21wks, 4days

I think, I can't be sure since this is obviously new to me, as a first time mother and all, but I think I am officially feeling individual kicks.

Or maybe punches?

Till now, I've just felt general rumblings as the kids toss and turn and move around. Every now and then I've felt an odd stab of slightly painful pressure than could have been a hard kick or just a ligament pain. But just now, sitting at the computer I started feeling something that is definitely different from anything I've felt before.

My babies are kicking me!!

21wks, 4days

I still have the cold, it's worse than ever since I've been working through it. But don't fret, overly-concerned-family-members, if it's still around on Sunday I'll take the day off. I can't work through this another week. Hopefully though a quiet weekend at home of hot one-pot meals (lentil soup tonight, vegetarian chollent tomorrow), water, and plenty of napping will be just what the doctor ordered.

Reminder: less than a week till the next ultrasound!

Note: There is a slight chance Shawn might get a camera phone (if it really is free as the Cellcom -our cell phone company- ad seems to indicate), in which case, no more waiting for me to find my camera cord in order to provide those much-requested belly pics.

21wks, 1day

I have a cold :(

20wks, 6days

It has come to my attention that not everyone who should know about this blog, does. Both my sister and my sister-in-law only recently found out. I will send another mass email (not to force my rantings upon anyone, but since this is where all updates/pictures are/will be, family at least should know about it). If any of you know someone who is interested in following along with my updates, send them this way.

I have much-requested belly pics but am unable to locate my camera cord as half our belongings are still in boxes. But I'm taking the pictures so when I can upload them there will be several. In two weeks is the next ultrasound so you can expect so see those pictures, too.

For those of you who heard about our recent scare, please know everything is perfectly fine. For those who have no idea what I am talking about, last week I experienced stomach and back cramps and went to the ER to be on the safe side. It turned out to be nothing more than a stomach bug, which has since passed. We had two ultrasounds of the babies (no pictures, sorry) and the kids are looking great. They experienced no trauma or complications.

As for me, I'm feeling good but growing ever bigger. I feel like I have a two-headed octopus running rampant in my body which really is not that inaccurate of a description. I'm tired but eating well and am back at work, which I very much enjoy. Today I had a meeting with my bosses to discuss what will happen when I leave and when I return, and I feel very confident that they will look out for me and be flexible in finding an ideal solution for both me and the office.

19wks, 3days

Just a quick update. We had a lovely holiday. We built a pretty little Succah on our porch and managed to fit nine people in it for lunch on Tuesday. Yesterday I did the first coat of paint on the office and meant to do the second today but am feeling way too tired. I don't think it's anything to worry about and of course if I start to suspect it is I will call my doctor. But my belly has been growing like mad this past week or so, so I suspect it's just exhaustion that must come with such a growth spurt. It reminds me of when I had mono; every small task seems enormous and I haven't got the energy to do much more than lay down and read or sit and watch TV. But luckily there is no reason whyI can not indulge in my exhaustion. While I really ought to get some painting, laundry, and dish-washing done, it's chol hamoed and nothing is really urgent, certainly nothing is as urgent as growing two babies that suck my life force from me...so I am taking it easy. While my husband is out earning the dough. How great it feels!

18wks, 6days

It's looking like we might change doctors. No, nothing is wrong, really. We just don't feel like we're getting adequate care. My current doctor was not someone I necessarily chose, just the guy who happened to be available and was recommended for a high risk pregnancy when I tried to book an OB appointment through my health plan. He seemed to be doing a fine job and I had no complaints.

But there were little things. He failed to notice, during the first two appointments, that I was carrying twins (the whole reason I needed someone familiar with high-risk pregnancies). Indeed at just about every appointment I have to remind him. Plus till now I've expressed a lot of concern over my calcium and iron levels, since I'm a vegetarian (which I reiterate every time I ask). He finally gave me a blood test last time to check my hemoglobin and sure enough, it came out a bit low. Again though he seemed unworried. I checked my records and found out that in about five weeks I'm scheduled for another hemoglobin test and iron supplements if necessary and asked him again, should I possibly start sooner since I don't eat meat. At that he raised his head and looked at me (for the first time all session) and seemed surprised. I reminded him that I'm a vegetarian and he decided that yes, I should be on iron supplements (it's a good thing calcium supplements are easy enough to get through Tums and I've been taking it for a while, not relying on him to remember that I'm allergic to dairy and eat less than most people. I've also been taking flax seed oil for a while now).

