The Hunter-Gatherer Scrambles…

Hunter-Gatherer reconsiders his plan...

Guest Post From Puck:

First, I should amend my token gloat:

“Aren’t we just TERRIBLY fertile?!“

Or, perhaps I should amend again:

“Exactly how FERTILE are we?!”

Riding a Two-Day Rollercoaster

I’ll be honest and say that this was a rough couple of days for us.  The last year dropped some real doozies on us, but in this instance the saving grace was that we got to face this challenge together.  I’m left feeling very blessed and very aware of the serious responsibility and trust being placed in us.

First, for those wanting to follow along at home I have found a useful web site for twins pregnancies:

• Divine Caroline Twins Calendar

Baby Countdown – The Double Header

I wanted to mention this first because this is a serious situation with an uncertain outcome.  Right now we are in a 5 week danger zone and we’re going to do everything we can to protect and nurture these two through this risky patch.  If we can make it to week 12 (right around Mary’s birthday) we clear a serious hurdle and things relax a bit.

I’m scrambling to update my research and prepping new plans so that we are as ready as we can be for the next 5 week sprint.  Thoughts and prayers are gladly accepted.  One of the true joys of Mary’s life is that she can reach out to her family and friends with both joys and sorrows.

For the record, we just started week 7.

The other Baby Countdown updates:

• We are pretty certain we have a first class birthing center lined up.  (Literally one of the best in the United States.)
• We’re very close to having an OB-GYN.
• The birthing center and OB-GYN all mesh well with our insurance.
• If things go normally for delivering twins we are looking at 35-38 weeks which is probably August.

I still have plenty of plans left to think about.

WifeWatch 2010

Food

In what was probably our clearest clue that something was still going on, Mary’s cravings kicked in with a vengeance on Wednesday before the ultrasound.  She went from wanting to love and cuddle all of God’s creatures to wanting to eat and devour all of God’s creatures.  (I suspect at one point while waiting for her dinner that she seriously considered cannibalism.)

Mommy-body has kicked into protein overdrive which according to my newly updated research is a normal twin-mommy phenomenon.  If she can gain some weight early in the pregnancy it is “money in the bank” for the twins later.  (Early weight gain also lowers the risk for premature labor.)

What did I do with this information?

1. When my wife and I got home, I immediately started stuffing her with milk, yogurt, fruit, vegetables, and protein (of course).
2. I started prepping my new grocery list as if I lived with a ravenous she-bear.

Mood

You can imagine how this has been for us.  We really tried not to get our hopes up and hearing the words “Second Heartbeat” it washes over you like a wave of bliss.  Mary cried and I rubbed her head and held her hand.  In the space of a few moments we went from sorrow to joy and I won’t forget that anytime soon.

She has been wandering around smiling and putting her hand on her tummy.  I suspect if I left her unattended she would roam the streets hugging random people and telling them she’s got twins on the way.  She is euphoric.

It would make a funny story to say that I panicked, but it wouldn’t really be honest.  While I am stunned, thanks to John and Teresa I have at least some sense of what I’m in for and all I can think is “Bring it on!”  Whatever hard times we have had in our lives prepared us for the work and effort required for this most wondrous thing.  Let’s just say that manly machismo is better calculated by how we respond to hardship while we care for those around us.  I’m looking forward to my future with both eyes open, a smile on my face, and I’m not blinking.

Sleep

Twins also explain Mary’s power naps.  According to my research, fatigue is very common in the first trimester for a twin-mommy.  She has got a lot going on under the hood so she is going to tire out more quickly.

Conclusion

Our formal due date is September 7  (229 days), but we may be looking at several weeks earlier than that.  Keep us in your hopes and prayers as we go through the next 5 weeks and expect that we will make certain to share anything new as soon as we have the news.