Couldn't have doen it without....{2}

Like I said, no particular order of importance for my countdown to the big {ONE} list.

But I couldn't have done it without...the Snoggle!

The snoggle AND a guest room. I already told you how awesome the husband was...well, sleeping with him in those last few weeks was not awesome for anyone.

I temporarily moved to the guest room...a happy place were I could be surrounded by pillows and a place were I didn't have to try to be quiet as I struggled and eventually managed to get myself out of bed to make it to the bathroom every hour or so....and then came back with my giant like steps and carefully tried to position my big body into a comfortable position (which would be "comfortable" for only the next 15 minutes).

Snoggle, thank you.

Six pack dreams...

crushed!

That's right, my dreams of having a six pack were crushed by a Doctor yesterday.

He explained I have muscle separation (from that belly) and I have a small hernia....and just like that, he explained that doing regular crunches is basically a waste of time...since there is no actual muscle in the middle of the abdominal area.

Like I needed a great excuse to skip the ab work! Ha!

I didn't have dreams of a six pack...but I would have been happy to know I had the potential to have a flat stomach, one day. Now, I'm not sure it's ever going to be flat...since what's in "the middle" is basically just a lack of muscles! Who's going to fight that fat!!!???

The hernia will be taken care of next week. The muscle separation, well, they consider that "cosmetic surgery". So basically now I have the potential to develop future hernias due to that problem, but that's cosmetic surgery? Really?. I'm going to be consulting Dr Google on that.

But it's not all bad news, I should be able to go back to running 1-2 weeks after the hernia repair!!!. So watch out Tati, I'm going to catch up to you!

And at least now I have an excuse for not looking like this after having babies:

I can say "well, of course I would look like that too if I didn't have muscle separation!!!"

Take that Heidi Klum!

36 weeks!

Can you believe it??? 36 weeks!?. This was my next big goal...and here I am!

In the book "When you're expecting Twins, Triplets or Quads", Dr Luke explains that the ideal time for twins to be born is between 36 and 38 weeks. I have been looking forward to this date for a LONG time!.

I still would like them to go to "full term" (37 weeks)...so I'm setting another mini-goal of one extra week. So boys, stay in there...but start packing up and enjoy the last few days. Your lease is up next week!. After that, we are ready whenever you are -- or right around week 38 for the eviction "scheduled" date.

I will spare you all the 36-bump picture (you're not missing much, just a big belly!) and will give myself a mama bear award in recognition of excellent cooking skills of the twin cubs!! -- An award I just made up, but it's my blog...so be it! ;)

Belly picture......

Ok, not really me (in case you didn't notice)...but it does show EXACTLY how I feel!!!

You know how sea lions are lazy, have tiny little heads compared to their bodies, love to snuggle, move by rolling around (because it's too hard to move in any other way) and snore really loud?. Well, that's me. The only thing they are missing are the swollen feet!.

This picture was taken last year on our trip to California. A trip we I liked to call our second Honeymoon!. It was the best trip ever. San Francisco, Big Sur, Monterrey Bay, Carmel, Yosemite and finishing in Napa/Sonoma.

And here is another picture from the same trip with my handsome and loved hubs!

Bored...

The hubster went to the pool and for a workout...then talked to my sister and she was on her way to a Zumba class.

I miss my classes, I miss running!....and my nightly walks with my two favorite ones.

Here I am...SO BORED!!!. I realize in about 2 weeks I probably won't say the words "I'm bored" for a LONG time, but that doesn't make my late afternoon today any more amusing!.

I spent the better half of today with my yearly review for work open...and just drawing a blank. I know I've contributed to the team...as a matter fo fact, all my projects may be done or well on their way to being completely done by the time I start my maternity leave. This is HUGE...but yet I can't find the "big" words required to fill out this document.

If you ever worked for a big company that loves yearly reviews, you know exactly what I'm talking about. We can't just say "Implemented XYZ project which lead to $XX in revenue"...nah, that's not the way it's done. You need something like "Led a team of xx people and effectively managed the relationship with cross-functional teams in order to successfully implement XYZ project, expected to generate $XX in revenue while improving quality and reducing cycle time".

Yeah, that's more like it...and you truly have to be inspired to come up with these things!.

Instead, I'm seating here...thinking I'm bored, checking Facebook, wondering if my sister is enjoying her Zumba class and thinking it's probably time to go put my feet up in the couch since they're feeling swollen.

Procrastination at it's best and a whole post about well, nothing!

35 week bump picture!

35 weeks!!!

Both boys passed their NSTs again today, that's like four in a row!. I'm such a proud momma ;)

I love October, it's such a great month...isn't it?

I'm addicted...

..to the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks.

I know I'm not the only one out there....BUT, when there are many things you have to give up...the simple pleasure of still being able to enjoy something is simply invaluable!. Yep, I still miss my wine...but 'til then, bring on the lattes!

