30 weeks with twins

I have been looking forward to hitting 30 weeks for quite a while now. You may have noticed I was doing every two week updates, but decided to wait for this milestone to post again. I've been a bad blogger, that's for sure. Not much to talk about besides ZOMG BABIES, and we all know there are plenty of blogs out there to get your fill of that. Not as many with twins though, amirite???  ;)

So as you will see in the photos below, I am growing A LOT each week. This belly is getting harder to manage. I recently bought another maternity support belt for daily use. I had bought a Gabrialla a while back for running, which turned into walking, but it's a bit bulky to wear under clothes. The newest is the Pretnatal Cradle Mini. Check out the sweet perm on the model:

(src)

Maybe it's not a perm. In fact, now that I look at it closer, I bet I could duplicate that 'do pretty easily with my curls. The unitard/singlet? Might be harder to find. I've only worn it two days so far, so I can't comment on how effective it is. I am hoping it takes some of the pressure off my pelvic region at work - even though I have a desk job, I do walk to the restroom often and have quite a few flights of stairs to contend with each day. I haven't succumbed to the elevator yet, although I am definitely out of breath something fierce after that 5 flight climb each morning.

Update: After 4 days of use, my ankles and feet are a lot less swollen.

I have recently given up trying to wear non-maternity shirts. They don't quite cover the mass as they should. I also don't want to buy more maternity clothes right now, so I need to become okay with wearing a lot of repeat outfits week after week. (My personal standard is to not wear the same thing two weeks in a row....I have no idea where I came up with this.)

The babies are definitely on the move. Their kicks, punches, and rolls (?) don't hurt at all, but baby B (boy) likes to get up all in my ribs some evenings and I have to adjust the way I am sitting to get more comfortable. Again, it doesn't hurt, just feels uncomfortable.

I wasn't delusional in thinking having babies wasn't work, but there are a lot of little things that you don't think of right away that have to get done (your lists may vary) before they arrive for the most part. Things like figuring out a baptism strategy, attending classes, visiting labor and delivery at the hospital, coordinating with HR at work, doing laundry and getting organized, researching sleep training, finding a pediatrician, figuring out how to not leave my work projects in complete disorder for when I am gone, oh and the daycare situation. Holy hell is that overwhelming. Anyone want to come be a nanny for twins? For free? I kid. Sort of.

I figure I have about 8 weeks/2 months to go at the most before baby day. I lot of twins are born between 35-37 weeks. Only time will tell, and until then, I want to be prepared. I have this frightening image of my water breaking at work, so I plan to pack a bag to keep in my car just in case.

Here’s the latest….

The front view is decidedly less dramatic.

 

30 week stats:

Weeks along: 30 weeks and 3 days 
Weight gain: Most likely over 30 pounds.
Symptoms: Active babies, tiredness, some aches, thirst, some swelling.
Workout status: Keeping up the walks. It’s still going well. 
Eats: I have been rather ambivalent to cooking and exploring food still. I still feel like I am eating pretty decent. I have ice cream occasionally and weekly pizza, but that is pretty standard fare.   
Cravings: Still no cravings that I can tell. It’s a good thing I guess.
Clothing: My wardrobe is definitely becoming more limited. I am pretty sure I can make it to the end with what I have. (Don’t tell Mr. BKL I said that.)

27 weeks

Marching towards 30 one day at a time. For some reason 30 weeks will feel like a big milestone. I also should mention that I sort of glossed over another 30 milestone...as in 30 years. My day of birth is 2/1. I had a post planned, but it was very much the opposite of monumental. I was actually excited to be 30, probably because of what this year brings for me.

My twenties were awesome. I did what most people do in their 20's...meet an awesome person to spend life with, graduate college, get married, and buy a house. The unexpected things in there were being unemployed for almost a year and of course, finding out our planned pregnancy was twice as nice. I had a lot of fun in my twenties, and while some days I think a night out on the town or doing crazy college aged person things sounds fun, I have been pretty content being more of a homebody the past few years. I enjoy hanging out with a few friends at someone's house, maybe playing some yard games, and enjoying some BBQ and beers quite a bit. Good thing a lot of my friends are having or have had babies recently so they have some little buddies to hang out with when we get together.

We also made a new purchase that sort of has to do with my birthday, since I used the generous birthday money from our parents towards a new iPad 2.

So far I love it. (Duh). I have a smart phone, which essentially does all the same things, but this is so much more practical. It also helps me indulge my lazy side that I have been embracing lately. I know it will come in hand when the wee ones are here, too. Apparently there is an app for charting feeding times, ounces fed, diaper changes, sleep, etc. The more you know I guess.

In pregnancy news, fortunately since the last time we spoke I haven't had any bad bouts of heartburn. ::knocks on wood::  Not sure what it was all about, but I have a feeling it may return.
My biggest gripe this week is what would at any other time in life be a run of the mill head cold. This time though, having a cold while pregnant has really taken it's toll. Each "phase" seems to be lasting double the time. I think I am now over the beginning "feel like death" phase, but have moved into the annoying sneezing, stuffy nose, congestion phase. Also, according to my beloved, I have been snoring in my sleep. As far as I know, I have never snored. The combination of no breathing room, and no breathing passages must be to blame. I feel so attractive right now.

