Twin Term!

 We have made it to 37 weeks which is considered term for twins. I'm hopeful that the girls will be good listeners and be content staying put until Monday... my doctor has a lot of experience with twins, so if I am able to make it until my induction date I will have her for sure. 

I had another Biophysical Profile today- the girls passed once again. They'll have one more BPP on Friday, and then we are done with appointments until induction day. 

23 weeks, when I though my belly was huge

37 weeks (measuring 50) when my belly actually is huge

How far along? 37 weeks

Total weight gain? Another 2 pounds- my doctor said that I am retaining some fluid (and holy smokes, I can tell that from the belly comparison picture that my face has definitely swollen a little bit... hopefully my cheek bones will reappear shortly after delivery!) The nurses have told me at each appointment that I'm all belly/all baby, but after seeing the photographic evidence of me now versus 14 weeks ago, I've determined that they are all a bunch of liars :)

 Maternity clothes? Yes- and only about 5 tops fit properly.

Stretch marks? No new ones.

Sleep? I'm awoken by my bladder about once every hour. Then I usually lay in bed for a few minutes and do a cost benefit analysis to determine if it is worth hoisting myself out of bed. I usually decide that it is worth getting up and the cycle repeats throughout the night. Thankfully in between bathroom breaks I sleep quite well.

 Miss anything? I haven't been able to do it for months, but I am looking forward to being able to bend at the waist again. 

Cravings? Milk and cookies and chocolate chip malts

Aversions? Not really.
       
Symptoms? Swelling is my only current symptom, however my blood pressure is still good, so the only thing it impacts is my vanity :)

36 weeks

Pretty soon we'll be able to start counting down in days versus weeks for the girls' arrival! I'm hoping the girls will be cooperative and wait until their induction date on the 4th to make their appearance... I really would like to have my regular doctor if at all possible.

On Tuesday we had an appointment with MFM. Baby A was measuring at 4lbs 15 ounces and Baby B was 6 lbs 6 ounces. The MFM wasn't particularly concerned with the growth discordance, but said it was something to keep an eye on, so until I deliver I will have biophysical profile (BPP) and cord doppler twice per week. The girls passed their first BPP/cord doppler today- one of the first signs of fetal distress is when they stop practice breathing, but thankfully Baby A was practice breathing during the entire exam.

How far along? 36 weeks

Total weight gain? Another 2 pounds (seriously- what happened to weight gain slowing down in the 3rd trimester?). Hopefully some of my weight gain will go right to Baby A- I would be thrilled if she could make it up to 5.5 pounds before she is born.

 Maternity clothes? Yes- my wardrobe options are quite limited these days. Oh well, shortly I will have a whole closet full of clothes that fit again. 

Stretch marks? A few, they really haven't gotten any worse.

Sleep? I'm usually up every hour or so (although last night I had a 3.5 hour stretch!) but for the most part I am able to fall back asleep quickly. I've found that it is actually good to wake up several times because if I don't get up and move around my back is extra sore the next morning.

 Miss anything? Not really- I was able to find a few pairs of lower heeled shoes in my closet so I was able to go a few days without my boring uggs.

Cravings? Most anything sweet- especially cookies (hmm... I wonder if that has something to do with my 3rd trimester weight gain...)     
 
Aversions? Not really.
       
Symptoms? I was pretty miserable on Tuesday- I didn't sleep well the night before, had a cold that made it pretty much impossible to eat (I couldn't chew and breath and the same time) and had a terrible backache. Justin had to work that night, but thankfully my dad had came to spend the night with me- it is a lot easier to be uncomfortable when someone is there to help take care of you! Luckily I was able to snap out of it by Wednesday- part of it was getting a good night's sleep and the other part was just having a positive attitude... I told myself that I won't be pregnant much longer and I could choose to whine about every little ailment or I could choose enjoy my final week and a half of pregnancy. I'm hopeful that my positive attitude philosophy will work and I'll continue to feel great until the girls arrive.

35 Weeks

We are coming into the home stretch! My induction is scheduled for February 4th- the girls could always have plans of their own, but I'm hoping they listen and make it all the way to 38 weeks.

