22 Weeks

22 Weeks

I am way behind on the blog this week. Sorry.  Overall, it was a good week.  I was off on Spring Break and able to take it easy and try to get some things accomplished, like figuring out a theme for the girls' room and working on our baby registry.  

Last weekend, we spent 2 days painting the girls' room and our own.  Jeff's parents came over on Saturday to help us out.  I should say THEY all painted, while I sat on the couch with crummy abdominal pains.  I have to say though, the room looks great!  On Sunday, Jeff and I both worked on painting the trim (door frames and base boards) in both rooms and the hallway.  It took most of the day, but looks pretty good.  Jeff hung up the blinds in both rooms on Monday, and now everything is ready. We also ordered a rug for their bedroom, which will arrive in about a week.  Once that gets here, we can start putting the cribs together and setting everything up.

I went up to Redding on Thursday to spend some time with my mom and grandma.  My mom's aunt (my grandma's sister) was in town visiting from Pennsylvania as well.  It was nice to hang out and relax up there with the girls.  It was funny to hear the conversations between my grandma and her sister.  My grandma has become very forgetful lately, and her sister kept trying to get her to remember things like the gold couches she used to have in her living room.  Very amusing.

The girls have become VERY active this week.  I still have trouble really telling which one is which, but I think I have an idea.  Twin A has certainly been the more active one.  She moves almost constantly and I am definitely able to see the movements from the outside.  Twin B isn't as aggressive yet, but I'm sure she'll get there.  I can't wait to meet the two of them!!

Along with the girls becoming more active, I have become a little more uncomfortable.  I am hoping that eventually, my skin will catch up with my belly and it won't be quite so tight and sore.  Until then, I am coping with a heating pad, ice pack, and lying on my left side A LOT!!!

DATA:

How far along? 22 weeks

Babies are the size of a: papaya

Maternity clothes? LOVE them!

Have you told family and friends? Yes.

Stretch marks? Not from the pregnancy  ;)

Symptoms: Minor headaches, rib soreness and major belly discomfort.

Sleep: Some nights are good. Still having trouble getting comfortable.

Best moment this week:  Spending time with my mom, grandma and great-aunt.

Miss Anything?  Not having multiple parts of my body hurt every day.

Number of times I get up to pee each night: This week wasn’t too bad.  I think I am back to about 3 times each night.

Movement: TONS of movement.  I love it!

Food cravings: None really this week.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Smells still bother me, but not as much.

Have you started to show yet: Yup.  I feel huge.

Gender: Both GIRLS!!!

Labor Signs: Nope!

Belly Button in or out? Totally flat.

Mood: Blah

Looking forward to: Seeing the girls again next week.

Weight Gain: 13 pounds.

21 Weeks

So last week, our ticker said cantaloupe and I had bananas.  This week, I got the cantaloupes since the ticker says banana.  Hopefully we'll get it right next week.  :)

I think things are looking up....headache-wise, that is.  The backaches, however, are getting the best of me.  I am pleased to say that I haven't taken one of my prescription headache meds since Saturday before I got my last refill.  I've been going to a chiropractor, but I don't know if that's what's making them better, or if I am just at a point in this pregnancy where headaches go away on their own.  Either way, I am a happy camper!!!

As for the girls, they have really started moving a lot more.  This has contributed to my new discomforts, but when I am lying down, I love to feel them kick.  Working is becoming harder because of my back and rib pains, but I am still trying to work as much as possible through the rest of the school-year.  I am also having some pain in the location of my shunt tubing.  It runs down in front of my right rib.  I suspect that Baby B is trying to use it as a Chinese jumprope.  When I lie down on my left side, the pain goes away.  :)

Oh, I've also developed a "pregnancy rash" on the upper right of my belly.  I'm not quite sure how to describe it.  Sometimes it itches, but other times it stings, or burns.  Every once in a while it feels like it's actually under my skin.  I am doing really well with not scratching it, but I am going to need a lot more lotion!!  Good thing it's getting a little warmer, because I hang out in my sports bra after work!

I am so excited about these girls.  I just can't wait to meet them!!

DATA:

How far along? 21 weeks

Babies are the size of a: cantaloupe

Maternity clothes? LOVE them!

Have you told family and friends? Yes.

Stretch marks? Not from the pregnancy  ;)

Symptoms: Headaches are almost gone.  YAY!!  Having more backaches and the ribs are hurting.  Twin B is making contact with the shunt tube also.

Sleep: Some nights are good. Still having trouble getting comfortable.

Best moment this week:  I got a prenatal massage today.  It was great.

