35 weeks!

I have a feeling this may be my last weekly check-in. Since Sunday night i've been having inconsistent painful contractions. Sine they were so infrequent i waited to tell my OB until my appt today.

First the routine stuff was fine. I lost 2 pounds so im back to where i was 2 months ago. So ive gained 29 pounds if i go by what i weighed before the IVF cycle. My BP was fine. I had trace protein but since BP is good then no worries. My blood sugars are also fine and im still diet controlled.

So i told him about the ctxs. He could see i was having them. He checked me and i was 100% effaced but no dilation. He said "i think your having babies today!"...what?!?! So i went over to Triage and i felt fine. They hooked me up and i was having ctxs every 5-8 minutes, some pretty pretty strong! By the time they came back in to check me they hurt pretty good...no change. They gave me a shot of Terbuteline and that calmed them down. I got to go home to hopefully buy me a couple more days. Its been 9 hours since the meds and the ctxs are slowly coming back.

Im pretty impressed with myself to have made it this far! I know if they come now they most likely will be in the NICU for about a week but im trying to think positively that that will give me tine to recover. I really do think it'll be sometime this weekend. Jack says the 19th...we'll see!

34 weeks!

OK before i start this post im going to apologize on how whiney im going to sound!

I HURT! And i mean H.U.R.T! It started basically the day i turned 34 weeks. I cant walk without holding onto something, it feels like my pelvis is breaking with each step. My back is spasming (which hurts like hell). The Braxton Hicks a tad more frequent and more intense, ive had a few that have woken me up in the middle of the night. I was in so much pain last night that i was dreaming i was in the hospital getting pain meds...My belly is so low (both babies are now head down and so low that they have a hard time finding them on u/s). I have no real signs of labor coming. I think im just feeling the effects have having 2 5ish pounds babies inside my tiny 5-1 body frame.

Aside from all my aches and pains i am SO THRILLED that ive made this far and each day feels like a major accomplishment. 36 + weeks is still my goal..which is 7/20.

Sams Update:

We went this past monday for our doppler flow u/s and everything looks great. We go this monday for a growth scan and if Sam doesnt grow enough and his cord flow looks crappy then im off to the hospital for bedrest so i can get continuous monitoring. Both babies have passed all NSTs/BPPs with flying colors.

So my next goal is to make it to Monday for our ultrasound.

33 Weeks!

Looks fake doesnt it?

So this week was pretty eventful. So ill try to break it down

Last Thursday we had our growth scan. Lily was 4lbs even and looked great. Sam was 3lbs 10oz. The tech didnt say anything to me with there being a concern. They were 150g apart so i thought all was good.

After the scan i had my appt. I finally gained weight and everything looked good, so i thought. Turns out Sam is in the 9th percetile. Off to MFM for a better u/s.

Go to MFM on Monday. I seriously thought they were going to do the scan and say he's fine. Nope, he's now in the 6th percentile (only grew 1 oz from 4 days prior, whereas Lily gained 9). Well its 2 different machines and a different tech so im trying not to read into that too much.

They checked his umbilical cord to make sure the blood flow was normal, it was PHEW! They also found his kidney to be slightly dialated so now we have to talk to a urologist about what that might mean. They also had a genetic conselor come in and tell us it could be a chromosomal issue...WTF?! I seriously wanted to run out of the room!

MOst likely he's just small and he's a twin. The dialated kidney is only .2 over the cut-off...he most likely will grow out of it. These people wanted me throw me over the edge i swear! Im so nervous about the c-section and having twins in general i DID NOT need that! Thank God Pete came with me (he wasnt going to since it was a long appt) bc if they threw all that at me by myself i would have LOST IT!

UG! Anyways...so Sam has IUGR (intra uterine growth restriction). Thats the lovely term they give to babies who are under the 10th percentile. (lily is in the 49th now...she showing whose boss :) ). I also had a NST/BPP that day and they both passed 10/10.

So the plan is:
BPP/NSTs 2x a week...Doppler u/s's 1x a week, growth scan every 2 weeks. If anything looks concerning then they will talk next steps.

My next doppler is next Tuesday and my next growth scan is 7/11. Pete thinks they will take them on the 11th..thats his "hunch"...he better be wrong!

Im really hoping to make it to at least 36 weeks..just 3 more weeks!

32 weeks!

Still hanging in there! This week my aches and pains are just magnified. My back is starting to really hurt, my left leg goes numb when i lay down ro sit for too long, my feet are swollen to the point i can actally feel the fluid move when i walk (ICK!). My belly is so low and heavy it hurts to stand and when i lay on my sides my Round Ligament KILLS. My Round Ligament is so tender it hurts to touch the side of my belly.

