27 weeks down...9 to go!

Geezers Weezers...and now the clock has slowed to a mere trickle...I don't know where the last 6 1/2 months have gone...but I do know that I can almost recount the last few weeks day by day...too slow..and with this constant back ache, I have a sneaky suspicion I'm in for shear misery soon...

Your Baby: Growing Inside And Out
At this point, your baby weighs roughly 2 pounds (900 g), and measures about 15 inches long from head to toe (10 inches from crown to rump). On the outside, his skin looks wrinkled from floating in water. So don't be surprised if your newborn has a crinkled, prune-like appearance for a few weeks after birth as he fills out into a baby. The lungs and immune system are still continuing to mature during this period of time.

Your Body: Travel Do's And Don'ts
There's no better time than the second trimester to take a vacation "with baby" as long as you've checked in with your doctor and you've gotten the go ahead. That said, you should keep stress to a minimum and plan a relaxing trip. Below are some recommendations that may help you plan for your trip.

Traveling is generally considered safe during pregnancy. The key with traveling while pregnant is to make sure you are going to be comfortable and as safe as possible. It is best to notify your doctor of your travel plans and ask for any recommendations specific to you and your pregnancy. Whether you are traveling by plane, car, or train, it is important to do the following:

Continue to eat regularly.
Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
Get up and walk around every hour or so to help your circulation and to keep the swelling down.
Wear comfortable shoes and clothing that are not binding.
Take crackers and juice with you to prevent nausea.
DO NOT take over the counter medicines or any non-prescribed medications without checking with your doctor. This includes medication for motion sickness or bowel problems related to traveling. Foreign travel: If you are planning a trip out of the country, discuss your trip with your doctor. Plan ahead to allow time for any shots or medications you may need, and be prepared to take a copy of your prenatal record with you. {PennHealth.com}

Me :


I'm starting to feel like I "look" different.. not just the belly..I dunno


On a brighter note, got the call that our furniture is in! YAYAY! Couldn't have been at a more perfect time. Now just waiting on the call from the delivery guy to confirm delivery date/time. He'll be delivering & setting up the cribs, so no time to waste there...

Now its time to buy drapes and fluffies for the nursery!

We did it~

Well we did it! We finally went and registered at Babies R Us today.. to Hubby, it was not as painful as he had imagined yayaya! But to help things along, I had pre-registered for some items online already anyway. We got to see a lot of things I couldn't see online and touch/feel and get a sense of lots of baby items....My back started killing me half way through so we were able to get out of there in an hours time and get back home....

Earlier this week, I developed a rash on my belly that I "thought" was a ringworm. Went in on Thursday to see a Dermatologist, and it was NOT ringworm *thank God* but rather a "non-specific" rash...could be PUPP which is an acronym for a string of words which essentially means a very itchy rash with no known etiology that women develop late in pregnancy, but that usually resolves after birth..... I was prescribed triamcinolone 0.1% and have since developed a few more little bumps, here and there, and pin-sized spots (more like dots) all about my belly, some itchier than others.

On a healthier note :)
All of the invites went out this week...(here's a sample one that went out--I blocked out the location & RSVP phone numbers for privacy reasons!)




Earlier this week, Angela emailed me a sample of the Labels that will be going on the Popcorn favors (kettle corn) for the Shower...pic of me taken at 26 weeks, supposed to have been taken "a la naturelle" but Hubby xnayed the idea of showing my belly to "all those ladies" ....I guess he's right in a way, what if someone was offended by seeing my bare naked belly! Heaven forbid...But the shower will be at a Church so.....

Until last night

Last night, as Hubby and I were watching "Lost," I had a moment of realization. I was just sitting there, and it hit me. I AM PREGNANT. I mean, for real, get down, gonna have two babies, this is happening IRL, forever and ever amen pregnant....

I looked at Hubby and uttered..."I still can't believe I'm pregnant"

It was then that he said these words that I will forever remember...

He said to me:

"If you had never been able to get pregnant you wouldn't have been any less a woman and just because you are pregnant, doesn't make you any more woman than before..."

and it hit me, for years I wondered what he thought about my infertility, our struggles, my inner demons...and I guess I was too afraid to ask or too afraid to hear what he had to say, although I vaguely remember him making similar statements over the years, it really didn't ever sink in until last night......

It's true. I am no more no less a woman just because I'm pregnant. Nor would I have been less a woman had we never been able to conceive....

26 weeks and counting!

Ok, I figure with this BIG MOUNTAIN growing...I am sooo not going to make it to 37 weeks. My prediction. So in my eyes I have at most, 10 weeks to go... So, the countdown is on. 10....

Babies this week!
Your baby weighs more than 2 lbs (1000g), measures 9.6 inches from crown to rump (24cm) and its total length is about 15.3 inches (34cm). If your baby were born now, she would have about an 85% chance of surviving. Nonetheless, your baby still needs another 13 weeks of in utero development to be considered full term.

