Some during and after photos:
And the finished product - ta da!
It feels good to have this project finally tackled. Now on to the next one!
Monday, October 29, 2012
The Nesting Has Begun
I think the nesting has started for us. We were in full on organizing/purging/cleaning mode this weekend. When we moved into our house 3 years ago, all of our totes and boxes of stuff we didn't immediately need got thrown in our basement storage room and pretty much hasn't been touched since. When we have needed something, we had to spend the time looking through each tote until we found what we were looking for. With the babies coming, we decided it's time to get all of our junk organized. So we bought a set of storage shelves this weekend, and got to work.
Some during and after photos:
And the finished product - ta da!
It feels good to have this project finally tackled. Now on to the next one!
Some during and after photos:
And the finished product - ta da!
It feels good to have this project finally tackled. Now on to the next one!
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Twin/Gender Reveal Party
It's a.....
Girl and Boy!!!
We were so excited last Monday when we found out we were having one of each. Baby A is a girl and Baby B is a boy. It's going to be so nice to now be able to refer to them as he or she, instead of it, or A or B.
We had our party with our immediate families yesterday to share the big news that we were having twins, as well as their genders. Needless to say, everyone was completely shocked. Jeff and I were both taken aback a little bit by everyone's reaction....it was way more than we expected. I expected quiet dumbfoundedness (is that a word?), and instead we got many tears - practically on the verge of sobbing. I've only seen my dad cry two times in my whole life, and even he was crying pretty hard. I think his reaction got my tears flowing the hardest. Afterwards he jumped on the phone and started calling all of his friends....it was pretty cute :)
And guess what else? We even received some baby gifts! My mom and Jeff's sister had brought with them both a boy and girl gift, with the intention of returning whichever one we didn't need, and instead we kept them both, haha!
:)
Girl and Boy!!!
We were so excited last Monday when we found out we were having one of each. Baby A is a girl and Baby B is a boy. It's going to be so nice to now be able to refer to them as he or she, instead of it, or A or B.
We had our party with our immediate families yesterday to share the big news that we were having twins, as well as their genders. Needless to say, everyone was completely shocked. Jeff and I were both taken aback a little bit by everyone's reaction....it was way more than we expected. I expected quiet dumbfoundedness (is that a word?), and instead we got many tears - practically on the verge of sobbing. I've only seen my dad cry two times in my whole life, and even he was crying pretty hard. I think his reaction got my tears flowing the hardest. Afterwards he jumped on the phone and started calling all of his friends....it was pretty cute :)
And guess what else? We even received some baby gifts! My mom and Jeff's sister had brought with them both a boy and girl gift, with the intention of returning whichever one we didn't need, and instead we kept them both, haha!
(our loot)
Jeff's sister is letting us have their baby furniture, and they went ahead and brought down the changing table with them this weekend. So we have one piece of furniture and the stuff pictured above in our house, which is a little surreal. I still am having a hard time completely letting go and believing this is really going to happen. But then I tell myself I'm not sure if I'm ever going to stop worrying and completely let my guard down so I suppose I should roll with it and start having fun.
But seriously, how cute is it going to be to see the babes side-by-side in these little outfits?
:)
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Half Baked
Wow, I can't believe I just wrote the title to this post. Over the last 2 years, the thought of making it to the point of walking in for our anatomy scan seemed like a dream that was so far out of our reach. But we made it. We had our scan Monday, and it couldn't have been more perfect.
As for the genders? Well, you'll have to wait until next week :p
Our twin/gender reveal party with our families is this weekend. How we managed to keep this a secret for this long is beyond me. But we did it, and I cannot wait to see their reactions. So I promise party pics will be coming next week!
As for the genders? Well, you'll have to wait until next week :p
Our twin/gender reveal party with our families is this weekend. How we managed to keep this a secret for this long is beyond me. But we did it, and I cannot wait to see their reactions. So I promise party pics will be coming next week!
