Intro....

Hi and thanks for visiting our page.

Our little family consists of Tracie, Sally and 2 little cats.

My name is Sally and i'm 26. Tracie and I have been together for 3 years, and we recently got married!! Tracie is 35, and is the birth mother. She is pregnant with twins, concieved through IVF. We are both very excited about the pregnancy and are looking forward to starting a family together. We started this page when we were 10 weeks pregnant....We are both looking forward to finding out our babies sex after christmas!

We feel very lucky to have the love and support of both our families and many freinds.

Up to week 10

The pregnancy has been pretty good so far, (for me anyway!!) Trace has had morning sickness every day, but lately it has only been in the evening. We found out we were having twins at the 6w ultrasound. We knew there was a possibility of twins because we put 2 embryos back in after IVF. We've seen our babies on ultrasound at 6w, 7w, 8w and 10w. At 10wks we hired a fetal doppler and heard the heart beat for the first time.... it was so exciting!! We can hear the heart beat in 2 places on the stomach, but we're not sure if it's seperate babies, or the same one at a different angle!!

Week 11

Nothing much this week. We can still hear the heart beats, and some different sounds now.... maybe the placenta?? Tracie contunues to feel sick each evening.... we are looking forward to the end of morning sickness.

Week 12

WEDNESDAY: Today we had an appointment with our OB. All is good. She did a quick ultrasound and we saw two healthy heart beats and the placenta. Tracie's uterus is now the size of someone at 16 weeks! Those twins are taking up a lot of room. Morning sickness is slowly fading, however it has unfortunatly been replaced by headaches and heartburn :( We are both hoping this wont last too long.

FRIDAY: Today we had the Nuchal Translucency Scan. We got to see two healthy looking babies, two good heart rates and we are happy to say we got good news. The scan showed the risk of Down's Syndrome is 1 in 1230 (Twin A) and 1 in 1149 (Twin B). We still have to get the results of the blood test, but so far so good :) Our babies are right on target for their gestational age, measuring 6.6cm (2.6inches) CRL. We have also added todays pictures to our picture page. Officially two more days until we reach the second trimester.......... Bring it on!!

Week 13

All continues to go well this week. The nausea and headaches are slowly fading and heartburn is being kept under control by some antacids, so things are good :)

We got the results of the blood tests... The overall risk of Down Syndrome is 1 in 4500 for both twins. We are very happy about this, and we dont need to have an amnio!!! :)

We are currently living in a rented apartment, and dont have the ability to decorate and repaint a room to make a nursery. We have realised we can decorate a room with removeable stickers. We have decided to go with a Winnie the Pooh theme for the nursery. We bought some decals for the wall and decided to paint a wooden book case white. We are starting to get excited and to buy some baby things...... it's so much fun!!

Last weekend we went to a local festival and found these extremly cute baby t-shirts. We bought 2 in size 0. Each shirt has one of the following pictures on the front. Aren't they so cute!?!?

Week 14

This week has been a quiet one. Tracie is a lot better, most of the awful symptoms have gone away. She is really starting to show now. The uterus is steadily growing and has now reached her belly button!! We haven't had a scan in a few weeks, but we can easily hear the heart beats and placentas with our doppler.

We have told more friends about the pregnancy and plan to tell our extended family on the next two weekends. Everyone is so excited, and we love sharing our good news.

The week started on saturday when we told Sally's extended family about the pregnancy. Everyone was so excited for us, it was great fun to share our expreiences with them.

On Sunday we spent the day cleaning and organising the house for christmas. We also cleaned out the spare room that will become the babies' room. We have begun to decorate it and it's starting to look good. We will upload some pictures over the weekend.

The rest of the week has been uneventful..... just working. This weekend we will tell Tracie's extended family about the pregnancy. We know they will be excited, so it's going to be fun. We may not even need to tell them because Tracie is getting bigger by the day!! Tracie keeps showing Sal her belly and belly button... the belly is getting bigger, the belly button is getting smaller.