These kids move all the time. They are most active at night and early in the morning. Thier movements are starting to hurt. Sam moves so hard he shakes me whole belly. They both ricochet off my hips bones (very weird feeling). Sam pushes so hard it looks like i have a growth sticking out of me! Oh and the hiccups...Sam has them quite a bit and it seems once he stops, Lily has them.

I had alot of appt this week. First i went to the Endocrinologist for my funky fasting blood sugars (100-110). Basically he told me im "on the edge" for insulin but thinks i can control it through diet. My meter also seems "off" so he gave me a new one. I am now only allowed 30g of carbs for each meal but i can have 2 snacks after dinner plus i can have a snack in the middle of the night to help my fasting number. I havent had one number above 100 in the am since! woo-hoo!!

I had my OB appt yesterday. It was overall good. First i had my growth scan. Lily is 4lbs and is still measuring 4 days behind my due date (has been since 18 weeks). SHe is in the 23rd percentile. Sam is 3lbs 10oz and is in the 9th percentile, measuring a week behind. Once they are under the 10th %tile they need to look more closely. So im going Monday to MFM to get a BPP/NST (will have these 2x a wk now) and another scan (they have better equipment). Dr. B said ill prob have scans every week or 2 all depending what they find until i deliver. Otherwise everything else is fine. I measure 40 weeks now, i gained 3 pounds (finally)..so now im up about 30 pounds if i go by what i was before the IVF cycle. My Bp was 128/60 and my urine was fine. I dont go back to him until 7/14 since hes going on vacation (pray these babies dont come until he gets back!).

During the scan the tech commented numerous times how much hair Sam had! She showed it to us and it really was alot! Lily has "some". Sam is stretched out on my right side, head down. Lily is in my ribs on the left side, breeched and all curled up. Their legs are measuring behind (28+ for him 29 for her). I think this is what is bringing their weights down. Jack legs were measuring 6 weeks behind when i had him- he was 18 inches at birth.

So fingers crossed everything looks good on Monday.

31 weeks!

This is starting to HURT! Im still functioning but its getting tough. Standing for longer than 5 minutes is a big feat right now. My belly is so heavy i can carely stand it. My ribs hurt, i cant breathe, my heartburn is pretty awful somedays, but its all worth it and as much as it hurts im so thankful ive made it this far and still walking around!

My belly is growing by the minute! Im amazed at the difference just 3 weeks ago! None of my shirts fit and i refuse to buy anything else so im alternating btw 2 that somewhat fit and summer dresses. Im wearing summer dresses from last year as shirts and those are even starting to get too small!!

Since my belly is growing by leaps and bounds it is SO itchy! Its also COVERED in stretchmarks. I also have little capillaries on my belly that have burst. My belly will never be sexy again...

Im going tomorrow to the endocrinologist regarding my fasting blood sugars. Ill most likely be put on insulin. My numbers during the day are fine. I even had 2 pieces of pizza today for lunch and it was 87 after.

30 WEEKS!!!!!

This picture came out awful but you see the belly so thats all that counts!

I had my OB appt today and things are still going well. My BP was 118/66, i had some leukocytes in my urine but he didnt seem to care. I told him my blood sugars are not so great in the morning (my fasting ranges from 100-110). So i have to go to an endocrinologist to see if i should start insulin. I have lost 1 pound so ive gained a total of 22 pounds. Babies are growing though..im measuring 38 weeks! I go back in 2 weeks for a growth scan and another appt.

Im still feeling the same physically. My tailbone, pelvis, hips HURT. I have a hard time walking sometimes. Braxton Hicks rear their ugly head about 5-10x a day.

Mentally im a mess. My hormones are RAGING! Im usually a sensitive person but i feel overly sensitive and feel like i could cry at a drop of a hat. I guess its good this just started happening vs. right from the beginning. My poor husband just keeps his mouth shut (smart man) but others in my life dont know that i dont want their opinions about things. And if you want to throw any kind of criticism my way..ill scream!

My brain is also shutting down. The other day i came out in the living room to get a towel from the laundry. I grabbed the REMOTE. I took my shower and got out and looked for the towel instead i saw the REMOTE on the toilet! LOL! oh vey!

We made a big step this week and bought a MINIVAN!! 5 years ago i never thought id have babies and i now drive a Minivan!

