Week 12: Approaching the 2nd Trimester!!

Tonight we are going to our first child birth/rearing class, entitled "Preparing for Life with Multiples". Geez, they makes it sound like a life changing event, or something ;-) I have a feeling this will be the best $60 we've ever spent... at least I'm hoping so. In total, we be taking five different classes between now and the end of January. Between these, the holidays and finishing prepping the house for the babies, we should be quite busy. I just hope the weather cooperates so that we can get them all in!

Last night I got cute, but convenient "mom haircut". You know... like mom jeans, only not so embarrassing. :P Yes, I got it chopped, which isn't odd for me. I've had my hair cut short many times, but I usually wait until spring or summer to get it this short. Not this time. Since my hair is so thick it is a pain to maintain. Blow drying takes me a good 15 minutes or so, which frankly tires me out getting ready right now. Plus, I figure the more short the cut, the easier it will be to wash and dry and not mess with too much. Realistically, I don't see how I'll be able to devote tons of time to something like that once the babies arrive. A trade-off I am more than happy to comply with!

Belly Update: Over the weekend I noticed that my lower stomach has really taken off. This belly is actually starting to look more like a pregnant one and less and less of a "I don't get off the couch" one. I've updated the slideshow if you'd like to take a peek. Also over the weekend, I experienced my first official belly rub. My mom just couldn't resist! As she was "petting" it I said, now I do hope you realize your really rubbing two McDonald cheeseburgers and fries, not so much babies at this point. Either way I don't think she cared. The idea that she now had something more tangible was enough for her. :-)

Saturday marks the start of the second trimester - 13 Weeks! It hardly seems real that it's been that long already. I have seen the ultrasounds, have felt them and yet I still am amazed that I am carrying and growing two beautiful babies in MY belly. Mine. Just amazing! It may sound corny, but I get so much enjoyment from pausing and envisioning them floating around in there side-by-side, moving their little arms and legs. Even more neat to think about is the idea that they will soon be interacting with each other. I stumbled on a site which says "...Ultrasound experts have reported seeing twins hitting each other, while others have seen twins playing together, gently awakening one another, playing cheek-to-cheek, and and even kissing!!"

Little sleeping, and moving, babies!

I wish, I wish we had enough money to buy an ultrasound machine :-)

Yesterday's OB appt was amazing. We are so in love with our babies! They are growing wonderfully... sadly, we won't have another appointment until 4 weeks from now - Nov 11 at 3:35. The longest we've had to wait! I know, I know. Most people don't even get more than a few, but it is very addicting! So... what new to report. Well, we asked and he hasn't heard of too many people saying they can "feel" a baby/babies during such early stages of a pregnancy, so I am taking it as being one of the lucky rare few and am so thankful they are letting me connect with them so early on.

I am up to 115 1/2 lbs and only gained 1 1/2 lbs since my last appointment. The doc said "I'm gonna let it go this time" but that he wants to see a substantial gain next appt. I have been ordered to take full advantage of Halloween - eat "lots of candy bars and ice cream" he said. :-) Of course I plan to work in plenty of "good" calories, but it looks like I am stuffing my face every waking hour.

Now, for your viewing pleasure... here they are in action! At first they weren't moving around too much, but towards the end the doc wakes one of the babies up and it stretches and moves all around. So cute!

Our Little Tweedles:

We love you so much! Words just aren't enough for how much you are loved - loved by us, by grandparents, friends, even strangers. Everyone is so excited that you are growing bigger and bigger each day and can't wait until you arrive. Great Grandma Margie had a dream that one of you was a boy and one of you was a girl. Of course she's been praying for this all along as well :) Most of all, we just pray you are healthy and happy babies. Mommy and Daddy are working on getting your room all ready for you when you arrive. Your furry brother and sister (puppies Beau and Madison) love hanging out in your new room and wish that we would let them play with your collection of stuffed toys. We won't let too much doggy slobber get on them before you arrive. ;-)

Love you both very much!
Mommy & Daddy

It's Week 11!

