35 Weeks

I'm 35 weeks and I've officially hit a brick wall. I'm beat, burnt out and ready to meet my babies. I can't believe I still have 3 weeks to go until my scheduled c-section on 7/11/11.

I'm retaining water in my lower extremities like its my job. Its far worse on my left side, which according to my OB is because I've experienced 'trauma' (ie surgery) on my left leg so my blood circulation is already compromised. Basically, my thighs down to my feet look disgusting and I'm embarrassed by them. I used to have such nice and toned legs.

I've been having a lot more contractions, which are getting more and more uncomfortable. I also have quite a bit of cramping, however at my 35 week OB appointment I'm not dilated yet, but maybe I'm getting there.

How far along: 35 weeks
Weight gain/loss: 39 lbs - most of which has got to be all this damn fluid
Maternity clothes: yes
Sleep: bathroom trips and contractions are keeping me up
Best moment this week: Michael feeling the babies being really active and telling me they want out - he then installed the car seats in my car
Food cravings: still watermelon
Gender: boy/girl
What I'm missing: my body
What I'm looking forward to: meeting my babies!

34 Weeks

Its been an eventful week for me. On Sunday had my baby shower, hosted by Michael's 4 aunts. It was a beautiful day, beautiful decorations, delicious food and wonderful family and friends to share the day with. I couldn't believe how emotionally overwhelmed I felt throughout the day. I just couldn't believe, after all I've been through, that I was finally in the home stretch and sharing it with such amazing people. We got a lot of wonderful gifts and an insane amount of baby clothes. It seemed most people arrived with a 'his' and 'hers' gift bag, which is quite thoughtful, but made for a lot of gifts to open!

Probably the most sentimental gift I got was from Annie, my sister in law. Among other things, she put a picture of her two kids (Riland, age 6 and Bergen, age 3) in a 'Cousins' frame that a sweet little saying on it. Riland also wrote a note (in blue marker) saying 'I can't wait to meet you'. Of course my eyes swelled up with tears.

I also had any ultrasound on Tuesday, which I wrote about in the previous post. This put a little panic in me and garnered excitement in Michael. He's says he's just anxious to meet the babies, but part of me thinks he's tired of hearing me complain about all the fluid I've been retaining.

This fluid is slowly taking over my body. What started just in my feet, progressed to my ankles and calves and this morning my thighs. It looks so bad and I'm so embarrassed. I know I shouldn't be, but its just not me. I look down and cannot believe these are my legs. What the hell happened?

The one thing I keep telling myself is that its not permanent. I've been lucky enough to avoid stretch marks (at least so far) so I should suck it up and deal with the swollen lower extremities like the tough bitch I am.

How far along: 34 weeks
Weight loss/gain: 34 lbs
Maternity clothes: yes
Sleep: not so good
Best moment this week: Baby shower with family and friends
Food cravings: once again, I can't get enough watermelon
Gender: boy/girl
What I'm missing: easily finding a pair of shoes to wear
What I'm looking forward to: finishing the nursery this weekend

11 lbs 6 oz Baby in my Belly

Yesterday, at exactly 34 weeks I had my last and final growth scan to check in on the babies. I always enjoy having the ultrasounds, hearing their heartbeats, watching them wiggle around and hearing how well they are doing.

Both babies have been measuring ahead at all my ultrasounds so I've come to expect that. My 30 week ultrasound was the first one that Little Guy (baby B) measured larger than Baby Girl (baby A).

As it turns out, Little Guy is not so little anymore! He's weighing in at an estimated 6 lbs 1 oz, which puts him at the 95th percentile and actually measuring 36 weeks instead of 34 weeks. Holy smokes that a big baby! His heart rate was perfect at 134 and everything was just as it should be, thankfully!

Baby Girl weighed in at 5 lbs 5 oz, which puts her at the 75th percentile and has her measuring 35 weeks instead of 34 weeks. Her heart rate was 136 and she was perfect in every way!

Both babies are now transverse and as the MFM put it, Baby Girl has the bottom bunk and Little Guy has the top bunk. Their heads are together, which I'm probably envisioning is much cuter than it really it is.

While I'm thrilled both babies are wonderful and measuring nice and big, I expressed my concern that both babies are measuring so big and I still have 4 weeks to get me to the 38 week mark. The doctor seemed pretty confident I'd go into labor on my own before 38 weeks. He said the babies are measuring big and I have a small frame so he wouldn't be surprised if I had them within 2 weeks or so.

Yikes....enter panic mode! I almost started crying. I'm scared shitless and hardly feel ready! On the contrary, Michael is thrilled and super excited. He said it was the best appointment yet because he's so excited to meet our two little miracles. While I am too, I'm worried about their lung development among other complications if they are born too early, finishing their nursery, installing car seats, buying diapers and crib mattresses (my list could go on and on).

I go see my OB on Monday and we will definitely be having a chat about this. I also want him to do an internal and tell me if I'm starting to dialate as I feel that is a better indicator of an impending labor.

In the meantime, I will be frantically trying to get my shit together and finish up all the last minute items 'just in case'.

33 Weeks

33 weeks and I'm really starting to feel it! My back hurts from sitting at my desk all day and my legs, ankles and feet are retaining so much water I feel like I'm having an out of body experience when I look down. I just can't believe those are my legs. What happened to my thin toned legs? I see them in the morning and at some point during the day, they disappear. It probably doesn't help that its been in the 90's here and extremely humid.

