Traveling circus

I like to call us the traveling circus when we go out in public.  It's an adventure every time when we have to unload the car and take the stroller out. The double stroller (or baby limo as Spencer's coworkers dubbed it) with two infant car seats attached always draw attention. And that stroller is a beast! It's heavy and long. It folds up rather well and fits in our mini van ok (it even fit in the Camry trunk without the toddler seats on it). It's a dance trying to get both kids in and out of the van by myself. Leave the van running so the kids are comfortable while unloading and setting up the stroller.  Grab the first kid and lock their car seat in place. Grab the second kid, while trying to watch that the first one doesn't go anywhere in the stroller in that brief moment, and lock that car seat into place. Turn off the van, lock up, go shopping (etc.). Reverse all of that when you get back to the van after your errand. It really makes me miss malls and their one stop shopping. And I actually use the drive thru now; I hated them before because it was always iffy on understanding the person taking my order. Now just give me some type of food; just don't make me unload my kids.  I have become much more efficient when planning shopping trips or wait for Spencer to be able to watch them.

Anyways, the point of this post was to record the crazy things that people say to us while we are in public. We can't go anywhere where we don't get at least 2-3 comments on the kids. I don't mind it; my kids are special and I don't mind others acknowledging that too.  When I'm in the mood, I use this as an opportunity to educate people on twins and IVF.  I know it won't last forever because eventually they will just look like siblings. Some days, when I know the kids aren't going to last much longer, I get a little annoyed that I can't just check out and go. No, I have to have a conversation with the cashier first.  But I've perfected the graceful smile-say-thanks-and-keep-walking routine.  And I have a strict no touching policy; I will slap your hand away and yell at you for that.  Luckily it hasn't happened, but I did have the greeter at Walmart wanting to straightening Elizabeth's head while she was sleeping [I told her that E was fine how she was; she'd move her head if it bothered her].

So here are some that I remember (and I'll continue to add to this list as we encounter more)...

• Double trouble
• Twice blessed
• Are they twins?
• Are they identical?
• Oh, one boy and one girl, so you're done having kids now?
• Are these your first?
• Do you mind if I just look at your kids? I've always wanted twins.
• My [insert relative or friend here] has twins [or triplets].
• Do they sleep a lot [or thru the night]?
• Were they natural?
• Do twins run in your family?
• Where you shocked when you found out you were having twins?

I'm back!

I'd struggled for a while on whether to continue this blog or try to keep my kids' lives more private. so for the last three months, I've not posted anything. I'd start a post a few times, but never finished or published them. But today, I googled something and it got me upset. And it made me remember part of the reason why I started this blog in the first place. I was forced to go through a very frustrating process to get my kids and always took comfort in reading the experiences of others who were in the same situation. I could use my blog as a public service to educate those in my same predicament and those who luckily will never go through what I have. I hoped to shed some light on infertility and now I have the same chance to provide a glimpse into parenting twins. I am going to do my best to post more often, but also try to respect my kids' privacy. I'm not positive how I'll do it yet. I'm also not sure how I'll find the time to do this with two babies to take care of while also back at work. But even if the posts are much shorter, I still think it'll help me to write and hopefully help others to read.

So, I'm back and have alot on my mind.  I'll spend some time gathering my thoughts and hopefully won't sound too crazy [I haven't had a coherent thought in months, so this'll be fun ;-)]. I'll not likely post everything on Facebook, so subscribe to the blog for updates or check in every now and then.

35-37 weeks: The final countdown

37 weeks. Technically, yesterday would mark 37 weeks and the babies would've been here by mid-morning (according to the scheduled c section we planned). As many readers may already be aware, that was no longer the plan. For those who aren't Facebook or real life friends, let me fill you in on the last few weeks. Apologies in advanced for the mega-long post.

I had a blog post started for 35 weeks. Mostly a familiar update. Uncomfortable but managing. Visit with the specialist again showed the babies looking good. My swelling and blood pressure were the main causes of concern. Spencer was cleared to walked in his boot without a walker. Physical therapy was making a real difference in my mobility and comfort. Final countdown was underway for the kids to arrive. Less than 2 weeks, single digits. Well, let's just say that post never got finished because life just doesn't like to go as planned.

Sunday, July 9- I started to get a contraction every hour or so.  Not my first ones, but these were different that what I'd had before.  They would last a few minutes, but only happened about once an hour or so and didn't progress.  I didn't actually feel them in my tummy; it was more my back would hurt and when I'd realize that I'd poke at my tummy to feel how tight it was.  I drank more water and spent most of the afternoon lounging and resting.  My blood pressure was on the high side still, but not high enough to meet the doctor's orders to go straight to the hospital.  I decided I have an appointment on Monday, I could wait until then since my symptoms didn't quite fit the concerned criteria.

35 weeks and 5 days

Monday, I went to physical therapy in the morning.  I actually felt rather good in most of my usual problem areas; it was just my back bothering me from the contractions.  The therapist worked on my back, helping to work out some of the knots in my lower back.  I left feeling good, but off.  I went home and put in an hour of work to finish up a project I'd been working on before leaving for my next doctor's appointment with Spencer.  We had to wait for quite a while to see the doctor, as per usual.  By the time we got back to the exam room, my blood pressure had gone up quite a bit.  The specialist kept telling me that if it got up to 160 for the upper number, I needed to go to labor and delivery.  My blood pressure at the beginning of the appointment had spiked to 161/something.  We continued the appointment and saw the kiddos on the ultrasound. After the appointment, the nurse took my blood pressure and it'd barely gone down.  The doctor wanted me to go to labor and delivery for observation and told me not to eat or drink anything until further notice.

What a pair we make right now-
one with dangerously high blood pressure and
one with a bum foot

Spencer and I walked across the hospital to labor and delivery.  This was Spencer's first time there (my third for those counting). We got to go in the normal way instead of through the ER like I'd been the last two times. I checked in with the lady at the desk who filled out a bunch of paperwork with us. I was shown back to a room and told to change and leave a urine sample.  I was hooked up to the heart monitor to watch the babies heart rates and measure for contractions.  The doctor had also ordered several blood tests in addition to the urine test.  Once those results came back, we'd have more of an idea of what the next step would be.  After about an hour or so, we were told that my platelet count was low, my creatinine ratio was high, and that the babies would be coming that day due to pre-eclampsia.  I was admitted to the hospital and the nurse started prepping me for the c-section. It was at this time that I felt like I was on the first big hill of a roller coaster- scared to death of the drop and what's to come but no way to get off.  Mom, Dad, Spencer and I hung out for a few hours until the doctor finished her day at the office; then, she came over and delivered the babies.

