The Burkett Bundle

One year ago, we wrote our first blog post for the Burkett Bundle. I was 23 weeks along and looking forward to making it to February. Little did I know what the coming weeks actually held for us.

Since the babies were born, I've sat down many times and tried to write their birth story. Each time I end up adding to it, either facts, events or emotions that took place during my five weeks and two days on bed rest, and the day of their birth. I just feel like no amount of words can do justice to the story of how they came into this world, and what was done to try to stop them from coming into it so soon.

Over the next several weeks, I am going to try to share as much as I can from that time, as well as updates on how Karyssa and Kyran are doing now. When it is all done, I hope to have a true birth story to post so that visitors who did not know us can read about what our family experienced.

A year ago from today, I thought I had the perfect pregnancy. The babies were active and growing well. I hadn't had any morning sickness. Sleeping was starting to get uncomfortable, but it was worth it. My main concern was my gestational diabetes.

Although I've spent my life terrified of needles, I quickly got over the finger-pricking and was able to easily give myself my insulin injections four times a day. After the first few weeks of some highs and lows, we finally got my insulin amounts adjusted and I felt ok about it. The problem was my diet.

I've always had a very high metabolism, and have to eat lots of food and even some junk food to maintain my weight. By adding diabetic dietary restrictions to my already limited diet (foods not safe to eat while pregnant and the fact that I'm a very picky eater), I started to lose weight. I did everything that I could to continue to gain and even force-fed myself foods that I couldn't stand.

So, with lots of advice from lots of people, I had finally started to get my diet and eating schedule straight and felt very good about my pregnancy.

On a current baby-related note, I've been on the phone for the past two weeks trying to get everything in order for Kyran and Karyssa to get their ankle braces and any other equipment that they might need. This involves applying for several programs and meeting with the special needs coordinator of our pediatrician's office. It's been a little bit of a confusing mess, but I think things have finally straightened out, and the babies should have their braces within a month.