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!

The Twilight Zone?

So we feel like Rod Serling is outside our house narrating our story...

We had our home inspection almost exactly 3 years ago. The owners were still living in the house at the time, so it was furnished for daily living.

Not interesting yet? I know. Well, here's where it gets a bit interesting: the previous owners had Twins! Fraternal boys (different hair & eye color, one crawled forwards, one backwards - funny guys!). They were 9 months old when we closed on the house (so about 8 months old when we had the inspection). I remember asking the previous owners if there was a history of twins in their families, and they said no - it was a complete surprise (sound familiar?!)!! Richard and I joked at the time that it must be something in the water. Little did we know...

Now, fast forward 3 years, and we're wondering if there really is something in the house... [here's where you insert the Twilight Zone music]... Hahaha. Gotta admit it's quite the coincidence at least.

I took pictures when we walked through the house -- including of the nursery. Ironic that now it can serve as a blueprint for a working twin nursey set up!! Below are the pics I took of their nursery setup. We won't have it set up exactly the same way, but at least we know there is plenty of space for all we need.

Their set up entering the room.

Left side of their set up.

Their set up for the closet area.
The room is only 11 x 10, pretty tiny.

Baby Cage Match!

I didn't upload this picture earlier -- it's of the babies' 4 little hands waving about (I believe the pic is looking up from their feet). It's not that clear, but I'm finding it more adorable each minute, so I decided to share.

They're either saying "Hi everybody!" or they're holding their own baby cage match (which it feels like most of the time)...