Our happy little family

The c-section was a very weird experience; I was very glad Spencer was there to keep me calm. It was so cold in the operating room and so many people buzzing around doing their things.  I got the epidural and laid down. Spencer came in and sat near my head while the nurses installed the drape to keep us from viewing all of the gruesomeness of surgery.  The doctor came in and the procedure started. Everything happened so fast. All of a sudden, we could hear Owen crying, then a few minutes later, Elizabeth came out crying.  Each baby had their own team of doctor and nurses who took them and checked them out.  Owen was 5 pounds, 3 ounces; Elizabeth surprised everyone by edging him out at 5 pounds, 4 ounces.  They wrapped up the kids and handed them to Spencer to hold.  We both got to see them and take a picture while my procedure finished up.  Then it was off to the labor and delivery room to recover.  We got to do skin to skin with the kids for about an hour.  We tried to breastfeed for a little while, which both seemed to do ok with me fumbling around trying to figure out what I was doing.  After skin to skin time, the nurses cleaned up the babies some more and then focused on my recovery, which took a little longer because I'd been on baby aspirin, which caused more bleeding than normal with a c-section delivery.  Spencer got more pictures of the kids and sent them out to friends and family.  His mom drove down after work and was the first of the family to see the kids.  We thought that they'd need to go to the NICU immediately, so we'd been telling family that there wasn't too much point in stopping by that night.  Turns out our kids our fighters and avoided the NICU altogether.

More to come later on our recovery and homecoming.

Meet Owen and Elizabeth

33 and 34 weeks

33 weeks (written last week, just never posted)

I started a draft for this post last week and forgot all about it.  Opening it up just now reminded me of how different our lives were just a week ago.  In order to avoid being vague and cryptic, I'll jump right in.  Wednesday, June 21st, Spencer was t-boned in a car accident.  I'm not going to go into too many details online just in case the insurance wants to use it against us later.  He is back home finally, starting the long road to recovery.

Before the accident happened, I'd had a physical therapy appointment that morning. The therapist "massaged" certain areas, helping to expel some knots and engage my muscles. I got some homework to work on to stretch things out at home.  Each visit helps a lot; I'm still sore, but it's more manageable.  I worked from home after physical therapy before we had our appointment with the OB.  I met Spencer there because he'd gone to work and had another appointment just before mine.

We got to wait for about 2 hours for our appointment this time; it's a bad sign when they bring out snacks for everyone in the waiting room.  I started to feel crummy while we were waiting, so I had a few snacks thinking it was just low blood sugar.  Once we were called back to see the doctor, the nurse got my vitals.  My blood pressure was kind of high at this point and my feet were swollen (all though that is a new normal).  The doctor talked with us about signs to keep an eye on and mentioned that it may be a good idea to work from home instead of going into work.  She did the sono to check for heartbeats.  Afterwards, she took my blood pressure again to see if it was still elevated.  If it had been, I was going to be sent to labor and delivery to get checked out.  Luckily, it went back down closer to my normal.  We go back again in two weeks for what may be our last appointment with that doctor before the babies come. Craziness!


34 weeks

This was probably the first week of the whole pregnancy that I haven't checked my app to see what the babies are supposed to be up to in there at 34 weeks.  I've just been too busy.  Like I said above, Spencer was in an accident a week and a half ago.  He broke his foot and has severe bruising and contusions that limit his mobility.  He's been home from the hospital for less than a week now, but improving a little bit every day.  In the meantime, I'm doing my best to help him out as I can while still taking it easy.

My boss has allowed me to work from home, for which I'm super grateful. I have about 4 appointments a week now, so working from home prevents me from needing to use so much sick leave and from driving by myself 20 miles to work along a fairly undeveloped highway twice a day.  I can put my feet up so they swell less while still getting some work done.  The doctors are very happy for this too; I think bed rest would have been in my future if I wasn't allowed to stay home more.

I had some more physical therapy this week. It has been helping a bunch but I'm still just super sore all of the time.  Sleeping has been much harder as of late because the hips always hurt. I just can't find a good position.  This weekend, Elizabeth has decided that my left hip bone is a good place to kick or something; probably not helping the hip pain I already have.

I saw the specialist a few days ago too.  Mom came with me this time since Spencer can't get around very well right now.  We had the doctor do a video of the ultrasound so Spencer could watch later.  The babies are doing really well. Owen was in a bad spot so it was hard to get accurate measurements.  The doctor estimated 5 lbs 2 oz, but thinks that's an underestimate.  Elizabeth was her usually squirmy self, weighing in at 4 lb 12 oz.  They are both doing great according to all the doctor's tests.  The only concern the doctor has is me right now.

My blood pressure being high and my swelling are signs of gestational hypertension or even pre-eclampsia.  I went to Labor and Delivery to get checked out the night of the accident, just to make sure everything was ok after what I'd witnessed. I also went about a week later when my blood pressure spiked.  An hour long non-stress test later, and I was sent home.  I feel bad about going with false alarms, but we promised the doctor I'd be better safe than sorry about this.  Anyways, when the specialist heard about all of this, she ordered a 24-hour urine test and some blood work to see what's up with me.  I did that all of Thursday (thank goodness I could work from home) and dropped off everything Friday morning. I am still waiting for the results, hoping for everything to come back normal, or at least just hypertension, and not pre-eclampsia.  I'm trying to keep these kids in as long as I can to give Spencer more time to recover.

So now, we wait. And try to take it easy while still getting things ready for the babies to come.  It's been hard for me to ask for help or even accept help. Partly because I'm still overwhelmed and not sure where to start on certain things.  Partly because I feel like a lazy bum asking someone to vacuum or clean up after us while I sit on the couch doing nothing.  It's going to be a learning experience.

Bump! or more like watermelon!

Week 32 - one month to go!

Man this one is super late (and long apparently), but it's because we've been super busy with appointments, friends and family. 

We saw the specialist last week for a growth scan and fetal assessment. They both got 10/10 on all their tests (not sure exactly what they were testing). Owen is weighing just over 4 pounds and Elizabeth was just shy of 4 pounds. So both are doing amazing! We did the non-stress test thing with heart monitors hooked up to my tummy for 20 minutes or so. Owen was hard to find his heart beat consistently (not in a bad way, they were both uncooperative toots that day), but everything looked good according to the doctor. At the rate they are growing, they will be about 6.5 pounds each next month when they are due (that'll be 13 pounds of baby 😨).

I started physical therapy last week to try to help ease some of my pelvic pain. My right hip where it meets the backbone is loose, which means it's always out of place and aches. I also have symphysis pubis dysfunction, which means my pubic bone shifts out of place and aches.  The therapist stretched me in different ways to find out what triggers my pain, then "massaged" some of my muscles and ligaments. It was more like she found a ton of knots and pushed into them as hard as she could. It hurt but felt good too. I was so sore afterwards, but it's starting to feel better. I go back a few times a week for the same treatment until the babies come.  In between visits, I'm supposed to wear my support band to help keep everything in place and to help make the therapist's adjustments more effective.

