12 Weeks! First Trimester WIN!

Well, today marks the end of the first trimester.

12 WEEKS, YO!!

And let me tell you, I couldn't be more ready for this G-D trimester to be over. Hopefully, today also marks the end of the vomiting, the fatigue, the nausea, the cramping, the bloating, the mood swings, and the general discomfort of being newly pregnant.

Dear First Trimester,

While you were exciting to have around (and I'm certainly glad you managed to show up, after keeping us waiting for 2 years), it turns out...and I'll try to put this delicately...

You suck.

Big time.

Thanks for stopping by, and don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out.

Sincerely,

A not-so-much fan

Of course, to celebrate this momentous occasion, I brought some goodies, in the form of pictures (because despite the amazing advances in technology, they still haven't found a way to transport cake over the interwebz)

First, the Belly Shot:

To the general public...yes, I still just look fat (or "like everyone else in the world, you freak" according to my sister). But to me, I look beyond pregnant. ESPECIALLY after I've had a day of meals in me. But as I've mentioned before, I'm a big fan of the belly, so it's all good.

Also, the ultrasound pics. This first one is a gem - face forward, arms in the air.

Look closely, and I think you'll see we figured out which twin is the evil one:

FRIGHTENING, no?

And the money shot...a pic of something that more or less resembles a baby instead of an alien or a puddle of goo. Sweet.

Of course, it's upside down, because these kids DO have my DNA, after all.
Yellow school bus, here we come! (kidding...KIDDING)

To be finished with the first trimester is also bittersweet, because I'll be moving from my Reproductive Endocrinologist's office to a regular OB. It's weird. Kind of like a cancer patient leaving treatent. You're happy to be going, but at the same time, you've been going to the same office for so long, sometimes on a daily basis, that you've gotten to know the people there. It'll be weird not to see the staff at DVIF&G. Good...but weird.

So that rounds up the first trimester. We laughed. We cried. We vomited profusely. But more importantly...we survived. All 3 of us. (Oh yeah, Brian's good too).

So bring on the second trimester. I'm ready for whatever it has in store.
Just please...no more vomiting.

11 Weeks! Almost There!

Today, I hit the 11 week mark.

One more week 'till I'm out of the first trimester!!!!

Of course, according to my belly, I look more like 15 weeks. Observe:

*Pay no mine to the icky mosquito bites and see-thru jammies - it's been a hot end of April.*

The belly has really been making an appearance this week. Now, ANYONE who knows me can see that I'm pregnant if I'm wearing anything lighter than a sweatshirt. And I'm not gonna lie, I LOVE looking pregnant

...even if I just look "fat" to strangers.

And if I'm not mistaken, I think I'm starting to feel better. I only take Zofran once every couple of days now, although I still take my nighttime nausea pill.

anti-nausea + sleep aid = happy Lily.

I also taught 2 horseback riding lessons in the hot sun yesterday and didn't feel like death warmed over afterwards, so I'm guessing thats a good sign that my energy is level back up. But then again, I DID sleep 11 hours last night...so maybe not.

Whatever.

The important thing is that the babies are still healthy. Today, they're the size of a fig (about 2 inches long each) and are moving up a storm....According to the interwebz.
(I don't feel a thing except an increadible urge to eat an entire box of Cap'in Crunch cereal).
They have hands that are opening and closing, ears that are in position, and bones that are starting to harden up.
...which is a good thing, considering Milo's Operation Squish The Twins campaign. They're gonna NEED those bones.

So one more week and then it's Goodbye first trimester (don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out).

BRING IT!!

Easter Announcement

Well, the cat's officially out of the bag.

After announcing our pregnancy to the remaining members of Brian's fam over Easter, and making the quintessential Facebook post this morning (because nothing is true until you read it on facebook), I'd say we are now officially, publicly, pregnant.

It's thrilling.

I can't tell you how long I've waited for this moment. The years I spent reading other people's announcements and getting baby shower invitations in the mail, all the while choking back tears because I was convinced that I would never, ever be pregnant. The anger I felt towards these people - my friends - and the guilt that followed because I should be happy for them and I just couldn't be.

So to be at this point - proudly showing off my little belly with a smile (and a slice of pie in my hand) - is like a dream come true.

I can't stop grinning.

And I can't stop being SO THANKFUL for these gifts I've been given (although if you ask me, I've earned these suckers).

I'm not a religious person - too much of a scientist to believe that an omnipresent personality chooses my path through life. But these babies give me a feeling of oneness with the universe. They help me to step outside of my life and see the bigger picture. They make it less about me and more about them, which is a good thing, I think. After 29 years, I'm ready for it to be about someone else.

So hurrah for bellies and hurrah for twins.

It's going to be a WONDEFUL year and an even more WONDERFUL life from here on out!!

10 Weeks...A Graduation!

I'm still in love with the fact that I got to skip the "9 Weeks" post.
That news we got on Monday about being a week ahead of what we though totally put a smile on my face.
What's ALSO putting a smile on my face this week is this belly:

What used to be flat is now suddenly VERY pokey-outey. And while I'm aware it's mostly my stomach, and NOT the twins (who are about 1 1/4 inches long today), that is causing the pop, it's still a welcome change. I'm totally okay turning in my "hard-as-a-rock" stomach for a baby bump.

Bring On The Belly!!!

