preparedness

Hi! Well, another thrilling day on the couch! Well, mostly. I first had a doctor's appointment this morning, just to check in. She wanted to check my weight to see if I had gained any more. I haven't; which isn't really THAT impressive since it was just done on Tuesday. But she wants to watch my fluid retention closely. So, my blood pressure is still awesome, and I have just scant amounts of protein in my urine; so, so far, still no preeclampsia. I am going to start going to the doctor once a week now, just to keep an eye on things, which is good.

I honestly cannot believe how close it's all getting. After yesterday, we really feel like we need to just get everything all prepared. Because you just never know! So, this weekend, all the baby clothes, sheets and blankets will be washed, more diapers will be purchased, and our house will be cleaned (though not by us; yay for groupon! 3 1/2 hours of cleaning for $60? Score!).

But it still doesn't feel like we're prepared. I know you probably never DO feel ready, but it seriously still just feels like a dream that in just a matter of weeks (or sooner?), we'll have two new family members. Two tiny little family members that are completely dependant on us. Whoa.
Anyway....this week the babies are each the size of pineapples. That's crazy! Pineapples are not small, people!

Ready or not, these babies will be here in a few weeks. And even though I don't feel technically prepared; I've never felt more ready. Can't wait to meet my girls!

Have a lovely Memorial Day weekend, all!

~M



blog issues and baby sizes.

So, it seems as though blogger is having some issues today, and ERASED my blog post from yesterday. Supposedly they are working on fixing it as we speak. If you didn't get to read it; it was a GEM.

*UPDATE* it's fixed! You can now read the brilliant-ness that is Thursday's post.

Anyway, for now, let's see how big those little ones are getting! According to Baby Center, they each weigh as much as four naval oranges:

So, that means I'm carrying around the weight of eight oranges! That's a lotta vitamin C.

And according to "What to Expect.." each baby is the size of a head of lettuce:

They said it was estimated that they were up to 19" long at this point (!) though who knows if that's accurate. So, I chose Romaine for this photo, since it's a long lettuce. :)

Anyway, I've got the weight of 8 oranges and the volume of two heads of Romaine sitting up in my uterus right now. Crazy!

This weekend we have our second childbirth class, and also our breastfeeding class on Sunday. I'm most looking forward to the breastfeeding class, though we're also going to be covering epidurals and medication in our childbirth class, so that should be interesting. I'll report back on Monday!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

~M

*photos found here and here

gonna do some learnin'

Well, at 29 weeks, 1 day, I have officially entered in to the 30th week of my pregnancy! This is crazy to me. I have about 9 weeks left until I'll have two daughters in my arms! Wow.

This Sunday, Ian and I are going to our first childbirth class (there are 3), and then right after that, a caring for a newborn class at Mt. Sinai, where I will be delivering. It will be a full day, but I’m really excited. I’m hoping the childbirth class doesn’t freak me out, but I don’t think it will. I’m excited to be going to a class; learning something new, meeting new people. For the childbirth class, here is what we’ll learn:

Parents-to-be share common fears and concerns regarding pregnancy, labor and delivery, and parenting. The course demystifies the labor and birthing experience through:

♦ Discussion of pregnancy, labor and delivery
♦ Discussion of cesarean birth
♦ Presentation of breathing and relaxation techniques for maintaining control during labor and delivery
♦ Discussion of analgesia and anesthesia options for labor and delivery
♦ A review of the video tour of the maternity facilities at the Mount Sinai Hospital
♦ Videos and other audio-visual aids

For our “Caring for a Newborn” class, it says:

A two-hour class devoted to teaching baby-care basics. Topics include bath demonstration., swaddling, diapering, temperature taking, dressing, infant safety and basic needs.
So, we sure will be learning a lot! We’ll be pro parents by the end. :)

I’m kind of bummed, because in reading about the rules of the hospital, Ian will only be able to spend the night in our room if we get a private room (vs. a semi-private). Of course a private room is not fully covered by insurance; you have to pay the difference out-of-pocket. So, we’ll have to figure out what we want to do about that. I’d really like for him to be there, but it may not be in our budget. Anyone else have this experience; your partner not being able to stay the night with you? Just wondering if it’s standard, or a Mt. Sinai thing.

In other news, I have two butternut squashes in my uterus. Or, rather, two babies who each apparently weigh the same as a butternut squash. And to illustrate that, here is a picture of the most phallic butternut squash ever:

Ok, I just did a google image search, and I guess they all kind of look like that, but still. This one seems extra phallic to me.

