And the Baby Bump Lingers On...

I'm a bit peeved. I ordered the BioGaia pro-biotic drops for the babies and when it arrived, the box read, "may contain traces of milk protein." Say what?! The girls pedi GI was not aware of that - she only mentioned that she had heard the drops worked for some parents in alleviating colic symptoms. And I looked all over the BioGaia site and no where did it mention the milk protein thing. I have to call and complain. And definitely demand a refund - $35 for a teeny tiny little bottle. In the meantime I inquired on my Multiple Moms (CAMOM) food allergy subgroup forum about other pro-biotics. One of the moms recommended Culturelle - I checked out the website and it says "dairy and gluten free." So I'll have to order some and try it out.

I'm frustrated. I'm 1 pound BELOW my pre-pregnancy weight. I should be happy right? Well it's this stupid belly. It's stuck there like a ball. I have diastasis recti (abdominal muscle separation) from the pregnancy. Basically, leaves your stomach bowed out like you are still pregnant. Since my belly is pronounced I've had people still asking when I'm due. It's helpful in some respects - people still offer to carry my groceries and such. But I'm sure the novelty will wear off the further I get post-delivery. Yesterday, I asked the other mothers of multiples in the CAMOM group what they recommend as a "fix it" or "cure." I had read varying accounts over the Internet. Some claiming you can "fix" it by doing abdominal workouts wearing a binder. Others saying DON'T do ab workouts, because they make the diastasis worse. And others saying do Yoga, or don't do Yoga. So many different things. Well I received a plethora of responses and everyone said there is no way to "fix" it without surgery. Unfortunately, it's considered plastic surgery, so insurance won't cover it. Many of the moms who had insurance cover it, had suffered hernias through the diastasis -- hernia repairs are covered by most insurances, and the docs just fixed their diastasis during the hernia operations. So looks like I'm going to be stuck looking preggers forever or until I get a hernia - and who the heck wants a hernia? On top of the diastasis, my belly button is herniated, which just adds to my appearing preggers.

I'm trying to keep it all in perspective though. I have two relatively healthy and occasionally happy babies (hahaha) - so a lingering baby bump is really not the end of the world.

This weekend we are hanging out with family. Should be fun. And hopefully Frances and Grace will be in a jovial mood.

Tummy Check-up

The girls had their check-up with the pediatric GI today. She said they are doing really well. Gaining weight like champs! They both weighed in at 13 pounds 8 ounces -- and that's before eating! Gracie was about 22 inches and Frances was 23 inches long.

She upped their Pepcid dosage since they weigh more now. And she also recommended BioGaia probiotic drops - so I just ordered some online. We'll see if it helps with their painful gas issues. Cross fingers.

We're also increasing the rice cereal in their formula. She said at 4 months we can start other stage 1 solids, one at a time. Yay!

Otherwise, all is well. We follow up with her again in 2 months. Their next allergy test is at 11 months old.

Happy Halloween!

Gracie and Francie Pants

Okay, so I took that picture last weekend (thanks Auntie Amy for the "I Love My Mummy" Halloween t-shirts!). We did not take the girls out trick-or-treating. We didn't even dress them up on the "official" day. Chalk it up to being lazy, we don't mind. It was an adventure in multi-tasking last night. Our evenings are usually pretty busy juggling baby feedings and baby chores (making formula, prepping bottles, doing laundry), and trying to get a second to feed ourselves as well -- all while the babies take turns screaming their heads off -- then throw trick-or-treaters knocking on the door every couple minutes, and you have a pretty crazy evening.

We survived though. And it was worth all the hassle to see the cute little kids all dressed up. I can't wait for the girls to be old enough for trick-or-treating. How cute!

Back to Work

Francie Pants sporting "the lip" and an equally unhappy Gracie (too cute!)

I followed up with the GI doc over the phone this past week (we have an in-person follow-up the beginning of November). The Similac Alimentum is working great! So we save a bunch of money going with that versus the Neocate - WHEW! I just started the girls on 5 ounces a feeding - still including rice cereal. We also just started to try and cut out the 2 a.m. feeding. The doc said most babies sleep through the night by 4 months. The girls will be three months on the 18th... very soon! So we're crossing fingers that in a month from now they will give us at least 6 hours straight sleep.

I started back to work last Wednesday. It was hard - Not because I was worried about the girls - But because I was sad to leave them :-( Our nanny, Ms. Esther, is awesome. Thanks to Carolyn for referring her to us! We would have gone B.R.O.K.E. going the daycare route here in Columbia, especially with TWO infants. And it's a plus having the nanny come to our house, so we don't have to pack the kids up and take them anywhere :-)

Due to my schedule, Richard has to do the 6 a.m. feeding by himself. But he's an expert at it now. He's here in the morning when the nanny gets here. It's funny because she only speaks spanish, and Richard doesn't know any spanish - but they manage to communicate. Lots of sign language haha. I've had to brush up on my dusty spanish skills... let's just say, they remain pretty dusty.

My folks were going to visit this weekend (my mom had a 3-day weekend) - but my mom came down with a cold. Ahh the consequences of working with germy little kids. We were sad they couldn't make it down, but there are lots more weekends to visit in the future :-)

In the meantime I've posted some more pictures of the gals. Here are links to the albums:

Trip to my work place (taken by my co-worker, Maureen) HERE.

A visit from Aunt Amy and cousin Aissa, and some miscellaneous HERE.

And a bit early, but 3 month photos HERE.

Including the picture at the top of this blog post, here are a few more of my favs...

Frances showing off her big brown eyes and Gracie avoiding eye contact:

Gracie sporting her "I Love Grandma and Grandpa(s) shirt" and a HUGE smile!My cousin, Joe, feeding Frances at work:

Me feeding Gracie:

Delivery Story

I posted two versions of my delivery story. One is a long (too much information) version - mainly for ladies who like reading that stuff. The other is a MUCH shorter and less detailed version for everyone else. See them listed to the Right under "Pages."

Frances Laughed Today!

So I was making my typical funny faces and various animal sounds - and Frances got one of her big grins on her face and then all of a sudden she laughed! I was so surprised, I cried! hahaha. I haven't been able to get her to do it again though, but I know eventually they both will be giggling and laughing like crazy.

In the mean time here are some more pictures (click on the picture below!!!):

What's Worse Than A Colicky Baby - How About TWO!

Sorrrryyyyyy soooo long in updating. Time has really been flying by! And a lot has happened since my last update.

On a family note - Richard became a US Citizen at the end of August! Auntie Amy babysat so I could go to the oath ceremony. Very cool :-)

It's been a LONG two months since the gals were born. We've been back and forth to doctors wayyy too much. But hopefully we've finally got the girls all figured out. We were dealing with some MAJOR colic issues. If you've had a colicky baby I'm sure you can sympathize with our dealing with TWO colicky babies. No sleep sucks! I felt like running away or just dying. It was so overwhelming with the constant screaming of two babies.