Justin and I had Lamaze yesterday and today- we didn't learn anything too earth-shattering, but it was a good experience to have. The main takeaway that Justin learned was that we should keep towels in our vehicles in case my water breaks unexpected. I learned that I should get lots of backrubs/massages during labor.... and the instructor mentioned practicing the massage techniques everyday- sounds like a good plan to me :)

How far along? 35 weeks

Total weight gain? Up 3 pounds- but at my appointment last week I was down 2, so I think some of it is just fluctuations versus true weight gain. I should be able to keep my weight gain within the recommended range (or at least within 5 pounds of it).

 Maternity clothes? Yes... and some of the shirts are getting a tad short

 Stretch marks? A few, and they really aren't too bad... just some little pink spots around my belly button.

Sleep? Not the best lately- the itchiness has been keeping me awake. I usually fall asleep for 1-2 hours, then wake up with a really strong urge to scratch and am awake for 30 minutes to an hour. Oh well, it will be good practice for when the girls need to be up every 2 hours for feedings.

 Miss anything? My high heels! It has been extra icy lately, and at Justin's urging I have traded in my heels for uggs. Although I have a few pairs that are in the 3 inch range, so depending on the weather I might be able to get a few more wears out of my cute shoes.

Cravings? Oreos and milk.
    
Aversions? Not really.
       
Symptoms? Still have the lovely PUPPPS- it was horrendous the beginning of this week, but has gotten a bit better. The last couple of days I have told myself that I cannot scratch, and I think that has helped quite a bit. Another good comfort measure is to use ice packs on the itchiest areas. As long as I wear cotton clothing and don't get overheated it is fairly manageable. I mainly struggle at work- I have a shared office and the other ladies like having the room warm (which I usually love- our building tends to be on the frigid side). Thankfully the heating system is terrible, so the temperature seems to vary a good 10 degrees or so depending on what part of the building I'm in. Several of my co-workers have jobs that take them out of the office quite a bit, so when I am feeling way too warm and itchy I find projects to work on outside of my office.

my bags are packed...

... but I'm not ready to go quite yet- every night I tell the girls to stay put until their induction date at 38 weeks... hopefully they will be good listeners!

I started packing my hospital bag around 24 weeks, but just finalized it this evening. I am a chronic over-packer, so for me the best strategy was having multiple bags:

The blue bag is my main hospital bag that I will take along when I get admitted. It has a robe, nursing bras/tanks, a couple of t shirts, some comfy pants, a stretchy headband, open cardigans, the baby books (it has a spot for footprints), pajamas, a garbage bag (Justin is really particular about dirty and clean clothes going into the same bag, and I figure that after delivery my clothes might be truly dirty instead of just slightly worn), and an eye mask (ooh, I guess I need to remember to throw in my slippers too). A lot of my co-workers have said that they stayed in their hospital gown the entire time, but I plan on changing into pants and a t shirt or pajamas right after I'm able to shower.

The black bag with the zippers is the girls' diaper bag. I plan on leaving that in the car until after delivery. The bag has burp cloths (so we can have something with their scent to bring to the dogs), their going home outfit (plus one other outfit just in case) and some cute swaddle blankets. The hospital strongly encourages rooming in, so I figure when they are in the room with us I might want to take some pictures and use my pretty blankets instead of the hospital issued ones.

The bag behind the diaper bag is my toiletry bag- it will have my make-up, hair products, and a few personal care items in case I prefer my own to the hospital's. The toiletry bag will hang out in the car until I'm ready to shower (hopefully we get a good parking spot- Justin will be having quite a few trips to the car!).

Next to the toiletry bag is my "just in case" bag. It has another set of pajamas, a pair of jeans (wishful thinking, but they fit well into my pregnancy... so depending on how much I shrink I might be able to wear them), nursing tops, an extra open cardigan, and a few more tees. This will stay in the car and only come in if I end up hating everything I packed in my main hospital bag... like I said, I like to have options!