On a brighter note, I had my first baby shower this past weekend. I am beyond blessed with such amazing friends and family. My friends hosted a brunch with amazing food, decor, and great times. The babies got some great gifts, too. They are spoiled already. Two of my good friends are also pregnant and one is due in a little over a month. We are about 6 weeks apart, and here is how our bellies compare. She is all baby and has the cutest bump:

I think it's fun to see how different women carry their babies during pregnancy. My bump seems to just be all over, while hers is a little lower.

Another thing that keeps me in awe is that really, at any point from now on I could start to have complications like pre-term labor. Many Mom's of multiples are put on bed rest already at this point. I am still feelings so, so lucky to still be working full time and for the most part pretty good 90% of the time. My blood pressure is still low, and my aches and pains are relatively mild.

Today we had a growth scan and check up with the Perinatology clinic. We got great news all around. Both babies are head down and they are growing well. Only time will tell if they will stay head down, but it’s a good start!

Do these stripes make me look fat? ;)

 

27week stats:

Weeks along: 27and 6 days
Weight gain: I think I am nearing 30 pounds already. Lord help me. Luckily, I passed my gestational diabetes test.
Symptoms: Active babies, tiredness, some aches, thirst, and I think I am starting to waddle slightly. Workout status: Keeping up the walks. Besides my week off from being sick, walking is going well. reading on the iPad is really nice and helps pass the time. 
Eats: Same old. I still like the things I did pre-pregnancy just as much.  
Cravings: Still no cravings that I can tell. It’s a good thing I guess.
Clothing: Starting to run out of options for things like pajamas and workout shirts. My usual T-shirts are coming up short. Literally. Time to start wearing the extra large variety found in Mr. BKL’s closet.

Pasta Fresca

Remember when I used to blog about food? That was neat. Well don’t get too excited because I have actually blogged about this one before, but that rendition was for a pre-race meal that I made for myself. I have always loved the Pasta Fresca from Noodles and Co., but didn't think Mr. BKL was a big fan.
Recently, he picked this one out of my recipe binder and we made it for dinner.

It turned out even better the second time and he even loved it. I even got to have tomatoes in it. I don't love tomatoes, but I do liked soft sweet ones in pastas like this. He on the other hand, does not like tomatoes in any shape or form.

It's a very simple recipe, really. You get some greens in the way of spinach and using wheat pasta will up your nutrition factor. We used frozen shrimp from Costco, which for this worked just fine.
One difference this time between the last time I made this was the wine. The first time I had 1/2 a bottle of sauvignon blanc that had been opened the day before. (When the recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of wine, you are totally justified in opening a new bottle. You have my permission.) Well this time I broke down and bought white cooking wine from the grocery store. Boo. The joy of cooking with wine is enjoying a glass while you cook, no? Since I would be the only one to drink it, I decided not to buy a bottle for this occasion.

Regardless of your preferred alcohol cooking method, this recipe turns out well.

Click here for the recipe from Gimme Some Oven. Be sure to top with copious amounts of feta cheese.

Someday I will cook food in the daylight so my camera can really shine.

25 weeks

As of this posting, I am almost 26 weeks now, but I like odd numbers better, and since the picture is from 25, I am sticking with that.

I feel like I am hugely pregnant these days. When I catch a glimpse of myself in a reflection, I am pretty bumptastic. As to be expected with twins I guess.

My little duo continue to impress me with their activity. It doesn’t hurt yet, but I swear they are switching positions constantly. It’s all very alien like…especially when I feel their bodies turning around through the outside. I love feeling them move and only wish I knew who was doing what and when.

My biggest gripe as of this week is heartburn. Apparently what I thought was heartburn in the past was clearly not. Wow…does it hurt. Doesn’t seem to come from certain foods, just starts up around 3:30 in the afternoon. Ever the investigator, I am hoping I can figure out what makes it worse some days than others. Empty stomach maybe?

Other lesser gripes include dull back aches, some swelling at my ankles, tiredness, and just getting more and more uncomfortable in daily life. Putting on socks downright sucks. I am very happy I won’t be pregnant over the summer, but flip flops sound lovely right now.

Once again though, I really can’t complain. Even though I’ve never done this before, I really don’t feel all that bad 80% of the time.

Another thing that is lifting my spirits this week is actually working 8 hour days. The 50+ hour work weeks were really taking a toll on my body and my mind. I am hoping the lightened workload will stay with me until my final days at work.