Week 16

SATURDAY: Today we told Tracie's family about the pregnancy. They were all so excited. We had an early christmas party and Tracie's mum gave us some really cute baby clothes. It's so hard to believe our little ones will fit into those clothes.

TUESDAY: 9:50pm... Tracie felt a little movement on the left side of her stomach. She felt a few flutters within a 10 minute period. It was so exciting, Sally cried (even though she couldn't feel anything)!!

WEDNESDAY: We had an appointment with our OB today. Tracie's uterus is equal to someone at 20 weeks. We saw both babies on ultrasound and 2 good heart beats.

Added some photos of the baby room.

Week 17

This week has been quiet. Tracie is feeling bigger each day. She has felt a few more little flutters. We are eagerly awaiting a big kick! (or two!!)

Tracie is happy because she's off work for 2 weeks over the christmas/ new year break. She still gets tired easily (growing twins is hard work) so she will relax and enjoy this one last break! Next time she gets time off will be maternity leave and from what we've heard that's not going to be relaxing at all!!

Week 18

Merry Christmas!!

On Christmas eve we had our second trimester scan. Our two babies look great. They are a perfect size for their gestational age. All the bits are where they should be. We were also lucky enough to find out the sexes.....and...... It's TWO BOYS!!!

We told our families our news and everyone is excited. Tracie feels the babies moving about once every second day at this point. Sal still hasn't felt them yet, but is waiting patiently!

We went baby shopping again (we seem to go every weekend) but this time we bought some little boy clothes. About 10 outfits, they are so cute! We have decided we're going to buy the bigger pruchases like a cot and pram and car seats in feburary.

Week 19

Fetal movement is increasing this week. Tracie feels both babies moving several times a day. Sally felt her first kick this week :)

On Thursday we had an OB appiontment. Our doctor is very happy with the pregnancy so far. She confirmed that both babies looked great at the scan we had last week. There we no problems found. Tracie's uterus is measuring 29cm. We saw both babies on ultrasound. We got a great view of Baby A (beautiful profile), he was waving at us. Unfortunatly our OB didn't have a printer attached to her computer, so we couldn't get a photo. Tracie is doing great. She is always hungry, the babies are using up lots of energy. She only put on half a kilo (one pound) in the last month.... I think that's amazing over the christmas period!!!! She definatly needs all that food!!

After the OB appointment we went to a shop that specialises in car seat sales and fitting. The man suggested we hire 2 baby capsules for the first 6 months as they are the safest and most convienient way for the babies to travel. When the bubs are 6 months old we'll buy 2 car seats that will last until they're 4 years old. We weren't originally going to use the capsules, but after talking with him, we think it's going to be the best option.

The 20 week mark.... feels like another milestone. We are officially half way!!!

This week has been a quiet one. Tracie has retuned to work after having 3 weeks off over the Christmas and new year period. Tracie is feeling pretty good these days. Nausea and heart burn are a thing of the past. She still gets tired and hot easily, but resting infront of the airconditioner and nice cool baths are a great solution. She is hunrgy all the time, but gets full easily with the large uterus pushing on her stomach. Small meals and snacks have become an essential part of her diet and she is enjoying snacking on some of the great summer fruits out now.

The babies are moving around a lot more in the day and night. Tracie feels them often, and Sal feels them a few times a day too. Last weekend we bought a classical music CD to help babies sleep. We have played it to the babies a few times so far in combination with a belly massage. This is supposed to be calming to them inutreo, and a settling technique we can use when they are born.

A special note for grandma who we know will be reading this. Your little peaches, that became little mangos are now about the size of a large banana in length, but spend most of their time curled up, so they more like a in rockmelon size.... each!! Their kicks are getting stronger and by the time you get home you will be able to feel them, and they will be able to hear your voice.

The babies have been kicking and wriggling a lot this week. Sal loves to feel the movements on Tracie's belly. Tracie has had a cough all week and has been resting at home, trying to have a quiet week.

On monday our other baby (the cat) had to go to the vet to have most of her teeth removed. It's been a stressful week because she had to have medicine shoved into her already sore mouth twice a day. Poor little puss. She didn't sleep monday and tuesday night (so neither did we!!)..... We are wondering if this is practice for things to come! She is doing well now, almost back to normal and no more medicine.

