Just a Day in the Life of a Mom with Twins

Gender Prediction Time! What will the Piontkowski Babies be? Two Boys? Two Girls? One of each??? Help me figure it out by using some old wives tales. Old Wives Tale #1: Heart Rate If the baby’s heart rate is above 140 bpm, it is said that the baby will be a girl. If it is under 140 bpm, then it will be a boy. Prediction Outcome: Both Girls Old Wives Tale #2: Shape of Belly If you are carrying high with a big, round belly, you are having a girl. If you are carrying low with a smaller belly that sticks straight out, it’s a boy. (It seems like every week my belly shape changes) Prediction Outcome: Boy and Girl Old Wives Tale #3: Acne If you have acne while pregnant, it’s a girl. It’s thought that acne during pregnancy is caused by extra hormones. (My skin is crazy. One week it will be clear, the next I’ll be breaking out) Prediction Outcome: Boy and Girl Old Wives Tale #4: Cravings People believe that if you are craving salting foods while pregnant, you can coun...

Today was our first High Risk OB appointment. We're going to Dupage Medical Group in Naperville. The Doctors are Julie Jensen, Kathryn Kemnetz, Kellen Patten and Michele Carney. I saw Dr. Patten today and she was great. Lots of energy, and full of information for us.  Our Ultrasound was at 10:00 am and we were able to see both babies moving around in there. Baby A is still a jumper as he was moving all over the place. It was difficult to get a heartbeat because he kept moving away from the dopplar. He then flipped all the way around and was facing the other way when we tried to measure him. He's quit energetic and will be interesting to see his personality after he's born! He measured at 12w0d and his heart rate was over 150. Baby B was pretty chill again, moved a little here and there but nothing like his twin. He measured at 12w3d and his heart rate was also in the 150's. I am 12w2d today so babies are measuring well. They said they'll take + or - 7 days unti...

We had our 10 week ultrasound today. I always get super nervous right before one of these appointments because I always think something might be wrong or we’ll find out some devastating news. Luckily none of that had ever happened but as a mother I am always going to worry about them even before they are born. The babies both looked great. Baby A was moving around like crazy. At first he was kicking his little feet, then was wiggling all around. Then as he settled down he got the hiccups. He was all over the place! Baby B was completely chill the whole time. I honestly worried a little bit because he wasn’t moving but as we measured him, his little heart was beating and be began to move around – I think telling us to go away and let him sleep. Baby A measured in at 33.9mm 10w2d (right on target) heart rate was in the 170’s. Baby B who has been measuring a tad bit larger than A was 34.5mm but 10w2d (same as A and right on target). So even though the ultrasound picture looks lik...

Diclegis has been my best friend for the last week. It has taken the edge off of my morning sickness. I still get queasy but I’m able to function unlike before. Before I felt like I was walking around with the stomach flu. I couldn’t keep anything down, was running to the bathroom every 30 minutes, and was really achy… I thought I was dying. I mentioned it to my nurse as she was taking blood last week and she said she would give me the Diclegis to see if that would help. It was at this same appointment that we found out we were having twins and the nurse then said, “No wonder you’re miserable, you’re having two.” It’s nice to know that I’m having these symptoms for a reason and I will never take it for granted but man is it uncomfortable! My next appointment will be August 31 st  at 11:00am. We’re doing an 8 week ultrasound. There we’ll get to see the babies’ heartbeats again and measure them to make sure they’re still growing like they should. I always get really nervous be...

We had our 8 week ultrasound today!! I was super nervous. I pray for my little ones every day that they both will be healthy and grow stronger and be where they need to be at, at each milestone. Of course being a part of a support group you see a ton of miscarriage stories and you hear about abnormal phenomenons and it gets your mind to wander! The scariest thing I keep thinking about is the Vanishing Twin Syndrome . I’m so worried that we’re going to go to an appointment and one will be missing. So of course I was nervous about going today but I was also really excited to see my little jelly beans again. Ok so checkup update…. I am 8 weeks and 4 days today. Baby A is measuring at 8w4d (right on target) 19.9mm and the heartbeat was 171. Baby B is measuring at 8w5d 21.4mm (“he” was also the bigger baby last time too. Think we might have a chunky monkey on our hands!) The heartbeat was 177. We got to see Baby A “wave” at us. “He” was moving his little hand, and it ...

It's annoying when people, who I don't even know, ask me "hey, what's wrong with your feet?" It makes me want to ask "What's wrong with your face?" You don't just ask someone that! If it's someone you know and they know you don't normally walk around with a limp like an old school pimp then okay, but usually they ask "Did you do something to your foot?" not...what's wrong with you!!! So what IS wrong with me?  God made me special. haha No really... He really did. Doctors all the time say "it's not bad....it's just different...." everything about me. Ask me about it one day, I'll share some stories. Anyway back to my feet... here's the story. Back on August 19th I threw a baby shower for a friend. My right foot starting hurting that day after the shower and I figured it was just from running around decorating, hosting, cleaning up, etc. The feeling was a dull pain, more like achy feet so I didn...

I had my first ultrasound on Wednesday August 16 th  and guess what….it’s TWINS! Eric and I are so excited to be growing our family by not just one but two!! My nurse was saying no wonder I’ve been sick as a dog, I’ve been growing two babies. The doctor ended up giving me a safe prescription for the morning sickness and it has done wonders. I’ve been on it for two days now and I still get nauseous but not at the extreme that it was. At first I thought I had food poisoning and then it felt like the stomach flu. I kept taking my temperature thinking I was getting really sick but turns out it was just the babies letting their presence be known. After the appointment Eric was looking me in bewilderment. I asked him what he was thinking and he says “You’re going to get huge…” I said WOW! Did you REALLY just say that? Realizing what exactly he had said he said “No! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant you are so short that the babies don’t have anywhere to go but outward…...