37 weeks, 6 days (close enough to 38 weeks)

Today is the day!! There's no turning back now. We will be parents before the day is over. I'm anxious to see how big they are and what they look like. If they have any hair (I've had a lot of heart burn) and how close to each other they look.

I had a very rough weekend. I started having contractions Friday night, they were 7 minutes apart for 2 hours. Then they spread back out. They continued off and on through out the weekend. I was so sore and tired by the time I had my appointment on Monday. I must have looked just as bad as I felt, I didn't even have to say much to the doctor before he decided to move my c-section to this week. He also suggested taking Tylenol 4 times a day to keep it in my system to help with pain. That has helped quite a bit as far as taking the edge off. I'm still sore, but it is so much more bearable.

I had one last NST on Wednesday. Both girls reacted great. Allison's heart rate was in the 150's and Emmily's was in the 170's. Big difference between the two, but apparently nothing to worry about.

So the plan for today is to be at the hospital by 2:30, and surgery at 4:30. Craig and the girls will be taken to the nursery so the girls can be weighed and banded. During which I'll be taken to the recovery room. As soon as I'm settled in recovery, Craig and the girls get to come and spend the next couple of hours with me. Then we will be transferred to a regular room. As long as my pain is under control and I'm able to get up and walk around on my own, we should be back home Saturday night.

Its still so surreal. From this day on, we will now be a family of 4.

37 weeks

I really thought I would never see this day. 37 weeks pregnant with twins, that's just crazy!! Not only are most twins born by now, but this is the day when singleton pregnancies are considered full term. There is no longer any question about their health due to early birth.

I had a doctor appointment on Monday. Basically there hasn't been any progress since my last appointment a week and a half ago. I've still been having contractions, but they just aren't doing anything. My guess is because they are both breech and basically stuck in their current positions. He said unless my water breaks he will see me next Monday and go over all my pre-op instructions. That will be my last doctor appointment as the girls are set for a cesarean the following Monday.

On Wednesday I had another non-stress test. Both girls responded as they expected them to. I actually talked to the girls and asked them to take a nap during the test. I told them I know they are completely healthy and if they sleep and not respond as much then I'd be able to hold them in my arms that night. Allison didn't agree, she moved all around. Emmily on the other hand that the hiccups. When they went away, she did try to sleep. I was so proud of her for listening already! But the mean nurse came in and pushed and shoved on her through my belly to make her wake up and move. I'll have to think of another tactic for my next test on Saturday.

I was actually able to sleep better on Monday and Tuesday nights. I started using a heating pad for my back/side/ribs and hips and a cold pack for my nerve/skin burning. I thought I had finally found the solution to survive the next two weeks. But by Wednesday night it stopped working. I still found some relief, but my ribs/side never stopped hurting and my nerve burn started back up in the very early morning.

Needless to say I am ready to have these girls. I love the time we've gotten to spend together, just the three of us, and I will always cherish it. But my body is simply tapped out at this point.

36 weeks

YAY! We made it! There's no such thing as a 100% guarantee for a healthy baby, even with just one. But we are as close to that as we can get! Very few babies born from 36 weeks on, twins or otherwise, have any health problems.

This has definitely been a roller coaster week. I really didn't think much of it when the doctor told me last Thursday that I should go to the hospital if I get too uncomfortable or am in pain. Now I know exactly why he said that. I started having much harder contractions on Friday. They were even 10 minutes apart for a little while. But they stopped. Friday evening and all of Saturday I was very sore. My stomach from the contractions, my back and my pelvic area (since the bones are trying to move). I know I could've gone to the hospital for pain meds, them come back home, but I really don't want to take anything stronger than Tylenol if I don't have to.

On Saturday I spent more time in water than I did out of it. It started with a nice warm shower in the morning which felt wonderful on my back. Later I had to get in the bath to help with the pelvic pain. That felt so good that I heated up the pool and stayed in there for a while. It helped because I was actually able to sleep the though the night, only getting up twice. Big difference from the previous night where I was up every 2 hours. I still had contractions on Saturday, but only one every couple of hours with just a few others that slipped in between.

The pain in my stomach, back & pelvic area continued through Tuesday, which was by far my worst day. I was at my breaking point and just couldn't find any long lasting relief. I ended up taking Tylenol and 1/2 a Unisom as an attempt to get a better nights sleep. While the Unisom did help me sleep, the Tylenol only lasted a couple of hours.

