July 26, 2011 - The Twins are born!

After a long morning of waiting and preparing ourselves, Chuck and I arrived at the hospital for the scheduled c-section at 11:30. The nurses hooked me up to monitors and an IV to get me ready for surgery. Then we began the wait. Our c-section was scheduled for 1:30, but my doctor had to attend to a few emergencies and was about an hour or so late. Fortunately, it gave mom a chance to get to the hospital before I went in to surgery; but it also meant that I had another hour to get nervous and anxious about the impending surgery and arrival of the babies.

When the doctor finally came in to tell us she was ready, everything seemed to move at light speed. After hours of waiting, it seemed to take no time at all to go to the operating room, get the spinal, lay down, and begin the operation.
After lots of waiting and tugging and pulling, little Mollie was born at 3:06pm. As soon as she came out, she screamed and cried so loud that I knew her lungs were working just fine. Before I could think too much about Mollie's health, Charlie was born and began his own chorus of cries at 3:07pm. Suddenly, the room was much noisier than it was just a few minutes before!

Mollie in her first moments of life.

Charlie moments after birth.My next concern was their health and weights. I sent Chuck to be with the babies as I anxiously awaited to hear how they were. Mollie was 4lbs 8oz and 16.5 in, and Charlie was 6lbs 4oz and 18in. Mollie's weight worried me, but both babies received apgar scores of 9. The doctors were concerned that Mollie wouldn't be able to hold her temperature because of her weight, so they swaddled the babies together and gave them to Chuck to snuggle up and keep warm.

Mollie isn't happy about being weighed.

Charlie is chunky compared to his sister!
Two sweet babies swaddled together.

I couldn't believe that the babies were just fine. I had prepared myself for the worst - time in the NICU away from me. But they would stay with us in the OR, then travel with us to recovery where I finally got to hold them both. The nurse recommended skin-to-skin time since they were both so small and my body heat could help keep them warm.


Nana was so happy to see and hold her newest grandbabies in the recovery room. We were so afraid she wouldn't be able to see them if they were sent to the NICU.
Here we are, happy to have our new additions.

Charles Julian Daniel Pearsall (Charlie)

Mollie Elizabeth Beatrice Pearsall (Mollie)Adorable babies. I'm so in love.
Our first visitor - Bethany with the babies.

36 weeks

Here I am at exactly 36 weeks - one day before the arrival of the babies!
Today is the big day! I am nervous, anxious, excited, scared out of my mind, plus a hundred other things all at once. I am most nervous and worried about the babies being strong and healthy. Since they are technically 4 weeks early, there are any number of problems they could have. And any of those problems may mean that they will have to stay in the NICU or regular nursery, and not with me. I hate the thought of having these two babies that I've waited so long for, then being forced to hand them over to someone else.

We only have a few more hours to wait, and they will be here! The worst part about having surgery at 1:30 is that it is only 8:00am and I am HUNGRY and THIRSTY!! This is going to be a long, and life changing, day!

35 weeks, 2 days

Our weekly appointments were today; and as usual, we wondered if we would "pass" and get to go home, or have babies. At our first appointment, the growth ultrasound and BPP, we saw some concern about the results. First of all, baby girl's fluid is low, so she scored a 6/8 on her BPP. Secondly, she measured 4lbs 8oz, and he measured 6lbs 4oz - quite a difference. Because of that difference and the low fluid, the technician seemed concerned that we may be admitted today. However, when we saw the doctor, he was fairly nonchalant about those issues and just said that we should "call it quits" by 37 weeks. Chuck and I were both surprised at his decision, but we thought he should know best and went on our way to my OB appointment.

My OB appointment was an entirely different story. She was immediately concerned with what they found this morning and said that basically it was ridiculous to wait until 37 weeks to deliver these babies based on the risks posed by low fluid and discordance. She told me to stop the Procardia, but stay on bed rest. The Procardia can cause low fluid; and if I go into labor at this point, then I'll just have the babies - no reason to stop it at this point. She is on call this Saturday and next Tuesday, so she said Tuesday would be the latest day she would wait to deliver the babies. She wanted to look at the report from the ultrasound and would call me after she decided which day would be better for me and the babies. We all hoped we could put it off until Tuesday because I will be 36 weeks, which reduced the chance of NICU time drastically. To try to hold off labor until at least Saturday, she said I could take the Procardia if I had more than 6 contractions in an hour, but if I get contractions 5 minutes apart, I need to go in no matter what.

