I Gotta Feeling....

That tonight's gonna be a good night......

Looking back, this whole year has been a good one. God has been so very good to us and has blessed us tremendously. I can only turn back and give thanks for how lavishly He has shown His love for us. In terms of hardships, what little we have experienced is such a minuscule amount, and is most certainly bearable compared to those who are suffering in other places in the world.

Some milestones in 2009:

- We survived and celebrated our first year of marriage. We travelled to San Francisco for the Labour Day weekend to enjoy a simple weekend of fun. I have to say, it has not been as hard as some people may suggest the first year of marriage can be. I think we have adjusted well to one another and we work well together. God has given me a wonderful man that I can call my husband. Most certainly, Michael does put up with a lot with me sometimes when I try his patience. I can only hope that as we grow closer to God in this coming year that our marriage will continue to mature and we will grow closer and stronger as a couple.

- We have done our share of travelling. I was able to go to Europe, but only saw some of it as the morning sickness intensified. BUT I did fly home on business class and that was a lifesaver for the pregnant woman who was frequently sick or had to pee every hour. Michael also travelled for an extended period of time to Toronto and Prince George for his work.

- We have grown closer to our family, especially my beloved sister who stayed with me while Michael was out of town. For the most part, all our loved ones' health has been relatively good.

- We both have very well paying jobs, despite the turn in the economy, that have afforded us with a lifestyle that is probably filled with more of our wants than our needs. We are now essentially debt free minus the mortgage on our condo. Wow, I feel so grown-up!

- I got pregnant with identical twin boys! So far, they look to be healthy and happy. We decided early on that we would pass on any genetic screening/testing. It would not change our decision to have these babies, so why fret about something that may or may not possibly be there?

- We were gifted with many things that would take the stress of having two babies to two new parents off our shoulders. We received an SUV, car seats, pretty much Meals on Wheels (home cooking from my aunties), house cleaning (by my awesome mom), and I even got my push gift early!!

Everything that we really want, we have; there's been some sacrifices, but for the most part, we live a very charmed life. Whatever the new year brings, may it be new challenges, I know we'll be in good hands.

Sleep Schedule

I was a little concerned for awhile after I first started to feel movements from my babies, because their activity seemed to decrease as the weeks progressed. I'm not concerned any longer because I've figured out why they haven't been kicking as frequently as they used to.

The babies' sleep schedule is all messed up. They're crazy active during the night, hence why I'm still up at 1:30am, and they sleep mostly during the day. They think it's play time right now so they're both taking turns kicking around and having a great old time while their mother would just like for them to be still and go back to resting so she can get some rest herself.

OH! On a side note, I got two clear 3D pictures of the twins at my last ultrasound appointment as a Christmas present from the technician. It is so amazing!! I think I can see a little bit of their personalities come out from these simple pictures. I can almost see Henrik smiling in his pic and it was Daniel who had his hands by his face this time around when usually it's Henrik who seems to like placing his hands close to his face. They're just precious.

Hiccups

Omg!!! Michael and I just felt Daniel go through a bout hiccups!!! I thought it was Daniel being really active and kicking but these "kicks" would come every few seconds and they're much softer than what a usual kick feels like.

COOL!!!

It's Just One Of Those Days

Today is one of those days. I'm just not a very happy pregnant lady lately and with all the hormones, all I want to do is cry. Well, I actually want to eat, but I can't because I have gestational diabetes, so unless I want to induce myself into a diabetic coma, I have to find other ways to take out my frustration. This has led to some weird and violent dreams. It sometimes involves me physically battering Michael, Chris Brown style. I then wake up to find my poor unsuspecting husband snoring away in Lala Land, and I have no choice but to cover the blanket I've stolen from him back around his shoulders and go have a glass of milk.

Another vice........when I'm in an especially foul mood, I find myself gravitating towards hardcore hip hop/rap. There's something about all the angry lyrics with the explicit language and a good bass that just makes me feel better. I wonder if this will have any long term effects on the babies......I guess we'll find out.

