Valentines Babies, 2013!

[wamommy]

Hello ladies! I hope you all had a great weekend

Helena, it's good to hear that things are getting better! We're hoping to get a tree tomorrow too, and it's always a very fun day. This year I think the kids are old enough to enjoy putting ornaments on, instead of just grabbing them and running off

Midnight_Fairy, good to see you How have you been?

I've been a little absent lately because my 4-year-old has had a terrible cough. It comes and goes, but when she has a fit it's so hard to listen to. She coughs for about 20 minutes until she throws up The last few nights she's been up half the night coughing too, so the whole family is exhausted and a bit cranky. DH and I have been too hard on each other and fighting over the silliest things... ugh. Ah well, today is a nice relaxing laundry/football/lazy day.

 

[Kellen]

Good Morning Ladies,

Helena - Glad to hear that Christmas is lifting your spirits. I hope that your migraine goes away.
Wamommy - That sounds like a nasty bug that you are having to deal with in your house. Sleep deprivation is never fun at the best of times, but especially not with a sick kiddo.

Today we had our 31 week visit with the midwife. I've gained 33lbs... and I hate that, but was told that I'm still on track. My BP was low - as usual and I'm measuring 31 weeks. When the midwife went to use the doppler to find Teagen's HB she started kicking at the midwife's hand. Finally she was able to get a read close down by her head. And it is confirmed that she is head down and butt up.

DH wants to do cord blood banking. For those of you with prior children have you done this or would you consider it? We found a program that allows us to pay $60/mo for the next 4 years, which seems pretty decent.

I had resigned myself to the fact that I was not going to have a baby shower due to all my friends and family living in CA, WA and OR. However, they announced at church on Sunday that in January they will be throwing me a shower. DH has been wanting to get baptized for a year or so, so we are going to have the shower right after this baptism in January (our church is in an office building so a nice couple offered us the use of their newly installed hot-tub. I personally thought it would be funny to dunk DH in a freezing cold river, but apparently our pastor had other ideas).

Last night DH was kissing my belly and saying sweet, lovey things to the baby when all of a sudden he blew a raspberry. Little Girl jerked and startled so hard she hit him in the nose. She was not as amused as we were with her reactions. She pouted for about 15 minutes before she would move or respond to us again.

In non-baby news I have completely finished my Christmas shopping. DH almost found one of his presents. It came via UPS right as he was leaving for work on Friday. Since I didn't include his name on the label he wisely decided not to open it. Sorry for the long and pointless post, but work is dead today. It will be crazy on Friday with the close of the grant I manage. I'm taking advantage of the lull.

 

[SierraJourney]

Yay Kellen! So excited that you get a shower! That's so nice of your church!

And that's hilarious about the raspberry! What a smart little girl you have there! I feel like my little guy is so laid back that nothing startles him---I might have DH blow a raspberry just to see, though!

I've still got Christmas shopping to do. . .I've ordered all of the online things, though, so that part is done.

I hope everyone is feeling well today and trying to stay healthy!! I'm getting internet installed at my house this week, so hopefully I'll be able to check in on weekends after that---instead of missing everything!

I've been getting stabbing cervical pain all weekend. . .don't know if it's LO or if my cervix is changing? Anyone else?

 

[DragonflyWing]

Yep, I'm getting the stabby cervix pains too. One day last week DH said I jumped like I'd been shot...it was such a sharp sudden pain that it took my breath away!

Unfortunately, I'm sleeping like crap again. The humidifier only seemed to help for a few nights...now I'm back to waking myself up with my own snoring, and waking up gasping for breath because apparently as soon as I fall asleep, I stop breathing well. This morning, I must have woken up 50 times between 5:30 and 8am. I tried taking a nap during my lunch break, but as soon as I'd start drifting to sleep, I'd startle awake because I felt like I couldn't breathe. Argh!

 

[SierraJourney]

It's so startling, isn't it Dragon!? It literally feels like someone is pinching some tissue inside there or something. . . lol

I'm sorry you are having such a hard time sleeping! I wake up in the night, too, but nothing like you have been! I can't imagine!!!

 

[wamommy]

Kellen, I'm so glad you're going to have a baby shower! Gifts aside, it's a chance to feel special and loved while waiting for baby Glad your appointment went well, too.

I hear you guys on the cervix thing! I've found when it happens I quickly do a few kegels and the baby backs off, lol.

Dragonfly, I'm so sorry you haven't been sleeping well. Not getting good sleep is torture, really. I hope you can find some relief! I can imagine your poor lungs are getting pretty mashed with 2 healthy babes in there.

We're off to go get a tree!! It's raining here (in Seattle? NO WAY!!) but it's supposed to rain all week, so we may as well tough it out.

 

[SierraJourney]

Yay tree wamommy! We have had ours for a week now, and on Sunday, the dang thing FELL OVER onto my floor----needles and ornaments and water EVERYWHERE! Apparently it had started dying on the back side (on the bottom) and became top heavy and crashed down from the lopsided weight. It still looks good from the front, so we set it back up, braced it better, re-decorated, and am hoping it lasts until Christmas!

