Come Monday...

(Quick update to this post: induction scheduled for tomorrow!)

Well this might happen sooner rather than later now, Nov. 1st as the induction/delivery date is now on the table and probably the leading contender. In addition to her various levels being elevated, Catherine's uncomfortableness is at an all-time high and patience with being here any longer at an all-time low (mine too). So where I researched the significance of Nov. 3rd, 4th and 5th, I now had Nov. 1st to look up...Above the trivial findings below, it turns out that Nov. 1st is All Saint's Day which carries some good meaning. I had always known of All Saints Day, but couldn't have told you where it fell on the calendar.

As for other significant events or people that share the same birthdays, here are the notable ones:

1604, 1608, & 1611 - Shakespeare apparently liked to debut plays on the first of November as Othello, The Tempest, and MacBeth all opened this day at the Globe Theater in London.

1938 - Thoroughbred race horse Seabiscuit's legendary defeat of War Admiral in the horse race billed as the "match of the century".

1941 - One of Ansel Adams' most iconic photos of the moonrise over a little Mexican village called Hernandez (click here to view it).

1968 - The Motion Picture Association of American institutes the rating system originally starting with G, M, R and X.

1982 - Honda becomes the first Asian auto-manufacturer to build it's car in the US with the Accord being built at a plant on Ohio.

Nov. 1st Birthdays: Gary Player, Larry Flynt, Lyle Lovett, Rick Allen (the one-armed drummer from Def Leopard), Jenny McCarthy. (I'd say there definitely plenty of room for a couple more on this lackluster list.)


When they first mentioned Nov 1st as a possible delivery date we couldn't help but think ahead to how that will play out with the kids having their birthday the day after Halloween. Initially we weren't too keen on the idea with the thinking that we didn't want their birthdays to always be overshadowed or dominated by Halloween.  Having all of us geared up for Halloween one day only to get ramped up again the next day for their birthday seems exhaustive (for them and us)...or, as I characterized it, it would be tough because we'd, yes me included, would be coming off of such a sugar crash from all the candy we just scored. I know how these thoughts might sound rather shallow and over-obsessive, but when you've been sitting around in the same hospital room all day for the last two weeks this is where our minds wanders to.

However, I will say that the notion of it turning their birthday at midnight on Halloween is a scary thought for down the road (i.e. College Frat parties or Widespread Panic concerts - yes, they'll probably still be playing then, maybe I'll go with them). I know, I'm sounding like a dad already - I can't believe it either, the notion of having my birthday at the stroke of midnight on Halloween would otherwise sound really cool.

Eventually we came to the realization that whether it is Nov 1st or 4th the birthdays will always be close and most likely connected to Halloween. So why not embrace it? Halloween has always been one of our favorite holidays, Catherine loves the 'treat' of going all out with costumes and I live the 'trick' side of scaring the bejesus out of people. So why not (especially with having twins) always be the ones to throw a big Halloween mega-monster birthday bash?!? To help convince us even more, the Modern Family episode that came on during all this deliberation depicts the same topic as the parents played pranks on their kids and created a haunted house for neighborhood kids to walk through when they came for their candy.

On a less practical but more philosophical note, with the fact that none of this really went according to plan from the moment we decided to have a family, it would be nice to have some say in when it actually happens. But on top of the realization that we'll have to embrace Halloween either way, it later occurred to us that ever since we first found out we were having twins, and definitely since we got checked into the hospital, getting to November (36 weeks) alone was always considered a blessing - regardless if it was the first of the month or not. After all, remember, I had always put the over/under on the birthdate at Halloween with a majority of people taking the under side of the bet, so to make the over (again regardless by how much), is an accomplishment in itself.

So with excitement, trepidation, and anticipation, we're preparing ourselves for 'game day' tomorrow...on my end this entails getting various necessities from the house, making a "delivery" playlist on iTunes, and reminding the nurses about our request for a sky-line view room. On her end, it's just a matter of getting in the right mindset, especially since right now the game plan is to delivery them normally with the option to call an audible at the line of scrimmage to a c-section if needed.

