After being dead tired all day, when I got home last night, I took an hour nap before dragging myself out of bed to make dinner.* Went to bed at a reasonable time, slept hard all night and I think I only got up 3 times (usually, no joke, it's closer to 10). Felt bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning. And then I crashed after lunch. Enough that I slept at my desk for 10 minutes. Eek.
Maybe this is the new normal? I'm bigger than I've ever been in my life and eating/moving/living for four. I guess it's to be expected. Time to build naptime into my day.
* I should mention that it completely shocked Rick that I cooked (he was at work). Over the past few months, I've resorted to leftovers and protein shakes most of the nights he's not here. So I'll claim that small victory yesterday.
This is still seriously no big deal in the grander scheme of things. I'm just more tired. I walk a mile (total, roundtrip) every morning to drop off Mariela at camp-- today I'll do that twice, because I need to pick her up too. I usually walk about the same distance to buy lunch. Two+ miles a day seems good for this stage of the game. No aches and pains to speak of, other than just the awkwardness of being the size of a full-term pregnancy. Yeah, I'm still doing well. Soldier on.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Ho hum
I think I've turned a not-so-good corner as far as eating is concerned. Both days this weekend and now today it was much more difficult to eat than it has been. I even woke up in the night last night feeling a bit nauseated. I think my stomach is just shoved too far up. My torso is 90% baby, 10% essential organs. I'm still getting all of the protein/milk, but I'll admit I've been shorting the whole grains. I get some, but they're just too bulky to commit to five servings. Potato was already out, snacks are inconsistent. But hey-- still gaining. I think I was up 2 lbs. this morning as compared to Friday.
I was also super hot last night, which has been an ongoing thing, but still surprises me. I tend to run cool, not hot. Anyway, that added up to a not-super night of sleep and I'm dragging a bit today. Maybe I'll take a nap under my desk. :)
Babies seem unaffected, though-- movin' and groovin' as usual. It's getting to the point now that with three of them in there, there's never a dull moment. Somebody is always awake and dancing.
I was also super hot last night, which has been an ongoing thing, but still surprises me. I tend to run cool, not hot. Anyway, that added up to a not-super night of sleep and I'm dragging a bit today. Maybe I'll take a nap under my desk. :)
Babies seem unaffected, though-- movin' and groovin' as usual. It's getting to the point now that with three of them in there, there's never a dull moment. Somebody is always awake and dancing.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Not the mama!
One more late-breaking piece of exciting news for today: I'm not the mama! We got the signed order from the court validating our gestational agreement, which officially names M and N the legal parents of the babies. So they will go straight onto the birth certificate and Rick and I will only keep the two kids we're already connected to. Good news all around!
Starting to feel official now. This is not a dress rehearsal.
Starting to feel official now. This is not a dress rehearsal.
23 weeks
23 weeks- BOOM!
And who has officially met the 24-week weight goal, with a full week to spare? This girl!
That's right. Today's weight 195.7 (fully expecting to cross the scary 200 mark in the next week-- two weeks max). Weight gain: 36.7 lbs. Booyah! My magic spreadsheet turned green today in celebration. Next weight goal is 54 pounds at 28 weeks. What once sounded impossible now seems reasonable. Just have to gain 3-4 lbs./week to get there. No problem, right?
I'll admit I get a bit of a kick out of telling people that I drink half a gallon of milk and eat two eggs, nearly a pound of meat, and a slew of other stuff every day. It's still gross, but it's more fun when I get to gross other people out too.
I'm wearing a cutesy triplet shirt today (to be revealed here at a later date), so I got my first stranger comment of: "There's THREE in there???" Made me laugh. In general, there have been lots of comments about the belly this week. I think I look full-term to just about everyone at this point. Then they look at me with shock and sympathy when I say I'm due in November.
I feel good, though. Pretty worn out by the end of the day, but still thanking my lucky stars for how non-dramatic this pregnancy has been so far.
Babycenter says:
That reminds me that when we went to see "A Chorus Line" the other night, the babies all LOVED it. They were rockin' out in there-- lots and lots of kicks and turns and tumbles. Future dancers? Musical theater lovers? That's my influence. :) This is what the babies were doing (jump to 0:37):
I can occasionally see kicks, but I have to be looking the right place at the right time. More to come, I'm sure.
That's it for now. Next week: a new growth scan at Dr. Haeri's office. Can't wait to see these big babies!
And who has officially met the 24-week weight goal, with a full week to spare? This girl!
I'll admit I get a bit of a kick out of telling people that I drink half a gallon of milk and eat two eggs, nearly a pound of meat, and a slew of other stuff every day. It's still gross, but it's more fun when I get to gross other people out too.
