Medela Pump in Style at Born to Impress giveaway...

Last chance for a Medela pump at Born to Impress! Hurry and enter..ends 12/18!

So I'm still at it...Breast Pump giveaway!

I'm still breastfeeding the twins- a month in. I am renting a hospital grade pump, but I really don't want to keep it too much longer- it's not cheap and I'd really like to have my own. There are two more attempts for me to win one though- lucky me!

The first is over at Double Duty Mommy. She is giving away a complete Simplisse Breastfeeding Companion system- I can't say that I am familiar with Simplisse, but I'd love to try it.

The second opportunity is at BabyDickey.. I think she must be friends with DDM, as one of the extra entries for each blog is to enter on the others' site! She too is giving away the Simplisse system, which looks really nice- and has a ton of accessories to go along with it. Here's crossing my fingers that this time I can win one!

They're here!

October 15th we welcomed the twins! Lincoln and Chase came into this world at 36 weeks 3 days, both weighing in at 6 and 6.2 lbs- neither needed NICU nor oxygen. We feel very lucky- and are now trying to sleep. Seriously.

36 today and I can see the light!

We had an appointment yesterday with my OB, and it looks like we are going to have the babies Tuesday the 19th- that is one week from today! It was pretty funny how my husband reacted when my doc told us this information- as I said 'Sign me up' as I rested on my left side on the table. He didn't say anything. When we got into the car I asked my husband if this made it a little more real for him- and he somehow said 'A little'. I think he is in shock. Apparently 10 weeks of bedrest and multiple trips to the hospital as well as suffering through the 'help' of my mother---was not enough to convince him that something was changing.

I have to laugh, as we are both so sick of 'this' stuff- and we haven't really even had time yet to think about what is coming. I tried telling him last night that yes, it is going to be very difficult and tiring, and crazy- but at least it's not THIS. Anything is better than THIS.

Not feeling so hot.

So today we are 34 w 5 d and I am feeling very strange. I have a doc appt tomorrow, but to be honest I don't want to wait. I have some pressure, cramps, back pain- and strangest of all some twinges around my old c scar. I'm anxious to have these guys, but I really wanted to at LEAST hit 35 weeks on Tuesday.

Guess I'll call L&D and see what they say. Why must hospital beds be hell on earth though????

One Savvy Mom- Medela Breast Pump!

Yes, this is probably my last attempt at winning one of these...but I just can't resist. One Savvy Mom is giving away a Medela Breast Pump..to be exact it is the Medela PIS Advanced with a shoulder bag. She has many ways to enter- and it ends October 28th. How crazy. The twins will be here by then!!! I'll be renting a hospital grade for a few months, so fingers crossed I win this one. Sheesh. This really IS the holy grail of my contest entries!

33 weeks! And..

oh am I done. I never got to this point with my son- but I am just physically and mentally DONE at this point. Of course the torture is knowing my boys need a few more weeks in there- but selfishly I am so sick of this bed rest and this 'discomfort'- which really doesn't even cover it.

I am thankful that everyone is doing well- first and foremost. Secondly, I am sleeping. Third, my son is watched during the day, happy and safe. Well, as safe as he can be with my mother and 90 year old grandmother 'watching' him. Whole can o worms I won't even get into.

But today, something happened that I had been expecting. I went to my high risk/multiples doc and they want to start the testing for pre-e. I had it with my son, so I know the drill- but I really thought I could avoid it this time...mostly because I wasn't working my high stress job- and I'm in bed all day. I guess what I had stacked against me was the twins and a previous experience with it.

I start the urine test tomorrow, then blood work on Friday. I know if I show signs of it they will take the boys next week. That will be 34 weeks- which is our second HUGE milestone- but I wanted them to cook as long as they could. Like I said, I am thankful they currently are doing well and gaining weight- but I hate it to end like this. It's like all this bed rest and everything has been for naught.

I just have to keep thinking positive and hold out that I don't develop it...we shall have to see.

Another Itzbeen giveaway from Take It From Me!

I am really, really intrigued by this device...and I think that it could really come in handy with the twins...a friend of mine who has twins said she used them and loved them- so I think we will give it a try. With two newborns and a toddler, you think I may have trouble keeping straight when who last ate, was changed, slept, etc? I DO. I am not superwoman, and anything will be sure to help. I also think this might be a lifesaver for DH!

Enter to win over at Take It From Me. But hurry, giveaway ends Monday!

