30 weeks!

Hi everyone!

Just hanging out on the couch, still.  It's a fun place to be.  :)  Managed to write an exam this weekend and get some more things organized for my classes.  Still lots of grading to do.  Feeling pretty good overall.  But, I have figured out that my body has just decided that this is about all it can handle -- anything more than just lying around leads to regular contractions that are big enough to take my breath away.  And, that's not a good thing.  As long as I stay lying down, I'm fine.  But, if I do anything more than that it isn't good.  So, here I lie.  

I've been reading some twins books and have taken to watching "Make Room for Multiples" and any episode of "A Baby Story" that features twins.  It seriously strikes fear in my heart, but I'm hoping that watching enough of them will make everything a little more "real" and help me figure out what we need to do to be prepared.  Either that or send me into an anxiety attack because I don't know how we're going to be prepared.  You know, whichever.  (It's good to watch the triplet episodes or the ones where they already have toddlers because it makes me realize that it won't be THAT chaotic here...)

Appointment yesterday went well.  The boys passed their biophysical profiles, though Baby A had to be woken up with the little buzzer a few times thing to make him do his practice breathing.  My cervix is back to around the 22-24 mm mark, though opening a bit again.  Along with my normal "small" contractions, I had a couple of big ones while on the monitor.  It was a little unnerving to watch the tocometer go up so high.  But, it did give me a sense of calibration -- I've recognized some bigger ones before and now I feel like I can be a bit more specific when my doctor asks about them.  The MFM still thinks things look good.  We met the OB who will most likely deliver the boys.  She is astoundingly energetic -- especially considering it was about 5:30 and they were technically closing up for the day.  We liked her.  She works really closely with the MFM and has lots of experience with multiples -- she did her residency in a multiples clinic and has even delivered quintuplets!  So, twins are a walk in the park for her. 

Thought I'd do an update:

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How far along?: 30 weeks! (30w2d now)  I'm so grateful to see that "3" in there.  It just feels SO much farther along than anything in the 20s.  Apparently now our goals come in two week intervals -- 32 weeks is the next milestone and 34 is apparently the best one to pass.  After that, everything else is gravy.

Weight? :  40 pounds.  I went through a two week period of gaining nothing and then suddenly spiked up 8 pounds.  Then, got stuck there again.  My body is just weird.  I'm hoping so much to get these kids as big as they can be.  I have no idea how my weight right now correlates to that -- I just keep eating and hoping it helps.

 
Maternity Clothes?:  Well, at the moment, all I'm doing is lying around in my living room.  I do, however, make sure that I take a shower and put on "real" clothes every day.  Helps me feel less useless.  So, I've been rotating through various maternity shirts and big t-shirts and comfy pants/leggings.  Yesterday I actually had to leave the house, so I wore real pants and a comfy shirt.  It's nice to dress for comfort and not to try to look professional.

 
What's the belly look like?:   I can't decide if I'm seeing stretch marks on one side of my belly or if my t-shirts are making permanent wrinkles from lying on the side!  I think it's stretch marks.  Belly button has completely flattened out and is sticking out on the bottom.  Overall, the belly is looking quite bulbous if you ask me.  My non-doctory measurement says that I'm measuring at about 40 or 41 weeks, now.   I think the belly is starting to spread more horizontally.  New picture over on the ticks page.  I swear I look bigger than that.  I think it's the shirt.

Sleep?:   Now that I don't have to get up at 6 am, I've been sleeping in a little bit.  It's kind of nice because being able to sleep in makes up for the multitudes of night time pee breaks.  I figure this is probably the last time I'll ever be able to do this so I should take advantage of it while I can!

Best Moment of the Week?:  My Skype Shower with family back home was on Sunday.  It was nice -- though kind of awkward. I just showed up on a giant screen in my aunt's living room for about 30 minutes smiled, waved, showed off the belly, showed all the things in my living room that people had already sent and then ooh'd and aah'd over the things they'd brought with them to the party for my mom to send up to me.  I think they then stayed around eating and drinking and talking for at least another two hours.  It was a little odd to not really be there and to feel like I was just showing up to get presents.  But, it was still really nice and we are pretty much outfitted with strollers and car seats, now, which is INCREDIBLE.  

Oh, and filing our taxes and realizing that we'll be getting a big refund due to crazy medical expenses last year.  That was definitely a nice moment.

Movement?:  Lots of it.  They seem to go through phases of calm and then suddenly it's like they're kickboxing each other.  It's crazy!  It's amazing how much you can see it from the outside.  One of these days I'll manage to capture it on video.  I think I feel Baby A more than Baby B because Baby B has more fluid -- his fluid levels are actually a little on the "higher than normal" side which is kind of ironic given that we had issues with low fluid when on the first med. 

Symptoms?:  Contractions, peeing a lot.  The usual. Occasional headaches and bouts of lightheadedness from the nifedipine.  Exhaustion and more contractions if I overdo it.  And by overdoing it I mean, you know, walking around the house.

Food?:  My DH has figured out that the best way to find something that I'd like to eat is to just make something and bring it to me and I'll probably eat it.  If he asks me what I want or names things that I might eat, nothing sounds good.  A friend from work brought over veggie enchiladas the other day for us for dinner which was just awesome. 

Gender?:   Two boys!! 

What I Miss?:   Getting out of the house.  Although, I don't really miss going to work or dealing with students' complaints...

What I'm Looking Forward To:  The semester ending so we can focus on the babies' room.  Just a little over 2 weeks until the end of finals.  Then grades are due a week later.  Then, hopefully we can do something. Finally.  

Weekly Wisdom:  Lie down.  It's a good thing.

Milestones:  Getting into the 30's. Each week we pass, now, is awesome.  I'm hoping we're going to be one of those ironic stories where you're put on bed rest because of possible pre-term labor and end up "going the distance."  Works for me.

How's Daddy?:  Stressed about work.  And, he's had a cold for a few days so he feels pretty crappy.  But, he's been wonderful with helping me and making sure I'm staying resting.  He has a group of friends that he sends updates to -- kind of like his own little blog.  I don't usually see the updates but someone just cc'd me on a reply that had what he'd written for the last two updates in it.  It was really sweet to read what he'd written.  He's so cute.  

Emotions:  Up and down as always.  Bed rest gives you a lot of time to think.  Feeling a little anxious about some things at work, still.  I'm not quite ready to let it all go, yet.  But, in general, feeling pretty good.  Not ridiculously bored, yet.  It is starting to hit me what it is going to be like when we bring home two newborns.  Yowsa.  Excited.  But, yowsa.


Thanks for all your support!