After experimenting with mylicon gas drops to no avail. Then switching formulas from EnfaCare to Gentlease. And then....... the bloody diarrhea. Oh that one was hard for Richard and I to deal with. I'm glad my mom was still here when that symptom developed - to keep us sane. That was when the doc suspected milk protein allergy. So we tried Enfamil hypoallergenic formula Nutramigen. Which did not set well with their intestinal track. They got yeast infections on top of diaper rash!! More to make them scream! Blah. So then we switched to Neocate - the "most" hypoallergenic formula out there. It worked! No more bloody poopies! But the Neocate can only be bought online and is SUPER expensive. $33 for a 14 oz. powder can - that only lasts a day with twins. Yikes! Richard's insurance won't cover it because his company is based in NY which doesn't require insurance companies to cover it. CRAP!

Anywho we had an appointment with the pediatric gastroenterologist on Tuesday to confirm the milk allergy - which she did. She was nervous about us affording Neocate, so she told us to try Similac's hypoallergenic version for a week, just to see if that might work for us. That's still $26 dollars for a 16 oz. can, but every dollar we can save is better than none. We have to test their poopies again in a week to make sure the blood hasn't returned. She said we'll do an allergy test at 11 months to see if they still have a reaction. And if they do, then we'll have another allergy test at a certain time intervals after that. She said most kids out grow the milk allergy by 3-5 years of age. Let's hope sooner! I asked about soy formula. She said 60% of kids allergic to milk protein are allergic to soy protein. And on top of that, she said they don't recommend soy formula, especially for female infants, because the natural estrogen in soy causes puberty-like symptoms. Yikes. So that's a definite no go on the soy.

The pedi GI also diagnosed them with acid reflux. They already are taking rice cereal in their formula to help it set better in their tummies. But she also prescribed Pepcid and the first night we gave it to them (last night) was the first night the girls S.L.E.P.T!!!! It was amazing!! So I'm crossing fingers on that as well.

So we follow up with the GI by phone in 2 weeks, and in person in 6 weeks.

In addition to all that... we all survived our first family cold. I feel so bad for the babies since they can't take the meds we do to feel better. But they survived. Oh so many more colds to "look forward to" in the years ahead. hahaha.

Today they had their TWO MONTH checkup (wow). Richard wasn't able to take off from work. So I took them by myself. And I survived - even though they got 4 shots a piece. I was impressed with myself I must say hehe. As for their current stats:

Frances weighs 10 pounds 9 ounces and is 21 1/2 inches long. This means that by tomorrow she will have doubled her birth weight! Woohoo!

Grace weighs in at 10 pounds 6 ounces and is also 21 1/2 inches long. She still has 6 ounces to double her birth weight, but she'll probably be there by the weekend!

So the girls are on the curve now. And for their "corrected"age - since they were preemies - they are a bit above the 50th percentile - just a bit. So that's great! Even better is that developmentally they are right on target for 2 month olds - so there is no need to "correct" their age for those. Woohoo! I'm so happy :-)

So I'm happy all is looking brighter. Just keeping those fingers crossed!!

More Pictures!

Here are some more pictures of the babies since they've been home. Click here to view all the new pics. Below are a few of my favorites...

The babies together again:

A sleeping baby Frances:
A cute baby doll Grace:

Baby Checkup!

The babies had another check-up at the pediatrician office today. They are both doing well. Both got their second dose of the Hep-B vaccine. Daddy doesn't like shots so mommy did the dirty work of holding them still.

Frances is 7 lbs. 14 oz. and 21 inches long.

Grace is 7 lbs. 15.5 oz. and 20 1/2 inches long.

So the gals are right on average for length (50th percentile). They are sooo close to 8 lbs. - they'll probably be there by tomorrow! They are in the 10th percentile for weight. But considering they would have been full-term 40 weeks on tuesday the nurse practitioner said they are doing excellent and gaining weight like champs! I think they are just going to be tall and skinny like daddy.

Well the girls have been getting fussier every day. We described the symptoms to the nurse and she said it sounds like colic - that it "usually" reaches its peak by 6 weeks and then tapers down from there. But because we have preemies the time will be extended - so it could be 16-17 weeks before they get over it. In the meantime we've done the karo syrup to help with constipation. Today she said to try some mylicon to help with gas. And we're also going to try a different formula for sensitive stomachs. Hopefully something helps. But who knows.

The girls can go out for walks now. We asked about visitors again. She said visitors are always fine - they should have common sense not to come visit if they are sick - no matter what age our kids are. I guess that's a big "duh" - I wouldn't want people visiting while they were sick whether we had kids or not - I don't wanna get sick! hahaha.

Anywho the fussing is commencing as I type so I must go back to mommy mode.

Sticker Shock!

So we've been steadily receiving the itemized bills from the hospital. It's not actually "our" bills, but the bills they will be sending to the insurance company.

My hospital charge: $10,600

My doctor's charge for surgery: $6,500

9 day NICU charge for Frances: $14,600

9 day NICU charge for Grace: $14,700

TV/phone: $40 <-- just added this because it's amusing compared to the others

I'm sure there will be more charges from the anesthesiologist, maybe the neonatologists... who knows who/what else.

So while we don't have to pay that all out of pocket - I still thought the figures were pretty amazing - in the wholly crap, glad we have some insurance-sense!

My charges are covered under my insurance. The girls are under Richard's insurance. The unfortunate part is that because Richard has a family deductible for his insurance - we'll have to pay a pretty penny for the NICU. I think his deductible is $7,000? We're pretty sure we'll be charged the full deductible. Even with the insurance company's contracted rate for services, we doubt the cost of the NICU charges will come down below the deductible. Oh well. Whew! Good thing we've been saving every cent in anticipation that something like this might happen. It definitely helped to find out we were having twins early on in the pregnancy. It helps to plan ahead!

Note to Visitors

Many people have asked about visiting the girls. People are welcome to visit. They are preemies so if you are feeling at all under the weather... or suspicious that you may be coming down with something - we ask that you postpone any visit until you are feeling better. They are too vulnerable at this time to be exposed to anything. Also, just as in the NICU we ask that people with children under 4 postpone visiting with their kids until we get the all clear on the preemie front. As long as the child understands handwashing and the importance of not spreading germs - we're cool.

The fact that they are preemies also means they are on a strict feeding and sleeping schedule. This is to conserve energy so they gain weight. We feed at 10 a.m., 2 p.m., 6 p.m. during the day. If you want to see them "awake" - I suggest arranging a visit with us around those times. Otherwise, they are sleeping - we just wanted to give people the heads up on that. We don't get play time with the babies like parents of regular newborns.

We're crossing fingers that by their next appointment (the end of August) they'll be off the preemie formula and we'll be able to have some more play time. Which will be more fun for potential visitors as well.

Luck o' the Draw

The babies turned 3 weeks on Sunday - feels like they are older than that. Maybe that's the sleep deprivation kicking in? hahaha. Actually they are doing fairly well on their schedule. My mom has been a huge help with cooking dinner, doing laundry, house cleaning, etc. Richard went back to work the week after they came home. But he was still getting up to help with the night changing/feedings. We realize we'll be sharing the task anyway when I head back to work.

