Week 21

I think I start out every post like this. hehe Both boys are doing really well. Baby A still has extra fluid and Baby B is considered normal. Heart beats were in the 160's. Stomachs, bladders, and umbilical cord flows all looked really good. My cervix, blood pressure, and protien were all where they needed to be. I'm at about 21 lbs over my pre-pregnancy weight.

The only hiccup this week is that on Thursday's MFS visit, they found that I was having contractions. These weren't prelabor ones, or even Braxton Hicks "practice" contractions. Basically because Baby A's bubble is so big, my belly is having to grow really fast. This makes it kind of irritated and every once in a while it would contract. I can't feel them and they don't hurt. I'm not sure of the exact frequency but I do know that J making me laugh caused a much bigger spike on the readout. hehe

But the doctor seemed to feel that the contractions either needed to be closely monitored (I'd have to be admitted to the hospital) or stopped with medication (a shot of terbutaline). Naturally I took the shot. Unfortunately the side effects were pretty bad. My heart was pounding, I felt like I couldn't breathe (but I could), and when the nurse came in to check on me, she found me bent over the trash can with J holding my hair. I also was soaked in a cold sweat.

The contractions stopped eventually but I felt like I'd been run over by a truck. We were there for 3 hrs, most of which were with me hooked up to the monitor. The shot only lasts for so long, so the doctor put me on a different medication to stop the contractions. So far I've had zero side effects from that.

I have to go back in on Monday for them to check me again. J wants to be there for every MFS appointment but they seem to just get longer and longer. It's one thing to take a long lunch. It's another to take an unannounced half-day.

So now the good stuff. The boys were their normal rambunctious selves this week. On Tuesday the regular OB had a hard time pinning down Baby B for a doppler heartbeat check. He kept squirming all over the place. Then on Thursday, the ultrasound tech found the following situation going on.

Baby B Sitting on Baby A's Head

Baby A Trying to Fight Off Baby B's Behind

Baby A Not So Innocently Kicking Baby B in the Head

Week 20

This week I've started to feel the boys moving and kicking. It's been a weird experience, especially when one tries to crawl up under my ribs. It would be better for all of us if I could breathe, boys!

Heartburn has also showed up in force, waking me up multiple times a night to take Tums. I'm switching to a prescription antacid and hope it helps.

Our doctor's visit this week went pretty well. Baby A still has more fluid than Baby B and has most likely gained some more over the previous week. Baby B has a normal amount of fluid. Both boys look healthy and active. Bladders, stomachs, and heartbeats all looked good.

The doctor said that at this point, it's a lot like I'm carrying triplets because of the extra room Baby A is taking up. That didn't really surprise me since my belly has been doing some serious stretching this week. It's hard to find a comfortable sleep position because of the soreness sometimes.

I completed my first week of non-work today. We're still working through the paper work with my HR department. Hopefully that will be done soon and I can stop stressing about it. hehe

Week 19

Our babies got a lot of attention this week with 3 doctors visits.  We had the MFS on Monday and Friday, and the regular OB on Tuesday.  Everything is stable with the babies and me, meaning heart beats, bladders, and sizes are all good.  Baby A continues to have more fluid than Baby B but the amount hasn't changed.  Both babies are weighing in at 12oz.  I'm at about 20lbs above my pre-pregnancy weight.

At this point the MFS feels that the boys do have TTTS but a mild form.  Here's a link to the Wikipedia description of TTTS.  You may get the perception from that site that the outlook is bleak for both babies.  While this is a serious condition, please keep in mind that we have a mild form and what they're concentrating on are severe cases.  The babies are in great shape and very healthy right now.

The plan forward is for me to stop working.  Rest, fluids, and food are what the babies need right now.  There is a good chance that we will need to have a amniotic fluid reduction done for Baby A.  This means a very small needle will draw off fluid from Baby A's bubble until it's the same size as Baby B's.  Long term our MFS thinks we'll need to get the laser surgery done in Cincinnati.  We're hoping that's not the case, especially since both babies are doing really well so far, but it may come to that.

