Rock Star Cervix

OK, so it wasn't quite that great, but I did manage to crack up my Doctor's when I christened my lady part a "rock star cervix" upon hearing it went from a 2.7 to a 3.17!

They are happy, I am happy. I am nowhere near a danger zone and that is mighty good. Normal. I like normal.

Since I'm almost 30 weeks there will be no more cervical checks as they don't have conclusive evidence past this point that they are predictive of anything. They didn't put me on any restrictions other than "listen to your body".

It's a bit vague, but I get that everyone is different and there's really not a strict set of rules about these things. I plan to rest up alot (yeah, walking so much probably was not such a great idea even if it made me feel like a bad-ass pregnant woman) and keep the activity in check.

However, the Doc agreed that my feelings of fatigue this past week may have been because I overdid it in the other direction. I don't have to lock myself in the house and put myself on modified bed rest--I just need to dial it down and if I'm feeling pain while doing anything--STOP.

So that's where we are and I am feeling much, much better about things now.

In other exciting news, we also got to do a growth scan on the babies and they are looking great! Chicklet is 3 lbs, 4 oz. and Shadow Boxer is 3 lbs, 1 ounce. While I certainly want them to stay put, it's amazing to know they weigh enough now to completely survive if I were to deliver early. We also got to see them do their practice breathing which was so cool! Stay inside kids! We can do it!

I can't call them bat babies anymore, because they have both totally flipped and are now head to head ALL on my right side (a bit ouchy). Chicklet is completely breech and SB is laying somewhat sideways. I never know what position they are going to be in next. Always a surprise.

As far as the Carpal Tunnel, Doc is not so convinced that's what it is because I don't have the classic sore wrists and tingling sensations. While my wrists are somewhat swollen when I wake up, the thing that hurts most are my finger and joints surrounding them. Regardless, we agreed that giving the wrist splints a go at night couldn't hurt anything and I'm calling my acupuncturist tomorrow. Thanks alot for all of your helpful suggestions.

Chicken insisted that I get a maternity massage after my appointment today, so I spoiled myself silly at the Eda.mame Spa. I just love the name! They have the wonderful cutout for your stomach and it was so glorious after all of these months to lay on my stomach! I could breathe! It was heavenly. So much so that I fell asleep a number of times and woke myself up grunting/snorking. So embarrassing! I never make a sound when I fall asleep at home, only at the spa! These spas are a part of Destinatio.n Maternity/Pe.a in a Po.d so if you have one near you and are looking for a great massage--go for the Mom-to-Be. My therapist was late, so she gave me 15 minutes free on top of the 50 minutes AND gave me samples and a $20 coupon when I was through.

All in all, a very good day. Thanks for all of your well wishes and comments for good luck. My cervix heard them and obeyed!

My Handy Secret

For the past two or more weeks I've been experiencing what is probably the beginning of carpal tunnel syndrome. I haven't mentioned it because I wanted it to go away or at least get better. It's not getting better, it's getting worse.

Some of you may have noticed that comments from me on your blog have been sparse or non-existent. I'm sorry.

Most days I have to just prioritize the tasks to be done in my life and unfortunately, commenting is coming in at the bottom. I really hope everyone understands.

I have all of these baby shower thank you note's to write and holiday cards to design and then there's the everyday tasks like making myself food.

This morning I went to open my thyroid med lid and I couldn't do it. When I take the milk jug out of the fridge I wonder which day I'll drop it. I have to open a can of cat food and I want to scream. I went to cut my nails and realized that manicures and pedicures are in my future because to handle the clippers was just too painful (and I am not one to do the mani/pedi thing). I wanted ketchup on something and couldn't flip the top open.

Really, it sucks.

Please don't misunderstand me--I am so happy to be pregnant and wouldn't change a thing for this journey. BUT, it's getting to the point where it really is starting to get incredibly uncomfortable and no one can prepare you for the toll something like this starts to take on your body.

I have done everything I can this past week to 'take it easy' and just chill out. There have been days I haven't even bothered to leave the house and I'm OK with that, too because this past week the pressure on my pelvic bones and the ligaments is so intense that I don't want to go out walking.

Typing is painful, but not horrible and blogging and documenting this journey is incredibly important to me. I will try to comment, but if I don't please know that I'm still out here, reading along, cheering with you, shaking my fist at the universe of unfairness with you and breathing sighs of relief with you. I'm still here, I'm just falling apart a wee bit.

Tomorrow--OB appointment where hopefully my cervix is either the same....or better! I'm hoping for better!

And if anyone knows what I can do for my hands....please enlighten me. The only thing I have read is "it will go away after you give birth".