Have a lovely weekend all!

~M

baby cabbages

Two posts in one day? I know- crazy. :)

According to "what to expect", I currently have two small cabbages in my uterus. Well, ok, babies the SIZE of two small cabbages.

Also, here is babycenter's best guess as to what it looks like in there:

~M

working it out, part deux

So, it seems as though this week, my babies are each the length of an ear of corn- 11.5 inches from head to toe. And, they supposedly weigh 1.5 pounds each! That’s crazy. I’ll see what they actually are next Friday for their growth ultrasound.

Let’s see, what else, what else….

Oh, exercise! I said I was going to write about it and I never did because I got all gloomy gus about my weight gain. So, I’ll talk about it now. When I was pregnant the first time, I showed you all the cool videos I had, but I never got a chance to do them during that pregnancy. So, I’m going to break ‘em out now.

On Monday, I did my Summer Sanders prenatal workout. I like it a lot. I did the express 2nd trimester workout, which is 30 minutes, but this weekend I’ll do the full length one. I don’t actually know how long that one is, but I’m guessing 45-50 minutes.


I also plan on doing this Kathy Smith one this weekend, because mostly I can’t wait to see how AWESOME the rapping section is. Yep, there’s a section where they rap, in their leotards, tights, sunglasses and backwards hats.

I can’t wait.

I also have this yoga video which I haven’t tried yet, and may try to do this weekend if I have the energy, but most likely will wait until next week.

So, I think I have my bases covered and I’m really going to try to do something 3 times a week from here on out. Maybe every Friday I’ll let you know what I did to hold me more accountable. (I know. Try not to get too excited about hearing about my weekly workouts. It’s pretty scintillating stuff.) I am not doing this to lose any weight; I’m doing this to be as healthy as I can to help with delivery and so that my babies are healthy. I also know that you tend to be able to lose your post-pregnancy weight faster if you’ve been exercising during pregnancy, so that’s a plus.

So, that’s my Friday news! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

~M

papayas and squash and heartburn

Well, according to my "What to Expect" app., the babies are the size of papayas. I think I might just start ignoring that app, because they aren't specific about whether or not the baby actually weighs the size of that fruit/vegetable, or is just the same length as. This week babycenter.com says that the babies are the length of a spaghetti squash, but that they weigh a pound. So, who knows at this point. Also, I was told that around week 24 (so, in a couple of weeks) that twin babies start slowing down their growth as it compares to single babies; just because they start to run out of room. So, who knows how accurate this whole fruit/veggie thing will be from here on out.

(So, remember, the babies aren't as big as the squash, just as long. Around 11 inches it says.)

Here is what one looks like in utero at 22 weeks (they don't have a twins in utero again until 24 weeks. Apparently they don't think people having twins want to see what they look like each week):

That seems so big to me! Crazy that I have two in there.

I got to see them ever so briefly this morning. I was just in for a quick check of my cervix (which is totally fine by the way!). Anyway, she let me see their little hearts and hear the heartbeats, and I saw them quickly. I get another growth scan in two weeks, so I'll have more time to see them then. It's just so reassuring to hear/see their hearts beating- so I was pretty excited for that little peek.

And, just a little word on heartburn. I have it usually at least once a day, sometimes twice. It hasn't been so bad most of the time, that taking 3 Tums doesn't do the trick. However, I've never ever polished off a whole bottle of Tums in my whole life. Usually, they sit in the medicine cabinet until they're way old. Now I've polished off this bottle and half of one sitting on my night stand. At least they have calcium...so, that's a plus. The old wive's tale is that if you have a lot of heartburn, your babies will be born with a thick head of hair. They sure wouldn't be getting that from my side of the family, but maybe from Ian's side. His sister has REALLY thick, beautiful hair, as does his aunt, so who knows? Or, it could just be heartburn. :)

That's all my news for today. I know; not too thrilling. I know I was going to write about exercise today, but that will have to be Monday's post.

Have a great weekend everyone! :)

~M

baby carrots

Well, I didn't do Friday fruit day. Partly because there is starting to be quite the discrepancy as to which fruit/vegetable the babies are measuring up to these days. My "what to expect when you're expecting" app, says they are as big as a small spaghetti squash. But babycenter says they are as long as a carrot, and weigh 1 pound. So, I don't know. I think I'll go with the length of carrots though, and I'm sure they do weigh close to 1 pound each by now, as the last time we went in for a growth ultrasound, they were 12 and 13 ounces.


