Colton starting to crawl and testing the girls new stuff out!

Check out this video of our precious little nephew Colton...he is just the happiest lil baby and can always put a smile on anyones face! Love him to pieces!!!

Growth Scans at 24 Weeks 1 Day

Today we had our 24 week growth scans and the girls are growing!!! They both wieghed in at 1 lb and 10 ounces which puts them in the 62nd percentile and measuring a couple days ahead...holy cow how is that possible?! It's awesome that they are doing so well, but to be honest I was shocked at their stats for sure considering there is two and have you seen their momma?! Guess it makes sense as to why this belly is so big and I am getting more and more uncomfy. Just so happy and praising the Lord that they are both growing right on track and everything looks awesome!!! Baby A is still head down and pretty much in the same position as last time just bigger and Baby B is still transverse which basically means laying flat across my body...her head is now on the right side though so both their lil heads are right next to each other (however during the ultrasound baby a was sticking her lil butt in baby b's face it was quite funny). At least now Baby A can't kick her sister in the head, but now they can punch each other though or maybe they are being sweet and kissing on each other...although considering it feels like a wrestling match in their at times I'm guessing its more like punching each other with love ;)

We were back at our regular OB today so the quality of the ultrasound was not quite as clear as Duke and no 3D/4D either, but all that really matters is how the girls are and they are doing great!!! They also checked my cervix length again and it is still looking closed and the length although a little shorter than last week was still above where they want it. So that is great! Below are the ultrasound pictures from today.

Profile of both girls

Face of both girls

Baby A Face



Baby A Face and belly



Baby B Face

Baby A Profile

Baby B Yawning

Baby B Face

Baby B Profile

24 Weeks Stats

How your baby's growing according to Babycenter.com:

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

24 Weeks Twins Fetal Development index

Tomorrow we go for our 24 week ultrasound growth scan to see how the girls are growing and make sure that they are right on target and devloping properly! The last ultrasound the girls were not positioned anything like the above picture of twins in the womb at 24 weeks so I am interested in seeing if anything has changed or if they are still all over the place...I know from the way that I look and how high my big belly is that it seems as if Baby Girl B is still laying across my entire body above my belly button...not to mention the way that I am still feeling them as they kick, punch, flip, and all the other karate moves they are performing (yes I am already feeling one in my ribs but only on the right so far)!!! I still am amazed at how I can tell the difference in them moving and kicking...so cool!!! Anyhow, I hope to post some new pictures asap...in the meantime please continue to pray for their growth and development and these contractions to continue to slooooooowwww down!!! Thank you all!!!

Look at what a difference 3 weeks makes!

So there are only so many clothes that I can wear these days and I just happened to take pictures in the same exact outfit exactly 3 weeks apart. The pictures on the left are 20 weeks 5 days and the pictures on the right are 23 weeks 5 days. Can you tell a difference????????? Woa is all I can say!

Answered Prayers

Since all the contractions began and everything that came along with it like all the labor checks at the dr or hospital and all the bedrest...I have been stressing over my job to say the least and what to do. After lots and lots of prayers and going back and forth with my Dr's and what they felt best and with my work...a week and a half wortth of a very loooong story short I got a surprise phone call yesterday from my two bosses and hr. At first I was freaked out when I knew they were on a conference call and of course I thought the worst, but to my complete surprise they were calling with a fantastic offer. The offer was to transition me into a position that I will be able to do from home two days a week and then I will be on short term disabilty for the rest of the time. They asked how I felt about this and I was like...jumping for joy (on the inside of course) this is awesome!!! One of my bosses then said I can tell from the calls and emails that you are really stressed about work and we want you to know that we want what is best for you and your family and you don't need to stress over your job at all...what an awesome thing to hear and a ginormous relief! The last thing I needed was to be so stressed, but considering we have twins on the way of course I was worried about my job! God knew exactly what was best for us all and He made the decision that we were having a hard time with!!! Now that so much stress and anxiety has been lifted and I can truly just take it easy maybe these contractions will stay calmed down...fingers crossed! Thank the Lord for answered prayers and all those that were praying along with us!!!

