Pregnant with Twins 32-34 Weeks

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This week we had another mile marker, another WAAAYYY out there date – Rob’s birthday – that seemed impossible back in February and March. Lucy’s birthday is this weekend, and I wondered way back then just how I would be feeling at this point in time. Will they come early and share a birthday week? Will I be miserable?

The answers are looking like no and not totally. I have this resignation that they will never be born, ever, and in fact they are just a prop in my belly, and that carrying around this belly is my new normal.

^Look at that! She switched things up with a new angle.

Perhaps this is because my OB scheduled a C-section at our last appointment (they are both breech), and she put it on October 17.

October 17.

4 weeks away. The day we booked the c-section, I was totally depressed. I am ready to tap out now I thought. I’ve been ready to tap out for at least a month.  I knew that going before 36 weeks meant the babies could have trouble breathing, and this of course was my doctor’s logic to waiting until after 38 weeks. But how in the world was I going to last until then?

My attitude was largely due to the fact that I was on the tail end of being really sick with the worst case of bronchitis I have ever had. With no room in my body to cough or breath, I couldn’t sleep at all, and I lived for my breathing treatments every 4 hours. (Isn’t this post SO fun?) I actually forgot about how uncomfortable my belly was because I was so sad about how much my lungs and ribs hurt. It will just go down as the hardest week of this pregnancy.

But in the week that followed, as I started to feel better and get more sleep, my attitude improved. Where I was feeling trapped by thinking of going 4 more weeks, I started to just think of it as my countdown and just accepted it. And in that finite structure of a month, I began to get my bearings, think about what was still possible in those weeks. Writing. Reading. Allowing myself to binge watch TV (so far, Scientology: The Aftermath and Billions have been my go-tos). Trying to take each day at a time, enjoy my kids, and let myself rest.  I focused on appreciating a full night of sleep since it will be the last for a little while. I went on date nights with my husband.

Of course I could go sooner but my babies always tend to hang on to me, blowing past due dates and induction dates that were set, but couldn’t be completed because conditions weren’t ‘favorable to induce’. Not that anyone is counting but they were all born at 40W, 41.8W, 41W (with a failed induction at 40W), and 39.8W (with a successful induction). So of course it makes sense I would carry twins to 38.5 weeks. Shaving a mere 10 days off of my singleton pregnancies.

But as I quickly approach 35 weeks, and there are only 3 weeks left, I am all of the sudden…fine. I am working hard on trying to finish my next book. My bag is not packed for the hospital but the babies bag is ready, and our bedroom is ready for our little co-sleepers when they come home. I am not in love with the amount of doctor appointments I have especially with 2 NSTs (non-stress tests) per week. The last one I had they kept me there for THREE hours because I got Starbucks right before and apparently a Salted Carmel Latte and Croissant make these boys think they are in a mosh pit or something.

They couldn’t complete measuring their heart beat for 20 minutes so I had to walk over to the birthing center for a more complete NST and when that didn’t work they sent me down to get an ultrasound with BioMarkers. (They scored an 8 out of 8, and I kind of felt like it was all a little unnecessary). But of course, hearing their heartbeats and seeing them is always awesome. I read somewhere in a twin pregnancy to let all these appointments at the end be a chance for you to bond with the babies, and it is great advice. I just hope we can bond for less then three hours next time.

So unless something amazing happens, you’ll probably see this belly reach inhuman proportions at a 36 week update. I don’t even want to think of how big I will be at 38 weeks so let’s just not talk about it.

xoxo Katie

Peach Brioche Bread Budding

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Peach season is winding down, and you may be looking for ideas on how to use up the last of your bushel (if you haven’t already eaten every last one in its wonderful naked form).  This dish marries two of my favorite things: seasonal fruit and bread pudding.

I fell in love with bread pudding after trying it at some of the quintessential New England restaurants in the area. If you have never tried this rich, comforting dessert, I would try to rectify that immediately. Once I learned how easy (and frugal) bread pudding was to make I was hooked. Don’t let the title ‘Peach Brioche’ slow you down AT ALL because you can use any good bread that you were smart enough to throw in your freezer or that you have on hand that is stale – french bread, sour dough, challah. All good. Typically recipes require the bread to be stale so that it soaks up the milk/cream/egg mixture better. It seems to be the perfect consistency when it has been in the freezer for a few months too.

I got into the habit of grabbing a loaf of brioche whenever I saw it at the store because it makes the best french toast – I love having a loaf in the freezer. So when I saw this recipe for bread pudding from a farm up north (that I can’t remember the name of, sorry farm!), I knew I wanted to make it with brioche even though they suggested french bread or sour dough. This decision did not disappoint – the brioche made it so velvety, rich and decadent, I would go for it every time.

