23 Weeks Prego-12-29-2010

Week 23 Update:

Wow what a week, The Bull and The Hen have officially realized that Blake and Dax are number one at Christmas. Those two little monkeys got more Christmas gifts than us. I was very excited to see all the clothes and toys they got; however I believe my bull on the other hand might have been a little disappointed. Actually I think he was just excited as I was. Over and over again we kept thinking wow this is our last Christmas together as just the two of us. We are in for some new traditions and excitement next year.

Health Update:

Last week the doc said I need to start walking on the treadmill so I did, I’ve walked every day except Christmas day. It began a little rough meaning I was struggling to get 15 minutes in on a 3.5mph. The next day I made it to 20 and by day 3 I was at 30 minutes. Not bad considering the load I’m hauling. Blake is on the left side and Dax is on the right. They are both currently head down and kicking up a storm. We find it really entertaining to just sit and watch the party the two of them have going on inside.

Maternity Pictures:

So we officially have our date set for our maternity pictures and Aunt Tara came up with the best idea for some of the shots. The nursery colors are purple and turquoise so I’m currently looking for three shirts. One will be turquoise, one purple, and the last one will be a combo of the two colors. So far I’m struggling to find the combo shirt; however I’m a Hen on a mission to make this perfect for my darling’s room. We shall see if this task gets accomplished.

The Bull:

They always say a mother becomes a mother at conception and a father at birth. My bull has been categorized as such up until this week. He has gone through the typical feelings every first time father goes through; excitement, scared to death, nervous, and finally excitement has hit again. He has been reading his book Dad’s Pregnant Too and I believe it has helped him to become more at ease with this huge change. You must remember he is getting 2 for the price of one so his nerves are high. He is starting to think about the lists of things to consider for example a pediatrician, vitamin K, and other things. I do have to admit as I’m the planner and I have not even thought about the pediatrician. I just love seeing this change and know that he is going to be the best father.

My Bull

As always thank you for your kind words, thoughts, and prayers. Bump pic 23 weeks and some fun Christmas pictures. Goal: No bed rest, stay hydrated (read it keeps you from going into preterm labor), and a healthy B and D.

Love to all, The Hen and The Bull

How Blake and Dax are growing:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music.(since I don't consider myself a dancer I think I will just do my stretches that sway instead) With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. (the party in my belly) Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

23 Weeks

Riley getting after it!

Hen and Bull Foster

22 Weeks Prego-12-22-2010

Week 22 is here:

I’ve read about “pregnancy dreams” in my books but just read on not thinking much about it until this week. I have been having the weirdest dreams and these are the kind that wake you up in the middle of the night. I’ve become obsessed with getting Blake and Dax to sleep and I’ve been scared by others about colic. The books have been advising that you wake them up at the same time to eat or you will become a milk machine without any sleep. So with that being said I dreamed I had 4 yes 4 babies that I had to try to figure out how to get them all to sleep and eat at the same time on the tatas. This one woke me up in the middle of the night because I had to bring myself back to reality of only two inside not four. 

Blake and Dax have been kicking and moving like crazy all week long. I was in the middle of reading when all of a sudden my stomach started shifting and tilting to the right. I knew someone was moving just could not figure out what exactly was going on. It’s really quite a strange thing to watch yet so fun at the same time. 

Health Update:

Today I saw my doc and found out that I’ve only gained 5lbs. since my last visit with her. Just a little secret...I was dreading the scales today so I purposely wore some light weight pants and a shirt. Last time I was in jeans, boots, and a heavy sweater....whew made it through that one. This visit was an interesting one, one that I was not prepared for. Keep in mind I’ve been poked and prodded for the past 2 years with all the infertility stuff. None of that could prepare me for my first cervix check. The next thing I know I’m having my cervix checked and that was a first let me tell you. When the babies were making my belly look like I had aliens inside it the other night they were actually turning. Both are now head down preparing for birth. The concern was that Blake was very very low so she wanted to double check that my cervix was not starting to open up. Good news is that is still closed. I did learn that starting January 12th (26 weeks) I will begin seeing her every week. I have a strong feeling I will be getting more exams like that...mental preparation will need to be there.

As always thank you for your kind words, thoughts, and prayers. Goals: 36 weeks, no bed rest, and a healthy Blake and Dax.

