Quick Photos

Double Trouble.
Feeding both babies.
Passed out...but not for long.


Si and Gabe passed again out after another feeding.



Christmas with the Birnie Family.




Suzanne's mom, Shirley, and stepfather, Barry, have arrived in Seattle from San Diego. They have rented a house by Alki for a two month stay.



Sister, Stephanie, here for a week to help out. She has been a lifesaver!



Christmas Eve

Homecoming

Aside from conception and birth, Thursday was the biggest day in the boys' short lifetime. After 59 days in the hospital, they were released and finally got to come home!

The change came very quickly; when the feeding tubes were removed on Saturday the 27th, both the boys demonstrated a significantly increased vigor in their feeding. They also continued their stability in breathing and heartbeat. Before we knew it, we were getting orders to transfer the boys out of the Infant Special Care Unit and into Pediatrics. Suzanne spent all day Wednesday at the hospital, there for the transfer Wednesday morning and making the transition with them. Derek joined the family at 5:00 and we all spent our first 24 hours straight together.

The stay at Pediatrics was meant as a transition time; the medical staff felt that they boys were ready to go without medical care, but wanted to keep them there for at least 24 hours to make sure. It also served as a time when we could take over their care, but have staff nearby. What a transition it was! The boys were so fussy, none of us got any sleep until 5 am. Still, when noon rolled around, their health still looked great and we got our release orders, just as the snow started falling. It took several more hours to check out with all the appropriate folks and get the paperwork, and at 4:00 we were rushing down the hallway hoping nobody would come after us saying it was a mistake. We had envisioned taking the boys on a final tour of all the different wards and thanking the staff for their support, but Si had a bit of a melt-down (we think he was afraid of his car seat), so we made our escape quickly. Suzanne describes the trip down the hallway and to the parking garage as a really "out of body" experience - it was almost impossible to believe that after almost 70 consecutive days (including Suzanne's inpatient care) we wouldn't be coming back anytime soon.

As intensive as our whole experience from September through last week has been, we know after four days at home with the boys that we're in for the ride of our lives. It's been as dramatic as if they were just born. It does feel like we've kept it together (we've been quoting Dave Best - "K.I.T. - Keep It Together") pretty well; we've both showered most days and we've been able to get most of our own meals down. However, it feels like it's only havoc nearly averted, with disaster lurking just around the corner. Both the boys have had some really rough nights. Why is it that they're up for hours at a time demanding food, attention, changing, or some other unnamed mysterious pacification from us only during the night and then they sleep all day eating only the minimum amounts? So, we're a little rough around the edges as we all find our routines.



We really shouldn't complain about the energy the boys have! Only a couple weeks ago, the Nurse Practitioner was expressing concern about their lack of vigor, and now they are both strongly and loudly demanding their feeds. Gabe smacked Suzanne in the face yesterday because she wasn't warming his bottle quickly enough.

We had our first outing yesterday; we took the boys to meet their pediatrician and get their first checkover by him. The Swedish Physicians Children's Clinic is just a block and a half from our house, so we bundled them up and strolled over. They both got clean bills of health, with just a few things to keep an eye on! It was so good to get out of the house and it was such a beautiful crisp day, that we walked another couple of blocks to the coffee shop and then to the food co-op even though we didn't really need anything.

All you very generous folks who have been offering to help out - now's the time! Here are the things you can do:

• Meals: A prepared meal is always welcome! Several folks have brought us frozen casseroles and they've been a blessing. Fresh, light meals are also welcome to sleep deprived, addled parents. Plus, it would be nice to introduce the kids! Our very good friend Kelly Bryant is coordinating meals, so drop her a line: 206-784-9599 or kbryant96@yahoo.com.
• Dog Care: Benji's doing great as big brother! He's super gentle and hasn't shown any signs of jealousy. Still, if you have time to take a walk with him he'd be your best friend for life.
• Break time: Family members are welcome to come by to take over care and let us sleep for a couple of hours. Give us a call.
• Chores: The house is mostly set up for our current situation, but there are a few pieces of work we meant to do and now will have difficulty finding the time: cleaning, firewood stacking, one last mow of the lawn...
• Supplies: We have the basics we need for the kids for right now. Still, there are a couple of items that might come in handy. We're trying to keep a registry updated at findgift.com.

