Thursday, April 26, 2012

22 weeks and going strong!

With each and every day, there is something new! My body is constantly changing! I find myself googling all the quirks that come along with pregnancy! I still am in disbelief! Anyways, My swollen feet/ankles is an everyday occurrence at this point! My gym shoes have to be loosely tied. Before pregnancy I would tie my shoes so tight because of my narrow feet. Now, I can barely squeeze into them! It's strange! When I get home from work I will lay on the couch and elevate my feet as I was instructed to do. There is no pain, just they look scary swollen! Oh well! If the doc is not concerned, I am not either! I do notice that I am fatigued more easily now too!I find myself needing to lay down more throughout the day and go to bed MUCH earlier than I used to! However, I am waking up at 6:30am without an alarm most days. So it does take some getting used to! I never was like this before! My favorite part of the day is when I am lying in bed and the girls are moving like CRAZY!!!!  Sometimes I see my belly move!! That could be why my hands are always on my belly!! I love this part of pregnancy! It is such a happy time! I am so lucky I get to experience this!

My belly is getting big now. I walk around and sometimes notice I have the "pregnancy wobble." Yes, that does really happen! My baby bump is a hand magnet. I find myself constantly resting my hands on my belly. haha! I am feeling quite large these days!

This whole adventure is going by so fast! It is nearly May and by August the girls will be here! So much to do!!  Baby shower gifts are already being delivered to my house and we are starting to compile it all in the nursery putting pieces together as they come to make a nursery of it all! So EXCITING!!!  I still have to clean out the closet making it baby-ready! Right now we are using it for our extra blankets and pillows and my wedding dress! haha I need to move that all out of there and put away elsewhere, because the closet is all for the my little ladies! Luckily, it is a nice walk-in closet with lots of space! Right now the nursery is starting to fill-up with items! It is very exciting! I love walking into that room and just gazing!

Here is a picture of where I am at now! Time is flying!!! I can't wait to hold my little girls!



22 weeks!


Sunday, April 15, 2012

20-week Anatomy Scan

Report from Thursday's Appointment:

Thursday I had my 20-week anatomy scan to check on the growth and development! The doctor checked for all the organs to make sure they were present and located in the correct location! Everything was there and accounted for! Phew! Hannah was in a good position for pictures! ...Miss Photogenic! Our Hannah Banana was loving the camera...as always! Hannah weighs 11oz.

Hannah rubbing her eye.


Avery was turned upside down and was hiding behind the umbilical cord...not good for picture-taking...hopefully she flips by the next appointment so we can get a better look at our Avery. The tech tried her best to get the best picture possible today. Avery weighs 13 oz.

Avery hiding behind cord.


Both babies are head down right now and they are facing each other. The only thing separating them right now is the membrane otherwise they would be giving each other Eskimo kisses.

Cervical length is 4.5 and anything from 3-4 is normal, so we are in GREAT shape and no pre-term labor in the near future! :)!!!

After this appointment, I felt even closer to them. It is unbelievable how much you bond with your baby(s) at this time! I feel like I already know them and can't wait to hold them!

The doctor did notice my swollen left ankle and said she wanted to do a doppler venous ultrasound on my entire leg to check for any clots. Everything came back negative for clots so I have been ordered to wear supportive socks for the rest of the pregnancy to help with the swelling. On our way out, the tech handed me a CD with all the pictures from our session that day! How amazing and what a wonderful souvenir! I swear I couldn't stop looking at the pictures from the second I got home!! I was in awe!

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Halfway Point!

It's official...my normal clothes just don't fit anymore. No more attempting...maternity clothes all the way from this point on! I am still feeling very comfortable and I still do not feel too big yet. The cooler weather has been great! The cooler the weather, the less the swelling! I hope it stays for awhile...

At my last doctors appointment, my doctor did the scan and said...so do you want to know the genders...and I responded, I think we already do...2 girls?  She said yes! 100% no doubt about it! So exciting! I think Pat and I just love the fact that our girls will have a best friend for life. Any other combination just would not be as close as two girls, and we feel blessed to have such a great combo! Watching my younger twin sisters growing up, I just know they will have such a special bond. I am excited to watch them grow up together and to always have a buddy. :)  Plus, I love little girls...girls run in my family...I think the Dennis women are pros at girls at this point! ;)  My doctor also went over what our birth plan is and if we are open-minded.  She went on to saying, she lets the babies decide. They decide how they want to come out and when. By that she says she will wait to one of the later appointments to see the poisitioning of the babies. I told her we are open-minded and don't mind one way or another. We just want a safe delivery that will result in 20 fingers and 20 toes and some healthy crying! It's crazy we have opened up the conversation about birth plans. Before we know it, we will be in the hospital holding our two baby girls. The girls are very active now. I think that is the way they play throughtout the day (and night!)

