A & B's Nursery

The nursery is finally complete! Andy worked his butt off and made it possible...crown molding, chair rail, wainscoting, closet design, and all of the furniture assembly. Bless! Thanks for doing such an awesome job!

As it turns out, I do not have a blood clot in my leg. Apparently, my uterus is massive and the babies are dropping. All of the pressure is compressing an adductor? or femoral? nerve causing my left leg to swell and my inner thigh to be very painful. He didn't do a doppler, but there is no redness or warmth which leads him to believe it's not a clot. Has anyone else ever had this problem? I've been couchridden since Friday and it doesn't look like it will get any better. Getting to the bathroom is even more of a feat! Guess I need a bedpan. I now have a waddle AND a limp. I'm such a gimp. So grateful that God is blessing us with these babies though. That's all that matters and I'll go through anything to get them.

I just looked over at the How Big Is Baby app on the side of my page, and it has changed to a watermelon. No wonder! Got two of 'em!

Before

 Before

 After paint and chair rail

 Daddy hard at work

 After wainscoting

 Furniture!

 Closet before

 Closet after

 Bookshelf Andy has had since we started dating...I painted it to match the bedding!

 Cute handmade wreath from coworker!

 Made by Aunt Katie!

 Handmade bedding and curtains from friend!

 Hand painted for A&B from our sweet nieces!

 Anderson

 Baney

 Closet after...filled with love from friends and family!

 Naproom/Playroom

 Handmade frames waiting for their newborn pics

 Get in mah belly

All we need now are our two little boys...then the nursery and our family will be complete!

7 more daysssss!!!!!!

Gimpin' Ain't Easy

I'm going to copy my sister's style and do a bullet point update tonight! I'm having difficulty sitting upright, so I'm having to type this whilst halfway lying down on my couch. That makes it kind of difficult to be witty and form full paragraphs. Talent folks. Pure talent.

• I'm finally able to somewhat use my left hand...which makes typing possible! I think that my poor little pyogenic granuloma has bit the dust...he's kind of drying out and doesn't look like he'll be coming back anytime soon. I'm still having to bandage my hand and cover it with a glove during showers, but it's all good. Hopefully I didn't just jinx myself.
• We're basically done packing our hospital bag. Any advice on must haves??? I think we have most of the essentials, but I don't want to forget anything.
• My butt started hurting earlier this week and I thought that my pilonidal cyst was coming back. It's still a little sore, but no signs of infection. Good Lord.
• My last day at work was 2/10 and I'm seriously glad he took me out. I really don't think I could have made it another day after all of the other crap that has popped up! I do miss my coworkers though!
• I'm a gimp.
• As of 2/15, Pow weighs 5lb 8oz, and Boom Boom weighs 6lb 13oz...I'm going to give birth to toddlers!
• The newest ailment: my left thigh started swelling up last weekend. I didn't think anything about it because I've had swelling the entire pregnancy. The last couple of days, my inner thigh has become very painful and swollen. I haven't noticed any redness or warmth but I called my OB anyway. I will be seeing him first thing tomorrow AM and may possibly have a venous doppler if he thinks it is a blood clot. This is why I'm laying on the couch with my legs elevated and trying to type this...afraid to move!
• I'm a gimp.
• Pow has the hiccups right now. I love it when they get the hiccups.
• C-Sec has been scheduled for 3/5 at 7:15 AM if I haven't had them before then!!!
• Pow is still head down, and Boom Boom is still breech.
• My high risk OB wanted me to have an amniocentesis next week, but then my regular OB told me not to. She wants to check their lung maturity. He doesn't feel this is necessary considering I will already be full term at 37 weeks and he isn't planning on delivering them until almost 38 weeks at the absolute latest. I agreed with him because I really, really don't want one.
• Gestational diabetes is still under control with diet. 
• I love fruit punch Kool Aid.
• I'm going through about 2-3 bags of Sonic Ice each week. Crack is whack. And yes, I'm on iron supplements!
• My dog needs a bath. I'm a gimp.
• Andy made me a special eggplant parmesan recipe that has been proven to initiate labor within 48 hours. That was Monday. Andddddd...I'm still here on the couch...with my legs up in the air...using 6 fingers to type...chewing on ice. 
• At my last appointment on Tuesday, my cervix has started to soften, but no dilation yet. After worrying myself to death for the last nine months about miscarriage and preterm labor, it is now apparent that I have a uterus and cervix of steel.
• Most importantly, after tonight, 10 days at the most until we meet our babies! Life is good!!!
• My butt hurts. I bid you farewell with some recent pics. I'm a gimp. That is all.

 Baney 35 Weeks (Boom Boom) Our little chunky monkey!

Anderson 35 Weeks (Pow) Still so hard to get a good pic of him! 

