Raffling Off Dates

At Kristina’s Baby Shower yesterday, there was some brief analysis of how long she will last before the twins arrive. Although I don’t think she heard me, I jested that I was going to start selling dates on the calendar in a betting pool.
 

Part of this started because of the details from the OB visit this week. With a “high risk” pregnancy, which twins almost always fall into such a category, there are very regular complete anatomy scans by ultrasound. Besides the peace of mind knowing the boys are healthy, one helpful detail is the ability to quite accurately interpolate their weight. At 26 weeks along, Grayson is 879 grams and Bennett weighs 967 grams. (That’s only 3 oz. difference and approximately 2 pounds).
 

Of course, as I eluded above, the great thing to know from these visits is the boys are healthy. We get to see not only feet, hands and faces but also measurements of their brains, spleens and bladders. But they both show every indication of perfect development. The ultrasound cannot measure kicking strength, but as room becomes less available in there, Kristina will call me over to feel the power of their leg muscles. Just feeling on her abdomen, I’m sometimes startled by their force.
 

Despite the joke of raffling off dates, it really is getting close to the time they will be here. We have a ton of things for the nursery, which I have yet to assemble most. But it’s still the weekend. However, the stuff isn’t really the point. I’m getting very excited (and honestly a little nervous) about seeing them for the first time outside the womb.
 

And now for the weekly staple, the general development synopsis from BabyCenter. One of the interesting things (and a very American boast) is that boys are already bigger than this description and we've seen the boys take “breathes” before on the ultrasound. Of course, the BabyCenter.com description is merely an average of normal gestation and each pregnancy is different, but it is interesting to compare our development cycle with the description below.
 

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about 1 2/3 pounds and measures 14 inches (about the size of a scallion) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.