Random "It's Almost Friday" Thoughts

• I am really glad it's almost the end of the week.  I have been feeling utterly exhausted and I am pretty sure it's because these boys are going through a growth spurt.  Hello stretch marks!
• My dad, stepmom and grandma are coming for a visit this weekend.  Typically cleaning is in order when guests come but I am too tired.  I actually like cleaning (is that weird?).  Blogging has apparently replaced cleaning. It says something about me when I am too tired to clean.
• Family loves us, whether we have a dirty house or not, so I am looking forward to seeing them.  
• My babies shower is this weekend hence the visit from family.  A shower for two babies is being held in my honor this weekend.  That is very surreal to say.  Incredibly wonderful and humbling, but also surreal.  
• I catch a glance of myself in the mirror these days and think, "Who is that really pregnant lady?"  I guess I am still not expecting to look the way I do.
• Not to contradict the previous random thought but I am starting to feel really pregnant.  My belly feels like it is going to split in half and if I move too quickly it's like little knives in the ribs.  At this point, it's not too bad because I still get a decent amount of sleep.  If I could not sleep I would be really sad.
• I was reading a blogger talking about first time moms thinking they deserved a medal for carrying a child in their womb.  I am not that first time mom.  I would love people to stop asking me about my apparent pregnancy and having to answer the same questions for the umpteenth time that day.  Yes, I am pregnant.  Can we just leave it at that?
• I sure don't feel very glowy (is that a real word or did I just make it up?).  I have the lovely mask of pregnancy darkening every mole and freckle.  I feel like I look dingy.
• I love feeling my babies move around.  It gets uncomfortable but what a joy to feel my little sons kicking and pushing.  I get to have this special relationship with them for such a short time.  I want to cherish every moment because I know when they are here I will miss it.  
• Dear husband feels much better than last week but now he has that productive cough thing going on.  We both sound like we're choking when we laugh.  
• Eric and I finished up our childbirth education class this week.  We even got a certificate! 
• Life is good. I am grateful to be pregnant and I don't take it for granted. 

If You're a MoM or a Twin, You Have to Watch This...

A friend from college recently posted this on my Facebook wall and it made me laugh out loud.  No exaggeration there.  Eric came into the room to make sure the sounds I was making were not sounds of pain.  Laughter involves shortness of breath these days so I understood the concern.  This friend has toddler age twin boys and knows all too well the dumb questions or comments people can make. Warning: this video contains high doses of sarcasm. Check it: 

Going Non-Stop

This past week was incredibly busy.  I am trying to contemplate that a week ago I was up at Lake Tahoe and instead it seems like forever ago.  Maybe that was why we needed a weekend to recharge because from here on out we are going to be moving constantly.  That is not to say this is bad or that I am trying to complain, it just means we are gearing up for a really exciting time in our lives.  The week in review:

• Monday we viewed a couple houses and found one we really liked.  We made an offer and it was accepted a couple hours later.  We have been getting all the loan documents put together and are excited about owning our first home together.
• Tuesday was Eric's birthday and he had been feeling ill since the day prior when we were looking at houses.  We had planned on going to our scheduled child birth education class but he stayed home and I went by myself.  I felt horrible because it was not much of a birthday for him. 
• Wednesday Eric went in for work to teach one safety class and came home once it was done. He had to cancel his high school bible study at church.  I attended a breast feeding class after work so dear husband was on his own again.  The breastfeeding class was really helpful for me and I left feeling a lot more comfortable with the idea of trying to nurse two infants.  Two nights in a row of getting back home between 9-10 pm after working a full day left me whooped. 
• Thursday we saw the perinatologist up in Reno. We had a great appointment which was such a blessing and encouragement.  Baby A was measuring at 3 lbs. 7 oz. and Baby B was measuring at 3 lbs. 4 oz.  They had a total variance of 5% which is really good for how far along we are with this pregnancy.  Apparently I have a cervix like a brick (the doctor's words, not mine).  I am still at 4+ cm in my cervical length which is virtually unchanged from my last appointment in December.  The doctor stated that she did not see me going into spontaneous labor prior to 35 weeks.  All in all we felt a lot better that we had a good shot at getting moved into our new house before the babies make their arrival.
• On Friday morning, the dull headache I had for the previous two days was escalating.  I left work early and got my neck adjusted at the chiropractor.  I felt much better after that and took a nap when I got home.  On Fri. night Eric had organized a movie night for the youth at church and I played Bunco with my church group. 
• Saturday and Sunday were more relaxed.  Some packing was done, napping, church and eating dinner with friends.  My husband never got a real birthday celebration but he sweetly said that buying a house was enough of a present.  

In general, we are getting really excited about moving into our own place!

