Some Quirks...
So here are some little factoids (which I am sure you are DYING to know about) thus far in my pregnancy:
* All I want to eat are spaghettios with meatballs. We buy the giant large cans for $2.12 and I eat them every night for dinner. I could really eat them for lunch too but I am trying to get SOME variety going on here.
* I am down to one nausea pill a day in the morning, however, eating still leaves me a little off afterwards. I have tried small meals, meatless meals, etc. and no matter what after I eat I just feel unsettled. If I eat too much or something junky I really feel awful....clearly these children are confused because too much and junky are two of my favorite ways to eat.
* Still can't stand meat but I can handle Jack in the Box tacos...smart babies, smart.
* I convinced myself last week that I was anemic because I was pale, exhausted and nearly asleep at my desk, plus I was having a little dizziness and lightheadedness. I got on the internet and diagnosed myself with anemia and sent an email to my nurse listing my symptoms and asking her if I needed to get on iron or come in for a blood test. She wrote back, "Dear Kelly...you aren't anemic, you are pregnant...with TWINS. ALL of that is normal for you." Oh. But they will check me again at 20 weeks just to make sure.
* I have a new obsession everyday. One day it was their closet, the other day it was how will we handle teenage drinking, and the day prior it was what if one of us dies before we have time to adequately up our life insurance or compose a will. Mason just tells me "babe, take all the thoughts out of your head" because whenever I have an obsession, guess what, I make it his obsession too.
* If I lay on my right side and put my left hand under my belly between my stomach and the bed and lay realllllllly still I can feel little heartbeats. No kicks or anything yet but definitely little pulses!
* I am having lots of lower pelvic pain from the stretching ligaments I assume but sometimes when I sneeze I have to hold my stomach to keep from having a searing pain go across the bottom of my abdomen. Who knew your body utilizes stomach muscles to do something like sneeze!?
* I forget EVERYTHING. Now, I won't lie and say my memory was stellar prior to this pregnancy but now, I remember nothing. I can't remember why we came to a store between leaving the house and arriving at the store. I am constantly asking Mason, "now what are we here for?" The other morning, I went to the bank to make a deposit for our business and filled out the WITHDRAWAL slip with the wrong business name, I politely apologized to the teller and told him I was having twins and we were all 3 sharing one brain...he said "no worries ma'am, I will fill it out for you".
* I am now averaging 2-3 bathroom trips a night. This does not make me happy because then I get back in bed and latest obsession pops into my head and I am wired for another 30 minutes or so until I can fall asleep...and by then its nearly time to get up and pee again!
* My hips hurt, along with my knees (although they always hurt really even before pregnancy), and I am still out of breath by the stupidest things like talking too fast.
* I look, at 15 weeks and 6 days, like some women do on the day they deliver. I feel like I look GIGANTIC which means I am only going to get more gigantic. Oy.
* I haven't worn makeup in WEEKS...
* I am not entirely sure its set in that this belly will one day give way to two PEOPLE...I catch glimpses of it when I walk by the mirror at night on the way to get in my pajamas and I am constantly like "whoa!"
We have our anatomy scan on Monday, November 3rd. We will find out the genders FOR SURE but more importantly, they will be checking them to make sure all their parts are present and accounted for. I am, of course, terrified that something will be wrong but the doctor has said several times that they looked great on the 11 week scan and my fluid levels were very normal...both good signs. Keep us in your prayers!
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Monday, October 27, 2014
Thoughts...
Being pregnant is a dream come true for me...really. I have wanted nothing but to be a mom since I was about 5 years old. When people would ask "what is your biggest fear" I would say snakes (because really its a close second) but my REAL biggest fear was not being able to be pregnant and carry my own babies. Now, Mason and I were ready to go the distance to have our family even if it included adoption. And I would have felt blessed and happy to get a child in any way, shape or form. But secretly, I want to carry our child, I want to feel them move, I want to deliver them into this world and I know how incredibly blessed I am that this is the path I am on because there are so many women who want this.
Having said that, being pregnant is not fun. From about 6 weeks on I haven't felt like myself. Between the vomiting, the exhaustion, the back pain, the constipation (TMI sorry but the struggle is real) and the raging hormones I have cried, yelled, and sulked more than I care to admit and I am not even halfway there. I am continuously told by my doctor, friends who have been pregnant and the books I read that "all symptoms are exacerbated with twins"....fabulous. But the bigger thing I am starting to realize is how much being an oven and then subsequently a parent is going to change things. Everyone knows children change your lives, thats a no brainer. You know you are no longer going to be able to just take off on a whim for a weekend getaway, not without careful planning for both the kids and the dogs and which grandparents aren't busy etc. Clearly, you are no longer going to be able to go out Friday and Saturday nights, enjoy yourself to the fullest, ahem, quench your thirst to your hearts content, roll in at 3am and sleep Sunday away. But what you aren't prepared for is that the people around you without children aren't bound by these changes and life marches on. And for someone as nosy as me and who HATES to miss out on things...this is hard.
