 3rd ultrasound in 3 days.
expect another post when i get back.

12:28pm: 28.5 weeks
i've been meaning to update but life is hectic in a hospital bed ;)
[oodles of thanks to joe for his laptop and dialup]

i've been in the hosptial since 4/04,
mainly so they can monitor their heartbeats and get two ultrasounds a week.
things have been up and down but the news is this:
the doctor told me this morning that her goal for me is to make it to 30 weeks.
i am 28.5 weeks now so in about 1.5 weeks, the babies will be born.
i was predicted to deliver at 32 weeks before bedrest so this isn't too bad.
they were measured on the ultrasound yesterday,
baby a is 2 pounds, 6 ounces
baby b is 3 pounds, 2 ounces.
when we arrived here on the 4th,
a was 1 pound 10 ounces
b was 2 pounds 6 ounces.
they have both gained 12 ounces in 3 weeks.
baby a went from the 7th weight percentile to 14th
and baby b went from 97th to 88th.
i'm so proud of them.
i am sad that they will spend months in neonatal intensive care in incubators
but now their survival rate is about 95% so i am comforted by that.

everyone expect to hear from me in approx. 1.5 weeks
with news of two brand new healthy baby boys.

2:02pm: 26 weeks.
sorry, this is crossposted in my personal journal too
but i just don't have the energy to come up with something else.

-

baby a isnt getting enough nutrients, blood or oxygen through his cord,
my placenta is deteriorating,
both of their fluid levels are increasing,
my cervix is still open.
they think it will be best odds for the babies if they are born within a week (they said that on monday.)
that will make me 27 weeks, making them 9 weeks early from 36 weeks
& 13 weeks premature from 40 weeks.
i was given steroid shots to mature their lungs.
baby a is under 2 pounds.
baby b is more like 2.5 pounds.
i will be in the hospital until i deliver.
i really don't know what else to say
so i will say nothing.

5:02pm: whoa.
when i was 23 weeks pregnant, my doctor told me i was the size of a woman carrying a single baby at 30 weeks.
so, going at the rate of 7 weeks ahead,
right now, i am at the size of 32 weeks.
if i make it to 36 weeks, i will look 42 weeks.
[i can't imagine but if *somehow* i get to 40 weeks,
that would make it 47! dear god.]

12:19pm: another ultrasound?
i need to keep this updated more.
i don't think i even wrote about the hospital stay!
or bedrest!
oh goodness.

okay so two weeks ago today,
i was admitted into the hospital because my cervix was open.
i stayed for three days.
i got released but on bedrest.
i am allowed to be up 15 minutes a day, 3 times a day.
[not counting bathroom breaks or a short shower]
but at that point, the babies were 33% different in size.
last friday, i had another ultrasound that showed
the babies difference at 23%! yay.
my cervix was stable yet unchanged.
amniotic fluid was equal for both babies.
things were looking good.
well, today my ultrasound showed
a 30% size difference and baby b's amniotic fluid level is too high.
they put me on MORE meds to try to reduce it,
if that doesn't work, they will do an amniocentisis to drain the fluid.
i don't know what to think anymore.
i am so tired, you know?
it is always something new.
i just want 2 healthy baby boys.
maybe that IS too much to ask.

keep the prayers and positive thoughts coming.
we really need them.

8:13am: hi babies.
ultrasound time.
wish us luck!

12:04am: why not.
my target.com baby registry.
in case you want to shower me slash the babies with gifts. :D

4:45pm: from the bottom.
somedays just hurt more than others.
it is one of those days.

i have found that the babies move around more when i cry.
i think they are trying to comfort me.
it works.

6:02pm: meds.
Ativan (lorazepam)
FDA Risk Factor - D
Possible problems - Possible birth defects, neonatal depression, "floppy baby" syndrome, neonatal withdrawal.
What you need to know - Avoid, especially in first trimester.
Severe panic disorders may need to be treated in the second and third trimesters.


Procardia (nifedipine)
FDA Risk Factor - C
Possible problems - Not proven to be safe during pregnancy. Possible temporary fetal/neonatal cardiovascular functional abnormalities.
What you need to know - Consult your cardiologist.

