Background on Names

Ok, you all must be wondering -- HOW ON EARTH DID THEY COME UP WITH THOSE NAMES? Picture Above -- left=Sylvia (A); right=Evelyn (B). Not sure why Evelyn's pic came up sideways, but you can still see her pretty face. And the hospital put A and B on their hats...I SWEAR we can tell them apart!

Well, we both love traditional names and those that aren't too popular. I love the top 10 list (Ella, Sophia, Emma, etc), but they are just way too popular. We know it will be hard for the girls to distinguish themselves as individuals, but if they are the Sophia R. in a class of three Sophia's, how will they ever be uniquely identified? So, we thought long and hard. First, we had a name for a boy and a girl -- Benson Thomas Romley for a boy. Benson is my maiden name (duh!), Thomas is David's middle name (his namesake was his father's best friend who died in Vietman). Then, the girl's name -- Sylvia Winters Romley. Sylvia is David's Aunt. Actually, she's his second cousin, but she is sort of his mother's older sister. She is an absolutely lovely woman whom David always held in high regard and loves very much. So, that choice was easy. Winters was easy too. William Winters is my great, great, great grandfather who fought for the Union in the 76th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment in 1861. Louise is my mother's middle name, and she is named after my great Aunt Louise. Evelyn isn't a family name, but we LOVE it! It's one of my all time favorites!

There you have it. We hope you like their names are much as we do!

More Pictures and Update

Day 3 in the hospital and we are feeling great. I've been up walking around the morning after the c-section and the pain hasn't really been that bad. Thank you, percocet! Wednesday was a bit of a whirlwind day with doctors checking both me and the babies constantly (this is a matter of routine, not because of anything unique with us). Both babies are doing great. They have passed every test with flying colors and haven't yet lost the typical 10% body weight that most babies lose (which is good since they are on the smaller side). Also, because of the c-section, I get my share of poking and prodding to make sure everything looks good with the incision and the uterus is shrinking as usual. My belly feels huge, but that's typical, I know.

We have been given the option to go home tomorrow (Fri) or Saturday. We're not sure yet. We have been provided excellent care we're in no rush to go home. Plus, we really want to make sure they are feeding properly and learn as much as we can about nursing. I need to be efficient with feeding or I will never sleep! We met with two lactation consultants today for about 45 min and then about an hour. They were both great, but I have a lot to learn!

Also, it must be said that David is SUPER DADDY! While I always knew he'd be a great father, he is really an INCREDIBLE father! He has pretty much done all the changings and swaddlings, while I've handled the feedings. Neither of us would have been able to do it alone. I can honestly say that this whole experience has just made me grow to love him even more! I better stop now...hormones are making me mushy!

The Romley Girls Have Arrived

We welcome our healthy, beautiful baby girls on Tuesday, April 28, 2009:

Sylvia Winters was born at 7:17PM. She weighed 6lbs and 1oz and measured 19 inches.

Evelyn Louise was born at 7:18PM. She weighed 5lbs and 13oz and measured 19 inches. Mom, Dad and the girls are all doing well after 24 hours of inducement and a c-section.

Both pictures attached are just minutes after birth; in both pictures, Sylvia is on the left and Evelyn is on the right. They do look very different!

Thanks to everyone for their support and encouragement through the pregnancy!!!!

Not Even Dilated

Dr. Santiago (my cute, petite doctor) arrived! She checked on me and then said she wanted to break my water to move along the labor process! Unfortunately, the girls still aren't quite ready and the doctor is unable to break her water. In fact, I'm not even dialated (the opening of the cervix is dilated, but them it closes further down), as the other doctor suggested. The doctor just visited again (about three hours later) and indicated that it appears the pitocin is not working. The doctor will return two hours from now and we'll talk options, but it appears that a c-section might be in our future. Oh well, we all must remember the goal is safe, healthy girls.

David is still chilling...reading a newspaper and waiting to be a Daddy.

Until the next post!

Still No Storm

Well, it's been a few hours since they started administering pitocin, and they just turned it up. The doctor came in and woke me by saying "you're sleeping? We need to turn it up." I'm having regular labor contractions every 2 minutes or so, I'm dilated 1-2cm, Baby A (left) is at station -1 (she needs to get to -3). Hopefully with this "turn up" I'll be headed into some pain, then I'll get the epidural, and we can push out one of these girls in a few hours. Who knows...could be 3 to 15 hours more to go. I'm still fine, just sleepy from last night.

The Calm Before the Storm

So, Meredith did great last night! Doctor Tacktill administered two "doses" of gel to help facilitate the inducement process. She wasn't dialated at all throughout the early evening, although her contractions increased in strength and frequency to about one every three minutes or so. Note that in the attached picture Meredith IS blackberring in her hospital bed - she cracks me up!

The hospital is fantastic - really. We have wireless internet - cool. The room is huge, nicely decorated (Meredith would say "that's my gay husband talking"), and private. The staff is very attentive - Crystal and Ruth are Meredith's nurses. I am kicking back creating this log post, listening to some John Mayer, and eating a granola bar.

