Bumpdate - Week 24

I'm totally taking over my husband's desktop for his shop so I can do a quick bumpdate. I'm kicking myself for not documenting as much in the last few weeks, but I will try to do better until the babies come!


How Far Along?:  24ish Weeks

Due Date: We just tell people the babies will be here in December. Our due date has been bumped up to January 11th and 12th, which is only 2 days sooner than originally expected. No matter what, my doctor will not let me go past 38 weeks, so R&A will be here no later than December 31st! At our last appointment, Ryker weighed 1lb3oz and Averlee weighed 1lb4oz.

 

Weight Gain: I am up 28 lbs since before my last FSH cycle. I have tried SO hard to be sure my weight gain is gradual and that I stick to somewhat of an exercise routine. I know I can lower my risk for gestational diabetes by doing so. I also know it will be easier for me to recover from labor and delivery if I stay on a healthy weight gain path. So far so good. Don't get me wrong though...I have not been an angel when it comes to resisting unhealthy cravings! ha.  

 

Maternity Clothes: It is all I wear! I've even graduated to maternity/ nursing bras. I never realized just how comfortable a bra without and underwire could be. HELLO! I'm loving my new bras from Motherhood Maternity. I have also been extremely blessed to have friends who have given me maternity clothes. I cannot believe just how FAST I grew out of the stuff I stocked up on in the 1st trimester.

 

Sleep: Other than waking up for bathroom breaks - which I'm doing with one eye open- I am sleeping pretty good!

Best Moment This Week:  Finishing our baby registry for our baby showers and finally assembling ALL of the nursery furniture!

Weird Pregnancy Moment:  I've had several stretch marks pop up in the last few days. Oh and the itching. My belly itches so much!  

 

Movement: Averlee usually gets going between 9-10am each morning. Her kicks and punches are a lot stronger than Ryker's. I am assuming Ryker is just laying so low and maybe he is still hitting his placenta more than me. I do feel him move, just not as much as his silly sister.

Symptoms:  Growing belly, nasal congestion, frequent trips to the bathroom, increased appetite, round ligament pain, pelvic pain, pregnancy mask, swollen ankles and feet, shortness of breath, heartburn, and growing boobs.  Just your typical pregnancy symptoms.

Cravings/ Aversions: Still drinking a lot of milk. Oh and THANK YOU to the makers of all things pumpkin spice! I am a fan of pumpkin spice stuff anyway, but apparently pregnancy has magnified that appreciation!

Anything Make You Queasy:  Not eating when I get hungry.

Genders: We are having a sweet little boy, Ryker Christian and a precious little girl, Averlee Elizabeth

 

What I'm Looking Forward To:  Now that our registries are complete, I'm looking forward to our baby showers. I'm really excited to celebrate our little miracles with those who have hoped, prayed, and believed with us for the past 2 years! Two of my best friends are planning a shower for me in November, and I already know I will cry when I see a few faces walk in the door.

Hello Week 23

Pinch me please. As of yesterday, we are 23 weeks pregnant. To celebrate, Averlee decided to throw a party in my ribs. I'm still debating if her brother was in on the fun. Determining which twin is kicking is a skill I have yet to master; however, at our ultrasound on Monday the tech showed me where Averlee's head, back, and feet generally are. Yep. She is IN my ribs and laying sideways! Ryker is lower of course since he is Baby A. He is head down and his feet are just to the left of my belly button. Ryker is not quite as active as his sister, but that's ok. Maybe he doesn't have much room since his sister is all over the place constantly?

We had our check-up and ultrasound on Monday. Everything looked great and we are still on track for a December delivery. My doctor is impressed with how well I have done so far. He also made a point to tell me I will get MUCH bigger than I currently am. He followed that up with a pep talk to remind me I'm still beautiful and for me to not worry about all of the weight gain. He told us the babies are measuring just a few days ahead. They weight 1lb3oz and 1lb4oz each. I cannot believe we could possibly be holding our babies in just over three months. It seems like our pregnancy has just flown by. We have managed to stay pretty busy getting things in order and ready for Ryker and Averlee's arrival. The nursery furniture is.. almost.. put together...sorta. The cribs are assembled as well as the changing table. The glider and dresser are still in the boxes. Oops. I promise we will have everything assembled before my first baby shower!

