A Letter to Indigo at Eleven Months

Dear Indigo,

My little cuddle bug. You've come a long way from being that scrawny "velociraptor" you were in the hospital, although you've still got quite a set of lungs. Lately I've been wondering if you are confused and think you are going to be turning two, not one, because you seem to be breaking out the temper tantrums a bit. You seem to get into fights with the shape-sorter cube on a daily basis, which end in you face down on the blanket screaming. We really wish we knew why you were getting so frustrated, but we'll keep trying to help you out.

Turning into a little boy.

And the other side of the coin, you are a gentle, sweet, and loving little boy who loves snuggle time with Mommy and Daddy, but especially Daddy. You've gotten into the habit of crying at bedtime again. We don't want you to prevent your sister from sleeping, so we remove you from the room and you end up falling asleep on one of us. The past week or so, I've tried to break this habit. I'll hold you until you are calm and sleepy, but awake, then put you down in your crib. You start to cry again but I quickly soothe you by rubbing your back and behind your ear. Eventually, you are asleep. Last night I didn't even have to hold you (but I did miss those snuggles). I just kept rubbing your back. If I stepped away, you started to cry, but a reassuring, "Mama's here" calmed you down again. I think you miss us. I think we don't get enough time together during the week so you just soak it up on the weekends and at bedtime. I'm sorry, little man. We miss you too.

More hugs!

But you are making so much progress at daycare and we are so proud of you. You are getting better at waving, and are a pretty awesome high-fiver. You stand with such pride, and I know you'll be walking, holding our hands, just as fast as your sister, any day now. But best of all, you are so expressive. You tell detailed stories with such earnest facial expressions, such perfect inflections of your voice, I can almost understand what you are saying in your baby babble. I do love a good story.

High Five!

You are definitely having fun testing your boundaries. You will repeatedly grab at bottles in the wine cabinet, turning around to look at us with a sly grin when we call your name and tell you no before reaching for them again. You think the tray of DVDs under the TV is yours to play with, and you recently discovered one of the cabinet doors moves. Part of all this is the many bumps and falls you've had as you realize the ottoman rocks back and forth and the new stroller will roll away from you if you try to pull up on it. But you keep trying. You are one determined little boy.

You braved your flu shot at the doctor's office, and are 22lbs even and 29.25 inches long. Your head circumference is 46cm. You are in 55th percentile for weight, 58th for height, and 69th for head size. Basically, you're right on track!

Trying to escape?

You are really into books lately, especially the one that makes animal noises. Every time I push the puppy and it barks, your face gets this look of such astonishment and delight and you give a little shout as if saying, "Mama, did you hear that? Amazing!" It's perfect. You like turning the pages, even if you are holding the book upside-down. And you love pointing to the kitties. I think you are making the connection with our two kitties, and I love it.

Nothing like a good book

One of the best parts of my day is still picking you two up at daycare. The second I walk through the door and you two realize I'm there, it's off to the races. The baby races, that is. You both just bolt for me across the floor. If I pick one of you up, the other will cry. If I pick neither of you up, you both cry. There is no winning. But I just love how excited you are to see me, because I am just as excited to see you. We put on some kids music in the car on the way home and have a grand old time singing along to "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Old McDonald." You seem to really enjoy the sound effects.

Let the race begin!

I love you, little man, with a "moo, moo" here and a "moo, moo" there.

Love,
Mama

Checking out the ground

Fun Percentile Update

I found a website to give me percentiles based on their measurements.

For Indigo:

At 8 months:
your child is 18.25 pounds, and that is
at the 21th percentile for weight.
your child is 28.5 inches, and that is
at the 69th percentile for height.
your child has a head circumference of 17.7 inches, and that is
at the 46th percentile for head circumference.

So he's tall, like we thought. And has a pretty big noggin, like we thought.

For Periwinkle:

At 8 months:
your child is 17.2 pounds, and that is
at the 29th percentile for weight.
your child is 26.25 inches, and that is
at the 17th percentile for height.
your child has a head circumference of 17.1 inches, and that is
at the 40th percentile for head circumference.

So she's kind of petite, like we thought, but decently chubby. She definitely has rollier legs than Indigo. I love those chubby legs!!

Tomorrow they are having avocado and berry yogurt for their meals at daycare. I will be having banana bread at work, the smell of which is taunting me from the kitchen...

Eight Month Doctor Visit

Yesterday we took the little boogers (literally - they both seem to have colds) to the pediatrician for their eight-month checkup. It was confirmed that Indigo just has a cold, no bronchiolitis, so that was a relief. He's sounded so pathetic for the past few days but seems to be improving on his own. Phew.