A few hours after we left, my OB called to let me know she saw the report and decided Tuesday would be a good day to deliver the babies. Now I'm just waiting to get a call from the hospital telling me what time. This evening, however, I've had several contractions (probably from being up and about so much today), and I took a Procardia to try to get them to stop. I would really like my OB to deliver these babies, not the on call doctor. So, just 5 more days of bed rest (at most), and we'll have two new additions to the family!

34 weeks, 5 days

34 weeks, 3 days

Both babies passed their BPP today with flying colors - perfect scores all around. The doctor said they are doing great and seem happy in there. We also got a pretty cute 3D picture of Charlie. Mollie never is in a good position for pictures, she's always so low and wiggly.

However, my OB appointment didn't go as well. While I'm in good health, it seems as though the babies are putting a bit too much pressure on my cervix. Today I was 1-2 cm dilated and 70% effaced (the 80% that the nurse in Labor and Delivery said a couple of weeks ago was completely off). So, that means all these contractions I've had day after day are actually doing something. So, the doctor put me on official bed rest and a prescription of Procardia pills every 6 hours around the clock to attempt to keep these babies in another couple of weeks.

We have the c-section scheduled for 1:30pm on 8/2, but no one seems to think I'll make it that long. I'm so miserable that I think these babies are going to stay until they are evicted just to spite me. Anna says the babies are coming tomorrow. We'll see.

I do still plan to go see Harry Potter tomorrow despite the bed rest.

The nursery.

It is a bit crowded with two cribs, two dressers, and lots of baby stuff, but we made it work.




The Nursery

Baby Shower - 6/26, 32 weeks

Cute shirts everyone made for the babies! This isn't all of them, but they are all cute!
Bethany's
Gigi's
Madison's
Ella's
Nana's
Anna's (It's a dinosaur for Charlie.)
The yummy and cute cake!
Thanks everyone for the wonderful shower!

33 weeks, 3 days

Our weekly BPP and growth ultrasound was this morning. Both babies gained 10 ounces, so the girl is 3lbs 10oz, and the boy is 4lbs 14oz. While the weight gain isn't ideal for either, they gained enough to be allowed to stay in another week. The doctor said gaining about a pound in two weeks would be great, so we are hoping for that at the next growth scan. As for the BPP, they both performed wonderfully - breathing, wiggling, etc. They actually wiggled so much that it was difficult for the tech to get some of the measurements! As for the discordance, they still think it is partially due to gender differences, but also partially due to placental differences - the boy is just hogging the food.

The way these appointments work is first the tech does the ultrasound on both babies - measuring, watching, checking, etc. Then, they give a report to the doctor and the doctor usually comes in the room to give us the news. Well, this time, we were asked to go into the doctor's office. My heart jumped into my throat because I could only imagine bad news if she had to tell it to us in the office! Thankfully, I was (mostly) wrong!

The doctor also speculated about how much longer I could keep these babies baking. She seems to think I'll have them within the next few weeks. We talked about NICU time for babies born at 34 weeks (next week for me), which is anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks. Delivery anytime after 34 weeks would be fine with her because the complications decrease drastically at 34 weeks. She said if I "miraculously" make it to 37 weeks (8/1), that is when I will likely deliver. She didn't seem too optimistic that I would make it that long. So, while I'm ready to meet these little babies, I know the longer they stay in, the better. What I have realized is that the little girl may not make it to my 5lb goal for her before delivery. These babies are going to be so tiny, such a difference from 8lb Ella and 7lb Anna!

33 weeks, 1 day

Chuck and I made another midnight trip to the hospital last night. I started having contractions last night and they continued and increased for a few hours. So, we called mom and headed up to Louisville again.

After getting me all hooked up and determining that my contractions were about 5-6 minutes apart and not letting up, they wanted to give me the Terbutaline injection again. I was worried about the side effects, and after checking my heart rate (which was up a little), they decided to go with Procardia pills. The pills worked, and after prescribing an antibiotic for a possible UTI (maybe the cause of the contractions?), I was sent home.

So, while I suppose I needed to go in to get the contractions to stop, I just felt like a great big inconvenience to everyone involved. I hate not having control of my body, especially in the middle of the night when I know everyone would rather be sleeping than making arrangements to go to the hospital.

