32w3d

I think I will stick with a bullet list of all my random thoughts.

• I am up a total of 30 lbs at 32 weeks.  Is that bad??  I've slipped a bit on the sweet eating.  I blame it on leftovers from the shower last week.  The good news though is my blood sugars seem to hold steady when I eat sweets.  It's only the breads and pastas that screw up my numbers.  Here is the belly shot for the week.

• Kara and I were a bit worried on Friday night.  I woke-up on Friday morning with quite a bit of swelling in my legs and feet.  This is actually abnormal as I have been blessed to have very minimal swelling this pregnancy.  I think partially because I am not up on my feet.  Anyhow I went about my day as normal.  I decided to step on the scale on Friday evening and I quickly realized I was up about 10lbs from our appointment on Tuesday afternoon.  Yikes!!!  I started to get a bit worried that my blood pressure was elevated because the swelling had come on so suddenly.  Kara was scheduled to work until 10pm so I decided that I would wait until she got off of work and then have her take me over to the grocery store to check my blood pressure.  Isn't that what everyone does on a Friday evening?  The first time we checked my blood pressure it was 136/91.  A bit high.  We decided to sit down and relax as I knew my blood pressure could be elevated simply from walking from the car to the blood pressure machine.  We took my blood pressure a couple of more times and the final reading was 120/90.  The top number seemed to be going down.  I still thought at this point that I was going to give the doctor a call.  We went home and I stepped on the scale and my weight was already down a few pounds.  We made the decision to wait until morning when my mom could bring over her blood pressure cuff.  If my numbers were still elevated in the morning (and my weight was still up), then we were going to call the doctor.  Needless to say I did not sleep all that great that night.  I woke-up on Saturday morning and my swelling had decreased significantly.  I stepped on the scale and my weight was back to normal.  I checked my blood pressure in the morning and it was back to 120/80.  Perfect! We now know that if I start to swell at a rapid pace we really need to keep a close eye on it.  I still have no idea what brought that episode on.

• We have everything we need to bring the boys home from the hospital.  I think??  I am sure there is something that we are missing but we worked this week on getting everything put away that we received at the shower and we purchased the remaining items.  The UPS man loves us!!  I am becoming quite proficient at ordering items online.  Fun!!!  Our house now looks like we are a family with children.  I love it!!  All the clothes and most of the newborn diapers have been washed.  We just need to sterilize the bottles and put them all away.  The car seats are installed in the car.  And the Fisher Price RNPs (where the boys will sleep in the beginning) have been set-up in our bedroom.  We have a baby doll in the the RNPs in order to get the dogs use to the changes.  My hospital bags are fully packed.  The only thing we have to do is pack a bag for the boys but I'm not going to do that unless I get to 36 weeks.  It is so surreal.  

A picture of the installed car seats!!

• I am starting to get very uncomfortable.  I am fighting a rash on my hands and knee that annoys me at times.  My acid reflux is out of control.  Remember when I didn't like TUMS??  I can throw back TUMS now like I am eating gummy bears!!  It is getting super difficult to sleep.  I am up every hour and when I get out of bed I am stiff as a board.  I'm starting to experience a bit of insomnia.  I usually get up in the middle of the night and go and sit in the chair in the nursery.  It helps make some of the stiffness go away and it also relaxes me.  I just try to imagine that room with the boys asleep in their cribs.  I have been taking naps more during the day to compensate for the lack of sleep at night.  I am still getting contractions.  But I am trying not to take any medication unless I start to get "real" contractions more than six times an hour.  I think some of my swelling / rash issues might be connected to the medication.

• I have this image I keep in my mind all the time.  I imagine Baby A is wearing a super hero cape because he is the one that has been looking for an exit for so many weeks now.  I then imagine his brother, Baby B, grabbing onto the cape and telling him, "Not yet!  Momma will get mad at you."  I think I am going to have to buy Baby A a cute little super hero cape when he is born.  

• I really want the boys to stay in my belly for at least another four weeks but I am not embarrassed to express that I am over this pregnancy.  I told Kara the other night that the only thing I am going to miss at this point is feeling them kick and move around in my belly.  I am just ready to move onto the next phase of our life.  It is very difficult to be on bed rest for 6 weeks.  I cannot believe that I have not worked in 6 weeks.  It is a beautiful day today and I get sad when I look out the window thinking of all that I could be doing at the moment.  But then I feel a swift kick from one of my boys and I know that I am doing the right thing for them.  I'm just so ready to meet them!  

