Without Further Ado... Sonograms!

I want to thank everyone for shooting prayers, texts, emails, flowers, and other fun surprises my way for both the trials of the past week and the tribulations of turning 28. (Happy birthday to me!)

The very best birthday presents of the day, however, were received at the OB clinic this morning. (And, no, I didn't have any babies delivered to me, thank goodness!)

My appointment this morning revealed that my labor had not progressed any further since last Friday. Whew! I cannot tell you what a relief that is. Also, the clinic has a fantastic sonogram machine and we were able to get some amazing pictures of the girls! The tech even cheated and got us a few 3D shots.

The girls weighed in at 2lb 6oz and 3lb 2oz, respectively. Their measurements were all right-on, except that Baby A's belly was a little small, throwing off the calculations. I suspect it is all of the Tai Chi and calisthenics she does. We were able to listen to both their heart rates, and the flow of blood into each of their umbilical cords (who knew?), which were all normal. Baby A was operating in the 140s and Baby B in the 160s. We saw each chamber of their hearts pumping away, and their kidneys doing work. The tech even measured the amount of amniotic fluid which is an indicator of how well the babies are being nourished... It would seem they are eating quite well. Oh, and there was definitely only one placenta. Bring on the nail polish for distinguishing between identical twins!

But enough of that... onto the pictures!

Baby A in 3D! We watched her yawn and root around. The white arc on the left is Baby B's head pushed up close to hers. (And, no, that is not a wonky eye in the picture on the right, it's part of her hand covering her face - complete with nail beds.)

Here are Baby A's profile and Baby B's face. Baby B was looking right at us and blinking! (You need to tilt your head to the right to look her in the eye.) And look at those cheeks! The tech couldn't get over her cheeks. She was also pumping a fist in the "air" for us.


Here are the two craniums that are resting on my pelvic bone. Look how close they are to one another! They could certainly spread out if they wanted. We were viewing these images on a standard desktop screen, and when I asked how big the heads actually were in comparison, the tech said 1:1. No wonder my stomach and bladder hold the equivalent of a peanut!

Finally, here is Baby B's spine, which I just thought was amazing! She is curled into Baby A, who is facing "out", just like the Miss Independent she seems to be (who has also predetermined herself to be born first). I can't wait to see if all of our personality predictions come true.

Week 30! (+3 days)

This is what bed rest looks like, y'all. No more Sunday's best clothing. No more makeup. I will try to do my hair next week because this bun-out-of-the-shower look is just not attractive. Okay, I know these pictures don't literally portray bed rest, but I had to break the rules today for a morning full of OB appointments anyway, so I thought the extra few seconds wouldn't hurt. Plus, belly pics from a prone position just aren't as informative.

The girls are more active than ever. Yesterday I could actually pick out 4 different mounds traveling in my belly as Baby A did her morning Tai Chi. We have about 3 tiffs a day when the girls fight for their territory (Baby A seems to always throw the bigger punches). Baby B tricks me into thinking she's angelic, and then she goes for the jugular (well, some internal organ, anyway). Other than that, their schedules seemed to have synced into half-hour naps followed by a half-hour of playtime. When the girls' stretch out I can feel them both on my pelvic bone and on my rib cage, which seems like a long distance to me!

You all already know my excitement from this week. All of their cardio has been keeping my appetite quite healthy. I took full advantage of the Mariott catering services while I was laid-up in the hospital. And, as I told my sister, I can provide at least 20 arguments (many scientific) as to why an entire pint of Ben & Jerry's is not unreasonable for me to consume in a day. Nor is a king size Snickers bar at lunch to balance out my sugar intake. (I assure you, I don't actually do this... but when the day comes, I won't feel guilty.)

Roid Rave!

My former drug of choice was caffeine. (Sigh.)

Actually, it was the only "drug" I truly used (abused). And, alarmingly, I have adapted quite quickly to the steroids and muscle relaxers.

At first I could barely speak without sounding like I was crying hysterically. My resting heart rate was 140bpm (65bpm pre-prego) and I didn't need to put my finger to my pulse to count it out because I could just count the shakes of the bed.

Today I realized that I wasn't nearly as shaky and I had a lot more control over myself. As a bonus I have to eat even more to counter-act my increased heart rate, and my swelling has been completely obliterated. There is no roid rage here. Am I an addict? Am I going to get totally jacked without having to do anything? Am I going to grow facial hair like a caveman? (I already checked with the doc, she assured me no.)

