35 weeks!

Wow, I look huge!  

I see my doctor on Wednesday and have my last ultrasound tomorrow.  We'll find out if Baby B has flipped around or not.  Praying that he has!

I'm feeling good but more and more uncomfortable with contractions.  But they're still just Braxton-Hicks... I think?  Sometimes I feel more painful twinges, but no labor.  I'm hoping for April babies, so just one more week and then I'll be ready to welcome them whenever they want to come!  :)

The nursery is coming along.  I did this chalkboard quote today that I found on Pinterest:

So sweet! 

34 Weeks and other happenings

How Far Along:  34 weeks and 2 days

Weight Gain:  I've gained a total of 30 lbs so far.  No weight gain in the past 2 weeks.   

How Big are the Babies?  Approx. the size of cantaloupes.  Baby A weighed 4 lbs 5 oz and Baby B weighed 4 lbs 13 oz last Friday.  36th %ile and 55th %ile.

Movement:  Less kicking and more shifting around.  Baby A is still head down and seems to enjoy being snug in that position.  He has less fluid to move around in than Baby B does.  Baby B is bigger and has more fluid--what a stinker! :)  Baby B has been enjoying the breech position for the past several weeks.  I'm hoping he flips around when it's go-time, but he may not.  He still sometimes kicks me down below, but he's also more just shifting positions.  I love feeling their body parts pushing out.   
Belly button in or out? It has definitely flattened out and is somewhat an outie, but not quite.  

What I miss:  Nothing!

Milestones:  I have made it this far with them still inside!  I am so thankful they're still growing away inside the womb.  I feel like I could make it to 38 weeks, but my doctor seems to think I won't get that far.

Food Cravings:  WATER.  I can't drink enough of it.  And Diet Cokes from QT.  Food wise?  Nothing really.

Aversions: Not much, just still fried food.

Symptoms: Super tired due to insomnia at night.  I've been taking Benedryl to help me sleep, but I don't want to get too used to that.  I have developed seasonal allergies, too.  Not fun!  I'm not sure if that's just par for the course living in Arizona or pregnancy-related.  

Best Moment this week: My good friend Amy was in town again (just saw her in January) to visit her sister, who lives in Tempe.  It was fun spending time with her.  Also, my doctor said I could let up on bedrest this upcoming Monday, when I'm 35 weeks.  

What I'm looking forward to:  Finishing the nursery!  Installing the carseats (still haven't gotten around to that...).  I'm also definitely looking forward to going for a stroll next week.  I can tell that I've lost some muscle tone or at least energy from lying around and not doing anything.  

Andy and I have been enjoying these last few weeks of our family just being a family of 2.  He is really my best friend, and I can't imagine doing this without him.  I just love spending time with him.  Last week was a lighter work week for him due to Spring Break, so we had a lot more time together, and I was sad when he had to go back to training school this monday!  We keep saying, "Pretty soon, it's not going to just be the two of us!"  We're SO excited to meet our boys, but I'm savoring these last childless days.  

Something I've been enjoying while on bedrest is sitting outside to do my time with the Lord or just sitting in the sun.  This sweet little kitty has started visiting me everyday, and I've fallen in love :)  It doesn't take much for me with animals!  I named her Minerva (after Professor McGonagall in Harry Potter) because my family names our pets after HP characters... hehe.  I call her Minnie, and she is just precious.  Yes, I asked my mom to bring me some cat food so I can feed her, too.  Look at her beautiful blue eyes!  She comes inside the house sometimes, too.  I have no shame.

                             

Lifelong friendships are the best. <3 p="">

Kiki, me, and Amy

33 Weeks

How Far Along: 33 weeks 3 days

Weight Gain: I haven't stepped on the scale this week, but I only gained a pound over 2 weeks at my last appt.  My total so far is about 30 pounds.  

Symptoms: Well, thanks to the magical medicine, Reglan, my "morning sickness" or extreme sour stomach/vomiting has somewhat subsided.   I have had  a couple mornings where I've gagged, but overall I'm doing much better in that department.  I have realized that it's really important that I sit up after eating, for at least 30 minutes, or else the reflux is killer.  Usually I just go lie down (doctor's orders!), but now I'm sitting.  My lower back is sore if I haven't done a good job of bedresting that day.  My stomach still tightens up a lot throughout the day (not sure the Nifedipine is helping my contractions...).

Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty well, considering how large I am.  I usually wake up to pee anywhere between 12:30 and 4 am.  I also was waking up with extremely sore hips, so I added another body pillow to the mix (sorry, Andy!), and that has helped.

Preparation: We've done a lot to the nursery--I'm so thankful!  Andy set up the cribs (I helped as much as I could from the ground), and we rearranged furniture.  I set up the Expedit shelving unit (from Ikea) that will house books and toys (eventually).  My mom made beautiful curtains!  We have the crib mattresses and a set of sheets for each crib (still need mattress pads and more sheets), and we have our changing pad and lots of diapers!  The stroller is set up and ready to take the car seats.  OH!  We need to install our car seats!  Hello!  Probably the most important thing...

Miss Anything? Oh, just being about to go out and about and see people.  It's hard to be so dependent on others.  And I miss going for walks and runs.  

Cravings: IN LOVE with English muffins and Raisin bread, toasted, with Brummel & Brown butter and raspberry jam.  I'm going to have to kick this carbs habit after the babies come!

Looking Forward to:  We finally have another growth measurement ultrasound tomorrow am!  I can't wait to see how much they weigh!  I'm a little worried that Baby A has moved back to a breech position, based on what I felt him doing the other day, but maybe he's moved back...  we'll see.