I got to hang out with my sister for the first time in over a month since she moved away. We were going to do a small maternity photo shoot, but I wasn't feeling well (feet were super swollen) so decided to postpone it.  If we get around to it, cool. But it's not as important to me as newborn photos will be. Speaking of, if anyone has recommendations for an affordable photographer, please pass along the info.

Last weekend, a group of my mom's friends threw us a baby shower. These are ladies I've known probably the majority of my life now; mom plays bunco with them every month or so still. They prepared some great brunch finger foods, had adorable decorations, and gave Spencer and I a chance to celebrate with many of our friends and family. It was a wonderful event and I'm so grateful for all of time we've spent with friends and family as well as the gifts we received (not only at this shower but the others we've had as well).

O for Owen and E for Elizabeth

I think we finally have most of the very basics we'd need for the kids (car seats, stroller, place to sleep, some clothes and diapers/wipes). We also have more of the nice-to-have items and will get more with time. I haven't converted our guestroom/office into a nursery yet because I think it's more useful as a guest room for now.  It means less storage for what we have so far, but allowed us to host some friends for the weekend last week and next. We are slowly getting organized, sorting through things and finding new homes for most of our stuff.  Mom helped us finalize a theme a few weeks ago (animals). My sister has helped provide some ideas for decorating the nursery, which has helped spur my creative juices too. As much as I was putting it off before, now that I have more of a plan, I'm excited to work on getting it more together. I suppose nesting mode is starting to kick in. Spencer already created some very cute letters for each kid.  Now to get busy!  Less than one month to go...

Bump Pic at 32 week and 6 days.
I have fewer and fewer clothes that fit now haha

Week 31

Man, the end of the week appointments do not help my procrastination at all.  Sorry for the later post.

We have hit 31 weeks now. Seems hard to believe we've come this far, even though there's still a ways to go. I feel huge (doctor said I measure 38 weeks) even if I don't look it (as most people tell me). I can no longer squat down on the ground and get back up again. I actually got stuck the other day without a good way of pulling myself up, so Spencer had to help me. It was both funny and sad. I've had random contractions off and on, but nothing the doctors are worried about. And my biggest other complaint is the amount of swelling in my feet. I try to prop them up more and stay off of them, but it's hard. I'm trying out compression socks to see if they can help any. On the plus side, that pillow I broke down and bought makes a big difference, even though I still get up a lot in the middle of the night and toss and turn a bunch still.

We had two more baby showers this week. My office put together a great and generous party for the babies (and me and Spencer). We played the clothes pin game where you can't say the word baby or you lose a pin. I did rather well considering how many cards I read out loud. Lots of paraphrasing, but I still lost. We got several books to start the kiddos library and tons of really cute onesies and other baby supplies. One coworker's husband helped build an adorable diaper cake topped with two bears. It's very cute and I couldn't resist posting a picture.

Some of Spencer's family threw us a shower earlier today. It was great getting to see everyone and catching up since our last get together at Christmas. Our kiddos are going to be some of the best dressed thanks to many precious little outfits. I hope we can find an excuse to all get together again after babies come but before Christmas.

Our last doctor visit wasn't extremely eventful. First appointment of the day meant we didn't have to wait long, which was nice. I've hit the 160 pounds mark, which the doctor said is great progress. I still wish it was a bit more, but I'm working on it. She said the babies are doing great; most twins start to see a few complications around this time, but kiddos as doing wonderfully.  Since we had already decided to do a csection, I asked if we could schedule a day so we have an end date in mind. Babies could still come early, but they should not stay in past July 19th now. It was kind of weird getting to pick their birthday out. Now it seems so much more real; our family will double in size in five and a half weeks! It feels so distant but also so soon, especially given the amount of organizing we still need to do for the house.

We go back for another growth scan middle of next week. And I start physical therapy to try to help my pelvis get back into place as best it can given the circumstances. Hopefully next week's post will be back to the middle of the week like normal.  Here's a bump pic (since I haven't posted one in a while)

Week 30 - Guest post ;)

Good evening friends and followers.  This is Spencer and I am filling in (hopefully not too terribly) for your usual writer, the always amazing Stacey.  Things have been going pretty well since the last time we posted.  I do not have Stacey's talent for all details (mainly because I am not the one who is pregnant) but I will try to give the good pieces of information that I know.  Friday is a bit hazy, so I'm going to skip that one for know.

Saturday was quite busy. We went shopping for some new maternity clothes for Stacey.  Now normally I am not a fan of shopping but my wife knows me well and bribed me with lunch.  She was able to find a few things so it was a worthwhile trip.  It wasn't very long but with the kiddos kicking like crazy, she has been getting worn out quicker than usual.  On the bright side though, Stacey has discovered that swimming is a great help for easing some of her aches and pains, and as we learned it can also help nutrients get to each kiddo.  

We made good use of our UNT Rec Center passes.  I'll give Stacey credit; she actually was able to get in the pool in under 15 min. this time!  I keep telling her that if she just got in all at once she wouldn't be as cold, but she is stubborn.  We can only hope the kids take after me...less stubborn but right more often.  :)  Well after a good half hour in the pool, we did a second round of shopping.  We went to Hobby Lobby to try and get ideas for decorating the kiddos nursery.  While we didn't find a lot, I did get a good idea for a project I want to do for the kiddos.  It will we require all of my very limited artistic skills but I really want to try it.  I can't share too much now, but if it works I will share a picture here.  Side note:  Stacey bought me the most amazing early birthday present!  It's nerdy and totally me!

Sunday was busy but a lot of fun for us both.  It started as most Sundays do with us asking each other what we want to do and complaining that neither of us has any ideas.  Knowing that Stacey has limited time to go out and do stuff, I suggested seeing the new Pirates movie. We both enjoyed it, even though Owen and Elizabeth were practicing karate kicks throughout the previews.  They have been moving and wiggling a ton recently, which I think is great cause I get to feel them, but I know it wears on Stacey.  Later that day we were able to attend the baptism our some of our best friends' daughter.  It was awesome and she was ADORABLE!!  Afterwards, we went back to their house and discovered a new trick to get the babies to kick...cold hands.  Apparently they love the sensation and start moving like crazy when they feel them.

Monday was another busy as we went on a shopping /idea gathering trip with Stacey's mom.  I'm sure Stacey will follow this place holder blog up with one with more details but suffice it to say we made no purchases but did narrow the focus on what we want for the nursery.  I love my wife dearly but I have had to start pushing her a little more when it comes to making decisions.  She likes to overthink everything until she doesn't have to make one haha.   Now I will say that I am picking up the slack where I can, and making what decisions I can, but I am happy she is on board with collaborating on decision making.

