Fast forward...

So, fast forward a year and here we are! The boys are 13 months old and we are all still alive! It's a miracle.

Their first year went by so fast. I had 4 months of maternity leave and took every bit of it. The first week and a half that both babies were home, the four of us (me, Hubs, Calvin & Hobbes) spent together, getting to know one another. Once Hubs went back to work my mother, who should be the first jewish saint, came to my house every day to help me out. I have no idea what I would have done without her.

I had some complications from the birth (10 weeks of severe bleeding) and ended up having a D&C, even though they really never found a reason why I bled so much. It really sucked because I couldn't enjoy the boys like I wanted to because I felt so disgusting.

I went back to work three days a week at the end of April 2007. My mom watches the boys when I am at work, again -- she's awesome!

They have had minor ailments here and there over the last year. Hobbes had an umbilical hernia which corrected itself, he wore a helmet for a month last spring to correct a head and neck weakness and he's had a double ear infection -- but was a total trooper! Calvin had croup, which warranted a trip to the emergency room and a chest x-ray. Otherwise the boys are doing really well!

They've had so many firsts: crawling, standing, eating solid food, haircuts. It's just amazing.

Okay, so now that I've got you caught up with me and my boys I am hoping to use this space to write about the fun (and insanity) that is life with twins.

A quick aside -- Last night I was watching Jon & Kate.... on TLC and it made me feel better -- I could have had 8 kids at once -- and worse in that they are so much more organized and they have 6 more kids than I do!

Someday I will have my act together...I think!

There is too much...let me some up!

Okay, enough storytelling, this is getting boring. Here's a brief adaptation of the pregnancy and birth of my two adorable boys.

6/8/06 - 5 weeks pregnant -- bleeding, clotting, cramping. It was not fun and I was sure I was miscarrying. In fact, the RE's office (Reproductive Endocrinologist) thought the same and told me to put my feet up, call if the bleeding got worse and to come for a blood test the next morning.

6/9/06 - blood test came back with numbers doubled -- I will still pregnant and very relieved

6/13/06 - 1st ultrasound at 5 weeks 5 days -- two sacs but too early to see heartbeats

6/20/06 - 2nd ultrasound at 6 weeks 5 days -- two sacs and two heartbeats

July to mid-November 2006- from 7 weeks to almost 28 weeks I had a great, uneventful pregnancy. You know, I had the laundry list of ailments: exhaustion, carpel tunnel, heartburn, bleeding gums, sore joints, did I mention exhaustion? But nothing I could really complain about. I didn't even have any real morning sickness. I started to cut down my work hours and work from home at this point. I had a 90 minute commute each way and it was brutal!

11/15/06 - 27 weeks, 6 days -- Had too many contractions in a one hour time slot and visited L&D (Labor & Delivery) for monitoring. Given lots of water and sent home.

11/17/06 - 28 weeks, 1 day -- Contractions woke me up in the middle of the night so we made our 2nd visit to L&D. Given two shots of Terbutaline and fluid. Sent home with oral Terb which I would use throughout the rest of my pregnancy to control contractions.

12/20/06 - 32 weeks, 6 days -- lost my mucous plug - ICK!!!

12/21/06 - 33 weeks -- went to OB's office and was sent to L&D. Positive FBN (fetal fibronectin test - which can predict pre-term labor), shortened cervix, 70% effaced and contractions, but no dilation.

12/21/06 - 12/23/06 -- spent on bedrest in the hospital and given steroids to speed up lung development in the boys, just in case...

12/23/06 - 33 weeks, 3 days -- sent home on strict bedrest

Here's a little side story: the in-laws came up to spend Christmas with us. I spent the better half of my time laying like a beached whale on a 1970's orange, tweed recliner in the living room like I was on display. It rocked!

12/28/06 - 34 weeks -- stood up to go to the bathroom in the morning and my water broke

Birth of Calvin & Hobbes

• 8:00AM -- Go to local hospital where it is confirmed that my water had broken. Saw my OB (who happened to be at the hospital that morning) who gave me the news that I was to be sent via ambulance to hospital with Level 3 NICU -- which I was prepared for if I went into labor before 36 weeks.


• 10:30AM -- Arrive at big city hospital where I waited for my c-section (also not a suprise since Hobbes was frank breech and Calvin was transverse)


• 10:30AM - 3:30PM -- Wait, wait and wait some more. Parents arrive and keep us company while I proceed to eat my own head because I am so hungry - no breakfast, no lunch, no snack, nothin'!


• 3:30PM -- Walk myself into the OR


• 3:45PM - 4:15PM -- Get spinal, go numb, commence barfing


• 4:16PM -- Hobbes is born, continue barfing


• 4:17PM -- Calvin is born, more barfing


• 4:30ishPM -- Saw both boys before they were taken to the NICU, got one family photo in the OR and then barfed a little more for good measure


• 5:00ishPM -- Brought up to my room. Barfing ceased.

Hobbes was 4 pounds, 3 ounces and Calvin was 4 pounds, 9 ounces. They were in great shape for being 6 weeks early and really good size. Calvin was on an oxygen hood for the 1st 12 hours only and Hobbes never needed oxygen. I didn't get to see the boys until the next morning, but my mom took photos when Hubs brought her up to the NICU for a visit. Thank goodness for digital cameras!

I spent 4 1/2 days in the hospital recovering (um, why didn't someone tell me about the bleeding, clotting and constipation from the drugs? Oh, I know, cuz it's disgusting!) and visited the boys as often as I could. Spent new years eve sleeping in a hospital bed with Hubs close by.

After I was released I went back every day to see the boys until they came home. They both spent less than 2 weeks in the NICU before they were home with us.

It may not have been the way I had imagined it, but I brought home two healthy babies and that was all I ever really wanted. Now the hard part began!

Positive!

I went to the fertility clinic that Monday morning to get my blood drawn for a pregnancy test. I had no hopes for this and it made me laugh a little. They took my blood, said they would call me in the afternoon and sent me on my way. I drove to work and barely thought about it.

I told some of my good friends at my job, many of whom had been through all of this fertility stuff before, about the weekend and the drama and the blood test. Then I went about my business.

A little after noon my phone rang. It was them and it was positive. Huh? I made them say it again. It was positive, although the HCG level was a little on the low side (I believe they look for at least 50 at 2 weeks post IUI and mine was a little over 40). They told me to come back in a few days to repeat and scheduled an appointment for an ultrasound right around 6 weeks.

I hung up the phone. My mouth was agape. I was stunned. I had conviced myself that it hadn't worked this time and I would be going through yet one more IUI before we moved onto IVF -- which I was sure I would have to do.

I called my husband at work and my mom at home and rushed downstairs to tell my close friends who had been on this journey with me and knew more about my uterus and follicles than anyone should know ever! Seriously, they could practically draw you a picture of my lady parts!

I was in a fog for days. My second blood test came back and my numbers had gone up. I was pregnant!