a day in the life of

I need need need to continue to write my life down.  So much happens on a daily basis, funny shit too, and I would love to remember it all.  However, my life is full of, well sometimes i feel nothing.  Now i dont mean that in a negative way, but conversations with 2 toddlers and the health and safety of infants is quite boring. 

Although i “survive” every day, i really feel that i am playing a game of survival and as a human it is those instincts that have set in.  Because i am in survival mode, I truly believe i am also numb, numb to my day and my surroundings.  I do not remember most daily  occurrences that have happened since i have been pregnant with the girls.  I want to remember them all, they are funny, some tragic, but mostly they are just the occurrences of my family.  It is those everyday occurrences that make my family what it is. 

If i am not able to blog every day, not sure that i can, I will try to do some “week in review” type of post.  Hopefully if i set that goal, then there will be more posting along with (“oh amelia, if you tooka decent nap you would be happier”)….;

and there goes my wonderful ability to complete a thought, sentence for breath for that matter…… until tomorrow

ahhh here i am after many months of not being here.  here is a quick overview

in labor November 15, quick and easy.  i should get an Olympic gold for pushing kids out

past three months have been: tiring, overwhelming, amazing, crazy, sleepless, and the list goes on and on. 

Let’s first put this out there, i would not want to be anywhere else in my life.  this experience is truly amazing.  it is tough, it is hard (effin (effing doesnt seem so bad as the real word) hard) but somehow it is manageable.  dont get me wrong, i still call my mom or melanie (cousin) for those quick helps when i need 30-40 minutes of help.  but if they didnt answer i still could make it. 

when i was pregnant i had absolutely no idea how this would all play out.  i am absolutely amazed at myself and the strides i have taken.  i actually told larry today that i should be referred to “the master”  I am able to get both girls down, with no problem (awake).  the boys are great nappers so that is not even an issue. 

ahh the girls.   They are so amazing and coming into their personalities.   They are so beautiful and spend most of the waking hours nibbling on their cheeks because i get such a kick out of their laughs.  The boys:  as i thought this would be a transition, they are doing better every day.  actually they were never bad, just needed to adjust.  thomas my tantrum baby these days, but even after 3 months they have subsided some.  I just have to announce where i am and where i am going so the boys can be up my ass at all times.  I guess that is the price i pay for them not really liking tv or having cable for that matter.

anyway i have decided that i would like to write a book about his journey.  or maybe just a journal.  i will do most entries through audio since most of my free time is at night and i really need to be sleeping, like right now.  that is my upcoming project. 

 i am going to make this short, but i wanted to world (those not on facebook reguraly) to know that i am back and there will be so much more that just a status update.  more later, i had to much wine

Ahhh the final months of my third pregnancy with the 4th and 5th child. I have come to realize that most people feel for me and are looking forward to “the end” The beauty of these last few weeks are, as I have discovered from my own experiment, I can actually not wear a bra for days and keep pajamas on while going out in public, and no one will even say anything to me. To not wear a bra and actually get away with it is a glorious event. Not only that I can live in sweats, and quite possibly pee in them and no one approaches me. I am sure that I not only look like a hobo, but I probably smell like one too.

As I venture into the last few weeks I still wonder every day, HOW? How is this going to play out? I am letting you all know that I have absolutely no idea. My options are limited though. I can grin and bear it, and find the strength or I can become a super crazy lady (hmm i might need some cats for that) and make my family nuts. I am hoping for the strength of option one.

Here are some family updates:
-Both Team B babies move all day long. They let me know they are large and in charge of my stomach
-Twin Team A (the boys) are talking up a storm, it is still hard to understand some of the words but they are really good at showing me what they are talking about.
-Team A new hobbies include: 1.Screaming in each others faces purely for fun, really, they laugh as they are doing it. You can only imagine how well this goes over late into the afternoon. 2. Drinking milk then spitting it down a wall, window, appliance, TV. Yeah, that one goes over well too. 3. Waking up after 7am, I truly love this one. It is like a dream come true, for the next month. 4. Minding their manners. They have gotten very good and please, thank you, and excuse me. Thomas prefers “beep beep” to excuse me, but we are working on it.

