Baby, Baby: 29 Week Bumpdate

The Kidlets

How Far Along?

29 weeks!

Genders?

One girl, one boy.

How big are they? 

Compared to butternut squashes, acorn squashes, small cabbages, or Hawaiian pineapples.  They should weigh about 3 pounds each!   

Changing Momma

Have you started showing yet?

Yep. I get lots of comments and exclamations over the bump when we're out :-)  From people with twins, or people who are close with twin moms, I hear how little I look.  From others, I hear that I must be ready to pop any day :-) 

Weight Gain?

Up 30 pounds total :-)

Maternity Clothes?

Yep. 

Stretch Marks?

Woww... the stretch marks!

Belly Button In or Out?

Barely in.

Momma's Feeling

I've started experimenting with fabric nursing/baby-safe necklaces, since much of what I've made in the past could break into choking hazards.  Fun!  :-)

Cravings:

Ice cream a few times... cheeseburgers... all the food...

Anything making you queasy or sick?

Not lately.

Happy or Moody Most of the Time?

Happy!!

Movement?

Constantly!  Busy, busy little people!

Sleep:

It's rough... hard to get comfy, hard to stay comfy.  My arms fall asleep and my hips ache, and I get up at least twice to tinkle.

What I Miss:

The usual.  :-)

Other Symptoms:

Started recognizing lots of Braxton-Hicks contractions.  I wasn't sure what they were at first, because they're not remotely painful or crampy.  But my belly goes hard and it hurts if I accidentally bump it into anything.

Highlights and Coming Soon

Best Moment of the Week:

Hearing that everything was great with the NST :-)

 

Looking Forward To:

We're doing maternity pictures on Tuesday, our hospital tour on Wednesday, and an ultrasound on Friday! :-) 

Doctor's Appointments:

This past week, we had an NST that went wonderfully.  It was super quick, because both babies did just what we needed them to :-)  This coming Friday, we have another NST and a growth ultrasound.  I asked the doctor if/when we'd start having ultrasounds more frequently than every 4 weeks, and she said that she didn't see that becoming necessary, that they would only increase them if we started seeing any problems, and that I was on the "low maintenance plan for a high-risk pregnancy."

Baby, Baby: 2 Peas in a Pod Baby Shower

My wonderful mother-in-law threw us a beautiful baby shower this month, and I had promised in a few bumpdates that I would share some pictures and stories here :-)

Photo by Katie Hampton

The theme was "2 Peas in a Pod" and I think it turned out adorably!  We used invitations from PaperHouseDesigns on Etsy, and also snagged some similar instant-download clip art to use on name tags and games.

PROPERTY OF THE DESIGNER, PAPER HOUSE DESIGNS!

Our cake was from The Cakery in Dayton, Ohio... if you live ANYwhere in the vicinity, you NEED to try their buttercream.  Like, tonight.  

We played fairly traditional shower games... The Price is Right, word scramble, Pass the Flowerpot (where my MIL read a story with lots of "left" and "right/Wright" sprinkled throughout, and people had to pass the flowerpot in the correct direction whenever they heard one of those words), the clothespin/don't say "baby" game, and the yarn-around-Momma's-belly game.  My favorite ended up being the yarn-around-the-belly game... we laughed SO MUCH!  Not ONE SINGLE PERSON underestimated how big I was... one person got within an inch (amazing!), most were within 6-8 inches over, and one person cut a piece of yarn I could wrap around myself twice and still tie a bow with :-)  I kept that one to see how close they are by delivery ;-)  So I guess the moral of that game is that I'm smaller than I look!

Ethan's (our) Granny checking her piece of yarn against my belly. Photo by his (our) aunt Lori Feltner.

Two of my aunts and my  Grandma passing the flower :-)  Photo by Lori Feltner

The centerpieces doubled as game prizes - happy spring tulips, while we were all still sick of cold and winter.  It was one of our first warmish days, and they really made it feel like spring may come after all!

I took this one... it might be my favorite picture I've ever taken, lol.  I was playing with my new DSLR before the shower, still trying to learn the ropes. :-)

The food was delicious, and not too theme-y (because, ew, peas).  Sandwiches, chicken tenders, mac-and-cheese (my faaaaave!), potato salad, and lots of munchies :-)

Some of the guests, not quite all :-)  Photo by Lori Feltner

 And the best part of any party... the guests :-)  Since this is the only shower I knew I was having (the other one was a COMPLETE surprise!), the guest list was a mix of people from all kinds of parts of our life.  Childhood friends, friends I made as an adult, my family, Ethan's family... and the mix was perfect and seemed to really enjoy each other!  I also got to introduce my grandma and aunts, a close-friend-who's-like-family, and my incredibly amazing mentor to my in-laws, which was fun after all the stories I've told about them :-) I had so much fun visiting with and being loved on by all of these people who've meant so much to us over the years... lots of them have been praying for these babies since long before they were conceived, and it felt very cool to hang out with them with my big pregnant belly. (But, seriously, not THAT big.) ;-)

Best dang party-planning committee ever, and me :-) Photo by Lori Feltner.  I think.  Maybe Katie Hampton.

