Friday, May 31, 2013

H.O.T.

WHAT THE EFF - IT IS MAY - NOT JULY, NOT AUGUST...WTF is up with this 95+ degree heat with 100000% humidity. 

The baby girls do NOT like this weather AT ALL. 

Next week, we will have some solstice with 70 degree days...it's going to feel like January up in here...Thank baby jesus! 

The girls had a check up today and ALL GOOD NEWS was had! 
HB's are 160 and 154....I am measuring about 33 weeks along. I am now at 154lbs - total gain of about 15lbs and FOUR pounds since my last appt - YAY!!! Probs will continue with gaining 1lb a week from here on out....it's tiiimmee for the biiiiggg gggiiirrrllssss!!!!
My BP and urine are all perfect. Doc was very optimistic that these baby girls will not be showing up until after 38 weeks - YAY!!!!!

I did ask what I can do to keep these girls cookin and unfortunately, there is not too much. Take it easy, plenty of fluids, feet up, eat healthy and RELAX....so I'm on it!  I plan on spending the next 3 months doing just that.

We are now moving to u/s and appts every 2 weeks to keep an eye on these lil ladies. One big worry I keep having is that one will grow faster than the other and that this will lead to a pre-term delivery. NO basis for this worry as of yet as at my last u/s 2 weeks ago, they were both right on par with each other and while there was a slight difference - it was so minimal that they do not consider it a difference at all - THANK GOD!!! Just gotta keep on eating every few hours!

Also, this coming week I will be having my first glucose test - bring on the flavored, gross, gag-inducing juice - fingers crossed all is on par. 

We have our 2nd shower this weekend!!! How lucky are we!? Can't wait to see the fam and eat some deeelic food!

AND I get to see my lovie bear, J, in her dance recital tomorrow...TISSUES NEEDED! Last year I cried so hard watching her people around me asked if I was okay....This year may be worse as now I am combating my usual basket-case-ness AND prego hormones. Luckily, at almost 6 years old, J doesn't see me as embarrassing YET - still years to come to embarrass her - and myself.

Back to folding baby clothes and fighting with the dog for the closest seat to the AC vent.

Happy weekend all!

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

26 weeks!

26 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! holy shiz. amazing. our baby girls are 26 weeks old! 

All is going fantastic...I feel great other than being exhausted. 
Most days I feel HUGE which I am SO okay with as long as it means these babes are growing bigger and healthier. 

Meanwhile, Erin is getting more and more toned by the hour.
#ihavetogethertoeatchocolatechipcookieswithme


This week, they are the size of heads of lettuce.
Heartbeats have been varying between 140's and 160's. 

Both girls have been kicking like crazy the past week...ESP when Erin talks to them. She will ask for one to kick and sure enough - they start kicking. SO amazing.

Also, my niece, J, got to feel baby A kicking like CRAZY yesterday. Was beyond amazing to see her little face light up when she felt a kick...such an amazing kid @ almost 6 years old. I can picture it now - my 2 lil girls will worship her and follow her around nonstop. (not to mention they will be wearing her hand-me-downs :)


Babes have a check up this Friday...no u/s..just measurements of my bod and discussions with the doc about whats to come..I have my neurotic detailed list of questions to ask....fingers crossed I get cleared to head to the beach in June for a few days of fam, sun, and Kohr Brothers. 

I do wish we had an u/s this week so bad..no real reason why..just like getting to see them and selfishly - I LOVE hearing the u/s techs go on and on about how perfect our girls are and how healthy they look! and of course - getting 20 plus pics of our babes is always exciting. I finally stopped slacking and put together an albumn of all of our u/s pics started from the first pic on the day of our ET when they were just little blastocysts. I knew if I did not get on doing this NOW (pre-twins arrival), the u/s pics would live tucked in a book for the next few years then probs lost!

U/s every 2 weeks will be starting up soon to make sure both babies are on par with each other and with where they should be....prayers prayers prayers

I FINALLY finished up my last grad school paper...OH HAPPY DAY!

