Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Changes

Funny how a little bit of information changes everything. Suddenly I seem so much bigger, more tired, thirstier. Suddenly I have twice as much to do and half the time and energy to do it in.

"Expect to be slowing down by the 25th week," I read. Slow down? I haven't sped up yet! Reading all these how-to-prepare-for-twins books when you didn't find out until the fifth month is sort of like reading wedding preparation timelines when DOB and I were engaged. Most of them started sometime before we had met. However, our wedding came off just fine and I presume somehow we'll be ready when the babies arrive. At least we found out before they were born.

It seems that with a twin pregnancy you sort of skip the second trimester, moving straight from being nauseated and tired to huge and tired. (On some days, all of the above.) It also seems that eating to appetite is not enough (which is why I haven't gained much weight) when your nausea blends into squashed stomach. I'm trying to force myself to eat more, but it is Not Fun. (Ideas for healthy, cheap, easy, high-calorie, low-bulk food are welcome, although I can't promise they'll sound good.)

On the plus side, I have a reason for all this now. I am not a wimp. I'm running two pregnancies concurrently! Some other year I will cook gourmet meals, grow an organic garden, do elaborate projects with the ducklings, write a great novel, and clean the attic. This year I'm just going to try to keep everyone alive and reasonably healthy.

One thing we are working hard on is encouraging the older ducklings to be more independent. DOB discovered that bribing D2 with a Skittle (one Skittle) was enough to motivate him to figure out how to change his own clothes. It was a little disturbing to discover that he'd changed into his pajamas and taken off his wet (pinned, cloth) diaper without bothering to put on a dry one. But it is still a great milestone! (Yes, he's probably ready to potty-train, too. I just don't think I can deal with it.)

Time to lie down again. I don't see how they can ever put me on bedrest, at least. I'm not doing anything as it is.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! Twins are an awesome blessing :) Mine are now 19 and very sweet. This pregnancy may seem to be the most unusual one you will ever experience but SO worth it! btw, you won't need two bassinets as they will be so used to sleeping next to each other, they won't SLEEP in two separate beds! one of those quirky twin things you learn :)
geni

Steve said...

This calls for serious revision in strategy. When it was just D1, the odds were in your favor. Two adults and one child. Then D2 evened up the odds. If this would have been a single-child pregnancy, you would have been slightly off-kilter. But no - they double-teamed you! Plus, they're starting the attack early. So when D3 and D4 arrive (are those names official yet?), you're going to have to be ready for some serious "We're in charge and you're not!" discussions.

If you can catch them all.

le Duc said...

It's alright. We already have those discussions with D1. The existence of the other ducklings is a huge help to reminding her that she isn't the only thing that matters.

I wonder where she inherited that from...

CappuccinosMom said...

Wow! How very cool! Congratulations!

I am sure you will survive. :D

Queen of Carrots said...

This is the point at which you change from one-on-one to zone defense.

Rachelle said...

Congratulations! And may God's grace be with you. I heard the news a few weeks ago and promptly took a nap.-rlr