Happy Thanksgiving! And—Happy 29 Weeks! Thursday - November 22, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving! For those of you who don’t know—this is Dan’s FAVORITE holiday for all the obvious reasons. We have SO MUCH to be thankful for this year. Most importantly, we are thankful for our healthy little Gabriella and two babies that are still growing strong and healthy inside mommy’s belly.
As of Friday, we’ll have reached 29 weeks—HOORAY!

The babies passed a very important milestone last week, as 28 weeks is an important viability check point in the pregnancy. A majority of babies born at 28 weeks will spend weeks instead of months in the NICU, and will also reach adulthood without major complications. Since my last “baby” update, I’ve had 2 more OB appointments and yesterday I had another growth ultrasound. The current stats are:
Baby A: 3lb 10oz (77%)
Baby B: 3lb 3 oz (63%)

The percentage is where they stand comparatively in growth with the average singleton pregnancy. We couldn’t be happier with the babies’ growth! It’s crazy to think I have almost 7lbs of baby in me right now. And crazier to think they need to stay growing inside me for hopefully another 7 weeks. Yikes! If you think about it – 7lbs is the approx BIRTH WEIGHT of most singleton babies. Not to mention the fact I have two placentas, two amniotic sacs, and two babies kicking around constantly making my belly look like a pinball machine at times. I’ve gained 36lbs so far (6lbs more than I had gained w/Gabby @ 40 weeks, 3 days!), and ideally, the doctors want me to gain another 10-15, and the babies to gain another 2lbs each by 36 weeks. Bring on the Thanksgiving dinner!

We’ll be spending the Thanksgiving holiday with cousins Trish & Todd, their girls, Aunt Leo and Uncle Kenny, cousins Barbara & Kirk and their son Clint, and many friends of Trish & Todd’s. Holidays with this group are always fun… wonderful people, fun conversation, and the most delicious food!

BiRtHdAy PaRtY FuN!! Saturday - November 17, 2007

Gabby had SUCH a great time at her birthday party! So many of her little friends were able join us and the park worked out great! Unfortunately, if you weren't in the sand, dirt and puddles... or chasing your child around on the different play structures... you probably didn't see much of the birthday girl! Gabby was SO dirty half way through the party. And, I'm shocked that we actually got a few photos (thanks to a neighbor). After packing up and leaving party central - Gabby fell asleep after 5 minutes in the car and slept for 3 hours... now that's amazing! It was a beautiful, warm day spent with so many wonderful friends - even Dan & I had a great time and were exhausted.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GABRIELLA!

Wow… I can’t believe our baby is 2 years old! Where does time go?

Birthday week has been and will continue to be busy! The other day we had Gabby’s 2 year old photos taken. She did ok for the first 7 minutes and then the little model needed “water” and “toys”… yes, she was DONE with being photographed and made it very clear. I guess it was successful in that we got a few shots that showed her true colors.

Birthday week also meant having to attend her 2 year pediatrician appointment. From the moment we pull into Dr. O’s parking lot, Gabby will begin saying “But I don’t want to see Dr. O, mommy! I don’t want to see Dr. O!” Poor little thing… luckily, the 2 year appointment didn’t involve any shots, but DID involve Gabby getting a “Happy Birthday” sticker. It’s the little things that REALLY make a difference in our lives, isn’t it?! Gabby is healthy and continues to excel with speech, as she seems to have an above average vocabulary and has been talking in 6+ word sentences for months. Seriously… I have no idea where she gets her talking skills from. Ok, alright… so she DOES have Dan & I as parents. We may be partly to blame…it isn’t often silent in the Martino home. Dr. O was impressed with Gabby’s growth since her 18 month appointment, and her stats are now:
Height: 33.5 inches (40th percentile)

Weight: 23lbs (8th percentile)

Since we aren’t back in our house yet, on Saturday we’ll be celebrating Gabby’s birthday at a local park with some of her very best friends in the Bay Area. The park’s pretty cool in that it has lots of play structures, a big green lawn, a lake, and a huge carousel and train that parents & kids can ride throughout the park. And, we’ll of course have Gabby’s favorite foods – pizza and cake! YUM!

Gabby continues to light up our lives and provide us with constant amusement. Her smiles make us smile and her laugh makes us laugh with her. Our hearts melt every time we hear “I love you, mommy!” or “I love you, daddy!” And while we aren’t living at “home” right now… the constant pitter patter of very busy running feet throughout the house make any space feel very warm and cozy, fast. Happy Birthday, Gabriella!!!

