Chris's Reaction to the Amazingly Great and Wonderful Surprise News!

I thought it would be fun to have Chris type out his reaction to the positive pregnancy tests I gave him, especially since it was hard to read what was going through his head. This post is all from him!

It's Thursday evening and I'm excited to be home. I'm always excited to come home. My kids are especially playful and momma has a smile on her face so I'm on cloud 9. We're all downstairs playing and having a great time. There's extra levity in the air and it's turning into a memory I would remember regardless of the bombshell or not... but oh was there a bombshell.

Babe gets my attention and says she has something for me and pulls out a wrapped box. It's not my birthday, Christmas, anniversary (yes I remember our anniversary), nor any other occasion I can remember and we aren't really the couple that surprise each other with gifts, so obviously I'm curious. (Rach has a video of this but she won't show it because of something I say right when I open it, which is a funny anecdote.) To paint the scene we're in our bedroom downstairs, I've just tickled the twins like crazy and jumped around the bed making a mess of the bedding but it's all in good fun. We're catching our breath and momma hands me the gift. I'm surprised and intrigued but can't really remember what I thought it might have been, but I can say that I wasn't expecting what it actually was.

I unwrap the gift and see a thermometer, well what I thought was one at first (and I think I touched it before realizing what it was) but only a second or two later I realize what it really is. I quickly look up at Rachel (without reading the result) and now I immediately think she's got to be pregnant otherwise she wouldn't show me this. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed but I can do deductive reasoning! I look back down and see that it's positive. I'm happy, I'm surprised, I'm ecstatic, I'm every positive emotion for like 3 seconds until the doubt sets in...But we didn't do IVF, and the last time we did it didn't work. I got my hopes up before and I wanted to keep myself in check before I'd let myself get them up again, which to be honest is a little sad, well it's very sad because I'm purposefully repressing hope to shield myself from the pain again. The pain I felt back in November when what I really wanted, and what I really thought was going to happen...suddenly didn't.

So I process she's pregnant, I'm hopeful, but then I put my guard up. "How? Are you sure?" She shrugs her shoulders with a smile, "I think so". Neither of us believe the third positive pregnancy test I made her take. Both of us remember the repressed pain and try to repress it further by putting our guard up and letting doubt win. To my recollection we celebrated but it was a hesitant celebration, like we kind of let ourselves believe it might kind of sort of be possible and how great and amazing that would be, but we didn't really believe it at the same time. We got to talk a lot on a drive up to Idaho for a friend's wedding that weekend, but we mostly didn't bring it up. Even at the wedding when Rachel had an upset stomach we both thought it was because she ate too fast. Neither of us felt we could blame it on a miraculous parasite. 

Flash forward to the following Monday morning at the doctor's office, with the nurse walking into a hilarious scene. You could cut whatever weird mix of emotion was in the air with a knife. I still remember the thought in my head when the nurse congratulated us for being pregnant on our third, "Shut up with your congratulations until we see a blood test or ultrasound or concrete evidence." And what was weirder was neither of us really said anything, needless to say it was awkward. Which we have since cleared up with that same nurse. I couldn't believe it and my guard was up fully. I was ready to hear the tests were a mistake, multiple false positives, that Rach had a funky pee probably from asparagus. It messes with the smell and color so maybe it could do this. I didn't really let myself have the hope. It was too much pain last November and the subsequent months that followed. I had buried that hope for now, buried it good and deep.

Then the moment. I saw it. The doctor said it. Rachel saw it, said it, and confirmed it. But still I took a minute before I let my guard down, before I believed it. Even though they'd both said it I had to dig that hole open and let the hope run wild. But when it did... oh boy was it fast and overwhelming. I still feel like I asked at least 5 times in 5 different ways if the doctor was sure. When I pray for the twins I thank God for our two little miracles and this feels like it eclipses miracles. 

Those 3 seconds of joy and happiness I felt on Thursday was all I could feel now. Once I let my guard down it was down. I let myself believe. I opened myself up, I remembered the pain vividly from when it didn't work but it seemed to be erased little by little. The more I let myself believe the more that pain didn't matter anymore. It hurt like the dickens but now it didn't, now it doesn't.

