19th Week

We made it safely to and from Atlanta for the holidays! It was great fun visiting family and seeing little Alex and Parker again, but I was more than ready to be back in Texas in my own bed and with Castor and Pollux. The neighbor took really good care of them, and we paid him back with a big pack of Bud Light. :) Actually, I had a bad sinus infection for our entire trip until Kason took me to an urgent care in Atlanta. The doctor gave me a Z pack, and that fixed me right up. I hadn't slept for a week and a half. Getting up multiple times to pee is tolerable because you can do it half-asleep, but I would be wide awake blowing my nose and coughing at least every hour or so. It was awful!!! I'm sure the twins wondered if the earthquakes would ever end.


My mom was thrilled to see me and told me that I remind her of the Madonna--serene and calm as a pregnant lady. That made me smile because I do feel happy and calm about my pregnancy. It's been relatively easy considering all the potential side effects I haven't had to endure. Not to say that the heartburn and sheer exhaustion during the first trimester were fun, but I do count myself lucky to not have the problems I've read about on the baby birth boards. I suppose I'll have a glucose test at my next appointment, but I don't foresee a positive result. Kason has made my pregnancy a happy and enjoyable one, too, because he's always telling me how beautiful I am and is very attentive to what I need or want. It's extremely helpful to feel supported and loved with my body going through so many changes. I have about five to six more weeks of my second trimester to go, so I'm going to enjoy the extra energy and break from heartburn while they last. It's such an indescribable feeling to watch my growing belly and to feel the changes going on. Such a miracle! I'm beyond curious about what the twins will look like and who each one will favor. I'm pretty sure they'll both have brown hair and eyes, but I can't wait to see how their facial features and other characteristics turn out. Mom wants me to call her when I'm still in the ultrasound chair to tell her what I'm having when I go back on the 9th. I wanted to send her a box of balloons, but she insisted that I call her right away and that it was much too long to wait for a box to get to her. Haha! We're going to send a box to Kris, though, as I know she'll enjoy the surprise.

16 weeks! Can't wait for Thursday!!

Castor decided to photobomb this one!

I'm 16 weeks along today, and I am looking so forward to Thursday's doc appointment, it's hard to contain myself! I do have to prepare myself for the possibility that the kiddos won't cooperate during the u/s and will therefore hide their sexes from the tech, but I'm hoping so badly that they are relaxed and letting it all hang out (haha). I've started showing a lot more since last week, and colleagues and students always comment on my bump. It gets tiring sometimes to hear from students, "Miss, you're getting bigger!" or "Miss, are you going to be able to walk next month?" I just tell them, "Yep, that's what we want, right?" and "We'll see, won't we??" I guess they're showing me their enthusiasm and close attention to my growing bump, but seriously? Same questions and comments every week?? Get more creative, please! Anyway, I'm feeling pretty good most days, except my lower back gets sore sometimes, especially from having to sleep with a body pillow. I won't miss that at all once the twinnies are here!!! Will update after my appointment on Thursday, the 13th. Then we're going to see The Hobbit the next day (hoping it's not sold out as the theater we want to go to doesn't do online ticketing)! One more week of work and then it's winter break! Can't wait can't wait can't wait!!!!!!

Update: appointment went well, but the tech couldn't tell the sex of Baby B (she was completely sure about Baby A), so it's still a secret for now until I go back January 9. No Xmas reveal, but that's all right. It'll be more fun once we are 100% sure of both sexes. It was very neat to see each baby's different organs, skeleton, and brain. They seemed a bit tired today compared to last month's scan--neither was wiggling or flipping as much. However, when the tech was pushing harder to get good readings on Baby A, I felt Baby B move to my left side. Last month, both babies were hanging out in my right side. Baby A's heart rate is 155 and is 17 weeks 1 day along; Baby B's heart rate is 150 and is 16 weeks 4 days. The tech said everything looks fine and normal, and the doctor agreed. Baby A weighs about 7 oz. (!) and Baby B is about 4-5 (can't remember exactly what the tech said). That seems heavy to me, but they're healthy and that's what matters. I asked if it's OK to sleep on my back, and doc said it's fine as long as I lie on a pillow or something so I'm not completely flat on my back. Whew! I hate lying on my side, especially the left, right now--it isn't comfortable at all. Doesn't seem like the twinnies like being scanned because I felt mild cramping sensations after my appointment. I don't think I'd like to be poked, either! Well, one more week and a day left of working before the break. January 9 will be here before I know it. :)

Almost time again!

Second trimester is going pretty well! I don't feel like I'm going to die from starvation, I have a lot more energy, and I don't have as many food aversions. Had first In N Out since Kris and Tom were in town last July. The twinnies are going to really like In N Out and Mexican food--that's pretty much what I crave nowadays. I would eat El Fenix and Chipotle everyday if I could. I also always want raw veggies and fruit, so hopefully the kids will, too. I usually have waited to take a bump pic every other week, but Tuesday I looked like I'd popped. The ladies on my birth board are betting I'm having a girl, and I do hope I have a girl and a boy. My next doc appointment is next Thursday. I'm crossing my fingers that both babies cooperate so the tech can guess their sexes! If she can, then I'm going to reveal at Xmas with onesies for Mom and Kris. :)

Preggo belly ring! It glows in the dark. :)

14 weeks

Don't feel much bigger than I did at 12 weeks, but I am excited to be closer to the next appointment date. I've been reading about a lot of instances where people get an early gender guess at 15-16 weeks, but then at the 20-week scan, the guess was wrong. I'm putting out vibes for a boy and a girl, or two boys. Kason's cousin thinks we're having one of each, and his wife thinks it's two boys. It's been fun figuring out the kids' names, but we're stuck when it comes to two of one sex. We have a boy and girl name 100% agreed upon, though. A little more than two weeks!

