They get cuter every day!

This is Andrew (see below). He's taking a nap, which is the norm for these two guys most of the day. Both he and his brother like to sleep on their tummies, and they can right now because they are hooked up to monitors 24/7. They have monitors for respiration, oxygen content of their blood, heart rate and blood pressure. On his arm, you can see his IV which they tend to pad so it looks like he has a broken arm. The boys are getting protein, vitamins, and fat through IVs right now, but as they get bigger, the IV fluids go down and their feedings go up! They get fed through the bright orange thing - that's their NG tube. It goes into their nose and down to their tummies. Adam noticed yesterday that before they feed them, the nurses pull the stomach contents back up the tube into a syringe to make sure everything is digested. It was, but GROSS!! They are taking 15 ml. of milk at every feeding right now, and it keeps going up and up and up! Also, the nurses are putting milk on their pacifiers and letting them taste it a little bit so they get used to the idea. So far they are both VERY interested in their pacifiers prior to feeding. We hope they pick up on the suck/swallow/breathe thing fast so they can COME HOME!!

This is Lucas. He is usually pretty alert, but the past couple of days has been a lazy bum! He would rather sleep when we hold him. At least he's comfortable! He LOVES the camera and usually follows it with his eyes - in every picture!

Andrew again. He's looking up at Adam. The syringe is from his feeding.

Here's Luke again. He's looking at his mom. How cute! I realize I'm quite biased towards my children, but really, they are cute. Notice Luke's lovely orange skin. Due to their jaundice they get regular "suntans" under the phototherapy lights!

I will add more pictures when I have more time. We have been SO busy running back and forth to Minneapolis, and trying to reacclimate to being home (which means we have a TON of stuff to put away and clean!). We also are dealing with trying to get these guys closer to us - hopefully in the next 48 hours their IVs will be able to come out, which is the only thing keeping them in the NICU right now. Once their IVs are gone, they can be transferred (for a LARGE fee :) ) to Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids. They have a Level 2 nursery, which mostly deals with feeding/growing - exactly what our boys need. Mercy is only about 15 min. away from our house, so we could see them all day or at least many, many more times during the day.

Keep your fingers crossed!!

Our Little Babies

Finally, I have some pictures of the boys! I have TONS of pictures, I just couldn't figure out how to get them on here. They are rotating funny and I can't get the formatting right. Enough about that, onto the boys!
Here we are on Christmas Eve. Mom and the boys! Lucas Edward Lindgren (aka baby A) is on the right in a blue hat. Andrew Jack (baby B) is on the left.
Right now they are in the NICU at Children's Hospital because they were born so early - at 32 weeks, and they don't know how to eat. When they were born, they had IVs in their tummies and were both on the C-PAP machine to help concentrate oxygen so they could breathe. By 3:00pm they were off of the C-PAP and the IVs were gone from their tummies the next day! Right now, they still have 1 IV that gives them protein, lipids, and vitamins because they aren't eating on their own. That is very common with babies born this early - they can suck, swallow, and breathe, but they can't coordinate the movements and they tire out really easily. Right now, if they get a pacifier, they give it a couple of sucks, then get tired and fall asleep. Same thing with crying. They get all worked up, and by the time they get their faces scrunched up and their mouths open, they let out a little whimper and are so tired they have to fall back asleep. It's really cute, and I know we should count our blessings now, because when they get stronger, they will be very loud I think!
They are starting to get some milk through NG tubes that go into their noses and down to their bellies. They eat about 5 ml. right now per feeding (every 3 hours). This will increase as they get bigger. They do hate the tubes and try to pull them out of their faces! They also hate their "sunglasses" that they have to wear under the phototherapy lights (for their jaundice). Today they get a break from the lights, but they will probably need to be back under them tomorrow - sorry guys!!
Once their IVs come out, we are transferring them to a Level 2 nursery at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids so that they are closer to us. They will spend time there just learning how to eat and getting fatter. We are really hoping this can happen in the next few days, we'll just have to see. It is really awful leaving your kids behind and driving out of the parking ramp every day. We always get really excited on our way down there and then it just gets harder and harder to leave. We do know that they are being well taken care of - all the nurses love them - and the doctor calls us daily with updates. The updates take all of 15 seconds because they are doing very well for NICU babies. They are not as sick as most of the babies around them - another thing we are grateful for!

