Hello Third Trimester! (Weeks 26 thru 30 - December)

The pregnancy continued to zoom by, and I could hardly believe it when December rolled around. George said he has hoped and prayed that we would make it to New Years without bed rest or early labor and we are almost there! I feel so incredibly blessed for a relatively complication-free pregnancy. I know many are not as fortunate and I thank God every day that our sweet girls continue to grow and develop.
 
December was a fun and busy month for us. We started getting items from our registry in the mail pretty regularly, as well as things we had ordered from the nursery. On December 3rd, I had a diapers and book shower at work. Everyone was so generous and my kindergarten team did such a wonderful job putting it all together. The girls got so many great books, as well as a ton of diapers. I know the diapers will be a huge help to us when they arrive! I've read that twins can go through as many as 20 diapers a day! We will certainly be even more thankful for my co-workers' kindness in a few weeks.

 
The following weekend, December 7th, was supposed to be my shower in Fort Worth. The metroplex got hit by a terrible ice storm and we had to cancel and reschedule for early January. I was very sad about this, but knew that it was in the best interest of everyone's safety. My one-hour glucose test was also supposed to be on Friday, December 6th and that too was cancelled due to the bad weather. Thankfully I was able to reschedule for Monday and get that over with.

The second weekend in December was my shower in Houston. I am so lucky to have five girlfriends that I have grown up with that still remain some of my best friends. We have been together through high school, college, marriage and now babies. They have all been so sweet, supportive and kind throughout the fertility struggle and pregnancy and there aren't words to describe how blessed I feel to have them in my life. I can only hope and pray that Ashley and Annabelle find true friends like them! We started out the weekend at my parent's house with George's parents. George and I are so lucky to have parents that have accepted each other into our families and enjoy each other's company as if they've been family for years. On Saturday was the shower was at Cortney's house, and we had a great turn out. The girls got lots of great gifts and I was eager to put them away and start organizing the nursery. Thank you Cortney, Megan, Taryn, Kellye, and Jenna for a perfect shower! That evening, George and I attended his company Christmas party in Houston and I am proud to say that I lasted until almost 11p.m. in heels! That's a huge accomplishment these days!

 

 

 

 

The rest of December was spent preparing for and celebrating Christmas. We were lucky enough to have my parents here for five days and we got so much accomplished. My mom helped me to pretty much organize and finish the nursery (huge relief!) and my dad helped George complete MANY projects around the house. I finally feel like I can breathe a little easier and like we are ready for these sweet girls. Next on the list is more organizing after my Fort Worth shower in January, and packing hospital bags for myself, George and the girls. Plus I need to figure out items needed for newborn pictures. We are getting there, slowly but surely! We enjoyed a big family Christmas at George's parents' house in Granbury with both families and both of his siblings. I cannot wait until next Christmas to have the girls here and have them take part in our family traditions!

We are so blessed with wonderful parents!

Buckmaster Family

Trying to figure out how to put on the adorable carseat covers! Parenting Fail #1!

Finally done!

I am ready for these to be filled with my sweet girls.

Guarding their sisters' room

Working hard in the nursery

Organizing!

December Notes:

Symptoms: Fatigue -- I noticed a major slow down this month. Growing 2 babies is hard work! There were also: spider veins on my legs, constant ankle swelling (from being on my feet all day), rib pain (because sweet Ashley loves to hang out in and under my ribcage), acid reflux and the start of contractions.

Cravings: Nothing major -- After our last appointment with the specialist, I was trying to eat higher fat foods and drink Boost drinks 2-3 times a day to put some weight on the babies.  




Working Out: The specialist put an end to working out at my last appointment. She didn't want me burning any extra calories so that everything I consumed went straight to the babies. This has been one of the most difficult parts of pregnancy for me! My mental well-being took a bit of a hit, but I have been able to bounce back and tell myself that it's only temporary and it's in the best interest of the girls. I can do anything for them! :)
 
Weight Gain: +30lbs by the end of December (including between 6lb and 7.5lbs of baby)

Looking Pregnant? : Yes and yes! These sweet girls hit a major growth spurt this month! I was measuring 38cm at my 28 week appointment, which means I measured as if I were 38 weeks pregnant with one baby.

