4th Doctor’s Appointment…

This morning we had our 4 week check-up with the doctor and everything is going really well. I talked to her about how tired I am, my hips bothering me already and the bad cramps and stomach tightening that I had the other night. She basically said unfortunately they are all common and there’s nothing she can do for me. Haha. So she measured my belly and I’m where I should be. She checked both of the babies heartbeats and they are both nice and strong. She said that in a few weeks she’s going to start sending me for stress tests because she can’t really tell if she is hearing the same heartbeat or the two different beats. She kept going back and forth and then decided that it was two different heartbeats. You could just tell. It was funny because when she was trying to listen to the heartbeat on my right side the baby kicked the Doppler thingy. So we were laughing about that. They are both really active and of course they keep me up all night! You can totally see them kicking and moving around now from the outside of my belly. My belly will just get twitchy and you’ll see it move. It’s crazy but it’s really neat at the same time. I guess that was about it or all I can remember right now. It was a quick and pretty uneventful doctors appointment. Both babies seem to be doing awesome and are right where they belong with nice strong heartbeats. So John and I are happy. We go for our next ultrasound next Thursday and then our next doctors visit in another 4 weeks.

22 Weeks...

Your babies each weigh about 15 ounces, measure just under 11 inches head to heel, and are growing eyelashes and eyebrows. These two latest developments will be a key method of communicating his or her happiness, frustration, confusion, or interest until he or she can talk. Little taste buds are forming on their tongues, and if you are carrying a boy (or two!) the testes begin descending from his abdomen. If you are carrying a girl (or two!) her uterus and ovaries are already formed, as well as all the eggs she will ever produce.







*Your baby weighs close to a pound at this point!
*Your baby can now hear your conversations more clearly than before!When you talk, read, or sing, expect her to hear you. Studies have found that newborns will suck more vigorously when read to from a book they heard frequently in utero.
*Eyelids and eyebrows are fully formed.
*Fingernails have grown to the end of the fingers.
*Be prepared for all those "Why" questions coming! Your baby's brain has entered a stage of rapid growth, especially in what's called the germinal matrix. This structure deep in the middle of the brain serves as a kind of factory for brain cells and disappears shortly before birth. But the brain's amazing expansion program continues until around the five birthday.
*With some help from mom, baby's liver is starting to break down bilirubin, a substance produced by red blood cells.
*If your baby is male his testes begin their descent to the scrotum.
*Primitive sperm have formed and he is producing testosterone.
*Length is 10.94 inches (27.8cm); weight is nearly 1 pound (430gm).

Random Thoughts…

So last night I was up most of the night as I usually am now days, so I just laid there watching Aiden sleep. I seriously love him more than anything in the world. I never thought I could love another human being as much as I love him. I would seriously do anything in the world for him. He’s my heart and soul.

I was also just sitting there thinking about my pregnancy and that I can’t believe that I’m already more than 1/2 way to my due date. I was also thinking about how much things are going to change once the girls get here. I feel like I’ve just adjusted to having Aiden here and we have our daily routines and everything. Once the girls get here I just feel like it’s going to be complete craziness! I love how every morning we wake up and just lay in bed together until Aiden is ready to get up. We just sit there cuddling, talking to one another, and looking at each other. He’s so funny when he’s getting ready to go to sleep he’ll take my hand and put it on his back or butt for me to rub. I guess it’s comforting for him and he knows I’m there. The other night John was saying how he can’t wait until Aiden is a teenager and has a girlfriend because he’s going to tell her about how Aiden used to make his mommy rub his butt to fall asleep. He’s such a torturer! I know that Aiden should be in his own bed by now and out of our bed but I just love having him right there with me. When I can’t sleep and I’m sitting there stressing out and obsessing about anything and everything I just look at him sleeping and I forget about all of the crap. He just makes everything seem ok again. I’ve been getting stressed a little because I haven’t been feeling well and I’m seriously exhausted but no matter how frustrated I get with him when he acts out I still love him more than anything in the world. I know nothing will ever change that.

Aiden just loves to have all of my attention, all of the time so I hope that he’ll be ok with having siblings, he’s such a lil momma’s boy. I’m sure that there will be an adjustment period for all of us and we’ll be fine but these are the silly lil things that I worry about. I guess he’s getting better with it because before when me or John would say Aiden where are the babies and lift up my shirt Aiden would get sort of mad and say nooooo, pull my shirt down, and walk away. Well, yesterday I was getting ready to go out and I said to Aiden where are the babies and he came over and pointed to my belly. I got all smiley and happy so I said Aiden can you give the babies a kiss for mommy and he leaned his head in and set it on my belly. It was so cute! He’s my lil lovebug.

