Mind Meld

The title of this post is a reference to the fact that I am so tired I wish I could just beam you all of my thoughts rather than actually type them up, but that wouldn't make for a very interesting blog.  Also, I'm not sure I know how to mind meld.  Fair warning, though - I am a wee bit grumpy today.  I mean, I am overjoyed about the impending arrival of our children and all, but also...grumpy.  It's just hot and I'm getting uncomfortable and my back hurts and medical bills and never-ending doctor's visits and dishes that need to be done blah blah blah.  Okay, I know you don't come here to listen to me complain so I'll snap out of it.  Back to your regularly scheduled INCREDIBLY WITTY COMMENTARY.

Several of you pointed out that I never actually followed up on whether or not we bought a car.  We did.  It's a Mazda CX something or other.  I don't know.  Nick likes it.  It gets good gas mileage.  It's a small SUV.  Carseats and stroller fit.  So, all in all, it does all of the things the car needed to.  I am not much of a car person so I'm sorry I can't work up a more exciting description.   The plan is for me to drive my car for another year and a half or so and then upgrade to a family vehicle - a larger SUV or dare I say it, minivan?  I used to be vehemently opposed to mini-vans but I totally get the appeal now.  My mom says her favorite car she ever had was a Dodge Caravan so perhaps I come by it honestly.  Nick's mom did a great job helping him negotiate and we no longer have to worry that he's going to be stranded on the side of the road.  Oh!  And we can bring our babies home.  So, there's that.  No promises about our abilities once we actually get them home from the hospital, but the getting home part?  We got that.

I will just answer the question you are all dying to know.  No, we have not opened the gender envelope yet.  Yes, it is killing me.  (I am so tired that just now when I wrote 'killing me' I thought about the song Killing Me Softly and then went and looked it up on YouTube...distracted much?)  This is a good of time as any to talk about our plans for the gender reveal.  First, a word about gender reveals.  As far as I know, they didn't exist until a few years ago.  Basically, people get together with friends and family and share the  news of whether their little one is going to be a boy or girl.  Full disclosure...I used to think such parties were absolutely ridiculous and just a ploy to get presents (P.S. gender reveal attendees- please no presents!).  However, I did feel ever so slightly cheated that we didn't get to do a fun pregnancy announcement with our family (since we were on our fourth IVF cycle, pretty much everyone and their mail man knew once we were pregnant) and friends, so I decided we should do it.  And as with many things in life, once I decide to do something, any previous notions about it being present-grubby or self-centered went out the window because obviously if I am doing something, it is very, very cool and not at all selfish.  Duh.

We wanted to do something fun to thank close friends and our immediate family for all of their support as we have tried to start our family (it takes a village to get Sarah pregnant!  Oh, that sounds awkward).  Anyway, we decided that having a party where not only our guests, but Nick and I ourselves would find out the genders of the twins would be just the thing (Ed note: I wish I could invite every single person that supported us during this time, but um, Nick's BBQ-ing capacities are limited.  As are our seating options.  So please know that we are forever grateful to all of you who encouraged and helped us along the way).  I would like to point out at this juncture that from the beginning, I was hell-bent on KISS (keeping it simple, stupid) as in...let's order pizza and stock up on beer and just have a great time.  Except then Nick wanted to BBQ.  And then I found this adorable invite fit for a gender reveal BBQ.  And then the event planner in me kicked KISS out the window and I've been down a rabbit hole of gender reveal party insanity ever since.  Actually, that's not true.  It didn't get REALLY bad until after the ultrasound last week.   I thought I was only going to have a few days between getting THE envelope and the party.  That turned into 2.5 weeks, so I've been distracting myself from the envelope by throwing myself fully into the party.  I am still trying to KI(m)SS (keep it mostly simple, stupid) but it is just not in my DNA.  Anyway, that's the plan...and since I cannot invite every single one of you (again, BBQ capacity), you can count on a fun announcement here, at least.  :)  We are so, so excited for this party and can't wait to share the news!

(In case you haven't noticed, I am deeply, madly and forever in love with parenthetical statements.  FYI.  If I ever had to change my name to a symbol a la Prince, it would be parentheses.)

I feel like there were several other things I wanted to share with you, but I've forgotten them now.  Hopefully I'll remember before I write the weekly update.  Or I figure out how to mind meld.  Either/or.

Week 16 - July 25, 2012

Sixteen weeks?!  How is that possible?  I swear we just found out we're pregnant.  Time moves strangely during pregnancy.  I felt like I was NEVER going to get to the second trimester and now I feel like time is moving faster than I can keep up with.   Possibly, it's because we've had a lot going on.  Speaking of which...

