15 Weeks and Maternity Clothes!

The 15 Week mark is ending. Everything seems to be going fine. God is good :)

Symptoms I've been experiencing lately:

• Trouble sleeping. That one hasn't changed. Even with my body pillow, I still cannot get comfortable. Even though they don't suggest sleeping on your right side, I constantly flip between that and my left side. Sometimes when I'm really struggling to sleep, I have to prop up on several pillows and that helps. 
• Round Ligament Pain. Moving too quickly or stretching out my lower abdomen creates a sharp pain. Unpleasant.
• Acne. Watch out world. I look like a pubescent teenager! 
• Stuffy nose. Apparently while pregnant your body can make more mucous or whatever and can cause a stuffy nose, which can even be bloody. Well, this week I had the pleasure of experiencing this. 
• Back Pain. 
• Pounding Heart - I still have a pounding heart. It will arrive at the strange times too, when I'm not even doing anything. Doctor ordered a thyroid test to make sure everything is going okay. 
• I have gained back almost 2 lbs of the 4 I lost! That must obviously mean that I'm gaining weight now! Waahhoo. (I'm sure that in a few weeks I'll wonder what I was thinking by wanting to gain weight at this point.)

 I have noticed a few of my past symptoms subsiding:

• Nausea. Rarely do I feel sick anymore. Yay! It might also have to do with the fact that I've been scarfing food down my throat like it's nobody's business. 
• Strong sense of smell....in a bad way. Before, I couldn't even think about cooking. Kyle's cooking even sounded gross to me. Now, I am able to make dinner and smell the aromas from hubby's cooking without feeling sick. 
• I am finally able to use the bathroom more regularly! Aren't you excited? I know I am. However, I can't really give credit to the 2nd Trimester for this achievement. I make sure to eat 25-45 grams of fiber everyday. Although this isn't a fool-proof plan. It isn't always so easy.
• Extreme fatigue. I am able to go all day without a nap. Some days if I'm bored, I will lie there and fall asleep for a little bit. However, there isn't exactly a craving for sleep like there used to be.

I bought 3 maternity things this week, too. One pair of pants (that fit a little awkwardly right now but will hopefully be better when I grow a bit more), and two shirts from Ross. I finally have a little baby bump showing (Kyle even notices) and it's oh so very exciting! Strangers may think I'm just chubby but people who know me should know it is actually a pregnant belly. I've opted not to post my picture this week. I'm going to start posting biweekly pictures so you can start seeing a bigger difference in my sizes.

Names removed off the girls list this week: Candace & Sophia. We will finally have picked our 2nd possible little girl's name in 4 weeks. :) 

Another exciting thing: I am coming home soon!! Mom has been in Europe, so communication with her has been very limited, which I hate because I like to be able to call her and chat about pregnancy stuff. Her trip is 3 weeks long, so I just have to wait a little longer before she's back on US soil and then I can see her in person!

I also have 2 baby showers coming up which is also exciting...maybe a little terrifying as well. I typically hate being the center of attention, especially to open gifts. My goal for these showers isn't just to get all sorts of baby presents. It's to grab at the opportunity to see some of my closest friends and family one last chance before I become a full-fledge momma! I'm sure they will be a fun time :) I just wish Kyle was coming home with me to enjoy them, too!

By the way, all the Facebook love we have received this week after making it official to everyone has been overwhelming! We are truly blessed to have so many positive and encouraging people in our lives. Thank you for all your support!

For a little laugh, watch this video I found on mothers with multiples. It's less than 2 minutes long but well worth it. Oh...the joys I have to look forward to. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT-lgB_HGEE

Much love.

14 Weeks and Lemons

I had my first appointment with an OB this week. Let's take a moment of silence to cherish this moment... 

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Okay, moment over. 

Before my appointment, I started feeling really insecure about my lack of weight gain and baby bump. I had never really considered how many calories I should be eating to gain weight and keep babies healthy and happy. I would assume I was eating around 1800 cal/day max. It was more than I try to eat a day, so I thought it was okay. I started reading women's posts online (those who are or have been pregnant with twins) and they were all saying they ate about 2500-2700 calories everyday.

Holy crap. 2500 calories A DAY?! How was I going to shove that much food in my mouth. Might as well clean out the grocery and buy a funnel. We're going to start funneling that food into my body. 