I'm so very happy for this baby. Everyday I thank God for our new miracle, for "new baby" (we don't know the gender and I feel weird calling him or her 'it'). I was still skeptical, and I asked repeatedly what the odds of losing the baby could be, to what percentile confidence was the doctor? How many standard deviations? I needed the reassurance, I needed to know. The hurt was that deep, but by now my doubts are gone. This baby is coming and I'm so excited. Sometimes I even feel sorry for Boston and Lyla because I think they love my attention but this baby is going to get a lot of cuddles because I'm full of over a year of wishing I could have them. So ready or not New Baby, Daddy is bringing the cuddles!

I'm Pregnant?!!

How did I find out I was pregnant, especially since I wasn't expecting it?

I have to thank our local McDonald's for that. Every time I saw that McDonald's I had to fight every fiber of my being not to go and order a greasy double cheeseburger. For someone who doesn't eat fast food, this was very unusual. I guess I should mention that I had been feeling "off" as well due to extreme lightheadedness and some nausea.

I was concerned there was something wrong with me, but I also knew that what I was feeling could be signs of pregnancy even though it would pretty much be impossible. So the morning of October 6th, I took a cheap little .88 cent pregnancy test just to excuse that very unlikely possibility. When I looked at the pregnancy test there were two very clear lines. A quick review of the instructions confirmed that two lines meant positive. My pregnancy test was positive.

Even with a positive pregnancy test in my hands I didn't believe it. I immediately googled all the possible reasons for a false positive. Nothing I could find really explained it so I just chalked it up to being a cheap little test. However, I was feeling weird and I had been having the most ridiculous vivid dreams...

Two hours later I found myself in Walmart looking at a shelf of pregnancy tests, but this time I was looking at the fancy expensive ones. I had no idea what I was doing so I grabbed one that had 2 tests and had a $2 off coupon attached to it. (Score!) I also bought the twins plastic pumpkins to hold their Halloween candy in because it's impossible to go to Walmart without picking up something you weren't planning on buying, am I right?

I got home, fed the twins lunch, and peed in a cup.

I think the video below pretty much explains what happened. It's embarrassing and my voice is annoying, but this is real life people!

What?
What?
What?

I'm pregnant!

No hours and hours of doctors appointments, no needles and medications, no ultrasounds to check on my follicles, no daily blood draws, no stressful bills, no ovaries the size of tennis balls. Nope. Just a beautiful miracle from God.

I couldn't wait to tell Chris, so when he got home from work I gave him a gift box with my two positive tests inside. I was still in utter disbelief, clinging onto a small bit of hope that this was really happening when I gave him the box. We were both so shocked, he made me take another pregnancy test. (Spoiler alert: it was another positive!) I actually asked him to type out his reaction so I could share it here on my blog, but it's so long that I'm going to make it my next post. He's an overachiever :)

I'm pregnant!!!

*Special thank you to McDonalds and Clearblue ;)

Birth Story

***This post is very long and includes a lot of little details mostly so I can always remember them!***

Let's talk about the craziest morning ever.

Monday morning I woke up in a lot of pain. Chris's alarm was going off but he kept snoozing it so we could cuddle, but I was shaking my legs vigorously to help with the pain. He just thought I had to pee ;) I wasn't sure if I was having real contractions so I started timing them on an app on my phone. They were regular but I was trying to pass them off as Braxton Hicks because I didn't believe I could actually be in labor at 35 weeks when it seemed like I was going to be pregnant forever. I told Chris that I was in a lot of pain but I wasn't too worried so I sent him off to work.

Bad choice.

Things escalated quickly. My contractions were about 4 minutes apart and a minute long. I was aware of the 4-1-1 rule, but I just dismissed it. I had 4 minutes to wash the dishes then crumble in pain. Then 4 minutes to try and do my makeup. And 4 minutes to get dressed then crumble in pain again. The worst part was that it was all in my back and no position helped. It got to a point when I realized this could actually be happening. I told Chris to get home ASAP and I started finalizing everything in my hospital bag. He had to take a train all the way to get home, but it went by fast. Before I knew it he was changing out of his work clothes and we were on our way to the hospital. Thankfully it's only about a 5 minute drive away. I remember telling Chris that I was afraid they were going to send me home despite the awful pain I was in. We arrived at Labor & Delivery and were checked in fast because I pre-registered (an absolute must!). They wheeled me in to a delivery room and I changed into my gown all while I was begging Chris to rub my back through each contraction. My sweet nurse Marianne calmly asked me some questions, took my vitals, hooked up monitors, did an ultrasound to check their positions, had someone else come and check the ultrasound, then FINALLY checked my cervix. She calmly said, "you are complete" and promptly started calling everyone. Complete? Like fully dilated? Chris asked what that meant and she just turned to me and asked if I felt like I needed to push. What?! At that point things were really rolling. My nurse was paging everyone again and got the anesthesiologist in my room in the blink of an eye. I was worried it was too late for an epidural, but they said as long as I could stay still long enough they could do it. While I was getting the epidural and spinal block, people were in and out of my room getting everything ready. I was in so much pain I didn't care what they thought of me. After what felt like an electric shock in my leg, the numbing started to spread, but unfortunately didn't numb the feeling of back contractions. Next thing I knew my doctor was there and I was wheeled into the OR. I could not believe how fast she got there. She was literally in my room 10 minutes after she was called from her office.