On another note, I have been keeping up with everyone via the bloglovin' app on my phone; however, it sometimes will not let me comment. So if you feel like I have been missing in action lately, I haven't. I'm still thinking and praying for each of you who are still awaiting your own miracles. My own infertility journey opened the door for me help a few ladies who I have been encouraging lately. I actually gave one of the girls my my fertility bracelet.  I also gave her two of the books I read during my own journey. It brought tears to my eyes to see just how encouraged she was by me giving her such a small gift. Infertility is such a heartbreaking, emotional journey. Nobody should ever feel like they have to walk through it and feel alone. I'm so grateful God has placed these girls in my life for me to encourage just as I had women who encouraged me during my own infertility journey.

Sorry if this post seems all over the place! I promise to be more organized next time!

Not A Typical Bumpdate...

This will not be my typical Bump-date. In all honesty, I'm becoming a tad bit bored with writing those things anyway. I also feel like I've had a million and one other blog topics floating around in my head in the last few weeks. So here it goes.
The Change-Up.

Two years ago, I never would have imagined my husband and I would have to fight a battle just to become pregnant. I definitely never would have imagined we would eventually conceive twins or that I would be able to carry them as long as I have. We are headed into week 23 of this miracle. I would be lying if I told you I'm not scared. I feel like this pregnancy is flying by, and the closer we get to the 33 mark... well the more anxious and worried I become. There are days when I wake up to huge, swollen legs and feet. It usually happens on Friday mornings.  I immediately check my blood pressure like a crazy person just to give myself peace of mind that I'm not developing Pre-E. Don't get me wrong. We are enjoying and loving our pregnancy. I love my growing belly and wiggly little Ryker and Averlee. I'm just SO terrified my body is about to say, "Well... we've made it this far. Time for them to come out." I haven't cut back on daily activities. I still work 8-9 hours per day. I still come home, do some housework, chase my 10 year old (when he's with us), go to ballgames, go for walks, exercise, etc. I know my days are numbered. I know in a few short weeks, I will not be physically able to continue running around doing everything I currently do. I also know I prayed day in and day out for this time and it just seems to be flying by. The unknown scares me. I've caught myself worrying about what will happen if I do develop Pre-E again. *I had Pre-E with Gavin 11 years ago and had to deliver him via induction at 37 and a half weeks.* What if I end up in the hospital the last trimester of our pregnancy? What if the babies come before 36 weeks and we become parents of NICU babies? 

I tend to look at this pregnancy as half marathon training. That seems to be only other physically straining activity I have done in my 29 years. When I was training for my half marathons, I changed my eating habits. In this pregnancy. I have changed my eating habits in hopes I will not gain an excessive amount of weight and also to lower my risk for complications that go along with excessive weight gain in pregnancy. In half marathon training, I did exercises to strengthen the muscles that would be most used during my races. Core, calves, hamstrings, and quads. In pregnancy, I have done so many pelvic floor, back, and leg exercises! In half marathon training, I had to set small goals. Example: In the beginning I would set the goal to run 3 miles without stopping to walk. Then I would set a goal to run the 3 miles faster. Then I would set a goal to run further at a slower pace. You get the point. When I reached each goal, I would set a new one. In pregnancy, each week marks a new goal. 

Bumpdate to come after our check-up and ultrasound tomorrow. 

Kicking Off Week 20

I promise I have not forgotten about my fellow bloggers or even my own blog. I have had so many blog topics floating around in my little preggo brain; however, when I actually sit down to pound the words out on my keyboard, it just does not happen. I am still reading blogs. I just have to read them through my blog app which sometimes makes it hard for me to comment. Please know I'm still praying for all of you ladies who are still waiting for your miracle(s).


How Far Along?:  20w1d ish. The babies are measuring 4 days ahead according to our ultrasound last week. 

Due Date: January 14th. Dr. W told us last Tuesday that he will not let me go past December 31st though. I will be 38w by then and the babies should be all nice and plump. 

 

Weight Gain: 14lbs total. That's pretty dang good considering I'm carrying 2 babies, 2 sacs, 2 placentas, and I can barely do all of the workouts on my pre-natal DVD anymore. I've resorted to walking late in the evenings or early mornings. I've also tried to be SUPER careful what I eat. I'm not obsessing over my weight. I just know I need to remain as healthy as possible for the babies.

 

Maternity Clothes: I've stocked up on some fall maternity clothes to carry me through the 2nd half of this pregnancy; however, I guess I had a mild memory lapse and I forgot August in Tennessee is 2 degrees colder than Hades. Basically, I'm squeezing my belly into the last little bit of summer maternity clothes that still fit. Hurry up fall!!!

