Fear of the unknown

Yesterday I got up and got ready for work and went to work, like normal. But when I got to work, I was NOT feeling normal at all. I wasn't just uncomfortable, I was in PAIN! My stomach was hurting, my hips felt like they were on fire and my lower back was throbbing. So, I called the babyline and went home. I was in bed ALL day....I only got out to go to the bathroom.
It's so hard to know what is "normal" and what isn't. I've decided to stop reading about the third trimester and pre-term labor because the symptoms are all so general. I'm having all of them. I just need to calm down about it and realize that I need to rest more.
By last night, around 10 p.m. I was feeling a little better. And today I feel OK. I just need to realize, as Dr. Kamsheh said, "You are going to feel this way until the babies are born."
Great.
Makes me feel oh so much better!

Couples' Shower

Stacy and Jon threw us a couples' shower on Saturday night. They drove in from Moorhead on Saturday and set everything up. It was so generous of them. Eric and I feel truly blessed.
I've never been to a couples' shower and it was really fun. There was a game where all the guys had to drink beer out of baby bottles and whoever finished first got a prize...a jar of baby dills. Thankfully, Eric won and I think I finished the jar before the shower was over and I wasn't even embarassed!
It was so strange to see all of these guys, including my dad, drinking out of baby bottles.
And then everyone wrote a note to us or to the twins on a diaper and that was really fun. One of them said, "I know I stink, but look how cute I am!"
It was just really overwhelming.
And Jackson and Addison were blessed with really neat stuff. Jackson got a one-z that says, "Don't wake me, I'll wake you." And Addison got one that says, "Daddy does my hair."
They both got Winnie-the-Pooh bears that were made by Sydney and Brady...and Steve told me that each of the kids kissed a heart and put it in the bear before they were sewn shut. It was so cute!
I stayed up until midnight....which I haven't done since before I was pregnant for sure. I paid for it on Sunday, but it was worth it.

Suddenly I don't feel so bad

OK...I'm looking in the book I got from the hospital, all about babies, and I'm reading the chapter called, "Your Newborn." I kid you not. There are actually pictures of babies with the captions: Awake, Sleeping, and Crying! Um, I'm going to be JUST FINE!!!! I already can CLEARLY tell when a baby is awake and asleep and crying. Are they kidding me?

Not to fear Jackson and Addison....mama is feeling pretty confident right now....at 3 p.m. on Friday....you'll be in good hands!

Precious Dad-to-be

So, at night, when Eric thinks I'm asleep, which is nearly impossible...he whispers kind things to me. It's so sweet.
He says things like, "You're going to be an awesome mom" and "you are so beautiful" and "our kids will be lucky to have you," and "Geez, if I knew I was marrying an NFL linebacker, I'd have bought the king size bed..."
That's my baby.

27 Weeks

Today marks the 27 week milestone...heck, I'm calling each new week a milestone. But 27 weeks is the start of the third trimester. This is what my book says:

These last months of pregnancy prepare you for the birth. You may feel uncomfortable (understatement), because your baby (babies) and your uterus are so large. Your baby (babies) is stretching and moving, trying to find room in an increasingly cramped uterus. You are both (all three of us) getting ready for this to be over!

So, I'm out of the second trimester, which was nicknamed the honeymoon stage. Now, I'll start to get more tired...how is that even possible! It seems I'm outgrowing everything, even my shoes, which I find hard to believe. I think Eric just switched them with a smaller size....that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Deuce

Eric has started calling me Deuce...after Deuce McAllister, the running back for the New Orleans Saints. He said it's because I'm carrying twins and I'm over 222 pounds. He says it in such an endearing way, it almost makes me not want to smack him.....almost.

