Pictures!

imageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageimageMy sweet babes are one!!! Crazy how quickly this year has gone by! I’m a stay at home mom and somehow still have zero time to blog. This will probably be my last post for a while, and it will be mostly pictures. I will post from the past couple months, their birthday, and Easter. If you’re on Instagram I update frequently so you can follow me there if you care to see more of my sweet babes! My IG name is Lovejsokol. I’m also on Facebook, https://m.facebook.com/badassmotherunner?ref=bookmarks .

Both babies are doing great, have amazing personalities l, and are just super awesome! We don’t do bottles anymore, eat everything in site, and sleep through the night! Yay!

 

 

 

7 months

Well, it’s wayyyyyy past my bedtime so I’ll keep this unbelievably short. The babes are 7 months old. They’re growing like weeds, have amazing personalities, love to eat and laugh, and have major separation anxiety if I even look like I’m going to walk away from them. Tuck can sit on his own, goes from belly to sitting, and is basically crawling (although it looks more like scooting for now). Harper is behind on the crawling thing, and doesn’t get on all fours yet either. She does sit though. Bath time and tummy time is their favorite. They love crafts with mommy also. Ok, I know I’m missing a ton but my brain is fried haha. Here are some pics of these sweet angels.

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Plagiocephaly

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My sweet little Harper Olivia has a severe case of plagiocephaly, otherwise known as flat head. Her head isn’t flat though, just SUPER asymmetrical. She will wear a doc band for 23 hrs a day, for about 4 months. Boo! She doesn’t seem to mind though and as you can see, she rocks that helmet! We will get it vinyl wrapped soon, stay tuned!

6 months!

My sweet angels are 6 months old already! Half a year!!! Crazy how that happens! I suck at keeping up with my blog, sorry. In my downtime the last thing I feel like doing is sitting down typing, well anything other than my constant IG and FB posts. Haha! If you’re following/friends with me on social media then you have seen a trillion updates. 😉

Both babies are on solids, have been for over a month. Tuck started rolling over at 4 months and Harper started her first week into her 5th month I believe. I am a horrible mom, I don’t have a baby book or write anything down. I just jump up and down for joy when new things happen. I need to get better at milestone tracking. They both are trying to sit by themselves, Tuck is better than Harper at it. They are both moving, but not crawling. Baby gates will be up soon!

We have our 6 month appt. tomorrow and I am positive both babies are at least 18 lbs each, probably more. They are both in size 3 diapers, and wear 6-9 month clothes…sometimes even 9-12 month! They go down for bed at 6:30/7 pm, wake around 4:30/5 am for bottle and go right back to sleep until around 7:30/8 am. We recently got a 12 hr straight stretch which was awesome. They also take a 2 hr nap after lunch every day. Best thing I did was moving them into their own room and their own cribs!

Anyways, Tuck is being super fussy so I am just going to blow this post up with a bunch of pictures!

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Mama’s new ride!

Well I am officially a mini van mama! I tried so hard to avoid the day I drove a mini van but honestly I am now kicking myself in the ass for not doing it sooner! I had a beautiful 2014 Acura MDX and wanted so badly for it to work for my family of 6 but it was just not practical. Yesterday I traded it in for a 2015 Honda Odyssey. I got the Touring Elite because well shit, if I am gonna drive a van it’s going to be the nicest damn one out there! Hahaha! Thankfully the hubby agreed! So here is a pic of my new swagger wagon!

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I highly recommend it to all moms! It drives so smooth! The thing has a vacuum built in, an ice box, surround sound, navigation, blind spot indicators, 16″ TV/DVD combo with split screen capabilities, the 3rd row seating flips completely around so you can use it for tailgating/drive-in movies/etc., built in sun shades on 2nd and 3rd row, removable middle 2nd row seat to allow for captains chairs, hey…THE LIST GOES ON! My favorite thing though is the automatic sliding doors! Makes life sooooo much easier!!!! I am IN-LOVE with it!!!! Never say never, go test drive one and I promise you will fall in-love too!

2 months

11224228_10206690051000143_4522134579834721160_n My sweet babes are 2 months already (9 weeks today)!!! How did this happen?! Time is going way too fast! Things have been super crazy. Being a twin mom is a wild ride, that’s for sure. EXTREMELY worth it, but wild! My days all run together, I constantly smell like baby puke and also quite frequently BO. I do make sure I take a shower daily, although by the time I crawl in bed I’m usually pretty funky LOL. I’m lucky if I eat my first meal before 5:00 pm. I am surviving off coffee (usually cold by the time I drink it LOL), Diet Pepsi, and occasionally I squeeze a protein shake in if I am feeling “off” from the lack of food. Good news – I’ve lost almost 70 lbs haha. My hair gets washed once a week, on Sundays when my hubby is off, and I am constantly rocking a “mom bun”. So enough about me… These sweet babies are AMAZING! They have very different personalities. This picture pretty much sums them up, Tucker is super chill and Harper is a feisty little diva. 11006417_10206648291396179_2191841832573836509_n   Harper is smiling all the time. It is the most amazing thing. Tuck is still trying to get the hang of smiling and when he does do it, it melts my heart. They are the sweetest, cuddly babies ever. Both love to be held (main reason why I rarely eat or get much done LOL), which I have no problem doing. I have mastered holding both at the same time. I have also mastered tandem feeding. I highly recommend the Twin Z pillow for twin mamas. I decided to stop breastfeeding but this pillow is still super handy. I can put both babies in it and tandem feed. It is also great for just putting the babies in it to chill. I will sit in front of them and talk and play with them, and I also put them there in the mornings to watch Mickey Mouse Club. Yes, I let them watch TV this young. They love the colors and noises, and it allows me time to wash bottles from the night before. Speaking of bottles, I use Dr. Browns and holy parts! It is a mission washing the damn things. Well worth it because they help with gas, but danggggg! Back to the feeding pillow, I also have a single nursing pillow, that I obviously don’t use for nursing. It is super handy for tandem feeding as well. I will hold one baby and sit the other baby in the middle of the pillow and feed, usually when I’m on the couch. Or if I feed one at a time I use that. So my recommendation to other twin mamas is to get a twin pillow as well as a single, you will use both! Another great thing to have for feedings is the Aden & Anais burp/bib cloths. They are amazing! They’re huge! We go through a ton each day. It’s amazing how much laundry two tiny babies produces LOL. I literally do a load a day! Their 2 month check-up is next week so I have no clue how much they weigh or how long they are. I do know that two weeks ago Tuck was 10 lbs at his GI appt. He is a BIG boy! They’re both getting huge though. Already in three month clothes and size one diapers. Please time slow down!!! Sleep is still pretty much non-existent for me. The babies are eating 4 oz. every 3 hrs on the dot. We have had a couple nights they have gone 4, and once they went 5! VERY rare though! I was doing feedings on my own every night but it was just too much so now I wake my hubby. We can usually get both fed and diapers changed in about 25 minutes. We have a pretty strict nightly routine. I do baths between 6-7 every night depending on when their last feeding was. They hate baths by the way! Some nights they do OK but quite often they cry through it, especially Harper! Also the lotion afterwards, oh man, Harper screams bloody murder haha! I am hoping they will like them once they’re older. Usually between 8:30-9:30 is their next feeding and immediately after that they go down to sleep whether or not they’re awake or not. They never fuss, they go right to sleep which is awesome. We still swaddle them every night because they love it. We were using the Aden & Anais swaddle blankets but found that the Swaddle Me wraps are way easier and quicker so we loaded up on those things. Before I go to bed I make sure all my bottles are prepped up until their 7/8:00 am feeding. Makes life so much easier. Both are on formula. Tuck gets Nutramigen because he has had so many tummy issues. He has reflux and also gets spasms of the colon. He takes Prevacid for the reflux and Levsin for the spasms. Between the formula and the meds, and also keeping him at a constant incline, even while sleeping, we have noticed a difference. His GI DR says he should start to outgrow the two around 6 months. Harper is on Gentlease which she does fine on. A lot of things have just been trial and error with the babies. For instance the bottles, we originally bought Avent, then switched to Tommy Tippee, and are now on Dr. Browns. Also the swings, we bought two Mamaroos and Tuck doesn’t really care for it so we had to go buy a regular swing for him. Harper loves it though. We switched diaper bags as well. I originally bought the Ju Ju Be Be Prepared bag because it was highly recommended for twins. It is a pain in the ass! It’s huge, and so hard to find stuff in it. It is now sitting in the closet collecting dust. I will use it for travel. I bought a backpack diaper bag and LOVE it! So easy and I love carrying a backpack as opposed to a huge diaper bag. The most important thing I have realized is to have a routine, probably the ex Army in me LOL. It is hard with twins, and it isn’t exact, but it helps. Every morning after our 7/8:00 am feed we always change diapers, change outfits, and head out to the living room. I open all the curtains and make it bright and somewhat noisy. We have play time, swing time, nap time, etc. At night is the only time we go in the room, and we make it very quiet and dark. I think this has played a huge part in them going right to sleep at night. I also try and take them on walks every day. I bought an awesome double jogging stroller and they love it. I don’t jog yet, and may never again LOL, but it is great for walks too. I had my 6 week pp appointment and all was well. I have lost about 70 lbs, still have a ways to go due to a big gain pre-pregnancy. The DR was impressed though and didn’t even recognize me when I was walking down the hall. 🙂 I do have a hernia from pregnancy that can only be corrected with surgery. It sucks because you can see it and it makes my stomach look big and pointy. I have to wait a year to correct it. Boo!!! I am still a little tender but the DR says thats normal. I am also super gassy since having the twins. It is really weird. I am hoping that goes away eventually, I am sure my husband hopes so too!

I must admit I kind of feel like Superwoman. For the most part I do everything on my own. Although my hubby has cut back somewhat on how much he works, he still works a lot. He went from 75 hrs a week to about 60. We have zero family around and all of my friends are in FL. I have days where I just sit and cry right along with the babies. Taking care of 4 kids, 2 of which are babies, is hard but it’s also very empowering. I feel like a badass haha! At the end of the day, all of the chaos is so unbelievably worth it. I cannot imagine a life any different.