Stacey was having some back pain the past few days so she finally caved on my wonderful advice and purchased a pregnancy pillow.  She was skeptical at first but considering she passed out about 15 minutes after trying it out I am thinking it was a great purchase.  We actually found out today at the doctor's appointment that she was experiencing back contractions (so that's my new learned thing of the day).  Luckily, they only happened twice and sporadically, so nothing too worrisome. But it's at that point where, in addition to checking on the kiddos health, they will start checking their living space as well to make a decision on when to go get them.  I have considered starting a Baby Pool as a way to raise some extra money haha.  

Well, if you stuck with me this long, you are either a glutton for punishment, or I wrote this post decently enough.  Let's get to the good part, today's doctor visit!  It went WONDERFUL!  Both kiddos are head down and heads together.  Stacey thinks that they are already plotting; and considering they are a mix of Stacey and myself, that probably is what's happening.  They were positioned well enough for the doctor to get some great measurements.    Owen is still doing great and is at 3 pounds 5 ounces.  He has started to slow his growth which the doctor says is normal for twins in the 28th-30th weeks.  I think the best news of the day goes to our little girl though.  She has done quite a bit of growing in the past few weeks and is now......

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3 pounds and 2 ounces!!!!  She is only 3 ounces behind her brother and also doing wonderful!  It was very exciting and emotional seeing her in the 22nd percentile after as small as she was; but she is just taking her own time to get big.  

What happens next is still up in the air; we know they have at least have 2 more weeks for sure in the oven, and hopefully another 6 after that.  Every week from here on out just makes them healthier and reduces chances they'll spend a lot of time in the NICU.   This has been such a roller coaster of a journey and we could not have done it without the support of all of you.  Thank you for being with us and I can't wait to share the next great news with you soon.

29 weeks - looking good

I'd thought that not too much had happened in the last week, so I hadn't felt a rush to post this week. Looking back, I guess there has been a bit more than I remembered right off.

We had our first baby shower last week at Spencer's office. We got what his coworker likes to call the baby limo (the stroller for those who couldn't guess that), as well as a bunch of diapers and wipes (should last us a couple of days, ha ha sigh). The babies have some cute socks, a handmade fleece blanket each, and UNT onesies. It was a nice party with lots of yummy treats. We even took our first bit of nursery decor from the decorations they'd made; it's a burlap type banner that says Welcome to the Wolfpack. All in all, a wonderful shower. Thanks UNT Admissions :)

I suppose I should throw in the fact that I turned 30 last week as one of our events. I don't feel old or anything; to me 30 is just another number. Because of the pregnancy we did some rather low key celebrations, which was perfect. Got to hang out with my favorite people, which is all I really wanted.

We had another appointment with the OB on Tuesday afternoon. I'm switching these to morning appointments from now on. We got to our 3:30 appointment early and then waited until after 4:30 to be called back for the nurse. I got my whopping cough vaccine and Rh shot before we got to wait for another 15 minutes or so to see the doctor. She did a scan for heartbeats. Both babies were head down, with Elizabeth's head on my right side and Owen in the middle. Their feet are both under my left ribcage area. No measurements on size, but heartbeats looked good. Fairly uneventful appointment after that. We go see her again in 2 weeks. So we now see a doctor a week, just alternating which doctor each week.

I swear I had a growth spurt overnight the other night. I'm now up about 21 pounds since the beginning of the pregnancy. My belly seems even bigger and my maternity clothes are starting to get a tad too small in some cases. Gonna have to get bigger shirts or get the sewing machine out and transform some of Spencer's shirts into maternity shirts. Sleeping has gotten harder because I can't find a comfortable way to sleep. The babies won't stop kicking and squirming, especially while I'm at work. I can tell my pelvis isn't happy with the amount of stretching it's being asked to do; everything is sore in that region. There's alot to complain about but really I'm doing ok and getting used to my new normal. I like feeling the kids kick and know that I'm doing the best I can for them right now. Still can't believe we have another 7-9 weeks to go before we get to meet them.

28 Weeks - Third Trimester starts

We had another growth scan earlier this week to see how the turkeys are doing.  Got some of the best news we'd heard in a month or so.  Elizabeth is back up above the 10th percentile; she's in the 15th percentile now!  The doctor was very impressed and released us back to every other week scans.  Here's a screenshot of the message our regular OB sent the next day after she got our report.  It made me smile.

Owen

Owen was back in his head down position during the scan so it was hard to get his measurements.  He's starting to practice breathing on his own.  His head measured above the 99th percentile in the scan, so I'm really glad right now we're opting for the c-section.  The doctor said that could even out with the rest of his body before he comes, but overall, he's still a big baby.  He's 2 pounds 11 ounces right now and measuring about a week ahead size-wise.

Elizabeth, who graced us
with a rare glimpse of her profile

Elizabeth's face using the 3D feature

In the middle of the doctor measuring Owen, she noticed that Elizabeth was showing her profile. Every scan we've had there, it seems that Elizabeth is facing my back and we never get any shots of her face.  So the doctor stopped measuring Owen and switched to snapping a few pictures of her profile and even used the 3D imaging to look at her. I think that image is a tad weird, but it's the best we got at the time.  Elizabeth is transverse with her head under my left ribs.  She was hiccuping during the scan and wiggling the whole time.  There were times I could see my belly shaking as she danced and performed for the doctor.  She's only a few days behind her gestational age, weighing in 3 ounces above 2 pounds.  She's only about half a pound behind her brother now.

Overall, we are super excited that she's doing better.  I'd upped my protein and water intake and will continue to do so in the hopes she will start gaining even more.  I'm resting more and more as simply walking and standing can be exhausting.  My hands and feet like to swell up some if I do too much.  I got a three week pass to the Rec Center on campus to use the pool to float for a little bit a few times a week.  That was nice the first day and I can't wait to go back again.  I feel the babies move much more now, especially after ice cream.  I also had what the doctor says was my first contraction last weekend.  After sitting down to dinner, I felt it and got worried.  I wasn't sure exactly what I'd felt, but thought I'd drink a glass of water and lay down for a while (I remembered reading that somewhere).  I didn't feel any more after that, so decided just to wait until the doctor's appointment in a day or two and report it then.  I'm hoping that continuing to rest and not overdo it will prevent it from happening again.

Well until next week...

27 weeks

Evening all! I know yall are probably anxious to know how the turkeys are doing, so I'll start with yesterday's doctors appointments (that's right, with an s!).

First appointment of the day was with our regular OB. I got to do my glucose tolerance test (I passed it). We also got to see the kiddos for a quick scan with the doctor to check heart beats. Both were squirming quite a bit (apparently they like the glucose drink), so their heart rates were a tad high. The doctor answered all of our questions, as much as she could. It's all up to our MFM doctor to call the shots. We will continue to see the OB every other week for now, unless the MFM says she want more scans done.

