29 Weeks

This is the only time in my life I've wanted to speed through 29 and just get to 30.  I have mini goals that I've set for these babies and the first is 32 weeks.  30 sounds so much closer than 29.  :)

This past week definitely had its ups and downs.  Let's start with the ups!  After a wonderful 28-week appointment on Wednesday my parents came to visit and it was so great to see them.  Since I am now at home full-time (Wait--what?!  More on that later...) and am leaving the house less and less due to slowing down quite a bit, it can get very lonely.  They were excellent company and some of the only people I know who really don't mind running errands with me.  They left Saturday afternoon and I was so sad to see them go.  The good news: They're coming back next month--one more time before the babies arrive!  Hip hip!

Michael and I decided to walk around Northpark Mall in search of a birthday gift for the soon-to-be 30-year-old.  We also ran a few small errands and then headed home.  I think it was too much for this fat lady to handle so Saturday night was spent in bed, freaking out about multiple Braxton Hicks contractions.  I was SO SURE I was going into labor that night.  (I didn't.)

By the way, let's back up a day to Friday where I received the results from my first glucose test.  I FAILED.  Epically.  We're talking, F minus fail.  I do the extended test this Friday, which requires complete fasting (no food or water after midnight) and then four blood draws.  The test begins at 9 am and takes three hours so I will go without food and water for 12 HOURS.  After failing the first test so badly I'm not sure why the second test is even necessary, but that's not for me to decide.  And while I expected the bad news I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little disappointed.  Oh well, these kiddos are worth it.  :)

We had company over on Sunday morning and then celebrated our nephew's 7th birthday that afternoon.  After the contraction scare on Saturday night I've been really trying to take it easy.  I called the doctor yesterday and she didn't seem too concerned.  There is another measurement they take at the Perinatologist each month that gives them a good idea if I'll go into pre-term labor.  I pass that test with flying colors each time (meaning: the kiddos are staying put for now).  With that in mind, BH contractions don't make my doctor very nervous.  Just me.  And yet another reason I'm so anxious to get through this week... and all the weeks that follow.

I don't mean for this post to be a downer, I'm still feeling good and have no other labor signs.  I do believe making it to 38 weeks seems like a pipe dream now whether my doctors agree with that statement or not.  A little prayer for my confidence and stress level wouldn't hurt--I need to snap out of it and go back to thinking everything is going to be just fine, which I prefer more than what I can only describe as my current Eeyore mentality.  :)

29 Weeks! 

Babies - 28 Weeks

We had the Perinatologist and OB appointments this morning and both went really well!

First up, the babies...

Sloane and Jude look great!  Both are about 2 weeks ahead of schedule and weigh a whopping 3 pounds each.  I know that doesn't sound like much but with twins you want them as big as possible since they won't make it to 40 weeks.  The doctor was very pleased with their progress and didn't have any concerns.  Praise the Lord!

We take the same DVD to each visit and the doctor records the entire scan.  I took a picture of the scan to show you how close their heads are to one another (both are currently head down).
 

 Jude & Sloane - view of the top of their heads!

BFFs for sure.  In Jude's defense, while his head truly is HUGE he is closer to the camera so that is why his head appears to be twice the size of Sloane's.  :)  The most noticeable difference this time around is both of them are now getting some fat on their bones.  Their little legs were so round this time whereas typically they're sticks!

Directly afterward I had my monthly OB appointment.  I was pretty nervous about drinking the glucose stuff but it wasn't bad at all.  I wouldn't put it at the top of my all-time favorite beverages but definitely not a big deal.  Unfortunately, the doctor told me women carrying twins have a much higher failure rate so I'm not holding out much hope.  We'll see.  Blood pressure and weight gain are right on track and she seemed pleased with my progress.  I think I've had some Braxton Hicks contractions lately but I'm honestly not sure.  Still no swelling or stretch marks.  We'll see how long that lasts.  :)

From now on I will continue to see the Perinatologist once a month (two more times) and will start seeing my OB every other week.  There was no mention of bed rest and as of now she thinks I will make it to 38 weeks.  I don't think that's possible because (at the rate they're growing) they will each weigh around 8 pounds at 38 weeks.  I'm not sure I can handle 16 pounds of babies! :/ Michael and I have always said we want them to make it to October and will be ecstatic with any "bonus" days they decide to give us. 

Since I truly believe I will fail my glucose test I decided to pig out (while I still can) and had Taco Bell for lunch.

Glucose drink + Taco Bell = Terrible Decision

I am now drinking water by the buckets in hopes that my body will forgive me. 

10 weeks (at most) to go!  We are super excited to meet our babies!

27.5 Weeks

Thank you so much for your kind words about Thumbs!  She is pretty much back to her "spunky" self and is improving more and more each day.  Hooray!

It's been a few weeks since an update.  My best friends came to visit a few weekends ago but I'm waiting for some pictures so I'll make that a separate post.  For now I will say it was a wonderful weekend and it was so great to see them!

Last Tuesday I turned 27 weeks, which officially puts me in the 3rd trimester.  Since I'm scheduled to have a c-section at 38 weeks this trimester is quite short.  I've heard it can be the worst so I won't complain.  :)

Everything is going well--I'm still feeling good and have few complaints.  I can tell my energy level has dropped a bit and I know it'll continue to do so over the next few weeks.  I still try to do as much as someone who is 27 weeks pregnant with one, but my guess is I'm measuring around 38 weeks so I need to quit it and relax more.  Michael is constantly telling me to take it easy and not do so much but it is SO hard when you're at home and there are 1,000 things that need to be done!