• We have a NST on May 1st and an OB appointment on May 7th. 

Please keep growing boys and stay in my belly for a few more weeks.  We are so proud of you!!!

Mary

a quick update

We had both a NST and an OB appointment today.  And all appears great at the moment.

The NST was fairly uneventful.  It took some time to get both Baby A and Baby B to cooperate on the monitors but once on the monitors it only took about 30 minutes for them to pass the test.  Remember the NST is used to measure the heart rate of each baby in response to its movements.  I was also attached to the contraction monitor and of course (in typical fashion) I had some minor contractions.  The contractions were much less intense and occurred in less frequent intervals then in the previous few weeks.  I think my body is responding to the Procardia.  I have noticed an improvement all around.  The nurse took the results to our MFM to review and of course the MFM always gets concerned about the contractions.  The nurse even indicated when she returned to the room that the MFM spent a couple of minutes looking at the printouts and simply scratching the top of his head.  Haha.  We even have the MFM confused at the moment.  He eventually told the nurse, "Ask her if she feels okay.  If she feels okay she can go home."  I felt good so we got to go home!!  We are scheduled back for another NST on May 1st.  Can you believe we might actually make it to next month?  I am trying not to get my hopes up!

We had an OB appointment after our NST.  It was fairly anti-climatic considering we had just come from the MFM.  I have been dealing with a rash on both of my hands for about a week now.  I think it might be a reaction to the Procardia.  Or it could even just be stressed induced.  The OB said I could use an OTC hydrocortisone cream to relieve some of the itching.  I hope this helps as all I have been using the past week is lotion and it does not seem to do a whole lot.  The OB also indicated that she is completely surprised that I have made it to 32 weeks (almost).  And she has stopped holding any expectations about this pregnancy!  I guess she has no idea that I plan to make it to at least 36 weeks.  I must have forgotten to send her the memo.  Anyhow ... she said that she will begin discussions with the MFM between 36 weeks and 38 weeks to decide on when these boys should be brought into the world. The OB did indicate that she would not let me go past 38 weeks.  So the latest these boys can arrive is June 7th!!!  We discussed c-section versus vaginal birth again and it looks like we will probably be going with a c-section at the moment.  Of course the moons could align and I would be able to do a vaginal birth in the end but for a number of reasons a c-section looks like it might be our best option in the long run.  We are scheduled to go back to the OB on May 7th.  We also scheduled the rest of our appointments with the OBs office.  Weird!!  The receptionist scheduled appointments all the way up to June 19th.  I told Kara that if for some bizarre reason I am still pregnant on June 19th that I am coming to the OBs office and chaining myself to a desk until someone delivers the boys.

Please keep growing little ones and stay in my belly!

Mary

our baby shower

We had our baby shower this past weekend.  Kara and I were simply blown away by the generosity of our friends and family members.  It was a day I will never forget and thankfully we were able to capture the event with a lot of photographs so the boys will know just how much they were loved long before they even arrived in this world.

There was not really a theme for the baby shower.  We wanted our entire family to be involved in the event so we decided to shy away from traditional baby shower themes.  Instead our friends and family gathered at the Gahanna Golf Course Clubhouse for a lot of food and fun.  It just gave us all an opportunity to get together in the same room.  Kara and I have never been able to have all our closest family members in the same room at one time.  We were missing a couple of family members but I know they were thinking about us.

I have included some pictures of the shower to give you an idea of all the excitement that was had that day.  The pictures can show you the wonder of the day better than I can describe it in words.

And what was even better ... I was able to be at the shower with the boys still in my belly.

The cake.  It matched the invitations almost exactly.  A close friend of mine made the cake for us and she did an absolutely amazing job!

The shower was given to us by both grandmothers and also by two of my aunts.  It was a team effort.  These are pictures of the favors that were made by Kara's mother.  They were awesome.

Some of the yummy food!

Here we visiting with some of our friends.

See?  We were spoiled!!

I don't think I wiped the smile off of my face all day!

Opening our gifts!

I made Kara do all the hard work!  (as always)

I love this picture of Kara!

That is a toy chest that was handcrafted by Kara's stepfather!  It is simply amazing and already has a place in the nursery.  The boys will be able to keep this toy chest for the rest of their lives.  Thank you Grandpa Park!

The love of my life!  The date of the baby shower is also extremely significant to both of us as it fell on our Anniversary!  It was six years ago that Kara and I went on our first date together.  What was to be a quick morning hike in the woods turned into a day long event and now Kara and I are preparing to welcome two little boys into the world.  I feel so blessed.

