Merry Christmas!!!

I just wanted to wish everyone Merry Christmas before I leave for TN tomorrow and post this new pic. Isn't it adorable?? Natti is on the left and Maggie on the right.
God bless all of you and your families and I pray you have the Merriest Christmas!!!

Nothing new really...

The urologist office called on Monday and Maggie has another UTI. My suspicion is that she never got rid of the last one she had and probably won't get rid of this one at least not for long either. Not with urine just sitting in her kidney and not draining. So I decided to go ahead with the next scan in January but I do want a long term plan from the doc after that.

Monday night was the Mother/Daughter Christmas tea at church. We left Dad with the twins alone for the first time!!! and according to him the last time!! He says I can do it but I have to have Bri's help too. He said "how do you do it by yourself?" My reply of course, "I don't have a choice!" There is no other option so suck it up!!! and get it done!!!

On the way to the tea Bri and I were listening to Christmas music and singing along when I looked in the mirror she was grinning from ear to ear and I asked what she was smiling about. She told me nothing 3 times and finally the last time I said come on tell me what you are smiling about and she said "I just you love you that's all!" Awwwwwwwww..... Made my day!!! I just love that kid too!! All evening she kept telling me "Mommy you are so pretty and I love you so much"!! I guess she needed some one on one Mommy time. For so long it was me and her and then her world got turned upside down. We had a great time and Dad took a pic by the tree before we left. I just got all my hair cut off! It makes my head look huge, hee, hee! Or maybe my head was already huge. I gotta get this weight off!! Maybe after the winter when we can come out of hibernation!!!

Thanks for your replies Laura, Kim and Stacy!! Your support really helps me along.

The dreaded day was as bad as I feared...

What a horribly long day! 1st we arrived at 7:30am and had to wait forever just to get registered. Both girls were getting grumpy because it was time to eat and we were told not to feed them after 4am because they were going to be sedated. Almost two hours after our arrival they called us back to get their IV's and catherization only to be told that they were too young to sedate. O.K. I am seriously aggravated at this point. They decide to catherize each one and then put in their IV's. It took two tries to get in Natalie's and I am not a happy Mom. Maggie's cath went pretty smoothly. IV's were a nightmare. They stuck poor Natalie 3 times before getting a vein!!!! I was pissed! After two tries on Maggie I told them to get somebody that could hit a vein on the first try. We ended up taking her to pre-op and this really nice, competent, male nurse hit it on the first try. By this time the girls were so upset they wouldn't eat. The first test was the nuclear scan. They filled the girls with IV fluids and dye and put them into a machine, looked kind of like an MRI machine and they could watch what was happening with the fluids in their kidneys. Then they put lasix into the IV to make them pass the fluids. They next test was to flush saline and dye into the catheter's and watch it. By the time we got to that department both of their catheters were out and they had to be catherized again!!!! I think the nurse we had first thing that morning was pretty incompetent!! Then we were off to the urologists office for the results. In a nutshell the tests showed that both kidneys on both girls are functioning just as they should. The problem is that there is a blockage in the ureters that go from the kidneys to the bladder. Natalie's is draining, albeit slowly, but they think with time it will open up and be completely normal. They just want to watch it for now. She is scheduled for another renal US January 5th. Maggie's bad side is not draining at all or only dripping and they can't even see it. So her kidney is staying full of urine all the time. They still think that she will outgrow it. Worse case scenario is surgery to remove the blocked portion of the ureter and reattach it. But they won't do that until they have to. She is scheduled for a renal US and another Nuclear Scan on January 5th. They promised me that they will sedate her this time!!! We finally arrive home after 3pm, very long day!
The more I think about it though, I am going to call the doc back on Monday. 1 month!!! How much can possibly change in one month? What will they do if there is no change? Is it really worth putting my baby thru that trauma again so soon? The US's are no big deal and pain free, but I can't stand all that poking and the drugs they will have to pump into Maggie for the scan. If they aren't going to do anything else no matter what the results then why not wait 2 months or 3?
Anywho, not really bad news but not great news. We are happy to know that the kidneys are functioning well. Please continue to keep our sweeties in your prayers. This is not over. Thank you all that are praying for them and thanks for all of your email and comments.
Thanks Laura and Kim!!
I think everybody is finally asleep and I am going to bed too, afterall, it is midnight!!

Need your prayers...

The kidney tests are Thursday morning. We are just ready to get it over with. Please pray that all goes smoothly.
Here are a few more pics! Maggie is showing off her usual personality and Natalie's face says it all..."Can you please make her be quiet!!". Big sis watching TV with Natti B on her chest. Aren't they so sweet??

Happy turkey day!!

We have so much to be thankful for this year!! I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Recovering nicely....

according to the pediatrician! He changed their breating treatment meds thinking the albuterol may be why they aren't sleeping well. Also, he did say to give them some benadryl tonight. They have been awake pretty much all day so I am hoping with the med changes that they sleep tonight.

Good news! Even thru all this sickness and not eating Maggie has gained weight! She weighs 7.15lbs!!! We are about to break 8 lbs!!! Natalie weighs 9.6, so she didn't gain as much which I knew because she has really not eaten much for a week. If you don't look closely they are really hard to tell apart now.

Keith thanks for the aquaphor suggestion and yes I have tried it. The problem is that the skin is oozy and nothing will stick to it. I bought some more stuff tonight with a higher zinc concentration in it. The doc suggested it. We shall see. They also cut back her antibiotic so maybe her stomach will calm down. And I am putting rice back in her bottles again for the reflux and it kind of constipates her. Surely she will plug up soon!!