32 weeks...and they're here!!

Our boys decided that they would like to be around for Chrismas, so they came a couple months early! Lucas Edward and Andrew Jack were born yesterday, Dec. 22, 2008 at 9:45 and 9:57 am. We had quite the surprising day, as the nurses kept telling me I wasn't in labor and really wasn't having contractions. I was thinking "good lord, if this isn't labor I'm not doing this anymore!" But I'm getting ahead of myself... I'll start at the beginning. (Possibility of Too Much Information - TMI - be warned!)
On Sunday, I felt crampy all day long. Not too awful, just not all that hungry, the food looked icky, and at that point it kind of was, and just like it was that time of the month. I made it through the day, although there was NOTHING on t.v. and that night started bleeding again. This had been going on all week, off and on, so nothing really new there, only this bleeding was getting worse and worse. The nurse came in and monitered me at 8:00, then 10:00 and 11:oo. They kept their eye on me, and eventually the doctor on call (Dr. Ney) told them to send me up to Labor and Delivery so that I could be monitered all night.
At 1:30am I was wheeled upstairs with a groggy husband, and got settled into another room. I didn't sleep all night (Adam sure did), and my cramping was not coinciding with the few contractions I was possibly having. Dr. Ney came in and did a bedside ultrasound, but didn't really see anything substantial, and said there was a 50% chance of having the babies tonight, but they would need to be delivered via C-Section due to all the bleeding I was having. The nurse upstairs told me that "no, this is not labor" because my contractions were 2-6 min. apart and not really picking up that well on the moniter. Dr. Ney came in again and told me that she didn't think I was in labor, and that she wasn't ready to take the babies yet. Eventually I fell asleep from 5:30-6:30, then was awakened my my cramps getting worse. By 7:00 I called the nurse and told her that I was in a lot of pain and still bleeding. Turns out my water had broken (gross). By 7:15 I was thinking "Good Lord, if this isn't labor, I'm not doing this anymore". I seriously thought I was dying because I apparently wasn't having contractions (according to the moniters and nurses and doctors). So, at 7:30 Dr. Wolthe came on shift and came into my room. He checked me and sure enough, my water had broken and I was fully dialated and ready to have babies! He wanted to try a vaginal delivery (I was all for anything to get this show on the road) and asked if I wanted an epidural. By this time I was having at least 1 contracti0n every minute and holy crap they hurt! All the breathing exercises in the world were not going to do a thing for me! I gave the doctor a shaky "yes" to the epidural and they said they'd see if there was time.
They gave me a terbutaline shot to slow down the labor (something I was used to) and my contractions did space out a little - enough to wheel me down the hall and get me situated in the O.R. FINALLY the glorious anesthesiologist came into the room and gave me my epidural. Woo-Hoo!! That was a fantastic moment, and I would like to thank all those people that created that wonderful medicine!! So, once I had the epidural, we hurried up and waited for contractions and I started pushing. After 1 hour, Lucas was born. They gave Andrew a little shove and he went right where he was supposed to. 12 min later, Andrew was born.
I got to see them for a couple of seconds, and they whisked them away to the next room where the NICU team was waiting to stabilize them. Lucas was having a little trouble breathing on his own, so they put him on a C-PAP. They put an IV right into his umbilical cord, just in case they needed to give him any meds. When they were taking care of Lucas, I had Andrew and they took him away also to the other room. There were lots of windows, so we could see what they were doing, and Adam could go in and out of the room while the doctors were taking care of me. Andrew needed the C-PAP also, but he didn't so much need it as he got angry when they took it off of him. They took them to Children's and they have been there ever since.
We went twice yesterday to see them. They each have their own nurse that stays with them in 12 hour shifts. They were able to get off of the C-PAP machines yesterday afternoon at around 3:00pm and they took their IV out of their belly buttons at 10:00pm.
We haven't gone to see them yet today, because we're waiting to see the doctor to see if I can get out of this joint today. We're going over there in a little bit, and I'll keep you updated! Have a Merry Christmas!!