A couple housekeeping items:

• We've secured the domain name www.birnietwins.com! Right now it will just bring you to this page, but it should be easier to remember and tell to others who are interested in the twins' progress or our chaotic story.
• We've moved our online photos to snapfish.com (free log-in required) instead of yahoo.com, uploading is quicker, there are no limits on the folder sizes, and you can order full-rez downloads in addition to prints (although you should e-mail us for those).

Bye bye feeding tube

Note: we started drafting this post on Saturday the 27th. Things got busy, as the next post will indicate, and we never got a chance to finish and post it. Posting it now for the historical record:

It's been a roller-coaster of a week.

We've been asking the various nurses and doctors for their personal estimations on when the boys will be ready to go home. On Thanksgiving, one nurse guessed it would be a couple more weeks, "but definitely before Christmas". Another guessed a week or two. A key issue was that each of the boys appeared to most of the nurses to have some issues with stamina: they weren't finishing all their feeds, so the nurses were using the feeding tube about once each shift.

Well, Silas got tired of this on Thursday and pulled his feeding tube out on his own. The nurse on duty wasn't in a hurry to replace it, and tried giving him all his feedings from the bottle. It worked. When it came time to change Gabriel's tube (done weekly) later in that shift, she just pulled his out and didn't replace it. Viola! Gabriel started taking his feeds on his own as well.

This all deeply impressed the Nurse Practitioner (who gives most of the medical orders), and on Friday she changed their feeding schedule to "on demand" rather than every three hours. Both the boys started eating more at a feed, allowing them to sleep longer. Now we're talking days, not weeks.

But, it's up and down: Early Saturday morning the nurse called us to say Si had blood in his stool. After consultation with the Neonatologist, they were suspending his feeds...

And another pound

Recent vital statistics:

Silas: 5 pounds 8.1 ounces, 18.3 inches long.
Gabriel: 6 pounds 0.4 ounces, 18 inches long.

Other observations in brief:

Eyes: Their eyes are currently a kind of steely blue that's common to all babies. The opthalmologist asserts with confidence that they will not be brown since no brown pigment flecks are visible. He says they will most likely be blue, but could change after six months or so to a hazel or green.

Timeline: Our best educated guess on their release date is one to two weeks. They need to be eating entirely on their own and gaining weight, as well as going for five consecutive days without any significant interruptions in heartbeat, respiration, and oxygen saturation in the blood.

Labor Dispute: The hospital and its organized nurses and staff are at an impasse in negotiations over their contract, with the issues focused on health insurance and retirement benefits. According to the hospital, there is a possibility that they may reduce services and tranfer patients. Our experience with both nurses and administration has been positive and we hope the parties can find their way back to the bargaining table.

We'll be celebrating Thanksgiving with the boys in the hospital tomorrow. Check back for pictures.



Links of interest:
Photos of the boys in the hospital (full and unedited)

Perspectives on the Labor Dispute:

• Seattle Post Intelligencer: Swedish says contract talks with nurses at 'impasse'
• Nurses and Hospital Workers' Union press release
• Swedish Medical Center's press release
• The Campaign for Safe Hospital Staffing at Swedish

If you want to write a letter to Swedish and encourage them to negotiate, write:

Richard Peterson, CEO
Swedish Medical Center / First Hill
747 Broadway
Seattle, WA 98122-4307

Five Pounds!

Silas rests easy after a tough week

Silas just crossed the five pound mark yesterday! Gabriel got there several days ago. You may recall that the boys were born at about three pounds each, and their weight dropped to two and a half pounds at the lowest point (it is common for almost all infants to lose weight in the period just after birth). They have now doubled their weight since that point!

