18 Weeks!

How Far Along: 18 Weeks!

How Big are the Babies: The girls are as big as sweet potatoes (yum), about 5.6 inches and 6.7 ounces. (This is kind of off because last week at my appointment each baby was weighing at least 7.0 ounces.) Your babies have become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, they are finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon (thebump.com).

Weigh Gain: Probably up a pound from my appointment, so I am assuming, 134. Starting weight - 126 lbs., so total gained so far is 8 pounds. I hope to gain A LOT more! These babies need to fatten up, even though both of their parents are tall and skinny, I hope they get to normal birth weight before coming out! Come on babies...5 lbs. 2 ounces!!

Symptoms: Backaches, which the doctor said if I am having bad backaches, it's because I am doing too much. Lovely. Using the bathroom a lot, sore BIG boobs (growing by the day too), headaches...but other than that feeling great!

Emotions: Scared. Anxious. I realized this week, with some help from my therapist, that most first time moms are scared to death when it comes to carrying a baby, birthing a baby, and the whole thought of motherhood, a since I have three babies, I have an excuse to be a little more nuts about it and it's completely normal. Amen, because I was really starting to freak out and my anxiety doesn't help the situation. But I now have some good techniques to use when I go to the doctor so I don't have another panic attack! I'm fine, until I lay on that sonogram table and see my three babies and realize, "oh my Lord, those are our children...ALL THREE of them!" It will always freak me out, and I never expected it to.

I'm scared to go on bed rest. My next appointment will be 19w6d, and the doctor said if my cervix is at 3.0, bed rest will start, so that means that I will have (hopefully) 14 weeks until I'm 34 weeks, which is everyone goal. That's a long time to lay in bed, with no cable, not being able to fix meals, clean my house, feed my pets, do the laundry, get the mail, run errands, ya know all those things that make life go round each day. Thank God, I have a husband who loves to cook, and will vacuum any day, and will do everything I ask and more, but still it's not the same. I am a Type A Personality, I do things myself, because I am the only one who can do them that way and the way I like it to be done...(right, Melissa :) ) so I don't think I am going to handle this well. I am praying to God that he gives me the strenght to do it, understand it's ok to ask for help and have patience. Ugh, so hard for me!

Best Moment of the Week: I guess confirming the genders of the babies. A shock but glad to know now and not when they are born!! That's would have pissed me off. Getting more excited everyday to say "my girls" or "our girls" and hearing Tim say the same, it's so darn cute, and melts my heart. They will all be wrapped around his fingers and he knows it too! He already says, "I will no be the disciplinary parent, they will just say, daddyyyyy, plllleassseee and I'll always say ok!" We will have to work on that!

Movement: About once or twice a week, I can feel it on the outside of my tummy, but mostly it's all still only being felt internally. But looking forward to it more and more.

Maternity Clothes: Of course! Size "small" in maternity clothes it now way to tight around my abdomen and way too short to cover my whole belly at this point!

Stretchmarks: Nope!

Sleep: Getting more and more uncomfortable each night, since I swear I am growing by the day now! Using the bathroom a lot and just wide awake, but when I do sleep the dreams are still crazy (and some random nightmares).

Food Cravings: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I eat almost ever day now. Apples I love right now, lots of water still but I really don't need the lemon like I used to, hot chocolate I have been drinking in the mornings...and I don't know, I just eat all day long, anything I want!! Been eating a lot of cheese! Thank you to my MIL who bought me my FAVORITE cheese in the whole wide world from PA this past weekend (you can only get it at very few places around here, but all over in PA) !!! I have been shoveling it in! YUM!!!!!!!

Gender Predictions: (I guess I should have never taken this one out!) THREE PRINCESSES!!

What I Miss: Wine, and that will not change.

What I am Looking Forward to: A million and one things: Poolesville Day, Lockheed Martin Picnic, My Friend's Wedding, Mom of Multiples Baby Sale, Montgomery County Baby Bazaar, painting the girl's room, my baby shower in Dover, my baby shower here in town, fall, fall food, football (GO SKINS!), apple pies, apple cider, continuing to get the house ready for the babies, cleaning out stuff...ok, ok, that's enough! (that's only the rest of Sept and Oct!)

Weekly Wisdom: Slow it down, Mama! LOL! Put your feet up!

Questions: ??

And here is the growing belly photos...I want to get a cow costume for Halloween, because by that time I will be a cow! I can only imagine what I am going to look like by Thanksgiving and then Christmas...All I can think, is HOLY COW!



My flat belly button and stetching scar!