Now Shawn and I are thinking it's time to get a little more involved and start searching for a doctor we feel more comfortable with. It's not that I distrust this guy, or think he will cause us any risk. In fact I like the fact that he is laid back and refuses to discuss possible problems without a test proving some sort of risk first. So far all tests have, thank God, been good. But when asking him how we will proceed further down the line, since I will be having fewer tests as the pregnancy progresses but no major increase in doctor sessions, he said there's no need for either if there are no problems. But I was very confused since I have a hard time understanding how we would detect any problems, if God forbid there were any, if I weren't having regular tests or doctors appointments. He sorta snapped back at me that, "we can't do an ultrasound every day!" Obviously that was not what I was talking about, but still, there needs to be some degree of observation. What if I needed to go on bed rest? A few days, and certainly a few weeks, can mean all the difference between a healthy, full-term birth and a premature one. With no tests and no doctors appointments how am I to know if bed rest is something I God forbid need to do?

So we're looking into other options.

Oh, but test results from last blood test and ultrasound meet the doctor's approval. Next ultrasound is in three and a half weeks, next doctors appointment (unless we switch first) is a few days after that.

18wks, 2days

Here are the long-awaited latest ultrasound pictures. We don't have great pictures of their whole bodies since the doctor didn't really go out of his way to get good snapshots as it was a scan with a purpose (to make a bunch of fetal measurements, not just to see the kids). I think next time though we'll ask for some better pictures to share. But here are their heads at least (really cool brain image on one) and their current stats. They're looking good.







Gmar chatima tova and a meaningful fast to those who are fasting (yes, I'll be drinking, at least! Don't worry about me).

17wks, 6days

In his own blog, Shawn recently wrote about the baby books we've been reading. We're mostly reading up on pregnancy stuff, not so much the actual baby stuff, since I find all that incredibly frustrating since of course there are going to be a million different conflicting opinions on what is best for you and your baby and frankly, we'd rather just learn ourselves what's best for us. After all, every family and every baby is unique.

Sure we bought a baby 911 book, to have a reference guide in case of emergencies, and actually one or two of the twin books we got are incredibly helpful with some advice since there are certain things only other twin mommies can help you with (and it's not the stuff the other books have like feeding and changing info that I care about, it's the practical stuff like how to run errands with a double stroller).

As for the pregnancy books themselves, we bought a bunch as soon as I knew I was pregnant. Unfortunately we didn't wait long enough to find out about the double trouble bundles of joy. Once you find out you have two (or more) babies on board, pretty much all the advice that pregnancy books have to offer goes out the window. Sure it's helpful for all pregnant women to know worsening eye sight, bleeding gums, and dizziness as you accommodate to a new center of gravity are to be expected, but I don't match the week-by-week schedules at all.

Unfortunately I also can't seem to find a Twins Club in Israel (anyone know of one?) so it seems I am largely on my own. Not that I've ever had a regular, singleton pregnancy, but it's incredible how much already seems to be different from a "normal" pregnancy, and I can only begin to imagine how different child rearing will be.

On a final note, as of tomorrow I'll be at week 18. Since twins are considered term at 36.5 weeks, I am just about at the halfway point!

Oh, ultrasound pics to be up later tonight or tomorrow.

17wks, 3days

I've been feeling what I assume is round ligament pains lately, nothing major but I feel it when I exert myself, and the list of things my body considered exerting is steadily growing, though it depends of the day. Some days exertion means getting out of bed, which can leave me breathless. Walking long distances is definitely tiring, and running, even short distances such as to catch the bus, is long a thing of the past.

I'm not feeling the same exhaustion I was experiencing the first trimester, but I do feel another kind of tiredness. I just seem to need a lot more sleep in order to be well rested, though I don't need to nap in the middle of the day or even just lay in bed for an hour after work as I used to.

None of these things bother me really, I feel more like I am a scientist, approaching this experience of pregnancy with an open mind and carefully keeping track of the changes and how I have been feeling. I find it curious and interesting. I think Shawn gets frustrated at times when I seem so surprised at having to get up for the third time in one night to pee, or when I discover yet another shirt that doesn't fit. Yes none of these things really surprises me, I know what pregnancy does and what to expect, but at the same time watching it unfold, feeling it happening inside me is such a new, strange thing. I think I am also hyper aware because nothing in life really prepared me for a twin pregnancy (though I think in some small way I was expecting it). With twins much of what the pregnancy books have to say is useless. I'm in my fifth month and so should be urinating less frequently? HAH! I spend more time in the bathroom than in my bedroom. I probably won't "pop" till week 20 since this is my first pregnancy? Hah, I wore a maternity dress to my sister's wedding and that was almost three weeks ago.

Anyhow, it's pushing 9:30 and I am exhausted so I am going to sign off and go to bed (don't have a heart attack mom! My days of staying up till 2am are long gone).