Friday, June 30, 2006
The Real Deal
Well folks, the moment you've all been waiting for has finally arrived! The Dillner Twins are being prepared for an early delivery in order to help Jenny decrease her blood pressure and swelling. The nurses have been taking great care of Jenny and the twins as they get set for entry into this world.
At this point, we don't know when the delivery will be scheduled. This morning one of our doctor's informed us that it could be either Saturday or Sunday night. They have been conducting stress tests on the babies and everything seems to be going fine. They have given Jenny some steroid injections to help prepare the babies' lungs for breathing post-birth. They have also changed Jenny's blood thinner prescription to make it easier for the doctors to regulate this during the process. She was put on the thinners due to a blood clot that was detected in April.
Everything is going fine. The doctors, nurses and hospital staff have been great and continue to give Jenny and the twins the care they need to succeed. The team is preparing to go, so check back often for updates. I will try to keep this site updated throughout the process.
At this point, we don't know when the delivery will be scheduled. This morning one of our doctor's informed us that it could be either Saturday or Sunday night. They have been conducting stress tests on the babies and everything seems to be going fine. They have given Jenny some steroid injections to help prepare the babies' lungs for breathing post-birth. They have also changed Jenny's blood thinner prescription to make it easier for the doctors to regulate this during the process. She was put on the thinners due to a blood clot that was detected in April.
Everything is going fine. The doctors, nurses and hospital staff have been great and continue to give Jenny and the twins the care they need to succeed. The team is preparing to go, so check back often for updates. I will try to keep this site updated throughout the process.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Preparation
Everything is fine at the Dillner residence these days. Jenny and the Twins are doing well, as they prepare for the home stretch. Before you know it, the Twins will be born! I actually did the math in the shower this morning. We have six weeks until we are due (August 13th is our due date), but twins typically come early. The doctors have told us that they want the twins to stay in until Week 37 which is only five short weeks away!
Crystal, David's youngest sister, has come to visit David and Jenny. She's been helping them prepare the house for the expectant twins. She has been a tremendous help doing the jobs that Jenny can't do and David doesn't want to do. David's planning on taking her to Washington, D.C. to see some sites as well as some other locations before she heads back to Kansas on July 13th. While she would like to see the twins, she will probably miss them.
David just returned from a local government managers conference in Virginia Beach. It was a great conference, and the beach was great. He only wishes that Jenny could have come with him, but he did bring her some salt water taffy nonetheless. The conference was a great opportunity to network with other managers and learn a few things on the side. David will not be attending the ICMA conference in San Antonio this year because the twins will keep him busy for awhile.
David and Jenny would love to hear from you. If you would like to give them a ring, simply call (540) 409-1166. Once the twins are born, David will post a message on his phone with the most up-to-date information, including their Apgar scores. Be sure to check this site or call to find out the latest information.
Crystal, David's youngest sister, has come to visit David and Jenny. She's been helping them prepare the house for the expectant twins. She has been a tremendous help doing the jobs that Jenny can't do and David doesn't want to do. David's planning on taking her to Washington, D.C. to see some sites as well as some other locations before she heads back to Kansas on July 13th. While she would like to see the twins, she will probably miss them.
David just returned from a local government managers conference in Virginia Beach. It was a great conference, and the beach was great. He only wishes that Jenny could have come with him, but he did bring her some salt water taffy nonetheless. The conference was a great opportunity to network with other managers and learn a few things on the side. David will not be attending the ICMA conference in San Antonio this year because the twins will keep him busy for awhile.
David and Jenny would love to hear from you. If you would like to give them a ring, simply call (540) 409-1166. Once the twins are born, David will post a message on his phone with the most up-to-date information, including their Apgar scores. Be sure to check this site or call to find out the latest information.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
31 week check up and ultrasound
Today David and I went for our 31 week check up and ultrasound. All is continuing to go well. Both of the babies weigh about 3 pounds 8 ounces. They are able to determine the babies weight due to the different measurements that are taken, such as head size and belly size among other things. One of the twins is breach, butt first on my left side. The other twin is hiding behind its brother or sister, with its head on my right side and butt on the left side. We only got one decent picture of the twins from the ultrasound, it has both of their heads in it. You can see it posted here or in the photo gallery. For all of those wondering, we do not know the sex of the babies. We want to be surprised when they are born. We go back to the doctor in another two weeks. Both babies are very active. They always seem to be most active when David is not around. He had a city council meeting last night, I think they knew he was gone and they were keeping me company.
