Halloween Pictures 2011

 This year I have four little pirates plundering my house ;) At least they're four of the cutest pirates you'll ever see. I picked up Elliot & Hadley's costumes last year on super clearance after Halloween and fortunately they LOVE them. They've even worn them around the house to play on a few different occasions. I found the girls skirts on one of my favorite websites: haloheaven.com

We don't usually use the portrait place in town since I have a photographer that I really love and that does well with my kids. But, this was a last minute sort of thing so it worked. We were pleasantly surprised at how well the kids did and at how quickly it went. I think we were in and out of there with 4 kids faster than we were when it was just Elliot and Hadley!

I didn't edit any of these images so you'll have to deal with them in their raw form but I still think they're pretty cute.

Adelyn (left) is my little ham & Kailyn (right) is my smiley little baby! In the picture of the two of them together Adelyn is the one with her big toenails painted.

Life with Twins

Life with twins is, as I'm sure anyone can imagine, busy. Add a couple rambunctious, independent (yet needy),  opinionated toddlers on top of that and it gets really BUSY. This is by far the hardest thing I've ever done but it's all so worth it. I have a friend with twins who keeps telling me she would love another set and for awhile I thought she was nuts (sorry JZ) but I'm starting to understand what she means. If we were ever blessed with more kids I would gladly welcome twins again. Alas, there will be no more little re-Peats in this house so that's all just wishful thinking.

The most common question I get from people is "Are they twins?" This question always cracks me up. Of course they're twins - I don't wander around in public with a double stroller & 2 toddlers because I think it's fun.

The next question is "Boys or girls?" Again funny. I have two PINK carseats and two PINK blankets. Odds are they're both dressed in matching girly outfits. YES, they're girls - I wouldn't do that to a little boy of mine.

After that people move on to "Are they identical or fraternal?" As soon as I say identical people are scanning them intently for any sign of difference. It's been amazing to me the number of people that have glanced at them for 10 seconds & then declared them fraternal. Laughable. There have been more instances than I care to remember where I'm not even sure which one is which and I'm their MOTHER who spends all day every day with them. Trust me when I say they're IDENTICAL.

Then we move onto "Do twins run in your family?" No, actually they don't. I usually just leave it at that instead of launching into a biology lesson. The girls are identical (reference question above) which means it doesn't matter if there are no sets of twins in our family or if there are 50. Identical twins are not a genetic thing. Fraternal twins are. However, the fact the father may or may not have twins in his family has no bearing on whether or not his wife will have twins unless there's some inbreeding going on and then you have a whole other set of issues that I won't go into here.

Next we get "Were you just shocked when you found out?!?" Honestly, not really. I mean, yes, it was a bit of a jolt to see two little hearts and babies wiggling around on the ultrasound screen but I knew something was different with this pregnancy. I'd been through it twice before & this time was just.....different. For awhile I thought that hunch meant something was wrong with the baby then I started having dreams and all those dreams had two babies. So, when I saw it on the screen I was a little shocked it was actually true but not drop on the floor in shock shocked.

After that line of questioning people usually move on to my other kids and ask their ages and then I get the "Wow, you're hands are full." PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! If you are reading this STOP using that line. It's  to the point of nails on a chalkboard. Trust me when I saw I know well enough my hands are full without a stranger playing Captain Obvious and letting me know. I try to make my speedy exit while people are digesting the shock and awe of 4 kids in 3 years :)

5 Years - September 5, 2006

Yesterday marked 5 years since Petey and I started dating. I'm really not sure how that can be but the calendar doesn't lie.

Five years ago we said good-bye to each other after the end of an awesome, but sometimes awkward, summer. We left knowing we'd see each other again in 10 days. We left with lots of unanswered questions - was there something going on between us? Did he feel the same way I did? Camp was abuzz with lots of theories about us but no one had any concrete answers.

Five years ago I packed up my stuff and moved to another state for the first time. My third college in as many years. It was a big step of faith for me and one that seems to have panned out pretty well.

Five years ago I got those butterflies in my stomach every single time I saw him on campus. Since there were so many unanswered questions I was a little hesitant and unsure how to initiate contact or whether he even wanted contact with me.

Five years ago we agreed to go to a wedding for two of our very good camp friends. It was a 14 hour drive. I was both excited and terrified. That was a loooong time to be in a car with someone especially someone with whom I needed to still have the D.T.R. with. (DTR = define the relationship talk)

Five years ago we celebrated a beautiful wedding with many of our friends. Both of us were bombarded that day by people urging us to figure out what the heck was going on. They could all see where we were headed and apparently needed us to figure that out, too.

Five years ago the two of us had the longest 2+ hour drive EVER back to his parents house. So much was said to each of us that day and we both needed to process that.

Five years ago we started our long trek back to Minnesota. Two hours into our drive we finally started talking to each other. We finally both admitted that we should start officially dating. Whew...that only took a few months to figure out! ;)

I think both of us knew where we were headed once we made that decision to start dating. At least for me I knew, without a doubt, we would eventually be married. It didn't take us long at all to start discussing that possibility. You see we had worked and lived together at camp for four years. We knew each other very well. Two weeks into 'dating' we had our first serious discussion about getting married. Just three months after we embarked on the relationship venture together he had a ring although I wouldn't know that for awhile. Four months (January 7, 2007) later he proposed to me at camp, by the lake, under the stars. It was perfect.

On that September day we both, in a way, knew what would come next. We knew we'd get married. We knew we'd both finish school and work. We knew we'd have kids eventually. We knew we would buy a house somewhere, someday. Neither of us could have imagined that day that five years later we'd be living in little town Iowa, in a house we own with four (holy moly!!) kids.

September 4, 2006 @ our friends wedding

August 2011 - before heading to another wedding

Life definitely has not followed the well thought out plan we came up with and talked about five years ago. Life, as we've learned well, has a way of doing things it's own way and in it's own time. There have been very high highs and very low lows. There are days we would call each other our best friends in a heartbeat and there are days that we barely talk to each other but at the end of the day we both know we are where we are called to be. We both know we're together for a purpose - one that is bigger than we could ever imagine. We're thankful for our friends that saw what we couldn't and pushed us to figure things out. We're thankful that we serve a God who loves us, who provides for us (we've seen this over and over and over), and who has a plan for us. 

Perspective

It's all about perspective, right? Ok, maybe it's not ALL about perspective but I've been noticing a lot lately how much my perspective has changed.

For example: Elliot and Hadley were with my mom at my grandparents last weekend. Petey and I were thrilled to be able to go out to eat because we only had two children. Before Adelyn & Kailyn the thought of going out to eat with two kids would seem totally daunting and not enjoyable. My how things change quickly ;)

When Elliot was born we were so incredibly thrilled to have made it to 33 weeks. Most people balk when they hear he was born 7 weeks early & act like it's a HUGE deal. I'm not denying that it's a big deal - it was for sure. It used to bother me that people would go all ga-ga over him coming early. It finally dawned on me that I was looking at it from a different perspective. I knew that he very well could have come at 25 weeks so making it to 33 weeks was a HUGE thing. Most other people didn't realize or couldn't fathom what the 8 weeks in the hospital was like for us and didn't realize how exciting 33 weeks was. For us 33 weeks was phenomenal. For others that was awful. In this case it was all about perspective.

Piggy-backing with another Elliot tidbit. He was such a little thing his first couple months (really he still is a little thing). I used to get so annoyed with all the 'he's soooooo little' comments we'd get every time we went anywhere. Yes, he was little but it bothered me that people seemed so focused on that because I knew how far he had come. I would look at him and think 'No, he's a BIG boy. He's come soooo far!'

The girls are just over 4 weeks old right now. It still never ceases to amaze me how much easier it is for me to get around and get out and about. I'm talking about me personally and not about trying to get out with all four kids. That's just a circus!! Anyway, I didn't realize how swollen and just how miserable I was when I was pregnant until I wasn't. I remember not being able to bend my ankles or my knees which made going up and down stairs really hard. Lifting my leg to get into bed was a joke. I slept reclined on pillows for months since I couldn't get comfortable laying down & if I did manage to get comfortable there was no way I was going to be able to roll! And, getting up off the floor? All but impossible. Now, I can go up & down the stairs several times in just a few minutes. A month ago that never would have been possible. I can hop in & out of bed, the car, the couch. It's fantastic.