Doctor Update

So, Eric and I had a doctor appt. yesterday. I have gained 55 pounds and Dr. Kamsheh (Kam-shee) didn't say a word. He said I look very healthy. I'm just so uncomfortable. He measured me and said my uterus is as big as that of a woman who is full term carrying one child.
So, what does that mean?
He said that, in about a week, my uterus will realize its size and start trying to have the babies because it's smart and that's what it would do if it were having one. So, I need to be aware and when I start having contractions, I need to immediately stop whatever I'm doing and lay down for 1 to 2 hours. He said it so matter of factly that I didn't even get nervous...until I got home and realized I would freak out if that happened.
So, basically, as Eric said, I'll be 9 months pregnant for 3 months!!! No wonder my hips and knees and ankles and feet are killing me!
I did go to the gym yesterday BUT only to float on my back in the pool. It wasn't quite the relief I was expecting, but it did help. And I slept a little better last night because if it. I got all of 5 hours!
Dr. Kamsheh said that my inner hips are in pain right now because Addison is breach and she's putting pressure on my pelvis. I told Dr. Kamsheh that he was going to have to tell her to move....he just laughed!

More Twins

So, Jackson and Addison aren't the only great-grand twins for Great Grandpa Howard and Grandma Elsie. Seems like Pauly Wally Doodle (sorry...couldn't resist Paul) and his wife Lanae are also having twins...twin boys. So, before Eric and I found out about the twins, Howard and Elsie had only great granddaughters....six of them....but if all goes well, after this June or July, there will be seven girls and three boys....who would have thunk it....
When Paul left a message on my voicemail that they had an ultrasound....I instantly knew....and wondered if he and Lanae had the same reaction as Eric and me.

Heartburn

Oh my goodness....this heartburn is NO JOKE! I'm calling it heartscald, because it's much worse than a burn. I've never had heartburn before I was pregnant...it's TOXIC!!!!! Tums is no match for it. Milk doesn't work either. I fear laying down, because that's when it's worst. Good thing laying down is very uncomfortable. I wonder if I'm experiencing twice the heartburn because of the two babies...I need an extra strength cure for the heartburn.....

Sorry...no photos

I had another ultrasound today. Eric couldn't come because he's cross country skiing with Uncle Mike and Aunt Sandy. So Grammona came with me (Addison, she already said you were beautiful!).
Everything is good.
Addison is 2 lbs, 5 oz. Her heartbeat is in the 130s.
Jackson is 2 lbs, 4 oz. His heartbeat is in the 150s.
Jackson is laying horizontally, higher than Addison. He's hogging all the room. In the ultrasound, the technician said he was even kicking her.
Addison is scrunched on my left side and her butt is down...but she'll get him back when they're born I'm sure.
Neither of them were being cooperative, so I didn't get any photos! Their heads were together at one point, like they were talking. They were probably plotting against mom and dad already.

Every good and perfect gift is from above

A baby was created by the hand of God above
To give the world the sweetest touch of tenderness and love.
With the softness of a whisper, God make a baby’s skin
And then designed two trusting eyes to put the starlight in.
God made the world a precious gift more dear and pure than gold,
With little toes to play with and tiny hands to hold,
Then brought into the sunshine a baby girl or boy
All wrapped up in a rainbow of wonder, hope, and joy.
May this precious gift from God add new meaning and joy to your lives.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.
James 1:17

This poem is from a card I bought for a friend I just found out is pregnant. It's so sweet.

Little surprises

I was sitting here at my desk a few minutes ago, feeling really bored with today's work and then, I felt this kicking in my belly. It was the coolest thing. It was almost like the twins were giving me a little reminder that my life isn't about my job, but about them. How true. They are so wise for thier age (SMILE!)

Annemarie's Dream

I got this email from Annemarie this morning. I laughed out loud at work. It's too funny not to share....

