One Month Old!

It is completely crazy that Madilyn and Carter are a month old today!

Things have been a little busy around our house - but here is a little highlight of Madilyn and Carter's first month.

Madilyn:
*She is alert, and doesn't want to miss a thing - and therefore doesn't always want to go to sleep after she eats.
*She loves to stretch after waking up from sleeping, and arches her back and makes really funny faces. Rob and I say she sometimes looks like a duck because of how she puts her lip out.

Carter:
*Is a completely relaxed baby. We feed him, burp him, and he pretty much goes right back to sleep.
*Has become very alert of things around them - not only our voices, but things with colors as well

Both:
*really like being in their car seat - which means they both like being in the car and running errands with Mommy and Daddy, and they also like going for walks in the neighborhood
*are sleeping in our room in a pack and play. Rob and I had said before they were born they would go right to the nursery - but Mommy changed her mind once the babies got here! (I promised Rob they would be out of our room by the time they turned 2..)
*Have been to the doctor twice. We went to the doctor the day after we left the hospital, and then went back for a two week check up. We don't go back to the doctor until they are 2 months old!
*are becoming more aware of their hands and sometimes suck on them. They still don't have complete control of their arms, but they aren't flinging them around quite as much as they were in the beginning, but they are still working on having total control.
*have a love/hate relationship with the bath. It just depends on the day if they are happy or sad that they have to take a bath.

Tonight Rob and I weighed the babies with our fancy scale we bought. As of tonight, Madilyn weighs 7.8 lbs, and Carter weighs 8.2 lbs. Of course, those are not official weights, but needless to say, they are growing!

The babies are here!!

Ok, so I know I am about 2 weeks behind on making the official announcement here on the blog - but yes, Madilyn Annette Biddle and Carter William Biddle have made their grand entrance into the world. It is hard to believe that they are two weeks old already and they have completely changed our lives for the better. On Wednesday, May 2nd, Madilyn was born first at 10:56. She was 6 pounds even and 19 inches long. She had somehow managed to change her position from being head up next to her brother to being head down. We had an ultrasound just two weeks before, and it was pretty much decided they were both breech. Nope. This girl found a way to make room for herself to get into position. So, needless to say, that was a surprise to me and to my doctor! Carter was born a minute later at 10:57. He was also 19 inches long, but weighed in at 6 pounds 8 ounces. He may not like that I'm writing this now - but he came out butt first.

We had to stay at the hospital over the weekend because Madilyn and Carter had lost a lot of weight from when they were born and were not gaining it back quite fast enough. So we monitored their progress and tried a few different eating techniques. But finally they were gaining enough that the doctor cleared them to go home. I was excited and scared to go home - but once we got home and settled, it did prove to be much nicer than being in the hospital. The whole hospital experience for me was not a completely pleasant one - but my babies were taken care of, so at the end of the day that was what was most important to me.

Here is one of the first pictures that we took of the babies after they were born. We do have some on the camera of when they were first born - and I will have to load them onto my computer and post them soon (when I have time - ha!).

Madilyn is on the left and Carter is on the right. The monitor on her chest was put there to check her temperature. This was taken not long after they were born in the recovery room with Rob and I. 

And here they are again at the end of the hospital stay - waiting for us to be packed up so they can go home. Carter is on the left this time, and Madilyn is on the right. (Of course, the colors of their outfits help in this picture..)

So -- our lives have changed just a little bit since these two wonderful blessings came into the world. They are both such different little babies, and we love them both so much. I am so proud and honored to be called their mother. Happy Birthday, little Biddles! We love you so much!