This past weekend was a bit more difficult. My mom went back home for a long weekend (and much needed break). And on top of that Richard got sick. Seriously, he's rarely sick, so ain't that the luck o' the draw? With the babies being preemies and so vulnerable we wanted to play it safe, so Richard went to the doctor. He mentioned that we have preemies, so the doc put him on antibiotics right away and ordered him to "stay away from the babies" until today. He's still on the antibiotics and still recovering, but doing better. Anywho, with mom being gone and Richard off baby duty - I was doing all the baby stuff since Friday. It's hard work anyway with two people feeding, cleaning, changing, etc. But when you are alone, you can only take care of one baby at a time - everything takes twice as long. And one baby is screaming while you feed the other one, which makes you feel horrible. So I was getting even less sleep. And my body is still recovering from surgery so I tire easily. I can't wait till they are big enough to "prop" with their bottles - that will make things much easier! ....... of course, by then we'll have new issues to deal with hahaha.

My mom came back this afternoon. And Richard is back on baby duty. So things are feeling less hectic :-) But I did survive on my own and there is some satisfaction and comfort in knowing that it can be done!

On another note... I stepped on the scale with the babies and I'm guessing they are about 6 pounds now. It's by no means accurate. They definitely look a lot fatter and feel heavier. They have that double chin coming and dimples on their hands. They still have a lot of growing to go though.

Also, I'm down 34 pounds! I had reached 190 pounds the Thursday right before I delivered. I still have 13 pounds to go before I reach my pre-pregnancy weight. I can't believe it! Although it's all in the stomach and seems like it will take a long while to disappear. The swelling in my legs and face has gone down soooooo much! I feel like a new person!

Pictures Update

Finally got the pictures online. Here's from the day of delivery through now... enjoy.

Click on the link below:

See Pictures

Welcome Home!

The girls officially came home Tuesday afternoon. So we've survived two nights as new parents with twins! The neonatologist said they are doing well. We almost weren't able to bring both babies home since they weren't gaining weight fast enough. So the last couple days in the NICU we were advised to just let them sleep. So we did a lot of staring at them versus holding them.

Now that they are home, we've been ordered to keep them on that strict eating and sleeping schedule so they gain a lot of weight. The doctor said 22 hours of sleep a day - so we feed them every four hours. As in the NICU, they told us no over stimulating or playing with the babies - feed them and put them to bed - so we don't get cuddle time outside of feedings. :-( But we're willing to sacrifice it so they gain weight. So far they are gaining about an ounce day. They have been very good babies ... so far. But we've only had them for a couple days - not even a week of adjustment under our belts. Cross fingers they keep cooperating!

They had their first pediatrician appointment yesterday. Both had gained an ounce from the day before. She reiterated the feeding and sleeping schedule to encourage weight gain. I can't wait for them to get fat - then we can have more play time. :-)

A lot of the clothes we have for them are so big - even the newborn ones haha. They are such little dolls. And I can't believe they will be 2 weeks old on Sunday!

Sweet Sleepers

These are a couple pics from my mom's cell phone - a bit blurry - but cute (I'm biased of course hehehe). The nurse said they are scheduled to come home tomorrow! Cross fingers!! :-)

Grace (above) and Frances (below)

The Wacha Gals Have Arrived!

We wish to announce the birth of our identical twin girls!

Born on Sunday, July 18 at 9:06 p.m. and 9:07 p.m. at 34 weeks and 5 days old.

Frances Akor Wacha

(left side of picture)

5 lbs. 5 oz. and 18 7/8 inches long

Grace Apio Wacha

(right side of picture)

5 lbs. 6 oz. and 19 1/4 inches long

The babies are a week old today! Sorry for the delay in posting but I was in the hospital recovering until discharge Thursday evening, and have been visiting the babies in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) every free second. They are doing GREAT though and should be home soon!!!! :-) I will update with more pictures at some point. I have a few my mom took. We have some on our camera too, but Richard does not know how to download from my camera to the computer in the basement (no railing, so I'm not walking down there!). Haha, one of the things I was going to show him before the babies arrived. Whoops!

I'll update with the birth story later -- it's definitely amusing.

34 Week Check-up

Well I'm 34 weeks and 2 days preggers. I had my OB checkup today. My mom went with me. BTW - Why do they have the most uncomfortable chairs in an OB office??? Sorry, digressing.

Anywho, all is well. I've gained 47 pounds so far... up 4 pounds from two weeks ago. Blood pressure is great. The doctor measured my belly and I'm measuring the equivalent of 47 weeks pregnant!! Whew! So I'm measuring the equivalent of a regular pregnancy overdue by 7 weeks. It's crazy. I remember in June when I had my 30 week checkup I was measuring 10 weeks ahead, and they said the growth would slow down and I wouldn't measure so far ahead anymore. Well, jokes on them! Last time, at 32 weeks, I was 11 weeks ahead and this time, at 34 weeks, I'm 13 weeks ahead. Sumo babies indeed.

Mobility has reached a wall. I pulled a muscle last night trying to adjust my belly during sleep... doh. It's just too darned heavy. I had a hard time sitting up from the doctor's table too. I know I only have two weeks from tomorrow left -- but it's taking forever. It feels more like two months. I just keep on chugging along -- looking forward to breathing, eating, not itching, and sleeping however I want! (.......And of course, seeing the babies hehe).

We managed to take my mom out for her birthday last week. We went to Clyde's in Columbia. They tried to sit us at a booth. So I slid in butt first and tried to turn and "boink" -- nope -- no room for the belly. We laughed. Sometimes I really don't have any concept of how big my belly is! Fortunately there was a table with chairs open! I can't reach to eat over the table though, so I wear half my food. hahaha. We had a great dinner though!

California closets came last week too, to install the nursery closet. So we're almost ready to start getting everything together!!

My dad came down this past weekend to accompany my mom to her follow up scan at Johns Hopkins -- everything is A-Okay! So that's good news! She'll have another scan in 6 months.

So all in all, we're chugging along.

I have two more OB appointments before delivery. Next Thursday, July 22 and then Thursday, July 29 (the day before delivery). And then of course the perinatology appointment on Tuesday, July 27. Final countdown! Two weeks from tomorrow!

Sumo Babies

I'm 33 weeks today. Only 3 and 1/2 weeks to go (seems like forever though)! I had my perinatology appointment today. My mom was able to go with me. I told her she wouldn't be able to see much since the babies are so big and jumbled up now. And that was pretty much the case - just a tangled web of babies. They were moving around like crazy, as usual. The technician was able to see the profile of one of the babies and pointed out that the baby had hair on her head already. Too cute! And both babies are head down now - I can't believe that Baby B still had room enough to flip, but she did it.

Soooo... the babies are doing excellent! Baby A weighs 5 lbs. 7 oz. and Baby B weighs 5 lbs. 4 oz. The doctor came in and asked if I'm trying for some record holders. hehe. My mom's reaction was pretty much: wholly crap that's a lot of babies. The average for twins at 33 weeks is 4 lbs. 12 oz. -- so my babies are definitely above average! Even more amazing considering identicals tend to measure a bit smaller than fraternals. And they are sharing even better now, as you can tell by their similar weights.

