22 Weeks - Update on Me!

22 Weeks!! This is absolutely incredible how fast this is all going. But, also, I cannot wait to meet these little things! As you know, in the past two weeks we have worked on the nursery. Which I love. I love,love to decorate, so to get to do it from a blank canvas is just fabulous. And I FINALLY finalized the bedding details - yay! I just need to buy a couple more things, then I can take it to get all sewn. Its still a work in progress though. I actually found some really neat ideas for the dresser and nightstand from Art for Kids (beautiful and soooooo expensive, but I can copycat, right?) I can't wait to see it when it's finished. I know I'm crazy for obsessing this much, but I can't help it. I also cleaned out every kitchen drawer last week too. Hmm, wonder if that nesting instinct is kicking in?

Jake and I bit the bullet and registered at our very first store last night - Target. I thought it best to start small, since they only have a few aisles of baby things, then tackle the big stores. Even with all the advice I have received about what things are "must-haves", "can't live withouts", and "don't-bother-withs", I can honestly say I left there in near tears. I was FREAKING OUT. What are we going to do? I didn't know what half that stuff was. All it did was make my stomach turn in knots. I have been all excited and thought how much fun this is going to be, but we are having BABIES - not BABY. Seriously...pray for us! Help us get to Babies R Us in one piece!!

How far along? 22 weeks, 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: I haven't weighed myself in a while. I'm kind of scared to. I still look ok (at least in my mind, I do). But I am kind of worried. My doctor's appt in next week, and I am supposed be close to the 24 pound mark...we shall see...
Maternity clothes? I used my Pea in the Pod gift certificate this weekend, and used it on some very expensive Citizens of Humanity jeans. I know, really stupid, right? But everyone keeps telling me how fat and ugly you're going to feel and to get something that you think makes you feel pretty. So, thats what I did. Is it bad that these jeans cost way more than any other jeans in my closet? Probably. And to make it worse, they have them sized like normal jeans, by WAIST SIZE! So, I'm like, "Um, I am assuming this is your pre-pregnancy waist size?" I mean, how cruel!
Best moment this week: Jake got to feel the little girl kick last night. Finally. He is usually asleep by the time they start, and he usually misses it. It was awesome.
Movement: As from the earlier post, they are kicking now! And really, only at night when I am lying on my side really to go to sleep. So, I end up just lying there awake just feeling them move around. So cool.
Waist Diameter: 40.5 inches. Seriously. And I still have a long way to go.
Food cravings: Nothing new this week.
Gender: Still a boy and a girl!
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? Its still halfway, so its not so bad. I think it just popped so early, and looked HUGE, and finally my belly has caught up. However, I still have to wear my Bella Band over it if I wear anything slinky or cotton. That belly button sure does like to pop out and say hello to everyone.
What I miss: Summer! It has turned to fall here really quickly. So, its freezing in the morning and at night, but mid to upper 70's in the day. Crazy! I am really going to miss my flowy dresses. I may have to start actually buying maternity clothes!
What I am looking forward to: My doctor's appointment on Wednesday, Oct 7th. I miss seeing them. And getting the nursery near finished! It's going to be beautiful. I guess I should also say that I'm looking forward to registering at the next two places, but that would be a bald faced lie.
Milestones: They are kicking! And that is the most surreal thing ever. And I love, love, that Jake can feel it too.
Realization of the week: We need to seriously learn what a baby is and how to take care of it :)

22 Weeks- Spaghetti Squash!

Squash casserole anyone?

Baby Stribs - 22 Weeks

How your baby's growing: How your baby's growing:At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. (YAY!!!! - no more alien face!) His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

How your life's changing: At this point, you may find your belly becoming a hand magnet. It's perfectly okay to tell folks who touch your tummy that you'd rather they didn't. (Yeah, everyone has been doing that since about 14 weeks. It really doesn't bother me all that much. I have wanted this for so long, who cares!) And if people are telling you that you look smaller or bigger than you should at this point, remember that each woman grows — and shows — at her own rate. ( Um, does that mean when people tell me I'm ready to pop any day I should tell them to MYOB? Although, it IS funny when I tell them I'm only half-way there!) What's important is that you see your practitioner for regular visits so she can make sure your baby's growth is on track.You may start to notice stretch marks on your abdomen as it expands to accommodate your growing baby. (Woohoo! None yet. I have been slathering on Mustela since 12 weeks now - ppllleeeaase stay away stretch marks!)At least half of all pregnant women will develop stretch marks by the time they give birth. These small streaks of differently textured skin can range from pink to dark brown (depending on your skin color). Although they most commonly appear on your tummy, stretch marks may also show up on your buttocks, thighs, hips, and breasts. There's no proof that lotion helps prevent stretch marks, but keeping your skin moisturized may help with any itching.