I need to keep these babies baking for at LEAST another week, four more weeks would be ideal. We have the BPP and growth ultrasound on Thursday, and I am optimistic that our little girl has grown adequately so they can stay in for another week.

32 weeks

The Pearsall Twins have had an eventful couple of days!

Yesterday morning (6/29), we went in for a biophysical profile (BPP) ultrasound at Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM), which tests their breathing, movement, blood flow, swallowing, etc. Both babies scored an 8/8 - perfect! We also got a cute picture with both of their heads together! This was the first appointment that both babies were head-down. We go back next Thursday (7/7) for another BPP and growth ultrasound.

After the MFM appointment, Chuck and I had a few hours to kill before my OB appointment, so we ate lunch at Olive Garden, did a little shopping, and tried to rest up.

At the OB, the news wasn't quite so positive. She is worried that MFM won't see adequate growth in the little girl next week (at least 200 grams) and may recommend anything from rest to delivery! She suggested I get steroid shots just in case pre-term delivery becomes necessary. While I wasn't thrilled about the idea of two shots in my butt, I was willing to do it for the babies. I also asked about our "target" date of 8/9 for the c-section, and she revised her best case scenario to 8/2. I'm actually happy with that date (I'll be 37 weeks - plenty far along enough for healthy babies). After checking my cervix (closed!), I was off to triage for my first shot.

Admittedly, I was nervous for the shot, but it was a breeze. The worst part was the slight soreness afterwards.

We finally got home after a long day, and I crashed in my recliner for awhile. When I woke up, I felt crummy - just grumpy and tired, so we ate dinner. Then, around 6 pm, the contractions started. Painful contractions that came anywhere from 3-10 minutes apart. I drank water, rested in bed on my left side, even took a warm bath to try to stop them. No luck. They lessened, but didn't stop. Finally, around 10pm, I decided they weren't going to stop on their own, and they were still coming 5-10 minutes apart. I messaged my wonderful mom on FB to see if she could come stay with the girls, and Chuck and I headed back to the hospital.

After almost an hour of registering and waiting, I was finally checked (1cm dilated, 80% effaced) and hooked up to 2 heartbeat monitors and a monitor for the contractions, and the observation period began. Another hour passed, and they decided that I was indeed having "contractions and some irritability" (Yes, I know! That's why I came in!), and contacted the on-call doc. She recommended a shot of terbutaline to stop the contractions. The nurse noted that the drug may make me jittery and increase my heart rate. Luckily, the shot worked perfectly and the contractions stopped immediately, but I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my skin and my extremities shook uncontrollably! Finally, around 2:30am, we were sent home. The side-effects of the shot wore off about 3:30 or 4:00, and I finally got to sleep.

Whew, it was a long day and night for all of us! We are headed back to the hospital today for another steroid shot, but I hope no more contractions!

31 weeks, 3 days

Another ultrasound yesterday (6/23) revealed that baby boy is sort of taking over in there. His estimated weight is 4lbs 4oz, and the baby girl is estimated to weigh just 3lbs. That is a 30% difference as opposed to the 20% difference three weeks ago. So, the doctor would now like me to come in for weekly ultrasounds (biophysical profiles to be exact) to ensure that both babies continue to get what they need. The good news is that both seem to be doing just fine individually, there is just a difference in their sizes.

As far as I'm concerned, I haven't gained any weight in about a month (still at about 38lbs total gain), my feet tingle when I stand, my hands are swollen, and sleeping is becoming more difficult. None of these things seemed to concern the doctor, so I guess I'm doing okay.

I am really looking forward to the baby shower on Sunday as it should be a fun time and a much needed break from the monotony of sitting around at home!

28 weeks, 3 days

The ultrasound this morning went wonderfully. The girl measured 2lbs 7oz (50%ish), and the boy was 3lbs 1oz (75%ish). While there is a difference between the two, they are each growing as they should on their own growth scales. The doctor isn't worried and attributed the difference to the sexes - little girl, big boy. Everyone is relieved that they are both just fine.

However, the doctor did tell me that I need to rest as much as possible from now on. The babies are growing rapidly now, and every ounce of energy, oxygen, calories, etc. I expend by walking, shopping, working, etc., takes away from them. Apparently the babies need me to lay around and eat and help them grow, so that is what I plan to do as much as possible.

