28 weeks little guys!!

Babies are 28 weeks today! They have 10 weeks left to cook away in there. They are each the size of a large eggplant, which this lady is kind enough to demonstrate for us:

Nice hair-do!
Great eggplants! (not a euphemism)

They are each about 2 1/2 lbs, and 14.8 inches long. They are still both breach, so not feeling too much around the belly button anymore (thank goodness!!!) except once in a while a head will push out just to remind me that its there. Lots of low kicks now, which are strange, but not painful.

Today at our ultrasound we saw that the babies were practicing their breathing, which is great! As well as had full bladders, also great. Yes, they are peeing in there, but thankfully its sterile, so its basically how they replenish their amniotic fluid (things, that had I known before, may have discouraged pregnancy).  Its disgusting!! But natural! I'm conflicted. The babies can also blink now. If the babies were born today, they would probably survive, as their lungs are able to breath air, the only thing these little burritos need to do is to put on more fat so we can have big squishy babies!

Every four weeks, baby center posts a rendering of twins in the womb, so time to compare:

Single baby at 28 weeks:

Oh yeah! Look at all of this room I have to wriggle around in! YEAH!

Twins at 28 weeks:

UGH! I am so squished. I wonder what this thing next to me
is that keeps poking me in the head? MOVE!!

Just some quick notes from the Dr. Appointment today: I am measuring 34 weeks pregnant now: 6 weeks ahead, not bad! Dr. was happy with how I am doing, weight, size, etc. He was also happy to report that I passed my glucose test! From what I have learned, Gestational Diabetes is 3 times more common in twin pregnancies, and my mom had it for one of her pregnancies, so I was at risk for it developing. I am very happy that the test came back normal.

We will have today's ultrasound video up soon, but because we got busy and didn't post the one from two weeks ago, here is that one! Enjoy!!

Babies at 26 weeks. I am no longer embarrassed about the questions I ask during the ultrasound, I need answers!

And here is today's video, at 28 weeks. They got dressed up for Hallowe'en!

A comparison

I know I just posted, but wearing this green shirt to work today just keeps reminding me of St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2013.  I ran a marathon, then took a shuttle bus home, jumped in the shower, then joined my friends - in progress - at a Hollywood bar crawl. Exactly one month to the day before we got pregnant with our little nuggets burritos.

Today - 28 weeks

March 17 - T minus 4 weeks.

I can't help but chuckle at this picture, wearing my medal proudly on the bar crawl, with some random strangers wearing Cat in the Hat inspired t-shirts (Drunk 1 and Drunk 2!) and me holding up a 3 (Drunk 3). I sure do feel like "Thing 3" right now as these little burritos, Thing 1 and Thing 2, have taken over my body as their own!

I could barely walk down the block to my appointment this morning! Making it back to my car I felt almost as accomplished as I did on marathon day, but in more pain. ;)

Hump day bump day - 28 weeks tomorrow!

I'm writing my hump day bump post from my Gestational Diabetes glucose test, which takes an hour. Just drank the juice, it was nice and chilled so not too gross, but I am definitely feeling gross after drinking that!

53 minutes to go.

Here we are at 28 weeks. (Holy shit, 28 weeks!) I've officially gained 40 lbs.

28 weeks!

GO RED SOX!!!!

And what I actually wore to work today - will put the
Red Sox T back on when I get home :)

And a bonus bare belly pic for posterity.

Still no stretch marks!

And, just for comparison, this was 10 weeks ago...and we have 10 weeks left to go :S

17 weeks

Today and yesterday have been super good days. Shockingly, my sciatic nerve is not hurting lately. My tail bone does hurt but its not constant like the nerve was. I'm feeling good and enjoying being pregnant. On bad days I check my count down calendar 200 times and bargain with myself - i.e. make it to 38 and you can justify some Cole Haan pumps.  On bad days, the body pains are not great, and I've started getting groceries delivered because I have about 10 - 15 minutes on my feet at any one time before I'm done.

One of the most painfully ironic symptoms of pregnancy, probably due to growing at the speed of light, has to be clumsiness. I drop something, at minimum, 5 times a day. And unless someone is there with me, or I'm in my comfy flexible leggings, whatever fell on the floor will just have to stay there.

I'm newly obsessed with twin pregnancy blogs - ones where women post a weekly photo and update about their pregnancy status. Some of these are a few years old, so their twins are thriving 3+ year olds. I love comparing myself to whatever week comports with theirs to make sure I'm not a freak. So far, blog stalking has been tremendously reassuring! Some of these women are sporting HUGE bellies at 28 weeks. I feel big but its manageable.