Those are just a few examples of how my perspective has changed. Nothing too profound but it's been on my mind lately.

I want to remember....

It seems the time is flying by sooooo fast. Elliot is already THREE which still blows my mind especially since it seems like yesterday HE was the baby. There are so many things I want to make sure I remember and stow away in my mind but I'm afraid that's getting harder and harder. So, here is my random list of things I want to remember from this snippet of time in our lives. I'm hoping these 'I want to remember posts' will happen fairly frequently so I know some of those precious little details of our lives are captured somewhere!

So, I want to remember:

-the silly way Hadley moves her lips when she's not happy with something I tell her.

-how sweet and gentle Elliot is with Adelyn & Kailyn. He can be ALL boy one second and completely loving and gentle the next as he rubs their heads and gives sweet kisses.

-the newborn noises Adelyn & Kailyn make. All those grunts and moans they make can drive you nuts when they keep you up at night but they're oh so sweet and disappear too soon.

-I wish I could capture that feeling of a tiny little baby curled up on your chest. For this reason alone I want Adelyn and Kailyn to stay little itty bitties forever!!! Mommy enjoys cuddling at least one of them every night.

-Hadley counting '1,2,3,4' at 20 months old. She busted that one out of the blue one day. She amazes me with how much she understands.

-Elliot LOVES his Cars shoes. If he had a choice he would wear nothing else on his feet. We, however, make him wear sandals at least some of the time - it is summer in Iowa!

-Mickey Mouse is the ultimate bribe.

-Elliot loves to build tents. I need to remember to do this with him more often.

-Elliot loves to 'hide' under blankets.

-how much Hadley loves to read and look at books. Her favorite by far is Farmer Jones - in her world nothing compares.

-Elliot's prayers he insists on saying every night. It melts my heart to hear him pray and especially to hear him thank Jesus for all the people (and his home) that are special to him.

-the 'special book' is one of Elliot's favorite things. (It's a photo album with various pictures in it)

-Elliot and Hadley LOVE to 'chase' around the kitchen. Add in the little school bus (E) and shopping cart (H) and it's sooooo much better.

-Elliot LOVES eating nutella toast. He would have that every morning for breakfast if I let him.

-if it's not nutella toast he loves 'Mommy tarts' (poptarts) or certain cereals.

-Elliot developed a love of soccer somewhere. He would play with his soccer ball all.day.long. if I let him. I hope he keeps this love and enjoys playing.

-Elliot and Hadley love 'Ring Around the Rosie' - especially the fall down part.

-E & H also love dancing. It's always better on the tile floor in front of the front door. It's even better when they use Mommy's old Muppet piano to play the music. Elliot always starts out by counting '5,8,9, GO!'

-Hadley LOVES to cook for people and have them 'sample' her creations. Stirring imaginary food in her pots or cups is one of her favorite things to do.

-Hadley calling her sippy cup her 'duppie'.

-Hadley blowing kisses every night, saying 'I love you' and 'Night-night'. She's such a sweetheart.

Sweat Pea(t)s

Our little Sweet Peats are here!! This post was supposed to happen weeks ago but as many people know life kind of got in the way of that happening!!

On May 31 I hit 36 weeks which was my goal all along. I joked with Petey the night before about going in for my NST and getting to stay. Little did I know that was going to actually be the case!! I picked Petey up at work around 12:30 just like every other Tuesday and he dropped me off at the hospital. I contemplated skipping the registration desk & just going upstairs since I was sick of having to explain to them what an NST was. But, I'm glad I stayed since I got to see Carol again. Carol is one of the registration ladies that I had really enjoyed talking to the last several weeks.

Upstairs, Lori got me hooked up and got the girls tracing well. Just like the last several times my uterus was showing irritability. This time they seemed to be a lot more consistent but there wasn't anything too painful going on. The NST actually went really, really quickly but when she took my blood pressure things got interesting. It was way higher than it usually was. Since I had an appointment at the clinic in just a little bit she advised me to just lay down and relax until I had to head over. So, I lounged and played on my phone until it was time to see the doctor.

I told the nurse when I got there that my blood pressure had been up quite a bit when I was in labor and delivery. Sure enough it was up a LOT in the office. I'd also put on another 5lb. in the past week which wasn't a good sign. They had me lay down on the exam table which, for the record, is NOT a comfortable place to lay down especially when 36 weeks pregnant with twins! When the nurse came back my blood pressure had only gone up - 196/100. Dr. Witthoeft came in to talk to me and told me what I had already figured: they were sending me back to labor and delivery. I had an inkling that this was baby day so I told my mom that she better head this way & I told Petey to come up to L&D with the kids.

They got me situated in room 311 and started monitoring the girls again. This time the contractions were definitely coming regularly and eventually they did get painful. Most of the pain was in my back and it was intense. Dr. Labeau came in and talked to us about delivery. Petey and I were both on board with delivery and getting the girls out before my blood pressure went really crazy. If only we knew...... So, we decided 6:30 would be the time. Petey ended up taking the kids to a friends house in case my mom didn't make it in time.

Around 6 o'clock a LOT of activity started happening. They prepped me for surgery. Gave Petey his new duds to wear in the O.R. I signed a bunch of papers and they talked to me about what to expect and what would happen. Just before 6:30 they wheeled me back to the operating room. Surprisingly I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be. I'll admit I was excited the pregnancy was about to be over and that I was going to get to see the girls finally. I was proud of myself for having made it to 36 weeks and felt pretty confident the girls wouldn't have too many issues to deal with.

The anesthiologist that I had was fantastic! She talked me through everything and was very, very upbeat. One of the warmer beds kept alarming before we got things started which delayed things a bit. There was a whirlwind of activity going on and a bunch of people introducing themselves to me. To be honest I don't really remember anyone I hadn't already met before that. Oh well.

Being awake while you know you're being sliced open but not being able to feel it is a strange thing. I'm very glad the nurse and doctors were telling me what was going on and what they were doing or I would have had no idea they had even started!!!

Adelyn Grace Peat was born at 7:09pm. She weighed 6lb. 3oz. and was 18.5 inches long. Kailyn Elyse Peat was born at 7:11pm weighing 5lb. 8oz. and was also 18.5 inches long. They both gave good cries when they were born which was reassuring to Mommy! The biggest surprise for me came when they were taking the girls to the nursery. They brought each of them to me and showed me they had HAIR. LOTS of it and it was dark. I was shocked and in awe and in love.

Petey was able to go with them to the nursery while the doctors put me back together. The c-section was something I stressed about quite a bit while I was pregnant but it went really smoothly. There were a few moments that I felt kind of yucky while they were working on me but all in all I can't complain. I think I would still choose to have them naturally if that choice was available but the c-section turned out to be just fine too and the spinal - WOW - way stronger than either epidural!!

Petey took a TON of pictures (I'll share some here soon hopefully) of the girls. I was able to look at several of them after I got back to my room and was recovering. They were absolutely precious! Both of them were doing well although Adelyn ended up needing a little bit of oxygen support so she had the hood over her. I remember Petey telling me he thought they were very identical. He was very correct!!

We were both so glad and excited that the girls were here and they were doing relatively well. It wasn't necessarily how we planned or expected them to come but we are glad they decided to come when they did. We definitely felt very, very blessed that night to have four healthy beautiful children :)

Pressure Cooker

The week after the girls was born was one of the biggest whirlwinds of my life. I had every intention of documenting the girls first few days in detail so that none of us would forget those little precious details. I especially wanted to do this since we are pretty sure they are our last little itty babies. Unfortunately some medical issues of my own have taken over and I haven't accomplished what I really wanted to.

