Officially 2nd trimester- 14 week belly photo

Sorry I didn't update last week after our NT ultrasound screening.  Between nausea, and having my handyman here working on the nursery and then my birthday on Thursday it was quite a busy week.  The screening last Tuesday was fairly painless.  The ultrasound tech, her name is Jessica, not whatever I said it was before, was in a super crabby mood when we arrived, Awesome!  Justin and I immediately looked at each other and decided we would kill her with kindness and laughter to try and soften her up.  And guess what.....I think our plan seems to be working!  We are slowly cracking that egg.  Anyway it was pretty much a normal ultrasound except for she was looking for certain things.  A measurement on the back of the neck, (which is not easy to get when the babies keep flipping), and nasal bones.  Apparently, many babies who have chromosome defects are born without a nasal bone.  And our neck measurements came back at 1.0 and 1.1.  The tech said anything below 3.0 is normal and we were way below that mark and should have nothing to worry about, but the results from this and a blood test they took after the ultrasound will be back in a week to confirm.  Well since it took me so long to update, that means that our results should be back tomorrow.

This past week has been filled with moments where I feel good for a day and then the next day or 36 hours after I feel horrible!  I mean, in bed all day and night, no showering (Ewww!), nausea, headaches and many moments of tears because I don't know what to do and I feel helpless.  I know, I know I asked for all of this, and I know many women go through this, but I will just say it again.......This is much harder than I imagined!  I try and get as much done as possible on days when I feel good, because I never know what the next day will bring.  Eating is a whole other issue!  I can eat most days during the day just fine, but night time is miserable trying to force myself to eat something.  KFC mashed potatoes and gravy have become my new friend, and if I can't get anything else down, my wonderful husband will run to KFC for me and bring me home a large order.  Yes, that's right a large order all for myself.  Hey, at this point whatever works, right!?  I am hoping since I am in my 2nd trimester, this will start to taper off soon???  Please please please!!!

On the nursery front, we got some major things done this week to get the room ready.  Our handyman, Jerry, who is amazing, installed a new silver ceiling fan in the nursery.  He also installed white crown moulding in the room and painted.  Can't remember if I said already but we went with a light-medium grey color for the walls.  He also installed new white levolor blinds in the room, and we had him take out the shower doors in our guest bathroom so it would be easier to bathe the babies.  I will take a picture of the nursery this week to show the progress so far and post it later in the week.  (Too tired to run upstairs and do it now, sorry!)

We are headed to the doctor Thursday this week for our 2 week appointment.  Here is my belly picture:

Please disregard the red marks on the side of my belly. They are indentations from my sweatshirt from laying down, not some weird rash or something, he he!  Ugh, and I have fat arm in this picture, yuck!

How far along?   14 weeks, 2 days today

Total weight gain/loss:  I will find out Thursday

Maternity clothes? Yes!  And thank you Osman for the maternity jeans and bag of clothes!

Stretch marks?  Nope, please please stay away!

Sleep:  Still weird and at weird times

Best moment this week:  My birthday on Thursday.  Can't believe I am 33!!  Holy crap!  My husband took me to an awesome dinner and bought me some beautiful gifts!  Thank babe!

Have you told family and friends:   Feel like I should remove this question

Miss Anything?   Feeling normal with no upset stomach, and my sanity

Movement:   Not yet, should be soon......

Food cravings?  Thank you KFC!  Wouldn't consider it a craving as much as food my stomach will tolerate

Anything making you queasy or sick:   The 2 babies in my belly

Have you started to show yet:   Yep.  It feels much bigger than it looks

Gender prediction:  Still going with one of each

Labor Signs: NO

Belly Button in or out?  IN

Wedding rings on or off? ON

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy on non-nausea days, very sad and emotional on nausea filled days

Weekly Wisdom:  If there is a moment where you don't have nausea make sure your list of to-do's is ready to go, because who knows when it may strike! 

Looking forward to:  Not being nauseous??  Will that day ever come??  Please!!  Everyone put your nausea prayers out there. please!!!!

