26 weeks! A 2 week catch up blog!

I decided not to do a blog last week because honestly I didn't have a whole lot of exciting things to report besides my weekly picture, and I didn't want to bore you.  So now I get to catch up on 2 weeks in my life of my pregnancy!  Two weeks ago began my 24th week of pregnancy and that is when I began to feel and see a lot more action inside and outside my belly.  The girls are kicking like crazy!!  Sometimes they seem to be awake at the same time which is a little overwhelming for my belly with all the kicking and moving, and sometimes just A is awake and moving and sometimes just B is awake.  And then there are other times when one is awake for a bit and will wake up the other one.  How can I tell which is which?  Well, Baby A is very low down in my belly and further back so when she moves or kicks is isn't as strong and it is much lower on my abdomen.  Baby B is laying horizontal across my belly button and feels like she is going to push through the surface of my skin at any moment.  When they move it is so reassuring to me to know that everything is ok.

So during week 24 I did get somethings accomplished on my list of, "things to do before the babies arrive!"  Those things included meeting with our first of 4 pediatrician interviews, in order to find a doctor we love for the girls.  The first pediatrician came highly recommended from our current OB.  Her office is directly across the hall in the hospital from his.  She was a very nice woman originally from Egypt, but I have to admit I totally judged her based upon her looks when we first met.  Because honestly... she looked like mother Teresa.  She had this strange knit cap/beanie thing over her hair and this very oversized men's button down shirt on.  It was weird.  And her accent was quite strong and I found myself at times having a very hard time understanding her.  But......she really seems to know her stuff and really seems to love children and works with lots of sets of multiples.  She was very knowledgeable and her voice was very calming.  Now, I never met mother Teresa, but I imagine this is how she would have made you feel after talking to her, very calm and assured.  Justin and I left the office and both admitted that we pre-judged her based upon looks, but overall she seems like a kind, caring, knowledgeable doctor.  Are we going to pick her?  If I'm totally honest....probably not, but she isn't totally out of the running.

Also completed on my list I mentioned above was a meeting with our insurance guy to discuss life insurance.  And since I know NOTHING about life insurance I thought it would be good for Justin and I to get informed and think about our options.  The meeting was very informative and I now understand how it all works and what our options are.  We haven't pulled the trigger on anything yet, but at least we know what we need to do when we decide.  So at least we are half way there.

During this week I also enjoyed 2 great meals with friends including my corner girls lunch on Monday, which has turned into a 3 hour affair that I love!  And a dinner with some close girl friends  on Thursday at this cute little Mexican place.  It is just so nice to get out of the house to see friends and catch up.  Because honestly I spent most of my 24th week tired and exhausted at home.

Saturday the 14th, Justin and I took a 4 hour infant care class.  The class included teaching about how to bathe a baby properly, diapering, feeding, CPR, what they do to the baby in the hospital after it is born and some other bits of information.  Was the class informative?  Well, you know I am a detailed perfectionist, so in my opinion it wasn't that great.  Why?  Well the nurse instructor was an idiot.  I'm sorry, but the first sentences out of her mouth were that she hadn't been around babies in years because her youngest child was 11 years old.  I mean why would you say that and why are you teaching this class then??  And every question anyone asked, she didn't know the answer and just had this blank stare/smile on her face.  Oh, and that's another thing, 4 out of the 6 couples in the class seemed CLUELESS as well and asked the stupidest questions that anyone could answer!!  ANYONE!!  Even someone with no baby experience could answer!!  One stupid guy even asked 2 questions and answered the question himself before he had even finished asking the questions!!  So needless to say the stupidity in this room was running rampant!  I mean... have none of these couples picked up a book or gotten online or asked friends anything about pregnancy or babies!!??  What did I get out of the class you ask?  Well, I realized that Justin and I are WAY more prepared and informed than most out there, so that gave me a sense of peace.  We also thought the CPR portion was informative.  I am not trying to toot my own horn, but I think the 2 of us could have taught the class better.

Sunday the 15th marked the start of my 25th week of pregnancy.  I spent the day working on things in the nursery and running errands.  Monday I got to have another wonderful pregnancy massage with Gary.  Is Gary as good as the lady in Colorado?  Sorry to say, but no he isn't.  But it still felt amazing and really seems to help my lower back, hips, legs and feet.  After the massage I also went for my weekly chiropractor adjustment which also is really helping the pain in my heels and my back.

Tuesday of the past week I interviewed the second pediatrician on our list of recommendations.  She is also middle eastern, but her accent is only slight, so she is very easy to understand.  Justin couldn't go on this interview, so I was on my own to form an opinion.  This doctor was younger than the first, and much more spunky, happy, laughing and overall just seemed to have more energy.  I loved her views and opinions on things and she also seemed very knowledgeable and works with many sets of twins and triplets.  So based on these 2 so far I like her the best.  2 down, 2 to go before we make a decision.

Wednesday we had our 2 week doctor appointment and ultrasound.  When I got there I was informed that I would be doing my glucose tolerance test this time in order to make sure I don't have gestational diabetes.  They gave me this super sweet fruit punch flavored drink (which tasted like hawaiian punch with too much sugar).  I drank it in a few gulps and I was told I would have my blood drawn 1 hour from that time.  In the meantime we began the ultrasound with another new tech.   I told her right away that I couldn't lay flat on my back because I would either pass out or throw up.  She said that was fine and I switched back and forth from side to side throughout the ultrasound.  This checkup we were due for a growth report on the babies, so the ultrasound takes longer because they have to do all of the measurements several times to get an average and then multiply that times 2.  I felt like she was pushing really hard on my belly with the ultrasound thingy and I knew I was going to be sore tomorrow.  More on that later...  She also checked their heartbeats and said they look great and strong.  And I was shocked at how big the babies are measuring.....Baby A is weighing 1 lb 13 oz, and Baby B is weighing 1 lb 15 oz, so they are both right under 2 lbs.  That means they have both gained 14 oz or about a pound in a month!  WOW, they are growing fast! The ultrasound tech also said that both of their thigh bones are measuring in the 80th percentile for length, so it looks like we are going to have 2 tall supermodels on our hands!! Ha ha!

