The big day

Drew and Bree being as peaceful as they will ever be.

 

 Mom in her room with Drew and Bree.

 Bree waiting for her bath.

Bree trying to figure out why she now now has to breath oxygen.

Happy family minutes after delivery.

What close to twelve pounds of babies looks like.

 

Jim is guest blogging today as Tricia is a little busy.

What a day! The doctors, nurses and the hospital have been wonderful. We arrived at 1:00 and started our day. We had lots of busy work to complete prior to our actual delivery. We were scheduled to deliver at 3:00 which really turned out to be 3:25 by the time I was actually in the room. Tricia was in the room a little before me to get her anesthesia. I walked in at 3:25 and by 3:37 we had two babies born. I videoed the entire event, which was amazing. The pulling and prodding that is required would not have been what I expected, but luckily I had done some You Tube research yesterday.

Our doctor let us video the entire surgery, but it didn't sound as if that is the norm. I am very glad I did, as it is an event I will never forget. Drew came out first, and Bree was quick to follow two minutes later. Bree was much larger than we expected, and we were very glad to see that. Once the babies were out they shuffled me over to see the babies, get pictures etc. Once that was complete I came back to see the stitching up of Tricia, and I could not figure out what they were doing. One of the doctors explained that what I saw was her uterus on her stomach! Quite amazing, and what was even more amazing is none of that made me queasy.

Tricia did great, she had no complaints and the delivery went without issue. She did have some bleeding issues after the surgery and now at 9:00 it appears we have that under control as well. The nurses check on us regulary, and the babies are doing well at breast feeding. My bed is surprisely comfortable. It is not a full bed, but it lays flat and is quite comfortable.

We look forward to the weekend and thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers.

Arrived!

I was out to dinner with my family when I got the call at 5:07 p.m. To be clear, Tricia delivered her babies at 3:45, so in spite of anethesia, she was coherent enough to make the call herself. That, my friends, is amazing. But, so is she.

Andrew James and Breeanna Renee are here! Tricia said that the surgery went as well as she could have asked for, and that she couldn't be happier. She said that she and Jim joked throughout with the doctors, and that she was feeling good, albeit a bit tender.

"Drew", who arrived on the outside first weighed in at a very healthy 6 pounds, 1 ounce and was 18-1/2 inches long. Breenna followed very shortly thereafter and exceeded expectations at 5 pounds, 11 ounces and 18-1/2 inches like her brother. Both babies were doing well with APGAR scores ranging from 8 to 10, and were warming up in the nursery before they joined their parents in their room.

Tricia wanted me to be sure and share that Breeanna has lots of dark hair.

Jim and Tricia, well done...we could not be happier for you all!

Friday's Child is Loving and Giving

For anyone not familiar with the Mother Goose rhyme.....

Monday's child is fair of face,
Tuesday's child is full of grace;
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go;
Friday's child is loving and giving,
Saturday's child works hard for its living;
But the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

I was born on a Saturday, and how true the saying has been for me!

Our day has finally arrived! Sometimes it feels like a few short months that we've waited for this and others it feels like a lifetime. I suppose in a way, it is both.

Parenthood has become a rite of passage for me. I consider myself a responsible, disciplined, and independent "adult". I have owned my own home. I pay my bills on time and keep my debt in check. I volunteer for community activities. I set goals and achieve them. Yet, in the presence of those who have raised me, there are times I still feel very "childlike". I am still very much my parents' daughter, my grandparents' grand-daughter, and my aunts' and uncles' niece. When I visit my parents, it's a given that my mom will insist on feeding me. When something breaks on my car or in my house, my dad is the first one I call. It's usually a team of my dad and uncles that diagnose any issues. Other aunts and uncles have stepped in to offer career and other life advice, and I have come to rely on them for that. Both my grandmas are excellent quilters and have supplied me with beautiful quilts to keep me warm and comfortable through the years. A counselor by trade, my Grandma Casari always lends an ear and loves to listen to my stories, whether of a serious nature or just sharing my day to day news. (And yes, she always feeds me too!)

