13w2d

Belly pix taken yesterday at 13w2d are posted below. I posted two this time because after taking the first picture, I realized I've been trying to stand up straight, the effect being that I was sucking in (as much as I could). So the second picture shows the belly fully relaxed. Scary how much I've grown in one week, eh?

What's really strange to me is that even with the belly, I've not gained any additional weight since last week and I have only gained a couple of pounds in total. Yesterday morning I was two pounds heavier than I was when I left for Baltimore, but most of it disappeared by this morning. So, if the belly gets bigger and I don't really put on weight, where does it come from? My legs, arms, and ass don't seem any smaller to me, so it isn't like I'm losing elsewhere. To make things stranger, my boobs have definitely gotten bigger (although you can't tell from these pix because they are dwarfed by belly!) as well. Baffling.

Oh, and if you have any advice to offer on twin strollers/car seats, please see my last post to join in on the great stroller debate of 2008.

Travel and Baby Gear Thoughts

I spent 4 days in Baltimore this week for training for work. I was pretty nervous going into it about how I would feel traveling and being away from home. All things considered, it went pretty well. I managed to eat more normally than I have in months and even stayed out late two nights in a row! I went to a baseball game Wednesday night and then met my friends A and W (ha-like the rootbeer!) out after dinner Thursday night. They drank and I had NA beer. First time I've been able to even be around alcohol due to the smell! I was really quite proud of myself for behaving like an almost normal person for a change. It was refreshing. Apple and Banana (as I have started calling the buns) must have enjoyed their first trip out of the state.

B was at home with the dogs all week and I don't think he thought it was fair that I was starting to feel normal again when I was away from him. After all, he's been dealing with the first trimester me and, let me tell you, she is no pleasure to be around. I think I'm starting to move into the second trimester me and she is much easier to handle. First trimester me will likely still make some appearances here and there, but hopefully she'll be kicked to the curb permanently soon! I'm still taking the zo.fran and will not try to wean off of it until I feel better more often than I feel bad. I need to be careful that I don't push myself now that I'm having chunks of time of feeling better. I wouldn't go so far as to call them spurts of energy yet!

My next appointment isn't until July 28th when I'll be 15w4d. They haven't scheduled an ultrasound, so I might call and beg for one. My doc told me at the last appointment that we should have no problem getting our insurance to pay for multiple ultrasounds with a twin pregnancy-there's always a reason to peek inside. If I can convince them to schedule an ultrasound and Apple and Banana cooperate, it would also be possible to find out the genders at the next appointment.

We are also starting to think about the baby registry and baby gear. There is a lot to think about, especially with twins and it all seems so overwhelming. There are so many options for everything that it almost makes it harder to figure out what you need. We have been starting with the big items. We think we have decided on the cribs and dresser/changing table. I think we've also decided on two pack'n plays because we didn't hear very positive opinions about the double one. We've settled on keeping Apple and Banana in one room versus separate bedrooms and we've decided which of the two bedrooms will be their nursery. Progress! We don't want to fully decide on decor and bedding until we know the genders.

The big thing we're struggling with is the stroller and car seats. There are two options we see here. The first is getting this snap'n go stroller. It is basically a bare bones stroller frame that you can strap an infant car seat into. They claim you can fit most major brand infant car seats, but in the store, none of them seemed very sturdy in it other than the car seats that are the same brand and made for this stroller. The big pro to this option is that it is really light compared to full strollers (much easier to get in and out of the car). If we go with this option, we will need to purchase a double stroller later when the babies are able to sit upright in a stroller as opposed to using their car seats.

The second option we are considering is this double travel system. It also takes two infant car seats (same brand only-but it is at least a popular brand we've heard of), but can also be used when the babies are able to sit upright in the stroller. It is much heavier than the first option, but we would be set (I think) on the stroller front for awhile. The other issue to consider is that there was a recall on some of these strollers and I'm not sure if this particular model was recalled or not. Have to look into that.

I think either way, we are stuck having to buy new car seats when the babies grow out of the infant seats because it doesn't seem like any of the travel systems take convertible car seats. Please enlighten me if I'm wrong!