So I'm carrying a combined baby weight of 10 lbs. 11 oz. Sumo babies! The doctor guesstimated that at 36 weeks they'll be about 6-7 pounds a piece. We'll see! Only one more perinatology appointment before I deliver, woohoo :-)

So my next OB appointment is Thursday, July 15. And my next (and LAST) perinatology appointment is Tuesday, July 27 at 9 a.m.

Fourth of July Weekend

Kenneth, Heidi, me, Arianna,

Grant and Emma at the playground

Since I'm pretty much house/Columbia bound at this point - we had the Larchars and the Dorsheimers over for some BBQ on Saturday. You can view all the pics from the get together here. I'm sad because both families are moving soon!! But it's nice to be able to get together before the big moves. My folks are down here too. My mom will be staying through my delivery - which is a HUGE help. My dad just headed back up north today.

We had a fun time. Richard BBQ'd and made his famous beans. We all gobbled down the food. And then the Larchars, Amy, my mom and I, took the kids to the playground by Jackson Pond. (Well, my mom took the Larchars - Amy rode with me. I had to drive because I can't walk that far - and yes it's less than a mile from our house and I still can't make it!) The kids had fun at the playground. Too cute! We love those Larchar kiddies!!! :-)

Joe, Amy, me and Richard

After we got back from the playground we had some delicious mini cherry and blueberry pies that Heidi made - with a 4th of July flare! They were sooooo good. And we had some equally delicious and very juicy watermelon that Amy brought. All in all it was a great get together!

Yesterday, the Dorsheimers came back over. Amy is teaching me how to knit - something to keep me occupied during my free time stuck in the house. Joe went for a 50 mile bike ride - because he's CRAZY! hahaha. And afterwards came back to the house and hung out with Richard and my dad in the man cave.

Today, we're just chilling out INSIDE enjoying the AC! Time is still going by soooo slowly. Can't wait for my perinatology appointment tomorrow - my mom is going with me - we'll see how big the babies are getting.

Richard's Surprise Baby Shower

On Wednesday, Richard's co-workers threw him a surprise baby shower! His boss called him into a meeting as a distraction so the others could decorate the kitchen for the shower. Then another co-worker came into the meeting and hoodwinked Richard into the kitchen, under the ruse of donuts. Apparently there were pink streamers in the door way and Richard just burst through without a second thought. Then he's like "hey where's the donuts?!" Then he notices a pink cake with little baby booties on it and the 'it's a girl' balloons -- and still being oblivious -- asks who's birthday party it is and how come he wasn't invited. hahaha. Then everyone says "surprise!" And Richard finally realizes it's a surprise baby shower for him! Oh classic Richard.

He had some issues opening gifts and keeping things in order. But we got soooo much stuff. Seriously, money, high chair, gift cards, swaddlers, towels, onesies, clothes, you name it! It meant so much to both of us that people went all out for the girls! Richard's boss made the favors and the cake. The favors were so cute and funny. And the cake was amazing.

It was so cool for Richard to get a shower since baby showers aren't as common for dads-to-be.

Kathy took pictures, you can see them by clicking here.

Thank you to everyone that contributed! :-) We can't wait for you all to babysit hehehe ;-)

Lucky Number 32

(Click on picture to view it bigger)

So I'm 8 months preggers now. Remember how I used to say "time is flying by"? Well... not so much anymore. It seems as soon as 28 weeks hit, time just slowed to a crawl. I knew it would happen eventually, but man, it's still hard.

I had my 32 week check-up at my OB's office today. My belly is measuring at 43 weeks!! W.O.W. Keep in mind that a full term single pregnancy is 40 weeks. Crazy I tell you! So my belly has grown 5 centimeters from a month ago, and I'm measuring 11 weeks ahead.

I'm up 44 pounds so far, whew! My blood pressure is excellent. Baby A's heart rate was 147 and Baby B's heart rate was 155 -- both excellent. :-)

So all in all, everything is looking good.

My dad is driving my mom down here this week, to stay for the rest of my pregnancy and post-delivery. It will be a HUGE help. Thank goodness for public school summer vacation! Right now I'm driving into work every other day. Starting July 6th I'll be strictly telecommuting (hopefully up until delivery day). So it will be nice to have someone here during the day -- just incase something happens. Plus, it's helpful since the larger I get, the more immobile and uncoordinated I am. Oh, and I have California Closets coming to install the nursery closet next week. I'm soooo excited!!

Here are a couple random candids from this past month...

Attack of the Cankles!!!

My new recliner helps keep the swelling down. YAY!

(And the belly is a good lap tray hehehe.)

My next OB appointment is Thursday, July 15 at 2:20 p.m. -- I'll be 34 weeks! My next perinatology appointment is next Tuesday, July 6 at 2:30 p.m. Can't wait to see the babies again :-)

Houston, We Have a Delivery Day!

Yay! The doctors finally rescheduled my c-section for Friday, July 30 at 8:30 a.m. I'll be 36 weeks and 3 days preggers. It's my OB's last work day before her vacation. If you remember from previous posts, the perinatologist said the latest delivery for identicals would be 37 weeks, which fell right in the middle of my OB's vacation - hence the reason the original 38 week date was canceled and this earlier date was preferred.

So yay! Only 6 weeks to go!! Let's hope I hold on till then!

Large and (working on the) In Charge

How Twins Are Made:(Whitney sent that pic to me,

I thought it was hilarious!)

Well I had my 30-week OB check up this morning. I've only gained a couple ounces in weight since my appointment 2 weeks ago. The nurse said I'm doing excellent weight-wise for twins. My glucose screening test came back negative for gestational diabetes. Woohoo! Bring on more sugar! I also tested negative for anemia. Woohoo again! My belly is officially measuring the equivalent of a 40-week (full term) single pregnancy. Yes, you read that right... Whew! But the babies will start slowing down in growth soon so I don't think I will keep measuring 10 weeks ahead for much longer... but I definitely still have some growing left to do.

The OB and my perinatologist haven't had a chance to talk about my new c-section date yet, so I'm still waiting on that.

I'm going to try to make it in to work a couple days next week and work from home the other days. I'm supposed to see how I feel at the end of the week and decide if I can do a similar schedule the week following. BUT for the rest of July I'm not supposed to commute to work anymore. I'm hoping I'll be able to continue working from home up until delivery day. But really, it's all wait and see depending on how my future appointments go.

My next OB appointment is June 29 (32 weeks) at 8 a.m.

Still on target...

Well, everything still "looks fine." Baby A weighs 3 lbs. 13 oz. and Baby B weighs 3 lbs. 6 oz. Baby B is right around the average weight for twins at this stage, while Baby A is just a chunk-a-lunk. The doctor said it's about an 11% difference between the babies' weight - they start to worry if the difference is around 20%. So fortunately, even though they are differing in weight, it's nothing to worry about at this moment. Let's hope they keep under that 20%!! So I have 7lbs. 3 oz. of combined baby weight... crazy!

