13 Weeks

How Far Along: 13 weeks with twins!

How big are the babies: Around 3 inches. About the size of peaches.

Maternity Clothes: I'm mostly wearing maternity pants.

Weight Gain: 6 pounds

Belly: Those who know I'm pregnant are starting to notice.  I still think I just look fat and I can't wait until there's no question that I am pregnant.

Stretch Marks: None, yet.

Sleep: As soon as I can run and hide in bed.

Best Moment of the Week: Spring Break, so no work/school; which means I get to rest and not push myself while wanting to empty my stomach.

Movement: The babies are moving. It will still be a while before I feel it. I can't wait to feel them move! I still can't wait for 8 limbs to beat me up, lol!  According to http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-12-weeks_1101.bc  "In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it."  Cool, huh?

Symptoms: I try every day to not take a pill, but I end up taking at least one a day.  I can't wait for this nausea to go away completely!

Food Cravings: Mexican food.  I had to have Taco Bell since we were in Lafayette today.

Genders: We will find out when I'm 18 weeks.  Babies, you better lay the right way!

What I Miss: Not worrying about what I eat (deli, etc).

What I'm Looking Forward to: I can't wait to feel the babies move!

Weekly Wisdom: Teach your husband he can cook.  He made fajita soup under with me walking him through it.  He did an amazing job!

Milestones: The babies are about 3 inches!

Emotions: I still cry easily. Especially when I'm tired.

~Sam

Spring Break

Spring break has been great.  We have netflix through the mail, but we've watched them, so Shawn got movies at Blockbuster before the snow hit.  It's been nice cleaning house and watching movies.  We watched Journey 2: The Mysterious Island with the kids last night.  I had nightmares about the stupid gigantic spiders.  Pregnancy dreams are so vivid too.  It's funny now, but I was terrified in my dreams.  LOL!  I've also been doing a lot of reading.  I've read most of "What to Expect when You are Expecting" as well as a lot of things online.  I learned something new.  I'd never even heard of measuring your fundal height.  I didn't know what that was.  According to the picture in one this page, I am measuring about 16 weeks: http://www.onlinehelpforpregnancy.com/week-24.html

With twins, I'm measuring 3 weeks ahead, so far.  I can't believe I'll be 13 weeks tomorrow.  It's so exciting!  The babies now measure around 3 inches.  I just find every step of the way fascinating and exciting.  I'm not sure I would find every little detail this exciting if we hadn't have tried for so many years.  We are not taking anything for granted.  We are so blessed.  I thank God for all he's given us.  Have a great week.

~Sam

12 weeks 5 days

I can't believe I am posting my fat belly.  I am 12 weeks 5 days with twins.  I'm constantly bloated and bulging.  Yes, I cut off my head.  I didn't do my hair or makeup this morning.  I'm on spring break.  

I googled belly pics.  I'd say I'm pretty close to this lady: http://definingfamily.wordpress.com/twin-belly/

~Sam

Heartbeats

Here are both babies from tonight.  The number shown is not accurate.  I'm not sure you can hear it, but to me, the baby on the right has a slightly faster heartbeat.

Enjoy!

~Sam

My jaw dropped

And I opened my eyes wide when reading this:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pregnancy-weight-gain/PR00111

When you're carrying twins or other multiples

If you're carrying twins or other multiples, you'll likely need to gain more weight. Again, work with your health care provider to determine what's right for you.

Consider these general guidelines for pregnancy weight gain if you're carrying twins:

Pre-pregnancy weight	Recommended weight gain
Normal weight (BMI 18.5 to 24.9)	37 to 54 pounds (about 17 to 25 kilograms)
Overweight (BMI 25 to 29.9)	31 to 50 pounds (about 14 to 23 kilograms)
Obese (BMI 30 or more)	25 to 42 pounds (about 11 to 19 kilograms)

I'm supposed to gain 31-50 pounds with twins.  I just went to the OBGYN on Friday and he said I need to gain about 40-45 pounds.  After dieting for a year and losing a bunch, this seems a little scary, lol!  I guess I know how to diet.  I lost it once, I can lose it again.  This was just an eye opener.  I've gained 6 pounds so far.  I guess I'm doing okay so far???

Have a great week!  Hopefully this snow we are supposed to get melts quickly!

~Sam

12 weeks

How Far Along: 12 weeks with twins!

How big are the babies: Around 52 mm or 2.05 inches. About the size of plums.

Maternity Clothes: I'm mostly wearing maternity pants.

Weight Gain: 6 pounds

Belly: Those who know I'm pregnant are starting to notice.  Some are afraid to say something, while others who haven't seen me in a few weeks walk in and say, "You're getting big."  LOL!  My belly is definitely sticking out now.  I still think I just look fat and I can't wait until there's no question that I am pregnant.

Stretch Marks: None, yet.

Sleep: As soon as I can run and hide in bed.

Best Moment of the Week: Getting relief from puking and drinking fluids like a fish out of water.