I haven't had any contractions since Tuesday night. That allowed my muscles to relax, so Wednesday and Thursday I felt great!

Wednesday night however, I noticed that Allison hadn't moved around as much as she normally does, but Emmily was moving around normally. I pulled out my handy dandy heart monitor and easily found both heart rates and they were both pretty similar so I knew they weren't in any danger. We decided it was still worth a trip to the women's center to have them monitored to make sure there wasn't anything wrong with her.

After 20 minutes on the heart monitor they let us go home. I wasn't 100% satisfied with that, and made a call to my OB first thing Thursday morning. He said he thinks she's just gotten so big that she can only make small movements now, and that I just can't feel them. He wants me to go in Saturday morning and get hooked up to the heart monitors for an extended amount of time. This is called a non-stress test. This gives them a better picture of even the slightest movements the girls are making. After a non-stress test, they can safely say the babies will not have any undetected life threatening problems for 3 days. They will repeat the non-stress tests twice a week until I deliver the girls. Which we are hoping will be this week! Stay tuned to Facebook for any big developments!

35 weeks

What a crazy week this has been!

I started having contractions on Tuesday. Fairly mild but several of them. So we called the doctor to see what they wanted us to do. We were told to wait until I started having more consistent and painful contractions. They slowed down around 4pm then I only had one every now and then for the rest of the day and all of Wednesday. Yesterday I only had a few of them.

I had my last ultra sound on Wednesday. The technician called them a big tangle of baby. She actually had a difficult time matching limbs to the proper baby at first. After a little while she was able to match them up and get their measurements. They have plenty of fluid and are right on track and together weigh in at 11 pounds 1 once. That's a lot of baby for one body!

I had an appointment with my doctor on Thursday. He asked how the ultra sound went because the results weren't scanned in for him yet. So I told him what the tech had told me. I had my Strep B test and my first cervical check. Its a good thing I'm going to have a c-section. My cervix is pointing backwards! As far as he could tell, I'm not dilated much, if at all. My next appointment was set up for Monday. He decided that 4 days wasn't really would make much of a difference and had me cancel it, so my next appointment is on the 21st. He also had me make one for the 28th so that I will have one on every Monday up to the scheduled c-section. However, he did say that he didn't think I would make it that far. He is putting me full term as of today. If I feel too uncomfortable, sore, or think I need to be seen for anything, I'm to go to the hospital from here on out.

Needless to say we are getting very excited and anxious to meet our girls. Craig thinks they will be born today. I think they will wait until tomorrow because that is our anniversary. However since my contractions have pretty much stopped, I'm guessing it will be at least another week. I guess only time will tell!

34 weeks

The count down is officially on. Some twin websites say that this is the week that most twins are considered full term. I still would like them to wait another two weeks, but they really could come at any time during the next four weeks. I can't wait to meet my sweet babies.

To be honest, I'm also happy that I'll be getting my body back. I'm ready to be able to breath and bend and lay on my back again. But being able to hold the girls in my arms will definitely be the highlight for me.

Craig asked me this week if I was worried about getting them mixed up. Honestly, I really haven't been. I've tried to plan a head a little for that. Once we are allowed to put our own clothes on them (which I think is within hours) I plan to put purple socks on one and pink on the other. I've packed several pair of both. He then asked how we would know which one we were putting which color on. I'm pretty sure the bands the nurses and doctors put on them as soon as they are born will let us know. I think this is a real concern for him. I think he might be worried that he won't be able to tell them apart as they grow. I have faith in him, and think he'll do great. I know we will find a way so he feels comfortable telling them apart.

I've been pretty lazy this week. My ankles, feet and hands have been swelling more, so I've been trying to keep my feet propped up. I've also been tired this week. I just can't sleep much because one side or the other is too sore for me to lay on it. I guess that means we really are coming near the end of my pregnancy.

Thursday night we had a quick trip to the hospital. I was having a harder time breathing and it made me light headed. Craig made me call the on call doctor. He said it might be nothing, but that we should go to the hospital to have my oxygen levels checked. He actually said we could wait a little bit and see if it got better, but Craig wanted to go right away. We were only there for an hour or so. They said I was just out of room for my lungs to properly expand and that is why I'm getting dizzy. She also said I need to get as much protein as possible to help with the swelling.