Yet another female issue for me -- seriously, does it end? I had been complaining about a lot of pain on my sides - even a light touch hurts (so you can imagine how "fun" ultrasounds are). Well, apparently I have a "bunch" of ovarian cysts, on both ovaries. So that explains the pain. The doctor said it just means that they'll have to check to see what kind of cysts they are when I have my c-section -- and determine whether they require treatment. I told him I had a laparoscopy and open fibroid surgery last year and there was no mention of cysts. So at this point no real explanation. So yea, I'm just special -- between fibroids, pelvic congestion syndrome, twins and cysts -- I'm a gynecologist's dream (and paycheck).

Added Note: I did call my mom and she says she has cysts too, so that might explain why I have them - hopefully they are like hers and are no big deal.

AND as if my pregnancy schedule hasn't already been switched around enough...

I told the perinatologist that my OB scheduled my c-section for August 9 (38 weeks). He said that date won't work. It's too risky to deliver identicals any later than 37 weeks because of the nutrient issue. I told him my OB's on vacation at 37 weeks. Soooo... he's going to talk to her figure out a new, earlier date. Don't know if that means I'll be delivering at 36 weeks or if my perinatologist will do the delivery at 37 weeks. Either way, I'll definitely be delivering earlier. So yep, a whole new schedule. I'll keep ya'll posted once they let me know the new date.

My next OB appointment is this Thursday morning. I doubt my perinatologist will contact my OB before then. So I'll have to make sure I mention it at my appointment -- so everyone keeps me in the loop!

My next perinatology appointment is Tuesday, July 6 (33 weeks) at 2:30 p.m.

Bed Rest ... Not

Sorry so long on the bed rest update.

Richard and I managed to compromise with the doctor (it helped that the perinatologist wrote a note in my favor) to let me keep driving into work for the next two weeks – until my next appointment – then we’ll reassess the bed rest issue. We just had to promise her I would take things VERY easy and keep as scheduled as possible. She said if I feel anything abnormal I’m supposed rest immediately. And of course, if I don’t feel good in the morning – to not go into work. And once I get home from work, I’m supposed to rest. Easy to do since I'm completely whipped by the end of the day. So at my next appointment (the 17th) she’ll reassess the bed rest outlook. So at least I have a bit more face time in the office – considering I still have 9 weeks until scheduled delivery.

Driving is getting harder by the minute. I have several braxton hicks contractions just driving to and from work. And then at the end of the day, my swollen feet make it hard for me to do the whole gas/brake pedal switch in stop and go traffic. And even checking my blind spot is getting hard. Forget about the whole getting in and out of the car thing hahaha. And I realize I’m only going to get much much bigger.

Of course this last Friday I had a really huge and painful contraction (exactly the same as the Friday before when I was at work - what's up with Fridays?)! But the one this past Friday came after I got home from work. And I was alone. I couldn’t walk or move, even breathing hurt, and my phone was on the table – I couldn’t get to it. It was pretty scary. But after about 30 minutes I was able to move again – albeit very gingerly with residual soreness - just like the Friday before. Yesterday I had a pretty strong contraction at work again, not as bad as the past two fridays, but enough to knock the wind out of me for a bit. I don't like those contractions. But the babies are still moving and kicking like crazy afterwards, so that's reassuring. The Braxton Hicks contractions are soooo much more manageable - just a lot of tightness. Any time the babies do big somersaults or movements together (which seems like A LOT) I have a braxton hicks contraction.

Sooooo I'll keep ya'll updated on the bed rest/house arrest outlook...

Lucky Number 28 - Continued...

I had my OB check up today. I've gained 40 pounds so far! Whew! Closing in on Richard. hehehe. My belly is measuring at the equivalent of a 38 week single pregnancy. Even more whew!

I'm going for my glucose screening test tomorrow. It's just a routine test they do about this time in pregnancy to check for gestational diabetes. It's supposed to take an hour. Wish me luck!

Other than that, my OB is going to schedule my c-section for Monday, August 9. It's closer to 38 weeks (actually, one day short of 38 weeks). She's on vacation when I'm at 37 weeks. And she said she preferred to schedule it for after her vacation than before it (since twins tend to be born smaller since they run out of room to grow -- if you remember from earlier posts, anything 36 weeks or earlier is most likely to result in a NICU stay). Of course, mother nature is ultimately holding the reigns. So I could deliver at any time. But let's hope I hold on until the scheduled date!!!

So at this point I start seeing my OB every two weeks. And then at 34 weeks, I start seeing her weekly. I'm still seeing the perinatologist every 3 weeks. So many appointments! So my next OB appointment is June 17 (my perinatology appointment is June 15).

I'll update this post tomorrow with details about my bed rest/house arrest - I have to talk to my boss about it first.

Lucky Number 28

So I'm officially in the 3rd trimester now -- the homestretch.

This weekend was a whirlwind! I knew there was going to be a baby shower sometime but was kept in the dark about the details. So Saturday morning Richard and I were cleaning the house (one last big clean before I find out how strict the bedrest/house arrest will be). We finished around 12:30 p.m. and then I quick jumped in the shower because my friend Amy (from the 'Cuse) had said earlier in the week that she'd stop by to hang out on Saturday. So Amy got to the house and we chatted for a bit and she said she had to run an errand. I was tired, but I wanted to get out of the house so I said I'd tag along. Well ... long story short, it was all a ruse to get me to the baby shower!

Even though I knew I'd be having a shower at some point -- I was still COMPLETELY surprised. I was so surprised to see Jenn had flew all the wait out from AZ. And Becky traveled all the way from RI. And my folks came down from NY as well as my aunt and my cousin's grandma. And of course all my other friends and family. I was crying like a baby (or babies). It was such a nice surprise :-)

The food spread was gorgeous - Amy (from B-lo) went ABOVE AND BEYOND. There was soooo much food. And these delicious cupcakes with strawberry jam AND cake. A huge cold cut platter. And she had made cute chocolates with baby-related molds for favors. My dad made a fruit salad. My mom made some delicious cookies. Aunt Signe brought some yummy chicken skewers. I could go on and on about food -- I love it! I was soooo overwhelmed and impresssed and basically in shock. It meant so much to see ALL the work that had gone into this shower for our babies. It's good to know they will have so many people caring for them :-)

Jenn had some fun shower games. The ribbon game - where everyone tries to guess how big my stomach is. Judy won - she was only about an inch off. Suzanne came in a close second. The other game was a trivia game with a bunch of pregnancy/labor related words and you had to guess the candy equivalent. Example: Contractions - Whoppers. We all had fun with that game. It was hard. And there were some pretty interesting answers!

We received SOOOO many gifts. I can't even begin to name them all here. I realize I have a lot of creative people in my life. I must admit I was still in residual shock the whole time -- so everything seems like a blur.

Huge shout out to Amy (from B-lo) since she had to handle all the local organizing. Apparently there was a snafu with the original location (they canceled the monday prior!). So she had to frantically search around for a new place. I think it ended up perfect! Especially since it was a pretty warm and humid day -- it was nice that we ended up in a nice and cool location.

It was a great day! Thanks to Amy (from B-lo) and Jenn for organizing it!

