100 posts, and 100 days

I've reached that coveted blogger milestone: the 100the post!  I can't help but think back to my first post ever, in January of this year.  Hubby and I had been TTC our first for over a year now and had just met with the RE to discuss our options.  We were starting our first cycle with monitoring, which didn't end up working out for us, but I remember being both excited about trying something new, as well as disgruntled about having to go though IF treatments in the first place.  I decided to start the blog to help share information I learned during our journey to making a baby, and it has since turned into the place I share my pregnancy.  I'm very happy with where this trip has taken us (even if it took longer than I had hoped), and I love all the friends I have made along the way!!! 

And to go along with this 100th post is the fact that I now only have 100 (or less) days left in my pregnancy... well, technically, I have 114 days left, but since my OB does not let twin pregnancies go past 38 weeks, I knocked off 14 days :-P.  Either way, that's just a little over 3 months. 

I can't believe how fast this has gone.  I feel like I have had a relatively easy pregnancy, especially compared to some horror stories I have heard.  I really was only sick with MS for a couple weeks early on, but that passed pretty quickly.  Other than that, its mostly just been the exhaustion, but I have zero problem being lazy after work or going to bed early, cause I LOVE to sleep. 

But even though my pregnancy has been pretty simple, I cannot wait for these last 100 days to fly by.  With the heat this spring/summer (which is not helped by the fact my A/C broke this week and has yet to be fixed... it makes sleeping just wonderful), I have been a bit uncomfortable.  I definitely think women who are pregnant in the winter have it much easier (although, last winter, we had a couple instances of 3+ foot snow storms that I can imagine made getting to a hospital for delivery pretty difficult, so maybe summer isn't so bad afterall...).

Opinions Please!!

Ok, so I know I have posted on here a bazillion times about nursery bedding and decor, and I am sure its beyond tiresome at this point to hear, but I need some opinions.

So if you have been reading the blog for the past couple months, you know I have been REALLY picky.  I really wanted to use bold blue/teal and green with some brown, but I could never find bedding I liked.  I wanted to avoid cheesy characters and just go with something simple.  Still no luck.  So I made the decision to just order/register for individual pieces that I like and sort of build my own bedding.

Well, today, I went onto BRU to update some items on our registry and see this new bedding set, and I can't help it, I think it is so cute!  I'm not planning to use the quilt, but I really like the sheet/bumper/crib skirt combo, and the fact that I can turn the quilt into a cute playset.  So I need to know what everyone thinks, since this is going almost 100% away from my original plan.  Is it too dorky for my boys or is a safari-type theme OK?

Baby in a Bucket

I am always so shocked at the things people come up with that are so totally useless or already basically made in a less attractive package, yet they can charge out the butt for it and people will buy it... I feel this way about 90% of the As Seen on TV market. And today, a new product was brought to my attention, to which I can't help but think "WTH?"

Enter the Tummy Tub (http://www.tummytubusa.com/), or what I like to call, the Baby in a Bucket...

Seriously, they charge $100 for this "simulated womb" when I can buy basically the same bucket from our supplier at work for $10.  It doesn't do anything special, its just a bucket of water on a bright plastic pedestal.

And I am less than comfortable with the idea of holding my baby by his head while trying to bathe him.  It just doesn't look right (really, check out the video)... yet this is actually a really popular product in Europe.

And I'm sorry, but this also reminds me of a certain warning label seen on most plastic buckets...

I'm just saying.... am I missing something here???

Week 24 Ultrasound

So as I mentioned yesterday, I had my monthly ultrasound yesterday.  I didn't get nearly as many pictures as normal, but that's OK.  The technician said she was just having a hard time getting pictures, but I think she was just having a hard time with life, IMHO.  But I digress, the boys are fine and healthy and right on track, so that's all that matters.

