We are home! More photos!

Here we are before the C-Section, all looking slightly nervous!
Ella coming out, she's mad!
Ella Deborah Berg
Emma Elaine Berg
Happy mom and dad thanks to Steph!
Steph holding Ella for the first time!
Big sister Hannah!
The Berg girls!
Fresh babies after their baths!
Ella's eyes!!!
Emma close up! Ella is on the left and Emma is on the right!
Ella
Emma
Steph with both girls!

Ella and Emma are here!

Ella and Emma are here, they were delivered by C-Section at 12:52 (Ella) and 12:53 (Emma)! Steph did an amazing job and is already pumping up a storm for them! Ella was 6 pounds 3 ounces and 19 inches long! Emma was 6 pounds 8 ounces and 19 inches long! We are feeling incredibly grateful for two perfect babies! We are just glowing in their new babyness! Here are a few photos, we only have the photos taken with my moms camera available right now, when we get home we'll put up some other photos with our camera of Steph, Ella, Emma and our whole gang!  Ella is on the left and Emma is on the right!Me with my 4 girls!
Mom and dad are so happy!

Iowa

We are off to Iowa! Next time I post I'll be a mom of four!

OB Appointment

Steph had her OB appointment yesterday and she is doing great! She also had an ultrasound to find out the positions of the twins...Ella is still breech. We scheduled a C-Section for Monday at noon and are all very excited about meeting our twins in just a few days! Steph has done an amazing job carrying our twins, I can hardly believe we are already 38 weeks!

Does anyone want to guess the weights and heights of our twins??? Let me know in the comment section! I'll start....

Ella (baby A) Weight: 6lbs 10oz & Height: 20 inches

Emma (baby B) Weight: 6lbs 12oz & Height: 19 inches

Hannah and Olivia's bedroom

Hannah and Olivia's bedroom is complete!!! Olivia's big girl bed arrived yesterday so Darin and I spent the evening setting everything up. We are really happy with the outcome and know that our girls will love sharing a room!

OB Appointment - 37 Weeks

Todays OB appointment didn't answer as many questions as I was hoping for, we are still just waiting to see what next week brings. Ella is still breech so Steph will go back next Wednesday to check again. If Ella is still breech next Wednesday than we will have a C-Section on May 18th. Steph is now 1cm dilated. This makes me really nervous because if Steph's body goes into labor on it's own than we will have an emergency C-Section. I'm feeling really tired and stressed but thankful that we are now 37 weeks and full term!

Rooms

Ella and Emma's letters arrived yesterday so now their rooms are pretty much complete. I took a few photos of their cribs, Olivia is still sleeping in Ella's crib/room so her bedding is not complete. We are still waiting for Olivia's new bed to arrive, the furniture store keeps pushing back the date with the newest date being May 8th. We are hoping that her bed does get delivered that day but aren't worried about it because the babies will sleep in our room for at least 6 weeks so we still have plenty of time.



Here is the diagram you requested Kate, LOL! I'm not sure what the small bump by her neck is...Hannah thinks it's her Adam's apple...so many reasons to crack up about this drawing....at least Steph is smiling!

Ultrasound

We had a great day with Steph and Soleil today! The appointment was good and not so good...the babies are doing great but are both little stinkers! Ella decided that she wanted to get a better look at her sister so she turned around again...so she's now breech. Ella and Emma's heads are side by side, it looked really cute on the ultrasound...like they were snuggling or kissing but it does present us with a problem. Steph will most likely have to have a C-Section now. She goes back in next week to recheck their positions and if Ella is still breach then she will have a C-Section the following week (38 weeks). Steph is acting like a real trooper but I know she's scared and a bit sad, this will be her first C-Section in 6 pregnancies. We all hope that Ella will decide to turn again but she's quickly running out of room so the chances are slim.

The good news...Ella and Emma were both practicing breathing today so their lungs are mature. Ella had a heart rate of 134 and Emma had a heart rate of 145. Ella weighs 5lbs 8oz and Emma weighs 5lbs 9oz. And they both looked beautiful and happy! More good news...Steph's cervix is still closed up tight! 36 weeks tomorrow...crazy!

Steph also got the girls some crazy cute onsies, bibs and blankets. I can't wait to see E & E wearing them! Thanks Steph for such a great day!

Two by Two...Getting Organized

Darin made us this daily log for the babies. I asked him to make this log because I was worried that I would forget which baby I fed and so on. These logs will help me keep track of all of the important info. I had him add a "misc" column to keep track of all the other info like runny noses, ouchies and growth. I think he did a great job!
We decided to set up some of our baby gear a little early to encourage our big girls to get all of their curiosity and touching out of the way. I think the babies will be really comfy in these cradle swings!
Here are their blanket sets, my big girls adore their "little giraffe" blankets! We got these other "wubbies" in Hawaii. The purple and pink blankets are Emma's and the yellow and green blankets are Ella's.
These beautiful hats were made by my friend Lisa! I love them and I know the girls will look adorable in them.

