Friday, October 30, 2009
Ultrasound appointment, week 26
Anyway, babies are doing great!! Baby Girl Stribling is measuring just behind her brother, weighing just at 2 pounds. The u/s tech asked if any of us have long fingers (when she saw hers), and I sadly said that nothing on me is long, so I guess she is taking after Jake in that arena. I don't really remember the heart rate exactly, but hers was in the high 150's (I wish I could remember them both each time, but I just can't! Maybe I'll instruct Jake to write them down next time) Baby Boy was measuring a little heavier, at 2 pounds, 3 oz. He is a few days ahead of 26w3d, (26w6d) and she was a few days behind (26w). I am so excited to hit the 2 pound mark. It just sounds so much heavier, since we saw all those poor 1 pound babies at the Baptist NICU. His heart rate was in the 140's. Positionally, they are still weird. She is diagonal with her head up in my ribcage and her feet on my left side. Baby Boy is horizontally still with his head on my right, his legs on my left. He moves up and down, though, and they are sometimes head-to-head. They also measured the kidneys, arm and leg bones, and heads. They are both doing great and measuring really, really well.
I am doing good as well. Still an excellent appointment for me. Nothing bad going on. My cervix has shrunk a little, but it's still good and long, so that's good. Both placentas are nowhere near my cervix too, which is good. Ovaries are still out of control, but oh well. The tech always does a vaginal u/s to measure my cervix and check out my ovaries at each appointment. She saw the left one immediately, as it looks like Antarctica over my cervix, and she dug around until finally I was like "OW!". She said she was looking for my right ovary, and I said, "Oh, you won't find it down there, its up next to my ribs, you just should have asked." I also had to take another glucose test to check for Gestational Diabetes, so hopefully that will come back looking good again. We go back in two weeks! YAY!
Pictures are below in another slideshow, since they are so many(thank goodness we had a different u/s tech this time!)
Classes have begun!!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
26 Weeks - Update on Me!
How far along? 26 weeks, 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: I am officially at the +24 pound mark. Yikes. I am two weeks behind the "gain 24 pounds by 24 weeks". But, I have also gained 6 pounds in two weeks. Don't you see now why I am worried about my maternity pictures? I seem to be expanding at a very fast rate! Here's hoping that my face is even visible in the pictures, and they are not just all belly.
Maternity clothes? I think I probably have enough. I REALLY hate buying maternity clothes. Its such a waste. And I also have some other things that are normal clothes that work as maternity. However, I have four showers coming up (one where professional pictures will be taken) and my maternity shoot coming up, and let me tell you- I am DYING to buy more maternity clothes!!
Best moment this week: We got the nursery painted!! Well, actually my sister Ginny and my mom came up this weekend and put up chair rail and painted the nursery. It looks so pretty. I appreciate their help so much. Now, all we are waiting on is the rug to come (is supposed to ship on 10/30), hang the chandelier, (will be hung next Wednesday!) and put up all the cute accessories I have bought.
Movement: They move around like crazy, but the girl is very dominant in this arena. Her head is up next to my rib cage, and is diagonally down my left side. The boy is now breech, and his feet are way down my right side. Needless to say, I feel the girl constantly. Its quite evident too, b/c when I lose my breath, thats when I know she is moving. She seems to love the rib cage area.
Waist Diameter: 42 inches. I inch in two weeks!
Food cravings: Still on the chicken biscuits. Thats about it these last two weeks. Still nothing strange. Since I don't eat pork products, I half expected to crave them constantly during my pregnancy, but nope! Really, though, all I am concerned about is my protein and water intake, and that is enough to drive you crazy. I am supposed to get 100 grams of protein and drink a gallon of water per day (almost 5 liters).
Gender: Baby Stribs are a boy and girl. No extra parts.
Labor Signs: Nope, but our Multiples Class teacher told us we can tell its a contraction if our belly is as hard as the bridge of our noses. Well, my belly is so hard and tight anyway, it just makes it all the harder to tell. So, here's just hoping pre-term labor stay very far away.