That's right 11... not 12 as I was telling some of you over the weekend. I totally have pregnancy brain! Wishful thinking I guess. We got all excited too because last night I was reading and 12 weeks means the babies would be 2 1/2 inches long already! That blew my mind when I put that measurement up next to my belly. So, that milestone will have to wait another week, but that's ok. :)

Today is our 2nd OB appt. We are sooooo ready! Ready to, again, confirm that the babies are doing well (felt a pinch from both of them yesterday - both in one day doesn't happen all the time). Best of all, we're ready to see them moving their little arms and legs! I don't know if I will be able to handle myself. I've been much more emotional lately and that is likely to push me over the edge, but in a good way of course. The other day Jay said "Can't you bake them any faster! I want to hold them now!" I thought that was so sweet. Believe me, I'm trying :) Now, onto an ongoing segment I like to call...

What's New with Mommy...

Recent Cravings: Food is more of a necessity at this point. I'm still eating it because it keeps me from feeling like crap, but I don't often get excited about food. There are occasions when I do - like cinnamon rolls, sausage or salty fries. What a combo! Good thing I didn't crave them all on one day. There are also days when nothing sounds good, and, as a result, it makes it difficult to want to fix dinner at night.
Clothing: Pants definitely don't fit now. Bought my first Bella Band last week to get more use out of them and am loving it!
Symptoms: The nausea is still very much around, but it is still fairly controlled by constant snacking. One bad day of vomiting, but things are back to normal now, thank goodness. My energy seems a bit better than just a couple weeks ago, but I still have days where I am worn out, even though I slept a good 8-9 hours. I wake up, on average, about 2x per night to go the bathroom (fun fun) and I've found it somewhat difficult to find a good position to get comfortable in at night. Wondering what it will be like once my belly really makes things challenging.
Random Thought: I can hardly believe we are approximately 1/3 of the way through our pregnancy!!

Belly Pics!

Well, here you have it. Pics at 6 weeks, 8 weeks & 10 weeks! Grow belly grow :-)

9 weeks... make that 10 tomorrow!

What does 9 weeks bring? Apparently for me it means a day-long migraine, coupled with fighting off the pukes the entire day only for it to end ugly anyway. My first official pregnancy vomit session, x 2 :) That was on Monday. I am very thankful for my babies and just hope that this doesn't rear it's ugly head too much so that I can be an outwardly happy pregnant woman, too, because Monday just awful.

On Tuesday, when I woke, the headache was gone and my stomach felt pretty good. That all changed following two pretzel rods and (this is what tipped the scale) about 10 dry apple jacks. It took me about 2 hours to fight off vomiting again and from there on I was scared to eat virtually anything, but I knew I had to eat something. These babies need nutrition!

So, since that time I've been on a diet of pretzel rods, saltines, toast, oatmeal, cream of wheat and fried eggs. It's been fun :) Hey, anything not to throw up, right?! I'm hoping to slowly add back in "normal" food this weekend. Jay was super nice and found and cooked a recipe which was very bland (turkey meat with a little seasoning, carrots, mushrooms and rice). Bland in case was very, very good. Here's to hoping I'm on the rebound, diet wise.

Our next ultrasound is in a little less than two weeks - October 14th at 6pm. I can't wait! Both Jay and I LOVE seeing them and there is such a peace that comes in knowing they are doing well, especially for me since I'm more of "the worrier". I have felt them (bottom baby more than the top, as usual) off and on this week. That is always a nice treat and tides me over until I can see them again. If and when I stop feeling this "pinching" sensation, up until the time they actually start kicking, I am going to be so sad. Let's just hope that doesn't happen and that I can always tell somehow!

Lots of reading going on! All of my books finally arrived and I've been reading bits and pieces here and there. Last night Jay and I both sat down to read and were completely amazed when we saw pics of what our babies looks like nearing week 10. Little eyelids have now formed and this is the time when the baby goes from being referred to as an embryo to a fetus. According to babycenter.com, the babies are swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout the pregnancy... tiny nails are forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin. SOOO cute!! Also, the babies limbs can bend now and their hands are flexed at the wrist and, meeting over the heart, and their feet may be long enough to meet in front of their body. The pic below isn't mine, but I thought it was a neat glimpse into what the babies might be looking like and wanted to include it.