We'll try to keep everyone updated as things transpire over the next 24 hours, thanks for all well wishes and kind thoughts...perhaps by this time tomorrow our "mixed doubles match" will be underway!

One last family photo while it's just the two of us...

No News is Good News...For Now

Today marks Catherine's two week anniversary of being here (pardon us for no hoopla surrounding it - more bitter than sweet) and until recently there still was no end in sight.  However, once Monday comes we'll be at the 36 week threshold and her doctor told her today to start thinking about which day next week she'd prefer for it to happen.  So that not only gives us something to occupy our thoughts for the next few days, but also a little peace of mind that something is finally going to happen - especially for someone like Catherine who likes to precisely plan her way through life and always follow a course of action.  As for me, I kind of like the spontaneity of it all.  With us already knowing the sex of each, it would be fun to keep the element of surpise as to when they'll come.  But as I've come to learn through all of this (and will continue to practice heavily going forward) just go along with whatever makes Momma happy.  

But we are both ready to get the show on the road...With each doctor visit we try to coerce them into setting a delivery date.  Much like I imagine the twins will do to us someday, we try to play one doctor off another...for example, when the high-risk neonatal doctors say they will defer to our OB/GYN as to when to induce, we'll turn around and tell the OB/GYN that "our high-risk doctor said it is OK to go ahead and deliver if it's OK with you"...and vice-versa.  Hasn't really worked, but I do think they get the not-so-subtle hint that we are ready to get on with this thing.

While Catherine focuses on laboring and delivering two babies, my big focus will shift to working the nurses on how to book one of the rooms with a sky-line view in the post-delivery area...I mean, the fact that we've already been here two weeks and we're having two kids should count for something when it comes to a little VIP treatment, right?  Not to mention the fact that because it is twins we don't get to deliver in a normal delivery room with TV and stereo, we have to remain in a sterile operating room since the possibility of a c-section always looms.

Between her boredom at the hospital and my inability to focus on much else at work, we have done some digging on any significant “On this day” type stuff among Nov. 1^st, 3^rd, 4^th, or 5^th.  A majority of stuff that came back was presidential elections, but a few random historical events we found were:  Discovery of King Tut’s Tomb, Susan B. Anthony votes for the first time, the establishment of the National Security Administration, and the Iran hostage crisis.  And then some of the celebrity birthdays they might share are:   

Nov. 3^rd:  Rosanne Barr, Tyler Hansbrough, and Elizabeth Smart

Nov. 4^th:  Ralph Macchio (Karate Kid), Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, and Matthew McConaughey

Nov. 5^th:  Roy Rogers, Art Garfunkel, Bryan Adams, Tatum O’Neal, Johnny Damon

Jerry Stackhouse, Kevin Jonas, and Ryan Adams - how weird, both Bryan Adams and Ryan Adams have the same birthday!

I’ve give you a hint as to which date I prefer - the one without a Tarhole basketball alum birthday, but for other reasons too. 

Ok, signing off for now…look forward to seeing you sooner or later

Here to stay, playing the waiting game...

Sorry for the lapse since the last report – just nothing to report really.  But no news is good news actually…she’s doing fine and the babies are growing and remain rather active.   The good and the bad of all this it is that they’ll let her go on this track for another week or so…While we’re at 35 weeks and all should be fine if they came now, the longer they stay where they are the better.  The various doctors come in and basically tell her, “Just keeping sitting right there, keep doing what you’re doing (although that seems like absolutely nothing to her), and see how long we can wait this thing out...".

The longer we’ve been here, I’ll say that the place has become a little more like home, the room a little cozier, the rubber pillows a little softer, and now we’re on a first name basis with most of the nurses, particularly the room service lady (like we were with both the hotel and clinic staff out in Colorado).  One thing that helps is that from our stays out in Colorado, I feel we got pretty good at setting up camp and learning how to live out of a glorified hotel room.