Update on the Baby Name Poll

Hmmm, so far there are about 33 votes, and it looks like Jackson is ranking #1 for the boys, and its a tie between Jillian and Julia for the girls. (and poor old Jilena hasn't gotten a single one. That one was a family name, so I'm not completely sold on it, but was wondering what people thought...apparently not very high on the list for some of you)

What about Jocelyn? Why isn't anyone voting for that one? Its my favorite so far, so I am perplexed. Although, I know my sister reads this one alot, so she may be padding the numbers each time she comes on here. Hmmm...

Also, another thought was calling the boy Joshua. What do you think of that? My MIL, Vicki, had a dream the other night about the twins, and they were named Jocelyn and Joshua in her dream :)

Rug for the nursery

This is the rug I am looking at for the nursery. It is from my favorite store, Ballard Designs. I soooo wish they would make nursery furniture, because I would probably buy everything they sold. And, ahem, MOM, I'm sure it would be either glazed or distressed (LOL). Anyway, I am going for a French-type look in the nursery - lots of ivorys and taupes - very light and airy. So, this rug I found at Ballard Designs is really cute.

From Ballard Designs: The elegant poem rug design was created with words from famed 17th century French fabulist, Jean de La Fontaine. La Cigale et La Fourmi tells the story of an industrious ant, a carefree cricket and the end of summer. Inspired by the fables of Aesop, La Fontaine wrote volumes of simple poems using animals to teach real-life lessons.

I like it because 1. its in French, and 2. Its a children's fable - perfect for the nursery! And, its funny, because I really know this story too. It was done in Disney and I have watched it a thousand time. Except Disney's version had a grasshopper instead of a cricket.

Disney's version (the Grasshopper was voiced by Goofy)

Here is the rug translated:

La Cigale et La Fourmi(The Cricket and The Ant)
The cricket, having sung all summer long,

found her foods too few when the north wind blew

Nowhere could she spy a single morsel - worm or fly.

She thought her neighbor, the ant, might help;
and begged her for a bit of grain till summer came back again.

"By next harvest, I'll repay interest and principal both,"

she swore on the animal's oath.

Now, the ant may admit to a fault or two,
But lending is not something she will ever do.

So she asked, "What did you do when the weather was warm?"

"By night and day, to all who came, I sang at every chance."

"You sang, did you? How very nice. Now go and dance."

So, what do you think? Do you like it/hate it? It is too themey? Just I just go with a solid color? I am up in the air about it. Right now I love it, but I wonder if I would hate it over time. Jake's on the fence too.

Baby Steps on the Nursery

No, not from babies, of course. But we did make "some" headway on the nursery. My mom came in town for the weekend and we got to work.

The nursery was formerly an office for an at-home business I once did. It was stationery and invitations, so the office/nursery was full of all kinds of stuff: computer, two printers, fax machine, two desks, tall file cabinet, and boxes of misc things like envelopes, old invitations, bags, shipping materials, etc. Needless to say it was a mess. And worse than that was that I cleaned out ALOT of it before I even became pregnant!

So, after we got it all cleaned out, we worked on the furniture. Mom took to the garage and proceeded to paint the chest of drawers and nightstand. She painted it antique white to match the cribs. We debated and debated on whether or not to buy new nursery furniture, or take the furniture from a guest bedroom and paint it (By the way, the furniture was a beautiful ivory and glzed withchocolate accents. Perfect, right? Except it was ivory, not antique white, so we had to paint it). I decided I would rather take the old furniture and paint it, then get nicer furniture for the guest bedroom. After all, we probably would use the nursery for THAT long, ya know?

So, while mom was painting, Jake and I tackled putting together the cribs. Really, husbands and wives should not at temp this chore together. It just isn't good, LOL. And, we also came to the realization that its not fair that we have to put TWO together. One is bad enough. I am still not understanding why they have to make the thing so dang difficult to put together! Not that I am complaining of the twins, mind you!!