I have a doctor appointment next week on Thursday. I also have an ultra sound appointment on Wednesday. The OB appointment will be the first of my weekly appointments, which are a little more in depth than the other appointments.

I had my first major food craving this week, too. Well, it really wasn't a food. I really wanted a strawberry eegee. For those of you who don't live in Tucson, Eegee's is a fast food sub sandwich place here in town. They have this frozen fruit drink, kind of like an icee only thicker and made with real fruit. Anyhow I asked Craig to stop on his way home from work to get me one. At first he said no, but he quickly changed his mind. He said I've been good and hadn't sent him out for anything so far, so I deserved it.

Have a great Labor Day everyone!

To my sweet baby girls.

Dear Allison and Emmily,

Four years and ten months ago Daddy and I started to work on our dreams of having a family. Never in a million years did we think it would be as much of a struggle as it was. There were times when we thought it just wasn't going to happen. But we never gave up. Now you are only a few weeks away from being born. We couldn't be happier. We loved you for such a long time and I can't wait to see your little faces and tell you just how much that is.

I've been very lucky to have a fairly uncomplicated pregnancy. I was on bed rest for the last three weeks of my first trimester, but that really is it. All the scary things I've read about being pregnant with twins, I've managed to avoid. You have both grown right on track with where the doctors think you should be. I'm already so proud of you both.

Allison, the doctors call you Baby A because you are going to be the oldest. For the longest time you were laying right around the middle to lower part of my belly. I felt your movements first and more often through out my pregnancy. During our ultrasounds you seem to want to be the star of the show. Your measurements are usually taken first. Once the technician moves on to your sister, you tend to try to get back on the screen. Either by kicking, punching or moving your head into the area. From the ultrasounds you have a cute little button nose and are slightly smaller than Emmily. I can't wait to see how your personality develops. Maybe you'll be our little movie star.

Emmily, the doctors refer to you as Baby B because you are higher up, which means you will be born second. You have spend the majority of my pregnancy in my ribs. You like to be stretched out as much as possible and as a result made my ribs spread out quite a bit. Because you were under my bones I didn't really feel your movements as much, but I did feel the side effects of them. My ribs got very sore. During our first big ultrasound you were laying on your belly. At the second one you looked like you were trying to wiggle your way up as high into my ribs as you can go. You are a little bigger than Allison, but you also have a cute little nose. I think you have your Daddy's cheeks. I can't wait to see if you are going to be our snuggle bug.

As of our last ultrasound you two have moved to more of a side by side position. You like to push your heads in opposite directions to my sides. While it is cute to see you both moving around at the same time, it also tends to make it hard for me to breath. Today I am 33 weeks 4 days pregnant with you two. I've read that twins are considered full term as early as 34 weeks, that's only 3 days away. I hope you keep growing and developing your lungs a little longer than that. My guess is that you will be here right around 36 weeks. My hope for your birth is that you are both completely healthy and able breath on your own. No matter what, Daddy and I will be there with you the entire time.

We love you more than you can ever know and we are so excited to finally meet you. We're not the only ones, either. Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Rachelle and Uncle Jason and your cousins Jordan, Skyler, Jadynn and Kenzee will be there to see you as soon as possible. Grandma might even be there when you are born. We have so many other family members and friends that are waiting to meet you, too.

So keep growing my sweet angels. Get as strong as you can over the next few weeks. Daddy and I will see you very soon.

Love always,
Mommy

Pregnancy Memories

It's September! Since this is officially the last month that I will be pregnant, I thought I would do a post about some of the comments I've experienced while being pregnant.

Since I was about 16 weeks, Craig has constantly said how large he things I am. He seems to only be shocked more and more every couple of weeks. Somehow I think that this is one thing I'm not going to miss once the girls are born. Constantly being reminded that you are as large as a house is not fun. However, I'm sure his amazement will turn to how much the girls change grow and learn, which will be fun.