RSV!!!

Laura does it really get better??? I don't even know what sleep is anymore!

The girls are recovering from RSV. They were admitted to the hospital last Saturday. Maggie also had a UTI. They were so sick. They were released on Tuesday but still were very sick little girls. They are just now starting to get back to their full eating schedule. The antibiotics Maggie is on for her UTI have given her severe diareaha(sp?). Her little butt is raw. I have coated it in everything but nothing seems to help when she constantly has poop on. They go back to the pediatrician today for a recheck and I am hoping they have some suggestions. Just in the last 24 hours I can tell that they are feeling much better but they still are not sleeping much. They doze and cat nap. No real sleep. Which means I get no sleep. I am starting to have a hard time dealing with it too. I just so want my life back to normal. I love these babies so much but my God this is so hard........ Sorry I am just feeling a little sorry for myself. I just wanted to give you all an update. Please pray for healthy babies the rest of the winter and for my sanity!! I'm not joking!

Busy, busy, busy.....

I know it has been a while but I have been very busy and sleep deprived!! I had a terrible scare with Maggie last Thursday. She projectile vomited across the room and it came out her nose and she wasn't breathing for what seemed like forever! I kept trying to clear her mouth and stimulate her and it just kept coming out of her nose. Yes, I panicked!!! I was screaming and crying for her to breath and about to call 911 but I knew it would be too late by the time they arrived. She did finally catch her breath. I cried for hours that day. I took her to the doc because they wanted to make sure that she didn't aspirate any into her lungs and thank goodness she was clear. They said I did all the right things and gave me a few more pointers for if it happens again. They added rice cereal to her bottles for a thickener and it does seem to be helping if we can get her to eat it. She just isn't even interested in food at all. I really worry about this wee one. I have never been so scared in my life. I just pray that her reflux gets better soon and that she gets an appetite. It takes forever just to get 2.5 ozs. in her. You have to coax her the whole way. But in 8 days she did gain 10 ozs. So the docs aren't too concerned at this point. They go for their 2 month check up on Wednesday and I am anxious to see how much she gains in 6 days.

Natti B we don't have to worry about her eating!!! She lives for food!!! I bet she weighs close to 10 lbs. by Wednesday. She is so filled out and chunky and cuddly!! I should know, she spends a lot of time in bed with me!!!! She likes to be close to me. Hey, whatever it takes for sleep!!!

I have new pics but they aren't downloaded right now. I will try to post them soon.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. I ask that you please continue to pray for their kidney issue. They go on 11-30 for the tests to diagnose them. It will be an all day event and we are not looking forward to it. Also, please remember Maggie especially in yours prayers. Pray that the poor baby learns to love food soon!!!

Love you all,
The Reinle 6!

Big & Little

I had to add this one too. It is too cute! All my girls. Maggie on the left and Natalie on the right and big Sister Bri in the middle and proud as a peacock!!

My darlings...

Here are some new pics of the most beautiful babies you have ever seen!

Natalie is on the left and Maggie on the right.

Here is Miss Natalie! Natti B I have been calling her. We did an unofficial weighing technique.....weigh big sis and then hand her a baby! He! He! Natti B weighed in at a whopping 8.4lbs!!!!!
She is getting to be a little butterball. Eats like her Momma and Daddy! Ha!
She is absolutely a joy. She is our snuggly one. Loves to cuddle and sleep with Mommy. That is when we get our best sleep.

And this is our tiny one, Miss Maggie. Her unofficial weight is 6.4lbs. So basically she hasn't gained any since last week. She is so tiny and sweet. I can't stand to hear her cry. It is just so pitiful. I call her Little Bit. Chet reminded me that I called Bri Little Bit too. Until Brianna was about 5 she was very small. Even though she weighed almost 8.3 when she was born. Maggie is our thinker. She just studies everything. We always wonder what she is thinking.

We are all doing well. I have switched to every 3 hours feeding. They actually go about 4.5 or 5 hours at night but feeding every 3 during the day gets in an extra feeding in 24 hours. It seems to be working better because they are eating more in 24 hours and I am getting more sleep. I have to work real hard to get Maggie to eat at all but she is getting a few more ounces in a 24 hour period now. She is just not interested in eating. I hope this changes soon. I can't dress them alike because they aren't wearing the same size now. Maggie is pretty much still in preemie and Natalie is in newborn and 0-3 mths.
Tomorrow is my postpartum check up and Wednesday they go to the pediatrician for the 2nd Hep B shot. I am dreading that.
Gotta go shower before feeding time again!

Monday's Appointments...

Their eyes look perfect! The doc says it looks like they are going to have blue eyes! They have to go back in May for a recheck and then again around 3 years old.

The urology appointment didn't really tell us much. Everything could have been discussed over the phone. They have to have two more invasive test. They will be catherized and have to have an IV to inject radioactive dye through. They are looking to see if there is a blockage in the ureters from the kidneys to the bladder and if there is reflux into the kidneys. We will know more after these tests. They will have to stay on antibiotics for years probably to prevent UTI's. That will more than likely be the only treatment until they are at least two years old "if" they do anything then. So basically this is still a wait and see situation. No really bad news but not really good news either. We are dreading the tests. They are supposed to call us back with an appointment date.

Oh we did get a little good news. Maggie is weighing in over 6lbs now! I guess the prevacid is helping her little tummy. She isn't vomiting like she was before. Natalie is over 7lbs!!!

I will try to post some new pics this weekend.

Thank you God!!!