Good morning Noodle,

I had the funniest dream last night - about your babies!! I dreamt that you could take a baby out and play with it (it is still attached to the umbilical cord) and then put it back. You had your little boy out and he looked just like Eric! Blonde hair and blue eyes, no blood just beautiful creamy skin. In the dream I was teasing you that he could of at least had some curls to represent your half. The umbilical cord had the texture and look of a snake. It had black scales, but we weren't creeped out by it. Little Jackson was beautiful and a total snuggler, such a sweet guy. You were at a party passing him around and we just had to be careful of the snake umbilical cord- which was about six feet long so that helped with passing the baby around. When we were done holding him and playing with him you just popped him back in.

If I am psychic your delivery is going to be easy, your babies will be sweeties, just stay away from the umbilical cord!

Peek-a-Pooh!

On Saturday, Auntie Nancy and my mom came over and put up a border and a Pooh mural in the nursery. It looks so awesome! Now the room feels more ready to welcome the babies. Everytime I glance in there now, I just feel like it's a babies' room...and it's neat. The glider rocker has Eric's baby blanket draped over it and it just feels really cozy.
Now...if cribs were just a little less expensive, we'd be on track.....

Back to the midwives??!?

OK...so Eric and I had a doctor's appointment on Friday and it was so maddening. For one, we met with a midwife because our doctor was sick. Two, she was an hour late! AND the clinic called to ask if we could go to an earlier appointment because she had openings! Three, she gave us information that conflicted with other things we were told. And four, she said that we could still see the midwife, along with the doctor, which we were told we couldn't do. I was so annoyed at all the conflicting information!! Who knows what's right and what's wrong? I certainly don't. The kicker was that when she was done, she said, "Nice to meet you." and we had met her before!!!!!
Eric and I were both so annoyed!
Anyway, I got on the scale....222...then Eric got on the scale and he weighed less, but not by much. It's his sympathy weight. He started cheering! But the nurse said that I'll be back at my fighting weight before he will, and that seemed to quiet him a bit.
At 25 weeks pregnant with twins, I'm the size of a woman who is 36 weeks pregnant with one! That's almost full term. No wonder things are getting so much harder. The midwife told me that I really need to listen to my body...um, duh? I hear it, but I don't know what it's saying. I've never done this before. I don't know what pains are bad and should be taken seriously and those that are just par for the course. A little help would be nice. She also told me I needed to take two, hour-long breaks at work each day to lie down with my feet up. OK....yeah, in somebody's perfect world that would work. Not mine!
BUT...we got to hear their heartbeats, which always makes us happy. She said they were really active babies.
*******
Last night, we watched Multiples: In the Womb. Well, actually Eric did, and I fell asleep. But it sounded neat. He said that after some twins are born, they will play with each other from either side of a curtain, which is much like what they did in the womb. That sounded cool, so I guess we'll have to get some curtains. He also said that one tends to become the dominant one in the womb, and that one will hit the other one, who will retreat. And when they are born, they'll typically exhibit the same behavior. That's just totally wild!!
*******
I gave a speech last night at a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. service and the twins were really excited about it, because they were moving all around. I barely made it up to the podium and I was out of breath during the whole thing. Eric said he was sitting there thinking, "Breathe baby. Breathe!"

I guess they are kicking

Last night I got an hour, at least, of great sleep. It just happened to be during the time Eric was drilling holes into the floors for the new railings. The loud noise just lulled me to sleep. I didn't hear a thing!! But, when he opened the bedroom door ever so slowly to come to bed, I jumped up.
It doesn't make ANY sense at all. The drilling put me to sleep, but the quiet creak of the door startled me....go figure.
So, when Eric finally came to bed...after working ALL day on the new floors, he said, "When do I get to feel them kick?"
I told him that I don't really feel them kick yet, but I do feel a little thumping thing that's kind of like a heartbeat. He seemed disappointed, so I took his hand and put on the place on my belly where I usually feel them "kick."
And, not 10 seconds later, BAM, I felt the heartbeat-type feeling and Eric yelped, "WHAT WAS THAT?!" I said that's the babies moving. He thought it was really cool and he wanted to feel it again. But, of course, they wouldn't do it when daddy was watching.
But it was cool to see his reaction. I guess I'm just so used to the feeling, which I didn't think was really movement, that I'm immune to it.

