Photo Shoot Gone Awry

For most holidays, I dress Mairead in a cute little outfit (that Dave usually disapproves of) and we have a little 'photo shoot' so that we can send out pictures. Usually, she is a very good subject, but this time she had NO interest in sitting still for the camera. And that was even after she figured out that this lollipop was candy! For her Valentines last year, we got some great pictures. But now that she can run away, I didn't even get one that I was happy with! So, I apologize, but we didn't send out any valentines this year. I hope that she will be more cooperative for St. Patrick's Day! Anyway, here are some 'outtakes' from our unsuccessful shoot!

This is my favorite because it pretty much sums up how the evening went for us!

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone we love!

32 Weeks

The boys are 32 weeks today and they look great! We are hoping to keep them in for at least another 4 weeks, so let's hope they cooperate. Yesterday I had a non-stress test and Jack was acting up a bit. It seemed that he or Ben was resting on his cord, so his heartrate was a little 'off.' So, they did a quick ultrasound to check on them both and they looked great. We are spoiled since we usually have Level II ultrasounds and get better pictures, but these are from yesterday. The first one shows how their heads are together on my right side. I think they are conspiring already...


The next one is cute because it show's someone's little foot in the middle of the image. We're not sure of the owner- they are pretty tangled in there at this point!

At my 32 week appointment today my OB was happy with how they are doing. The only bad news is that I apparently have Gestational Diabetes. This is very common for MoMs (Mothers of Multiples), so I am not entirely surprised, but I am not entirely thrilled, either. I will meet with a nutrionist to figure out a plan for keeping my sugar levels stable, and I'll have to use a glucometer to check my blood sugar four times a day. These boys had better be born 100% healthy with all of the work I am putting into this!

I can tell that we are getting close because today my doctor put in a request to schedule my c-section. The hospital won't schedule it until 38 weeks, which is somewhere around March 25. I will be very impressed if we make it that far. My doctor said that he always schedules something, but the babies don't always agree. We'll see. That is only 6 weeks from today, so at the very least I know they will be here by then.

We'll keep you updated with their progress, and we'll have some Valentine's Day pictures coming soon!

31 Weeks and a Bizarre Story

I never take or post bare belly pictures, but at this point, I am so big that I am starting to think that I actually look worse with my shirt stretched over my belly. So, here I am at 31 weeks. We are psyched that we have made it past 30 weeks with the boys doing so well. My next goal is to get to 34, and then 36. No February babies for me! They need to stay in there just a bit longer! They did great at the non-stress test this week and we have another ultrasound coming up on February 17th, so we can see how much they weigh at that point.

We are really getting down to the wire, though, because even if I do make it to 36, that is only 5 weeks away! Of course, there is a chance I could go until sometime in the 37th week, but my doctors agree that they will not let me get to 38, so the absolute most time we have to wait is just about 6 weeks. Yikes- we need to get ready for these kids! At least we did buy a minivan so we have a way to bring them home. There was no way we could have fit three carseats in either of our cars, so my Corolla had to go. We bought a Honda Odyssey that we love- but it is going to take me some time to get used to it- it's huge! Just like me, I suppose!



Ok, now on to the bizarre story...
So I am upstairs sleeping yesterday morning after Dave and Mairead have gone off to school, and all of sudden I hear this weird banging/rattling noise downstairs. My cat, also sleeping, leaps of the bed and I can hear her running around downstairs. Reluctantly, I go downstairs where I see a bird in my fireplace, trying to climb/fly back up the chimney. The cat is ready to lose his mind, so I put him outside. I put the baby gate in front of the fireplace so I can contain the bird while figuring out what to do.

My solution is that I will open the front door, remove the baby gate, and hope like hell the bird sees the open door and flies out. Well, of course, it doesn't. It slams into the picture window a few times, then flies into the kitchen. Slams into those windows, and heads for the office. Then, the dining room. The cat is frantic and is chasing it all over the house. I get a broom and try to sort of direct it toward the living room (are you picturing the giant pregnant lady with the broom, waving it at a bird? Awesome). It goes back in the living room and hits the window again. At this point, I hear something else and realize there is ANOTHER bird in the fireplace. So while the first bird is tangled in the curtain, I put up the baby gate again to contain the second bird.

My cat jumps up and whacks the first bird. It falls into the container we use to hold Mairead's books, and then plays dead. The cat is very proud. Even though it is 12 degrees outside and I am still wearing my pajamas, I drag the container onto the front steps (where, oh, by the way, the stray cat that wants to live in my house is waiting). I shoo the other cat away, and the bird flies off.

My cat is, meanwhile, realizing that there is a second bird. I leave the door open again and hope for better results with the second bird. This one is much smarter, or, it saw the errors of the first bird. It goes immediately for the door and flies out.