Maggie's echocardiagram and EKG were perfect. Her blood pressure was good. The cardiologist says she still has a "tiny hole" in her heart but he expects it to close up just fine. It could take anywhere from 1 to 3 years. He does want to recheck her in 6 months to make sure all is continuing well but he said that he thinks she has a perfectly normal newborn heart!!!

THANK YOU FATHER GOD!!!!!!

Thank you all for your prayers!!!!!!!
Thanks for your help today Angelique!!

2 appointments down this week...

We had the US's yesterday and I won't even get into what a fiasco that turned out to be! I could see myself that there was no change in their kidney status but they wouldn't tell us anything.
Today we saw the pediatrician and confirmed my fears that Maggie hasn't gained any weight this week. Doc agreed that it is probably reflux causing some of her problem and put her on prevacid. Poor thing projectile vomited this afternoon and it came out of her nose and she was choking and screaming and I cried with her. It just breaks my heart to see her in pain and not able to eat good. I pray this medicine helps.
Natalie is up to 6.12lbs! I knew she was getting close to 7 lbs. She seems so much bigger than Maggie but it is only a pound. Amazing what a difference one little pound makes.
Doc did say that the hydronephrosis was confirmed by US and something about dilated ureters in Maggie, I don't really understand and didn't ask a lot of ?'s because I would rather discuss it with the urologist on Monday. She did say that this does not mean that they will have to have a kidney removed. As long as the diseased kidney isn't causing problems there is no reason to remove it. That is a relief because I thought surgery was inevitable. Still I will feel better after talking w/the urologist. Please pray about this.
Maggie is still scheduled to see the cardiologist on Friday to check her blood pressure and the little heart defect. Hopefully it is closing up on it's own like it is supposed to. Poor thing has enough to deal with.
They are at risk for RSV and will be getting the shots this winter. They cost approximately $20,000!!!!!!!!!!!! Please pray that insurance will cover most of this cost. We are covered by my insurance, but since I am not going back to work will be picking up Chet's co. insurance. I am so afraid they won't want to cover much on the girls because they will say it is pre-existing. I guess we will know soon enough. If it isn't one worry it is another.
Thanks Kim and Stacy for your comments. Stacy I hope your little one is doing o.k.
Sorry to be long winded.......more pics later.

New Pics!

They both had a bath Saturday night and we all got a little sleep!! Woo! Hoo!! How many times a day can I bath them?? Ha! Ha! Anything for some sleep!!! Bri had to have her baby in the pic too. She has been heating up it's bottle, feeding and burping it everytime I do the girls! Yes, I am as tired as I look!! Don't Mag and Nat look adorable in their little hats?? Thanks Angelique!! This week starts all of our appointments. We have their renal US's on Tuesday, Pediatrician on Wednesday, and Maggie sees the cardiologist on Friday. Busy week! Next week is almost the same! Oh well, this is the new normal for us. But we sure are lovin all these girls!!

Hospital Pic Link!

I don't have any new pics to post. We have been too busy to take pics! Ha! Ha! And yes, we are seriously sleep deprived!!!!!! But I know it will pass quickly and it is all worth it.
Here is the link to the hospital pic. I hope it works.
http://www.growingfamily.com/webnursery/babypage_view.asp?URLID=3Y2H7D5E1Z

We are Finally ALL HOME!!!

Can you believe it? Finally, almost a month after they were born everybody is home. Natalie did come home on Saturday and things have been pretty smooth but wow what a difference adding another makes. Last night was a long night. Chet took the first feeding although I did get up for a few minutes. Somebody was kind of fussy all night. They sound just alike. So until I got up to look I couldn't tell who it was fussing. They took turns. I am exhausted this morning! But thrilled we are all home. We have a busy few weeks ahead of us. They have about 8 or 9 doctors appointments between the two of them. I don't know how we are going to pull that off. I am supposed to have a recheck this week also but I don't see it happening. I just want to stay home with them for a few days and rest and get to know each other. We only took a couple of pics last night when we first got home but I will post more later.
Thanks for your comments, emails and especially your prayers!
MAGGIE IS ON THE LEFT AND NATALIE IS ON THE RIGHT.

Rough Week...

I don't have time to reply personally to all of your emails right now but I want to thank you all who sent them to me.

I ended up in the hospital Tuesday. I was there visiting the girls and was leaving to take a break and by the time I got to my car I was out of it. I sat in my car for 3 hours going in and out of conciousness before Chet called and all I could do was cry. He finally figured out where I was and got the emergency room personal to come and get me. I had a fever of 103.7! I was full of infection because of the mastitis and dehydrated. They admitted me and pumped me full of IV fluids and antibiotics and thank God, lots of good drugs! I have never in my life been in so much pain! I was pretty much out of it for about two days. My girls were supposed to come home Thursday but the docs were so good to work with us and kept them until today. My doc wasn't going to release me until today but I begged to come home yesterday afternoon and he relented with strict orders and precautions. I am feeling much better. Still having a lot of breast pain and trying to dry up this milk!! No more nursing for me, I am done with it. It about killed me, literally. I envy those that can do it but I gave it my best shot and my docs even agreed it was time to stop. Thank God my Mom is here or I don't know what we would have done. She has been a big help this week.

And best of all..........my girls come home today!!!!!! I will post pics as soon as I can and a link to the hospital nurseryweb so you can see their pics taken at the hospital.
Scratch that, the doc just called and Maggie lost weight for the 2nd day in a row and can't come home today. I am crushed.
I'll update as soon as I can. Please continue to remember us in your prayers and thank you all so much that are praying for us.

2 weeks old...

