Baby Update

Hey Y'all!

We are feeling your love and seeing the fruit of your faithful prayers--THANK YOU!

Harrison has progressed very well and has been moved to a crib! He was able to come to our room yesterday evening and got to stay here until Josh and I were ready to go to bed! We were in heaven getting to love on our sweet boy! Our family has been so glad to finally be able to hold him and shower him with love. God is so good!

Dr. Mena predicted that Jack Henry would probably get a little worse before he got better and he was right. Yesterday morning, he did get a little worse and was moved to an incubator and put on a CPAP machine. However, he has responded really well to that environment and has made some great progress, requiring less and less oxygen to help him breathe and less pressure in his CPAP. Dr. Mena is still not worried about them and says that Jack Henry just needs time to get stronger.

As of now, it is looking like sweet little Harrison will get to go home with us on Tuesday! We haven't gotten an estimation on Jack Henry, but looking at the silver lining, taking one baby home at a time will allow us to make a slower transition to two babies at home. Clearly, I'dHAPPILY give up this smooth transition in a heartbeat to have my precious baby boy Jack Henry at home with us, but that goes without saying :o) I have complete faith that he'll be with us in no time, healthy as he can be!

Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers--they are working--please keep them up!

This is my favorite picture of Harrison (and part of me) so far.. :o)

Gamble, party of 4...

HARRISON NASH GAMBLE

8:30AM

19 INCHES

6 LBS 2 OZ

JACK HENRY GAMBLE:

8:29AM

20 INCHES

6 LBS 11 OZ

OUR BABY BOYS ARE HERE!!!

After being discharged yesterday morning, I went home and slept pretty much all day. I started having painful contractions ended up calling the on-call doctor to see what to do . She said to come in for monitoring. This morning when Dr. Banks checked me, I was 4 cm dilated and he said it was time for the c-section!

The boys are here and they are BEAUTIFUL! Jack Henry was born at 8:29am and was 6 lbs 11 oz, 20 inches long.... Harrison was born at 8:30am and was 6 lbs 2 oz, 19 inches long! They are in the NICU for some fluid in their lungs, which is very typical for babies 35 weeks--even singletons. It should be a short stay though :) I'll post pictures as soon as I can and feel up to it!

I'll write more later. I'm falling asleep sitting up.

Back to baking!

I'm sorry to disappoint everyone, but there was no progress this AM. Unless my water breaks before, we'll be back on monday for another non-stress test, ultrasound and appt to check cervix. It's disappointing in the fact that we were here and ready to go...and ready to meet them, but it's better they bake longer. This is definitely what's best for the boys --as long as they keep not being in distress--and they are our priority! I also hate it that we got everyone's hopes up :( I'm sorry, y'all. This all means it will be very soon, though!... and it's really awesome that we'll be making it to our 36 week goal-yay!

We could have babies soon....

Well....I went to Dr. today. Non-stress test was GREAT. Boys measured approx 7 lbs 2 oz (A) and 7 lbs 4 oz (B). I was contracting a lot during test, 50% effaced and 1.5 cm dilated, so the Doctor is keeping me at the hospital overnight for observations. If I have progressed in the AM, I'll have a c-section and we'll meet these sweet babies! I will keep you all posted! We appreciate your prayers :)

34 week update

Hey y'all! I just got back from our OBGYN appointment. Everything, as usual (PRAISE THE LORD!), looked wonderful! My doctor even said I should get a twin pregnancy award. Ha ha. :o) It was a tough ultrasound today because they are so big and all up in each others business. Both babies are technically head down. Jack Henry way lower (butt up & left) and Harrison is under Jack Henry's tummy (butt up &right). Jack Henry is approx 5 lb 14oz and Harrison is approx 6 lb 8 oz. They are some big boys and I love it! Each of them gained about 1 lb in the past 2 weeks, and if they continue that trend, they will be approx 6 lbs 14 oz and 7 lbs 8 oz at 36 weeks. That is stellar! Even if they are born and have the weights they have now, they'd have excellent birth weights.

They used the ultrasound to measure my cervix. Mine is still in good condition, but my Dr. did say that when it gets to the size mine is, typically the baby(ies) come in 2 weeks. His money is on 36 weeks, and I'm fully supportive of that. Granted, keeping them in longer would be ideal b/c they'd have more time to bake, but 36 is full term for twins and I'm just rooting for at least 36 weeks so they have a greater chance of lung development and staying out of the NICU. (Please, Lord!)

Next week, I am scheduled for a NST (non-stress test) where I will rest on my left side and they will monitor my contractions (I've yet to have a real one that actually hurts, but plenty of braxton hicks, which is normal) as well as the babies' movements and heart rates. It measures the reactivity of the babies' heart rates to their movement. Everything is ok. Apparently it is just something they do for different types of pregnancies, including, but not limited to, overdue and high risk (twins are high risk). Afterward, I'll move upstairs for an ultrasound and regular 35 week checkup where the Dr. said he will check me to see if I'm progressing. The plan is to let me go as long as possible granted I haven't progressed a certain amount each week when he checks.

I asked the Dr. what would make him say "ok, it's time" and he said if he checked me and I was 3 cm and was having real contractions (I have not had any at this point). I am so glad to know that we are on the same page. We are not going to take these babies out JUST because I make it to 36 weeks. If there's nothing wrong and I haven't progressed a certain amount, there is no reason to deliver them yet.

I guess that is about it! They will be here very soon and we're definitely trying to figure out everything that needs to get accomplished before they get here. Quite technically, there is nothing left to do that couldn't be done after they are born.... however, there's a short list of things that need to be done to make our life easier if they don't have to be done after the babies come.

Hope y'all are doing well. I'm off to write a paper for class. We did have an ultrasound today, but she did not send us home with any pictures. There weren't any good ones due to the fact that the babies were so squished together.

32 week 4D pics

So, these are a bit late, I'm sorry.... I'm 34 weeks now (YAY!) and just hadn't gotten around to scanning these until today. These are exciting b/c we hadn't been able to get a good shot of sweet Harrison's face :)

Jack Henry

Jack Henry

Harrison

Harrison

Harrison

Harrison