Saturday night was a concert I have looked forward to FOR MONTHS. It was two of my favorite bands with my favorite people in beautiful weather as our last concert of the season...the culmination of our concert year that has included all our favorites, our boots, singing in the car, tailgating, and stories and pictures we will remember forever. And by Saturday afternoon, 2 hours before we were supposed to go I was in tears because I didn't want to go. I tried on 348743 shirts and nothing fit, I was tired, I was dreading my boots because they make my heels hurt because they aren't quite broken in yet, and the tailgate meal of choice was fajitas (normally one of my FAVES) but see, I can't stand meat right now. So I had packed my little cooler with my yogurt and spaghettios and cheese stick and was prepared to power through. And it was then that I realized that this parenting thing changes you forever. I didn't end up going to the concert; I took a nap and ordered Chinese food (rice and egg rolls) and was in bed by 9pm. But all night I cried off and on. My wonderful friends and sweet husband sent me picture after picture and videos galore and I would look at each one and then the tears would start up. Of course, I also cried at The Big Bang Theory episode where Bernadette and Howard got married too so really I was just a mess. This is not a change I was prepared for I guess, already feeling differently before they are even born. Everyone talks to me in terms of weeks, "well how many weeks will you be by then" or "you can't do that because you will be ___ weeks by then". They aren't wrong, it's just so strange to hear, its strange to have limits as an adult, its strange to have to pass on things that you normally live for because you just don't have the energy. BUT I continue to keep my eye on the prize. The day will come that I will be sitting on my couch watching everyone go out and have fun via Facebook or Instagram but I will have two, squishy, beautiful, dreams come true in my arms. The answers to my prayers! I actually can't wait for that day, I can't wait for the day I get to hold them in my arms and my new job in life becomes protecting them and being their mom. But until then, I will get me some clothes that fit, trade in my boots for flip flops, and keep going and doing as much as my body will let me...as everyone tells me, it won't be forever.
Being pregnant is a dream come true for me...really. I have wanted nothing but to be a mom since I was about 5 years old. When people would ask "what is your biggest fear" I would say snakes (because really its a close second) but my REAL biggest fear was not being able to be pregnant and carry my own babies. Now, Mason and I were ready to go the distance to have our family even if it included adoption. And I would have felt blessed and happy to get a child in any way, shape or form. But secretly, I want to carry our child, I want to feel them move, I want to deliver them into this world and I know how incredibly blessed I am that this is the path I am on because there are so many women who want this.
Having said that, being pregnant is not fun. From about 6 weeks on I haven't felt like myself. Between the vomiting, the exhaustion, the back pain, the constipation (TMI sorry but the struggle is real) and the raging hormones I have cried, yelled, and sulked more than I care to admit and I am not even halfway there. I am continuously told by my doctor, friends who have been pregnant and the books I read that "all symptoms are exacerbated with twins"....fabulous. But the bigger thing I am starting to realize is how much being an oven and then subsequently a parent is going to change things. Everyone knows children change your lives, thats a no brainer. You know you are no longer going to be able to just take off on a whim for a weekend getaway, not without careful planning for both the kids and the dogs and which grandparents aren't busy etc. Clearly, you are no longer going to be able to go out Friday and Saturday nights, enjoy yourself to the fullest, ahem, quench your thirst to your hearts content, roll in at 3am and sleep Sunday away. But what you aren't prepared for is that the people around you without children aren't bound by these changes and life marches on. And for someone as nosy as me and who HATES to miss out on things...this is hard.
Saturday night was a concert I have looked forward to FOR MONTHS. It was two of my favorite bands with my favorite people in beautiful weather as our last concert of the season...the culmination of our concert year that has included all our favorites, our boots, singing in the car, tailgating, and stories and pictures we will remember forever. And by Saturday afternoon, 2 hours before we were supposed to go I was in tears because I didn't want to go. I tried on 348743 shirts and nothing fit, I was tired, I was dreading my boots because they make my heels hurt because they aren't quite broken in yet, and the tailgate meal of choice was fajitas (normally one of my FAVES) but see, I can't stand meat right now. So I had packed my little cooler with my yogurt and spaghettios and cheese stick and was prepared to power through. And it was then that I realized that this parenting thing changes you forever. I didn't end up going to the concert; I took a nap and ordered Chinese food (rice and egg rolls) and was in bed by 9pm. But all night I cried off and on. My wonderful friends and sweet husband sent me picture after picture and videos galore and I would look at each one and then the tears would start up. Of course, I also cried at The Big Bang Theory episode where Bernadette and Howard got married too so really I was just a mess. This is not a change I was prepared for I guess, already feeling differently before they are even born. Everyone talks to me in terms of weeks, "well how many weeks will you be by then" or "you can't do that because you will be ___ weeks by then". They aren't wrong, it's just so strange to hear, its strange to have limits as an adult, its strange to have to pass on things that you normally live for because you just don't have the energy. BUT I continue to keep my eye on the prize. The day will come that I will be sitting on my couch watching everyone go out and have fun via Facebook or Instagram but I will have two, squishy, beautiful, dreams come true in my arms. The answers to my prayers! I actually can't wait for that day, I can't wait for the day I get to hold them in my arms and my new job in life becomes protecting them and being their mom. But until then, I will get me some clothes that fit, trade in my boots for flip flops, and keep going and doing as much as my body will let me...as everyone tells me, it won't be forever.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Registering....
Friday night rolled around and as I skipped out of work I had the bright idea that Mason and I should go and start our baby registry this evening since really, what else is there for us to do! I ran that idea by him and he thought it was great.