12 weeks and so impatient!!!!

I was 12 weeks yesterday, and I have another doc appointment this Thursday for the NT scan and maybe a guess at the twinnies' genders. The symptoms haven't been as terrible, and I can actually make it through the day without stuffing my face all the time. The weekends are the best because I can sleep in and feel rested, plus not be on my feet for extended periods of time like at work. But during the work week, heartburn sets in pretty bad in the evenings. I've had bad headaches for a few days in a row, as well...I suppose that's another symptom. I feel so impatient to see my babies again and make sure they're healthy and developing well! Kason will be at this appointment, so I'm doubly excited and nervous! Will post an update afterward. :)

Heart rate: 155; 12 weeks 5 days

Heart rate: 162; 12 weeks 4 days

The appointment went very well. Both babies are healthy and had normal NT scan measurements. Baby A's heart rate is 155 @ 12 weeks and 5 days; Baby B's heart rate is 162 @ 12 weeks and 4 days. Baby B is upside down, which I found interesting. Baby A did a flip while the nurse was trying to measure his neck fold. :) I couldn't help having a big idiot grin on my face most of the time, and I tried not to laugh too hard so that it wouldn't mess up the ultrasound images. I'm on cloud 9 knowing that my twinnies are doing great! I go back to the doctor on December 13, and I'm really hoping they can ascertain the genders then so I can reveal at Xmas. We'll see! Now four more weeks of suspense.

10 weeks and 1 day

Just two weeks and a few days until my 2nd doctor's visit and sonogram. I feel so impatient about seeing my babies again and making sure they are healthy and safe! Waiting between visits is probably the most difficult part of this experience so far. That, and I've discovered that I get pretty bad car sickness when I ride in the passenger seat, especially after eating. I sure hope this is a temporary condition (not past first trimester!) because Kason and I plan to drive to MS and GA for the holidays in December. I suppose I won't be able to drive/ride such a far distance if the doctor says no. It will be a bummer if I can't, but I will fly to Atlanta if I can. I'll probably have to drive to and from Tyler when we go for Thanksgiving, unless this car sickness goes away 2nd trimester (praying!!!). The heartburn is mostly every now and then, although the new prenatals I'm sampling made me nauseated last night, ugh! I'm just mostly very tired and try to take advantage of energy spurts when they come. Like last night before the prenatal hit, I cooked chicken, tacos, and oatmeal, and felt fine...except I have to make sure I eat every 2 to 2.5 hours or I feel sick/weak. Counting down the days to 11/15 when I go back to the doctor!

Double Surprise!

My best friend, Christina, recommended that I journal about my experiences as a newly expectant mother. She just had her bundle of joy in winter of 2011, so she has enjoyed sharing her experiences and tips with me so far. I've enjoyed how we've reconnected, too.

As suggested by the title, my pregnancy was a surprise, both to my husband and me. I'd already been feeling strange, incredibly hungry (like I couldn't eat enough to satisfy my hunger), and some bouts of bad heartburn, which I blamed on what I'd eaten. Some days I would feel so exhausted that I could barely function, let alone drive the 10 minutes to and from work without dozing off a few times. I'd mentioned these symptoms to my friends, and the first thing they would ask me was if I was pregnant. I didn't think it was possible, so I shrugged it off as being my difficulty adjusting to the new job.

Last weekend, the heartburn was so bad that I went to bed by 9 p.m. on Friday, missing out on the new scary movie V/H/S, for which I'd bought advance tickets. Then I didn't feel well the next day after eating some oatmeal, so I went back to bed until I felt better enough to sit on the couch and watch football. Finally, I just had to know: I had Kason get a pregnancy test from the store while he was getting ginger ale, crackers, and soup for me. It took just a few seconds for the positive symbol to register on both tests. I don't know who was more surprised: Kason or me! We talked about preliminary plans, especially how we would need to accelerate our house-buying plan. We wondered if it would be a boy or a girl and how the baby would look. I scheduled a prenatal visit to confirm the pregnancy and perhaps get a sonogram. In the meantime, I tried to keep eating healthy foods and to drink more water during the work day. By the time Thursday rolled around, I was already feeling unsettled and run down, not to mention heartburn that worsened by the end of the day.

Thursday I went in for my first prenatal visit. The nurse weighed me, tested my pee and other vitals, and asked me some basic questions. Then I saw the ultrasound technician for my sonogram. She looked a moment and said, "Oh, you're going to have twins!" I couldn't believe my ears...or my eyes! I could see them on the screen, two tiny bean-sized miracles. I think I said, "What?!!" a million times before my exam was finished. The nurse was very understanding and explained how healthy the twins looked, how their heart rate was normal, and how Baby A was 8 weeks and 3 days old. I had no idea I was so far along!!! It was an amazing experience to see Baby B's tiny heartbeat fluttering on the screen, and the nurse said he was wiggling a lot. I never imagined I would have twins! For all I know, I could have a twin out there in the world somewhere. Maybe I will never meet her or him, but it seems probable that I do have one, or that my birthmother was a twin. Kason couldn't be at the exam with me, so I texted him and asked him to skip his night classes so I could share the news in person and see his expression.

Kason got home about 6:45, and I told him to sit down first. Then I showed him the sonogram pictures, watching his face. He looked shocked and amazed when he realized what he was looking at. It was so exciting! We called his side of the family on speakerphone and enjoyed hearing their reactions. My mom was thrilled and elated, and she hopes that at least one of the twins is a girl since she already has two grandsons. My sister-in-law was so ecstatic that I'm sure her neighbors wondered what was going on when she screamed her excitement. The holidays will be fun, plus traveling during the second trimester is the safest. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone and blogging my experiences as a newly expectant mother of TWINS!!!! :)