Week 29: Return of the Morning Sickness! Yeah!

What the heck is going on? I am back to being sick every morning and nauseous until around noon. Lame! And the headaches are back... maybe I should go see physio again? Heck I don’t know, kind of a tough call. Also so very very tired again, lunch time naps please! And peeing ALL the time, almost every hour, because my bladder doesn't have any more room. I guess nobody said the 3^rd trimester was gonna be easy. At least I’ve been able to take it really easy and my feet are back to their normal size, at least for today! Just in time for pedicures, which I am in desperate need of. Nobody mentioned what a pain it is to scrub your feet, trim your toe nails, shave your legs, or landscape the bush, and it’s just gonna get worse. Ha, that’s kinda been my motto lately anyway. Not that it's worse as in ‘wholly crap I’m never gonna make it’. More like worse as in bigger and harder to do things. Such is the way right? At least I’ve gotten used to the uterine contractions so most of the time I’m barely aware they have come and gone... most of the time, not every time. Boy, don't I look pleased in this picture!

Otherwise, things have been mostly business as usual, other than trying to take care of things at work. I have to replace myself on a couple of levels. It is a pain and I really wish I could just split in two and one of us keep working and one of us do the kid thing. Multiplicity eh? I will interview techs next week and I have started setting up the girl at the other clinic to do the book keeping at least for Douglas. Chaparral is suppose to be getting sold... ugh I wish it would just go already but still so much to do until that happens. Well, technically I have over a month right? 

At least worrying about work means less worrying about other things. Jen pointed out that it was strange that I was so paranoid about loosing the babies but have no concerns at all about delivering prematurely. This is true. I feel like we can make it to the end of this one. Even so, as time goes by I feel less and less like we might lose the babies. Things have been so uneventful on that front. We had our ultrasound on Tuesday. Was able to take Daddy AND Nana. Like I said, very uneventful... babies fine, good, growing normal, moving normal (maybe too much for the US technician). Physically, all the things that put one at risk for preterm labour I’m not even on the verge of. So yeah, I feel justified in thinking we’re gonna make it to September no prob! The biggest question then is... Who will plant my fall bulbs!

Speaking of... The garden has fallen off my radar. I really need to get out to it. Matt is doing a great job of watering things, but I have roses to plant, other roses to prune, weeding to do, and the mulch will probably not go down this year. We will see if the rock garden even gets done. Might have to put the rock babies in the bed where the patio is suppose to go as this will probably not happen his year either. Well, what can you do? We tried.

This week the veggie is butternut squash... However our ultrasound says the babies are like 1.5 lbs and the app says it's more like 3 lbs. So we are maybe more twin sized now. I am curious to see what the next ultrasound says about growth. We are going to go every 2 weeks now which is nice for the whole reassurance thing. The brain is developing wrinkles this week and the bone marrow is taking over red blood cell production. Another step to being healthier if they come out early. Also, hormones should start being produced soon. Maybe that testosterone will grow our baby boy a little bigger than his sister by the end of this!

Week 28: Let the Contractions Begin

I am officially feeling very full with babies these days. The tummy is quite taut now and is probably going to actually start stretching beyond my days-of-fatness-passed. Still no popping belly button, but it’s very shallow, could go any day. So you think you’re tummy’s feeling pretty tight and then, whoa, it suddenly gets tighter and fuller and harder. I felt this once a couple weeks ago and just thought the babies were moving strangely. Then it started happening more and more often and I really didn’t know what to think until it was described in my twin book. Yup, around this time those Braxton Hicks contractions will start up. I guess I didn’t really know what to expect of these contractions but the tummy hardening thing wasn’t really it. But that’s what it is, your uterus practicing to expel those babies. But the OB says, hey, don’t worry about it now, they are just going to get harder and more painful... grrrreeeaaat. I wish I could tell my body that all that fuss is unnecessary. Hey utuerus, don’t you know we’re probably going to have a c-section so take it easy would ya. Haven’t seen our true OB yet so they have yet to give us a plan for delivery, but the kicks tell me that little girl has yet to spin around and I really doubt she will. I am back to being ok with the whole delivery thing. You know it’s just better to not over think such things. It’s gonna happen either way, so don’t worry about it. 

Other than feeling like an ever expanding pumpkin I am starting to feel like my pelvic/groin muscles/tendons have gone through some super intense work out regime and have fallen apart overnight. I am forced into an awkward waddle for most of the morning until everything down there decides that they have to hold it together so we can get through the day. So my pelvis in general is pretty sore... Oh well.

I have been babysitting the puppies this week and I’m pretty sure I am the least fun person in the world right now. I told Ty he couldn’t climb on top of me anymore (don’t need a 70 lbs fur beast on my tummy). And I told them that sleep was so important I was going to sleep with the door closed and ear plugs in. Well, at least they haven’t been getting me up at 5am. Also, the walks are less and slower when they do happen. Poor puppies. I have been trying to compensate with extra treats. Might be the last time I babysit them anyway. We’ll have to see how life is once babies come.

The babies this week are cabbages. They are storing more fat, developing better taste buds and since 'space' is at a premium they are moving lots. Things are just gonna get tighter over the next few months so appreciate while you can babies. Had a couple people try to feel the babies but they are not really wanting to move when people want to feel. Besides most of the movement is down in my groin area and ain't nobody gonna get a feel down there! Sometimes baby girl kicks so hard I wonder if she'll kick her way out and I'll find a little foot sticking out of me. Matt says this is unlikely to happen. That's good, still have 6 weeks of work to get through!