Expecting the Unexpected

Since I've known I was pregnant with twins, I've prepared myself for as much as I can--both the good and the bad. Because while I want to believe that I'll have an uneventful pregnancy and our twins will be born 36-38 weeks with no complications and that they won't have to stay in the NICU, I'm fully aware that things can go wrong overnight.

I've had other people tell me "Puff, think positive! It's all going to be just fine!" These are probably the same people who told me my eggs are going to be great because I look so young and am healthy. Good God were they ever wrong.

So yeah, I do think positive, but I'm also realistic. I don't think there's anything wrong with being prepared for whatever might come your way--not just the good stuff.

I don't want to assume that I'm going to have a vaginal birth only to have an emergency C-section and be scared to death because I never read that chapter because it wasn't going to happen to me.

But sometimes, no matter how prepared you think you are--life throws you off balance. That's what happened to me at my appointment on Wednesday.

During the ultrasound the tech discovered that my cervix--in two short weeks--had gone from a mighty 4.0 to a 2.7. They don't start to 'worry' until it's under 2.5, but mine had changed enough for them to worry just a little bit.

They ordered an fFN test on me immediately. fFN is formally called fetal fibronectin. This is a protein produced by pregnant woman. The test is a collection of cervical or vaginal fluid sample taken between weeks 24 and 34 and is used to evaluate the risk of preterm labor. fFN is normally not detectable during these weeks so if the test comes back positive it is an indication of possible preterm delivery within the next TWO WEEKS.

Don't get too scared because thank GOD my test came back negative. That means I will not be having the babies--yet.

However, when I asked my OB when she sees me giving birth (thinking that she'd say something like 36-38 weeks) she didn't bat an eye and calmly said, "I think you will make it until at least 32 weeks.

GULP.

That's it? She acted like that was great, but I nearly shit myself.

As all of my other signs are just fine (weight gain, no protein in urine, blood pressure, babies measuring fine and great heartbeats, etc, etc) she said at this point there is absolutely no reason to worry.

I don't have any true 'restrictions' other than no more long walks (maybe all that walking hasn't been the best idea?) and taking it easy as much as possible and staying very well hydrated.

I can still do my daily errands as long as they are close by (so subjective to someone who walks for miles) and I can't carry anything over 10 lbs (was already following this). I can still go swimming (which will replace the walking) for some exercise as that takes all of the pressure off my cervix and is good for me (a bright light)!

That's where we are. I'll be monitored weekly now to make sure my cervix isn't shortening. If it is...then we'll go from there.

If I have to go on bed rest, well, so be it. It is scary, but I'm trying my best to just relax, let Chicken take over and take care of myself and the babies.

At least our La.zyBoy rocker/recliner/glider finally arrived (after ordering it almost 10 weeks ago) and let me just say it is the best thing EVER. I am going to be living in this chair from here on out. I'm in it right now! This chair and the Ug.gs are the best things purchased the entire pregnancy!!

How Could You Forget or Not Know What Week?

Here's a question for those of you either currently pregnant or have been pregnant:

Did you remember what week you were in every week? Did you count in weeks? Was there ever a time you had no idea what week you were in?

Because I find this behavior baffling. Maybe it's because I'm a vet of IF or maybe it's because I'm a little obsessed or maybe it's because I have OB appointments every 2 weeks or maybe it's because I'm subscribed to like 5 different "here's what's going on this week in your pregnancy" sites or maybe it's because I'm a blogger.

BUT--seriously? You are pregnant and you don't know where in the pregnancy you are??

The SIL and cousin both had no clue what week they were in when I asked them at Thanksgiving. Is it because they had free sex and got pregnant and they just take it for granted that eventually the baby will pop out and everything's gonna be just hunky dory? Urgh.

It made me want to slap them. Just a little slap. But a slap all the same. Urgh. The bitterness. I hate it, but it just doesn't go away overnight.

(Almost) Legal

Remember a reaaaaalllly long time ago when we talked about how we were going to change our last names? We made a combination of our two last names and we were going to do it?

Yeah, that was a long time ago, wasn't it? (4 months)

Let's just say between the pregnancy, my procrastination of doing unpleasant tasks that involve bureaucracy and Chicken's travel schedule, that little 'task' got pushed back over and over until finally we looked at the calendar and said "Holy Shit".

If we actually wanted to be able to write our new family name on the birth certificate (and having no idea when these babies are going to arrive), we needed to get our asses in gear NOW.

Thankfully, Chicken took a couple of days off over the last couple of weeks to make some trips down to the courthouse. When you have a partner that works out of town all week...well, it does make it hard to get those M-F local things done!