Good news!
Maggie was checked out by a cardiologist and had an echocardiagram. It looks like she has a small Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). It is the most common heart problem in preemie's. Before birth there is a passageway from one blood vessel to another instead of through the lungs. The passageway should close soon after birth but with preemie's often takes longer and with some babies requires surgery. Maggie's should close on it's own with time. They think this could be the cause of the high blood pressure. Today though, her BP has been significantly lower all day! Yay! Hopefully we have crossed that hurdle too.

Both girls have been eating by bottle almost every feed for the last 24 hours and are doing very well. The wonderful nurse/lactation consultant caring for the girls today helped me nurse both girls successfully this afternoon. It was great! The mastitis has had me down all week. I have been very sick! I still don't have much energy but feel much better than I did.

As of last night, Natalie weighs 5.1 and Maggie 5.4!! If they don't get to come home soon they won't get to wear any of the preemie clothes we have for them! The nurse did say today that she bets they will be home within a week. I pray she is right.

After I nursed both girls today I held them both next to one another. Maggie was fussy and as soon as Natalie was next to her she quieted down. She kept looking at Natalie like "Hey, I know you!" We didn't have the camera with us!!! Darn!! They do look different when you look at them side by side but I think it is just that Natalie has a more narrow head, just a preemie look. Maggie is rounder in the head and face and just looks like a little baby. If you have seen many preemie babies then you know what I mean. I bet they really start to look alike in the next couple of weeks since they are getting so close in weight. I will take some more pics this week and post them.

Thank you all for your prayers!! and don't stop yet!!

We need your prayers....

Yesterday while at the hospital I started chilling really bad and then spiked a temp of 103! I felt like I had been hit by a train. Turns out I have mastitis(a breast infection). The docs insist that I stay home and in bed for a day or so. I am taking an anibiotic. Please pray that this clears up quickly and that I have a better milk supply afterward.

My favorite NICU doc called this morning to insist I stay home and in bed and keep pumping for my girls. But she also delivered a little bad and scary news. Maggie has been having intermittent high blood pressure. She says she isn't too worried about it yet and will keep a close watch on it but that if it continues they will call in a cardiologist and get her on some medication because they don't want her heart working so hard. Her heart sounds fine and it is probably just a preemie issue but Chet and I are scared to death nonetheless. Please continue to pray for our precious girls and for Mom and Dad's sanity. We are both sick with worry.

There is a little good news...both girls took their bottles pretty good yesterday. Maggie took all but 10 cc's and Natalie took about 25 cc's. That is much better than they have been doing!

Thank you and I will update as soon as there is any new news.

Quick Update!

Natalie lost her umbilical cord!! A real bellybutton!! Maggie's will be off soon if not today. Maggie is in an open bassinet and holding her temp well. I have been bottle feeding the last few days and I think the girls are finally figuring it out. I can't wait to see how they do today. Natalie is back to her birthweight and Maggie is only 2 ozs. away from hers. The docs up their milk amounts a little every day. They are both on the prilosec now but still spitting up quite a bit. Hopefully it will get better in a few more days. That's about all there is to tell right now. Please continue to pray for out girls!

One week old today!!

Sorry it has been so long but I literally have not had time or felt much like sitting at the computer.
The girls are doing great! No IV's and no oxygen. Natalie is in an open bassinett and trying her darndest to nurse good twice a day. They did start her on Prilosec today for the reflux and she already seems a little better. They are both gaining some weight thank goodness. They were looking pretty scrawny for a few days but much better now. Maggie is still in the isolette because she cannot steadily maintain her temperature but she isn't far behind her sister. They are so beautiful! Big sis got to hold Maggie today for the first time. She was thrilled. I got to hold them both at the same time a few days ago and I was thrilled!! Here are just a few other pics also. Daddy and Natalie, the stork in the yard thanks to some good friends!! and Maggie giving us some of her sleepy smiles!! I need to go and pump now but I will post more as soon as I can. Thank you all so much for your comments!!! I really enjoy reading them.

Mixed emotions..going home..

First off let me correct the pictures in the previous posts, please excuse my painkiller induced fog....Maggie is on my right with the hat on and Natalie is on my left.

No new pics right now but I will post more later.

Today is going home day for Mom. I have been crying on and off since midnight. I am so homesick but leaving my girls here is very emotional. I like being able to walk down the hall in the middle of the night to see them. I know once I get home and in a routine it will be easier but it is so hard right now.

They both had a little setback yesterday. Their heartrates kept dropping so they put their oxygen back on and then started them on caffeine neither of which helped. It seems to be a feeding issue. They have reflux. So they now have a thickener added to my milk or the formula and it is put into their gastric tube via a timed pump. Twice a day they are either bottle or breastfed or at least attempted. Nursing was so awesome!! There mouths are so tiny they can't hardly do it but they sure did try. I will nurse them today at 3 and then go home. Pray for me.

I will give more updates later and pictures.
Thank you all for you kind comments and for thinking of and praying for out family!

I got to hold both girls at once!!

What an awesome moment! I was surrounded by all my girls!! Yes, I cried again!! Maggie is on my left and Natalie my right. Maggie has on the hat. She was checking out her Momma in the first pic!! Oh thank you God my cup runneth over!! I am in love!!!

Update...

The first pic is me and Natalie and I was crying, I just couldn't help it I was so happy to hold them. The 2nd I am feeding Maggie and the last is Daddy and Maggie.

