ob appointment

I had my 36 week ob appointment yesterday... they put me on the tokos monitor and I was having ZERO irritability or contractions. I mean this- NADA. I had stronger contractions last week and in the L&D. Heck, stronger contractions at 19 weeks last pregnancy! I am a little confused... also, the last two nights I have been doing aerobics. Duane leaves the room, I think its frightening. Ha, ha. I have all this energy and feel great so everyone thinks I am nesting for real, but, I am only 1 cm dilated and nothing is progressing... I am just enjoying having this splurt of energy for whatever it means or is worth as I have felt immobile for the longest time and I am the type of person who when having to give up their control and rely on others feels depressed with the degree of helplessness that I experience.

The ob was a bit peeved that L&D tried to talk me into a vbac. She said that had they succeeded, she would of spent the next hour talking me back out of it. She said that my uterus is already stretched further than last pregnancy, and that rupture was a real concern and wasn't necessarily associated with the length or strength of labor and having babies at the right station didn't mean it wouldn't happen if I was allowed to labor. It didn't help that my c-section hot spots and my scar have been hurting me lately. If it increases or becomes stronger, she said I am to report to L&D ASAP and they would be sectioning me immediately.

I owe some thank yous- first to the lovely bloggers who have been following my pregnancy and sending me the nicest comments of support even though I have not been keeping up with others blogs as well as I would like.

To Heidi who sent me the most thoughtful and adorable baby gifts- little Dutch onesies! They are so cute, and my husband loved them, too!

And to Genevieve for creating the "Nice Matters" award which I received from her as well as some of my other favorite bloggers. I am supposed to pass this along to seven people, and I feel *guilty* just choosing 7 because IMO EVERYONE I have met since beginning to blog has been NICE and I am afraid I would leave someone out. So, I am going to be a bit rebellious and say that EVERYONE is nice, and that anyone visiting my blog should embrace this award and all that it means to be compassionate, kind, and well.... nice!

nesting and ready for babies!

Well, we had a false alarm on Thursday and I was soooooo embarrassed. Called my MIL, had baby sitters here, and lugged my suitcase over to the hospital thinking I was in labor. They put me on the Tokos and said "You are in PAIN?" I turned to look at it and it wasn't even spiking above 25!!!

Last time, I just woke up in the middle of night, turned to Duane and said "It's time". Now here I am in a second pregnancy and running to the L&D for uterine crankiness. Hee, hee. However, I did get a plausible response for all my issues to date- when the doctor checked my cervix she was surprised to find Twin A at "+2 Station". This is normally associated with being *more* than 5 cm dilated and in very active labor, though I am only fingertip dilated, 70% effaced and not in labor. She said all the downward pressure and the pubic diastasis has made for very painful uterine cramping- though its not laborious. They gave me a shot of terbutaline to see if it would halt the contractions and it did for an hour and then they came back. However, the L&D bed had a "pillow" you could fluff up under your bottom and it pushed the baby back to station +1 for the time I was in the hospital and that felt soooooo good! The baby dropped back to station +2 as soon as I stood up. Hmpfh!

And then comes the dilemma... my last pregnancy was a c-section- mandated because of the fact that Lucas was deemed having "intrauterine growth restriction" in the womb- a condition that means that for some reason the babies abdomen isn't maturing properly and growing at the rate the rest of the body is, and is often associated with a placenta dying off. On top of that, he had an irregular heartbeat. So, it was agreed by all that he not be made to go through the rigors of labor and I had a c-section. Once he was born, we realized that he was fine... he's just built like his daddy- lanky! Ha! And to be even more honest here... I wasn't thrilled about the prospect of two labors in one day as sometimes there is a several hour gap in delivering twins and with Tilly not being engaged that was a possibility. EEEEK! Plus... I am a wimp. There, I said it. I get horrified just watching birthing shows, and often my face turns bright pink when viewing them.

So, this pregnancy we were told from the start that because of the proximity of my last pregnancy VBAC was )O-U-T and we would be having another c-section to avoid the possibility of uterine rupture on scar tissue that may have not properly healed from the last section. And we have stuck with this the entire time... but here we are 2 weeks before my scheduled c-section and the Doctor on call from my practice shakes her head when she finds out we are having a c-section. When she left I asked the nurse why, and she said that I was an L&D dream come true with two babies engaged and one already at +2 station. That I would have a practically painless quick delivery with how separated by pubic bones are, with the fact that I do not carry large twins. Both my mother and sister had natural deliveries (no pain meds) and it seems to run in our family that we have this pubic diastasis. So, there may be some truth in this.