I remember the OR being really bright with equipment everywhere. There were at least 10 people in the room including nurses from the NICU for the babies, nurses and doctors for me, and a med student that looked like he was a little lost. I couldn't believe everything was happening so fast! I was only in labor for 4 hours and was in the OR ready to push only an hour after getting to the hospital. I was excited and in pain at the same time. My husband was awesome in encouraging me to push and knew what to do even though we never took a birthing class. After a little pushing there was a little wiggling baby boy placed on my tummy. It was amazing!

He was taken over to be checked and cleaned and I couldn't take my eyes off him. My little boy was perfect. A couple minutes later it was time to push again. Chris would look down at me and count to 10, and I would start to laugh because he had the most handsome blue eyes and I was just so happy this was happening. After the first push or so my doctor said that this was going to take some really big pushes to get baby girl out fast or I was at high risk of getting a c-section. I pushed the best I could considering I couldn't feel anything. It was like telling your brain to just do it because you weren't really sure you were pushing or not. I had a least 5 people telling me to push, that I was doing amazing, and that she was almost here. It only took about 4 pushes and a tiny beautiful girl was placed on my chest. I feel in love all over again! They were born exactly 10 minutes apart and I only had to push for about 15 minutes total. I was SO blessed to have such a quick and easy delivery. Little baby boy entered the world at 10:47am weighing 5lbs 11oz and sweet baby girl arrived at 10:57am weighing 5lbs 1oz. 


I got to do some skin to skin with baby boy as they worked on the afterbirth. Delivering the placentas isn't the best feeling in the world but I didn't care because I had my precious son with me. I'm positive Chris saw way way more than he wanted to! He was pretty freaked out when he saw my doctor elbow deep in my uterus. I just wish there was a mirror because I was very curious about how all this worked. Both babies did great on their Apgar tests and were allowed to spend in hour with us back in our room before going to the NICU for further checking. I got to hold them together on the way to the room...I never thought it was going to be 4 days until I got to see them together again. My doctor came to my room and just hung out with us for about 45 minutes. She said it was way better than going back to the office and doing clinic hours. We talked about names and she helped me breastfeed a little. They were some very surreal precious moments. My husband was beaming, I could tell he was one proud daddy. We decided on the name Boston for our little boy, but didn't have a middle name yet. We named our precious girl Lyla.

Eventually they had to take the twins away so Chris went with them to help with their first bath. I was alone with the nurse for awhile while she finished up a bunch of paperwork. Then I moved upstairs to the maternity ward. I was alone for awhile...it was hard going from the hustle and bustle of delivering two precious babies to being all alone, but I was happy Chris could be with the twins. I finally got to go down to the NICU and feed Boston. He was doing great and didn't have to be admitted, but Lyla did have to be admitted due to low blood sugar and would need an IV. It was really hard leaving her behind and getting to keep Boston with us. The rest of the evening was a blur. I remember telling our families the happy news and falling asleep watching Tarzan then being woken up all hours of the night to feed Boston, get my vitals checked, take some pills, or have my uterus what I like to call "kneaded".

Six in the morning came too fast. I met my new nurses, spoke with the twin's pediatrician, and got checked by my delivery team and anesthesiologist. The rest of the day was back and forth between the NICU and my room. Boston wasn't allowed to go back in the NICU so we were constantly juggling the twins between the 3 floors. Thankfully the nursery could take care of Boston so that Chris and I could visit Lyla together. When we would visit Lyla her nurse would have us do her "cares" which consisted of taking her temperature, changing her diaper, and feeding her. They were slowing weaning her off her IV based on her blood sugar levels which needed to be above 45. Our poor thing had to stay a second night in the NICU. Chris and I had a special congratulatory dinner from the hospital that evening. I was happy he finally got some real food since he was living off the crackers, Lorna Doones, and oatmeal stashed in the refreshments room.

