35 Weeks Pregnant

35 weeks and just 13 days away from when we are in the clear for our home birth! With a singleton this would not be a concern but since twins tend to come before 38 weeks, we are all holding our breath until we hit January 24th! Of course, I have said it before, I could end up being a “unicorn” that has twins at beyond 40 weeks. I see it posted all the time on my twin community boards but really it is the exception more than the rule. We just have to be prepared for anything!
This week the discomfort has really hit me. I believe the babies dropped and with that came a sort of pulling feeling at the top of my bump, like it is being stretched. Still no marks but it is itchy/sore. At this point I have about 11 pounds of baby in me not to mention all the other goodies that add weight to my growing belly so I imagine the strain on my muscles and skin and pretty intense.
This week I have been sick which has really, well, sucked. Normally my head colds hit me hard and are over in a couple of days but by tomorrow night I will have had this one for a full week and it has been no fun, especially because I was just sick a month ago. Not super convenient when trying to get everything ready. I still have lots to do and it really NEEDS to be done by the time I hit 37 weeks. I know it will. I get through a little (and sometimes a lot) of it every day. The days (and there are many) that I am unable to fall asleep during Elijah’s nap time end up being a blessing because that is when I get the most done. Still there is lots of Elijah’s old stuff that will go to the babies to sort through and put away. But I feel like we are almost there. I am looking forward to when I can relax….exhale….because it is finished and just wait………
I am happy to say that I have 13 frozen meals (several of which will last more than two days!) for after the babies arrive! It is nice to know that our family can enjoy some home cooking without having to do more than defrost and reheat. I will be making my lactation support cookies this week, planning to double or triple the batch so I have enough to get me through the first month or two!
So other than stretched out, how am I feeling? Well, pretty tired. But there are these bursts of energy (nesting!) that are super helpful and I have to admit I am pretty impressed with how much I am still able to do.  The babies’ movement has slowed down a great deal in the past couple weeks since they are no doubt running out of room. By I still get jabs here and there and Rory seems to be a repetitive kicker, like he is trying to either move his brother out of the way or get out himself.  It’s almost like the pattern of someone knocking on the door with persistence.
Elijah continues to be my angel baby. He happily rubs oil on Mama’s belly, gives the babies kisses and loves the number TWO because we are having TWO babies. I believe he understands that there are, in fact, babies in Mama’s tummy. I DO NOT think he realizes that they are coming out eventually. I’m hoping as we talk about things that are for the babies (their crib, swing, etc), he may not think of them as forever in Mama’s tummy. I have also showed him pictures of when HE was in Mama’s tummy but I am pretty sure he doesn’t grasp that concept.
Today, we did our grocery run which included a stop all the way to Trader Joe’s 45 minutes away and I have been hard at work getting some cleaning and organizing done. After that, I decided we needed to do 35 weeks pictures. I tell you this to explain why I look pretty raggedy in this edition of belly pictures.