38 weeks strong

Pregnant with twin GIRLS!!!

My diary at 38 weeks:

{Happy Love Day, my little loves! Every day will be a "Love Day" when you finally are here!!!}

How big are the babies? Pumpkins! I have two pumpkins in my belly! I feel like they are kind of small pumpkins though! :) At an ultrasound this week they are estimated at 6lbs 14oz ... EACH. So crazy! I can't wait to see how big they actually are!

Their big changes this week: The last bits of vernix caseosa (the white goo keeping their skin moist) and lanugo (downy hair on their bodies) are slowly shedding now. I CAN'T WAIT TO HOLD THEM!!!! Their organs have matured and are ready to make a go of it ... hopefully soon! And, in that same ultrasound, the tech said, "Wow! Look at her hair! So much longer than last time! It's flapping in the breeze!" Haha! I don't know what breeze is in there, but I could see it moving as well! :) Have I mentioned, I CAN'T WAIT TIL THEY'RE HERE!?

New news/blessings?

• Miss Shirley has changed positions, yet again! The chiropractor had given me a few pressure points to work on to encourage her to flip, so maybe that's why she's moved? She is now lying vtransverse (sideways) across my belly (head on the far right, body swinging across with her bum under my left rib cage. Crazy girl! She does not stop moving! She has poor little Lavern totally squished in there! This is good though (the transverse presentation) because the other Drs who "wouldn't let" me deliever with her breech, will more than likely let me go with her transverse. So that's GREAT news!
• My Dr. says nothing is happening with me (no signs of labor or things "openeing up") and he just can't believe it. 38 weeks! With twins! There was talk last week by one of the nurses that he "wouldn't let" me go much longer with twins, but this week he said "we'd be stupid to induce you now" ... so good to hear that! I go back on Monday and we shall see if there's any changes. If so, I am considering some acupuncture to speed things up (if he's insisting I be induced, etc). What have I said? It's the pregnancy of needles!
• I have taken to sleeping while holding an ice pack for my poor, numb, throbbing hands ... seems to help greatly! Jerome woke up one night and thought I was holding a bag of string cheese though, haha! I told you I had a slight string cheese addiction!
• The girls are ramming into some pretty sensitive nerves in my pelvis area now ... holy cowboy, shockaroo!!
• Last night there was some major Kung Fu fighting going on in my belly! I'm wondering if it is because I've been eating slightly spicier food trying to get things going?
• Yes. Yes. Yes. I have been getting some (friendly) guff lately because I want to try and do things as naturally as possible! "No drugs?" "No C-section?" "Birth plan?" "Cloth diapers?" "Nursing?" "Not going to let them 'cry it out'?" ... I've heard it all :) And while I realize much is out of my control when it comes right down to it, I'm excited to hopefully do things the way I hope to be able to do them! This has been a long journey, and I am going to soak in the joy of these girlies as much as possible!
• I know I'm a weirdo, but I am SO EXCITED to nurse! And, babywear! Bring it on!

Weight: 199 (last week was 196 ... and at the Dr. it was 205!)

Total gain? 43 pounds.

Inches around? 46 (last week it was 46 ... my belly is low, low, low!)

Belly button? Still pretty much an innie. The top of it lips out a bit, but it doesn't "pop" out.

Maternity clothes? It's crazy to think that my time with my small maternity wardrobe is coming to an end! It has been fun, and a blessing to be able to wear them!

Braxton Hicks Contractions: They seem to have slowed down a bit. I have a friend who had her baby girl a week and a half ago and her Braxton Hicks stopped pretty much the week before she delivered. Ah! Could be soon!!!!

New dance moves? I had been told that towards the end of pregancy, movements really start to taper off ... this is not true in my case. Unless I'm not near the end, haha! They still move as crazy as ever, just more drastically!

Things people say: "Are you in labor?!?!" If I don't answer a phone call, text (immediately), or am just silent in general, people think I'm at the hospital! Haha, it's quite funny. When I call someone now, depending who it is, I often say when they answer, "Hey, not in labor, don't worry ... just have a question!" or whatever it may be.

Silly nicknames for the bebes? Still the same, Lavern and Shirley, The Girls, Bebes, Fruit Loops. I am so excited to finally be able to reveal their names ... SOON!!!

Complaints? None! (This will never change!)

Feeling in general? So excited! And beyond blessed.

{The Fruit Loops are due February 28th, 2013!}