19 weeks!

Size of babies: Approximately 6 inches long, about half a pound each.  The size of an heirloom tomato or a mango.

Weight gain: Up 16-18 lbs.

Size of uterus: 6 finger breadths above my belly button, so I think that is measuring 26 weeks?  I am going to ask my Dr to measure me exactly at my appointment in a week and a half.

Sex of the babies: Surprises!!!  Although the closer it gets to my anatomy scan the more curious I am.  I am kind of tempted to get down on my hands and knees and beg my husband at the u/s.  But I will try to be strong.  It's not even that I have a preference, just curious!!!!!

Baby prep: I have bought a double stroller, one used bouncer, a twin breastfeeding pillow,  swaddlers, muslin blankets, and a breastfeeding cover.  I also put together the crib and set it up in my daughter's room.  Still to buy: bassinets or something for them to sleep in the first 6 months (ish), 2 infant car seats, bottles, breast pump (may have a lead on borrowing one), 2 baby carriers (may have a lead on borrowing one), pacifiers, newborn and 0-3 month clothing (have exactly none!), 1 baby swing, one more bouncer, 2 changing pads, 2 nursing bras, baby monitor....and I'm sure a million other things I haven't thought of yet.

Movement: Yes, yes, yes!!! More pronounced every day.  Can't tell it from the outside yet, according to DH.

What I miss: Well of course the selfless line to that one is nothing, and of course everything is worth it.  But I would love a few beers along with some sushi.  I have been craving both intensely!  Also I started getting heartburn this week every evening, luckily Tums seems to help.

Best Moment of the week: Sitting at Disney on Ice with my husband and daughter, and feeling these miracle babies dance to the music!

Worst Moment of the week: The nurse calling me saying the culture from my urine sample from last week showed a UTI, so I am on a 10 day antibiotic course.  Luckily I have very few symptoms, just hate having any sort of issue!

Fetal Medicine Specialist Check up, 17.5 weeks

So I met the Dr who will deliver my babies!  He is awesome.  He specialized in twin/triplet pregnancies, with an emphasis in pre-eclampsia so basically perfect for me!  Plus his office is in my IVF clinic so it's nice to say hello to the drs and nurses who knocked me up!

He was very thorough in my first appt with him.  Did a lengthy u/s, everything looked "perfect"!  He measured their femurs, head circumferences, and abdominal circumferences.  All were above average.  Both babies are measuring over 8 oz each and over a week ahead!  If I hadn't done IVF he said my due date would be moved a week up.

I will for sure have a repeat C, at 20 weeks I will start checking my bp at home once daily, at 24 weeks I will start 24 hour protein checks (I forget how often, maybe every 2 weeks?), at some week I get the gestational diabetes test - I forget when, and I will get cervical length checks weekly starting at 20 weeks.  He checked it for a baseline and it is 3.76cm which he said is great.  Any sign of shortening or raising blood pressure and I could potentially be put on bedrest or hospitalized.  Since that would make my husband's career and childcare a shitshow I am going to pretend there is absolutely no chance that will happen, mmkay?

He did suggest a high protein/low carb diet to ward of pre eclampsia.  Ummmmmmmmmmmmm.
I am going to make a more concerted effort to eat protein but no way can I severely limit carbs.  No way, I am too freaking hungry all of the damn time.

My weight is up 16 lbs which he was happy with, my bp was 124/79 which we ALL were very excited about :).  My uterus is measuring 24 weeks, so 6-7 weeks ahead which is normal.

Today I had my first BH contraction, while walking around outside in 100 degree weather.  Googling tells me that 18 weeks is a very common time for them to start with twin pregnancies.

Everything else is OK.  P won't sleep in her own bed ever since we returned home from the USA.  She got so spoiled sleeping in bed with us or her Grandma for 2 months that she is just having none of it.  For now her and I are sleeping on a comfy raised air mattress in her room, I sometimes sneak out at 1am or so, then she is mad at me in the morning for having left :)  Once our jet lag is completely behind us, in a week or two, we are going to have a battle on our hands.  She knows how to unlock her door so I already can't do that evil plan LOL.  I was thinking maybe try her pack n play as she can't climb out of that....Ugh I don't know.  Any advice anyone? I've tried bribery and taking away toys.

Hope all is well with everyone else..........xx

Shit just got real

This is in my apartment:

15 week 2 days Ultrasound

I think it went fine? Lol. The tech was awful, didn't explain anything we were seeing unless I asked. They are both measuring almost a week ahead, approx weight is 5 oz each.  It was awesome seeing them move and wiggle around!!!