 35 Weeks

 36 Weeks!!!!

I Have a Tumah.

If you are easily disgusted, please turn away now. Apparently, my pregnant body likes to grow things aside from babies.

Well, I thought that I was going to be able to relax these last couple of weeks before the babies are born. I was back in the doctor's office yesterday having surgery performed on...my hand. A few weeks ago, a little red broken blood vessel that I've had on the palm of my hand for years decided to mutate into a disgusting little mass. I passed it off as a blood blister, but it just kept growing. And growing. And then...another little mass started growing out of the top of it.

Fast forward to last Wednesday when I was getting ready for bed. I looked down and both of my hands were covered in blood. I immediately looked down to make sure it wasn't coming from my woohoo and thank God it wasn't. The little bastard had burst open. I cleaned and dressed it up nicely thinking that it would now deflate and heal up. Wrong. It took about 30 minutes to get the bleeding to stop, and never decreased in size.

The same thing happened Friday as I was getting out of the shower. I looked at myself in the mirror and my white robe and towel was covered in blood. Dang thing opened up again. Through the weekend it never stopped bleeding and never went down in size. After washing my hair with bloody shampoo on Monday morning, I decided to call my dermatologist.

It's called a Pyogenic Granuloma. A benign tumor, thank God. It happens to < 5% of pregnant women. Figures! It usually occurs in the mouth, hands, and fingers. She said it was the biggest one that she has ever come across and that was probably because I had the hormones of two babies feeding it. F'awesome. They are very vascular tumors and are a pain in the arse to get rid of during pregnancy. She said that it should go away after delivery but that it could take up to 6 months. Because mine wouldn't stop bleeding, we didn't think it would be very easy or sanitary to take care of two babies while having to deal with a nasty bloody growth on my hand. She ended up cutting it off and cauterizing all of the vessels as best she could. She said it could grow back this week, and if it does I will have to keep coming back to do it again. Double F'awesome.

So now it looks like someone put their cigarette out in the palm of my hand and held it there for 5 minutes. Lol. I will say that it is entirely possible to do things with only one hand. Trying to wash my face last night was the best example...

Ahhh, of all things. If it's not supposed to happen, it will happen to Andy and Jessica! Of course, I'm not complaining at all...I just find it humorous. At least it didn't grow out of my butt this time!

Hmmm. Let's review.

• Infertility. Check.
• Endometriosis. Check.
• Premature ovarian failure. Check Check.
• Seven Failed IUIs. Check.
• 2 Failed IVFs. Check.
• Canceled Egg Donor Cycles x 2. Check.
• Subchorionic Hematoma. Check Check.
• Cluster of grapes coming out of my bunghole. Check Check Check.
• Pilonidal Abscess in my bungcrack having to be lanced, drained, and packed with gauze. Check.
• Skin tag forest inside of my belly button and armpits. Check.
• Cankles, Knankles. Thankles. Wankles. Check Check Check Check.
• Gestational Diabetes. Check.
• Drippy eye. Check.
• Liver spot in the shape of Africa on my forehead. Check Check.
• Holding two beautiful baby boys in our arms in a matter of weeks. Worth every second of the last seven years.

We're headed to the high risk doctor tomorrow and will find out how much they weigh! Yay! 

In case you are interested in seeing this disgusting growth, here are a few pictures. Enjoy! ;)

The Tumah...before

 The Tumah...before

 The Tumah...after. Sheesh!

 Please pray that it heals and doesn't grow back so I can take care of our babies!

Baby Bump Outtakes

Because being serious all of the time is no fun...

What's in a Name?

We decided to reveal Boom Boom and Pow's first names to our family and friends during our first baby shower weekend. It's just too hard to keep a secret! We are, however, keeping their middle names a secret until birth. It feels more real now that they have an identity other than their nicknames.

The names Boom Boom and Pow came about during our IVF cycle...our embryo transfer occurred on the Fourth of July, so what could be more fitting?! We were watching the fireworks in the Charleston Battery from our hotel room later that night and came up with the names for our little embabies. The next day, we received news that we had five snowbabies! We named them Sparkler, Bottle Rocket, Jumpin' Jack, Snake, and Snap Pop. We hope that one of them will become a sibling for Boom Boom and Pow in the future. Yes, one of them. Lol.

I was waiting to see how long it would take everyone to notice the names on the wall behind me in my weekly bump pics! I've had quite a few bring it up, but not many! Since they are Baby A and Baby B, we kept those initials as their first names.

Baby A (Pow) is Anderson. This is Andy's full name and his grandfather's surname. To keep from confusing he and Andy, we are going to try to call him by Anderson instead of shortening it!

