Babies Bump and 30 & 31 Week Update

30 and 31 WEEKS LOOK LIKE THIS:

How far along:  The above pictures were taken at 30 weeks 3 days and 31 weeks 5 days. 

Total weight gain?  As of my doctor's appointment today, I am up 42 lbs.

Maternity clothes?  Yes, yes, and yes.  When I'm home I typically am in sweats, when I go out, all I wear are maxi skirts and for work... I have one dress left that fits.  Thankfully, I only have two work meetings left to attend!

Stretch marks?  Still none... and I really don't know how that's even possible at this point!

Sleep:  Oh sleep... I miss you.  One nostril is still completely blocked every night and turning from side to side makes me feel like I ran a marathon.  And forget trying to get out of bed - that's a feat in and of itself!

Best moment this week:  I watched the most recent episode of Giuliana and Bill (last week's episode) recently and was literally overcome with emotion.  They were in Denver for an appointment with Dr. Schoolcraft and also attended his ball which raises money for infertility research.  During that particular segment of the show, Giuliana thanked Dr. Schoolcraft for giving them her son.  It just stuck with me and made me tear up.  It's just simply amazing to me just how many people this brilliant man has helped become parents.  From a celebrity to a little old nobody from Massachusetts.  I often think of Dr. Schoolcraft and CCRM and am confident that I wouldn't be here today, at 31 weeks 6 days pregnant with twin boys, had it not been for him.  He has blessed my heart and soul more than he will ever know.

Miss anything?  There really isn't much that I miss.  If I had to choose something it would be sleeping with un-blocked nostrils.  But, I've said it before and I'll say it again - I would sleep with a blocked nostril for the rest of my life if it meant I got to be called Mommy by my two sweet boys.

Movement:  Boys, boys, boys!  You are movers and shakers and Mommy loves it!  I love their nudges so much.  I love seeing their movement.  And boy do I love them!

Food cravings:  Still none.

Anything make you queasy or sick?  Still nothing in particular, but anything can still do the trick.

Gender:  LOVE my Boys!

Labor Signs:  I guess none except for some pretty intense cramping, which feels like menstrual cramps.  My doctor gave me a physical exam today to check my cervix, which is still long and closed (thank goodness).  She could, however, feel baby A's head - he's very low, which didn't concern my doctor so I'm working on keeping my worry at bay!

Symptoms:  The same… linea nigra, some ligament pain on my left side in my hip/upper leg area, nasal congestion, restlessness, some back pain, a weird "rash" on the palm of my hands, and low, uterine cramping (which I suppose is from baby A being so low!).

Belly button in or out?  In.  But it's starting to really stretch.  I have a feeling it might pop!

Wedding rings on or off?  Officially off. 

Looking forward to:  Everything!  And to hopefully making it another week with my boys staying put right where they are!

Babies Bump and 29 Week Update

29 WEEKS LOOKS LIKE THIS:

 

How far along:  The above picture was taken at 29 weeks and 3 days. 

Total weight gain?  34lbs as of my doctor's appointment on Tuesday.  I had an appointment on Wednesday with a nutritionist for my GD and she said my weight gain for twins was right on track for my pre-pregnancy BMI and weight.  I was surprised, but happy to hear this.  She said that she would guess that I will gain around 40lbs total if I am able to go to 36 weeks.

Maternity clothes?  Yes, yes and yes.  I'm actually starting to think about post-delivery clothes, too. 

Stretch marks?  Still none.... yay!

Sleep:  Sleep still stinks.  I have one nostril that starts to block up in the evening and is completely blocked by the time I lay down to go to sleep.  While that's pretty darn annoying, I think I might have just learned how to deal with it, because the past few nights it hasn't kept me up as much.  Either that, or I'm just so tired that I sleep through the discomfort of only having one nostril to breathe through!

Best moment this week:  My mom came up for a visit last weekend and somehow I don't have a single picture of our time together.  I think that's probably because we were so busy and worked so hard putting baby things together, taking tags off baby clothes, washing, folding and putting away the baby clothes, running errands to return things, and to buy diapers, wipes, etc., etc., etc.  The good news is that we are now, for the most part, ready for babies!