On to the doctor portion of the appointment.  He said everything looks great and couldn't be any better!!  Well that is except for the fact that I only gained 1 lb in 2 weeks, for a total weight gain of 12 lbs.  Again, though he said he can't complain too much because the babies are big and healthy, but he just wishes I could gain more.  We again discussed my aversion to most foods and just not being hungry, and still having slight nausea some evenings.  The nurse then came in and took my blood for the glucose testing, and also tested for some other things like Iron levels as well.  Justin held my hand and I didn't waiver or even cry.  Guess I am getting braver at this needle stuff after all.  I then asked the doctor about my joint pain in my fingers which seems to be getting worse.  It is very hard to make a fist and grabbing things and writing is a little difficult.  He said it was common for women to get carpal tunnel when pregnant.  Great! He said we would keep an eye on it and if it continues to get worse he will give me little wrap braces to wear on my arms.  Ummm, I don't know about that, but we will see if the pain gets worse.   People already stare at pregnant women like me as it is, so I'm not sure I need another reason for them staring at me.  I also told him about my back pain which he said is also quite normal and to continue with the massages and chiropractor adjustments.  (I forgot to mention my chiropractor also mentioned these belly wrap things that help with lower back support, which I think I am going to get).  I also expressed my concern to him again about being scared to deliver these babies either vaginally or c-section, but my biggest fear was having both, which is referred to as a double whammy.  He reassured me that he doesn't believe that both are necessary in most cases and has a very low rate of having to perform both.  After our discussion and some other things he said I think I am totally leaning towards a c-section and he said he is ok with whatever decision I make.  The last thing he did was had me lean back like usual to feel my belly and measure it.  And I think I have mentioned before he pokes really hard on the lower outer sides of my belly and it hurts because it is very tender there.  Then he measured my belly and it is measuring..........34cm!!  yes, that's right I am measuring at the belly of a 34 week woman having 1 baby!  Wow, crazy!!

Thursday was tough because I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach a bunch of times.  It was super sore and hurt to move around a lot.  I am sure it was a combination of the doctor poking and the ultrasound.  But I was super excited because the nursery furniture got delivered!!  Yay!!  It looks amazing, except for the fact that one of the cribs has a defective screw housing, that I am now working on getting fixed next week by the manufactors service tech.  I sat in the room for quite awhile after it was delivered just staring at it, because it made things feel even more real.  I'm so excited to start the decorating in there!

Friday my belly was still pretty sore, so I didn't do much, but I did walk in the nursery about 50 times because it actually looks like a nursery now with the cribs in it!  Crazy!  Can't believe it!  Yesterday, Justin and I ran some more errands for house and baby things to cross off our list and then last night we had our maternity photo shoot.  I was really nervous at first (not sure why), that's just how I am.  We actually had the same photographer who did our wedding do the shoot.  She will also do all of our newborn and first year pictures.  I had forgotten how amazing she is and what a fun, kind, vibrant personality she has until she walked in the door last night.  And right away my nerves went away, and for 2 hours around our house and at the park down the street she took the most amazing pictures!  I am just so excited to capture this time in our lives and I can't wait to see the pictures because I know they will be amazing!  I will definitely share once we get them from her.

Oh and I got my blood test results back on Friday afternoon and I DON"T have diabetes!!  Yay!!  My level was 132 which is completely in the normal range.  She said my iron levels were slightly low and that is normal for twin pregnancies, but not low enough yet that I need to do anything.  She said in probably a month I will start taking iron supplements.  Add another pill to the mix! (I already take 8 pills a day)

Whew......and that brings me to today which is the beginning of my 26th week of pregnancy.  Can you believe the babies could be here in as few as 10 weeks??  Wow, time is flying when I say that out loud.

I have lots of pictures to share this week.  Enjoy!

Last week's belly photo.  Babies are the size of cauliflowers

Another shot of my big ol' belly

A close shot of Baby A's face

Profile of Baby A

Another profile of Baby A

Baby B is much harder to get pictures of because she moves so much, but here is an alien shot of her face.

Yay, the cribs and gliders are here!  Let the decorating begin!

A shot of the gray glider.  The other glider will go in our living room.

I have to include an adorable pic of my handsome hubby and my furry babies posing.  And no I didn't pose them like this or even use dog treats!

Babies are the size of heads of lettuce weighing just under 2 lbs each

Wow, it looks bigger just compared to a week ago!

  

How far along?  26 weeks today

Total weight gain/loss:  12lbs gained, all belly thank goodness!

Maternity clothes:  Yes, and I am learning you have to buy all new clothes for the third trimester, ugh!

Stretch marks?  Nope, so far smooth sailing!

Sleep:  I have had 2 good nights in a row, but other nights this past week I tossed and turned all night because my back hurt

Best moment this week:  The nursery furniture arriving!

Miss Anything?  Moving faster.  I feel like I walk slower, move slower, and I miss my body not aching

Movement:  Crazy movement!  Loving it!

Food cravings?  Ugh, still nothing crazy!

Anything making you queasy or sick:   Yes, still lots of things

Labor Signs:  Nope!  Please hold off for 10 more weeks!

 

Belly Button in or out?  Totally out and proud

Wedding rings on or off?  Fake one is on

Happy or Moody most of the time:   I would say happy!  Hoping people around me would say the same

Weekly Wisdom:   I am more knowledgable than I give myself credit for, and I shouldn't doubt my ability so much that I won't know what to do when the babies get here.

Looking forward to:   My mom coming in town on Friday and my first of 2 baby showers on Saturday!  Yay!  

Much love

Jenny & Justin +5

I've made it to the 6 month pregnancy mark!!

6 months pregnant!!

Can you believe it!!?? Wow, what a journey these 6 months have been and I'm sure the journey will only continue to get more interesting, exciting, scary, and realistic.  Sometimes I still wake up in the morning and forget I am pregnant until I turn back the covers and see my huge belly.

I spent this week trying to hibernate from the unbearable heat outside, but knowing me at all, you know I didn't do that very well.  Our handyman was over 2 days to work on refinishing and painting the dresser and side table for the nursery and other frames and odd jobs as well.  And I must say the furniture looks amazing!! I will share some pictures below.  The cribs and gliders/ottomans should be arriving in the next week or so and I can't wait to have all the main elements of the nursery done!!

I felt extremely tired all week, but I think at least half of that tiredness is attributed to the over 100 degree temperatures everyday!  I have also been having these brief moments of what I can only describe as a 2 second rush of excitement/anxiety.  It happens about 10 times a day and kinda freaks me out a little, but as I learned from our appointment it is most likely due to all the extra blood pumping through my body.  Good to know it is normal and I'm not having a heart attack or a panic attack.

