20 weeks!

i'm halfway there! i can't believe it. i am starting to get physically uncomfortable and it's getting harder to do the things i'm used to. i get tired out very easily and even my belly gets tired. i still am 2 pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight, but i'm sure i will start gaining steadily now.

at our 18 week u/s we got some possibly troubling news. Baby A has a "single umbilical artery" when there are supposed to be two. Because they found no other abnormalities, chances are she'll be fine and everything will be normal, but it's still worrisome. the biggest concern the doctors have at this point is whether she continues to grow at the same rate as Twin B. i will have monthly growth ultrasounds to check on this, but so far they are measuring exactly the same. we've decided not to tell anyone about this unless the doctors give us more definite information. i'm trying to stay positive and not consult google obsessively about this. although, if anyone has any personal experience with this i'd appreciate hearing about it.

we ordered the cribs yesterday. they take 3-4 months to come in, so that will allow us to hopefully get the room all set before the babies come. i've picked out curtains and a wall decal and a trees, birds and owls theme in pink, orange and grass green. we have some more rearranging to do and then mr. will paint the walls, probably a pale blue. i'm excited to get their room all ready! i'm hoping and praying everyday that both babies are healthy and that i am able to keep them in me growing happily for a long time, hopefully at least to 35 weeks. i have 5 more weeks of work and then i'll have the summer off to stay unstressed and rested to help keep them growing as long as i can, (even though i'm sure i'll be huge and hot and uncomfortable:)

cutting the cake

so i mentioned before we decided to find out the genders of the twins in a special way. we had the u/s tech write them down in a sealed envelope. neither of us peeked. we gave the envelope to my mom along with some pink and blue food coloring. she made a 2 layer cake with instructions to dye each layer either pink or blue depending on the sex of each baby. she then frosted it so we couldn't see. we had some friends and family over and, using the cake cutter from our wedding, we cut the cake.

it revealed.....2 pink layers!!

we are having twin girls!!

getting busy

literally. we had pregnant sex. actually, it was the first sex we've had since before i started stims for this IVF, way back in December. i had offered a few times over the last weeks, but mr. wouldn't have it. he was too nervous he would hurt me or the babies or cause something bad to happen. well, we finally did it and i cried. whoops. i think it was just a release of emotion and stress. it's happened to me before. (does this happen to other people?) it's a weird uncontrollable cry that sometimes can turn into laughter. anyways, i was also pushing mr.'s belly to protect my own. i think he summed it up best when after he said, "well, that was pretty much as awkward as i thought it would be."

so, i'm 18w2d. my belly continues it's rapid expansion. i'm starting to get more physically uncomfortable. i'm having a hard time bending to reach things on the floor (which is tough since i work with kids and am constantly picking stuff up). After sitting for a while, i have to stand or lay down to give my belly a break. i think it gets too squished in there. i know it is only going to get worse, so i'm trying to enjoy what i can for now. on friday we have our "BIG" ultrasound. we decided that mr. is going to find out the genders but i will not. he and my mom will make a two layer cake and dye each layer either pink or blue. then, on saturday my family and a few friends are coming over to "cut the cake" to find out who is in there. that is how i will find out. i'm really looking forward to knowing. my gut is telling me boy/girl, but we will see!

17w2d

Wow, just wow.

i am still in awe every day that i have finally made it here. i love my beautiful round belly and i am so happy that these babies are doing well. i think the fear and dead baby thoughts have finally moved way to the background. it helps that i have visual proof (my ever expanding belly) to prove that they have got to be growing. i know i still have a long ways to go, but for now i am at ease.

my friends and sister in law have set a date for a baby shower, for me. the first one in two years that i will actually smile through and enjoy. (don't worry it's not for a while)

mr and i picked out some cribs and will probably be ordering them when we get our tax returns back. (just an aside here, choosing cribs is fun, and they aren't as crazy expensive as i'd imagined however, much more scary when you have to buy two!)

i think this weekend we will start rearranging some rooms in our house to get ready for actual live babies to come live here. the room we were originally going to use as a nursery is too small for 2 cribs, so we are switching some things around. well, mr will be doing the heavy lifting as i tell him where to put things.

on april 16th, we will find out the genders (hopefully they will both cooperate) to tell my family and some close friends we are inviting everyone over for cake the next day. we will make a 2 layer cake with each layer dyed either pink or blue and then frost it so you can't see. when we cut the cake, everyone will find out together. fun!

i am getting big. i can't imagine what these next months will bring. i am starting to have a little more discomfort sleeping at night. i am breathless, especially when i lay down, which makes it even harder to sleep. i have to remember to eat before i get hungry or else i feel really sick and sometimes vomit. i am thirsty and panic if i don't have constant access to a bottle of water. i want ice cream every night, although i haven't broken down and bought any to put in the freezer so i've only gone out to get some a few times. the babies do need their calcium after all!