PTL!!!

Friday afternoon I had to go back into the Dr after having contractions alllll day long and they decided to run a fetal fibronectin test. This is a test usually done later in pregnancy to predict if there is evidence of going into labor in the next two weeks, however they wanted to rule this possibility out now in order to determine if the contractions were something to truly be concerned about. I went back to the Dr Monday and....the test came back negative and the girls heartbeats sounded great and as usual they were squirming all around!!! Praise the Lord!!! I seem to have a very overactive uterus that is aggrivated super easy by anything! So for the next two weeks they are like 97% (or something like that) sure that I will not be going into labor!!! Such a HUGE answer to prayers so thank you all! From now on it looks like they will be performing this test every two weeks just to be on the safe side. Thankfully since this came back negative I am off strict bedrest and I don't have to start any more daily meds to prevent the contractions WOOHOO!!! However, I have to continue to take it easy and when I am having contractions I have to lay down on my left side and rest and all that good stuff and if its more than six in an hour I still have to call the Dr to let them know...after this weekend I have pretty much learned what I can and cannot do before they come on really strong. Basically I am going to be pretty lazy until these girls get here as it seems any activity is bringing them on, but hey that is ok because I am working hard gestating these precious miracles and I refuse to do anything that could put them in any danger whatsoever! Some of the contractions are literally taking my breath away and causing a lot of cramping already...but I think they scare us more than anything right now and we just want them to stop and if I have to stay in bed or even lay upside down on my head to prevent them I will do it to keep Carl and my anxiety level down alone (and of course for the safety of the girls). Not to mention I am over having to go into the Dr or hospital and being poked and prodded so if I can prevent that as well I will! Thankfully I have an awesome husband who is not letting me do anything and taking incredible care of us...plus we have awesome family and friends helping out as well and I thank each of you from the bottom of my heart! We appreciate the continued prayers and support and will keep you posted! We go back next Tuesday for another growth scan ultrasound of the girls...can't wait to see how much has changed and they have grown and continuing to pray for their health and growth!!!

23 Weeks Stats

How your baby's growing according to Babycenter.com:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

23 weeks: Baby is the size of a large mangoYour baby weighs about as much as a large mango -- just over a pound. (Length: more than 11 inches.)

  Tipping the scales at over a pound now, your baby is gaining that much needed fat and has grown to almost 11.5 inches in length, about the size of a large mango, but resembling a small doll.

Last week when the contractions started getting bad we began to notice that you can see the girls moving around now...its sooooo cool!!!  Love you girls!!!

 

Oh Bedrest...

Having a tough time with the bedrest today...today is a special day for a friend that I had been looking very forward to...her baby shower! I literally cried with tears of joy when I received the invite in the mail just knowing how far she has come and what this all means to her! This incredible mom to be has been such an amazing support to me throughout our journey and I wanted to be there to support her on such a special day that means so much to her. But I know that I have to do whats best for my precious little girls and that she completely understands plus I don't want to be on permanent bedrest yet so I am not gonna push it. I know that Kristen (http://www.ohhappymiracle.com/ ) and Eliana are getting spoiled with love and gifts right now as I type and I am just so overjoyed for her and her family! Can't wait to catch up and hear all about the shower and see some pictures!!!

Much needed laugh of the day

Thanks for sharing this with me and for the much needed laugh today Cynthia! We already get most of these questions already and can only imagine how its gonna be when the girls are here!

Enjoy the following from YouTube:

For those of you who are curious, here’s a brief primer on twins:
1.) Boy/girl twins can not be identical. Ever. Think penis and vagina.
2.) If you see a middle class woman over 35 with twins there is a very good chance she went through fertility treatments. It is still none of your business.
3.) Things that can cause you to have twins: fertility treatments, a history of twins in your family, advance maternal age, chance/fate/God/nothing.
4.) Unless you want to float one of your babies down the river, you do it because you have no choice. And, yes, you could do it, because you too would have no choice.
There, now we can be friends.
Video courtesy of the awesome Mompetition.