There's still all sorts of mix up with my EDD... according to my OB, its 11/21, which is based off my LMP, but for some reason, the place I go for my ultrasounds now has me as being due 11/16.  I think it has something to do with the first ultrasound I had there, where both boys measured early, so they just changed it, but it can get confusing, when according to my OB, yesterday was 23w1d for me, but the scans say 23w6d.  Whatevs, like the OB said, I probably won't make it to either date so no point worrying over it.

They are still measuring a little ahead of schedule, but nothing too drastic, just a couple days.  Both heartbeats were 150, which is great because I was a little nervous a couple weeks ago when one was down to 120... I know that's still in the normal range but it just seemed so low.  They also both weighed 1 lb 6 oz, so thats 3 big ol' pounds of baby in me right now (feels like so much more...).

Baby A, who was have decided to name Lucas (barring any changes), was originally head down, but as the scan progressed, he flipped around and was breech again.  We got a really cute picture of him yawning or smiling or doing something adorable.  Check it out below.

Baby B, who will be Lane (again, barring any changes), was being shy.  He kept his hands in from of his face most of the time so the technician could not get a picture.  Luckily but the time the radiologist came to check them out, he stopped, so we got a nice profile pic of him, balancing on his head chewing away at something, SO CUTE to see his little mouth go.  He's laying pretty much sideways on top of Lucas now.

The only potential problem is my low lying placenta.  I was hoping it would have moved by now but its still in the same place.  It isn't quite covering or touching my cervix, but the tip is right beside it, and it is seeming more and more likely that I will have to have a c-section because of it.  I'm really not sure how I feel about this yet.  The OB said that alot of time, with twins, they will let the mom pick what they prefer (vaginal or c-sec, barring a reason for the c-sec like placenta previa or breech baby), and many times, they opt for the c-sec to reduce the stress of birth to the second baby.  I was pretty open to whatever was best, but I have to admit, I'm a little scared of the surgery and recovery, and a little sad that I might have to miss out on the birth of my babies, but whatever needs to be done I am sure is the best... and who knows, maybe I still have time for the placenta to move.  We'll see...

So like I said, not too many pics, just three, but enjoy our boys!!

Where have you been??

I know, I know, I'm sorry, I've been sans-blogging for well over a week now.  I meant to post something before I left, but I've been enjoying a little vacation this past week, and just got back into town last night.

Every year, my family goes to Holden Beach, NC, which is probably one of my favorite places to be.  My family has been going for more than 30 years... my first trip was at the ripe age of 4 months, 28 years ago.  This was probably the first year in almost 10 years that I couldn't drink at the beach (insert my saddest face here... I missed some margaritas!!), but it really wasn't that bad, and hubby came in with Amber O'Douls in the clutch for when I was craving the taste of beer. 

My week consisted of a whole lotta laying around on the beach, reading, napping, and just relaxing.  I was pretty much terrified of the ocean, which is new to me, because I was so worried about hurting the babies.  The wind was really bad most of the week, so the waves were rough, and I just couldn't get out past the breakers to what I considered a safe distance, so instead, I spent a lot of time in the surf to cool off.  Overall, the vacation was very needed.  I swear, I wish I lived at the beach, but I am guessing the novelty wears off when you are too close.

Our close friends in Richmond watched Layla for us.  I don't know how I am EVER going to be able to leave the boys for an extended period of time.  I know its the hormones but I was tearing up leaving her last Saturday, and the whole car ride to the Ric this weekend, all I could say was "I can't wait to see Layla".  She was SO happy to see us, and she's been back by my side ever since. 

We spent the night in the Ric on Saturday just hanging with our friends, and made it back to DC about 5 minutes before it started pouring down rain (thank God, because the luggage was on the top of the car).

This morning, I had an ultrasound... I'm gonna forgo discussion for now.  Everything is good, but I haven't had a chance to get the pictures online.  So I'll do that tonight and be sure to post.  Instead, I'll leave you with a bump shot... its from today, at 23w1d (although both boys are still measuring big, at 23w6d).  I'm definitely starting to feel like a fatty, but I am at least embracing it more!

Can't Help But Laugh

OK, I know I have already posted today, and I've already posted about Eric reading The Expectant Father, but today's conversation just makes me laugh, and I had to share.

