Weekend Update + Adventures in Ultrasounds!

Boo to Monday. So far its only redeeming quality has been that we finally got some snow, which its about time! Like, December 8th Isn't that cutting it just a little close? I am such a winter girl, so I have been dying with this weird, cold, non snow weather. So I can be happy.

This weekend was completely uneventful. We puttered around and did silly things like drive to Walmart for the express purpose of buying bell-shaped Reese peanut butter cups that Addison has forced us to call "Tinkerbell Treats". We went and saw the lights at the neighborhood light display for the second time, after which Addison kept saying "MORE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!" So we drove around aimlessly looking for other houses, which may or may have not looked like creepy stalkers, and went to Starbucks for hot chocolate. I kind of love weekends where we don't do anything of note. On Sunday we did our family Christmas pictures, which I dread because getting all the grandkids to smile in a picture is right up there with splitting the atom as far as difficulty goes. But look at this cute one that was snapped while we doing them. Addison and I are the cutest. I was obsessed about having my belly to the side because straight on I just look rounder than normal. For shame.

Anyhow, I had my first of the three-a-week appointments today, and what a way to kick it off. I went in, everything routine, and the doctor came in for the round two ultrasound. Near the end, as we were discussing the likelihood of me feeling the acardiac twin as often as I do (I feel him alot! And I didn't know if it was him on his own or if he was getting pushed around by the healthy one, turns out he's doing it by himself and doing his part to making sure I can't sleep at night.) And I started to feel that sick, dizzy feeling. NOOOOO. So since it was the end of the appointment, I figured I would deal with it and she would leave and I could sit up and get rid of it. What a terrible plan. She left and I sit up, making things worse, and another nurse came in just as I totally swayed and kerplunked back onto the table. Which I then had to explain to her that I was fainting AGAIN and I needed help. (SEE!!! I AM CAPABLE OF ASKING FOR HELP!) She had an intern with her (I have interns in with me almost every time because I am a super good learning case for them, which, to tell the truth, makes me feel like a science project.) He caught me to one side while she got a cold wash cloth and then we just sat there awkwardly until my sight came back. The doctor had been worried about the frequency that i have Braxton Hicks contractions, so she ordered a cervical exam to check the position and all of that. So the nurse checks to make sure I feel okay, which I do, and says that she needs to go grab some things for the exam. The intern valiantly says "I'll hang out here with her and make sure she's okay." and the nurse is like "Wellllll, she's getting changed. So no, you won't." I felt SO BAD for that poor intern, trying to be the good guy to make sure I was okay. His face went SO red and he pretty much hid for the rest of the appointment. The doc came back in and she did a full internal (SUPER FUN, GUYS!) and sent me off for a non stress test, which ended up being weird too because they also wanted to do a fetal breathing test as well. The poor babies at this point in time are so done with being prodded that they went nuts when the monitor was being strapped on, and someone had to hold it down on them while we listened. Then the doctor showed up and said she felt like she needed to re-check my cervical exam, so to come back and get undressed ALL OVER AGAIN. So we finished up the NST, went back, and discovered that my cervix is anterior, which is causing some grief. FINALLY, I was able to put my dang clothes back on and head out to schedule appointments. I have to go to Salt Lake on Wednesday to have a consult with the surgeons and see what their take is on all of this, as well as go to a pediatric cardiologist next week to get another opinion on the healthy twin's heart. This is what the next three or four weeks looks like for me:

These are my appointment cards until Christmas. Just kill me now. I've been told to not do anything that raises my blood pressure or gets my heart rate going, basically anything that could cause me to contract. Um, like going up the stairs? So annoying.

Anyhow, I can update again after we see the surgeons and find out what they have to say. I am overwhelmed at the moment. I have a hard time anytime the appointments are anything more than perfectly routine, and this one threw me for a major loop. Its getting to the point where I am actually looking forward to being admitted so that I can just ave the piece of mind that comes from being strapped to a monitor 24/7.

Plus, they might give me some fun drugs.