You are currently browsing the monthly archive for January 2011.
I would like to thank everyone so much for taking the time to vote yesterday on the genders and attending the “Virtual Gender Reveal Party”. The majority voted for a boy and a girl and you are only half right.
We went to our 16 week ultrasound and after spending 40 minutes looking at the beautiful babies, our doctor told us that he was 95% positive he knew the genders!
Alright, now that I am bursting at the seams.. it is time to bite into the cupcakes…
without further adieu we are having fraternal twin…
GIRLS!!
On Friday, January 28, I will be sixteen weeks pregnant and that means we are getting very close to finding out the sex of our babies.
Recently, a friend (Kara Noel of Eli’s Lids) told me that one of the latest baby trends is hosting a gender reveal party. I immediately fell in love with the idea. The parents ask the ultrasound tech to write down the baby’s gender and put it in a sealed envelope. (How the parents don’t rip it open in the car is beyond me.)
Next, you (or a close friend) take the sealed envelope and give it to your favorite baker. The baker will whip up some cupcakes and the inside will contain either pink or blue frosting, which will ultimately reveal the baby’s gender.
It’s time to celebrate! Invite your friends and families to your gender reveal celebration. Guests can come dressed in team pink or team blue attire. Attendees can cast votes for the genders upon arrival and you can play a variety of games throughout the night.
The evening winds down when all guests have a cupcake in hand. The big moment is finally there. Everyone bites into the cupcake and sees the blue or pink frosting inside! It’s a _____!
I am throwing a virtual gender reveal party and you are invited!
I thought it would be fun to do a gender poll, to see how many people can guess the sex of the babies. Once we find out the genders, we can all virtually celebrate together!
I never realized how many wives tales about gender determination there were until I became pregnant. They can be fun to play, but it was kind of odd for me because they are not very “twin” friendly. No matter what the outcome, you still have a 50/50 chance of having one sex over the other.
Below are some of the gender determination old wives tales. My results to the tests are in pink if my results were a girl and blue if my results were a boy. Of course, it turned out to be a 50/50 chance with all 10 tests. You can use these old wives tales to help you make an educated “wives tale” guess to determine the sex.
Shape of Mom’s Belly: If belly is big and round you are carrying a girl, if it is smaller and sticking straight out, you are carrying a boy.
Cravings – If you crave salty food while pregnant it means you are having a boy and if you crave sweet food while you are pregnant it means you are having a girl.
Heart Rate – If the baby’s heart rate is over 140 bpm it’s a girl, if it’s under 140 bpm it’s a boy.
The Key Test – If you pick a single key up by the big, round part then you are having a boy. If you pick it up by the narrow part on the bottom then you are having a girl.
Shape of Mom’s Face – If your face is round then you are having a girl. If it is long and narrow you are having a boy.
Direction of the Ring – Hang your wedding ring from a string over your belly. If the ring swings back and forth, it’s a girl. If the ring swings around in a circle, it’s a boy.
The Mayan Tale The Mayans take the mothers age at conception and the year of conception and add them together. If the result is an even number then you are having a girl. If the result is an odd number then you are having a boy.
Carrying High or Low: If carrying high it’s a girl, if carrying low it’s a boy.
Acne – If you have increased acne then you are having a girl.
Morning Sickness – If you are carrying a boy, you will not have as much morning sickness as you will with a girl. (I had none)
Welcome to the virtual gender party. It’s time to cast your vote!
Cupcakes will be virtually handed out shortly.
(Poll was conducted on OC Family)
59% – Boy & Girl
26% – Girl & Girl
15% – Boy & Boy
What did you do when you found out that you could no longer wear your wedding ring?
Swelling is a common occurrence in pregnancy that affects a majority of pregnant women. It typically becomes a problem in the second to third trimester. Naturally, it happened to me, a lot earlier than most.
I was really upset the day I woke up with an extremely sore and swollen ring finger. When I took my rings off, my finger was bright red and stayed that way for over a week.
