30.5 weeks and only 6.5 left!!!

Today I had my 30 week appointment. Things are going well, I've gained about 33ish pounds and my blood pressure is normal and healthy.

I got to have an ultrasound today and here is what I learned because of it:

• Baby A currently weighs 3 lbs 9 oz and is head down. He's in the 43rd percentile for growth.

• Baby B currently weighs 3 lbs 15 oz and is breech. He's in the 67th percentile for growth.

• Both babies heart rates were in the 140s and healthy, and they're both doing well.

• Baby A was stubborn and didn't want to show his face to the ultrasound tech, and baby B is more active and crazy than baby A!

In talking with the Dr. today, we decided it would be wise to just schedule a c-section for 37 weeks, which is November 9th! Crazy, and I totally don't want a c-section, but it seems I'm going to end up with one unless baby B really cooperates!! If he decides to cooperate and I haven't had them by 37 weeks, my c-section can then be turned into an induction and hopefully that will lead to a good vaginal delivery of both babies. Any prayers that I get to have them without a c-section would be greatly appreciated!! The Dr. also said that they will aggressively try to stop labor before I hit the 34 week mark, so I can pretty much count on making it that far at LEAST. If I make it to about 35 1/2 weeks then I will be able to have the babies at the smaller community hospital here,which is what I want more than anything. I loved having Ellie at Orem Community Hospital because it was small and very personable, so I'd like to have the babies at Franklin Woods, not Johnson City Medical Center. However, if there are complications, I'll be having them at JCMC, which won't be the end of the world. When it comes down to it, I just want to get my babies here and have them healthy!

Things have been going OK so far. I am definitely feeling super pregnant, and now that I know the combined weight of both babies is MORE than Ellie was when she was born, I know why I feel this way! I have lots of pain and discomfort all day long no matter what I'm doing or how I'm doing it! I wouldn't say I'm used to it, but I have just accepted the fact that it's going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better. I'm not able to do a whole lot before my body tells me that it's finished and is giving up for the rest of the day, and if you walked into my house, you'd be able to tell...Ugh. Hate that I can't keep up with everything anymore!

I am getting more excited to meet these babies, but mostly to get them out of my ribs! I'm excited to see how Ellie does with having TWO little babies in the house but I'm nervous as well. She loves other babies, so hopefully she'll love her little brothers! I start going to the Dr. twice a week starting in 2 weeks, so that's fun...I will have NST's and normal check-ups every Tuesday and Friday, and ultrasounds about every 4 weeks or so. I'm pretty much going to feel like I live at the Dr.'s office! Not much else to say, so here are my normal questions:

How far along are you: 30 weeks 4 days

Maternity clothes: Are becoming too small...

Sleep: I need to try to get MORE of this, because I fight my brain to fall asleep at night!

Best moment this week: Knowing that I will be 100% done by November 9th!

Miss anything: My lungs being able to expand and my ribs being un-occupied!

Movement: Lots, but only crazy movement when I'm trying to sleep.

Food cravings: Ice cream, cookies, milk.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Only when I forget to eat.

Have you started to show yet: this shouldn't even be a question anymore

Gender: Two little boys, and we've figure out who gets what name and what middle name and I'm so excited to announce their names and see them once they get here!

Belly button in or out: Big time out and stretched to the max, almost looks like it's bruised for 3 inches all the way around it!!!

Labor signs: Daily contractions, but never more than 4/hour.

Wedding rings on or off: On! So happy I'm not swelling at all!!

Looking forward to: November, when they'll be here and I'll be done!!

Too lazy to go take a pic, so I guess we'll have to wait until next time, if I'm feeling like taking pictures of myself at that point...

Videos of Ellie

28 weeks: trying to see the brighter side of things

Being pregnant with twins is so much harder than I ever imagined it would be. Maybe it's easier for some people, but man alive, it is kicking my butt!! Lately I have had such a hard time sleeping. I have to change positions, and it makes my pelvic bone hurt so badly it nearly brings me to tears every time I have to move. I had pain like this in the last 3 weeks before I had Ellie, but it was never this bad. Lately I have to take things one day at a time and not think about the fact that I have 8 weeks of this still left or I get depressed wondering how much worse it's going to get in the next 8 weeks!! I try to see the positives of the pregnancy, but when I'm not sleeping through the night because of super bad pain, it is REALLY hard. At least two cute babies will come out of it, right?! I am SO ready for the end to be near, but 8 weeks is a long time away :)

Yesterday I had my 28 week appointment at 28 weeks, 4 days. Everything went well. I told the Dr. how I have multiple contractions a day, so of course he wanted to check to make sure everything is OK. Well it is. No worries of preterm labor and he said I have no restrictions on what I can and can't do, so that's good. I didn't have an ultrasound this week, so I'm not entirely sure what position the babies are in. I know baby A is close to the same, but baby B tends to shift and move a LOT so I'm not sure if he's transverse or breech at this point. Baby's heart beats were in the 140s with baby B's slightly faster than baby A's. All is well and I return in 2 weeks for an ultrasound and another check-up and in 4 weeks, I get to start going twice a week for NST's. It is ridiculous! But for the good of the babies, I'm sure!