The hubster told me once that you could tell how B!tchy a girl was by how complicated her Starbucks order is. My orders never used to be so complicated (nonfat latte!)...but now, I may be sounding b!tchier (if his theory is true):

"Can I please get a tall, non-fat, decaf, 2-pumps, no whip, pumpkin spice latte?"

A couple of minutes later...HEAVEN in a cup arrives and I get my taste of Fall -- My favorite season! (not that "Fall" exists in FL, but that's a whole other story!)

Last appointment with the peri!

Today was the last time I had to see the specialist!...and both boys passed the NST again -- we're on a roll!!

She was all smiles and compliments...very happy with how great my pregnancy has been and how well everything looks. She said she thinks if it's up to these babies, they would probably stay in until week 50!

We then went on to discuss the risks of going past 38 weeks -- well, I'm convinced...week 38 is when I give the babies the eviction notice. So boys, lease is up at that point, so enjoy your womb quarters for the next 3.5 weeks!

It's the safest for me and them, plus they will be fully cooked.

I know I'm getting way ahead of myself...but I can't wait to start exercising again once I have my body back to myself!. I miss it. Just like I miss being able to see my toes :)

34 weeks bump pic!

34 weeks and both boys passed the NST today to celebrate!!!

FOUR. WEEKS. TO. GO.

Just a few things left to do:

- Finish babies binder (I manage projects for living so of course I had to get myself a binder with all sorts of tabs, logs and organization!).

- Install and inspect car seats

- Set-up glider (arrives next week!) and frame latest Etsy art

- Pack hospital bag for me, husbter and the babies

- Get a couple of "It's a boy" signs from the party supply store :)

Pretty much that's it. I am sure I am forgetting something though!.

And just when you think you're too far along to develop any new crazy pregnancy side effects....I get: Eczema!!. My poor fingers! I'm not sure what to do...wait it out for 4 more weeks or call the dermatologist (like I need to add another Drs appointment to my schedule!)

Guess who passed?

BOTH babies...that's right! Both boys passed their NSTs today!.

Dad had a tough talk with them last night and I think they listened!. That or the huge bowl of cereal I had right before the test really helped!

We also scheduled the c-section.....I got all sorts of butterflies while doing it. It's just SO CLOSE!. Does anyone know why Drs like doing the c-sections at 7 am?...this means we have to be at the hospital at 5am! -- so much for sleeping while you "can" ;)

I'm feeling good...no signs of labor so I'm thrilled!. I'm hoping to make it to prenatal yoga tonight.

I put up all the Halloween decorations yesterday (before I'm no longer in the mood!), will post a few pics later!

33 weeks!!

Yep, that's right! 33 weeks!!!.

I won't lie...I've hit a wall and it's getting harder and harder everyday. I don't want to send the boys mixed messages and say I'm done being pregnant...but boy it's been a tough week!. I think all the drama with the non-passing NSTs and the trip to L&D have gotten to me.

Add to that the fact that I work from home so I don't have much interaction with the outside world nowadays (since I'm not running or attending gym classes!). I leave the house either to hang out at the Dr's office or to get groceries. I guess you could say what's really getting to me is the combination of: cabin fever + excitement + raging hormones + over sized growing body + anxiousness...plus the good ol' discomforts of pregnancy (which quite honestly, you learn to live with after a while and forget at one point you used to be a flexible, active and pain free gal).

Today we had our third NST...and guess who passed?

Baby A...yep, he finally did!!...can I get a what-what!!??

Now, guess who failed....Baby B!. So off to the ultrasound again, which was ok since we had our growth ultrasound scheduled anyway. Both babies are looking good and... (drum roll)

Each one weighs 4.5 lbs !!!!!!! (applause please)

(and babies do a standing ovation)

Go boys!!!!

So it's been a tough week, but I'm feeling better about the next....my mantra for the next 5 weeks will be "we're almost there, we're almost there" while I think of chubby little legs.

And here is the bump picture...

Ps: I already ordered the additional art for the nursery (see post below). Stay tuned to see what I got and how it looks in the nursery once it arrives!

Baby shower pictures!

I posted a few before and showed you the awesome invites my sister did!

Now my photographer just posted some on her blog...it was such a great time! From my mom's surprise, to the food, the friends, the details...there was definitely lots of love going around that day :)

Enjoy! (you can click the pics to make them bigger...I'm not sure what they look so small!)

And a special t-shirt for the daddy to be...

First trip to L&D!

Thankfully everything is good and I got sent there basically because everything else was closed at that point!.

Long story short, Baby A failed his NST again and had a drop in his heart rate during monitoring. The Drs got concerned by what they were seeing so they wanted me to go in for prolonged testing and a Biophysical profile (basically, an ultrasound).