Week 27: Stay Gold, Ponyboy... Nope, Not Happening

Well I am starting to feel a little emotionally drained this week. I have never worried so much in my life and it is starting to get old! Now the doc wants us to count kicks throughout the day... And when they aren't kicking... Gah! Time to freak out, right? No, keep it together girl! Things are fine! So that's been a restless night here and there and a couple mornings where I rushed to the clinic to get my stethoscope and check for heartbeats. Thinking I should just start toting that thing around with me. If only I had myself an ultrasound machine. Guess we'll save that purchase for the next pregnancy. We see the obstetrician next week so maybe they can help calm my nerves.

So sleeping is getting less fun. Need a pillow that keeps my neck at the right angle to prevent the heachaches. Need a pillow to keep my arms straight so my hands don't go numb. Need a small pillow under my belly for support. Need a pillow behind my back to prop me up a bit. Then the baby on that side gets fidgety so one has to sit up, flip sides, readjust pillows, decide that everythingis probably still ok, fall back to sleep... Repeat as needed. Then this cycle gets interrupted by the need to pee at least twice a night. Poor kittens, they dont know what my problem is. At least my pukey pills knock me out a bit.

My saving grace is that the finish line is in sight! Hopefully not too on sight though. We want to carry these babies through to September! Someone in our class had their babies at 31 weeks this week. If that was us it would be the first weekend of August. Egads! Let's not go there. I'll sleep restlessly and worry for a bit longer thank you very much. That news gave me a "holy crap, we're going to have babies in less than 3 months, wait we're going to have babies period!" moment. Yup, this is actually going to happen when this is all said and done. Crazy thoughts.

But we are getting ready for it. Nursery done and set up, with both cribs, book collection, drawers ready to stock with baby gear, rocker for nursing, zoo pictures on the way... We have our stroller. We just got the car seats. Got most of the registry organized for the shower that Nana is doing a great job of organizing. Yup, getting ready for this to really happen. At least the nursery is kitten approved! This is most important.

Oh yeah, and I cut my hair to get ready as well; almost 4 inches and nobody has noticed. You know you're hair is too long when... Yeah, I decided that it was too hot and also going to be yanked a lot and get in the way of breast feeding. It feels good. And I didn't even do it myself, got a groupon and went to a professional. First time since before the wedding! Go me!

The babies this week are cauliflowers. Or as another website pointed out, the size of small chihuahuas, hopefully not as furry! Their brains are becoming more active and may even be dreaming at this point. They are practicing blinking, sucking, coughing, and their lungs are more or less mature at the end of this week. Good news if they plan to come early. Well, time to get these babies to bed, wont get much easier than it is right now! 

Week 26: Melting My Way Through Summer

Holy schnikey! It is hot out; so hot! 30 + degrees is not something we see a lot in Calgary. I can't say being pregnant makes it worse or less tolerable, because I am bad with heat on my best days. And so far we have been surviving it ok. Stay out of the sun, lounge in the shade, keep windows open and fans on, sleep or hide in the nice cool basement or the air conditioned clinic on work days. Yes, we will survive the summer just fine. Feet are fat most days now, fingers fat too. Might have to keep the wedding ring off for the next few months so it doesn't get to the point where it has to be cut off... My poor usually lanky fingers. Woe is me! Also my pregnant tumor is driving me crazy! Its this ugly red bump on my neck that looks like a blood blister that should be popped. It is an angioma (growth of blood vessels) so it just bleeds like a mother if you do pop it. Once of that is enough, but it's still ugly. Also, had one episode of numb leg... Because baby girl was sitting on a nerve? And the lower back pain hits now and then so I have taken to toting a pillow around the house depending on where I sit. Poor Matt. I must be driving him crazy with all these idiosyncrasies. He's been so good with helping out and letting me just sit around. It can drive a person crazy; the restricted physical abilities that come when you're carrying babies. Ugh... No boat rides, no wine, no late nights, no heavy lifting, no bending over to pick up all the things you constantly drop due to some strange pregnant lady clumsiness... Well, I'm just saying prepare to do a whole lot of sitting around for 3 to 4 months.

Put the rest of the nursery furniture together this week and switched the cribs into the bigger room, and the grandma guest room into the smaller room. We have decided it looks fine and will require no painting, yeah! Just have to get my act together and order my zoo animal pictures. If I could do it this week I'll save 70% so I better get on it. Other than that, nothing too crazy has gone down. Worked the week away, had a whole weekend day of being down and out due to headache, went to Les Mis to culture the babies... The baby girl liked the first act, and baby boy liked the second act more. Also, gardened a bit, helped Matt with some house repairs, drank lots of lemonade, and finished up our greek olive oil for afternoon snack. All in all, life is good for us. Feeling lucky to be worried about watering plants and fixing recliners and awnings when others have to worry about finding somewhere to live and replacing a lifelong of belongings. It's still very sad.

The babies are now hothouse cucumbers... I do not know what this is so I'll just envision regular cucumbers. And my uterus is at least the size of a basketball, though probably a little bigger with two. The ears and eyes are developing keener senses so they can see dark and light and distinguish sounds and voice. Good timing to hear their first live musical! So we are less than 100 days to meeting them and it's starting to feel really real. Though most of my nerves have calmed down... For today at least. Step by step... Oooh baby!