Eric and I usually have Skype open while we are at work... not so much as a distraction from work, but to make it easier if we have to tell the other something... it keeps us from sending emails or making phone calls whenever something pops in our heads, which happens alot (especially for me).  Anyway, when I got to work after my appointment today, he sent me a message just asking how it went.  I told him everything, very basic conversation, and then out of the blue he asks "Are you eating enough protein?".  What?  Where did that come from... so I say "Yeah, I think so, I mean the doctor didn't say I was doing anything wrong or not getting enough of something".  Well, then I got these messages:

     Eric: here is what the book says :)

     Eric: avg. woman needs 45 grams a day 

     Eric: you need 75 to 100 for one baby

     Eric: +20-25 with twins

     Eric: so you need around 100 to 120 a day

     Eric: are you getting that much?

I have no idea!  I don't count everything (though maybe I should).  Still, I just laughed.  It was so funny to me.  He loves getting this information, and I think it is so funny when he asks me something about it.  So now I am getting updates on foods with protein and being told to make "meat and potatoes" for dinner more often. 
 
I can't wait for him to get to the actual parts about the birth... that should be nice and entertaining... :)

Week 22 Check-Up

Yup, today was my monthly OB appointment.  I admittedly don't love these as much as my monthly ultrasounds, but I do still love listening to the boys' heartbeats.  They are doing great.  Baby A had a heartbeat of around 150 (doc said he would be a hyper/active one) and Baby B was around 120 (much more laid back).  I was worried Baby B's was too low, but the doctor was not concerned at all.  He also put to rest all my worries about if I was gaining enough weight, if my low-lying placenta will play a big role, and why the crap I am having such a hard time breathing (which is apparently because they are big boys taking up all the space in my diaphram).

I had never seen this doctor before.  While I like the idea of seeing the same doctor each time, my practice prefers you to see everyone at least once, because they cannot guarantee who will be there to deliver you, and they want you to feel comfortable with everyone.  I have met 4 so far, and have 2 left.  After I meet the next two, I apparently need to decide who I want my official doctor for the duration of the pregnancy.  Its going to be a tough choice, because I really do like them all.  But we will see!  I think my next appointment in August is my last "monthly" once, and I'll start going every two weeks.  Its so crazy to think how fast this is going.  They will be here before I know it....

And I know I am a little late, but here  is my bump shot from this past Tuesday (21w2d)... Eric's been working on organizing the mail, can you tell?  (yup, that's sarcasm).

Reflections...in infertility

Since I am basically spending every 30 minutes in the bathroom right now (thanks, boys, for playing soccer with my bladder, BTW), I've had alot of time to reflect on Eric and my TTC journey.  Granted, the TTC journey has ended (at least for this current moment), but I can't help thinking back to this time last year and what I was thinking then.... Next week, we will be vacationing at Holden Beach, NC, which has been my family's vacation spot for the past 30 years (my first trip was 28 years ago at the ripe age of 4 months).  Last year, we were lucky enough to go twice... our regular July family trip, and an extra trip in June for my sister's wedding.  This upcoming vacation is probably what has sparked my reflections, since I can remember everything going through my head during both vacations.

For those who do not know much about how our TTC journey started, it's pretty simple.  Eric and I decided to start out as one of those couples who "just let things happened".  We pulled the goalie, stopped all birth control, and readied ourselves for this life changing event that we were sure would only take a couple months to happen.  Boy were we wrong.  That was January 2009... skip forward to June, and not only are we not pregnant, but my body has essentially shut down.  No ovulation, no period, no nothing.  I remember "relaxing" at the beach thinking, "What the hell?", and resolving to call the doctor once we got home.  Which I did... I remember it exactly.  Monday, June 15th, I call my doctor and set up an appointment for that week, and 10 minutes later, here comes Aunt Flo.  After 5 months.  Thanks.