Special Moments: I feel them all of the time now, and I love that I not only feel them kicking and punching but moving around too. The moms and aunts got to feel them at Christmas and we guessed whether we were feeling knees or elbows. Whatever it was, it was pointy! I love feeling them move and seeing them move. I will miss that so much when they arrive!

Baby Notes:

26 / 27 Week Appointment:

My 1-hour glucose test was scheduled for the Friday of the ice-storm. So after fasting all night, it was cancelled. Not fun! My Friday appointment was also cancelled, but I was able to get both rescheduled for Monday. I ended up failing my 1-hour glucose test and having to schedule the 3-hour. Not fun! Also, Dr. Benz said the babies were taking all of my iron and making me severely anemic so I began super strong iron supplements twice a day. My "labor check" (there's a more scientific name but that's what I call it) came back negative, so that meant I was not in danger of going into labor in the next two weeks! Yay!

28 Week Appointment:

We had an appointment with the specialist, and she was very happy that I had gained 6lbs since our last appointment two weeks ago. Our little one was no longer considered IUGR (growth restricted) and had moved up to the 29th percentile. Yahoo! Great news! Everything looked great with the girls, and she scheduled us again for after the new year. She said although my lofty goal of working until almost 37-weeks and delivering between 37 and 38 weeks is not impossible, that she feels like 35-ish is more likely. I had been having quite a few Braxton Hicks contractions this week, and she said if I have 4 in an hour that I need to call. She said there is nothing to worry about, that my body is just starting to get ready for labor and delivery.

29 Week Appointment:

Prior to my 29 week appointment with Dr. Benz, I had the 3-hour glucose test. Let me just say that this test is awful. There's no way to put a positive spin on it. You have to fast for 12+ hours (only sips of water allowed) and then your blood is taken at fasting level. You have to drink a super sugary drink (YUCK!) and have your blood taken at 1-hour, 2-hours, and 3-hours post-drink. AWFUL! The first hour was the toughest and I felt like I was going to either throw up, pass out, or maybe both. But I got through it and my results were just fine. After the awful glucose test, I went up to Dr. Benz for some time on the fetal monitor to check their heartbeats, movement, and for contractions. Dr. Benz was very pleased with their heart beats and movement and said I had two small contractions in 30 minutes. She said that was normal and not to worry. I didn't even feel them, which was nice! Then I had a sonogram and the girls had grown even more! Baby A (Annabelle) was 3lbs, 2oz and Baby B (Ashley) was 2lbs, 14oz! This made my weight gain for the week easier to hear, knowing that it was all baby. I loved hearing that they are growing and thriving and getting ready to make their debut!

30 Week Appointment:

I was eager for my 30-week appointment, as I had been having lots of contractions (although always under 4 an hour) and they had even woken me up one morning because they were quite painful. I got hooked up to the fetal monitor and had two sizable ones right away. Then I had a big one and Dr. Benz came in to take a look. She said that the babies looked great -- perfect heartbeats and movement patterns. She said contractions were going to be a normal thing now, and when I started having them to lay down and drink water. If they don't stop, then it's true labor. She reminded me that with twins, you don't make it full term. She said it's a total rarity and that most people deliver about a month or so early. She said no bed rest for now, but to take it easy as much as I can. This I don't mind, because I have really felt the exhaustion from carrying two babies kick in this past week. She reiterated how important rest is, and said to call if I can't make the contractions stop. I got another ultrasound and as always, loved seeing the sweet girls. Their sweet eyes were open, which makes me look even more forward to my appointment with the specialist next week and seeing them in 4-D.

