A Big Day

All week, we have been talking about Friday as being a "big day" and it did not disappoint. First, the whole family came with me to my ultrasound; neither Paul nor Abby have been able to come since the 20 week one. The babies are getting so big and guess what? They are both vertex now (I knew I felt that little boy do a complete flip a couple of weeks ago) so I am all set for the delivery I want (not a c-section) unless they flip again- which is entirely possible- but we've had talks (the babies and I that is) and I think we are all on the same page. They looked great and were estimated at 2.2 and 2.6 lbs. give or take 5 oz. They are getting too big for good ultrasound photos, but I did get one catching the two of them putting their heads together, conspiring against their poor mummy; no doubt thinking up ways to make me even more uncomfortable. I also had a bunch of blood tests done and *SURPRISE* they couldn't find any veins in my arm so they had to stick and dig around on the tops of my hands until they found "a good one". Next time, they are getting ONE try. That's it! My next appt. is in 3 weeks (no ultrasound) and then every 2 weeks after that with Non-Stress Tests at the hospital which is where we are all hooked up to monitors that record each baby's heartbeat and measures the frequency of my contractions if there are any.

The other WAY major thing that happened was that we finally got Abby's hair cut. As you can tell by the photo, she was a little past due because I have been growing her bangs out all summer. We went to a place in Draper called "Cookie Cutters" which is a place just for kids. We really wanted her to have a good experience and she was so worried about cutting her long hair. Well, she LOVED it! They have themed chairs and they get to watch a video of their choice while the stylist cuts the hair. Abby told the girl, "I want my hair to look like Grandma's." I explained that meant a little bob that will grow out well... that was preferably not colored gray. I needed something fairly short as her hair was so thin and all different lengths from her baby mullet days.

Then, because her hair was so long, we were able to donate 7 1/2 inches of hair to Locks of Love and Abby was really excited about being able to give hair to a child who needed it. She was horrified that there were children who didn't have hair because they were so sick. (You can click the icon to learn more about it). She really surprises me with her understanding and compassion for others sometimes.
The end result was darling and we were both really happy with it.

When we got home, we found some strange people lurking in our darkened hall... it turns out, they were my parents!!! They TOTALLY surprised us and it was so awesome! My mother, of course, has been doing the laundry and the dishes and whatever else she could to help. Grandpa has been busy keeping Abby busy. That night, we all went to a nice dinner. I was so glad that they could feel the babies move and see how well Abby is reading in person. They're leaving Sunday in the late afternoon and I am already sad. What an unexpectedly fantastic ending to our BIG day.

27 Weeks

This week has definitely had it's share of ups and downs. The downs first- this week I started feeling this pain around and just above and below my belly button. It was really sharp in places at times, worse at night and when the babies were moving, but it was mainly my skin- it felt like the worst sunburn I ever had only to look, you wouldn't be able to tell anything was up, but even the softest clothing felt abrasive. I went to the doctor and was told that it was nerve damage from my skin being stretched too far, too fast (did I mention I weighed in at 150 lbs?). Okay, so it can't hurt the babies and they're heartbeats were good, but get this... there is NOTHING I can do about it... and it will get worse... and it can last until well AFTER delivery! What? That's not what I wanted to hear! I've been walking around here like a teenage hoochy with my belly sticking out. I guess it will have to be my new look.

On to better news- my friend Jenny mentioned how funky my feet looked because my ninnies were starting to resemble these "ghettoes" sooooooo, she fixed and painted and scrubbed them and they look great. I admire them every time I put my feet up (obviously, I can't admire them too much when I'm standing or I might just fall over- TTTTIIIMMMMMBBBERRRR!)
This morning, Abby wanted to surprise me by making our bed (making beds is her new favorite pasttime... we'll enjoy it while it lasts). She was so proud and she really did a great job! We did not help her.

So now, I'm 27 weeks along. As I was searching through some old photos, I found one of me when I was 27 weeks along with Abby. I put on the same shirt- which I could BARELY fit over my belly and decided to take a comparison picture. There's a little bit of a size difference there. Oh, and I haven't fit into those pants in a few months.