Unfortunately, the night didn't offer much opportunity to sleep. With the volume cranked up on the baby monitor we could hear every heartbeat from the girls. You might think that the rhythm would lull us to sleep. I guess that may have been the case, except for the occassional kick to the microphone monitor by the girls which would make this really loud "wherrppp" sound. Plus, whenever Meredith needed to use the bathroom the nurse would have to disconnect her from the IV she has going to keep her hydrated. I brought my camping "mattress" and just slept on the ground - a common place for a Marine to sleep - so it wasn't bad. We ate some tasty spinach, garlic, pepperoni, and cheese pizza from Atlantis, laied in bed together for a few minutes before trying to get some sleep.

This morning the doctor will administer Meredith potocin to really get this party started. I am predicting a delivery time around 3:30 for baby one. Meredith thinks they will come much later. If you want to get in touch with us, just give us a call at either 202 744-4146 or 571 234-3880.

David

30 Hours to Go!

Well, in about 30 hours we'll be headed to the hospital. You know the drill from there (see last post). I estimate in about 55 hours we'll be parents! We're both extremely excited (I'm scared, but David seems to be taking it in stride--see pic below).

Below is my last pregnancy belly shot. 38 weeks today! It's crazy we've made it this far!

Besides swelling in my feet and legs, numbness in my hands and some pressure (which comes and goes), I still feel great. We've had a busy weekend of running errands, going out to eat, watching movies, and visiting friends. After going to work at 7am on Friday and working from 3-5am because I couldn't sleep, we still went to a friend's house for dinner and didn't make it home until 10:30PM! It was a long day, but we had a blast and I'm really glad we did it.

I think our next post will be from the hospital and you'll hear the news of the little Romley ladies' arrival! Wish us luck! Let's hope the delivery goes well and the girls are healthy and big!

Thanks to everyone for their well wishes!

Last Doc Visit

Just a short update from our visit to the doc on Friday. They monitored the girls and they are moving well and everything went as expected. It was interesting because they are moving together more whereas previously they seemed to have their own thing going on. I think the quarters are getting cramped! Then, they did an ultrasound to check fluid levels and they were great. Both girls are still head down and left baby will probably emerge first. We got a decent profile shot of her for the very first time too.

Last OBGYN Visit

I had my last OBGYN visit before the babies arrive. I'm about 75% effaced (thinning of cervix) and I'm not dilated. She tried to dilate me, but it didn't work...nor did it feel very good. So, here's the deal:

Monday at 5pm, we'll check into INOVA Alexandria Hospital. The doctor will check to see if I'm dilated, and if I am, I will be sent home and told to return in the morning. If I'm not (the likely situation), a gel will be inserted to soften or "ripen" my cervix (it's called prostaglandin). It will be applied a few hours later as well. David will run out to pick up dinner and then I will be given a sleep aid to go help me get some sleep. I will likely send David home to get a good night's rest in our comfy bed. The next day will be a doozie. In the morning, I will have a light breakfast, shower and get ready for the day's events. If contractions don't start on their own, I will be given an IV and pitocin to induce contractions and dilation. This is where the real party begins. The process can take as long as a typical birth (14-20 hours). Therefore, hopefully sometime on Tuesday, I will give birth.

We are taking our computer to the hospital since they have wireless. Hopefully we can figure out how to hook it up so we can send out the email we have already prepared to send (of course, it's missing a lot of important information like weight, length, time of birth, etc). Once they are born and we have enjoyed quality parenting time, we will let everyone know. Again, hopefully sometime on Tuesday, but I guess it could be Monday or Wednesday. We're extremely excited. I just can't believe they will be here in 3-5 days!!!

We're going to the perinatologist for monitoring and another ultrasound today. I'll post this weekend on the outcome of that visit as well as my very last belly shot! David wants to post a bare belly shot, but I'm afraid you all might not appreciate that. We'll see. If I get a request for it, maybe I'll do it.

Keep us in your thoughts over the weekend and early next week!

THE GIRLS ARE FULL TERM!!! 6 DAYS TO GO!!!

Today is a HUGE milestone. The girls are full term. We're so happy to have made it this far and if they came tomorrow, we'd likely be fine. Sure, there are always things that could happen, but their lungs and other vital organs are fully developed and they are big enough likely not to have a NICU stay (or it should be short).

For some reason, I'm still betting the girls will arrive on the 22nd, so stay tuned. However, I'm barely having Braxton Hicks contractions and I'm not dilated. I would like for them to come on their own without the assistance of inducement drugs, but I'm not sure that's going to happen.

Yep, I know I wore this dress in a recent post, but I'm running out of things to wear! Give me a break.

We Are Going for It!

We have been waiting to tell everyone for the longest time...we finally did it! We've been dying to take advantage of the foreclosure market in DC. We've found the perfect house to raise the little girls...it's 22K square feet, on 57 acres and move-in ready! Isn't it beautiful?

