What did you just say?

Listen, I don't leave the house much anymore due to this whole bed rest thing, but when I do leave for a doctor's appointment I always get the strangest looks and/or comments.

This weeks comments/questions took the cake - and I haven't been able to stop thinking about them.

1) Twins!? Wow, congratulations - are they natural? Umm - as opposed to what, fake/artificial babies?  I hate this question.  I know exactly what you are asking - you want to know if we used fertility treatments to conceive our children.  Well, perfect stranger, if you tell me how you conceived your children then I'll tell you.  No, really, this is SUCH a rude question.  If I haven't offered up the info then it's not something I want to discuss in the current setting because typically you are asking me this question in the line at the pharmacy, over breakfast, in line checking out somewhere, etc.  All very public places with lots of ears - again, I'm not asking you how you got pregnant in these situations!

2) You know, I read this article about a mom who was having multiples.  She lost two of them right before she gave birth and then the last one died within 24 hours of her giving birth.  Really, tell me more about how scary it is to be a mom of multiples and all the risks that go along with it - that doesn't terrify me at all.  Especially now that I'm so close to giving birth!! I'm not quite sure what the point of sharing that story with me was - and at the time I was in such shock that all I could say was, "Oh, that's really sad."  But, it's been almost a week since I was told this story and I can't get it out of my head.  Thanks, woman - you just turned an already scary thing (giving birth, having twins, etc) into something out of a Stephen King novel.

3) Are you sure you aren't about to go into labor?!  I usually get this once somebody looks at me, horrified by my size and then fixes their face to show concern and not horror.  No, no I'm not sure I'm not going to go into labor.  Nobody ever is - it could happen at any moment, really.  But, the chances are pretty small and if I had any inkling that it were to happen soon I wouldn't be standing in line getting a drink on my way to my doctors appointment - I'd be, oh you know, with my doctor at the hospital! I want to deliver my children at a gas station much less than you want me to.  Thanks.  

Listen, I get it. Twins are really cool.  And, I'm just as fascinated by them as anybody else!! I totally get it - all I'm saying is, there is a time and place to ask questions or tell stories.

Week 33 with twins!

We've made it another week! We are now rocking out in week 33 - and the girls are doing a great job.  Apparently, this week, they are the equivalent to the size of durians...whatever the heck those are!! I feel like The Bump must be either a) running out of healthy food to compare babies to at this this point or, b) trying to add some diversity in the mix to be all PC.  Either way, I still have no reference as to what a darn durian is.

All of that said, we do know the girls weight 5lbs & 5lbs4oz now.  So I'm going to say they look more like kittens.  Maybe 6 month old kittens - b/c that's a reference everybody can use, right?  They are gaining about 1/2 lbs a week from here on out and apparently this is the last week that they'll really put on any length (possibly up to an entire inch!).  My guess is that our girls have probably maxed out in the length area already as neither Allan or I are all that tall.  The girls bodies are also starting to work on building an immune system and we are now sharing antibodies to help develop that.  The girls have started keeping their eyes open when they are awake and have also begun to coordinate how to suck and breathe so that they can do those things on the outside.  Bones are starting to get nice and hard and their brains continue to develop...come on girls - I wouldn't be mad if one of you were the president, surgeon, or something equally as impressive...

Total weight gain: I looked - 60 LBS as of now...not too bad considering there is 11 lbs of baby in there!

Maternity clothes: I ordered my very last maternity item the other day - it was a hoodie.  I have tons of tanks, but no hoodies, and I would like one to cuddle up in...and to wear at the hospital. 

Stretch marks: Still growing.  Now, my belly is so stretched that it's also got thick blue veins showing! Awesome!

Sleep: Still sleeping 1-2 hours. I'm so uncomfortable.  And, when I do actually find a comfortable position, I have to get up to pee.  I have, however, been having this reoccurring dream that we are having triplets and the doctors have just missed seeing one of the babies.   As excited/happy I am to have twins - I do not know how I'd cope with triplets, so hopefully this is not true!! 