How far along are you: 28 weeks 5 days

Maternity clothes: Always.

Sleep: It's getting harder and harder to fall asleep and especially stay asleep as I explained earlier!

Best moment this week: Getting the babies' bedding and seeing how cute their room is going to be once I finish decorating!

Miss anything: Personal space! I don't like when people invade my bubble, and there was a super bubble invader at the post office last week that nearly gave me an anxiety attack because she was so close to me! Also, I miss not explaining my life story to people/being asked my life story. People can be pretty nosy here, and I just want to do my thing, pay for my groceries and NOT tell you if I have other children, if I'm having more and so on. Hello, I don't even know you Wal-Mart Check-out lady! Why are you asking such personal questions!?!?

Movement: All the time. Usually when I'm trying to sleep.

Food cravings: Tasty things like cookies, steak and anything spicy & cheesy.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Lack of sleep.

Have you started to show yet: Yep, that's why everyone keeps asking me when I'm due. It's so fun to explain everything...

Gender: Boy A boy B. I know who's getting what name and middle name, and that's fun for us. I wonder if they'll be identical!? Kinda hope they're not identical though, because I bought a lot of matchy matchy stuff, and I don't think I'll be able to tell them apart ha ha!

Belly button in or out: Out. I'm wondering if it can get even more out? We'll see. (No need to change answers from last week...)

Labor signs: Daily contractions, but never more than 4/hour.

Wedding rings on or off: On.

Looking forward to: The next appointment, because then I'm 2 weeks closer to the end!

Ellie: 20 Months old

Ellie just keeps growing up and I can't believe how fast it's happening! Yesterday, she turned 20 months old! I can't believe she'll be 2 in 4 months! That also means Christmas is in less than 4 months! CRAZY! This year has FLOWN by!!

 

Ellie has started a few new phases that I'm not particularly fond of. One of them is when we ask her to be nice, she will do the exact opposite and start throwing things, hitting things, you name it! No idea why the sudden change from real nice to mean "nice" started. Another phase she has really been into lately is throwing things when she's upset. Not just like picking it up and dropping it, either. I mean like FULL-ON throwing something across the room. It's annoying. I don't see her growing out of them any time soon, so I guess we will just try to figure out how to deal with her bad phases and get her to be good!

Here are a few things about Ellie at 20 months old:

• She loves to watch TV. However, if you try to turn something on that she DOESN'T want to watch, you better watch out...because she will throw a huge fit. For example: if I start Super Why! and she really wanted to watch the Cat in the Hat, she will scream NO and "HATTIE!!!" until I change it to what she wants. Ugh.
• She is almost done getting her 4th molar, and she has gotten so many teeth in the last month it's crazy! Yet, she still has no I teeth. They'll come, I'm sure.
• She can fit into size 3 diapers still, but we've moved her up to size 4 for the times she's in 'sposies and not cloth (which to be honest is more now that I have less energy and desire to deal with washing diapers)
• She wears size 18 month clothes, but can fit into some 24 month clothes depending on the brand and size 5 shoes.
• She is getting really good at communicating with us and is learning lots of new words every day.
• She can recognize 5 different letters, B, E, I, O and Q. Who knows how Q got into the mix...I think it was either Super Why! or Leap Frog Alphabet something or other on Netflix. Hey, at least I can feel less guilty for letting her watch shows when she's learning from them.
• She loves to scowl if she's the least bit upset with something going on, and it's hilarious. It's always hard not to laugh when she gets mad because she makes the cutest mad face.
• She's obsessed with the Talking Tom app and asks for it EVERY day!
• Eating has become better in the last couple of weeks. She's been willing to try new things (especially if I make sure she hasn't had too many snacks before lunch or dinner) but she is still obsessed with her regular foods: bananas, blueberries & strawberries.
• She is still super clingy most days and wants "monie" not daddy. I wish I could get her to let David do more things for her, because I have no energy by the time he gets home from work! 
• Her favorite place to be is outside exploring.
• Her favorite animal is a cat and she will meow at a picture of a cat for what seems like an eternity.
• She loves to look at a flashcards app I have and repeats every word and animal it says. It's really quite impressive!
• She loves to sing nursery songs and dance to just about any music. Although LMFAO Party Rock is still her favorite!
• She loves babies and every time she sees a baby she says, "Baby. Cry."
• She is a sweet little girl and she is nice to everyone as long as she gets what she wants! HA HA!

There are so many more things I could write about Ellie. She's such a joy to have around and I'm so happy to be her mommy! I am slightly worried about how she'll react to the twins coming, but I know she will love her little brothers and help mommy when she can!