Nickname Challenge

We’re looking for nickname suggestions for what to call the twins until we find out what genders they are. Suggestions should be some sort of set (i.e. salt and pepper) but cannot suggest gender (i.e. Fred and Ginger) or sound painful to carry (i.e. anything sharp or huge!)

There’s no deadline, the contest ends when we find nicknames we like, and announce them on the site.

Just post your suggestions in the comments. Good luck!

Still in Shock

Wow... Twins.

The one possibility I hadn't read up on ahead of time. I'm totally excited, a tad bit terrified, and absolutely still in shock. Add that to mildly woozy and ready for a nap, and you can imagine the state I'm in as I try to get through my work day. I'm chomping down on ginger candies to hold off the nausea, but it isn't working very well today. I think I need protein. At least now I know why it is that I already feel like I'm starting to show, when I'm only at 7 weeks (5 weeks gestation) as of today!

Wow... Twins.

Firsts: Ultra Sound(s)

I nearly passed out when the gals who were doing the ultrasound asked how many babys we wanted...because before my very eyes I could have sworn I had seen two.


Sure enough...they confirmed that there were two....

Which means TWINS!!!

WOOOOT!

Momai is doing very well, we're both very excited and shocked. She's been really tired as of late and I don't blame her, producing two million cells a minute would take a toll out on any body.

We plan on giving Baby A and Baby B much more creative names right now we're just in shock and on cloud nine.

Baby A is slightly larger than Baby B but they both have very strong heart beats and were both 130.

I know one thing, my heart is beating x2, for the two new additions to our happy family.

Dream Post #1

Mombi has suggested that I ought to write down my pregnancy dreams somewhere. So I was thinking, how about here? I'll share last night's dream with you, and you let me know if you'd be amused by reading more, or if I should just keep this somewhere as a private torture. I'll warn you now, they almost all involve food in some way.

Mombi and I are at a Geico sponsored dinner. No, I have no idea why. It looks like we're some sort of special guests, though, because we're toward the front of the room. We're facing each other across the middle of a 6 foot diameter table, of the sort common in hotel banquet halls. The rest of the table's guests are all Geico salesmen, and they look almost identical. They probably aren't even related, but they have the exact same hair, and the exact same clothing.

As the dream opens, Mombi and I are giving each other looks of barely-contained misery across the table as the other guests laugh hysterically. Somehow I intuit (as we do in dreams) that Mombi and I have been stuck there for quite some time. There's cold and unappatizing food on our plates, the water glasses are nearly empty, and I'm longing for escape.

The laughter is just starting to slow when the guest to Mombi's left says (through gasps and snorts of laughter) "Wait... wait... I've got another one... Using Geico is so easy, a plumber could do it!" The table erupts with more laughter. "Ha ha ha! A plumber!" Then from one of the others: "Using Geico is so easy, a chiropractor could do it!" Some of the guys are literally wiping away tears at this point. One of them, whose face is beet red, is hooting like he's in labor. "Wah ha ha! A chiropractor! Woo-ee, that's a good one!" "Hey, hey, using Geico is so easy, a gas attendant could do it!"

This went on (in my dream) for about ten minutes, as Mombi and I stared at each other across the table, stony faced, pleading with each other to just get up and leave. Occasionally, one of the guests to our right or left would elbow us in the ribs, but for the most part they were totally oblivious to our presence. The dream ended as the head waitress indicated that we would be able to cash out in about half an hour.

I couldn't suffer through any more, so I woke up and went to raid the kitchen. Now, I leave it to you: Was that just too painful to read, or do you want more? I won't share them all, just the amusing/funny ones.

6 Weeks and 4 Days Pregnant

I can't believe that I've only known that I'm pregnant for a few weeks. It feels like forever. I know, I know, we have a LONG way to go. It just feels like the natural state of affairs. No morning sickness yet, but I have been dealing with borderline queasiness for a few days now. I discovered an article on American Baby that lists some common foods that people find help them with morning sickness (other than crackers) and decided to try ginger candies, since I love them anyway. They really help!