So, I feel now that I will have two little ones in my care, it's my turn to carry the torch. It is with great excitement and anticipation that I do so. I thank my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles for setting such a wonderful example for me to follow. If it's okay with you, I never want to stop being your daughter, grand-daughter and niece!

To all of our followers, thanks for making the journey with us thus far. This is just the beginning!

To our babies, Jim and I are so happy you chose us as your parents. You are true blessings! We can not wait to meet you and shower you with love and affection. While we may not be perfect, we promise to provide for all your needs in the best way possible. And we promise to make it fun! We love you very much!!!

Our surgery is this afternoon. Feel free to watch the blog for the latest news, as my good friend Tracy will post delivery details for us.

It's Go Time!

Hi All -
The results are in, and our babies lungs are mature! We are now scheduled for our c section this coming Friday. We're so happy to receive this measure of confidence before we deliver. We're very excited about the prospect of meeting our babies in a few days!

Some of you have asked how I am feeling. I feel good, thanks! My stomach felt quite "tight" immediately after the amnios were performed this morning. But, I have spent the day lying down, as advised, and any further discomfort has been minimal. Other than that, I'm moving slower than ever before. But as long as I limit my activity, it's been quite bearable.

We will look forward to posting more news as we get it - it won't be long now!

36 Weeks Pregnant Update - Still Growing Babies

Hi All -
Our week is off to a great start. Yesterday, we celebrated our 36 weeks pregnant milestone. As such, we've moved into the next critical time zone. According to our twins reference book, weeks 36 - 38 are considered full term for twins, and this is an ideal time for them to arrive. They have a really good possibility of being able to leave the hospital with me when I am discharged after their birth. We're just thrilled to make it this far!

Next, we started today by performing an amniocentesis on each baby. The longest part of the procedure was waiting for the doctor to arrive! That's okay, because in the meantime, our ultrasound technician did another growth estimate on the twins. Our son's weight estimate is now up to 5 lbs. 14 oz. and our daughter has jumped up to 5 lbs. 5 oz. We were really pleased with the weight they were able to gain over the past week. The amnios were mostly uneventful. They stuck a long thin needle in my stomach after the technician found good pockets of amniotic fluid via ultrasound. I chose to not look at the needle, and the first one was quick and painless. The second one was not all that bad either, but I did feel minor discomfort from the needle, because they had to go through the placenta to get to the amniotic sac. I'm now home and resting for the next 24 hours. We'll get some preliminary results this afternoon.

Next, we were on to the hospital for our NST test. Before I was even settled in to reading my book, the nurse came in to tell me the babies had already passed! However, they chose to keep me a bit longer to see how my body was reacting to the amniocentesis. (While uncommon, the amniocentesis can possibly start you into labor.) Go figure, the day that the babies fly through the testing, I have to stay on the monitors! I had an unusually long contraction (for me) during the NST, but it was not painful. So, I was free to go after 40 minutes on the monitors. Not bad at all!

Thanks to all our our followers for all the good thoughts and prayers. They are working!

The latest guess as far as when our babies will join us is now this Friday or Monday next week. Incidentally, Monday is Jim's birthday. I was given strict instructions from Jim when we learned our due date that they could not be born on HIS day. He may need to learn to share! :)

NST Fun

Hi All,
Today was another NST day. The babies did well. They posted lots of good activity. However, as he often does, my son's heartbeat jumped off and on the monitor because he was wiggling. That delayed us just a bit. I posted lots of activity too - contractions that is, 10 in 45 minutes. The good news is I only felt 2 of them, and even those were mild. So, again, the nurse said it's nothing that should concern us yet.
We continue with last minute baby preparations. I had the fire department install car seat bases in both our vehicles. Jim is extra busy at work, trying to ensure he is in good shape to take a little time off when the babies come.

Other than that, we are taking it as it comes!

35 Weeks Pregnant Update - Mixed Bag

Hi All,
Once again, I'm a little late at posting results from yesterday's appointments. This is mostly because I spent some time with my mom continuing baby preparations and also needed to gather my thoughts on the day's events. In my mind, we received a mixed bag of results.
We started the day with getting our 35 Week ultrasound and seeing the doctor for a pelvic exam afterwards.