It's been very steady progress in the twelve days since our last post. Silas was released from the NICU just at the time that there was an empty bed in Gabe's room (four cribs to a room). Later, another crib opened up and we were able to get the boys next to each other again.

Silas' first bath

Our first bath with Gabriel
(a zealous nurse got to him first without us last week)

Since we've spent so much time at the hospital, a lot of our parental worry has been focused on the arrangements there. For example, one doctor had considered releasing Silas straight to the Pediatrics department, bypassing Gabriel completely; Suzanne had a heart-to-heart with the nurse in charge the next shift and arranged the move into Gabe's room. Likewise, we relied on the diligence of another nurse to get the boys moved into adjacent cribs a couple days later. It's hard to image a more satisfactory experience than we've had at Swedish Hospital, but like any large institution, there's definitely room for self-advocacy to impact the decision-making.

Gabriel patiently waits his turn (well, maybe not that patiently)

Medically, the boys are getting really strong. Neither of them has had an "incident" (a recordable interruption in their heartbeat or respiration) for a little over three days, which is a big improvement from the early days when there were eight to ten in a day. Their feeding has also become much more vigorous. They are drinking about 3/4 of their diet on their own from a bottle (with the other 1/4 by gavage through a feeding tube). These two factors are the key things to keep an eye on; they will be released when they've demonstrated they're strong enough to eat all their own food and when they go five days without events.

Mom spends time with the boys (Gabe on the left, Si on the right)

In as early as two days or as late as a week or a week and a half, we'll get them transferred to Pediatrics, where we'll stay in the hospital for a couple days with them and then bring them home. Thanksgiving still looks like a good shot!

We're deeply thankful for all the prayers, support, and offers of help.

Benji's waiting to play with the boys.

Silas is on the Mend

Quick update: In our last posting, Silas had just been moved back to Intensive Care with a fever and a number of other complications. We still don't have a clear diagnosis, but he appears to be on the mend. His fever's been gone for a few days. Other indicators, like his skin color, energy level, and intestinal activity are looking much better, and this is backed up by many of the lab results. The doctor's thesis is that it was a sepsis (bacterial infection) that the lab cultures didn't catch.

Under doctor's orders, we'll begin resuming his feeding today. If he tolerates his feeds well, and the final lab cultures come back negative, he's got a good chance of getting out of intensive care within a few days.

Gabe continues to do well. He's now over 4 1/2 pounds (4 lb 9 oz) and finishing his entire feeds from the bottle with increasing consistency. He looks forward to seeing his brother again.

One Month Birthday

Today, Gabriel and Silas are one month old!


It's been an up-and-down week since the last entry.

On Monday the 24th, the boys "graduated" from the NICU to the intermediate care unit, affectionately known at Swedish as "two-south". This unit has been much more comfortable. There are fewer alarms beeping all the time, so it's quieter, and the rooms have a bit more privacy. There's a rocking chair by each crib and the staff do polka-dotted cutouts of the kids' names to paste to the wall above their cribs. Over the course of the week, we've worked hard to teach the boys to eat on their own. For the last couple of days, we've been bottle-feeding them every other meal (letting them rest and use the feeding tube on the alternating meals).

Silas with one of his first smiles on film.

They were moved into cribs right next to each other. With some effort, we were able to get the boys together a couple more times. Mom held the two boys for the first time and was almost moved to tears. Later, on Halloween, Dad visited the boys with a special gift from Mom: pumpkin-colored fleece blankets. Their first Halloween costumes!

Proud mother!

Gabriel is wide awake.

Part of the reason Gabriel is so wakeful in this shot is that they boys had a blood transfusion on the 31st. This is pretty standard for all preemies; they aren't able to produce their own red blood cells until a later gestational age, and they've been losing a little bit each time they get a blood test. It was time to get a recharge. We were told we would see more energy and more color afterward.

Proud Dad!

