Look Ma, no stretch marks!

Hi y'all! This is Agi posting for Maggi. Here is a little special treat to celebrate Maggi's last week (or so) of pregnancy. She is scheduled for a c-section on Friday, April 4th, unless she goes into labor before then. Enjoy the show!

THE FINISH

Hi all,

I think this will be the last time I blog before I pop. I barely made it over to the computer. My days are filled with books and cross stitching, as you can see in the photo attached. Nothing else I can do with this belly and almost no lungs. Babies are doing fine, both kicking - one in my liver, one in my bladder. All is good and I only have a couple of weeks left. Plus Agi will be here Saturday to keep me company for the rest of the haul - hurray! So basically as Connie says 'life is good'.

xoxo to all,

mags

Close to finish..

Getting close now. Babies have no room left, but the boy did manage to flip around. He's head down ready to get out. Unfortunately the girl is still right side up and the last ultrasound showed very little room for her to move around in. All is well otherwise and now my only goal is to carry as long as possible up to the 37th week. But the doc says if they come early, everything should still be ok. :))))

cross-stitch

I actually finished! Whaddaya know...

BIGGER!!

Just a bit bigger, wouldn't you say?!


Jacek and I went to the store today to buy some
baby stuff for the hospital :-)
My second shopping trip for the babies and Jacek's first. We were all giddy...
And wow - baby stuff is really expensive!!!

An approximate due date has been announced:
Around March 31st - April 4th I'm going into the hospital for monitoring. Depending on how the babies are, and especially how they are positioned, the doc will decide whether to let me give birth naturaly or due a C-section. If naturally, he will induce labor. Either way the babies will be here around the first week of April. Hurray!!

Finally got the baby picture on my belly picture. The kids started out on my left side with the boy lower and the girl up higher. Once the got bigger, the girl moved over to the right side and both of them decided that "heads up" is the way to be. And for the last about 3 months nothing has changed. Looks like they like it this way. Which is why we are probably heading in the direction of C-section, as there is less and less room for any kind of movement.
Sometimes I think they're already fighting in there and that the little girl is kicking the little boys ass (as well as mine).

Did I tell you guys I bought a cross stitch kit to keep me busy?! Who woulda thought...

First hiccups yesterday! Just the little girl though.
And my bellybutton is officially an 'outy' now.
:)

So why is it, that when you're pregnant, you don't look as big in pictures as you really are , but when you not pregnant, pictures make you look bigger. Here's what I look like now, but I swear to you that my belly is twice that size - I'm huge! I wobble! I can't see my feet!












Of course I'm talking to Agi - it's thanks to her that I finally took these pictures.










And this is where I spend most of my days. :)
I'm taking in all the rest I can get. But I did make major dinner today! Ribs, potatoes and kapusta zasmazana (cabbage). Mama would be proud! Boy, what a house wife - who'd have thought.

Food / fight

I just ate a half a gallon of ice cream! And I think the kids had their first fight. I was laying down on my back watching my belly do the wave for five minutes. Or maybe they just liked the ice cream.

Since we want to have the twins at a different hospital than the last time, we had do meet with a new doc last week. This new doc is very nice, capable, he did a thorough exam and we are generally very happy. Especially since he didn't try to talk me into a c-section at all costs. But he wanted me to have another echo exam, this time with more of a specialist. He was pretty set on this exam even though it's a bit late in the pregnancy and we've already been to the doc that found the heard defect in our Jas. And so I've been on pins and needles from that visit until today. I just got back from the exam and happy to say (again) all is well. There are no heart defects, no other organ anomalies (including brain, liver, kidneys, large vessels) and no cleft palate. Cooooool!!!!! I was so nervous I started crying on the table before the exam. The doc thought I was feeling weak or sick. Well, I actually was... Phew, glad that's behind me. Just one more big test - giving birth - and all will be well.

Ok ok. No need to yell at me! I know I've been neglecting my duties. Here's the scoop.

Jacek had knee surgery about 3 weeks ago (an old contusion gone bad) and has been on crutches since (only 3 more weeks left). We actually make a pretty good pair - I'm wobbling and he's hopping; we're at about the same speed, so it all works out. But whatever we do, we do together. I can get us there (wherever), but then Jacek has to lift it, move it, load it into the car (whatever it might be). And since work starts at 9 am and ends at 9 pm - it's been interesting. But we did have a great rest during the xmas break. We went to our summer / winter cottage and did absolutely nothing. We had the fireplace going and it was nice and cosy. My in laws live just next door, so we had a home cooked dinner everyday. But there was not Internet access, so - no pictures.