I have another OB appointment in 2 weeks and an ultrasound in 3 weeks. In the mean time, the Pearsall's have a busy schedule (that Chuck is going to have to take over!). Both Chuck and I have Professional Development the next four work days, the girls start swim lessons Monday, then Ella has Girl Scout day camp the following week; not to mention the Heartland Parade, Chuck's band concert, doctor's appointments, a Louisville Bats game, and Girl Scout meetings. I guess laying around is going to be harder than I thought...

For your enjoyment and amusement, here is a picture of me and my ginormous belly at 28 weeks.
And for comparison, 38 weeks or so with Anna - about 2 days before delivery.

I had an ultrasound and OB appointment today. I'm doing okay, I guess, considering I'm 28 weeks and measuring 34 (I measured 30 just two weeks ago). My back is killing me and it is becoming more and more difficult to do anything. But, there are only 2 days with kids left and 4 teacher days and I'll be finished with work for awhile!

As for the babies, there was a problem today at the ultrasound. The baby girl is measuring 2lbs3oz (33 percentile), and the boy is measuring 2lbs13oz (66 percentile). Unfortunately, this means that the girl seems to be "small" since there is more than a 20% difference between the two. This is called "discordant," which is something that apparently not taken lightly. My OB wanted me to have another ultrasound today to look more closely at the babies, but Maternal Fetal Medicine (the specialist) couldn't get me in until Thursday at 7:30am. She also said that after that ultrasound at MFM, they may put me on bed rest. She seemed to want to do that today, but I told her I have a few more days of school, so she relented until I could get the ultrasound.

As appealing as laying in bed sounds right now, I hope that isn't what happens Thursday. I want to at least be able to finish up this year at school; but if I need to lay in bed to help my little girl grow, I guess that is just what I'll do.

The good news from today is that I was able to see both babies kicking and wiggling around in there, and I even saw the little girl swallow. :)

Comparison pictures.

34 weeks with Ella.
37 weeks with Ella
24 weeks with twins.

At least I'm not as swollen this time.

We went for another growth ultrasound on Wednesday (4/27), and the babies are just great. I was 23w2d - the girl measured 1lb3oz, and the boy measured 1lb5oz. They wiggled and pushed each other the entire time during the ultrasound, and it was great to see them squirming so much. Both are breech right now, but I'm not worried about that since we're having a c-section anyway.

On a side note, Chuck painted my toenails for me last night. He didn't do the best job, but it was sweet of him to try. Prom is today, and I'm wearing a dress I made last year. I'll try to take a picture of me in it if I get the chance.

Okay, here I am at 23 weeks.
I may have ultrasound pictures this week, and will definitely have an update about how the babies are growing!

Appointment 4/19/2011 - 22w1d

This appointment was fairly uneventful. I've gained an ungodly amount of weight already (25lbs), but my doc was not concerned and even said it was a normal amount for twins. My belly is measuring 26-27 weeks, which is probably why I feel so huge. I'm having pretty bad reflux/indigestion, so she recommended some medicine for that.

I asked about realistic delivery dates, and she said it is rare to get twins past 37 weeks, and that I would likely deliver the last week of July, which is my 36th week. She also said that it is lucky that school is out soon because she usually has women carrying twins to stop working at 32 weeks. My last day of work before break should be June 8, and I'll be 29w2d.

Also, we've decided to purchase a recliner. Women at work (one of which is a mother of twins herself) said that I won't be able to get in/out of bed toward the end of my pregnancy this time, and a recliner would be much easier and more comfortable for me. Many women also say that nursing twins is easier in recliner than a traditional glider rocker simply because of the size. Chuck wanted one anyway, so it didn't take much convincing!

Finally, we painted the nursery half pink and half blue. The bedding we chose (on our Target registry) coordinates perfectly, and I'm excited to see the final result of the completed nursery.

On a side note, I've developed an unhealthy craving for Twinkies. I hope the babies don't come out fully preserved from all of the artificial ingredients in those things!

19 weeks, 2 days

On Wednesday, 3/30, Chuck and I arrived at our level II ultrasound at Maternal Fetal Medicine. This ultrasound was extensive. They checked every major organ, growth, and my cervix to ensure that I'm not currently at risk for preterm labor. After about an hour and a half of measuring, remeasuring, checking, probing, and asking questions, it was determined that both babies are just fine. They have no visible abnormalities, and are doing well with their growth - great news all around! Not to mention, it was fun to get such an extended view of the babies. I am happy to finally know where each one is inside my uterus and who I can blame for kicking or punching me in certain places!