Tuesday night was rough. I stayed with Lyla in the NICU until about 2am when I came upstairs to feed Boston and sleep. At this point I was pushing a wheelchair for support instead of having to ride in one. I ended up only sleeping 1 hour that night. While I was sleeping I was again awakened by people drawing blood, giving me more pills, pushing on my uterus, and checking my vitals. When Chris woke up we went to the NICU to be with Lyla. I fell asleep in the chair while waiting for Lyla to be ready to feed. I had a pounding headache that was making any conversation hard. After going back upstairs we met again with the pediatrician about Boston's circumcision. It was done fast and we were told he was a total champ. My anesthesiologist stopped by again to check up on how I was feeling. I told him that yesterday I had a dull headache, but today it was much more severe. He told me to lay flat and in under a minute the headache was much better. At that point he explained to me that I had a spinal headache and he strongly, and I mean strongly, recommended I get a blood patch. I told him we would think about it, but not long after I said yes please and it was done. Basically I had spinal fluid leak out from the epidural and spinal block which changed the the fluid pressure around the spinal cord and brain resulting in a terrible no good headache. He took blood from my arm and inserted it into where my anesthetic was injected. It was like getting another epidural, but without the actual numbing. The blood would clot and seal the hole where the leak was. I had to lay flat for an hour after so I finally got a little more sleep. Lunch woke me up and I finally had an appetite. I had a turkey and provolone sandwich that was so good I still think about it. Chris came back after being in the NICU and told me the hard news that Lyla wouldn't be able to come home with us today. 

I started to gently cry and then sob after Chris showed me a present he bought for her in the gift shop after hearing the news. He bought some little bows and glue for her hair. It was the saddest and most tender moment from our stay in the hospital. It broke my heart. Lyla's blood sugars were stable now, but she lost too much weight and needed further monitoring. Our little girl was down to 4lbs 10oz. We visited her again and just relished in how perfect and small she was. All over the NICU they had the Dr. Seuss quote, "A person's a person, no matter how small." I wanted to cry every time I read it. 

We were supposed to be discharged by 11 that morning, but the blood patch pushed our discharge to that afternoon. Then my doctor was no where to be found. She finally came in around 4 to approve my discharge. I had been stressed trying to figure out how that night was going to work with going back and forth from home to the NICU to feed my babies. A hospital hotel stay was mentioned several times, but we thought it would be too expensive until we asked how much it was and to our surprise it was free. (I really don't think it was free. I think they didn't charge us because of our special circumstance.) Instantly I knew that's what we should do. We got to stay in our room, but we had no nursing or nursery services. It was actually kind of nice not having people constantly checking up on us. Although it was weird hearing this whole hospital world outside our door that we were no longer apart of. It kind of makes you feel out of place, however we were so grateful that the night would go much smoother.

Thursday morning I went down to be with Lyla and was overjoyed to hear that she would likely come home with us that day. I got to be there for her rounds where all the staff meet together and discuss Lyla's progress. It was at that point where they said she could be discharged that day. I wanted to cry! I went upstairs to watch Boston as Chris loaded the car and then he went and got Lyla. It was the best feeling taking them home and seeing the two of them together for the first time since Monday. They slept side by side for hours. We are in total awe and love being a family. A lovely lady from our church brought us dinner and we just hung out the rest of the evening, soaking in every moment. The hospital stay was long, yet brief at the same time. Giving birth to twins was such an incredible experience I wish I could live over and over again. I am so thankful that I have the chance to be a mom and even more thankful to my Heavenly Father to know that my family is forever.

Where to Register for Baby

Creating a registry can get pretty overwhelming, not to mention where to register. There are tons of options like Babies "R" Us, Diapers.com, Amazon, Target, Walmart, Kohl's, Buy Buy Baby, 
Baby Depot, BabyList, and more. I ended up registering at Target, Babies "R" Us, and Buy Buy Baby. Looking back I wish I would have simplified it down to just two registries maximum. 

In this post I'm sharing the advertised "perks" of creating a registry with the stores I chose, as well as some of the free stuff I got for registering and the pros and cons I experienced. Baby registries are such an excellent way for others to give you the gifts you need, and they also give you some great money saving opportunities!