Now, I try to eat more everyday. I try to make sure they are high calorie but not exactly high fat like brownies. For breakfast, I would wake up and eat several scrambled eggs and a few pieces of toast with some orange juice. That was quite a change for someone who primarily only ate cereal for breakfast. Cramming down food for the rest of the day was still a major challenge. Most days I'd be lucky to even get to about 2200 calories. One woman said she drank Ensure several times a day. Sounds like a good alternative to add a little more nutrients without eating a ton of food. Hopefully I can eat more so these babies can really start to grow. I'm ready to look pregnant, dang it! Not just chubby! 

The doctor...or should I say Midwife... said I really only need to eat when I'm hungry... but I dont know if that's enough food for me plus 2 babies. So I'm going to eat more. She also said to take 2 prenatal vitamins. I just hope that's okay and that it isn't too much. I meet with someone else at my next appt which is Oct 15. Hopefully all goes well between now and then! 

Oh, and I forgot to mention the babies are doing fine. The appointment was really short. She just checked the heartbeats with the ultrasound and she seemed satisfied. Both babies had their little feet crossed...mimicking each other. So cute, right?  Ultrasounds aren't as clear as the sonograms are...sorry!

I'm just glad I can say this is my last day of the 14th week and I'm moving up to 15 weeks tomorrow!! Yay!

Update on the names that were removed from our possible girl's names list: Alicia, Addison, Aubrey, and Cooper (unisex name. Most think of a boy, but I've heard and read characters in books where it is the name of a female). So, if you hate the names, well, rest assured they won't be associated with our possible little girl. If you liked any of the names...sorry...not gonna happen.

Heres my picture at 14 weeks! Babies are the sizes of Lemons/Nectarines. We are able to see the small difference between 6 weeks and 14 weeks (thankfully!). Although it still doesn't look like a pregnant belly. :::sigh:::

13 Weeks Done...on to 14.

It's the last day of my 13th week and my neighbors decided to gift me with an early morning. 4:30am to be exact. Gosh, they are so sweet for screaming and fighting so early in the morning next to our adjoining wall, especially when I have a hard enough time sleeping as it is. 

Goodness. This week started off exciting simply because it was the 2nd trimester. My symptoms haven't really varied much compared to last week's symptoms.

I have, however, officially started sleeping with a body pillow. Its sort of a furry pillow, so it gets hot at night. It'd been in the low 90's, high 80's at the beginning of the week. Ugh. We also have no A/C in the bedroom so it becomes more miserable. We luckily have a fan so we have some kind of air. In order to combat the heat of night with the heat of my pillow, I have put the pillow under the sheet, and I lie on top of the sheets. It looks like there are 3 people sleeping in the bed. Poor Kyle has this big pillow dividing us. I can't help it. Though I see him using it at night, too. ;-)  I'm trying to get used to sleeping on my left side which is supposedly the ideal position for pregnant ladies. Why pregnant women must be confined to one sleeping position is beyond me. We are making a human beings for goodness sakes. Why must we suffer?!? :::sigh::: Just a few more months...

Let's see...some other things that happened this week. I never received a phone call for a consult with the OBGYN department, so I called the Naval Hospital to see what the deal was. Basically no one answered every time I called and left a message. I finally called a customer representative at the hospital and they finally let me know that no referral had been submitted for me. Gah. So, she started to get the ball rolling for me for someone down in the Family Medicine department to actually submit a referral that way I can finally get a doctor! I had to call back several more times to harass them since they all seem to be dumbfounded by how to deal with my chart and my referral. It's amazing really how so many people could have that much difficulty with one woman's chart. Sheesh. Almost 14 weeks pregnant and still no actual doctor. Shame on you, Naval Hospital. I finally have one set up for next week though. (Thank goodness!!!)

Nothing else had really happened this week. At one point I had lost more weight, so I was up to 4lbs. I do realize that losing weight can happen at the beginning of a pregnancy. I just get a little worried because everything I read stresses how important it is to gain weight at the beginning of twin pregnancies! Well, hopefully when I see my doctor they will let me know how everything is going.

By the way, I found this hilarious article written by a parent of twins. You should take a look at it. Oh, the joys I have to look forward to! =P Click here for the article.

That's all for my weekly symptoms, etc post. Sorry there wasn't more to report.

Love you.

Description of Twin Pregnancies

The picture below, I found Here. These are pictures of different types of twin pregnancies. 

