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!

23 weeks

My health care team (OB, NP, and perinatologist) decided my due date should be moved up 8 days to May 11th. I am not one to argue with most health professionals, so I essentially skipped a week and am now at 23 and some change. In the grand scheme of things, 8 days isn’t much, but to a pregnant lady, it is. Considering most twins are delivered around 36-37 weeks, the clock is winding down.

Another fun fact from this appointment was that I measure what I would at 27 weeks with a singleton. Good to know when I want to compare bellies to those at 27 weeks.

I am thrilled to get to see the wee ones again on Thursday. Another perk of having twins is that you get more frequent ultrasounds. Always fun to see them bopping around in there.

Here is what that looks like:

23 weeks

The progression so far for comparison:

 

17 weeks

  

20 weeks

 

23 weeks (or 22)

Conclusion: The bump is on the move.

23 week stats
Weeks along: 23 and a few days
Weight gain: Just over 20 pounds. Depending on the day.
Symptoms: Nothing new compared to last week besides feeling more and more affected by being busy. I couldn’t keep my eyes open Saturday night starting around 7 pm. Exciting weekends around here. I am also feeling each baby a lot more each day. I am staring to notice patterns of their activity, too. For now their little kicks and punches are fun and cute, but I have a feeling soon it will keep me up at night and possibly hurt. Or so I’ve been told.
Running status: I talked big last update. Unfortunately, I have to say my running has come to an end save for a few intervals during my walks. I am now walking at an incline for about 40 minutes and doing some lifting.
Eats: Focusing on the good stuff. I have been eating a lot of big salads for lunch.Protein and calcium are important to twin baby growth.
Cravings: Nothing new.
Clothing: About the same. Starting to feel bigger by the day! I am holding off on buying anything for a while until I start to really outgrow some non-maternity shirts.

20 week update

I've officially reached the half way mark in weeks. It's a little over 4.5 months, because we all know 40 weeks does not equal 9 months.

Considering most twin pregnancies don't make it to 40 weeks, I could be over halfway. I read in one of my many books last night that the average twin delivery in the U.S. was 35.5 weeks. Ummm that's not that far away. Of course, the longer I am pregnant, the bigger the babies, so that is the ultimate goal.


On with the show...

20 weeks

Here's a tip: When you are pregnant, don't go back and look at photos of you from the summer before, in 140 mile-per-month-running shape, with a tan. You will hardly recognize your own face. Just based on how I retain water in non-pregnancy states, I knew going into this I would be puffy. And will be getting puffier.

Half way stats

Weeks along: 20 and a few days as of this posting

Weight gain: ~20 pounds (whoa) My Mom told me that Mariah Carey gained 70 with her twins. I can't imagine gaining another 50!!!!! That would be some serious eatin'.

Symptoms: Starting some back pain, getting some pelvic area pain and pressure after running, and on a positive note, I am starting to feel some little pokes and pops from my inhabitants. Mr. BKL even got to feel a couple on Christmas day. I am such a softie it made me tear up.

Running status: Still running but continuing to get more difficult and much slower. 3 miles at a time is what I aim for. Last week I had one run where 2.5 was as struggle. Because of the pressure and pain I am starting to feel, I am wary about continuing much longer. I am ordering one of these bad boys because I want to see if it helps. My heart and lungs feel great, but the pressure in the pelvic region and back after does not.

Eats: I met with an RD this week and she would like me to focus on more small meals throughout the day as well as my calcium intake. The month of December was a little too free and loose when it came to desserts and indulging, so I am trying to shape back up and focus on the good stuff. It's hard to want to eat fresh veggies when they look so sad in the grocery store. January in Minnesota doesn't exactly provide the bounty that summer does. I've been eating more frozen veggies and things like applesauce for fruit. She also mentioned maintaining my lean muscle mass. I agree. I need to do some more lifting and if I can't run soon, it will be my workout of choice. I won't be busting out the back squat PR's, but I think a 20 minute routine with dumbbells and body weight would be a good fit.

Cravings: None really. I think I experienced a true craving for fountain Diet Coke a few weeks back. It was strange because I used to swim in fountain DC's, but quit the habit about 3 years ago. Cereal and milk also always sound good. And, Mr. BKL teases me about my recent affinity towards sandwiches.

Clothing: I still have two pairs of non-maternity pants that I can wear to work. One I like to call my "magic pants" that I bought for $20 at Vanity in college. They were always big on me, but somehow they are still working and continue to be one of my favorites. The other pair is my Old Navy pants with elastic waist. I guess those barely count because of the elastic. Most shirts are still a go. I notice a lot of them becoming shorter in the front, so that will have to stop soon since I loathe too short shirts. A lot of regular tops out there today are pretty maternity friendly. I can't imagine being pregnant in the late 90's/early 00's with the belly shirts and low waist bell bottom jeans. *shudder*

Another year

I am pretty sure my apathy towards setting New Years resolutions came across well in last year's post. Well, if ever there were a time to not set any, 20 weeks pregnant with twins would be it.

I am not going to give up on life totally, although today, after almost a week off from work, I definitely feel the urge to do nothing. Sort of goes along with my New Years post happening on the 3rd. Of course, I have goals surrounding the birth of the babies. Most importantly continuing to be proactive and healthy for the remaining 17/18/19 (20?) weeks of the pregnancy. And of course there are the little things like finishing our babies' room, buying truckloads of diapers and wipes, and continuing to reorganize our quaint house to fit two new humans into it.

(srcs)

Side note: After putting together both of our cribs, it would seem that you could fit about 4 newborns into one crib. I mean, I could even take a nap in those things.

I often get overwhelmed at being a good Mom. I worry that I won't know what to do in certain scenarios or handle the sleep deprivation. I worry about breastfeeding and the challenges it brings. I worry about worrying too much…you get the idea. So I try not to get caught up in stuff, but I have also been enjoying reading up on twins.

As for fitness and general healthiness, I feel like it goes without saying that I will want to get back into shape after the babies arrive. I have lost weight before, and I know I can do it again. So far, I haven't added too much extra padding anywhere besides my belly, but seeing as though I am only halfway, I figure I will at least double my current gain. Breastfeeding helps a lot of people lose the baby weight, while it keeps some extra pounds on for others. Time will tell.

As a long term goal, signing up for a 10 mile or 1/2 marathon race in the fall will keep me motivated and force me to take some time for myself. Here's hopin' there will be time for such endeavors as long runs.
An arbitrary short term goal is to learn more about my new camera so that when I have stuff to take pictures of, like dressing my twins in ridiculous outfits, not bowls of oatmeal, I know how to capture everything the way I want.

The last couple years have taught me that no matter how much I plan and set goals, life changes. And while it would be great to make a list of 20 things I am going to do in 2012, realistically I have no idea what each day will bring. I hesitate to even plan for next week, when I really do have to take it one day at a time. One of 137 to go.