But we're back home now. And here is what's new (besides the knee). I'm no longer working (got a doctor's note - hurray!) Both kids are doing well, although I got a scare last night. I though the girl stopped moving, but she just flipped from downside up. Now both are positioned with their head right under my liver (and they've started kicking the bladder this afternoon). A couple of days ago my belly was lob sided again, and now I know why - the kids were just flipping around! And I was surprised why my belly felt so hard and uncomfortable.
Other completely new situations for me:
I now buy ice cream.
I've eaten my first whole bar of chocolate in one sitting! And it took me all of 5 minutes. Actually, I've never before eaten a whole bar of chocolate even in many sittings (herring was my thing).
I went to the bathroom, got up, and went straight to the other bathroom in my apt. without even thinking about it. Hmm - going pee literally every 3 minutes! But why I changed bathrooms...?
And to Ags - yes, I actually am washing the dishes sideways, just didn't notice it 'til you asked :)

So to finish up, here's me at 25 weeks ...

Happy happy joy joy

The big ultrasound is behind us. And all is well. We had a visit with one of the best prenatal ultrasonographers in Warsaw today. All the essential measurements were done, the little hearts were checked out aaaandd.... we know what the sexes are!! Do you want to know? The exam was a couple of weeks early, but the doc said that he was able to check everything out without a problem. The kids are the right size and they are really feisty. They were both squirming throughout the exam. Happy!!

baby 1

baby 2

and a little bit bigger...

Picture update. Just a little bigger, but it feels a lot bigger. I sleep with pillows on both sides of me, thanks to Agi I have a great body pillow that makes life a bit more comfy. Although that's not what Jacek would say, he gets about 1/5 of the bed now with me, my pillows, and the dog.

Jacek and I had a great time with Jesse when he came to visit us two weekends ago. Wish I could have showed him some of the Warsaw night life, but maybe next time. I was out cold by the time it was 10 pm. Jesse took a couple of pics, go take a look: http://thelaststudent.blogspot.com/

Next update after next doc appt (Dec 4th).

Here's a little bit bigger me.

I just got up and am having chocolate chip cookies and coffee for breakfast. Healthy, huh..

In the pics I'm talking on the phone with Ags. I was just telling her that I could feel the little buggers moving around as of two days ago. Cool! It feels like little butterflies in my tummy.

And here is my other favourite part of the package I got from Agi. Yuuummmmmmyyyy!!! Just need to add a little nuts... If only I could get my butt off the couch to bake these puppies, boy, would they be delicious.

pillow talk

Here's a copy of my last emails to Agi after I got a package from her:

1. You are the bestest sister of all sisters. Thank you for the package and the great pillow and the cookie mix and browny mix and underwear and tshirt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not only did receiving a package give me great joy (I love to open packages, who doesn't), but a barrel of laughs. Check out these pictures.
The first - opened pillow case for the body pillow. Obviously a pillow case for a body pillow - or so you would think.
next one coming right up

2. So then I try it next to the body pillow, maybe it's folded up somehow in a special way? who knows? but no, it just doesn't seem to work.
soo....

3. so then I though, maybe it's like the underwear - stretchable!!!! I gave it a good try. But, as you can tell, no go..
It was a good try though, don't you think?
:)
love you long time

new doo

Here's my new hairdo.

And my growing belly. Yes, it's only the third month.

You think I look 5 months pregnant? Everyone says I do..

I thought that ice cream would make pregnancy headaches go away, but it doesn't...

Hi guys,
Today was another interesting food day. Cooked cabbage with onions and meat (like my mom's bigos) followed by chocolate chip cookie - sounds disgusting even to me. But, hey, when you gotta eat, you gotta eat! Some say it's because of the twins - one wants sweets, the other wants "normal" food.
Yesterday I got my hair cut. It's the shortest it's ever been - shorter than Grandma's! I'll get a picture up soon.
I'm generally feeling much better now, no more hangover, but everything still stinks (including my dog and my couch).
My dog, Inka, is soundly sleeping next to me. I can tell she's having a really nice dream because her tail is wagging.