Glucose Test and an Unexpected Twist

Today is my glucose test. If you aren't familiar with this test, it checks to make sure I don't have gestational diabetes. Basically, I drink 12 oz of a super sweet drink and then one hour later they check my glucose level. It tells how my body is processing sugars and is a good indication of whether I'm getting/have gestational diabetes.

12 oz of ice cold extra-sugar fruit punch.

After I slammed the beverage, the lab tech led me to the ultrasound room for my 24th week growth check.

So, amazingly cool ultrasound tech! I saw the sign in the room that said: "We ban all forms of photography and video, including cell phones. Thank you for your cooperation." When the tech came in I asked about FaceTiming B & R so they could see the babies, too. The tech said that legally they can't allow it, but due to my circumstances of being a surrogate, she would check on it.

When she came back, she said that she has a way around the rule. I can use her phone to FaceTime them. She wanted them to be able to be involved as well. How fabulous of her to offer that!

R was available to FaceTime and the boys put on a great show! They are doing well. Brady is 1 lb 12oz, his heart rate is 153 beats per minute. Cohen is 1 lb 11oz, and his heart rate is 155 beats per minute. They are measuring perfectly for where they are gestationally.

After the boys' measurements, we hung up with FaceTime with R and the tech said that she would then check my cervix. I asked if it was long and thick and she said "nice and closed... Oh, wait. (Long pause) I need to call a doctor in here." Then she pressed the button on the wall. You know, the emergency call button.

Yeah, that's never good.

Dr Stecher was in the room a minute later and things started going really fast. She took one look at the screen, asked what the measurement was (1.4cm at the thickest), looked at me and said "has Dr Wagner talked about bedrest?"

Huh? What? Hold on here! Someone fill me in on the looks I'm seeing on their faces!

She then told me that although my cervix is completely closed, it's thinning out way more than it should be at this point. It should be between 3.5-4.0cm. Mine is currently at a 1.4cm. She said this could be from the silly infection I had last month, or just the way the babies were lying in me (Brady is head down, Cohen is transverse, or sideways kind of making a "t" across my belly.) They really don't know why or how this could be happening.

She talked to me about meds to help with this issue: betamethasone shots today and tomorrow, an antibiotic to ward off any pending or lingering infection that might be causing the issues, continued progesterone. She scheduled an ultrasound for Monday so we can see if I'm continuing to thin out or if bedrest and meds are stopping it. She said we will talk further on Monday and more indepth about the bed rest and restrictions, depending on the test results.

Oi vey, that's a lot to take in! I think I was in a bit of shock and had her explain it again to me. 

After all of that, I still had my glucose test to take. Thankfully, that was the one thing that went well today. The number needs to be under 130. Mine was 78. Perfect! No need to worry about gestational diabetes for me!

Then, the lab tech gave me the first shot of the day. Yup, a good ol' needle in my fanny to end this crazy morning!

As I left the clinic, my mind was racing. I need to call B & R, Shawn, the Agency, talk with my boss... All while I was shaking. Of course the stupid sugared fruit punch would have to kick in as I was trying to process everything! 

I called R and recapped that the babies looked good, measuring perfectly. I passed the glucose test and my blood pressure is fabulous (117/60). Then I explained about everything that happened after we stopped FaceTime. R took the news in stride, which is what I was expecting (thankful for that, by the way!) I was nervous enough for all of us!

I then called Shawn and had pretty much the same conversation, with a little more "what do we do with the kids?" thrown in. We decided to wait until we know what kind of bed rest I will be having before we decide what to do with our preschooler when it comes to preschool and my bed rest.

I then had to go to work and tell them what is going on. Thankfully, I had the foresite to send a text to my site director letting her know things were not going as planned and that I needed to talk after the appointment. It kind of clued her in that something might be wrong and my note from the doctor wouldn't be as big a shock. She was wonderfully supportive as I explained about my morning and asked that I keep her informed how I and the babies are doing.