Best moment of this week: Seeing the girls - nothing ever tops that! 

Miss anything: Being comfortable doing anything - seriously, I'd love to lay down and be comfortable, or walk and not feel like my spine is being crushed. 

Movement: Movin' & groovin'!! These girls are all over the place, which continues to shock the doctor b/c at this point they should really be running out of room.  

Food cravings: Chocolate...mmmmm!!!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Thankfully, I'm still able to eat whatever I want!! I'm hoping this stays the same until the end.  It's nice to eat chicken again!

Have you started to show yet: I'm to the point that now when people see me they look at me with a bit of terror first - then they pull it together and immediately ask if I'm "about to go at any moment". I'm obscenely pregnant. 

Labor signs: I've been having some contractions on and off and something the nurse referred to as "false back labor".  

Belly button in or out: It's in - it's shallow - and it's gross to look at! 

Wedding rings on or off: So, so off.  My fingers are the size of sausages...

Mood most of the time: I think I'll stick with bored-happy.  I've now been on bed rest for 3 weeks - so my brain is slowly turning to mush.  However, I'm happy because there looks like there might be an end and sight, and regardless, the girls are doing SO well in there - I really couldn't ask for more. 

Looking forward to: My appointment next Tuesday.  We'll know more of a game plan that week as far as how things are going to go down.  It's strange to think there is a possibility that 2 weeks (14 days!!) from now Allan and I could actually be holding our babies!!!! Crazy!!

Bed Rest & Meals...

So, bed rest means that I cannot get out of bed to do much. I started off having 3 one hour spurts out of bed a day that has been lowered to being "out of bed as needed."  This means Allan has to take over a lot of the household responsibilities.

It's really hard on me, for different reasons, to watch him do everything around the house while I'm just laying around.  So, I decided this week I would utilize the crockpot to make dinners so that he does not have to come home at 5 o'clock and still have to cook for an hour or so.  The following are links to recipes that we have used.  I've only linked the good ones ;)

Taco Soup
Review: we both love, love, loved this one.  I did not, however, cook it for 8-9 hours on low.  Because I forgot to actually turn the crockpot on, it cooked for 5 hours (2 of those on high but I don't think that's necessary).  It is a soup not a chili so it will be "runny"...it took me awhile to wrap my head around this.


Chicken Philly Cheesesteak
Review:  We both really loved this one too.  Allan was a bit thrown off b/c it definitely has a bit of a "beef" taste but you know it's chicken. I cooked it exactly like the recipe called for and it came out perfect.  We will definitely be having this again!

Beef Stroganoff 
Review: Only Allan got to eat this one.  I would cook the meat longer than what is called for (or at a higher level) before adding everything as suggested.  I did not do this and the meat was still a bit pink - which is probably fine for most - but being pregnant I want my beef 'well done'.  Allan ate it though and said it was another great recipe!!

Mac & Cheese
Review: This is what I'm making tonight for dinner - and I'm the world's pickiest Mac & Cheese eater - so I will update you as soon as we've tasted it.  The recipe looks amazing though!! Allan will have his M&C w/ steak since he's not as big of a fan...

Update from Weekly appointment & MFM

The results are in - and we are all doing relatively good!!

My blood pressure is still a bit on the high side, and I'm still having some massive headaches, but all of the lab work (both urine and blood) have come back okay.  So, right now we are labeling my issue as "chronic gestational hypertension" i.e. high blood pressure b/c I'm pregnant.  The doctors (both OB & MFM) would like to monitor me weekly though to make sure it does not turn into pre-e or anything worse.  So, not only will I have my weekly monitoring - the girls will now start getting NST (non-stress tests) to make sure their placentas are doing okay w/ the BP the way it is.