It was also confirmed that Periwinkle has a nice new tooth and probably a second soon to follow. Her runny nose could be a result of that, or a cold.

Periwinkle tries to eat the paper.

Both are growing right on their curves (doctors plot their stats on a curve each month to make sure the baby doesn't have a sudden abnormal drop or increase in weight or height that would indicate a problem). Indigo is now 18lb 5oz, is 28.5 inches long, and has a head circumference of 45cm (I actually remembered that one for once). He's up 1.5 inches and 1lb 7oz from his six-month visit. Periwinkle is 17lb 3 oz, up two pounds, is 26.25 inches long, up 1.25 inches, and has a 43.5cm head. She also showed off her new love of screaming and tensing up her arms, which is just a riot. Most of the time.

Before their appointment we took them to Applebee's. This was their first visit to a restaurant, something we've wanted to do for a while but just needed to get up the motivation. We knew it wouldn't be the relaxed visit it used to be with just the two of us. Surprisingly, they did great! Periwinkle kept looking around (of course), staring at other customers and throwing her crinkle book to the floor, to Blue's delight. Indigo was quite happy to bang his plastic keys on the table and attempt to grab at the utensils, the plates, the cups, or anything else that came within possible reach. They each sampled some of my potatoes and Blue's chicken, and Periwinkle decided to try the children's menu as an appetizer. They got a little bored toward the end and started fussing a bit, but luckily we'd paid the check and could pack them up and get them to the car (after dashing through rain for the third time that day). They were asleep almost immediately, since it was naptime.

Good times at Applebee's

They ended up with an early bedtime of 6pm, because that nap got interrupted by the doctor's visit. But during the witching hour before bedtime, in an attempt to calm Periwinkle, I took her outside and fed her some blackberries from the garden. Man, did she love those! She looked like she'd eaten an animal or something, she was so covered in red juices. It's such a nice feeling being able to feed them from things I've grown myself (not that I've done much other than plant the thing). Nice, natural fruit. I've been blending the berries into yogurt, which they've been enjoying the past few days. I also froze some of that berry/yogurt mixture into popsicles. Good times all around this summer!

They also got baptized on Sunday, but that's a whole other post!

Five-Month Checkup

The babies went to the pediatrician today for their five-month well visit. The little lady is 13lb14oz and 24 inches long. Her brother is a whopping 15lbs even and 26.25 inches long!

I can't believe he has 2.25 inches on her! I mean, I can tell he's taller but I didn't realize how much. Looks like he might be getting some of the height genes from my side of the family (my brother and father are a few inches over six feet and I am 5'8''). Plus Blue has a few tall relatives, although he doesn't quite break the six-foot barrier himself. So we'll see!

I can definitely tell Indigo is heavier than Periwinkle every time I lift them in their carriers. Using a stroller to pick them up at daycare is becoming a very real possibility.

Four Month Checkup

Yesterday was doctor day for the kiddos. They were not too happy about it, mainly because we had an appointment in the evening and it crossed into their witching hour when the only cure is napping. Lesson learned. Also, they were not fans of the shots. Periwinkle even debuted a new cry that closely resembled a car alarm. Needless to say, they were in bed earlier than normal, which was great, because it meant we went to bed before 11 for the first time in a LONG time. It was glorious. But I digress.

Indigo is now 13lb 5 oz and is 25 inches long. That means he's gained 8lb1oz and 6 inches since birth. Go Indigo!

Periwinkle is now 12lb 2.5oz and 23.5 inches long. That puts her up two pounds and 1.5 inches from last month, and 7lb 1.5oz and 4.5 inches from birth. We're so happy she's growing so well!

I missed the head circumferences due to Periwinkle's crying, sorry. Indigo still has a big head, though. That much is certain.

And I believe they are both around the 25th percentile for height/weight, which is good.

We were told that if they start seeming unsatisfied by formula, we can slowly introduce solids at this point. Part of me is tempted, but since they both seem okay with just bottles right now, I won't jump the gun. I'm excited to see how they react to food though. We'll be doing it in two months, at the latest, anyways, which is soon enough I guess.

Besides, do I really need mashed banana and avocado all over the living room right now? No. No, I definitely do not.

Our future. Times two.

Happy Holidays!

I hope you all had a great Christmas and will have a fantastic New Year! We headed up to my parents' house for a few days, which is always great because Grandma and Grandpa love getting up in the middle of the night to feed them and let us get more than three hours of consecutive sleep. Feeling somewhat well rested now, thanks to them!