Here are some of the terms involved:

• Monochorionic : Monochorionic twins are monozygotic twins that share the same placenta. If the placenta is shared by more than two twins, these are monochorionic multiples. These are identical twins. (Definition off wikipedia)
• Monoamniotic: identical twins that share same amniotic sac within their mother’s uterus. They also share the placenta, but have two separate umbilical cords. Monoamniotic twins develop when an embryo does not split until after formation of the amniotic sac. They are possible but extremely rare. (Definition off wikipedia)
• Dichorionic: having two distinct chorions; said of dizygotic twins. (Definition from thefreedictionary.com). These twins can still be identical, but have separate placentas. (Info from here)
• Diamniotic: having or developing within separate amniotic cavities. (Definition from thefreedictionary.com)

Based on the lab technician from my first sonogram, she said my twins were Monochorionic/Diamiotic (Mono/Di). That means, they have the same chorion but 2 separate amniotic sacs. Mine actually share a placenta.

All of the above pictures shown can be identical twins. Based on several sources I've read online (though you can never be too careful with who to trust), they have stated that dichorionic/diamniotic (Di/Di) can be either fraternal or identical. It all just depends. Confusing, right? Since mine is Mono/Di, I believe mine can only be identical twins. The doctor may read the sonogram and come up with a completely different answer, though. We shall just have to see!

Below is another picture, which I found Here.

  

In this picture, you can clearly see how the twins are formed. 

Example A...that would be a monozygotic twin. That means it comes from one egg. (I may have some of my understanding a little off on some of this, just being honest). This could be any of the 4 examples from the first picture.

Example B is an example of a dizygotic twin. Two separate eggs were dropped and fertilized. Two separate babies. Fraternal twins. 

Example C is a rare occurance. It is what's called a Polar Body Twinning (I believe). That means that an egg split and then each split half was fertilized by 2 separate sperm. That means the DNA won't be exact, but will have more of the same DNA similarities than if they were fraternal twins.

Overall, there's still a ton of stuff I have NO idea about all this. I know you're probably more confused after this post than you were before it. Sorry. I tried to explain it the best I could!

Slightly Overwhelming.

I've heard many women complain about everyone offering opinions and advice during their pregnancy. What they should eat. How much weight they should gain. How they should live. How they should raise the babies. To get an epidural or not. Breastfeeding. Childcare. Working during pregnancy. Etc, etc.

If I'm being honest, I always thought those pregnant women were over-exaggerating. Little did I know....

They were right! Everyone has something to say about Everything. It's not so bad to get advice from a person or two, but when every person who knows you're pregnant wants to give you advice and tips then it becomes very overwhelming. I have advice and information coming at me from all directions, whether its verbally or written.

I realize that people aren't trying to be overbearing or trying to overwhelm me. Unfortunately, that is what's happened. With everyone throwing things out at me, it starts to compound. I had a major break down last week. Seriously, crying and everything. My poor mother had to sit and take an emotional breakdown from me...then Kyle did as well. I still blame the pregnancy hormones.

The people I will be truly paying attention to are people with twin pregnancies and have twin babies. They are really the only people who know and understand twins. Having 2 kids and raising them at different ages, etc is NOT the same thing as giving birth to, and raising twins. Twin raising is a whole new ballgame.

Now, you obviously know that I'm pregnant, therefore I obviously love you. This post is in no way a direct post towards anyone in particular. It's a open rant from a pregnant woman about everything.

If you have an opinion, that's fine. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. Please, just be aware that you will not be the only one telling me your opinion or advice. I also ask that you make your opinion a mere suggestion. Don't tell it to me or to Kyle even, in some kind of authoritative way, that any other option is futile and not worth considering. Kyle and I will have to make decisions what's best for us and the twinnies. Not everyone is the same, either. So what worked for you won't necessarily work for us, especially because we will be having twins! Like a said...whole new ballgame.

We are excited by the challenge. Life will not be easy, I realize that. I've also decided that I will not be taking the easy way out just to make my life easier. My kids deserve my best, not my easiest. I'm sure some times I will do something that ends up being "easier" than something else... that isn't the habit I want.

Thank everyone for loving on me and Kyle. It really is wonderful to have such a large, supportive group of people who love us enough to want to give us advice. All I ask, is that you don't provide TOO much...especially if we didn't ask ;-). We are good about asking things we want to know the answer to. We aren't shy about that sort of thing =P.

Love you all.

1st Trimester....Done!

I am on the last day of my first trimester. Woohoo! All the worries of miscarriage and other things that could go wrong are out the window!! Oh wait.... This is me we're talking about. Nevermind, I take that statement back completely. I am carrying twins. I have more risks and possible bad things happening than if I just had a singleton. Great... Let the worrying recommence!

