Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Events Of The Day Before

Ricky and I had to make an emergency trip to PC yesterday. My step-dad got hit by a car while riding his bicycle. He was coming down Cove Blvd. crossing one of the smaller side roads heading from the Yacht Club to his house, and this lady in a white SUV ran him over. The front tire of his bicycle was sucked underneath the car and he was knocked off. He did a few rolls down the road and ended up laying in the middle of Cove Blvd along with his mangled bike. EMT was called and they took him to the hospital. Fortunately, he was wearing his helmet so he lived. He has bruises, cuts, and scrapes on him and is extremely sore, but he's fine.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Yet Another Baby Update

The doctor's appointment went well. They said we do not have TTTS, but getting it is still a possibility down the road. So, I'll just go see the specialist once a month unless something goes wrong.

We did find out some information though. I'm not allowed to travel after 28 weeks. So, no leaving Tallahassee after the last week in May. And most likely we won't have to have them extremely earliy, and I might not need a c-section.

Britney Marie

Our Newest Addition to the Family

Dr. Connors. That is the name of the lizard who has decided he likes to live in our house. He was here once before, I think back around Christmas, or maybe even before. He likes to scurry about so it took Ricky like 3 days to catch him and give him the boot outside. Last night I noticed him back on his wall over the window in the living room. I think I'll let Ricky keep him. Besides, if he gets on the floor, the cats will eat him.

Doctor's appointment in t-minus two hours and counting. I'll update when we get back.

Stephanie

Specialist Appointment & TTTS Information

I can't sleep. Today at 2pm we have an appointment with the maternal-fetal specialist. I hear he's very nice. I keep telling myself that I should go lay down and get some sleep, but I can't stop thinking about Emma and Olivia.

Last night when I also couldn't sleep, I looked up some information on monochorionic diamniotic twins. Monochorionic means that the babies share a placenta. This means they are identical. Diamniotic means they each have their own amniotic sac, which is what keeps them from having the possibility of the umbilical chord wrapping around them (which is a problem with monochorionic monamniotic) and it also means that the twins will not be conjoined, also a good thing to know. Of the different types of identical twins, the mono/di is the most common. Unfortunately, this is the type that has the highest incidence of Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS). It only happens in about 15% of the mono/di pregnancies. There is a 1 in 930 chance of getting TTTS in a given pregnancy.

The problem with TTTS, is that it has nothing to do with the babies. The babies are healthy, it's the placenta. Getting diagnosed before 25 weeks is more serious (and I'm at 19 weeks) because the babies cannot be delivered this early. There are different ways that they try to treat TTTS, but I haven't really been able to understand what exactly it is that they do. I do know that one treatment is laser surgery, but I don't know what that entails.

Our appointment today is a screening to determine if this is what the problem is. It could be that the babies are just two different sizes. I try to remind myself to think on the positive side, but I don't want to be all sunshiney and then have the worst-case scenerio happen and not be prepared for it. I figure if I research everything, good and bad, then I won't be surprised. If I know all about the bad and am ready for it, and we get good news, I'll be that much happier.

If anyone is interested in this subject, you should check out the TTTS Foundation. It has a lot of good information. Ok, off to try to take a nap. *yawn* Keep our family in your thoughts throughout the day please.

Stephanie, Ricky, Emma & Olivia

Monday, March 19, 2007

I Assure You We're Open

I feel like poo.

Britney Marie

Friday, March 16, 2007

Emma & Olivia Update *Very Important*

Ricky and I got some unsettling news today on the phone. Edie, the nurse at my OB, called us today. She just recieved the ultrasound photos from radiology that we had taken at our last appointment. Edie told us that our babies are monochorionic diamniotic, which she says means that they are sharing a placenta and amniotic sac. (Though I was under the impression that di- meant two, so there is a bit of confusion there) Anyways, this means that our babies are most likely identical. We were also told that Baby A is taking the nutrients away from Baby B, which is why Baby B is smaller than Baby A. Right now there isn't much of a difference in their size (Baby A is 7ounces and Baby B is 6ounces) but this could get worse over time. I have been referred to a maternal specialist and have our first apointment this Thursday. I've also been termed "high risk of the high risk" so I can't do much at the moment. Edie also said that it is most likely that we'll have to deliver early and it will most likely be a c-section. I could deliver as early as 24 weeks, which is a month and a half away (I'm at 18 weeks now). I am terrified. I have this overwhelming feeling that I'm killing my babies!!! But I'm doing all that I can.