40 minutes to go. I'd love some water and some pretzels. The juice is so cloying and sweet.

The worst symptom has to be the heartburn. I take a prescription twice a day for the heartburn, which was working great for a while, but lately the meds wear off hours before I can take the next dose. This is some strong acid reflux! It even wakes me up at night.

30 minutes left before my blood draw and then I can drink some water!

I've actually picked up some more maternity clothes, despite saying I'm done ;) I got a cute dress for my babies shower, and Destination Maternity had my favorite jeggings on sale for $22!!! Its nice having two pairs of them.

Finally, I have to update about our cooking adventures. The first trimester all I could eat was fast food. I just had no appetite but needed a lot of calories, so fast food was ideal. Now that the appetite has been back in full force, and we don't want James to die of a heart attack, we've been cooking a lot from scratch. Last night I made chicken vindaloo which frankly was so spicy, I had to cover it in plain Greek yogurt to finish it! James liked it though and it was very tasty. The other day I made pancakes in an effort to practice so I can be a good mom and make them for my kids :) I've made a few casseroles for the same reason. The last 10 years I've had no problem microwaving my dinners but my mom instilled good nutrition in me with a proper square meal every night and I want to do the same for my kids.

20 minutes left. Sorry for the long post but I hope it was somewhat entertaining or informative. Be well and we'd love to hear from everyone so drop a line anytime!

Types of Twins

We were talking with a grandmother of twins this weekend who did not understand why we didn't know whether our twins were fraternal or identical.

Before I got pregnant with twins, I too, thought there were only two types: 1- two sacks = fraternal and; 2 - one sack = identical. There are actually four types of twins and it all depends on when an egg splits or if there are two eggs and two sperm.

We have Dichorionic/Diamniotic twins - the safest kind of twins to carry, thank goodness, because I've been a nervous wreck the whole time already! Di/Di twins each have a sack and a placenta. Eight times out of nine, they are due to two eggs and two sperm meeting and making two embryos that both decide to hang out and grow into two non-identical babies, in which case, they are fraternal twins. One out of nine times, Di/Di twins are the result of one egg being fertilized by one sperm, and splitting before it implants, turning into two embryos. Again, the two embryos then decide to tuck in and grow into two identical babies.

I met some beautiful Di/Di twins this weekend who are four weeks old - so precious! And they look enough alike that the mom is getting their genetics tested to confirm whether they are Di/Di identical or Di/Di fraternal.  We also have two other sets of Di/Di twins in our twin club who are confirmed identical.

Below are illustrations of mono/mono twins, mono/di twins, and two types of di/di twins. Ours are the bottom right example.




An example of Di/Di twins (ours!)



An example of mono/di twins (like my cousin's babies!)



An example of mono/mono twins

27 Weeks!

The babies are 27 weeks today! They are celebrating with lots of kicks and punches - feels like a bag of popcorn being popped inside of me. Very strange feeling! They are each the size of a rutabaga - I have never seen one of those, so here is a picture for reference:

This friendly gentleman is demonstrating the size of two rutabagas.
Swallow those whole and see what it feels like! 

Well regardless of the rutabaga reference, they each measure about 14.5 inches and 2 1/4 lbs each. Big babies!! These awesome grow-monsters now have high functioning brain activity, can recognize their mom and dad's voices, and can consciously suck on their fingers. They are also continuing to practice their breathing. They have been getting hiccups which I can sometimes feel! Its pretty neat! 

By now they should also be getting onto a sleep schedule - and I have noticed that becoming more and more consistent. I find they like to party together at 5:00 a.m., they take turns during the day at work (A at 10:00 a.m. and B in the mid afternoon), then they both get mildly active again at 8:00 p.m. B really likes to push and stretch (to my right side's dismay) while A likes to kick his or her little feet a lot. 

Bump Day! 27 weeks tomorrow

Officially in my third trimester.  Not excited to post the picture today - I got a horrible night of sleep last night (hip pain, heart burn, extreme thirst, etc.) and I feel like I officially do not look like myself anymore. Name a body part and it hurts. I am definitely over it and hitting the wall. 11 weeks to go sounds like absolute torture. I guess they say that the second trimester is the honeymoon phase, and the third trimester is tough again - well hello third trimester, you win.

27 weeks

On the sunny side, we will be meeting our little guys so soon! So excited for that :) I can't wait to get the nursery put together and have things ready for their arrival. I am also totally looking forward to my shower in two weeks!! And especially, that we were able to arrange for my mom to come to town for the shower!