Thanks again to all our friends and family members who made this day so very special for us!

Mary

almost deju vu

We had our MFM appointment this morning.

I really tried to remain optimistic (even though I did throw my hospital bag in the car for good measure).  We started the appointment with a check of my cervical length.  I wasn't sure if it would get measured today.  The u/s tech indicated that today would probably be my last measurement.  Usually the cervical length check is stopped at 32 weeks. We got bad news all around in this particular area today.  I had a cervical length of 19 mm at our appointment four weeks ago (the day I was admitted to the hospital).  Today my cervix measured at 7 mm.  So it is still going in the wrong direction.   I can only imagine what it would be had I not been on bed rest for the past month.

The u/s tech continued the appointment with our growth u/s.  My favorite part!  Both boys look great!  At the moment Baby A is head down (or vertex) and Baby B is head up (or breech).  I think Baby B just turned last night.  I thought I felt a head up at my ribs this morning and I was right.  Both boys have hair (or peach fuzz as the u/s tech indicated) on their head!!!  And I thought I would get two baldy babies.  Baby A had a heart rate of 145 bpm and is weighing in at 3lbs 7oz.  Baby A had a heart rate of 147 bpm and is weighing in at 3lbs 8oz.  So both are growing in proportion to one another.  We were able to get some good u/s pictures of Baby A but Baby B had his face turned to my back the whole time so we didn't get any pictures of Baby B.  Though you could see Baby B continually stretching his entire leg out and kicking Baby A in the head.  It was cute.  When Baby B was not stretching out his leg he was all curled up in a tiny ball.  Baby A is seriously hogging all the space in the womb.

After the growth u/s the u/s tech indicated that the MFM might want to check me because of the short cervix so she told me to hold off on getting dressed.  Of course Kara and I proceeded to sit there for another 30 minutes.  I finally got super uncomfortable because I was laying on my back and I had to sit-up.  Finally the u/s tech came back and said the MFM wanted to put me on the monitor for a bit (sounding familiar???).  And guess what ... we went back to the exact same room as four weeks ago.  Yep.  I told Kara, "Can't they put us in another room?".   This time they did a NST (non-stress test).  A NST essentially makes certain that the baby will show an acceleration in heart rate speed anytime he is making movements.  The NST will also monitor contractions to make certain that the baby does not show any distress during a contraction.  Both Baby A and Baby B passed the stress test with flying colors.  They did a great job staying on the monitors and their heart rates varied according to movement.  The contractions on the other hand ... not so great but also not as bad as the last time I was on the monitor.  I had three contractions in a 30 minute period at exactly 10 minutes apart.  This is par for the course over the last month.  I have rarely had contractions more often than 10 minutes apart since I came home from the hospital.

The MFM came into the room to discuss our options.  The MFM initially wanted to admit me to the hospital again.  But wanted to discuss a few items before making that decision.  We made the decision in the end for me to return home on bed rest.  This decision was made for several reasons.  (1)  I live close to the hospital.  If for some reason something changes, I can be at the hospital in under 15 minutes (especially if Kara is driving).  (2) I always have someone no more than five minutes away from me that can take me to the hospital.  This means there would still be a possibility to stop labor should I go into active labor at home.  The only benefit to hospitalization would be that as soon as I told a nurse I was having an issue I could be put on a monitor and drugs could be used to stop labor.  However, we are only gaining a bit more time with choosing the hospitalization option.  (3) I would be much more comfortable and relaxed at home.  This is a benefit to both boys.  (4)  I have already had the steroid shots.  (5)  The MFM indicated he would put me on Procardia (to try and stop the contractions) should I be admitted to the hospital.  But I can also take the Procardia myself at home.  So in the end the MFM was in agreement that I could return home but with the directions to call as soon as anything changes in the slight bit.  I have become so in tune with my body that I really do believe that I will know when something is different with my body.  So how long until these boys are born??  No one can give me that answer.  I am still trying to remain hopeful that both boys continue to cook until at least 34 weeks.  A real possibility in my mind.  My brother and I were both born at 34 weeks and we turned out just fine!! (minus a big head on my part).  The MFM elected to not manually check my cervix for fear of disturbing the peace though he said he would bet at this point I would be dilated to at least 1 cm.  But he also indicated I could walk around at 1 cm for a very long time.  We got sent home with a prescription for Procardia that I am to take every 8 hours in an effort to reduce the contractions.