Anytime I'm checking out at a store with anything pink, purple or slightly girlie, the clerk usually says, "oh, are you having a girl?" Ummm.... no... I just like buying baby things for girls, I'm having a boy. So far I've been nice enough to keep that comment to myself, but it crosses my mind every time. At first I would say, "yep, two of them." That pretty much always turned into a conversation about twins with one or all of the twin questions I will mention below. Usually after being on my feet shopping I'm ready to get to the car so I can sit down and relax. So, I learned to just smile and say yes. It's really a big time saver.

I have been asked a million questions about having twins, here are a few of the most common ones:

"What's it like being pregnant with two babies?" Well, I guess its probably not much different than being pregnant with one. But I've never been pregnant with one, so I really can't completely answer that.

"Do you know if they are identical?" I actually think this is a pretty smart question. I always say that they aren't and that yes, they can tell that on an ultra sound. However, I've read on twin websites that this becomes the most dreaded of questions after twins are born. Even mothers of boy/girl twins still get this question.

"Were you surprised that they are twins?" I suppose most people would say yes to that question. But I told my parents when I was about 11 that I was going to have twin girls when I grew up. Also, since we did IVF and transferred two embryos, we knew it was a possibility.

All in all, I've enjoyed my pregnancy. I think I've been pretty fortunate in avoiding several of the higher risks that come with being pregnant with multiples. Really the only thing that's been different for me is that the normal things that happen with pregnancy happen a little earlier. Now that I'm at the end I get more and more anxious every day to meet our sweet little girls.

33 weeks

Yay! We can now deliver at the hospital near our house. The girls are now far enough developed that we won't have to be transferred to a specialty hospital. All these small milestones are really adding up. Every week they stay in the healthier they will be! Average birth for twins is 36 weeks, just 3 weeks away! I know I keep saying this, but it just blows my mind. The three people I know who have had twins (all boys) delivered at 34, 35 & 37 weeks. Our girls are going to be here any time now!

My doctor pretty much said the same thing at my appointment this week. He said I am doing really good, which was nice to hear from him. I haven't had any contractions, just the couple braxton hicks a couple of weeks ago. Because of that he decided to go ahead and schedule the 38 week cesarean. He still doesn't think I'll go that far, but he wants it on the books just in case, he also wants to make sure there isn't any miscommunication at the hospital when I do go into labor about them doing a cesarean.

My next appointment is in two weeks. After that I start going every week. He thinks it could be any time once my weekly appointments start. He also told me not to worry about pre-term labor anymore. We obviously want them to stay in as long as they need to, but when I go into labor that means they are ready to come. I was so nice to hear that!

That is the big news of the past week. It's actually been a pretty fast week. Craig was gone from Tuesday morning to Thursday afternoon. I didn't sleep much the first night and was sore and tired on Wednesday. I met some friends for lunch that got me out of the house for a little bit. Then I cleaned up the house as best as I could Thursday morning so it would be clean when Craig got home. I know I hate coming home to a dirty house and chores to do. It took me the majority of the day, and I really didn't do much only dishes and vacuuming. I'm just very slow and have to take breaks because I start to get breathless if I do too much.

There is still A LOT of tile left to be done. I'm really worried we are going to run out of time. The last thing I want to happen is to have the house being put back together while I'm recovering from a cesarean and taking care of two newborns. There is no way it will actually get done! We are going to take advantage of this weekend. Its one of Craig's 3 day weekends and I've set up for a couple of friends to come and stay the entire day today.

Hopefully the guys can a good days worth of work done on the tile. While us girls get some things done like cleaning out the other half of the girls' closet, and the small things that not longer belong in their room. Rearranging the kitchen so I can start to fit their bottles and such in the cabinets. Brushing out the dogs, cleaning the pool. All things I can no longer do on my own, and that have been pushed aside so Craig can work on the tile.

32 weeks

That gives us 4 weeks to get ready (6 if they are stubborn). Most single pregnancies, the baby is gaining about 1/2 pound per week. However, I read on a twins website that in twin pregnancies, the babies gain less weight per week in exchange for increased lung development. Also, for some reason, girls tend to develop faster than boys. So I think we are in good shape to plan on having babies in 4 weeks!

I turned into the grumpy pregnant lady this week, and I don't really like it. The poor dogs have gotten the brunt of it. Craig had the good sense to go to the gym every night this week, so he's pretty much been spared. We also have an agreement where I can just tell him that I'm uncomfortable or feeling grumpy and he knows to back off and not get mad at me if I get snippy.

