Our First Week or 34 Weeks-3-9-11

Thank you to everyone who has called, text, stopped by the hospital, and kept us in your prayers. Our little bits have a long journey ahead of them. They are constantly being poked with needles, x-rayed, and are hooked up to tons of monitors. All the monitors and cords look a lot scarier than they actually are; however most importantly you do not see them with oxygen. They have feeding tubes, monitors to watch their heart rates, oxygen levels, and pick line iv's.

Our first family picture

Baby Daddy Theory:

So I've decided that all babies come out looking like their dad so that your baby daddy must claim them. We already know who the mom since she carried them for 10 months or in my case 8 months; however the dad is a different story. The jury has come to a verdict that Dax is a clone of his daddy. Dax's hair matches the bulls chest hair and everything about the little guy is Richard. He sleeps like his dad, chills like his dad, and eats like his dad. There is no denying who this little guy's daddy is. Blake came out with very dark hair however her chin and mouth area looks like her daddy as well. The hair is starting to get a little lighter so I'm assuming by 40 weeks (normal birthday) she too will be a little clone. 

The life of NICU:

This week has been quite the roller coaster ride to say the least. Every time we get good news and are making strides we get a set back so mommy has been extremely stressed out and crying a lot. The jaundice went up to a ten on Blake (12 being the highest for her weight) so she was put under bigger and more lights. Her feedings were going great then they started to slow down because her tiny little body was having trouble digesting so she went without food making for a hungry little girl. She worked her way up to 5cc's of food every 3 hours and then had some problems so she went to nothing for 24 hours then to 2cc's of food every 6 hours. I too would be in a bad mood. She has these episodes where she forgets to breathe so alarms start going off and this seems to happen when she is on our chests during kangaroo times. The nurses come in telling us to pat her back so we can get her to take that breath. Scares the hell out of me every time even though I'm told this is completely normal. She has been receiving caffeine to help with this little forgetfulness.


Pick lines seem to be our common subject everyday. Both Blake and Dax have them and every time we turn around the pick lines have either moved or are not in the right place. Both babies are getting stuck and it breaks my heart to know this. We are not allowed to see this procedure for obvious reasons. 

I'm pumping breast milk like Bessie the cow and the goal is to be at 1000ml in a 24 hour period. I'm pumping 8 times within 24 hours, putting milk in containers to be frozen, and then hauling them up to the NICU. The milk is then thawed out and put into syringes which is put in a machine that feeds the babies through their feeding tubes. 

Blake now weighs 2lb 11.8oz so she is just over birth weight because babies lose their birth weight and then have to regain. She has a ways to go before I can start dressing her up. She must have her jaundice under control and must be at least 4lb. She is in the 10th percentile for preemies. When she gets mad she sounds like a wounded animal. The nurses have narrowed it down from a wounded cat to a taradactle. I personally think it sounds like Chad's coyote caller wounded rabbit. I hope this ends soon so Mr. Dax can get some sleep in the nursery. 


Dax is up to 8cc's of food and is beginning to root around (look for food). His jaundice is lowering slowly so hopefully he will be able to begin wearing clothes. He currently weighs 3lb 15.1 oz, a smidget over his birth weight. Once he hits 4lb and has no jaundice I will be able to dress him up too.


Friday 3-11-11:
We had good news today, Blake and Dax both had low enough billy ribbons to be taken off their jaundice lights. They no longer have to wear their eye protectors and are free from the lights. Tomorrow we will find out if they made it through the night without an increase in billy ribbons. They hit another mile stone in their development today; both successfully took a bottle. Only set back was that when mom and dad tried to feed they were to comfortable and went straight to sleep. The nurses were able to feed them successfully in their little temporary homes. 


Overall we are so much in love with our little blessings and just can't wait to get them home. We know in our hearts that all these set backs are completely normal in the NICU world and that we have to be strong for our little ones. Again we thank you for your kind words, thoughts, and prayers. Please enjoy some our favorite pictures from this week. 


Shanna and Richard

Mom and her sweet itty bits...

How your baby's growing: If they were still inside me....
Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupepreterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies

Dax and Blake

When you look good you feel good and must coordinate with your binkie.

Checking out the world without goggles.

First bottle- Dax man

No bottle for me...

Daddy's girl...