I apparently have exceeded my limit on uploading photos. I am sure there is a way around this (other than paying) so hopefully I will have some pictures real soon. If not, oh well.

As most know this pregnancy has been just absolutely crazy for me and my family. After a quick break of feeling great, I took another turn last week. I finally got sick. I know you are going, “but haven’t you been sick the whole time” technically, yes, but last week I called my doctor at 10pm on Sunday, unable to breath and nothing was helping. He put me on antibiotics and a steroid. After a few days I was back on my feet and feeling well again. I guess I am feeling as well as a person who could be 9 months pregnant carrying one baby.

I will be 32 weeks on Friday, so I figure I have about 4-6 weeks left of this pregnancy. I went for a sonogram today and as we looked at our large babies we were told that one is estimated to be 4.3 lbs while the other is estimated to be 4.13 lbs. Yes, that is 9 lbs of baby. Even full term for a single baby, that is large. I have only gained 14 lbs thus far. So, if 9 lbs are baby, that leaves 5 lbs for 2 placentas, twice the amount of fluid and anything else that goes along with birth. Not bad… If anything I should look good almost coming out of the hospital.

So yeah, about only having 4-6 weeks left. ( I think it is closer to the 4 week side) Everyone is wishing this pregnancy to end quickly for me because they have all witnessed first hand what I have gone through, but have any of you stopped to look at what will happen after… The realization of 4 kids under 24 months is really starting to settle in. Yes I have a wonderful, supportive husband who does so much for me and our family, and yes, Colin does more for me and his siblings than the average 12 yr old. But, from 8am and anywhere from 3-5 pm I will be running the show solo. Whoooo that scares me. I have a great network of friends that already do so much for me and I know they will be there as well, but this is my show and I am becoming to realize that I will be the ring master. I figure, if I can get through the first 12 months and still be sane, then I will survive this wonderful journey I have been put on.

I don’t go to church anymore (sorry mom), but that doesn’t mean that I do not believe in God. I know someone will give me the strength to wake up every day and move forward. After all I will have 5 amazing kids. What more could anyone ask for (other than gift cards to shop rite). Thank you grandma, if you had anything to do with this for either passing down the twin gene or passing down the gene to haphazardly drop eggs like it was my job.

Names, names, names….. I am still stuck on names. I have no idea what I even like anymore. I do know that my Grandmothers name was Margaret Irene, those names just might grow on me.

We are at a loss as to what car to get come the birth of the next litter. (Only kidding with the litter comment). For the everyday use, a minivan would work because Colin can sit in the front, but for when we would like to go anywhere as a family, we will not fit. We are thinking Conversion Van. They are pricey and I am not sure if I completely sold on them yet. I know that we could get the whole gang in them and maybe even have a seat for an extra person, but I am just not feeling it. For know, this is what the back seat looks like.

It was September 1st and we woke up to a beautiful crisp morning. I love fall, starting to layer, and just being able to breathe non-humid air. The guys love to ride their bikes and the back yard doesn’t work for them anymore. We park our car at the end of the driveway and they are pretty good about not going into the street. thomas’ new thing is to ride down our small incline with his head up in the air. I have to remind him to put his head down before he slams into the car. What they also do is start up at the front door and then come down the driveway. If one is up the sidewalk and the other starts to come up there usually is some yelling. They are pretty good about backing out and waiting their turn now, it is so funny to watch.

and now I have thrown my back out. I am pretty sure that my back is from hours of coughing and vomiting and once I felt better my body said “here you go, the next issue is…” I have been working aggressively with my Chiropractor all week and the pain has subsided some but I am so afraid to move an inch in the wrong direction.

In the past week I have had some major improvements in my health. I can not believe how great I have been feeling. I think that the coughing/vomiting/peeing in pants was all due to a severe case of reflux. Last Monday (over a week ago) I was still coughing and everything else that went along with it. Tuesday I caved and took the prendesone along with an inhaler of albulteral, let’s not forget the prescription of pepcid and have had nothing but daily improvements. I am absolutely amazed at how I feel. I have been rapidly getting better every day. The first few nights, I would still cough some and need to change “the diaper” but now a week later I hardly cough at all. I might even be brave and not put a diaper on tonight.

