T.G.I.F.

It’s been a rough week and I’ve been feeling pretty crappy. I’m just so tired and uncomfortable. I had an appointment today at the radiology place to have that leg Doppler thingy done. It was like the worst day! I went in for my appointment and they called me back. Then it took forever for the girls to call the doctor’s office to confirm that they were supposed to test my legs because the doctor apparently didn’t specify it on the referral and they couldn’t take my word for it. So they finally came back and took me into the room. The tech was a total jerk with no bedside manner or compassion. I had to lay flat on my back for her to do the test which is all fine and good if that’s the only way that they could do it. She proceeded to put the ultrasound gel from my ankle to my groin and had to keep pressing the Doppler on different parts of my legs and squeezing my leg at the same time. I guess it was to make sure that once blood flow stopped it started again? Anyway, there was a point where she started pressing on my belly and I was like WTF!!! So she was like oh, I’m sorry I forgot you were pregnant. I was just laying there like you have to be kidding me. I look like I’m about 11 months pregnant at this point! She finished my right leg and went onto my left leg. She soaked me with the ultrasound gel from ankle to groin again. She was doing the same thing, going up and down my leg with the squeezing and pushing. A couple of times she pushed on my belly again and when I jumped she would say… I’m sorry, force of habit. She finished the test and was like we’ll send a report to the doctor by the end of the day and they’ll go over the results with you. Then she proceeded to finish up with just clean your legs up with the drape, get dressed, and I’ll meet you in the hall to show you out. Now remember I’ve been laying flat on my back for like a half hour now if not more. Before I could say anything she was gone and out the door. So there I laid like a turtle stuck lying its back trying to figure out how I was going to sit up and get up off the table. I don’t know if I was more pissed or upset. I hate how huge I feel and that I can’t do a lot of simple things by myself right now. It’s like I just don’t and can’t bend in half because my belly is so big. I need help doing a lot of stupid stuff like putting my socks on or trying to dry the lower part of my legs after I get out of the shower. I just feel stupid and helpless. Anyway, I finally got myself up, cleaned myself up the best I could and got off the table. I did it with much difficulty but I did it, got dressed and I left.

I had to go back into the office after I was done my appointment. When I got there I was so hot. My office felt really stuffy and warm and anytime I would ask anybody about it they would say no, it’s fine in here. So the day went on and I just wasn’t feeling well. By the end of the day I was seriously sweating and felt like I was about to throw up! I was getting terrible cramps and pains in my belly. All I could think of was like, oh no this is it and I’m not ready yet! I just sat there drinking water and trying to relax because I still had to drive home. As soon as I started feeling better I left. I called John and told him I was on my way home so he would know.

We tried to get Aiden dressed to go trick or treating but he didn’t want to. So we go him dressed and managed to snap a couple of pictures but didn’t go out. We ended up going to my sister’s house for dinner and just hung out for a while. I still had pains in my belly and pretty bad cramps. At this point I don’t know if I’m going to make it through the weekend without the girls showing up. I guess we’ll see what happens…

30 Things That Change When You Have a Baby...

1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.

2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.

3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.

4. You respect your body ... finally.

5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.

6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.

7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.

8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.

9. Your heart breaks much more easily.

10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.

11. Every day is a surprise.

12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)

13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.

14. You become a morning person.

15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.

16. You discover how much there is to say about one tooth.

17. You finally realize that true joy doesn't come from material wealth.

18. You now know where the sun comes from.

19. You'd rather buy a plastic tricycle than those shoes that you've been dying to have.

20. You realize that although sticky, lollipops have magical powers.

21. You don't mind going to bed at 9 p.m. on Friday night.

22. Silence? What's that?

23. You realize that the 15 pounds you can't seem to get rid of are totally worth having.

24. You discover an inner strength you never thought you had.

25. You no longer rely on a clock — your baby now sets your schedule.

26. You give parents with a screaming child an 'I-know-the-feeling' look instead of a 'Can't-they-shut-him-up?' one.

27. Your dog — who used to be your 'baby' — becomes just a dog.

28. You take the time for one more hug and kiss even if it means you'll be late.

29. You learn that taking a shower is a luxury.

30. You realize that you can love a complete stranger.

35 Weeks...

Your babies weigh about 5 pounds each and stretch out to 17 inches and stem cells in their bone marrow continue to produce red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets to maintain a healthy immune system, but there is not really any development remaining for arms, legs, brain or organs. Your babies will simply continue to add that adorable baby fat as they ready for their big debut.

