How Far Along: 27 and 28 weeks...I am now officially in the 3rd trimester! Yay! And $#@%!
Size of Babies: 27 weeks - head of cauliflower and 28 weeks - Chinese cabbage...according to our doctor's visit, though, Baby Boy is 2 lbs 11 oz and Baby Girl is 2 lb 13 oz. I can't believe how close they are getting to three pounds!
Doctor's Appointment Update: We had a 28 week growth scan and doctor's visit - everything continues to look really good. The babies are developing really well and all my stats look good, too. I will say that ultrasounds later in pregnancy are far less 'cute'...particularly with twins. I have to actively look at the screen and try to figure out what it is that I'm looking at. It's just a jumble of body parts floating around in there to me. Plus, both babies are now being camera-shy so we don't even get to see their faces. Harumph. The only bit of bad news is that the doctor told us that the off and on bleeding I've had does indicate a higher chance of pre-term labor...that makes me a little nervous. And is also good incentive for getting sh*t done around here. :)
Because of the craziness of the last two weeks (and admittedly, our less than stellar impression of the first class), we've missed sessions 2 and 3 of our birthing class. We plan to go back this week for the final class, which includes the hospital tour and then decide if we need to look somewhere else for supplemental classes. I know we're looking at a breastfeeding class for sure and potentially a newborn care class. You know, assuming we can find time for all of this. :)
Cravings: Pumpkin...anything. But that really has nothing to do with pregnancy and everything to do with glorious, glorious fall.
Sleep: I basically only have one side that I can sleep on anymore. Baby Girl's head is jammed up into my ribs on the right side (I spoke too soon in a previous post about her moving...really, she just substituted one body part for another). And I managed to pull a muscle on the same side. I am a mess. So, left side it is. I am writing this at 4AM having been up since about 3AM...
Nursery Update: Nick has worked on painting some furniture and I finally started semi-organizing stuff. Luckily, my mom and dad are coming over this weekend to help me organize. I feel a little overwhelmed by all the gear...particularly when you account for the fact that we have two of many, many things. And today I am picking up the curtains and crib bedding, so I'm super excited to see how that looks.
Symptoms: Things are better on this front - at least for my feet, which have randomly stopped swelling for the most part. It's pretty much just lack of sleep and the general discomfort of carrying around a bowling ball under my shirt. I did finally invest in a pregnancy support band...anything that involves standing for long periods of time was getting difficult with the weight of the belly. It looks sort of ridiculous, but it does help...and it means that I can get back in the kitchen. That was becoming increasingly difficult. I'm also having a few contractions here and there. I mean, I think they're contractions - I'm not entirely sure.
Fetal Movement: They are all over the place in there...I feel like my uterus is a night club and the babies want to dance all the time. The movement is much more pronounced and you can see my stomach move as they do...particularly in the case of Baby Girl, who does a lot of butt-shaking. Hopefully they inherit their father's dance moves and not mine.
What I'm Looking Forward To Next Week: Just hanging out at home and getting caught up with stuff. I need some quiet.
Best Moments of the Weeks: So many! We've been blessed to have so many people in our lives want to share this special time and we were honored to have the opportunity to celebrate with many friends and family in the last couple of weeks. I am humbled by all the love and support and sweet gestures. And of course, there's the cake. :) More showers = more cake!!
- My BF Jenni threw the sweetest shower...she and I share a deep-seated philosophy that the two best parts of a meal are appetizers and desserts, so the food certainly didn't disappoint. :) And she and her sister got all crafty with lots of beautiful poms and some awesome personalized onesies. AND she made cream cheese mints that are to die for...sigh. Nick had never had cream cheese mints before and now he's hooked. :) We got lots of teeny-tiny Mizzou gear at this shower, so here's hoping that our football team figures out what they are doing for the 2013 season.
- A group of former and current co-workers put together an adorable Very Hungry Caterpillar themed shower...complete with caterpillar cupcakes. And egg rolls. Because none of our get-togethers are complete without Vince's egg rolls. This shower wins the award for latest night out...I don't think I got home until midnight, which is pretty impressive for a girl who routinely is attempting to sleep by 9pm. Or 8pm. Or sometimes, 7pm.
- Another group of friends threw a rainbow themed shower. I'll have to share the pictures separately once I get them, but they pretty much went all out Pinterest. :) They also win the award for making me cry within 5 minutes of arrival - here's why. I knew the theme was rainbows as soon as I walked in, but my dear friend Amber asked me if I understood why. I couldn't come up with an answer right away and she started telling me that it was because of all the rainbows I had seen during our most recent IVF cycle and how we had seen them as good-luck signs. Cue the sobs...these girls had this shower planned for a loooooooong time.
A few pictures...
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Me and grandma-to-be![/caption][caption id="attachment_459" align="aligncenter" width="225"]
Sweet friends and special guest star, Lydia[/caption][caption id="attachment_457" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
The hostess and I...and the cake...and the cream cheese mints.[/caption][caption id="attachment_455" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
More adorable onesies![/caption][caption id="attachment_456" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
And....more adorable Mizzou stuff![/caption][caption id="attachment_460" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Very Hungry Caterpillar Cake[/caption][caption id="attachment_461" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
(Not So) Very Hungry Co-Workers...we just stuffed ourselves before this picture.[/caption]Special Thanks To: Everyone for their notes, calls, texts, emails, etc sending our family good thoughts after my grandma passed.
What I Want The Babies To Know This Week: (Or more accurately, what I want the babies to know about their Great Grandma Ruth this week.)
From the time I was about three until I was 11, I spent my time before and after school and during the summers at Grandma's house. This week, I was thinking about things that I learned from her during that time and thought that I should document them for you here, for posterity's sake.
- A love of cats (well, all animals really) - somewhat begrudging at times, but it was there nonetheless
- Everything tastes better made with butter...or lard. And made on a cast iron skillet.
- It is perfectly acceptable to hide from door to door salesmen.
- Waste not, want not.
- Spoil the children in your life with attention and love, not things.
- Days of Our Lives was the greatest soap opera of all time; about this, there can be no argument.
- There is no limit to the amount of potatoes you can serve in one meal - mashed, fried, French fried, salad...the more potatoes, the merrier.
- Hard work is good for the soul.
- If you don't know what to say, a simple "Well..." will always suffice.
- If your coffee doesn't make your hair stand on end, it's not strong enough.
- Line dried clothes always smell better.
- There is never a wrong time for pie.
- When life hands you challenges, accept them gracefully.
Goodbye, Grandma Ruth - we will all miss you dearly!
The part about your granny made me tear up, However I'm glad that she knew you were going to have your hands full with twins!
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