Our afternoon appointment with the MFM was and wasn't what we were expecting. We expected to have her measure the kids again and give and update on weight gain. Turns out that'll be every two weeks (so next week). This week was all about measuring the blood flow, which still looked good for both of them. She even said that it looked like they were starting to practice breathing, which is right on target for development.

I've gotten all of my blood work back from last week now; no infections or chomosomal trisomy issues causing Elizabeth's smaller size. So we are down to just placental size or placement or she's just super small. Either way, we go back weekly for the next few weeks. If Elizabeth isn't growing enough, we will go to twice weekly monitoring (once with the MFM and later in the week with the OB). If that's not enough, hospital bed rest to monitor her much closer. The concern is that while she's better off in me for now, as the weeks go on, that could change quickly. So more just waiting and hoping.

We also had our second class for preparing for multiples. It was all about postpartum and what to expect after delivery. Got some tips on breastfeeding too. Turns out because of my PCOS there is a small chance I'll have more trouble breastfeeding (due to crazy hormone issues). I'd not heard that before, but I'm not letting it get me down. We will cross that bridge when we get there.

As for me and the turkeys, I'm really starting to feel the load. I get exhausted very quickly and my hips always hurt. Elizabeth learned a new trick; she likes to use her foot (I think based on her position in the last scan) to push out. You can see and feel her pretty good, so I know she's a strong girl. They have been very active the last few days. My hands are constantly jumping around when I rest them on my belly. Luckily they let me sleep decently in between potty breaks every few hours.

We have a few showers planned so far (and hopefully the kids don't come too early). I'm trying to finish up our registry but it's taking way longer than I thought it would. So many choices to make. I have our buy buy baby one pretty much done; just trying to transfer alot of that stuff to target and babies r us now. I left off clothing, diapers, and bottles for now because I have no clue what the babies will like; I'll take anything in small bits right now and get more of whatever works best for them.

26 weeks

It's been a busy week for us. On Saturday, we did a tour of the maternity ward of the hospital we plan to deliver at. After a long wait, we got to see the labor and delivery rooms as well as the postpartum rooms. They described how a typical delivery goes and what we can expect. It was very much geared towards singletons and not twins, but it was still nice to see and hear what to expect that day. We saw the NICU area, which we hopefully won't need.

Sunday, we went down to Fort Worth for a preparing for multiples class. I wanted to take a few classes to help prepare us for what to expect, but wasn't sure how much I'd get out of a traditional class. That's why I was so excited to see this one, geared towards twin parents. It's a two part class, so we go again next weekend too. The first class was mostly an intro to labor and delivery. We watched alot of videos on different ways to give birth and then did a few exercises to help deal with the pain of labor. Spencer and I felt the class was a little judgy toward any birth besides a natural labor. The way the video and teacher explained the epidural process and even the c-section process seemed like they were looking down on those women who use them. Maybe we read too much into it, but I felt a tad bit of shame for going straight for a c-section and not even trying attempting a vaginal delivery. I'm gonna do like I usually do and brush it off; I'll do what I want and ignore everyone else. Next week is supposed to be more about after delivery, so we shall see what that's like. I'm trying to decide whether to cancel the class on baby care basics or attend and see if there aren't a few morsels of good, new info.

And the last big baby related event this week was our second scan with the specialist to check on Elizabeth's growth. Good news is that she grew, bad news is that it wasn't as much as we wanted and she slipped into the less than 10th percentile. Owen is still measuring big; he's just over two pounds right now and measuring a week ahead. Elizabeth was one pound nine ounces and measuring a week behind. I keep telling Owen he needs to share with his sister.

The doctor has finally seen all of the structures she needs to see on Elizabeth and thinks everything looks great. Blood flow, heart, and brain structures look normal. She is just proportionally small right now. The doctor gave us some reasons why, but doesn't really know anything yet. It could be the placenta didn't attach as well attach Owen's and she doesn't get ad much nutrients. There could be an infection, which would just be good for the pediatrician to know after she's here. Could be chromosomal issues, particularly a few trisomy possibilities; she doesn't have any of the soft markers for down syndrome. Or they could just be two different people and Wolf girls run small (alot of her female Wolf relatives are on the petite side). Basically, we don't know and just have to wait. I had some blood drawn to run tests for infection and chromosomes, but neither test may be 100% accurate because they are twins. Those results should take a week or two.

The doctor has moved up the due date a week, so I will not go past 36/37 weeks now. That translates to a July 12-19th delivery. We are also now going to the specialist weekly for a scan. She said that normal bedrest wouldn't necessarily be helpful to helping Elizabeth grow, but there is a small chance I could go on hospital bed rest for the extra monitoring. She made it seem like if we came in for a scan and she saw something concerning, she'd give it one more week to see an improvement and if not I go straight to the hospital until I deliver. So hopefully if it comes to that, I'll have about a week to prepare and settle everything at home and work.

In the mean time, we see both doctors again next week. I get to do my glucose tolerance test in the morning and we get to see the twins again in the afternoon. I'm working on applying for FMLA leave at work and trying to finish up some large projects before I go out. I'm finishing up our registry and starting to get a few baby showers planned.  We are also trying to get the house cleaned up, organized, and unnecessary items thrown out/donated.  It's crazy to think we have 10-11 weeks left (at the most).

25 weeks...babymoon

Oh my! I can't believe how far we've come. Only 13 weeks to go (or less but let's hope not too many fewer). There's still so much to do and my ability to get some of these things done is quickly diminishing. So starting to get just a tad overwhelmed 

Last week, I had a library conference in San Antonio. I was a tad nervous about managing by myself down there so I brought Spencer along with me. I'm glad he was there to help drive and walk with me. For someone who barely makes her 6,000 steps each day, I walked about 12,000 steps each day down there. I wore my brace most of the time and got a bunch of sitting in during the sessions; that helped I think. But I'm still worn out even though I've been home for three days now. Spencer had a good time exploring the city while I was in meetings most of the day.  It was a nice little babymoon.

We have another scan next week to check on Elizabeth again. We are hoping for some major growth. I know they are doing ok because I feel them quite a bit now. Spencer finally got to feel both of them (Owen several times). I think the last few days they are working on their flipping skills.

Kind of blurry bump pic
from the bathroom at work
(it was this or nothing :) )

Week 24 - grow baby, grow!

We have news! The specialist was able to get us in this week. So we got to see the babies again in hi-def this time.

Owen

The appointment started with the usual vitals being taken and then the wait. Finally after what felt like forever, the sonographer came in to take lots of measurements. She was very thorough and explained alot of what she was doing. Owen was pretty cooperative. He was face up so we got a cute picture of his face. He gained about 4 ounces (I think) in the last week! He's measuring about a week ahead.