I think the majority of my grumpiness comes from not being able to breath properly. The girls are fighting for space and will often move in opposite directions to the sides of my belly. That does not feel good, and makes breathing even more difficult. Craig says when they do that it looks like I've swallowed a Cheerios box because my belly becomes almost square.

The combination of now being 8 months pregnant and lack of oxygen has made me very sleepy during the late morning, so I've been getting some naps in. They pretty much only last an hour though because which ever side I'm laying on gets sore. Which, I'm told, is just par for the course. I have to say though that it is all completely worth it. I would gladly go through this all again if it means we have healthy babies.

I have a doctor appointment on Monday. Its the first of the every other week appointments. I haven't had any real contractions or even anything out of the ordinary, so I'm sure it will be another one of the quick and boring appointments. Which is always a good thing. I'm glad the appointment is on Monday because Craig will be out of town Tuesday through Thursday. It will give us both peace of mind before he leaves for three days. My Mom and friend Heather will be checking on me during the time he's gone, so I'll be well cared for.

31 weeks

We are just plugging right along. Another week down, about 5 left to go. I'm getting more excited about having these girls, and more nervous that we just aren't prepared.

I had a doctor appointment on Tuesday. It was another one of the simple boring appointments, which is a good thing for now. I did get to ask the doctor about the c-section. He doesn't want to schedule one for now. Scheduled ones are usually done at 38 weeks and he doesn't think I'll get that far. However, if these girls get nice and cozy and decided to stay put longer than expected then he will go ahead and schedule one for the Monday after I turn 38 weeks. Which is October 5th. So that is the latest date the girls will be born. He had me scheduled my next three appointments all 2 weeks apart, but told me that I will probably have more in between them. He agrees that they will be born around 36 weeks!

On Thursday we met some of Craig's co-workers for baby shower. It was really nice and the girls are even more spoiled now. We were blown away by the generosity of everybody! I have to comment on the cake and the diaper cakes. I have never seen diaper cakes like these! They each had a receiving blanket, a burp cloth, onesie, hair bows and bottle. So neat. The cake had two teddy bears, actual complete teddy bears that were made out of cake. Very impressive.

Craig is still working on the tile. He is getting help from a friend all three days this weekend. He thinks he should have it done in two, maybe three weekends. Its cutting it close, but I hope he's right.

I am going shopping this weekend hoping to get the last few things we need, and maybe even a few things we don't need.

30 weeks

We have "growers & feeders." I’ve been told that is the term the NICU uses for babies born from this point on. Generally from here on out babies only need to learn how to eat and get big enough to go home. We are, of course, hoping they stay in a little longer, but its nice to know we are pretty much in the clear.

I forgot to mention last week that I passed the dreaded sugar test. I was worried about it because I was at high risk for developing gestation diabetes. Because of that my doctors kept me on metformin. I’m sure that’s one of the reasons I passed because I have been addicted to carbs.

My blood work did, however, show that I was slightly anemic. So, I started iron supplements. It took a few days, but wow! I have had so much more energy since Monday. The only problem I have is that my energy now out weighs my physical ability. That can be frustrating at times, but at the same time, it is great to have energy again.

I am past ready to have their room in order. Craig is still working on the tile. I’d say he’s about half way there. On top of that he now wants to have the carpet replaced in their room and the office before we set it up. I don’t know how that is all going to happen before the girls are born. I’m starting to get very nervous about being ready. I know their room can be finished afterwards, but when will I find the time to finish it after they are born? Besides wouldn’t it be much more convenient to have things like diapers and clothes easily accessible?

I had another level 2 ultra sound yesterday. The girls are measuring right on track. Allison is measuring in the high 40 percentile (about 3 lbs 1 oz) and Emmily is measuring in the low 50 percentile (about 3 lbs 7 oz). The weights are estimated by measuring the circumference of their bellies, the circumference of their heads and the length of their femur bones. I don't have those exact measurements, but Emmily's femur bone was noticeable longer than Allison's. It seems that Emmily has my legs, and Allison has Craig's.