New Books

A great friend sent us some really cool books recently! Hannah and Olivia both love them and I have a feeling that Ella and Emma are going to love them too! Thank you Marty, you are always so thoughtful and giving!

OB Appointment

Steph had her 2nd NST and 100th (or it seems that way anyway) OB appointment today! Everything went smoothly and everyone looks great! No dilation yet!!! Go Steph!!!

OB appointment and NST

Steph had her OB appointment today and her first NST (Non-Stress Test). She said that the nurses had a hard time getting the straps on her belly because the girls did not cooperate. They were kicking wildly. But the NST went fine. She couldn't give me definitive heart rates because they were all over the place depending on Ella and Emma's activity.
Steph's cervix is still closed. There is a head near it but her doctor said it is pretty high up there. Her stomach measures 36 weeks and she had no weight gain.
They also drew her blood today to recheck her hemoglobin, we should have those results back tomorrow.
All in all, her doctor was very happy with things.

Here are a few photos of Steph from this week!

PBO (Pre-Birth Order)

I just received our PBO in the mail today....YAY!!! The PBO is a legal document, signed by a judge. It states that Darin and I are the legal and biological parents of both Ella and Emma. This document ensures that the hospital will recognize us as the babies' parents and will allow us to take full responsibility for the babies once they are born. It also ensures that mine and Darin's names will be directly put the on Ella and Emma's birth certificates. This will make things a lot less confusing for the hospital staff too! Yay, that's one more thing crossed off my list...we must be getting closer!!!

OB Appointment

Steph had a great appointment today, it was fast and filled with good news!!! Ella's heart rate was 123 bpm and Emma's heart rate was 154. Her iron level has gone up and Dr. Richman will check it again next week. Steph will start weekly Non-Stress Tests (monitor hooked up to her belly and she pushes a button every time she feels a kick) next week. It also monitors her uterus for any contractions.

And the very best news of all is that Dr. Richman felt a head by Steph's cervix!!!!! YAY Ella is finally head down!!!! Now we just have to pray that she stays that way.

So it was a great appointment today, I can't believe we are almost 33 weeks!!

Thank you Steph!!!

Steph sent Darin and I these beautiful flowers and vase!!! Thank you Steph, we love them!!! But we disagree...we think that you are the one that ROCKS!!!

32 Weeks!

And here's a photo of Steph at 32 weeks! I think she look beautiful, I can't believe how much her belly has grown since the last time we saw her!!!
Here's a little bit about how the babies are developing, I read this on babycenter.com this morning. By now, your babies weigh 3.75 pounds each (pick up a large jicama) and they are about 16.7 inches long. The babies will gain a third to half of their birth weight during the next 7 weeks as they fatten up for survival outside the womb. They now have toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). The babies' skin is becoming soft and smooth as they plump up in preparation for birth.
And here's another fabulous picture of Steph!!! Thanks Steph for sending these to me!!
We are hoping for another ultrasound at the end of April, around 36 weeks!

OB Appointment

Steph had her OB appointment today and she says it was pretty basic with nothing to really report. Ella's heart rate was 145 and Emma's was 136. Steph's cervix remains closed and good. She took a complete blood count test today so tomorrow we should know those results. Let's hope her hemoglobin is in the mid 7's at least. She gained about 7 pounds this last week and is still pretty swollen but hanging in. Tomorrow we'll be 32 weeks!

Iron update

Steph got her iron levels rechecked at her last OB appointment and unfortunately there is no change despite Steph trying her hardest to get it up. Her body just doesn't absorb iron very well since her gastric bypass surgery. The actual numbers are...two weeks ago her iron level was 7.1 and on Wednesday it was 7.2. Obviously this needs to be fixed before labor. She had her first "injection" today although it's not really an injection at all. It was an IV bag that took 3 1/2 hours. She will have them now for the next 9 days straight. She says that there weren't any real bad side effects. She's just really tired and hungry now and she still has the IV port in her arm for tomorrow. We hope things will be looking up real soon and this will solve this problem. Her doctor will run some more labs Sunday after that injection. Poor, poor Steph...I feel so bad for her.