I posted pics from my friend Courtney's Mad Men themed 30th birthday party on Facebook, but have not talked about the most amazing part of the entire party.  Well, aside from how adorable everyone looked dressed in 1960s attire.  My girlfriends and I co-hosted the party and the original plan was to have it at our friend Ashley's house.  Poor Ashley (P.S. Ashley is a very gifted decorator and you should go check out her blog here...and also look at pictures of her adorable daughter) got very ill and landed herself in the hospital with pneumonia...she had us all incredibly worried.  But there was also the practical matter of where to host the party (once we knew that Ashley was going to be okay); our friend Elizabeth had a 'eureka' moment and quickly got us booked at the Kansas City Garment District Museum, which literally, could not have been a more appropriate place.  There were vintage clothes displayed everywhere and we had a little too much fun posing with the mannequins.   Although we missed Ashley a lot, it was a great time for a great gal.

[caption id="attachment_212" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Candy cigarettes and empty cocktail glass. For me, anyway.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_214" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Almost 16 week bump picture[/caption]

It was a big weekend for birthdays as we also had a birthday BBQ for my Dad and Uncle Mike.  Nick prepared an insane amount of ribs (baby back and short) and my mom made some fabulous sides and a dessert that Nick is still talking about (some time of lemon-berry-trifle confection).  I prepared nothing and just pigged out.  Well, technically I am Nick's sous chef when he BBQs so I guess I did help.  It was another great party, but after all that socializing, I found myself asleep by 8:00.

[caption id="attachment_215" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Our twins are doomed. I keep inadvertently dressing Nick and I stripes.[/caption]

Doctor's Appointment Update: We had a 16 week ultrasound and nurse's visit this week.  My stats are still good and they don't seem concerned about my weight gain or lack thereof.  Blood pressure is good (122/70 - at my last visit it was higher but I blame that on having been there for three hours and being anxious to get out) and they got my blood work drawn on the first try (a novelty for me and my sad veins).  We talked about my headaches and unfortunately, there's nothing I can do.  I pretty much figured that was the case, but wanted to ask the question anyway.   Both babies are measuring right on schedule and Baby A continues to be a brown-noser, giving us adorable pics, while Baby B continues to be a trouble-maker and refuses to let us capture any pics.  Oh, well - we love them anyway.

[caption id="attachment_211" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Baby A, already being cooperative[/caption]

How Far Along: 16 weeks and a day or two

Size of Babies:  Turnips.   Could there be a less exciting vegetable or fruit to compare your unborn children to?  I think not.  Alternately, the babies are about this size of your hand.  Much better.

What I'm Doing: Listening to Ernie the cat have one of his 'fits'...this involves endless running around the house, climbing of walls and doors, and making noises that I swear to God sound like 'oh-oh'.  Simultaneously wondering what it will be like to introduce the twins to the cats and vice versa.

Cravings: Not much this week, but that is probably because I've had so many events this last week where a variety of delicious food was served that pretty much any craving would be covered.

Sleep: I'm sure you all laughed at me when I lamented how difficult it was to nap a few weeks ago (rude!) but this is no longer a problem.  At all.  As in, I had a day where I took two naps before noon.   Although it seems physically impossible for me to sleep past 6am anymore.

Sex of Babies: The ultrasound tech sort of threw me for a loop today at our appointment and asked me if we were finding out the genders.  I panicked and said yes, but that I didn't think we could find out this early.  She said usually the genders can be identified at 16 weeks; it's just that most people don't have appointments that early.  So, our sealed gender reveal announcement is currently in the house!!!  I might have to put into a safe deposit box to keep from opening until we have our gender reveal with friends and family.

Symptoms: The headaches continue to be crazy obnoxious.  The crying is out of control.   And yet I'm happier than I've ever been.  Unless I'm crying.

Fetal Movement: Alright, I'm just going to man up and say that YES I AM FEELING THE BABEEeeeEEEEZ.   I feel so much better now.  I knew that's what it was because I could tell it was emanating from where I knew each baby is located.  In fact, the nurse today said "So, are you having a lot of fetal movement?" and I nearly screamed YES.   So, yes, babies are moving and such.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Week:  Several fun outings planned with friends but also a lot of down time...the last week has been really crazy and it's taking its toll.

Best Moment of the Week:  A few nights ago, Nick and I were lazing about watching TV before bed.  He was rubbing my belly and we were talking to the babies and discussing baby names.  It was such a sweet moment and the kind of thing you only dream about when struggling to get pregnant.  It was almost surreal.

