Happy Birthday to Me!

We made it to 13 weeks!! Each baby is the size of a peach and growing steadily every day. All their major organs and systems are "built" and are now in "develop and grow" mode. Grow babies grow!

Last week, we gave our doppler a try. We easily found Baby B and heard his/her heartbeat, but Baby A is sitting lower, so we had a harder time finding that little thud-thud-thud. Not to worry though - we heard it loud and strong at the doctor's office on Wednesday.

Barry and I had our first visit to the perinatal specialist on April 19. It was a birthday gift to me! We had a lengthy ultrasound where we spent time watching the babies kicking and dancing. This is the first ultrasound where Barry was able to see them now that they look like babies and not little aliens. He too was excited to watch them and see how active they both were during the test. Our only disappointment was finding out we can't do the Y chromosome test on twins to determine gender. We'll have to wait until an anatomy scan later in the pregnancy - the "old fashioned way."

Dr. Beiswenger, my perinatal specialist, was very factual with us, but also comforting. He sees a lot of women who have high-risk pregnancies, and on the scale, we are on the lower end of risk. Twins is the biggest factor for me at this point. The previa did not have him tremendously concerned because "it's all baby and placenta in there," so he gave me hope that the situation could develop in a positive direction. He helped set our expectations on how the pregnancy might unfold, but also was confident that I am going to be successful. I am really hoping we make it all the way to the 37 week mark! For now, we just act like a normal, pregnant couple and get ready for our little bundles of joy.

Barry and I went out to lunch for my birthday after the u/s for some southern food and blues music:

I know it is SUPER early to be feeling movements, but Baby B is sitting high and in front, so every now and then, maybe every other day, I feel a flutter. It's so exciting! This is one of the last "firsts" that I'll get to experience, so I'm cherishing it.

Also, we finished our plans for the trip to Disney! I could not be more excited for the break from work and time away with my girls. When we get back from the trip, we will have another appointment with the perinatal specialist on May 31. We will find-out then if we're having boys, girls or a combo!

In other family news, we combined the girls into the same bedroom this weekend! They are doing really well with it so far. The biggest challenge I have right now is rocking Libby without a chair. We are going to have to figure that out because my back is not pleased with me. I'll post pictures when I get Libby's bedding in the mail and the artwork on the walls.

Here are some recent candids, just 'cause.  Have a great week y'all!

The Secret is Out

We announced to the world that we are expecting the twins!  Everyone is shocked (as they should be) and excited for us.  It's awesome to see how many people are rooting for us.

"We made a wish and TWO came true! 

Oct 2017 our TWINS are due! #goodenpartyof6"

Over the last couple of weeks, I have found energy for boating, birthday parties, shopping sprees, dinner dates and Easter celebrations.  I'm trying not to push myself because I find myself worn out when I do, but I am so grateful to be able to do so much with my family and friends.  As of today, the twins are each the size of limes and I'm certainly starting to show.  Here's a picture from this weekend's anniversary dinner that sorta shows the bump in one of the new shirts Barry bought me for my birthday.

We are also starting to plan some safety improvements around the house (new fence along the dock) and the combination of the girls' room.  All of this excitement has been capped-off with the announcement to the girls that we're taking them to Disney over the Memorial Day weekend.  So much excitement in our lives right now!

Movin' and Groovin'

Last weekend, we created a video where we told the girls that they are expecting twin siblings and shared that with our immediate families.  Everyone is SO EXCITED!!!  What's not to be excited about?!?!?

I have started to feel excitement too... My initial panic and feeling overwhelmed has mostly subsided and I'm now feeling grateful, hopeful and excited.

To be honest, I do still have some moments of panic. This week, we had a bleeding episode that landed us at the OB for our first appointment earlier than originally scheduled.  I had an u/s to see the babies and they were moving all around - kicking and dancing.  They both measured-in at 10w0days, so the doctor moved-up my due date to Oct 30, meaning we'll deliver NLT Oct 9.

Why am I so sure it'll be NLT Oct 9? Because through this process, we also found out that Baby A has a placenta previa, posterior and complete.  Baby A wants to be just like Libby Day...  It's not going to be easy carrying twins to 37 weeks with a previa, but I am hopeful. I have a wonderful OB and will be seeing a maternal fetal specialist to get me through this high-risk pregnancy. And there's still a chance as my uterus grows that the placenta could clear from the cervix. No matter what, I'll get through this with lots of rest and team effort!

Baby A's heart rate was 166 bpm

Baby B's heart rate was 164 bpm

Here are some pictures from the u/s of the little cuties - the size of prunes going into this week!

With medication, my sickness is under control and my energy levels are higher, for which I am so grateful. My belly is certainly rounding and I'm going to "show" much earlier this time around. I suspect my body already know where to move things given we have been through this twice already.