So, it's possible that I may slowly spiral into a complete state of addiction. Things I need to remember on my way down: Tweezing eyebrows and putting on mascara are now unsafe tasks. (Utencils and pencils should perhaps also be off limits.) Do not call Mom or Dad right after taking meds because they will think you are crying and it's hard to convince them otherwise. A stack of towels will feel like a load of bricks, so have a man-slave carry even the lightest items.

So, I'm in Labor

Well, I was up until about 24 hours ago.

I went in for my first appointment with my new doc on Friday. Ten minutes and a short internal exam later, she announced that she had touched Baby A's head, that I was 80% effaced and 1 cm dilated... and that we were going to the hospital.

So, a stress test revealed 2 very strapping and hardy little girls... and that I was having contractions every 2 - 4 minutes. "I am?????"

Have I mentioned my incredibly high tolerance for pain? I can definitely sense changes in my body much more than the average joe, but pain? Not so much.

Immediately, they jacked me up with steroids and muscle relaxers, which I will be on for the duration of the pregnancy. These effectively put the kabosh on most contractions. They also boosted me with some very painful steroids to motivate the girls' lungs to develop faster.

I spent a couple days in Labor & Delivery and I'm now on complete bed rest at home. At this point, the goal is to make it to 34 weeks. (Anyone want to change their poll selections?) Arrival before that time would mean a helicopter ride for all of us to the nearest hospital with a Level 3 NICU (Luke would not be the pilot), feeding tubes into stomachs, respirators, no breastfeeding, and a rocky road to development. After 34, the lovely hospital here could accommodate us with their Level 2 facilities. Once we get there, my goal is 36. A day at a time...

If you say prayers, we would be SO grateful to be included: For the girls to be patient and keep the party indoors, for me to be patient and find peace in my bedrest, for Luke not to lose his mind being my man-slave (thankfully he will arrive here Tuesday), for me to continue to put on weight, for everyone's health.

I know it was everyone's prayers, and the blessed hands of my doctors and nurses, that helped us respond to the drugs so favorably. Thanks everybody!

PS. I JUST realized it's Sunday. This week's belly shots will be delayed slightly. :)

S.O.S. - Updated (Link fixed!)

Save Our Sanity.

Or mine, anyway. Check out our registry on the right. Have we forgotten anything? Do you have recommendations? What are the products your offspring couldn't do without? Leave me a comment or shoot me an email, PLEASE!

In other efforts to save my sanity, I posted a new poll and just decided to forget about the post that should have followed up the previous poll. I lost my inspiration.

Lightening and Light Reading

With all of the changes that happened this week, I find myself doing more and more "light reading" in my books on multiples. Here are some interesting facts I came across:

(1) 57% of twins arrive prior to 37 weeks

(2) 12% arrive prior to 32 weeks (30-something-percent prior to 34 weeks)

(3) Women under the age of 30 with low BMIs are more likely to deliver earlier than the average 35 to 36 weeks.

(4) "Lightening", or dropping, may be an indicator of impending labor, or a sign that the uterus has run out of room.

(5) A woman carrying twins has a uterus the same size as a woman carrying a single baby who is 8 - 10 weeks more advanced in her pregnancy.

So, what are my lessons learned?

(1) I had previously thought that since I had remained "small" during my pregnancy that I would keep these buns in the oven longer. It would seem that the opposite is true: my uterus has run out of room, which will cue the stress hormones for labor earlier. Plus, I started out with a low BMI.

(2) My uterus is ginormous. If you have carried a baby, my uterus is now the same size as yours was at full term.

(3) I need carseats, NOW. And baby nail clippers, those little blue squeezy things used to unblock nasal passages, wipes, burp cloths, everything else necessary for a baby that I don't know about, an Easy Button, and a chill pill.

Self-Diagnosis

Have you ever noticed that when you try to self-diagnose your symptoms online, you end up with brain cancer? I've had "brain cancer" about 3 times a year for the past 5 years.

(Note: I am aware that this is totally insensitive and not PC. It is not my intention to offend.)

I used to be a subscriber to the Journal of the American Medical Association. Bad idea. I used to visit WebMD when I had something funky going on. Another bad idea.

I stopped trying to self-diagnose about a year ago. This is very hard for someone as curious, research-oriented, and attuned to her body as me.

So, when I felt the babies drop and started looking into the implications, it only increased my anxiety (because I still didn't have a doctor, in case I haven't mentioned it). Now, I'm pretty sure dropping doesn't lead to brain cancer, but it can have other undesirable consequences when it happens early. Fortunately, I have a very level-headed husband who gave me a reality check. Thanks, babe.