ACK!!!

Duane freaked and said there was no way he would want me doing VBAC, that YES twin A might be a quick delivery, but there was nothing preventing twin B from turning afterwards and going breech and my winding up with two deliveries- one vaginal, one section. The truth is, only 15% of twin deliveries wind up being one vaginal and one c-section, but the prospect isn't very exciting! I then spoke to my mother and she also freaked and said to stay with the surgery. Duane said if I were carrying a singleton I would have his full support, but with twins he wanted to obide by the original recommendation. We both did alot of research last pregnancy and did read that with twins a c-section is safer for Baby B. That while Baby A seems to not have any increased risks, its hard for Baby B to go through the rigors of labor- twice. Once for the birth of their sibling, then for their own birth. Duane reminded me of this as well.

It just seems like such a waste to have a body that is actually prepared for an easy delivery, and still have the section. One of my friends is an L&D nurse and she emailed me this morning and concurred with the L&D physician on call that this would be a very easy delivery. Ack. I am just as wimpy as before, but just thinking that a vaginal recovery would be sooooo much easier than a c-section when I have babies at home already to care for. This is what my friend said as well. Her twins were sectioned. I will talk to my doctor tomorrow and get her thoughts...

Here is the remodeled guest room- you can see the little twins cribs up under the window. Lots of sunshine for the wee ones!



This is me at 34 weeks at my shower. My friend Tonya made the diaper cake. Isn't it cute? I had a difficult time finding an outfit to fit for the shower... I tend to stay in maternity dresses to keep anything from touching my abdomen, but, I also need to sit with my legs up ("Indian Style") to keep weight off my pelvis and thats much easier in pants. I wound up wearing a set of brown capris that I really have outgrown, and this blouse which my tummy hung out the bottom of. And everyone keeps saying how small I am. Well, small everywhere but my abdomen! Its huge!



I have been cleaning like mad and have had a burst of energy, so now Duane can't sleep at night thinking its the "Calm before the storm". I don't know if I am nesting officially or not- theres so much that needs to get done!

I am going to try and catch up on blogs today, I sure have missed everyones entries!

Daddy time!

I snapped some cute pictures of Duane with the babies this weekend. He hasn't had any of him taken with them in sometime... its amazing how much they have grown.



Here are all three of them watching Mickey Mouse.



Lucas was very intent about this episode. Hee, hee.



Tilly has a new hairdo!!! I became tired of constantly sweeping her "comb over" out of her eyes and over the course of three days, worked on giving her bangs. Its very flattering on her little face and she seems much more comfortable!

I will be adding to this entry throughout the day- I am a bit busy and having trouble sitting down to compose one entry. Also, check out the jumping video below. I hope to visit everyones blogs today and catch up as well.

OK, I am back- at 11:00 p.m.

I have a condition called "pubic symphosis diastasis". It basically means that the cartilage that holds the pelvic bones together tears and separates when I am pregnant. It makes it difficult to move- walking, stair climbing etc. I had it somewhat last pregnancy, but this time its horrid. Yesterday I became "stuck" in the kitchen when moving from one side to the other. All at once my pelvis just stopped working. I dragged myself into the living room and this amount of movement made me feel like my groin was on fire. I sat down to take the weight off my groin, and then was fine. Tonight I needed Duane to lift my leg to help me turn in bed- same thing, pelvis felt "locked". I no longer can lift my legs when I walk, I just shuffle along with a wide gait. Anyhow, this is making me quite irritable and I feel helpless. Why can't I just get hemorrhoids like everyone else? Ha, ha. It might not be so bad if I weren't such a control freak and could clean this house. I hate depending upon Duane... he is so sweet to do it, but darn it, I want it done my way not anyone elses way, and yet I know I need to be gracious and let him do things the best he can.

I am up right now because all that turning in bed trying to get my leg on my body pillow gave me reflux. Hmpfh!

OK, thats my pregnancy whine. I am now 33 weeks 1 day. Hey, I have done great! bng

Just baby pictures...

My husband often looks at my blog at work when he feels homesick. So, here are a few recent pictures for him, and everyone else.



Lucas has been the camera ham lately, so it was nice to get a good serious shot of him.



I was looking through the images I had taken and noticed Tilly was looking at the images, too. I quickly turned the camera around and without even knowing where the lens was focused, captured this. Its very sweet how she is leaning on my shoulder, isn't it?



These clear stacked drawers hold toys. Thats why Lucas has his faced smooshed up against one of them!



While taking the serious picture of Lucas, Tilly decided to have her first go and CLIMBING. UGH, ugh, ugh.

