My Recovery

Well, it's been four weeks now and I am pretty pleased with how things have gone on my end.

My incision has healed well with no issues, just as it did after CC's birth. My doctor made an extremely low incision with CC's birth (even the nurses at the hospital commented on it), and he made this incision directly on top of the old one. It's so low that I never needed to worry about the waistbands of pants, etc, interfering with the healing process. And no matter how skimpy a bikini I might wear in the future, no one will ever see the scar.  Ha!

Considering there were two babies this time, and Little Man was so high, there was a LOT of tugging to get them and their placentas out. I assumed this would mean extra soreness and a longer recovery for me. I was pleasantly surprised that wasn't the case. My second day home from the hospital (just four days after the twins were born), I had virtually no more pain! I could lift CC and even swing her around. I could get up and down from the couch, even while holding a baby. I could get in and out of bed for all of those middle-of-the-night feedings. I could go up and down the stairs multiple times a day. I could sleep on my stomach (bliss!). My recovery this time was definitely quicker than last time, and for that blessing I am exceedingly grateful.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this next point, but so far there has been no recurrence of the mastitis I had (twice!) after CC was born. Mastitis is a horrible infection that feels like a bad flu, and can be very tough to get rid of. Thank goodness I haven't had it this time! Maybe God figured my plate was full enough already?  :-)

And lastly, my weight gain. I gained a whopping 60 pounds during this pregnancy.  I'm pleased to report that I've already lost 50. Ten to go! (Hopefully more than ten, to be honest.)  I am wearing non-maternity clothes again, but not all of them. Pants, jeans, skirts and shorts all fit me fine again. My non-maternity shirts, on the other hand, aren't all wearable yet. Many are too short to cover the small round belly I still have, and others aren't practical for a nursing mother to wear.

My abdominal muscles are definitely still separated, as evidenced by my round belly and the fact that the muscles come to an odd "point" when I strain them. So no situps or crunches yet! I am hoping to get my formerly flat tummy back before long. But unfortunately my appetite is out of control lately, so I'm afraid I will never see my old body in the mirror again!

The Big Day

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

If ever a bible verse perfectly summed up our situation, it's this one today!

Here it is, our big day.  We're not leaving for the hospital until 5:15 am, but of course I was wide awake at 3 am.  Even the babies are unusually active; it's as if they know that today is their day, and they are struggling to get out.

I am full of conflicting emotions.  I have to admit to a bit of trepidation about the c-section; although I'm strong and healed well after CC's c-section, it's never fun to go through such  major surgery and recovery.

I'm very excited to meet the babies, of course, and learn whether our family will be adding two more girls, two boys, or one of each.  I'm happy to say that after MJ nixed one of our boy names last week, he and I were able to come up with a replacement (that I like even better!) last night.  He still insists we won't need it -- he's confident we will have two more girls -- but I'm not so sure.  I think at least one of these twins is a boy.

I'm nervous about life with three such small babies.  I'm sure I am speaking for MJ here as well.  We are lucky to have lots of help, and I know that we will figure things out as we go.  We're a good team; we're hard workers; and we've been though tough times together before.

I'm surprisingly emotional, in a way I wasn't before CC's birth.  Running some last-minute errands yesterday, I found myself getting teary: surprisingly not at the idea of the twins' birth, but at the thought of CC meeting them for the first time.

Everything's packed and ready to go.  I'm headed upstairs to shower and get dressed.  In just a few hours we'll be a family of five.  Wow!  Please pray for us.  I will post information and pictures as soon as we are settled, probably later this afternoon.

Week 38

This is my final weekly update.  I can't believe I just typed that!  My scheduled c-section date is in less than a week, and it's looking less and less likely that I will go into labor before that point.

I'm big and heavy.  For each person who tells me that I'm tiny for twins, or that they can't believe I'm carrying two, or that they were the same size I am when they were due with one baby, there is someone else who says, "Holy cow, you're ready to pop!" or who just stares, wide-eyed, at my belly as I walk by.

Physically, I'm ready.  CC's in her new room, which frees up the nursery for the twins.  The newborn laundry and linens are all washed.  The crib mattress in the twins' room is moved up to the highest height.  And I'm uncomfortable enough to want the babies out.

