Sorry if you tried to get here yesterday – the site was down. I tried things by myself for a little while, but I always go to my web guy Ryan for help. Thanks Ryan!
I guess I’m “officially” (not by my own terms 
) halfway there! This past week has been kind of a doozy, but overall not too bad!
don’t mind the wide eyes.
Weight Gained: Last Wednesday when I went to the doctor, I was up 8-9 pounds. I’m sure I’m up 10 by now. I went from 2 pounds to 8 pounds in four weeks – so I’m pretty much on track now for the rate at which I’m supposed to be gaining (1.5-2.0 pounds per week for twins).
Symptoms: There aren’t too many symptoms for this week, but all of them have had me kind of miserable.
- Sleep has been horrible.
- I’ve been incredibly teary/weepy.
- My exhaustion is out of control!!
Movement: These two sure live for the weekend/beginning of the week. I think their Mother’s Day present to me was moving like crazy Sunday and yesterday. Yesterday I felt a HUGE kick on my left side, and I was mad that I wasn’t touching my stomach. I think I could have probably felt that one from the outside.
Food Cravings: Breakfast sandwiches. I’ve been making my own in the morning. They are keeping me full FOREVER! I think I’ve finally found something that works to hold me over.
Food Aversions: Honestly, nothing. I was even able to cook with garlic as well as drank hot coffee. I’m pretty proud of myself!
Sleep: Horrible. Really, that’s all I can say about it. I’ve been waking up multiple times a night and never feel well rested.
Stretch Marks? None.
Miss Anything? At this moment, sleeping through the night. I guess I should get used to that, huh?
Looking forward to: Being done with school in two weeks! I can’t wait until I can take a nap during the day because I’m tired. The joys of summer!!
Belly Button in or out? In
Happy or moody most of the time?
Incredibly moody - like horribly so. I’ve been more weepy than anything, and I have been crying at the drop of a hat. I think a lot of it stems from not getting very good sleep. Another reason why I think this week I just snapped emotionally is because I’ve been dealing with some behind the scenes action with my dad being in and out of the hospital for the last four-five months. I know it’s been rough on my mom trying to divide her time and go up to see him, and I feel bad/guilty that I can’t go see this him because I’m pregnant (one of the things he’s been dealing with is a bad case of the shingles - it’s a no no for pregnant ladies to be around people with shingles). Anyway, that’s about as much detail as I’m going to go into about that - but I thought it would be fun to share some funny “I’m an emotional mess” moments of mine over the last week.
- On Saturday when I was driving home from brunch with Kathleen and Lauren, I had to pee SO bad. SOOOOOOOO bad that I started crying before I got home because it was not fun at all.
- On Tuesday, I was frustrated/angry because the Husband wasn’t home to be with Charlie when I was in class (he sent my BIL over to let him out/feed him). I overreacted instead of thanking him for taking care of it.
- I sobbed on Saturday night and Sunday morning because I was just so. stinking. tired.
- I cried in the middle of the night because the Husband’s snoring woke me up.
- I got all kinds of teary eyed when I found out one of my good friends is pregnant and only 8 weeks behind me.
See? I’m crazy. Believe me, there were many many more examples…
New Baby Items: A cute 3 pack of onesies from Target and some leggings.
Exercise: Last week my goal was to get in five workouts. I was able to be really ambitious at the beginning of the week, and I got in three walks and a pilates session. Then over the weekend I totally counted scrubbing down my house as a workout. You have no idea how bad I am panting after scrubbing the floor on my hands and knees. So I’m counting it as five.
20 week ultrasound
I absolutely loved last week’s ultrasound. I went to a high risk doctor for my level 2/anatomy ultrasound. The only thing I didn’t enjoy was my ultrasound technician. She was kind of bossy and really liked talking about herself. I was definitely over it.
My mom came with me, and I was expecting it to take at least 90 minutes since there are two babies to look at. I was pleasantly surprised it only took about an hour!
They started by doing a sex check (both still girls! ), and then the technician looked at each baby individually. She started by measuring their heads and all of their limbs. Everything measured right on track – except for their legs which measured almost TWO WEEKS ahead! I’m going to have some tall girls if they’re anything like their 6’5′” father that’s for sure. Both of them weighed 11 ounces, which was above the average for 20 weeks. I was very happy to see they were both growing right on track.
