Third-Trimester Morning Sickness

Well this was a surprise, but thanks to Dr. Google™ I was at least reassured it's not all that uncommon. Kinda stinks, but mercifully Vitamin B6 is both safe to take and quite effective for keeping the worst of it at bay – for now at least.

- L.

Traveling In Style

We really did our homework when we were deciding on car seats and in the end decided on the Chicco Keyfit. These seats are well reviewed by both safety experts and parents alike. M. said they were a snap to install and even though we had our firefighter brother-in-law on standby to do a safety check for us he said he really wasn't needed.

These seats are also an excellent choice if you're expecting smaller babies since the infant insert works with babies as small as 4 lbs.

- L.

Fearfully & Wonderfully Made

As I sat here tonight while M. is away at his family's Christmas dinner – feeling a bit pitiful since I was in no shape to attend (and bored in the bargain) – I decided to Google™ "Twins 32 Weeks". Although I've seen this series of illustrations before, this image had the power to give me pause all over again:



It's one thing to see shadowy images in and out of view via ultrasound, or to observe the visible difference in your own outward growth, or to feel your babies moving around and kicking your ribs with their perfect, tiny feet. It's another thing entirely to have an accurate representation of just how perfectly and wonderfully formed they really are at 32 weeks gestation.

I'm in awe.

- L.

The Mommy Report: 3 Days Later

For awhile now I've enjoyed checking in (almost) daily at thecradle.com's Daily Pregnancy Calendar. You can enter your due date and every day there's an update with a fun fact regarding your pregnancy and baby's progress. For the past two days the offerings could not have been more timely. See for yourself:

Although you may be quite tired, you still may have difficulty sleeping because of backache, baby movement, feeling too hot, headaches, leg cramps, or trouble finding a comfortable position.

and...

You may notice more leg fatigue and more varicose veins in your legs and abdomen. As your weight and blood volume increase, more and more pressure is placed on the veins of your legs and the legs themselves, resulting in a dull, aching pain.

The timing is bordering on eerie since I just posted a few days ago about how great I've been feeling overall and then overnight it all pretty much went out the window. Sore back? Check. Leg cramps? Check. Pressure and dull, aching pain? Check and check!

For what it's worth this is in no way a complaint, but it's certainly an observation. Now I know what all those online mommies-to-be in my due date club have been talking about for the past couple of weeks. I'm actually feeling very blessed that I've made it so far without experiencing most of these symptoms and I definitely have a newfound respect for those who have been struggling for awhile now – all I've wanted to do today is stay reclined and hope for enough of an approximation of comfort to grab a nap. I will say this much: it's certainly good training for the impending baby bootcamp we'll be facing in just a few weeks when sleep will be a forgotten concept anyway.

- L.

Merry Christmas!

Because nothing says Merry Christmas quite like a cat in antlers (also because I just couldn't *not* get them). Zed's opinion may differ – and the pleading look in her eyes probably says it all. Ah well, we've done our best to ensure she'll be relieved to be ignored a little when the babies get here.

Of course, you'll be relieved to know her hard work posing was not for naught and she was duly rewarded for her efforts after.

See Exhibit A (a.k.a. the mysterious contents of the gift-wrapped box):



Of course, you should only mix the two at your own peril:



M. nearly lost a hand last night because he couldn't get the baggie open fast enough. The box itself actually contained a kit to grow your own catnip plant. The "sampler" was included to tide over impatient kitties in the meantime I guess. It was definitely a big, big hit and the claims that the contents are "proudly grown in B.C." are not to be taken lightly – this is some seriously potent stuff and since a little goes a long way Zed will be enjoying her gift for weeks days to come. We should all be so easy to entertain. : )

- L.

The Mommy Report: 32 Weeks

Well, this is what 32 weeks pregnant with 3 feet of babies looks like. I'm now up to 11.5 squares (actually I was expecting more so that was a pleasant surprise).

Everything is still going along nicely – no real complaints. Just the usual stuff that one would expect. It's getting harder to sleep comfortably, my feet are still puffy, and Gaviscon can only do so much to help with the reflux. All in all though, I feel pretty good.