32 WEEKS PREGO

32 WEEKS (leading up to the big day)


Well we made our goal of 32 weeks and the babies chance of survival went from 80% to 95%, what a relief. I began having contractions on Wednesday night. Every week I get asked have you had contractions and my response is I don't know, their response is oh you will know. To me that is so vague and I'm like okay whatever. Well I officially at 12:45AM knew I had some contractions. Those "practice contractions" woke me out of my slumber and for a minute I forgot I was prego and was thinking I need some narcotics. Then after a few they just went away like nothing had happened. It was almost like that earthquake we experienced a few months ago where we were all like what the hell just happened?


As a result of the minor earthquake I experienced, the neurotic side has come out. I'm freaking out about being packed for the hospital. Richard and I have the nickname the tornadoes given to us by my parents so you can only imagine what we have done to their bedroom. Richard keeps telling me we are not going to Libya and we will be fine. I on the other hand realize Mercy is 45 minutes away and if the water breaks prior to 3-14 it's go time, not pack time. So to say the least I'm on the verge of driving myself to Target getting an electric cart and getting my essentials since my husband seems to believe it's not a big deal. 


Thursday:
Blake and Dax both scored an 8 out of 8 today. They get two points for the following: movement, breathing, circulation, and heart rate.  The Warden came with me to the Dr. since the Bull had a closing. Doc was very excited that we are following his instructions and was so funny about it. I guess after seeing what I've seen in the lobby not to many people listen to his instructions. One thing I did say to the Warden prior to entering was be sure not to make eye contact, you might get beat up. Unfortunately we had no entertainment because I moved my appointments back to early morning as a result of the psycho circus I was previously in row 1 for. 


When the warden is away the inmate will play:
Disclaimer: The warden left me alone and the bull never called to bring me lunch so when you gotta have some eats you leave the jail. Oh and hit CVS drive thru and the bank. So I thought to myself CVS, Sonic, and Arvest are all within 100 yards of each other and I will not get out of my car so I will be fine. Sonic...check (discovered the orange cream slush) CVS...check (script filled) Arvest...check oh wait I'm busted! The tellers tell me my father (the wardens assistant) is in the bank and I'm busted. Literally busted! I really thought they were messing with me, no they were telling me the truth. I swear what happened to my smooth skills when I would sneak out in high school. Clearly I'm a little rusty these days. 


The last 48 hours:
Friday night I felt pretty good but was still harping on the bull that he really needed to have his bags packed and ready. I was pretty consumed with this and he seemed to just tune me out. Saturday he surprised me with a packed bag and I was so excited. I was starting to feel pretty bad with some light bleeding but had this massive amount of ambition that I was in no way going to be talked out of getting what I needed for my bag from Target. I was a hen on a mission and it did not matter how many people said not to do it I was doing it and was not having it any other way. So we went to Target where I drove a motorized cart, hit a few racks and beeped while in reverse embarrassing myself. Richard on the other hand would not walk beside me and I did not care, I was adamant that I was getting the things I needed. 


Saturday night again not feeling to hot and pretty miserable I got off the couch and moved back to bed for a while. All night long each time I got up it was like a waddling duck and the pressure was pretty intense but again at this point I really didn't know what was going on. 


Sunday morning I started having  some painful earthquakes and tried to go back to bed but just could not so we began to time the contractions for an hour beginning at 8:08AM. All the contractions were between 5-7 minutes apart and they felt pretty bad. I told Richard that I strongly suggest he take a shower while I'm counting because this could be it.  After an hour I took a shower and we headed up to Mercy. My husband, the same man that gets speeding tickets on a regular basis is now driving 60mph when the speed limit is 70mph as the pain began to get more and more intense. When we got to triage we were told to hang tight and that they were going to try to stop them with hydration. I on the other hand was asking for narcotics and wanted it to stop immediately. Remember the words you will know, yes that is true but for anyone who has never been through it I'm going to compare it to the worst menstrual cramp you've experienced and for a man I'm going to compare it to a charlie horse in abdomen and then add the pressure of feeling like you are going to have a major ass explosion. I think that is what the doctors need to tell us first timers in the future:)

Now keep in mind this is our third trip up to Mercy so to hear the words your dialated to 1cm was pretty surreal.  Literally before we knew it we were told that we were going to be having tiny tiny babies in the next 30 minutes. 

12:49 PM Blake Evelyn Foster was born weighing 2.10lb 14 and 3/4in 

12:50 PM Dax Glenn Foster was born weighing 3.15lb 17in

Our beautiful tiny little blessings were finally here and rushed immediately into NICU. I did not see them till 9PM that night. Monday was a rough day, I was very sick so dad stayed with his babies while I recovered. Dad changed diapers, took temperatures, and adored his little ones.  Both have been removed from oxygen and are currently being treated for jaundice. We were able to hold them for the very first time. Words can not explain how wonderful this was. Grandma and Grandpa Foster were able to experience this very special time with us. I held Blake and Richard held Dax.  Both just knew who we were and became very calm once they were on our bare chests. This is called kangaroo care where they have the skin on skin contact with you. Prior to this Blake was squealing like a wounded rabbit and then she became instantly calm. Dax was the same way and once his daddy held him he became calm. Let's just hope this works at home:) Yesterday both began receiving breast milk through their feeding tubes and both were able to digest it without complications. 

