36 weeks and in the home stretch.

We had our 36-week appointment today. Everything looks very, very good. The babies were very sleepy this morning, probably because they were up at 4am having a bouncy blast, but we were finally able to get them to move around long enough to complete the biophysical. Another 10 minutes and I'm betting I would have landed in L&D hooked up to the monitors for an hour. Good boys! They were measuring at 5lbs 9oz and 6lbs even, which is a fairly decent gain seeing as they were checked just a week ago. Miles is head-down once again, and he is actually the lowest baby at this point, so I really don't know what to make of him.

Dr. M said that I'm ready to deliver at any point, and we set a c-section date for Dec. 14th. He said my water will probably break in the next week, but I'm morbidly curious about just how long I could go before my water breaks. I wouldn't mind going to my scheduled date at all, at this point. It's not that I'm not completely sick of being pregnant, but the birth of the babies will present several challenges that I'm really not forced to deal with while they're on the inside. I'm uncomfortable, but recovering from a c-section and nursing two babies will be pretty comparable. I'm very excited about seeing these two boys, but it will mean a big round of changes and adjustments, and a major lack of sleep, so I'm not at all unhappy with the thought of another couple weeks of sleep. I haven't had the back pain that usually comes with my pregnancies in the third trimester, and thanks to Nexium, I haven't heartburn at all in two months. The combination of those two things is why I hate the third trimester, so I've been sitting pretty. My belly is VERY heavy and my hormones are whacky, but I'm managing okay. Getting to 38 weeks would mean heavier babies, which would be a huge blessing. The bigger they are, the more likely we are to all come home together on the same day and have nursing success. Every day is another ounce, and that is still really important at this point. I think we'd all be going home together now, but I know that each day is closer to a great sucking reflex and a weight that we can all be comfortable with. So, I think I can really say that my water breaking would be okay and we'd manage fine, but another week or so would be fine too.

We talked with Dr. M about the risks for the surgery and postpartum issues. This being my 4th c-section and having two babies in there, there is additional concern about hemorrhage and the possibility that my uterus won't clamp down so well after the delivery. Luckily, Dr. M is pretty much counting on it and will be well-prepared. We've also already talked about depression meds, as my recovery with Claire was a little iffy and having two babies may make things even harder. He said he'll have them ready if it should become a problem, and I'll be leaving it to Andrew to help me make that decision when the time comes. He knows me best, and I trust his judgement. I'd really like to get away without them, but more than that I'd like to remember my recovery with the boys as happy and peaceful.

So that's basically what's up. Bottom line, we have a date set to appease my planning side, but everyone said they'll see me this week when my water breaks. Psh. They don't call me Super Cervix for nothing...my next OB appt is this coming Thursday, so we'll see! Hang in there, boys! Mama loves you and we're almost done!

35w - Our Labor & Delivery appt.

Man, people are funny. Today we had our 35w appointment at Labor and Delivery because my OB's office was closed. It was about 2 hours long and included a Biophysical Profile, a Non-Stress Test, and a sonogram to check for weights and heart rates. Sounds simple, right? We have them every week, and we just have two more to go at most! Yippee!

The first thing we did was check in. That took FOR. EV. ER. But that's normal because when you check in at the hospital they treat it as if you're staying. And so did the nice nurse who passed us and said, "Ah! The big day!" I'm betting she felt bad when I smiled and chirped, "Another few weeks to go!" Seriously, even IN Labor & Delivery, don't assume a woman is about to deliver. Unless she's panting and pushing, just smile at her and walk on by.

So then we got the boys hooked up on the monitors and I got to watch my contractions bounce along. Nothing exciting. I'm contracting about 4 times an hour, which is pretty standard. The boys are monitor champs and Miles actually held still for about an hour, which is some sort of record.

So the nurse came in and started the intake questions, which are all pretty...redundant.

"Do you have any swelling?"

"Yes. Everywhere." (This was followed by a leg check and "Well, it was Thanksgiving yesterday..." Zing.)

"Do you snore loud enough that you can be heard through a closed door?"

"Yes. Last night I actually heard myself snoring in a half-waking state and thought that I should stop but couldn't rouse myself from my Tylenol PM state enough to do anything about it."

"Are you overweight or have you experienced a sudden weight gain?"

