Pictures Update

Finally got the pictures online. Here's from the day of delivery through now... enjoy.

Click on the link below:

See Pictures

Welcome Home!

The girls officially came home Tuesday afternoon. So we've survived two nights as new parents with twins! The neonatologist said they are doing well. We almost weren't able to bring both babies home since they weren't gaining weight fast enough. So the last couple days in the NICU we were advised to just let them sleep. So we did a lot of staring at them versus holding them.

Now that they are home, we've been ordered to keep them on that strict eating and sleeping schedule so they gain a lot of weight. The doctor said 22 hours of sleep a day - so we feed them every four hours. As in the NICU, they told us no over stimulating or playing with the babies - feed them and put them to bed - so we don't get cuddle time outside of feedings. :-( But we're willing to sacrifice it so they gain weight. So far they are gaining about an ounce day. They have been very good babies ... so far. But we've only had them for a couple days - not even a week of adjustment under our belts. Cross fingers they keep cooperating!

They had their first pediatrician appointment yesterday. Both had gained an ounce from the day before. She reiterated the feeding and sleeping schedule to encourage weight gain. I can't wait for them to get fat - then we can have more play time. :-)

A lot of the clothes we have for them are so big - even the newborn ones haha. They are such little dolls. And I can't believe they will be 2 weeks old on Sunday!

Sweet Sleepers

These are a couple pics from my mom's cell phone - a bit blurry - but cute (I'm biased of course hehehe). The nurse said they are scheduled to come home tomorrow! Cross fingers!! :-)

Grace (above) and Frances (below)

The Wacha Gals Have Arrived!

We wish to announce the birth of our identical twin girls!

Born on Sunday, July 18 at 9:06 p.m. and 9:07 p.m. at 34 weeks and 5 days old.

Frances Akor Wacha

(left side of picture)

5 lbs. 5 oz. and 18 7/8 inches long

Grace Apio Wacha

(right side of picture)

5 lbs. 6 oz. and 19 1/4 inches long

The babies are a week old today! Sorry for the delay in posting but I was in the hospital recovering until discharge Thursday evening, and have been visiting the babies in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) every free second. They are doing GREAT though and should be home soon!!!! :-) I will update with more pictures at some point. I have a few my mom took. We have some on our camera too, but Richard does not know how to download from my camera to the computer in the basement (no railing, so I'm not walking down there!). Haha, one of the things I was going to show him before the babies arrived. Whoops!

I'll update with the birth story later -- it's definitely amusing.

34 Week Check-up

Well I'm 34 weeks and 2 days preggers. I had my OB checkup today. My mom went with me. BTW - Why do they have the most uncomfortable chairs in an OB office??? Sorry, digressing.

Anywho, all is well. I've gained 47 pounds so far... up 4 pounds from two weeks ago. Blood pressure is great. The doctor measured my belly and I'm measuring the equivalent of 47 weeks pregnant!! Whew! So I'm measuring the equivalent of a regular pregnancy overdue by 7 weeks. It's crazy. I remember in June when I had my 30 week checkup I was measuring 10 weeks ahead, and they said the growth would slow down and I wouldn't measure so far ahead anymore. Well, jokes on them! Last time, at 32 weeks, I was 11 weeks ahead and this time, at 34 weeks, I'm 13 weeks ahead. Sumo babies indeed.

Mobility has reached a wall. I pulled a muscle last night trying to adjust my belly during sleep... doh. It's just too darned heavy. I had a hard time sitting up from the doctor's table too. I know I only have two weeks from tomorrow left -- but it's taking forever. It feels more like two months. I just keep on chugging along -- looking forward to breathing, eating, not itching, and sleeping however I want! (.......And of course, seeing the babies hehe).

We managed to take my mom out for her birthday last week. We went to Clyde's in Columbia. They tried to sit us at a booth. So I slid in butt first and tried to turn and "boink" -- nope -- no room for the belly. We laughed. Sometimes I really don't have any concept of how big my belly is! Fortunately there was a table with chairs open! I can't reach to eat over the table though, so I wear half my food. hahaha. We had a great dinner though!

California closets came last week too, to install the nursery closet. So we're almost ready to start getting everything together!!

My dad came down this past weekend to accompany my mom to her follow up scan at Johns Hopkins -- everything is A-Okay! So that's good news! She'll have another scan in 6 months.

So all in all, we're chugging along.