The nursery is coming along quite nicely.  We still have a ways to go but if the babies arrived tomorrow we have all of the necessary items ready (cribs, changing table, rocker, etc.).  I'm going to share a very small "sneak peak" because I'm so excited about it.  One of the things Michael and I first learned about each other was our shared childhood love of Shel Silverstein.  We now have all of his books displayed in our living room (I think we had duplicates of all of them when we married).  I found one of our favorite Shel Silverstein poems and asked Sara on Etsy to turn it into a modern typography print.  She was awesome to work with, extremely affordable, and I love how it turned out.  We'll frame it and put it on the shelf above their changing table.  So here is a teeny sneak peek... and now you know the nursery colors are grey, turquoise, and coral (I'm sure you've lost sleep wondering)...

I hope our kiddos love his poems as much as we do!

We have an appointment with the doctors next week so we get to see Sloane and Jude again!  I also have the dreaded glucose test--yech.

Here I am at 27.5 weeks.  After Michael took the picture I looked at it and gasped.  I don't feel like I look super pregnant but then I see pictures and am blown away.  At least I know S & J have PLENTY of room in there--sheesh!

Our Firstborn

With all of the twin hoopla, there is a certain someone who has not received much blog time lately...



Fortunately, this could not be further from the truth around the house.  Michael and I both know things are going to change dramatically once the twins arrive, which means we've both been spending as much time as possible with our furry feline.  While it is obvious who our priorities will be in the upcoming months, we're both hoping it's a smooth(ish) transition and not one where we have to choose sides. 

Lately Thumbs has been having coughing fits, which I researched heavily (Michael banned me from Web MD but never mentioned anything about Thumbs).  The only thing I found was Feline Asthma, which I'd never heard of before.  On top of the coughing, she has been ralphing more than usual and hasn't had the voracious appetite she's so well known for.  Monday morning I woke up to her throwing up yet again and decided it was time to take her to the vet.  I made an appointment and then drove to WalMart at 7:30 am to get some wet food.  In case you're curious, the WalMart crowd is even stranger in the early hours.  You're welcome.

I fed her and she ate enough to make me feel a bit better.   15 minutes before her appointment I began to gather my things, couldn't find her and started to panic.  I went up and down the stairs three times, looking in her normal spots and coming up short.  I called Michael and he told me to check under our bed, which I'd already done twice.  I did it once more and lo and behold, there she was in the center completely out of arm's reach.   At this point I was already out of breath and 1,000 degrees.  Trying to get a cat out from under a bed is difficult, trying to do so while you are 26 weeks pregnant with twins and worn out is impossible.  I begged and pleaded (oddly enough, that did not work) and then I started BAWLING.  I was so frustrated.  By some glorious act of God I was finally able to remove her from under the bed and rushed her to the vet.

Now, this cat HATES the vet.  LOATHES.  DESPISES.  I put her down on the scale and from that moment on she either hissed or did this guttural moan that always makes me question her femininity.  The doctor ended up taking a chest x-ray and performed blood work-up.  Thumbs was a less than stellar patient, per usual.  Several hours later they showed me the x-ray, which was (thank God) free from tumors and anything resembling feline asthma.  Her heart did have a funny shape, which caused the vet to send it off for a second opinion.  Not to make light of a serious/sad matter but an x-ray of a cat, and a fat one at that, is downright crazy.  It actually made me think of Biggest Loser when they do the body scan of the competitors and show all of the fat that's pushing against their organs.  Poor Thumbs McGee was in the same boat.  And to top it off you see these tiny little arms and legs poking out of one huge torso.  Sigh.

End result?  She's fine.  She does have fatty deposits around her heart (poor Thumbs) but the radiologist agreed her lungs are clear and she is cancer/asthma free.  Blood work-up came back great.  Their only guess is hairballs.  Who knew?  Each time I mentioned feline asthma to Michael he  laughed so I spent most of my time trying to convince him it's a real thing.  His response? "Well thank God she has thumbs in case she needs to use an inhaler."  Very funny.

Strangely enough, the last vet bill this expensive came a month before our wedding when Thumbs tried to be Super Cat.  Now we're at a little more than two months before the babies arrive and we're feeling a strange sense of deja vu.  I'm starting to wonder if we don't give this cat enough credit.

As far as the twins are concerned Thumbs is still as cuddly as ever, though she has a much harder time getting comfortable on my belly.  The other night she actually got stuck--her arms were on one side of my stomach and her legs on the other with neither touching the bed (think of a seesaw).  It was hilarious though she got a bit panicky.  She also doesn't seem very interested in the nursery, which is fabulous.

I know things will change once Jude and Sloane arrive but I sure do love our firstborn and I have a sneaky suspicion her dad feels the same way.

Proud dad introducing Thumbs to the groomsmen

 My current view

Thumbs trying to hug her siblings.  A few minutes later Jude punched her in the face.

She ADORES my shoes.  I think this pair confused her (she doesn't understand "faux").

Practicing telepathy with the twins.

Woke up from a nap with a Kate Gosselin 'do

She's quite the poser. 

Sunbathing

Squishy face