So of course, my doctor thought I was crazy for coming in... basically she made me feel like all was good because my period was back and we were set to really get going.  That's when Eric and I made the jump from being a couple who wasn't preventing (which I know now doesn't really exist, we just say that to make ourselves feel better) to a couple actively trying to make a baby.  And I was elated.  I remember spending our July trip thinking about how this time next year, we'd definitely have a little bundle of joy to share our vacation with, and about how different the trip would be.

Boy was I so wrong.  Not only did that not work, but it continued to not work for another 8 months before we finally got pregnant (as you all know, through the magic of injectables and IUI). 

I'm not sad about this at all.  I know we got pregnant when we were supposed to... we had trouble, and we struggled, and I cried ALOT, but really, this was our time, and these are our babies.  Do I still wish it had happened faster?  Sure.  I wish I was vacation with my little family this year.  I wish I hadn't had to use all those fertility meds over the last 6+ months of TTC, and I wish they hadn't made me gain 15 lbs.  But I am happy with my thoughts of next year.... of my little 9 month old boys (give or take on the age, of course), sitting and playing in the sand in their terribly adorable little bathing suits.  I cannot wait.  Its going to be a new adventure for us, and I am ready.

It just shows you how easily things can change.  I'm happy to finally be at the point where I can reflect back on my journey and not be sad about it.  It has brought us here, and this is exactly where we are meant to be.

Disclaimer: I still find infertility to be a nasty, unfair bitch.  Just wanted to make sure there wasn't any confusion.

Baby Registry HELL

Words cannot describe how much I HATED registering for the babies.  Eric and I decided to start this weekend (probably bad idea number 1, since it was crowded), and after 2 hours, we were only a third of the way through the store and totally frustrated with each other and the whole process. 

I didn't expect this at all.  I mean, I have looked into baby gear since well before I was pregnant, and I thought I was prepared, but I was far from it.  It was nothing like the wedding registry process.  Then, we had so  much fun with that, running all over the store scanning to our hearts desire, including things we knew we didn't need, but wanted anyway. 

Now all of a sudden, our natural high was ruined by not knowing what kind of bottles or pacifiers to buy, or the fact that it seemed like every isle we went on, we were followed by three to five other couples who had to look at the exact same thing at that exact same moment (without saying "Excuse me", no less... I hate people here so much sometimes).

I don't know how people do it.  By the time we decided to give up, we were both hungry, and tired, and just deflated by the whole experience.  We decided to either come back on another day, or just try adding the rest online.  We definitely needed to just get away from the whole scene and recoup.

On the plus side, we did get a $25 gift card for setting up a new registry, so that was nice.  Silver lining I suppose.

So to all the vets out there, any recommendations for items to have and items to avoid??  Any help is appreciated!!

Kicks and Lumps

I've been feeling movement for about two weeks now, but its on a whole new level now.  Thursday afternoon, I had just gotten home from work and settled up on the sofa for a little bit, when I got the best surprise ever: A real, solid KICK (or punch, I can't really tell, especially since there are eight limbs in there).  I had my hand right on the spot where the kick occurred and totally felt it.  It was AWESOME. At first, I thought it was in my head, but a few seconds later is happened again.  Then, after those two nice solid punches to my insides, this lump started to form, to the left and slightly above my belly button.  I could gently push on it and feel it was firm, like one of them was pushing back.  I'm not entirely sure what it was, be is foot or hand or head, but it was there and so funny to me.

I just laid there is hysterics, laughing because I was beside myself, but totally disappointed that Eric wasn't home from work to experience it.  Nothing else happened for the rest of the night, but ever since then, there have been several times during the day (or night) where I definitely feel them... not just the flutters and rolls of them moving that has been present for the past two weeks, but real active kicking and/or punching.  I think I may be overcompensating the ability to feel it from the outside, since I am feeling it so much inside, because Eric still hasn't been able to feel it yet (even on Saturday night as we lay in bed, and I had three solid kicks), but hopefully it will happen soon!

These mile markers make it all worth it, right?