Yesterday was a bad day for Silas. His temparature went way up and he had several episodes of tachycardia (abnormal heartbeat) and apnea (suspension of breathing). All preemies have these to some degree, but Silas' series of episodes was pretty serious. He got very lethargic and his coloration got pale and mottled. The medical staff quickly moved him back to the intensive care unit and started a large battery of tests. It was a nerve-wracking day.

Today, Silas seems to have stabilized - at least his fever has dropped, and his color is a bit better. Some of his tests indicate some kind of infection and inflamation, most likely in his intestinal tract, but we still don't have a handle on it. We may know more in a few days when some of the lab tests come back; we may need more tests if it gets worse; or it might just get better without us ever knowing what happened. For now, his feeding has been suspended for several days until we know he's over this (he's getting his nutrition through an IV). He's cranky and fussy - you can tell he doesn't feel well, and he wants his food.

Meanwhile, Gabriel's doing great.

Keep Silas in your thoughts over the next couple of days!

Stronger and Stronger (three weeks)

Si and Gabe keep getting stronger. Still in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) for a few more days, they're getting close to graduating to "Two South" a step down in care intensity. This week, both had their IV's pulled out after several days of ingesting enough food on their own to go without intravenous supplemental nutrition. Their respiratory and cardiac numbers are getting steadily stronger. Although they both have had some problems with feeding intolerance (regurgitating some of their milk) they are both nearing 3 1/2 pounds (1/2 pound heavier than their birth weight). At last night's weighing, they both weighed exactly 1345 grams - identical to within .1%! We were told that when they reached the "corrected" gestational age of 34 weeks (today) their suckling instinct would start to evidence itself, and it certainly has. For the last couple of days, both have been very enthusiastic about pacifiers. Over the next few days, we'll start to introduce them to oral feeding, and if that goes well, we'll take the next step of getting them out of their isolettes and into cribs. That's about the time they don't need to be in the NICU any longer.

The official hospital line is that we should expect to bring them home on their original due date (Dec 3), but the unofficial word we're getting from their nurses is that just before Thanksgiving is a strong likelihood, if they continue to make this kind of progress. What a way to spend the holiday!

Since they're stronger and not relying on the oxygen and IV anymore, we've been able to spend more time holding them. This week, we were able to get Gabe's isolette moved into the spot next to Si's and we introduced them to each other for the first time since they were born! See below for our first family portrait.

Mom is getting stronger every day as well. The high blood pressure and other symptoms of the pre-eclampsia are declining as concerns, leaving Suzanne to contend mainly with the soreness and fatigue resulting from a major surgery. It will likely be another 3-5 weeks before she's fully recovered. She is very excited to have hands instead of mits and feet that don't look like elephant's (the swelling was really something else!).

Those are the details. Here are some of the photos we promised you:

Grampa Bill and Nana visit with Si.

Gabe in Suzanne's hands.

Our first family photo.

Si's hand in Derek's. Mom's holding Si.

Amma holding Si.

Keep your eyes peeled for a postcard showing you actual size footprints.

Two Weeks Old!

In just a few minutes, Si and JB will be two weeks old. We can't believe it!

The boys are getting bigger and stronger every day. After gradually decreasing the oxygen and pressure settings on their breathing apparatus for several days, the boys both stopped using breathing assistance altogether. They've both been breathing room air all on their own for three days now, and are doing great.

They've also both been "eating" more and more; Si is now getting 100% of his nutrition through his stomach. He has one more day to go in his 10-day protocol and will be at his full-size feedings every three hours. JB is a day behind Si and doing well. They are both still getting their milk through a gavage (feeding tube), but they are nearing the age where their sucking and swallowing reflexes will be strong enough for them to start to actually eat on their own.

They're getting bigger now too. They were both born weighing about 3 pounds and dropped down to about 2 1/2 pounds in the first few days - it's normal for all babies to lose some water weight right after birth. They both passed their original birth weights in the last couple days and now weigh around 3 pounds 2 ounces.

