16 week appointment

My blood pressure is good and I gained another 3 pounds for a total of 11 pounds.  I am measuring in at 18-19 weeks pregnant if I were pregnant with a singleton.   We had our ultrasound and both babies are looking great.  Moving around and kicking.  We asked the doctor if she could tell the genders.   Baby A is on my right hand side, is breech and had his/her legs crossed so we couldn't make out the gender.  Baby B is on my left hand side and we got a clear shot of the gender.  We aren't going to say anything untill our big anatomy scan in 3 weeks so we can confirm Baby B's gender and see if Baby A has changed position so we can tell the gender.   Below is what the babies look like at 16 weeks pregnant in the womb.

First Dentist Appointment

Cassie was pretty excited to go to the dentist, we read books and she knew what to expect.  She happily got into the dentist chair and felt all the instruments they showed her. 

Waiting patiently while we told the nurse her history of Pierre Robin

When it came time to lean the chair back that is when she became a bit unsure of things.   I can't blame her....all of a sudden she is on her back with a light in her face.   I sat on the other side of her and held her hand.   Puppy of course came along for support. 

Bib on...getting ready

Cassie did NOT like the spinning brush to clean her teeth. She was gagging and crying. The nurse tried but then decided to go to a regular tooth brush to do the cleaning.   Cassie felt much more comfortable with this and did very well. 

Sunglasses to wear so when she is on her back the light isn't in her eyes

We also tried to have x-rays done but Cassie's mouth is so small it wasn't working.   We will try again next year.   She was a good sport in trying it.  After her cleaning the dentist came in.   He is a pediatric dentist and seemed to know a bit about Pierre Robin.  He looked in her mouth and tried counting her teeth and feeling around inside for any abnormalities, she is missing her last molars to come in and he said she may just be behind in that.  Again, Cassie's mouth is so tiny this was making her gag, her eyes were watering, it definitely wasn't pleasant but she was a trooper.  

Afterwards she got a balloon, a new pink Dora toothbrush, new toothpaste, a sucker and I took her to the book store to pick out a new book...she picked a Clifford book she has had her eye on.

All done!

She said her favorite thing about the dentist was her new pink toothbrush and her least favorite was the spinning toothbrush.  Good job at your first Dentist Appointment Cass!

Speech Skills

This morning we had a follow up appointment with Cassie's speech therapist at Childrens Hospital.  I sat back and watched the therapist work with Cassie....so proud of her.   Her therapist said Cassie is doing fantastic.   She also said she has excellent articulation and has no nasal emission as a result of her cleft palate.  No nasal emission!!!!  This is the best news ever.  She told me "You have done a great job working with her Mom"  she said it can be hard for a parent to work with a child on speech and for the child to respond.  She told me I should become a speech therapist and work at Childrens.   What a compliment!  I almost cried.   But I have to give credit where credit is due....Cassie is so easy to work with and willing to learn.   So proud of this little girl.     We would normally go back for follow up in 6 months but because the therapist knows the twins will be around by then she she is pushing off the appointment till fall.

Cassie has become so independent lately.   She wakes up anywhere between 6 - 6:30 in the morning and will watch cartoons and drink her milk in the living room by herself for at least an hour so Mommy can get some more shut eye.   If she gets bored of cartoons she gets the IPad, turns it on, finds her apps and plays.  She is opening the fridge to get her own drinks and answers the phone for me.   When it rings she presses the speaker button and says "hello."   Daddy called once when I was in the middle of something so she answered.  She told him she was watching Mikey Mouse and that I was in the shower...then hung up on him.   Yesterday the phone rang and she was going to the bathroom so she yelled out "Mom, can you get that?"   Oh my gosh....it was so funny.

First little kick

I was sitting at the computer actually reading about when people first felt their twins move.   I have been feeling flutters here and there but its so hard to pinpoint if it is truly the babies.   While sitting here I felt a pretty good flutter and then a couple seconds later a definite little kick.   It made me jump.   Its the first time I have felt movement where I know for sure it was one of the babies and not something else.   It made me teary eyed...so amazing Gods miracle of life.   Tomorrow I am 15 weeks, I didn't feel Cassie move till after I was 18 weeks. 

I have been reading posts from some twin chat rooms and I just don't get some of the posters.  Some women will ask questions like....is gaining alot of weight or having a big bump a sign of twins or some other question that members think are stupid so they are snarky and jump down these women's throats and they are so rude.  It blows my mind.  These are mothers of children and they are just being down right nasty and they even seem to be on a high horse because they have had twins.   They have said "Twins are not the trendy thing to do so don't wish for it, its hard work and until you have been in our shoes you won't understand".  I mean really??     Yes, I know its going to be harder than 1 but its not going to be the end of the world like these women act.   I mean I had 1 baby with so many problems, so many hospital visits and surgeries and I never acted like these women.  Yes, it was hard but when your put in a situation you just do what you have to do and you survive.   Cassie's first year was rough but I never thought it was terrible.   If I would have been told before I had her what was in store for me I would have been scared stiff and wonder how I was going to do everything...but when your actually placed in it you just do what needs to be done.      Anyhow, some of these women drive me nuts reading their posts, seeing how mean they are, and their attitudes.  Those boards are not for me.  

Hello 2nd Trimester!!