We are scheduled to go back for another NST on April 24th.  We also have another OB appointment on April 24th.  I believe I will be having weekly NSTs at this point.  So continue to send prayers in our direction.

Please keep growing boys and stay in my belly (stop looking for the exit Baby A)!!

Mary

30w3d

This is my 100th post!  (I'm still waiting for Kara to post an entry ... ???)

How Far Along: 30w3d

Milestones: Your little one weighs in at over three pounds now.  He will be packing on the weight at a rate of half a pound per week for the next seven weeks.  Also growing daily is his brain which is actually starting to look like the real thing with those characteristic grooves and wrinkles.  And now that your little genius can regulate his own body temperature and turn up the heat he will start shedding lanugo.  The lanugo is the downy body hair that's been keeping him warm up until now.

Total Weight Gain:  26.4 lbs.  No your eyes are not playing tricks on you.  I have put on some massive pounds in the last two weeks.  I feel as if I am still eating fairly healthy so I am not going to worry about it at this point.  A story to make myself feel better ... I participated in weight watchers about two years ago and I managed to lose 20 pounds over that time.  So in order to make myself feel better I try to remember that I only weigh six pounds more than I did when I started weight watchers.  Heck.  It makes me feel better.

Maternity Clothes:  I outgrew my XS maternity jeans.  I guess I am glad I let the salesperson talk me into buying a pair of XS jeans and a pair of S jeans several months ago.  Not a proud moment.  I'm going to blame it all on my growing belly as opposed to my growing thighs!

I did get brave and take bare belly shots this week (there is a clothed picture on the belly page).  I will warn you again to look away if you have a weak stomach!

By the way ... the weird mark above my belly button??  I was a super smart 18 year-old and decided that a belly button ring was the way to go.  At least it wasn't a tattoo!  It has been weird to watch the scar tissue from the belly button ring grow all funky during this pregnancy.  And can you see my outie belly button??

Sleep:  I am officially awake every hour.  It is like clockwork.  I have to get up to go the the bathroom and readjust myself at least once an hour.  There are times that I am up every 30 minutes.  But when I do fall back to sleep each hour I sleep just fine.  It's just all a matter of finding the comfortable spot.  There are actually several times where I still wake-up on my back.  I guess I'm not that big if I can flip myself over in my sleep.

Best Moment of the Week:  The boys are still in my belly!!

Sex:  Boys!!

Food Cravings:  What don't I crave?  I'm still craving ice cream.  Yum.  And I'm also on a jelly bean kick.  But in terms of healthy food ... I have learned that my blood sugar numbers go crazy in response to eating refined starch foods (like bread, cereal, waffles, pancakes).  There are also certain fruits with a significant amount of carbohydrates that my body cannot handle.  This includes bananas.  A favorite of mine.  I tend to eat the same breakfast every morning ... a carnation instant breakfast (a source of carbohydrates), two pieces of bacon, two scrambled eggs with salsa and a side of fruit (usually blueberries and strawberries).  It sounds like a ton of food but my body responds really well to this meal.  My post breakfast sugar numbers are always good.  I tend to change-up lunch.  I alternate between tuna fish (I can only have it once a week per OB guidelines), egg salad, hot dog, and grilled chicken.  Most days I will eat an apple with my lunch but on occasion I sneak in some potato chips.  On the days I eat potato chips my post lunch number is horrible!  And dinner varies night to night.  For snacks I alternate between fresh fruit and light whipped cream, a granola bar (if my blood sugar numbers were lower at a certain point), apple and peanut butter, graham crackers and milk, and graham crackers and peanut butter.  I will sneak in a piece of toast with peanut butter on occasion.  My nighttime snack is my guilty pleasure of the day (and will not continue after I give birth!!).  I usually have a couple of cookies or some ice cream.  The sweets really don't seem to impact my numbers.  So that gives you an idea of my diet.  And I wonder how I have gained 26 pounds??? Haha.

Food Aversions:  None

Symptoms:  The acid reflux is in full force.  It tends to get worse each day.  I will take TUMS if I am in agony but I would rather poke my finger with a needle 15 times then take TUMS.  I hate the texture.

The weird symptom of the week ... The hair on my legs no longer grows.  Huh??  I mean it grows but it takes weeks and weeks.  I can shave my legs and a week later it looks like I just shaved my legs.  But believe me ... I am growing hair like a monkey on the rest on my body.  How does that work?  For example ... I shave my arm pits and by the time I am out of the shower I probably need to shave again.  I'm a crazy hormonal mess.

