Rambling 12-week post

It's another beautiful day in the Alps. I'm 12 weeks today, which I find almost impossible to believe. How in he world did we get here? It's been three weeks since I've seen the babies, and as the time passes, I get a little more nervous. I will be so relieved to see them at the ultrasound next Tuesday.

Italy has been nice. I eat a lot. The custom here is to eat a small breakfast, a pretty big lunch, and a decent dinner (unless we go out or to a friend's, which is usually the case, and dinner can be many, many courses), with no snacking in between, but I find I am hungry all the time. I keep some cheese in the fridge and a loaf of bread from the panetteria on the counter so I can snack whenever I feel like it, but when I'm starving 30 minutes before a delicious home-made meal, I have a hard time knowing what to do. I know, I know, the world has much bigger problems than my deciding what and when I should eat.

One of the funny things about Italy is that everyone has their own ideas about what a pregnant woman should and should not do, and it's very different than what I expected. For example, they are all completely shocked that I am not drinking (and in fact I really miss my nebbiolo). Some even tell me that beer and wine will help me make milk. Yet, they're horrified when I pet a cat because of toxiplasmosis, and they can't believe I am cross-country skiing, which I am nervous about only because of my knee surgery. It's interesting to see the way different cultures react to pregnancy.

In the meantime, I'm starting to grow a little belly. The average person on the street would not guess that I am pregnant, but my husband and I are beginning to see the changes. Actually, I just sort of look a bit rounder than usual. Since I tend to exercise and stay in decent shape, it is probably more obvious to me because my stomach isn't as flat anymore, even if it doesn't look like a real bump yet. I can tell my attitude towards my body is going to need some adjusting, which is something I will probably have to work at. Luckily, my husband is the most supportive guy in the world and always makes me feel beautiful, so I know I will have some back-up.

I apparently have not gained any weight, according to my in-laws' scale, which gave me an amount in kilos that I converted into pounds. I am nervous about gaining too much weight, but now I'm worried that I'm not gaining enough - shouldn't I have gained at least a few pounds in the first trimester, with twins? Oy. I'm hoping I can find a delicate balance between gaining enough for the babies (obviously priority #1) and not gaining so much that it will be hard to recover after the birth.

I've also started looking into things we'll eventually need to buy, and I am overwhelmed. I like to think I buy less stuff than average, and my husband is pretty anti-consumerism, but it is awfully hard for people without a clue to figure out what we really need and what is just extra fluff. The obvious stuff is at least obvious - crib, carseats, basic clothing, and diapers - but then there is a TON of other stuff, and then there are tons of variations on all that stuff. I'm hoping maybe the childbirth class I take will help? How do people figure this out?

Only a few more days here in Italy, then I'll be home before I know it. Back to work, unfortunately, but also ready for my week 13 NT scan. Woohoo! Can't wait to see the babies!