Friday, September 21, 2012
16 Weeks
As promised, my 16 week bump photo:
Ugh, I look pretty bad, but that was seriously about as good as it was going to get this week. I'm blaming this all on Jeff's lack of photography skills.
I had another appointment with my OB last week. I had an ultrasound to check my cervix. It measured 3.9 cm and was nice and closed. Apparently they start to worry when it gets below 2cm, so this was great news. I'll have it checked again at my 20 week u/s (which is also our anatomy scan - holy crap!). They also did a quick check on the babies, and both hearts were still beating away.
Other than that my appointment was pretty uneventful. No bloodwork, no peeing in a cup, nothing.
I've started to gain some energy back. Like I mentioned in my previous post, I've been getting out and walking again, which has felt great. And, I don't get completely out of breath like I did during 1st trimester. My only issue now is trying to walk for more than 30 minutes without having to pee!
I was getting some pretty bad headaches (some even turned into migraines) for the last few weeks. I'm prone to migraines anyway, though not this frequently. My OB said pregnancy can either make headaches/migraines worse or better, and apparently I'm one of the unlucky ones who gets them worse now. Under the advice of some women I've talked to, I've started drinking caffeine again this week. I start my day off with ~8 oz of Diet Coke and that has seemed to help. Maybe the majority of the headaches were from caffeine withdrawal and I just never noticed it in the first trimester because I felt crappy anyway? My OB also said I can take up to 1000mg (2 extra strength) of Tylenol - when the handout I received at my first appointment said I could only take 650mg. So that seems to help knock them out when I feel one coming on as well.
Other than that I've been doing pretty well. I wake up every day so thankful that I've made it this far.
Ugh, I look pretty bad, but that was seriously about as good as it was going to get this week. I'm blaming this all on Jeff's lack of photography skills.
I had another appointment with my OB last week. I had an ultrasound to check my cervix. It measured 3.9 cm and was nice and closed. Apparently they start to worry when it gets below 2cm, so this was great news. I'll have it checked again at my 20 week u/s (which is also our anatomy scan - holy crap!). They also did a quick check on the babies, and both hearts were still beating away.
Other than that my appointment was pretty uneventful. No bloodwork, no peeing in a cup, nothing.
I've started to gain some energy back. Like I mentioned in my previous post, I've been getting out and walking again, which has felt great. And, I don't get completely out of breath like I did during 1st trimester. My only issue now is trying to walk for more than 30 minutes without having to pee!
I was getting some pretty bad headaches (some even turned into migraines) for the last few weeks. I'm prone to migraines anyway, though not this frequently. My OB said pregnancy can either make headaches/migraines worse or better, and apparently I'm one of the unlucky ones who gets them worse now. Under the advice of some women I've talked to, I've started drinking caffeine again this week. I start my day off with ~8 oz of Diet Coke and that has seemed to help. Maybe the majority of the headaches were from caffeine withdrawal and I just never noticed it in the first trimester because I felt crappy anyway? My OB also said I can take up to 1000mg (2 extra strength) of Tylenol - when the handout I received at my first appointment said I could only take 650mg. So that seems to help knock them out when I feel one coming on as well.
Other than that I've been doing pretty well. I wake up every day so thankful that I've made it this far.
A Lot On My Mind
I promise to have a 16 week bumpdate posted soon. I have the bump photos taken, I just haven't had time to get them uploaded to the computer. For right now though, I have a lot of random thoughts swirling around in my mind. So, for today you get bullets.
- I feel like we should start planning/making preparations for the babies, but at the same time it feels so early yet. I can't believe I'm almost 17 weeks - where has the time gone? We're going to Jeff's sister's this weekend and they have been saving their baby furniture for us. So we may be bringing home a crib this weekend - which scares the living daylights out of me.
