32 weeks

So as I'm getting closer I'm trying to blog more about this pregnancy.  I'm sad that this is probably it so I want to remember every moment.  This week I have felt more and more hiccups.  Reid has them mostly but Thursday morning I felt Kane's for the first time.  Of course I'm getting more and more uncomfortable.  It is really hard to get out of bed and really out of any seated position.  I have a feeling the recliner will be calling my name here soon.  I drink about 4 large sonic glasses of water a day.  At night I will drink one of them in my sleep.  I am usually up about twice to go to the bathroom.  I have been waking up with contractions about 1 or 2 times a night which is when I go to the bathroom.  So far only the stretch marks I have are the ones from Liam but I'm sure that's about to change!  I lather up in vitamin E oil and stretch mark cream everytime I get out of the bath or shower.  I'm hoping I might get lucky and not get any more but I know I'm just lying to myself haha!  My belly just keeps getting tighter and tighter.  There is just no more room to give.  Yesterday I had my my bimonthly massage and adjustment.  It amazes me what these kids are doing to my body.  Shelby, my massage therapist, asked me if I was having issues with one of them getting into my ribs when she was massaging my right side.  Of course that's where Kanes' head stays!  She said that my ribs on that side are bowing out!  Nice!  It amazes me how she can feel that!

Today the girls at work gave me a baby shower!  I am so blessed to work with such caring and amazing people.  I hate that I forgot to take pictures but we get to talking and eating and it just slips my mind.  We got all kinds of nice things!  Here are the diaper cakes that Jennie made and some balloons that I brought home.  Liam has been running around the house yelling "Happy Birthday!!!" since I got home.  I have spent the last 2 nights washing Liam's old clothes and blankets and putting them in the twins dresser.  I keep telling myself that I need to start getting stuff together, that they could come anytime.  I am to the point that if I go into labor they will not stop me!  We have the carseats and stroller in the back of my car ready just in case.  I go to the Dr. this Wednesday and have an ultrasound so I will post more about that in my 33 week blog.  Im sure I will have updated weights and hopefully more pictures to show off!  

Hello Creekside Manor! Part 2

March 10th - It's time to blog about part 2 of the building process!  It's coming along slowly but surely! I have 7 weeks left in my pregnancy so there is no way that we will be in the house and comfortable before they get here! :(  That makes me sad because I really want newborn pictures of the boys in the new house in their new nursery but we will just have to do them later.  

Today we went to McMinnville to pick out the brick.  Here is the color we picked out.  I believe the name of it was Cortez.

Here is the house wrapped and ready for the brick!  If only we can find a brick layer that isn't already backed up with work!

Liam didn't want to leave the house so he ran to the back of the house and tried to hide in a closet.

March 16th and plumbing has been put in!

Electric was also put in around the same time as the plumbing but I didn't get a picture of it.  March 19th we went to Nashville to look for hardwood and tile.  Here is the hardwood for the house and the tile for all the "wet" rooms except for our master bedroom.  Bedrooms and play room will be carpet.  We aren't really sure what we want in our master bathroom so we needed more time to think that one through.

April 2nd was the day for insulation to be put in.

April 3rd they started sheet rock.  They had it all put up in 2 days.  It is starting to look more like a house now!

No its not painted green.  This is special sheet rock called green board that keeps moisture from absorbing and causing mold.  This was put in all the bathrooms.  Ryan is admiring his shower here.  The shower is his favorite place to be.  I guess that is why we have 3 different shower heads in this shower!

They also started putting up the brick the same day they started the sheet rock.

April 10th and the brick is coming along.  The right side of the house is completed and half of the back of the house is done!

 We had them "coin" the corners.  I think it looks better!  We also did decorative trim around the windows and doors.  All windows and doors on the front and both sides also have keystones which are the concrete V shaped blocks.  

Back of the house

This will be our screened in porch.  It still needs to have concrete poured in it. $$$ :S

They poured in the concrete to start working on the front porch and steps.

They also started mudding the joints of the dry wall.  

This will be the kitchen/living room.

April 13th and there is a little more progress on the brick!

Practically half of the house is bricked now!

April 21st they started putting the siding/soffet up. So happy to see this progress! 

They also finished this side of the house and have almost completed the front of the house!!!!  The gas company came out and flagged where the gas lines are going to go.  The dry wall guys are still working on the inside but hope to be completely finished by the end of this week and then its time for paint!  I have all my colors picked out believe it or not!  We also went this week to pick out all of our fixtures for the house so when it comes that time we are ready for that!  