I can’t believe how much they are starting to look like little people. I am pretty biased and already think they’re pretty cute. I think Baby A is taking after her daddy, and Baby B is taking after me. I’ll be interested to see how that pans out when they come out!
baby a
baby b
The best part is that I now get to go back and get these detailed ultrasounds every four weeks to check for growth as well as to get my cervix length checked (a shortening cervix is a sign of preterm labor, so they watch it closely with multiples). Woohoo! I love ultrasounds!
Question for mamas: What helped you sleep through the night when you were pregnant?
{ 63 comments… read them below or add one }
oh fun! things are looking great! here’s a question for you that I never knew when someone is pregnant with twins- can you tell the difference of the two babies each time you go in? For example, is Baby A always Baby A when you refer to her, or just using it to differentiate the two when you’re talking? Once again, congrats! You look fabulous!
Baby A is always Baby A and vice versa. They name Baby A as the one that is “closest to the exit”.
I think it might be hard to tell if they were laying side by side, but mine are laying right on top of each other so there’s no denying which one is which!
Oooh that makes sense- thanks!
So sorry to hear about your dad - that’s got to be rough
You look awesome! The girls are adorable, and that’s funny that they’re already tall!
Lastly, I am SO jealous that you only have two weeks left - we go until June 10 (public school in WI) and my due date is June 6. I keep telling my baby girl to at least hold on until then.
Thanks Angie!
That’s how public schools in Chicago are. I would NOT be able to handle that! I hope your baby girl is late too!
So cool! I never got a 3d US with baby g, but I always like seeing others!! These girls are going to be tall! Wow!
Oh pregnancy hormones, haha! I know how that is! I have had some nice mood swings or breakdowns this pregnancy, but it is expected
glad we have good men that understand!
Looking beautiful girl! <3
What helped me sleep when I was pregnant is I moved to a separate bedroom so my husband couldn’t wake me up by accident in the night. I know that helped, but towards the end I still wasn’t sleeping through the night. Separate beds and bedrooms on a temporary basis, if you both agree, and if you definitely set a date for a return to the marriage bedroom and commit to not letting that date slip! I’m a strong believer in that you must sleep with your husband for intimacy, however towards the end of my pregnancies and the first few weeks when you are awake all night long, it was better for both of us to be apart.
That’s a good idea. The only bad part is in our house the only other place one of us can sleep is on the couch. Our guest bed was taken down for the cribs. I typically end up on the couch if I do get woken up. He really wants me to get sleep - regardless of what that means for our sleeping arrangements. Mainly because if I don’t get sleep, my tiredness gets taken out on him. Yikes.
I just started sleeping in another room 2 weeks ago and it has helped me sleep better, I agree!!
Those ultrasound photos are amazing! It’s exciting that you’ll get to have them done as they grow.
Yay!!! Ultrasounds are so much fun! With my son’s 4D pictures he always had his hand right by his face. Then when he was born for the first few weeks he still did that same pose in all the pictures we took. It was really cool!
That’s too funny! Guess he was comfy!
Awwr girl, sorry that you’ve been going through a bit of a rough patch <3 But your little girls are healthy, so that's what really matters
And maybe you started bawling in the car when you had to pee because it was a way for your body to get some extra water out 
Happy Tuesday, lady!
Bahaha - of course!!
Ultrasounds are so cool! They really put things into perspective, especially for the outsiders who aren’t experiencing everything you are!
oh that’s so exciting you get to see them every four weeks! I cannot believe you are already 20 weeks along, they’ll be here in no time! And I hope your sleep gets better, I’m sure that is SO frustrating! Have you gotten one of those body pillows? Lol I practically sleep like that with my extra pillows and it helps me… ha minus the whole not pregnant part.
I have not - however, I’ pretty sure my mom ordered one for me yesterday because she is getting tired of hearing me complain.
I had NO idea that your hubby was that tall!! Maybe your girls will be b-ballers! haha
Haha - surprisingly my husband wasn’t too athletic. He played volleyball but then quit when he was 15 bc he wanted to work and make money!
oh man I couldn’t sleep through the night either. I would wake up and have to pee a lot!
Surprisingly, I only go to the bathroom once during the night - sometimes none! (like last night - woohoo!)
oh my gosh those 3d ultrasounds are so cool!! sorry to hear you’ve been weepy.. just keep thinking of SUMMER!! itz so soon!!!!