Both girls of course lost a few ozs but are already going back up. They had their 1st feeds today thru the gastric tube and then this afternoon I got to bottle feed both of them!! It felt so good to have my babies in my arms. I got very emotional as you can see from the pic. My milk isn't in yet but I have a little colostrum that they are mixing w/formula for now. Neither one of them took much from the bottle so they were given the rest thru the gastric tubes but they did great for their first time. I am so in love with these babies!! There are no words to describe my feelings.
I was feeling great last night and this morning but I think I over did it today and I had a rough afternoon. Chet made me get in the bed for a few hours and I am feeling better now but still need to take it easy. We just took some breast milk to the NICU and told the girls good night, so I will try to get some sleep now. Yes Kim, Thank GOD for PAINKILLERS!!! Thanks for your comments. Pam thank you too. It is always nice to hear from someone from the momo boards!

Natalie and Maggie are here!!

They were born @ 9:22 and 9:23. First Natalie came out weighing in at 4lbs 11 ozs and 16 and a half inches long. Then Maggie quickly followed weighing 5 lbs 11ozs and 16 inches long. They are both in the NICU to stay warm and Maggie is having a little breathing problem but they are both on oxygen only. If Natalie continues doing so well she will completely be off of it tomorrow. Maggie wasn't doing too good when she was born and it seemed like forever before she started crying. Natalie was crying before they even got her out of me!! They are so beautiful! They look a lot alike but the 6 oz. weight difference makes a big difference and right now it makes it easier to tell who is who. I got to hold Natalie around 6 tonight and I was in heaven. They still won't let us hold Maggie because of her breathing issues and she doesn't need to be stimulated. I pray she is doing much better tomorrow and we get to hold them both.

I only slept 3 hours last night and it is catching up with me. Although part of that could be because of the great painkillers they are giving me. I have been up 3 times today and each time it gets a little easier.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I am going to attempt to post some pics. Here is one pic. I will write more and post more pics later but I am going to see my girls again in a few minutes and then I am going to try to sleep for a while.

33 wk pics, last week

O.K. these will probably be the last I post of me pregnant! That's a lot of baby in there!! LOL!!

Thanks Terri!!
Kim thanks so much for your support and answering all of my twin questions. I'm not done with you yet. Ha! Ha! I will probably drive you crazy with questions after they get here.
3 days and counting!!!

4 days......

Thanks Kelly and Kim! I have told Chet that one of his new jobs will be laundry indefinitly!! I now have a full time job of feeding babies!!

Lisa and Diane thank you so much for your visit this weekend. I really enjoyed it.

4 days to go! We are all getting so excited! I was hoping to post some pics of my belly this week but haven't got them downloaded yet. I may not be able to post this week. My loaner computer needs to go back to it's owner. Thanks Dawayne! It has been a life saver for me.

We will post about the birth and pics of the girls as soon as we can. Hopefully before next weekend is over. Please continue praying for us this week and especially Friday morning at 9 am.

11 days and counting...

Thanks Keith and Kristie!!

Only one more Saturday and Sunday to get through, only one more week that Chet has to do all the laundry and bring it back to me!! I reminded him of that yesterday after he spent all afternoon ironing my shirts. I only have about 5 that fit!! LOL!!!

Saturday my nurse brought me some visitors....13 month old mono twin girls and their Dad!! Their Mom was visiting someone in the hospital and Dad was making rounds showing off the girls to the nurses familiar with their case. They were here for several weeks and the girls were born at 29 weeks! They were in the NICU for I think he said 8 weeks. You sure couldn't tell it by looking at them now. They are so beautiful and happy! All smiles. It was such a pleasure seeing them and talking to their Dad about their experience. I have talked to many people on line but to actually see a set in person and discuss it with a parent was awesome. I can't wait until my girls get here, even more so now!!! I sure hope and pray that we have a very short NICU stay though. I am still really worried about the NICU part. I just want to go from where I am now to all of us being home together!

Birth date in sight.......

Friday, September 1st @ 9 a.m.!!!! Woo!!! Hoo!!! In two weeks we will be meeting these baby girls!! I am so excited I can't stand it!!! I went out and shouted it at the nurses station and they all cheered for me!!!! I am so happy!!! I can't wait to take my babies home and be with the rest of my family. YAY!! YAY!! Woo!!! Hoo!!!! Yee!!! Haw!!!!

US today

Bri's first day of 2nd grade!!!

First thing this morning my nurse came in and said my US was canceled because the tech has strep throat! Bummer!! But they got me in with Maternal Fetal Medicine here at the hospital which is where I had the US the night I came into the ER and we found out we were having twins. I was mostly having an US to see the cords and do a doppler flow on them to see how the blood was flowing through them. But I told the tech I really wanted to know how much they weigh, so she did growth on them too. Natalie is ready to come out! Her head is so low behind my pubic bone that she couldn't even measure her head or see it very well. So her measurements are a little off because they factor in femur length, abdomen circumfirence and head circumfirence to get the weight. Without her head circumfirence her weight calculated to 3.34 lbs. Which we know is inconsistent with two weeks ago when she weighed 3.2lbs. Maggie weighed 3.99lbs!!! So considering that they both have weighed within 2-3 ozs. of each other this whole pregnancy more than likely they both weigh around 4lbs. give or take a few ozs.!!!!! Yippeeeeeeeee!!!! No wonder I am so miserable. I have close to 8 lbs. of baby in me at 32 weeks.
I still haven't been able to pin down a date from my doctor and he was off today. I will be calling his nurse in the morning to ask her to remind him and give the days that I would prefer. Hopefully I can report that day to you tomorrow.
Talk at you all later!!!

US scheduled...

Thank you so very much Wendy and Kim!!! XXXXOOOOOO's!!!!

