A little Q&A

So, there are some questions that we've been asked over and over. We figured this was the best place and time to answer some of those questions. Here are the more commonly asked questions, along with our answers:

1. When are you due?

Our official due date is December 2nd. Since twins are considered full-term at about 36 weeks, chances are the twins will be born in November, sometime.

We are excited that today is the beginning of Week 13!

2. Do twins run in your family?

Yes and No. Let me explain, as I understand it... fraternal twins are genetic and passed down through the maternal line in a family, although with the increased use of fertility drugs there has been a rise in the number of fraternal twins. There are twins in my family - my brother and his wife have fraternal twin boys, because twins run in my sister-in-law's family. As far as I know, there aren't fraternal twins in my mother's line.

Identical twins, on the other hand, are absolutely random.

3. Are your twins fraternal or identical?

Short answer: we don't know for sure, yet.

Long answer: At our last ultrasound they were hoping to determine whether our twins are identical or fraternal. The two things they look for are if there are one or two amniotic sacs and if there are one or two placentas. If there is only one amniotic sac (which is very risky), then you can know for sure that the twins are identical. In most cases fraternal twins have their own placentas, but there are exceptions to that when the two placentas can merge together to make one placenta. And, with identical twins, depending on how soon after conception the one fertilized egg splits apart is what will determine whether or not the identical twins have their own placenta and sac.

We were able to find out that our twins are in two different sacs, which is a REALLY good thing. But they couldn't tell yet if there were one or two placentas. Since there are cases where fraternal twins and identical twins can have their own placentas, I don't know that we'll know for sure until they're born, unless we find out that one is a boy and the other is a girl, then we'll know they're fraternal. But, either way, it would be preferrable for each twin to have their own placenta.

4. What fertility drugs were you taking?

NONE. We did the whole fertility thing in 2006. Hated it. Loved adoption. We were focusing 100% on our adoption plans. Hence, the huge SHOCK when this all happened. The only explanation we've been able to come up with is that this pregnancy is an absolute miracle. Er, more accurately, a DOUBLE miracle. Absolutely.

5. Have you started to "show" yet?

Not so that other people can tell yet, but I can tell. But, based on photos I've seen of other people who are pregnant or have been pregnant with twins, it won't be long before I'm huge, especially with my 5'3" frame. Yikes.

6. How is the morning sickness?

It was really bad for the first month. Throwing up multiple times day AND night. I lost ten pounds and was so concerned it was affecting the health of the babies. My doctor gave me a prescription for an anti-nausea drug called Promethazine. It gave me diarrhea. Sigh. Then, she gave me this "miracle drug" called Zofran. I take two or three a day, and it has helped me get back up to my starting weight. I still have nausea and moments of vomiting, but it's down to about once a week or so, thanks to the Zofran.

And, can I just say this one thing. As miserable as it is to be bending over the toilet, it has brought me so much joy. The fact that the intense sickness is a good sign of a healthy pregnancy, is considered such a huge blessing. I am SO HAPPY to go through a few weeks or months of vomiting, for the blessing of being a part of this miracle. Every day is counted a blessing and a miracle. The further I get, the more excited I feel, and the more I allow myself to think ahead and plan for our future with twins. I never thought I'd be able to experience any of this, and being apart of any aspect of it is amazing.

7. How is Marc feeling about everything?

Well, I think this deserves an answer from Marc, himself:

I'm simultaneously freaked out and really excited. And actually, considering it took about five minutes to write that sentence, I'd say I'm pretty speechless, too. I tend to over-think things like this, so I've sort of put the "ohmygosh ohmygosh" part of my mind on vacation for now. I try to think positive thoughts, and I avoid thinking of phrases like "evil twins" and those big twins on motorbikes you see in the Guinness Book.

By the way, Megan has a really calming attitude about this all. She's been very reassuring about it. In fact, to talk to Megan, you'd think we were about to give birth to the Doublemint twins. Which is nice, because that sort of counter-balances my biker twins imagery.

Any other questions?