Both girls weighed in huge today at 5lbs and 5lbs4oz!! That's somewhere in the 70th & 80th percentiles in comparison to singletons at this gestational age, which is great!  We saw Z yawn, both of their hearts beating away, their bladder & kidneys (which means they are practicing swallowing now) and lungs.  Very cool!!  So, they are both healthy - just big babies!!

Hard to believe I have almost 11 pounds of baby in me! No wonder I'm so tired and it's getting so hard to move around!!

As of right now, because of everything mentioned above, we are making my "goal" date for delivery Oct 11, which would be 35 weeks.  Now, this could change at any time, if things start getting worse (or better - if my headaches/BP resolve themselves)...but we will know more at my appointment next Tuesday which way it'll go but my OB is pretty sure we're looking closer to 35 weeks than anything else.

Craaaazy!!

32 weeks!!!

Well, we made it to 32 weeks!! It was our first big milestone since being on bed rest.  Now that I'm at 32 weeks I can deliver in the town we live in and not have to worry about being flown to SLC to deliver.  The NICU here (if we need it) will be able to take care of our girls at this point! It's a huge relief.

Also, a little update on my bed rest progress.  As I posted earlier this week, my blood pressure was not going down on bed rest, in fact it's gone up.  The doctors had me monitor my BP for a little over 24 hours to make sure that my readings at the office weren't induced by anxiety.  They weren't.  Anyway, the doctor has prescribed me blood pressure medication at a very low dose to start tomorrow.  She has assured me that it is safe for the girls.  Also, I will start doing a 24 hour urine analysis this weekend to let us know if I have protein in my urine that they are not catching at the office.  We will have those results for my next appointment on Tuesday and so will be able to make a game plan going forward.

Total weight gain: Not even looking after last week!! I can't bring myself to do it again.

Maternity clothes: I spend my days in tank tops and comfy pants these days. No need to get all dressed up to lay in bed, right?

Stretch marks: No new ones (thank goodness) since last week!!

Sleep: I'm back to 1-2 hour stretches of sleep - but now that the weather is cooling off I suspect I'll start sleeping better.

Best moment of this week: I was approved for short-term disability today!!

Miss anything: Having feeling in my stomach! My skin is so stretched out that there is a good portion of my stomach that I can no longer feel.

Movement: Isla & Z are still moving around, but the movement has gone from kicks/punches to more of a sliding across my belly feel...I don't know how to explain it.

Food cravings: Yogurt with cheese dipped in it (I ate this when I was younger...I was strange).

Anything making you queasy or sick: Amazingly - nothing!!!

Have you started to show yet: Yep, I'm measuring as though I am 47 weeks pregnant.

Labor signs: Not a one!

Belly button in or out: In still!! Woot woot!

Wedding rings on or off: Off - not even around my neck at this point b/c they were starting to annoy me on bed rest.

Mood most of the time: Bored - but happy.  I'm really trying to be conscience about being in a positive state of mind since they say the girls can tell when I'm happy or sad...must be related to Santa somehow...

Looking forward to: I have two appointments next week - one on Tuesday with the OB where I'll figure out a game plan for the rest.  Then, on Wednesday I have an appointment with my high risk doctor who will do a growth scan for the girls - so we'll know how the are doing and how  much they weigh! I'm really hoping for 4.5-5 lbs...but that might be a loft goal...we'll see!!

Strange pregnancy dream #394910

Well, I was in that twilight sleep, you know right before you fall asleep but you still aren't quite awake?  All I remember is hearing this strange "tisk tisk tisk" noise and instantly my brain went immediately to Rikkik Tikki Tavi - remember that story/movie?  It was about a mongoose and cobra snake.

Well, apparently, in my twilight sleep, it made sense to me that a mongoose was under my bed.  This didn't freak me out, but the thought of why a mongoose would be there did.   Clearly there was also a COBRA under my bed too!!!