AND I finally called the nurse at the diabetic clinic today and told her that my blood glucose levels are doing much better and that I'm refusing to take insulin. She was not happy and now I have to go in AGAIN to BC Womens next week to see the endocrinologist.......he's really nice.....but really old. I'm so sick of seeing doctors.....specialists especially. They can be so narrow-minded and focused on one thing, rather than looking at the whole picture. If my blood glucose is 0.5 off from the target, I think it's livable. That is not going to grow some crazy macrocosmic babies is it?!??!

Oh well, at least 9 more weeks to go. I had another pep talk with the babies this morning. They are to stay inside the womb as long as physically possible so they can come out nice and healthy, especially since their mommy has to enjoy all these pregnancy woes. The least they can do is stay put.

My Wonderful Husband

It has certainly been a very trying 25th week in my pregnancy. It has left me stressed, exhausted, and irritable. Be warned, I'm not a pleasant person to be around at this time. Through it all, there is my consistent, patient, and loving Michael. Yes, indeed he is a VERY good husband. There is no doubt about that.

Michael is doing a cardiac anaesthesia rotation for the next eight weeks at SPH. He's up at 5am and home usually around 7pm. It's a long day and when he gets home, there's usually more work that he has to complete on the computer. That hasn't left him with very much time to unwind and yet he still finds time to comfort and spend with his wife. I feel very sorry that he has come home to a weepy wife lately with her crazy hormones.

Not long ago, Michael also took his first vacation in SIX MONTHS!! But alas, this was not a typical break where he could kick back and relax from his hectic residency program. Rather, Michael spent his time preparing for the babies' arrival, taking exams, and working on his research project.

So far, he's cleared out the dining room and turned it into his office aka "The Man Corner" with some new additions, and he has cleared out the remnants of the old office aka "The Man Cave", so he could turn that space into our new bedroom. He worked tirelessly (mostly by himself) to get everything done before his vacation week came to an end. The babies' nursery will be in the master bedroom now. It only makes sense since there's more space, it is closer to a larger bathroom with an actual tub, and it's much quieter and cooler during the summer.

Michael tries to attend all my many doctor's appointments when he can get the time off, but most importantly, he's my advocate. When I'm feeling overwhelmed with all the information everyone is trying to push on me, he puts it all into perspective, and only promotes what is best for me. Although Michael is not what you would consider a typical macho male (thank God!!), he is in no way a push-over either. He fiercely protective of his wife. Who says chivalry is dead?

I am extremely proud that my husband has achieved so much on his own and yet is so humble about it. I know that in the back of his mind, while he's working away, he is always thinking about how he can provide his family with a comfortable life where finances are not a constant burden for us. I feel extremely grateful that I have the option of going back to work after maternity leave, not because of necessity, but for the enjoyment and satisfaction of my career.

Michael has had to make some big sacrifices. He really takes the role of being a father and the head of the family very seriously. Everything he does is purposeful, and it's always with the best interests of his wife and unborn children in mind. I hope that in the future, our boys will recognize what an amazing father they have and strive to be as wonderful as he is.

Just An Update

It has been a while since I've blogged, so this entry will be of many random things that have occurred.

Michael has returned from Toronto and he was quite astonished by how much my tummy has grown since he left. I am not quite accustomed to how large it is now. Lately my belly button has been in a few accidents involving corners and blunt objects. I believe it's because of my height and where everything corresponds to that. It's very sensitive. I'm hoping I have enough "padding" that it doesn't cause any brain damage to Henrik.

Speaking of names, rather than calling the twins Baby A (left) and Baby B (centre), we've decided to call them Daniel and Henrik according to their positions. They're only nicknames, so don't get too used to calling them that!! We're still deciding on actual names at the moment.

My nausea and vomiting seems to have tapered off some. The last episode was on Sunday, but I'm still continuing to take my Diclectin which actually does help with the hyperemesis gravidarum.

My mood has also changed somewhat lately due to all the hormone fluctuations. There are good days and bad days. An example, Michael found me in the bathroom not too long ago sobbing because I had ran out of shampoo.........

I took and failed my glucose screening test, so on Monday I had to have a glucose tolerance test. Those tests are not fun......trying to hold down the vomit, the cold sweating, and visual impairment. I'll know soon whether or not I have gestational diabetes. But here's my thought. The babies will probably come early and that usually translates to smaller babies. If I don't manage my diabetes then there is a chance the babies will be larger and have a lower chance of being in the NICU.......I'll have to bounce that off with my OB.