Then I have the boppy- this will also stay in the car until I need it. I've heard that the hospital will provide a boppy, so I might not need to use it at all.

Not pictured is my pillow- again, this will hang out in the car until after delivery. Justin has said that the hospital pillows are disgusting and super uncomfortable, so I'm sure I will appreciate having my own.

I think I should be prepared for my hospital stay- if not Justin can always go home to fetch more stuff :) I'm also hoping that my multiple bag strategy will prevent eye rolls from the nursing staff... I'm only bringing in what I really need at first (which is a good plan because my dr. said the room will be very crowded- there will be lots of medical professionals in the room!), the rest won't appear after delivery when I'm settled into the room I'll be staying in for the duration of my stay.

34 weeks

Only 4 weeks to go! We are hoping for healthy twins that make it to term. Unless I go into labor on my own earlier, my doctor will schedule an induction for sometime between 38-39 weeks. I have Lamaze class this weekend- due to a scheduling mix up Justin has to work, so my mom will go with me. The instructor left a message today and the class sounds like quite the production- I need to bring lotion, 2 pillows, and wear comfy clothes. I'm starting to plan my outfit... I think I'll probably just wear maternity jeans/leggings and a maternity top... I'm guessing I'll get weird looks if I wear heels, so I suppose I'll just have to suck it up and wear my ugg-type boots (even during pregnancy I maintain my stance that tennis shoes should only be worn in a few select situations... primarily for working out).

34 week belly measuring 44 weeks

How far along? 34 weeks

Total weight gain? I was actually down 2 pounds at my appointment today... which probably means I'll have a magical 4-5 pound gain at my next appointment. The nurse never announces my weight, so while we are weighting for the Dr. to come in, I give Justin the run down. When I told him that I was down 2 pounds his immediate response was "oh, well I better take you to Cherry Berry tonight"... do I have Husband of the Year material or what?

 Maternity clothes? Yup

 Stretch marks? Unfortunately yes, and I don't think I'll know the full extent of the damage until after the girls are here, as I was diagnosed with PUPPP (more on that later) so I think (hope) they look worse than they actually are.

Sleep? Still good! I'm glad that I'm able to fall back asleep easily.

 Miss anything? I still miss my wedding ring- especially with Lamaze coming up, my mom and I both look young for our age, so I might appear to be a little bit teen mom-ish.

Cravings? Any sort of baked good with milk... Justin is making brownies right now!
    
Aversions? Nope, although I would rather have snacks over real food.
       
Symptoms? PUPPP- which is an awesome belly rash that feels like poison ivy/chicken pox and doesn't go away until after delivery. My Dr. told me that it was in the beginning stages, so I'm a worried about what it might feel like in a few weeks. My doctor was really surprised that I had it, apparently PUPPP is pretty rare, and 70% of the cases are in women who are pregnant with boys. Oh well, I've been lucky to have a relatively complication free pregnancy and so far the itchiness is manageable- I just need to keep busy and use my benadryl cream.

painted toenails and crafty cousin

My big accomplishment today was painting my toenails... surprisingly, it wasn't as difficult as I had imagined it would be- especially since my belly is the size of someone who is 42+ weeks pregnant!

 I'm obsessed with having painted toenails on delivery day- I'm sure I'll have socks on for the big event, but I want to be prepared with pretty feet just in case. I figure since I have a base layer of polish on now, I can keep on adding to it as it chips, so my toenails will be ready at a moments notice.

I also have a fun project to share... my super talented cousin Amanda made this for me for Christmas:

It is a dish towel with the recipe for can't leave alone bars- one of my Grandma Verna's specialties (and my favorites). I always get the best presents from Amanda- when we were younger and the cousins drew names, I was super excited when we got each other (come to think of it we probably tried to convince Grandma to rig the name exchange a few times).

