I'm 20 weeks today! I just came from the OB/GYN and was told that I'm measuring above average, which is expected. The heart rate of both babies are good.

I will have an ultrasound on Friday and if the babies cooperate, we should know if we're having boys, girls or both!

Here is a belly shot, finally! I found a video of me at 19 weeks last time and did not look anything like I do now. At 19 weeks with my son, I looked like I ate a really big meal. I also found a picture of me last time at 7 1/2 months, and I am almost that big!

My doctor is optimistic and answers everything I throw at him. But really, we should know more about how the babies are doing this Friday.

Yay!

Yesterday, Matthew was into coloring. But somehow, while I wasn't looking, he left his table and went to a wall. He colored the baseboard (just a little).  This morning he saw it and said, "uh-oh" and shook his head. I explained to him that he was the one who colored it, though he wasn't supposed to. He looked back at me and said, "uh-oh" again. I asked him if he would like to clean it for me, and he said, "OK".

I grabbed a wet paper towel and handed it to him and he cleaned away his mess. He was quite good at it. He wouldn't even quit when the crayon mark was gone and proceeded to look around the wall and cleaned whatever he could find.

I've decided to pick up on the potty chair introduction again. The other day I saw my son straining and I asked him if he was going poo poo. I peaked in his diaper and saw that he hasn't done it yet so I grabbed the potty chair quickly and sat him down. When he was done, he stood up and kept asking "whasat?". I told him it's poo poo.

Then yesterday, while I was preparing to go to church, I heard him tell his daddy "poo poo". His daddy grabbed the potty chair and sat him down. He was on the chair for a bit and then stood up. I was in the next room when I heard my hubby exclaimed, "good boy!". Matthew apparently peed.

I think a few more hits and he may just get the point. Yipee!

I haven't been here in a few days and when I finally could, the site was down! But I'm glad it's finally up!

Ok, some updates on my pregnancy. I'm now 19 1/2 weeks along and am really really big. I have begun to feel Braxton Hicks contractions, which scared me at first, but apparently it's normal for some women to get them in the 2nd trimester.

I found a picture of me 7 months pregnant with my son, so I made the hubby take a picture of me yesterday to compare. Though my belly isn't as big as I was last time at 7 months, it's quite close.  I just hope that my body can keep the twins in without any complications.

We went to Walmart today to buy some quick groceries and the 40 minute trip was enough for my lower back to start aching. It's not quite the pinched nerve I suffered from last time, but it was uncomfortable! I think this is the end to long errand trips for me.

My son has been sleeping with us in our bed because his bed besides ours (on the floor) is near a big window and it's been really really cold. And lately he's been leaking out of his diaper a lot! I've stopped fluids at 5:30, which works heavenly but the problem is it's not always easy to get him to stop drinking. He doesn't eat well sometimes and just wants milk and cheese and bread.

I had just changed the sheets yesterday and then last night, he's at at it again. ARGH!! Changing sheets on a king size bed is becoming a very very tiring chore for me. I get my husband to help me out, but that means I have to wait until the next evening. In the meantime, that means my son and I have to nap on a pee-stained bed so I just end up changing it myself.   And sometimes he not only wets the bed, but wets the blanket too because he somehow wraps himself like a burrito in the middle of the night.

We went to a grand opening of a BabiesRUs store in my area yesterday and bought a Graco DuoGlider twin stroller. We figured that with the grand opening sale, this is as good a time as any to buy it. It came with one carseat, so we'll have to just ise the one that Matthew used. They won't match, but I don't think the babies will care.  The stroller is a long one, and it's a bit strange to push it around.

We were considering one other stroller where 2 baby carseats fit and a toddler can sit/stand on the back. But that is just way too long and from what I've heard, hard to push around. Besides, I don't think Matthew would want to sit in a stroller any longer anyway.

The twins are getting very active - actually, one is more active than the other one (baby B). Baby B will the trouble maker, I'm sure.  When I wake up in the morning, I find that they congregate on the top of my belly (just above the bellybutton). But once I stand up, they just get smooshed towards the bottom. Their movements are now obvious to my husband when he lays his hand on my belly.

I will be seing my OB on Feb. 28th, and then the perinatologist on March 2nd, for an ultrasound. I would love to have girls, but at the same time, it would also be great to have boys because we already have tons of boy stuff. But of course, we will be happy no matter what they are. And if they turn out to be fraternal, 1 boy and 1 girl, that would be very very lovely too!