Jenny & Justin +2 (+3 furry)

Confusion and my 13 week belly photo

So I am a little confused about how different books and websites and doctors all have different opinions on when the first trimester ends and the second begins.  Many of them say the end of the first trimester is the end of the 12th week, which really doesn't make sense because if there are 3 trimesters in a pregnancy that means 12 weeks times 3 trimesters is 36 weeks, but a pregnancy is really 40 weeks.  And then I found a few books and websites who say that the end of the 13th week of pregnancy is the end of the 1st trimester and the beginning of the second.  I'm no math genius, but this makes a little more sense.  13 weeks times 3 trimesters is 39 weeks, which gets you closer to that 40 weeks of pregnancy number.  And on that note, why do they say pregnancy is 9 months?  Because I'm pretty sure there is an average of 4 weeks in a month and 40 weeks divided by 4 is 10 people!!!  10 months, NOT 9!!  So please stop saying it is 9 months!  (Well actually in my case I will probably be closer to the 36-37 weeks, but I'm just saying get your math right and stop confusing me!)

So I am 13 weeks, 2 days pregnant today and I am either in the last week of my first trimester, or the beginning of my second, you take your pick.  I am still super nauseous in the evenings and at night which really sucks!  I was nauseous last night from 6pm-2am!  Ugh!  My new doctor said I could try taking Unisom to get some sleep and that it might help calm the nausea.  I have taken it twice so far and it did help a little with the nausea late night and I did sleep soundly, but it was very hard for me to get up in the morning.  So I will only take it if I know I don't have to get up early for something the next day.

The biggest news I have to report is that I am officially done with injections!!!!!!  Yes that's right I have survived 182 needle pokes in my stomach and my hips!  I can't believe I did it!  I don't want to sound conceited, but I am very proud of myself, because I had no idea I was that strong and could face one of my biggest fears head on.  Justin and I celebrated on Sunday after my last shot and threw out the last needle disposal container, I danced around the room a little and then we made a big breakfast to celebrate!  Whew!!  Close the book on that chapter.

Anyway, here is my picture for the week:

I look like crap in this picture, but we didn't take it till later in the evening and I was NOT feeling so good. If you can't read the sign, the babies are the size of peaches this week (about 3 inches long)

How far along?   13 weeks 1 day in the picture

Total weight gain/loss: ????

Maternity clothes?  Maxi dresses, maternity tanks because they are comfortable, still in my own pants

Stretch marks?  Keep lathering up everyday

Sleep:  Ugh, not much lately thanks to the nausea!  Thank goodness for midday naps!

Best moment this week:  Starting to get the babies room ready!

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Miss Anything?  Being able to decide what to eat for dinner, the fertility clinic staff!

Movement:  On screen not in person 

Food cravings?  Still the same, Bomb popsicles, turkey sandwiches, bread, saltines, KFC mashed potatoes and gravy

Anything making you queasy or sick: Everything after 6pm makes me sick!

Have you started to show yet: Yep, but I can't wait for it to be more round and less beer belly-like

Gender prediction: Ok, I'm gonna say it..........1 boy and 1 girl would be ideal

Labor Signs: Heck no

Belly Button in or out? IN

Wedding rings on or off? ON

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Both this week.  Hoping that means I am nearing the end of the first trimester nausea and exhaustion

Weekly Wisdom:  Please re-write all baby books and inform all professionals in the baby field, that a pregnancy is NOT 9 months, so stop leading people on!!  There is a whole nother month in there people!

Looking forward to:  Getting through the genetic screening tomorrow and having positive results come back!

Jenny & Justin +2 (+3 furry)

Injections: 182 (Thats my final number, yay!!)

Protecting our Investments

Wow, this week has been another roller coaster ride of feelings and emotions and symptoms.  Monday I woke up and I felt great and I got a lot of stuff done and I didn't even feel so bad in the evening, Yay!  Tuesday day was more of the same good feelings, but then that damn nausea showed up again right at 6pm to ruin my evening.  Wednesday I was exhausted ALL day and basically laid around in my PJ's all day because I had NO energy.  Wednesday night I had a girls dinner and I had a little nausea come on about 6pm, but once I got to dinner I felt pretty good.  Then as soon as I got home from dinner at 930pm, WOW, I had a horrible stomach ache and I really thought I was going to toss my dinner.  Luckily, I didn't, but I am getting really tired of this nausea stuff.

