Ok...it has been a while. Sorry about that!

Things are good. I am 21 weeks tomorrow. I go for doctor appts. every two weeks, which is a little daunting but do-able.

Here are the updates and stats. Starting at 16 weeks doc started to check my cervix, with a lovely transvaginal u/s(if you have had one you know how much fun this is). My cervix has to be above 2 cm to be good and long with no concern for pre-term labor....I have been measuring consistently at about 5. Yayy for the cervix of steel! This really is a good thing. I do not know what we do if I had to go on bedrest with Josey here at home with me. It is still always a possibility but with the concerns of a incompetent cervix quickly going away I am feeling more confident.

My blood pressure is still consistently low, 96 over 63 this last time. This is also good as it means I am out the running for pre-eclamsia/PIH at this point in time. There have been no concerns with urine obviously since I give on every time....and my weight is great...I have only gained 11 pounds so far! Yayy for me!

Ok....the fun stuff...babies! I went for my 20 week anatomical scan on Friday. This is the one where they measure everything and make sure that babies are growing on track and matching gestational age etc. All looked good. We have two bouncing beautiful babies in there. They were all over the place. It was so much fun to watch their little arms waving around and feet kicking. The bladder shots they kept taking were not fun however BUT I can deal with that. We are calling the babies Okey(twin A) and Dokey(twin B), this was Josey's idea....well Brad helped too. SO....Okey weighs 13 ounces right now, estimate of course, and had a heart rate of 150. Dokey was 12 ounces and had a heartrate of 143. I find it interesting that their heartrates are starting to get closer...they have been as different as 150 and 136 you will see in past blog entries so....it will be interesting to watch that change. We did not find out the sexes. For those of you who really really want us to....sorry. They were head down and feet up too....we could have but we held out and I am glad that we will be surprised honestly. I think that we have one of each in there, but Brad thinks that there are two girls in there. Honestly whatever is fine....two boys scares me BUT I know others who have done it so....we will figure it out. It think that was it with the babies.

Here are some current pics of my big ol' belly and baby pics too. Oh that was the other thing....I was at the end of my 20th week when I went in and I am measuring 27 weeks. This is not unusual...just surprising to hear. I feel as big as I was with Josey when I was 6 months along....and apparently I am that and then some. Oh well...I love my pregnant belly!

Love to all...more later!

me at 18 weeks

20 weeks

20 weeks-losing my belly button!

so....

me at 16 weeks 2 days

yesterday we had our 16 week appt. with the OB and also an ultrasound.

A little bit of twin trivia....there is much concern in a twin pregnancy about pre-term labor and incompetent cervixes among other complications. I will be having ultrasounds every two weeks to measure my cervical length. This week I measured 5.2, not sure honestly if that is inches or centimeters...But it is a great measurement. Of course it will probably shorten some as I get bigger and farther along but as long as it stays over 2, in. or cm, then I can avoid bedrest or cerclage. Which is what we want!

Anyway, so I knew this u/s was mostly for that purpose but also figured that I would be able to see babies, how can they not u/s a pregnant woman and not show her the offspring? And they did! She said that they wanted to check the heart rates so we would need to look at the babies. Woo HOO! I just about squealed with excitement. Now I have to say that with Josey because of some complications, minor, we had more than your normal 1-2 u/s. But with these babies I would lose my mind without knowing I would get to peek at them so often. I think that since there are two in there I have a double dose of mommy worry! Seriously.

She puts the "jelly" stuff on my belly and Josey is all worried it will drip down my belly, which was cute. Then puts the little transducer thingy(technical term you know!) on my belly and poof....Babies! They were moving around a bit in there, heartbeats just a pounding away. I was so happy to see that both were good in there and still doing ok. Oh to have a window in my belly! Baby A had a heart rate of 150, and Baby B was beating away at 136. They looked good, according to u/s tech, but that was not really the point of the u/s so we did not spend too much time looking at them. Just saw them kicking and hearts beating. Apparently, if I understood the orientation, they are looking at each other, baby A is feet down on my left side and baby B is head down on my right side but their heads are side by side. Almost like they create their own little Yin and Yang.

Oh and in the interest of being honest....I have gained two pounds now. 1 for each baby!

Here is a pic! How sweet is that! Just for clarification...Baby B is on the bottom. It is a side view. You can see the little legs off to the left, and the feet. If you look by Baby B's head you will see a shadow that appears to be the hand. Maybe doing a little early thumb sucking? Baby A is on the top facing down looking at his or her sibling.

a little update!

Ok....so the last time I posted it was to tell you all I was pregnant with twins! WooHoo!

Well...I have been sick off and on. Morning sickness but also a bout with Bronchitis last week. I have not updated here for a while due to that. And just being beat! I am so much more tired than I remember with my first pregnancy. I am sure this is partly due to the fact that there are two I am cooking in there.

As far as we know things are going well. I am growing which indicates that the babies are growing too. I have not gained any weight yet just fluctuating a lot. I worry a little but obviously the babies are just taking it all. I am sure that my weight will catch up! Remind me in a few months when I post about being amazed at how much I have gained! Ha Ha!

I have an ultrasound on Monday and we will get to see the babies so I will post again then and let you all know how we are.

I am going to try to post a link to a slide show to see my belly....hope it works. If not there will be a still also of me today at 15w5d. Not even 4 months yet!
http://s175.photobucket.com/albums/w158/ardathalbum/?action=view¤t=.my_first_widget.pbw