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!
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