Week 22

Got a little carried away when taking the belly pictures this week, so I thought I'd share some with you ladies :)

On Monday we went shopping and found one of the cots that we liked was on sale..... so we bought it!! It is so exciting to have a cot in our little boys room. It makes it look like a real baby room now.

On Thursday we went to our first birthing class. We will go once a week for the next 7 weeks. We really enjoyed meeting other couples expecting twins and to hear about their pregnancy so far. Throughout the course, we will learn about pregnancy, birth and caring for newborn twins. Feeding and settling 2 babies, risks of preterm labour and take a tour of the hospital and NICU. We are looking forward to the rest of the classes.

The rest of the week was quiet. The babies are getting strong, kicking every day and are starting to respond to the sound of our voices and a belly massage.

Week 23

Tracie's brother lives in America and every year at christmas her mother goes for about 6 weeks to visit him. On Sunday she came home and bought us some presents for the babies. Her mother and brother went on a few MAJOR shopping spree's, and she came back with SO MANY BABY CLOTHES!!!

Together they bought us:

52 body suits (onsies); 15 pants; 10 overalls; 19 t-shirts; 4 jackets; 2 bear halloween costumes; 15 pairs of socks; 3 pairs of mittens; 6 face cloths; 2 towels; 4 blankets; 14 bibs; 8 hats; 4 pairs of shoes and 8 toys!!!!

That makes a total of 166 items of clothing, shoes, toys and accessories!! We would like to send a BIG THANK YOU to Uncle Graham and Grandma!!

Week 24

Another milestone.... we have reached viability! On Monday we went to the OB, all is going well. Tracie's blood pressure is good. There is a trace amount of protein in the urine, but our doctor doesn't seem concerned. We didn't get to see the babies because our doctor didn't have her ultrasound with her :( We are now going to visit her every 2 weeks until 32 weeks (then weekly until birth) so will get to see them in 2 weeks. Tracie's uterus is at 34cms (equal to someone at 34 weeks) and she's looking very pregnant.

Week 25

Today is valentines day, and we have 100 days to go in this pregnancy. Coincedently, we have also been VIP's of this website for 100 days as well.... I love these number coincedences!! Haha.

Anyway, all is going well in the pregnancy. We are travelling nicely. Our OB says every day and every week Tracie stays pregnant is a bonus from this point. We have not had any symptoms of pre-term labor and we hope to make many more weeks. The babies are doing well, kicking and wriggling every day. Tracie is still working 30hours a week (3x10 hour days) and finds it hard some days. She gets tired easily and doesn't sleep well, but is still enjoying being pregnant .

Week 26

Developmental Update – 26weeks gestation (for the average baby)
SIZE: 33 cm long and 720g

HEART: Baby's blood circulation is completely functional. Baby's heart is working diligently at pumping blood. The umbilical cord system continues to grow and thicken as blood travels with considerable force through the body to nurture the baby. The placenta is now almost equal in size to the baby.

LUNGS: Baby begins to make breathing movements (although there is no air in the lungs). Blood vessels start to develop in the lungs to prepare the baby for life outside the uterus.

EYES: Baby’s eyes (that have been fused shut for the past few months) begin to open and blink this week. He is aware of light and dark and the sun shining on mummy’s belly will make a pinkish glow inside the womb.
Eyebrows are present, but they are pretty short.

EARS: Baby is busy building nerve pathways inside the ears. These will allow baby to respond to noises more routinely, and baby tends to jump more or startle at the sound of loud noises. Baby has been surrounded by noise for a long time. Things like heartbeat, digestion, and other body functions are heard by the baby as well as external noises. Baby will also start to recognise his mummies voices.

SKIN: Veins are visible through baby's skin, although it is quickly changing from transparent to opaque. Finger and toe nails continue to grow. Baby will respond to touch and often kick back when poked at through the belly!

