The Meyers..... Plus Two!

Tell me about yourself.

2011-06-08T13:43:00.001-07:00

I see my stat counter going up, and I'd love to know more about some of my readers. So, comment here and tell me a little about yourself... how'd you find me? Are you a fellow MoM? Where are you from, and what do you like reading about here? =)

We are off the bottles!

2011-06-08T07:32:00.001-07:00

Finally..... cue the hallelujah chorus! =)

When the babies went down for their naps on Saturday, I washed every bottle in the house, dried them and all their parts, and packed them up for their new baby cousin, Adelaide. When they woke up, they got a sippie of milk. After a few minutes of sip-sip-sip-toss, they realized the cups were the only thing they were getting. They have always taken juice from sippies with no problem, but refused to take milk out of anything other than a bottle. I'm so happy I'll never have to wash another Dr. Brown's bottle again!

It's been soooo nice having them on 100% table food lately - when we go out to eat, I only have to pack an occasional snack instead of multiple jars of stage 3 foods. Jeffry had a huge oral aversion to anything textured, so up until the last month or so, they were eating out of jars three meals a day. We went out to eat with my mom and stepdad to a relative's BBQ restaurant, where the kids had their first "chicken suckers".

sadie with pawpaw, chicken, garlic bread, sweet potato fries, cookies, and tea - and she ate every.single.bite.

jeffry chowing down on chicken fingers

The babies also had their pics run in our local Baton Rouge Baby magazine! I had entered their pictures in the "cover baby" contest, but when they didn't win, forgot about it. I didn't realize they were in the issue until their daycare worker showed me her copy that she had posted on the bulletin board. She had drawn a heart around each of their pictures. =)

fourth row, pics 2 and 3 from the left

A new milestone I was hoping we wouldn't reach.

2011-06-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

I knew that with the kids being the same age we would eventually have trouble with them fighting over toys/food/anything-one-has-that-the-other-doesn't... so I always make it a point to be totally impartial. If one has two cookies, the other gets two cookies. If one has a yellow sippy, the other gets a yellow sippy, and so on. Toys have always been bought in identical pairs, because God forbid that Sadie should get a Little People Barn and Jeffry would have to settle for the Little People School Bus. The horror!

Anyways, we started a few months ago buying pink/blue items... booster chairs for the dining room table, training potties, etc. After a few days, Sadie definitely knew that pink meant hers and blue meant Jeffry's. If he climbed in her seat in the dining room, she would holler and pull on his shorts until he climbed down. And I had to make two baby doll swaddles out of old hospital blankets, because when I made one for Sadie, Jeffry snatched it from her and caused a ten-minute meltdown over it. Sadie has been into purses lately, and putting noonoos/hairbows/Little People into them and toting it around the house. Of course, Jeffry had to have one, which means that my two Dooney & Bourkes are getting some use after almost two years of being passed over for Kalencom diaper bags.

Along with all of this, they have learned the word "MINE!" So, I shouldn't have been surprised when I picked them up from daycare today and Jeffry was in time-out.

I was hoping we wouldn't get to this point until at least kindergarten.

After naptime, another kid was playing with a toy that Jeffry had been carrying around all morning. He saw the little boy with it, hollered "MINE!" over and over again, and tried to take it from him. When the other boy didn't give in, Jeffry hit him, so he was sent to time-out.

We've noticed that he's been "swatting" at things when he is upset, and knew it would just be a matter of time before he really waylayed anyone or anything. We've tried redirecting, telling him "that hurts!" and "share!" is becoming the most frequent word in our language now. And even though my kid was the one lashing out, it still hurts to hear him screaming over it like it's the end of the world, because he just doesn't understand and doesn't have the words to tell us how he's feeling.

No nap + outlet shopping + 97 degrees outside = insanity.

2011-05-31T07:29:00.000-07:00

Remind me to never take my kids outlet shopping on a holiday ever again.

The sales were awesome, but the heat and the fussiness were enough to drive this momma batty! The only thing keeping them entertained were snacks, and cheez-it hands grabbing for Coach purses were not a good combination (but their 50% off clearance + additional 30% off that day was enough to lure me in).

Jeffry got his first hat from Lids, and got his name monogrammed on the back:

The rest of the weekend was pretty uneventful - weather was beautiful the day before, so we boiled crawfish at my SIL's and the babies burned off some steam running around the backyard. They were exhausted on the way home and we had a rare occurance - they slept through the night!

fussy/tired/hungry kiddos

playing with daddy's hat

the "brother-did-something-bad" look

A long overdue haircut!

2011-05-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

Before:

At a dr's appt earlier in the week

During:

Miss Heather is the only person hubs will let touch his hair, so that's who the kiddos see. Well, only Jeffry, since I botched Sadie's bangs with an at-home trim. We're growing hers out right now.

He sits still the entire time. Amazing.

ohmygodisthisoveryet?

After:

Every time he gets a haircut I'm reminded I don't have babies anymore. =(

Some Recent Pics

2011-05-25T10:03:00.000-07:00

First attempt at grocery shopping in the cute car buggy - fail. They were content for about five minutes, then Sadie snuck out and bolted down the canned goods aisle. So now we're back to Jeffry riding in the buggy and Sadie in the backpack.

This is the normal stroller pose - Sadie hanging all limbs out and trying to get anything remotely in her reach, and Jeffry kicking the tray.

Eating Rice Krispy Treats at the annual church fair in 93 degree heat.

Easter Sunday. Don't they look angelic?

Don't believe it. I had to rescue Sadie from the pits of hell (aka the church nursery) and brought her into the sanctuary wailing like a fire engine.

The above scene was five minutes before she rummaged around in the diaper bag and ran down the center aisle up to the pulpit with a tampon in her hand.

Easter egg hunging, and attempting to share a basket, since I forgot the second one at the house.

Meet Jeffry.

2011-05-25T09:58:00.000-07:00

Jeffry is the first born, and the firecracker. This boy is full of explosive energy, and goes nonstop from the minute he wakes up until he goes to sleep. He's very social, and waves to strangers as we're in the aisles of Target. He will blow kisses to everyone, and talks up a storm.

getting tagged for the yard sale

impatiently waiting at the dr's office

Meet Sadie.

2011-05-25T09:30:00.000-07:00

Sadie's the second born, younger by one minute. Her personality is completely opposite of Jeffry's - she isn't too keen on strangers, and it takes her a while to warm up to someone new. She's definitely a momma's girl, and if I'm around, she's usually latched on to my hip. She loves being packed around in what we call the backpack - an Infantino ergo-type carrier.

getting tagged for the yard sale

piggies almost as big as her head

Long time no blog.

2011-05-25T09:22:00.001-07:00

Yes, I am back. No, we did not drop off the face of the earth. I've been here, but mostly just rereading my pregnancy posts and going, "where in the heck did time go?"

Having twins is hard. It's a lot of work. And exhausting. But so rewarding.

We're *just* now to the point where I can have a few minutes of time to myself during the day, so I'm making an extra effort to return to blogging. I miss having a place to talk about what's going on with us, sharing pics, and just documenting what's been going on in our everyday lives.

I hate that I've missed out on blogging so much. I mean, looking back through here, I've got such a thorough record of everything pregnancy related - stuff I totally forgot about, but rereading it brings it all back.

And now, I'm going to have a huge gap of what went on with my kids the first 18 months of their lives.

But I'm resolving to keep up. No matter how hellish my week has been, or if I only have three hairs left on my head from hearing Yo Gabba Gabba over and over and over and over..... I'm making a point to come here and talk about what's up with us. Because I don't want to forget it.

Time goes by too quickly.

Baby Stuff: My Can't-and-Can-Live-Without's

2010-04-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

I've had a few people ask me on FB what are certain things I couldn't live without, or certain brands I recommend, and what I thought was totally useless, so I've put together this list of things I loved and hated.

Loves:

1. Snap 'n Go Stroller - I have the double version, but would recommend the single to anyone with one baby. Those huge travel systems look nice and cute with their matching patterns, but they are a pain in the a$$ to get in and out of a vehicle (or the bed of a truck, like i drive). This stroller frame is super lightweight, I can pull it out and pop it open with one hand, and it's universal and fits many different carseats.

2. Keep-It-Up Bottle Pillow - I seriously could not live without these! They look like little tiny boppy pillows, and have weighted beanbag material in the bottom. You slide the bottle into it and it keeps the bottle propped up. I would use it if the babies needed a feeding and they were in the stroller, or if both were hollering for bottles at the same time. It props up in their lap and keeps everything upright. I found these at Burlington Coat Factory, of all places, and they were cheap, around $7. I would have paid three times that for these!

3. Cradle Swing - best.invention.ever. I just wish we had gotten them sooner! These were given to us as christmas presents, and my life has been so much easier since then. Our versions light up and play music, and swing from side to side or front to back.

4. SwaddleMe Blankets - our kids slept so much better once we started using these. Wrap 'em up and they're out for the night.

5. Gripe Water - a.k.a. baby crack. Works wonders for fussy tummies, gas, hiccups, etc.

6. Dr. Brown's Mixing Pitcher - whether you use the bottles or not, the pitcher saves tons of time mixing up batches of formula. It mixes without clumps and pours really easily into any size bottle. It's awesome if you make up a day's worth of bottles at a time.

7. Travel formula mixer - we call this the "zoot zoot" because that's exactly the sound it makes when you're using it. =) if you mix bottles with powdered formula on the go, we use this instead of shaking. Two seconds and you're ready to feed.

8. Snuzzler carseat insert - the best one we've found! All the other headrests/props/blanket rolls just didn't do what this little insert did. It's fluffy and cushy and curls up around babies, taking up some of that extra room in the carseat. We used them until the babies were four months old and outgrew them.

Hates:

1. Wipes warmer - little babies are going to scream with diaper changes regardless, whether their tushies are wiped with a cold wipe or a warm one. We never got one.