I'm wearing a cutesy triplet shirt today (to be revealed here at a later date), so I got my first stranger comment of: "There's THREE in there???" Made me laugh. In general, there have been lots of comments about the belly this week. I think I look full-term to just about everyone at this point. Then they look at me with shock and sympathy when I say I'm due in November.
I feel good, though. Pretty worn out by the end of the day, but still thanking my lucky stars for how non-dramatic this pregnancy has been so far.
Babycenter says:
http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-23-weeks_1112.bcHow your baby's growing:
Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about the size of a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.
That reminds me that when we went to see "A Chorus Line" the other night, the babies all LOVED it. They were rockin' out in there-- lots and lots of kicks and turns and tumbles. Future dancers? Musical theater lovers? That's my influence. :) This is what the babies were doing (jump to 0:37):
I can occasionally see kicks, but I have to be looking the right place at the right time. More to come, I'm sure.
That's it for now. Next week: a new growth scan at Dr. Haeri's office. Can't wait to see these big babies!
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Book of Mormon
One of the silly things I've been sad about is that I will have to miss The Book of Mormon (quite inappropriate, raunchy musical that I happen to love) in Austin this fall. We have season tickets that include the show, but it's in October, and that's looking like it's out.
BUT I just looked it up and it will be in Houston September 3-15!
http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/98779/1732682?brand=baa&camefrom=BAA_HOU_BOM_VENUE
So there is a good solution for me. I may just wait until the last minute and buy a single ticket. I would happily watch it myself-- I'd just be sad to miss it altogether!
So yeah, it's an inconsequential little thing, but it makes me happy.
BUT I just looked it up and it will be in Houston September 3-15!
http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/98779/1732682?brand=baa&camefrom=BAA_HOU_BOM_VENUE
So there is a good solution for me. I may just wait until the last minute and buy a single ticket. I would happily watch it myself-- I'd just be sad to miss it altogether!
So yeah, it's an inconsequential little thing, but it makes me happy.
Belly
In the purple dress again. It's in frequent rotation. Different angles and lighting today, courtesy of Mariela.
In other news: I'm officially approved to work remotely, beginning 9/3. Houston, here I come!
Monday, July 22, 2013
22 weeks
A quite overdue weekly update!
I was 22 weeks on Friday and my only excuse is that it was a long day. Let the house at about 7:45, got to M and N's house in Houston a little past 10:30, and then we all got to Dr. Dryden's office right at 11. We had a fantastic first appointment with her-- I went in briefly first (as not to overwhelm with our full entourage), and then after a few minutes, Dr. Dryden went out to the waiting area to get M and N. A little thing-- having the doctor volunteer to go get them, rather than sending a nurse-- but it feels significant and personal.
Anyway, we talked through some of the logistics of getting from here to delivery, and I feel like we have more of a plan. We asked when I should be in Houston and she said she would defer to Dr. Haeri, but that her first inclination was to say 23-24 weeks. Eek! We'd had 28 weeks in mind as kind-of a worst case scenario, and it seems like it's actually our best. I absolutely understand the reasoning of saying 24 weeks-- at 24 weeks, the babies are viable and if they're born that early, we certainly want them in Houston and not Austin. But, as she acknowledged, the decision isn't made in a vacuum. I do have a life and family here in Austin and it will be difficult to relocate, even temporarily. So 28 weeks is a compromise, but it feels like a reasonable one. If there's any indication at all that I should go sooner (cervical changes), I will.
Ok, so that's decision #1: Move to Houston at 28 weeks.
Decision #2 was what to do between now and then. Dr. Dryden said she didn't need to see me until I was down there, so thankfully, that means no more there-and-back trips to Houston. Instead, I'll continue to see Dr. Haeri. And, if Dr. Haeri is willing to be my emergency back-up and do full maternity visits (which I think is just adding a urine test-- not a huge deal), I don't need to see an OB up here. That would be kind of fabulous. So I will check in with him next Wednesday and see what he says.
Once I do go to Houston, my MFM care will transfer to Dr. Carpenter. Dr. Dryden said he will be driving most of my prenatal care-- monitoring the babies, determining when it's appropriate to deliver. She will do the delivery itself, but since he does full maternity visits, there's no need for me to see her as often as I do him. She said about every other visit should be fine-- enough to maintain our relationship and our expectations for delivery.
