The weeks are ticking by and I think we are in the final stretch until these babies are born! My body is certainly feeling ready to be free of the extra annoyances, but I'm also hoping to hang in there a little bit longer in order to give the babies a little more time. My personal goal was to make it to 36 weeks, and we are almost there. Anything past that, I feel, is a bonus. There was a time when the goal was to make it past 32 weeks, so I'm happy with how well everyone is behaving :)
I have a nice, round belly that is obviously ready to 'pop' and I love to hear what people have to say. In every elevator, or at the check out line, someone has to ask when my baby is due. When we go out as a family, I love to watch peoples' eyes leave my face and lock onto the beach ball I have under my shirt. I can imagine they are quite entertained, and I can almost hear their thoughts of wonder..."wow...when is she going to have that baby!?" The other night we went to a movie and Jerry said the security guard watched me waddle around in hopes I didn't go into labor while he was on duty. My favorite thing is when people ask me how I'm feeling. If you've seen the movie "What to Expect When You're Expecting," then you'll appreciate the monologue the lady gives on stage with her borrowed clothes and ratty hair--telling the truth about pregnancy. She got it exactly right! Name a body part, and there's probably something wrong with it :) But, without disclosing all my woes to people who ask, I say I'm doing well and things are going great. It really is mostly true. I know people are interested in things and are sincere in their inquiries, but if I had a nickel for every question, I'd be rich. Jerry said I should start handing out treats to those who ask me a question I haven't been asked before. The other night Brooklyn said, "I'm tired of people asking me if I'm excited to be a sister and if I'm going to be a big helper!" I loved it... It comes with the territory I told her, and she liked Dad's idea of handing out treats. It's fun, though, and I do appreciate peoples' concern and excitement.
The babies are doing well. We had the biophysical profile with the ultrasound tech, Katie, and she found everything to be looking just fine. We chose to take Brooklyn with us to the ultrasound. She's always said she doesn't want to go because it's boring (or maybe she's just afraid of the unknown), but we dragged her with us anyway. I thought she should experience a trip to the doctor at least once before they're born. Something like this might not happen again. She's seen a few ultrasound pictures in the past and watched the video from a while go, but there's nothing like watching a heartbeat or movement in real time on the screen. We got a beautiful shot of their feet and a perfect footprint for the camera. I'm sure it wasn't exactly thrilling for Brooklyn, but I'm glad she got to have the experience. The blood flow in the cords was normal. We could also see them "practice" breathing and moving those muscles in preparation for birth. Those were two good signs. Katie measured the babies to be about the same size of 4lb 12oz each. Baby Boy has a little bit bigger head and smaller belly, and Baby Girl has a little bit smaller head and bigger belly. According to Katie, they average out to be about the same weight. It will be interesting to see how close to the same weight they really are at birth. They are currently in the same positions--boy all stretched out on my right side, head down, and girl curled up on the left with bum down. The amniotic fluid is starting to decrease and the placentas are beginning to age. This happened with Brooklyn about this same time and low fluid volume is why the doctor delivered her 10 days early. Dr Hartman doesn't seem too alarmed at this point, but continues to measure fluid levels every week. So far, there's "enough" as he says. Twice a week we are doing non-stress tests in the office. I still haven't figured out exactly why twice a week is necessary, but that's the doc's plan. The babies are becoming more and more reactive as they get older and that's good. It's still crazy and fun to hear their heartbeats, the hiccups, or when they move. It's very reassuring. The boy continues to be more active and has a faster heart rate most of the time. The girl is more quiet and has a little slower heart rate. It will be interesting to see if this matches their personalities in the future. Now the problem is choosing how I want to deliver. Basically, with the one breech baby, I can choose whether to attempt a normal delivery and hope the breech delivery goes well, or schedule a c-section. Neither way sounds super fun, but I think we're leaning towards a c-section. I'm sure it will be harder for mom and maybe I'll eat my words later, but I'm hoping it will be more predictable and less stressful for the babies. It's like choosing the lesser of two evils and gambling in Vegas, but we're most interested in keeping the babies as safe as possible. The new plan is to do a c-section at 37 weeks or an induction at 38 weeks...hmmmmm. Decisions, decisions.]
The baby's room is (hopefully) ready for these two little ones. They have cribs, plenty of blankets, boxes of diapers, clothes and pajamas, bottles and bottle warmers, bath supplies, bouncers, boppies, car seats, a pack n' play, and I think just about everything else a baby needs. I forgot how much stuff they require! We've been so humbled and grateful for the donations of clothes, supplies, and gifts from others. Again, we have the best family and friends ever! And, we've doubled up on many of the supplies knowing two will use lots of stuff. Diapers seem to be Jerry's purchase of choice, and we're stocking up and stuffing boxes under the bed. The little clothes are so cute and I can just picture little diapered bums in them. I'm sure there will be items we've forgotten or find we need more of, but I think we are ready to welcome them to the world soon and kiss and love and cuddle them. Just a few more weeks...aahhh! When I think about the reality of sleepless nights, feedings, and the changes to our pretty quiet life we will all experience, I'm a little scared. I really don't think reality has hit me yet. It's been so long and they are currently so self-contained that I'm not sure they are really mine and it's all actually true. It really is a surreal feeling. I wonder what it will be like when they hand them to me to hold for the first time. It seriously doesn't feel real. I'm anxious, nervous, and excited. However, we've waited a long time, so....let's do this!
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