So, that's what's going on with me. Now that I've stopped shaking, I'm trying to figure out how I am with all of this. I'm trying not to freak out or be too worried about everything. I know that doesn't help any situation. As I told Dr Stecher, if bed rest is what is needed to keep the babies healthy and growing safe, then that is what I will do. I do know that there are different degrees of bed rest: total rest where you must be lying down and can get up only to use the bathroom, or limited varieties where you can get up to eat, bathe, etc, but nothing strenuous, and everything in between. 

Annalies snuggling with me on the couch.

I've got some sewing and beading to do for my daughter's flower girl dress, I enjoy reading, we have Netflix, and we hadn't made big plans for the weekend, so I think I'm set for now. After Monday, we will see what happens and for how long and I will take it from there.

Now, if I can just get my nerves to calm down, things will be all right! Hang tight, boys! I'm hoping to be with you another couple of months before you meet your parents. I want more time with little miracles!

Theatre and More Nausea

Friday night was a fun night for me. Shawn and I went to the opening show of the musical Urinetown. Several friends of ours were involved with the show as actors, director, producer, choreographer, pit crew and stage manager. The show was being performed at the same theater Shawn and I met 12 years ago. It was fun to be back in the old space where we had spent so much time together and had invested so much of ourselves.

The show itself was really good. What I couldn't get over was all of the reactions from friends and acquaintances that we ran in to. We saw almost a dozen people we knew from being involved with theater and I was amazed by their reactions to seeing me. 

Yes, I have announced on Facebook to my friends that I'm a surrogate, but I'm constantly in awe of the large number of other people who know and even more, their supportive reactions keep me even more amazed. How wonderful to have people from many areas of my life care enough to give me an encouraging word!

On top all of the positive encouragement I received, Cohen seemed to really like the show as well. Wow, was that baby moving a lot during the show! When I was pregnant with Natalie, Shawn and I went to many shows and concerts. I remember her moving a lot to Brad Paisley all through his concert. Cohen's movement reminded me so much of that concert with Natalie and I appreciated the flash back. (Musical theatre, here comes Cohen!)

Honestly, Cohen was moving so much that I couldn't even tell if Brady was moving! Brady moves a lot, so it was nice to have Cohen move a lot for a change.

As for the nausea, yesterday I wasn't feeling the best so I took a good nap and rested for most of the day. Unfortunately, the nap didn't take care of the "I've been hit by a bus" feeling and just made the nausea plateau. After eating a mild dinner and going back to bed, I woke this morning to crazy nausea like I haven't experienced in a couple of months. My bed and my iBook are my Sunday companions today. 

Cohen has been laying low with me today, but I don't think Brady gets the whole "day of rest" thing. He's been kicking and moving a lot! That's okay, because my girls aren't really keeping things down for me either. I've been playing referee for a while from the comfort of my bed with the 6 pillows. :-)

I'm surviving today with my body pillow, yoga pants and sweatshirt, croissants, and Fresca. Food and beverages don't sound good at all, but I'm working on that with the help of tums and Zofran. Maybe I'll work my way up to a yogurt for dinner. :-)

The weather people are predicting another insanely cold day tomorrow with school closures being rumored (but not confirmed yet.) I could totally go for another day home to fight whatever this bug is, but we will see what happens. Anything is possible with Minnesota weather and small miracles!

23 weeks 5 days

Life Changes, the Frozen Tundra, and the Tropics

The experiences of working full time while largely pregnant is quite the adventure. I'm learning how to alter some of the ways I'm used to doing things. For example, I'm no longer able to bend over and pick up a baby from the floor while sitting. I have no trouble sitting on the floor or getting up off the floor. Thankfully, I'm currently working with smallish babies 3-7 months of age and, for the most part, they don't weight much more than 15 lbs. I'm able to figure it out for now without too much trouble.

