We are so thankful for this pregnancy! After sharing our journey through infertilty on the blog, I knew I wanted to log our newfound 40 week journey of pregnancy on the blog as well. Not knowing if I’ll ever be able to experience pregnancy again, I have chosen to log our pregnancy by writing occasional letters to our babies. The letters will keep my readers posted on how we are doing each week, but the letters will also be something that our little ones can go back and read, as a reminder of how much he or she was loved from the very beginning of their existence. You can read previous weeks by clicking on the following posts: Week 5, Week 7, Week 9, Week 12, Week 13, Week 15, Week 16, Week 18, Week 19, Week 21, Week 22 Week 24.
It’s hard
to believe I haven’t sat down to write a blog post in four weeks. There is much to inform you about, so I’ll
start with the most recent and work my way back.
We went in
for your 28 week growth ultrasound on Friday.
As usual, the doctors are pleased that you are healthy and well. You’re both around the 50th percentile
in growth, making you very comparable to normal singleton babies in size. You’ve both gained about a pound in the past month. Baby A weighed in at 2 lbs. 12 oz., while Baby
B weighted 2 lbs. 9 oz. We are expecting
another pound weight gain for your next growth ultrasound at 32 weeks, and then
from there you should be gaining about a pound every two weeks. We didn’t really get any good pics,
because the tech said we are past the point of good pictures. Apparently, you are taking up more room inside
of me, making for shadowy ultrasound pictures.
We did get one decent pic of Baby A, where you can kind of see your face
with your hand in front of it. The rest
of the pictures were too blurry to make out any of your features.
I also am
very pleased to say that I passed my 28 week glucose test. I definitely over indulged on
sugary-unhealthy things over the holidays, but as soon as the new year came, we
got rid of the junk and filled the fridge and pantry with normal food again. Our diet is now back to normal, which means
sweets and treats are only eaten in moderation.....which explains why I celebrated passing my test with a cupcake and decaf white mocha. It was my reward for being so good, the past two weeks:)
My body has
certainly grown in the past four weeks as well. I seriously wonder how this
belly of mine is going to get any bigger….and yet, I know it will! I'm still measuring eight weeks ahead. So at 28 weeks, I'm measuring 36 weeks, which is all very normal for twins.
As my body
grows, I feel and see your movements on a regular basis. I won’t miss a lot of things that come with
pregnancy, but I will certainly miss this part of pregnancy. At times, your activity makes me
uncomfortable and keeps me up at night, but there is something so very miraculous
about looking down at my pregnant belly and seeing the movement of life growing
inside of me. It’s something I will
always cherish.
As I’ve
entered my last trimester, some of the pregnancy symptoms that bothered me so
much in my second trimester have now subsided, while new symptoms have plagued
these last few weeks of pregnancy. For
example, I was carrying quite low for much of my second trimester. With that came the swollen feet and sore
back. Yet, sometime between Thanksgiving
and Christmas, I noticed that I was carrying higher. Since then, I haven’t really had to deal with
swollen feet, and I only have a sore lower back on days that I do a lot of
cleaning and/or physical activity.
As you've grown, heartburn became atrocious! I
was tempted to ask for some sort of prescription at my 24 week check up, but
just decided to make do by taking the usual antacids and drinking milk for
instantaneous, yet temporary relief. I’m
glad I didn’t ask for a prescription, because within the past week or two, the
heartburn has subsided some and has become much more bearable for me. I’m not sure what the reason for this is, but
I’m sure glad that the heartburn and acid reflux has settled down.
My newest
pregnancy symptom is a pregnancy rash called PUPPP. I started coming down with it around New Years. After about a week, I couldn’t take it any
more and finally called my doctor for a diagnosis. Apparently, it is very rare and only occurs
in 1% of all pregnancies, yet somehow I am lucky enough to get it. It’s probably the worst part of pregnancy so
far. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. It won’t go away until I deliver, and it is
leaving stretch marks and scars in its path.
I admit that at first, it really got me down. Just the thought of dealing with something so
very itchy for the remainder of my pregnancy was really discouraging. However, I have accepted it for what it is,
and I am learning to cope with it. Through
much determination and internet research, I think I have formulated a daily
method of dealing with the rash and keeping its effects on my daily life at a
minimum.
While I was
coming down with the PUPPP rash, our nation was experiencing a historic arctic blast. I only bring this up, because I will probably
be one of those mom’s who says, “I remember when I was pregnant with you and we
had -40 degree wind chills with 13 inches of snow, and the whole state was shut
down for a week.” Yeah, I figure it will
sort of be how my parents still talk about the blizzard of ’78. I just thought
I’d throw this in here, so you are aware of the stories that are to come as you
grow up. The storm
hit just after our two week Christmas vacation, so after three weeks of being
lazy and doing a whole lot of nothing, Daddy and I were ready to get back into
a regular routine.
The holidays fell in
the middle of the week this year. Being off for the holidays and adding in a
few vacation days, made for a much needed “staycation” for Mommy and Daddy. We spent our time doing a whole lot of
nothing, but doing a whole lot of nothing together. We
planned it this way, as we realized it was probably the last time that we had to
just spend time together with just the two of us. It was certainly a time to for us to relax
and refresh before entering the new year, as your soon arrival will bring to us changes that we can
not possibly prepare ourselves for.
We’re anticipating
your arrival in the next 6-10 weeks, and while we may be prepared for your entrance
into this world, I don’t know that we will ever be ready for the life changes that
are coming our way. Yes, the nursery is ready,
the names have been chosen, the diapers are stocked, the baby books have been
read, the hospital tour has been taken, the child birth classes are scheduled, the new "life with babies" budget has been planned out and put onto a spreadsheet, the
maternity pictures are completed, the baby showers are planned, the baby registry
is complete and what we don’t get we will go out and buy after the showers are over.
We’re checking things off of our to-do list left and right, yet we will never
be fully ready for what we know you will bring into our lives in the next few
months. At first, I’m sure you will
bring much stress and sleep deprivation as we try to survive those first few
months of caring for newborn twins on our own.
There’s really no way for us to be ready for that. But I’m also certain that you will bring a
love that we have never known and can not possibly imagine. As our eyes meet
for the first time and we hold you in our arms, our family of two will
instantly become a family of four. As much
as we plan and prepare, nothing will truly make us ready for such a change. It is a little bitter-sweet. I will miss the time that your dad and I have
had together, just the two of us. It’s
been a good five years. All of that is about
to change….yet, we know only the best years are to come. So in this new year, here’s to growing our
family and the changes and challenges that come with it. I'm looking forward to all of the new things 2014 brings our way.