On another note. My mom told my brother that the babies had dropped... He remained mysteriously quiet until my mom explained the term. I can only imagine what he thought? "Where did she drop them?" and "Why didn't she pick them up?" Haha.

And a second note. I FINALLY have a doctor! Appointments tomorrow and Friday. Stay tuned...

Week 29!

No, seriously, hello third trimester.

Everything is changing. I didn't expect the ease of the second trimester to flit away so quickly.

I'm contracting often: every time I stand up, sit up, sit down, pick something up, blow my nose, sneeze, or do anything that would require my stomach (formerly known as my ab muscles) to do work. Turning the steering wheel is becoming increasingly difficult (yup, didn't realize I used my abs to do that). Getting down into a Pontiac G6 to begin with is not looking as sexy as it once did. I'm running out of breath when I talk, and I am actually unable to do a lot of things I could do a few days ago.

On Saturday night the babies dropped. How do I know? Well, someone was kicking my pelvic bone. This was confirmed in the morning by a larger gap between my boobs and belly. Further confirmed with a load of pelvic pressure each time I sit down, which is now a multi-step operation. And, overnight, I started having to use the restroom every half hour or so around the clock. (You know those crazy shows "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant"? I may have seen one too many of those, and I now find myself checking to make sure I haven't birthed a child every time I pee.)

The girls are more active than ever. One morning I awoke to a girl fight. Movements were so fast and sharp from so many directions that I was afraid to move and break up the fight. This evening someone kicked my rib and I could actually HEAR the impact. I think they both love food as much as I do, because our most active times are when I'm starting to get hungry, and while I'm eating. (And from 4-6 am, joy.)

Back to my self-directed modified bed-rest...

Nursery Inspiration

I finally decided on using bright reds and pinks with whites in the nursery.

The difficult part was finding something inspirational for the room. Since the arched window is already such a focal point, I decided to seek out some fabric to set it off.

I knew it had to be funky and mod but still be able to carry a little bit of the traditional. I tell you, this was very difficult!

After seeking high and low, online and in store, I found this print in Paducah, Kentucky. My mom and I have designed a window treatment reminiscent of drawing rooms of old. Let me tell you, it will be awesome and one-of-a-kind! I'm sewing half, and my mom will finish the second half when she comes after the girls have arrived.

Can't wait to show you the finished product! (First, the fabric needs to get here. And, then I must whisper sweet-nothings to my sewing machine, in hopes it will be kind to me.)

Weeks 27 and 28!

It's a 2-fer. Weeks 27 and 28 come to you from our new home! Courtesy of my guest photographers - mom and MF. Wardrobe provided by both my mom and my MIL! (Thanks!!! I've outgrown all of my shirts.)

Week 27

Week 28

I'm just getting bigger and bigger. I don't know at what point I lost sight of my feet, but it happened a while ago and I only just realized it. At an interesting OB appointment earlier this week (this will likely not be blogged about as it puts my blood pressure through the roof), my fundal height was measured to be 32 inches. Now, in a healthy singleton pregnancy, your fundal height should be equal to your week. Doing the math, that puts me and the twins 5 inches ahead of the curve. (Note: "fundal height" refers loosely to the vertical distance over the belly). According to my prego literature, my uterus is up under my ribs. This explains a lot...

As for the girls, they seem to be participating in recess much more often than before. My belly bounces and jiggles alot. This morning I felt a new sensation along my ribcage. I'd liken it to someone feeling around the walls in the dark. I suspect one of the girl's is using my rib as a monkey bar and crossing hand-over-hand to get back and forth. The other girl is using my bladder as a trampoline. Wheeee! (Or, wee?) I don't have Luke here to equate the babies to something edible, but I believe they are each just over 2 pounds now.

Third trimester, here we come!

I Can't Put On My Underwear

Don't worry. I eventually managed this morning. All normal methods of donning my skivvies are no longer applicable, however. Lifting up my knees to step into them? Not possible. Setting them on the floor and executing a forward bend to pull them on? Also impossible. Sitting on my bed and rolling around until some indescribable position is achieved in which I can lasso at least one foot? It still works. Just another capability that I've slowly been losing.

Speaking of losing. Ahem. I'm losing my mind. The past couple weeks have been crazy with the move, the tribulations of new construction home ownership, other baby mama drama, and a surprising number of visitors. (Who knew that this little place would be "on the way" for so many?)

Please stay tuned, dear readers. I have been storing up pictures, belly shots, and tid-bits for you. Soon we will be back to our regularly scheduled programming...