This one will be a quickie- it's been a fairly uneventful week, thank God!
Weight Gained: Still at 18 pounds, thanks to the never-ending sinus infection and a new GI bug. Yuck.
Cravings: I woke up last night NEEDING Oreos. After half a box, it didn't seem like such a great idea...
Food Aversions: Nope, nothing here. Told you it was a "boring" week!
Symptoms: Swelling and general fatigue. The nausea is back, but it's tolerable and intermittent.
How I'm Feeling: Blah. I've been sick, and I just feel physically worn down right now. Emotionally, I am great!
Exciting Stuff: Jack and Molly are moving like crazy! It's such a surreal feeling to know that there are tiny people wiggling around in my belly. We've started planning the nursery, but that's another post for another day.
Weekly Worries: This week, I decided not to worry about anything baby-related that I cannot control!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
It's a Boy... and a Girl!
Since we knew that we transferred one boy embryo and one girl embryo during our IVF cycle, it has been an assumed fact that we would be having boy-girl twins. However, I'm not sure that I ever specifically confirmed this assumption.
We are definitely having a boy and a girl! Also, I'm tired of typing Twin A and Twin B, so I'll share with you a little bit of inside info- these babies have names. Twin A is our little man, who will be henceforth referred to as Jackson or Jack. Twin B is all girl, and her name is Molly! Paul refers to them collectively as MJ, so you might see that pop up here, too.
Now that you know who's who, here are a few pictures to further acquaint you:
Isn't it more exciting when those grey, grainy images have names?!
We are definitely having a boy and a girl! Also, I'm tired of typing Twin A and Twin B, so I'll share with you a little bit of inside info- these babies have names. Twin A is our little man, who will be henceforth referred to as Jackson or Jack. Twin B is all girl, and her name is Molly! Paul refers to them collectively as MJ, so you might see that pop up here, too.
Now that you know who's who, here are a few pictures to further acquaint you:
Molly:
 |
| She's always sucking her thumb! |
Jack:
 | |||
| I know... the 3D images are a little creepy! |
Me, AKA The Twincubator:
 |
| 17 weeks, 1 day |
Monday, March 19, 2012
18 Weeks!
Week 18:
Weight Gained: 18 lbs. I'm pretty sure a good bit of the weight is fluid, because I've got pitting edema around my ankles already! It's going to be a long summer.
Cravings: Skittles. After begging a friend for a dollar, I almost cried when my bag of candy got stuck in the vending machine at work. Thankfully, a slight beating took care of the issue and the Skittles were delivered safely to the twins. Lesson learned- always carry emergency change, and don't be afraid to man-handle machinery.
Food Aversions: None- even meat is my friend right now! Paul is pretty happy about this turn of events because it broadens our dinner choices significantly. I think I could eat at Japanese hibachi restaurants every night. Steak, sushi and fried rice? Sign me up.
Symptoms: Super swollen ankles. My blood pressure is great, but not even 8 hours of sleep will relieve the swelling in my lower legs.
How I'm Feeling: Pregnant! I've had more energy lately, and I'm pretty sure that the "nesting" phase has come early to visit. I'm still not resting well, but my body has started to adapt to the short bursts of sleep. A body pillow is on my to-buy list in hopes that more back and belly support will help me get comfortable and stay asleep longer.
Exciting Stuff: My cervical length was 5.6 cm at my last appointment, which is amazing. We had our anatomy scan, and both babies hearts and brains look perfect. Twin A is measuring exactly one week ahead of Twin B, who is measuring right on track.
Weekly Worries: At our anatomy scan, we found out that Twin A was diagnosed with bilateral renal pyelectasis and hydroureters. My MFM doctor is fairly certain that he actually has hydronephrosis, but we will know more at my next appointment after his kidneys grow a bit more. Basically, his ureters are blocked, kinked or swollen, so urine is backing up into his kidneys. Based on the amount of fluid, his condition is classified as moderate. Sometimes, this can correct itself after birth. However, if this persists, it can cause permanent kidney damage. There is absolutely nothing I can do to fix this and while it terrifies me, I'm trying to stay calm and remember that I am not in control of this situation!
Twin B has Choroid Plexus cysts in her brain, but my perinatologist says that this is completely normal and should resolve on it's own. I trust him completely, but hearing that your baby has brain cysts is scary! Maybe it's the amoebas.... :)
Otherwise, our babies are pretty perfect and I am so grateful that our issues are relatively small. There are people facing much worse anomalies so I feel very blessed today, despite our little man's kidney problems.