In the next few weeks, I've been told they'll stop growing QUITE as fast as a single baby would, just because they won't have as much room. I definitely have been feeling them move more the last few days! That's why I know they must be at or near that 1 pound mark. I feel little flutters several times an hour, and it's just pretty darn cool. I can't really tell who is doing what yet, but I know as they get bigger, I'll be able to tell which one is moving.

I've been feeling a tad bit overwhelmed lately with everything in the baby realm. It's hard to say exactly WHAT is overwhelming me; but I think a lot of it is the fact that I've been researching/preparing for this for so long, and now I'm just not sure what to do. Not that I feel fully prepared, mind you. I just am not sure what to focus on now. I've read a LOT of books, but there are still more to be read. I did my registry. Can't do much nesting or nursery prep, as we won't have a nursery for a while. It's too early to wash all the clothes. But honestly; the nesting hasn't completely kicked in yet anyway, so that's not even really a strong urge. We have a birthing/caring for twins 6 week class coming up in May, so I suspect that will take care of a lot of our questions.

There are definitely some little things I could be doing right now, but it kind of seems like my biggest focus right now just needs to be me. I need to get enough to eat, enough water, enough sleep, enough rest, enough exercise, etc. So, I think I need to just focus that for now. And spend lots of time with my wonderful husband, to enjoy what little time we have left as "just the two of us". :)

Anyone else deal with this "what do I do now" feeling? How did you handle it?

~M

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

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

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

weekly wednesday update

How far along? 15 weeks 1 day

Total weight gain/loss: Not sure. I was supposed to have an OBGYN appointment yesterday to find out, but it got moved to next Tuesday. So, I won't know until then.

Stretch marks? Not yet. I have to admit the vain part of myself is slightly worried about these, as I've seen some pictures of women with red stretch marks covering their entire belly. But- if it happens, it happens! :)

Maternity clothes? Yep! I bought a dress WAY on sale at Ann Taylor Loft. It was the last one! I wore it yesterday and it's super cute:

Then, yesterday I bought a whole bunch of stuff from the Gap and Old Navy online, courtesy of my mom, and my friends Miriam and Alex and their generous gift cards. :) Can't wait for it all to arrive!

Sleep: Still decent. I still wake up about 3-4 times to pee a night, but always fall back asleep right away.

Best moment this week: My friend Wendy gave me a TON of hand me down baby gear. Seriously; it was so generous. It was so fun looking at it all stacked in my living room imagining that soon we'll have two babies to use it!

Movement: Nope. I think this is still 3-4 weeks away.

Food cravings: This week the only craving I had was I REALLY wanted birthday cake one night. Not just regular cake, but birthday cake. The kind that comes in sheet cakes and has that really sugary frosting. :) I didn't have any of course, but I sure wanted some.

Genders: Not yet, but check out the sidebar to the left and vote for your predictions! Right now boy/girl is in the lead.

Labor Signs: Nope- thank goodness!

Belly Button in or out? It's in. I think this is an odd question. Maybe I won't think it's odd when it's finally out.

What I miss: Still not really missing much. I guess I miss not being so tired, and the occasional glass of wine.

What I am looking forward to: My ultrasound in TWO days! I can't wait. It's an early anatomy scan, so it should be a long one. Yay- can't wait to see you, babies!

Weekly Wisdom: If you have a problem or need advice, ask the Internet! I got lots of great suggestions to my protein post. Thanks, guys! :)

Milestones: None for me really, but according to my "what to expect when expecting" app on my phone, the babies ear bones are in place by this week, so they can hear us now! That's exciting.

Also, this week, the babies are the size of avocados. This does not seem significantly bigger than last week's orange, but I think it's more about the length. 4-5 inches and each weighs 3 to 5 oz.



In other news, It's snowing like crazy here in New York today, and it's really pretty. And Ian and I are going to a Liz Phair concert tonight; babies' first concert! And now I know they'll be able to hear it, so I hope it's a good one. :)

~M

*photos found here and here

weekly wednesday update

Whoa- did you know? Weeks go by fast! I feel like I JUST did an update. And, really, not a lot has changed, but I said I'd do a weekly update, so here we go!

How far along? 14 weeks 1 day

Total weight gain/loss: Not sure. I'll see on Tuesday. Again, as of my last appt. I had only gained one pound.

Stretch marks? Negatory. I'm slathering on this super yummy smelling stretch mark prevention oil that my friend Jamie got me, once or twice a day. Don't know if it actually helps, but hey, it can't hurt.

Maternity clothes? No new ones, but my mom and my sweet friends Alex and Miriam sent me gift cards to do some shopping; so I'm definitely going to do that this week!