 

My mom was here, also, to celebrate Mother's Day with me and my sister.  We had a nice morning on Sunday and treated ourselves and my mom to pedicures (pedicures are amazing, but if you're pregnant and get a pedicure, they're even better!).  We had breakfast afterward and then my mom and I headed back to my house to finish up some of the final decorating/hanging of things in the babies' room.  And that's when I lost it.  I just lost it.  Mother's Day was hard for me.  I was emotional because we didn't have the time to hang everything up.  I became immature and pouty - it was the first time that the pregnancy hormones really kicked in.  I was plain old sad.  I couldn't stop the tears.  And I think that, while yes, I was upset about not getting everything done that I had on my "to-do" list, the real trigger was the day itself.  I just couldn't handle it.  I couldn't handle it just as I couldn't handle it for the past three years.  But this year, I couldn't handle it in a different way.  I didn't know how to feel this year.  I didn't really allow myself to think about the day as it approached and when it arrived, it just hit me.... hard.  I suppose Mother's Day will always be difficult.  And rather than celebrating becoming a mom myself, I'd rather just celebrate my own mom in the years to come.

 

So, enough about that day... here is a picture of another little area in the boys' room.  We are 99.9% done with everything - we just have a shelf and a few picture frames to hang and then I'll be ready to share the final outcome.  I love it in there!

 

 

Miss anything?  I really don't.  My heart is very full.  While I wish I was able to breathe out of both nostrils at night, I feel fully content.  A lot of people have started to ask me when I'll stop working or if I'm just so ready to have the babies/be done with pregnancy.  And while I cannot wait for my boys to arrive, I'm also not ready for them to be here.  I have waited so long to be pregnant, to see a big round belly, to feel their kicks and flutters inside of me.  And now I have it and a part of me doesn't want to let it go.  I had a tough first 4 1/2 months of pregnancy where I was so sick that I couldn't really enjoy anything, but now I feel normal (just a little uncomfortable and large) and I love it.

Movement:  My boys are very active.  I think they know I need the reassurance of their movement and kicks :) 

Food cravings:  Coffee Oreo ice cream... but good news!  My nutritionist said I still could have some.  Except I can't have 5 scoops... more like only 1.  But that's OK, it's still a win in my book! 

Anything make you queasy or sick?  Still nothing in particular, but anything can still do the trick.

Gender:  LOVE my Boys!

Labor Signs:  None.  Phew!

Symptoms:  The same…. linea nigra, some ligament pain on my left side in my hip/upper leg area, nasal congestion, restlessness, some back pain, the weird "rash" on the palm of my hands, general discomfort, sore and swollen feet.... oh my poor feet!

Belly button in or out?  In.  But it is still very stretched!

Wedding rings on or off?  Off.

Looking forward to:  A relaxing weekend with nothing planned, only three more scheduled work client meetings in the next couple of weeks and hopefully another week passing with my two baby boys staying put!

Oh and just because, here's a picture of my sweet baby girl:

Babies Bump and 28 Week Update

28 WEEKS LOOKS LIKE THIS:

 

How far along:  The above picture was taken at 28 weeks and 3 days. 

Total weight gain?  About 30 lbs., probably a little more.

Maternity clothes?  I recently ordered some maternity clothes from Gap and Old Navy on-line and had to return a whole handful of them.  It's becoming really difficult finding clothes to wear that covers my bump.  And clothes for work meetings?  Forget about it!  I have about two dresses that I just alternate and try to make look a little different with jewelry.  Maternity work clothes are awful! 

Stretch marks?  Still none.... yay!

Sleep:  I can't even believe how much I took being a good sleeper for granted before... Sleep now is just.... not great.  That's OK, though.  It could be worse and at least one nostril isn't blocked!

Best moment this week:  Week 28 has been full of lots of wonderful things.  First, we welcomed our sweet new niece into the world on Friday - she's a cutie and is so teeny.  I love her!

 

 

 

And I love seeing my husband hold her in his arms!  I can't wait to see him hold our two bundles of joy!

 

My sister's birthday was on Sunday and as always, I had a great day spending time with my BFF.  We treated ourselves to manicures and a delicious lunch afterward - there is nothing like special sister time together.  Whitney told me at lunch that she can't wait for the boys to arrive because then we'd each have one of them in the booth sitting next to us.  She is going to be the best Auntie - I can't wait to see her bond with my little guys!  Happy Birthday, Whitty.  I love you!