So what is a girl to do?  I call out for my husband (who was still wide awake watching TV in the living room) to come check under my bed a'la "Are there monsters under my bed?" style.  Yep.  I was convinced there was a mongoose & cobra fighting it out under my bed an I wanted A to engage as well.  I'm smart when I'm sleeping!

All I remember is A asking, "What the hell is a mongoose?!"  So explain it to him - "You know, they eat snakes!" Allan just looked at me, "You mean, like the ones that live in India?"  Ummm...yeah, I forgot that part in my sleep.  Ooops.

Well, thanks for potentially saving my life anyway, Husband.  <3

The horrors of the 24 hour urine analysis...

So, when you have numbers like these...

Your doctor orders you to collect your urine for 24 hours...in these! 

As if being pregnant wasn't hard/gross enough...now I have to collect my pee, pour it in that jug, and keep it in the refrigerator!!  I'm so grossed out right now.  I didn't exactly picture myself doing things like this during my pregnancy.  Who is it who coined the term "pregnancy is beautiful"?  I'm pretty sure that person never had to collect their pee for 24 hours!! 

The other horrifying thing? I just realized that collecting for 24 hours means every time I get up at night too - I'll have to stumble to the kitchen to deposit my pee before I can go back to sleep.  Yeah, pretty sure I won't be sleeping much tomorrow night.  Once my body is "up" it's up...

These girls owe me something really cool now - at least a Tiffany's bracelet or earrings or something! ;)

Pregnancy - then & now...

8 weeks vs 32 weeks

This is me at 8 weeks vs 32 weeks pregnant with twins.  I find it kind of funny that at 8 weeks I thought I was showing...ooooh if I only knew what was to come!!!

Pregnancy induced Chronic Hypertension or Preeclampsia?

Well, we're finally getting somewhere with this whole blood pressure thing.  Mind you, I'm writing this nearly 24 hours after hearing the news you are about to read about, so I've had time to digest the information.

Background info: My blood pressure (BP) before becoming pregnant was always textbook perfect.  Since becoming pregnant it has always been "high normal" - something the doctors weren't concerned about but wanted to keep an eye on.  Two weeks ago my BP officially went into the "high" category and so I was put on bed rest, because with it being 154/96 and the other symptoms I was exhibiting the doctors said I was showing signs of "early preeclampsia".

Fast forward to yesterday.   I went to my OB appointment to follow up on everything.  All of my signs of early preeclampsia were still there, except my swelling had gone down quite a bit.  I was still missing the major factor of pre-e.  My BP was so high that the doctor was actually showing visual signs of real concern on her face.

The problem is, my BP keeps going up, I keep having symptoms, but without the protein in the urine, she can't say it is "for sure" pre-e.  So, she wanted me to monitor my BP until Thursday.  I'm to take my BP 4 times a day and then anytime I'm not feeling right - and report back to her.  So far my readings have been:

Wednesday:

My new best friend - the BP monitor.  According to
the sales clerk - it's like the Mercedes of BP
machines...oooolala! 

5pm: 136/104 (moving i.e. went from living room to bedroom/bathroom)

10pm: 152/92 (after resting for 2 hours in bed/watching TV)

Thursday:

5:30am: 130/90 (wake up)

7:00am: 156/100 (moving i.e. went from living room to bedroom/bathroom)
10:30am: 155/94  (bed 2.5 hours – got up to pee)

So, kind of all over the place as far as which number is the worrisome one - the top or the bottom. The 7:00am read is in italics b/c it was a time when I wasn't feeling good - not a timed read. So, I'll take my BP two more times today, unless I feel off, and report to her tomorrow.  

What happens next?  Depending on the numbers (she thought perhaps I was only testing high b/c I was nervous at the office even though I've been telling her I'm not nervous/anxious there) she will have me do a 24 hour urine analysis. This will be done to see if I am indeed spilling protein and they just haven't caught it at the office - indicating pre-e.  If I'm not spilling protein then they will try BP medication to lower my numbers.  Hopefully that will do the trick because if not I think the next step is hospital bed rest and possible early delivery b/c my BP is starting to get dangerous for me.  So, we'll just have to wait and see. 

