Sunday, September 28, 2008

17 weeks

Stats:
17 weeks
Starting Weight: 147
Weight: 157
Waist @ bellybutton: 38"
How big are the babies? Weigh 5 ozs, as much as a turnip

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Monday, September 22, 2008

Diapering Options

Ok, I thought I had my mind made up about diapering and now I am torn. Last year I was going to go cloth, then this year I decided to go disposable, only because I found some new diapers from Europe that are non-toxic and biodegradable (made from corn, not plastic). Now I'm thinking more about saving money and frankly, the corn industry is p*ssing me off. Have you seen the ads for High Fructose Corn Syrup lately that is paid for by the corn folks stating 'well, everything is good in moderation...it's as healthy as honey'. Grrrr...anyway, I digress.

Soooo...I'm researching cloth diapering again and may go with Bum Genius 3.0 cloth diapers, which are actually available at Target and Amazon.com, so I can register for them. Over a 1 1/2 year period, we could save over $1,000 per baby! Yes, that takes into account detergent costs and water and energy for washing them too. Of course it's all an estimation, but that's $2,000 for 1 1/2 years, and they probably will be in diapers longer than that. Not to mention that they can be reused for each baby going forward and get this...they actually have a decent resale value when i'm all done with them!

You can check them out at http://www.bumgenius.com/.

I know...when did I become such a hippie?

I've been kicked...

I just felt my first official kick! Who else but Baby A. :) So 4 weeks of flutters, whooshes and an occasional thump, and finally a kick. Yay!!

Sunday, September 21, 2008

16 weeks

Stats:
16 weeks
Starting Weight: 147
Weight: 155
Waist @ bellybutton: 37"
How big are the babies? Avocados

I grew a whole inch this week. Woo hoo!
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Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Am I crazy?

Ok, so we bought the nursery furniture. I can't believe we did it...it's so soon. Anxious me said 'what are you thinking?' but practical me said 'you have a coupon for $200 off and it's about to expire'. So practical me won. It's all supposed to be here in about two weeks and then it will take us forever to set it all up. I cleared out the majority of the nursery awhile back and I'm really glad I did because it's getting harder to lift stuff. I'm going to make Rob clean out all of the electronics and boxes that are still in there and then it will be all empty and ready for furniture...and babies!

Oh, so I felt a definite thump today. This was from Baby A, of course, who has been very active for weeks. Baby B is very mellow and doesn't move around as much. I wonder if their personalities will be like that too!

Sunday, September 14, 2008

15 weeks

Stats:
15 weeks
Starting Weight: 147
Weight: 154
Waist @ bellybutton: 36"
How big are the babies? Apples

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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Identical vs. Fraternal

Ok, I've had a lot of questions about the different kinds of twins, so I thought I would explain a little. I've learned alot about twins lately, so here you go.

Fraternal Twins
Fraternal twins are the result when two different eggs are fertilized by two different sperm. This leads to the development of two separate placentas, each with its own chorion and amnion.

Fraternal twins are more common than identical twins and account for about 2/3 of twin pregnancies.

Fraternal twins are more common when:
-there is a family history of twins
-the mother is 'older'
-the mother has had many previous pregnancies
-fertility treatments were used
-sometimes they just 'happen'

Identical Twins
Identical twins develop when a fertilized egg splits. Depending on when the split occurs will determine if the twins share a placenta, with either one or two chorions and amnions, or if they each develop their own placentas. In general, the later the split occurs, the more likely that the twins will share one placenta.

Identical twins are genetically identical, therefore, are always the same gender.

Identical twins are more commone when:
-Nothing! Identical twins are spontaneous and there is no research showing identical twins are linked to anything specific.

Our twins do have separate sacs, as you can clearly see in the ultrasounds pictures, but my doctor cannot definitively say whether they are fraternal or identical. Identical twins can either share a sac or have their own, depending on when they split. If we find out they are boy/girl twins, then we will definitely know they are fraternal. If they are boy/boy or girl/girl, we will never know unless we get a blood test after they are born to see if they are identical.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

The date is set...

