Monday, February 28, 2011

whoops

You know what apparently is a risk when you're pregnant, vs. when you're not, that I had never heard of before?

You can be getting dressed in the morning, and put on your maternity pants (no buttons, zippers) and not notice until you get to work that you have put your pants on backwards.

Oops.

~M

Friday, February 25, 2011

my belly- 20 weeks 1 day- plus other things, too.

I know what you're thinking. But wait! You were just at 19 weeks 1 day on Wednesday! How is it now only two days later, yet you're a week further along? (Oh, you weren't thinking that? You didn't even notice? Well, fine!)

ANYway... we had our second anatomy scan today, and it went just swimmingly. The reason I'm now at 20 weeks 1 day, is because the hospital confirmed that based on when I ovulated, my due date is July 14th, not the 19th like my doctor originally thought. So, I am now OVER halfway there. Wow!

The girls (yep- confirmed for sure they are both for sure girls!) are doing so well. They are measuring perfectly in every way. They measure the heart, the brain, the bones, kidneys, everything! Kind of crazy. The girls were both super active today, and not wanting to sit still to be measured. I mean, why would they? They are too busy swimmin'! And flippin' around! And waving at us! (Baby A totally waved at us! Pictures to come soon- my scanner at work isn't doing the pictures justice.) There is just so much fun to be had in my uterus.

The ultrasound tech also said I had two anterior placentas- which means "in the front" of my uterus. Yes, I realize most of you know what anterior means, vs. posterior, but I had to ask. Anyway, it's totally fine, but it explains why I haven't felt them move since the one time I did on Monday. It's just an extra little cushion to absorb their movement. But I think it's only a matter of a week or so before I start feeling it more often.

Anyway, here's my bathroom pic for the week. I think I'll have to start having Ian take my picture, because these aren't great. It's super hard to get the right angle without blocking your face. I smiled this time. :)


Here's a side by side comparison from last week. It kind of looks the same to me. :) (click to enlarge)

Anyway, once we scan the new ultrasound pics, I'll put those up. Have a lovely weekend everyone!

~M

Thursday, February 24, 2011

the best laid plans

So, I’ve been dreaming/planning/thinking about babies and all things associated with pregnancy pretty much since we started officially trying back in June of 2009. Different ideas about many things have come and gone; Nursery designs, diapering options, pregnancy plans, parenting styles, etc. But one thing I’ve always really wanted; was a natural birth. Maybe in a tub, or at a birthing center, most likely with a midwife and a doula. This was something I knew I always wanted, for several reasons. One; I don’t do well with medication, needles, etc. So, any chance to avoid all of that sounds great to me. Also, I like the idea of being able to be aware of my body, and really feel everything. I know, I know. Childbirth is painful, and definitely no picnic. But I really wanted to just be aware of and feel everything.

Well, so far, this whole journey has not turned out as I pictured. I always thought I’d have SOME trouble getting pregnant; but only because of irregular cycles. I didn’t think anything was actually WRONG with me, like PCOS. I thought I just had a wonky cycle. I certainly didn’t think it would take as long as it did to conceive (though I know many others wait MUCH longer); even though I read the statistics about PCOS and conceiving. I knew I could be at higher risk for miscarriage; with the PCOS and then with the Factor V, but I never thought it would actually HAPPEN. I really never wanted to have to take any medication to ovulate, and I also never wanted to do anything like an IUI. Yet, all of these things happened. I had to jump through way more hoops and compromise my “ideal” on most things in order to have what I wanted most; a baby of our own.

Through each step, I’ve been disappointed, and then finally made my peace with it; because it was how it had to be. I did have an AMAZING Reproductive Endocrinologist, Dr. Sami David, so I was truly lucky in that respect. But I did have to adjust my way of thinking of things.