 

And the other wonderful thing about week #28?  Putting stuff together!  Baby stuff!  Here are our two car seats, all ready to go!  I can't even believe this.  I really can't.  Babies... my babies will actually be in these in the next couple of months!  What?!?!

 

  

Miss anything?  So, while week 28 came with a lot of wonderful moments, it also came with one really stinky one.... I failed my three hour glucose test.  Ugh!  For some reason, I figured this was going to happen.... I had a feeling since my first OB appointment that, come time for my glucose test, I would be one of the women who end up with gestational diabetes.  I've been so incredibly lucky throughout my pregnancy so far and I know that it could be much worse.  But, it still stinks.  I was hoping to be done with needles for a long, long time, but now I'm pricking my finger four times a day to check my blood sugar.  I will be meeting with a nutritionist next week and am hoping to get this under control with changing some things in my diet.  Bye-bye coffee Oreo ice cream.... I'll celebrate with you on the day that the babies are born!

Movement:  My little future soccer players have gone from little kicks to full fledged nudges.  I love it - I love every single feeling of their movement.  I love when I wake up in the morning and haven't yet felt them.... then as I start moving around I can tell that they're waking up, too. 

Food cravings:  Coffee Oreo ice cream, oh how I miss you so much!  This was my last bowl that I had the second I arrived home after my three hour test (I'm so glad I did that, by the way!).  I'm proud to say I ate every last bite of this gigantic bowl.  I think I dream about it....

 

 

Anything make you queasy or sick?  Still nothing in particular, but anything can still do the trick.

Gender:  LOVE my Boys!

Labor Signs:  None.  Phew!

Symptoms:  The same…. linea nigra, some ligament pain on my left side in my hip/upper leg area, nasal congestion, restlessness, some back pain, the weird "rash" on the palm of my hands, general discomfort, sore and swollen feet.... every symptom makes this more real, though, so as uncomfortable as it might be, it's the biggest blessing in the world.... all of it!

Belly button in or out?  In.  But it has stretched so much that I feel like there is barely a hole there anymore.

Wedding rings on or off?  Off.

Looking forward to:  My mom coming up this weekend to help organize more of the babies' stuff.... they sure do have a lot already!!

Baby Shower

My baby shower was this past Saturday...

 

Wow, those are seven words I never, EVER thought I'd write.

 

It was amazing, beautiful and so very special... But, it was also awkward, strange and weird.  I mean, I almost felt badly that I was celebrating my pregnancy - my two miracles that I fought so hard for - when I know that so many others so truly deserve to have a day like I did on Saturday.  After so many years of heartache and enduring failure after failure, it's sometimes hard to embrace my own happiness. 

 

But, the thing is, it was a happy day.  A day that I will never forget.  A day that my family and closest friends showered me and my boys who are already so incredibly loved by so many.  I am lucky.  They are lucky. 

 

I'm not sure when I'll awake from this dream, because that is truly what it feels like - a beautiful dream.

 

The shower was held at a very special venue - the historic hotel where I had my bridal shower, Wedding and now baby shower.  It couldn't have been more perfect...

 

My mom brought the bassinet that she used for me when I was a baby to hold baby books that guests were asked to bring in lieu of a card - our boys' library is already so full!

Everything was just-so from the favors to the tables and the sweet baby pictures of me and Nick as well.

We played the timer game while I opened gifts - when the timer went off, the person whose gift I was opening was able to choose a bottle of wine.

I had my closest friends and family, most of whom travelled from out of state, there with me and that truly made my heart swell.  These are the people who prayed for me, consoled me and loved me throughout the worst times of my life the past three years.  They were there for me and supported me more than I think they'll ever know.  And how much more special does it get to have had my 94 year old Nana there with me?!  Blessed.  I am so, so blessed!

Lucky doesn't even begin to describe it... I am more than lucky, more than blessed... I never imagined that I could feel such happiness.  I am so incredibly grateful and thankful to God for answering my prayers.  He is the only explanation for this amazing turn of events in my life.

