My baby girls

I am the proud mother of two beautiful baby girls! Everything went swimmingly on Babies Day and Baby A (on the left, above) entered the world at 5:26 pm, weighing 6 lbs even. DH and I were relieved the first baby was a girl because all day the nurses had been predicting two boys...something DH and I weren't sure we were up for. So after Baby Girl A, I didn't worry about who would come next. And just ten minutes later and some more pushing, Baby B entered the world, weighing 5 lbs. 3 oz. What a dream! We had some initial blood sugar issues and it was a long while (couple of hours) before I was reunited with my girls again. They were given formula to get it back up and I believe that, along with their weak sucking reflex kind of set us up for breastfeeding difficulties. After one month of trying and crying and pumping and potential lactose intolerance, I gave it up and moved to formula. What an emotional decision! I'm still sad about it, really. I digress -- we were blessed enough to be able to leave the hospital together and start our family life at home. Thankfully, we came home to great support from my parents which is continuing on to this day. I keep thinking I need to cut the cord since they are my children after all, but dang this twin stuff is hard. Something about mommy being outnumbered. ;) One added challenge is the colic diagnosis our little Peanut Baby B got last week at the pediatrician. She'd have inconsolable crying fits that would last for hours, at any time...to the point that she made herself hoarse. If that isn't the saddest sound, I'm not sure what is. So apparently it's hyperirritability colic, meaning it could happen any time and the treatment is to really reduce the negative stimulation she receives as the crying means her mental capacity is maxxed out (as well as the formula change to lacto free). Not only is it just awful to not be able to do anything for your baby but it's hard to not be able to enjoy her true personality. When she's not crying and red in the face, she is a shockingly beautiful baby who's so alert and bright eyed. I love getting those glimpses, as few and as far between as they are. Thankfully our String Bean Baby A is a laid back baby, although lately she seems to have taken some notes from her sister. Peer pressure at its earliest. ;) At this point, I'm just trying to make it through every day. I knew it'd be hard, but it's definitely harder than I thought it'd be. This is truly the very first time I've been on the computer for any amount of time since they've been born. Either I'm a horrible time manager or my babies are really demanding or both. But despite it all, I have said it multiple times: having "just one" baby must be boring. ;) Anyway, this isn't my best post and I apologize for my brevity but it's about feeding time...I figured I owed any readers some semblance of an update. I'm keeping up on your blogs when I get a chance. Rebecca is a freaking rock star and I'm still just so excited for Denise. Hope my post didn't scare you. ;) It's hard work but what great things aren't?

37 weeks -- we made it! :)

I tell ya, if you only have one outing a week, at least those you see make it worth your while by boosting your ego/spirits. Last week, the sonographer said I should get a medal. My doctor said I deserved an A+. This week, a different nurse and doctor (my doc is out of town -- babies have to hang in there until she's back!) were amazed at my progress (and the babies'), lack of complications, bed rest, lack of hospital visits. Sure does make a mom-to-be feel good! :)

We had our last growth sonogram today and it will give us the best guess as to how much these kiddos will weigh when they meet us. The sonographer took lots of measurements to get the most accurate weight. Drumroll please….Baby A, who continues to hang out practically in the birth canal and will most likely have a cone head for a day or so given its been down there practically the entire 9 months, is weighing in at a whopping 5 lbs. 13 oz. Baby B, who is head down as well, actually surpassed Baby A for the first time ever…5 lbs. 14 oz! AMAZING! I have accomplished my goals as a "hostess"…I wanted to get these babies to 5 lbs. in an effort to avoid a stay in the NICU (check!), and I wanted to get these babies to term…there's apparently some debate as to whether 35 weeks is term for twins or if its 37. I'd always heard 37 and we were there as of Saturday (so I can check that off, too!). Now back to the weight…I'm no good at math, but I believe that's pretty much 12 lbs. of baby in me (not counting weight of placentas, amniotic fluid, etc)! My body is really stepping up to the plate and it's just amazing to me. :) Oh I'm 2 cm dilated and 80% effaced. The doctor today didn't think I'd make it to 8/11. But who knows!