Here is Allison's picture. She is waving her hand.
Here is Emmily's picture. You can see her ribs and spine.
Allison is totally breech. She is head up with her little bottom down so low that her legs are forced up. Emmily's head is next to Allison's but still a little higher. She is all stretched out still and her legs go over the top of Allison's belly. Even though they are side by side, their sacks are connected one on top of the other. So while they can't really switch positions, they can float around within their fluid sacks. They still have some time and a little bit of room to move, but the tech said they don't always move into better positions.

I have an appointment with my regular doctor Monday afternoon. I plan on talking to him about the c-section. I know most doctors like to wait until after 37 weeks to schedule one, but twins are normally born around 36 weeks. So, I'm not sure if he's going to schedule one or just wait until I start having contractions. I guess I'll find out on Monday.

29 Weeks

The girls are really growing! And boy are they moving around a lot.

Most of the week by week info I've read said they are about 3 pounds now. I just can't imagine two kids that size coming out of my body. It's crazy when you stop and think about it. They have also reached the stage where all 5 of their senses are developed and their lungs are fully capable of breathing. If born today they would have a 90% chance of not only surviving but of needing very little medical intervention. I'm so proud of them already. Its been a long road, and so amazing to see them transform from two little balls of cells to fully developed babies.

My legs and hands are still swelling, but not too bad. I do have a hard time staying comfortable. I can't sit or lay in one position for long at all anymore. I went to see a movie on Sunday and it took me two days to stop being achy from it. So I guess no more movies for me for a while.

I have another level 2 ultra sound on Thursday next week. Hopefully we'll have more pictures for next week's post. I'm actually really excited about this ultra sound because I think that Allison has dropped. I can feel her either kicking or punching me much lower than she used to. I really wish Emmily would drop as well. My ribs would feel SOOO much better. It will be nice to see exactly where they are and how they are doing.

28 Weeks

I can't believe it, another week down. The girls are getting bigger and stronger every day.

We had 3 exciting days in a row this week. First was our baby party on Sunday. We had such a good time. Everyone and everything was very relaxed, which is just our style! We were definitely overwhelmed by the number of people that were able to come. The girls got so many cute outfits and lots of baby gear that we definitely needed. Allison and Emmily are very spoiled already! Thank you to everyone!!

On Monday, I took Shadow to have surgery on his tail. He had a benign tumor that needed to be removed. The doctor had me stay there and help to hold his head while they have him his shot. It was so sad to leave him like that. He was a good boy for them though and he's been handling it like a champ! He tried to lick at it a couple of times on Tuesday. I actually thought I was going to have to go and get an Elizabethan Collar for him, but he's leaving it alone now.

Tuesday I had another check up. The did the gestational diabetes test while I was there. I was very nervous about the drink. I've heard so many stories of how difficult it is to drink and some people even having a hard time keeping it down. I was very happy because I didn't think it was bad at all. Kind of like a very sweet orange Gatorade. The last few sips were the hardest, kind of like trying to finish off the last bit of the chocolate frosting from a triple chocolate cake. The doctor appointment went well. He said he thinks I am doing a very good job. He gave me some tips on meds I can take and how often and told me to try and keep my feet up as much as I can to help with the little bits of swelling. I will go in for our next doctor appointment in 3 weeks, and our next level two ultra sound is in two weeks.

Wednesday was my day to revel in the new goodies the girls got over the weekend. I washed, organized and hung all their clothes. I unpacked all their bath stuff, stored their diapers and washed their new blankets. I had so much fun daydreaming about how they will look in their matching outfits and got different ideas of things I want them to wear for pictures. We still have furniture that doesn't belong in their room, so I couldn't get everything organized and set up, but I got a very good start! I purchased 80 hangers for them and actually ended up using ALL 80 of them. Their Aunt Rachelle gave us a big tub of clothes that Kenzee has out grown. That on top of all the adorable outfits they got at the party, their closet is stocked for the first 3 or 4 months. I even put a few things aside to take to the hospital with us.

My Mom had a great idea of asking everyone to bring books instead of cards. The girls have quite a little library going already! I've even started reading a story or two to them a day. I can't wait for them to have a regular story time before going to bed.

I am getting more and more excited the closer we get. If they are born at the 36 week twin average, then we only have 8 weeks left!

27 Weeks

I thought this was going to be a slow week, but it turned out to be just the opposite.

The girls have been very active this week. We've gotten to the phase where it can actually hurt when they move. Few times this past week each of them have made me jump and say "ouch." Emmily is still doing a number on my ribs. They have been sore every day this week.