Elizabeth had moved some from last week, but not really to a better spot. She was facing my back so the sonographer couldn't get a cute picture of her during that scan. She is a little wiggle worm and didn't stay still for very long so measurements were kind of tough again. That and she's wedged herself up under my left ribcage. It also probably didn't help that I had been laying on my back for too long and needed to turn to my side; I'd gotten a tad dizzy, hot, and uncomfortable due to the babies laying on arteries. The sonographer kept going, taking measurements from a slightly more unhelpful angle. She got enough measurements to determine that Elizabeth has only gained an ounce in the last week. The sonographer finished up and gave us a disc of pics and some print outs. Then she left to get the doctor.

Elizabeth

The doctor came in and did her own scan. She was mostly looking at the babies for herself as well as taking a few measurements the sonographer hadn't been able to get. She noticed a small cyst on Owen that she's going to keep an eye on. She said they tend to disappear in utero and didn't seem to worried about it. She got better measurements on Elizabeth because the wiggle worm had moved slightly.  We got a profile pic of her this scan.  Her head is still measuring a tad small, but it's a small normal. She went from 11th percentile up to the 17th percentile. Above 10th percent is normal, so here's to hoping that her head keeps growing to catch up to the rest of her body and her brother. The brain structure the OB couldn't see was there this time. The doctor wasn't 100% satisfied with what she could see, but she was pretty confident it's all there and seems ok.  She said the growth difference could be because one placenta didn't quite stick as well as the other. But she isn't too concerned at this point. For now, we come back in 2 weeks for another scan to see how they are doing.

We are glad that both babies seem to be doing ok still, but I'm happy we get the hi-def scans every few weeks.  I guess my concern now is that the gap in their sizes will become to large and the babies will need to come early. No one has said that yet, so it's just my irrational fears. This is just a waiting game right now to see what the next step will be. To end on a positive notes, Spencer has now been able to feel Owen kick several times. Elizabeth is harder to feel so he hasn't felt her yet; I'm sure he'll feel the wiggle worm soon enough though.

Week 23 - latest doctor's appointment

Owen, waving to us or rubbing his face

Well, we made it to week 23.  We had another doctor's appointment this morning; like last month, we started with an ultrasound with before chatting with the doctor. It was great to see Owen and Elizabeth again. The tech confirmed that they are indeed a boy and girl. She spent alot of time taking measurements. Owen was quite active and shy. He waved to us, but kept a hand in front of his face so we never did get a very good image of his face. The tech used the 3D/4D special feature to try to take a picture of his face, but it just turned out kind of creepy looking because his hand distorted it. The tech moved on to Elizabeth next and took a bunch of measurements on her. Elizabeth was more chill than her brother; apparently he is sitting on her head (or really she's laying her head on his bum given their positions in my belly). She is breech and in a difficult spot to measure, which is probably why I don't feel her quite as much. Both babies are measuring well for the most part. Owen weighs 1 pound 4 oz (44th percentile); Elizabeth is 1 pound 3 oz (35th percentile); Owen is only 7% bigger than his sister. The tech mentioned that Elizabeth's head is measuring a tad small but that's common with breech babies. We got a few pictures of them and moved to another room to wait for the doctor.

Elizabeth, with Owen's bum in the right upper corner
(I think; this one is hard for me to read)

It took a while for the doctor to come in; I guess she was busy with other patients and looking over our scans before she came in to see us. She told us the babies look good. She said that Elizabeth's head measured a little small and that they had trouble seeing where the two hemispheres of the brain meet to measure the angle there. For that reason, she is referring us to a maternal - fetal medicine specialist. That's a high risk OB that has way better scanning equipment and can get better measurements. The doctor told me in our first appointment that could be a possibility, but I'd decided to wait until it was necessary instead of just jumping into seeing one. So we will see the MFM for the rest of the pregnancy for scans (I think that's what the doctor said) and our regular OB for other normal visits and delivery. So now we wait patiently for our referral to go through and put our minds at ease.

The rest of the appointment was spent answering my questions.  I got a recommendation on a support band (and ordered it this afternoon on amazon). I get to do my glucose tolerance test next month, so yay. I also get my whooping cough vaccine that visit. And anyone who wants to be around the babies need to have had their whooping cough or pertussis shot within the last 2-5 years. We decided to not worry about finding our Spencer's blood type and just go ahead with the Rh shot, which will happen around 28 weeks. I am measuring six weeks ahead, which would be 29 weeks with a singleton. We wrapped up the appointment and got another one four weeks from now. In the meantime, we will wait to see the MFM and see what they have to say.

We are trying to stay positive and trust that Elizabeth is just fine. That she's just in a bad place to measure properly. It brings some comfort to me knowing that as soon as I post this we will instantly have a few hundred prayers and positive thoughts hoping for the best outcome possible. Yall are awesome like that :) I promise to post more as soon as we know more about the situation.

Helping others and a few other random/ deep thoughts

Wednesday, someone in the Facebook support group that I'm in asked about the timing of their trigger shot with Lupron to make sure it sounded right.  There are two different trigger shots you can give yourself for IVF and they are rather different from my understanding.  I replied back telling her that I did the exact same thing with my cycle 18 months ago (has it really been that long!?).  She asked some follow up questions and I'd answer them based on what I could remember.  Turns out she uses my first doctor and sounds like she's following a very similar protocol to mine.  She messaged me yesterday to ask more questions about retrieval and what to expect.  It was kind of nice being able to help calm and inform someone going through this roller coaster of a process.  She had her retrieval this morning and now it's more of the waiting and worrying game for her.

It's moments like this that I'm glad I started this blog, even if it's mostly been friends and family following our journey and not necessarily other women going through IVF. When I learned I'd need IVF, that was my first stop- Google to find other women who'd shared their experiences.  I found a few blogs/vlogs that I enjoyed and watched them all.  I've been doing the same thing since learning we are having twins. I know every experience is different, but somehow seeing someone else make it through the process helps remind me that I've got this. I'm glad I was there to help that woman out, even though we'd never met.  I'm so happy that we went public with our journey to be able to help others.

I've been wondering what to do with my blog once the kids get here.  I'm more apprehensive to share so much of their lives with the world when I don't know who's reading.  Once they come, I'm considering using a Facebook group that I can monitor who sees each post and pictures while still keeping everyone informed.  The blog may fall to the wayside and become less frequent and a tad more guarded when it comes to personal details. I haven't decided yet. I'm torn because I know how much these types of blogs have helped me but I want to protect my children's privacy.