2. Bottle warmer - yes, I am the bad mamma who microwaves bottles. We tried a few different versions, but they were just too complicated... add "x" amount of water to the warmer depending on how much is in the bottle, or what type of bottle you're using, but add less water if it's breastmilk, more if formula, yadda yadda yadda.... too confusing, especially at 3am with two screaming babies.

3. Diaper Genie - our standing rule is that pee diapers go in the regular garbage (which goes out about every other day) and poopy diapers go straight to the outside garbage can in a grocery bag. No ifs, ands, or buts.

4. Store brand diapers - trust me, go with the brand name ones. We tried every brand on the market from every drugstore and mega-store out there, and nothing is as good as the brand names. The tabs didn't stick if you had to reposition it, and the babies looked like they were smuggling softballs in their diapers the second they peed in them.

5. Podee bottles - these looked cool, so i picked them up at Babies R Us to give them a try. Huge fail - these are bottle nipples that connect to a plastic tube that goes down into a bottle so you can feed babies hands-free. But the kiddos were getting so frustrated trying to drink that I promptly threw them in the trash. The suction required for them to work is on par with that of a Hoover.

they have arrived!

2009-10-26T04:21:00.001-07:00

i will post a full update later with my birth story and more pics, but wanted to share a few while i had a spare moment.

jeffry and sadie arrived on 10/21/09! jeffry was born at 1235pm and weighed in at 4 pounds, 3 ounces. sadie was born at 1236pm and weighed in at 4 pounds, 13 ounces.

sadie came up to the room with me and was discharged home with me yesterday. jeffry is in the special care nursery, where he will stay until he puts on a little more weight and gets better coordination of his sucking/feedings.

we are so thankful that neither of them required any type of resuscitation or oxygen/ventilators. jeffry came out screaming loud and clear, and the only reason he is still in SCN is because of his weight - babies under 2000 grams automatically are admitted there, and his weight converted at right around 1800 grams.

we are able to visit him any time of day or night, and are praying that he is able to join us at home very soon.

here are a few pics of sadie at home last night... more to come of jeffry today. =)

5 days to go!

2009-10-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

How far along? 35 weeks, 1 day
Total weight gain/loss: + 11 pounds

Stretch marks? i have one on my right side that's itty-bitty, but i have a feeling that a ton more will pop up after i deliver.
Sleep: better, since i've been taking two Benadryl every night to knock myself out. =)
Best moment this week: actually having a date and time set to meet these two!
Movement: oh. my. god. these two will not be still AT ALL. when they are older, i'm going to wrap them both up in the same blanket and let them wrestle with each other, just so they can know what it was like before they were born.
Food cravings: Mary Lee donuts.
Labor signs: at yesterday's appt. i was 1 cm dilated, 50% effaced, and jeffry was at -1 station.

Belly Button: i can't see it anymore!

What I miss: taking a bath and having the water actually cover my whole stomach.

What I’m NOT looking forward to: i added the "NOT" in this week. i am terrified of getting an epidural.

Weekly Wisdom: nothing new to add.
Milestones: i can't believe there's only 5 days left. 5 DAYS!!!!

another update - things change!

2009-10-08T10:40:00.001-07:00

yesterday's appointments went pretty good, with a few minor changes. =)

i had my OB appt. first - my cervix hasn't changed at all, so my OB seems to think I'll make it through till the end without actually going into active labor. he went ahead and scheduled me for a section on 10/28, and said he wanted to see me back in one week.

fast forward to my MFM appt. - totally different story! the babies looked great on the ultrasound - both were moving, doing their practice breathing, and the tech even said that sadie has a head full of hair. the blood flow through their umbilical cords were both great. sadie weighed in at 3 lbs, 15 oz, and jeffry weighed in at 3 lbs, 8 oz.

dr. s. came in the ultrasound room after the tech left, and started to do his scans. i knew something was up when he was silent the whole time - he's usually very chit-chatty and explaining as he goes ("here's both heads, spinal cords, heartbeats, etc.), but this time, he kept flipping the screen back to the measurements and calculations.

he said that the babies looked good, they just aren't growing as much as they should at this point. he said i have what's called intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), which means that since i'm having twins, and both placentas are having to share my one uterus, they may not be providing the babies with everything they need to grow. they are getting plenty of blood flow and oxygen, but just aren't packing on the pounds like they are supposed to be doing at this point.

dr. s.'s recommendation to my OB is to deliver them a week earlier, which would be the week of 10/21. he said at this point there isn't much concern from a respiratory / breathing standpoint, but they just may grow better outside than inside this late in the game. i am going back to dr. s. next week to check weights and fluid levels again.

so, instead of the three weeks i thought i had left, we're now down to two! we're praying that these two are able to hit the four pound mark before delivery.... sadie should have no problem getting there, since she's only an ounce away, but jeffry has a half a pound to go before he gets there. we're getting all the last-minute stuff in place, and are so ready to meet these two!

bigger by the week! 33 week belly pics

2009-10-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

How far along? 33 weeks, 5 days in the pics above

Total weight gain/loss: + 10 pounds
Stretch marks? i have one on my right side that's itty-bitty, but i have a feeling that a ton more will pop up after i deliver.

Sleep: better, since i've been taking two Benadryl every night to knock myself out. =)

Best moment this week: seeing the babies on ultrasound again. the tech said she could see that sadie has a ton of hair - i'm excited to find out if it's dark brown and curly like her daddy's, or red. =)

Movement: it hasn't slowed down any, but it's more limb stretching and rolling rather than kicks and punches.

Food cravings: chocolate milk!

Labor signs: at yesterday's appt. i was still just a fingertip dilated, so no real progress.
Belly Button: i can't see it anymore!
What I miss: taking a bath and having the water actually cover my whole stomach.
What I’m looking forward to: actually meeting these two!
Weekly Wisdom: nothing new to add.

Milestones: i go next week to fill out my registration paperwork at the hospital and sign consent forms. once i'm there signing off on an epidural and circumcision, it will feel real!

our itty-bitty nursery!

2009-10-05T11:04:00.001-07:00

it's 95% complete - hubby just needs to hang the valances.

baby jeffry's side:

baby sadie's side:

bouncy chairs (only took me two hours to put 'em together):

standing in the doorway (dresser to my right):

think we have enough diapers and sleep-n-plays?

the "too big" side:

32 week belly pics

2009-09-26T16:58:00.000-07:00

How far along? 32 weeks, 2 days
Total weight gain/loss: + 9 pounds

Stretch marks? sadly, yes.... i feel like my skin is going to just tear open. i can't see them yet, but i'm 99% sure they are on their way to making an appearance.

Sleep: horrible. i've gotten to where i'm waking on my own before my alarm goes off to take my 4am procardia dose.

Best moment this week: going to the dr. on wednesday and having no changes. yay!

Movement: they do not like me lying on my side. if i lay on my left side, jeffry starts kicking and wiggling because sadie's squishing him. vice versa if i lay on my right side.
Food cravings: apple juice.... which makes me sad, because i can't drink it anymore. makes my heartburn flare like mad.
Labor signs: contractions have lessened significantly since being home and on the procardia - thank god. still had the + fetal fibronectin, which makes me nervous, but we're just taking it one day at a time.

Belly Button: more an outie than an innie now.

What I miss: getting in and out of the tub easily. i think i had my last soak in the tub last night... jeff had to come in and heave me out. it's shower city from now on.

What I’m looking forward to: actually meeting these two!

Weekly Wisdom: nothing new to add.
Milestones: 4 weeks and 3 days left!

the date is set!

2009-09-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

after my appointment today (in which there was no change, just a one pound weight gain - yay!), i asked dr. e. about delivery options.

i came to the conclusion that if i go into active labor on my own (water breaks, dilated, contracting), and if both babies are head down, that i would attempt a vaginal birth. however, if i have had no progress by the cut-off time of 36-37 weeks, then i would opt for a scheduled c-section. i would much rather have a scheduled, coordinated, organized delivery than be induced with pitocin and run the risk of having to have an emergent c-section many hours later.

so, for now, we have a date set of october 27th, which is on a tuesday. i will be 36 weeks and 5 days. dr. e. is confident that i'm going to "go all the way" and not have anything happen early, although anything can change.

eek!!!!! four and a half weeks!!!!

31 week belly pics

2009-09-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

How far along? 31 weeks, 4 days

Total weight gain/loss: + 8 pounds
Stretch marks? sadly, yes.... i feel like my skin is going to just tear open. i can't see them yet, but i'm 99% sure they are on their way to making an appearance.
Sleep: horrible. i've gotten to where i'm waking on my own before my alarm goes off to take my 4am procardia dose.
Best moment this week: getting out of the house and going to church.

Movement: keeping me up at night. it's almost to the point of getting painful when they don't settle down.

Food cravings: strawberry toaster strudel.

Labor signs: contractions have lessened significantly since being home and on the procardia - thank god. still had the + fetal fibronectin, which makes me nervous, but we're just taking it one day at a time.
Belly Button: top half is an outie and bottom half is an innie. eww.
What I miss: getting in and out of the tub easily.
What I’m looking forward to: another dr's appt. on wednesday - hoping there's no change!

Weekly Wisdom: nothing new to add.

Milestones: 5 and a half weeks left!

30 week belly pics

2009-09-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

How far along? 30 weeks, 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: not really sure... because of all the iv fluids, i gained 8 pounds in the hospital, but my swelling has gone down siginificanly, so i'm assuming the weight gain did too.

Stretch marks? sadly, yes.... i feel like my skin is going to just tear open. i can't see them yet, but i'm 99% sure they are on their way to making an appearance.

Sleep: horrible. can't roll over, can't get up to pee easily, can't lay flat on my back.

Best moment this week: i finished two more baby blankets. since being put on bedrest, that's all i've been doing. at the rate i'm going, i'll have about 20-30 itty bitty blankets to donate to the NICU by the time i go in with these two. =)
Movement: keeping me up at night. it's almost to the point of getting painful when they don't settle down.
Food cravings: rocky road ice cream from baskin robbins.
Labor signs: contractions have lessened significantly since being home and on the procardia - thank god. still had the + fetal fibronectin, which makes me nervous, but we're just taking it one day at a time.

