Happy Easter!!!
This weekend I have been officially titled the VIP on the floor since I have been the ONLY PATIENT on my floor! Everyone else including the other woman, Tammy who is carrying twins was discharged on Friday. So, yesterday and today I had two nurses all to myself...and I was fortunate to get a back massage from one of the nurses as they were looking for things to do! Today, I had to move to a new room on the 2nd floor temporarily until they get more patients this week. I only brought my necessities up here and I plan to be back to my old room again later this week (I will miss my double bed and room with a view of the garden)!
At this time, I am residing upstairs in room 2130 and my direct phone number is #608/259-5839. I will post another update as soon as I move back down to my old room.
Dan and I as well as our precious girls are doing very well. Please continue to pray that they will remain nesting inside my womb to April which is my next goal of Week 32! Stay tuned for future updates.
Happy Easter!
Jenny
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
It's Spring and Week 30!
Happy Spring!!!
The girls are nesting nicely as we have now reached a HUGE milestone and are into Week 30! It has been a great week so far. On St. Patrick's Day, I wore my new shamrock socks (thanks to my sister-in-law, Janet) and two of my favorite nurses purchased a shamrock shake for me (a must have on St. Patty's Day)! On Tuesday, my brother who is getting his master's degree and has off this week for spring break baked homemade mint brownies and brought them to me (what a sweet guy), which have not lasted very long! Also, I became reconnected with a childhood friend, Krista that came to visit me after she learned of my situation. It was great to reconnect and meet her 3 week old son. I am more and more amazed as to how trials in our lives can unite and even bring new people into our lives! The nursing staff in my unit surprised me with a small cake that says "Best Wishes" since I have reached 30 weeks which is a big deal around here! I told the doctors and nurses when I first got here that I wanted to be the veteran on the floor and now my wish has come true.
Yesterday, was a busy day as I had quite a few visitors including my friend, Sarah and her son Jackson as well as my neighbor and I also colored Easter eggs with Tammy who is also carrying twin girls on the floor. Today, I have had a relaxing day knitting and listening to music. This was also the first day when they monitored our baby girls' heart rates for 20-30 minutes which is normal routine once they are at the 30 week gestational stage. I was proud of the girls, but our smaller twin was on the move and did not seem to like the monitor. So, every Monday and Thursday the babies will be monitored to make sure everything looks good.
This weekend, Dan will paint the nursery and both of our families will come visit me for Easter. My parents are even going to bring Micah again to come see me...I miss him so much! My prayer requests remain the same and I know that there are more people praying than I can imagine...THANK YOU!
I hope you and your family have a blessed Easter weekend!
Love,
Jenny
The girls are nesting nicely as we have now reached a HUGE milestone and are into Week 30! It has been a great week so far. On St. Patrick's Day, I wore my new shamrock socks (thanks to my sister-in-law, Janet) and two of my favorite nurses purchased a shamrock shake for me (a must have on St. Patty's Day)! On Tuesday, my brother who is getting his master's degree and has off this week for spring break baked homemade mint brownies and brought them to me (what a sweet guy), which have not lasted very long! Also, I became reconnected with a childhood friend, Krista that came to visit me after she learned of my situation. It was great to reconnect and meet her 3 week old son. I am more and more amazed as to how trials in our lives can unite and even bring new people into our lives! The nursing staff in my unit surprised me with a small cake that says "Best Wishes" since I have reached 30 weeks which is a big deal around here! I told the doctors and nurses when I first got here that I wanted to be the veteran on the floor and now my wish has come true.
Yesterday, was a busy day as I had quite a few visitors including my friend, Sarah and her son Jackson as well as my neighbor and I also colored Easter eggs with Tammy who is also carrying twin girls on the floor. Today, I have had a relaxing day knitting and listening to music. This was also the first day when they monitored our baby girls' heart rates for 20-30 minutes which is normal routine once they are at the 30 week gestational stage. I was proud of the girls, but our smaller twin was on the move and did not seem to like the monitor. So, every Monday and Thursday the babies will be monitored to make sure everything looks good.
This weekend, Dan will paint the nursery and both of our families will come visit me for Easter. My parents are even going to bring Micah again to come see me...I miss him so much! My prayer requests remain the same and I know that there are more people praying than I can imagine...THANK YOU!