I also bought a jar of sushi ginger to keep in the fridge for when I need heavy artillery. It taunts me every time I open the fridge, though, so now I'm thinking that I'm going to have to break out the rice cooker and roll some sushi! No raw fish, of course, but I'll settle for some nice veggie rolls. Yummy! Mombi is right next to me and she just said that she's craving cinnamon rolls with orange glaze, straight from the oven. Nope, I'd rather have sushi. What's wrong with me?

Oh yeah. I'm pregnant!

A Very Demanding Lentil

Our kiddo is approximately the size of a lentil now, and is about to start the transition from looking like a malformed shrimp to looking like an alien. Go, lentil, go!

I have to say, though... This kid is needy. I mean really, how much resources can you pack into something that small? I've come to realize that for the next 7.5 months, I'm basically going to be functioning as a giant battery pack for the little one. It's a good thing that Mombi is keeping me plugged in to my own rechargers, via food and sleep. Last night she put me straight to bed when I got home from work, and then woke me up for short intervals throughout the evening and night to eat. Not counting when I was awake for feeding or to use the facilities, I slept 16 straight hours! At this time, I'd like to say thanks to all the union workers who worked so hard to institutionalize the concept of weekends off.

Bring on the Cravings!

Before I got pregnant, I assumed that I would be craving ice cream for 9 months, because I always crave ice cream anyway. I was looking forward to having a good excuse. Well, it hasn't exactly happened that way. For three weeks now, I've been craving vegetables. Baby peas in particular make me tremble with anticipation. Tomatoes are lovely, guacamole is good, and Chinese mixed veggies from the local take-out place are to die for. If only they were available in the vending machines at work!

So what about sweets? Well, so far I've just had a thing for flan. But any sweet treat (including the flan) can pretty much get in line behind the veggies. Yes, that's right, I'm chosing broccoli over chocolate. If I still doubted it, I now have definite proof that I'm pregnant!

Sleep is my new best friend.

It looks like I'm in for a few months of serious fatigue. I'd like to beg the forgiveness right now of anyone I ever mentally grouched at for not posting more frequently during the first trimester, and I beg your pardon now if I tend to slip in my own postings over the next few weeks. I'd probably just be talking about wanting to sleep, anyway.

I feel like I did when I had Epstein-Barr in high school. Ah, if only I could spend a month laying around the house like I did then! At least my brain isn't too addled yet, although I did make myself a plate of leftovers the other day and then make room for it in the center of the refrigerator so it could heat evenly. I didn't realize my folly until I was shutting the fridge door. We'll just hope that was an isolated incident.

So very, very tired...

The trip to Texas was fabulous, but pregnancy fatigue set in on our first full day there, and I was very sleepy the whole rest of the trip. I bet I spent over 50% of the time either sleeping or zoned out. Even now, I can hardly keep my eyes open. We had a good time, though. Mombi's dad and his wife are excited about our pregnancy (YAY!) and we had some great conversations with them about our upcoming plans.

The biggest event of the trip was that we all went to IKEA. I love their catalog, but I'd never been in one of their stores. Crazy us, we went on a Saturday afternoon! It was so busy that none of us could stand being there much over an hour, which was not nearly enough time to see the whole place. But we bought a rattle for the kiddo, and some funky fabric with which to make baby stuff.

Mombi found the most fabulous down-filled boluster pillow. It was all vacuum packed so we were going to pack it in our luggage like that, but the packaging somehow got punctured after we got it back to her parents' place, so I got to open it and use it. Let me tell you, it's one heck of a comfortable pillow. Her dad's dog kept barking at it, though. We're not sure what his issue was, but it was very funny.

We got back home around 11:30AM, and I immediately unpacked my precious pillow and fell asleep until 3. Then I woke up for a snack, followed quickly by my birthday dinner of 4-Cheese Totino's Party Pizza. I have never smelled anything so good in my entire life. What a great 28th birthday weekend. And to think... next year we'll have a 4 month old to celebrate with!