Now for less doom and gloom.  The boys caused quite the commotion at this week's office visits.  On Monday, Baby A was asleep until Baby B started kicking him.  Baby B's legs were going so fast that the ultrasound had a hard time keeping up.  The u/s tech was trying to get measurements of Baby B through all of the punching and kicking but let out a frustrated sigh when Baby B decided it was time to flip over.  We spent another 10 min just trying to find the right measurements again.

Today Baby A was in on the wiggling fun.  Neither one would hold still long enough for the tech to get circulation measurements.  She must have tried for 20 min.  She finally put the scanner down and gave up.  hehe  Since flipping over was such a big hit earlier, Baby B one-upped himself by flipping AND crawling on top of Baby A.  So I had one baby trying to hide under my ribs and the other head-butting the exit.  We're in trouble when these boys are born!

Here are some action shots from this week.

Baby A Sleeping Face Down

Baby B Pouting the ENTIRE Time

Baby B Mid-Kick to Baby A

Baby A Waking Up and Fighting Back

Baby A's Head on Baby B's Shoulder

Week 18

It's been a big week, probably one of the most info-packed so far!

Last Friday all of our nursery furniture showed up 4 days early, so we spent the weekend putting it together. We also bought some matresses and worked on decorating the room. We didn't paint or anything, but I did hang up a quilt behind one crib and these little cloth pictures behind the other.

This also gave me the change to unpack the ton of baby clothes we've accumulated. The dresser/changing table has 3 drawers of newborn and 0-3mo clothes. hehe The only things left that need to be done in the nursery is hanging a ceiling fan and fixing up the closet. We bought some items from Lowe's but forgot the all-important brackets.

Monday was the Big Reveal at the MFS's office. We have two healthy boys cooking! The whole time the technition was trying to check their vitals, they kept wiggling, kicking, and punching each other. Everything looked really good, including their brain development, spine, arm/leg bones, skull, nose, bladder, stomach, and heart. The technition also checked their circulatory systems, both in their bodies and in the umbilical cords. Their heart rates were both in the 160's, which is good. They weigh 8oz and 9oz, which is slightly more than the 6-7oz a normal single baby would weigh at this point!

She then checked me to verify that I wasn't showing any early signs of preterm labor. Apparently I'm locked up tight with no visible indicators that I'm letting these boys go anytime soon.

One thing we've learned about having twins is there's always some new thing to worry about. We've beat Vanishing Twin and both boys are in their own bubble, eliminating any chance their cords could get tangled. What we didn't realize until Monday is that they're sharing the same placenta (meaning they're probably identical!). We were told early on that they each had their own, but apparently that's not the case.

There's a condition called Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTS) that can affect about 20% of babies that share a placenta. This is when one baby gets more nutrients from the placenta than the other. You can tell it's happening if the fluid around one baby is much more than the other, or when one baby is getting bigger than the other. So every Monday I'll be going into the MFS's office to get the boys measured. So far there haven't been any indicators that this is happening, but constant monitoringing is the only way to catch it early. There are a couple of different treatments that can help if they do get TTS.

My doctor has also reduced my hours at work from 40hrs/wk to 20hrs/wk. Starting last week, I have every Monday and Friday off, plus every other Tuesday. This is because of a couple of things. One is I'm getting pretty tired by the end of the workweek now. Also, the babies are about to kick it into high gear as far as putting on weight goes. Resting and getting enough water is what would help them the most.

We met with the director of the last daycare place we wanted to check out. It's a private business that will have construction completed in August 2009. She showed us all kinds of information and samples so we had a really good idea of what it'll be like. J also quized her on everything from where she was recruiting her staff to their teaching philosophy. In the end, both J and I felt like this was our best option if we go the daycare route so we've reserved two spots. Tuition is about the same as the other places at $2,000/month for both babies.

This week I've been going through a lot of growing pains, mostly on the sides of my belly. The scale this morning busted out in laughter at my almost 19lbs over pre-pregnancy weight. Any doubts I had about catching up to the 20lbs by 20wks goal have disappeared. Now it's more about trying not to turn into a whale. Last night we went to a Mexican restaurant and J told me "When you run out of your own food, you can just start eating mine." Apparently I wolfed mine down pretty fast. hehe

It's also very obvious that I'm pregnant. This was the week where everyone at work went from "Maybe she's letting herself go?" to "Woa, she's pregnant." There have been lots of congratulations and stories about their own kids as babies.