This past weekend I started having a lot of contractions. I have had random ones here and there but my Dr's office said it was normal with multiple pregnancies, but if I had six in an hour I needed to call them. By Sunday evening they were pretty constant so I called the Dr first thing Monday morning. I went in and they checked me out and everything seemed to be just fine with the babies so he put me on 48 hours of an NSAID to see if that would slow things down. I went in to work Tuesday and had a few throughout the day but nothing constant. Wednesday I worked from home so I was able to stay in bed all day working on the computer and resting my body...I had contractions throughout the day and they seemed to get worse and worse as the day went on. By 8 last night they were pretty intense and I had 4 bad ones in less than 30 minutes and ended up having 8 in an hour. They were taking my breath away and hurting pretty bad so I called the oncall Dr and she wanted me to go to the hospital...I was a lil hesitant and she said she would give me an hour and to continue to lay on my left side drinking plenty of fluids and timing everything. Within 45 mintues I had 7 more intense ones so I called her back and she said "go to the hospital". So in we went...they were expecting me so as soon as we got there they got me into a room checked my cervix (which was fine) and hooked me up to all the monitors...two for each babies heart beat and one for contractions. It took them forever to find baby a's heart beat because they were both squirming around sooooo much from all the excitement, but they finally got both of them on the monitors at the same time and they sounded great! While they were trying to find the heartbeats I had a couple contractions, but by the time she got what she needed and turned the contraction monitor to the right place it traced only one contraction in like 20 minutes. Of course this is exactly what I knew would happen and why I was hesitant to come in in the first place. So the Dr was like this is great news...everything seems ok...we will have you finish the bag of IV and you should be able to go home in the next 45 minutes. We were happy to hear this, but I was a little worried because of how intense things had been and I knew once we left that things would most likely get worse again. However, as soon as she said that and left the room...BOOM 5 strong contractions hit immediately. Carl was watching them on the monitor and telling me how strong and long they were...of course I could feel them so I knew this already but I think it helped him to be able to see that. So the Dr came back in and had the nurse give me a shot of Terbutaline to try and stop the contractions all together. They warned me it was going to make me jittery and my heart go crazy...wow they were not kidding...it was crazy how it made me feel, but hey if this was gonna help then keep it coming! After the shot they monitored me for a while and were pleased with how they had slowed down...they did one more internal exam as well which she was pleased with so the Dr said we can keep you here or you can go home to your own bed and monitor yourself. Considering things seemed much better and Carl had a super long day ahead at work I chose my bed...not to mention how uncomfy the hospital bed was! So we were sent home with a list of 13 preterm labor discharge instructions...the hardest which is the strictest bedrest there is...I only have bathroom privileges! But like I've said before...if I have to lay on my head with my feet in the air till its time then I will do it...ANYTHING for my precious girls! We got home around 3ish and I got no sleep due to my heart still beating so fast plus using the bathroom every 20 minutes from all the fluids from the IV. After Carl left for work this morning I finally was able to get a lil rest. I feel so bad for him though...he barely got any sleep either and has a super long day at work and then his first soccer game tonight and taking care of us in between it all...praying he has the energy for all of it! For now I am continuing to monitor/time the contractions...thankfully they are a lot less today and hoping that continues. I know its common with multiple pregnancies to have preterm labor however its still very scary...but we are comforted knowing God is in control and has a plan!!! Please continue to pray for us and that the bedrest and meds will do the trick! Thank you guys!!!