At the end of the pregnancy my blood pressure kept creeping up a little bit more but was in a 'normal' range for pregnancy. The day the girls were born it got really high and just stayed that way. The doctors termed it gestational hypertension since I wasn't spilling protein into my urine before delivery it wasn't considered pre-eclampsia. Normally a day or two after delivery blood pressure should start to return to normal. In this case I am not normal. I'm one of the lucky few people who has developed postpartum hypertension. My blood pressure has done nothing but go up. In fact I believe it's now higher than it was when I was still pregnant and when I was having the girls. From the limited info I've been able to find it peaks for most people around 3-6 days after delivery. By the time the girls were 6 days old my blood pressure was still high even with some meds.

Thursday night, June 2, was one of the scariest nights of my life. While we were feeding the girls my nurse came in to check my blood pressure and it was 200+/110 - NOT GOOD. The next several readings stayed the same. At it's highest it reached 209/120. At that moment it didn't sink in just how dangerous that was. Petey finished feeding the girls and got them back to nursery. In those few minutes one of the nurses moved me to a bigger room, started a catheter for a urine sample, got an IV in me & started pushing drugs, took 3 blood pressure readings and had the lab up there drawing blood. They also put padding on the side of the bed in case I started having a seizure. They were concerned I had developed postpartum pre-eclampsia which would be a very bad thing. The one piece of good news was that all my labs came back negative for pre-eclampsia which meant that I indeed had horrible hypertension. The IV meds & lasix they pushed that night did help bring my numbers down and I slept fantastic thanks to some Ambien. However, the next day my numbers came back up. I also felt awful but I attribute a lot of that to my milk coming in.

On Monday (when I orginally started writing this) there was not a ton of improvement. Thursday (6/2) I was started on 100mg of Labetolol which was upped to 200mg Friday. Sunday I finally consulted with a doctor from internal medicine who upped my Labetolol to 200mg three times a day and added in apresoline three times a day as well. When that didn't help to bring down the numbers significantly overnight he upped my apresoline to 25mg from 10mg. Today my blood pressure has been on a crazy roller coaster. My bottom number has consistently stayed around 90-100 which is way too high for my comfort and my top number has gone from the 160's to the 190's which is again too high.

I kept riding this roller coaster and getting more and more discouraged for the next day or so. It got to the point that I would break down and cry every time they took my blood pressure because I was so frustrated with my body. No one had any answers as to why this was happening and the meds didn't seem to be doing much of anything. I had several breakdowns in front of the nurses and even more when it was just me and Petey. I never dreamed it would be ME keeping us in the hospital and not the girls. They were discharged on June 6 and 'guested' in my room with Petey. Elliot's birthday was on my mind and, again, I never dreamed that I would miss it because I was stuck in the hospital but as the days drug on that seemed more and more a real possibility and that REALLY brought me down. Every single time I even tried to mention it to the nurses and doctors I would end up a blubbering mess. It really tore me up to think about missing his birthday especially since at that point it had been nearly a week since I'd even seen them. Mommy guilt was setting in pretty deep and I didn't think I was going to be able to handle missing that big day. Yes, odds are he wouldn't have known the difference but *I* would have!

So, Tuesday (6/7) I had finally had enough. I had one of the nurses I really liked (Barb) and that I felt really comfortable talking to. Dr. Witthoeft also was aware of how badly I wanted to be home by Thursday & promised she would do what she could to make that happen. They were able to get Dr. Johnson from Internal Medicine to come in and talk to me. I told him how frustrated and discouraged I was and how I *needed* to be home by Thursday. I kept trying to explain to everyone that the girls weren't my only kids and that I desperately needed to get back to being Mommy to my other two. He seemed to understand I wasn't doing well and decided to be much more aggressive. We ended up doubling the two meds I was on. The result was like magic. It brought my blood pressure down to a range I hadn't seen it in for months which was fantastic! This time it was happy tears that I was crying. For the first time in what felt like an enternity I felt hopeful that I might finally get to go home!!

Wednesday things continued to look good but I refused to get my hopes up too high. Finally I got word from Dr. Labeau (the OB on call) that I was good to go home from her point of view. Dr. Barsch from internal medicine came to talk to me and agreed as well that I was at a good enough point to go home. All of a sudden Petey and I were packing like crazy people and he was taking stuff out to load up. It seemed a bit surreal as I had begun to feel like I was going to be stuck in that little room f.o.r.e.v.e.r. We had to make a couple stops to pick up a blood pressure monitor and some prescriptions but we made it home late that afternoon.

Home was a feeling I don't really know how to describe. It was fantastic. And CLEAN. Our parents left the house almost sparkling which was so nice to come home too. It was also very quiet. Too quiet. The big kids weren't coming back until the next day so I enjoyed the quiet as much as I could. My bed slept really, really that night ;)

35 Weeks

Another week down. No idea how many more times I'll be posting weekly updates. To be honest I would be ok with this being the last one before introducing our newest little girls. While talking to Petey last night I commented on how many people have told me 'oh just a few more weeks!' and how I can only shake my head and chuckle - or mutter expletives under my breath depending on the day. I sometimes wonder if people have any idea what they're saying to me. They might as well be saying 'oh you're just going to be pregnant and incredibly huge and uncomfortable for the rest of eternity.' Ok, not really. I do know there's an end in sight and I do know that it's coming sooner rather later. And, I do know I've complained a lot on this blog about how uncomfortable I am but I can't help it. It's true. This is a place for me to recount this pregnancy (most likely my last) and I want to remember it for all the good and the bad and lately I've not felt very good. I am proud to have made it this far and it's a bit crazy to think my original due date is only a few weeks away!!!

Yesterday was another NST and appointment day. I had the NST first which is always a fun time. I have really enjoyed the nurses I've worked with in Labor and Delivery. Getting up there is a pain in the rear sometimes though. I have to check in at the registration desk every time and be checked in as an outpatient before being escorted upstairs. There are really nice elderly volunteers that help get people to registration & I know they mean well but sometimes I just don't have the patience to explain to them every.single.time. that my name is not on their sheet, they need to write it down, call the registration lady, and then send me on my way. And it never fails that I have to explain what an NST is because they claim they've never heard of it even though I explained it to them the last time I was there (two days ago).

Anyway, the first 20 minutes or so we had a fantastic reading. The problem: we could only find one baby so we couldn't count it since we didn't know for sure who it was. For the next hour plus it took me and two or three other nurses to get what we needed on the monitor. It was definitely an interesting adventure and these girls must be in some crazy positions!

After the NST debacle I was a little late for my appointment which turned out to be all right since they weren't super busy. Dr. Andersen and I talked about the swelling in my feet (unfortunately a normal side effect of pregnancy & warmer weather) and I told him I had been feeling crampy and having contractions off and on but since nothing has been consistent there wasn't much to talk about there. My blood pressure was a little high but still pretty normal for this pregnancy (140/86). I put on a few more pounds which I imagine is mostly water weight from the swelling and I'm measuring 46 according to Dr. Andersen.

One of the babies has flipped to head down and the other one is still kind of transverse with her butt in the wrong place. It was unclear on the little ultrasound who was closest to the cervix but he did say a natural delivery looks like it's back on the radar if the baby that is head down is indeed closer. So, now I pray and cross my fingers that her sister decides to do a big flip so I have two vertex babies!! We checked and the cervix is still closed as well which is awesome but kind of a bummer for someone who would like to have babies soon! ;)

All in all it was a good day. There were lots of laughs up in L&D during the NST and my appointment went well. Both girls seem to be doing well and are healthy and I can't ask for much more than that!