Since I'm not past the 36-week mark, we had to go to the hospital that's farther away and has the appropriate NICU level. We were there for like four hours...and I was hooked up to the monitors for about 2 hrs. The boys got flying scores on the ultrasound and overall the monitors showed good movement...so at the end they let me go!. It made for such a long day though...the nurses didn't even want to give me water just "in case" an emergency procedure was needed.

In case of what people? I've had discussions with the boys and they're staying put for another 5-6 weeks!. I also told the babies they really need to start passing, it's not nice to make mommy stress!

So, we're thankfully home...still tired but happy to be baking the boys :)

During my talk with the Dr yesterday she mentioned that if Baby A was still breech (confirmed later by the ultrasound) then we will be scheduling the c-section next week...most likely for between week 38-39. I'm going to schedule it as late as I possibly can. I rather let the boys choose their own birthday so I want to give them a chance to come when they're good and ready.

Thank you all so much for the comments on the nursery!

Maybe they didn't study?

...both boys failed the NST! :(

Apparently this is pretty normal and nothing to worry about. Of course, they tell me this after they communicate that both babies had failed! Then the nurse goes on to tell me it could be for a number of reasons, including cord relapse (or collapse?..I don't even know what she said!) and lack of oxygen.....WHAT?.

They wanted me to get an ultrasound to make sure everything was good...but of course, after you hear anything about cords and oxygen you're already freaked out (no matter how many times they say afterwards that it's normal to fail). So I waited for a few minutes (still hooked up to the machine) until they called me in for the ultrasound. The ultrasound lasted like 5 minutes and everything looked perfect...

***RELIEF***

I was happy again and went on my merry way.

Now, what I don't get is why they do the 30-minute NST if they can tell if there is anything wrong in 5 minutes on an ultrasound!. I am sure there is a logical reason...but they mentioned the boys may fail *every* time so I may end up having an ultrasound every dingle time. Well, I hope that's not the case since I have to do this twice a week and I ended up being there for almost two hours!....and I really don't need to have a freak out session twice a week. So study up boys, and let's start passing these tests!!!

On another note, Baby B had the hiccups while we were hooked up to the machine. It was really funny to hear him!. Then during the ultrasound I found out that he had turned!. So he's in the right position now....not that it matters because Baby A continues to be breech and he's the one calling the shots on delivery!.

I am so happy it's Friday!!!! We have lots of nursery projects lined up. How about you guys? anything new or exciting going on this weekend?

32 week bump picture!!!

WoooHoo!! 32 weeks!

Throughout pregnancy I've liked to think of mini-milestones...my big one was 32 weeks! -- and here we are!.

My next big milestone is 36 weeks...so four weeks!. After 36 weeks there is a very good chance the boys wouldn't have to spend ANY time in the NICU...and that is something to pray and look forward to!

Also, today I go in for the first non-stress test. Starting today I go in twice a week until the boys arrive!

Here is some info on this test from Babycenter.com

What is a nonstress test?

This simple, painless procedure is done during pregnancy to evaluate your baby's condition. During the test, your healthcare practitioner or a technician monitors your baby's heartbeat, first while the baby is resting and then while he's moving. Just as your heart beats faster when you're active, your baby's heart rate should go up while he's moving or kicking.

What do the results mean?

If your baby's heart beats faster (at least 15 beats per minute over his resting rate) while he's moving for at least 15 seconds on two separate occasions during a 20-minute span, the result is normal, or "reactive." A normal result means that your baby is probably doing fine for now.

...And since I am particularly happy today I thought I would try to squeeze my happy face into the camera (not that easy since I take these from the computer!)

Hope everyone is having a great Thursday!!!

Dr, will you deliver a breech baby?

I'm going to have to ask these question to all four or five doctors in the practice...since I don't know which Dr I will get.

As of now, both babies are still breech. Next week (at 33 weeks, we will do an ultrasound and see if they have turned. If they have, then we're golden...if they haven't, they most likely won't :(

If Baby A turns, we can try for a vaginal delivery. Then the Dr will try to turn Baby B...OR they could try to deliver him breech. The problem is not all Drs feel comfortable doing this...so you could end up with the feared "double whammy" (vaginal AND c-section). I don't know about you folks, but this sounds like cruel torture!.

Today's Dr (one of my faves) said he would definitely try to deliver Baby B breech if I opted for a vaginal delivery -- woo-hoooo!...(I think) it's all a little scary to be honest.

At the end of the day we just hope to do whatever is safe for the babies...but come on boys...let's try to choose ONE exit only, shall we?

Working the bump!

I must have been looking particularly round pregnant today because at least 5 complete strangers were extremely nice to me.

Offering seats, making nice comments and let's not forget the sweet teenager at the grocery store who said "I don't know if you want help with your groceries or not, but I'm going to help you anyway because I only have myself to take care of!".