Next week's picture will be a little different - we ordered a full length mirror! GASP! We have not had one since we moved into our condo! I have no idea what my legs look like! ha ha. Also, since we are back in our own master bathroom, the picture will have much better lighting!

Happy 26 weeks, babies!!

According to various websites, babies are now each the size of a head of lettuce, weighing in at almost 2 lbs and a little over a foot long, each.









This week, they have eyebrows and eyelashes, and they are now opening and closing their eyes for the first time, and they are practicing breathing (with fluid though, air is still being supplied by me, which is why I am out of breath constantly!) The babies have now developed all five senses! Hearing, touch, vision, smell and taste! At this point, we just need them to keep growing and putting on some much needed fat!

Their kicking has not really increased in either amount or strength, still just some general moving around and sometimes a poke, sometimes I see a whole baby head or butt trying to escape my body through my belly, Aliens movie style. Nice try, kid! They are getting into a rhythm though - awake at 5 a.m., then 10. a.m., then in the evenings. I've also caught them being crazy in the middle of the night.

Hump Day = Bump Day!

26 weeks tomorrow!! The doctor will not stop labor after 34 weeks, so we have 8 - 12 to go. Seems so soon, yet this past week has gone by so slowly! I chalk it up to the discomfort, which includes heart burn, a pinched sciatic nerve, back pain, hip pain while sleeping, and just general discomfort doing anything or sitting in any one position too long. That said, I have compared these fairly mild and inconsequential aches and pains with some fellow twin moms who have also blogged about their experiences, and for 26 weeks I feel like I am doing amazingly well: not on bed rest, not swollen, not in pre-term labor, no high blood pressure, etc. So for that, I am thankful.

My cold seems to be gone - I noticed last night that I was breathing through my nose! yay! I still have a nasty cough once in a while, but its not too bad.

Both our bathrooms are finally completed! We have moved back into the master bathroom! This is so exciting and its nice to feel like our house is our own again. I do miss the guest shower as it is a shower/tub combo so I could actually shave my legs in there - may have to take a shower in there every once in a while ;)

One thing I am very grateful for today, and every day, is waking up and being able to put on my wedding and engagement rings. : )

In other news: Cheering hard for the Dodgers tonight - any positive vibes sent our way would be appreciated!! I am teaching two more classes this semester at Southwestern and am preparing for those - that has been a blast and I am loving it so much. The last two will be October 22 and 29. I really hope this experimental program gets picked up and I can teach the classes every semester! Also very much looking forward to my Baby Shower (Babies Shower?) on November 10, and getting to go buy a dress for that!

Update on the nuggets (now more like burritos) tomorrow!

OB appointment

Went to our OB appointment today. Everything is looking really good, including weight, blood pressure and growth. I am still measuring 32 weeks, which is a relief! I was worried the tummy might have grown even more - not that it shouldn't, but really, I'd rather have a few days of settling in to a new size over constant growth.

We went over our specialist's findings from last week and all looked very good. My doctor believes that since the babies are measuring the exact same size now, that there is no need to worry about size discordance or IUGR in the future. That really eased my mind!

Both heart beats sounded strong and when he took a look, we found out that they are no longer in the yin yang position. I am bummed about that because apparently that is the best way for them to be.  They are now both breech - head up with their feet down. There is still plenty of room in there for them to move around so this could change.

I can't help wondering if developing their sense of equilibrium last week had anything to do with the flip?

Bump day tomorrow, then hitting the 26 week milestone on Thursday! Our next goal, according to the Dr., is to make it to 34 weeks.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!!

We celebrated James's birthday this weekend! We spent Friday night, his actual birthday, having a nice dinner followed by Sprinkles cupcakes and ice cream and a fun drive getting lost through the Hollywood Hills. Saturday we had friends over for pizza and cake, and then we were off to the Haunted Hayride.  I did not ride the Hayride but did use the porta potty in the dark - equally frightening! I think James had a good time and it was so nice to see friends :)

I am still suffering from this cough - its not great and I am looking forward to getting over it. This week I am feeling particularly large and unruly. Though I did realize that we are under 5 weeks away now from being 30 weeks along, I know that is obvious but 30 weeks just sounds good and seems like a pretty incredible milestone!

Two Cauliflowers - 25 weeks today (7 months pregnant)

Today the babies are each the size of a head of cauliflower. They are supposed to be weighing in at about a pound and a half (1lb8oz), which means they are right on track, having weighed in at 1lb6oz each on Monday!