April 25th and the brick is completed.  Jason Freeze started painting the ceilings.  He figures it will take him about 8 hours to finish all the ceilings and then he can start on painting the rooms.  The siding has to be finished on the outside but it's coming together!  Stay tuned for Part 3!

Oh boy!

I believe this pregnancy is starting to take a toll on me. It's 230am and I'm up as usual making my trip to the bathroom but tonight it's different. I'm so sore and I feel like someone has punched me in my pelvis. I'm uncomfortable. It hurts to turn over in bed. I can't sleep. I'm thirsty. I think over did it yesterday. I don't feel like I did anymore more than I would have if I was at work. The only thing that makes me feel better is crying. So guess what I'm doing!?!?  I called work to see how census was but it doesn't look promising. I feel guilty if I call out (on a holiday) and leave my coworkers short staffed. I know how that feels and it sucks. I want to be strong and make it as far as I can and still work but I feel like my working days are coming to an end. My goal was to make it to May 17th. Most days I feel like I can but right now I just feel like I want to stay home.  I love being pregnant.  It's the greatest feeling and blessing in the world but I'm about to the point where I'm ready for it to be over.  Kudos to those who have triplets or more because I feel like there is a constant WWF match in my belly. Kane's head gets lodged up under my right rib cage and causes a sharp pain like someone is pulling my rib cage apart.  At times I can grab Reid's foot when he stretches out and pushes against my belly.  I catch myself laughing because when I pinch his foot it's almost like it scares him because he will immediately pull his leg back like, "What the heck just touched my foot?!?" I may look and act like I'm not scared of what is to come but deep down inside I am. I try not tot talk about it because the more I do the more scared I get.  I'm becoming emotionally, mentally and physically drained.  But I'm a mom and I can't let that get in the way of taking care of Liam and making sure we have clean clothes and dishes to eat on. I feel like every mother birthing multiples that already has children should be sent home from the hospital with a nanny/housekeeper.  That way you can spend all your time with your babies and not have to worry about cooking and cleaning. Oh yeah and moving to another house weeks after delivery!!!!! I try to be positive about it all because being negative will get me nowhere.  People don't understand how I do so much crocheting and sewing with what all I have going on but if I didn't I would be in a psych institute.  That's my stress relief.  That's my time to myself to relax and think about something else other than my stressors. Ok this is becoming a journal entry in the journal I could never keep up with as a child.  I've just never been one to talk or write about my feelings (until nursing school in psych class, haha.) It's 330am now and after staring at this IPad and crying, my eyes are starting to get heavy and maybe I can catch some zzz's before 5am comes along and my alarm goes off to get ready for work. Sorry to those reading this thinking it's about Liam or the twins and have read all the way through my sob story.  At least I feel better about it and hey, it's my blog and I can write about whatever I want, right!?!?  :)

31 Weeks

Tomorrow I am 31 weeks with the twins.  I have had doctor appointments the past two days.  Yesterday was at my OBGYN's office.  We met Dr. Saulter, whom I loved by the way.  She was young and very personable.  I wouldn't mind her delivering my babies if she happens to be the one on call when I go into labor!!!  Before my appointment with her we had to go upstairs to get an ultrasound to get fetal heart tones on each baby.  Both babies heart rates were 141.  Reid is cephalic or "head down" and Kane is breech or "head up."  Which is exactly how they need to be for me to have a normal delivery.  Fingers crossed they stay that way.  They say by 30-32 weeks they will stay in the same position for the duration of the pregnancy but that isn't always the case.  Dr. Saulter was happy with my progress and I go back in 2 weeks for another appointment.

Here are some pictures of their little bodies since we can't get a face shot ….

 Reid

Kane

Today I saw Dr. Richardson, my high risk doctor.  We did a BPP (Biophysical Profile) which is just a fancy word for checking their growth.  Reid was still head down and Kane was still head up.  At one point we saw Reid's head and Kane's little butt side by side.  Of course we couldn't see their faces because that would be too easy :(  Reid now weighs 3.8 pounds and is in the 54th percentile.  Kane weighs 3.3 pounds and is in the 41st percentile.  That is almost a whole pound weight gain for each baby in 2 weeks!!!!  I was a little concerned about that but he said he was completely happy with that!  He was happy with my glucose readings and I am to keep faxing them to him every week.  He told us that this is as healthy as a twin pregnancy could get and that he felt that he no longer needed to see me anymore.  He would just keep up with my glucose readings by fax and if anything became abnormal he would call me and either change my medication or have me come into the office and reevaluate.  He said that once I get to 34 weeks I need to be seen on a weekly basis and that can be done in my OB's office.

