21 April 08 - typing in the dark :)

Well, we are into week 17 of pregnancy and all is going really well.

We leave on Friday for our trip to Austria for the bike tour along Danube for 7 days and am soooooo excited! Will do quick check-up with gynae this week to ensure all 100% and can then board with clean conscious ;) Virgin Active also need a clearance certificate that it's OK for me to continue to train there, which is fair. Once that little piece of paperwork is out the way, I will start cycling indoors and swimming when we get back. Riding on the mountain is getting too hair-raising and on the road is just too dangerous here in the Wild Wild West!

My gynae is on leave this week, but the Dr on call said I should keep active on the flights by walking around etc etc otherwise all will be fine. Everyone is pretty concerned/shocked about the trip and the planned ride...but I reckon being active won't do the babes any harm. We must just be sensible and take it easy...and if it's too cold and rainy or I'm exhausted, we just catch a train...simple.

Here is what my weekly email says about this week:

Your growing baby: Your baby is about as wide as your palm, about six inches tall, and weighs about four ounces—about as much as a bar of soap. She now weighs more than your placenta. Your baby is now covered with a downy layer of lanugo, which swirls in fingerprint-like formation over her whole body. Her skin is still thin. Brown fat, a special type of fat that plays a role in body heat generation, is being deposited. In the next few weeks, your baby's eyes will begin to move beneath their fused lids in a side-to-side sweeping motion.

Your changing body: As your breasts grow, they'll be sensitive and tender and sometimes just plain painful. The placenta is now a fully functional network of blood and tissue that distributes nutrients and removes waste. You're looking pregnant, but not so much that it's difficult to put your socks on. You may even get that pregnancy glow, a radiance that comes from extra blood flow to your skin. And you'll start to feel a lot of the baby's movements soon.

Lovely!

Week 18 whilst we are away:

Your growing baby: Your baby is about 5 to 5 1/2 inches long from top to tail and weighs a little more than five ounces, about the size of a lobster tail. While in earlier weeks, your baby may have been able to sense sound with her primitive ear structures, this week, the bones of the ear become fully formed along with the part of her brain that processes signals from his ears. There's still plenty of room in your uterus, so your fetus can be quite active with her new muscles. She may change positions frequently, cross her legs, recline, suck her thumb, and turn somersaults. Her retinas have become light sensitive, and your baby may be able to detect a glow if you shine bright lights at your belly (even though her eyelids are sealed).


Your changing body: During this week, and the next few weeks, you may feel your baby's first movements—a fluttery sensation in your pelvis. Called quickening, many cultures believe that this is when life begins. You may have aches and pains in your legs, tailbone, and other muscles. Now is a good time to talk to your partner about how your house will be managed once the baby comes. For the first few weeks, until you establish a new routine with your new baby, you'll be too occupied to cook meals, take care of pets, open the mail, pick up the phone, or do anything but breastfeed, soothe the baby, and sleep. We hope your partner is up to the challenge. If not, prepare to move your mother or another relative in for a time. Also consider hiring a postpartum doula or baby nurse to help out.

Alrighty then...ta ta till week after next, when I'll post with some awesome shots of the growing belly/babes in some beaut locations.

Lots of love and hugs
Linda & Brad
xxxx

The Happy Couple & self-portrait of the Boep

17 April 08

Hmmm...am not good about this blogging thing....keeping news updated, an have got into a lot of trouble for not sharing the blog with everyone. So I'll be inviting you all to join today, so you can be a part of what's happening!

Only problem we now have on our hands is that our little printer isn't scanning for some odd reason....so although the news is new, I won't be able to show you the latest pics :( sorry!

Anyway the news is good all round! We had our big scary nuchal scan and all is 200% and the babies are perfect and there are no problems or issues with either! We decided in the end to find out the sexes.....and ta daaaaa, we are having 2 perfect little girls :))))

That scan was almost a month ago now...and I am now in my 16th week. On Sunday I'll officially be 4 months pregnant. Can't believe how time is flying!

Still having a blissful pregnancy, and if I look down can just barely see the tips of my toes :) Ath my Pilates teacher was so excited yesterday cause finally she says I look pregnant...as in I have a destinctive "boep"!

The best news is that Brad googled rowing and pregnancy, and discovered that when pregnant one has to change the style of rowing...I was leaning back on the pull like normal...but this was causing a strain in the lower abdomen, which then brought on the bleeding. Since that discovery I haven't bled once! How's that for a yippeeee hip hip hooray!!!

So promise promise as soon as printer working, I'll post those pics!

Lots of love and hugs all round xxx
Linda

18 March 08

Hi there!

Well it's been a while since the last post! Had another bleed last Sunday and then a sudden one again today! I'm not panicking about it anymore, and try stay as calm as possible.
Was so grumpy last night I can't believe it myself...but write it off to a long day of cleaning and packing up the house and washing curtains and generally getting it ready for the builders who arrived at 9am this morning to install our new aluminium windows AND an intense hunger for spaghetti bolognaise...so maybe that's also a reason why the sudden bleed. Even Brad said calm down and don't raise your voice as the babies can hear you ;) Oh hells bells I felt so guilty then!!! but much happier after that first fork full and way happier after my shower and being snuggled in bed. Oh Bliss! Sorry again Brad and babies!!!!

Am rowing and cycling which I'm really enjoying. Doing the no exercise and sex thing for a past 2 weeks has been tough to say the least. Poor Brad. Jenny also hasn't allowed me to walk because of the bleeding, as the walking is quite intense to say the least. No ambling along having a chin-wag!

Well the great news I heard on Thursday is that Karen my cousin, is ALSO pregnant with their 3rd child, and is about 1 week behind me.