So, here is the nursery with some stuff in it, then empty and then with the cribs put together. We need to bring the furniture upstairs, but I am deciding if I want to glaze it or not. My mom is VERY much against it, but I just love the look - I can't help it. So, I am still making that decision. But, we do have the cribs in place. Now, all we need is the bedding to be made, paint to be on the walls, rug to buy, changing table to buy, and glider to buy. Now, the REALLY fun part is going to see how all of this will fit in this room. See why I said baby steps???

Office/Nursery (we have already cleaned some of it out by this point)

Cleaned out! (Also, the nursery really isn't THAT small, its just that it has weird angles and its hard to get a complete picture of the whole room, and I have a crappy camera that won't zoom out much - I tried...)

The cribs put together! We may decide to put them both against the wall instead of on each side of the window depending on space, but I hope we get to keep them like this.

One of the cribs close up

Fatty at the wedding

Well, I survived the wedding weekend. I didn't have to lift anything, which was super-duper. I did do all the boutonnieres and helped with the bouquets, and other things here and there. And the clean-up afterwards - yikes. The babies had a fab time.

I did not wear the "tent" dress. Whole separate story there. Went to my oh so fabulous seamstress to pick it up on Friday and she started crying and told me it wasn't done. THE DAY BEFORE THE WEDDING. I could have killed her. My friend Larissa's mom did the best she could, but it was just an ugly dress. Everyone thought instead I should wear my back-up from JC Penney's, which I did - and it was knit - even better :)

Here are some pics of Fatty at the Wedding: (its easier to do a slide show when there are so many pictures)

Poll

I added a baby name poll on the right. Be sure to vote!!

20 Weeks - update on me!!!

We have passed the 20-week mark!! Yea! For some reason, this is a big milestone for me. It feels like I am really pregnant and everything will be ok. (Of course, now that I am used to feeling the babies, especially the girl, I had a minor freak out this week when I didn't feel her all day - I was going to fake something to go to my doctor to get a quick u/s. Luckily, she finally moved late at night - whew! Why do they cause us such stress??)

The baby showers are staring to get planned, which is exciting. One will be family and girlfriends on October 24th, and the other will be a couples on November 6th. Football season is really hard to plan anything around, so we only have limited dates. October 24th is the Alabama away game, and Nov. 6th is the Memphis game, which we may/may not go to. Speaking of football, tailgating has started and so far, so good!! The drinking doesn't bother me, as I have an ample amount of junk food to ingest instead, LOL. The heat was awful the first game, so hopefully it will start to cool off a bit. I am going to go to as many games as I can. I am thinking I can make it to November - but we'll see!

My sister Ginny's wedding is this Saturday. Hopefully the rain will stay away! If not, though, everyone can just take shelter underneath my bridesmaid dress, as I am pretty sure 100 people can easily get under there. I will post pictures next week!

How far along? 20 weeks, 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: I haven't weighed in a few days, but I gained like 5 pounds in a week, which I have already been worried about. My weight is still low for where I am supposed to be, but I think I am still on track, and am still happy with what I see in the mirror every day. I am terrified I will wake up one morning and be 1,000 pounds. My next weight milestone for twins, is 24/24. Gain 24 pounds by your 24th week. So, I am doing really good on that. I think I have gained like 14-15 pounds.
Maternity clothes? Still nothing but my jeans! These flowy dresses, tops, and my super Bella Band have been doing awesome. However, I did get a Pea in the Pod gift card from Jake and his sister, Jennifer, for my birthday that I am really excited to use. WooHoo!
Best moment this week: Being past 20 weeks!! Yea!! And finally feeling the baby girl move after my freak out.
Movement: yeah, it pretty good now. I can't feel the boy very much because of the location of his placenta, but I can feel the girl alot. Usually, however, its mostly when I am really hungry, really full, or really have to pee that she decides to say hello.
Waist Diameter: I decided to add this one for funsies. Right now it's at 39 inches. LOL!!
Food cravings: Still loving chicken biscuits, spicy food and anything sweet. Basically anything you put in front of me.
Gender: Still a boy and a girl! No extra parts in there!
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? Its still a halfy, but I don't think its as bad as it was...
What I miss: Sleeping on my back. I bought a new pillow, an Utterly Yours pregnancy pillow. Its supposed to support your back, stomach, and force you to sleep in your left side. Do you know how hard it is to stay sleeping on the same side all night! My hips kill me! So, the Utterly Yours usually gets thrown in the floor in the middle of the night.
What I am looking forward to: I don't go back to the doctor until 24 weeks, so I am looking forward to that. And getting my bedding fabric finalized!! I don't know what has possessed me to do this. Do you know how expensive fabric is for TWO cribs?? Jeez!! Oh, and feeling the babies start to kick!
Milestones: I have hit 20 weeks, so that is HUGE!! Now, I guess the one is what the earliest I can be to deliver and the babies be "ok". I am thinking 26 weeks maybe?? Sure, they'll be in ICU for a while, but at least its possible. Just think, if I had triplets or quads, I could be delivering in just a few weeks - yikes!!
Realization of the week: YAY!!! This is going to happen!!!!!