Birthday & Halloween FUN… or something! Sunday - November 4, 2007

We celebrated Dan’s 36th birthday on Tuesday. And Gabby surprised daddy on the big day by saying “Happy Birthday Daddy!” a few times without even being prompted. I was shocked she remembered after only practicing a few times the day before! No big party or fancy dinner – but it was a memorable night. Gabby had helped me make the birthday cake… even putting the candles on the cake by herself (each candle was surrounded by fingerprints in the frosting). Just after we had taken several bites of cake – we had a 5.6 earthquake. The house we’re living in shook like CRAZY! I was able to grab Gabby after a second or two. But, the house was shaking so much it was difficult to move (and being off balance w/the belly didn’t help!). Kitchen cabinets and drawers were opened and stuff had fallen over or off shelves – but no injuries. The only “damage” was Gabby’s piece of chocolate cake that was smashed ALL OVER my sweatshirt and hair. Yes, like a true Martino… even though the child was scared she grabbed the cake with her hand to take with us – wherever we would end up. She wouldn’t have considered leaving CAKE in the middle of an earthquake. And, she did mange to finish eating what wasn’t smashed on mommy. Gotta love that kid…












The HALLOWEEN holiday was really fun this year. Our neighbors hosted a pumpkin carving and pizza party on Monday night. Then, I was a bit worried Gabby would be scared of her costume, as when I first showed it to her a month ago she didn’t want anything to do with it. Luckily though – she was so excited to go trick-or-treating with daddy and the neighbor kids that she didn’t flinch. And DAN dressed up too! “Curious George” and “The Man in the Yellow Hat” were a TOTAL HIT in the neighborhood. Dan did the trick-or-treating thing with Gabby and the neighbors, and I hung back at the house handing out candy. One of the neighbors hosted a post-trick-or-treat dinner, so Dan & Gabby were also able to join in that fun. I ended up having to lie down to try and calm a contracting belly. The night was a true success... as Gabby came back home sleeping on daddy’s shoulder. But, I’m still trying to figure out who had more fun - Dan or Gabby!? Gabby of course has put her costume on each and every day since Halloween… and she’s also made daddy put his yellow hat and shirt on. Dan, being the wonderful playmate he is, totally complies with the orders. Moments like these just make me smile, laugh and fully appreciate our crazy little family.

A couple funny Gabby comments to note:
1. Gabby refuses to drink straight white milk (like her mommy) – so she drinks chocolate milk. We’ll give her a sippy cup filled with mostly whole milk and enough chocolate milk to add the taste of chocolate. Dan has been trying to wean out the chocolate, but, Gabby is noticing. When Gabby realizes chocolate milk was not added (or not enough added to her liking), she’ll hand the sippy cup back to us and say “Put cow in it, daddy/mommy!” or “This needs cow in it!” The chocolate milk container has a cow on it – so that’s her “chocolate” identifier.

2. Whenever she wants to do something by herself she’ll say “My do it myself!”

3. “Or something” and “How about X though” seem to be added to a lot of requests lately. “How about we got to the park or something?” or “How about a hot dog or something?” And if we say let’s brush your teeth (HATES getting teeth brushed), she’ll say “How about we go outside though” Or “How about we go to the park though”.

Dan and I can’t help but find humor in #3. If adults were to use this lingo in our daily lives or professions it could make for some GREAT humor. “I’m going to start this project or something” or “I’ll put together a meeting agenda or something.” Or, your boss tells you to deal with an issue you SO DON’T want to deal with… and you say “How about a pay raise though?” or “How about naptime though?”. Could be quite funny…

Another week to check off in the pregnancy – 26 weeks! Hooray!

25 weeks & counting... Friday - October 26, 2007.

25 weeks – hooray! But, we’re still hoping for 11 more weeks until we meet the boys.

We had another growth ultrasound on Thursday and found out both boys are doing very well. The current stats are:
Baby A: 1lb 14oz (63%)
Baby B: 1lb 13 oz (62%)

The percentage is where they stand comparatively in growth with the average singleton pregnancy. Apparently, this is impressive for twins as both my MD’s commented on how pleased they were with the babies’ growth. Obviously great news, as we already know they’ll arrive early and that every ounce of weight will be important from this point forward.

My cervix is still measuring short at 1.5 – 2 cm. But, thankfully it’s still closed. They also did another FFN test and that came back negative again. So, while it’s not as accurate for twin pregnancies… the results are “supposed” to somewhat reassure me that I won’t go into labor within 14 days of the test. The FFN test is more accurate for singleton pregnancies… but I figure they probably do it for a reason. Whether it’s just to reassure me or give us all warning of the possible early onset of labor – right now we’re happy with the test results.

I’m still having contractions and my MD’s said those will most likely continue throughout the pregnancy. I was told that if I have contractions like last Wednesday again (7 min’s apart for 2 hours), that I need to call my MD’s cell and go into L&D.

I’ve now gained 30lbs – the same amount of weight I had gained with Gabby @ 40 weeks and 3 days! FREAKY! Oh well… I know it’s important to gain extra with the twin pregnancy. The MD’s ideal weight gain for me by 28 weeks is 38lbs. Not sure 8lbs in 3 weeks is possible…

I have the MD’s approval to continue working for now – which is great! But, I am still required to stay off my feet as much as possible. And, I need to continue with my current work schedule of working in the office 2 days/week and from home 3 days/week. It’s a bit of a bummer… as I get a little stir crazy spending most of my days trying to lay and sit down, interacting with coworkers only through email, YM and cell. Not to mention the fact that we’re still in the rental house until the end of November… so I’m also pent up in a house that doesn’t feel like “home”. I’m SO EAGER to move back home!

Dan continues to be SO wonderful and helpful. What would I do without him & Gabby!? I can’t even begin to imagine…

World’s GREATEST Husband! Friday - October 19, 2007

I’ve now hit 24 weeks. And after the past week and a half, I feel like we should have a small celebration every Friday that we’re able to check off another week in this pregnancy. To be safe - the boys REALLY need to wait another 12 weeks to arrive.