Emotionally, I'm ready.  I am eager to meet them, find out their genders, introduce them to CC, share them with family and friends.  I want to smell their newborn smell, cuddle them, and start to get to know them.

Otherwise, I'm not sure I'm ready!  Then again, I'm not sure I could ever be ready for newborns and a 16-month-old at the same time.  Once the babies are here, though, I won't have a choice and we will figure things out.

Plans have been made for our hospital stay and visits from the grandparents.  CC will be cared for by my parents, who will stay at our house while we're in the hospital and also take care of Rory.

I've taken care of everything I can think of.  And I've deliberately not planned anything for this last week, knowing that a) I should rest as much as I can, and b) tasks are bound to pop up.

I will probably post one more picture on Thursday, the last photo I will take of myself pregnant before the twins are born.  Next Friday's "Photo Friday" will be a picture of the twins!

Week 37

Holy cow, only two weeks left.  Be still, my beating heart -- everything will be fine.  Even if CC's room isn't done yet, at least she has a crib to sleep in.  Really, what else does a baby need?  To be totally honest, the room I'm preparing for her is more for me than for her.  She won't know the difference!

I'm up to 50 pounds now, and I hope I don't gain much more. MJ tells me that if I was a professional boxer, I'd qualify as a heavyweight. And he also tells me that never in his life has he weighed as much as I do right now. Ha -- thanks, honey! Fortunately I am feeling pretty good about myself and my weight gain, and I'm hopeful that the weight will come off relatively easily after the twins arrive.

I've been a mad flurry of activity lately, and sometimes I need to tell myself to sit down, drink some water, rest, and put my feet up.  I am lucky that I'm able to do so much at this late stage (I don't know how I'd get all this stuff done otherwise!).  And I actually feel better when I'm busy -- it takes my mind off the discomfort my body is going through.

It's not that bad, in the grand scheme of things.  My carpal tunnel syndrome came back this week, which was a surprise to me.  I'm not going to bother getting another cortisone injection at this late stage, so I'll just deal with the nighttime pain and daytime aches and tingling.  My ankles are swollen like crazy by the end of each day, but in the mornings they are back to their (almost) normal size.  My back aches in the evenings, but I ease it with an ice pack while I sit on the couch.  And my restless leg syndrome keeps me twitching at night, but that affects MJ's sleep more than mine!

At my appointment this week, my OB was "staggered" (his word, not mine!) by how high the babies are, especially Baby B, who is laying cross-wise between my ribs.  Assuming I have a c-section, my doctor told me he's interested to see how Baby B comes out.  C-section incisions are made very low on the abdomen, so after Baby A is out, my doctor will have to reach all the way up into my body cavity to pull Baby B out!

Week 36

No more than 3 weeks left.  And I'm in a mad scramble to get ready.  Every project I plan seems to take three times as long as I expect!  But assuming these babies don't come early, I should be in good shape.

I'm still at 47 pounds gained, although with how much water weight is stuck in my ankles, I'm not sure how that's possible.  I have basically lost the battle of the bulge in my feet, but with less than 3 weeks remaining, I can't really complain.  I've decided I don't care -- I'm going to walk around in public with gigantic cankles anyway.  It's too hot to wear compression stockings and long pants!

Much to my dismay this past week, stretch marks have appeared on my belly.  Bummer.  I managed to make it all the way through CC's pregnancy without any, and up to 35 weeks with these twins.  I shouldn't be surprised, I suppose -- it's twins for goodness sake.  Is it even possible to make it through a twin pregnancy without stretch marks?  I'll try to be happy that for the moment, they are just tiny little squiggles on each side of my belly button.

As far as the babies are concerned, they are considered full-term now.  I am past the average birth mark for twins (35 weeks) with no signs of delivering them anytime soon.  They are probably over 6 pounds each now, about the size of crenshaw melons.  My doctor anticipates that they will be "good-sized babies," which he defines as 7+ pounds.  Wow!

