16 Weeks and Life to Go

Still hanging out.  I'm still not really showing that much-by evening, when the water retention kicks in and I've been moving around all day the stomach starts to show more than in the morning.  When I wake up, I basically look like I did before I was pregnant and my stomach is a very hard knot (some mornings things move around a bit once I get up.  It kinda' freaks me out, it's as though I'm packing an exotic parasite or something).  Since gaining 7 kilos by week 11, I haven't gained any more weight at ll.  In fact, at one point I was losing weight which I don't really understand since I eat constantly, albeit my snacks are very healthy.  Maybe I'm one of those that just wont' show until last minute and then I'll look like the McDonald's Grimace character and will simply resemble a purple roadmap of stretchmarks.  According to some books, I should have gained much more weight than I have.  According to other books, I'm ahead of things.  We see the midwife next week, I'll ask her then.  When I compare shots of me to other bloggers who are roughly the same stage as I am with twins, I look like a fraud.

But I used my Doppler this morning and for the first time was able to catch both their heartbeats, so I must not be too much of a fraud.

(I swear, this was only the second time I've used the thing.  I'm not an addict.  I can quit anytime.)

We toured another nursery today.  This one is a private nursery, and the price reflects it-£1900 a month for both.  The truth is, we really liked the place, as they have a constant focus on education and interaction, plus they take the kids (even the babies) on field trips (to visit the local stables when they're little, and the older ones get to go to places like Sainsbury's to learn how to bake bread, which I thought was pretty cool.)  We'll likely join their waiting list too, because by now we've learnt that all places around here have a waiting list, and we'll decide on which place they'll go to when the time comes.  We'll let twins hit our monthly budget first and then work from there.

As far as how I'm feeling, well...I'm ok.  The migraines are still bad but getting more manageable, and in fact Tylenol and a cup of coffee seems to kill them off ( yes I still drink coffee.  Based on advice from my consultant, I'm allowed 300mg a day of caffeine, and I never exceed that, even when I really want to.)  I don't nap as much, but I sleep like the dead and there's a minimum amount of sleep that's needed-last night bedtime was about 8pm because I got up early yesterday morning.  The nausea still exists first thing in the morning, but on a whole I feel much, much better.  The palms of my hands itch constantly, though, and I still really struggle with restless leg syndrome.

I don't seem to have a lot of the other symptoms that other pregnant women have.  I do not seem to have much of a glow going on.  I also do not have the hot pregnancy hair.  In fact, my body seems out of control in that area.  Chunks of my hair were falling out in the shower (seriously.  Chunks.  I would rinse the conditioner out and just tug and I'd feel 10 strands or so at a time come out.)  So I went and cut my mid-back length hair off to just below my shoulders, and that does seem to have slowed the hair chunking.  On the other hand, a fine layer of downy hair has sprung up on my stomach, and I can't tell you how gross I find that .  The good news is, it's blond and thin and blends in.  The bad news is, only lumberjacks and Popeye should have hair on their stomach.  So I'm losing hair on my head and gaining it in a finely-woven pelt across my midriff.

By the time these kids are born I'm going to have the body of a yeti and the head of a 70 year-old man.

So we're off tomorrow to Iceland for a few days of rest and relaxation.  I cleared it with my midwife that as a 16 weeker with twins, I'm allowed to go in the warm hot springs, just not the hot hot springs, albeit I should take it easy.  I will.  I'm not interested in boil in a bag babies, so don't worry.  We'll take it easy.

So I'll see you Monday then, at which point I'll be nearly 17 weeks on.  It seems amazing to me that I've even made it this far.  I'm nearly halfway there now, which startles, amazes, excites and frightens me all in one go.

Kinda' like nurseries do.

And motherhood.

And that pelt I've got growing on my body.

See you Monday.

Comments

[Lindsay]

Have a wonderful time on your trip! Be careful, be safe..you know the drill.
Hopefully I'll have some good news for you when you get back.

[Lindsay]

Well, good news for me..but you know what I mean, lol.

[Lut C.]

About the weight gain, my book says it is not a good measure of how well the babies are doing in there. Your metabolism speeds up, which makes changes the food to weight gain ratio.
I also read that the fabulous hair is for later in the PG, but can't remember when exactly. There's hope for your scalp yet. :-)

Ooh, the hot springs sound great. Enjoy the rest!

[caltechgirl]

As long as the babies are healthy, that's all that matters. I have a friend who weighed about 10 lbs LESS after delivery than her pre-pregnant weight. She gained about 10 pounds during the whole thing, and had a huge, healthy baby. I'd like to think the Lemonheads are getting all those calories to grow and grow and grow!

Have a nice, relaxing trip!

[Nicole]

Have a great time in Iceland!!

[marie-baguette]

so happy to hear that everything is OK. Funny thing about the belly hair, I used to obsess about them when they first appeared, but they have not gotten worse, so I have gotten used to them. I used to lose a lot of hair too -- Hubby kept bitching the tub was clogged, but it has improved. However it looks like lots of new hair is growing, and I have awful cow licks with those short hair sprouting out all over my scalp! Have a great vacation!

[Mia]

"By the time these kids are born I'm going to have the body of a yeti and the head of a 70 year-old man."

You are too damn funny. Have a great trip...all four of you. *wink* And leave the doppler at home. Seriously.

[Victoria]

Ah the memories. You should be happy that the belly hair is blonde and not the dark almost black hair that my tummy sprouted. Twas gross. I did luck out however when the hair on my legs stopped growing about my 7th month when I couldn't see them beyond the belly to shave them anyway lol. That happened with all 4 pregnancies.

I don't know what to tell you about the hair loss. Once I began to take prenatal vitamins my hair was the most luxurious it's even been and my fingernails that were always paper thin and always chipped, got very sturdy and long. Are you taking prenatal vitamins?

With my second son I lost 16 lbs before I began to gain weight. I don't know why that happened but he was my biggest baby weighing in at almost 7lbs. So the early weight loss didn't seem to hurt a thing.

Enjoy your trip to Iceland. I so envy you folks that live on the other side of the pond...you can go to all sorts of wonderful places easily :)

[Kath]

Dear Vanessa, ah yes, the hair loss. I still have that, despite eating well and despite having the strongest nails ever. Very odd.

Have a fantastic trip, my dear!

[Becks]

Have a fab time in Iceland. I am in for retreival tomorrow. I have a pathetic amount of follies, which undoubtedly will mean a miserable number of eggs but I am taking hope from your last go...which turned out fantastic!

[Mina Wolf]

Caffiene is really only bad if taken in great amounts from the studies I've read. I switched over to decaf but I kept my iced tea. I love me some iced tea.

Have a great trip and hope the migranes keep getting better!

[Teri]

I also had restless leg syndrome and a homeopath told me to take magnesium for it, which helped.

[Carol]

Your belly description sounds very much like mine - bigger in the evening, smaller in the morning. this all seems to have changed in the past few days though - it's now there in the morning too.

I read on another blog that bananas really help with the RLS - something abuot the potassium.

[Andria]

yikes! daycare is expensive over there!

have a fun trip!

[Tracey]

I do hope you have had a fun time on your trip!

[jenny]

My pelt is just starting to shed so don't fear, it's temporary. Too bad your missing out on the hot hair though, it's one of the few perks.

[Sara]

At least you'll have your costume for any up and coming theme parties. A yeti costume not available in stores.