31 Weeks...

How far along? 31 weeks
How big are the babies? Squashes!
Best moment this week:Getting more of the nursery set up!
Symptoms: I feel like I may pop. I don't know how I'm going to get bigger!
Movement: All the time!
Food cravings: No real cravings this week.
Genders: A Boy and Girl!!!
Milestones: We picked up the rest of the essentials for the babies thanks to all the gift cards we got at our shower!

Development: Babies are going through major brain and nerve development these days. Their irises now react to light, and all five senses are in working order. (They won't pick up anything from their noses until after birth, though -- smell is transferred through air, not amniotic fluid.)


Headlines from the week:
US military resuming
Haiti medical flights
The military will resume bringing Haitian earthquake victims to the United States aboard its planes for medical treatment, the White House said.

For high school students, singing in a cappella groups is the new reality


Weather today:
Sunny, 27 Degrees

I Have a Store!

Ok so technically I'm not personally selling anything, it's more about promoting things that I like or am looking forward to trying. If you look up you'll see a new link called "My Store", well if you click it you will be swept away to my little store (Or you can click here) powered by Amazon.com. It's something I saw on a fellow blogger's website and thought it would be fun to try.

Now I must be open and honest with you, any products you buy through my store I do get a little commission on. I believe the commission is anywhere from 4%-10%. I thought it might be a good way to make a little extra income to support the two little additions we'll soon be adding. I want you to know that I will only include products that I am 100% sold on myself. I won't add products just for the sake of adding them.

As of right now I have 3 categories: Baby, Books, and Pet. As time goes by, I may add more categories and will probably add more products. So make sure to continue to check it out!

The Twins and I thank you in advance for your purchases!

Enjoy!

Nursery Progress...

WE HAVE FURNITURE!!! Ryan and my Step-Father, Leo, Went and picked up our baby furniture from my sister today and I am SO excited to have it in place! We haven't done any decorating yet, but will most likely work on that this weekend! Here are some pictures of the progress. Please ignore the curtains and cleaning supplies; those will not be staying.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

30 Weeks...

How far along? 30 weeks
How big are the babies? Squashes!
Best moment this week:My last day at work!!
Symptoms: I had a few contractions on Friday, but nothing to be concerned about. The FFN test said the babies will not be here within the next two weeks
Movement: Oh yeah, thankfully they still don't keep me up at night!
Food cravings: Toast with butter, jelly, and cinnamon, yum!
Genders: A Boy and Girl!!!
Milestones: Every week from now to delivery is a milestone.

Development: As the babies' skin smoothes out, their brains just keep getting more wrinkled. All those grooves and indentations increase surface area, meaning more room for that oh-so-essential brain tissue. They're also adding some brawn -- their grips are now strong enough to grasp a finger.


Headlines from the week:
In a surprising win, Republican Scott Brown become the new State Senator of Massachusetts, taking the place of the late Ted Kennedy.


Justin Timberlake named the Hasty Pudding Man of the Year by Harvard University's Theatrical club.


Weather today:
Partly Sunny, 42 Degrees

Oh THAT'S a Contraction!

Well last night we saw a bit of action. I was driving home from my last day at work when I started to feel my belly tightening every so often. It wasn't painful, but just more of an uncomfortable feeling. Well I didn't think too much of it and just got home and had some dinner. I was about half way through my ravioli when I noticed the tightening again. So I did what most people do when they don't know what's going on with their body; I googled it.

So according to google, I was either having contractions, braxton hicks, or apparently needed to get rid of some excess belly fat (yes google belly tightening and you will see that). Well then I called my mom, as I ruled out the last item, to see if she had ever experienced braxton hicks. Of course I was told to call my Doctor. Well a few tranfers later and Ryan and I were headed into the hospital.

I was hooked up to a couple monitors to check the babies' heartrates and to see if I was in fact having contractions. The babies are great and guess what, I was having contractions, just not in any pattern to be concerned about. They ran a few tests, ruled out the possibility of labor at any point within the next 2 weeks, and told me to keep an eye on everything. I was put on a more restricted bed rest for the weekend and then I can go back to my regularly scheduled moderate bed rest on Monday.

So just a false alarm, and probably not the last. So today has been my first official day on bed rest and Ryan has been wonderful. Getting me anything I need. Hmm, I could get used to this :)

I've Been Given a Shout Out!

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by one of the networks I belong to, Multiples....and More, asking me if I would be interested in being one of their "Shout Outs of the Week". I, of course, felt very honored that they would choose my blog and said Yes! Well today is the big day, my shout out!

If you do get a minute I encourage you to check out not only my shout out but their website as well. They have been a wonderful resource for me to check out other MoMs (Mothers of Multiples) blogs, find new products that are helpful, and get some great tips from women, and men, that have been in the same situation. Even if you are not a mother to multiples or even a mother at all, I still encourage you to check out the site as it does provide some fun reads!

Thank you again to the wonderful women of Multiples....and More for the Shout Out! And if you are new to my blog, please look around and I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoying writing!