Back to the “one thing I always knew I wanted”; a natural birth. Well, once again, I will have to let this dream go. There are VERY few midwives that would take a twin birth. It’s too risky. So, that’s out. Along with birthing center, and tub birth. I most likely will have to give birth in the Operating Room, because they have to be prepared to do an emergency c-section. Because of THIS, they have to automatically give me an epidural. I’ve not clarified it with my doctor, but in some of the books I’ve read, they place the epidural line, but don’t administer the drugs until absolutely necessary (if I request them or if I have to have an emergency c-section). So, I have to clarify that part with her. Also, with twins, there is slightly less than 50% chance of a c-section, because if the first baby is not head down; you can’t deliver vaginally. I really need to prepare myself mentally for this. I’m WAY more scared of a c-section than I am of a drug free delivery, for many reasons. I don’t like the idea of being sliced open; I don’t like that I can’t hold them right afterwards, and that I have to lay there being sewn up for like an hour afterwards; I don’t like that the recovery time is so much longer; etc.- the list goes on. Honestly though, I will not be taking any chances. I’m too scared to lose my babies to take any chances. So, if my doctor recommends that I do something one way, I’ll do it. She’s great, and has delivered many sets of twins vaginally. So I know she’ll do everything she can to make it happen that way. But- it could go either way, and I need to prepare myself for this.

I think it will probably be the same process I went through to come to terms with all of the things along the way that didn’t “go as planned”. I mean, life rarely goes as planned, which sometimes makes it frustrating, but also makes it thrilling.

I know that no matter how it happens, the outcome will be that I have two new members of our little Fraser family. And that’s pretty much all that matters to me.

~M

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

weekly wednesday update

How far along? 19 weeks 1 day! Halfway there, since I'll be delivering at 38 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: Went to the doctor yesterday, and have not gained any weight in the last 3 weeks. So, I'm still up a total of four pounds. She said that she was really happy with this, and that very soon I'll probably start gaining more. I'm still really hoping to keep it around 15-18 pounds of weight gain, but we'll see! It's hard sometimes having to monitor this so closely. I wish I had been a normal weight when I got pregnant so I wouldn't have to worry about it as much, but oh well. So far it's going ok.

Stretch marks? Well...I think I found a tiny one last night. :( I know! I can feel your disappointment. I'm REALLY bummed, too. And, I feel cheated. Because you read all this stuff about how stretch marks are genetic. Well, my mom didn't get any. So, if they're not genetic, then that means I should be able to prevent it with belly cream. But apparently that didn't work either. Way annoyed. I'm going to go get some of this after work today, because it's supposed to be really good. We shall see.

***UPDATE*** Hadn't checked this morning because I was running late. Just checked, and I now have several. I am sad. :( For the stretch marks, and also, because I'm only in my 5th month. 19 weeks to go.... that's a lot of potential for way more stretch marks.

Maternity clothes? I've discovered my pajama pants, though stretchy, aren't really working anymore. They stretch far enough, but I don't like the feeling of the band around my middle, since it's not all soft and forgiving like maternity wear. I may have to go get some maternity jammie bottoms. Or something. It's important to have cozy pants.

Sleep: Well, it has been total crap the last couple of days. The night before last, I woke up at 4:30, and couldn't go back to sleep. Just wide awake. Then last night, I woke up at 2:30; same thing. Also, I was really sore- sore joints and muscles everywhere. Had to get up and go watch TV after trying to sleep for almost an hour. I am quite tired today.

Best moment this week: Feeling the babies move!! So very cool. I felt them move on Monday night. Haven't felt them move since, but now that I've had a taste, I want more! It was pretty darn cool.

Movement: See answer above. Yay, moving babies!

Food cravings: Yesterday I REALLY wanted a cheeseburger. So, I had one. It was tasty. :)

Genders: Still GIRLS! Will get one more confirmation this Friday at our second anatomy ultrasound at the hospital. Just want them to take one more look as I'm in the 20th week now, so there would be very little chance they'd be wrong at this point. Though I really have no doubt that they are girls.

Labor Signs: Nope.

Belly Button in or out? It's in.

What I miss: Still miss clear skin. And not getting completely out of breath when I climb stairs. And sleeping. I miss sleeping.

What I am looking forward to: More baby movement please! :) And my ultrasound on Friday.

Weekly Wisdom: It's kind of hard to think of wise things each week. Not that my "weekly wisdom" has really been that wise up to this point, but you know. I think one thing I'm realizing is that it's just so important to listen to your body; especially now. I think I'm pretty good at it, and I'm getting better. If I'm tired, I just let myself be tired. And it helps when you have a pretty awesome husband who helps you out all the time. :)

Milestones: Halfway point!!! 19 weeks is halfway for me, which is just so crazy!

