labeling my children in utero: "Sweet" and "Feisty"

From 15 weeks on Baby A, our little boy, has had his head down in go position. His heart rate has always been in the 140's. He moves here and there, but honestly I can tell they are pleasant movements. He seems careful with his positioning, careful with my insides! He is somewhat bashful. When trying to determine his gender he covered himself with his hands. When trying to get a profile picture, he again covered his face with his hands. We did see him on the ultrasound kicking his sister in the head repeatedly, which for a moment, made me wonder if I had pinpointed his personality wrong...then...within moments of that same ultrasound we saw that Baby B, our little girl was kicking him in the head as well. I then concluded that it was just payback, as I have already labeled him "my sweet momma's boy".

I am wondering if my daughter in utero is even going to have a chance to be anything but what I already think she is, "feisty". She has been head up one week, head down the next. Then transverse, then butt down. She moves constantly. She jabs her little feet and arms into my ribs. She is slightly larger than her brother, but not by much. Her heart rate is never below 160. She has a full set of hair from what they tell me. She has the hiccups a few times a day that make my whole belly jump with each one. The only stretchmarks I have are on the right underside of my belly right where she is positioned. Don't get me wrong, I love feisty. I think feisty is great. Somehow I think feisty will be greater out of the womb and is maybe not so great for momma with feisty inside the womb. However, as feisty as she is, she will also be a sweet little one, just as her brother will be. She has played the last nine months, but now that "go-time" is nearing she has positioned herself headdown as well and will hopefully stay that way with her brother until they are born...in just a few short weeks.

With my first baby I remember I couldn't even imagine what she would look like, nor did I have the slightest idea what she would be like. Would she cry all the time? Would she like to cuddle and be held? Would she be independent? I had no clue and I had no expectations for her. Of course, she is the most intelligent 22 month old ever (she turned 22 months today). She can count to 13, she can tell you about her day at school. She is extremely independent and knows exactly what she wants...and when...and how. But she is also obedient and respectful. She loves to cuddle and be held. She loves to say her prayers. And when I am done praying she keeps her hands folded and says, "more prayers mommy." She loves to give kisses and hugs. She loves new people and new places. She has very little fear - unless it is spiders and bugs which I recently discovered she has a major dislike of. But none of these things could I have ever imagined of her when I was carrying her inside me. I had no expectations of what she would be like.

This is why I find it odd that I have labeled my unborn twins with personalities already. Maybe it is because I already have a child. Maybe it is because there are two of them and they seem so drastically different inside. One laid back and one full of constant energy.

But no matter what their labels are, no matter what their actual personalities are, no matter what, they are my babies and I am so full of love for them. As their arrival date gets closer, I get more and more excited to meet them, to see their precious faces, to hold them when they cry. I am so proud of my older daughter and I know she is going to make the best big sister. I am so proud that she will have the opportunity to be a big sister and to love her siblings. God could not have given us a more wonderful first child. I cannot wait to see all three of them be together. Just be. I am so blessed with this wonderful family and I haven't even met the two youngest members yet.

Sex at 34 weeks pregnant with twins

Here's how my conversation went with my husband tonight after he got home from the grocery store:

Husband: I saved $35 with coupons at Publix.

Me: that's great

H: isn't it? So...is tonight the night?

Me: the night? It could be...you want to try to put me back in labor? (now I know why the statement on money saving).

H: why did you have to ruin it?

Me: it's possible, that's all

H: I'm just saying it's been like two weeks

Me: two weeks? Really, it's been since Monday, today's Friday. It hasn't even been 5 whole
days.

H: well if you hadn't eaten in 5 days, you wouldnt be very happy.

Me: are you seriously comparing food to sex? If I hadn't eaten since Monday I would be dead. These babies would suck all my nutrients from me!

H: well, there are other ways...

Me: other ways to put me in labor?

H: no! Other ways to...never mind you don't even think that way!

Me: oh...other ways...You're right I don't think that way. Sorry babe.

H: yeah, me too. Love you.

Me: love you too.

H: goodnight

Me: goodnight

labor and delivery: false alarm

I had a pretty easy pregnancy with my first child.  I had  a hard time getting pregnant, but once I began acupuncture treatments 3 months later we had conceived our first child. Pregnancy was smooth. However, at 40 weeks when it was still so smooth and my daughter was not ready to go anywhere I had to take measurements into my own hands. Yes, I got out the jump rope and let gravity go to work. Apparently jump roping when 10 months pregnant may have caused my water to tear which then may have caused my doctor to induce me. None the less, I had a vaginal unmediated birth...aside from the pitocin.

Sometimes I think I'd make a great surrogate mother. Here I am pregnant with #2 and #3...that's right, twins! And this too has been relatively easy. Well, putting aside the first 4 months of nausea and vomiting...this has been pretty easy considering it is a "multiples birth". I'm just about 34 weeks and still walking, carrying heavy things I shouldn't be carrying, moving furniture around at midnight and caring for my 21 month old. For the most part I feel good.

However, making a good surrogate mother might be an exaggeration. I'm not sure I am that selfless. As I'd have to give up running and cycling for another 9 months and all kids of other activities my husband and I like to do together, however, if I was selfless, I'd make a good surrogate. But I don't believe I am.

As nice as these babies have been on me, they are starting to take their toll the heavier they get, the bigger I get. I was telling my husband just yesterday that it was getting harder for me to bend down and lift things, I am getting shortness of breath and my back is starting to ache. I think I mentioned to him that I thought I lost some of my mucus plug, which he told me I never needed to mention anything of that sort again. I followed this conversation up with, "Babe, I need a favor from you."

The words that followed out of my husbands mouth left me speechless. He looked dead at me and said, "I am not sticking my fingers in any holes".

"What?!@!?" Where in the world did that come from? I have no idea...I didn't even bother to say anything, except maybe, "who the heck are you?, who did I marry?" All I was going to ask him to do was change the clothes from the washing machine to the dryer. I wonder if he has any idea how good he has it.

Later in the evening, the backpain I had been complaining about got worse and I began having braxton hicks which I have had increasingly for the last month or so were getting much worse. I was able to time them 2 to 3 minutes apart and thought I could drink lots of water and sleep them away. However, the back pain got worse and the water did not help.

I gave my Doula a call and my daughters Nanny to come over and told my husband we were headed to the hospital so they could check me out and send me home. 33.5 weeks is way too early to have these babies.

My sweet husband was so excited. Packing his bags, getting the movie camera, the carseats, asking if I had my birthplan with me...oh geeze! slow down babe...we are not coming home with babies..."IT IS TOO EARLY". They are going to stop the contractions and send me home...or if they can't they are going to keep these babies for months because IT IS TOO EARLY! He was impatient with me, which is funny since I was the one in all the pain. I'm sure I was short with him too, like "ummm, leave the carseats here", "don't worry about bringing an overnight bag," etc...

Needless to say, they did send me home after monitoring me for an hour. My contractions were 2 minutes apart, but they were not changing my cervix, which fortunately, praise God, is still closed - completely closed. And I pray it stays that way for about 3-4 more weeks.