24 weeks pregnant with twins

Week 24 belly shot

This past week I’ve really been putting on the pounds! I have gained a total of around 28 pounds so far, and I still have at least 12 weeks to go. Pretty sure I’ll be gaining over 50 pounds, but that’s okay, I’m fine with it as long as the babies are growing and healthy. My feet however are not so okay with my new weight, and they have been mighty sore on a daily basis. I may have to retire my ballet flats and flip flops and start wearing more supportive running shoes for the sake of my poor feet.

Good news at my 24 week ultrasound

I went in for my 24 week ultrasound so the doctor could check on the length of my cervix. Thankfully it looks good! It is still the same length as it was 4 weeks ago at my last appointment and it shows no signs of thinning or softening, so this is all good news. What’s even more exciting is that the doctor noticed that Baby A’s placenta is almost completely out of the way! At this rate it looks like the placenta previa will end up correcting itself so we should be good to go for a vaginal delivery. Of course we will still need to monitor this and I’ll know by my next appointment at 27 or 28 weeks if the placenta previa will no longer be a problem.

Getting closer to a possible vaginal twin delivery!

I was super stoked when I found out that the placenta was moving- in fact I’m pretty sure I squealed a rather loud “Really!?!” when my doctor told me the news. This also makes me more excited about the appointment I have scheduled with the potential new OB for next week. I’m guessing that my almost non-existent placenta previa will make me an even better candidate for a vaginal twin delivery! I’ll let you know next week if the new doctor agrees to take me on!

Watching the babies move is amazing!

Another new thing this week is that I can now SEE the babies moving from the outside of my belly! They’ve been giving me hard enough little jabs to make my skin pop out for a split second. It’s hard to see, but both my husband and I have caught glimpses of belly movement! I can’t see the lower part of my belly anymore (which is where I still feel most of the activity) so only my husband could witness those low kicks. The boys are still flipping around just about every day. I sometimes feel them more up high and on my sides and of course still most of the time down bellow my belly button.

When I sleep on my right side I’ve been feeling a hard little protrusion on the right which I think is Baby B’s little head. When this happens I’m always quick to shift my sleeping position because I hate the idea of squishing any tiny baby parts. I know they are safe and sound in my uterus but still I like there to be lots of cushioning between them and all of my weight.

How to sleep when you are 24 weeks pregnant with twins

Sleeping has been interesting over the past few weeks. I have created a nest out of pillows including my new maternity pillow. I ordered the C shaped Snoogle body pillow off Amazon and it came about a week ago. I’ve tried using it by itself, but right now this is what I’ve come up with that works the best for me. I’m using the long C shaped pillow between my knees and around my back and then it wraps all the way around to support my head and neck. I then prop up my belly on another regular pillow. We moved my bed next to the wall so I can shove three other pillows between the wall and the Snoogle. This way the pillows stay put without falling off the bed and they give my back more support than the maternity pillow alone. When I get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night I have to carefully crawl in and out of my nest so I don’t have to put it all back together again. It sounds annoying, but it’s working for me so far!

The linea nigra has appeared

I’ll leave you with my bare belly shots for this week. I think if you look closely you can see a very faint dark line under my belly button. This is a linea nigra. Some women get a vertical line that runs all the way from the pubic bone to the top of the belly. I just have a partial line that runs a little ways under my belly button and most of the way up to the top of my belly. Apparently women with darker skin pigments tend to develop a more prominent linea nigra, so I’m not sure if mine will develop more or just stay the same. I also read that being in the sun can cause more skin discolorations while pregnant so I’ll have to keep my belly covered up when I sit by the pool after swimming.

The expanding belly at 24 weeks

Week 23 twin pregnancy update

Week 23 belly shot

This week I’m definitely feeling bigger! I feel like everything about me is growing. My hands and feet are slightly bigger so I’m wearing my flip flops and had to stop wearing my wedding rings. I stopped wearing my wedding band a few weeks ago, but now my engagement ring is also too tight.

Growing out of my maternity clothes already!