Key Measurements from our ultrasound/doctor appointment:

Baby A (girl) Weight Estimate = 4 lbs 11 oz. (8th percentile)

Baby B (boy) Weight Estimate = 5 lbs 5 oz. (27th percentile)

Baby B Heart rate = 130

My Belly Measurement = 39 centimeters

My Pregnancy Weight Gain = 43.5 pounds

We were unable to measure my cervix length during this ultrasound.

The doctor did not detect any further cervix dilation during my pelvic exam.

I was caught off guard when the doctor delivered the news that he wants to move up our c section to next week, instead of 3 weeks from now. While the babies are still growing, they slipped significantly in their percentile rankings. Our daughter fell below the 10th percentile, and he previously warned us that this may warrant further attention. While the doctor thinks the babies could do okay and post good growth rates over the next three weeks, he does not want to take that chance if we do not need to. Basically, what I believe he is saying is that if the babies are far enough along in their development, we can care for them better and with more predictability outside the womb at this point, instead of "hoping" they do okay inside for the next three weeks.

Because of this, we will be performing an amniocentesis on both babies next Tuesday, which will tell us if their lungs are fully developed. If so, we are fine to move forward with a c section at any point after that. The doctor indicated we would look to schedule the c section on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, pending good amniocentesis results. If the amnio happens to show the lungs are not ready, we will wait another week and retest. The other thing we need to be prepared for is the possibility that the amniocentesis could start the labor process. So it's looking quite likely that our babies are coming next week!

I spent yesterday with mixed emotions about this. I was pretty intent on getting our babies to the 38 week mark, or at least 37 weeks, when they would not be considered premature. I've been focused on their birth weights being a key indicator of their health. And I've always thought getting them as close to term as possible was one of the best ways to increase their birth weight. But, I know the doctor is doing what is best for us and the twins. After receiving pep talks from my husband, parents and fellow twin mom, Tracy, I'm starting to feel better about the change in plans.

On the good side, the ultrasound did not detect any stress to either baby. The non-stress test following the doctor visit also ended just fine. So, I think the change in c section date is mostly precautionary.

For now, it is out of our control. We will put our trust and confidence in our doctor and God to safely deliver our precious little ones to us.

On a lighter note - here are more pictures!

We made a 34 Weeks belly cast to commemorate our twins pregnancy. We will look for a local artist to help us paint it.

Valentines flowers for Mom from Dad and the kids.

35 Weeks Pregnant Belly Profile Shots

35 Weeks Frontal Shot - I find it funny that my belly button is no longer in the center of my belly!

Happy Valentines Day

Hi All,

Happy Valentines Day! For anyone expecting my usual Thursday update, sorry for the delay. Don't worry, I'm not in labor yet. I wish I had a good excuse, but the truth is I've mostly been resting. The extra weight is taking a toll, and I'm getting increasingly uncomfortable and tired. My pre-natal support "girdle" is now my best friend, other than it's getting too small for me!

As for Thursday's NST, all ended well although it was another one of those longer sessions. My son has gotten quite the reputation as a wiggleworm. He definitely knows when the monitor is on him and does his best to move away. But, most importantly, both babies are still posting healthy activity.

Other than that, I wanted to mention that today is a day that has always been special for me. Of course, as Valentines Day, it is a day to celebrate love. But, more importantly, Valentines Day is the day my older sister Renee was born. It could not be more appropriate, because she is a person that emanated love. Sadly, we lost her in a car accident nearly 20 years ago. But she will always be remembered for her smile that could light up a room and her wonderful personality. I wish she could meet our twins, but I know her light shines down and her spirit lives on.

Us in 1972

Renee as a HS senior in 1986

Us in 1987

I feel greatly blessed that God picked me to be Renee's sister, even though our time together was much too short.

34 Weeks Pregnant Update - As Good As It Gets

Hi All,
Another trip to the doctor and hospital for me today. All in all, it was a most efficient day! I flew through registration at the hospital and the babies finished the NST testing in record time - 20 minutes flat. We were then on to the doctor, which turned out to be a quick and easy visit as well. Here are statistics from the doctor visit.

