Is this all a dream?

We're still in a state of shock over having twins. I keep thinking about a story on the last Father's Day edition of This American Life about where a dad of 20-month-old twins broke it down like this:

Another blurry ultrasound pic of the girls

"We have twins. No, that word should be banned. You know what twins are? Two f*#$@ing babies at the same time.... So when someone says, 'Oh, you have twins!', tell them, 'No, that doesn't really cover it. I have two f*#$@ing babies at the same time, and you know what that is? It's pretty f*#$@ing crazy all the time.'"

I think back to when I first heard that show over the summer. Mike and I were listening to it on a podcast as we drove home from Oregon the long way through the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho. We thought it was so hilarious; who knew we'd be face-to-face with that reality by Christmas? One of the first things I think I said to Mike after we left the ultrasound was, "Two f*#$@ing babies at the same time!" In so many ways, I have no clue how we're going to do this - how we will have enough energy, both physical and emotional, to take care of two newborns, then two infants, then two toddlers, then two pre-schoolers, etc., without becoming wasted husks of human beings. But our good friends Leah and Chris (who had their own set of twin girls last Spring) assure us it's possible, and even actually fun sometimes. And that we will eventually get to a point where we will feel so very lucky to have twins and maybe even a little sorry for all those parents who just got singletons.

Belly bump at 20 weeks

Already the waters are starting to calm and we're able to think about our girls without completely freaking out. Part of me still can't believe it's real - even though they're right there inside me, I can't tell yet that there are two of them - and another part of me has already gone into "research and plan" mode. For now, we're happy to report that they are healthy (and big - 12 oz. each!), I am healthy, Mike is healthy and my belly is growing at an alarming rate. We have each other, our senses of humor, and a wonderfully supportive bunch of family and friends, and that's enough for now.

Eating for Three!!!

This is what we were expecting

Friday we went for our 1st ultrasound.  The tech asked, Has your midwife said anything to you about how you're progressing?"  Katy responded that Heather had said that she was a little big for how far along she is.  The tech responded, "You want to know why you're a little bigger than normal?  It's because you're having twins."  And she steadied the traducer/ultrasound wand against Katy's belly and slowly, through the ultrasound fuzziness, we could see two two heads, two spines, two tiny beating hearts.

To say we were surprised is a bit of an understatement.  Shocked, overwhelmed, happy, overwhelmed.

Baby B (on reft), Baby A (right).  Heads are both on the outside of the image.  Spines are in the middle, close together

Baby A

Lynnette, our wonderful, very cheerful tech, gave us a minute after first telling/showing us and as she said, went into the hall to compose herself as well.  She has a twin sister and was the first person to reassure us that, in her case, being a twin was great.

Baby B, with hand in front of face

 We sat there for an hour or so, staring up at the flatscreen on the wall, watching her examine both of our girls to make sure they were healthy.   She referred to them, as you can see in the ultrasound photos, as Baby B & Baby A.  Both babies looked healthy - woohoo!  Here are a few photos from Friday December 16th.

Wow

What Lynnette, the tech, wrote down as the name of our CD of ultrasound photos

Katy with the first photo of our girls

Movement!

Katy felt the baby move for the first time on Tuesday.  A little flutter now and again.   Apparently the little dude/ette is pretty active between 11am-2pm as of now.  Or, as Katy has figured, likes (or doesn't like) when Mom grades papers for those three hours.   Off to get the ultrasound and find out the sex this afternoon!

Cottage Cheese & Zofran

So here (to the left) is a little old school tribute to one of the few cheeses that I (Mike) don't like.  But one that has kept my lovely wife going throughout this pregnancy.   I especially love the small print about "this meat substitute."

Secondly, I'd like to share how thankful we are for Zofran.  Katy's prescription ran out last night and our midwife had not yet called in her next dose.  So then like clockwork, this morning at 6am, Katy turned back the clock a month or two to the harrowing 1/2 hour vomiting sessions that she became known for by all cats, dogs, and chickens at 1086 Blair St.  It was a sad sight.   So, although, it's been a tough first 19 weeks, we're thankful that we at least have this anti-nausea medication to allow her to be a normal person now and then.

I promise that my next entry will focus less on vomit.