Now, a little background. We have registered once before for our wedding. We each got a gun and scanned until our little hearts content. That is the reason Xbox Live ended up on our registry as did Bluetooth video game headsets. But really, who cares about a wedding registry? If you only get 3 of the towels you registered for then you alternate those 3. Only get 5 plates, perfect, you have enough to have 3 people over. My point being, I don't think very many people go out and "complete" their wedding registry because they don't have the money and its just not that big of a deal. Welllllll, I felt COMPLETELY different about this baby registry. For me, the scariest part of having twins is not the raising them part its the paying for them part. Daycare alone will be more than our mortgage payment so I am all about maximizing our money at this point. People have offered us things and we have turned NOTHING down. We bought our cribs on sale and our biggest expense for the nursery will really be new carpeting as there is currently nothing but concrete because one large, white pitbull ATE the carpet in the room. So to me, we need to get most everything on our registry so we don't have to come out of pocket for it later....However, I guess I never relayed these feelings to Mason. So he approached baby registering with the "get whatever" attitude that we approached wedding registering. I, however, had a checklist, a pencil, and my phone handy to look up customer reviews. I had also put a post on a multiples website asking for suggestions and I have pinned 576968 different posts to Pinterest about "surviving twins" or "10 things you must have with your twins" or "3 things that saved me from going insane with twins" etc...so this was a MISSION for me. All I needed was a sweatband and water bottle really.
We arrived at Babies R' Us and I should have known I was in trouble when the lady asked if we each wanted a gun. It was like in the movies we said "no" and "yes" at the same time...I was the one who said no if you were wondering. Well, he was having none of that so we took off with our individual scanners and our checklist and we headed to the first aisle. Let me also stop here and point out that Babies R' Us is what I imagine hell must be like. It is overwhelming and it makes me feel like a bad mom and my kids aren't even here yet. So, anyway, we are on the first aisle. I am reading the top of the checklist and musing out loud of where we should start and I hear the scanner dinging. I look up and Mason is holding a sheep/lamb combo of some sort saying "look its a gift set" and I said "whoa whoa, whoa, a giftset of what" and he replies that its the lamb that makes the womb sound that you can put in babies crib. I thought that sounded nice so I looked a little further and found just the lamb for half the price and I suggested that we get two of those instead. As the words are coming out of my mouth, the gun is still dinging. Long story short, our registry currently has NINE different lamb/sheep/lamb sheep combos/womb sound machines on it and we had been there for 5 minutes.
Next, we moves onto the breast feeding aisle. I knew I needed several things there so I was going about looking at the difference between disposable nursing pads and washable pads, lanolin vs. other creams and THE GUN IS DINGING FROM THE NEXT AISLE. What is HAPPENING? HE IS NOT FOLLOWING THE CHECKLIST OR THE FLOW OF THE AISLES AT ALL? I know I am very Type A and I need routine and a spreadsheet and a schedule etc. to feel comfortable and Mason IS NOT, so I cautiously called out "babe, what did you find" and I think he yelled something like "Boogie Wipes" or something and I politely suggested he join me back on this aisle (as to get back on schedule). I hastily scanned a bunch of crap for breastfeeding because he was ready to start on bottles. He felt very strongly we needed to use Dr. Brown's bottles which is fine because I have read up on them so we read on the checklist we need a starter kit so we found two of those. Then I tell him we need different nipples and he says "why" and I told him they might chew them, they get lost in the dishwasher etc. and the difference between slow flow, medium flow and as his eyes glazed over I just pointed at what to scan. We began scanning a million nipples and then realized they were 2 packs. So yes, we are the people that registered for 20 bottles and 65 nipples...its fine.
Then it was time for the bath aisle. This happens to be my favorite and its what I give the most at showers. I like to buy the bath tub, the baby washes, the washcloths and the little robe and give it as a gift. So I tell Mason I am going to scan the lavender nighttime bath wash and lotion because I love the smell and he says "I like Burts Bees....". I replied that Johnsons is $4 a bottle and the Burt's Bees is $14.99 and that when we run out of the 1 bottle of Burt's Bees on the off chance someone gives it to us, I am coming back and buying Johnsons because we can get 4 bottles of that for the same price as the Burt's Bees. Johnsons made the registry list. I could go on and on because we were there for hours and we really barely scratched the surface and our registry has like 219 items on it. But I learned a lesson...when its time to go register at Target I am taking my Sonic drink, my yellow memo pad and my pencil and going ALONE!!! Mason is a wonderful husband and I know he will be a great dad and really, what was most shocking of the evening was that he had an opinion. Usually, he feels strongly about so little that he just defers to me....maybe I've gotten used to that! But, lets be honest, when he is changing a diaper and putting cream on a behind he won't care/know the difference if its Boudreaux's Butt Paste or Desitin! Such fun Friday nights we have!
Saturday was my sister and Ted's couples shower. It was so cute and Katie did such a great job on it. They got lots of great stuff and I know they had a blast because there was football!!! Afterwards, we ventured out to the fair with my brother and sister-in-law and it was AWFUL. I LOVE the fair but I have never been when it was this crowded and it took all the fun out of it. The food lines were 30 people deep, you couldn't even walk down the main walkways you just kind of oozed along with the crowd. We were there maybe an hour...enough to eat a corn dog, a caramel apple with nuts, and look at the cars. It will be interesting to see how we do the fair next year since we will have
6/7 month olds and I think that's too young but we shall see.