Sunday was more of hanging out with everyone that was visiting. I hung out with Becky and Tim in the morning before they left. And then went to my Aunt Signe's for dinner with family. It was nice to hang out with everyone again and then some :-) I didn't leave until 1:30 a.m. to head home! Of course there were hardly any cars on the road. I got to his big downhill on 29 and just coasted away. Well, as soon as I reached the bottom of the hill I saw the cop car sitting in the dark. And sure enough, as soon as I passed him, the lights came on and I got pulled over. I was too tired at that point to be scared or cry or anything like that. I was just annoyed with myself. Of course he comes to my window and his flashlight is right on my belly and the first thing he says is "Ma'am, you aren't on your way to the hospital are you?" hahahahaha. I said "no sir, I still have two months to get there." Of course I told him twins. He laughed. And he made the typical joke about how my hands will definitely be full. He asked for my license and registration. Of course I couldn't reach the glove compartment because of my belly -- I had to shift over to the center console to reach. Yea, I was thinking, this must be hilarious to the cop. haha. Fortunately, I was let off with a warning. Phew -- I'm thinking I have pregnancy sympathy to thank for that :-) So a big shout out to the babies for getting me out of a ticket! hehehe.

Monday, my parents brought Jenn and Mike up to our place on their way home. So we hung out all day. We went to check out Lake Kittamaqundi, in downtown Columbia. But didn't last too long outside - it was warm and kind of humid. We stopped at Clyde's (I love their crab cakes!) - and Jenn and Mike treated us. Then we came back to the house and ate some more of the delicious cake that Amy made. We all just chilled out in the air conditioning until bed time.

Then, this morning we took Jenn and Mikey to the airport. I was sad to see them go. :-( I'm so depressed that I won't be able to make the bridal shower in a couple weeks. But I'm glad I at least got to see Jenn before the babies arrive :-)

Soooooo like I said -- a busy busy weekend. It went by so fast and was full of so many surprises that I wanted to write down what I remembered before I forgot it all. I'm sure I've left out bits and pieces -- blame it on pregnancy brain.

Thanks to everyone who "showered" us with love this weekend. We love you all too! I don't have any shower pics - so if/when people forward them to me - I'll try to post them on here or at least a link to the pics.

Only 9 more weeks to go if the babies cooperate with the 37 week due date! Cross fingers!

Two Pot Bellied Babies

I'm 27 weeks today. How many times can I say that "time is flying by?" -- apparently as many times as needed. hehehe.

My perinatology appointment went great today. Both babies are doing excellent. They each weighed in at 2 lbs. 10 oz. That's a bit above average for twins at this stage (the average is 2 lbs. 5 oz.). So I have a couple little porkers in there :-) The doc said there is lots of amnoitic fluid around the babies - also another good sign. And of course they were moving around like crazy again. The technician had to shake my belly to get baby A to cooperate for a head measurement. It was funny. Last time both babies were head down. Baby A is still head down but now baby B is head up. So you can see what I mean by them moving all over the place. Well, they might as well get all the moving done now because soon they will run out of space -- and maybe I'll be able to sleep again -- something tells me not to count on that hahaha.

Yes, I get ultrasound pictures every time I go to the perinatologist. I don't upload them because honestly you wouldn't be able to tell the difference from one now or one several weeks back. They are always zoomed in so they look the same size every time. If I get any unique ones I will be sure to share. :-)

My next perinatology appointment in June 15. And Richard is going with me to the next OB appointment, next Thursday. Appointments galore.

The Big 3-0!

Well it's been a busy week for sure! Yesterday was Richard's graduation (see the blog post below this one) AND today was my 30th birthday. I feel like I turned 20 just a couple years ago but when I think about how much has happened in the last decade, it reminds me of how long ago 20 really was. I'm enjoying turning 30. Maybe because I'm so preoccupied with being pregnant and everything else, I haven't had time to worry about it. It may take a few months to sink in hahaha.

So we had a gathering at my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in Silver Spring, "Langano." In case you aren't aware, I LOVE Ethiopian food. The dinner was delicious, as was to be expected (for me at least)! Of course, good food and good company - always a winning combination.

Since I don't get to see my belly from the side that much, sometimes I'm surprised by how big I really am. Wow! I can't believe I still have two and a half months to grow!! Anywho, here's the the group breakdown: (front to back on the right side) Me, Richard, Whitney, and Rhonnie; (and front to back on the left side): Kathy, Suzanne, Barry, Moussa, and Amy. My other Amy friend had to work this weekend :-( but was with us in spirit!

Here's a picture of the gang from the opposite side of the table.

Here's Ogwang and I looking nice and full after a hearty meal.

Wow! So 3 decades down. Can't wait for Richard to join the 30 ranks in just a few months!

Graduation Time... FINALLY!

Richard's graduation from University of Maryland was friday morning. It was the departmental graduation for economics majors. Some of you may remember that he was originally going to participate in the Winter commencement - but that was canceled due to the huge snow storm in December. So he was invited to participate in the Spring commencement instead. The ceremony was at 8 a.m. -- on a work day of course. We knew it would be difficult for people to make it and we completely understood. It was a nice ceremony. And I admit I got all teary eyed when Richard walked across the stage. You know, he wasn't even going to do the Spring ceremony -- but I knew he would be happy he did it -- and he was very happy! I think participating in the ceremony makes it seem more real that you have actually finished! I was so proud of him. This was a long time coming!!!!!!

Here are some pics I took. People were vicious in their attempt to take pictures - no qualms about elbowing a pregnant lady out of the way. Sheesh! So I only got a few. The ceremony ones came out really dark, no matter what I tried... I've lightened them up a bit. It's so exciting to see Richard all dolled up in the regalia.

Richard walking to the podium.

You can see that grin from a mile away hehehe

Yay! Diploma time :-)

The two (plus two) of us after the ceremony. Richard was afraid no one would see my belly at this angle in the picture - hahahahaha - riiiiiiiight.

New Pic: Here's Richard and my folks (this was taken the weekend of my baby shower - not grad day). We still have to get one of Richard and his dad!

Woohoo! School is "officially" over. Finally free! .... until the babies arrive hahaha.

Family and Friends

I'll be 25 weeks along tomorrow! Anyway, I wanted to give a shout out to family and friends who have been supporting us through all this craziness. Even if your name or picture isn't presented below, just know that we appreciate you all :-)

My friends were a huge help in prepping the nursery. They spent a whole day removing a wall paper border and wall decals and then they sanded the gloss paint off the walls. Look in my February blog posts for the "The Twilight Zone?" post to see what the walls in the nursery used to look like (yes, we never got around to changing them until now!). Here's Joe, Amy and Richard all dusty with purpose! (The other Amy was home sick, self-quarantined for sake of her pregnant friend's health.) We have awesome friends!!


Then Richard and I spent a couple weekends painting the nursery, you'll see the neutral color (pale yellow) in the background of the pics below of my parents' visit. My parents came down in April. My mom helped finish up painting the trim in the nursery since I'm getting too big to bend down. My dad installed a new ceiling fan, outlets, and assembled the cribs for the nursery. (He also installed a custom closet organizer in our house entry way and some Ikea pullout shelves in our pantry cupboard -- also a huge help!)

Mom and dad (grandpa and grandma) being jokesters.