Last week we spent over 3 hours at the courthouse getting the initial paperwork done, paid a $65 fee and today had our court date. After 2 hours waiting on a hard wooden bench in one of the most depressing rooms ever constructed, we were seen by--get this--a judge who told us she was a married lesbian! What Luck! She congratulated us and told us she and her partner had tried to combine their names, but couldn't come up with anything attractive. We got a big compliment from her on our newly combined last name and a big laugh when I told her it was either that or Pissanucker. If you can figure out our previous last names with that clue, well kuddos to you.

Now, due to some archaic law that has been on the books for like, a million years (which the judge apologized for), we have to spend $150 to take out an ad in a small neighborhood newspaper with a legal notice of our name change.

After it goes to press, we take the notice back to the courthouse (and stand in line again for gawd knows how long) and prove that we did it and then, it's LEGAL.

In order to change our names at the SS office, the DMV and our passports--we have to buy certified copies of our name change at $6 a pop each. Urgh.

Moral of the story? When your partner is ready to legally marry you, make sure she is also ready to commit to the new last name. We have had this last name picked out since before our wedding in California and IF Chicken had just been willing to write in the new last name on the line that day--we would not have had to go through any of this hassle--plus the added expense (@$275 total). Do not do what we did! Save yourself the hassle!!

At the end of the day, we're getting it done and we'll be able to write our new family name on the birth certificates which is huge, so it's all worth it. It wasn't quick and easy--at least not in NYC--but it's almost done!

Tired, but Proud

First of all--thanks for all of the comments on the baby bottles.

I have no idea what a 'set' is for the breast feeding (and I had to look up phlanges)?? What does this mean? What do I need to go buy? My god, I'm clueless.

I feel like I've researched just about everything endlessly except how to actually FEED the babies. Well, at least I've got some time to figure it out and you marvelous ladies to help me along.

Anyway, it's been a fun, albeit exhaustive, holiday weekend. Since we spent the night with relatives on Thanksgiving night, it has taken me two full days to recuperate. I was hesitant to sleep in someone else's bed given that sleep doesn't come so easily these days, but I wanted to spend more time with our family during these last child-free days that we all have.

I won't say it was a mistake, but it was exactly as I'd feared: a too-soft bed. That will do me in on a non-pregnant day with my lower back problems. Now with being heavily pregnant, I almost burst into tears when we got in bed because I knew how much pain I would be in from sleeping in this bed.

Normally in the morning I have an amazing amount of energy, but the morning after sleeping in this bed, I felt like I'd been hit by a bus. But what can you do? You smile and say, "yes, just fine" when they ask you how you slept.

We have a nice, firm mattress. Some might call it hard. It is perfect for me and the rest of the weekend I have visited it often in the afternoon to get an extra nap in. I love my bed. I love being back home.

Chicken has done so much to help out around the house--she has full Chicken nesting going on and it's amazing! She is a non-stop cleaning machine and has taken full advantage of my exhaustive state this weekend to throw out a lot of things. Normally, I would balk and want to be in control of this process, but honestly I am so tired I don't care enough anymore. Throw it out! She love hearing me say those words.

This morning was the first morning I felt remotely back to my normal self and we took advantage of my energy to make a quick run to BuhByeBebe for some returns. Then, we walked down to the West Village to meet a friend for brunch, followed by a lesiurely walk through the WV and on to the East Village on our way home.

The day was perfect with the sun shining and people out and about in the parks and on the sidewalks. I felt so thankful that I am having such a healthy twin pregnancy.

I am slowing down so much these days and I feel incredibly proud of myself when I can walk 2.7 miles in one afternoon! Granted, I was about to pee my pants by the time we got home, I needed a nap and I haven't left the house since...but STILL.

I'm 28 weeks and I'm still walking all over this city and I'm damn proud of myself. Tired, but proud.

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday weekend!

Questions About Baby Bottles

Can someone please tell me what I'm doing? We've got 3 types of bottles because I've heard so much about how some babies will take this one, but not that one, etc etc.

The Dr. Browns were a shower gift, the Avent were given to us by twin moms as were the Born Free.

There are so many pieces with each one! I had no idea!

We washed them all in the dishwasher and have one of those handy baskets for the tiny parts...and we've made room in the kitchen cabinets for all of the new baby dish gear.

BUT--how do you keep the parts separated for the different baby bottles???

The only thing I can come up with so far is to wash the brands all separately and then put the parts in a 3 large ziploc baggies.

This is fine for now--but is this practical when I am actually feeding twins all day and all night??

I'm planning to breast feed, but I know I'm going to have to pump as well. The bottles will probably be used as a backup if I can't double breast feed. Not that I'm not going to try, but I want to be realistic about this whole thing. If a baby has to take my breast milk from a bottle, well then that's how it's going to be, you know?

So any helpful suggestions would be most welcome! Thanks!