Happy Birthday My Love

Happy 31st Birthday to my Eric.
He is my husband.
He is the father to our two boys.
He is my encourager and cheer leader.
He gives great bear hugs.
He furrows his eyebrows in the cutest (sexiest) way when he concentrates.
He is a delightful goof ball.
He loves to make me laugh.
I look to him for strength and leadership.
He is a man of conviction.
He is the iron to my iron and constantly sharpens me.
He is a servant and constantly wants to be there to help.
I love him and am so grateful we have such a big year in store...together.

Recharge and Getting Ready for Change

We got to go away this past weekend for a brief but much needed respite.  Our friends have access to a condo at Lake Tahoe owned by their family members.  There was no agenda or anywhere to be.  We were surrounded by the beauty of nature.  I got to play around with our camera.  We ate food that was bad for us.  We slept in.  It was awesome.  I was amazed that a little over 24 hours in a change of scenery could leave me feeling so invigorated.

When I try to imagine heaven, I think of skies like this

Mat and Eric acting silly

My nearly 30 week belly

 We celebrated Eric's birthday a little early

Jolene's one baby and my two babies. 

We have the same name 

and due date!

This last week we had been thrown for a bit of a loop.  We found out we had to move out of the house we had been renting since we got married.  The whole concept of nesting and setting up a nursery came to a halt.  We calculated that a mortgage payment would be the same if not less than rent for another comparable house.  We viewed a couple homes and were scouring the MLS listings.  I think that was why it was so nice to just get away, spend some time with friends and recharge.  When we got back on Saturday, we got some major progress accomplished with the babies' room (more like staging area for now).  Today we went looking again and found a house that hit all the right criteria.  We made an offer and it was accepted within a couple hours.  So now we are looking to move right before these little boys make their grand entrance.  While the thought of all that needs to be accomplished is stressful, it is also very exciting.  Eric and I took it as a clear sign that God was directing us to a new path.  We are starting a grand adventure and feel blessed that we can afford a home where I can now do some permanent nesting.  We had looked at houses last spring but decided not to make an offer a couple of different times.  Something just wasn't right at that time.  The market has continued to decrease in our area and we are so glad we were patient.  Next step is purging the rental house and packing it up.  It's going to be an interesting time in the next couple months.  I know when I feel overwhelmed that I can comfort myself with the reminder that God knows my circumstances exactly and He is not surprised. 

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Little Pink Badges of Courage

The skin on my belly has finally revolted and said enough is enough.  I now have a developing sunburst pattern around my protruding belly button that is getting pinker by the minute (at least it feels that way).  I have mixed emotions about this.  I am trying to get myself to focus on the fact that my body is doing an unbelievable amount of work by growing and fostering two babies.  The other side thinks on vanity and how my body will never look the same.  I was pretty sure I was going to get stretch marks with pregnancy as I got a decent amount on my hips going through a growth spurt in high school.  So no big surprise there.  After all, I am 29 weeks with these boys and I am measuring full term for a singleton.  I will think of them as little tattoos that memorialize how my body did an incredible job and worked really hard.  I would rather have a belly full of pink marks than these boys come too early.  So here's to baby boys continuing to grow and my little pink badges of courage!

PS- I am not the type to take pics of an exposed belly so you'll just have to take my word on it. 

Getting Bigger

So I am officially in my third trimester.  I am doing better than I could have hoped for!  I realize other moms of twins may hate on me for saying that...sorry, I really am.  I feel so badly for those women who have to face months of bed rest and/or hospital time.  I don't take for granted that I feel so well.  I am one of the few people I guess that actually has better health when pregnant.  Having dysmenorrhea and IBS symptoms that I believe are tied to endometriosis, I have been grateful to have an extended break from those symptoms. The first several months  of the pregnancy were tough but I have been progressively getting more energy back.  I have been carrying all of my weight pretty much right up front. The innie belly button has officially become an outie. My hips and thighs have gotten some extra cushion but it has not been too bad.  With now being the size of a full term pregnancy with a singleton,  my maternity pants are getting too tight in the belly region.  I am probably going to have to bite the bullet and buy some bigger sizes. 

In my recap of 2010, I mentioned that I have a lot of friends who are pregnant right now.  For some it is their first pregnancies and for others it is several down the line.  It's a blessing to be in that same place in life as a lot of good friends.  I mentioned my friend Sarah is due in April.  You can see our belly comparison shots--she is at 24 weeks and I am at 28 in this picture.  Just a slight difference...

Sarah at 24 weeks with a baby boy

 

Me at 28 weeks with our baby boys

  

Trying to show Sarah the boys moving

 

Sarah thinking:  "Dang, am I going to look like that too?"