I don't think this is what my doctor had in mind for bedrest...

Bath Time Fun

One of Mairead's favorite things to do is to take a bath. I swear, on days that are not scheduled 'bath nights,' she always finds some way to require one. Yesterday, that involved getting butter in her hair while eating toast. So, into the bath she went! She loves playing with her little toys in there. The Heckathorns recently gave her this little set that includes two little boys with two sailboats. Dave had the good idea to name the boys Jack and Ben, and she has a great time with them! She is also a HUGE ham, and when I came in with the camera, she was all smiles. She is such a happy little girl and she is so much fun. We are so lucky to have her!

Horseback Riding (sort of)

Grandma and Grandpa brought Mairead a horse when they came to visit. I mentioned in a previous post that it hooks up to the tv, but right now, Mairead just likes to ride it and hear it make sounds! In the past few days, she has added 'Neigh' to her repertoire of words and says it when she sees a horse. You can tell from the video that she is having a great time with her new toy!

Someday, Grandma will teach her to ride a real horse, but this is fun for now!

Visit from the NY family and a twins update

First, a huge congrats to our friends Jen and Chip who welcomed Adrian Brady (affectionately called Brady) into their family on the 25th. Brady is a big healthy boy at 9lbs 2oz. We are so excited for Jen and Chip and we can't wait to meet Brady!

Last Saturday, we were lucky enough to have our NY family come for a visit! They have been trying to get here since before Christmas, but the weather has been extremely uncooperative. Finally, it was a snow-free Saturday so they came to spend the day.


Mairead loved seeing everyone, and she especially loved playing with her cousin, Rachael. They even played hide and seek, which was very cute. We also went out to lunch where Mairead was well behaved for a toddler, even if numerous Cheerios and fries did end up on the floor.

We were finally able to share our Christmas gifts with the family, too. Mairead's favorite was the Little People town- there are so many buttons to press and it comes with two 'kids' who can visit each of the little buildings. It is really cute.

Grandma and Grandpa also gave Mairead this cool little horse. It connects to the TV, so that when she rides it or rocks on it, different things appear on the screen, so it is very interactive. Right now, she is mostly interested in getting on and off of it- many times over. We have even put her baby doll on it so that she might get the idea of sharing her toys. Last I checked, she had tossed the baby onto the floor, which does not bode well for Ben and Jack!

Thanks to Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Ryane, Uncle David, and Rachael for making the trip to see us!

I will say that Mairead smiles and says, "Baby" whenever she sees one, and she does seem to like babies. At my mom's house, there is a baby doll that we sit in a doll high chair, and Mairead gives it a bottle and some Cheerios. She is very good at feeding the doll... this may backfire when she tries to give our newborns some Cheerios, though! We are very hopeful that she will like being a big sister, but I still feel sad that she won't get to be the baby anymore... at the ripe old age of 18 months! Since she is our only daughter, though, she will always be our special little girl.

As for her brothers, they seem to be behaving themselves. At the ultrasound yesterday, Jack was 3lbs and Ben was 3lbs 7oz. They are both getting big and they are moving around really well. At my non-stress test today, both heartbeats were strong. It was very cute- Ben had the hiccups and you could hear them echo on the monitors. How cool that they are doing 'real people' stuff already?

Jack (Baby A) is breech and Ben is transverse, with Ben under my ribs and Jack under him. When Baby A is breech, they automatically do a c-section. I know have a while to go (let's hope), but they have been this way for a while now, and combined with other factors, I am pretty much guaranteed to have a section. I'm not thrilled about it, but we will do whatever it takes to have healthy babies.

We will keep you posted!

Wow, I have really been slacking with the blog... my apologies! Mairead is feeling much better and is over that bug she had- it's nice to have our happy little girl back! I have been a bit under the weather with a bad sore throat for a few days, but I think that is on its way out, too. On Tuesday, I had a non-stress test during which they monitor the boys' heart rates, as well as check for any contractions and for healthy movement. I am happy to report that all went well! No contractions- good movement, and good strong heartbeats! They have been moving a lot today- they seem to be changing position. I am guessing that they are running out of room in there! We have an ultrasound on Monday, so I should be able to find out how much they weigh at this point. Next Wednesday will be 30 weeks, which is a nice milestone for twin mom!

Tonight, Mairead was occupied with one of her favorite activities- building with blocks. She is so funny- she is completely quiet and very serious while she plays. She stacks the blocks very methodically and chooses certain blocks over others with much consideration. Again, we are very happy about this because her spatial skills are just great!

This picture show Mairead carrying around the Christmas card that Ry, Dave, and Rachael sent to us. Mairead points to Rachael's picture and says, "Kids!". She was very attached to the card this past week and carried it around the house with her. We are looking forward to a visit from the real Rachael (and Ry, Dave, Grandma and Grandpa) this weekend!