Unfortunately I've had to cancel my FOB concert with Deidre. I feel terrible. I was looking forward to that SO much!!

I hate this.

Stephanie

Monday, March 12, 2007

Little Did He Know...

Yesterday we got two cribs put together and the changing table / dresser put together. We were working on the armoir (sp?) and they forgot to give us the second box that goes with it. We only had half the pieces! So, we gave up and watched "Stranger Than Fiction". This morning Mom and I are going to go attempt to pick up the second box so we can get the armoir together and then we're going to do some other running around.

Britney Marie

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

And Now What We've All Been Waiting For...

Two girls. Emma Leigh & Olivia Jayne. Pictures to come later.

Stephanie & Ricky

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

You Know I Have Stress Induced Dyslexia Dr. Oslek...

Have you ever been told you have to drink a quart of water and not go to the bathroom until after at least 2:30pm? Well, I can tell you...all you want to do is go to the bathroom. This sucks.

In case you're wondering, in order to find out what we're having I have to have a full bladder. Why, I don't know. But them's the rules. So, I have to finish off two and a half more water bottles before 1:30pm, go to the doctor for my 2:30pm appointment and then have a radiologist press down on my abdomen with the ultrasound wand. I really hope my bladder holds.

T-minus 1 hour and 55 minutes and counting until we find out what we're having.

Britney Marie

Monday, March 5, 2007

How Many Cups Of Sugar Does It Take To Get To The Moon?

It's 5:16am and I am awake. The weekend flew by way too fast. I can't believe how fast everything seems to be going by lately. 17 weeks pregnant already. There's just 5 months left. And that does not seem like very long at all! Hopefully we'll be getting the baby furniture in the next few weeks and can start on the nursery. Right now we have all of our junk piled in there. We're planning on having a yard sale at Ricky's parent's house the first weekend in April. After that and giving Mom stuff to keep in her attic we'll have the room cleaned out.

I can hardly wait until Wednesday. Even though I have to have my blood taken I can't wait. So far, the consensus on what we're having seems to be mostly boy/girl with girl/girl not far behind. Boy/boy has only been mentioned three times. My dad was one of them. He said we're going to have "left-handed identical boys"! My stepdad says identical girls. Almost everyone else says fraternal.

Guess what the bestest best friend in the whole world got me?? A 6foot by 4foot poster of Fall Out Boy. Ricky said we can put it in the living room. It's not going to be fun to frame, but it's going to be awesome!!! Deidre has one too, I don't think her husband is going to let her put it in the living room though.

Britney Marie

Sunday, March 4, 2007

You Must Smell Like Feet Wrapped In Leathery Burnt Bacon!

Well, it's offical. The babies like to kick me. I've been feeling it like crazy since yesterday. Ricky can't feel it yet, but hopefully he'll be able to soon. Also, we have an appointment set for Wednesday to find out what we're having. Apparently we have to go to Radiology to get them to tell us because our doctor can't tell us by his sonogram. I was really looking forward to finding out last Thursday.

They did do a really quick sonogram and we got to see the babies. Our doctor says that they look great. We couldn't ask for better babies! We got to see spines, rib cages and their faces. Well, at least Ricky did...from the angle I was sitting I couldn't really see. Ricky seemed really excited!

Oh, it was so funny last night. Ricky and I were sitting on the couch watching Law and Order: SVU and he leans over my belly and whispers, "Kick her." And not 5 seconds later I felt it! He did it twice. I don't think I like them listening to him.

Britney Marie

Friday, March 2, 2007

What The Hell Is An Aluminium Falcon???

I agree with what my friend Jessica said in her LiveJournal. You should be able to get a restraining order against stupid people. That is all.

Britney Marie