Special Thanks To: My family, because they are awesome.  The End. I mean, it's not like I didn't already know this, but every time we're together, I'm reminded of how lucky I am to have been born into such an incredible family and I can't wait for them to meet our little ones.

Things That Happen To You When You Are Pregnant, A List

1. Strangers want to rub your belly.  Not cool.


2. Friends and family want to rub your belly.  Generally cool.


3. Wearing platform heels becomes a party trick.  People are alternately impressed and horrified.
   
   [caption id="attachment_194" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Exhibit A: Courtney's 'Mad Men' Birthday Party (with a very convincing Peggy)[/caption]
   
   [caption id="attachment_198" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Exhibit B AKA you will have to pry these off of my feet kicking and screaming[/caption]


4. People offer to carry anything that looks moderately heavy for you.  (Most of the time I think this is a delightfully gallant offer, but occasionally it makes me feel like I should throw my hand dramatically against my forehead and declare I have a case of the 'vapors'.)


5. You accidentally park in one of the 'reserved for moms-to-be' spots at the grocery store.  Upon leaving the grocery store and realizing your mistake, you are horrified.  Except, then you realize you are a mom-to-be (although not one far enough along to be parking in such a spot), and feel less bad.  And also stick out your stomach more to look pregnanty-ier.


6. After a night out, you don't look like a hot sweaty mess.  No alcohol=improved make-up performance!
   
   [caption id="attachment_199" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I was so impressed, I took a picture.[/caption]


7. When having your picture taken, you instinctively put a hand on your stomach to indicate 'pregnant bump' and not 'unexplained abdominal weight gain'.  At times, this can lead to you just looking like you have to pee really bad.


8. After a meal, it is perfectly acceptable (and in fact, encouraged) for you to retire to a comfortable chair while everyone else cleans up.
   
   [caption id="attachment_197" align="aligncenter" width="300"] No clean-up=all smiles![/caption]


9. Your eyes are bigger than your stomach.  Every time.


10. Husbands that generally allow you out of various household chores do not, in fact, allow you to get away without helping prepare BBQ.  You work for samples.
    
    [caption id="attachment_200" align="aligncenter" width="300"] This is what our kitchen looks like when Nick BBQs. Luckily, he does his own clean-up.[/caption]


11. You still aren't exactly sure how you got so lucky and pinch yourself on a daily basis.  And then take a nap.

Week 15 - July 19, 2012

Hello, people!  I am so tired of talking about the weather AND I want to punch everyone in the face that was thrilled in January and February with the abnormally warm weather.  THIS (this being insane 100+ degree heat) is what we get as a result of that.   That said, I am sorry for all the pregnant (like, really pregnant) women that I see wobbling around in this heat, and of course, it makes me extra thankful that I live and work in air-conditioned environments...I'm glad there are so many cooling centers out there for people without that same blessing.

How Far Along: 15 1/2 weeks

[caption id="attachment_188" align="aligncenter" width="225"] I didn't really feel like I got that much bigger from 13 weeks to 15 weeks, but the pictures say otherwise.[/caption]

Size of Babies:  Avocados!  (all this does is make me crave guacamole)

What I'm Doing: Gah, this so embarrassing, but I am catching up on The Bachelorette.  I was trying really, really hard not to watch it this season but then somehow I watched a show last week and now I am watching episodes off the DVR.  I don't want to like Emily but she is annoyingly adorable.

Cravings: Root Beer floats (Nick redeemed my earlier attempts last night), powdered sugar donuts (what the...?), watermelon and I'm back to also thinking about burgers non-stop.  Which is convenient given my new protein kick.  I am averaging about 110-120 grams of protein a day which is a huge improvement...:::pats self on back:::.  I decided to quit worrying about the weight gain and just focus on eating healthily and working on the protein.  I did sort of turn myself off hard-boiled eggs by eating a dozen in three days, though.  Ew.

Sleep: Plenty!  I have started taking a nap when I get home at night - just 30 minutes or so.  Admittedly, a couple of times that 'nap' has turned into...Sarah goes to bed at 6pm.  But, you guys!  I'm a human incubator!  I need my beauty sleep.  At least that is what I tell myself.

Sex of Babies: Still unknown but plans continue for a gender reveal.  Stay tuned....