Ethan and me with a really clever gift from our Aunt Lori :-)  She has all sorts of baby things and some "my aunt is awesome"-type bibs and onesies hanging from these umbrellas... 'cause it's a shower... :-)  Again, either Lori Feltner or Katie Hampton...

Baby, Baby: 28 Week Bumpdate

The Kidlets

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How Far Along?

28 weeks!  Survivability is up to about 90% this week :-)  I'd prefer to keep them cooking, but I feel so much relief as those percentages creep upwards. 

Genders?

One girl, one boy.

How big are they? 

They should theoretically be around 2.5 pounds each, and between 15-16 inches long.  My apps compare them to heads of cauliflower, eggplants, and tropical coconuts.  I like the tropical coconuts comparison for our little BarBABYdos babies <3

Changing Momma

Have you started showing yet?

Yep.

Weight Gain?

Not sure.  This is probably my last week of being blissfully unaware, since I start weekly office visits this coming Friday :-)  23 pounds as of last check...

Maternity Clothes?

Oh yeah.  Although I've also started wearing some non-maternity (but very loose and flowy) maxi dresses I bought last year for our Barbados trip. 

Stretch Marks?

Oh my goodness, yes.  But I'd say 90% of them are on the southern hemisphere of my bump, which seems odd to me. 

Belly Button In or Out?

We've begun referring to it as the belly dimple, but it's still in.

Momma's Feeling

Charley's testing one of the cribs to make sure it's comfy enough for his baby brother or sister. :-)  I've spent a bunch of time working in there this week!

Cravings:

Any food anyone mentions...

Anything making you queasy or sick?

Not specifically, but I was nauseated a few times this week.  No idea why.

Happy or Moody Most of the Time?

Happy!!

Movement?

Constantly <3  I even caught some of her moves on video, with clothes over my belly!  If you're so inclined, you can hop over to my Instagram to see it :-)

Sleep:

Meh.  I'm very lucky I can sleep as late as I need to to make up for not sleeping much at a time.

What I Miss:

The usual.  :-)

Other Symptoms:

Round ligament pain is so bad at times...

Highlights and Coming Soon

Best Moment of the Week:

Ethan and I knew that since I'm too high-risk to be too far from my doctors for too long, a normal "babymoon" wouldn't work for us.  So we decided to take a couple of little day trips and/or do some fun little activities closer to home.  Yesterday, we drove to a restaurant we love, two hours from home. It actually ended up being about 3.5 hour from home because of horrendous traffic, but we had a great (ohmygosh, GREAT) meal at Sonny's BBQ in Richmond, KY (the closest location to us - it's southern-based), shopped at Belk (a southern department store we like), and came home to our puppy and beds.  Besides the most delicious bbq in the world, it was really nice spending so much time just the two of us.  We talked about baby names, the nursery, all of the things we need to do (and all we've done)... and just teased and joked and laughed.  I love hanging out with this wonderful man, and can't wait to raise the cutest little nerdbabies with him :-)

 

Looking Forward To:

My first NST on Friday.  Hopefully, it's completely normal and a check-off kind of task, but it's a new milestone, and those are always fun :-)  Also excited that 30 weeks is totally visible from here...hang in there, babies! 

Doctor's Appointments:

Nothing this past week, NST Friday (plus some blood work, my second RhoGam shot, and a Tdap booster... yay...), and ultrasound and NST the Friday after that! 

Baby, Baby: 27 Week Bumpdate

The Kidlets

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How Far Along?

27 Weeks!  Officially third trimester... ohmygoodness!!!

Genders?

One girl, one boy.

How big are they? 

According to my apps... each baby is as big as a head of cauliflower (again), a rutabaga, a cucumber, or a bunch of bananas!  They should each be over two pounds by now, and in the neighborhood of 15 inches from head to heel. <3

Changing Momma

Have you started showing yet?

Little bit.  My belly circumference picked up another inch between last Saturday and this Thursday!

Weight Gain?

Idk :-)

Maternity Clothes?

Um, yeah, and I'm starting to run into a slight problem... a lot of my tank tops are getting reeeeally tight.  I probably only have one more growth spurt before I need to size up or start getting creative :-)

Stretch Marks?