Now, focus is 10000% on these babes. Feet are up - Laying on my left side as much as possible (even right now as I type this, it is not as tough as I imagined) - veggies are being choked down - and focusing on another 3 months before these babes come. August 14th is a date that keeps sticking out in my mind...we'll see if that is when they actually arrive :)

Erin and I treated ourselves to an at-home-babymoon this past weekend....out of this world massages followed by some delic mexican food - I have always liked mexican food but now I am thinking about it first thing every morning - taco night will def be happening this week and I am pretty certain I can lure Erin to any mexican restaurant with the promise of a margarita, chips, salsa, and a burrito to share ;)

Doesn't get much better than this! 
and here are me and the babies at 26 weeks...I think I look tiny in this pic but that could be because it had been a solid 90 minutes since my last feeding time..and I still cannot shake the completly-awkward-creeper-smile.
The nursery is coming together as is organizing all of the clothes/toys/car seats/diaper bags/etc. Luckily, organizing is thrilling to me (nerd, I know) I'll post pics soon!

Erin has been working her ass off around the house...check out these landscaping skills...(and hi Tyson!)
Talk about amazing..well done, bubs!

I'll be back to update soon on our lil girls! Have a great week all

Thursday, May 23, 2013

25 weeks 4 days

Hey all...Here we are at 25 weeks 4 days! All going great..nothing unusual to report....I feel great..baby girls are kicking like crazy!

Last night, we took a boob class to learn more about breast feeding and specifically, about breast feeding twins...this is quite an undertaking however, I know we can do it. We will start pumping immediately if the babes are in the NICU and make breast feeding a huge focus of our lives. We got so much fantastic info and learned more than ever expected about nipples and milk ducts. 

Also, a hands free pumping bra exists? Sign me up. Thank god - for our neighbors sake - that we have blinds on almost all windows. There are children nearby after all. 

and since these babies are NOT coming out until 38 weeks we will definitely be delivering at Paoli which means we will have amazing lactation consultants by our side! 

Also, I have been realizing how close to the end of this pregnancy we are :( Hearing the instructor talk about how twins can come as early as 32 weeks really was a slap across the face...that is only 6 weeks away...TOO SOON. The girls need more cookin time than that. 
and to think that some babies come even before that 32 week mark..holy hell..terrifying. 

I'll say it again how much I am not ready! I love being prego and I am so not ready to not be prego anymore :( and mentally, I want to have a FULL third trimester to not only ensure the health of the babies but also get done everything still on the ever growing to-do list! 

While my Doc reports that all is good and we have nothing to worry about, of course I am worrying that there is something I should be doing - that I'm not doing - that could keep these babes cookin longer? A downside to being so OCD is reading TOO much online and then becoming over paranoid...sometimes ignorance is bliss.

I spoke to a friend who had twins 13 years ago and her doc had a protocol that once you hit 26 weeks - you're on modified bed rest - 16 hours a day on - mostly laying on your left side - and 8 hours a day off. You are on this schedule from 26 til 36 weeks at which time it is deemed "safer" to go into labor so you are allowed to resume your regular routine. 

While this plan is not feasible in some ways due to work, life, etc - I would LOVE to do it. The less stress I put on my bod, the more stress it can take from the babies. Simple as that. So sit down and shut up. (maybe yelling at myself will get me to listen?)

This plan does have some merit behind it as this Doc had some impressive stats with 90% of twin deliveries being post-36 weeks - amazing! We NEED to be in that group!

I think I'll do a modified-modified bed rest which means sitting down A LOT. Not running 24/7 and taking it easy as much as possible. Easier said than done but our 3rd trimester is quickly approaching - begins June 2nd - and if I want a full 12 week 3rd trimester, then I gotta do it! 

Doc appt next week so I'll be sure to annoy her with eight thousand questions ask her a few, non-neurotic questions about what I can do the next few months to help get these babies stronger.

Keep the prayers coming that we all don't get to meet these already amazing and loved baby girls until August 16th at the earliest!! 

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Chevron! Giraffes! Cookie Cake!

We were beyond spoiled this past weekend at our baby shower. It was an amazing feeling to be surrounded by so many amazing people - family and friends - who are already so in love with these two baby girls - cue pregnancy hormones and the tears.

