Huge. Here’s Proof

18  weeks 6 days pregnant, these two are definitely starting to make an appearance!

Yah, My Pants are Unbuttoned. So?

In the last ten days I have outgrown two pairs of pants. As in, ten days ago I could button them just fine, and today I can’t even rubber-band the dang things up.  All of a sudden, I’m pregnant.

Dolce and Gabbana have started kicking me regularly and already little personalities are coming out. Example? Dolce, head down feet up by my ribs, is constantly on the move. If I hold still long enough there isn’t a five minute length of the day when I can’t feel him. Gabbana, transverse with her head by Dolce’s bottom, is much more polite. She will flutter her feet every now and then, occasionally poke out an elbow, but for the most part is content just to float.

I’ve lost a lot of energy lately as well. A twenty minute walk around the grocery store wears me out. I take a nap with the kids every day and I really feel like I need it more then I want it. Sleeping at night is hard. Diapering my son has become more of a challenge and I can no longer carry him up the stairs.. He’s just too much weight on this massive baby bump. My belly has begun to itch like mad and my belly button has started to flatten out.

But even with all of that? I’m excited. Excited and happy to be pregnant. I’m trying to enjoy each and every moment, even the hard ones, since I’m pretty sure this will be the last time I get to experience a pregnancy. It is somewhat surreal being pregnant right now. I’ve had whole conversations with new people about parenting that end with me gushing relief that I only have two and how content I am about that. Then I get the big long look at my obviously pregnant belly and a wondering glance before they wander away. It took me a minute the first time that happened to realize how confused I seemed.. although perhaps they just thought I was sporting the most prominent beer gut ever.

Next week P-Daddy is here to visit. My children are really looking forward to it ( a visitor!! doesn’t matter that they have no idea who he is……. they’ve seen pictures! He might as well be family!) and so am I.  I plan to steal him for a day and drive to the city to take him shopping for baby gear, then round out the day with lunch with my mother. He’s heard all about her and she, him, and I’m looking forward to introducing the two of them. Should prove interesting! Most likely she is the only member of my family that he will ever meet, so she’s got a lot of representing to do in one short visit!

My family. I did a lot of worrying for nothing on some things, it seems. I haven’t seen any of them since I was first pregnant, and won’t be seeing any of them ( except my mother) till well after the babies are born. Not by choice, that’s just how things have worked out. Hard to be an elephant in the room if we’re never in the same room together, right? Those that want to can just choose to pretend nothing has happened since they won’t be seeing any of it. My father visits occasionally but the timing of this upcoming one places me away from home getting certified as a Doula. The next time I would see him would be at our annual Christmas gathering, which I won’t be able to attend because of advanced pregnancy.  This is also the reasons I won’t be seeing either of my sisters or my brother. Very busy and very different lives just mean that our paths won’t be crossing.  My husbands family has become very involved, on the other hand. My father-in-law in particular has really come through as a strong supporter and it’s nice having that father figure handy during this journey. I think it’s because he *gets* it more then some others may. He has a son that is not biologically his that he loves and dotes on with a passion.

We had a discussion about our children and I was really able to boil things down to their simplest terms. He asked if I thought it would be hard to send these babies home. Here’s how I answered. My children are mine. They are mine with every fiber of my being, not because I carried them or because I birthed them or because we share a genetic link. They aren’t mine because she has my face or he has my personality.  They are mine because I chose them.  I chose them with my heart as mine, and nothing is stronger then that choice. Not genetics, not physically carrying them, nothing. But these babies? Are not mine. They aren’t mine not because our genetics aren’t the same, or despite the fact that I am carrying them. They aren’t mine because I do NOT choose them. That lack of choice is powerful.  It is that kind of power that makes adoptions, surrogacy, alternative families in general possible. 

It makes being pregnant just odd. I don’t have a nursery planned, I am not making lists of names, I’m not buying a larger car or stocking diapers by the truckload; I just get to enjoy pregnancy. That’s all I need to do.