As always we thank each and everyone of you for all your kind words, thoughts, and prayers. These children are true miracles considering the journey we began. They are doing great and each day is a huge step towards their growth and development. The care they are receiving is unbelievable and we are 100% confident in our doctors and nurses. Our sweet little ones still have a long way to go; however considering the odds they are doing tremendous. I on the other hand cry every time I have to leave them so this is going to be a long 7 weeks. 

Miss Blake

Pain pain go away

Meeting Blake

Meeting Dax

Proud papa and his boy

Priceless

Baby Dax

Dax with his eyes open

Dad jumping in like a seasoned pro.

Mom trying to figure it out.

Yes that's an I Phone and a diaper for size comparison

True love

Dax man sleeping peacefully on daddy

Miss Blake

My itty bitty Blake, what a miracle she is. 

31 Weeks Prego-02-23-2011

31 Week Update:


We have completed 31 weeks and I have made it to 32 weeks today---OUR LATEST GOAL!!! 

03-14-2011 is GO TIME! 

We are officially on the schedule to meet our little one's. Unless of course the doctors see distress or if they decide to meet us early on their own. 

This week flew by because I had so many visitors from my close friends. It really means more than you all will ever know. I can't thank you enough for just swinging by and hanging out.  I have been on house arrest for 28 days now. The Warden aka mom is monitoring my every movement. If we make it to 34 weeks which is the scheduled c-section week I will have been on house arrest a total of 6 weeks. 


The babies are doing wonderful, scoring 8 out of 8 on their testing, and kicking up a storm. Their daddy is doing wonderful as well getting more and more excited by the day. Mommy on the other hand is starting to go through that germ phobia phase. I've instructed him to stop drinking after all people, allowing others to drink after him, and to start washing his hands. We have two weeks left to refrain from illness. I don't want either of us to have any inkling of illness or we will not be able to enter NICU. 


Do you wear tampons or pads?
Typically you get the stranger hand rubs, you know a belly pat from a complete stranger. I on the other hand have been very lucky in that area and have not had strangers rub my stomach. I have had complete strangers overhear my conversation with my friends discussing my pregnancy swoop in and ask me the nosey questions regarding my pregnancy. So with that being said after receiving this you tube video I thought it would be perfect to post. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT-lgB_HGEE


What to Expect:
I had a visit from Kristy and AJ today, she is a neonatal care RN so she was giving me the run down of what to expect etc while in NICU. Hand washing, wrist bands, germs, and overall some reassurance of what to be prepared for. One thing that caught me off guard and something that I have not thought about is the fact that the babies will be able to wear clothing in NICU. I had no idea. I was seriously planning to bring nothing for them. Again something a little silly but who wants to be in a diaper not looking good. Good thing they stopped by. 

How your B and D are growing:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

As always we thank you for your kind words, thoughts, prayers, calls, texts, and visits. Nothing makes bed rest go by when you have a visitor or two. Our goals have changed to make it till 03-14-2011. I'm still in a little shock knowing I have a set date that is only a few weeks away. 

The Hen and The Bull

"Claudia, No Names, B, Jota Be, & Trish"

A momma and her babies daddy

31 Weeks 

30 Weeks Prego 02-16-2011

WEEK 30

Photos by Angel Porch Art and Soul Photography

www.angelporchphotography.com

Sneak Peek of the Maternity Session

WEEK 30
This is a little teaser of whats to come as she is still working on finalizing my proofs. I'm so excited to see the final product. 


Well we made it to week 30 and as usual it's been quite a week. Mr. Dax and Miss Blake love to keep us on our toes. Richard actually started telling them their revised bed time story that goes a little like this. "Once upon a time there was a mommy and daddy that were so excited because they were having twins, a boy and a girl. Their mommy loved them so much that she would stay in bed all day long just so they would stay put and grow. These two twins loved to scare their mommy and daddy and loved to send them to labor and delivery. All their mommy and daddy wanted for them was to be healthy, happy, and to stay inside their mommy just a little longer."  