Your baby's eyes, no longer fused shut, are now open.

Your baby's skin still has a very wrinkled appearance, but it is protected and nourished by the covering of vernix, a waxy coating that keeps the skin supple.

Your baby looks almost like a full term baby, but is still much thinner and smaller than she will be at birth. [fertility friend]

Moi:


The end of this week marks the end of your second trimester.

Regular weight gain will continue until about the 36th week of pregnancy. Your breasts may be sore and uncomfortably heavy since they have increased in size.

You can be susceptible to urinary tract infection from this stage onwards. Drinking plenty of water can help.

Your cholesterol levels may be elevated, though this is usually normal in late pregnancy as cholesterol helps build up the pregnancy hormones that are being produced by the placenta. Of those hormones, progesterone is particularly important right now as it aids breast development and the muscles of the uterus.

It's official

SO It's official, bedrest has been prescribed beginning two weeks from today (Feb 3rd) per my OB. He couldn't quite say the word and I said "bedrest?" and he said "YES, as of the next visit"....I was hoping against hope that he would push it back a few weeks BUT I also have to say my BACK pain is increasing exponentially by the day. I know in two weeks I'll be screaming for bed rest...

So, I have 2 weeks to get my act together....and the nursery furniture won't even be in by then!

Babies are fine. Fluid ok, cervix measuring fine @ 3.9 cm, and Baby A is vertex (Heart rate 150bpm) and Baby B is breech (152bpm)...all else was ok.

Going for the 1st of what I hear are many Glucose tolerance tests (GTT) next visit...No breakfast til I get there to test (8am) then I can eat! OB visit at 9:10am then bedrest offically begins (although I think he means "work" rest so I guess I won't be going in to work that Monday Feb 6th and bedrest will then officially officially begin!)

25 weeks but first, Denise!

The cutest little pic I've seen of Neesie Bear yet! she looks just like her mom when she was a baby...Err ummm, sad that I remember this bit of information :)

I had insomnia AGAIN last night...this must be the 3rd or 4th week of insomnia, thankfully it doesn't pervade my sleep every night, just some nights. Hoping it doesn't get progressively worse...

25 weeks today! Babies and Mommy are doing just fine...

Babies:

Your baby weighs just under 2 pounds (850g) and could possibly survive if delivered now. Your baby measures approximately 9.2 inches (23cm) from crown to rump.

He is growing fast and gaining weight now. His skin is less transparent and is becoming opaque as fat builds up.

Your baby's heart is beating 120 to 160 beats per minute, as you have already heard at several doctor or midwife visits.

Until now, your baby's eyes have been sealed shut, but he reopens them this week. The eyes are almost fully formed and the retinas contain all the layers they will have when your baby is born. Your baby's eyes are blue right now, no matter the ethnic origin or eye-color of you and your partner since eyes do not acquire their final color until months after birth.

Your baby is lean right now, but is getting fatter all the time as fat is being deposited. Your baby's skin is getting thicker and paler and is becoming less red and wrinkled as more fat is deposited.

Your baby has eyebrows, eyelashes and fingernails, though all are short and need to grow more.

Reflections: Feeling the baby move, you are probably acutely aware of the life you are carrying inside you. If this is your first child, the prospect of motherhood may still seem abstract to you. You may be worried about what kind of mother you will be, if you will love your child enough, if you will be able to meet the demands of parenthood.

Nothing you hear or read anywhere can prepare you for how your life will change or how you will feel about your child. You and your partner will probably be sleep deprived; frustrated at times by inconsolable crying; your personal needs will take a backseat for a very long time. But when you see your baby smile, hear it coo for the first time or when he or she drifts off to sleep peacefully in your arms, the intense love and satisfaction you will feel are unmatched by anything on earth. Your child will be the most amazing, beautiful creature in the world. Your love for your child will give you the strength to slay dragons. [fertility friend]

Mommy:
You feel definite movement now as your baby does gymnastic routines in your uterus. This may even cause you some pain under your ribs and in your lower abdomen as your baby now has some force. Lying on your side may help to alleviate this kind of pain.

You may have fluid retention, particularly in the facial area.

The top of your uterus is now between your bellybutton and your ribcage.

Your increasing size may cause increasing discomfort. You might be experiencing back pain, leg cramps, headaches and pressure around your pelvic area. [fertility friend]

They are right on the back pain, leg cramps and pressure around my pelvic area....boy are they right on the money...and to think...12 more weeks! Fun Fun!

OK....MASK OF PREGNANCY IS SEEN VERY VIVIDLY ON THIS PIC! EW EW EW...I mean, i want color, but this is ridiculous!