Symptoms: Okay, gang, I really don't want to complain, BUT...the headaches are really bad.  I have them nearly every day.  I've only had one migraine (which was completely horrible) so they are generally just annoying and miserable, not debilitating.  But still - EVERY. DAY.  I try not to complain too much because I still feel like the fact that we are pregnant is a true miracle AND I still know so many friends trying so hard to start their families.  I don't want to seem ungrateful, but I am ready for the headaches to end.  I'm going to ask the doctor about it at my next appointment (which is not until next week).  Between that and a constant stuffy nose, I feel like I've had a cold for a month.   Other symptoms?  Crying.  At everything.  It's just...ridiculous.  I'm not talking about crying at things that are supposed to make you cry like that stupid Sarah McLaughlan abused and neglected animals commercial (because if you don't cry at that, you have no soul)...I'm talking things like...spilled root beer floats...my cats just being cats...a story that Nick told me a year ago that I randomly remembered.  I'm not a crier normally, so this is a little foreign to me.  If my eyes start leaking in front of you, please just politely avert your eyes thankyouverymuch.

Fetal Movement: Lots of little butterfly-y flutters, especially at night.  Still not totally sure if it's fetal movement, but let's just say it is, okay?

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Week: Doctor's visit!  It will have been two weeks between appointments which is the longest I've gone.   Playing around with the paint chips in the nursery.  Starting the registry process.

Best Moment of the Week: Totally not pregnancy related, but my brother's band Man Bear had a song play on a local radio station last night!  He is shaking his head at me right now, but I was super impressed.  You can check out their music (and you should - they're really, really good...and I'm not just saying that because I'm his sister) here.

Special Thanks To: Nick's mom, my mother in law Rose...she is here visiting us now helping us car shop/negotiate.  Her car negotiating skills are legendary and we so appreciate her making the trip in from St. Louis.  Plus, bonus - it means I don't have to tag along anymore!  And we get to spend time with her.  Win-win-win.

Things That Happpened to Me Yesterday, A List

1. I took two naps.


2. I ate 120 grams of protein (go, me!)


3. I made chicken pad thai and it was delicious.


4. I almost ate a root beer float, but as those of you who follow me on Facebook saw, the bottom dropped out and it spilled all over the kitchen.  I immediately burst into tears and Nick came running up the stairs to the kitchen to see what was wrong.  All I could do was point to the floor, then to my eyes, and then mumble 'hormones'.


5. Nick offered to take me out to get another root beer float, but I declined because I'm stubborn and would rather complain about my lack of root beer float.


6. The cats enjoyed a root beer float via the floor.


7. Nick has decided it is funny to try and watch the cats 'share' a can of cat food, so that happened.  Good thing I had to mop the floor after the root beer float spill.


8. I picked up paint chips for the nursery (have a strategy that involves picking a color for the walls that will work for any combination of genders).


9. Realized that some pregnant women do everything 'right' and still end up with complicated pregnancies/deliveries.  Also realized that some women don't gain the 'right' amount of weight and still have perfectly healthy pregnancies.


10. Made note to self to focus less on 'right' and more on what feels natural.


11. Told at Target (while reaching into the dairy case) that I have a beautiful complexion.  Which is notable for several reasons - my lack of shower, my lack of makeup, and the fact that hormones have wreaked havoc on my face.  Also...florescent lighting.  :::shudders:::  But, thank you, random stranger lady!


12. Lost a bet to Nick that our VCR from 2002 would still work.  It does.  Made him throw away a VHS copy of Predator away anyway.


13. Got sent flowers from one of the car dealerships.  I feel very uncomfortable with this new level of intimacy with the car dealer.  Do I wait two days to call?  Request them as Facebook friends?  What is the appropriate protocol?


14. Got teary looking at pictures of Nick and I from when we first started dating.


15. Took an obscene amount of pictures of the cats via my phone.

All in all, just a normal Sunday.

P.S.  The Evidence.

[caption id="attachment_177" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Always looking for the sun patch...[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_178" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Valentine's Day, 2002[/caption]

What do you get...

...when you put a hormonal pregnant lady and her sentimental husband together with books, toys and various saved items from their childhoods?  A looooong day of basement/garage clean-out.  On the plus side, we identified a number of items to use in the nursery.  And, we threw out a ton of stuff.  (When I ordered a 10 yard dumpster, we both thought, we'll never even fill this up a quarter of the way!  We were wrong.)  On the minus side, I spent part of the morning sobbing in a corner whilst reading The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, one of my favorite Beatrix Potter books.  But all in all, a very productive day although it could have been MORE productive had Nick not stopped me every time I even looked like I was going to pick up a box.  We're still not done but we've made enormous headway and we actually had a really good time together.  Go, team!

