34 1/2 weeks. We can almost have our home birth!

Im in such a good mood! With only a week to go before we can feel relaxed to have the babies come when ever. and after fighting a fever and body aches last week. Im back to my old self. :) Im very excited.
I dreamed last night that I didnt feel my contractions and baby a just came right out. (right dont we all wish lol) anyhow she was just like a dolly proportionate and SO pretty. with a perfect combination of me and tony. half and half just like the creamer. lol
Im trying to play as much DooWop and Oldies to them as I can so they have my taste in music. and Im trying to dance around so they have a sense of rhythm lol I also found that dancing was an effective sleeping technique with johnny so I want them to get use to the rocking motion.
 Contractions are coming every day. and it feels I have a bag-o-babies instead of a pregnant belly. it feels real hard and this last US there were baby parts  every where all smushed together and they look chubby so I have the good feeling that they are over 5 lbs already!!!! I had chosen their first outfits in preemie size but who knows if they will fit. :) Im excited to meet them soon
Tony and I met our 2nd midwife last monday and she was so nice and positive. I am trying to get some final reading done in Ina Mays Guide to Childbirth and Birthing from Within. and tony is reading the last bit of The Birthing Partner.
My good friend Sarah is going to do the birthing photography so I am awfully excited about that since she just had a home birth not even a year ago.
I think everything is coming together! and Im so relieved.... Ill write again soon.

32 Weeks along. We're getting there

So in the last month our babies have grown so much. at my last ultrasound they weighed 3 lbs each. I think when I go in on monday for another one. they will be around 4 lbs each!
Ive really have just been taking it one day at a time. the carpel tunnel has gotten better. but I am even more tired then ever. its really about getting alot of rest now... and if I dont my body makes me. Johnny Started kindergarten so its worked out perfectly and I get plenty of time to myself

the 1st week of my 8th month has been so emotionally shocking. realizing that it can happen any moment and that it will definitely happen in 4 to 6 weeks is exciting and scary.
The girls have been great! moving all the time. I wish my husband had some thing that was constantly nudging at his intestines as a comforting reassurance that we are having children lol but of course lucky him just gets to feel the big kicks on his hand.

Since last month Braxton hicks contractions have become an everyday thing. they are so uncomfortable but I just try to breath through it. I went to my first meeting of Moms of Multiples early September and it was so reassuring! they were all so positive and nice. another meeting in 2 weeks. Speaking of reassuring I saw the midwife yesterday and she said that everything is looking fantastic and that I shouldnt worry about preterm labor that if it was coming something would have already happened. Both girls are vertex (head down) so everything is looking great for a home birth in a month or two!
Tony and I talked about names and we really like the names Ina and Una. Inanna Elise and Una Esmee although tony is completely committed to the names I dont think Ill be positive till i see and hold them. :) I cant wait!
Here are some pictures on how the belly is growing.

its even bigger now. but i havent uploaded those yet.

And a few fun things we've done is birthing art

my motherly monkey



and  how I see myself as a pregnant lady









and Tony and I went to Baby boot Camp On base.
the funniest part was him wearing the empathy belly and seeing him trying to get comfortable lol It was fun and informative. and I needed to go over somethings again since its been so long for me since Ive taken care of a baby.  But we are pretty confident now.

We've even set up the crib and co sleeper figured out the stroller and carseats. :) all the baby clothes is washed with baby soap. all their blankies are folded and ready and we are stocked up on 3 packages  of preemie dipers 4 boxes of newborns and 5 packages of 1 and the to huge boxes of wipes lol

 life is great and we are all excited. ill write again soon.

I cant believe I havent written in so long! probably since ive been honey mooning :D

I am 26 weeks as of yesterday! I have been feeling great for the last two months but I feel the 3rd trimester creeping up on me.... oh goodness is the belly BIG!

Ive been so wrapped up in doing things this summer I forgot to write. and Ive been too tired to stay up on the computer...
two weeks ago (at 24 wks) I had my Baby Shower Luau! it was wonderful... my great friend Karoline put it together and my sisters and mom came out to visit.

I think that it was the best possible choice to do it in my second trimester. I still had energy to write thank you notes and do more shopping... we basically have everything we need for the first 6 months now. And I dont see how I could have done it in a few weeks.
for the last month ive been pushing myself.. not giving in to sitting down or not cleaning the house.. but I just feel now like im running out of energy a lot faster. I need breaks often. My belly has just been getting so heavy. It feels like in the last 2 weeks they have grown so much. Im worried if theyve dropped already... but im going to continue to stay positive. I have an ultrasound tomorrow and a midwife appt next week... I hope all is well.
well thats all Ill write again.