8th Appointment and an Exciting One at that!!

Ok, so first the exciting news... We scheduled my C-Section/Induction! Come March 23 if these babies haven't decided to make their own debut and would like a scheduled introduction, this will be the day it happens! I say C-Section/Induction because if both babies are head down then they will just go ahead and induce me, otherwise it will be a C-Section. As of right now, the babies have moved into a transverse/transverse position, meaning neither is head down. They are both lying across my belly head-to-feet. My doctor said Cavan should shift back to a head down position and Kaylie will most likely be the deciding factor on how I deliver.

Now on to the rest of the appointment. It seems that there was a little protien and glucose in my urine, but my blood pressure was perfect and I passed my glucose test with flying colors so they don't seem too concerned at this point. I got most of my blood work back from my donation last week and my white blood cell count was still dropping, but is still slightly elevated. So just for fun I was sent to the lab for more blood work. Honestly, did my doctor buy stock in my blood? Hopefully my numbers will come back normal and my arms will no longer look like a heroin addict from all the poking!

Other than that, the twins look fantastic. Squirming all around in there with wonderful heartbeats. I didn't get an actual weight measurement, and probably won't until my ultrasound February 1, but everything I've read says they should be between 2.5-3 lbs by this point. Now I do want them to keep growing, but I swear I have no idea where they are going to fit!

29 Weeks...

How far along? 29 weeks
How big are the babies? Squashes!
Best moment this week:The beautiful Baby Shower thrown for me! I really have the best family and friends anyone could ask for. The twins were so blessed to get so many great gifts!
Symptoms: Still heavy and getting very tired
Movement: I'm pretty sure there are aliens in my belly
Food cravings: I've been wanting tortilla soup for a while now, and Friday night I got some!
Genders: A Boy and Girl!!!
Milestones: My white blood cell counts are going back down and so far all my bloodwork from this week has come back normal.

Development: Babies' energy are surging, thanks to white fat depositing beneath their skin. And since they're growing so fast (weight will triple by birth), things are getting kind of cramped in the womb. What all this means for you: Get ready for some more kicks and jabs to the ribs.


Headlines from the week:
Earthquake devastates Haiti Capital

Race for US Senate: Obama endorses Coakley, Brown continues push

Weather today:
Rain, 39 Degrees

You Have to Take How Much Blood?

I had my follow up bloodwork and cultures today. They said the results may take a little longer this time as they are running multiple test, but let me just tell you about the experience. I'd like to start by saying ever since I was little I have not been a fan of giving blood. You can ask my dad about the time I turned and ran into the lobby play area of the Doctor's office to avoid the finger prick.

On to the experience. So I arrived early in hopes of getting some results earlier (didn't happen). The Lab technicians are beginning to recognize me at this point and bring me right to the back. So far so good. THEN the tech pulls out 4 bottles, not tubes, BOTTLES! Granted they may have appeared bigger to me in the moment, but they were at least 4x the size of the normal tubes. Oh and then she pulls out one of the small tubes, for good measure I guess. My eyes at this point had to have been popping out of my head, but I was already trapped in the seat and there are no play areas in this lobby.

I'm then told I will do one test filling up two of the bottles and the tube, wait 10 minutes and then fill up the other 2 bottles. WHAT?? I have to endure the process TWICE?? Well needless to say it wasn't as bad as I had pictured in my head and I still had enough blood left in me to get me back to work. HOPEFULLY this will be the last blood test I will have for a while.

28 Weeks...

How far along? 28 weeks
How big are the babies? Eggplants!
Best moment this week:Finishing the floors in the babies' room!
Symptoms: I'm very heavy!
Movement:Very frequent
Food cravings: Ben & Jerry's Ice cream
Genders: A Boy and Girl!!!
Milestones: Passed my Glucose test!

Development: Babies' lungs are mature enough that, if born right now, they have a pretty good chance of surviving (with help from medical technology). Their skin is still pretty wrinkly (one byproduct of living in amniotic fluid) but will smoothen as fat continues to deposit.


Headlines from the week:
Avatar is the number one movie this week

NBC pulls plug on Leno's nightly prime-time show

Weather today:
Partly Sunny, 32 Degrees

I Apologize for my Lack of Update

I had a slight bout of food poisoning Sunday night and was out of comission most of the day yesterday as well. I am feeling much better today and should have my 28 week update ready for you tonight!

How do you Keep a Hypochondriac busy?

1. Tell them they have an elevated white blood cell count.
2. Have them come in for more blood tests.
3. Tell them to watch for symptoms of anything for the next week.
4. Tell them to come back in a week for more tests.

Apparently I have never explained to my Dr. that I am the worst hypochondriac in the nation. I got my blood work back from yesterday and my levels were still elevated, but lower than the day before. So the nurse asked me if I've had any symptoms of back pain, congestion, anything. At the time I didn't so I said no. However, when you ask a hypochondriac to look for specific symptoms, like magic, they all of a sudden appear!