Even with all the exciting news pregnancy and babies bring, there was another topic I wanted to talk about at this appointment with the doctor was breast cancer screening post-pregnancy. With being on hormones since I have been 12 and IVF, I worry about my chances at having breast cancer. Not only does breast cancer run in my family, but I once had cancer and know all that it will incur. With my history and family history, I want to have peace of mind. I know that catching cancer at an early stage is the matter between a cure and death sometimes. With my daughters on the way, I want to be around for their lives. The doctor said it isn't a bad idea, and if it is something I want to do we can arrange it after the girls arrive. I feel better knowing I will be checked once these babies are here.
April has arrived!! This means Project: Nursery begins!! It's amazing the images from my dreams are now coming into a reality. We are getting each piece slowly, but surely, but wow. The vibe I get when I walk into the room just gives me the chills. Pretty soon, I will be walking into that room to crying, hungry babies or having tummy time. Just amazing.  A few months ago, this was nothing more than fantasy. Now it is 3.5 months away. The feelings of joy we experience is just overwhelming at times. Summer can't come soon enough!

As I reflect, now being more than halfway through my pregnancy, I realize how many people I have met in the past year since we started our journey through IVF. The words IVF, infertility, betas, etc. are all so scary. Even though it took 3 attempts for us to find success, I still continue to attempt to motivate, inspire others to keep moving forward and looking into all these different options that were never an option before. For those still on their journeys, keep going. Don't take no as an answer. Even when you feel you have nothing left, look harder. Find support in your spouse, talk to those who have been through it. There are so many people who can help you. That is the #1 reason I went public with my story. My goal was not only to find support for myself through the path of the biggest unknown, but to also make it a less lonely journey for others who didn't have the courage to talk about it. Just know there is always an option out there for you. If you want to be a mother, you will find a way to be one. I want people to look at my life and think with everything this girl has been through in her life with her string of bad luck and she han't shut out the world and cried alone in her house, and she still managed to be so happy all the time. That was my goal of sharing my story. No matter how bad you think you have it in life, you still can find happiness while you continue your search for good luck. Life is short. Don't waste one minute feeling sorry for yourself or being sad, because it could always be worse. That is what I always told myself. It fed my drive to trudge forward.

Also, on a lighter note, Easter is here! I remember having such a hard time around any holiday because in my mind I was supposed to be pregnant. The holidays would come and go and still no pregnancy...I dreaded holidays until now. Pat did too, because I needed his support the most at these times. Now when people say have a great Easter, I know I will...I am pregnant and well on my way to having my family with my husband. There is no better definition of pure happiness and joy. On that note, have a great Easter and enjoy your families (and soon-to-be families!)

Monday, April 2, 2012

Bonding

I am currently 19 weeks pregnant and feel fantastic! I am comfortable, energetic, and EXCITED! I am over halfway through! With twins, the gestation period is 38 weeks maximum!

It is crazy that a few short months ago, my life revolved around meds, shots, doctor appointments and that was my life. I was so used to it. That was my norm. And now I am going to OB appointments, designing a nursery 24/7 in mind, creating baby registries, etc. At one time I avoided the baby section of department stores and now I HAVE to walk through them every time!!  Even if it is just to pick up a gallon of milk. Our closet is slowly starting to fill with outfits. Nursery decor lines the room until we start getting furniture.  I feel like I am living somebody else's life... sometimes I just have to take a step back and think wow...this is my life...our life. We are becoming a family; Pat and I have our own little family. I am living my dream. This feeling is even better than I imagined it to feel.  Being pregnant is just so amazing. The whole experience is better than I dreamed it to be. Now I feel flutters from my girls. I know when they like to eat, what they want to eat, and what gets them moving like crazy!  Also, I have read that this week the girls are starting to recognize my voice. I am constantly singing in my car in hopes they hear me. I feel it is always a great way to start our morning. I talk to them throughout the day. I told Pat to start talking to them too so they can start getting to know him too.  Of course he is talking their ears off when we are home together. His hand is always on my tummy when we lie in bed. He is going to be wrapped around their fingers. Daddy's little girls...I love my little family.

I find that my hands are glued to my belly all day, every day. It is amazing to think that under a layer of skin and through some tissue are my baby girls! I can't wait to hold them in my arms. As much as I love them being with me 24/7, I can't wait to see their faces and kiss their little noses. At this stage, my goal is to bond with them as much as possible. I think that is why my hands don't move from my belly. I never want to let them go. I want them to know I am always here and just waiting for their next movement. I love my little girls so much. :)