Miss Anything?  Being able to sit for more than 10 minutes.

Number of times I get up to pee each night: Back up to about 6.  Basically, when I wake up to shift positions, I get up to pee.

Movement: TONS of movement.  I love it!

Food cravings: I would kill for a drumstick right now…the ice cream kind.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Smells still bother me, but not as much.

Have you started to show yet: Yup.  I feel huge.

Gender: Both GIRLS!!!

Labor Signs: Nope!

Belly Button in or out? It’s pretty much gone.  But at least it’s still flat.

Mood: Blah

Looking forward to: Going to sit in the hot tub for a bit.  Hurry up Jeff!!

Weight Gain: 11 pounds.

Ok, now for the shocker photos of the week....

20 Weeks (Halfway)

NOTE: I'm not sure why my ticker says that they are the size of a canteloupe.  On the website where I got the ticker, it says banana.

This has been another good week!  I have been feeling MUCH better, and getting fewer headaches.  I had a pretty bad one on Tuesday that lasted a while, but the rest of the week has been great!  I worked Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week, which has been good for me.  It gets me out of the house and keeps me from focusing on my discomfort.

This week I also started developing some major backaches and a belly rash.  I am seeing a chiropractor for the back issues and just trying to watch what fabrics rub on my sensitive skin at this point.  It seems like I have to adjust everything now.  I think I am figuring out the whole sleeping thing as well.  I don't seem to be waking up as many times at night, however, I did have one night that I didn't sleep at all.

The babies are becoming MUCH more active.  I am pretty sure that I have felt them both.  My favorite time is in the evening before bed.  I lie down and they just start dancing!  It's like 'Mommy and Me' time.  They haven't been moving as much during the day, so I really enjoy the nights when I can just have quiet time with them and feel them wiggling.

We had another ultrasound on Thursday.  Both of the grandmas came with us so they could see the girls in action. Boy were they moving!!  I think they are going to be soccer players!  I also found out that I am measuring at 26 weeks (for a singleton pregnancy) and the girls are still a few days ahead of their 20 weeks.

Another highlight of this week was getting some new maternity clothes.  The weather is starting to get warmer, so my mom took me to get some lighter weight pants and tops.  YAY!!  I also scored on 2 used cribs from Craigslist this week.  They were a GREAT deal!!  I can't wait until we get to start setting up the bedroom for them.  :)

DATA:

How far along? 20 weeks…HALFWAY!!!

Babies are the size of a: banana 

Maternity clothes? Oh yeah! Just went shopping last night for more.

Have you told family and friends? Yes.

Stretch marks? Not from the pregnancy  ;)

Symptoms: Still having belly discomfort, rib pain, and back pain. I have also developed a rash from the waistband of my maternity pants. Headaches are getting better!

Sleep: Some nights are good. Still having trouble getting comfortable.

Best moment this week:  It was fun to take both of the grandmas to our latest ultrasound. I think they enjoyed it.

Miss Anything?  Beer.

Number of times I get up to pee each night: I think it’s getting better, still only about 3-4.

Movement: Lots of movement. Still trying to figure out how to tell A from B.

Food cravings: Salad.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Smells still bother me, but not as much.

Have you started to show yet: Yes. I am measuring 26 weeks, although I am only 20 weeks. Both babies are still measuring a little ahead.

Gender: Both GIRLS!!!

Labor Signs: Nope!

Belly Button in or out? WAY too shallow!

Mood: Blah

Looking forward to: Right now, lying down. It’s been a long day.

Weight Gain: 10.2 pounds.

Movement

Well, the girls are definitely rockin' and rollin' these days! I am really enjoying feeling their movements and trying to capture it on video. I can now see the movement on the outside, as well as feeling it on the inside. It's funny to watch my tummy bump and thump. If I am able to get video, I will post it on this entry...so check back.

I can also see my heart beating in my belly too. That makes it hard to distinguish the girls' movements from the outside. I can tell when it's them because I can feel them on the inside, but it makes the video tougher to see.

I love my girls.

19 Weeks

This week had a lot of ups and downs. I would say that I had more good days (as far as the headaches) than bad days. I was able to work on Monday and Thursday, which I always enjoy. Tuesday and Wednesday, I wasn't feeling great. Tuesday it was allergies and Wednesday it was a bad headache. They don't seem to be occurring as often though, which is great!

On Thursday, we had our appointment with a Genetic Counselor to go over our risk factors for different things. We were recommended to do this because of my Hydrocephalus and also because we are having twins. It was great to find out that we have an extremely LOW likelihood of having any of the disorders come up with our babies. After that appointment, we had the LONGEST ultrasound ever! I was on the table for over an hour, which got very uncomfortable at times. Luckily, she let me get up to go to the bathroom a couple of times, so I was able to survive. It was awesome to see our babies again, and on a higher quality screen this time. 