I've also been thinking about how my blog posts (and my sharing them on Facebook) affect others who might be in an earlier stage of their infertility journey.  Sometimes I hate clicking that share button on Facebook because I'm never sure if someone is going to see our good news and have their heart break just a little bit more. I completely understand that feeling; I experienced it often.  Many nights of walking the dog turned into my own little pity party.  I unfollowed alot of people on Facebook during our journey. I didn't unfriend them, but I wanted to control when I got to see their baby/grandbaby updates.  I think about the women out there who just want a kid and can't have one; I feel guilty every time I publish and share a post that we finally are where we were hoping to be years ago.  So I don't blame anyone who ignores my posts or unfollows me. I don't know that I'll ever know who you are, but know this. Don't give up; your dreams will come true eventually, just maybe not exactly in the way you first expected. Please reach out if you ever want to talk. I know a great Facebook support group I can refer you to as well; there are women at all stages of infertility there willing to share, help, love, celebrate, and mourn with you.

Well, that post went a slightly different direction than I'd originally intended (even though it was kind of a spur of the moment post).  Kind of a tangent post, but still something I wanted to get out there.  Thanks for listening. :)

22 weeks

Hi all!  Here's what's been happening over the last week...

We are 22 weeks today. The pregnancy app I use says the babies are the size of an American guinea pig. I can feel them wiggling around more often; it's such a weird feeling - almost like butterflies fluttering. I keep trying to tell if I can feel them from the outside so Spencer can feel too, but not yet. I've been feeling pretty good, just a bit of heartburn, back aches, leg cramps, and swelling feet to complain of (but all of it is rather mild and only occasionally). Oh and going to the bathroom all the time.  I had a full on leg cramp last Wednesday night and my calf hurt for about two or three days afterwards.  I'm thinking of getting a maternity support band thing to help relieve some of the pressure on my back, especially since I'm just gonna keep getting bigger.

We signed up for some classes with the hospital before they all fill up. We have a hospital tour later this month to learn more about the hospital's labor and delivery department. Also later this month we have an expecting multiples class that will be two days long. That one seems to go over almost everything, but if it doesn't cover breastfeeding or delivery well enough, I'll sign up for one of those specifically. We also are going to do a baby basics class, just to make sure what we think we know already is right. I'm not afraid to confess I don't know everything about babies. So I'm excited to take all of those classes to help ease some of the apprehension about what to expect later on.

Sunday night, I got a phone call from Babies r Us saying that we'd won their month drawing for a gift basket of $50 worth of things from our registry. This was quite a nice surprise! We stopped by Monday to pick it up. It had some onesies, hats, mittens, toys, and month counter sticker things all in a basket. It was really cute and cool to already have a gift for the kiddos.  I haven't really done much more work on organizing our multiple registries, so I need to get back on top of that soon.

We have a doctor's appointment next week, so that'll probably be the bulk of next week's post. In the meantime, here's a bump pic.

21 weeks - names!

I think we've settled on names and are ready to share (let's hope the sonographer was accurate in her readings or we may need some new names).

Baby A, our little boy, will be Owen Charles Wolf.

Baby B, our little girl, will be Elizabeth Grey Wolf.

I can feel Owen wiggle more often than Elizabeth but I think she moved to a new spot in me so I can feel more flutters lately. I swear Owen kicked me in the bladder the other day; the urge to pee intensified so quickly after that. It made me laugh. I'm hoping Spencer will be able to feel them soon.

No bump pic this week because my photographer is out of town.

20 weeks

In a normal pregnancy, 20 weeks would mark the halfway point.  We hit that milestone last week since the doctor said she would want the twins to go past 38 weeks.  According to my pregnancy app on my phone, the babies should weigh about 10 ounces and measure about 10 inches long, head to foot.  Our babies weighed about 10 ounces last week, so I think they are right on track.  I've gotten my appetite back lately, so hopefully they will continue to grow nicely as I feed them more.  Heartburn can still be an issue occasionally, but it hasn't been consistent or terrible.  I suppose I'm in that nice phase of pregnancy between morning sickness and too big to do anything.  I still take it easy most of the time, but that may be harder now that I've made a to-do list for cleaning up the outside of the house (mostly projects we started but never finished).

So many choices!

Last weekend, Spencer and I ventured out to a few stores where we started looking at baby stuff and signed up for a few baby registries (we've been going to all of the stores that offer free goodie bags for registering).  Oh my! I thought I was prepared with my list of what we'd need. I guess I didn't factor in the fact that there are so many brands and varieties of each object.  We picked a few items out but will definitely need to do some more research before continuing. I think we'll just take a item or two each night and decide which brand and version we want. I found a bunch of friends' registries online to look at for inspiration.  If you want to provide some advice, I've created a google doc that you can comment on here.  I have it set up that anyone with the link can comment (not edit); hopefully it works ok.

Overall, registering was a fun experience.  We got to check boy and girl when we signed up, which was kind of cool.  I parked in an expectant mother space, which I got a kick out of.  And I got my first inquiry from a stranger (at Sam's, not a baby store) as to what we are having, boy or girl.  Totally blew her mind when I said both!  That led to a short conversation about twins and names.  Speaking of names, we think we've settled on names, but I'm not quite ready to share.  I want to sit on it a bit longer and make sure I'm really happy with them.  So maybe next week.

Like usual, I'll leave ya with a bump pic...

20 weeks (measuring 25 last week) - I think I've bumped it at least three times on doors and other things.

19 weeks - The results are in!

We had our doctor's appointment today.  I like this doctor's office, but I hate waiting and that seems to be all we ever do there. About 15 minutes past our appointment time, the nurse called us back and took us to the sonographer's room.  This sono machine was a little more advanced than what the doctor had used before; plus it was a sonographer instead of the doctor grabbing measurements of the babies.

There is so much more to see now that the babies are bigger (A is 10 oz and B is 9 oz) that I found it kind of hard to tell what we were looking at exactly.  Baby A is still toward the bottom, but more on my left side now.  Baby B is shoved up on my right side closer to my rib cage. I think Baby A was kicking, elbowing, or punching me a few times the other night; it felt like poking, but from the inside and slightly different.  After the sonographer grabbed pictures of everything she needed for each baby (spine, kidneys, heart, head measurements, femur measurements [I have to say that teeny tiny femur was adorable!] and a bunch more that she used weird abbreviations for), she showed us the sex of each baby.  Baby A, the one on the bottom, is a boy.  Baby B, the top one, is a girl. So one of each! I've no clue how the sonographer can read the images that quickly or positively, but I trust her judgement.  We are very excited.  Spencer is rubbing it in already that he was right :)  Now we can finally get started on planning names, nursery, registry, etc.