20 Weeks - B.A.N.A.N.A.S.

Who else wants to sing Hollaback girl from Gwen Stefani?

Baby Stribs - 20 Weeks

How your baby's growing:Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. (they weighed about 11 oz. each at my appt last week) He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurments are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. (the little girl had hiccups at the last u/s appointment) He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery). EWWWWWW!!!! How am I going to do this???

How your life's changing: The top of your uterus is about halfway between your pubic bone and your navel, and the round ligaments that support it are thickening and stretching as it grows. (I actually have round ligament pain, and have had it now for several weeks. It feels swesom, like a hernia) You're probably feeling a whole lot better as you settle into pregnancy, too. Less nausea, fewer mood swings, and "glowing" skin contribute to an overall sense of well-being. (Do the radndom adolecent zits that pop up on bizarre places like my neck, ears and chest count as "glowing"?) Soon you'll experience one of the most wonderful moments of pregnancy — feeling your baby move. While some women notice "quickening" as early as 16 weeks, many don't feel their baby move until about 18 weeks or more. (I have been feeling this alot now!!) (And if this is your first baby, don't be too impatient — you may not be aware of your baby's movements until 20 weeks or so.) The earliest movements may feel like little flutters, gas bubbles, or even like popcorn popping. Over the following weeks they'll grow stronger and you'll be able to feel them much more frequently.

20 week appointment (at 19.5 weeks)

I had my big 20-week ultrasound appointment on Wednesday- even though I was only 19 weeks and three days.

In the 20-week appointment, they do another anonomy scan. Meaning, they measure EVERYTHING, which is cool. I was in the ultrasound office for almost an hour. Jake couldn't be here for this one, which was terrible. He has a business luncheon come up the day before, and his boss was coming up, so he couldn't get out of it. I told him not to worry. They literally gave me a TON of pictures. In fact, the u/s tech said I wasn't allowed to look at them until after I left, because she could get in trouble for giving me so many, tehe. I told you I was special!! Mom was even amazed that I get ultrasounds every time. I mean, of COURSE I will! My next appt is in 4 weeks, though, which is a long time. And the next time I get to take the super glucose test, where you have to drink a bunch of yuck to see if I have gestational diabetes. Which, Lord I hope not, because Mama and the babies like their sugar.

Ovary updates - they are still huge and covered in cysts! Surprise, surprise! My left one is up near my ribs still, and the left one is now down next to my cervix. And actually, my doctor thought that was funny and/or lucky. Because with twins, the babies tend to get closer to the cervix, which causes early delivery, which we don't want. Well, that ovary is not letting anything through there - it's like its a barrier to my cervix, which is funny.

Everything looks great with both. Baby Boy Stribling in head down (way down) and his feet are under my right breast. Baby girl is still sideways, and hear head is basically where Baby Boy's feet are. I hope he doesn't kick her head. She was all over the place. She absolutely refused to cooperate, which took so long in the measurements. She also had the hiccups! That was really exciting to watch on the screen. It was just so cool!!! I can already tell she is going to be a handful. And where her placenta is located, I will be feeling her much more than the Baby Boy. Anyway, all looked find. They measured hands, arms, legs, spleen, spine, head, bladder, kidneys, etc. Baby Boy has a bit of a problem in the kidney area. He has some dilation in the tubes that go from the kidney to the bladder. It's very common in boy babies, and is basically a little urine back-up. It should resolve on its own before delivery. If not, they just give him an antibiotic when he's born. Here are pictures for you to enjoy!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Well, today is the big day. No not the "delivery" big day, just the other much less-important one. I am officially 30ish this year. Happy Birthday to me! I am normally one of those "I LOVE MY BIRTHDAY!" people. On any given birthday, I may tell numerous strangers about my special day. But not this year. This year I finally have my birthday wish that I have been wishing for for long time. (Plus not to mention I am now in my thirties, so honestly, whats to celebrate there??)