Thursday Justin and I headed to the 2nd doctor we were considering.  This doctor is called a Perinatologist. This means he only works with high-risk pregnant patients and nothing else.  He is the one that was recommended very highly by our fertility doctor.  We arrived and the first person we meet at the front office is a very nice cute little pregnant girl, who checks me in and I handed her my massive file of paperwork.  The other 2 women working in the front reception area were not friendly at all, but this girl made up for it with her kind smile and warmth.  Isn't it crazy how fast someone can make a first impression on you!  We waited about 20 minutes in a very full waiting room and were finally called back for the first portion, which was the ultrasound.

The lady that came out to get us for the ultrasound was named Julie and she would be the one performing it as well.  She was very straight forward, to the point, and well.... not very friendly.  We got into the room and I assumed the position on the table.  Justin and I were trying to make conversation with her while she was preparing, but she wasn't having it.  Ok, that sucks!  Anyway, this ultrasound room is set up so when I lay down and look forward about 5 feet in front of me up on the wall is a large monitor for Justin and I to view everything.  That way she can have the whole ultrasound screen to herself.  This ultrasound was different than any other we have had.  She was very precise and looking for certain things like 2 sides to each brain, and 2 arms and 2 legs on each baby.  She measured their lengths and found that one baby is about a centimeter longer than the other.  She said this is still within normal range.  I asked her if she could convert that into inches, (god I'm demanding!) so I could get a better idea of their size and she seemed perturbed, but figured it out for me anyway.  She also measured the heartbeats which were 167 and 157, I think.  Or somewhere around there.  She said these are both normal as well.  The babies were not as active today and only of of them was moving around a little.  I think it might have been because I had eaten a little while before and they were in food coma like their momma. He he!!

During the entire ultrasound Justin and I were making comments and asking her questions and this woman was very dry, crabby, and just not friendly at all.  I made a comment at the end that she has a really cool job and she made some negative remark like, "Well yea, MOST of the time it's ok." Ok, great I'm done trying with her for today.  We were then led into the exam room to wait for the doctor.  We waited what seemed like forever (which was only like 20 minutes), and the doctor finally came in.  He was a skinny man with glasses and a short military style haircut.  He immediately smiled and shook our hands and sat down to chat.  And I must say he is exactly like our fertility doctor had described.  He made dry humor jokes kind of under his breath during our entire conversation, which at first was weird and then I caught on to his humor.  He is definitely quirky, nerdy, doctor-ish, but really seems to know his stuff.

This conversation went on for quite sometime, so I will try and summarize. His answers and thoughts:

Yes, I am high risk because I am carrying more than 1 baby, period.  And just because I am healthy and everything is normal now with the pregnancy, there is a way higher chance of something developing that can make me need high-risk care.  High-risk also means that you have a higher chance of going into pre-term labor, which is the case for most multiple pregnancies.  So why not just begin our journey with a doctor who is super experienced in dealing with high-risk pregnancies.  Better safe than sorry right?  He highly suggested a non-invasive test called and NT screening which is where they measure the thickness of the back of the babies necks through ultrasound, and through a blood test with me, which gives them a very good indicator if either of the babies has a chromosome abnormality like Downs, or Trisomy.  He said it is better to be prepared than not.   He also talked about many other risks and abnormalities that can occur.  Honestly, at the end of this portion of the conversation I was starting to get a little depressed because he was talking about all the bad stuff that can happen.  This doctor likes to talk odds and percentages like 1 out of 220 or 60%, and after about 10 different statistics my brain was mush and I can't tell you which stat goes with what.  He also talked about c-section versus labor, and his answer was much the same as the OBGYN I had seen last week.  He said I should read this one certain book about multiples and it just so happens I had already bought it.  He also said I need to be aware that I need to gain about 20-24lbs in the next 11 weeks or by week 24.  He said he is looking for a total weight gain of about 40-50lbs!!!!  Ahhh that is scary!  He talked about symptoms, and vitamins I am taking, and I think some other things, but at that point, my brain was mushy and full and I think I went into la la land.  He then did an exam and talked about how everything looked really good in our ultrasound.  He put this cool doppler machine on my belly and we could hear the heartbeats of both babies through the speaker in the room.  It was very cool!

