30 WEEK TWIN PREGNANCY UPDATE

How far along: I am currently 31 weeks Update is for week 30!

Total weight gain: gained 22 lbs total and really feeling it!

Maternity clothes: All of my maternity clothes I have bought since the beginning of the pregnancy are still fitting well, however I think another month and I will need to bump up a size in shirts! Pants I am still wearing a size smaller than my original size in maternity.
Stretch marks: No new ones, just the few I have had since the progesterone bloat in the beginning!
Sleep: Sleep has been super rough in week 30! I am so uncomfortable, and so big when I try to adjust it takes a ton of work. Between all the trying to get comfortable and having to pee a couple times a night I am barely getting 4 hours of sleep at night. I am so lucky I am able to sleep all day if needed. I can usually get a good 2 hour nap in durring the day.
Happenings this week: We had our 3D/4D ultrasound on Wednesday! We barely got any pictures of Baby Alexandria again :( She is just too low! We did get a better look at how they are both positioned, She is all sprawled out with her head down and feet under my ribs. Her butt was on Aidens head the entire time, her poor little head is squished down into my pelvic floor. He is all folded up like he is doing yoga. (Aunt Dani would be so proud!) His head under my ribs and his butt by her shoulders with his little legs over his head! Neither look too comfortable! Here is a few pictures we got from the 3D ultrasound.

Best moment of this week: Our 3D/4D Ultrasound/!
Miss anything: Subway!! Since lunch meat is a big no no I have not had Subway since before being pregnant! I watched a ton of Real World this week and Subway is a sponsor and now I cant get it outta my head! LOL
Food cravings: Water and Juice
Anything making you queasy or sick: Going into cold weather is still making me nauseous!
Gender: A baby girl and a baby boy!
Labor signs: A few braxton hicks here and there, nothing painful, just annoying.
Belly button in or out: Still very in! I have about a 3 inch scar above my belly button from a prior surgery and that is popping out and painful!
Wedding rings on or off: While I can keep them on all day, I cant at night, so if I am home I just leave them off.
Happy or moody most of the time: I had my first "I can't do this anymore!" breakdown this week! I had a headache for 3 days straight, was so uncomfortable, and the pain from the "pregnancy arthritis" in my hands is almost unbearable in the morning. After I got over that day its been a good week, maybe slightly more emotional.
Looking forward to: I start weekly Non stress testing this week, I am excited just to be checked every week, it will give me nice piece of mind and a heads up if these babies think they are coming anytime soon!
Size of Baby: At our last appointment 2 weeks ago Aiden was 3 pounds and 11oz! Alexandria was 3 pounds 1 oz! They are well on their way to 5 pounds by birth which is great for twins!

 

Names: Alexandria Rosemary and Aiden Patrick. (baby girl is known as baby Alex for short)

Symptoms: Back pain, and dizziness, tired, some cramping, bad skin, horrible horrible arthritis in my hands, also last night I went to stand up and couldn't walk! My leg felt like it was broken along my left pelvic bone! I couldn't put any weight on it. This happened about a month ago too...it must be my hips spreading. After about an hour I was totally fine. 

29 Weeks pregnant with Twins!

29 Week Twin Bump! 

How far along: 30 Weeks! Update is for week 29!

Total weight gain: gained 22 lbs total and feeling all of it in my back!

Maternity clothes: Shoes! I normally run a size 6.5 and just bought new flats, I had to buy an 8.5! The next day they were pretty big so I am assuming that I had swollen feet when I tried them on, so an 8 would probably be perfect. Hoping I go back to my normal size once the babes arrive!
Stretch marks: I did get some new ones this week...which is no surprise cause they are feeling BIG!
Sleep: I used to be able to sleep most of the night and only have to get up once at around 5AM to pee....but the last few days its been 4-5 times a night! Between that and the leg cramps I am really not getting any sleep! I am so lucky I am not working and can nap during the day because the long nights are rough!
Happenings this week: We had an MFM ultrasound and a regular OB appointment. Both went well, the babe are still growing at a great rate. Baby girl is in the 37th percentile and the tech said she had more hair than she has seen on an ultrasound in a long time! Baby boy is in the 73rd percentile! (he didn't have so much hair! lol) At the OB they gave me our "end all" date! If the babes do not come before February 3rd they will be given an eviction notice! The tech also turned on the 3D ultrasound for just a couple seconds...long enough to catch this picture of Aiden! He looks JUST like me! it will be really interesting to see if any of Adam's features end up coming out later! Wish we could have gotten one of baby girl! I also packed the twins diaper bag...you can see what's in it here.... Twins Diaper Bag