I had to face the fact that for the next several months, I would not be able to wear my wedding band or engagement ring. If I would have left it on for much longer and it got stuck, there is a chance they would have had to cut it off, and that would’ve been painful.
Although, I was forced to take the rings off my finger, I knew I had a few options so I went online to see what other women did in the same 
situation.
Some women will wear their ring as a charm on their necklace. I thought about this, but honestly, it scared me. I’ve had one too many chains break in my life and I would be absolutely devastated if anything happened to my rings.
Other women are fine not wearing their rings at all. I definitely do not fall in this category. My hand would just feel too naked.
And some women purchase a substitute ring that is significantly cheaper and can be worn throughout pregnancy (and future pregnancies). This was the avenue I chose.
Although, my finger is not naked, I still miss my wedding rings but I am glad that I did salvage my finger and do still have a substitute ring on my finger.
Today, we are officially 15 weeks along! I’ve been asked by a few people if we have any nicknames for our babies. Nicknames are an important way to bond with the baby or in our case babies, and it is also better then calling the baby “it.”
Often, when people don’t know the gender of their baby, they come up with a cute nickname.
My sister-in-law, Danica, came up with the twins’ nicknames over Christmas break and the names just stuck. Baby A is Apple and Baby B is Banana. They are the apple (and banana) of our eye!
I was reading on About.com, the 10 Most Popular Fetal Nicknames and these were too good not share with you!
- Cletus the Fetus
- Bean (and variations jelly bean and baby bean)
- Spawn
- Thumper
- Peanut
- Bump
- Spud
- Baby
- Octopus
- Junior
I am not one to judge because our babies are named after fruit, but I thought cletus the fetus and octopus were a little odd to be in the top 10.
Did you have any nicknames for your babies before they were born?
At least for me, never being pregnant before, it always seemed like pregnant women went from their normal size to their cute pregnancy belly overnight. No one ever talks about the weeks of what I refer to as the lumpy stage.
The lumpy stage is the stage between your regular size and getting your recognizable baby bump. It’s the weeks where people who don’t know you, would not think you are pregnant but just think you have a gut or a few extra pounds.
I don’t like to admit it, but the lumpy stage makes me extremely self-conscious at times. When I am at the gym, walking on the treadmill, I just want to tape a piece of paper to my stomach that says, “It’s not a gut, I’m pregnant…with twins.” I’m sure it is the hormones that are kicking in.
I’m not afraid of gaining the weight, and with twins, I know it’s definitely going to happen, but I am afraid of gaining
too much weight. It seems like every time I mention that I’m having twins, someone in the room says, “Wow, you’re going to be as big as a HOUSE!!”
When you are in the lumpy stage, your jeans are too tight, extremely uncomfortable and probably do not zip or button anymore. (See Dear Buttons & Zippers) When you walk into a maternity store, they may give you the double look and ask if you are buying a gift for someone because you don’t look pregnant. I’ve tried on pregnancy pants in a store and the clerk actually said to me, “You’re not pregnant are you?” The lumpy stage can be an awkward stage.
In my first trimester, I gained twice the amount of weight that I was supposed to, according to text books, which recommend a woman carrying twins only gain 4-6 pounds. On one hand, I did have the luxury of avoiding morning sickness completely, so I was able to eat. It was also increasingly hard for me to exercise because I was hit with extreme exhaustion constantly.
Being pregnant with twins is a complete blessing and my husband and I could not be more excited. I know I need to gain between 37 and 54 pounds through the course of my pregnancy and have been trying to eat the right food and exercise at least a few times per week.
Weight gain with twins is especially important because there is a higher risk for preterm labor and low-birth rate. I learned that early weight gain is vital for the development of the placenta. Knowing all of this, makes me feel relieved, but I did panick when I found out I gained twice the amount of weight that I was supposed to in my first trimester.
Now that I have entered my second trimester, I am very excited and anxious for the recognizable baby bump to magically appear, and ready for the dramatic weight gain to begin. Bring on the bump!