Then the best news we heard on Friday past is that Cath and Pete are also having twins....but identical and boys !!!!! Well Brad and I had a good laugh about that, as on their initial scan there was only one baby/heartbeat....unless the one was hiding the other one....and they had laughed so at our news :) so were well shocked when they got their news!!!! Cath is about 2 weeks ahead of me, so at this rate we'll both be early.

I think it's just so cool that we are all pregnant together.

It's our turn next Tuesday when we go for the nuchal/neucal scan...to check that the babies are clear of Down's and also how they are growing and their measurements etc etc Very exciting stuff! It's at 11am so will let you all know how it went with hopefully some nice new pics of the babies. I nervous and excited all at the same time. We're also seeing Shannon, but with a name like that, it can only be fabulous news that we hear. Am wondering if I should find out the babies sexes....hmmmmm.....tough decisions ;)))))

03 March 08

What a kind and gentle Doctor with the bluest blue happy friendly eyes! He saw me as my gynae was in theatre the whole day. So we chatted about what had happened that could have brought the bleeding on. then took me into the side room for an internal...which is far more accurate than the jelly on the belly thing. Dr Dumbrill went straight for them as we both wanted to know if they were OK....and there they were...both of them...kicking and moving about with both their little heartbeats going great guns. Oh the joy and the absolute elation and relief....I wanted to sob great tears of joy...our babies are fine. Thank you everyone for being so positive, thank you thank you thank you. My prayers were answered and my babies are fine.

I phoned Brad the minute I was out the building, to tell him the wonderful news, and he was so excited and happy, but was busy so we didn't talk long. I just sat in the car and cried for a bit from relief, then phoned my Mom to tell her the news too.

The bleeding (when it is not accompanied with cramps) is something some women suffer from and it is nothing to be overly concerned about. Taking it easy is about the only thing that can be done, along with drinking a LOT of fluids/water.

02 March 08

Have been walking for an hour 3 times a week with Jenny my neighbour and rowing every morning except last week where I took some breaks...but really trying to keep up the exercise, as it is good for all of us, and helps me sleep better at night.
Although, I'm really battling with my boobs that are getting bigger. Being small breasted has never been an issue....but now they hurt a lot, and they get in my way when I'm trying to sleep...ha ha ha...let it be noted that I'm very happy with my almost A-size cup! On that note though, hope the breastfeeding goes down a treat...but we'll cross that bridge later!

Spent a lovely weekend with Mike, Lu and Caitlin at L'Ormarins and today Brad rode off early to do the 55km Boschendal MTB race. Unfortunately he hurt himself so was unable to play paintball with Darren, so we had an afternoon nap instead, and went through for his birthday party later.

It was here that the heavy bleeding started....and I thought I had miscarried the babies. I was terrified and upset so phoned the Doctor on call, who was Dr Dumbrill...who said I mustn't worry too much but that I should come in first thing to have it all checked out. We went home straight away and I cried myself to sleep...with darling Brad holding me tight and telling me everything was going to be OK. Oh if only my heart would let me believe that...but there was so much blood.

13 February 08

09h45 - Phone Colette at Dr Hinz's rooms just before I start my Pilates class...will hear diagnosis when I'm done.

11h05 - Phone Colette back and she says she's made an appointment with the sonographer at Vincent Pallotti Hospital at 11am...so I have to get there quick quick and they'll fit me in. Lucky I took a change of clothes with me!

11h25 - Waiting in the waiting room and they call me in after about 15 minutes. Lie on the bed and chatting to the sonographer who puts the jel on my belly and starts moving it about just like you see in the movies :)
She asks me ever so casually, "are there twins in your family"

To which I reply, "no not in Brad's and not in mine....oh Mary-Jane (my Dad's cousin) had twins in the 80's but that's about all I know".

"well I can see two"

"pardon"

"there are two embryo's"

"are you sure you're not looking at the same one twice"

"no definitely not my dear"....."wait I'll show you"

"oh my G*d...my husband's going to freak"...and by now I can't stop giggling and laughing so my tummy is bouncing up and down and she can't get a steady picture.

"no he won't, it's a Happy Valentine's present...tell him tomorrow"

Another Doctor Cilliers then comes in to also have a look, probably because I'm so sceptical about there being two....and confirms that yes, there are definitely two embryo's, two heartbeats, two placentas....which means that they won't be identical as they're each in their own little sack...which is a good thing, as they each have their own pacenta to feed off!

Pay the bill, halfway to the car when I realise I really have to go, bladder really full. Phone Brad when I'm in the loo....good news is that the bleeding means it's not an etopic pregnancy, but the other news is that I'm pregnant with twins...silence...then "oh f*ck".

That kind of changes everything....my car, the pram we were going to get, the changes to Warthog to accommodate one now has to change to two, and basically going to have to get two of everything, how to fit them into the "nursery"....and Brad's brain is working overtime...even I can hear it ticking over ;)

12 February 08

Hi there!

Things are generally normal, other than the fact I want to sleep all the time. Find the afternoon slump almost unbearable and can hardly keep my eyes open...so sometimes I nap and other days I just push through till bedtime...hmmmmm
Had a bloody discharge tonight which sent me into a bit of a panic. Will phone gynae in the morning to see what's potting, as 1st appointment only on 20th Feb.

23rd Jan 08

Home from the holidays a week and see 2 stripes on the pregnancy test....recheck with same result. Utterly surprised, joyful, amazed and fearful all at the same time. Haven't been hit by such a barrage of emotions all at once!!

Waited the whole day to tell Brad, and the reaction was absolute pride! Aaaah how I love that man of mine :)

I was approx 5 weeks at that stage but we were soooooooooooo excited we had to tell our immediate family! The happiness is overwhelming from everybody!