First Pics

We've returned home. Now the real joyride begins. Here is a small sampling of photos; the rest are at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/gros.islet/NoelleAndLucas25June2008

Another Installment of "Wieleckis at Winnie"

Not much new to report. We're still in the hospital, leaving midday Saturday. The twins are carrying on like champs. A pained wail here and a mess there (you know, there), but all in all they're not nearly the trouble I expected for their first couple of days. They are sleeping fairly regularly and doing their part in the breastfeeding arrangement. 

How's Kelly doing, you ask? Well, her convalescence is progressing. Still there's occasional pain, but clearly she's healing and regaining strength.

How's the hospital food, you ask? OK, so you didn't. Fine, then, I won't say.

Day Deux in the Life of NL

Since the last post:

We've been in our post-delivery room since 9PM last night. Lucas and Noelle had been sent directly from the operating room to the transitional nursery, and then around 8:30PM to the nursery on our post-delivery floor. {My fourth interruption in the midst of this paragraph} Just before 9PM Jeff and Liz stopped by to awe the Wonders. Soon after, NL departed back to the nursery for the evening. This option affords parents some relaxation time, though does take away some opportunities for breastfeeding. At any rate, Kel was too exhausted to accomplish much in that respect anyway, and sleep seemed like more the pressing matter. 

When NL left for the nursery, we were able to doze intermittently until 7AM (the nurse stopped by every two hours throughout the night to monitor Kelly). Then the fun began. We took over the duties only a mother could love. Later, our new pediatrician stopped by for a chat, and so did Dr C., to remove Kel's stomach staples. And that's been our day since. 

Kel is recovering, though slowly. She had a rough spell of powerful pain this morning and has been under the influence of several drugs that only tempered the discomfort at best. The twins are marvelous. Noelle has a propensity for hiccups (takes after me) while Lucas is a sneezer. In conclusion, it turns out that changing diapers, swaddling, and raising children is a piece of cake. At least the last 27 hours indicate so. Surely the next 27 years will be no different.

Contact Tonight

I've texted a few friends and family members and received many messages of congrats. Thanks to all! Just FYI we're not going to be answering phones today as we are both quite overwhelmed and exhausted. But we do greatly appreciate all of your wishes and support.

WT/AB Have Faces, Names

Finally something worth blogging about:

Noelle Catherine and Lucas James entered the world at 3:59PM and 4:00PM this afternoon. She was 19 in. and 6lb 4oz; he was 18 in. and 6lb 5oz. Both are stunning (i.e., have my genes) and in good health. 

After 24 hours of painful contractions with little progress, we decided to go Roman-style and get a Caesarian. Kel is recovering, though her blood pressure has shot up quite a bit. The twins are in the transitional nursery for the time being. I've had some facetime; Kel has barely seen and held them for two minutes.

More updates later, as free time and my energy level allows. We're awaiting transfer to our post-delivery room. I have a few photos but they're not online yet.

***Breaking News***

We may be able to answer our recent poll question accurately and fairly soon. We are now at Winnie Palmer hospital after rapidly escalating events over the last 20 hours.

Yesterday our final visit with Dr. C. revealed a blood pressure of 140/100. He thus ordered us to proceed directly to Winnie Palmer. We obeyed, though did manage a stop at my work and home to gather belongings. 

We were admitted at 3PM, and have been here ever since. Kel's blood pressure has since decreased, but a series of blood tests had abnormal readings. Thus, Dr. C. decided that now's the time (as opposed to returning on Monday, our previously scheduled induction date).

The last 20 or so hours here have dragged considerably. Of course, my lack of sleep compares poorly with Kel's miseries (wasn't that a previous post?): constant back pain, rather strong contractions, a brutal epidural, and hunger pains. The painkillers have provided much relief, but they weren't administered until 1AM-ish--so basically she was in severe discomfort for our first 10 hours here. 

