Putting the "Fat" in "Kung Hei Fat Choy"

[Note:  This is one of the letters that I posted to my friends and family on Facebook when we received Wyatt's inter-utero AVSD diagnosis and learned that there was a 75% chance of him having a chromosomal abnormality, probably Down syndrome.  These are rough, these are raw.  They are painful... and totally didn't have to be if I had any understanding about what DS was in the first place.  It is these early days that prompted me to start Down Wit Dat... to educate and to effect change.  Down syndrome is not something that needs to be grieved.  Ever.  -Jxox]      

After the last visit to the OB/High Risk Ultrasound clinic, I felt it was time to gain a little weight. It didn't hurt that my appetite magically turned on like a faucet either. Despite my previous size, I have had the hardest time gaining weight this time around; these twins are consuming me from the inside out. As you all know I had a really hard time early on with the nausea/vomiting; now the problem is just trying to eat with a stomach that seems to be a) lodged in my throat and b) the size of a small mandarin orange. As it stands now, I am nine (count them, NINE) pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight. It sounds lovely on the surface, but these babies need weight and with maximum four weeks left, they need it fast. So, I hit the pasta... and everything else that wasn't nailed down or at least moving slowly. Sean had bought a few packages of Chinese dumplings/pork buns, etc in the hopes of having them on Chinese New Year, but I ate them. Myself. One pack a night for a week. If you had peeked in my kitchen window at about 10pm, you would have found me drooling over a steaming pot. Say what you like about the nutritional content, but it was food, and fantastic. We have to get more this week... the popcorn and cheese and tomato sandwiches are just not cutting it.

Yesterday found Quinn and I on another "ultrasound adventure". You have to spin these things just right, to justify ripping him off one bus and tossing him on another while force feeding him a sandwich. We were a few minutes late, but that really didn't matter as the clinic was running an hour behind schedule. Keeping him occupied while trying to keep my eyes open was a bit tricky. However, eventually it was our turn and we tromped in.

The OB gave the sonographer her marching orders (with a wink and a smile at me "Did I miss anything, Jennifer?") and took her leave as I laughed and shook my head. Quinn then got to giggle a bit as once again, Mommy got covered in "icing" and we were off. I was ecstatic to learn that Zoe had not only gained weight, but she had rejoined her ORIGINAL growth curve. So at 4lbs even, she is well on her way to not being a NICU baby! Wyatt weighed in at 4.6lbs, so each put on between half and .7 lbs in two weeks. Yay babies (and yay dumplings)!

There was no other news from the ultrasound worth mentioning at this point other than things seem pretty good and I don't look like I'm going into labour just yet. In fact, I've been downgraded: I can see her in the office and continue with my ultrasounds in the regular clinic.

I asked her about my fasting sugar test (which I did January 10th and have been anxiously awaiting the results as I flunked the first one). She had to go look it up, but I was very pleased to hear that it too was normal. So, in the words of the BFF (who happens to be a Diabetic Educator) "If you don't get it now, you probably never will". In my words: "Pass the damn ice cream!".

Of course, we can't get through an appointment without some new drama cropping up and this time it was with me. I've been having some headaches lately (and chalking them up to weather/sinuses/stress) and it seems they could be reflective of my now increasing blood pressure. Now, to be fair, the result is the higher end of normal, but with a really low BP most of the time and up until now in the pregnancy, it could be the beginning of Pregnancy Induced Hypertension which could be very serious. Deathly serious. So, I've been sent home with instructions to RELAX, monitor my BP and if I get any additional symptoms to head directly to L&D. Roger Wilco.

So two new happy things and one more thing to try not to worry about. It's a fair trade, I guess. I'm trying to remain as calm and relaxed as possible; I try to fit in at least two naps a day, put my feet up all the time and try and seek out things that relax me (music, chilling in front of a fire watching TV, my ever faithful bathtub...). It sounds idyllic, I'm sure, but it just gives me more time to think up things that I should do before the babies come. Luckily, I have friends and family that remind me constantly that all will get done in time.

Which is good. Tick tock...