Well, I’m exhausted so I’m going to go and hang out with my favorite boy in the world for a little while.

21 Weeks...

Your babies each weigh approximately 12 ounces and are about 10.5 inches head to heel. We'll be giving your babies' measurements head to heel (as opposed to crown to rump) from now on as they begin to stretch out and accurate, full-body measurements are easier to take. Your babies are busy moving within your uterus, surrounded by amniotic fluid, learning how their arms and legs move, and using their hands to feel their facial features, touch each other and even hold hands, all of which you may be able to see on an ultrasound. If you want to find out the sex of your babies, now is a great time to do so! That is, of course, if you want to know and if your babies cooperate and display that particular information for the sonographer. Even with all of the technology available to us today, the miracle of birth can still hold surprises!





*White blood cells are under production. Leukocytes (or white blood cells) form our body's defense sytems. They help fight infections and diseases.
*Your little one's skin has changed from translucent to become more opaque.
*Your infant's tongue is fully formed. If you were able to peek you might catch your son or daughter practicing giving you a raspberry!
*If your baby is a girl, her womb and vagina are formed. Unlike males, females have a limited supply of eggs in their lifetime. At this point your daughter will have 6 million eggs. This amount decreases to approximately one million by birth.
*Baby swallows more this week. After your baby takes in amniotic fluid, his body absorbs the water in the liquid and moves the rest into the large bowel. This is good practice for his digestive system!
*Wake and sleep periods become more consistent. Some research suggests that baby sets her internal clock to match the outside world's even before birth! Your eating and sleeping habits as well levels of light and noise serve as her signals.
*Length is now measured crown to heel.
*Baby measures about 10.51 inches (26.7cm) and weighs nearly 12.7 ounces (360g).

Neat Stuff...

Congratulations!

Your Due Date Is Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Your conception date was most likely Tuesday, March 11, 2008

You are in Week 21 of your pregnancy and your baby is 19 weeks old. Why is this? A full term pregnancy lasts 40 weeks (280 days), broken down into 13-week trimesters, starting from the first day of your last menstrual period. That's right, you haven't even conceived in what physicians consider to be the first two weeks of pregnancy. You might as well get used to this idea now: Your first day of pregnancy is the first day of your last menstrual period. Ovulation usually occurs two weeks after that, and most women conceive during that time. So as if thinking you may be growing a human being inside of you isn't confusing enough, you are already two weeks pregnant on the day you conceive!

Your Third Trimester will begin 9/2/2008

146 days down, 134 to go!

Fun Birthday Facts

*Your baby's birthstone will be Turquoise
Turquoise (Prosperity)
*Your baby's Astrological Sign will be Sagittarius
*Your baby's Flower is Narcissus or Holly (Indigo, Green, Greenish-Blue)
*Your baby will be born in the Chinese Year of The Rat
*This time next year your baby will be 33 Weeks Old!
*Your baby will start kindergarten in 2014, be old enough to drive a car in 2024, finish high school in 2027, and will graduate from college with the class of 2031, give or take a year. Can you imagine?

A Good Weekend...

The weekend went by way to fast once again. I know that I say it all the time but I just don’t know where time goes anymore.

I am officially “half way” through my pregnancy this week. I know they say twins are considered full term at 37 weeks and sometimes they show up early but I also know that they can go full term to 40 weeks. So I’m just using the 40 week mark. Anyway, I finally gave in and had John take a couple of belly shots the other night. I swear my belly just popped out overnight again. I went to bed not that big and the next morning I woke up and you could definitely tell that I’m pregnant. I feel bad because they were seriously the first belly shots I took this pregnancy. When I was pregnant with Aiden I took belly shots all the time. This time I just haven’t. I’ll try to take a couple of shots every week or at least every other week for the rest of my pregnancy.

The pregnancy is going well, I’m feeling much better. I’m just tired because I don’t sleep much at night. My hips and my back really bother me when I lay down. Soon I’ll have John bring the rocking chair into the bedroom and I’ll just start sleeping in that. I had to do it when I was pregnant with Aiden but I didn’t have to do it until pretty late in my pregnancy. Other than that things are good and the girls are doing well. They are very active and jump around all the time. I can totally feel them now and you can see them if you stare at me belly too. John was all excited he got to see my belly move the other night. I guess soon he’ll be starting to read to them and play them music.

