a celebration cigar and cognac with 2 grandads and 1 brother

Mommy linda with twin "a" & "b"

Mom looks lovely, but she fell asleep about 5 mins ago, so no names
till later. Of course i have spent some time with them and already
have names :)

B finished feeding and fell asleep on the job. A is tired she fell
asleep with no food!

A is on left and b is on right as you look at photo! Naming ceremony
later

They have arrived!

At 8:45 twin "a" arrived 2420g and 490mm and at 8:47 twin "b" arrived
2410g and 490mm. We are truly blessed :)

week 35-37 - today 9th September 2008

Well what can I say.....these last 2 and a half weeks have AAAAAbsolutely flown.....so there have been no updates other than the fact that my tummy has continued growing.....which means the babies have grown :) On Thursday last week, at our 36-week scan, the girls weighed in at 2.5 and 2.7 kg's so they have done outstandingly well.....and fingers crossed there won't be jaundice or ICU etc etc.....and we'll all come home together :)

Brad took us including my folks for a nice Sunday drive and a picnic on Scarborough beach - and the photo of me in the final days with my Mom :)

The phones have not stopped ringing today.....and countles sms's and emails coming through wishing us luck...has made the eagles take off in my tummy. Am really feeling nervous now. Spent today getting the nursery cleaned up and sorted out for the final time, and have done the last bit of paperwork to sort accounts out. My folks have been amazing helping me out and putting up with my nervousness....they are superstars!!!! and I don't know what I would've done without them! Got rid of the cabin fever by going to visit Catherine and her twin boys and get some last final tips before the Big Day tomorrow. Cath has been amazing with the advise. Would be lost and afraid of the unknown if she hadn't been there and done it already!....and trust me she definitely got the t-shirt ;) I just hope I remember it all!!!!!

Brad is frantic busy at work and with a broken phone system (amongst the other stresses) does not make for a happy man....and with my hormones raging, well we are an overheating oven with 2 little buns a-baking ;) but hopefully all will simmer down really quickly. We have been told so many scary stories about not coping, I think subconsciously we are both a bit worried and nervous about the unknown, so therefore and understandably a little stressed out. Lovely recipe!

Anyway.....tomorrow is D-Day.....must be at the hospital at 6am, and will be in theatre at 8am for the 5-minute procedure, and then welcome our little angels into the world.

Thanks for all the love and support, the phonecalls, emails and sms's and staying in touch and reading the blog to stay up to date with the pregnancy and hope you've enjoyed the journey with us :)

All our fondest love
Linda & Brad and the girls xxxx

Enjoying last weekend before the chaos!

Baby shower

Yes, we had one of those and the boys came along too!
Now its 3 weeks later and we still washing those clothes.
Mmmm :)

Confusion abounds in hemphill home

Chinzy is obsessed with the tummy and has resorted to following the
incubator around the house and on high protection alert!

34 weeks - 18th August 2008

I'm feeling pretty excited by the BIG EVENT!!! just around the corner and we're really in the homestretch now......people were correct, the time has flown by and I can still remember as clear as a bell the day I did the home pregnancy test!

Hectic!!!!!!

These darlings are moving about a lot now, and to see my tummy poking out at all various angles is still very weird (in a beautiful way) for me. I can't believe this is happening to me...someone who thought they'd never get married let alone have children!...I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming ;) Brad is amazing as always and is so proud of his little girls. He loves to touch my tummy as they poke around and they play with him! Where he puts his hand, they kick or punch, so it's big fun and games already!

Pregnancy Calendar - Week34

The baby is now on the move, and making the trip down towards your pelvis, with its head then resting on your pubic bone. Everything is working for the baby now, although it is still not at full weight yet, I know it might feel like it, but its true.

You will have noticed the weight change, its known as lightening or engagement, which is why you can see pregnant women at this stage walking like they are carrying a watermelon between their legs with that waddle when they walk.