I've also changed how I do some things around the house. I now am requesting my girls to help with some of the daily chores. They are both old enough to sort clothes by color, push a dustmop around the hardwood floors, put their clothes away in their dresser after I fold them, and pick up their toys. They've been informed that they may get to learn a few other things as my tummy gets bigger. I'm thankful that they are pretty excited to be learning new things and I plan on milking their excitement and willingness as long as I can!

As for the tropics mention, there is nothing like checking your email at the end of the day when you are tired, sore, and cold and seeing an email from the Bermuda Department of Tourism, Disney Cruise Line, or something along those lines. Is it just me or are these places targeting people who live in the nation's icebox? Maybe I'm just reacting to yet another freakingly cold day with windchills -35 to -50 (our district closed schools for the day again). I'm waiting for these babies to get a bit bigger so they can provide me with a bit more body heat. At least they are more than happy when I snuggle under a big fleece blanket after work. I have been indulging these warm weather fantasies with books and movies featuring warm sandy beaches and ocean breezes. Hey, I can dream, right? :-)

Don't get me wrong, I normally love the winter in Minnesota. I enjoy sledding and love downhill skiing, I think making a snowman is a lot of fun, and I really don't mind shoveling either. Or give me a snowmobile and a frozen lake or trail and I'll be gone for hours! To come inside to a warm mug of hot chocolate is a nice touch, too!

But with winter comes a whole new set of issues when largely pregnant. Snow and ice can be treacherous to walk on. I've changed my footwear from my boots or sneakers to slip on lined mules (I would probably be doing this regardless of the season as reaching my feet is a big challenge!) My winter jacket is rather large and still fits me in the belly, but I'm not guaranteeing it will for the whole winter season (the next couple of weeks are some big growth weeks for the babies and they should be doubling in weight over the next month). And for the times that I have to go outside for extended periods, I did break down and buy some really big snow pants! They are a bit funny looking on me, but I'm not really going for style points right now. :-)

So, that's what is going on in my neck of the woods. The girls and I are hunkered down today for another day at home. I'm sure the girls will get to feel Brady and Cohen move a lot today, which should be fun for them. All in all, I'm looking forward to spending the day with all of the small miracles in my life!

Let's Talk About Food!

Now that I'm officially done with the nasty nausea and I've learned how to keep the heartburn/reflux in check, I am enjoying many kinds of foods again. Let's review:

-ice cream. Man, I'm loving ice cream. Shawn thinks it's a little funny that I don't want anything mixed in, I'm just enjoying a scoop or two of plain ice cream. Unless I can put a...

-banana on it! I'm needing lots of bananas right now. And I like my bananas that are just turning yellow from green. Still firm with not one bit of mush on them.

-fruits of almost any kind. Sadly, I am not able to completely eat apples without having some breathing trouble (I'm allergic to raw apples and have a serious breathing response. This is often better when I'm pregnant.) I can have a slice or two, but that's about it. I'm enjoying melon, mango, oranges, grapes, blueberries... Almost any fruit! Good stuff!

-bagel sandwiches. This is an odd one, I know. Brueggers Bagels makes an amazing sandwich that I just love, the Herby Turkey. I don't know what it is about this sandwich, but oh, is it good! The thick cream cheese spread on a sun dried tomato bagel with lettuce, onions, and turkey just makes me one happy lady!

-chocolate. This one surprises me. I am normally not a chocolate person. I'm good with one truffle every once in a while. Definitely not your typical woman who needs her chocolate fix every day. Lately, I'm turning in to that woman and appreciating a bit of the confection almost every day.

-milk. Who knew? I've liked milk, but lately I've developed a LOVE for milk! After my morning chai made with milk, I have a bowl of cereal with milk in it, then a glass of milk to wash it down. I have some milk with lunch, sometimes another glass with an afternoon snack, and then again with dinner. Milk, it does three bodies good!

-hamburgers. I've always enjoyed a good chunk of meat, but I could go for a good burger almost any day now. Pile it on with ketchup, mustard, onions, and pickles all on a toasted croissant and I'm happy. Oh, the yummy grilled goodness!