In other news, tonight David and his friend Andy are going to bottle our third batch of beer. It will be ready for consumption in about 3-4 weeks.
David's youngest sister Crystal is coming out to visit us for about three weeks. She will arrive on June 19th. She is going to help us get the house ready for the twins. She will help me with things that I can not do on my own, such as lifting and bending over all the time.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Check out the photo gallery
More pictures have just been added to the photo gallery, including the most recent front and side views of Jenny, so you can get an idea of how big she is. Pictures from the Apple Blossom Festival and our latest attempt at brewing brew. Check back next week for more ultrasound pictures and pictures from the 90th running of the Indy 500.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
One Year Anniversary
It is hard to believe but on May 28th David and I celebrated our one year anniversary. When I look back over this past year, it is amazing to see how many things can change in such a short time. During that year we have began our new life together, moved across the country, began new jobs, we were blessed with being pregnant with twins and explored a new part of the country, seeing many sights that we would not have seen in the Midwest. We are both in agreement that it was a very good year and we are looking forward to many many more good years to come.
We had come up with a wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary, but unfortunately it did not work out as we had planned. We thought it would be wonderful to meet our families in Indianapolis and go to the Indy 500, or at least the boys would go to the race. The trip would be a great anniversary present to ourselves, since we both enjoy racing and it would be great to see our families. Tickets were bought, hotel reservations made and the trip was a go. I had decided not to go to the race, but spend time with our mothers instead. As it ended up, I was unable to make the trip due to the blood clot in my leg, the doctors did not want me traveling that far. I sent David on the trip anyways, as I knew he was so excited and it did not seem fair for our families to make the trip and we not be there, since we had the idea for the trip. David and our families had a wonderful weekend. I enjoyed a relaxing weekend at home, I was also able to finish up many of my projects at work.
I can't say that is the way I had envisioned us spending our first anniversary, but it all worked out for the best. David enjoyed himself and I got needed rest. David will have to create a post about race. We will also get pictures from the race on to the photo gallery soon. Everyone who went to the race had a great time, I believe that plans are in the works for going again next year, but this time I get to go to the race and the grandmas can babysit the twins.
We had come up with a wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary, but unfortunately it did not work out as we had planned. We thought it would be wonderful to meet our families in Indianapolis and go to the Indy 500, or at least the boys would go to the race. The trip would be a great anniversary present to ourselves, since we both enjoy racing and it would be great to see our families. Tickets were bought, hotel reservations made and the trip was a go. I had decided not to go to the race, but spend time with our mothers instead. As it ended up, I was unable to make the trip due to the blood clot in my leg, the doctors did not want me traveling that far. I sent David on the trip anyways, as I knew he was so excited and it did not seem fair for our families to make the trip and we not be there, since we had the idea for the trip. David and our families had a wonderful weekend. I enjoyed a relaxing weekend at home, I was also able to finish up many of my projects at work.
I can't say that is the way I had envisioned us spending our first anniversary, but it all worked out for the best. David enjoyed himself and I got needed rest. David will have to create a post about race. We will also get pictures from the race on to the photo gallery soon. Everyone who went to the race had a great time, I believe that plans are in the works for going again next year, but this time I get to go to the race and the grandmas can babysit the twins.
29 Week Checkup
Last week David and I went for our 29 week check up. All is continuing to go well. I check out fine, both of the babies heart rated were good, 138 and 150 beats per minute. On June 14th we will go for another ultrasound.
We are continuing our childbirth prep classes. We only have one more left to go, plus we are going to go to a breastfeeding class.
