The PREGNANCY Post

I'm pregnant! Ok, so you've probably gathered at least that much. But since I am nearing the end of this whole thing and about to jump off of a cliff into the depths of parenthood, I thought it might be kinda fun to look back on the past several months and do a quick recap of this whole bad boy.

Here I am, all 36.5 weeks pregnant of me.

So, as far as questions I've commonly been asked:

• Do twins run in the family?
• They do now!
• Are they identical?
• They are diamniotic dichorionic (separate amniotic sacs and separate placentas), so there's a 70% chance they are fraternal. We won't know for sure until after they are born!
• What are their sexes?
• We both guessed a boy and a girl from the beginning, but David is going to be surrounded by girls (and Vader)! We couldn't be more excited!
• Do you have names picked out?
• Yes, but we aren't committing to an official announcement until their births. 
• Are you going to dress them alike?
• Yes and no. From the beginning, I didn't want to dress them alike, but I do like coordinating outfits. But let's be real here: They will probably be lucky to end up in clothing that matches itself. Ain't nobody got time for that! So moral of the story? They will wear clothing.
• What kinds of symptoms have you had?
• First of all, I just want to say that I have had an amazingly smooth pregnancy with no problems whatsoever, which makes me feel bad for complaining sometimes because I've had many friends and family who have suffered through every week of their pregnancies, and I super feel for them! So my complaints are mostly lighthearted. Mostly.
•  We found out I was pregnant pretty early on (around 4 weeks, as it turns out), and I had just started my masters program. Within a week, morning sickness and raging hormones hit, and I was basically a mess. I came home crying everyday because I was overwhelmed with school and work and it was a pretty crazy period. So I quit school, lost 10 pounds, and rode that B out.
• The second trimester was great. Morning sickness left at exactly 15 weeks, I could eat again, and I finally started "showing" a bit, so I could justify buying maternity clothes (basically a million maxi skirts). The weird things that developed were that my hands and feet maintained (and still do) a constant temperature of about 140 degrees Fahrenheit, my right knee sometimes goes numb, and I had pain in my upper right back. The doctor said all of those things were normal, so that was comforting. Also, thy knee and back thing have gone away. But the hands and feet leave me constantly wondering if I will EVER feel cold again? I seriously cannot wait for winter. *Note to self: NEVER be this pregnant in the Summer again, k?
• The third trimester has been great! I've been on "light bed rest" from the beginning as a precaution (carrying multiples is considered a high-risk pregnancy). I quit my job at the end of the Summer school program in mid-July, and have been nesting like crazy ever since. Oh, and I have tree stumps for feet.
• Have you had any food cravings?
• BEEF, french fries, fruit, particularly watermelon, pineapple, and bananas (I promise I have been trying to eat healthy).
• How much weight have you gained/ how have you measured?
• As of 36 weeks, the girls are each just under 6 pounds, I am measuring over full-term for a singleton, and I've gained 30 pounds. My wedding ring still fits most of the time, my shoes, however... I've resorted to flip flops at all times, including at church on Sundays (which bothers me, but hey-- a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!).
•  And here's a mod podge of other information that people have asked about (and often results in my receiving unsolicited advice, but hey, I consider it a warm welcome into parenthood):
• We are very excited to be trying out cloth diapering.
• And Parent Directed Feeding/ Babywise/ putting our kids on a "schedule" (I plan on sleeping again at some point in my life, ok?).
• We are scheduled for a c-section on September 11th and will likely have one unless these girls flip into head-down position. And either way, I'm really rooting for going into labor before then if only so that they won't be born on September 11th. It just seems... kinda wrong.
• We have been planning on a "corner nursery" in our bedroom due to constrained space. Recently, Tyler and Karina have decided to move out (don't worry, all is well and everyone is on good terms) and will be moving probably a few weeks after the girls have been born, so we will keep them in our room for the first month or so and then start putting together their actual nursery.
• We are in for one wild and bumpy ride!

That's about all I got for you. So yeah, wish us luck! We'll see you on the other side!!