As of 7AM, she was 3 cm dilated. Dr. C. wil return around noon to check again, and may then 'break her water' and kick up her induction meds. We will then have to decide between a continued wait for natural delivery or a jump right into a C-section. 

That's it for now. Now we just wait until Dr. C.'s next inspection. The hour of reckoning is fast approaching. 

Patiently Impatient

Let's get on with it! My endurance is wearing thin. We've seen months of wait and worry*, and still we sit here, blogging about trivial this and pointless that. Of these fun and games I've had my fill; you don't save the world by clacking on a keyboard and warming a wooden chair. Surely, the old wise ones will say I'll eat these words in ten days when WT are here to see and hear and smell, and hear and smell some more. Then, I won't worry about warming any chairs and the only action this keyboard will see is when I'm desperately scouring WebMD** for an instant cure for ear secretions or rashy insteps. I say, good! Secrete and rash! I'll be ready with wipes and powder.


* Some more than others.
** Or any equally unreliable web-based resource.

Drawing a Big Blank for this Entry's Title

Another day closer to the main event. I was set straight in the last post and dare not complain, though I will report that Kel's moans of discomfort have increased in frequency and duration and now have begun to impinge on my 7AM routine of cereal and The Economist. Presumably in a few weeks there will still be time for cereal, though not necessarily for assembling the milk and spoon.

One slight disquiet revolves around our puppy Hana. To date she's exhibited a rather unimpressive pattern of behavior around small children. She's awkward enough around unfamiliar adults, acting quite timid and repulsing all attempts at friendly petting. But in the company of kids she acts cautious, even afraid or defensive, and sounds her considerably deep and booming bark. Maybe the advice we've received of letting her sniff WT-scented cloth prior to their introduction will prevent any boorish behavior. If so, I hope you'll see right through this post as nothing more than a shameful attempt to keep this blog current and our readers from straying. Which it is.

Her Rebuttal

Aw, poor Karl. Collectively, now..."Awww..." And to think, for over 8 months now, I've been oblivious to what he is going through! How insensitive of me! It truly is a shame that we can't switch roles, just for a day...or even a few hours, so I could relieve him of his misery. I mean, backaches, nausea, headaches...what are these compared to the true misery of installing car seats and putting together a recently purchased glider at Marma's house? (and here I was thinking that men enjoyed putting things together). Karl even insisted on paying the extra $50 -plus tip to have the cribs and changing tables delivered and installed; apparently this was way too much for the proud Dad-to-be to handle.

Somehow, at 35 weeks, I am still managing to work, make dinner, clean, and assist with the care of the pets. I have a feeling Dad-to-be would be couch-bound at this point, whining much more than I ever have.

One thing is sure: the load will certainly be divided much more equally once the twins are here. Moms I have spoken with tell me that they do end up with an unequal share. One estimated it as an 80/20 split. I'm hoping for more along the lines of 60/40. I think I can deal with that.

The Last of Winnie

Today was likely our last appointment at Winnie Palmer Hospital. These had been monthly, and certainly there won't be much to see with an ultrasound in mid-July. (As, according to the latest prognosis, all the hype and anticipation will end before July 3). Today's weigh-in revealed an estimated 5.8 and 5.4 pound pair of packages, with a margin of error of 3/4 of a pound. Limbs are still intact, heartbeats loud and quick, and head scans reveal a mini mop-top on both A and B.