 

Sleep: I made a few pillow adjustments and it has made ALL of the difference in the world! I still wake up 2-3 times a night to use the bathroom, but at this point I'm not 100% I'm fully awake when I do so.

Best Moment This Week:  I had a few!

• A stranger asked me, "When are you due?" She then told me about her adopted new born baby. It was neat. I was excited to know I finally look pregnant to people other than my family and friends!
• Finalizing the nursery bedding. It is on our registry now. There is no turning back! I'm so glad to have this behind us now. I was really stressing out over it!
• Seeing our TWO HEALTHY little miracles wiggling, flipping, kicking, and sucking their thumbs on the ultrasound screen!
• Getting a confirmation on the genders of our precious little ones.
• Telling our friends and family the genders and names of our babies!!
• Adding TWO baby showers to my calendar! I cannot believe this is all of happening! I'm so excited and can hardly wait to celebrate our little ones with my friends and family!

Weird Pregnancy Moment:  Still rockin' the swollen feet and ankles. Thanks to Tennessee's awesomely hot late summer heat wave.

 

Movement: I've learned the babies LOVE when Mommy eats pasta (or Italian rather). I can really get them moving after a bowl of spaghetti or lasagna! I feel Baby A more than Baby B at this point. I'm sure Baby B is hitting the placenta more than me cause it sure looked like someone couldn't sit still on the ultrasound screen earlier this week!

Symptoms: All of them. Kidding. Kidding.  Growing belly, nasal congestion (this one is new in the last few weeks), frequent trips to the bathroom, increased appetite, round ligament pain, pelvic pain, pregnancy mask, swollen ankles and feet, shortness of breath, heartburn, and growing boobs.  See! All of them!

Cravings/ Aversions: Still drinking a lot of milk.

Anything Make You Queasy:  Not eating when I get hungry. I sometimes get queasy when my heartburn get too out of control too. The past few nights I have gotten a little queasy once I get home from work, and I haven't felt like eating supper. I do force myself to eat something though.

Gender: ****DRUM ROLL PLEASE........

Baby A is a wiggly worm baby boy named Ryker Christian.

Baby B is an active aspiring gymnast named Averlee Elizabeth.

 

Our firm "guess" at our 15 week ultrasound was boy/ girl so we were super excited to hear the babies were still boy/girl! 

Many people have asked about their names. Here's the scoop on that.
Big Brother Gavin stressed over naming the babies from the day he found out he would be a big brother to twins. Everytime he got in the car, we had to run through a list of names and "yay" or "nay".  One day he said something about "Ryker". I told him I would consider it. A few days later, Trey was googling baby boy names and he also mentioned "Ryker". At that point, it just seemed like our baby boy was destined to be a Ryker. 

We came across the name Averlee at the beginning of our journey in 2012. There was a sweet little girl at one of our bridal showers named Averlee, so I kept the name in my back pocket until it was time to start trying to get pregnant. 

The twins will have our middle names which are both family names. Christian is Trey's middle name and also my mother-in-law's maiden name. Elizabeth is my middle name, my best friend's middle name, and I have 2 great aunts who were named Elizabeth.

Bump Date - Week 17 and almost 18

Here's a bumpdate that comes with a very slight rant. Hang tight, friends. I was told from the very beginning how different a twin pregnancy would be from a singleton pregnancy. I thought I had my mind wrapped around the fact there would be two small humans growing together in a small space and after baking for 36-38 weeks, they would come out and we would bring home 2 little miracles. Little did I know, there is SO much more that goes into a twin pregnancy. The all day sickness in the beginning was almost unbearable at times. The other pregnancy symptoms set in quicker than with a singleton and they are 2x more intense. It wasn't until a very inconsiderate co-worker made a rude comment earlier in the week that I realized, I am experiencing something that so many people may have only read about. It is hard to explain what it is like growing 2 of God's miracles inside of me to someone who doesn't quite understand. Just because you delivered a 9lb baby at 40 weeks, does not mean you know all about carrying twins. There are so many more complications, discomforts,tests, worries, fears, and symptoms that go along with carrying twins. I'm not asking for a pitty party. I'm just trying to explain that when I say, "I bet my last day of work will be the end of November." ... do not belittle me by telling me, "OH but I carried a 9lb baby and never had to go on bedrest. That's like carrying twins." It isn't. Just stop.