I asked about the frequency of my visits and he said he would like to see me every 2 weeks and that I would have an ultrasound with those appointments about 90% of the time.  Then once I reach 28 weeks, I would see him once a week.  He asked me if I had done any pregnancy blood work and I said, No, and I knew we had to say something about going to the other OBGYN last week, because I felt conflicted at this point.  I told him we saw her last week and we wanted to feel out both ends of the spectrum as far as an OBGYN vs a High Risk Specialist.  He didn't seem to mind at all.  I told him that the OBGYN had said I wasn't high risk and that I would be treated like a normal 1 baby pregnancy.  He said, that we had to make the decision for ourselves and decide what is best for us.  I looked at Justin and said that I thought we had spent too much time, money, emotion, tears, stress, and anxiety to not go with someone who deals ONLY with our type of case.  Protect our investment right?  And that was that.  We are going with this doctor!

So he sent the nurse in to do my pregnancy blood work and Justin asked how many vials and she said, 7!!!!!  Here we go again!  Waterworks, on.  Justin held my hand and this nurse did a GREAT job not making it too painful and before I knew it we were done.  Whew!

I scheduled my 2 week appointment with them and also my NT screening will be done next Tuesday.  I need to call and cancel my appointment with the OBGYN, but I am scared and luckily they are closed today (Friday), so I get a couple days to round up some courage to call on Monday.  I am thinking I might just find a new OBGYN when this is all done and just have a fresh clean slate, just incase the OBGYN has hurt feelings.

Wow, yesterday was exhausting mentally and physically!  I am just glad we have made a decision.  Today I am feeling nauseous again, so I am going to sign off and go crawl in bed.  Ugh!!  Below are some ultrasound pictures from yesterday.

Baby B is now on the left and Baby A is on the right

Baby B-This one was more active this visit

Baby A just chilling with its hand on its head

Jenny & Justin +2 (+3 furry)

Injections: 181  (One more shot to go!!!!!)

Blood draws: 19 Vials: 49

I'm the Question Master

Justin and I headed to our first appointment with my current Obgyn on Wednesday the 11th.  I came armed with a huge folder of records from the fertility clinic and also a long list of questions.  

My appointment was scheduled at 245pm and I was not called back until 330pm.  For some reason that wait was really stressing me out and putting negative tally marks on my impression of this doctor. I know, I know....... you always wait forever when you go to a doctors appointment, but we are so used to the clinic where things never usually run more than 10 minutes behind.  

So we finally went back and were ushered into the ultrasound room which is where my entire exam would take place.  The nurse, Lindsey (who has been at the office for some time and I really like) asked me lots of questions, took my vitals and had me get into my paper skirt and wait for the doctor.  To my surprise we weren't waiting in the room forever for the doctor.  She came in and said congrats and we immediately started talking about how I had told our fertility doctor that she had called him the, "unconventional cowboy" of the infertility community.  And how our fertility doctor had called her to gloat about me and left a message for her that said, " Yippy kai yay mother f**ker".  It was all in good fun of course and I was glad she saw it as a joke. 

The doctor then asked me more questions about health, how I was feeling, family history, etc.

Let me back up for a second and describe this doctor first.  She is a nice looking, younger doctor who I can't figure out for the life of me.  I would say she is intelligent and informative, but somewhat soft spoken.  I sometimes feel she is judging me with her eyes while I am talking.  But I might be mistaken?  I don't know I just can't quite figure her out.  It's hard coming from the fertility doctor back to her because he is such an open book and warm and friendly and just says what he thinks.

So the doctor prepares to do an exam and ultrasound on my abdomen and asks what the piece of paper is in my hand.  I said it is my huge list of questions for her.  She said to start firing away while she was doing the exam.  So I did.  

I asked if she considered me high-risk and she said no.  I do not have any high risk factors like diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, or any other health ailments that would make me high risk.  She said that twins are considered high risk if you have another health factor added into the mix, but if I am healthy there is no need to consider me high risk.  This can change later in the pregnancy, and someone like myself can become high risk, if you develop something that puts you or the babies at risk.  But for now at this point, she says I am not.  Which is interesting to note, because our fertility doctor said he did consider me high-risk.  Her answer to this first question just made me glad about my decision to see a second high-risk OB next week to get several perspectives.  