::crickets::   Really?

"Are you experiencing any pain and can you rate it on a scale of 1-10?"

Now what kind of question is this to ask a woman who's 35 weeks pregnant with twins? Where do I begin? My feet are killing me all the time, because I'm overweight or have experienced a sudden weight gain. (Ha!) My knees hurt because I am nearly the size of a Highland Games competitor. Caber toss, anyone? My thighs hurt because Max is sitting on a nerve and my left thigh is numb 46% of the time. My hips and pelvis are killing me because I have a person's head lodged there. I am a firm believer that the only heads that should be lodged anywhere are Paleolithic hunters who were killed while hunting and not given a proper burial. My belly hurts because on top of the person with the lodged head is another person. The top left part of my belly hurts because I have irreversible nerve damage caused by a number of small redheads and it burns like crazy 24 hours a day. My ribs hurt because Miles's head is stuck in them and I can't bend over without getting stuck on a baby. My back hurts because my belly weighs as much as my 18 month old toddler. My head hurts because I'm being asked CRAZY questions! I thought about my "pain" for a minute and remembered from last time that a 10 means you want to kill yourself, so clearly I'm not a ten. And it's not really "I need to be medicated" pain so much as "I need to be sedated" pain.

So I just said, "Oh, just a little back pain. Maybe a four?" Sheesh.

We made it through another 30 or so inane questions, and then the sonographer came in. The first thing she said was, "Where is Baby B's head? Why can't I find B's head?" over and over in near hysterics.

Well, I haven't seen it around the house anywhere, and my last appointment was exactly a week ago, so I'm sure you'll run across it. As it happens, it was missing because that little chucklehead is breech again. Yes, at 35 weeks he's still flipping back and forth about twice a week. I've been docking his allowance for weeks now. Up to no good.

So the sonographer started in almost immediately about how twins must have been a huge surprise and we "probably weren't planning for them...or another baby at all..." I was sorely tempted to give her a lecture on the Quiver-Full movement, but Andrew was staring me down. He has a sense about me sometimes. (Just FYI, we're not looking to fill a quiver, since Andrew won't let me take archery lessons anyway.)

She talked and talked and talked and talked and talked and yelled at the babies more than several times. I kept giving Andrew the side-eye but he refused to engage. Good man.

So to make this short, here is the gist. Max is head down and very far down. He's either about to make my water break or he's going to completely keep anything from progressing for the next three weeks. He was measuring 5.7 on the screen but they estimate him to be closer to 5.11 or 5.12 because they couldn't get an accurate measurement. Miles is breech again and measuring 5.12, which is absolutely fantastic. While the measurements can be off by a half-pound or more either way, it's a good indicator that they're growing very well and should we make it to a 38-week scheduled delivery, we will probably have babies who are close to 7 pounds. Max being so low is the only real "maybe" at this point, as they don't check for progress and he could very well be moving things along with all of his bouncing around so close to my cervix. I mean, at 35 weeks a twin pregnancy is completely up in the air and day-to-day. I'm guessing I'm not dilated at ALL and will make it to my scheduled delivery with no issue, but everyone around me stands at least 5 feet away as if my water will break and splash their shoes at any moment.

So, I have to find some milk and cookies and snuggle up with my husband. A few weeks from now I'm going to be too busy nursing babies to drink milk OR snuggle!

Our Little Animal.

Remember this awesome post?

4:30 am, Monday, November 19.