The babies made out like bandits, and we are so grateful for all the adorable clothes and toys they got, as well as the Ergo carrier that makes Periwinkle conk out in .5 seconds. I've yet to put Indigo in it, but his turn is coming soon. We also got a single Snap N Go stroller for when we want to get individual time with a baby, and a humidifier for the nursery that will hopefully help with dry skin and congestion. I'll let you know how that goes!

The babies also got spoiled rotten, as I don't think they were put down for more than two minutes during the course of the three days. Someone was always holding them and loving on them, especially my grandmother, who has decided to go by GiGi. My grandfather has been dubbed More GiGi, which is a nod to the fact that my younger cousin, as a baby, called me Red and my brother More Red. I felt so popular.

Here are some pictures from our holiday!

Christmas Day Finery

Christmas Eve Eve PJs

Aunt Fuschia and Indigo in his Christmas Eve PJs

Peaceful Periwinkle in her Christmas Eve PJs

Me, and Periwinkle in the Ergo

They had their two-month pediatrician appointment today. How they are nine weeks old already is beyond me. Periwinkle is now 9lbs6oz!! And Indigo is still exactly a pound heavier, at 10lbs6oz. They've pretty much doubled their birth weights, and are both into size 1 diapers. Indigo now weighs about what I weighed when I was born. My poor mother....

Baby girl is 21 inches long to Indigo's 22. She has a head circumference of 36cm, and his is a whopping 39cm, which got a reaction of, "Oh, wow" from the doctor. But both are looking great, as, in the doctor's words, "I can't find a thing wrong with them." So that's good to hear!! Indigo is still a bit congested, but we're hoping the humidifier helps with that.

I am hoping to finally get a post up with official "after" shots of the nursery in the next week, once I organize their new clothes and get the newborn stuff out of there. So crazy to think they've outgrown it all already... thank goodness for Christmas gifts!

One-Month Well-Baby Visit

Phew. Glad that's out of the way. Due to Blue being called in to work today, I got to take the babies to their one-month well-baby doctor's visit by myself. In the rain. I started organizing and packing things up two hours before I wanted to leave the house. I gave myself thirty minutes to drive five miles. I fed and changed them before leaving the house. And I somehow managed to hold two Chicco Keyfit 30s in one hand/arm while opening doors. I impressed even myself.

I had planned on popping the seats into the stroller, but given the short distance from the car to the door, I opted to just carry them to keep them drier. They still got a little rain shower, but neither seemed to mind enough to wake up or stop sucking on their pacifiers.

However, stripping them down certainly got their attention. It was very exciting to see they'd each grown an inch, so they are both 20 inches long now. Indigo now weighs 8 pounds, up from his birth weight of 5lb4oz and his weight of 6 pounds two weeks ago. Periwinkle has also gained weight, which just makes me so happy after her NICU adventures. She's now a solid 7 pounds, up from 5lb4oz two weeks ago and her birth weight of 5lb1oz. Plus, at one point during her NICU stay she was only slightly above 4.5 pounds. She's now a healthy, growing girl who regularly downs 3+ ounces at a feeding, sometimes even 4 ounces, just like her brother.

She's also a champion burper, strong gripper, and extremely curious girl who looks at everything with such wonder and thoughtfulness. It does a mama's heart good to see her thriving. Indigo continues to sleep like a champ, although his sister is taking after him more and more, which is fantastic. He's also very chatty and doesn't hesitate to let you know if he's uncomfortable or bored, usually with an adorable whine that sounds like a horse's whinny.

I'm considering getting a carrier so I can wear one of them. It would be useful when Periwinkle is spazzing out and I want to hold her while doing laundry or picking up the dining room. It also could have come in handy today, when I could have worn one baby and carried the other in the infant seat. Things to look in to...

I just ordered a new camera, the Canon T3i, with the standard lens and a telephoto lens. I'm excited to become more of a "momtographer" with higher quality shots, although my phone has done a fairly good job so far, wouldn't you say? Half of the cost of the camera is covered by my birthday and Christmas gifts, so it worked out to be a pretty awesome deal for me. I'm psyched for it to get here so I can start playing!

Expect an update on the nursery with some "professional" shots from my new camera of the finished product. I've been postponing it because it means I have to tidy up in there, and now because I want to use my new camera for the shoot.

And now, a better picture showing how alike Periwinkle and I look as babies:

I'm on the left, which is obvious by the 80s couch I'm on. Comfiest couch ever, though!

Week 35!