25 weeks

25 week stats
Weeks along: 25 and 6 days
Weight gain: We’ll see on Monday at my next appointment. Definitely haven’t been losing! I will also find out if I need to call Wilford Brimely for those testing strips for diabetes.
Symptoms: Heartburn, backaches, tiredness, and active babies!
Running status: Nil. Keeping up the walks. A dear friend borrowed me her Kindle to read The Hunger Games and I love being able to read and walk at the same time. I also lifted twice this week.
Eats: Nothing new here. Still loving sandwiches (yes I am eating deli meat) and chips.
Cravings: Nothing new. I feel like I am missing out on this pregnancy craving thing. Oh well…there’s still time.
Clothing: Testing the stretch limits of all my non-maternity shirts! I am hoping they don’t become permanently stretched out. Some of my actual maternity shirts seem to add so much bulk making me look like a house. I would rather look smaller than bigger thankyouverymuch.

 

Here’s the whole lineup so far:

I’m Listening

I admit it. I sometimes roll my eyes when people say "listen to your body." Shelby wrote a great post on the topic, so I won't elaborate because I agree with her for the most part. (Funny enough, this same post was referenced by another awesome runner and new mom last week.) Mostly because my body tells me to do things like drink beer, eat pizza, and watch entire seasons of Mad Men in one sitting. Sometimes it tells me to go running or lift, but I usually have to tell it that with my inner voice.

I also admit I can be bad at "listening" when I probably should be. I have been sick with a simple cold and have turned it into bronchitis or pneumonia many times by not slowing down. I was such a rebellious teenager that I would sneak out to go running when I was sick despite knowing better or when my Mom or Doctor told me not to. Wild times, I tell ya.

I fought it for as long as I could, but I come to tell you with a heavy heart that I am no longer running. I am actually listening to my body and the bodies inside it. (And I was told a week and a half ago by one of my doctors to limit activity to walking and swimming). The first week of January, I really slowed down. I was running about 3 miles at 5.0 mph on the treadmill or about 10:00 minute miles outside 3-4 times a week. Problem was, that right after Christmas, the slight achy feeling that I would always feel after my runs was getting worse. It lasted through until the next day, which would then cause me to not run two days in a row. I made the difficult decision to stop on what was one of the warmest weeks of January on record. Figures. Seeing all the tweets and blog posts about glorious long runs in shorts in January made me green with envy. Of course it would happen that the winter I am not training for a race is one of the mildest I can recall.

I think the hardest part about giving it up is knowing how long it will be until I can pick it up again. Best case scenario I would be back running beginning of June. I often cross over my beloved running trail in my car and get nostalgic. I think about last winter and how I was often the sole inhabitant for miles on end. Just me, the cold, my music, and one foot in front of the other.

This will definitely be the longest stretch of my life since about age 13 without running. I broke my foot in college and was out for about 2 months. They always say you don't know what you have until it's gone. I definitely took for granted the ease and freedom at which I could lace up, grab my tunes, and head out the door essentially whenever I wanted. Maybe I am mourning not only my weekly mileage but also the ease at which I could go out and do it.

For now, it's treadmill walking and some lifting. My goal is to walk 2.5 miles 3-4 times a week and lift 2 times a week. For the most part it's been happening. After some 10 hour workdays, it hasn't. Once it get's a little nicer out, I will move my walks back outside. The one nice thing about the treadmill is I can walk at an incline to get the heart rate a little higher.

Knowing my luck, I'm sure we will have an amazingly warm spring that will make me even more envious. But don't feel too sorry for me. I have been incredibly lucky during this pregnancy so far. It's almost 25 weeks and besides getting more tired and more back aches, I have had it pretty darn good.

See you soon, finish line.

Room and Board

When I tell people we are having twins, usually the conversation turns to how we will need twice as much stuff. This isn’t always true, but there are some big things you need two of.

Car seats:

Cribs:

 

And time will tell on other things like swings, bouncy seats, etc. A lot of times one baby will like one thing, but the other won’t. Shocking right? They are individuals, how dare they.

Since we have a limited amount of space to work with, we are trying to keep things simple. Their room isn’t complete, but I wanted to share the progress so far. We picked out a bold green color before we knew it was twins or what sex they were. Luckily, this has still worked out well.

There is a long probably weird story that goes a long with pandas and Mr. BKL and I, but we started an inside joke that had to do with pandas years ago. (Does any couples’ inside jokes not seem stupid when you have to explain them? Exactly why I wont’ try)  It seemed fitting when I found some wall decals on Etsy from this seller, Lulukuku.

I emailed the seller and made a few mods, and she was great to work with. Here is what we ended up with after using some creativity and departing slightly from the original design.

The whole wall in view without the cribs in place.

 

And with the cribs in place.

 

The paint color is Behr Sparkling Apple. It is as bright as you are imagining. These shots were taken at night, so the color varied a little depending on where I was standing.

Cribs are Ikea Sundvik in white. Before they arrive, we plan to get a large black rug, a similar in style  changing table from Ikea, and a small, dim lamp for those nighttime feedings and changes. On the two blank walls you can see in the photos, I want to do some kind of collage or montage with their names, photos, and other fun images for each baby. But that may come with time as their personalities start to come through. I think a light, airy mobile would be fun and I am looking for DIY ideas or on Etsy for something that would fit.

What you don’t see in the photos is opposite the panda wall is a large wardrobe that will hopefully house all their clothes, diapers, books, and toys.

More to come!