You can start to see that weight in their cheeks. They were born looking incredibly like little old men - now they're starting to look like babies. It also helps that they have all the breathing apparatus away from their faces. They've been having longer and more pronounced periods of alertness at feeding time. They'll hold on to a parent's finger super tight and look around and take everything in.

Suzanne is getting stronger too. She went to the doc last week to get her blood pressure checked and do a general post-op check-in and got all thumbs up. They're so confident about her health at this point that they scheduled her next appointment three weeks out! She's pretty much out of the woods on the pre-eclampsia and related issues. Her main issues now are recovering from a major surgery and adjusting to a schedule of producing milk every three hours.

All their grandparents and several of their uncles and aunts have been able to meet the boys and we can't wait to introduce them to the rest of our family and friends. It's still difficult to meet them, however. They'll be in the NICU for another week or so and still in the hospital until some time around their due date (Dec 3). Visitors need to be with us and we're limited to one accompanying visitor per child at a time. Unfortunately, it's not set up so you can look through a window at them, so it's not much use to go to the hospital without us. We are going for a 2-hour visit a couple times a day, so please do drop us a line to arrange to go with us.

Thanks again to everyone for all the calls, notes, and generous gifts. We're counting our blessings every single day. We'll get some newer photos posted soon.

Gabriel James and Silas William

OK, after much wrestling, reflection, hemming and hawing, we've arrived right where we started with the names: the boys are Si (Silas William) and JB (Gabriel James). JB was an in-utero nickname and he's hanging on to it for now, but we'll call him Gabe or Gabriel as he gets older.

Everyone is getting stronger and healthier!

Both Si and JB are off the ventilator now and are back on the CPAP, which is a non-invasive breathing aide that helps them to fully inflate their lungs (the same thing that people with sleep apnea use). They're also both using their stomachs now. Si's been getting mother's milk for a couple days and is up to 8 cc's of milk every three hours - up from the three cc's he started at. JB just started on milk today as well. He had to wait because a heart murmur had the team concerned that they might need to medicate or take further steps to fix a heart condition that's common in all preemies (PDA). They have a little bit more phototherapy to get through the jaundice. At this point, we're just working to get them stronger - able to breathe with less help and able to eat more - to the point where they can get all the oxygen and nutrition they need on their own.

Suzanne is recovering as well, though not as quickly as she would like. Her blood pressure has remained high and her pain still requires aggressive treatment. She's on modified bed rest at a time when she would like to be with the boys all day, or sorting through all their clothes and setting up their room.

It's just not possible to express how much of a privilege it is to be getting this kind of care! If we had lived in any other time and place, it's a long shot that any of the three would have survived this experience. In the NICU, the boys have one nurse monitoring and caring for them full-time, with a Nurse Practitioner, a Respiratory Therapist, and a Neonatologist present at all times. Everyone on the staff at Swedish has been a top-notch professional and superb human beings. They do their job with confidence and go out of their way to involve, inform, and reassure us.

Suzanne with Si in his isolette under phototherapy

Derek with JB under phototherapy. Note all the equipment for monitoring his health.

We've finally been able to hold the boys for the first time! Last night, Si rested in Suzanne's arms and today we both got to hold JB for a half hour. What a moving experience. Every day we count our blessings that things are going well, but it's hard that we still hadn't held our children. We've now got a small taste of how nice it will be to have the whole family together when the time comes.

Derek and Suzanne hold Si for the first time

Mommy's going home

Folks may know that we've been seeing a team of high-risk pregnancy specialists. We finally met Dr. Brock today, the last of the team we hadn't seen. She got the enviable task of giving Suzanne her release orders!

Suzanne had a very low blood pressure reading this morning and all of the other numbers are trending downward as well. She had her IV removed an hour ago and we're waiting for a nurse to come and remove the staples from her incision. Her swelling has gone way down and she's feeling energetic and clear-headed (as much as the percocet will alow).