Belly Button in or out? Oh....still out.
What I miss: being able to do stuff myself. I am an independent person when it come to things. I hate having to ask people to do everything for me. Or I hate everyone being so careful around me. I appreciate and love these people all dearly, but its just hard to accept.
What I am looking forward to: our next doctor's appt in two weeks, my shower this weekend, and getting our nursery near completion!!
Milestones: I am so thankful to be past the 2 pound mark (the babies now weigh two pounds). This is alot less scary to me. I know as the weeks go by it will get less scary and less scary. I just need to have faith that everything will be ok.
Realization of the week: I know I say this all the time, but sometimes it just hits me that we will actually have two human beings to care for soon. We go on and on registering for things, buying things for the nursery, planning for their arrival, and talking about them all the time. But sometimes it just literally hits me that there will be BABIES in this world that belong to Jake and I! We will be responsible for two human beings at one time and forever after this! It is so crazy to think about. It is just amazing and so scary all at the same time.
26 Weeks - an English Hothouse Cucumber
Thursday, October 22, 2009
A little humor
Monday, October 19, 2009
Happy Anniversary!!!
Misc. Updates
We did it. We went and visited our very first daycare. And it wasn't so bad. Pretty good actually. We are trying to stay in the Green Hills area, as that is where Jake works. A new house might be on the horizon. Not soon, but sometime. And we would like to stick on one spot because we have no idea where we might be. So, since Jake works in Green Hills, we thought that would be a good first step. We went to Calvary Methodist. It came highly recommended for a co-worker of Jake's. And I think I really like the church-aspect of it. It just sounds safer (although, what do I have to compare it to, LOL? I have only been to this one)
They accept kids at 6 weeks and go up to age 5. You would think this is pretty standard, but no! SO MANY of them are very specific about what ages they will allow, and its hard to find places that accept newborns. Another reason I liked this daycare is that the standard hours are from 9-2:30 and that is a set price. If you want, you can pay extra for beforecare from 7:30-9, or aftercare from 2:30-5:30. AND, this is flexible, so you can choose which days of the week you want to do that. Most church daycares also don't do the before and after, so you only have the 9-2 option, or you have to do to a daycare center, which is usually 6-6. It makes it MUCH cheaper to go this route. (which is a BIG factor when talking about twins!) We will definitely have to do the beforecare every day, but there will be many days where I can make it there by 2:30 with my job. Not every day, but some days. And they also have a part-time schedule as well, so we are hopefully going to get to do that in the summer. Oh, and the classrooms were great. They get a new class about every 3-6 months. They have three playgrounds too, and lots of activities. It's more like a "school" which we liked.
Now, the downside you ask?? Well, the wait list already has 53 kids on it. And that is a big bummer. But, we do have friends that attend this church, and they said they would help us. Plus, there are tons of families that want only full-time. And the director said that since we are hoping to get into the summer program as part-time, we have a really good chance of getting in, therefore making our chances really good in the fall, since we are already enrolled.
Secondly, we attended our first class! Used to be, on your typical Friday night, we were out at a bar, having some beers. Now, we are at Baptist hospital from 6:30-9:30 learning all the joys of having multiple babies. There were about 10-15 couples in the class. It was really very good for us to go. They had a mom of 6-year old twin girls speak to us for a while and we did a big Q&A section. We talked about birth, what to expect the first year, how to handle it, and how not to kill yourself. :) Also, just general stuff, like what she couldn't live without, what worked for her, etc.
To Jake's delight (notice the sarcasm) we also got to watch birthing videos! We watched twins being born vaginally, and via c-section. Wow, is all I can say. There is definitely a reason they put that big blue sheet up during a c-section. I really don't think you are supposed to see what happens down there.