I am still having contractions.  I get a lot of braxton hicks contractions but I tend to only get "real" contraction every few hours and usually I will usually only get one or two at a time.  So I am still a firm believer that the bed rest is doing wonders for my body.

Upcoming Events:  Our baby shower is April 22nd!!!  I am so excited and just hope with every ounce of my being that I will be able to attend it.  We have our MFM appointment on April 17th.  I am really nervous about this appointment but I hope that all goes just fine.  Kara and I will be putting my hospital bag in the car before this appointment.  We figure if we take the bag with us then all will be okay and we will get to come back home.  Reverse psychology??

Please keep growing little ones and stay in my belly!

Mary

29w5d

I think I am going to skip the regular survey this week.  I'm just not motivated to complete it.

I wish I could tell you that I am getting good at this whole bed rest gig.  But I am not.  It has been three weeks and I am hitting a bit of a wall.  Okay.  It would be more appropriate to say that I am hitting a wall about the size of the Great Wall of China.  Things are a bit lonely around these parts.  It is difficult to be confined to the same room day after day.  I think the dogs are even getting tired of being confined.  I am able to leave the house on occasion.  But I dread leaving the house because I know that I will suffer the consequences when I return home in the form of a night of contractions.  We had our OB appointment today and it was the biggest waste of time in the world.  I don't even want to get into it.  Let's just say it involved a long wait in the waiting room and then a visit with a nurse practitioner (instead of my OB) who did not bother to even read my chart before coming into the room.  I almost left the appointment in tears but I ended up laughing the whole way home instead.  I think it was because I had Kara with me to serve as a distraction.  And of course I return home to contractions.  It just got me super frustrated ... so what do I do?  I eat.  Way to go gestational diabetes girl!!  I know tomorrow is a new day and I just need to get through the rest of today.  But some days it is just ugly up on the third floor!!  And today is one of those days.   I am trying to read and watch movies but one can only do that for so long.  It is especially getting tough as I get bigger and more uncomfortable.  I cannot even explain how uncomfortable I get at times.  So I think my downward spiral is just a combination of things ... okay ... pity party over!

The boys are still in my belly!! And that is the best gift in the entire world.

We met with a pediatrician yesterday.  I was referred to the practice by a coworker who also has twins and overall I was impressed with the office.  We don't really have anything to compare it to at the moment and because I cannot exactly pediatrician shop at the moment I think we will go with this practice.  It's not like we are tied down to the office.  There are plenty of other pediatricians in the world.  If we want to switch practices at some point we can do that.  The pediatrician answered all of our questions and for the most part we seem to share similar beliefs on certain subjects such as vaccinations, breastfeeding, and circumcision.  We also want to the boys to have a male pediatrician which will take some getting use to on my part because I typically like to work with female physicians.  But in the long run I think it will be much better for us to use a male pediatrician.  The office also treated Kara with respect and gave us co-custody forms to get filled out so that Kara will be treated as the boys' mother too in regards to medical decisions.  So we have found our pediatrician!

I am getting bigger!  I hope that means the boys are growing nice and strong.  I am starting to experience some new symptoms ... some of which I will leave off of this blog!!  I'm starting to have issues with my left leg.  I think one of the boys is sitting on a nerve and so I am constantly losing circulation in my left leg.  It doesn't last forever but it can be a bit painful.  I am still dealing with contractions.  They seem to be worse at night but they do tend to eventually disappear or at least not increase in frequency.  I just keep an eye on them.  Their movements have definitely changed over the last week.  Their kicks and punches are much more intense.  And I can now get them awake by simply tapping on my belly or pushing on a foot.  It is fun.  I'm sure they get annoyed with me!  I am still testing my blood sugar four times a day.  My numbers have been really good.  I am starting to miss certain foods but I am also starting to realize the negative impact certain foods have on my blood sugar numbers.  All I wanted last night for dinner was a bowl of cereal.  It had been forever since I had a bowl of cereal.  My blood sugar number post dinner ... 140.  Huge Fail.  No more cereal for this gestational diabetes momma until after the boys are born.  Darn.

I wish I had something else exciting to report but I do not.  We are looking forward to our Baby Shower on April 22nd.  We have an MFM appointment on April 17th and our next OB appointment on April 24th.

Please keep growing boys and stay in my belly!

Mary

so thankful

I feel like I have so much to be thankful for at the moment.  And I don't believe I ever take the time to reflect on all the good that has been happening over the last couple of weeks.