For the size of the babies this week, my "what to expect" iphone app says that they are the size of small cantaloupes. On Babycenter, it says they are as big as bananas. So, not sure what is more accurate. They both agree though, that they each weigh about 10 ounces, and are 6 1/2 inches crown to rump (10 inches crown to heel!). I'm going to go with the banana, because Babycenter has all these pictures with the quarter next to it, so that you can see scale, and I like that. :)




Also, here's roughly what they look like right now in my belly! :)


Happy Wednesday!

~M

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

whoa...livin' on a prayer

You know, as in, the Bon Jovi song... where the line before that one is "Whoooaaaa! We're halfway there..."

Anyone?

Anyway.....

Yes- today marks the halfway point of my pregnancy! I am at 19 weeks exactly today, and since my doctor isn't going to let the pregnancy go further than 38 weeks; we're halfway there! Crazy. I honestly can't believe how fast it has gone. I know every single person says that, but it's entirely different when you're experiencing it yourself. I mean, honestly? At the beginning, it was going VERY slowly. Because I was so worried I was going to lose this pregnancy too, that I just wanted to reach a milestone. Please, let me reach the end of the first trimester, so that my risk of miscarrying again will go down. It seemed to take YEARS. And, honestly, though I can't believe I'm already at 19 weeks, sometimes time seems to still drag a bit. Because, I just worry. I don't worry excessively, or all the time, but the more I read about twin (and multiple) pregnancies and the risks, the more I think "oh, man! let's get t0 the end of this so I can see that they're safe!" Though I know that once they're out, a whole new level of worrying will kick in. :) Anyway, for now, I'm pretty darn excited to have made it to the halfway point!

Also.... last night I felt them move!!!! I was laying on the couch watching "How I Met Your Mother" (seriously; how awesome is that show??), and I made Ian pause it, because I felt something weird in my stomach. I laid there in the silence and concentrated, and it was definitely something I'd never felt before. It felt like a twitch, or a flutter. I wasn't convinced though, because it felt like it was too high up. Then, this morning REALLLLLY early, when my body had decided that 5 1/2 hours was PLENTY of sleep and that I didn't need anymore, I felt another movement. This one was different; lower down. It felt like bubbles in my stomach, and it was really crazy and awesome. It only happened when I was on my left side. So, I may not have gotten much sleep last night, but feeling that this morning was WAY worth it.

That's my Tuesday report for you! I have an OBGYN appt. today, so hopefully I'll get a quick ultrasound to see them. :) If not, I have a big ultrasound on Friday where they'll measure them, etc. Can't wait!!

~M

P.S. Oh, and if you can't get that Bon Jovi song out of your head now, sorry 'bout that. But if you're lovin' it, then you can click here and watch the whole thing. I just watched it, and WOW... that HAIR. You're welcome.

Friday, February 18, 2011

my belly- 18 weeks, 3 days

Well, it's not fancy. It's taken at work in the restroom. Klassy, I know. Also, I forgot to smile, because I was so focused on getting it centered. Or maybe I WAS smiling, but my awesome placement of the camera is blocking it. Photographer I am not, it seems. Took lots of not centered ones first. :)

But here she is. A belly in the 19th week of a twin pregnancy. Good lord. It's gonna get a lot bigger folks. Can't say I'm not a little scared of HOW big.



Happiest of weekends to all!

~M

Thursday, February 17, 2011

patience

I guess I've always known I wasn't the most patient person around. I wouldn't describe myself as impatient, necessarily, but for certain things, I find it hard to wait.

I am just so happy to be pregnant, and so happy that things are going so well. It makes me excited to plan, and dream, and imagine our lives with two new family members. Ian and I are both so gung-ho about everything planning-wise so far. Because of our dear friend Wendy, we now have a TON of clothes for the girls (also, my mom went a little shopping crazy as well, and I may have purchased a few crazy adorable vintage items). We also got a breast pump from her, a jumper, a baby bouncer seat, and many more things. We purchased a double stroller for the first few months (it's a snap and go frame, and you just snap their car seats on to it) used at an AWESOME price- $75.00; which included the frame and two car seats! So, we have a good start baby gear and clothes.