If you made it all the way through, congratulations- this was a long update! Thanks for reading- I think it helps to share my worries with you all.
Weight Gained: 18 lbs. I'm pretty sure a good bit of the weight is fluid, because I've got pitting edema around my ankles already! It's going to be a long summer.
Cravings: Skittles. After begging a friend for a dollar, I almost cried when my bag of candy got stuck in the vending machine at work. Thankfully, a slight beating took care of the issue and the Skittles were delivered safely to the twins. Lesson learned- always carry emergency change, and don't be afraid to man-handle machinery.
Food Aversions: None- even meat is my friend right now! Paul is pretty happy about this turn of events because it broadens our dinner choices significantly. I think I could eat at Japanese hibachi restaurants every night. Steak, sushi and fried rice? Sign me up.
Symptoms: Super swollen ankles. My blood pressure is great, but not even 8 hours of sleep will relieve the swelling in my lower legs.
How I'm Feeling: Pregnant! I've had more energy lately, and I'm pretty sure that the "nesting" phase has come early to visit. I'm still not resting well, but my body has started to adapt to the short bursts of sleep. A body pillow is on my to-buy list in hopes that more back and belly support will help me get comfortable and stay asleep longer.
Exciting Stuff: My cervical length was 5.6 cm at my last appointment, which is amazing. We had our anatomy scan, and both babies hearts and brains look perfect. Twin A is measuring exactly one week ahead of Twin B, who is measuring right on track.
Weekly Worries: At our anatomy scan, we found out that Twin A was diagnosed with bilateral renal pyelectasis and hydroureters. My MFM doctor is fairly certain that he actually has hydronephrosis, but we will know more at my next appointment after his kidneys grow a bit more. Basically, his ureters are blocked, kinked or swollen, so urine is backing up into his kidneys. Based on the amount of fluid, his condition is classified as moderate. Sometimes, this can correct itself after birth. However, if this persists, it can cause permanent kidney damage. There is absolutely nothing I can do to fix this and while it terrifies me, I'm trying to stay calm and remember that I am not in control of this situation!
Twin B has Choroid Plexus cysts in her brain, but my perinatologist says that this is completely normal and should resolve on it's own. I trust him completely, but hearing that your baby has brain cysts is scary! Maybe it's the amoebas.... :)
Otherwise, our babies are pretty perfect and I am so grateful that our issues are relatively small. There are people facing much worse anomalies so I feel very blessed today, despite our little man's kidney problems.
If you made it all the way through, congratulations- this was a long update! Thanks for reading- I think it helps to share my worries with you all.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Amoebas in my brain
Remember when I told you about the monstrous cold that has decided to take up residence? I thought that I had the perfect cure for it- The Neti Pot.
For the blissfully uninitiated, this device resembles a small teapot that you fill with warm water and a packet of saline/sodium bicarb crystals. Then, you place the spout of the Neti Pot into one of your nostrils with your head tipped forward, letting the solution run up your nose and (hopefully) out of the other nostril. Once you have succeeded without choking/aspirating/dying, you blow the heck out of your nose and expel the snot demons. I know- it sounds awful, but it is so completely effective at clearing your sinuses!
For some reason, after I cleared my head, I decided that using tap water might not be a great idea. Why this occurred to me after I lavaged my brain with 8 ounces of it is beyond me. A bit of Googling led me to this news article. I'll spare you the reading- tap water has been linked to two deaths in 2011 (both in LOUISIANA!!), due to encephalitis caused by amoebas that were found in tap water. Great. Because I needed one more thing to worry about, right? Dear God, please don't let my tombstone read:
 |
| Photo found here. |
For the blissfully uninitiated, this device resembles a small teapot that you fill with warm water and a packet of saline/sodium bicarb crystals. Then, you place the spout of the Neti Pot into one of your nostrils with your head tipped forward, letting the solution run up your nose and (hopefully) out of the other nostril. Once you have succeeded without choking/aspirating/dying, you blow the heck out of your nose and expel the snot demons. I know- it sounds awful, but it is so completely effective at clearing your sinuses!
For some reason, after I cleared my head, I decided that using tap water might not be a great idea. Why this occurred to me after I lavaged my brain with 8 ounces of it is beyond me. A bit of Googling led me to this news article. I'll spare you the reading- tap water has been linked to two deaths in 2011 (both in LOUISIANA!!), due to encephalitis caused by amoebas that were found in tap water. Great. Because I needed one more thing to worry about, right? Dear God, please don't let my tombstone read:
RIP- Killed By Brain-eating Amoebas Because Sudafed Wasn't Safe For The Babies!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Slacker...