Other fun facts about these guys: while they have very little control over their hands, their hands are "discovering" their environment through touch and feel, and they already have finger nails.  Their ears are fully formed and functional, as is their equilibrium: they can tell if they are upside down or right side up.

They also know when they are in a loud hockey arena - they got really excited at the Kings vs Coyotes, Rangers and Senators games that I was able to attend. They also went wild when we were taking off on our flights to and from Boston - I suspect it is the loud noise and vibration.  Otherwise, they are growing some hair and filling out with fat. In 10 weeks, it will be safe for them to be born! My goodness!!!

Today is Grandpa G's birthday - Happy Birthday to Grandpa G!!! Lots of love from California!

Bump Day!

Fall is here in California - cold drizzly day and high of 64! So I took the tags off of this sweater dress.

I am feeling absolutely like a blimp this week. The belly is **HUGE**

25 weeks

Compare to just 6 weeks ago, at 19 weeks:

19 weeks

Oh gosh, so tiny and manageable!! On the plus side, last night we used my belly as a tray for crackers. :S Tomorrow we hit 25 weeks. We are getting closer and closer to meeting these little guys! 13 weeks to go!

24 week growth scan

*****WARNING- 3D IMAGES BELOW*****

Before getting to the results of the scan, just want to update that I have been so sick the last few days with a head cold of some sort - just awful!! There is so little you can do or take while pregnant, just live with the misery. It seems to be going away and I am feeling much better today than I have been.  OK on to the scan:

These little nuggets are not so little anymore!

We had our 24 week scan this morning to check for growth. These little rock stars weighed in at the exact same weight!! 1 lb and 6 ounces each! Good job little guys! They hid any "parts" so we are still, as they say, "team green."  Baby A was shy and hid his/her face so we did not get too many good A shots, but Baby B, who we affectionately call Bam Bam, was totally cooperative for the camera. I personally think Baby B looks just like daddy :)

It was funny to see the specialist scan around in there - they are still yin yang, with their backs facing out and all of their little limbs, hands, feet, and umbilical cords in a jumbled mess in the middle. Baby B is totally folded in half with his/her feet essentially at his/her face, and Baby A is resting his/her feet on Baby B's head. No wonder B is always protesting with lots of kicks!

Here are a few pictures:

Baby B

Baby B again

Our shy little Baby A

And here is a link to the album of all of the photos.
And a link to our Crocket baby guessing game!

24 weeks!

According to various sites on the internet, our little babies are each the size of either a cantaloupe, or a subway foot-long sandwich - which seems ginormous! They are each a little over a foot long and a pound and a half in weight.

MMM Babies, you look delicious!

We went to the Dr. today and they look amazing - strong heart beats, lots of movement and good fluid levels. They are still in their yin yang position, which is very comfy for mom and ideal for space for them.

I am measuring, get this, 32 weeks - that is 8 weeks ahead, and well into a third trimester size. But Dr was happy with weight gain and size, so nothing to worry about, in fact its just good news that babies are nice and big.

Just for fun, here is a comparison of 24 weeks with one baby, and 24 weeks with twins. It kind of bums me out how squished they are in there! Sorry guys, no stretching for you!

   
They are kicking up a storm in there, and due to baby B's position, I can really feel and see B's kicks. Thanks to that, Auntie Chey has named them Pebbles (A) and Bam Bam (B) - its fitting.

And these Hollywood babies want me to share this with everyone.

Happy Bump Day

24 weeks tomorrow!

Here is today's bump pic:

24 Weeks!

I don't look pregnant at all! In pregnancy related news: The babies either love or hate flying - they went WILD during take off and landing, packing some hard punches! It was kind of cute. Also, a few people have asked if they can help with the shower - if you are interested in helping, please contact planner extraordinaire Becky at RebeccaLynnMair@gmail.com :)

We just got back from a wonderful trip to Boston to spend some time away and to attend Lisa and Bobby's wedding. The wedding was fantastic!! It was a really nice traditional Armenian ceremony, followed by a reception at a gorgeous hall with a skyline view of Boston and an amazing sunset.

Getting to Boston was great, too! We walked around our favorite old spots and some new traditions. We got to see a lot of our friends, which was super nice. And we had fun planning all of the sights we want to bring our little ones to when they are older. Trips to Boston will definitely always be in the plans. It was also great to be stress free for a few days, sleeping in a little and not being on a schedule.

Here is a picture of us, being blinded by the sun, but looking good for the wedding:

At the wedding in Boston!

The Beautiful Couple!