She said the odds of a vaginal triplet delivery are very low, but that she's willing to do it under the right circumstances (and, as I already knew, has done it). Those circumstances are, as the research would suggest, a head-down presenting triplet, a presenting triplet that is not significantly smaller than the other babies, and all three babies able to be monitored. It's way to early to guess right now, but so far, we're 1 for 3: Baby A is the biggest baby, but he hasn't decided on a position yet (was breech on Thursday, transverse on Friday-- I'm currently explaining to him the joy of headstands), and of course we can't yet guess about monitoring.
She also said we can aim for 36 weeks, but she's taken some flack for not delivering triplets at 35 weeks. I'm still keeping 37 in mind as my goal-- I'd rather overshoot. :)
She did a quick ultrasound, which was M and N's first opportunity to see one live, rather than just in pictures or over FaceTime. The babies looked great. M and N both claim they saw a fourth baby, but they are insane. There are "only" three. I promise! Dr. Dryden actually did a great job keeping them straight on the screen-- I know from experience how very difficult that can be.
She also measured my fundal height: 35 cm. Huge!
We were all flying high after the appointment, feeling good about the doctor who would be delivering this trio. We headed to Pappadeaux for lunch to celebrate, which has turned into something of a tradition for us. I ordered an 11 ounce serving of tilapia that got shorted as the 7 ounce lunch portion, so they ended up giving me an additional lunch portion to equal 14 ounces of fish. Plus, during the wait, N had already given me 3-4 ounces of her mahi mahi. So I ate over a pound of fish! Oink, oink! Killed a whole day's worth of protein check boxes in one meal.
The drive home was long-- heavy traffic and heavy rain. But I made it there safe and sound and was happy to lounge around and enjoy our new windows that were installed the day before.
22 week stats:
Weight: 193 lbs. (+34)
Waist circumference: 42"
Right on track to not only hit the 36 pounds in 24 weeks goal, but also the 54 pounds in 28 weeks goal. I am a grand champion eater!
One of the triplet mamas in a multiples group I follow on facebook just delivered a week ago, at 37w1d. Babies were 5#9, 6#2, and 6#12. Good inspiration to keep up the crazy eating. Those are exactly the kind of weights I would love to see.
Here's what babycenter says this week:
I do love spaghetti squash. Though not at Pappadeaux, as it turns out-- theirs was too sweet and I prefer mine savory.
So as much as I love the idea of each of these babies already weighing a pound, and I fully embrace the goal of 5+ pound babies, the thought of them each quintupling in size when I am already HUGE is a little frightening. Bring it on, babies. Let's see what this body can do.
As for me, still feeling pretty good. Big, but good. No complaints.
All over the place and late with this week's update, but at least I finally wrote it! I will be more prompt for 23 weeks. :)
I was 22 weeks on Friday and my only excuse is that it was a long day. Let the house at about 7:45, got to M and N's house in Houston a little past 10:30, and then we all got to Dr. Dryden's office right at 11. We had a fantastic first appointment with her-- I went in briefly first (as not to overwhelm with our full entourage), and then after a few minutes, Dr. Dryden went out to the waiting area to get M and N. A little thing-- having the doctor volunteer to go get them, rather than sending a nurse-- but it feels significant and personal.
Anyway, we talked through some of the logistics of getting from here to delivery, and I feel like we have more of a plan. We asked when I should be in Houston and she said she would defer to Dr. Haeri, but that her first inclination was to say 23-24 weeks. Eek! We'd had 28 weeks in mind as kind-of a worst case scenario, and it seems like it's actually our best. I absolutely understand the reasoning of saying 24 weeks-- at 24 weeks, the babies are viable and if they're born that early, we certainly want them in Houston and not Austin. But, as she acknowledged, the decision isn't made in a vacuum. I do have a life and family here in Austin and it will be difficult to relocate, even temporarily. So 28 weeks is a compromise, but it feels like a reasonable one. If there's any indication at all that I should go sooner (cervical changes), I will.
Ok, so that's decision #1: Move to Houston at 28 weeks.
Decision #2 was what to do between now and then. Dr. Dryden said she didn't need to see me until I was down there, so thankfully, that means no more there-and-back trips to Houston. Instead, I'll continue to see Dr. Haeri. And, if Dr. Haeri is willing to be my emergency back-up and do full maternity visits (which I think is just adding a urine test-- not a huge deal), I don't need to see an OB up here. That would be kind of fabulous. So I will check in with him next Wednesday and see what he says.
Once I do go to Houston, my MFM care will transfer to Dr. Carpenter. Dr. Dryden said he will be driving most of my prenatal care-- monitoring the babies, determining when it's appropriate to deliver. She will do the delivery itself, but since he does full maternity visits, there's no need for me to see her as often as I do him. She said about every other visit should be fine-- enough to maintain our relationship and our expectations for delivery.