Bump Pictures:

Week 28:

Week 29:

Week 30:

Growing Babies and Mommy - Weeks 22 through 25 (November)

This pregnancy is continuing to zoom by! November was a great month for us and I continued to grow which is a good thing because that means the babies were growing too! We were so incredibly busy in August, September, and October that we welcomed November with open arms as a chance to start getting the house ready for the babies. My goal has always been to have everything ready (room, house, bags) by the end of the year just in case these sweethearts decide to come early or I go on bed rest. If neither happen, then we will just get to enjoy January and part of February without rushing around. Daddy George has been such a trooper and made a HUGE honey-do list for himself. He was so diligent in getting everything complete and ready for his sweet girls. I am reminded daily how lucky I am to be married to such a wonderful man that is going to make a truly great father.

At the end of October, we ordered the nursery furniture so we spent the weeks before it arrived cleaning out the spare bedrooms and getting as organized as possible. The "blue" room is going to be the girls' room and the other guest room (the "brown" room) desperately needed organizing so that we could fit leftovers from the blue room in it. I hosted a baby shower for Lindsey Sanders the first weekend in November. I am so excited that her sweet EV will be here just a few weeks before the twins. The second two weekends were spent working around the house and watching football and celebrating George's birthday on the 12th. The fourth weekend, I made a quick trip to Houston to host a sip-and-see for Megan and Baby Catherine and then the last weekend was Thanksgiving and Ben and Theresa's wedding. My specialist warned me that I would really feel the fatigue and stress of carrying two babies set in around weeks 23-24 and I didn't believe her at the time, but she wasn't lying! I began to really see a decrease in my stamina and an increase in overall fatigue right around week 23. I have had to adjust my expectations of myself and just learn to let some things go until tomorrow. Needless to say, this is a HUGE lesson and one that I am still learning. I just have to remember that my only job right now is growing two healthy baby girls, and that everything else can take a back seat. Friends and family will understand and there will be a time that I am able to do it all again...I hope!

Nursery Inspiration:

Nursery In-Progress:

 

 

November Notes:

Symptoms: Fatigue, Nosebleeds, Lovely Spider Veins on my Legs, Ankle Swelling (at the end of the day), and Rib Pain (because sweet Baby B loves to hang out in my ribcage)

Cravings: Nothing major -- Appetite was back and I was able to eat almost anything.

Working Out: I continued working out with walking and smart barre, although the end of the month was pretty busy with holiday stuff so I wasn't quite on my regular schedule. I had a dream towards the end of the month that I ran a half marathon and I was so happy! Needless to say, I am looking forward to getting back to running!
 
Weight Gain: +19lbs (including between 3.5lb and 4lbs of baby)

Looking Pregnant? : Yes and yes! I feel like I look bigger daily! One day, one of my kindergartners told me, "Mrs Buckmaster, your stomach looks like it's about to explode!" If she only knew that it felt that way too! Ha! I was measuring 31cm at my 24 week appointment, which means I measured as if I were 31 weeks pregnant with one baby.

Special Moments: Loving the sweet kicks and punches! Loving even more that George can feel them. It's so amazing waking up to the girls moving around and feeling them getting stronger (and bigger) each week with their movements. I was also able to see my stomach moving with them, which is just so cool.

Baby Notes:
 
24-week appointment:

We saw Dr. Benz for our 24-week appointment, and everything looked good. The girls' heartbeats were in the 140s and 150s, and they are continuing to grow. She said we would begin a bi-weekly test to check for preterm labor. I had an ultrasound as well to see how they were growing, and Baby A measured 1lb, 9oz and Baby B measured 1lb, 6oz. She wasn't overly concerned with the size discrepancy but will continue to monitor them with bi-weekly ultrasounds to make sure they both continue to grow. All of their organs looked good, which is a huge relief.