So here we are, at week 35. The average for twins is 36 weeks, so I'm a week away from that point. Still hoping they hang on until their scheduled eviction date, though!

This is my first full week at home. As my doctor said, I've "had a good run" but it was time to stop working. Fine by me! I have to confess, I had giant smile on my face after she told me to stop. And working out short term disability at work didn't prove as complicated as I'd thought it would be, so that part wasn't even too stressful. Woohoo!

So at this point the babies are just adding fat. They likely won't get any longer. Which is good, because there really isn't anywhere else for their little legs to go.

Fun fact: my uterus is now about 1000 times its original size. Probably more, because it's twins. Crazy!

This week they are coconuts! Cue: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Those aren't 'orses! You've got two 'alves of a coconut and you're bangin' 'em together!).

thebump.com

At my appointment yesterday they did measure them again. Yay! Baby Boy is 5lbs 3oz, and Baby Girl is 5lbs 1oz. So Baby Boy has taken the lead once again! 10.25 pounds of babies. No wonder my back hurts...

They were both face-up so we finally got some pictures!

Baby Boy. Not many good shots of him this time.

Baby Girl, with her little nose. First picture in about two months!

I swear I can see a little hair sticking up off her forehead but I didn't get that confirmed or anything.

Now, back to doing laundry and watching HGTV!

Still Preggo, Don't Worry

I know I haven't posted much in the last week. I've just been too wiped out, really. But I am still preggo, still trudging along, although apparently whenever I call my parents, they see my number on caller ID and think, "Uh oh!"

My mother also has been dreaming about the babies coming. In one she related to me, I was in the hospital giving birth the old-fashioned way, and delivered one baby. Then I said, "I'm done," and tried to get up and leave the hospital with baby two still hanging out in my belly. My mom woke up and had to check her phone to make sure I hadn't called to say I was in labor. So they are taking care of the worrying for me, because I have had absolutely NO dreams about popping these babies out. I'm a bit zen about the whole thing. They'll be here a month from yesterday, or, in weeks, four weeks from this upcoming Wednesday. Crazy.

So this week makes 34 weeks! A very real possibility the babies could try to escape any time, although as of my last NST and ultrasound last Thursday, they are making no efforts to do so. The average delivery week is 36 weeks for twins, but still hoping they hang out until 38 weeks. With an end date for work in sight, I think I can make it. Starting this week I have to go twice a week for the NST and ultrasound, so two half-days at work a week. Still have to deal with the obnoxious commute, but I think I can deal.

This week the babies are butternut squashes.

What's cool is they can now distinguish between songs and might react differently to different songs. They probably react poorly to anything I sing, as I really have no ability to carry a tune. I should make Blue sing to them...

They also pee about a pint a day. Awesome. And kind of gross considering they end up swallowing it. Ewwwww!

One of my friends had her baby girl last Wednesday, so a shout out to Mama A and Baby K, who is absolutely beautiful. And another friend is having her baby boy today, so I am wishing her lots of luck! Can't wait until it's my turn!

Oh, in case any of you were wondering, I did manage to find Apple Orchard donuts in my hometown. Phew! Dunkin Donuts isn't a total fail.

33 Weeks!

Here we are at 33 weeks. Where did the last week go? Feeling somewhat re-energized after my self-imposed bedrest yesterday, but I still have a little case of the sniffles. I would much rather be in bed than at work, especially on a day we usually get off. However, this year Columbus Day was sacrificed so we could have Monday through Wednesday off the week of July 4th. I suppose I can't complain too much, except I'm much more in need of the time off now than I was in July. But I digress.

First, a shout out to Fuschia (my sister-in-law, remember?) who is celebrating her big 3-0 today. And an advance happy birthday to my brother (who did maternity pictures) who will be 32 on Wednesday! When I was little I used to swear I'd be older than him someday. I think I'm finally happy that isn't possible!

Here's a quick photo from the wedding we were at Saturday. I'm actually belly to belly with Blue's sister, who is expecting her third in March. I wasn't sure if she'd want her photo up here so I cropped her out. I'm so excited for our babies to grow up together!

Can I just say I'm loving my hair here? I used rollers for about a half an hour then hair sprayed the crap out of it and I had lovely waves all day. I should do that more often, because it really wasn't hard.

This week the babies are durians, which if I remember correctly are a really really stinky fruit. They also look quite terrifying.

thebump.com

They could grow up to an inch this week, and as we've seen in our growth checks, they gain about a half a pound each weekly. They keep their eyes open when awake, which is kind of cool. Their skin is becoming less translucent and is looking more like mine (to which Blue would laugh and say "But your skin IS translucent." I get it, I'm pale.) or Blue's (who is Mediterranean and thus a darker, olive tone).