We have a regular OB appointment mid-April, and another level II ultrasound at the end of the month.

In the mean-time, I've gone crazy with the baby registries, and have set up registries on Target, Wal-Mart, and Amazon.com. The most extensive is at Target, but some of the things there can be found cheaper at Wal-Mart or Amazon.com. We thought we were in good shape as far as baby items went - we have almost everything...for one. Now we need double!

18 weeks

On Monday, 3/21, Chuck and I arrived at our ultrasound appointment eager to see the babies again. Sure enough, they were still there, and they were still a boy and a girl. The girl was named "Baby A" and the boy, "Baby B" by the tech and doctor. All of their measurements were excellent, and they were perfect for their gestational age.

Girl - Baby A

Boy - Baby B

We soon left the ultrasound and were called into our appointment with the doctor. The nurse (who I've seen often) still couldn't believe the news. Everyone in the office commented about how "small" I was for twins. The doctor even said that my fundal height wasn't where she would expect for a twin pregnancy. I asked about delivery dates, and she gave 8/9 (38 weeks) as the goal. She seemed optimistic that I will make it to that date, but I have my doubts. Unfortunately, Chuck took her optimism as a guarantee, and took quite a bit of convincing (and speaking to another doctor) to accept that I may deliver at 36 weeks or even earlier (though we hope not). Upon leaving the appointment, we scheduled yet another ultrasound, this time at Maternal Fetal Medicine. I couldn't help but think how ironic it is that struggling with the choice to have an elective ultrasound before my 20 week appointment seemed silly now that I will have 3 within a two week period and many more to come.

I couldn't sleep the night we found out. There were too many questions, too much to consider! Not to mention, I had to tell my doctor!

Work the next day was eventful. Many of my coworkers already knew the news because I posted it on Facebook the night before. Both Chuck and I were congratulated enthusiastically, and we said, "Thank you!" the best we could amidst our shock. I showed my classes the first couple of minutes of the DVD and let them figure out the news themselves. Of course they were excited, and it was neat to see their reactions when they figured out that there were two babies on the screen - I can only imagine we all looked 10 times more surprised the night before.

After playing phone tag with my doctor all day, I finally spoke to a nurse about 3:00pm. She scheduled me for an ultrasound and appointment the following Monday. Oh, so NOW you want to give me the ultrasound I begged for, I though. I teased the doctor at my last visit that I needed an ultrasound "to check the baby" purely because I wanted to know the sex. She said, "The baby is fine!" and left it at that. Fine, indeed!

That weekend, Mom and I set out to the KKCS to begin to outfit ourselves with two of everything for these babies. Luckily, Saturday is half-price day, so she tackled the girl clothes while I shopped for my new baby boy. In record time, we sorted through and bought enough clothes for the twins to make it through their first few months of life, and only spent about $100! Unfortunately, we still needed a carseat, crib, double-stroller, etc. and the sale was all out of those "big ticket" items. I still felt accomplished for having purchased a sizable wardrobe for our twins.

Of course I also had to purchase books about twins and twin pregnancies. I had so many questions that only a book could help me! I surfed Amazon.com until I found When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads: Proven Guidelines for a Healthy Multiple Pregnancy and Ready or Not Here We Come: The Real Experts' Guide to the First Year with Twins. They arrived Tuesday, and 20 minutes into reading the first book, I was terrified and crying. There were so many possible complications with twins and twin pregnancies! I read that twins are born at 35 weeks and weigh 5.5 pounds on average - this is not what I had in mind! I am terrified our babies won't get to go home with us or will have to spend time in the NICU instead of bonding and learning to nurse in our room.

Then there were the nutrition requirements for a twin mom - 3500 calories a day and about 200mg of protein. I come nowhere close to either of these. My appetite is virtually nonexistent, and I barely eat any meat. This wouldn't be easy. I decided to buy some protein drinks and to eat meat, especially high-quality steak, for the first time in many, many years. My babies are more important than my dietary quirks, so I just tell myself I'm doing it for the twins.

Chuck threatened to take the books away from me because they were making me so upset, but I was determined to learn all I could about my babies and their development. I finished both books within three or four days, yet I am still unsure about so many aspects of twin pregnancies and raising twins. My impatient personality is not going to do well with the "wait and see" aspect of this pregnancy.