November 5th, 2007-18 weeks

We had our 18 week appointment and ultrasound today. The babies look great. They are growing right along schedule and measure just about right for their due dates and they are in the 50th percentile for their gestational age. According to the ultrasound, Baby A weighs 8 ounces and Baby B and C weigh 6 ounces and they are probably around 6 or 7 inches long! They were extremely active and they were arching their backs, stretching, kicking and squirming the whole time. They were definitely interacting with each other because we could see them kicking each other and then the baby who got kicked would get going. Our little Baby B even sucked his thumb!  It must be kind of weird to have that much activity around you at all times but they don't seem to mind.  We found out that our little Baby C is a boy as well, so 3 boys, Mike was right. Now we have to think of a third boy name, such a challenge, we only thought of 2 of each gender because it never really was a real possibility to me that there might be 3 of one gender.  I am so proud of the babies and it is so great to see them grow, now we just have to make it another 10 weeks and then we are safe. We can do it, we can do it. I just pray for them.   I almost forgot to add our most exciting news of the day which is that we got our fetal anomaly scan today during the ultrasound and all of the boys have all of their parts, hearts with all four chambers, organs, brains, and that everything is inside and where its supposed to be which is an  amazing relief to me.   We have another ultrasound in 2 weeks.    

They are definitely getting crowded in there and I can feel it because my uterus measures 30 weeks even though I am only 18 weeks along. My poor belly, it is getting some great stretch marks but on the plus side it finally sticks out more than my boobs, laugh.  I definitely feel pregnant and if ever I forget, all I have to do is eat something that doesn't agree with me (practically everything) or look down at my chest, my boobs are giant, which is saying something because I thought they were ridiculous before being pregnant, they have grown so many times and it hurts every time, not like the first few weeks of pregnancy but close, each time I say "this has to be the last time they grow, they can't get any bigger" and then they do. I though only my belly was supposed to grow bigger and yet apparently my chest got the memo as well. I get tired really easily if I walk a long distance and I find that I think I can do way more than I really can. I think I should be able to go to the mall and walk around and then I do and my hips and back hurt do bad after just a little while that I am forced to sit down. It is so very frustrating because I finally have that 2nd trimester energy boost and suddenly I am physically unable to go do all of the things that I want to do. It is starting to get harder for me to get around, bend over and reach my feet (soon I will not be able to ugh).  At work I was having some trouble caring for patients that needed me to get down low and bend over because my belly was getting in the way and many flights of stairs were becoming a great challenge as well. My last day of work was Friday, 3 days ago and that was in some ways a relief because it was getting hard for me to do my job right and there was no way that I could have done CPR safely on someone in my present state, but in other ways I am worried that I will feel really cooped up at home and the whole no driving thing is a bit irritating. I was tempted to ask for 2 more weeks of staying working but I have noticed contractions if I over do it and I do not want to risk something happening to the babies just because I am worried about being bored. I am not very good at being dependent on other people and to be completely dependent on Mike to do all of the housework, drive me places and keep me entertained...quite a challenge for me and I am certain it will be for Mike who now has to work way harder than just a 9 hour work day while I sit and watch him do the dishes, laundry, vacuum, grocery shopping and all of the other things that we used to split up between us.   

Oh well, I do like a challenge and I think that the next 10-16 weeks will definitely be just that for both of us. I just have to remember to be patient with myself and Mike and to thank him for  what he gets done and not nag him for what he doesn't. On a shallow note, I have all of these cute pregnancy clothes and no where to wear them except doctor appointments, I finally am pregnant enough to look good in them ( I said it was shallow).  Mike does take me out to dinner here and there though and we plan to go shopping once a week to Target or Walmart just to get me out of the house. Plus we have to finish our registry for the showers that are coming up shortly-2 weeks away.  Hopefully everything stays on track and we do okay...fingers crossed.