I continue to take it easy, per doctor's orders. DH and I did go out to dinner last Saturday night (if 5 o'clock is considered evening!) for one last hurrah before babies. We dined at an Italian restaurant we'd heard good things about but had never gotten around to experiencing. It was really yummy and I'm glad we had a date night even though it did wear me out. I felt like a normal person again, to be out and about, and it was nice to get dressed up for my hubby.

I've entertained quite a bit lately (from the couch!) and I keep thinking our dog will become somewhat blasé about company. That hasn't happened yet and she continues to greet everyone very enthusiastically! Of course I think she thinks everyone comes to see her, which explains her excitement! She just turned 2 so I guess she's still a puppy. Anyway, my mom's lifelong friend wanted to see me while I was pregnant so she stopped by for a visit…and brought the cutest stuffed bunnies (she remembered I liked bunnies as a kid) that match my nursery décor perfectly! Then my best friend brought Dairy Queen one night and they're both always welcome at my house! On Tuesday, I had two co-workers bring me lunch. They wanted to see me and the nursery and I was certainly flattered they drove "all the way" out here to do so. :) So it's been a lot of fun! But it's getting so close to my "due date" and I'm probably about visited out. My doc told me how these last few weeks would really take a toll on me and my body and she's right.

DH and I are both getting so excited to meet these little people. It's hard to imagine what it will be like, though. I'm sure we'll see them and it will seem absolutely right. I loved this part from Shopaholic and Baby by Sophia Kinsella (great chick lit!)…when the main character has her baby girl and sees her for the first time she thinks: "All that time, that's who was in there. And it's weird, but the minute I saw her I just thought: It's you. Of course it is."

Sorry...

Well I'm sure any faithful readers I had have since given up on me and I can't blame ya. Two and a half months is a long time to be away from my blog. It seemed strange to just leave things hanging, though. So I'll quickly get us up to speed....
I am currently 34w2d. Amazing. It was always my intention to carry these babies up to term and I'm still hoping, praying, that I get to do that. I think that attitude has helped me and I've taken it easy in order to accomplish that. Of course, there's more to it than attitude. Being "extremely tall" has certainly helped. I'm really not an Amazon woman, but it's become a joke between DH and I because so many people at the doctor's office have commented on my height (almost 5'8"). These babies have found room to grow and that's the most important thing.
I've gained 50 lbs...holy cow. And I'm not really sure where it's all going, other than in the belly. And the babies don't weigh that much sooo....my thunder thighs are for real. :( As for the babies, at our 32 week sono, they were 3 lbs. 14 oz. and 3 lbs. 12 oz. So now they're probably a little over 4 lbs. each -- yay babies!
My doctor has decided to induce me at 38 weeks, I guess cuz they'd be pretty big at that point...she's predicting 6 lb. babies which I think is a little optimistic! And a little scary, considering they have to get out. ;) Given their good baby head down positions, we'll try for vaginal birth. I'm not buying the whole, once one baby is out, the other one just follows after. I think there's probably more pushing, etc. involved. So our babies day is 08/11/08. We half tried for 08/08/08, which is a Thursday but my doc is also predicting a "long induction" (of which I need to get clarification of!) and she's off on Fridays and then it's the weekend. So we're going with Monday. Fine by me! Whatever day it is, it's going to be amazing! :)
I have been very blessed with a relatively easy pregnancy. I had one scare in May, which turned out to be the flu...but I wasn't sure if it was baby-related at first or not. My cervix was a little short when they checked it and since then, they've been very diligent about my cervix. I also received orders to lay on my left side for 3-4 hours/day.

