27W Update @ 43 & Nursery and Belly Pics

Assuming the twinks go to "full term," we have about 9 weeks until we meet our two little buggers!!! We can't wait!!!

Happy Birthday to Me
Earlier this week, I celebrated my 43rd. To me, 43 is just a number. I don't "feel" 43, don't think I look 43, hope I still have my positive, can-do attitude and, despite the weight I WILL loose after this pregnancy, my husband still sees me as a MILF. I feel like I should have something deep and meaningful to share to commemorate the occasion, like some type of life insight, but the truth is that I don't. I am just enjoying the moment. What does come to mind is how much I am enjoying my 40's and what I did to celebrate my last several birthdays:

41st - Was gifted corporate tickets to the Marc Anthony concert in Miami - so flew out for the weekend and took my Dad on a "date." I had my hair done by a sexy Latino guy who looked like a movie star and gave me a kiss on the cheek to wish me a happy birthday. We were out way past 2 am and had a blast! Glad I could celebrate in such great style.

42nd - Celebrated by taking Mom to Barcelona, Spain. She treated me to a calorie-filled celebration dinner at Els Quatre Gats - the restaurant where Picasso had his first exhibition and all his cohorts used to frequent. It is one of the most delicious meals I have ever eaten.

43rd - A dream come true! A wonderful day drained of energy, feeling our twinkies kick and putting the finishing touches on our nursery - the curtains. DH took me to lunch at one of my favorite local restaurants - Yard House.

Pregnancy Update
Went to the doctor yesterday and saw the twinks. Baby A (on the right - who I feel kick more often), was lying with their head on my right and feet toward the left. Baby B was laying diagonally - with their head toward my left ribs and their feet near Baby A's tummy. Both were dancing, wiggling and waving their arms. Their kicks get stronger each week, but it's hard for other people to feel them because the kicks are intermittent and it's hard to predict where the next one will be.

I think we might have discovered the root of why I've been so nauseous lately. My iron was low, so I have been taking a slow-release iron tablet with my other vitamins - on an empty stomach. The nurse gave me a new iron supplement to try and told me to take it at night with food. So far, I 've been feeling better the last two days.

Since last week, I put on 6 lbs!!! It was a bit of a shock to me. I knew I gained, but didn't expect that much. My nurse noticed how swollen my legs were and thinks most of it is water weight. She instructed me to drink more water and put my feet up every couple of hours.

Here are front and side 27 week belly pics. My belly is now bigger than my boobs...oh my!

The Nursery

I was on a mission to finish the curtains this weekend (they've been sitting on my desk waiting for me to finish two hems for about two months now), and finally...MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!! I think we can call the nursery project complete. I love the way it turned out - simple, with just a touch of sophistication. Most of all, the nursery is "us"...

It's hard to see from the pictures (the lighting in the room isn't the best), but the colors are a light turquoise, brown and white.

  

The Baby Shower
I am not one who feels comfortable being in the spotlight. At this age, I know we can handle this financially (one of the reasons we waited to have kids for so long), so I was opposed to having a shower because it made me feel like I was obligating my friends to buy us gifts.

It took my Mom to explain and help me understand that this is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion that I deserve to celebrate - especially since these babies are true miracles, that would have never existed without what we went through the last five years.

So, my Mom is throwing me a shower - brunch at a beautiful restaurant - in about two weeks.

Now, I have to admit I am so EXCITED and can't wait. With the exception of a few friends I invited from out-of-town and one friend here who is hosting out-of-town guests, EVERYONE is coming! Even my in-laws, who NEVER travel, are flying cross-country to be here! I feel SO special and loved!!!

Last week, I found a bakery who can make my "dream" cake. The differences are that it will be my nursery colors, have two layers, say "Welcome Twinkies" on the front of the bottom layer, and have two babies peeking out of the box.

 Until next time...

Wall Art - Shadow Boxes

Thanks for all your replies and suggestions for the sayings for the nursery. Yesterday I attended a scrapbook party and was able to get three of the four shadow boxes done.

Scrapbooking is still not one of my favorite activities and I don't see me adding this to the list of hobbies I enjoy - but I sure do like the finished project.

These are better than anything I've seen in the stores and I am going to be so proud each time I see them hanging in our nursery. If the kids outgrow them, we can always redo the shadow boxes with something more appropriate at the time.

Did you pick up on the sun and the moon and the stars theme on this one?