I love it when people are just genuinely nice. I hope they don't get offended when I give them puzzled looks though. You see...I forget that I'm pregnant sometimes.

Today, when a guy insisted I took his seat while waiting for our table during lunch, I just kept looking at him thinking..."but WHY!!?". I didn't mean to, I just forget my bump has become all people see when they see me.

I'm ok with that though...a walking bump brings out the best in (most) people.

I'll take it!

Ps: Don't forget to enter the giveaway below!!!

Clumsiness

clum⋅sy  [kluhm-zee] (Source)

1. awkward in movement or action; without skill or grace: He is very clumsy and is always breaking things.
2. awkwardly done or made; unwieldy; ill-contrived: He made a clumsy, embarrassed apology.

• Synonyms:

1. ungraceful, ungainly, lumbering, lubberly.
2. unhandy, unskillful, maladroit, inexpert, bungling, bumbling, heavy-handed, inept.

• Antonyms:

adroit, skillful.

That's me. Clumsy, big bellied, ungraceful, with awkward movements and with a permanent case of butter fingers.

Thankfully, this appears to be normal during pregnancy. You see, pregnant women have swollen fingers (that's just a nice way of saying sausage fingers) and also suffer from "loosening" of the joints as the due date gets closer.

Believe me -- I researched it. It's normal. One day I will stop dropping things. I swear, I will. Hopefully that day will come before I destroy the entire contents of the kitchen!

After breaking a cup...I mean, when a cup broke as it slipped right out of my sausage fingers, I buried myself into the messiest room in the house: My office. It wasn't always messy, let's get that clear...I used to have a perfectly functional and pretty office.

Until it became the nursery....

...so my office had to be moved to the condo (remember my condo? I still miss it!). The room also happened to be the "storage" room for those things that don't fit well anywhere else in the house. Well, plain and simple...it was, as my hubster would say, "a disaster". I spent the entire day cleaning, took out three huge bags of trash (mainly papers!), organized filing cabinets, hung a painting and my work boards -magnetic calendar, cork board and white board- and updated my calendar and to-do lists.

Looking back it probably wasn't a good idea to get on a ladder (considering my unskillful and ungraceful awkward movements) with a hammer in hand, but I just HAD to hang a painting!

Not too bad then...to make up for my pregnancy clumsiness, I took full advantage of another late pregnancy symptom: Nesting.

(Source)

What is the Nesting Instinct?
The nesting instinct is the name given to the distinctive urge to clean, tidy, and organize that occurs during pregnancy. One of the many.

...

Many women acutely experience the nesting instinct in the final days of their pregnancy, and this can often be a sign that labor and delivery is close at hand.

...

What Causes the Nesting Instinct?
The nesting urge in pregnancy is thought to be caused by both biological and emotional factors.

Most females in the animal kingdom experience similar patterns ofcleaning and preparation when they are pregnant. From birds to bears, female animals appear to have an intrinsic need to prepare ahead of time for their new arrival.

So there you have it, third trimester at is best!

Looking good!

This weekend was a busy one, getting the last few things needed for the nursery. I also said good bye to my "chick car"...remember? the convertible one? (sniff, sniff)...but I said hello to the mommy car (an SUV, which I'm also loving!).

Today it was off to my peri's office (the specialist). After talking for a little while she said I was "meant to carry twins" and doing so well!. Well, thank you very much Doctor...I'll take that as a compliment and hope she didn't say it because of how much my hips have expanded!.

So everything is looking good...and we're just getting closer and closer!. Part of me wants time to fly so I can have my boys in my arms...part of me is completely freaked out and wishes time would slow down because I'm not ready!. Truth is I probably won't ever feel "ready" until they're actually here though.

Starting next week I go in twice a week for the non-stress test (NST). I didn't realize I was going to be spending so much time at the Drs office!...but I get to hear the babies for 30 minutes each time, so I'm not complaining :)

Organization is the key...

...to success!! (I hope!)

After my breast feeding class yesterday, it became clear that a log book is absolutely necessary when it comes to caring for a newborn. This is particularly important with twins!

So what do I do?.... I go a little crazy and create a full blown spreadsheet. Those that know me won't be surprised by this at all! -- My wedding planning spreadsheets resembled project plans of million dollar initiatives...my maternity leave has been planned out in a spreadsheet to the last day, which my boss found particularly helpful (and sort of funny).

I present to you...the daily babies log!. I am sure the design will be adjusted as I figure things out with the boys!

I was asked if I'd be willing to share the document I created with other twin moms....well, of course!.

I added a box (on the right) to the link to the pdf version. I tried uploading the Excel version, but the formatting gets a little messed up. Leave me a comment if you have any problems or if you have suggestions for anything I should add/re-arrange!.

Disclaimer: This was meant to be an "internal" house document...and I liked "Pee" and "Poo" better than "Wet" and "Soiled"! ;)