How Far Along: 26 weeks!!
I am frowning because the facial recognition software on our camera picked up my belly instead of my face. :(
Total Weight Gain: 20 lbs. Gained 2 more pounds in two weeks.
Movement: Not as pleasant of a feeling as it used to be. It was so endearing to feel all those little flutters and nudges. Not anymore! Now I feel like I am being beat up on the inside. For real, I do not remember Max ever kicking me this hard. Maybe it is worse because both are kicking at the same time. Not sure but these are some strong little ones. Just the other day "baby girl" kicked me in the a$$...I'm not joking. I am very used to the all the kicks to the cervix because she has been so low this whole pregnancy but I have never felt anything like this before. She is still transverse (lying horizontally across me) and I guess she flipped over to rear-facing and kicked me right in the butt on the inside! So weird!!
Food Cravings: Still eating and loving the greek yogurt "sundaes" and still eating the cherry cordial ice cream every night. I have also managed to work in more than few baked goods every day. Oh and I still cannot get enough milk...with the baked goods of course.
Clothing: Still the same...going for comfort these days. My mom did pick me up some really cute maxi dresses at Macy's the other day. I think they are adorable and are super comfortable. I am wearing one of them in the picture above and the other one is hanging next to it in this pic. What do you think?...I think mama did a great job.
How Am I Feeling: Well after the trip to labor and delivery last week I went home and the contractions started right up again. I am trying to stay very well hydrated and in the process feel like I am going to float away. And, bonus, it isn't helping at all. I have about 4-6 contractions per hour starting around 2pm every day. Dr. A has unfortunately started me on medication and put me on modified bedrest because we cannot seem to get them under control. The prescription is called Procardia and it is an extended release blood pressure medication that is sometimes used to prevent preterm labor by controlling the amount and intensity of contractions. So far it has seemed to help in the morning but not so much in the afternoon and evening when I am the most uncomfortable. We are going to give it a couple of weeks to see if I respond better and then maybe up the dosage or change medication.
Ultrasound Update: We had our growth scan on Tuesday and got some great news. Baby A (she) weighs 2lbs 2oz. Baby B (he) weighs 2lbs 1oz. These weights are so great because (1) they are nearly the same size which is critical when carrying twins and (2) they are above-average for their gestational age. My dad said, "Way to go fatty! Looks like all the cherry cordial ice cream is health food!". I like to think he is right and that all of this ice cream is going to good use and not just to make ME fat.
Adam and I were so relieved to get this news about their weights because every ounce these babies put on gives them a better chance of survival if they were to be born early. I know that sounds silly to say but preterm delivery is such a concern with multiple pregnancies...50 percent of twins are delivered prematurely. Of that 50 percent, 1 in 10 babies do not survive.
Every ounce and every day is a milestone.
Our ultrasound tech, Glenna (I love her), also checked all the major organs for both babies and they are looking great. Brains, spinal cords, hearts, lungs, stomachs, bladders, kidneys, and :::clears throat::: those other parts are all growing and functioning just as they should be for their ages.
Doctor Appointment Updates: As I said before, I am now on modified bedrest. I am allowed to do minimal things like use the restroom, walk downstairs to refill my water (yay) and get something to eat. I am still not dilated at this point so that is why I am still permitted to do some things. If I start to dilate even the slightest little bit, all of those things will be taken away.
On a positive note, he did give the "ok" to go on vacation next week given that I follow all of his "rules" and pass his final "exam" next Thursday before we leave. The rules are as follows: I have to stay off my feet all day just as I do here at home. I have to stay VERY well hydrated. I have to travel with my medical chart at all times. I have to take my procardia every day. Last but not least, we are driving to N.C. and have to stop every hour so I can stand up and stretch my legs to prevent blood clots (seems like a weird rule since he has told me to stay off my feet, but, what do I know).