Movement: The babies are moving. It will still be a while before I feel it. I can't wait to feel them move! I still can't wait for 8 limbs to beat me up, lol!  According to http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-12-weeks_1101.bc  "In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it."  Cool, huh?

Symptoms: I was still puking all day every day until I gave in and called the Dr.  It was the best decision ever.  I am still nauseous almost all of the time, but no more puking!  It's great!

Food Cravings: Now that I can eat again, anything.

Genders: Too soon to tell.

What I Miss: Not worrying about what I eat (deli, etc).

What I'm Looking Forward to: I can't wait to feel the babies move!

Weekly Wisdom: Ask your wonderful husband to cook supper.  He has proven that he DOES know how to make wonderful dishes.  Ex.) Spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread.

Milestones: No more puking and the babies are bigger than 2 inches!

Emotions: I still cry easily. Especially when I'm tired.

~Sam

Wrong

I was Oh So Wrong!  I posted on Sunday about feeling a little better.  I was horribly wrong!  I have been puking my guts out since then.  I know, just what you want to read.  I am so tired of puking.  I gave in and called the Dr. today.  They gave me a prescription that is used for chemo patients.  The nurse said if I continued to get sick, I had to go to the ER for an IV today.  Thank God, I took a pill and felt a lot better within 30-45 minutes.  I bought a 32oz low calorie Powerade at CVS.  I drank the whole thing withing 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  I feel so thirsty now that I can actually eat and drink.  I'm still nauseous, but its not extreme now.  I can handle this constant mild nausea feeling.  I'm exhausted and will sleep like a baby tonight, but I think I will survive.  I pray I don't have to take this medication long.  I don't like to take pills if I can avoid it.  I hope that I wake up in a few days and feel 100%.  Have a great night!

~Sam

11 weeks 3 days

I will be in my second trimester in 12 days.  That's less than 2 weeks!  You have no idea how exciting that is for us.  We've been married for 7 years now and have tried to get pregnant from the day we married, with unfortunately, 1 pregnancy and loss in that time.  We just feel so blessed.  We listened to the babies heartbeats again earlier.  They are both still beating away.  Listening to them makes my heart smile.  :-)  It makes us both so happy!  We are so thankful that both babies have survived and continue to grow.

I haven't done much of anything all weekend long.  It has been great!  I slept in this morning.  I think taking it easy has helped my nausea.  Either that, or its starting to go away.  I pray its going away.  I'm still nauseous, but I haven't puked.  That's a major plus in my book!

I hate missing church lately, but I'm not sure I could make it through a service without running out puking.  I really hope that changes soon.  I can't stand ginger ale, but I've drank a little anyway and its helped.  Ginger cookies have helped a little as well.  I'm willing to try anything.

Have a great night!

~Sam

Oops!

I haven't felt the best this week, so I'll use that as an excuse.  I forgot to blog that Monday was Shawn and my seventh Anniversary.  Shawn said this was a much happier anniversary than the last.  I agreed.  After work (it was Shawn's day off), the kids, dog, Shawn, and I went to B&K West.  We all had some awesome Spanish cheese dogs.  Wait, the dog had a plain dog.  LOL!  I know, Lucy is very spoiled.  To top it off we had a chocolate browniewich.  Let me tell you, chocolate ice cream between two awesome chocolate brownies is to die for!  My food actually stayed down too.  It was great!  I think we are going out to eat just Shawn and I at some point this weekend.  I know we only dated 9 months before getting married, therefore, we were given six months by many.  We are both glad to prove it wrong!  Have a great Friday!

~Sam

11 Weeks

How Far Along: 11 weeks with twins!

How big are the babies: Around 40 mm or 1.57 inches. About the size of small limes.

Maternity Clothes: I'm starting to wear maternity pants with a mixture of baggy regular pants.

Weight Gain: 5-6 pounds

Belly: My husband and kids can see changes in my belly and a couple coworkers can tell.

Stretch Marks: None, yet.

Sleep: I'm in bed before 9 usually. I get grouchy when I'm tired. By 8:00 every night I tend to get snappy and I want to go to bed.

Best Moment of the Week: A wonderful friend is letting me borrow a fetal monitor.  We got to hear both babies heartbeats last night!  It was amazing!!!

Movement: The babies are moving now. It will still be a while before I feel it. I can't wait to feel them move! I still can't wait for 8 limbs to beat me up, lol!

Symptoms: Holey Moley, I'm paying for my lack of sickness now!  It started Sunday.  I blame daylight savings!  I've been nauseous and sick 24/7.  My poor kids have seen me puke in the driveway, flower garden, wherever I can while trying to get to the Durango and drive to school.  I woke up at 1:00 a.m. last night to puke.  My hormones are peaking now, so I'm hoping this doesn't last long.  I keep reading that things get better around 12-13 weeks.

Food Cravings: Anything that won't come back up.

Genders: Too soon to tell.

What I Miss: Not having morning sickness.

What I'm Looking Forward to: I can't wait to feel the babies move!