So, we welcome and appreciate any advice as we begin the great stroller debate of 2008!

New belly picture to come soon. It's growing by the day!

12w2d

Quick post to show you the latest belly shot-taken yesterday at 12w2d. It's funny, to me the naked belly just makes me look fat, like I have a beer gut. But in clothes, I definitely look pregnant.

Pine Beetles

Thursday afternoon we drove up to the mountains (about an hour from our house) to do nothing in a different setting. My parents joined us a couple of hours later. Thursday evening wasn't too bad, other than a rough patch around dinner when I decided I couldn't eat (like almost every other night). B and I both slept fitfully in a bed smaller than what we are used to and the dogs woke up at the crack of dawn. B let me sleep for a couple of extra hours, although I woke up every 20 minutes or so to roll over because my hips were aching. Not sure what that's all about.

Friday was a nice day. We went out to lunch (yay, Mexican food!), hit the store for groceries, and then just hung out on the deck for the rest of the afternoon. The weather was perfect-70's and sunny with a few high, white clouds and a slight breeze. We sat on the deck enjoying the fresh air and scenery. I'm always amazed at how blue Colorado skies are once you are away from the pollution of the city. Contrasting this and the warm weather with the higher peaks that are still spotted with snow, it all looks like a postcard.

The only thing marring the perfect scenery is the dead lodgepole pines that now seem to outnumber the healthy trees. The trees are dying off in record numbers because of a pine beetle infestation. If the infestation continues at its current rate, every lodgepole pine forest in the state will be dead in 3-5 years. It is dismaying and sickening to drive up to a place that should be full of dark green forest to find entire hillsides of red-needled dead pine trees.

They had sprayed around our house for pine beetles earlier in the week. It seems like a futile fight when you look at the extent of the current damage. But I guess they need to at least try considering the increased fire danger from millions of dried up pine needles and bark. As we sat there enjoying the day, I wondered what this place will look like when our kids are old enough to enjoy it. I pictured them running around the deck with the dogs, screaming and playing. Will they be surrounded by hillsides of dead trees? Or will the trees be cut down and they'll be looking at hillsides of empty stumps?

I know that there are people who think the infestation is just part of the life cycle and that it kills off the weak and vulnerable older trees, but it is still sad to see.

But even with the pine tree devastation, it is still a beautiful place and I'm glad we live so close and we are able to enjoy it.

Phew!

I won't hold you in suspense. Today's OB appointment was great. Everything is doing what it should. We heard two awesome heartbeats today (Baby A at 155bmp and Baby B at 160bpm). Baby B was a little more difficult to get a clear reading for and the nurse said that will be the one with attitude. If they take after their mother, they'll both have attitude!

They weren't sure if they would be able to find the heartbeats with the doppler as I guess it is still on the early side. The fact that they were able to find both was very encouraging and the doc thought it was a really good sign. Now that we've heard the heartbeats, she said risk of miscarriage goes down to 3%. To any normal person, this would sound great, but I know how quickly things can go wrong. I'm just taking a deep breath and letting myself feel relieved for now.

My weight is up to 121.5, up from 119 in early April when I had my annual exam right before the IVF cycle. I did lose a little bit of weight at first, so I'm relieved to be back where I started and up just a tad. I probably would have gained those 2.5 pounds at this point anyway even without being pregnant if I wasn't working out (which I haven't been). My blood pressure is still nice and low and there were no ketones in my urine, so I'm plenty hydrated. All good stuff.

My belly is measuring 18cm and you can already feel my uterus just above my belly button. The doc said this is what you would expect around 18-20 weeks if you were having a singleton and that this is a good sign for having twins and being 12 weeks (where I am). So now I can stop worrying that I'm growing elephants in there and be comfortable with how fast I'm growing. I'll have to post another belly picture soon. I swear I'm getting bigger every day.

Over the last couple of weeks, we've told more people that we are having twins. By far the most common response is "but you're so small!" I'm 5'1", so yes, I'm short. But this response was starting to freak me out. Like, "hey, I AM small! How is this going to work?!" The doc assured me that short women do just as well with twins as taller women and it is nothing to be concerned about.