Twins are usually born within an hour of each other. The average birth weight of twins is 5 pounds, 5 ounces, but there may be a difference of two to three pounds between the twins' birth weights. And even though twins and multiples are smaller and weigh less than singleton babies at birth, studies have shown that multiples catch up to their singleton counterparts quickly and by age four, they are the same height.





*The average baby weighs almost five and a half pounds now.
*Most babies born now will survive and without many long-term problems.
*Fat accumulations plumps up the arms and legs this week. These layers of fat will help her regulate her body temperature. They also provide those cute little dimples on elbows and knees!
*Her hearing is fully developed, so be sure to talk to your daughter. Do you find yourself speaking in a high-pitched tone? That's okay since some studies show babies respond better to higher pitches.
*It's getting crowded! Your baby is now taking up most of the uterus and you may even feel like your chest has run out of room! Soon enough though, baby will move down and you'll be able to breathe easily again (just not walk so easily! Ha!).
*Your baby is 18.2 inches (46.2cm) long and weighs 5.3 pounds (2383gm).
*The testes have completed their descent in males.

8th Doctor’s Appointment…

We went to the doctors today for our two week check-up and everything is still going really well with my pregnancy and the girls. I only gained 1 lb. in the last two weeks, so I was happy about that. My blood pressure was really good and I’m now measuring 41 weeks pregnant. I wonder how big that is? I’ll have to pull out the measuring tape and see.

Anyway, Dr. D made a comment about how big the girls are measuring according to the ultrasounds. I’m not worried about it because Aiden measured “big” my whole pregnancy and they swore I wouldn’t be able to deliver him because he was going to be like a 10 or 11 lb. baby and when he was born he was only 8 lbs. 9.6 oz. so they were very wrong. The girls might just be long like Aiden was.

John and I asked her a couple of questions about different things that have been going on with me. One of them being how bad my left leg and foot will swell up. It’s crazy because it will only swell on my left side from my knee down to my toes and no matter how much I keep my feet elevated and stuff it will stay swollen like that for a couple of days and then it just kind of dissipates. I also get numbness in my foot and pins and needles in my left foot when it happens. It has happened to me like 2 or 3 times. So she checked my legs and feet and said she wants to send me for a leg doppler to check for any blood clots or anything Just to rule it out and make sure that there isn’t anything going on. So I have to go and have that done next Friday. I also asked her about the “clicking” or “cracking” noise that I hear everyone in a while coming from my belly when the girls are moving around. She laughed at me and told me it’s impossible. Haha. I told her that John has heard it so I’m not lying, it’s true. She just laughed and said that she’s never heard of that but John and I are weird so maybe that’s why. We also talked about the position of the babies and I told her that at my last ultrasound they were both head down. Well, at least baby “a” is head down low in my pelvis and baby “b” is as head down as she can get with the amount of room that she has in there. Dr. D said that’s great and if they stay in that position we can go ahead and proceed with a vaginal birth and hopefully when baby “a” comes out baby “b” will either fall head down or they will be able to turn her to a head down position for her to come out. I was shocked because Dr. D seems like she always wants to do c-sections because it’s easier, more convenient, and stuff like that. She’s the one that once we found out I was pregnant with twins she said we would just schedule a c-section once the babies hit full term (37 weeks) so I wasn’t uncomfortable. Which I thought was ridiculous and would have refused it but I’m happy that there was no discussion of a c-section this time and she seemed pretty confident with me being able to have a vaginal delivery. Oh, and she found the girls heartbeats right away and you could definitely tell they were two different heartbeats. She just asked what the position of the girls was last time we had an ultrasound was and John showed her where the heads were and she found the heartbeats right away. They were both good strong heartbeats.

I go back in another two weeks for my next check-up. Dr. D said that she’ll do my Group B Strep test at that point. Then I start going for my check-ups every week until the girls decide to make their appearance. That same week I’m also scheduled to have my next ultrasound and to also start having my non-stress tests. I wonder if I’ll make it that long or if the girls will show up before then?

34 Weeks...

Your babies are tipping the scales at just under 5 pounds a piece and are about 17 inches from head to heel. You are now carrying more weight than a mother of a singleton at 40 weeks - no wonder you're so tired! The protective vernix coating on your babies' skin is becoming thicker, but the lanugo hair is almost gone. Although a c-section delivery is very possible, nearly half of all twins are still delivered vaginally, and your babies are getting into position (hopefully head down) for the big day. They may present in one of several combinations:

*Both babies may be head down

*The bottom twin may be head down and the upper twin may be breech, or vice versa

*Both babies may be breech

*Both babies may be sideways (transverse)

*One baby may be transverse and the other may be either breech or head down.