That said, I completely ignored everything I said yesterday about resting before I was actually tired.  We were just on such a roll and is there any better feeling than ridding your house of clutter and junk and STUFF?  It's addicting and I didn't want to stop.  Eventually, though, I had to and I spent the rest of the afternoon in a sniffly/sneezy semi-napping state.   The only reason I emerged was because Nick promised me dinner.   We ran a few errands, grabbed a bite to eat and then did some shopping.

The weird thing about going through IVF treatments is that you tend to avoid baby stores like the plague...before we got pregnant, it always felt either painful or like we were going to jinx ourselves somehow.  Last night, we happened to walk past Baby GAP and I asked Nick if he wanted to go in and having had a full belly and still basking in the glow of our triumph over the basement, he said yes.   There was general squealing and oohing and ahhing (not just from me, by the way) over the baby clothes.  And, then we started looking at the preemie outfits and simultaneously convulsed from the cuteness of the teeniest tiniest clothes known to man.   The sales clerks asked us repeatedly if we needed help, but we were in a world of our own.  I am writing this down now, so that someday when the twins have spit up or otherwise marred their teeny-tiny adorable outfits with bodily fluids too horrible to discuss here, we can remember that there was a time when just looking at said outfits brought us immense joy.

Week 14 - July 14, 2012

It's 6:15 am and I've been up since 5:30 am...I think my body is involuntarily preparing itself for life with babies.  Or, it could be that I fell asleep at 8:30pm last night.  Nick and I went and looked at a few more cars...I think we're getting closer to making a decision, so that feels good, but oh how I hate car buying.

A few posts ago I said that I would talk more about what the doctors had been telling us about successful multiples pregnancies, so this seems like a good time to do that.  Basically, they told us to read this book, the 'bible' for multiples pregnancies.  It's written by Dr. Barbara Luke who studied thousands of multiples pregnancies to determine what made the difference for successful pregnancies, which by the way - success is loosely defined as making it to 36-37ish weeks (and hence shortening any NICU stays) for twins and the birth weight of the babies.

The book has been eye-opening, helpful and terrifying.  There's really two key components - gaining the appropriate amount of weight for the number of babies you are carrying (and for your body) and doing so fairly early on in the pregnancy, along with rest - and lots of it.

On the diet side of things, I still have only gained a few pounds (if that) and I'm nearly 15 weeks.  I feel like I'm eating ALL THE TIME, but what I learned is that I'm getting nowhere near the amount of protein I need.  Protein, specifically, has a correlation with higher birth weights.  The book recommends I eat 150-170 grams of protein per day for twins.  Let me assure you, I was nowhere near that.  For reference, a four-ounce filet has about of 21 grams of protein, so I guess I could start eating a lot more filet, but that seems impractical.  My game plan is to add protein powder back into my morning shakes, keep a supply of hard-boiled eggs in the fridge and start meal and snack planning with an eye towards protein.  And I guess eating a lot more steak. :)  Honestly, I don't know how realistic it will be for me to get that 150+ grams of protein each day.  But I can definitely add a lot more, so that's my goal.

It's the weight-gain piece that makes me nervous, not because I'm nervous about gaining weight, but because the book recommends gaining a significant amount by 20 weeks.  There's all these formulas that take into account your height/weight/body type/number of babies you're carrying, but the bottom line is the book would expect me to have gained at least 20 pounds by 20 weeks.  Doing so, at least in the studies the author did, yielded the highest birth weights for multiples.  Yikes.  I am going to try not to stress about this (as that can't be good for me either), but really start making a concerted effort to add more calories.

That brings me to rest...the area with which I'm going to struggle the most.  Here's why - the book recommends frequent rest, but before you are actually tired.  The author's argument is that if you let your body get over-tired, it's like going too long in a car without an oil change...the rest needs to be preventative, not reactive.  I mean, I LOVE naps...but it is a bit of a culture shock to go from 'gee, I feel tired, think I'll take a nap' to 'gee, I feel perfectly fine, think I'll take a nap'.  I've been trying to start resting more, i.e. when I get home from work - laying down for 30-60 minutes, taking naps in the afternoon on the weekends, etc.  I think this is going to become more of an issue as the pregnancy progresses so I figure it's good to get in the habit now.  I have to admit, though, the list of things I want to accomplish before the babies get here is so long, that it makes me a little anxious when I stop to rest.  However, reading about how very, very important it is for multiples pregnancies makes it easier.