The Next Adventure is...

Mombi and I are flying to Texas this morning to spend the weekend with her dad and his wife. We'd planned to tell them that we were TTC when we saw them. Then we got a positive. So now, we'll be telling them in person that we're going to have a baby! Sure, we've told them before that we hoped to have a family. They just don't know that it's so close at hand. Or belly, as the case may be. We'll be flying with our fingers crossed!

We'll be back on Monday, just in time for me to blog my official 28th birthday post.

Cheers!

HCG at 19DPO

2860! ACK!

Our Success Factors

Whenever someone in the TTC community gets a positive pregnancy test, there’s a flurry of speculation about what made the difference that month. Since we got our BFP the first time we did an IUI, we can’t really tell you what we did differently. We can, however, share some of the factors that we credit with our success:

Soundtrack: There were some very appropriate songs playing on the radio right after our IUI that probably encouraged swimming in the right direction. See previous post for a list.

Dressing the Part: After the IUI, I wore my lucky Super Girl attire (not as pictured) for the rest of the day.

Good vibes: We hung around with my brother’s family a couple days after our IUI, and the happy kid vibe of playing in the pool with them probably helped to inspire and motivate our own little one.

Coaching: Mombi gave daily instructions to my abdomen, detailing what to expect next and what to do.

Gifts from friends: Our friend Amy gave our dog some squeaky toys as an early “big sister” gift a few days before we got our results. Our friend Fifi gave me a shirt that she envisioned me wearing during early pregnancy, which I wore the day I had my beta test done. I was wearing it when I got the results.

Of course, when it comes down to it, it's mostly a matter of luck. We don’t know if any of these will help you to get lucky in your own quest for the illusive BFP, but that’s what we "credit" with our success. Best of luck to all of you still trying. Keep the faith, and know that we're pulling for you!

Doin' the Happy Pregnant Dance

I just got a call from my doctor, and my HCG level is up to 952. In the nurse's words, that's outstanding. Just like my belly will be soon!

I know it won't be this easy forever, but today I'm really feeling that this pregnancy is going to treat me well. To be honest, it's actually Mombi that's treating me so well. She wakes me up with breakfast in bed each morning so that I can have lots of good food in my belly before I even get out of bed. She indulges my desire for peas for dinner. If I mention a food, she threatens to stock pile it just in case I develop a craving emergency. She gives the kiddo little zerberts and kisses. She gives me big zerberts and kisses. She is absolutely, hands down, the best woman in the Universe (sorry ladies, but it's true) and I can't imagine not having her here enjoying this with me.

So what's next? Well, a friend of mine is going to give me a crash course in knitting tomorrow, so I can eventually knit my own diaper covers. Party time!

Channelling My Inner Wimp

So far in my pregnancy, the hardest thing for me has been to not push myself too hard. I’m accustomed to spending the weekends hauling furniture and other projects around my apartment. I’m accustomed to carrying two 24-packs of water bottles at a time rather than ask for help, just to prove that I’m not a “girl.” I regularly declare that I can handle anything heavy around the office, because I used to play rugby. “I can do it myself.” “I need the workout.” “I call this strength training.” I may dress fairly girly most days, but I have the heart of a domesticated butch.

So for me to have to say “sorry, I shouldn’t be lifting anything that heavy” is really tough for me. I’m trying to make compromises with myself, to ease myself into it slowly. For example, I can carry more weight if it can be carried in such a way that it doesn’t put pressure on my abdomen. So, I can carry more on my shoulder or under my arm than I can carry in front of me. I can carry more if it is in small bags and balanced on my right and left sides.

The Other Side is Swell

I don't know how long this stage lasts, but so far the biggest change between TTC and being pregnant is that I'm no longer searching for signs that something could be very right, and instead I'm looking for signs that anything could be very wrong.