- Daycare. I'm not sure if in-home or a center is better. (Warning: I know absolutely nothing about either. All of my thoughts are based off of stereotypes I've created in my head.) I like with in-home you might get a little more personalized care, and it just seems.....cozier. What bothers me about in-home is providers can take off 2 weeks during the year, and you still have to pay them - and find alternative care for that time. This isn't a huge deal for us because I get 5 weeks vacation a year, but the principal behind it bothers me for some reason. At least with a center if an aid takes vacation, there are others there for backup and they would likely never be closed (except maybe some extra time over the holidays). I'm also not sure if we are going to be able to find an in-home provider that will even be able to take 2 babies at once, I guess it all depends on how many slots they would happen to have open. In-home is going to be cheaper than a center, but in some ways I think it would be worth it because it just seems more dependable. A new center close to our house is having an open house next week and we are planning on going. I think I'll feel better about all this once I start gathering information.
- Maternity clothes shopping. Over-freaking-welming.
- I always envisioned that I would be a super active, healthy, and fit pregnant person who would walk 3-4 miles a day without fail. Yeah, that's not happening. In the beginning I was too worried about miscarriage/tired/concerned about aggravating the SCH that I didn't exercise. Oh, and the fact that it was almost 100 degrees here for most of my first trimester. I've already gained close to 10 pounds, which feels like it's too much. I asked my OB how much total weight I should aim to gain and he said 35. Eeek! I'm almost 1/3 of the way to that and still have a long ways to go. Now that the weather is nice and cooler, and I'm more relaxed and comfortable with this pregnancy, I'm going to start trying to exercise every day - even if it's only a 30 minute walk around our neighborhood. I don't feel like my diet is horrible, but I could definitely make improvements. I've been trying to eat more fruits and vegetables, but it's hard to fit it all in.
- I have a new possible job opportunity on the horizon. It's a different position within my same department. It would mean more money, but also more responsiblity. I'm not sure if taking on a new position right now is the best idea, but we could definitely use more cash once these babies get here. I figure I'll apply for it and whatever is meant to be will be.
I hope you are all having a great fall so far! It's finally down into the 60s/low 70s here and I'm loving it. This weekend it might even be cool enough to break out a hooded sweatshirt for the first time, and I can't wait :)
- I feel like we should start planning/making preparations for the babies, but at the same time it feels so early yet. I can't believe I'm almost 17 weeks - where has the time gone? We're going to Jeff's sister's this weekend and they have been saving their baby furniture for us. So we may be bringing home a crib this weekend - which scares the living daylights out of me.
- Daycare. I'm not sure if in-home or a center is better. (Warning: I know absolutely nothing about either. All of my thoughts are based off of stereotypes I've created in my head.) I like with in-home you might get a little more personalized care, and it just seems.....cozier. What bothers me about in-home is providers can take off 2 weeks during the year, and you still have to pay them - and find alternative care for that time. This isn't a huge deal for us because I get 5 weeks vacation a year, but the principal behind it bothers me for some reason. At least with a center if an aid takes vacation, there are others there for backup and they would likely never be closed (except maybe some extra time over the holidays). I'm also not sure if we are going to be able to find an in-home provider that will even be able to take 2 babies at once, I guess it all depends on how many slots they would happen to have open. In-home is going to be cheaper than a center, but in some ways I think it would be worth it because it just seems more dependable. A new center close to our house is having an open house next week and we are planning on going. I think I'll feel better about all this once I start gathering information.
- Maternity clothes shopping. Over-freaking-welming.
- I always envisioned that I would be a super active, healthy, and fit pregnant person who would walk 3-4 miles a day without fail. Yeah, that's not happening. In the beginning I was too worried about miscarriage/tired/concerned about aggravating the SCH that I didn't exercise. Oh, and the fact that it was almost 100 degrees here for most of my first trimester. I've already gained close to 10 pounds, which feels like it's too much. I asked my OB how much total weight I should aim to gain and he said 35. Eeek! I'm almost 1/3 of the way to that and still have a long ways to go. Now that the weather is nice and cooler, and I'm more relaxed and comfortable with this pregnancy, I'm going to start trying to exercise every day - even if it's only a 30 minute walk around our neighborhood. I don't feel like my diet is horrible, but I could definitely make improvements. I've been trying to eat more fruits and vegetables, but it's hard to fit it all in.