We headed to our 2 week doctor appointment and ultrasound on Thursday.  First, was the ultrasound with the new tech Shana.  We started like normal by measuring my cervix length, which you want to be long and mine looks extra long which is awesome considering many women have problems with it shortening with twins.  (Shortening btw is bad because it means you can go into labor or start dilating early).   After that she started doing the usual checks of each baby and about 3 minutes in I started to get nauseous, light-headed, and clammy.  She stopped and I sat up immediately and it continued to get worse.  I thought I was going to fall on the floor and pass out.  Justin held my hand to stable me and put a cold rag on my neck and after about 5 minutes of sitting up I started to feel better.  She said this is very common with twins because the angle of the table puts the babies in such a position that they are compressing either my spine or some sort of blood flow.  She had me lay on my left side and continued the ultrasound that way, which was much more comfortable for me and I didn't feel bad at all.  She said from now on just remind her and we can try to do the majority of my ultrasounds on my sides so that this doesn't happen again.  Thank goodness because it was starting to freak me out and also make me mad because the ultrasounds are where we get to see the babies moving and it is so comforting and neat to watch.  But this sick, pass out feeling was really putting a damper on these moments.  

Anyway, we headed to see the nurse practitioner after that.  And I must say if I haven't said it before, we really really like her.  She is super down to earth and easy to talk to.  I kinda wish she was the doctor, but hey I'm just grateful I get to see her every other visit.  She said everything in the ultrasound looks great and I had gained another 3lbs over the last 2 weeks, which puts me at a total weight gain of 11lbs.  I sure feel like it is much more than that, but as she said everything I am gaining is in my belly, which is why I feel like it is more because all I can see is my belly.  Ok, yes I am grateful it is all belly!  I had some strange, gross and unusual questions for her this time, and I won't go into detail on here, but I just have to say some very weird and gross things happen when you are pregnant and apparently they are totally normal!!! Scary!! There is a reason pregnant women don't tell women who haven't been pregnant about these things because it would make you think twice.  So these are things you must just experience on your own, enough said!  She also agreed that my being extra tired was due to having 2 babies in there, and the extreme heat and there really isn't much I can do other than relax and sleep.  She measured my belly and it is measuring 31 weeks!!  (it is measured in centimeters by the way, not inches like I thought before). Soooo, that means I am measuring about 2 months ahead, WOW!! She said this is still normal and since I am all belly, it makes sense that it would be measuring so far ahead.  I am just super grateful that everything is progressing normally and there is nothing to worry about at this point.

Justin and I got a couples massage on Saturday and it felt so good on my tired aching body.  But, this lady had a lot to live up to after my amazing massage in Colorado, and did she?? Nope, not even close, but it still felt really good.  

Last night, Saturday, as I was laying in bed about 10:30pm trying to get comfortable and fall asleep Baby A started kicking and was totally awake and so I couldn't exactly fall asleep.  Then she woke Baby B up and Baby B was going crazy flipping and moving.  I put my hand on my belly and it was sooooo strange, cool,and bizarre to feel the strong movements and wave-like motions with my hand, but not only that......I turned on the light and you could see Baby B moving through my skin like an alien trying to escape my belly.  I woke Justin up because I didn't want him to miss it since it was the first time I had felt or seen such dramatic strong movements.  He was in awwww as well and we both just stared at my stomach for like 5 minutes watching the waves.  We both laughed at one point and said it reminded us of that alien thing from the movie total recall, ha ha ha!  

Well the weather is supposed to finally start going back down to the low 90's and 80's this next week and I am super excited about that!!  Hopefully my ankles and fingers will enjoy it as well and not be so sausage-like.  

Here are my belly pictures, ultrasound photos, and some nursery update pictures as well.  Enjoy!

Babies are the size of cantaloupes!  They are getting big!

How far along?   24 weeks or 6 months!!

Total weight gain/loss:  11 lbs gained total

Stretch marks?  Nope!!  Please stay away!

Sleep:   Still about the same, sometimes yes, sometimes no

Best moment this week:  Seeing the babies faces on the screen so clear and the alien movements coming out of my belly

Miss Anything?   Having energy

Movement:   Yes, like crazy visible from the outside and getting stronger on the inside

Food cravings?  Burger King chocolate milkshakes

Anything making you queasy or sick:   Been having some nauseousness again at night, ugh!

Have you started to show yet:  Umm, strangers are asking me if the baby is coming soon, so I think I must look like I am close to popping

Labor Signs:   Nope not yet

Belly Button in or out?   Fully out, no more hiding it or denying it

Wedding rings on or off?  Off, fake one on sometimes

Happy or Moody most of the time:   Happy, but tired

Weekly Wisdom:   Oh, I have to wisdom this week because the heat sucked everything out of me.  Hoping that means I will have lots next week!

Looking forward to:   More nursery decorating and organizing, sleep and more sleep....Zzzzzz

Here is a side view picture looking at the tops of both of the babies heads.  

A cute profile picture of Baby A.  The worm thing in the top middle is the umbilical cord.

Look closely in the middle of the screen and you can see Baby A's face.  Forehead is on the left.

A footprint

Baby B's face.  Baby A's foot is on the far right the then you see Baby B's forehead, eyes, nose and mouth.  Very cool!  Can't decide who she looks like??

Here is the dresser that we (I mean my handyman Jerry) refinished.  I love it!!  I still need to paint the handles and put them back on, but so far so good.

Here is what it looked like before.  Thanks Gabby!!

The side table that will go next to the glider.  Used to be an old sewing table.

Heading to bed!  Night Night!

Jenny & Justin +5

One hot and dry climate to the next

I spent my last 2 days in Denver on Tuesday and Wednesday mostly relaxing because it was over 100 degrees both days and really dry and ok, maybe my mom and I did a little shopping at the mall and online, which is still considered relaxing right? Retail therapy!  He he!  I continued to be quite swollen both days especially my ankles.  I flew back to STL on Wednesday in what seemed like the never ending plane ride home.  We had over an hour delay on the runway and then major turbulence about the first 20 minutes of the flight.  I fly a lot, but I am a nervous flyer and I am the first person to be white knuckling my swollen sausage fingers around the arm rests.  The lady sitting next to me seemed quite nervous about the turbulence as well and wasn't making me feel any less stressed about it.   In fact, her expressions were freaking me out even more.  Ugh, just get me back to STL in one piece!  And with a 1.5 hour delay I made it back and managed not to throw up on the way.