It'll still be 10-14 days before she's well enough to drive, and 6-8 weeks before she can do sit-ups, but she's on the mend and excited to be able to go home.

The boys are doing well too. They are receiving the intensive care the name of the Neonatial Intensive Care Unit (NICU) implies, but there are no unexpected complications. Here's some of what's happening:
- They are getting help breathing. They've been intubated and on a ventilator for a day and a half, and are gradually developing a better ability to absorb oxygen on their own. They'll likely be off the ventilator in a day or two.
- They are getting phototherapy for jaundice right now. They are wearing little blinders and have bright lamps shining on them for the next day or so.
- They've been getting their food through the IV. Today, they'll start to get some mother's milk through a feeding tube to their belly. Over the next few weeks, they will gradually get more milk and less nutrition through the IV. It will be a couple weeks before they're able to swallow on their own.

We're being told not to expect to be able to bring them home until their original due date (December 3). It seems so far away and such a long time to be spending hours a day visiting them here in the hospital, but they're getting the best of care and we're counting ourselves very blessed to have them safe and whole. We'll be patient and take it day to day.

Names are percolating and likely to gel by tomorrow. Stay posted.

Suzanne, Derek, and Suzanne's mom Shirley, loaded up to leave the hospital

We're Here!

Last night, October 2, at about 11:00 PM, the Birnie Twins were delivered via Cesarean Section. Mom and Boys (and Dad) are all doing well!

We were in the middle of our discussion on names when we got the lab results back and the doctor recommended the procedure. Things have moved fast since then, so no given names yet, so here are the details and photos using their in utero nicknames.

Si was born first at 3 lbs 1 oz and just over 15 inches long. JB came right after at 2 lbs 15.3 oz and also just over 15 inches long. They both spoke right up after their birth and seem strong and healthy for being born at 31 weeks. They are incredibly beautiful works of wonder!

Si just after birth

JB just after birth

Si & Mom get a moment together

JB & Mom say hi

We'll post as soon as we can - the plans for the babies' care and Suzanne's recovery, the new room information, and more cute pictures. For now, please share our good news and rest assured that we are all fine & happy.

PS. Suzanne would love to hear from you, but please don't be surprised if it's only a short conversation. Likewise, we would really love to see friends and family, but please call before visiting - as Suzanne needs her rest for a few days.

Off the Magnesium

Well, things go up and down - the doctor took at look at Suzanne's test results this morning and discontinued the Magnesium treatment! A good sign! Suzanne's likely to be feeling a bit better over the next few days. Keep your fingers crossed and hope for more time in gestation!

Room with a View

The folks who have been in the Antepartum unit at Swedish the longest get seniority and better rooms. They've moved Suzanne down the hall to a bigger room with a better view. Here's the new contact info:

206-386-6560

Suzanne Birnie
c/o Swedish Medical Center/First Hill Campus
Room 511
747 Broadway
Seattle, WA 98122-4307

The hospital web-site has a page where you can type in a message and have a note delivered to Suzanne.

Next treatment - Magnesium Sulfate

Early this morning, Suzanne's medical team decided it was time to adminster Magnesium Sulfate. Even though Suzanne has felt relatively good over the last two to three days, her blood pressure ramped up last night and the doctors were concerned that the Pre-eclampsia was progressing and could lead to some of the more dangerous symptoms (seizures, edema...). It's been explained to us that the Magnesium acts to lower blood pressure by dilating the blood vessels. The positive aspects for us are that it inhibits the advance of the Pre-eclampsia, prevents seizures, edema and other effects, and prevents pre-term labor (early contractions). The downside is that in can have a number of side effects, including flushing, mild to severe nausea, palpitations, headache, general muscle weakness, and/or lethargy. As of right now, Suzanne describes feeling "loopy" - weak and lethargic - but not nauseous (but nervous about eating).