NOT -- Only in our wildest dreams! This Harvard University owned beauty is probably only a few hundy million! After lunch at Cafe Milano in Georgetown, then to Thomas Sweet for ice cream, we made it to our planned destination -- Dumbarton Oaks Gardens (the house is what we "bought"). It was absolutely stunning! A glorious 78 degree day made for a perfect afternoon. We both have sunburns! After a long day on our feet, we picked up Middle Eastern food and a movie, put of our feet up and chilled.

"Hit a Home Run With Twins"

As we've mentioned before our perinatologist has excellent quotes for us. This time she said "You've hit a home run carrying twins. A lot of people would pay big money to have such a great pregnancy. You are very lucky." She almost made me cry when she said that! While I knew we've been lucky, to hear a specialist say that was really the icing on the cake!

The doctor's visit was a breeze. Yet another non-stress test; Right Baby took a little longer to pass her test than last time, but it still only took the minimum required time. Both girls were up for 5 hours with me in the middle of the night, so I think she was just sleepy. No concerns though. I had just one practice contraction, so we're in the clear!

The ultrasound was quick...all they really did was check for fluid levels. Apparently, I have tons and the girls are content floating around in their pee for a few more days. We didn't get great pictures--she took one of Right Baby's ear, it looked big! My family has big ears (thankfully I didn't inherit that fine trait). However, it's so hard to tell anything at this point because they are so big.

They didn't measure their weight. Apparently they do that only every 21 days. I guess since weight fluctuates daily and there is a margin of error, experts don't advise it. So, we'll have to take a poll on their length and weight. Any guesses? David suggested 6lbs6oz and 6lbs2oz with Right Baby being the bigger baby. I think we'll be more about 5lbs11oz for Right Baby (she was always the smallest) and 6lbs4oz for left baby. Just my guesses right now at 5am!

It was a beautiful day, so to celebrate our final days of a two person family, we went for Mexican. David had a gigantic margarita and then passed out as soon as we got home! Boy, I think we're ready for this parenting stuff. Especially given that I'm already awake (slept 4 hours Thursday night and 6 last night)!

Doctor's Visit

Yet another positive visit at the OBGYN. The girls heartbeats were 155 and 152, my blood pressure is good 126/68, and no issues with extra protiens. The doc checked me out and I'm 50% effaced, which means my cervix is softening the way it should. Typically in a first birth, effacement occurs before dilation (interestingly, it's the opposite if you're on birth 2 or more). And, I'm not dilated; not one centimer! So, that's good. It means I likely won't go into labor anytime soon. I was given instructions to call immediately if my water(s) break, I experience regular contractions about 10 minutes apart for 1-2 hours, or if I have any bleeding.

Other important information -- I've been given the choice of natural delivery or a c-section. I opted for a natural delivery. I will be able to labor in a labor and delivery room until we get close to delivery and then I will be transferred to an operating room, just in case they flip breech and she can't get them out. I have the option of an epidural, but if I choose not to have one and they have to do an emergency c-section, I will be knocked out for the surgery. Therefore, I will opt for an epidural. I'm not going to miss seeing these girls born!

I go back to the OBGYN in one week for another check. She said I'll be scheduled for inducement on April 27th if they don't come naturally before then.

Also, I asked the doc "So, we should be pretty good if we last until Sunday (37 weeks), right?" And she replied "you'd be alright now!." Great news! We are in the clear! Of course, anything can happen in deliver (swallow meconium, etc), but the "baking" is pretty much done! David says they are medium rare. ha ha

...until Friday when I update you all on the ultrasound.

36 Weeks--14 Days and Counting!

At the end of this week, the babies will be considered full term. This is the case for all babies -- full term for singletons or twins (or 8 babies for that matter) are all full term at 37 weeks.

Besides numbness in my fingers (which I mentioned a few days ago), some pelivc pressure (surprisingly, it's more in the middle of the night than any other time), and some swelling in my feet, I'm feeling good. I was on my feet nearly all day yesterday baking and running around and all it did was make me sleep better! I slept about 9 hours and only got up twice. I'm fighting the urge to go the bathroom all the time, but I still keep up the fluid intake. Also, besides struggling to pick things up I've dropped and put things away in cabinets (my belly gets in the way), I seriously sometimes forget I'm HUGE! For two weeks to go, I feel pretty fortunate to feel this great.

Here's what's going on according to the text books:

The babies are still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day each. They now weighs almost 6 pounds (We're keeping up with the text books!) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. They are shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered their body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected their skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. The girls swallow both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of their first bowel movement.

Getting Ready For Easter

Tomorrow is Easter and I'm probably like most Americans ... I celebrate with sweets and colored eggs. David and I colored eggs bright and early this morning and then this afternoon I attempted these adorable chick cupcakes. I think they turned out alright. We're going to Josie and Bob's (and Baby Clay's) for Easter dinner and I wanted to bring something fun. I hope they like them. It was a pretty painstaking process, but a lot of fun (David was into it too as you can see him licking his fingers when he was finished). I also baked chocolate chip cookies just in case these are just too sweet.

BTW, that ghetto egg is David's.

