Members Of The Congregation:

Can I get a Praise the Lord?  (Praise the Lord!)

Do I hear an Amen?  (Amen!)

Join me in a Hallelujah!  (Ok...now I'm just getting annoying.)

Gestational Diabetes, I DO NOT HAVE! 

I received the delightful news today that my numbers came back within the normal range!  I think I'll toast to that!  In fact, I think I'll make it extra fancy tonight!  Yep, you heard me right. I think I'll add a lemon wedge to my ice water this evening! 
(Boy!  Celebrating while pregnant just isn't the same, is it?)  :-)

Thanks for all of the support and positive thoughts!

I Crave...

Red Grapes.

Can't get enough of 'em.

Nuff said.

Gestational Diabetes Screening

I survived!

3 hour GD screening went well!  Here are some numbers for ya!

16 Hours without food
3.5 Hours at the Dr.
1 Surprisingly comfy vinyl lounge chair
1 Tang on crack
4 Vials of blood
1 People magazine
3 Trips to the bathroom (What!...It's important to stay hydrated!)
1 Business article (Thanks, Farid!)
20 Scrabble Plays
7 Texts
2 Facebook Posts
6 Levels of Angry Birds

...and 2 more days until we find out our results!  I'll keep ya posted!  :)

25 Weeks!

Head to heels, babies now measure 13.5 inches long!  They are weighing in at about a pound and a half each!  The long lean look is being exchanged for some baby fat. (Yes, yes it is.  Oh! Were we talking about the babies???  My apologies...)  :-)

Babies seem to get more and more active with each passing day and I am absolutely loving the fact that Baby Boy is now large enough (and strong enough) for me to be able to feel his movements through the placenta which is anterior on his side! Feeling the babies from the outside is pretty easy to do at this point.  My girls have been enjoying feeling the kicks, punches and rolls.  However, Skyler does NOT like the fact that you can SEE the kicks, punches and rolls!  She thinks it's creepy!  I will admit, it is a little bizarre to be sitting quietly and have my ENTIRE mid section jump with a big kick...usually compliments of Baby Girl (Farid and George, you may have a little soccer player in there!)

Jeni's doing really well these days!  Moving much slower...but feeling pretty good!  And look how big the babies are getting in the swimming pool!

25 Weeks!

Tomorrow morning is our 3 hour Glucose Test!  I'm feeling good about things!  I'm going to think positively that the numbers come back in the normal range, but I am also not feeling stressed should they come back elevated.  I can manage it.  After all...I AM pretty spectacular...don't you all agree???



Ahem!  I SAID...."DON'T YOU ALL AGREE?"

That's better.

Epic Fail!

SON OF A GLUCOSE!!!!

I failed the 1 hour Gestational Diabetes screening!  Dang!

Now what?

Now they need to do a diagnostic test to see if I actually DO have Gestational Diabetes.  Here are my instructions for prepping for the test:

For the next 3 days, I eat only 5-6 servings of carbohydrates per day.  Fast Thursday night through Friday morning and then head to the Dr.'s Office bright and early Friday morning.  They will do an initial blood draw, then have me drink the sugary solution (Jill and I decided it's "Tang on crack") and draw blood again after 1, 2 and 3 hours!  I'm going to be a regular ol' pin cushion!  :-)  Joy.

We'll keep our fingers crossed for normal numbers!!   :-)

I Would Love To Know...

When I am singing, and the babies are kicking me...do those kicks mean:

"SING IT SISTAH!!  WE'RE FEELIN' YOUR GROOVE!"

Or is it more like:

"SHUT YOUR TRAP LADY! WE'RE TRYIN' TO SLEEP!"

Hmmmmm.......

Results of 24 Week Appointment

Care for some stats?

Baby Girl had a heart rate of 155 and weighs in at 1 pound 8 ounces!  It was pretty cute...she faced the camera, had all of her measurements taken and then at the very end, we watched as she slowly but surely rolled over so that we couldn't see her face anymore!  She was D-O-N-E with this photo shoot!  Silly girl!  We needed more pictures of your face!!!!

Baby Boy had a heart rate of 130 and is also weighing 1 pound 8 ounces!  We got many cute pictures of him!

