Appointment in Anchorage

Our trip to Anchorage started out really nice. We left Monday night, had a good flight, got the rental car and got to stay at the Sheridan Hotel for $50...thank you priceline.com! The room was so nice, Rikk's favorite was that there was a 42" flat screen at the end of the bed! He wanted to live there forever.

We got to the doctor's on time and filled out 5 sheets of paperwork. The took us to the ultrasound room and got me ready. The doctor was actually the same one that delivered Kyler and knew who we were, so it was comforting to know we were in good hands.

The doc had the ultrasound machine on for all of two seconds and said, "This isn't good." Not the first thing you want to hear from a doctor. She talked with us throughout the ultrasound and when it was over. The twins have Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) which isn't good.

What is TTTS? TTTS is a serious complication where the babies share the same placenta. Blood from one baby can mix with the blood of the other baby through small blood vessels in the placenta. If this blood is not shared equally between the babies one becomes swollen (recipient twin) with too much blood and the other becomes small (donor twin) and underfed because of not enough blood. In severe cases, the donor twin tries to make up for it's blood loss by stopping urine production. The amniotic fluid is basically fetal urine. The lack of urination causes a decrease of amniotic fluid around the fetus. Eventually there is a complete disappearance of amniotic fluid. This fetus gets "stuck" at the edge of the placenta where it is held by the collapsed amniotic sac. Without treatment, this donor twin is at high risk of death or brain handicap because of lack of oxygen, blood and other nutrients. One a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the worst, we were told we are at a 10. Not very comforting news.

There are 3 main options for treatments. The choices are pregnancy termination (so not an option), aggressive serial amnioreduction (stick a needle into the uterus every week or so and drain fluid from it to give to the smaller baby, more risks with this one) or laser photocoagulation (we are going with this one). LP is only done in Washington, California and Florida. LP is the use of a laser light to close the blood vessels on the surface of the placenta so that the babies' blood is no longer shared. In 80% of the cases, one twin survives; in 70% of the cases both survive; and less than 5% of surviving twins have brain damage. With the other treatments survival is lower and the brain damage risk is higher.

So, now that you have some info on this stuff we will tell you what we will be doing. I have to go back in three weeks for another ultrasound to see if things are the same or progressing. They said that if it is the same, I will more than likely go home to pack to (as they put it) move to Anchorage to be monitored until the twins' birth. If it has progressed, I will be on a plane, they hope to Seattle to have the LP done. Depending on how the LP takes I may be able to come home after a couple days (to Anchorage), stay for a few weeks and head home, or stay until I give birth and the twins are okay to come home.

The doctor said that I am too big in the belly right now because of all the extra fluid and that if I get bigger before my appointment to call them and I will be heading to Anchorage early. They said they have seen ladies who's bellies are as big as mine go to bed and wake up the next morning looking full term...WHAT?! Rikk is now measuring my belly everyday.

Not only that but the placenta is on my cervix which isn't good. Poor Rikk...he was gone for 8 months last year and was told by the doctor that we couldn't have certain physical contact with each other...he was sad!!! If we did we would rupture membranes, cause all kinds of bleeding and harm the babies. Oh, and I am on semi bed rest, which will end up full time.

But we did get some good news today. Rikk went to work and explained everything that is going on and just wanted to go over what possibilities he would have for some leave to go with me to Anchorage and other places if needed. They told him not to worry about it, that he could get put on orders to be with me and that it didn't matter if it was weeks or months. So that was such a relief to know that he and the boys can be with me wherever we go and that it is paid leave!

So, when we got home last night we had my dad give Rikk and I both blessings and we are both feeling comforted in knowing that we can make three weeks to the next appointment. There are some other things that we just aren't ready to disclose yet about the twins except with family, but when we are ready we will let you know. We both know that this is a part of our Heavenly Father's plan and even though we don't understand why, there is a reason for all this to happen. We would just like to ask for you to keep us in your prayers.

We are having...

...one boy and one boy...identical twin boys actually!!! That is right, I am the only girl in a house full of boys! It's okay if you want to cry for me, I did most the way home Monday from my doctor's appointment!! We took the boys with us to my appointment because they had never seen the babies except from a picture. It was beyond obvious they were boys. One boy had his legs spread apart as far as possible, he apparently wanted us to know and was proud of what he had! The other baby just did a little peek-a-boo action, hurried and showed us and then closed his legs for the rest of the ultrasound. Hunter said very excitedly, "I see a wiener!" Walker said, "I knew they were boys because one baby punched the other in the head and only boys fight!" What little clowns I have, they are just like their father!!!