Love to all-The Hen and The Foxy Father To Be 

How Blake and Dax are growing:

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

21 Weeks Prego-12-15-2010

Week 21 is here!

The babies are now the size of a carrot and again my mind wonders how is a carrot bigger than a banana oh well at least we are one week closer to getting them here safely.  We began reading the book Guess how much I love you every night to the little ones. We have been adding our own words to the story to change it up.

What’s in a Name?

For the past couple of months we have been looking at names and trying to figure out what the best name would be for our kiddos. We have been challenged because we really want something different that is not on the top 100 list. We want names that will not be butchered in a million different ways. For instance, Shanna always becomes Shawna, Shana, Shannon, and my favorite is Joanna.

The next thing on our priority list is to have something that will not get a nick name.  This is always something that crosses your mind when naming your child.   Originally when trying to decide on a name, we would talk freely about our ideas to other people, but soon discovered all the opinions of others were altering our own thoughts on what names we wanted.  After a little time we decided not to discuss names until they were finalized. 

Last on our list in choosing names is that we truly wanted to honor two people that have made a tremendous impact on our lives. These two special individuals are people we have looked up to and believe that without them in our lives we would not be who we are today.

So with no further ado we have chosen the following names for our beautiful little blessings.

Dax Glenn Foster

&

Blake Evelyn Foster

Glenn- Origin: Gaelic Meaning: Valley

This is Richard’s middle name and his father who has made a tremendous impact on his life in so many ways.  He has always been there for his family no matter the circumstance. He is a truly selfless man, a caring man, and a genuinely good hearted man who treats others with the utmost respect and dignity.  He is a man we both look up to and value his opinion greatly. He is a strong fighter, a man of great integrity, and a wonderful person who we are honored to name our son after.

Evelyn- Origin: Irish Meaning: Life

This is my grandmother, a woman who lost her mother at a young age and was the care giver for her younger siblings during the Great Depression. She was a woman who was meant to be a mother, a wife, and a grandmother.  She was a caring quiet person who did not crave a lot of attention and never spoke badly of others.  She was truly a caring and compassionate woman who I miss dearly and we are honored to name our daughter after her.

Health Update:

We went to the doctor on Monday and both Blake and Dax had great heartbeats. Blake’s was 140 and Dax’s was 146. We got some really neat 4D ultrasound pictures. Just to clarify 4D vs. 3D because I asked...4D is real time and 3D is not. Dax decided to show off his man parts and you guessed it he is all boy. I made sure to get a snap shot of that one. Blake was a little more cooperative in letting us get more head shots. We were able to get more pictures of our darlings this appointment so I picked out my favorites to show off.

So this week I invested in a maternity belly/back support brace. Holy cow it’s the best investment to date. My back feels better already. I really can feel a difference during the day because I have the extra weight taken off my back. I did take a special picture of this contraption because I’m so proud of my find.

As always we thank you for your kind words, thoughts, prayers, and support. Our goals: 36 weeks, a healthy Blake and Dax, and no bed rest. Can you tell I’m starting to get consumed with this bed rest thing? It’s getting closer and closer:)

The Hen and The Foxy Father To Be



How your baby's growing:

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

Foster Twins Week 21:



Dax Glenn







Blake





Blake Evelyn



Dax is definitely a boy!

20 Weeks Prego-12-08-2010

20 Weeks-half way there

The buns inside are officially half baked and the size of a banana!

Health Update:

I went to the Doctor on Wednesday and as usual did the normal weigh in and such. Well this time I read to the tech the weight and went on about my business.  Twenty minutes later the doc walks in looking at my chart. She asks me with a puzzled yet concerned look on her face.

Doc: Did the tech tell you how much you weighed? Is it 178 or 188?

Me: What?  No, it’s 173.8

Doc: Okay I was going to tell you that you have gained more than normal since I saw you last.

Me: I’m wearing jeans, boots, and a sweater…does that count?

Doc: I like to keep you all informed of your numbers and since it’s only 173.8 you are right on schedule.

Me: Note to self…holy shysters! Cut out sweets or I’m going to top the scale at 200 plus. This is the reason I have never in my life weighed myself on a regular basis. I’ve always gone off how I feel and how my clothes fit. I believe that is a healthier aspect than relying on a scale for me at least.