34 Weeks

We did it! We made it to 34 weeks. We made it past the 33 week mark when Elliot was born and I nearly had a nervous breakdown when pregnant with Hadley because I was so worried about her coming early. It's funny how perspective changes from pregnancy to pregnancy. With Elliot we were so thrilled to have made it to 33 weeks and viewed it as a huge accomplishment. With Hadley it would have felt like a total failure to have her at 33 weeks. This time, again, we viewed it as an accomplishment to make it to 33 weeks. For some reason I had in my head that these girls were going to come so early and so far they've definitely proven me wrong. I'll admit I'm glad they have stayed put but at the same time I just feel so done with being pregnant. It is truly miserable right now. I try not to complain too much and I don't want to seem ungrateful or like I take these kids for granted because I definitely do not but I've reached a point where there's just no denying how uncomfortable and miserable it is. And, yes, I do realize this is a blessing and special and precious and whatever other descriptors you want to throw out there. Still, it doesn't change the fact that I can't sit on the floor with my kids, I can hardly walk most days from my feet being so swollen, I can't lay down in bed with feeling intense pain or like I'm suffocating, I can hardly fit behind the wheel of the car, I can hardly wash dishes or do any of the other domestic tasks I'm used to doing. I hurt. There is pain - intense pain - in places I didn't know could feel such pain. I've stretched out to a size that just seems comical. Because of said stretching it's not hard to walk up stairs since Miss Baby A is hanging so low - my legs hit her bum when I walk up the stairs and I have to lift her out of the way to sit down. So, yes, I am blessed beyond belief and lucky but still in lots of pain and looking forward to these girls being on the outside!

Now, with all that being said I want to document my whirlwind of appointments from yesterday. It started out with a meeting at the diabetes center . My fasting blood sugars are now in the target range after increasing the amount of insulin I give myself at night. I was so hoping to avoid insulin but it's become a necessary thing. Surprisingly, sticking myself with a needle every night is easier than I expected it to be. With the exception of a few bad food choices my blood sugars are doing really well and they are all pleased with how I'm doing. We went over my postpartum instructions in case I don't make it to my next appointment. It's scheduled on June 7 & I honestly hope I do not make it to that appointment!!

Next, Petey met me at the OB office for what will hopefully be our last growth scan. It's kind of comforting to walk in and have the staff know you by name and just pull out your chart. Of course that means I'm there all.the.time. as well ;) I've really, really loved the ultrasound tech - she's personable and just fun to talk to. Our kids are pretty close in age so we have that to talk about as well. She commented on how chipper I seemed & that some of the twins moms she deals with at this stage are just plain witchy. When we got started she chuckled at how lopsided my stomach appeared. I will give here that one - it is funny! It's getting harder and harder to tell what is what on the screen since they are so much bigger. Both babies are breech and will likely remain that way which will mean a c-section for me. I'm not excited about that but it is what it is at this point. She had to actually stand up and lift Baby A out of the way to be able to see what she needed to see. Both babies are measuring a little small - about 32w5d but they're consistent with each other and have grown since last time. We estimated their weights at about 4lb. 9oz - give or take a half pound either way. It sounds so little but Elliot came home from the hospital at 4lb. 8oz. so it is a familiar size for us. Both babies had a good amount of fluid and were moving around. My cervix is measuring awesome at 5.45cm STILL. I was amazed since it was never that long to begin with when I was pregnant with Hadley.

My regular check up went well. My blood pressure was pretty low - 124/72. I've gained nearly 40 pounds since the beginning of this pregnancy. Here's to hoping it comes off as easy as it seems to have gone on. I don't feel like I've made any effort to gain that much weight - it's just sort of happened. I'm measuring in at 48cm. which would equate to 48 weeks pregnant with a single baby. (aka OUCH!) At this point babies are free to come whenever they want. So, if I go into labor they won't stop it. I'm so excited to have reached this point! Of course they would still require hospitalization at this point but it would hopefully just be for growing and not anything too life threatening.

After Petey and I had lunch together I headed back to the hospital for an NST in Labor and Delivery. For the first time the nurse was able to find the babies, hook up the monitors and leave. She gave me some apple juice to get them active and they actually stayed on the monitors the whole time! I was incredibly impressed at how easy that was. There were several contractions that showed up on there & they asked if I was feeling them which I definitely was. They weren't consistent or strong enough to jump into action though.

After all that I was very, very sore so I came home and napped. The little people had been at my parent's house for a few days and my dad brought them back yesterday afternoon. I missed them like crazy but enjoyed the silence that came with no children ;) Still, it was good to see them and have them excited to be home. Of course this morning they were already asking to go BACK to Mum-Mum & Papa's house. I guess I know where I rate...... ;)

Catch Up!!

32 Weeks

Not too much to report from this week. Feeling large and in charge. Appointment went well and there was nothing of concern. Discussed starting NST's with the doctor and scheduled my first one for Friday of that week. Apparently they don't routinely do them for twins anymore but since I have gestational diabetes as well as twins I earned twice a week NST's. For these I head up to Labor and Delivery twice a week and have babies heartrates monitored. They also place a contraction monitor on me to see if there's any action happening there. At my first one it took two nurses and the doctor almost two hours to get the reading they wanted. It was quite the adventure! Dr. Page and I also discussed where delivery would take place. At this point I should not have to go to Iowa City which is a relief. He did tell me if they came before 34 weeks they would most likely be born at Mercy since they are certified to take babies down to 32 weeks but if I made it another 2 weeks I should be able to deliver at Finley. Apparently both hospitals have a NICU with the same equipment and doctors and at 34 weeks hopefully there wouldn't be any super serious things to worry about.

33 Weeks

I can't even describe how excited I was to make it to this point. Elliot was born at 33 weeks and for both of my pregnancies after him I've sort of held my breath until that 25 week point when everything went downhill and then finally let out a big breath after 33 weeks. Petey and I feel like we're in familiar territory now should the girls decide to come. Of course we would like to avoid NICU time if it's possible but at least we have an idea what we might be dealing with if it were to happen and it doesn't stress us out the same way it did three years ago. Our goal is still another 2-3 weeks though!!

My appointment this week went fairly well. Fundal height was measuring 47cm - which is just WOW. My blood pressure is creeping back up into a not so good range so we'll definitely be keeping an eye on that. Cervix was still long and closed which was comforting. I've been feeling a lot more contractions - some of them fall into a pattern but don't stay regular. The ones that are coming lately are actually starting to get kind of painful and I've had to breathe in and out deeply until they're over. Still, I know they're nothing compared to actual contractions in labor. Both babies were butt down which is the WRONG way!! I've been holding out hope for a natural delivery (natural meaning no surgery - I'm a-ok with pain meds!) but if both butts are toward the exit that makes it pretty darn hard. Still, I'm holding out hope Baby A manages to turn herself. One of them has wedged a head or a butt down really low and is pushing my stomach out in a very funny way. My big ol' belly kind of resembles a big 'V' when I look at it straight on in the mirror which is so not attractive.

I'm really starting to slow down and get really worn out. I've been very lucky and blessed to have my mom come here the past couple weekends and help get some stuff ready and entertain the kids. I feel awful that I'm not able to keep up with them the way I'd like to or do fun stuff with them now that it's getting nicer out. Fortunately for them they have fun grandparents!! Petey and I packed our hospital bag the other night after a day full of off and on contractions. I've been meaning to get it packed for weeks but haven't been able to do it for one reason or another. Now, it's (mostly) done and it feels good to have that checked off the list. We've been picking up those last few little baby things we want or need to have around here with newbies & we're feeling really ready!!

31 weeks (almost)

Tomorrow will officially mark 31 weeks but today was my 31 week appointment. Everything checked out really well which was a relief! My weight was up a little up which is to be expected. My blood pressure was the lowest it's been in quite awhile. I thought it was a fluke last week when they checked it at the diabetes center but I guess not. I fully expected it to go UP the further along I got but instead it seems to be going down. Cervix is still closed which is a relief and makes me feel more confident that I'll be able to cook these girls a few more weeks. I'm measuring at 44cm this week which is equivalent to being 44 weeks pregnant with a single baby - not comfortable at all if you can imagine! I told Petey that I knew I was incredibly large when my toddlers disappeared under my belly and I walked over them. So, that might give you a bit of a visual.......