So that’s what I’m doing. Enjoying pregnancy. I eat chocolate by the truck load ( it’s good for the babies!),  enjoy my ever expanding girth, fondle all the fun maternity tops at the store, spend a good amount of time each evening with my hands pressed to my belly feeling these babies move, and just enjoy this pregnancy with none of the stress that follows. Newborns. Sweet, smell good……. stressful. None of that, please. I’ll just stick to being pregnant, thanks!

17 Weeks and All’s Well

A happily uneventful OB appointment today. I’m up a total of 10 pounds ( woo hoo!!!), fundus is measuring at 23 weeks, and the babies; they are a wigglin’!

I love my OB. He knows how paranoid I am about them so he books me in the ultrasound room every time. We listen, then we look. They both look great. Dolce is head down, body on my right side. Gabbana is transverse with her head by Dolce’s bottom, feet to my left. All baby on my right side, left side kind of empty. My belly even LOOKS lopsided, tee hee! They were having a bit of a nap so weren’t super active on the ultrasound, but you could still see them stretching around in there! We discussed the plans for delivery a bit today and I expressed again my wish to go as naturally as possible. He likes to have an epidural for his twin patients for a few reasons; baby b is commonly a c-section delivery or flips transverse after baby A delivers and needs to be manually turned. Both of these scenarios really require an epidural. We’ve compromised and I have agreed to have an epidural catheter put in, but it will just be taped down until/if I need it. Aiming for not needing it, of course, which he fully supports. This means that a large part of my labor can not be in the labor tub. That sucks as laboring in the tub was a comfort with my sons’ pregnancy. But at least the first part can be! He also insists on constant fetal monitoring. Yah, no. We will come to a compromise on that issue as well, but I’ll save that debate for a little later, LOL! He has agreed to let me go as long as my body is able, with daily checks after 38 weeks to make sure the two are doing well if I make it that long. However he’s never had twins make it that long so it was an empty promise on his part, but I plan to surprise him! My next appointment is just before Labor Day weekend, and P-Daddy will be here to go with me. We have the big 20 week gender revealing ultrasound in the morning and a meeting with my OB that afternoon. Wheeeee!!! Still fumbling out how I’m going to entertain him for his visit but, I’m not too worried.

I haven’t been sleeping very well and have some nasty acid reflux, which  prompted me to go ahead and scour Craigslist for a recliner. It arrived this morning and it is SO comfy! For the first time in more then a week I managed to actually sleep during nap time, propped up on my new chair. We’ll see if I even make it to my bed tonight. The big trick is going to be keeping my little monsters off of it. So far we’re doing well. It is, after all, Mama’s special chair. I highly doubt that will last long though, my two are pretty tenacious!

16 weeks Pregnant; What I See When I Look Down

Today Would Have Been Her Birthday

I am thankful to have had the time with her that I did, thankful for what having and losing her changed in me, and thankful to have learned about myself what I did.

Happy day, little one.  You won’t be forgotten.

15 weeks 4 days

Things are chugging right along here in twin-land. I had my 14 week appointment last week and both of the wee little ones were looking great! I even got a bonus in-office ultrasound done just to reassure myself of their existence. I’m also down half a pound. Huh. I eat constantly, but I can’t seem to fit as much food in the ol’ luggage case as I used to so maybe that’s the difference. I’m in maternity clothes full time now, but my belly really seems more food baby then wriggily babies. Soon I’m hoping they will have a growth spurt and I’ll look a little more pregnant and a little less “lay off the candies”.

I got a call from my OB about the blood work from the BUN scan. “Things all look great!” but really that doesn’t mean anything. I was surprised at the call though. I have to go back to the lab in a few weeks to get the 2nd half of the blood work completed so that we can get the official results. I’m not worried.

