A thankful month - Day 5

Today is Day 5 of my thankfulness posts and today I'm thankful for my two children - Nathaniel and Sara.   I was blessed with twins and 4 months in have enjoyed virtually every minute of it.   Some times have been harder than others, especially since Sara was in the NICU for her first week of life, but it has all been the greatest joy ever.

Watching them grow has been such a blast and I look forward to the months, years and decades ahead of continuing to watch them (and maybe others).    Although they will share this thankfulness post - they are definitely their own individuals and its been wonderful (and a challenge) to watch them grow and advance so differently!    I will do my best to remind them that although they have the priveledge of being twins and sharing so many things, they are also their own unique individuals and they should follow their own paths.
 

A thankful month - Day 3 and 4

In continuing with my thankful month (since I didn't do it in November)

Day 3:  I am thankful for Charger - our first "child". 

They say a dog is a man's best friend - and man does Charger show it.   Charger is always there for a cuddle when I'm upset and really knows how to just be my side and try and cheer me up.    His energy and love is enough to make the world smile.   He especially cheers up a room when he (of 80lb weight) jumps up on my lap, lathers my face and head with kisses and rubs his entire body all over me - as some of you have borne witness to :)  Trust me - it's an interesting and entertaining scene.    Charger is a big part of our lives and I can't wait for him to get more used to the kids so I can see the joy that he will put on their face and they on his!

Day 4 - I'm thankful for Kalas, our second "child".   Although he was supposed to be a she, and he can be a big PITA, he is such a lover and cuddle-bug.   And I love it when after playing with each other, he and Charger cuddle up with each other!   He also loves the kids and can be commonly found lying next to them and watching over them.

Best Buds...

It's always Thanksgiving...

I started a post on Thanksgiving morning, and am just getting back to it now, so most of this is written as if its Thanksgiving - cause I didn't feel like going back and changing everything :)

Thanksgiving a year ago, I had no clue how much life would change - and how Thanksgiving week would unknowingly be the beginning of those changes (add 34 weeks - learning lesson: first two weeks of your pregnancy, you aren't actually pregnant, its from the end of your last period) .   We have been through many ups and downs, but still came out on top - and for that I'm very thankful.

Over the course of November, I have been watching different facebook friends start their month of thankfulness - and I feel like I missed out since I didn't pick up on it until about 10 days in - so since I waited til Thanksgiving to start, and here we are on December 2nd and Im finally getting back to the post, Im gonna turn December into my month of thankfulness, and today, Ill just include two days of thankfulness :)   Now lets see if I can get to the blog everyday to write this.   

Day 1 - I'm thankful for my mom and dad.   They are ALWAYS there whenever you need anything and did an amazing job raising 3 beautiful and smart daughters!   My mom and I have always been close, but over the past few years (and especially the past year or so), my mom has been my best friend and someone I can confide in and just get all my feelings out there with.   Thank you mom and dad for everything you do - I love you more than words can say!

Day 2 - I'm thankful for my husband, Adam.   We have had our ups and downs, but we always figure out a way to come out on top.    Thank you for putting up with all my quirks and compulsiveness and still loving me in the end.   If that's not a true test of endurance and love - I'm not sure what is :)

Ahhhh! Can they just take a break?

So I have neglected my blog, specifically the IL related content, for quite some time.   For a little while, it was partially because of the pregnancy/new babies, but also partially because the ILs were just doing their normal crazy, nothing to justify a good blog post.

And in all reality, they are still just doing their normal crazy, its just driving me up a wall and Im so close to not keeping my mouth shut anymore!   Yes - you read that right, I amazingly have been pretty good about keeping my mouth shut - well, to them that is - my parents, husband and some friends still hear about it plenty.

Which leads me to the last month or so, and then the tipping point of today.  

We host Thanksgiving "dinner" and have done so since we bought our house.   The first year, the ILs came - all was good.   The second year, they decided we weren't good enough and decided to host a "competing" dinner and try to hide it from us.   This year, they aren't coming and spending Thanksgiving alone because we invited MIL's family.

Some background for those that don't know:  My MIL decided to disown her family for some unexplained reason before I came into the picture.   We have a relationship with them, which caused a big fight a couple years ago.   During that fight, the following things were stated (along with plenty of other BS):

• ILs said they don't care that we have a relationship with MILs family, just that we give them just as much respect (which we did)
• We said that ILs will need to learn to be in the same place as MILs family, because when we have a family, they will be invited to the big events then as well, so they should get used to it now by coming to the holiday parties and whatnot
• MIL responded with "Of course, we would never let that get in the way of family"
• They need to stop communicating via text, and then maybe I will stop getting into bigger "discussions" via email

The third point is so funny in and of itsefl just knowing why the fight was happening.   But I digress!

So back to the current time.    We invited MIL's sisters and their family, and one of them is coming and was also very gracious in helping us with Thanksgiving this year.    Before she RSVP'd, Adam talked to his parents and the topic of Thanksgiving came up, and they said that they will come if her sisters don't come, but if they do, they won't be there.   (Remember bullet 3 above??)  Fine - that's their problem, they are gonna have to learn the hard way!