I hope you and your family have a blessed Easter weekend!
Love,
Jenny
Friday, March 14, 2008
Praise God...ANOTHER MIRACLE!
Today is a great day! This afternoon I had another ultrasound and my doctor said, "this is remarkable!" Our bigger twin is 3 lbs. and our smaller girl is 2 lb. 8 oz. so they continue to grow! Our smaller girl's heart is looking normal...the right side is now contracting like it should which is another huge miracle!!! :) A few tears were sliding down my cheek as I saw this before my eyes. So, both of our precious angels are doing VERY WELL. PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY BECAUSE THIS IS A TESTIMONY THAT YOUR PRAYERS ARE VERY POWERFUL!!!
Prayer Request: my main prayer request at this time is that my cervix remains closed for as long as possible so I can get into April and allow more time for the girls to get to at least 4 lbs. and mature enough so that I can breast feed. The size of my cervix has shortened again, so there is not much left, but I am very hopeful that we will make it much further. Also, both babies' heads are face down so my doctor said that I could deliver them vaginally (which is what I want) as long as everything looks good by the time they are ready to come into this world. Please pray that God will make a way for that to happen.
The pediatric cardiologist is on vacation next week, so I expect that he will do another echo cardiogram to get a detailed analysis of our smaller girl's heart either the last week of March or in the beginning of April. I will continue to include updates in the weeks to come.
I just can't say enough to all of you for your continued love, support and prayers. We love you all and always believe that all things are possible with God!
Love and blessings,
Jenny
Prayer Request: my main prayer request at this time is that my cervix remains closed for as long as possible so I can get into April and allow more time for the girls to get to at least 4 lbs. and mature enough so that I can breast feed. The size of my cervix has shortened again, so there is not much left, but I am very hopeful that we will make it much further. Also, both babies' heads are face down so my doctor said that I could deliver them vaginally (which is what I want) as long as everything looks good by the time they are ready to come into this world. Please pray that God will make a way for that to happen.
The pediatric cardiologist is on vacation next week, so I expect that he will do another echo cardiogram to get a detailed analysis of our smaller girl's heart either the last week of March or in the beginning of April. I will continue to include updates in the weeks to come.
I just can't say enough to all of you for your continued love, support and prayers. We love you all and always believe that all things are possible with God!
Love and blessings,
Jenny
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Last week in the Twenties!
The girls and I are still hanging on strong as we are in Week 29 of the pregnancy almost into the 30 something weeks!!! Our twins are very active and I cherish these moments of feeling them kick and dance within my womb every day! :) My tummy continues to expand and Dan and I look forward to our next ultrasound to learn how much the girls have grown. My doctor returns tomorrow from Cuba and most likely she will plan to have another ultrasound next week. There have been quite a few women on my floor carrying twins and my friend, Tricia just delivered her twin girls this past weekend. Tricia was a week ahead of me in her pregnancy and she has shared pictures of her two little girls as they continue to grow in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). I plan to visit them upstairs next week (in a wheel chair...no walking privledges yet)! It is comforting to share this experience with Tricia since we both have been on bedrest here and are becoming mothers for the first time with twins! Please pray for Jim and Tricia and their twin girls during this time as well.
I told our girls that they need to remain nesting inside until the right time which will be at least through April...God willing! :) Dan and I continue to be blessed with meals and visits from family and friends most days and we appreciate your continued support and prayers every step of the way.
Stay tuned for more updates about our twin girls and keep the prayers coming!
Love,
Jenny
I told our girls that they need to remain nesting inside until the right time which will be at least through April...God willing! :) Dan and I continue to be blessed with meals and visits from family and friends most days and we appreciate your continued support and prayers every step of the way.
Stay tuned for more updates about our twin girls and keep the prayers coming!
Love,
Jenny
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Made it to another Milestone - Week 28!
Yeah...another milestone met! I have now been at St. Mary's Hospital for over a month and I can honestly say that I have not been bored yet! God continues to bring miracles for our twin girls along the way, which has been so encouraging for Dan and I and has amazed our doctors to say the least! :) We continue to be witnesses of how all of the prayers for us and our twins are so powerful and we thank you for standing alongside us during this time!