So why would he start reading his revised bed time story? It's because I had began bleeding that night; however we were watching it to see if it would stop which it did not. After calling the nurse the following morning we were sent to L and D for monitoring. At L and D we learned that I was actually having contractions. Fours hours later, a missed baby shower, a shot, and a prescription we were sent home to lay. The drugs are taken every 6 hours on the dot so I've set my alarm to remind me. 5:05pm, 11:05pm, 5:05am and so forth. Yes these two little ones really want to meet us. My dear friends stopped by after the shower and brought all the gifts, showed me the pictures, and told me all about it. (This was a double shower with Meredith) As usual the babies got so many cute clothes and books to start their library. I'm so thankful for the wonderful friends that I have, people traveled from Texas and even Chicago for our shower. I was really sad that B and D decided to stir things up. 


Drama at the Doc:
Monday I went back for my stress test and this was seriously the highlight of bed rest that day. I was in the waiting room and couple sitting across from me caught my attention because they were fighting. You have to remember there was no volume control or any kind of concern for those around. I had my phone out from the beginning playing what game?!?! Yes Words With Friends. Since they caught my attention I noticed something on the husbands neck. At first I thought it was a huge hickey, then I noticed it was lips. She had bright red lipstick on and it was Valentine's day so I assumed she had kissed him earlier. I was actually wrong because this was a tattoo of red lips on his neck. Once this was discovered I just knew I needed a picture of this to send to Richard. (Keep in mind the prior visit we watched a couple make out for an hour while waiting to be seen.) Next thing I know they have left the building and decided to come back in the waiting room to stir up a fight with an innocent couple stating they were discriminating against them. As soon as they left I told the couple that they should have been chewing me out because I was the one who discriminated against them by taking the picture. This was truly my entertainment for the day. After telling the nurses who were dying laughing they told me they were not surprised and that they get all walks of life. I must admit after the make out session we witnessed I changed all of my apts back to the early ones because even the bed is better than watching that for an hour while you wait. 


The Waddle:
Both babies have gained weight and are doing great. They are kicking up a storm and Blake is still wedged in between my pelvic bone very very low. Last week I mentioned the inner thigh aches that you get after a good work out. This ache really likes to creep up in the mornings after getting out of bed; therefor I have officially mastered the waddle as a result and I'm sure it is only going to continue as she grows and stays lodged in my pelvic area. 


As always we thank you for your kind words, thoughts, and prayers. Our goal is still 32 weeks and for these little ones to stay healthy, grow, and arrive safely. 


The Hen and The Bull

How B and D are growing:

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs 

almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of 

amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as 

she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her 

eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even

after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part

of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to 

changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means 

she can only make out objects a few inches from her face.

(Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

29 Weeks Prego 02-09-11

We made it through week 29 and it sure has been a fun filled week. I posted the updates from my doctor appointment on Blake which was wonderful news. (reason blog was a day late last week) 


Baby Shower:
Sunday I had a baby shower that was given by mom's friends. They of course went above and beyond and made it so special. I had a wonderful time getting out of the house for two hours. Riley helped open gifts and I just enjoyed the change of scenery and talking to everyone. It was the fastest two hours I've had in the past two weeks and when I say quick it flew by and I felt like a kid in a candy store not wanting to leave. The amount of generosity was unbelievable; people are so kind and I'm so thankful for all that everyone gave. The babies received the cutest clothes and so many things that will help us get started. I've been sneaking out of my chair for bathroom breaks and each time I go into the game room to take a peak at all their goods. I then rearrange and display everything on the pool table. Then I hear "you need to get that weight off the cervix" which then ends my little party with myself adoring all the cute things they got. Attached: a picture of my display:)

Health Update:
So officially I'm going to the Dr. (perinatologist) every Monday and Thursday. Monday's are stress tests and Thursdays are ultrasounds, stress tests, and whatever else they need to do. The stress tests are monitors that are attached to my bump for about 30 minutes. They turn on a machine that checks for movement and heartbeats which then prints off on a piece of paper. The nurse reads it and says I'm good or bad and I leave. So at my appointment on Monday everything was great and I was sent on my way. 


Tuesday I saw my obgyn for the glucose testing and the dreaded cervix check. Good news is I'm still closed up. Blake has chosen her new home to be between my pelvic bones sideways and very low. So you know that feeling you get when you've had a great work out where your inner thighs ache because you did so good, that's exactly what it feels like except you know you are not going to get that relief in the next few days and your thighs are not a bit tighter. Doc determined that our new goal has been moved from 36 weeks to 32 weeks. They are closely monitoring the stress on Miss Blake and making sure that she is able to handle the pregnancy from Mr. Dax who is lying on top of her. I was also advised to be prepared for the possibility of being placed on hospital bed rest so they can further watch my little ones more closely instead of twice a week which would allow for updates every shift change. I was also advised that due to stress they will more than likely take them at or around 34 weeks if we make it that far. 


