33 week twin belly

 33 weeks!

Babies are the size of pineapples this week.

Enjoying the long weekend and getting in a few last dinners out with friends and family before the girls come. We are also really, really close to having the nursery done. Probably this weekend!

Baby basics class

We took another baby class last night at the wellness center. This one was baby basics hands on. They go over things like changing diapers, bathing, temperature taking, swaddling, sleeping positions, feeding, etc. And everyone has a fake baby doll to practice with. The nurse that taught the class was hilarious.

I have three things to buy after leaving the class - aquaphor (to use for moisturizing instead of lotion), baby washcloths (she said the smaller ones are actually much easier to use than a regular sized one) and a bottle brush (sometimes the dishwasher won't cut it). She also had two books recommendations that I feel I need to load onto my Kindle: The Happiest Baby on the Block and On Becoming Baby Wise. (UPDATE: Okay I did upload these both to my Kindle before I finished this post.)

Breastfeeding basics class

Last night we went to the breastfeeding basics class at the wellness center. They actually do give you dolls (two in our case!) and have your practice getting the baby into the correction position. All I can say is that it was super awkward trying to balance two babies, a giant belly and those support pillows they have for breastfeeding. I don't know how that will play out in real life!

Ironically in the class of maybe ten couples, two other twin moms sat right behind us! One is also 32 weeks and the other is 29 weeks with boy/girl twins and lives just a couple blocks from us, and they both just joined the twin mom group I'm in. That means there will be at least four sets of twins all in the same grade (Rocky River Class of 2031!).

Walked for 12 minutes today! Legs still feeling like jello but getting a little stronger maybe.

Post-bed rest weakness!

I went for my first walk after 6.5 weeks of bed rest. I walked 12 houses down our street and back and it took ten minutes. My legs were like jello at the end. I'm sure its a combination of bed rest and being 32 weeks pregnant with twins. Remember when I ran a HALF MARATHON in September a month before I got pregnant???? But it feels so good to get out of the house and into the fresh air, albeit hot humid summer weather. I'm going to try another small walk later today.

No more bed rest!

Had my weekly appointment with the regular doctor today and she said I could come off bed rest! BEST DAY EVER! I will be going for a short walk later and going out to dinner tonight. I am so pumped. Basically she said no heavy lifting and to monitor my contractions. If they start increasing, I am doing too much and need to take it easy. She said also I am going to be really tired after 6 1/2 weeks of bed rest so try not to over do it. And she doesn't want me going back into work (too much) so I'll keep working from home.

Babies looked good today. We had another ultrasound (#16) for a BBP test (to check for breathing) which they passed. Heartbeats were 153 and 161.

32 week twin belly

32 weeks today! Major goal number three met. Next up is 34 weeks.

Babies weigh as much as a large jicama, 3.75 lbs according to the pregnancy apps (but we know they weight more than that from last appointment!).

Last night we made a fire in the backyard and roasted marshmallows for some s'more snacks. It was so nice to get out of the house and have some fresh air. Feeling a lot better today!

6 weeks of bed rest and hating every second of it

This is not an upbeat post.

I've been on bed rest now for five weeks. I cannot even begin to explain how bad it sucks. Pretend that you haven't left your house in SIX weeks except to go to the doctor or the hospital. Not one trip to the grocery store, Target, to see a friend, grab a cup of coffee, enjoy a dinner out. No walks, picnics, bike rides in this beautiful weather. Nope, none of that. On top of that, when you are home, you are allowed to do basically nothing beyond watch TV/read and get up briefly to make dinner/grab water/shower. FOR SIX WEEKS STRAIGHT. I am losing my mind. Not to mention all the stress associated with monitoring twice a day an hour each time for contractions, then sometimes having too many and having to retest, and constantly being freaked out that you are going to deliver early and your kids will be in the NICU forever and/or have long and/or short term medical problems associated with pre-term birth. And going to the hospital TWICE. It's not very fun.

Then, you have two babies coming but you can't do anything to get ready. Do you know how frustrating it is that I can't even go out to my car and put the car seats in place? I can't throw in a load of laundry of baby clothes? And the urge to be "nesting" and make the house clean? Nope. No vacuuming, no sweeping, no cleaning at all really. (Thankfully Darren and other family members have been stepping in. But the point is, I want to be doing it not asking other ppl to do stuff for me.)

I have tried Googling bed rest boredom cures and what I've learned is that there are none. Thanks Google for suggesting I keep the TV remote and a lap top nearby. If only I had thought of that on my own. Some other suggestions:  Start a blog. Do a craft. Fill in the baby book. Check, check, check. I've tried it all. If anyone else tells me it must be nice to have time to relax now before the babies come, I am going to scream. Bed rest is not relaxing.

Another negative FFN result!

My FFN test was negative yesterday, which means less than a 1% chance of delivery in the next two weeks. That would take us at least to 33 weeks, 3 days. The doctor said if I can make it to 34 weeks its possible the girls could come home without any NICU time (or at least a pretty minimal stay).

Anyway, awesome news!

31 week check up and a false alarm

Saw the regular doctor today for a check up and another FFN test (waiting on results). No real change since last week - still 2 to 3 cm dilated and could go soon, or could hang on a few more weeks. I'm 90% effaced at this point so my cervix is a little thinner than last week. She did a quick ultrasound (#15) and babies look good.

On Mother's Day, I thought for sure my water broke. I called Darren in a panic and he rushed home from band practice. We went to Fairview Hospital but it was a false alarm. I guess that happens all the time, or at least they told me that to make me feel better. So we were in and out of the hospital within a few hours.

Still feeling about the same with awful pelvic pressure. But, we are nearly at 32 weeks!

Happy Mother's Day!

Got a beautiful delivery of flowers from the dad to be for Mother's Day. He is also picking me up a ginormous breakfast from the original pancake house of coconut pancakes and a veggie omelette.

I woke up this morning and saw Darren slept in his winter hat last night. Haha. Apparently keeping the room like an ice box doesn't work for those who aren't pregnant. I can't help it - I get so hot at night! Also I ate half a watermelon (a big one) in one sitting yesterday. Pregnancy problems. 

Well happy Mother's Day to all the moms, grandmas and future moms out there.