BOYS: Boy babies sometimes experience a growth spurt around 26 weeks pregnant, when their testicles start descending into their scrotum. This entire process only takes a couple of days.

Even though it is still way too soon for baby to be born yet, the chance of survival without severe abnormalities is now 70% provided he is born in a hospital.

Week 26 (again)

Another week down, we are getting closer to having these little boys. We went to our OB visit on Tuesday. All is good. We saw our babies on ultrasound, but again no working printer so we couldn't get any pics. We will have a formal ultrasound next Friday, so we are looking forward to some pics from that. We will upload them if we can. Tracie's blood pressure is great, and no protein in the urine this time. Weight gain has plataued this week, only half a kilo (one pound) in the last 2 weeks! Tracie's belly is getting huge!!

We have begun plans for the baby shower that will be held at Sal's mum and sister's place in about a month. We got some food and decorations and are planning some games. Should be a fun day :)

Week 27

Things are going as well as can be expected this week. Tracie's belly is huge and she is finding it harder to stand and walk around due to the weight of her belly. She is having braxton-hicks contractions most days, brought on by walking around or large baby movements. The boys are getting bigger and Tracie likes to lay on the couch with her belly exposed watching the movements of her boys. You can see the skin moving like ripples and sometimes a head protrouding or a leg kick out. It is fun to watch.

We are still going to birthing class every Thursday night. Out of the 11 couples that began the class 6 weeks ago, 3 have had their babies already. One couple were still inhospital and were able to bring their twins in to show us (as the classes are held in the hospital). It was amazing to see. It makes it feel even more real that we will be parents soon!! Their babies were born at 35.5 weeks and had 6 days in NICU and are now doing great. They were 5pounds at birth and are so cute!

On Friday we had a 28week growth scan (See our pictures page for 2 new baby pics). All is great, our boys are doing well. The sonographer confirmed they are both boys!! (They were 90% sure about the sexes at the last scan). The boys are growing well and are both in the 50th percentile for their size and gestational age. TwinA is 1226g (2lb11oz) and TwinB is 1247g (2lb12oz). The amniotic fluid levels are normal, fetal movements and heart rates are normal. Twin A's placenta is lying a little low and we have to monitor it for placenta previa. Twin A has his head down low in the pelvis and his body up the left side of the abdomen and is in a great position for a natural birth (assuming there is no placenta previa issues). Twin B is breech and curled up near the liver in the right upper area of the abdomen. He was head down at the OB appointment last week and we notice him move a lot, so who knows where he will end up on his birthday! Twin A has been down in the pelvis for atleast the past 10 weeks. He's a good boy!!

Tracie had blood tests today for iron levels, full blood count, antibody testing (as she is Rh negative) and glucose tolerance testing. We will findout the results next thursday.

Week 28

We have made it to the third trimester! We are getting more and more excited by the day, every day feels like another day closer to meeting our little boys. They are becoming fun to play with, they recognise the sound of our voices, they like loud noises (like vacuuming and music) and when we poke them, they kick back. Sometimes, during a car trip we listen to Harry Potter on CD. It is read by some english guy and the boys like the sound of his voice and always kick and wriggle!

We went shopping this weekend..... The pram we have liked for months was on special so the babies' grandma bought it for us. Thank you grandma! We also bought a portacot and a change table that sits ontop of our cot.

On Saturday night we went to the Sydney Mardi Gras. The parade was great.... but really really long! Tracie did really well with all the walking and standing. She's a little sore today but things are otherwise great.

On Thursday we had another OB appointment. Our OB says that Tracie passed the glucose tolerance test and doesn't have gestational diabetes, so that's good news. Other blood tests showed low iron levels, so Tracie has to take some additional iron supplements and eat pleanty of red meat. Tracie's uterus is measuring 40cm (same size as someone 40 weeks pregnant) and she's feeling very big. We saw both boys on ultrasound, looking good and kicking lots.

Also on Thursday we had to take our cat to the vet (different cat to the one we took 7 weeks ago). She wasn't feeling well, the vet says she had a very high temp and a bowel infection. Poor thing has to take antibiotics and wear a collar so she can't lick her bottom (which is also sore from the bowel infection)...... We are having a bad year for sick cats, they are both about 8 year old and never been sick before!

