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Saturday, September 29, 2012

28 Weeks

We made it to another 'milestone' in the medical world... 28 weeks gestation is a big milestone for the twins and we are so thankful that we're here. 1 month ago I was sitting in the hospital receiving steroids for the babies lung development and shots to stop my contractions. The fear was a delivery at 24 weeks which is WAY too early for these little ones to be here. Now, after a month at home on bed rest I am happy that we have not had these babies yet. Of course, I am anxious to meet these little ones and snuggle them close but I want them to be here in the best possible condition and even now is still too early so we wait and pray for more time.

Jared survived his second grocery shopping trip complete with stops at Meijer, Save A-Lot, and Sam's Club. He's a bargain hunter! He got everything on the list and probably spent way less than I would have....hmmm. Maybe we will make this permanent? :) I don't think so, he didn't enjoy it very much. He's been a trooper with his additional jobs and I'm so thankful!

We were able to have our small group from church over to our house on Tuesday night which was a huge blessing for me. I have missed staying in touch with our church family and it was good to see our small group friends. The ladies brought dinner and we had a great time of fellowship. I'm so thankful for great friends!

Tonight Abby, Dan & Fitz are coming over to have their family pictures taken here. The trees are really looking pretty so it's the perfect time for some fall photos. I think Jared is even going to hook up the trailer to the tractor and put a bail of hay on it for a mini hay ride! I will have to be content to see them from my perch on the couch; but maybe if I'm lucky Jared will set up a reclining lounge chair on the deck so I can enjoy the view!

That's all for now, hope you all are enjoying the fall!
-CW

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

A View from The Couch

Week 26...

So week 26 started with a full ultrasound at the high risk Dr. Both babies are doing great! Growth charts show that they are both right in the normal range for a single baby which is good news that means they are fat and happy in there. I hope they like it enough to stay put for 8 more weeks at least. :)

Here is Baby A's 3D. This is the only good shot of A we got this time around because he/she was being camera shy.
And here is Baby B's 3D.
So based on these new 3D ultrasounds some of the family members have changed their predictions about what we're having. Mostly the guess now is that B is a boy and A is a girl.... We shall see! :)

After my appointments in the morning I got to spend the day with my mom and sister and they surprised me with a girls night at my house and invited some of my best friends. We had a great time and I was so thankful to have my friends over and get to do something that felt "normal". This week has been a difficult one for me mentally. I'm starting to really have a tough time being cooped up and doing nothing but laying around. I know that it is what's best but I can't help but feel like life is passing by and I'm not really participating in it. I know that this time is teaching me a lot about myself and it's showing me some of the things that I do during a normal week that maybe aren't really worth my time. It is showing me how to take deeper breaths and to really "be still" and know that God is taking care of me, my husband, the babies, and everything else around me that I would normally feel "in control" of. So the moral of this week is that God is in control. He knows what he's doing even when it feels out of control. So maybe you're not on bed rest but maybe you could take a minute or an hour this week to spend some time in quiet and reflecting on what God is already doing around you.

Blessings from the couch! :)
-CW

Sunday, September 02, 2012

Ahh... Home!

"Home is where you rest your feet" My mom had a sign in her living room with this phrase on it and never before has that phrase been so literal for me. :) I am so thankful that I have a cozy home in the country to be resting my feet (and my body) from the stress of gravity on these babies. I have a much better view here than I did at the hospital that's for sure! I also have a much more good looking nurse! Jared is adjusting to his role as my caretaker very well and he even brewed me a nice cup of tea this morning. What a guy!

Bed rest is not the vacation I think some assume it should be; especially for a head strong homemaker who has a little too much ambition in the areas of cooking and cleaning. Some of the things I love most about having a home and a husband revolve around making things run smoothly, cooking up a nice hot meal with homegrown ingredients, and having the house clean and comfortable for family and friends when they visit. But now I will take a back seat to all of that for some time and focus on growing these babies big and strong. I have been doing some reading in the areas of bed rest and how to stay fit and sane and there are a lot of good resources out there. There is an organization called "Sidelines" dedicated to helping women with high risk pregnancies and bed rest and they have some great articles on their website about bed rest and what I can expect. Our family has been so supportive and they have already brought meals, come to visit, and they even cleaned my house for me. I am so thankful for that because with a chocolate Lab puppy and just living in the country, my floors alone need a good sweep every day it seems.  

The one thing I seem to be lacking right now is a good book I can dive into. I have been on somewhat of a reading freeze; seems like its been over a year now. I have a few boxes of books in the spare bedroom that I haven't gone through since we moved back in May and I know I have some good ole' Jane Austen up there I need to get my hands on somehow. :) Even if I've already read all of her novels, those are the kind you can always read again!

The babies are kicking around in there and its a beautiful Sunday here! I think I will even get my zero gravity chair out on the deck today and enjoy the early fall sunshine.

-CW