Thursday I woke up in my own bed and discovered my swelling had gone back to St. Louis type swelling, not high-altitude Denver swelling.  I'll take it!  But it was weird because my joints in my fingers and knuckles felt arthritic and sore, like I would imagine an old lady's fingers to feel.  The joint pain has stuck around and isn't too big of a deal, but it is just hard to do certain things with my fingers or anything where I have to bend my knuckles.  Pregnancy is strange people!

It continues to be hotter than hell here in STL and very dry.  Although I would have liked to have stayed inside more than I did this week and weekend and hibernate I couldn't because we had errands to run and then Justin's cousin's high school graduation party Saturday evening and then Justin's family threw him a college graduation party on Sunday afternoon.  Both events were really fun and it was great to see all of his family on both sides whom we haven't seen in quite some months.  And I have to admit the pregnant lady attention is fun!  And I really don't seem to mind people touching my belly.  Some people have told me it bothers them when people touch their belly, but for me it is more like a cool connection thing that seems to bring me closer to people.  But, I haven't had a stranger trying to touch my belly yet, so that might be a whole different experience.

Last night, Sunday evening, I had something strange happen.  We had spent over 5 hours at Justin's party and came home after 6pm.  I was very tired and just feeling drained from everything..... talking, walking, being around lots of people, the heat, ya know everything!  And about 9pm I'm sitting on the couch and I start balling crying.  Justin looks at me very concerned and asks me several times why I am crying and what is wrong.  All I could say was, I don't know over and over.  And honestly, I had no idea why I was crying.  It was the strangest thing!  I couldn't stop crying and catch my breath.  This went on for at least 15 minutes.  Then I stopped crying, we went downstairs to take my weekly picture (hence the reason I look sad in my pictures this week), and then we headed to bed.  I woke up this morning still with no idea why I had been crying.  Again, pregnancy is strange people!

Sooo, how am I feeling overall.  Pretty good I have to say.  There are many little things that I am just getting used to as past of this process like tiredness, joint pain, swelling, random crying episodes, random throwing up episodes, and not being able to bend over without feeling like I am going to pass out.  (Yes, shaving my legs has become very interesting!)  Ha ha, sounds great doesn't it!  But really honestly again I would take all these things in a heartbeat versus having nausea!!  So no complaints here, but I will say this continues to be the most unique process I have ever experienced, but I am grateful because in the end I know we will have our 2 little girls!

Here are my pictures from this week:

Babies are the size and weight of grapefruits.  Sorry about my sad, red crying face!

Without the hand

Justin's graduation party at the bowling alley

How far along?  23 weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  8 lbs+ as of our last appt

Stretch marks?  Nope

Sleep:  Sometimes yes, sometimes no, sometimes I wake up at 530am for no reason

Best moment this week:   Visiting my mom, and seeing my ankle go down to half the size it was in Colorado

Miss Anything?   Cute shoes, rolling out of bed with ease, having an alcoholic drink at parties

Movement:  Yes, all the time especially in the evenings

Food cravings?  Burger King chocolate milk shakes, who knew they were better than McDonalds or Steak and Shake!!

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Broccoli...Yuck!, Justin I hoped you learned your lesson about cooking it in the house, he he!

Labor Signs:  No, not for at least 12-13 more weeks!

Belly Button in or out?  Half way out, ok more than half way out I just don't want to admit it cause it makes me sad

Wedding rings on or off?  Off and the fake one is getting tighter, ahhh!!

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy, except for my random crying episodes

Weekly Wisdom:   Don't visit Colorado if you are pregnant.  Don't get me wrong I loved visiting, but the swelling was out of control!

Looking forward to:  Our handyman coming this week to work on the nursery furniture and room.  Our furniture arriving in the next couple weeks!

Jenny & Justin +5

22 week belly, but looking much further along!

Well it has been quite a busy week in all aspects of my life.  Physically I feel like my body is changing dramatically every couple of days, mentally I feel drained, and life in general has just been packed full of events and appointments this week.

The week at least started off relaxing and I spent Monday lounging in the lazy river at the pool with my friend Melissa.  It felt great and was really nice to feel weightless for a couple hours.  My back has also been hurting really bad on the left lower side due to some muscles that are locked up, so I decided 2 visits to the chiropractor this week were necessary, so I saw her Monday and again on Wednesday. She also continues to work on my feet and they seem to be stabilizing.  They still hurt, but the pain isn't getting worse.

We had our last multiples class on Monday evening, which I said in my previous blog we weren't really anticipating learning anything worthwhile, but made ourselves go anyway just because we had already paid quite a bit for the class.  And I am actually glad we went to the last one because it was the most informative and the scariest all wrapped into 3 hours of fun!  The first half of the class we talked about epidurals and multiple births and we learned that no matter how you want to deliver your babies, if you are carrying multiples, you HAVE to get an epidural even if it is never activated.  This is for the safety of the babies and me.  But don't be confused, I WANT an epidural with all the pain medicine they can give me no matter which way they are delivered!!  I have been through enough pain with this process as it is.  We then watched 4 birth videos.  The multiple births were both c-sections.  Ok, wait let me say the class watched 4 birth videos, I sat with my head down most of the time, because I just couldn't watch!  I did look up at one point, and the 2 seconds I saw were enough to scare the crap out of anyone! Let alone someone having multiples, who knows they have to go through the process twice!  I mean come on why put those scary scenarios and pictures into my head, no thanks!!

The second half of the class was the best part of the entire 3 weeks! They had a neo-natal pediatrician who has her own set of triplets come in and talk to us.  She was very upfront and mostly talked about ideas and suggestions for when the babies get here.  (This is what I thought the entire class was going to be about!!)   She said get a system set up ahead of time, with people, your home, meals, and a schedule for the babies.  She suggested having a point person who can help organize your helper people, and instead of me having to organize everything, that person can do it.  The reason being is if I am spending all this time organizing when help is going to come, it will take so much time I might as well just do everything myself, which I DON'T want to happen.  I want as much help as is offered!!  I don't want or think for even a second that Justin or I can do this on our own.  It's going to take a village!!  So for the first time in my life I am admitting that I will not and can not do this on my/our own, so I am asking and hoping for lots of help! Wow, you have no idea how hard it is for someone like me who always just does everything herself to admit that! Big step!   Other very helpful things the doctor talked about were color-coding each babies things, being flexible with sleeping arrangements for them, feeding at the same time always, sleeping blocks of time for husbands and wives, and yes she said if you can afford a night nanny, GET ONE!! We are definitely going to look into this for the first couple months.

