19 weeks

Accodring to Baby Center's "My Pregnancy" app, the girls' "sensory development is exploding!" Their brains are designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch and there is some research to suggest they can hear my voice now. I'm not sure if they can hear my voice through my body or if they can also hear my hubby's voice, but either way, it's fun to know they're listening to me!

It has been hot hot hot here in Portland and I have been feeling very big (already) this week. And tired. And overheated. And my arches and back hurt a bit. I guess that's what being 19 weeks with twins feels like!

Hubby and I met some of the resolve support group women and their hubbies for a fun night of karaoke on Tuesday. I'd seen many of them individually (they've become good friends) but not all of them. One woman who is new to the group since I "graduated" didn't know I have twins inside. She was shocked at how big I am already - until I told her there are two. Yes, I am big. Hubby and I walked another donor egg pregnant lady to her car at the end of the night. She's pregnant with a singleton and only 5 weeks behind me - still, she's barely showing. Hubby said "I guess a lot happens in 5 weeks" and then I reminded him that my uterus is about 6 weeks larger than a singleton's at this stage, so I'm more like 11 weeks ahead of her. Such a difference!

Symptoms:

--- still taking almost daily naps, even if they're only 10 or 12 minutes in length (i.e. on my office floor when I can snag a quick nap)
--- arches are still sore
--- few more random nose bleeds this week
--- hips and knees and ankles still sore when I sleep
--- I am someone who always falls asleep immediately - not this week, though. I've been lying awake for a good 15-20 minutes, which is really unusual ... and exhausting!

We've been looking into classes and found a "all things twin" class that we're taking at the end of September. I've also found a breast feeding class and a few other interesting classes that I'll register us for. And I finally registered for the "Moms of Multiples" group locally so I can take advantage of all they have to offer.

Finally, here is week 19's bump photo:

18 weeks - they're GIRLS!

We had our anatomy scan at 17w6d. While we were both excited to confirm our suspicions that they were girls, we were more anxious about the actual scan. We agreed that we would forego knowing their gender until birth if it meant we had healthy babies. We got lucky - we got both!

The scan went great. They were, as usual, uncooperative in that they were moving a ton and pushing each other out of the way. One was literally using my bladder as a trampoline which was so fascinating to watch on the screen since I couldn't actually feel it. The tech started with A but B was so persistent that she wanted her turn that the tech moved to B and then went back to A. It was hilarious. I have a feeling B is going to be the more pushy baby / human but time will tell.

Going into the scan, our chance of Down's was 1/240 and had we seen any markers or red flags, we would have done an amnio. The scan, however, showed no soft (or hard) markers and the measurements were all spot on. That cut our risk down to 1/480. While I might have still considered an amnio just to know, when asked "so no amnio?" by our MFM, my hubby quickly answered "No!" I agreed immediately and that was our decision.

There was also no sign of TTTS which is just fantastic!

And my cervix was long and closed, even with pressure put on it to mimic standing (4.5 verus 4.2 with pressure).

They are amazing. I cannot believe how much we could see - bladders, kidneys, stomachs, 4 chambers of their hearts, brains, bones - and how much they look like little humans. WOWOWOWOW! The feminist in me still staunchy believes that they don't have rights yet (*** I am not interested in a debate on this statement ***) but the mother-to-be in me is just amazed at their development and how amazing they are.

And they are GIRLS!!! We spent about 90 minutes after the appointment calling every immediate relative (my hubby has 5 brothers, they each have partners, he has 4 parents, I have three parents and a sister, and he has a grandmother). The reactions were priceless and precious and we were beaming. Literally had sore faces from smiling so much. We were, if you will, tickled pink!

Hubby's dad - who was right on the other 3 grandkids - was sure we were having boys. So we called him up and said "you're getting two more Bears fans" and he said "I told you so!" and then we said "two more pink Bears fans - they're girls!"

To my mum, we said "we all have something more in common!" and she picked up on it immediately and said "you're having two girls" (my mother has two daughters). My dad, who is one of the smartest humans I have ever met, didn't pick up on it so fast. We said "you and [my hubby] have one more thing in common!" and my dad thought we were talking about the fact that he and my hubby each have a penis. My hubby said "nope, that would not be a new thing in common." Then my dad said "oh, it must be an extension of that then" (meaning two boys). It was absolutely hilarious to be talking about penises with my father!!!

Here they are!

This was taken the following morning, at my 18 week mark. Looking bigger, I think!

I left work early yesterday and bought a pink hydrangea. Initially - before calling everyone - we had planned to have a photographer friend take some photos of us in black & white and then with a pink hydrangea (my hubby's favorite flowers are hydrangeas). But we had too much fun calling people.