My peri report was good. The doctor referred to the little twins as "magnificent" and "gorgeous". They currently are just shy of 4 pounds each. No wonder I feel so bad!!!
I am run down and seriously exhausted. Duane is such a sweetie- he went by Whole Foods on his way home from work and bought me 15 dollars worth of berries. He knows I am a penny pincher and buy my fruit at walmart even when it doesn't look very pretty! It was nice to have some fresh tasting berries instead. Too bad they won't last!

I made a zuchini bread last night with some zuchini from my mother in laws garden. Yummy. That won't last, either!

Thanks for visiting me... I am still working on catching up with everyone else. I miss looking at everyones blogs in a leisurely fashion!

nesting and prepping for the big day

Last night I went to Macys with the intention of finding a duplicate of Tillys favorite Lovie.

But, they didn't have her lovie, and I happened upon a large storewide sale.

I spent about an hour in their clearance night gowns and bought some very lovely and feminine gowns for my hospital stay. Last delivery I made the mistake of just buying one cheap gown at Walmart- I felt it would be a waste of money to invest in a gown to just wear at the hospital. I hadn't realized how many visitors I would have, and more so, how important it would be to me to feel pretty and feminine after my c-section. The gown I purchased had a zipper running down the front which seemed convenient, but instead I spent my entire time in it pulling the uncomfortable zipper away from my abdomen. I also hadn't known how I would crave cozy pajamas those first few weeks at home, and how much the twins and I would keep to the bedroom.

This time I splurged- well, in the clearance rack!- on some lovely feminine gowns. They are full of soft silky fabrics and all in pink.

I bought one long button up pinstriped cotton nightshirt to serve as a light weight robe or gown. Then, a lovely silky knit embroidered long gown with sweet floral embroidery around the scoop neck and short puff sleeves, and finally, a crisp cotton poplin sleeveless gown thats full of delicate trims, pintucks, venetian style lace and swiss dot embroidery. This gown is my favorite- every detail on it whispers femininity. Even the tiny buttons are shape like flower petals. I came home and realized I was nesting! I am excited to get my suitcase packed now, and love my new treasures.




An because I won't always look like I swallowed a beachball, I also purchased a simple black gown in a slinky knit to wear a few months post partum. This gown was very simple, but quite sexy! I loved the feel of it in my fingers, and it has a lovely bias cut as well.



I suppose it would be hard for most women to grasp how pampering this venture was for me... I grew up with a very practical mother who felt white cotton t-shirts were the pajama of choice. I don't believe my sister or I had undergarments in shades other than white or beige cotton until we moved out on our own (I purchased a lovely pink "barely there" bra to go with my gowns, too). Splurging on nice quality gowns feels frivolous to me, but I honestly feel I deserve to celebrate myself and look beautiful in the hospital. Its been a long journey, and I am looking forward to being my best when I meet the little twins.

I have doctor appointments on Monday and Tuesday, and will update my blog again at that time.

I hope all of you are enjoying your nests this weekend as well.

happy 4th and good peri report

I had an excellent report at the perinatologist office today! All that worry last night for nothing! Baby A weighs 2 pounds 12 ounces, and Baby B weighs 2 pounds 13 ounces. THEY weigh one pound more (combined) than they did two weeks ago, so while *I* might not be gaining weight, the babies are and thats what counts. Duane went with me, and he enjoyed getting to see how active the little twins are.

From now on I will see the peri and the ob every other week. I am to focus on gaining a little more weight, but am free to travel right now and everything is looking good!

As promised, here are some recent pictures of Lucas and Tilly.

I am making this entry short, I will be visiting my folks with the big twins over the holiday, and we need to get packing!

Happy 4th of July everyone!

bargains for bedroom

For those who aren't a fan of the furniture in most furniture galleries right now- the big bulky pieces that mix irons and fake hardwoods- you can get traditional styled furniture REALLY cheap.

Start with our king sized poster bed. We ended up getting it 50% off retail because the furniture store we normally shop at said that they were now unable to sale traditional styled pieces. I wanted something we could hang onto for sometime, and didn't want to go with anything trendy. I priced it online and couldn't get within 500 dollars of the price of my local gallery!

And this weekend I found something I have been wanting for *years*. I know that highboy dressers aren't in style right now. Nor have them been for about ten years! But, I LOVE them. I have wanted one since the first time I saw one- in my high school best friend's mother's bedroom. I fell in love with the classic styling and the broken pediment top.