We Do Everything in Twos

As mentioned earlier, we adopted two little dogs from the Mono County Animal Shelter last January.  We have now had our little fur babies for a whole year!  Scooter and Suzie have no doubt helped prepare us for parenthood.  These dogs came from an unhappy background and were incredibly anxious around strangers and especially men.  Bit by bit we have gained their trust and learned a lot about patience.  Suzie and Scooter are the same in that all they want is love and affection.  If you're sitting, they want to be in your lap.  Suzie can be a little conniving and likes to challenge at times.  Scooter is a dog that simply wants to please.  He is all about routine and struggles to comprehend how to function with change e.g. if his doggie bed gets moved he does not know where to go.  They have their crate and house training down pretty well and accidents are few and far between.

 Suzie adores being snuggled up in mama or papa's clothing

 Scooter likes to make that morbidly depressed looking face when he is not getting attention

When we found out we were having twins, my mom's comment was, "It's like your little dogs were prophetic."  The colleague from Mono County that helped us adopt the dogs told me that we do everything in twos.  I wonder what that trend will look like in the future.   

Christmas Day 2010

 We headed up for our biennial trip to Lake Tahoe on Christmas morning.  The reason we do this only every other year is we rotate holidays with my family in So Cal.  We went to Zephyr Cove for breakfast and then took some pics at Sand Harbor.  It was super windy that day and even the guys remarked they had never seen white caps like that on Tahoe.  The photos were taken with our new fancy schmancy camera, a Canon Rebel T2i, which was mine and Eric's Christmas gift to one another.  It was always my desire to get a high quality camera before we had kids so that we could capture those moments in childhood that go by way too quickly.  We are really happy with the Canon purchase thus far and I will let you all be the judge.  Eric's brother Adam stayed the night with us on Christmas Eve so he got to share in our little tradition and play photographer.  I think he did a great job! I love the quality of the photos but the high res is not so flattering on the cold sore that broke out a couple days before Christmas.  I am telling myself to not be vain and since Photoshop is not in my repertoire, the pics will stay in SOOC (straight out of the camera) form.  In case you are wondering, I am just shy of 27 weeks in these pics.

 

 

Great News, Good News and Other Stuff

First off, Happy New Year!  May you all be blessed in 2011!

I'll start with the great news.  I don't have gestational diabetes!  My OB called himself and left me a voicemail saying that my numbers were perfect after the three hour glucose tolerance test (I had failed my one hour).  Praise God!  I am not celebrating with milkshakes or anything like that.  I already try to be conscientous about what I eat but now I don't have the added worry of an actual diet.  If I want a cookie, I eat the cookie.  I just don't eat three cookies under the false impression I am eating for three.  So the news really left me feeling a lot better that I wasn't hurting the boys by imbibing on that one cookie. 

For the good news, we had our first childbirth education class.  I went in with very low expectations as it was a hospital sponsored class and figured it would be a "How to Be a Good Patient and Have the Birth We Direct" class.  Instead, I found the R.N. teaching the class was very supportive of natural childbirth and kept referring to having options.  She also stated that our bodies were designed to give birth which I found really interesting.  She mentioned that the epidural rate at the hospital is approximately 75-80% which theoretically means up to 1 in 4 women at that hospital are attempting non-medicated births.  That's not a great number but it is better than some hospitals nation wide.  Another amazing thing about the class was that out of five couples in the class, three of us are expecting twins!  The couple that sat next to us are expecting identical twin girls and have the same OB.  Another couple was expecting fraternal twin girls. I believe that all the twins' due dates were within the last week of March which I find pretty incredible. The instructor only knew that one couple, Eric and I, were expecting twins so it was quite the surprise for her as well.  The instructor stated that in our third week of class we would be going over birth plans and how to create one.  That was very encouraging as some hospitals are known to be very antagonistic towards birth plans and essentially ban them. 

And for other stuff, I am officially in the third trimester (28 weeks)!  That feels really good to say because I know that, God forbid, if the babies came right now, they would have an excellent chance at survival.

I am also frequently hearing the comment, "You must be getting close."  Hmmm, how do I respond?  Sometimes I just say that it is coming up soon and leave it at that.  Other times I feel the need to explain that my dute date is not until the end of March but that I am having twins and they can come at the end of February and be considered full term.  The latter option involves a lot of extra questions from the inquiring stranger. If this happens on average 3-5 times a day, I get kind of burnt out.  I think I am going to stick with the smile and say, "Yep, soon." 

Also, these babies have gotten very, very active.  It's like they are practicing for the UFC in there.  The other night they kept me up for a while.  When the alarm clock went off the next morning way too early, I snuggled up to Eric and told him he had to feel what they were doing.  I had my belly against his back and he started chuckling at how much he could feel them.  If he finds it remarkable at how strong their kicks are from the outside, you can imagine how it makes me feel on the inside.  I woke up with a sore belly.  I am not complaining however.  I find it reassuring when they move that much.  I figure it means that they are growing strong. 

So I am trudging onward and looking to meet my 36 week goal!