It seems like absolute craziness to me that I'm down to saying 'weeks' until they get here instead of 'months'. It makes this all seem so much more real although I'll admit I'm not sure I'll 100% believe this is all true until I'm holding TWO babies at once. Two of my own babies. Want to know what else is craziness? Taking two toddler to the "baby doctor" with us. Baby doctor is what Elliot calls any of my doctors. As soon as he heard I was going to see the baby doctor today he insisted on coming along and helped pick out quiet toys to take with. My purse was ready to burst!! They both did really well in the waiting room and in the exam room. As soon as the doctor came in Hadley was not so sure about all of this anymore and she was NOT ok with someone touching her mommy. Elliot was so into watching his baby sisters on the small ultrasound screen that he didn't care at all. Daddy had to lift him up so he could see it even better.

Speaking of Elliot...it has been so much fun to see how much he understands lately. I know he doesn't completely comprehend the fact that he's going to have two new baby sisters but he seems to have a pretty good understanding for a little guy his age. He will tell anyone who asks that his Mommy is having two babies and that they are "down there" meaning in the tummy. Lately he seems to think he has two babies in his tummy  - not sure where he got that but it's a fairly new thing. He talks about his baby sisters and prays for his baby sisters which just melts a person's heart. I am actually kind of excited to see him with them. He can be such a sweetheart and seems to have a soft spot for babies. As for Hadley....let's just say she has never been ok with sharing her mommy or daddy with any other baby even for a few minutes. And, if the way she reacted to the doctor checking me today is any indication we could be in for an interesting adjustment period!

30 Weeks

My blog looks live I've been seriously trucking along the last couple days - 3 weeks in 2 days ;) If only it actually went that fast, right? There is still a list of things I'd like to tackle and get done before D-Day arrives but I am ready to not be pregnant anymore. I'm ready to stop lugging around this huge belly. Ready to be able to lay down in bed again. Ready to have shirts that actually cover my belly. Ready to have more patience with the kids.....well, at least I like to blame my lack of patience some days on the hormones ;) I'm ready to not go to the doctor every week. Ready to get outside and get my kids in and out of the car on my own more often - it would also help if Spring would hurry up and show it's face.

Anyway, today was my 30 week appointment and growth ultrasound. It was the first time we've attempted to take the kids with us to an ultrasound & it was scheduled right at lunch time. I endured an epic tantrum from Hadley all the way to town and to the doctor's office all because she saw the snack cups I made and then watched me pack them in my purse instead of giving them to her. That girl has a serious temper. Anyway, the ultrasound went well & the kids behaved. They sat and ate quietly for the majority of the time we were in there. Elliot was very excited to see his baby sisters & he did a good job narrating everything that was going on. Jessica, our ultrasound extraordinaire has kids relatively close in age to mine so she did great talking to them and asking questions.

Baby A is mostly head down - for now at least. It looked like she was way down there but I've thought that before and she's managed to flip around. Both girls have their heads on my right side with their bodies laying on top of each other. It's so interesting to see them on the ultrasound & see the positions they're able to get themselves into. At this point it's getting harder and harder to tell what belongs to who & we eventually gave up trying to differentiate which cord belonged to which baby since we couldn't follow it on the ultrasound (there was always some body part in the way). Their growth discrepancy was 12% at our last ultrasound but today was only 7%. They're now back measuring within 4ish days of each other as opposed to being a week apart last time. Baby A measured in at 29 weeks, 6 days with a weight of 3lb. 4oz. with a heartrate of 130 and Baby B is measuring about 29 weeks, 2 days with a weight of 3lb. 1oz. and a heartrate of 132. Jessica was still pretty confident about their sizes being accurate but did say that as they get bigger it will probably get harder to get really accurate weight estimates. Still, it is a bit crazy to think that at 30 weeks pregnant I already have over 6lb. of baby in there!! Amniotic fluid was measuring at just over 6cm in each sac and my cervix was measuring 5.75 which is awesome. Everything else at my appointment checked out well - my blood pressure was back down into it's "normal" (normal for this pregnancy at least) range and my fundal height was 41cm. this week which seems a little more in line.

Yesterday was my initial consultation with the diabetes center. I hate that I have to do the gestational diabetes stuff but it is what it is. I was rather enjoying eating when I felt like it and not thinking too much about it. Still, I think this time will be better than my last rodeo with GD. I was in the hospital and severely limited on food choices. This time I am able to cook, shop and make my own choices and therefore have a lot more variety. I've got the finger pricking thing down & that doesn't bother me but having to think about my snack before I grab it and stuff it in my mouth is new territory. So far the only number I've had trouble with is my fasting blood sugar which I take first thing in the morning - oh and the unfortunate incident the fast food burger caused after lunch today (OOPS!!). I was told that the extra hormones I'm making could very well lead to a higher than normal fasting blood sugar & it could have nothing to do with what I'm eating. This first week is really a trial and error week for me as I figure out which foods I can handle well and which ones seem to be more of a trigger for high blood sugars. It's a learning process that's for sure but it is a good one. It's never a bad thing to have to learn how to be concious about what I'm eating and how healthy it might be for me!

********I'll be back later to add some 30 week pictures of myself and at least one of the girls!!

Egg Hunt

Sunday, April 10, 2011

It's that time of year again!! I love Easter. I love that it means Spring is here (usually at least) and I love the reminder of what my Savior did for me. I'll also admit I do enjoy some of the cheesier aspects of the holiday as well - like coloring eggs, filling and hunting for eggs, the bunnies, ducks and getting together with family. We're planning to have an egg hunt for the kids at home but we also wanted somewhere for them to go in the community. We knew we were going to miss the egg hunt in Peosta since we were planning to visit family the weekend it was happening so we happened to hear about one at Heritage Manor in Dubuque.

We talked to the kids about hunting for eggs before they took a nap on Sunday and when Elliot woke up he was ready to go! He helped me find their baskets and then anxiously waited for his sister to get up. When Daddy got home from church we loaded up the munchkins and headed to town.

It was such a beautiful day but unfortunately it was pretty toasty inside the building and it was a bit difficult to keep our little people occupied while we waited for things to get underway. The children were all split up according to ages & fortunately both Elliot & Hadley were in the same group. They can be pretty lost without each other sometimes. They had a great time walking the halls with the other kids and when they were given the word to begin collecting they got right down to business. Elliot was a little machine and had his basket full in no time at all. Hadley was a bit more methodical but it didn't take her long to get her basket mostly filled up as well. It was so much fun watching them snatch the eggs and fill their baskets!!

29 Weeks

Twenty-nine weeks. It seems sort of hard to believe we're already this far along but believe me when I say I am ready for this to be over with! Of course I don't want these girls to come NOW - they need more baking time before they're ready to come out but I am ready to not be pregnant anymore!

This was probably one of my worst doctor appointments :( Fortunately it was with one of my favorite doctors so I was able to discuss some things with him. The Saturday before this appointment I sat in the lab for 3.5 hours taking my second glucose tolerance test. I did manage to get half way though a book and the ladies drawing my blood did a great job. I can be a hard stick sometimes so I was pleased that the bruising was minimal & everyone was really great. The one good piece of news from my doctor's appointment is that my cervix is still closed. The not so good news is that my blood pressure was high: 140/86 high which shocked me. It's been high for me this whole pregnancy but those numbers just sound SCARY. I mentioned it to the doctor and he didn't seem overly concerned about it but we'll definitely keep an eye on it. Then, I got the news I failed my glucose test. It wasn't a total surprise but still a major bummer to actually hear it. I failed the first draw by a few points, the 1st hour after the drink by 15ish and then passed the other two hours with flying colors. So, I was officially diagnosed with gestational diabetes & a referral to the diabetes center was sent in. At least I got to see the girls again and watch them moving around. Neither of them were head down but they were in some odd looking positions all curled around each other.

I'm also at the point where my body is feeling like it's reaching it's limit. I was measured at 45 centimeters at this appointment. Which means if I was carrying a single baby that would be the equivalent of being 45 weeks pregnant. I mean I knew I was big but wasn't prepared for THAT big of a number. So, add up all the little bummers from this appointment and it really made my mood take a nosedive. My aches and pains have gotten exponentially worse in the last week. It's now at the point where I can no longer lay down in bed and when I do try to lay down I last about 5 minutes before my body is screaming in pain. So, I've been sleeping in a chair in our living room or propped up on pillows in our bed. It's not the most comfortable solution but at least I feel like I can walk when it's time to get up & I don't want to spew expletives while trying to get in and out of bed. I talked this over with the doctor and it sounds like it's something I will just have to deal with until after delivery. Yet another reason for the next several weeks to go quickly!! We're hoping for 6-7 more weeks until baby girls make their appearance. It seems so far away yet there's so much we'd like to get accomplished in that time and I'm sure it will be here before we know it!