I have two more OB appointments before delivery. Next Thursday, July 22 and then Thursday, July 29 (the day before delivery). And then of course the perinatology appointment on Tuesday, July 27. Final countdown! Two weeks from tomorrow!

Sumo Babies

I'm 33 weeks today. Only 3 and 1/2 weeks to go (seems like forever though)! I had my perinatology appointment today. My mom was able to go with me. I told her she wouldn't be able to see much since the babies are so big and jumbled up now. And that was pretty much the case - just a tangled web of babies. They were moving around like crazy, as usual. The technician was able to see the profile of one of the babies and pointed out that the baby had hair on her head already. Too cute! And both babies are head down now - I can't believe that Baby B still had room enough to flip, but she did it.

Soooo... the babies are doing excellent! Baby A weighs 5 lbs. 7 oz. and Baby B weighs 5 lbs. 4 oz. The doctor came in and asked if I'm trying for some record holders. hehe. My mom's reaction was pretty much: wholly crap that's a lot of babies. The average for twins at 33 weeks is 4 lbs. 12 oz. -- so my babies are definitely above average! Even more amazing considering identicals tend to measure a bit smaller than fraternals. And they are sharing even better now, as you can tell by their similar weights.

So I'm carrying a combined baby weight of 10 lbs. 11 oz. Sumo babies! The doctor guesstimated that at 36 weeks they'll be about 6-7 pounds a piece. We'll see! Only one more perinatology appointment before I deliver, woohoo :-)

So my next OB appointment is Thursday, July 15. And my next (and LAST) perinatology appointment is Tuesday, July 27 at 9 a.m.

Fourth of July Weekend

Kenneth, Heidi, me, Arianna,

Grant and Emma at the playground

Since I'm pretty much house/Columbia bound at this point - we had the Larchars and the Dorsheimers over for some BBQ on Saturday. You can view all the pics from the get together here. I'm sad because both families are moving soon!! But it's nice to be able to get together before the big moves. My folks are down here too. My mom will be staying through my delivery - which is a HUGE help. My dad just headed back up north today.

We had a fun time. Richard BBQ'd and made his famous beans. We all gobbled down the food. And then the Larchars, Amy, my mom and I, took the kids to the playground by Jackson Pond. (Well, my mom took the Larchars - Amy rode with me. I had to drive because I can't walk that far - and yes it's less than a mile from our house and I still can't make it!) The kids had fun at the playground. Too cute! We love those Larchar kiddies!!! :-)

Joe, Amy, me and Richard

After we got back from the playground we had some delicious mini cherry and blueberry pies that Heidi made - with a 4th of July flare! They were sooooo good. And we had some equally delicious and very juicy watermelon that Amy brought. All in all it was a great get together!

Yesterday, the Dorsheimers came back over. Amy is teaching me how to knit - something to keep me occupied during my free time stuck in the house. Joe went for a 50 mile bike ride - because he's CRAZY! hahaha. And afterwards came back to the house and hung out with Richard and my dad in the man cave.

Today, we're just chilling out INSIDE enjoying the AC! Time is still going by soooo slowly. Can't wait for my perinatology appointment tomorrow - my mom is going with me - we'll see how big the babies are getting.

Richard's Surprise Baby Shower

On Wednesday, Richard's co-workers threw him a surprise baby shower! His boss called him into a meeting as a distraction so the others could decorate the kitchen for the shower. Then another co-worker came into the meeting and hoodwinked Richard into the kitchen, under the ruse of donuts. Apparently there were pink streamers in the door way and Richard just burst through without a second thought. Then he's like "hey where's the donuts?!" Then he notices a pink cake with little baby booties on it and the 'it's a girl' balloons -- and still being oblivious -- asks who's birthday party it is and how come he wasn't invited. hahaha. Then everyone says "surprise!" And Richard finally realizes it's a surprise baby shower for him! Oh classic Richard.

He had some issues opening gifts and keeping things in order. But we got soooo much stuff. Seriously, money, high chair, gift cards, swaddlers, towels, onesies, clothes, you name it! It meant so much to both of us that people went all out for the girls! Richard's boss made the favors and the cake. The favors were so cute and funny. And the cake was amazing.

It was so cool for Richard to get a shower since baby showers aren't as common for dads-to-be.

Kathy took pictures, you can see them by clicking here.

Thank you to everyone that contributed! :-) We can't wait for you all to babysit hehehe ;-)