Aiden is doing awesome as always and I can’t believe that he’ll be two the end of next week. My lil boy is growing up so fast! I swear he’s going to be the next Evel Knievel. He has no fear when it comes to most things and does all sorts of crazy stunts. He got his first fat lip the other day by messing around. He fell off the sofa and thank goodness John was right there and made an awesome save because he was going straight down on his head! There’s so much more but we’ll move on to good stuff. On Saturday we went over to our friend Dee’s house and took him in the pool. At first he was scared and got a bit upset so John just held him on the side of the pool and let him ease his way into the water. I guess it took him about 10 or 15 minutes and then he was loving it! He was splashing all over the place and having a great time. Before you ask, no I don’t really have pictures because stupid me forgot m camera. I did take some pictures with my cell phone though. He didn’t like when he splashed the water up into his face and it got in his eyes and mouth but other than that he had a great time! I of course was a nervous wreck and worried the whole time. John on the other hand was cool as a cucumber like always. By the time we got home he was exhausted but he had a great day.

Anyway, I have to go now I have things to do. We’re still trying to get settled into the house and get things in order. We have errands to run and after Aiden wakes up from his nap we have to do dinner. Another day here and gone way too fast. Haha.

20 Weeks...

I'm 1/2 way there!!!! Only 20 weeks to go...

Your babies are each about 6.5 inches crown to rump (about 10 inches head to heel) and weigh approximately 10 ounces. They are now big enough that you may be able to tell when they are awake or asleep based on the level of activity. If you are carrying fraternal multiples, they share approximately 50 percent of their genes, but are no more alike genetically than non-twin siblings so they don't have the same appearance, personality, intelligence level, or rate of growth and development any more than singleton brothers and sisters do.









*You're half way there!
*The rapid growth stage is about over. While things have slowed down, this next stage is vital to survival.
*The baby's heart grows stronger. Find a quiet place, lay flat on your back. Locate your own heartbeat by finding your pulse. Next lay your hand on your belly. You may be able to distinguish the two heartbeats!
*His legs are reaching their relative size. With the increase muscle develop occurring as well, you will start feeling much more than tiny flutter kicks soon!
*Immunities are being transferred from you to your baby now. These immune cells will protect her from viruses you've already had for up to six months after birth!
*The nerve cells for taste, smell, hearing, seeing, and touch are now developing in specialized areas of the brain. Production slows down as existing nerve cells grow larger and make more complex connections.
*Your baby may startle in reaction to loud sounds. Amazingly, she can actually hear noises outside of the womb. Familiar voices, music, and sounds that baby becomes accustomed to during her development stages often are calming after birth.
*If your baby is a girl, her uterus is starting to develop. She has approximately six million eggs in her ovaries. About one million will remain at birth.
*Baby is about 6.46 inches (16.4cm) and weighs around 10.58 ounces (300g).

For my baby girls...

Second ultrasound...

Well, this afternoon we went for our second ultrasound... the "big" one that we've all been waiting for. I have to say that the little munchkins weren't very cooperative when we first got there. Baby "A" had its legs crossed for a while so you couldn't see anything. The technician just skipped that part and got all of the measurements and photos that she needed to get. Then she went back to check in between the baby's legs and found what she was looking for. Baby "A" was waving its hands, kicking its feet and bouncing all around. Such a lil cutie pie with the cutest little feet and hands. It was amazing!!! It was taking forever for her to get all of the measurements and the photos that she needed so after she got done doing all of her measurements and stuff for baby "A" I had to get up and take a lil break. I was getting really uncomfortable and not feeling too well. I just got up and went to the bathroom and got a drink of water then she moved on to baby "B". She got all of the measurements and photos that she needed of baby "B". Then she checked out in between the baby's legs to confirm what she thought she had seen while doing her measurements. Of course after a little while the lil peanuts started doing kickboxing moves all over the place. It was awesome & crazy. They are both so active! I could feel them moving and fluttering all over the place. We got a couple of pretty good pictures to bring home. She had much better ones that she had taken but these are the ones she printed out for us. It's ok though we got to see the lil munchkins and they are both doing great so that's what matters. The ultrasound took forever today and I think we were there for like 2 hours. Both babies got a good bill of health and are doing awesome! She said they are right where they should be and they both weigh about 11 ounces. They both have nice strong heartbeats and are doing great. John and I are really happy and excited!!!