I had to buy a new pair of maternity jeans. The Old Navy ones that I’ve been wearing are just not as comfortable as they were at the beginning of my pregnancy. The belly band is a little too tight/and snug like it’s trying to help suck in my belly, but all I want to do is let my belly hang out as unhindered as possible. So my new jeans are from Motherhood Maternity and they are nice and stretchy everywhere! The legs and butt are made of super stretchy material and so is the belly band!

My growing belly at 23 weeks pregnant

Flipping breech babies

I decided to try some of the recommendations for helping flip breech babies into the head down position. I know it is still early so it’s okay for my boys to be feet down at this point, but I was curious to see if I could make them flip. Plus I was hoping I could coax their little feet off my bladder so I could avoid running to the bathroom so much. …and it worked!

I’ve been getting on my hands and knees and then resting my head in my arms (so my rear end is slightly higher than my head). I did this for a few nights for about 5 minutes and this morning when I woke up I felt kicks above my belly button instead of lower in my pelvis. The real confirmation was seeing them at our ultrasound today- and they were both head down!

23 week ultrasound

They were head down and super active during the ultrasound- which made it difficult for the doctor to scan and measure them, but so fun for me to see them wiggling around. At one point they were punching each through the separating membrane. It’s amazing to see how their little arms can move the membrane so much so that they are actually nudging (more like slugging) each other. I think it’s darling to see them “interacting” although when they are older I’m sure I won’t appreciate their rough housing quite as much.

This week the scan estimated that both babies are about 1 lb. 6 oz. (give or take 3 oz.) so that’s about 3 pounds of baby altogether! They are both healthy and growing just as they should be. Thank You Lord!

Swimming in style!

Another exciting thing that happened this week was getting a new bathing suit from my Aunt! Now I won’t have to shimmy and squeeze in and out of my regular old suit every time I go to the pool. Yay! More motivation to keep doing my regular exercise! Plus the suit is really cute so I’m hoping I can continue to wear it post pregnancy.

Week 22 twin pregnancy update

They did it again. My little peeps listened to their mama. They have been kicking nice and strong every day, so their daddy got to feel them for the first time this week! Actually I think he only felt Baby B, and he wasn’t patient enough to wait for Baby A to kick again. I love feeling them kick and being able to share that with my husband was so incredibly wonderful!

Week 22 belly shot

Because my mom and sister were happy that I showed some skin last week I decided to add the bare belly shots to my weekly posts. My belly button is starting to flatten out, but it is still such a big crater that I’m not sure if it will ever stick out. We’ll see.

Swimming during pregnancy

My doctors keep asking me if I have been exercising and my answer is always “no”. I want to be active, but I feel like I don’t have much capacity to stay on my feet for very long. Walking causes my feet, legs, hips and back to ache so I don’t even try to exercise. Recently I’ve read a few pregnancy articles about exercises that are good for pregnancy. Usually yoga is mentioned as well as walking, but then swimming caught my attention. Swimming was also mentioned during the information session on labor and delivery that I attended last week.

I haven’t thought much about swimming during pregnancy because even though I love my growing belly I don’t necessarily feel very attractive in my bathing suit. My tankini does still fit (although it is getting pretty tight around my chest). So this weekend I did it! I made the choice to try swimming as a regular form of exercise 3-4 times a week. So far I’ve gone swimming in the pool in my complex 3 times!

I’ve been going swimming for about 20 minutes doing the breast stroke and back “stroke”. By back “stroke” I mean I mainly do the same arms and legs that I do during the breast stroke while on my back- not sure what that’s called. I tried the crawl stroke and the back stroke but I felt like I was stretching the sides of my belly too much, so that’s why I mainly do low key strokes, but I still feel like I’m getting an adequate cardio workout.

The best part about swimming during pregnancy is that you get to feel completely weightless while you are in the water. After I finish my laps I stay in the pool and simply float on my back and enjoy the feeling of weightlessness. Then I slowly drag my heavy legs up the steps to exit the pool and I am reminded of all of my newly gained weight. But it is so worth it!

8 Labor and Delivery Tips from a Doula

Last week I went to a free information session given by a doula. She listed some good points about preparing for labor, tips for during labor and postpartum care. I wanted to share her points on my blog for any pregnant mamas who might find them helpful. I’d love to hear other tips that the experienced mamas have to share too, so feel free to leave a tip in the comments!