Yes, and I think more are on the way, judging by how ITCHY I've been for the last couple of days!

Belly Button In or Out?

Barely hanging in there...

Momma's Feeling

Got some shower gifts washed, folded, and hung up <3  Our babies are going to be so well-dressed!

Cravings:

Ooey gooey cake... seems like there have been a few others this week, too, but that's what's standing out to me...

Anything making you queasy or sick?

Weirdly enough, the smell of peanut butter.  One of my all-time favorite foods, and the easiest source of protein when I'm lazy!

Happy or Moody Most of the Time?

I'm afraid it's been a fairly moody week.  Not that I'm not also happy... but yeah, pretty moody.

Movement?

Yep.  They especially respond to candy when my blood sugar is low, and ice water. :-)

Sleep:

Getting rougher.  I have to change sides a lot because my hips hurt sooo badly after an hour or so of sleeping on one.  Haven't figured out how to use the pillow to alleviate that...

What I Miss:

The usual.  

Other Symptoms:

Round ligament pain is back, YAY!  It was hurting/burning so badly the other night that Ethan had to physically lift me into our bed because I couldn't lift my knee high enough to crawl in.

Highlights and Coming Soon

Best Moment of the Week:

Our beautiful, amazing baby shower!!  (I still owe you a post, I know.  It took a while to recover from, then we went shopping at my Moms of Multiples club sale last night... so of course, I had to pregame and strategize.)

 

Looking Forward To:

Talking to our maternity photographer and figuring out a plan for where/how we're doing pictures :-)

Doctor's Appointments:

Nothing this week (except childbirth class), but I have my first non-stress test (NST) in a couple weeks, then an ultrasound the week after that.  We love any chance to peek in on the kids! 

Baby, Baby: 26 Week Bumpdate

Thanks to my technological butterfingers, this did not post when it was supposed to... I'm too tired to go back through and correct it all, so please pretend this is still Saturday ;-)

 

The Kidlets

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How Far Along?

26 weeks!  (Although I'm writing this a day early... when it posts, I'll be at our baby shower!)  Somewhere this week, I read that babies born after 26 weeks have about a 90% chance of survival!/

Genders?

One little lady, one little man.

How big are they?

GINORMOUS!  We saw them on Tuesday, and Little Mister weighed 1lb, 14 oz, while Little Miss weighed 1lb, 12oz!  He weighs now what they weighed TOGETHER last month!  I was relieved to learn that they're in the 53rd and 60th percentile for growth... the sonographer said that with fraternal twins, they don't worry as much about their weights relative to each other, but that even with identical twins, they don't worry until there's a 10% difference.  And when I asked about them being over 50th percentile with a diabetic mom, he said that that's perfectly fine... they wouldn't get concerned until they were in the 90th percentile range :-)  The apps this week are comparing them to green onions (ew), butternut squashes (ew again), and heads of lettuce (slightly less ew).

Changing Momma

Have you started showing yet?

Yeah, but barely.  I don't think anyone would notice, do you?

Weight gain?

3 pounds this month!  I'm feeling pretty good about that, since almost 2 pounds of that was baby ;-) So, 23 pounds total?

Maternity Clothes?

Ha! Yeah.

Stretch Marks?

Yep!  Mostly under my belly, which is funny... that area feels like a big Ruffles chip (you know, the rrrrridges)!  I have one or two tiny ones on either side of my belly button, too.  And Squiggles, my sweet little squiggly first stretch mark... yeah, he's a long red angry guy now ;-)

Belly Button In or Out?

It's really just taunting me at this point.  

Momma's Feeling

Cravings:

Cheesy popcorn/puffs/whatever.  (Thanks, other Katie H!)

Anything making you queasy or sick?

Nope.

Happy or Moody Most of the Time?

I'm a pretty happy little me!  I keep crying because I'm so happy... that doesn't count as moody, does it?  Yesterday, it was because the dog is so sweet and the twins are so cute.  

Movement?

Um, like whoa!  Last night, I think Little Mister decided to redecorate his amniotic apartment... he was flipping and rolling, and I couldn't quit giggling.  Poor Ethan was trying to fall asleep and his nutty wife just kept giggling... but it felt CRAZY! Little Miss did the same thing this morning.

Sleep?

I seriously thought this would be a bigger issue than it has been.  With my trusty maternity pillow, sleep is pretty good.  It hurts quite a bit as I'm trying to lay down and get situated, but once I'm there, the Zzzzs start quickly :-)

What I Miss:

Caffeinated Diet Coke... hot baths... pancakes with syrup (I cannot for the life of me bolus syrup well.  On occasion, I eat it anyway and do the best I can, but I'm NOT risking it while I have babies on board.  I've already placed my order for a tall stack the minute the kids are out!)