My most annoying pregnancy side effects:

• Random hiccups, since about 12 weeks (I sound like I've been hitting the bottle)--and there's no rhyme or reason to them!
• Acid reflux/heartburn
• Swollen fingers (that hurt like my knuckles need to be cracked) and toes
• Pelvic pain (from two baby heads spreading my pelvis apart -- yikes!)
• Hip aches, from laying on my left side (it was hard to make that transition from back to side)
• And this is fun: actually passing gas as I walk...I've never been one to fart; it typically stays in to the point that I'm bloated and miserable from gas pain...yeah, not anymore! Luckily, I don't get out much in public...it sure is sexy for the DH, though... ;)

As for my daily activity, I was in the office every day until the first part of July when I requested full-time work from home. My boss has been very understanding and she granted my request. I think I'd probably be on modified bedrest, had she not. I just get sooo tired from the littlest things these days. DH is running this house: grocery store, drug store errands...as is my mom. She comes over to help me out with cleaning, laundry, dinner, works in my garden...I am so grateful to have this kind of support. I hope once the babies come, we have loads of support from even more people! Every twin book I read emphasizes how you'll really need this. Time will tell...
I will likely be absent again for a while--who knows--my next post could be the babies announcement! I wish you all the best. And thank you for the support, inspiration, and camaraderie that pulled me through it all. :)

Overdue update

I have been very absent from the blogosphere and I can’t pinpoint exactly why. I guess I turned to blogging when I needed to connect with people about the very intimate obstacles I was facing. With pregnancy, it’s in your face and everyone is happy to share their thoughts/advice/horror stories/happy stories with you. But I have been checking in on you all and still love the relationships here. It’s funny—I attempted to start a public blog that I’d share with family and friends for updates on my pregnancy and then later when the babies come. I had such a hard time writing even one post because I felt like I needed to censor myself. I’m used to being so open and honest here and not being judged about my feelings/decisions/whatever. But when you’re out in the open, even though it’s with my loved ones, there are some thoughts you want to keep private. I definitely do want a public blog because my sister is a thousand miles away and babies change so quickly…but until I have cute baby stories, I’m struggling.

All is going great with this pregnancy! I have gained 30 pounds which blows my mind...especially when people continue to say "gosh, you sure it's twins? You're not very big!" (I find that rather offensive, probably because I worked so hard to get pregnant, I'd like to LOOK pregnant!). I did start physical therapy because I was having some sciatica (sp?) and some shoulder pain which limited my activity even more (heck, sometimes feeding myself hurt my shoulder so bad!). It has DEFINITELY helped! I felt a little bit like a wimp because I started early in my pregnancy but my therapist has been so excited about that because she feels like we'll be able to ward off any major problems, should they attempt to arise. She says there's no reason moms-to-be have to be miserable. So I highly recommend it! :) I also had an ergonomic evaluation done at my cubicle at work and that seemed to help as well.

We start our childbirth class tonight and I'm excited about it. Not that it hasn't sunk in that we're gonna have two babies, but I think it'll make it even more real (and potentially freak me out-LOL). I attempted to get in to a sooner class (my OB recommended we start around 22 weeks - it's a 5 week class - and instead we're starting at 24 weeks) and the receptionist was trying to talk me out of it. I have no reason to think I'd deliver this early but I'd much rather have this info under my belt than not. One of DH’s coworkers was pregnant with twins and due a month or so before us…the wife had the babies at approx. 24 weeks (one was 2 lbs, the other 1 lb) and the smallest one died a few days later (I guess it also had some heart issues and potentially spina bifida that was diagnosed while in the womb). Just absolutely heartbreaking. Not that I would ever take a good report on our babies for granted, but this makes me even more grateful for every good report we've had.

DH painted the nursery over the weekend and it looks perfect! It's nice being married to a guy who takes pride in his work. The soft yellow (nice, gender neutral color since we're not finding out the sexes!) really makes it look like a sweet baby's room. Now I just need to figure out how to make my organization dreams come true. The room is small so I decided to remove the doors from the closet and treat it like a little alcove, with the changing table and a bookcase/cubbies in there (see inspiration photo on left). Unless I pony up the money for the Pottery Barn goods, I'm not sure where I'm gonna find a similar system. I thought it'd be easy (Container Store, Target, etc.) but I'm not having much luck.

For all of you still on that difficult path, you're in my thoughts. I keep hoping for your dreams to be realized sooner rather than later...

6 random things

Well I've NEVER been asked to do any of these things so I feel like this is another part of initiation into blogging. How exciting! :) Thanks Waiting Amy!
So here are some random things about me...but first, the rules:

1) Link to the person who tagged you.

2) Post the rules.

3) Share six non-important things / habits / quirks about yourself.