Whew! Today was a busy day! It was my first day of blood testing for my GD (gestational diabetes), so first thing vthis morning I was stabbed (ok, pricked) and blood tested. Then after every meal, I get another test, plus I HAVE to eat snacks between every meal which isn't all that bad. For those of you that don't know, I just have to eat 4 servings of carbs at a meal, and 2 servings for every snack. A serving size is equivalent to 15 grams when reading a label. Here, the dietary people tell me what I can and can't have, so it's pretty easy. At home (if I get to go) is another story altogether. I'm not holding my breath - what with my continued contractions and all, we'll just have to see.
I also got to get another ultrasound today to check for growth. These babies are big! I could've told you that. Baby A weighs 4 lbs, 1 oz and B weighs 3 lbs, 15 oz. They are bigger than most of the other 31 week twins around here (according to reports from the other moms from group today). But, they are right on schedule I guess! Everyone's hearts were good, the stomachs were good, blah blah = they're doing well. The next big milestone is 32 weeks, at which time their brains should be as developed as a "term baby's" brain. If born at 32-34 weeks, they would probably need to stay in the NICU for 4-6 weeks still, depending on breathing and feeding issues, so we're not really in the clear yet.
I also had group today, which was fun. I got to talk to the other girls here, which is always nice, and makes me feel that I really don't have it so bad. I'm one of the farther along people, and although I do have my fair share of issues (contractions, bleeding, pains, etc.) there are others much worse off than me. One of the ladies from the group set up a lady to come give us pedicures/manicures on Friday afternoon, so that's another thing to look forward to!!

An educational day

Today had its ups and downs. First off, I woke up and had more bleeding (yuck!) so I called my nurse, and she put me on the moniter at 2:00am - sorry Adam! I was on for a while and had to get another shot of terbutaline, but that stopped my "irratibility". Then at 6:00am I got my blood taken for my 3-hour gestational diabetes test, and got to drink the "sprite"ish drink. Then I fell back asleep and was awakened every hour for more blood draws until 9:00. By 10:00 I found out that I do, in fact, have gestational diabetes. Since then, I've had handouts and books and visits from dieticians and I'm super-smart about diabetes. Tomorrow I start the blood sugar testing, so I'm going crazy tonight and I'm gonna eat whatever I want!! :)
Later this afternoon, my favorite people - integrated medicine - came to visit and I had a wonderful massage. Man I'm gonna miss that when I have to leave!

31 weeks!

We've made it another week! Every week is just better and better. Time really does seem to be going fast, so that's good too. This week I have plans on Wednesday (we have "group" at 2:oo) and Thursday I have an ultrasound to check the boys' growth. I won't officially find out if I get to go home next week or not until Monday (next week). I'll have a "check-up" and maybe I will be able to go home if everything looks good! I think they'll keep me on my nifedipine to stop contractions, but we'll see what happens! I also have to see if I'll be able to go up and down stairs or not to see if I can get out of my bed at all... we'll see. The drs keep saying that the boys look good. They kick like they're crazy, and now Baby B (he's up higher) kicks poor Baby A (down lower), wakes him up and then A gets the hiccups every time! It's a bad cycle to get into, but we do this about 4-5 times a day. Thanks guys. They already are troublemakers!

30 weeks!

We've successfully made it through another week of baby-cooking! That sounds weird... So, I'm still pregnant and I'm still in the hospital. Adam still comes and stays nightly with me, so our routine is still the same. Today I got taken off of my IV though! That's great! Now I don't have to drag it around with me when I go to the bathroom - I'm officially "unplugged"! Yay!! I am now on another drug, called nifedipine. It's a blood pressure medication, which is sometimes used for contractions. I have to take a pill every 6 hours and they continue to monitor me. The past 3 mornings I have had enough contractions to warrent using terbutaline, another drug - a shot to stop contractions. It works every time, so they still are using it as needed. They have been talking about putting me on a pump with the terbutaline, not sure yet... No one is ever sure about anything around here. The one good thing is that we made it another week, and that the babies seem well every time they get checked! I'll keep you updated!