The Expectant Father

(note, you are probably going to see several posts out of me today, but that is because I have lots I want to blog about and don't want to make a single post too long... even though I tend to do that anyway... just wanted to let you know)

Hi everyone!  Hope you all had a great weekend.  Mine was good, full of lots of exciting moments I can't wait to post about, but I'm going to TRY and go in order of events, since it has been a few days since my last post.

I have to start by saying that I have wanted Eric to pick up a baby book and get a little invested for the past 5 months.  Don't get me wrong, he is doing great!  He comes to all my ultrasound appointments, which have been several, he came to my first OB appointment, and he always like to get the weekly check up on how the babies are doing via the What to Expect app on my iPhone.  He is wonderful.  But still, I wanted him to know more "behind the scenes" so to speak, like why I am a crying psychopath, or that all the symptoms I have are pregnancy related and NORMAL.  I would have been satisfied with him just reading the Daddy pages of WTE, but, lucky me, I got even more.

A couple weeks ago, we were visiting his family, and his sister (who had a child 2 years ago) gave him a copy of The Expectant Father.  And he actually showed interest in reading it.  I was overjoyed... until I realized maybe there is info in there he doesn't need. 

Flash back to when we first found out I was pregnant, he was ready to tell the world at 4-5 weeks.  I had to talk him down with statements about potential miscarriages or other issues, and he ended up doing a total 180, and became overly scared to even mention the "P" word.  Same thing is happening here now, complete overkill.  Too much information.  He came home from work the day he started reading the book (he rides the Metro to work, so that is his reading time) and started asking a million questions, from insurance questions to questions regarding my OB's ability to properly deliver twins.  And, of course, it doesn't help that the book throws out some general delivery cost estimates, which is enough to get any man terrified.

My automatic reaction is to just laugh a little, especially since most people start reading these books earlier on, and we are already more than halfway through this pregnancy.  But I am still really happy and excited he is taking this extra interest.  I can't wait to hear what other things he reads in there (I probably should pick up the book myself and get a head start so I know what to expect).

21 weeks (with bump shot!)

I've decided that, since I have broken the halfway mark, I might as well do one of these pregnancy questionnaires.  I think I'll try to do one every month or so, maybe more often, we'll see.

How Far Along: 21 weeks (20w3d to be exact) based on LMP, or 21w1d if you go by the measurements on the past few ultrasounds.

Total Weight Gained/Loss: Surprisingly, I haven't weighed myself in a week or so (I'm usually really crazy about this).  The last time I weighed, I was about 5-6 lbs up, so if I had to guess, I'm probably in the 7-8 lbs range now (though when I tell my husband that he gives me the "You've Got to be Crazy" look... thanks hun).

Maternity Clothes: Yeah, I moved into these pretty quickly, especially pants.  I can't wear any non-maternity pants, but I also have a few stretchy (jersey or linen) skirts that I can still pull of wearing.  Tops, I'm kinda in the middle.  Some non-maternity shirts are still fine if they are long enough, or if I wear a Be Band tank under them, but I also have several maternity shirts that I wear.

Sleep: Still waking up every 2-3 hours to pee, and I have the occasional bad night sleep, but overall, I'm doing pretty good.

Best Moment of the Week: This is falling on an "off" week, between my OB and ultrasound appointments, so I am going to go with my best moment from last week and that was seeing the babies again, especially watching Baby A with the hiccups and seeing both babies moving around so much.

Movement: Not constant, but definitely there.  I've had a few solid kicks, but nothing you can feel outside yet.  I am getting flutters and pops a couple times a day usually, and I can finally tell the difference between movement and gas, so thats a plus! :)

Food Craving: Comes and goes... mostly I just crave ice cream, alot.

Food aversions: Scrambled or fried eggs, and some chicken (mostly just plain breasts, I can eat some chicken in soups or casseroles)

Morning sickness: Thankfully no, my MS only lasted a couple weeks and was gone by 10 weeks, so I really lucked out there.  I have gotten motion sickness on the Metro, but I attribute that to the terrible driving.