No, really, I do feel better having arrived at the end of the 1st Trimester. I will feel a TAD bit better about this whole situation...but only after I go see my doctor again and they tell me everything is still going fine. Unfortunately, that won't be for another month or so. Ugh. Why must they torture me, so?!

Sometimes, I really think the people at the Naval Hospital get a kick out of making pregnant women wait so much. When they tell us that they won't see us for another 9-10 weeks because our next appointment isn't until week 20 when we are only 10 weeks along..they can visibly see our faces drop. Um...like...really? THAT LONG? Then they all congregate in an available room and chuckle, swapping stories about the women who actually complain and put up a fight to come in sooner. Maybe they even take bets to see who would crack under the pressure of such a long wait....

Okay, so I may be over-exaggerating. Maybe.

Moving on. Symptoms during this week have included:

• Nausea. Not daily (thank goodness). Food still isn't helping, although I run to the pantry everytime it strikes and still manage to scarf something down. Don't blame me. I'm pregnant. Blame the twins. Make sure you thank Kyle for buying me more pickles and cucumbers, though.
• Headaches. Those have been no fun. I can't decide if I'd rather just take the nausea instead. Twin pregnancies tend to result in more headaches for momma. Joy. These little hoodlums are already giving me headaches. 
• Lots of dreams. I also read that at this point, I could be experiencing a lot more dreams. Totally true. Every night I often go through like 5-10 dreams. Pretty sure that's common with everyone, but I tend to remember them when I wake up which is the unusual part. Boy, some of them are weird. 
• Back pain. It's already begun! Wah.
• Racing Heartbeat. Apparently it's normal... however I don't like it. Makes me feel like I'm working out hard when I'm not even doing anything!
• Here's one everyone wants to know: Constipation!! Woooo!! It's by far my favorite symptom during this pregnancy. I mean, what woman.. wait. What person wouldn't want to be backed up for days at a time?? Even when I went in for that first sonogram, the lab technician could visible see that my bowels were full. That's just plain wonderful. Honestly, feeling stopped up can really make a person feel sexy. Where's Kyle? I feel like hitting the town tonight! Okay, maybe not. After I can finally use the bathroom I might feel that way, though. Is all of this too much information? Ah, well, my pain now becomes your pain. No one said pregnancy was all fun and games. 
• Lying on my stomach is becoming uncomfortable. NOOO!!!! I am a stomach sleeper. Period. I thought I would have more time than just 12 short weeks to continue lying on my stomach. The twins seem to disagree. They've already decided to mess with my sleeping and they are only 2.5 months old. I hope this isn't some kind of foreshadowing for the next 18-19 years.
• I struggle to sleep at night. Finding a position that isn't my stomach or my back is difficult and uncomfortable. I'm going to need one of those big body pillows for comfort here soon. 

I may have experienced a few more things than that, but I'm sure I've already mentioned them in previous posts, or you will see them again in the future. Although, since I am entering the 2nd trimester...I hope to start feeling normal again for the next 16 weeks, until the 3rd Trimester starts! 

Meanwhile, Kyle and I are in the process of picking out our 2nd possible girl's name. We aren't telling anyone any of the contending names because we want no outside influence on deciding. However, I will keep you all informed of names we just marked off the list, therefore, no longer an option. This week we marked off the names: Rachel & Reaghan. Don't fret, we still have 15 names left on the list. I will tell you the middle name for the girl: Marie. It is a family name from both sides of our family so it suits us well. Technically, if we have boys then the names we give them are primarily from my dad (David Grant), but they will be carrying on the Naugle family name, so I feel it's fair. :)

Also this week, a good friend of ours, Ashley (she's from our Bible study and also has twins!) has loaned me 3 books relating to twins. I can't wait to read them! They will probably be full of information that can be very useful compared to all the information I've read about single babies. 

PS. When it comes to the size of the babies...those are technically the sizes for single babies and not sure how much it will differ from my twinnies since twinnies tend to be smaller. However, I will continue to compare them to foods! :)

 

 Kyle wasn't too thrilled with the UK, as you can see. Thanks to Mom our babies will be Wildcat fans! Unless of course someone else buys something UNC...then it would be one of each ;-) Pretty sure that's what Kyle's hoping for.... 

By the way. We have 2 registries currently: Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby. Just look up our names and you shall find us. Please keep in mind that a lot of the items on those registries are just a helpful guide for anyone who wants to buy something. It does not mean we will only accept those items. =)