It was a good week.

Week 17.5

We just got back from the MFS's office and I wanted to share a bunch of pictures of the boys! I do want to warn you that they still look like skinny little aliens, though. hehe

Baby A from the side

Baby A's Foot

Baby B showing Baby A up with his two feet

Baby A's Face, Hands, and Umbilical Cord

Baby B Counting How Many Babies Are In There

One Face Up and The Other Face Down

Week 17

I am currently staring down a bottle of water flanked by an apple juicebox and a cup of apple juice. I can't really explain why 2 of the 3 beverages are identical, only that by the end of the work day I need to drink them all. Morning sickness - easy. Needing to sleep about 12hrs a day - a piece of cake. Drinking more than 8oz of fluid in a day - impossibly hard. But my hands started swelling up yesterday, so something needs to be done.

In other news, I had to go shopping for maternity shirts this week. They're surprisingly comfortable and not quite as tent-like as I imagined. Apparently mellon is the "in" color for pregnant women this year. I managed to avoid that and every shirt that had a bow over the belly. Bows just make me laugh. I don't know why.

I'm at 14lbs over my pre-pregnancy weight this week. I think that's pretty good and am pretending the water retention isn't helping me out. The Boost shakes at 300 cal per 8oz have been the key. And blueberry mini muffins. Man, I love those things and I haven't let myself have them in years.

This is the first week in forever that I haven't thrown up once!!! On the downside, I no longer have an excuse for putting off getting my teeth cleaned. Luckily we have a dentist/spa place (really! haha) that I plan on trying out.

All of the weight I've gained has gone pretty much to my belly, although my thighs skimmed some off the top. I've had a lot of stretching pain this week, where it feels like my belly button may shoot off at any second. I only have 3mm to go before said button is completely flat. It's become hard to sit up straight, or lay flat. Bending over has also become a lot more difficult.

We checked out 2 daycare places this week. The first spent about 30min explaining their teaching philosophy and all of the things they do with infants. I just sat there, thinking about how I wasn't planning on doing any of those things. Did I know babies needed a mirror wall? Nope. It was a lecture on how bad of a mommy I was going to be! Luckily I took mental notes, so I will be doing all of those things NOW.

The facilities of the place (rooms, toys, etc.) were nice. The real thing that set them apart were the staff. Everyone seemed really into the kids, interacting and playing on the floor with them. We also liked that they had two different rooms for infants, 6wks to 6mo and 6mo to 1yr.

The second place we visited didn't go as well. For starters, a mom held the door for me, voiding the whole "this is a secure facility" idea. The rooms and toys were really great looking but their staff seemed to be having turnover issues. Their only infant teacher was quitting. They also group 6wks to 1yr together, which I didn't like as much.

The cost is another thing to think about. The first place was going to be about $1,800 per month for the kids. The second was about $1,700 per month. Neither had the option a part-time schedule for infants, either. We have one more place we're going to look at. Our plan right now is to reserve spots at a place and then make the final call during my maternity leave.

We ordered the cribs and changing table/dresser this week. It came down to a $250 crib and a $300 crib, until we realized that the shipping cost for the first was $200 while shipping for the second was free. Who knew that the more expensive crib would be cheaper. hehe Here's the crib and the changing table/dresser. We also got the rails to convert the cribs into full size beds someday. The furniture will arrive next week.

This weekend's baby project is to fix up the nursery closet. I want to add a second shelf and possibly some wire baskets. What doesn't fit in the dresser thing needs to have a home in the closet, except for bedding that I store under the cribs. I also want to install a ceiling fan and valence.

Monday is when we should be able to find out what gender(s) we're having! Both babies are about the size of small baked potatoes at this point.

Week 16

Yay to another pretty good week!

Last weekend was fabulous. We met J's mom and husband for lunch. I was able to fully act like a normal human being. I wasn't tired or dryheaving (and pretending it was just a cough), and chomped a lot of food. Afterwards we went to Babies R Us to oogle some cribs. Naturally I really liked the million dollar set (ok, slight exaggeration - $600 crib, $550 dresser). We have no plans to get it what so ever, though.