Belly Shot! (Liam wanted to be in it too!)

After our appointment we stopped by Babies R Us to pick up our furniture.  Ryan decided that Liam needed something too.  Liam started out with these 3 cars that make constant noise but ended up with a 6V motorized Yellow Mini Cooper!  Liam passed out on the way home, thank goodness!  He was a busy body today and was fighting sleep.  We stopped by my parents on the way home and put his car together so he could ride it for a little bit.  I think once he gets the hang of it he will love riding it!

Barker Clan Update

So we are officially moved in to my Grandparent's house on the corner of Hillschapel and Oak Drive.  It's a mess and although it bothers me I just don't care right now.  There are boxes everywhere and there is no sense in unpacking everything just to pack it all back up when its time to move into the new house.  I am occasionally going through boxes just to see if there is anything I can get rid of and repacking the things I know I want to keep.

I am 28 weeks this week and I am starting to get really uncomfortable. They are constantly moving and there isn't a lot of room to move in there.  Don't get me wrong, I love being pregnant.  It is the best feeling in the world.  The attention you get and the thought of you being the only one that can feel them all the time and no one else can, I just love it!  Im not ready for it to be over because I know in the back of my mind that this is probably it :(  That makes me sad.  But 3 is enough unless we want to be poor.  I already feel poor but poor people do this all the time and they are fine so we will be alright! lol I am still working 3 days a week.  It's getting tough to move like I used to but my coworkers are the best and are always there to help me out and pull up my patients!  For those of you who have been asking for a belly picture, here it is ….

Today was full of ultrasounds and Dr.'s appointments.  I am having ultrasounds every 2 weeks and practically have this whole pregnancy which is awesome!  They measure each one and make sure there aren't any arising complications and that they are growing on track.  So far so good!  Both Dr.'s are happy with the progress they are making and all they can say is that they are healthy!  I am  gestational diabetic again this pregnancy and check my sugar 4 times a day and count my carbs for every meal.  It is one of the hardest things I have ever done but it is important for these boys and I have done a pretty good job I feel except …. my fasting blood sugars aren't good.  Dr. Richardson decided to put me on a small dose of Glyburide at night time to help bring those down.  I was on this medication with Liam as well so it was no surprise to me that me decided to put me on it.  He said that there was only a 4% growth difference in the boys and as for working, I can let my body be the judge of that.  Yesterday was really tough at work so I'm just going to take it day by day.

Meet the boys …

 Baby A

Reid Thomas

Weighs: 2.9 lbs

(profile picture)

Baby B

Kane Michael

Weighs: 2.11 lbs

(It's hard to tell but he is looking straight and the screen.  You can see one eye and his nose the best. Not the best picture but the only one we could get of him)

They now have names.  Baby A is Reid Thomas and Baby B is Kane Michael.  Reid and Kane are names that Ryan and I liked, they had no relation to anyone in our family.  I wanted 4 letter names so that worked out well.  Thomas is my maiden name and Michael is Ryan's dad's middle name.  So everyone in the family has a 4 letter name and their middle names are family names.  Hope Juanita, John Ryan, John William, Reid Thomas and Kane Michael.  A happy little 4 letter family of 5!

The house building is coming along.  The house is roughed in and plumbing, electric and insulation is being put in as we speak.  Next step in dry wall.  So we are about half way through!  These babies aren't going to wait on this house to be finished!  It would be so nice to be able to bring home the boys to their new house but I don't think that is going to happen :(

Liam is growing like a weed.  He is so smart!  He knows his alphabet, can count to 20 and to 100 by 10's, knows all his shapes including a crescent and a hexagon and knows his colors.  He just amazes me at how fast he retains things and remembers them.  He doesn't really understand what is about to happen in a few weeks.  He knows that there are brothers in momma's belly but I just don't think he gets the concept.  These last 2 days he hasn't felt well.  He has a nasty cough and runny nose!  He is rarely ever sick so I had to go to the store today to by medicine for him!  He seems like he is feeling better this afternoon.  I signed him up for swim lessons today.  It will be the last 2 weeks of July so hopefully I will be fully recovered from the twins and be able to swim with him!  I don't want him to be left out or pushed aside when they get here so I am trying to think of things to do with him his summer just us so I figured Mommy and Me swim lessons would be a good thing to do.