35 Week Appt

These babies are confused.  They are actually moving in the wrong direction.  Instead of starting to work their way down, like normal babies when the mom is within a month of delivering, these twins are getting higher.

Today during my non-stress test, the nurses and doctors were in fits trying to find both heartbeats with the monitor belts.  Finally, my doctor wheeled in a portable ultrasound machine in order to see exactly where these babies were.  Baby A, as usual, was head-down along my right side.  But apparently Baby B is starting to assert his (her?) right to space in my belly: A's legs were curled up to make room for B to stretch out along the top.  So they're in sort of an upside-down L shape.

But Baby B is reclining so high up, that the doctor had to actually put the monitor on my sternum in order to hear the heartbeat!  It wasn't particularly comfortable, but at least it was nice to finally hear both babies' heartbeats.  The nurse was just amazed at how high Baby B was.  Usually twin moms have the opposite problem!

Everything else went fine.  My doctor and I discussed the final details of my delivery (assuming it will be a c-section).  We chatted about photography for a while.  The twins kick-boxed the whole time.  And I was tested for a Group B Strep infection (it's a normal test in the last month of pregnancy).  I will continue to have weekly appointments until the big day, but that means there are only 3 left!

Advanced Maternal Age

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me ...

Yep, yesterday was my birthday.  It was a great day!  CC and I met MJ for a ridiculously unhealthy lunch at Five Guys (yummmm), then MJ came home from work early to watch CC so I could go get a prenatal massage (aahhhh).  Then a sitter came over to stay with CC while MJ and I went out to a nice dinner, where I even had dessert.  Add in phone calls from friends and family, and my day was just about perfect.  Does it get any better than that?!

However, now I'm 35.  And that means, according to the medical profession, I am "of advanced maternal age" and therefore at risk for all kinds of extra issues with these babies.

Bah!  I don't believe a minute of it.  We were offered the option of having additional testing (amniocentesis, etc) done on these babies, and we turned it down flat.  All the standard screenings and tests we've had are normal, so why should we borrow trouble?  I will trust the results we've had so far, and trust God that what will be, will be.

Besides, I've heard anecdotally from some doctors that advanced maternal age in this era is really more like 40 than 35.  And trust me, I will not be having any babies at age 40!

Week 35

(Cue music from Queen)  And another one bites, and another one bites, another one bites the dust ...

Four weeks left!  And by that I mean: no more than four weeks before these babies are here.  That's my 39-week deadline, beyond which my doctor will not let me go.  Holy cow!

Unfortunately, the battle against ridiculously swollen ankles has begun.  I am humbly grateful that I've gotten this far without grotesque cankles; based on my pregnancy with CC, my doctor and I both assumed I would be battling them from early on in this pregnancy.  If I only have to deal with them for the final month, I am lucky.  But I haven't thrown in the towel yet -- I am keeping my feet up as much as possible, drinking a lot of water, trying not to stay in the same position for too long. 

Otherwise, I'm doing fine.  I've made progress on CC's new room and on many of the tasks on my to-do list.  Biggest things remaining: decorating CC's big girl room; hiring a cleaning service (how decadent!); and finding someone to watch all three children for a few hours each week so I will be able to run errands, make appointments, or just get things done around the house.

The twins are probably almost 6 pounds each at this point, about the size of honeydew melons, so I'm carrying a lot of baby!  I've been feeling very large movements lately, so I'm really curious about whether the babies have changed positions.  Unfortunately, with no more ultrasounds left, I won't know until they're born!

This was a big week for weight gain; I'm up to 47 pounds now.  The babies are effectively done developing now, and are just packing on some extra weight before their births.  But I'm glad they're still tucked up tight inside me, because there can be a significant amount of brain and lung maturity happening these last few weeks.

Week 34

Five weeks left.  Time is starting to fly by as I scramble to get things crossed off my to-do list!

I feel about the same, except my back is starting to bother me a little more often.  Every night I alternate ice packs and hot pads while MJ and I relax on the couch.  Also (and this is not entirely bad), my appetite is back.  I haven't felt uncomfortably full this week, and every few hours I'm starving.  It's like the first trimester all over again!  I suspect it has something to do with all the weight the babies are gaining -- they double their birth weight in the last 8 weeks, and the calories have to come from somewhere!