I sound like I eat a lot, don't I? Honestly, I probably do eat more frequently than an average person, but I'm quickly getting to the place where I can't eat large amounts of food at any one time. So, I'm now eating a bit every couple of hours to keep Cohen and Brady fed. And really, who am I trying to kid. I'm officially eating for three and enjoying every minute of it!

The boys are doing well. They are busy little guys, moving around a lot. I've noticed that Cohen still has big movements, but Brady has been packing some big whallops in there as well! Brady is often the one to move first and for a longer period. Cohen just lets me know he's still there. He hasn't been jumping on my bladder as much these past few days, and I appreciate the reprieve.

With the growing tummy and very active boys, sleep is starting to be a bit more of a challenge. Falling asleep is definitely not an issue at all, staying asleep is. About 3:30 a.m. seems to be the boys' play time and the time I start getting uncomfortable in my bed. Unfortunately, once I'm up I'm usually up for good. It takes me a long time to get back to sleep and as my alarm usually goes off a little after 5, it's usually useless to attempt sleep. We will have to see if 3:30 stays the active hour for them or of they change to a different time.

Big changes with small miracles!

22 weeks 5 days (I think I look bigger in person!)

Punching Bag and Throw Pillows

It appears to me that little Cohen, all 1 pound of him, has something against my bladder. He has made it his mission to bounce, kick, hug, squeeze, tap dance, whatever on my bladder. Maybe it's just really squishy and he enjoys cuddling. Maybe it's in his way. I really don't know which it is, but I'm getting baby lovin' from Cohen's side followed by a need to use the bathroom. 

As for the throw pillows, well, that's just a matter of comfort. At this point of pregnancy at 22 weeks, I seem to need a minimum of four throw pillows in order to be relatively comfortable when resting. A couple under the head, one under the tummy, one behind my back, one supporting my knees... Hmm, I may have to invest in some more pillows! I don't know what the others in my house are going to use! 

After school yesterday, I was resting for a little while and I said "oh, the babies are moving!" My girls came up and each put a hand on my tummy so they could feel the babies, too. Natalie asked which baby she was feeling and I told her "Cohen." She said "oh" and asked her sister if she could change sides with her. I asked her why she wanted to do that and she replied "I think I like Brady more than Cohen." I inquired why and she told me that Brady sounded like Grady, and Grady is her forever friend. I guess that logic works when you are six!

Growing with small miracles.

Contractions, Heartburn, Weight, & Legal Stuff

There's a lot going on with this pregnancy! I'll start with the physical stuff, first.

Ah, contractions. At the end of almost every pregnancy contractions are a part of the game. Many pregnancies also have false contractions, or Braxton-Hicks, sometime in the late 2nd or 3rd trimesters. I've been experiencing them off and on for the past month, mostly due to a never ending infection. Between the antibiotics and just getting off my feet, I've been able to keep contractions mostly in check. Some days have more contractions than others, but all in all, they are manageable.

As for the heartburn, this is something that I haven't experienced in pregnancy before. Heck, I really don't get heartburn, no matter that I eat! I can count on one hand the number of times I've had heartburn and needed Tums or something like that. In the past week or so, I've been experiencing heartburn after most meals and snacks. I now have a big container of antacids in my purse which goes with me wherever I go. Hey, the added calcium can't be hurting me and the babies, either, right? Not a big deal, just something new to deal with as the babies are growing and making less room for my stomach (and other organs). We've noticed that meals for me have begun to be smaller due to the lack of room in my stomach. This is partially contributing to the more frequent heartburn as I'm eating more often, even if it's smaller amounts.

This brings me to my weight. I officially have more pregnancy weight now at 21 weeks with the twins than I did when I delivered my daughter Natalie at 35 weeks. I've been saying all week that I am about as large now as I was when I had her and the scale proves it! What a crazy feeling! 

