Pregnancy #3, Update #6: Grateful
In spite of my best intentions to document this whole pregnancy experience and blog more, my last post was about a month ago. I’m not quite sure why. There’s the usual excuses of work, tiredness, etc. – all true, but I can’t really seem to pull much together at all these days.
So. Today, I am 25 weeks, 2 days. Less than 3 months to go. Two and a half more weeks, and I’m in my 3rd trimester. It still, after all these months, feels so surreal. Like it could still somehow slip away. I feel like my life and thoughts center around these 2 little guys (or girls) inside me, but it still doesn’t seem quite real.
The big event since the last post is that I am now feeling the babies move. Best. Feeling. Ever. I could sit on my couch all day with my hands on my belly and just wait for them to move. I first felt them between weeks 21-22, and it just felt like little pings, little flutters. Now, it is much more pronounced. Baby A jerks and kicks a bit more than Baby B. Baby B is a big more fluid and not as active.
I did have a little scare (or paranoia) right around New Year’s. I had really just started to pay attention to their movements, and I was feeling Baby A often, but Baby B not so much. I didn’t know if I should be worried or not? Of course, I was. So, I called my doctor, and they had me come in for a sonogram. All was well. In fact, Baby B was much more active in the sonogram than Baby A. He was wiggling all around, but I didn’t feel a thing. The tech told me that it can be hard to tell who I am really feeling because their limbs are everywhere and they always seems to be in each other’s business.
Since then, I have been feeling them both more. Baby A seems more active during the day, and Baby B will wake me up during the night. I’ve had moments when I have been teaching, and I can feel (and sometimes see) Baby A move and I just smile to myself.
Symptoms have been manageable. The worst for me is my legs, actually. Maybe it is the extra weight, but they hurt pretty badly when I stand; the leg cramps when I sleep is excruciating. I flip-flop all night long, and between my back and my legs, it’s pretty uncomfortable.
Weight gain is about 23-24 lbs, which is in the normal range for twins (the higher end). Right now, I seem to be mostly carrying in front, so that has everyone saying they think it is boys, but I don’t put much stock in that.
My first round of glucose tolerant test came back borderline. Grrr! So, I need to go again next week.
Our big issue to deal with at the moment is what I will do about work. I have enough time to go out around 34 weeks, which will give me 3 weeks at home before I go (if I go at 37 weeks as planned). Not sure about next year. My prayer and heart’s desire would be to take a leave-of-absence next year and go back in 2016. It really depends on what we can work out my husband’s job and what other things I can do to supplement some income. The thought of going back in September while trying to be a mom to 2 5-month-olds is frightening to me. I just don’t think I can be a good mom, a good wife, or a good teacher in that scenario. Praying lots about it.