Sunday, we ate Babe's for lunch where I ate all vegetables because its all I care about these days. Afterwards, Melissa and I ran around and did some Christmas shopping and finally came home where I cleaned out my kitchen in preparation for our garage sale on the 1st. Needless to say, it was HARD getting out of bed this morning.
I laid in bed last night OBSESSED thinking about closets...specifically the twins closets. We are cramming two babies in one room with one dresser so that translates to...the closet must be a ninja organized masterpiece. I am trying to get my thoughts under control but lets just say I did some closet planning online today and it brought about a sense of calm that is so sad to get from a closet. I wish it was free...
Here are a few pregnancy updates:
* I still HATE meat and crave salad and fruit and carbs. I am going to start adding protein powder to my strawberry smoothies this week because I know I need the protein.
* Lots of lower pelvic pain these past weeks. I am told its because my ligaments are stretching to make room for the babies...
* I am still sleeping sort of on my belly. I lodge my boppy pillow up under my stomach and prop myself against it but it is starting to not be as comfortable which is a MAJOR bummer because I am all sorts of a belly sleeper with one leg hanging out of the covers.
* Pregnancy dreams are INSANE and what is even more insane is I can remember them pretty vividly when I wake up...crazy.
* I really hate eating. Those who know me well know this is not me AT ALL. But things sound good for a fleeting moment and if I don't get whatever it is pretty quickly...I'm over it. I really do try things with meat but they just don't sit well. The saddest part is, Mexican is just not my friend...this is a problem.
* I may have a popsicle addiction. My record is 4 before bed last week while watching TV, poor Mason kept getting up and bringing them to me until he finally just looked at me and said "really" and I took that as my cue to stop for the evening.
* The only drink that sounds any good to me most days is water and I HATE water...what are these children doing to me!?
In 4 short weeks I will be about halfway done with this pregnancy and that is AMAZING to me! We head back to the doctor on the 3rd of November for our gender scan and to check for more stuff that could be wrong and is gonna scare the bejeebies out of me until then. I am looking forward to them being able to hear and for me to start feeling them move! Thanks for reading and have a great week!!!
Friday night rolled around and as I skipped out of work I had the bright idea that Mason and I should go and start our baby registry this evening since really, what else is there for us to do! I ran that idea by him and he thought it was great.
Now, a little background. We have registered once before for our wedding. We each got a gun and scanned until our little hearts content. That is the reason Xbox Live ended up on our registry as did Bluetooth video game headsets. But really, who cares about a wedding registry? If you only get 3 of the towels you registered for then you alternate those 3. Only get 5 plates, perfect, you have enough to have 3 people over. My point being, I don't think very many people go out and "complete" their wedding registry because they don't have the money and its just not that big of a deal. Welllllll, I felt COMPLETELY different about this baby registry. For me, the scariest part of having twins is not the raising them part its the paying for them part. Daycare alone will be more than our mortgage payment so I am all about maximizing our money at this point. People have offered us things and we have turned NOTHING down. We bought our cribs on sale and our biggest expense for the nursery will really be new carpeting as there is currently nothing but concrete because one large, white pitbull ATE the carpet in the room. So to me, we need to get most everything on our registry so we don't have to come out of pocket for it later....However, I guess I never relayed these feelings to Mason. So he approached baby registering with the "get whatever" attitude that we approached wedding registering. I, however, had a checklist, a pencil, and my phone handy to look up customer reviews. I had also put a post on a multiples website asking for suggestions and I have pinned 576968 different posts to Pinterest about "surviving twins" or "10 things you must have with your twins" or "3 things that saved me from going insane with twins" etc...so this was a MISSION for me. All I needed was a sweatband and water bottle really.
We arrived at Babies R' Us and I should have known I was in trouble when the lady asked if we each wanted a gun. It was like in the movies we said "no" and "yes" at the same time...I was the one who said no if you were wondering. Well, he was having none of that so we took off with our individual scanners and our checklist and we headed to the first aisle. Let me also stop here and point out that Babies R' Us is what I imagine hell must be like. It is overwhelming and it makes me feel like a bad mom and my kids aren't even here yet. So, anyway, we are on the first aisle. I am reading the top of the checklist and musing out loud of where we should start and I hear the scanner dinging. I look up and Mason is holding a sheep/lamb combo of some sort saying "look its a gift set" and I said "whoa whoa, whoa, a giftset of what" and he replies that its the lamb that makes the womb sound that you can put in babies crib. I thought that sounded nice so I looked a little further and found just the lamb for half the price and I suggested that we get two of those instead. As the words are coming out of my mouth, the gun is still dinging. Long story short, our registry currently has NINE different lamb/sheep/lamb sheep combos/womb sound machines on it and we had been there for 5 minutes.
Next, we moves onto the breast feeding aisle. I knew I needed several things there so I was going about looking at the difference between disposable nursing pads and washable pads, lanolin vs. other creams and THE GUN IS DINGING FROM THE NEXT AISLE. What is HAPPENING? HE IS NOT FOLLOWING THE CHECKLIST OR THE FLOW OF THE AISLES AT ALL? I know I am very Type A and I need routine and a spreadsheet and a schedule etc. to feel comfortable and Mason IS NOT, so I cautiously called out "babe, what did you find" and I think he yelled something like "Boogie Wipes" or something and I politely suggested he join me back on this aisle (as to get back on schedule). I hastily scanned a bunch of crap for breastfeeding because he was ready to start on bottles. He felt very strongly we needed to use Dr. Brown's bottles which is fine because I have read up on them so we read on the checklist we need a starter kit so we found two of those. Then I tell him we need different nipples and he says "why" and I told him they might chew them, they get lost in the dishwasher etc. and the difference between slow flow, medium flow and as his eyes glazed over I just pointed at what to scan. We began scanning a million nipples and then realized they were 2 packs. So yes, we are the people that registered for 20 bottles and 65 nipples...its fine.
