Baby Update!!

We had another ultrasound/amniotic fluid check on the babies, and the fluid levels on the larger twin have gone down to normal! His heart is also close to normal, and both babies bladders are functioning fine (a big deal with TTTS). They both have strong heartbeats and are very active. I swear they have started wrestling in there. There is still slightly less fluid on the smaller twin, but the level has remained stable, which is a GREAT thing. Chad and I had another consultation with Dr. Bryant, and he is reconsidering his diagnosis of TTTS! He said that there is another condition that causes one twin to outpace the other in growth, and it involved how efficiently each twin is attached to their shared placenta. If one just isn't "hooked up" as well, he will grow slower. This is significant, because this condition does not carry NEARLY as many risks as TTTS as far as mental handicaps, cerebral palsy, preterm labor, heart failure, and all that other yucky stuff. There is no way to treat it, and as long as the wee one is growing steadily, even if slower, you just keep them in as long as possible. With TTTS, you can't leave them in the womb once it progresses past a certain point, since it will kill both of them if left untreated. This is not the case if one is just not getting his fair share of the placenta. So, naturally I am praying that this is the case, especially since I have passed the deadline for surgery for TTTS. There is nothing we can do either way at this point, so I am hoping for Door #2!! He is a very active little baby, even if tiny, and I am sure he is going to be a little fighter no matter what ends up being the diagnosis. (I am starting to think we will just keep guessing till they are born.) He already wrestles his brother and they still manage somersaults much to my discomfort. Sometimes when I worry about him, he starts to kick and squirm as if to tell me he's still fighting in there! His "big" brother likes to climb on him so he is helping to toughen him up as well. Just pray, pray, pray for them. I have had several people tell me they put the babies on their churches' prayer lists. This means the world to us, since I am a big believer in the power of prayer. Their next growth measurements are at the end of this month, so I'll let you know how big they're getting then!