24 weeks....Viability!!!

We've reached a big milestone this week...the age of viability!! Meaning if the babies were to be born right now, they would have a chance of survival. Now, I'm not saying they are welcome to come ANY time soon, I'm just saying they would have a chance. Its nice to get to this point.

The babies are growing nicely. They are putting on about 6oz's of weight a week, mostly baby fat.
I went to my monthly OB appt today. It went well, uneventful. I've gained about 5lbs since last month. Making my total weight gain 10lbs now. My uterus is measuring 30cm. I don't understand why people tell me all the time how little I look for twins. I guess they're forgetting that I have 4 months to go, because obviously this belly is quite a bit bigger than normal.

I talked to my Dr about these braxton hicks. He said he's not comfortable with me having them this early. I didn't start getting them with my own kids until about 32 weeks. He told me if I have more than 6 in an hour or if they get very painful to go into L&D and get checked out. So far I haven't had that many and they always go away as soon as I sit or relax. Its just nice to know the parameters.

I'm going to start going every 2 weeks for check ups, so he can keep a little closer eye on me. I'll take the gestational diabetes sugar test at my next appt, which is Dec 14th. I hope I pass it. I failed it with Rylee and had to take the 3hr test, which is HORRIBLE!! (I passed that test)

He wouldn't write me a prescription for a magical pill for this awful heartburn. I've never had it this bad. If I wasn't pregnant, I'd be in seeing a specialist for it. I've tried all the over the counter stuff. I've succumbed to tums, because they work fast, but they don't work for very long. And they do make me pretty nauseous. I take zantac, but I'm only allowed to take one every 12hrs. It works for about 3hrs for me. He said its just one of those crappy pregnancy things that I have to suck it up and deal with.

Baby A is cooperating nicely, she is tucked in all nicely head down. He said she will likely stay that way. Her HR today was 150. Baby B isn't listening to me very well. She is transverse (laying cross ways, head to the left, feet to the right). Her HR was 158. He said its any buddy's guess as to what she's going to do. He said its just not likely she'll go head down. That there isn't a lot of room for them both to lay like that. Oh well, I'm still going to try to talk her into it.

Everything else is going well with us. Shawn is home and were getting this house all decorated for Christmas. Its so exciting!! Were also going to try to get most of our shopping done in the next few days.
I've got support group on Wednesday night with the agency I'm with. We try to meet monthly. Its nice to get together and talk. Share our stories and get to know the other ladies better. I also have a group of girlfriends that are with different agencies and we've all become really close and we get together at least monthly. Most of the time its more often. Were having dinner together this Friday.
It will be a good week.

I'll put a pic up later.

Hope you all have a good week too!!

I was able to capture the babys kicking yesterday. Its all mostly to the right side.

But it gives you an idea of how busy these little girls are. These are what I feel ALL day!!

23 weeks

I have less than 120 days....and even less than that, as Dr won't let me go past 37 weeks!!!

Babies this week are the size of a spaghetti squash. They weigh just over a pound each. Head to rump length is about 8in and total length is about 11in. I am able to see the babies move through my clothes. They are getting stronger kicks. I've tried to catch it on video a few times but of course every time I get the camera out they stop.

My weight is up about 9lbs!! I am still sleeping pretty good. I put a pillow under my belly and between my legs and make it work. I've never really been one who has to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, unless I'm woken up by something else. (namely, a certain 2yr old who comes and tries to get in my bed a few times most nights). I haven't had any cravings yet either. I just like to eat!! The worst thing right now is if I'm up too much I start getting braxton hicks and they are just really uncomfortable. I was at the store yesterday just to get some milk and started getting some painful braxton hicks, so I had to just forget about the milk and get out of there. I went home and layed down for about an hour before I finally felt better. I described them to Shawn as, imagine doing about 500 sit-ups...your belly would be a little sore right?? Got a few more today and I feel like my belly is still sore from yesterday. It'll be a lazy day for us the rest of the day.

Were all looking forward to stuffing our bellys on Thanksgiving. Hope everyone has a nice holiday. I go back to my Dr in a week. I'll update after my appt. Here's hoping we have a nice uneventful week.

This weeks picture

Here is my 22 week belly shot. I didn't get a food item. The website I was looking on list it in months now, so the 5 month food item is a papaya. I will look around for another website that lists it week by week still. And I looked at the store today for a papaya but the store didn't have one. But you get the idea right?

