Ever have fire ants crawling all over you?

In reading my decade old post from Week 35 of my twin pregnancy, I vividly recalled developing PUPPS.  Over the years I've described it as feeling like fire ants were crawling all over me, biting without mercy.  As big as I was those last few months, I stretched a lot during my summer bedrest, and stretch marks finally decided to show up in week 35.  Along with them came the most intense rash I've ever had.  Along with it came misery.

The doctor told me it was kind of like an allergic reaction to the male fetus.  Seventy percent of PUPPS sufferers are carrying boys, and the medical community theorizes it is the male DNA messing with the mother's system.  Given the current state of affairs in my home - with a nearly ten year old boy and his father, who clearly shares his DNA - I have no doubt that's what it was.  Messing with Mama.

It took nearly all my strength to get through week 35, and I didn't have much left after a hot July, when the air conditioning just couldn't keep up, on bedrest.  I had spent every day waddling downstairs to the couch, with the only semblance of a schedule to help me through the days being

• Gilmore Girls at 11 (a repeat of the one that aired the night before)
• Dr. Phil at 3
• Gilmore Girls at 5
• The Mets at whatever time they aired

David Wright and Jose Reyes were my heroes.  They gave me some excitement every day.  My husband and I had kept the babies' names a secret after we finally decided on them, and my father-in-law was convinced that I was going to name my son after my favorite Mets player.  On the way home from my last hospital monitoring appointment, he sneakily asked me who my favorite player was, trying to figure out the name!  

35 weeks Date: 07/28/2007 Well, for those of you who have been monitoring the belly pics, I officially cover the dresser, regardless of how close I stand to the wall or how much I arch my back! I measure 42 inches around (I was 37 inches at the shower), and I am stretched to capacity. The stretch marks finally came in this past week (yuk), and my belly hurts constantly. Hurts and itches... At the ultrasound this week the doctor told us that our babies scored a "16." This is good since the max score is 8. Ha ha. They also told us that it is increasingly difficult to get accurate growth/weight for twins, so we don't expect another approximated weight until the babies are born. At the rate I am growing and putting on weight, however, I wouldn't be surprised if they are both at least 6 lbs. The monitoring is grueling for me. For the non-stress tests I have to lay on my back strapped to three monitors until we can see a steady reading of the babies heartbeats. Unfortunately, both of our kids are rather active (which is probably part of the reason I don't sleep anymore), and getting this steady reading is sometimes difficult. The ultrasounds are also hard because I am on my back AND they press down on my tender belly. I realized the other day that when my dad and I go backpacking, he only lets me carry about 30-35 pounds in my ergonomic pack, which straps beautifully to my back. Now, however, I've got about 40 lbs strapped to my belly! Not so great for my posture or my weakened muscles. So I am ready for the babies to come. I'm hoping they make it to the 36 week mark and then decide to give their Mama a break and enter the world as happy babies. I can dream, right?