I do apologize for not updating the photo gallery with pictures of me as the pregnancy progresses, but our computer is having difficulty recognizing the camera on the USB drive. I am continuing to get bigger. Many people at work commented on the fact that I am all baby. If you see me from behind, besides the pregnant walk, you would not know I was pregnant. Most of the weight I am gaining is in the belly.
Friday I finished school for the year. David and I still have to go finish cleaning out my office, but otherwise I am done teaching for the summer. I am enjoying being able to rest when I need to and sleep in. I am slowly but surly working on getting the house ready for the twins arrival. After the ultrasound I will update you again on the growth of the babies.
We are continuing our childbirth prep classes. We only have one more left to go, plus we are going to go to a breastfeeding class.
I do apologize for not updating the photo gallery with pictures of me as the pregnancy progresses, but our computer is having difficulty recognizing the camera on the USB drive. I am continuing to get bigger. Many people at work commented on the fact that I am all baby. If you see me from behind, besides the pregnant walk, you would not know I was pregnant. Most of the weight I am gaining is in the belly.
Friday I finished school for the year. David and I still have to go finish cleaning out my office, but otherwise I am done teaching for the summer. I am enjoying being able to rest when I need to and sleep in. I am slowly but surly working on getting the house ready for the twins arrival. After the ultrasound I will update you again on the growth of the babies.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
27 week checkup
Today we went for our 27 week check up. The doctor told us that the ultra sound looked good, the babies measurements were good and all is well. Both of the babies heartbeats sounded strong. For those of you who are trying to determine the sex of babies by the number of beats per minute, I am sorry to say that today we did not get an accurate beat per minute rate. We could hear one of the babies kicking as the doctor was listening to its heartbeat. Today's appointment was rather long and drawn as I had to have some labs completed. We checked to see if I was at risk for gestational diabetes and general blood work. All lab results came fine. The doctor said that everything is going well. We hope and pray that the rest of the pregnancy will continue to go well. We will start going to the doctor every two weeks now. We will try to update you after each doctor's visit.
In other news, I have learned how to update the website. That is good news for all of avid readers, as I will try to be a little more consistent in keeping you all up to date with the goings on in Winchester.
All is going well for David at work. He recently took charge over a project that had become stalemated. The project entails creating a walking/biking pedestrian train around the city, called the Green Circle. From my understanding this project has been in the works for a while and not much was happening with it. So the City Manager approached David about this project and through a series of meetings and planning sessions, it was decided that David was now going to take charge of this project. It is to be his main project for the summer. Some of the other projects he was working on have been split up among other city employees. David is very excited about taking charge of this project. Many employees at the City were also very excited about David taking it over, they feel that now something can get accomplished with the Green Circle.
I am waiting, some days more patiently than others for the end of the school year. Our last day of work is June 2nd. I think I can make until then. The past few weeks have been very busy, with writing IEP's and trying to tie all the lose ends together before leaving for the summer. I am looking forward to having the summer to relax. Most people that I talk to sympathize about being very pregnant during the hot summer. I on the other hand am looking forward to the chance to relax, when I need to, take things at a much slower pace and if it is too hot, I will sit in my recliner in my house with the AC on and my feet up. Our plans for the summer are to get the house ready for the babies and enjoy some of the local festivals and attractions.
I have decided not to return to Daniel Morgan next school year. I am going to stay home with the babies instead. David and I are searching the web for things that I can do from home to bring some income. I am looking forward to being able to stay at home with our babies and watch them grow.
In other news, I have learned how to update the website. That is good news for all of avid readers, as I will try to be a little more consistent in keeping you all up to date with the goings on in Winchester.
All is going well for David at work. He recently took charge over a project that had become stalemated. The project entails creating a walking/biking pedestrian train around the city, called the Green Circle. From my understanding this project has been in the works for a while and not much was happening with it. So the City Manager approached David about this project and through a series of meetings and planning sessions, it was decided that David was now going to take charge of this project. It is to be his main project for the summer. Some of the other projects he was working on have been split up among other city employees. David is very excited about taking charge of this project. Many employees at the City were also very excited about David taking it over, they feel that now something can get accomplished with the Green Circle.