After we finished the scan, we got to wait for 15 minutes or so to see the doctor.  The nurse answered some of my easier questions. She said my 9 pounds gained so far is right on track, so no need to worry about that as much as I have been. She said I have to suck it up and sleep on my side now.  My hips had hurt from laying on them all night, but now that I've finally wrangled the right pillows, it seems to be going better.  The doctor answered the rest of my more advanced questions (although the nurse might have known too) and measured my belly. I'm measuring 25 weeks right now, even though I'm only 19 weeks (she said that's common with twin pregnancies).  I'm progressing just fine and she doesn't automatically see bedrest in my future.  She still thinks/hopes the babies come right on time.  I'm allowed to get a prenatal massage; I'm rather excited about this because my back and hips have been shifting around and hurt some.  She gave me some advice for the heartburn I've been having.  And she said go see my primary care doctor for my earache I've been having.  She also cleared me to travel to San Antonio next month for a conference, so I'm excited about that (nervous too on how much I'll be able to do without over doing it; last year wore me out and I wasn't 5 months pregnant then).

We go back again in 4 weeks for another sonogram with the sonographer and then a follow up with the doctor.  Each scan will be looking for a variety of things, including their size. One may be bigger than the other, but if they get too different, we may have a slight problem.  I'm not too worried though, just as long as both are nice and big.  I'll have to start paying the doctor's fee next time, but I get to put off the glucose test until the time after that.  Spencer needs to find out his blood type to see if I can avoid getting a shot since I'm O-neg.  

I'll leave ya with a bump shot.

18 weeks - What are we having?

Sorry to tease, but we don't know what we are having yet.  We hope to find out at our appointment next Wednesday, if the babies cooperate during their anatomy scan. Until then, let's have some fun!

I thought I'd dedicate this week's post to going through many of the old wives tales used to predict the baby's gender. You can read through and see where I land and then vote for what you think we are having. I will say I cannot find any information about how these wives tales work for twins. We are pretty positive that they aren't identical, but that doesn't mean they can't both be the same gender. And I'm not sure if they can cancel out each other on certain wives tales. So take it all with a grain of salt.

Answers will be in blue for boy and pink for girl; those without a definitive answer are purple [because pink and blue make purple :)]

1. Sweet versus salty: Sweet cravings mean you’re having a girl. Salty cravings can mean it might be a boy. --Salty/sour usually (I'll eat sweets, but don't really crave it)

2. Morning sickness: If you’re suffering from excessive nausea and morning sickness, it’s said you could be having a girl. --I've definitely had both, even with meds

3. Moody versus mellow: If you’re feeling more moody than mellow, you might be having a girl. If you’re more chilled out, legend has it you should get ready for a boy. --I'm a tad more moody than I was (especially when I don't feel well), but feel pretty chill most of the time.

4. Carrying high versus low: According to pregnancy lore, carrying high means you’re having a girl, while carrying low means it’s a boy. --I have no idea how to determine that so you decide based on my belly shot.

5. The ring test: Tie a ring on a string and hang it over your belly. If it swings in a circular motion, you could be having a girl, but if it’s swinging side to side, it means you’re having a boy. --I thought it started side to side but Spencer said it was circles

6. Heart rate: During your next ultrasound, pay attention to baby’s heart rate. If that little ticker is beating faster than 140 beats per minute, get ready for a girl. --Baby A was 150 bpm and baby B was 167 bpm at their last ultrasound [they were flip-flopped the ultrasound before that and the exact same at the first ultrasounds, always higher than 140 bpm]

7. Chinese gender chart: Apparently by adding the number of your age at conception to the number of the month you conceived, a Chinese gender chart can tell you whether you're having a boy or girl. --GIRL (based on our transfer time frame); BOY (based on when the egg and sperm came together before being frozen) [I'll leave this one to you to decide how you define conception or if you need one or the other to sway your vote :)]

8: Acne: If you have acne while pregnant, it’s a girl. --My face has been the clearest it's been in a long time!

9. Dad’s Weight Gain: If the dad-to-be gains weight while you are pregnant, it’s a girl. If he doesn’t gain weight, you’re having a boy. --Girl

10. Clumsy vs. Graceful: If the pregnant woman is graceful throughout her pregnancy, she’s having a girl. If she becomes clumsy, she’s having a boy. --what if I was always clumsy? haha

11. Feet: Are your feet colder now that you are pregnant? If so, you just might be having a boy. If your feet have stayed the same before pregnancy and during, you’re having a little girl. --I was always cold and have remained cold so far [when does the furnace aspect of the baby kick in?]

12. What Do You Think?: 71% of the time, the mom-to-be knows what she is having. --I think two boys [but will love any combo :)]


So now you have some "evidence" to make a better decision. Or ignore it all (as you probably should) and just vote for what you hope the turkeys will be.  The poll should show up just after my bump pic (but I'm not sure it shows up on mobile devices; sorry).

What will the Turkeys be?!

17 weeks

I finally have a bunch of maternity clothes! Thanks to my sister for going shopping with me. I felt bad that she was mostly just following me around the stores and watching me try on clothes. But she had good suggestions (she has way more fashion sense than I do) and we had some fun conversations. Motherhood maternity overwhelmed me surprisingly. H&M and Old Navy had small sections of maternity clothes with some basics so there weren't too many decisions to make. Motherhood had tons of everything in tons of colors! Awesome selection; just didn't know what I needed or wanted so browsing could lead to an expensive trip. I'm gonna wait before I go back there when I have something specific in mind. Funny side note- I overheard a clerk offering a fake bump to someone in the dressing room so they could see how the outfit would fit in a few months. Quite clever!

Shopping wore me out pretty good, so the rest of the weekend was spent napping and lounging around. Gotta start learning to walk slower or I'm gonna stress the babies when out shopping or walking around campus. I'm still battling some blah feeling and a lack of appetite. No more morning sickness (as long as I take my diclegis each night). I tried skipping it one night and that was a rough day the next day. I keep hoping my appetite will come back in full force because I'm not gaining as much weight as I'd like. I'm only up 5/6 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight at 17 weeks.

Other than this, it's mostly just waiting and planning to prepare. Waiting to find out genders and then really start preparing from there. I have a plan for a registry list started and starting to think of nursery themes. Toying with whether we can afford a minivan or just try to make do with my Corolla (paid off and I doubt we will go many places for a while with two wee little ones). Trying to figure out what our plans will be for babies sleeping in the first few months to decide what to buy (crib, bassinets, twin pack and play, co-sleeper attachment thing for our bed [how does that work with twins!?]). Talked with the insurance about what's covered and now need to inform the doctor that their original estimate was wrong. So much to do, but so much of it has to wait too. Reminds me of the hurry up and wait of wedding planning; you can only plan and prep so much ahead of time before having to wait until much closer to time to finish the to do list.

No bump pic this week because my photographer is gone right now. I have a post planned for later this week that will have one for ya (and a fun little poll to guess what the genders will be- I'm excited for it).