OK so I know I have a ton of really fancy topics to discuss, but I seem to have lost my mojo. I’m tired all the time. I’m really putting in extra effort to make sure my kids get the full 100% due to them and because of that I really don’t have much left for anything else. Creative writing? Pishaw. I’d rather sit quietly with a mind numbing book. Make dinner? With, like, real food? Um, can we just have soup? The energy, after playing and entertaining and breaking up fights, is just not there. Lucky for me, Husband is changing his work schedule. In a month he’ll be home at 2:30 every day. I can NOT wait. Granted, he’s also going to school full time but many days it will really feel like I’ve got some serious parenting help around here and right now that sounds divine.

Our big 20 week ultrasound has been scheduled for the end of August. P-Daddy will be flying in and staying with us for several days, and we are all really looking forward to that! He will be sleeping in Daughters top bunk which, to her, means that Chirstmas, her birthday, and all things good have all happened at the same time. What can I say, the girl loves to share! BOY is he in for some culture shock! Now all I have to do is come up with some sort of.. entertainment. If any of you locals have some ideas there, feel free to pass them on!

OK I’m done now. Someone is screaming and I have to pee. This is me leaving.

Twin Pregnancy: Weeks 12-16

We’re just at 14 weeks pregnant and I thought it might be fun to share what the ol’ internet has to say about things!

 

By twelve weeks, your once called embryo is now called a fetus. At twelve weeks each of your developing babies will weigh approximately 20 grams. At the beginning of week 13, each of your twins will resemble the familiar tadpole looking image! Although the babies do not have any obvious organization of movement yet, if seen on ultrasound you will notice reflexive motions. By 16 weeks the twins will each weigh around 120 grams! What amazing growth! They will also reach a length of about four inches long. By sixteen weeks, the devloping twins can swallow and the kidneys begin to operate. The production of urine by the fetus contributes to the amniotic fluid. Your babies are now beginning to show some control over its environment.

In most pregnancy, nausea should be diminishing or may even be completely gone. You should be enjoying a hearty appetite. At times you may feel ravenous and that is okay. Follow the dietary guidelines that your caregiver has given you and enjoy nourishing your babies!! If you are still experiencing cravings, that is fine, but do discuss any extreme cravings with your doctor. You may need an additional supplement or vitamin.

Vaginal discharge that is white and creamy in texture is common and should not be cause for concern. Any discharge that is any color besides white or is associated with other symptoms should be reported to your caregiver.

You may notice that you are not getting as much sleep as you are used to. Your sleep can be disturbed by the need to urinate, increased dreaming, heartburn or other reasons. Find a comfortable position and try to get as much rest as possible. It is hard work to carry a twin pregnancy and you need to be fair to your body and let it rest often.

Many women complain of an increase in headaches. If you experience severe and/or frequent pain, you should report it to your caregiver. Do not take any type of pain reliever without the consent of your caregiver. Try a relaxing bath, calming music, eating and drinking often, rest in a darkened room or a soothing compress over your eyes. Hormone production may cause migraine headaches. Many environmental, food, hormonal and lifestyle triggers cause migraines. Avoid air pollution, smoke, fumes, bright lights, alcohol, aspartame, caffeine, chocolate, dairy products, fatty foods, MSG, nuts, and physical exertion. Depression, stress and anxiety can also lead to migraines.

At this point of the pregnancy, maternity clothes are probably a must. You may be outgrowing your pants as your waistline expands. Moms of multiples experience this earlier. Maternity bras are very important also. Purchase or borrow clothes that will last the entire pregnancy.

Swelling of the feet is a common complaint also. The extra weight in your abdomen has the effect of increasing the curve of your spine. Wearing athletic shoes and propping your feet up throughout the day should alleviate discomfort.

Bring on the Fat Pants, Baby!

