Week 29 - October 27, 2012

How Far Along: 29 Weeks

[caption id="attachment_472" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Still smiling, but wondering how it is at all possible that I could actually continue to get bigger.[/caption]

Twenty-Nine Weeks was considerably quieter than the last month...a much needed break.  I did have another gestational diabetes screening (with multiples, you get an early screen and the standard 28-30 week screening because your risk is higher for GD), and while I was waiting for the one and two-hour blood draws.  I was treated to young pregnant woman repeatedly blowing chunks in the waiting room.  I wanted so badly to be charitable and feel badly for her, but all I could do was try to suppress my own sympathetic vomiting instincts.  I must have looked a little green around the gills, because the office staff asked me repeatedly if I was okay (which I was).

I am in full-on nesting mode...do not get between me and my plans.  I crossed all sorts of things off my list this week, including setting up a hospital tour, making an appointment with a pediatrician, setting up newborn care and breastfeeding classes, various nursery 'stuff' and MOST importantly, buying the twins their requisite 'coming home from the hospital outfits'.  Spoiler alert - there are bear ears involved.  In fact, when I took them out to show them to Nick and said (in all seriousness), "this is happening", all he could do was laugh and nod his head.

The down-side of the nesting mode is that is has also coincided with a general exhaustion/lack of energy mode.  It is beyond frustrating to have so many things you want to accomplish, but not be able to physically do them all.  Luckily, Nick and our parents are stepping in to help out.  I am pretty focused with the things that can be done via laptop...i.e. buying adorable coming home outfits.

Size of Babies:  Butternut Squash

Cravings:  Chocolate and nutella...I think at this stage in pregnancy, there is so little enjoyment to be had (due to constant discomfort and the effects of ongoing lack of sleep), that chocolate is the only thing that can truly be enjoyed.  Interestingly, I'm not normally much of a chocolate person, but the father of my children has wisely picked up on the virtues of chocolate and brought it to me several times this week.  He's a good egg, that one.

Sleep:  Nothing new here, but my friend Ali, a new mom, just told me that newborn tired is totally different from pregnant tired...in a good way.  I suspect she may just be telling this to make me feel better, but I'm going to play along nonetheless.

Nursery Update:  Squee!!! I mean, it's still a disaster, but now it's a CUTE disaster!  My parents came over last weekend and helped me sort through all the 'stuff' and come up with an organizational plan.  Nick and I have some work and rearranging to do and then Mom and Dad are coming back to help with Nursery Organization: Phase 2.   Additionally, Nick's parents are in town this weekend and have generously pledged to help with the nursery.  My suspicions are that all these offers for help are really just clever ploys to look at adorable baby clothes all day, but I'll take it. :)

The crib bedding and curtains also are in and I am so happy with how it turned out!  No sneak peeks just yet, but I'm really pleased with how my 'artistic vision' (insert groan here) is turning out.  Sometimes Nick and I just go stare at the cribs and bask in the cuteness.  Still to complete -a couple of DIY projects, hanging some artwork, hanging the curtains and waiting for a chair to be delivered.

Symptoms: The usual - backache, fatigue/lack of sleep, general grumpiness.  When the weather was warmer earlier this week, I was looking a little puffy, but now that it's cooled off, that's much better.


Fetal Movement:  Still lots of it...and apparently I'm supposed to now do daily kick counts (twice a day measure how many movements happen within an hour).  I decided to do that once and gave up after about 30 movements in less than half an hour. Um, they are moving - and a lot...so unless I notice a marked difference, I'm not going to count.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Week:  Nick's parents being in town, more nursery progress and a hospital tour!

Best Moment of the Week:   A much-needed happy hour with my gals Jenni and Jill!  Thanks for the girl talk and for telling me that I still look great because I pretty much feel like a roly-poly.  :)

Special Thanks To: This is sort of a carry-over from last week, but now that I have pictures, I have to thank (again) my friends Amber, Ashely, Courtney, Elizabeth and Shannon for the rainbow-themed shower they threw (and the subsequent tears it induced), as well as my dear friend Brooke for taking pictures, as well as everyone who attended.  Brooke has just started a photography business, so check her out...and while you are at it, take a look at some of the pics from the shower!

What I Want The Babies To Know This Week:   A few weeks ago, I attended a work event that involved a children's book signing for the author.  Not knowing that much about the book, I picked it up as I sat at the registration table with a fellow co-worker.  When he noticed I was reading the book, he got up rather abruptly.  Perplexed, I started reading through the book and realized quickly that I was reading the Saddest and Yet Best Children's Book Ever.  I immediately started crying and luckily, the co-worker's errand turned out to be tissues pour moi (apparently, it had become well known amongst staff that the book was a tear-jerker...I suppose I also looked like a likely candidate for tears).  Although tear-inducing, I can't say enough good things about this book; it's called Meet Me at the Moon and in addition to beautiful illustrations of life on the savannah in Africa, its message about loved ones never being far from our hearts was so beautiful.  I actually picked the book up again on the day I found out my grandmother passed and it brought me some comfort.   In the words of the great LeVar Burton, "you don't have to take my word for it"...but you should.  Plus, the author was adorable and sweet and she autographed the book to the babies, which of course made me teary all over again.  I can't wait to read it to you someday, sweet babies!  Just ignore my leaky eyes and snotty nose, okay?!

Week 27 and 28- October 19, 2012

Hola, friends!  Long time, no blog posting.  In addition to a really busy couple of weekends and getting over The Black Plague, most of you know that my 105 year old Grandma Ruth passed away (many thanks for all your good thoughts).  So, I'm a little behind and hence...the epic combo post.  Lots to update!

How Far Along: 27 and 28 weeks...I am now officially in the 3rd trimester!  Yay!  And $#@%!