I've noticed that with the added weight, I'm more tired and have some back pain in the afternoons. I have been taking a nap after work just to get through dinner and bed times. The nap helps with both the fatigue and back aches. It makes sense when you think about it. It's nothing horrible and I'm dealing with it with my nap. (My girls like that I allow them to watch some tv while I nap as well!)

As for the legal stuff, this week I received a large packet from the Agency. Ah, yes, more paperwork! In the State of Minnesota we have this fun/quirky law that basically says that if you birth it, it's legally yours. The State doesn't care that these babies are completely unrelated to me and do not have my genetics whatsoever. The paperwork is to start the legal process so we are all ready to take care of all the legal stuff ASAP once the babies are born and then B & R can have the official documentation they need for their babies. 

Shawn and I will have to sign the papers in front of a couple of witnesses and have them sign as well. I think it will be signed and in the mail tomorrow. Here's hoping! 

Things are going well. The babies are getting bigger (and are very active!), I'm feeling great overall, and each day brings us closer to meeting B & R's little miracles!

21 weeks 5 days

Where have my feet gone? This is my current view when I look down... I'm all boobs and belly these days! I can still see my feet if I lean forward, but I'm not holding my breath for this to continue much longer. :-)

21 Weeks and All Is Well!

Welcome to week 21! With another freakingly frigid day here in Minnesota, I was able to stay home with my girlies again. The babies were kind of quiet in light of my daughters' activities and antics. That being said, I also had a doctor's appointment today so the boys and I were able to spend just a little time together. :-)

The appointment started off with the announcement that my doctor had another patient in active labor and the nurse asked if I was okay with one of the other providers seeing me. I'm totally okay with seeing anyone at my clinic. They all are wonderful. And, when I'm in labor I'm going to want my doctor to be with me, too. 

The boys are doing well. Brady's heartbeat was in the 120's and Cohen's heartbeat was in the 130's (the doctor wasn't exact with the heartbeats.) It appears that Cohen is still in the breach position. Brady was decidedly busy and kept kicking the doctor as she was measuring me and listening to the heartbeats. Cohen is in a funny position and the doctor had to almost listen from the top and face the Doppler down. 

We did discover that the infection I had a couple of weeks ago is starting to resurface, so I am once again on the fun antibiotics. We aren't sure if the antibiotics just didn't get rid of the infection or if it is back again. So, round two of antibiotics and a culture are where we are right now. 

One thing my doctor did before she left was map out the remainder of my OB visits and the correlating tests. I like it when this happens because then I can plan the rest of the visits for the remainder of the pregnancy. The big difference between this pregnancy with the boys and my previous pregnancies with my daughters is the frequency of appointments and the number of ultrasounds one gets with twins. 

Since I had to go to a specialist for the 20 week anatomy ultrasound (remember, I'm now of "advanced maternal age" at the ripe old age of 35) I will be doing my glucose test at the next appointment. My clinic usually does it at the 20 week along with the ultrasound to kill two birds with one visit since you have to drink the nasty stuff and then wait an hour. More about that after the next visit.

I've also got a biophysical profile and four ultrasounds scheduled, along with the six O/B appointments. The appointments are both at my regular clinic and the Maple Grove clinic. My doctor sees patients one day a week at the Maple Grove clinic and it happens to be on one of the days I like scheduling appointments to make life easier for B & R. Hopefully, they will be able to attend some of the appointments now that we know the plan for the next couple of months.  

I had to laugh about one of the appointments scheduled. It reminds me so much of my pregnancy with Natalie, 6 years ago. The last appointment scheduled is with Dr Block when I will be 35 weeks 6 days. With Natalie's pregnancy, I had an appointment scheduled with Dr Block on the day I was going to be 36 weeks. Natalie was born at 35 weeks, 6 days and Dr Block delivered her. It just seems a little deja vu to me! I guess we will see what happens…

Another laugh happened was when I was making the appointments with a scheduler I am not familiar with. She saw from the doctor's note that I am pregnant with twins and said "Oh, twins! I love twins!" I said yes, we are all happy about the boys. I received another squeal from the scheduler when I said that. She then asked if I was excited about the babies. I said "Yes, I am. And the parents are excited, too!" A shocked silence from her followed that announcement. I laughed. (Did I mention how much I enjoy messing with people about being a surrogate?)