4) Tag at least three people.

5) Make sure the people you tagged KNOW you tagged them by commenting what you did.

Here goes...

1) We've had a lot of snow this year and I realized I really love animal tracks in the snow. It could be my dog's little paw prints, a birds, or some random animal that stumps me...I had a book on tracks when I was a kid and that must be when the fascination started. :)
2) I'm really good at remembering numbers...phone numbers, totals at stores, etc. Also, I have this weird habit of adding up/multiplying/dividing the individual numbers. Like 236, cuz 2x3=6. You'd think I'd have been more interested in math due to this...
3) I love doing crafty things (sewing, scrapbooking, making cards, knitting, etc.) but I can't wait to get to the finished product that I often rush through things, sometimes to their detriment. I've not had uneven sleeve lengths or anything like that but I could do a better job if I wasn't so impatient!
4) I've weighed the exact same weight - to the pound - since high school (well pre-pregnancy). And I've never dieted (I think I make good food choices except when it comes to sweets!) or worked out regularly. I say this not to "brag," but cuz I really think it's kind of amazing in a science/physiology way. I just hope my body remembers my usual weight after the babies!
5) When I first saw my DH - hadn't even spoken to him - I knew he was going to be someone special. On our first date, I introduced him to my parents (well I lived at home but I could have easily not put him through that!). It was a long, bumpy road to get to our commitment stage but it was worth it. I'm having to work pretty hard for the good things in my life...all worth it.
6) I am dangerously attached to our dog. We decided we'd get a dog if our first cycle wasn't successful...and we joked about how it better be the world's cutest dog to help us get over our loss. Well she is. I've never had a pet before (my mom is allergic to everything!) so it was uncharted territory for me and she is just a joy. Everyone comments how we're gonna push her aside when the babies come, like we won't have time for her. The way I figure is we made a commitment to her when she joined our family and yeah, it'll be harder and different but she's still gonna be our first baby. Our lemonade (you know, life gives you lemons...). Here she is, really enjoying the snow-LOL!

So that's 6 random things about me. :) That was fun!
Let's see what SingleTracey, Rebecca, and Denise have to say...

Twin article

Interesting twin article...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/nyregion/11bigcity.html

It includes a mention to CCRM and how they encourage just one embryo transferred--not subscribing to the "two for the price of one" philosophy, even though DH said that very thing right as our doc was doing the transfer. Dork. ;)

Little baby heartbeats...

All is well. What a wonderful thing to say. :)

There was some initial frustration because the receptionist had rescheduled only the doctor's visit, not the sonogram. Not the part that we've been dying to do, not the part that DH made sure he'd be available for (instead he got to witness the pelvic exam and pap smear - woo hoo!). So could I come back in an hour and a half? The sonographer just left…grrrr. DH had an afternoon meeting and I couldn't believe he was going to miss out on seeing them and potentially HEARING them for the first time. Unbeknowst to us, my OB was planning on finding the heartbeats so we were able to satisy ourselves that they are at least still in there! What a sound! It almost brought tears to my eyes and it just sounded so "cute"…little baby heartbeats. So not seeing them didn't seem like such a big deal after that. But they were able to squeeze me in as soon as the sonographer got back. And I'm so glad they did! They've grown soo much and look the most like babies than they ever have. I asked the sonographer if you ever see them move when she's doing these…she asked me to cough and lo and behold - they moved! Little baby arms and little baby legs stretching out (better stretch out now while you can, babies!). Next time, we can bring a DVD -R and they can capture the whole thing for posterity's sake. As a kid, wouldn't that be an amazing thing to see?! Yourself (and your bro or sis), while you were still in your mom? Wild! I'm just in awe of all of this.

I also got answers to my O- blood type and whether one twin could be + blood and the other - (yes, I know I think about/worry about everything!). And I was given a 3 day long vaginal suppository to return my woman parts to a good place. Apparently all those progesterone suppositories can irritate your cervix.

I was disappointed DH couldn't be there for the babies' big moves, but all that matters is that we got another good report! It gets more and more real each time I see 'em. Like we're really gonna have twins!!!! WOW!!!!