Thursday evening we had our last antenatal class. We learnt about bathing, dressing and wrapping babies for sleep. We really enjoyed the class over the last 7 weeks, and can't believe how quick it has gone.

We had a very busy weekend. We bought a large freezer, lots of food and cooked all weekend. We made about 80 meals and froze them in individual & double portions. We plan to eat them when the babies are young are we're exhausted and can't cook. All we have to do is microwave it and we have a healthy nutritious hot meal without any effort.

We also did a lot of shopping and preperation for our baby shower that will be at Sal's mum's house next weekend. We organised some games and made a poster of all the growing belly shots we've taken. We are looking forward to it..... should be a fun day.

Tracie and the babies are going well. She is finding it harder and harder to work but officially still has 6 more weeks to go. I don't think she's going to make it... she came home after half a day on monday as she was too exhausted. We will discuss it further with our OB next week. Tracie will quit when the time is right.

Week 30

Wow thirty weeks already. Tracie's belly is getting huge and people keep asking when she's due. One time I answered "about six to eight weeks" and then thought to myself 'wow six to eight weeks is really soon!!!'

On Sunday we had our baby shower and it was great catching up with everyone. We had about 25 guests and eveyone had fun eating and playing games. Our friends and family were extremely generous and we received a mountain of presents for our baby boys (see pictures). Another milstone has passed and the birth is approaching us very quickly.

For the past three months we have been avoiding buying anything that we might receive for the baby shower, so now that its over we get to go shopping!!!! (Sal loves shopping, but Tracie is finding it hard these days). We received so many presents, but surprisingly there are still many things we need to buy. This week we managed to do a little shopping. We bought a bath, an infant carrier, some books, some clothes and a pram shade. We still have some essentials to buy, but we are getting there.

On Thursday we had another OB appointment. All is well with the babies. We saw them on ultrasound again. Baby A is still head down, but not yet engaged. Baby B is breech in the right upper abdomen. On ultrasound we saw Baby B turning his head from a front view to a profile and back again. We also saw the cheeky boy poke out his little tongue.... it was so cute and funny!!

Tracie is finding life harder these days. Her uterus is now measuring 43cm (the same as someone 3 weeks overdue for a single baby) - no wonder she's so uncomfortable. She is also experiencing the following symptoms: back aches, hip pain, sore swollen feet, sore swollen hands, tingly fingers, occasional nausea, occasional heartburn, stuffy nose, hard to breath when laying down, (baby pushing on the lungs), needing to go to the toilet every couple of hours (baby on the bladder), difficulty sleeping and fatigue. The babies wriggle on and off all day and night......... all of these symptoms are worth it, we know our boys are growing and developing and we are looking forward to meeting them. Tracie keeps telling her self that every day they stay inside (no matter how uncomfortable) is beneficial to their development and one less day they have to spend in the NICU due to prematurity. We are hoping to make it to 36-37 weeks.

Week 31

This week has been a quiet one. We did a little more shopping but Tracie has really been feeling the effects of pregnancy and finds activity challenging. She finally gave up work, and has spent many days resting at home. She needs to, it's hard work growing 2 boys!

Week 32

The pregnancy continues..... We have officially made it past the 31 week mark and on to 32weeks..... a crucial time for lung development. If our little ones were born now they might be able to manage a cry at birth. We THINK we have finally finished our baby shopping. We hope we have everything we will need for the first month or so of their life. No doubt 2 days after they come home Sal will be sent out with a shopping list a foot long of everything we now realise we need! If anyone has experience in this matter from a previous pregnancy we'd love to know what essentials you forgot to buy!!!