Anyway, I guess you would like to know what they are huh??? They are both baby GIRLS!!!! I seriously thought it was a boy and a girl but I was wrong… it's two girls! So I get to use two of my girl names that I've had forever. I think I had the names picked out before I even met John. Haha. Luckily he likes them! Unfortunately we're already getting a lot of slack about the one name. John and I don't care though, we'll name them what we want. Just like we did with Aiden. I personally love the names and so does John and that's what matters.

We're going to have to buy pretty much all new clothes and stuff because obviously Aiden's clothes won't work for the girls but it's all good. I'll also have to make all new receiving blankets but that's ok too. John and I are really happy, we just wanted everything to be ok and for them to be healthy. Right now everything is looking great! It's awesome because I always wanted a girl and now I got two in one shot!

This works awesome because now the girls will have an awesome big brother to take care of them and protect them. I know Aiden will be an awesome big brother. Of course there will be an adjustment period for him in the beginning because he's such a lil momma's boy but he'll be ok. I have faith in that.

We called all of our family and friends when we got done at the hospital as they were all anxiously waiting to find out what we were having. Everyone is ecstatic and so happy! It's awesome.

Here are some of the pictures from today's ultrasound. The first two are of baby "A" and the second two are of baby "B". Enjoy!!!

The big day...

Today’s the big day! This afternoon we go for our 2nd ultrasound to see the babies. Hopefully both babies will be cooperative and sit still at least for a few seconds to get some good shots for the tech and we’ll be able to find out the sexes. I’m so excited, I can’t wait!!!! I think it’s a boy & a girl. I would love to have two girls and I already have the names picked out but I’m feeling a boy & a girl. I have a list of friends and family members and what they think. It’s about even with a boy and a girl and two girls. It’s funny because no one said two boys. So maybe it’s actually two boys. I guess we’ll find out in a few hours! It honestly doesn’t matter as long as they are both healthy. Well, I gotta go to work now. I’ll let you know how we make out later.

Dear babies...

Dear baby “A” and baby “B”...

Tomorrow afternoon we are going to the hospital to get more pictures taken and to see you both again. Daddy and I are VERY excited! Hopefully if all goes well and you both cooperate for the camera this time we will get to find out if you are a girl or a boy, two girls, or two boys. I know you already know but we want to know too so that we can start buying you all sorts of cool pressies for when you get here. Also, it would be alot easier to call you by names rather than referring to you both as baby “A” and baby “B”. So please do mommy & daddy a big favor and sit still for at least a few minutes during your photoshoot tomorrow so we can see you both and get some good pictures to show everyone. Also if you both could just give us a little peak in between your legs so we can see what's there or what's not there that would be awesome too! haha. Don't be shy, everyone will love you no matter whether your girls or boys.

Love,
Mommy

19 Weeks...

Your babies each weigh approximately 8 ounces and are about 6 inches from crown to rump. The exterior layers of skin tissue are developing to form your babies' one-of-a-kind fingerprints. Even though identical twins (or triplets or quads) may have the same blood type and look exactly alike, they each have unique fingerprints. The amniotic fluid that surrounds your babies allows them to freely move their arms and legs and is also sometimes swallowed to practice digestion.



*Your baby has the same awake and sleep patterns of a newborn. He has a favorite position for sleep and recognizable active and rest periods.
*Throughout baby's body, nerves are being coated with a fatty substance called myelin, which insulates the nerves so that impulses can flow smoothly.
*Scalp hair becomes apparent this week. It has sprouted and continues to grow.
*The milk teeth buds have already developed and over the next few days the buds for the permanent teeth will begin to form behind the milk teeth.
*If baby is female the uterus starts to develop. If you're having a girl, the vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes are in place.
*If it's a boy, the genitals are distinct and recognizable.
*Your baby is swallowing amniotic fluid and his or her kidneys are making urine.
*Your little one's size is around 6.02 inches (15.3cm) and 8.47 ounces (240gm).