Best moment of this week: Getting to see the 3D of baby boy! It was like meeting him!
Miss anything: My skin! I have always had pretty good skin, but wow have the hormones really done a number on my skin! I am so broken out on my shoulders/chest and get some painful breakouts on my face too! Its such a change I don't know what to do with it, no idea how to do my makeup!
Movement:Lots of movement from both! Baby girls kicks have started to be pretty painful sometimes so I have to shift around to get her to move!
Food cravings: Water! (not the worse craving to have)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Going into cold weather actually makes me nauseous!
Gender: A baby girl and a baby boy!
Labor signs: Not this week! 
Belly button in or out: Still very in! I have about a 3 inch scar above my belly button from a prior surgery and that is popping out!
Wedding rings on or off: ON,
Happy or moody most of the time: Its been a happy week!
Looking forward to: 4D ultrasound next week! Cant wait to see our little girls face!
Size of Baby: Aiden is 3 pounds and 11oz! Alexandria is 3 pounds 1 oz! They are well on their way to 5 pounds by birth which is great for twins!

 

Names: Alexandria Rosemary and Aiden Patrick. (baby girl is known as baby Alex for short)

Symptoms: Back pain, and dizziness, tired, some cramping, bad skin.

What's in my diaper bag, TWINS!

I have had a few people ask to share what I plan to carry in our diaper bag. I have done a lot of research on what to pack in your diaper bag as well as your hospital bag. Here is what's in our bag!


The bag! I figured we were going to have enough to carry with us so I didn't want a huge bag to lug around. I also know myself, and the bigger the bag the more "crap" I will allow to build up in there. (I am sure my purse has a mint from last year stuck in the bottom still!) We found this Carters brand bag at Babies R Us. It's really light weight which I am a big fan of. It also has a ton of pockets which again I am hoping helps make me more organized, instead of just stuffing everything in.

Hand sanitizer! This is more for me than me worried about the babies being around too many germs! (I am a big believer in them being exposed to germs to help build their little immune systems) I have the most sensitive nose/gag reflex to smells! I do NOT do well in public restrooms, especially in restaurants with a full stomach. I NEVER use public restrooms if I can avoid it! However when I do I spray perfume on the top of my shirt and pull it over my face the whole time I am in the stall to keep me from gagging! ( I know...I am weird) Sooooo knowing I will have to use more public restrooms with my hands full  I am hoping the nice strongly scented hand sanitizer will help! (and okay...kill some germs too!)

Face and Hand wipes these are more gentle than butt wipes so they can be used on sensitive faces and also are safe on hands that go into their mouths constantly. They can also be used to clean binkys that have dropped on the ground. 

Binkys right now, I only have 2 in the bag (one for each) as I don't plan on giving them to them for the first couple months to avoid nipple confusion. I am sure I will add  couple more into the bag once they are the babies best friends. 

Baby lotion For me, for babes! I have dry skin and I am constantly putting on hand lotion, With the added hand washing after diaper changes  I am assuming I will be using this more than them! 

A change of clothing for each baby, and a pair of PJ's (2nd change of clothing) for each baby. Starting with just the one outfit change, as I am packing the bag like we are just leaving the house for a few hours. If we plan to be gone for more than 3 hours I would add an additional outfit just in case! 

Headband for baby girl...I hate going up to people and not knowing their baby gender! And I don't want people to mistake baby girl for a baby boy :) So I am hoping headbands help the situation until they get old enough to be able to tell :) 

Diaper changing pad this one has a spot for wipes/diapers and turns into a little clutch which is nice to keep your hands free!

Diaper rash cream I am a huge fan of rash cream! We put it on my niece every time we changed her and she never got a rash, I don't want my poor babes to ever have to deal with something that sounds very uncomfortable! 

Mini plastic bag dispenser I never knew these existed and I love them! This little dispenser holds mini powder scented bags to hold diapers or soiled cloths! Genius! 

Diapers and wipes this little cloud bag is the perfect place to hold diapers and wipes all together so they are not getting shoved in your big bag! This bag is what some of our crib sheets came in from Target its perfect for things like this. 