In fact, the crib I really wanted ($250 at Target) has apparently come in at their warehouse. It's been "Will be available in 2 to 6 weeks, order now!" on their website for a long time. There's also a great dresser/changing table thing for like $200. I just need to convince J that we really should pull the trigger on buying something before I'm sporting a 3-ring tent size. Putting together an entire room full of furniture while I watch won't be fun for anyone.

After saying bye to J's family, I decided I was on a roll. We stopped by a furniture store to check out king size beds. They. Are. Expensive. Maybe we can just put our two queens side by side or something... They had our bedroom set but have changed both the color and the style, so an exact replica is out. We also discovered we know nothing about mattresses. Much research is needed before we step back into a furniture store.

THEN we got some dinner at home and went out to a movie with friends. J's back on his low carb diet, so all he could do was watch as I pretty much did a face plant into the bag of popcorn. He chewed some gum.

We also decided that after 2.5 yrs of living in our house, it might be cool to have towel racks in more than 1 of 3 bathrooms. It's always something with a new house. The last one didn't come with gutters, so I consider this an upgrade. We put a double-bar rack up and have done rigorous testing all week to verify complete towel dryness before installing any others. It worked great, so expect 2 more to show up this weekend.

While I have yet to go completely dryheave-free for an entire day, I do have getting sick down to a once-a-week occurrence, usually involving brushing my teeth. I can handle that, no problem.

Last night we went to our first Mothers of Multiples meeting at the YWCA. J was the only dad there but that didn't phase him. At 6pm was the Babies and Bellies (pregnant to 12 mo. olds), with Breastfeeding as the topic. J and I were the only people that came - the other 4 girls were there to do the presenting. That might seem awkward but it was really great being able to meet some other moms in a one-on-one setting. One of the moms brought her EZ-2 Nurse pillow, hoping someone might want to buy it. Score! A $60+shipping pillow only cost us $30. You can't even get one for that cheap on ebay - I've been watching. We also "won" the drawing for a $10 Kids R us gift card. hehe

At 7pm the rest of the moms showed up for the main meeting. Apparently it's kind of potluck with some moms bringing snack-type dishes and drinks. The guest speaker was there to talk about setting realistic goals for swimsuit season. hehe My goal is to gain about 30lb more. The lady passed out cards for her personal training business. I got J one. He now knows where to go to "Release Your Inner Diva".

All in all, the meeting was quite excellent. Everyone was super friendly and chatty. I was the only pregnant one there, but another mom brought in her boy/girl 4mo old twins. There's also a consignment sale sponsored by the club coming up in a month or two. It's open to the club members one day, then open to the public the next one. When we left the meeting, I laughed at the parking lot full of minivans.

Tonight we have a daycare tour scheduled for 5pm at the Goddard School in Five Forks. While we've been leaning towards me staying at home, I think we both worry that my "please, I must get out of the house!" nature might not be stay-at-home-mom material. We're exploring our options. We have a Kiddie Academy tour next Wednesday. The third place we're looking at is in construction, to be finished in August, 2009.

We've also pretty much decided on a pediatrician. I just need to call and make an appointment to meet them. It's also in Five Forks and we've heard a lot of good things about the practice.

Lastly, I've been working on signing us up for various baby-related classes. So far we've got the 4-day Multiples class at Greenville Hospital scheduled for March. J's also going to do the free Just for Dads class. I've declared with 100% certainty that we're doing the child/infant CPR class, too. That leaves some various baby care and preparing for birth classes that I'm wishy-washy on. It's one thing to be prepared. It's another to spend money and time on things you might already know, have someone teach you for free, or not really apply to your particular babies.

Ok, really lastly... I've gained a total of 11.5 lbs so far this pregnancy. About half of that has been in the last month. I think I'm doing pretty well so far. My belly has been sore a lot this week, so I'm hopeful that means the babies are growing. I'm starting to peek out from under a number of my non-maternity shirts, so that might be my next shopping trip. Not next week, but the week after we'll find out what we're having. A mom from last night (who has 6 girls) wished us luck! hehe