Buy Buy Baby

• Free personal shop with a registry consultant (I did not use this "benefit" because it would have driven me crazy)
• Hassle-free returns 
• Free registry announcement cards and gift packaging 
• Friends Referral Rewards: If you refer a friend and they create a registry you'll earn $25 off a $100 in-store purchase with each referral.
• Direct competitors' price match 
• Completion Program: You will get a one time use 10% off completion coupon for any or all remaining items on your registry. I received mine about 6 weeks before my due date and it expires 3 months after my due date. Perk: On the coupon it states, "We will gladly match our competitor's completion coupons for any or all items remaining on your registry." Target and Babies "R" Us offer a 15% off completion coupon, so if you mention this they will have to honor it. Also, the coupon includes most big brand names that are usually not included with their regular coupons. 
• Goody bag: When I registered in-store I received a goody bag. This is what came inside:

Buy Buy Baby Pros:

• Best variety. Think Bed Bath & Beyond for babies.
• Buy Buy Baby is actually a sister company of Bed Bath & Beyond, so they will take Bed Bath & Beyond coupons and giftcards. Definitely a great use for all those Bed Bath & Beyond coupons you get in the mail and find in magazines (I frequently see them in Better Homes & Gardens magazine). You can also sign up to receive Buy Buy Baby coupons in the mail. 
• Great customer service with a wide knowledge of products.
• Having multiples? They offer 10% off the second identical item. 

Buy Buy Baby Cons:

• Stores are few and far between.
• Prices are often higher than stores like Target and Walmart.

Conclusion: I enjoy Buy Buy Baby and love the many coupons you can use there since that take Bed Bath & Beyond's coupons too. But because physical locations are so limited it makes it hard to be a good registry for friends and family. I only received two gifts from this registry mostly because no one had heard of the store. 

Babies "R" Us

• Baby shower planning guides and registry announcement cards
• New Parent Classes: I wish I could have used this service, however they don't offer any of these classes in Utah. Classes offered include breastfeeding, baby basics, infant CPR, and more. 
• You’ll have up to 1 year after baby’s due date to make returns
• Price match guarantee: Works on a direct competitor's printed ad or select online retailer's websites including Walmart.com, Target.com, buybuyBaby.com, and Amazon.com. 
• Endless Earnings program: If you create a registry and sign up for the Rewards "R" Us program you can earn up to 10% back on any purchases (including your own) made from your registry in the form of an eGift card. 
• Completion coupon: You will get a one time use 15% off completion coupon for any or all remaining items on your registry. It's valid for about 4 months. 
• Goody bag: When I registered in-store I mentioned I was having twins and they gave me two! 

Babies "R" Us Pros:

• Great selection of items. 
• Multiples discount: 10% of second identical item.
• I had great customer service when I ordered my second car seat. I ended up getting 30% off (20% off coupon and 10% off multiples discount even though the first car seat wasn't purchased there) plus free shipping. 

Babies "R" Us Cons:

• Prices are usually higher. 
• Coupons are rarely sent in the mail. 
• Completion coupon was mailed late. 

Conclusion: I would recommend Babies "R" Us before Buy Buy Baby just because there are more locations and it's a commonly recognized store. However, every time I go in I can't wait to leave. 

Target

• Convenient for all - Gift givers can order online or shop at one of their 1800 locations nationwide.
• Hassle free returns and exchanges.
• Registry app: You can scan items straight to your registry with their app and access your registry.
• Completion coupon: Target offers a 15% off registry completion coupon sent 6 weeks before your due date. The completion coupon can also be stacked with the 5% off REDCard for 20% in savings! Target will also send you four 15% off registry completion coupons to give to friends or family. All the completion coupons are good for one use in-store and one use online. In addition to that, my coupons don't expire for about 7 months.
• Goody bag: They gave me two also!

Target Pros:

• Great returns - I had to return some baby clothes that had the tags removed and no receipt and they still gave me store credit!
• Target stores are everywhere and are already a common place for friends and family to shop.
• They sent me a $20 giftcard just for registering with them!
• Target has some of the best prices, plus they will price match with online retailers such as Amazon, Babies "R" Us, and Walmart. 

Target Cons:

• Very limited in-store selection of baby gear.

Conclusion: Target is probably the place I would recommend the highest. It's affordable and convenient, and I think they have the best registry completion deal.  Plus where else can you get all your baby AND household needs in one place? 