I am resisting anything Disney, bunnies, duckies, etc. in my nursery - but this was my husband's favorite saying, so I made this one for him.

With my love of travel, this is my very favorite. It's simple - but says so much to me. Loved the wallet with passport, tickets, and credit cards. Too cute!

Doctor's Appointment Today
My doctor wants me to see the nurse weekly now. Since I adore my nurse, I have no problem with that.

My weight was right on-target - gained 22 lbs so far - and blood pressure was good too. We took a peek at the babies and they were quite active. At one point, one baby had their fingers in front of their their face, then reached behind their head - too cute. They were both head up, feet down, facing each other and kicking into the placenta - that may be why I can't feel kicks as much sometimes.

She listened to their heartbeats and one was in the 130's and the other in the 140's. Based on this, her guess is boy / girl (the boys have slower HB's), but my "mommy" sense still tells me it's two boys.

I asked the nurse and she clarified that the note the doctor gave me does qualify me for disabity. Yay! I can start to slow down and still have some $$ coming in! Glad I clarified that...much better than bedrest!

Another week gone by...

Has it really been almost a week since I last posted? I didn't even realize!!! I guess between taking last Friday off and the holiday last Monday, I lost track of time. I just checked my ticker last week and can't believe it...I'm in my 15th week already!!!

First, a huge congratulations to RD on the birth of her baby girl the other day! My eyes filled with tears as soon as I read her brief birth announcement the other day. I am so, so happy for all of you!

HopefulinColorado, you're next! Hope you make it these last few single-digit days!

Second, I want to shout out to Auntie Em and her babies and let them know I am so relieved that they are doing ok (I know many of you read her blog too).

Third, for those of you who have been following my story for awhile, you've known that there was only one co-worker who knew because his wife saw me at the RE's office. Well, she's down to the last few weeks of her pregnancy and her baby shower is tomorrow. Since I feel like I now have a special connection to this baby, I don't think I've ever been so excited to attend a baby shower!

OK, now on to my world...lots going on.

I am getting my energy back and the nausea has become MUCH BETTER since my Dr. wrote me a prescription for Zofran. I definitely have a baby bump and can pick up heartbeats (not sure if it's the same one, but I'd like to think that I can pick up both) pretty easily.

We had our last appointment with our regular OB last Tuesday and this time he made a video (at my insistence). I was hoping to spruce it up a bit with some music and subtitles, but my knowledge is not that technologically advanced - so click here if you wish to see the "raw vanilla" version.

We got the good news on Tuesday that we were accepted into the high-risk practice, so I have my first appointment on Monday. It's going to be a long one - over two hours! I'll get to see the twinkies again! Can't wait!

This week has been one of the most fun ever because I told most of my extended family, friends and people at work. This may sound silly, but I've been overcome and stunned by their reactions and how happy they are for us! I wasn't expecting it, at all...

It's still too early to feel kicks, but I expect that will happen in the next 2-4 weeks. The other question people immediately ask is "Are they boys, girls, or one of each?" The more we've thought about it, the more we want to be surprised - so I'm pretty sure we're leaning toward not finding out. We are so happy to be pregnant, and over-the-moon excited that it's twins, that we honestly don't care. Really.

The Nursery

I haven't been doing much shopping, but this week I purchased an Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper off Craig's List for a great price. The couple said their daughter hardly used it - so it's nearly brand new. Most parents have given this item rave-reviews and it was highly recommended in the "Baby Bargains" book too. So, if we don't have cribs as soon as the little ones arrive, we'll be ok.

Later this week, painters come to paint the interior of our house. We are going to leave the nursery the same color the previous owners painted it (they didn't have kids) - a very pale blue called Silverpointe. It is neutral enough to go with just about any other "baby" color - pink, blue, brown, lavender, yellow.

Final Thoughts
I know that many women who follow this blog are still somewhere in the beginning or middle of their journey. I wish that there eventually comes a day where no woman has to go through the uncertainty, pain, tears and heartbreak it took for us to get here. Being on "this side of the fence" is one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Each day, I still wake up and pinch myself to convince myself that this is really happening.

I assume that someday, some woman struggling with infertility is going to look at our family and ask "why me" - just like I did thousands of times myself. I almost wish there was a bubble above my head to tell these women what it took for us to get here and not to assume it was so easy.

Know that I am saying the above out of a very deep care and love for all of you who are still going through the process. My thoughts, hopes and prayers are with you.