Coming up this week- Monday begins my friend's craft give away on her blog, Vanilla Joy and all you have to do is leave a comment to enter. She's giving away some fantastic stuff so check it out. Also, Friday, I have a glucose test to check for gestational diabetes (standard- don't worry), a blood test to check for this particular antibody I've been having in my blood, and another growth ultrasound. Can't wait to see those babies again!

Weekend with Dawn

This weekend (well, technically Thurs - Mon), my friend Dawn came to visit (read: catch up and take care of me). We have known each other for 22 years and have been there for each other through our many phases in life. Here we are at about 19 years old when we worked at Wal*Mart together (way back when you still put the * in Walmart)

She has a beautiful family with 2 darling little girls who were kind enough to make due without their mama for the weekend. We were able to get so much done thanks to her. My mobility is decreasing as fast as my weight is increasing, and my coordination (what little I had to begin with) is deteriorating as quickly as my girth is expanding. She cleaned and we went through baby clothes, washed and organized, stayed up past 2:00 am every night talking and had some nice meals (and a little shopping). She brought some things to do with Abby (who now cannot stop talking about her) including making me the cutest t-shirt... check it out in the photos. Oh! And she put our new toy box together. It really was a lovely, refreshing weekend and despite me having to get over the embarrassment of not being able to do much, it made me feel better than I have in a long time to have so much done. I also have to give a big "shout out" to Paul for giving us time to do fun things and have time alone... he is so wonderful. THANK YOU DAWN FOR EVERYTHING!

More Lessons from a 4 Year Old

We are constantly amazed at how much Abigail is able to understand and how much she actually teaches us. This week, there were a couple of major lessons learned from her that stand out.

1. She has an aunt that is having the same problems conceiving a child that Paul and I went through. I understand how frustrating and heartbreaking it is. Well, I was telling Abby that we needed to pray for her aunt to help her have a baby. She said, "We will have to pray a LOT!" I agreed and said something like, "Well, she is lucky to have you praying for her because your prayers count extra, I think." She looked at me like an adult would and said, very gently (so that I would truly understand), "Mummy, Heavenly Father listens to everyone's prayers because he loves everyone." (Silly, me... she's right, of course).

2. I was having a really rough day physically on Sunday. Every time I stood up to do anything, those dumb, Braxton Hicks "practice" contractions would start and let me tell you, they can be painful... plus I had pulled a few ligaments and the babies were working together to try to stretch me out and make things as uncomfortable as possible. The last straw came when I started making sandwiches for lunch. The contractions started, so I pulled up a stool to sit as I prepared them. Well, that didn't work at all and after making 2 measly sandwiches, I couldn't do any more so I fell back in my chair and started to cry... I mean, if I can't make sandwiches for my family, I really am of no REAL usefulness and things are not going to get easier for months! I was trying to hold back for Abby's sake, and said, "Don't worry, I just need a drink of water and to lie down for a little while." I wasn't paying much attention, but she immediately jumped down from the table, went and got her "Cars" cup and filled it with water, brought it to me and said, "Here's some water, Mummy. Will this make you feel better?" Well, I really lost it then. I gave her a huge hug and told her how much I loved her and quickly went to my bed before she could see anymore. What a sweet girl. How did I ever get so amazingly lucky in the family department?

Name Twinspiration

So, we still haven't nailed down a name for our baby girl so I thought maybe we could scrap the whole game plan and look to the one place we knew we could go for inspiration: TV and Movies. Here is what I came up with:

1. Michael and Lindsay Bluth. Okay, so it turns out that they're not actually twins at the end... but they thought they were throughout their entire lives so that's close enough for me. And who wouldn't want their son to be responsible in the face of absurdity and their daughter to be... well, I do see the flaws in this pairing... despite the fact that Arrested Development is one of the funniest comedies of ALL TIME.




2. Sami and Eric Brady (from Days of our Lives, of course). I remember when they were born and I remember when they were aged about 15 years in a day... Ahhhh, ye-ah. Who could forget Sami trying to steal her older sister's boyfriend by drugging him and getting herself knocked up... only it turns out that the father was someone else... and all before she was out of her teens. Hmmmm, on second thought...