I asked her if she had delivered twins before and she said yes, many, and that she had just had 4 sets of them in the last year.  Ok, not a huge number in my book, but some experience.  I also asked about a c-section versus labor delivery.  She said most twins are born around 36-37 weeks.  And about 50% of those are c-sections, but NOT planned ones.  Apparently it all has to do with how the bottom baby is positioned and this can change up until the minute the babies come out.  If the lower baby is breech and you go into labor they will automatically do a c-section.  If the lower baby is head down, they like you to try and go through labor to deliver.  And what about the second baby you ask??  Well, if the first baby is breech, then no worries, because they are both arriving via c-section.  If the first baby is head down and delivered and the second baby is breech, it is a last minute call by the doctor.  Sometimes (WARNING: this scares the crap out of me!) they will just reach in and pull it out no matter if it is head or feet first.  AHHHHHH!!!  And sometimes they have to do a c-section to get the second baby out.  So, you could end up with labor and a c-section, or one or the other.  Ok, so really by her answer I just need to plan on well.....ummmm.....whatever happens happens.

I honestly wasn't crazy about the answers she had for most of my questions.  I guess because I had been told a totally different thing by our fertility doctor (who mind you was an OB for 25 years).  She said my care wouldn't be any more specialized than someone carrying 1 baby and that I would only come in once a month for visits.  I would get an ultrasound every visit, but that is the only more specialized care she would recommend.  I asked her about delivering at a specific hospital that our fertility doctor highly suggested and she didn't seem to like the idea all that much.  (I am assuming because she is affiliated with a different hospital??)  So overall I wasn't too excited or thrilled with her answers.  But again I have to keep this all in perspective because she deals with hundreds of pregnant women, so why should I be treated any different right?  Well I guess I feel like I should feel special, just like the fertility doctor made me feel.

Overall, I think she would be a fine OBGYN and I don't question her abilities, I just question her ability to make me feel secure and confident.  I do realize she has very high expectations to live up to when compared to our fertility doctor.  Sooo, with all that being said, and all my questions asked, she proceeded with the abdominal ultrasound.  They have a computer screen for me and the doctor to look at and then a big flat screen on the wall for Justin to look at.  It was very cool!  She said we are welcome to video the ultrasound on our phone, so we can have the actual movements of the babies captured. We agreed we will do this next time.

The babies were even bigger this week and moving even more!  It is so COOL to see.  They were wiggling around kicking arms and legs, bobbing heads and even flipping over.  I am not able to feel any of these things yet, but she said hopefully in a couple more weeks I would be able to start to feel them move.  She did say she noticed that Baby A's placenta is attached in the front like closest to my belly button, so I might not feel them kick until a little later than normal because it is blocking them.  She said we could start to look for the sexes of the babies at our 16 week appointment, but sometimes you have to wait until the 20 week appointment to get a clear view.  So that means we have between 4 and 8 weeks to find out the sexes.  I am sure hoping it is 4 weeks!  

We finished the ultrasound, and she said she wasn't sure what blood tests I still needed to do, but that she would review my huge file and I could just do the blood work at my next appointment.  So my next appointment at that office is scheduled for April 25th, or 2 weeks from this appointment.  I will see the ultrasound tech for an ultrasound to do measurements, and then the nurse practioner (the doctor will be out of town) and then get blood work done.  And yes, all this is not set in stone, if in fact I decide to go with the high-risk specialist, which I will see April 19th.  

So that was Wednesday.  Now cut to Friday morning, I get a phone call from this doctor who leaves me a voicemail that goes something like this.  "Hi Jenny, I wanted to let you know I reviewed your file and there is some bloodwork missing, but I will verify with the clinic and if you do in fact need it you can just do it on the 25th.  Also, if you would like to come in this week and have an ultrasound done for your piece of mind just call us and we will fit you in.  And really we can do that for you any time in between your scheduled appointments."   Ummm, ok  she just earned some points in my book.

Friday afternoon we head to the baseball game and to a place beforehand to hang out and get out of the rain.  Well... I am walking around trying to find something to eat, because if you can't drink beer at a baseball game you might as well eat, right!?  And who do I run into...... THE DOCTOR!!  She says "Jenny" and I looked up and there she was standing in front of me, and I was kind of taken back, because I don't really know what you say to your OBGYN when you see them out in public.  And I can't even tell you a word I said to her because I felt akward and nervous.  But she was making a huge effort to have a conversation, so again I give her points for that.  And I also think, because you know how I am about things happening for a reason, that maybe I am supposed to give her a chance???