Well, I am amazed I was able to write this with very few breaks. I must go now though and try to squeeze in a quick shower! I will try and be better about updating, but as you can imagine it is super hard to sit at a computer with two babes! I apologize for the randomness of this post. I tried to keep it organized, and to have it make as much sense as possible but honestly my brain is much these days LOL. Much love! xo 10385563_10206664676885806_4389476430361838190_n11013617_10206626256845329_7848679339593872432_n10622853_10206677829694618_2923233906874212448_n11127755_10206683700001372_8544242346420513997_ncry

A few pics…

Hello everyone! I have been meaning to post but twin mom life keeps me SUPER busy! I just wanted to post a few pics of my beautiful peanuts. I don’t have time to write much because I can hear the babes stirring right now. They are doing wonderfully and constantly changing. I cannot believe it’s been 5 weeks since I had them! Crazy! Time is flying! Anyways, here they are…

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I included a couple from their photo shoot, which turned out AMAZING! I will post more from the shoot as soon as I have time. Ok, back to babies! Hope everyone is well. 😉 Much love! xo

3 weeks and some change…

Hi all! My little peanuts are three weeks and some change at this point. Both are doing fabulous! They are the SWEETEST babies ever!!! They only cry when they are hungry or wet. They both have the best personalities and are so laid back. We are truly blessed!

So in a nutshell the past three weeks has flown by! I blame the majority of that on Harper’s NICU stay. Going back and forth to the hospital every day made things go by really fast. Then we had our parents in town for a week, which was amazing. I cried for days after they left.

I started off breastfeeding/pumping but long story short it was too much for me and rather than stress out about it, I stopped. The first two weeks though they got almost exclusively breastmilk, mostly by bottle. Neither seemed interested in latching, which was a huge deciding factor in me quitting. Feeding, then pumping was extremely stressful. So they are both on Enfamil Gentle ease which is working out pretty good. Tucker seems pretty uncomfortable a lot, grunts often, not sure why but will definitely mention at their next appt. It may be formula related. We originally had them on Enfamil high calorie for preemies, then went to Similac for fussiness/gas/etc. and now are on the Gentle ease. If the DR thinks the grunts are formula related I will probably try a lactose free formula. My older two were lactose intolerant. They both are taking 2-3 oz every 2-3 hrs and had a great weight gain at their 2 week appt.

Not much else really to report. They keep me so busy but I love every minute of it!! I am exhausted, and am lucky to squeeze in 2 meals a day but wow is it worth it to see their sweet faces! I will try and update as much as I can, but it is hard to make time for this blog. I am on FB, and post on there constantly, so if you want you can friend me on there…Jessica Sokol. Until next time, much love!! xoxo

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Update

Hi there! Just a super quick update until I can sit down and think enough to write a full post. My beautiful loves were born 3/24/15 at 7:18 am and 7:19 am, my boy first. Tucker Nathaniel weighed 6 lb 7 oz, 19″ and Harper Olivia was 5 lb 15 oz, 19″. Both so beautiful!

Long story short, Tucker was fine and healthy but my sweet girl had to be trauma hawked to Dell Children’s Hospital bc she was having breathing issues. She had been in the NICU a little over a week. It has been heartbreaking, especially the night she was flown out. I will write more about details of everything soon. Good news is she is coming home today!! I am so excited!

Ok, have to go for now, I’m almost done pumping. Here is a pic of my super sweet babies.

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35 weeks

I am 35 weeks, 1 day today. My body has finally hit a point where it is hard to even stand at all, even if for a few seconds. My thighs down to my feet are extremely swollen so putting pressure on that is just plain hard. My pelvis feels like it is going to crack open at any minute, even when sitting. Things are getting tough for sure!

I actually ended up in the hospital…again! Sunday, my 6 yr wedding anniversary I started having regular, painful contractions, about 3 min apart. I waited a little over an hour to go in to make sure they didn’t stop. Once I got there they hooked me up and indeed I was cranking out some pretty strong contractions. At that point I was 34 weeks, 5 days, past the point of them stopping labor. They checked my cervix and I was still a 1, which is what I was 2 weeks prior when I was in the hospital. They couldn’t do an FFN because I had sex that morning and apparently that will give you a false positive. The DR on call didn’t want to give me meds to stop contractions, but didn’t want to deliver me either, she also didn’t want to let me leave because of the fact I am at risk for uterine rupture due to my previous myomectomy. Sooooo she kept me overnight. It was awful, I got zero sleep because the babies were so active they kept losing their heartbeats on the monitors so the nurse literally pulled up a chair and sat by my bed ALL night to play with the monitors and make sure she could find babies. They gave me an Ambien and three rounds of pain meds (over a few hours), and I still couldn’t sleep. Finally at 7:00 am my DR showed up and released me because my contractions had slowed on their own. I went in the next day (yesterday) for my 35 week exam, babies passed their BPP again…yay!! My girl (baby B) is transverse again and now my boy (baby A) is breech. It doesn’t matter because I am getting a section but I must say, their movements are from every angle now and they HURT!!! I saw the DR, he examined me, still at a 1. He decided to go ahead and bump my c-section up a week because of all the contractions I have been having. So this upcoming Tuesday, 3/24, I will be meeting my sweet babies!!!!! I cried all day yesterday thinking about it. I know these next few days will go fast. I am beyond excited!!! I have my Pre-admission testing Monday morning and then Tuesday I need to be at L & D by 5:00 a.m., and at 7:00 a.m. is my section. I am nervous about the surgery but the excitement overrides that big time!

As for how I feel, I pretty much stated that above. I am miserable. My belly feels like it is literally going to rip open any minute. It is so tight and just keeps growing. My body aches, especially the lower half that has all of the swelling. My bowels are loose, and I am having about 4 bowel movements a day. Awesome considering I can barely freaking wipe. Heartburn is still present. I still pee allll the time. Sleep sucks again but I am always tired. I walk extremely slow because of the pain. But hey, I don’t give a shit anymore because I know it’ll be over in just a few short days and the rewards I am getting are very well worth it. So bring it on!

Here is my big ol’ bump! Just when I think it cannot possibly get bigger, it does!

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Next post will be all about my peanuts!!! xo

34 weeks

34 weeks, 2 days. WOW! I am so close I can taste it. I just cannot believe that in less than 3 weeks I will meet my two miracles. Amazing. After all the struggle, the years of emotional and physical pain, FINALLY our sweet babies will be in our arms. I am just so glad we never gave up hope. It saddens me to read about so many other women still struggling for their miracle baby, all I can say is you’re all in my prayers and do NOT give up.

Here are a couple bump pics. Yes, I am in my undergarments in one pic…who cares?! At least I’m not naked! LOL. I have no shame in my bare belly. Baby bumps are BEAUTIFUL! 🙂

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I have dropped even more from last week. This bump is getting crazy big!!!! In the pic where I am laying in bed (dreading the painful “roll over” to get out of bed) you can see my bump literally just lays on my lap haha! I have also gotten stretch marks…BOO!!!!! You can’t see them in the pics because they are on the front of my belly, and rather light. They are definitely there though! Oh well, shit, I have earned my mama stripes and will embrace them! I will also continue to douse myself in Bio Oil haha!

I had my 34 week appt. and the DR congratulated me on getting to this point. This is a major milestone. From this point on if I go into labor they will not stop it. So I could literally have these babies any day. CRAZY!!! Mine and the babies bags have been packed for some time. My hubby will install the car seats this weekend and we will officially be ready!!! Back to the appt., both babies looked great! They passed their BPP with flying colors once again. Baby girl showed us her foot, and it is pretty big! LOL! Also, the u/s tech was laughing because she has soooo much hair! It was literally sticking straight up! Baby boy has hair also but not as much as her. He was pretty hard to see, well, they both were actually. The tech told us they would get harder to see the farther along we got. I have not gained any weight. Crazy because the past 2 months I have really only gained I think 2 pounds. I gained a few, lost a few, and have had weeks where I just stay the same.

Symptoms are the same really. Carpal tunnel is still pretty much gone. Yay!!! Joints are not as achy as before. Double yay!!!  It does hurt getting out of bed, but only because of all of the weight and pressure in my belly. It is pretty painful rolling over and getting out of bed. I have to sit up for at least a minute and let everything settle down in my uterus. Sleep is OK. Still pee a lot. My hemorrhoid seems to have disappeared as well. Triple yay!! I have been soaking like crazy in Epsom salts, I really think that is what helped the most. Still having heartburn but Zantac 75 knocks it out in about 15 minutes, that stuff is awesome. I have been extremely hungry lately, I am assuming the babes are going through a growth spurt. I am eating like crazy but not gaining, so they must be taking it in right?? No cravings at all, just food, lots of it. I do have a TON of pressure down low. They have dropped and man do I feel it!! Their kicks and movements are really strong now. Sometimes one of them will move and my whole body literally shakes from side to side. It is so funny!!!

Well, that is pretty much it. We have our next appt. at 35 weeks, next week. I will post then! xo

 

 

33 weeks

Today I am 33 weeks, 3 days! It is crazy, I am so close to meeting my little lovies. Once I get to 34 weeks (this upcoming Tuesday) if I go into labor my DR will not take any measures to stop things. So literally any day these babies could come!! Bags are packed and ready to go!

Here is my latest bump pic…this thing is getting big! I am so proud though. I am growing 2 humans, it is hard, and this big bump is the vessel that is carrying these babies to good health!

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I have managed to avoid stretch marks which is amazing because my stomach was pretty flat pre-pregnancy and is now HUGE. I still have about 3 1/2 weeks though and from what I have seen most ladies get them after 34 weeks. If I get them I get them. I will not stress over it. I will embrace the mommy stripes! 🙂

So, some weird things have taken place this week. My carpal tunnel is almost completely gone. It’s really weird. I don’t need my brace anymore and almost all tingling is gone in my fingers. I still have some mild swelling but the pain is gone. No complaints here! Also getting out of bed is still hard but now it’s just because of how large my stomach is. My hip pain is almost gone, as well as the knee and ankle pain. I still have a slight sciatica pain I notice at night when I get up to use the restroom but it’s very minimal. So crazy because as of last week I was miserable any time I needed to get out of bed, I mean almost in tears! I am  thinking maybe it’s because both babies have dropped significantly and are both head down. It must have something to do with it. In place of that pain though I got freaking hemorrhoids! Never in my life have I had them and I wouldn’t wish them on anyone. It SUCKS!!!! They just popped up about 3 days ago, and ouch. I have tried Tucks pads, tea tree oil, coconut oil…no relief. I plan to try Prep H tonight, sending hubby on another drug store run. What is confusing to me is how this even happened. I have had literally zero constipation throughout this pregnancy. I am extremely regular and never need to strain. In fact the past week and a half I have been having very loose stools, up to 4 times a day. I do feel an extreme amount of pressure now that the babies are head down and have dropped so that must be the cause. I thought hemorrhoids came from straining though. I plan to discuss this with my DR because I truly am shocked. Back to the pressure, it is unreal. When I walk I literally feel like my vagina is going to split open. They are so low right now and I feel every bit of it. Not to mention I don’t get light kicks anymore, they are full on stretching, punching, kicking. It rocks my whole body! Other things going on are just still constant peeing, even more so now because of how they are situated. I am also ALWAYS hungry. I just can’t eat enough this past week. It is ridiculous! My hubby has made 2 grocery trips this week haha! Poor guy! He is so good though because he checks to make sure I have my favorite things and as soon as I get low he goes to the store. God I love that man. Heartburn is still present. It’s not bad but annoying. I take Zantac 75 though and within 30 minutes it’s gone. My sleep is much better lately, I am guessing bc my hip pain stopped. The pain was so bad before it would wake me up. So yay for that! I still get BH but very randomly. They are super strong when I get them but so sporadic, which is good, especially after last weekends scare!