Woooooo! Only 8 more wakeups!
So sorry to hear about your dad .. I know what you are going through. My dad was in and out of the hospital for 3 years and just passed away in January. It definitely can put a lot of stress on a family. Take care of yourself.
I’m so sorry to hear about that Lisa.
I honestly couldn’t believe how great you look!! It was so so good to see you last weekend and those beautiful growing girls.
Can’t wait for them to join us in person on our brunch dates. 
You look wonderful and I”m so happy to hear that the girls are healthy and on track! I always liked that reassurance
I also totally understand the over-tired emotions. For me, they didn’t come until Hailey was here and I wasn’t sleeping, but the littlest thing would make me cry, like the husband’s snoring- it would fill me with rage- haha
Love following your journey!
I just keep saying I better get used to this no sleep thing!
That is so great that you will be able to be off of work for the end of your pregnancy. I’m sure that will be wonderful for you.
And yay for breakfast sandwiches! They are the best
.
It is so wonderful! It will definitely give me time to rest in the most critical part of a multiples pregnancy!
Oh my gosh, I can’t believe how much you can see in those ultrasounds — so cool! I’m sorry to hear about your dad — I hope that he is healing quickly!
Thanks Emily! It’s been a rough road, one thing after another!
Those ultrasound photos are amazing! I don’t think I have seen detailed ones like those. I’m sorry you have been having trouble sleeping and feeling emotional
I know how bad I can be with pms and already feel bad for my future husband who will have to deal with me while pregnant.
Honestly, nothing helped me sleep through the night when I was pregnant, and I am actually really grateful for that now. Prior to pregnancy, I needed a solid 8 hours to feel good in the morning. I felt like bad sleep during pregnancy prepared me for what has come next, which is terrible, TERRIBLE sleep.
hahaha - thanks for being honest! I am absolutely certain I’ll be getting horrible sleep for quite some time.
Wow…those sonagrams are amazing! The twins are precious already. Here’s to hoping you get some good sleep soon….you need to rest up before they’re here.
Yay for a great ultrasound!!! I love seeing the babies regularly too
Makes me so much more relaxed to know what’s going on. I’m having the same sleep issues!!! I’m a walking zombie every.single.day. Plus now I have carpal tunnel in my right hand, which makes sleeping even more miserable. Just get through the last few weeks of school and know that you can at least nap regularly at that point!!!!!
Just wait for summer - perks of being a teacher!!!
Those crying instances will make for funny stories one day
. I love the sonogram pictures. The girls are so beautiful already!
Omg these pictures are amazing! How lucky that you’ll get to go back regularly. I hope you catch up on some sleep soon!
Love the ultrasound pics!
Ahhh I love seeing those ultrasound photos - so cool! I had no idea John was so tall! You definitely could have some long babies on your hands.
I’m sorry it’s been so emotional for you. Lack of sleep definitely affects my emotions, that’s for sure! I slept with a body pillow and always ate a snack right before bed….those two things helped me during pregnancy!
haha, yup he’s a big tall Dutch boy!
My mom just ordered me a Snoogle - I’m so looking forward to when it comes in!
Such cool 3D US!! They are already adorable! You def will have some tall babies on your hands-my sis’s husband is way tall too, and their son is always (and came out) off the charts for height. Hah.
As for sleep, I get about 1-2 bad nights/ week, and it’s usually from bad dreams, being too hot, or having too much on my mind. So obv I try hard not to watch the news/read controversial stuff before bed, set up things before bed for a quick leave the next morn (decreases my stress), and turn off electronics a bit before bed time. I also use an essential oil blend called “Serenity” (from doTERRA) that works like a charm. Just one drop on my chest or under my nose or on my pillow. Also, lavender works well too. Look for one (doTERRA is the best) that doesn’t have fillers or other crap in the essential oil.
YAY for aversions being almost gone!
The blend sounds amazing! I will have to look into that!
I had the hardest time sleeping once I entered the second trimester. I only had one, can’t imagine what it must be like with 2 babies in there! My biggest problem at night was charlie horse type cramps. they woke me up out of a sound sleep and would hurt so bad, I’d cry.