Tips for Preparing for Labor

These tips are for during pregnancy (or pre-pregnancy if you are trying to conceive).

1. Staying fit during pregnancy

This is a hard one because after going through IVF I’ve been a bit paranoid about doing anything that might harm the babies. I know this is ridiculous because exercise is good for pregnancy especially for preparing your body for a smooth delivery. The doula said that women who do regular exercise during pregnancy usually experience shorter active labor times. She encouraged us to try prenatal yoga, swimming or walking- all low impact exercises.

2. Eating right during pregnancy

This is also hard to do when you are not feeling well and just trying to keep down any food. It was good to be reminded to try to make healthy choices for the remainder of my pregnancy. Fresh fruit is something that usually sounds good and doesn’t require any preparation. I’m trying to choose an apple or a handful of berries when I need a quick snack.

3. Getting informed about labor and delivery

I was amazed to hear about all of the classes that are available for pregnant women (besides the popular Lamaze classes). There are other types of labor and delivery classes to choose from depending on what you prefer. I am interested in finding out more about the Bradley Method. Does anyone have any experience with the Bradley classes? There are also lactation classes you can take prior to delivery. Some practical classes also teach the proper way to install a car seat- I am seriously planning to go to one of those classes because car seat installation confuses me (and I have to figure out how to fit 2 in my car!)

Labor and Delivery Tips for During Labor

These 8 labor and delivery tips are awesome! I am so glad I got to hear about the labor and delivery process from someone who has been present at over 100 births. Hopefully these tips will be helpful to you too!

1. Know what to expect before you go into labor

You can prepare with a birth plan listing out all of your preferences. You can go over the birth plan with your doctor before you go into labor so you don’t have to think about making any big decisions when you are trying to focus on giving birth. This will help you have the deliver that you want (well or at least you can try- sometimes things just don’t go according to your plan and it’s good to be prepared for that too).

2. Don’t rush to the hospital when you feel your first contraction

Stay at home as long as possible until your contractions are 4 minutes apart, lasting for 1 minute each and for an entire hour. The doula did say that since we live close to the hospital where we will be delivering I could stay home until my contractions are 3 minutes apart! It makes sense to be home where you are most comfortable and relaxed for as long as possible. Early labor can last for days, so when you start to have contractions try and distract yourself (read a book, bake, take a nap and sleep a lot- because you will need to be rested for when you do begin active labor!) Once your contractions begin to be more intense it is okay to take a bath or a shower- this can slow your contractions down and give you a break if you need one. Hospitals tend to make people anxious and that can slow down labor and even halt the dilation process. Some labor and delivery rooms have showers that you can use to help relax too.

3. Keep breathing the entire time!

Deep breathing helps relax you and keep your labor progressing and it also ensures that your baby/babies are getting the oxygen that they need. Having someone with you to remind you to breathe is also good (husband, mom, doula etc.) If you do need an oxygen mask don’t freak out. Apparently it is somewhat routine for ladies in labor to require some extra oxygen, and that’s okay. It’s good to know this so you don’t worry if this happens to you!

4. Get extra help from someone other than your husband

This was a really neat thought that I hadn’t considered. Rather than expecting your husband to be your one and only support during labor you should think about having some others there to support you and your husband. This can be a hired doula or someone you’ve asked to attend your birth. I never really thought about how exhausting of a job it would be for a husband to be your support through the entire labor without having any breaks. I plan to have my mom and my sister with me so now I am aware that everyone who is my support will also need support and necessary breaks during the labor.

5. When to eat or snack during labor

It is okay to eat when you are in early labor. It is good to eat small amounts slowly. I learned that the stomach shuts down during active labor so whatever you eat once you get to a certain point will just sit in your stomach and ferment or rot or get vomited back up (I know, gross, but it could happen and it is good to be aware). The doula suggested eating bland things like crackers, broth, smoothies or fruit.

This is where I asked the embarrassing question about pooping during labor. The doula was so sweet and basically said most women do, but no one is going to say anything about it while you are in the process of giving birth so you probably won’t care. I asked if you can do an enema before you go to the hospital and she said that would be fine, but it still might not ensure that you won’t poop on the hospital floor when you are pushing your baby out.

