23 Weeks...

Your babies each weigh about one pound and are approximately 11.5 inches head to heel. They are continuing to develop facial features and you are probably feeling a lot of movement as they continue to explore their bodies and each other in the comfort of their own personal "living womb." They now have eyes that open and close, ears that can hear, and thumbs well worth sucking. If you suddenly feel regular, jerky movements, don't panic - one or more of your babies has the hiccups!







*Proportions of the body are now quite similar to a newborn although thinner since he hasn't begun to form body fat.
*Bones located in the middle ear harden.
*Your baby is able to hear. (Dads, did you know: low-frequency sounds mimicking a male voice penetrate the abdomen and uterine wall better than the higher frequencies of the female voice?)
*The eyes are formed, though the iris still lacks pigmentation.
*The pancreas, essential in the production of hormones, is developing steadily. She has begun producing insulin, important for the breakdown of sugars.
*If born now, your baby has a 15% chance of survival, his odds going up with each passing day.
*The average baby at this stage weighs 1.1 pound (501gm) and is 11.38 inches (28.9cm) long.

Another Ultrasound...

Today we went for another ultrasound. It was just a little quick one to try to get some better pictures of the lower baby that the ultrasound tech couldn't get the last time we were there because she was moving around so much. They needed better pictures of the different chambers of the heart and also her profile shot. So they were hoping that today the babies would be in a better position and more cooperative. She was and she wasn't.

They got the photos that they needed of the heart but no profile picture. She just didn't want her picture taken. lol. The girl tried for a little bit but really had no patience for it. At one point I had to sit up and put a cold rag on my neck and head because I thought that I was going to pass out. I guess the lil lovebugs were laying on something that they shouldn't be. She gave us two pictures but I'm not going to worry about posting them because they were pretty crappy shots so I'll just put them in the keepsake box. Like I said the ultrasound tech didn't have much patience and seemed like she was in a hurry.

Both heart rates were perfect, 147 BMP and 144 BPM. She also said that the lower baby is head down already and in position and the second baby is following suit. So hopefully they'll remember that's where they are supposed to be and I'll be good to deliver these babies the good old fashioned way.

We also saw a different specialist today. He was a bit weird. He came in and was talking to us and told us that she got "good enough" pictures of the heart but that the baby was being a "brat" and not cooperating so they could get a profile shot but that he isn't worried about it. I thought it was a bit weird/odd to call someone's unborn baby a "brat" but John just says I'm too sensitive.

So anyway, we go back in another 2 weeks for a full scan so hopefully they babies will both cooperate at that point and give them everything they need. I also hope that we have a different ultrasound tech. The girl we had today was nice and everything just lacked a bit in the patience department.

I am in L.O.V.E.

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).

For My Sweet Baby Girls...

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).

Our Surprise Party...

Well, today we had a surprise party for the babies!!! We had our family over so that we could reveal the sex of the babies. It was such a good time and so much fun! My dear friend Dawn from Dawn's Edible Delights made us a cake and a yummy sweet tray for the occasion. It was awesome!!! She even stayed at the party for a while to talk and hang out which I thought was very special :)

Everyone came over and we had a nice little luncheon. I had made homemade meatballs & gravy which I'm very proud of, they turned out awesome! I used 6 lbs. of ground beef and we didn't have a single meatball left!! I didn't even get any! lol. I also made stuffed shells which were very yummy. We also had potato salad, pepperoni bread & broccoli bread. I just tried to keep it simple and relaxing. My friend Heather made baked ziti & spicy sausage which were both yummy. My sister Sandy made homemade chocolate chip cookies. I also made these yummy treats that were made of saltine crackers, toffee & drizzled chocolate. I never made them before but they were a hit too as there was not one left! haha. Like I mentioned earlier my friend Dawn made a beautiful and yummy cake and a delicious sweet tray that was filled with chocolate covered pretzels, strawberries, pineapples, popcorn, oreos, licorice and marshmallows. Again, all chocolate covered and so yummy! As soon as I opened it up everyone started diving into it like savages and basically trying to fill their pockets with the treats. Yes, it was just that good!!!

So we had lunch and everyone just hung out. Then we brought the cake out and everyone was placing their bets as to what they thought the babies were. We had alot of boy/girl and boy/boy but only 1 girl/girl by Heather. John and I were just laughing because we already knew. So we each got a knife and cut into the cake. It was a two tier cake. We cut into the top layer first and pulled out the slice and it was pink for a girl. So everyone was like Oh, another girl!!! So then we cut into the bottom layer and pulled out the second piece and everyone was like, no way... it's pink!! OMG two more girls!!! It was really so much fun and such a great way to tell everyone our exciting news! Everyone's next question was about names but we're still working on them.

It was just such a great day and I am so thankful for my family <3

3rd Doctor's Appointment...

Today I had my monthly appointment with Dr. D. It went well as far as the babies are concerned but I have to say I was a little annoyed with the doctor by the time I left. I love Dr. D, she has been my ob/gyn for like 18 years (seriously!) but today was my first appointment with her for this pregnancy. So when she came into the room she was like are you kidding me?? So I just laughed and said "I guess you weren't expecting to see me here for this, huh?" and she came back with "You did this on purpose, you wanted more kids." we went back and fourth with it for a little bit and I explained to her what had happened with the birth control pills that she put me on. Her reply was, "well, you just weren't careful enough then." I told her the same thing that I told John... There is a BIG difference between saying that maybe one day I will want more kids and taking a home pregnancy test and getting a positive response! She then proceeded to say "well, you're getting your tubes tied after they are born." I told her that I wasn't getting my tubes tied that John and I have already talked about it and he is going to get "fixed". Dr. D then said when you have your c-section we'll just do it then! I said "no we won't because I'm not having a c-section. I'm going to have these babies the good old fashioned way, just like last time. She then proceeded to look into my file, turned to me and said "well, most twins are born via c-section.. you just lucked out last time. We'll just tie your tubes if you end up with a c-section so then John doesn't have to do it." WHAT???? John is fine with doing it and said it is what he will do.