You're probably wondering if baby flipped!  The answer is this:

We had a baby flip alright...just not the one we wanted!  Baby Boy has flipped so now BOTH babies are breech!  Ack!!!!  In fact, their heads are currently 2 cm. apart!  It's actually quite cute seeing the two of their heads like that...brother and sister...side by side.  We had quite a chuckle deciding what Baby Boy might be whispering to Baby Girl to encourage her to head towards the light! The tech said it is still early...and that having Baby Boy's head up might actually give Baby Girl more room to flip.  If Baby Girl does not flip, we will be forced to have a C-section.  But we're not throwing in the towel yet!  Lots of positive thoughts.  Lots of  Belly Buds.  And lots of time on my hands and knees.  She'll turn when she's good and ready.  I like a stubborn girl!!  :)

Some stats on me:

Amniotic fluid looks great!  Kiddos are still swimmin' in an Olympic size pool!
Cervix is still nice and long!  TMI, I know but this is actually REALLY good news!
Blood Pressure:  120/70
Measuring:  31 Weeks
Weight Gain:  Remember how we were shooting for 24 pounds by 24 weeks?  Should I feel proud that I am an over achiever?  30 pounds.  (All amniotic fluid and baby, I'm sure...)
Gestational Diabetes:  We should have those results on Tuesday.
Anemia:  Got it.  Lame.  Iron supplement for me!

Not bad all around, huh?  I will see the Dr. every 2 weeks from now until 30 weeks when we will begin weekly appointments.  Crazy!  We're in the final stretch!

I will leave you with some pictures of the cutest twins on the planet!

Baby Girl  -  Profile
Skyler INSISTS she sees Farid's eyelashes in this picture!

Baby Boy....Fast Asleep......



24 Weeks!

Wanna see a magic trick?

Now You See It!

Now You Don't!

This is my optical illusion shirt!  I didn't realize I had a magical shirt until I was wearing this the other day, walked into my bathroom and stopped dead in my tracks!  Where was my belly in my reflection????  I quickly turned to the side...PHEW!  There it is!!!  LOL!

So...24 Weeks!!  The big word this week?  VIABILITY.  What does this mean in terms of the twins?  Well, it means that now that these babies have reached the 24 week milestone, should they be born early, they have a wonderful chance at survival... Yay!

BUT! 

And that's a BIG BUT! 

The BIGGEST BUT you'll ever see! LOL!

These kiddos DO NOT have my permission to be born yet!  And trust me...they know this is the case.  We talk on a daily basis, these babies and I.  And I have made it VERY clear.  We have an understanding...a plan if you will!  Once their daddies arrive in Denver in November, they not only have my permission to be born, they will be STRONGLY encouraged to be born!  An eviction notice of sorts!  :-) 

In the meantime...we will just lay low...chill...and grow nice and big and strong! They're on board with the plan.  What well behaved children!  :)

At 24 weeks, the babies each weigh about 1.2 pounds and are over a foot long!  Their brains are growing quickly now and taste buds are continuing to develop.  The lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help air sacs in the lungs inflate once babies hit the outside world. 

Appointment tomorrow afternoon!  Will update after that!  Have a fantastic Thursday, everyone!

10,000 Pageviews!

WOW!

How lucky are we to have so many people following our journey?! 

We feel the support! 

We feel the love!

THANK YOU!

Less Than 100 Days!!!

"Hubba-what???" you say?

Follow along with me as I do the math. 

(Jill- Concentrate.  Focus. It's just numbers.  LOL!) 

Technically, our "Ticker" states that we have 113 days left, right?  Well, our due date is December 8th.  The Dr. has already stated that she won't let me go past 38 weeks, which is Thanksgiving day to be exact! 

So if you take 113 technical days left minus 14 days that we for sure won't be pregnant...you're left with 99!

Does that make anyone else super excited? 

And maybe just a wee bit terrified?  :-)

Next Appointment On Friday!