Babies Bump and 27 Week Update

27 WEEKS LOOKS LIKE THIS:

 

 

The look of exhaustion is spot on :)

How far along:  The above pictures were taken at 27 weeks 4 days.

Total weight gain?  I'm still up 29 lbs.  I'm trying to pack on as many pounds as I can in hopes that these little guys will reap all of the benefits!

Maternity clothes?  Yes, yes and yes. The non maternity leggings that I so loved are not really working for me anymore so I recently bought a handful of maternity lounge clothes that I'm thinking might be good for the hospital stay.  By the way, I can't even believe a hospital stay... for BABIES... MY babies, is something I'm even thinking about!!

Stretch marks?  Still none... Not sure how I've escaped them so far!

Sleep:  Still stinks.  Right now I love sleep but also hate it.  My right nostril is completely blocked every night.  I wear Breathe Right strips but even they don't really do the trick.

Best moment this week:  My shower.  Holy cow!!  MY shower!  How can I be this lucky?  I really feel like this has all been a dream.  It's the only explanation for what is happening in my life right now (shower post and pictures to come)...

Miss anything?  Coffee Oreo ice cream!  I'm on a pre-three hour glucose test diet right now that is high in carbs (which is odd) and includes other examples of dairy and also fruit.  Ice cream isn't on the list so I haven't indulged in three days... And I'm dying!  My test is tomorrow and I'm praying that I will pass!

Movement:  Best feeling in the world.  And is reassurance that my sweet little miracles are doing well!

Food cravings:  Still none.  Actually, I lied... coffee Oreo ice cream!

Anything make you queasy or sick?  Still nothing in particular, but anything can do the trick.  I tend to fight some light nausea in the morning but for the most part, I've been cured of the debilitating nausea that plagued me for the first oh so many weeks of this pregnancy!

Gender:  LOVE my Boys!

Labor Signs:  None.  Phew!

Symptoms:  The same… but I'm adding in general discomfort.  I hate saying/typing that but it's the truth.  It's NOTHING that I wouldn't deal with for my  baby boys, though!  

Belly button in or out?  In.  But it is really starting to stretch- my belly button hole is not nearly as deep!

Wedding rings on or off?  Officially off.

Looking forward to:  Hopefully passing my 3 hour glucose test and entering my THIRD TRIMESTER!!!  Wow. Just wow....  I really am living my dream.  Praise God!

Babies Bump and 25 & 26 Week Update

25 and 26 WEEKS LOOK LIKE THIS:

How far along:  The above pictures were taken at 25 weeks 3 days and 26 weeks 3 days. 

Total weight gain?  As of my doctor's appointment on Tuesday, I am officially up 29 pounds.

Maternity clothes?  Uh huh.  Some maternity clothes feel tight, actually.  And I'm officially wearing Nick's tee shirts to bed.  Oy!  

Stretch marks?  Still none... but my belly is a-gettin'-big so I'm sure they're on their way!

Sleep:  Nose congestion is the worst.  I'd rather get up 10 times a night to go to the bathroom than not be able to breathe.  But it's worth it... it's ALL worth it!  One of my sweet friends that I "met" through my blog and then who I really met in-person, IN Colorado, sent me the most adorable every day prayer book for my boys.  Nick and I take turns each night before I hit the hay to read a prayer to them.  It's become my favorite part of the day.

Best moment this week:  Week 25: A new car!!  Nick and I both drive Jeeps and his had been driven into the ground.  It was in rough shape and seemed to constantly be in the shop.  My Jeep has also seen better days but wasn't in as bad shape as Nick's.  So, we finally decided to trade his in for a new one and I've been the lucky one who gets to drive it :)

Week 26: SO many special things happened this week!  I spent a few days down in Connecticut with my parents - my dad felt his grandsons kicking for the first time!  My Nana has also been in town and we had such a great time talking about her great grandsons and of course doing some shopping.  My babies are so lucky for the best grandparents and for the best great-Nana that there ever could be!

Week 26 has been quite busy... From CT, we headed back up to MA for the Boston Marathon and to cheer on my sister (while here, my Nana got to test out the rocking chair in the babies room).  I'm so proud of my sister - she's quite an inspiration and still looks AH-MAZING after running 26.2 miles!!