Size of Babies:  27 weeks - head of cauliflower and 28 weeks - Chinese cabbage...according to our doctor's visit, though, Baby Boy is 2 lbs 11 oz and Baby Girl is 2 lb 13 oz.  I can't believe how close they are getting to three pounds!

Doctor's Appointment Update:  We had a 28 week growth scan and doctor's visit - everything continues to look really good.  The babies are developing really well and all my stats look good, too.  I will say that ultrasounds later in pregnancy are far less 'cute'...particularly with twins.  I have to actively look at the screen and try to figure out what it is that I'm looking at.  It's just a jumble of body parts floating around in there to me.  Plus, both babies are now being camera-shy so we don't even get to see their faces.  Harumph.  The only bit of bad news is that the doctor told us that the off and on bleeding I've had does indicate a higher chance of pre-term labor...that makes me a little nervous.  And is also good incentive for getting sh*t done around here. :)

Because of the craziness of the last two weeks (and admittedly, our less than stellar impression of the first class), we've missed sessions 2 and 3 of our birthing class.  We plan to go back this week for the final class, which includes the hospital tour and then decide if we need to look somewhere else for supplemental classes.  I know we're looking at a breastfeeding class for sure and potentially a newborn care class.  You know, assuming we can find time for all of this. :)

Cravings:  Pumpkin...anything.  But that really has nothing to do with pregnancy and everything to do with glorious, glorious fall.

Sleep:  I basically only have one side that I can sleep on anymore.  Baby Girl's head is jammed up into my ribs on the right side (I spoke too soon in a previous post about her moving...really, she just substituted one body part for another).  And I managed to pull a muscle on the same side.  I am a mess.   So, left side it is.  I am writing this at 4AM having been up since about 3AM...

Nursery Update:  Nick has worked on painting some furniture and I finally started semi-organizing stuff.  Luckily, my mom and dad are coming over this weekend to help me organize.  I feel a little overwhelmed by all the gear...particularly when you account for the fact that we have two of many, many things.  And today I am picking up the curtains and crib bedding, so I'm super excited to see how that looks.

Symptoms: Things are better on this front - at least for my feet, which have randomly stopped swelling for the most part.  It's pretty much just lack of sleep and the general discomfort of carrying around a bowling ball under my shirt.  I did finally invest in a pregnancy support band...anything that involves standing for long periods of time was getting difficult with the weight of the belly.  It looks sort of ridiculous, but it does help...and it means that I can get back in the kitchen.  That was becoming increasingly difficult.  I'm also having a few contractions here and there.   I mean, I think they're contractions - I'm not entirely sure.

Fetal Movement:  They are all over the place in there...I feel like my uterus is a night club and the babies want to dance all the time.  The movement is much more pronounced and you can see my stomach move as they do...particularly in the case of Baby Girl, who does a lot of butt-shaking.  Hopefully they inherit their father's dance moves and not mine.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Week:  Just hanging out at home and getting caught up with stuff.   I need some quiet.

Best Moments of the Weeks:   So many!  We've been blessed to have so many people in our lives want to share this special time and we were honored to have the opportunity to celebrate with many friends and family in the last couple of weeks.  I am humbled by all the love and support and sweet gestures.  And of course, there's the cake.  :)  More showers = more cake!!

• My BF Jenni threw the sweetest shower...she and I share a deep-seated philosophy that the two best parts of a meal are appetizers and desserts, so the food certainly didn't disappoint.  :) And she and her sister got all crafty with lots of beautiful poms and some awesome personalized onesies. AND she made cream cheese mints that are to die for...sigh.  Nick had never had cream cheese mints before and now he's hooked.  :)  We got lots of teeny-tiny Mizzou gear at this shower, so here's hoping that our football team figures out what they are doing for the 2013 season.


• A group of former and current co-workers put together an adorable Very Hungry Caterpillar themed shower...complete with caterpillar cupcakes.  And egg rolls.  Because none of our get-togethers are complete without Vince's egg rolls.   This shower wins the award for latest night out...I don't think I got home until midnight, which is pretty impressive for a girl who routinely is attempting to sleep by 9pm.  Or 8pm.  Or sometimes, 7pm.


• Another group of friends threw a rainbow themed shower.  I'll have to share the pictures separately once I get them, but they pretty much went all out Pinterest.  :)   They also win the award for making me cry within 5 minutes of arrival - here's why.  I knew the theme was rainbows as soon as I walked in, but my dear friend Amber asked me if I understood why. I couldn't come up with an answer right away and she started telling me that it was because of all the rainbows I had seen during our most recent IVF cycle and how we had seen them as good-luck signs.  Cue the sobs...these girls had this shower planned for a loooooooong time.

A few pictures...

[caption id="attachment_454" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Me and grandma-to-be![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_459" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Sweet friends and special guest star, Lydia[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_457" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The hostess and I...and the cake...and the cream cheese mints.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_455" align="aligncenter" width="300"] More adorable onesies![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_456" align="aligncenter" width="300"] And....more adorable Mizzou stuff![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_460" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Very Hungry Caterpillar Cake[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_461" align="aligncenter" width="300"] (Not So) Very Hungry Co-Workers...we just stuffed ourselves before this picture.[/caption]

Special Thanks To: Everyone for their notes, calls, texts, emails, etc sending our family good thoughts after my grandma passed.

What I Want The Babies To Know This Week:   (Or more accurately, what I want the babies to know about their Great Grandma Ruth this week.)

From the time I was about three until I was 11, I spent my time before and after school and during the summers at Grandma's house.  This week, I was thinking about things that I learned from her during that time and thought that I should document them for you here, for posterity's sake.

• A love of cats (well, all animals really) - somewhat begrudging at times, but it was there nonetheless


• Everything tastes better made with butter...or lard.  And made on a cast iron skillet.


• It is perfectly acceptable to hide from door to door salesmen.


• Waste not, want not.