The Routine

I thought I'd give everyone a little taste of my days here in the hospital. At 7:00am the lab techs come to draw some blood - they check my potassium I think, it was low this week, so I had to take horse pills. 7:15-7:30 a nurse or nurse assistant comes to check my blood pressure and temperature - both are typically good, by the way. Hey something's got to be good, right? 8-8:30 my breakfast comes - I get to choose and the food's not that terrible - it's actually quite good. After breakfast they monitor the babies and me. They strap monitors to my belly and check heartbeats and contractions - those of you with children know what I'm talking about. That lasts 1/2 hour or so. Usually I have 1-2 contractions, which is normal for twin pregnancy. For the babies, they look to see if their heart rates are stable and if the heartbeats accelerate and decelerate on their own. Usually they go crazy and move like lunatics, so that's good! Around 9:30-10, I get to take a shower in my very own bathroom! This is an improvement - when I was upstairs I shared a bathroom, and if I needed a shower I had to be wheeled down the hall - yuck! Then I get ready for the day and set myself up with some books and things to do. I either watch some tv or read, and order lunch around 11-11:30. They bring me some lunch, and housekeeping comes to clean the room. The nurse or nursing assistant checks on me every hour or so, getting me water, answering questions, etc. The afternoon passes pretty much the same - tv, read, nap. The nurse shifts change at 3:00, so shortly after someone comes back to take my temperature and blood pressure again. Sometime in the evening they monitor me and the boys again. I have something for supper, Adam shows up around 7:00 and we go to bed at 10.
It's already been 5 days, so I think I'm doing ok here I guess. On Monday, my IV may be able to be taken out and I may be started on an oral medication for contractions. Then, we wait and see again.
So, that's my daily routine - not that exciting, but I am being taken good care of. I'm hoping to get a loaner computer tomorrow from school, so if I do, there will be more updates. Stay tuned!

THE BIG UPDATE

I FINALLY got my hands on a computer - thank you Travis and Leah!! So, now I can let everyone know (who wants to that is) exactly what's going on around here. Here we go...
**Warning: I'm telling it like it is, so be aware that there may be some icky stuff...
On Monday morning, I woke up and had a little spotting. Something new for me, so I called my dr. They said to keep an eye on things. Well, by noon, nothing had changed, so I decided to go to the clinic. My dr. checked me out, and noticed that my cervix had shortened even more and was now "funneling". This is not good, so he put me on stricter bedrest - allowing me to get up only for 10 min. every hour. I also went to the hospital where they monitered my and the boys, nothing exciting there. They gave me a steroid shot in case I went into labor - the steroids would help their lungs develop. I also got a shot of terbutaline to fend off preterm labor. I scheduled an appointment for the next day to get another steroid shot and so they could keep their eye on me. The dr. told me to pack a bag, just in case, and lay down.

1:00am Tuesday, December 2
I woke up and was having spotting again. I called the hospital again and they said I could come in if I wanted to. I tried to go back to sleep, then decided that I should go. I woke up Adam, grabbed some stuff in a bag (just in case!) and we went to the hospital. When I got there, they monitered me again. At this point I was dialted to 1 cm, so they called the dr. on call, and started me on magnesium sulfate in an IV to stop contractions. I didn't realize it, but I was having contractions every 1-6 minutes. By the time the dr. got there, I had dialted to 3 cm. and she decided to send me by ambulance to Abbot (where I am now).
Oh, turns out the ambulance may not be fast enough, so instead I got a HELICOPTER ride here. Sheesh! What a fuss!! I was strapped down, and they loaded me up into the helicopter. My flight EMT guys were very good looking, and assured me I would be fine, so off we went. 15 min. later, we ended up in Minneapolis at 5:30am. Adam had to drive himself and got there at about 6:00am. He was a little nervous I think, but I'm not sure I really knew what was going on.
Bottom line, they stopped my contractions. I'm still having some (like 2 an hour) but that is totally normal for a twin pregnancy.
The main goal was to get me past Wednesday, when the steroids would kick in. So now the goal is to keep me pregnant as long as possible.
I have to stay here for a while - I'm still on the magnesium IV, which is irritating because I have to drag that pole around everywhere I go (which isn't really anywhere really). On the positive side, I don't have to measure my urine anymore (which was gross), and I don't have to take penicillin anymore!
Next Monday, they might take me off the IV and put me on a pill form of muscle relaxant. I'll keep everyone updated as soon as I know what's happening. We're all doing fine - just stinks to be in "waiting mode".

It's coming...

