Bed Rest Highlights

Bed rest as you can imagine has been a challenge for me being outgoing and usually having lots of energy and on the go! However, I have been very humbled during this time on bed rest as I have felt very loved and I know that I need to take advantage of extra needed rest for the babies and I.

Some highlights while on bed rest that I wanted to share with you so far...

• Visitors (various family, friends and neighbors) have come every day to provide meals, household assistance, movies and laughs! :)
• Beautiful bouquet of flowers delivered the first day back at home from Uncle John and Aunt Judy (they are still in full bloom)!
• Hand Knit Prayer Shawl with a rosary ring attached made by a sweet woman who I have never met but she felt that it was for the twins as a remembrance of all the prayers made for us!
• My friend Mary began to teach me how to crochet a baby blanket (I still have more to learn before I complete this task)!
• Unexpected visit and homemade chocolate chip cookies from Kandl, one of my student employees.
• Famous delicious cucumber sandwiches from "Grandma" Joan! :)
• Full afternoon spent with my friend, Grace who is our meal coordinator and plans to visit weekly.
• Unexpected "girls" morning pajama party with my friend and neighbor Ali and her mom.
• Mantle full of cards from family, friends, co-workers and neighbors.
• A new pink cell phone with blue tooth that I enjoy using daily.
• Kisses and company from Micah our golden retriever.

Last, but not least...breakfast in bed every morning (varying from 5am-7am weekdays) and being pampered by my amazing hubby!!! :)

So, don't feel too sorry for me, so far I can't complain!

Jenny :)

Week 23 Update

The prayers keep coming and we feel the love and support by all! Yesterday, we had another doctor's appointment for an ultra sound. There are improvements to be thankful for which are that our bigger twin is 1lb. and our smaller twin is 14oz. (just two oz. smaller), both babies have plenty of amnionic fluid in their sacs and our doctor confirmed that the TTTS syndrome has stabilized...PRAISE GOD! Also, the blood flow through the umbilical cord to our smaller baby girl has improved and is normal.

Prayer Requests:
Our smaller baby girl still has heart complications and it may be a structural defect that is causing the right side not to contract like it should. We will see our Pediatric Cardiologist next Tuesday, Feb. 5 to check her heart again and discuss any progress. We pray that her heart condition will not worsen so that she and her sister can remain inside my womb for as long as possible! We are now a week away from our first milestone of 24 weeks, however, please pray that the babies will remain in my womb to at least our next milestone of 28 weeks or later. The doctor is seriously considering having me stay at St. Mary's Hospital beginning later next week (Week 24) until I deliver. This way they can closely monitor the babies and if something were to happen I would be right there.

The other main prayer request is that my cervix will cooperate and remain closed, even though it is shorter while I am on bed rest (either at home here or while in the hospital)! Please also pray for Dan during this time as he continues to take excellent care of me on top of managing his own business! I am truly blessed to have him as my husband and best friend...the Lord has united us even more during this time as we continue to battle this through and carry our cross. Both Dan and I do not feel alone and we continue to lean on the Lord as HE IS IN CONTROL.

Please keep the prayers coming and stay tuned for more updates in the days/weeks to come!
May the Lord shower you and your family with abundant love, peace and joy!
Jenny

Offering Meals

Many people have contacted us to help in various ways, such as providing meals. Dan and I now have an extra freezer to store meals for the upcoming weeks/months while I am on bed rest.

We gladly welcome meals or other household assistance. If you are interested and willing to provide a meal, please contact our friend, Grace Welham at gcwelham@yahoo.com (prefer email) or call #608/358-1241. She is our meal coordinator during this time so she will be able to answer any questions or help plan a meal for a designated date.

Thank you so much for your willingness to help Dan and I during this time. We are so blessed to have many wonderful, caring people in our lives!

Blessings and love,
Jenny

As you know, Dan and I received a double blessing in early September as we are expecting twin girls!! My pregnancy has not been dull to say the least as it was a surprise to learn we are having twins and recently I was diagnosed with having Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS). This is a syndrome that may occur for identical twins since they share the same placenta, which is the case for our twin girls. Basically, one of the babies was receiving her sister's amniotic fluid and nutrients so the other baby was not growing at a normal rate. To give you a brief update, on Jan. 7, we headed to Cinncinati Children's Hospital to receive treatment at the Fetal Care Center, which is the center for twins as they are one of the top in the world as well as the best in the nation to treat this particular syndrome! I received phenominal care during our time there and undergone laser surgery to treat the syndrome. The surgery went as well as they could expect and there are already some significant improvements with the babies. The babies currently have close to equal placental share as well as amniontic fluid :). They continue to grow...one is 14 oz. and the other is 12 oz. (she is catching up to her sister). Their brains are normal and the larger twin's heart is normal (slightly thick wall of the heart, but that should go away over time). The smaller twin's heart is working, however, the right side of her heart is not contracting like it should so the left side is doing all of the work. We meet with our pediatric cardiologist in two weeks to monitor her heart and see if there is any improvement.



Also, my cervix has shortened since the surgery so I am on strict bed rest. I can shower occasionally and get up to go to the bathroom, but that is all. The rest of the time I am laying on our couch in the living room with a station of my necessaties next to me (bible, laptop, phones, basket of books, magazines, remote, cooler, prayer shawl and blanket).



Prayer Requests:

We truly appreciate all of the love, prayers and support from our family, friends, neighbors and co-workers!!! During this time, we specifically ask for continued prayer that my cervix will remain closed so that the twins can stay inside my womb and continue to grow as long as they can. Our next milestone to achieve is 24 weeks (I am currently at 22 weeks for their gestational stage)...two more weeks to go to make it to that milestone! Also, we ask that you pray for healing of our smaller twin's heart before I deliver!


Verses that have pierced my heart during this time: Psalm 26 and Jeremiah 29:11.

Dan and I continue to trust in the Lord without wavering and we grow in our faith and hope that the twins will be delivered in His time and healthy!


Feel free to visit this site for future updates about our little angels! We love you all dearly.

Blessings to you and your family,

Jenny & Dan