I had a follow up ultrasound today at the hospital. It was in place of my 20 week one I had a couple weeks ago. I have to say, the hospital did a great job of making it up to me. The tech today was super nice and she did a great job. We had mom on skype again and she spoke to her and interacted with her, which I really appreciated. It was fun to see these super little busy bodies. I'm amazed at how much they move in there. Its not just kicks I'm feeling, its full on position changes. When we started baby A (the lower baby) was laying side ways across the whole bottom, and at the end she was head down with her head so far pushed up against my cervix that we couldn't really measure it. And baby B (the top baby) was straight on head up at the beginning and by the end she had her head to my right, and I think laying breach, because her feet were smashed up against the right side of my uterus too. I'm still crossing my fingers that I'll get a natural delivery of these little ladies, but I'm starting to wrap my head around the reality of a c-section.

I think I'm good on the ultrasounds until about 30-32 weeks, unless there is complications.

I gotta say one of the great pregnancy perks is how fast my hair grows and how think its coming in. On the flip side, I got it colored last Monday and you could see my roots by Friday. Haha

That's all for now!! Have a good week!!!

Thanks for reading and following along with me on this journey.

22 weeks

Another week down!!!
The time is flying by. It seems like just yesterday I was just getting pregnant. Its been a busy week for us. We've loved having Shawn home for so long. He had to go back to work today. :( It will be hard but also nice for all of us to get back to our routine.

I'm feeling pretty good. I need to remember to ask my Dr when I see him next about this heartburn. Its waking me up at night, most nights. Nothing I'm taking is helping.

Not much else is changing. This belly is ever growing. Sometimes the skin right around my belly button burns, and I'm sure its just from the super fast stretching. I bought some bio-oil about a week or two ago. I've heard some good things about it. I tried that cocoa butter stretch mark cream with both my own pregnancies and it surely didn't help any, so I figured I'd try this. Its quite spendy, but if nothing else, it smells good.

The babies this week are about 11 inch's long head to toe and weigh about a pound!! Growing like little weeds. Their kicks are definitely becoming stronger.

I had a quick ultrasound today to reconfirm the babies gender as there was some question with one of them. Its safe to say there are still 2 little girls in there. 2 weeks ago baby A (who's on the left side) was head down and feet up to the right. Today that baby has flipped and is head up on the right. She must not be listening when I tell them both to get into position...both head down!!! I'll have to have another talk with her.

I haven't taken a pic this week yet. I'll get on that.

I also have another ultrasound on Monday. When I got my big 20 week ultrasound a couple weeks ago, the tech was just a little rude and judgemental of me and my situation, so I called and complained. (Which is something I have NEVER done before). They offered me to come back for a repeat one with a different tech. One who is going to be a lot nicer. It'll be fun to see them again. One baby had the hiccups today during the ultrasound, which was kind of fun to see.

I'm currently feeling like I'm fighting off the flu or something yucky like that. It seems to all hit within a couple hours. First it was my throat, them my neck, then full body aches and a fever. Rylee and Shawn woke up not feeling so great today too. I'm hoping we can all kick it very soon. I have a good immune system, so I've got my fingers crossed.

Before I go, I gotta give a shout out to my good friend Myrna. She delivered the most adorable surro girly yesterday. She is such a tiny little petite thing. I want to post a picture of Rylee holding her too, but I didn't take Rylee with me today to visit. I didn't want her spreading her sick germs. Hopefully soon we can get together, before baby makes the long journey home to Japan. Myrna is a superstar and had that girl in record time. I can't wait until its my turn.

I'll update later in the week, after my next ultrasound.

Just need a minute to vent

It seems like all I ever do is write about the complaints of being pregnant...but I really do love being pregnant!!! If I didn't, I never would have considered being a surrogate.

With that said, I need a moment to vent....

Unless you've ever been pregnant, you have no idea just how much energy a baby will suck from you. And I guess I really didn't think twins would be a whole lot different, but alas...

These babies literally suck it ALL from me!!
You know its bad when Shawn mentions it to me today. We were out doing a little running around, getting a few Christmas presents for the kids. Nothing too major, we were only out for about 3 hrs (but that included having breakfast too) and he said he can tell how tired I seem. I laughed and told him when he's home, he kicks my butt. I'm not used to being out and about for that long. Right now, going to the grocery store is about all I can handle before needing a rest.