She said the odds of a vaginal triplet delivery are very low, but that she's willing to do it under the right circumstances (and, as I already knew, has done it). Those circumstances are, as the research would suggest, a head-down presenting triplet, a presenting triplet that is not significantly smaller than the other babies, and all three babies able to be monitored. It's way to early to guess right now, but so far, we're 1 for 3: Baby A is the biggest baby, but he hasn't decided on a position yet (was breech on Thursday, transverse on Friday-- I'm currently explaining to him the joy of headstands), and of course we can't yet guess about monitoring.
She also said we can aim for 36 weeks, but she's taken some flack for not delivering triplets at 35 weeks. I'm still keeping 37 in mind as my goal-- I'd rather overshoot. :)
She did a quick ultrasound, which was M and N's first opportunity to see one live, rather than just in pictures or over FaceTime. The babies looked great. M and N both claim they saw a fourth baby, but they are insane. There are "only" three. I promise! Dr. Dryden actually did a great job keeping them straight on the screen-- I know from experience how very difficult that can be.
She also measured my fundal height: 35 cm. Huge!
We were all flying high after the appointment, feeling good about the doctor who would be delivering this trio. We headed to Pappadeaux for lunch to celebrate, which has turned into something of a tradition for us. I ordered an 11 ounce serving of tilapia that got shorted as the 7 ounce lunch portion, so they ended up giving me an additional lunch portion to equal 14 ounces of fish. Plus, during the wait, N had already given me 3-4 ounces of her mahi mahi. So I ate over a pound of fish! Oink, oink! Killed a whole day's worth of protein check boxes in one meal.
The drive home was long-- heavy traffic and heavy rain. But I made it there safe and sound and was happy to lounge around and enjoy our new windows that were installed the day before.
22 week stats:
Weight: 193 lbs. (+34)
Waist circumference: 42"
Right on track to not only hit the 36 pounds in 24 weeks goal, but also the 54 pounds in 28 weeks goal. I am a grand champion eater!
One of the triplet mamas in a multiples group I follow on facebook just delivered a week ago, at 37w1d. Babies were 5#9, 6#2, and 6#12. Good inspiration to keep up the crazy eating. Those are exactly the kind of weights I would love to see.
Here's what babycenter says this week:
http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-22-weeks_1111.bcHow your baby's growing:
At 11 inches and almost 1 pound (about the size of a spaghetti squash), your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment.
If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.
I do love spaghetti squash. Though not at Pappadeaux, as it turns out-- theirs was too sweet and I prefer mine savory.
So as much as I love the idea of each of these babies already weighing a pound, and I fully embrace the goal of 5+ pound babies, the thought of them each quintupling in size when I am already HUGE is a little frightening. Bring it on, babies. Let's see what this body can do.
As for me, still feeling pretty good. Big, but good. No complaints.
All over the place and late with this week's update, but at least I finally wrote it! I will be more prompt for 23 weeks. :)
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Echocardiograms, part 2
Today I had an MFM appointment. I thought we were going to get a growth estimate, but alas, no (so I am arbitrarily deeming the babies one pound each and calling that a victory). Instead, they did the echocardiograms on both Baby C and Baby A. And good news: both passed! Dr. Singh said the tech got beautiful pictures and now all three babies' hearts are cleared. Hooray for healthy babies!
The echoes took a long time, but other than that, the ultrasound was pretty short and sweet. I must say it is a total mess in there-- body parts everywhere. This tech was really, really good and it still took her a good ten minutes to get oriented. Baby A and Baby B are both breech and to my left now, with their heads together like they're whispering secrets. Baby C is way up top (against my diaphragm) and cephalic (head down). And they all move like CRAZY. Especially the boys this time. Their heartrates were, in the order I saw them, C: 154, A: 176 (he was rockin' and rollin', per the tech) and B: 145. We bugged B the least, which is probably why she stayed a little calmer, though she did try to kick off the ultrasound thingee a couple of times.
They also checked my cervix, which is still locked down at 4.6 cm. Good job, cervix. Fort Knox.
Dr. Haeri will be back from vacation for my next appointment, which is on July 31 at 9. That will be a growth scan (with babies well over a pound!) and cervical check.
