Home Bound

Just to start off, I'd like to give you an update on my coveted snow cone machine ... that never materialized. The one that I wanted to get wasn't in stock at the store ... so now I'm debating whether to order the darn thing online or just scrap the entire idea.

The weather here is cooler now (well, today) so the urgency and desire for it has dwindled considerably. We're in NH so by now, we usually see the leaves changing to mark the Fall season. A handful have but because the weather has been so unpredictable, the plants seem to be confused what time of year it is. I have spring flowers blooming!

In other news, my doctor told me at my most recent office visit this past week that she would like me to stay home until the babies are born. My work schedule had already been decreased to three days in the office and two days at home. So until further notice, I'll be working from home full time now (except the few days I'll trek into the office to train my temp). Unfortunately, the temp hasn't even been hired yet so let's just hope nothing happens until I'm able to put in a few solid days of training.

The rest of the visit just talked about any other symptoms I may be experiencing. I think it's a lot of the usual stuff that happens at this point in the journey. Ligament pain, soreness, fatigue, pressure and the overall feelings of "Enough already!"

Honestly, most of it isn't horrible except trying to extricate myself from the pillow fortress I must recreate in bed each night to get to the bathroom in the dead of night ... only to find that by the time I get there and sit down, someone has moved.

Pee? What pee?

I still have several weeks to go since I am not scheduled for my C-Section until the week before Thanksgiving. I'm usually the one who cooks Thanksgiving dinner every year - bird to all the fixins - but I won't be doing any cooking at all this year. I've been told by my husband that he will be ordering turkey dinner in (which I'm wary of) but I'll leave those details to him for once. I'll be busy juggling babies' feeding schedules!

Nothing new in the nursery yet.

Baby shower is this Sunday though!

Ken has been working hard to keep as many details a secret as possible.

Pictures and details to follow ...

Nostalgia

I don't know about you but as the arrival of these little ones get closer and closer, there are thoughts of my own childhood and a nostalgic resurgence of experiences that I yearn to relive.

Today, it is the sno cone machine.
I never had one but I used to have friends who used to own the Snoopy Sno Cone Machine.

At the time, I thought it was probably the most ingenious invention I'd ever seen. And gourmet?
We were fearless in our recipes!

So, I took a mental break from work to find a sno cone machine for two reasons.

1. The home office I'm working in is HOT and I could really use a sno cone!
2. Who doesn't love a sno cone anytime?

I was successful in finding an updated version of a snow cone maker at Bed, Bath and Beyond that received great reviews.

The best parts? It is only $29.99, seems easy to use and I have a 20% off coupon (which I think equals out to be about $20 - give or take).

I wasted no time in sending said link and request to husband dearest in hopes that he would be open to picking this up on his way home from work today.

Updates and pictures to follow on the machine and said sno cones.

I didn't know THAT?!

I am reading this article about Month 1 after baby is born. Much of it is the usual thing that most of us already know. Yes, the body is covered in lanugo that disappears shortly after. Babies are covered with vernix at birth and their heads are cone shaped (if delivered naturally) and have soft spots in the head. Some newborns experience jaundice and is common in about 25% of healthy infants.

Yada, yada, yada.

Then, I read this little part about a few peculiarities:

"Some boys might have enlarged breasts, a result of Mom's hormones having crossed the placenta."

Hmmm. Ok.

"The condition will disappear in a few days."

Whew!

"You may also wonder why your son is having erections."

Huh? and Wha?!

"These are common and frequent, often caused by pressure from feces or a full bladder."

Oh.  Ehhh.

I'm not sure if anyone else has read those tidbits before but that was NEWS to me that I thought interesting to share.

Basically, it just reaffirms what I've already known for years.

Boys are just made differently than girls.

Ho Hum

Pretty quiet these days at home (well, as much as it can be) so I don't have too much exciting news to report.

The nursery is still bare bones ...

No wiring. No insulation. No walls.

No ceiling.

And not even a floor.

But we do already have the paint picked out, the ceiling light fixture purchased and the hardwood floor ready to put down. That is, after the wiring is all done, the insulation is put in, the ceiling put up and the drywall done.

How many more weeks do we have left? 
Oh, right. A little less than 9 weeks to go.

Sometimes the time seems to inch along except when we're talking about what else still needs to be done.

Have I mentioned something about a crib quilt?
Yeah. I mentioned it but have not done ONE thing to start this project. I'm beginning to wonder if I'll just have a bag of fabric instead of a finished blanket.

Babies are still busy but in spurts and not as frequently throughout the entire day except at night while I'm trying to sleep.

Today, I am 29 weeks and 4 days. The Bump says babies are the size of a squash!

Here is their snippet of what they are up to these days:

Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments.

Baby Zone says:

Your baby is filling out this week. She's adding fat to insulate her body for the day she leaves her cozy home. You can probably distinguish between feet and hands, head and bottom when your baby-to-be moves inside you. She takes practice breaths but won't breathe air until delivery. Your baby's growth has begun to slow down now, but she will still gain approximately four pounds between now and birth. If she were born now, she would be able to breathe, but might tire easily and need assistance. Her little eyes are sensitive to light.

If babies both gain an additional four pounds from now until delivery, that will mean that our boy will weigh about seven pounds and our girl will be about six pounds! I don't know about you but the idea of carrying around thirteen pounds worth of baby alone (nevermind the uterus, placentas and amniotic fluid!) is a bit overwhelming and does make me anxious.

I'm experiencing a lot more ligament pain these days as well as restless nights in bed (caused either by back and/or ligament pain, bathroom runs or in utero movement). All this makes for tired and grouchy mornings.

