16 weeks

Suddenly I feel pregnant! I haven't really felt pregnant until this week. We are starting to get excited about everything now that I'm gaining some weight and growing an extremely large belly. It's been difficult to enjoy this pregnancy for the past 3 months, but now we're turning the corner. We're determined to enjoy the remaining 4-5 months. The nausea is still with me throughout the day but it's mild and I've learned to manage and tolerate it with the help of meds still. My muscles are coming back and I'm walking a little further each day. My mom even took me to the mall to buy some new maternity clothes. Thanks mom! At least I can look cute and healthy even if I'm feeling sick.

Big week!

Ethan's first day of preschool was on Tuesday! Our baby is growing up so fast. :(
Ethan has had a great week at preschool and I've been able to take him there each day! Tuesday was my first time driving a car since July. It's been a great week for everyone.

Slow progress

Two steps ahead and one step back.
Last week I decided it was time to get off my back. I assumed that once the vomiting stopped I'd pop back up and return to life as normal again...but that's far from realistic. I've been in bed for 8 weeks now and my muscles are GONE. My most challenging task is taking a shower, and I'm physically exhausted and sick afterward. I'm trying to build my muscles back slowly without pushing myself too far. Last week I pushed it a little too far and spent the end of the week on the couch full time. But I've made a little progress over the past week. I can now sit up at the desk and type this on the computer instead of using the laptop in bed! I can walk slowly up and down the steps without getting sick. I can even stand long enough to help Nick with the dishes! Best of all, I can help Ethan get dressed and brush his teeth in the morning. :) My doctor even said I could stop taking the Benadryl to ditch the drowsiness.
Mornings are the best but I'm definitely back on the couch in the afternoon with my mouth clenched shut. But I'm thankful for a little releif and a taste of normal life in the morning. I have been able to gain my 7 pounds back and I'm now back to my pre-pregnancy weight. My diet is still very limited and not allowing me to gain more weight but the doctors are not concerned yet. They are hopeful that I'll be feeling better around the 17th week (and I'm 14 1/2 weeks now). I promise to post a belly picture soon. :)

The Big 3-0!

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY NICK!!!!

13 weeks

We had our 13 week check-up today. The twins are doing great. Both measure 3 inches in length and their heart rates were 153 and 163. The detail on the ultrasound was amazing. We were able to count the bones in the arms and legs.

This is Baby B. S/he was very calm and cooperative during the ultrasound. You can see the baby waving in the picture. Baby B brought the hands to the mouth a few times.





This is Baby A (the baby closest to the cervix). S/he was very active, doing flips and jumping. When s/he relaxed we saw the baby drink quite a few gulps of amniotic fluid, and then had the hiccups.

As for me, nothing has changed in the past couple weeks. I'm still horizontal and all day and taking the medication to help with the nausea and prevent vomiting. The doctor said this may lighten up in the next couple weeks. I'm trying to be optimistic, but she also said there is a chance this will not subside. We'll just hope for improvement in the next couple weeks.

Cabin time

We had a very relaxing long weekend at the cabin.
I was able to walk down to the lake and watch the boys swim, fish and water ski.

Relief in the form of a book

Our pregnancy books finally came in the mail. Most pregnancy books are for women having singletons and they contain very little information about carrying multiples. So I ordered a couple of books specifically for a twin pregnancy. Last night I cracked the first book and read every detail of the first 217 pages! This book is fabulous! It's called When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads. It's packed full of every tidbit of information you could possibly want while carrying twins. There are detailed nutrition guidelines for the pregnancy, and even surviving hyperemesis, and an index of recipes for these meals. The most helpful chapter is about the emotional ups and downs of a "multiples" pregnancy. It was very reasuring to read about anger and depression being a normal stage in a twin pregnancy. I'm still struggling with two main changes in my life: 1- I miss Ethan. Tears come to my eyes everytime I think about what life was like before sickness and bedrest. I miss our daily adventures and playtime. I know he's having a fun time bonding with the grandparents, but I just want to play with my son again. 2- The second loss I'm feeling is my job. Sadly, I had tell them I would not be coming back to work. I have no idea when I'll be mobile again or if there will be future complications and I didn't want to leave them waiting for me. I loved my job so much and I was not prepared to say goodbye to that part of my life. I know I'll always be active with the Humane Society, and it will always be a part of my life, but I miss it so much. I developed wonderful relationships with co-workers and amazing volunteers and I feel very lucky to have these people in my life. This pregnancy will have many more challenges than a singleton pregnancy and I have to remind myself not to compare it to my perfect pregnancy with Ethan.

On a lighter note, here are some other interesting facts:
-The average length of a twin pregnancy is 35.4 weeks, compared to 39.6 weeks for a singleton.
-70% of twins are born before the 37th week and 38 weeks is considered full-term for twins, becuase they develop faster than singletons.
-My 40-week due date is March 12, 2008, so we are expecting to see them anytime in February.
-50% of twins are born vaginally, and the odds are better if the mom has already delivered a baby vaginally (good odds for me!)
-I am 12 weeks along and starting the 2nd trimester, so the baby's heads are now the size of grapes
-My belly will measure 8 weeks ahead of a singleton pregnancy. So, right now (even though I'm still down a couple pounds) my belly looks like that of a woman 5 months pregnant. My legs, arms and butt look pretty skinny but my belly is growing!
- Most women pregnant with one baby will have 1 or 2 ultrasounds, and those pregnant with multiples can expect an ultrasounds with almost every appointment (~15 ultrasounds). Fun!

Today is September 1st already! Ethan has been at the cabin with the Waltons this week and Nick and I will attempt the 2 hour drive this afternoon. Riding in the car has not been easy, but we'll leave just after I take my Benadryl and hope for the best. It would be wonderful to get out of this house and see the cabin. I haven't been up there since the 4th of July weekend, which is crazy becuase we usually go up there every other weekend in the summer. Wish us luck. :)