Craig was able to feel each of the girls move last weekend. We went to one of his co-worker's to watch the UFC fight on Saturday and Allison was kicking and punching quite a bit. Craig said she's going to be his little fighter.

On Monday we had our hospital tour. It was incredibly informative. I was very sad to find out that I will only be able to see them for a minute before they will be taken from the operating room while my cesarean is finished up. Craig will be able to go with them to the nursery (its actually the NICU, because that's the only nursery they have) and they will stay there until I get into the recovery room, about 45 minutes. They will do all their screenings and tests while in the NICU, so I won't know how they are doing until my surgery is done. The thought of them being away and not knowing how they are for so long has me pretty upset, so I plan on talking to the doctor about it on Tuesday to see if they will let someone come and let me know.

I've kind of started packing for the hospital. Nothing major at this point, just collecting sample size toiletries and putting them aside in a bag. I've also made a list of things to take with us so I have an idea of what we have and what we need.

Monday I also had to take Shadow to the vet. We found a lump on his tail. Turns out its a benign tumor. We can choose to do nothing, but the more it grows the less of a chance there is they will be able to remove it. I guess there isn't much skin on the tail, so if it gets too big, they can't stitch it back up. The vet on Monday wanted $880 to do the surgery. YIKES! To be fair, this price also included cleaning his teeth and a biopsy (if we chose to do one) of the tumor.

Thursday I went to another vet we had been to that is all the way across town (about an hour away). He's only going to charge us $225 to do the surgery. He said Shadow doesn't in any way need his teeth cleaned. Actually, I guess most large dogs who are on dry food never do. Also he's 99% sure the tumor is benign, so there is no need to do the biopsy. So he is scheduled for his surgery Monday morning at 9:30.

This weekend is our baby party at my sister's house. I am starting to get very excited! I've had several people say how excited they were to show me what they found for the girls. How can anyone not be excited when hearing that?!?! For everyone who is in town, we look forward to seeing you. For everyone who is out of town, we will miss not having you there.

26 weeks

One more week down. Statistically they have an 80% chance of survival if they were to be born today. I haven't had any contractions or even braxton hicks contractions, so I'm positive these two are quite comfy and plan to stay put for a while.

I'm still swelling a little in my ankles and feet, but not as much as a couple of weeks ago. Really the only complaint I have is my ribs and upper back. I'm sore all day, and by the evening they really hurt.

I think both girls (at different times) had the hiccups this week. I could feel their entire bodies move. It was very cute, even though Allison's were at 3:30 in the morning.

Craig has tried a couple of times this week to feel them move, but he couldn't feel anything. I could still feel them moving, but I guess they just weren't kicking quite as hard.

We wanted to make sure to do the hospital tour in July while we know I'm still mobile. Turns out they only do them a couple times a month. So, we are scheduled to go on Monday. I'm actually excited about it because we'll have a lay of the land, so to speak. We'll also learn all about their safety procedures and what to expect when it is time to have the girls.

That's pretty much all from us this week. Craig's still working on the tile. He wanted to take today off to work on it, but he ended up having to go into work for a few hours. I've been taking pictures, and will post them as we get closer to being done.

25 Weeks - 100th Post

How perfect did this work out? In the blogging world, the 100th post is considered a big deal. That posting is always special in some way or another. For me, it just happens to coincide with a big milestone in my pregnancy, 25 WEEKS!!!! Our girls are officially viable!

This is probably something that most people wouldn't even give a second thought to. But for those of us that have been through the heart ache of infertility and witnessed the pain others in our support groups have gone through, this is a very big deal.

Of course there are a million things that could go wrong between now and their birth, and another million that could happen upon their birth, but the point is... they will be born. They can now survive outside of my body, should they need to. Granted there would be a considerable amount of medical intervention to support them, but they can survive.

We will be able to see them, hold them, take pictures of them and just love them. Its something that can not be taken away from us now. We are having twin girls. Two sweet, sweet baby girls. We can dream about how they will look. What color will their eyes be, how much hair will they have, will they look so much a like that we won't be able to tell them apart, will they have subtle differences that only those closest to them will notice, or will they have big difference so everyone can tell who is who?