Ok, so my 'big' ultrasound is set for October 3rd! Let's hope the babies are looking good and show the goods. :) I have a level II ultrasound with the perinatologist to make sure their anatomy looks good and that they are growing at the same rate. Then I have a check up with my OB after that.

We leave for our family reunion cruise down to Mexico on Monday the 6th, so I'm really glad they were able to get me in before we leave. Once we get back, we'll be creeping on 23 weeks and I'm going to be a mess. I may need to go in for weekly ultrasounds for a few weeks, just for a quick scan. I realize how insane that sounds, but with Makenna, at 21 weeks she looked perfect and at 23 weeks she was gone, so I know how fast things can change.

At least the babies are being nice to their mom and moving around like crazy. I'm only 14 weeks but have been feeling them for weeks now and it gets a little stronger each week. I've felt some really strong 'whooshes' (is that a word?) lately, but not quite kicks yet.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Appointment Update

So I think I had the worlds quickest ultrasound today. He spent about 5 seconds on each baby, just enough to see the heartbeats. I was hoping for a little more, but I'll take what I can get. I should find out the genders next appointment, which I'm hoping is in 3 weeks, but it hasn't been scheduled yet.

So when I talked to my dr about stopping work at 30 weeks, he reminded me that he is still recommending that I stop work at 20 weeks, and the only reason he is considering up to 30 weeks is because I work from home. He said it's up to me and if I really really want to keep working to 30 weeks, then he'll let me. So now I'm thinking that maybe I should go out a little sooner! Thanksgiving will be about 25 weeks, so that is a compromise. I guess I'll take it one day at a time.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

14 weeks

Stats:

14 weeks

Starting Weight: 147

Weight: 151

Waist @ bellybutton: 35.5"

How big are the babies? Lemons



14 weeks

Monday, September 1, 2008

Hypnobirthing

Ok, so I'm signing up for Hypnobirthing again, which I never got to do last time. I just had my first conference call this evening to meet the instructor and get more information and she seems really nice. The goal of hypnobirthing is to help you be in a relaxed state, which leads to a calmer pregnancy and birth...which is exactly what I need. I know some people don't like the word hypnosis, but it is really just when your brain is in a relaxed state, similar to when you are falling asleep...or when you are driving down the road and 'zone out' and can't remember driving the last few miles. Many people have misconceptions about this, but here is what I learned:
-No one 'hypnotizes' you...you put yourself into a state of hypnosis.
-You aren't in a zombie like state where people can make you do things you have no control over; you have free will.

For those of you that are still not comfortable with this, you can call it whatever you like. How about 'relaxation class'? That's really what it is. Although there is about a 50% chance that I will have a C-Section, I am going to do everything that I possibly can to avoid it. Statistically, people that use hypnobirthing have a much lower rate of C-section compared to the general population (12% vs. 30%) and I will take all the help I can get. I really want a vaginal birth with no drugs, and this will help me accomplish this. And if you still don't like it...well, you're not the one giving birth to twins, so please don't judge. :)

13 weeks

Stats:
13 weeks
Starting Weight: 147
Weight: 149
Waist @ bellybutton: 35"
How big are the babies? Shrimps

I'm finally in the second trimester!! My belly is still growing and I am trying to EAT as much as possible! I'm stuffing my face every few hours to try and gain the weight that I need to. I really didn't gain any weight last time and it worries me that it will happen again. If I don't gain enough, it could be very dangerous for the twins, so I am doing everything I can. I've only gained 2 pounds in the first trimester, which really isn't that much, so I hope it comes on quickly. How is it possible that I gain weight when I don't want to, but here I am trying to gain as much weight as I can and I've only put on 2 measly pounds. Are you kidding me? I know what you're thinking...it must be so cool to eat anything and everything. Yeah, it's not. I am not that hungry and have to force myself to eat every few hours. Bleh.

Belly Pic #1:
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Belly Pic #2:
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