- I have a new possible job opportunity on the horizon. It's a different position within my same department. It would mean more money, but also more responsiblity. I'm not sure if taking on a new position right now is the best idea, but we could definitely use more cash once these babies get here. I figure I'll apply for it and whatever is meant to be will be.
I hope you are all having a great fall so far! It's finally down into the 60s/low 70s here and I'm loving it. This weekend it might even be cool enough to break out a hooded sweatshirt for the first time, and I can't wait :)
Friday, August 31, 2012
I Caved....
...and bought a doppler.
I've always had mixed feelings about home dopplers, and went back and forth a lot at the beginning of this pregnancy about whether or not I was going to get one. Ultimately I decided not to, as I was afraid it would stress me out if I couldn't find a heartbeat.
Well, that all changed this week. For some reason I felt compelled to order one. I started feeling like I needed something to reassure me during my occassional moments of panic in between appointments. Up until now I've been able to have ultrasounds every couple weeks, which has helped keep me sane. But now my appointments are going to start being every 4 weeks, and I started feeling like I just wouldn't be able to handle the wait. So I ordered one, and it arrived yesterday.
I had been tracking the shipping and knew that it was going to be waiting for me when I got home after work. I was like a giddy school girl all day, just waiting for 4:00 to come. I contemplated waiting until Jeff got home to try it, but I was like a kid with a new toy and couldn't stand seeing it sitting there in front of me and not play with it. So I tried it, and it didn't take me long to find both heartbeats.
For anyone considering getting a doppler, I highly recommend not trying it until after your doctor has used one on you. I remembered where my OB had it placed when he found the heartbeats, so I immediately went to those same spots, and there they were! The placement of the wand is so much lower on your belly than I would have thought - like, right at your pubic hair line to be blunt. If I hadn't already seen it done by my doctor, I think I would have been searching up closer to my belly button, and then freaking out for not finding it.
We used it later last night after Jeff was home. For some reason it took me a lot longer to find them the second time. I don't think the doppler is measuring the correct heart rates though. Maybe because they are still too small and the sound is too faint yet to get an accurate reading?
I'm going to try and only use it once or twice a week for peace of mind. I say that, but then I've already been getting excited today at the thought of checking again once I get home. I'm afraid this may turn into a bad habit...
I've always had mixed feelings about home dopplers, and went back and forth a lot at the beginning of this pregnancy about whether or not I was going to get one. Ultimately I decided not to, as I was afraid it would stress me out if I couldn't find a heartbeat.
Well, that all changed this week. For some reason I felt compelled to order one. I started feeling like I needed something to reassure me during my occassional moments of panic in between appointments. Up until now I've been able to have ultrasounds every couple weeks, which has helped keep me sane. But now my appointments are going to start being every 4 weeks, and I started feeling like I just wouldn't be able to handle the wait. So I ordered one, and it arrived yesterday.
I had been tracking the shipping and knew that it was going to be waiting for me when I got home after work. I was like a giddy school girl all day, just waiting for 4:00 to come. I contemplated waiting until Jeff got home to try it, but I was like a kid with a new toy and couldn't stand seeing it sitting there in front of me and not play with it. So I tried it, and it didn't take me long to find both heartbeats.
For anyone considering getting a doppler, I highly recommend not trying it until after your doctor has used one on you. I remembered where my OB had it placed when he found the heartbeats, so I immediately went to those same spots, and there they were! The placement of the wand is so much lower on your belly than I would have thought - like, right at your pubic hair line to be blunt. If I hadn't already seen it done by my doctor, I think I would have been searching up closer to my belly button, and then freaking out for not finding it.
We used it later last night after Jeff was home. For some reason it took me a lot longer to find them the second time. I don't think the doppler is measuring the correct heart rates though. Maybe because they are still too small and the sound is too faint yet to get an accurate reading?
