The New Journey Begins

It has been an emotional last few days with passions in all directions. We had the shock of an unexpected delivery of the twins two weeks prior to the plan. There were some initial health concerns that seem to turn out not to be worries. However, as time progressed new worries set in.

Journey’s End…Sorta

So, roughly 24 hours ago, Kristina and I were at the final routine visit before the scheduled delivery of the twins on November 1. There had been a little excitement earlier in the day as Kristina was trying to decide whether an incident was simply some pregnancy-related incontinence or whether she may have had a sign her water might be about to break. With her first pregnancy there was a similar incident that occurred a few hours before her water broke.

Not Big Enough

So, we are beyond 34 weeks now and nothing is big enough.

A Letter To My Sons

Dear Grayson and Bennett:
 

There are only days remaining before I get to meet the two of you. This is a very exciting time for your mother and for me. We are nervous, eager and thrilled about your arrival.

Pick A Date

I set myself up for disappointment this week. I convinced myself that the doctor would tell us we needed to deliver a week or two earlier than planned, but that did not happen. We are still on the same target week, just one day different because of our change in choice for the delivery location.

Milestone 32

This week is somewhat of a magical milestone. It is the “last marker” before delivery, and what our doctor refers to as the safety point. Although, optimal is full term, twins rarely make it that far. However, at week 32, all the critical development is complete, and key abilities to survive outside the womb are in place.

No Work; A Lot Of Labor

Yesterday the doctor put Kristina on bed rest. “Modified bed rest” she likes to remind me. And in all fairness, the doctor gave a generally vague guideline for what should could and couldn’t do. I pushed for a weight limit (lifting, that is) but no specific number came from that conversation. But – at the end of it all – she was no longer permitted to stay at work. So, early maternity leave has begun.

The Big Three-O

It seems crazy that we are only a few weeks from delivery. A friend of Kristina's who had twins last year reminded us that she had already delivered by this point. Of course, hers spent some time in the NICU because they were so early, which we'd prefer to avoid, but Bennett and Grayson will come early if they choose to do so.

The 29-Week Visit

Today we visited the perinatal specialist for a routine ultrasound and check-up. The boys are healthy and fine. Grayson weighs 2 lbs 9 oz, and "little" Bennett came in at 3 lbs 2 oz. I jest about "little" Bennett because he was the morula and implanted about 24 hours after Grayson; however, he has made up for it now. Of course, who knows which will be bigger in eighteen years?

Third Trimester

Well, we are officially in the third trimester now. That being said, it is probably closer to only eight weeks before delivery. It's getting down to the wire; so, I guess I need to refer back to my checklist of things to get done.

Can't Believe It's 27 Weeks

Nothing significantly different has occurred since the last post except perhaps Kristina "waddles" a little more. I tried simulating her walk, but she just laughed at me because I can't arch my back and balance myself without bending my knees. My imitation looks more like a fiddler crab singing "I'm a Little Tea Pot." She's much better at being pregnant than I am.

Raffling Off Dates

At Kristina’s Baby Shower yesterday, there was some brief analysis of how long she will last before the twins arrive. Although I don’t think she heard me, I jested that I was going to start selling dates on the calendar in a betting pool.

Toni Braxton Visits

Ok, so the visit wasn't really from the singer-songwriter, Toni Braxton. Rather it was Braxton-Hicks, which does sound like a R&B-Country crossover.

Two Dozen Weeks

It was a much better and calmer week...until last night. Kristina just seems to collect quick-passing kidney stones. I suppose the quick-passing part is a blessing...and at least this one didn't land us in the hospital.

The 23 Enigma

Last week I mentioned stress coming down on us at this phase of the pregnancy. Many wished for us to have some relief. Well, it didn't come immediately as we were in the hospital last Saturday to treat the second kidney stone Kristina had developed.

Tick-Tock

It has been a stressful week. We had our one-year old SUV break down over the weekend and had to be with loaners for five days. Granted a loaner vehicle is better than no vehicle, but it did throw a curve in our routine. More details would be just complaining...

BlackJack

No, we're not in Vegas. But this does mark week 21.