What else is new? More baby gear deals, progress on the nursery and work has begun on our family room, the soon-to-be "kid-friendly" zone. Updates to come!

Two tiny heads at 8w5d!

In the 8 week stretch... tomorrow makes 9!
I know it's not a trimester, but for some reason that feels like much more of a milestone than 6 or 7 weeks. So far we have taken two belly pictures (will post soon!). I had to laugh because there is already a noticeable difference! Yes, I have quite the pooch for this early on. In fact, at our doctor's appt yesterday I found out that now the weight gain so far is... drum roll please... 8 lbs! I've read that since I was slim to begin with and the fact that there are two, this is normal, and from what some of my books are saying, it's good to gain early. The more weight you can put on earlier pregnancy with multiples the better, as it correlates with a higher birth weights in many cases.

Wednesday was our first appt with the new OBGYN.
Things went really well! We liked both his warm personality and what he had to say with regards to what lies ahead. While he doesn't have tons of experience delivering multiples (6-8 a year, which he said is fairly average for a typical OB), he does have a plan of action, should this pregnancy turn high-risk. We will be seen 1x each month before Week 20, every other week between Weeks 20-30 and once a week after Week 30. If something should come up where we/he is concerned, he will bring in a specialist to assist. We also talked a bit about where we would deliver. Anything before week 31 will be at St. John's, no questions asked. They have the NICU set-up that allows them to be able to best care for preemies. Anything after week 32 is up to us, though I think we're still leaning towards St. John's.

Also, while 37 weeks is considered full term for twins, he said that most of his patients with twins go to around 34 or 35 weeks on average. This is also the average that many of the books I'm reading state. We chatted about the "what-to-do's" and "what-not-to's", most of which I was already aware of, and then we discussed the flu and H1N1 shot. I was on the fence about the flu shot, but opted to get it done that day, but am still not so thrilled about H1N1 since it hasn't been tested much yet. I've got some time to think about it still, as the vaccine doesn't even get distributed until mid-October.

The best part about Wednesday - Seeing the babies!
We weren't entirely sure if we'd have an ultrasound done at the first appointment, but we were thrilled when we were able to see them again. What we loved the most - they now have very distinguishable little heads!! So, so adorable. And, this time, we got to "see" their tiny hearts beating in their chests. I can't even describe that moment. It was awesome to see those little lives growing before our eyes. Just amazing.

Of course, we got some new pics to show off, though the ultrasound machine at this office isn't quite as fancy as the one at our last doctors - stink. And the pics, well, they don't even look as detailed as the screen did, but that's ok. You can definitely see those little heads!! I tear up every time I look at these. Thank you God!

Tweedle 1 - Measuring 21mm at 8w5d

Tweedle 2 - Measuring 20mm at 8w4d

He also said they were measuring right on target - one at 8w5d and one at 8w4d. I was put more at ease when he said the likelihood of a miscarriage is about 3% now. I almost didn't even want to write that in here, but I did because I have to keep reminding myself that each day is a milestone and one step closer to our babies!

One thing that surprised us though was when he said, "Did they talk about if they were identical or not?". Us: "Um... no." He said that even though they are in separate sacs, there is still a 5% chance they could be identical. Something about it has to do when they split, if they did in fact split, instead of two implanting separately. This site talks a bit more about it... I should ask when this scan will be! Sounds like that will tell us a bit more. Other than that though, we won't know more until 1) We find out the genders. If they are opposite sex, then we know they're not identical. 2) If they are the same gender, we won't know until either after their born!

7 Weeks, 5 Days and We Have Cribs!

What's New with Mommy...