Pics from today:
The echoes took a long time, but other than that, the ultrasound was pretty short and sweet. I must say it is a total mess in there-- body parts everywhere. This tech was really, really good and it still took her a good ten minutes to get oriented. Baby A and Baby B are both breech and to my left now, with their heads together like they're whispering secrets. Baby C is way up top (against my diaphragm) and cephalic (head down). And they all move like CRAZY. Especially the boys this time. Their heartrates were, in the order I saw them, C: 154, A: 176 (he was rockin' and rollin', per the tech) and B: 145. We bugged B the least, which is probably why she stayed a little calmer, though she did try to kick off the ultrasound thingee a couple of times.
They also checked my cervix, which is still locked down at 4.6 cm. Good job, cervix. Fort Knox.
Dr. Haeri will be back from vacation for my next appointment, which is on July 31 at 9. That will be a growth scan (with babies well over a pound!) and cervical check.
Pics from today:
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
One blah day
I didn't feel great yesterday. Not sick, just "off." Like I never quite recovered from the walk in from the parking garage or something.
Anyway, it's a feeling I would normally look past and work through, but Rick and I decided that it would be wisest to go see the nurse and check my vitals, just to be sure there wasn't something obviously wrong. I seriously could not be more boring:
Pulse: 84
BP: 106/66
O2 Sat: 98
Temperature: 97.9
Tim (the Capitol nurse) asked me to come back this morning before breakfast, to get a fasted glucose test, just as one last measure. It was 84, and the range for normal is 70-92, so again-- can't really get more normal than that. Kind of nice to see that number, since it's a good indicator that I still don't have gestational diabetes. Not the gold standard one-hour glucose tolerance test, but still a nice hint.
So I'm fine. Though I didn't think so at the time, I think I must have just been tired-- less sleep the night before or something. Last night after work, I just laid around (on my left side even) and watched a movie. Lights out by 10. And I really am back to normal today.
Babies are jostling around-- well A and B anyway-- I only rarely feel C (as a factor of his placenta placement combined with his position, I think). I checked their heartbeats Sunday maybe? But only because it had been a while. It seems silly now, when I do feel them so often.
I've said it before, but I really am grateful that we've gotten this far with no real issues. Just 2.5 weeks from strict viability, which is pretty incredible.
Anyway, it's a feeling I would normally look past and work through, but Rick and I decided that it would be wisest to go see the nurse and check my vitals, just to be sure there wasn't something obviously wrong. I seriously could not be more boring:
Pulse: 84
BP: 106/66
O2 Sat: 98
Temperature: 97.9
Tim (the Capitol nurse) asked me to come back this morning before breakfast, to get a fasted glucose test, just as one last measure. It was 84, and the range for normal is 70-92, so again-- can't really get more normal than that. Kind of nice to see that number, since it's a good indicator that I still don't have gestational diabetes. Not the gold standard one-hour glucose tolerance test, but still a nice hint.
So I'm fine. Though I didn't think so at the time, I think I must have just been tired-- less sleep the night before or something. Last night after work, I just laid around (on my left side even) and watched a movie. Lights out by 10. And I really am back to normal today.
Babies are jostling around-- well A and B anyway-- I only rarely feel C (as a factor of his placenta placement combined with his position, I think). I checked their heartbeats Sunday maybe? But only because it had been a while. It seems silly now, when I do feel them so often.
I've said it before, but I really am grateful that we've gotten this far with no real issues. Just 2.5 weeks from strict viability, which is pretty incredible.
Friday, July 12, 2013
21 weeks
Let's start off this week with weight gain, because what could be more fun?
Click to see the detail, but the short of it is that I've gained about 30 pounds at this point. My weight was actually higher yesterday, but since today is my official weigh-in day, I'm left having to round up. 3 weeks to gain 6-ish pounds, which you can see looking at my recent weight gain trend will not be a problem. But I'm still eager to check off that goal box as accomplished!
Last night, all three babies were active at the same time (in ways I could feel), which is pretty unusual. Well, very unusual, as in, I'm not sure I've felt all three at once before. I loved it!
In Brewer Diet news, I've totally been wimping out on the potato. I eat one every few days, but I just can't do it daily. If these babies are potato-deficient, I will accept responsibility.
All in all, I'm feeling good, but huge. Here's what babycenter says about the babies:
Click to see the detail, but the short of it is that I've gained about 30 pounds at this point. My weight was actually higher yesterday, but since today is my official weigh-in day, I'm left having to round up. 3 weeks to gain 6-ish pounds, which you can see looking at my recent weight gain trend will not be a problem. But I'm still eager to check off that goal box as accomplished!
Last night, all three babies were active at the same time (in ways I could feel), which is pretty unusual. Well, very unusual, as in, I'm not sure I've felt all three at once before. I loved it!
In Brewer Diet news, I've totally been wimping out on the potato. I eat one every few days, but I just can't do it daily. If these babies are potato-deficient, I will accept responsibility.
