Lull

Not much happening on the baby-front. We can now see the babies moving from the outside. I keep having dreams that we deliver them and they're a boy and girl instead of 2 girls. I'm 99.9% sure that they are both girls but am going to make them check again on the 12th just to be sure! lol I have officially outgrown almost every pair of maternity shorts I own and have taken to wearing Matt's mesh shorts almost all the time when i'm at home. I think that it won't be long and i'll need to be in a moo-moo. Heck - even Angelina Jolie was wearing moo-like dresses near the end of her pregnancy, designer moo-moo's i'm sure. But I just don't want to buy more maternity clothes. I'm giving away a lot of my things to the church when the donation center is open again in August. I don't want to complain because i'm 'trying' to gain weight, but it's just making me a little upset when I can see a change in my face b/c of the weight. I'm afraid I won't even recognize myself by the end of this pregnancy. And I haven't even start to retain loads of water weight like I did with both Grace and Evan. We're supposed to go to the mountains this weekend, and hope we still can but I think Grace is getting sick. I think this is going to be our last trip for a while. I just hope Grace just has a scratchy throat and it's nothing more than that.

Doctor Appt.

We are officially half way there this week!!! Yay!!! I keep saying to myself that I'm 20 weeks pregnant. I'm 20 weeks pregnant...with twins. Holy crap. I had someone say to me today, "hasn't it sunken in yet?" In a lot of ways it has but I really don't think the reality of bringing two little babies home in November/December has hit us.
I had a regular doctor appointment today and it went fine. I have been trying and trying to gain some weight since they stress that a weight gain of 50 lbs is what I should be shooting for and up until last month I had only gained 4.5 lbs. Well--today I got on the scale and holy moly...I gained 9 lbs in a little less than 4 weeks. Not only that but when they measured my belly, it's measuring a lot larger than it was the last time. I'm measuring a lot further along that even the average twin Mom! That makes me so happy! I want two healthy girls over 6lbs!! The dramatic increase in the size of my stomach explains a lot of the ligament pain that i've been having. I have to go back to the reg dr in another 4 weeks and after that it's every 2 then every 1....In between i'm going to Maternal Fetal Medicine on Aug 12. I will feel like i'm living at the hospital over the next few months, but that's ok -- anything for healthy babies!

In all honesty...

Ok, I usually *try* to be upbeat about things. Especially when it has something to do with being pregnant and not feeling well. Well - last night and today, I feel like utter garbage. Maybe it's the heat, or overdoing it - I don't know but I feel horrible. My belly aches so much. It feels like a constant burning from stretching to get bigger. Especially down near my hip bones - so everytime I walk, or switch position I get shooting pains up and down my legs. Walking is not easy today as I have severe nerve pain in my back and every step feels like someone is stabbing me in the tailbone. Matt is on nights so when he got up to get ready for work I went up to bed thinking that might help - nope. I can't belive that he has 3 more nights on since he picked up a day of overtime. I've been living in Matt's mesh Nike shorts since none of my maternity clothes fit or the ones that do "fit" are uncomfortable and don't cover my belly. As it is I have a small portion of my lower belly peeking out of this tank top, luckily i'm not going anywhere. Maybe it's ok for celebrities to have their pregnant belly hanging out but not me. I just don't like it. I'm getting braxton hicks contractions that scare the living crap out of me because i'm constantly worried about preterm labor since I have had it before with my other pregnancies.

Names

We have been thinking about names since we found out that we were having two little girls. We *think* that we're going to name them Leah Michelle and Madeline ________. It really has hit home a little more since the ultrasound that we will be bringing two little babies home in a few short months. Grace is adjusting well to the idea of having two sisters instead of the two brothers that she insisted that they were! We have started cleaning out what will be their room and will start the remodel next week when Matt has a few days off. I'm going to be so impatient about getting the room finished. I feel a bit of a rush to get things done and organized since I never know when and if I might go on bedrest. The doctor at MFM told us to try to have things ready by 3o weeks so we can "relax" the last few weeks before they arrive. I feel like my belly has really grown a lot this last week or so, it's close to measuring where it was when I was 37 weeks pregnant with Evan! I'm going to be sooo BIG!! I want to big healthy girls so that's fine with me!