Weight Gain to Date: 4 lbs! Who knows where this is all going...
Recent Cravings: Anything salty. Not really interested in desserts much these days.
Clothing: Pants beginning to get tight. Recently bought a couple sizes larger to "grow" into!
Symptoms: My lower back has really given me fits the last couple days. Still feeling queasy off and on throughout the day (no vomiting though) and am forced to eat about once every 1.5 hrs to keep the nausea at a minimum. Heartburn has been killer, but I'm trying to eat things to keep this at bay too. Still more tired than normal. I've been taking a nap at lunch and it generally takes me about an hour and a half every evening after work to get my second wind. When you factor in an earlier bedtime, my days seem so short!
Random Thought: I'm exciting about buying my first bottle of baby lotion, oddly enough! I can’t wait to give our babies their first bath!

You heard me right.
At just 7 weeks, we have already purchased the babies' cribs! Anyone who knows me would realize that’s not too terribly strange. I’m a planner by nature (thanks Mom!) and as much as infertility taught me to go with the flow, I can’t help myself every now and then. I had a perfectly good reason to do this one so soon though. Babies ‘R Us is/was running a Trade-In deal where if you take one out-of-date safety type item (car seat, bassinet, crib, etc) into their store to give up, they were giving 20% off any new item of certain brands. We ended up saving about $88 all together on two cribs that are pretty good quality. Not top-of-the-line (it’s nothing for one crib to cost $300!), but very nice still! Here's a pic of it...

No Time to Spare - Let the Bargain Hunting Begin!
We have also done more extensive math to figure out what these kiddos will cost us upfront - you know, all the gear they'll need. Let's just say that I'm up to around $2k (Wal-Mart prices and all), and that doesn't include clothing or any of the on-going monthly expenses. So, needless to say my bargain-hunter instincts are kicking in full force already. I figure we should get a start now, because come next spring, I will either be too pregnant and on bed rest, or the babies will come too soon before yard sales even arrive. Jay and I went to a couple yard sales this past Saturday and I bought a bunch of little onsies and sleeper sets for just .25 a piece. Not too shabby. Also, my Mom went to a resale shop and bought a couple handfuls of little boys shirts and stuff on the cheap too. At this point, I'm making an attempt to buy gender neutral stuff, if possible, but I'll take the sex-specific clothing too if it's too good to pass up. Worst case is that one of our babies will be wearing blue when she "should" be wearing pink, but I don't think she'll ever know, nor care :-) Yes, we will be finding out what we're having as soon as we can, so you can be sure I'll let everyone know that way we can start planning a little more specific.

Anyway, so far, I have done three loads of baby laundry but have no place for any of the stuff yet! We still need to decide which room will be the babies' room and then, of course, we need to buy/build storage of some sort. Still lots to do!

Also on the bargain front, we are going to two kids/baby resale events - one this week and one next. We're hoping to get larger things like the double stroller ($150 normally! gasp), pack-in-play, etc. at these sales. Of course we'll also be scoping out the smaller stuff, but don't worry, I'm confident we'll still have PLENTY of stuff to add to the baby registry when the time comes. I'll just have to keep track of what we have and what we'll still need.

Jumping the Gun?
Maybe. But, here's my theory. I'd rather do this stuff now while I can enjoy it and pace myself, vs. saving it all to the end. Who knows what the next several months will hold. Bed rest? Giving birth earlier than expected (hope not, but it's a possibility)? I just don't like the idea of feeling stressed out when I'm that far along. I say there's no time like the present to start preparing for our babies!

Books and Books Galore!
Yesterday I ordered about nine or so books from Amazon and Half.com. Everything from pregnancy with twins, to birthing, to tips on raising twins. We are not playing here people! There is a lot to learn in a VERY short time (yes, to me this is short considering all that I feel like I want to know). Realistically, we know you can't have everything figured out and expect for there to be no bumps when they arrive. However, I/we will feel MUCH more prepared by reading loads and loads of tips, what-to-expects and how-to's in advance so that we can develop somewhat of a Plan A, Plan B and of course Plan C. I'm sure what we'll actually end up doing will be a nice mixture of all three and some new stuff thrown in there too, compliments of baby(ies) demands. Boy this is going to be fun! ;-)

Let the Exercises Begin!
So, I didn't have the best exercise habits before getting pregnant (as in pretty much none existent as of late), but especially knowing I'm now carrying two babies, we thought it was VERY important we work on this. Sooner than later. So, Jay has really taken the reigns on this and found several pregnancy-friendly work-outs I can do and he is doing them with me. The *goal* is every other day until we can't do them anymore. I can only imagine what my back will feel like and how tired my arms will end up being once the babies come, so anything at all that I can do now, the better off I'll be. So far it's going great - it helps that I have one of the best coaches!