FAT Babies

The ultrasound went really well and we're sooo excited.

First, the non-stress test was a huge success. They needed to record 3 movements in 19 minutes and I passed the test in 3 minutes! They monitored for contractions and while I had some, it was completely normal and not a sign of pre-term labor.

Second, they did an ultrasound. The girls are still BOTH head down!!! Yeah! I was convinced Right Baby turned around, but the doc said they are wedged in and won't flip. So, I'm going to labor the old fashioned way if everything else stays on track. So, here's the kicker, at 35 weeks 5 days, Right Baby (small baby) is now 5lbs 15oz (that's 1oz shy of 6lbs). We asked the doctor to remeasure because we thought there's NO WAY! But, she measured the same! Left Baby is 5lbs 8 oz! Sure, there's a margin of error here, but that is INCREDIBLE news! We got a bit of a face shot, but Baby B (right) was blocking her face. We did see Left Baby practice breathing, it was very cool.

We go to the OBGYN for cervical measurements on Wednesday (am I dialated or effaced?) and then back to the perinatologist on Friday for another non-stress test and ultrasound. That will be 36 weeks 3 days and 36 weeks 5 days. It's looking like we'll get to full term or beyond! Gosh, I hope so!

Go babies! Go Babies! I'm doing a dance for them! The document above is a graphic of their weight over the last 3 ultrasounds. Click it for a better view.

Good Food and a Great Friend

Last night I had dinner with a dear friend of mine, Chris. He's in town for work from San Diego (formerly a Bostonian, Floridian, and Canadian). We've known each other for 11 years -- since graduate school. Gosh time flies. We saw him in November when out visiting David's Mom in San Diego (and when my baby belly didn't exist). He got a huge kick (literally) out of my belly and is very excited to meet the girls when he returns in June.

We dined at my favorite Indian restaurant in the city -- Rasika. It was SO GOOD! We had a little bit of everything...shrimp, lamb, chicken, veggies, and of course dessert. http://www.rasikarestaurant.com/

What's That? My Hand?

For nearly a week now, I've have numbness in my hands. It's like they are always asleep. It's very annoying, but according to my doctor, completely normal. I guess swelling causes numbness. Strangely, I don't feel or look swollen. My rings and watch still fit. At night, when I sleep, I have to be careful to sleep with my hands down by my side or I will wake up to a completely numb arm. This is not an easy thing to do. My doc says the numbness will go away after delivery.

Otherwise, still feeling good. I definitely feel a lot of pelvic pressure; they must be getting into position. My belly is definitely lower . It's almost like I'm sitting on it...makes me feel terrible when they have the hiccups. Am I squishing them? Last night between the numbness and the pelvic pressure, I tossed and turned a lot, but I still feel rested.

David is still in luck -- no labor. He's returning from Chicago tomorrow night. The girls already miss his silly chats.

Just Say No To -- Group B Streptococcus

My Strep B tests came back negative. As you recall, all pregnant ladies get tested for Strep B around their 35th week. It can be life-threatening to newborns, so they make you have an IV of antibiotics during labor to fight any transmission of the bacteria. So, this is good. If I am able to labor, vs a c-section, I won't be constrained by an IV! However, I'm not so sure they are both head down anymore. I feel Baby A (right) hiccuping and the movements are far up by my ribs. I don't see how her head could be down. We'll find out for sure on Friday at our next ultrasound. They are also doing a non-stress test then too to see if I'm having any labor symptoms like contractions and to check the babies.

Keep your fingers crossed for 2 babies HEAD DOWN!

20 DAYS TO GO!

35 Weeks! The Chip Shot!

We're sooo excited to have made it to the 35th week! After all the terrible things I've read and were threatened, I didn't have to worry about any of it. We vividly recall my perinatologists comments about the 35th week being the "chip shot" when I questioned what week we should be striving to reach. The lungs should be pretty much fully developed and if everything else is good, they wouldn't spend more than a few weeks in the NICU. However, we don't need to talk about that yet. David is headed to Chicago this week (he must not be concerned at all about me going into labor!). I already have a back up birth coach, my good friend Jen, just in case! I doubt/hope I'll be neededing her though! I'm betting my due date will be April 22nd for some reason...that's 37.5 weeks or just 5 days before the inducement/c-section date. Not sure why this date is sticking with me, it's just my bet! [Note, David wanted me to add that he's going on one final guys trip to whoop it up...just kidding, he's got some really, uber importante business dealings going on there and he says he MUST go! Seriously though, I ain't worried, but he better know how to home fast if he's needed. I wouldn't want to be him if he missed the big day!]

I think this week's belly pic is a better representation of what I'm looking like. Gettin bigger, but I'm still feeling good. I've scored a temp parking pass at work, which will be incredibly helpful...I'd rather sit in my car on my heated seat instead of having some gigantic person sit next to me (I ALWAYS get the HUGE person next to me...it's so uncomfortable now!). I have 15 days of work left and 22 days to go! Where'd the pregnancy go?

