At 31 weeks pregnant with twins, I have a few confessions to make.
* I think I need to wear a sign on my body at all times that says: "I am due October 22nd with twins and yes, that is why I am SO big!" To make polite conversation, people in public ask me constantly when I am due and when I tell them October, they get a weird look on their face and make a response that goes something like this, "Ohhhh.... wow, you've got a ways to go still," all while glancing back at my stomach to verify that it was really as big as the first time they looked at it, then glance back at me to make sure I know how big it is. It is at this point that I tell them I'm expecting twins and most of them show immediate and apparent relief. They all assume that by how big my stomach is, (before knowing it's twins), that I am due any day. One lady, after blatantly expressing shock that I wasn't due any day, said with a sigh of relief upon find out it was twins, "Oh, okay, that's why you're so big!" Awesome.....
* I am feeling done with being pregnant, and I've still got at least 5 weeks to go, if not more. At my 30 week appointment, I measured and had gained the same amount of weight as I had when I was 40 weeks pregnant with Mitchell. A friend had told me months ago that my 30 weeks would probably feel like a singleton pregnancy at 40 weeks. She was definitely right! With approximately 7 pounds of baby in me (over 3 pounds each), and the extra amniotic fluid, I have enough baby weight and baby "stuff" to equal what Mitch weighed at birth. Come on 36/38 weeks! (My back and neck pains may not hold out until then....)
* I now have to go to the hospital once a week, until the babies are born, and have non-stress tests. This is a good thing, as it checks on the health and well being of the babies. As I get farther along, complications and pre-term labor become more likely and they need to check the babies weekly to see how they are handling everything. I went for my first test yesterday and was not looking forward to it, but it was actually quite relaxing! The kids were not with me (obviously) and I was put in a quiet room, hooked up to 3 monitors and given extra pillows on my already adjustable bed and offered beverages and snacks. I watched a movie on my iPod and did not hear crying, whining or demands for over an hour. Hello! Can I stay for a week? The only problem with this new weekly appointment is that I will start seeing my doctor once a week now as well- that's 2 appointments a week- if I had a live-in nanny and didn't need to bother so many people so many times a week to watch my kids, this would be a completely stress free duty for me.
* I worry how much bigger I can get in the next 2 months. As mentioned above, I am measuring full term for one baby, yet I have almost 2 months left to go and 2 babies that still need 3 or 4 more pounds on them each (and with my history of big babies, that could be 5 more pounds each). Yikes..... The sign I will constantly wear on my body will have to be made bigger each month to be visible on my largely expanding belly, and I may have to start shopping in the plus size maternity section soon.
* I have an ultrasound in a week and as always, they will check the babies' size, but this next ultrasound is extra important, as they will be checking the position of the girls. At my last appointment, neither of the babies were head down yet and I was told that by 32 weeks (which is what I will be when I get the next ultrasound), that the baby on bottom (Twin A, who will come out first) needs to be head down at this point or it will pretty much be an automatic C-section delivery for me. By this point with twins, it is extremely hard and rare that the babies can change positions, so if the bottom twin does not go head down in the next week, it is almost certain that she can't/won't after that. I am very nervous about that and am praying she cooperates and is all in position in a week! I am not excited by the prospect of a C-section delivery at all.
* There is nothing sweeter than hearing my 4 year old say at every prayer, "Thank you that we can have 2 sisters." We are very grateful to be getting 2 sisters and we can hardly stand the wait anymore!
* I am stressing out over the purchasing of a stroller that will fit our needs. I not only have to think about a stroller for twins, but one that will hold Mitchell too, as he will barely be 2 and will still need to be in a stroller for awhile. I need to have the option of being able to take all the kids out with me at the same time. Double strollers for twins with toddler seat attachments are extremely pricey and the last two used strollers that I found on sale online that I wanted were both sold before I could make an offer. If we are offered a reality show contract, I will then be able to buy the stroller of my dreams with no hesitation about the price!
* While we would have been happy and excited with any combination of gender for the twins, I am kind of excited to still have my sweet Mitch baby as "my little boy." I constantly tell him he's my favorite little boy, my best boy, etc. and I would have to stop that if I were having another boy. But I'm not, so he can still be my favorite boy.
* After watching a documentary about the Octuplet mom, I started feeling like twins will be a breeze!
* Thank goodness for knowing and running into other moms of twins and for their great advice, wisdom and support! We are already excited and always have been, but after each encounter with other moms with twins, I become even more excited and anxious to meet these little angels and welcome them to our family.
* As crazy as life may be after the babies come, thank goodness we have 2 older children that are great sleepers. I think about this every night after they are in bed by 6:00 p.m. Hallelujah! (And ASAP, the babies will be on this same schedule....)
* It's at times like these (when I am pregnant), that I wish I was married to a massage therapist! Not that Ben doesn't rub my back every time I ask (daily), and do a great job, but it sure would be nice to get a professional massage at least once a week.
* There is almost nothing more unique and amazing than feeling a baby kick inside you. And in my case it's 2 babies, and now that they are bigger, I can sometimes tell which baby it was that kicked. If we were decided on names already, I could call by name and get after the bottom one for constantly jumping on my bladder, and the top one for kicking me in the ribs (sometimes at the same time).
* What is more fun than shopping for one baby girl? 2 baby girls! Too bad there is so much adorable stuff. Babies need 50 outfits for each size, right???
Whew, okay, I'm done.