However, the most common presentation is the first twin is head down and the second is breech or transverse. If your babies are in the breech position, your health care provider will continue to monitor your babies' positions in the hopes that they will turn. If they don't, a c-section will most likely be recommended.







*Your baby acts completely like a newborn, with her eyes opened when awake and closed when sleeping. You may also find her settling into more of a routine for sleeping & awake times.
*She has learned to blink. She can also see more clearly when there is a bright light on your stomach and probably has the outline of all your organs memorized!
*Antibodies from your blood are being tranferred to her. These immunities continue to build until birth. Then breastmilk will add even more protection against disease.
*Your baby may have already turned to a head-down position in preparation for birth. *If she is your first baby, she may be settling into the pelvis with her head pressing against your cervix.
*Fingernails have reached the end of the fingertips now. She may scratch her face even before she is born!
*Your little one's length is 17.7 inches (45cm) and weight is 4.7 pounds (2146 g).

Baby Shower Surprises part 2...

Ok, so yesterday morning we woke up and had a very busy day planned. I had a nail appointment, we planned to take Aiden to the pumpkin patch, he needed a nap at some point, we had planned to do stuff around the house and then we were supposed to be going to a Halloween party.

I got up and got showered and ready to start my day. John and Aiden were downstairs eating breakfast and while I was getting ready, John came upstairs and was liked “what are you wearing to Dee’s party?” My reply was something along the lines of “I don’t know something that fits.” He just laughed at me and then stood there while I continued to get dressed. I thought it was a little weird because seriously who would care what I wore to a Halloween party? He eventually went back downstairs and I finished up with getting ready. I went downstairs, gave them both a kiss goodbye and left for my nail appointment. After my nail appointment I had a couple of errands to run and then while I was on my way home John sent me a text message saying that Aiden had just fallen asleep. So I sent him a text back saying that it was ok, and I was driving home so I would be home soon. When I got home we sat out in the living room just talking while Aiden slept out in the family room on the sofa.

Aiden woke up a little while later so we went out to sit with him. I of course gave him a big hug & kiss and told him how much I missed him. It is so crazy because I would seriously rather be home hanging out with Aiden than doing anything else. I hate having to leave him and I think about him and miss him the whole time I’m gone. No matter what I’m doing all I think about is how much I can’t wait to get home to see my lil munchkin. Anyway, back to the day. After Aiden woke up I made us all lunch and then we ate together. Needless to say that by the time we got done it was too late to go to the pumpkin patch. So I was pretty bummed about that but there just wouldn’t have been enough time. Oh, and while Aiden was eating his lunch he rubbed his hand on my belly and got something on my shirt. John got all upset about it and I told him who cares, I would try to get it off and if it didn’t come off I would just have to change. It of course came off and once the spot dried you couldn’t even tell.

My sister Sandy called to see what time we were leaving for the party and was like “well call me when you leave so that I know you guys are on your way. We’ll watch out for you and I’ll have someone help you carry all of your stuff inside.” So we got ready and headed out to the “Halloween” party. We pull up to Dee’s house and my sister TJ came out of the house wearing her halloween costume to help us get inside. We walk in the house and once we hit the kitchen it was decorated in pink and white, with baby girl banners everywhere, and everyone yelled surprise. It was really nice. There was just immediate family from both mine and John’s side and a few close friends there. It was perfect. Everyone had a great time, everyone gave us lots of really awesome stuff for the girls. Some people even brought Aiden a couple of small gifts so that he didn’t feel left out. It was just a great day with lots of surprises and good times with family and friends. I am very thankful for the family and friends that we have.

I seriously had no idea that my family was going to throw a shower for us. It was so awesome of them and so much appreciated! John and I had made a baby registry of things that we would need a couple of months ago so that we knew what we needed to buy and then so that for our birthdays and the holidays people could just buy us stuff for the girls. We personally don’t need anything so I would rather them give us stuff that we need which is stuff for the girls. It just makes more sense.

We had to have help bringing everything home because it wouldn’t fit in the truck. Now it totally looks like Babies”R”Us threw up in our living room. Haha. So now we have a ton of things to do and LOTS of laundry to do.

Baby Shower Surprises...

Today my family threw a baby shower for us. I seriously had no idea they were even going to have a shower for me. It was really awesome and they did a great job in planning it and decorating and just everything. We got a lot of awesome stuff for the girls off of their registry, beautiful handmade gifts, and then just stuff people bought us. We have a very awesome family and awesome friends and for that we are very thankful.