Daddy to be is doing just fine. He's enjoying feeling the boys kicking movements & getting ready for babies too...He's working on staying fit and young for his boys...his age sometimes gets on his mind...I think he's the perfect age as they say, 50 is the new 30....and he's only 45!


I almost forgot, the pics of the Texas Tech gear which would be officially the first baby purchase I've made (clothing wise) Hubby got these as a late Christmas gift!


and the jogger we got on Saturday...set up right this time!

The nursery furniture!

Pics of the nursery furniture we've ordered. The armoire is simply gorgeous! Two pics of the dresser, with the option of taking a drawer out & storing the diaper genie!







The swivel glider & ottoman that we ordered....can't wait to get this piece I need it NOWWWWW!



Did favors and invites over at Moms today....twas fun! We're meeting again next Saturday!

This is getting to be "real"

So today we made our first real "baby" purchase. (If you don't count the Texas Tech gear I got for hubby---need to take pics of them)

Got a jogger on sale at Right Start (closing one location) couldn't pass up the deal!

Also bought the blue rug in the pic! I couldn't live without it! We got a mosaic mirror (no pic yet, still bubble wrapped) and ordered the nursery furniture (2 cribs, dresser, armoire and bookshelf) and also ordered the glider/rocker & ottoman..

2Chix Haute Mama tee! I couldn't pass it up *I know I KNOW*


It is surreal sometimes. I've been waking up for the last 5 months or so pregnant, but not really sinking in. Pics every week documenting the blossoming of my belly, yes. But the reality of two little baby boys coming to live with us, no..... The nursery is slowly filling with baby items. My Christmas list had a TV on it, for the nursery. That's in there along with a Rubbermaid tote filled with odds and ends I've gotten (some from my first pregnancy), pregnancy and baby magazines, medical information on Cord Blood banking etc. Some new Christmas gifts from my sister in law and some maternity things as well. The first "baby" item went in there today, the jogger.......it was surreal...

24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24

24 weeks and 13 to go...

Babies today:

Your baby is now 11 inches long and weights 1¼ to 1½ pounds.*

Your baby's brain is growing rapidly at this time. Taste buds are also developing, and the lungs are becoming more developed and complex. The branches of the main lung are beginning to form as well as special cells that will produce surfactant. Surfactant is necessary for the air sacs to inflate easily. Babies who are born prematurely often have trouble breathing because these cells have not had enough time to develop or are not producing the necessary amounts of surfactant.* {american pregnancy.org}

Daddy to be: ready to hear the words "Dada" from the babies! Me, Loving being pregnant. Waking up with insomnia just thinking about the boys arrival...soon.

Baby Shower plans are rolling. Shower date: Feb 18th. Menu decorations favors etc. all discussed at a meeting at Moms on Saturday with Mom, Me, Betty, Tita, Antoinette, Angela, Alyssa and Denise in attendance. We went to Arnes for decorations. Party City I found invitations and cameras and Michaels for come craft materials.

Happy New Year & 23 weeks

What a combo! A new year is here...and this would be the year that I become a Mother...

I started the New Year fighting a cold and I think I may be just now beginning to beat it....finally! Our new years eve was uneventful. Stayed home and watched Four Brothers, Chris Rock on DVD and then the network TV's countdown *flipping channels!*

Babies are kicking away every day now...I don't know how much longer I can handle being up & about. Methinks der Bedrest will be prescribed before long now.

Babies this week:
Your baby is now about 8.4 inches from crown to rump (21cm) and weighs about 1.2 pounds (530g).
Your baby's face and body now look more like a full-term baby. She now looks close to how she will look at birth.
The eyes, though they are still closed, are now close together on the front of the face and the ears are in their final position. Eyelashes are fairly well-developed and hair is growing on your baby's head.
Your baby's movements are becoming more restricted now as she fills up the uterus more. Cartwheels and somersaults inside the amniotic sac are no longer possible, but she can still hold the umbilical cord and touch and feel around her. Though your baby is already living in tight quarters in the amniotic sac, she will soon have even less room to move around.
Her vital organs are now quite mature. However, since the lungs are not yet fully formed, your baby would have breathing problems if born prematurely at this stage.
Your baby is becoming increasingly conscious of the world outside and may feel startled when you are startled.
Your baby may alternate between having very active and very calm periods.
Your baby may have facial expressions such as frowning, squinting and pursing of the lips.
{fertility friend}

Me: I had hit 150lbs. earlier this week but with this cold I'm back down to 148....I'm sure once I beat it, my appetite will come back with a vengeance! Umm, this linea negra down the middle of my belly is getting darker by the day. No fun :(





Daddy is holding strong! He finally sees just how close we are to twin-dom! He's ready to buy his boys boots! And mentioned today that he wants to take the boys to the Galleria (Houston's fanciest schmancient shopping mall) because the boys will be "chick magnets" ---Lord, what HAVE I gotten myself into :)

C