This now decorates our living room:

And then today (18w1d), I sent my hubby to work with pink cupcakes. He reluctantly took them (claimed he didn't want to annouce but I know him - he was just embarrassed), but then soon called me to say there was a spontaneous party and his secretary even found some pink streamers and made a sign about the girls! I could hear it in his voice that he was just thrilled and so happy.

So, in a nutshell, we're over the moon. Shit got REAL after Wednesday's ultrasound. We might actually get to be parents out of this!

As far as symptoms go, my only new one this week was to get two nosebleeds on Tuesday. But I haven't had another since.

17 weeks - half way to a car (???)

Still here. Still pregnant. 17 weeks today and amazed by and in love with this whole thing.

At our first u/s at the MFM (Maternal Fetal Medicine), hubby and I shook hands on top of my belly and made a pact with the babies: you stay in until 34 weeks and you get a car on your 16th birthday.

Today marks the half way point on that pact.

(many of you have lovingly asked whether they'll have to share a car and my answer is (1) yes, they share a god damned placenta so they can bloody well share a car and (2) they're always so snuggled up in there that I can't imagine they won't WANT to share a car!)

The past week and a half has been fun. The babies went to their first concert - Fleetwood Mac - and even though the MFM told me they can't hear yet, I am certain they can feel vibrations so I'm counting it. They also went on their first camping trip. We took a trip to the Olympic National Park over the 4th and camped there. They did great and only woke me up to pee twice a night ... every night ... !!!

Since getting back, I was peeing three times by 1am, so I got a little worried. Was that a sign of something going wrong (TTTS or something else)? I was also a little consistently crampy. So I called the MFM and went in for an u/s on Tuesday. They're still in there and they're still looking perfect. They're wiggly little things, which is fun to watch. And the peeing thing is just a result of my ever-growing uterus. (no pics from that ultrasound)

Symptoms:

--- My hips / knees / ankles ache at night.
--- I now am craving sushi (as a vegetarian, I don't have to give it up!) and no longer want those fold-over PB&J that I was craving 2 weeks ago.
--- When I eat too much (which isn't much at all compared to a few months ago), the left side of my ribcage hurts and I have to massage it. I have been told that my stomach is up in there / behind my ribs now.
--- Insomnia is gone for the most part, but I'm getting up to pee so many times that I am still really tired.
--- I'm sleeping later than I have in my entire adult life. It's hard for me to get out of bed before 6:30 and on the weekends when things are quiet, I have been known to sleep past 8 am (for anyone who knows me, you know that I get up with the sun, so around the solstice, I am up around 4:45 am!).
--- I am totally showing (see picture below). And loving it. No more trying to hide it.
--- Was in court on Tuesday on the 7th floor of an old courthouse. It was hot and I was standing up next to my client, speaking on his behalf. I suddenly got clammy and overheated. Sweat started to pour out of me. I had to tell the judge "I need to sit down" (and I NEVER sit while my client stands) and then, at the end of the hearing, I had to bolt out of the courthouse to take my suit coat off and get some fresh air. I apologized to the judge afterwards, which meant a fun conversation about me being pregnant. But it was not a fun experience. MFM told me that has to do with my blood circulation and it not getting back up from my legs and feet as easily / quickly.

I've gained between 20 and 25 pounds. Right before the transfer, I had been running a lot so I had a lot of muscle mass. That's all gone so that's why it's hard to tell whether I'm up 20 or 25. Either way, I am pleased with this weight gain as all the twin books suggest weight gain in the first trimester is very important for development and in the 2nd and 3rd is very important against pre-term labor. That's the hope, at least! Remember, babies, THAT CAR IS YOURS IF YOU JUST SIT TIGHT!!!!

I also added "The Bump" page so I can put all the photos there and I can see the transition (as can the rest of you).

Picture from this morning:

16 weeks

Happy 4th! We made it to 16 weeks pregnant ... HOLY SHIT!

Not much to report. This past week has been busy for us but also relatively symptom free for me. I still really only want fold-over PB&J sandwiches and have added 3 high protein Boost drinks per day to my diet (to try to avoid TTTS). We had an ultrasound on Monday with our OB to try to learn gender but the little ones were not cooperating. Then we saw them again yesterday with our MFM and again, they weren't fully cooperating. Hubby and I are still convinced they're both girls, so we will see. Next ultrasound is our anatomy scan on 7/17 so we *should* know then!!

Monday night, hubby says to me "I don't know how to raise girls." I reminded him that he also really doesn't know how to raise boys. Then he said "what if they don't like me?" I giggled and told him "they're going to adore you. They're going to follow you around like little ducklings. You'll be their daddy!"


Here's a picture from yesterday's scan. They're lying head to toe in this one and still are all snuggled up.

And here is a 16 week belly scan from this morning: