WE ARE ALMOST AT THE FINISH LINE...

35 weeks

33 weeks side and front view

36 weeks today and only 9 days until they're here! We are super excited, it seems so unreal...

A date has been set for the birth of our identical twin boys!!! My c-section is scheduled for March 3rd 2010 at 9 am! I will be 37 weeks and 3 days pregnant!!

I have been on bed rest since November 28th and hospital bed rest since December 28th. Every excruitaing second has been more than worth it. These babies are so healthy and so big. Thankfully they stayed put and next week they'll officially be full term! This is such a huge accomplishment after having a short cervix for the last 2 months!! The boys were weighed at 34 weeks (2 weeks ago) and were way bigger than even the average singleton. How amazing is that? Baby A weighed 5 lbs 5 oz and Baby B weighed 5 lbs 2 oz. We had hoped for them to weigh at least 5 lbs at birth and they have exceeded those expectations. I am sure in the last two weeks the babies have gained even more and are at least 6 plus by now!! So great for identical twins! If everything keeps going as well as it has been then we will be avoiding NICU time which was our major goal!! We want to bring both of these little sweeties home with us.

I would have to say that even though I have a short cervix that has caused me to be hospitalized, it didn't stop my organic and vegan diet from greatly benefiting the babies and their health for the best. The twins continue to flourish and grow and be active even though my movement has been restricted. I still feel great, though I have felt a little nauseous the past few days. The doctors ordered lab work just in case and it all came back perfect. They said it is normal at this late stage to start feeling nauseous and be more tired than usual again. Other than those symptoms I continue to have no swelling, no back pain and no other problems.

Sometimes with the pressure of this heavy belly I imagine that they will just drop out of me at any time! I have gained around 33 lbs so far! I'd gain 33 more to make sure that our babies were as fat and healthy as possible.

We recently picked our pediatrician. We have to drive 30 minutes away just to go to a practice with a more holistic approach, that doesn't force drugs and vaccinations down your throat and will let you as a parent decide how you want your children to be cared for.

I have had several meetings this past week with hospital pediatricians, neonatologists, lactation specialist and the postpartum nursing staff to discuss what happens during and right after the cesarean. I am nervous and excited at the same time. I was really excited to learn about what the nurses call "baby boot camp" where they help us learn everything we need to know about caring for and breast feeding the boys before we're discharged!! We have established our birth plan, explaining what we don't want going in or on their bodies, etc. I feel very confident that everything will go well, though I am totally freaked out that this isn't the natural birth I dreamed of and that shortly I will be having a needle full of drugs stuck in my spine. UGH! I understand why I have to get this surgery, but I am nervous nonetheless.

Boy, we have come so far along during this amazing vegan journey through pregnancy! I will try to post again before the babies are born. Though the c-section is scheduled, they could come at any time now. I am hoping they will be born on their daddy's 28th birthday on Feb 26th, but we'll see....

33 Weeks and Counting...

31 weeks twin bump

29 weeks twin bump

Today is day 34 of hospital bed rest and we are officially 33 weeks pregnant. While I am eternally grateful to have made it this long and to have the boys doing consistently well, it has been less than an easy road to travel being trapped within these four walls. I would say that the hardest part about being hospitalized is being unable to nest and do the mommy preparation things that I've dreamed of for my entire life. Handing over control of your vision is never easy. I acknowledge that this is most important investment to ensure the boys are healthy and strong and that keeps me going! No NICU time is our total goal! Everything has gone rather smooth, though around 30 weeks the monitor picked up some contractions that thankfully turned out to just be braxton hicks.

I have been annoyed by a lot of administrative problems in the hospital, that I won't elaborate on too much. I'll just say that our companion animal Star isn't allowed back here because she barked and the woman who runs the "animal program" seems to have the opinion that animals should be obedient to their "masters" at all times and not exhibit behaviors that are completely natural. I've already set up a meeting with the hospital director to voice my concerns. At least I have a private room and the nurses are pleasant, though I can barely stand being checked on every hour and at night every 2 hours. They just peek in to make sure I'm okay, but still SOOO obnoxious. I understand it is necessary for many patients, so I just have to deal.

I feel perfectly normal, I don't have back pain or any of the common problems most pregnant women complain about at this stage. No swelling, no constipation, no lack of sleep, etc. I feel better in this 3rd trimester than I did in the first 2. I have gained at total of 24 lbs so far, my weigh in is tonight and I can't wait to find out how I've progressed this week. My cervix has shortened quite a bit since I've been here, but I'm not dilating or contracting so we are pretty much golden. I just have to stay in bed and make sure I keep as much pressure off of it so the boys stay in for at least a couple more weeks.

The doctors are still considering letting me go home at 34 weeks due to the reduced risks of any problems, but they aren't making any promises and I'm not getting my hopes up. As much as I despise being confined, I like the peace of mind I have being here. I don't have to worry about the well being of these guys because we are all closely monitored. If I was at home I would probably be nervous and panicking that every little movement I felt was labor or something.

The boys should be here in around 3 weeks, which is just so amazing to us. We are so close, yet being here makes time pass a little slower. I can not believe how far we've come. We both can't wait to walk through the door with our two bundles!

I missed both of my baby showers (one hosted by my mother (a natural born hostess) and the other by two of my closest friends), but was able to participate for a little with each via Skype. We have been humbled by the generosity of our friends and family. We have almost everything we need for these babies. We are using all organic products (clothing, cloth diapers, bedding, plush toys, toiletries, etc) for the boys and we really appreciate everyone making sure they met our needs! My friends did an extra special job hosting and made sure everything was vegan, even though we are the only vegans and weren't able to attend their shower. How cool is that?

Lucas continues to bring me food every day (since they still don't accommodate people who take a principled stand against the exploitation of animals) and I am still "working from bed", which helps me feel relevant and helps pass the time during the week. I am staying pretty sane, though at times I just want to pack my bags and go home. I know that this will just be a distant memory once our miracle babies arrive...

28 Weeks and Complete Bed Rest...

dc metro snow storm 09

25 weeks bump (will update soon)

Where to start??? There has been such a long gap in my posting for which I apologize, but I have a feeling that I will be posting a lot more in the future.

I'll start at the present and go from there. I am officially 28 weeks and in my 3rd trimester! YAY! The boys are doing great and just 2 days ago they weighed in at 2 lbs 13 oz and 2 lbs 14 oz. They are measuring over a week ahead! We had our routine 2 week appointment on Monday and were shocked to find out that my cervical length had shortened quite a bit. I was immediately admitted to the hospital for strict bed rest. I had been on modified bed rest at home for just around 1 month, but of course when you're on bed rest at home you sometimes tend to extend yourself beyond the parameters of "bed rest".

Having two babies puts a lot of pressure on my cervix and I am here for the duration of my pregnancy as a precaution. Close monitoring should help prevent preterm labor and keep the babies baking for as long as possible. There is a slight chance that they will let me go home at 34 weeks, but there is no guarantee. Luckily, I am not on any medication, or hooked up to any machines or IV. They check the twins' heart rates 3 times a day and check my vitals 3 times as well. I am only allowed to go to the bathroom and take a 10 minute shower a day. This is nothing like home bed rest, but I know it is for the best.

When I first found out I was being admitted I cried and cried. The first thoughts were not being around Lucas and the pups all the time. The last month on home bed rest was so fulfilling to me and I will cherish the memories forever. I was able to spend so much time with my husband and my pups and I just felt so warm, cozy and happy to be able to relax and enjoy being spoiled for the rest of my pregnancy with my greatest loves by my side. Right now I am in a room with another high risk mother, but I should be getting a private room at any time. Once I have a private room Lucas will be able to spend and the night sometimes AND Star and Sunny will be able to come and visit!!!!!! Hearing that information was the best news and totally perked me up. Just thinking about being away from Star and Sunny for 6 weeks or more was tinkering on total emotional break-down for me.

The hospital does not properly accommodate vegans. They have a vegetarian menu full of cows' secretions and chickens' eggs and of course salad, but not the varied diet that a pregnant vegan should be eating!! Lucas to the rescue!!!!! Thankfully, they have a refrigerator where I am able to store my soy milk and other cold foods safely. I keep a bunch of fruits, bread and other dry foods in my room for snacks, breakfast and lunch, then Lucas brings me a hot dinner. Hopefully one day vegans won't have to over-extend themselves just to get the proper nutrition because they choose not to exploit animals, especially at one of the best hospitals in the nation.

We moved into a larger place just a week before I was admitted. Great timing, huh? We were supposed to move a couple of days before, but there was a huge snow storm where we ended up with over 20 inches of snow. It was such a beautiful disaster. My mother-law was in town visiting us just in time for the storm and was one of the lucky few to only have a couple hours of a delay on her return flight home.

I am so happy we moved before I was hospitalized, though we still aren't fully unpacked. Upon being admitted I was also a little upset because I wouldn't have the opportunity to be there to set up the nursery. Though I have everything picked out for the babies, I won't be there to see it all be put together!!! My parents are coming this weekend to put shelves in the nursery closet and paint the room. I am grateful for all the support!!! I have never felt so helpless before, but I know it is all for the well being of these little boys!!

I am still working from bed! My company continues to be supportive. I think that I'd be bored without having any responsibility during my hospitalization. I can't imagine how it will be over the next few weeks, I can only take it one day at a time. As long as the boys continue to be healthy I am satisfied. Once they are born this period of bed rest will be such a distant memory and for now I need to relax and let nature take its course. I feel completely normal, except I have a heavy belly and that makes it even harder to accept the fact that I'm in the hospital when I'm not even sick or in pain.

The babies move around so much. I first felt them really kicking and moving around 23 weeks and they haven't stopped since. Luke has finally been able to feel and see the movement which is amazing to share. I've gained around 19 lbs so far, it seems to be all in my huge bump!! I'm sure I forgot something I wanted to say, but it seems I have all the time in the world to catch up...

Another Daddy Post - (Mis)Representations of Non Human Animals On Baby Products

What children are taught to believe:

Reality:

Kenya and I have babies on our minds! As parents-to-be we've been recently exploring the vast world of baby merchandise. It came as no surprise to us to see many representations of non human animals (which I will be referring to simply as “animals” for the rest of this entry) displayed on everything from bedding to clothing to wall paper borders to pacifiers to baby dishes and beyond. The vast majority of the representations are of warm and fuzzy, cuddly and cute animals with joyous expressions on their adorable cartoon faces. Cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, fish, frogs, birds, dogs, cats, bees, dolphins, monkeys, giraffes, zebras, lions, and many more animals are often shown in themes of either free settings; an open pasture, the forest, a jungle, or just “the wild” in general – or in captive settings; farms, zoos, circuses, etc (although the cages are rarely included). In either setting these animals are clearly shown as being happy and comfortable, often with big anthropomorphic smiles to prove it.

Now, as vegans, Kenya and I are quite aware of the realities of animal exploitation that are sanitized and misrepresented on baby products. I'd like to briefly go over a few prominent examples.

On “farms”, for instance, animals are forcefully impregnated and bred in order to be confined and exploited for unnecessary human desires and they are all eventually killed. To not kill them, from a business standpoint, would not be economical, regardless of the size of the operation, from small scale to factory farm. They are all exploited and used in ways that would be considered torture if humans were in their place. Rape (forced impregnation), torture (mutilation, intense confinement, rough handling, etc.), and murder are standard business practices. The animals are all the property under the law (same as a couch or an Ipod – only animals have interests) and, of course, they are treated accordingly. When they no longer serve a purpose to the “producer”, they become a hindrance to making profits and are ultimately killed at a very early age. Not exactly what was depicted on the burp cloths and in the wooden toy sets that we've seen.

Dairy cow's, for example have to give birth constantly in order to produce milk. Forced impregnation is necessary to the operation and, in many instances, this occurs while the cow is restrained in a contraption referred to as the “rape rack” (this goes for female pigs --sows-- as well). They, as all other mammals, certainly do not produce milk just so humans can steal and consume it. They produce milk, which is “designed” by nature, for their own babies, to feed their calves. When they give birth to a male, he would cost too much money to raise in order to run an efficient operation (too much input, not enough output). So what is done with them? They are torn from the mothers and turned into something economical: veal, the flesh of calves. When dairy cows are “spent”, meaning no longer productive, they are killed just like the male “beef” cows, often ending up in hamburgers.

Egg laying hens are certainly not any better off. Whether the operation is “free range” or “cage free” or your average factory farm setting, the hens' beaks, a very sensitive part of their bodies, are often cut about half way off with a hot blade so that they do not naturally establish a pecking order, peck and/or cannibalize other hens also within close confinement. Egg laying hens are starved and their reproductive cycles are manipulated into laying more eggs, simultaneously with other hens, so that they are productive and efficient so as to compete on the market. Male chicks are an unwanted byproduct of the egg industry. Once hatched, they are simply killed - gassed, suffocated, crushed, electrocuted or ground up alive in large numbers. That way a “producer” can eliminate what would otherwise be uneconomical: the life of male chicks. This reality is much different from the idyllic scenes on the blankets, clothes, and bibs.

As vegans, Kenya and I are also aware that many free or “wild” animals, many represented on baby items, are killed in order to protect ranchers and their “livestock”. The USDA's Wildlife “Services” program kills hundreds of thousands of “wild” animals, using tens of millions of taxpayer dollars, every single year. In 2004, for example, Wildlife “Services” killed 2.7 million “wild” animals such as coyotes, beavers, raccoons, feral pigs, snakes, skunks, squirrels, foxes, deer, prairie dogs, and rats. These animals are shot, poisoned, gassed, snared, and caught in leg hold traps. In addition, millions of birds are killed in order to protect crops, many crops which are primarily used to feed “livestock”. Starlings, pigeons, crows, ravens, sparrows, geese, swans, vultures, and many many more are killed in the thousands and millions annually.

Other “wild” animals that are depicted on baby items are, in reality, shot and killed, or sometimes left injured, just for “sport” and/or tradition.

Zoos and Circuses are also prominent themes appearing on baby items. In pretty much all the zoo themes, the animals are depicted without having any barriers around them, or as if they were in their natural environments. This is very much in contrast to the actual reality of zoos, on and behind the scenes. In reality animals in zoos are often prevented from doing many of the things that are natural and important to them like running, roaming, flying, climbing, foraging, choosing a mate, and being with others of their own kind. This causes them great stress, which is blatantly apparent if one knows what signs to look for. Furthermore, many animals in zoos live only a fraction as long as they would in their natural environments.

Circus scenes on baby items are often the most exciting. Anthropomorphic animals can be seen smiling as they perform various acts, seemingly having the best time of their lives. In reality, animals do not naturally perform “tricks” as they do in circuses. In order to force the animals to perform tricks trainers use whips, tight collars, electric prods, bull hooks, and other painful tools. The scenes behind the scenes at circuses are not so much exciting and fun as they are horrifying.

Knowing these realities behind what is often represented on children's merchandise as “happy”, “playful”, “natural” forms of animal exploitation, I think at least two questions need to be raised:

1) Why do we want our kids to love the animals that we routinely exploit, and brutally harm for no other reason than for our personal pleasure?

And...

2) Why do we lie to our own animal loving children about, and make them unwittingly complicit in the injustices that occur to their beloved friends and companions, the animals?

Having once been an unapologetic omnivore and then a confused vegetarian in denial about the unnecessary harm I was causing for most of my life, I am in a position to expertly answer these questions. We can't be honest with our children about the ways animals are exploited because we ourselves are uncomfortable with it on some level and know our children would not be comfortable with it either. Most of us are aware that other animals, including the ones we regularly exploit are intelligent, sensate individuals with interests in living and continuing their lives free of exploitation.

Many of us are now aware that we don't need to consume animals or their bodily secretions to survive and live healthfully. Therefore, we want or need to believe in this fantasy that animals bred and raised or captured for unnecessary human purposes live happy, full lives and are treated with love and respect by their exploiters. Otherwise, we would come face to face with the reality that for no justifiable reason we are directly responsible for the many pitiful lives and cruel, brutal deaths of animals that are every bit as alive, conscious, and sentient as we are - that we are the oppressors of our children's lifelong friends. This is why we need to show “happy” representations of animals to our children when those animals are in reality very far from being happy as they are exploited and killed.

This is early indoctrination into a speciesist world, to erroneously teach our children that animals are merely things that are meant to be, and even happy to be, used by us. Never mind that animals have their own lives and their own interests. That would ruin the fantasy... not to mention dinner.

The Big 20 Weeks Anatomy Scan...

the top of baby A's head and the back of baby B's head

baby B's profile (so hard to get him to stay still) with baby A's random body parts in the mix

baby A's thinking pose

baby A's profile

star wanted in on the baby bump photo action this week

20 weeks twin bump

our 20 weeks pregnancy evolution

We are now in week 21 and everything is still going great!!! We had our 20 week anatomy scan last week and the babies are doing so well. They are measuring ahead of schedule and they're growing at a pretty even rate in relation to one another. We were able to see every little part of their bodies, from their brains, to each little finger and toe. We loved seeing the 4 chambers of their hearts pumping away and their cute little profiles. They are already looking like their papa!

During the scan baby B wasn't being very cooperative so I was told to drink some cold water and move from side to side to get him to change positions, which he finally did and the tech was able to get all the shots they needed to diagnose our healthy little identical twins. He was such a little rascal and honestly it has been a pattern at all of our recent appointments. Baby A always seems willing to pose for us and baby B just does his own thing. I love it! I can't wait to see how their personalities are when they're born.

The actual scan took almost 2 hours, I started feeling sick after laying on my back for a while so I had to change positions quite a bit during. The pressure made me feel light-headed, but thankfully changing positions and cold water helped a lot. This had to be my favorite appointment out of all of them so far, besides when we found out they were twins and then when we found out they were boys.

Our perinatologist did inform us that even though everything is stellar with the babies and my cervix, I will be on bed rest at 24 weeks (3 weeks away). I am so lucky to be able to work from home from Nov 30th until the babies are born. Then I will be on maternity leave for 12 weeks. I can't imagine being away from my office for 5 plus months, but I will do anything to ensure the best for our little sweeties. I am super in love with my career, but I am more in love with my boys!!! At least I will have some work to keep me busy while on bed rest for 12 to 13 weeks! Can you imagine???

Honestly, I don't think I could have handled going in to the office after the next couple of weeks. Though I'm feeling so much better than in the first trimester I am starting to feel drained, sleep has become a more uncomfortable task as the days pass. My belly is growing so fast, I am feeling the babies' movements more and more, but still not feeling distinctive kicks or punches. I pee like 5 times during the night and toss and turn from side to side. I know this is just the beginning of sleep deprivation and at least I'm still getting a decent amount of shut-eye for now.

My appetite is growing, some days I can't eat enough and some days it is completely normal. Last night I was hungry again like less than 2 hours after eating a wholesome dinner (brown rice and delicious pinto and kidney beans with two different kinds of kale) and I even went back for seconds. When I was weighed at the anatomy scan last week I had gained 8lbs total for the pregnancy and an average of a pound a week since the last appointment. I imagine that will be the steady pace for the future. We are going to appointments every two weeks now so Monday (we will be in our 22nd week) is the next one.

I am extra happy to announce that my best friend is pregnant too. We are only 8 weeks apart and she has just spilled the beans to everyone so now I am finally free to discuss. She even has the same OB I had before transferring to my perinatologist. We have been friends since our freshman year of college and while almost polar opposites in most aspects of philosophy and lifestyle we totally connect. There is nothing better than having someone to share the first-hand experience of something so life altering and enlightening (though I can't stand that she hasn't puked one time her entire pregnancy). I am so excited for future play dates and mommy talk!

A quick 19 weeks update...

18 week baby bump

16 week baby bump

So everything is progressing smoothly with our (identical twin) vegan pregnancy. We are now in week 19 and the twins are growing rapidly and are super active. We saw them on Friday and they continue to amaze and excite us!

We are going to a new practice and have a new Perinatologist that will do all of our prenatal care from now on and will also deliver our little bundles. They specialize in multiples and all other high risk pregnancies. The whole practice is great and a major bonus is that they have the most high-tech and state of the art equipment. We view our sonograms on these huge flat panel screens, bringing the babies in high-def as if they were right in the room with us. It is insanely cool!

On Friday we had our second visit with the new doctor. He said everything was a perfect as possible and that we don't need to come but every 2 weeks. We had been going every week, alternating between our old OB and Fetal Medicine Specialist. He really comforted us with his positive outlook on the pregnancy and the progress of the babies. However, he said that he wanted me on bed rest way sooner than I expected. We will see what happens. The thought of bed rest for such a long period of time is excruciating, but in the end I will do whatever keeps these little buns in the oven the longest!

My appetite is very normal, I am not hungry every second like I expected carrying twins. I have gained around 6 lbs total this pregnancy and thankfully it is all in my baby bump so far! I have been hungrier at night than during the day.

My skin still isn't doing as well as I would like, but oh well I guess I should be thankful for the 30 years of good skin I've had. I'm just happy not to have morning sickness anymore and have my energy back! As far as sleep goes, I'm still going back and forth at night on my sides which is totally annoying as well. For some reason I sleep better during the day (if I take a nap) than at night.

Our big anatomical scan is now on Nov 2nd (we'll be 20 whole weeks)! Time is flying by!

Oh yeah and everyone is always asking me if I have any "weird cravings" or if I am craving animals or their by-products. The answer for all of the above is NO! To me animals aren't food, so they aren't even in my spectrum of choices to be desired. There are so many amazingly delicious and nutritious plant-based foods that far exceed the number of animal based products out there, I NEVER consider anything else. Being vegan isn't just a diet, it is an integral part of my entire existence and belief structure that is at the forefront of every move I make. I will always be vegan no matter what the circumstance, there is no compromise EVER.

we're having identical twin boys...

Baby B @ 14 Weeks

Baby A @ 14 Weeks (sucking his finger)

my pregnancy evolution

15 Weeks Pregnant

12 Weeks Pregnant

6 Weeks Pregnant

Yummy...

Vegan Cake

We found out last week at our fetal medicine specialist appointment that our twins are BOYS! We are absolutely thrilled. We didn't have our hearts set on a specific gender throughout the pregnancy, but during the last two weeks I began to think we were having girls. Boy, was I wrong. We saw two little penises or turtles as the tech called them. It was undeniable that they were boys. Most of our family members and friends had predicted boys!!!

At the check-up I had my cervix measured and it was a normal length. Both babies are doing great and measure a week ahead of schedule each. The fetal medicine doctor said everything was perfect so far! What a relief!!! We go back to our regular OB this Friday and then we see the fetal medicine specialist again on the 14th for an anatomical scan. They check out all the body parts, etc in detail. We actually got to see quite a bit of their bodies this time as well. We saw their hearts, kidneys, spines, fingers, toes, brains, legs and their cute little butts! Baby A was sucking his thumb!! SOOO CUTE. They were both super active too and BABY B seemed to be waving at us!

I have been feeling what I think is movement, but I can't really tell for sure at this point because I've never been pregnant and don't know exactly what it feels like yet. I sometimes think I feel flutters or quickening and then it turns out to be gas. HA! The specialist said that I should surely be feeling their movement in the upcoming weeks and that I will know for sure, especially since they are so active each time we go in.

WOW! Two little boys, Luke's smile was large enough to light the night's sky when we got the news. We can't believe that in a short while we will have two sons!!! Everything seems even more real now that we know the gender and can apply the names we've been thinking of when discussing them. Everyone says boys are easier than girls though a little more rowdy, but I know that every child is different and no matter how rowdy these little rascals are we will love them to pieces.

Oh and since I am now officially in my second trimester you'll be glad to know that I am not having morning sickness anymore (knock on wood). Right at the 13 week mark I started to get better, my appetite was back, my energy was improved. I was better just in time for our trip to Illinois for a wedding that Lucas was a groomsman in. It was a wonderful trip and great opportunity to spend time with Lucas' family and friends. It is hard living so far away from people we love so much, especially in such a precious and momentous time in our lives.

I couldn't handle a layover so we had a straight flight into St. Louis where my mother-in-law picked us up and drove us the hour and a half (or so) trip down to Southern IL (where they live). We decided to grab lunch in the city and used happycow.net to help us locate a place to eat appropriate for vegans! We decided on Shangri-La a cute little diner style joint with great decor, music and food. The food was so awesome and super filling and the desert was stellar too. Unfortunately, it isn't 100 percent vegan, but almost everything on the menu was vegan or could be made vegan. The owner was vegan and would much prefer not to have any animal products at all on the menu. So annoying, but a great place! www.theshangriladiner.com.

Also while in IL I ate my first salad in almost 2 months and it was delicious. I can't imagine what was going on in my body that made me have an aversion to one of my favorite things to eat EVER, but such is pregnancy! I've been devouring them ever since!

The wedding that Lucas was in was for one of his oldest and best friends. They are so awesome that they had this vegetarian place (The Longbranch Coffee House) make us our own special vegan heart-shaped cake to eat at the wedding. DELICIOUS and most of all thoughtful.

http://www.shawneenet.net/menus/longbranch/menu.html

The flight back into DC was horrid for me, though the flight to St. Louis was totally smooth. For some reason I felt hot, sweaty and nauseous the entire hour and a half flight. Luckily I didn't vomit on the plane, but once we landed I had to rush to the bathroom twice for major vomiting. That was the last time I've puked and I had been really good before that for a while. Now its been a full week since my last upheaval and I hope it remains this way. I'm still tired, but not nearly as much as the first trimester.

Another new symptom is that I've broken out a little on my face. I have never had acne or problem skin. I'm hoping it doesn't get any worse than it is now, though I surely can handle a few pimples for the next few months...

The biggest change my body has made is my baby bump! All of a sudden it popped out at week 13. Now at week 15 I look fully pregnant! I love it and can't wait for it to get even bigger as our little bean-sprouts grow and grow!! I am so proud to be carrying these babies and I feel so proud as I watch my body evolve.