Ok, so we all knew that at some point, my weekly updates would slip. I figured I'd make more than 3 weeks before that happened, but I have an reason excuse for not updating yet. We went to Dallas on a little jaunty getaway and I didn't have a chance to write my update. Then, I came down with the mother of all terrible colds, so I haven't had the energy to do anything other than blow my nose and whine about the great meds that I can't take because I'm pregnant (though I'm definitely getting the better end of this deal, because babies > Sudafed in my book).
Rest assured that nothing notable happened during the past week in regards to the twins. There will most certainly be a week 18 update, because I see my MFM tomorrow! Yay for ultrasounds and baby sneak peeks!
Rest assured that nothing notable happened during the past week in regards to the twins. There will most certainly be a week 18 update, because I see my MFM tomorrow! Yay for ultrasounds and baby sneak peeks!
Monday, March 5, 2012
16 weeks- that's 4 whole months!
I honestly never, ever, ever thought that I'd be 4 months pregnant. Somehow, here I am... and I'm loving it! So, to celebrate, I'll post a 16 week update.
Week 16:
Weight Gained: 12 lbs, and I'm not going to apologize for it! Yes, that's 3 pounds in one week. Don't judge me.
Cravings: No new cravings have popped up this week, and I still cannot get enough Gatorade. Any flavor but Lemon-Lime. Yellow sports drinks probably belong in the food aversions category. Blech.
Food Aversions: Same old stuff- not much meat is making its way into my diet, but I'm obviously managing to take in enough calories. See Weight Gained... :)
Symptoms: Nausea- it is getting better though, or I'm getting better at managing it. I've been taking vitamin B6, and it does seem to make a difference. Also, my nipples are on FIRE. Especially when it's cold- they just sting.
How I'm Feeling: I'm still really tired. For some reason, my body doesn't want to sleep more than 3 hours at a time, at which point I have to wake up and eat so I don't throw up. I don't generally mind, except on the days between night shifts. Then, I mind. This was my weekend to work, so I've been pretty sleep-deprived for the past three days. Maybe I am subconsciously preparing for the crazed-mother-of-twin-infants stage?
Exciting Stuff: My cervix has grown! It jumped from 3.2 cm to 5 cm in two weeks, which I'm attributing to working fewer hours. I really don't want to jinx myself, but I'm cautiously optimistic that we are on the right track. We'll re-assess in two weeks at my next MFM appointment. Even more exciting? I'm about to start working on baby blankets. For my very own babies.
Weekly Worries: Baby A has a partial placenta previa, which means that he implanted low in my uterus, and his placenta is covering part of the cervix. Most of the time, this condition will resolve on its own as the uterus stretches and the placenta is pulled upwards. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'm in the majority on this one. From one worry to another, I suppose!
Week 16:
Weight Gained: 12 lbs, and I'm not going to apologize for it! Yes, that's 3 pounds in one week. Don't judge me.
Cravings: No new cravings have popped up this week, and I still cannot get enough Gatorade. Any flavor but Lemon-Lime. Yellow sports drinks probably belong in the food aversions category. Blech.
Food Aversions: Same old stuff- not much meat is making its way into my diet, but I'm obviously managing to take in enough calories. See Weight Gained... :)
Symptoms: Nausea- it is getting better though, or I'm getting better at managing it. I've been taking vitamin B6, and it does seem to make a difference. Also, my nipples are on FIRE. Especially when it's cold- they just sting.
How I'm Feeling: I'm still really tired. For some reason, my body doesn't want to sleep more than 3 hours at a time, at which point I have to wake up and eat so I don't throw up. I don't generally mind, except on the days between night shifts. Then, I mind. This was my weekend to work, so I've been pretty sleep-deprived for the past three days. Maybe I am subconsciously preparing for the crazed-mother-of-twin-infants stage?
Exciting Stuff: My cervix has grown! It jumped from 3.2 cm to 5 cm in two weeks, which I'm attributing to working fewer hours. I really don't want to jinx myself, but I'm cautiously optimistic that we are on the right track. We'll re-assess in two weeks at my next MFM appointment. Even more exciting? I'm about to start working on baby blankets. For my very own babies.
Weekly Worries: Baby A has a partial placenta previa, which means that he implanted low in my uterus, and his placenta is covering part of the cervix. Most of the time, this condition will resolve on its own as the uterus stretches and the placenta is pulled upwards. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'm in the majority on this one. From one worry to another, I suppose!
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