So yea, that’s about it on news to report. Oh yea, and we decided to go with Nathaniel as a middle name for our boy. If you read my last post I was super annoyed that we may have to use a J name to please a family member. Hubby and I talked and agreed that we will use a name that WE LOVE. So it’s settled. Harper Olivia is our girl and Tucker Nathaniel is our boy! 🙂

 

32 week scare

Well I had quite a scare this past Saturday. Around 11:00 a.m. I started having some pretty intense contractions. They started out pretty regular but spaced out to about 8 min apart. As the day went on they got stronger, more painful, and closer together. I made sure I drank a ton of water and I went in my room to lay on my left side. Well about 4:00 they were pretty intense and laying down did nothing. I called the nurse line for my DR office and the on call DR advised me to go straight to L & D. Once I got there they hooked me up to the machines and saw I was having regular contractions every 3 min. They gave me an IV with fluids and checked my cervix, I was dilated to a one, which was new bc I have been very “closed and tight” according to my DR. They informed me I would be getting steroids to help develop the babies lungs in case of delivery. Ok, this is when the waterworks start. I was terrified of delivery especially since I know if delivered at my hospital before 34 weeks they can’t stay there, they have to be moved to a level 3 NICU hospital. The nurse assured me that if I wasn’t progressing too fast they would be able to transport me either via ambulance or helicopter to a level 3 NICU hospital to deliver. OK, I felt somewhat better. I got the steroid shot. They checked me a few times and regardless of the fact that the contractions were getting stronger, my cervix was doing nothing. I got a an FFN, which was negative. They gave me Stadol for pain and Zofran for nausea. The Stadol put me on my ass. I was instantly relaxed, and the pain was gone. Still felt the pressure of the contractions but no pain. After laying there for a while doped up on that crazy med they decided to give me Procardia to stop the contractions, along with two ambien so I could sleep once I got home and then they sent me on my way. I got home and was a total wack job. My hubby recorded me because I was in another world. I have never taken Ambien or Stadol and apparently it made me a completely different person. YIKES. The next day (yesterday) I woke up feeling like I had a hangover but with no contractions or pain. Last night I had to go back and get my second dose of steroids. So yay, success that all has stopped and we are back in business for our goal of cooking these babies for hopefully 4 more weeks.

In another news, today I had my 33 week appt. (I am 32 weeks 6 days today) and all looked GREAT! This was the start of weekly Biophysical Profile ultrasounds. Both babies have to score an 8, and they both passed with flying colors! They look to see if they can breath on their own, which they did and it was SO cool to watch. Then they look at their heart rates, count their movements, check amniotic fluid level, check to see if their stomach is full with amniotic fluid, and that their bladder is also. She checked a couple other things too, and all looked great!!! So I am very relieved. My baby girl is now head down like her brother but not completely because he is blocking her, obviously because he is the way. I figured she must have changed positions because I didn’t have as much pressure in my ribs and the movements felt different. It is definitely getting harder to make out their features because it’s getting so crowded in there but I was able to make out a few things and they both just look so cute. I cannot wait to meet them!

Ok, that’s all for now. I will update later in the week for my 33 weeks. 🙂

32 Weeks

I am 32 weeks, 3 days today!! Can’t believe the time is almost here!!!! 31 days to go!!! I am soooo excited!!!

I had my 32 week appt. on Monday and all went great! I saw my beautiful little babies but unfortunately didn’t get a picture because the printer was broken. My sweet little girl was opening and closing her eyes and mouth. They both have fattened up so much! Baby girls estimated weight is 4 lbs 3 oz and she is still transverse. Baby boy is estimated to weigh 4 lbs 10 oz (almost 5 lbs!!!) and he is head down. The DR was shocked at how big they are because they are truly growing at the same rate as a singleton. He said twins are usually in the 20-30th percentile, mine are over 50 percent! So hopefully I have some chunky babies. Also, the tech saw hair on both of their heads! I was hoping they would have hair, and they do. So cute!

My DR wanted me to go ahead and schedule my next 4 appointments, yes, that’s right, I only have 4 more appointments!!! 4 weeks, and then baby time! At my appointments I will have an ultrasound each time which will consist of a Biophysical profile of each baby. This measures their breathing, cord flow, heart rate, etc. They should each get a score of 8, if they don’t I will need to get an NST. I believe I will also start to get my cervix checked.

My next goal to reach is 34 weeks. Once I hit 34 weeks the babies are in the clear to stay at the hospital NICU I deliver at, if they need NICU. If I deliver before 34 weeks the babies would have to be transferred to a different hospital with a level 3 NICU, mine is level 2. My DR just delivered twins last week at 33 weeks, 5 days, and regardless of the fact they were healthy and breathing on their own they still had to be transferred due to the hospitals protocol. I do NOT want the babies going anywhere without me so I am definitely hoping they stay put for at least the next week and a half, hopefully they make it to week 37 though! At 34 weeks if I go into labor on my own my DR will not stop it. My hubby doesn’t want me to doing anything other than moving from bed to couch though so I don’t go into pre-term labor. Luckily I don’t need to do anything. He does all the grocery shopping and errands, as well as helps with the house. My daughter also just swept and steam cleaned my floors. I gotta just throw out there how awesome my hubby is. He works 75-80 hrs a week yet still makes sure the kids and I are taken of. He will work a 12 hr day, go get groceries, and get dinner if need be…and doesn’t complain about it. I am truly lucky.

As for how I feel, well I would compare it to being hit by a MAC truck. My body has really started hurting this week. It’s bad. My hips, knees, and legs/feet in general are just aching so bad. My sciatica is awful too, especially at night. It is absolutely excruciating. I may need to start sleeping in the living room on my reclining couch because it’s just easier to get on and off of. My jaw has also started hurting really bad making it difficult to eat. Not sure if that’s related to the cold weather or the pregnancy, but it sucks. Carpal tunnel still sucks pretty bad. My swelling has gotten worse and I am actually having swelling in my legs/ankles/feet. I just started wearing my compression socks again, which do help. I have been having some pretty bad headaches lately that will not go away. The DR gave me Fiorcet, which does nothing. My stomach literally feels like it is going to rip open because it is getting so big. I have been having a lot of pressure, and very intense contractions as well. Still no stretch marks though!!!! I did manage to lose 2 lbs though which was a shocker. My weight gain has definitely slowed. last month I only gained about 3 lbs I think, and I just lost back 2 so I may be at a plateau. I have also had some pretty bad heartburn and indigestion pop up. Needless to say, things are getting ROUGH!!!! It’s OK though, because my babies are growing and are healthy and that is seriously all that matters.

The nursery is finally done!!!

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That is a huge relief! It’s a small room but we managed to make it work!

The only the other thing we need to do is finalize our baby boy’s name. This is a HUGE annoyance to me right now. We decided on a name a few months back but now my husband is being made to feel guilty about not incorporating a “J” into the name for his grandmother, so he is changing the middle name. My husband is Jewish and apparently part of the religion is you add the first initial of a family member who has passed to your child’s name to honor them. Well, we decided for one we weren’t bringing any religious aspects into this as to avoid any fights. I am Christian so obviously there are some major differences. We also decided not to do family names, because then on my side it’s expected to be done, and I just want to pick names we love, not names out of obligation. Not to mention we already had a name, that we both LOVED. The middle name we love is Nathaniel, well he used to call his grandmother “Nan”, so he mentions using the N for “Nan” and honor her that way, which sounds great to me. He was told that won’t work, we have to honor her actual name. Seriously?! WTF! So now because he is being pressured and made to feel guilty, he wants to change the name to a J name (his grandma’s name is June), which we literally cannot agree on anything so will probably end up just using  J. I am livid. Beyond livid actually. Sure, it’s a middle name, who cares? Well, I do! My body has gone through the ringers the past 5-6 yrs, surgeries, procedures, miscarriages, medications, poking and prodding, this painful pregnancy, etc. you get the point. I shouldn’t have to settle on a damn name to please someone else that has had absolutely nothing to do with any of this! I know it will cause resentment and drive a wedge in certain relationships, it’s already causing tension between my husband and I. Why do people feel a need to chime in, and make people feel pressured? After all we went throught to have these babies we should get to name them whatever the fuck we want. OK, rant over.

Anyways, here is my bump!!! I have definitely dropped a bit!

32 weeks

 

Weeks 30 & 31

I am now 31 weeks 2 days prego with my little peanuts. I have been horrible about posting on here. Nothing much has changed in the past 2 weeks other than my belly growing! I did have my 30 week appointment which was rather uneventful. My belly measured in at a whopping 38 weeks!!! CRAZY!!! Both babies hearts were beating perfectly. I did have a cervix check because I had been having some intense contractions the day before and morning of my appt. Cervix is still loooong and closed up tight! Blood pressure was perfect and no protein in my urine, woo hoo!!! Here is a pic from 30 weeks…

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Symptoms are pretty much the same. I am definitely sore. My back isn’t really hurting much anymore, it’s mostly my hips, knees, ankles, and feet. My carpal tunnel is still awful. I pretty much have no feeling in my middle finger on my right hand. My DR says it should return within a few weeks after delivery. I am able to eat more without getting full so quick. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing haha. I have almost no cravings. The only thing I really ever want is fruit. I was obsessed with pineapple but now it’s oranges. I eat at least 2 a day. I still pee alllll the time. My sleep has improved though. I still wake throughout the night but I am able to fall back asleep. Weird dreams have come back. Holy shit, crazy crazy stuff haha! I have some days where the contractions are SO intense. DR says it’s normal. I got a belly support belt called the Prenatal Cradle. It is awesome! It helps my pelvic pain so much!!! The babies are still very active. I can tell they are getting much bigger because their movements are so strong! I love feeling them! Still no stretch marks, yay!!!! I load up with Bio Oil! Swelling is still bad in my wrists and fingers, I have started to notice it in my ankles and feet too. Hmmmm, that’s pretty much it! I have my next appt. (32 weeks) on Monday at which time we will see the babes, get a cervical measurement, babies weights, and fluid check. From that point on I go in weekly!!!!! So exciting!!!! In less than 6 weeks my sweet babies will be here!!!!!