The babies are both growing like crazy. Twin A measured at 19 weeks 6 days, and Twin B measured at 20 weeks. We are technically only at 19 weeks today, so they are both a little ahead of schedule. I hope they slow down a little, or I am going to be having a hard time getting around in no time!!

We were able to get a confirmation of genders on both babies. We are so excited to be having two little girls. They are so active and already starting to kick each other. I could watch them on the screen all day long...if it wasn't so uncomfortable to lie there!!!

Now, we just need to make a decision on names and get their room cleaned out and ready for them. I can't believe how fast this is all happening. It's amazing though.

DATA:

How far along? 19 weeks

Babies are the size of a: mango  

Maternity clothes? Oh yeah!

Have you told family and friends? Yes.

Stretch marks? Not from the pregnancy  ;)

Symptoms: HA! I’m having major belly discomfort, and the headaches, both from the pregnancy and allergies.

Sleep: Some nights are good. Still having trouble getting comfortable.

Best moment this week:  Found out FOR SURE that both babies are GIRLS.

Miss Anything?  Feeling normal.

Number of times I get up to pee each night: Only about 3 this week.

Movement: Lots of movement. Trying to figure out how to tell A from B.

Food cravings: Tacos.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Smells still bother me, but not as much.

Have you started to show yet: Yes, and I am feeling HUGE…even though I’m not that big yet.

Gender: Both GIRLS!!!

Labor Signs: Nope!

Belly Button in or out? WAY shallow!

Mood: Blah

Looking forward to: Getting a belly support band. I’m hoping that will make me a little more comfortable.

Weight Gain: 8.6 pounds.

 

It's a...

They are....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Both GIRLS!!!
Now to change everything to PINK.

18 Weeks

This was a pretty good week. I am starting to feel a little more normal, whatever that means.  My headaches have been controllable and usually occur early in the morning.  I am able to take something for them and then sleep it off for a couple of hours before getting up.  BIG PLUS!  Downside is that I have had bad allergies this week.  My sinuses are on fire!!!

Let's see what happened this week....  I got to work on Wednesday, which was great.  I taught 3rd grade (the same kiddos I worked with last year).  That was kind of fun.  It was nice to get out of the house and see some people too.  Another highlight was finding my Graco twin pack n play on Craigslist for $60 less than I was able to find it on Amazon.  The perk is that it's never even been out of the box!  SCORE!!!

Best moment of the week...I felt BOTH twins kick on Wednesday night.  Usually, when I go to bed, I like to lie there and enjoy some quiet time with them.  This time, they started moving.  I could totally feel it with my hand too, so I called Jeff in.  He was able to feel them as well.  That was so exciting!  I've been feeling them regularly ever since.

I came to Redding to spend the weekend with my parents this weekend.  Jeff had a wedding to attend and I didn't think it would be good for me to travel with the way I've been feeling.  Mom and I went in their hot tub Friday night.  I think it's time to buy a new swim suit!!

DATA:

How far along? 18 weeks

Babies are the size of an: sweet potato 

Maternity clothes? Oh yeah!

Have you told family and friends? Yes.

Stretch marks? Not from the pregnancy  ;)

Symptoms: This week I’ve had mild headaches (I’ve been catching them early) and major allergy symptoms.

Sleep: Same as last week.  Not sleeping well due to discomfort and awake around 3am.

Best moment this week:  Babies both kicked enough that Jeff and I could both feel it.  They are becoming more active.

Miss Anything?  Feeling normal.

Number of times I get up to pee each night: I think I am back down to about 5 times.

Movement: Starting on Wednesday, I have been feeling them fairly regularly.

Food cravings: I don’t think I really had any this week.  I would love to have a beer though.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Smells still bother me, but not as much.

Have you started to show yet: Yes, especially at the end of the day, after trying to eat enough food to feed these little monkeys.

Gender: Big reveal next week!!!

Labor Signs: Nope!

Belly Button in or out? In

Mood: Blah

Looking forward to: We have an appointment with a genetic counselor on Thursday (because of my Hydrocephalus and the fact that we’re having twins).  Hopefully they will be able to confirm genders for us.

Weight Gain: 7.8 pounds.

COME BACK NEXT WEEK IF YOU WANT TO KNOW IF OUR MONKEYS ARE BOYS, GIRLS OR ONE OF EACH!!!