32 Weeks

32 weeks seems like a good number to hit. To the best of my understanding, the babies are fully developed and gaining weight at this point. They would have a really good chance of survival if they were born at this point (I am NOT hoping or wishing for that) and would likely just be in the NICU to gain weight and learn to suck/swallow/breathe.

At this point they weight about 3.75 lbs each, and should continue to gain about a half pound a week (yes, EACH) until birth. Twins often do slow down earlier than singletons though. I'm guessing they'll be between 6 and 7 pounds. What would you guess?

I was looking around the internet for some belly mapping pictures to help "show" you how the twins are situated and I found these.

My Right                                                         My Left

This is pretty close to how they are positioned. Dean, twin A, would be the presenting twin (presenting=closest to cervix) and Dani, Twin B, is the twin on my right. Her head generally feels as though it sits on my right hip. I'd also guess that Dani sits in there like this:

Right Occiput Posterior

And that Dean sits in there like this:

Left Occiput Anterior

So, pretty much exactly as is shown in the twin picture I used first. I have a lot of women ask me about movement and what it feels like. It feels exactly like having a singleton, with twice as many body parts! Similar in that they still have their wake/sleep patterns, and their preferred positions (although I'm not sure how easily they could actually switch positions at this point) but different in how many limbs move at once! I am still waiting for them to get hiccups at the same time as I imagine that will be a unique sensation! I am so thrilled that both babies are vertex and presenting well.

I'm not sure what's up with the goofy smile.

As for me, I'm doing well. I think last post I wrote was a pretty big downer but there are good days and bad days and those were some bad days all in a row. I feel bad for even complaining: I have been incredibly blessed to have a smooth, uneventful pregnancy so far. I haven't had morning sickness to speak of really, or pre-term labor, or any signs of the many other things that often go wrong in a multiple pregnancy. So I'll take my few discomforts and be glad to inhabit a body that seems to do pregnancy "well".

I have such a peace about this being my last pregnancy, and I never thought I would. I loved pregnancy the first two times, and I still enjoy a lot of parts of it this time. I thought I would really struggle and be sad knowing that it was the last time I'd get to feel a little baby squirming around in there but for now, I am completely at peace knowing I won't be doing this again. Maybe that's the unexpected blessing of extra physical discomfort! It seems to go beyond that, though, in the knowing the God is closing this childbearing chapter of my life. I know I'll miss the sweet newborn stage but I'm sure I can find somewhere to volunteer to get my "fix".

No strange fruit or veg, just cute little faces!

I've started to have some pretty funny encounters with strangers lately regarding my size. I can't even count the number of times I've clarified them as twins and gotten a relieved, "oh, I THOUGHT you were too big for one!" The best encounter I've had lately though was at the pool. I was chatting with a sweet couple and we were talking about our kids. I had just finished telling the husband how old Shane and Azaria are, when he asked if they were twins. Ahhhh, clever! I told him no, but the ones inside were! That started an amusing argument between the husband and wife about whether or not he'd guessed I was having triplets or just multiples. And for every time I've had someone tell me they don't know what they'd do if they had twins, I've probably had another person tell me how much they wanted to have twins. I find, as I've said every pregnancy, that it's best to not get offended by the awkward things people say or intro questions they ask as generally they are just looking for a way to start a conversation with you. Pregnancy and babies are something people of all ages seem to love! (Do I NEED to start singing the Circle of Life song?)

In the morning, I look bigger than I feel, and by night time, I feel bigger than I look. I haven't had any swelling in my legs, ankles, or feet, which is wonderful, and while my fingers are definitely puffy I can still get my rings on and off. My face is certainly puffier, which is annoying but just an expected part of it at this point. 

My big project this past week was to get all of my carpets cleaned, which is a huge job but it needed done desperately and I really did not want to have to do it after the twins were born. At this house it's not at simple as just cleaning the carpets though. I have to empty the room, clean the windows and wipe dirty hand marks off the walls (which I have to do all the time anyway), and THEN I can vacuum and steam. I actually go over the carpets twice because they just collect SO much dirt and grodiness. Thanks to my mother's training, I don't see any point in cleaning a floor if everything else above it is dirty. I did ignore the ceiling fans though. I'm absolutely certain they are disgusting, but I didn't look because I didn't feel it would be terribly wise to be teetering on a step stool to clean them at the point. When I did the living room, Nathan shoved the love seat into the play room and then he moved the big couch for me. I love having the little couch in the playroom! I feel like I spend so much more time playing with the kids again, so we left it there. Because the floors were such a project I didn't get much else done other than sewing a shirt, but the was probably the most physically demanding project I had left so I'm just happy to have it done! On to the three overflowing baskets of (CLEAN!) laundry I've been ignoring, the hospital bag I should start thinking about, the baby stuff I should start bringing in the house, the paperwork I need to do, and the million other things on my to do list!