Ohhh...we're half way there!!!

Ohhh We're half way there

Woah Livin' on a prayer

Take my hand and we'll make it - I swear

Woah Livin' on a prayer

That is our theme song this week because we are half way there!!! We are 18 weeks along in the pregnancy today and 36 weeks is considered "full-term" for twins. Each week I am counting down to a new milestone...

20 weeks (Oct. 20th)--our next ultrasound and anatomy scan (just to make sure it's really two boys :)

24 weeks (Nov. 17th)--the babies are viable and "could" survive outside of the womb (with majors health concerns and a LONG NICU stay)

30 weeks (News Years)--I feel like if we make it to New Years everything will be "okay"!

36 weeks (Feb. 9th)--Perfect! Full-term babies!

-We graduated from our Twins class at the hospital. Bring on the babies! Okay...we might not be quite ready yet....but we are getting there! We've had classes every Wednesday from 6-8 for the past four weeks. The classes have been okay...haven't learned too much and they have actually raised my anxiety more than help! For instance, is it REALLY necessary for you to show me every instrument you are going to use on me while I am in the hospital? I could do without seeing the device you are going to break my water with...just do it! Or watch a video with step-by-step instructions on how the epidural works and what vertebrae the HUGE needle is going to go between...just give me the drugs! Is it REALLY necessary to watch a video of a C-section being done and to tell me that "we are just going to pull your stomach muscles to the side...like this" Hmm..nope! Didn't need to see that! And I really didn't need to know that there would be 12-14 people in the room during my labor...really??? Anyways....we are finally Twin Class Graduates! We celebrated our graduation with pie at Village Inn (Andrew's idea--I think he is having more cravings than me :)

-There is a Mothers of Multiples club here in Des Moines and about five moms came to our class last night to talk about their experiences and to answer our questions. It was great to hear their stories...but it didn't comfort me at all! None of the five women made it past 30 weeks gestation (yikes!). All of them had a C-section (most of them had an emergency C-section). All of their babies had to stay in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). Most of them couldn't breastfeed their tiny babies, but most of them pumped. Most of them were on bed rest before having their babies. A few of their babies are developmentally behind or have health problems. WOW. GREAT. Thanks for making me feel better! But it was good to hear the "reality" of twin pregnancies and of course I had a handful of questions (no one else in the class did!)

Andrew is now calling our sons...Phineas and Ferb (named after the kids TV show). He even ran the names past our four year old nephew to get his approval. Andrew is convinced that the babies are plotting some awesome adventures in my womb (I HAVE been feeling them kick lately). Now we just need a pet platypus named Perry! Some of his other ideas are...William and Harry (so prestigious!), Harry and Lloyd (he even wants to find them matching mini tuxedos in powder blue and orange), Wayne and Garth, Keith and Keith (so we can have a pair-of-Keiths, get it??) He is so creative! I just hope he doesn't get to the birth certificates before I do.

-The nursery is coming together! We have the furniture put together and we just ordered our chair yesterday. The babies will be here before we know it! There are only 7 weeks until Thanksgiving and 11 weeks until Christmas! Yikes! My goal is to have everything done before 30 weeks because that is when people say you start to get really uncomfortable and who knows if I will have to go on bedrest or when I'll go into labor? That is not much time to squeeze in baby showers, family get-togethers, appointments, etc. but somehow we'll make it work!

Stay posted for nursery pictures, quilt pictures, and more updates! Take care!