I've gotta say, the pain that comes from forty pounds of pressure on your hips and groin is really unlike anything I've ever experienced. I wouldn't really call this a complaint, more like an observation. I know that this 4:30am "please God, let me go back to sleep" pain is truly nothing compared to what some people deal with every single day. I know that this pain will be completely gone within a few weeks. Anyone can deal with anything for a few weeks, can't they? It's just the kind of pain that annoys me because I'm so incredibly tired right now and would really rather be sleeping. And if I get up, the dog will be totally confused and will think it's 6:30am, and I really don't want to mess up his currently solid routine. So I'm stranded next to a happily snoozing husband while the dog holds my kindle hostage in the family room.
I don't really have a lot to say seeing as I just blogged last night...Andrew installed a set of motion/floodlights on the side of the house for Stone, who is terrified of the dark. He went out last night and was so obviously thrilled with the new lights. Silly dog.
Lucy is off for a week due to Thanksgiving, and I'm trying to think of ways to make the week fun...from the couch. It seems like each week steals a little more of my energy and ability to join in, so it's getting hard to be creative! There are only so many ways I can frame a nap to make it "exciting" to my children!
Max and Miles both have godparents at this point - hallelujah! Our friends C&D and C&C are going to take the job, and we're very excited for the boys. Their baptism will be January 27th, while mom and the boys are down. I still need to sew another piece of one of the baptismal gowns, as we had the gowns made under the assumption that we'd be baptizing one baby at a time. We have one long shift and two organza overlays, so I need to make another shift for the second gown. One gown is slightly more feminine than the otherl according to the seamstress who constructed them out of Grandma Susie's wedding dress, but for the life of me I can't figure out which one it is. All I know is that I ordered one gown and when the seamstress delightedly gave me two a few weeks before my wedding, the number of children I'd be having really didn't compute. It was just another task I wanted out of the way, and something I wanted to show Grandma when she was in Maryland for the wedding. So I took my two (?) baptismal gowns and thought, "cool, one for Nina, one for me!"
And here I am, unexpectedly needing two gowns at once. Twins have never been something I could see in my future, but again the provision was made early on for these boys. So many tiny details that pointed to a very special set of twins. We've been receiving things in pairs since before our wedding, and I've been completely oblivious. It's so neat when a happy accident turns out to be much more than that. P

from lastNovember.

We put up our Christmas decorations today, and will work on the tree this week sometime. I love Christmas so much, and at a time when I'm really missing Grandma, it's so nice to be able to play her music and surround myself with cozy Christmas love. Our plan was "just make it to Thanksgiving and then it's baby time," so decorating for the holidays is a HUGE mental step for me. Now, it's baby time. I know I still have two weeks before I can start wishing them out, but just being into the holiday season makes me feel better. 

I had been thinking about making or buying stockings for the boys for the past few weeks, not really sure what I wanted to do. Maybe order them online, maybe not...maybe sew them, maybe not...who knows...Tonight I was unpacking Christmas decorations and I started pulling out the stockings, and I thought, "Oh man, I still haven't made a decision about stockings for the boys." I know I want 7 stockings hanging up on Christmas Eve. This Christmas is just so exciting for us, and I want everything to feel right. 7 stockings is important to me. 

So out comes Daddy's...a beautiful stocking made of red plaid lining and quilting cotton with fishing rods and the like. Somehow it's very holiday-ish in a "we always spend Christmas at the cabin" way. 

Then comes Mommy's. Made with love by my mom a few years ago (so she could keep my childhood stocking, I think) with gorgeous angels all over it.

Lucy's is next, with tiny Christmas roses and green flannel lining. Also made by Mom. 

Out comes Molly's - a red knitted stocking with red sequins on it. Just perfect for Mo. Claire's is last, a soft green stocking with a big "C" beaded on the front. I piled them all on the couch and looked into the box to see what was left. 

And what was left was 2 red stockings. Nothing special, just those cheap, red felt stockings. I have no idea why they were in there, as I don't think we've even used them for anything, but there they were. One for Max, one for Miles. There might as well have been a sticky note from God on them - "Laura, I'm sure by now you must know that if I'm going to send two perfect gifts, I can handle a couple of stockings. Love, God." 

I wonder what I would have thought if I'd noticed them in the box as I was putting decorations away last year. Probably nothing, just piled things on top of them. But as I look at how our life journeys on, it's so clear that the life I live was so perfectly meant to be. Everything has been placed in perfect order by Someone whose planner doesn't have things scratched out, and whose lists are always complete. When we share our stories, there is no doubt that He has amazing things planned for each of us. It's just a matter of keeping your eyes open. 

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." - Mother Teresa

Stockings.

We put up our Christmas decorations today, and will work on the tree this week sometime. I love Christmas so much, and at a time when I'm really missing Grandma, it's so nice to be able to play her music and surround myself with cozy Christmas love. Our plan was "just make it to Thanksgiving and then it's baby time," so decorating for the holidays is a HUGE mental step for me. Now, it's baby time. I know I still have two weeks before I can start wishing them out, but just being into the holiday season makes me feel better. 