On Thursday we had another OB appointment. All is going well. Our OB is very happy with the fact that we've made it to 32weeks. Tracie's blood pressure is great, urine test is great, weight gain is continuing (but we're too shy to share the numbers!!). The uterus is HUGE, and measures 49cm. Tracie is struggling with swollen limbs, back and hip pain, but is doing her best to keep our little sons safe inside for another month we hope. We once again saw our little boys on ultrasound and this time both boys are head down. We go for an official sonogram at 34weeks and will check the position of the placenta then. If it is low, we'll schedule a c-section, otherwise we are hoping for a natural delivery. We are now on weekly OB visits until birth.

Week 33

The week started out slowly. Tracie is feeling tired and sore, but still enjoying being pregnant. Her latest issues are a sore right hip and an irritatingly itchy belly. Other than that she is good!! On Wednesday we had an OB appointment. She measured Tracie's belly and it is now 50cm!! We also discovered that Tracie's blood pressure was on the high side (145/90), she had protien in her urine and swollen feet, ankles and hands that she's had for weeks. All of these symptoms can point towards pre-eclampsia so our OB decided to send Tracie for some tests the next day and Sal had to monitor her blood pressure at home. Later that night Sal checked Tracie's blood pressure with an old blood pressure machine and got a reading of 170/120. We rang our OB who said we should come into the labor and delivery ward to be checked out.

We collected up our carefully packed bags and headed to the hospital. On the way in, Sal had the sudden thought that her BP machine was probably broken, but we thought we'd best get checked anyway!! Tracie's blood pressure was 130/80 on arrival!!! Tracie was hooked up to the CTG machine for about 1-2 hours and our boys's heart rates were great. The midwives said they were very reactive. The boys had fun kicking the monitoring probes. Several contractions were also noted, but Tracie said they were the same braxton hicks she had been experiencing for weeks and they did not hurt. Our OB took some blood and urine for testing and decided Tracie should stay overnight for blood pressure monitoring.

We both stayed overnight and Tracie had her BP checked another few times throught the night and the next day. We had a 34week scan booked for this Saturday which they managed to move forward. We had the scan and the boys look great!! Twin A is the lowest and is still head down and lying in the lower left belly. Twin B is also head down and lying in the upper right belly. Twin A has an estimated weight of 2.363kg (5lb3oz) and Twin B is estimated to be 2.252kg (4lb15oz). These are great weights and we are very happy our boys are growing well. They also checked the blood flow in the umbilical which can be affected by high BP, but all is good for both babies. The scan also showed the cervix is still long and closed, which is good news. Twin A's placenta is still low, and at this point Tracie will probably need a c-section.

After a few more BP checks and getting the results of the blood and urine tests (all good), Tracie was sent home. Sal bought a new blood pressure machine and has the job of checking her BP twice a day for the rest of the pregnancy (latest reading 120/75). Tracie has been instructed to officially take it easy. She isn't allowed anymore coffee, shopping trips or walks. She is basically on bed/couch rest with toilet privledges. We have another OB visit on Monday and will update more then.

Week 34

All is going well. Tracie has been resting at home and getting thougoughly BORED!!!! She is sick of the TV, sick of the computer and sick of her book. We are both looking forward to the day our boys are born. Each day is a day closer. Tracie has been getting very itchy latley. Itchy belly, arms and legs. As each day of week 34 passed, a rash that began on Sunday got worse and worse. Hot, itchy and VERY annoying. It began on the belly and spread to the arms and legs. By Thursday is was awful and Tracie went back to visit our OB. The OB sent us to a dermatologist who instantly diagnosed PUPPPs. For those who dont know, PUPPPs is a rash that occurs towards the end of pregnancy. They dont really know why, but it is more common when carrying a boy, and more common in twins. The dermatologist gave Tracie a cream and some pills to take and things are settling down. The rash is still there, but slowly improving.

We had our OB visit on Monday. Tracie's blood pressure has come back down to a normal range and there is no protein in her urine. All is good with the boys, 2 healthy heart beats and both continue to lay head down. We had a discussion with her about the delivery plan and low lying placenta. We have decided to book a C-section at some point in the 37th week (May 5-10). The exact date is still being decided as our doctor needs to check with the other doctors and the hospital for available theatre time. We are excited about this plan as it is likley to be less that 3 weeks away!!!