Officially “large and in charge”. I’ve been squeezing into my regular pants, tugging down my regular shirts, stretching out my regular hair ties ( on the pant buttons) and finally, enough was enough. I’ve emptied my closet of anything considered “pre pregnancy” that can’t be worn immediately post-pardum and unpacked 4 giant totes of maternity stuff. This is quite a bit earlier then with my previous pregnancies but hey, there are two in there and I started out a good 5 pounds heavier this time. And I can’t stop eating. That, too.

The family spent the weekend at a local State Park and my husband was quite the fast thinker, snappng a few belly pics for me to share. The belly; it is not huge. But it is definately present. Soon I’ll be body pillow shopping and forcing myself to sleep only on my side.

Oh, and did you notice my boobs are huge? Yes. Thank you Pregnancy Gods, for blessing me with my first set of pregnancy boobs. I never got them with my kids, I just got HUGE nursing boobs. Well thanks to my son I had these nice large empty sacks left over from his nursing days and these twins? Hate to see anything go to waste ( this includes food on a plate. “the babies” just won’t let me waste it) so sent me a little hormone boost and VOILA! Huge knockers. They would be even more fabulous if I didn’t have to kill anyone who might touch them. Husband has agreed to enjoy from afar ( the knee to the groin that one time kind of convinced him of that wise choice).

So there’s your update! I’ve another OB appointment next week ( Wednesday? Thursday? huh…) where I’m sure I’ll come back and piss and moan about all the weight I’ve packed on thanks to our friend Snickers. Prepare yourself for whining.

Come Out, Come Out, Whoever You Are!!

I get an average of 119 views a day. The average length of view is 2 minutes…. yet no comments???

My feelings are hurt.

So today’s the day! You over here for a visit? Sit down and share a little! How did you find my blog? What do you think about it? What do you want to know? What would you change?

Time to share, folks!

NT, You Wanna?

Yesterday was the oh-so-exciting NT scan. The short? These children are looking WONDERFUL! The long version looks like this:

Dolce is to the left, Gabbana to the right. You can see the top of Gabbana’s right hand just below the word Head, and *her foot to the right of the word.

Dolce lounging. You can see the top of his left hand just in front of his nose with a hint of his legs/knees over by the word “body”.

Dolce ( heartrate of 147) had the hiccoughs the whole time, likes to kick, and keeps headbutting his sister ( babies are head to head) when he stretches out his little body.  In the second picture he has his right arm over his face in a very dramatic pose.. you can see arm, elbow, and hand over forehead.

 

 

Gabbana ( heart rate 160) kept sticking out her tongue and rolling around. You can see her little mouth open in the top picture with her left hand near her face and the hint of her legs.  When her brother bumps her she throws up her hands, which you can see in the bottom picture. He stretched out and bumped her ( you can see his head to the left) and she threw up her right arm in response.

BOTH babies are incredibly active and responsive. They both tried to hide from the ultrasound wand…
Speaking of the wand… YAY I didn’t need to be scanned vaginally!! While my food baby is huge, apparently it’s mostly intestine that flops behind my uterus when laying down, so we got some decent detail on top and didn’t need to go the other way. WOO HOO!! It was an hour and a half scan, so my cooch is thankful.

I’m showing. Well, i’m fat, but it’s displaced fat caused by the babies, so I’m showing. My fundus is measuring at 17 weeks, I’m up a total of 5 pounds, and I can’t fit in my pants anymore. My first clue that this isn’t all fat but that I’m actually growing these babies? My belly button started hurting. That stinging/stretching hurt it got with my childrens’ pregnancies that means things are stretching out.

The thing that really made it all real?

Yesterday Gabbana kicked me. Three times. One during the ultrasound ( which I got to see AND feel) and twice more last night while laying on my side in bed. At 13 weeks I’m being kicked.

It’s amazing.

Soon Dolce will get in on the action ( he’s slightly behind Gabbana to the rear so if they stay that way it will be mostly her that I feel) and my easy time of rest will be over.

I can’t wait.

 

*No, we don’t know the genders. I’m guessing, but I’ll bet I’m right!!