Other Symptoms:

Nothing new... just stretching and aching :-)

Highlights and Coming Soon

He was very cooperative... we have probably a dozen great pictures of him.  I love the little monster pose... rawr.

She was slightly less cooperative, so this is the one pretty good shot we got of her... she was hiding behind her cord, which distorts the 3D pictures.

 

I love how this one shows how snuggled up together they are in there <3

Best Moment of the Week:

Our ultrasound!!  Have I mentioned how much we love Chris, our sonographer?  He's the best.  I asked if/when 3D ultrasounds are part of procedure, and he said because our kids don't appear to have any birth defects/etc, that they wouldn't be procedure for me... but he could grab the other camera anyway if we wanted... DUH!  We wanted!!  You guys, these faces... we're so in love, and this is why I keep spontaneously bursting into tears!  Besides the drama of seeing them in 3D, it was wonderful to know that they're looking perfect still, and it was neat to see their heads together.  They're much more crowded than they had been before!

Looking Forward To:

Since this is actually Friday, I'm looking forward to our shower tomorrow!! 

Doctor's Appointment/s:

I have my first non-stress test (NST) at 28 weeks, and that will be (at least) a weekly appointment from then on.  We have another ultrasound the week after that :-)  At our next ultrasound, I'll be one day shy of 30 weeks... WHOA!    

Baby, Baby: 25 Week Bumpdate

The Kidlets

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How Far Along?

Today, we are 25 weeks and 1 day along :-)  12 weeks and 6 days until these kiddos have to be out!

Genders?

One girl, one boy.

How big are they?

The apps this week say they should each be about the size of a turnip, a head of cauliflower, a Napa cabbage, or a rutabaga.  They're probably measuring about 14 inches from head to heel, and should each weigh around 2 pounds.  We'll have more Hodge-baby-specific measurements next bumpdate :-) 

Changing Momma

Have you started showing yet?

Oh yeah.  I'm even having strangers offer to do things for me, like pick up stuff I drop in stores ;-) Anybody have any ideas for a question to go in this spot for the next few months?

Weight gain?

I'll find out on Tuesday :-)  I really don't feel that much bigger than I was at my last appointment... we shall see :-)

 

Maternity Clothes?

Yep!

Stretch Marks?

Yeah, pretty sure I'm going to lose count soon.  I'm up to five, and the pattern looks like my belly is getting really great wi-fi. :-)

Belly Button In or Out?

It's the weirdest looking thing... but still technically in.  My scar from my laparoscopy a few years ago looks like a piercing scar on the bottom part of the belly button instead of the top... heehee! 

Momma's Feeling

Cravings?

Cake.  I got an intense craving for cake this week, and I didn't so much care what flavor or icing type.  I mostly wanted the texture and sweetness of cake.  :-)

Anything making you queasy or sick?

Nah.

Happy or Moody Most of the Time?

Pretty happy, until bed time when everything hurts and I wanna cry. 

Movement?

Every day seems like they're getting busier... I'm starting to notice patterns, too, like they love to kick and play when I lay on my side, and start immediately.  If I sit down for a long time, eventually they'll start moving, but only after a while.  I almost never feel them when I'm standing up.

Sleep?

I had a nasty cold much of this week, so sleep was hard to come by.  Not the babies' fault, though!  It's easier to sleep when you can breathe ;-)

What I Miss:

My usual complaints: hot baths and caffeinated diet coke!  

Other Symptoms?

Aches and pains, but nothing major or unexpected.  

Highlights and Coming Soon

Best Moment of the Week:

Yesterday, we went to our friends' house for lunch and some catching up... right after we got there, most of the rest of that friend group came through the door for a perfect, intimate baby shower :-)  I was floored (and not just that Ethan managed to keep it a secret!)... and so touched by all the love for us and our babies <3  (This, followed by a birthday party for my Grandma, is why my bumpdate is a day late, and this smile just won't wipe off my face!)  

Looking Forward To:

Doctor's appointment and ultrasound on Tuesday!  Always a joy to see our little ones, and I'm hoping we can have the time to talk a little "end game strategy" with the doctor.  I don't intend to go in with a super-specific birth plan (things change, especially with twins!), but there are a few little preferences and questions I'd like to run by him.  AND THEN!  After that appointment, our first childbirth class!  WooHoo!!  Crazy that we're already at a place to start discussing how we're gonna get these kidlets out of me and into the big world!