Sleep: Decent. I wake up about 3-4 times to pee a night, but always fall back asleep right away. I have my snoogle which helps me stay laying on my side, which you have to do starting in your 2nd trimester.


Best moment this week: realizing that I really am starting to show. I know that strangers probably wouldn't notice; but I can. :)

Movement: Nope.

Food cravings: No, not really. Though I still really struggle with not wanting to eat meat. I'm supposed to have a LOT of protein, and though there are a lot of non meat sources of it out there, meat is one of the best ways to get it. So, I need to try harder to get enough of that in my diet.

Genders: Don't know just yet. Probably will in the next 3-4 weeks though.

Labor Signs: Nope- thank goodness!

Belly Button in or out? Still very much in.

What I miss: I can't say I miss too much yet. I guess if I had to choose, it'd be sleeping on my stomach. I still can, but it's not nearly as comfortable. Plus, I know that sleeping on my left side is the best for the babies, so I do that as much as I can.

What I am looking forward to: My next ultrasound! I have one on January 28th- the anatomy scan-, and possibly one at my OBGYN appt. on the 25th.

Weekly Wisdom: Sleep is important. I didn't get enough the last two nights, and I feel it. This will become a top priority, along with the protein thing.

Milestones: Over a third of the way there! :)

Also, this week, the babies are the size of navel oranges! 4.5 inches and each weighs about 2 to 3 oz.

That's this week's update! I hope I have more to report next week. :)

~M

*photos found here and here

weekly wednesday update- 13 weeks

At the suggestion of one of you, I’m going to be doing a pregnancy update once a week; though I think for a while, it probably won’t be very interesting. Or maybe to some of you, it will never be interesting. Oh well! : ) So, here goes for my first update:

How far along? 13 weeks 1 day- 2nd trimester!

Total weight gain/loss: At my last appointment, I had only gained one pound. This is good, as my nutritionist said I should “hold” my weight gain until the 23rd week. Yes, you read that right. I have to keep it where it is for 10 more weeks. This is what happens when you start out your pregnancy with some extra junk in the trunk. We’ll see how it goes….

Stretch marks? Well, no new ones. Old ones on my hips from long ago. But not big enough for there to be any yet.

Maternity clothes? Yes. Maternity pants, but no maternity tops yet. Will probably get some of those in the next few weeks though.

Sleep: Well, I wake up about every hour and a half to pee, but I think sleep is getting better. I’m getting used to my snoogle, so I’m sleeping on my side (mostly left) for pretty much the whole night. My back sometimes aches, but mostly it’s ok so far.

Best moment this week: Reaching the second trimester!

Movement: Nope, not yet. Won’t see this for probably another 6-8 weeks.

Food cravings: Not recently. Usually though when I do, it’s red meat. Perhaps I need more iron…I read that because of your increased blood volume you might need more iron, so that might be it. As far as what I’ve craved in the pregnancy to date: Orange juice, fruit, cheeseburgers, mac and cheese, ice cream (HOW have I only gained one pound???)

Genders: Don’t know yet! It’s possible that we might know at the anatomy scan in a couple of weeks, but I think that’s way too early. I’m not counting on that. Plus, if they make a guess that early, it’s very easy for them to be wrong.

Labor Signs: Nope- thank goodness!

Belly Button in or out? Still very much in.

What I miss: Sleeping all the way through the night. Also, sleeping completely comfortably. I realize it’s going to get WAY worse though.

What I am looking forward to: My next ultrasound! I have one on January 28th- the anatomy scan-, and possibly one at my OBGYN appt. on the 25th. Oh, also, not getting heartburn so often. Tums have been my friend lately.

Weekly Wisdom: Wisdom? Hmm. Drinking lots of water IS important. I read it everywhere, but yesterday I was busy and didn’t drink enough, and I didn’t feel great. Oh, also, I went out to dinner with a friend last night and had a non alcoholic beer; thinking that it would be tasty and make me not jealous of her frosty glass. YEAH… it wasn’t good at all. So, lesson learned, most non alcoholic beers are NOT good.

Milestones: Hmm, second trimester again I guess!

So there you have it, all! I don’t know if any of you have any interest in reading this, but, there it is.

Also, in other news; lemons are bigger than peaches? I guess so, because this week my babies are the size of lemons… and last week it was peaches. So, I guess you’d have to qualify it with “they were the size of small peaches, and now they are the size of large lemons…”

That’s it; my update!