I had been thinking about making or buying stockings for the boys for the past few weeks, not really sure what I wanted to do. Maybe order them online, maybe not...maybe sew them, maybe not...who knows...Tonight I was unpacking Christmas decorations and I started pulling out the stockings, and I thought, "Oh man, I still haven't made a decision about stockings for the boys." I know I want 7 stockings hanging up on Christmas Eve. This Christmas is just so exciting for us, and I want everything to feel right. 7 stockings is important to me. 

So out came Daddy's...a beautiful stocking made of red plaid lining and quilting cotton with fishing rods and the like. Somehow it's very holiday-ish in a "we always spend Christmas at the cabin" way. My mom made it the year Andrew and I were engaged.

Then came Mommy's. Made with love by my mom a few years ago (so she could keep my childhood stocking, I think) with gorgeous angels all over it.

Lucy's was next, with tiny Christmas roses and green flannel lining. Also made by Mom. 

Then came Molly's - a red knitted stocking with red sequins on it. Just perfect for Mo. 

Claire's was last, a soft green stocking with a big "C" beaded on the front.

I piled them all on the couch and looked into the box to see what was left. 

And what was left was 2 red stockings. Nothing special, just those cheap, red felt stockings. I have no idea why they were in there, as I don't think we've even used them for anything, but there they were. One for Max, one for Miles. There might as well have been a sticky note from God on them - "Laura, I'm sure by now you must know that if I'm going to send two perfect gifts, I can handle a couple of stockings. Love, God." 

I wonder what I would have thought if I'd noticed them in the box as I was putting decorations away last year. Probably nothing, just piled things on top of them. But as I look at how our life journeys on, it's so clear that the life I live was so perfectly meant to be. Everything has been placed in perfect order by Someone whose planner doesn't have things scratched out, and whose lists are always complete. How can I possibly question the way our road bends and turns when every step is so clearly a confirmation that we're not alone?

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." - Mother Teresa

34 weeks. All I want for Christmas is my two new boys.

The piece of coffee cake in front of me is big enough that Andrew walked by and exclaimed, "Oh damn. Not judging, not judging, not judging!" Some nights I really am eating for three. Tonight would be one of those nights. Honestly, I'm just thrilled when I'm actually hungry at all, seeing as it's rare these days. I just don't have the space! I'm painfully aware of just how close I am to counting calories again, so I'm living it up. 

The babies are doing very well in there, and our Friday appointment was great. I go back in this week, as we're now doing weekly appointments, but since my OB's office is closed this week I'll be going in to labor and delivery for my usual sonogram. We didn't weigh the babies on Friday, but I'm estimating they're each about 5lbs now. My belly is actually so heavy that I have to lift it with my hands when I roll over. Insanity. Ooh, hang on. Might as well get the tape measure out and put that in writing...50 cm. So if a person could be  50 weeks pregnant, I'd be right there patting their back and saying, "I know exactly how you feel!" 

I am still sleeping okay, but my hips just kill me in the mornings. I do best if I'm up at 6. Somehow sleeping any more than about 8 hours, even if I am completely exhausted, will just kill me for the entire following morning. 

The boys are still very, very active in there and are both head-down. I asked my OB about the plans as far as going into labor and he said that if my water breaks, we just get them out, if I'm having contractions, we'll work on slowing them until about 36 weeks, and if I'm dilated we weigh the risks and benefits and what we can actually do at that point. It's a HUGE relief to know that we're past the micro-preemie stage and would be looking at growing and feeding rather than a complicated early-on NICU stay at this point. At 36 weeks we'll just be playing it by ear and waiting to go into labor, so I'm just trying to stay busy for the next two weeks and keep my chin up. 

I finished some carseat blankets for the infant carriers today, as I realized that they had thin swaddling blankets but nothing heavy enough for actual outings. I bought a big microfleece snuggly blanket at WalMart for $15, cut it in four and whipped some brown binding around it. I still have two little pieces to make two more, but I'm so sick of my sewing machine that I just threw them in my fabric bin and put the machine away!

Well, that's it. I have a little story, but will make a new post for that. 

Best seat in the house

God bless big dogs, Christmas music and fireplaces.

My middle child

Love this cutie!!! And this concludes Sunday photolog. Pizza is here!