29 weeks!

better late than never :)

Still feeling good. Tired, sore and uncomfy but grateful and functioning so i have no complaints! The GDM diet is going OK. Im still learning what i can and cannot have. My fasting numbers need to be 100 or below and im always in the 100-105 range. I dont know if that will make me go on insulin or not. I was always a little over with Jack too in the morning and i didnt end up on it. I go see the OB next week so ill ask then. My after meals blood sugar is always around 113-120ish. If its above 120 its only slight (i think the highest was 124). Ive had a few meals that has really spiked it. I guess having onion rings with a hamburger bun wasnt the best of ideas (145)..opps! But i did have a kiddie size ice cream this weekend and it was 113 after... I weighed myself this morning and im down 2 pounds. This same thing happened with Jack. I ended up losing weight for the rest of pregnancy once i went on this diet.

We went car shopping last night. We test drove 2 minivans..both Odesseys. I LOVED the second one. It has 48000 miles on it tho. They have another at a different dealership that doesnt have all the bells and whistles for a few thousand less with 15000 less miles on it. Im going to call to see if they can bring it to them so i can test drive that one. I also want to test drive the Quest. I cant believe im getting a minivan!

The floor in the garage will be done this weekend so it will officially be DONE! So the following weekend we'll be able to move our bedroom down the basement and start the nursery. So everything should be done by the end of the month!

Hoping this month goes by quickly bc we are having babies NEXT month!!

28 weeks!

28 weeks is another HUGE milestone when it comes to pregnancy. YAY!

I didnt update yesterday because i had my OB appt today and was going to be findong out alot of info.

First off:

Growth Scan... Sam is 2lbs 4oz (1090g) Lily is 2lbs 5oz (1140g). I might be off a bit on the grams but thats approximate. They are still measuring 4 days behind my due date but im not worried about it. I didnt ask about my cervix measurement but Pete said he thinks it was 3.1. The doc didnt say anything so im not too worried about it. Pete said all measurements were 28.1,28.4 but their legs are in the 26th week. Jack also measured like this so their femurs are what is making them measure behind.

C- section Date... July 29th at 3pm!

Glucose test... I failed. I knew i was going too. No surprise there. Ill get my glucometer and such this weekend and start the diet tomorrow.

The appt... My BP was great 118/60-something, urine was good, no change in weight. Im up 23 pounds if i go by what i was the day of egg retrieval. And im measuring 36 weeks.

I go back in 2 weeks. Im still feeling the same. My hips, tailbone and ligaments in my groin all really hurt by the end of the day. Bending over is a joke. I pee 50 times a day (no lie). But all par for the course and i wouldnt change it for the world.

Keep growing babies!!

27 wks/ 3rd trimester/ 70 days til Full Term!!

Crappy pic but you get the idea.

Im so THRILLED to FINALLY be in the 3rd trimester!! 70 days til im term which is super exciting. Every week that goes by i feel so blessed im still hanging in there. Im still feeling the same. These ligaments HATE me when im standing and thats making it difficult to do much for very long. My hips are starting to get really sore at night. When i wake up the hip im laying on is on fire. When i roll around in bed im now getting some severe Round Ligament Pain. My bladder is also cursing at me and i feel like im in the bathroom more then any other roomin the house.

I still havent heard when my section will be. I told her i preferred 7/29 so im hoping ill get that date but it could be 8/3 too. Either way its one of the 2. I go back next Thurs for a growth scan and an appt. So ill find out then. Im also doing my 3 hour test next Wed. (fun). So ill know for sure if i have GDM again next Thurs.

26 Weeks

These were taken on Mothers Day so im few days shy of 26 weeks, but close enough.

Things are going well. Im feeling good. I just get tired by the end of the day. By the time 5pm comes i am counting the minutes for Pete to come home so Jack isnt 100% my reposibility. My ligaments BURN when im too active or standing for too long. I seriously want to stick ice in my pants to ease the pain.

The babes move all around. Sam seriously jumps and kicks all the ime. I probably have 2-3 hours of silence from him. He has hiccups all the time too. My whole belly bounces and i can feel him richocet off my hip bones. His legs are right under my ribcage. havent had any ribs kicks...yet. Lily is still much more quiet but she has her moments where she stretches and tries to move her brother out of the way. She seems to have the attitude that she freaks when shes had enough. I wonder if their personalities will be similar once they are on the outside. If thats the case i think Sam is the one who is gonna give me a run for my money but Lily seems laid back like Jack.

Heartburn is getting worse. I think i took 6 tums the other day. My feet are starting to get swollen. Im still able to wear my wedding rings. My heartrate goes alittle haywire sometimes (around 120)...i gotta talk to the OB about that tomorrow.