Glucose

So, this morning I had a simple glucose test....yeah right! I'm learning that nothing is simple during pregnancy. The actual test was easy, actually...I just had to drink this really sugary drink that resembled Orange soda and then wait an hour and have blood drawn.
The NOT-SO-SIMPLE part was having to FAST for 10 hours before hand!! The last time I fasted for 10 hours was...oh, that's right....NEVER!!! And certainly NOT in the 24 weeks I've been pregnant. Good thing the test was at 8 a.m....but I tell you, that hour wait was not fun....do you know how many patients bring in food with them as they wait for the doctor? Thirteen! That's how many this morning.....CRAZY!!!
But I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and some yogurt waiting for me in the car, which was key!

Mr. Handyman

So, I must admit, I was a little afraid when Eric told me he was going to do the floors himself...he and Steve. I mean, it's a big project to take all the party time purple carpet out and put in hard wood laminate, and, I'll admit, I didn't give him enough credit. But two days into the project, he's about 90% done and it looks amazing. Aside from the sleepover we had last night in the living room, because that's where our bed is...and the piano and futon in the kitchen...and Guinness's bed in the nursery, not much had been disturbed(SMILE!)
The babies are going to be so proud of their daddy!!

Muckreaders

So, the babies and I ventured out to The Bad Waitress for book club last night. I was a little nervous about it because I didn't know how well they would behave, thus, how long I'd get to stay. But, they were great and book clbu was FABULOUS!
I hope I'll be able to continue it...but I have a feeling that my choice of books will take a drastic turn in the next couple of months...do you think I could persuade the Muckreaders to choose Goodnight Moon instead of Freakonomics(SMILE!)

This is the honeymoon stage?

So, I keep reading that the second trimester is supposed to be this wonderful honeymoon stage where I get more energy and I'm feeling better than ever....
But, I'm not.
I've reached the pinnacle of my sleeplessness. Over the past three days, I've probably gotten seven hours. And, of course, I'm stressing out because I think it's not good for the babies, and then I can't sleep even more. So, it's an admittedly bad cycle.
Hope there is some sleep in my near future!!

Unisom

I am so desperate for sleep. Historically, I've not been a a good sleeper, but the past few weeks have been tougher than usual. I guess I just have a lot on my mind.
Last night, I decided to take my doctor's advice and try taking Unisom. But I wanted to make sure I gave myself at least 10 hours, in case the pill worked really well, so I wanted to take it and be in bed by 8 p.m....which, normally would not have been a problem.
But, Lyndsey, who was leaving back to shool today, called and asked if she could stop by to see us. Eric was already on his way to work, but Guinness and I were home and I know he'd love to see her too. So, she came by and the first thing she said was, "DANG!! You're SO pregnant."
Geez, college seniors are so intelligent.
Lots of things around the house have changed since she lived with us last summer. And I couldn't help but think back to the day in August when I found out I was pregnant. She was the first one to know. It's wild to think about how much has changed since that day.
Guinness was so excited he didn't know what to do with himself. He would sniff her and then run up and down the steps...he did that routine at least 100 times.
I was really enjoying catching up with Lyndsey, but I also really wanted to finally get some sleep. She left around 9:30 and I decided to take the magic pill.
It was weird.
I've been having crazy dreams with the pregnancy, but the dreams I had last night were out there. I dreamt about one of Eric's friends that I've only met once, my landlord from Syracuse and a character in the book I'm reading. They were all living with me and showing me pictures from all different parts of my life...and they were claiming to have been with me. it was kind of a "this is your life" thing.
I got up about 5 times during the night, less than normal. But I don't think I'll take the Unisom again because the dreams were just too strange.