The food was amazing.....and our hosts - shout out to Meg and Madre - went above and beyond. It was a perfect day and our baby girls were BEYOND spoiled. I am still organizing everything and probs will continue to organize and re-organize for the next 3 months nonstop. 

The headbands - OH EM GEE. So freaking cute. Car seats! High chairs! 

The most amazing outfits...tutu's, Minnie Mouse ears, TWO Sophie's for the girls to tote around and play keep away with Tyson as he is convinced anything that squeaks is his for the keeping. Even the burp cloths and tiny diapers make me swoon!

For a wishing well, they had all guest bring a book for the girls and write a little note in it - how amazing. Something that our girls can look at for years to come! I wish I could re-hug everyone and re-thank everyone who was there for being part of such an amazing day. and our reading nook is now complete with its own library!

I was so excited for this shower but at the same time, sad that it would soon be over...It is one of those days that I will want to relive again and again!!!

We also had an amazing friend taking photographs for us to document the day with some stellar pics! 

Photobomb ahead!

The adorable chevron and giraffe inspired decorations made by Meg's bff, Etsy...





Tribute to a family fav, White Christmas (cue all of us signing off-key..Sisters...Sisters...There were never such devoted Sisters...)



the grandmoms-to-be :)

amazing friends in town from all over...


 Look at all this loot - such spoiled girls!! and Tootie looking oh so dapper. 


so cute!

 more amazing friends...


and talk about DEEEELIC food and desserts!



and the talented sister, hostess, and soon to be godmother of one of our lil girls! 



Such an amazing day...it is impossible to say thank you enough to everyone for such an amazing event...These lil girls are so lucky to be joining such a fantastic group of family and friends...3 more months and they will be here to be snuggled by all!































Tuesday, May 21, 2013

25 weeks!!!

25 weeks!!!!! Our baby girls - and my waistline - are GROWING!!! I feel amazing other than moving slower than usual. Insomnia has also been setting in. Most nights I am up from 2am til 5am just laying there...reading the new on my phone - and by news I mean Perez Hilton and BuzzFeed, of course. I'm okay with the insomnia as it is good practice for once the babies arrive!

This past weekend we had an amazing baby shower thrown for us that was absolutely fantastic. I'll post pics and details about that later this week! 

Erin spent last night putting together one of our cribs - and a job well done it was :)

Hard to believe that in 3 months we will have a lil baby sleeping in there! (if I can bring myself to put them in the nursery  a whole 3 feet away from my room...that's the tough part...neurotic, I know)

and here we are at 25 weeks!
Special appearance from Tootie the Giraffe who served as an awesome shower decoration as well as a gift to the girls! 

Tootie had been living at my sisters house and has been being well taken care of by my niece, J, who was sad to see Tootie leave her house. 

After all, us longnecks have an affinity for giraffes!
It really is impossible to get any cuter than that :) 

Friday, May 17, 2013

U/S this morning! 24 weeks 5 days

U/s this morning and I am beyond impressed at how well our baby girls are doing!!! We are so beyond lucky at how strong they are. 

They are each measuring perfect for GA of 24 weeks and 5 days. Baby A is measuring 24 weeks 6 days and Baby B is measuring 24 weeks 2 days - such a small difference that they do not even consider it a difference. 

Baby A has a stellar heartbeat of 151 bpm and Baby B is equally impressive with a heartbeat of 157 bpm.

Baby A is weighing in at 1 pound 9 ounces and Baby B at 1 pound 7 ounces. Stellar weights for each of them - oh happy day!!

Baby B cooperated perfectly and did some poses and flips for us while Baby A was still snoozing away, face down, and did not wiggle around no matter how much we poked and prodded her. 

Baby A typically has been the shyer twin who does not flip and kick as much as Baby B and today - that reigned true! 

The doc and u/s tech had only positive things to say about our lil girls!! Cervix looks perfect and they both are perfectly on target. I do not know how we got so lucky!! Doc said to keep on doing whatever it is that I am doing so I am instructing Erin to buy some stock in Nabisco because the amount of chocolate chip cookies I eat is only bound to increase now that the doc gave me permission to be a fatass healthy, pregnant with twins lady! 