So...from this point on we see Dr. C. weekly, until the day we make a mad dash back to Winnie and get this thing over with. Maybe Kelly's been carrying around an extra 45 pounds for a few weeks; but I've been saddled with the stressful responsibilities of being there for her every single day. Every single day! Who can carry that kind of pressure for three-quarters of the year? And I'm supposed to rearrange my schedule to find time to install two (right, not just one) car seats, and then, check them for a tight fit! We men get no credit for the harrowing ordeal of our role as pregnancy assistant. All the magazines and Discovery Health shows focus on the mom, the "big hero," the "giver of life." When is there going to be recognition of the impact of pregnancy on a man's life? When she can't sleep, he hears about it the next day. When she's in pain, he has to massage. When she vomits profusely the first 12 weeks, he has to close the bathroom door to avoid disturbing the pets. When she's too big to fit behind the steering wheel, he has to pause the game, put on his shoes, and shuffle out into the rain to drive her. When she no longer fits into any of her clothes, he has to ruin half a Sunday at the mall. When she's strapped into the delivery table or half numb during a C-section and furiously breathing and grabbing his hand, he has to sweat the whole ordeal, trying to recall if the Lamaze lady instructed three long breaths plus one short, or a continuous steady set of long slow ones. And, after it's all done with, and everyone is back home, who has to awake every two hours to change diapers? Him! Not her; she's already been up.

Countdown Adjustment

For those that still check, the countdown ticker on the left has been adjusted for a July 2 target date. Dr. C. yesterday indicated that though he's splitting town on the 4th, he'd pencil us in for a July 2nd Trail of Twin Terror. That is, of course, assuming events don't progress rapidly on their own before then.

Big News Revisited

Just a few minutes ago I was scavenging my imagination for today's blog topic. It shouldn't have taken long, as we had another Crofoot visit this afternoon; doc days usually provide instant material, delaying my anguished topic hunt for at least a day. And today, as you can see in Kel's entry below, we've learned something big: we can now be sure that the Super Bowl of Pregnancy will air no later than July 3. But for me to blog about that would spoil the remaining days of our poll...and I just couldn't do that. No worry; get Kel near the keyboard, and next thing you know, she kicks the cat out of the bag right into an open can of beans. Sorry for wasting your time, recent reader from Farmington, New Mexico.

OK, fine, I'll take it easy on the Spherical One. It's a thrill just to see an entry by the WT co-author. These rare events are bound to be even scarcer after July 3.

Any Day Now...

Well I had my 34 week OB appt today and I am measuring 44 weeks but am only a fingertip dilated (a fingertip... does that even mean anything??)

Dr. C announced that he will be going on vacation July 4 so I will have the twins before then. So happy to be able to accommodate HIS schedule! Does it not seem a bit odd that my children's birthday will be selected as a result of which week the good doc could get the best deal on his cruise?? Oh well, I suppose that's what you get when you select a solo practitioner and a summer due date. That or you take your chances and have some resident-on-call deliver the kids. So- if I don't go into labor sooner, induction will probably be July 1 or 2- a few days after I hit 37 weeks. For those who voted for 40 weeks on our recent poll- sorry!

I'd prefer that things start moving along on their own though so I don't have to be induced. Unlike many OBs who prefer to plan a C-section, mine wants us to try natural. The problem is that inductions tend have a fairly high failure rate, leading to emergency C-section. I am walking about 45 min most days of the week (slowly) and some swimming but I guess that isn't doing much to help. According to the doc, there is just one 'activity' that has proven to help induce labor. I'll leave that one to your imagination ;)

He also wrote me a release for work so I'm going to do 20 hrs per week for just the next few weeks. I'm actually excited about it! This is my third week at home for the past few weeks b/c of the high bp but since it has gone down a lot ever since, he is ok with me working a bit.

I now need to figure out how to update the floating baby ticker on the left from 10 days to 20. Who knew we'd make it this far??

Bushbabies

See below (or above, for those in the Southern Hemisphere) for a taste of yesterday's photo shoot.

Fun with Fotografy and Flies

We spent midday's hottest hours hiking through the deserted reaches of Wekiwa Springs State Park. Our mission: capture on film ("capture on memory card" just doesn't have that risky adventurous tone) these late stages of Kel's anguish. Rather than throw a few hundred buckos at a professional photographer, who in turn will throw at us tiresome instructions on how to stand, where to face, "I need a bigger smile!" and "Place your left hand on Kelly's hip. No, not there, lower. A bit lower. A bit more. There!" we thought, hey, I have a camera, an index finger (actually, two) to facilitate the operation of the shutter button, and a tripod*...why not find a scenic spot out in the woods, and offer some tiresome instructions to ourselves?