I cannot wait to see who they look like!

Baby Growth Update

I've been slacking writing my next entry because to be honest, I usually write blog posts as a mental sanity break at work and I've been off since Thursday, when I had my latest appointment. But since I'm trying to relax as much as possible today and have been vegging in the bed in the living room watching various sports all day, I suppose I have time to write!

So Thursday was my latest non-stress test and ultrasound, along with a visit with my doctor. Great heart rates, no contractions, all is looking well on the NST side.

And the ultrasound revealed that the babies are growing perfectly. I believe they are in the 56th and 54th percentiles or something to that effect. Baby Boy is 4lbs 5oz, and Baby Girl is 4lbs 6oz (she's the bigger one again!). By now they are probably more like 4lbs 8oz, as they are growing at about 7oz a week. Which means by the time November 14th rolls around, we're looking at 7lb babies. Oy. Great news for them, not so great for my expanding belly and increasingly achy back. Just glad they are looking healthy, though! Baby Girl still refused to show her face, and Baby Boy remains easily identifiable by his nose. No pictures this week, though, sorry.

I then visited my doctor and learned that after 34 weeks, I have to have NSTs done twice a week. My boss is just going to LOVE that. I do love that, because it means even LESS time at work. I think I'm already down to 19 full days left (including some half days that combine for a full day). Hey! My last day of work is a month from yesterday. Sweet!

In other news, my dad and his girlfriend were in town en route to a family wedding and spent a few days with us. They live in Florida so it's always great to see them. And they brought gifts for babies. Lots and lots of bibs, among other adorable things. I'm a slob, and it's a good bet our babies will be, too, so I'm sure they'll come in handy. They also stocked us up with diapers and wipes. Except with two, the stash will probably only last a week or two. A sobering reality to see how much will go so quickly...

Blue and I are bummed we can't go to my side's family wedding and see everyone (congrats L & C!), but we actually had a wedding for Blue's side yesterday (congrats M & D!), and he was in it. It was a fun but very long day for this mama (hence lying in bed all day today). I managed to dance to a few songs. I can't resist oldies like the Twist! I did worry about their hearing, the music and bass were so loud, but I suppose it probably just sounds like Dory speaking Whale in Finding Nemo. I hope.

So many people commented on how small I am for having twins, but I was reassured by my doctor that I am just carrying well, so I'm not worried. I'm sure today's wedding will be great too, and I'm looking forward to seeing pictures. Even without yesterday's wedding, it probably wouldn't be good to go too far from my hospital at this point... 33 weeks tomorrow! Lots of twins decide to come now! Hopefully not ours...

Now, to drag myself out of bed and do some laundry. Blue is picking up creamy tomato soup and brie (one of my favorite lunch combos) so the least I can do is make sure he has clean underwear...

32 Weeks, aka 8 Months!

Having a pretty decent Monday, for a Monday ::knocks wood::. Blue and I were walking from our cars to the train when another commuter called out to me to tell me I look great. She asked when I was due and if we knew what we were having. When I told her one of each, she was blown away that I'm having twins and am as small as I am. This repeats a theme that came up a lot over the weekend. A clerk at the grocery store was similarly surprised, and people at a family event also commented on how small I am. I swear the babies are the right size and growing well! But it does make me a little paranoid. I'll double check at my ultrasound this week that there's nothing I should be worried about. But in the meantime, feeling flattered that people think I look good!

So this week it's 32 weeks down, 6 to go until eviction date. Craziness. This also means only 5 more weeks and 2 days of work. I counted and it's 25 work days. Probably less because I am taking several half days for doctor's appointments. So let's call it 23 days at the office. Woohoo!! And this week I'm taking Thursday and Friday off so it should fly by!

This week apparently the babies are squashes (weren't they acorn squashes not long ago?).

I'm pretty sure these numbers are the same as last week because baby size can vary a lot in the third trimester, so it's just a range. What's kind of cool is that they can now experience REM sleep, which means they can dream! Wondering what an in-utero baby dreams about if it's never seen anything... Is it just sounds and sensations? Wish I could ask them...

So much left to do, and not just in the nursery. I need to pack up a bag for the hospital, just in case they decide to come early. I need to come up with some good recipes to prepare and freeze so I can just dump everything in the crockpot after the babies come (or whoever is at my house can dump into the crockpot). Then I need to actually prepare them. Which requires some serious freezer reorganization. I need to make a list of what we need to do immediately after they arrive for health insurance, daycare FSA, maternity leave, etc. I need to do a good, deep clean of the house to try to get rid of as much dust and fur as possible. We need to reclaim our bedroom, which has become a dumping ground for anything and everything as we are mainly living on the lower level these days.