All in all, I'm feeling good, but huge. Here's what babycenter says about the babies:
http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-21-weeks_1110.bcHow your baby's growing:
Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — about the size of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.
Rick is coming in today to sign our legal paperwork and get the pre-birth order process back on track. Coming up next week: Dr. Haeri (or Dr. Not-Haeri-- he's on vacation) on Thursday, Dr. Dryden on Friday. Just cruisin'...
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Midweek
Blurry pic courtesy of Mariela, freshly back from 10 days of camp:
20w5d, about +30 lbs.
Baby A has been moving furniture or something all day long. He just can't stay still. I poked at the other babies, just because I felt like they weren't getting their fair shake, and they grudgingly kicked me a few times and went back to their quiet discussions, while their brother tore things up in there. Crazy kid.
M reminded me today that I need to get our legal paperwork signed. It was sent out on July 1, so I have officially become one of the annoying nonresponsive clients. Rick is coming into the office on Friday to sign and then we'll be the good kids again.
In all the excitement last week, I forgot to mention that I got another exciting gift-- my much-coveted foot bath. Hooray! It may be time to break out that bad boy again tonight, now that we're back in the 3-digit temperatures. It's hot out there!
In related news: since Rick was home last night, I tried to abandon the huge body pillow and go back to my normal pillow and an extra pillow for support. It was horrible and by midnight, I switched back. I'm not sure this pillow is good for my marriage, but it sure is amazing otherwise.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Trivia
This morning when I got up, I could tell the babies had shifted positions and my belly looked different. So I took another circumference measurement and it was 42"- a full inch and a half bigger than yesterday. Always changing!
Saturday, July 6, 2013
20 weeks
Since I'm a day late in posting, you get photo project pics first. 20 weeks alone:
20 weeks comparison:
I'm surprised it doesn't look like more growth than that, because I really am big! But, knowing I have a long way to go still, I'll take the (relative to other trip pics I've seen) smallness. Yay for height, and yay for having a deep torso to hold this party of three.
We had a fabulous time with the babies' family over the holiday. They got here Wednesday night and we went to dinner that night. My family had a family birthday party early in the day on Thursday, so we went to that and then met M, N, and A for a movie (Despicable Me 2). Then we went to a steakhouse for dinner and walked just a couple of blocks to the trail for fireworks. Rick and M got bitten by fireants or something, but the rest of us had a good time. :)
During the night Thursday into Friday, a HUGE tree in my front yard fell into the street (crushing my neighbor's car), so dealing with that yesterday morning delayed things a little. Around 11 we headed to Barton Springs. I will admit that I wimped out on the cold water, but everyone else braved and enjoyed it. We had Thai food for lunch and went to Casey's for snow cones after that. Then a quick trip so they could hear the babies on the doppler (heard them all, even though C tried to hide). And then they were off!
So a full and fun couple of days!
Pregnancy-wise, all is well. I weighed 185.5 at 20 weeks, which is +26.5 lbs. overall. I guess that's only a 3 pound gain last week, which is the lowest since I started the mega eating. Still completely on-track for the 24-week goal, so all is well. Officially 8.5 lbs. short of Dr. Luke's 20-week recommendation, but I already knew I wouldn't hit that, since I had a late start. I'm plenty happy with how things are going on the weight front.
Oh-- and I told N I would do a circumference measurement today, so I'd better do that! I am 40.5" around, measuring at my belly button. At this point with Leo, I was 37.5" around, and exactly 10 lbs. lighter. At 36 weeks (the last time I measured with Leo), I was 43.25" around, so I guess I'm not actually as big as I was at the end with him... yet.
I'm feeling good overall. Running a little slow, but I can't complain. I am so thankful to still not have any restrictions, due to my padlocked cervix.
Here's the babycenter update for this week:
And what they say twins look like right now (again, just go ahead and imagine a third in there, on the bottom, butt down):
Oh-- the other milestone for this week: when we were at the movie, Rick felt Baby A kick. Last night, Andie felt either B or C (someone up top). So now, with the exact right timing, people other than me can feel them from the outside. So that's exciting! Hopefully when I'm in Houston next, they show off for Mom and Dad too.
20 weeks comparison:
I'm surprised it doesn't look like more growth than that, because I really am big! But, knowing I have a long way to go still, I'll take the (relative to other trip pics I've seen) smallness. Yay for height, and yay for having a deep torso to hold this party of three.
