Week 11

Just when I think I've found a new burst of energy, the babies continue to grow and I'm back at square one. Sleeping late, going to bed early, at least one nap a day and needing to lay down once every few hours is my current schedule. This is no where near my usual schedule of never-slow-down-go-go-goness that I'm used to, but unfortunately I have no say in the matter. The babies are RUNNING THE SHOW already! 

I got a super exciting opportunity handed to me this past week! On Wednesday I get to be a part of an ultrasound training session for residents at my hospital! I get to see my babies, FINALLY GET PICTURES OF THEM and am getting PAID to do this! SO SO excited for Wednesday!! I know it's early but I've been doing quite a bit of research on gender in twins at 12 weeks and am excited to see if there are any strong guesses. Since they're identical and two babies, I just just one solid view haha

Before anyone start in on the lectures of not going home and painting the nursery one color or the next, it's most likely going to be painted the same color regarding sex and all our baby gear has already been purchased ;)

The babies are now the size of brussel sprouts, or about an inch and a half long. I'm having fun picking up their heartbeats one consistently around 167 and one around 158. Crazy to think only 26 Saturdays or sooner left. We'll have a better picture on what week I'll actually deliver at our Aug 30th ultrasound.  Either way we'll be starting off 2018 with a bang!

On Tuesday Brandon and I headed to a Jimmy Buffet concert in Detroit-such a fun time that ended in a total monsoon! One of our friends ended up in stitches and I drove a 38' RV home full of party goers in the rain-adding that to my list of accomplishments haha

In just a week and a half I will be flying out to California again with 15 of my Lula girls for the 2017 Lularoe Convention! We've rented a house on Huntington Beach and are so excited for 5 days of fashion in the California sunshine! So many fun times ahead and now I need a nap just thinking about them haha ;)

Week:11

Feeling: Crazy exhausted still. Some nausea,  some insomnia

Cravings: Dairy, salty, Mexican food, pasta. So....my normal cravings haha

 At our 10 Year Reunion!

  

 When we got home Our Prime Day Purchases all showed up at once!!

Week 10

Week 10!

I wanted to wait until my doctors appointment today to start back up with my weekly blogs, because there was a good chance the Dr. would end up moving my Due date and ding ding ding She did. She also hugged me three times throughout our appointment ;) The new due date she gave me based on the ultrasound is Feb 1st, BUT she wants me to deliver around 37 weeks which, let me put into perspective for you #ivebeenreading Around week 32 my uterus will be about the same size as someones who is 40 weeks with a singleton.  Taking into consideration how large I get and big babies yowza!  The goal is to make it to January with January 11th being the light at the end of the tunnel!

Throwing some other fun facts at you, Identical twins are completely spontaneous. At some point my fertilized egg thought two is better than one AND SPLIT. The babies currently are a little difference in size but completely in the normal range. They are mo/di identical which means they are in separate sacs but share the same placenta. They will share the same DNA and should look extremely similar-that's already giving me anxiety ha! We have an anatomy scan scheduled for August 30th and every 2 weeks after until December!!   So excited to see these babies so often and FINALLY get a picture of them! No picture today because she scanned me in the room on her pocket ultrasound! It was like a mini computer that she sat on my belly and there they were! Now if only we could by those at the local Target ;)

This week was the 4th of July so we got to watch so many amazing shows right here on the golf course! The girls had a blast running around catching fireflies and watching the "fireflies" (fireworks) to Aria ;) On the actual 4th, Brandon and I played in the firecracker scramble, not sure how long I'll be able to swing a golf club comfortably! Way too much sun and way too much vertical activity, I shall be on the couch for the rest of the week ;)

Probably the most profound thing that happened this week was realizing that when we just had confirmation of just one, I was a little sad knowing this was my last pregnancy and I just didn't feel done. However, now that there are now indeed TWO littles in there, I feel like our family is 100% complete and feel so at ease :)

Beck family of SIX!

No one has to ride alone on a roller coaster!

#thethingsthatmatter ;)

week: 10

Feeling: Crazy exhausted. Like can barely get off the couch exhausted.

Craving: watermelon, tacos, dairy

Measuring: 16w of a single

weight: up 6.5 They want me up 35-55 yikes!

Observations: everyone knows someone who's had twins and tells you about it and everyone asks you if your excited or scared. For the record, we are SUPER excited about this :) 

 Babies are as big as Kumquats!

TWINS!!

TWINS!

Baby Beck A and Baby Beck B.

Itty Bitties.

Babies by Beck.

HOLY COW 

Ok, I should actually start this post off by saying I have had an incredibly STRONG premonition that I was carrying twins in here, and that was confirmed today! Two babies, Two Strong heartbeats, Two super excited Big Sisters, Two ecstatic parents!!

So let's back track, to the beginning of week 8.