We also reorganized our room to make more room on one side, so that we can fit the crib (we're going to put them in the same crib for a few months), and a chair. When we get that all set up, we'll post pics. :) It'll be our little interim nursery, until we move into a larger apartment.

I guess what I'm saying, is that we both seem to need this planning right now, because we're too EXCITED not to! Don't get me wrong; I'm not wishing away the time. I want this time when it's still just Ian and I, dreaming about our girls. Because in about 4 1/2 months, things are going to get a lot crazier!

Also, I find myself being anxious for new milestones. Like- I REALLY want to feel them move! I know it will be soon, but I'm so excited for that connection.

I think the fact that we tried to get pregnant for so long, and then had a loss, is really compounding the excitement. We've just been waiting for these two babies for SO long. We're going to love them so much when they're here; they won't know what hit them.

But, we have no choice but to be patient. It's hard, but it's not. We both know this time will go quickly, and it excites and scares us a little.

For now, I'll just keep planning and daydreaming; knowing that the time WILL fly, and they'll be here before we know it- changing our lives forever.

~M

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

weekly wednesday update

How far along? 18 weeks 1 day! Getting so close to halfway there!

Total weight gain/loss: Dunno. I have a doctor appointment next Tuesday and I’ll find out.

Stretch marks? Nope, not yet. I am a crazy diligent crazy person about putting on stretch mark prevention cream (I’m using this Bella B Tummy Honey Butter) morning and night. I'm hoping this will help, but I keep reading it's hereditary. My mom didn't get them, but she also didn't have two cooking at once. :)

Maternity clothes? Yep. I think I won’t really need to buy anymore for a while, unless I get way bigger than I think I will. Which I very well might. The only thing I might need is a couple of sun dresses for June/July.

Sleep: So, the snoring thing. I THINK it’s better. I got a humidifier (a super fancy one that can do cool or warm mist), I sleep with those breathe right strips, and an extra pillow to elevate my head. I think it’s working.

Best moment this week: I had a cervical exam on Friday (they have to check it every two weeks since I’m having twins) and I was only expecting them to do that. Instead, I got to see the babies for a good 20 minutes! It was wonderful. :)

Movement: Not yet- but really soon I hope!

Food cravings: Not this week. I continue wanting ice cream, but really, nothing else is a craving. I still think I have more things that don't sound good, rather than cravings. And no, I don’t have ice cream every time I want it. It’s only been a few times, and it’s usually frozen yogurt.

Genders: GIRLS! She confirmed this again at the ultrasound on Friday.

Labor Signs: Nope.

Belly Button in or out? It's in.

What I miss: Still miss clear skin. And not getting completely out of breath when I climb stairs.

What I am looking forward to: What am I NOT looking forward to??? I’m just so excited about it all.

Weekly Wisdom: I really do have to watch how long I’m out and about and on my feet. I think I’ve kind of been thinking that it was too early to think about that, but on Sunday we were out for many hours and I was on my feet the majority of the time, which included the climbing of many subway stairs. I got home and really didn’t feel good at ALL. So, lesson learned. Won’t be doing that again.

Milestones: We did our registry this week. That was pretty fun! A little overwhelming but mostly fun. It’s not totally done yet, but we’re almost there.

Also, this week, the babies are the size of mangoes- and they weigh ½ a pound each and are 6 inches long! :)
That's one full pound and one full foot of baby in there!


*photo found here

Monday, February 14, 2011

naming issues

So, we spent the end of last week and a good chunk of this week talking about names. We have a short list of many names we really like, but just can’t settle on anything final. The biggest problem in my eyes, is that I REALLY don’t want to love one of the names more than the other. So, I have to find two First/Middle girl names that I love equally. This has proven to be difficult for both of us. We even broke down and bought a couple of baby names books; something I’ve always thought was kind of silly when you’ve got the internet at your fingertips.

We really want to find names that aren’t TOO popular, and that go well with our last name. And of course we’d like the full name to flow nicely together. We’d also like the names to be SOMEwhat unique, but not weird. It’s really quite complicated!

As you’ll recall, we’re not sharing names with anyone before the babies are born, but, I still thought it would be fun to get suggestions from all of you! So, suggest away if you’d like! : ) I’d love to hear all of your thoughts!

~M

happy valentine's day!