I will leave you with this hilarious picture of me in one of the motorized scooters at Target!  (I really had to go to Target to get somethings for a gift I was assembling for my sister's 30th birthday.  I'm trying to be good and not cheat on bedrest!)

**Hilarious.  I just noticed that I had left something written by another blogger that I get the topics to write on from... I'm not Mormon and my grandma and another lady did not stop by my house with fruit.  hehe, oops!

Pregnancy Update! 32 Weeks 4 Days

I realize that I haven't done a weekly update in a couple of weeks.   I think it's due to the fact that I can't get out of bed in time for Andy to snap a photo, and then I always forget or don't feel camera-ready at the end of the day!   A lot has changed in the past 2 weeks.  For one, I was put on bedrest, then I asked if I could still work and she said yes, then I was put on absolute strict bedrest a week later, for the remainder of my pregnancy.  So, I eeked out a couple more days at work, and then had to start my short term disability.  Last week I was bummed about that, but this week I can't even imagine getting up early and going to work.  I feel miserable!  Now, I know that I prayed and asked to feel nauseas and sick and wanted these symptoms for years...  I am still SO thankful for this pregnancy and the miracle of these 2 boys, but I'm just being honest in how these last few weeks are feeling.  It's tough carrying two!

I think because my stomach is so huge, my reflux has been in high gear this past week.  I'm nauseas all the time, but especially in the early morning and when I get up (although, now I'm on/off awake starting around 2:30am).  I usually gag and throw up when I brush my teeth or spend a few minutes with my head over the toilet bowl.  I know, lovely.  It really is miserable!  I didn't have this in the first trimester... I think having the huge belly and hovering over the toilet/sink just compounds the awfulness.  My doctor wrote me a prescription for Reglan, which helps empty the stomach faster, so we'll see if that helps... I would think so!  I can hear the acid just sloshing and gurgling around in my stomach when I go to bed. Yuck.  On Tuesday I was so sick, we ended up going to OB triage in the middle of the night because I was dehydrated and my stomach hurt so bad.  I got a liter of IV fluids and IV zofran, which did help for the night.

The belly is so big, it's getting harder and more uncomfortable to turn sides in bed.  I'm like a big troll, huffing and puffing.  Sweet Andy always asks, "Is there anything I can get you??" and I say pathetically, "Nothing."

I saw my doctor today, and I'm 1 cm dilated and 80% effaced!  I'm currently on Nifedipine, a blood pressure medicine that is used to stop/slow contractions, and she just wants to keep me on that.  She said she'd be happy if they came at 34 weeks.  Um, that's like 10 days away!  I am partly super excited for them to arrive and to have some use of my body back, but I also am hoping they make it to more like 35 weeks.  I just don't want them to have to spend any time in the NICU.

Baby A is still head down--praise God!  We can continue to move forward with plans for a vaginal delivery as long as he stays that way.  Now, Baby B has just been having a grand ole time flipping back and forth from breech to head down.  Now I can tell when he's doing it--it feels crazy!  Like my stomach is going to burst open.  He's just enjoying himself.  If he's head up at the time of the delivery, Dr. Hollar will attempt to turn him externally, and if that is unsuccessful, then she will deliver him breech.  Yikes!  We'll see if I go for an epidural or not... that sounds quite painful.  

Next week I'll get another growth ultrasound.  They should be past 4 pounds each at that point.  I hope they've grown even more!  I want some chunky babies :)  Oh man, I'm so excited to meet them and see what they look like.  

The nursery is... coming along.  I think I'm going to recruit some friends to help me decorate.  I really have no energy even if I wanted to cheat on bedrest, and after a few minutes of sitting on the ground and getting up, etc, I can feel my contractions getting worse.  So that's not a good idea. 

Ok, so I'm feeling miserable physically, but emotionally I am excited and can't believe their birthdays are just around the corner!  Ah!

My Baby Shower

This past Saturday was such an amazing day that I will never forget...

my baby shower!  

A celebration of life and these miracles of God...

A gathering of many of my dear friends and family...

An overwhelmingly beautiful display of my friends' talents and love...

Such a sweet time.

I seriously woke up the next day and it all felt like a dream.

Everything was perfect!  They did a theme of "woodland creatures", which was just darling.

There were so many thoughtful details and touches; I was in love. 

I started to cry as I walked through Joy's house.  

This was all for me and my babies!  I was humbled.

Three dear friends were in from Boston, my sister Victoria was there from Houston, many of my coworkers came, and lots of church friends and family friends.

We were spoiled with all the gifts and love.

I was bummed that I had to sit the whole time because I was put back on strict bedrest the day before, but I still got to chat with people and took it all in from the arm chair :)

baby pictures of Andy and me

They printed out many of our maternity photos and decorated with them!  So thoughtful.

favors:  peanuts--"Thanks for celebrating Emily's little peanuts!"

My favorite part as you walked up to the house...  I'm going to hang it in the boys' room somewhere!

such a fun drink table

mozzarella stick & tomato "mushrooms"

Auntie and Marmie

Some of the lovely hostesses and also most of the Boston crew--old and current

It was an amazing day, and I'm so glad I have these photos to remember it all.  Thank you!!!

Now Andy and I are trying our best to organize, set up, and decorate.  It's tough being on bed rest because I really can't do much of anything.  I'm kind of resigned to the fact that the decor in the boys' room might come after they're born.  That's ok... a little disappointing, but oh well!  We finally got the cribs set up today.  Andy has been awesome.  He already does so much for work and then comes home and serves me faithfully.  Most of the time he even has a happy heart doing it :)  No, but really, he's working so hard, and I wish I could help.  The babies will be here before we know it!  Ahh!