Summer is almost over!

Here I am at 34 weeks.
I never believed my stomach could stretch this much and it's not done yet!

 We enjoyed a hot summer afternoon running and playing in Daddy's sprinklers.  The grass is coming in well, although so are the weeds.  Two more weeks and then he can use the weed and feed to try and eliminate them.  Looking forward to a lush green lawn!

 Even with her noise-cancelling headphones on, Lauren wouldn't ride the tractor with Daddy.  She wouldn't even sit on it when it was turned on.  Oh well....

Right before she climbed on, Lauren asked me if we had any saddles!

Love,

M

Scheduled Delivery!

If the babies do not decide to come on their own, they will be delivered by scheduled c-section on the morning of Friday, September 30.  And the countdown begins...

Quick update...

We had our first biophysical profile done on the babies today.  They both passed in the first 5 minutes :)  They are looking fantastic and my blood pressure was great.  We were told to schedule delivery for 38 weeks--we'll book the exact date when we're at the OB on Friday morning.  I still suspect that they'll decide to arrive before that date but I could be wrong.  We'll see!

Today was my last day of work until January.  Well, to be honest, I've worked less than five days in the past two and a half months and now I get the next 4 months totally off.  So it doesn't sound all that right to say today was my last day...but I think you get what I mean.

My ankles are larger than softballs, my hips hurt like crazy, the bottom of my uterus aches all the time and I have started to fantasize about catheters.  Oh how I'd love to have one so that I can stop going to the bathroom every five minutes.  It's too far to walk and as soon as I come out of the bathroom, I have to go again.  <> 

I'll update again on Friday with our scheduled date of delivery.  Woohoo!
Love,
M
 

Sneak Peek at Our Maternity Pictures

We went last week for maternity shots with a photographer that some of my Dinner Club friends recommended.  We've only seen three of the pictures so far, but I love them!

More to come!

Love,

M

32.5 weeks...

No pictures today, simply because I forgot to take any new ones!  We went to a professional photographer yesterday and got some awesome maternity shots and family pictures--pictures of our little family of 3 that will soon be 5!  I should have some proofs from her in the next week or so and I'll post those. 

Just a short and sweet update-  I went to the specialist yesterday and got lots of info.  My blood pressure, while still considered normal, is the highest it's ever been for me.  That made me nervous but my doctor wasn't too concerned.  As for the babies, they looked so big on the ultrasound!  Baby A was measured to be approx. 4lbs 6oz and Baby B was approx 5lbs 8oz.  We were very surprised to hear that Baby B was so big!  I'd like them both to be at least 6lbs at birth and Baby B is almost there.  Woohoo!!  The only concern was that they differ in size so much from one another which can be normal but can also be a problem.  The doctors want to make sure that they both continue to grow at healthy rates and that they don't diverge too much more from one another. She said that although she doesn't think I'm at risk for it, twins with weights that differ extremely from one another are at a greater risk of stillbirth.  It was good news though to hear that both babies are considered to be of normal weight for their gestation.  Baby A was in the 40-something percentile and Baby B was in the 70-something percentile.  What does all of this mean?  More frequent doctors appointments and monitoring.  We go in twice next week-  once to the OB and once to the specialist.  At the specialist, the babies will now have weekly biophysical profiles done.  This is essentially a 30-minute timed test during which time the babies will each be "tested" on the number of arm/leg movements, the amount of amniotic fluid they each have around them, whether they are practicing breathing movements with actual chest rises, and one other thing that I can't remember :)   If any of these test results become alarming or if their weights diverge significantly more, then I think we might be faced with having them a bit earlier than we hoped but we'll do whatever we have to do to know that they are safe.  I'll be 33 weeks this Saturday and my personal goal is to get them to 37 weeks.  So keep your fingers crossed that they can stay in for 4 more weeks!

Also, the specialist put me on a work stoppage (medical leave) effective yesterday but I'm still going to have to go in to my classroom for final preparations next M-W.  Other than that, I'm supposed to be at home taking it easy and "cooking" these babies.  I have been spending most nights on the couch lately, which is more comfortable than our bed at this point.  I guess that's a good thing for me to get used to because after the babies are born via c-section, I won't be allowed to climb stairs very much at all for two weeks.  Fun! 

More pictures coming soon :)
~Mindy 

30 Weeks and a Wedding!

30 weeks and growing....!!!

Here's the description from my 30 week update email...“Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision – which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)” 

So how've I been feeling lately?  Uncomfortable.  I can barely climb our stairs without needing to stop for a break.  I am always out of breath and tired- very tired!  I feel kicks everywhere and sometimes it's pretty uncomfortable.  I am not sleeping very much at all anymore and when I do finally manage to fall asleep, I wake up an hour later needing to go to the bathroom.  

Next week, I have two doctors appointments and we'll make the final decision on my school schedule.  I'm 98% sure that I will not start the school year with my students.  Instead, I will start the school year in January, after the Christmas break.  Also, we will hopefully schedule the babies' delivery, although chances are that they will decide to come before their scheduled 38 week c-section.  We shall see!  

Now for more pictures....  We recently discovered a lake nearby with an awesome sandy beach and clean, clear water for swimming.  Lauren loved it and even saw fish beneath her!  She was super excited since she'd never been swimming with fish before :)

Playing around with Boppa Steighner

  Last week, Lauren surprised me by telling me (with a voice full of excitement) that she was getting married that night!  So, we hit the ground running with the wedding plans and by the time her groom got home from work, we were ready! 

A very beautiful bride...wearing Mommy's veil!

The bride got VERY impatient when the groom got distracted with yard work as soon as he got home.

 Saying their vows...

You may kiss the bride!

And in case you were wondering, I got to be the wedding photographer, the flower girl AND the wedding guest, all at once :)

Have a good night!
Love,
M

28 Weeks!

28 weeks

I am starting to get nervous!  I can't believe that in just two months, we'll have two newborn babies in our family.  Ahhh!!!  We've agreed that we should probably start stocking up on sleep now because it's going to be non-existent for awhile this fall.  Not really looking forward to that part.  At our most recent ultrasound on Friday, both babies looked great.  Baby B is a tiny bit bigger than Baby A right now, at approx. 2lbs 10oz while Baby A measured at 2lbs 5oz.  My doctor said this is totally normal and no cause for concern.  In the past two weeks, Baby B stayed head-down but now Baby A is breech.  These two just can't make up their minds.   My weekly email update states:  "By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world."

Also at our most recent appointment, we got a great side profile picture of Baby B but Baby A was not cooperative :) 

Aunt Karlee came to visit for a few nights last weekend and we enjoyed a nice dinner outdoors along the lake at the Seven Seas restaurant. 


 
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I have started to put the weight on all over instead of just in my belly area.  While that is frustrating, I am finding it hard to avoid when I am told to try to gain 40-50 pounds and to minimize exercise.  I just hope it comes off as easily as it did after Lauren was born!

 

Holding a butterfly at the zoo for Chad's company picnic.

Jumping on a giant trampoline for the first time at the home of one of Daddy's co-workers.



Yesterday, we went with three other Dinner Club families to a favorite local pool.  The kids had a blast!



Lauren and Sophia...best buds :)

 Love,

M