It was unfortunately another crazy week for the babies and me. It started out good… I was glued to the sofa all weekend (doctor’s orders). However, I did sneak out of the house on Sunday with Dan & Gabby to visit a very cool pumpkin patch with the little neighbor boy, Trent, (and his aunt) from across the street while his mom & dad were up at the hospital with twin sister Sophie. This pumpkin patch is not like any pumpkin patch I have ever been too… we’re talking train rides, a pumpkin mountain, food stands, endless pumpkins and fall colored flowers, the best scarecrows I have ever seen and a spooky corn maze.

On another note, Sophie, Gabby’s friend (Trent’s twin sister), still needs lots of prayers. So, send all the positive thoughts and prayers you can to little Miss Sophie when you have a moment today. She’s gone through 3 major surgeries in the past 3 weeks and is having a really tough time. The neighborhood is hoping to see Sophie come home VERY soon. She has amazingly strong and thoughtful parents. And actually, the neighbors in our rental neighborhood ALL seem to be amazing and so thoughtful. There seems to be a group of 5 houses/families that literally treat each other like family and have adopted us into their close knit circle. One family brought us dinner last Saturday after hearing I was craving pasta. They hadn’t even heard about the week’s drama. One mom will send emails while I am working from home saying “Hey Jodi, I’m running out… do you need me to get you anything?” I’ve never before experienced anything like it and we hope to continue these friendships after we move back home.

I digress… where was I… oh yeah.

So, Monday and Tuesday I was glued to the sofa again, working from home (doctor’s orders). Wednesday and Thursday I planned to work in the office. Well, on Wednesday, I started getting contractions in the afternoon hours. They were consistent enough that I decided to leave work around 4:30 and head home to lie down. Well, Wednesday night – there were 2 hours where I was having contractions every 7 minutes. I chugged as much water as I could and went to bed hoping this was not going to be a 911 night.

Thursday’s MD appointment went well. We looked at the babies and their heart beats are great. My cervix is still fully closed and didn’t get any shorter which is also good. Bad news is that my cervix is still short enough to cause concern (between 1.5 – 2 cm). And after alerting my MD to Wednesday night’s consistent contractions, she said I have to call her on her cell and call or go in to Labor & Delivery if that happens again. Great.

Over the past week, I’ve read message boards and googled my symptoms. It seems as though a lot of other women with these symptoms are on strict bed rest, if not hospital bed rest. Great again. My doctor is not a fan of strict bed rest (it’s known to cause blood clots). But, she is a fan of restrictions. So, she said she wants me to repeat my work from home/office schedule that I did this past week. Then I’ll see my MD again next Thursday, along with having another growth ultrasound. And if things get worse, she threatened to pull me from work. Not sure if she just meant to only work from home or to discontinue working all together. But, either way… hopefully, I won’t find out.

Oh, and I’ve decided Dan is truly the WORLD’S GREATEST HUSBAND!! While he’s always proven to step-up when needed, over the past week and a half he’s been an all around over achiever. Not only has he been doing most of the Gabby care (lifting, diaper changes, etc.), he’s been doing all the grocery store trips, the cooking, etc. He has also become Gabby’s total playtime buddy… as they’ll spend at least an hour at the park together every day, play chase & run, etc. She’ll even say “Dada, wanna go to the park with me?” as if her daddy always just goes along with her to have some fun. Not only has Dan been helpful to us over the past two weeks, but tonight he made a huge Italian dinner for Sophie’s family, and he’s been bringing Gabby over there every day to spend playtime with Trent (because Trent misses his sister so much). Dan truly ROCKS!!

23 weeks… When it Rains it Pours. Friday - October 12, 2007

People always say “When it rains it pours.” Well, after this week, I believe it. Week 23 will certainly be a memorable one. The week started out with major IT issues at work on Monday and Tuesday. Annoying, but whatever. Then, on Wednesday we decided to fire our nanny. Thursday was an emergency OB appointment (due to Wednesday's stress), and Friday Dan ended up having to cancel his 5-day business trip to Boston due to the events on Wednesday & Thursday. Oh – and we really did get pouring rain on Tuesday and Friday.

On Wednesday afternoon, I had constant contractions and the babies were moving like CRAZY – almost like they both ate a pound of sugar. I have never felt so much activity for such a long time. It was scary. Then, I could only sleep for 3 hours Wednesday night because my mind could not stop racing about everything gonig on and the fact that I was having contractions and might be hurting the babies. So there I was at 2:45am, camped out on the sofa watching TV, surfing the net and monitoring contractions… heart racing and blood boiling. So, I ended up having to make a 911 appointment with my OB on Thursday afternoon.

At my OB appointment we peaked in on the babies again to check their heart beats (both were good). And, I of course was happy to see the boys again too after the crazy 24 hours. The MD commented “My, these are busy boys!”. True. Lord help me if they are that busy when they come out. Good news is also that my cervix is fully closed, but the bad news is that the length shortened (I’m sure due to the stress) from 3.3 cm two weeks ago to between 1.5 - 2 cm. This was somewhat concerning, as they don’t want the cervical length to fall below 2.5cm. The MD also took a FFN test, and it came back negative. Not sure of the accuracy of this test – but a positive result would mean that you’d be expected to go into labor within 14 days. I was given some restrictions so I’m now trying to stay off my feet, lay down as much as possible, and keep hydrated. I’ll be working from home 2 or 3 days/week unless my cervix elongates (which I guess is possible). Anyway, we’ll recheck everything again next week.

