34 weeks & ultrasound

The ultrasound this morning went well. The babies are doing great, have plenty of fluid, healthy placentas and they are each estimated to weigh 5 lbs! We are pleased with this news because that means they're growing at the exact rate they should be. They are in the same positions, more or less, although her head is further to the left side now. Her head was right in the middle at the last ultrasound, 4 weeks ago. I think she's had to stretch out a bit to continue growing. It's honestly a wonder either one of them is growing because they're packed in there like sardines! I don't have any pictures of them because they're getting too big and squished to get anything clear enough. The ultrasound tech looked for hair today and says Mr. Cherry has a little bit. Unfortunately, Miss Apple is too low to be able to tell. Craig had a lot of dark hair when he was born and I was completely bald, so maybe we'll have one of each.

Zapper

I went in this morning for our first non-stress test (NST) and a regular OB appointment. The NST was first...the nurse hooked up a monitor to each baby using a TON of the ultrasound goop (messy!). She had a hard time finding Mr. Cherry's heartbeat at first because the little guy is so busy. She would find it, and he would quickly move. Miss Apple was very cooperative and once her monitor was strapped on, she did really well. The NST is designed to monitor each baby's activity level. The doctor wants to see each of their heart rates go up 15 points and stay up for a minute or so. Obviously, if they are active, that is more likely to happen. If the heart rate stays up for too long, it can mean the baby is distressed. About halfway through the test, the OB came in to check on things. No surprise that Mr Cherry passed with flying colors (he's A LOT more active than Miss Apple). She decided to take a little snoozer during the testing, so her heart rate wasn't changing. Our OB kept muttering something about a zapper and I was oblivious to what she was talking about. She then left the room, and returned with a tool that looks like a small flashlight. She put it on my belly and pushed a button. It made an odd zapping noise, but didn't feel like anything. However, Miss Apple was then wide awake and eventually passed her testing as well.

The actual OB appointment was pretty routine. My blood pressure is fine, urine test came back normal and I'm continuing to gain weight (eek!). I am now measuring at 42 weeks, so I'm the same size as a mom with a single baby who is 2 weeks overdue. Everyone keeps telling me how small I am, but I do not feel small! I feel like my belly is literally growing everyday, which isn't far from the truth. For the rest of my pregnancy, each baby will gain about 1/2 lb every week!! Wow.

I'm still fairly uncomfortable, but hey, what do I expect with a twin pregnancy, right? It's getting difficult to roll over from side to side at night and I'm generally most comfortable on my left side, so I stick with that. Some nights I still don't sleep well, but some nights I sleep great. I continue to have back pain, and rib pain, especially as Mr. Cherry continues to grow from side to side. His head and butt are nearly always visible as my belly gets distorted where he is pushing.

We have an ultrasound tomorrow and another NST on Friday. More updates to follow.

33 weeks--Coeur d'Alene Lake Brunch Cruise

Craig's brother, Keith, and sister-in-law, Pauline, were in town for a few days from Edmonton. We took them on a brunch cruise on Lake Coeur d'Alene. Here are a few pictures of the growing belly from that trip.

Hospitals and Socializing

It was a busy week of primarily socializing, but I need to add a few updates here. Craig and I had our hospital pre-admission appointment early in the week. I've discovered I really hate hospitals and thankfully, I've never had to spend the night at one. I realize that is about to change and I think that's why as soon as we entered the building my hands were sweaty and I became nervous. I really hope I'll be overwhelmed with excitement when we actually go to have the babies. The appointment went well, with a nurse asking us an abundance of questions, including some that surprised me. They asked about our birthing plan, what kind of medication I want during and after having the babies, if I was going to nurse them, etc. We also got a "tour" after our appointment, although, we both got the impression the nurse was in a hurry. It was a super fast, "here's the recovery room", "here's the overnight rooms" with very little time for us to actually look in the rooms.

I also had another massage appointment. They seem to be helping relieve some of my back pain, as well as hip pain while sleeping. She is giving me plenty of tips on ways to make my last pregnant weeks as comfortable as possible.

Like I said, I've been socializing as well. Last week I met a good friend for pedicures (no longer a luxury, now a necessity) and lunch. I also had dinner with a group of ladies I'm thinking about joining called Stroller Strides. They are a group of moms that have a three-day a week exercise program, as well as play dates and Moms Nights Out. It sounds like a good way for me to tone up my body and also a great social network. I enjoyed having dinner with them, as they are all around the same age as me and lots of fun to be around!

This week I have loads of appointments, so I will be blogging again soon...

Cruising Along

32 weeks pregnant. 8 months. It's hard to believe everything has gone so well so far. I haven't updated the blog because I really didn't have much to report. I'm enjoying being done with work now so I can relax when I need to. It's also been good to get a few things done around the house, but primarily, I read and watch TV. I've been asked repeatedly if I'm bored. NO WAY!! I'm not crazy...I know what's coming. We are going to be so busy in a few weeks that I cannot complain about some down time.

I had an appointment today with our OB. She was so happy with my good health and told me several times how well I'm doing getting to 32 weeks without any issues. My blood pressure was normal again, as were the proteins in my urine. She believes the preeclampsia was a false alarm and that something else was temporarily elevating my blood pressure (stress, anxiety, etc.). I am now measuring at full-term...well, full-term if I was having one baby. No wonder I'm so uncomfortable now!! It seems like it's impossible for me to get comfortable sitting or standing for any length of time. I've also developed carpal tunnel, which is apparently somewhat common. Oh, all the things no one ever told me about pregnancy. :) I only have problems with it in the morning when I first wake up. My hands are stiff and achy, but it only lasts for an hour or so. The top of my belly is also pretty sore from the babies continuing to grow up towards my ribs. Ouch. My back continues to be sore, though I will continue to get regular massages until the babies are born because it seems to help.

In two weeks I will start non-stress tests twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays. These will continue for the duration of the pregnancy. The purpose of the nonstress test is to evaluate the babies heartbeats and movements, as well as the frequency of contractions. External fetal monitors are hooked up to each baby. If the heart rate of one or both of the babies doesn't react to the movement or the baby doesn't move at all, the doctor worries about fetal distress.

We have nearly everything ready for the babies arrival now. We need to install the car seats and pack our bags, then we will be ready to go. We will probably do both of these in the next couple weeks so there won't be anything to worry about. Can't believe it's getting so close!! Some days I'm really done being pregnant and other days I want it to last awhile longer. I really love feeling them move around and I know I will miss that.