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! I'm especially thankful this Valentine's day for my wonderful husband, and for my two little girls that I get to meet in 4 1/2- 5 months.

We're not doing anything super fancy tonight; just going to The Garden Cafe in our neighborhood for a little prix fixe Valentine's dinner. Simple and small and perfect. :)

Hope everyone has a lovely Valentine's Day!

~M
*photo found here

Thursday, February 10, 2011

free parenting class

Every day when I ride the subway, I learn something about parenting. Ian and I ride the subway in to work in the morning together, and there are always parents with their kids on their way to school or daycare in the morning. Most often times, it’s uneventful to watch. The parents and kids get on, ride for a few stops and then exit the train. However, sometimes, they put on quite the show.

Take yesterday for instance. A man got on with his two young children; I’m guessing the girl was four, and the boy was 5 or 6. He was talking loudly to them; way louder than necessary, and it seemed like he wanted everyone on the train to be paying attention to what he was saying. It worked I guess; I heard every word. Mostly, he was just kind of weird, but the cringe-worthy exchange came a couple of stops before the end of their ride. He was fixing the daughter’s coat, to bundle her up more tightly. She actually looked like she was bundled up just fine, but whatever. Anyway, he opened up her coat, and saw that she had a sweatshirt on that was v-neck. He said to her (very loudly) “Now Lola, this is not a good sweatshirt to wear on a day like this. See? It goes too low in the front, and you won’t stay warm enough.” Ok, I guess that makes sense. However, she’s FOUR, and I highly doubt if she’s dressing herself, that she’s also checking the weather forecast beforehand. Then Lola goes on to explain her choice of clothing that day. “Well, these are my only sweats. Well, actually these are my favorite sweats. I like them because they have a princess crown on the front.” Sounds reasonable to me, Lola! But your dad clearly had different feelings about the situation. Instead, he said, “Well, Lola, that makes you shallow. Do you know what shallow is?” Lola just looked at him, and didn’t respond. Probably best, Lola. Your dad sounds like a douche, and probably can’t be reasoned with.

Other times, I see things like parents reading books to their kids on the way home, to keep them occupied. Cute, right? Yes, most of the time. Unless the parent decides to read the book in their most dramatic, loud, voices possible, with big gestures and lots of flair. Now, I’m not saying this isn’t a fun way to read a book, but during rush hour on the subway in New York, it’s not the most pleasant thing to listen to. However, many times they just are reading the book quietly to their kids, or helping them with their homework, and it’s very sweet.

What I see a lot of, however, is parents that just let their kids do whatever they want on the subway. Run up and down the train, swing on the poles, climb on the seats, and yell loudly. Sometimes these parents just ignore the kids (and the annoyed passengers around them), and sometimes they occasionally yell at them. Yelling at them usually doesn’t work though, as they say things like “you need to stop that right now!” but then go back to what they were doing, with no follow through. The very worst, is when I see kids barely misbehaving, or just doing regular “kid” things, and their parents yelling at them at the top of their lungs, grabbing them, swatting them; just being horrible for no apparent reason.

I do see a lot of great parents on the subway, with really sweet, well-behaved kids. Unfortunately, however, these aren’t the ones you remember. It has taught me a lot, though. Oh, I still have a WHOLE lot to learn, but watching some of these parents sure makes me realize how I DON’T want to do things.

I just hope poor Lola doesn’t remember what her dad said. Hey, if those princess sweats make you happy, Lola, more power to ya and your four year old self!

~M

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

weekly wednesday update

How far along? 17 weeks 1 day!

Total weight gain/loss:
Haven't weighed myself since my appointment last week when I was up a total of four pounds in 16 weeks. I should probably track it at home, but I know my scale won't be the same as the doctor's office.


Stretch marks? Nope. I thought I saw some this morning, but it turns out it was just some temporary wrinkles I got on my skin from the sheets. :)

Maternity clothes? Yep. A lot of what I wear is maternity. Dresses, pants, tights, some tops. A lot of my tops still fit, so I'm getting use out of them while I can. I think I'm actually set for a while! I think I have a pretty decent mix of work and casual clothes that will work for quite a while.