So, I have been scouting craig's list trying to find one and this weekend we did. This highboy had been listed for several months- the listing being repeated every 5-6 weeks. I emailed the owner and found out it was still available. She had it listed for 200.00.

It is in good shape- its made by a reputable furniture company (but not high end), and it had been well taken care of. It does need a few touch ups, but its solid wood. She dropped the price fifty dollars before I even had a chance to think about it (In my head I heard Jennifer Lopez saying "Oh no you didn't!"), and I knew at that minute I would leave with it for 75 less. And we did.

So here is my 125.00 highboy dresser, which is storing my husbands things. We can now tell my mom to sale our maple dresser (hubbies) which didn't match a thing we own out of the WV barn. The dresser that I have my things in is in the guest room with its matching queen sized poster bed.

This is a view of our room from the doorway. That rocker is just there in that corner temporarily, it goes on my side of the room, but I keep one of the big twins travel cribs there to help transition them from one room to the other without leaving someone unattended (we have breakfast in my bed every morning).




Here is a close-up of the highboy. It looks like it was made with our bed!



I had a somewhat stressful ob appointment today. I am measuring smaller than I did two weeks ago. She managed to get me worked in to the perinatologists office tomorrow to quickly determine whats going on. I have consistently measured 4 weeks ahead the entire pregnancy (with twins its normal to measure even 8 weeks ahead), and this time I only measured one week ahead, which means a week smaller than I measured two weeks ago. The ob is hoping that one of the babies has went transverse (side lying). That would make my waist wider, but my fundal height- what they measure- smaller. I also hadn't gained weight in two weeks. I bought some protein powder on my way home to add to shakes.

I will post an update tomorrow, as well as come big twin pictures!

the guest bath, the twins, the big preggy lady

I have been hesitant to share pictures because its not technically done. We still need to trim the mirror out, and we need a new faucet. But, as many projects as my husband has been doing around the house- including replacing our central air unit and our coil- he hardly has time for a faucet. Also, I have chosen a wall treatment called "candlelight" by Ralph Lauren, but haven't had the energy to use it.




I can't say enough how much I HATE textured wallpaper. It was foam, and so hard to remove. It took me a full week solid working every day for an hour just to get the foam down, and then afterwards I had to remove the glue.



There was a layer of paper below this one, a country floral. It was hung write ontop the drywall without the walls being sealed or primed!!! I paintd over this layer, rather than wrestle with damaging the drywall as I went.



I removed the vanity doors and puttied all those weird crevices in the doors and drawer. Then, I bought some wood appliqués and glued them on, and finally painted it white. We also added glass door knobs which you can't see here.

The vase came from a yard sale from two weeks back- the home owner was an interior designer and was redecorating her home. Most of her things were overpriced, but this vase and its matching vessel on the back of the toilet were 4 dollars each.

You've seen the shoe and the birdie- here is where their home is. They both came from kirklands.



A Waverly shower curtain from Target that needs ironed. But hey- I don't iron! And here are some of the pictures I hung in the room.

Not the most impressive makeover, because all of these guest baths are teensy and hard to work with- but, I am very happy with the outcome and pleased with how much nicer the room looks.

And now the baby pictures!



This is the two of them watching t.v. ACK! They only get a half hour of Mickey Mouse in the morning, and a half an hour of Mickey Mouse in the evening, but its like CRACK. I try to give them their bottles to drink while they watch, but as soon as they finish, they crawl over to the edge of the playpin and climb up and stand and stare at the t.v. *gasp*



Here is my baby boy being silly. He is normally so serious for the camera, its always fun when he decides to be a goofball. He is in 12 months clothing now, even though he is still a skinny boy, he is long!



Tilly just gets prettier and prettier. I suppose Duane will have to stop calling her "Chris Farley" and saying "I live in a van down by the river!!!" when he holds her as she no longer has those fat baby cheeks. Every one has been telling us lately how pretty she is, and it takes me off guard, because for the longest time she really was so pudgey and her very square jaw made it hard to see what WE saw. They used to just say "My shes a big baby!" Heh. Of course we always thought she was beautiful! She looks so much like her father, taking in his Puerto Rican ancestory.

Grandma watched them Saturday so we could go to a friends wedding and reception dinner. This is AWFUL but it was our first baby free evening since the big twins were born, and we skipped the wedding!!! We went on a "Date" instead. We went to Starbucks and had coffees and sodas and just sat and talked and caught up with eachother. We held hands and whispered. Then, we went to the reception where we danced with one another, too. *sighs* And when we came home, Grandma had folded all the laundry!!! Duane was rushing behind me saying "What are you doing?" because at 15 till 4, and knowing grandma would be here by 5, I was doing laundry instead of getting ready. I said "Its a game we play. I leave laundry in the washer and the dryer, she finishes both, then folds it. Don't argue!" I really appreciate it. This used to make me feel inferior and embarrassed that I had laundry that needed to be folded, but heck, I AM busy and she enjoys feeling useful and goodness knows we are grateful!