Hello…
Depending on who you talk to, what website you visit, or what book you read, the second trimester begins anytime between 12 and 14 weeks. Today, I am exactly 14 weeks along, so I have officially reached my second trimester!
I have an app on my phone that tells me how big the babies are. Today, they are the size of lemons and by the end of the week, they will be the size of naval oranges, growing 1.5 times their size in just one week. That is pretty amazing! Imagine if we grew 1.5 times our size in a week!
It feels great to reach the second trimester. I am finally starting to get my energy back, not all of it, but definitely getting back into the groove of things! The first few months, I was plagued with extreme exhaustion, all the time. Today, I’ve got more pep in my step.
In the second trimester, most first time moms will finally have to seek out the maternity clothes. Lucky me, I’ve already been in them for weeks! (See post Dear Buttons and Zippers)
I think it is finally safe to say that I am “showing.” The average Joe on the street would not yet come up to me and ask when I was due for fear of being slapped, but my family and friends can all definitely see the belly bump.
The most exciting part about the second trimester is finding out the sex of the babies! We went back and forth on if we wanted to find out the gender when we thought we were having one baby. . . but now that there are TWO babies, it changes the whole game and we definitely want to find out the sex.
A lot of singleton moms find out the gender at their 18-20 week hospital ultrasound. This is the “mother of ultrasounds” where they force you to lay still for 60-90 minutes with a full bladder that your kids are bouncing on while they take all of the growth measurements.
With twins, we have appointments every two weeks and an ultrasound at every appointment. We have two more appointments (Jan 26 & Feb 11) before the big hospital ultrasound, so we may get lucky and find out the genders sooner then later. We are definitely keeping our fingers crossed.
One exciting website I recently found calculated the due date for multiples. Currently, my due date is July 15, but, according to the calculator, with twins, my due date would be June 24! They will be here before we know it.
Today, we had our 14 week check-up and the babies are doing great. Baby A was doing back flips when we started the 
ultrasound and I swear, I really have not had any caffeine. The doctor said they are so close together they could kick each other, but I’m hoping they play nice for the rest of the time they are in there.
So, raise your glass (of sparkling cider) and let’s Cheers, to a wonderful second trimester that is full of energy (and some days to be blessed with Sour Patch Kids)!
We have had some amazing years together. We’ve rocked the clubs, danced some numbers, traveled the country, had some laughs and some tears. You have always been there for me… that is until now.
I thought we’d always be friends but when I tried to put you on, you pinched, you squeezed, you fought. You made me almost throw up. It really was not a fair fight.
I’m sorry to do this, but you will be going away for a little while. I just can’t take the pressure you have been putting on me lately.
I’m going to have to put you in storage. Please know this is only temporary and I hope to reunite again this year.
Sincerely,
Hollie
I think I may have fallen in love all over again.
I used to struggle going to sleep. I could be asleep on the couch but the second I walk back to the bedroom to rest my head on my pillow, I was wide eyed and bushy tailed. I could never get comfortable and would toss and turn all night, staring at the clock. When I finally did get ready to fall asleep, it was usually on my back.
As you enter the second trimester in pregnancy, doctors advise you to only sleep on your side, preferably the left side.
When you’re sleeping on your back, the weight of your uterus lies on the spine, back muscles, intestines, and major blood vessels which could lead to muscle aches, pains, hemorrhoids, and impaired circulation. Back sleeping can also make your blood pressure drop, causing some expectant mom to experience dizziness. This is all reason enough for me to force myself into side sleeping.
I read through a lot of pregnancy forums and came across the highly recommended Snoogle, a therapeutic body pillow, made especially for pregnant women. I ordered it online for $49.99, and it finally arrived yesterday.
Last night, I got the most amazing sleep I’ve had in a long time, and it was really put to the test when our faulty, insanely loud, fire alarms went off at 1:30 in the morning, and I didn’t want to move off my snoogle.
Honestly, if you are expecting, have back problems, trouble falling asleep, or are simply human, you could use a snoogle.