Oh!  And we got our first 3D ultrasound picture this week, too!  Here's Camden, who to me, looks just like his Daddy.  Austin wouldn't cooperate and had his little head smooshed right against my cervix (both babies are around 1.75-2 lbs and both are currently head-down).

Miss anything?  Right now I miss bagels and ice cream!  I learned that I failed my glucose test this week and so I have to go back on Wednesday for the 3 hours test.  My fingers are crossed that everything comes back OK, but until then I'm trying to eat as many vegetables and as little bagels as possible.  Boo!

Movement:  My boys are destined to be soccer players... They sure are kickers!

Food cravings:  Still none.

Anything make you queasy or sick?  Still nothing in particular, but anything can still do the trick.

Gender:  LOVE my Boys!

Labor Signs:  None.  Phew!

Symptoms:  The same… linea nigra, some ligament pain on my left side in my hip/upper leg area, nasal congestion, restlessness, some back pain and I've developed a weird "rash" on the palm of my hands... My doctor says it's nothing to worry about so I'm trying not to!

Belly button in or out?  In.  But it's starting to really stretch.

Wedding rings on or off?  Officially off.  I did buy a fake ring to wear though, because my left ring finger felt incredibly naked!

Looking forward to:  My shower this weekend... Holy moly.  It can't be true.  I must be dreaming.  What?!?!

Meet DeNae - National Infertility Awareness Week - Blog Swap

I'm so happy to be participating in Lauren's blog swap in honor of National Infertility Awareness week.  Certainly, this week of awareness is so very close to my heart.  I've been paired with DeNae, who, though she isn't someone who has suffered through infertility herself, the support she lends for those who have is remarkable.  Her post below, brought a tear to my eye because she understands and she wants to help by spreading the word.  Thank you, DeNae!

 

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The Chinese character for woman is supposed to look like a woman with a baby in her lap. In the bible, women are cursed with pain during childbirth. When we meet married women who look to be in their child-bearing years, one of the first questions we ask is if they have kids.

Womanhood is so wrapped up in motherhood. And that seems fine and dandy until we realize that having a baby isn't always easy and, in fact, many couples struggle with infertility. Maybe they talk about it or maybe they say they don't want kids or maybe they hide it behind little jokes, but the pain and the devastation are real.

I have not struggled with infertility. It is one of those big questions. Why are some children born into such horrendous poverty while others will never want for anything? Why is getting pregnant and staying pregnant so easy for some women and so seemingly impossible for others? I have friends who have struggled and friends who continue to struggle. Friends who struggle in silence and sadness. Friends who face the reality of arms that so badly want to hold a baby, raise a family, share their love with children, but can't. I did nothing right and they did nothing wrong, but our paths to parenthood are so very different. I wish it weren't so.

So many women handle it privately. Feel that pain privately. That is one of the reasons I am so thankful for women like Aubrey who share their story and help people realize they are not alone. Who give people hope and erase the stigma, share in the heartache and the pain. Her story is heartbreaking and beautiful and I am so excited for her and her husband as they face this new adventure in parenthood.

Being a mother is such a huge part of who I am. That is easy to see and understand because I am almost always surrounded by four loud and lovable kiddos. But being a mother is also a huge part of many women who don't have kids yet and wonder if they ever will. It is in their heart. Their arms await the gentle heft of a newborn. The cry that means hunger. The first tooth. They ache for it. All of it. 

There is strength in numbers and strength in telling our stories of infertility and motherhood and the beauty of life and the heartache of life and all the in between stuff, too. That's one reason I am so appreciative of the chance to swap blogs with Aubrey today to let more people know about infertility and the real people that are affected by it every day.

Today let's celebrate all the things that make us women. The way we laugh and the love we share and the meals we cook and the stories we tell. Today let's lift up a friend in prayer or give her a hug or take her out for coffee or send her a kind text. Today let's remember that we don't often know the pain people hold inside so let's be gentle. Today let's share knowledge and information and stories about infertility to break the silence and show support. 

Let's start with today. But then let's do it tomorrow and the day after and the day after until it is just a way of life. 

 

You can usually find me blogging over at http://bigloveandepicfail.blogspot.com/

Come on over for a visit.