I am feeling well enough to be getting a lot done.  And, of course, chasing after CC (who, by the way, is apparently battling some brutal new teeth because she's been inconsolably fussy for 4 days now.  God help us both!).  Almost everything is checked off my list now -- more on that in a later post -- and once I get CC's new big-girl room put together, we'll be in very good shape.

My weekly non-stress tests (monitoring the babies' activity) begin this week.  I'm not sure how it will go, considering I will have CC with me, and the test involves me laying still in a recliner for 30 minutes.  I will bring a lot of toys and snacks for her, and hope for the best!

The twins, meanwhile, are as active as ever.  I have felt so much large movement in the last few days, I almost wonder if Baby B has flipped again.  I don't know when my next ultrasound is, but I'll ask my OB this week.

They are about the size of cantaloupes, and based on my last ultrasound estimate, I assume they're both well into the 5-pound range now.  Their lungs and nervous systems are completing their development, and their immune systems are starting to work on their own.  Many women I've met online who are expecting twins at the same time I am have already had their babies!

34 Week Appointment

Well, technically 33 weeks and 4 days.  But I'm rounding up.

All is well, thank God.  Not that I was worried -- I've been blessed so far with an uneventful pregnancy, and nothing has happened lately to made me think otherwise.  But it's always good to see those babies' hearts beating like mad, and hear a doctor tell me that they are doing beautifully.

No pictures this time, unfortunately.  CC was there with us, and although MJ did a great job wrangling her while the doctors performed the ultrasounds, she was not happy and let everyone within earshot know about it.  So I wasn't about to prolong the experience by asking for a 3D view or any printouts.

For the first time in this pregnancy, we had a significant size difference between the babies.  Baby A is measuring about a week ahead (5 lbs 4 oz), while Baby B is measuring right on track (4 lbs 7 oz).  The doctors are not worried about the discrepancy, because it's very possible that A has recently had a growth spurt, and B might not have his/her own growth spurt for another week or so.  Also, it's possible that Baby A is a boy and Baby B is a girl, which would naturally explain why A is larger than B.

Baby A was also more active at the time of the ultrasound, with a heart rate of 150.  Baby B was resting, with a heart rate in the 120s.  The technician told us that from now on, the babies' heart rates will more frequently be lower, since there's less and less room for them to be very active.

The most interesting thing about today's appointment was the babies' positions.  They were so tangled up in each other, the technician said for the first time in her career she wasn't entirely sure which one was which!  But the doctor confirmed her best guess: Baby A is head down (no change) and Baby B is laying crosswise.  Baby B was crosswise at my OB appointment last week, but oddy enough, he/she was oriented in the other direction!  It's apparently odd for a baby to be in the position that our B is, and yet one week the head was on the right and now the head is on the left.

So to make it a little more clear, Baby A is on the right side of my belly, head down, feet up in my ribs (ouch).  Baby B is laying on his side behind A, curled up with his head on the far left.  Neither baby has "dropped," by the way, so the occasional pressure I've been feeling must just be from their larger sizes.

Lastly, the MFM said that I do not need another appointment with them before the twins are born.  My measurements still indicate that I'm far from going into labor naturally, so it's looking more and more obvious at this point that a c-section will be necessary.  The MFM felt comfortable saying that I can just be monitored by my OB for the duration, although I can always schedule one more growth check in a few weeks if my OB would prefer.

So from here on out, I will just have weekly appointments with my OB, where I will also have non-stress tests to make sure the twins' activity level is normal.  We are truly in the home stretch, and everything is going well!  Hallelujah!

33 Weeks

I can't believe the twins will be here in less than 6 weeks! 

This week I felt like my belly grew a LOT, although I'm not sure it's obvious in the picture.  Other than feeling very large, not much has changed:  I'm still sleeping okay thanks to Ambien; my wrist isn't bothering me too badly thanks to the cortisone injection; my ankles are still in existence; and I still get very uncomfortable if I eat more than a snack at a time.  All in all, I'd say I'm doing pretty well for this late in a twin pregnancy.