We got back yesterday and we're all exhausted, but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. There were lots of slides (that I couldn't go to - NO NO to pregnant women) and lots of different areas for kids and adults alike. My husband enjoyed some of the slides by himself and Matthew enjoyed the kiddie slides. I enjoyed the pool and the wave pool. I got on a tube and just let the waves rock me! I got a little scared because the wave got a bit big, but I was just fine.

After any nap/sleep, Matthew woke up saying "wawa!", asking to go to the water right away.

Here are some pictures.

This is a few of the indoor water park from the 4th floor of the lodging area.

This is at the Lobby where there are shows 3x a day and the characters move/talk/sing. Matthew loved it so much we watched the shows 2x a day (one in the morning and one before bedtime).

Here we are at the kiddie side of the water park. Notice my ever growing bump (and I'm only 18 weeks!).

I had a wonderful time meeting some moms last night for a mom's night out. It was loud and a bit smokey (didn't notice that it was smokey until I got home and my hubby made me take a shower), but the some of the girls were just so hillarious it made the night very memorable. A fight broke out towards the end our evening and a couple of cop cars had to break it up. One mom was just having fun watching it, but I got a bit nervous, being oversized with 2 precious cargos and all. But we got out of there just fine.

Today the hubby and I were going to buy some essential stuff for our little vacation and ended up stretching Matthew a bit too much. The errand ran through his nap time and so he got really cranky. He fell asleep in the car on the way home, but woke up when I took him to bed. After that all hell broke lose. He ended up falling asleep, but not until 2 hrs later than his usual time.

I'm going to have to do some packing tonight and finish tomorrow morning. I have to meet up with with some moms with the local twins club for dinner tomorrow. I figure where else can I get great info than from those who have gone through this.

I hope you all are having a great weekend!

I woke up early this morning, got showered, got shaved and off I went to a spa for a pregnancy massage. Despite the fact that I parked in the wrong end of the mall and had to walk all around in freezing cold weather (I get lost quite easily), I managed to get to my appointment only 7 minutes late. And then it was 50 minutes of heaven!!!! Loved the scents, loved the feeling of hands massaging me all over. Mmmm mmmm mmmmm. I will definitely have to come back again.

Thank you to my husband, whose idea it is to get me into a spa. I wouldn't have done this sort of thing on my own, as I am uncomfortable being naked with a stranger. This was a gift from him and the little one last mother's day, but it has taken me this long to cash in on this heavenly experience. It's all for the best though because it's definitely the correct timing, being pregnant and all. I definitely needed it!

I will be back there this afternoon for a haircut. I will see if they can create some magic and give me a hair style that is both cute and easy to manage (as in, it should look good without me doing anything  to it in the next few months !  ) And then off to meet some moms in a playgroup that my son and I belong to, to enjoy a mom's night out (without the kiddies). Thanks to the hubby on this one too because if he were to complain, then I wouldn't be able to go and enjoy myself.

What a lovely Saturday!

I've been checking the website where I ordered a water shoe for my son, and it kept saying that it hasn't been shipped. I called yesterday and I was told it should go out yesterday. I checked the site today and it still says it hasn't shipped. Before I ordered on Wednesday, I called to make sure that it would get shipped and get here by Monday because otherwise, I didn't want to order it. GRRRR!

I also ordered cheapo once for the whole family from ebay, so hopefully that gets here on time.

I got an email from the hubby at work saying he was just in a bad mood. So we exchanged the following emails...  I just had to share them because I thought they were funny.

HUBBY: FYI...  I am pissed off this morning.  not at you just someone at work that didn't do their job.

ME: I say bitch slap em’

HUBBY: I did verbally, and they fought back which pissed me off more.  I rarely use f word at work and I let it fly...

ME: Someone fought back for not doing their job? I say this needs an elbow, a knife hand, a heel palm, a kick, a knee and a poke for good measure. Whatever the target is up to you.

HUBBY: I was fantasing about doing just that..

ME: Don’t worry.. we got your back, homey! I’m still able. And Matty, I’m sure will do whatever he can. Imagine if the twins are already here….

HUBBY: That actually is a funny mental image.  Matty tackling and biting and the twin gnawing off the toes...  You standing screaming Die MoFo...Seriously I am okay now.  It was a few minor heated words and we have both moved on and past it..

ME: You just made me laugh out loud. I didn’t quite have that image.. yours is funnier.   But Me? Saying MoFo? Such language!