28 Weeks

Yikes - I'm behind! I can't believe the last time I sat down to post anything was April 1st.

So, here is my brief 28 week update :)

The baby bump is continuing to grow. It feels like it will soon be at astronomical proportions although I'm guessing I'll feel like I wasn't so big at 28 weeks when I compare it to the the belly I'm sporting on delivery day. Still, for now, it feels BIG and I can tell it's definitely riding lower than it was even a week ago. Not only can I feel it but I could see a difference just from looking at the weekly pictures. Doctor's appointment went well & there wasn't much to report. Blood pressure normal, weight about the same, cervix still long and closed. I finally met the last doctor in the practice so I can officially say I've met everyone. My opinions on my "favorite" haven't changed. I have pretty good confidence in all of them but there are a couple I feel much more comfortable and at ease with.

I'm definitely starting to feel very pregnant. My body is also telling me when I do too much. I haven't had consistent contractions but they are popping up more and more as well as those pesky braxton hicks. Fortunately none of them have changed anything so I don't have cause for concern. A lot of my parts that have been sort of achy the last few weeks are entering into the full on OUCH stage. Not looking forward to any of that getting worse although I'm sure it will. In the end it will be worth it and I'm sure I'll look back and think "oh it wasn't THAT bad" - well maybe.

Vocab Explosion

Miss Hadley has had an explosion. No, not the diaper sort of explosion - that's never really been her style - but an explosion of words. Every day she's been busting out new words and new phrases which is so much fun to hear. I love her little voice and when it's saying words I can actually understand it just melts my heart.

So, here's a quick rundown of some of her new words. I'm sure I won't get all of them but here is what I've got off the top of my head:

1. Shoe
2. Mimi - this means Mickey :)
3. Piya - this means Pirate aka Jake & the NeverLand Pirates
4. Did it!
5. Made it!
6. Buckle
7. Seat
8. Sit or Sit down
9. Baaaa - sheep sound
10. Moooooo - she tends to think everything is a cow ;)
11. Stairs - sounds a bit more like star though
12. Hat
13. Baby
14. Box
15. Piece - she usually says this while playing with brother's Thomas puzzle ;)
16. Mum-Mum
17. Peesh - this is please & while she's known how to sign it for a long time she's now saying it at the same time too and it's too cute :)
18. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee - she loves to say this when we're going up or down hills in the car or when she's running around the house. 
19. Lucky - her & Elliot have a big bouncing horse named Lucky. It's also the name of the dog at my parent's house.
20. Eat - she also does the sign with this one consistently.
21. Run
22. Ni-Ni - this means night night & she tells us and her brother every night :)
23. Yeah
24. Mine
25. March
26. Nose

She has such a big personality! She loves to put hats on or make anything into a hat - we find clothes, food, toys, etc. on her head and just chuckle. She has this cheesy grin that gets you every single time. Hadley absolutely hates diaper changes and will run and "hide" when the word diaper is mentioned. Her favorite word to say is "Nooooooo" and shake her head while saying it. She definitely has some pretty strong opinions on things these days!

27 Weeks!

Our little sweet P's are growing, growing, growing! We had another growth scan (these happen every 3-4 weeks) yesterday. It's always so much fun to see the girls and get an estimate on their size. Both of them were bopping all around while we were trying to get their measurements. Needless to say it was really hard to get any good pictures of them! Their heartbeats registered at 154 & 150 which is perfect. Baby A is measuring right on at 27 weeks 1 day with an estimated weight of 2lb. 6oz. Baby B is measuring about a week behind with an estimated weight of 2lb. 2oz. Baby B's head was measuring smaller which we think threw off the measurements. Still, it's only a 12% growth discrepancy and as long as it is under 20-25% we aren't worried.

Baby A had previously been in a head down position. Both babies are now breech with their butts toward the exit. We were able to see Little Miss A doing some practice swallowing and then stretching her legs alllllll the way out. While it was really sweet to see I couldn't help but think that her poor sister was getting really cramped! We were also able to see a couple contractions which just look strange on the ultrasound!

In other news from my appointment yesterday I haven't gained any weight, my blood pressure was 134/78, my cervix is measuring over 6.5 cm long and is closed (yay!). My fundal height is 38cm which means I'm measuring full term and I can definitely feel it. I get worn out a lot faster and I just plain hurt everywhere. At the end of some days it hurts just to lift my leg to get into bed and forget trying to roll over and move once I'm in bed - lol. I also talked to the doctor about a couple episodes of seeing spots I've had in the past week. The worry is pre-eclampsia but since I don't have any other symptoms and they went away he's not worried. If they happen again and I'm not able to get rid of them then we would worry. He did tell me not to get any ideas about an early eviction for these ladies. Basically he told me to just keep doing what I'm doing and chugging along but that he would never wish twins on anyone - haha.

26 weeks

26 weeks! Petey and I were both excited to make it past the 25 week mark and move past the point where we had all the troubles with Elliot's pregnancy. Although I did mark the same point in my pregnancy by getting incredibly ill. Fortunately it was a quick bout of whatever it was but while I had it was absolutely miserable. I haven't felt 100% for a long time and I feel kind of sick after I eat no matter what it is & sleep has become more difficult so I'm often tired. I didn't think anything of feeling kind of icky and really tired on Sunday & just chalked it up to some extra 'morning (ahem....all day) sickness' and the fact that I hadn't slept well the night before. By Sunday night though I knew something a little more was off. I knew there had been some stomach bugs going around but I was still hopeful that this was something that maybe just didn't agree with me. Wrong. Not long after Petey put the kids to bed I started throwing up and dry heaving. Let me tell me......doing that business while pregnant is not fun. Doing it while looking and feeling full term is nothing short of torture. Needless to say my trusty friend Bucket stayed with me at all times after that! I managed to stay pretty well hydrated but every time I tried to eat a cracker I would fall asleep after only a bite or two. I thought I knew what it felt like to be utterly exhausted. Again - wrong. I felt so weak and soooo tired. A tired I can't even begin to explain. Luckily Petey was able to take Monday off and take care of the kids for me. I'm not sure how it would have played out if he hadn't since I was out until about 2 in the afternoon on Monday. I can only imagine the havoc Elliot and Hadley could have caused if I was that out of it all day while trying to take care of them! We have been trying to conserve his time off so he can use it when the girls are born but I do not feel badly about using up that one day!!!

In other baby related news things seem to be looking good. I had another weekly check-up this past Wednesday where I learned that I have lost yet another pound. Not sure how that's possible but whatever. My blood pressure has also been coming down a few points each of the last few times I've been checked. It wasn't abnormally high before but it's still nice to not see it rising. I haven't made any 'progress' meaning there's no sign babies will be attempting to make an appearance anytime soon which is good! It's still too early for our comfort! The doctor measured my fundal height at 37cm which means I'm officially measuring full term for a single baby.......at 26 weeks. Anyone else thinking about how much more uncomfortable things might get before these two are born? Poor Petey has to put up with all my whining and I'll admit that some days there is a LOT of whining in this house and it isn't ALL from the little people ;) I am apparently starting to take up more space in bed too since every morning I hear about how little space my husband had to sleep in. Sorry honey....... 

25 Weeks

Wowza - 25 weeks. This week brings a lot of anxiety with it as it's the same point in my pregnancy that I began having all sorts of issues with Elliot, landed in the hospital for 8 weeks and gave birth 7 weeks earlier than planned. I'm hopeful we'll avoid all that this time!!

