Not to Be Outdone...

The Red Sox make another strong showing in spring training...

Phillies Pride Starts Early

Look how far we've come!

 

As we approach 34 weeks, I thought it'd be fun to see some belly pics from the past. On the far left is 7 weeks (mid-September, about a week after the morning sickness set in); in the middle is 20 weeks (mid-December, right after we found out about the twins thing); and on the right is 31 weeks (beginning of March). It's hard to believe those are all me!

You can see in this last photo that the veins in my hands are really pronounced. I think we've mentioned before that in singleton pregnancies, the mom's blood volume increases 30-50%; for moms of multiples, it can increase 100%! I am really noticing the side effects of all that extra blood these days as my extremities swell. Thankfully my sister Alyson is a shoe maven and just sent me 3 new pairs of slip-ons in a slightly larger size so I don't have to shuffle around in my slippers. Thanks Aly! But all that extra blood in my vessels is pressing down more and more on the nerves in my forearms and hands so that I can't really feel much in the finger tips. It's especially bad when writing or typing and I periodically have to stop and shake 'em out to keep the blood from pooling there.

We had our (possibly) last ultrasound last Friday and the girls are really crammed in there. Lefty was 4 lbs. 7 oz. and Pancho was 4 lbs. Lefty is still in the 46th percentile (yay!) and although Pancho is a bit smaller, Dr. Clark isn't worried about it. She says now is the time when their growth rate will start to slow compared to singletons because they're competing for space. The good news is that Pancho (Baby A - the one closer to the cervix) is still head down which means we can go ahead with plans for a vaginal birth. Lefty is still breech, but can be birthed without a C-section as long as she's second in line and doesn't do anything too crazy in there after her sister is born. Hurray!

37 weeks is considered full-term for twins so who knows what might happen in these next few weeks! If you're interested in learning more about the timetable for birthing twins and the different birth options, the multiples page on whattoexpect.com has a simple, straightforward overview.

And did you hear that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are pregnant with twins again? Just another thing we have in common with Brangelina!

Week 33

 Just a few photos.  The top left one is us testing out the co-sleeper next to our bed.  We have tin foil on it to try to train the cats to stay off it.

Day Care & Pediatrician Search and 32-Week Update

On the to-do list these last few weeks has been tracking down pediatricians and childcare options for when I (Katy) go back to work in August. I love research and procrastinating "real" work so these two tasks have been sort of fun for me. We've gotten on the waiting list for a fabulous, affordable childcare center right around the corner from us at St. John's Lutheran Church (we keep joking that Mike should mention he was confirmed Lutheran to see if we can get a discount), but have also visited other centers and a more intimate (and cheaper) in-home set-up just to see what our options are. For pediatricians, we've narrowed it down to two doctors that friends keep recommending over and over. We'll have to make decisions in both areas in the next month, but we know the girls will be in good hands regardless.

Speaking of the next month, at our OB appointment last Friday, Dr. Clark mentioned that 50% of twins are born by 35 weeks. We're now at 32 weeks so are really focusing on being part of the other 50% that go past that point. While the aches and pains in my hips & pelvis, the tiredness, the difficulty tying my shoes, the inability to do more than waddle and shuffle at a snail's pace (sorry Mowgli), and the nagging fear of pre-term labor are bummers for sure, I know the girls are much better off inside than out at this point.


We are doing all we can to keep them in there, while also trying to prepare for them to make their appearance earlier than expected. Mike especially is pulling long hours to take care of things - like finishing his final projects for school so he doesn't have to take incompletes, planning the first year of Real Food Rising, and planting our spring/summer garden, not to mention continuing to take care of his increasingly whiny and immobile wife.We have our next ultrasound on Friday and will be able to get a better sense of when and how the girls will join us on the outside after that. Think good thoughts for head-down babies and a long, closed cervix!

Surprise Surprise!

Maybe because it's because we're having twins, but some good friends at Westminster threw us not one, but two surprise baby showers/celebrations this weekend. Two of everything is not so bad, especially when cake is concerned.

The bait for the first party on Friday on campus was a meeting to plan classes for next year (at 4:30pm on a Friday no less!). Needless to say, I (Katy) was not disappointed when we spent the evening instead sipping Champagne, brainstorming funny twin name ideas, and opening presents with a bunch of very cool co-workers and their significant others. Mike was sort of in on that surprise, but did a great job keeping it hush hush. Not only did we get very generous contributions to the girls' gear needs, but we also decided they will be named Ninja and Pizza.

On Saturday night we headed over to a friend's house for what we thought was a leisurely board game night, only to find out it was an "evil twin" baby shower/celebration with racy pregnancy-related games, two cakes, free-flowing margaritas, and fake mustaches (don't ask). And I was still able to be home by 10:30 (I can't make it much past that these days)! The creativity and generosity of our friends here amazes me.

             

 

The belly full of babies at 32 weeks, with two curious cats.