12 weeks and counting...

The 2nd trimester is so close I can taste it! 14 weeks is only 9 days away! In the meantime, I feel like the laziest, most useless wife in history. Poor Darrell is having to do everything, because even though I'm not on strict bedrest, any amount of housework sends me right back to bed with horrible cramps (probably contractions). Even helping Anthony clean up the toys in his room this evening, with the minimal bending over and retrieving things that involves, caused pain in my belly. Plus I am nauseous all the time and I have very little energy. Darrell spent SO many hours cleanin this weekend...I feel so useless and unhelpful. And he has been working so much overtime at the office too. I just feel so completely helpless and I feel so bad for him.

Speaking of nausea...this truly sucks. I am hungry - I mean STARVING - ALL the time. I could eat a decent sized meal and an hour and a half to two hours later, I'm starving again. Which, under normal circumstances, might actually be fun - I mean, I do love food after all. But right now, when virtually nothing sounds appealing and most things I think of make me want to gag, it's not a good combination to have. My days are filled with dread for the next stomach rumble, because then I have to rummage through the frig, freezr and pantry in search of something that sounds at least minimally appealing that I think I can get past the lump in my throat. And most of the time if something DOES sound good, it's because I saw someone make it on the Food Network, and we don't have the ingredients here to whip it up. Ugh...Someone want to come live with us and be our chef???

Tomorrow is our first really "big" ultrasound, during which they do the Nuchal Translucency test. This is a high-resolution ultrasound where they take measurements on all the body parts, check for heart functioning, and look for particular markers for Down's Syndrome. Plus they do some blood work. I'm a little nervous about it - just want everything to be okay. I think that's why I can't sleep tonight! Occasionally people are able to find out the sex of the babies at this time, but not typically - that usually has to wait until 4 weeks or so.

Meanwhile, I did rent a doppler online and have been using it daily to listen to the babies' heartbeats. It gives me so much reassurance in between doc's visits and ultrasounds to be able to check any time I want.

Anthony was sick this week - I think with roseola. He spiked a high fever Tuesday night, which continued all day Wednesday. Thursday a.m. he was down some at 101, but by mid-afternoon it was back up to 103. But the wierd thing was other than being cranky and lethargic when the fever was high, and having a mildy stuffy nose (not even running), he didn't have any other symptoms. Friday the fever was gone, then today he woke up with a rash covering his belly and chest. It doesn't bother him. I researched it and it sounds like classic roseola.

I guess that's all for now. I am really going to try to figure out how to get the cameras to load onto this laptop so I can put some recent photos up - I know it's been a while.

Oh yeah, and if anyone is feeing an overwhelming urge to go shopping, and want an excuse for someone other than yourself - I desperately need some maternity clothes!!! The few I had from last time are winter clothes, and may I tell you the temp has averaged 110 here for over a month now. And it typically doesn't cool down until after Halloween. I have no shorts and only 3 t-shirts that fit, and 2 pairs of cropped khakis. That's it, period. Heck, even the boxer shorts and tanks I wear to bed are getting too tight! Yikes! I need to go on a shopping spree at Old Navy and JC Penny!

Ok, that really is all for now. I'll update you on the u/s and test results when we get them!
Thanks for everyone's prayers!

11 Weeks Tomorrow

Well, I didn't even make it out of the 1st trimester before I got taken off work! I've been off the past 2 weeks, and today my OB took me off for the remainder of the pregnancy! I have had constant cramping and some minor spotting, and because I am so high risk, my OB just felt that it would be safer to not have me working. While I'm okay with the concept of this, it will make the pocketbooks more than a little tight! I am praying and praying and praying, and know we just have to trust that God is going to see us through this.

I did have a quick ultrasound last Friday, just to check the heartbeats, and both babies' heart rates were 167 beats/minute, which is good and strong.

The nausea has definitely picked up over the past few weeks. I am supposed to be consuming 3500 calories/day, and gaining 1 lb/week, but because not a whole lot appeals to me these days, I've had a hard time achieving that. In particular, I'm having a hard time taking in enough protein, as meat hasn't been very appetizing to me. I AM craving a good steak, though! I'm also having migraines several times a week, which is no fun and adds to the nausea.

My next appt and ultrasound is scheduled for July 30 - two weeks from today. Yay!

Twin Ultrasound Pics

The first pic is of both twins; Baby B is on the left and Baby A is on the right. This pic doesn't show Baby B very clear, so there is a single pic of Baby B below.
I read somewhere that the babies are the size of a grape this week. All of the major joints are working and moving, and the heart has divided into 4 chambers as the valves are forming. External sex organs have started to develop, but are not yet distinguishable as boy or girl!

Amazing how two little grapes can wreak such havock in my big body!!