Just the Stork

When three become one... August 10,2018 (35 weeks and 4 days) That Friday morning, I woke up with back pain. That was not unusual towards the end of the pregnancy. It usually eased by pretty quickly once I got out of bed but that morning it hung around. And Viktor, who was normally a very active little boy, was not moving around. He must have been resting up for what he may have known was going to be a big day. Sofia on the other had was bouncing around in there. I called the doctor's office just to check in and see if I should be checked again before going into the weekend, since I was 4-5cm dilated at the last check up. That morning the doctors office opened up an hour and a half later than usual because of a meeting. I continued to work from home, and deny that I may be in labor. At 9:30am I called Maitri and the nurse told me to come into the office and get some sugar in me to see if that would get Viktor moving on my way in. On my way to the doctor's office they called ...

Doctors appointment went well this morning, babies heart rates are 152 (her) and 144 (him). Like usual he was moving around like crazy. When the doctor walked in she congratulated me on making it to 35 weeks and said she was in the office last week when I was sent to the hospital for the steroid shot they were not sure if I would make it this far. I am 4-5 cm dilated and 100 effected, so basically whenever active labor starts it could go pretty quickly. I am aiming for at least next monday not that we have made it to today. I figured if I made it this far hopefully I can keep them put for another week. The doctor was very straightforward that if my water broke or contractions become close together and stronger to just go straight to the hospital.She asked where I lived and I said about 30-40 minutes from the hospital which didn't impress her, especially when I said I worked about an hour from the hospital. So I am now being even more hyper aware of any pain, pressure or contractio...

34 week appointment today went well. Their heart rates are 140 (her) and 129 (him), they both have plenty of fluid around them and their placentas look good. The appointment started off with the Doc saying I may be able to be seen in 2 weeks instead of next weeks since everything has gone so smoothly so far and then I asked her to check my cervix... She looked a little surprised to inform me I was 3cm dilated and 90% effaced with a bulging water bag.  I asked what that meant and if we should expect the babies soon and she said that could be indicative that things are starting to progress but I could also walk around for the next few weeks at 3-4 cm dilated. So basically with twins this could mean they could come this week or three weeks from now, not the best news when trying to plan the arrival of everyone but with monitoring and rest we should hopefully have a good warning period before the twins make their debut. The doc decided I should get the steroid shots just to be saf...

The babies continue to move around like crazy, and I still feel him more than her most of the time. I'm sure they are feeling more cramped as they get bigger and there have been a few times I joked that I was surprised my water hadn't broken with how violent the little guy was kicking around in there. Luckily they seem to calm down when I am ready for bed which makes it a little easier to get to sleep. Dave and the kids are in New Jersey and I have been taking advantage of the "free time", and slowly remembering what silence sounds like! It sounds like they are having a blast and seeing a lot of the family, which makes it easier having them be away knowing they are enjoying themselves. Hopefully I can get the house nice and organized before they get home next week and enjoy the next month before the babies make their debut! I can't reach my feet anymore and with my home masseuse being on vacation I was in need of a foot rub.  I took advantage of this this kid fr...

Eight months down! Six weeks to go :-) The appointment at Maitri went well today. Heart rates are 153 (her) and 122 ( him). She weighed in at 4.2 pounds and he was 4.9 pounds, both in the 50th percentile. Dave and the kids have left for New Jersey for the next two weeks. A nice welcome from the last week of swim lessons and pool time for the kids after work each day. I love seeing them grow more comfortable with the water and playing with friends but by the end of the day I dream about putting my feet up and relaxing. I have finished one baby blanket and am working on the second.  They make a great project to work on in my meetings and when I need to unwind at night. Next appointment with Maitri is July 30th for blood pressure and heart rate check. I have booked the rest of the appointments up until the delivery date, four more appointments and it will be baby time! Weight :176.5 Feeling : Stuffed! I'm not sure how my body will continue to stretch so I am am going to cons...

We have hit the eight month mark! Just 7 weeks to go :-) (49 days!!) The babies are continuing to move around like crazy. I still feel him more than her as he kicks and jabs while it seems like she just wiggles. Jacob asks about them more, curious about the movement. A couple of days ago he asked "Are your babies sleeping?" and I reminded him they are not mine and we are babysitting, then he said "Oh right, so what school are you going to drop them off at?" His responses always make me laugh a bit, since I am not exactly sure what his understanding is of this. Less than two weeks and Dave and the kids will be heading to New Jersey to visit family. I am looking forward to getting my craft room organized (finally!) while there are no little hands dismantling my work as I go. The more I have looked into surrogacy journeys, I have found a lot of information on infertility and rainbow babies (born after a miscarriage, stillborn, or neonatal death, and like a rainbow ...