Key Measurements:

Baby A Heart rate = 142

Baby B Heart rate = 134

My Belly Measurement = 37 centimeters

My Pregnancy Weight Gain = 43.5 pounds

I was elated that I got to skip the pelvic exam once again this week! Since I have not been feeling any serious contractions, the doctor decided that could wait until next week. As the doctor checked the heart rates, he quipped "Did you know you're pregnant?" My belly measurement is actually down a centimeter. The doctor explained the babies are probably just settling further down into my pelvic area. As for my weight gain, I hope some of it is the babies growing! Otherwise, it's all those bagels catching up to me. I have noticed my legs and ankles getting "fatter". My doctor warned me the more my feet are up, the more water retention that will occur. The other notable comment from the doctor was that if we go into labor at this point, we are not going to attempt to stop labor. It's great to know he is that confident in the babies' growth and development to this point!

Another day, another NST

Hi All,
I'm just getting to the NST update from Thursday, as it was a busy day. We had what felt like a long morning in the hospital. But mostly, it was due to delays. I started out by getting there 10 minutes late (which is a first) and then ran into heavy traffic in the registration area (which is also a first). So, I probably ended up hooked up to the monitors 45 minutes later than usual.
I've been pretty interested in intently watching the NST heartbeat and contraction monitors up until now. But this was my fifth week of monitoring, and I think I'm becoming bored with it. Today, I was mostly frustrated that I was on the monitors over an hour, when I knew my dad was stopping by my place soon. Of course, I jinxed myself by telling him there was no way the NST would go past 11 am. Our girl passed her test in no time. I think our boy's activity was fine all along, however, he kept jumping on and off the monitor reading, either because he was moving too much or we just didn't have the monitor in a good spot to start with. I was certain he passed not long after the monitor was adjusted 20 minutes in, but it was a long time before the nurse came back to tell me I could leave. Apparently, she was in the middle of giving an epidural to another patient. I guess I will live and learn to not schedule anything after my NSTs.
There were some positives to the hospital visit yesterday. It is a small hospital, and I am considered a regular there. I know all the women in registration, or should I say they know me. They've all taken an interest in my pregnancy and always ask how I am and how much longer. I also know several of the OB nurses, which is nice because there is a good chance I'll see them again when I deliver. I have had many hesitations about my hospital, solely for the fact that it does not have a NICU. (If I go into labor too soon, I will be directed to another hospital in the area with NICU.) But I believe as long as I can make it to 35 or 36 weeks, my doctor will let me deliver at this hospital. In the outside chance we would still need NICU attention, the babies would be transferred. I don't at all like the thought of being separated from the babies in the event this happens. But I am keeping the faith that all will be well, and we will cross the "complications" bridge if and when we come to it.
My dad and uncle spent the afternoon with me, troubleshooting the recent round of "issues" around the house. We bought a new home in September and had to replace all the appliances, as the previous owners took theirs. We have had so many problems with new household items not working ever since, all we can do is laugh about it.
In other news, Jim and I attended Breastfeeding Class on Wednesday evening. I have heard loud and clear how challenging breastfeeding can be, especially with twins, and I do not doubt it one bit. However, I'm still perplexed as to how you prepare for this. I have a book that my friend Tracy loaned to me on breastfeeding. That is one of my February projects. I apparently "don't know what I don't know", because I'm surprised they could write a whole book on this topic. Soon enough, I will probably be eating these words.
Other than that, I feel the babies are continuing to grow well. They feel so big now, that when they move around it causes a major commotion in my belly! Funny bumps protruding from my belly are pretty much a constant at this point. Although billions of women have had this experience, it's still awe-inspiring to me. Thank you babies!