Venti

We have reached the twentieth week of Kristina's pregnancy. I have too many thoughts, as well as too many distractions, to properly express what is going through my brain about the boys' development. We have classes we are taking to help us prepart. There are doctors visits o'plenty. And let's not forget nursery plans to complete.

Half The Way There

So tomorrow marks 19 weeks. This makes it officially the half-way milestone as the OB/GYN has stated she does not plan for Kristina to carry the boys beyond the 38th week.

17-week update

Today I am 17 weeks along, and you just can't even tell I'm pregnant (NOT!).  I have been feeling our boys move inside me for several weeks now, and am reminded with each movement that these are our two miracle babies.  I'm not going to lie, the idea of twin infants certainly scares me more than I can say, but at the same time, I am so looking forward to having twice the love, twice the hugs, twice the kisses, and twice the reward.  Kara couldn't be luckier to have to protectors for her :-)

All that being said, here is the physiological update from babycenter.com:


How your baby's growing:

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

The Revelation...

The short version of the story is we were surprised. At 12 weeks, we had an "early look" at the likely genders, but they told us not to hold these answers. Well, of course, we started planning around that information. However, on Friday, we got a much clearer picture of things to come. We took some time to discuss the impact of the change and even have names now that we are ready to go public with this news!

105 Days (Fifteen Weeks)

Considering the weather over the past two weeks here in Oklahoma, I am glad to give an update on the twins development. We all could probably use some happy news. By the way, we have another ultrasound next week, where we will likely confirm the genders.

Fourteen Weeks

Big developments as the second trimester begins:

End of the First Trimester

The timing of our posts have not been quite what we expected. What I mean by that is the due date, and thereby how far along, has shifted by a day or day as we progress. First it was moved forward, then moved back a day. We were trying to post the new-week update on the precise day. However, we've given up on that kind of precision.

A Dozen Weeks Now

We are nearing the end of the first trimester. It's hard to believe we're about to hit such a milestone. It seems like it was merely yesterday we were having the embryos transferred. It won't be long before the twins are here (on the outside).

11 Weeks Along

We are now eleven weeks along in the pregnancy. The most exciting news noticeable is we have stopped with the progesterone shots. Kristina and I both are pleased that phase is over. We despised this necessary evil.

Ten Weeks Pregnant!

So, this week our Dos Amigos have fingernails and peachfuzz hair. Also, they are no loner considered embryos, but are now classified as fetuses. They have developed enough, we will stop the progesterone shots in only a few more days! Here is the description from BabyCenter.com:

At 9 Weeks

Since the doctor officially moved the due date, we can update the progress a little early. Kristina is technically 9 weeks pregnant with the twins now. In that light, below is the description of development from BabyCenter.com

At 8 Weeks

New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your baby's hands and feet, his eyelids practically cover his eyes, breathing tubes extend from his throat to the branches of his developing lungs, and his "tail" is just about gone. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. The baby — about the size of a kidney bean — is constantly moving and shifting, though you still can't feel it.

At 7 weeks

Your baby is now about the size of a blueberry (and about 10,000 times bigger than he was at conception). Most of that growth is concentrated in the head as new brain cells are generated at the rate of 100 per minute. Your baby's mouth and tongue are forming as arm and leg buds sprout, and those little kidneys are getting ready to do their job.

Everything In Pairs

So, we joke that we do everything twice. We got engaged twice. I bought the ring twice. We set the same day twice. We went through in-vitro twice.

Blinded With Science

Oh the interesting details one learns when going through in-vitro. Some I probably shouldn’t reveal here; however, one piece of information I will share is about the due date. We all know “9 months” or “40 weeks,” but the truth is neither is chronologically accurate.

At 4 weeks! :-)

Taken from Babycenter.com, with a calculated due date of 11/21/13:

This week marks the beginning of the embryonic period. From now until 10 weeks, all of your baby's organs will begin to develop and some will even begin to function. As a result, this is the time when she'll be most vulnerable to anything that might interfere with her development.

Right now your baby is an embryo the size of a poppy seed, consisting of two layers: the epiblast and the hypoblast, from which all of her organs and body parts will develop.