• Spoil the children in your life with attention and love, not things.


• Days of Our Lives was the greatest soap opera of all time; about this, there can be no argument.


• There is no limit to the amount of potatoes you can serve in one meal - mashed, fried, French fried, salad...the more potatoes, the merrier.


• Hard work is good for the soul.


• If you don't know what to say, a simple "Well..." will always suffice.


• If your coffee doesn't make your hair stand on end, it's not strong enough.


• Line dried clothes always smell better.


• There is never a wrong time for pie.


• When life hands you challenges, accept them gracefully.

Goodbye, Grandma Ruth - we will all miss you dearly!

Week 26 - October 6, 2012

How Far Along: 26 weeks

[caption id="attachment_373" align="aligncenter" width="266"] 26 weeks, obligatory hand on the belly pic[/caption]

Twenty Six Weeks...otherwise known as the week where pregnancy tried to defeat me.  But more about that in symptoms.  Most notably, 26 weeks brought the twins first shower which was expertly planned by my dear mother-in-law, Rose ('shower' is her middle name) with some St. Louis family and friends.  As expected, the food was delicious, the cake to-die-for, and the company - second to none.   We got so many wonderful things for the babies; I can't believe how lucky we are.  Now, to find a place for everything. :)   Because St. Louis BBQ Bash was happening and many of the family were involved in the BBQ competition, we stopped by to steal some free BBQ say hello.  Much to my surprise and delight, some of Nick's cousins put together a little mini-shower on the team's site and took a break from preparing delicious food to have a few more presents and of course, cake.  It was such a fun weekend and we had an equally great time at all the events we crammed in, as we did just hanging out with the family.  Just a few pictures, for the non Facebook folks.

[caption id="attachment_377" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Aunt Pat, Sister in Law Becky, Rose and Moi[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_375" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I had the genius idea to take a picture with my also expecting friend, Jean. Nick took the picture but made sure we knew we were being utterly ridiculous. You be the judge.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_374" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Mobile shower at the St. Louis BBQ Bash (where, coincidentally, Slabs a Smokin took 4th place in ribs - go team!)[/caption]

Size of Babies:  Cucumber...an English hothouse cucumber to be specific

Doctor's Appointment Update:  We had a 'quick'  check-up this week (doctor's appointments are never quick, but this one was slightly shorter than normal).  No ultrasound - just checking in on me and the baby's heartbeats.  All continues to go well - good blood pressure, good weight gain, good heartbeats.  Twice now I've been told I'm the most boring high risk patient ever and that's the way I intend to keep it!

Cravings:  Chicken noodle soup - you'll see why further down.

Sleep:  What's this 'sleep' you speak of?

Sex of Babies:  Now that we are starting to get gifts, I'm realizing just how AWESOME having a boy and a girl is...it's really the best of both worlds, especially when it comes to all things adorable - blankets, clothes, hats, socks, hats, etc, etc, etc.

Nursery Update:  No progress here.  In fact, it's sort of a disaster - we just sort of threw everything in there.  Tomorrow we have plans to work on a few things.  And by we, I mean mostly Nick.  I will sit next to him and entertain him.

Symptoms:  So, I felt really good most of the weekend.  A little tired from all the excitement, and my feet were a little sad and piggy-like, but overall, good.  And then Monday hit.  It's like...at week 26, all of the pregnancy symptoms I've been reading about hit simultaneously.  I had been operating under a false sense of security, thinking that I was 'winning' at pregnancy.  Oh, my friends, I bow down to the pregnancy gods.  First up, I caught a cold...which turned into a worse cold...which turned into a cough...which nearly killed me.  Oh, okay, I'm exaggerating.  But there isn't much you can take for a cold/cough when you are pregnant and when my doctor told me what I could take, she followed it up with..."but only take it if you REALLY need it".  Well, geez, lady - you might as well not have told me anything because as soon as I heard her say that, I thought to myself "I will tough this out and take NOTHING.  Do you hear me?  NOTHING."

The first sign that perhaps I really 'needed' it was mid-week when Nick mentioned in passing that my mouth breathing and groaning had kept him awake the previous night.  I briefly imagined what he would look like roasting on a spit.  I recovered, of course, but already I was planning when I could make a run for the drugstore.  Wanting to kill your spouse (even briefly) is surely a sign that you need some relief.  Essentially, I sneezed, sniffled, coughed, hacked and generally spewed mucous throughout the entire week.  This was particularly fun when I attended several important work meetings and lunches.  Nothing says "professional" like a stash of kleenex stuffed up your sleeves.   At night, I (apparently) mouth-breathed, groaned, and did my best to expel my lungs through my mouth.  By Wednesday, I was operating on next to no sleep and that's where the fun REALLY started.

Some of the other symptoms of pregnancy then decided to make their appearance - SEVERELY swollen feet - check; um - intestinal distress - check; lower back pain - check; several instances of bleeding - check; leg cramps - check and so on and so forth.  Despite his comments about my mouth breathing, Nick handled me quite well - offering lots of sympathy and care, but mostly steering clear of my misery (wisely).   Hence, why it took me so long to write this week's entry - I was too busy dying.  Now, of course, things could always be worse and we are very lucky that I've been so healthy all along, but week 26 - you (mostly) sucked.  Good riddance!  I am feeling a lot better now, but am humbled by the pregnancy gods and whatever I did to upset them, I promise never to do it again, sohelpmegod,amen.

Fetal Movement:  Baby girl has moved away from my ribs, slightly. So when she kicks and punches, that's slightly less moan-inducing.  Their movement gets pretty crazy at night still.  It's weird - I feel less kicks and more...re-positioning if that makes sense.  I'm pretty sure I can feel their little butts moving from side to side and flipping around.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Week:  A shower with family and friends in Kansas City held by my best friend, Jenni - so looking forward to this!