The only downside I have heard from the snoogle is that it is large and may push your husband out of bed. According to my husband, I am a bed hog and he says he ends up sleeping on the night stand normally. Last night, I never moved with the snoogle and for us, he was actually able to enjoy almost a complete half of the bed. Another snoogle positive.
I am so excited, I feel like I should call snoogle and ask them if I can be in their next advertisement. This snoogle is going to be a savior down the pregnancy road. I never thought anyone could be so excited about a pillow.
Thank you snoogle, for everything you have done. You are truly amazing.
UPDATE: 1/11/2010
Our preliminary test results for both down syndrome and trisomy 18 came back negative! Here are our risk factors, per baby:
Down Syndrome: 1 in 2,400
Trisomy 18: 1 in 93,000
We will have our final blood draw on January 28 for our final risk factors, which will also test the risk factors for spina bifida.
——————————————————————————————————-
I quickly learned that when you have twins, you also have double the appointments. I go to the doctor every two weeks. (at least) I’m thinking about renting a room there.
This week I had my Nuchal Translucency Screening test at 12 weeks, 5 days. The NT test uses an ultrasound to measure the clear space in tissue in the back of the baby’s neck. The doctors take the findings from the NT screen combined with blood work to determine my risk factor for Down Syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities.
If the NT screening tests come back showing that we have a higher risk of abnormalities, they offer more invasive testing including CVS and amniocentesis. There is a slight risk of miscarriage with these tests.
We debated on taking the non-invasive NT Scan at all, because the outcome would only prepare us, but not affect the amount of love we will have for our beautiful children. No matter what, we have opted not to take the invasive tests anyway.
I will get my results to the blood work and NT Scan on Tuesday.
The best part about having twins and twice the appointments is, I get to see my babies a lot more, as I have an ultrasound at almost every appointment! They are growing so fast.
Below is my ultrasound at 12 weeks, 5 days. They look like little people now! I love how “Baby B” (photo on bottom) is waving to us.
My husband and I are such planners. We try to look into every possibility, but this time, we definitely were hit with some unexpected, yet wonderful news.
We have been trying to get pregnant for a few months now. We tracked cycles, okay… I tracked cycles, and every month we came out with less than desirable results. For the first couple months, there was false hope and no success. I actually got to the point where I dreaded the pregnancy test because it was always a letdown.
On November 4th, my husband had already left for work and I was what most women are well aware of… “late.” I knew I would have to take out the infamous stick and test again. I was already mentally prepared to read the words “NOT Pregnant.”
I did the deed and left the stick on the counter. It said I could be back in three minutes to read the results. After about 45 seconds, I couldn’t take the pressure and ran back into the bathroom to stare at the test. Yes, I was THAT girl.
My breath was taken away, I saw the word “pregnant” and the word “NOT” was nowhere to be found! My heart started racing 100 miles an hour. I had a perma-grin from ear to ear. I was pregnant!!
My husband and I were ecstatic. We both have always wanted a family and we are so incredibly blessed to finally be pregnant with our first.
On November 23, we went to the first ultrasound. We were very excited and nervous because we just wanted to make sure our “baby” was healthy. My husband said, the pregnancy would probably not hit him until he saw the ultrasound, and boy, was he right!!
At the ultrasound the doctor lubed up my belly and began looking at the screen. Instead of him telling us he saw a heartbeat, all the doctor said was, “Hmmmmm.” He went on to tell me that since it was so early in my pregnancy, that he wanted to do a transvaginal ultrasound to get a better look.
I started to internally panic. I was praying in my mind, please let my “baby” be safe and please let us see the heartbeat. My husband was standing by my side holding my hand. The doctor pointed to the screen and said, “Here is the heart beat”. My body let out a huge sigh of relief. My baby was okay. Then I heard the doctor say “and here is the other heart beat.” We were both in shock.
Two heart beats, two sacs, two babies. It really took my breath away. I had a mile long list of questions I was supposed to ask, but they all went right out the window when we heard the news. We are having twins!! My due date is July 15, but with twins we are expecting to be about 2-4 weeks early.
Although we did not plan for twins, we could not be happier. A double blessing.