This morning was the first of my weekly appointments. It's crazy that from here on out I'll be in that office once a week! Luckily I've been pretty happy with all but one of the doctors. Some of the stats from today:

Weight: Down 1 pound

Blood Pressure: 134/70; seems high to me but it's been consistent this whole pregnancy so I guess it's the new "normal" for now.

Cervix: Closed - YAY!!!

Fundal Height: Not sure. I forgot to ask :/

I'm definitely feeling pregnant. Oh boy am I feeling pregnant. I have pain in places that shouldn't be painful and I'm so ready for that part to be over! Sleep is hard to come by due to not being able to get comfortable and having to pee all.the.time. My belly button is getting closer and closer to popping which only started to happen just before Hadley was born at 38 weeks, 5 days which leads me to believe I'm probably measuring close to 37 or 38 weeks. I definitely feel that way and sometimes find it hard to believe I'm ONLY 25 weeks. As much as I'm ready for this pregnancy to be over I'm not ready to meet these beauties yet. They need more cooking time, more time to grow, more time to mature. I'm aiming for another 9-10 weeks. That would get me to 34-35 weeks. It's hard to imagine how much larger and more uncomfortable I'll be by then......

In other news I think all four of us are fighting some sort of head cold ickiness. Petey and I both have sore throats and I can feel my sinuses getting congested. I'm hopeful we'll all kick this quickly as I really don't need anything else to kill my energy level!!!

24 Weeks

Wow - 24 weeks! To some people this may not seem like much of a milestone but I am very excited to know we've reached the age of viability for these girls. Of course we don't want them to make an appearance anytime soon and if they did it would be a very uphill climb but it's still nice to know we've reached that point.

I feel like I've expanded to an astronomical size already but the baby bump just keeps on growing and growing and growing. Petey & I enjoy watching the girls bop around at night and they seem to enjoy kicking Daddy when he puts his hand on top of them. Their kicks and punches are starting to become painful. Every once in awhile they'll hit me good enough that I feel like I need to stop and catch my breath. Well, I feel like I need to stop and catch my breath a lot of the time anyway. Elliot and Hadley have each gotten a chance to feel them as well although they're not all that excited about it. Elliot likes to inform us and anyone else who will listen that his mommy is having two babies which is just adorable.

This week is the last week I will not (hopefully) have any trips to the doctor which just seems crazy! After next week I start going weekly for OB appointments. I will continue to have growth scans every 3-4 weeks and by 32 weeks we'll be doing weekly NST's (non stress tests). I'm hoping/guessing all these extra doctor visits will help things go more quickly. There is still a lot that needs to be done but I feel like I've been pregnant forever and I'm ready to feel like myself again!

23 Weeks

I have officially crossed the 23 week pregnancy threshold!! To say I'm excited would be an understatement. It's one step closer to viability and one step closer to meeting these two new beauties! We are pretty settled on their names but won't be sharing until after they're born. Naming two at one time proved to be a lot harder than we thought it would be!

At 23 weeks I am measuring about 34cm, have gained about 20 pounds and my blood pressure was 132/74. My blood pressure has been running a little high this whole pregnancy but has remained consistent so so far there is nothing to worry about there! I met another one of the doctors from the practice today and was impressed. So far there has only been one doctor I am less than excited about which isn't too bad. She informed Petey & I that she had 4 kids in 4 years so she sort of understood our situation. I have to admit it is nice to know one of the doctors can appreciate the additional challenges that will come with having so many little, little kids buzzing around the house! She told me everything was looking great and progressing well but that I need to start easing up on my activity level at home which shouldn't be a problem as my body definitely lets me know when I've done too much or pushed it too far!

We had an ultrasound this morning which is always exciting! I think I could have one everyday and be just as excited for each and every one. Have I mentioned before that I love our ultrasound extraordinaire? Well, if not let me say again how awesome she is! She also has little kids about the same age as ours so we usually spend some time laughing about the crazy things our kids are doing & she always takes the time to get a good look and some fun glimpses of our girls before starting all the measuring. She also understands and appreciates how important a picture can be & she takes a lot of them for us! This morning both girls were moving and grooving quite a bit - almost too much as it made getting some of the measurements hard to do! It's so funny to watch them already interacting together! When we started they were both head down & looking right at each other. We didn't have luck getting pictures of the two of them together & it likely will be harder and harder to do from now on. Baby A's heartrate was 148 & she was estimated to weigh 1lb. 3oz. and Baby B's heartrate was 141 and she is weighing in around 1lb. 2oz. Both of them are measuring a few days behind my LMP but within days of each other so that is reassuring!

In other 23 week news Petey and I have been able to watch them moving from the outside which is amazing. Petey has been able to feel them moving a lot more which I think is exciting for him and I'm guessing makes it all more real. Like I said we're pretty decided on their names and the spelling of said names. We're getting ready to make our big purchases & after that's done there won't be too much left that we *NEED* for these girlies. My goal is to have this house ready and as organized as I can be by 28 weeks. Not that I'm intending for them to come at that point but for my own sanity I'd like it to be done early so it's one less thing to worry about later on down the line.

Would You Like Some Cheese With That?

Full disclosure: This post will contain a fair amount of whining. If you don't want to "listen" to said whining feel free to skip this one. And, don't say I didn't warn you ;)

As of today I am 23 weeks and 1 day pregnant. I feel like poo. There are parts of me that HURT that I never had any idea could hurt or at least not as badly as they do. I'm hungry all the darn time and there's no room for said food. Or, I'll eat something that I thought sounded delicious only to find it's left me wanting to sit next to a bucket for the rest of the day. The lack of energy is astounding. I feel like I need a caffeine or some other comparable injection come mid morning and again mid afternoon. It seems I have to pee at least every 20 minutes. I constantly feel like I'm 'touched out'. Between the two little people running around the house and the two little people be-bopping on the inside I just can't handle much more. My house looks like a bunch of frat guys moved in minus the beer bottles of course but sheesh it's awful. Never doubt the ability of two toddlers to demolish a clean house in 2.5 seconds. I feel dizzy so often which often leads to more feeling sick. *sigh*

I know...I know most of this is just regular ol' pregnancy related stuff but once in awhile a girl needs a good old fashioned pity party. I must admit it feels better to 'air' those....umm...grievances.

22 Weeks

I'm definitely feeling more than a wee bit pregnant these days! While taking pictures Petey remarked at how much bigger I looked tonight. Remind me to thank him for that comment later ;)

Yesterday, while trying on bridesmaids dresses for Anndee's wedding the consultant thought I was eight months along. Imagine the surprise on the alteration woman's face when I told her I was only 22 weeks. It's definitely going to be interesting to see how large I end up!

I'm feeling a lot more movement these days. Most of it seems to be concentrated really low although every once in awhile I feel movements up higher. A few different times I've felt the stretching pushing movements which are more painful than the quick jabs and quicks! It's fun and reassuring to feel the girls moving around and I can't wait until we see them again. It feels like it's been ages when in reality it's only been a couple weeks since our anatomy scan and a week since my last doctor's appointment. Our next appointment and ultrasound is next week. I'm interested to find out what I'm measuring and how the girls are growing!

The shopping monkey

Hadley the shopping monkey. That accurately sums up Miss Hadley lately.

This past weekend she went on three different shopping trips and did fabulously. Almost too fabulously. I'm starting to fear just how expensive she might be in her teen years. There's no doubt this girl loves shoes. Now, there's no doubt she loves to help pick out clothes - particularly her own and her little sister's.

Saturday my mom, Hadley and I went on a marathon shopping trip at the outlet mall in Williamsburg. It was so strange to only have one child & a small umbrella stroller. Usually when I go there I'm with two other friends and a total of 7 children. Yes, it's crazy. Crazy fun as well. Anyway, Hadley had a blast checking everything out & holding clothes up to herself to see how they looked. She also had a good time relieving some racks of their burden..... Sunday she went shopping with Mum-Mum & Papa at Kohl's which was a short but still exciting trip for her.

Yesterday, she came along while I picked out a bridesmaids dress for my best friend's wedding. Seeing all the blingy, pretty things at the bridal store was almost too much for her! And all those mirrors where she could admire herself. Yes, there's no doubt she's our little diva.