The other downside of engagement is that your bladder becomes even more squashed. So expect more trips to the bathroom.

about your body

With all this poking and prodding you're probably starting to feel like a science experiment. And for all your hard work you'll probably get a punch in the ribs or a kick in the pelvis.

your growing baby

Your baby has put on another 300g in two short weeks. Fluid passes through her kidneys and contributes to the amniotic fluid. The immune system is still immature and the baby continues to receive your antibodies. Your baby's movements may be decreasing in frequency, but not too worry - it's just because your uterus is somewhat of a tight squeeze these days, given his increased size. Your little one may have a lot of hair on his head at this point and his skin is now pink, rather than red, thanks to the white fat deposits underneath it.

tips for dad

Sometimes, when the two of you are lying on the bed, you'll see movement under the skin on her tummy. This is quite startling at first, but becomes very special. Gently touch the place where the baby moved. Talk to your baby ? he knows and recognises your voice.

{see honey...told you so ;) }

the comparison as at 12th August 2008

...and just when I thought my tummy couldn't stretch anymore???

Seeing this I can also understand why I'm visiting the loo every 2 hours - practising I've been told/warned for the many nights I'll be up:

pic 1 @ 20 weeks
pic 2 @ 24 weeks
pic 3 @ 28 weeks
pic 4 @ 33 weeks

33 weeks - 11th August 2008

Howdy!

In all honesty, starting to feel a teensy bit apprehensive about what's around the corner. I have 3 weeks to go today till 36-week gynae appointment....and anything could happen between now and then! AND also that DOC said I might not be able to go longer than 36-weeks....which means 2nd September birth etc etc....so many factors!!! However am positive all will be fine and that I'll go twin full-term to 37-weeks. The girls are moving around A LOT and in one way I want them to stay in as long as possible to get strong, but also can't wait to meet them. Brad feels his whole life is on hold waiting for their arrival, so we can move on to the next step in this journey together as a new family unit. He's going to be the best Dad (I just know it) and these girls are going to wrap him like play dough around their itsy bitsy little fingers :)))) (something I think he'd deny..haaa haaa haaa ;) )

Here are 2 pics I took this morning....one the side profile you have all come to know so well, and the other a full frontal.....which is not for sensitive viewers....so I've put that one right at the bottom of this blog....my belly button doesn't look healthy with all the veins and stretched to it's poor limit. For me that had an "inny" of note and super-sensitive at that, even I wonder if it'll ever go back to normal :)



This is what's happening this week:

Your baby is now about 5lbs and 17 inches long, and getting more active in the kicking and punching department, although their starting to feel a little cramped as they have less space to somersault in.

You might feel at this stage that you just want to get on with it, and to get the baby out. Its normal. You will also need to start planning the details of the big day, what to pack in a bag, the route to the hospital, what birth you would like, etc.. The motto from now on is Be Prepared.

about your body
You're quite possibly experiencing a strange, aching feeling in the pelvic area. The weight of your uterus is now putting pressure on the ligaments supporting it, which makes these ligaments sensitive and uncomfortable. You are possibly wondering how you're going to make it through the next few weeks. Behave like a prima donna if you have to. Rest is the best gift you can give to yourself. This is not a luxury it is a necessity.

your growing baby

Your baby spends 80 percent of his time breathing amniotic fluid. He is fully formed and just getting bigger and stronger in order to cope with the outside world. The pupils of your little one's eyes can now detect light, constrict and dilate, allowing her to see dim shapes. Her lungs are now almost completely mature and she's moved into position for delivery. The next time you go in for a check-up, your health care provider should be able to tell whether she's facing head down or bottom first.

Carrying The Load

No doubt you're starting to feel rather house-like.so you might want to know exactly where all that extra weight is actually going (based on a typical 13kg pregnancy):

• Uterus 1 kg
• Placenta 1 kg
• Amniotic fluid 1 kg
• Breasts 1 kg
• Blood 1,3kg
• Retained water 1,5 kg
• Fat 3 kg
• Baby 3,4 kg

Do remember that every woman and every pregnancy is different - but a rough guideline says shorter women should expect to put on between 10 - 12 kg and taller women 12 - 15 kg