Here's what's going on with the girls -- they should be over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (let's hope!). They hopefully aren't doing somersults anymore because they are running out of room, but the number of times their kicks are definitely the same (if not more!). Their kidneys are fully developed now, and their liver can process some waste products. Most of their basic physical development is now complete.

Wanna Buy a Car?

I joked at our shower about David saying we didn't need car seat bases. I guess he was thinking that we'd ONLY drive the girls around in my car (which lead me to believe he wanted only ME to have that responsibility). At the time, when we were still going to the daycare route, I didn't see how that could be possible...what if I had to work late and he didn't have car seats? You can't really strap a newborn into the backseat! Well, I convinced him that he needed car seat bases, even if we have a nanny. So, once we got the smaller seats, David tried to install them...THEY DON'T FIT in his 2 door car! While we were on this track anyways, he's hot to sell is fancy, convertible, man car. You all probably think this is hard to believe, but I'm not forcing this decision on bit! I actually think the car seats would fit, but I honestly think he's ready to sell. He's getting all mature and stuff. :) So, do you want to buy a great car? You can find it on Craigslist. We might have a bit of a hard time selling it because of the economy, but thankfully we're not in any rush.

Note the time...girls, I am getting ready for you.

Nanny, CHECK!

We've locked in our nanny! Angela signed a contract with us today and we're GOOD TO GO!!!! She is incredibly sweet, college educated (in childhood development), well-experienced and very excited to help us with the girls! We spent a long time looking for the right person and I think she's going to be PERFECT!!! Plus, she's an ameture baker; a woman already after my heart! When we visited her today, she was making the coolest Barbie cake for a little girl. How fun will it be for her to make the girls first birthday cake!?

More Showers and Baby Bellies

I probably mentioned before that our good friends, Greg and Diana, are also expecting. They are due on June 1st and having a little boy (our friends Kathryn and Tom are due on April 30th with a little boy too). Today we attended their baby shower and got to ohh and ahhh over all the cute boy gifts they received. It was a fun shower with a Sock Monkey Theme.

Diana's looking great and we're excited to meet her little guy. Check out our big bellies!

A DC Tradition -- Cherry Blossoms

This week marks the Cherry Blossom Festival in DC. It's sooo pretty! I walked down to the tidal basin at lunch to savor the beauty! Here's some history on the festival; we can't wait to take the girls next year!

The National Cherry Blossom Festival annually commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, honoring the lasting friendship between the United States and Japan and celebrating the continued close relationship between our two cultures.

In a simple ceremony on March 27, 1912, First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two trees from Japan on the north bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park. In 1915, the United States Government reciprocated with a gift of flowering dogwood trees to the people of Japan. A group of American school children reenacted the initial planting in 1927 and the first "festival” was held in 1935, sponsored by civic groups in the Nation’s Capital.

First Lady Lady Bird Johnson accepted 3,800 more trees in 1965. In 1981, the cycle of giving came full circle. Japanese horticulturists were given cuttings from our trees to replace some cherry trees in Japan which had been destroyed in a flood.

Life Savers!

There are two items that I would not have been able to live without during this pregnancy -- worldwide protien shakes and antacid tablets.

Life Saver #1 -- Protien Shakes. As you may remember from early on, I read that when carrying twins protien consumption is essential for development and one should have 80-100 grams a day! To give you perspective, eggs have 7 grams, 8oz of milk has 8 grams, chicken breast (size of a deck of cards) has about 25. There's no way I would be able to eat that much protien in a day! Therefore, I found the perfect substitute -- protien shakes with 35 grams! I have one for breakfast every day! They don't taste bad; they are pretty sweet like chocolate milk. They have only 2 grams of carb (so low in sugar) and 160 calories.

Life Saver #2 -- Antacid tables (AKA Tums!). A very common side effect of pregnancy is indigestion or heartburn. I've never had heartburn in my life before getting pregnant. I have no idea what triggers it, but it often sets in at night, when I lie down. I have a little "candy" jar next to my bed filled with "assorted fruit flavored" tums. They have 425mg of calicum too, so with my prenatal vitamin, calcium supplement, dairy consumption and tums, the babies should definitely have strong bones!

There you have it. Just a quick post to pay tribute to the little things that help me out every day!

34 Weeks

Question of the week? Did my belly drop? I sort of think they are starting to drop because some of the sensations I am feeling down there are that they are COMING OUT! It's very strange and it's obvious Baby A is starting to get into position. I feel her as low as you can and all the way up to the top...and she's the SMALL baby! I also am starting to experience some pelvic pressure and my hips are aching a little. My waddle might set in officially very soon! Overall, I still feel good. I really don't have much classic back pain; I have a strange pain in my right side ribcage, but it's very hit and miss. Sometimes I'll milk it just for a back rub (ha ha!). But, my heating pad does a good job too.