Melissa and Mathias

My dear friend Melissa, who is 29 weeks pregnant with blessed Mathias, needs prayer. She has been on bedrest since about 24 weeks and, thankfully, with each passing day that she's still pregnant, Mathias is growing stronger. The twins and Eric and I...and a whole bunch of other people, have been praying for Melissa, Mike and Mathias, which must be working, because, as of this morning, she's still pregnant.
At this point, each day is a true blessing.

Letter to my babies

Dear Jackson and Addison,

I'm not that great at just letting things happen. I'm the kind of person that likes to be in control of everything, which, I'm sure you'll find out as time passes. But, as I think of things that I want you to know, I'm going to write them down. One thing I've relied on since I found out that the TWO of you will bless our lives is that God doesn't give you more than you can handle. But I also want you to remember that God gives you...

Enough Happiness to keep you Sweet
Enough Trials to keep you Strong
Enough Sorrows to keep you Human
Enough Hope to keep you Happy
Enough Failure to keep you Humble
Enough Success to keep you Eager
Enough Friends to give you Comfort
Enough Wealth to meet your Needs
Enough Enthusiasm to make you look forward
Enough Faith to banish depression,
and Enough Determination to make each day a better day than the last.

You probably won't even understand what many of these lines mean for 20 or 30 years, but they are true. Life goes by so fast, which you'll probably also hear a million times, and the older you get, the more you'll realize that it's true.

So, I love you to pieces and all toghether!!! I better explain that phrase.
A long time ago, Grammona drove up the her house with 2-year-old cousin Selena in the car, and she said. "There's Shane. I just love him to pieces," to which a horrified Selena replied, "Grammona! Don't you love him all together?"
Grammona just answered, "I love him to pieces and all together."

Your mom

Dairy Queen...not Protein Queen

Since the nutritionist said I wasn't eating enough protein, Eric has been gloating, because that's what he predicted she was going to say. He's also been trying to force feed me protein...but chicken, his protein of choice these days, just does NOT appeal to me.
A trick he's started to use to get me to divulge my eating habits is to nonchalantly ask me what I've eaten for the day. I get sucked in because I think he's really interested, when, in actuality, he's just calculating the protein grams that I've consumed. And when he realizes it's not enough, he tries to entice me to consume more protein..."Guess whose having a protein shake for dessert," he says with a smile, like a chalky, nasty shake is actually a treat or something.
I'll tell you what a real treat is! A Dairy Queen Oreo cookie blizzard.
Last night, while watching the Orange Bowl, I saw a commercial for DQ. They featured an Oreo cookie blizzard...I've never had one before, but it looked so yummy...I even dreamt about it last night. I couldn't get it out of my head, so I decided to go there at lunch today. It was like HEAVEN!!!! So delicious! One thing about pregnancy: food that I crave has never tasted so good...it's totally fun! I can't believe I've been missing out on this.
I think I may have to stop on the way home and get another one...at a different Dairy Queen of course, so I don't get the same person at the drive thru (SMILE!)

Foiled Again.....

A few weeks ago, Eric and I found out that we could spend New Year's Eve together his year. We were so excited because it would be the first time EVER that we could spend the holdiay with each other.
So we made plans.
What's the saying....the best laid plans.....
We were supposed to meet a few couples at Babulu at 9:30 p.m. for dinner and salsa dancing. I searched and searched to find a cute maternity dress and finally found one. I got new shoes. Jen came over and did my hair. I did my nails...I was SO excited.
But around 7 p.m. the twins decided that they didn't want their mommy to be out and about late into the night.
I started having more contraction-type feelings and we decided that it was best if I stayed in bed for the evening.
Talk about being bummed!!!
But I didn't want it to be totally ruined evening, so I told Eric that he should atleast go out with his friends who were in town. No use staying home with me, sitting in bed reading. He was SO torn...but I eventually persuaded him to go. He had fun...so I guess it was worth it.
For 2007, I'm going to have to work harder on just going with the flow....not my forte at all, but...baby steps.