As far as the pregnancy, I feel like crud. On days when the big twins nap well, I sleep. Right now I am waiting for them to nap so I can, but they have been playing in their cribs for 45 minutes instead of sleeping. Ugh. I feel like I am not giving anyone my best... my twins, my husband, myself. I am so rundown right now that even taking a bath feels like a chore because I would rather have the free time to sleep! My iron came back anemic, so thats part of it... but basically this is the point in a twin pregnancy where you really feel huge and awkward and ... uncomfortable! Duane continues to do all he can to take somethings off of me, and I struggle with "bad mommy" guilt.

My ob is scheduling my c-section between 36-37 weeks. This means I only have a little more than 7 weeks left. We are a bit concerned about uterine rupture with my conceiving so quickly after my previous c-section... thats why we are scheduling the slightly premature delivery. We have to get the twins to 36 weeks for lung development, but anything after risks severe complications for me.

*edit- at 36 weeks with twins, my uterus will be the size of a singletons pregnancy at 44 weeks! So, though it sounds awful to be planning a premature delivery, I am relieved. Last time I carried until 35 weeks 2 days, then went into labor on my own. Lucas weighed 4 pounds 12 ounces, and Tilly weighed 4 pounds 14 ounces. They were both 18.5 inches long. There is a chance I will go into labor on my own again... we just would like to make it to 35 weeks before anything like that happens, and hope we can make it to 36 as the babies will come home with us in that situation. 35 weekers require a stay in the "step down" nursery (not NICU) to pack on some ounces before they can go home, 36 weeks do not.

dream bedrooms, etc

Sorry for the poor scan on the following picture- I scanned it several years ago at my mothers house on their aging fax/scanner.



I don't know why I still love this bedroom, but I do. It now looks dated to me- a little too "country victorian" and the sisal heart shaped rug looks tacky beside the bed. And yet I still look at it and sigh to myself, about how lovely the pink and white quilt is, and how soft and romantic the lightweight voile window treatments look. It doesn't matter that this magazine is now over 15 years old!

I have a feeling my enjoyment of this bedroom is linked to the year I found it- the same year that I began housekeeping on my own, and a time when I was trying to find my style. This bedroom has a little bit of me in it- from 1994! It is a time capsule, in a way, capturing my growing independence and the style that would eventually be uniquely my own. Do you have a favorite room from years past that you still think of? That helped mold your unique style?

Growing up, we frequently relocated due to my fathers occupation. We moved 9 times before my 16th birthday. Never being too "at home" anywhere we lived, we decorated very sparsely. I remember having lovely quilts and bedspreads, but never nice curtains for an ever changing window size, or a pretty hued paint. My room was dull in contrast to the girls I would befriend. I had one particular friend whose room remains memorable to me. Her name was Angie and her childhood bedroom still is one my favorite all time rooms. I can picture it as though I only just walked out of her room, skipping down the stairs with her on our way to cheerleading practice. Her girlhood room molded my tastes in decorating from that time forward!

Her room was very sweet- she had bright emerald green carpet, and a white wallpaper that was scattered with tiny red rosebuds and the same green leaves that were the color of the carpet. Her bedding was crisp white eyelet lace with mountains of ruffled white toss pillows and dolls. There was just one window in the room, and it had eyelet priscilla curtains adorning it. She had a netted canopy that she liked to envelop her dolls within. With the bright carpet and wallpaper and the summer fresh bedding, this room was pure sunshine. It was the happiest of rooms, and perfect for a little girl to daydream and slumber within. We would sit up for hours giggling in this room, and no matter how sparse the daylight, somehow this room remained lit. The room in many ways actually looked like Angie- a petite strawberry blonde with "Annie" style curls and freckles like Pippy Longstocking. She had dimples and never ceased smiling.

In my mind, a thousand times, I have recreated this bedroom and do still.

At that time, I thought what I loved about her bedroom was that everything coordinated. That her dresser matched her headboard. The wallpaper matched the carpet. The bedding matched the curtains. It has only been in my adulthood that I have come to appreciate what I was really drawn to about this room- the stability of it. This was a room ready to welcome only one little girl. Custom designed to match her tastes and her collections. This room was fully nested and if it had a name, it was "Angela" as if you were quiet, you could hear her name whispered in every corner of the room- an echo of her growing personality and style.