But bread pudding is so flexible that use whatever bread vehicle you have on hand. In that spirit, when I went to make this I realized I didn’t have whole milk or cream, which really make the dish so rich, thick and custard-like. But betting on how flexible bread pudding is I went ahead and just used the milk I had in the fridge (skim or 1%). It was still so so good, soft and fluffy with just milk, so don’t let a lack of cream stop you from making it either.

The star of the dish though is fresh peaches. Our neighbor gave us so many we couldn’t eat them fast enough.

I love how the maple syrup and cinnamon are such light, subtle notes in this dish. I would never have though to pair them with peaches and yet they all have such a mellow, delicate, sweet perfumes that they help elevate this dish. Feel free to adjust the maple syrup to more or less depending on how sweet you like it (or just serve it with some on the side and eaters can adjust to their preference).

If you don’t make it in time for peach season, the fruit in this dish is very versatile – try pears and cranberries with perhaps white sugar as the sweetener, or plums and brown sugar, or even bananas and caramel or chocolate. But if you still have peaches, trust that this dish does justice to this fruit season that closes out summer and ushers in fall.

Happy Eating! xoxo Katie

Peach Brioche Bread Pudding (printer version here):

Ingredients:

Brioche, French, or Sourdough Bread, cubed  (about 8 cups)

3 c. peaches, peeled and cut into chunks

8 eggs

3/4 c. maple syrup 

2 c. whole milk (can use skim or 2% it will just be less creamy)

1/2 c heavy cream (can replace with milk it will just be less creamy)

Dash of cinnamon

Crumble Topping:

3/4 c. flour

3/4 c. maple or lt brown sugar

½ t. cinnamon

1 stick butter, cut into small cubes

 

Directions:

Grease bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Line bottom with cubes of bread crumbs. Lay peaches on top.

Mix together all wet ingredients: eggs, maple syrup, milk, cream, and cinnamon. Pour over top of bread and peaches. Soak all night, or 4-6 hours if necessary.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 min. While it is cooking mix together crumble topping: flour, light brown sugar or maple sugar, cinnamon, and butter cubes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add crumble topping.  Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with extra maple syrup if desired, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.

 

Pregnant with Twins 30-32 weeks

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I am writing these updates for other women who are pregnant with twins because I keep looking for them – shared experience is a powerful thing. You all have been so supportive every time I post one though, and I was honestly not expecting the outpouring of kindness, so thank you!

In trying to keep these honest, I worry that they might just sound negative, and as this pregnancy goes on I am focused on staying positive and trying to avoid the negative spiral that fatigue and pain can trigger. So I will just say this: imagine measuring full term 40 weeks (which I am), carrying babies that weigh between 4-5 lbs. (so, like a 10 lb baby) and then having 6 weeks to go.

But also: there are two healthy babies in there! Who already provide lots of entertainment to my other kids when they have a dance party after dinner. Think of two puppies in very tight bag and you get the idea. I’m trying to focus on the fact that every week is a progression towards having babies with less eating and sleeping challenges that will come home sooner rather than later after they are born. When I am really tired and don’t feel well it is so hard to remember this (basically all of yesterday), but then a good night sleep reminds me of the bigger picture. Lucky for you (and posterity) I am writing this today.

Plus, this week there as been so much news from the flooding in Houston that puts everything into perspective. I am sure there is a twin pregnancy (or singleton, or newborn or nursing baby) that has a mom who is also battling displacement, hunger, loss of property and possibly life.

In addition, in the last week, I learned of the death of a beautiful baby named Colin, who was born at 34 weeks with hydrops, an 11 year old who died in a boating accident, and a good friend shared the story of losing her baby Lily after she was born at 40 weeks. She found out at her 20 week ultrasound that she was missing the part of her brain that would regulate her breathing outside the womb. I will never take a healthy ultrasound for granted – something I already knew but just had a powerful reminder. Life is heavy sometimes, and I hope we can help others carry those parts together.

These last two weeks brought us through two of our biggest transitions – meeting our new au pair and the kids starting school. These dates loomed on the calendar and felt so far away, and now they are here. The great news is we feel like we won the au pair lottery. Louise is mature, kind, funny, grateful, and very willing to help, so I know we are going to be in good hands.

And the new school year has brought a structure that is exhausting in the beginning, but will mean everyone is settled on a solid, happy path when the babies come, and I am up all night and knee-deep in diapers and feedings. I could not be any more proud of these beautiful people.

While they are in school, I am hoping to do a lot of writing and reading, which make me forget about my fatigue and my heavy belly, or the fact that walking is difficult. I have already had a few great windows to work and it feels so good. And I am excited to dive into good books – I have been meaning to read My Brilliant Friend for a long time, so it is up on the reading stack. And I finally bought Slow Motion, Dani Shapiro’s memoir of the year after her parents car accident which killed her father and left her narcissistic mother in need of her care. And I will hopefully fill our freezer with meals for after the babies come. Let me know any good recommendations you might have on either the book or the food front!

So prayers for Houston, thanks to Louise, and yay for things like schedules, warm meals, and good books to comfort weary souls.