We have another US on Wednesday at 2p.m. I can't wait to see how much they weigh. Dr. is concerned that I am still having some contractions and says he doesn't want me to have any. Neither do I! They are painful and wear me out. Everything wears me out right now. I am getting more and more emotional and tired every day. Anywho he talked about increasing the medication to keep the contractions at bay. So far the nurses haven't brought in anything else. I hope he didn't forget because we talked about a lot of things while he was in here.

Tomorrow is my baby's 1st day of 2nd grade and I can't take her. Very hard for me......

There is a light at the end of this tunnel though and I know that I am on the downhill side. The doc I saw today will be talking to the other docs and they are going to set a birthdate for Natalie and Maggie!!! Woo! Hoo!! Somewhere around the 34 week mark. 2-1/2 weeks!!! I am hoping for September the 1st. We will see. I will let you all know about the US and the scheduled birthdate!
Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers!!

Good news Friday!!

Bri got into the traditional school we wanted her in!! YAY!! Nothing like finding out 2 days before school starts. So today I have scrambled to find out the bus schedule and afterschool care. Next week is going to be crazy for Chet trying to get her settled into school and a routine. Keep him in your prayers.

Even better news.....a neonatologist came to seem me this morning about the girls. He totally made light of the kidney situation. He said that almost every baby has some kind of abnormality that most people don't even know about because they don't have the US's we have had to catch them. Most things just correct themselves. So many babies are born with hydronocephus(sp?) and no medical intervention is ever needed. He said that more than likely the only thing that will need to be done if at all is to put them on antibiotics to make sure there is no bacteria in the kidneys that would cause further damage. He said if anything else is required it wouldn't be immediately but on down the road maybe years. More than likely they will just have to have extra check ups to keep watch on their kidneys. I was so relieved that I cried. Thank you God! Please continue to pray that these girls kidneys function as normal as can be for them when they are born. He also talked to me a little about the preemie situation and is very confident that they will require a very short hospital stay if they are born anytime around 34 weeks or thereafter. Even if they were born now they would probably require about 3 weeks hospital stay. Come on 34-35 weeks!!!

More pre-term labor...

Contractions started again this afternoon, one on top of the other. Yes, I got another shot!!! I hate that stuff!! The shakes were not as bad this time but my heartrate shot up. The nurse said it better stop the contractions because they can't give me another shot since my heartrate went up. Thank goodness the contractions did stop but the shot left me feeling baddddddd. I could feel my heartbeating all over my body. The good news is the girls did great through all of the contractions. Yay!! Dr. Pridham came in to see me about an hour or so after the shot and said he was going to go ahead and start me on the procardia to prevent the contractions. He said the further along I get the worse they are going to get and we need to prevent them instead of stopping them after they start. Also, the procardia shouldn't make me feel bad. They start you on a very low dose and slowly increase it as needed. Well, that is the excitement for today. I don't know how much more I can take in the next 4 weeks. 31 weeks tomorrow!

Catch up..

I don't really have too much to tell but wanted to share my heartattack from last Friday. Maggie had a deceleration! I was having a long contraction while on the monitor and suddenly I could hear her heartrate drop. It dropped down to 80 and at first I thought well maybe she just moved and came off of the monitor. I kept watching it and realized that she was on there and her heartrate was flucuating from 80 to 90 for what seemed like forever. Just when I was about to call my nurse she came rushing in and said flip over on your left side. Like it is that easy with pillows all around me and being as big as a house, yes, I will just flip right over!!
Somehow with the nurses helped I got flipped and in the process knocked a full cup of water over into my bed!! By this time Maggie was completely off of the monitor and the last thing on my mind was how wet I was. The nurse started moving the little device around my belly and it took about 20 seconds or so but seemed much longer for her to find her again and her heartrate was coming up. By this time I needed CPR and clean sheets and clothes!! I ended up staying on the monitor another hour and a half and both girls did fine. Needless to say I was sick the rest of the evening, between my upset stomach and backache from having to be tied down to the monitor that long, and headache from sheer stress. So far no more decels below 110 from either baby since Friday. I sure hope that doesn't happen again. I think I aged 10 years in 5 minutes. I am glad to know that my nurse was watching from the nurses station though and was right on it. I guess I am in the best place. Let's pray for no more decels!!! So far so good....

30 week pic! Whoa!!

O.K. here is my 30 week pic. Chet is right, definitely a DUPLEX!!!
I am as big or bigger than I was at full term with Bri!!
Here is one of Bri digging thru her drawer in my dresser here. She has toys and candy in it! And here is one of the art work Bri has done for my room door.
I am just learning how to post these pics without a link and I don't think they are on here in the order I wrote about them but here goes. Leave me some comments!!!

2:30

Angelique and Kim thanks so much for you comments. I can't tell you what wonderful support it is knowing we have great friends and family praying for us and supporting it us. I get teary eyed everytime I read an email or comment on my blog from someone. I really feel all of your love and it means so much! Thanks for being great friends!

Pic of Maggie Mae!

O.K. here is the only good pic we got and it is Maggie Mae. But, as the US tech said "her sister looks just her"!!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/jobrimom/Baby_A_8_2_06.jpg

Another US and we are growing!!