Then it was time for the bath aisle. This happens to be my favorite and its what I give the most at showers. I like to buy the bath tub, the baby washes, the washcloths and the little robe and give it as a gift. So I tell Mason I am going to scan the lavender nighttime bath wash and lotion because I love the smell and he says "I like Burts Bees....". I replied that Johnsons is $4 a bottle and the Burt's Bees is $14.99 and that when we run out of the 1 bottle of Burt's Bees on the off chance someone gives it to us, I am coming back and buying Johnsons because we can get 4 bottles of that for the same price as the Burt's Bees. Johnsons made the registry list. I could go on and on because we were there for hours and we really barely scratched the surface and our registry has like 219 items on it. But I learned a lesson...when its time to go register at Target I am taking my Sonic drink, my yellow memo pad and my pencil and going ALONE!!! Mason is a wonderful husband and I know he will be a great dad and really, what was most shocking of the evening was that he had an opinion. Usually, he feels strongly about so little that he just defers to me....maybe I've gotten used to that! But, lets be honest, when he is changing a diaper and putting cream on a behind he won't care/know the difference if its Boudreaux's Butt Paste or Desitin! Such fun Friday nights we have!
Saturday was my sister and Ted's couples shower. It was so cute and Katie did such a great job on it. They got lots of great stuff and I know they had a blast because there was football!!! Afterwards, we ventured out to the fair with my brother and sister-in-law and it was AWFUL. I LOVE the fair but I have never been when it was this crowded and it took all the fun out of it. The food lines were 30 people deep, you couldn't even walk down the main walkways you just kind of oozed along with the crowd. We were there maybe an hour...enough to eat a corn dog, a caramel apple with nuts, and look at the cars. It will be interesting to see how we do the fair next year since we will have
6/7 month olds and I think that's too young but we shall see.
Sunday, we ate Babe's for lunch where I ate all vegetables because its all I care about these days. Afterwards, Melissa and I ran around and did some Christmas shopping and finally came home where I cleaned out my kitchen in preparation for our garage sale on the 1st. Needless to say, it was HARD getting out of bed this morning.
I laid in bed last night OBSESSED thinking about closets...specifically the twins closets. We are cramming two babies in one room with one dresser so that translates to...the closet must be a ninja organized masterpiece. I am trying to get my thoughts under control but lets just say I did some closet planning online today and it brought about a sense of calm that is so sad to get from a closet. I wish it was free...
Here are a few pregnancy updates:
* I still HATE meat and crave salad and fruit and carbs. I am going to start adding protein powder to my strawberry smoothies this week because I know I need the protein.
* Lots of lower pelvic pain these past weeks. I am told its because my ligaments are stretching to make room for the babies...
* I am still sleeping sort of on my belly. I lodge my boppy pillow up under my stomach and prop myself against it but it is starting to not be as comfortable which is a MAJOR bummer because I am all sorts of a belly sleeper with one leg hanging out of the covers.
* Pregnancy dreams are INSANE and what is even more insane is I can remember them pretty vividly when I wake up...crazy.
* I really hate eating. Those who know me well know this is not me AT ALL. But things sound good for a fleeting moment and if I don't get whatever it is pretty quickly...I'm over it. I really do try things with meat but they just don't sit well. The saddest part is, Mexican is just not my friend...this is a problem.
* I may have a popsicle addiction. My record is 4 before bed last week while watching TV, poor Mason kept getting up and bringing them to me until he finally just looked at me and said "really" and I took that as my cue to stop for the evening.
* The only drink that sounds any good to me most days is water and I HATE water...what are these children doing to me!?
In 4 short weeks I will be about halfway done with this pregnancy and that is AMAZING to me! We head back to the doctor on the 3rd of November for our gender scan and to check for more stuff that could be wrong and is gonna scare the bejeebies out of me until then. I am looking forward to them being able to hear and for me to start feeling them move! Thanks for reading and have a great week!!!
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
14 Weeks and 2nd Trimester!
We are nearly 4 months pregnant and Ebola has hit Dallas. More specifically, the first Ebola patient in the U.S. DIED in the same hospital my doctor is in and where the babies are supposed to be delivered. Most days I don't panic or let it bother me but they have had two more confirmed cases and it just gives me the willies. I have spoken to my doctors and they all feel comfortable that we aren't in any danger going to see them at Margot Perot. A friend of mine who is also pregnant and a patient of my doctor's said she spoke directly to him today and he still feels confident there is no issue. But, he and the other doctors in the practice have been granted rites to practice in other hospitals JUST IN CASE. I don't deliver for another 4 months, at least, so I am praying it may be no big deal by then.