3. Lou and Louise, The Safety Patrol on the Disney Channel. This was obviously an addition Abby wanted included. Let's see, they have an older sister, they are always tattling on their friends and family for being unsafe (could you imagine what they'd do to my Dad? He'd have a life sentence without the possibility of parole.) This is a big NO- you can't name your kids the same name... it's not good when you need to chew them out for starters... or maybe it would save time. And I do wonder what car they are in... I have never in my life seen a backseat that spacious. I need one!

4. Brandon and Brenda Walsh. Oh yes... the 90210 early days before Shannen Dougherty was sacked for being such a horrible person (you can read the abridged version in "Stori Telling" by Tori Spelling) not to mention her crooked facial features. Carrie and I couldn't watch a single episode without commenting on that. On second thought, no. Plus, I don't want to have a picture in my head of my son driving down the street in a yellow, 1965 Mustang convertible with increasingly ridiculous side burns. Yeah, definitely OUT.

5. Luke and Leia Skywalker. These are, by far, the best options. Best movies ever, best hair ever, tough princess warrior and a country boy who saves the universe... it could work (actually "Leia" was on my short list when we were naming Abigail but Paul shot it down... what was he thinking?) Yes, there is much to inspire here. Plus, the names are nice visually and are symmetrical enough to satisfy the OCD parts of my nature.

Any other ideas?

Just Borned That Way

Today, after Church, Abby and Paul were helping put away chairs in a classroom as we are the last ward to meet for the day. Paul was taking care of the folding chairs while Abby went toward the 4 large stacking chairs as I thought, "Yeah right, Abby." So she picks up the first stacking chair and puts it against the wall. She picks up the second chair and easily stacks it on the first... I was in awe. She continues with the third and then the fourth! I could not believe what I was seeing. That stack got pretty tall and those chairs are pretty heavy and awkward for my tiny 4 year old whose height has always measured in the 5th percentile. Paul just said, "We do this every week while we wait for Relief Society to get out." I asked her how she got so strong and she shrugged and said, "I was just borned that way." WOW, she is doing all kinds of things I can't do these days... stack chairs, scrub the bathtub...

Tonight, Paul was watching a bit of football (yeah, I know that's not surprising news) and Abby was climbing all over him. I asked her at one point if she wanted ice cream and she said, "No." She climbed behind Paul and curled up on his back and wedged herself between his back and the couch. We just thought she was cuddling or trying to get warm as she insisted on wearing her favorite outfit... you know, the one she was "borned" with plus her soft underwear. About a minute after I had asked about the ice cream Paul asked me if she was asleep, and sure enough, she was out cold. It was so funny, we had to get some pictures. Even with the flash, she didn't stir. I guess stacking those chairs can really take it out of you.

Future Footballers

Another month, another doctor's appointment and growth scan. The babies both looked really good. They had both flipped so that Baby Girl is now vertex and Baby Boy is breech and with the way they've been moving, I was not surprised at all. Below is a scan of them together. Baby Boy is estimated to be 1.6 lbs and Baby Girl, 1.5 lbs which is perfect. (Baby Girl is labeled A and Baby Boy is labeled B in the scans.)My favourite part was when she got a close-up of BG's feet right next to BB's head and proceeded to kick him a few times... hey, it was round and there; she's just practicing early for her football career.As for me, I was hoping to have gained 4 lbs since my last appointment which was what all the books recommended for twins. So, I gained 12!!! YIKES! That's 3 lbs per week, just in the last month. That's a total of 32 lbs gained so far for a total weight of 144 lbs. The doctor said that was great (I did start a bit underweight). It inspired me to create a new poll on the sidebar... check it out.

Also, today I had my good friend, Georgina, help me out with organizing the house and we got A TON done which made me feel really good. And on the plus side, she's 14 and we were able to discuss "Breaking Dawn" which comes out tonight at midnight. And SO WHAT if I found and read some illegally downloaded chapters (1-7). I don't feel bad and I don't regret it one little bit. I will still be buying my own copy to finish it (well, technically, my hero , Paul, will be the one to brave the teeny-bopper crowd for me because he is the best husband in the whole wide world... oh, and he and Abby are going to the movies to see Wall-E tomorrow to give me some time alone reading... yeah, he's the best!).