I'm getting a mix of comments from strangers.  Some think I'm huge and about to give birth imminently ("What, are you due tomorrow?"), while others think my belly is relatively small considering I only have 6 weeks left.

The twins are likely just under 4.5 pounds each, about the size of pineapples, although we'll get a better estimate at my MFM appointment this week.  Finally, their combined weights are probably more than CC's was at birth!  I feel them moving constantly, elbows and knees rolling across my belly, and almost nonstop pressure pushing my ribs out.  And their tastebuds are developed, so hopefully they will come out ready to eat!

32 Week Appointment

Everything looked good with the twins today at my latest OB appointment.  He took a quick peek at them via ultrasound, and laughed when he realized that they are in a cross position!  Baby A is head down, and Baby B is lying sideways behind Baby A.  No wonder I'm feeling so much movement on one side!

But they both looked great.  We watched their little hearts beating furiously, and saw their chests going up and down with their "practice breaths."

Baby A's head is pretty far down, which explains why I've felt as if the babies were lower this last week.  CC stayed up high during my entire pregnancy with her, so this is an unfamiliar feeling for me.  Then again, it might not be because the babies have moved down; it might just be because they're getting bigger and expanding in every direction.  I'll have to wait until my MFM appointment next week to find out for sure.

I still have a very low risk of going into labor -- we have a c-section date marked on the calendar -- but my doctor wants me and MJ to talk about what we'd like to do if I spontaneously go into labor.  I could try to give birth normally, or we could rush to the hospital and have my c-section early.  There are pros and cons to each, both for me and the twins, so MJ and I will have some discussing to do in the next few weeks.

And from now on, I'll have a doctor's appointment (of one kind or another) every week.  Next week is the MFM specialist, but my OB appointments in the future will include non-stress tests, where they monitor the babies' heart rates for 30 minutes to hopefully see normal fluctuations.  Fortunately I have a neighbor who is able to watch CC for me during these appointments!

Week 32

... and another week hits the dust.  Only seven more left! 

I haven't gained any more weight, for the second week in a row, but I'm not too worried.  I'd been warned that weight loss would taper off and maybe even reverse towards the end of a twin pregnancy, since there's less and less room for my stomach.

I have definitely noticed that I get very uncomfortable when I eat a large meal.  It's like the worst post-Thanksgiving overstuffed feeling ever.  I've even asked MJ to remind me, when we go out to a restaurant for dinner, to order just an appetizer instead of a full meal.  I'm hungry, so I forget that there's no room for a regular meal, and I end up regretting it for hours later.

I've been feeling pretty good this week.  The cortisone injection into my wrist seems to have really helped, because I'm not getting any more nighttime pain, and I was even able to assemble and install a new coatrack/shelf the other day without my right hand going numb.  Also, the Ambien is a godsend.  I sleep soundly every night, and I don't even feel groggy in the morning.

This week I went swimming several times.  Aaah ... the luxury of having a close friend and neighbor with a pool!  It's lovely.  Fun for CC, fun for me, and oh so comfortable to escape the heat and take a load off -- literally.  I have a feeling CC and I (and MJ too, on the weekends) will be spending a lot of time in that pool this summer!

The babies are moving like crazy.  I told MJ the other day that I'm not sure if it's because they're more active than CC was, or if it's because there are just twice as many body parts to feel.  Hopefully it's just because there are two of them -- I don't need hyper babies!

They are just under 4 pounds now, and they have hair and miniature fingernail and toenails.  Their skin is getting soft and smooth, and they're starting to get that adorable baby chubbiness.  And at this point they're probably crowded enough that they won't be flipping over anymore -- where they are now is where they'll likely stay.  I have an OB appointment on Tuesday, so we'll find out what position they're in.

Week 31

Eight weeks left!

I didn't gain any more weight this week, so I'm still at a hefty 42 pounds.  But just yesterday I was thinking that these babies are only about half the size I'd like them to be at birth, so trust me, I still have plenty of weight -- and size -- to gain.  It's strange to think that although I only have 8 of 39 weeks left in this pregnancy, the babies still have so much to grow!