I also read that the twins graduated from embryos to fetuses today.
HOORAY!
They now have most of their organs, as well as finger nails and peach fuzz on their skin. Their heads are uber buldgy, but they are more or less little people now. And I think that rocks.

So congrats, you guys! You made it past the "gob of cells" phase to become little humans!

Now keep up the good work, and make mamma proud!

Ultrasound And Good News!

Well, we had our 8w5d ultrasound today...or so we thought.

While the ultrasound tech was getting a good look at our littlins, she asked how far along I was.

Turns out, we were a week off!

Instead of being 8w5d, I'm 9w5d!!!!!

BOO-YAH

How awesome is that? I'm almost at 10 weeks, which explains the growing belly (pics coming on Wednesday) AND the sudden decrease in nausea I've been experiencing over the past 3 days (knock on wood).

It ALSO means that in 2 weeks and 2 days, I'll be in my second trimester.

Holy Crap! That's FANTASTIC (uhhh, where did the time go?!?)!

The ultrasound itself was also very cool. The twins are right on track, and now they're bopping around and waving their arms and legs. I can't feel the movement yet, but they sure hamed it up for the ultrasound.

These pics aren't the best of what we saw, but whatever. It'll do:

Here's the first pic of them together. Doesn't look like much, but trust me, it's A LOT.

Here's baby #1 (I know...its a pic only a mother could love):

And here's baby #2...looking very...uh...creepy: It's amazing to think that a few weeks ago, these babies were just little sacks of cells, and now they have arms and legs and organs and muscles. Their hearts are pumping. They're breathing. They're moving. I know I've said it before, but the miracle of life is really just that...a miracle. Unfortunately, these little miracles are making me hungry as hell and exhausted to boot. Time to eat a sandwich and take a nap...again!

8 Weeks (Pics Galore!!)

I hit 8 weeks today.

And if I may say so myself....HOO-FREAKIN-RAY!!!

I've read repeatedly that most miscarriages occur in the first 8 weeks, so once you hit this very important milestone, you can breathe a lot easier (but not too hard - you might vomit)

Seriously, I don't think anybody has earned their 8 weeks more than me.

Okay...that's an exaggeration, but for realz, this pregnancy has been tough tough tough on my poor body. The nausea and vomiting are mostly under control, thanks to a new pill named promethazine that knocks me out for approximately 23923573202348326 hours. I take it around 8:00 at night, am out by 9:00, and sleep for about 11 hours before I drag myself from bed. I'm not fully awake until about 4:00, leaving me 4 slightly nauseus hours of awakefulness before I take my next dose.

It's challenging, yes. But I'll take drowsy over nauseus any day of the week!

And speaking of weeks...it's time for the belly shot.

Now, I've been saying all week how my belly is starting to get bigger (and lord knows I've not gained any weight). Well...now we have proof.

Let's review the 6 week shot first:

There I am, all slim and trim.

Now...the 8 week shot:

Holy Fat-Ass, Batman!

I know the camera is zoomed in more for this shot, but still...the chunkyness is evident, no? It's weird...I have mixed reactions about getting bigger. I'm mostly thrilled and enjoying my new body, but I have occasional bouts of worry: Will Brian still like me when I'm fat? Will I ever get my figure back?

Yanno...the usual X chromosome stuff.

Of course, like it or not...HERE THEY COME. 7 months from now, I'll be the first hippopotamus to ever be spotted in the wilds of NJ.

Moving on...

I'm FINALLY posting my 7w2d ultrasound pic.

Better late than never, right?

There they are, in all their gummy-bear glory (look at the guy on the right - you know what I'm talking about). The ultrasound tech said mine are way cuter than the ones she looked at earlier in the day, and although I'm sure she was just pandering to my ultra-sensitive ego, I'll take the compliment. They ARE kind of cute...in an Alien vs. Predator kind of way.

But more importantly...they're healthy. They're viable. And it's looking more and more like we''ll be a family of 4 by Thanksgiving.

Holy crap, guys. I'm gonna be a MOM!!!!!!!

Epic Travel FAIL

Well, as if I didn't hate Dallas already, I had a trip there that was one for the record books.

...that is...

if they have a record for "most times vomiting while traveling" category.

Funny story - it would appear that Zofran is no match for pregnancy-associated morning sickness. I threw up on planes. I threw up in cabs (well, OUTSIDE of cabs). I threw up in hotel bathrooms and conference restrooms.

It was epic. It would have been funny, had I not been too busy vomiting to laugh.

I returned from Dallas dehydrated, pale, and just shy of dead. I slept all day Sunday and Monday, and am only now considering leaving the house.

So there will be no more traveling for me. I don't think I could survive another trip, to be honest with you.

Lesson learned, and all that.

In other news, my 7w2d ultrasound was fabulous! They now have arms and legs and eyes and brains and all kinds of cool little human-type parts. They're wonderfully healthy and growing on schedule. The office APN said it looks like the twins are viable, which was probably the best news I heard since becoming pregnant!

So we're on for using the second bedroom as a nursery.

Which means that eventually we'll need to expand because we are 1 bedroom shy of a 2-child household (god, I can't believe we're going to be a 2-child household by Thanksgiving!).

In short...other than the life-sucking nausea, things are all good.

Stay tuned for week 8 belly pics tomorrow (if I can find the *&$%*& camera charger)...I'm almost positive I'm starting to show.

*let's have a moment of silence for my pre-pregnancy figure, shall we?