What are your experiences with baby registries? Leave a comment below!

26 Weeks

And time continues to fly...

I had another appointment last week with my regular doctor. We didn't do an ultrasound since I had just had one with the specialists days before. Everything is still going great! My favorite thing to hear from my doctors is "Just keep doing whatever it is you're doing!" I worry a lot, so I'm always happy to hear that I'm doing the right things. 

A highlight of the past 2 weeks was my friend's one year old son getting upset at me because he thought there was a ball under my shirt that I wouldn't give him. It was priceless! 

26 Weeks!

How far along? 26 Weeks and 2 Days
Babies are the size of: Butternut Squash - yum!
Total weight gain: 10lbs
Maternity clothes?  Yes and no. None of the clothes I'm wearing in this picture are maternity. 
Stretch marks?  Zero thus far. 
Sleep: My body is just training me for newborns! Usually I lie awake for hours, switch back and forth between the bed and couch, and then when all else fails I eat a bowl of cereal. 
Exercise: Always...it's my secret weapon to an easy pregnancy. 
Miss Anything: Sleeping on my stomach. 
Movement: Yes, especially at night! 
Food cravings: No cravings, but I'm counting down the days until pumpkin season! 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing lately.
Labor Signs: I've been having braxton hicks the last few weeks, but didn't realize that's what they were! It's such a weird feeling. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy :)
Looking forward to: My baby shower next weekend woohoo!

24 Weeks

24 Weeks and a growing belly!

I saw my maternal fetal medicine specialists this morning and they had nothing but good things to say! Both babies look perfect and are still measuring slightly ahead. Our boy still loves to be disobedient for the sonographers. Maybe he will be my "difficult" child! He is now on my left side head down and facing my spine. Now I know who's kicking me all the time! Our little girl is currently breech on my right side with her head just under my ribs, which likes to poke out. It feels like I have this very firm ball under my skin. It's definitely nice to know what body parts I am feeling! They took another look at their organs, which all look fine. The sonographer said my girl has a "beautiful heart" since she loved showing it off with her 4 perfect little chambers. Aren't ultrasounds amazing?

Our boy weighs 1 pound 11 ounces, and our girl weighs 1 pound 13 ounces. I have almost 4 pounds of baby in my belly! I was very happy to hear they're gaining weight. That's something I'm always worried about because I haven't been gaining much. I guess it's all going straight to the babies!

I think one of the highlights of the appointment was hearing my doctor say that I am doing fantastic and look great for carrying twins. She said keep doing whatever it is I'm doing because it's working! I'm so happy to know that all three of us are good and healthy.

No doubt pregnancy gets more and more uncomfortable the bigger you get. I end up sitting in some weird hunched positions at work because my chair feels like cylinder blocks and I don't sleep much anymore because of back pain or acid reflex, but I'm getting by. There's good days and bad days, but it's all worth it for my two little blessings!

The other day I jokingly told my husband that he should do the chalkboard this week. Well look what I came home to! I just had to keep it since it was funny. He's quite creative for a finance guy! It's so fun seeing him morph into a daddy role. 

How far along? 24 Weeks, 2 days
Babies are the size of: Eggplants
Maternity clothes?  Still a few shirts and some maternity pants just because they are SO comfortable! Occasionally I still wear all my regular clothes.
Stretch marks?  Nope!
Sleep: Is that what I'm supposed to be doing at night? 
Exercise: 5 days a week!
Miss Anything: Nothing really, although I've forgotten what it's like to have a flat stomach!
Movement: Sometimes it feels like they're boxing each other...
Food cravings: I haven't been really "craving" much but I've been really enjoying watermelon.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Eggs haven't been sitting that well lately.
Labor Signs: None.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: The rodeo we're going to this weekend!

22 Weeks

I'm getting bigger and bigger! It really is true how you can go to bed one night and look noticeably bigger in the morning. Unfortunately I don't have anything exciting to blog about. Our days consist of work, gym, dinner, and getting ready for bed. Now that is a summer packed full of fun! 

I do plan on writing a post soon comparing some of the popular baby stores to register at as well as some excellent books I'm reading right now. I'm currently loving Pamela Druckerman's "Bringing Up Bébé." This blog needs more variety...I don't want to yap about myself and the twins all the time! 