We also toured the NICU at Baptist. This was by far the hardest. I guess most moms of singletons don't really have to worry about this. I mean, they do, but with twins its a very real possibility that my babies could end up here, as most twins do. Those poor babies. It was so hard to see. There were two in there that weighed exactly what mine do now. 1 lb, 6 oz. They were TINY. And there was another one that weighed 12 oz- 12 oz!!!! Its little legs were as big as my finger. It was so scary. It made me so determined to do whatever necessary to keep these babies in as long as I possibly can. Please pray that it happens!!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Random pictures
This picture is of my mother. This was her retirement party on May 22nd. I gave her a "Happy Retirement" card. In the card, I stated that I was glad she was retiring, because she would need lots of free time to take care of her new grandchild. When she looked at me after reading it, that was when I got this perfect shot:
These next pictures were of my positive pregnancy tests (12DPO and 11DPO - days past ovulation). I tested like crazy. Yes, I know the lines are very, very faint. But, they were positive, I'm sure of it, LOL.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
24 weeks - Update on Me!
Everything is happening so fast in babyland. We got another step done on the nursery. We finished the furniture. So, now we have (so far) a chest of drawers, nightstand, two cribs, and a changing table. Now all we need is a glider, rug, chandelier, and about a twice as big bedroom, LOL. You have no idea how much room this extra crib takes up! There were lots more "decorative items" I wanted to put in there, but there is simply no room. I guess they are used to it though, being so cramped in the womb and all. We plan on doing the chair rail and painting, etc weekend after next. The rug should ship on the 26th. So, hopefully, we'll be right on schedule! My doctor wants me to try and have most things done by 30 weeks, in the event of bedrest. (please stay away, bedrest!)
How far along? 24 weeks, 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: Well, I'm not close to the 24lb mark, as I am "supposed to be", which is fine. My doctor said that as long as the babies are growing, that I am fine. And since they are each 1lb, 6oz, and they are only supposed to be around a pound, I think I am doing quite well, thank you. But, let's see...I have gained about 18 pounds as of this morning. Not too shabby!
Maternity clothes? I bought some more things this week. Although, only one thing I bought was actually a "maternity piece", and that was black top. Most everything else is just the style now, that I can wear. I do know, however, that I will get much bigger, and that the "style now" will probably not come close to fitting me.
Best moment this week: Getting to see them again. I miss those little buggers. And its so reassuring when you actually see them moving around and that they have a strong heartbeat. Its so cool. And so much better than only trying to feel their kicks to know they're still in there. Its so different than having only one. Now, once one kicks, I try to monitor the other one and see where they are and make sure they will kick too. Usually when one kicks, the other will too. (they're fighting in the womb, it's apparently what they do in there) And, this of course, leads me to freak-out mode when I can't feel the other one and of course think the worst thoughts possible. Movement: They are kicking pretty good now! Its so cool! Its amazing how one week they aren't, and then the next week they are kicking up a storm. They aren't in the same positions, though. The girl is still diagonal, with her head down towards my left, and the boy is now lying horizontally down below my belly, which worries me. I know they have alot of room to move around in there, but I would feel better if he would come back up here. Thanks.
Waist Diameter: 41 inches. So, I have only grown out about a half inch in two weeks.
Food cravings: I have been on an ice cream kick lately. And my book tells me I can eat all I want.
Gender: Baby Stribs are a boy and girl. No extra parts.
Labor Signs: No, thank GOD. Although now, I have to start paying attention to it - yikes!! And my doctor told me that this week they could "take the babies" if we needed to and they have a good survival rate. Double yikes!!!
Belly Button in or out? I swear I think it has gone down, or at least my belly has caught up. I asked Jake last night to see if he agreed with my hypothesis, and he did not.
What I miss: Having a life and friends. Pregnancy can be pretty lonely. You can't necessarily go out like you used to or go to impromptu happy hours that I used to enjoy so very much. But...I guess I better get used to all that. If I think I don't have a life now, I better prepare myself! And I am NOT complaining. I would very much love the trade for two babies.
