32 weeks!

I did not take a picture today, I am sorry to say.  I will take a belly picture in the next couple of days.  It is fair to say that I am continually increasing in size!

Today was my eagerly anticipated doctor's appointment with a growth scan and non-stress test (NST).  It was good to see the boys again.  We didn't get any 3Ds of their faces, but all their bits and pieces are perfect.  They are practicing their breathing (this is good, since they will need to breathe after they're born!).  Their weights are estimated at about 3 lbs, 14-15 oz.  So if born today, they would be anywhere from 3.5 lbs to 4.5 lbs.  Which is obviously small, but great progress from 4 weeks ago, and the OB said they're "normal-sized babies," even though they are twins.  They remain head-down, in perfect position for delivery.  And are not moving from those positions at all. 

After the good growth news, we went for my NST.  This is a test where the babies' heartrates are monitored for a period of time while my belly is monitored for contractions.  They look to find out if the babies hearts are "reactive," meaning that at some point they speed up for a period of about 15 seconds.  Flat, regular heart rates in babies are apparently not a good thing.  I had one small contraction while being monitored, but apparently this is totally normal, and since the babies heartrates didn't drop in response, it means they are handling everything fine.  Hurray for good, strong babies!  You are allowed 1 hour for the babies to have the heartrate accelerations, but the boys got it over with in 20 minutes.  My OB said that he doesn't care about my cervix anymore (I guess until I am 36 weeks and hoping to go into labor) because my lack of contractions show that I'm not in labor or doing anything that would affect my cervix.

I stopped in to the OB's office to get my blood pressure and weight checked.  Blood pressure was fine, as usual, and my weight is on a steady incline.  In about 4 more pounds, I will weigh as much as Eric.  Ha!  Great.  Everyone says it looks like it's "all belly," and I don't feel like a big puffy blimp, but I certainly miss my old muscles and am looking forward to being able to walk, jog, and do some weight-lifting this spring.

And, the best news of the day.  I am now allowed 2 hours of activity a day!  I can go out everyday if I want.  Today I kind of cheated... I went to the doctor AND got a hair cut, but I will stick to my allowed time from here on.  But this is wonderful!  I can help Eric cook, do some light cleaning, and after the shower I will be able to do some organizing and getting things ready for the babies.  I can also do all of our food shopping now, which I have really missed.  I'll need to go with my mom so that she can drive me and help me with carrying the groceries, but that's ok.  So, I have 2 weeks of this very modified bedrest, and then 2 weeks from now I am a completely free woman.  And then I figure I'll have maybe 2 weeks until the babies are here and I become enslaved to their needs.  But that was the point of this pregnancy anyway. 

I feel almost normal again, and am looking forward to celebrating that this weekend.  Tomorrow my sister and my friend Cass are coming to town, and we are having a nice dinner to celebrate my sister's accomplishment-- she was accepted to graduate school!  She still has more schools to hear from, but this school was in her top two choices and it means that "worst case" she will be going somewhere she likes.  We're also having an ice cream cake for her birthday (which is May 13), because after this trip, she will most likely come back when the boys are born, and for their bris, and possibly once more in April before she leaves for Cambodia and Laos for 4 months.

While Cass is here, she will take some maternity pictures of me, which I will post on here.  She is a very good photographer and did both of my cousins' weddings two years ago.  I am not sure what I'll wear since I did not buy many maternity clothes, but I'll figure something out.  And then on Sunday, I am having my shower!  I am just so excited to see all the friends and family, I love socializing and these past ten weeks have been very isolating.  So there is a great deal to look forward to.