6. Try not to lay down as much as possible

This is interesting because most births we see on tv or movies the woman is always laying on her back with her legs in the air. The doula said that staying upright helps the cervix dilate. you can walk around, move your hips like you are hula hooping or sway back and forth like you are wagging your tail. This sounds a bit awkward, but if it helps move things along then I’m definitely planning on trying all of these techniques out! If you are hooked up to an IV you can drag it around the room or down the hall with you. You can even ask the doctor if you can have mobility (some monitors that they put on your belly to make sure the babies are doing okay are wireless).

7. Be open to medication during labor

Don’t fight medication if you need it. It doesn’t mean you are less of a woman if you need medication! I also found out that there are a lot of other options besides pitocin for induction and the epidural for pain. You can ask for other options and see what is best for you and your babies. I really like what she said about asking for other options. She said if your doctor recommends something that you are not so sure about you can thank them and say “your right, that sounds good, and what are my other options?” This sounds so much better than disagreeing with the doctor and insisting that you know better.

8. Consider the timing for interventions

It is important to make your decision for certain interventions at the right time. If the doctor thinks you are not progressing fast enough and they suggest a c-section you can ask them for more time. If there is an emergency they won’t be waiting around talking about it, they will wheel you into the operating room immediately. This means that when they are talking to you about why it could be an option you still have some bargaining room. You can ask for an hour or 2 before making a decision for a c-section.

I will make another post with the 8 postpartum tips that this amazing doula gave. These tips were equally as helpful as the labor and delivery tips and I feel so much more prepared for having these little boys and bringing them home!

Twin pregnancy update: 21 weeks

Week 21 belly shot

I’m starting to feel like the black tank and leggings don’t adequately show just how much my belly is growing. I am slightly embarrassed to show my bare belly, but you have to see it to know what I mean. It is a lot bigger than the weekly profile shots are portraying. So here is what I really look like:

What lies beneath the black

Guess what happened this week?

First of all, I’m excited to announce that my hiding boys are going to be wonderful sons. They actually listened to their mama and did what they were told! Last week I was so frustrated that I couldn’t feel them, so I told them to start kicking- and they did!!! On Sunday night I started feeling some very definite little kicks! I’m feeling them pretty low which makes sense since they are breech and their little feet have been dancing on my bladder for the past few weeks.

When I put my hands on my belly I can feel them on the outside too! My husband hasn’t felt them yet, but I’m guessing pretty soon (if he’s really patient and holds his hands on my belly for long enough) he will get to feel them. So that’s my order this week: little boys, you have to kick hard enough so your daddy can feel you too!

Abdominal pain and anxiety

As excited as I was to feel the babies more this week I also started having some sharp abdominal pains and some cramping in my lower right and left side and in my lower back. I’m pretty sure the pains are from constipation, but any abdominal pain during pregnancy is scary. I’ve been taking it easy when I feel the pains by either laying down or resting on the couch. I notice it more when I’m on my feet for extended periods of time (nannying or cooking a meal). I also started taking Colace (a stool softener) to see if that will help with the constipation pains.

Decrease stress and increase rest

My MFM doctor told me that I need to abide by these 2 phrases. Decrease stress and increase rest. I’m cutting back on working hours and learning to listen to my body when it needs to take a break and just stop what I’m doing to sit down for a few minutes. I also went to see my acupuncturist (who I saw weekly during the IVF cycle and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy). I haven’t had an appointment for about 2 months, so I felt like it was time for a visit. I’ll go again in 5 weeks and then once I hit 30 weeks I’ll go every week until I deliver. I don’t know how acupuncture works exactly, but if it reduces my stress during pregnancy then I’m going to do it!

Upcoming consultation with a new doctor

There is a real possibility that I may be switching to a different OB. I was able to talk to my current doctor’s office and they set up a consultation next month with another OB in the same office (but a different practice). This doctor is very sought after, in fact she doesn’t take on any new patients unless they are referred by her existing patients. Somehow she agreed to see me and then she will determine if I am a good candidate for a vaginal twin delivery with a potential breech extraction. If I am, then I will be able to transfer over to her for the remainder of the pregnancy. I was in shock that I was even able to get an initial appointment with this doctor and I am so thankful to the Lord for arranging all things. My prayer now is that the Lord will take care of providing the best doctor and the best medical care for me and the babies during the rest of this pregnancy and especially for the delivery.