Baby Moon:

This week we went to Florida for our baby moon and enjoyed every moment of just giving ourselves time for us. We ate shrimp and raw oysters-just kidding shrimp and scallops…lots and lots of shrimp and scallops. The reason for this is because pretty much everything on the menu fish wise has mercury in it. I never realized how much mercury is in our seafood until I was surrounded by the good stuff and not allowed to eat it. Note to self: Don’t do it to yourself, my mouth would water when I would read about the grouper, the crab legs, the fresh tuna, and then the ceviche that I wanted so bad.

We chose Florida initially for the reason that walking would be limited. I did over do it a bit on Friday and learned really quickly that there is a reason they say limit yourself. The hips literally felt like I was 95 years old and were so stiff that I could barely move without pain. It’s just so weird to go from doing high impact aerobics 3 days a week to barely being able to walk without having to stop and catch your breath.

The absolute best and most memorable part of the trip was when Richard felt his babies move inside my belly for the very first time. It was a special moment that will not be forgotten and a wonderful experience we were able to share together. My stomach was actually moving on the outside and it seriously looked like there were aliens inside.

As always we thank you for your kind words, thoughts, prayers, and support. We are so excited to see these little darlings.  Attached is the beautiful sunset we caught, the bump week 20, and an ultra sound picture from last week that I forgot to post. Goals: Stay off bed rest, 36 weeks, and healthy little ones.

How the Foster twins are growing:

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)
He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

19 Weeks Prego-12-01-2010

Week 19:

I thought this week I would give a little recap of how we found out the possible sex of the babies around week 12.  The tech was doing her thing, just looking and measuring things when all of a sudden I saw things.  MH= me TB= Richard Tech=ultrasound tech

MH: I see a penis!

TB: Where? Where?

MH: Right there! That’s a PENIS!

Tech: Yah, I’ve been thinking that for a while.

TB: Where? where?

Tech: Right there, draws an arrow to the area

Right at this point TB gets a huge smile and has perked up like a rooster proud of his accomplishment.

MH: OMG what’s Baby A? Please be a girl, please be a girl! I can’t handle three boys in my house.

Tech: Well, Baby A is not cooperating but I think no guarantees that it’s a girl-NO GUARANTEES it’s still so early.

Doctor enters the room to recheck what they have been observing.

MH: Do you think baby B is a boy?

Doc: Baby B is definitely a boy

TB: Will you show me?

Doc: Points his arrows to the necessary parts.

TB: Once again smiles and feels the rooster confidence

MH: Check baby A, Baby A please be a girl

Doc: Baby A is not cooperating but possibly a girl

So with that being said every doctor appointment I had from week 12 on I would ask and most of the time I would get the response that they were not cooperating. If they could identify they would always say no guarantees. A few weeks ago one of the docs thought we had two girls inside but again said no guarantees.

SAVE Second Base:

Do you remember Romona Quimby from the Beverly Cleary books? “I must, I must, I must increase my bust” Yes that is from the 5^th grade but something we have all read and know. My words to Ramona just get pregnant! 

The boob fairy has left me with something that I think I kind of like. I must say my new friends have grown tremendously and I’m so proud that they are here for a visit. I just wish they would not leave me. Officially filling out a C and possibly I could surpass this once the milk arrives. I guess when this temporary blessing is gone I will go back to chanting like Ramona.

The Button is gone:

Again my belly button gets its own honor. This thing is almost gone. I took pictures last night to show its progress. I really don’t know what’s in store for it next and really quite shocked by this change.

Babymoon:

Tomorrow we leave for our “babymoon” and we are both looking forward to a little relaxation. I’m a little concerned about the new x ray scanners at the airport so I asked the Dr. today for a note saying I need the pat down instead. I thought I might follow the direction of this lady to get through the line a little faster. http://www.newsok.com/in-bra-panties-and-wheelchair-woman-goes-through-oklahoma-city-airport-screening-this-morning/article/3519710?custom_click=lead_story_title

Attached are the bump pics from this week and as always thank you for your kind words, thoughts, prayers, and positive comments. It means so much to us.

TB and MH

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.