At 33 weeks I went back in to the Dr. for my weekly check-up and things are looking good. The girls are still measuring big (4.75 & 5.25ish lbs), June is bigger than Iris, but only by 5% so they are not worried. Iris is head down. June started the ultrasound sideways but decided to flip head down during the ultrasound..... How they can still move is beyond me, but move they do! Both girls were very photogenic on Tuesday so they were able to get 4D pictures of their faces! They don't look very similar here, but the ultrasound tech said that is mainly due to how each one is squished and that they will look more similar at birth and as they grow.
Iris
June
Now that we have reached 34 weeks their lungs are more developed, but it would be much better for them to stay in for at least another couple weeks. My prayer is that we make it long enough that they do not have much, if any, NICU stay. I am still having fairly hard contractions, so for now it's more couch sitting..... Lots of sitting. Thankfully God has placed the most amazing people in our lives. Like my mom, who has basically become mom for Isaac for now, and all the wonderful people who have come to take Isaac to the park, come to visit and help keep us sane, or brought food! This has been a time of showing me more of the person that I would like to be. A person who makes people feel as important as these people have made us feel. All of the love and support we have received has been the most awesome example of what the church should look like then I have ever experienced. I cannot say thank you enough.
In other news (as if we do not have enough going on :) I have an update on Luke's health. In a previous post I mentioned that Luke was thought to have chronic mono and sent to an infectious disease Dr. He had his first appointment and the Dr. did not seem to think much of what Luke was telling her, but they did a bunch of blood work to see what was going on. Fairly soon afterward we got another call asking him to come in for another appointment, but not telling us what was going on. We had a weekend to wonder and worry until his next appointment on that Monday. It was a relief to know they might have found something to answer the question of why Luke was tired all the time, but what if it was something really bad? When Luke went in they told him he tested positive for lime disease, which is apparently very rare in Texas. While we have ticks here they are not the type of ticks that carry the disease. Luke probably got it on one of his trips to North Carolina or Ohio visiting family years ago. In researching the effects of Lime disease, a lot of things are starting to make sense. Lime disease can cause fatigue, memory loss, arthritis type pain, and visual disturbances as well as nerve damage. All of which Luke has been experiencing for years now that no one has been able to pinpoint a cause for.
The good news is Lime disease can be treated. Luke is on a double dose of Antibiotics for 8 weeks, a normal round of antibiotics is not enough. He will be checked again to see if it killed it after the antibiotics are done. He may have some permanent damage from long term exposure, but we are hoping that the fatigue will be greatly reduced. It may take a while for his body to begin to heal after the infection has been fought off, some people have reported as much as 8 to 9 months before they have really seen results. It has been hard to tell if the medicine has been working yet for Luke because he has been having to work long hours and Saturdays lately. Then pretty soon there will be two new babies at our house, so it will probably be a long time before anyone in our house feels well rested. :) He has noticed his knees are not hurting him quite as much, which is a start! While on Antibiotics, Luke cannot have calcium or dariy 3 hours before and after he takes his pill at breakfast and dinner which is very hard for this cheese loving family! He also has to be very careful of not getting sun burned, because his skin is extra sensitive due to the medication. Luke has even received a call from the health department asking him where he thinks he may have been bitten and what his symtoms were.
We are soooo relieved to finally have some answers to questions we have had for so long. We have been to so many Dr.'s with no answers, and to finally have something that is fairly easily treated is such a relief to us. Both of us are more hopeful than we have been in a long time, and a little more optimistic about having the energy to take care of 3 young children. God's timing is perfect and this has been just another sign to us of his provision despite or circumstances.
Well I think that is enough for this crazy long post!