Im hoping at my appt. tomorrow ill find out more about when the c-section will be. Im guessing in the 37th week because of my prior history of Vasa Previa and im on the blood thinners. We'll see.

24 Weeks!!!!

Had to throw in a pic of Jack fishing. My FIL gave him a fishing pole a few months back and he's been asking everyday to go. Pete took him a few weeks ago and as you can see, he loved it!

24 weeks!!!! YAYAYAY!!!! This is Viability week. If the twins were born now they have a chance at survival.... but they better stay in for another 13 weeks!! But its good to know "count" now.

This pic was taken on Easter so its a few day shy of 24 weeks but close enough.

Im actually feeling pretty good. Weeks 16-22 were tough bc of the sciatica,But thats calmed down so im doing more now. Im feeling more Braxton Hicks as time goes on. I get prob 5 good ones a day. I hate them, they scared the crap out of me!! My stretch marks from Jack are starting to get bigger and brighter. I noticed this around 20 weeks and now i have about an inch extension on them.

I went Monday ( 23.5) for a growth scan. Both babes weighted 1.3 pounds are are measuring 3 days behind. But thats ok with twins..as long as there isnt a huge gap between the 2 or they are in the 10th percentile. Everything else looked good so that was a huge relief! Ill go in for another scan in 4 weeks to check on them. Sam is now head down and Lily is breech. So all the pokes i get in my bladder and by my belly button is her. She puts her hands over her head like
Jack did. She also still has an anterior placenta so i dont feel her as strong as I do Sam. Sam gives good swift kicks and my whole belly moves when he's moving - which is alot. I wish i could feel Lily more :(

22 weeks!!

Not the best picture as i was running out to Target and it was pouring out so i really didnt care about my hair and Pete wasnt home to take my picture.

Anyways 22 weeks. I feel like ive been pregnant F.O.R.E.V.E.R.!! I just want to be in a safer zone. Im so sick of being nervous. Im constantly counting down the days. People tell me the 2nd pregnancy goes by faster cause you have another child. Wrong. The days are dragging! I feel once i get to 30 weeks itll start to go a little faster.

Physically im feel ing better then a few weeks back. Im going to PT 2x a week and the chiro once a week. At PT they have been doing some deep muscle massaging and that has been glorious! I still have days were im in pain but its much more managable now. I def cant go back to work but im not crying everyday, so ill take it!

My stamina is pretty much gone. I can no longer breathe like i use too. I sleep with 5 pillows so i dont feel like i have an elephant on my chest. I get up to pee about 3 times a night and getting out of bed is an Olympic event.

Being pregnant with 2 is sooooo differnt then when i just had Jack hanging out in my belly. Jacks pregnancy was fine physically wise. I never really felt uncomfortable. This time...DAMN! My body hurts everyday. By no means is this a bitch feast, im just stating the facts.

Jack has been awesome through this. He is so excited. I am nervous about how this is going to impact him but i know he's gonna love it once things settle in. I miss my little guy too. I havent really held him in months, i cant take him out and do things like i used too. We cuddle on the couch and i lay with him at night but i miss the "big run and jump into my arm type hugs". I miss Pete too. Im so unconfy and tired that by the time he gets home im so done with the day i have no energy and i go to bed around 8.

This is all worth it though and itll all be a memory and ill have everything i always dreamed of! (and id do it all over again in a heartbeat)!!

20 weeks!

YAYAYAY!!! This is a huge goal for me. My next one is 24 weeks...28 days.

This past week was exciting because i can finally feel these kids move much more consistently. I feel Sam quite a bit but only feel Lily here and there (she has the anterior placenta i believe).

My sciatica is still a constant problem. Ive gone to PT 2 times and havent felt much relief. I guess its sticking around.

I went to my OB Med appt yesterday and i am now doing the Lovenox 2x a day. I hate these shots but its for a good cause. She wants me to get my TSH checked bc my thyriod looks enlarged but its always enlarged and my levels are always fine. Ill go next week so the results will be available when i go to my OB on the 14th. I go back to her on 6\28 to change over to Heparin. I really hope i make it to that appt still pregs.

So thats it!

19 weeks

Here's the belly :) Growing by the minute! I dont think there's too much of a difference from 17 weeks, just looks like they moved up a bit. Im feeling good. The chiro did some technique on my pubic bone last week and that helped alot. The sciatica is still a PIA (literally) but im able to tolerate it - for the most part. Im noticing that doing things wipes me out fairly quickly and i get winded easily too. Another majot symtom ive had since like 6 weeks is i am so stuffy! I have been blowing my nose and spitting up mucous for MONTHS! Sexy, i know...