Hadley has also been quite the little monkey. Several times a day I pull her off the top of the kitchen table and I tell her to sit down 1,000,000,000,000,000 times a day before she falls off of something and breaks an important body part. She's easily surpassed her brother in the number of bumps and bruises she's acquired. Suffice it to say she's not afraid of much and is quite the little dare-devil.

21 Week Appt.

I think I have a new favorite doctor. Today I met one of the docs I'd only talked to on the phone previously & he's officially my new favorite. He's very personable and seems to know his stuff. Both babies were moving and grooving when he checked heartbeats. Baby A is sort of head down (head on my right side) with her body laying across. Baby B is pretty much in a complete transverse position with her feet in Baby A's face ;) In other news here's a rundown of some of the stats:

Weight Gain: Up about 8ish lbs. from pre-pregnancy

Blood Pressure: 134/82 - kind of high for me but it's been running higher this whole pregnancy

Fundal Height: 33cm!!!! Two weeks ago it was 24. Holy moly.

Cervix is still closed - YAY!

In two weeks I have another growth scan and another appointment with another doctor. So far this pregnancy has kind of wiped me out physically but at the very least baby girls seem to be growing and doing well!

21 Weeks

Wow....21 weeks. Already. On one hand it feels like time is flying by and on the other hand it feels like I've been pregnant forever. We're 3 weeks shy of viability although baby girls are not allowed to join us for quite awhile after that! I think the threshold of viability is way more exciting after almost having a baby at 25 weeks in the past. I'm feeling really big and finding myself going to the bathroom more than I thought was humanly possible. I've been working on teaching the little people not to climb on or push on Mommy's tummy - it hurts!! I'm feeling a lot more movement from these little ladies. It's still not as consistent as it eventually will be but it's very exciting to feel them. I have an appointment tomorrow to check everything out and I'll probably be back to update after that!

Tommy Train

Most people probably know this character better by the name of Thomas but to Elliot he is Tommy Train. For someone who has never watched the Thomas the Train show he sure is obsessed. His Tommy Train puzzle is one of his most favorite things to do. He asks (ahem....begs) daily for me to help him put it together. I usually oblige a few times only to have him tear it apart and ask for it to be put back together again. He is getting pretty good at figuring out which pieces go where & his favorites to put together are Thomas' number and his face. He's a regular ol' pro with those pieces! Sometimes it amazes me how the simplest things can bring him such joy and it never ceases to put a smile on my face! Elliot is so proud of himself after we have it put together!

20 Weeks

It's official folks - I've hit that almighty 'halfway point' although I can say with 100% sincerity that I hope I'm further than halfway! From what I understand most twin pregnancies don't go past 38 weeks and are considered full term by that time. My personal goal is 36 weeks which would be May 31. We'll see what these little princesses have in store for us though. And, yes, with 99.9% certainty we can say princesses :) Elliot is going to be one busy big brother!

This morning was our 'big' anatomy/anomaly scan at my OB's office. Jessica, our ultrasound extraordinaire, was fantastic as always. I'm so glad we have someone we get along with so well and that is very personable. Both babies are head down so she was able to get some really fun pictures of the two of them together. She informed us that most times one is head up and the other head down so it makes getting pictures of them together pretty difficult. One of the cutest things from this morning was seeing all four little feet kicking at each other. They are definitely active little girls - they'll fit in well around here! For a few moments they were even looking facing each other. So precious.

Both girls were measuring pretty consistently for them. Baby A was measuring 19 weeks 3 days with a weight of about 10 ounces and Baby B was measuring right at 19 weeks with a weight of about 11 ounces which means they have a 2% growth discrepancy which we are completely fine with at this point. Baby A checked out perfectly and all major organs were accounted for and appeared to be doing their job. Baby B almost got as good a report but we want to take a closer look at her heart next time just to make sure everything looks ok. Since she's small & wasn't in a super great position today we weren't able to get all the measurements we needed & it looked like there might be something there that shouldn't be. But, it's nothing to worry about at this point! I love having a chance to get a peek at our little babies and it's so much fun to see them moving and grooving all over the place. I can't wait to see what they look like when they're born & who they'll resemble more. I'm also anxious to know how alike they'll look since they are identical. All in due time....all in due time.

I've attached just a few of our pictures below. We got quite the chunk of pictures to take home with us as well as a CD of the images - 26 total. Jessica took nearly 130 for the doctor to peruse!

Two little baby heads :)

Our identical little princesses!

All smushed up inside Mommy.

Baby B's face shot

Baby A's face shot

Waterpark Weekend & SuperBowl 2011

Friday afternoon Petey and I packed up the car and loaded the kids into their carseats. We headed to Des Moines for a fun filled weekend with some of my mommy friends and their kids. All of us have kids Elliot's age and a few of us have younger ones as well. We got there a little before 8 on Friday night and since the kids had napped on the way they were all wound up. We dressed them up in their suits and Daddy took them to the kiddie pool area. It quickly became apparent that I should have gone too. Elliot had his little beach ball taken away right after being run over by kids who were too old and too big to be in that pool. He was kind of upset about his ball but was just so shocked at the craziness going on around him that he didn't seem to notice. Fortunately, they were really cheap & I have several so it wasn't a big loss. Still, my mommy heart hurt for him :( Needless to say that was a quick trip to the pool!!!

After the kids were asleep that night I got a chance to sit and talk with Amy and Melanie. They ended up kicking us out of the pool area a little before midnight which was a bummer but it was great talking to them. It was the first time Melanie had met Amy or I face to face but we already knew each other well enough that it wasn't the slightest bit awkward.

The next morning the kids played together before the pool opened & got right in the middle of the action. It took Elliot and Hadley a few minutes to warm up to the water but in no time at all they were having a blast! Elliot discovered his love of waterslides and was begging Daddy to take him. They went down the BIG water slides countless times. Hadley even loved them too! She had a blast sitting in the water and splashing around and got very, very upset with us when we took her out. We all hit up the mall after the first swim adventure of the day & then the kids napped. We took them back in the water later that afternoon and they had a blast again & again through a fit when it was time to get out. Our group ate supper poolside that night which was an adventure for sure! Toddlers don't understand having to wait for food to be prepared after it's ordered and most of them were so tired and worn out from swimming and playing all day. Our kids only made it to 7 before being put to bed!

Petey got to hang out with some of the other dads that night. They raced cars in the Nascar Simulator several times which was a blast I'm sure. Some of us moms hung out on couches, ate twizzlers and chatted. It may not sound too exciting to some but it was fantastic for us. We don't get a chance to get together too often so we have to take full advantage of the time we do get together! We've already started brainstorming ideas for our next big get together :)

Sunday we packed up and headed out. Our plan was to go to Cornerstone for church. Both of us miss it there quite a bit but our timing was way off. I fought the urge to burst into tears all the way to Ames. It only got worse when Elliot saw the church & started begging for his friends. That boy sure knows how to break his mommy's heart! It turned out to be a good morning anyway. We grabbed some food and then got a coffee to share from Starbucks. I forgot how gloriously delicious their Raspberry Mochas were (we had white mocha which is awesome as well). We drove through the ISU campus & saw several changes that have happened just since May, drove past our old apartment & then hit up Wal-Mart. The kids each got to pick a Hot Wheels car which they were over the moon excited about! They were worth the 98 cents/piece just to see their excitement at getting to pick a new car. After that we met my parents and cousin Dawn at Hickory Park for lunch.

After lunch Elliot ended up going home with Grandma & Grandpa. He didn't have to do too much convincing ;) Hadley enjoyed her time as an only child & took a good nap for Mommy and Daddy all the way home!!

Once we got home Petey put together the dip for our Superbowl party & we were on our way to Greg & Stacey's soon after that. Petey & I were both pretty worn out from the weekend so we spent most of the game lounging on a comfy couch while Hadley played with the other kids and baby-sitter upstairs. The game ended up being pretty exciting and we had a great time hanging out with friends!

Now, we're on to the Monday blahs.....hopefully I'll find a cure soon!