UPDATE: Yay I won! I'm really excited about this- and thank Take It From Me for the wonderful giveaway. She's got an awesome blog, please check it out!

The Baby Store Plus Blog Breastfeeding giveaway!

There is a really awesome breastfeeding event and giveaway going on right now at The Baby Store Plus. For one, they have a Medela Pump In Style to give to a lucky winner (mememememememme!), and secondly- they have Bamboobies to give away too! These Bamboobies are organic nursing pads which I have been really wanting to try. Especially the overnight ones. Gosh, I remember the leaking at night with my son, and hope that these can save me! Also, they are giving away an Easy Expression Bustier to help with pumping. Hands free! You can actually do something other than holding onto the milk containers as you pump...wonderful!

As for breastfeeding- it's different for everyone. For me, I learned not to give up. My son was three weeks early due to pre-eclampsia- and I had trouble getting my milk to come in to start. Then, we were home and I went through the really tough part. I was cracked, bleeding, and crying- it was awful. I really wanted to keep at it- so my husband encouraged me to set a short term goal- then another-then another. Before you knew it, we hit 12 months!

Going forward, this is what I am hoping to do for the twins. I am fully expecting a difficult start- mostly because they will most likely be early- and because I am going to attempt to tandem nurse. Everything is going to be logistically harder since I won't have a hand to help me.

With the help of my husband, and taking it one week at a time- I am going into this venture with a positive attitude. Pumping during times of engorgement, as well as a nipple shield are also two tools I plan to use in getting to our goal of successful nursing.


So go check out The Baby Store Plus and see what they have to offer here and enter- it can't hurt!

Yay for 30!

I try not to get too excited about things- because it seems whenever I get TOO optimistic I get bad news. So, I am going to quietly celebrate hitting 30 weeks today, passing my fetal fibronectin test, and passing the cervical check (no dilation). I did, however, agree to staying here in the hospital another week- just to be safe.

I know if I go home I will just end up coming right back. My mother is there- and we do not get along very well- I know I would allow her to stress me out into a full blown contraction session on a regular basis. The problem, of course, is how much I miss my son. Oh it's killing me not to see him every day. But, when he comes here- he is kind of a disaster in the room and always ends up getting hurt by tripping on the floor or banging into the wall. He's clumsy like someone else I know.

Anyhow- I wasn't making some big celebration on Facebook today since like I said I wanted things to remain low key. I am getting more and more excited with every day that passes to meet these two boys beating the crap out of my stomach. I guess it really shouldn't be as surreal as it is- but I still can't get over it. I am still as dumbfounded as I was April 2nd and we found out we were about to get double the trouble--just much, much closer to the finish line.

If there is anyone out there reading this with advice on multiples, I'd love to hear it.

Shower Giveaway Minnesota Mama's Must Haves and J. leigh designz!

One of my favorite blogs (Minnesota Mama's Must Haves) is partnering with J. Leigh Designz for a big baby event - Bump 2 Baby, that starts September 1st. They have some really awesome giveaways including a Naturepedic Organic Mattress, and 4Moms infant tub. I'm not sure about everything they are giving away- but the teaser she posted is enough to get me interested for the twins..and if I won anything I already have- well I have quite a few pregnant friends who might end up with an awesome shower gift. Hands off people, the Mamaroo is mine. I have been lusting after this 4MOMS item for ages now!

More to complain.

Here I am back again. Here since Tuesday after my cervical ultrasound showed more shortening. Now we're down to 1.3. AND baby B has extra fluid- so that is adding pressure to my cervix. I love my doc and all- and I like that he is so cautious, but oh. This sucks.

We were 29 weeks on Tuesday- and want to keep going. So the terb shots, the steroid shots, and now the glucose checks are a must. So not what I want to be doing! I am sick already of the diabetic diet- and it's literally been one day. I am here until Monday. I am so missing my apple pie ala mode that I want to cry.

This blood sugar fiasco isn't forever. Apparently the steroid shots create this havoc on my system and it should even back out.

Anyhow. I have a huge headache and just feeling sorry for myself. I am so sick of living in fear that I am going to drop these twins early.

Blah..back in the hospital week 29

Unfortunately I am spending the 18 month birthday of my son back in the hospital where I had him--alone. Well, I'm never alone- but as for people on the outside of me, yes, alone. I went back in for a cervix check today and it had gone down from a 1.9 last Tuesday to a 1.3 today. Not what we wanted to hear.