As you may guess, we answered this question with "OK, let's do it!" So we did, and along came the dog. There was no pretending that it's not June in Florida. The sun was straight up and not a breeze to speak of. Hana would race down the trail and dart into the shade, emerging only once we passed her, and then would dart ahead to the next cool oasis.

I took 120 or so photos, including a dozen of us together. Each pose was cheesier than the last. Some shots even revealed Hana in the background, collapsed in the shade of a palmetto bush. Kel sported a white long-sleeve button down for some shots and more risqué attire (sportsbra, relax!) for others. Ticks and biting flies abounded on our return trek, but heavenly relief finally arrived when we splashed into the 72 degree springs before heading home.



*This is untrue. I did not have a tripod, so this morning I fashioned a "unipod" from a thin 1/4" by 1" wood stake, a couple of stiff green plant poles, and duct tape. Rather MacGyver of me, I know.

A Rude Introduction

Week 2 of 'home arrest' is now over and it actually went fairly quickly. I guess one can get used to sitting around doing nothing. Ok, that isn't quite true. Here is a quick recap of my week.

Monday: visit from friends Barb and Ron, who appeared and cooked us a very yummy dinner

Tuesday: weekly OB appt on Tuesday; measuring 43 weeks now, bp still good, no signs of impending labor. Ob still thinking I have another 3-5 weeks to go

Wednesday: went out to lunch and a matinee viewing of 'Sex and the City: The Movie'
Thursday: trip to the local used book store and the Orlando Prime Outlets. Helped Karl shop because-let's be honest- I am certainly not in the market for clothes, shoes, or anything besides baby stuff these days.

Friday: non-stress test at the hospital. Went smoothly, both twins passed quickly this time. Also, game night at our house with Laura, Bryan, Jeff, and Liz. Fun stuff!

In between all of this excitement, I managed to catch up on some sleep (since I'm up half the night these days). It has become a routine- and not one I am fond of- either I can't seem to fall asleep until 2, 3, 4 am....or I manage to doze off at a decent hour, then awaken at one of these wee early am hours. The pets benefit from an early morning pee and I spend the time reading until I can eventually get back to sleep. Sometimes this insomnia is caused by back or headaches but just as often, it occurs for no reason. Or so I thought. During one recent bout, I read in "Twinspiration" that there is actually a biological reason for this insomnia. Apparently, nature is lovingly introducing me to the frequent wake-ups I'll experience as a mother who needs to feed her children every few hours. Well then, where is Karl's introduction? Though he may currently be in dreamland while I toss and turn, read parenting books, or drink a glass of milk, he will certainly not maintain this luxury once the two little screamers enter the picture. It would only be fair if he is given the opportunity to get used to this as well. Oh, Karl-sweetie....

An "Incomplete" in Interior Decorating

There's one less thing to cause panic if WT arrive at their leisure and not ours: last Friday we received our cribs and related furniture. These items were rolled into the kids' room, formerly referred to as the guest bedroom and before that as "that room upstairs overlooking the street." To accommodate these additions we rotated all existing furniture counter-clockwise, though a few items found themselves in the hallway.

Their room has quite a way before showing itself off on the cover of Parents magazine. So far our prep has consisted of a thorough vacuuming. No dolphins painted on the ceiling, wood cutouts of their names on the walls, or Sesame Street night lights. However, much hope rests on it being their temporary quarters, as indeed our whole condo.

Really, we've been putting considerably more effort into sprucing up the room in their "away" quarters in Oviedo. The Hamilton elders painted walls and I installed window blinds; next comes the gliding/rocking chair, a small changing table, and, space permitting, their crib. Things are slowly coming together. Apparently there's no need to rush: Kel's doctor today expressed confidence in a July delivery.