The twins are doing well! A week ago, we had another ultrasound and our bigger twin was 1 1b. 15 oz. (should be at least 2 lb. by now) and her sister was lagging at 1 1b. 9 oz. (but we are hopeful that she will catch up more now that there is a smooth, normal flow through the umbilical cord which will give her more nutrients! As I mentioned in my last blog, there were some significant improvements within our smaller twin's heart, which happened over 2 weeks so it is very important that they stay inside my womb for as long as possible! April is a HUGE month for us as April 1st is Week 32...this is a tremendous milestone that I hope to reach and beyond.
This is vacation time for many staff including my doctor, some nurses, my occupational therapist as well as my family! My parents just returned home from Las Vegas, my doctor is in Cuba for two weeks giving a lecture with a group of other doctors and one of my regular nurses is in Florida and my OT is in Arizona. So, I am just sitting back, keeping busy as I promised all of them that I would be right here in bed when they return beginning next week. I am halfway done with knitting a scarf...my first knitting project ever! Last Friday, Micah came to visit me again and was so excited to see me that he jumped right up in bed with me and licked me all over (he probably is relieved to know that I am still alive)!
This experience has changed me for the better as I am now even more filled with hope, faith, strength and love and there have been so many wonderful people who have for the first time come into my life. For instance, my neighbor next to me, Trish is an expected mother of twin girls also and we had the opportunity to chat after our last class and also we recently learned that my brother & sister-in-laws' (Joel and Janet) friends Mike and Darcy (I stood up with Mike in Joel & Janet's wedding) is expecting a baby girl in May as well and Darcy is now admitted to the hospital and is on my floor...what a small world! I have also talked with Darcy and shared with her how I am managing bed rest in the hospital. Also, the duola that we are working with, Wendy is a kindred spirit and has brought many resourceful books and videos about child birth and the joy of twins.
Prayer Requests: that our twins will be delivered close to term which is around 36 weeks for twins and will both be completely healthy...no complications! For peace, wisdom, strength, perserverence and continued unity for Dan and I every step of the way!
Love and blessings to you and your family!
Jennifer
The twins are doing well! A week ago, we had another ultrasound and our bigger twin was 1 1b. 15 oz. (should be at least 2 lb. by now) and her sister was lagging at 1 1b. 9 oz. (but we are hopeful that she will catch up more now that there is a smooth, normal flow through the umbilical cord which will give her more nutrients! As I mentioned in my last blog, there were some significant improvements within our smaller twin's heart, which happened over 2 weeks so it is very important that they stay inside my womb for as long as possible! April is a HUGE month for us as April 1st is Week 32...this is a tremendous milestone that I hope to reach and beyond.
This is vacation time for many staff including my doctor, some nurses, my occupational therapist as well as my family! My parents just returned home from Las Vegas, my doctor is in Cuba for two weeks giving a lecture with a group of other doctors and one of my regular nurses is in Florida and my OT is in Arizona. So, I am just sitting back, keeping busy as I promised all of them that I would be right here in bed when they return beginning next week. I am halfway done with knitting a scarf...my first knitting project ever! Last Friday, Micah came to visit me again and was so excited to see me that he jumped right up in bed with me and licked me all over (he probably is relieved to know that I am still alive)!
This experience has changed me for the better as I am now even more filled with hope, faith, strength and love and there have been so many wonderful people who have for the first time come into my life. For instance, my neighbor next to me, Trish is an expected mother of twin girls also and we had the opportunity to chat after our last class and also we recently learned that my brother & sister-in-laws' (Joel and Janet) friends Mike and Darcy (I stood up with Mike in Joel & Janet's wedding) is expecting a baby girl in May as well and Darcy is now admitted to the hospital and is on my floor...what a small world! I have also talked with Darcy and shared with her how I am managing bed rest in the hospital. Also, the duola that we are working with, Wendy is a kindred spirit and has brought many resourceful books and videos about child birth and the joy of twins.
Prayer Requests: that our twins will be delivered close to term which is around 36 weeks for twins and will both be completely healthy...no complications! For peace, wisdom, strength, perserverence and continued unity for Dan and I every step of the way!
Love and blessings to you and your family!
Jennifer
Monday, February 25, 2008
Week 27 Begins...
Tomorrow begins Week 27 which is one week closer to our next milestone! The Lord is continuing to make miraculous improvements every step of the way!!!