Yes, friends… it’s been a crazy week. But, in reality – our week was nothing. We are reminded of this when I think of Gabby’s friend, Sophie, 2.5 yrs old, from across the street who is at the hospital right now recovering from her second major surgery in two weeks to do a full shunt replacement. Her twin brother Trent is torn up, parents are obviously worried and beside themselves, and I am amazed at how this family is able to cope. I can’t even imagine…

Please say a prayer for Gabby’s friend, Sophie, and continue to keep the twins in your thoughts and prayers! They need to stay safe inside me for another 13 weeks!

21 Weeks - hooray! Friday - September 28, 2007

I can’t believe it’s already the end of September and I’m now 21 weeks into this pregnancy. I’ve got a long way to go, but we’ve passed another milestone. Hooray!

We had another ultrasound today (we’ve had 9 total now) to check growth and do second anatomy scans. The boys were movin’ & groovin’ again… the technicians always comment on how busy these two are and how they make the anatomy scans difficult to complete. At our last ultrasound, they weren’t able to capture clear imagery on the hearts—hence the reason for the second anatomy scan today. Finally, after laying there for an hour+ today, we finally got the needed images. BTW: Not at all comfortable for a 21 week prego mommy of twins to lie on her back that long. Anyway, both babies are looking GREAT! No abnormalities have been detected. Such wonderful news. Also, they are both growing SO well. Estimated weights are:
Baby A: 1lb 1oz
Baby B: 1lb

The weights put them ahead of their gestational age growth-wise, at 21wks, 4 days for Baby A and 21wks, 1 day for Baby B. Wonderful news for a twin pregnancy! Hopefully, they’ll keep growing ahead of their true gestational age.

Our little monkey, Gabby, is sick today. She was up every hour last night and sometimes every half hour, crying and flopping around trying to get comfortable. So, Dan brought her to see Dr. O and found out she has an ear infection. All day today she’s been going around saying “Mommy, I sick… I need medicine”. She truly knows how to milk it and melt mommy & daddy’s heart. Poor little monkey-doodle…

On a side note, I had a lunch date the other day with friends who have 12 week old twins. It honestly scared me. The twins are their first babies – so they are clearly managing like pro’s. And, they gave me lots of input on what has worked for them & the babies, as well as some twin books. They have a night nurse help them 3 nights a week during the week so that daddy & mommy can both get at least 3 good nights of sleep. And, her mom comes on Wednesday’s to help all day. They said they don’t know what they would do w/o the night nurse. I, of course, think it’s so wonderful that they are able to have that help… and at the same time wonder how we would afford it! Ha! A night nurse sounds like such a luxury! Hmmmm…. Anyway, I’m hoping to employ some of their tricks. But honestly, the lunch date officially made me a bit anxious about the arrival of the twins.

Fun with dolphins… Wednesday – September 26, 2007

Well, our last family vacation as a trio was a success! Gabby had so much fun playing in the ocean, on the beach, playing in the “leatherback sea turtle pool” as she called it (the kiddy pool had sea turtles tiled on the bottom) with dada, and swimming w/mommy in the big pool. But her favorite, you ask - all the dolphins! Our resort was centered around a dolphin cove ("Dolphin Quest”)… so every day she got to say good morning and good night to the dolphins, watch them while she played, etc. She was SO into the dolphins that Dan & I decided to treat her to the Wee Family Dolphin Adventure. She got to sit right on the dock and the dolphins would come up to us so she could touch them and feed them fish & octopus (not the best smell for her prego mommy!). The trainers also taught her signals and allowed her to signal the dolphins to do certain tricks and tickle their nose and bellies. Gabby was in absolute awe when the dolphin came up onto the dock and she got to stand right next to it and pet it. See photo above! Hmmmm… do we have a future dolphin trainer on our hands??

Anyway, it was great fun… and so fun to make more memories as our little "trio" of a family! I was looking quite large, as you can see… and I was just hoping nobody would confuse me with Shamu or a beached whale. I got a little more attention w/the big belly than I would have liked – but hey, I’m not going to sit on a beach or by the pool in Hawaii w/shorts and a t-shirt!

The twins are moving around more & more and now I'm feeling frequent kicks and punching sessions. I had another regular OB appointment - nothing special to report. I guess once I hit 24 weeks, I need to go in for a check-up every 2 weeks. And, ultrasounds will also be more frequent after 28 weeks... right now they're every 4 weeks.

More about the twins on Friday after my next ultrasound!

Babies on the move! Friday – September 7, 2007

Today marks the half-way point for an average twin pregnancy – 18 weeks! Yippie!

The boys are trying to remind me that they’re taking over my body. I am beginning to feel them move around a little more frequently now. The first time I felt one of them move (baby A) was either late in the 15th week. It was just a flutter – but felt somewhat familiar. Now however, I can feel movement that I definitely recognize. No kicking yet… just those odd movements that weird you out a little. Last night when I was reading while laying in bed, baby A completely distorted my belly because it slowly got all pointed on the right side… it wasn’t the nicely rounded belly. I had to push baby A back into the center because it felt so funny and off-kilter. He was pretty cooperative, so maybe that’s a good sign. I truly hope so. Or maybe this is a sign that baby A tries to do the unusual and has lots of energy. Scary thought.