Our next OB appointment is this Friday and it's gonna be a long one!  Of course, we will be having another ultrasound.  Another 2 hour ultrasound!  I am very excited to see the babies again and especially excited to see if Baby Girl is head down!  My vibes tell me she is.  Please send out all of your positive energy that she is as well!  Gracias!  :)

I am also due for my Gestational Diabetes screening.  This involves drinking a deliciously sugary drink, waiting one hour and then having a blood draw to see how the ol' bod is processing said sugar.  I  must say...I love the drink!  Or at least I did the last time I drank it 7 years ago!  Haha!  They really don't want me to drink all of that deliciousness BEFORE the ultrasound as babies will also be enjoying the sugar rush and may make it difficult for the tech to take measurements! 

Sooo....First: 2 hour ultrasound. 
Second: Chug-a-lug.
Third: Appointment and wait one hour.
Fourth: Blood draw. 

One + Two + Three + Four = Friggin' LONG appointment!!  :)  I'm dragging Jill along for entertainment....er...I mean...emotional support. 

I will obviously post all of the wonderful results (and pics) after the appointment!

Now if you'll all join with me:

"Head DOWN! Head DOWN!  Head DOWN!"

Well done.  You guys are good.

I Miss NY!

Is it really possible to miss a city?  It doesn't help that as I watch TV, read the news, and see movies, New York is EVERYWHERE! What do I miss?

The lights!

The Bridges!

The "Statch".  Hee! Hee!  That's for you, Sarah!  :)

The Food!  Guava and Goat Cheese Empanadas Please!! 

The Energy!

And these guys most of all!

23 Weeks!

What are the babies up to this week?  Well, let me tell ya!

Since their sense of movement is well developed by now, babies can feel me dancing.  No word yet on whether or not this is a good thing.  Dancing well, I do not!  :)  At more than 11 inches long and just over a pound, it is reported this week that I may be able to see squirming going on through my clothes.  Yeah...I've seen this a few times and was even able to catch it on video last week.


So last week I'm sitting around, watching TV and innocently thought I'd rest the remote on my belly.  I was immediately informed that this was not a good resting spot as both babies attempted to kick that remote off! 

Hit button in lower right corner to view full screen. 

It's easier to see the kicks in full screen.  :)

And here is the latest belly pic for ya:

23 Weeks

An Attitude Adjustment

The last week has been a week of transition for me.  In lots of different ways.  Allow me to explain:

First, the girls went back to school last Wednesday. (I know!  Early, right?!)  Skyler started 5th grade and Savannah is now in 1st grade which means a full day of school!  This also means that I have been presented with a scenario that I have never had before....the entire day to myself!  Don't get me wrong, this is something I have been looking forward to for quite some time!  But it's an adjustment nonetheless.  I definitely enjoy my down time, but I am so used to being busy, that this seems like LOTS of down time...

Second, I have been mentally battling the "worries".  As I stated last week, at this point of our pregnancy, the main concern is making sure the babies stay IN.  There seems to be lots of "scary" news in Surrogacy Land of late so I have been consumed with the "I don't want that to happen to us" thoughts.

Third, the good ol' uterus is on the grow.  In fact, Baby Girl has decided that she'd like more space. (Typical girl, right?) My body has chosen to accommodate her wishes but the only way more space is available is for my ribs to adjust.  So they have.  I seem to have a rib, or ribs, (it's hard to tell) that are shifting?  I'm not sure exactly what's taken place in there but I have constant pain in my right rib cage.  No, it's not terrible pain, just uncomfortable.  Deep breath...ouch.  Rolling over....ouch.  Sitting too long....ouch.  You get the picture.

Soooooo.........I found myself sliding into bad attitude territory.  It is SO easy to get caught up in all of the "un-perfect" things in life.  At least it is for me!  I am a generally positive, easy going person, and yet I still found myself dwelling.

I'm bored.  I'm nervous.  I'm in pain. Blah, Blah, Blah.

Here comes the attitude adjustment part!

This morning I decided I needed to stop dwelling on the negative and begin dwelling on the positive!  And, OH what a difference that makes!

Think about this!  Having the girls in school all day, allows me more time to read!  I love reading and yet it's something that I usually find myself doing at bedtime and we all know how that goes. Read 2 paragraphs, slowly lower chin to chest, gently rest eyes....  :)  Having more time to myself also means I am able to take care of this pregnant body better.  Nap??? Sure!  Go right ahead!  Who's stopping you?  The house stays cleaner, it's nice and quiet....let's face it....the next best thing to Heaven!  LOL!