The girls are growing normally, right on schedule. We've seen through ultrasounds that their hearts, brains and spinal cords are forming perfectly. Most of the hard work of development is done, now all they need to do is continue to get bigger and stronger. I'm already so proud of my girls.

I wonder if Allison going to be our wild child who tries to do what she wants when she wants, like she seems to be doing now? Is Emmily going to be our cuddle bug, always worming her way into tight cuddles like she does in my ribs?

I realize that some of our family and friends have already allowed their thoughts to flow along these paths, but I haven't much. The instinct to protect my heart until this week came was too strong. But this magical week is finally here. The past two days have been incredibly emotional for me. The release of fears, the acceptance of birth. It has been simply overwhelming.

Our girls are coming, and we only have 11 more weeks to wait!

24 Weeks

Technically, this week is a big milestone. The last week of the 2nd trimester and the first official week the babies are "viable." Only here in Tucson, the hospitals don't consider viability until 25 weeks. So one week left!!

Allison has been my squiggly worm this week. She is moving all around, and I often can see her head sticking out on one side or the other. I've had more ice cream this week than I normally do, so I think she must be like me and really like it!

Emmily has been hurting me all week. Which means she's moving around up in my ribs. I've pretty much concluded that I'm going to have sore ribs for the duration of my pregnancy.

I don't know if its due to the higher temperatures, just being pregnant, or a combination of both, but I have started swelling more. I have to make sure I don't keep my feet down and in one position for long periods of time.

This along with one side or the other of my ribs hurting, has made it more difficult for me to get a full night of sleep. Honestly though, I'd go through all of this a hundred times again if it means the girls are safe. I'm just happy that we have two healthy girls growing and that as of now (knock on wood) we haven't had any big complications.

23 weeks

Another great week!

Emmily has been hurting my ribs often this week. I had another level 2 ultra sound yesterday and got to see just what it is that she is doing. She is laying completely stretched out from one side of my ribs to the other. She didn't feel like letting the tech get a profile picture. She kept shaking her head, like she was saying no, no, no. Then she started stretching her head back as far as she could. So the pressure I'm feeling in my ribs his her moving her head and shoulders around. Here is Emmily's profile picture.

I think it looks like she has her Daddy's cheeks. Craig, of course, thinks I'm crazy and can't really see anything. This is the first time she's let us get a profile picture of her. Last time she was laying on her belly.

Allison was being a silly girl, too. She was curled up in a ball with her head down. Only moving a little bit. Then when the tech went to take her sister's measurements she moved around and had her head up. She kept poking her head onto the screen like she was trying to hit her head on her sister's. She is definitely taking up the most space and turning all around. Here is her picture from yesterday.

I like her little tiny nose. I wonder if this is just the impression I get from the ultra sound pics, or if that is really how they will look.

We, or should I say Craig, it still working on getting all the carpet up so we can lay our tile. We picked up the tile last weekend and Craig unloaded it all into the garage. He's only got the carpet under the furniture left in the great room, then the hallways and living room left. Most of the work will come in getting the tack strips up along the walls. That is the goal for this weekend; get the carpet and tack strips up so the tile can start going down next weekend.

I hope all the Dads have a great Father's Day.

22 weeks.

YAY!! Only 3 weeks left until the girls will be viable should something go wrong and they need to be born early! I can't even tell you what a HUGE relief that day will be after everything we went through just to get here.

I did have a doctor appointment this week. Nothing big, just another check-up. This is the first time they actually measured my belly. I assume it was the right size, because they didn't say anything. Then the doctor used the Doppler for the heart rates of both girls. This is also the first time they've done that. Up until now, they've used the ultra sound (which they didn't do this time). Anyhow, fairly uneventful. I do, however, have an appointment for another level 2 ultrasound next Thursday in the afternoon.

This week, Emmily has discovered the back side of my rib cage. She must've been kicking me a ton the past two days, because that area is really sore. I don't really feel her movements much anymore, just the side effects of them. She is fully in my ribs now. Allison, on the other had, I feel almost all day long. She moves and kicks and punches all the time. I think she might be our little cheerleader.

We will be spending the weekend and the rest of the month tiling the house. Well, I really won't be much help. We actually get to go and pick up the tile today. Very excited to get rid of the carpet!!

New Pics

18 & 20 week pics added to slide show.