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I cannot begin to say how amazing today was! We got to see our two big, healthy babies! They are measuring right where they should be, both weigh about 10 oz and are between 6-8 inches long. They are the same size as a singleton would be at this stage. Baby A's heartrate was 146 and baby B's heartrate was 151. Baby A is the baby on my left and Baby B on my right. Baby A for the time being is head up and baby B is head down. The ultrasound was confusing at times since there was just a jumble of arms and legs everywhere! We got to see them for about 40 minutes each!!! They said that the babies looked perfect!!!! Matt and I left there on cloud 9. It really did make everything a little more real to us that we are actually going to have two amazingly perfect little GIRLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's right, we're having two little girls!! They think that they are fraternal twins, however there is a 10% chance that they are identical. I am beyond excited!

Thank you to everyone who was thinking about us and praying for a good appointment today! It meant a lot!!

Now to think of names.......hmmmm......

The big one

Tomorrow is the big day! We have our ultrasound finally and i'm beyond nervous. My prayer is for us to get the news that there are two big healthy babies in there!!! I'm also hoping that we can find out the genders! We still aren't sold on names...we're set if it's two boys I think. They would be Connor Keith & Grant Matthew. We're going out to lunch before the ultrasound since it's my birthday tomorrow also! I haven't decided where though. I have a whole list of questions for the dr and am also taking a pen and paper so that I can write things down about the babies that he tells us. I hope we like the dr and the ultrasound tech we have. I hate it when I get so excited for appointments and end up with a mean ultrasound tech who doesn't tell us anything. I will definitely post tomorrow results of the ultrasound since I know there are people waiting to hear!! It may not be until late though since we won't get back until around dinner time and i'll be busy making the kids dinner then bath then bed....
If you're the praying type, pray for us to see two healthy babies tomorrow!!!!

Growing

Ihad Matt take belly pictures last night and I don't think that i've grown too much out to the front, I think it's more width from the last two weeks. My belly is definitely more "full" at the sides. I can feel the babies all the time now. I am anxiously waiting when Matt can finally feel them since he said he still can't. I don't know how that's possible b/c I can even see kicking movements sometimes. I am night and day with this pregnancy. Some days i'm so excited I can barely contain myself, while other days i'm so nervous and anxious about everything from preterm labor to delivery itself to the reality of bringing home two more babies into our house...we're doubling the kids we have now in one swoop. Wow.

I never know how to answer the "How are you feeling?" question. Most of the time I just say "ok" so I don't have to get into it but that's lying most of the time. This pregnancy is getting harder and harder by the day. I have to rest in the middle of the day just to make it to bedtime b/c of the stretching pain that I have in my abdomen. I guess all of the 1000's of situps and crunches I did after Evan was born are going right down the pooper! lol...Maybe that's why it jurts so much - i tightened everything up and now i'm getting it ripped back apart! But that's ok - if I got back in shape after two babies, I can do it again; I hope. Maybe i'm just talking myself into it!

1 to go...

A week from today we will be having our ultrasound. I am getting really scared. I think that this ultrasound will make it really sink in that we are having twins. I want to see two very healthy big babies! I'm not gaining much weight even though i'm eating so that still has me a little worried. And like i've said before, i'm just so scared of something being wrong with the twins...which I think comes from our scare with Grace.
I had a very busy weekend this weekend and am feeling it today. I am sore and really tired. I may not be so tired but last night people thought that setting off fireworks at 11pm was a great idea. We couldn't see where it was coming from even though it was close, if I saw where it was coming from - I was so angry, I would have been out there yelling.lol.
I have to take and post another belly picture...maybe i'll get Matt to take one tonight.

FEELING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I felt one of the babies today from the outside!!! I can't wait until Matt can feel it! He was sleeping this morning since he worked last night so he missed it. I think it was kicking up near my ribcage, I can't imagine arms and hands being that strong this early.