 

[helena]

Hi all. I am getting the feeling like baby is scratching down there, trying to get out. Certainly is uncomfortable! Had to stop and grab the stroller in Ikea the other day!

Got confirmation that my c sec will be on 1 Feb today, 7 weeks 3 days. Wowee!

 

[SierraJourney]

Wow helena---that's so close!!! How exciting!!

Baby is scratching away down there as I type this---I wonder what they are really doing in there?! lol

 

[Kellen]

Wow! 7 weeks really puts things into perspective. I guess this means we really have reached the home stretch. The second trimester seemed a bit sluggish, but things have really began to pick up speed.

I too am feeling the scratching/biting feeling from my little one. I told DH the other night that I wished that I had a see-thru belly so that I could tell what she was up to. He just gave me a weird look and walked away...

We are having a difficult time settling on a middle name. Neither of us are particularly choosey. Right now we are stuck between "Garey" (my maiden name) or "Cooper" (my middle name and mom's maiden name). Since my grandpa passed away in October I'm tempted to go with Cooper for his sake, but since it is my middle name I feel like it wouldn't be fair to her to have a non-original middle name.

 

[SierraJourney]

I'd LOVE a see-through belly! that'd be awesome! haha

We haven't decided on a middle name, either. . . .I think that's more tough than a first name!

 

[DragonflyWing]

A see-through belly would be amazing, I'd love to see what they're up to in there!!

Had a measurement scan this morning, Gunnar is 3lb10oz, and Lilja is 3lb11oz! That puts them in the 45th percencentile for singletons, which apparently is great for twins

I was having some minor contractions during the NST, but I didn't really feel anything. My BP was a little bit high, but I didn't have any protein in my urine. They did some blood tests just to make sure I'm not developing pre-eclampsia, but the dr said it's just a precaution.

 

[Kellen]

Dragon - that is awesome that your little ones are getting so big! I am glad that your doctor is being cautious with your health as well.

Just think of the stress that we could cut out of our lives if we could see into our wombs. The first trimester would be such a breeze if we could just roll up our shirts and see that our little ones were happy and developing.

 

[SierraJourney]

Those are great weights Dragon! Congrats!!!

Fingers crossed that the blood tests come back okay! When are they expecting the twins to come--have they given you any indication? I know that twins come early, but just curious how early!

 

[wamommy]

7 weeks, Helena?? Oh gosh, that is so soon! How exciting?! I can't wait to start meeting all of our little ones.

DragonflyWing, those weights are amazing I'm curious about what Sierra said , too. When are they thinking the twins will come? Are they scheduling a c-section or waiting on labor? Sorry, I don't know much about carrying twins, and I'm so curious!

I wish I had a see-through belly too. Sometimes I feel movement on 2 completely opposite sides of my belly, and I wonder how he does that! I also feel the scratching on my cervix, and wonder if it's head, hands, elbow, or?? It would be quite a show!

Has anyone else been having amazingly strong Braxton Hicks lately? The last few days I've had to sit down and breathe through a couple of them, they were so tight. I'm happy that my body is getting ready, but ouch!

 

[DragonflyWing]

They haven't really given me any indication of when to expect to deliver, except to say that I won't go full term. Google tells me that the average gestation for twins is 35 weeks, but that includes complicated and uncomplicated twin pregnancies. Since mine has gone so well so far, I would expect that I'll make it to 36-37 weeks unless something drastic changes.

I don't even know if I'll be having a vaginal delivery or a c-section yet...apparently it all depends on the babies' positions. If both are head down, that gives me the best chance for a successful vaginal delivery. If one or both are breech, I'll probably have a c-section. Right now little boy is head down and little girl is breech...and they are definitely running out of room! Not sure how easy it would be for them to turn now.

My guess is that I'll have them sometime around the 3rd week of January. Not too much longer!

 

[helena]

glad the babies are doing so well dragon!! my girl will be born at 38 plus one day. am excited. both my boys were born at the same sort of time.
thats if she doesnt come earlier..have been getting a lot of shooting pains right across the lower bump this afternoon that i had to deep breathe through. bit like lightening. but maybe she has moved again..she is currently kicking right behind my belly button, down on the lower right and right at the top near my ribs...is she an octopus?!?!?!?

 

[helena]

Wow helena---that's so close!!! How exciting!!

Baby is scratching away down there as I type this---I wonder what they are really doing in there?! lol

i had this with my youngest too. and he had long nails when he was born!....

 

[SierraJourney]

Wow Dragon---that's coming up soon!!!

helena, I totally understand the octopus thing!---how do they "kick" in so many different spots at one time!?

I'll have to see if my lo is born with long nails! lol that's hilarious!

 

[DragonflyWing]

I got to see little Gunnar using my bladder as a pillow...so that's why I feel like I need to pee even when I JUST went. Sometimes I even say to DH "I just peed didn't I? Like 3 minutes ago? What the heck?!"

Today the SPD has been pretty bad...I had to walk back and forth between two fax machines several times at work, and I felt like I could hardly walk. I need to start wearing my maternity support belt more often, I'm getting lots of ligament pains...not surprising I guess, considering there's already almost 7.5lbs of baby in there!

Blood test results all came back normal, no pre-eclampsia