There were two major improvements this week.  First, the orthopedic PA I visited on Thursday was able to give me a cortisone injection in my wrist that has helped tremendously with my carpal tunnel syndrome.  I still have a lot of numbness and tingling in my hand during the day, but the pain at night has gone away and for that I am incredibly grateful.

Second, I took my OB up on his offer of a prescription for Ambien.  It's considered extremely safe for pregnant women, but even so, I was hesitant until now.  But after about a month of terrible sleep, and a straight week of waking up at 2:00 each morning and not being able to go back to sleep, I finally caved.  Friday night I took it for the first time and it worked like a charm -- I woke up at 7 am, feeling more refreshed and rested than I have in ages.  I hope not to have to take it every night for the rest of this pregnancy, but it's great to have it in case I need it.

I also realized this week that I have quite a bit to do to move CC up to the "big sister" position before these twins get here.  I have to clear out our guest room (her new room), sell the current furniture, purchase new furniture for her, and buy her new "big girl" carseat.  I'd better get moving -- that's a lot to do in a short amount of time.

As for the twins, they are over 3.5 pounds each now, and their eyes are open and responding to light.  They can also react to loud noises (although I haven't noticed this -- and I didn't with CC either).  Their immune systems have started to develop to get them ready for life in the outside world.  Every system in their body is ready to go, with the exception of their lungs, which need a bit more cooking before they're mature.

30 Weeks

The final countdown! I'm finally in the 30s, which means we have just nine weeks left before these babies join us.  I couldn't be happier, for multiple reasons.

I've gained 42 pounds, and starting to feel it.  I find myself tired after carrying CC upstairs, or asking MJ to slow down a bit on a walk around the neighborhood.  It's embarrassing!  I have to remind myself how much extra weight I'm carrying around, especially if I have CC in my arms.  With our combined weights, I am lugging over 60 pounds that my body is not accustomed to having!

Fortunately, the last few nights have given me some unexpected relief from the carpal tunnel pain.  But I'm not deluding myself into thinking it's gone for good.  My appointment with the orthopedic surgeon is, disappointingly, not for another month.  But I will see his PA this Thursday, and hopefully she will be able to help.

Babies this age are usually about 3 pounds, but we know from my appointment this past week that the Morrison twins are a bit larger.  They are able to regulate their own body temperature, so they will begin to shed the coats of hair they've had until now.  They have the proportions of newborns, but the biggest weight-gaining period is just beginning. From now on they will be gaining about a pound every 2 weeks.  Goodness, I wonder how much that means I'LL be gaining?!

29 Week Appt

This week I had two doctor's appointments: my OB and my MFM specialist.  Fortunately, both went well and the babies are doing great!

About me: my OB is referring me to an orthopedic surgeon to get a cortisone shot in my wrist for my carpal tunnel syndrome.  It has gotten much worse this week, and it's borderline unbearable.  During the day my hand just feels weak, tingly, and numb -- I can handle that.  But in the middle of the night, I wake up in excruciating pain.  And that's what is getting harder to deal with.  I'm hoping the appointment is quick (Monday?) and effective!

Also, I had my doctor measure my belly, just out of curiosity.  I am measuring 39 weeks!  It's quite a change to be measuring big during a pregnancy, instead of small the way I was with CC.  Of course there are two babies now, so that's to be expected!

About the babies: they are actually big for their age!  Baby A measured a week ahead of schedule, and Baby B measured 5 days ahead.  Good news on both counts.  The weight estimates were 3 pounds 8 ounces for Baby A, and 3 pounds 4 ounces for Baby B.

Baby B was crunched up into a little ball on the lower left side, head up (breech).  Baby A was stretched out along the right side, head down, in an L shape with his/her legs over Baby B's head.  So maybe all the movement I've been feeling on the left side hasn't been Baby B after all?

We were able to get several good 3D images of Baby B, who was cooperative despite being so crowded.  Baby A, on the other hand, was a little stinker and didn't let us get any pictures!