I think that's it... for now.

Oh, and I need to buy some comfy pants that I can hang out in during the week or two of recovery. And, let's face it, that I will probably hang out in until I'm forced to put on real clothes.

31 Weeks Down, 7 to Go!

So here we are, arrived at another Monday. Another week checked off the calendar. 1 month and 19 days to go. After lying down last night did nothing to relieve the pain in my ribs (aka Baby Girl), the next seven weeks can't go fast enough. It's the most frustrating thing, being able to find no relief anymore. Or maybe it was a one-night thing, and she'll move for me tonight. I can hope...

So this week, the babies are pineapples. Ironically, pineapples are my favorite fruit but I am allergic to them when fresh. Someone up there has a funny sense of humor... But I will enjoy my pineapple babies, at least. They're probably around 3.5lbs, if not almost 4lbs. I'll find out at my growth check Thursday (along with fetal monitoring and contraction testing).

I'm hoping Baby Girl cooperates this week so I can get a picture to show Blue. Shy little girl. No idea where she gets that from, as I was am quite the ham for the camera. I guess she just wants to make a grand entrance at her birth and might keep her cute little face hidden until then. We'll see on Thursday!

We finished setting up nursery furniture, and I have some cute pictures of the cats exploring in there, but that'll be for a separate post later on. Right now, mama wants lunch!

30 Weeks, 8 to Go!

Somehow having a 3 start the number of weeks along I am is just so exciting. Babies are born in weeks starting with 3. My babies will be born in a week starting with a 3. Hopefully they stick around to week 38, but they could come sooner. Eight weeks to go, tops. One month and 26 days, according to my Facebook countdown. This never ceases to excite and terrify me. Babies. Two teeny, tiny babies. Holy crap.

Another thing that brings this into a sharper reality is the fact that it's feeling like fall lately. I'm quite chilly when I wake up, as it's under 60 degrees outside and we leave some windows open at night. My body craves pumpkin coffee and apple orchard donuts from Dunkin Donuts, and I start planning warm toasty crock pot meals for dinner. I love fall. Blue and I got married in the fall, almost two years ago, because I just love it so much. And for the past 30 weeks, fall = babies. So here we are. Fall. Babies. Holy crap.

Here's a nice little image of fall, with my boy/girl scarecrow twins and a bunch of pumpkins I grew in our garden this year. Yes, I grew that mother of an orange pumpkin, mainly through benign neglect. But I'm proud of it anyways. And we got seven little white ones, the rest of which are in the house.

So at 30 weeks, I'm still waiting for the famed pregnancy insomnia to set in. Other than getting up to pee three times a night, I'm still sleeping great. I'm not uncomfortable, usually, and nothing aches so much it keeps me awake. ::knocks wood::

This week, the babies are cucumbers. They are likely over 3lbs by now, if they are gaining the usual 1/2 pound a week. So possibly 7lbs of babies. No wonder I look full-term...

thebump.com

The cool thing this week is they are now strong enough to grasp a finger. They've been practicing by grabbing their own hands, umbilical cords, etc. And we all know how strong a baby's grip is! Looking forward to having them cling to me and Blue's fingers once they are born (just leave mama's hair alone!).

So there ya go. 30 weeks. 8 to go.

Holy crap.

Baby Size Update!

So yesterday I went in for my fun cervical check and baby growth check. Everything looks good with me, so I get to continue to trudge in to work (my new motto: slow and steady wins the race. Or at least eventually makes it to the office, winded and likely sweaty.)

The babies are looking great. They were very active, as usual. I even felt Baby Girl move and saw it at the same time on the screen. She was NOT a fan of the ultrasound wand. Every time the tech would put it over her and push a little, she would punch right at it as if trying to knock it away. I think she's got some 'tude. She also is apparently directly facing my belly button. Weird. She's looking very healthy at 2lbs14oz, so nearly 3 pounds! The tech confirmed that she seems to have a smaller nose than Baby Boy (sorry dude), and kept calling her a "dainty lady." I like the sound of that.

Baby Boy seems to never stop moving, which means he doesn't sleep much (although he seems quiet right now...shhhh). I hope this isn't a sign of sleep issues to come! He's weighing 3lbs exactly. I got a good shot of him, but not of Baby Girl.  She looked like a mutant in her photos because she was moving so much.

