Week 22

Another week has gone, and it was a busy one!  I will post lots of pictures tomorrow about CC's party and big birthday weekend, but CC and I are both still recovering.  Tomorrow, I promise!

I still have lots of energy, thankfully.  And in general, I feel good.  But a few little annoyances have popped up this week:

- Swelling.  No, not (yet) the horrible edema that plagued me in the third trimester of CC's pregnancy, although I fear that will arrive soon enough.  This is the more typical swelling that pregnant woman get: ankles a little puffy at the end of the day, rings starting to get tight.  My wedding and engagement rings, thankfully, are loose enough that a little swelling isn't a concern yet.  But the ring I wear on my right hand, the one MJ gave me for my 30th birthday, has always been a bit tight.  When I was pregnant with CC I waited too long to try to take it off, and it would not come off no matter what I tried.  For the remainder of that pregnancy, I was worried that they might have to cut it off.  Fortunately that never happened, but I learned my lesson: this time I took it off early, just to be safe!

- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.  Yep, this one has reared its ugly head again.  Pins-and-needles tingling in my right arm at night when I'm trying to sleep, and an ache and weakness in my right hand in the mornings.  It's not the end of the world; I can certainly deal with it (and would prefer it to some other symptoms, like massive ankle swelling!).  But I had mostly forgotten about this particular symptom from last time, and it was an unwelcome reminder when it returned this week!

Otherwise, all is fine.  I've gained weight again; I'm up 27 pounds now.  That means I've already achieved my goal of gaining 25 pounds by 25 weeks, so at this point I've been able to do everything my doctor recommended to ensure these twins are healthy and full-term.  Now I just have to take care of myself, pray that God keeps these babies healthy, and start slowly getting ready for our new additions.

The babies are about 11 inches long now, and weigh about a pound each.  This week their taste buds are forming, and they are starting to react to sounds and my movements.  I can feel their movements more easily now, and MJ would definitely be able to feel them -- if we could only get the timing right!

I have another ultrasound this Thursday with my high-risk specialist, which will confirm the measurement they took last time about whether I am at risk for pre-term labor.  My OB and I are not worried -- my history with CC, as well as the ultrasound and measurement I had three weeks ago both tell us that pre-term labor is not a concern -- but it will be nice to get more confirmation, and, of course, see those babies again!