I know you’re OK. You usually are after you get things out. You’re so good that way!! I was just trying to sympathize and let you know I was listening. I just didn’t know what else to say other than just try to get you to have funny mental images.

In late April or early May, the hubby is going to undergo a jaw advancement surgery in order to alleviate his sleep apnea. He has gone through a palate surgery several months back, but sadly it didn't do anything to help the situation.

The new specialist is actually surprised my husband is breathing, as his airway is very very narrow. With the jaw advancement surgery, his jaws will be cut and moved forward so that his airway is bigger. It's a scary surgery, but considering what the doctor had told him, it is a must. I am worried about him, and also worried about the fact that during these months is when my OB will be monitoring me for signs of early labor and to the possibility of bed rest. If the bedrest comes with the surgery, it will be very very chaotic and stressful. But I am hoping that things will proceed accordingly without any problem. I think the surgery is better done now than after the twins are born because things may be harder on us then.

He has already gone to the orthodontist to get preparation for braces done. The orthodontist said that normally, the teeth preparation for this sugery is about 18 months, but the situation is more pressing than usual (what with the doctor being surprised that the hubby can breathe at all, and the arrival of the twins). The braces are necessary so that the teeth can be kept alligned when the upper and lower jaw are cut. And also, the teeth will not fall in the right place so the braces are necessary for a while after surgery.

The orthodontic expenses will be about $6,000 USD and only $1,500 of it will be covered by insurance. Yikes! Thank heavens for the tax refund we'll be getting, as it will surely go straight to this expense.

I'm worried for my husband, but also glad that something is going to be done about his sleep apnea. But I'm also worried about the timing of it all. If I keep thinking about these things, it's overwhelming so I just don't think about them at all.

My hubby and I are celebrating our 10th anniversary next week and to celebrate, we thought we would spend it as a family - with Matthew. So we are off to an indoor waterpark for a few days. As for preparation, it's harder than I thought. I have to buy a bathing suit! Yikes! I didn't know there is such a thing as a maternity bathing suit, so I bought a BIG regular bathingsuit. But as I was searching online today,  I found that there is indeed such a thing as a maternity suit. So I am off this afternoon to go look for some.

I also have to buy water shoes for the family and that's very very hard!!! I think it's a must for a toddler since him and his daddy would have to trek up and down some stairs for the slides. I did find one online and they assured me it will get here on time. I shall have to cross my fingers.

Anyway, I imagine myself looking very very funny indeed in a bathing suit with my big belly.

I just started a group for parents of high-need kids. http://parents-of-high-need-kids.minti.com/

If you find your baby/child fits this description, please join our group!

We had our first snow yesterday... it's only 2 inches, but that's a normal occurance down here in the south. So I dressed Matthew up and enjoyed the snow in the deck. He loved it! He finally got to wear the snow boots I bought for him in the summer!

I had an OB appointment today and everything is good. The baby's heartbeat sounds good at 160 bpm and 162 bpm. As I suspected, the top of my uterus has indeed reached my belly button. The doctor said I'm measuring big, but that's OK since there's 2 babies in there. My blood pressure is great, but my weight gain isn't. My doctor doesn't think anything of it, but it seems I made up for the 1 lb I gained in 4 weeks last time. This past 4 weeks, I gained a whopping 9 lbs. I know I was complaining about not eating, but that's really not eating healthy. I made up for it in the past 2 weeks by eating tons of not so healthy things.

My have 2 appointments in 4 weeeks; one with my OB and another with the perinatologist for an ultrasound. I'm excited since we would get to find out the sex at the time. Woo hoo!

I'm now 16 weeks and 1 day pregnant. This morning, while still in bed, I felt around my abdomen to see how high my uterus has gotten. I'm surprised to see that it's up to my bellybutton. The book, "What to Expect When You're Expecting" says that at about 20 weeks, the uterus should be as high as the bellybutton... and I actually found this to be the case when I was pregnant with my son.

I do know that I am going to be bigger compared to singleton pregnancies but I hope I'm not getting too big too fast.

I am also slightly worried that I haven't been feeling the babies move this past 2 weeks or so. I've felt them a lot at about 12 weeks so this worries me slightly. Thankfully, I'm due to see my OB tomorrow so it will be a huge relief when I hear their heartbeats and get to discuss my concerns.

On another note. My dog's blood work came back and everything is normal on that end. The vet will now put him on an epilepsy medicine. We will monitor his seizures and if the meds seem to work, we will keep at it. But if the meds isn't working, we will then have to get a CAT scan to see if it's something else that is causing the seizure.