It was quite the roller coaster yesterday - but I've mentally recovered today. I will keep you all updated as soon as I find something new out.  We will take any good vibes you have to help keep these girls in as long as possible!! 

In the 30s...

Well, today we hit the 30s!!! Only 39 days left until the girls arrive - and that's if they make it all the way to 37 weeks!!

Holy moly!!!

The answer...

Lately, I get asked a lot, "So, what do you do on bed rest anyway?"  Well, let me tell you - it's not as glamourous as it sounds.   I hate bed rest - the only thing that keeps me sane is knowing that this is potentially helping my children be as healthy as possible before they arrive.  So, here's a look at a typical day:

6:30 - Wake up because A's alarm goes off for work.  I typically get up and get on the computer (check FB, my blog, mommy groups I'm in, and email) while I watch the news and wait for my stomach to wake up enough to feed it.  

7:30ish - Spend part of my allotted time in the morning out of bed making breakfast.  This usually eats up about 1/2 of the one hour I'm given to be out of bed.  I use the other 1/2 hour opening the blinds, checking for spiders and trying to pick up a bit after myself.  I can't do the dishes - but at least I can get them to the sink for Allan to wash.

8:00 - Reading magazine or book for a bit and watching Good Morning America.  

9:00-11:00 -  Watch Kelly & Regis as well as The View.  I'm quite disappointed with The View now that Elizabeth Hassleback is gone.  I thought I'd really like Jenny McCarthy - I love her books - but she just annoys me and now the full panel are a bunch of Democrats.  I liked when they had at least one Republican to spice things up!

11:00-12:00 - Make any phone calls that need to be made, bills, paperwork, follow up on things such as my short-term disability.  This is my designated "office hour" - just done from bed.

12:00-1:00 -  It's officially the afternoon and I've gained another hour out of bed.  I use it now - at the very beginning - like an impatient child.  This hour I use to make myself lunch and shower.  Yes, this takes almost the full hour. I'm slow moving these days!

1:00-3:00:  It's time for General Hospital (no laughing please, I've watched it since I was 4) and to catch up on all the TV I have DVR'd from the night before.  I'm bored and restless at this point but keep reminding myself I'd rather be on bed rest at home than in the hospital!

3:00-4:00:  This hour is brutal.  There's nothing on TV and I've gotten all my "paper work" done for the day.  I try to spend this time googling or pinteresting things I could be doing to pass my time.  I usually find 1-2 things that I could make for the nursery, or a hobby I could start, etc.  But then decide I have no interest or time.  Funny, right? No time!?  I think it's just an excuse as I'm not really a "hobby person" per se. 

4:00-5:00 - Allan will be home sometime during this hour so the time seems to pass pretty quickly as I watch Dr. Phil.  

As soon as Allan is home everything seems okay.  The evenings go by too fast though - it's probably b/c I have somebody to hang out with.  He makes dinner and we catch up on the day and then usually watch primetime TV b/c he's tired from working all day.  Amazingly, by 9 o'clock at night I'm exhausted and so scamper off to bed.  I wake up about ever hour or so during the night then start everything all over again. 

Exciting? No - not in the slightest.  But, I've found a schedule that gets me from day to day without wanting to gouge my eyes out with spork for now.  Remember, I'm only on week 2 of this whole bed rest thing - I have a long way to go!! 

I try to keep reminding myself of this...one day, when the girls are here,
and I'm exhausted, I'll wish I as on bed rest!! 

Crazy pregnancy dream #392091

Well, just when I think my pregnancy dreams can't be anymore strange - my brain manages to top itself!! Last night I had a dream I was pregnant with Eminem's love child and when it was born I sang it (I never actually saw the baby) this song as a lullaby.  How appropriate...what is going on in my head?!