I'm going to try and only use it once or twice a week for peace of mind. I say that, but then I've already been getting excited today at the thought of checking again once I get home. I'm afraid this may turn into a bad habit...
Monday, August 27, 2012
12/13 Week Update
All is well and quiet around here.
We had our NT scan on Friday and it went well...I think. I say that because we both kind of forgot to ask after the scan if everything was okay. I assume the tech would have told us if something didn't look right. From what little I know, the neck mesurement that popped up on the screen for Baby A appeared to be within normal limits (I think it was 1.6 and I've read anything under 3 is good). She wasn't able to get a neck measurement on Baby B because of the way he/she was positioned.
In all honestly, I really didn't care. The only reason I chose to do this scan, was to have another ultrasound for reassurance that they were still there growing away, since my next OB appointment isn't until 16 weeks. I know that's not what the purpose of this scan is for, but after having 3 losses I'll do anything I can to keep my sanity.
Most people wait until they are through their first trimester before they start announcing to the world they are expecting, and it's so hard to believe we're there now. Our immediate families already know we are expecting, and I don't see any reason not to start telling our friends, coworkers, and extended family. But it just seems so strange to think about actually saying the words out loud. Maybe I'm afraid that sharing our news will all of a sudden jinx things.
Call us crazy, but we haven't told a soul we're expecting twins yet. When we first found out we thought it would be fun to totally shock and surprise everyone around 20 weeks when we find out the genders. After our scan Friday, I started to wane and thought maybe we should just tell people now. But after Jeff and I discussed it more, we decided to wait. I'm still not sure this is the right thing to do, but a part of me likes this being our own little secret (shared with blogging land of course!). And we want to announce it in a fun way, which we haven't even come up with yet. I hope our families don't get mad at us, and I hope we don't come across as trying to seek extra attention by essentially making two announcements. But, I do love a good surprise. And after having most pregnancy-related surprises stripped away from us simply because of miscarriages and infertility, this is our last great surprise we can hold onto.
Without further ado, here's my 12 week bump photo from this weekend (which was actually taken at 13 weeks because I wanted to make sure we had a good scan first).
We had our NT scan on Friday and it went well...I think. I say that because we both kind of forgot to ask after the scan if everything was okay. I assume the tech would have told us if something didn't look right. From what little I know, the neck mesurement that popped up on the screen for Baby A appeared to be within normal limits (I think it was 1.6 and I've read anything under 3 is good). She wasn't able to get a neck measurement on Baby B because of the way he/she was positioned.
In all honestly, I really didn't care. The only reason I chose to do this scan, was to have another ultrasound for reassurance that they were still there growing away, since my next OB appointment isn't until 16 weeks. I know that's not what the purpose of this scan is for, but after having 3 losses I'll do anything I can to keep my sanity.
Most people wait until they are through their first trimester before they start announcing to the world they are expecting, and it's so hard to believe we're there now. Our immediate families already know we are expecting, and I don't see any reason not to start telling our friends, coworkers, and extended family. But it just seems so strange to think about actually saying the words out loud. Maybe I'm afraid that sharing our news will all of a sudden jinx things.
Call us crazy, but we haven't told a soul we're expecting twins yet. When we first found out we thought it would be fun to totally shock and surprise everyone around 20 weeks when we find out the genders. After our scan Friday, I started to wane and thought maybe we should just tell people now. But after Jeff and I discussed it more, we decided to wait. I'm still not sure this is the right thing to do, but a part of me likes this being our own little secret (shared with blogging land of course!). And we want to announce it in a fun way, which we haven't even come up with yet. I hope our families don't get mad at us, and I hope we don't come across as trying to seek extra attention by essentially making two announcements. But, I do love a good surprise. And after having most pregnancy-related surprises stripped away from us simply because of miscarriages and infertility, this is our last great surprise we can hold onto.
Without further ado, here's my 12 week bump photo from this weekend (which was actually taken at 13 weeks because I wanted to make sure we had a good scan first).
(Don't mind the hair, it was Sunday morning, give me a break!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)