Anyway, I should wrap this up as I am so tired and ready for bed. Hey, I can be tired, carrying around 11 pounds (and counting!) of babies all day! 

Don't mind me. I'm having fun with miracles!

Educating My 6 Year Old

Tonight as I was reclining, Natalie asked me if the babies were hurting me. I told her no, the babies don't hurt me, but sometimes they kick me. I asked if she wanted to feel them and put her hand where Brady was kicking me. She thought that was stinkin' cool.

She then asked me how the babies were going to come out of my tummy. Ah yes. She went there. She's six so I guess she's old enough to hear about babies.

Apparently, this info to a six year old is giggle worthy. She informed me that this is "icky, but just a little bit cool." Giggle giggle.

She then proceeded to grab her etch a sketch and draw pictures of mommy in the hospital with "the babies coming out." Giggle giggle.

We will see how this all plays out and if everything is still giggle worthy in the morning.

Apparently, miracles are pretty funny!

A Bit of Rest

I've never been so thankful for a weekend than I am right now. It's been a very busy week, and even though it technically was a short week, so much happened.

Let's see... My father-in-law had surgery with an extended hospital stay (he's doing well), my little one came down with a nasty cold requiring around the clock nebs every 4 and 12 hours (two different meds), New Year's Day, B & R's gender reveal party, a Petite Nöel party at our good friend's house, and then to top off the week, last night I was awakened 6 times in 8 hours by my children (Shawn and I still have no idea why they were having sleeping issues.)

Today, I've already had one nap after brunch. Although my sleepless night has left me with a massive headache, it's Sunday and my husband works until the evening, so I'm praying for a quiet afternoon with my kiddos.

The babies have been busy. I don't think they mind the nap, either. I've been getting gentle movements from them, rather than the wallops they so often give! I love that their kicks can be felt from the outside. With a singleton pregnancy this wouldn't happen for another couple of weeks, but since they are crammed in there the kicks are a bit more pronounced. I'm glad Shawn likes feeling the babies kick, too. Several of my surrogate friends said that their husbands didn't like to feel the kicking as it wasn't their child. Shawn is just enjoying the babies for the miracles they are.

I am amused by the shape of my tummy as I'm lying here. Cohen's side of my belly is more pronounced and higher on the left side. I'm guessing that Brady is a bit more at an angle on the right. Kind of reclining over there. Hey, whatever works for them, right? They move and kick and seem to be happy in their little world. 

I'm looking forward to tomorrow for another quiet day. The governor of Minnesota has ordered all schools to close tomorrow due to extreme cold. We're talking -30 to -50 before the wind chill and with the wind at 15-20mph, this could put temps at -50 to -70 with the wind chill. Sometimes it pays to be a teacher! There aren't many jobs that give you snow days. :-)  I get to stay home with my girls and hopefully have another quiet day with them. This should give the babies and me some more rest and make up for the interrupted nights sleep. (Hey, a mom can hope, can't she?)

I've got another busy week ahead of me, with my 20 week doctor appointment, a new kiddo starting in my class, Natalie going back to school and dance class after her winter break, and I'm sure a bunch of other events I'm just not remembering right now.

Trying to rest with small miracles while I can. :-)

20 weeks 5 days

Baby Kicks!

Juat a quick note to say that even though I've been feeling the babies move for a while, tonight was the first time Brady kicked strong enough to be felt from the outside. We are watching The Great Muppet Caper, which is one of my favorite Muppet movies, when I noticed I could feel kicks. I told Shawn about it and he was able to feel the kicks, too!

Cohen, not to be outdone, started kicking me about 10 minutes after Brady! Wow, is he up high! I'm pretty sure he's flipped as his kicks are high and to the left.