Last Dr. Visit & Pre-Registration

So today we went in for our last pregnancy visit! It was just like our other visits with some of the usual checks - like listening to the heartbeats and checking blood pressure. Madilyn was at around 144 and Carter was at 136. They had to check my blood pressure twice because the first time it was a little high - but I think it's because my dear sweet husband was just talking to me about how we had less than 48 hours until the babies would be here. So, I'm not surprised it was a little high! Anyways, after about 5 minutes of laying on my side, we took my blood pressure again and it came back normal. The doctor came in after that with some of the paperwork we needed to take to the hospital to complete our pre-registration. She asked us if we had any questions for her - but really she's been so wonderful throughout the whole pregnancy, there wasn't anything we had questions about. She asked how I'd been feeling - and I told her I was definitely feeling some pressure and that I couldn't really walk around too much without feeling uncomfortable. Sleeping is also not quite as easy as it once was. And really, sleep is not going to be something I am going to be familiar with for a while so I guess my body has been training me.

After that appointment was over, we walked over to the hospital. We had a tiny bit of paperwork to fill out and then they had to get blood work done should I need any blood from the blood bank on the day of. We then talked to one of the nurses who told us more details about the surgery and what to expect before and after. We were told to be at the hospital at 9:00 to get everything (aka ME) prepped and ready for the surgery to start at 10:00. They said the surgery usually lasts around 30-45 minutes depending on how everyone is doing. Once the babies are out, weighed, looked at, and given the ok, they along with Rob, will be taken to a recovery room. After everything is all wrapped up with me, I will join them in the recovery room. We will be there for about 2 hours or so and as long as everyone is doing well, we will be moved into a room of our own that we will be in for a few days.

So -- please pray for our growing family on Wednesday. I'm not going to lie -- I'm very excited about finally getting to meet these little Biddles, but I am also a little nervous about the surgery. It makes me feel better knowing that we have an amazing support system around us, and it's that thought that is going to make Wednesday a great day. :)

Last Appointment & Countdown!!

So, I could have written this post yesterday, but I wanted to wait until today so I could say this: WE HAVE ONE WEEK LEFT!!!!!! A week from today, we will be at the hospital getting ready for Carter and Madilyn to greet the world!

Anyways, we went in for our (sort of) last appointment yesterday. We had another non stress test done via ultrasound since it is difficult to get both babies hooked up. The tech got all the measurements she needed, and everything still looked great. While she was getting some measurements for Madilyn, we were able to get a pretty good view of her face. We got to see a good look at her eyes, and even saw her blinking. It was pretty neat. We met with the doctor and she agreed that everything is still looking great. She went through how our morning is going to go next Wednesday - a quick kind of what to expect. Of course, I'm sure the morning of, Rob and I won't remember anything she said, but it was nice to have an idea of how things are going to be laid out. We have one last appointment this upcoming Monday, but it is more of a pre-op appointment filled with finishing up paperwork and a little blood work. She did say should anything happen over the weekend, she would be on call - so that was nice to hear. Although, I did tell her that we were just going to wait and stay on schedule - so hopefully the babies will be good listeners and do what Mommy asked them! :)

Two Weeks!

Two weeks. TWO WEEKS. 14 days. I can't believe that's all the time that is left until we can officially meet Madilyn and Carter! :)

Anyways -- Rob and I went to the doctor yesterday to get our last growth ultrasound! We were pretty excited to see how much they've grown and to get an idea of what they might be when they arrive. When they called us back it was funny because the ultrasound tech (who has done all of our ultrasounds but one) said she was surprised my name was on her list because she thought I would have had the babies by now! :) She said I'm an ideal patient and doing a really good job of carrying these babies! Anyways, we went in and she took measurements of the babies. Madilyn's weight was 6 lbs 2 ounces and Carter came in at 5 lbs 14 ounces. So - both right about 6 pounds. Which means that there is 12 pounds of just BABY!! And they can still gain about another pound each before they come! As long as they are happy and healthy babies - I'm fine with whatever they weigh.

After the ultrasound, we met quickly with our doctor. We'll go in next week to check heartbeats again (the non stress test) as well as to see how I'm doing. Then, the week after, on Monday the 30th we go in for our pre-op appointment and have to complete our preregistration at the hospital. And then --- D-Day! Delivery Day! :) We are scheduled for Wednesday, May 2nd at 10:00. Of course, we'll have to be there early and then they'll have to get me ready, so the babies should be here before lunch. How exciting!! :)

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers these next two weeks - especially on the 2nd! I'll be updating at least two more times before the big "they're here" post!