**Off my soap box.**  Now here's my late (as usual) bumpdate...


How Far Along?:  17w6d (ish)  The babies were measuring a few days ahead at my last appointment so I'm a little unsure on the days.

Due Date: We just tell people the babies will be here in December. That way I avoid all of the "You're due in January and you're already THAT big?!" comments.  

 

Weight Gain: At my last OB appointment, I was up 10lbs. I have gained 4lbs since then I believe. Actually, I do not really trust my scale at home. I'll just say I haven't gained A LOT since my last appointment, but I have added a few pounds. It is all part of it!  

 

Maternity Clothes: I'm in maternity clothes all the way down to my panties. In the last week or so my belly has really poked on out there. Some of the non-maternity clothes I bought in bigger sizes at the beginning of our last treatment cycle are even too snug now to wear in public. I still have 20 more weeks! What am I going to wear?! ha.  I did make a few Motherhood Maternity purchases yesterday to boost my self confidence. I have a gift card to Target I am dying to use, but I'm trying to wait until they have their fall/ winter clothes out.

 

Sleep: I do not sleep well. I wake up to use the bathroom at least 3 times per night. I do a lot of just laying in bed with my eyes closed and hoping I will fall asleep soon. I look at it as conditioning for when the babies arrive in a few months!

Best Moment This Week:  Picking out bedding for the nursery, attempting to clean out the room that will soon be the nursery, and finalizing names for precious little ones!

Weird Pregnancy Moment:  My feet have grown and I no longer have ankles. I knew these things would eventually happen, but apparently with twins... they happen suddenly and MUCH sooner than in singleton pregnancies. OH! Let's not let this bumpdate pass us by without me addressing the # of people who have grabbed, rubbed, patted my belly. I get it. It is round. It just really makes me uncomfortable when people other than my husband touch me in such a way. You wouldn't touch my belly if I wasn't pregnant and I sure wouldn't walk up and grab anyone else's belly. So basically I'm saying, Please look with your eyes, not your hands!

 

Movement: Sometimes I feel things that I think might be movement, but I'm never really sure. The babies have anterior placentas - which means their placentas are at the front of my uterus. When they kick or wiggle, they actually hit their placentas instead of me. I'm hoping I will be able to feel them soon. I've really been worried in the last few days because I haven't felt anything. I do feel pressure where Baby A is at night. If I push and poke around enough, I can feel a hard spot where Baby B is too.

Symptoms: All of them. Kidding. Kidding.  Growing belly, nasal congestion (this one is new in the last few weeks), frequent trips to the bathroom, increased appetite, round ligament pain, pelvic pain, pregnancy mask, swollen ankles and feet, shortness of breath, heartburn, and growing boobs.  See! All of them!

Cravings/ Aversions: Still drinking a lot of milk. I do not really have any consistent cravings. I still have an aversion to sweets. I did have a root beer float earlier in the week to see if I could get the babies moving and swooshing around.

Anything Make You Queasy:  Not eating when I get hungry. I sometimes get queasy when my heartburn get too out of control too.

Gender: We have been given a very firm "guess", but it will have to be confirmed at our 20w anatomy scan. Lucky for us, our scan is actually scheduled for 18w6d... so we will get an early peek! We will know NEXT WEEK!!! ahhh.... cannot wait!

What I'm Looking Forward To:  2 words: ANATOMY. SCAN. Other than that, I'm just trying to soak in each day as it comes. I cannot believe we are halfway there! I'm so ready to see their sweet little faces!

Bump Date - Week 15

We are 15 weeks already?! Where is the time going?

Proud Daddy and  Mommy  - 15w1d

My big boy and I at the beach - 15w

How Far Along?:  15w3d

Due Date: We saw our OB yesterday! The babies are growing and we are now measuring a little (like 2 days) ahead of schedule. Regardless, we will never make it to January 14. The babies will be here at 38 weeks if at all possible... so the week of NYE we will be celebrating our miracles!

 

Weight Gain: As of yesterday, I'm up 10lbs from before I started FSH injections in April. My doctor told me he is not going to hound me about gaining too little or too much weight. He did emphasize I need to not worry about gaining too much or too little. I guess as long as I'm healthy and the babies are growing and wiggling, we are doing pretty good!