My beautiful wife and boys!

Working on a hat for Lucy, sitting by the fire, listening to Christmas music, waiting on nothing in life (except the Papa Johns delivery guy LOL)

... and to have those babies in a couple weeks :-P

Claire happier

In the arms of Grandma!

This ended badly :-P

But how blessed are these girls. Can't wait to add two more!!!!!!! Get here quick boys! - Dad

Warm fire and happy sisters!

Well... at least one is happy :-)

Mmm fireplace and rawhide

On a cold Sunday and surrounded by laughing little cherubs, happy parents and Grandma. Bliss.

Mo, Stone and Sweet Sunlight

 

Poka Toka What!? Bugalew??? Thanksgiving Play!!!

Lucy had her fall Thanksgiving Play today. It was the cutest thing ever. Here are four videos and a handful of pictures. Enjoy! God Bless! - Dad

Grandma helping out! God BLESS Grandma! 

Our little pilgrim stepping onto stage!

Our little pink pilgrim!

Down from the stage doing a dance! Poka Toka something or another :-)

 

Discovered that there is food hiding behind the grown-ups! Our little foodie beams right up with a big smile!

Lucy with her teacher!

The Lord of The Rings

An Origami Balloon Mobile how-to.

So it's no secret that I'm a huge fan of "whimsy." If we were going to do a nursery, it needed a mobile to beat the band. I looked high and low for a tutorial on origami mobiles, but was really coming up empty. Psh. So I'm sharing mine. 

The first thing I did was learn how to fold an origami balloon. I folded 40, which ended up being perfect for the size of dowel I ended up using to hang the thing. Once I had all of my balloons folded, I left them all flat until it was time to string. No use smashing a bunch of nice origami ahead of time, right?! 

We cut a dowel in half and I lashed it together Boy Scout style - thanks for the education, ex-boyfriend! 

Once I was sure it would hang, I cut a super long piece of fishing line and squished a split shot fishing weight (cause I'm THAT girl) on the very end of the line. I used a tiny crochet hook to pull the line through both ends of the balloon, and dropped the balloon onto the split shot. It just sat right on top, which is perfect because you can then move them up and down if you mis-measure! AND your husband will come home and say, "You used split shots? Genius!" (Cough cough 141 to be exact) 

I strung 5 balloons about 5 inches apart on 8 separate lines, and then hung them on the dowels. And then the world made sense. 

As the boys get closer to being able to grab it, I'll just move fishing weights up and clip off the excess line. Once we lower their mattresses, it should all be grand! 

A Home for Max & Miles.

It. Is. Done. After a lot of furniture moving, painting and discussing, the nursery is ready for baby boys. We've never actually had a nursery, so this is just the most thrilling thing in the world for yours truly. 

Andrew's mama painted the room -it's actually an icy turquoise and not the baby blue you see here. Maybe that will surface in the photos to come. Hm. 

Once the room was painted, we bought two very reasonably-priced cribs and got to work. My manly man spent an evening building them and they were together within a couple of hours. Squee! 

The element of danger adds something, I'm sure. 

Mom bought the babies these wicked cool sheets, which I am now completely in love with and with the breathable bumpers, they are a serious must. Those bumpers are a huge pain to put on, and changing the sheets was going to be a very rough event for this family! 

Here is Daddy after Crib #1.

Our able-bodied helpers!

Mama and Daddy at 32 weeks! 

Daddy was feeling super fun and gave the girls the big piece of styrofoam to play with while he built cribs. Fab. 

He also had a huge cleanup job. 

A week later, we're finally done with all the sewing and decorating! 

The wooden letters took huge amount of work, but they came out super cute. The mobile was also a very long project, as I had to fold 40 origami balloons before stringing them. 

The Roman shades were up before the girls moved out of this room, but I added a new finish to the top to really give it a little extra color and finish it off. 

The daybed will mostly be for nursing, but we have a trundle underneath that pops up and creates a kind bed, so that when we have company we can easily move out of our room and convert that into a guest room and sleep near the boys. Perfect setup for a big family that is constantly welcoming out-of-towners!

The skirts are a tad high for now, but will fit perfectly once we lower the mattresses when the boys start pulling up. The cribs are actually a black/espresso color - don't let the weird reddish tint throw you!