Ok, shut up Jenny and get to the good news!!!  I have finally made it to 12 WEEKS!!!!!!!  Hurray!!!!!!  Technically, I am still in the first trimester until the end of the 12th week, which would be next Sunday the 22nd.  But hey I can say I am in my 12th week, and that makes me SOOOOO happy!!  And the other good news is I have 2 MORE INJECTIONS!!!!  That's right, 2 more needles!  Myself and my hips are grateful that it is coming to an end.

And one last thing.  I believe honesty is the best policy and I hate complainers, BUT this first 12 weeks has been well......hard (mentally and physically)!  My nausea goes in waves and just when I have a couple good days and I think it is ending it comes back full throttle and kicks my butt and like last night I couldn't get to bed till 2am.  And I have begun having headaches, which are just annoying and painful.  And I am crabby and mean to my poor husband.  I admit it, I have been down right hard to deal with the last 2 weeks.  And the exhaustion from the headaches and the nausea, and the exhaustion from the exhaustion makes me want to sleep all day every day.  And food sucks!  Nothing sounds good, my taste buds are totally off, and I have this weird taste flem thing in the back of my throat that never goes away, WTF???  

I mean I guess it could be worse and I am sure there are women who have it way worse in the first trimester, and maybe I am just being wimpy about it, but whatever the case may be, I just had to get it out there, that this is NOT easy, and I can imagine it is only going to get harder.  And I thought...... because we had a hard time getting pregnant, and all the painful years of periods I suffered though was enough to get me out of the side effects of pregnancy.  HA!!  Was I wrong!

Ok, enough complaining.  Here are my ultrasound and belly photos for this week.

The one on the bottom right in all the pictures is harder to see she said because it is further away from the ultrasound waves.

How far along? 12 weeks today!!  Yay!

Total weight gain/loss: Well according to the OBGYN scale I have lost 2 pounds coming from the fertility clinic, but she said that could just be because scales are different.

Maternity clothes?  Loving maxi dresses and maternity t-shirts are comfy

Stretch marks?  NOPE

Sleep: I sleep at weird times, and can't get to bed till late because of the nausea.

Best moment this week: It would have to be seeing the babies wiggle around on the screen.  I am hoping I will be able to post the video on here next week. So cool!

Have you told family and friends: Yes, I believe everyone now knows our great news!

Miss Anything? My appetite and food sounding and tasting good.

Movement: We have visual movement, but not feeling it yet.

Food cravings?  Turkey sandwiches, popsicles

Anything making you queasy or sick: What doesn't?

Have you started to show yet: I believe that is a yes!

Gender prediction: UGH, I want to know so bad, but I don't want to guess!

Labor Signs: NO

Belly Button in or out? IN

Wedding rings on or off? ON

Happy or Moody most of the time:  CRABBY!  Sorry honey!  Thanks for being so understanding!  Love you! 

Weekly Wisdom: There is a reason other pregnant people don't tell you all the horrible things that can happen to you until you are pregnant, because at that point there is no turning back.  I am not sure how women have multiple pregnancies.  More power to you women!

Looking forward to: Meeting with the new doctor Thursday, having another ultrasound with him, and my belly popping out.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Jenny & Justin +2

11 week belly photo AND 4 more injections!!!

Yes, that's what I said, 4 MORE INJECTIONS!!!  Today was my first day of not having to get stabbed with a needle at 7am.  It was amazing!  As I said in my last blog we started the weaning process yesterday and it will end on Sunday April 22nd.  But after getting an injection everyday for the last 2 and a half months it almost seemed weird not to wake up to my shot alarm, warm up the oil, prepare the shot, and then let the anxiety kick in.  It has almost become routine which is weird!  And something I NEVER thought I would say.  But I am SOOOO grateful that is doesn't have to be my routine for much longer.  I told my mom the other day I never thought I would survive this process, NEVER!  And guess what, I have.  Crazy!  I remember a long time ago I said to someone that if I ever became diabetic I would die because there is no way I could get injections everyday.  Well I would like to retract that statement.  I now know how strong I am, and if it comes down to it, you just do it.....WHY?.......because that's what you have to do.  You put your fear aside and whether those needles are to help keep you alive, or 2 little babies, you just do it.  Period.

