Zac's 1st Haircut!

Saturday, Dec. 6 We had a pretty busy weekend. Ryan had been on vacation for the past week. He'd been working Tuesday-Saturday for over a year, and it changed back to the "normal" Monday-Friday. It was nice to be together for 2 days in a row! We went to Blue Springs and stopped by the bank to take care of a few things and to see Emma and Cindy who were both working. They were excited to Zac and the updated sonogram pics. After we left there it was on to get my hair trimmed, which was long over due. Vicki was of course busy on a Saturday, but managed to squeeze Zac in for his first haircut! He sat on my lap and looked around. He did pretty well. Vicki had to follow him with the scissors every time he turned his head. But all in all, it went great. He looks like such a big boy now, with the curls cut off. Papa Randy will be so happy. He's been threatening to take Zac to the barber himself, if we didn't do it soon! There were a lot of curls to save.

Week 18

Saturday, Dec.6th Look at my belly! The girls are sure growing in there! Once I get over the morning sickness, I truly do enjoy being pregnant. I love watching the changes my body goes through, knowing there is another life, in this case 2, growing bigger and stronger every day. I feel pretty good. It's time to break out the maternity clothes though, my shirts and pants are getting to be a little snug! I can tell I can't walk as fast as I normally do. This is especially true at work. The IRS campus is so big, but I guess the exercise is good for us! Mother’s Changes- If not experienced earlier, you will feel the twins’ movements sometime this month. By the twentieth week, the uterus is slightly below or just at the level of the umbilicus. In fact, around eighteen weeks, a woman typically finds out she is having twins after having an ultrasound—although many may have an inkling due to fertility treatments or just a hunch. In many women, a darkened line, called the linea negra, may appear at this time, extending from the umbilicus to the pubis. This discoloration fades soon after delivery. During pregnancy, there is an increased tendency to develop varicose veins and hemorrhoids, so you should wear supportive stockings, elevate your feet whenever possible, and be sure to include ample fiber and fluids in your diet. Multiple Facts: * The natural incidence of twins is one in eighty-nine births. * About two thirds of all twins are fraternal. Half of these pairs are boy/girl; one fourth are girl/girl; and one fourth are boy/boy.

Appt. with the Perinatologist

Thursday, Dec. 4th Today I had an appt. with the perinatologist, who specializes in the care of the mother and fetus at higher-than-normal risk for complications. Our big question was to see if they would be able to tell if the twins were fraternal or identical. I left work before my lunch break and Ryan and I went to Winstead's in Overland park for lunch. I'd been craving a strawberry milkshake and it was yummy! My appt was at 1:30pm at Mid-West Perinatology off of I-435 & Quivera, right behind Overland Park Regional. The perinatologist and her assistant were both very nice and made me feel comfortable. I was still shocked and amazed when I saw both babies on the screen. She could tell right away that they were identical! We could even see the thin membrane separating the sacs. They are still girls :) As far as she could tell, everything looks good. The doctor confirmed they are in 2 separate amniotic sacs (which is ideal because if they share one, the risk of complications increases dramatically) and she believes they share a placenta, which is common. They weigh 7-8 oz. each. We could also see their hearts beating which was fascinating! I go back again on the 19th for a quick check-up and again on the 30th for the measurements, etc. of the twins. After the appointment, I had another appt at 4pm with my regular OBGYN. We had a little time to kill, so we went to Best Buy to look at cameras. I was going to get another Canon, which was the one I lost. But I found a Sony Cybershot camera I liked better. It has 10.1 meagapixels, 5X optical zoom for shots that are clear and upclose, smile shutter detection and a 3.5 in LCD touch screen. I have to have a big screen for viewing, my Canon had a 3 inch screen. The touch screen will take a while to get used to. I hated having to buy another camera, but I can't live without one either! I guess that's my Christmas present to myself! Then it was time for my other dr. appt. We listened to the heartbeats and went over signs of preterm labor. The doctor wants to be aware of them and to call right away if I have any symptoms. While we were at the doctor's, Mom had left me a voicemail saying she hadn't heard from me yet and was kind of worried. I think she forgot about my second appt. When I called her back, I told her the specialist's office had better technology and they saw... 3 babies!! She said "Christina Marie! You're kidding right?!?!" I said "Yes, we're kidding." She was at work and I could tell that she was about to start crying, that's why I didn't keep playing along. She was concerned of the health of the babies, especially since Zac was 5 weeks early, and multiples always arrive earlier. I thought she was going to kill me!

Week 17

Sat/Sun Nov. 29th/30th- Saturday we hung out at home during the day, since the weather was cold. That evening we went to Grandma Linda's for Thanksgiving leftovers. Zac and I love the pumpkin roll! Sunday we had an appointment to have our Christmas pictures taken. Zac did really well- he actually smiled! We had to wait for about 30 minutes, but he was a happy boy. I was pleased out how well the pictures turned out. Afterward we went to Babies R Us to look at double strollers, the selection is very limited. Then it was off to Grandma Beth's for tacos, my favorite! Twins more than double their weight this month, about 10 oz. each. The eyebrows, eyelashes, and hair on their heads begin to form and the nails become visible on their fingers and toes. By the end of this month, the muscles have become well-developed, and both babies are quite active— so anytime now, I should be feeling their kicks and wiggles! Aunt Kelsey took the belly shot this weekend. She was real excited, haha.

Uncle James baby-sits Zac!

Friday, Nov. 28th Uncle James was in town from MU for a week over Thanksgiving. Ryan and I both had to work today, the day after Thanksgiving and Zac's daycare was also closed. Luckily Uncle James saved the day! He spent the night Thursday night and was here to take care of Zac... all day. They had a good time together. They played in his room for the majority of the day, only stopping to eat and nap time! Uncle James did have to change a couple dirty diapers, after our 2 Thanksgiving dinners! I feel so lost without my camera, still can't find it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday, Nov. 27th Ryan and I have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. We have a healthy, happy 14 month old son and twin girls on the way who are also healthy. Our family is truly blessed. Even though we are excited and nervous about having 3 children under the age of 2 will be like, some couples are not as fortunate as we are. We sometimes forget that just because some are ready to start a family, it doesn't always happen. We had dinner at Mimi Donna's at 1:00 in the afternoon. The girls and I were hungry. The food Mimi and Grandma Beth prepared was so tasty! Zac loved the homemade macaroni and cheese! For dinner, we headed off to Grandma Linda's at 5:30. Even though Zac and I had plenty to eat earlier, we still managed to eat some more. We can't pass up good food! Ryan was too full to eat. What a great day with family!

Out to Blue Springs

Saturday, Nov 22nd We drove out to Blue Springs today. It was long overdue for Ryan to get his haircut. We also saw Grandma Beth. We went to Golden Corral for dinner. That place is the place to be on a Saturday night! I forgot what a variety of food they have. Ryan was excited about the liver and onions- I know, he's weird. I enjoyed a big salad and of course their rolls! Zac ate really well too- hamburger, mac and cheese, green beans. I was too full for dessert, but the boys made room. We all left with our tummies full and Zac fell asleep on the way home.