I asked the doc about the need for seeing a nutritionist and she said let's play it by ear and see how I gain weight. I guess that is incentive for me to try to pack on the pounds on my own because, honestly, I'm a little scared of seeing a nutritionist. I have a hard enough time finding things that sound good to me and that sit well. I just don't want to have to start counting servings. I obviously want to do what's best for these babies, but I want to also be able to relax a little and trust that my body knows what it's doing.

I am supposed to continue with my baby aspirin for the duration. The doc said it wouldn't hurt anything and it may have some benefits. I do need to add an extra 1mg of folic acid in addition to the 1mg I get from my prescription prenatal. So I'll be taking the baby aspirin, prenatal, folic acid, and col.ace (my best friend) for the near future.

I got permission to take baths! I know it sounds paranoid, but after so much time and effort to get here, I was just trying to be really cautious about everything. Apparently hot tubs are a problem because the water is constantly heated, whereas bath water, even if it starts out hot, cools off as it sits there, so it shouldn't raise your core temperature. The doc also suggested still laying low and not exercising other than walking and floating in a pool if I feel like it (as if I own a swimsuit that fits right now).

We also talked about hospitals. My OB's group practices out of 3 hospitals. One of them is out by CCRM, which is not very convenient to where we live. She also said that she wouldn't recommend the NICU at that hospital unless I made it to 32 weeks (which, hopefully I will, but you never know). Out of the other two hospitals, one has been renovated and has a much newer feel than the other. The nurse had told me that the NICU at the older hospital was better, but the doc told me today that she would be comfortable delivering preemies at either one. She said that the same group of neonatologists rotate between the two hospitals. I always thought we would deliver at the newer hospital, but once we knew twins were on the way, I just wanted the one with the best NICU. They both take about 20-30 minutes to get to from our house, but the older hospital requires going through lots and lots of stoplights and a road that tends to have a lot of traffic depending on the time of day. The newer hospital would just require highway (65mph) and a major road to get to, so we could speed (shh!) if need be. Knowing that the doc is comfortable at either one makes me feel good. I think we will tour labor and delivery at both and go with gut feeling, but right now I'm leaning towards the newer hospital.

We talked about doulas and the doc is very supportive of using a doula. They are actually trying to put together a list of local doulas that their patients have used and had good experiences with. If anyone has any good ideas for questions when interviewing a doula, I'm all ears (eyes?).

I was told not to expect to travel after around 24 weeks (at least if traveling by air). I am going to Baltimore for a work training from Tuesday through Friday next week, so that might be my last flight for awhile.

We also talked about what to expect with bed rest and work. My goal will obviously be to work up until I'm told I shouldn't anymore or until I just can't stand it anymore. I want to save as much leave as possible for after the babies are born, but I will still need to do what is best for them before then.

The doc also explained to us about how the position of the babies will be the biggest factor in determining whether I will deliver vaginally or by c-section. If both babies are head down, the prognosis for vaginal delivery is good. If the bottom baby (Baby A) is head down and the top (Baby B) is either breach or transverse (side to side), it is up to us if we want to try for a vaginal delivery. They will monitor both babies because sometimes Baby B goes into distress when Baby A comes out. If Baby A comes out and Baby B is still doing well, they can try to turn him/her, or grab him/her by the feet and pull out breach. However, if Baby B isn't doing well, then you end up with vaginal delivery for A and c-section for B. Not the best scenario in my opinion! If Baby A isn't head down, it would be an automatic c-section.

Overall, we got a lot of good questions answered and I'm starting to feel a little more prepared. We do still have to decide if we want to do any screening. There isn't really any indication for anything other than the Jewish panel, which we declined with CCRM. Given that everything seems to be going so well and I'm not yet 35, there is no reason to do any early screening unless we want to. Yet another thing to think about.

Sorry, this was a bit of a long post, but I just wanted to get it all down before I forget things. We are heading up to the mountains tomorrow for a couple of days of fresh, cool air. It is only an hour drive for us, so if I start feeling bad and want my own bed, we can always come back early. But I'm hoping I will do okay so we can enjoy a couple of days away. Hope everyone has a nice 4th of July (and hope my Canadian friends had a nice Canada day)!