OB Appointment

Steph had a good OB appointment today! She is measuring 34 weeks but she will actually be 31 weeks tomorrow. Her doctor tested her iron level again today but we won't have the results back for a few days. Ella's heart rate was135 and Emma's was 150. Her cervix is closed up nice and tight. She gained about 3 pounds since her last appointment. All in all, everything is good and uneventful. We are getting more and more excited everyday, just 8 more weeks to go until we meet our youngest two sweet daughters.

30 Weeks!

Okay so I've been avoiding this post because I didn't want to put any grandparents into hysteria and didn't want my mom to think she needs to start driving here today. But there really is nothing to worry about so I thought I would share some news now. Steph unexpectedly went to the OB last Friday. She has been experiencing some quivering sensations where Emma is laying and got worried. She called the OB and they told her to come in immediately. They ordered an ultrasound and couldn't find anything wrong with either baby, everything is just perfect. The doctor on call thought that possibly one of the babies is laying on one of Steph's nerves and is causing the quivering sensation, so they think it could be Steph's body quivering not Emma's but they can't be sure without actually seeing it. So basically nothing is wrong but now we have some more info on E and E! Both heart rates were excellent!!! Ella weighs 3lbs 8oz and Emma weighs 3lbs 7oz! The doctor was very pleased at the almost identical sizes! The bad news is they are still both laying transverse...sideways...so Ella better start getting her butt in gear or actually her her head down so Steph can have a vaginal delivery.

Cute Story

A few months ago Hannah and I were driving in the car and out of nowhere she started a conversation about Stephanie. Here's how it went....

Hannah: "You know the person who has our babies in her tummy? What's her name?"
Me: "Stephanie"
Hannah: "Yes, Yes Stephanie! I think we should buy her a present!"
Me: "That's a nice idea. What do you think we should get her?"
Hannah: "A card and a movie. And I can write in the card and draw a big heart!"
Me: "That's a great idea, I think she would really like your drawing! I think we should get her a card for sure. I don't think we'll get her a movie though."
Hannah: "But I think she would like a movie."
Me: "You're probably right she would like a movie, but how about we get her a card and some cookies instead."
Hannah: "Okay that's a great idea!"

So when we got to the store we bought Steph a card (Hannah picked it out all by herself, it had to be a singing card) and we ordered her some girl scout cookies that night. Well the girl scout cookies just came in so Hannah wrote her card on Saturday and we sent Steph her package. Hannah was so excited and proud. She drew a picture of our family and wrote on the card too! I am so proud of Hannah, she is such a thoughtful and caring little girl!

Here's a photo of her card!
You can click on the photo to see the card a little better!

OB Appointment

Not much to report on today's OB appointment. Steph gained a pound. Emma's heart rate (B) was 140 and Ella's heart rate (A) was 130. Steph's cervix is closed. Her doctor will recheck her Iron level next week. She said today's appointment was pretty boring and uneventful.

Four and Curious...

Hannah recently turned four! Her birthdays are always a special time to remember and talk about her surrogate, Lisa. Hannah received a card from Lisa on her birthday and I said "this card is from the nice lady, Lisa, that carried you in her tummy when you were growing and getting ready for us." She just said "oh" and was too enamored with the card to say anything else. When we got home she left the card in the car. Today when we got back in the car she immediately asked to hold her card. Here's how the conversation unfolded in the car today...

Hannah: "Can we go play with her?"
Me: "who?"
Hannah: "I was in her tummy."
Me: "Her name is Lisa. Lisa lives really far away so we can't go play with her today but maybe next time we visit Nana and Papa. She lives in CA just like them."
Hannah: "How did I get out of her tummy?"
Me: (trying to avoid giving all the graphic details) "The same way most babies are born."
Hannah: "I came out of her mouth."
Me: (kind of laughing) "No babies come out of private parts."
Hannah didn't say anything she just gave me a really funny look...like I was totally crazy and wrong. She's going through a know it all phase.

I wonder what kind of things we'll talk about the next time we get in the car!

OB Appointment

The babies are doing good! Ella's heart rate was 124 BPM and Emma's was 130 BMP. Steph is doing okay, her iron level is extremely low which could be really bad at delivery. She is doubling up on iron pills and we are hopeful that will do the trick...if not she'll have to get iron injections. She says she doesn't feel that bad so she was shocked at the number. She also gained 1.8 pounds since last week!

28 Weeks

Yay, we are now 28 weeks pregnant and in the third trimester!!!!!
Here's a little info on how our twins our growing...
According to Babycenter by this week our twins should weigh about two and a quarter pounds each (like a Chinese cabbage) and measure 14.8 inches from the top of their heads to their heels. Ella and Emma can blink their eyes, which now have lashes. Their eyesight is developing and they may be able to see the light that filters in through the womb. They are also developing billions of neurons in their brains and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.