Speaking of energy—Gabby has SO MUCH I can hardly keep up with her! She runs everywhere. If you dare ask her to come back to you when outside – it’s her signal to run as fast as she can the other way while laughing really hard. Dan pretty much has to be with us when we’re outside because I’m getting to the point where I’m incapable of running after her. Also, she’s talking to us in Spanish more frequently now saying things like “Vamanos momma!” while running away, or trying to climb things while singing “Subon!” (spelling? just how “Diego” sings it when climbing). Clearly, she’s retaining something from watching “Diego” and “Dora”. Dan and I are pretty entertained by it all.

Gabby had quite the active end to summer. In mid-August we visited family and friends in Minnesota – and she got to play with cousins Maddy & Emmy and then all of our MN friends kids (visit: http://martino.shutterfly.com/ and click on the August 2007 Minnesota album). She also took swim lessons with daddy and her friend Livy & Livy’s dad. We had several family dates, allowing lots of playtime with Leo (or was it a date? see kissing photo above) David, and Victoria and Natalie.

We’re off to Hawaii next week for our last family vacation as a trio. I’m SO EXCITED! Definitely need a break from work and a little R&R to help recover from all the stresses of this past summer. Between babies, work and house stuff… yikes! I’m quite certain the spa & I may become good friends for a day!

And the genders are... Friday - August 31, 2007

I am now 17 weeks along and the belly feels and looks like its closer to 25 weeks. The latest ultrasound photos are posted - click on photos to enlarge. I’ve gained 18lbs, which is GREAT and just a little behind the best case scenario. Sadly, I feel enormous already!

Last week I got to peak in at the babies again. It was a quick ultrasound just to check heart beats – but still fun to see them. All seems to be going smoothly. Apparently, 50% of twins are born via c-section. I think I would opt to not do the c-section, but that will of course depend on position and health of the babies. On the other hand - there IS something to be said for being able to schedule the birth date and plan child care for Gabby during that time! Hmmm… Also, the MD said she won’t let me go past 38 weeks.

So… on to the EXCITING STUFF!! Today we had another ultrasound appointment to check anatomy and gender. We’ll do this every 4 weeks, and probably more frequently as I near the end of the pregnancy. First, the important news… the babies are looking to be VERY HEALTHY! HOORAY!! All the major organs were checked, bone measurements, body parts, location of the placentas and the cervix is still nice & closed-up. They also estimated approximate weights. Here are the stats:
Baby A: 6 oz
Baby B: 7 oz.

Both babies overall measurements are putting them at approximately 17+ weeks – which is great, since we already know they’ll have less time to grow in the womb. Lots of wonderful news today and we couldn’t be happier. Now onto the FUN news! Drum roll please… we are ecstatic to say that we’ll be expecting TWO BOYS in January 2008! The “anatomy” was very evident of the male gender.

Please continue to keep the boys in your thoughts & prayers. We are hoping they stay safe and sound in mommies belly for at least another 19 weeks!

The belly keeps growing! Wednesday - August 15, 2007

Today I am 14 weeks and 5 days along. The photo posted was taken early last week. I can’t believe it—I’m showing like a singleton pregnancy at 20 weeks and feeling large. Speaking of large… I’m finally doing a fine job of catching up to where they want me to be weight-wise with the twin pregnancy. I’ve now gained almost 15lbs. The MD’s want me to gain 25lbs by week 20, and between 40-56lbs by 35 weeks. I put on 30lbs with Gabby by 40 weeks, so I’m thinking it is definitely do-able!

People keep asking what the biggest differences are between this pregnancy and my pregnancy with Gabby… so here they are:
1. If I feel something odd/weird… I worry a little.
2. I’m obsessed with reading triplet and twin blogs.
3. I don’t feel a bit guilty when I pig out.
4. My belly itches!
5. Ummm… doesn’t the photo say it all?! I didn’t have a belly like this with Gabby until I was at least 20 weeks along.
6. I was MUCH MORE crazy the first 12 weeks of this pregnancy than I was with Gabby. And, I mean crazy to the point where I recognized that I was crazy. POOR DAN! But, being the fabulous hubby he is, he handled it well (OR, he’d at least round the corner before making faces at me).
7. The pregnancy books I had while pregnant with Gabby don’t really apply… you TRULY have to go out and buy MULTIPLES pregnancy books. There are so many more concerns, risks, research and recommendations that you just can’t find in the average singleton pregnancy book. 8. At 8 weeks, pants started getting tight and I don’t think I could snap my “skinny” shorts or jeans by week 9 or 10. Always such a traumatic transition! With Gabby, I think I was almost 14 weeks along before I couldn’t fit into my regular jeans & shorts.
9. My belly already tightens up when I go on long walks. I don’t believe this started happening with Gabby’s pregnancy until I was at least past 20+ weeks along.
10. I slept ALL THE TIME during my first pregnancy. I would go to bed sometimes as early as 8pm, and sleep in until 11am on the weekends. This time, the stress of a multiple pregnancy put the kibosh on my sleep for the first 12 weeks... and I've also realized I just don't have time to sleep with having a 21 month old.
11. This pregnancy has been SO extremely stressful. With Gabby, my first 13 weeks were filled with so much excitement and anticipation to start showing!