Doctors appointment yesterday went well, blood pressure looked great and their heart rates were 138 (her) and 145 (him). The belly measured at 37” today, at 30 weeks gestation.  In a singleton pregnancy that measurement usually matches the number of weeks into pregnancy. My first two usually measured right on track but with twins that measurement doesn’t really say much other than I am the size of a 37 week pregnant woman at 30 weeks... and only getting bigger! Jacob came with me to this appointment and was very interested in seeing the babies on the ultrasound machine and listen to their heartbeats. Victor had the hiccups which made his heart beat sound a little funny and made Jacob giggle. He was pretty impressed with the ultrasound machine especially after the doctor let him press a few buttons. Next appointment with Maitri is July 17th weeks for their next growth scan. Weight : 174 lbs Feeling : pretty good. I feel like I have a little more energy at times which is great...

Less than 9 weeks now! I have been working on blankets for the babies, because I will take any excuse to buy yarn and start a project, but it has also been a great distraction. When my body starts to really hurt, usually at the end of the day, I get as comfortable as I can and crochet something that I hope will turn out to be a special little gift. Nice way to take my mind off any discomfort. The belly is starting to make a nice little platform to rest the blanket on while I'm working. Our summer has kicked off relatively smooth, other than Briella falling down the stairs and fracturing her wrist. Luckily kids bones bend more than actually break so her cast should only have to stay on 2-3 weeks, and she enjoyed the down time at first, resting with me when I needed to rest. We are having a BBQ and birthday celebration for Dave this weekend and Jacob the first week in August. Usually I am deeply involved in the planning and quite controlling to make sure every last detail is perfec...

Hello third trimester! Glucose test and growth scan were done at yesterdays appointment. We should have the glucose results back shortly and the babies are looking great. Her heart rate was 143 and his was 141 and they are both weighing in a 2 pounds 11 ounces, with her weighing a could grams less than him. And both are head down, with his head a little lower than hers at this point, but that could be because I swear his little toes are wrapped around my ribs to get leverage to stretch out more. The babies are moving all the time, which is always reassuring. It is much more obvious that I am pregnant so I have talked with our daughter to make sure she has a good understanding of how to tell other people when they ask about the babies. We like to say that I am "babysitting" and that they are not actually her siblings. It amazes me how kids just say ok and move on while the adults are always the ones with questions. It has been nice to talk about the experience with people wh...

Last week of the second trimester! The babies are moving like crazy, especially the little boy. I'm pretty sure he is trying to escape right out my side at times, possibly swinging from my ribs for leverage. He may be an acrobat in training. Standing is getting a little more uncomfortable as I feel more front heavy, but I can still get some what comfortable sitting or laying down. When I think about how front heavy I feel now, I just flash forward in my mind to 10 weeks from now and then I don't feel so bad knowing what is coming. And I have stopped googling images of women who are 36+ weeks pregnant with twins... This is the last week of school for the kids so we are planning a full summer for them with camps and visiting family. They will all be heading to New Jersey for a couple of weeks in late July so I will get the house to myself. In my head there is a list of things I am looking forward to getting done but who knows what a month from now will look like. I just bought...

What started with a virus or cold Thursday turned right into allergies over the weekend. I went to the doctor Friday just to confirm I did not have strep, and happy to report I do not but they said it was probably the same viral annoyance many others have been coming in for. So lots of fluid and rest were in my future for the weekend. Luckily the razor blade feeling in my throat has significantly decreased but the congestion and sinus pressure from allergies has drained the rest of my energy and has made sleeping more of a challenge. Now I remember how bad my allergies were the summer I was pregnant with Jacob, but I believe that with some (doc approved) medications and a couple of weeks to adjust, the allergies became bearable. Finger crossed this too shall pass quickly! The doctors appointment went well today, no growth scan this time since we just had it done again at UVM. The babies are both back to being head down and look nice and healthy in there with heart rates of 141 (her)...

 It seems as though I have got to the point in pregnancy where if I drop something, I call it a loss and walk away. Bending over becomes a bit more of a challenge each day, because of comfort but also my lungs get squeezed like a whoopee cushion when I bend down. Also, walking upstairs leaves me breathless just because my lungs cant fully inflate. However, there are times when I get in just the right position to allow my lungs to expand enough to actually take a deep breath and those moments are magical! I have kept a close eye out for swelling and while I don't notice any visually, it does feel like my shoes fit a little bit tighter and there are some days when it is harder to get my ring back on. The babies continue to swim and kick around like crazy, and while painful at times, it is reassuring to feel their movement. Each week that passes is one week closer to happy, healthy babies when they come out. (Only!) 13 weeks to go. However, the 25 week mark is a bit a of a mileston...

The babies are getting more active by the day. You can feel movement on the outside now but not nearly as much as I feel on the inside. Our next appointment is tomorrow at UVMMC for a follow up scan to check on the baby girl's nose and lips and umbilical cord, hopefully she not as shy as she was during her last 2 hour scan and smiles for the camera! I am assuming everything is just fine in there but it is always nice to have the conformation. UPDATE: The scan at UVMMC went great, the ultrasound tech was able to see where the umbilical cord interested to the placenta right away and was able to find her nose and lips right after. He did another anatomy scan and everything is growing as it should be. She is now breach which explains why it feels like she is trying to kick her way out at times and is now a little bladder ninja. He is still head down and likes to rest his feet up in my rib cage. Their heart rates were 147 (her) and 138 (him), right in the normal range and they both w...