Here is my 31 week bump pic…

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I will update again after my appt. next week! 🙂

29 weeks

I am halfway in to my 29th week, yay!!!! Not much to report, nothing new as far as symptoms or anything. All seems to be well. Both babies are very active, my appetite is fierce, my body hurts, I pee constantly, sleep comes and goes, and I am super lazy. My days consist of laying around the house watching TV and eating. It is seriously super boring but I am in too much pain to do much else. I enjoy just relaxing, it is a luxury I will enjoy while I can! Once the babes get here my days of relaxing will be over haha!

Here is the bump…

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I see my DR Monday and will update more Tuesday at week 30! 🙂

28 Weeks

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Today is my last day in my 28th week! Woo hoo! The pic above was this morning, very puffy eyed, I had literally just rolled out of bed! Bump looks the same as the last couple weeks to me but definitely feels heavier!

Had my 28 week appt. last week and it went great! We got another growth u/s and they were both very active, opening and closing their mouths, waving, kicking, it was so cute! My baby girl weighed 2lb 10 oz. and is still transverse, and my baby boy weighed 2lb 8oz. and is now in the breech position. The DR said they’re both in the 50th percentile, and each one is growing like a singleton (twins are usually smaller, 20-30th percentile he said). He was very impressed and thinks they will be great weights at birth! My cervix is nice and long between 4.7 and 5 cm, perfect! The best part about the appt., other than seeing my babies of course, is we got our c-section date!!!!! They will be here NEXT MONTH!!!! March 31st at 7:00 a.m. I will have my c-section!!!! I am soooo excited!!! It seems so real now and so close! I have two more 2 week appts. and then I move to every week (at my 32 week appt.) at which point I will also get weekly ultrasounds to monitor growth and amniotic fluid levels. I am just so excited and hope the time flies by! Here is their pic. 🙂

28 weeks

 

So what’s been going on? Well I got my free Medela breast pump from my insurance…so awesome! I literally got it within 5 days of me calling them! So glad I didn’t have to pay for it! Also the nursery is basically done. All that’s left is I need to spray paint some picture frames I bought and hang artwork I found. That is literally it! We are so ready!

I had been debating on trading in my SUV for a van but have decided not to. I bought my SUV when it first came out because I was IN-LOVE with the body style, and well everything about it, it’s a 2014 Acura MDX. I got it December 2013, way before I knew I would have twins. It does seat 7 and have 3rd row seat but once I got pregnant with the twins I just felt like it would be a pain in the ass for my 2 big kids to crawl in the 3rd row. I went and test drove the Honda Odyssey Touring Elite. It is so bad ass. It has a vacuum cleaner in it! I fell in-love with it, well, the idea of it. It was still a van and anyone that truly knows me knows I am so not a van person. I went back and forth and have ultimately decided to just make my SUV work. My daughter is almost 17 and will be getting her own car soon, my son can sit in between the twins. Worse case scenario if it’s a pain, I will suck it up and get the van.

How am I feeling? Well sleep SUCKS. I am extremely sore, uncomfortable, pee at least 6 times a night, my husband has started snoring, and my baby boy is most active at night. Oh, and my carpal tunnel is horrible! Sleeping is definitely the worst. My hips, knees, and feet are just almost constantly in pain. My baby girl is pretty high up on my left side so my ribs constantly ache as well. I have been taking warm lavender epsom salt baths which help temporarily. I also followed a friends advice and put some rice and lavender oil in an old tube sock, I warm it in the microwave for about 3 minutes and put it on my back, shoulders, wherever the pain is. It helps tremendously! Still out of breath VERY easily, and have become a very heavy breather. It is exhausting. Other than that it’s really just the same ol’ stuff. Nothing new. Still a lot of movement. I am able to eat more now that baby boy is breech and not transverse anymore. But everything else is the same.

A while back I was told by my DR not to do the grocery shopping anymore so my hubby has been taking a list and on his days off getting the groceries (he is the best). Well yesterday we were out and about and decided to just run by the store. I totally got one of those power carts and rode it around with him while he shopped. Haha! No shame in my game!

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That’s it for now! Next appt. is next Monday, just before 30 weeks, just to check heartbeats, BP, urine, you know all the boring stuff. 🙂

Weeks 26 & 27

As of today I am 27 weeks and 4 days. I skipped week 26 so I will just combine the two.

Week 26 I had my DR appt., and I got to drink my lovely glucose drink. It actually wasn’t that bad, and I passed with flying colors. I also had some blood work done to see if I was anemic, and I am not. Yay. Babies and I are in perfect health! Just for fun my DR measured my fundal height and I was measuring at 33 weeks! Wow! My belly is big!!! I also got my Tdap shot at my appt., OUCH. My bruise is just now going away, almost 2 weeks later! It hurt getting it and hurt after for about a week. Glad it’s over with.

We did our Labor & Delivery tour during week 26 as well. I loved it. I love our hospital, and all of the staff. I got to see the area where I will be taken for my c-section, the area I will go for a couple hours post delivery, and also the room I will stay in for my 3 day hospital stay. All are very nice. The nurse explained the whole process to me and was very comforting when I told her I am terrified of the c-section. She said each baby will have their own nurse. There is no nursery so both babies will stay in the room with me, which I love. She also said that God forbid the babies have to stay in NICU I get my own suite for their entire stay. That is really awesome. Obviously I do not want them in the NICU but it is very reassuring to know that if they are there I can be with them. I see a lot of women being discharged after 3 days and having to leave their babies. That would be so hard.

Here is my 26 week TWIN bump! It is HUGE but I am super proud of this bump!!!! Looks like I may be getting an outie in the very near future!!!

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Here it is at 27 weeks, not much difference other than it looks higher to me.

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As far as symptoms, I will just combine both weeks because they’re both the same. I burp A LOT! It is uncontrollable sometimes, it just comes out whenever and wherever. I even burp in my sleep! My carpal tunnel is really bad and painful so I try to wear my brace as much as possible, especially when I sleep. My hips and joints hurt often, especially when I get up from laying down or sitting for a while. I still pee non-stop! I drink a gallon of water a day and have two over 2 lb babies jumping on my bladder so I am sure you can imagine! I am really tired lately and have been even napping during the day. Insomnia at night is still very much there. It sucks. My mood is pretty good though. I am getting more and more excited. We finished all of shopping last weekend and are officially ready for these babies!! I am so damn excited!!!! They will be here no later than March 31st!!!!

Next appt. is at 28 weeks, next Wednesday. We will get to see the babies and get another growth scan at that time. I cannot wait! 🙂

25 weeks

25 weeks! Well, 25 weeks, 1 day technically. I only have about 10-12 weeks to go!! I hope it goes fast. I am getting so anxious. Everything is ready for the babes arrival, I even packed their diaper bag today. 🙂 I am just so excited!! We do our Labor & Delivery tour next Friday!

Nothing much has changed since my last post, just bigger and more uncomfortable. Here is a funny pic I took in bed last night…

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Haha! I will post a side bump pic sometime this week. I am actually not referring to it as a “bump” anymore, it is now called a “mountain”.

How do I feel? HUNGRY!!!! I am so f’in hungry alllllll the time!!!!! I don’t know if it’s because I am home all day or what but damn, I just can’t get enough. I am eating smaller meals but all the time. My newest craving is croissants. So bad, but so good. I have had 2 today already! Other than constant eat mode, I am just growing more and more each day. My stomach is super tight, uncomfortable, and at times feels like it may split in half. I have been getting a lot of pressure down low so I am thinking baby boy may have changed positions. I feel them kicking all the time, stronger and stronger each day. I just love it so much. My hubby loves it also. My kiddos think it’s weird and don’t particularly want to feel the movements, in fact my son straight up said, “It’s weird, I do not want to feel it.” LOL.

No other news really to report. I feel as though the only change in my symptoms will just be that I get bigger and bigger, and hungrier and hungrier. I still pee constantly, at least once an hour, no lie. Some nights I sleep good, others I don’t. I’m still using my brace for the carpal tunnel. Hips and legs still hurt. Boobs are HUGE. My areolas are like mini freaking pancakes, and have turned brown! My hubby thinks it’s hilarious, I think it’s gross. I already told him I am getting another boob job as soon as the babes are off the tit. Still no stretch marks on the belly (thank God). My belly button is definitely looking like it’s going to pop out very soon, not looking forward to that. Outies freak me out! I get out of breath just from talking, I can only imagine that will get worse. I can’t be on my feet too long bc my whole body starts to ache so bad. Putting on pants, socks, shoes, has all become rather difficult. Trying to shave is quite comical and bc I can’t see my lady part, I just shave all that shit off, and I do it blindly LOL. I have cut myself twice but I’m getting better haha. I only shave my legs every two weeks, right before my pedicures. If it wasn’t for the fact I don’t want my nail tech rubbing hairy legs I probably wouldn’t shave them at all!

OK, my bed is calling my name. I will update again in a week! xoxo

24 weeks!

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I have made it to 24 weeks! Up above is my big ol’ bump! This is a pretty big milestone in pregnancy as the odds for babys survival is up to 50%. Obviously I want to go at least another 12 weeks with my babes! I had my 24 week appt. on Wednesday and everything looks great with the peanuts! My girl weighs 1 lb 5 oz, and my boy is 1 lb 7 oz, both measuring right at about 24 weeks. It was amazing to see on the u/s how much chunkier their faces have gotten! Baby boy was facing down so I didn’t get to see him very much but I got to see baby girl moving her arms around and opening and closing her mouth. It was so cool! Both babies are transverse (sideways), with their heads opposite of each other. Here are a few pics…

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Baby boy looks like he is smiling in the bottom right picture, it’s kind of freaky!

DR said all is great. She still wants me to take it easy and recommended I do an online class, read some books, and do some yoga at home. She wants me to keep my mind busy. I am a worrier, and a very anxious person so sitting idle is definitely not healthy for me. Not working, and not being able to clean or shop, and not being in school anymore has gotten me a little down in the dumps. Not to mention my body HURTS, which could be from inactivity. She thinks the yoga will help with the aches and pains, as well as center me. She recommended a free site called http://www.doyogawithme.com/ . She only wants me doing prenatal yoga and they have some videos on there, under 20 minutes which is perfect. I plan to start Monday when the kids go back to school. If I attempt now in the living room, my son will laugh at me I just know it LOL. Other than that she has me coming back in two weeks at which time I will go ahead and do my glucose test. It is usually done at 28 weeks but she said I am fine to go ahead and do it. Yay me.

Symptoms are the same. I hurt…a lot. It is all in my legs, feet, and hips. At night is the worst while I am trying to sleep. My insomnia has also come back which really sucks. I have a ton of pressure in my lady area as well, unfortunately my DR said that will only get worse. I told her it feels like my vagina is going to literally split open at times, once again I was told it will only get worse. Oh joy. Eating big meals is almost impossible these days. I get so sick and uncomfortable afterwards! It’s hard though because I am so damn hungry! Other than just being downright uncomfortable everything really is fine. Babies move all the time and are getting stronger by the day. I have avoided stretch marks…so far. My skin is clear, I poop regularly, swelling is a little better with brace and compression stockings, I mean things are really smooth so far. Fingers crossed it stays this way!!