Things I don’t miss while pregnant:
1. Feeling guilty for eating a whole block of cheese in one day.
2. Feeling guilty when I missed a run/workout.
3. Feeling tired throughout the day.
4. I definitely don’t miss that wonderful “time of month”.
5. Dan being so willing to help me “get stuff”. Picture me lying on the sofa saying “Baby, can you please get me…” And, Dan getting it because he knows it’s harder for me to get up off the sofa than it used to be.
6. Using the time I would have normally been running to read.

Things I miss while pregnant:
1. I miss running.
2. I miss sleeping on my belly.
3. I truly miss fitting into my Seven jeans.
4. I miss eating maguro when we go out for sushi…. Ok, ok… so I have cheated a few times. But c’mon… I CRAVE it!
5. I miss it being easy to get up off the sofa or out of bed.

We’re off to Minnesota tomorrow to visit with family and friends for five days. This may be the last trip to Minnesota for a while - possibly until Christmas of 2008. We’ll have to see! I know for a fact I couldn’t handle traveling with twin infants and Gabby by myself… and even with Dan, we’re outnumbered. And, I swear… the plane ride is actually the EASIEST part of traveling with kids. The check-in and security process always seem to be the most stressful and frantic moments of the trip. Although… that could also be because we’re usually running late and on the verge of missing our flight!

The twins are growing strong! Friday - August 3, 2007

I am now 13 weeks along. Today, we went in for another ultrasound and follow-up appointment with our high-risk maternal-fetal medicine specialist/MD. It was a great day and we've posted the latest photo of the twins.

Both babies checked out wonderfully. They both have healthy heart beats, and both are measuring the same size from crown to rump @ 6.79cm, which is approx. 2 days ahead of their gestational age. This made us really happy because last Friday, baby B was a little behind in growth measuring @ 5.16cm, while baby A measured 5.79cm. It seems baby B’s been very busy!

Much to our delight, the MD entertained us with a very early gender check. To give you a little background... a fetus first begins showing genitals around 12 weeks. But for several weeks, both sexes will have genitelia that extend from between the legs. So, with an ultrasound scan you’re best bet of getting an accurate “sex” scan is between 17-19 weeks. At this stage (13 weeks) sex can be guesstimated by the direction the nob points. IF the nob points upward (or toward the head) it will most likely be a boy. And, for girls, it typically points out or downward. We had a difficult time making a guess with baby A, partly because of position. But, the MD placed a confident bet on baby B being a BOY. Very exciting… and Dan, of course, is thrilled!

This week is the first week I’ve felt good in 9 weeks. I haven’t had the urge to throw up or felt like passing out until 1:30pm every day – hooray! I've gained 9.5lbs, which I am very proud of as there is a lot of pressure on me to gain weight early on with the multiple pregnancy. My belly is sticking out like it did with Gabby at about 19 weeks. I can’t fit into any of my normal shorts, pants, or skirts that don't have an elastic waistband. It's like a singleton pregnancy on speed—you grow outward so much faster. And, you KNOW you're showing when the checkout person at Whole Foods looks at you and says "How are you - you're not about to pop, are you?" Yes - this really happened to me yesterday. I almost fell over... in my head I was trying to think of a good comeback but couldn't get past the fact that I'm only 13 weeks and with Gabby I wasn't even showing yet. Whateva!

The official due date is on February 9, 2008 (40 weeks), but twins arrive on average at 36 weeks, so we’re expecting them in January 2008.

Please continue to keep the babies in your thoughts and prayers. While it's easy to say you hope for a girl/boy gender-wise... our ultimate hope and goal is to end up with two healthy and strong little kiddos!

Another angel among us - Friday, July 27, 2007

Today I am 12 weeks along.

The babies now measure about 2 inches in length. I've gained 6.5lbs. It's not the 8-12lbs they wanted me to gain by 12 weeks which is a bummer—but VERY hard to do. I can't remember ever eating constantly, not exercising, and having such a hard time gaining weight. I'm practically a food machine. Also, my belly popped. I wasn't this big with Gabby until I was at least 18 weeks along. In looking back at photos, I don't think I even popped a belly with Gabby until about 15 or 16 weeks. I guess this is normal with a multiple pregnancy though. Apparently, twin pregnancy bellies measure 6-8 weeks ahead, and triplet bellies can measure up to 10 weeks ahead.

It's getting difficult to strategically hold papers over my mid-section when up & about at work, so I’ll probably tell my employer soon. With Gabby I could hardly wait to share our wonderful news. And, with this pregnancy… it seems I want to crawl into a hole and I could wait until the babies arrive to announce the pregnancy. The stress of the multiple pregnancy can really take a toll on ones emotions.

To help fuel what I'm sure will be a lifelong emotional roller coaster, we now know that Baby C is an angel in Heaven. I've cried more tears than I've ever cried in my life. And, I know I will never go a day without thinking about Baby C. The most difficult thing for me down the road may be when people refer to Baby A and Baby B as the "twins"... when really, they started out as a triplets.

