So Far, So Good

Today's appointment went really well. Smooth sailing, so far! Here are the details along with some pictures below.

• The ultrasound tech is now 100% sure that Apple is a girl and Banana is a boy.  She said she's never been wrong once predicting past 18 weeks and she promised to repaint our nursery if she is wrong (not that we'll need it with our gender neutral selections).
• Apple now weighs 10 ounces (which is double from 4 weeks ago).  She is measuring pretty much right on target at 19w3d (I'm 19w4d today).  Her heart rate was 134 today.  She was pretty mellow and just hanging out.
• Banana weighs about 11 ounces (more than double from 4 weeks ago).  He is measuring a little bit ahead at 19w6d.  His heart rate was 153, which wasn't surprising since he was wiggling all over the place for the entire hour.
• They counted 10 fingers and 10 toes on each baby.  Banana appeared to flip us the bird again at one point, but we didn't get any pictures of it this time.  The tech said he's going to be in time out from the minute he's born, the trouble maker.
• They counted all 4 chambers of the heart of each baby and looked at the location of the two major vessels going into (or out of?) the hearts to ensure they are perpendicular and not parallel (which apparently is a bad thing).
• They looked for fluid again in the stomachs and bladders to be sure both babies are swallowing amniotic fluid and it is going through the whole digestive tract.
• They looked at all the facial structures (lips, nostrils, eye sockets) and at both brains.
• They looked at both cords again to ensure they each have 3 vessels and checked out the placentas and cord placement again.
• Apple is currently head down, which means if she stays that way we could still have a shot of a vaginal delivery.  The ultrasound tech said Banana is head up (breach) although the doc referred to him as transverse (sideways).
• Basically, they looked at everything they saw last time and didn't see anything to be concerned about.  From here on it, they will really just be measuring growth as all the organs and major structures appear to be intact and normal.

Now for my info:

• The one fibroid I have that is of note is well out of the way, so still shouldn't be an issue.
• There was sugar in my urine this morning.  Nothing to be alarmed about, but if they see it again next time (4 weeks from now), I'll need to be tested for gestational diabetes ("GD").  Boo!  I'm really hoping to avoid this (please don't take away my sugar!).  Apparently my morning routine of a big glass of orange juice may not be the best idea anymore.
• My blood pressure is still great at 118/66.
• My cervix is still looking good and long, but it is not as long as it was 4 weeks ago.  Last time it was 6.5 and today it was around 5 or so (didn't get the exact measurement).  They like it to be at least 3, so it is still well within normal range.  It is normal for the cervix to shorten as the babies grow, so they'll just keep an eye on it at each appointment.  A short cervix is one complication that can lead to bed rest, but so far, so good.
• My belly is measuring 26.5 weeks!  That means I am as big as a singleton mom would normally be at 26.5 weeks.
• I gained 8 pounds since the last appointment.  At least I'm consistent.  I've gained an average of 2 pounds per week for the past 8 weeks.  The doctor was happy with my weight gain.
• If any of my male relatives or friends are reading, feel free to skip this bullet.  I finally gave in and went bra shopping yesterday.  I have gone from a 34 C to a lovely 38 C.  Why is it that my rib cage has gotten huge, but my boobs themselves don't appear to be much bigger?  No fair.

I am (almost) officially half way done with this pregnancy.  And if you consider full term for twins at 38 weeks (I've heard anywhere from 36 to 38 weeks), I'm over half way there!

To answer some questions I've been getting, the furniture is from BRU.  It is made by Ba.bi Ital.ia and is from the Pine.hurst collection (espresso stain).  Very sturdy pieces.  I can't wait to get the rest of the room done!

Yes, we have been thinking about names, but we aren't 100% decided yet.  We are close, but we won't be telling ANYONE until it is too late for anyone to argue (when the names are on birth certificates).

I think our clinic usually waits until 22 weeks to do the big anatomy scan with a singleton because insurance usually only covers one ultrasound (unless there is a medical reason to do more) and if they do it earlier, they may not be able to see everything they want to see.  Since we are having twins, we have ultrasounds every 4 weeks, so if they can't see something during a particular scan, there is another shot in 4 weeks.  One thing insurance actually seems to do right is to cover more ultrasounds for multiples.  Lucky for us.

Regarding the convention, I did start noticing more traffic during my commute last week, but it is difficult to tell if it relates to convention traffic or because most schools are now back in session.  I did see a ton of cop cars on my drive home Friday and on the way to my appointment this morning (even though we are 30 minutes outside of downtown).  I heard from coworkers who did go in today that it was quiet around our building (which is at the east end of downtown), but the 16th street mall (pedestrian mall downtown with lots of restaurants and shops) was completely packed.  The fire alarm went off in our building at 6:30am this morning and those who were there had to walk down 35 stories of stairs.  Even if I had gone in today, I doubt I would have made it there by 6:30am, but still.  I'm GLAD I didn't have to deal with that.

Okay, so here are some pictures from today (yes, Aunt Debbie, Apple is waving to you in the first one).  In the 3D pictures of Apple, you can see her cord going across her face.  The tech said that they often play with their cords and put them in their mouths, but those suckers are really strong.  The last picture is a little hard to see, but it shows Banana's butt right next to Apple's face.  The tech had a bit of trouble getting good shots of Apple's face because Banana's butt kept getting in the way!