Last week, we met with our Pediatric Cardiologist for another echo cardiogram to check our little girl's heart. God is so good...for there was significant improvement within her heart that surprised both him and my doctor! The right side has begun to contract (not quite normal, but better) and a major improvement is that the blood flow is now going in a forward direction which is normal AS WELL AS there is no longer excess fluid around her heart AND the flow through the umbilical cord from the placenta to her is smooth which is good! The Cardiologist was so excited with the improvements that he called my doctor while she was still in a meeting. However, she still has a leaky valve on the right side of her heart. The improvements that have now been made was over a two week time period as she has grown inside my womb which is just another proof that God is in control and can do the impossible!
Dan and I just had a meeting today with our doctor, the Cardiologist and one of the Neonatal doctors to discuss a game plan for this stage in the pregnancy. It was good to have everyone on the same page and we know that TIME IS CRITICAL!!! So, I have set the bar high and we hope to make it to 36 weeks which would be the end of April. We are very hopeful that we will make it to 30-something weeks.
PRAYER REQUESTS: Keep the prayers coming because they are working!!!! We ask that you pray for the girls to stay inside my womb at least through April as well as pray that over time our smaller twin's heart will no longer have a leaky valve and for complete health for both of the girls!
Exciting moments of Week 26:
1. The miraculous improvements of our little girl's heart within a short amount of time!
Also, the babies are moving around a lot more daily which is very fun to feel!
2. My dear friend and "sister", Betsy and her adorable little girl, Olivia flew in from Arkansas and came to visit me along with her mom and sister. Thanks to Bets, I now have a clean and organized hospital room!
3. Visits from neighbors as well as friends from church including Rachael, Hattie and Justine from youth group.
4. I am knitting for the first time a beautiful teal wool scarf thanks to Sarah for the wool and for Joan's daily instruction.
5. I finished two novels so far and I went to my weekly class with all eight of us women on bed rest (biggest class I have gone to so far).
6. Busy weekend with family visiting...Mom & Dad, Uncle Pete & Aunt Sharon, my in-laws along with my brother and sister-in law, Joel and Janet as well as my Aunt Mary and our friend from church, Jeannie.
Dan and I are truly blessed with all of the support including meals or gift certificates for restaurants...especially for both of us as Dan is too busy to cook and it is such a treat for me to have non-hospital food! If you still wish to provide a home-cooked meal, our meal coordinator, Grace Welham is currently on vacation in New Zealand. So, I ask that during this time you contact Jerry & Judy Buser at #608/831-9465 or jbx2@tds.net and they will manage coordinating and delivering meals to us.
Stay tuned for more updates as time goes by. Blessings to you and your family!
~Jenny
Last week, we met with our Pediatric Cardiologist for another echo cardiogram to check our little girl's heart. God is so good...for there was significant improvement within her heart that surprised both him and my doctor! The right side has begun to contract (not quite normal, but better) and a major improvement is that the blood flow is now going in a forward direction which is normal AS WELL AS there is no longer excess fluid around her heart AND the flow through the umbilical cord from the placenta to her is smooth which is good! The Cardiologist was so excited with the improvements that he called my doctor while she was still in a meeting. However, she still has a leaky valve on the right side of her heart. The improvements that have now been made was over a two week time period as she has grown inside my womb which is just another proof that God is in control and can do the impossible!
Dan and I just had a meeting today with our doctor, the Cardiologist and one of the Neonatal doctors to discuss a game plan for this stage in the pregnancy. It was good to have everyone on the same page and we know that TIME IS CRITICAL!!! So, I have set the bar high and we hope to make it to 36 weeks which would be the end of April. We are very hopeful that we will make it to 30-something weeks.
PRAYER REQUESTS: Keep the prayers coming because they are working!!!! We ask that you pray for the girls to stay inside my womb at least through April as well as pray that over time our smaller twin's heart will no longer have a leaky valve and for complete health for both of the girls!
Exciting moments of Week 26:
1. The miraculous improvements of our little girl's heart within a short amount of time!
Also, the babies are moving around a lot more daily which is very fun to feel!
2. My dear friend and "sister", Betsy and her adorable little girl, Olivia flew in from Arkansas and came to visit me along with her mom and sister. Thanks to Bets, I now have a clean and organized hospital room!
3. Visits from neighbors as well as friends from church including Rachael, Hattie and Justine from youth group.
4. I am knitting for the first time a beautiful teal wool scarf thanks to Sarah for the wool and for Joan's daily instruction.
