Getting to know the boys...

Getting to know the boys as siblings and as individuals has been amazing. For those of you who haven't met them yet, here's what we've found out so far. Can't wait to learn more about these cool little people who live with us now:

A bit about Teddy Spaghetti -

Teddy was the smaller twin at birth but is definitely the big bro. As of now, he calls the shots (we're sure this will change and change back again; they keep us on our feet). Teddy is very interactive and alert. He uses his hands really well. Adorable, but frustrating when trying to feed him. He bats at the breast and the bottle. Teddy also grunts like crazy. When he's happy, when he's frustrated, hungry - you name it, he's grunting. People always asked how we can tell them apart. Teddy's defining characteristics are big saucer eyes and a noggin the size of Minnesota to match.

A bit about Paddy Boy -

Paddy likes to sleep...and eat...and sleep some more...sleep again...sleep! Actually, this is changing a bit now but, for the first few weeks, Paddy liked to get his beauty sleep. When awake, he makes this adorable little "O" face and stares off into space. Our little dreamer. Paddy is especially soothed by his daddy's voice and snuggle. He is really mesmerized by Ry. Paddy has chubby cheeks and big, pouty lips.

The Birth and Other Happenings

Edward Parker Haas (Teddy), 6 lbs 1 oz

Patrick Gray Haas, 6 lbs 4 oz

Born October 16, 11:00 and 11:01

Most of you already know this...via BookFace, email or real life. But I'm keeping this blog going as a sort of diary for the boys for their first few months. Feel free to continue following or drop us now that I'm a blubbering new mama.

Teddy and Patrick came via c-section at 37 weeks (3 weeks early). They showed no signs of wanting to come out, but my pregnancy-induced high blood pressure concerned the doctor too much to allow them to stay in my belly.

We arrived to the hospital at 8am. It was a beautiful morning, with streaks of the sunrise still present in the sky and reflecting off the buildings of downtown Minneapolis.

The staff at U of M hospital began prep work for surgery right away. I had vitals taken, tummy shaved, IV inserted (AWFUL, awful, awful), etc. I was wheeled in to the OR and Ry was made to wait before putting on scrubs. There were some delays with the anesthesiologist and Ry had to wait longer than expected. He got nervous that something had gone wrong. It hadn't, but I felt terrible from the drugs but, before I knew it, I was numb from the waist down and the doctor was starting the procedure.

Of course I didn't feel any pain, but a C-section is still a very uncomfortable process. I was very aware of being pulled on and tugged at. I felt a lot of pressure from the doctor's maneuvers. I am so squeamish that I just couldn't handle the thought of what was happening to me. So, I just held Ry's hand, kept his face really close to mine, and insisted that we NOT talk about babies or surgeries or anything that would remind me of where I was. So, I decided to give him a honey-do list of all the home projects we needed to do. It did the trick; my mind was (somewhat) taken off of the fact that I was awake during major abdominal surgery.

All went well except that Teddy (Baby A) didn't want to come out. It took some painful pushing on of my abdomen to coax him from the womb, but he made it - and Patrick followed shortly thereafter. They lifted Teddy over the screen so I could see him and I instantly cried. He was so perfect. And they brought Patrick around to the side. And he was perfect, too. I only got to see them for a second before the nurses took them to the other side of the room for an evalaution, which is important to do immediately with twins and babies who arrive early.

All of the nurses (there were a lot, including 5 from the NICU in case anything was wrong) just kept saying, "they're both over six pounds!" and "look at that hair!" I was so happy that they came out weighing a good amount. Ry went to the other side of the room to watch the evaluation and a few long moments later, he brought the babies to me so I could see them. Ry was just glowing. I'm sure I was, too, under the oxygen mask and hair net.

Ryan, almost as squeamish as I, made the dumb move of looking at the surgery in process when he walked from one side of the room to the other. He said there was a bucket of guts. His guess is that it was the placentas. Good diagnosis, Doc Haas.

Then it was time for the boys to leave the OR and get a more thorough evaluation. I insisted that Ryan go with so he could talk with the pediatrician. I was left on the table, still sick from the drugs and just wishing that Ry was still with me. But it ended eventually and I moved onto the recovery room. The pediatrician came to see me and assure me that the boys were perfect, with all their fingers and toes. She did warn me that their heads were a little odd looking due to the cramped conditions of the womb. The doc said this would correct itself, but Patrick still has a weird crease on the back of his skull and Teddy has a "dormer" on the side of his head almost a month later. Whatever. They're still perfect.

I then got wheeled to the room where babies were and they were put in my arms together. Not until I held them together did the reality of mommyhood set in.

OK, this is getting mighty long, so I'll wrap it up in a few sentences. We stayed in the hospital for 3 days (left a day early), got very little sleep, had one awesome nurse who made the breastfeeding process a lot easier (yep, I'm breastfeeding both and, yep, its HARD), had a crazy nurse who wouldn't let Ry too close to the babies, had a mean nurse who scolded Ryan for sleeping through a feeding (no wonder we left early), had lots of visitors including two over the moon grandparents...and so on and so on like many other birth experiences before us.