My bedroom by contrast reflected the instability of our life. I was a shy little girl who hated moving. Hated new homes, hated new schools, and hated trying to make new friends every 1.5 years. I had nondescript bedding to match whatever carpet the new home we would be moving into had. And to match my nondescript bedding was a nondescript personality I had forged to try and make transitions into new schools easier.

After each move, I worked on arranging my bedroom furniture to be in the exact position it had been in our prior home. This was my first foray into decorating- and an act of self nurturing. Once my bedroom was a carbon copy of the bedroom before, I felt a little more at ease in my new surroundings. A empty room began to resemble my personality, and I found the ritual of decorating to be soothing. I was nesting.

It was a relief and a comfort when I was in early high school that my father changed careers and we moved onto the outskirts of my grandfathers farm into my great grandmothers 100 year old farmhouse. You will often hear me talk of this home, and the accompanying land. My parents reside there to this day, and it gives me peace to see them settled and nesting themselves.

I do not find it ironic that once we had the stability of "home", I also began to build self confidence and independence. The first thing I did was buy a comforter set that matched the carpet in my new farmhouse bedroom. The carpet was rust orange!!! Oh it was hideous! But, I found a blue and white comforter set that had tiny peach rosebuds on it that perfectly matched the carpet. The blue quieted the strong rust color, and I remember my mom being very pleased with how I decorated the room. I was pleased too. I can remember standing in the doorway, looking upon my new bedroom, and realizing the bed was in a different place than it usually sat in each of our homes, but that it looked "right" in this room. I am sad that I never photographed the room.

And better still, I found a friend who remains a best friend through to this day. We email regular and visit on holidays.

As far as Angela's room- whether it represented something missing in my pscyhe or just a girlhood favorite, I still carry her room with me throughout my life. In my decorating you will frequently see touches of white eyelet. White eyelet to me is eternal, and continues to comfort me. It is also a tribute to my best friend for two years in junior high school, and a reminder to make every home my own, that my home should quietly whisper my name to all who enter, and that you should be able to find me here- secure, content, and uniquely "me".



I am now entering my third trimester with the "little twins". At Mondays appointment, Twin A weighed 2 pounds 1 ounce, and Twin B weighed 2 pounds 2 ounces. One thing I seem to be good at- I grow twins with very little discordance between their weights. However, I am also starting to wind down, and am feeling pretty tired in the evenings. Duane now puts the babies down by himself, and I m retiring to bed quite early.

long weekend

Without having to take a picture of my new resin birds, this is the closest I could find to them. We have a "Kirkland's Home" in the new Target plaza, and while they don't offer many shabby or cottage gift items, they do have some garden decor thats very cottagey. I had been looking for some shabby chic style birds to go with my flower arrangements, and they had a set of three garden resin ones with coupon for 9.99. The shapes are similar to the birds above, but, they are more distressed and look almost like they are mossy. They are lovely! Two of them are sitting on my cocktail table in the living room, and the other is in our nearly finished guest bath. This was my one treat for myself this weekend as we are on a budget.

I am exhausted. I refilled my EMLA numbing cream for my tarpal tunnel syndrome (like carpal tunnels, but in the feet) with a generic, and it spreads very thin and doesn't absorb as well. I wasn't able to get to sleep until 3:30 Friday evening (or rather early Saturday morning!) and while Duane attempted to let me sleep that a.m. and feed the twins himself, Tilly is so happy in the mornings and squeals very loudly and I found myself excited to see them even on only 4 hours of sleep. We were supposed to have company so I had planned on a nap- that didn't work out either. Instead I groomed two of our dogs- the shihtzu and the schnauzer, and bathed one other. Duane bathed his schnauzer that I groomed as he is difficult. Our company then called Sunday and asked if we still wanted them to visit if their two year old had vomited three times the night before. I am such a germaphobe- NO WAY! So, Wayne came over and helped Duane decide what we needed to replace on our central air unit, and he ended up having the nice dinner with us that I had hoped to share with his wife and adorable adopted son. I felt silly having such a fancy dinner for Wayne only, but he said he enjoyed it and complimented all the right things!