31 weeks pregnant with twins!!

We've made it to week 31.  I only have one more week until it is safe to deliver the girls in town and they/we would not have to be helicoptered down to SLC. 7 more days and we can breathe a little sigh of relief - we can so do this!!  I've officially finished a full week of bed rest without having my brain turn to mush or driving Allan too crazy. One week down, (hopefully) seven more to go!! 

The girls are the size of a pineapple this week.  They have started to dream and are starting to develop sleep patterns.  I can definitely tell a difference in their movement based on these patterns.  They are up first thing in the morning, usually around 5:30/6ish for a bit, after every meal, once in the afternoon then usually from 7-8.  I stopped feeling them through the night every night.  I'm hoping this is a sign they are going to sleep through the night from the beginning...hey, a girl can dream, right?! 

They are also starting to detect light (helps in forming sleep patterns.  I.e. it's bright "I'm up" it's dark "I'm sleeping".  Their little brains are growing rapidly at this point too. They have even developed all five senses! These little girls are almost (well, in 6 weeks) ready to rock! Well done, ladies! 

Total weight gain: I looked yesterday.  I'm officially up 50 lbs.  I was devastated.  Allan assured me it did not look like I'd gained that much.   That leaves 10 more lbs to gain to be in the weight range my doctor wanted/suggested I gain.  The only reason I'm sharing this insane amount is in case other moms of twins come across this page and are feeling upset/sad about their weight gain.  Don't worry girl - I'm right there with ya - and as far as I can tell it's normal!  

Maternity clothes: I spend my days in tank tops and comfy pants these days.  No need to get all dressed up to lay in bed, right?  

Stretch marks: Still growing and still getting them.  The ones I'm most worried about are still on my arms and legs (um, why do my knees have to be so swollen they get stretch marks!?)...the ones on my belly I knew were going to happen...the others...still in shock!

Sleep: I'm getting between 2 and 3 hour stretches of sleep now - not too bad. 

Best moment of this week: I made it through an entire week of bed rest without going mental. 

Miss anything: Being able to turn over in bed without waking up and literally having to move my body to do so.  I actually think this is why I'm waking up so much sometimes - my body wants to flip but can't unless I put some muscle into moving the belly. 

Movement: The girls are still kicking up a storm - but like I said above - it's more on a schedule.  I don't mind the kicks and punches, but when one drags her head (or butt) across my belly and it slowly moves - that creeps me out!!!! I wish they didn't do that move!! 

Food cravings: I'm just getting back to a normal appetite this week.  I was pretty sick/nauseous for about 3-4 days - so no real cravings this week. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: After the sickness cleared up - not much is making me queasy.  I even ate two different meals with chicken in it this week!!!! Sure, they were small amounts of chicken - but I did it!

Have you started to show yet: Seriously thinking of deleting this question.  It's impossible to miss me...from a mile away even! 

Gender: Holding strong at two girls!

Labor signs: I've only had a few more contractions this week - but it was when I was sick.  Nothing recently. Thank goodness!!!

Belly button in or out: In - the belly button Gods are smiling down on me this pregnancy! If I have to get nasty stretch marks it looks like they will let me keep my belly button in! 

Wedding rings on or off: Off - not even around my neck at this point b/c they were starting to annoy me on bed rest.  

Mood most of the time: This week I started off in a real funk b/c the bed rest thing was new to me.  But, since about Tuesday/Wednesday I've been okay.  I'd say I'm content but bored.  

Looking forward to: Our next u/s, which will be on Tuesday afternoon.  And making it to next Friday (32 weeks) so that things would be a bit easier if the girls did decide to make an early appearance.  Only 7 more days!!!!

The countdown begins...

My own personal chef....

