a sonogram + a big change in plans

so we went in on monday for our 20 week anatomy sonogram and scan. it was a long appointment. we got to see the twins squirming all over the place and got to see their faces via 3D ultrasound. it was amazing!

we're thinking that lincoln looks more like mark and that reagan looks more like me... at least from what we got to see. you be the judge.

lincoln jude

reagan elizabeth

so the sonographer took a ton of photos throughout the exam. like i said, it was a long appointment. then, my high risk obgyn, dr. pamela matia, came in to discuss the results and photos.

first, we discussed the twins. they were measuring really well and were looking great. lincoln was weighing in at approximately 1 lb and reagan was weighing in at about 12 ounces. as i just typed that, regan just head-butted me pretty hard! haha! they were both super squirmy during the whole exam and at one point towards the end of the sonogram, lincoln did a full on somersault and just flipped completely! it was so funny and amazing to see it happen!

next, we discussed me. this is where it got serious. according to the vaginal ultrasound prior to the sonogram, my cervix was shorter than my last appointment. this was not good. if this continued, my cervix could open up and push me into preterm labor and delivery and we could lose the twins. i think my heart dropped about 500 feet below sea level at that point. all i could hear was "could lose the babies" over and over again in my head. you ever get punched in the gut when you really really really have to pee? that's how i felt.

we were given 2 options: 1. bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy or 2. surgery to close up my cervix to prevent the preterm labor - a McDonald Cerclage.

option 1 would have been a hail mary type approach - hope for the best, prepare for the worst. but there was no guarantee that the babies would survive. i didn't like those odds at all. option 2 would get us to at least 36 weeks gestation. i'd have to modify all my activities to basically nothing unless absolutely necessary, but the odds of the babies surviving would be significantly greater than option 1. it was a no-brainer: we were going with option 2.

so what did this mean...
1. all plans we had were cancelled until further notice. we had to cancel our babymoon/friends' wedding trip to the caymans that we were scheduled to leave for next week. we had to cancel all our baby-prep classes that were all scheduled to start this week. i had to cancel my attendance for aforementioned friend's bridal shower brunch scheduled for this coming saturday.
2. surgery was scheduled A.S.A.P. dr. matia put me on the surgical schedule for the next morning (tuesday, 11:15am)
3. bed rest until further notice. after surgery, i would get to go home the same day, but would be put on strict bed rest until my follow up appointment next week. i would only be able to get up to go to the bathroom. if i wanted to bathe or shower, it'd have to be super short. otherwise, i'm stuck in bed.

so where are we now...
2 days post-op and doing well - as far as i know. not much bleeding and discharge but there's some cramping pain and my back is sore from the spinal tap because they can't put me fully under 'cause of the pregnancy. the twins are still squirmy so i'm glad and not worried about them right now.

mark's relieved and been the best dr./nurse husband. i'm sure he's still worried inside, but he never really shows it - at least not to me. i really could not have been more blessed with such a caring and loving life partner.

so for now, we're (me and the twins) are just resting and recovering. i'm getting restless and bored, but i know i have to stay put and take care of myself and the twins. c'est la vie! now, just praying that this week goes by fast and that my follow up appointment next week goes well. wish us luck!

the process, the gory details and all that stuff - part 7

a BIG FAT POSITIVE.

we were pregnant! we had a few blood tests to check that my hcg (pregnancy hormone) levels kept rising. boy did they rise and boy were they HIGH! they were definitely indicating a multiple pregnancy! and our first sonogram verified that there were, in fact, 2 little babies growing in my uterus!

just before we were set to "graduate" from shady grove to my OBGYN, we had another bleeding scare. this time, they were calling it a subchorionic bleed. dr. o'brien wasn't overly concerned about it and said it was more common that i thought it was. we just had to monitor it as usual and make sure it wasn't getting worse. it would pass and heal itself with time and i needn't worry about it if she wasn't worried. but i have to tell you, seeing blood when you don't want to makes you worry even though you know you shouldn't. dr. o'brien graduated us the week after and we made our first appointment for the twins to meet my OBGYN at Capital Women's Care.

and that's where this lengthy multi-part process ends and starts with the updates from "since January 18, 2014".

stay tuned for why i decided to tell you all about every little detail (as much as i could remember) and why it was so important for me to do so. 

the process, the gory details and all that stuff - part 6 + christmas, new year's eve, & my brother turning 30!

so the 2 week wait. it coincided with the holidays. so either we sat around here in rockville till the new year just to get the results or we went ahead with our travel plans to spend the holidays with my family in Texas. uh... no debate. we were heading to Texas.