This past week I've thought a lot about how wonderful life is when you focus on the good. I have so much to be thankful for, so much to appreciate, so much to make me smile. I am thankful for the trials I've had and for the lessons I've learned from them. Especially the trial of getting these babies in my belly! Life is good, sometimes you just have to look a little harder for the good. Anyway, the past two weeks have gone by great. Somehow my heart grows bigger and bigger each week for these babies. I can't imagine what it will be like when I actually get to meet them!

22 Weeks!

How far along? 22 Weeks, 2 days
Babies are the size of: An ear of corn...yum! 
Total weight gain: About 7-8lbs. 
Maternity clothes? Some shirts. Still fit into my pants! 
Stretch marks? None...I'm dreading the day!
Sleep: It's been a little rougher lately. 
Exercise: Still keeping at it!
Miss Anything: I said it once and I'll say it again: I actually miss my tiny boobs. 
Movement: Lots of kicking! They stop whenever Chris comes near to feel...silly babies.
Food cravings: Anything pumpkin! I'm really excited for the fall. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!
Labor Signs: No. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy :)  
Looking forward to: Eating lots of pumpkin this fall haha  

20 Weeks

I cannot believe how time has flown - 20 weeks already! For twins that's usually more than halfway!

Things around here have been pretty clam. Chris is still recovering from surgery so we have been lounging around and watching movies. I still workout everyday which has helped me feel more...I guess you could say "normal." Biking has gotten much harder now because my knees always hit my ever growing belly!

I also just heard back from my doctor yesterday morning that the results from my 3-hour glucose test all came back normal. Thank goodness!

One thing that has hit me hard recently was an awful nightmare I had. Chris had to wake me up because I was crying in my sleep. I don't want to go into details, but it was a horribly graphic dream of losing my babies. It upsets me every time I think of it. I have such a longing for my twins and want nothing more than a healthy pregnancy and delivery for them. It feels like a heartache for missing someone you've never met.

On a much happier note, I can't even keep track of all things I have to be thankful for with everything from a smooth IVF to a wonderful twin pregnancy. I'm constantly asked about how I've been feeling and I'm so happy I can say "Good!" almost every time. I want to say I'm so lucky, but really I am so blessed.

Here's the 20 Weeks update!

How far along? 20 Weeks, 2 days
Babies are the size of: Bananas from head to heel.
Total weight gain: 5-6lbs...I've been worried about that, but the babies are still a week ahead in weight and measurements.  
Maternity clothes? Still trying to wear my normal clothes. Plus the less I spend on maternity clothes, the more I can spend on my babies right?
Stretch marks? Zero.  
Sleep: Not too bad, but it is starting to get hard finding a comfy position. 
Exercise: Yes! 
Miss Anything: Nope.  
Movement: Lots and lots! I absolutely love it!  
Food cravings: The other day I wanted to eat hot fudge straight from the jar. I didn't. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: My prenatal pills. They. Smell. Awful.
Labor Signs: No. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy. 
Looking forward to: 4th of July food! Yum! 

By the way, someone unexpectedly touched my belly yesterday. Not sure how I feel about that...

18 Weeks

So here I am writing this post stuck at my doctors office all morning for the lovely 3 hour glucose test. 

How am I feeling? Like I never want to consume sugar again. Bleh.

I took the 1 hour glucose test last week, but my results were high so they had me come in for the 3 hour glucose tolerance test, which further tests me for gestational diabetes. I'm finding comfort in the fact that only one-third of the people that take this test do have gestational diabetes, so hopefully I fall in that remaining two-thirds. But what can I say? I've been really blessed so far with no complications. I am very thankful for that. 

Last time I drink 50 grams of the orange glucose drink and it tasted like nasty diluted orange cough syrup. This time I had 100 grams of the lemon lime glucose drink and it tasted like super sugary flat sprite. Still nasty, but way better.

Also, on Tuesday Chris had his second knee surgery. In March he got a bone graft and this time he got the actual ACL surgery. This is his third one! Third time's the charm right? He's doing great though, just taking it easy and watching the World Cup and movies all day (and night). 

Yesterday I had another visit at the hospital with the Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists. I basically had an hour long ultrasound that literally checked and measured every main bone and organ in my cute little babies. Everything looked great! Their brains, hearts, kidneys, bladders, stomachs, diaphragms, arms, hands, legs, feet, umbilical cords, and placentas are all normal. They are still measuring a week ahead too. I love, love, LOVE getting to see my little boy and girl. Our boy is so active...he would not stay still!