Yesterday Rob and I went in for our weekly appointment with the doctor. We were scheduled for another Non-Stress Test like we had the week before where they put monitors on your belly and listen to the heartbeats. Well, since there are two babies, it makes it hard - especially since they move around a LOT. So, we tried to get them set up on that machine, but it wasn't going well. So, they had us get their heart rates via sonogram. The babies looked good, and their hearts were beating around 140.  It's always nice to get a sneak peek at Madilyn and Carter! They are still breech and transverse, and are currently head to head. They also checked my amniotic fluid and said it looks good. The babies have a lot of fluid to move around in - which makes sense because yes, they ARE moving around a lot! The doctor also said my cervix is high and looking good. We talked more about my swelling and how things have been going for work. After talking, my doctor decided it would be best if I took full bed rest. Medically things look great, but because of my swelling and the fact that I am having twins, she felt it would be best to put my feet up for the next three weeks. At next weeks appointment, we are going to have our last growth ultrasound which will tell us how big the babies are before we actually meet them! :)

So --- I'm in denial about a few things. My last day of work was today. My long term sub has been working half days for me which has been nice in many ways. But I called her yesterday to let her know what my doctor said, and that starting Thursday, she would be in charge for good! It was hard to leave work today for many reasons. I want to make sure that my kids are taken care of, and that my sub has everything ready and knows where everything is! It was also hard to leave because I was saying farewell to my Broadway family. I work with an amazing group of people, and feel like I have the best team around. Not seeing my coworkers/friends every morning is going to be an adjustment but I know once the babies are here I won't even have time to think about that!

I'm also in denial that Rob and I will officially be parents in 3 weeks. 21 days. Seriously?? Where has the time gone?? I am counting down the days in my head and checking my list to make sure that everything is ready for the big day. I pray that on their birthday everything goes well, and I hope that they don't come early! I have faith that they won't come early and everything will be great for me and the babies on the day of. Even though three weeks seems like a good chunk of time, I know it will go by in the blink of an eye, and May 2nd will be here before we know it! :) Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers these last few weeks. I'll be sure to update with any news -- and soon will have some pictures of some sweet faces!! :)

Dr. Visit - 4/3

Rob and I went in for our weekly visit today. We had a stress test done on the babies which is where they put monitors on your stomach and they have you get comfy in a chair, and they listen to the heartbeats for about 20 minutes. It took a little while to get things ready - as you can imagine, it is harder to get both babies to cooperate and stay in a position that will detect their heartbeats! But, after about 25 minutes they took the print out from the test to the doctor, and the babies did well enough to pass! Had I not passed, they would have had to have done the same test, but with the ultrasound machine. So -- very glad that worked out. We went and saw the doctor after that. Nothing too much to report from her. We asked her about bed rest, and we agreed that half days seemed feasible for now and that she would check on me next week to see how things were going. We also asked her about traveling since this weekend is Easter, and Rob and I were planning on going to Bridge City. She said that being pregnant with twins and traveling at 34 weeks wouldn't be the best idea. At this point of being pregnant with twins is like being at 37-38 weeks with one baby. And, really, twins can come at any time - but even more so when week 34 starts. So, per her advice, I am going to be staying home and will be putting my feet up and resting! :) 

After the meeting with the doctor was over, I had to go give blood, and schedule my next two appointments. Next Tuesday, we will be doing another stress test, and then the week after that will be our last growth ultrasound before the babies are here. It's crazy to think these sweet babies could be here at any time - I am really hoping that they will stay inside and cook as long as they can. Rob has been very supportive (of course) and constantly reassures me that even if they came in 4 days instead of 4 weeks that we would be ready for them. And I know he's right - I just want everything to be perfect and give those babies as much time in my belly as possible!