Sleep: Well, recently I've started snoring. I hate this for a couple of reasons. One: No one likes to hear that they snore; especially when this hasn't been something you've really ever done. It makes me feel crummy. And two: I can tell that I'm not sleeping as well. I got those breathe right strips, and it helps a little, but Ian informed me that I still snored a little this morning. It's because of all the swelling inside my nose, and all the congestion I have due to super fun pregnancy hormones. It's sort of been plaguing me since almost the very beginning, but must be worse lately; thus the snoring. I'm going tonight to get a warm mist humidifier. I already started sleeping with an extra pillow to raise my head up a little, but I guess I need the humidifier too.

Best moment this week: Not one particular moment, but I love knowing they can hear now, and talking to them when I get the chance.


Movement: Not yet- soon I hope!

Food cravings: Haven't really had any major ones. Ice cream always sounds good, though I've only had it a couple times since finding out I was pregnant.


Genders: GIRLS! We're going in to get another anatomy scan in two and a half weeks, and they'll confirm the sexes again then.

Labor Signs: Nope.

Belly Button in or out? It's in.

What I miss: I miss when I didn't snore. I also miss clear skin.


What I am looking forward to: Feeling my girls move! Very excited for that.

Weekly Wisdom: Ummmm... I have no wisdom this week. I tried for several minutes to think if I have acquired any wisdom, but alas, I don't think I have. I'll look for more wisdom for next week.

Milestones: Well, I just looked on my "What to expect" app on my iphone, and it appears my uterus is the size of a cantaloupe. I wonder if mine is bigger because of twins? Crazy.

Also, this week, the babies are the size of sweet potatoes. :)


This is what they look like in utero at 16 weeks, so, one week behind where I am now. They didn't have a 17 week picture:

They can yawn and hiccup now, and they are moving all around; twists, rolls, kicks, punches. Ninja babies!

Happy Wednesday!

~M

*photos found here and here

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

my lack of glow

It's well known that pregnant women are rumored to have a "glow". The pregnancy glow, they call it. Your hair is shiny and bouncy, your skin is clear and glowing, and you are radiant. Also, I think rainbows shoot out of your ears and little bluebirds follow you around.

I seem to have missed the boat on all of these things. So far my hair is the same as always, my skin is the worst it's ever been, and the bluebirds apparently didn't get the memo about following me around; what the hell, bluebirds?

In addition; I started this awesome, sexy thing recently. Snoring. This whole pregnancy (starting like week four) I've been SO congested at night and in the morning, and often times all day. Apparently this is quite common:

"Higher amounts of estrogen during pregnancy can contribute to swelling in the mucous membranes lining the nose and even cause you to make more mucus. What's more, the amount of blood in your body increases and your blood vessels expand during pregnancy, which can lead to swollen nasal membranes as well."

My nose definitely feels swollen and stuffed up on the inside most of the time, making it harder to breathe at night, and apparently; makes me snore. :( Yesterday, I went and got some of those Breathe Right strips, and it did seem to help a little- Ian said he didn't hear me snore. So, I'm hoping that fixes that problem; though the strips themselves aren't very attractive. Especially when you add it to the mouth guard I already wear to not clench my teeth at night, and my giant pregnancy pillow.


Yes, the attractive "pregnancy glow" seems to be something that won't happen for me. But you know what? Honestly; I just don't care. Because I catch a glimpse of my growing belly, and I realize that in 5 months or so, I'll have two little girls in my life, and none of this will matter.

~M

Monday, February 7, 2011

i must be stopped

So, I have a problem. It seems as though I can't stop buying vintage baby clothes. Ok, "can't stop" is a little extreme. But you may remember the little jacket I bought before I even knew the sexes:



and now I've gone and purchased four more things.

It's not my fault. I'm an avid reader of a blog called
Harper's Happenings (and Mandy's little one, Harper, is seriously THE CUTEST), and she has an online vintage store called Opal. She has the CUTEST stuff, and well, it's sometimes quite hard to resist. I bought the above jacket from her, and now a few more things...

Here are my four latest purchases from Opal:



and these last two, I couldn't find photos of on her site or on her facebook page, so I just took really quick ones here at my desk:



I will try to stop for a while, but really, she keeps posting such cute things to her shop, and it's hard to resist. :)

~M

*photos found here

Thursday, February 3, 2011

just so you are sure...