First off there are a few things that really bother me about this whole conversation...

A. It's no ones business if John and I planned to get pregnant or not. I don't feel that I need to defend that to anyone. It's our choice, not anyone elses.
B. That someone would seriously tell me that I'm getting my tubes tied without me saying it's what I want.

There is so much more wrong with today's appointment but I'm not going to go into it because I'm getting more and more annoyed just by rehashing it here.

Anyway, Dr. D then grabbed her tape measure to measure my belly and the Doppler to find the babies heartbeats. I laid back on the table and she did her measurements and then put the Doppler on my belly and found the first heartbeat. I told her where the ultrasound tech told me the babies were sitting so it might be easier for her to find the heartbeats. She moved the Doppler a little bit and then was like "it's next to impossible to tell the difference in the heartbeats" and that she would see me in 4 more weeks. She said the next appointment will be uneventful but then the next one 4 weeks later will be where they do the sugar testing thing.

I scheduled my next appointment and called John as soon as I walked out of the office to tell him about what happened. He couldn't believe it. Well, actually he could. He said that sometimes Dr. D is just standoffish like that. I'm going to give her the benefit of doubt and maybe she was just having a bad day, or maybe she was on call all weekend and was exhausted. I don't know but I have to say I was a bit upset about the visit.

Both babies are doing well and growing like they should be so that's a good thing and I'm happy.

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).

3rd Ultrasound & the babies are....

Today we went for our 3rd Ultrasound & anatomy scan!!! You know 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. The babies kept jumping into each other’s space so ultrasound tech was having a hard time getting what he needed. The upper baby was posing all over the place after a while. We found out right away what it was. The technician got all of his measurements and everything he needed and then he moved onto the second baby. The lower baby was just all over the place and wouldn’t sit still long enough or was posing in crazy positions. After two hours of trying we found out what the sex of the second baby was and he got mostly everything he needed. We have to go back in 2 weeks so he can try to get better pictures of the lower baby’s heart. Everything was fine with the heart rate and everything; he just couldn’t get a good picture of it because the other baby kept jumping in the way. So we’ll get to see them again in 2 more weeks!!

The babies were waving their hands, kicking their feet and bouncing all around. They are such cutie pies with the cutest little feet and hands. It is just amazing!!! The lil peanuts were 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. So we are stoked because we got to see the lil munchkins and they are both doing great so that's what matters. The ultrasound took forever today and we were there for over 2 hours. Both babies got a good bill of health and are doing awesome! He said they are right where they should be and they both weigh about 10 ounces and 12 ounces. They both have nice strong heartbeats and are doing great. John and I are really happy and excited!!!

When the specialist came in to talk to us he was asking us a bunch of questions about the kids, my pregnancies and deliveries. Once we told him about my other pregnancies he said he isn’t worried about any problems or complications at all. I know how to make a baby. Lol. He did say that the odds of having spontaneous twins back to back was 1 in 8000 and having them back to back to back (because of the twin miscarriage I had in 2009) was 1 in 730,000. He was joking and told us he wanted us to buy his lottery tickets for him and I just laughed and said “yeah, we buy lottery tickets all the time and don’t win!” lol. We’re just blessed in the baby department I guess.

Anyway, I guess you would like to know what they are huh??? They are both baby GIRLS again!!!! I seriously thought it was a boy and a girl but I was wrong AGAIN… it's two girls! So now it’s time to start picking out names. We have a couple of names in mind but we’re still working on it.

It was funny because when we found out it was 2 more girls I felt bad because Aiden really wanted one of them to be a boy. So I looked over at John and was like "we'll just have to have one more and hope for a boy for Aiden to have a brother" John looked at me and was like "No, the shop is closed!! If you want to outsource another pregnancy from someone else it's fine but he better have the money to take care of the baby." "He said that he would be happy to raise someone elses child but he isn't paying for it." The ultrasound tech was peeing his pants laughing! I bet he never heard a conversation like that during an ultrasound before! lol.

We totally have everything we’re going to need because we already have a set of twin girls and kept everything!!! 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!

This works awesome because now all of 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, he already is. I think he is going to be a little disappointed because he really wanted a sister and a brother but I'm sure he will be OK. I feel a little bad about it because he is going to be the only boy.

We’re keeping the sexes of the babies a secret this time and we’re going to have a little family luncheon at our house on Sunday to tell everyone the news. It will be fun! It just sucks because we have to wait like a week before we can tell anyone. Everyone keeps asking me what the sexes are so I just keep fibbing and telling them that the ultrasound isn’t until next Monday so we can get through the party on Sunday. I know, I’m a brat. lol

Here are some of the pictures from today's ultrasound. The first two are of upper left baby and the second two are of the lower right baby. Enjoy!!!

Dear Babies...

Dear baby “A” and baby “B”...

Tomorrow afternoon we are going to have another ultrasound and get more pictures taken. We can't wait 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 or one of each! Mommy thinks that there is a girl & boy in there but she is usually wrong about these things. So we'll see if i'm right this time or not. See you tomorrow!!!!

Love,
Mommy