In other news my sickness seemed to be getting better and then I got to week 14 and this morning I thought I was going to die again. Fortunately, a pill and a meal made it better and I was set for the rest of the afternoon. I also had some weird pains Saturday night in the night and I felt wrecked on Sunday too. I am patiently waiting for this second trimester energy burst and cessation of sickness. It is BETTER but I would love it GONE!
In food news, I am very concerned about my protein intake. I don't want to eat meat AT ALL, the thought of it makes me want to hurl. All I want to eat are carbs, salad, fruit, and popsicles. I got in touch with the doctor and asked about protein powder and he gave me the green light so I am going to get some this weekend and start adding it to my fruit smoothies I have been making.
Over the weekend we went to some friends housewarming party. Everyone got themselves good and "thirst quenched" while I ate at the kitchen island. I was exhausted by 10:15 so I left Mason to have fun and I headed home for bed.
Fetal size: Length, 3 1/4 to 4 inches, crown to rump. Weight, around 1 ounce.
Fetal development milestones: Your babies' male or female genitalia are forming. Tissue under their faces and limbs is beginning to harden into bone. Their livers and spleens are producing red blood cells. Upper limbs are becoming proportionate to the rest of their bodies (although lower limbs are still underdeveloped). Now into your second trimester, your babies' bones are beginning to harden in a complex process called ossification, where inorganic and organic compounds come together to help the skeleton harden.
We are nearly 4 months pregnant and Ebola has hit Dallas. More specifically, the first Ebola patient in the U.S. DIED in the same hospital my doctor is in and where the babies are supposed to be delivered. Most days I don't panic or let it bother me but they have had two more confirmed cases and it just gives me the willies. I have spoken to my doctors and they all feel comfortable that we aren't in any danger going to see them at Margot Perot. A friend of mine who is also pregnant and a patient of my doctor's said she spoke directly to him today and he still feels confident there is no issue. But, he and the other doctors in the practice have been granted rites to practice in other hospitals JUST IN CASE. I don't deliver for another 4 months, at least, so I am praying it may be no big deal by then.
In other news my sickness seemed to be getting better and then I got to week 14 and this morning I thought I was going to die again. Fortunately, a pill and a meal made it better and I was set for the rest of the afternoon. I also had some weird pains Saturday night in the night and I felt wrecked on Sunday too. I am patiently waiting for this second trimester energy burst and cessation of sickness. It is BETTER but I would love it GONE!
In food news, I am very concerned about my protein intake. I don't want to eat meat AT ALL, the thought of it makes me want to hurl. All I want to eat are carbs, salad, fruit, and popsicles. I got in touch with the doctor and asked about protein powder and he gave me the green light so I am going to get some this weekend and start adding it to my fruit smoothies I have been making.
Over the weekend we went to some friends housewarming party. Everyone got themselves good and "thirst quenched" while I ate at the kitchen island. I was exhausted by 10:15 so I left Mason to have fun and I headed home for bed.
I am also so very excited because we are having a GENDER REVEAL party in November! I have always loved the concept and since these will be our only babies I am so glad we get to have the opportunity to have it. My sister and brother in law are opening their home and hosting our closest family and friends....check out the invite!
$12 on Etsy...print at home!!!
According to BabyCenter, this is the developmental stage for our 14 week babies:
Fetal development milestones: Your babies' male or female genitalia are forming. Tissue under their faces and limbs is beginning to harden into bone. Their livers and spleens are producing red blood cells. Upper limbs are becoming proportionate to the rest of their bodies (although lower limbs are still underdeveloped). Now into your second trimester, your babies' bones are beginning to harden in a complex process called ossification, where inorganic and organic compounds come together to help the skeleton harden.
And I will leave you with the belly...the one that no longer fits in any of my pants and very few of my shirts. This belly is holding 2 peach size babies and it amazes me EVERYDAY that I have been chosen to carry out this task. We are truly blessed!
Monday, October 6, 2014
Nuchal Fold Test and Genetic Blood Screen
12 weeks and 5 days and it was time to see our babies again! We got to Margot Perot at Presbyterian Hospital...yes, you heard right, home of the Ebola. I was not freaked. I have done my research and spoken to the doctor and some doctor friends and I felt comfortable that our odds were favorable at NOT contracting Ebola. Mason, however, was not as sure. He took napkins into the hospital and refused to touch the elevator button, pushing it with his elbow. When we arrived at the 3rd floor for our appointment we were AGAIN in the wrong place (what is wrong with us) and we headed back to the elevators. Mason uses the tissue to push the button and we get on the elevator and he PUTS THE NAPKIN UP TO NEAR HIS MOUTH AND WIPES HIS FACE. I start laughing hysterically and he realized what he did. So, when we get off the elevator he runs to the nearest hand sanitizer foam station and puts that stuff all over his beard, his lips, his face...he looked like Santa or a dog foaming at the mouth with rabies!! Needless to say, we are still Ebola free and made it to our appointment on time!
Once we arrived I had to fill out a book of paperwork and our 9:15 appointment took until 10 to finally get us back. They took us into a little room where they gave us some "genetic counseling". This consisted of her politely telling all the AWFUL things that could be chromosomally wrong with our babies and asked if we wanted to be tested for 475949494 awful different diseases we could potentially pass on tour babies. Well, I am a knowledge is power kind of girl so I said I would go ahead and get tested but we would wait to see what that brought up before deciding to test Mason. BOTH parents have to carry a certain gene for any given disease so she said most of the time they never "pair" up...we shall see. Then she explained the Nuchal Fold Scan which is what we would be looking for in our sonogram. There is a fluid filled portion on the back of a fetus's neck and the size and accumulation of fluid at this time can lead them to believe there is a higher likelihood of Down's Syndrome. Also, in babies with Down's Syndrome there is not a developed nasal bone at this time in development, so those would be the two things they would be looking for.
