Delivery Day!

37 Weeks a.k.a. Full Term

As you can see from the title of the post, we're at 37 weeks, which is considered full-term for twin pregnancy!! Yea! It's pretty amazing that we've made it to this point. I didn't think we'd be able to do it...With God all things are possible!

Today we had another non-stress test, which both babies passed right away. They are passing all their tests with flying colors now. Babies are looking healthy and we're as ready as we're going to be for their arrival! Pray that when they do arrive, everything will go well, they're healthy and we can bring them home at the same time that I come home.

Here's a picture of me at 37 weeks...and yes, still able to stand on my own without any under-belly support! (Ignore the strange look I have on my face...I think I was trying to talk and smile at the same time.)

Dear Babies A & B

Dear babies,

We love you very much. You are already loved by many, and a blessing to your mommy and daddy. We have enjoyed getting to watch you grow inside via ultrasound pics and feel you moving around in there. We like that you "play" with us when we poke at you, and that you listen to us reading to you every night.

We are so thankful that you are healthy, that all your parts are being formed perfectly, and that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. We're glad to still feel you move in there. Every day. And every night. And in the afternoon. And waking me up in the middle of the night.

If you want to be very good babies, you will listen to Mommy now. It's time to move on. I know you're comfy in there, and still turn yourselves into all sorts of positions, but it's time to leave. Mommy's ribs can't take it anymore. Nor can her bladder. And her tummy is now measuring what a 'singleton' pregnancy would be considered as 6 weeks overdue! That's just wrong.

Mommy can't sit forward, lay on her side, sit up, or lay down very long. She can't drive, run, walk, skip, or jump (without looking foolish, anyway). Mommy knows that she's taking care of you inside, but please give her a chance to take care of you on the outside. Daddy wants to hold you, too. Give him a chance to take care of you. We promise that we'll do our best to be good parents to you. Grandma is beside herself waiting for you - she just wants to hold and cuddle and spoil you. Grandpa has offered to buy you ponies. Don't you want a pony??? You just have to COME OUT!

So, as loving parents, our first official act is to serve your eviction notice. If you don't come out, we will come in after you. Remember, we're doing this because we love you. Please don't make us do this the hard way. It really will hurt Mommy more than it will hurt you.

Come out and play with us soon. We love you very much - more than you can know!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

To C or Not to C (Section)

Yesterday (Friday) was our dr. appointment - we're officially at 36 weeks+ now! Yea! We were having a nice discussion with the dr. about setting up our c-section because one baby is in the 'wrong' position to do a natural delivery. He had the paperwork out and everything, and then decided to do one more ultrasound to verify positions. Wouldn't you know it - baby B switched his position again and is head down. We watched the dr. tear up the scheduling paper and throw it in the waste basket. There were kind of mixed emotions about it - I know that it's best for the babies to stay in and cook as long as possible, but also it was nice to have an actual end in sight (or beginning, however you may choose to look at it) for those few brief moments. So now we wait. The good news is that I've gone the entire pregnancy with no dr.-imposed bedrest. Now I have no restrictions, and we can deliver these little guys any time they want to come! I was up walking around more yesterday, and even tried jumping up and down a little bit - Mark didn't think that was funny. I don't know why...

Pray for us to have healthy babies in God's timing...and that we'd be patient to wait for it!

For Patrice and Annie

Last Friday we had a little get-together and our friends brought Jake to play with George. They remembered each other instantly and had their own little reunion. They were so excited that they didn't mind that I really had no lap to sit on. The tails were wagging and they played together for a long time. We think George is doing great here with Chloe, and Jake is doing wonderfully with Buster, but they definitely have a soft spot for each other!

35 1/2 Week Picture

This is the picture that goes with the previous post. 'nuff said.

Puff the Pregnant Woman...

So it's been a week or so since I've updated. I have a picture to post, but I'm too lazy (and big) to get up and download it to the computer. We're now at 35 1/2 weeks and STILL pregnant! Yea. Last week was the first week that felt like pregnancy isn't quite so fun. I've tried to spend a lot of time on the couch over the past week, but it was really busy. Our appointments all went fine, and I even got to be in on a surprise baby shower for Mark and I hosted by his classmates! That was fun for me since Mark doesn't like surprises and I never get to surprise him. (He didn't mind this surprise, though!)

However, due to my size and condition, I'm starting to blow up - and not just in my abdominal region. Sunday we were going to go to church, but after being up for 1 1/2 hours my feet looked like little over-inflated balloons. So Mark's first Father's Day was spent at home taking naps on and off all day. I suppose it's appropriate since we won't be able to do that for a long time after the babies get here. Anyway, the swelling is starting to impede my preferred lifestyle now. I guess self-imposed bedrest is better than dr.-imposed bedrest!

On the baby front, both babies are still growing! We had another bio-physical profile this morning, along with measurements. We had a different ultrasound tech than we've had before, and we aren't quite sure if her measurements were as accurate. Regardless, the babies are growing, and I'm still feeling them move a LOT. Baby A (Chitty Chitty Chang) is head down and Baby B (Bang Bang Chang) is breech, so it looks like we'll be scheduling a c-section when I go for my dr. appointment this week.

My plans for this week are to lay low and keep my extremities from reaching exponential proportions!

Two Points of View

This is what I see from the couch. This is what they see from the floor (kind of).
We took this picture today. I thought it wouldn't be that much different from the one two weeks ago. I was wrong. The babies are definitely making me look bigger every week. (See former posts for 32 week picture.) For anyone interested, we measured around me last night. I know you're all going to be jealous - 5'1" and a 46" waist. Who wouldn't want those measurements?! :)

Sneak Peek

Today we had another biophysical profile - which both babies passed with flying colors! We had a different ultrasound tech, and she gave us more 3-D pictures. She was pleased that she could even get good pics with them being as big as they are and at so many weeks. Baby B still didn't want to give us a good face shot. Baby A gave us a couple of good shots - one with Baby B's bottom half in it. :) I may be biased, but I think they're looking pretty cute now! One is now head down and the other one is breech...I think they'll keep changing positions until the very end!

I think these are self-explanatory...the first one the arrow is pointing toward Baby B's nose...you can only see about half his face. The others look pretty clear to me (let me know if they aren't as clear to you).

House of Chang Happenings

Yesterday we celebrated Mom's birthday (again). :) We surprised her with a little party of family members, pizza, and YUMMY ice cream cake. We also learned a new children's song courtesy of Jen H. and Lilly...For those of you with kids, does this ring a bell, "5 little monkeys swinging in the tree..." The song also has an alligator and isn't so monkey-friendly... Today it's 110 out. Yes, as the Arizonians say, it's a dry heat. However, 110 is a 110, no matter how you look at it. This is what our backyard looks like when it's 110. Notice the green, green grass. Mark fertilized it very well this spring (he used 5x as much as is recommended). What doesn't kill it only makes it stronger...
George and Chloe still brave the outdoors in the hot weather. This is one of the few pictures I have of George. It's at a funny angle because he's still afraid of the camera and I was trying to be tricky. Chloe will still spend time wandering around outside and even sit on the cement in the heat (weirdo), but George prefers to be inside with the sane people.
So now we're hanging out inside, watching Grease 2 on tv (someone in this household likes it and isn't afraid to admit it...and it isn't me). Such is life in the self-imposed activity-restricted House of Chang.