Most Frequently Asked Questions

Since I'd seen so many people this past week at a training conference that I haven't seen since November I got a lot of really good questions...here's the most common/best ones I've gotten:

1. Are you going to have more after this? Wow, really? I hope we can survive with these two! I cannot say now if we will have more - but I won't say no yet! When Todd and I got married he wanted 4, I wanted 2 so we settled on 3. Then we said we'd be happy with 1 through InVitro. So we'll see how the first 2 years go with these babies before we decide on more!
2. Are you going to go back to work? Yes! These babies need food, diapers, and college funds! I enjoy working, I enjoy who I work with. I hope to be able to return to work in the same capacity that I have now. I feel like a bad mom to say I know that I want to go back to work, but I think it's more of a numbers game and financially it's necessary. I am planning on taking my 12-weeks FMLA and then todd will take his 12-weeks unpaid FMLA afterwards so we will have a good amount of time before we have  to put them in daycare. 
3. Are you having any weird cravings or aversions? I loved weird food before so I can't say I'm having any weird cravings. Nothing like pickles dipped in ice cream or weird stuff like that. The only craving I can really remember is V-8 in the first trimester. Couldn't get enough of that stuff, and now it's back to being a disgusting drink. I've always had an insane sweet tooth so the chocolate eating cannot be attributed to that. 
4. How else are you feeling? Honestly, I feel great. I am not as tired as I was first trimester, I never had morning sickness, I don't think I'm having mood swings (you'll have to ask Todd on that!). I do have mental lows I wouldn't call depression but I do feel really down sometimes that requires me to just come home and go to sleep. But physically I'm feeling good. 
5. Can you feel them kicking? Every now and then yes I can! The doctor said I have an "anterior placenta" which means the babies are growing on the side furthest from my belly button. Not a bad position, just where they are. So it may take a little longer to feel them since they have to go through the placenta, the uterus, the muscle, and the extra padding I had to start out with. I can feel them from the inside, sometimes I can feel a kick on the outside. Todd still hasn't been fortunate enough to catch them in action. 
6. How is Todd dealing with this? Todd would carry these babies if he could! He's nesting, he's shopping, he's researching, he's singing to my belly. Just absolutely stoked, the next 12-14 weeks will be the hardest of his life! He's usually not the impatient one in the relationship. 
7. Do you have family around to help? Todd's side of the family all lives within 30 minutes which is great, and there are already lots of children so there's "experts" around to ask questions to and get help. I haven't been the greatest at the family-bonding but I know that nobody wants to see unhappy or unhealthy babies so they will be in good hands. And although my side of the family is all over, I know that they will be praying for us everyday, calling to check in, and coming down whenever they can which is more than we can ask for. And of course there are some really great friends that we have here too that are all excited for babies (probably they are most excited that they aren't the ones having the babies...). 
8. Are you going to nurse? Heck yes for a couple of reasons! First, health benefits both for me and the babies. If I can shed the pounds faster while helping provide nutrients to my babies there is no doubt. Second, financially much cheaper to buy bottle liners and a pump than $35 formula that will last a week! Lastly, my lady lumps are huge...God better have given me these for a purposeful reason!    
9. Are you keeping your dogs? My dogs are my first babies, of course they will stay. My dogs have very good temperament when they are around familiar things. They are protective and playful dogs, I have no doubt in my mind that they will be fabulous at cleaning up after messes, providing entertainment, and sniffing out poopy diapers. It will be hard keeping them quiet and under control but they are family. I think MacGyver knows there are babies growing in my belly. He's been very protective of me lately (won't play outside with Todd if I'm still inside) and he'll lay on the couch and lay his head on my stomach. He's very gentle around me, he's a smart cookie. 
10. Are multiples common in your family? Remember, not everyone knows our IVF adventure...so it's a very valid question for those that don't know the science behind our babies. I've answered differently depending on who it is. Of course the answer is always "No, we're the first!"; sometimes if the conversation lasts longer I'll divulge that "science helped us" and that usually ends the conversation too. At least the question isn't right off the bat, "did you conceive naturally"? 
11. Are you going to deliver naturally?  I'm going to do whatever the doctors recommend. It's not guaranteed we'll have a C-section, it all depends on how big they are, how they are positioned, etc. I'm not a crazy hippie that wants to feel all of the pain - regardless I will be heavily drugged whether I'm pushing or they're pulling them out.