What I'm Not Looking Forward To Next Week: Ugh, the childbirth classes.  We started them last week.  Might as well be called Childbirth for Dummies.  More about this later, but it's not a good sign when three of the ten couples in class are due within a week of the first of four sessions.  (Did it really not occur to them that perhaps this was poor timing?)

Best Moment of the Week:   Well, I think I've waxed poetic enough about the shower, so I will just be honest and say the moment that I decided to give into the sweet sweet relief of doctor-approved cold medicine.   :)  Oh, also - my good friend Ali gave birth to her baby boy this week, so I'm excited that once I stop dying, I'll be able to meet little Tyler!

Special Thanks To: My Neti Pot.  I love you so.  Never leave me.

What I Want The Babies To Know This Week:   Should your dad and I ever both get sick at the same time, you should probably just call your grandparents and hope that they take sympathy on you.  Or perhaps make friends with the cats.

Week 25 - September 26, 2012

How Far Along: 25 weeks

[caption id="attachment_353" align="aligncenter" width="196"] Sneak peek of the nursery color...Glidden 'Rich Navy'![/caption]

Size of Babies:  Head of Broccoli

What I'm Doing: Trying to stay awake past 8pm at night, but I'm not sure that's going to happen.

Cravings:  Reese's peanut butter pumpkins.   :::hangs head in shame:::  I even hid them from Nick.  He saw me eating one and said "Hey!  Where did you get that?  I want one!"  I got one for him but I did not reveal my hiding spot.  What's weird is that I love all the holiday Reese's cups - pumpkins, trees, hearts, eggs, etc, but I don't like actual Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.  A co-worker told me it's the peanut butter to chocolate ratio.  I would like to ask the fine people at Reese's to just give up the cup charade and make the far superior holiday shapes year round.

Sleep: I think I'm just becoming more accustomed to operating on less sleep, which I suppose is a good thing.  I might fall asleep earlier than normal, but I'm usually awake for several hours at night while the babies carry on their ping-pong match or whatever it is that they are doing down there that seems to involve a lot of elbows and knees to my ribs and vital organs.

Sex of Babies: Boy and girl...and this week, we got our first pink and blue gifts!  My awesome friend Jean (who I will see this weekend - yay!) introduced me to her friend April, who lives in Denver, and we have been gchat buddies for a while now.  She surprised me at work on a Monday with fun gifts - the softest, plushest baby blankets EVARRRR...and they are pink and blue...AND they have turtles on them.  :::faints:::

Nursery Update:  Nick and I just finished an extended discussion of the nursery layout...some of the supplies we needed for our storage/window seat project arrived today so we've been playing around with that.  Nick also spent some time this weekend putting together a dresser/changing table for the nursery, which so far means that we have two cribs, a dresser and a bunch of assorted sizes of bookshelves all in the nursery in no discernible order. :)  Oh, and wall color!   As you can see from this week's bump picture, we went with a  navy blue.

And I started attempting to organize the closet, but since someone (ahem, Mom) keeps dropping hints about helping with that, I think I'll let her come over and assist once we get further along.  Also, when I say 'organizing the nursery', what I really mean is 'take all of the clothes out the closet and sigh over how cute they are'.  (I realize this makes it sounds like we have tons of clothes for the babies, which we don't...I just like looking at what we do have.)  Word on the street is that our crib bedding and curtains are coming along nicely, too - I can't wait to see it!  And I've ordered some artwork.  AND...my sweet and very talented cousin Cailie, who is a very gifted artist,  is going to help us out with some additional artwork.  :::double fist pump:::

Symptoms:  Nothing new here!  Other than I suppose my belly is attracting more and more attention, for good or for bad.  Good - people help you carry your groceries to the car.  Bad - a little old lady in my work neighborhood exclaimed "God, you're BIG!" to me the other day.  She seemed relieved that I had two in there.  :)  She also told  me that I shouldn't do what her kids did, which was give their children completely unpronounceable and unspellable words.  Something about a silent "g", I guess.   I think I might be ge getting a little waddle-y, which is unfortunate given that I still have several months to go.  I don't think I'm really gaining much weight, but my belly is expanding leaps and bounds...some of the maternity clothes I bought early on no longer fit. :(  Luckily, I have some pregnant friends who were happy to get first dibs before I put them on craigslist. :)   Yay for recycling!


Fetal Movement: See reference to ping-pong tournament in mah belly above.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Week:  We are headed on a weekend trip to St. Louis on Thursday night for a variety of things  -  Nick's 15 year high school reunion, a BBQ competition and...my first shower!  I am so excited!  Nick's mom has been sweet enough to put it together; she is an amazing cook, so I'm sure the food will be delicious and of course, I am looking forward to cake.  There just aren't enough occasions in life where you feel totally justified in eating cake.  It will be so good to see Nick's family and extended family, plus some of Nick and I's friends that are in St. Louis.  And of course, there will be plenty of BBQ to ensure these babies grow up knowing that the four food groups are: ribs, brisket, shoulder and chicken.  We are also starting our childbirth classes next week, which holycrapwearereallyhavingtwobabiesaren'twe?  Childbirth classes make it seem real because hello, the whole point of a birthing class is to focus on how you are actually going to get the babies out into, like, the real world.  And then you have to take care of them and stuff.  Whoa.

Best Moment of the Week:  Nick was actively campaigning for inclusion in this week's best moment, but little did he know that I had already decided what follows would make the cut.  So, I would say that most days, we spend 20-30 minutes looking at my belly, talking to the babies, feeling them move and watching my belly jump and jive with twins' movements.  As we were doing that last night, Nick started walking two of his fingers up to the 'peak' of my belly, whilst yodeling.  I was confused for a brief moment, until I realized that I recognized the yodeling...and Nick quickly confirmed that where I recognized it from was correct - the "Going Up the Mountain" game on The Price is Right.  I don't know why, but this struck me as insanely hilarious and I laughed until I cried and then made him do it again while I videotaped it (No, I am not going to share - I have to keep SOMETHING to myself, peeps.  You understand.)  And then, because I am crazy hormonal pregnant lady, I start cry-crying because it was so cute and Nick's going to be such a good dad and we love the babies so much and blah blah blah.   Anyway, Nick's ability to make me laugh knows no bounds; I honestly don't know where he comes up with half this stuff.