3rd Doctor’s Appointment…

Well, this morning we went for our monthly check-up to see how the babies are doing. It was funny because the nurse had asked me if they had done the sequential screening last month when we went for our ultrasound and I said that they tried to do it but said I was too far along so they couldn’t. So she was like, oh ok because there was nothing in the report about it. So I replied, well did they write in there that I’m pregnant with twins and just laughed. She was like no! Congratulations and all of that good stuff. So she wrote a little note in my chart saying that they didn’t do the screening because I was too far along and that it was twins. So then Dr.D came in and was just looking at me and John nodding her head. So John and I just laughed and were like, oh I guess you saw its twins. She was like, were you guys trying?? We replied “no”. Then of course she was making fun of John saying well why weren’t you wrapping it up then and stuff. So we were all laughing about it. She said it was awesome though and at least it was good that God was handing out babies to good people and parents that deserve kids. So that was kind of nice. She was just like wow! It was kind of the reaction that we had. So she went on and did her thing. She talked to us for a while about twins and stuff. She did her measurements of my belly and checked the heartbeats. Both heartbeats were nice and strong so everything is going well. She was saying how twins are considered full-term at 37 weeks. John asked if I had them that early if they would be ok and their lungs would be good and stuff. She then went on to say about how mother nature takes its course and twins develop quicker than a singleton and if I had them at 37 weeks everything would be ok. She said that there would be no need for me to go past 37 weeks. She then proceeded to say something along the lines of we wouldn't let you go past 37 weeks, why would we want you to be uncomfortable like that. Now, me knowing Dr. D the way I do know that she is saying she wants to do a c-section already. I love Dr. D and everything but it seems like she really tries to push c-sections. Well, anyone that knows me knows that I am anti c-section and will absolutely refuse a c-section unless there is something seriously the matter and either the babies or myself are in danger. I just thought it was funny that she goes on and on about mother nature but yet in the next breath is saying that at 37 weeks we’re going to take them because they are considered full term. What the heck happened to mother nature taking care of things??? My feelings are that when the babies, my body and mother nature are ready I know the babies will come on their own.

John and I were talking about it on the way home and I was like, I know she tried the same thing when I was pregnant with Aiden. She wanted to schedule me for a c-section almost 2 weeks before my due date insisting that Aiden was a huge baby and would be too big for me to deliver. She was wrong. I went into labor on my own August 2nd and he was due August 4th. He was born August 3rd. So it was right in time. I guess we’ll see what happens as I get further along but like I said unless my babies or myself are in serious danger I will refuse a c-section again no matter how many hours of labor I have to endure. Anyway, everything went well and both babies have nice strong heartbeats. I go for my next ultrasound next Wednesday and hopefully both babies will cooperate and we’ll be able to tell the sexes. I’m seriously so excited to find out… I can’t wait! Then I go for my next check-up in another four weeks.

On a side note, anyone that knows me well knows that I have crazy dreams and sometimes they come true. Well, last night I was talking to John’s step-mom and we were talking about the babies and everything. She told me that she had a dream that I was having a boy and a girl. I started laughing and said that’s too funny because I had a dream last week that someone asked me what I was having and I said a boy and a girl. His dad still says it’s two girls and John doesn’t care either way. He just wants them to be healthy. I totally agree with him and it honestly doesn’t matter to me, I just want them healthy. In the grand scheme of things that is the only thing that matters. Although, two girls would be nice because I already have the names picked out. I’ve had the names picked out for years now! Whereas, if it is a boy or even two boys I’m totally clueless on what I would use for names and would have to do some serious thinking. Haha. So I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens next week and if mine and Xio’s dreams were right or not.

18 Weeks...

Your babies each weigh about 6.5 ounces and are nearly 14 centimeters long from crown to rump, or about the size of a large pickle. Their digestive systems are starting to produce meconium, their first fecal matter. Some new moms are scared at the sight of it in their newborn's diapers and think something must be wrong with their baby, but it's perfectly normal and will only last a few days after birth







*Vernix (a white cheese-like protective material) forms on baby's skin with the lanugo (soft, lightly pigmented hair covering the body and limbs); both serving to protect your baby's skin during the months in water.
*Your placenta continues to grow and nourish the baby. Don't forget those prenatal vitamins!
*Tiny air sacs called alveoli begin to form in lungs. He'll be putting these lungs to good use in just a few months!
*Her vocal chords are formed. She goes through the motions of crying but without air she doesn't make a sound.
*Features of your baby's heart, including ventricles and chambers, should be visible during an utltrasound.
*Your baby measures about 5.59 inches (14.2cm) this week and weighs about 6.7 ounces (190gm).