Here was the menu:

Caribbean grilled pork tenderloin
Roasted corn with cumin and ground red pepper
Red potato and dill potato salad
Mandarin Cake with Pineapple frosting
Sangria (I have my ob's permission to have one glass a week of pure wine, but we make it into a punch to further weaken it just to be extra safe)

Mandarin Orange Cake

INGREDIENTS

* 1 (18.25 ounce) package butter recipe cake mix
* 4 eggs
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 2 (11 ounce) can mandarin orange segments
* 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
* 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
* 1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, oil and can of mandarin oranges with juice, drain second can of mandarin oranges and add half of that (reserve second half for topping). Beat until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
4. To make the topping: In a large bowl, beat together pineapple with juice, reserved half can of mandarin oranges and dry pudding mix until blended. Stir in whipped topping. Spread on cake. Serve fully chilled.

(There will be topping left for other cakes or fruit desserts)

This cake is perfect for summer. I posted the recipe as I made it- the original calls for less mandarin oranges and a yellow cake mix made in a 9 by 13 pan. The extra oranges give it a much better flavor, and although omitted from the original frosting, make it taste so much more summery! And why anyone would make such a pretty cake in a 9 by 13 pan is beyond me- it looked gorgeous as a bundt with the topping piled up high on the top and sides. Duane and Wayne each had two large slices after dinner.

After Wayne left the twins went down for a nap, and then that evening we went to our friend Sam and Tonyas home and swam in their pool. That was the best part of the entire weekend. The twins love swimming, and being in the water gave me a nice "anti-gravity" feeling as far as my expanding abdomen. I am carrying about 4 pounds of babies now at 26 weeks 4 days, and approaching the third trimester. In the evenings I feel so awful after dinner from the lack of room for my stomach and uterus in my abdomen to co-exisit, and my pelvis feels like its going to drop right to the floor! Duane has been helping me into bed in the evening, but the mornings aren't hard. Laying on my left side all night takes all the pressure off my cervix and pelvis and then I am back to being able to carry the big twins around during the day. In the evenings now Duane is carrying them for me. We may buy booster seats for their play pin so I can start feeding them in their playpin during the day instead of lifting them in and out. They sure are good little babies... thats why its so important when Duane is home to do lots of extra activities with them, as I am becoming more and more restricted by my abdomen in what I can safely do during the day.

Well, its time for the twinkies to have breakfast, then we are ALL laying down for an a.m. nap!

Ugh

Today I fell.

I was carrying Lucas out of the play yard and I guess I am just not used to how awkward my stomach is at almost 6 months pregnant with the "little twins". Fortunately, I already had Matilda in her high chair. I crumbled with Lucas and shielded him as I fell, the entire play yard folded like an accordion ontop of us and while he was fine (thank goodness!) I am now sporting a huge scrape from my knee to my ankle and initially thought I broke a toe. I was so startled I almost was sick. I shook all over for an hour. That I could of hurt Lucas, or lost this pregnancy. I fell on pillows that we have in the play yard and not on the ceramic tile flooring just outside of it. The play yard was what scraped my leg.

Apparently the play yard is supposed to be opened and closed the same way it was assembled. This makes it very awkward to get in and out of, especially when I have the "big twins" in it. I called the company to ask if they might make a better and easier to use gate for it, and they don't. Thats crazy considering this is THE play gate system every mom of multiples owns.

Duane said tonight he will try and see if he can fashion something better. A friend suggested I buy a play gate and link it into the play yard with cable ties. It just has to be sturdy.

Ugh, ugh, ugh.

pregnancy update

Well, I am now totally confused about my Due Date.

OK, the timing of visability in my uterus matched my original due date
(at 5w 0d), as did the size of the babies for the first 8 weeks.
However, now they are measuring way ahead. Today baby A measured 13w
4d (which corresponds to my lmp), and baby B measured 14w 0d!!! Lucas
and Tilly never measured ahead- they always measured on time! So, this
has messed up my due date and I *know* when I ovulated! I am 13w 1d.
Or, 13w 0d. Anyhoo, I shouldn't complain as this gets me an earlier
section as I am now 13w 4d-14w 0d. Heh!

OK, I LOVED Dr. Hamner. I went into the appointment expecting to hate
anyone affiliated with Dr. Miles, and he was WONDERFUL. First, he
won't let me go past 38 weeks, although he doubts that will happen
anyhow and anticipates an earlier delivery. He also recognizes that I
can't do bed rest for 15 weeks this time.

As far as my lovenox, he said he isn't sure I need it since I don't
have a recurring loss issue, and my blood tests were one indicating
LAC and one only suggesting a clotting factor deficiency (the DRVVT
corrected the second time), but, if it made me feel better mentally to
be cautious, he said "Then lets keep it!" and dropped the subject when
everyone else has acted as if it was an issue for me to want to stay
on it as far as complications etc from the drug itself.