Belly Button: top half is an outie and bottom half is an innie. eww.

What I miss: being able to just pick up and go somewhere whenever i feel like it.

What I’m looking forward to: another dr's appt. on wednesday - my one chance to escape the house.
Weekly Wisdom: nothing new to add.
Milestones: i can't believe we're down to 6 and a half weeks left.

home on bedrest.

2009-09-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

a quick update!

i was sent to the hospital saturday because i was having contractions and not able to hold anything down (again). got hooked up to the monitors - this time, three - and was contracting about every 3-5 minutes. they bolused me with 2 liters of fluids, hoping it would help, then gave me two more doses of Brethine to stop the contractions.

the kicker, though, was the doctor ordered a fetal fibronectin test, which can predict early labor. if the test is negative, it's very reassuring. a positive test indicates that your chances of delivering in the next two weeks goes up by about 20%... and mine came back positive.

because of this, i was sent up to labor and delivery, where i spent the most awful night of my life. i was still hooked up to all 3 monitors, and i literally couldn't move in the bed, because every time i would shift positions, one of the babies would disappear off the monitor and the nurses were coming in to readjust everything. my ob also ordered the 48 hour round of steroid shots to help speed up the babies' lung development, just in case anything were to happen. sunday morning, i was taken off the monitors and sent up to the med/ob floor for observation, with plans to go home monday morning.

monday rolls around, and lo and behold, the contractions return.... 10 to 12 an hour. the specialist came in and told me he was going to start me on procardia, which is a cardiac med that works on all smooth muscles, including your uterus. my ob came in next, and told me that he was going to keep me another night to see how i tolerated the procardia and if it would work.

tuesday morning - contraction free - thank goodness! i had been in bed, hooked up to a continuous iv for almost 72 hours straight. i was discharged home, but on bedrest orders until these babies decide to arrive - which hopefully isn't for another 7 weeks!

i missed this week's belly pic, but will catch up at the end of the week with a 30 week pic. but here's one for you of my grossly swollen cankles from all the iv fluids:

a few new pics

2009-09-02T12:38:00.000-07:00

today's appointment with MFM was good - both babies still head down and active as ever! sadie weighs in at 2 lb, 10oz and jeffry weighs 2 lb, 6oz. both were smacking their lips, swallowing, and doing their practice breathing. =)

jeffry:

sadie was facing the back, so we couldn't get any good face shots of her, but jeffry was positioned perfectly. sadie decided to stick her hand in the picture, so that's all we got of her today.

28 week belly pics

2009-08-31T09:54:00.000-07:00

How far along? 28 weeks, 4 days

Total weight gain/loss: + 5.5 pounds
Stretch marks? none yet!
Sleep: better, as long as the central AC is on 69 and the window unit is going full blast at 68.
Best moment this week: my shower - now i just have more to organize and play with! =)

Movement: less kicks and punches and more rolling... they are running out of room.

Food cravings: apple juice

Labor signs: lots of contractions, but nothing progressive.
Belly Button: turning into a gross looking outie. and i'm getting that lovely dark colored ring around it too. =(
What I miss: being able to bend over and pick things up, put socks on, etc.

What I’m looking forward to: MFM appointment on Wednesday - another ultrasound!

Weekly Wisdom: nothing new to add.

Milestones: on thursday, we'll have 8 weeks left!

these babies are so loved. =)

2009-08-30T17:53:00.001-07:00

my shower was today, and i must admit, i am completely overwhelmed at the love and generosity that everyone has shown my two babes. we had about 30 people in attendance (including one surprise guest - you know who you are!), and had a great time socializing, eating, and celebrating jeffry and sadie's impending arrival. =)

my awesome cake from fairy dust cakes:

my awesome hostesses (and a pouty niece):

and here's the unpacked stuff.... i apologize for the cameraphone pics but i am so exhausted i didn't feel like hauling my 40D in to use it....

to everyone who attended, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!!!!!!

squee! bedding is here!!! (and some random stuff)

2009-08-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

my purdy new diaper bag

cute but impractical burp cloths

jeffry's bunny and booties

sadie's bunny and booties

and their coming home outfits

27 week belly pics

2009-08-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

How far along? 27 weeks, 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: + 6 pounds

Stretch marks? none yet, but i'm getting a little religious with the cocoa butter.

Sleep: horrible! heartburn is killing me!

Best moment this week: seeing my lopsided belly. it looks like a crooked conehead. =)

Movement: all over the place. i think these two are playing dance dance revolution in there.

Food cravings: cocktail weenies with barbecue sauce.

Labor signs: lots of contractions, but nothing progressive.

Belly Button: turning into a gross looking outie.

What I miss: being totally heartburn free.

What I’m looking forward to: my shower on the 30th!

Weekly Wisdom: nothing new to add.
Milestones: 9 weeks left to go!

26 week belly pic

2009-08-18T07:16:00.001-07:00

11 weeks left! eeeeeek!

How far along? 26 weeks, 5 days

Total weight gain/loss: i'm up 3 pounds total! woo hoo!

Stretch marks? i don't think there's any yet, but i'm sure they are on their way.

Sleep: not so hot. still up at least 2x/night to pee.
Best moment this week: finally settling on and buying crib bedding!

boy version:

and girl version:

Movement: mostly concentrated around my belly button, which is very sensitive. =(
Food cravings: apple juice.
Labor signs: contractions that get worse when i'm up walking or lifting things. time for jeff to start doing the grocery shopping and laundry. =)

Belly Button: still an innie, but it's definitely getting shallow, and the top part is starting to stick out. ew.
What I miss: being totally heartburn free.
What I’m looking forward to: my shower on the 30th!
Weekly Wisdom: nothing new to add.

Milestones: i've made it to under 100 days left!

already?!?!?! (look to the left)

2009-08-12T06:39:00.001-07:00

<--------- at my ticker.... double digits!

Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up the babies' heartbeats (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving the babies a healthy pink glow. Babies are also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and they will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes.

maternity pics!

2009-08-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

major props to Melissa Cannon for doing these - she was my wedding photographer, and recently opened her new studio in Denham. if you're looking for someone to do newborn pics, kids, families, or boudoir, she is the person to go to! =)

it's 10:02 and i'm nesting. =)

2009-08-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

yes, i have spent the last two hours folding itty-bitty baby clothes to put in their empty dresser. i started washing them all last week, and let me tell you, i am in love with baby Purex laundy detergent. every piece i picked up i had to sniff before i folded it, because they all just smell so lovely.

preemie boy drawer:

preemie girl drawer:

newborn boy drawer:

newborn girl drawer:

the women in my family are a tad bit obsessed with Feltman Bros.:

and the snuggly fleecy winter stuff:

has hell frozen over?

2009-08-10T19:55:00.001-07:00

because we finally got the furniture put together yesterday! after a few hours of pushing and shoving pieces into various places, we finally found a layout that fit in our teeny tiny nursery. =)

standing in the doorway:

standing in front of the closet door looking to right:

in front of closet door looking to left:

and standing in front of the blue rocker (please ignore the storage bins in the corner!)

we haven't decided on bedding yet.... i'm trying to wait until after my shower so i'll have a better idea of what i want to do. the sheets and blanket on the cribs now were just some cute carter's ones i found over the weekend. i had to put something on the poor nekkid beds. =)

25 week belly pic

2009-08-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

no nekkid belly pic right now, since i have on my oh-so-fashionable maternity belt.... it looks like something you'd see a pot-bellied Home Depot employee wearing. but Melissa took my maternity pics this weekend, so there will be plenty of belly flaunting shortly. =)

How far along? 25 weeks, 4 days

Total weight gain/loss: + 1/2 pound

Stretch marks? i don't think there's any yet, but i'm sure they are on their way.Sleep: ugh, horrible.

Best moment this week: putting furniture together last night - we had to do a ton of pushing/pulling/shoving everything around to where it somewhat fits into the nursery, but we finally found an arrangement that works. this whole second crib thing is throwing us off all over again. =)

Movement: ever-present.

Food cravings: watermelon.

Labor signs: more of the every day same-ol' stuff.

Belly Button: still an innie, but it's definitely getting shallow, and the top part is starting to stick out. ew.

What I miss: margaritas. and being totally heartburn-free.

What I’m looking forward to: my shower on the 30th.

Weekly Wisdom: do not google "diastasis recti".... no, it has nothing to do with your butt, like it sounds.... but i've noticed that my abdominal muscles literally come to a point now in the center of my stomach when i am trying to get up from lying down. another twin mom i know has this, and says it's pretty commn with big bellies. basically, it's when your two most center abdominal muscles separate because of the stretching, and allows some of your abdominal organs to protrude through the opening.... kind of like a giant hernia. apparently the only way to fix it is to have them surgically brought back together, so i'm adding it to the list of post-babies plastic surgery (along with a tummy tuck and breast lift).

Milestones: i took my maternity pics this weekend and will be posting them as soon as I get them, I promise!

new ultrasound pics!

2009-08-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

here's some pics from my 24 week ultrasound - it's getting kind of cramped in there! =)

sadie weighs in at 1lb 6oz and jeffry is a chunker, weighing 1lb 8oz. both of them are measuring right on track. sadie has flipped to head down, and jeffry was transverse today, with his head in my left side and his bootie in sadie's face. at the end of the scan, he did a huge roll and went head down.

sadie's profile - she was practicing her sucking:

sadie with her elbow up by her face:

and an awesome shot of jeffry when he finally decided to cooperate!

24 week belly pic

2009-08-03T17:03:00.000-07:00

How far along? 24 weeks, 4 days

Total weight gain/loss: + 1/2 pound
Stretch marks? i can't see any, but jeff says it's just because i can't see my lower belly - he says they are there.
Sleep: not too hot.... i'm only comfortable on my left side or flat on my back.
Best moment this week: getting furniture! it's not put together yet, but at least all the pieces are out of the boxes. =)

Movement: as jeff would say, like two rats fighting in a wool sock. i'm feeling more movement way up high and way down low... it feels like their feet are kicking me in the colon.