~M

*photo found here

this and that

Well, this week it’s back to the grind! Had quite a bit of time off over the holidays, and now this week I have to do the unthinkable; work ALL FIVE DAYS. Blech. So not cool.

However, I AM excited for the new year. I usually am; just because it always feels like new beginnings, fresh starts- anything is possible. Of course this year has all of that, plus the added excitement of new life on its way, and once they’re here; nothing will ever be the same again! Exciting and a bit scary at the same time, but mostly exciting. :)

Ian and I are signing up for a prenatal class at Mount Sinai (where I will deliver) called “Preparing for Multiples”. I’m excited, because it’s 5 weeks long and meets every Tuesday from 6-9 pm. The class covers preparing for birth, comfort measures and pain management, breastfeeding, vaginal and c-section birth, and getting organized at home. So, we’ll learn a whole lot! We also will get a tour of the hospital and birthing area as well as the NICU should we need it. It will start February 22nd- can’t wait! I’m feeling very anxious to be DOING things to get ready. I mean, I know I’m growing babies, and that’s something :), but you know. I want to get all ready!

On another note; our babies are as big as peaches this week! Crazy! I am going in for a quick checkup with my OB today, so I should get to see them ever so briefly. She usually just does a quick ultrasound to measure their growth and heartbeat. That’s enough to tide me over for a while. :)


And finally, yesterday I “graduated” from acupuncture. I’ve been going for a year and a half, pretty much once a week! First to try and regulate my cycle and assist in possible implantation each time we tried and then the last 12 weeks, to keep those babies in there! I love Christiane, my acupuncturist, so I’ll miss her lots. I’m sure I’ll still bother her from time to time via email, as she is a wealth of knowledge. That’s my second graduation since I got pregnant! At 9 weeks I graduated from my fertility doc, and now acupuncture! And in just four days, I’ll be in my second trimester, so I’m considering that a graduation, too. So, basically I’ll have a doctorate in pregnancy by the time I’m done. Or something.

I think that’s all my miscellaneous things for now! Hope everyone’s New Year is starting out wonderfully!

~M

*photo found here

showing and snoogles

So, you read all of this stuff in twin books or in pregnancy books saying “Oh, if you have twins, you’re going to start showing really early! It will be crazy how early you’ll show! Like, you’ll start showing SO early that everyone will KNOW you are having twins just by looking at you!”

Well, I’m pretty sure I’m not showing yet. I have a feeling this is pretty much due to the fact that I was already carrying extra weight when I got pregnant, so, I can’t see if I’m getting any belly yet. It’s kind of a bummer, because I’m really getting ready to start looking more pregnant; though I know I shouldn’t be in a hurry, since I’m having twins and will most likely be ginormous by the end. But, I guess I just was hoping with the whole twin thing that I’d be popping out by now. I know, patience, patience. I’ll show eventually of course, and will probably be longing for the day when I wasn’t huge.

However, SOMEthing is happening in the belly region, b/c I’m already having trouble finding a comfy position to sleep in. I am a stomach sleeper, and try as I might to fall asleep on my left side (best, healthiest way to sleep for babies; good blood flow or something) I always wake up on my stomach. Which is my comfiest way to sleep. However, lately it is starting to make my back hurt a bit, which is making me think maybe my tummy is getting in the way even though it’s not really popping out that I can see. I bought a pregnancy sleep pillow and so far, I can’t really fall asleep using it. This is the one I got. The lady in the picture looks SO happy to have her snoogle!
The name makes me laugh. I can lay in it and watch TV, but falling asleep is harder. I actually did fall asleep last night, but woke up on my back, which I never do. Also, starting in the 2nd trimester, you’re not supposed to sleep on your back, so I can’t keep doing that. It’s pretty much just supposed to be side sleeping. Anyway, I will keep working on ways to be comfy while I sleep, which I know will only get more challenging the more my little ones grow.

Speaking of growing, this week they are the size of large plums. So I’ve got two of these growing in mah belly. Crazy! I love my little plums! Can't wait to see which fruit they are next week! :)

~M

*photo found here

olive you.

When I clicked on my “what to expect when you’re expecting” app today on my iphone, I saw the following:

“The baby is as big as a green olive (1 in long)”

An olive! :) Very exciting. The furthest along we got last time was to a raspberry, so this is good news. I’m in my 8th week, and I just CAN NOT wait until January when my 2nd trimester starts. I know that I won’t be all the way out of the woods yet, but it will bring a bit more security.

For now, I’m enjoying that we’ve reached the olive stage!

~M

*photo found here