Yay we are over 3 lbs!! Both girls weigh 3.2 lbs.!!! WooHoo!!!! Natalie measured 30 weeks exactly and Maggie measured 29 weeks 6 days. I will be 30 weeks tomorrow so they are right on track!! They have gained over 1/2 lb. in 13 days!! If they keep this up and we make it to 35 weeks they will be around 5lbs!! Good thing I have big babies. I was hoping that it would be the same with this pregnancy.
Natalie's kidneys looked about the same. Please keep praying for Maggie's though. Hers have enlarged a little more. Both girls bladders are filling and draining and there was plenty of amniotic fluid so we know that they are urinating. They are both in the same position head down, Natalie(baby A) on my left and Maggie(baby B) on my right. Natalie's feet are under my ribs. Ouch, I wondered what that pain was. They are both still facing my back so once again it was hard to see their faces. Natalie is so far down in my pelvis we couldn't see hers at all but we did get to see Maggies. She is so cute! She is chubby cheeked like Bri was when she was born. She was awake and looking around, sticking out her tongue, and drinking amniotic fluid. It was so cool! We got some pics but they aren't as good as seeing her on the screen. I will try to get them posted this week.
My cervix is actually longer than last time even after all of the contractions I have been having. So that is good news. The tech reccommended that we have a Pediatric Urologist come and see us to discuss the girls kidneys and what to expect after they are born. We are trying not to stress and worry about them. Please pray for their kidneys.
Chet is a little tired and worn down from being "SuperDad" but he is doing such a good job! Bri seems to be fine of course. I am so grateful for her laid back personality. She just takes things as they come. We go to the nursery about every evening to see the babies when the nurses are doing assessments and Brianna gets so excited and we have to drag her away. She is going to love being a big sister! She made us some big signs and put them on my room door. I will get some pics on here of those too.
I guess that is about it for now. Almost 4 weeks down and 5 to go! I will post pics later this week. More to come.....

More contractions....

on Saturday! I didn't feel well Friday and felt even worse on Saturday. I thought I was just feeling big and tired of being pregnant and maybe a little sorry for myself but noticed that I was having some strong contractions. About 6 or so the nurses aide came in to talk to me and I had a really big one while she was in my room so she went to get my nurse and of course they put me on the monitor. Basically same thing as Monday and I ended up getting the shot again. I didn't feel as bad this time afterward, it was mostly just the shaking but didn't last as long this time. The nurse said you kind of build up a tolerance and it will effect you less everytime which can be bad and good because that means it can also stop working at stopping the contractions. That makes two times in one week. If I keep this up they will put me on something to prevent the contractions from even starting. The good news is the girls looked good through it all. I ended up being on the monitor for about 3 hours and they did great. They gave me a sleeping pill and 2 tylenol last night and I slept great! So today I felt really rested and relaxed. I have been back to my regular contracting about once or twice an hour. 29 weeks and 3 days today!

Angelique and Cierra took Bri shopping today for school clothes and shoes and a backpack. She had a great time and it was nice that I had them visit last night and today. Bri and I walked them out and we all went by the nursery. The nurse was taking twin boys to the nursery. Brianna was so excited! I had to make her get back out of their faces. One of them was screaming and the other was sleeping through it all. LOL! They were little bitty and so cute. They had little hats on with their names embroidered on them. Cute, Cute, Cute!

That's about all the news from the Reinle's for now. Please keep praying for us!

A scare yesterday!

Not with the girls but with me. I didn't feel well all day and I was very sleepy. The nurse put a note on my door "do not disturb" and told me to sleep if that is what I felt like. So I pretty much did on and off all afternoon. I noticed that I was having more contractions than usual but didn't really think much of it until I went on the monitor around 4. I had 3 or 4 contractions in about 40 minutes and my nurse came in and asked me if I was feeling them and had I been drinking plenty and did I need to pee????? Yes I felt them! Yes, I always drink a lot and I peed before I got on the monitor but I could probably go again. I was on the phone with my Mom and started with a really strong contraction and I had to hang up. The nurse said go pee. So I did and hooked myself back up to the monitor and climbed in bed and another contraction started. My nurse came back in and said that she had paged the doc and was waiting for them to call back. She came back about 5 minutes later with a shot of terbutaline(sp?). It is to stop contractions. By this time I was having them one on top of the other. Got the shot and they stopped almost immediately but boy does that stuff make you feel bad. My heart started racing and then I got nauseas and started shaking like I was freezing to death. Horrible feeling!!! My nurse came in to take me off of the monitor about 20 minutes later because I wasn't having any contractions and they wanted me to eat and drink lots of water. It took me a good ten minutes to get out of bed because I was shaking so bad. I managed to eat a little and drank lots of water. The shaking continued for about an hour and a half and I had about 2 contractions during that time. I had several wake me up during the night and this morning I am averaging about 1 an hour but that has been normal for me this whole pregnancy. I sure hope I don't have to deal with this for the next several weeks because I am so scared they are going to make me stay in the bed! These babies have to stay in for at least 3 or 4 more weeks! It has been one thing after another!!! I haven't seen the doctor yet this morning. I am wondering if they will want to do an US to check my cervix again after all of those contractions. I will update when I know. Please keep praying for us!

The girls are growing!

They have both gained 4 ozs. in 13 days! So they are 2.8 lbs. and 2.9 lbs. For 28 weeks that is pretty good. They are both measuring right at 28 weeks and are in the 40th percentile. I think I may need to eat more ice cream. They were growing faster before I was in the hospital. You don't realize how you take for granted being able to go the kitchen any time you feel like a snack. Last week I didn't gain any weight. I can tell I am not having my regular between meal and before bedtime snacks. Friday is weigh in day, so we will see if I gained any this week. If not I am going to get Chet to bring me some ice cream to keep in the nurses fridge. Actually he is bringing me some ice cream tonight! Hee! Hee!