Anyway, a few days late but here's my 18 weeks bumpdate!

How far along? 18 weeks, 4 days 
Babies are the size of: Sweet potatoes
Total weight gain: I've gained about 3 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight  
Maternity clothes? I've been wearing one maternity shirt I have mostly because it's so comfy.
Stretch marks? None. 
Sleep: I think I'm still catching up on sleep from girls camp!   
Exercise: I've been working out for a little while everyday.  
Miss Anything: Hmm...nothing at the moment.  
Movement:  I'm feeling little baby kicks! It's so fun.  
Food cravings: Anything but the glucose drink.  
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing lately.  
Labor Signs: No. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy. 
Looking forward to: Chris recovering from his surgery so we can start enjoying our summer!

Gender Reveal!

We finally found out what our twins are!

Last Monday I got my ultrasound to check on the babies and hopefully find out the genders. Both babies are doing fantastic, and they cooperated perfectly so my doctor could check the genders. Since we've been planning a little gender reveal party I told her not to tell me and to just write the results down. She was totally into it and made sure I didn't peak. She even wrapped the results around a urination pill coupon so I couldn't see it through the envelope!

During the week I was at girls camp as a leader for the awesome young women from my church. I loved getting to know the girls, but camping when pregnant is NOT FUN. Restless nights, sensitive stomach, my uterus doubling as a gymnasium...I'm still really glad I went though! And then of course the day after I get back I strained my neck and was in pain all day. My neck was literally stuck to the side. Thankfully it's getting much better.

Finally Saturday came and we moved our little picnic party to our apartment since the weather didn't cooperate and most of the people we invited were unable to come. It was an intimate little party with some family and a few friends, but it was perfect. We had 4 little boys bouncing around, some yummy sandwiches, and of course the big reveal!

Please excuse my squealing and high-pitched excitement...I was definitely excited! Check it out:


   

I was 98% positive Baby A was a boy, but I had no clue about Baby B. I am so overjoyed it's a girl! I was definitely nervous about raising two rambunctious boys, so I was really hoping we'd get one of each. It's also comforting to know that if I wasn't able to get pregnant in the future, that we at least have a boy and girl. We are so EXCITED!

P.S. I totally saw our boy punch our little girl in the head during my last ultrasound. And so the sibling fights begin... ;)

16 Weeks!

Happy 16 weeks babies!

The past two weeks have been pretty good. I'm definitely enjoying the second trimester energy! I've been working out more, sleeping lots, and overall feeling pretty good. I'm mostly concerned about my eating habits. I still can't stand vegetables and all I ever really eat is carbs and more carbs. I also haven't had an increase in appetite much so I'm still eating the same amount of food as I did before pregnancy. 

I cannot wait for Saturday night because Chris will be done taking the CFA! I'll finally get my husband back! I've never seen someone study so much and so hard. I'm proud of my cute husband. Also, next week I will be away at a girls camp for the young women in my church. I'm the camp director so I've been busy planning away. I'm mostly excited for the food! A lot of people are surprised that they're letting me go pregnant, but no one has told me I can't and my doctors seem fine with it. I'll definitely take it easy. I also gave up doing the Dirty Dash this weekend since it didn't seem like a very smart idea with all the obstacles and how hot it's been lately. I definitely won't miss scrubbing mud out of every nook and cranny. 

Oh, and next week we will find out the genders!!! I have an ultrasound Monday, BUT we're planning a little family get together that Saturday to reveal the genders. So I won't actually find out on Monday since we're just going to have my doctor write down the genders and seal it up. I'm dying to know!

Anyway, Here's the latest!

How far along? 16 weeks, 2 days 
Babies are the size of: Large avocados 
Total weight gain: I think I'm now back up to my pre-pregnancy weight.
Maternity clothes? I have a couple shirts, but I haven't worn them yet.
Stretch marks? No.
Sleep: I LOVE sleep! My new favorite phrase: I'm sleeping for three!
Exercise: I've been using the elliptical lately. Glad I have some energy back!
Miss Anything: Fitting into my swim suit...I need to buy a maternity one!
Movement: Still feeling little flutters every now and then. No distinct kicks yet.
Food cravings: Pretty much any kind of chicken casserole. Oh yes please.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Tomatoes?
Labor Signs: No.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy I suppose. Mostly just content. 
Looking forward to: Finding out the genders!