I am waiting, some days more patiently than others for the end of the school year. Our last day of work is June 2nd. I think I can make until then. The past few weeks have been very busy, with writing IEP's and trying to tie all the lose ends together before leaving for the summer. I am looking forward to having the summer to relax. Most people that I talk to sympathize about being very pregnant during the hot summer. I on the other hand am looking forward to the chance to relax, when I need to, take things at a much slower pace and if it is too hot, I will sit in my recliner in my house with the AC on and my feet up. Our plans for the summer are to get the house ready for the babies and enjoy some of the local festivals and attractions.
I have decided not to return to Daniel Morgan next school year. I am going to stay home with the babies instead. David and I are searching the web for things that I can do from home to bring some income. I am looking forward to being able to stay at home with our babies and watch them grow.
Friday, May 12, 2006
Ultrasound at 26 weeks
On Wednesday May 10th, David and I went for our second ultrasound. I think we enjoyed this ultrasound more than the previous one. We were prepared to see two babies!! During the ultrasound we learned that both babies weighed about 2 pounds each. Twin A is breech on my left side. Twin B is transverse, or laying across my stomach, with his or her feet close to the head of twin A. In fact during the ultrasound we could see the head of twin a, and the foot of twin B, it appeared as though twin B was kicking twin A. The hospital has new technology that allows you to see the baby in 3d images. The nurses are learning how to use this technology, so we let them play for a little bit. It was pretty cool to see the baby in 3d. Since we had to go to the hospital for the ultrasound, we will learn more about the results when we go to the doctors on the 16th. After that appointment we will be sure to update you again. The remainder of ultrasound pictures have been added to the photo gallery, including the 3d images. The 3d images can be difficult to see. I had problems seeing the profile of twin A for a couple of days, so don't feel bad if you can't see the profile.
I am still continuing to feel well, or as well as you can feel carrying twins. I am very tired by the end of the day. My leg is doing much better, I no longer have any pain from the blood clot, when I walk longer distances. I am counting down the days until school is over. We only have about 3 weeks of school left. I am looking forward to the lazy days of summer.
Monday, April 24, 2006
24-week Appointment
Today was our 24-week doctor's appointment. Everything checked out okay for Jenny and the babies, so it didn't take too long for the visit. The doctor listened to the babies heartbeats (one was 150, the other 156) and measured Jenny's uterus (30 inches). All-in-all, it was a pretty uneventful visit. I was supposed to get a blood test, but because the lab was closed by the time we left, I had to reschedule. Shucks!
The next visit will be more fun, as we will get to see the babies with the wonderful technology of ultrasound. Those visits are the best because you get to "see" the babies. It's pretty amazing really. Last time we didn't get to see very much, but I reckon the next time will be different. Looking in some of our books, the babies will be pretty developed at this stage in the pregnancy. I am hoping that we will be able to see a 3-D rendering of the babies faces, but I won't hold my breath.
The babies should be starting to hear and open and close their eyes. Because it is so dark in the womb, they probably won't see anything. At this stage, they will respond to bright light. We may start playing some music for them soon, but we already listen to the radio quite a bit.
The doctor told us that it is not uncommon for twins to be delivered within weeks thirty-four to thirty-seven. This time frame is closely approaching and so Jenny and I will be quickly gearing up for the tenatively scheduled delivery.
Jenny and I have registered for the twins at Target. You can find a link to their Target gift registry in the column on the left. If you choose to purchase a gift for the twins, please send it to our Winchester, Virginia address.
We appreciate all your thoughts and prayers during the pregnancy. We also thank everyone for their love and support during this important moment in our lives. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we prepare to welcome the little ones home soon.
The next visit will be more fun, as we will get to see the babies with the wonderful technology of ultrasound. Those visits are the best because you get to "see" the babies. It's pretty amazing really. Last time we didn't get to see very much, but I reckon the next time will be different. Looking in some of our books, the babies will be pretty developed at this stage in the pregnancy. I am hoping that we will be able to see a 3-D rendering of the babies faces, but I won't hold my breath.