So here I am at week 11 and 1 day pregnant today.  Whew, it feels like it took forever to get here, but I know I still have a long way to go.  6 more days until I reach the beginning of 12 weeks!  I am really excited to reach that milestone because it means the chances for miscarriage drop drastically and we will be in a safer zone.  I am hoping it also means the end will be near for the nausea and exhaustion.  Please, please, please!!!  I have also given myself permission to start shopping and buying things after the 12 week mark.  Yay!!  You know how I love shopping.  Look out!!

11 week belly photo:

How far along?  11 weeks 1 day today

Total weight gain/loss: Don't know, will probably find out more about this at my OBGYN appt Wednesday the 11th

Maternity clothes?  Rubberbands on the buttons of my jeans, pants are just uncomfortable, loving dresses

Stretch marks?  No thank you

Sleep: Sleeping better, not waking up as much at night to go to the bathroom, thank you!!

Best moment this week:  So far it is not having to get a shot this morning

Have you told family and friends: yes, but 1 more week and then I'll let People magazine release the story, he he!!

Miss Anything? Not so far this week

Movement: Saw the little buggers moving like crazy on the screen, but I haven't felt anything yet

Food cravings?  Loving popcicles, especially bomb pops, and crusty baguettes from whole foods

Anything making you queasy or sick: All other food still sounds pretty gross, so please stop describing food items.... (Justin!!) he he!

Have you started to show yet: I feel like it's getting bigger.  Ok, I just compared 8 weeks to today and definitely notice a difference.

Gender prediction: I think something different everyday. But remember how I like to think the opposite?  Well that is what I have been doing in hopes that I am wrong.

Labor Signs:   NO

Belly Button in or out? IN

Wedding rings on or off? ON

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time, but my memory is shot.  Baby brain is in full effect.  

Weekly Wisdom: You are a lot stronger than you think you are and can handle a lot more than you think you can.  And once you come out on the other side, it seems a lot less horrible than you thought it would be.  

Looking forward to: Our first OBGYN visit Wednesday and getting the wood floors redone in our house Wednesday.  Gonna be a big day!!

Movers and Shakers

It's amazing how mom's always make us feel better.  My mom arrived on Monday as Justin was leaving on his work golf trip for the week.  As I said I hadn't been feeling well the last week, but amazingly enough a majority of the time my mom was here I felt great and had little to no nausea.  My mom and I spent the week browsing for baby stuff like cribs, chairs, etc.  We didn't buy anything because I want to get past the first trimester first, but we got lots of good ideas and figured out what I like and don't like as far as the nursery goes. So for once in the last several weeks I felt productive.  

My mom also came in town for the week because I needed someone to administer my daily injections while my nurse, Justin was away.  And although my mom was super nervous, she ended up doing a great job and I didn't even feel any of the needles.  She said it was really hard for her because you don't ever want to inflict pain on your child, but knowing why we were doing it was reason enough to overcome her fear and stab me with needles, he he!

My ultrasound appointment this week was Thursday and when I told my mom that she was going to get to go to my last appointment at the clinic she was SO excited!  She said she couldn't wait to see the babies on the ultrasound because she had never seen anything like that in person.  

We arrived at the clinic and I filled out the necessary paperwork to get the front staff started on making copies of all my files to take with me, while I was in with the doctor.  I knew it would take quite awhile because my file was so huge!!   My mom and I headed into the room and she said she had butterflies and was nervous/excited.  It was very cute!  The doctor came in and hugged my mom and I and we began chatting about moving on to my new chosen doctor.  The doctor then started the ultrasound and right away I noticed how much bigger the babies looked this week and how much more "baby-like" they looked.  They now have visible appendages and the body looks more segmented instead of just one big gummy blob.  

We looked at Baby A first and the doctor said it wasn't necessary to take measurements this week, but all of us including Shawnee, noticed how active the baby was.  It was moving its entire body, legs and arms around.  It was SO cool to see!  We then listened to its heartbeat which was louder this week.  Baby B also decided to liven up this week and was also moving around kicking and squirming.  The doctor made mention that Beyonce was playing on the radio and that the babies were moving and shaking to the music.  I wish I would have taken a video of it!!  I also took the liberty of poking them from my abdomen to get them to move around more.  My mom was in Awww the entire time.  She was just smiling and amazed by what she saw on the screen.  It was really cool that she could be there.  