It's hard to believe we only have another 4 or 5 weeks left if everything goes well. I'm still hoping I'll be one of those miracle moms that manages to stay pregnant until 38 weeks, but 36 or 37 weeks is more realistic with two. I desperately want to be able to bring my boys home with me from the hospital so the longer they stay baking the better. No Christmas surprises (or early birthday presents) please!

As for the rest, M. and I have been incredibly busy trying to get everything in order for our little ones (and poor M. has been working some long hours at the office on top of that). We're getting there, but the Christmas tree in the background is a sad testament to how crazy it's been. We put it up over a week ago, threw some lights on and a few ornaments... and ran out of steam. I'm still hoping we'll find time to get the rest of the decorations on the tree – it looks a little naked.

- L.

Guest Post: Gud Halp Iz Hard To Find

I iz halping. Honest! Someone has to guard the box and keeps the instrukshenz shredded. I also leav'd sum hairz behind to keep the babeez warm. U needz halp with ur nursry? Call me! I'z in the book.

- Z.

The Baby Report: 32 Weeks

"Disgustingly normal" were the exact words of the doctor at the obstetric ultrasound unit this morning.

AHEM.

I prefer wonderfully normal myself, but what really matters in the end is that the babies are doing great.

They are both in the 50th percentile this week, so still growing well despite their cramped quarters – and it is getting crowded in there! Baby A is 17.8" and approximately 3.9 lbs. and Baby B is a full 18" and 3.95 lbs. That's almost 3 feet (and 8 lbs.) of babies! No wonder I look like I swallowed a toddler.

Today is the first time Baby B has measured bigger than his brother, even if it is by a hair*. Actually it was a day of firsts for Baby B since this was also the first time he's shown us his face – finally! We're just so pleased to know that he has one after all this time. : )

Everything else is equally disgustingly wonderfully normal and we were thrilled to hear it. Both babies are vertex (head down) once again so I got to breath an extra sigh of relief. Hopefully they're nice and comfy now and will just stick to the regular kicking and squirming until they're done baking – no more fancy maneuvers please.

*We also found out that they both have hair already! Eeeee!

- L.

Murphy's (Pregnancy) Law

At the exact moment you finally find a comfortable position in which to fall asleep, you will suddenly discover an urgent need to get up to pee.

- L.

How Many Squares?

I regularly participate in an online pregnancy forum and have found it to be a fantastic resource for expecting moms (particularly if it's your first pregnancy). Membership can also be quite fun. Last week a post went up suggesting a simple game – measure your belly around the widest part using TP squares and post the results (along with how many weeks pregnant) for others to see and compare. I measured a solid 11 squares at the time.

I thought the whole thing quite funny and told my mom about it. Since she lives several provinces away I figured it would also serve to give her a tangible idea about how big I've grown.

Of course, she had to try it out and found herself measuring a respectable 9 squares, which was a bit of a shock since it's only 2 less than a woman in her 8th month of pregnancy (with twins no less). If you know my mom, then you know she's in fantastic shape so this made no sense to either of us.

After comparing TP brands (which turned out to be the same) and double checking our measurements, there was in fact no mistake made – so I guess it's safe to say there really is a lot of difference in 2 tiny squares since I obviously look *very* pregnant and my mom clearly does not.

Of course, it's all in fun – but it begs the question... how many squares are you?

- L.

Desperate Times

In all fairness these could be uglier I suppose, so I'll try not to complain too loudly since they sure are comfortable and actually fit my swollen feet – not to mention ankles that lately resemble my Gram's. My only other criteria while shoe shopping yesterday was "must be good in snow" since I'm sure we can't avoid a major snowfall before the babies arrive and I'm nervous about taking a tumble.

On the plus side, I was pleasantly surprised to discover I can still bend over enough to tie these myself. : )

- L.