We usually take evening walks together. On a normal night we'd easily be gone for an hour, with the kids riding their bikes and I think the last walk I took with him was literally only around the block before I was beat.

We went into Target today to get a few things and I found a bench in the shoe dept and sat down and easily could have sat for a half hour, but after 2 minutes, he was asking if I was ready to go.

He is so incredibly patient and understanding of me right now. He knows he has to slow it down a little.

I also told him when I walk too much these dang braxton hicks starting kicking in and they hurt. I tried explaining it like it feels like I have a big solid heavy bowling ball strapped to my stomach and I can handle if for a while but after a little while, it becomes too much.

Ok...I think I'm done venting for now. I just needed to get that out, and now I can move on. haha

21 weeks

The babies this week are the size of a banana. They are about 11in long from head to foot. They weigh about 13oz. We are in the beginning of the 5th month.
This belly is really starting to pop out. My uterus is all the way up to my rib cage now. Getting up from the sitting position is getting a little more difficult, as my mid section no longer bends.
I'm also finding my self getting short of breath at times too. These babies are already crowding my lungs...and stomach. I'm not finishing most of my meals anymore.

They are also the getting to be so wiggly.

Enjoy it while you can babies,because before you know it...you'll be out of room.

Other than all that, everything else is pretty much unchanged.

The kids and I are staying busy. We got our first snow fall yesterday. It didn't stick, but it fell most of the day. It sure is getting cold here. We've been enjoying having Shawn home for an extra long time. He took off an extra week, to be home for Halloween. And he came home early the week before. (his grandpa passed away). Were feeling pretty spoiled, and will sure miss him when he has to go back, on the 13th. We've been getting a lot of little projects done around the house. Well its more him doing and me watching.

Hope everyone has a good week!!!

20 Weeks

This is my 20 week belly shot. My belly looks kind of small and pointy in this picture. I think its just my pants and maybe the angle. Without clothes, it looks huge. But chances are...you won't be seeing any bare belly shots of me. We can thank Rylee for that. She destroyed my belly as far as stretch marks go.

As you can see, I did not do a food comparison shot this week. Its cantaloupe week, and with the big cantaloupe recall and listeria outbreak going on I planned on just taking a picture in the store and not buying one, but I went to 2 different stores and couldn't find any. So were without.

This week, the babies are about 10.5 in in length. and about 10.5 ounces in weight. They finally have tiny eyelashes and eyebrows.

They are definitely getting stronger. I'm feeling their kicks and rolls through out the day now. I can even see them on the outside which is exciting. I've been trying to record it so I can send it to the parents, but movements are still sporadic and one night my battery died trying for so long, so I figure I'll just wait another couple weeks for that.

I am suffering from some HORRIBLE heartburn. I take an over the counter med up to 2x a day and it helps but doesn't alleviate it all the way.
I still have that pesky back pain. I took a sock and filled it with 3 tennis balls and tied it up and sometimes I'll roll on that or just lay on it and it helps a lot. I have to thank our wonderful massage therapist for that idea.

Sleeping hasn't been too much of a problem. I try to put a pillow under my belly and it helps. I roll over a lot in bed, so it only helps when I lay still, but its better than nothing.

My weight is still the same. I need to get some new pants I think. The pants I have are all getting too baggy in the thighs and butt. I think I may need a smaller size. But I am eating good. These babies are sure to tell me when I need to eat, including very late at night. Which is something I never did with own pregnancies, even at the end. A couple times in the last couple weeks, I have made a fried eggs with toast. Mmmm!!!

We made it through the first of the end of the year holidays. We had a great Halloween. I wish it would have been a little warmer but it wasn't too bad. Now on to Thanksgiving. We only have 22 days until. Shawn goes back to work on the 13th and he won't be home this year for it, so next week I'm planning to make us a nice "Thankgiving" dinner. It won't be a huge meal and there won't be turkey. (Shawn and I both don't care for turkey, we only eat it cuz its what you do on Thanksgiving) But it should be fun to do for all of us.

I hear we may be expecting some snow pretty soon. Its been making me wonder what the heck I'm going to do this year for a coat. I bought a really nice pea coat last year, but I'm guessing it wouldn't button up even now. I will need something to keep me warm, but I don't want to spend a ton. I'll have to keep my eyes open for something.

It's been a little different this time around, since both of my kids were born in June I've never experienced a full winter pregnancy.