Bed Rest:
So what does one do on bed rest week two? Well I've been using my imagination and thinking a lot. So I was thinking their actual due date is 04-20-11....4:20. In the Cheech and Chong world 4:20 is very significant. I then moved on to ponder okay so what if they are born on 03-16-11 (35 weeks) That's my dearest friend Paige's birthday- how fun would that be? Then I remember our Spring Break/Birthday/St. Patty Day celebrations and I think uttoh I will worry about them in college every year. Then I ponder to myself as they become teenagers, I've got two minds working against us and scheming up little plans....not my sweet babies. Then I just think to myself, I really just want them to be happy children and be able to accomplish anything their hearts desire. I'm just really excited to meet them and a little nervous about the possibility of meeting them in two weeks. 

As always we thank you for your kind words, calls, thoughts, and prayers. NEW GOALS: 32 weeks and preferably 34 if we can get there, no hospital bed rest, and healthy little ones.


The Hen and The Bull

How Miss Blake and Mr. Dax are growing:

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). (oh the dreaded milk, can you say gag reflexes?) This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

29 Weeks

The wonderful hostesses

My little helper Riley (she was showing off her boots)

28 Weeks Prego 02-02-2011

Week 28

On Thursday Jan 27th I went to the doctor as usual and learned that Blake is not growing. She weighed in at 1.13 and Dax was 2.14 so with that being said they believe she is not getting the nutrients from the placenta. I was given 12.5ml of steroids, hooked up to some monitors, and advised to come back on Friday for more roids, oh and that I was officially on bed rest. Friday I went back for another 12.5ml of juice and went home to lay. So what does all of this mean? The juice is to get both babies lungs ready for birth in case they have to take them early. If they are taken early they will be given the nutrients and will do better outside. I’m following orders and hoping my sweet little Blake grows while we wait till Thursday. Dax is one limber little man, he had his legs over his head and Blake was doing the same thing.

Monday Jan. 31st  I woke up with some strange fluid I ignored it but it happened again. After my scare on Thursday and being told that you call no matter what anything that is not the following this, this, or this, you call. So I did just that and was told to head up to labor and delivery and that we might have a birthday. We checked into Mercy only to find that I might have peed myself not once but twice. The entire time I kept thinking about the bill that I had just created because I am so cheap.

7 days of bed rest later:

Thursday Feb. 3rd I just got back from the doctor today and Blake has put some lb’s on, she now weighs 2.3 and Dax is 3.3. Both babies scored an 8 out of 8 for all the things they are looking at to make further determinations. The cervix that I once thought was made of steel is not exactly that. Last Thursday it was 2.75 and today it is 2.0 meaning it is thinning out and I will more than likely go into labor on my own. (Watch out recliner that water breaking could actually happen in it) When scheduling my future doctor appointments I told them to pick because I know that these appointments can be really long if they are not the first one of the morning. I told the receptionists that it’s my freedom from the bed so just pick the times for me. My plan worked because each one is in the afternoon and everyone knows that you are going to wait for a while which equals freedom from house arrest. Dax now has his bum in his sisters face and Blake has some hair on her head that we could see. Both of my children look just like their father at the time being. Unfortunately I don't have a scanner to show my pics from today. 

What does one do while on house arrest?

Facebook, Words with Friends, Surf the Net, Movies, and Crochet...Cro what? Yes I learned to crochet and I’m currently working on a purple blanket that will be trimmed in turquoise. I’m not nesting I’m just really really bored. Thanks Brenda for teaching me to do this.

Nursery: I attached pictures of the ottoman and rocker that will be in the nursery. I’m so excited for it and can’t wait to see the final results. Thank you mom and Kathy. 

Waists: I had some backlash from the waist reports on week 27 so here’s the correction. I measured stomachs not waists and was given the definitions of what waists are. 

As always thank you for all the kind words, phone calls, emails, and prayers that have been sent towards us. It made a huge difference this week while we waited for today.  Every day in the belly equals 3 days the babies are not in NICU so our goal this week is to keep them in as long as we can and for their mother to not go into complete craziness. 


Shanna and Richard

How The Foster's are Growing:By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

The Chair

The ottoman that I plan to have the newborn pics made on.

28 Weeks Prego Bump

In my uniform and 28 weeks Prego