I'm one lucky girl!! This whole bed rest thing might be as horribly boring as possible - but it's also given me the chance to have my very own personal chef (with a Scottish accent to boot!).  Seriously though - so lucky to have married the man I did - not only is he charming, handsome and funny - he also takes exceptionally good care of me!  He's cooked dinner every night since finding out about my bed rest - and tonight he made chicken fajitas - and they were yum!!!

Pregnant and swollen feet...

Well, I've been on bed rest for almost 3 full days.  Which means I've been off my feet and/or elevating them for a ridiculous amount of time.  After 3 days they have shrunk about 2 sizes - but they are still insanely swollen enough to have indents left on them after only moments of pressure on them.  Lovely.  I can't wait to be abele to wear shoes again!!

My twin belly...

Just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Sometimes I don't think it is growing much, in fact, I often think "Oh my word, it's shrunk!!" but then I either measure it (DHs snarky suggestion turned into a thing) or compare my weekly pictures and it's very clear...I'm getting huge!!

Here is a comparison of week 27 vs week 30.  Crazy what only 3 weeks can do to a belly!

Week 30 (left) vs Week 27 (right)

Oh - and here's a random picture (it was on my phone next to the comparison) of my arm after getting some IV fluids...I've never bruised like this after an IV...must be a pregnancy thing? 

Creepy...

Ninja Twins?

No idea who "Bruce" is - but thanks google images

Okay, so I have the strangest feeling in the world happening lately.  It feels like the girls are kicking my butt (literally) almost all day!! One of them has such a strong kick that there are times I can actually feel my rear-end moving from the inside out.

This whole having a baby (well, two) thing is so strange sometimes!!

While I've been imaging our girls being tumblers, acrobats, swimmers and/or princesses (Hey, Prince George is not that much older than they will be!) I'm starting to wonder if they are actually going to be ninjas...

Week 30!! We've come a long way baby(ies)!!

Week 30!! It seems like such a big deal - perhaps it's because...it is!! I'm no longer in my 20s!! Woohooo!! The girls are now roughly the length of a large bag of chips!  Their skin is starting to get nice and smooth (thanks baby fat!) and their brains are starting to really develop!  They are also strong enough now to grip onto a finger and melt hearts!

Total weight gain: I just can't even look anymore.  The doctor has no concerns about it - so I suppose I don't either.  It is what it is and I'm carrying twins - so it's going to be insane at this point.

Maternity clothes: I ordered my last set of maternity clothes - a few more leggings (love them!) and 4 long-sleeved tunic t-shirts.  This will most likely be my uniform until I deliver as I just can't handle being dressed at this point (everything is so confining!).

Stretch marks: Everywhere...seriously! My stomach, hips, chest, legs, thighs, arms, even my knees are covered in them.  I'm thinking of joining a circus side show! ;)

Sleep: I'm not seeing much sleep these days.  Up every 2 hours or so to go to the bathroom and if in that time my brain starts working, well, then I'm up for 2-3 hours trying to get back to sleep.  Fun!

Best moment of this week: I made it through the week without delivering the girls.  Honestly - at this point - that's all I can ask for!

Miss anything: Sleeping on my stomach, a nice glass of cold wine after a hard day, hotdogs.

Movement: These girls are acrobats, I tell ya!  They are all over the place kicking, spinning, and playing that my stomach feels like it's constantly moving.

Food cravings: Ice cream :)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Chicken and now eggs too...

Have you started to show yet: Yes, and actually I'm up a full inch from last week - my stomach is now measuring at 4 feet 4 inches.

Gender: Holding strong at two girls!

Labor signs: Started having contractions earlier this week but thankfully have not had any since.

Belly button in or out: In - I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to be lucky enough to keep it in the whole pregnancy?

Wedding rings on or off: Off - but on a necklace around my neck :)

Mood most of the time: The beginning of my week was great - I was happy and energized.  I ended up the week being really tired, mentally drained, and stressed.  Oops!

