Fat Babies Update

Last week (32 week 5 day mark) was another ob/gyn & perinatologist appointment. I was unable to make that one, but hubby could go. 

Here's the short and the sweet:

Baby (A) Boy - head is down, heart rate 144, fluid looks good, and weighing in at a whomping 4 lbs 14 ozs. 

Baby (B) Girl - head is sideways to up, but that's ok since she is second to the cervix. Heart rate is 132, fluid looks good, and she is estimated to be about 4 lbs 11 ozs. 

She was a little light at our last appointment, so I'm glad to see she has settle down (including her heart rate) and put some more junk in her trunk. She's been pretty dance-y dance-y up till now, but I think she's officially run out of room. 

This weekend we will be 34 weeks! 

GAH! I'm not ready! 

A Dream, News, and Baby Shower Thoughts

Last night I had a dream. I dreamed that I was pregnant. Like waaaaayyyyyyy pregnant, but only sort of. And I couldn't figure out if there were twins in there or a singleton or if I wasn't really pregnant at all (because my stomach kept changing from very pregnant to normal size). I was pleased until I realized - holy crap - we already have twins on the way with my SIL surrogate!!! How was I going to handle more at once? How was I going to handle twin newborns with more arriving right around the corner. I was in the hospital and it was oh so confusing.

It was a very weird dream.

Then I woke and felt relief. Probably best to leave the analysis of that one alone. :-)

On other news fronts, stuff seems to be coming along fine. For the most part. SIL got a positive on her glucose test and so she has to go back for the 3 hour test to check for gestational diabetes. I've been told it's quite horrid. 3 hours of drinking this big ole thing of sickly sweet stuff that makes you want to barf and sleep the rest of the day. She has school orientation with most of her children later that day. Major suckage. Even more major if she does have GD.

Babies are doing well. Viking-Boy was 3lbs 4 oz at our last visit and Girlie-Girl was a respectable 2lbs 14oz. He is still facing down towards the exit and that's a good thing. If possible, my SIL would prefer to have a Vajayjay delivery. I don't blame her. It's key that the boy be head down for this to be possible. They can flip the girl if needed, but not vice-versa (or both).


We are at 31 weeks. Holy crap. So much left to do. STAY IN THE OVEN FOR AS LONG AS YOU CAN!!!

My Bestie is coming in from NJ to throw my baby shower with my mom and another great friend. I truly have some spectacularly awesome friends. Every once in awhile I just sit in awe when I think of it.

On the subject of baby shower - I was thinking today that I need to get something for my SIL for the baby shower. Don't know why I didn't think of it earlier. How boring for her to sit at my shower and watch me get a ton of gifts while she does all the work. But what to get her??? And does she open it there? Then it seems more like a "show" of gratitude than anything else. And really - nothing I could get would ever even come close to what she has done for us.

If you have any idea of what I can get her - light up my comment section. She has 4 kids (3 of them step-children) of various ages (5-14). Maybe I should get something for all of them and her?

That's it for now. Off to to one of the 100 task I still have left on my list.

Got Twins? Help a Sista Out

From: http://makingmade.com/2012/11/10/day-313-lyric-lettering/

So I thought I'd be ok. Figure out what I needed 2 of, figure out what can be shared, read through recommendations, and then I would be all set. Except with twins, it's not all easy-peasy-logical like that. Things don't fit all nice and neat into categories and some things cross over with twins that don't for parents of singletons. Plus, information specific to twins is a tad on the sparse side; unless you don't have a job, social life, or hobbies. All of which I do have  (yes - I am very aware a lot of that will change come this fall).

Price is an issue. We don't need the most expensive items, nor could we afford it. We don't get the luxury of handing things down to the next sibling. My ideas of a slightly fancy crib with all the ooh-la-la etchings of high-end, wood furniture has gone out the window with the new requirement of 2 simultaneous cribs.

That's not to say I want everything cheap and of suspect quality. Having had a child 21 years ago (oh-my-god just writing that), I am keenly aware that sometimes you have to spend money to save money. And then there are times where cheaper sometimes = less safe, not a description you want with your baby products.

Then there are space issues. Car trunk space issues. Bedroom space issues. Sitting on the couch but there isn't room for 2 things on the floor by the coffee table space issues. Arm space issues. The list goes on and on.

So what's a girl to do?

Instinctively, I reached for the book Baby Bargains (8th edition) a few months back when I was at a large consignment sale. This was at the beginning of the pregnancy and may have even been before we knew we had twins. The book was chocked full of good information, but I realized that it was an older edition and that several safety things had changed since it's 2009 publication. That lead me to purchase the kindle version of the latest edition. (DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT, purchase the kindle edition. Hopefully I will remember to post the long list why later.) Suffice to say, that I realized that it, as well as other resources, was lacking in areas that would be important to parents of twins.

What sort of things? I'm glad you asked!!! (I'll even happier if someone has some answers!) Here are some examples from my over-active imagination:

• Infant carrier car seats. Part of the consideration of these things is weight. While a 30lb carrier (not including baby weight) might be ok to manage going up the stairs to my front door, 2 of these things would not be. Do I just go for the convertible car seats that accommodate infants? The biggest complaint of these (for infants) is that baby wakes up when you remove them (since you can't take the entire thing out each time), but honestly I don't think I'll be able to carry two of the infant car seats every time I leave my car sans hubby. As much as I'd like to see my jiggly arms tone up, I suspect this may not be the best plan. 
• On that note: what about strollers? Do I go for the strollers that fit the infant car seats or has my previous concern just eliminate them? Side-by-side strollers or front back? Front back facing or non-facing. Which is going to fit better in our car trunks? I know one of us will eventually have to upgrade to a bigger vehicle (please let it be hubby, please let it be hubby), but considering my car was bought in 2010 and hubby's was bought last year - that ain't happening soon. (All those pesky IVF/Surro expenses and son's college expenses.)
• What about carriers? I grabbed some groovy sling/wrap/boho-whatever-you-call-them at a consignment sale, but I'm guessing that after a few months we will need something a bit sturdier that won't kill my back. I'm only 5'3 and 115lbs. (Ok fine - 123 lbs, but I will get back to my pre-IVF weight soon. Whatever.) What carriers work well when carrying two??? Or do you need one for front and one for back? In that case, what one is safe on your back?
• Bouncers. Do I need to worry about the elevated head sleep thing for twins? I hear it's common. I've already fallen in love with this ghastly, overpriced Babybjorn Babysitter bouncer that I'm fairly certain we HAVE TO HAVE. Have found a possible used connection for one, but I have no idea how well these things handle up over time. If need be, this will probably be my splurge item. I'm obsessed with them. 

If you are a parent of twins - what were your MUST HAVE items? How many sheets is a good number to have? (Just popped in my head.) How did you address the issues above? What am I forgetting?

HELP A SISTA OUT. I'm beginning to bug out. OK FINE. Bug out more than normal. OK FINE. I never really was normal. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? 

P.S. Please help.