Two Tiny Heartbeats!

Today just couldn't get here soon enough - our second ultrasound and the day we were able to heartbeats for the very first time! I learned two amazing things today - the sound of two tiny heartbeats at just 6 weeks of age is a miracle in and of itself. To think our babies still have "tails", yet they are now helping to sustain their own very lives by this one little continuous beat puts me in complete awe. The other thing I learned is that while the road to our babies was difficult and full of uneasy moments, this pregnancy will be something that has an entirely new set of concerns.

Last night I woke to my uterus contracting and the site of a bit of blood. Talk about scary. This was the third time already during this pregnancy that has happened. Jay managed to calm me down and, since we already had an ultrasound scheduled for today, we just decided to wait it out and see our doctor had to say. Then, to my surprise, my Mom showed up at the appointment! I had e-mailed her that morning so that she could be praying because of what had transpired during the night, and she decided to just hop in her car and make the drive. She is awesome - it meant so much!

When I asked Dr. Ahlering about the sensation I felt, he said that, yes, they are actual contractions (crazy!) and are more common in multiple pregnancies and to not be surprised if they continue. He noted that the progesterone supplementation I am getting can also sometimes trigger these (which makes sense, since we did an injection last night). As he started the ultrasound, he noticed a bit of blood near one of the babies, inside my uterus and said that, most likely, was where the blood was coming from and to also not be surprised if I saw more over the next few weeks as that spot goes away. So, no cause for alarm, but I would MUCH prefer to not have this happen again.

On to the BEST part! Dr. Ahlering quickly located each of the babies, confirming all is well with size (8cm in fetal length, each baby measuring the same) of each baby. Then, he was able to call out each of the babies and their own little beat! Jay was amazed. He didn't think they would be able to do that at this point in time. And then we heard them. Each babies beat was anywhere from 125 bpm to 130 bpm - right on target for 6w6d of age. Praise God!



Here are the latest ultrasound pics of our little growing babies. Soon they will *look* like little people!

Here they both are!

Pose number two!

This is one of the babies.

And this is the other!

Our good friends, Chris & Donna, celebrated the occasion with us with these cute little gifts for the babies. The "2 Beats" illustration at the top was the tag on the gift bag. I just thought that was one of the best parts! Thanks so much!!

The first time I felt both of you!

We're nearly at the half-way point! Thursday is the big day when we get to hear your tiny little heartbeats for the very first time. We know that each one of these steps is a HUGE milestone in your growth and in you joining soon. While I have admittedly been a bit worried at times, today, I think you've given Mommy a sign.

This afternoon I felt pinching sensations near the bottom of my uterus (that's one of you!) and then, later in the evening, I felt another set of pinches towards the top (I just knew that was your sibling!). This was the first time I've felt a pinch towards the top - typically whomever is on the "bottom bunk" (as Dr. Ahlering put it during our first ultrasound), has been doing most of the squirming. These are sensations that I am thankful to have and I try my best to stay still and enjoy every moment.

We look forward to hearing your beats on Thursday little ones!

~ Love you ~
Mommy & Daddy

Double the blessing: It's Twins!!

I can hardly believe this as I'm writing it. Today, I am 5w4d and at our first ultrasound, while we were simply wanting to hear good news of one healthy baby, we were surprised with the news that there will be two, teenie tiny babies to add to our family next year! Yes, two!

Grandma Carla (or, Gram2, as she's already affectionately referring to herself!) was able to be there with us today and I wouldn't have changed it for the world! As Dr. Ahlering was identifying the gestational sac and yolk sac, he called out "two". My instant reaction was "Shut up! Are you serious" (Yes, I told the Dr. to shut up and I believe I have my long time fav show Friends to thank for that. :-). I was thinking, there is no way this is even possible! Jay was grinning from ear to ear and when I looked back at Mom she looked like a deer in headlights. :-) Today will be a day we'll never, ever forget!