I'm still massively puffy and more than a bit uncomfortable from the drugs, and I look like I'm about 4 months pregnant, not just one! The nurse at my fertility clinic assured me that this can happen and that I should be fine. I'm to call them immediately if it suddenly gets much worse, starts to hurt, or makes me short of breath. It's probably just gas and hormones, but part of me insists on being worried that it's something very bad, like a triple ectopic pregnancy or something crazy like that.

I guess that I'll just have to wait until Monday's blood test to make sure my levels are still good. I'll have them poke my belly while I'm there and tell me if it's normal. In the meantime, I'm instructed to drink Gatorade. Yech.

By the way, my HCG level on 13DPO was 169. Pretty good!

Great News to Share!

I'm pregnant!

For the past few days, I've been changing my mind every hour or so as to whether I was sure I was or sure I wasn't. I have to tell you though, I didn't realize just how not sure I was until the doctor's office told me I was pregnant. The nurse had to tell me twice. I just didn't believe that I'd heard correctly. I managed to stay totally calm while I got my directions (keep taking suppliments, come see us on Monday) and then hung up.

Immediately, I called Mombi. She answered on the first ring, but the connection was apparently not very good on her end:

"Hi! Did they call?"
"Yup! I am!"
"They told you?"
"Yes, they said I'm pregnant!"
"Did they call?"
"Yes!"
"Hang on, I can't hear you. Let me move over to the door. Sorry. Did they call?"
"Yup! And I am!"
"You're pregnant?"
"I'm pregnant!"

(This part you'll have to imagine, because I can't figure out how to type it. She started squealing and cheering and yelling Yes! Yes! Yes! and making lots of loud whooping sounds. She was holding the phone away from her mouth, so I figured she was also dancing and throwing her arms in the air. On my end, I had the phone about a foot away from my ear, and I could still hear her. I wish I had a recording of it!)

Then the phone went dead.

She called right back. "Sorry, I got too enthusiastic and lost the connection!" I don't remember much of the rest of the conversation, just lots of grinning and happiness.

Firsts: Blood Test Results

I have very few words, and an even shorter babble......

Test results from this morning's blood test are postive.

WOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

YES

YES

YES

WOOOOOT!!!!!!

WE ARE PREGNANT

One Day and Counting

My rotten temp is down a bit today. True, I woke up with half of me uncovered, but still. Which do I believe? That one, or yesterday's when I was extra warm? I swear... I wanted to just run out and by an HPT to get it over with. But if I got a positive I'd worry it was a false positive (see earlier post) and if it was negative I'd wonder if it was a false negative, so what is the point?

I'll hold out because I don't have much choice, and 24 hours from now I'll be on the way to the repro clinic for a pregnancy blood test before work. Then all I have to do is remain sane and concentrate on my job until they call with the results. Yeah, that's going to happen. Riiiight. I don't know if I can handle the pressure of waiting for them to call with the result, when I have no idea what it is going to be!

Let's Have Fun with BBT

(High Basal Body Temperature can be a sign of pregnancy.)

If your temp is up, you wonder if it is just because the cat was sleeping on your feet. If it goes down, you wonder if perhaps you had your covers on more tightly the night before. You monitor how many layers you have on you each night with religious ferocity. If you skipped the flannel PJ pants on 1DPO, they’re out for the rest of the cycle, no matter how cold you get.

If you’re on progesterone supplements, you wonder if you’d have a temp of 96.2 F without them. If you wake up 10 minutes before the alarm, you lay in bed motionless, think bland thoughts, and “pretend” to be asleep so that nothing will change before it is your exact usual time to take your temp.

The most recent temperature always indicates the trend. If it has gone down by .06 degrees, you couldn’t possibly be pregnant. You’re sure it will plummet the next day. If it goes up by .06, it’s time to celebrate and do some “nesting” before work, because this must be your lucky cycle.

If your temp chart looks like a zig-zag, Goddess help you keep your sanity. But if you do lose it, don't worry. It could just be a sign of pregnancy.

Prometrium side effects can kick your butt.

I know how you feel, kiddo.