I have to be honest - going into pregnancy, I always thought 'well, pregnant people aren't actually sick...they're not invalids...and women have been giving babies for you know, forever...so why would you need to adjust your lifestyle (other than the obvious no drinking)...pop a prenatal and go on with life'  I feel like it's a fine line between acting like I am the The Only Pregnant Person That Ever Lived and down-playing my body's needs during pregnancy.  Plus, twins are SO common now...many regular OBs deliver them successfully (although we are in a high risk clinic)...I never really understood that while twins are common and the risks are substantially lower with twins that higher-order multiples, there are still a number of unique circumstances that deserve attention.  And, as many times as I have slapped Dr. Luke's book shut in fear, I do feel like I'm much more informed now and knowledge is power.  My job in this pregnancy is to do everything I can to ensure the babies are healthy (with Nick's support, of course - and by the way, he is very supportive of whatever we need to do); I'm like a great big incubator.  It's been a big shift in mindset for me, but I'm getting used to it slowly.  I guess I just want to feel like I've done everything I can and that's really all I can do.

How Far Along: 14 1/2 weeks

Size of Babies: navel oranges (Let me just state, for the record, that these fruit comparisons have made me giggle the entire pregnancy, however this week when I read they were orange-sized, I had kind of an 'oh, shit' moment.  Like, oh, there are actually two small humans growing in my belly.)

What I'm Doing: Waiting for Nick to get up so we can begin the great basement and garage clean-out of 2012...our lives are very glamorous.

Cravings: For about two weeks, I had a craving for brownies, but didn't indulge it.  Then, one day - I decided to go for it and went to the grocery store to grab some.  I happen to see watermelon on my way to get the brownies and picked it up, as well.  And some pickles.  By the time I got home, the brownies were no longer interesting and I ate a ridiculous amount of watermelon instead.  So, when I do having cravings, they are quite fickle.

Sleep: Still sleeping fine, other than dreaming a TON and remembering most of the dreams, which is unusual for me.  I am getting more creative with my pillow set-up since I can't sleep on my stomach anymore.

Sex of Babies: Unknown, but plans are underway for a very fun reveal.  And, I bought this very cute keepsake card from Etsy; we'll give it to the sonographer and have her fill it out and seal it until we decide how/when to open.



Symptoms: Headaches are really the only things that plague me, although they do so with great frequency.

Fetal Movement: Okay, this is where all of you moms out there laugh and point and call me ridiculous, but I SWEAR I am feeling something.   Assuming that fetal movement feels like angry butterflies.  I've actually been feeling this for a couple of weeks, but I was so sure that it was too early that I dismissed it but it is getting increasingly difficult to do so.  It emanates from exactly where I know each baby is and is very quick.  I suppose it could just be indigestion, too.  But baby movement is a lot more fun to think about, so let's go with that.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Week: Hopefully making a decision about what car to get Nick...a fun, Mad Men themed birthday party for my friend Courtney...a birthday BBQ for my dad and uncle...and protein, lots and lots of glorious protein.

Best Moment of The Week: I am going to preemptively say that it's going to be today's big basement clean-out (which by the way, Nick is doing all the heavy lifting...I am in more of what you might call a 'management' role).  It is going to feel so good to get rid of stuff.  So, that we can make room for more baby stuff.  And bazillions and bazillions of diapers.

Special Thanks To: Watermelon farmers everywhere.

Car Shopping AKA The Seventh Layer of Hell

Yeah, so  -  we are shopping for a new car for Nick.  His is seven years old and completely impractical for one child, let alone two.  I mean, I guess it's SORT of fun because yay! New car!  But, gah...there are just so many options and models and colors and I find it all very overwhelming.

Complicating matters is that we are trying really hard to buy a car that will comfortably fit two scar seats plus a double stroller in the trunk, which has meant a lot of research.  And diagrams.  And spreadsheets.  And of course, once we started researching the cars, we also had to research car seats which is truly confusing.  I mean, everyone wants their baby to be safe, but car seat manufacturers lead you to believe 'if you buy any other car seat than ours, your child will not survive past two, so I guess if you want that on your conscience, fine, we'll just be sitting over here with The Safest Car Seat In All The Land'.  And then of course, if you want to know if a double stroller will fit in the trunk, you also have to research those.  The whole thing was making me itchy and starting to dread the process of registering because WHAT IF I REGISTER FOR THE WRONG KIND OF CRIB SHEETS?  God Forbid.

Fortunately, a friend from grad school had put together an awesome registry list that I have now supplemented with tips and information from other friends so I can basically just check items off the list.   Although I do still have to figure out the whole car seat and stroller thing.  We were lucky to have a friend loan us an infant car seat so we can take it with us car shopping.  And we can put the cats in there, which is also very enjoyable - for us, anyway.