So here I am, back in the hospital on a slew of medications to stop the contractions- hoping against hope that they work so I don't a) have to go on the magnesium or b) actually go into labor. It's upsetting to say the least, but at least this time we are farther along and people seem more optomistic that this is preventative.

Good news today, is that I am on a roll with blog winnings! I won a $75 gc to Zutano for the boys' coming home outfits from Double Duty Mommy, and a neato pair of SLIX boxers for my husband from Potamus Prefers. Friday I had a double whammy with a $100 gc win to Amazon on life360's blog, and a HUGE win from Baby Gizmo's weekly giveaway- a Safety 1st Indigo Travel System. I consider myself very, very lucky---and being on bed rest entering contests all day long doesn't hurt :)

Week 28 and counting...

So yesterday I hit week 28! We're pretty excited about that. I told my husband that from here on out I would like to celebrate every week with an online purchase. This actually works to his advantage- because being online all day---shopping can get a little, shall we say, tempting? So this week I picked up a beautiful Elle Macpherson nursing bra last week, a teething bling necklace, and the week before that I got a Glamourmom nursing tank. All necessary items, right? I agree. I got fantastic deals on everything too- the bra at Zulily and the teether and nursing tank at Babysteals.

Anyhow- if I limit myself to a 30.00 or so range- that's not bad at all. I mean, he's totally scoring since I can't go to Target bi-weekly as it is.

And, so far so good. Cervix was holding firm at a 1.9, and today I had the dreaded glucose test. I just hope it comes back negative since I can really only deal with one or two pregnancy catastrophes at a time- and pre term labor certainly counts as at least one.

BumbleWee Nursing Wear~

Win a free nursing top at BumbleWee! They are running a contest where they are giving away a fantastic top daily....nice tops too- I doubt I will be having the time to go anywhere that appreciates them (haha, maybe the pedi office) but it just makes you feel better to have something nice to put on- even just while sitting around the house. Enter here, and do so daily!

*Update- so I won! I got an email Wednesday night that I won a top and picked out an adorable Japanese Weekend nursing/maternity top valued at $72. Thanks Bumble Wee!

Whew..breathe.

So I am glad that things have really calmed down. It's pretty funny actually how the very day we got rid of the in home contraction monitor, I stopped having them. I am a person who unfortunately is extremely susceptible to stress, and I let it get to me. Why can't I be more like my husband and let it just roll off? With my first pregnancy I ended up with pre-eclampsia at 25 weeks. Hospitalized, then home on bed rest for two weeks. I had my son at 37 weeks- and was glad we made it that far. Apparently teaching behavioral issue/low level 9th graders wasn't doing too much for my stress level there either.

I don't want to gripe though- since I have to say- I needed to seek out help from perfect strangers, friends, and family to help us these weeks. Last week a friend drove 12 hours, left her sons and husband for four days to help- and this week my mother in law took off a week from work to come here. The next two weeks are a revolving door of friends with kids and moms that I haven't even met--but they are in the multiples club and have volunteered to help with my son!!! Can you believe that? My mom gets here the 26th, and will have my 90 year old grandmother in tow. Her health is failing and my mother is the only caregiver. I guess they are looking at it as a Thelma & Louise type operation. Which I guess is appropriate since my grandma's name is Themla.

Here's to making it 10 more weeks!!!!

Not 'matchy matchy' exactly....

So I saw this last night...and love it. I am not going to match the twins- but seriously..how can these be resisted??? Tot-a-Lot clothing..swoon.

Good updates...

So I haven't really posted anything substantial for a while- if at all. I admit I have been pretty bummed out about everything- and worrying that I was becoming depressed without any good news. Well today, I finally got some!

I had another weekly appointment- and was so nervous I thought I was going to break down. I just couldn't hear that my cervix had gotten smaller- I couldn't..and thankfully- it didn't! I held firm at a 1.8, which really relieved me. I also took the FFN (fetal fibronectin) test, which I passed!

And, news of all news, I can get rid of this damn in home contraction monitor. The doc said if it has done nothing but cause stress, and the results really aren't telling them anything- why keep doing it? He wasn't going to keep making the company money just to keep doing it (I liked that part)...but in all honesty, it had become the bane of my existence. I was so stressed out every day..just waiting. And waiting to do it. It was awful. And now- no more! Yeah!!!!