As for me (not that you asked, and I don’t blame you), I keep bouncing back and forth from the house to the hospital, with her Mom and I taking turns spending the night…I guess this is good training for how to function on little sleep.  Funny thing is, she sleeps great every night…The nurse gives her an Ambien at around 10pm each night and she’s usually knocked within 30 minutes.  They really ought to offer one to the person staying the room with her on that thing they call a sleeper sofa - it slants one way, is loaded with pencil thin rubber pillows, and has a mattress covered in sweat-inducing pleather. 

We appreciate the visitation by many of you as boredom is her biggest frustration in being here…but at the same time, rest in a quiet room helps keep things in check as well. 

Over and out from base camp...keep you posted in case any news breaks, but hopefully not for another week.

Extended Stay

So it looks like I'll be here for a few more days if not more depending on decisions made Monday or Tuesday by the doctors. It was hard to hear at first since I had in my head I was going home today, but I now understand that this is where I need to be and safest for all three of us! And who can complain about getting waited on hand and foot!!

The weekend just consists of monitoring me and the babies. Everything looks great with the babies which puts us at so much ease for now! Good movement, heart rates, oxygen flow, etc. If I can just continue to get my blood pressure down (which it has been for the past 24 hours) and also other proteins.

Thanks so much to all of you have been in touch and sorry if I haven't been as responsive. Just trying to filter the constant nurse visits with some sleep if possible. Your prayers and thoughts are so much appreciated!

Be back in touch if we hear anything further.

Love-
Catherine

Latest Report...

All's well at the Walters' camp, which still remains at just the two of us btw - want to get that out of the way first.  Catherine stayed over at the hospital last night and probably will tonight (best case scenario) since some tests take a full 24 hours.  I stayed at base camp (our house) last night and will tonight so I can be rested up for a big, last work weekend at the track.  She's staying the in the specialty maternity area (a.k.a. the 'Hilary Step' as I'm calling it) in Room 868 if anyone wants to stop by.  Once I get through this weekend I'll be ascending to full-time Sherpa duties. 

For those not aware of how this all went down, we went in for a regular visit to our OB/GYN yesterday (which, to keep the Everest analogy going, I'm calling the Khumbu Ice Fall or Lhotse Face) and due to various pre-term labor symptoms indicative of preeclampsia her doctor admitted her to the hospital immediately for round the clock monitoring. It caught us a little off-guard initially because it was basically, do not pass go, do not collect $200, go straight to the virtual holding tank for very-expectant mothers.  All looks good though, both babies (and mother) are very healthy and should they have to deliver them they should be fine...but they obviously want to keep them in there as long as possible, and are taking whatever measures to do so - which could mean up to a two week stay here depending on how tests look. 

We should know more timing and outlook by around 5pm today...so we'll try to keep everyone posted.

Signing off from base camp for now…

Sherpa Trey

 

Here we go...

Ready or not here we go! Some of my friends have convinced me a blog is a great way to share with others what's going on in our lives and somewhat reluctantly I decided to try it! I'm definitely not going to be the best at this but I'll give it a shot and see how it goes.

Today has been my first full day at home from work with this pregnancy and I'm already bored! Hence the reason for getting this blog going. Doctors have told me to take it easy from this day forward since I gained an astonishing 9 lbs. in 5 days! A bit much I would say. Everything looks good though while they were worried about preeclampsia but I think the swelling is just taking a toll on my body and will do so thus forward. It's not the most comfortable being 33 weeks pregnant but measuring about 43 weeks, but I wouldn't trade it for the world! We are so excited to welcome these children into our lives in the next few weeks. My goal is a November birth date but Trey is taking the under on that!

I'm attaching a few photos of a most gracious shower some of my friends put on for the twins a couple of weeks ago. The day was just perfect and amazing to share with those I love. I am so appreciative for all the prayers and support that have come our way. It all just hit me at the shower that this is really happening!