I highly recommend buying a Snoogle or other body pillow. I preferred the Snoogle since it was easily moldable to how you wanted it. http://www.amazon.com/Leachco-Snoogle-Total-Body-Pillow/sim/B0000635WI/2
Good luck getting some sleep - naps were always helpful for me
Ooo I got one of those foot cramps the other night. It was horrible!
My mom ordered me a Snoogle today - woohoo!
I just wanted to point something out to you that is really neat! You said that you think that Baby A is going to be taking after her father…Well, in the ultrasound pic Baby A is doing the sign for father that is done in sign language! Cool huh? Just a fun little tidbit!
That is SO cool! Thanks!
So cute, those babies are going to be all sorts of adorable!!! My worst non-sleeping nights were the days I drank caffeine…of any kind. It sucked HARD core, but once I cut that out, I was able to finally rest at night.
Caffeine usually doesn’t affect me. I drink coffee every once in a while in the morning, so by the time I go to sleep I’m good!
A 6’5 father? Yup, you’re going to have so tall ladies in your family!
Aww girl I’m sorry to hear about your dad. I’m sending him my best wishes!
And I can totally relate about the lack of sleep. I was waking up anywhere from 3 - 5:30 am over the winter and it made me miserable - I was so stinking tired all the time! I’m not sure if my tips will help you, but I found that changing mattresses and making my room darker really helped. Also I’m not sure if there’s a correlation, but I swear I had better sleeps on the nights I had garlic in my dinner! Anyway, I hope your sleep gets better soon.
Oh how fun! You look amazing! I so remember hitting that halfway mark and being so excited! Before you know it you’ll be reaching the end and wondering how it all went by so fast. I definitely hit an emotional stage during my pregnancy but it didn’t last that long. Hope yours doesn’t either
Congrats on hitting the big 2-0 mark! Aren’t ultrasounds the best?! It’s so reassuring to just see the babies and know everything is going well. Peace of mind, if anything.
I found the best thing for sleeping through the night was staying active throughout pregnancy (moderate intensity/low impact workouts right up until labor). Whenever I had a stretch of sedentary days, that’s when I struggled most with sleep!
Those ultrasound pictures are absolutely amazing!
Oh gosh, I can totally relate to having a tall husband! Mine’s 6’8” and I’m totally nervous for how long our future children’s legs are going to be! Hopefully my stomach has the room, ha!
Sorry you haven’t been getting much sleep. Not getting sleep totally messes with my emotions and adding pregnancy hormones to that? I can’t even imagine!
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Not sure if if would work for you but I sent my husband to the guest room … I could NOT sleep with him as the weeks went on (twins girls for us, too … At age 42 … And he’s 6’10″).
A snoogie will help, too, I imagine….it was a godsend to me.
My girls turn 4 on June 2nd and they are already 3’9″ … Pretty soon they will be taller than me.
Wow - congrats on those girls! They’re going to be tall! My snoogle just arrived in the mail today. I tested it out for a few minutes and I’m pretty sure it’s going to change my life.
Hi. I came across your blog and as a fellow HAer, I wanted to reach out to you. I hope I don’t offend you, as us Twin Mamas have to stick together! I have 15mo twins and had some issues gaining weight in my pregnancy. I had a super-healthy, complication-free PG. I am a “healthy” vegetarian and continued to exercise throughout. I was scheduled for a section @38wks and everyone said I would sail on through…but went into spontaneous labor @36.5wks (still pretty good!). I had only gained 35lbs. Most of that was due to swelling, as I lost 20lb before leaving the hospital. I am concerned on your lack of weight gain, as I had gained about 15lb (more than you) at 20wks (not the recommended 20 by 20). I thought I was doing “great” by gaining within the twin guidelines, but staying on the lesser side. After having the babies, it became apparent that I hadn’t gained enough weight and was rail thin after my swelling went down. I had to eat a TON in order to pump/nurse my babies. It took a lot of extra effort to keep up my caloric intake (time that I could have spent during PG, instead of while caring for my babies). Anyway, my weight is back to normal now and I feel good. If I could turn back time, I would have relaxed more and ate more while PG, since I wont be doing it again. My babies are the most important things in my life and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. DD was smaller than they estimated before birth and wound up in the NICU for 6days. I have no idea if my eating more wouldve kept her cooking longer (and I refuse to think about it)…anyway, we have a great group on FB if you are interested…the Twin PG is just the beginning…then the REAL fun begins!!