Weekly Wisdom: Ask your wonderful husband for help when all you can do is run to the toilet.

Milestones: Listening to their heartbeats!  Oh, and puking next to Shawn while he was trying to shave.

Emotions: I still cry easily. Especially when I'm tired and tired of puking!

10 weeks 6 days

A friend of mine is letting me borrow her fetal doppler. She gave it to me tonight. We were able to get a video clip of the baby on the left. I hope you can hear it. The baby on the right was being stubborn.  The baby on the right's heart-rate was a little faster.

Have a great night!  I am definitely having one now!

~Sam

Time Change

As if I'm not already walking around like a zombie, lets lose an hour tonight.  Thank goodness ISTEP was last week.  Everyone is going to be exhausted this week trying to adjust and "spring forward".  I am so proud of Zac.  I know he tried very hard on ISTEP.  He's already talking about how hard he's going to try on IREAD.  Abby has been working very hard as well.  I am so lucky to have such wonderful children!

So, I found another neat website.  You can enter in the babies length in millimeters and it will tell you their gestational age.  I did this with my previous ultrasound results and it matches what the Dr. said.  Even if the babies are still a day behind, I was wrong 2 days ago.  The babies are starting to grow faster than 1 mm a  day according to this: http://www.perinatology.com/calculators/Crown%20Rump%20and%20Nuchal%20Translucency.htm

Measuring a day behind at 10 weeks, they would have been 30 mm or 1.18 inches.  Today at 10 weeks 2 days, but measuring a day behind, they should be around 32-33 mm or 1.26-1.30 inches.  Zac and Abby can't wait to see my belly grow.  They want to feel the babies move.  They are very excited about being an older sibling.  They're always telling me things that they're going to teach the babies.  It's so cute!  We are so lucky!

I feel mostly bloated right now.  I have less than a week left taking progesterone.  I'm hoping some of the bloating and constipation will go away after I'm done with it.  They are the WORST side effects.  I've seriously contemplated buying prune juice like an old person.  I'm rarely nauseous, so that part is great!  I'm exhausted all of the time.  It is so worth it!  I told Shawn that it has taken us so long to get pregnant, that I won't complain about how bad I feel.  I did complain the other night.  He reminded me of what I said.  I told him that I might have some tummy issues, but it was more than worth it.  Progesterone supplements are the worst!

I dreamed about the babies last night.  Actually, it was this morning after Shawn left for work.  I went back to sleep.  I dreamed about being in the hospital with them.  I dreamed about showing Shawn how to properly strap them in car-seats and then leaving the hospital.  The babies were SO CUTE in my dream.  I can't wait until this becomes a reality!

Have a great weekend!

~Sam

10 Weeks

How Far Along: 10 weeks with twins!

How big are the babies: Around 29 mm or 1.14 inches. About the size of prunes.

Maternity Clothes: I'm starting to wear maternity pants.  They feel so much better!  I have bigger pants from going through my weight loss, but they just don't fit right.  They're too big.  I'm constantly bloated and my belly is sticking out some now.

Weight Gain: 6 pounds

Belly: My husband and kids can see changes in my belly.  My belly is starting to pooch.

Stretch Marks: None, yet.

Sleep: I'm in bed before 9 usually.  I get grouchy when I'm tired.  By 8:00 every night I tend to get snappy and I want to go to bed.

Best Moment of the Week: As of Monday, 9 weeks 4 days, our babies are over an inch long!  It's so exciting!

Movement: The babies are moving now.  It will still be a while before I feel it.  I can't wait to feel them move!   I can't wait for 8 limbs to beat me up, lol!

Symptoms: I'm usually nauseous on Monday mornings.  It has something to do with getting up early again, I guess.  Other than that, I'm only nauseous when I'm hungry.

Food Cravings: It changes.  I ate a whole jar of jalapenos one week.  I like sweet and salty.  One say I wanted to crush salty potato chips up in ice cream.  I never did get them.  I wanted a whole thing of Oreo's for lunch yesterday.  Instead I ate a salad with grilled chicken and some wheat thins.  I had to force myself to eat it.

Genders: Too soon to tell.

What I Miss: I haven't had a coke in a year and a half, but for some reason I've dreamed twice about drinking one.  In my dreams, I was very upset for drinking it.  I've given up pop and caffeine.

What I'm Looking Forward to: I can't wait to feel the babies move!

Weekly Wisdom: Laundry can wait until the weekend. Sleep is more important to the babies right now.  I try to get a couple loads done throughout the week still.

Milestones: The babies are over an inch long.

Emotions: I cry easily.  Especially when I'm tired.

9 Weeks 4 Days

Our babies were measuring a day behind last week.  If they still are, they should be 26 mm or 2.6 cm or 1.02 inches!  Our babies are over an inch long!!!!!!!  This is assuming our babies are still growing 1 mm a day.  I know that soon that will change.  I'm not sure if that's occurred yet or not.  Exciting!

Have a great week!

~Sam