But, as much as we like to over-complicate things, it is all worth it and we wouldn't trade these 'problems' for anything in the world.  The babies are continuing to rock each week.  We had ultrasounds at 12, 13 and 14 weeks and everything looks great, including the 'big' ultrasound at 12 weeks where they screen for chromosomal problems and other issues.  We are very blessed to have had a very healthy pregnancy to this point.  My only complaint is that they are apparently camera shy and have been completely uncooperative the last two visits.   I now get to go a whole TWO WEEKS without a doctor visit - which is sort of incredible considering I have had one every week since five weeks.  I won't know what to do with myself.   Probably I will have more time to put Ernie in the carseat and take pictures.

Week 13 - July 5, 2012

Happy 5th of July!  Hope everyone had a wonderful Independence Day!

[caption id="attachment_135" align="aligncenter" width="225"] 13 weeks[/caption]

Nick and I spent the day in true American fashion - inside,  in air conditioning.  We decided to go low-key this year for the holiday - for a variety of reasons, but chief among them that we had a small pregnancy scare earlier this week where we thought something might be wrong.  Luckily, for us we had the fetal heart rate monitor that had brought two of my co-workers great luck, so we were able to reassure ourselves with hearing the heartbeats while we waited for a doctor's appointment.  All was fine - both are measuring where they should, great heartbeats, etc, etc.  And as I said on Facebook earlier this week, we got a little fist pump/hand wave from Baby A.  Of course, as soon as the sonographer went to take pictures, both babies flopped over into very unphotogenic positions.  Harumph.

The doctor suggested I take it easy which ended up coinciding with plans I already had to be off work.  Unfortunately, Nick only had the actual 4th of July off (stupid mid-week holiday) so we had a lazy morning at home and then my met good friend from Chicago, Jessica (of white jacket fame) and her friend Tony for lunch at Jack Stack.   After a nap, we saw a movie (Ted, which was moderately funny) and then came home, made dinner, and watched John Adams on HBO.  We are so wild and crazy, you guys.

As you can see from the picture above, I am quite uh...bump-y.  Which I am embracing.   I actually rather enjoy it.   And yet I have only gained one pound, which I say not out of concern or bragging, but more so - admiration for the human body and what it is capable of.  The doctor says my uterus is still measuring six weeks ahead which accounts for my very pregnant appearance.  I am at the point where brave strangers are asking me when I'm due and then looking quite confused when I say January.  It's sort of fun to watch them squirm and then finally admit that there's more than one baby on the way and see their visible relief.  My mom pointed out to me that I will get much more wear out of my maternity clothes than the average pregnant woman, which...yes.  I will.  And am.

Speaking of which, my sweet mom took me out maternity clothes shopping last weekend after we spent some time with my Grandma (mom's mom) having lunch and running errands.  My mother was quite patient as I am kind of picky about clothes right now...particularly fabrics.  Apparently my precious, precious pregnancy skin abhors anything but natural fabrics, dahling.  And a lot of maternity clothes are polyester.  Which makes for a grumpy Sarah.  But we ended up finding several cute things including one dress which I only tried on because my mom asked me to and had a flashback to being thirteen years old (Gawwwwd, Mom - this is so ugggggly), but miraculously, it was one of those dresses that looks horrendous on the rack, but great on.  Thank you, momma.  Also of note was that my grandmother told me repeatedly how lucky I was to be 'tall'.  So, yeah if you know me, tall I am not.  I mean, I suppose to my grandmother and mother (5' and 5'2" respectively), I might be tall, but apparently, despite the growing belly, I am willowy.  (Suppresses laugh)

Um, let's see - what else has been going on...oh, like most of the women in my age demographic, I saw Magic Mike with girlfriends.  It had a surprisingly good plot and well, let's face it, the eye candy wasn't bad.  What was scary, though - was seeing it on opening night with hordes of drunken, sweaty women.  Seriously, we brought cupcakes into the movie and I'm pretty sure one woman would have shivved us for one.  There was hooting, hollering and general carrying-on.  I wondered if perhaps everyone was confused and thought that there were going to be actual live strippers performing.  We managed to survive, though. :)

How Far Along: 13 1/2 weeks (P.S. Yes, I incorrectly said that I was in the third trimester in my last post...I would go back and change it, but I want to document it for posterity)

Size of Babies: lemons

What I'm Doing: taking pictures of Ernie the cat being adorable and sending them to Nick at work

[caption id="attachment_143" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The evidence.[/caption]

Cravings: Nothing in particular, although I have to admit I had a total (and I promise, unintentional) pregnancy cliché moment the other night.   The night that we were stressed about the pregnancy, I couldn't really eat other than some cereal that Nick basically forced me to eat.  Later on, I did eventually get hungry and ended up standing in the kitchen having a snack.  In one hand - pickle slices...and the other, a popsicle.  I was so embarrassed when I realized I what I was doing, but that didn't stop me from finishing.