They were both in the 40th percentile for growth, so not too big and not too small! Sounds good to me. They will likely double in size before birth, if they make it to 38 weeks. 

I am just so excited to meet them and see if I recognize their personalities from their movements and seeing them at appointments. Plus I'll then finally be able to come up with color names for them for this blog! (Sorry, no real names will be shared on here.)

Guess What?

That's right! We're having one of each gender! Baby A is the boy (and is the one who kicks me all the time) and Baby B is the girl (the one I'm convinced is going to break my ribs one of these days). Baby B is the one who seems to have my nose (phew) and Baby A may or may not have Blue's nose. We'll have to wait until they are born to see! It was so much fun revealing the genders at my second baby shower, with Blue's family, this weekend. Everyone was genuinely excited and it got kind of loud for a few minutes. The rest of the shower was great, too, and I say again that these are two lucky and loved kids. Many thanks to my sister-in-law and mother-in-law for putting it together!

Our house is currently quite the sight of mayhem with all the bags and boxes from the shower strewn about. And half our stuff is currently lodging at Blue's aunt and uncles house! Time to get serious about organizing! That will be a little easier now that the nursery floor is DONE! My stepdad rocks. He even set up one of the cribs (the other is at said aunt and uncle's house) and it's so cool to see it really look like a nursery. Pictures to come once it's more set up.

We moved the guest bed into the living room, which is a bit weird and will take some adjusting (although the cats seem to enjoy it there), but it's just awesome to not have to trudge down and up stairs four times a night. The bathroom is mere steps away! I am hoping my fitful sleeping the past few nights is a fluke and not a now-regular thing. 

So, this week makes 29 weeks along. Holy crap. Nine weeks to go until eviction, unless they come earlier of course. My baby newsletters say they will start moving less and less as they run out of room, but it certainly seems they are kicking up a storm in there! Apparently they will triple in size by birth, but I'm not sure if that holds true for twins (lord help me if it does).

The babies are currently the size of a squash, I'm guessing of the acorn variety.

It is absolutely insane that they could weigh nearly four pounds! I'm thinking more like 3, based on where they were at my last check, but really I have no idea. I will find out tonight at their last ultrasound growth check. I'm so excited to see how big they are! People keep telling me I'm pretty small for twins at this point, but I do have two months to go...

28 Weeks, aka 7 Months!

aka, am I done yet? It's probably just today's weather (muggy, humid, gross, take your pick of descriptive words), but I'm feeling ready to be done baking babies. I know they need more time and I will keep on truckin', but I really hope fall hurries up and gets here. Today I'm just too tired to be happily pregnant. It happens.

So, the babies are now eggplants. In my mind, that makes them pretty big. In reality, they are still hovering in that 1.5-to-2.5-pound range. This comparison definitely conveys length better than, say, a cauliflower, though.

They are now developed enough that if, God forbid, they were born today they would have something like an 80 percent chance of surviving, with proper medical care. Crazy. Let's keep them in there a few more weeks or even months, though. We still have work to do on the nursery, after all.

Babycenter.com actually has an image of what fraternal twins (or identicals who split SUPER early in the process) look like this week in utero. Kind of cool!

This is about how mine were at last check, with Baby A being the one on the right of the image (and the right side of me) and Baby B being the one on the left of the image (and the left side of me). I've been feeling Baby B moving around more, so the anterior placenta is becoming less and less of an issue. Unfortunately, still feeling Baby B using my ribs as a punching (or kicking) bag. Can I lie down now?

I can't remember if I mentioned this last week, but we found a pediatrician for the babies. She was super sweet, has kids of her own, and I think will be a good fit. There are other doctors there we can see as well, so we might try a few out before definitely settling on one as their primary. Plus the doctor's office is pretty much across the street from the daycare, which will make appointments easy peasy.  One more thing off our checklist!

27 Weeks on the 27th!

I guess this is my "golden" week! Like your golden birthday, which occurs when you turn the age your date of birth is. For me, my golden birthday was my fifth birthday. This seems unfair, as I didn't even know the concept existed. But I digress.

I'm officially wiped out. Uncomfortable sitting, as Baby B wedges into my ribs, but exhausted standing, as my legs and feet ache (but still no swelling!). The best word to describe it is "blargh." I have another cervical check after work and part of me is hoping she puts me on bedrest. But I also know that bedrest will drive me insane, which will drive Blue insane, so it's probably best that that doesn't happen. Wish me luck.

There is no way in hell I would be this zen on bedrest.