In case you were looking at the photo I posted earlier of the girls here, and you were all "hey, how can you be sure that they ARE girls? They just look like babies to me."

Well, just so you can be sure, here's a new photo of them to help clarify things.


You're welcome.

~M

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

weekly wednesday update

How far along? 16 weeks 1 day!

Total weight gain/loss: Up a total of four pounds in 16 weeks. I was really worried about that and asked at my OBGYN appointment yesterday. She was like "No, that's great! You easily could have been up 15 by now." Still, I'm going to try harder in the next few weeks to really monitor portions and add in a little more exercise. I haven't been doing much exercise, so, I need to get on that now that I have a bit more energy.

Stretch marks? Negatory.

Maternity clothes? Yep! Along with the clothes I've purchased, I got a huge box of clothes from Target and Old Navy from my sister and mother-in-law! So sweet of them. :)

Sleep: Still pretty decent. Though recently my body has decided I should wake up every morning at 6am on the dot, and then I have trouble going back to sleep for an hour before I have to get up. It kinda sucks!

Best moment this week: Finding out that we're having two GIRLS! I honestly know I would have been happy with any combo; boy/girl, boy/boy, girl/girl- but just knowing is just so exciting and makes it all the more real. And it was so wonderful that Ian was there with me- just a great moment!


Movement: Not yet- maybe in 2-3 weeks? I hope so!

Food cravings: Last night I really wanted Mac and Cheese. So, I had some. It was Amy's brand, so it was organic; which made me feel a LITTLE better. :)

Genders: GIRLS! Ian is so outnumbered; we'll have to make sure he gets lots of guy's nights out.

Labor Signs:
Nope- thank goodness!

Belly Button in or out? It's in.

What I miss: Honestly, nothing. I am loving being pregnant. I don't even care about the fatigue or breathlessness when I climb the 100 stairs up to our apartment every day. (Yep, there's 100!) I just am really happy and feel really darn lucky.

What I am looking forward to: My next big ultrasound in 3 1/2 weeks. It's another anatomy ultrasound, so it will be a long one, and I can see them for at least 30 minutes. Such a treat!

Weekly Wisdom: Having babies means acquiring a lot of STUFF. And we haven't even begun to collect what we'll need! Our poor little one bedroom apartment is looking a tad cluttered.

Milestones: Knowing the sexes! Also, not really a milestone per se, but at my appointment yesterday, my blood pressure is still AWESOME at 110/70, she's happy with my weight gain, the babies are in the 70th and 72nd percentile for size, and my doctor said she couldn't be more pleased about how it's all going. So, that's awesome news. :)

Also, this week, the babies are the size of turnips! That's kind of crazy- in a good way. I read today that they most definitely can hear now, and are starting to be able to sense light (though their eyelids are still fused shut). So, lots more singing and talking to the little turnips will have to happen starting this week!


Happy Wednesday!

~M

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

the results are in....

and one sonographer and one doctor both agree:


We're having......







.......







.......





.......




.......



TWO GIRLS!



Yep, that's right everyone! We are having TWO GIRLS! So, it looks like most of the people (including myself) who voted on the poll were wrong! We found out a lot earlier than I thought we were going to. I had the early anatomy ultrasound at 16 weeks 3 days, and they were able to tell us with 90-95% certainty that I've got two girls cooking in there. :) I was just shocked. I honestly thought that it was going to be a boy and a girl, or two boys. The girl/girl pairing was the last one I expected for some reason.

We have another anatomy ultrasound at the end of February, so we'll of course ask them to check again, but from what I saw on the ultrasound, it looks like there's no question it's girls.

I'm so excited! I think I honestly would have been excited no matter how it turned out, but now it just feels more real. I'm starting to picture them, and wonder what they'll be like, and it's all very exciting!

Also, the clothes! :) My friend Wendy GENEROUSLY gave us all her clothes that her sweet daughter no longer fits into. And I mean, she gave us like 12 shopping bags full! After we sorted it all, we realized that with two babies, we'll still need a bit more, but it's SUCH an awesome start and just SO nice. It was really fun looking through all the tiny baby clothes and picturing tiny babies in them!

So, that's my news everyone! Two girls! Oh, and also, a picture of our girls:



Happy Tuesday everyone!

~M