 Baby A:

 

 

Baby B:

25-week appointment:

We had an appointment and ultrasound with our high-risk OB at Fort Worth Perinatal the day before Thanksgiving. It was so good to see the girls and how big they've gotten in just two weeks. It's hard to believe that they were once just two little dots with heartbeats, and now they look like actual babies. I love going to Dr. Papa because she has a 4-D ultrasound machine and we get a better view of the girls. This appointment was extra special because my parents were in town and we invited them to come along for the ultrasound. After performing the lengthy ultrasound checking all of their organs and blood flow, they also checked for any signs of preterm labor and thankfully there were none. That's always such a relief to me. I need these girls cooking as long as possible!

The head ultrasound tech came back in after the first ultrasound and said they needed to take an extra look at Baby B's heart. Of course, this scared me to death and I laid there for 20 minutes praying and trying to hold back tears. Thankfully, everything checked out fine with her heart. When the doctor came in, she said that the girls looked very good but that they were a little concerned about Baby B's size (which is why they did the extra look at her heart -- to check for any kind of defect, etc.). Baby A was measuring in the 34th percentile at 1lb, 13oz and had gained 4oz in almost two weeks. Baby B was measuring in the 10th percentile at 1lb, 8oz and had only gained 2oz in almost two weeks. She said weight in the 10th percentile or below was considered "growth restrictive" and is something they monitor closely. She wants me back in two weeks to check her weight and growth and then we will go from there. In the meantime, they want me eating four meals a day, plus three snacks. She said her growth is not caused from me not eating enough, but since nutrition is the only thing we can control that I might as well eat up to see if that makes a difference. If Baby B does not show significant growth, I'll go on bed rest so that I am burning no calories and everything is going to the babies and then if that isn't successful they would have to take the babies. We are still a long way from either of those things, but I appreciated her being up front with us with what we are facing. She was very encouraged that Baby B is in fact growing and said that maybe she's just going to be small and petite like her mom. I am thankful for doctor's who are so thorough and are watching over our girls so carefully. I feel very confident that we are getting the best care possible and everything is being done to get two healthy, sweet Aggie girls here in February! And for the next two weeks, I'll pretty much just be eating and praying for growth! George said he'd join me in the extra eating if I wanted him to...so thoughtful! :)

Baby B:

 

Baby A:

Bump Pictures:

Week 22:

 

Week 23:

Week 24:

 

Week 25:

Yes, I am in pajamas here! It was a long day of cooking and preparing Thanksgiving lunch. It's not my best picture, but most importantly it shows how enormous this bump is getting...and we still have (hopefully) 12 weeks to go!

What's in a Name?

As soon as you find out if you are team pink or blue, you are pretty much asked immediately if you have any names picked out. George and I had a girl name and a boy named picked out from the start and when we found out we were having twins, we started brainstorming of a second boy and girl name. Although, it was much easier to come up with a second boy name than girl name for us. I knew one thing about our girls though -- I wanted them to be named after their grandmothers and other family members. I wanted to be able to introduce my girls to their namesakes and explain why we chose the names we did. I wanted them to be named after women that were so important in our lives and molded us to be the people we are today. 

With that being said, we had lots of conversations about names. We knew that their middle names would be Jane (after George's mom, Laura Jane) and Diane (after my mom, Rita Diane). We could not think of two more important or better ladies to name our girls after. After all. they were the two most important women in our lives and all we could really hope was that our girls would have the same traits that made our mothers such amazing women. 

When coming up with first names, we wanted to use something with "Ann." George's sister is Rachel Ann and not only is she his sister, but she has become so much more than just the sister I never had, but one of my very best friends. I know she will have such a big role in the girls lives and using her middle name just seemed so fitting. We decided on Annabelle Jane for one sweet baby girl. A huge bonus -- my childhood best friend married George's brother, Matt, and she is Cortney Ann! We could not think of a better way to honor Annabelle's paternal aunts!

