NT Scan Perfection, A Gender, A Name and A Belly Pic

We had our NT scan on Thursday and at 13w4d, I was on the cusp of being too far along to perform the ultrasound and get accurate measurements.  I was excited to get to see the babes again and even more excited to get an abdominal ultrasound as opposed to a wanding.

The tech who performed the ultrasound took her time with measuring everything and DH and I were just so excited to see the babies looking so much like babies!  They were moving much more fluidly than last time and one was even rubbing their little face with their hands.  Eeek, I can't wait to be the one rubbing those little cheeks and kissing them!  As a tech, she wouldn't say anything about gender, which was disappointing and I made a mental note to ask the doctor if he would. I caught a glimpse of each NT measurement and both were well under the 3mm mark (1.8 and 2.1, I believe.)  We waited a bit for the doctor to come in and he went about going over all the tech's measurements albeit a little more quickly than the tech.  He explained the risks of a multiple pregnancy, told me I had my age and physical fitness on my side for carrying these babies to term, my cervix was 4.72 cm, which was great and overall just made me feel very capable of this pregnancy, which was appreciated.  I asked him if he could tell what sex the babies were and he said he wouldn't guess unless he got a good look. Baby A wasn't cooperating at all, but Baby B wasn't shy and looks like a ___!  Overall, it was a great appointment and I am thankful that the babes are growing on track and looking good with no markers for any issues thus far.  Here's some pics of the babes from the scan:

Baby A (the shy one):

 Baby B (not the shy one):

We have already decided on a name for Baby B and we will be sharing its sex and name as soon as we find out what sex Baby A is.  Our gender ultrasound is on January 5!  Stay tuned!

And last, but not least, a belly pic, me and the littles at 13w6d:

Safe Holidays to all - we are leaving for WV tomorrow and will return on 1/2.  I may try to do a post  from home, but it's going to be crazy busy, so no promises. :)

Thoughts On a Great Photographer (And the Snag of Lifetime)

I have been looking for a photographer since we moved to Oklahoma.  I just think it's important to have someone in your back pocket to call when you realize "it's time" to get some family pictures taken.  You know, when you look at your last family photo and realize that your 6-year-old is wearing a diaper and you lived in the town you lived in  ~gulps~ two states ago????????????????  Yeah, I'm not a real "regular" on the whole family photo thing, but I do reach a point of "I HAVE HAD IT - LET'S DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!"  So, when we moved to Oklahoma, I started using goo.gle to find me a photographer.  ------record comes to a screeching halt------

Is this it?!  Is this all there is to choose from?  Why does everyone look like they are "posed"? Why doesn't that picture say Ol.an Mi.lls in the corner? 'Cause that's where it looks like it's from.  *cue sad face*

Then, I got it. The reference. You know, the I'm Gonna Complain to Everyone I Know Until Someone Comes Up With a Person of a Friend of a Friend Who Takes Awesome Pictures Plan. Or the IGCEIKUSCUWPFFWTAPP.  Whichever you like to call it.  It came this weekend. My neighbor, MB, after hearing me go on and on about needing maternity pics and newborn, three, six, nine, and twelve month pics of the twins as well as a great family photo when the babies are about six or nine months old suggested I look up Beth Jansen.  Of Beth Jansen Photography.  *cue choir singing*

Isn't her work fabulous? I actually used the word fabulous and I HATE that word.  But isn't it divine? (Another word I hate!)

I contacted her and we are set. Maternity pictures are slated for the end of February.  I can almost see them now...

Remembering Baby J

Today is a hard day.  It's my due date for the baby that I lost after my first IVF. 

I feel more than what I can/will write here, but I just wanted to say that although I am very thankful for the blessings headed my way in the spring, I will never be okay with the loss of Baby J.

So today, I am thinking about my angel baby gone too soon. 

12 Weeks

I thought I would do a pregnancy post update. You know, how big is baby?  How big is uterus? How big is Mommy's butt?  So, if you aren't interested, I understand. If you are, please read on.

What's going on with Larry and Balki?   Umm, their fingers and toes wiggle.  They are peeing in their sacs. They are practicing swallowing. (Which makes the previous statement a lot grosser.) Their little brains are producing testosterone/estrogen.  They are as big as large plums and weigh 1/2 ounce.

What's going on with the Mothership?   I am finally getting a handle on my nausea, thanks to uni.som and vitamin B6 (thank you, Emily!!)  I am trying to get used to eating smaller portions, as I am well aware of the heartburn that is about to replace the nausea very soon.  I'm tired all the time.  My boobies are huge and they hurt and they are covered in fantastic blue veins.  I have a hard time going "two". Hard being the operative word there - ouch!  Hmmmm, sex? No, thank you.

Highlights of the previous week:  I am able to find the babies' heartbeats easily on my home doppler.  I like having that reassurance between appointments.  I also made my u/s appointment to see what the babies are for January 5th!! That's so soon! Off topic, but still noteworthy, we took our boys to San Antonio this past weekend and enjoyed a day at Sea World and just being away for a few days.  DS2 got to be a part of the Shamu show and it was so precious!  DH and I were on the "Kiss Cam" before the show started and he opted to point to his WVU hat the whole time, while I looked up at us on the screen, looked back down, and continued texting. Ooh, we bought a house, too! Very excited about that and hoping to move in the middle of next month!! That's about it. Sorry if I bored you to tears!

Hope you are all well!!

You Gotta Pick and Choose Your Battles

So, I spent most of Monday evening just being generally annoyed that my OB never got back to me about my request for Zo.fran.  I went to bed nauseous, woke up nauseous and all morning Tuesday plotting how I would chew the nurses out for not getting back to me.  Thankful for common sense, I called the pharmacy just to make sure that there wasn't a prescription waiting for me.  Well, there was.  Since the day before. Oops.

I rushed off to pick it up and just couldn't wait to gobble it up and start feeling semi-human again.  I took my first dose immediately and six hours later, like clockwork, I took my second.  I was feeling great.  Until I wasn't feeling great. At all.

I woke up at 11:30 Tuesday night with a splitting headache. Like full-on migraine pain.  After I rolled back and forth on the bed holding my face in my hands for a good hour, I got up and staggered to the kitchen for a cup of tea. I figured a little caffeine would probably do the trick. Wrong. Three hours later, I was plotting driving myself to the ER.  You see, typically, when I have a migraine, at some point I puke.  That signals a turning point in the headache.  After puking, I always am able to go to sleep and when I wake up, I'm better.  Well, there would be no puking this time. You see, I was on Zo.fran and couldn't throw up. I wasn't even nauseated. Just had severe head/neck pain.  Anyway, at some point, I fell asleep.

I woke up to my DH saying goodbye as he was heading off to work and wondering why I was sleeping with a "towel on my face" (it was a washcloth).  He was completely unawares of the night I had.  When he left, I got up and went out to the kitchen, feeling a little better and eager to eat a little something even though my nausea was sneaking up on me again.  After I gagged down a piece of toast, I reached for my Zo.fran.  Before I could take the pill, I checked out the side of the bottle and there it was. Plain. As. Day.

"May Cause Headaches"

Well, eff that.