People tell me with the best intentions that "God only gives you what you can handle". And while I respect that saying and appreciate the thought behind it... at times I'm not sure I believe it. While there might truly be a plan for each and every one of us… it’s hard to swallow when plans come to an end, unforeseen health complications enter our lives or when we're faced with life situations that one wouldn't wish upon their worst enemy.

We are so thankful for such supportive family and friends. Please keep these babies in your thoughts and prayers, and help us find comfort in knowing there is another angel among us.

Unlucky Friday the 13th

Today I am 9 weeks, 6 days along and we had our first level 2 ultrasound appointment.

All babies are looking about the same approximate size—between 3.12-3.15cm from crown to rump. All three had healthy heart beats. The doctors noticed a potential problem with Baby C today. The NT scan seemed to show an abnormal amount of fluid in Baby C's neck.

Please continue to keep the babies in your thoughts and prayers.

My heart skipped a beat... Thursday - July 12, 2007

Today I am 9 weeks, 5 days along. I had my first regular OB appointment for the babies & I with our newly assigned high-risk MD. All the regular stuff - blood tests, review of health history, physical exam, etc. And, some new stuff...

Because of the triplet pregnancy we had to discuss all the differences with carrying multiples, the complications and risks, what not-to-do's, how much more food I need to be eating and weight to gain. I also have to do an early glucose test - YUK! I hate that test. And, it's been real tough trying to put weight on. I've gained 3lbs. But I swear if I didn't have 3 little parasites inside me I'd probably have gained about 15lbs by now with all the extra food I've been eating. Well, a combination of the food and not being able to run anymore.

Also, because I'm pregnant with multipes we were also able to peak in on the babies via ultrasound again today instead of just getting to listen to the heart beats. I was excited about that... it's always fun to see what's growing inside you. And, I kind of had an itch to see them again and how much bigger they've grown. Because it was a simple portable ultrasound machine, it lacked good picture quality - but it still did the trick.

We were able to locate two of the baby's heart beats real easy - baby A and baby C (baby A is the baby closest to the cervix and then you go clockwise from there). Baby B wanted to make mommies heart skip a beat... as we couldn't find a heart beat right away. Baby B was positioned in such a way that we could only get a good shot from the top of the head. My heart was in my throat as we were waiting to see if the doctor could locate the heart beat. I was honestly worried and hoping that we'd find baby B's heart beating. Sounds like an odd feeling coming from someone who is so unsure of this whole triplet thing... but it's truly how I felt. Once we located baby B's heart beat I felt a sigh of relief. Whew!

Triple-take - Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Today I am 8 weeks and 4 days along. We went in for our second and last ultrasound at the REI clinic today. It was bittersweet. I made the MD check three times for three heart beats, etc., because I still can't believe three babies are growing inside me. The more I see them growing, and all the features starting to become clearer, the less I know I'm going to wish I was only pregnant with two. Today we could see that arms and legs have sprouted. We could see them wiggle a little. We could also see the faces a little better defined. It was fun to see the kiddos again. They still look like jelly bean babies of course, but much more human than two weeks ago.

Gabby came with Dan and I for the appointment today. And, it was funny because both the REI MD who put Gabby in my belly and the OB MD who delivered Gabby were in attendance. Too bad we didn't bring a camera! LOL!

The MD's said I need to try and gain 8-12 lbs in the first trimester with a multiples pregnancy. Well... I am already sadly failing to do that. This must sound crazy, but it's REALLY hard to pack weight on when you've got three little leeches growing inside you. I've gained one pound so far. So... if I estimate correctly, I have to gain 7-11 pounds in 3 weeks and 3 days. Lord only knows how that's going to happen. I feel like I've been eating constantly WHEN I don't feel like puking. And no - I have not thrown up yet, but I have gagged at least once every morning for the past 2 weeks. Ugh!

Please continue to keep these little ones in your thoughts and prayers! Hugs and Kisses!

Now I know I’m not dreaming… Monday, June 25, 2007

Yes, reality of this “triplet” situation has started to set in. Since the unexpected news last Tuesday, today is the first day I have:
1. Not cried.
2. Laughed out loud with a friend about the whole situation.
3. Had somewhat of an open mind about the potential that three children might be joining my world in approximately 25.5 weeks (since most triplets are born at 33 weeks).
4. Touched base with the high-risk MD office to see when I can schedule an appointment to discuss the risks/complications and schedule of appointments that would be needed for a triplet or twin pregnancy.
5. Wondered if I would end up on bed rest, with preeclampsia or something worse.
6. Wished that God could tell me when these babies would actually arrive. Would they arrive before 28 weeks? If so, would any/all die because of their early arrival?
7. Truly decided that Dan & my marriage is strong enough to handle anything… and that while having triplets would be incredibly stressful, Team Martino would pull through just fine and even stronger than before.
8. Felt sadness at the thought of possibly loosing one of these three miracle babies even though I know it would be safer for all should that in fact happen. Amazing how quickly a mother’s bond begins developing.
9. Wondered what kind of car the Martino’s would need to drive 4 kids under the age of 2.5 yrs old around.
10. Contemplated having Juneau become an “outdoor dog”. Poor little Juneau has no clue about this yet.
11. Thought about how I would hire a night nurse several nights a week during the first 4 months. How would we find one… and more importantly, how would we pay for one!
12. Thought seriously about whom from my family I can recruit to help me for a while and how I can bribe them to stay for longer than a week or two!
13. Wondered how many pounds I will gain (c’mon… any woman is bound to wonder this).
14. Wonder if my husband will still love me if I become heavier than him.
15. Wondered if I would fit into the “big” pants I bought while pregnant with Gabby that I never ended up fitting into.
16. Wondered how much it costs to buy two rows of seats on an airplane? We WILL need family vacations at some point, right?!
17. Wondered just exactly how many extra calories I get to eat every day now that I'm eating for FOUR!! Seriously never thought I'd ever wonder something like that.
18. Wondered when my stubbornness and “step-it-up, Jodi” attitude will pull me out of the depression funk that seems to have devoured me this past week.

