Third Tri... The Home Stretch!

It's been a VERY long time since I updated the blog, but most of you know it's because I was travelling from Germany to Florida, and then to Colorado.  We're finally in Colorado, and loving it!  Now that I have my Mac back I'm going to resume the blog mainly to keep a lot of the baby-related items off Facebook.

The pregnancy: I am 34 weeks 3 days today!  There are times I really can't believe I've made it this far, and other times where it feels like I've been pregnant forever.  I'm happy to say that at the last ultrasound the girls (Oh yeah, we're team PINK) are measuring large and healthy.  They are still just an ounce off of each other, Baby A was 4lbs 3oz and Baby B was 4lbs 2oz at our 32 weeks appointment (that's about a half a pound heavier than a regular singleton).  Both girls have been head down at every appointment since 25 weeks which makes me really happy as we're hoping for a vaginal delivery.  I will admit the one downside of both girls being head down is that I can actually feel their heads slowly pushing my hips apart, which is uncomfortable to say the least.

My belly is huge, I can't go anywhere without being asked how far along I am.  Kevin and I both enjoy the reactions we get from complete strangers when we say we're having twins, though.  For people who will probably never even see the babies, everyone is always very excited to hear twins.  I'm having a belly identity crisis: I feel like I'm carrying the two largest babies in the entire world, but I know that I look relatively small for being this far along with twins.  I'm happy to report that I still don't have any stretch marks on my tummy, although I do have some on the front side of my thighs.  Kevin is constantly amazed at how translucent my tummy is starting to look, the blue veins are quite visible and look like a road map on my belly.

I've had a few minor episodes of swelling, mainly in my hands and feet, but luckily it goes away with rest and fluids.  I have been pleasantly surprised with how few complications I've had considering the risks involved in this pregnancy.  The specialist at the Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic said I no longer need to take Lovenox unless I have a C-section or bedrest.  The OB at Evans said I was the poster child for twin pregnancy, which makes me feel like Superwoman.

The girls: Baby A, on my left side, has become the mover.  She's lower down, so I can feel her feet move at the top of my belly.  I found out at one of my appointments in Florida that I feel Baby A more because her placenta is closer to my back, whereas Baby B's placenta is on top near my belly button.  Nonetheless, I have noticed a few things about their movements.  Baby A does not like to be on the bottom when I'm laying down.  All the pregnancy books I've read says to try and sleep on your left side because it puts less stress on internal organs.  Obviously, this recommendation is for a singleton pregnancy, because when I lay on my left side Baby A will not let me fall asleep.  Baby B tends to get woken up by Baby A, she's not the mover anymore (though has been more photogenic for all ultrasounds compared to Baby A).  Baby B is a bit higher up and lately her kicks have been in my ribs which is just as uncomfortable as it sounds.

From the ultrasounds we've had Kevin and I both agree that they have my nose.  We were also told at our last appointment that there is still a 15-20% chance that they are identical twins vs. fraternal.  At my last OB appointment I asked if there was any testing they could do at birth to let us know, but the OB didn't know off the top of his head.  Here are two pictures from our last 4D ultrasound: Baby A on the left and Baby B on the right.

According to BabyCenter.com at 34 weeks the girls are measuring 4 3/4 lbs (which we all know they're bigger than that!).  At this point if I were to go into labor they would more than likely be fine, with a stay in the NICU.  The only thing that requires a few more weeks of development are their lungs, so I'm hoping they cook just a little bit longer!

This was a huge update, but I missed out on most of the pregnancy, so I'll just leave it at this for the time being.  Now that I'm all set up in our new home updates will be more regular, I promise!