Maggie's right kidney is the one that is so big but it hasn't increased hardly any in the last month! Yes! Keep those prayers going folks! Natalie's left kidney has increased some but her's isn't near as bad as Maggie's. They both have one kidney that looks good. Their bladders look good and there is plenty of amniotic fluid so that means they are urinating. Another good sign. The tech said their cords look great. I take that with a grain of salt though. I have learned from the monoamniotic boards that they think they look good on the US but when they are born it is a different story. I will trust the monitoring for that. They did great today on the morning and afternoon monitoring. I am still averaging about 2 contractions per hour but the US showed my cervix looks good. She said it was about 4.5 cm. but I think it was 6 something last time. I was going to ask when she reviewed the past reports but we were talking about their kidneys and I forgot. But overall everything looks great!

My strep culture came back negative! What? The nurse said it must be viral but they are keeping me on the penicillin for precaution. I have felt pretty crummy today. Headachey, throat really sore and scratchy and really tired. I layed around in bed until 11 today and layed around dozing this afternoon before and after monitoring too. I hope I feel much better tomorrow.

That's about it for now. Please keep praying for our family and these precious baby girls. Thank you all!

Here's a pic of me on the monitor a couple of nights ago! Chet's right, I do look like a duplex!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/jobrimom/monitoring28wks.jpg

US scheduled

Dr. K came in with a portable US machine yesterday to see what position the girls are in and look at the cords. They are both still head down and except for their heads they aren't real close together. Dr. K said he really likes the position they are in and let's hope they stay that way. He pointed out their cords to me but didn't really say much about them. I am scheduled for a full growth US @ 1:00 tomorrow. I can't wait to see how much they have grown and how their kidneys look.
I have had a sore throat off and on for over a week. Not really a sore throat, it feel like something is in it. I thought maybe my allergies were bothering me and I had hives in my throat so I didn't say anything. But this morning it was worse than ever and I could see white stuff on both sides in the back of my throat. They cultured me and started me on penicillin but are pretty sure that I have strep throat! Joy! Joy! Where in the world did I get that from? Now I am going to end up with a yeast infection from the stupid antibiotic!! Could this get anymore fun?? At least I am not really feeling bad, just a little headachey and scratchy throat. Not even a fever. Hopefully I get over this very quickly.
I will update tomorrow after the US!

1st week flew by...

I am really surprised how fast time goes by in here. Especially since I get up so early, usually around 7:20 or so. They bring breakfast by 8. The nurses come in between 9 and 9:30 to take vital signs and put me on the monitor. The nutritionist comes in to take my lunch, dinner and breakfast order for the next day and housekeeping comes all before 10 o 10:30. The doctor doing rounds comes between 11 and 12 and I try to shower and dress between 10:30 and 11:30. Lunch is here between 12 and 1 and I am back on the monitor between 3 and 4:30 and dinner is here at 5ish. The hardest time for me is waiting for Chet to come in because he has been working late and not getting here until 7:30 or 8. I am usually starving then because the food is not so great here. Some things are really good but some are really bad!!! LOL! Even if the food is good, I still get hungry because the portions are usually so small. Dang I am eating for 3 people!! I try to take a walk in the afternoon and again in the evening after Chet gets here. I have read 3 books and about 15 magazines so far. I have done lots of scrapbooking and crosswords and word searches. I spend more time flipping on the TV than watching anything, although I have watched a few good movies.

A very nice gentleman from church came today to serve communion and pray. I was really impressed. I have had people come in to pray with me everyday. I wish to give a great big thank you to all of you who are praying for me and these babies and our family. I truly feel blessed.

The babies are doing great on the monitors. Maggie has given us a few scares because she hides and sometimes it takes a long time to find her. I usually don't get too freaked out because I can feel her moving but Chet gets sick and has to leave the room. Dr. Koontz is supposed to do an ultrasound on Tuesday. I can't wait to see how much they have grown.

I want to thank all of you that have prayed, come by to visit, sent gifts, sent emails or replied to our blog. You are such a blessing to our family.

Until next time....

Thanks for your prayers!

Melissa thank you so much for your prayers! I got cold chills when I read your comments. God is so big!

Kim thanks for checking on me!

The girls did great today on the monitors but Momma not so good today. I had several contractions while on the monitor but many more while off of it. I haven't done much walking around today just a lot of laying around and watching TV and reading. Trying to take it easy. I did sleep really good last night for the first time since I have been here. I am hoping for the same tonight.

I got lots of phone calls today and a visitor from church. It is so wonderful to have so many praying for our family. Thank you God for blessing me with good friends!

A peace than transcends all understanding...

Another day down! The girls did great today monitoring. The doctor on call today is one in the group that I hadn't met and he is super nice. We talked about God and church and he asked if he could pray with me. Wow! God is all over this pregnancy and our situation. He just keeps filling me with such peace about these girls. The Chaplain here at the hospital came to see me this afternoon too. She shared her testimony with me and I was so moved. Then I shared a little of mine with her and she was touched also. She asked if I had a favorite bible verse that was helping me now and told her Phillipians 4:13 I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me. She then read from Phillipians to me. It was so inspiring. Isn't it great that God knows what we need and when we need it?

Beginning the hospital stay...

Four days down and some 50 or so to go! So far not too bad. The girls are monitoring great. Days are long when I am here by myself but the evenings fly by. Bri is in TN with my Mom right now so Chet can be here more. When she gets back they won't be able to spend so much time here and I know it will get harder then on all of us. So keep us in your prayers. I will post updates here as often as I can and also pictures. Leave me comment messages please. I love hearing from you all. More to come later......
Angie