Well that’s all I got for now. Next DR appt. is in 2 weeks, next growth scan is in 4 weeks. Hope everyone is having a great New Year so far! Much love!

23 weeks

23 weeks and holding strong! I did have a scare the day after Christmas. I was taking down my Christmas decorations and doing some cleaning, went to the bathroom and saw a dime size blob of mucus. I ignored that blob, but about 30 minutes later, I peed again and there was about a half dollar size blob with a pink tinge to it. I freaked. I thought it was my mucus plug. I had already woken up with a crazy amount of swelling in my hands, wrists, feet, and legs which wasn’t going away so when this happened I decided to call my DR. She was actually on call at the hospital and told me to come straight to Labor & Delivery. I called my husband and he was home from work in about 15 minutes. I told him he didn’t have to come home, that I would call from hospital but he seemed equally as worried. I got to L & D, they put me in a gown, hooked me up to some monitors, and proceeded to do a bunch of tests. The babies both sounded good and were moving NON-STOP. I was having quite a bit of contractions which didn’t necessarily hurt, but wow, I felt A LOT of pressure with them. They tested me for amniotic fluid leak (negative), cervical length (4.7 which is really good), funneling (none), BV (negative), dilation (none), and then decided I was in no danger, and that whatever came out in the toilet was just a fluke and probably my body just cleansing itself. The DR said my contractions weren’t regular and that as long as there is no pain associated with them I shouldn’t be concerned. She did advise me that as of this point forward I need to stop cleaning, grocery shopping, being on my feet for long periods of time, etc. So now my poor hubby is tasked with getting groceries, he is out now getting them as I type. We are also considering getting a maid, which I was thinking of doing once I had the babies anyways. My big kids are helping, well my daughter is, but I would still like someone to come and truly clean. I am a freak about my house, especially the floors. :-/

Other than that crazy day everything is going great! Christmas was wonderful. We did all of our traditional Christmas Eve traditions, baked cookies, got Chinese food for dinner, my hubby is Jewish and usually gets it Christmas day but since being with me has moved it to the Eve. Then we drove around looking at Christmas lights, stopped at Starbucks for caramel apple cider (SOOOO GOOD), came home and put out cookies for Santa, then the kids opened one gift each. Christmas day we had our traditional Honeybaked ham, with all of the yummy sides, and just chilled watching movies. The kids were very happy with all of their gifts, as were my hubby and I. My main gift was a Sonos Play 5. I gotta say, I have always been a Bose fan in the past but this thing blows Bose out of the water. I LOVE music and this thing is AWESOME!!!! I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a simple stereo system! I also got a super cute shirt, here I am modeling it…

23 weeks

As far as pregnancy symptoms, I am just getting really uncomfortable. The babies are definitely growing, my belly is getting HUGE, babies kicks are getting very strong. No stretch marks and I pray I don’t get them!! Swelling is pretty bad. I bought some compression stockings and those seem to help a bit at night. I am also wearing a wrist brace for the carpal tunnel on my right wrist. My right side seems to be swelling much more than the left. I still pee all the time. I am sleeping better, well, I still get up every hour to pee, but I am able to fall back asleep right away most of the time which is nice. I am not able to eat huge meals without feeling sick, I guess my stomach just doesn’t have much room to expand. No other major changes, it’s just getting more and more painful.

I have my next appointment this upcoming Wednesday where I will get another growth scan of the babies. I cannot wait to see them and find out how much they weigh now! 🙂

I finished up most of my baby shopping yesterday so we are almost all set! I also ordered a Twingo baby carrier. I won’t be able to use it until they are able to hold up their heads on their own but I am so excited about it! It can be a double carrier or a single carrier, each carrier has a diaper bag built into it. It is awesome.

I hope everyone had a great holiday!!!!!!! Will update again after next appointment. 🙂

22 weeks!

I am now in my 22nd week. At times it feels as though time is moving so slow, and at other times I just can’t believe that in 15 weeks I will meet my little babes. I am so excited. I dream about them. I go in their nursery and fantasize about them. Ahhhh, I cannot wait!!!!!!

The bump continues to grow! Here is a shot from this morning…

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I am feeling them move like crazy. I am finally able to feel baby girl really moving, which is very reassuring. I had a DR appt. yesterday and all went well. I did have to get an FFN or something like that. I told my DR I have been having a lot of contractions (some painful), and although she said this is very normal, she still wanted to do a swab on me to see if I was at risk for labor within the next 2 weeks. I am still waiting on the results but when they measured my cervix it was at 5cm, which is really good! She said I should be fine. Blood pressure was great, urine was free of protein, babies heartbeats were good. Didn’t get growth u/s but did get a peek at baby boy’s hand and head while they measured my cervix. 🙂 I will get another growth u/s at next appt. in 2 weeks, New Years Eve. I had a 3d/4d ultrasound scheduled for the day before but decided not to go through with it. After researching on my own, and speaking with my DR I have come to the conclusion that there is just not enough information supporting these types of u/s as non-harmful. In fact one article says these types of u/s can cause heating of tissue which can create gas pockets and long-term effects. Yea, no thank you. I will wait until they’re born to see their sweet faces. I know tons of people get them and their babes are fine but I will not be selfish and risk any harm to them just so I can see a 3d image. Everything else at appt. went great. Babes and me are right on track.

As for symptoms, everything is the same as last week. I am getting more and more uncomfortable. It gets hard to breathe. Appetite is off the chain. I pee allllll the time. Boobs are HUGE! I have to wear a pad bc it’s like a constant running fountain down below (I know, TMI, but twin discharge is unreal). Movements excite me and are getting stronger. I get lightheaded often. Still have tingly/numb arms which my DR says is carpal tunnel. Apparently pregnant women are more apt to get this but as long as I get good return when I change my arm position, all is good.

I did make a couple more purchases. I FINALLY decided on a diaper bag, the Ju Ju Be “Be Prepared”. I was fighting with myself over style or practicality and the latter won. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this bag, especially for twins!!! So roomy, tons of compartments, and it’s cross shoulder so I can be hands free. Also it isn’t too feminine so hubby can rock it too if need be.

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Also I bought a couple of the Lionheart Slumber Bears. They are supposed to be awesome and replicate womb sounds to help baby sleep. I also heard they can help prevent SIDS so I was immediately sold.

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Nothing else much to report. Overall I feel great other than just petty normal pregnancy complaints. I am enjoying every minute of this pregnancy and do not want to rush anything. I want my little peanuts to cook for as long as possible!

21 Weeks

Today is my last day in my 21st week. This week has been a little rough. I am definitely starting to get more and more uncomfortable. Very short of breath. My legs/hips/feet hurt A LOT. I have been having quite a bit of Braxton Hicks. My arms are losing feeling at night, and get really tingly…so weird. I have been having a lot of dizziness and some crazy heart palpitations. I have also been seeing silver spots a lot. I see my DR Wednesday and plan to discuss all of these things with her. I am hoping there is nothing going on other than just normal body changes while growing 2 humans.

My belly is still growing rapidly, and I am feeling the babies move so much, especially the boy. I LOVE it! Here is my 21 week bump pic…
21 weeks

I finally bought a glider and ottoman. I am in-love with it. It was more than I wanted to spend, but soooooo worth it! I have it in my room right now because I get so uncomfortable at night, so I switch from bed to chair. I plan to keep it in my room for the first few months after the twins are born since they will be in our room anyways. I HIGHLY recommend all women get a glider…a GOOD one! You will be happy!! Here is my new obsession…
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I am steadily gaining weight, oh well. I don’t care LOL. I did take my rings off which I am bummed about. They still fit but when I wake in the morning and sometimes at night they just feel too snug for my liking so I decided to lock them away in the safe until they are comfy again. I feel weird being out and about though prego with no wedding rings LOL. I don’t know why but I do!

I continue to shop for these little peanuts. I LOVE buying baby clothes and items. It is so fun. I just got this adorable bloomer and headband set from Crew & Lu for baby girl. I am obsessed with it!!!
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I cannot wait to dress these little babes up!

Well that’s all for now. I will update after my DR appt. on Wednesday. Until then, much love! xo

20 week twin bump pic!

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Here’s my bump! This thing grows by the minute it feels like! Only 20 weeks and I look like I’m almost full term, LOL. I am loving it, even though I am getting super uncomfortable, I don’t mind. So glad my peanuts are healthy and growing! 🙂

20 Weeks

I am 20 weeks and feeling great! We had our 20 week anatomy scan a couple days ago and the twins look awesome! Baby girl is weighing in at 10 ounces, and baby boy at 12. He is now bigger than her, and gained 8 ounces in the past 4 weeks! They are both looking so big though on the ultrasound!

20 week babes

The DR has moved me to bi-weekly appts. so now I get to see my peanuts every 2 weeks! We will more than likely get our c-section date in February, and it will probably be the last week of March. Time is flying by!

We already have most everything we need for the babies. We really only have left some minor essentials, a breast pump, the baby monitor, and some nursery decorations. Between what we got as gifts and what I have been ordering, we are way ahead of the game! I am torn on the diaper bag though. I am between the Petunia Pickle Bottom Abundance backpack and the Ju Ju Be, Be Prepared diaper bag. Both are recommended for twins. I like the backpack better, but I am not into those prints…totally not my style! So I will probably end up going with the black Ju Ju Be. I just got their swings this week and they are so awesome! We decided to go with the 4moms Mamaroo. I wasn’t sold at first, as I like the old fashioned swings, but my hubby really loved these so I agreed. I have to admit, they are pretty awesome!

swings

I also ordered their first pair of moccs and they are so cute!!!! I have been ordering headwraps/headbands like crazy too! My favorite purchase is their Miracle Babies shirts. Here are a few pics…

moccs

headwraps

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As far as how I am feeling…pretty good actually. I still pee a million times a day and all through the night. My belly is getting HUGE (I will post a pic this week). I am hungry all the time! I have been sleeping during the day lately which is rare for me. My nausea has come back slightly, but nothing compared to first trimester! I have been feeling a ton of movement and I LOVE it!!! Last night my hubby was even able to feel the girl moving! It was awesome! So yea, not much new to report, other than just growing very quickly!!! 🙂

 

Underwater Maternity with the TWINS

Ok, so I got back the majority of my pics from my underwater photo shoot…they are amazing! I am so very glad I decided to go with Adam Opris. He is brilliant! Here are the pics. Still waiting on just a couple more. I was 16 weeks with the twins in these.