20 weeks pregnant with twins: We’re half way there!

Week 20 belly shot

Well, we made it to 20 weeks! This seems like such a huge milestone since it is usually considered to be the half way mark. Because I am 20 weeks pregnant with twins I guess it is considered to be more than half way because it is very unlikely that I would make it all the way to 40 weeks. So yay! Keep growing little peeps!

Update from the doctor’s office

I had another appointment, or actually two appointments today. One with the MFM doctor and one with my OB. The first appointment was an ultrasound to measure the length of my cervix. It was about 2 inches long which is very good for this point in pregnancy, and there were no signs of the cervix softening or thinning- also very good! The MFM doctor will measure my cervix again at 24 weeks to make sure that it is still holding together nicely so we can make sure I don’t go into pre-term labor.

A sneak peak at our babies faces

After my quick vaginal ultrasound the nurse also did another ultrasound on my belly to check on the babies. I never complain when I get to see my boys! Having lots of ultrasounds is one major perk of having multiples! Today I got to see their little faces a bit more than I’ve seen before. We think Baby A looks like my husband and Baby B looks more like me. I’m sure the resolution is not very reliable, but it’s fun to imagine what they will look like.

Checking in with my OB and maybe getting a new doctor

After my MFM appointment I grabbed a smoothie on my way to my OB appointment (which is in the building right next door). I had to pay insane amounts for parking for both appointments, and the second appointment was a pretty pointless checkup. I had just had my blood pressure checked, had my uterus measured, heard the babies heart beats a half hour before, so that was all repeated and that’s about it. I did get to talk to my OB about my delivery options though which was good. I told her that I was still hoping to do everything in my power to deliver both of the twins vaginally and that I had heard of 2 doctors in her practice who might be open to assist with delivery even if Baby B was breech.

She was willing to help me arrange to be seen by one of those doctors if they are accepting new patients who are due in February. If one of those doctors is able to take me on then I will be switching OBs for the remainder of the pregnancy. As I mentioned last week I still have partial placenta previa, so unless that is resolved over the next 2 months I will have to schedule a C-section. I’m hoping and praying that my uterus will grow in the proper way so that the placenta gets out of the way!

Still waiting (not-so-patiently) to feel my babies move

I keep feeling the little flutters that I’ve been experiencing for the past few weeks, but nothing bigger or more obvious. It is driving me crazy because I thought for sure by the time I was 20 weeks pregnant with TWINS that for sure I’d be feeling them kicking and dancing all over the place. It seems like since there are 2 babies in there and they are taking up a lot of space that I should feel them more. I keep telling myself that I should enjoy the time when I can rest without being interrupted by little jabbing limbs, but I don’t care- at this point I want to interact with them on a regular basis. Are you listening babies? I’m ready for you to start letting me know you are in there!

That’s all for my 20 week pregnancy update. I’ll check back in next week.

19 weeks pregnant with twins: gender confirmation

Week 19 belly shot

I’m back!

I’m back home after visiting family for the past two weeks (hence the belly shots are back to the original location by my tacky wallpaper). I chose this setting so we could keep track of my belly growth. Perhaps I will eventually cover up the bottle of wine (and if my rear end keeps growing maybe I’ll cover up both bottles of wine)- hopefully not!

19 week ultrasound

Today I had my ultrasound with the Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor and he confirmed that we are having 2 boys! The nurse was actually able to take a screen shot with both of the babies flashing their boy parts, so that’s a fun photo for our little baby book. (Yes I already have a baby book with all of their ultrasound pictures.) We are so happy and I can honestly say that this was exactly what I was hoping for! The doctor also reassured us that the babies are both growing just fine, so the previous discrepancy in their weights could have been a miscalculation at my last ultrasound. They are both measuring about 12 ounces and Baby A is measuring 19 weeks 6 days and Baby B is 19 weeks 5 days.