Try To Act Casual

I'm not sure this is exactly the face of innocence:



But it's the face that's attached to the cat who immediately found the box with her name on it after we unpacked the presents my mom sent us for Christmas. Behold her handiwork only moments later:



Must be some serious catnip in there. Needless to say, this has been (safely) tucked away for the time being. Of course we'll let Zed finish opening it herself when the time comes – might as well since she's halfway there already.

- L.

LUSH Therapy

I am furiously knocking on wood as I write this post, but with my baby belly measuring 38 weeks I am reasonably convinced that Lush's Therapy Bar has been a wonder at keeping the stretch marks away. Yes, I realize conventional wisdom says that there's no avoiding them because it's hereditary – either you get them or you don't – but you can't blame a girl for trying anyway. This wonder product came highly recommended from a few sources and I tend to agree so I'll tentatively tag this post under "stuff that works" (for now at least). Also, it smells heavenly.

- L.

First Aid

Of course we've stocked it with all the basic stuff for babies – digital thermometer, Infant Tylenol, various bandages, etc. – but the main point of this post is to show off the cute little tin lunchbox we found to store it all in. The best part? It looks great sitting right out in the open with easy access at all times for fevers, bumps and boo-boos. Kisses are stored separately.

- L.

It's Moving Day!

Same address, but practically everything is getting shuffled around our home today to make room for the nursery. I made these floorplans well in advance so we'd know exactly where everything is going to go, but considering four rooms in total are getting moved about in order to make this happen I think it's safe to still expect some chaos.

And yes, the floorplans are meticulously and precisely to scale. If you're more than just casually acquainted with me then you probably didn't even need to ask. ; )

- L.

Whose Feet Are These?

*sigh*

Well, I can still manage my own pedicure at least.

- L.

Thinking In Twos

Lately when I see a new mom with her baby, for a split second I find myself wondering where her *other* baby is.

- L.

Gaviscon: My New BFF

The really bad reflux during the night started a few weeks ago – two babies pressing on your innards will do that. There's precious little medication you can take when you're pregnant, and that applies to pretty much any affliction, but fortunately there are some remedies on the safe list for reflux.

Unfortunately I met with zero success when I tried Zantac and Tums and grew weary of forking over cash for remedies that didn't work (although Tums is good for calcium if nothing else I guess). In fact, I had fully resigned myself to not be able to recline any less than 45° for the duration of my pregnancy—and if you've ever had to do it, then you know that sleeping while you're practically sitting upright is no fun. The truth is you can sleep that way all you want, but it will never be the same as a proper lie-down sleep.

Last week I spied these Gaviscon chewables in the obstetrician's office and made M. scoop a pack. It was only a single serving, but what sweet relief! I slept laying down for a good 4–5 hours that night. I realize that might not sound so good by comparison to your sleep, but for me it was like a miracle. I got M. to pick up a bottle of these the very next day and have continued to enjoy at least a portion of the nighttime laying down like regular people. It's amazing how much you can miss something you don't even give a second thought to until it's gone, and how even a little relief can be such bliss.

- L.

Squeerybeeks!

Thanks to Auntie Lo in comments, I learned a fantastic new word today. M's great grandma coined the term "Squeerybeeks" as a term of endearment to be used for all children not yet born. This is so awesome I don't know how it hasn't made it into the dictionary by now, but I'll be doing my part to use it until it does. : )

- L.

In Love With Cloth

Cloth has come a long way baby!

I first encountered a circle of cloth diaper enthusiasts online around the time we found out I was pregnant and have to admit that although I hadn't given cloth vs. disposables much thought, I was intrigued right away. I wondered at the extra work involved, but figured there had to be some really good benefits given the increasing popularity of using cloth – it's a booming business these days and all those eager women weren't coming off like martyrs for a cause. They were all completely into it!

Here's what I found: the ecological and financial aspects almost seem secondary to those who are feeling the cloth love (although those are two undeniably good reasons right there). Even with the initial expenditure of cloth, it's a huge money saver in the long run (esp. when you're diapering for two!). I think the real, practical benefits though seem to come directly from use: minimal diaper rash and blowouts, the ability to customize absorbency towards individual needs, less odor from both soiled diapers as well as factory perfumes, easier (and earlier) potty learning and most importantly, comfort for baby. Makes sense – cloth vs. paper wins against my bottom too!