 Hats and Socks The babes will come in the middle of winter so extra hats will come in handy...and I am always seeing babies with one sock on! So I imagine extra socks will come in handy

 Burb cloths I have 4 total in the bag for all the little messes 2 will make!
Toys I just put this one little soft rattle in so far, I am sure once they get older I will add some other little toys to keep them occupied when needed!

We also have 2 receiving blankets in the bag. There is still a ton of room in the bag to add more! Would love to hear feedback from the current mommies if I missed anything! 

28 Week twins pregnancy update!

How far along: 29 Weeks, update is for 28 Weeks.
Total weight gain: gained 20 lbs total I am still pretty far under the "typical" weight gain, but it sure feels like a lot! BUT I am pretty sure I have gained at least 5 pounds in my nose! Its unreal how big my nose has gotten! I am excited to get my "normal" face back after the babes come! At least I have not had any bloody noses which usually comes with pregnancy so I have that to be thankful for!

Picture on the left is before being pregnant right is my giant honker today! 

Maternity clothes: For some reason I have been putting off buying new bras, I got down to only one bra that I could squeeze into and decided it was finally time to bite the bullet and go shopping! 1st of all....I had NO idea how much I had grown! The tummy really out shadows the top half so proportion wise they felt the same size.  However I started as a 38DD and I am now a 38F F! What the heck is an F?! Luckily motherhood maternity had plenty in stock. And let me tell you...I am mad at myself for putting it off for so long! Nursing bras are soooo comfy! I also bought nursing tops for when the babes get here.
Stretch marks: No new ones!
Sleep: Sleep is rough! I have never wanted a king size bed before...but it would be awfully nice right about now!
Happenings this week: Not a whole lot, babes have had a pretty quiet week. (thankfully) Had a couple of really sleepy days, assuming they were doing some extra growing! But the last few days I have had a lot more energy, which is awesome!
Best moment of this week: It was a pretty boring week. But I would say starting to get kicks that are stronger and stronger is a lot of fun! I love to see my stomach move when they do its a great reminder that there are really two little lives in there!
Miss anything: Being mobile! I can no longer spend the day shopping (or even a couple hours) without really paying for it later. The longer I am on feet my back hurts and I start to cramp.
Movement: Lots of movement from baby girl Alex! There is not a 1/2 hour that goes by that I don't feel her wiggling all over the place! Baby Aiden is a little more laid back! But when he kicks its with lots of POWER! The kicks are starting to get a little painful but I love it!
Food cravings: My dad had to go and tell me that Dr. Pepper twizlers are yummie and now that's all I can think about and cant find them anywhere!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Going into cold weather actually makes me nauseous!
Gender: A baby girl and a baby boy!
Labor signs: Not this week! 
Belly button in or out: Still very in! I have about a 3 inch scar above my belly button from a prior surgery and that is popping out!
Wedding rings on or off: ON,
Happy or moody most of the time: Its been a happy week!
Looking forward to: Ultrasound on Tuesday! I love to see our babies and see how big they have grown!
Size of Baby: At my 25 week appointment Aiden measured 2.1 pounds and Alexandria measured 1 pound and 11oz! Aiden was in the 80th percentile and Alex in the 25th. I was worried about the difference but the doctor said its totally normal. Its normal for baby A to be smaller because the have less room and also normal for boys to be bigger! My next apt is on December 2nd, I am hoping for 3 pounds each!

 

Names: Alexandria Rosemary and Aiden Patrick. (baby girl is known as baby Alex for short)

Symptoms: Back pain, and dizziness, tired, some cramping.

27 Weeks pregnant with Twins! and Celebration time!

We have reached our first goal!! 28 weeks!! At 28 weeks the twins can be born and have a 98% chance of survival. Also at this point if they are born our hospital is able to handle them so they can stay with me instead of having to be airlifted to a children's hospital. Its hard to believe that just a few months ago we were very worried about making it to this point. We had so many issues in the beginning it seemed like making it to 28 weeks was a large task. Now my Dr. told me that he sees no reason why I wont make it to 38 weeks! What a difference! However I am still thinking in baby steps, because I like to take things in strides, AND of course why not have more milestones to celebrate?! SO our next goal is 32 weeks. At 32 weeks most babies not only survive but 95% have no long term issues from being premature. Most twins are born between 34-37 weeks, with little to no NICU time, so being told at this time it looks like we can make it to 38 weeks is huge! It seems so far away, AND soooo close! 10 weeks is no time at all! Below is an update for how week 27 went...(lets just say they made us work for our first goal)