Special Thanks To:  The afore-mentioned elderly lady, who despite telling me I was "SO BIG", also told me that I still had a beautiful shape and figure and that I was lucky I didn't just look fat.  Um, thanks...I think?

What I Want The Babies To Know This Week:  Here's the thing, babies.  You are really lucky.  Like, REALLY lucky.  For a lot of reasons, but specifically this week...you're lucky to be born to a mom and dad that have wildly opposing skillsets and strengths.  This has never been more apparent than in the division of labor in the creation of your stockings.  On Sunday, while your dad put together nursery furniture, I was instructed to organize the sequins, beads and thread.  Score!  This is a stocking task that I excelled at.  Feeling pretty pleased with myself, I was later asked to start cutting out shapes for one of the kits, while your dad began work on the other.  In my mind, it made sense to cut out all of the shapes at once.  Not so much.   Your dad was utterly horrified and completed tickled that this was my approach.  When he asked if I read the instructions, I had to hang my head and tell him no.  After regaining his composure, he began assigning me VERY specific tasks and told me that if I wanted to progress in the level of my tasks, I could do so, but only if I watched some instructional You Tube videos first.  Harumph.  Oh, he also taught me which side of the sequin is the 'right' side.  Who knew?

Now, I enjoy crafting as much as the next Pinterest enthusiast, but I was not cut out for tasks that involve a lot of hand-eye coordination or patience (this leaves a fairly narrow window of crafts I excel at).   Anyways, I tell you all of this because I think it's illustrative of the way your father and I's marriage works - I have strengths, he has strengths.  Together, we are like, pretty much unstoppable.  Which is how you got here!  We were bound and determined to have a family and by god, we did it.  For some people, not much of an accomplishment in terms of mechanics, but for us - a major life obstacle that we got through by leaning on each other.   We might drive each other crazy sometimes (see: working on stockings) but we are an awesome team.

Week 24 - September 20, 2012

How Far Along: 24 weeks

[caption id="attachment_343" align="aligncenter" width="183"] Animal print - rawr![/caption]

Size of Babies:  Cantaloupe (these produce comparisons are so confusing...last week, it was an ear of corn, this week a cantaloupe?  But not a SMALL cantaloupe.)

Doctor's Appointment Update:  We had our 24 week appointment yesterday and everything is still looking great  On my end of things, blood pressure is good, cervix is good, results from the first gestational diabetes screening are good, weight gain is good, etc, etc.  Gold star for momma!  On the babies side, they are doing just as well.  Baby boy weighs 1 lb 9 oz and baby girl weighs 1 lb 8oz which is right where they should be.  All of their measurements look great and baby boy is still head down closest to the cervix and baby girl is basically sprawled straight across my upper abdomen.  We spent some time talking about the delivery with our doctor; essentially, if they stay right where they are now (Baby Boy head down and Baby B sprawled straight across my upper abdomen), we can move forward with a normal delivery, no c-section unless it becomes necessary.  Gold star for babies!

We also talked about bed rest and what types of events might precipitate it...at this point, I'm not showing the markers for anything they are concerned about, but obviously things like pre-eclampsyia can develop down the road.  We also learned that if I go into labor on my own at 34 weeks or after, they will not stop it...and if by 37 weeks, I haven't gone into labor, they will induce.   I will get to labor normally in a labor and delivery suite, but will actually give birth in an operating room for two reasons 1) in case they need to switch gears quickly and do a c-section and 2) there will be a lot of people involved - a doctor and neonatal team for each baby, my doctor, my nurse(s), and the anesthesiologist.  I told the doctor it sounded like a party!

Apparently, a little more than 50% of mothers of fraternal twins make it to 37 weeks, so here's hoping I'm in that group!  We have our childbirth classes and hospital tour coming up, but the doctor also suggested we tour the NICU so we know what to expect if the babies end up needing NICU care.   So, lots of good information and I'm feeling relatively calm about the whole thing, other than I just realized that basically in ten weeks (and really, potentially sooner), I could have these babies.  :::Frantically searches for to-do list::::

What I'm Doing: I do all my best writing early in the morning. :)  I'm up early again today.  I had a weird dream that a Red Baron-esque plane crashed into our roof and I had to rescue the cats.  They were not so much interested in being rescued.  When I woke up, I had a moment of panic thinking the cats still needed to be rescued, until I realized one was wrapped around my head and the other was "sharing" my snoogle with me.

Cravings:  Still lots of eggs...but also orange juice.  Orange juice and pregnancy heartburn do not mix, let me assure you.

Sleep:  Same story, different week!  I did have epic three-hour nap on Sunday, where I did not wake up ONCE.  Impressive.  And also - apparently, not replicable.

Sex of Babies: Boy and girl - we've started a whole other 'twins' project - Christmas stockings.  Nick is sort of a Christmas stocking artist...it began several decades ago when he found a stocking kit that hadn't been made yet for his younger brother, Dan and took it upon himself to complete the project.  After taking a several year hiatus (20 plus years), he re-ignited his love of Christmas stocking art by making me the LARGEST embroidered, appliqued, sequined stocking known to man during our first year of dating.  I wish I had a picture so I could share just how mammoth (and complex) the stocking is.  It is amazing.  Subsequently, he made stockings for both of my sister-in-laws, so now everyone in the family has a stocking...except for the twins!  The kits have been purchased and Santa's workshop will begin this weekend.  I am only allowed to help with very specific tasks within very specific parameters, as apparently when I 'helped' him make my sister-in-law Becky's stocking, I sewed some sequins on wrong side out.  I was not aware there was a 'wrong side' to sequins.  Harumph.