Class Explanation
A controlled studies showed no risk to fetus in first trimester. Fetal harm is remote
B no controlled studies, but no known risks
C Studies on animals may show effects on fetuses, but no controlled studies available. The drug can be used if risk is justified
D There are positive risks, but the drug may be used if serious disease or life threatening conditions exist.
X Human and animal studies show risk. The risk of use outweighs any benefit.

i cannot wait until monday when i can call the doctor.
why am i being prescribed class c & d drugs
[when i obviously do not *need* lorazepam]
and not being informed of any risk?
i'm supposed to be able to trust these people.

10:27pm: update & question.
the twins are doing better than ever!
their size difference has went from 33% different to 23% in just one week.
[after jumping from 28% to 33% in 11 days!]
anything under a 25% size difference in twins is considered normal.
this makes me so happy, i cannot even put it into words.
they no longer suspect twin to twin transfusion
which is the best news i could have ever received.
thank you all for your kind thoughts when i posted about it last.
i believe all the positive thoughts are helping us.

i do have a major question though.
since being put on strict bedrest, i have had terrible insomnia.
i told my doctor today & he prescribed me Lorazepam 1MG.
i was assured this is completely safe over & over again
but when i got home & read the patient info leaflet from the pharmacy,
i found this:
"THIS MEDICINE HAS BEEN SHOWN TO CAUSE HARM to the human fetus.
IF YOU PLAN ON BECOMING PREGNANT, discuss with your doctor the benefits
and risks of using this medicine during pregnancy."
so i did some internet research and found this:
Ativan and Pregnancy
Use of lorazepam early in pregnancy has been seen to produce an increased risk of birth defects in animal studies. Use during late pregnancy may cause muscle weakness and respiratory depression in newborns. This drug is not advised for use during pregnancy, or during nursing, as it would pass through breast milk.

what should i think?
should i just trust in my doctor that he knows what is best or what?
i am so confused.
he wouldn't prescribe me something that would harm my babies, would he?
=/

hope you & yours are happy & healthy. <3

3:37pm: body pain level: high
energy level: very low

my lower back & hips feel broken.
i hate to complain
but whoa.

1:19am: new.
i have had quite a bit of insomnia.
this is mostly bad because i am so tired,
i just cannot fall asleep.
hoping this passes over time.

tonight i realized that pregnancy lasts just 12 weeks less than a year.
[if it is full term]
i never really thought of it like that before.
what a looong time.

the babies are so active lately.
maybe they were always this active but now
their bones are hard enough to make the kicks counts?
either way, it is simply amazing to feel two little babies moving around.
by far, it is the very best "symptom" of this whole thing.

my next ultrasound is on friday morning.
so very nervous.
[but hopeful!]

the end.

8:06pm: blanket.
i am crochetting one big baby blanket out of these colors:



i have one square done.
wish me luck.

8:32pm: ultrasound #2 results
Growth Parameters:
Biparietal diameter -
baby a - 5.4 cm - 21.8 weeks
baby b - 5.4 cm - 21.8 weeks
Head circumference -
baby a - 19.8 cm - 21.4 weeks
baby b - 20.3 cm - 21.8 weeks
Femur length -
baby a - 3 cm - 19.3 weeks
baby b - 3.4 cm - 20.8 weeks
Abdominal circumference -
baby a - 15.3 cm - 20.2 weeks
baby b - 18.3 cm - 22.9 weeks

-

estimated weight:
baby a - 363 grams (0 lbs. 13 oz.)
baby b - 503 grams (1 lbs. 2 oz.)
estimated weight percentile -
baby a - 24th
baby b - 98th
discrepancy in weight - 28%

-

the amount of amniotic fluid appears normal (AFI 13) for twin a and mildly increased for twin b (AFI 26)
suspect twin to twin transfusion.

-

so, the ultrasound wasn't the best.
baby a is too small.
baby b is too big.
[follow the link for twin to twin transfusion for more information]
baby b may be taking baby a's blood, nutrients and oxygen.
they will both suffer greatly if it is the case.
i will now have an ultrasound every two weeks to monitor their progress.

i am terrifed
but i have hope, lots of it.

pray for us?

10:35pm: ultrasound #2
tomorrow is my second ultrasound.
i am going alone.
i am nervous.

i found out at my last doctor appointment that they weren't able to see baby a quite well.
they weren't able to get a good picture of his heart or lungs.
baby a is also the smaller of the two (he was one week behind baby b) because of a marginal cord insertion.
i hope everything is okay.

12:49am: pics of 20 weeks.
( picture time )