Well then, Adam gets a text that asks when we are gonna bring the kids over to see them since they won't see them at Thanksgiving.  

UMMMM - HELLO?!?!?   It's your own choice to not see your grandchildren.   I am not going out of my way and re-arranging my schedule because you are acting like a 5-year-old.  

The text message further goes to state "This is the first time your mom and I are spending Thanksgiving alone in 33 years..."

HELLO AGAIN!!!   You have a place to go.   You were invited by family, so you can either be thankful for the family you have and come to the dinner or you can continue your childish antics and now start your 5-year-old hissy fit.

The good news is our way to handle this has been to wait until I can calm down and have something nice to say before we respond.   The bad news is that has still not occurred, so we haven't responded at all - which will just be another issue for them.

All was "fine and dandy" - I was happily ignoring them, but then today I got an email that stated they were celebrating Hanukah with a family dinner on Saturday, December 15th, and I quote,

"It is a Saturday night and we all don’t have to worry about getting up for work the next day and the kids can stay a little later. Mom and I will get the jelly donuts and do a main dish. Could you please bring a vegetable."

This email just sent me off my rocker.   In many ways, its a pretty innocent email, but here are my issues:

• How about you check to see if we are free on that date?   Guess what - we aren't!   We have a wedding to go to!
• Just because the adults don't have to go to work, does NOT mean we can stay out later - that is our choice to make! (Not that they have jobs that they get up for)
• Our 4 month old's are on a routine and know it quite well.   They have a bed-time, and although I don't mind pushing it a little and getting them ready while we are out, you do not have the right to tell me to do that, it is my own decision.
• We have dogs at home that we have to care for/keep in mind when we leave the house for either an extended period of time or during a time that is around thier meal-time.
• I can bring a vegetable, but if you are hosting a dinner, shouldn't you wait for me to offer to bring something and not outright tell me (at least thats my opinion - unless of course it is a potluck)

 I responded right away that the date didn't work and please let us know what other dates they were considering, but I was so annoyed from everything the past few weeks that I didn't keep my mouth shut about the staying later.   I did address it in a very nice manner - but they will never see it that way.

AHHHH - I really can't stand them.   Can't they just be normal and respect the concept of family and the holidays and be thankful for what they have instead of always causing trouble?!?!

I haven't deleted a facebook friend...until now...

I don’t let politics get in the way of friendships – well real ones that is!   I came to the point this morning where I let it “get in the way” of a facebook friendship, and it doesn’t bother me one bit, I just have to vent.

I have many friends and family who I disagree with politically, and I respect that they have their own opinion – that’s one of the great things about the democracy we have in this great nation.   I don’t necesarilly understand their stance, so I chose to respectfully disagree – typically by not getting into the conversation.

Yesterday, I posted a letter/article that I had seen online and thought was well worth the read.    You can find that article here (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-von-essen/trickle-down_b_2018106.html).    I have A LOT family, friends and facebook friends that are in a same-sex relationship – and it is my belief that they should not be treated any differently then those in a relationship with the opposite sex.   They should have the ability to marry their partner, get benefits with their partner, visit their partner in a hospital, walk down the street holding hands with their partner without being harassed, and all the other many things I get to do with my husband that I take for granted.

But that is not the only reason that I affiliate with the Democratic party and casted my ballot for Obama today.    Yes – I voted him (and others) because of his stance on this social issue and others such as womens rights, but I also voted for him because of my view on the economy, jobs, healthcare, the social welfare system and war.    I don’t necesarilly agree with him (or anyone for that matter) 100%, but I agree enough to have faith in him.  

So yes – I take offense when you try to tell me that me and my generation (in which you are a part of seeing as though you are only a few years older than I) shouldn’t base our votes on social issues.

It is our right as Americans to base our votes on whatever we chose and to express those views however we chose.   Just as much as it is your right to share your opinion with me, even if I do disagree.   Normally I wouldn’t let this get in the way of even a facebook friendship – I see political posts constantly, and I just scroll past them.   But, I take offense when over the past week, you have shown so much concern for your shore house because your husband spent the summer before doing renovations.    I'm sorry that you had damage to that house – but plenty of others have lost their one and only house or even lost their lives!    How about you stop fretting so much over a vacation home and instead focus on those who need our help!

What bothers me most, is that you vote and feel the way you do because of the family money you were born/married into.   You aren’t voting to protect what you have earned – you are just trying to protect what you were given.   I have a whole lot more respect for those that politically disagree with me, but are hard working americans who are trying to protect their “pot of gold” and their family.

That’s just my two cents!

Our newest additions and my MIL

Well I had the twins last Thursday.   They were born exactly at 36 weeks due to some concern about our Baby B.   More on all that another time though - this post is being sparked by an email received by my ILs (SHOCKING), and it was just too long for a facebook post, but it should be somewhat quick.

During my early morning pumping session, I decided to try to start to finally clear through some emails and I see the following email from my MIL from Saturday:

We are e-mailing rather than calling because we know how hectic this time can be.  Hope you are resting  and feeling wonderful.  We'd like to stop and  see our gorgeous grandchildren this evening around 6:00. 