I am celebrating the fact that we have such a healthy pregnancy!  I am so thrilled to be carrying twins that are perfectly healthy little beings!  I like to think they are super happy in there, swimmin' around, enjoying their summer!  We have been pretty blessed with an easy pregnancy and I am ready to celebrate that!  I am TRUSTING (that's for you George and Farid), and EXPECTING that we will continue to have an easy pregnancy and there is absolutely no reason why that won't be the case!  Enjoy it!  :)

And as far as the pain goes???  I am happy that my body is accommodating these babies!  They deserve to be comfortable and how amazing is it that the human body is capable of creating that space for them?  I choose to focus on the little miracles that my body is supporting!  It is truly an incredible thing!

Ahhh...the power of positive thinking!  Seriously folks, in only a few short hours, I feel like a different person!  As Jason Mraz would say....Ah la la la la la la Life Is Wonderful.

One of my favorite songs (and on my "labor" playlist) by the way... 

Take care peeps!  :-)

22 Weeks!

22 is a great number!  I love the number 22!  I don't know why.  I just like it!  :)

At 22 weeks, the babies are developing tiny tooth buds beneath the gums!  They are now 11 inches long (the length of a spaghetti squash) and about 1 pound each!  Great job babies!  We are so proud of how big and strong you are becoming!

As the belly becomes larger, I have noticed that more and more people are drawn to the belly rub and pat, (and even a high five????)  Now I know that many women HATE the fact that people want to touch their bellies during pregnancy.  I am not one of them.  Not only do I not mind, but in my head, each belly rub and pat is just one more way to show these babies how much people care.  Maybe I'm weird, but that's just the way I see it!  :)

I am still feeling absolutely marvelous!  I am very aware though that we are approaching the period of this pregnancy where I am going to want to begin taking it easy.  Not that I don't already take it easy.  Let's face it...I have spent more time on my arse in the last 5 months than I can remember.  BUT...As we approach the last few months of this pregnancy it is my #1 priority to keep these babies happy, healthy and IN!!!  These are crucial times, where we want the babies to continue to grow nice and big so that when it comes time for them to be born, their daddies will be able to welcome 2 full term, healthy babies that are good and ready to head back home to New York!!

So if you need to reach me in the next few months, you will surely be able to find me layin' around, feet up, nice cold ice water in my hand, probably watching trash TV.  LOL!

Lessons Learned From A Pregnant Woman

So...I've been keeping a list of all of the realizations I've come to recently and thought I would take a moment to share the ones I've got so far...

LESSONS LEARNED FROM A PREGNANT WOMAN

• Turning to the side to squeeze through a tight space is no longer the best strategy.
• Removing your toenail polish before OB appointments DOES NOT make a difference on the scale.
• In the battle of Bladder vs. Swift Kick....Swift Kick wins every time.  
• The "pregnancy glow" is not nearly as enjoyable when paired with the extra cottage cheese on your thighs....
• A brief cardio workout in the Ladies Room after leaving your urine sample DOES NOT make a difference on the scale.
• Absolutely all wrong can be blamed on hormones. 
• Just because you emptied your bladder at 1:34 AM, does not mean you won't need to empty it  again at 2:56. And again at 4:07. And again at 5:29.
• The blood you just so generously provided for yet ANOTHER prenatal test DOES NOT make a difference on the scale.
• Although the moans and groans your wife makes while trying to roll over in bed might sound "naughty", I guarantee you...this is NOT the case.
• Pregnancy, with all of it's ups and downs, with all of the funny moments, and the not so funny moments is absolutely, 100% a MIRACLE!

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

Belly Memories

Shall we????

8 Weeks

Sad, but true....I can hardly remember this body. :)

12 Weeks

I think I see some babies!

16 Weeks

Yes! There they are!



20 Weeks

Oh Lawdie!  Where'd that come from??



21 Weeks

The latest and greatest...and gettin' bigger by the moment!
I'm ready!!  Bring it on!!!