The babies should be starting to hear and open and close their eyes. Because it is so dark in the womb, they probably won't see anything. At this stage, they will respond to bright light. We may start playing some music for them soon, but we already listen to the radio quite a bit.
The doctor told us that it is not uncommon for twins to be delivered within weeks thirty-four to thirty-seven. This time frame is closely approaching and so Jenny and I will be quickly gearing up for the tenatively scheduled delivery.
Jenny and I have registered for the twins at Target. You can find a link to their Target gift registry in the column on the left. If you choose to purchase a gift for the twins, please send it to our Winchester, Virginia address.
We appreciate all your thoughts and prayers during the pregnancy. We also thank everyone for their love and support during this important moment in our lives. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we prepare to welcome the little ones home soon.
Sunday, April 23, 2006
A Lazy Sunday Afternoon
Today has been fairly lazy around the Dillner house. Yesterday Jenny and I were busy preparing the house for our dinner company, so today we are taking it easy. Jenny took a nap after lunch and now she's grading papers. I haven't really done anything productive. Just hit golf balls and mess around on the Internet. We still need to do the dishes from last night, but we can get on that later.
The beauty of relaxing on days like this is that soon we will not have the luxury to do so. The twins will make us so busy we probably won't even have time to do the dishes. The twins have been pretty active in the womb lately. We have determined that they enjoy McDonald's too. Jenny and I grabbed a bite to eat from their a few days ago and the babies were jumping around when Jenny was eating. I guess they could have been protesting, but I doubt it. They were probably just glad to be eating.
Yesterday's dinner turned out very well. Jenny did a wonderful job preparing the potatoes and a lovely salad. The smoked ham turned out pretty good too. I had a little trouble getting the smoker up to a decent temperature, but I think that was due to my spilling some water into the charcoal pit. Next time I smoke I will have a better idea if this caused the problem or not. Even though it didn't quite get finished on the smoker (we finished it in the oven) it had plenty of great smoke flavor. Our company didn't seem to mind either.
Tomorrow we have another doctor's appointment, however, this one will be pretty uneventful for Jenny and the babies. We're not even going to have an ultrasound done. Unfortunately for me though, I have to have a blood test done. Jenny's blood type is negative and so they need to determine my type. If I am positive, future babies could cause Jenny's body to create antibodies that would attack them. There is a one-time drug that she would have to take to prevent that inter-body war from taking place. I'm not too fond of getting blood removed from my body, so we'll see how that goes.
Today it finally stopped raining and the sun came out. It's actually a very nice day outside. I think I will go attempt to talk Jenny into taking a walk with me.
The beauty of relaxing on days like this is that soon we will not have the luxury to do so. The twins will make us so busy we probably won't even have time to do the dishes. The twins have been pretty active in the womb lately. We have determined that they enjoy McDonald's too. Jenny and I grabbed a bite to eat from their a few days ago and the babies were jumping around when Jenny was eating. I guess they could have been protesting, but I doubt it. They were probably just glad to be eating.
Yesterday's dinner turned out very well. Jenny did a wonderful job preparing the potatoes and a lovely salad. The smoked ham turned out pretty good too. I had a little trouble getting the smoker up to a decent temperature, but I think that was due to my spilling some water into the charcoal pit. Next time I smoke I will have a better idea if this caused the problem or not. Even though it didn't quite get finished on the smoker (we finished it in the oven) it had plenty of great smoke flavor. Our company didn't seem to mind either.
Tomorrow we have another doctor's appointment, however, this one will be pretty uneventful for Jenny and the babies. We're not even going to have an ultrasound done. Unfortunately for me though, I have to have a blood test done. Jenny's blood type is negative and so they need to determine my type. If I am positive, future babies could cause Jenny's body to create antibodies that would attack them. There is a one-time drug that she would have to take to prevent that inter-body war from taking place. I'm not too fond of getting blood removed from my body, so we'll see how that goes.
