Before and After

Eight inches of rain in New York City in one day, the most we have had in 120 years I think. Wind gusts up to 50 miles and hour. And where we were, on the 57th floor of an apartment building, there was sleet, hail and sideways rain (there is a separate weather system that high up). That was the scene for this baby celebration.

As I said to several people, thank goodness it is illegal for Nicole and I to get married because I don’t think I could handle the pressure of planning and being a part of a wedding. The party was fun, but exhausting, and I didn’t even do the bulk of the work. I spent too much time on my feet and didn’t drink nearly enough water and felt like I didn’t get a chance to spend any significant time with anyone. But it was all worth it. It really made me feel like this was happening. I know my giant stomach should clue me in or the kicks inside me but it was this right of passage of sorts that drove the point home. Pictured above are five of the Fab Six (one is missing in both pictures!). We have all been friends for more than two decades. The top picture is us on Sunday, the bottom picture was us at a wedding shower about five years ago. My, how times have changed. I think about how different all of our lives are now, all that we have been through. It’s amazing.

I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday and since Nicole took the day off she came with me. She was able to see the babies on the not-so-good machine. They have changed positions again. This time, they are both laying in a sort of diagonal fashion, with their bodies kinda curled around each other, like shrimp. I like to think Baby B is spooning Baby A. It explains the new and unusual thumps that I am feeling. It also proves these babies are nothing like me: I would pick one position and stay in it the entire pregnancy if I was them. Why the need to move around so much?

In keeping with her personality, Dr. It Doesn’t Make Me Crazy had not a single concern. This entire pregnancy she hasn’t worried about anything: Not the decreased thyroid function or the cysts on the brains or my low blood pressure or anything. I asked her if I should be looking for a pediatrician and she said I have lots of time (whereas everyone I speak with says I should be well on the road to deciding by now!). Her confidence is a nice change of pace from my the-sky-is-falling attitude and I have to say it has gone a long way to making me feel comfortable and more confident.

I told her that I was a little concerned that the babies seemed so big. After all, every book I have read says twin growth slows in the third trimester. But my babies are getting huge, huge like maybe I do have GD and they missed it (I checked with the nurse to confirm I was GD negative). She shrugged it off and instead predicted that not only would I go full term (!) with these babies, they would be 7 or 8 pounds. EACH. Now obviously this is fantastic news. But it also worries me a bit because the aches and pains associated with carrying two extra lives are becoming quite…painful. I can’t imagine getting any bigger. I really can’t. But I want these babies to come out as healthy as possible. I not going to sit here and hope they come out early because I am uncomfortable. I can deal with the discomfort. But let the record reflect, this is hard and it will be for maybe another 7 weeks.

Thank goodness only two more weeks of grad school. Sitting in class for four-hour stretches has lost its charm. And one week till my next super-sonogram growth check.