We are so blessed with such amazing family and friends in our lives!!! I feel like everyday somebody wonderful in our lives is offering us more and more baby stuff or giving us baby gifts! Its amazing how much love there already is for these precious little miracles! I know thank you does not say enough, but truly from the bottom of all four of our hearts THANK YOU!!! I feel like I don't say it enough and sometimes with the forgetfullness that has taken over my life I know there are times when I have probably not even thanked some of you so please forgive me and know how much we appreciate every single thing. So for anyone that has passed on clothes (you should see the amounts of clothes these little girls already have...from newborn to 3 months they already have more clothes than days...and I can't wait to dress them in these cute lil outfits), toys, furniture, etc, or given us gifts for the girls, dinners, and taken amazing maternity pictures, and most imortantly supported us with your prayers, love, and support...THANK YOU and we LOVE you!!! Y'all are the best!!!

22 Week Stats

How your baby's growing at 22 weeks (according to Babycenter.com):

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

22 weeks: Baby is as long as a spaghetti squashYour baby has stretched to the size of a spaghetti squash and weighs almost a pound. (Length: nearly 11 inches.)

Wow my lil ones...you are getting so big!!! I use to love eating spaghetti squash (a friend introduced me to it a while ago and if you have not tried it it really is good), but when Carl asked if I wanted some for dinner I was a lil hesitant cause you two are all I could think about...I know I'll get over it tho soon enough as you get bigger and bigger. Just makes me so excited that you are growing and developing right on track! Woohoo!!!
XOXO, mom and dad

Video of Stats from Duke Appointment

In your daddy's words...BEST appointment yet!!! PTL!!!!!

Today was AMAZING!!! We arrived at Duke this morning and were taken back to one of their awesome rooms and the ultrasound began. The girls have GROWN and moved quite a bit. Baby A is head down and now more on my left. She is measuring at 22 weeks 2 days and weighs 1 lb 1 ounce and everything about her looks great! Baby B is above my belly button spread all the way across my big belly...her head is on the left and feet on the right which makes perfect sense with the way I feel them kick and punch. Its kind of funny cause the way Baby A is her feet are right at Baby B's head so it looked like she was kicking her in the head almost...the sacks prevent her from truly kicking her but it really does look like she is. Baby B is measuring at 21 weeks 4 days (which is exactly what I am today) and weighs 15 ounces (a teeny bit shy of a pound). They said Baby A is typically bigger so this was great. And everything about Baby B looked great as well. Baby A's heart rate was 151 and Baby B's heart rate was 153. Super close and all wonderful! The Dr reviewed all the scans and then came in to speak with us and take a quick look himself. He said everything is looking awesome and seemed very pleased!!! We go back for a OB follow up next Wednesday and then start growth scans from there. We are just beyond thrilled and feeling extremely blessed!!! Thank you for all of your prayers and please keep them coming! God is so good and we are so blessed!!!!!!

We also got a bit of a surprise today...no the sex has not changed...they did check to make sure though ;) But the ultrasound tech switched the ultrasound to 4D!!! The first time she did it with BGA she was not cooperating so she went on and did all the measurements for BGB and surprisingly she was not cooperating for the 4D either so she went back to BGA...and as you will see below she gave us a lil show... she kept putting her lil hand on her forehead...soooo cute and too cool!!! It was the most incredible thing we have seen!!! She is gonna be my lil model...perfect for me and my love of pictures/photography!!! I think she has Carls nose for sure...in my opinion she is absolutely precious! It is so amazing what technology can do...thank you whoever came up with this! The tech tried to go back to BGB, but she was face down and NOT trying to be bothered by a photoshoot...She already seems to be the stubborn one every time we have an ultrasound...not to mention the most active lil one always doing acrobatics and squirming all around making it difficult for them to get a good look at what they need. I can't wait to see if her personality matches when she is here. In fact after the tech finished and was sending the stuff to the Dr BGB seemed to throw a lil temper tantrum in my belly kicking and punching and squirming all around...hey you are the one that didn't wanna cooperate for the ultrasound no need to take it out on me...oh well at least your daddy enjoyed feeling the tantrum! Anyhow, we were just thankful to be able to see at least one of them that way. Maybe next time we will get lucky and have an awesome tech that will try again because we were very blessed by her today cause we could not have afforded to do this on our own! So enjoy the pictures below...there are a couple normal ultrasound pictures of both of their faces and BGA profile...and then the 4D ultrasound pictures of BGA!!! (They didn't scan very well but you will get the idea)

Baby Girl A Face, Body, Hand, Leg



Baby Girl A Profile



Baby Girl B Face

Baby Girl B Face and Body

Baby Girl A 4 D With Open Hand on Face

Baby Girl A 4 D with Closed Hand/Fist on Face

Baby Girl A 4D

Baby Girl A 4 D

Baby Girl A 4D





YEA!!!!