14 weeks pregnant with the twins today!    I have seen so many sites say you are in your 2nd trimester at 12 weeks, 13 weeks or 14 weeks so since I am 14 weeks today I can offically say I am in the 2nd trimester no matter how you look at it!

Still feeling great.   I've thought I have felt flutters a couple of times.  Looking foward to those movements where you know without a doubt its baby.  I have been so blessed, so lucky with each of my pregnancys to feel great, to have no morning sickness, to basically feel like I am not even pregnant except for the belly.  However....with this pregnancy I am getting the sciatic nerve pain.   If I sit on the couch a certain way it really hurts and I have a hard time walking.

Saying "hi" to her brothers or sisters

14 weeks - today

14 weeks - today

My Mom and Grandma just stopped by.  My Grandma is in her 90's so she just says whats on her mind.  We were sitting around talking and she said "Boy Melissa, your gaining weight"   Thanks Grams :o)   Then she said   "Wow, big boobs and big tummy"  Ha ha!  Gotta love her.

Sledding,late Christmas, and events from today

We finally got a snow storm last week.  Cassie and I went sledding and afterwards made chocolate chip cookies.   Perfect things to do when its a cold snowy day!

Yesterday we finally celebrated Christmas with Matt's side of the family since everyone is over the stomach flu.  Cassie fell asleep in the car on the way there so was very clingy and not in a good mood when we got there.   She broke into a few tears for no reason.  Once she woke up and got over being groggy she had a blast with Sarah and Valerie.  She loved Grandmas Roast Beef and kept asking for more of the "chicken".   Whatever.
After dinner we opened presents and then had desert.  Then the sugar high from desert kicked in and she was a nut running around the house.

Playing Hello Kitty Bingo

Sarah, Cassie and Valerie

The girls were harassing Uncle Jim

Monkey Papa and Cassie

Being tickled

Monkey Papa is not feeling very well as a result of the liver cancer.  He is turning yellow and the doctors said if he is not feeling better in a week its not looking good. :o(  Say some prayers.

Opening presents

Today I helped out in Cassie's Sunday School class.  I could see some jealously this time as a result of me being in class.  I had 4 little girls who also wanted to sit with me and Cassie wasn't to thrilled with that.  One little girl kept rubbing my leg and Cassie didn't like that either.   She was upset and when it was time to pray she was the only one who wouldn't sit down and pray and was almost in tears and voicing her feelings.   Ugh!!!!    I told her to sit down and be quite and then ignored it.....my prayer was she wouldn't melt down in class and I would have to bring my child out of there for a time out.   Thankfully she didn't and got control.    Phew!

Later this afternoon we went to the Y to go swimming and then to play.   There was another girl in there who I went to high school with and her little girl was there.  She is younger than Cassie but they did NOT get along.   The first words out of Cassie's mouth were " I don't like her".   Said it right in front of her Mom.  Nice.   Cassie was pushing a chair into her legs.  Purposefully. Then they all went into the big play gym and Cassie starts to cry.   She told me the little girl hit her.  So there was an apology from the little girl.   Then Cassie says " I hit her but she hit me back".....like totally shocked that this little girl hit her back.    I told her Mom that the real story came out.    Back in the play gym them went.  I went over to supervise since I knew they were not good with each other.   The little girl was purposefully kicking Cassie's pony tails with her feet which made Cassie melt down into tears because her hair was getting ruined.   This signaled it was time to go home.   I don't know what it was but Cassie did not like this little girl.   On the way home she kept telling us how naughty the little girl was.  I told her "Well you were naughty to.  You hit her first"  Cassie said "I know, I know,  I'm sorry Mom".  

After refereeing those 2 I need a glass of wine.....but can't.  We had a talk about it and her behavior.   I'm sure I will be dealing with fights once the twins are born and older.

12 weeks and first OB appointment

It feels good to be 12 weeks pregnant.   That's all I can say.

Today I met with my OB for the first time.   At first a nurse weighed me.  She asked how far along I was.  Then she asked if this was my first pregnancy.   I knew what she was getting at.  I told her I was carrying twins.   She said that explains it, she didn't want to come right out and say it but she said I am alot bigger than someone should be at 12 weeks.  I gained more weight which is good.   I started out being 124 before I was pregnant and now I am 132.  So I have gained 8 pounds so far.   The goal for twins is 45 pounds.

My doctor came in and we did the whole big talk about twins.    I need to take more folic acid than a someone with a singleton pregnancy.   I can't pick up Cassie after I am 24 weeks pregnant.  I asked her about bed rest and she said she can't ever remember putting anyone on bed rest with twins because it doesn't help with preterm labor or anything.   Our goal is going to be a vaginal birth at our hospital right in town.  As long as the first baby is head down and bigger than the second baby a vaginal birth will be a go.   If the second baby is breech she would do a breech extraction.   My normal due date would be July 18 but with twins I won't go past June 27th.   They would induce me if I don't go into labor by then.

After the twin talk we got to look at the babies.  She doesn't use the Doppler because its to hard identifying both babies heart beats so every visit I get a ultrasound....I LOVE that!!   She said both babies looked great.  Baby A is very active, kicking the legs and bouncing everywhere while Baby B seems more mellow. 

It was a great visit and I'm very happy with what my doctor had to say and with the plan for birth.  

Yea for being 12 weeks pregnant with twins!

Baby B is up higher and Baby A is lower.

12 weeks pregnant - measuring 14 weeks