12 Weeks

Now, finally, after all this time, I have reached the stage of pregnancy when most people make it public. Twelve weeks! It's also my birthday today. Happy 41 to me!

I had my first trimester screening yesterday, which consists of an ultrasound and a blood test. The ultrasound results were normal, but I'll get the full results by the end of the week. It's not something I'm worried about. But the ultrasound was great. Both babies are totally normal and looking good! We got to see Thing 1 moving around again (Thing 2 must have been napping), and we could see arms and legs and more detail in the skulls. I only had one moment of panicky fear when the ultrasound began, but otherwise, it was a positive experience. I had the test at my infertility clinic and it was nice to see some of my old buddies there, who were full of congratulations and well-wishes. Here are the Things:

[caption id="attachment_4401" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Thing 1"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_4402" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Thing 2"][/caption]

In Thing 2's picture, you can see the head of Thing 1 in the upper-left. That's the first time we were able to see both of them in one image, which was really cool. As Adam says, if they think it's crowded in there now, they have a big surprise coming.

My extreme fatigue continues, and it actually might be a bit worse lately. My goal every day is just to get through it. I'm having a hard time blogging because if I have a spare moment, I almost always spend it in bed, and even when I'm at my computer, I'm in a kind of fog all the time. I still haven't booked our museums in Italy, which has been at the top of my to-do list for at least a month. It doesn't help that we've been traveling and Sam has started swim lessons, both of which have interfered with our naps. I can't seem to cook a meal - we're living on fast food and take-out right now. This morning I really had to get to the supermarket but taking a shower completely wore me out and I had to take a nap at 8:30am before I could leave the house. At the market I bought a ton of pre-prepared food - hopefully that will help me get through this.

My appetite finally kicked in about a week ago. I'm still not eating outrageous amounts of food, but I'm definitely taking in more calories than I need just for myself. I finished my jar of pickles and I don't crave them anymore. Maybe I'll get some fun, crazy cravings later on. For now, the thing I want most is milk. I can't drink enough milk.

I signed up with a program my insurance company offers for pregnancy. If I fill out their surveys and go to the dentist once during pregnancy, I don't have to pay my co-pay at the hospital. They also send me all kinds of pregnancy information, and of course I got a huge package from the ob-gyn, too. I remember reading all of that stuff during my first pregnancy but this time it totally bores me. I'm much more interested in all the information I can find about twins.

My belly is growing, too. I still fit in some of my regular jeans, which surprises me, but I'm down to two pairs, and I still haven't pulled out my old maternity clothes. That is tonight's project, if I can stay awake long enough.

[caption id="attachment_4403" align="aligncenter" width="375" caption="12 Weeks"][/caption]