Baby B (Boom Boom) is Baney. He is named after my dear Uncle who passed away from a rare cancer at a young age five years ago. He left behind my Aunt and little cousin who was seven at the time. We were trying to figure out a way to honor him, and were hooked on his last name. Andy looked it up in the baby name dictionary the next day...Baney was not in there, but he found Bane. It is a Hawaiian boys name meaning "long awaited child". Chills. We knew at that moment it was meant to be his name!

So there ya have it. Can't wait to reveal their entire names! They are a tribute to both of our families!

I can't believe I am 34 weeks...with twins. Unbelievable! We saw our regular OB this week, and will see our high risk OB next week. He is officially taking me out of work after this week. Thank GOD. This will give me a couple of weeks to chill. I've been putting my body through way too much trying to drag it out of the house 40+ hours/week. Plus, I'm starting to pee on myself when I stand up, so being at home will save me the embarrassment. Haha!

We will find out their measurements at next week's appointment. If they are growing as they should, I probably have about 11-12 lbs of baby in me right now. Heavy little chunkers they are. But, I'm loving every minute of it. I will love holding them in my arms, but will definitely miss being so close to them and feeling their every movement when this is over.  This has definitely been the ride I've been waiting for, and I'm so thankful that God gave me the opportunity to experience it and make Andy a daddy! And me a mommy!

34 Weeks!

Popopowww!

I'm not claiming stretch marks yet...work pants are really tight and leave little lines. k.

 Playing with one of our favorite gifts...the Star Projection Turtle! Thanks Aunt Laura!

I think we're going to steal this toy from A&B

Daddy wants in on the star action

Two car seats...I got this.

Cankles.

They're the new muffin top. I normally have bony chicken ankles, so it's hilarious to look down and see Fred Flintstone's legs on my body. My footsies are numb and tingly, hard to move, and won't fit into shoes very well...but it's all good. I enjoy pressing fingerprint designs into them and wearing my TED hose to work every day. With a little rest and leg elevation, it decreases in intensity...the challenge is just finding the time to lay down! Gotta stop spreading myself so thin. I am almost 8.5 months pregnant with twins and still working full time. Oy.

 Sexay...rawr

Sorry for the lack of updates. I actually had the time and energy to sit down this afternoon and write a post. I was supposed to be at a baby shower that my friends at work were throwing me...but an awesome, supportive, and oh so sensitive authority figure caused it to be canceled and drafted up new company policies because it wasn't fair that another pregnant (with twins) coworker was left out of it. Really unnecessary drama that has nothing to do with work? Was it fair that I wasn't included in said co worker's two work showers that she's already had? Yes it was fair. Why? Because she deserves her own celebrations and it is her own business. Why would I want to steal her glory? She deserves to be honored at her own baby showers. Besides, how unfair is it to invite employees to a shower for two women pregnant with four babies and expect them to be able to afford all of these gifts at one time? It puts me in a very awkward and embarrassing situation. And it stresses me out. Some people have no class.

Baby showers have been the root of most of my panic attacks over the years because of the infertility devil. I will admit that it has been a pretty uncomfortable experience going to my own baby showers. I am so grateful, but it is still very hard. Now, after almost seven years it is finally my turn and someone has to start drama and hurt my feelings. Therefore, my awesome friends have devised other plans for us to celebrate these baby boys. It's not even about the gifts. All we need are our babies, my boobs, and a roof over our heads. They have seen the ups and downs and many failures for Andy and I over the years, and they want to celebrate that fact that we will finally have our miracle babies. And I'm going to eat cake. Take that diabeetus. And take that authority figure. From this point forward, I will be keeping friendship and unsupportive business relationships separated. Click. Click. Facebook deeeeeeeeelete.

I'm alternating visits between my regular OB and high risk OB. I'm being seen on a weekly basis now...thank God. The diabeetus is under control and no signs of preeclampsia thus far. Pow is still head down and Boom Boom is still breech. They will measure them again at my appointment next Monday. I'm guessing they're probably around 5 lbs each now! I do know that Pow's head is laying on my bladder and that hasn't been fun. I have to crawl to the bathroom and only get about a tablespoon of pee out, lol. I have started having more intense Braxton Hicks last Friday and have been trying to take it easy and hydrate well. It's so weird...whenever I have one, my abdomen becomes so tight that I can see the outline of their tiny little bodies and butts sticking out. Little munchkins are getting ready to come out and meet their mama and daddy!

I am 33 weeks as of yesterday. That means only FOUR MORE WEEKS!!! I can't believe it! Hopefully they will bake for as long as possible so that we can avoid the NICU.

I know some of you have been missing Andy's belly pics, so I included him this week. He is flattered to say the least. From what I can tell, I haven't had much growth since my last post. I'm pretty sure there will be another spurt in the near future! Thank you all for your support and sweet comments! I try to get back to all of you, but it is really hard sometimes. Please know that we appreciate them all!

32 Weeks

33 Weeks