If Suzanne's condition doesn't stabilize with this treatment, the next step and only known "cure" for Pre-eclampsia is delivery, so this could happen at any time. The doctor's orders now call for Suzanne to fast after midnight each night in preparation for a C-section the next day. Every day the babies have inside Suzanne strengthen their odds of a healthy outcome. We did administer a steriod treatment several days ago that speeds the development of their lungs in preparation for a pre-term delivery.

Thanks again for all the support. On Sunday, my sister Margot organized a shower in Tacoma attended mainly by family. Almost 60 folks were there - all but three are family members. I can't remember ever having all those family members together and I found it deeply moving. The generosity was overwhelming - There's very little left that we need to get in order to be prepared for them to come home. I'll post pictures shortly.

Keep the positive thougts and prayers coming!

In a Hospital Bed

Suzanne's bed rest stepped to the next level today. After several very high home readings on her blood pressure yesterday, she saw the doctor this morning, who ordered her admitted for in-patient monitoring and treatment. The friendly and professional staff are keeping a very close eye on Suzanne and the boys: monitoring all 3 heartbeats all the time, testing for blood sugar levels and a number of other indicators of liver and kidney health, and keeping an eye on the blood pressure.

Suzanne may stabilize and require no further treatment. If she improves, she may be allowed to return home. Or she may require further treatment; the next step would be to administer Magnesium, which acts to dilate the blood vessels and lower the blood pressure. This could be good for her health and safety, but can be very uncomfortable - a flushed and overheated feeling, dizzyness, nausea... We'll see how it goes.

While it's a shock (if not a surprise), Suzanne's handling the transition well. She's in a comfortable private room with conscientious staff caring for her. I'm sure Suzanne would love hearing from friends and family. Here's how to reach her:

Phone in the room: 206-386-6560 (formerly 206-386-6551). Cell phones aren't supposed to be used in this wing.

Suzanne Birnie
c/o Swedish Medical Center/First Hill Campus
Room 511 (formerly Room 502 )
747 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122-4307

The hospital web-site has a page where you can type in a message and have a note delivered to Suzanne.

We'll try to set Suzanne up with a laptop and dial-up internet access, so she may or may not be able to read and respond to her e-mail.

Thanks for all the notes of support since the bed rest!

Bed Rest

Short update from Derek here:

Last week on Wednesday, Suzanne was ordered on bed rest because of some indications of developing Preeclampsia, including high blood pressure and headaches. Further tests indicated that she's having some contractions, which is normal in this point in the pregnancy, but could proceed to pre-term labor if they continue. Last week was tense for us, both because of the changes imposed by bed-rest and because of the anxiety over the implications for the health and wellness of Suzanne and the babies.

A doctor's appointment this morning has us feeling more optimistic. Tests for gestational diabetes came back negative. The babies' weight is back into the lower end of the normal range (almost three pounds each!) for this point in their development. Suzanne's blood pressure is down some (though still a bit high). Measurements of the placenta and the cervix indicate things are fine there.

All in all, the health of the babies looks really good. Suzanne's health is stable, but still warrants continued bed-rest and close monitoring. Preeclampsia can advance very quickly (within 24 hours) to levels that are very hazardous to mother and children, so the next step would be hospitalization or even induced labor if things change course. The doctor's opinion is that the babies are developed enough that they'd have a good chance of healthy development if they were delivered now, but every passing day and week increases their odds tremendously. 32 weeks (October 9) is a milestone we hope to pass - at that point their lungs would be much better prepared to function. 36 weeks (Nov 6) would be average for twins. At 37 weeks (Nov 13) they would no longer be considered premature.

Thanks very much to everyone for all the support! Somebody advised us last week that this is the time when we need to learn how to receive graciously. The moral support and all the offers of logistical support (everything from meals, to help preparing the house, to running errands) are humbling and are a reminder of the incredible circle of friends and family we have in our lives. If we haven't taken you up on your offer, we'll be getting organized and may drop you a line. Be assured we appreciate it.

In the meantime, drop Suzanne a line at suzannebirnie@yahoo.com or 206-297-0298. She's likely in bed, waiting to hear from you!