The pic above is more or less our completed starter stash, minus 2 additional pairs of wool covers. I kept everything pretty basic for now, with mostly Indian cotton prefolds (30 per baby) and adjustable covers (12 total) – but we splurged on a dozen fleece and hemp fitted diapers too. We've also added 4 pairs of wool covers for overnight since you can't beat wool for being naturally odor/moisture repellant as well as breathable. I have yet to hear anyone mention an overnight blowout or leakage when using these – maintenance for wool is pretty easy too.

Personal enthusiasm aside (and in case anyone is curious), I have no issue with disposables or the people who love them. There's a time and a place for sposies even if you're loving the cloth. We happily plan on using disposables during our stay in the hospital and if the boys are under 6 lbs. at birth we'll continue using them until they get big enough to fit the cloth diapers.

If anyone is still following along on this post and would like to know more about ordering cloth diapers in Canada, the bulk of our order came from Caterpillar Baby in Toronto (listed under Favorite Places in the left sidebar). I thought I'd gush about them a little since they personally delivered our order the next day and even threw in a nice freebie item. I'd highly recommend them to any and all. : )

- L.

The Baby Report: 28 Weeks

We had our 28 week ultrasound this morning and everything is looking good. Last time both babies were head-down which is optimal, but currently Baby B has moved into a transverse (sideways) position. I kind of had a feeling something was up after all the major acrobatics over the last week or so. Our OB also thought Baby B had been on the move at our visit last Thursday when he was manually sizing up the babies positions.

So far Baby A hasn't budged which is of greater significance since as long as he stays head down we're still in business for a vaginal delivery. Baby B might turn again on his own (there's still plenty of time even if space is lacking), or he may be able to be turned after Baby A is delivered, or if necessary he can even be delivered breech if the doctor is willing once Baby A is free and clear (fingers crossed that he turns over on his own though).

As for the stats, Baby A is weighing in at 2.7 lbs. and Baby B is not far behind at 2.55 lbs., which puts them in the 65th and 60th percentiles respectively. They are both measuring approximately 15.7" in length. The technician commented on our "tall babies", so of course I had to look it up when I got home. Average baby weight for 28 weeks is 2.2 lbs. and average length is 14.8", so it looks like we're growing some big babies (at least for now). Glad there's still room to grow in there, even if it doesn't feel like it. They're making their mama (and daddy) proud!

- L.

The Mommy Report: 28 Weeks

Well, here I am at 28 weeks. I'm not sure there's much difference between now and 4 weeks ago when I look at the pictures, but I certainly *feel* a lot bigger in real life. I also seem to have a plant growing out of my head.

- L.

New Pet Peeve

Use of the word twin in a punny way, as in: bulletwin, twintensity, twindividual, twinterchangeable, twincentive, twincessant, twinsanity, etc.

You get the idea.

- L.

Third Trimester Today

We made it – we're officially in the third trimester today! Our baby boys are roughly 2 lbs. each and approximately 14 inches long. All of their major systems are formed, fingers and toes are accounted for and this week they are practicing opening and closing their eyes.

I can't believe it's been 25 weeks since I opened my eyes to see this:



This photo was taken in early June, but today seems like a good day to (finally) post a pic of my positive pee-stick in celebration of our pregnancy milestone. At this point, we still had another 3 weeks to wait before we would find out we were expecting twins.

- L.

Online Shopping Is Fun!

It's amazing the damage you can do with a credit card when you're cooped up with sore, swollen feet. : )

1.) Cloth Diapers

Crazy or not, we'll be cloth diapering (and laundering) for two. I've been dying to order our cloth stash since about 5 minutes after I found out I was pregnant so I finally had at it and bought a generous supply of prefolds and covers. The Thirsties Duo Wrap Covers (shown top left) are adjustable from 6–18 lbs and the prefolds are for newborn plus the next size up. We should be pretty well stocked for awhile. I also added some newborn fitted diapers (for convenience), some wool soakers (for overnight), an assortment of flannel and terry cloth wipes and a top-quality diaper sprayer (no dunking or soaking those dirty diapers — yay!).

