I am slow (and update and non-pg question)

No really, I am.  I've been having mid and upper back pain for over a week now that, at times, is horrible.  I blamed it on everything from not moving enough to heartburn.  I finally figured out what was causing it.  Both boys have turned transverse.  They both have their heads on my left side and their feet on my right side (duh...if their heads are on one side and they're transverse...).  Baby A is sitting as low as he can go; my bladder and cervix don't love him.  Baby B on the other hand is as high as he can go, i.e. he is attempting to relocate my lungs and ribcage.  It just hit me today that when my breathing is most difficult and my ribs are hurting the worst, my back begins to hurt.  It really took me this long to figure out that when Baby B is pushing out on my ribs, my back (you know...the part connected to these same ribs) hurts.  I'm now reduced to laying propped up with pillows for many hours, breathing as deeply as possible (to push him) and physically pushing down on his little bottom as it pokes at my ribcage.  I love these little boys but would be much happier with them if they would turn a little.  Or at least use their available uterus space (what's up with my damn near empty middle ute?).  Crazy kids.

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Thank you all so much for your support on my last post.  It meant a lot to me to know that you were all thinking of me. 

I had an appointment with my midwife (love her, BTW) yesterday.  She spoke with the MFM and he is pretty convinced that the only reason the boys have extra fluid is because "they're big babies and big babies make more fluid".  And apparently it's not a phenomenal amount of extra fluid anyway.  The chance of fraternal twins both having a genetic or structural defect is so slim that it's been ruled out.  The chance of infection is less than 5% so he allowed me to have some blood-work done to rule it out and ease my mind (thank you doc!).  Mr. W's take on the situation is that everyone in his family is on the small side and everyone in my family is very average so our boys want to prove them all wrong and be big.  Of course, as he says, no one will believe they're his kids if they break 5'10" (he's 5'5").  Haha!

There had been a decrease in movement from both boys over the days preceding my appointment so I mentioned it to them.  Apparently this is something that I was supposed to call about immediately.  I wasn't that concerned, though. 

I was almost positive that the boys had turned (and were transverse).  Baby A was head down at the previous appointment and Baby B was breech.  I knew that Baby A had turned breech a few days later because I could feel his super kicks in my cervix (ooouuuuccchhh!!!!).  A couple of days later everything felt different and I no longer felt strong kicks anywhere, nor was I feeling any movement the same...but I could tell they were still in there.

Anyway, they did a quick scan and revealed that they boys had indeed turned sideways so their kicks were flying into Baby B's placenta instead of into my soft spots.  Just to err on the  of caution they hooked me up to the monitors to make sure they were behaving as they should at this time.  I was a little miffed about their turning until they hooked me up because I didn't know which baby was which anymore.  When they tried hooking the lower baby up, he showed that he was Baby A just by how uncooperative he was.  It took the nurse a total of 15 minutes to get him hooked up.  (she tried for 10 minutes the first time, gave up, hooked up Baby B, tried for 5 more minutes, then finally got him.)  Baby B was as cooperative as ever.  He stayed in place and had the proper accelerations just like the good boy he is.  Baby A, little devil he can be, didn't have an acceleration for almost 20 minutes.  Of course, to show up his brother I'm sure, he threw a little party at that time.

So my discomfort aside, everything is going very well!  The boys are doing wonderfully.  I went to visit my parents and friends in Asheville and had a good time (and relaxed) last week.  Then I drove to Charlotte and visited my Grandma who wasn't doing well; it was a wonderful visit.  My Grandma smiled so big and was so happy to see me.  She also enjoyed seeing the boys ultrasound pictures (now up on her picture board).  I even managed to convince my brother to drive to Charlotte and see her so we now have a picture of the three of us (haven't had us all in front of a camera together since my wedding).  Mr. W will be home either late tonight or early tomorrow morning.  Life is pretty damn good!

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OMG!  Anyone have experience with a dog with allergies?  I'm pretty sure my Australian Shepherd mix has allergies and don't know what to do.  I've switched her food to a grain-free fish based food and it seems to have helped a tiny bit, but not completely.  She got fleas at my Aunt's house (grrrrr) so I've given her medicine, but she won't quit scratching.  She has pulled out so much of her hair from the base of her tail...it's so sad.  My poor little girl is miserable!  She will run from spot to spot in the house trying to find a spot where she can get away from the itch.  It's like something is constantly biting her and she can't get away from it.  I've heard that her breed is sensitive, but this is getting out of hand.  My poor poor little girl.  :-(

I promised a non-PG related post, but...

I screwed up.  I had to google a condition so I could remember what it's called and now I'm filled with fear.  At my growth scan yesterday they found that both of the boys are suddenly measuring about a week ahead, where they've been pretty much on target (give or take a day) since the beginning.  Both boys also have hydramnios, excessive amniotic fluid.  I really just wanted to remember the name of the condition but of course couldn't stop myself from reading the possible causes once the googling had been done.  Twin to twin transfusion was long ago ruled out.  Gestational diabetes was ruled out yesterday.  Now the causes have left seem to be infections and chromosomal defects.  Fuck I'm scared.  But what's the chance they would both have the same infection or chromosomal disorder?  They're most definitely fraternal (we finally got good face shots of Baby A and he has a lot of my features while Baby B has always had more of Mr. W's features).

Either way it goes, I'm hormonal as hell so I'm scared pretty easily right now.  For example:  after my braxton hicks started last week it seemed that I wasn't feeling Baby B too much.  I silently freaked out for a week.  Yesterdays scan it revealed that Baby B had flipped and is now breach.  That explains why I didn't feel him as much.  But today was my last day at work and Mr. W is going out of town with work for two weeks beginning tomorrow.  I've got two weeks until my next scheduled appointment with my doctor.  I don't think the rational part of my brain is going to be able to hold out against the hormonal irrational side for two weeks while sitting home by myself all day and all night.  I'm going to email my midwife and find out what the next step is in this matter.  I have the distinct feeling that she's going to tell me I need to wait until my next growth scan (3 weeks instead of 4) to see if the excessive fluid and sudden growth is more/less/no change.

Another, quite possibly irrational, fear that I have is that they've moved my growth scan up by a week is because they're comfortable delivering twins at 30 weeks.  The comment was made to me that as long as they made it to 30 weeks then everything would be fine.  By whose definition?  Not by mine!  Sure, they're chance is pretty good, but still.  I'm worried that they're doing the scan at 30 weeks so if the condition hasn't improved or has worsened they can give me an amniocentesis without as much fear of preterm delivery killing the boys.  Again, this is probably an irrational fear.  A)  The chance of my water breaking due to an amnio is not that high B)  They probably moved my growth scan up to 30 weeks because of the fact that it's 30 weeks (instead of having it at 31 weeks).  I mean, my last scan is supposed to be at 34 weeks because they figure that I'll go any time after that.

I love these little lives inside of me more than I thought that I ever would.  I can't quit thinking about the what-ifs, but can't imagine my life without them.  I need some peace and some serenity.  If I can't get that, I guess I'll have to settle for some serious housecleaning and crocheting to preoccupy myself instead.  :-)