Sprinkles of Real Life: 22 Week Bumpdate and Life

Sprinkles of Real Life: 22 Week Bumpdate

So it’s been a really long time since I wrote a pregnancy induced word dump and life update. It is time.

I’m officially more than halfway done this pregnancy (yay!). I only have another 14 weeks left give or take. I know most of you are like wait, 14 and 22 is NOT 40, but don’t worry I can do math. Because of the type of twin I am having (mono di) and my history, these kiddos get evicted at 36 weeks. So I am looking at roughly one trimester worth of pregnancy to go. We actually started talking about scheduling their birth this week. CRAZY. I guess that means I am really have two children. Still doesn’t feel real.

That’s a good thing, because my belly is definitely on the up slope. Seriously, it’s huge. I look and feel full term pregnant. Literally the way I felt right before my daughter was born and there’s still SO LONG to go. Wanna know how big the bump is? I have started to outgrow my maternity clothes from when I was pregnant with my daughter. I had her at 37 weeks so I am not that far off from how I was at the end of my pregnancy with her.

It has started to get quite uncomfortable. I feel the way I felt in my third trimester with my daughter with the achy hips and sore back. I’m also out of breathe a lot because baby B is situated cozily against my left lung. It’s so hard to stand up from a laying or sitting position that my 3 year old actually claps for me when I manage to heave myself up to a standing position on my own. Plus, if I don’t spend approximately 95 percent of my day sitting down with my feet up, I get really intense Braxton Hicks. My ob suggested on Monday that I get really friendly with my couch over the coming days. While I find that really frustrating, I shudder to think of how hard to move it will get in the next few months. Scary.

But scarier to think that we don’t have that long. My goal is keeping these kiddos in til they get kicked out at 36 weeks, but my mfm doctor told me he thinks its more likely they will be born around the 32-34 week mark both because of my history of complications, the fact that they have marginal cord insertion, and the fact that they are monochorionic diamniotic twins. That means they are twins are identical twins formed from one egg that split early. They have individual amniotic sacs but share one placenta. The placenta sharing opens them up to a risk of complications including something called twin to twin transfusion syndrome or Twin Reversed Arterial Perfusion. I didn’t know what any of this stuff meant 22 weeks ago. My head is still spinning.

So you’d think we’d be in full on getting the house ready for twins mode right in case they come early?

Well kind of. Our area, and unfortunately, our house was hit hard with flooding in August. We had 8 inches of rain in 2 hours and our entire downstairs filled with several inches of water, which my husband was able to get out as it was coming in. But it was too late. The downstairs got seriously water damaged so we are currently in the process of renovating downstairs. Meaning, my downstairs is full of literal gaping holes where walls should be. Fortunately, walls will be going up this weekend so there’s that.

I try not to walk down there. It makes me hyperventilate. I want walls. And floors.

So nursery plans are kind of halted until that situation is resolved. The nursery is currently my office, which is sort of crucial when you work at home like me. I am moving my office downstairs when we have floors and walls. Both of which I find sort of essential, you know?

Other things I find essential right now? Starbucks chocolate chip cookies and a little bit of spaghetti and Caesar salad and roasted broccoli (I KNOW). A few weeks ago, I would have told you it was all I wanted, but now I’m finding I’m sort of ambivalent about food again and it’s hard to be hungry for anything specific other than the occasional Starbucks cookie. I’m both ashamed and proud to say I have conducted an unofficial chocolate chip cookie test of the area. I’ve determined that Starbucks chocolate chip cookies are amazing. Panera and Chick Fil A both fall behind it.

Strange but true.

Also strange but true: it’s ridiculously hard to buy maternity clothes for a twin pregnancy going into the colder weather. I’ve just about outgrown the maternity jeans I bought in my first trimester so pants are sort of out. They fit over my thighs but then they get scared and stuck at my bump and it feels sort of like an anaconda swallowing a whole animal so I am thinking pants may be overrated the next few months. Does that mean I live in maxi dresses all fall and the beginning of winter? What do I do about shoes? Keeping in mind my toes already are sausagey in their swelling and it’s a struggle to reach my feet now, which I imagine will only get worse.

HELP PLEASE!

Also, where do I go for cute, inexpensive stuff? Last time, I shopped at Old Navy but since my daughter was born, they no longer have a maternity section in their stores. I can buy online but I am weird and like to try things on, especially now because I have no clue how most things will fit. I have picked up a few things from Kohl’s and of course Target, but I’m really stuck on pregnancy leggings. No way this belly can fit in non maternity ones. Suggestions please! ASAP because we are doing maternity photos next weekend and I’m lost on outfits.

This is why I write about food and not clothes lol.

So that’s everything going on bump wise. I’ll have a rest of the life update sometime soon. In the meantime, go check out these apple cider donuts. Currently loving them.