How far along: 28 Weeks, update is for 27 Weeks.
Total weight gain: gained 20 lbs total I am still pretty far under the "typical" weight gain, but it sure feels like a lot!
Maternity clothes: Okay...Buddha belly had a growth spurt this week! Quite a few of my shirts are getting to be too short all of a sudden! Luckily since I am not working I don't have to worry to much about my fashion choices! Oddly my maternity jeans are all getting bigger on me, I think all the weight is just switching to the belly.
Stretch marks: No new ones! (knock on wood!) Still no linea nigra either! (I am really hoping to not get one cause it kinda weirds me out!)
Sleep: Sleep is tough! Turning over is a production and poor Adam is slowly getting less and less room because I need my 20 pillows around me! (and no 20 is not an exaggeration!)
Happenings this week: Monday morning I woke up feeling really unwell. I had some really bad cramping for about an hour. After Adam left for work and I started to concentrate on how the cramps were feeling I realized that they were kinda coming in waves. Starting in my back then wrapping around to my lower abdomen. I also realized I had not felt Baby Alexandria move yet that morning (she is usually my more active one) As the cramping started to get worse I decided I should call the Dr. it was still really early so I had to call the on-call Dr. I left a message then got in the shower, the hot water on my back really helped relieve the pain. By the time the Dr called back I was in way less pain, just really weak feeling. The nurse told me it sounded like contractions and I needed to go into the hospital right away. Luckily Adam was at his closest office so he came home to take me in. By the time I got to the hospital I was just feeling sick no more cramps. They hooked me and babes up and said everyone looked great. The nurse said a few times that the twins were testing better than most do at 27 weeks with their stress test, so that made me feel better! They kept me to observe any contractions for a few hours, made sure that I ate and got some fluids in then sent us home. I had a Dr. apt a few days later and he told me to just get used to it. He said my uterus is now measuring the size of a 40 weeker so getting contractions from here on out will be normal. He said anytime the contractions are intense or last longer than an hour I needed to call...and every time they will send me into the hospital. They do not like to chance it with twins because they come early so often. SO we made it to 28 weeks on Thursday! But not without some drama from our little nuggets!
Best moment of this week: A BABY!! Our good friends Matt and Kate welcomed their baby girl, and we got to go visit her in the hospital! She is perfect and beautiful! Adam got to hold a newborn for the first time, and said it really hit him that it was all going to be happening for us soon!
Miss anything: Being mobile! I can no longer spend the day shopping (or even a couple hours) without really paying for it later. The longer I am on feet my back hurts and I start to cramp.
Movement: For the last 3 mornings they have been fighting each other! I can feel them in there kicking one another! The other day it go so intense I had to push on them for a while to get them to stop! Silly babes, must be fighting for leg room!
Food cravings: None this week!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Besides the day I was in the hospital this week was pretty good, I had hardly any nauseous moments!
Gender: A baby girl and a baby boy!
Labor signs: Just the cramping on Monday, braxton hicks or real contractions I hope we dont have any more for a while! They were not pleasant!
Belly button in or out: Still very in! I have about a 3 inch scar above my belly button from a prior surgery and that is popping out!
Wedding rings on or off: ON,
Happy or moody most of the time: Its been a happy week!
Looking forward to: Thanksgiving, and a nice long weekend with Adam next week!
Size of Baby: At my 25 week appointment Aiden measured 2.1 pounds and Alexandria measured 1 pound and 11oz! Aiden was in the 80th percentile and Alex in the 25th. I was worried about the difference but the doctor said its totally normal. Its normal for baby A to be smaller because the have less room and also normal for boys to be bigger! My next apt is on December 2nd, I am hoping for 3 pounds each!

 

Names: Alexandria Rosemary and Aiden Patrick. (baby girl is known as baby Alex for short)

Symptoms: Back pain, and dizziness, tired, some cramping.