Food cravings: chocolate cream pie.
Labor signs: just the everyday contractions, nothing progressive.
What I miss: being able to bend at the waist!

What I’m looking forward to: putting together furniture and shopping for bedding... if i can ever make up my mind what theme we're going with! my mind changes at least once a day.

Weekly Wisdom: not much new to add.
Milestones: i have joined the leaky boobs club. =(

24 weeks - happy v-day to me!

2009-07-31T07:51:00.000-07:00

i can breath a pretty big sigh of relief now.... i've made it to 24 weeks, which is a milestone. 24 weeks is when the babies are considered viable, meaning that if they were born today, every efford would be made to make sure they were resuscitated and would survive. so, happy v-day to me!

i've scheduled my maternity pictures with my kick-ass wedding photographer, Melissa Cannon - she's become a very good friend of mine, and is backing me up on a few of the weddings i had scheduled in the next few months. if anyone in the area is looking for baby's first year sessions or boudoir, she does incredible studio work - check her out! and of course, i'll be posting her pics of me here as soon as i get them.

i'll be posting more ultrasound pics after my appointment on tuesday with MFM - i can't wait to see them again!

furniture.... done!

2009-07-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

eek! our furniture is picked out, in stock, and we're picking it up this week. i'm so freakin' excited!

the style is serenity, and we're getting two cribs, one chest of drawers, and one dresser/changer. the wood color is called cinnamon, and it's very pretty.... not as dark and red as cherry, but not as yellow as the natural/chestnut. i changed my mind from white when my husband pointed out that the baseboards, windowsill, and door in the babies' room are off-white. i'm sure no one else would notice the difference, but it would have bugged the crap out of me. =)

this is the style of the crib in a different color:

and this is the cinnamon color, just a different crib:

i abso-freakin'-lutely cannot wait to get it all home and arranged!

23 week belly pic

2009-07-28T06:32:00.001-07:00

please excuse the bathroom pics - this was yesterday, my first day back at work in over a week. i have to say, the only good thing about bedrest is that it's the only time i'm completely comfortable! the minute i'm up and about, the pain/discomfort/contractions start up again!

How far along? 23 weeks, 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: + 1/2 pound

Stretch marks? i can't see any, but jeff says it's just because i can't see my lower belly - he says they are there.

Sleep: not too hot.... i'm only comfortable on my left side or flat on my back.

Best moment this week: when sadie was really acting up last night, jeff put his hand on my belly... his eyes got as big as saucers and he said "i'm glad they're in you and not me!" i had to laugh. =)

Movement: it's so cool how these two have totally different personalities already. jeffry is so calm and mellow, but sadie is a spastic little thing. jeffry just kind of rolls around, but her.... it's like the 4th of july fireworks show in my uterus.

Food cravings: apple juice.

Labor signs: just the everyday contractions, nothing progressive.

What I miss: being able to fully stretch in the mornings.

What I’m looking forward to: making it to 24 weeks will put my mind at ease a little. should anything happen, that will be the marker for viability. two more days! and seeing the kiddos again next tuesday at my MFM appt.

Weekly Wisdom: not much new to add.

Milestones: the babies' room is finally cleaned out - hell hath frozen over! just kidding.... we're getting furniture this week, so jeff was antsy to get things moved into the attic (after me hounding him for a month about it). he's starting to nest - it's so cute.... i went to the grocery store sunday afternoon and he told me i needed to get a bottle of dreft so he could start washing all the baby clothes that we've been storing in bins. i come home from the store and he's in the babies' room, unpacking diapers and arranging them on shelves in the closet. =)

so, here's the before pic of the babies' room!

22 week belly pic

2009-07-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

time to start buying bigger shorts! =)

How far along? 22 weeks, 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: probably down again due to dehydration - haven't weighed myself yet.
Stretch marks? not yet, but starting to get itchy. i'm sure they are on their way.
Sleep: aside from peeing 3 times a night, pretty good.
Best moment this week: any moment when i'm not throwing up.
Movement: i finally realize how big these kiddos are getting. i felt sadie stretch out for a few seconds today and i felt it from my pelvic bone all the way up to under my ribs.
Food cravings: apple juice.
Labor signs: other than the everyday stuff, not really.
What I miss: getting out of the bathtub on my own.
What I’m looking forward to: making it to 24 weeks will put my mind at ease a little. should anything happen, that will be the marker for viability.
Weekly Wisdom: not much new to add.
Milestones: second and third trips to the hospital are in the books.

:: sigh :: weekend bedrest.

2009-07-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

after another trip to the hospital at 2am on friday, i am on bedrest until i see my OB tuesday morning.

i wasn't dehydrated like last time, just woke out of a dead sleep with intense contractions/abdominal pain... we're talking can't stand up straight, short of breath, blood pressure through the roof pain. i get to the hospital, get hooked up to the monitor, and was having longer contractions this time (60-70 seconds each) with only a minute between them. and i was tortured with a catheter for a urine culture. =(

so, after two liters of fluid in the assessment center, and two more Brethine shots, i was sent up to the floor for monitoring. i was comfortable until about 1pm, when (like clockwork) the contractions started up again like they do each day. i got hooked back up to the monitor and was having mild contractions again, but the on-call doctor who saw me that morning said that as long as my cervix isn't changing, then there isn't much they will do to stop the contractions.

GGGRRRRRRR.

i was pretty much told that this is going to be my new baseline normal - contracting every day. i was supposed to stay all weekend long in the hospital, but my nurse logic kicked in..... what's the point of staying if they aren't going to treat anything? so i asked to go home late friday night, and my wish was granted.

i guess this is something i better get used to.

Weeks 21-24: Papayas

2009-07-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

i guess TheBump.com finally ran out of fruits, because now my weekly updates are turning monthly.

Watch what you say -- babies are now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that babies find gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and their little faces are fully formed. And, they are starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

baby shower is in the works!

2009-07-12T09:18:00.001-07:00

we've got a date set for my baby shower, and i'm so excited! seems like just a few months ago i had no hope of ever being able to have something like this, and now it's a little over a month away. amazing.

anyways, my best friend D and my mom/aunts/sister are all working on it, and D is doing the invitations. i have to share the one i found (pulled pic off of the site):

if anyone else is expecting twins, Twin Gifts & Invitations has tons of cute modern invites, thank you cards, favors, games, etc.

21 week belly pic

2009-07-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

How far along? 21 weeks, 3 days

Total weight gain/loss: probably down again due to dehydration - haven't weighed myself yet.

Stretch marks? not yet, but starting to get itchy. i'm sure they are on their way.

Sleep: actually improving! in addition to running the central AC, we pulled out our hurricane season window unit AC and put it in the bedroom... that baby stays running at 66 degrees at night. =)

Best moment this week: getting to go home from the hospital friday night.

Movement: picture two cats fighting, minus the screeching... that's what's going on right now.

Food cravings: although they give me horrendous heartburn, nachos and sunkist.

Labor signs: check my hospital post below.

What I miss: being able to put on socks and underwear with two hands.

What I’m looking forward to: just taking it week by week.

Weekly Wisdom: coworker told me the babies are going to have two headfuls of hair because of all the heartburn.

Milestones: first hospital trip is in the books.

first hospital trip.... check.

2009-07-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

i've made it this far without going in to the hospital, which i thought was pretty darn good!

but on thursday evening, i started with the evening sickness again (or so i thought). i couldn't keep anything down that evening, or that night, or in the middle of the night. i tried jello, gatorade, water, and nothing would stay down. i called in sick to work on friday, thinking that if i just rested, it would be better, but by noon i still wasn't able to hold anything down.

i called my doctor, and they told me to head on over to the hospital to get loaded up on IV fluids. when i got there, they hooked me up to the contraction monitor because i had mentioned feeling uncomfortable, and found out that i was having mild contractions - nothing severe, but just really frequent, happening about every minute and lasting 10-15 seconds (normal contractions last a minute or longer). they called it "timable irritability."

the on call dr. (dr. l) thought that dehydration was what was causing the irritability, and thought it would resolve on its own after i had a bolus of fluids. but after getting one bag, they were still going on, so she gave me a shot of brethine to stop the contractions. and within 2-3 minutes of getting it, all the irritability stopped..... but then the side effects came. =( i had the shakes, sweating all over, face flushed, and racing heartbeat. but the medicine did its job, and i was given the choice of whether i wanted to stay overnight or come home.

i probably should have stayed, but decided to come home. i'm feeling much better now, holding down fluids, just a litte tired from trying to do laundry. i'll be taking it easy for a few days and will be back to work on monday doing desk work.

thanks for all the thoughts and prayers!

21 weeks: bananas

2009-07-09T06:35:00.000-07:00

I tried to figure out how in the heck a banana is bigger than a cantaloupe - apparently it's the length. From 20 weeks on, babies are measured from head to toe instead of from crown to rump, so they really don't grow inches in a matter of days. Just a change in the way they are measured.

20 week ultrasound pics & appt.