Today it finally stopped raining and the sun came out. It's actually a very nice day outside. I think I will go attempt to talk Jenny into taking a walk with me.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Smokin' Ham
Tonight Jenny and I are having company over for dinner, and so we have been busy getting ready. I have been busy preparing the smoker for the ham and Jenny has been busy preparing the other items such as potatoes that we will be feasting on tonight. After I get the ham on the smoker, I will need to clean the bathroom. Ah, life in the fast lane!
Jenny has been feeling much better this past week. The blood clot in her leg has been improving and doesn't cause her the pain that she used to have. She is glad to be back to work because she was getting rather tired of being at home all day with nothing to do. She does get tired after work, but that's to be expected from a mother carrying two babies.
Last night I experienced the most active day of baby kicking yet. Jenny was already asleep when I came in, but I placed my hand on her belly and the babies were practicing judo or something. I had never felt them kick with that amount of force or even that often. I hope they weren't fighting with each other! It was sure exciting to feel them kicking like that. Jenny, being the mother, has been feeling them move about and kick for a few months now, but the movement hasn't been strong enough for me. Needless to say, it was a thrill.
Work has been going well for both Jenny and I. She's been busy preparing IEPs for some of her students. She also had to catch up on grading papers for when she missed sometime due to her blood clot. I have been busy with several projects, many of which have been somewhat frustrating because of the time I have invested and the lack of real progress. Sometimes things move slowly because that is the natural cycle of work, but sometimes it is because people aren't communicating properly. Hopefully things will soon turn around and progress will be made.
It has been raining for the last two days and more rain is in the forecast. We need it though. I am just glad I mowed the lawn before it started to rain or I would have had an exceptionally difficult time when it dried out. I am still working on my garden, but haven't had the chance to work lately because of the rain. The weeds are starting to tick me off. I hope to have a nice layout when the babies are born so they can be welcomed properly.
Jenny has been feeling much better this past week. The blood clot in her leg has been improving and doesn't cause her the pain that she used to have. She is glad to be back to work because she was getting rather tired of being at home all day with nothing to do. She does get tired after work, but that's to be expected from a mother carrying two babies.
Last night I experienced the most active day of baby kicking yet. Jenny was already asleep when I came in, but I placed my hand on her belly and the babies were practicing judo or something. I had never felt them kick with that amount of force or even that often. I hope they weren't fighting with each other! It was sure exciting to feel them kicking like that. Jenny, being the mother, has been feeling them move about and kick for a few months now, but the movement hasn't been strong enough for me. Needless to say, it was a thrill.
Work has been going well for both Jenny and I. She's been busy preparing IEPs for some of her students. She also had to catch up on grading papers for when she missed sometime due to her blood clot. I have been busy with several projects, many of which have been somewhat frustrating because of the time I have invested and the lack of real progress. Sometimes things move slowly because that is the natural cycle of work, but sometimes it is because people aren't communicating properly. Hopefully things will soon turn around and progress will be made.
It has been raining for the last two days and more rain is in the forecast. We need it though. I am just glad I mowed the lawn before it started to rain or I would have had an exceptionally difficult time when it dried out. I am still working on my garden, but haven't had the chance to work lately because of the rain. The weeds are starting to tick me off. I hope to have a nice layout when the babies are born so they can be welcomed properly.
Friday, April 21, 2006
The Dillner Blog
In light of recent changes to thedillners.com, Jenny and I have opted to change our website one more time. Hopefully, this last change will provide something more meaningful for our visitors wanting to know about Jenny, the twins and I. The goal is to provide valuable information in an easy-to-use and simple to update format. After testing several versions of the website, we believe we have found an answer that will work the best.
With the much anticipated arrival of the twins, more and more people will want access to our stories and pictures. This blog will help provide that to interested persons. In time, this website will explode with content. We hope everyone will enjoy this documentary of our exciting lives.
Jenny, the twins and I now invite you to join us on our exciting journey, a journey of life.
With the much anticipated arrival of the twins, more and more people will want access to our stories and pictures. This blog will help provide that to interested persons. In time, this website will explode with content. We hope everyone will enjoy this documentary of our exciting lives.
Jenny, the twins and I now invite you to join us on our exciting journey, a journey of life.
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