2.) Organic Cotton Rabbit Rattle

It's a soft toy with a rattle inside. Handmade in Canada. No fussy details. Perfect.

3.) Ringley Organic Teething Toy

OK, they won't need teething toys right away, but I'm saving on shipping by ordering them now. Plus they look pretty fun to wave around and drool on even if you don't have teeth.

4.) Sophie the Giraffe

Because I just had to.

Oh, and much more... but these were some of my favourite finds from our order at Parenting By Nature.

I just love that more and more products like these are being offered as an alternative to heavily branded, cartoon-saturated toys and apparel.

- L.

Something Red

I've been asked a few times if we're planning a theme for the nursery and the short answer is "no". We are however going heavy on a colour scheme and I thought I'd post a couple items we've bought/received for the nursery that aren't blue and white in case anyone was starting to worry that we're overdoing it with the blue. Much like our blog colours, we'll be adding a hit of red here and there to give the nursery a bit of punch.

Deciding to add red as an accent colour was most certainly inspired by this:



Produced as a 16" x 20" limited edition print, this fine work of art by Robert Chaplin is based on the World's Shortest Fairy Tale (also by Robert Chaplin). It's fun and whimsical with a simple graphic style. We actually received this as a gift before we were expecting, but we knew right away it would be perfect for our nursery someday.

The coordinating Elephant Shoe, I Love You print will be a sweet accompaniment on the nursery walls as well.



We also found this during our search for nursery furniture:



IKEA sells these cute drawer inserts in red that fit the shelving unit we've bought, so we've added 2 in red and 2 in white to store items we don't necessarily want on display — sort of like extra dresser space (which I'm sure will always be in demand around here).

- L.

Sweet Dreams

Last weekend, M and I ventured out briefly so I could hobble my way through Pottery Barn Kids for some cute bedding for the babies. We'll probably top this up with some less expensive solid coloured sheets in blue and white, but couldn't resist the Shooting Stars fitted sheets and crib skirts (the Z for Zebra sheets matched nicely too!) to get things started. We also added in a couple of reversible fleece blankets and Boppy pillows (with matching dots and stripes fleece covers). The material on both is very washer-friendly and unbelievably soft — perfect for breastfeeding, cuddles and tummy time.

- L.

Some Assembly Required

Boxes, boxes everywhere filling up our living room after IKEA delivered the bulk of our nursery furniture this afternoon. M will have his work cut out for him assembling everything — fortunately he's become an expert at all things IKEA since we got married. I'm not going to mention the new office chair with the upside down seat he put together last night because he was probably pretty fatigued after spending most of the morning and afternoon shopping for everything yesterday.

I couldn't even accompany him on that arduous trek since my feet are currently too sore and puffed out to allow for too much mobility (getting that checked out tomorrow in case you're wondering). I'm so glad M's mom was available to keep him company and help out with the shopping — also made sure he got fed. Thanks Leslie!

Zed is in the background surveying the scene and she's not too impressed. The chair she's sitting on is M's old office chair and it's going out with the garbage tonight. It's had a good life but will be sorely missed by our cat who has spent many hours safeguarding it in M's absences. Poor Zed. She has no idea how much everything is going to change very, very soon.

- L.

Double Digits

99 days to go — based on an average 40 week non-twin pregnancy anyway. In reality, most twins arrive around 37 weeks so we can subtract 21 days or so from that. Wow. Sitting here wondering how it's all gone by so fast.

- L.

Cuteness.

Title says it all. As well as a stash of onesies we picked up 2 each of these cute outfits, and while I won't be one to dress the boys alike when they're past their newborn stage, at this point — overwhelmed with a sea of choices — it's just easier. Since we're not sure how big they'll be upon arrival and knowing that twins are likely to be on the smaller side, we bought the striped outfits in preemie and the patterned outfits in newborn. We still have a long way to go with getting enough of everything, but it's a good start.

