Just the Stork

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...