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18 weeks

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Well I am in my eighteenth week and overall feeling pretty good. I’m getting huge (as you can see above) and it gets uncomfortable but nothing I can’t handle. I actually love that my belly is getting big! Let’s me know my little twinkies are growing.

Symptoms are pretty much the same. I pee a lot, especially throughout the night. My appetite is huge now that the nausea is gone. I get super uncomfortable if I eat too much. I’m up 20 pounds already and honestly don’t give a shit! Haha! Normal twin pregnancy you should expect to gain 60…yikes! It is what it is. One new thing is that my skin has been really dry and my legs/hips have been hurting a lot. An old running injury has flared back up making it pretty painful to walk. Plan on talking to my DR about that. I don’t have any constipation which is super weird bc I had it really bad with my other 2 pregnancies. Maybe I’m eating better? Drinking more water? I’m not complaining though!

The babies movements are getting stronger! Best parts of my day is feeling them move. It is amazing! I just can’t wait for the full on rolls and kicks!

Something funny…my stomach is so big I can no longer shave my bikini area. Thank God for my hubby, he gets down on the floor of the shower and trims me up lol. I still have about 18.5 weeks to go. He will probably be shaving my whole body towards the end!

Nursery is getting packed with stuff! It needs to be organized big time. We have so much stuff already! Coming up with a theme for boy/girl is proving to be tough. I hate typical nurseries with typical bedding. I’m trying to just throw some stuff together and keep it pretty eclectic, which is definitely our style. Hopefully I can pull off something pretty dope!

Next appt is less than 2 weeks away! I cannot wait! That’s all for now! Xo

17 weeks

Well I am officially 17 weeks! My bump is getting BIG and I LOVE it!!! I am embracing every pound I gain. I am pregnant, with TWO babies, and I refuse to get caught up on a number on the scale. My DR says I am gaining just fine and I shouldn’t worry about a thing…so I’m not (anymore)! 🙂

I just got back from my trip home to Florida and it was so amazing! I got to see all of my friends and my parents, and eat all of my favorite foods. I had my baby shower, about 30 people came, and we got some of the most wonderful gifts!!!! Also a very good friend of mine brought over 3 HUGE boxes full of clothes in PERFECT condition from her boy and girl, size newborn to 12 months. Between that and the clothes we got from the shower we are set on clothes for a while! My parents are shipping all of my gifts home for me and the total weight came to 142 pounds!!!! CRAZY!!! But that gives you an idea of how much stuff we got! Not to mention gift cards and cash totaling $500 and when I got home there were 4 big boxes from Babies R’ Us and Target full of gifts that people had direct shipped to our house. We are so VERY thankful and appreciative! We really weren’t expecting that much but wow are we grateful!!! While I was in Florida my husband and son assembled both cribs. The nursery is actually starting to look like a nursery. It is so exciting!

As for how I am feeling, well, no complaints. My nausea is completely gone. I have a great appetite. Not really any food aversions anymore. I never really crave anything, other than food in general. I do get tired easily, short of breath, and my hips have been hurting a bit, but nothing major. So far everything is going great. I feel both babies move, still pretty light movements, but I know it is them. I listen to them on the doppler about once a week and can now immediately find both heartbeats, which I love. My next appointment, the 20 week, is December 2nd for their in-depth anatomy scan, which I will get a DVD of from my DR’s office. After that appointment I switch to every 2 weeks for my appts. That is exciting! I did get a call from my new DR while I was on vacation informing me that after she reviewed my notes from my fibroid removal surgery she has concluded I 100% will have to get a c-section due to the complexity of the surgery. I am bummed but it is what it is. It is the safest route. We will have plenty of family in town (I hope) to help out while I recover.

Well here is another shot from my underwater maternity photo shoot I had done in Florida. The photographer is AMAZING!!!! I am so glad I was able to do this shoot. 🙂

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Sneak peek…

Just a quick post to give a sneak peek from my underwater maternity shoot in FL. 16 weeks prego with little peanuts! It was really fun but super hard to do believe it or not! All I have so far is this pic and I am in-love with it!!! Can’t wait to see the rest!!! I will post a pregnancy update soon! image

16 weeks

Today I am 16 weeks!! It seems like just yesterday I found out I was pregnant! My bump is getting huge and I am gaining weight like crazy, which my DR says is good??!! I have seen two different DR’s and neither seem concerned at all with my gain, they say it is completely normal with twins. Speaking of DR’s we had our 16 week appt. today and everything looked great! We found out we are having a boy and a girl!!!! SOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!!

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Baby B is the girl and she is weighing 5 oz. already and measuring at 6 weeks 5 days, and baby A is weighing in at 4 oz. and measuring 6 weeks 2 days. We saw each babies brain and the cerebellum. We also saw the 4 chambers of each heart. Baby girl had a heart rate of 150 and baby boy had a heart rate of 146. It was amazing to see them! I am feeling them more too now, mostly at night when I lay down. I feel so blessed!

Tomorrow morning I leave for Florida for a week. I am having some bad anxiety. I have wanted to go home for so long, it has been 2 years. But now that the time has come, I am not overly excited. I get major anxiety when I am away from my husband. Strange I know but I hate being away from him. We can’t both go because someone has to stay and watch the kids. He went two weeks ago. I know I will have fun but ugh, I will miss him, my kids, my Tempurpedic, my house, my car. I am such a homebody so being away from everything freaks me out. On a good note I will see my parents, my friends, the ocean, all my favorite food spots, and I am having a baby shower which I am really excited about. Oh, and I am having my first maternity shoot, I will have another next trimester with my hubby and kids. I got extremely lucky and managed to book Adam Opris for an underwater maternity shoot. He is absolutely AMAZING! His work has been featured on news reports, magazines, and several other sources around the world. I literally just caught him before he has to leave for Antigua for a week and he is squeezing me in. I cannot wait! Here is a link to some of his work…

http://www.hlntv.com/slideshow/2014/10/21/maternity-photos-underwater-pregnancy

Here is his website…

http://www.adamoprisphoto.com/galleries/

As for how I am feeling, well, I am pretty good. I feel HUGE and tire easily. I get out of breath so quick, must be all the extra weight. I am my hungriest early in the day, by the time dinner comes I usually eat just to eat, not because I want to. I am constantly thirsty and pee allllll the time. I am back to about 6 times per night. I still have pretty bad insomnia. My nausea is almost completely gone though so I am sooo happy about that!!! My next appt. is in 4 weeks for my 20 week anatomy scan. This will be a very in depth ultrasound and they give us a DVD of it afterwards which is really cool! This is also going to be my last 4 week appt., after the 20 week I go to every 2 weeks, which means I get to see the babies every 2 weeks! 🙂

Well here are some bump pics, I was actually at the end of 15 weeks in these pics. My Mamagama shirt is awesome in my opinion, it totally fits my personality LOL.

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13 weeks

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Today is my last day in my 13th week! 13 week bump pic above! Tomorrow I officially enter the second trimester!! So exciting! Time is really zooming by.

Week 13 started off rocky. I had quite a bit of blood last week, I can’t remember which day exactly, Tuesday maybe. Anyways I ended up going to the ER, had a ton of blood drawn, a pelvic exam, followed by an U/S which all came back normal. Babies were moving a lot and right on track as far as growth. I was scared shitless and it took about 2 days for my eyes to “de-puff” from all the crying I did while waiting in the ER to hear “everything is ok”. No explanation on the blood, I spotted the next day, and then it was gone. No more blood. Seeing red is such a scary thing during pregnancy.

Otherwise everything is going good! My bump is getting big, so are my ass and hips. :-/ I can definitely feel movement every once in a while. It’s so cool because I can feel each one. Baby B is down low and baby A is up high. I don’t feel kicks or anything, more like rolling around. It’s crazy to think there are 2 little babes squirming around inside me. I LOVE it!!!!

We got our Harmony test results back today and both babies tested negative (very low risk) for genetic abnormalities. Yay!! Huge relief!

My nausea is wayyyy less now, thank goodness!! It still comes and goes but it has definitely decreased. I still don’t have any real big cravings. I love pepperoncinis though. I can eat them by the jar full. Breakfast is when I’m most hungry, it’s by far my favorite meal of the day. By the time dinner rolls around I’m just kind of blah.

I finally broke down and bought a pair of maternity jeans, only because that Belly Band is a pain in the ass. It constantly rolls up on me, and the rubberband trick is annoying too. I held off until 13 weeks, not bad. I mostly live in maxi dresses when I go out though. I love them! I just ordered a super cute one online for my baby shower. I cannot wait until it gets here. If I am home though, its sweats and tanks. I have bought a few maternity things, but mostly I just wear L sizes and make things work. I HATE maternity clothes.

Speaking of baby showers I decided to take a solo trip back home to Jupiter (FL) for a week. I go in 2 weeks. My mom and mother n law are throwing me a shower. I’m really excited. Mostly just to be back home,  but also to see all of my friends! Feels like forever! The hard part will be getting gifts back home…

So back to symptoms, yea, not much other than the above. Still have an awful time sleeping. My hips hurt when I lay on my side, but I can’t lay on my back. I bought a pregnancy pillow but it’s a pain in the ass so I don’t use it. I pee about 4-6 times a night, depends on my fluid intake for the day. I get pretty tired when I’m out and about. Yesterday I went to the mall and once we left I literally felt like I had ran a marathon. I was so sore! I keep telling myself I need to exercise every day, I mean I definitely have the time. I am just so lazy. I am really hoping for some energy now that I am going into the 2nd trimester.

I’m just so elated to be pregnant, and with two, I always say these aches and pains, and all the nausea is so worth it. I’ll take it all and then some in exchange for 2 healthy babies! It still feels like I am dreaming. I look in the nursery and see the cribs and all of the baby stuff and it brings the biggest smile to my face. I honestly doubted I would ever have another child, and now I am having two. Such a blessing.

My next appt. is 11/4, hopefully we find out sexes then…can’t wait!

11 & 12 weeks

Today I am officially 13 weeks! I thought this marked the beginning of the second trimester but there is conflicting info about that so I am going to say second tri starts at 14 weeks. Anyways, time is going pretty fast!!!

Week 11 was pretty uneventful. I was still pretty nauseous. That has been my biggest symptom throughout this pregnancy so far. No cravings, food still is just a means for survival and nourishment for babies, I have no pleasure in eating it. Bump picture below…

11

 

Week 12 sucked. Well, the start of it was awesome, but then it went downhill. I had my 12 week appointment and everything looked great! The babies are getting so big and they were moving around so much! Baby A was MUCH more active than baby B which was funny to see their personalities. My hubby took an awesome video with the both of them in it. It’s on my Facebook page but I don’t know how to upload it on here. It was so awesome though! So that was the good part of the week.

