Double Your Baby, Double Your Chin

My chin is multiplying. I’ve always had a somewhat full face, and this past week it has started filling out even more. Double chins are my all-time least favorite body characteristic to have. Bring on the cankles, puffy sausage fingers, and swollen feet—just spare my chin! Alas, no such luck. I’ve also had a horrible time sleeping this week, as my sides and ribs really ache at night. My most comfortable position is propped up on my back at a 45 degree angle with 5 pillows. I hope this is okay and my uterus is not crushing any vital organs. Wouldn’t I be able to tell? My belly skin is so stretched it has gone numb in most places and is very shiny. The places that aren’t numb are hot and itchy.

Overall, though, I’m doing well at 23 weeks. When I think about the pregnancy symptoms I haven’t had—nausea, constipation, hemorrhoids—I count myself very lucky. I do get bad indigestion, and I can no longer eat large meals, especially for dinner, as there just isn’t any room. I pee all the time and can feel well-aimed kicks to my bladder. (Perhaps I have some little soccer players in there?) H took some belly pictures for the first time this weekend, so I’m working up the courage to post them. Seriously, you need to see how big I am. I’ve got a watermelon hidden under my shirt and a kiwi under my chin. For the first time, my boobs seem small in comparison to my stomach.

Moving around has become much, much more difficult this week. I feel so heavy and slow. I now see why my doctor encouraged me to get out while I still could. I’m often out of breathe just going from the bus stop to my office. I’ve started driving a lot more to work because of it. H and I have completed a lot of shopping—we have the cribs, car seats, stroller, dresser/changing table, and bedding—plus we registered this weekend. It was fun buying stuff, as I’m trying not to stress so much about something going wrong.

That’s not to say I don’t worry. And people still feel the need to share plenty of twin pregnancy gone wrong stories with me, which I'm really starting to resent. I mean, really, people. If you can't say something nice...
When people announce their wedding engagement, do you automatically tell them about the couples you know who are divorcing?

Prematurity is my biggest concern lately, as I can’t imagine how big I will be in April, let alone May when the babies are due. How much further can I stretch? My tight, flat stomach was always a source of pride to me. Now I’m wishing I had started this pregnancy with at least a little gut or flabbiness so that my body would have more material to work with. The movie Alien was on the other day, and I now think a multiple pregnancy must have been the inspiration for the Alien’s big debut into the world. With every strong kick I get to my belly button (a rather soft spot on an otherwise hard containment unit), I imagine a baby foot suddenly breaking through. Okay, no more sci-fi channel for me at night.