Tuesday morning I woke up at 530am for no reason and couldn't fall back asleep.  Then at 7am, I had this overwhelming feeling again and I ran into the bathroom and threw up.  Ugh!! What the heck? So random! I spent most of the day Tuesday laying in bed, feeling very tired and crappy.

Wednesday morning I babysat for my friend Maggie's baby Charlie for a couple hours.  I was a little scared at first, but realized it was pretty fun and easy and I am capable of taking care of a baby for a couple hours at least by myself! Ha!  Wednesday evening I had my monthly girls dinner, which I get very excited about because I don't see my friends as often right now.  It is great to just get together and hang out and chat.  I look forward to it every month!!

Thursday morning was our doctors appointment with the big ultrasound at the hospital first.  Ummm, let me just start by saying, it was awful!!  The ultrasound tech was nice enough and we started like normal but for some reason I couldn't get comfortable on the table and kept getting dizzy and nauseous like I was going to throw up.  We had to stop the ultrasound like 3 different times because I had to either sit up, walk around, or lay on my left side to avoid puking.  Then to make matters worse, this tech was so compulsive about getting everything so precise, it ended up taking 2 hours and 15 minutes to complete the ultrasound.  Man, was I glad to get out of there.  But our results were.....everything looks perfect! The babies have all the parts they should have, and they are big and healthy.  Their estimated weights are: Baby A, 15oz and Baby B, 1lb 1oz.  So baby B is 2oz bigger than Baby A which is completely in the normal range.  That means I have about 2lbs of baby in there! Wow, can't believe they are that big already!  Ok, on to the doctor appt....and since we were late from the ultrasound the doctor bumped us and we didn't get into a room until 12:20pm!!  He finally came in at 12:40 and said everything looked great with the ultrasound results.  He said I had gained 2 more pounds, so I am at a total gain of 8lbs.  He said he isn't happy that I haven't gained more, but that he wasn't going to say a word because the babies are so big and healthy.  He just said keep eating as much as possible and the throwing up was normal and maybe take one of the pills from the prescription he had given me earlier to avoid throwing up. He also said the swelling in my ankles and feet looked normal.  He measured my belly and it was......29inches!! Holy moly! That means my belly is measuring over 7 weeks ahead or 29 weeks along.  I told him I was traveling to Denver to visit my mom the next day and he did not like hearing that.  He gave me some tips for flying on the plane which included taking 400mg of ibuprofen before flying to prevent contractions and drink lots and lots of water.  He said Denver was not on his favorite list of places for pregnant women to travel because of the altitude.  More on that in a minute.  The last thing he mentioned was that we should have my bag packed for the hospital at 28weeks.  So I have 6 weeks to get that together.

Whew!!  I spent Thursday afternoon with my hair goddess, Trish, who made me super relaxed after my stressful 4 hour morning ordeal.  Thanks Trish!

So it is Monday now and I flew to Denver Friday morning and had no issues on the plane and when I touched down I felt fine.  But.....I woke up Saturday morning and it was a whole new ball game.  It is really dry here and super hot right now so I woke up with a  super dry throat and chapped lips, a stuffy nose, and wow, swollen swollen swollen from my toes to my lips! I now understand why the doctor doesn't like pregnant women traveling here!!  My mom and I went and got massages that morning and it made me feel a lot better and this massage lady was amazing! I hate to say it, but even better than Gary and she did the massage laying on my sides which I really liked.  I only wish she lived in St. Louis!!

Sunday we took my aunt to the New Age trade show and honestly I wasn't feeling good from the moment I got up that morning.  Not sure if it is the altitude, the swelling, the heat or a combination.  My left side had an ache in it all day that wouldn't go away, and I was swollen and tired.  I feel like I have jumped from my first trimester to my third trimester overnight!  After a couple hours of walking around the convention center I was done.  This morning I went to my step-sister Caroline's horse riding/jumping lesson.  It was super cool to watch but the enclosed arena was pretty stuffy.  After about 20 minutes I looked down at my feet and hands and felt my lips and I was SO swollen and swelling more by the minute, so we left right away and came home.  We have decided to just take it easy the rest of the time I am here and try to stay indoors as much as possible to avoid the heat which I am sure in some way is contributing to my tiredness, swelling, aches and pains.  Learning to take it easy is my new lesson to be learned.

Well I hate to complain so much this week in my blog, but already having a belly measuring at 29 weeks I honestly feel like I only got a week or so of what you would call the good part of the 2nd trimester and basically jumped from the first trimester to the 3rd.

I will be in Denver till Wednesday and then I head back to STL to my hubby and my furry babies whom I miss!

Whew, that was a long week to recap!  I am exhausted from just typing all that and my fingers are swollen from typing so much, he he!!

Below are my belly pictures and ultrasound photos:

Thanks mom for taking my picture! Wow, look how big that belly is!!  Babies are the size/weight of papayas and the length of spaghetti squashes

Here is one with the "belly hand hold"

Baby A profile hand by face

Baby A sucking thumb?

Baby A lips (directly in the middle of photo, top lip on right)

Confirming Baby A is a girl

Profile of Baby B, not sure what that other stuff on the left is, maybe hands or legs?

Another Baby B profile

Baby B's foot

Confirming baby B is a girl

Alien face of Baby A, Ahhh!!

How far along?  22 weeks, but measuring 29 weeks!!
Total weight gain/loss:  8 lbs
Stretch marks?  Nope!  Yay!
Sleep:  This last week yes, but not so much now that I have been in Denver
Best moment this week:  Finally getting some real, helpful information of how life is going to be with twins and how to take the best care of them possible
Miss Anything?  My ankles, rolling out of bed with ease, eating large meals
Movement:  Yes, all the time.
Food cravings?  Oh, I wish!
Anything making you queasy or sick:  Same as it has always been, more things make me queasy than sound good
Labor Signs:  No, and hopefully not for at least 14 more weeks!
Belly Button in or out?  The top part is curling out which makes it look as though it is sticking out through my shirts. Darnit!
Wedding rings on or off?  Off, and the fake one I bought is super tight here is Denver!
Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy, but tired.
Weekly Wisdom:  Ask for help!  It is ok to!
Looking forward to:  Hopefully, my swelling goes down when I return to STL, and hoping I am not too big and immobile by the time the furniture arrives and it is time to decorate the nursery.  Might have to ask for help, Mom!!??