The joys of having a 2 hour ultrasound with a full bladder

The anatomy scan took almost 2 hours, which I was really looking forward to, because it is so fun to see the babies on the screen. After about 20 minutes however, I was ready to be done. Not because I didn’t enjoy seeing my growing peeps, but because they make you drink water before you come in for the scan so you have a nice full bladder. I definitely had a full bladder and then I got to lay there while the doctor pressed down on my belly with the transducer probe for a good hour and a half while I consciously tried not to pee on the table. Laying on your back while pregnant is becoming more and more uncomfortable for me as well. Regardless of my discomfort, I was thrilled that the babies are both doing well. Thank You Lord!

New discovery: possible placenta previa

Something the doctor did notice was that Baby A’s placenta is partially covering the cervix. This is considered partial placenta previa, but it is not clear if this will become a problem until later on in the pregnancy. As my uterus continues to grow the placenta might move away from the cervix and everything will be fine. The main thing that would be upsetting if the placenta previa remains in my third trimester is that I would not be able to deliver vaginally. If this ends up being the case then a cesarean section would need to be scheduled for before week 37. I’m not going to worry about this for now, I trust that everything will turn out how it needs to, but prayers for this are greatly appreciated!

Will we be able to do a natural delivery?

On the note of cesarean section versus vaginal delivery, I asked the MFM doctor what his thoughts were on this topic. He was very much an advocate for vaginal delivery for multiples! He even recommended some OBs in the same practice with my current OB that he said may be willing to work with my OB to help deliver Baby B if he ends up being breech at the time of delivery. At the moment they are both breech with their feet facing down kicking each other and my bladder (which is probably why I’ve been getting up to pee about 3 times every night). Their position will continue to change constantly while they are so tiny and while they still have room to swim around and do somersaults in the uterus. Of course everything will have to be pretty much perfect for me to even attempt a vaginal delivery, but this is still my goal that I’m aiming for!

The highlight of my week

Even though the ultrasound was an exciting part of this week my highlight was the baby shower with my close friends and family back home. It is still a bit early to do a baby shower, but since it was the only time I was going to be home during the remainder of my pregnancy it was now or never. It was such a sweet time full of love, support, belly rubbing and lots of happy, thankful tears. These babies are so blessed to have so many wonderful people who love them and have been praying for them since before they were conceived. I also feel that it is because of all of the prayers that we were given these little ones in the first place and we are still full of awe that the Lord answered all of our prayers. Thank you all for your continual prayers for this pregnancy and our growing family.

18 weeks pregnant with twins

 

18 weeks pregnant with twins

I’m a little embarrassed to post this picture of my 18 week baby belly, but I want to keep my blog up to date with weekly belly shots. I am currently visiting my parents so the last photo as well as this week’s photo were taken with my super old camera (instead of my husband’s smart phone). The shadow makes me look slightly larger than I really am but regardless I think it is pretty obvious that I am with child at this point.

Growing mama

I’m noticing that other parts of me are growing as well (no more height changes that I know of) but my arms are looking more plump (especially in this picture). I also have noticed that my thighs are getting to be more acquainted with each other. I don’t remember them touching much when I would stand up before I was pregnant, but now I’ve noticed them brushing up against each other more frequently. My feet are slightly swollen so my shoes are fitting a little tighter than usual. Hopefully my feet aren’t growing an extra shoe size, although I do know that that happens to some people. My fingers are a bit swollen as well so I’m considering taking off my wedding rings before they cut off my circulation. My chest is also growing, or at least it took me this long to finally break down and buy a new bra. Actually my mom insisted on buying me a new bra- and I’m so glad I let her spoil me because it is way more comfortable than my old one. Thanks mom!

Feeling the babies move

I think that I’ve been feeling the peeps moving around in my belly! I know that some people feel their babies as early as 14 weeks, but some people don’t feel them until week 22. I’m still not 100% positive if what I’m feeling is the babies, so maybe I’m just getting excited about gas or indigestion. When I’m laying on the couch or laying in bed I have noticed a foreign feeling in my belly that feels just like some pressure or air moving around. I did have a few sensations like bubbles popping and an occasional feeling like my stomach is flipping like when you’re riding a roller coaster. All of these could be figments of my imagination, but I’m hoping they are the babies, because I like knowing that they are active and full of life!

