21 weeks... Aches and pains vs Kicks and Jabs

Oh me, oh my, this belly is growing! At 21 weeks, my short statured frame is definitely feeling the weight of my tummy and these babies. Even though they were only 10 and 9 ounces at my 19 week ultrasound, my body is starting to ache in response to the ever growing changes. My body, specifically my back, is just not used to this weight. Back pain, lordosis, leg cramps, you name it. I'm starting to feel it. Thankfully, I don't feel so swollen as I do large. No evidence of swelling in my feet yet, which is good. But good lord, this belly. My co-workers at the hospital keep telling me that I look good and even look smaller than they thought I would for having twins, but I feel HUGE!! And with 4 more months to go, it's daunting thinking that things will only get bigger!

I am anxious to have my next doctor's appointment next week, as I am always anxious to see how the babies are doing and how my cervix is holding up. There are just so many unknowns with this being my first pregnancy. And it's with twins! An experience that not everyone can relate to. I am blessed in that I have a surprising amount of co-workers who have had twins (it must be the hospital water!). Their advise, and the advise of even my singleton mommies, have been so helpful! I found a new love, appreciation, and fascination in hearing everyone's baby/birth stories :)

So besides the back pain, I am feeling quiet well. I mean, I would take the back pain over the first trimester nausea any day! They say most women feel much better during their second trimester and in many ways it's true. I am so glad to be rid of the morning/night sickness, the extreme fatigue, and the unwanted adult ache that I experienced in my first trimester. However, I am constantly worried about any changes in my body. This being my first pregnancy, I never know if something is normal. So I am definitely going into my next appointment with more questions this time.

But with the aches and pains of my growing peanuts, comes the wonder and amazing sensations you begin to experience as the babies grow! I am finally seeing how women come to love being pregnant and how this aspect of pregnancy can be addictive. For the longest time, I've been wondering when exactly I'll start to feel the babies move and what they will feel like to me. Every women's perception of this is different. I believe the notion of "quickening" happened to me around the 18-19 weeks. At first I couldn't distinguish whether what I was feeling was actually the babies moving, gas, or just my imagination. Initially, I thought I was having an arrhythmia, but my heart is fine so I figured it must be the babies. This irregular palpitation-like feeling (which I only could focus on at night while resting in bed) eventually turned into a popping popcorn-like sensation, which I associate to the "fluttering" that everyone talks about.

It was only in the past few days that I finally felt these little kicks and jabs coming from within my stomach/uterus. It feels as if a localize spot of my uterus is twitching when I poke it or am sitting/lying down. Its not constant, but I rationalized that it must be the babies since when under any other circumstances do you feel something else poking you back from within your stomach? It's truly amazing! And I'm so happy that my husband was able to feel them poke back today! I can't wait to experience these sensations as they become more frequent and strong as the babies get bigger :)