I only took the steroid for four days and I am down to taking the inhaler once a day but I still take the pepcid every day. I really think that is what helps me. I went to the doctor the other day and I have gained 14lbs total. He assured me that I would “catch up.” These babies can suck as much fat off me as they like, i don’t mind.

I would like to thank my family and friends for any and all support they have given me over the past 6 months, mostly the past 2. I know that I have not been the most pleasant person to be around, yet you all still managed to smile when I came through the door. I am so glad to be feeling better, so much better. I actually am starting to feel pregnant and hungry too. I spent so much time in a fog and feeling so sick, I have had little energy to enjoy my pregnancy.

As for my pregnancy, both babies are looking good and growing strong. They are both bigger than the expected growth (not surprising) and I think they might be born on their brothers birthday (Nov 20th). It would be wild to have 4 kids with the same birthday, however it might be easy, just get a big sheet cake and write everyone’s name on it. Ahh Names, we are still up in the air about those. Two of my favorites are already taken (Norah and Claire) so I will have to continue to search until I find good ones. Actually I will have to see the babies first and then find some names.

Hopefully the next 2-3 months will be as good as this past week and Hopefully my labor and delivery will be as quick and easy as the first set. I have been working with my Chiropractor aligning all my ligaments hoping the babies fall in the right positions so I can avoid a C_Section. My goal is to go as close to full term as possible and deliver vaginally with no drugs. It has worked so far, third time should be a charm.

These are from various locations over the past few weeks, I am just to tired to tag, locate, identify, post, etc.

Our summer has been jammed packed (i think), not really. We actually I/we havent left the state since early July. I have been unmotivated, very tired, somewhat sick (in the head some might say) and scared. This pregnancy is wearing me thin, almost literally. As of right now at almost 6 months pregnant i have gained only 10lbs. Not that i am complaining but it really isn’t a lot of weight for someone carrying twins. My severe allergy symptoms have escalated into a crazy cough that lasts for hours. By hours it starts somewhere around 6-7pm and ends anywhere from 11pm-2am sometimes longer. It usually comes to an end with me vomiting or by 2am dry heaving. Most nights i make it to the toilet but sometimes i am running with a bowl in my arms to catch the beginning.

I have gone to an allergist and we have both decided that this all might be reflux. This makes sense to me since the coughing started around the same time my stomach started to get big hence making less room in the digestive cavity. I have taken all sorts of drugs and the pharmacist knows me by name and voice on the phone. Here is a list of things i have tried most of which have not helped
Robitussin
Robitussin with codeine (was up all night on this one)
benadryl (i still take just to help me sleep, it might also be a mind over matter thing)
Zythromax
Claritin
Zyrtec
Rhinocort (still taking, i think it helps)
Pepcid (not OTC, 40 mg, I think this is working for me)
I was prescribed Prendasone, but i did not want to take it.

Larry and I have noticed a difference since i have been taking the pepcid. Hopefully this is reflux and that medication will help.

We had plans to go away this month, but I do not feel comfortable being at anyone elses home. This is how my evening goes down. We get the babies ready for bed and it is at this time that i usually start to cough. Like I said this lasts for hours. As i am coughing i have also lost bladder control so at the same time I am going through about 5-8 depends a night. Most nights I end with vomiting but there is still residual coughing after. This leaves me with about 2-4 hours of interrupted sleep (coughing).

My skin has taken a turn for the worse as well. I have small patches of dry and itchy skin on my elbows and side. Maryellen, our family friend, looked at me tonight and said it looks like a bullseye (lyme disease). I do not think I have lyme disease, and I do not have any other symptoms of lyme disease, but it was still not a good thing to plant into a pregnant womans head.

I also have people bugging me about where everyone is going to sleep. We have a three bedroom house, 2 of the three rooms are really small. The answer to all of you is somewhere…. We will figure it all out when the time comes.

I have some pictures to post at a later date, I finally got a camera (thanks larry and colin) for my birthday. Colin is doing great, he is ready for school and has become girl crazy. It is scary, real scary. The twins are so cool and such good babies. They do a really good job a sharing with each other and friends and their speech is starting to pick up. They will repeat anything i tell them to. Thomas more than William, but he is not far behind. Like i said, pictures will come soon…