Christmas, that is!
I love Christmas, but this year is a little sad. We aren't able to travel home for the holidays. Adam has put up a few (and I mean few) Chrismas lights, and we have very little decorating done, but we're getting there! I can work on it in my spare time!
I am going to miss the family traditions, though... church with the family, dinner including lefsa and torsk, and opening presents with everyone. It's just not the same when you don't have everyone around. Speaking of presents, Adam and I bought our Christmas present already. We got a new car! We knew by looking at my growing belly that our growing family would need more space - especially since, when I have these guys and am let out into the real world again, I'm taking full advantage of that! So, I looked online and found a car that looked like a good deal (it's a Mercury Mountaineer - just what I wanted :) ). Adam told me when we went to look at it that we "Absolutely are NOT buying a car tonight, so don't even think about coming home with one." He drove it, and the dealer gave us a good deal to get rid of my ugly car, so we did buy it that night. I didn't want to gloat, but well, I was right once again. Of course! So, expect to see me driving up to your house with a car full of kids - when I can, that is!

Ten good things...

So, yesterday was bad because I was not ready for this, but here I am and I intend to make the best of it. Here's my list of 10 good things about staying home from work:
10. Shaggy has a new very best friend
9. I forgot how good I am at crossword puzzles
8. Now I know the E! True Hollywood Story of Soliel Moon Frye a.k.a. Punky Brewster (jealous??)
7. I can eat pretty much all day
6. My couch is pretty comfy
5. Organizing my Rachael Ray recipes
4. Taking a little nap just because I wanted to
3. Watching tv all day
2. Online SHOPPING!
and the BEST thing... I can lay around in my pj's if I want to.

There you have it. And another good thing...I'm NOT at parent/teacher conferences right now! That's wonderful!!

28 weeks!

Today we went for our 28 week checkup, which for twins includes an ultrasound to see how big the boys are. For those of you that haven't seen me lately, I am measuring over 40 weeks and get frequent comments from people both to my face and under their breath. I hear "looks like any day now", and "she's gonna pop any second". It's so nice to hear that I look huge. Like I don't already know... In any case, this is what I look like now. Nice. And yes, I realize there's two babies, trust me, I know. I'm the one that feels them kicking me all day! Still, it's a rather large belly. Which is good, which leads me to the good news...

Good News:
Both boys are great. Baby B is 2 lbs., 10 oz. and looks wonderful. Baby A is slightly smaller but looks wonderful. We couldn't get a weight on "A" because his head was not cooperating and is sitting in a place that is difficult to get a good measurement. You don't really want all the gory details. :)
More good news - they are on schedule for their due date and have plenty of fluid to swim around it, and drink, etc. More good news - heartbeats looked good.

Bad News: (well kind of)
I can't work anymore. These two chubbos are putting too much pressure on certain areas, causing me to be unable to work. I'm not really on bed rest per se, but I should "lay down as much as possible during the day". Don't worry, my Dr. told me all of this a long time ago, that 28 weeks is around the time when twin moms need to stop working. I'm also not supposed to ride in a car for a long time, go out for long periods of time, you know all the fun holiday stuff.
I did go to work today to finish up some paperwork needed for conferences tomorrow, get billing done, & print out lists I've made for my substitute. I am allowed to go in next week to meet with the sub. and get all that great stuff done.

HELP!!!!
So since I'm sitting around most of my days, PLEASE help me to find ways to pass the time. What are some good movies you've seen lately? Read any good books? Any TV shows I should be watching? My plan for the next couple of months is to rent some movies, organize some stuff, and well, that's about it. Any ideas? Keep in mind that I'm also developing a nice case of carpal tunnel and I can't bend over well, so that really knocks out any cleaning and small hobbies.

I will also likely be putting up many new blog posts, so look for those to entertain you (and mostly me!).

Update

It's been awhile since I wrote on here. That's because work is very busy this time of year - writing reports, conferences coming up, and before I leave for maternity leave (WHOO HOO!!) I have to finish up rough drafts of IEPs and evaluations, the list goes on. So, needless to say, when I get home, I'm exhausted! I actually am doing NOTHING today (and am very excited about that!) so I'll give you some updates on how we're all doing.
I'm currently 27 weeks, oh but I measure 39 weeks, so yes I'm gigantic. This week was the first week I actually got uncomfortable. I've had a pretty good run, I think! Sleeping at night is getting harder and harder, and my back hurts in pretty much any position I sit, stand or lay down. I'm thinking about going to a chiropracter. Any thoughts or suggestions???
We have started our "childbirth preperation" classes. I've read so many books that none of the information has been that great, but Adam is learning a lot. I keep catching sideways looks at me when the teachers say something that I've told him 100 times, but he just doesn't believe me. See, I'm not making that stuff up!! The classes are doing nothing except making me more nervous.
We're also currently dealing with the daunting "DAYCARE" decision. We have a couple of options, either putting the kids in full-time daycare, or having Adam's mom come 2-3 days a week and hiring a nanny the other 2-3 days. Any advice on that one??
Finally, NAMING these guys. We are having a very difficult time thinking of names! Adam and I don't agree on much of anything where names are concerned. Well, I should take that back, I can think of 20 names I like, but Adam keeps shooting me down! Boys are tough because you don't want to name them anything girly or too weird. Girls would be much easier because anything you name a girl can be cute. Anyone have any good ideas?? We don't like names that start with the same letter, but the name can't really end in an "l" either with our last name... Winner gets a cash prize of $1,000,000. Ok, maybe not, but I would buy you a bottle of wine and you can meet the babies you named!
That's the update for now. In a week I have another ultrasound, so I'll be able to tell you weights and more information on how these guys are doing in here. I can tell you that they are kicking and rolling like nobody's business! Crazy kids.