What I am looking forward to: Everything that is still undone! Finishing the nursery, starting our classes, looking at daycares (well, not that excited about this, actually), getting our picture done, and my fabulous showers! These next few weeks are gonna fly!
Milestones: I guess I would have to say that we are now in a moment of time where people could possibly have their twins. And that is so scary. Jake's cousin works in the NICU at Baptist, and she said they have a set of twins in there now that were born at 24 weeks. They are around a pound each, but are alive and in the NICU! Sooooo scary. I am determined to carry these as long as I possibly can, so please pray that they stay safe in there for a long time.
Realization of the week: I need to chill out and relax. I worry and stress too much and surely these babies aren't ready to come yet. So relax!!
24 Weeks - an ear of corn??
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Baby Name Poll - take 2!
I really didn't want to have teh most pupular names out there, but for the boy I am thinking that is just what we're going to have to deal with. Here we are so far with each name and their ranking:
Jack - #10, 2008 - #7, 2009
Jackson - #26, 2008 - #6, 2009 (however, Jaxon is #99, ick)
Jacob - #1, 2008 - #3 2009 (although Jay is #245)
Joshua - #6,2008 - #11, 2009
Jillian - #118, 2008 - #127, 2009
Jocelyn - #144, 2008 - #113, 2009
Josie - #212, 2008 - #169, 2009
Julia - #32, 2008 - #41 2009
All is well in Sugarland
Sunday, October 11, 2009
This seems about right
Swatch Hell
ivories and creams
blues and pinks
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Ultrasound appointment
This time, I had to tell her at least three times which one was Baby A (boy) and Baby B (girl) - she kept getting them mixed up and I had to tell her which side of my stomach which one was on. I also had to tell her what she needed to look for and measure for. Then she just said, "well, as long as we match up the correct measurements for each we should be ok". Ummmm, are ya kidding me?? Oh, and guess what? Her printer was jammed. She said she would save them to her harddrive and have them for me at my next appt. Well - guess what!! I don't want them then, b/c I will have NEW pictures.
Ugggg, on to the good stuff. Babies are measuring right on target, at 23weeks, 3days. They each weigh 1lb 6oz. The boy is now transverse, which means he is lying horizontally down at the bottom of my uterus. This is nuts, because he was head down on my right side forever. These babies are moving around like crazy! The girl in now diagonally breech, going up into my ribs. So, as of now, it's looking like a C-section is definitely in my future.
My ovaries are still in crazy-land. Guess where they are now? Well, my LEFT ovary is HUGE and on my right side way down below and almost covering my cervix. My RIGHT ovary is also huge and up on my right side close to my ribs. Seriously. How weird is this? I also had to do my glucose screening test today to see if I have symptoms of gestational diabetes, which is common with twins. I had to drink this nasty sugar syrup and then give blood. The good news is that I have to do this again in three weeks (sarcasm, by the way).
My weight is great, awesome actually. The guidelines say you are supposed to be 24lbs at 24 weeks, and I am about 16lbs so far. Normally, that would cause some worry, but both babies are growing great, so no problems there (and the added benefit of no cankles!)
My doctor measured me for the first time, and said I was measuring at 32 weeks for a single pregnancy (and I'm 23.5 weeks, mind you). She thinks this is quite funny. She said its gets even funnier when I am measuring 50 weeks, which I might be 34 or so with twins. She also said that next week we will be at our "safe week", meaning that if by chance we have to deliver (oh please, please God no - lets go to 36 weeks instead) that they had a good chance of survival.
Thats all for now! I go back on October 28th.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Got the Rug!
Friday, October 2, 2009
How Nice
Her: "Well, my daughter looked just like you a week ago."
Me: "Oh really? Is she pregnant?"
Her: "Not anymore, she had her baby three days ago."
Me: "Oh, well, how nice. I am only a little more than halfway, but thanks!"