So I think I'm in the third trimester now. Some sites/books say third trimester starts at 26 weeks, others at 28, so I'm splitting the difference and declaring myself into the third trimester at 27 weeks. Plus my third trimester will likely be cut short by an early appearance from the babies. Crazy to think they will probably be here in ten weeks (hopefully not sooner). Apparently I will gain weight more rapidly this trimester than in the previous two. I think I need to buy bigger maternity clothes if that's the case...

As for the babies, they are rutabagas and are nearly 2.5 pounds (theoretically) each. That's five pounds of babies! No wonder I feel enormous! They are also getting smarter, showing signs of brain increased activity as their brains continue to develop (braaaiiiiinnnnss). Hoping for smart, nerdy babies.

thebump.com

By the way, what the hell is a rutabaga?

26 Weeks, Baby Shower, Maternity Shoot

It's been a busy week! First of all, I'm now 6.5 months along. Time is simultaneously speeding up and slowing down. Two more weeks and I'll be into the third trimester!

This week the babies are heads of lettuce, which amuses me given the number of salads I've eaten this summer.

From thebump.com

Their hearing is fully functional, and they respond to light. I need to try shining a flashlight at my stomach one of these days. Soon their eyes will be able to open, and they have eyelashes already!

As for me, I feel lucky that a lot of the not-so-fun things haven't been happening (yet). I can still sleep relatively easily other than trips to the bathroom to pee. My back isn't killing me, and my ankles aren't swollen. I just get tired more easily and can't walk long distances (sorry, old omelette place. Switched to one closer to work!). I do have to say I'm done going to baseball games for the duration. Blue and I went to one Friday and while the game was fun, the seats were not. Plus my team lost. Not cool.

I had my baby shower up by where I grew up over the weekend. My mom put together a really cute theme, "Double Dip," and we had a sundae bar and cake pops shaped like ice cream cones (made by my sister-in-law). I got lots of cute outfits, great books to read to them, and useful things like a changing mat, stroller (Chicco Cortina Together), car seats (Chicco Keyfit 30), high chairs (by Graco), one of the cribs (thanks Mom!), and other things I am forgetting. But Blue and I feel incredibly lucky to have such loving and generous friends and family. We really can't thank them enough!

Overwhelmed at the generosity.

Opening a "cupcake" made by my sister-in-law. We'll call her Fuschia.

So as you can see, my sister-in-law, whom we'll call Fuschia because of her intense love of bright pink, made these adorable "cupcakes" as gifts for me. She rolled baby outfits, blankets, and this Pooh snuggle thing into the shapes of cupcakes, complete with cupcake liner and individual boxes. She SO should go into business doing this. She's very creative and crafty like that. She's also the one who made the cake pops. I'll try to get some pictures from my mom of that and other baby shower things.

Here's a picture of me and Fuschia. She even dresses awesomely!

Red and Fuschia. And a crib full of gifts!

One other fun thing from the shower was that I revealed genders, which was exciting. But I'm not sharing here yet, sorry!

The following day, my brother (fantastic photographer) did a maternity shoot for me. Blue got roped into a few photos, and otherwise played assistant, and Fuschia took some behind the scenes photos. It was fun, and perfect weather for it. Here's one sample shot that will be my 26-week photo for you guys. He's still working on tweaking the rest of them.

Beamer Photography

Can we say "Hello, belly"?

More to come from this session in September!

Babies Are Growing!

Today I was told I have a "model cervix." Umm, thank you, I guess? I'm holding steady at 3.4cm, which is great news. Apparently I am so easy to measure they had two people in training try to measure too, with great success. Awesome. And awkward.

But then we moved on to measuring the babies. Baby A (below) is 1 pound, 12 ounces. Baby A will be over two pounds the next time I go in for growth scans. Baby A is in the 48th percentile for growth, right in the middle where baby should be!  Baby A looks like it has a really weird chin. Hoping that's not an issue, but no one has mentioned it to me so it must just be a weird image.

Baby B (no photo this week, sorry!) is 1 pound, 10 ounces, and is in the 37th percentile for growth. So both are right on track!

And I'm doing so well I don't need to go in for another check and ultrasound for three weeks, instead of the usual two! Yay!

Today I also had my glucose test. Basically I drank a little bottle of orange kool-aid (not really kool-aid) and then they drew blood an hour later to see how my body processed the sugar. It's to see if I have or am near getting gestational diabetes. I hope not! I'll find out by the end of the week how I did. If I failed this test, then I have to do a three-hour test, where I drink a bigger drink and then get my blood drawn hourly for three hours. Boo to that. So let's hope I passed!