Pregnancy diary 26 weeks with Twins

How far along: 26 Weeks.
Total weight gain: gained 18 lbs total (I packed them on last week :O)
Maternity clothes: Jeans, and most of my shirts. I still have some longer shirts that fit, but most of my tanks and shirts are too short and the belly tries to stick out! SO we stick with the nice long maternity shirts! I have actually gone down a size in my maternity clothing...my weight is shifting all over and just moving to my belly I think.
Stretch marks: I got stretch marks about week 8 due to all of the bloating from surgery and fertility drugs. They really have not gotten any worse. I was using Bio-oil, however the bleeding I had happen to coincide with using the bio-oil. SO I have given it up just in case! I am using aloe vera from time to time.
Sleep: Still getting up a few times a night to go pee and/or from leg cramps. My arms also are starting to cramp up. This week I have slept most of the day away, I am really tired and worn out. Thinking they must be going thru a growth spurt.
Best moment of this week: Our Shower last Saturday! It was a ton of fun, maybe more booze and babies than "baby shower" but totally what we were going for. Just a fun laid back time to celebrate with all of our friends.
Miss anything: Bending over! Being able to shave my legs without pain, and sleeping on my stomach! Baby girl hangs out so low that bending over is incredibly painful! I really have to evaluate if I need whatever I just dropped on the floor! I also miss cuddles with the husband, I am just too uncomfortable to cuddle anymore :(
Movement: Still lots of movement, they are not as crazy as they were last week, but I have really cut sugar out of my diet since eating wayyy to many sweets between our shower and Halloween! So, that could be why!?
Food cravings: Still not many. This week I suddenly wanted chili cheese Fritos (which I have not ate in years) Adam happened to be at the grocery and got them...and they really were not everything I dreamed about, so that craving quickly went away.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Any sort of activity after eating. or going from a warm car/house into cold weather. There is so little room in my stomach now days that food just kinda sits on top so the smallest change in temperature or moving too much makes it all come back up.
Have you started to show yet: Um...I am a whale!
Gender: A baby girl and a baby boy!
Labor signs: Nope! Baby girl hangs out so low sometimes I think she is trying to crawl out down there, but no real signs yet thank goodness!
Belly button in or out: Still very in! I have about a 3 inch scar above my belly button from a prior surgery and that is popping out!
Wedding rings on or off: ON, but I have noticed some swelling this week.
Happy or moody most of the time: This week I have been too tired to be moody!
Looking forward to: Just getting past this week, where I think they are in a growth spurt. I am soo tired.
Size of Baby: At my 25 week appointment Aiden measured 2.1 pounds and Alexandria measured 1 pound and 11oz! Aiden was in the 80th percentile and Alex in the 25th. I was worried about the difference but the doctor said its totally normal. Its normal for baby A to be smaller because the have less room and also normal for boys to be bigger! Hoping they are starting to put on that baby fat this week!
What You’re Doing: We had our shower this week, and it was a ton of fun. See shower pictures here... http://yougottababyinthere.blogspot.com/2014/11/twins-baby-shower.html
I am also working on filling out this AMAZING diary for tracking our fertility and pregnancy diary.. she made the entire thing from scratch and its unreal. Check it out here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVT8kadHTxY&list=UUYjEOmLGEFKL29HuPj4k-XQ

 

Names: Alexandria Rosemary and Aiden Patrick. (baby girl is known as baby Alex for short)

Symptoms: Back pain, and dizziness.


What baby is doing this week: The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about 1 2/3 pounds and measures 14 inches (about the size of a scallion) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles should soon begin to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three months.
See what your baby looks like this week.

Twins baby shower!

Two of my dear friends Samantha and Christy threw Alexandria and Aiden the cutest baby shower this past weekend! I really wanted it to be a fun laid back not to "baby" atmosphere and they really nailed it! It was a co-ed shower and there was lots of food and adult beverages to go around.

We also held a poker tournament where the buy in was a pack of diapers and $10 we kept the diapers and the winner walked away with the cash! It worked out great, the guys had a blast playing poker, the winner walked away with cash and we scored major diapers! The boys also decided to make the poker thing going and have a game every month. I thought this was a great idea, as with babes coming we wont be going out much anymore! This was the couples can come over and girls can have a movie or craft night while the boys play. And our few friends with babies/kids can bring them.

I have been asked to share some pictures from that day (admittedly I didn't take ANY!) So here are some that friends caught of the action! I am glad someone got some because it really was a beautiful set up by my girls :)

So much yummie food!

Our two signature drinks

For some reason Samantha and I were obsessed with these Gumballs!

Sweet treats and paper straws

Jell-O shots!

I love love loved our ombre cakes!

The Sugar Scrub shower favors I made for our guest

 Recipe for the sugar scrubs can be found here... http://diybyagirlwithaplan.blogspot.com/2014/11/diy-sugar-body-scrubs.html

Shower day bump!

Signature Drinks