Second Trimester, Here I Come!

So the last month or so has been pretty tough.  First finding out that we are expecting twins, (that was a huge shock,) then finding out that our babies pretty much had no chance of  living.  Now we know that the babies are fine, and although there is a small chance of there being complications, the odds of that happening are still pretty slim.  Aside from all that, throw in all day sickness, headaches, and extreme fatigue.  Oh and two little ones to care for.  Some days I feel like I was crazy for thinking that I wanted another child, but more often than not, I remember that all these intense pregnancy symptoms are so worth the amazing prize that will come to me in about 6 months!  I will be 12 weeks tomorrow, which means that my second trimester is only a week away,  and hopefully relief from the nausea is coming soon as well!  I had another OB check yesterday, and the doc said that the babies looked great.  I think they were both doin karate in there!  They were kickin and punchin, and just as active as ever!  They are aprox. 2" long, and beautiful!  I have an appt. down in Eugene next week on Tuesday, and I will try to post the ultrasound pics then!  It was amazing how much they have changed in such a short period of time.  The last time I saw them was only two weeks ago, and they look like babies now!  The whole transformation of a child, from an embryo, to a fetus, to child birth, and on, just baffles me.  Our God is amazing, and I just can't wait to watch how these little miracles mature and grow! Blessings on you all!

Reasons to Blessed!

So I had my first doc appt. in Eugene today, and it was an amazing appt.  The sonagrapher did my ultrasound within 10 of my being there, and the first thing I noticed was a really thin white line coming down between the babies heads.  And she took the words right out of my mouth...There was a membrane between the two...PRAISE THE LORD!!!  She told me that about 85% of people with a diagnosis of mono-mono  twins that are seen at that clinic, come to find out that it was mis-diagnosed.  Early on in the pregnancy it is easy to not catch the membrane.  Sometimes it depends on the picture quality of the equipment  being used, sometimes it is just too thin to see.  The doc then came in and told me that they are definitely identical twins, and that they definitely have their own amniotic sacs.  But he did inform me that they are sharing the same placenta, which can still present its own problems.  There is something that is called Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS)
TTTS occurs when blood moves from one twin to the other. The twin that loses the blood is called the donor twin. The twin that receives the blood is called the recipient twin.
Both infants may have problems depending on the severity of the transfusion. The donor twin may have too little blood, and the other may have too much blood. The donor twin may need a blood transfusion, while the recipient twin may need to have the amount of blood in his or her body reduced.
Treatment may require repeated amniocentesis during pregnancy. Fetal laser surgery may be done to interrupt the flow of blood from one twin to the other.
After birth, treatment depends on the infant's specific symptoms. The donor twin may need a blood transfusion to treat anemia.
The recipient twin may need to have the volume of body fluid reduced. This may involve an exchange transfusion.
Medications may be given to treat heart failure in the recipient twin
If the twin-to-twin transfusion is mild, full recovery is expected for both babies.
(This information comes from Pubmedhealth.com)
So we still need lots of prayer for the health of these babies, but for right now the babies look great!

So here is pic of both of their heads, and the very thin line in the middle is the membrane!

Baby A, on the left side of my tummy.

And here is Baby B, on the right side of tummy.

So as you can see they are little peanuts..(actually gummy bears, that's how little they are.)  Today I am 9 weeks 5 days, and the due date is still Oct. 5th.  there is a lowered chance of me having a c-section now, which I am stoked about!  Anyways, please keep praying guys, we need it!

Pregnant!

So, I know it has been a long time since I have posted, but I have been a little busy, and a lot of things have gone on since my last post.  First off, Tom and I found out that we were expecting.  We were excited and overjoyed...Skyler was REALLY happy.  Then I had my first pre-natal appt.  The beginning went smoothly, until we got to the ultra sound.  Now let me back up a bit.  When we first found out that I was pregnant, I had explained it to Skyler.  He was happy, but it wasn't enough for him.  He had told me that he wanted me to have two babies in my tummy!  But I laughed and and said, "oh no honey, mommy is only going to have one baby in her tummy!"  So when I was laying on the table, waiting for the ultra sound to begin, I was joking with the doctor about what Sky had said, and how crazy that would be if it really was twins!  Well, She started the ultra sound, and said to me, "Well, I'm seeing something interesting here," as she turned the monitor my direction, "I am seeing two little images on the screen."  I was shocked! I honestly could not believe it.  I mean, I was totally kidding about having twins, but there they were.  The doctor then proceeded to tell me that there was a problem.  The two are sharing the same amniotic sack.  It is called monoamnionic/ monochorionic.  Or momo twins.  Which also means that they are identical.  With this type of pregnancy, there are several complications.  Since there is no barrier, later in pregnancy, the twins can become entangled in each others cords, which obviously is very dangerous, or the cords can become knotted or crimped, cutting off oxygen and blood flow, resulting in fetal death.  This is a very rare pregnancy.  About 1 in 35,000.  All of this is very scary.  I will be seeing a specialist tomorrow morning in Eugene.  I will be seeing this doc regularly.  If things continue at such a high risk, I will be hospitalized at 28 weeks, kept on strict bed rest, and have the babies delivered between 32 and 35 weeks, depending on the urgency and situation of the twins.  I know there are tons of people praying, and Tom and I appreciate that more than anything else.  This is going to be a very difficult time, but I know that God will watch over these babies.  If no barrier is created, then we will all be praying that they will stay untangled, and remain healthy.  My due date is Oct. 5, but they will be born probably the end of August.  Please keep praying for these babies.  It is the best thing we can do right now.
I will try to keep everybody updated with phone calls, and definitely with my blog.  It has been kind of hard to be motivated lately because I have been so sick and tired, but I think that I may be turning a corner, or that maybe today was just a little better than the others.  Either way, I will try my hardest to spend 15 minutes at least, after appts, to update everyone.  I will also post ultrasound pics as soon as I can.  Again thank you for your prayers and support! Have a blessed day!