Nursery Update:  The nursery is painted - rejoice!  My dad and Nick tackled this project last weekend, amidst deliveries of cribs and a dresser.  My dad is quite the expert painter and showed Nick the 'ways of the brush'.  (think the 'wax on, wax off' scene in Karate Kid) In return, Nick smoked a brisket for dinner with my parents...I think nursery painting for delicious brisket is an excellent swap!  My mom and I neither painted nor BBQed, but we did enjoy the fruits of the men's labor.  (Thanks, Dad!  Thanks, Nick!) And also looking at all the little tiny baby clothes AGAIN.  We are waiting on some of the items we need for our bookcase/window seat project to come in, so I'm not sure we'll have time to work on that this weekend or not.  I was also able to get all of the fabric to the seamstress who is making our crib bedding and curtains, so I can't wait to see it all start coming together. :::claps hands together excitedly:::

Symptoms:  Pretty much the same stuff - lack of sleep, back pain, etc.  No scary feet swelling this week - thank god.  I've learned I'm vain about my feet.  There is just something really off-putting about looking down and seeing your feet look like the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man.

Fetal Movement:  On Facebook, I recently compared my belly to a cage match...this is especially true after I've eaten.   It's weird to look down at my belly and see it jump as the babies move.  It is also weird to be sitting in a meeting and get a particularly violent jab that makes me wince and then have to play it off.   But, it's nice to know they are still there and doing well, so I will keep taking the punches and jabs as they come.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Week:  Playing elf to Nick's Santa as we start the stockings.  Sitting in the nursery for no reason other than it is fun.  Organizing baby clothes.  Oh, yeah - and maternity pictures!  I did a lot of research online to see when you should do maternity photos with twins and now is the time (mostly because most moms of twins measure 4-6 weeks along ahead of where they actually are)...I'm glad I am doing them now because I have a feeling in a few weeks the cumulative lack of sleep and general discomfort is going to make me unlikely to sit still for photos. :)

Best Moment of the Week:   Again, several!  It was so great to watch my Dad and Nick paint the nursery.  It was equally great (and also sort of scary) to see the cribs get delivered.  And even though we've had a lot of ultrasounds, we never get tired of seeing the little ones on that big flat screen at the doctor's office.  I'm having scanner issues today so no pics for you of Baby A (Baby B is still facing inward) but maybe next week.

Special Thanks To: Many special people to thank!  On Monday, I arrived home to two packages on the front porch...who doesn't love coming home to presents?  Many thanks to my Aunt Nicole (soon to be great aunt!) and cousin Kim for their generous gifts!  Nick and I are constantly amazed by how many amazing people we have in our lives...there is not a week that goes by that we aren't reminded of how lucky we are to have all of you on our side.  Also, big thanks to my co-worker and dear friend Lezlie for bringing me more free baby stuff.  The only thing as good as presents is...free baby stuff! :)

What I Want The Babies To Know This Week:   Your dad and I talk about what kind of parents we want to be...a lot.  I guess the benefit of it taking awhile (snort) to get pregnant is that you have time to ponder these kinds of things.  I don't think we'll be one to 'label' our parenting style, but we do know that we probably aren't going to get it right always so I am just asking in advance for your patience as we figure out what exactly the hell we are doing. :)

Week 23 - September 16, 2012

(Oops - this is a little late!  I wrote most of this several days ago and then promptly forgot about it.  I am going to blame pregnancy brain...because I can.)

How Far Along: 23 weeks

[caption id="attachment_335" align="aligncenter" width="193"] This would be another 'reality of pregnancy' shot....sinuses....blargh...bonus Ernie![/caption]

Size of Babies:  Ear of Corn

What I'm Doing: The upside of not being able to sleep in is that I've already done some laundry, cleaning and made a healthy breakfast casserole and pumpkin muffins.  However, I foresee a nap coming on soon.

Cravings:  I have been all about the incredible edible egg this week.  So much so that I have switched from my normal crazy green smoothie in the morning to scrambled eggs.  (Also responsible for this morning's casserole).   I am enjoying all manners of eggs (think Bubba in Forrest Gump - scrambled eggs, hardboiled eggs, fried eggs, soft boiled eggs, etc, etc.) and the biggest upside is that I am no longer starving at 9am.

Sleep:  I am choosing to think positively about my current state of sleep and think of it as excellent training for having twins (yes, I realize that the sleep I am getting now still far outweighs what is coming soon).   Although a recent bout with sinus issues made my already poor sleep nonexistent which left me a leeeetttttle cranky.

Sex of Babies:  Boy and Girl...and you'll all be pleased to know that baby boy will NOT be living in swim trunks (although that would still be adorable, if impractical).  My mom and I hit up a huuuuuge consignment sale this week and picked up several items for baby boy and okay, MAYBE just a few more things for baby girl, too.  But, it was all so cheap - consignment sales are the way to go!  We focused mostly on preemie/newborn stuff.  We have the luxury of knowing that our babes will be born early so I wanted to get them a few things to wear in those early days before they fit into newborn stuff.  I also got another bouncer, an ahem, back-up baby bathtub, and activity mat.  Oh, and my mom got a pack and play.   Woo-hoo!  We are an excellent shopping team.  I also hit up a mothers of multiples consignment sale near my house and got a few more things.

Nursery Update:  Nick and I spent last weekend clearing our the nursery, which by default created a huge mess everywhere else in the house. :)  It's starting to look a lot better now.  Our fabric has come in and the nursery paint has been purchased, so we are making great progress.  Some of the nursery furniture is scheduled to be delivered, too.