June 23, 2011 - 18 Weeks

At 18 weeks they are the size of bell peppers. :)

changing direction

Today I am 4 months along! Im very excited. A few problems have come up from a month ago. My body is trying to adjust for the babies. I get low blood pressure and I get all woozy,  I think I may have carpel tunnel and I now have aches after standing a lot or at the end of the day. I am really getting bigger. I look right now like I looked at 7 months along with johnny. There is 9 inches of baby in there but im just growing out. lol

Last night my whole right arm went numb. It wasnt the first time but it was painful... so I called my OB this morning and the nurse told me to go to the ER that I could be having a stroke. .... I told her that I couldnt be having a stroke for the last two weeks. Up till now I have been trying to give them a shot you know.. saying ok maybe this is better for the babies..  but now I realize its really not good for ME. I spent  6 hours in the ER about 3 weeks ago and all they told me it was low blood pressure and that its normal... I am not looking to sue my doctors........ I am not looking to be any ones medically complicated story.... and I know twins are complicated and different but they aren't anymore hazardous to your health then one normal baby. at least thats how im taking it now... I know im having "problems"... but ive decided to just go with the midwife I was originally going with. But just to be safe I will continue to see the perinatal specialists for ultrasounds. It makes perfect sense. because if worse comes to worse... Ill just go back to the negative OBs and deliver in the OR room. But now I am so excited to go with my originial plan of a home birth.
I have scheduled my first appointment with Joey (my midwife) for the 28th. and although it will cost a few hundred more... I am so positive and think my instincts have pointed me in the right direction :D

14 Weeks/ May 25,2011

I am officially in the 2nd trimester now! the miscarriage rate is like less then 5%. Im very excited about being this far along. I was looking at the 1st belly picture I took when I was 10 weeks and now I feel ridiculous for feeling self conscious then. In a month I will be thinking how wonderful I had it at 14 weeks lol. so here is the belly now. I had an ultra sound done last week but forgot to pick up the pictures. I will try to this week. they look pretty much the same though. they just look bigger.

At the ultrasound there was one baby that was such a sweet little one. he/she looked to be cuddled up towards the bottom. and was just hanging out the other one (he/she shall remain nameless) was acting crazy! i think it was the same one that was acting like a little ninja the first time. kicking and throwing fists in the air. I always thought that with identical twins theyd have the same sort of temperament. but i guess not.
Also Im about 90% sure ive been feeling them move. Only 100% on 3 occasions though. Its so exciting! i talk to them as if i know the exact reasons why they are bothered. ... ill say I know I know ill get you some water right now lol or i did forget that prenatal vitamin hu? or something silly like that.
I cant wait till Tony or Johnny gets to feel them. I felt johnny early too at 14 weeks. but i was thinner then by like 20 lbs
Speaking of lbs Ive gained 12 lbs already (sign) they say its good to gain 5 lbs in your 1st trimester with twins so im only up 6 and if there is anywhere i can blame 6 lbs on its my breasts. theyve gone from a's to c's in 2 months. and I can honestly say I am not happy about it at all. I keep telling myself just to be accepting with it all.

On a different subject It was our One year anniversary yesterday!!! tony took the day off and we headed up to MD for the day we found a wildlife refuge off of the highway that was really nice. they had a big exhibit  considering it was out of the way.

and out side was a great path with lots of geese we  also saw a deer eating lilies

a turtle crossing the road,

a red winged black bird, and some little bugs.It was so nice.
After that we had dinner at Medieval Times!

Johnny made such a gorgeous knight. and Tony such a handsome king. :D
it was a great day.. not to mention it only took a little over an hour. over all it was a wonderful day and 1st anniversary.

belly shots?

Tony and I have decided to start taking belly pictures every week since we both feel that its going to grow fast. I dont know why its so big. Apart from being twins, I am carrying around 100% more blood they say and all the water im constantly drinking adds to its overall size and it just looks huge because im sure on someone taller it wouldn't look so bad.

I have another specialist appointment on Tuesday the 17th where Ill get another ultrasound. So it may mean lots of pictures since i will be seeing them every 2-3 weeks. Im very excited to see them again. and to see how much they have grown. I am 12 weeks along now and the babies are the size of limes.

I am almost into the last week of the 1st trimester!! so the chance of miscarriage drops :D and although im confident with this pregnancy there is still the worry. other then that the babies are developing normally and everything looks good. they are identical which add even more wonderment to this whole thing. I mean its kind of creepy that they are going to look exactly alike. but then I wont ever have to decide which one outfit looks better. Ill just put on both. and they'll have each other. and maybe that telepathy thing... the possibilities are endless! they'll be so cute. I want to find out the gender as soon as possible! I want to know what to buy or put on my registry. lol


Ill post my next ultrasound pictures Tuesday.
ill write again then.