2009-07-08T08:27:00.001-07:00

i had my 2nd appointment with dr. s. yesterday at MFM - he is funny. jeff thinks he's a little "dry", but i had to explain to him that some dr.'s have a different sense of humor than regular people.

i asked about my two main concerns - weight gain and the contractions. i have gained absolutely no weight so far in this pregnancy, and it worries me because i wonder if the babies are growing correctly if i'm not eating enough to pack on the pounds. and i'm terrified of going into preterm labor, so the contractions are stressing me out.

so here's the scenario from yesterday. dr. s. is at the ultrasound machine scanning, and i'm lying on my back gooped up to my neck in ultrasound gel. i whip out my neato little index card with my questions on it.

me: "dr. s., i'm worried because i can't gain weight. what if the babies don't get enough to grow?"

dr. s.: "i'm an outlier on this subject, but the babies are growing fine. i'm measuring them every four weeks, so as long as they are growing each month and measuring okay, i'm not worried, and neither should you."

me: "good, 'cause all the books say you should gain 20 pounds by now and....."

dr. s.: "now's the time to quit reading those books." =)

me: "i'm having braxton-hicks contractions every afternoon and evening, about 10-15 minutes apart. i'm freaking out thinking i'm going to have an incompetent cervix or i'm going to go into preterm labor."

dr. s.: "well, let's take a look at your cervix and see what's going on..." (whips out the dildocam) ".... everything looks corked up tight. you are nice and long and not funneling at all. you can contract out the wazoo but as long as your cervix stays the way it is, those babies aren't coming out anytime soon." =)

his exact words, i kid you not. so, i'm feeling much more relaxed now that i know i'm not starving my children and they are squatting for a few more months.

so here's the few pics we were able to get - the kiddos were acting like gymnasts and wouldn't stay in one place long enough to get many good shots. but they each have four heart chambers, two kidneys, and good cord blood flow - the important stuff. also, just as i predicted, these two are still head up, tap dancing on my bladder with all twenty of their little toes.

here's jeffry, contorted into a position i could never get into - feet over the head:

jeffry's profile, thumb going into the mouth:

and jeffry's foot:

we got one blurry face shot of sadie, and that's it. we had a talking-to after the appointment and she now knows that if she wants to get on the blog, she has to cooperate next time.

20 week belly pics

2009-07-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

i apologize for the loungewear, but we slept in until 1130 today and i haven't even changed out of my nightclothes yet. =)

and this pic is for all the people who have been giving me comments like, "you don't look like you're carrying two!" or "you hardly look pregnant at all!"

this is what's hiding underneath.

(and, yes, the shirt i'm wearing has a pic of a bomb on it and says "i'm fixin' to blow up". i found it at storyville - they have a booth at the farmer's market - and i couldn't pass it up!)

How far along? 20 weeks, 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: i've broke even! finally back up to 132... i hope it keeps going up!
Stretch marks? not yet, but starting to get itchy. i'm sure they are on their way.
Sleep: still miserable.
Best moment this week: when a little girl at the pool asked me if i had a baby in my tummy, i said, "i do... i have two babies in my tummy" she looked at me for a minute and said, "nuh-uh. you can only have one baby in your tummy". her mom was a few feet away from her and laughed - she said "i guess i need to elaborate on the baby talk now!"
Movement: tons of it! i feel little taps nonstop way down low (which i am assuming are little feet), and up high above my belly button is where all the thuds and thumps happen.
Food cravings: not much this week, since i had a brief relapse of nighttime sickness. but watermelon has been awesome this week.
Labor signs: tons of braxton-hicks.... mostly in the evenings. happens about every 12-15 minutes, but they don't last very long (maybe 20-30 seconds at the longest). i had a few wake me up in the middle of the night last night, so i'm mentioning it to my MFM dr. at my appt. on tuesday.
What I miss: being able to stretch. if i stretch my legs out, i get calf cramps. if i stretch my back, i get that horrible round ligament pain in both sides of my abdomen. time for a massage, methinks.
What I’m looking forward to: seeing the babies on ultrasound again this week.
Milestones: not much new to add.... although i did go outlet shopping this weekend and cleaned out the Carter's store on preemie items.

an impulse buy

2009-07-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

i saw these today at a baby boutique and couldn't resist. =)

ooh, yum.... 20 weeks: cantaloupes!

2009-07-01T18:02:00.000-07:00

can you believe it? i'm over halfway there. the more i think about it, the more i break out in a cold sweat. just kidding. well, maybe.

the twinks officially have nicknames this week. i have been adamant about jeffry being called "jeffry" and not "jeff junior", or "little jeff"..... just a peeve of mine. i want dad and son to have a distinction between the two - hence dad being called jeff and baby being called jeffry. make sense?

so, of course, my mom's side of the family has taken to calling jeffry "j.j.", just to irk me. and mom has stuck sadie with the nickname of "junebug"..... so, there you have it.

j.j. and junebug.

dy-no-mite!

19 week belly pic

2009-06-29T08:52:00.000-07:00

i hate taking pics in scrubs.... i always look so frumpy.

How far along? 19 weeks, 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: i've broke even! finally back up to 132... i hope it keeps going up!

Stretch marks? not yet, but starting to get itchy.
Sleep: ugh... miserable. rolling over is such a pain, and having to roll over the snoogle to get to the bathroom twice a night is a chore.

Best moment this week: getting more and more stranger comments on my belly.

Movement: apparently the babies like jewish music. i shot a jewish wedding last night, and the reception was very loud with a 7pc brass band playing classic jewish music, singing in hebrew, etc (picture my big fat greek wedding).... these two were dancing the horah along with the wedding guests. i got home at 113o last night, and they were still active at 1am, keeping me from falling asleep.
Food cravings: sausage biscuits and chocolate milk... there is a little mom-and-pop gas station across the street from work that serves breakfast every day... the owner's mother does all the cooking. so each morning i stop in for a sausage biscuit and a pint of kleinpeter chocolate milk. breakfast of champions!

Labor signs: tons of braxton-hicks, but nothing significant.

What I miss: i hate to say it, but wearing clothes that don't look like maternity clothes. i was so eager to start wearing them that now it's getting old. i see girls my age in cute little strapless dresses, heels, etc. and i get jealous.

What I’m looking forward to: getting the nursery cleaned out.... week 2 of whip-cracking has not made jeff budge yet. =(
Weekly wisdom: nothing new to add.

Milestones: not really a milestone, but jeff told me i was a pretty mommy last night. that's the first time he's used that word. =)

19 weeks: mangoes!

2009-06-25T06:35:00.000-07:00

these weeks are flying by! at least they are something a little more cute and appetizing this week. =)

and am i the only one that saw this and immediately thought of Chris Kattan on SNL wearing a beret? "You can't-a have-a de Mango!"

18 week belly pics

2009-06-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

How far along? 18 weeks, 3 days

Total weight gain/loss: – 1 pound.... the gap is closing!
Stretch marks? not yet, but starting to get itchy.

Sleep: the snoogle is back in my good graces. my hips and lower back have been bugging me, and it's so much easier to sleep with it now than without it.

Best moment this week: getting more and more stranger comments on my belly. =)
Movement: good lord - what a difference a week makes. i can kind of tell which way they are facing based on where i'm feeling thumps. if i feel them to the outsides of my belly, i know they are facing outward, away from each other. this past thursday night, it felt like a bag of microwave popcorn going off right underneath my belly button, so i'm assuming they were facing each other and dukin' it out.

Food cravings: jello!

What I miss: getting up off the couch and out of bed easily. it's still habit for me to just bend at the waist and get up, but now i have to roll to the side.

What I’m looking forward to: getting bedding and furniture. well, first i have to crack the whip and make Jeff move the stuff from the baby's room into the attic.

Weekly wisdom: it's not really wisdom to me, just a random fact i was told at my multiples class last week. according to the nurses teaching the class, the goal weight gain for a twin pregnancy at 20 weeks is 20 pounds. i seriously doubt i'm going to pack on 21 pounds in the next week and a half.
Milestones: Jeff is starting to get a little more touchy-feely with the belly now. earlier today he was sticking his finger in my belly button (something i've always hated) and he told me he was scratching them behind the ear. lovely, apparently now i'm having puppies.

18 weeks..... halfway there!

2009-06-17T18:44:00.001-07:00

this week they're sweet potatoes!

Your babies have become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, babies are finally big enough that you'll be able to feel these movements soon.

(and i don't know about you, but i've never seen a hairy sweet potato before.)

my new project.... tiny blankies!

2009-06-15T16:26:00.001-07:00

i love to crochet, but can't follow a pattern to save my life. all i can do is double crochet row after row after row after (monotonous) row and make squares... or rectangles.... that i call blankets and scarves. =)

anyways, right before i found out i was pregnant, michael's had 50% off of all their yarns, so i picked out four different types to make little baby blankets. these are two of the finished products! they're just big enough to swaddle a newborn, and will probably be outgrown quickly, but they are so soft and cuddly.

i'm thinking of scaling these down and in my down time starting on a few teeny preemie sized blankets to donate to our local l&d hospital here in town. when my niece was in the nicu, the nurses covered her with a little knitted blanket that my sister was able to take home. i thought it was such a sweet gesture, and they are so easy to make, it would be a nice gesture to provide these to parents of nicu babies. =)

17 week belly pic.... i am getting brave.

2009-06-15T16:11:00.000-07:00

yes, i am actually going to post a pic of my pasty white swollen belly - but i'll include a nice modest clothed one too. ignore the wonky color difference (cameraphone):

i can't believe all that belly is hiding under this shirt.

How far along? 17 weeks, 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: – 2 pounds
Maternity clothes? i'm modeling one of my new outfits above.

Stretch marks? not yet.
Sleep: the middle of the night peeing is at its peak (i hope), so pretty restless.

Best moment this week: getting my peapod necklace! mine has two peas.

Movement: a few little nudges each day, mostly from 2pm until dinnertime.
Food cravings: strawberry crepes, again.
Gender: we finally know! Sadie June & Jeffry Ryan.
What I miss: being able to wear a tee shirt and keep it from riding up in the front.
What I’m looking forward to: shopping for boy/girl stuff
Weekly wisdom: nothing new to add.

Milestones: actually feeling more frequent pokes instead of rolls.

help! (vote!)

2009-06-13T15:08:00.001-07:00

i am torn between two sets of crib bedding, and need your vote! please let me know which one you like better. (keep in mind - white furniture)

the first set is my favorite from babies-r-us: CoCaLo Emory & Ellie. the second set is my favorite from target: Dwell Studio Birds & Elephants.

long day.... but productive

2009-06-13T15:04:00.000-07:00

i have survived my first trip into babies-r-us hell. i went and registered the twinks today at both target and babies-r-us, and it thoroughly exhausted me.

baby registering is not the same as wedding registering, especially when you've got twins to register for. with wedding registry, you get the cool little scan gun, and can basically just walk around and scan whatever you like. not so much with babies - because i am an impartial mommy-to-be, i was constantly backtracking.... did i scan both boy and girl towels? pacifiers? onesies? i had to make sure both jeffry and sadie were equally represented. =)

17 weeks: onions (ick)

2009-06-11T06:37:00.001-07:00

thebump.com must be running out of fruits. not to mention that i don't eat onions *at all* - my dad and jeff both have to lie to me when they cook because if i know they are in there, i won't eat. =)

better late than never - 16 week belly pic

2009-06-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

How far along? 16 weeks, 6 days

Total weight gain/loss: – 2 pounds

Maternity clothes? i got *tons* of new mimi/a pea in the pod maternity clothes from mom for my birthday, so my wardrobe is set. thank you mommy!

