Beautiful Babies!

Our little "bunny". Mikayla likes to sleep like this. It's pretty cute.
Mikayla wearing her "Daddy makes me smile" shirt, since Daddy has been sick and not been able to be around her.

Going home from the hospital! Little Caleb still needs a bit more time in the NICU to learn how to feed better.

Our little Caleb. I feel so bad he has to have all those tubes in him. It's hard to have a baby in the NICU. It really makes you feel guilty as a mother.

Baby Caleb. We are doing skin-to-skin. He loves it.

Mikayla coming home from hospital.

Coming home from hospital again.

Little Caleb all stretched out in the NICU. The nurses all love him to death. He is very responsive and has very cute expressions. He currently is doing better with feeding.

Little Mikayla Grace with her wolf from her daddy since he hasn't been able to be around her much. He is almost better though!!

The Day That Would Never Come!!!

Mikayla Grace (in the pink hat) & Caleb Michael (blue hat)

Well, the day has finally come. After months of bed-rest, nausea, cramps, swelling, ER trips, etc..., little Mikayla and even littler Caleb were born on September 6th 2009 at 5:41 and 5:42 PM respectively. There were born at 36.1 weeks gestational age.

Mikayla

Mikayla came in at 5 lbs. 5 oz. and 18 inches long. She is doing great down in the nursery, healthy and strong. She has a wonderfully cute scowl that she came out with. She's small but doing great so far. Bottom line is that she is perfect and amazing.

Caleb

Caleb is a small little one at 4 lbs. 9 oz and 16.5 inches long. He is up in the NICU right now because his blood sugar levels are low (which is common for premature babies), but everything else is fine. Like his sister, he is amazingly and perfectly wonderful and beautiful.

A proud Dad

I HATE DOCTORS!!!

Here is my belly at 35 weeks 3 days (Sept.1st). It is huge. I currently hate my doctors....and my body for not going into labor. My doctors said the earliest they'd induce me is September 9th after amniocentesis to determine lung development. This is still 8 days away. I know it seems like nothing to most people...and like it's such a short time...but honestly it is NOT. I am so miserable it is not even funny. The babies are so heavy. My back aches. Oh yeah, and not to mention the bladder infections I keep getting....which I'm finally on a maintenance dose of antibiotics for. (Earlier I had one and 4 days later I got another one. I've never had one in my life, but I figure the babies are just sitting on everything down there always, causing it to get infected.). But the main reason I hate my doctors is they do not understand how miserable I am. My one doctor was in favor of the amniocentesis, but only at 36 weeks. The perinatologist said he was not in favor and wanted to know my reasoning for it....me being COMPLETELY MISERABLE was just not enough for him. (I wish a HUGE case of MY pregnancy on him in the next life or something...then he'd realize why he should have induced me like 3 months ago.) Mike and I are just praying the babies lungs will be okay so I can be delivered. The day they'd tentatively be born is 09/09/09...kinda interesting. (It's better than September 11th though.) I still have no clue how I'm going to make it through one more week. It continues to get more difficult every day.
My side profile at 35 weeks 3 days. I don't wish a twin pregnancy on anybody. By the way, as of last Tuesday, Baby A is 4 lbs 13 ounces and Baby B is 4 lbs 11 ounces (plus or minus a few ounces). I'm sure they're in the 5 pound range now that it's one week later.
James, Tira, and Annette babysitting me while Mike is at school. (Preparing meals makes me nauseas. Coupled with no energy, this requires me to be babysat. Yes, I am 23 years old. Obviously, INDEPENDENT me, has had to learn to let people help her....actually I've had to learn that this whole entire pregnancy. I am ever so greatful for everyone's help though.) FYI the movie in the background is Stardust.

Little Tira wanting her picture taken. James and she want to name our babies "Lion" and "Leopard" after their stuffed animals. They also like "Cookie" and "Froggy".

Tira's Tinkerbell Hair-do. She loves it and wanted a picture taken of it.

This reminds me of me. I used to curl up in the blankets to be warm and comfortable. Mike would say I was sitting on my "Rock nest" like a penguin incubating its eggs. Just thought it was funny that Tira does it too.

LIfe couldn't be more MISERABLE!

So, one would think I couldn't get any bigger....or would be delivered by now...but of course my luck is always horrible! This is a side profile of 34 weeks 5 days. I'm finally in the clear if I do go into labor...the doctors will actually let me. The problem is my body won't for some reason. I currently have constant contractions which start to become regular and very painful for a few hours, and then they just stop altogether. My feet and legs are swollen to the max. I can barely stand on them to get up to go to the bathroom. I have these horrible hormones which create awful hot flashes, which sends a feeling comparable to ucky puss surging throughout your body. This also causes me to feel incredibly nauseus. I still have barely any stomach capacity too. I eat like 4 bites of rice and I'm full. It's awful. This increases my feelings of blacking out and extreme fatigue. I'm also starting to look transparent. My veins are sticking out all over my chest and upper stomach, where the fat has been sucked off my body. Honestly, if there was ever a time I wish I were 400 pounds, that time is now. Then I'd at least have energy reserves...cuz that's what fat is.
Here is the front profile at 34 weeks 5 days. I still wear Mike's clothes. The stretch marks have turned into one red mass. My skin on my belly is shiny and stings to high heaven when it stretches. I'm still surprised it hasn't burst open yet. It sure feels like it will.

