Sunday, January 30, 2011

Entering Second trimester...

Time is flying and my belly is growing! Tuesday marks the last day of the first trimester of my pregnancy ... it is reaching a milestone. I feel so fortunate that our IVF treatment worked on the first try and that two little babies are growing bigger every day.

I have my next appointment with Dr. E on Monday and hopefully everything will look fabulous - the only thing I fear is the scale!!! I am really eating very healthy. I do a lot of snacking but it is mostly on fruit, veggies and almonds - but I do see the number on the scale creeping up. From my home scale it seems that I have gained about 4 lbs in the last 3 weeks...it seems like a lot to me but then again I know that it is twins so I will be gaining more than with the singletons.

I actually feel really really good. I am very hungry but cannot eat a whole lot at the time. It is so funny that L (IM) is telling me that she is hungry all the time too ... love it!!! My nausea is all but gone and only creeps up on me if I wait too long to eat anything. I am still tired and enjoy every extra nap that I get. Actually this morning I managed to stay in bed until 9! The I was famished and just had to get food...

I am pretty sure that I felt one of the babies move this past week. I know it is still early but it is such a distinct feeling. It was just ever so faintly and just a couple of times..but really just the thought of it makes me incredibly happy. It is just so re-affirming to feel life.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Last RE visit...

Monday was my last visit to the RE's office...Yeah for getting fully released to my regular OB. The visit went really really well and the babies look good.

Baby A measured 10 weeks on the dot and had a heart beat of 178. Baby B measured 9 weeks 5 days with a heat beat of 187. Both had good size sacks and the umbilical cords looked good. Dr. H took lot of pictures and I video taped the appointment for L&J so they can see the progress.

It is amazing how much the fetuses change at this early stage. Last week at my OB's office they still looked like little beans ... yesterday we could see little limbs moving around and the body is really resembling a baby now - although with a very big head. It is incredible that something that small can be this developed. The best part of the visit was getting to hear the heart beats. I love the sound of "little horses" galloping away. I heard them very faintly at the OB's office last week, but yesterday we heard them very very clearly and it is just an amazing sound.

I feel great...my nausea is lessening a bit so that is nice. My belly is already here and I have trouble fitting into my pants. I went to get a belly band yesterday which can be used to keep up "unbuttoned pants" to extend the life of my regular wardrobe just a bit. I am not quite ready to move into maternity pants but it probably will not be long.

It will be interesting to see how big my belly will grow this time given that there is twins in there....grow babies grow.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Really...

I am speechless and let me say that does not happen all that often...but yesterday M send me an email letting me know that "our story" was in InTouch Magazine ... what!!!!

Really InTouch Magazine ... hmmm never thought that I would find myself in a magazine sandwiched between pages on Sandra Bullock and Tom Cruise.

The story was short and sweet. There are a few quotes in there from me that must have been paraphrased from the NPR interview ... and I guess once it is out there it is fair game for others to use. I am just surprised that no one would have told me that I was going to be in a magazine before it hit the stands.

Anyway after I read M's email, I put the kids to bed, and was then off to the grocery store as my curiosity was getting the best of me...Rio and I had a little chuckle over the whole thing...and I do not mind the article at all but I guess it would have been nice to know in advance....then again I am sure that is how all "celebrities" must feel ... and that is what we are right at least enough to land in InTouch .... so funny.

WOW!!!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

First OB visit...

Monday was my first OB visit with Dr. E. Everything went really really well. We started the appointment of with an abdominal ultrasound and we saw the babies very clearly and heard the heart beats as well. It was hard to get a super clear sound of the heart beats but they both measured in the 106's which is excellent.

We talked through the additional risk that a twin pregnancy carries but Dr. E. is just so calm and wonderful. She is open to a vaginal deliver as long as baby A is presenting vertex ... now I think "baby A" is always the one presenting first ... but I need to ask Dr. H on how they decide which is A and which is B - all these new things to learn!

The rest of my initial exam went pretty quick and all looks great. Since it is a twin pregnancy there will be a few more appointments than usual and some growth scans via ultrasound to ensure that the babies are both growing well...but unless something out of the ordinary comes up, Dr. E is comfortable handling the pregnancy here at the coast which is great.

I had a great long call with L on Tuesday about the appointment. I was able to take some video of the ultrasound and had send the couple of ultrasound printouts to her and J as well. I know they were excited to see the video too ... it is a great way to share the appointment with them when they cannot be here in person.

In just another 4 days I go back to Dr. H for another ultrasound at the clinic. If all is looking well, this will be my last appointment at the reproductive clinic. They will also do blood work on that day, and I am hopeful that they will take me of the injectable medications very soon.

My nausea still continues but it is not as frequent anymore. It mostly happens first thing in the morning from I wake up until I get something in my stomach and then again later in the evening - a few hours after dinner. It usually helps if I eat some fruit or have some toast and milk. It occasionally happens doing the day as well but thankfully it is becoming less and less frequent.

Here is to a long and healthy twin pregnancy!!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Monday...

Monday is my first regular OB appointment ... it sounds "so normal" compared to everything we have done to get to this point. I am excited to go and very hopeful that I get to hear the heart beats and that I will be able to get some video for L&J as well.

According to the daily pregnancy calendar, baby's optic nerve and eyelids are developing now ... how amazing that all this work can take place inside my belly hidden from the world. "Hidden" from the world is a relative term though... my belly is popping out. 8 weeks and 5 days today and I cannot believe how much belly I have already. All my pants are tight and some are definitely not wearable anymore. I was on the scale yesterday morning and from the beginning of cycling until now, I have gain about 6-7 lbs ... yikes! I know a big portion is coming from the cycling meds; however, as I am lowering my medication dosages, the bloating from these are slowing starting to go away .. quickly to be replaced by an expanding waistline! With this being my fifth pregnancy and twins on top of that .. growing growing....