Stretch marks? not yet.

Sleep: the snoogle has been chunked to the floor and i'm back to my regular old pillow... snoogles are good for lounging around with, but i can't sleep with the damn thing tangling me up anymore. it's not made for shorties.

Best moment this week: finding out we are having a son and a daughter. wow.

Movement: lots of rolls (i swear, they knew they were going to be on camera yesterday.)

Food cravings: fried pickles and orange gatorade.

Gender: we finally know! Sadie June & Jeffry Ryan.

What I miss: the infrequent peeing.... it's back to every few hours now.

What I’m looking forward to: registering this weekend!

Weekly wisdom: "throw your expectations out the window. then you won't have to worry about when the 'unexpected' happens." - dr. h (whom i work for)

Milestones: finding out the gender. i didn't cry when i first saw those two lines on the test.... didn't cry when i saw those two cute little sacs on ultrasound.... didn't cry when i saw those two little flickering heartbeats..... but bawled like a baby when the tech said, "you have a son and a daughter."

drumroll please.....

2009-06-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

it's one of each! leftie is a boy and rightie is a girl!

baby a (rightie): the tech commented that these were some of the best shots she's gotten of a twin - she's very photogenic because she turned towards us for the 4D shot and puckered her lips.

baby b (leftie): he was a little more uncooperative at first - sitting indian style and wouldn't give us "the shot." he moved around a little and we were then able to tell - but he quit moving for the 4D shot, so all we have of him is a nice butt pic.

furniture - check!

2009-06-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

it's not bought yet, but i found a nursery set that i love - it's by Carter's casual collection, and it is so pretty and simple. i love that it has a solid wood back that looks similar to old-fashioned wainscoting.... doesn't look like a baby prison with rails on all 4 sides. the changing table is one of the few i've found that actually has drawers and not just shelves. so no organization baskets for kiddos to dig in. =)

om nom nom nom

2009-06-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

that's the sound of me devouring my unexpected afternoon snack.

i'm sitting in my office, playing around on the internet because i have nothing to do, blaring NKOTB on my ipod, bored as hell...... when a drug rep walks in with the most delicious thing i have ever seen in weeks.

fresh strawberry cake from ambrosia bakery.

so i've licked all the whipped cream off the outside of the cake, and now i'm picking apart the layers one by one. thank you, mr. anonymous drug rep man, for making this pregnant chick's day.

and, yes, that blob to the left is the excess whipped cream that i snagged off the knife.

16 weeks: avocados!

2009-06-04T09:11:00.001-07:00

is this really a fruit? i think not.

i was starting to wonder if both of the babes were actually the size of these "fruit of the week" posts, but after last night, i have no doubt that they are in fact that big.

i had a *horrible* night sleeping last night - rolling over constantly, couldn't get comfortable, kicked the snoogle down to the foot of the bed..... then i half-consciously rolled completely flat on my stomach.... wrong thing to do.

oh my god, the pain - i felt like someone was stabbing me in the left side, and burning/stretching pain went down into my left leg. owowowowow! i'm still feeling the remnants of it this morning, so i have on my heavy-duty maternity belt - you know, the ones that make you look like you're a lumber hauler at Home Depot. except i'm wearing it under scrubs. i don't care how ugly it is, it's working. =)

new poll! --------->

2009-06-03T07:15:00.001-07:00

look to the right and vote on what we're having!

7 days and counting!

2009-06-02T12:36:00.000-07:00

keep your fingers crossed for wide open legs! =)

my first maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) appointment is next tuesday at 9am, and we *should* be able to find out what we're having, if they're cooperative.

we can't wait to find out - so much is on hold until we know. it would be different, i think, if we were only having one.... easy to pick out two potential bedding sets / carseats / clothes / etc.... but with three different prospective combinations, it gets a little overwhelming.

on a good note - we've settled on a boy/girl combo name: Jeffry Ryan Paxton (after dad) and Sadie June. girl/girl and boy/boy combos are still up in the air.

15 week belly pic

2009-06-01T10:02:00.000-07:00

How far along? 15 weeks, 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: – 2 pounds

Maternity clothes? still in 'em. ready to get out of 'em.
Stretch marks? not yet.
Sleep: much better, now that i have my snoogle pillow.
Best moment this week: going on a mini-vacation - fishing!
Movement: still feeling rolly stuff, but no definite kicks.
Food cravings: still watermelon.
Gender: i honestly have no “intuition” on this one anymore. who knows.
What I miss: being able to bend over at the waist to pick up things.

What I’m looking forward to: finding out what we're having on june 9th. woo hoo!
Weekly wisdom: nothing new to input.
Milestones: nothing new here either.

15 weeks: oranges!

2009-05-29T09:53:00.001-07:00

baby purchase #2

2009-05-25T18:07:00.000-07:00

were these today - i was shopping for d's new baby (see the post above) and found this matching set..... had to have them. (in case you can't read it - they say "worth the wait")

i finally broke down

2009-05-25T06:36:00.000-07:00

and bought my first thing for the babes. carter's was having a memorial day sale yesterday at the outlet mall, so my sister and i went - i said i wasn't going to buy anything, but these wrap-me-up blankets were calling to me from the 50% off rack....

-
.... so they're mine! or theirs, should i say?

14 week belly pic

2009-05-25T06:28:00.000-07:00

How far along? 14 weeks, 4 days

Total weight gain/loss: still – 3 pounds... i'm kind of worried that i'm not gaining - will ask dr. e about it on wednesday.

Maternity clothes? still in 'em. ready to get out of 'em.

Stretch marks? not yet.

Sleep: much better, now that i have my snoogle pillow.

Best moment this week: it's not pertaining to me, but my best friend d's water broke while we were at olive garden last night. =) she's in l&d right now - please pray for her to speed up!

Movement: i think i feel something, then won't feel it again for a few days. i know these little goobers are active, though, because they are kicking and rolling against the doppler probe.

Food cravings: still watermelon.

Gender: i honestly have no “intuition” on this one anymore. who knows.

What I miss: shopping at my normal stores, like ann taylor.

What I’m looking forward to: finding out what we're having on june 9th.

Weekly wisdom: nothing new to input.

Milestones: nothing new here either.

potential boy/girl bedding

2009-05-22T09:44:00.001-07:00

since i have nothing better to do at work, i've been wandering through babies-r-us and target.com to get ideas on decor for the nursery.

i figured a girl/girl or boy/boy nursery would be the easiest to do, and i haven't found much in the way of matching boy/girl bedding..... until i found these:

it's a zoo theme for a boy and a farm theme for a girl. not exactly a total match, but the patterns are similar and with matching cribs and furniture, i think it would work.

i've made the switch to blogger

2009-05-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

finally! i'm so much happier here.... prettier layouts, easier to navigate, and pics upload so much easier. so update your links - the old one's staying active for a little while until everyone gets updated.

i've managed to spend the entire morning moving all of my old posts over here. they'll still show up as being posted in may, but i've left the original post dates in the subject line so it's easier to follow.

thanks for following me over here!

fruit of the week: lemons!

2009-05-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

Your adorable little fetuses (or is it fetii?) are busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over their bodies for warmth.

05.19.09 i only thought i had popped before.....

2009-05-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

helllooooo, belly! nice to meet ya.... again.

How far along? 13 weeks, 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: still – 3 pounds
Maternity clothes? starting to buy size mediums now. i’ve found i’m most comfortable in cheap little old navy sundresses, like the one i have on in the pic.
Stretch marks? not yet – thank you jesus – although i am sure they are to come.
Sleep: the middle of the night peeing has started again. =(
Best moment this week: being able to consistently find both heartbeats in the same spot. leftie seems to be up high, and righty likes to sit down low.
Movement: i’m feeling some sloshy/rolling movement, but it could just be my underactive bowels starting to churn again.
Food cravings: watermelon.
Gender: i honestly have no “intuition” on this one anymore. who knows.
What I miss: climbing up on stuff… kitchen counters, chairs, etc. now jeff makes me come get him when i can’t reach something.
What I’m looking forward to: registering, once we finally find out what these two are. i feel like we’re on hold until we’re able to know the sexes, but once we do, everything will kick into high gear.
Weekly wisdom: jeff insists that i need to buy a bottle of vitamin E oil and slather it on my stomach every night. i went to the store and bought palmer’s stretch mark cream (with vitamin E and cocoa butter) but he swears it’s not enough. um, i’d rather use this and smell like a tanning bed than have a greasy belly.
Milestones: getting my first stranger asking “when are you due?” at work today.

***** p.s. please send some “go into labor soon” thoughts to my best friend d! she is due on thursday. =) *****

05.15.09 fruit of the week: peaches!

2009-05-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

This is the last week of your first trimester and your baby weighs 14 to 20 grams. The crown-to-rump length of your growing babies is 2.6 to 3.1 inches. Your babies are each now about the size of a peach. Fetal growth is amazing from now through about the 24th week of pregnancy.
At this point of your pregnancy, there is a steady flow of pregnancy hormones in your bloodstream. Your body will adjust to the changes and morning sickness might stop and other early symptoms will begin to ease. Because the second trimester is approaching, feelings of anxiety or nervousness may also diminish. You have probably gained some weight by now. You are losing your waist and your clothing is probably fitting snugly.