33 weeks

Everything is continuing to go well with the girls... I'm hoping that they stay put for about 5 more weeks! I tell the girls to stay put every single day, so hopefully they listen! I had a MFM appointment last Friday, and the girls were weighing in at 4 lbs 2 ounces and 4 lbs 11 ounces. They should gain about one pound every 2 weeks, so if we make it to 38 weeks they could weigh around 7 lbs each. Last night I had a dream that the girls weighed 8 pounds each... maybe I have inherited Grandma Verna's ability to predict the future with dreams (she was right about the babies being girls) and it is a sign of things to come! Even if the girls decide to make an early entrance we should be in good shape- my MFM had me get steroid shots to speed up lung development as a precautionary measure.

I always think that belly progression pics are fun:

13 weeks... I think this will be a good shirt to hide the postpartum pudge

23 weeks

33 weeks

How far along? 33 weeks

Total weight gain? My total weight gain is about 47 pounds. The range for twins is 37-54 pounds, so unless I have some major water retention or completely binge on oreos I should come pretty close to sticking within the recommended range. I'm really not a resolutioner, but I like to make yearly goals- my goal for this year is to exercise 3 times per week after the girls are here and I'm cleared for exercise... Jillian Michaels, I am ready for you!  

 Maternity clothes? Yes... although some days I am able to pull off an outfit sans maternity clothes.

 Stretch marks? Just around my belly button... I don't think I'll be able to completely assess the damage until after the girls are here, but they don't look too horrific.

Sleep? Still good! I'm glad that I'm able to fall back asleep easily.

 Miss anything? My wedding ring! I could cram it on, but I'm afraid of it getting stuck so I've been going without. I don't think I'm swelling... I suppose with a nearly 50 pound weight gain your fingers are bound to get a little chubby too.

Cravings? Cookies and milk! Maybe along with my goal of exercising 3 times per week I should add in have only one treat per day :)
    
Aversions? Nope, although food still doesn't sound that great. Thankfully I have a husband that keeps me well-fed.
       
Symptoms? My belly itches! I'm susceptible to dry skin, and I've added about 20 inches to the ol' belly (which means it has nearly doubled in size) so I think my skin is just being reactive.

crafty christmas

Christmas this year was filled with all sorts of fun crafts and projects- I even had a little bit of craftiness of my own. It started when my mom sent home a pair of baby shoes that had been mine (they were a gift from Grandma Helen and apparently are the shoes that started the addiction. I thought it would be cute to put on the Christmas tree. My mom saw how cute they looked and hunted for another frilly pair of shoes so the girls could each have a pair.

My next craft project was these ornaments. One of my favorite bloggers had a post on diy Christmas ornaments. I realized that I had a bunch of clear ornaments that I bought in college (I have no idea what possessed me to by clear ornaments... they are super boring and kind of ugly) and had vase filler left over from our wedding, so I combined the two and am quite pleased with the result. It is amazing how you can repurpose something that was destined for the goodwill pile.

Now on to my mom's craft projects. She sent me these cute ruffled dish towels back in November:

I love this mobile. I was inspired by one on etsy, showed the picture to my mom, and this is what she came up with:

 I might be biased, but I think this mobile is even cuter than the one I saw on etsy. I love the colors and fabrics she chose.

Then I decided I needed a diaper caddy of some sort. Originally I was going to do a wicker basket and have my mom line it with some fun fabric, but the basket I had been looking at was out of stock. That ended up being a good thing, because a recent pinterest visit had me pining over a fabric basket.... I made sure my mom saw the item I pinned, and soon after this appeared:

 This basket will be super handy, I plan on keeping diapers, wipes, and lotions/other changing products. It will be nice to have everything within reach.

After threatening to steal the girls' chevron quilts for myself, my mom volunteered to make me a quilt of my very own. I am really pleased with how it turned out. 

 I absolutely adore matryoshka dolls- so the backing my mom found is perfect. 

 Finally, I received this super cute pillow case... I mentioned that I needed a colored pillow case for in the hospital so I could bring my own pillow and not worry about it getting mixed up with the hospital's stuff.

It has definitely been fun to mention little craft projects to my mom and having them materialize the next time I see her (hmm... I think I still need pacifier pods)

I forgot to take a picture of one of my most favorite Christmas crafts, so watch for the awesome dish towel I received from my cousin Amanda in an upcoming post.