Looking forward to: Hitting 32 weeks (see previous post)!

Here I am in all my 29w5d glory!!

Bed rest, early pre-e, contractions, OH MY!!

Well, a lot has changed in the last 24-48 hours.  It's been quite a bit for me to wrap my head around so I decided not to update everybody while it was happening like I normally do, but instead, to digest the information and then update people when I was "okay" with the news.

I'm going to take you on a little trip back in time - think Sheldon's time machine a'la Big Bang style.

Thursday:  I was feeling "wonky" for a lack of a better description all day.  I was having headaches on and off all day and I had spots in my eyes a few times.  By the end of the day my feet, fingers and legs were so swollen that I was back to not being able to walk without being in a bit of pain. My stomach was crazy! I was hungry (hello, I'm pregnant!) but couldn't eat - when I did I was sick within the hour.  I "toughed it out' b/c I really wanted to make it to my next appointment (next Tuesday) without calling the doctor.  When I went to bed that night I started to have this strange pain that I can't even explain - however, figured out quickly it was contractions.  The doctor had said to call them immediately if I had 6 or more in an hour.  I had 5 so I didn't call, I went to sleep.

Friday:  I woke up and felt quite a bit better but the swelling was still there (it usually goes away when I sleep) and I had two more contractions.  I decided to call the doctor when they opened to see what I could do to help this not progress to the same level it was on Thursday.  After hearing my story the nurse decided not to do a phone consult, but instead, to have me come in and speak directly with my doctor.  That's never a good sing with this office - usually they just say "lay down and take it easy" or "drink some water" and kind of brush it off (I'm assuming b/c it's never a big deal when I call) so to get into an appointment in less than 30 minutes from my call was slightly alarming.  I tried to keep cool though.

The results:  After various test, poking, an ultrasound and a bit more the doctor decided to put me on bed rest until I gave birth for the following reasons: 1) I'm starting to have contractions.  2) I'm showing early signs of pre-eclampsia (check out The Pregnant Chicken's take on pre-e - she can explain it much better than I can!! ) and she wants to try to avoid me showing the big sign of protein in my urine.  Apparently when that happens things get bad, fast! So, to avoid that she wants me to take all of the pressure/stress off of my body and just baby myself into keeping the girls in much longer! 3) I'm back to being dehydrated. Majorly dehydrated.  I did go to the hospital and get fluids via IV so hopefully that's not an issue, however, I tend to stay hydrated much better when I'm on bed rest.

So there ya go. All of the big exciting news.  I was mentally crushed yesterday and spent most of the day crying on and off.  I was not prepared to hear that news by any means.  I really had thought I'd make it to 35 weeks before being pulled for bed rest.  Thankfully, to take a little bit of pressure off of my shoulders, work was absolutely amazing with this news.  I'm so blessed to work somewhere that is so family oriented and understands the importance of bed rest in my condition to make sure my girls are okay.  I feel/felt like I was really leaving them in a bad place going out so early - but they reassured me multiple times that they'd be okay without me and that nobody would hold this against me.  It's hard because I don't like missing work - and now there is a good possibility I won't return until January!! WTH!? That's half of the school year for a teacher!! Oh my.

Anyway, as you can see I'm still processing.  Why am I sharing all of this thought process? B/c anywhere you look online about bed rest - all you see are the details and/or how people are staying occupied and what the outcome of bed rest was.  You don't see the mental process - which to me at least - is really important.  It's a lot to process, I'm still in shock, but I'd like to think it's normal.

So here's to the next 7 weeks - may the girls do their job and stay in and get healthy and strong while I do my new "job" of laying around the house.  Our next big goal is to make it 2 more weeks - to 32 weeks - where I can deliver the girls safely in town (otherwise I'd be flown to SLC) if need be.   I'll take all the good thoughts, prayers, positive energy you have to spare that I make it much longer than 32 weeks...and that I don't go mental in the meantime!! ;)