I don't have another ultrasound visit until October 4th but I don't expect many, if any, pictures from it. They are both getting so big now that it is harder to get clear pictures where there aren't just a mess of limbs or body parts in one frame. If I happen to get any, I will be sure to post them.

Oh! I did find out that my baby shower is scheduled for October 2nd. Hubby let it slip over conversation at the dinner table one day with my parents. I'm looking forward to it immensely and just hope that these babies don't decide to appear before then!

More updates to follow before the shower and ultrasound visit if I make any progress on my quilts or something exciting happens!

Daycares Revisited

Among the many things that must be done to prepare for our new arrivals, one of them is the unfortunate duty of choosing a suitable daycare. The depressing reality is that we just aren't equipped to survive with one income so as much as I'd love to be home with these little ones for at least their first year, it doesn't look like a feasible arrangement at the moment.

I've already shared some of my observations of the places we've visited so far. Not all of them were good but it's been a hit or miss lately.

We visited another daycare closer to home (not work) on Tuesday night.

I think it could have been LOVE at first sight! 

Front door LOCKED?   CHECK!
Staff near and by the front door?   CHECK!
Each wing of the facility housed different age groups and away from the front door.   CHECK!
Infant rooms shoe free?   CHECK!
Organized and CLEAN?   CHECK!
Certified and experienced staff?   CHECK!
Strong and established learning?   BONUS!
Price is right?   Well it's not free but its very reasonable :)

The only thing left to decide is if this is "The One" or not. There are a lot of pros to this facility unto itself. The downside is that it isn't very close to either of our jobs but since those may not be forever, we don't want to base our decision solely on that factor. The most important things to weigh in on our decision is not only cost effectiveness but also what our overall impression. It's also tough to say how much it will cost us since I won't know what my work schedule will be like quite yet when I do go back.

Loose ends bother me but it is more than likely we'll be going with this place regardless of the unknowns. Sometimes, you just have to go with your gut!

First Peek!

The long awaited time has come!

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!

After two ultrasound appointments, I have several good profile pictures of both babies to show you. They weren't easy to get which is why I had an ultrasound appointment yesterday and today but I'm excited to give you all a sneak peek of their little faces!

Special thanks to my very wonderful and patient ultrasound technician who labored through these appointments with uncooperative babies! 

Introducing our chubby cheeked boy!

Hand up to nose and mouth.

Ken's nose?

I believe that's a hand and a foot up there ...

What seems to be him sucking his hand.

And here is his more petite but not necessarily gentler sister! Her pictures were infinitely more difficult to take (shy lil thing) so I appreciate the few shots she allowed us to get!

Maybe my nose?



Her brother's arm jabbing her in the forehead here.

My favorite picture!

There were quite a few pictures but I tried to post the best ones here. Others were somewhat unclear or just full of limbs covering faces :) 

Both are busy at different times of day and evident from the back-to-back ultrasounds, I discovered they also change positions quite a bit! Hopefully, that doesn't mean their feeding and sleeping schedules will vary too much!

Hope you enjoyed these pictures as much as we did!

Twenty-eight weeks today (or seven months) and counting!

Doctor is hoping for another ten more weeks ... tick-tock, tick-tock goes the clock.

BTW - I have yet to start my crib quilt!

Cauliflowers

My doctor ordered a three hour fasting glucose test to see if I had gestational diabetes. Now, she allowed me to come in at my leisure but recommended first thing in the morning since it is a fasting test. Given that I'm always hungry, it would not be a pleasant experience in the best of circumstances.

I already had an appointment scheduled yesterday afternoon so I thought I would get the test out of the way the same day but it may not have been a wise choice given it was the first day after Labor Day weekend when every man, woman and child were on their way back to reality from where ever the last days of summer took them. 

Needless to say, I made it to the hospital around 8:30a and started my test at 9:00a. If anyone has ever taken this before, you'll know that you need to have your blood drawn four times throughout the test. Your first draw at the beginning before "the drink" and an additional one each hour after "the drink".

"The drink" sort of tastes like flat orange soda with extra scoops of sugar. I was forewarned that people do become nauseous. I heard the warning but didn't pay it any mind until *GULP!* I started feeling clammy and thought I was going to drown in my own saliva!

Babies and I got through the ordeal intact. Afterwards, there was nothing to do but to RUN, NOT WALK to the nearest food source available.

Hospital cafeteria.

Not ideal because I secretly do think they lace all their food with laxatives but I didn't care. I ordered a grilled cheese with tomato. It could barely pass for diner food but nothing ever tasted so divine!

Doctor's appointment that afternoon was a little more entertaining than my morning. Nothing new to report during the office visit other than my climbing weight and sore muscles.

Ultrasound didn't really produce any good pictures (hence, none are available to post here) but I found out that they've moved since the last time we saw them. They are both laying vertex with heads touching (so think the meeting of the minds around my belly button).

When I looked at the size comparison online, it said that a baby this age should be about 2 pounds and the size of a cauliflower. I assumed that was more for someone who carrying only one baby and probably didn't apply to multiples.

Turns out that my boy is a massive 2 pounds 11 ounces (54th percentile) and my girl is 2 pounds 4 ounces (40th percentile). So not only are they cauliflowers, they are VERY plump cauliflowers! I'm wondering if they will even fit into any of the preemie clothes we already have for them when they are born!

BUT I'm not complaining. Above average is good and I'm glad that both are healthly. Constant movements break up each day. Now I know why! Both are bruisers!

Don't be disappointed with no updated pictures from yesterday. I have my 3D/4D ultrasound appointment scheduled tomorrow afternoon so I will be posting those pictures as soon as I upload them!