We had a fabulous time with the babies' family over the holiday. They got here Wednesday night and we went to dinner that night. My family had a family birthday party early in the day on Thursday, so we went to that and then met M, N, and A for a movie (Despicable Me 2). Then we went to a steakhouse for dinner and walked just a couple of blocks to the trail for fireworks. Rick and M got bitten by fireants or something, but the rest of us had a good time. :)
During the night Thursday into Friday, a HUGE tree in my front yard fell into the street (crushing my neighbor's car), so dealing with that yesterday morning delayed things a little. Around 11 we headed to Barton Springs. I will admit that I wimped out on the cold water, but everyone else braved and enjoyed it. We had Thai food for lunch and went to Casey's for snow cones after that. Then a quick trip so they could hear the babies on the doppler (heard them all, even though C tried to hide). And then they were off!
So a full and fun couple of days!
Pregnancy-wise, all is well. I weighed 185.5 at 20 weeks, which is +26.5 lbs. overall. I guess that's only a 3 pound gain last week, which is the lowest since I started the mega eating. Still completely on-track for the 24-week goal, so all is well. Officially 8.5 lbs. short of Dr. Luke's 20-week recommendation, but I already knew I wouldn't hit that, since I had a late start. I'm plenty happy with how things are going on the weight front.
Oh-- and I told N I would do a circumference measurement today, so I'd better do that! I am 40.5" around, measuring at my belly button. At this point with Leo, I was 37.5" around, and exactly 10 lbs. lighter. At 36 weeks (the last time I measured with Leo), I was 43.25" around, so I guess I'm not actually as big as I was at the end with him... yet.
I'm feeling good overall. Running a little slow, but I can't complain. I am so thankful to still not have any restrictions, due to my padlocked cervix.
Here's the babycenter update for this week:
http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-20-weeks_1109.bcHow your baby's growing:
Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — about the size of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)
He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).
And what they say twins look like right now (again, just go ahead and imagine a third in there, on the bottom, butt down):
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
20 week appointments
Two appointments today.
11:30 with Dr. Uribe was short and sweet. Peed in a cup, weighed in, and showed the nurse where to find the babies' heartbeats with the Doppler (and I was right on-- go me). I did not schedule another appointment with Dr. Uribe since I see Dr. Dryden in 2 weeks and will hopefully just switch my care over to her. If there are any bumps in the road or if Dr. Dryden thinks I should hold off on switching to her, I'll reconnect with Dr. Uribe. So yay-- one doctor down!
1:30 with Dr. Haeri. I had the same sonographer as last time, who is maybe not my total favorite, but he's ok. It took him a little while to get oriented-- at one point, he had C labeled as A and vice versa. And to be fair, it's like baby soup in there now. Gone are the days when you could say, "Look, there's one baby there, one over there, and the third up there." Now it's a jumble of body parts and they are all always moving: twisting and turning and flipping. He only gave me pictures of Baby A this time, but here are pics and the growth scan results (click to see larger):
Dr. Haeri came in to discuss the results. All the babies look great. Baby B had an echocardiogram and passed it-- her heart looks great. She got chosen because she was easiest to see today-- A and C will have their turns in upcoming appointments.
The growth percentiles/estimated weights were:
Baby A - 76.7% - 12 ounces
Baby B - 68.0% - 12 ounces
Baby C - 38.3% - 11 ounces
He said NOT to freak out about Baby C being so much smaller in the percentages, and that if you look to their weights, C really is about the same size as the other two. To be honest, I felt the least sure of C's measurements as we were going through-- he's just in a more awkward position than the other two and I felt like he was being shortchanged. Like, if the circumference was interpreted and drawn just slightly differently, it would have made a big difference (when we're talking about such tiny weights). The one I thought looked the most... imprecise?... on C was abdominal circumference, which carries the greatest weight on the size estimations. If you look at the measurement details on the pics above, you'll see that C was above average on every measurement but that one.
Not that I'm an expert. :)
Out of curiosity, here the averages I got when I weighted each measurement equally (just totaled up the 5 measurement percentages and divided by 5):
A - 73.48%
B - 62.80%
C - 54.12%
That "feels" more right to me. Again, I know it's not the official way to calculate.
Here's another comparison-- using A's weight in grams as 100% and comparing B and C to him to see relative size:
A - 345g - 100%
B - 334g - 96.8%
C - 302g - 87.5%
So even relying on the size estimate for C (which, like I said, I think may be off), C is well within 20% of A's size. C would have had to be 9.7 ounces to be discordant with A, so we still have a lot of room there. No worries.
Ok, now that I've over-explained everything...
Two other exciting news items:
1) The babies' family is coming up to visit RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE. They'll get here tonight and leave Friday. Woohoo! Can't wait to see them.