Side profile at 33 weeks 4 days. No fun.

Front profile at 33 weeks 4 days.

My sweety buns with long hair. School just started and so we took a picture prior to it getting cut by my sister. (FYI This pregnancy has been so awful and Mike has stood by me throughout every minute of it. I love him so dearly! He is the best husband in the world!)

Annette and Mike after the hair-cut. Mike is oh so handsome!

Watermelon Belly

Just thought we'd post a few pics showing what a mommy pregnant with twins can expect....

#1 Watermelon Belly: These stretch marks erupted overnight...no joke either.
#2: Closer view of the ugly stretch marks needing constant lotioning to aleviate the pain, stinging, and itchiness. (32 weeks here- compare to last blog only one week ago)

#3: Side profile of creeping stretch marks and low hanging belly. Thank goodness I can still manage to eat some things. I actually lost 1 lb these past two weeks, but apparently the babies are still growing which is good! (As of late I've only been able to consume about 1200 calories per day due to no stomach capacity. This adds to the light-headedness and feelings of blacking out quite often. Once again, it confines me to my bed).

#4: Endless bedrest with mounds of pillows: Somehow a pregnant woman has to get some sleep. Mike and I have figured out a way.... the high pillows help alleviate acid reflux and allow for comfort and easier positioning while sleeping.

Anyways, just thought we'd scare all you new moms with such fun things to look forward to. (Of course though, my pregnancy has been one of a kind.) We are currently 32 weeks and are hoping to make it to 34 weeks somehow. I just hope my stretch marks won't burst open....

31 Weeks and counting...

This is a belly pregnant with twins at 31 weeks 1 day...a sight all women can look forward to if they want to have twins. Obviously, throughout this pregnancy, I have learned that my body was not meant to have two babies in me...but somehow it is working out. We just finished getting my 2nd Betamethasone shot from the hospital. (To enhance the babies' lung development). I have been regularly having contractions every day and have to take Nifedipine to stop them. The side effects of which are not very fun: dizziness, headache, and oh yeah more nausea. Yes, that thing in the middle is my belly button. My friend Kimchee looked aghast when she saw it and wondered what the heck it was.
This is a side profile of my belly at 31 weeks 1 day. Lovely stretch marks.

This is me at 29 weeks...just barely starting to get stretch marks. (And yes, I tend to wear this outfit a lot).

Another side profile to show my stretch marks on the other side (29 weeks). This pregnancy has been a horrible one. I just recently was released from the hospital for hard core nausea. I had to see a GI specialist and get blood work done. Lucky for me I got 4 hours of sleep (due to my IV pole beeping constantly) and my IV site got all red, inflamed and swollen. Of course, the nurse then decided to reinsert another IV in which she was unsuccessful and just caused me immense pain. (This was Friday, July 31st and Saturday, August 1st). Sunday, I went in to the hospital for painful contractions only to learn I had a small bladder infection as well. I now take Amoxicillin (antibiotic), Nifedipine (uterine relaxant), Prevacid (antiacid for heart burn), Unisom (for nausea), and Phenergan (for break-through nausea) on a daily basis. I hate drugs as it is...and dealing with all the wonderful side effects of more nausea and dizziness is no fun either.

Anyways, I should stop complaining. It has been a horrible pregancy. One I did not ever imagine could be possible. Occasionally I am blessed with one good day, and then have to deal with several awful days of nausea and trying to cope with life, while wishing this pregnancy was over. Of course though, my OBGYN says if my water does break early, they will keep me in the hospital until 34 weeks anyways while giving me bigger drugs to stop the contractions. Such is my life lately. I just cannot wait until this is over. It is horrible!

I am ever so greatful for my perfect husband, Mike, who has stood by me through it all. He has helped me immensely through every hard time. We call him my "built-in nurse." I am so greatful for him and all he does to help me. We are also greatful to all of you who keep us in your prayers and have served us in so many ways. Thank you so much. We are ever so greatful.

7 Months and Counting...

4th of July...I finally got ready, minus the makeup.

We spent that day at Mom and Dad Williams house. That night we went to the park and watched fireworks from our car window. I am 26 weeks 5 days here.

Sunday, July 5th. I am 26 weeks 6 days here. Wow...I got ready again. The belly is getting bigger!

27 Weeks. Notice some stretch marks finally appearing on my left side. My appendix scar has stretched to like 3 or 4 inches too (It used to be 1 inch long and pretty hard to notice.)


27 Weeks 5 days. This is our little girl. Both babies weighed in at about 2 lbs 10 oz. Her heart rate was 148 bpm. She is head down...still right on top of my bladder. The arrow on this pic is next to her nose (just in case you have a hard time seeing what is what).

Here is Baby B, our little boy. You can see his brain quite nicely here. The arrow is by his nose. His heart rate was 152 bpm. Our goal now is to make it to 32 weeks. This is the next big hurdle! We are anxious to get them here! Thank you again everyone for your help, love, support, and prayers. We are so greatful!