So...I stay on strict bedrest...but it's working, and that's the key. It's going to suck having to pay top dollar for a babysitter then next week and a half, but it must be done. These kids have to keep cooking!!

So what to do..SHOP Zutano.

So here I am, bedrest...and stuck with just the computer. How can I not look at the adorable Itzy Bitzy line of Zutano and not dream of seeing my little guys come home from the hospital in their outfits???

I had a Zutano outfit for my son's coming home outfit (the puppies) almost 2 years ago- and if I can win (just as YOU can) a $75 gc to Zutano via Double Duty Mommy here.

Also, check out Zutano their clothes are adorable...too cute:

UPDATE: I won:) Can't wait to pic out the coming home outfits for the boys. Their warehouse reopens on Oct 1st- so we'll be cutting it close!!! Thanks so much DDM :)

Bedrest.

So here we are at Day 2 of total bedrest. For anyone who has experienced it- you know how not fun it really is....it's even less fun this time around when I have a toddler.

We had to spend a very stressful night at the hospital on Wednesday, I was contracting more than the monitor liked to see- so at 11 pm we headed over. Fortunately, things slowed down quite a bit overnight, and in the morning I was still doing well. I never had to have the IV meds either- just IV fluids- which is bad enough since I hate IV's completely as it is.

So now..I just feel like a ticking time bomb.

Blech.

So not the happiest news yesterday. My cervix is shortening and that's not a good thing. It went from a 4 (great) to a 2 (not great at all) in a matter of three weeks. I was diagnosed with 'threatening pre term labor' so am now on a perscription and have to go back in on Monday for another test. If I fail that test I go to the hospital for who knows how long.

Oh yeah, and bedrest for now. Sure, that's a piece of cake with a 17 month old and no family to help. I'm angry, I'm upset- I feel like my body is failing these twins and there isn't anything I can do about it other than 'take it easy' (what the hell is that anyhow) and hope to make it another 10 weeks.

This stinks.

Help....?

So I need to figure out what to do about getting non-familial help. Don't get me wrong, our families are great...but. First of all they have things to do as well- and I don't expect, nor do I really desire anyone to come running here (12 hours from where they live) to assist me with this undertaking.

HOW do I find a reasonable mother's helper? What do I pay? Since I am going to be home with them, what should my expectaions be? What should they expect of me? There are times when I just want to fast forward to a year from now and feel like things are under control. Haha, then I forget that a year from now has its own isssues there too!

Feeling...uncomfortable.

So here we are at 24 weeks today and I have no idea how I am going to make it. If all goes well, we still have 13 more to go( that's my goal- 37, but I will take 38). My skin is stretched so tight- and breathing has become difficult with my lungs shoved upwards. Also, my stomach is squished so even though food LOOKS good, I can no longer eat as much as I'd like. I digress, everyone is healthy and that's what counts, right?

We met a friend for lunch today- it was 97 degrees. If anyone ever says anything to you about how it must really suck to be pregnant in the summer- yeah it does. But in all honesty- it's the combo of everything that makes it so difficult...and chasing a 16 month old in the process (as well as having two in your uterus) doesn't make it any easier!

So let me back up a minute...

Ok-- so I am a mom of a 16 month old, and pregnant with twins. Two more boys. I kept telling myself that I wanted to get this blog rolling, and I do....it's just that, well...I'm not always ready to sit down peacefully and write away. Haha. I am guessing you may know the feeling.

Anyhow, this is not just a blog to constantly link giveaways I am trying to win. I actually have things to say- I just need the time and energy to say them!

So here we are...

By no means am I a parenting expert. I don't even pretend to think, or delude myself actually- into thinking that I am doing things right with my son. So what----might you ask...is this person going to do with twins?

Good question.

I'm due with twins in the fall. November 9th is my due date- but I won't make it that far. I also have a 13 month old who will be around 20 months when they are born. Needless to say- I am overwhelmed and scared out of my mind.

I have questions. Questions, questions that I know won't be answered to my own liking until I am in the midst of answering them myself. I learned this lesson with B. But things like: will I be able to breastfeed, can I still do my cloth diapers, will we ever sleep again, do I need two cribs, and on and on and on and on.

To be honest, when we were at the office getting the ultrasound, I wasn't the happiest gal in town when the tech asked/told us, 'Are you ready? It's twins'. I am 34 years old- no, I am not ready.