Week 29

We're back from our whirlwind trip visiting MJ's family and celebrating his grandmother's 90th birthday.  I promise a post with lots of details and pictures soon.  But for now, here's the latest on the pregnancy:

I've gained a total of 40 pounds now.  But everyone I saw this weekend raved about how small I looked.  Hmmm.  Normally I would assume it was just family trying to be nice, but enough people said it to me that I've started to wonder.  Am I measuring small?  The twins certainly aren't -- at every ultrasound so far, they've measured right on track.  And I've certainly gained a normal amount of weight for a twin mom.  But maybe I'll have my doctor measure me at my appointment this week.  I'm curious!

I'm feeling decent.  The same old issues are bothering me (carpal tunnel, back pain, etc), but in general I'm still pretty lucky to be feeling this well 29 weeks into a twin pregnancy.

I am thrilled to report that my ankles are not swollen.  Woo hoo!  At 29 weeks with CC, they had been swollen for several weeks and I was already wearing compression hose.  I know that every pregnancy is different, and maybe I wouldn't have gotten swollen this time around anyway.  But all the water I've been drinking, and putting my feet up as much as possible, definitely hasn't hurt.  I've worn sandals every single day for over a month now, and I'd like to keep it that way!

The twins weigh just under 3 pounds each now (roughly the size of butternut squashes) and are approximately 15 inches long.  Their skeletons are hardening, so I'm under orders to consume a lot of calcium in the next few weeks.  No problem -- I love cheese and milk!

Week 28

Another week closer to meeting these little babies!  We have 2.5 months to go now, and I have officially entered my third trimester.

I'm feeling better now.  Last week I was having a little pity party (hey, everyone's entitled to them once in a while!) but fortunately things are looking up.  I bought a small, firm pillow that's the perfect size to put under my ribcage while I'm sleeping, so my nights have been more comfortable lately.  And although I've had some tired days recently, in general I'm still feeling up to my normal activities.  This week I even went washing machine shopping for an entire afternoon (more on that later), as well as attended an annual party for MJ's firm that involved several hours of standing up.  So I haven't thrown in the towel yet!

My weight actually went down a few pounds this week, but I'm not concerned.  I doubt I've hit the point yet where twin moms often start losing weight (there won't be much room for my stomach towards the end!).  I think it's just normal weight fluctuations. 

I had an appointment on Thursday with my OB, and everything went well.  He took a quick peek at the babies on the ultraound, and everything looked perfect: good fluid levels, strong heartbeats, and normal movement.  They are currently both head up (breech) although there's still plenty of time for them to flip.  And it doesn't really matter what position they're in, I suppose, since I will almost certainly need a c-section anyway.  Baby A is always on the right, and Baby B is always on the left, and this time they were facing away from each other.

Since I'm at 28 weeks now, I also had a RhoGAM shot because my blood type is Rh-negative.  I had to do this when I was pregnant with CC too.  If either of the babies have Rh-positive blood (possible, because MJ is Rh-positive), my body might start making antibodies against them.  Because we don't know what blood type the babies are, I take this shot as a preventative measure to keep my body from making any antibodies against them.  Once the babies are born, the hospital will test their blood type.  If they are Rh-negative (like me and CC), then I will not need another RhoGAM shot.  If they are Rh-positive (like MJ) then I will need another one at that time.

Lastly, I was tested for gestational diabetes.  I am at very low risk for this, but it's a standard test.  I had to drink an extremely sweet drink (stomach-turning at 8:30 in the morning!), and then wait an hour before having my blood tested.  I'm sure it will probably come back normal -- as it did with CC -- but it's a good thing to be tested anyway.

The babies are about 2.25 pounds each and 15 inches long now, about the size of eggplants.  They are blinking and coughing, and moving around a TON.  They are most active in the evenings and when I first wake up, although admittedly it might just seem that way because that's when I'm staying still and their movements are most obvious.  I'm trying to pay attention to each baby separately, to see if I can tell if one of them is more quiet/mellow, versus more active, but so far they both seem about the same. 

Week 27

I apologize for a lack of posts this past week.  We have company in for Memorial Day weekend, so things are busy but fun.  More on that later!  In the meantime, this was an eventful week, pregnancy-wise.  Here's the summary.