In brainstorming for a second name, I started thinking of other important women in my life. Aside from my mom, my Aunt Dixie Ashley is hands down the most important woman in my life. She has been an aunt, friend, confident and just played such a huge role in shaping me to be the woman I am today. There is no other woman in my life, aside from my mom, that is more important to me. With that, we came up with Ashley Diane for our second name. I can only hope and pray that sweet Ashley will possess the traits and qualities of her grandmother and aunt, and I am so glad that she will be a daily honor to them. 

We are so excited to meet sweet Ashley and Annabelle and cannot wait to share with them their namesakes! I also love alliteration and love that I have two "A" girls! And if one day, baby number 3 is a boy we've got Andrew on reserve! :)

Grandmothers:
Laura Jane and Rita Diane

Paternal Aunts:
Rachel Ann and Cortney Ann

Maternal Aunt:
Darlene Ashley

Cruising through the 2nd Trimester -- Weeks 18-21 (Month 5-ish)

The first trimester seems to creep by and last forever. All I wanted at that point was to make it to the "safe" zone and start feeling better. Once we made it to that point, it seemed like time was not slowing down! Part of that is definitely attributed to our busy fall. It seems like fall is always so busy for us, but I consider it a great blessing that we are able to attend so many football games and spend time with friends and family. I have a little inkling that we will be forced to spend more time at home next year...I can think of two sweet little reasons!

Month 5 was a great month. We had the genders confirmed and started to work on the nursery. Plus my baby bump really started growing and I began to feel the sweet girls moving around. We started tossing around name ideas and it just felt more real to be able to SEE the girls growing and to be able to call them "the girls." We had our first appointment with our high-risk OB, Dr. Papas at Fort Worth Perinatal. I am only considered high-risk because I am carrying twins. Most twin moms visit them in addition to their regular OB. We also had a great 20w appointment with my regular OB, Dr. Benz. All-in-all, month 5 was a great month!

Month 5 Notes:

Symptoms: Fatigue and Headaches...oh holy headaches! Headaches were definitely the biggest complaint this month. They would last all day and sometimes I couldn't even think. They seemed to get a little better by month's end and not as intense. Hallelujah to that! 

Cravings: Nothing major -- I finally did have a full appetite back and was trying to be conscious about what I was eating while increasing my intake a bit. I didn't deprive myself of the not-so-great choices, but just tried super hard to give the babies things of nutritional value. Of course, some days were better than others!

Working Out: This month, I was really able to get back into a workout routine. I had been walking as much as I could, but really needed something more. I signed up for a month of Smart Barre (after a 2 month hiatus) and try to attend classes 2-3 times a week, plus walking/jogging 2-3 times a week. It's not a ton, but I tell myself that at least I am staying active. It helps my sanity tremendously! 

Weight Gain: +10lbs (+9.5lbs at the 20w appointment -- I am assuming I put on another half of a pound by week 21!)

Looking Pregnant? : Yes ma'am! Finally! By month's end, George declared that no one could mistaken me for just having something extra around my mid-section. Hallelujah to that too! However, I am sure in a few months I won't be quite as enthusiastic about "looking pregnant." Haha!

Special Moments: On the flight back from Charlie and Mallory's wedding at 18w, I felt my first flutter of movement! It was indescribable and simply amazing! I started crying, and was thankful to have the row to myself. I called Daddy George as soon as I landed in Dallas and shared the exciting news. The girls really started moving this month, and by month's end those flutters had turned into more deliberate movements.  

Baby Notes: 

20w - Baby A (Weight - 10oz / HB -  140-150 bpm) ; Baby B (Weight - 9oz / HB - 145-155 bpm)
We loved getting to see the sweet girls with Dr. Papas. They did an anatomy scan and said that everything looked perfect. We got to see two sets of sweet hands and feet moving around, as well as all of their major organs. This ultrasound lasted about 45 minutes and it was so great to see so much of them. It truly is a miracle! Dr. Papas wants to see me back again at 26w and between 28w and 30w. She measured my cervix, which was nice and long and doesn't indicate that I am in danger of going into early labor at this point. The most special surprise as getting to see them in 4-D! They really are little babies in there! We loved sharing the pictures with our families. 