Here are the only two pictures the tech gave us, profile shots. Baby A is facing downward, Baby B is facing upward:

Our pregnancy announcement

Sent out via Facebook, Instagram and email: (will probably delete this in a few days)

Eating for three until October 2015 :-)

15 weeks!

Wowzers!!  I again can't believe that I'm already (well tomorrow I will be!) 15 weeks pregnant with twins!

The babies are now the size of an apple, 4 inches long and approx 2-3oz/each.  I feel them move everyday, several times a day.  Feeling movement has always been my favorite thing about pregnancy, hands down.  There are no words to describe it.  I'm so glad I'm a woman, I feel so sorry for my husband who doesn't get this time to bond with the babies.  And of course my heart breaks for those of us who are desperate to experience it and haven't yet been able to, or want to experience it just one more time....

I had an appt with an OB in Illinois this past week.  He was wonderful!  Using the doppler he immediately found both heartbeats, in totally separate locations and differing rates.  One baby was consistently upper 150s, other was consistently lower 140s.  So maybe one boy and one girl?
My blood pressure was 122/80 ROCK ON!  I'm continuing the baby aspirin to ward off pre eclampsia, and a million supplements as recommended by Dr Luke of "Expecting Twins, Triplets and Quads".  My weight is up 13 lbs.  Wow!  With pipsqueak at this point I was down 3 lbs.  Luckily with twins it is recommended to gain 20-25 lbs by 20 weeks.  I think I may get there!!!  My uterus is measuring 4-5 weeks ahead, so I already look 20 weeks!  This is why I was in maternity pants this time starting at 8 weeks :-).  At the end of the appt he asked what else he could do for me, and I said, "Could you PLEASE order an ultrasound?".  And he agreed!  It's been 6 weeks since my last one which for an IVF patient pregnant with twins feels like 6 years.  So he ordered it "to check growth".  I love him!  My u/s is this Monday and my Mom has taken off work to be there!  I can't wait!

I'm still feeling GREAT!  As long as I eat all day long I don't feel sick.  So far no swelling, no exhaustion, very little indigestion.  I'm thinking I should enjoy this while it lasts......

We go back to Dubai right after Memorial Day BOO!!  I'm not ready for a summer of temps in the 120s.   I am excited to start organizing our 2 bedroom apartment and buying baby things...  We are gonna be very cramped but I've always liked being cozy :-).  I just hope once the babies are 6-12 months, somewhere in there, that then 4 year old Pipsqueak will be ok sharing a room with 2 babies....   Until then they will obviously be bunking in with mom and dad.   Does anyone have a recommendation for a good bassinet? I am thinking one that has rocking or vibration would be good because I assume at 2am when I am trying to get 2 babies back to sleep I will use any trick/device/voodoo spell I can to get some sleep.  I read that all the sleep "rules" go right out the window with twins.  That you do what you have to to survive.  Amen to that!

2nd trimester!

Tomorrow I am 13 weeks, can't freaking believe it.  This is the fastest pregnancy in history, it's gotta be!  If anyone wants the first trimester to fly by just travel around the world and visit family and friends, I've been so busy I haven't had time to obsess!

I feel GREAT!  Morning sickness ended at about 10.5/11 weeks.....SUCH a difference from my first pregnancy!  I have another stupid cold/sinus infection, but otherwise life is good.

I bought a Doppler and can now differentiate between the two heartbeats.  Such a worthwhile investment!  I'm taking baby aspirin, multivitamin, extra folic acid, extra Mag/Calcium/Zinc, and a stool softener daily.  All done with progesterone as of last week.

The perinatologist I saw a couple of weeks ago said its not a matter of if I get preeclampsia again, it's when.  My Bp was 118/88.  88 is way to high of a diastolic for the first trimester. So she suggested the baby aspirin, it's been proven to delay the onset of preeclampsia.  I started it at 10.5 weeks.

I have an appt with an OB here in Illinois in a week and a half, I will be outside of the NT scan window so I guess we are skipping that again.  Hopefully we will get an u/s though, the scheduling nurse said it would be up to "the discussion between me and the dr".  Well I will beg if necessary!

To be honest I can very easily get sucked into negativity : how hard two babies and a 3 year old will be, how hard living away from family will be, etc.  But trying to focus on how amazing our family will be with 3 children.  Maybe in 3 years :-)