September 2, 2010
Cloud shapes and ultrasound photos
As promised in my earlier post – here’s the latest ultrasound photos at 22 weeks exactly. It always seems like one of them isn’t cooperating for being photographed. In this case, the first one is a one pretty good shot of a face, but the second one is an almost undecipherable arm and head (the head is on the left facing right but away from you with his arm sort of hiding part of his face and his hand touching his forehead). Can you see it? Try squinting. 🙂
Doesn’t this remind you of laying on the grass in the summer trying to figure out what animal shapes (or other shapes) the clouds looked like?
22 week ultrasound
Barefoot and pregnant
Who would have thought I’d be barefoot and pregnant…not the picture I had in my head. But, I realized today when I put my shoes on for the FIRST time in 14 days, yep, I’ve been barefoot and pregnant, thanks to bedrest. LOL
Okay, after many requests – here is the belly shot at 22 weeks – doesn’t look as big in this shirt as it does in some others – and not as big as it feels!
22 week belly
The twins were doing well at today’s perinatologist visit. “Lefty” weighs 1 pound 1 oz now, and “Junior” is exactly one pound. So, both are measuring about 1 day ahead of their “real” gestational age. I didn’t get great photos today – just one of them is a cute face shot, I’ll post it later after I get it scanned.
That’s all for now!
August 29, 2010
Week 21 – soccer anyone?
Very little new information to report this week. This is the first week with no doctor appointments since we found out we were having twins. But, that also means I haven’t left the house in 11 days. So glad that work is keeping me busy!
I think the only thing to report this week is that other than the fact that all of a sudden, my belly is huge, last night for the first time Michael was able to feel Lefty kicking me. I’ve felt it from the inside for many weeks, but now they are big and strong enough that you can actually see and feel it from the outside! Pretty cool. Perhaps a soccer player or two in there?
We’re continuing to build a “possibilities” list for names – well, I am, and I’ll review it with Michael as soon as he has a free minute. Between working on the new house and doing the grocery shopping and cooking for me, he doesn’t have a lot of spare time these days.
This coming week I get two “outings” with doctor’s visits on Wednesday and Thursday. Who knew a doctor’s visit would be such an anticipated event simply because I get to leave the house? I wouldn’t have imagined that in my life before bedrest. 🙂
August 19, 2010
Buttin’ heads already
Yesterday was my 20 week visit with my OB/GYN. We got a quick peek at the boys, but no new photos. The funny thing is they have been moving around a lot (I feel it pretty often now), and when we looked inside – they were side by side still – but head to head – butting heads so to speak.
He also commented that my belly had grown a LOT in the past two weeks. Like he was telling me something I didn’t already know? I could tell that looking in the miror and how none of my pre-pregnancy pants even fit with the belly band now. Well, that, and the incredible stretching feeling in my stomach muscles. I do think being on my back about 22 hours a day will probably help minimize the effects of gravity on my body though – I do feel it more in my belly when I’m standing up. I think almost one-half of my pregnancy weight gain to date occurred in the past two weeks. After all, I ended the first trimester one pound lighter than I started it.
Other than that, the doctor was pleased with how my cervix is looking – as long as pre-surgery, so that was all good news. He even said I didn’t need to come in next week. What? A whole week without a doctor’s appointment? Well now, that is a mixed blessing. I’m thankful that he is so happy with the progress he doesn’t want to see me next week, but wait a minute…..that means I don’t get to leave the house for 2 weeks now? Phew.
So, three weeks of bedrest under my belt and I am so thankful for my most-of-the-time gracious and always handsome husband that comes home and takes care of the cooking, groceries, and household stuff after working a very long day himself. I’m also immensely grateful to the friends who have stopped by with food, supplies, or just to chat and make me feel less isolated; and the online friends who have been there to lend an ear or offer tips and suggestions. I am officially hanging in there with help from my friends!
In lieu of baby photos, here’s my twin-flavored photo/joke of the day.
How twins are made…
So this is how they do it… One of life’s great mysteries solved.
Only twenty years ago, no one would have understood this joke!
how twins are made
August 7, 2010
What was that???
Well, the twins have finally decided to make sure I know they are in there. The first time I felt them it was a little butterfly feeling in my belly around week 16, then nothing for quite a while.
The morning after my surgery though, apparently the propofol made “lefty” feel a bit ornery – so when I leaned over to drink some water he gave me a bit of a jolt. And so began a couple of days of mostly him giving me some strong (but weird) feeling nudges – mostly when I was trying to sit up and used my stomach muscles or otherwise impeded on “his space”. “Junior” (the one on the right – at least until Michael comes up with a short list of names), has been a bit more quiet – only once in awhile is he making it clear he’s there and I’m doing something that is making him uncomfortable.
I’ve also been feeling the popping feeling that pregnant women often speak about – it is much lighter and softer than the jolts I occasionally get – so I can see how people might not notice them as much.
The one week checkup after my surgery was good. Actually really good. It was weird being in the car and outside after a week of never leaving the house.
But after a long wait (we were one of the last patients of the day), the doctor did the ultrasound and said it looked like the “best possible scenario” – my cervix appears to have lengthened back to 3.2 (approximately, it is hard to find the edges of it on the u/s to get an accurate measurement). He said that most of the initial danger of infection was over, and he is quite pleased.
He also let us know that the results of the second trimester screening came back even better than the first – so that is good news as well.
I promised him I was trying to be the most compliant patient he has ever had to ensure that I get to stay home on bedrest as long as possible – rather than in the hospital. So, all in all, a very good appointment!
Okay, and here’s the last of my “what was that” pregnancy symptoms for today. It started a few days ago – this sensation of being able to hear my pulse in my left ear. It is quite distracting at times – listening to your own pulse. Initially I googled it and read it sometimes happens with high blood pressure – but at my OB visit, my blood pressure was around 100 over 60-something, so clearly that isn’t the issue. The doctor says it is completely normal, more common with twins, because my heart is pumping more than 50% more blood volume than usual with each pump. So, nothing to worry about. And that is the latest unexpected interesting pregnancy “side effect” for the week. 🙂
Taylor Twins 