Dad working on the cribs

Richard's dad came for a visit over Mother's Day weekend -- he was very impressed by my belly growth :-) Whitney brought the chocolate chip cookies that the babies are addicted to (certainly not me hehehe). Jenn has had to listen to me talk about the excitement, shock, fears, etc. of pregnancy. We've already received baby gifts from our wonderful friends and family - each time we get something it seems "a bit" more real -- but seriously I don't think I (we) will completely believe it until the babies get here.

Dad (grandpa) and Annie - 24 weeks and 4 days preggers!

Richard seems to have lost weight, while my belly gets bigger... case in point:

Here he's trying to be as awesome as me:

Well, tomorrow I'll have only 2 months and 3 weeks left! Woohoo! Let's hope I hold on the max :-)

Lucky Number 24

Hmm... 24 weeks and definitely looking large and in charge. Well, I'm not too sure about that "in charge" part. ;-) I caved in and stocked up on XL maternity t-shirts. I tried the large shirts but they were just fitting me - so I figured I would be growing out of them in no time considering I still have at least 3 months of growing left. So I'm swimming a bit in the XL shirts now, but at this rate I will fill them out in no time!

I had my 24-week OB check-up yesterday. So far all is good. I'm up 30 pounds! About 4 pounds above the high end of my projected weight range for this point. The nurse said it's completely fine though. Whew... 3 more months (if I can hold on - cross fingers) of growing to go! Damn the heat and humidity!

My blood pressure is fine. The babies' heartbeats are fine. My belly is measuring at the equivalent of a 34-week singleton pregnancy! That's like measuring 10 weeks ahead - no wonder people think I'm going to deliver "any day now." So I'm up 8 cm in one month. My next OB appointment is Thursday, June 3 -- I'll be 28 weeks and 2 days at that time. Crazy how time is flying by.

I had my perinatology appointment today (I know, appointments galore!). Baby A weighs in at a healthy 1 lb. 6 oz. and Baby B weighs in at an equally healthy 1 lb. 8 oz. The 50th percentile for twins at 24 weeks is 1 lb. 8 oz. so they are on track and doing great! They were moving around like crazy. It's amazing that that teeny tiny little membrane between them withstands all those kicks and punches. No sign of the Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) yet. So all looks good :-) My next perinatology appointment is Tuesday, May 25 -- I'll be 27 weeks along. Did I mention that time is flying by? haha.

Target(s) Acquired

The perinatology appointment went great. I am 21 weeks already. The babies are growing right on target. Baby A weighs 13 oz. and Baby B weighs 14 oz. The 50th percentile for twins at 21 weeks is 14 oz. so the doc said they are nice and healthy! No sign of the Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) yet, so let's keep it that way! He said that if TTTS does present itself (which it can, at any time)they have several ways to treat it: laser treatment to separate blood vessels, amniotic fluid reduction, and if they are older - delivery.

The appointment took two hours! Same as last time. They had told me at my last appointment that all these subsequent appointments would only be one hour. Well apparently they needed some pictures that they weren't able to get last time - because the babies were moving around a lot. Well, they didn't cooperate very well this time either. Baby cage match indeed! At least they finally got all the shots they needed. So now my appointments moving forward are to measure growth and amnoitic fluid and should only be an hour long... we'll see.

It was a bit convenient that the babies are movers - they had to use the 3-D (or 4-D?) ultrasound to get detailed pics of the spine. When she was done getting her shots she put it in the contour mode so I could see some cute faces. So it was kind of cool to "see" them. The contouring is not very accurate - but at least the babies look more like cute little cheetos than skeletor-aliens. hahaha. Anywho I put some of the pics below...

Case in point of baby cage match - the picture below was supposed to be of Baby B's face, but Baby A decided to kick box her cheeto legs into Baby B's face. It was so funny watching it, the technician and I were laughing so hard. Those babies are all over the place!

Below is a picture of Baby A's face:

Here's a regular ultrasound pic of Baby B's profile:

And, here's a pic of Baby A's bum and legs (top of the picture, the baby is facing down) - can you tell?

Next appointment is in 3 weeks (a day after my OB checkup). These babies are already keeping me busy!

Lucky Number 20

Time seems to be flying by. I had my 20-week check up yesterday with my OB. I'm officially 20 weeks today -- 5 months down!

Everything is fine. My blood pressure is excellent. I've gained 17 pounds so far. So I've definitely made up for the weight loss in the first trimester. I'm right in the top end of my range for twin pregnancy weight gain at 20-weeks (they base it on your pre-pregnancy weight and your height). The bigger the better! So I'm feeling good about that :-) She listened to the heartbeats: one was 145 bpm and the other was 160 bpm. She said it's normal for them to be different and that they are both in the normal range. She also measured my belly. At 16-weeks, I was measuring the same size as a 20-week singleton. Now, at 20-weeks, I'm measuring the size of a 26-week singleton pregnancy! Whew. So I'm up 6 cm in one month and still growing... hahaha.

I've become an expert on managing my nausea. It's still there, but I have learned how to not trigger it, along with keeping up on my nausea medicine. Heartburn is getting worse of course. The edema in my legs, ankles and feet is worse. I occasionally notice it in my hands and face, but it fluctuates. Since the edema will only get worse, the nurse recommended support stockings (look out Maudie!). I don't feel the fluttering of the babies as much as before, probably because my uterus has moved up more. My nerves are still healing from my fibroid surgery last year, so I'm full of weird -- sometimes dull, sometimes painful -- sensations. All par for the course. I pulled a groin muscle during a particulary bad throw-up session about a month ago and it keeps reaggravating itself. I think the extra weight I'm carrying is the culprit. It hurts to walk, to lift my left leg, to stand up, etc. The nurse recommended one of those belly contraptions that help support your belly -- to ease some of the weight off my pelvic muscles. So we'll see if that helps.

Anywho - my next perinatology appointment is next Tuesday! Time really is flying by. I'll be able to see the girls again and see if they are growing on target. I'll also be able to ask the doctor more about the risks of the Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome. So I'm eagerly awaiting that appointment. On a side note: we picked up two FREE Graco swings from one of our neighbors today. Woohoo!

Pink Mafia

We're having identical twin girls!

Chances of having identical twins: 4 in every 1000 births (or 1 in 250) --
we should have played the lottery!

All the ladies in the doctor's office were all a twitter about it. They said they get quite a few fraternal twins (especially with all the people doing fertility treatments now), but they very rarely get identicals.

I'm exactly 18 weeks today. The babies are currently growing very healthy and on target. One measured at 8 oz., the other at 7 oz. They were kicking and moving like crazy so the technician was glad that they have a "rewind" feature on the ultrasound machine. hahaha. Our twins are referred to as mono-chorionic (one placenta), di-amniotic (two amniotic sacs). It's very rare for identicals to share an amniotic sac as well as a placenta. And identical girls are more common than identical boys.

Just as my OB had mentioned, the perinatologist said identical twin pregnancies are even higher risk. He said that because they share one placenta, one might start getting more nutrients than the other, which obviously would not be good. So he said they monitor the pregnancy more closely to keep an eye on growth, etc. He said we'll have to see him every three weeks now -- and more frequently as we get farther into the pregnancy. Crazy!