I love feeling the babies kick. Seriously one of the coolest things about being pregnant!

Strong little miracles!

Ice Packs and Facebook

I know, I know, what on earth do ice packs and Facebook have in common? And why would I be bringing them up in my blog? I'm trying to remain as real and transparent about my journey as possible so let's explore the topics, shall we?

I'll start with ice pack. Ah, yes. The ice pack. When I hit week 12 of this pregnancy I thought I was done with the dreaded ice pack and the progesterone shots. Then I visited my OB. That is when she dropped the bombshell that I would have to continue with the shots starting with week 16 until week 36 (give or take).

If you will go back to previous posts from December you will see all of the crazy drama that happened just to get the meds. Then, my girls got sick, the holidays happened, and the excitement of finding out about the boys kind of trumped blogging about the shot.

Which brings me back to the ice pack. Thursday is the night I chose as shot night. Thankfully, this time the shot is weekly, not daily. I can handle a weekly shot. And, no, it's not the same medication as I was taking the first part of the pregnancy. It's a different compound, although it's just as thick and just as much is injected into my technicolor thighs. Again, I can deal with once a week injections. 

As for Facebook, I made the decision to announce the pregnancy along with the surrogacy on Facebook. Since yesterday was New Year's Day, I thought now is as good a time as ever to let all the people in my world know what's happening. 

I posted a profile pic of me showing off my belly. Along with the pic I posted the following: "I'll jump on the New Year's announcement bandwagon, too... I'm 20 weeks pregnant with twin boys! No, our family will not be doubling. I'm a surrogate carrying the babies for another family. Stay tuned for more details!"

I've got to say that the outpouring of support from friends and some family has been absolutely fabulous. I wasn't expecting to hear from so many, honestly. Read some back posts if you wonder why I was unsure of what people's reactions were going to be. I was guessing I would get a few likes, but a few turned into 80+ and over 30 people commented with encouragement and support. I'm so glad I've got such fabulous friends!

Of course there are people who have chosen to remain silent on the topic. That's okay, too. Today, the supporters definitely were louder than the critics. That alone makes me smile. :-)

So, that is what is going on with ice packs and Facebook. I'd better get off my phone. Brady obviously doesn't like me curled up like this and has been kicking me like crazy. :-)

Keeping up with small miracles. :-)

The Big Announcement!

Happy New Year! Today marks a couple of big milestones - the babies and I have hit the 20 week mark! If this was a singleton pregnancy or if I didn't have a history of pre-term labor this would be the half way mark. However, this isn't your normal pregnancy and I am definitely not your normal pregnant lady. :-)

I'm guessing I've got about 15 or 16 more weeks to go before we meet the babies in person.

Speaking of the babies, B & R have given me the go-ahead to share with the world the babies' genders. They had a party with their friends and family this afternoon and revealed to them the genders. Now, it's my turn to reveal the big news we've shared the past week!

Baby on my left, the little one who enjoys kicking any organ nearby and has decided to make me a little nervous about labor by flipping into a breach position is a boy! Baby on my right, the mild mannered little one who enjoys my morning chai and hates any cough or sneeze is also a boy! 

The day of the ultrasound, as we all were in the room learning each baby's sex, B & R also shared with me his name. I've been given permission to share their names. 

Please allow me to introduce to you my newest little friends: Brady is the little guy on my right who is presently kicking me. He enjoys small amounts of caffeine, ice cream, and hates sudden or jerky movements. Cohen is the feisty buddy on my left. He definitely has a mind of his own, having flipped to what he thinks is a more comfortable position. He could care less about ice cream or caffeine, doesn't have any issues with jerky movements, and during the ultrasound was very proud to show us he is all boy! 

So, there's our big news to share. Shawn and I are so excited for B & R. I loved seeing B & R's reactions to the news of their boys. I know they are going to be great parents.

I can't wait to meet Brady and Cohen! What wonderful little miracles!

Happy New Year and 20 weeks with the boys!