Here's our lil girls....

This perfect profile....warms my heart every time I see it...such a miracle!

The tech also took some time to make sure our lil girls are still in fact lil girls and that they are!!! 

It is hard to tell but right in the middle of each of these pics is the pointer that is pointing out their lady parts. 

Here's the two girls - heads together - already scheming on how they are going to drive their mamas crazy...

and here is Baby B doing some acrobatics with her leg posed up over her head...
Look at that lil leg and foot just chillin up over her head. It explains why she has been the more boisterous of the two!

Next check up in 2 weeks and next u/s in 3.5 weeks!!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Lots to tell at 24 weeks!

Where have I been? Well, I'll tell you. 

I been busy as all hell. What have I been doing? Somedays I wonder wtf did I do? Others, its non-stop running. 

One thing I have NOT been doing is finishing up grad school - only a few papers stand between me and finishing up this Masters but still I procrastinate?? WTF - I am determined to get it done this week (unless something more exciting comes up - jk jk) Erin even threatened to keep my beloved chocolate chip cookies from me if I keep slacking - She will NOT keep that promise if she knows whats good for her. 

We got to enjoy a great Mother's Day this past weekend and spend time w/ our amazing Moms and families! So excited that next Mother's Day our lil girls will be crawling around, reeking havoc :)

This past Sunday marks our lil ones being 24 weeks old - SIX MONTHS!!! Holy hell. Getting BIIIGG. Over the next weeks the girls will be gaining weight (as will I) and working on getting their lungs stronger!!! Only 3ish more months to go. 

Getting bigger!!


and look at this skinny mama who has been doing so much manual labor around the house she is ripped! lil cutie
and a big thanks to my mom for expanding the girls wardrobe and making me swoon even more over the adorable-ness of lil girls clothes! Thanks Madre :) 
(I apologize for the neck cramp - this pic will not cooperate in rotating!)

and some big news from yesterday...Erin and I got up at 5am - toasted up some bagels for the car ride and headed up to NYC where we GOT MARRIED!!!!!!! 

Seeing as how we live in good ol' bass-ackwards PA where our marriage is still not recognized, we decided that before our girls arrive we wanted to get hitched in a state that would recognize us...not that we need the states approval - lord knows I disagree w/ about 80% of the political ideologies that PA stands for - however, for the girls, it would be nice for them to one day see on paper that they mommies are married - so on 5/13/13 we got hitched in Manhattan and are now legally married in 13 states!! Of course in a few years we are still having our big wedding here in PA with our families, friends and daughters :) 
Maybe by that time PA will get their shit together and stop living in the stone ages where I am pretty sure in some parts of this state, people think that being gay is an ailment..."I called out of work today on account of being gay" No joke - in Sweden in the 70's - being gay was a diagnosed sickness. Geniuses right there! I am regretting the hundreds of dollars we have spent at Ikea in the past few months supporting the Swedes. 

Steps off soapbox.

Anywho - yesterday was amazing....even with the hours of traffic and stressful time constraints and hours of waiting in lines...all so worth it to legally marry my lady! 

Stuck in Lincoln Tunnel aka the tunnel of doom traffic - but at least it was a sunny day :) We are both smiling despite the sun glare erasing half out faces.
My lady at one of our first stops..picking up our marriage license :) (sounds simple - okay you have the license...get hitched. Oh hell no - nothing in NY is that simple - don't forget about the judicial waivers...hours of lines still to wait in...overly friendly people paired with others who had the personality of a grumpy llama...being told to go to the wrong office a few times (and by accident each time we went to the divorce offices lol) 
More waiting....
 more pictures by a fancy NYC mural while waiting..(oh my belly - If I could do a back bend, I would look like a camel)
and a few shorts hours later - WE ARE MARRIED!!!
We popped in a Starbucks to grab some snacks and beverages for the ride home and sprinted back to see our families! 

and topped the day off with a champagne toast! (even I took 2 sips of 'pagne and did not ralph!)

5/13/13 - amazing day! 