I think Richard and I were both in shock. Richard was especially in shock about the "two girls" thing. I was more in shock about the "identical twin" thing. We need time to let it all sink in...

Lucky Number 16

So it's official, I'm 16 weeks today. I definitely feel like I'm filling out more on the upper part of my belly -- getting more of that round shape -- I think the updated pic shows that? I'm in that stage of the pregnancy where the babies should start gaining weight faster, so I'm sure my belly will start growing faster as well.

In yesterday's blog post I didn't quite give all the appointment info -- I had to talk to my boss first. The doctor ordered mandatory bed rest starting at 28 weeks. She said bed rest is a mandatory for multiples since the risk of premature labor is high (hence the reason we're seeing a perinatologist as well as the OB). There are many factors that determine how strict that bed rest will be. I'm already at a bit of a higher risk since I just had fibroid surgery last May. The fact that this is my first pregnancy is also riskier. Twin type is another factor (identical twins are higher risk, but we don't know what we have yet). Amongst many other factors. Basically, the point of bed rest is to avoid pre-mature labor. I'm not sure how strict it will be for me (if I can work from home or not; if I can do basic household chores; etcetera) -- it all depends on how my doctors appointments go up until then. My initial upset was when the doctor told me I could not go to my best friend's bridal shower. We've been planning it since September! I'll be 29 1/2 weeks at the time and obviously will be on bed rest. Fortunately, everyone is being supportive, which helps. I'm still depressed, scared and stressed though. I just need to get over the initial shock of it all and let it sink in, because I have to do what is best for the babies.

So here's the updated schedule:

• June 1 - bed rest at 28 weeks (strict TBA?)
• July 13 to July 27 - c-section delivery for twins is usually between 34-36 weeks. The later the better, any earlier than 36 weeks and the babies will be in the NICU.
• TBA - Time off for recovery and baby time (this is all up in the air date-wise since I don't know when I'll be delivering exactly).

We are still trying to figure out how we'll handle child care. We had budgeted for one baby (never even gave a glimmer of a thought about having twins) -- so yea, double the cost, which we don't have. I know it has to work out somehow in the end. We're just stressed in the meantime.

16 Week Checkup

Okay, so it's technically 15 weeks 6 days -- 16 weeks tomorrow! Everything went well. The doctor gave us a lot of information on what to expect going forward. I will be seeing her once a month until 24 weeks and then possibly once a week after that. She gave me a referral to see a perinatologist in Baltimore. She said I'll be seeing him as often as I see her. Talk about appointments galore. Yikes! Fortunately the perinatologist does all the ultrasounds from here on out, so I won't have to schedule those seperately. I have to schedule an appointment with him asap, for chorionicity testing (i.e. testing to find out if they are fraternal or identical twins). She said twins are higher risk in general -- but identical twins are even higher risk because they share a placenta. So we shall see.

She's pretty sure she heard the two separate heartbeats. And she measured my belly -- I'm the equivalent of a 20-week (5 months) pregnancy! In a normal pregnancy, the heartbeat and belly size are a fairly accurate indication of how the pregnancy is progressing. With multiples though, it's hard to know if you are really hearing more than one heartbeat, and belly size isn't an accurate indication of progress. So that's why they schedule ultrasounds more often for women pregnant with multiples -- because it's truly the only way to know the babies are growing healthy and on target.

I've finally gained weight! I lost a few pounds in the first trimester (probably from nausea) and have already gained five pounds since my last appointment. So she said that's fine. Yay! I was so worried about low birth weight and eating as much food as possible... I want fat babies!

I still have the nausea, but am keeping up with the nausea meds so I can keep food down as much as possible. Heartburn is still an ever present nuisance. I'm eating smaller portions of food more often during the day -- helps with the nausea and heartburn. I've cut out the exercise (too tired and winded), which is good, because the doctor confirmed I should relax as much as possible. Sleeping is far more uncomfortable now. I know it will only get worse -- especially the bigger I get and the hotter the weather gets.

I will update the blog tomorrow with my official 16-week belly photo.

The Genetics of it All

So my mom checked the family Bible and said my great great grandfather Bingham had a twin brother. We don't know if they were identical or fraternal twins. I've read up on the genetics of conceiving twins though, and have concluded that this incidence of twins has no genetic correlation to my twin conception.

Here's a good article on "Identical or Fraternal Twins" for reference (and a much better explanation than I'll be offering below): http://www.twin-pregnancy-and-beyond.com/identical-twins-or-fraternal-twins.html

So there is no genetic marker for conceiving identical twins. So if my great great grandfather was an identical twin, it would have absolutely no influence on my conceiving twins at all.

For fraternal twins, there is a chance they could be genetic. There is a hyper ovulation gene that can be passed down on the X-chromosome. Hyper ovulation results in fraternal twins -- because two eggs (or more) are released by the mother during a cycle. This explains why the gene can't be passed on the Y-chromosome (since that's a distinctly male chromosome).

And a refresher from biology: Females are XX, and Males are XY.

Now if we consider that my great great grandfather could have been a fraternal twin, that means his mother released two eggs that were simultaneously fertilized. Now if his mother released two eggs because she had a hyper ovulation gene -- then there is a good possibility that she could have passed this gene onto her son through her X-chromosome (remember boys get their X-chromosone from mom, and the Y-chormosome from dad). The genetic connection for me though, ends here, because my great great grandfather fathered a son, who in turn fathered my grandmother -- then follows my mom, and now, me. Making any sense? Well since the genetic marker for fraternal twins can ONLY be carried on the X-chromosome, my grandmother's father would NOT have inherited his father's X-chromosome, only his Y-chromosome. My grandmother's father would have instead inherited his X-chromosome from his own mother (who did not have twins). Therefore, my grandmother (as well as my mother and I) have no X-chromosome from the great great great grandmother who produced twins. If it's too confusing, refer to that article I linked to.

The whole XY deal of it all should also explain why Richard's genetic history plays no part in our conceiving twins either.

So what it all boils down to is that no matter what kind of twins I have, fraternal or identical, neither of them will be genetic for me -- unless of course I'm a mutant. hehehehe.

On a side note... I called my OB's office to schedule my next appointment -- which is Monday, March 8 (16 weeks). About two hours later I get a call from my OB's office, it's the nurse practitioner (the one I had seen at my belated 12-week appointment), she says, "Hello Ann! I just reviewed your chart over the weekend and saw the results of your ultrasound report!! Very exciting!" She was definitely as surprised as me. We talked about how we only heard the one heartbeat and everything. She said the report shows that the babies are 100% healthy and doing great! I told her I had just scheduled the follow up for next week. She explained that I'll be having a lot more appointments and ultrasounds than a singleton pregnancy, of which the ultrasound technician had already informed me. At anyrate, I had been wondering when the doctor's office was going to get the ultrasound results and if they were going to call me. So I'm glad she finally did. Richard and I calculated the time since I had the ultrasound and really, if you don't count the two weekends, it's only been 5 business days. So anyway, she said to come loaded with questions, and we already have a bunch ready!