36 Weeks Equals

36 Weeks = fatigue, aches and pains, sausage toes, numb fingers, insomnia, crampy belly and an end in sight

36 weeks

Here's me at 36 weeks...

It has been extremely hot here this week which makes it difficult for me to do anything outside. I did manage to take Lloyd to the dog park this morning. He got exercise and so did I.

I am finding it more and more uncomfortable to sit in a chair. My belly rests on my thighs and I don't like that feeling. Also there seems to be swelling in the entire legs which is not pretty. I really think my thighs are touching. Yuck!

Dad & Wendy are making their way to Huron from Milwaukee on Monday. They have been there for about a month helping my brother and Leslie get settled and to also look after Ben while Leslie had the new baby. I would say that they have completed their responsibilities in Milwaukee... now it's my turn.

This is what I am preparing for dinner tonight. I am prepared to make extra to have in the freezer for when we come home from the hospital. They are sooo yummy. I really think I could survive on just beans alone. Andy and I both really enjoy chickpea burgers as well. Definately give one of the recipes a try.

Welcome Baby Drake

My nephew finally decided to come into the world yesterday and he did it quite enthusiastically. From first contraction until he was out, it took only about 3 hours. Poor Peter didn't even make it because it happened so fast.


Drake Harrison Smith, 7 lbs. 14 oz.

I am next. Today the doctor told me that I was still at 1 cm and 80% effaced which is common with first time moms. Effacement first before dialation. My bag is packed... I am so ready to go...soon, I hope.

35 weeks

Here's me at 35 weeks.

Couldn't leave Lloydie out of the photo sesssion. He is patiently awaiting the babies' arrival.

And the birthday continues

I just woke up from a mid-afternoon nap. I was awake from about 2:30 am until 6:30 am which makes for a very tired girl. You might wonder what I did during that four hour stretch of time. Well, I got up and moved to the couch and opened up a new book that was given to me. The book is about parenting in a more spiritual way... right up my alley. I am already enjoying it.
Our neighbors had a barbecue last evening, which we attended along with my sister Kathleen, niece Morgan and her friend. My dear husband surprised me with an ice cream cake (yum!) with candles that showed my age as "32". Love it.
Today started out rainy and cool but ended up being more sunny and humid... not my kind of weather. My legs and feet are especially bothering me. I am sure it is just another side effect of the pregnancy, but nonetheless bothersome. I think a pool would be super duper.
Oh, and I almost forgot. Kathleen came bearing lots of gifts when she arrived. My big birthday gift was a spiffy new diaper bag. This diaper bag is really the cadillac of diaper bags when it comes to twins. Now, if I only knew what goes into the diaper bag...
I also received the very cutest of matching outfits for the twins from my sister Pattie. I have decided that they will be coming home from the hospital in these little outfits. They will make for some great photographs.
Also, my mother-in-law sent along 2 handmade crocheted blankets along with many other baby items. The blankets are meant to be used for coming home from the hospital as well.
Kath is here until Monday. Not sure what the rest of the weekend will bring.

Better Late than Never

Look at what just came to the door for me...

These came from Dad and Wendy. Aren't they pretty? I think so.

Birthday Schmirthday

I celebrated a birthday yesterday. Honestly, not one of the greatest. I woke up missing my mom - which sometimes I do on my birthday. Her birthday was the day before mine - we ususally celebrated with one cake. That was a long time ago.
My husband texted me birthday greetings after he left the house for work. I think he was hoping that the surprise party from last year would give him a few birthdays off. No card. No cards from anyone for that matter.
Dinner out was unplanned which meant more time driving around which is a bit uncomfortable for me these days.
However, looking at the bright side... I am 41 years old, carrying twins. I am healthy. I have a roof over my head and clothes on back and an awfully good dog. I have family and friends that love me. And for all of that I am grateful.

Coming soon....

As of today's OB appointment, I am now officially 1 cm dialated. It doesn't seem like much; however, the doctor feels that I will probably deliver within the next couple of weeks. Both babies are pretty low. That internal exam is no piece of cake, I'll tell you that much.
Dr. S was pretty impressed with how far I have come. The babies are very healthy as am I.

When we first started on the baby quest, I had hoped to have children by 40. Tomorrow I will be 41. Not a big deal. It's just a number anyways.

I am now done with work which is quite a relief.

My nesting has gone into high gear. Yesterday I vacuumed out the kitchen drawers and cabinets and reorganized the linen closet as well as Andy's t-shirt collection (the man has a billion t-shirts). Who knows what tomorrow will bring...

Up all night, sleep all day

Last night was definitely the worst sleep I have had throughout the entire pregnancy – hands down! I have not been sleeping well, so you can only imagine how last night was. I am so incredibly uncomfortable that Andy and I are now sleeping in separate beds. The dog doesn’t know what to do. Often, on one of my many pee breaks in the middle of the night, I find Lloydie sleeping on the living room couch (halfway between both bedrooms). Poor little guy. He probably isn’t sleeping well either.
So today will be a nice napping day for the two us. A 1-2 hour nap seems to work well for me and I seem to only be sleeping at 1-2 hour stretches anyways.

33 1/2 weeks

At the OB appointment today I underwent another non-stress test. This test uses detectors that are strapped to my belly, one for Baby A and one for Baby B. The goal of this test is to measure the heart rate of the babies in response to their own movements. Healthy babies will respond with a higher rate during movements and then the heart rate recovers at rest. My babies responded very well ( after they had to be "buzzed" to wake them up) which means that there is an adequate rate of oxygen is adequate. I am not having any contractions, however.
Next appointment the doctor will check my pelvis and also the cervix. She will also do a strep test.
Still working...

Plump Babies

Yesterday we had an ultrasound which showed both babies are in the vertex position. Baby A is approximately 4 lbs 12 oz and Baby B is weighing approximately 5 lbs. Dr. Saleh, the specialist, was very excited. He indicated that I would probably deliver by the 37th week. Since both babies are vertex I would definitely like to deliver vaginally; however Andy would prefer a c-section because it is "more controlled".
Control went out the window the moment I became pregnant with the twins. All we could do was hope and pray that they grew and became healthy babies. I think there are risks with both a vaginal delivery and a c-section delivery. I would prefer to try vaginally because the recovery is much easier and faster. But like I said, we have no control. Those babies will be the deciding factor.
I cannot wait until they get here!