My mom came down the other day and helped me clean. That was a HUGE help (thanks mom!). We're starting to tackle the to-do list. We ordered a shed so we can put stuff from the garage into it. Since we live in a 2 bedroom house we need to do some major rearranging. Our bedroom is going into the basement and we are turning the detached garage into Petes office (he works from home). The twins will then go into our room. The garage is going to be a HUGE project and most likely will take a good 2 months. We're gonna be cutting it close. We cant move our bedroom until its finished bc theres a couch in our basement that has to move first and it can move until the garage is done. SO all of that is causing a wee-bit of stress.

Oh we decided on names... Lily and Sam. Petes loves Lily and so didnt Jack and Jack picked Sam. He heard Pete and I talked about boy names and he heard Sam so he's been calling the babies Lily and Sam as soon as we found out it was B\G...so we went with his suggestion. lol. They are classic and simple names, just what i wanted so im happy :)

Since we just painted our bedroom last year im going to keep the color. Its a very pretty blue. Im just doing breathable bumpers (one pink one plue) and getting cute sheets for them. Im sticking with the brown\blue theme for Sam and Pink\brown for Lily. I got some cute sheets for Sam and Lily too. I also found some really nice soft blankets thats match as well. Im going to get letters for their names with those colors and hang above their cribs. Im also going to paint our dressers an "expresso" like the cribs and put nicer knobs on them. Its the same set Pete had growing up so its 25 yrs old and needs some updated and maybe ill FINALLY get an adult sized dresser!! Wooo-hoo!!

Ok enough rambling!

17 weeks!

Yup, im huge. Thank goodness i have a big butt or i think ill topple over in the next few months! Everything is going well. The sciatica and separated pubic bone is getting worse and worse. I think i may need to start PT but i dont have anyone to watch Jack 3 days a week for only an hour. Other than the pain im doing well. Waiting very impatiently for my Level 2 which is next friday.

We've made some progress on the name front. If its 2 girls it most likely will be Lily and Charlotte ( i also like Violet) but doing Lily and Violet, i was told, is kinda corny. For boys Jack likes Sam and keeps going over to Pete saying he wants that name for his "baby brother"...Pete seems like he's caving. We'll see. If its another boy itll probably be Grant.

15 weeks!

Another week down!

I *think* i might be starting to feel movement but, it could just be my imagination or gas lol. The nausea still rears its ugly heads every few days but lasts for not long as all. My whole pelvic region and hips hurt real bad as the day goes on. I went to the chiro yesterday and she adjusted me, i felt OK for a few hours and then i was in pain again. Thank goodness im out of work, i would never be able to run around the hospital like this.

Being pregnant with twins is def. different then a sigleton! I dont know if its cause ive already been pregnant and my body is just going right back to where it was when i delivered Jack or what. But i feel alot more uncomfortable then i ever did with Jack.

I havent spotted for 4 days (knock on wood). Im hoping to get my Level 2 u/s date sometime this week. Im dying to know who's in there!!

13 weeks

My ass is officially bigger than my belly! Im sure in due time my butt will look teeny tiny compared to how big this belly is going to get!

So 13 weeks!! woo-hoo :) The spotting thankfully stopped yesterday. Im super exhausted and have no idea how im gonna work the next 2 nights 3-11. I need to nap everyday but usually cant b/c Jack no longer naps. Once Pete is done work, im done! Headaches are awful. I usually have to take 2 doses of tylenol and a can of coke to ease them. But ill take this all in a heartbeat!!

I swore i felt some movement a few times but its not consistent at all so maybe it is just gas. Im getting anxiously excited to find out the genders, name these babies and feel them move. Thats when the pregnancy will seem much more real to me.

My gut is its a boy and a girl. Im really liking the combos:
Charlotte and Cole
Lily and Gavin
2 boys: Cole and Gavin
2 girls: Lily and Charlotte

I havent said anything to Pete yet...figured we'll talk about it when the gender scan happens. He, on the other hand, likes italian names like Gio, Gian, Rocco and Henry for boys and for a girl he likes Lily (but hopefully ill win with Charlotte since im the one carrying these kids!).

Middle name for boy will be Edward (after my Dad) and Mae or Rose - mom and GM middle name and if its 2 girls one MN will be rose b/c my Dad was throwing roses at me when i talked to a psychic.

Next appt isnt until 2/18.