If you’ve been pregnant what did you notice about when you first started to feel your baby/babies?

17 weeks pregnant with twin ________…

If you haven’t had a chance to watch the gender reveal video and you don’t want me to ruin the surprise, then I suggest you stop reading this post and go back to my previous post to watch the video first! This post will be all about our reactions to the newly discovered genders of our babies!

Okay, so now you really should stop reading if you don’t want to know the genders… I’m going to talk about what we’re having…

Starting now…

My thoughts after our gender reveal party

As most of you now know we are probably having 2 boys! I say probably because the ultrasound technician was a little unsure about the gender of Baby B, but she was pretty sure they were both boys. At first this news was shocking to both of us. The entire time I’ve been pregnant we’ve been imagining that we would have one of each. Of course my husband wasn’t shy about voicing his desire for two boys, but he still truly thought that when we cut open the cakes there would be one pink and one blue. I also had voiced my fears about having two boys, and I was not so secretly hoping for at least one girl.

Feeling guilty about my lack of excitement

When I cut the second cake and saw that it was blue I have to be honest that I had some feelings of disappointment. I tried to smile and be excited, but I don’t think I did a very convincing job of it. Plus there was the fact that my husband started patting my back and saying “sorry honey” so everyone could see I was hoping for a girl. I by no means want anyone (especially my unborn babies) to think that I am unhappy about having boys. I am so thankful for these babies, and I love them so much regardless of their genders. I just needed some time to adjust my mental images of our future family and get used to the idea of being a mama to boys.

My first baby shopping spree

The day after our gender reveal I went to Target to grab some last minute things for my trip to visit my family. I decided to walk by the baby section to look at the baby boy clothes. This was not my first time browsing baby clothes, but it was the first time I seriously looked at boy clothes. Since I’ve been pregnant I’ve always gravitated toward the tiny dresses and dainty floral printed onesies. This time I went straight for the blue section. I have never been a fan of the light baby blue color, I like bright, more sophisticated colors for babies. I wasn’t expecting to fine anything I liked but…

I did find some fun stuff including this little piece that I instantly fell in love with and had to have:

And then I spotted these little onesies and added them to my cart because I couldn’t resist their cuteness and I started picturing my babies posing for a photo shoot wearing them. Aren’t they darling?

And then after that I went a little crazy. I think I bought 17 items. Little outfits that included pants, a onesie and a hoodie, more onesies and rompers and itsy bitsy striped socks. As I added more items to my shopping cart I could feel my heart getting more and more excited to hold my babies and cuddle them in their new fuzzy footy pajamas. I left Target with three bulging bags full of all things BOY and more importantly with an overwhelming anticipation to meet my sons.

Why I’m excited to have twin BOYS

1. They will be brothers

2. They can share clothes

3. It’s easier to name twins of the same gender (I think)

4. I can dress them in matching outfits (maybe, occasionally)

5. They will be lifelong buddies, playmates, friends and confidants

I think there is just a special bond between two brothers that I can’t wait to see form between these two little guys. So yes, now I am so excited for the boys to arrive! And Baby B, if you ever read this post or see your gender reveal video please know that I love you and couldn’t be more thrilled that the second cake ended up being blue.

Of course there still is a slight chance that at our next ultrasound appointment we could find out that Baby B is in fact a girl (and now I think that would make me disappointed because I’m so excited for boys). For any of my future pregnancies and if you are planning a gender reveal gathering for yourself I suggest waiting until at least 20 weeks or until the ultrasound shows a super clear image and the doctor can say “we know 100% what your baby is going to be” before doing a gender reveal party. The uncertainty is kinda lame… so next time I think I’ll exercise some more patience and wait it out a bit longer.

But for now, I’m having boys and I’m happy about it!

Here’s my growing belly: 17 weeks pregnant with twin BOYS!

Week 17 belly shot

Twins Gender Reveal Cakes

Our predictions were that the first cake would be a boy, and the second cake would be a girl… if you haven’t seen our gender reveal video you can email me at growingpeeps@gmail.com and I will send you the youtube link. For privacy reasons we have taken down the video from the blog, hope you understand!