everyone protested me flying down there because they didn't want anything to happen to me and the little embryos. but, to me, if the doctor says it's okay, it's okay. in hindsight, i understand the concern now. but i really needed to be with my family at the time. i guess they just didn't realize how much i needed to be with them and see them and hug them and spend as much time with them as i could before all the chaos happened. i'm hoping they understand now though.

it was great to be around everyone, but it was hard hiding the fact that i was incubating 2 little embryos. only my parents and siblings and their significant others knew the news. on christmas eve, we celebrated our annual "Ulanday Christmas" at my sister's house and had a great time. we did our usual white elephant exchange and played some games. all in all it was a very exciting and fun day.

my niece Taylor and nephew Mason

me & mark

brother-in-law Allen, Mason, Taylor, sister Laurie

brother Mike and his girlfriend Rachel

Mom and Dad, Mason and Taylor

cousin-in-law Holly, niece Hannah, cousin Eric

cousin Dennis, nephews Nick, Jake and Zach, niece Olivia, cousin-in-law Kelly

Mason with brother-in-law's brother Jody

Dennis

Aunt Corette

Kelly's sister-in-law Sharon

Mike and my Uncle Rolly

kiddos playing the right left game

nephews

Laurie and cousin's girlfriend Cindy

on christmas day, we all woke up early to have breakfast at my sister's in-laws' house. as we were finishing up breakfast and heading out to church, i needed to use the restroom. it was then and there that i started bleeding. i had felt a little pain early that morning but attributed it to gas from the heavy breakfast. i guess i had been wrong. so i called the doctor's office (they are open 24/7/365) and left a message for the on-call doctor about my bleeding and mild cramping. mark and i decided that i should go back to bed and lay down while he went to church with my family. and so i did.

while at church, the doctor's office called back and told me that there was nothing they could do at the moment and for me to monitor the bleeding - making sure that it didn't get worse and that hopefully it would get better. it got better. by the time everyone came home from church and were getting ready to eat lunch, the bleeding had subsided. i was to call back the next morning or friday to speak to dr. o'brien or one of her nurses about further instructions. i called back on friday.

according to the nurse, it could be bleeding from implantation which is fairly common - even more if there are 2 successfully implanted embryos. so that news calmed me down. but, i had to take it easy from now on and really adhere to the no lifting more than 25 pounds thing. it was REALLY hard to adhere to that when i missed my niece and nephew so much that all i wanted to do was pick them up and cuddle with them. i had to resort to laying on the couch with them most of the time.

new year's eve and my not-so-little-anymore brother's 30th birthday (new year's day) was looming around the corner. as i was helping my sister take care of the kids and she helped my mom prep for the annual new year's party at my parents' house, i felt cramping yet again. and wouldn't you know it, i started bleeding yet again. it wasn't as bad as christmas day, but i definitely saw fresh red blood. my heart just sank. another call to the nurse and the doctor's office ensued.

this time, the nurse said that it could still be residual from the first bleed and the same instructions were given. rest, take it easy, and monitor the heaviness of the bleeding. it thankfully didn't get any worse and subsided by the time people were arriving to my parents' house. the party was a lot of fun 'cept that a whole bunch of us had apparently gotten sick and were still recovering from something someone may have passed around on christmas eve. my brother turned 30 and my sister and i looked at each other and realized just how old WE were now! haha

Mike & Taylor

cousin Mark & husband Mark

Daddy & Mike

Daddy, Aunt Eufe, Aunt Corette, Uncle Rolly, Mike, Godmother Juliet

pretty banner i made and family photos

Mike & Rachel

Mike, Mark, godbrother Matthew, Mark, Rachel

Taylor and my Mommy

my goddaughter Julia and Taylor

playing Minute To Win It games

playing Minute To Win It games

playing Minute To Win It games

playing Minute To Win It games

playing Minute To Win It games

playing Minute To Win It games

Julia and her mom, my godsister Jennifer

Me and Julia

me and mark

playing Minute To Win It games

Julia's brother Ben playing Minute To Win It games

playing Minute To Win It games

playing Minute To Win It games

Uncle Art, playing Minute To Win It games

Allen, playing Minute To Win It games

playing Minute To Win It games

playing Minute To Win It games

helping my brother blow out his candle

umbrella with 30 rolled up $1 bills hanging from it for Mike's 30th birthday, made by me and my sister

passed out Mason, and a very exhausted sister and niece

a few days later, mark and i headed back to rockville completely exhausted, hearts filled with a lot of love and ready to take my blood test to see if we were pregnant.