My son got SUPER sick last Monday night. He woke me up in the middle of the night, he had puked everywhere. I had to get my husband to clean it because of my nausea and aversions to smell. There was no way I could. My poor hubby. It gets cleaned up then about 2 hours later, my son had lost control of his bowels. You talk about a smell from fucking hell. I have never in my life smelled anything like it. I had to clean that one. I thought I would die. It continued all the way through the next day, he even lost control at the DR office and had to leave wearing a gown. Verdict was, he had a virus, it is contagious, disinfect everything. Thursday he was feeling better but I kept him home just to be sure. I cleaned the house top to bottom and prayed nobody else would get sick. Thursday night I woke in the middle of the night puking and shitting. I got it. My son went to school Friday and I stayed in bed all day thinking I was dying. I had a fever, chills, and body aches. My nausea was magnified by about 1000. I called my DR and they said more than likely I caught my sons virus. They prescribed me Phenergan and Zofran for the nausea. As sick as I was I just couldn’t bring myself to take either one. The nurse constantly assured me it was OK to take but I couldn’t do it. I thought about it being passed to my babies and decided to suffer. I mean I made it from week 4 to now with zero meds even though I would cry at night over how nauseous how I was. I mean my nausea was no joke. Non-stop, all day, every day. I just cannot bring myself to put something in my body that might harm the babies. I know, many women do and are fine! I am super paranoid though.

My husband waited on me hand and foot, well sort of. He came home on his lunch break with all the stuff needed for the BRAT diet & tons of Gatorade. Then when he got home from work he made sure I had everything I wanted and needed. He is the most awesome husband ever. By Sunday I was all better. I survived!!!! Thank God!!! I haven’t been that sick in years.

Other than that nothing new happened. Well actually, my peeing at night has gone down to about 4 times. My nausea is wayyyyyyy less than before…thank goodness!!! I still don’t crave anything really. Every once in a while I do but being the foodie I normally am, it’s weird that I just don’t care about food right now. I get full really fast too. Usually I can out-eat my hubby, not anymore. I wear only maternity clothes and sweats now. I can actually fit my “fat jeans” but they’re getting tight around the belly and I hate my Belly Band (constantly rolls up) so I think I will invest in some maternity jeans soon. Here is my 12 week bump…

12

Update on Progesterone

Well turns out my DR knows his shit after all. Duh, I knew this but I still get freaked out over every little thing! Anyways, I went in  yesterday to get my progesterone level and it went from a 16 last Thursday to a 24! Soooo I am super happy. I feel much better and relaxed now. Whew! And the best part of all, NO MORE CRINONE!!!! I hate that stuff with a passion.

My bump is growing FAST. Here I am 1 day shy of 11 weeks…

10.5 weeks

 

Other than that, not much to update. I have 7 days until my next appointment to see my little angels. I am really excited to see how much they have grown. I still feel the same physically. Nausea at night. No real cravings. Lazy as shit. Occasional headaches. Insomnia. Lots of pee. Acne like a teenage boy hitting puberty. Bigger boobs. Crazy blue veins all over. Big belly. 🙂

 

Progesterone

Well today I had my last blood draw to check my progesterone levels for my IVF clinic. Last week they stopped my Crinone completely. My level at the time was 30. Today they called me and told me my level was 16. Huge drop. The nurse said “Everything still looks good, your level is 16 and Dr. Silverberg only wants it above 15. You’re officially released from our office.” I was disappointed. 30 to 16 in a week?! That seems so drastic. Such a huge drop. I questioned it repeatedly and expressed I was nervous. It’s just over the minimum required. She said if it would make me feel better I can get labs again next week, which I plan to do Monday. I talked to my regular OB and he said he only requires it to be over a 10! That seems so low! I told him I’ve recently seen where others have levels over 40 and 50 and him and his nurse seemed shocked and said those numbers are way too high. Huh?! I’m so confused about the progesterone thing. I’m really nervous right now. I still have some Crinone left and I feel like just going ahead and cramming it up in me. But both of my Dr’s seem totally fine with where I’m at. This is the point in time I wish I had never googled or read others numbers so I could stop comparing myself to them! Ugh.

10 weeks

Today I am 10 weeks. I went in for a Doctor’s visit because I have been having some weird spotting/discharge since Sunday. My DR wanted to do an exam to rule out an infection. At the last minute he decided on me getting an ultrasound. I could barely contain my excitement. I had already been told when I made the appt. it would be for an exam only, no u/s. The ultrasound was AMAZING! It is so awesome how much the twins have grown in just 2 weeks!!!!! They really look like babies now!!!! I saw them moving around and one of them was moving their arms, it was seriously so cute!!! The only bummer was that my husband wasn’t there to see it. These are his first children and he wants to be a part of every single thing. I felt really bad but the tech did print out pictures of them for me to show. Here they are!

twins 10 weeks

Baby A is a side profile pic and baby B was looking right at us! I am seriously so in-love with these two little beans. They are both measuring right on track, Baby A is 10 weeks 2 days and baby B is 10 weeks 1 day. They are consistently always 1 day different. Baby A had a heart rate of 171 and baby B 162. Baby A actually looks like s/he has antennas in the picture. A friend that saw the pic I posted on Facebook pointed it out. No clue what the hell those things could be! Weird! I didn’t even notice it and honestly wish she wouldn’t have pointed it out.

As for how I am feeling, I have my moments. Tonight I am actually feeling good. Most nights I feel like crap. I am still having weird discharge but the DR literally cleaned me out today of all the built up Crinone so that could be the cause. It was so gross and I was so embarrassed as he was pulling out chunks. YUCK! I still don’t sleep well. I pee every hour, so a minimum of 24 times a day. I am not even kidding. I did buy a diffuser and some Lavender oil to see if it would help with sleep, it didn’t. It just gave me a headache. :-/ My appetite is unreal. I am always hungry and feel like I am going to get huge. Not just belly huge but fat gross huge. I give in to my cravings too much. I need to slow it down, or exercise, or both! My breasts are still pretty full and my nipples are tender. Not as bad as before though, or maybe I am getting used to it. I have been getting some acne on my chin and neck…gross. I have also been pretty stuffy but that may be due to the high pollen count lately. Overall I feel pretty good for someone that is growing 2 humans at once. 😉

 

9 weeks

Well I am now in my ninth week of pregnancy with the twins. It feels like time is moving soooo slow! I feel like I have been pregnant forever already! I am totally missing seeing my babies every week. I almost wish I had stayed with my RE longer so I could get my weekly visits. I don’t miss paying $550 a week though! I don’t have my next appt. until October 7, 2 1/2 weeks away. I wish there was some way to know if they are OK. I hate wondering. I did order an Angelsounds doppler, hopefully I can hear something with it. I hate that I am still so paranoid. Every time I go to the bathroom I check to see if there is blood when I wipe. I am constantly grabbing my boobs to make sure they are still sore. It sucks!

I did get taken completely off my meds this week. I went for labs Thursday and my Estradiol was over 2400, Progesterone was 30 (he wants it at least over 15). The nurse called and said I could stop my Crinone. I questioned it because I am only 9 weeks but she assured me that I am fine. They will check my levels next week just to make sure it is at least still above 15. In the past couple weeks my Progesterone level went from 17 one week to 32 the next, she said that is the sign that the placenta has kicked in, which is what he looks for. She also said not to compare myself to others who may have been on it longer. Every DR has different protocols, as well as every patient different issues. Soooo I will just accept it and pray they know what they’re talking about! (I am sure they do) 🙂

As far as how I am feeling, well I am at my best when I first wake up. I wake up with energy and a strong appetite. By around 3/4:00 every day I start to go downhill. I get super tired, SUPER nauseous, and usually get a headache. The nausea is intense and I have literally tried everything from ginger tea, raw ginger under my tongue, sea bands, ginger ale, crackers (yuck), Emetrol, you get the point, I have tried it all, nothing works. I did recently try lemonade with ice and it seems to help slightly, only temporarily though, after about an hour, nausea is back full force. It sucks because I am home all day by myself, feeling good, and then by the time the kids get home from school and my hubby from work, I feel like complete shit so it is hard to enjoy hanging out with them because I just want to force myself to sleep to avoid feeling sick.

I do have a few food aversions, chicken is number one…YUCK!!! The thought of it makes me sick! Meat in general is just kind of gross to me right now. Also onions, I usually love onions on everything, now I loathe them. Dairy also grosses me out. I am almost always craving carbs and salty foods. Sweets don’t really appeal to me at all. I could seriously eat Mexican food every day.

My boobs are HUGE, especially when I first wake up. They just feel super big and tight. They are very sore also. My stomach is getting HUGE too! I am totally already showing. I look 4 months pregnant. I have only gained about 3-4 pounds, in my ass and hips I think. :-/ Here is a belly shot…

9 weeks

Yes, I know, my mirror is dirty! I honestly don’t care lately. Usually my house is spotless but I have been slacking big time lately!

As far as other symptoms, I don’t really have any. Oh, I do pee a lot. I mean A LOT! I literally am up EVERY hour at night to pee, I don’t sleep good at all lately. I also pee at least once an hour during the day, sometimes more than that! Sooo annoying!

Other than all that, I feel great! I am just beyond the moon excited. We already ordered both cribs, we pick them up Sunday. We also bought both car seats. We bought a twin stroller to go with them but it is super bulky so I think we are going to return it and just get a double Snap n’ Go. I also ordered my diaper bag, super cute, looks like a purse. I love it!

I cannot wait until these little peanuts get here. I fantasize about them all the time. I also thank God constantly. I think about how much and how long we struggled to have a baby and now we are blessed with two. It is awesome. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!!