Although I'm pretty sure my back pain is caused by the fact that I have two babies protruding out of my front side, throwing off my euilibrium, and forcing me to "Lean back, lean back". My runny/stuffy nose has been constant since the day I peed on a stick so I'm pretty sure that's ok. Going to the bathroom frequently, CHECK! Although it could be the 90 ounces of water I drink and the fact that Cavan finds comfort in squeezing my bladder. So what constitutes concern? They may have opened up a can of worms with this one!

The Results are in... Sort of...

I got the call this morning that my bloodwork was in. The good news is that I passed the glucose test and my blood count was great. So no Gestational Diabetes for me (Note to self: buy pint of Ben & Jerry's to celebrate). Then there was some "Not great" news. I say not great because it's not necessarily bad news right now. I was told that I have an elevated white blood cell count.

Basically the nurse said this could mean anything or nothing. It could just be a result of having two babies in there or that my body is fighting off an infection. It could also be lab error. My nose has been a little runny lately, so maybe it's just a little cold coming on? Right now, they are not overly concerned, so I'm going to try not to be as well. But just to be precausious they had me come in for more blood tests this morning. They should have the results back either this afternoon or tomorrow.

I will keep you posted when I hear anything, but for now I'm just thinking it's nothing to be concerned about.

7th Appointment and Glucose Test!

I had my 7th appointment today and my Dr was very pleased with my progress! The appointment started with me downing 10oz of liquid orange sugar. Yes I had my glucose test today which tests for Gestational Diabetes. Now I had heard from some that the liquid they make you drink is AWFUL and from others that it wasn't bad at all. Well I will say, it really wasn't bad at all. Maybe because I've had a bit of a sweet tooth lately, it actually was a bit satisfying. It tasted like those little orange drinks you would have as a kid. You know which ones I'm talking about...

I usually preferred red or blue, but would occasionally have an orange if it was the only one left. But getting back on topic, it wasn't bad.

I then went up for my appointment, since I had to wait an hour for them to test my blood. First thing's first, the dreaded scale. I'm up 26 Lbs so far. My Dr said that seems great. They expect me to gain anywhere between 30-40 Lbs total and would like me to gain at least more than 30 to make sure the babies are big enough. No problem there. I seem to gain 4 Lbs every visit, which is now every 2 weeks! Then the fun part, taking a peek at the little ones. They are doing great! Cavan is still in the head down position and Kaylie is still head up positioned just in the right spot to continue her irish jigs on her brother's head. I did ask if there was a chance of her turning and my Dr said at this point, there is a chance. Something tells me she won't though because then she will lose her dance floor. Then we measured the belly. I am measuring 37 weeks! No wonder I am so tired. I was assured this is completely normal.

We then discussed paperwork I need to fill out for my delivery (OMG, It's coming so soon!). Then we went over when they will schedule my C-Section should I need one. We set tentative dates between March 22-24 for the C-Section and will schedule it at my next visit. Good news too, my Dr will not be on vacation for that! However, I could still deliver sooner than that, so don't let that sway you due date guess too much.

I then had my blood taken and was on my way. It'll be about a week before we know the results of the glucose test so I will keep you posted. I will also be having another big ultrasound in the next couple of weeks to check the twins growth. Hopefully they will be able to tell me how big length and weight wise they are! I'm also hoping for some new candids to post as well. I just can't believe these babies will be here so soon! I feel like I was just peeing on a stick, seeing the YES, and thinking I had SO long to go! Now I am thinking they're going to be here so soon and I am so excited!

101 in 1001 Challenge!

I am very excited to announce my latest adventure. I am going to try to the complete the 101 in 1001 challenge! Basically you compile a list of 101 things you want to do in the next 1001 days. I have completed my list and will begin my challenge tomorrow, giving me a full day to start. I will have until October 3, 2012 to complete my list! So if you want to follow my newest challege you can click on the link above called 101 in 1001 Challenge. Here you will see my list as well as postings when I complete an item off the list.

You can also CLICK HERE to get a full description of the challenge. I appreciate any and all support and encourage everyone reading this to create their own lists as well and join me in this challenge!

Enjoy!

27 Weeks...3rd Trimester!

How far along? 27 weeks
How big are the babies? Eggplants!
Best moment this week: Ringing in the new year at home with Ryan, even if we did fall asleep before midnight!
Symptoms: I believe one of the twins has found comfort in my sciatic nerve
Movement:Very frequent
Food cravings:Raisin bagel with cream cheese!
Genders: A Boy and Girl!!!
Milestones: 3rd Trimester!!

Development: Babies' lungs are going through some major developments these days, which (combined with the opening of previously plugged nostrils) means they're now able to practice inhaling and exhaling. The lack of air in your womb means every "breath" is filled with amniotic fluid, but hey -- it's progress.


Headlines from the week:
Bruins win Winter Classic at Fenway
"The Bruins beat the Flyers 2-1 in OT in the annual Winter Classic.

Passengers on US-bound flights face more screening
The Transportation Security Administration says passengers flying into the US from certain countries will be subject to techniques such as body scans.

Weather today:
Flurries, 29 Degrees