But I am happy. And I do want to celebrate. I finally have my birthday wish. Thank you to my husband for giving me the best gift I could have ever imagined or asked for. The twins are the best, most wonderful present in the whole wide world. I cannot wait to meet them.

So sweet and precious....

18 weeks - hot like a pepper

Baby Stribs - 18 Weeks

How your baby's growing: Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. (UH OH!!!! THEY BETTER GO DOWN! Has anyone seen my fathers ears?? Geneitcally, we are already in a little bit of challenge there) A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound. (Um, not our son, he likes for everyone to see)

How your life's changing: The top of your uterus is about halfway between your pubic bone and your navel, and the round ligaments that support it are thickening and stretching as it grows. You're probably feeling a whole lot better as you settle into pregnancy, too. Less nausea, fewer mood swings, and "glowing" skin contribute to an overall sense of well-being. Soon you'll experience one of the most wonderful moments of pregnancy — feeling your baby move. While some women notice "quickening" as early as 16 weeks, many don't feel their baby move until about 18 weeks or more. (And if this is your first baby, don't be too impatient — you may not be aware of your baby's movements until 20 weeks or so.) The earliest movements may feel like little flutters, gas bubbles, or even like popcorn popping. Over the following weeks they'll grow stronger and you'll be able to feel them much more frequently. (YAY!!!!! I am right on time, then, right???)

18 Weeks - update on me!

Well, here we are at 18 weeks. This is beyond a doubt - crazy. How am I 18 weeks? How am I this far already, but yet I cannot wait to be 30 weeks and counting down? I am finally to the point that I am going to get highlights in my hair. I have put it off, and put it off. Surely by now its safe. And don't ever get me started with this Swine Flu stuff. I have heard it from everyone, and I PROMISE to get vaccinated. Plus, my being at schools all day is probably worse for me too.

How far along? 18 weeks, 2 days
Total weight gain/loss:Well, if you read this post, you will see I was still at a good weight a few days ago. Now, I have not stepped on a scale since then, so I am hoping I have not jinxed myself. Plus, UT football starts on Saturday, and -me likey- tailgate food.
Maternity clothes? Still have nothing but the Old Navy maternity jeans. Good thing my dresses are flowy!
Sleep: I still have my good nights and bad nights. I haven't gone into another room to sleep in a while, and thats good. My hips and knees have been hurting very bad. And I am trying so hard to stay on my left side, but if ever I wake up in the middle of the night, I am right on my back, dang it.
Best moment this week: Nothing so far this week. Looking forward to football starting!!I am still looking at bedding fabric, which is now a lot harder that I thought. My sweet friend Larissa's mom is going to make it. I thought it would become easier once I had made a decision (set #2, by the way), but its almost worse. B/c now I am comparing multiple beiges, pinks, and blues, at multiple fabric stores and websites.
Movement: I felt a bit of flutterings last week, but nothing since then. And that makes me sad, and also makes me think something is horrible wrong in there. Why can't they give take-home ultrasound machines for obsessive, neurotic people like me???
Food cravings: Still nothing weird. I am patiently waiting for the ice cream with ketchup toppings to start. But, just eating normal. And actually have been less hungry than I was during the first trimester. Still am loving chicken biscuits though.
Gender: Sweet boy and girl. Wanna help us with names?????? Need help with the J's!
Labor Signs: HE- to the -LL - NO
Belly Button in or out? *sigh* I am still a halfy. And I am starting to think its cute. That must be a sign of pregnancy. Because why on EARTH would I think something so gross be cute?? What I miss: Working out, or any form of exercise. I am now a wee bit worried about gaining 20 pounds in a month.
What I am looking forward to: the baby showers are in a-plannin'. stages. I am trying to plan ahead for bed rest and my "no pictures in the third trimester" rule.
Milestones: I am looking forward to getting to 20 weeks. That is technically my "safe period".
Realization of the week: That I am very, very lucky to be carrying multiples. I have so far eaten basically anything I wanted, not been able to exercise at all, and don't look like a fatty-fatty two-by-four-can't-get-through-the-kitchen-door. By all means, I SHOULD BE. But, I am thinking that b/c I am carrying twins, they are needing most of the food I am consuming, as opposed to a single baby. So, thank goodness for that.