The girls are incredibly active still. I will be sad when there movements decrease (this is expected closer to the end because they have no room left to squirm). This pregnancy stuff is pretty cool and if I wasn't getting a two-for-one deal, I wouldn't mind doing it again. I can actually say that I've enjoyed being pregnant except for the never-ending drama of "what to wear!" I love feeling the girls in my belly and saying funny things to them! David loves to get belly shots and feel them kick around; I actually think he'll miss my enormous belly. Soon, it will be all live and in person, with noises (like crying and laughing) to accompany them! Gosh, I can't believe we're going to be parents in less than 30 days!

Here's what's going on with the girls: They weight about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and are almost 18 inches long. Their fat layers — which will help regulate their body temperature once they are born — are filling them out, making them rounder. Their skin is also smoother than ever. Their central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. Good to know -- Babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Car Seat Drama!

We got these car seats we thought were awesome UNTIL we had the fire department install them. Yes, they are the prettiest ones (green and brown paisley--see bottom picture) on the market (in my opinion), and they accommodate a baby up to 30 lbs (made sense, use it longer), but they are HUGE!!! Our midsized SUV, which I think is big, turned small very quickly! We couldn't put the car seats side-by-side, so they took up the ENTIRE back seat. Also, we had to push our seat up nearly all the way to make room and not hit them with the front seat. My belly barely fit behind the steering wheel (yes, I am exaggerating, but you get my point). I was incredibly frustrated. We spent time researching, having them delivered, going to the fire station to have them installed only to be completely unhappy. So, on Thursday night I was stressing. I didn't sleep a wink. Seriously, I had 45 minutes of sleep the entire night. I felt terrible and actually called in sick on Friday. Then, I could only sleep about an hour the whole day!

Long story short is that I was all set to by these Chicco car seats recommended by my twin Mom friends. However, I learned they don't fit into the double snap and go stroller (which is like a frame, making it incredibly easy to just snap the car seats in w/o disrupting the sleeping beauties). So, back to the drawing board. I went with the old classic -- Graco Snug Ride. They are consistently high rated and what nearly everyone gets. I just didn't like the colors/patterns (as my friend Diana says "it's all about the aesthetic when you have a baby!"). However, I found one I liked reasonably well (pale pink and brown--see picture above) and went for it. They both fit next to each other in the back seat, leaving room for a third passenger! David has to wench them down, but I did a fairly good job installing them (it took forever!). The fire dept stopped installing because of budget cuts...we had one chance only!

Bottom line is that the babies, if born today, will have a way home from the hospital. Yeah!

Nursery

Some of you have asked for pics of the nursery. It's all finished! Well, I guess there are a few things...putting the light on a dimmer and building a corner shelf for the baby video monitor. Here you go! What do you think?

34 Days to Go @ 33 weeks!

It's hard to believe that I have no longer than 34 days to go. Where'd the time go? Am I ready? Well, I'm physically ready (we have all the baby gear) and I'm getting more mentally prepared as each day passes. However, are you EVER totally mentally ready to have a baby, let alone twins? David and I are anxious to see their little faces and get to know their personalities. I wonder if they will be similar to the way they are in the womb. If so, we'll have some trouble with Baby B (Left Baby).

The doctor's visit went well last week -- their little heartbeats were 144 and 156 (Baby on Right was beating faster; she's the smaller one). Both were in the normal range. My blood pressure and weight gain are both great. I am measuring 38cm in fundal height (40 weeks is "full term" with a singleton); that's another word for the top to the bottom of my belly. The Doc was impressed with how well I'm doing and didn't even talk about bed rest -- I'm SO beyond that phase anyways! My next doctor's visit (week 34), I will have the Strep B test, which is routine and lots of people have it; however, they put you on antibiotics during delivery because the bacteria can be harmful to newborns. Then, I go in for weekly tests. My next ultrasound is at 35 weeks. It will be a good one because at that point I should know for sure if I will be required to have a c-section or get to labor like old fashioned times. I'm mentally prepared either way, but it would be great to be able to labor and deliver the way nature intended.

The girls are incredibly active, and I can definitely tell when I'm having a braxton hicks contraction (these are practice contractions for those of you who aren't in the know). It's funny how the girls will be very active and then all of a sudden my uterus tightens (that's my whole belly, fyi) and they stop moving immediately. Once the contraction is over, they go back to their normal dancing around. I wonder if they hate it? It's like someone's grabbing them and telling them to settle down. They are still very active around loud noises, they move very little when I'm walking or in a quiet space, and if I ever yell out loudly they are quick to jump (sorry for scaring you, ladies). David talks to them nightly and I'm hoping they will get to the point where they are responsive to his voice (I kind of thing they respond to me, but how will I ever know that?!)

Here's what the girls are up to according to the text books -- This week the girls weigh a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and passed the 17-inch mark. They are rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and their skeletons are hardening. The bones in their skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for them to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a cone head-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Office Surprise Showers

Our offices have done a great job in throwing us surprise showers. Several weeks ago, my office set up a "meeting" at 11:30am, which didn't make me happy since I typically go to the gym over lunch. After running from another meeting, I opened the door to the conference room only to be overwhelmed by incredible food, all my work friends, and presents for the girls. What a great surprise.