Anyway, now that I’m expecting triplets and I know every dollar saved counts… this is my therapy. There will be no hiring of shrinks… there will be no throwing money in lucky fountains.

Big hugs to all. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers!

Lions and Tigers and TRIPLETS - OH MY!!! Tuesday - June 19, 2007

While we were somewhat preparing ourselves over the past two weeks for the possibility of twins... we found out today I’m pregnant with triplets. Three beautiful little heart beats blinking on the screen.

My reaction you ask? Shocked - yes! Unexpected - yes! Wondering how this happened - yes! In total disbelief - yes! Want to cry - yes! Want to scream - yes! Still trying to digest this news - yes! Still trying to tell myself this isn't a crazy dream - yes! Ok... deep breath.

How could this have happened when we only implanted two embryos? Well - there are two possibilities:
1. One embryo split in-utero, resulting in one set of identical twins (making 3 embryos total)
2. Dan & I created one on our own when spending some "quality" time together that weekend back in May (we know I released one egg when I injected the hormone to make me ovulation)

After looking closely at the differences between the embryonic sacs on the screen, our MD said each of the embryos were unique, and that none of them shared a sac. So, the triplets aren't a result of a split egg (identical twins). Instead, she is certain that Dan & I created one of the babies on our own.

Dan's reaction: "Yeah baby! I told you! My guys work!"
Jodi's reaction: "Ummm... yeah... great! But REALLY bad timing babe! Why couldn't this have happened 3 years ago?!"

It goes without saying I’m in complete SHOCK. I don't know whether to cry or laugh. I of course feel extremely lucky and blessed, but at the same time have a lot of questions. Not to mention, I’m SO fearful already for the health of the babies and my own health. All multiple births are pre-term and as the # of babies increase, the birth date gets more premature. The many risks and health complications also start to multiply with each added baby.

On a positive note... ok, guess we'll get to use some of the names we really like!

We'll go in for another ultrasound in two weeks. Hopefully, there will still be one baby... possibly two... possibly still 3. Sometimes nature works in mysterious ways and with still trying to comprehend this news myself, I think we're going to have to take this one day at a time. At some point, I’ll have to stop pinching myself in shock.

Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Today's news means we're preparing for TWINS! Wednesday - June 6, 2007

Hooray—more wonderful news to share!

I took the second blood pregnancy test on Monday, 6/4 while in San Antonio. They wanted my HCG # to double from Friday's test (155), so we were hoping to get a read of at least 300.

I was fairly nervous for the second test... worried I may have lost the pregnancy over the weekend since we spent the weekend going from activity to activity in HOT and HUMID San Antonio. Let me repeat… it was SO HOT and HUMID! I was basically trying to do everything possible to stay hydrated, somewhat cool (again, not sure if possible in San Antonio in June) and also relax a bit.

We were shocked & surprised when they called to tell us the HCG level more than doubled... it was 861! Wow! And again by comparison with Gabby, the second blood test with her was 115. So, this basically means we’re mentally preparing ourselves for the possibility of twins. The thought of twins seems overwhelming... and a bit scary. Even after all the excitement of being pregnant again, it doesn’t take long for your mind to start spinning with fears and worries of an early delivery and the health complications that go along with it. And then you begin to also wonder how much quality time you’ll be able to spend with EACH child you have and if life will just become completely chaotic.

BUT – not going to worry yet! We’ll just be elated if we see at least one beating heart on the screen when we go in for the ultrasound during week #7 @ 31 days gestation.

Our trip to San Antonio to spend time with my brother Mark’s family before they move to Shanghai, China, was a lot of fun. We stayed at a VERY family-friendly resort that was just a few miles from Sea World. The resort had a movie night every night out on the lawn with a popcorn machine and blankets to lay on. It also had this fantastic lazy-river that connected to the pool… with bar stops for the adults along the path, and a huge sandy beach area for the kids to play. We hit Sea World on Saturday and then again on Sunday evening so we could bring our god daughter, Alexa, and Gabby to eat dinner with Shamu. It was a pretty cool experience and worth the price to get up-close, a special show, and being able to talk with the trainers, etc. Alexa and Gabby were both in awe at how big the whales are up-close. Gabby had a SUCH a great time spending so much quality playtime with cousins Alexa and Callie. And Dan & I enjoyed sharing the weekend with Mark & Patty and all the girls.

Please continue to keep these little ones in your thoughts and prayers. We need all the positive energy we can get!