Twins-in-Progress: Week 30

30 Weeks: May 18-24

How far along? 7 months, 2 weeks

Babies size: Probably around 3 lbs. or more. 

What’s new with babies? At T-10 weeks to go (if we make it to July 26), babies are on the home-stretch for growing. Their brains are folding to add more square-footage for thinking, creativity, learning, relating, and pondering the love of God someday.

What’s new with Mama? Week 30! It feels like a significant milestone. I am trying desperately to maintain stamina for all the tasks ahead, but I am increasingly more exhausted each day. Nice to meet you 3rd trimester.

Weight Gain: Someone asked me this week how much I have gained so far. I was surprisingly not offended, even though the question was presented in the middle of a large crowd who all hushed to hear my answer. I didn’t realize this but I have only gained 30 lbs. at this point in my pregnancy. It seems low for twins, but I am still healthy which rocks!

Sleep: I am starting to find a routine in my sleep-pee-sleep pattern. But I’m still pretty tired most days.

Exercise: More yoga with my buddy, lots of walking and spending time outside.

Best moment this week: Waking up feeling rested.

What do you miss/NOT miss? I miss working out and getting to an adrenaline-filled sweat. I do not miss the days of early pregnancy when everything felt surreal and I couldn’t feel the babies.

Babies’ Movement: That lil’ ninja likes to put his toes up in my ribs, while lil’ lefty keeps pushing her feet into the space above my belly button. It tickles but I wouldn’t trade it for anything except to see these kids in person.

Food cravings: Salad. And water.

Genders:  a Boy and a Girl.

Kids room prep: While we brainstorm names, I am also brainstorming creative ways to display their names in the nursery. I have 2 big canvases and I am itching to paint them.

Labor Signs/prep: I built a few lists to get organized for D-day (delivery day). I titled them with something adventurous and familiar, to remind me that we are not heading into some medical procedure or big-bad labor… rather, we are embarking on a winsome journey of discovering God, selves, and family.

Confession: I have no idea what a contraction feels like. Sometimes when I’m walking or eating, I’ll feel my tummy get hard, but I can consciously relax my muscles. Is this a braxton hicks? Or am I just reverting to old habits of holding a tone in my tummy muscles while walking/sitting?

Symptoms: Tried a homemade coconut butter/mama belly rub this week and broke out in another rash. My many stretch marks broke out with bumps that itch like crazy! It’s back to the “one lotion to rule them all” for me (Body wrap by Nuetrogena is the only lotion I haven’t responded with a rash to).

Other symptoms include tired, tired, tired mama. I also think I pulled a muscle in the lower right side of my abdomen (right where the Ninja man likes to poke his butt out), so I’ve been dealing with that too.

Mood: I had a bit of a breakdown this week. I woke up one morning with an overwhelming feeling of panic. My first thought was “we’ve bitten off more than we can chew, and we are going to choke on it!” Thankfully, God’s Word and my dear husband was standing by and within the hour, I was restored to the truth I cling to: that God knew, WAY before we did, all that this season would hold for us (moving, twins, adoption, etc.) and He still called us to it. Whom God calls, he also equips. To Him, it’s a small thing to provide each day.

Lullaby of the week: Sanctuary by Mark R. Harris, Dallas Austin. Our church worship leader explained that a sanctuary is traditionally considered a place of safety for those in danger (think Huntchback of Notre Dame). However, a sanctuary is also a place of worship, purity, and devotion to God. As I sing these lyrics, I pray my body can be both a safe place for our babies to grow, and also a vessel of devoted worship to God:

“Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true…”

Truth I’m dwelling on: At the end of a long, exhausting day, when I am feeling discouraged and humongous… I pursue the Phil 4:8 initiative. I read the verse and find something from the day that matches each characteristic:

“Fix your thoughts on what is…”

• true (God gave me breath and legs and grace to do all I accomplished today, including growing two humans)
• honorable (motherhood [no matter what the critics say])
• right/just (the pursuit of release from prison/death for the pregnant Christian doctor Meriam Yahia Ibrahim)
• pure (my friend’s lovely baby girl, Piper, who just smiles and coo’s like a perfect baby girl should)
• lovely (music)
• admirable (a friend’s commitment to sexual purity [more on this soon])
• excellent (my husband said my perseverance through discomfort and emotional turmoil makes me a woman of excellence… his words 😉 )
• worthy of praise (my husband’s pursuit of God’s will in his job, his weekends, and his decisions)

Looking forward to: All the kicks and rolls, nausea and discomfort, of the coming weeks. It means I’m doing my job 🙂

Questions for the Mamas: Hey ladies with babies, I’m adding another point to my weekly updates: I’d like to hear your thoughts on this topic, and the one’s to come. Today’s questions is:

What do you wish you would have packed (or left at home) in your hospital Go-Bag?

Feel free to answer via commenting below!