Other than the swelling and back aches, I'm still forging ahead. I'm still going to the gym and trying to do as much as I can. In all honesty, I'm afraid to stop. I feel like if I stop, I loose. Like I'm letting pregnancy kick my ass and I'm not having that.

I'm loving feeling the babies move and how they keep getting stronger. Little guy seems so much lower than he was, hence my basketball belly. Baby girl, I swear, is coming out of my side. It is so funny to her push or stretch and its so far on the side of my belly its almost in the back.

How far along: 33 weeks
Weight gain/loss: 30 lbs
Maternity clothes: yes, with the exception of maxi dresses. The maternity maxi dresses have too much material and make me look like a tent. Not flattering!
Sleep: waking up every 2 hours. Michael just told me he is getting on the babies scheduled too because he is now waking up every couple hours.
Best moment this week: maternity pictures at the park we got married. I can't wait to share them!
Food cravings: still watermelon
Gender: boy/girl
What I'm missing: my thin toned legs, real ankles and normal feet
What I'm looking forward to: my family and friends shower this Sunday!

32 Weeks

Why is it that I always feel like I look so much bigger in person than I do in pictures? I'm still, thankfully, stretch mark free and don't have any restrictions. I'm still working, going to the gym and doing all my normal activities.

I have however and unfortunately now succumbed to retaining water and wonderful swelling in my feet, ankles and calves. Nice timing, just as its getting hot and I want to wear shorts or cropped pants, I'm now too embarrassed to wear anything but jeans and long dresses and skirts.

I had my first NST (non-stress test) on Memorial Day. It was supposed to take 30 minutes or so, but I was there for 2 hours. Baby Girl wasn't responding as they wanted her too so they just kept monitoring me to make sure things were okay. Thankfully, she started to become more active which appeased the doctors and I was released after two long hours. I was also informed this will now be a weekly appointment. I guess its time to find a good book to bring along.

I also dropped. It may be hard to tell in the pictures, but I woke up on Monday and Michael I couldn't believe the difference in my belly. I now have very visible upper ribs that look like brackets holding my belly up. It makes me a little bit nervous, because I thought you didn't drop until the end of the pregnancy, but I guess I'm getting close!

How far along: 32 weeks
Weight gain/loss: 28 lbs
Maternity clothes: yes
Sleep: really missing it
Best moment this week: Listening to Michael try to guess the body parts he can feel
Food cravings: watermelon
Gender: boy/girl
What I'm missing: my ankles
What I'm looking forward to: My family and friends shower

31 Weeks

31 weeks and still going strong. I had an OB appointment at 30 weeks and my OB has been really impressed with how well I'm doing and how great I look. Of course that's always a nice compliment. I have my first NST (non stress test) on Monday, Memorial Day, just shy of 32 weeks and then head back to the OB. Hopefully all is well.

I must look like I'm about to pop because I've had several people this week (mostly men) ask me if I'm due any day now. It makes feel like I must look huge, discourages me that I still have 7 weeks left to go and overall, is just a bit offensive. I'm not huge by any means. Perhaps because just about all the weight I've gained has gone straight to my belly, I look disproportionately large. I don't know.

How far along: 31 weeks
Weight gain/loss: 26 lbs
Maternity clothes: yes
Sleep: Between the time I go upstairs to get ready for bed and right before I come down in the morning, I go to the bathroom 7 times - so no, I'm not sleeping well!
Best moment this week: The ultrasound at 30 weeks and knowing our little ones are doing good, are big and healthy!
Food cravings: Lemon ice, Popsicles, anything cold and sour is always good
Gender: boy/girl
What I'm missing: sleeping on my stomach, or just sleeping for that matter
What I'm looking forward to: planting my vegetable garden this weekend (hopefully)

7lbs 3oz of Babies in My Belly

On Tuesday, at exactly 30 weeks I had my appointment with the MFM for a growth scan. At my last growth scan at 26 weeks both babies were measuring big so I didn't expect them to suddenly be smaller, but boy were we, as well as the doctor surprised to find out just how big they were measuring now.

Little Guy (baby B) has always been smaller. I'm even convinced that he was the embryo that wasn't hatching when we went in for our embryo transfer. Well guess what, that little guy has finally taken over and now out-weighs his sister. He is estimated to weigh 3lbs 12 oz which puts him in the 86th percentile. He's also made himself comfortable curled up, transverse and high in my belly.

Baby Girl (baby A), who's typically been larger, has now been surpassed by her brother but she is still holding her own weighing in at 3lbs 7oz putting her at the 65th percentile. She is still vertex, although she is snuggled in really low.

Both babies' heart rates were good, Baby Girl at 136 and Little Guy at 156. Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures because Baby Girl was facing my back and Little Guy was curled in a ball. I'm just happy they are big and healthy.

My cervix is still holding strong at 3.2 which the doctor said was great. For some reason I'm super paranoid about my cervix and request trans vaginal ultrasounds at every appointment. It always makes for an uncomfortable moment between me and whichever doctor I'm seeing. I think Michael gets embarrassed for me. They seem to think I have no idea how they need to take the measurement. I remind them every time that I'm pregnant thanks to my 4th IVF so me and the vag cam go way back.

As I mentioned earlier, the doctor we saw seemed surprised by the size of the babies. He said if we make it to term, they will be good sized babies. He even made a couple references to 'in normal twin pregnancies' followed by 'but in your case' since the babies are quite big, particularly for being twins. Hopefully, they keep getting bigger. I would love to deliver full-term healthy big babies that require no NICU time.

Stay put little ones, mama loves you just where you are! Oh, and she is not ready....at all!