Rikk admitted that he was a little sad that we aren't having a little girl (I will probably get in trouble for posting this but oh well!). He said he knows how bad I really wanted one and feels bad that I didn't get one. And the only reasons he was going around saying he didn't want a little girl is because he was afraid of changing girl diapers (understandable, quite a bit different than changing a boy's diaper) and he didn't want to have to go through the whole "dating" thing with a girl. AAAHHH!!! He would have been a good daddy to a little girl, totally wrapped around her little fingers!

So yes, I am a little saddened about not having a girl or two, but I am happy that I got more boys for my boys to play with and for Rikk to go hunting with. We had a doctor's appointment in Anchorage yesterday and I will post a little later with how that went.

A BIG Brown Box

How many kids can you trap in a box this size???

FOUR!

Who wouldn't want to play in there with them!

"The Apprentice"

Rikk took this picture of the boys the other day and we thought it was really cute. Could Walker be the next "Apprentice" or will he be "Fired"?!!!

Judging by the look on Hunter's face, it looks like Walker just may be "Hired"!!!

Look who turned 4!!!

Our little Walker Bear turned 4 on the 7th! He was not in the mood to hear "Happy Birthday" or to be sang to all day, but when it became present and cupcake time...that all changed! He got just a couple things because we are having his party on another day when Rikk and Papa can both be off.

Ben 10 pajamas...a HUGE hit!

A Spiderman Bank...this kid can find change anywhere!

Sporting the new pajamas

Getting sang "Happy Birthday"

Blowing out the candles!

He also had a yearly check up that day. We LOVE the pediatrician the boys have. She said that Walker is as smart as a 5 year old and was very impressed with his more grown up answers to questions. Here are some of the question he was asked and his answers...

What is a glass for? For drinking water (the doc said most kids just name a kind of beverage, don't mention drinking and that would be a wrong answer)

What is a ceiling? For buildings (the doc said most kids just say "the top")

What is a lake? Where frogs live...ribbit, ribbit! (I LOVE this answer and the doc got a good laugh)

We love you Walker! You are such a loving little boy, a BIG helper, a GREAT brother and we couldn't imagine our family without you. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Guess who turned 31???

Hint: It's not Dawn!!!

Rikk celebrated his 31st birthday on Monday the 29th. He has not been looking forward to turning 31 or any year older the last couple years! But he made it and he only had a couple new cracks and creeks when he woke up that morning!!! He had to go to work that day so we celebrated it yesterday and the boys couldn't wait!

For his birthday Hunter's gift was that he would be good for ONE WHOLE DAY! Believe me, that's a great gift! Walker's gift was a foot rub, which was a good gift because Rikk LOVES to have his feet rubbed. Kyler's gift was a back rub, which really just ended up being him jumping on Rikk's back a couple times while Rikk was lying on the floor. I was surprised I didn't have to take him to the hospital after that...Kyler is not small you know!

Rikk's one request was that the boys decorate his cake (Rikk decorates ALL birthday cakes in our house and does great). He told the boys to do whatever they wanted to it, so we split it up into sections and they had a good time. Here is the masterpiece they made:

In case it isn't obvious to you (wink-wink), Hunter drew a Ben 10 Omnitrix, Walker drew Caillou and Kyler drew a picture of Rikk!

Rikk and his cake (Walker is the photographer for all these pictures)

Rikk in DEEP thought for his wish

He was posed like this for about a good minute waiting for Walker to take the picture.

Blowing out his candles...he wouldn't let us put on 31!

We love you Rikk/Dad and are very proud of you and all your accomplishments. You are such a good example. We love playing with you and spending time with you. We hate it when you have to go to work. We wish you could stay home everyday, but know your job is important and that you are REALLY good at it. Thanks for all that you do for us. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Some GOOD News!

We found out that Rikk will be able to go to Anchorage with me and that the military will pay for it...HOORAY!!! We are so happy. I am so glad to know that if we were to receive any bad news and if we are able to find out the sexes of the babies that he will be there with me. We have our appointment on the 13th of January.

Side note: My doctor changed my due date to June 18th, a week earlier because the babies are measuring a week further along. Here is my question...since I now have an earlier due date and the babies are measuring 15w4d, shouldn't that mean that I am 15w4d? I know, a pretty stupid question, but I forgot to ask my doctor about it at my last appointment...she had me thinking about other things like only one placenta! But if I am then 15w4d, that means that I will be just shy of 18 weeks when we go to Anchorage, so they should be able to tell us the sexes of the twins as long as they cooperate. YAY!!!