When the ultrasound was done the waterworks began.  The doctor said he just wanted to let me know how amazing he thought I was throughout this whole process.  He said I never complained and just went with what ever plan he threw out there, including adding my own plan in as well.  As he was talking I began to cry and just told him how amazing I thought he was and that we loved him.  I told him to be prepared to be called "uncle" by the twins.  The doctor had also teared up by this point and gave me a big hug and promised me he would be there when the twins were born, even if he couldn't deliver them.  He then said one final thing.  He said, "because of you and your husband and the experience I have had with you I think I now have one pinky toe guaranteed to go to heaven".    Shawnee looked at him and said well I don't know about that, and we all laughed.  

The doctor left because he had other patients waiting and Shawnee stayed to give me further instructions.

I will begin to ween off the steroid pill and the progesterone injections starting Sunday.  I will take a dose Sunday and then skip Monday.  Take a dose Tuesday and then skip 2 days.  Then a dose Friday and skip 3 days.  Then a dose Tuesday and skip 4 days.  And then my final dose of both will be Sunday April 22nd.  I thought it was going to be a week earlier, but honestly this way I end up doing less injections even though I stop everything a week later.  I thought I would just take a less and less dose for a week, but apparently that's not how they do it.  But hey no complaints because I get less needles and pills.  

My mom and I waited in the waiting room for a bit while the assistant was copying my files and we ended up having a great conversation with Shawnee and 2 of the front desk women.  It was nice to get to talk with them because honestly I didn't want to leave the office knowing this was my last appointment.  Finally we were ready to go and I hugged everyone in the office and said my goodbyes.  Knowing that I am graduating from the fertility clinic is great because it means we accomplished our goal, but knowing I won't see these people again every week is hard.  I will miss them very much!

Justin got back in town Thursday night and my mom left Friday morning.  And wouldn't you know Friday morning my nausea came back with a vengeance and left me bound to the couch most of the day.  I swear moms have some sort of healing power! Come back mom, come back! 

The exhaustion and nauseous stomach continue to just make me uncomfortable.  I am either starving, nauseous, or so full I feel nauseous, so I am in a constant state of ugh!  It is still mostly at night time, but today and yesterday it has been most of the day and night.  I take a lot of deep breaths because it seems to help temporarily, but the medicine doesn't even seem to be doing much at this point.  Fingers crossed I only have a couple more weeks of that stuff.  

I head to my old OBGYN on Wednesday the 11th for my first appointment and a list of questions in hand.  

Here are our 3 ultrasound photos from this week:

Baby A is on the left, Baby B is on the right.

Here is Baby A

Finally a decent picture of Baby B

Tomorrow I will be 11 weeks along and I will post a belly picture tomorrow or Monday.  Happy Bunny Day everyone!

Jenny & Justin +2 (+ 3 furry)

Injections: 177

10 Week Belly Photo

Yay, I have made it to 10 weeks!  I am 1/4 the way there! The time seems like it has gone by kinda slow and kinda fast.  Here is my weekly picture and update below:

How far along?   10 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Still haven't asked

Maternity clothes?  Nope not yet, but my pants are getting tight, even had to use a rubber band on the button the other day

Stretch marks?  Nope, still using the cream like crazy!

Sleep:   Sleep a lot, can't get enough

Best moment this week:  Seeing the babies move on their own and hanging upside down

Have you told family and friends: 2 more weeks until I tell EVERYONE

Miss Anything? Monster, Lo-Carb energy drinks

Movement: Saw it on screen, but haven't felt anything yet

Food cravings?  Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sandwiches!! I could eat them all day long!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Everything, including cheese

Have you started to show yet: My belly feels hard and huge to me, but then I see the picture and it doesn't look that big

Gender prediction: Nope

Labor Signs: NOPE

Belly Button in or out? IN

Wedding rings on or off? ON

Happy or Moody most of the time: A little crabby this week because of the nausea at nighttime

Weekly Wisdom: Sometimes you just have to relax and do nothing and be ok with it

Looking forward to: My mom coming in town tomorrow and her getting to see the babies on the ultrasound on Thursday!