The primitive placenta is also made up of two layers at this point. Its cells are tunneling into the lining of your uterus, creating spaces for your blood to flow so that the developed placenta will be able to provide nutrients and oxygen to your growing baby when it starts to function at the end of this week.

Also present now are the amniotic sac, which will house your baby; the amniotic fluid, which will cushion her as she grows; and the yolk sac, which produces your baby's red blood cells and helps deliver nutrients to her until the placenta has developed and is ready to take over this duty.

The Test Results

It has been a long process. We knew when we got married having a child together would present a challenge. After all, I had a vasectomy six years prior. When we learned the reversal surgery was not successful last summer, it seemed that challenge turned into a barricade. After our first cycle of IVF resulted only in a chemical pregnancy, that barricade brought questions about our belief of how the universe works.

Our Daily Regimen

So for those of you not in the know, this is what Dj gives me in my hip every night... I super-hate this part.

What To Expect

I thought I would add a quick note about the upcoming tests for success. It is already a tough week with the anticipation of the results being either one way or another. Kristina and I can both feel the stress of it.

Next Report: 2 Weeks!

The transfer took place today. Kristina is now home and resting for the next 48 hours. She stated this time was a little smoother than the last one. That said, there is a somewhat somber attitude lingering in the early hours after the procedure.

Transfer Tomorrow!

I know we've posted nearly every day for the past week. However, I thought I would drop a quick note to let our readers know what to expect for the upcoming days.

Final Report

We received the final report before we get our grades. As a reminder, the blastocysts are graded on symmetry, size and other criteria. This is a little odd because the criteria to be considered a blastocyst are fairly strict, so there is not much difference in statistical odds between and “A” and a “D” embryo. Nonetheless, the grading system exists.

After 48

Kristina and I just received the phone call from the clinic. We remain hopeful as the results are good but with some surprises.

"Creature Report"

Because of Disney Jr, we see a show called The Octonauts fairly frequently. They have a section where they sing a short ditty called "Creature Report," which always pops in my head whenever we discuss the embryo report. I may have explained this last time; I don't recall. Nonetheless, I keep waiting for a turnip and the dance break. Those who know the show will understand. Everyone else, don't worry about it.
 

Here is what we know 24 hours after the retrieval:

The Summary

We gave a few updates today on Facebook, but I know not everyone follows that. So, let me summarize the day:

Pull the Trigger

Just a quick update: It's almost time.

The Clock Is Ticking

We are getting close to the end-game again. Technically, today is Day 46 and ironically, we are scheduled for retrieval on Wednesday (Day 49). Perhaps that's a good omen to be following the schedule more precisely this time.

Blood-Letting Week

Today ends the stimulation hormone. Yes, it's a short four day thing. I honestly forgot about this little phase of the cycle until last week. The menopur (to aid egg-growth and prepare for ovulation) continues for another week(ish).

Stimulating

Just a short note to say Kristina began "stimulating" her ovaries yesterday. Readings of her hormone levels all week.

Needles, Needles Everywhere, Nor Any Drop To Drink

Yesterday was the “suppression check” appointment for our IVF cycle. Again what this means is the doctor draws blood to measure Kristina’s estrogen level to be sure her ovaries have “gone to sleep” so that her body’s natural process doesn’t follow the normal pattern. The reason being, we want to control the timing of ovulation and stimulate as many follicles as possible.

Chemical Birthday

Not to reveal too many details in the explanation of our progress, but sometimes it feels like giving an update tells Kristina's “natural” timing. Then again perhaps we are the only ones familiar enough with the process to glean the calendar.

Incoming Needles

Kristina begins her Lupron shots tomorrow. I hope she “stomachs” them as well this time.
 

Schedule Update

As I stated in the last post, we won’t be doing day-by-day updates this go-round. However, I thought I’d send out a quick note about our schedule. We are now into the second week of our second journey.
 

We Do Everything Twice

“If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again.”  ~ William E. Hickson

Well, we are back. Yes, somewhat reluctantly, but we are back.
 

Let me clarify what I mean by “reluctantly.” Yes, we are attempting the in-vitro process again. That part is not where any reluctance comes into play. This adverb is reserved for our decision to continue making our progress public for round two.