Trick or Treat!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Yes, I think it's funny to dress up animals. I don't think it's cute, I don't think it's sweet. I just think it's funny - look at the guy. What's even better is how mad he gets at me when he has his costume on. Cracks me up every time!

Kickin Kids

I waited forEVER for these babies to start moving around and kicking, and I have one thing to say - be careful what you wish for! Don't get me wrong, it's nice to know they're happy and moving around, but these guys are ALWAYS happy and moving around!
I'll be sitting in my chair, and one baby will kick for a while. Then he'll stop and 15 min. later, the other one starts in. This continues pretty much all evening. Then when I go to bed, EVERYONE kicks until I fall asleep! It's party time in my belly!
I'm just worried that this is a sign of things to come...

Register, Register, Register Me

Today was a busy day of registering for baby things. We only made 2 stops, but man we were overwhelmed! Our first stop was Babies R Us, which is where the majority of our things are. That place is jam-packed full of baby stuff. Adam got a glazed-over look in his eyes and was a little unsure at first, but once he got warmed up he was pointing out most of the things that we might actually need! He found all sorts of trinkets and gadgets that will make our life easier. He was so excited to pick out the Minnesota Twins mobiles (which will not match the room), but it was an easy compromise to get him to come along and be in a good mood!
Next we went to Target, which really doesn't have that much that Babies R Us didn't have. When we got there I actually needed a snack (even though I had just eaten a large breakfast). We actually ate at the snack bar at the Target store - something I swore I would NEVER do. There I was, having some pizza and a drink before I had to use the public restroom (yes, at Target). Oh, how I've changed. Germs can't keep me from going to the bathroom anywhere! Adam kept commenting on how my brain is not working the same as it used to, and pointing out that now I am the clumsy one; knocking things over, dropping things, etc. I told him that babies suck the life right out of you - even your brain - and to be patient because I have double the babies!
All in all, we got that accomplished (in record time) and are now home where I have not seen my husband since... hmmmm.... :)

AND WE'RE HAVING.....

2 BOYS!!

We had our ultrasound today, and everything looks good. Everyone has a set of fingers, toes, arms, and legs (and insides). As Adam put it "they both have heartbeats and they both have weiners." How poetic.
Our next duty is to think of names, and we cannot agree at all. This is going to be really tricky. So far Adam has suggested: Adrian Peterson & Joe Mauer and Bert & Ernie. Ummmm, no. Not happening. I guess we'll have to battle it out for names - and are open for suggestions.

so sleepy

Man! What a week... It just went so SLOOOOWWWWW. Today I'm officially 20 weeks along, and of course, I'm getting bigger by the second! Someone told me "oh my, I haven't seen you since Monday, you really look like you're bigger since then!" Well, thank you very much for letting me know how huge I am getting. I know. I have 2 babies, and each is the size of a cantelope in there, so you tell me what you think you would look like with 2 melons under your shirt. (besides the other ones...)
Those of you who want to know what we're having will have to wait until Tuesday!! Stay tuned....

