Long overdue update

Hi All... Lots has happened since we last updated the blog... which is why we haven't had time to update the blog. Contradictory, isn't it?

Let's back up a bit. Melissa last wrote about an encouraging appointment a week ago Friday. Our next checkup (last Friday) was as bad as the other was good. The ultrasound revealed that our kiddos have made a mess of the membranes that had hitherto separated them. Further, Spencer's bladder was invisible again.

As an aside, I learned the other day not to do as the doctors do and say that Spence "didn't have a bladder." I was talking to someone who understood it literally and asked, quite concerned, whether he was likely to grow one at some point. Awkward pause, then lightbulbs for both of us. Anyhow, I'll be more explicit in the future. The bottom line is that bladders (like all other organs) aren't visible to ultrasound unless they have fluid inside. One of our concerns about Spencer has been that he doesn't get enough nourishment and fluid and hence doesn't produce much urine. When his bladder isn't visible and his stomach is, it tells us that he at least isn't getting MORE fluid than he absolutely needs. If his stomach also disappears, it'll be time to really panic. But I digress.

The upshot is that last Friday's visit was cause for considerable concern--and a worrisome weekend. Melissa came home with instructions to return on Monday and spent the next three days on the couch in a state of uncertain worry: not fun.

On Monday, we had another ultrasound. Things looked about as before, and Melissa seemed to be having contractions. Although the cord dopplers looked good, the docs opted to admit Melissa and sent her to a room in Labor & Delivery at the U of U Medical Center. She spent several hours there Monday evening while the staff worked to stop her contractions. This feat managed by 9:00 PM, they moved her to a room on "the floor" (the antepartum inpatient wing). There she'll stay on strict bedrest, likely, until the babies come.

Yesterday's (Tuesday's) cord dopplers (measurements of bloodflow from the placenta, through the umbelical cords, to the babies) didn't look as good as Monday's. Spencer's were spotty in some ways. We're likely to have a fetal EKG conducted today.

Off to more testing! More later.