Jenny & Justin +5

21 Weeks!

Another week down!!  And another week to be grateful that I am pregnant!  I can't say that I have many exciting things to tell you about this week.  All was pretty quite and normal.  Chores around the house, and errands (yes, I am still limiting myself to a couple places a day), ya know stuff like that.  We went to our second multiples class last Monday and again there was lots of useful "general" information, but I still feel like, for a class that is supposed to be about pregnancy/birth and caring for multiples, the nurse instructor doesn't seem to talk much about scenarios with 2+ babies.  Sooooo, we were debating going to the last class tonight, and after some discussion we decided we will just go and finish it out.  Oh, and I just have to mention, 2 of the girls in my class are 30 and 31 weeks along, and both have been to the hospital already a couple times they said for early contractions and labor, which obviously the hospital stopped with some sort of drugs.  I am really hoping this doesn't happen to me because it sounds scary, but the nurse instructor said it is quite common when carrying multiples.  (Oh, so she did say one thing about multiples, there you go!)

The nurse instructor also took us on a brief tour of the labor and delivery floor.  (we are scheduled to take an in-depth tour in a couple weeks)  I think we learned the most useful information there about the process of birthing twins, and where they will be born and so on.  Multiples are a little different because they are not born in a regular labor room.  They are always born in an operating room because there is more room for the 2 teams of people and in case of an emergency it is better to be prepared for anything in there.  We also learned that Justin is the only person besides medical personal allowed in the delivery (no matter if it is c-section or vaginal delivery) because there are just too many other medical people in the room.  I should mention again, we still haven't really figured out with our doctor how these babies will be born, and it seems to me he likes it to be a last minute decision, so I am learning to let go and just go with the flow and not have a plan.

On wednesday, Saturday and Sunday this past week we had things to do outside and it is quite hot and humid here right now, and before I even step foot outside, actually when I wake up in the morning and it is this hot and humid I am already swollen in my feet, ankles, and fingers.  And the swelling continues to get worse the longer I am out in the elements.  Ha ha, actually as I am typing this I just looked down at my fingers and they look like sausages!  Yes, it is hot and humid again here today.  Oh well, what are you going to do right?  I continue to soak my feet in the foot spa bath thing I have and I think it helps, but who knows.

This week I did cross off a couple things on my list of things to do before the babies get here.  One was put the stroller together that was sitting in the massive box in our front entry way.  (thanks mom and Bruce!!)  Justin dumped it out for me and on thursday when he went out of town I began the task of putting it together.  And I was shocked at how user friendly the instructions were and how easy it was to put together.  Thank you European stroller makers!  I will post a picture below of the final product.  It is so pretty and makes me really excited!!  Justin and I were pushing it around the front room the other night, ha ha!  The other thing I began doing was making a playlist of music for the hospital.  Most of the songs I have added to it so far are happy mellow songs, and many from the 80's that I remember my mom singing to me.  We were told by the nurse instructor that we can have music in our labor room and can probably request to have our music played in the delivery/operating room where the twins will be born no matter if it is vaginally or c-section.

I went to the chiropractor on Monday and Friday for my leg/feet issue and it seems to be helping about 50%, so I am going to continue to go.  I have also started to get an annoying back muscle pain on my left side (which is an old problem that has resurfaced).  I am assuming it is because I have this huge belly pulling me forward and because I sit/stand and sleep in very weird positions now.

The best news of the week is that I think (crossing my fingers) that the nausea is completely gone!!!  I have not been nauseous at all this past week and I have been able to eat dinner every night!  Hurray!!!!!  You have no idea what a relief it is and how big I am smiling right now while typing that sentence!  I will trade nausea ANYDAY for swollen ankles and a backache!!

One other thing I have to mention because it was the coolest part of my week.  We went to a friends daughters 1st birthday party on Saturday and immediately after we walked in the door this girl comes up to me and says, "I know you don't know who I am but I just want you to know I follow your blog and it has been very helpful and insightful in my own journey, so thank you."  Umm, I wanted to cry!  Good tears of course, but I refrained since I didn't want the people at the party to think I was a hormonal emotional pregnant lady!  But honestly, HOW freaking cool is that!  I am helping and affecting people I don't even know with my little rambling blog.  I never imagined that is what this outlet would do.  I have no words.

A little later in the party I ended up sitting and talking with her for a little while about her "trying to get pregnant" journey.  She asked me lots of questions and it is funny how it was hard for me to even remember some of the things she was asking about from early on in our infertility journey.  I'm not sure if that is just how the mind works, or because I have major forgetful pregnancy brain, but it seems like soooo long ago already that we couldn't get pregnant.  It is like my mind is trying to block out those bad memories and focus on the present.   Either way I told her I would email her the info I had once I went back and re-read a couple of my own blogs to refresh myself.  So thank you (you know who you are)  for making my day/week/month!!  And I hope I can help you on your journey as well.

Oh and congrats to our friends Natalie and Dane on the birth of their little girl Aubrey on Friday!!  She is super cute!

 Well I think that about sums up the week.  Here are some pictures from the week and my belly picture.

Babies are the weight and size of pomegranates but the length is a carrot this week

Another one with the "belly hand hold"

The before picture

All put together, yay me!!

Very cool!  Can't wait to use it!  Justin wanted to test it with the chihuahuas, but I said NO because of the dog hair, ha ha!

I am not going to do the milestone questions this week.  I will do them next week after our doctor appt.

Jenny & Justin +5 girlies!!

I am 5 months pregnant with twins!!

Wow! I still have to keep repeating those words and still they don't seem real, well....except for this massive growing belly makes it a little more real.  

Again, I had quite a busy week and lots of exciting and not so exciting things happening.  