Derek

PS: Thank you to all our friends to came to the shower thrown by Kelly Bryant at Woodland Park weekend before last. We had a wonderful time and loved all the gifts. We'll post photos shortly.

August Travels

Suzanne and the Boys have been on the move....


August 14th
San Diego Babies Shower with two of the boys' grandmothers - Amma (Shirley, Suzanne's Mom) and Nana (Nancy, Suzanne's Step-mom).
It was a wonderful event with friends and family. Jamie decorated with trucks filled with roses and the votives were baby food jars. Even the tea spoons were baby spoons! Not a detail was missed.






August 13th
Suzanne with Marci
Getting ready for their 20th High School Reunion in Del Mar, California.
24 weeks and a long way to go!











Off to the Reunion! Suzanne won an award at the event for being the only one pregnant.













August 27th
Jen and Sam's Wedding
San Diego, California
The last trip before the boys arrive.

Past the half-way mark

We're now at 22 1/2 weeks (a standard pregnancy goes 40, twins on average 37). We're a mere 15 weeks away from the average twin birth date. Wow!

Here are some recent pics of the boys. We're in to the doc every two weeks now, so we're getting these shots more frequently. These are just the highlights - it's amazing to sit for two hours and examine every part of the babies' bodies in detail - we've seen all four heart chambers in each boy, bladders, kidneys... you name it. We've counted all the little bones in each of their hands and feet!


07/12: This is the lower twin getting his nose scratched by the upper twin.


07/12: Upper twin's little hand.

These are from just the other day. The twins weigh 13 oz. and are 9+ inches long. They will double their weight over the next four weeks.


07/26: Upper twin - they look very relaxed and calm in these photos. In reality, they are moving and kicking around during the entire ultrasound, much to the dismay of the technician.


07/26: Lower twin - he likes to stand on his head so he can kick his brother in face.

We are doing alright. Last night we met with two couples with twins and another that is expecting twins (made the connection through a club called EMOMS). There was much talk about strollers, sleep deprivation and advice to get EVERYTHING done before the boys arrive. They all live in our neighborhood so we are thankful for the support.

Working hard to prep the house - clearing out the basement, organizing and consolidating our own storage items, trying to figure out where we'll put all the baby stuff. Starting birth classes in a couple of weeks. Suzanne has gained 31 pounds so far (photo coming soon). We thought 40 would be what to expect, but one of the twin mothers last night, about Suzanne's size, said she gained 67 pounds during her pregnancy!

Boys!

Here's the most recent news - they're boys!

We've done a couple of ultrasounds in the last few weeks. On June 7, they looked healthy and happy and we thought we saw evidence of boyhood, but were encouraged to hold off on judgement until week 16 (last week). On June 14 it looked pretty definitive.

The "lower twin". You can see his cranium and spinal structure clearly.

The "upper twin". Look, you can see his nose and cheeks!

Suzanne's been feeling mostly OK. Sometimes tired or achy and having trouble sleeping, but generally no morning sickness. She's such a good mother - paying very careful attention to her diet to make sure she's getting ample nutrition for three.

We're busy talking to contractors about putting a couple of rooms and a bathroom in our basement.

We've been spending lots of social time in the last month or two. Eager to see folks before we're locked in the house for a year or so. Drop us a line!

Getting the word out.

OK, so we've known since March 23 that we're expecting. We carried that knowlede with us on vacation all over Germany and Wales. We also got some extra news two weeks ago. But we just got our third look at them and things are progressing well, so it's time to be free with the news - we're expecting twins!

Ultrasound from May 2, 2005

- Due Dec 3 (but twins are three weeks early on average)
- No knowledge of gender yet
- We're doubly excited and still catching our breath

Here's the slideshow announcment we sent to friends and family today. (If it doesn't work to "open" the item, you may need to choose the "save" option.)

We'll keep the images updated at Yahoo Photos.

Stay tuned for updates and please be patient with the new bloggers!