I'll try to write more tomorrow as I'm exhausted and it has been a long day.

33 Weeks...

It's getting cramped in there...
Your babies are approximately 17 inches from head to heel, each weighs about 4.25 pounds, and you are probably all very aware that it is getting more and more cramped in there. Your babies' adrenal glands have developed and are producing hormones that stimulate your breasts to lactate. If you are thinking about food more in this home stretch, consider that seafood can boost the development of your babies' brain, which will develop most during the ninth month. However, the FDA recommends you consume no more than one serving per month of shark or swordfish due to potentially higher levels of methyl mercury found in these fish. And be sure to select a fish that isn't overfished. Check out this seafood guide to find sustainably-harvested fish.





*Amniotic fluid is at its highest level during your pregnancy.
*Your baby's head size has increased 3/8ths of an inch due to rapid brain growth.
*Neurons and synapses are developing in huge numbers -- forming connections in your baby's brain will give her the skills she needs to thrive as a newborn. This week, she may be able to coordinate sucking and swallowing with breathing.
*While most of her bones are hardening, her skull is quite pliable and not completely joined. The bones will be able to move slightly to make birthing easier.
*Your baby takes intermittent deep breaths -- of water! That's okay, though since she gets oxygen from the placenta. This breathing exercises muscles and encourages her lung cells to produce more surfactant (a protein essential for healthy lung development).
*If your baby is a boy, his testicles will be descending from his abdomen into his scrotum. Sometimes one or both testicles won't move into position until after birth.
*Your infant is now 17.2 inches (43.7cm) long and weighs 4.23 pounds (1918gm).

My dear baby girls...

I’m sorry that I have been such a slacker with writing to you both and trying to keep up with your blog. Your big brother keeps me really busy and then with mine & daddy’s work schedule and us trying to get things ready before your arrival it just seems like there is no time. It seems like just yesterday that I found out that I was pregnant and then once we found out that there was actually two of you in there, well it just seems like a blur since then.

Anyway, this weekend daddy and I cleaned a bunch of stuff up and worked on getting things ready for you both. Both of your cribs are totally set up and I just have to finish washing your crib bedding. We got your dresser for your bedroom. We are going through all of the blankets that I made for you girls and picking out our favorites. Mommy got a little carried away with making flannel receiving blankets because I couldn’t decide which fabrics I liked best. I honestly think that I’ve made like 75 blankets. Haha. You girls have everything from puppy dogs, to stars & moons, hello kitty, care bears, tinkerbell, teddy bears, tattoo print, skulls, princess themed, pink & purple camouflage and so much more. I just loved all of the fabrics and I couldn’t decide. So needless to say I’m not going to have to make receiving blankets for quite some time. We went through a bunch of clothes that people have given us and that we bought and now I just have a ton of laundry to do! I want to have your nursery finished today but it might be more like by Wednesday or maybe Saturday at the latest. It’s going to be a really busy week for mommy and daddy. I just want to have everything ready for you both.

You girls are due to make your appearance in a little over 7 weeks but I don’t think that you are going to wait that long. I think that you are going to show up early! Daddy and I were talking and saying how awesome it would be if you showed up on Halloween. Wouldn’t that be cool to celebrate your birthday on Halloween? I would be almost 36 weeks pregnant at that point so I would be pretty far along for carrying twins. Just a lil something for you two little lovebugs to keep in mind, Halloween is also daddy’s favorite holiday.

You girls have been the biggest squirm monsters ever lately!!! You both move around so much and I have to say sometimes I get a little freaked out about it. I seriously can’t imagine what the heck you’re doing in there! Hopefully you girls aren’t fighting already. I know how crazy sisters can be I have 3 of my own. It isn’t just the usual kicks or punches. That really doesn’t bother me. It is something weird, like very fast and fluttery but VERY noticeable movement or something. I can feel every little squirm of it from the inside and sometimes it actually makes me feel a little nauseous. I honestly can’t describe it. It’s just really weird feeling to me.

Anyway, everyone is anxiously awaiting your arrival & so excited that you’re going to be here soon. There’s only 7 weeks and 2 days left until you get here. That is if I make it that long, which I don’t think you girls will. What are the odds of you waiting until December 2nd??? I’d say slim to none. I’m sure that you girls be early. Just remember Halloween would be a cool birthday. I love you lots and I'll be seeing you before you know it.