Benefits of HCG Trigger Shots

I'm about to go grocery shopping, and I mentioned to Mombi how bummed I am that our new local grocery store doesn't have special parking spaces reserved for pregnant women. I was really looking forward to parking our rainbowed car in the ones where we used to live.

I'm going to shop at the old store today because I need something from the pet store next door, so Mombi said, "Hey, go ahead and park in one of them while you're there. If they make you take a pregnancy test to prove it, you know it will be positive!" My girl cracks me up. She's so brilliant! I won't do it, of course, but still.

(For those of you that don't know, the trigger shot is the same hormone that pregnancy tests detect. So since I still have the trigger shot in my system, any home pregnancy test will show a positive result.)

2:30 AM. Crackers, please.

So this morning at 2:30 AM I woke up wanting crackers. I bet you already figured that out, right? Well anyway, yeah, I did. I was feeling a bit nauseous, and needed something in my stomache. (Now I know what you're thinking, and it did cross my mind, but no. I think it was more a symptom of having chicken/mushroom/green olive pizza for dinner last night than an early sign of pregnancy. Why the heck did I eat that for dinner? OK, now you've got me.) They were good crackers, and did their job nicely, but I have to ask... Why is it that only crackers can fill this need to settle the stomach quickly, and yet they are so inherently dry that they're misery for a two-AM mouth? Someone over at the Keebler factory needs to get on this.

So after my crackers, I'm laying in bed, feeling good, and it occurs to me how nice it would be to do an embroidery panel version of my fertility chart as a gift for Terri Weschler as a thank-you for all her work promoting FAM. We didn't even use FAM this cycle, it was all drugs and ultrasounds. And I don't do embroidery.

Yeah, someone needed a few more hours of sleep!

This life rocks!

Life is fabulous. OK, so money is tight and there are some stressful moments here and there, but all in all, life rocks. I have an amazing wife, and a family that loves and accepts me. I have friends who have known me long enough to remember me bald and hot to get into a political debate, and friends who have met me recently and can’t imagine what I would look like with hot pink hair out on a dance floor.

All of these people are dear to me, and I’m so glad to have them (you) all along for the journey as we strive to create yet another amazing life. I think about how much I’ve seen and done, and how much I have left to see and do. My list for the future includes so much. I picture Mombi and the kiddo and I, lounging on mats in the children’s library, camping and hiking, heading off on mysterious trips of discovery to uncharted and magical lands in a high styling retro RV, making pancakes and “ants on a log.” There’s so much to look forward to!

Firsts: Momai

When I first met my partner, it was through her writing; a profile on a GBLT personals site and she was seeking friendship in the area that she was currently living.

Wow! Guess what so was I!

The keywords that made me look at her profile was that she was a Phoenix Soul I love the phoenix myth, rising from the ashes of your own distrction to bring life anew. So out of

Perhaps someday I will write the story, but one thing I do know..is that now, this time in my life and for the past five years Momai has made me the happiest woman possible.

Now, she is going to give me, us, the greatest gift possible for a couple.

To my wife I thank you for more than I can explain,

My first true love I am forever yours I am honored to be Mombi to your chilren

What's in a name?

One of the parenting dilemmas that is nearly unique to gays and lesbians is the question of what the child should be taught to call the parents. Although straight grandparents are well familiar with this process, straight parents don't generally consider it to be a matter worthy of much debate. For the lesbian or gay couple, however, it can be just as difficult, if not more difficult, as choosing the child's name!

Mombi and I spent many conversations debating the pros and cons of various combinations. While lamenting the difficulty of choosing, one of us suggested that we should just be Mom A and Mom B. Nice and simple. Like a stray with a nickname, within 24 hours we were stuck with it.

We've changed the pronunciations a bit so that it isn't quite so harsh, so now Mom A is Momai pronounced mum-AY, and Mom B is Mombi pronounced MOM-bee. Not too bad. And of course, the child could decide to call us something totally different. The dog and cat seem to like it, though, so for now it works just fine.