There is a milky membrane that surrounds each of your babies. It is pierced by the umbilical cord and is made up of two layers, which are fused together. The placentas provide most of the nutrients and oxygen that your babies need. By this week, the placentas are well formed and ready to take over hormone manufacture from your ovaries. The placentas will produce progesterone and estradiol. These hormones will be crucial in the maintenance of your pregnancy. Tissue that will form your babies’ bones is being laid down, especially around the head and limbs. The nose and chin are becoming more prominent. Your babies’ eyelids meet and fuse together and they will not open again for nearly four months. The eyes started out on the side of your babies’ heads and they are now moving closer together on the face. The ears come to lie in their normal position on the sides of the head. If examined outside of the womb, you will be able to distinguish male from female at this time.

The sockets for all twenty teeth are formed in the gums, and vocal cords are beginning to form.

05.13.09 i'm already "that" mom....

2009-05-21T12:30:00.001-07:00

the one that can’t tell her children apart. =) these pics are over a week old, but i’ve had alien pic requests, so here ya go. i don’t know which one is which in the pics…. hopefully by june 9th, we’ll have some definite “markers” (turtle or hamburger, for those who know what i’m talking about). please excuse the horrible cellphone pics.

here’s one…. doing the ”police! hands up!”…..
and, of course, jeff says the big white blob in the middle is a penis. more like an umbilical cord, i think:

and here’s the other, kicked back and lounging with its arms behind its head:

05.12.09 our first present!

2009-05-21T12:29:00.001-07:00

my dad came by our house last night to drop off our first baby gift…. my double stroller! it’s the “melbourne” graco duoglider, and the swirly pattern is too cute. there’s matching carseats we’re planning to get that snap into the seats (rear-facing). thank you, dad! =)

05.11.09 12 week belly pic

2009-05-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

okay, i added an extra pic just so you can see the difference…..

belly hidden in scrubs:

belly in all its glory in regular clothes:

How far along? 12 weeks, 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: - 3 pounds
Maternity clothes? my size smalls are getting too small. =(
Stretch marks? not yet!
Sleep: i’m officially unable to sleep on my stomach now…. time to get a snoogle pillow.
Best moment this week: hearing “happy mother’s day!”
Movement: probably none yet, but i’m getting little twinges that feel like popcorn popping.
Food cravings: kleinpeter chocolate milk.
Gender: we find out June 9th.
What I miss: frozen margaritas. i wanted one so bad last week i was tempted to order a virgin one.
What I am looking forward to: finding out what they are so I can start buying stuff!
Weekly Wisdom: nothing new to add.
Milestones: nothing new, really – I don’t have any new pics since i’m not going back until the end of May. =(

05.07.09 12 weeks: plums!

2009-05-21T12:24:00.001-07:00

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your babies’ fingers will soon begin to open and close, their toes will curl, their eye muscles will clench, and their mouths will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your babies will squirm in response, although you won’t be able to feel it. Their intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into their abdominal cavity about now, and their kidneys will begin excreting urine into the bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your babies’ brains, synapses are forming furiously. Their faces look unquestionably human: the eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and the ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your babies-to-be are just over 2 inches long (about the size of a plum) and weigh half an ounce each

05.05.09 11w5d belly pic

2009-05-21T12:23:00.001-07:00

How far along? 11 weeks, 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: - 3.5 pounds
Maternity clothes? i just bought a pair of maternity scrub pants that (of course) don’t come in petite, so mom is hemming them for me. i can’t wait to get into them… no more drawstring or thick elastic cutting into me.
Stretch marks? not yet!
Sleep: still can’t get enough of it, athough it’s getting uncomfortable to sleep on my stomach.
Best moment this week: Baby Grand is this Saturday at the hospital, so I’m looking forward to going.
Movement: probably none yet, but I swear about once a day I feel *something* that doesn’t feel normal.
Food cravings: granny smith apples.
Gender: we find out June 9th.
What I miss: actually feeling “normal”…. I thought about that last night, about how all this nausea and gagging has pretty much become the standard for me now, and realized that I’m probably never going to go back to that pre-pregnancy feeling.
What I am looking forward to: finding out what they are so I can start buying stuff!
Weekly Wisdom: nothing new to add.
Milestones: nothing new, really – I don’t have any new pics since I’m not going back until the end of May. =(

04.30.09 fruit of the week.... limes!

2009-05-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

much cuter than last week's prunes. =)

Your babies continue to grow and are now approximately the size of a large lime! The crown-to-rump length of your developing children is 1.75 to 2.4 inches each. The weight of the fetuses is approximately 8 grams each at this point. The growth of your babies is phenomenal now and your babies’ length will double in the next three weeks. The head is grossly out of proportion and is almost half of the baby’s length.

You are almost at the end of your first trimester and while changes continue to occur quickly in your babies, they are happening at a slower rate in you. Your uterus has been growing with the fetus inside of it and is now almost big enough to fill your pelvis. Your uterus may be able to be felt in your lower abdomen, above the middle of your pubic bone. You are not able to feel the babies moving inside of you at this time. You might also be noticing changes in your hair, fingernails, or skin around this time. Some women notice an increase in hair growth and nail growth during pregnancy and others lose small amounts of hair. You are burning up calories at a faster rate than you did before you became pregnant! The amount of blood being pumped around your body will increase and you might feel warmer than usual.

External genitalia are beginning to show distinguishing features and the development of male or female will be complete in three weeks. The two placenta’s blood vessels increase to provide your babies with the nutrients and oxygen he needs for continued growth. Your babies’ ears are gradually moving from the neck towards the sides of their head. Inside of your babies’ abdomen, the intestines are developing. Because the intestines are so large, some of them project into the umbilical cord and they will return to the abdomen within the next week or two.

At the size of a plumb, your babies are now able to swallow. The urinary systems function. The babies swallow and urinate the amniotic fluid and the fluid is continually replaced. The babies is kicking but the mother cannot feel it yet. All vital organs are formed and, for the most part, function normally. From now on, they will grow in size and efficiency.

04.30.09 first OB appointment - check

2009-05-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

had my first appointment with dr. e yesterday, and everything looks good.

- i’m still worried about my weight, which is down to 127 today (i was 132 on iui day), but they don’t seem to worried about it. i guess that’s my clue not to worry about it, either.

- dr. e was able to pick up both heartbeats on the doppler, much higher up than i thought they would be – right underneath my belly button. i did preregistration for the hospital and had my initial bloodwork done.

- dr. e told me that there’s basically a 2/3 chance that i will have to have a c-section. the only scenario he will allow a vag attempt is if both babies are head down. if one is head down/one is breech, or both are breech, then it’s off to the operating room.

- he also said that he will allow me to go to 37 weeks before induction or sectioning, so we’re looking at a new date of October 29th.

- i have an appointment set up with maternal fetal medicine (mfm), or the perinatologist, on june 9th. i don’t know how often i will have to see him yet – hopefully not much. since i’ll be 16 1/2 weeks at that appointment, we can probably find out what the babies are!

04.27.09 10w4d ultrasound

2009-05-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

today was my last visit with dr. d, who has officially sent me to dr. e for the rest of my care. i was excited knowing i was getting to see the twinks again, but sad at the same time because i was leaving the people who were able to get me to this point. =(

baby b, HR 171, length 3.80cm:

baby A, HR 176, length 3.82cm:

04.27.09 if this is what we're in for....

2009-05-21T10:22:00.000-07:00

then we have a long road ahead of us. =) check out the activity from Baby B in the link below. for the life of me i cannot figure out how to embed this video into the blog, so you have to click the link.

http://http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=34obxud&s=5

04.27.09 10 week belly pic.... can we say "popped?"

2009-05-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

holy crap…. i can’t believe what a difference 5 days makes.

How far along? 10 weeks, 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: will find out tomorrow
Maternity clothes? my low rise pants are totally too tight now…. full panel is all i can fit in comfortably without going up to a size L.
Stretch marks? not yet!
Sleep: almost 11 hours straight on the weekends…. wish i could do that every night.
Best moment this week: i finally heard a heartbeat on the doppler! it’s still kind of difficult to find because all i can hear loudly is my own, but instead of the whooshing sound that matches my heart rate, i heard the steady “clop – clop – clop” about twice as fast as my own!
Movement: no movement yet.
Food cravings: strawberry crepes from IHOP.
Gender: i’m still predicting two boys. hoping we can find out around my birthday.
What I miss: being able to just “pick up and go” without having to carry a barrage of snack food with me.
What I am looking forward to: my first true prenatal appointment with my OB.
Weekly Wisdom: nothing new to add.
Milestones: graduating from the RE tomorrow – kinda sad because i’ll miss going in to see the twinks every week, but an important milestone because it means i’m stable enough to be passed off to my regular OB.

04.23.09 double digits already.... 10 weeks: prunes!

2009-05-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

you’d think thebump.com would come up with something better than prunes. although they would be, um, beneficial right now, i can’t stomach them.

This week is somewhat of a landmark for your developing babies. By now, your babies’ complete body plan is laid down. Your babies will continue to develop and grow for the remainder of the pregnancy. The fingers and toes have separated and the tails has disappeared now. Your babies have taste and tooth buds at this point, which will continue to develop. The brain will continue to grow at an amazing rate and nearly a quarter of a million new neurons are produced every minute! The embryonic heart is completely developed. External genitalia are not apparent until next week, but a male’s testes will already be producing testosterone.

04.21.09 9w5d belly pic.... and yes, i am holding a half-eaten peep. =)

2009-05-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

how horrible is that? i can’t stop eating for two seconds to take a decent belly pic. =) these are all starting to look the same to me, but maybe one day, each one will show more growth.