Oh, and how about those tiny hats?



I could look at these all day. So cute. *sigh*

- L.

Our Sweet New Ride

Well after much talk, searching, comparing prices and safety ratings we finally decided on (and leased) a brand new Toyota RAV4. It's wonderful and just feels so much safer — not to mention spacious — when you're sitting in it. Lots of storage space in the back too — no more cramming the groceries in, plenty of room for a stroller and such (maybe the cat too). Next destination: car seats.

- L.

The Mommy Report: 24 Weeks

Finally a half-decent picture of me and my bump! A few weeks ago at Thanksgiving with M's family, my future sister-in-law Karen remarked that I hadn't put on any weight in my face, so either something changed over the last 18 days or she lied.

Bless her.



My face is *so* chunky, but you know what? It's the good kind of chunky that comes with growing two big, beautiful babies and it's worth every ounce.

- L.

The Baby Report: 24 Weeks

Well, so much for updating on Mondays despite good intentions and the fact that our 24 week ultrasound appointment was actually *on* Monday. We've had a busy couple of days however and they've left me feeling pretty wiped. Good sleep last night though so this will probably be more coherent at least even though the news is a day or two late. OK, two days late.

The good news is everything is looking really great! Both babies are measuring a few days ahead and both are head down for now (and we're all hoping they stay that way). They've really grown since our last scan at 20 weeks so their cozy home has gotten a lot cozier in that there isn't as much room to maneuver anymore. The bad news is that they're too big for us to have any take-home ultrasound pics anymore — BAH! — but I'll post some of our previous ones for anyone that hasn't seen them already.

Here are the babies back in July at 8 weeks (I think this was the last pic of them where they both fit on the screen at the same time):



And here they are back in August at 12 weeks:




And a really nice image of Baby A at 20 weeks:



Unfortunately we weren't able to get a profile shot of Baby B at 20 weeks, but not for lack of trying. I think we did everything short of having me stand on my head but he was persistently facing away from the camera and/or face down so no luck.

As of Monday, both babies are approximately 1.5 lbs each and are plotting in the 65% percentile which is great. All those eggs for breakfast are really paying off I guess — although the doctor we spoke with said we could realistically expect that to decline to 40% by the time we're at term which is perfectly normal for twins. I'll keep eating those eggs though.

- L.

Clothes to Grow Into

Aren't these too sweet? M's mom brought these lovely corduroy overalls back with her from her trip to Italy. They're even in our favourite neutral colour palette (goes well with redheads) and I especially love the detail on the trim. It's just enough and not too much. Thank you again Grandma J.

- L.

Our First Purchase

Since we have hardwood floors, a suitable rug for the nursery is a must-have (and our neighbors downstairs will thank us too!). After searching locally, we finally found what we wanted online. I wish more Canadian stores would step up their game when it comes to online shopping as it would have been even sweeter to not have to worry about customs, but our True Blue Rag Rug from Land of Nod should still get here with plenty of time to spare.

It's made entirely of denim (90% recycled from scrap!). I love the variegated shades of blue and that it will be easier to keep clean than a pile carpet — but mostly I'm just so excited that we're finally shopping for our babies. *sqeeeee*

- L.

Welcome to the Oddest Prime

Welcome family and friends (and those who have found themselves here by accident or chance). This blog is for those of you who want to follow us in our journey as we get ready to welcome our twins in the new year and keep up to date with our new family once the boys have arrived.

We'll be starting to get the nursery ready over the next couple of weeks and plan to have everything completed by the time we hit 30 weeks. That's only 7 weeks away from RIGHT NOW, so prepare yourself for lots of posts as we spend ourselves into the poorhouse getting ready for our little ones (and before we're too tired to think straight).

I'll try to update at least once a week. Haven't decided on a day yet, but I will for those of you without easy access to a computer (hi mom!). Probably Monday? Sure. Let's say Monday for now.

- L.