Last Sunday evening while I was putting my nightly tummy oil/lotion regimen I noticed that the "vertical line" they talk about that runs down the center of the belly is starting to appear.  It was kinda cool to see and I immediately called Justin into the bathroom to make sure I wasn't seeing things.  He said he noticed it too and ask what the heck it was.  I think it is some hormone thing??  I acted like I totally knew in front of Justin, but honestly I don't know why you get it and after some googling I realized I was right. Cool.  

Monday I had my second pre-natal massage (my first was on our baby moon).  And I must say it was amazing!  The masseur's name was Gary and he is the best! I told Justin I am now in love with a man named Gary, and he said if Gary can keep me happy for the next several months he is totally ok with that! Ha ha!  Gary also told me he has 2 sets of fraternal twins!! How cool is that! He gave me a ton of positive information about twin pregnancy, birth, and taking care of them.  I will continue to see Gary about every 3 weeks, and I can't wait! It makes my hips, legs, feet and lower back feel so much better.

Monday night we went for our first of a 3 week class at the hospital called Multiples and more.  There are 5 other couples in the class besides us and everyone is having fraternal twins.  I was surprised that out of the 6 couples only us and one other couple used infertility methods to conceive twins.  The rest were just natural twins.  One other couple in the class is actually due the same day as us with twin boys, so we were laughing and saying we could set them up!! They are both anesthesiologists too, so hey, might as well set the girls up with rich doctors sons right!?  Most of the information in this first class was pretty general, but we did get to ask questions amongst the group and it was nice to see what other women in my position thought or felt.  We will go to this class for the next 2 Monday's, and we are hoping we get lots of new helpful information.

I have also started making baby headbands and decorating knit caps as well.  It is so much fun and relaxing for me.  I found a tutorial online and I can make the headbands in different age sizes with all kinds of fun colors and flowers.  I will post a picture of some of them below.  

Wednesday late morning I had a very cool moment!  I felt Baby B move or kick for the first time! It was so amazing!  And in that moment it made it a little more real that there is something in this growing belly of mine.  I felt her again kicking Wednesday evening.  Justin tried to feel it by putting his hand on my belly, but he said he couldn't feel anything.  I feel like I can feel it on the inside and with my hand on the outside.  I was disappointed that he couldn't feel it because it is such a cool feeling, but I asked another one of my friends husband and he said the same thing happened to them and he really couldn't feel any movement till like 22 weeks.  On Friday I felt Baby A move and kick for the first time which was another very cool moment.  It seems like she is harder to feel because she is so smooshed down at the bottom.  And once I felt each one move I now feel them several times a day and I am still in awwww every time it happens.  I can't wait for Justin to be able to feel it!  Ok, update!!!  We were just laying on the couch and i had him put his hands on my belly and he totally felt Baby B kick like 5 times!!  It was awesome!

Thursday we had a doctors appointment and ultrasound.  We took Justin's mom with us because she really wanted to see the babies on ultrasound.  I think from her reaction she really loved being there and seeing them on the screen.  We had a new ultrasound tech named Shana this time and I was not impressed with her.  She sped through the ultrasound and only gave us 2 pictures of baby B and none of baby A.  We are used to getting several pictures of each one so I think Justin and I were taken back by her, and we will say something at our next appointment.  But the good news is the babies look great and healthy.  She did not do growth measurements this time, but next appointment we will find out how big they are.  

The doctor appointment portion was pretty quick and I only had a few questions I had accumulated over the last 2 weeks.  We discussed my weight, which overall I have only gained 6 pounds, which is much less than the doctor would like, but the babies are big and healthy so he isn't too worried, but instructed me to eat lots of fats and carbohydrates to try and put on more weight.  He said everything I eat is just going to them, but he understood because I have been nauseated a lot.  And I just have to say how much it sucks that so many people told me how awesome pregnancy was because you were hungry all the time and could eat whatever you wanted and lots of it.  That has NOT been my experience, and just getting enough food in my body is an uphill battle daily.  

We also discussed cord blood banking, which I must say is a much more complicated decision for many reasons when you are having twins.  We did get the information we needed from the doctor in order for us to make an informed decision.  The doctor also suggested floating in water is really good for my body and the babies because it takes the pressure off of everything.  So, yes I will be at the pool a lot this summer with my rafts and noodles floating away!  The last thing we did is the doctor measured and poked at my belly.  He hit 2 spots down low on my abdomen that made me jump because they were very sore/sensitive. (I hadn't noticed before he did this). He said this soreness tells him that I am having tiny contractions.  But don't panic, this is totally normal! Phew! Yes, it made me freak out too until he said that.  Then he measured my belly and it measured 26 inches.  So I am measuring at what a woman carrying a single baby would be at 26 weeks.  Wow!!  This means I am about 6 weeks ahead which is totally normal for twins.  

I spent Thursday afternoon floating in my friend Jenny's pool and it felt great!  And overall I have been feeling great this whole week including evenings and night time.  I have been continuing the Prilosec Unisom combo and it seems to be helping.   But wait..........Friday morning I woke up at 530am and couldn't sleep, so I went on the couch to watch TV.  I made a cup of decaf and an English muffin, took one sip and one bite and jumped up, made a beeline for the bathroom and threw up.  Ummmm, it totally came out of nowhere.  And the entire rest of the day was ruined.  My stomach hurt all day, and I could not eat anything.  5 steps forward, 1 step back.  

I also saw the chiropractor again this week and I think that is helping my lower body pain, so I will continue with that.  I have just realized I can't run 20 errands in one day.  2-3 places is my limit, and then my legs and feet don't hurt so bad.  

Today my husband took me to brunch and it was so good except for the fact that I have to eat like a turtle and was pretty uncomfortable.  It seems like my uterus has taken over my entire abdomen and is trying to take over my lungs and rib cage, so I feel like everything is crushed in there, which makes it uncomfortable to eat.  I feel like I want to be put in a taffy pulling machine and stretched out to make my abdomen longer.  Oh Willy Wonka, where are you when I need you?  

I have been working on ordering things for the nursery this week including curtain rods, curtains, the dresser, and closet re-organization brackets.  I think I have everything ordered and in motion, which makes me much less stressed about it. I have heard our doctor is the king of putting his patients on bed rest (which is understandable because all of his patients are high risk), so I want to get everything done sooner rather than later in case this happens to me.

I think that is all for this week.  Still can't believe we have made it this far and that we are having 2 babies!! I pinch myself daily to remind myself that, YES this is really happening.  And even though I complain and they make me throw up, I am grateful for every moment, whether my complaining makes it seem that way or not.  