Ummmm - why would you think Im gonna see an email?  Especially since you recognize this time is hectic.    I did bring my laptop, but it was barely used and they didn't know I had it.   They did eventually send a text, but I wasn't able to respond as I was in the NICU visiting my daughter, until later that afternoon and said it was okay, but they never responded and pretended not to see it until well after 6pm.    They decided to just come the next day and spent a whole 20 minutes there - arriving after my neighbors and leaving before them - so the combined total of their visits was about 60 minutes, only 20 of which was spent actually seeing their grandchildren - the other time they got there early and left pretty quickly because we were spending time in the NICU and they didn't bother to wait around.

I would bet lots of money (if I had it) that if our daughter was the one in the room with us and our son were in the NICU, they would have spent more time and made more attempts because they finally got their girl.    Don't get me wrong - Im glad they weren't around much, but my biggest concern about the possibility of having a boy and a girl was that it would be obvious that the girl would be favored more by them.    This still hasn't been proven, and who knows, maybe they just won't give our kids much attention at all since we don't put up with their antics, but I'm betting its the former...

Okay - well pumping session is over, and IM gonna go get a couple hours of shut eye before the next nursing session.

Baby Status Update

Its been QUITE some time since I wrote a blog post.   My intention was that when I went on maternity leave I could catch up with all those posts that were floating around in my head for the past few months, or even the ones I started before that - but Ive actually been staying away from a computer most of my leave.   I thought that I would be really productive during my leave, get the house cleaned, catch up on a lot of things that needed to be done, read some books, etc.   Instead, when not in a doctors office or the perinatology center for testing, Ive been spending most of my time with me feet up on the sofa, watching TV - which is even odder since Im totally content without a TV.   I guess Im trying to get all my sleep and TV watching in before I know I won't be able to do it anymore.

Anyways, tomorrow is 36 weeks!   36 weeks -38 weeks is considered full term for twin pregnancies.    Id like to make it to 38 weeks, specifically, my scheduled c-section at 38 weeks, 5 days.   I know it will take a lot of energy from me, but I don't have many complaints so far, so Id like to keep these babies cooking as long as possible.   

With that being said, tomorrow is a BIG day for me.   Not just because it is my 36th week, but because the morning is chock full of appts - any of which could end with me in labor and delivery.

The first appointment of the day is an ultrasound.   I am now going for ultrasounds every 2 weeks (although it could even go to every week), because Baby B is not growing as the doctors want.    At my last ultrasound at 34 weeks, Baby A continued to stay right around the 50th percentile (where its always been) with an approximate weight of 5lbs, 1 oz.    Baby B unfortunately has gone from the 24th percentile at week 28 to the 38th percentile at week 31 to the 17th percentile at 34 weeks, with an approximate weight of 4lbs, 1 oz.    The weights are all estimates, but there is a slight concern that Baby B isn't getting the nutrients needed, so if he/she has not put on weight since 2 weeks ago, then they will deliver these babies tomorrow.   If Baby B has put on some weight, just not what they want to see, then I will continue to go back for an ultrasound every week or 2 until I deliver the babies.   So let's hope that Baby B has started to take in the nutrients needed and put on some weight!

The next appointment is for my twice-weekly non-stress test (NST).    Last Monday, Baby B gave us a bit of a scare and had a deceleration at (the very end of) my NST, so I was sent up/over to labor and delivery for further monitoring.    After 4 hours of monitoring, the babies only showed lots of accelerations, and no decelerations, so I was released.    A few days later at my next NST, Baby B's HR dropped once again, this time not so low, but still of concern.    After the nurses discussed it with my perinatologist and OB, I was sent back to L&D for more monitoring.    After 3 hours, I was released with no concerns.    I had another NST this past Monday, and Baby B was nice to me this time and I was able to go home after the test - WAHOO!!   Because of that, I don't foresee the NST being an issue tomorrow.

The last of the appts is my weekly appt with the OB.   I don't foresee anything occurring at this appt that will send me to L&D, but with all these appts, I'm prepared for the babies to come as early as tomorrow.

With all that being said, I will put my thoughts out there as to my guesses for the babies:
- I think Baby B is a girl and my main reasoning is that I just think its a yenta and wanted to meet/have me meet the nurses in L&D.   Additionally I have started to really break out in my face and put on some weight in places other than my belly - which are typical "old-wives tales" for having a girl.
- I really think there is a boy in my belly - and since I think Baby B is a girl, that leaves Baby A to be the boy.    I'm not sure why I think this, just that I feel strongly that I'm carrying at least one boy - and with the history of my husbands family - it would be crazy for there NOT to be a boy in here.   Additionally, the way Im carrying is indicative of a boy (again, according to old-wives tales).

With those predictions, I still wouldn't be shocked to find out I'm wrong - although I would be slightly shocked (but still elated) to find out that there are two girls.

Anyways, lets hope both babies, specifically Baby B, continue to do well in the womb and get to stay in there longer.   And who knows, maybe Ill be better with the blog before the babies arrival, because lord knows I will be HORRIBLE with it after they come into this world.