Other Stuff:
I haven't updated in a long time but here are some other things that happened in the past two weeks. I turned 32...yikes! My birthday was on a Saturday the 17th and Adam took me to Orchids (my most favorite restaurant) in the Omni Hilton for dinner. It was DELISH!!! Since I am on bedrest and cannot walk far distances (and because after I eat alot I feel like I will explode), he also reserved a room for us at the Hilton. So after a very fancy dinner, he whisked me up the elevator to our room. We rented a movie (The Bounty Hunter...very romantic) and relaxed the rest of the night. It was so nice to have that time alone together. It was this pregnant lady's idea of the perfect night out.
On Sunday we went over to my parent's house for my birthday celebration. Here was the menu I chose: Grilled flank steak with sauteed onions, corn on the cob, and this amazing salad with mandarin oranges and candied almonds. Just talking about it again is making my mouth water. For the piece de resistance I asked my mom to make me a two-layer chocolate cake with chocolate icing and marshmallow fluff in the middle. Sounds good...right?! I insisted that she put both icing and marshmallow in the middle layer, not mixed. Not too picky huh? So, just as moms do, she made the cake exactly as I asked and here is what happened...
The cake threw up marshmallow fluff everywhere! I thought my idea was so great but apparently it didn't work out that great for the baker.
It might not have won any cake decorating contests on the Food Network or TLC but it WAS the most delicious chocolate cake I have ever tasted! Remember what your parents told you when you were growing up?...It isn't what's on the outside that counts...Couldn't be more true for this cake.
I am not proud of what I am about to tell you, but, I did take all of the leftovers home and only shared one piece with Max...I SAID I'M NOT PROUD!
It was such a great meal and I was given some really nice gifts. I got a gift card from Martin for a manicure and one from my parents for a pedicure...cannot wait to cash those in. I also got two pairs of super-comfy shorts that I wanted from Kohls, a beautiful bracelet and necklace, the keychain I wanted from Pizzaz, and some wayyyyyy cute shoes that I picked out a while ago with my mom but forgot about. My mom won't let me wear them because she is afraid I will fall (I guess I can't wear them anyway since I am not allowed to walk) but next summer I will have the cutest shoes on ever!
The week of birthday festivities continued the following Sunday when we went to Adam's parents' house for my party. I know I'm spoiled. For my meal this time I chose pork tenderloin with special sauce, veggie mac n cheese, and Dominic's salad (my absolute favorite salad that Vicki makes). Yummy, yum, yum! It was sooooo good. For dessert I decided to go a different route from the chocolate and requested rice krispie treats and homemade lemon bars. OMG...Vicki's lemon bars are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Once again...took home the leftovers and am still working on them...right this minute I might add. After dinner and dessert I got to open my presents...my favortie part of the party. Dominic and Zac gave me a watch that I wanted so much. Catherine and Dan gave me some really cute earrings. Vicki and Dad gave me my favorite nail polish and the adorable shorts from pea in the pod that I wanted to badly. In addition to all of that, they also gave me a subscription to US Magazine (my most trusted source for news). It couldn't have been a nicer evening.
The bonus of the night was that Vicki had finished sewing our drapes for the kitchen door and windows. Not only did she sew them for us but she also pressed them! They look so good and I was thrilled to get them back!
There isn't much else to report because other than those things I haven't really been doing much these days except for sit in bed. I have had a ton of help from Max though. Her is is working on the laundry...
and the cooking...
It has been going pretty well but...
We are still working out the kinks
It looks like Max is going to be in management someday...
Since he is so good at delegating responsibility (please note that he is golfing in the background just like any good manager would)
He has also been helping out with the driving...
JUST KIDDING!!!
Seriously though, my mom has been such a huge help. She comes over all the time and does the laundry, sweeps the floors, cleans the bathrooms, does the dishes...Max and I call her CindeBonnie (like Cinderella...get it?). Not only is she doing all the chores but she also listens to me complain about my endless list of various ailments. And she sits with me while I cry...which seems to be more and more often these days. This pregnanacy thus far has not been a picnic for me and most likely it has been even harder on those that are closest to me. My mom is one of those people and I have no idea what I would do without her.
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