Baby A:

Baby B:

Later that week, we had our 20w appointment with Dr. Benz. She was happy with how everything is progressing, and I was just a half a pound from my "goal" weight at this point so no lecture! Woohoo! She told me that beginning at week 24 (my next appointment), we would start doing a swab to see if I am in danger of going into labor in the next 24-48 hours, as well as, a growth sonogram. She said that with twins, it is so important to make sure that they are both growing at the same rate and decently close to size. Our girls had a 17% weight difference at this point, but she said she was not concerned. She said she would see me at 24w for a check up, labor "check" and growth sono, then at 28w for the same thing and then she would want to see me every week from that point on to check for early labor and monitor their growth. The positive--I get weekly sonograms starting at week 28! However, this means after Christmas break that I will pretty much be taking every Friday off. This did (and does) stress me out, but I know it's for the health of the babies (my number 1 priority) and I think it'll be a nice transition for my long-term sub to get acquainted with my kiddos. 

Bump Pictures:

Week 18:
Mallory and Charlie's Wedding in Houston -- The last time I could somewhat camouflage the bump with loose-fitting clothing!

Week 19:

Week 20:
College Station with the Amersons!

Week 21:

We are having two..... Gender Reveal!

We decided to have a gender reveal party at our house for our family and close friends. I love the idea of not finding out genders until the delivery room, but with twins that is just too much for this first-time-mama! Daddy George and I decided that we would have a gender reveal party at our house and be surprised by cutting into two cakes and seeing either pink or blue.

On Friday, I went to my OBs office for the gender ultrasound. I told George he couldn't come because since about week 8, he had asked the doctor every time we went for a gender guess. He has been so excited and curious that he couldn't stand it! I knew it would be too much for him to stand, so off to Dr. Benz's office I went, and had the tech put the genders in two separate envelopes labeled "Baby A" and "Baby B." I was nervous about him not being able to tell since we were a few days early (15 weeks, 5 days) and we had 20 people coming to our house the next afternoon expecting to find out. After looking at the babies for about 2 minutes, he reassured me by saying, "Got it. I know what they are!" I got a good look at the two growing sweethearts, and then he asked me to turn my head while he looked at their "revealing" parts and sealed the info in the envelopes. Talk about nerves! Then I left the office and took them to our baker and that was that. I was happy to get those envelopes out of my possession and into the hands of the baker. The next day was a big day!

Mom and Dad arrived later that evening, and we had a great dinner. Matt and Cortney arrived later and were staying with Rachel and Dom. I made snacks that evening and started decorating for the party. We were so thankful for my parents' help! The next morning, I got up early and went to the grocery to get a few last minute items and continued preparing. Mom, Dad, Laura, Billy, Rachel, Dom, Matt and Cortney came early and helped with set up. JoAnna was a HUGE help and made food and brought decor and serving pieces. Cortney picked up the cakes and we were all ready for the reveal!

As guests arrived, they voted for team pink (two girls), team blue (two boys), or one of each and took beads. Special thanks to all of our friends and family that joined us: Mom, Dad, Laura, Billy, Rachel, Dom, Matt, Cortney, JoAnna, Peter, Ava, Aubrey, Doll, Al, Ely, Kyle, Van, Courtney, Jeff, Erin, Anne, Tyler, Michelle, Lindsey, Charlie and Kathy.

We cut the cakes about 2:30, and to our surprise we are having two sweet baby GIRLS! Words cannot express how excited I that my girls will have a sister. I never had a sister and cannot wait for them to share this incredible bond! George and I are so happy and feel so blessed that we've been trusted with these two sweet angels! Our house is officially on pink overdrive!

God Bless Baby Girls!  We can't wait to meet you two in February!