Symptoms: Mostly just being a little tired and ready for baby girl to dislodge herself from my ribs.  Nick says she is trying to get away from her brother's butt being in her face. :)  Also, bending down, getting out of bed and reaching for things all requires me to make a kind of 'umph' noise that Nick gleefully imitates.  Oh, and this is the worst of all...my feet have officially gotten bigger. :(  Not just from swelling either (which has happened a few times, although my calves and ankles have remained separate entities).  I am praying to the shoe gods that I will be able to wear my closet full of shoes after the babies come but in the meantime, I had to break down and order a pair of (inexpensive) boots to wear the next few months.  :(  I also had a bad night (preceded with a day where I didn't drink nearly enough water) full of Braxton Hicks contractions, so I am now being even more vigilant about my water intake.

Fetal Movement:  So much to report here!  Nick finally felt the babies move...we had been trying for weeks, but he would always be just a second too late.  It was pretty exciting for both of us.   Most nights, we spend some time laying in bed either feeling them move or watching my belly bounce as they karate kick.  (When a particularly violent kick happens, Nick makes Miss Piggy's 'Hiiiiiyah!' yell).  This coincided with a dramatic increase in movement in the last week.  Movement is sort of a misnomer because it sounds kind of nice.  Being kicked in the bladder and ribs is not very nice.   They are especially active at night, which is part of the problem with my sleep.  Who would have thought something so tiny could deliver such a fierce blow?  Sometimes it is enough to take my breath away.  And, baby girl frequently gets the hiccups, which feels weird and cool all at the same time.  Although, the first time it happened, I thought I was having a heart attack because she is so high in my stomach...the little rhythmic pulses scared me.  But a quick check with Dr. Google assured me it was just adorable little baby hiccups.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Week:  Honestly, right now - all I can think about is sleep.  Napping and sleeping.  Today looks to be kind of gloomy which equals excellent napping weather.   I am also ready for fall  - cooler weather, rainy days, pumpkin flavored everything, boots, etc, etc.  Oh, yeah - we also have our 24 week doctor's appointment - I can't believe the last month has passed so quickly.  I'm ready to get a look at these babies again.

Best Moment of the Week:  So many this week!  Our first couple of shower invites came in the mail, which is super exciting!  We are so lucky to have such great family and friends that want to share this time with us.  My sister-in-law and brother-in-law found out they are having a baby boy - hooray!  Nick's brother Tim's competitive BBQ team got third place in ribs at a big BBQ competition in Tunica, MS!   That said, I think Nick feeling the baby kicks wins the award for best moment this week...he has been desperate to feel them move and now he can pretty much do so on demand.

Special Thanks To: Nick - for putting up with my nesting and constant need to move things around, clean up closets, move this over there, now move that over there, etc, etc, etc.  You do so (mostly) without complaint and for that I am very grateful.  Now, if you could just help me move a FEW more things...:)

What I Want The Babies To Know This Week:  I try not to complain TOO (I'm using a very loose definition of TOO here) much about various pregnancy aches and pains because the truth is, I would take all of it and more.  Kick me, make me tired, make my feet bigger, make me sick to my stomach, force me into having a cold with no cold medicine - I don't care.  Your dad and I feel so blessed to be where we are at right now sometimes we have to pinch ourselves.   And honestly, we've been so lucky - you've taken it (relatively) easy on your momma....so just keep that up for a few months, okay?  XOXO, Mom

Week 22 - September 5, 2012

How Far Along: 22 weeks...as several people have said 'my, you are blossoming' to me this week.  I am pretty sure that is code for 'dude, you are getting really freaking big'.  I am pretty okay with it, though.  I've gained about 12-13 pounds, which is fine according to the doctor and the babies are weighing what they should.  (Yes, Mom - I am eating my protein).  It's just a little frightening to think about what I will look like in December.    For this week's picture, I had a thought.  I always have Nick take a picture of me when I get home from work or when we are on our way out, so I'm showered/make-up and hair done/relatively presentable.  That does not really portray pregnancy accurately, as the moment I get home, I change into my pregnancy 'lounge uniform' which is either a tank or a tee-shirt and either yoga pants or the same black Old Navy skirt I've been wearing all summer.  I decided to take a 'good' picture and then also a 'real' picture...assuming that the real picture would reveal what a hideous monster I really am and thus document the reality of pregnancy for the twins.  I was surprised to find out there isn't that much difference.  Lest you mistake that comment for ego, let me assure you - I am CERTAIN that this is because I just look pretty tired and haggard all of the time, regardless of if I have taken a shower or attempted to put on 'real' clothes.  So, my experiment was actually sort of disappointing. Oh, well - 'tis all worth it.

[caption id="attachment_304" align="aligncenter" width="225"] This is what I looked like on the way out for our anniversary.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_302" align="aligncenter" width="225"] This is what I looked like after complaining that my back hurts all day. And not taking a shower.[/caption]

Here's a snippet of what's been going on this week:

• Our 5th anniversary!  As discussed, we made dinner at home (steak, shrimp and kale salad - yes, we are wild and crazy), then went out to a movie and dessert.  I made this kale salad which was completely amazing.  I think it's supposed to be more of a winter salad, but who cares?  I did tear the kale leaves and massage them with a bit of olive oil because that makes them taste better, but other than that, followed the recipe.  We also made these grilled shrimp which are a (healthier) riff on Bonefish Grill's Bang Bang Shrimp.  Two thumbs up!  I did not make the strawberry pie, as Nick and I determined that if we had an entire pie in the house, we would eat said entire pie...in a day.


• My grandma's 105th birthday party!  Seriously, folks, she is amazing and still incredibly sharp...and sassy.  She was surrounded by family and friends and wearing a tiara...what gets better than that?  She also received an obscene amount of pudding as gifts, which...hey, pudding is awesome.  I got to see some family members that we don't see often enough AND play with the dog who roams the center my grandma is at.  So, all in all, a good time had by everyone.