 I was still crazy tired, but we did our usual 1000 activities per week and worked as much as I could. (End of the month and goals needed to be met ;) Thursday night rolls around and I started getting pretty crampy and it was super uncomfortable to sit down. My cervix was extremely low and I was freaking out. Of course this happens at 4:30pm when the office closes at 5. The nurse tells me she can "squeeze" me in to see a PA on her lunch on friday. (we were supposed to head up to Traverse City on friday morning). Ok great. We'll wait for this apt and then head up. Around 2am I got up to go the bathroom because my bladder is the size of a pea and there was blood. Que a whole night of no sleep and frantic googling. Curse you google. Why is it we always go google crazy when something medical happens?!

First thing Friday morning I call into the office and give them the additional info. They decided not to see me and to send me for Lab work ordered STAT. Que basketcase Jacee. I have never been so nervous in my life.  This pregnancy was already POLAR OPPOSITE my previous two and now this?! UGH. Once lab work was done we headed up North. I didnt get a phone call until again, 4:30pm (right before the office closed) This was our conversation.

Nurse-Well, (sounding suprised) your HCG is REALLY high. So we need you to come in right now for an ultrasound.

Jacee-Ok well I'm in Traverse City so there's no way I can get there right now.

Nurse-Ok well we're closed monday, but we'll be scheduling you for a scan on Monday so we can see whats going on in there!

Jacee-So my hcg is high what are you thinking? 

Nurse-Well it could be several things...

Jacee-I feel like there are multiple babies in there, is this something you're looking at?

Nurse-well.....yes.

Ok great. So now I'm in TC with high labs and no chance of an ultrasound until Monday.

Off to google I go.

High HCG could mean these three things

1.You're farther along than you thought

2. Multiples

3.Molar Pregnancy. (tumor on the uterus)

By morning, My labs were visible to me online.

I would be about day 59 by my calculations So WAY off the singlton chart. Ok so that ruled out further along, I had found a heartbeat 3 times on the doppler so that ruled out molar.

PREFACE: I have thought I was carrying twins from very early on. When I found out I was pregnant, I actually had a conversation with my mom in my car (as I sometimes do when I'm alone) I asked her if she had any pull up there, could she pull some strings and give me Boy/girl twins. So if this ends up being the case I will be so ungodly happy. Thaaaaannnnk yooouuuu mom!

We tried our best to relax up north, we went on boat rides, I obsessively checked for my lab updates on my phone/googled, we did a wine tour, where I had to watch everyone drink my favorite wines and I took several naps, because I'm literally tired all the time!

By Saturday night I couldn't take it anymore and we decided to drive back late so we could get home and I could figure this out. I WAS GOING NUTS!

So TODAY. I still hadn't heard when my scan was going to be so I called the on call DR.  She took a look at my high labs, started talking concerns for Molar pregnancy and told me to go to the ER for an ultrasound. My anxiety went through the roof. She said she normally sees patients with HCG levels of about 50-80k at this point and I was well over 300k. So I drug Brandon in from the golf course, found a friend to watch the girls and off we went!

THE ULTRASOUND

I gowned up and was wheeled off to an ER ultrasound room where I proceeded to wait in the hallway until a room opened up-pretty comical sitting nude under a sheet in a hospital hallway ;)

Once inside the room, the tech stated that she could show us a pic of the baby but wouldn't be able to tell us details, that the doctor would have to do that.

I quickly spoke up and said "I'm pretty sure there's more than one in there"

I would have been shocked if there had been only one.

Sure enough! As soon as the image appeared THERE THEY WERE!!!

Two sweet little babies tucked perfectly in my belly, heartbeats all a flutter and wiggling all over the place! It was the most perfect sight! My head was on a swivel between Brandon and the screen!

He was Beaming! SO SO excited!

A huge relief washed over me. They were fine, everything was good and they were a THEY!

While the tech got several more measurements, I laid back and just relaxed! Until...

my phone blows up! SO many messages poured in with OMG TWINS?! Brandon was so excited he literally was texting everyone the news even before we had left the room haha

 The Dr. told us it looks like I'm actually about 9w 3d which puts me at a FEB 3rd due date, BUT 34-37w is typically as far as twins go, so We're looking at Early/mid January! 

I go in to see my actual Doctor on Wednesday so hoping for a more in depth ultrasound and some Pictures to be able to share!! We are OVER THE MOON excited to become a family of 6!!!

FAQ

To hopefully answer all the questions I have been getting for the past few hours ;)

1.Twins do not run on my side of the family (genetically, the mothers side is the only one that matters)

2. It looks like they are PARTIALLY sharing the same sac so the ultrasound tech said leaning towards identical. (my egg split) But we'll know more at the next scan

3.100% Finding out the sexes-WE'VE GOT NURSERIES TO DECK PEOPLE! ;)

4.The cramping and bleeding was most likely attributed to the stretching of my uterus to accommodate 2 babies! 

SO FREAKING EXCITED!!! 

Update to follow on Wednesday!! 

More week 8

 We got to meet Two Ladybugs from my June moms group! Here is Lennie, Aria & Sam!

 Dinner out for Brandon's 31st BDAY!

A comparison pic 

8 weeks with Twins vs Aria