The good:

MJ was able to feel the twins move for the first time this week! I've been feeling very strong and frequent movements for several weeks now, but every time MJ put his hand on my belly, the twins would stubbornly refuse to move. But one morning this week before MJ got up to get ready for work, I could feel the twins practicing their MMA moves, so I grabbed MJ's hand just in time for him to feel a few good wallops. Finally!

Also, the babies appear to be doing fine.  They are currently about 2 pounds each, and their eyes can open and shut and respond to light.  They are about the size of heads of cauliflower, and they are getting plumper and more baby-looking all the time.

The bad:

I'm afraid to say that I started getting pretty uncomfortable this week.  Up until now I was feeling pretty good, but this week I've had an almost constant backache that has been fairly bothersome, especially at night when I'm trying to sleep.  The hip pain I had briefly last week has not reappeared, thankfully, so hopefully that's a thing ot the past.  But unfortunately I've also come down with a cold.

Needless to say, sleep has been elusive between my backache, my stuffed-up nose, and the carpal tunnel syndrome.  A few nights ago, as I lay there tossing and turning, I recalled pregnant friends of mine raving about their pregnancy pillows.  So out of sheer desperation, I shoved a spare pillow behind my back.  WOW -- what a difference!  It didn't miraculously make my back pain go away, but it definitely eased the discomfort enough that I could sleep.  Hallelujah!

This week I also had to say goodbye to my beautiful engagement and wedding rings.  My fingers had swollen just enough to make taking them off tricky lately.  I didn't want to risk waiting too long and possibly needing them to be cut off if they got too tight later, especially since I still have 12 weeks left to go (sigh).  So now I'm wearing the temporary wedding band I bought when I was pregnant with CC.

The worst of week 27:  The dreaded ankle swelling has appeared! So far it isn't too bad -- nowhere near how swollen I was the last few months of CC's pregnancy. But I am frantic to keep it at bay. I am drinking water like a maniac and putting my feet up at every conceivable opportunity. Please please please let it not get worse -- I still have three months to go!

The ugly:

I am, at this very point, the exact weight and size I was when I gave birth to CC.  I've gained 35 pounds (same as with CC) and my belly is now 38 inches around (same as with CC).  It's a disheartening thought, especially since I'm only carrying about 4 pounds of baby (compared to CC's 8 pounds, 9 ounces).  I have to remind myself that I am also carrying two placentas and two times the amniotic fluid.

From now on, I'll be in uncharted territory.  The next three months will probably be the most difficult of my life, physically speaking.  Every week, I'll be bigger and heavier than I've ever been in my life, and who knows what symptoms that will bring?

Week 26

Ten more weeks and I'll be considered full-term!  Not that it means much; I'm still hoping and assuming I'll have these babies closer to 39 weeks than 36 weeks.  But it's nice to be ticking the weeks off, slowly but steadily.

I'm still feeling pretty decent.  The carpal tunnel syndrome is getting worse, and I've started wearing a wrist brace to bed at night.  Sometimes, like last night, it helps.  But other nights I end up tearing it off in the middle of the night because it's actually keeping me from sleeping.

I also started getting a pretty intense pain in my hip this week.  It's not constant, thankfully, but on Thursday and Friday I had some periods of fairly bad pain while walking.   It hasn't returned since, so I'm hoping it's not a new pregnancy symptom.  Maybe I just slept on it wrong, or bruised it somehow. 

But overall, as I was telling my neighbors at a recent get-together, I feel much better than a 6-months-pregnant-with-twins woman has any right to feel!  When I found out that I was expecting twins back in January, I never would have thought that I would feel basically normal at 6 months.  Thank God!  With CC to care for and a constant list of things to do around here, I am extremely grateful to be feeling as well as I do.  Let's hope it continues!

Right now the babies weigh just under 2 pounds each, and are about the size of cucumbers.  Their ears and hearing are developing now, so they can hear me and MJ talking, CC babbling (or, more likely, yelling!), and Rory barking.  They are taking practice "breaths" of amniotic fluid, which we should be able to see on an ultrasound one of these days (I remember seeing CC do this on one of her ultrasounds last year).