5. I finished two novels so far and I went to my weekly class with all eight of us women on bed rest (biggest class I have gone to so far).
6. Busy weekend with family visiting...Mom & Dad, Uncle Pete & Aunt Sharon, my in-laws along with my brother and sister-in law, Joel and Janet as well as my Aunt Mary and our friend from church, Jeannie.
Dan and I are truly blessed with all of the support including meals or gift certificates for restaurants...especially for both of us as Dan is too busy to cook and it is such a treat for me to have non-hospital food! If you still wish to provide a home-cooked meal, our meal coordinator, Grace Welham is currently on vacation in New Zealand. So, I ask that during this time you contact Jerry & Judy Buser at #608/831-9465 or jbx2@tds.net and they will manage coordinating and delivering meals to us.
Stay tuned for more updates as time goes by. Blessings to you and your family!
~Jenny
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Week 25 Update
Another week has past and we made it beyond our first milestone of 24 weeks!!! Our next milestone is 28 weeks...so keep the prayers coming!!! The babies and I are doing very well and so far everything is stable. It has been decided by my doctor and us that we will have a meeting in two weeks to check the status of the babies as well as meet other doctors to discuss a game plan for that stage in the pregnancy. Our goal is to get as close to term as possible so I plan to be here until at least the end of April...God Willing!!! I have incredible nurses that I have be-friended as well as other staff such as my occupational therapist who keeps me busy with daily excercises (don't worry, I am not training for a marathon) that I do in bed as well as activities such as arts/crafts/knitting etc. I have established a daily routine which helps pass the time and I refuse to get sucked into daytime TV! :)
This past weekend, my doctor and nurses approved our dog, Micah to come visit me whenever, so my parents brought him back to our house and then Dan came with Micah. It was such a fun visit and he always puts a smile on my face. We allowed him to lay next to me and he was so well behaved while he was here at the hospital...we are so proud! I also had my first class last week so I got to meet a couple of other young pregnant women on my floor who are also on bed rest. It was a great opportunity to share our stories and learn from them how they have survived bed rest since I am one of the newbies and they have been here for quite some time. I look forward to attending future classes which are held once/week.
My room has brightened up with beautiful bouquet of flowers thanks to Rob, Luann and my in-laws as well as an adorable cookie bouquet from Mike and Karen. I have also received other nice gifts such as a basket full of goodies and magazines from three families who are special clients of Dan as well as a journal from Carl and Charlene which I am grateful for. Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers every step of the way! Dan and I are truly blessed to have each and everyone of you in our lives.
Our prayer requests remain the same and we know that all of your prayers so far have made a difference for the better during my pregnancy. Also, I have a new email address while I am at the hospital which is sandridgejennifer@yahoo.com. Please use this email address for future reference since I do not have access to my other email addresses.
Stay warm and be safe as you travel in our record breaking weather conditions. Have a Happy Valentine's Day and Blessings!
Jenny
This past weekend, my doctor and nurses approved our dog, Micah to come visit me whenever, so my parents brought him back to our house and then Dan came with Micah. It was such a fun visit and he always puts a smile on my face. We allowed him to lay next to me and he was so well behaved while he was here at the hospital...we are so proud! I also had my first class last week so I got to meet a couple of other young pregnant women on my floor who are also on bed rest. It was a great opportunity to share our stories and learn from them how they have survived bed rest since I am one of the newbies and they have been here for quite some time. I look forward to attending future classes which are held once/week.
My room has brightened up with beautiful bouquet of flowers thanks to Rob, Luann and my in-laws as well as an adorable cookie bouquet from Mike and Karen. I have also received other nice gifts such as a basket full of goodies and magazines from three families who are special clients of Dan as well as a journal from Carl and Charlene which I am grateful for. Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers every step of the way! Dan and I are truly blessed to have each and everyone of you in our lives.
Our prayer requests remain the same and we know that all of your prayers so far have made a difference for the better during my pregnancy. Also, I have a new email address while I am at the hospital which is sandridgejennifer@yahoo.com. Please use this email address for future reference since I do not have access to my other email addresses.
Stay warm and be safe as you travel in our record breaking weather conditions. Have a Happy Valentine's Day and Blessings!
Jenny
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