How rad would it be if our ladies arrived on 8/13/13!? Exactly 3 months after we got hitched!  I'll allow them to arrive on the 13th but not a second sooner! They need to keep on cookin and I need to keep on eating! Which reminds me it's feeding time...off to inhale a bagel! 

We have another u/s this Friday to check on hour our lil ones are growing - I will be sure to update with pics and details after...Have a great week all!

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

23 weeks!

Sounding like a broken record yet again - TIME IS FLYING!! I cannot believe that our baby girls are 23 weeks!! This really is going by TOO fast.

This week our baby girls are just over a pound and about the size of a cantaloupe. They are growing over 4 ounces a week and can hear all the happenings of the world around them. Over the next few weeks they will be spending their days packing on the lbs and developing those chubby thighs and cheeks that I can't wait to nibble on! 

U/S is next week to check on how the girls are growing! Praying they are right on track or ahead of the game! 

Happy 23 weeks! 


Saturday, May 4, 2013

Leg warmers

and again.....these baby girls are going to be so well dressed...and I am smitten with leg warmers over chubby baby legs...I already just want to bite them!!...I am having a tough time NOT shopping constantly for these babes....baby leg warmers...amazing!!


Friday, May 3, 2013

Well dressed baby girls

It has already started - these baby girls are going to be stylin!! (why does using that word make me sound/feel like I am too old to be using that word?? 30 is not THAT old - right?!) 

Baby girls are doing lots of kicks and punches today! (perhaps attributed to the three six chocolate chip cookies I ate before breakfast - I CANNOT STOP - IT'S A PROBLEM!) 

Sneak peek at the adorable-ness to come :)




Thursday, May 2, 2013

Check up

Unfortunately, I still cannot kick this cold which has now turned into ear infections so off to see my primary I went...I was hoping to avoid meds 100% because even though they are "safe" for the babies, they still have to affect them in 1 way or another and the doc agreed with me but assured me that she was the same way during her pregnancies and ended up sick like I was and had no choice but to get on meds and her babies are just fine. So 10 days of antibiotics has started! I still wish I could get the liquid amoxicillin - that damn delic bubble gum flavor is one of my favorites. 

After an appt with my primary, I headed upstairs to my OB for a check on the girls. This was my first time meeting with this particular doctor in the group and I am beyond impressed! First off the nurse listened to their heartbeats and both were perf - baby a 152 and baby b 143. According to her chart, I have only gained 8 pounds thus far but I am convinced that scale is wrong as I thought I had gained about 15? I am POSITIVE I have inhaled at least 15 pounds of cookies so that must equate to at least 10 lbs on my bod!
This doc gave me more information than any other doc had before...telling me the detailed results of our anatomy scan and also of our first tri-screening....1/14,000 chance that the girls have downs and 1/10,000 chance of any abnormalities...go baby girls! He also was impressed with my cervix and assured me that these baby girls will NOT arrive before the week of August 14th..thank baby jesus! Keep em cooking!     

We touched on the topic of how to deliver - V vs. c-section and he is prob the most liberal on this topic our of any doc in the practice. He assured me that if the first baby is head down then we will proceed with a v delivery. As of right now both babies are breeched and it will not be until about week 30 that their positions are fixed due to lack of room to flip around so plenty of time for them to both get head down and stay that way!!! 

Also, I got to swing by our fertility doc and drop off our unused IVF meds to be donated to a patient who does not have insurance coverage for IVF. It was great to see all those ladies again and felt good to be able to give so many meds to someone who needs them. We were beyond lucky that we had a quick stimulation cycle so that we were able to donate some unused meds. 

In other news..

I am beyond excited to get the nursery set up ... it is painted and looks amazing. I finally got around to moving our clothes into the walk-in closet and dressers so the babies room no longer looks like a scene from Pretty Women with clothes strewn everywhere.

Shings (who is now shingles free) and her kiddos are FINALLY coming over to our new house tomorrow - I cannot wait to get my 5 year old nieces opinions on how to decorate the babies nursery. Talking to her is more like talking to one of my girlfriends than to a Kindergartner and she does not hesitate to tell me if my ideas suck and put in her own two sense :) 

Next scheduled u/s is on the 17th - can't wait to see our girls again :)