All in all, we're thrilled with the result - we've never had a room to welcome a new baby home to, so this is just the icing on the "We're having twins cake!" 

The Day After.

I don't know a lot of Obama voters. I feel like I wouldn't know what to say to one. I'd vacillate between hysterical laughter and a "Wait, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize you were serious" and something close to, "Oh really? Which part of the last four years really got you on your feet? Unemployment? The economy? Libya?" with a look of sincere puzzlement.

I don't have a lot of time to despair over the Presidency. Is it tragic? Pretty much. We live in declining nation, and I see that American strength just ebbing away. I do know that the only ethnic food in the great state of Texas is Mexican, so maybe not knowing gyros personally is why Texans are trying to stay away from that Greek effect. They also resist China pretty well, and I do know it's really, really hard to find good Chinese in Texas. So if you are what you eat....

I am in a constant state of prayer for our Nation. America was built on hope and possibility, and we do still have that. I have absolutely no hope in our President or his administration, but perhaps being hauled into an even deeper horror of government is what this country needs. If really does take reaching rock bottom for a person to change his ways, so I'd assume that our country will need to be on it's knees in desperation before they'll be on their knees in prayer and reparation.

In the meantime, I still have plenty of hope and possibility in my own home. Two brand new people on the way, a 3-year-old who says she's going to be a Mommy when she grows up, a very naughty 18-month-old who is running us ragged, a 5-year-old who is practically perfect in every way and a husband who is truly the peanut butter to my strawberry jam. Life is always good and always beautiful. You can't hide something this shiny under a bushel basket, now, can you?

Back to Blogger

Sometimes, change is not good. No more Tumblr... back go Blogger. Sorry for the interruption and welcome back to The Cooke Family Blog, plantedandblooming.com! Save it in your bookmarks and tell a friend! :-)

lol, Andrew

Breathable Baby Bumper, the custom way.

I have no idea how this is going to turn out formatting wise. All of these pictures are all over the place and I have no earthly idea how to fix them. Just search for the corresponding pictures as we go, okay then? 

So I spent a lot of time trying to find a pattern to sew bumpers for the boys' cribs. I'm talking weeks of googling, and it just felt like SO much fabric and so much measuring. I will do anything to avoid measuring. Seriously. So I was in the shower a few weeks ago thinking about bumpers, and I thought, "I'll just take one that's already made and make it custom!" And OH did my idea come to fruition. 

I went to Target looking for breathable bumpers, but only came up with very pricey, satin-trimmed bumpers. $30 a pop! Wha?! Highway robbery. So I went to Amazon, and found the exact same bumpers for $18 each. This week they're $28 apiece, so it looks like my timing was just heaven-sent! 

So I had to improvise as far as an ironing board, since I don't have one of those fancy free-standing jobs. Pack and play working FINE, thank you. I cut a three-inch-wide strip of fabric, and then kept CUTTING. Forever. Like 200 inches of fabric. Gahhhhh. Then I set to ironing. I hate ironing. If I had a real ironing board, people might expect me to iron. See the connection there? "Sorry babe, I couldn't  possibly iron that shirt...my ironing board is WAY below par..." 

I just folded the edges in and then folded it in half, and pressed it like CRAZY. The Breathable Baby Bumpers have a one-inch satin trim, so I figured cutting three inches, folding in a half-inch on each side and folding it in half would be perfect. I was right. Then I just folded that bad boy over the existing satin and zipped right on down the bumper! (I should mention, the BBB's have long strips of velcro on each end that need to be ripped out and then sewn OVER the fabric when you're done. Taking the velcro off will not hurt the existing satin. I thought they might be sewn on with the same thread, but the good Lord made a provision. Whew!) 

Add your velcro back....and do it all over again. There are two pieces to one breathable bumper, so just know that once you're all finished, you have to start over again. If you're having twins...you're doing that times three. Whee!

And with a little fabric and a lot of ironing, you have a custom bumper that ALSO makes you look super safety-conscious and incredibly awesome at the same time. 

I recommend guzzling Sonic drinks while you iron and sew. If you're in the family way like me and are avoiding hard liquor, Sonic is the only thing that may level your mood in the same way. 

So there you go! My genius all wrapped up in one blog post.