Politics schmolitics

My biggest irritation in these election days are people who vote on a candidate based on one issue. The next biggest irritation is when that issue is pro-life vs. pro-choice. How on earth can anyone think that this is even a bi-partisan issue? Who in this world likes killing babies?? I've got news for you... NO ONE!!
If you don't like this, please stop reading - this is my blog and I can do what I want!
I do not in any way, shape, or form condone abortion. I think abortion is a selfish act done by selfish people. I AM pro-choice simply because I feel that:
#1 the government should not be allowed to tell me or anyone else that they (the government) are 100% correct in every single circumstance, and
#2 changing that law (which will never happen) will not change a thing.
Did you know that 52% of all abortions are being performed on 15-24 year olds? These are teens and young adults who are "not ready" for children, which is the reason for their choice. Do you realize that these are the same idiots that would be getting abortions whether it was legal or not? Did you know that their complete lack of responsibility and maturity, shown by having an abortion, could be prevented by a little something called sex education?? Did you know that v.p. candidate, Ms. Palin, does not agree with sex education? It's a great thought to believe that teaching abstinence-only is the best policy, but wake up people! It obviously does not work! Parenting would help. So would providing attention for your children. Supporting your children - also a good plan.
Bottom line: I can't tell you what to do. I'm giving you the CHOICE to take this or leave it. It is strictly my opinion - just something I had to get off my chest. I just wish people would take a political stand on some other issue that makes more sense. Something that may actually make a difference. No matter what you do, this issue of abortion will not change - even if you elect a republican for president.

Ultrasound, coming up!!

In two weeks we have our big ultrasound scheduled!! We have to go to Minneapolis to have it done because it's a Level II (because of the twins), and they don't have that level of testing in Monticello. I called today and it'll be an hour and a half! What are they looking at for that long?? So stay tuned to see what we're having...

17 weeks

I had a checkup today, and heard both heartbeats again! The dr. says everything looks good, but had a hard time trying to get a heartbeat from one of the babies because it was moving around so much! I have a feeling that one is going to be a bugger - every time we go to the dr. that particular baby is moving like crazy. Adam asked if I think it will be one of "my kids" and by that he means special ed. I just have to shake my head at him sometimes.

telling the students

Today I started seeing actual students instead of just looking at their names and their files. One of my groups has 3 third grade boys in it (what was I thinking?). As we were walking to my room today, I told them that they are in 3rd grade, and need to be more responsible, so they are going to have to walk to speech by themselves - I can't come and pick them up anymore. I told them that I might not be able to walk very far pretty soon because I am having 2 babies. They were pretty excited, and one of the boys asked, " Will their heads be stuck together?". I assured him that their heads are NOT stuck together - I've seen them and they look ok. Kids are so funny aren't they??

One busy week

Wow! The beginning of the school year is always so stressful! We just had our first week of workshops, and all the teachers are walking around like zombies. You probably don't feel sorry for us, but it is really hard to get back into a routine, and you should feel sorry for us anyway. Teaching is a great profession - I would not do anything else - but it is ridiculously busy.
Here's how my week went:
Monday - meeting in the morning, organize my new caseload, create and fill in my handy "caseload" chart that I can NEVER lose because it has EVERYTHING on it, track down files, eat lunch (the fun part of the day!), track down paper and put up bulletin board, lug boxes of supplies to my room, put up other bulletin board, return messages from other special ed. teachers about my caseload, track down files again, go home.
Tuesday - meeting in morning, send out emails to start scheduling, return emails regarding students that moved to Middle School, return calls regarding students that moved to Middle School, eat lunch :), start looking over files for new students and man! they were long!, put my head on my desk, send out more emails about scheduling this year, eat supper!, change, put on makeup for open house - which of course people show up for 45 min. early - why not? I have nothing else to do but wait for them to come trapzing into my room, direct parents at open house, meet new student's parents and new students, get growled at by one particularly unhappy boy, go home.
Wednesday - staff meeting for new MAP testing, return phone calls regarding home schooled students, learn choreography for opening assembly song, attempt to start scheduling, eat lunch, read through report for new student, get organized for IEP meeting, have IEP meeting (which lasted 2 1/2 hours by the way), go home (at 5:30 pm).
Thursday - practice choreography for assembly, staff meeting, work on schedule, get email saying that I have to test 11-15 new Kindergarteners next week, cool down from email, make phone calls regarding the IEP meeting yesterday, start draft of goals for yet another meeting today, eat lunch, go to IEP meeting (this one was only 30 min!!!), get phone call from other special ed. teacher telling me their schedule - which now makes my schedule null and void, start over on schedule, take papers off wall in hallway from last year, try to start scheduling again, give up, go to apologize to teacher because I was snotty on the phone, run into physical impairment specialist, discuss student, go home.
So, that was my week. Sorry it got so long, I just needed to let everyone know exactly what my job consists of - and that is before I have seen any children!!! Not only am I a Speech Language Pathologist, but I am also a counselor, dancer, singer, organizer, computer genius (I can make a great spreadsheet :) ), extra tester, cleaner, and decorator. And that's just my day job!