2) Yesterday, the big brown truck dropped off this very exciting surprise. Enormous pillow! I love, love, love it-- it was more awesome to sleep with last night than I even dared to imagine. A gift from M and N. Thank you, thank you!
11:30 with Dr. Uribe was short and sweet. Peed in a cup, weighed in, and showed the nurse where to find the babies' heartbeats with the Doppler (and I was right on-- go me). I did not schedule another appointment with Dr. Uribe since I see Dr. Dryden in 2 weeks and will hopefully just switch my care over to her. If there are any bumps in the road or if Dr. Dryden thinks I should hold off on switching to her, I'll reconnect with Dr. Uribe. So yay-- one doctor down!
1:30 with Dr. Haeri. I had the same sonographer as last time, who is maybe not my total favorite, but he's ok. It took him a little while to get oriented-- at one point, he had C labeled as A and vice versa. And to be fair, it's like baby soup in there now. Gone are the days when you could say, "Look, there's one baby there, one over there, and the third up there." Now it's a jumble of body parts and they are all always moving: twisting and turning and flipping. He only gave me pictures of Baby A this time, but here are pics and the growth scan results (click to see larger):
Dr. Haeri came in to discuss the results. All the babies look great. Baby B had an echocardiogram and passed it-- her heart looks great. She got chosen because she was easiest to see today-- A and C will have their turns in upcoming appointments.
The growth percentiles/estimated weights were:
Baby A - 76.7% - 12 ounces
Baby B - 68.0% - 12 ounces
Baby C - 38.3% - 11 ounces
He said NOT to freak out about Baby C being so much smaller in the percentages, and that if you look to their weights, C really is about the same size as the other two. To be honest, I felt the least sure of C's measurements as we were going through-- he's just in a more awkward position than the other two and I felt like he was being shortchanged. Like, if the circumference was interpreted and drawn just slightly differently, it would have made a big difference (when we're talking about such tiny weights). The one I thought looked the most... imprecise?... on C was abdominal circumference, which carries the greatest weight on the size estimations. If you look at the measurement details on the pics above, you'll see that C was above average on every measurement but that one.
Not that I'm an expert. :)
Out of curiosity, here the averages I got when I weighted each measurement equally (just totaled up the 5 measurement percentages and divided by 5):
A - 73.48%
B - 62.80%
C - 54.12%
That "feels" more right to me. Again, I know it's not the official way to calculate.
Here's another comparison-- using A's weight in grams as 100% and comparing B and C to him to see relative size:
A - 345g - 100%
B - 334g - 96.8%
C - 302g - 87.5%
So even relying on the size estimate for C (which, like I said, I think may be off), C is well within 20% of A's size. C would have had to be 9.7 ounces to be discordant with A, so we still have a lot of room there. No worries.
Ok, now that I've over-explained everything...
Two other exciting news items:
1) The babies' family is coming up to visit RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE. They'll get here tonight and leave Friday. Woohoo! Can't wait to see them.
2) Yesterday, the big brown truck dropped off this very exciting surprise. Enormous pillow! I love, love, love it-- it was more awesome to sleep with last night than I even dared to imagine. A gift from M and N. Thank you, thank you!
And yes, I'm suddenly enormous. Oof!
Monday, July 1, 2013
Brewer update
Though it may seem insignificant to you, these x's represent a lot of effort over the past week. Every single box checked off every single day... minus the optional liver, which I just couldn't do (still committed to trying, eventually). I call that Brewer Diet SUCCESS. Go me.
With a full week's perspective (nearly 10 days now), I can tell you that the whole grains category is one of the hardest for me to hit-- we're just not big grain eaters in the Denson household. Our default dinner has always been a meat, a vegetable, and a salad. The potato is something else I struggle with. Blech. Potatoes are ok, but not every day.
The milk is not a problem-- I can drink half a gallon a day with relative ease (we have 4 gallons in the fridge right now-- it's quite a sight; also 3 cups on the desk right in front of me). I end up using other dairy (greek yogurt, cottage cheese) as some of my protein choices, so we are certainly not short on calcium. Protein is fine as long as I plan on it-- protein-rich lunch and dinner and at least one protein snack.
Really not sure any of this will be evident at the growth scan on Wednesday, but it would be cool to see them climb the growth percentiles (although they were all perfectly wonderful last time).
Continuing the heartbeat checks every other day or so and they're all always just fine. Strong babies. A is having a crazy active day today. Or maybe he's dancing with B-- can't really tell. C is quiet, per his usual. He really just likes the dentist's office.
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