On Friday, I was all set to go to the Pentagon for a surprise awards ceremony for David. I was so proud that I hadn't slipped up to David, arrived at the Pentagon on time and even had my camera ready to snap some pics. When I walked into his office, his entire staff (seemed like 20+ people) surprised me! David can walked in a few minutes before me. The room was decked out in pink everything (including pink peeps, my fav), tons of food and too many way generous gifts. Coming from a bunch of Marines, I was super-impressed! It was like a real party, not MREs and physical fitness test.

They were both very cool parties! What incredible people we both work with!

32 Weeks -- Long Rambling Post at 4:20AM

This was yet another productive weekend, but more relaxed, so no swollen feet. Thank goodness that's the only time I've really had swelling...my husband was running me ragged last weekend.

This weekend was pretty chill. Friday, we went out for Thai food. Saturday I made my last trip to BabiesRUs for a while to get sheets for our PackNPlay, went to Trader Joe's to stock up on easy meals for when the girls arrive, interviewed a nanny (she's great, I think we are going to try to hire her if we can meet her salary expectations), and then I went to Kathryn's baby shower. She's due just 4 days after I am and pregnant with a boy. It was a good time and she looked great!

By the time David and I reconnected at the house it was nearly 6:30pm, so we grabbed Mexican food and a movie. I fell asleep on the fouch (the movie was stupid...some Iraq/CIA crap) and went to bed around 10pm. So, this morning, I couldn't sleep and have been awake since 2am doing stupid stuff online like trying to merge my outlook contacts into yahoo (unsuccessful), syncing my blackberry, and posting this blog (pic will be added later if I get around to it). It's 4:20AM! Today, I'm going to start washing all the babies stuff -- sheets, receiving blankets, clothing, etc. I also need to put together a bouncy seat and organize their closet. I'm still expecting to hit the "wall" so I want to jam out these last "to do's" so I can just put my feet up (if necessary) the last few weeks. Oh yeah, we're also interviewing another nanny tonight. We've decided that the time it takes to get the girls ready, transport them, etc, etc, it will be well worth the extra expense to have someone come to our house. I'm willing to cut back on that unnecessary purse/shoe purchase now and then to have the benefit of a nanny!

You know the status on the girls, but they continue to be extremely active. That's part of the reason why I am up this morning (plus, my brain won't stop going!). A new fun fact is that over the remaining 6 weeks, they will gain a third of their birth weight. They also now have toenails, fingernails, and real hair (remember, we saw this on the ultrasound!).

As each day passes I'm getting more prepared (mentally) for their arrival. I know it's going to be extremely hard, but we are fortunate to have my Mom, Dad and David's Mom coming to visit and help for about 2 weeks each. All coming from far away -- Indiana and California. Plus, David will be taking 3 weeks off work, so hopefully for over 2 months someone should be home with me helping out with the girls, but also making sure we're fed, able to shower, and reasonably sane. Then, I'm sure I will be ready to spend some quality alone time with the girls. It's all going to happen so fast! It feels like yesterday I found out I was pregnant on my birthday (Aug 30th!).

The Girls are "Growing Impeccably"

We had another ultrasound today and we are ecstatic! Much to our surprise, our girls are definitely a lot fatter than I thought they'd be. I was rooting for 3 pounds 3 ounces and we far exceeded that goal. I actually belted out a "whoo hooo" in the doctor's ear this morning and had to apologize for it. According to the perinatologist, the girls are "growing impeccably!" {We get great quotes from the perinatologist, don't we?!). Baby A and Baby B have officially switched designations. Baby A is now on my right and Baby B is now on my left. They didn't confuse them, it all has to do with who's closest to the cervix. So, Baby A (right) is the lightweight of the two (as usual) weighing in at 3 pounds 11 ounces!!! This is 50th percentile for twin girls. Baby B (left) is the heavy weight weighing in at 4 pounds 3 ounces, which is the 75th percentile! GO GIRLS!!!! I suppose all the protein I've been eating has really helped (I strive for at least 80-100 grams per day, which is a TON compared to the 40 I used to eat). Did you add up the weight? At 31.5 weeks, I'm already carrying the equivalent of a nearly 8 pound baby!

In more good news, Baby A (which used to be B) is now head down, just like her sister. This means the odds are improving for a regular (not c-section) birth. However, they could still flip again. They will soon run out of room and be too heavy to flip. I'm going with the flow on either way...it's not like this is something I can control!

We are very happy. If you think about it, we have no more than 6.5 weeks to go, so they should have no problem reaching 5lbs 8oz, which is when they are officially low birth weight. Remember, the goals are 37 weeks (April 20th) and 5lbs8oz. If we have a regular birth and no bed rest, we'll have really beaten all the odds. I'm hopeful we can make these important milestones for fat and healthy babies with minimal hospital stays.

Also, the girls continue to hide from us. They are facing towards my spine (anterior), so we only have a picture of their heads together.

BTW, Baby A has the hiccups right now.

31 Weeks and Still Truckin'

I think I'm supposed to feel terrible by now because everyone is surprised I'm feeling good, still going to the gym and generally have a smile on my face.