1. The boys are still in my belly.
2. Our fFN test came back negative today!  That means there is a less than 1% chance of labor beginning in the next 7-10 days.
3.  I will be 29 weeks tomorrow.
4. I work for a company that offers short term disability.
5. I have an OB that believes in the power of bed rest.
6. I have amazing friends and family members who call or text on a daily basis to check on us all.
7.  I have amazing coworkers who have stepped up to the plate to cover my job responsibilities while I am gone.
8.  I have amazing coworkers who have made casserole dishes for Kara and me during my time on bed rest.
9. And last but certainly not least ... I have the most amazing partner in the entire world!  Kara goes above and beyond on a daily basis to take care of us all.  I think she climbs the stairs in our apartment at least 20 times a day.  She is my rock.

Please keep growing little ones and stay in my belly!

Mary

28w5d

How Far Along: 28w5d

Milestones: Your baby is growing and developing at an astonishing rate.  The eyebrows and eyelashes are now present and the hair on his head is growing.  The eyelids open.  The eyes are completely formed. The body is getting plumper and rounder.  Your baby is composed of around 2% to 3% body fat.  The muscle tone is gradually improving.  The lungs are capable of breathing air but if the baby is born now he would struggle to properly breath.  Be sure to talk to your baby a lot because he can recognize your voice now.

Total Weight Gain: 21.2 lbs. I have lost a bit of weight but I think this is to be expected.  The new diet is keeping some of my sweet eating under control.  Plus I am isolated upstairs all day long so the only food I have to eat is what Kara leaves me for the day.  I also think I gained some water weight in the hospital and I have since lost that weight.  

Maternity Clothes:  Nothing new in this area.

The belly shot for this week ...

Sleep:  Our sleep schedule has changed a bit because of the new work schedule for Kara.  I am trying my best to adjust my sleep schedule too.  Most nights Kara works until 10pm so it is usually between 11pm and midnight before she is ready to go to sleep.  This is late for someone who is used to waking up at 4:00 am to be at work by 5:00am!!  So it might take a bit of time for me to adjust accordingly.  But I am trying my best.  

Best Moment of the Week:  The boys are still in my belly!!

We had our OB appointment today.  It was fairly uneventful.  That's a good thing.  My blood pressure was 120/70.  And both the boys sounded great on the fetal doppler.  The OB said my blood sugar numbers are awesome and that I am doing a great job following the low carbohydrate diet.  We are trying but there are times it is really difficult.  There are a few high numbers every once in awhile but the OB said that is totally to be expected.  The OB also did the fFN test today.  I should have the results of that test tomorrow.  The OB indicated the test would be repeated every two weeks until about 34 weeks.

We got quite a bit of hand-me-downs from our really good friends who had twin girls in September 2011.  Obviously we would have gotten a lot more items but there are two boys growing in my belly!!  She was still able to give us quite a bit of gender neutral newborn sleepers.  We also got a Fisher Price My Little Lamb Infant Seat.   Plus ... we are going to get a Double Snap and Go (stroller) from them once the boys arrive.  Every little bit helps!

I almost have my hospital bag packed too.  It is a bit slow going because there a few items I needed to purchase that I have had to order online because I can't go shopping.  We learned a lot with the hospitalization and I did not want to be headed to the hospital again without having everything in place. Of course we will wait until much later to pack a bag for the boys because if they would be born now they would not be going home immediately.

Sex: Boys!!

Food Cravings:  Ice Cream.  Ice Cream.  Ice Cream.  And all the foods I am not allowed to eat at the moment.  Doesn't that always happen??

Food Aversions:  None

Symptoms:  I'm just getting bigger.  And it thrills me.  The contractions have definitely lessened in frequency.  I think it amazing what a low activity level has done for the contractions.  I am getting heartburn more often.  But otherwise I feel really good.  I just move really slow.  This probably has to do with a bigger belly and a lack of activity on bed rest.  The stairs all but do me in!  It is a good thing I am only allowed to climb the stairs once a day or I would be in trouble.

Upcoming Events:  We have our next OB appointment on April 10th and our next MFM appointment on April 17th.  We also have our Baby Shower on April 22nd and I am hoping with every ounce of my being that I will be able to attend it.  If I am still pregnant (I better be), then I will be allowed to go and sit in a chair the entire time.  It gives me something to look forward to.

Please keep growing boys and stay in my tummy for several more weeks!

Mary