35 weeks pregnant with only 2 more weeks to go!

Week 35 belly shot

Week 35 pregnancy symptoms

Heartburn or acid reflux? Feels like I’ve swallowed a pill but it won’t go down all the way and it slowly creeps back up my esophagus and feels like I can’t get it out it does burn and sometimes I throw up a little in my mouth. I honestly thought I was just full so food wouldn’t stay down, and I actually did think that the pills getting stuck feeling were actually my Ursodiol pills getting lodged in my throat. I’m thinking now that it must be heart burn since it’s happening all the time- especially when I lay down to try and sleep.

Belly hurts all the time. Can’t bend forward to eat at the table so I end up spilling food all over my belly. One great alternative I’ve discovered is using my belly as a stand for food, drinks etc.. Works pretty well!

Swollen feet, legs, thighs- so gross! I did take a picture but I can’t bring myself to post the horrendous sight on my blog. Just imagine 2 pudgy, tight skinned feet, kankles and giant calves that blend into my swollen knees and thighs. Are there words like kankles for those other parts that blend together like calnees and knighs- because I definitely have those!

Belly button is sticking out slightly but not in a cute little prego button kind of way- it just slightly pooches out in the middle of my giant stretched out crater in the center of my belly. It doesn’t even look like a belly button at this point. (Plus the dark scar from my laparoscopic procedure and old belly button piercing don’t help.)

Gained 50 pounds total so far!

At the ultrasound on Monday the boys were looking good! Baby A is over 6 lbs! And Baby B is about 5.5 lbs! Crazy that I could have up to 12 lbs of baby in me plus all that comes with them- placentas and amniotic fluid (both babies have a lot of amniotic fluid) so they could still turn but for now Baby B (the presenting twin) is still head down. He hasn’t dropped yet but it sure feels like it! He also likes to wedge his legs or knees under my ribs and that’s pretty uncomfortable.

I’m measuring 44 cm (at my OB appointment last week) and 41 cm (at my MFM appointment this week) so either way my uterus thinks it’s overdue.

Possible pre-labor signs I’m experiencing

• Lots if menstrual like cramping, back aches, mucus like discharge, leaking nipples.
• I’m moving around super slowly, can’t get up off the couch or out of bed or out of the car. Waddling pretty much all the time.
• Feeling not ready but excited at the same time. Sometimes I think they might come today other days I’m sure they will wait for weeks (well they can only wait 2 weeks before they induce me because of the Obstetric Cholestasis I think). But I’ll try to hold off any inducing unless absolutely necessary.
• I’m super tired, feeling a bit sick. Sore throat, lots of phlegm in my throat, and nose. Napping during the day since I can’t sleep well at night.

Update on the moving situation

I try to do one unpacking chore everyday. My jobs have been easy compared to my mom and husband who have tackled the larger items. I’ve only been allowed to put together the babies’ room and choose where to put things in the kitchen or telling my husband where to put the furniture. I can also sit and fold laundry and direct my mother where to put the dishes etc.

For the nursery we still need to set up a sleeping place for the peeps, so I finally ordered the Pack ‘n Play I’d been reading reviews about for forever. It was on sale on amazon so we saved about 30-60 bucks!

I ordered my diaper bag. I finally settled on the Skip Hop Forma Pack and Go Diaper Tote. I’m still reading/watching reviews on this giant backpack travel bag from Okkatots that looks super functional but it’s huge and I cannot imagine bringing it everywhere with me. Who knows how I’ll feel or what I’ll actually need on a daily basis once I start going out with the twins. We do plan to travel with the babies so I may splurge and get the travel backpack in addition to the one I ordered and use the smaller one for every day use and the travel backpack for longer outings and trips.

I’m planning to do a big shopping spree of all the things we still need to prepare for the babies! Because of all of our amazing family and friends who gave us gift cards we will be able to purchase most of the last minute items that we need, so that will be fun. This needs to happen like yesterday since shipping takes time and these babies are coming within 2 weeks! Ahh! I’m starting to freak out a little, I mean a LOT, I mean I have no idea if I’m really ready for this- but am so thankful and so excited at the same time to cuddle these babies!

My sister is arriving on January 7th so hopefully these growing peeps will wait at least another week to pop out of my belly! It would be even better if they wait 2 weeks, since my mother in law is coming then. Only The Lord knows the right time for these tiny guys to arrive, so I’m trying not to overthink it.

Anyone have tips from their labor experiences?

What were your early signs of labor? I know everyone is different, but I’m still curious to hear about others’ experiences. Okay, so I’ll probably compare your experiences to myself and convince myself that I’m in labor… But really please do share, I’m so curious and excited but scared and can’t believe that all of this could happen any day now!

Here are my scarily huge bare belly close ups:

Don’t judge: There are 12ish pounds of baby in there!

Pregnancy Brain: 33 weeks pregnant with twins

Week 33 belly shot

Funny Story: I blame it on pregnancy brain

My college roommate came to visit me for the weekend. It was a short visit but so special to get to spend time together before the babies get here. The weekend was pretty uneventful, we basically sat around so I could put my swollen feet up and she got to feel the tiny peeps moving around in my belly. We did get to go out for a few good meals together- and this is where my funny/embarrassing story begins.

We decided to go out for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. Before going out in public I squeezed into one of the only maternity tops that still kind of fits (but doesn’t quite cover the belly band on my jeans). Then the search for a pair of shoes began. Seriously- NONE of my shoes fit at this point. I finally settled on a pair of jelly flats that “fit” but were by no means comfortable in any way. I hobbled down the stairs to the car wincing with every step- man were my feet swollen!

Before dinner we walked around the shopping center by the restaurant and took cheesy pictures by the trees covered in white lights. Then we went to the restaurant. We ordered a bunch of tapas to share including these Cuban nachos that were ah-may-zing! Blue corn chips with black beans, a fried plantain, melted queso fresco with a pickled jalapeno on top. That was a tangent- the story is not actually about the food- but did I mention the crispy pork belly? Mmm…

Okay, so after our delightful evening chatting over tapas I excused myself to the ladies room. As I walked to the back of the restaurant my pinching shoes reminded me of how swollen my feet had gotten (even bigger than when I left the house). I made it to the bathroom and sat down on the toilet- I looked down at my feet and lo and behold my shoes were on the wrong feet! That’s right, just like a three year old- I had shoved my puffy pink little sausage toes into the wrong shoes.

In my defense, when I switched my shoes to the proper feet they were still almost as uncomfortable as they had been all evening- but visually when they were on the wrong feet there was no mistaking the toes pointing out in opposite directions. Like I said- just like a three year old!

We all had a good laugh once I got back to the table. I still don’t know how it was possible for me to go all evening without noticing this fashion faux pas, hence I’m blaming it on pregnancy brain.

33 week twin pregnancy overview

Overall week 32 was a pretty good week. Having two of my favorite ladies in the world with me helped to distract from my itching and all of the other stresses that are coming up in the next few weeks (moving and you know, that whole giving birth thing).

I do have to mention that I had an acupuncture appointment last Friday and that could also be why my itching was more bearable over the weekend. Either way, I was one happy, giant bellied, thirty-year-old mismatched shoe wearing (not to be confused with a three year old) mama to be this week.

And to prove it- look how giant my belly has become!

That’s one giant bellied twin-mama-to-be

P.S.

I’m still about 1 week behind on publishing my weekly pregnancy updates, but I am making sure to take my belly shot photos every week- so they are still accurate. Hopefully I will get caught up with Week 34 before Week 35 rolls around! Ahhhh- time is going by way too fast!

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.