I'm getting more impatient as the days go by for the ultrasound. I know you all are sick of hearing about it but I can't help it. I just want to see that the babies are healthy and happy in there and that my cervix measures nice and long. I'm so scared of preterm labor since I have had it before and the risk is higher since i'm carrying two.

I can't wait for Matt to get up today, I feel like I haven't seen him in days. I kind of haven't. I haven't been sleeping well at night so when he gets up at 1 I go to sleep and then I get up again right when he's ready to walk out the door for work.

It's the 4th of July...only 10 more days until my ultrasound.

Scary night

I passed out last night while I was making dinner for the kids and I. Matt is on night shift this week so he wasn't here. I was standing at the counter and all of the sudden I started seeing black spots and little white spots. I made it into the living room and that's the last thing I remember. I don't think I was out for very long b/c the kids didn't seem very concerned with me on the floor. I think I sat down on the floor or couch and ended up on the floor but not really sure. It sure was scary though. I had a horrible headache and felt sick to my stomach the rest of the night. I feel ok so far this morning, just a little scared of it happening again especially since I have to do some errands today with the kids.
So far on the baby poll, it looks like most people think that we're having boys! We will see, only 11 more days.

Guess!!

Since our big ultrasound is coming up on the 14th, I thought I would post a game for everyone to guess what these two little ones are!! Remember to vote once for Baby A and once for Baby B! I can't wait to see what everyone thinks!

Thoughts on two?!!

The more I start to realize that, "yes, this is actually going to happen!" the more I start to panic. I'm just trying to tell myself to remember back to when Evan was born. The beginning was easy. He slept a lot and I only had to "deal" with two at once a few short times a day. If he needed me at night, Grace was asleep so it was just like having one child again. It wasn't until he got older and demanded more attention, and ineraction, then started walking that things got a little more challenging. I keep trying to remind myself that Grace and Evan sleep pretty well at night so at night I will only have to deal with the twins, and i'm a pro at dealing with two kids now ~ at least the twins aren't mobile at first !! During the day will be challenging when the twins both want to be fed or need attention and Grace and Evan need something also but Grace is so independent, she wants to do most things for herself now anyway. She dresses herself for the most part, puts her shoes and socks on, combs her hair, wants to help make lunch, goes potty, washes her hands, sets the table for dinner, etc...I really think she's going to be a huge help when HER babies come. Which she still insist are boys. Evan wants to do everything Grace does so he just follows her around hoping she will let him play with her. It's so cute. They do play well together most of the time. I just can't wait to see that they're healthy!!!!!! I hate how slow time is going. I want 12 days to just fly by!! I would be happy to just fast forward to the 11th, the start of Matt's week off, and we get to see friends that night too! I'm so impatient.

Random, I swear my belly grew A LOT overnight last night. I have to take another picture.

Checking in

I went to a regular appointment yesterday and it went ok. I gained 2lbs which is good I guess. I'm trying to gain even more but these babies are taking everything I can give them!! I asked a lot of questions and got some so-so answers which were a little disappointing. I am still waiting for my big ultrasound and it seems like it's getting further away instead of closer. I can't wait to sit back and watch our 2 babies for an hour and a half!! I pray every night that they're healthy! I think we're closer to names now!
I am a little unhappy about some of the dr's at the practice. I don't like some of them, at all. I won't be thrilled if I have a vaginal delivery and they are the ones in the room. The last thing I need when i'm trying to deliver 2 babies is someone with NO bedside manner and a "suck it up" attitude. These dr's that I don't like just all happen to be men...so "suck it up" just doesn't fly with me --they've never done it!! lol But I guess all that matters is that they're good doctors and the babies are healthy. I just have to keep that in mind. Along with that I just have to keep trying to prepare myself for having a c-section. I just worry so much about having ppd and not being able to nurse the babies right away like I did with Grace and Evan. I'm trying to keep a positive outlook b/c I know my chances are high for having a c-section but I want so much for a vaginal delivery! Everyone needs to already start sending me "baby head down" vibes! lol
I better go even though I have more to say. Matt let me sleep in and I have to get downstairs to cook him dinner and take a shower before he goes back to sleep since he's on nights this week.