Our Babies Are the Size of Limes!

The weeks seem to be flying by. Not to many new changes since last week except a little bit of an increase in energy for me which is a good thing with all this packing we've been doing. I still have my moments of nausea, but it is starting to decrease and I really am starting to 'feel more like myself'. 

One week from today we will be at the doctors to see our little babies on the ultrasound... We can't wait! We'll get to hear their heartbeats and also see how much they have grown. We'll still have about 4 weeks at that point before we can find out the sex, so if you haven't taken the poll on the right side of the blog on what sex you think our babies are, you might want to take it soon! 

We are very excited to find out if they are boys/girls or one of each so we can start deciding on names and doing some of the fun things like picking out nursery themes and looking at baby clothes. Although we will share the sex of the babies once we find out, we aren't going to share the names. With how much input everyone will have and then also both of our picky-ness, we decided it'll be better to wait.

What am I Craving?: Spicy food! I'm not sure if this even counts since I have always LOVED spicy food. The only difference now is that once it is in my stomach, it doesn't feel so great. Better lay off the habanero hot sauce at Taco Del Mar.  

What's Happening Inside My Body?: The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, their toes will curl, eye muscles will clench, and mouth will make sucking movements. If you prod your abdomen, your baby will probably respond, although you won't be able to feel it. Your baby's kidneys will begin excreting urine into their bladder. 

Our Babies Are the Size of: LIMES! 

Silly dogs!

We're not sure what's gotten into the dogs, but lately they want to sit just like us! I guess we woke them up too early.  

Week 11 Photo

Fun Twin Facts!

Here are some fun and interesting facts about twins: 

1. In 1980, one in every 53 babies born in the United States was a twin. By 2009, that number had risen to one in 30, which means that over three decades, the twin birth rate (number of twins per 1,000 births) rose 76%.

2. The chances of having a twin pregnancy is increased by maternal age (30+).

3. There is a "twin gene" - fraternal twining, which is the result of a woman releasing more than one egg at the same time, is genetically predisposed.

4. Identical twins are the result of a random split of a single egg and cannot be genetically predisposed.

5.  Male twins will not have twins unless their wives have the ability to produce two eggs.

6. Identical twins share the same DNA but do not have the same fingerprints.

7. About 1 in 250 pregnancies results in identical twins.

8. 22 % percent of twins are left handed, compared to 10% in singletons.

9. Fraternal twin girls have twice the chance of giving birth to twins than singletons.

10. Vanishing twin syndrome- 15-20% percent of all twin pregnancies will miscarry one fetus.

11. Some estimates suggest 1 in 8 people started life as a twin while 1 in 70 actually are a twin.

12. Once you have fraternal twins, you are 3 to 4 times more likely to have another set!

13.  Nigeria has the highest rate of multiple births and more identical twins.

14. China has the lowest rate for multiple births averaging 1 in 300.

15. A study shows vegans are five times less likely to have twins than women who consume diary.

16. For polar bears, twins aren't unusual at all. In fact, they most commonly give birth to twins, and rarely deliver single cubs or triplets.

17. Twins bond in the womb. By examining 3D ultrasound images, a study in Padova, Italy found that fetuses start deliberately interacting at 14 weeks.

18. 40% of twins invent their own language.

19. They tend to be early - over 50% of twins are born before 37 weeks.

20. The average birth weight for a twin is 5lbs, 5 oz.

Week 11

It's been a busy last week! We sold the condo (YAY) and have started to pack things up to get ready to move in with Michael's parents for a while until we find just the right house! We are so grateful for their hospitality and we are excited to share all of these new experiences with them.
On top of all that, I had almost forgotten about my exam for school! So glad the first exam is out of the way and only two more to go... then a nice long break from school.
This last week has really been a drag as far as morning sickness. I'm thankful it hasn't been every day, but the days I do have it are miserable. Hoping I'm one of the lucky ones that doesn't have morning sickness in the 2nd trimester... fingers and toes crossed!

My Cravings: No new cravings this week!

What's Happening Inside My Body: Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.

She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccuping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

Our Babies Are the Size of: a Fig

Valentine's Day Gifts!

It was a day of gifts today! This morning I was leaving for work and Michael had secretly put a present in my purse. I opened it up and it was a gorgeous pandora bracelet with fun charms that he hand-picked himself! At work in the afternoon, he had flowers delivered to me  (right before I left, they arrived-what great timing)! I opened them when I got home and they were red roses with calalilies! It was accompanied by a very sweet note which was my favorite present of the entire day! Thanks hunny for making me feel so special!   

What's Black and White... and Annoying??

I suppose it's time for an animal update! Let me start with this.. we absolutely love our animals, all 4 of them. But ever since the dogs have been at Michael's parents (to show the condo at a drop of a dime), the cats have been very lonely. Usually we don't see them much and they do their own thing. Every once in a while they'd come up to us, get some love, and then go about their day. But over the last couple weeks they have been right up in our faces and demanding much more attention. This is especially annoying during the night when we are in bed sleeping. 

Leo likes to  purr, lick, and do what I call a 'mommy paw' right in my face... He even stole my snake pillow and claimed it for his own! We have a theory it's because it is white like him and he likes to 'blend in'. 

Salem has been just as annoying in the mornings. He likes to start meowing right before the alarm goes off for a treat! He also wasn't wanting me to study yesterday and proceeded to lay right on top of my notes. He must have known I didn't want to be studying anyway.  

Needless to say we adore the attention, but are excited that we have accepted an offer on the condo and the cats & dogs will be together again soon!