The entire ride back to work I kept saying "Oh my goodness" over and over and Jay said my face was flush with color. Every time I looked over at Jay he had this HUGE grin on his face. I called him a "giddy schoolgirl" but I don't think he liked that term. Let's just say he was BEYOND happy. I can honestly say I don't think it came as much of a shock to him. He's been saying all along "It's babies, not baby." "I just know we're going to have twins."

I've been praying for whatever God had in store for us and knew that could mean two. I'll admit though, I kept telling myself there was no likely way we'd have more than one. Really, I mean us? It seemed like each embryo would take one good look around my body, quickly determine there was no possible way two could take up residence in there (It just seems like I'm not really built for this!) and decide which one would get to stay and which would have to go. Not that I wanted that at all, but it seemed the most logical really. :-) Turn's out God's logic is driven by completely different means and, as far as my body is concerned, where there is a will there is a way!

After making many, many celebratory calls to friends and family we wrapped up the day by trying to soak it in just a little bit more. Or at least I did. All I can think now is that the timing on preparation, planning and child-rearing eduction just got MUCH tighter! No time to waste while I'm able to move about and am not dealing with (knock on wood) tons of symptoms just yet.

Our next ultrasound is scheduled for next Thursday, September 10 at 10 am. We will be looking to hear/see the heartbeats at this appointment, as I will then be 6w6d along. Keep us in your prayers that our babies are growing strong and healthy, as this is a critical point in development which helps to further ensure these babies will be around for the long haul!

The day our lives forever changed!

We're pregnant!
Praise God for all of the wonderful things HE does!

We found out that our first beta (5dp6dt) on Tuesday was 21 which was great. At this point, wanted it to be 5 or greater. Our second beta (7dp6dt) was today and it was 69!! They were looking for it to at least double, so we're right on track! (At this time, we thought we were just having one baby, but we later learn there will be two of you!) Our initial singleton due date was April 30, 2010, but we look for this to be updated to perhaps the first week in April.

When Daddy got the news he told me he couldn't stop shaking. When he told me over the phone, I completely lost it and big crocodile tears started streaming down my face. Finally. The first time we truly allowed ourselves to hear the pitter patter of little feet throughout the house.

"Signs" you're telling Mommy you're here! I love that I can connect with you already. Here are all of the things that have seemed "different" to me.

• Sunday (3dp6dt): Subtle pinches in uterus - 1 x in the afternoon about a series of 6 about 2-3 seconds apart and then again in the evening while lying in bed.
• Monday: WAY more hungry than normal. Ha, probably just me on this one, but great that I might already be able to "blame" it on the baby(ies). :-)
• Tuesday (5dp6dt): First beta drawn at 8am. Result - 21! Pinches in uterus again when I woke up, this time a bit stronger and more obvious; by the evening, a slight bit of heaviness, but very subtle.
• Wednesday: By late afternoon into evening, heaviness like period is coming on - not as strong as a typical cycle start, but still similar. Some minor cramping in the PM too.
• Thursday (3dp6dt): Second beta drawn at 8am. Result - 69!!! I am officially 3 weeks and 6 days along (This site is great for figuring that out, by the way. You just enter in your ER date [mine was 8/7/09] and it tells you TONS of stuff). So far, this afternoon I've felt some of the heaviness again and more subtle cramping. Nothing severe, but noticeable.

Baby's First Picture!

And just like that - you were created, perfect
in God's image just as he had planned for all along.

What a challenging road it was getting to you, but we now realize you wouldn't have "been" if this isn't what we were to go through. We are so very thankful that you are ours. Each and every little cell we see is just adorable. ;-) Of course I am a bit partial!

I joked with Daddy the day we held this photo for the first time and told him how one of you had his different features. I also said that the "little one" must be our girl, and the larger one our "little boy". It will be awhile until we know for sure if you are male or female, but just know we'll love you the same either way. You are our perfect little miracles.

We love you, Tweedles!
Mommy & Daddy