After we had beenscared shitless informed we were led to a scan room and told the technician would be taking measurements and looking at the scan but she could tell us nothing. She came in and was very sweet. I was shaking and holding onto Mason for dear life petrified a heart beat would be missing. She put the wand on my belly and there they were....two beautiful, strong, loud, heartbeats! One of the babies (Baby B) was wiggling and jumping around and WAVED at us. Baby A was rather lazy and had to be prodded to move but eventually did. I cried happy tears through most of it and there is no more beautiful sound than hearing your children's heartbeats for the first time. She took tons of measurements and pictures and it turns out, Mason has a knack for reading sonograms. He was pointing to body parts and bones and mouths and ears and the tech said he was right most of the time! We asked her what she thought about the necks and she said "they look ok to me" but that was as much as she would tell us. She felt satisfied with the amount of measurements and left to get the Dr.
We were scheduled to see Dr. Rhinehart but his partner, Dr. Greer, is who we ended up seeing. She came in and prodded me a little...she told us their necks look GREAT and they had perfectly developed nasal bones. We asked her to guess the genders and she made guesses (actually, she agreed with Mason's guess) but said she could be wrong. However, she said 9 times out of 10 she is right!!!!! Overall, our scan was average, no cause for concern. I left the room and gave blood and saliva for them to check for other chromosomal abnormalities but we left feeling pretty amazing.
After we left Dr. Rhinehart's we headed over to my OB, Dr. Hampton Richards. They checked my urine, my weight, and my blood pressure and Dr. H came in and chatted with us for a bit. He said everything looked great and he suggested we schedule my C-section so I could have first dibs on time and date. He said obviously it is way early and we may have to move it, change it, cancel it etc. but at least we have a starting point.
We came straight home and announced our wonderful news via Facebook and the love and kindness and well wishes have been amazing! We feel so blessed to have been chosen by God to take this journey and we want nothing more than to have healthy babies and be good parents. Pray for us!
12 weeks and 5 days and it was time to see our babies again! We got to Margot Perot at Presbyterian Hospital...yes, you heard right, home of the Ebola. I was not freaked. I have done my research and spoken to the doctor and some doctor friends and I felt comfortable that our odds were favorable at NOT contracting Ebola. Mason, however, was not as sure. He took napkins into the hospital and refused to touch the elevator button, pushing it with his elbow. When we arrived at the 3rd floor for our appointment we were AGAIN in the wrong place (what is wrong with us) and we headed back to the elevators. Mason uses the tissue to push the button and we get on the elevator and he PUTS THE NAPKIN UP TO NEAR HIS MOUTH AND WIPES HIS FACE. I start laughing hysterically and he realized what he did. So, when we get off the elevator he runs to the nearest hand sanitizer foam station and puts that stuff all over his beard, his lips, his face...he looked like Santa or a dog foaming at the mouth with rabies!! Needless to say, we are still Ebola free and made it to our appointment on time!
Once we arrived I had to fill out a book of paperwork and our 9:15 appointment took until 10 to finally get us back. They took us into a little room where they gave us some "genetic counseling". This consisted of her politely telling all the AWFUL things that could be chromosomally wrong with our babies and asked if we wanted to be tested for 475949494 awful different diseases we could potentially pass on tour babies. Well, I am a knowledge is power kind of girl so I said I would go ahead and get tested but we would wait to see what that brought up before deciding to test Mason. BOTH parents have to carry a certain gene for any given disease so she said most of the time they never "pair" up...we shall see. Then she explained the Nuchal Fold Scan which is what we would be looking for in our sonogram. There is a fluid filled portion on the back of a fetus's neck and the size and accumulation of fluid at this time can lead them to believe there is a higher likelihood of Down's Syndrome. Also, in babies with Down's Syndrome there is not a developed nasal bone at this time in development, so those would be the two things they would be looking for.
After we had been
We were scheduled to see Dr. Rhinehart but his partner, Dr. Greer, is who we ended up seeing. She came in and prodded me a little...she told us their necks look GREAT and they had perfectly developed nasal bones. We asked her to guess the genders and she made guesses (actually, she agreed with Mason's guess) but said she could be wrong. However, she said 9 times out of 10 she is right!!!!! Overall, our scan was average, no cause for concern. I left the room and gave blood and saliva for them to check for other chromosomal abnormalities but we left feeling pretty amazing.
After we left Dr. Rhinehart's we headed over to my OB, Dr. Hampton Richards. They checked my urine, my weight, and my blood pressure and Dr. H came in and chatted with us for a bit. He said everything looked great and he suggested we schedule my C-section so I could have first dibs on time and date. He said obviously it is way early and we may have to move it, change it, cancel it etc. but at least we have a starting point.
We came straight home and announced our wonderful news via Facebook and the love and kindness and well wishes have been amazing! We feel so blessed to have been chosen by God to take this journey and we want nothing more than to have healthy babies and be good parents. Pray for us!
Twins - 13 weeks - Beginning of Scan
Sweet Baby B....WAVING!!!