What I'll remember most from those first few days is is Ry and I simply spending a lot of time staring at our babies and loving them and each other more than we ever thought possible.

10.16.09

That's the date!

I'm getting filleted like a fish (really, can you describe a c-section any other way?) on 10/16/09.

My blood pressure isn't getting worse, but it isn't getting better. My doc and the maternal medicine specialist she consulted with feel that, while my health isn't in imminent danger, it is safer for me to get the boys out. So they're letting me go to 37 weeks (considered full-term) and not a day longer. I still have FOUR appointments next week to monitor the situation and, if it does get worse, they'll come earlier. But its nice to have a deadline.

Also had a big ultrasound today. Baby A is 5lbs 12oz. That's around the 50 percentile for overall size. However, his head measures in the 97 percentile and his limbs only in the 30 percentile. HAHAHAHAHAHA. That there is a Doran boy. Baby B is 5lbs 14oz, with long limbs and a normal sized head. Haas/Lauginiger?

I asked the ultrasound tech if this means they are fraternal since they're body types and heads are so different. She said it does indeed make the case even stronger for fraternal twins, but did say some identicals measure very differently in the womb due to various conditions/space constraints.

Check back to the blog for pictures! Before we go in, I'll try to put up a picture of my massive pregnant body.

Love to all.

Hans and Frans Haas might be here sooner than we think!

So, had another doc's appointment. My blood pressure went up again. The only cure for pregnancy-induced high blood pressure is delivery. My BP isn't so high as to warrant that quite yet. However, the doc was clear that BP usually gets worse and not better. Our goal is to get me to 36 weeks with rest (I'm at 34 today). After that, we'll take it day by day. But she was pretty sure I was NOT going to make it to 38 weeks (which is when they induce/perform c-sections on full-term twins). So, I went into the appointment thinking it would be a month until I met the boys. Now it seems that it might be two weeks or maybe even less. That's a big difference when we're talking the arrival of humans.

The boys are fine. BP is more of a threat to mama's health.

34 weeks is an excellent place to be, really. The boys would have to spend some time in the hospital, but they wouldn't be there for too long (barring any other complications). But 36 weeks is sort of the holy grail. And I'm hoping for 37. Keep us in your thoughts!

Oh, and we need name help. Big time. These guys are still A and B to us. I'd like them NOT to be that when they're born. Suggestions welcome.

Sedentary Lifestyle is (is not?) for me

Last week, my ankles were swelling so bad that they looked as though they "belonged to a 250 lb woman" (Ryan's words - he's a gem) and my blood pressure was climbing a bit, so my doc prescribed a sedentary lifestyle (her words). Not bedrest - I'm allowed a stroll, an errand here and there, a few hours at the office when necessary. But I'm working from home and taking it easy. The swelling and blood pressure can be signs of some nasty pregnancy complications. Lucky for me, my lab work is coming back great and it seems I don't have those complications. But I guess the doc still didn't like the look of my cankles (ankles that look like continuation of one's calves), so sedentary lifestyle it is.

Its been helping, though. And I'm not really minding the whole bed-as-an-office thing. I'm a bit bored and miss my long walks with Roadie but, other than that, happy camper I am.

32 week ultrasound...

We're 32.5 weeks (every day counts!) and had an ultrasound today.

Baby A weighs 4 lbs 3 oz
Baby B weighs 4 lbs 4 oz

The tech said they can be off +/- 10%, but both are weighing at the 50%. They are just average Joe's (nope, that is not one of our names). They used to be weighing much bigger and I, for one, am happy that they've slowed down just a bit. The Doran women in my life will understand. We make big babies. I don't want two 9 lbs babies.

The most important thing is that they are weighing similarly. It is not a good sign when one baby is much bigger than the other.

We also found out that Baby A is still head down and Baby B is still in a breech position (by the way, Baby A refers to the baby who is first in the birth canal and Baby B is the second in the birth canal; they don't switch during the pregnancy). Most twins pick their position by 32 weeks, so this is likely how they will stay. And I am, therefore, likely to have a c-section. My doc and her practice do not attempt vaginal births unless both babies are head down. You can hope that Baby B would flip head down after Baby A comes out, but it is a bit risky to Baby B. Also, if he decided not to flip after his bro made his way out, then I would have a C-section on Baby B after vaginally birthing Baby A. YUCK. NO.

We have weekly ultrasounds now, so I'll keep everyone more updated.

My daily conversation with the public...

...goes like this:

Public: How many more weeks do you have to go?
Me: 6-8.
Public: WHAT?!?!? You are about to pop! You should be careful not to gain too much more weight or you won't be able to walk. And your kid will be too big to push out. Are you sure you're not having twins?
Me: Ummm, I AM having twins.
Public: Oh, you're so small! You should eat more! Those kids need to grow. Aren't they too small?

I find it so funny that I literally have some variation of this conversation 8-10 times a day. When I'm walking the dog, in line at the market, hiking, everywhere! And the change in opinion on my body mass is so QUICK!

I think every prego woman should tell people she's having twins when they piss her off by saying she's too big. It feels wonderful to be told I'm too small :)