Called my Doctors office and drum roll please.........I PASSED...no gestational diabetes for now!!! I will still have to repeat the test around the normal time of 26 to 28 weeks but for now we are good to go! Went through all that to pass!!! Thank you all for your prayers and remember we go to Duke tomorrow for a high level ultrasound! We would appreciate prayers for two healthy growing/developing babies and a helathy momma (and daddy of course)! Thank you guys!!! Y'all are the best!!!

2 Lil Carrots

How your baby's growing 21 weeks:

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

21 weeks: Baby is as long as a carrotYour baby -- currently the length of a carrot -- weighs about 3/4 of a pound. (Length: 10 1/2 inches, head to heel.) (According to babycenter.com)

Yep Martial Arts sounds about right...its sooooo cool though! Carl still oohs and ahhs every time he feels them and it is just the cutest lil thing and always puts a big smile on my face...I LOVE it! I can totally tell the difference in them too and as of now Baby Girl B is the gymnast of the two and Baby Girl A is more relaxed and chill...guess we will see how things change and if their personalities match once they are here?!?! Love you lil Carrots and can't wait to see you this Friday on the big ultrasound!!! Love, Mom and Dad XOXO

I survived!!!

I had my 3 hour test for gestational diabetes this morning and I survived it. I swear though it definitely felt like some form of cruelty...its just not right to make a pregnant woman fast for 11+ hours (its insane), on top of that you have your blood drawn 4 times (3 of the 4 times it took at least 2 different people sticking me because I was so dehydrated they couldn't get any blood and had to dig around in my veins) and they make you just sit in an uncomfortable waiting room the entire 3 and a half hours you have to be there...they have got to come up with a better solution and way to do things for sure!!! Oh well its over and my wonderful hubby was in the parking lot waiting with food for me...he is so good to us! Now we just wait a couple days for the results...please pray for no gestational diabetes and a great appointment with Duke on Friday!!!

Duke Ultrasound Pictures

Here are the level 2 ultrasound pictures from our first appointment at Duke on February 10...17 weeks 3 days *if you look in the top left corner they each have a description of what you are looking at* 

2nd Trimester Pictures by Tonya Mae Photography

What a week...

This past week has been so up and down to say the least...Sunday started with a beautiful baptism for our precious niece Reagan and celebrating some birthdays with the family that night and we got to spend some time with family we don't get to see too often which was great! Then Wednesday morning we had a good Dr's appointment and saw 2 healthy lil heart beats and then I started physical therapy again which I soooo need and really think is going to be a great thing (I'll go into more detail in a later post about this).

After pt we switched gears and headed to a funeral...a good friend of ours mom passed away...it was a beautiful service but always hard to see those you care for and love going through something that is so tough that you can't really do anything for other than be there to support them.

Then comes Thursday March 3...March 3 is always a tough one for us. One of our best friends passed away on March 3, 2000. Of course the anniversary of any loved ones death is extremely tough especially this one for us. I literally remember every single detail from that dreaded week back in 2000 and even this pregnancy brain can't change that...this is one thing I may be ok with the pregger brain erasing some of the details but that is not the case...gosh I miss Macy but praise the Lord for the time we did have together and the blessing she was.

Switching gears again...March 3 is also my father in laws birthday...so its a happy day at the same time...my father in law is awesome and without him I would not be married to my amazing husband so of course we want to celebrate for him!

