Growing Boys

This week's appointment was lots of fun since the boys were measured again for growth. They are really growing quite well, both of them! Baby A is around 2lbs and Baby B is catching up and looks to be around 1lb 11oz. Little man is still making those gains and closing the size gap bit by bit (only about 15% now) despite  his lower fluid levels which is a great. He also managed to flip from breech position to head down during the course of the exam much to the songorapher's surprise/confusion. This helped explain all of the kicking we saw while measuring Baby A. The flip is another great indicator that he has enough room for himself even though the AFI remains low-ish. I feel him much more than Baby A, so I'm not too concerned about him, his activity is a constant reminder that he is doing juuuuust fine. It also looks like my body is handling its job of carrying the growing boys well. I'm not showing any indications of pre-term labor or stress beyond what most late-third trimester pregnant ladies experience...then again, I'm only entering my third trimester this coming week.

In other news that you may or may not care about, I will be going back to work full time tomorrow morning and know that I will be pushing it, but I am not quite ready to give in to the aches/pains/fatigue yet and am looking forward to seeing my work family again after the summer, and of course working with my students. Please pray that this week of preparation won't do me in before the students even return, I have my work set out for me since my classroom was moved during the summer. I am super excited to have air conditioning out in the trailer, but unpacking and setting up this go around will be much more challenging. I spent a few short hours in there last week and boy did I feel it later that evening! My return to work also precipitates Audra's return to school full-time and her move to the 3's class. She has been unbelievably blessed this year with amazing teachers in her 2's class and it is bittersweet that she will be moving onward and upward. Of course, she also is showing signs of a cold just in time for this increase in activity level, so also pray that she kicks it and can remain healthy as we go into this new season.

As a student/teacher, the "new year" definitely occurs with a change in academic year versus Jan. 1st and I am getting into an autumn state of mind. This is rocking my world since I know that it is during this season that they boys will join our family "on the outside"! We are getting prepped for them bit by bit and Audra is getting significantly more excited about their arrival. This also means that we will have more information surrounding their delivery in the coming weeks. Most twins settle into position in the uterus in the next few weeks and from there we will have more of an indication of whether or not we can skirt a c-section. I know it isn't likely, but a girl can dream....

I actually have a few more profile shots of Handsome A and Handsome B this week, but they are upstairs, and I am downstairs and my desire to go get them is nil. So, I'll add them later! And they're up!

 

My sweet girl.

My sweet girl came with me to my appointment today. The boys were not very cooperative (facing away) so there were no good face shots or profiles for her to identify with while watching the monitor. I am a little bummed she wasn't able to "see" them as much as I have been the past few weeks, but she was still such an angel. Her main concern was that my hand be held and that the heartbeats not get too loud from the computer. I was proud of her while we waited for the appointment, especially since this was all during nap time. She is turning into such a big girl and is definitely anxious for the next stage to be here. She has repeatedly let me know that she wants her baby brothers to come out and asks if they are finished their naps yet.

Baby B's fluid levels are pretty low again, but since we are all monitored pretty closely this doesn't impact things and we will, once again, just wait and see how things look at next week's appointment. They are also scheduled for another growth check. I need to remember to ask what they're approximate weight is next time since I forgot at the last check. They certainly feel like they are growing! Thank you for your prayers, we definitely still need them.

Quickie

Super quick, but I just wanted to let everyone know I had another appointment today and things are still looking good. AFIs were a bit lower, but still pretty equal and the boys are clearly doing alright in there. They've flipped again, now Baby A is breech, his little bottom sitting directly on top of Baby B's head. Baby B is now head down. I actually think this is helping me to be a bit more comfortable because nobody's legs are kicking me low right now. It was also decided that I need to continue going weekly pretty much until D-Day (my term for delivery day, whenever that may be). I also have started bi-weekly appointments at my regular OBs office, so I am just super happy that both places are close by to home and each other. Honestly, I like seeing the little guys every week, I count it as a very nice bonus. No pictures today to share of them, so instead you get one of my ever expanding abdominal area.

Delayed

So sorry for the posting delay since last week. Life has a funny way of getting in the way of things like sitting down, composing thoughts, and typing them into Blogger.  My appointment actually went fantastic! The fluid levels around both babies has leveled off nicely and are more even than they have been since concerns were first discovered 5 weeks ago! Another great sign is that Baby B made some growth gains - the growth differential is now slightly under 20% which puts us just within normal range. I am hoping he continues to grow more and catch up to his "big" brother who remains right on target for growth. According to the sonographers and doctors, the boys are really, Really, REALLY active. I have no problems believing this since they have started to mandate a sleep strike for me. Every time I stop moving, they begin their own little World Cup in my uterus, keeping me from falling asleep. It is pretty funny (okay, not at 2 AM it isn't) to feel one guy move and then the other directly respond. Normally they settle down eventually and I am able to grab a few hours before they or Audra wake me up. Can I just state how thankful I am that Audra is such a superb sleeper-inner? I am SO SO SO thankful. There, I said it.

Speaking of Audra, yesterday we talked about baby brothers from breakfast to bedtime. She is really starting to latch on to the idea of new babies in the house as we are getting baby boy clothes and gear into place. Her favorite thing is to do laundry for them. This also is extremely helpful for me too. Thank goodness for our new front-loading machine which she is more than happy to load/unload for me so I don't have to bend down and reach in there.

The big event now looming in the not-distant-at-all future is my return to work. School begins for teachers in just under 3 weeks. Something that is encouraging me, should the return occur, is that my classroom has been moved from within the school building out to a trailer which is air conditioned! While I will miss being so close to everyone and everything, I know that I'd be getting a definite "no" from the doctors about returning if I didn't have AC available to me. I am very pleased that I haven't experienced swelling, my blood pressure has been fine, and my blood glucose levels are good, so these signs all point to my body handling things well. The doctors will be meeting on Friday (though I am unsure as to when they'll let me know of their decision) to discuss my case and whether or not I can go ahead, but it is all with the understanding that things could change at any moment and we all need to continue to be "prepared" for that. I use quotations around that word because, if anything has been made clear through this process, it is that no amount of preparation is really going to get us ready for what is ahead. There are a dozen probable scenarios, so we need to just be as trusting in God's plan and laid back as humanly possible about what may or may not come our way.

It is truly awesome that I will be 24 weeks tomorrow! 24 weeks gestation puts the boys at 50% viability should they be born now. That being said, so far things are looking very solid and my body is holding its own. Apparently, women that have carried a healthy pregnancy to full-term do a little bit better when carrying twins so that is another plus! And now, onto the pictures: