report from the 20-week anatomy scan

Well, today was the anatomy scan.

It went well, but the ultrasound technician made the whole thing a not-so-enjoyable experience that it just wasn't as exciting as I think it could have been.

It was the same ultrasound technician we had the last time. No personality whatsoever, and kept making me feel like something was wrong. She would say what she was scanning, but I couldn't make out anything on the screen, so I would ask a question and she would either be completely unresponsive or answer in such a way that insinuated that something was wrong.

Like, she would very robotically say, "Now I am looking for the four chambers of the heart." And I would say, "Cool! Can you see all four chambers?" hoping that she would say, "1, 2, 3, 4, there they are."

But instead, she just said, "That is what we scan for. The doctor will come in and tell you what we find."

And yes, my baby has four chambers. In fact both of them do. And this lady has been doing this robotic scan for 27 years, I'm pretty sure that she could see all four chambers. And that it wouldn't have killed her to point them out.

And, honestly, lying on my back got to be very uncomfortable after a while. And I tried not to express any discomfort, but it was really really taking forever. When I finally said something very sweetly and apologetically, she acted like I was being extremely unreasonable. I just wanted a quick "bend my knees for two seconds" break!

Ok, I'm such a complainer! Sorry about that.

But, since we already knew the genders of our babies, it was a bit anti-climatic.

We did, however, find out our little girl is 10 ounces, and our little boy is 9 ounces. She is measuring a little bigger at 19 weeks, 5 days, and he at 18 weeks, 6 days. According to my transfer date, I'm actually 19 weeks, 2 days. I should have been using May 16th as due date, but I've been using May 14th, the date i calculated wtih my LMP. Very important details, I know.

oh! She also chastised me for not drinking enough water and was quite rude about that. I have been drinking a lot of water, but I went to the bathroom right before I went in the room. The sign int he bathroom clearly stated, "First trimester patients should have full bladder." But I did not think that applied to me.

She said, "Even if you went to the bathroom, if you had been drinking enough water, there would be something in your bladder. You don't have a single drop in your bladder. And then proceeded to tell me that I was going to go into pre-term labor if i dd int' start drinking more water.

I know I need to drink more water. I will definitely focus on that. but I did not appreciate her tone with me. It was not "serious, but encouraging." It was bitchy and rude.

After she admonished like twelve times, she said, "Because you haven't drank enough water, we are going to have to do an internal cervical exam."

I'm like, "Look lady, I did IVF. You don't scare me with your vaginal wand. That's nothing!" I just thought that, though. Didn't say it.

So, thank God the doctor comes in to be there when she checks my cervix. The doctor is a huge breath of fresh air, so nice, so helpful, so different from Ms. No Personality.

Anyway, my cervix is long and beautiful and closed. All her words. She measured it at 4.21. She said normal is around 4, so it's just fine.

I was very happy to hear that. Stay closed, cervix.

Ok, this post has gone on long enough. Now, to read more blogs!

ahhhhm the pressure

Wow - the pressure of my first blog post in over two months is overwhelming!

I swear I am going to get better at writing more often.. i do want to keep track of the feelings and happenings of this stage in our lives..

I have still been reading others' blogs and LOVING them.. just not commenting as frequently, and obvioulsy, not writing myself.

But.. that is going to change. I promise.

So, here we are at 18wd5 pregnant with boy-girl twins, and I couldn't be happier. About that. Right now, though, I'm sick with a cold and miserable. Hence being up at 3 am writing this. Carlos banished me to the sofa while I'm sick, which I totally understand. How is he going to cook for me, prepare the neti pot for me, feed me some crazy cinnamon-honey mixture, force me stay hydrated, and go to he store and buy me tissues by the case, if he's sick??? Seriously, he has been fabulous at taking care of me this entire pregnancy.. and let me tell you, for a normally "on the side of independent," i have been much more high-maintenance than usual.

So, since it's been so long, I have so much to write about.. so I'll make a little list.

1. switching OBs and the major differences between them
2. symptoms, weight gain
3. names
4. birthing options
5. the nursery
6. BabyPlus

Ok, i will start blogging more frequently. I have really missed this space.

20week anatomy scan next Tuesday. I can't wait. A little anti-climatic since we have known it's a boy and a girl since 5 weeks 4 days, but still very exciting. Can't wait to see those babies again!

Especially since new OB didn't do an ultrasound! I'm like, "where's the machine?" what's that thing? We've been having Ultrasounds every two weeks!! But alas, they don't do that at that practice. She pulls up this doppler, and I'm like, "what's that?" And then she asks Carlos, "do you want to record this on your iphone?" We're kinda like.. um, well, sure, but we have PICTURES to show people from two weeks ago, so I don't anticipate we'll be shoving the iPhone in anyone's ear to listen to our babies when we can show them pictures. but he sweetly obliged.. and yes, it's cool to have the heartbeats recorded on the phone.

I gotta get better. I have no idea if this sore-throat and congestion and generally weak felling crud I've got is affecting the babies. I really really hope not. I am already experiencing the "I love them so much, please let me go through pain, not them" feeling.

Ok, I think Carlos may agree tonight to let me sleep in the bed. He's still up working. i may bring my own pillows from the sofa and my own sheets to wrap myself in. I just have to get better, and maybe sleeping in the bed will help.

Thanks so much for reading!!!

still here

Hello Blogosphere!

I am so sorry I have been so bad at keeping up with the blog. It has brought me such joy that some of you have reached out to me to ask how I am doing.

I am doing great - still pregnant, still twins.

I am just so so so so tired all the time. i really don't want to sound like a complaining pregnant woman, it's just debilitating tired all.the.time. I feel like such a slacker at work, because I just have.to.leave at like 6:30 pm. I have to go home and take a nap, and then I can work a little more. It's major "crunch time" at my work, so it's not a good time to be slacking off.

So, that's my excuse. I work, I sleep. I try to eat. I forget, or am too tired to blog.

i'm going to be better at blogging, though, because it gives me a good release, and I need that.

So, what I'm working on right now is going to be blogging more, and eating more. It is so so hard. Actually, Carlos just walked in while I'm typing this, and asked, "Did the babies have breakfast yet this morning?"
I said, i had some crackers."

He said, "Not enough, let me get you some cereal. And as he opened the brand new milk carton. "I see you didn't have milk last night before you went to bed."

This might be annoying to some of you, but he says it in the sweetest way, and it's because he cares. I read that I needed to have 2700 calories a day, and I think I've been having half that, maybe. I asked him to help me to eat more. I really don't want to affect their growth by not eating enough.

By the way, I have been working on a long blog post about PGD. If you have any questions about PGD that I can answer, please send them to me, and I'll make sure to include them in the post I have upcoming!

ultrasound report

Hello - If you are here from ICLW, feel free to read this post to start..

Well, here goes the ultrasound report..

But let me start at the beginning.

So yesterday, I was super super tired. I pretty much laid on the couch all day long. Then this morning, as we were leaving, I just wasn't feeling completely well. I wasn't feeling nauseous, like I needed to run to the bathroom, but just feeling not all that well.

Oh yeah, and yesterday I felt this same way. Like a little dizzy from time to time.

So, then this morning we got there, and could tell the doctor was behind. I was feeling so so tired and just not completely well.

Finally I heard my name. It was the Dr. Hugs coming to get me. So nice that it was the actual doctor. He hugged me as always and asked how i was feeling. I told him I wasn't so good, and he said, "we'll do your blood pressure and all your vitals after we do the ultrasound." They used to do my blood pressure every time, but now that i've got it under control with meds, they stopped checking it.

So i got undressed and he put the magic wand in. I glance up at the screen and knew instantly what i saw, even though i had never seen one before. Basically, the big black blob. When you are making eggs, it's a follicle. And when you are looking at the gestational sacs, it's a sac!

...and in my case, there were two!

and we even got to see two heartbeats!

I was beyond thrilled.. but even more scared.

So we checked my blood pressure and it was low. So, he told me to start cutting my pills and taking one half of the dose. I have no problem with that! I don't like taking it anyway, but i do faithfully.

So, that's it! TWINS!! One boy, one girl, two hearts beating wildly.

To put it mildly, for me and Carlos, it was love at first sight.