What about Paco and Lily you might ask? Well, they are living the good life at Grandma and Grandpa's house! Lily runs around like she owns the place, but Shelby is quick to remind her that she is the queen bee. Lily has even had to have the muzzle put on her a few times for her 'naughty time' which is quite interesting and pathetic. She goes in the corner with the muzzle on and buries her nose into the ground looking very embarrassed for her actions. It's hard not to want to grab her and console her, but this is good practice for the twins!  Paco of course is an angel and sleeps most of the day and snuggles at night. They are getting so much love that sometimes it's hard to believe if they really miss us! They are definitely loving all the treats and one-on-one time they are getting with the grandparents- It's like a doggy vacation. We don't know what we would've done without them to help watch our babies! 

Snack time for the puppies before bedtime!

 

Happy Valentines Day!

Today is a reminder to celebrate love in all forms. The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched; they must be felt with the heart. I am reminded how truly blessed I am to be married to my best friend. We've shared so many wonderful miracles as well as heartaches along the way. For each of those experiences, good and bad, I am grateful because they have molded our relationship and they continue to prepare us for what lies ahead.
Thank you, Michael for being such a supportive husband and dealing with my crazy mood swings!!

Happy Valentines Day!

Do I HAVE to Take the Picture??

Michael loves taking a belly photo each week and this week he was right on top of it! He even sets each new picture as his cell phone background (insert 'awww' here).

I was so tired and not feeling very well yesterday, but he still made me hold my sign and pose for the picture.. so here it is!

Next week we'll do a little better job to show off the bump.. the loose pj's didn't come out as well as I'd hope, but I wasn't about to get dressed again. Guess this will have to do!

All I can say is, next week he's getting in the photo!

10 Weeks- Where'd This Belly Come From??

Well it's becoming more and more hard to cover my growing belly! So far I've only gained 6lbs (all of which is in my belly), which is on track for what the doctor has advised. My jeans still fit on my legs and bum, but I have started to use the hair-tie trick around the button for a little more comfort. I was avoiding jeans prior, but I have found it's a good way to gauge how much weight I'm gaining and where.

I'm trying to stay away from foods that are too bad for me and to keep up with my walking. I shouldn't gain too much more weight in the first trimester which should be doable if I keep active and eat right. It's important to gain weight with multiples because there is a higher risk of preterm labor and low birth weight. Early weight gain is also important for the development of the placenta which gives nutrients to our growing babies! In the second trimester it is a little more important to watch the scale to gain an average of about a pound and a half per week and with Michael being so detailed, he's made sure I'm weighing myself once a week and keeping track on a spreadsheet.

I of course will always eat when I'm hungry- if i don't, I can get a little crabby and I'm no fun to be around. Plus, according to the doctor, I should be eating 2800 calories a day! WOW!

We are counting down to our next doctor's appointment where we get to do another ultrasound and see how much the babies have grown. That appointment is right at 13 weeks.. only 3 weeks away!

My Cravings: I have been craving all types of carbs (bagels, toast etc), but trying to make sure that the carbs I'm eating are whole grain and also to get enough protein.


What's Happening In My Body?: Your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body.

Our Babies are the Size of: A Kumquat

My New Best Friend

Between all the up and down throughout the night to use the bathroom and not being able to get fully comfortable at night because of the two positions I can sleep in (right side or left side), it's been very hard to get a good nights sleep. The worst habit to break you ask? Sleeping on my stomach. I've always been a stomach sleeper ever since I could remember. It's no surprise that I haven't been sleeping that well.

I had read on several blogs and heard that the "J" shape or "C" shape pillow really helps. Well turns out Alicia saved hers after being pregnant with her twins (who are now 4-- where does the time go??) and has had it stored at Michael's parents house! I spared no time to have Michael climb up in their rafters to get it for me.
What a dream! This pillow was so comfortable and I slept like a baby (in between my 3 bathroom trips of course). I apparently wasn't the only one who thought it was comfortable. Not only was Michael using part of it under his head, but Lily was snuggled between my stomach and the pillow with her arm around it!

Thank you Alicia and Debbie for saving this for me!! :)

9 Week Belly Photo

Here's the baby belly this week! Not a huge change from last week, but I definitely feel a difference!

9 Weeks!

Not much has changed since last week except that I am getting more energy which I'm really happy about and my belly has gotten a little bigger (pictures to come tomorrow)! Unfortunately the morning sickness is still there. Most days I'm fine, but over this past weekend it was hard to want to do anything with my sour stomach. It even decreased my appetite most of the weekend so that by Sunday morning I was starving! So, I woke Michael up and made him take me to Denny's at 5:30 A.M.! He of course needed a nudge of encouragement to wake up. OK, OK... More like I ripped the blankets off of him, turned the light on and annoyed him until he woke up and took me. I couldn't help it.. all I wanted was french toast and we had no bread to make it at home! Hey, if there is anytime to get away with doing this to him, ITS NOW! By the time we got back home, we both crawled back into bed with full tummies and slept a few more hours to rest up before heading out to watch the Superbowl (which by the way we CRUSHED the Broncos.. what an awesome win)!


My Cravings: Fresh fruit, french toast, french fries and English Muffins with peanut butter.

What's Happening In My Body: Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain.

Our Babies are the size of: Grapes

Gender Predictor Quiz

Almost 9 weeks along and we can't help but wonder what gender our babies are going to be! Since we still have several weeks to wait and find out, I decided to indulge in a gender prediction quiz online (all in good fun of course)! It asked questions like, 'how is your complexion?', 'Is your partner gaining weight along with you?', 'are you craving more sugar or salt?"

Well, the outcome is.........

Well I guess only time will tell! Until then we will flip through both sides of the '1000+ Baby Name' book we have. :)

**If you have a prediction, take our Poll on the right side of the page to put in your vote for the gender!**