Last night was also our last multiples birthing class...this was bitter sweet. It was a great last class and I will write more about the whole course later on.

When we got home last night I crawled into bed and realized my phone was still on silent from class and when I looked at it I had a missed call at 10pm...it was my aunt. Everyone knows I am usually asleep by 9 so I knew something was up. I called her back and Aunt Pam told me that our "Uncle John" had passed away. It did not come as a complete shock because he has been sick for a while, but that does not really make it any easier to deal with a loved ones death. Not the way I planned on ending the night last night to say the least...especially on the anniversary of another loved ones death. My heart and prayers are with all of the Castranio's, Mooney's, and my family etc...RIP John Castranio we love you!!!

Then first thing this morning I got a call from my Dr...I knew exactly why they were calling...yep you guessed it...I FAILED my first glucose test. I know that this is VERY common and the chances that I will fail the 3 hour test are pretty slim...however I am not looking forward to this 3 hour testing!!! Its not the sitting there or the drinks I have to consume...its the fasting for 8 hours prior and not eating still for the 3 hours I am there?!?! Don't these people realize how hard this is for a pregnant woman?! This is very cruel to do anyone let alone a starving 24 hour a day pregnant with twins woman! Just pray I pass the dreaded three hour test please :)

So as you can see this week has had many ups and downs to say the least...I am just so thankful for my faith and relationship with God to get us through the good and the bad. We are blessed to have known these amazing people that we miss when they are gone, blessed to celebrate birthdays and baptisms, good appointments, these two little girls growing in my belly, and all the blessings in our lives on a daily basis. Some days are going to be tougher than others to say the least, but thankfully I am surrounded by an amazing husband, amazing family and friends and above all a loving God who is always there with a plan and in control!!! I am praying for all those in my life going through an especially difficult time...including those situations not mentioned above. My heart and prayers are with you all and know how much we love you and are here always!!!

20 Week Appointment

Our appointnment went very well yesterday. Other than they did my blood work and my iron is very low...Ive been on meds for 6 weeks now that are not helping so they are going to switch me to something different to see if that helps. Dr said its very normal with twins so not to be worried...sure does explain a lot of my extreme exhaustion though aside from the obvious the nurse said when its this low its hard to function normally and I agree. But on a happy note...got to see the babies heart beats...Dr said they look great and are in the 150's. Overall he was very pleased. Next week I go to Duke for another High Level Ultrasound and then the following week we will start growth scans at my bi-weekly appointments!!! Looking very forward to getting to see the girls next week and then seeing how much they grow every other week! Wooohoooo!!! Praise the Lord for these two blessings and praying things continue to go well!!!

Thank you all for your emails, messages, and comments about the Pediatrician's! All very helpful and sooooo much to think about and consider so thank you for that!

Waiting on my blood glucose results...thinking positive thoughts and no 3 hour test and most importantly no Gestational Diabetes!!! Will keep you posted :)

Need suggestions

So we have to decide on a pediatrician and to be honest I don't even know where to start. Our Dr office recommened a couple, but how do you really know who to go with and what is best for your kids? If anyone has any suggestions on any good pediatricians in the Cary/Apex/Fuquay/Raleigh area please email me (tracib321@msn.com) or comment below. Any suggestions welcome and any advice as well is appreciated!!!

Gestational Diabetes Screening

Tomorrow I get to take my first Gestational Diabetes Screening. Normally this is done between 26-28 weeks, but because of me having PCOS among other things we will do it at our 20 week appointment. Sooooo hoping and praying that it comes back negative...I want to be as healthy as I can for the babies and really don't want to have to do the dreaded three hour testing or have to add any more health conditions to the list.

Then we get to meet with the Dr for a routine appointment...not really sure what we will be doing but I would LOVE to see the girls and how they are growing so we shall see. If not tomorrow we will see them next week at our follow up at Duke!

Please pray for a negative Gestational Diabetes Screening and a great report from the Dr!!! Thank you everyone!!! XOXO