The Name Game

Hi All,
I had an email discussion with a friend this weekend regarding baby names. (While Jim and I have shared our proposed names with many people that ask in conversation, I can not bring myself to commit them to writing just yet.) She shared some stories regarding the naming of her children, which made me want to know more about how my name came about.
My mom liked the name "Tricia". Richard Nixon was president at the time I was born, and he had a daughter named Tricia. It's possible that influenced her, as surely there was a lot of media coverage of the family. My middle name "Kay" comes from my Great Grandma Catherine Fink and Godmother Cathy. I remember times in adolescence, particularly 7th grade, that I did not care for my name. I wrote in some class assignment that I wanted to be named Tiffany, which I thought was much "cuter". My teacher tried to convince me that Tricia was a much more sensible name (no offense to any Tiffanies out there!).
As for my last name, again growing up, I would have gladly exchanged it for my married name - Manning: easy to pronounce, easy to spell. Nobody could ever get Casari right. But, as I've aged, I've really come to love and embrace my maiden name (and first name too). I love that it's unique. I strongly associate my maiden name with my Grandpa Casari. He was very proud of his Italian heritage, which I came to understand and appreciate as I grew. Furthermore, Grandpa Casari was a wonderful person who simply loved life, loved to tell stories, play jokes and make people laugh. Today would have been his 85th birthday. Sadly, he passed away almost two years ago. I miss his kindness and his humor. Here are a few pictures of my Gramps....

Me and Gramps way back when.... Grandma, Grandpa and I at Lisa and Eric's wedding in July '06
A photo of Grandma and Grandpa

Love always Grandpa - you will never be forgotten!

And on with the name game...... Please feel free to share a comment with any anecdotes you have regarding your name, your children's' names, etc. You do not have to have a blogging account to make a comment. Just hit the comment link.

Here is my friend Nancy's story that inspired the Name Game to get you started.....

When I was pregnant for Steven, I chose a girls name of Nicole Louise, after my mother. I hadn't picked a boy's name, as I was determined to have a girl. As your mother can attest to, back then we didn't know in advance. When I first saw Gene (husband) after the delivery, I said Steven Eugene or Timothy Eugene. He said he didn't like the name Timothy. (Little did we know that our neighbor Teala had recently had a boy which they had named Timothy John)(Teala later became my best friend, which we remain today, and our boys grew up together.)

When I was pregnant for Rex, the girl's name was again Nicole Louise, and no name for a boy. Rex was born by emergency c-section on a Monday morning. (Back then I stayed in the hospital 5 days.) The night before we were to go home, I still didn't have a name for him. They said I couldn't leave until the baby had a name. That night we settled for Rex Leonard, after a t.v. minister and my brother-in-law.

When I was pregnant for Nicole, I was determined it would be another boy.(My friend Teala also had four boys by then) I can't remember if I had picked out a boys name, but I had become so tired of Nicole Louise, that I decided if for some outside chance I had a girl, I would name her Amanda Marie. However, I failed to tell Gene. Nicole was born again by emergency c-section at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids at 11:30 p.m. They whisked her away to NICU. Because she was premature, they had Gene go to the nursery while they finished with me in surgery. They asked Gene what her name would be. He said Nicole, but couldn't remember the middle name. Back then the nurse's had their names on their gowns in masking tape. Gene looked and the nurses name was Michelle, so he said, "Nicole Michelle." Thus Nicole became named after the first nurse she had in the nursery. At 35 years, I decided not to try for Amanda Marie.

33 Weeks Pregnant Update

Hi All,
Well it's the start of another week, which means update time.

Just a few statistics from the doctor visit. No pelvic exam today - woohoo!

Key Measurements:

Baby A Heart rate = 141

Baby B Heart rate = 155

My Belly Measurement = 38 centimeters

My Pregnancy Weight Gain = 38.5 pounds

The doctor is pleased all the way around. Our ultimate goal right now is to get to 36 weeks. Anything after that, the doctor says is "gravy". The babies are sitting lower, so I need to be extra serious about keeping my feet up when possible and the pressure off my cervix. So, it's back to my post on the couch!

We also had another NST test performed today. Not much to mention there, other than we passed after a long round of hiccups from our son.

On the pregnancy cravings front, my latest thing is bagels and cream cheese. I have fallen into a ritual of stopping at the coffee counter inside the hospital after each NST test for this treat. I also picked some up from the store recently and devoured them immediately. I think I even dreamed about finding a misplaced bagel in the freezer last night! I know they are terrible for you, but I figure even pregnant women must induldge a little.