 

Maternity Clothes: I'm in maternity clothes all the way down to my panties. I found these comfy bikini undies at Motherhood Maternity a few weeks ago. I absolutely love them and they do not cut across my lower abdomen (where baby A is hanging out for now) like my pre-pregnancy undies. I do still wear a few loose pre-pregnancy dresses, but for the most part maternity clothes are more comfortable.

 

Sleep: I miss being able to sleep through the night. It is so crazy I went from napping daily, going to bed early, and dragging myself out of bed to .... now. Now it takes at least 30 minutes for me to finally get comfortable in bed. I'm awake around 1:30am for bathroom break #1. It then takes me another 30 minutes to get comfortable again and fall back asleep. I'm awake between 3-3:30am for bathroom break #2. Usually by this point, my right hip (close to where Baby B hangs out) is throbbing and it is nearly impossible for me to get comfortable. I guess they are preparing me for when they arrive in a few short months! Mommy is already up most of the night with them!

Best Moment This Week:  Seeing the babies! They are both growing! We even got to watch Baby B stretch and yawn a little while the tech took his/ her measurements. Baby A was wiggling and kicking around as usual. The tech did give us a guess on their genders, but she told us not to start shopping yet because it will have to be confirmed at my 20w anatomy scan. Ahh shucks. We did go ahead and tell Big Bro Gav what the guesses are since he has been dying to know.

Weird Pregnancy Moment:  Nothing really out of the ordinary. Shocking. I know.

 

Movement: I don't feel movement as far as kicks and punches yet. I DO feel pressure where the babies are though. Sometimes it feels like Baby B is tapping on the inside of my tummy. It is the craziest feeling. I tried to explain it to Trey. It is just too hard to explain though!  

Symptoms: food aversions, cravings, heartburn (yikes!!), growing belly, pregnancy mask, shortness of breath, round ligament pain. 

Cravings/ Aversions: Milk. I was never a fan of milk until I got pregnant with the twins. I actually hadn't noticed how much milk I had been drinking until Trey pointed out I go through a gallon a week! I also love to eat any form of potatoes.

Anything Make You Queasy:  Chili's Restaurant. I got sick in there twice earlier in pregnancy. I just cannot bring myself to give it another try. I get queasy in the evenings if I wait too long to eat supper. Other than that, I feel like a million bucks compared to the first trimester!

Gender: We have been given a very firm "guess", but it will have to be confirmed at our 20w anatomy scan. Lucky for us, our scan is actually scheduled for 18w6d... so we will get an early peek!

What I'm Looking Forward To:  2 words: ANATOMY. SCAN. Other than that : Shopping for our precious babies, registering for gifts, getting a solid answer on genders, decorating the nursery... the list goes on and on! We are so excited and so happy we have been given this opportunity to experience twins!

Beachin' It At 14weeks

Greetings! It has been a while since I've written a public post, so here is an update for your reading pleasure! 

The vomiting has finally subsided! Just in time for our vacation to the beach. Thank goodness, right? I do still get a little queasy in the evenings and if I don't eat when I get hungry. The feeling of being "really hungry" has been replaced with a feeling of "I'm so hungry I may throw up whatever is in my stomach right now if someone doesn't give me food soon." It's a beautiful thing really. 

As far as other pregnancy related fun, it has been an uneventful last 2 weeks. I'm thankful we safely made it into our 2nd trimester. There were moments in the 1st trimester where I doubted we would ever see 14w4d with the twins, but God saw us through and took away that doubt. Now here we are! I still cannot wrap my head around the fact I have 2 precious little lives growing and kicking inside of me right now! God is so good! I cannot wait to see how cute their little faces are and if they have my hair or Trey's! Big brother is excited too! He cannot wait to find out if he is getting brothers, sisters, or one of each. 

Speaking of genders... I keep having dreams the babies are little boys! At least once or twice a week I dream about them! Every. Single. Time. The are boys! I've been told we won't know genders for sure until my 20w anatomy scan, but I'm really crossing my fingers someone will take a peek at my 15w growth scan on Friday! It seems like everyone else who is due about the same time as me already have their gender reveal party plans in the making. I wanna know what the twins are!!! I'm ready to plan the nursery and start shopping! 

Here's a few pics to hold everyone over until I get back to reality in a few days. Enjoy...!

Gavin plotting his massive sand castle at the beach. 

My 13w2d baby bump... And maybe a bit of 1st trimester bloating. 

The super adorable onesies I couldn't resist buying a few weeks ago. 

My view for the next 4 days. 

Everyone have a great week!!