• Made some nursery progress!  Ordered the materials for our window seat/storage project, ordered the cribs and ordered a dresser to also be used as a changing table.  Oh, well first - Nick measured the dimensions of the room so I could make sure everything fit.  Now, we have to clear out this room in preparation for Nick and my dad to paint it.   That sounds like a job for my super strong and muscled husband, doesn't it???  I'm a little stuck on the nursery chair...I don't think me plus two babies will fit in a normal glider...or at least not for long.  These are the things that keep me up at night. :)


• Picked up a few fall/winter maternity things...like you know, jeans.   I'm sure you are all glad to know that I won't be walking around pantless this fall.

A couple of Nick 'funnies':

1.) Nick's level of supportive-partner-ness knows no bounds.  On Saturday, I was doing one of my workout DVDs in our family room when Nick came and stood next to me muttering encouraging words...whilst eating peanut butter off of a spoon.

2.) I had to have Nick pick up a few groceries last night because of an unfortunate foot-swelling incident.  I had told him in the list what he needed to get organic and what he didn't.  He bought EVERYTHING organic, including these very scary looking brown rice gluten-free wraps.  I'm sure they are as delightful as they sound.  However, I am super grateful for his help.  He does his 'honey-do' list without complaint.  Well, mostly without complaint. :)  I couldn't do it without him.

I CAN'T BELIEVE I KEEP FORGETTING TO BLOG ABOUT THIS.   Super exciting news...Nick's brother and his wife, my sister-in-law Lus, are pregnant with their first child!  The baby will be due just a few months after ours arrive, so I'm so excited for cousins that are close in age.  My neglectfulness in putting this in the blog was mostly because I didn't want to say anything until they had announced it publicly and then I just sort of...forgot.  Pregnancy brain!  Anyway, we are thrilled for them and know that they are going to make amazing parents.  And Lus is just the cutest pregnant person EVER.  Seriously.  Also, I feel like there must be something in the water, as so many of my friends and family are pregnant right now.   Yay for babeeez!

Size of Babies:  Papaya!

What I'm Doing:  Getting psyched for the Democratic National Convention...it's like my Super Bowl!

Cravings: Nutella.  Lots of it.  My new favorite 'dessert' is a spoonful of nutella mixed with a cup of coconut flavored greek yogurt.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.  Yummmmm.....

Sleep: So I bought the pregnancy pillow, okay?!  Many thanks to all of you who told me I was being ridiculous by not purchasing something that was going to make sleep so much better.  And it is definitely helping, so money well spent.  However, does it have to be called a 'snoogle'?  That's not very dignified.  When Nick asked what the large package from Amazon was, I had to reply 'snoogle'.  I mean, really?  Also, Ernie REALLY likes it.  He also likes the comfort of my expanding lap.    And the baby bouncer that my awesome friend Shannon lent us.  See below for evidence.

[caption id="attachment_317" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Two paws (and some extra toes) up for the snoogle![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_315" align="aligncenter" width="300"] New meaning to lap kitty...[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_316" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Busted![/caption]

Sex of Babies: Boy and a girl...Nick and I are wavering a bit on our name choices.  I think we both feel like it was too easy and that we should maybe spend some more time talking about it.  Also, we haven't given them the 'what unfortunate nicknames will childhood classmates come up with?' litmus test.

Symptoms: Good news and bad news.  The good news is I know WHY my back hurts.  The bad news is - there's nothing I can do about it.  After talking to my doctor, they think that one of the babies is pressing against a nerve (based on how I've described the pain)...and said baby is stubbornly not moving off of the nerve.  My money is on Bad Baby B.  :)  I believe Bad Baby B is also responsible for the jabs to my ribs, which are so much fun.  I also had my first pregnancy-induced feet swelling incident last night, precipitated by nearly a full day without AC at work (on a day that was 100 degrees, no less).  In fairness, I'm sure it could have been a LOT WORSE...I mean I could still make out the difference between my foot, ankle and calf, but still as I told Nick..it makes me sad to see my piggies look so un-cute.  Again - oh, well.  Totally worth it.  AND I got out of grocery shopping and making dinner, so not entirely without its benefits.

Fetal Movement: Yes.  I typically get a sharp jab to the upper ribs followed by a poke to my lower abdomen.    It's like they are purposely moving around in tandem.  Of course, when this happens I then I pat my belly lovingly and say 'thank you, darlings...for continuing to let me know you're there.  You can stop now. Anytime.'

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Week:  A girls' night on Friday...more nursery progress...some consignment sales...oh, yeah - the return of my mom and dad from Ireland!  I am so excited to see them!  My mom sent me a picture of these adorable Irish hats she bought for the twins...squeeeee!!!


[caption id="attachment_320" align="aligncenter" width="300"] So adorable![/caption]

Best Moment of the Week: Definitely celebrating our fifth year anniversary.  As I said last week, we originally had plans to go out of town...and then we had plans for a big night on the town...and then we decided we just wanted to make a special dinner together.  Interestingly, this was our most low-key anniversary celebration to date, but by far the most meaningful for all that we've been through and all that we have to look forward to.

Special Thanks To:  Everyone who gave me advice on the registry process and product recommendations...the registry process is finally (mostly) done!  I know it sounds ridiculous, but it really is overwhelming.  There is just SO MUCH STUFF.  And you sort of feel like if you don't register for every little last thing, Social Services is going to take your babies away from you.  I just keep reminding myself that all babies really need is to be fed, a place to sleep, clothed and diapered.  Not that stopped us from registering for a million things anyway. :)


What I Want The Babies To Know This Week: I'm just telling you now...I may have already started planning your one year birthday party, ok?  That's just how I roll.