Sleep:  I am trying to rest more, nap more which is generally awesome, except that the cats get all excited every time I lay down and I end up with a cat on my head and a cat on my feet, which makes for less than awesome sleep.

Sex of Babies:  Still unknown, but we will know in about six weeks.

Symptoms: I still feel generally good but I have noticed that my stomach gets full faster and that I pretty much have a non-stop stuffed up nose, which is mostly because I can't take my normal allergy meds.  A small price to pay, though.

Fetal Movement:  Still not feeling anything.  I've read some articles that say women with twins feel the movement sooner and others that say it takes longer.  Who knows.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Week: We have a bit of down time in the next week or so before a bunch of various activities, parties, etc start so mostly I'm just looking forward to puttering around.  I excel at puttering around the house.

Best Moment Of The Week: Getting the wave from Baby A at this week's ultrasound...it's hard to put into words how amazing that is/was.

Special Thanks To: My co-workers, who are always checking in with me and asking how the babies are.  They are a wonderful group and I feel so lucky to have them in my life.  And I'm also so pleased that they've all agreed to be babysitters, right?  Right?!  ;)

What's For Breakfast?

Now, that I am officially in the third trimester, the doc told me it is time to start gaining some weight, especially since we have twins.  Whee!  But, not really.  Because although I do need to start gaining weight, I also have to continue eating nutritiously so it's not like I can just start eating a tub of ice cream each night.  Plus, I pretty much feel like I'm eating all the time since I'm eating small meals every few hours.  And, the two biggest predictors of successful multiple pregnancies are weight gain and rest...but more on that in a later post.

For now, I'm just looking for ways to incorporate more healthy fats into my diet.  So, I decided to first tackle breakfast.  Many of you know that I've been a smoothie girl for several years now.  The recipes have changed during that time, but I find it is the easiest and best way to get a lot of servings of fruits and vegetables in m'belly.  During my first trimester, the recipe had gotten pretty simple - water, berries, chia seeds, greens and stevia.  Since I was eating a couple of snacks in the morning, I had no need for protein powder as previous concoctions had included.   I decided to doctor my recipe up to add some additional calories.

Here's the new and improved, 'What's Good for Momma is Good for the Babies' smoothie recipe.

1 cup kefir (if you aren't familiar with kefir, it's kind of a fizzy yogurt milk...that sounds horrible, doesn't it?  It's not, I promise.  It has tons of probiotics and some of the fats I was looking for, although you can get low-fat versions as well)

1 cup water

2 tablespoons of chia seeds (chia seeds are a super food with protein, fiber and good fats)

1 cup organic kale

1 cup organic spinach

2 cups organic frozen berries

1 banana

1-2 tablespoons coconut oil (this is a fantastic 'good' fat and great for cooking...it's also very satiating...and it's always good to incorporate a small amount of fat with your greens; it helps your body absorb the nutrients...okay, I'll shut up about coconut oil now.  But seriously, it's really, really good.  Nick cooks egg whites in it every morning for breakfast.)

A bit of stevia, for sweetness

I put all of this in a blender and blend for 45 seconds to a minute.  It makes probably a good 32 ounce smoothie and typically takes me at least an hour to drink.   Were I to guess, I would say this is somewhere between 600-700 calories, although if you take the coconut oil and kefir out (or use the lower fat version of kefir), that would drop substantially.

A couple of notes - I always use organic kale, spinach and frozen berries because they are on the Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen list.  (there's a handy little printable guide on this website to stick in your wallet) Bananas are not, so I don't buy them organic.

I love this breakfast because it takes only five minutes to put together and I can take it on the road with me to work or run errands or whatever.  I know it might not SOUND appetizing, but I promise that between the fruit and the stevia, the taste of the greens is pretty well covered up.  Although the kale does have a more pronounced taste, so if you don't like it, stick with spinach.

[caption id="attachment_128" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Smoothie in a pretty glass for your viewing pleasure![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_129" align="aligncenter" width="225"] What I actually drink my smoothie from - one of those BPA free double-walled cooler thingies.[/caption]