Sunday, October 5, 2014
12 Weeks + 5 days and Announcement Pictures!
One more week down! Our amazing photographer, Brooke Barnes, who photographed our engagement pictures and wedding pictures and is now doing my sisters wedding in February met us here in Rockwall today for some "announcement" photos. We are ready to tell the world about the twins but I wanted a cute way to do it. So I have been surfing Pinterest and I found about 4-5 cute ways to do it so we met at Harry Myers this evening to shoot. She is AH-MAZING and already sent me back several to chose from for our FB reveal....
LOVE!!!
One more week down! Our amazing photographer, Brooke Barnes, who photographed our engagement pictures and wedding pictures and is now doing my sisters wedding in February met us here in Rockwall today for some "announcement" photos. We are ready to tell the world about the twins but I wanted a cute way to do it. So I have been surfing Pinterest and I found about 4-5 cute ways to do it so we met at Harry Myers this evening to shoot. She is AH-MAZING and already sent me back several to chose from for our FB reveal....
LOVE!!!
So, yea, she is phenomenal. And I finally felt sort of like myself because I bought the shirt and jeans at Motherhood so they actually fit me. Of course, we couldn't decide on just 1 picture we liked so I made a collage to post tomorrow. We have our perinatologist appointment at 9:15 for our nuchal fold test and CVS blood test. To say we are apprehensive is an understatement but we continue to pray for healthy babies. After that appointment we have my regular OB at 11 so it will be a day for the babies! We are now the proud owners of 4 Chicco Key Fit 30 carseat bases so we have 2 for Mason's truck and 2 to gift to grandparents. A few highlights of our pregnancy so far:
* All I feel like eating are baked potatoes.
* I THINK (knock on wood) the nausea is getting better...I accidentally forgot my pills before bed the other night and I didn't wake up sick.
* I am doing a little better with the fatigue as well but it really helps if I don't indulge it, try to stay busy etc. otherwise I could crash for hours.
* The headaches have gotten worse but I don't know if its the pregnancy or the fact that my head is constantly filled with snot (sorry TMI).
* I have had some dizzy spells and ringing in my ears but I had the school nurse take my blood pressure and it was great. Again, she said it could be caused by the headfull of you know...
* I run out of breath....all the time. If I talk too fast, bend over, walk a far distance quickly, do something like unload the dishwasher, etc. I am winded!!!
Well, send good vibes and prayers to us for tomorrow!!!
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
12 weeks!!!
Wellllllll we made it through the first trimester and we are all still standing! Not much has changed lately except we have decided on the carseats we want, the Chicco KeyFit 30.
Wellllllll we made it through the first trimester and we are all still standing! Not much has changed lately except we have decided on the carseats we want, the Chicco KeyFit 30.
Now they aren't giving these babies away and aside from the ridiculous cost the bases themselves are $85. We've decided to register for the carseats which will obviously come with their own bases but we need two more for Mason's truck, then two for my parents, and two for Mason's parents. Sooooo, I started looking at Craigslist and emailing people about just purchasing the bases. We are now the proud owner of 3 bases for less than $100. So, a few more to go! We are also the proud new owners of the snap-n-go stroller for twins.
Every website I have looked at says if you only get one thing for twins get this stroller. It retails for $120 and I got it for about $45! So anyway, that's really where we are. I am hoping for some relief soon from the nausea and fatigue. Sunday I didn't even get out of bed it just hit me like a mac truck and I got up to make a sandwich and go to the bathroom. I sent Mason off to hang out with a friend and I just slept all day. I am ready for this second trimester energy boost because walking three hours at the fair on Friday nearly wore me out. We cannot WAIT until October 6th, our next sonogram of our little gummy bears. We also get our Nuchal Fold test done and I am trying not to stress about that too much unnecessarily. Here are their stats at 12 months...
By 12 weeks, your twins will have each grown to 5.4cm (2.1in) long and will be fully formed.
Your babies' faces are beginning to look more human, with their eyes, which started out on the sides of their heads, now closer together. Their ears are almost in their final position on the side of their heads.
Your babies' livers are making enzymes, and their kidneys are producing wee. Their wee ends up in the amniotic sac after it passes through their bladders. Your babies' wee makes up most of the amniotic fluid during the second half of pregnancy. Amniotic fluid is essential for the development of your twins' internal organs, such as their lungs, and their limbs.
Your twins will squirm if you prod your tummy, though you can't yet feel movement. Their nerve cells have been multiplying rapidly and neurological connections in their brain (synapses) are forming. Your twins will gradually develop more reflexes, and are now capable of closing their palms, curling their toes and clenching their eyelids.
Your babies' faces are beginning to look more human, with their eyes, which started out on the sides of their heads, now closer together. Their ears are almost in their final position on the side of their heads.
Your babies' livers are making enzymes, and their kidneys are producing wee. Their wee ends up in the amniotic sac after it passes through their bladders. Your babies' wee makes up most of the amniotic fluid during the second half of pregnancy. Amniotic fluid is essential for the development of your twins' internal organs, such as their lungs, and their limbs.
Your twins will squirm if you prod your tummy, though you can't yet feel movement. Their nerve cells have been multiplying rapidly and neurological connections in their brain (synapses) are forming. Your twins will gradually develop more reflexes, and are now capable of closing their palms, curling their toes and clenching their eyelids.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)