Love,
Mommy

5th Ultrasound…

We went this afternoon for our monthly ultrasound. Everything is going really well and both girls are progressing the way they should be. Of course Baby “B” was being very uncooperative for the ultrasound tech, which we weren’t surprised. She’s been like that since the beginning. John was like, oh I guess she’s going to be a bitch like her mommy. Haha. The girls both had nice strong heartbeats and great blood flow through the umbilical cord. Both babies are measuring in at 4 lbs. 15 oz. each which the doctor said is kind of big and I’m in the 68th percentile. He then said that it’s unheard of that both babies would be measuring the exact same weight but that it’s ok because it is a good thing. Baby “A” is still head down and Baby “B” is head down but higher up in my abdomen. So I was really happy about that. Hopefully they will stay in that position so I can avoid the c-section. It looks like they are getting so cramped up in there and have like no room to move. I of course know they move and dance all over the place like crazy! My belly was dancing all over the place while they were doing the ultrasound. Plus, I was having a hard time sitting still because my belly is getting really sensitive to touch and I’m really ticklish. I was squirming almost as much as the girls were. We got a couple of pictures of Baby “A” which weren’t very clear but I’ll post them anyway but none of Baby “B” again. She just wouldn’t sit still or get in the position for the tech to get a shot of her.

I go back in 4 weeks for another ultrasound to check the babies out and make sure they are still growing the way they should be. The doctor also said he wants me to start doing the non-stress tests at that point so that they can monitor their heartbeats for a bit and make sure that they are both ok. They said I will just sit there for like an hour or so in a recliner with a monitor on listening to the girls heartbeats. Four weeks will put me at 36 weeks, I wonder if I will make it that far.

Oh, I'll also post a 32 week belly shot since I've been a complete slacker and haven't posted any belly shots yet for this pregnancy.

32 Weeks...

Settling Down...
Your babies are both just under 17 inches long from head to heel and each weighs almost 4 pounds. Just like newborns, your babies sleep most of the time. They even experience rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the period of sleep when we dream!









*Your baby is up to 3.75 pounds (1702gm) now and is 16.7 inches (42.4cm) long.
*You might notice he's not moving around as much now. Don't worry! He is fine -- just running short on room. He still has plenty of growing to do though, believe it or not!
*All five senses are working. Your little one is fascinated and practicing testing these out as much as possible!
*Toenails are completely formed even though he may not be quite ready for a French manicure.
*Hair on your infant's head continues to grow in. Will he have dad's black hair or your red hair?
*Brain scans have shown that babies have periods of dream sleep (REM) starting around the eight month. What do you suppose your son is dreaming about?

7th Doctor’s Appointment…

I went to the doctors this morning for my check-up and everything seems to be going well. All of my test results from my last visit came back good. My blood work was all good, the glucose screening test was good, and there was something else but I forget what it was but that was good too. She said my Fundal height is measuring 39 weeks but that is as expected because of me being pregnant with twins. I was like OMG how big am I going to get??? Ha ha. My blood pressure is good, my weight gain is good. She said that all of the bad cramps that I’ve been getting are normal because my uterus is just stretching so much. She did have a hard time finding the heartbeats but didn’t seem too concerned about it because she said she heard lots of movement in there. She eventually found the one heartbeat and I think the second heartbeat very faintly. I go back to see her in 2 more weeks and she said that she will start sending me for a non-stress test once a week so that we make sure both babies are doing well and they can accurately check the girls heartbeats. I go tomorrow afternoon for another ultrasound so we’ll get to see the girls in action then and they’ll be able to get the heartbeats on their monitor. Of course they are still moving around like crazy! Like I said before I either have a couple of gold medal gymnasts or world champion kick boxers in there! Haha. My belly does all sorts of crazy jumps and twitches.

I’m still really tired because at night I just can’t get comfortable because my hips are bothering me so bad. They are actually starting to crack and pop when I get out of bed at night and it hurts like hell. One or both of the girls must also be laying really low because when I walk up steps, try to get into bed, or have to lift my legs I feel a whole bunch of pressure pushing down on my crotch area. Last night I was getting really bad cramps and John was like “are you ok” and I replied yeah, I just have bad cramps again. Then I proceeded to tell him that I sure hope I don’t go into labor anytime soon. As much pain as I am in as and as uncomfortable as I am.... I still need at least 3 more weeks to finish getting ready! Haha. Actually I still don’t know if I’ll be ready then but that’s what I’m shooting for.

Anyway, tomorrow we go for another ultrasound to see the girls. So we are excited about that and I guess I’ll be posting another update then.