How far along? 9 weeks, 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: zero
Maternity clothes? bought a few new tops last weekend.
Stretch marks? not yet!
Sleep: much better since dr. d told me i could take unisom at night… helps immensely with the morning-noon-night sickness, too.
Best moment this week: there’s a twin mom in my office that i talk to on the phone all the time – she has twin girls. today she came in for the girls’ well check appointments and brought me two books on multiples, plus a super-sweet card. made me cry!
Movement: no movement yet.
Food cravings: popcorn indiana kettle corn.
Gender: i’m still predicting two boys. we’ve settled on a boy/girl name set, i’ve got a girl/girl proposal to run by Jeff, but we’re still butting heads about boy/boy names. If it’s two boys, Jeff insists on naming the first one born after him. I’m all about fairness, though, and don’t want one to have to ask us why he wasn’t named after daddy. I don’t know what we’re going to do about boy/boy names.
What I miss: being able to do stuff i normally do without having people holler at me! like lifting boxes, climbing on the kitchen counters to reach stuff up high, standing on chairs at wedding receptions, etc.
What I am looking forward to: my ultrasound next week, and becoming a “graduate” from the specialist. i’ve been kind of antsy having to wait two weeks between appointments now, and i know it will only be worse once i’m seeing my regular ob. i also can’t wait to hear the heartbeats on my doppler….. all i’ve heard so far is my own heartbeat and my lovely bowel sounds. =)
Weekly Wisdom: nothing new to add.
Milestones: a rapid decrease in morning-noon-night sickness.

04.17.09 9 weeks: olives!

2009-05-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

Your little embryo has now officially graduated to fetus-hood. Adding to the excitement, a Doppler ultrasound device might be able to pick up the beating heart. With basic physical structures in place and increasingly distinct facial features, baby is kind of starting to look like… well… a baby!

(p.s. i haven’t been able to pick up heartbeats yet on my home doppler – i’ll try again in a few days.)

04.15.09 8w4d ultrasound (lots of pics!)

2009-05-21T10:09:00.001-07:00

both of them!

baby a’s measurement:

baby a’s heartbeat tracing:

an arm and a leg (that Jeff is convinced is a penis):

baby b’s measurement:

baby b’s heartbeat tracing:

the coolest thing was seeing baby b move…. it’s whole body kind of wiggled. =) we go back in two weeks to see dr. d and officially “graduate” to my ob, dr. e.

04.13.09 8w4d

2009-05-21T10:08:00.001-07:00

How far along? 8 weeks, 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: back up to pre-pregnancy weight
Maternity clothes? i have found that they are not true-to-size….. sadly, i am already in medium pants and they are getting too tight.
Stretch marks? not yet, but itchy
Sleep: it’s getting better, although i’m still sweating to death at night.
Best moment this week: making Jeff’s easter basket and getting to buy a “happy easter, daddy!” card.
Movement: no movement yet.
Food cravings: mcdonald’s hot fudge sundae.
Gender: i’m still predicting two boys, but my niece riley says it’s going to be “two girl babies”. i don’t put much stock in hers, though, since she told me i was having “one, two, three babies”.
What I miss: going a full day without nausea.
What I am looking forward to: my doppler to come in – i ordered it last week.
Weekly Wisdom: not much to add, since it’s been a slow holiday week
Milestones: bawling like some hormonal pregnant lady while watching birth day, a baby story, marvelous multiples, extreme makeover home edition, etc. =)

04.11.09 8 weeks: raspberries!

2009-05-21T10:07:00.001-07:00

Your babies are developing at an amazing rate during these early weeks. Eyelid folds and ears are forming. Your babies’ eyes are still very wide apart on the sides of his/her head, but will eventually center themselves out. The tip of the nose is actually present at this time as well. On ultrasound you can see that the aortic and pulmonary valves of the heart are present. The tubes that lead from the throat to lungs are branching and your babies’ torsos are getting longer and beginning to straighten out. Just a few weeks ago, your babies’ arms were tiny buds. Now the elbows are actually present and the arms and legs extend forward and have grown longer. Fingers and toes are becoming visible also.

04.07.09 7w5d belly pic

2009-05-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

How far along? 7 weeks, 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: up a pound and a half – woo hoo!
Maternity clothes? i am in loooove with destination maternity! it’s a combination of motherhood / mimi / a pea in the pod, and they’ve got all sorts of cool stuff.
Stretch marks? not yet
Sleep: it’s getting rough because i’m hot all the time – the temp in the house this morning was 68 degrees and i was throwing the comforter off of the bed at 3am.
Best moment this week: having someone ask me if i was pregnant…. i guess i really look like it now.
Movement: no movement yet.
Food cravings: not much this week, still having yuck-stomach.
Gender: won’t know for a while, but i’m predicting two boys.
What I miss: cokes – i’m subbing with sweet tea.
What I am looking forward to: 10 weeks, so i can order my doppler. =)
Weekly Wisdom: “if the babies want it, the babies can have it.”
Milestones: i haven’t woken up in the middle of the night to pee in over a week.

04.07.09 7w5d ultrasound

2009-05-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

because of the holiday weekend, and some cramping i had yesterday, i went in early this week for my ultrasound. the pics aren’t that great because i snapped them with my phone…. i keep forgetting to bring the disc in to the dr’s office every week. =(

they’re a little more distinguishable now, and they’re starting to look halfway human! baby A is lower down in my uterus, so he/she always gets the clearer shots:

and baby B sits up in the top of my uterus, and since he/she is farther from the ultrasound probe (ugh… the word probe makes me cringe), we can’t get a really clear pic of it, but it’s clear enough to still see the heartbeat:

04.03.09 7w1d ultrasound

2009-05-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

another shot of the twinkines – baby A was facing to the front, and baby B to the side (that’s why they look so different).

we got a good side view of baby A – you can see the head tucked in at the top, and the end of the “tail” is at the bottom. baby A’s heart rate is 136:

baby B was tucked around to the side, so we couldn’t get a really clear view, but was able to at least get the heart rate, which is 145:

04.02.09 7 weeks: blueberries!

2009-05-21T09:58:00.001-07:00

3
Baby’s brain — both hemispheres! — is growing fast, generating about 100 new cells every minute. Arms and legs are emerging as joints start to form, and a permanent set of kidneys (baby’s third!) is now in place.

03.31.09 6 week belly pic

2009-05-21T09:56:00.001-07:00

i know this is late, but morning sickness hit me hard on sunday night, so this is the first chance i’ve gotten to post.

How far along? 6 weeks, 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: still down 2 pounds
Maternity clothes? i bought some cute scrub tops that have black stretchy sides (i’m modeling one above) – no one carries maternity scrubs, and they are ugly anyways, so i’m substituting.
Stretch marks? not yet
Sleep: i actually slept for thirteen hours last friday night and it felt wonderful.
Best moment this week: seeing heartbeats.
Movement: cramping is less, no movement yet.
Food cravings: it’s mostly been food aversions this week. =(
Gender: won’t know for a while
What I miss: not having nausea
What I am looking forward to: next ultrasound on friday
Weekly Wisdom: “don’t raise your arms above your head! you’ll strangle the babies!” – coworker, when i reached for a chart that was filed on the top shelf
Milestones: the sea bands are leaving permanent dents in my wrists… does that count?

03.27.09 houston, we have heartbeats!

2009-05-21T09:53:00.000-07:00

baby a: heart rate 114

baby b: heart rate 107

and the “dynamic duo”, as jeff calls them:

dr. d, my fertility specialist, wants to continue seeing me for weekly ultrasounds until i reach 10 weeks, when i’ll be released to my ob, dr. e. i’ll see dr. e for my initial visit, then be referred to maternal-fetal medicine at the hospital at around 15-16 weeks, but will continue seeing dr. e at the same time.

stay tuned for the next “belly pic monday” and “ultrasound friday.” =)

03.26.09 sweet peas!

2009-05-21T09:52:00.002-07:00

Growing like crazy, baby is starting to sprout eyes, ears, nose, cheeks and chin. Those little hands and feet- still webbed like paddles- might wiggle by week’s end, the heart is beating (almost twice as fast as yours!), and blood is starting to circulate.

03.23.09 5 week pic

2009-05-21T09:52:00.001-07:00

How far along? 5 weeks, 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: down 2 pounds
Maternity clothes? my maternity jeans i bought last week are getting tight. =(
Stretch marks? not yet
Sleep: i still can’t get enough!
Best moment this week: seeing two itty-bitty blobs on the ultrasound.
Movement: still crampy, but not as much
Food cravings: clear bubblegum snowballs
Gender: with two there’s more options… boy/girl, boy/boy, girl/girl… doesn’t matter as long as it’s healthy
What I miss: uninterrupted sleep
What I am looking forward to: next ultrasound on friday
Weekly Wisdom: “don’t drink orange juice, it will ruin your baby’s complexion.”
Milestones: throwing up. =(

03.20.09 ahem.

2009-05-21T09:51:00.001-07:00

do you see what i see? =)

each black spot is a gestational sack, and inside each of those is a white spot, which is a yolk sack.
yup, that’s right….. we’re having twins!
the one on the left is about half the size of the one on the right…. it was a little late to the implantation party, we think.
i’ll go back in next friday for another ultrasound…. we should be able to see fetal poles and heartbeats then. =)

03.19.09 5 weeks: appleseed!

2009-05-21T09:50:00.003-07:00

i’m going to start calling this weekly post “food of the week”, because that’s exactly what it is. =)

03.18.09 daycare.... eek!

2009-05-21T09:50:00.001-07:00

i’ve started researching daycares, since most of the ones around here have a one year, if not longer, waiting list. i’ve started looking at church-based daycare centers first, and they are averaging anywhere from $110 – $140/week. for one child, that’s reasonable. but if there’s more than one, it starts to add up quickly. and all of the ones i’ve called do offer a sibling discount, but it’s only $5-10 less per week.

i’ve gotten on the waiting list for one that is down the street from my house – they didn’t require a registration fee to be put on it, so i figured, what the hell? it can’t hurt anything. so i called to put my name down, and the lady asked my due date and when the baby would be starting. i told her november 19th, and the baby would be starting around mid-february.

i think i took her by surprise, though, when i told her i would have to call her back to let her know how many babies would need to be wait-listed. she got quiet for a second, then said no problem, just call when we find out how many. hee hee!

i’ve found two other potentials as well, but as time goes on we’re going to visit each one and see what they’re like. if we have more than two, paw paw may be opening his own daycare. =)