Gender: Two Boys!  I was really surprised to find this out, as I was expecting two girls, or one of each, but I am really happy and can't wait to meet them.

Labor Signs: None, thank GOD!  I would freak.

Belly Button: Still there, although it its getting a little stretched out.  I hope I get the pregnancy outtie :)

Stretch Marks: None, again, thank GOD!  I hope to be one of the lucky ones considering my mom didn't get any, but I'm still covering myself in lotion and oils every day.  I do, sadly, have some old faded ones on my hips from very rapid weight gain several years ago, so I've been trying to keep that aspect of pregnancy in check and hope that it plus good genetics will save me.

Wedding Rings: Still on, although they are getting tight, especially in this heat (ugh, 100 degree weather blows)

Exercise: Been trying to walk with the hubby a few days a week after work, but the past week, it has just been too hot!

What I miss:  I'm going to be the one to come right out and say it: drinking.  I can't lie (so, please don't ostracize me), I have had a small glass of red wine on a special occasion, as well as a few sips of my hubby's beer when I was really craving the taste, but overall, I've been really good in this department, all things considered (what can I say, I'm Irish and I like the drink).  Its going to be really hard for me in a couple weeks when we take our annual beach trip and I can't enjoy a morning bloody mary or a margarita on the beach, but my sister (who is also preggo) and I have been working on some fun alcohol-free drinks to maybe trick our minds a bit.

What I'm looking forward to: Registering... I think we are going this weekend, and I cannot wait!

Other NEW news this week: In non-baby related news is, of course, the wonderful news that Layla is in remission!  Yay, yay, yay!!

Weekly Wisdom: I wish I had some, but really, I don't.  I blame it on being sleepy and dazed 24/7... If people didn't know I was pregnant, they'd probably think I was high.

Favorite item bought this week: For me, a maternity bathing suit (which I wasn't even going to buy, because I was totally cool with the whole bikini thing, but my mom wouldn't leave me alone... in her world, bikinis and pregnancy do NOT mesh).  For the boys, two super cute little outfits for the beach next year... they are zip up terry cloth "jumpers", light and dark blue stripped, with a little red crab stitched on.  SO CUTE!  I tried to find a pic online, but I couldn't... I bought it at the Carter's Outlet.


Annnd the weekly bump shot... please disregard my messy house... we are physically incapable of managing our mail (its all over our table in various "organized piles"), and Eric just put his birthday present together last night (the big car rack in the back, in an effort to have enough space in our Escape for a family of 4 plus one dog and lots of luggage when traveling).

Layla Update

I know I probably should have posted this on Thursday when we got the results, but its been crazy busy this weekend...  Hubby and I took an extended four day weekend to visit family for the holidays, which includes lots of travel and not very much time online.

With that said, I am happy (ecstatic really) to report that Layla is in remission!  For a quick, quick summary, we have spent the last several months with our beloved dog in chemo after a large aggressive tumor ruptured on her spleen.  She has been in rough shape.  I hate to say I feel like the chemo has aged her years.  She has lost hair on her face, back legs, and one small place on her side.  Her skin has also gotten darker.  Her energy level is nowhere near where it was.  She spent days after each treatment feeling miserable, and my heard just broke for her.  But it was all worth it to hear she is cancer free and clear.  There are no signs of any cancer present at this time.

Now, does that mean this is over?  No.  It sucks to say that the cancer most likely will come back at some point... it could be a year from now, it could be five years from now.  Only time will tell.  But we at least bought her some more time with us.  She will most likely be here when the boys are born and hopefully for some time after that.  If and when the cancer does come back, we will not intervene.  We would keep fighting for years and years if we could, but the reality is that we just do not have the money.  We honestly didn't have the money for the chemo treatments, but we made it work.  So if it comes back, we will just make her quality of life the best we can.

I feel the need to turn this post back around to a more positive note, so to reiterate... Layla is cancer free and we are beyond relieved, happy, thankful, etc, etc, etc!  Thanks everyone for keeping us and Miss Layla in your thoughts!!