We have hit the five month mark! I had an OB appointment today where they did an ultrasound to check the heartbeats which were 148(her) and 129(him). To me this seemed like quite a big difference, since they have been so similar each visit and the doctor said they were both good heartbeats. They like see them between 110 and 160. I asked about the scan we had done at 20 weeks and what follow up was needed and was surprised when she said I would need to return to The UVM Medical Center to follow up on the nose/lips and umbilical cord. The doctor said she they do not do anatomy ultrasounds in the office anymore. Also I would need to start coming in every two weeks starting around 25 weeks instead of every 4 weeks so they can monitor growth. I scheduled the next check up at 26 weeks for a growth check and another at 28 weeks for a growth check and the second glucose test. The ultrasound today was quick, she said she was really just looking at the heartbeats to make sure they sounded g...

The little ones are way more active now. She seems to kick and stretch straight down, like she is getting ready to escape. And he seems to be content up under my ribs and kicking and stretching directly out my side, which you can faintly feel on the outside as well. My son likes to lay his head on my stomach to 'listen' to the boy then looks at me very concerned to ask "Is he kicking you?!", which led to a funny conversation about how I am not being beat up by the tiny human in my belly. Last night I asked my daughter if she wanted to try to feel them kick and she said "Wait, they're alive in there?!" which made me laugh. You never know how children process and understand what you tell them.  She told her daycare provider "My mom is doing something amazing. She is having two babies and giving them to another family!", which led to some funny conversations and clarification with the adults there. Everyone is always amazed and supportive which ...

It was great to see you two and I hope you have an easy trip back home. It was nice to see the babies for long on the ultrasound, him showing off and sitting on her while she stayed modest. Such little personalities already. Here's hoping to them already being best friends and having a built in buddy for life. They have been so similar in size and heartbeats so far which is good news, 139/135 and 13oz/14oz at this last visit. The next OB appointment is on May 16th at Maitri for an Ultrasound and check up. 17 weeks to go! Weight : 164.5 Feeling : Great! Babies: Your babies are about 10.5 inches long and weigh in at about 11.5 ounces. Your little action figures are able to choreograph Matrix-like moves at 21 weeks pregnant. Arms and legs are finally in proportion, neurons are now connected between the brain and muscles and cartilage throughout the body is turning to bone. All these upgrades combine to give your babies more control over limb movements, which...

Back to Vermont and back to work. I thought that I would be a little bigger with twins but the OB said everything looked good and to continue to focus on weight gain. Her exact works were "Oh don't worry, you'll get bigger",  which led me to once again google 38 weeks pregnant with twins and left me feeling just fine with how big the bump is knowing what it will look like in another 10-15 weeks! I did not show until later in the pregnancy with my second either, and the bump is definitely continuing to grow which is reassuring. Even by the end of the day it feels much bigger than each morning. I am not complaining at all! Just curious how each pregnancy is so different, very interesting. Weight :164 Feeling : Pretty good, with some heart burn and shortness of breath as things are getting a little more crowded in there. Babies: Your babies are about 6.5 inches long and weigh in at about 10.2 ounces.

Halfway there! The c-section is scheduled for August 27th around 8:30am. Babies has their first trip to the west coast. The flights went well and out trip to California was great! The babies have started to kick a bit more and I feel them moving around in there on a more regular basis, especially when I am laying down. We a bit of a scare halfway through the vacation with some bleeding that seemed heavier than I would except at 19 weeks. I called the OB in Vermont who suggested getting checked out and after five and a half hours at the hospital, we got the all clear to go home on 24 hours bed rest. They think it may have been due to the increase in activity since the placenta looked good, both sacks were intact and my cervix had not shortened. The monitor did show my uterus was a bit irritated, which could have been the extra activity, but I was not having contractions which was another good sign. We were planning on going for a hike in Armstrong Woods, with the giant redwoods,...

18 week OB check up today. Glucose test went well, they are looking for a number under 135 and mine came back 98 so we are all good this time! And the OB was able to tell us that there is a boy and a girl in there! The boy is on my right with his placenta on the inside so I feel him moving around more. The girl is on my left with her placenta on the outside so I don't feel her move quite as much but she is definitely getting more active. They had nice and healthy heartbeats and are growing right on track. Weight :163.5 Feeling :Pretty good! The headaches and nausea have pretty much gone away. Fatigue creeps in more these days as expected and I feel "full" after around 11am which makes eating a full meal a little more challenging so I keep snacks on me to eat when there feels like there is room in there! Babies: Your babies are about 5.5 inches long and weigh in at about 7 ounces. They are busy flexing their arms and legs, and the ...