The girls are so active! I feel Baby B so much more than I ever have...I sort of think she's now breech and transverse like her sister. It's a relief because I used to have to poke my belly to really feel her moving around, now I feel the bootie bump all day long. Neither of them like to be squished at night when I'm lying on my side, so I get the kick, kick, kick until I flip over, then the other one does it. They are drama queens! So, I've now discovered this side/back sleeping position where I prop a pillow along each of my sides and now I don't squish my belly. They seem to be pleased with this arrangement and sleep quietly...that's until I get up and go to the bathroom around 2am every night, take a drink of water and they are dancing for at least 30 minutes. I think they are like "Woooo, Momma gave us something to drink." They celebrate like it's gin and tonics! Oh, I think we're in store for some pretty sassy ladies! By that point, I'm typically awake for 2 hours thinking about them, work, child care, etc. Surprisingly, while I'm not sleeping solidly anymore, I don't feel super tired. I think it's all prep for when they arrive.

Here's what's going on with the girls, we will get to verify some of these statistics in our ultrasound on Thursday. This week, the babies measure over 16 inches long. They weigh about 3.3 pounds and is heading into a growth spurt. They can can turn their head from side to side, and their arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath their skin.

Weekend with My Man

David and I haven't had a lot of time to spend together alone lately, so we decided to block off an entire weekend just for the two of us. Friday, we went out for a casual sushi dinner (well, I didn't really have sushi, but he did). Saturday was fun filled -- I made David his favorite breakfast of eggs benedict and then we went out and about. We visited the National Arboretum (see pic of funky tree), Congressional Cemetary where lots of VIPs are buried (or were buried until their home State's wanted them back), went to Old Town for lunch and snacks, checked out a planetarium in Arlington, and then out to dinner at the Melting Pot. I've never been -- it's a chain fondue restaurant -- but was in the mood for chocolate yummies. It was a fun change (and delicious chocolate). We were so tired last night we passed out until 9am this morning (it was still only 8 hours of sleep considering the time change). It was nice to be with David. We've been so consumed with catching up with friends and getting ready for the babies, we were long overdue for some quality time.

Today, my feet are up because 12 hours of running around yesterday was too much. I think I officially have knakles (When you have no ankles between your feet and calves). They aren't terrible, but they are definitely more swollen then they ever have. And, yes, I'm fully aware I need a pedicure...that's coming soon! David is supposed to be rubbing my feet, but he's busy reading the paper. Maybe later.

First Lady to Visit OMB

We learned yesterday that there was going to be a "special event" in our courtyard for OMB employees only (there are several other Executive Office of the President agencies in our building...OSTP, OA, etc). We were informed to be in the courtyard by 11am and expect to be there no longer than 1 hour. We expected good things...we expected the POTUS (that's President of the United States for those of you not up on the lingo!). Well, it was good, but not that good, we got FLOTUS (First Lady of the United States), Michelle Obama. She came in with our Director, Peter Orzak and delivered a few short remarks. She thanked us for "keeping the midnight oil burning" working on the recovery bill and FY10 Budget. It was nice she paid a visit. Next time, the Man himself better show. There were only about 100 or so people there, so it was a nice, intimate setting. Here's a pic from the event.

Winter Wonderland

Our first real snow storm of the season came late this year. At the time of this post, we've received about 6 inches and it's still coming down. Unfortunately, the Federal government is clueless and is operating on a 2 hour delayed schedule. I'm still debating if this pregnant Momma should be braving the conditions. However, first, David must get his butt outside and shovel. My Arizona boy is having a hard time getting motivated.

It sure is pretty though! This is a shot outside our front door.

5 to 8 Weeks to Go -- MAX!

To refresh your memory, here are some important statistics:

--Average gestation for twins is 35 1/2 weeks
--Term for twins is 37 weeks
--My doctor will deliver no later than 38 weeks 1 day (April 27th)

I am 30 weeks today, so we think we have 5 to 8 weeks to go MAX! We're assuming I will go to 35 weeks since everything has been so far, so good. Here's what's going on this week with the little ladies: They are about 15.7 inches long now, and weigh almost 3 pounds. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds them, but that volume will decrease as they get bigger and take up more room in the uterus. Their eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after they are born, they keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When they do open them, they'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means they can only make out objects a few inches from her face.

Big Night Out

We decided over a month ago to try to score reservations at Restaurant Eve (www.restauranteve.com). It's consistently rated one of the top 10 restaurants in the DC area and while we had been once (on our wedding day, actually...we went for lunch), we had never experienced the tasting room. We enjoyed dinner with our friends Peter and Dori and it was wonderful. We had our choice of 5-9 courses and all of us chose 5 since I had heard of all the extras -- amuse bouche, intermesso and even pre-desserts (it was a tiny canolli). Both Dori and I are pregnant, surprisingly 4 days apart, we couldn't be as adventurous as we normally would have, but it was delicious!! It was a gastro experience that lasted nearly 4.5 hours! That's probably the last fancy meal we'll have for a while :(