Back To School

Yuck! In a few short days I'm officially working again. Today was a rude awakening because I had a workshop (surprise!) that I forgot about. Man, it was a long day, and I was really tired after sitting there for 7 hours. What am I going to do when I actually have to work??

Parent Poll: Highchair vs. booster

So, I love planning. I know it is very early to start registering for baby things, but it is so completely overwhelming! Especially when all the "new parent" lists of suggestions for newborns have items for only one baby! When looking at the list, it doesn't look so bad, then multiply it by two - then think about where you're gonna keep all the stuff! See? Overwhelming. So, I started my baby registry. More of a checklist for myself than a list for gifts (although gifts are always appreciated! :) ). Get to the point - ok - I have registered for 2 highchairs (I know we don't need them right away). They are really cute highchairs, but they are also very bulky. We have a (much) larger house, but still, having to manuver around those things - ugh!

Here comes the poll part: Does anyone have advice or opinions on whether to have the actual highchairs or to get those booster seats that strap to a chair with a tray? Any suggestions are welcomed!!

I'm an addict

I am completely addicted to craigslist. How ridiculous is that?? I keep putting our "junk" on it - stuff we found when we moved - and people keep wanting to buy it! So far I've sold 2 lawnmowers (yes, who needs two except for my wonderful husband) a weight bench, and a computer desk!! Who are these people crazy enough to buy our junk?? Who cares!

baby pictures

Finally, I am putting baby pictures up! Here is the first round of pictures taken about 4 weeks ago, so now the babies are much bigger. This is the first picture I saw, showing that there was definitely more than 1 baby in there!!

This is a picture of (what the doctor labeled my baby) "Twin A".

So, this naturally is "Twin B". This one's upside down in case you can't tell.
So there are our kids. We're still excited and still nervous! Two babies seems like a lot, but we're ready for the challenge.

we're in!

We finally are completely moved into our new house!! With the help of my parents and brothers, we were able to bring all of our worldly possessions over and put them where I wanted them! It feels good to be in one place now, and no longer going between the two homes. Now I can sit back and relax -- until school starts that is!

our second appointment

We had another doctor's appointment today, and I'm happy to say everything looks good! My husband came with me, and I'm not sure he believed we were actually having two healthy babies, so the doctor gave me another ultrasound so that he could see them. He finally feels comfortable telling people, so I just sent out a mass email to all my friends. I feel much better to know everything looks good. We just have a crazy weekend coming up with moving and all, so I better get a nap today!!

long week

Not that I'm complaining, because I am NOT, but this has been a long week and it's only Tuesday! It's my first week not working at all, and I don't have that much to do. We're moving, so I just keep moving things to the new house, but other than that, kinda boring...
I wanted to write that so that in about a year when I am running ragged around trying to keep up with 2 children, I'll be able to fondly remember the good old days of boredom!

and we're moving

Something I forgot to mention yesterday was that we are also moving into a new house! We finally sold our house (after 9 months) and are finally OUT of the neighborhood. We did not fit in very well there...
So this weekend we're cleaning out the new house and next weekend we're moving our stuff in!

first post of the new life

Well, I've decided to give it a try. Blogging, I mean. I am not as technically advanced as I would like to be, so don't get too excited.
The reason I started a blog is that I have something to talk about...
I decided to name this blog "From Two to Four" because that is exactly what is happening - we are expanding into an actual family! You may be thinking "Four? What does she mean four?" Well, I'm having twins! We just found out a couple of weeks ago, and have been trying to keep it a secret, but it's getting harder to do the fatter I get!
We never imagined that we would have 2 babies right away, but are very excited for the adventure ahead!
I'm currently 11 weeks and 5 days pregnant. I've had an ultrasound (which is where I saw the 2 little babies) and am feeling pretty good. Some days are better than others, but overall I can't complain - no morning sickness and no major issues - just a little tired and a little tummy.
If anyone has advice or experience (especially with twins!) I'm eager to hear any advice!