My mind seems to now be shifting to not being so concerned with the pregnancy and panicking about what to do with them once they get here, because I feel clueless!!! Help! More on that next week and after our second multiples class.

Here are the pictures from the week:

Only 1 ultrasound photo this time of Baby B sucking her thumb!  Pretty cute!

My 5 month/20 week belly photo.  Babies are the length of bananas.  We didn't get a fruit/weight comparison this week, only length.

Here is one without my hand in the way, so you can really see how big it is getting!  Ahhh!!

Here is my self-portrait attempt in the bathroom mirror.  Not too bad.  

Here is the first half of the hats and headbands I made.  Pretty cute, huh!?

This is the second round I made.

Thought I would include a picture of my handsome husband and one of our 3 furry friends since we only had 1 ultrasound photo this week.

And last but certainly not least are my 3 furry girls posing for their mama!!  Love you girls!

 

How far along?   5 months or 20 weeks!!!  Beyond half way in the twin world!!

Total weight gain/loss:  6 pounds total gain/loss

Maternity clothes?  Yes, but still loving my victoria's secret boyfriend sweatpants as well

Stretch marks?  No thank you

Sleep:  Sleeping better, but also going to bed early and waking up earlier

Best moment this week:  Feeling the babies move and kick!  One of the coolest feelings I have ever had!  

Miss Anything?  Smelled my husbands mimosa at brunch this morning and I miss it!!  

Movement:  Yes, finally!  So exciting!  Can't wait for them to get stronger!

Food cravings?  Unfortunately, no.

Anything making you queasy or sick:   Most things still.

Labor Signs:   Apparently I am having tiny contractions which I was unaware of, but they are totally normal??   Weird!!!

Belly Button in or out?   Top part is starting to flip out a little.  Bummer, thought I was going to maintain my innie!!

Wedding rings on or off?  Off, fake on one

Happy or Moody most of the time:   very happy this week, but I still have my random crying episodes at really weird things

Weekly Wisdom:   Slow down, take it easy and everything will get down when it is supposed to.

Looking forward to:  More movement and kicking from the babies, our next multiples class, and hopefully an appetite???  Please please!!

Jenny & Justin +5 girls

19 Weeks

I have survived another week of this roller coaster adventure called pregnancy! We had quite a busy week again starting with a Memorial Day BBQ party on Monday.  Then on Tuesday I went with 3 of my girls (Osman, Katie, and Nat) to register for baby stuff.  Upon entering the store I was immediately overwhelmed and super glad that my support would arrive shortly to show me the ropes.  For 2 hours we made our way through each aisle, me with the scanning gun in hand looking lost as ever, scanning every barcode they put in front of me.  I made sure to ask what the heck each thing was for, and honestly some things I am still not sure what the heck they are for and other things look so much alike I'm not sure why you need 3 different ones.  Half way through I was exhausted and my brain turned to mush, so I had no idea what I registered for by the end.  I sure am glad I had all of them there to help.  Thanks girls! 

I decided to also register at another place, so Justin and I ventured to the other store on Thursday.  He was excited to go, but I soon knew he would get overwhelmed like I did.  I gave him the scanning gun and off we went.  We made it through 2 sections of the store and we were both tired and ready to be done.  But we soldiered through and after 2.5 hours we were exhausted, my feet were killing me and we were ready to get out of there!!  

Registering is done, and I am glad about that! 

We spent this past weekend just relaxing and hanging out which was so nice!  I love afternoon naps!  

Today I am 19 weeks pregnant! How am I feeling?  Well the Prilosec and Unisom seem to be working.  My nausea is getting better and better.  I still had probably 1-2 evenings where food just wasn't sounding good, and so I didn't eat.  The other evenings I had an appetite and was able to eat dinner which was awesome!  My huge u-shaped body pillow combined with the other 5 pillows I have cushioning me also seem to be helping my night hip and leg pain.  My feet are still pretty painful to walk on in the morning and after a long day on them.  I got an at home water foot spa that I am using nightly which feels great!  I also went to the chiropractor and she adjusted my back and hips, gave me some exercises to do, and I will continue to see her twice a week for the next several weeks which I am hoping will help.  Overall, I have to say I feel A LOT better than I have in a few months!!! Yay for that!!!

Ok, I spoke too soon!  I was having a good day today and even told Justin in the late afternoon that Italian food sounded good for dinner. (Which I haven't eaten in forever!!)  And then by 6pm, my stomach got the best of me, but this time I was hungry, but nothing sounded good.  So what did I do?  I started crying because I felt bad that I didn't feel like eating Italian food and felt like I let Justin down.  I was also crying because I was frustrated at not being able to choose something to eat, but I was starving!!!  That feeling sucks!!  Poor Justin just looked and me and asked why I was crying and hugged me.  Oh the joys of pregnancy and pregnancy hormones.  Well you are probably wondering if I ate dinner?  Yes I did.  Thank you KFC for the large order of mashed potatoes and gravy, because when nothing else sounds good I can still manage to eat them.

I think that is all for now.  We are headed to the doctor Thursday for our next appointment! Can't wait to see how big the babies have gotten on the ultrasound.  My belly picture is below.

Babies are the size of heirloom tomatoes or softballs

Funny how my face and arms are tan and my belly is so white!

How far along? 19 weeks today

Total weight gain/loss:  no update since I haven't been to the doctor since the last blog

Stretch marks?  Nope

Sleep:  Better this past week thanks to the new drugs

Best moment this week:  Eating dinner more times than not

Miss Anything?  Being decisive about what i want; I am very indecisive lately

Movement:  A little this week, but no kicks or anything major to feel on the outside

Food cravings?  I wish!

 Anything making you queasy or sick:  Just about everything 

Labor Signs:  Heck no!

Belly Button in or out?   Still in and hoping it stays that way!!??

Wedding rings on or off?  Off, but I got my new fun fake one

Happy or Moody most of the time:   Happy, but cried a couple times this week.

Weekly Wisdom:   Do not venture into a baby store alone, if it is unfamiliar territory for you.  It is a very scary place!!

Looking forward to:  Thursday doctors appt, more normal evenings??, kicking, and hopefully more cool weather like this past week??!!

Jenny & Justin +5 kiddies!!