My first cycle vs. my second cycle

This post is basically just a journal of what I did differently my second IVF cycle. Obviously a major difference is that my first was fresh and second was frozen. After doing some research and speaking with my DR, it seems as though FET is actually more successful. My DR said he finds any excuse he can to do FET. With an FET your body has had time to calm down from retrieval and all the meds. Who knows if there is any difference, I only know what worked for me. Another major difference was I had 2 fibroids and some endometriosis removed prior to cycle 2 so my uterus was nice and clean! With my FET I also did assisted hatching. I really think this played a huge role in the success. I mean one of the embryos was halfway out when they put it in me! The other was starting to break out. The second cycle I also took two valium rather than one. I remember with my first cycle taking the one valium and still feeling very tense and anxious. I didn’t relax like I should have. So right before the second I asked for two valium, MUCH better! I was super relaxed all day and so was my uterus! A couple of other things are bedrest, for the first transfer immediately after Dr. Silverberg required me to lay down for 30 min before I could get dressed, well a few months later at my FET he said he had done further research and found that bedrest can actually be a bad thing. Something about the way the embryos rest on the uterine wall. He said if you’re going to sit or lie down, do it propped, not completely lying down. He was voted one of America’s top doctors this year so I tend to believe everything that comes out of his mouth LOL. I immediately got up after the transfer, peed, put in my crinone, got dressed, and left. Once we left we went to Snap Kitchen to pick up our weekly meals, went home and dropped them off, went to a movie, then went to an Open House, then dinner, then home. BUSY day! The days following were similar. 2 days after transfer I even went on a 2 mile walk. He said it gets your blood flowing which is what the embryos need. First transfer I pretty much stayed in bed every single day until my BFN. Speaking of the embies, I also immediately framed the picture of them this time. I put it on my nightstand and kissed it goodnight every single night (and still do). I bonded with them instantly. I believed this time. I was constantly positive and acting as if I was pregnant. The first time I was negative, constantly googling shit, swearing it didn’t work, just a real Debbie Downer. That shit isn’t healthy. I stayed off google 98% of the time and wow, mentally I felt much better! I also had no distractions this time. I don’t work so that isn’t an issue but last cycle I was in school full-time, so were my kids, this time both kids were with family in Florida (summer break) and I did not take any classes. No stress was just what I needed!!!! I just felt so relaxed this time. My DR puts so much emphasis on being stress-free and I agree it makes a huge difference. The only other thing I did differently was eat pineapple. Sure, it’s probably just an old wives tale, but hey, pineapple is f*cking delicious so why not?! I had 2 slices per day, up until 4 days after BFP.

Who knows what the real difference was this time. It could have been a combo of all these things, just one or two, or nothing but God’s plan, all I know is that both of my beautiful embryos took!

8 Weeks

It feels like forever since I have posted anything, in reality it has only been 2 weeks I think. I was super sick for a couple of weeks. Horrible nausea that made life miserable and constant diarrhea of all things. Thankfully the nausea has tapered off some, it is worse at night. The diarrhea is also gone thank God!!!! I can actually leave my house now.

I have had 4 ultrasounds so far to see my little peanuts! It has been awesome to watch them grow week by week. Week 6 we heard the heartbeats for the first time and every week since their little hearts have beaten faster. At 7 weeks they were 142/150. Here is their pic…
twins 7 weeks

Week 7 was the last week with my fertility DR. It was bittersweet. I was so sad not to have him as my DR anymore but I was really excited to start going to my regular OB and get acquainted with that office and staff. I cried when I pulled away from Dr. Silverberg’s office. Ahhh, pregnancy hormones!

I have not been fully released yet. They will continue to monitor my estradiol and progesterone. I am down to one estradiol pill per day, still doing crinone 2 a day…yuck! My number needs to be at a 30 to get off I believe they said, last week it was 17. I will probably be on it for another 4 weeks or so. I get labs every week to monitor.

Week 8 DR visit was awesome. I went to my regular OB who is literally 5 minuted from my house and his office is connected to the hospital I will deliver at. BEAUTIFUL office! Everyone was super friendly. I love my DR and my nurse. The u/s tech was awesome too. She did the longest u/s just letting us see our babies from every angle. Their heartbeats were 158/176. I will get u/s at every appt since I am pregnant with twins (yay!!!). Once I got in with the DR it was basically just a Q & A session, no vag exam bc I am loaded with crinone. He reiterated the no deli meat thing, said I could have 1 cup of coffee a day, I can exercise but should wear heart monitor and not let my heart rate get over 140. He also said I basically just need to make it to 34 weeks with the twins, after 34 weeks he will not stop labor. He doesn’t think I will go into labor early though bc I have had 2 successful full term babies. He did say he usually takes twins out at 37 weeks, which would be April 1st! I will continue to see him every 4 weeks until I get further along, and then that will increase. Here are the peanuts at 8 weeks…

twins 8 weeks

Right now they are the size of raspberries. My stomach feels like they are the size of melons though! I feel huge already. I am constantly hungry, even when I am nauseous! My boobs are huge and I pee literally every hour, even at night when I should be sleeping. It all seems so surreal. 2 babies inside me. 3 hearts beating in me. I am pregnant. After years of struggle, pain, heart break, anxiety, you name it. I am pregnant. I just feel so blessed.

I do feel sad at times too. I read about other women still struggling. It breaks my heart. I still pray for all of you! Much Love! xoxo

6 weeks

Today the most amazing thing happened…we heard both of our little babes hearts beating! It was so beautiful. Baby A was at 109, baby B was at 115. Dr. Silverberg didn’t even think we would be able to hear anything this early but we heard and saw it! I am beyond happy and already so in-love with them both. image

As far as how I’m feeling, well it’s up and down. At times I feel super pregnant, sick, and tired. Other times I’m ok. Last week was really rough. Non-stop nausea and diarrhea. Plus I was having the worst insomnia. I’m sleeping like a log now, well a log that gets up about 6 times a night to pee. 🙂 Don’t really have any specific cravings. Well actually I do, an Italian sub from Jimmy Johns, but DR says no cold cuts!! He did give the OK to have small amounts of chocolate occasionally and an Earl Grey tea every once in a while also. Super excited about that!

I have just been taking it easy, relaxing. It feels good. No stress! I decided not to take classes this semester, or for a while actually. I will put off school. We decided I will stay home with the babies for a few years. I’m so excited about this. I don’t want to miss a thing with them!

My HCG is at 77,000 as of today so I don’t have to get that drawn anymore. I get to go down to 2 Estradiol a day, rather than 3. Still doing Crinone 2x a day for a while. I will see the Dr every week. I’m excited about weekly visits bc I get to see the peanuts but the appts are $430 each time. Ouch! It will all be worth it!

It almost feels like I’m dreaming. I’m feeling so blessed and grateful right now.

TWINNING!!!!!!!

Soooooo I went in for a beta today because I have been having some horrendous diarrhea (sorry for the TMI) and a little pain on my right side that has lasted a few days. My 4th beta was 13,463!!!! Dr. Silverberg asked me to come in for an ultrasound to make sure everything is OK. Welllll, we saw two healthy looking sacs!!! We are having twins!!!!! I am so freaking excited!!!!!!! We are due 4/22/2015. We go back next week for another ultrasound. I cannot believe I am growing two small humans in me. I am just ecstatic. I love them both so much already. Here is our u/s pic…

Sokol Twins!

And here is our announcement we made on Facebook a couple days ago (yes, we announced before our u/s), and as you can see our family and friends are VERY happy for us!!!

Sokol Anncmt

Well that’s all for now! Soooooo happy!!!!!!!!

(12dp5dt) Because I’m impatient…

Ok so this morning I went and had my blood drawn again. My nausea isn’t as strong as it was a few days ago so I got paranoid. Once you’ve had a miscarriage, it totally screws with you. Plus I have all kinds of pressure and weird feelings down below. I just had to know and there was no way I could wait until next Wednesday. I got the OK to get the draw (they must think I’m nuts). Just got the call and my number went from 766 on Wednesday to 2414 today!!! I’m so excited and feeling much more comfortable and confident that this is a healthy pregnancy. Whew, sigh of relief. I’m so worn out from waiting for that call, I’m going to take a nap!

10dp5dt

Just got beta number 2 and it more than doubled! 🙂 We went from 303 to 766! So excited, I just pray that it continues to go this way. Now I have to wait a week to get another HCG drawn. How will I survive??!! I was hoping to get another Friday but they said I’m good. So now I wait…again.

As far as how I’ve been feeling, well, it’s up and down. My breasts are definitely feeling fuller but the tenderness comes and goes. It freaks me out when it goes. I’m like, “Oh shit, I need to feel pregnant! I need sore boobs and nausea!” Lol. I’m actually nauseous A LOT, especially at night it seems. I stocked up on ginger ale. I’ve had headaches that come and go as well. My sleep has been wacky, I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and be up for hours. My mind is racing. It’s the excitement and anxiety I think. I have been relaxing a lot, it feels good just to watch TV and read books with no distractions. I’m just so darn excited and anxious for our first ultrasound, the week of the 25th!! 🙂

My blog

I originally thought that once I got pregnant I would stop posting on this blog, create a “pregnancy” blog, and leave the link for anyone that may want to follow me. I have decided not to do so. This whole thing is a journey. My journey. It is all linked together, and I want to keep it together. There is light at the end of the rainbow. I understand people will unfollow me because I’m now pregnant, and that’s ok. I have no idea how many followers I have anyways to be honest. I was there. I unfollowed probably everyone that was pregnant after my failed cycle. Not because I wasn’t happy for them, but because I was hurting and seeing those posts was a constant reminder as to why I was hurting. So to those of you that feel the need to unfollow me, I understand and I am truly rooting for you. This is a gut wrenching process. Hell, I’m not even out of the woods yet (but I’m optimistic). For those that stay on board, thanks! 🙂

Much Love. Xo

My magic number…

Three posts in one day…I’m on a roll. Anyways, just got the call and my magic number is 303!!!! My nurse said they only look for a 50 at 9dp5dt, and mine is 303 at 8dp5dt! She said it’s a beautiful number! Could be twins!! 😉 I go back in 48 hrs to check again. Hopefully good news! Ok, I’m done for the day. Xo

I’m PREGNANT!!!

 

So I’m trying to be a good girl and wait right? Keeping myself busy. I was cleaning under my bathroom sink. I found an HPT. I tried so hard not to do it but I just had to!!! Immediately it showed I was pregnant! I’m headed to lab now for beta. Praying for a good number and that it stays good!!!!

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8dp5dt

I have one more day to go. The suspense is killing me. I mean, I feel pregnant, 100%. But of course…I could be wrong. It is definitely a different feeling than my last transfer which is why I don’t think it’s the progesterone, I think it’s a baby…or two. 😉 I’ve been pregnant before and each time has felt like this. I’m super excited, extremely nervous, and VERY anxious!

Last night was pretty rough. My breasts were extremely sore and sensitive all day, but that doesn’t bother me. I actually like it. It makes me feel pregnant LOL. I got really sick though. We went to see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (awesome movie) and afterwards went to one of our favorite restaurants, Ramen Tatsu-ya. Best ramen ever. Anyway, immediately after eating it I felt sick. We rushed home and I was on and off the toilet all night and still am. The nausea was unreal. My hubby and the other couple we went with were fine. I was actually so sick that we left the other couple there, still eating their food. I normally would never do that because it’s rude but that’s how ill I was. Here is the beautiful ramen.

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So tomorrow I find out if indeed there is life growing within me. I pray this gut feeling I have is right. I want to go to CVS so bad and get a test, but I promised my husband I would wait. So today I will try extremely hard to keep myself busy. It feels like Christmas Eve. I think my husband likes torturing me. He did buy me a super awesome new bracelet this weekend though, to make up for the torture maybe? I don’t know, but it made me happy! Diamonds always make me happy! 🙂

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Ok, I am off on a quest to stay busy. Fingers crossed, tomorrow I post amazing news! Xo