He mentioned regular cervical checks this time, so I won't have to
monitor changes at home. He said I was a very "busy person". Duane
laughed out loud about that, and told him having twins had been very
good for all my ocd issues!

As far as the NT, both babies had a nasal bone present. Baby A's
nuchal fold was 2.0-2.2 Baby B's nuchal fold was 1.6-1.8. Baby A's
bothered me, but they weren't concerned and said they both were in
very normal parameters- and also added that with them measuring ahead,
it would elevate the measurements, too. However, the taller baby had
the lesser fold. They said the mesasurements don't flag a risk until
they hit 2.98. I get my blood work back this week. If there is an
issue, we can schedule an early amnio as soon as 15 weeks.

The nuchal was first, the sonographer did that. Then I met my new peri
who may very well be my favorite doctor (after Fischy). I mentioned
that I had left his partners practice last time because of the anxiety
and idea of delivering at 39 weeks caused me, and he said "Everything
suggests delivery of twins after 38 weeks creates additional risks.
You will find us to be laid back in this office". I swear, I think I
could deliver at 37 weeks with this physician!

THEN, he took a peek himself and remarked on how active the babies
were, and how great their growth was. Then he did a gender assay!

!!!

At 13 weeks?

OK, and when he announced the genders, Duane and I were totally
unprepared- not expecting anything until my level II 5-7 weeks from
now. I nearly fell off the table when he told us, then became dizzy
and they had to get me a juice. Duane-who was paci tending Lucas- spun
around and kept saying "Did he just tell us their genders?" I
exclaimed something really ridiculous in a loud shakey voice and the
peri commented that I had an odd sense of humor.

He said we wouldn't confirm anything until my full anatomy scan at
18-20 weeks.

Duane said "I didn't expect him to be looking at their butts!".

Since it is early, we aren't going to confirm the genders and are going to go about as we had planned and try and be surprised. Surely they could be wrong at 13 weeks?

13w ?d twins
Lucas and Matilda 7 months

Two sacs!

They've been putting me through the ectopic drill because my numbers were so odd with this pregnancy. Because of a weird dream I had, I would not consent to a DNC or lap.

We went into Piedmont today and they repeated my hcg, did a cbc, and
we went ahead and agreed to a u/s.

My hcg was 2626 on Friday, today it was over 8700!!!

They found one sac immediately, and I jokingly told them to look for another and
guess what?

Two sacs.

Its so early (I am 5 weeks today) that they aren't ruling out that its
a hematoma from implantation of the other sac. On Friday we will go in
to see if this is a twin gestation or not although the high betas
would make sense now... The nurse told me his wife had two sacs on a
five week u/s, but only one by 8 weeks. He said they thought she had a
vanishing twin.

What did Duane say? "I am not going near you without a lead condom".

I can't say we are excited. A bit shellshocked. Relieved to not have a
tubal, but a little confused and overwhelmed at the prospect of a
second set of twins.

As far as Lucas and Tilly:

right before 5 months of age, I will say that Matilda couldn't wake herself up to eat any more middle of the night. Lucas was always the one who woke up, then I just went ahead and fed both. She always ate her bottle and even acted excited for it, once awoken- but, she didn't stir unless something else woke her up. It could be that he is just pretty comfortable with a good nights rest!

Now, they are skipping that bedtime bottle, and don't act particularly
hungry at 8!!! I don't know what thats about... all they eat is 3
ounces, then we sit and sing songs and play for ten minutes, then
Matilda will eat the other 3, but I have to really work with Lucas to
finish his.

With all the height talk I measured Lucas this a.m.- its bee exactly
one month since his exam, and he is 25 3/4 inches tall. Matilda was 26
even! I figured they measured her wrong last time!

She IS a big girl!!!

No- they aren't taking in more formula at other feedings. They now
take four bottles a day- 5 to 6 ounces each. So, they are just barely
if even getting in their requirements. Thats why we added the baby
food- nothing we did could push them to eat an 8 ounce bottle... even
trying to go back to 3 hour feeds to get in more formula didn't work
! They ACT very hungry at the 4 hour mark, but only eat half their
bottles at every meal, then want to sit and squeal and play.

Rolling over:

Tilly rolled over on December 24th, and Lucas on December 27th!

Since then neither have shown interest in doing it again until
yesterday when Lucas flipped again. :-)

Lucas and Tilly still sleep swaddled- but with one arm "free".

Twice in two days I have went into our room and found Lucas teething...

On Tillys foot!!!

It gives him some relief, but she doesn't like it very much!