Little Lady's Nursery Pics

When we were deciding on nursery themes, I knew I wanted a pink and green theme for our little girl. I adore pink and green together!! I found bedding I really liked and everything went from there. Her theme is love birds. I love white furniture for girls so we bought the exact same furniture our son has, but in white. We had a hard time deciding between painting the walls pink vs green, but after seeing everything in the room, I'm definitely glad we went with the green!

Her changing table has become an overflow of blankets, diaper bag, and other random baby items, so don't pay too much attention to it :) I found stickers for her wall at H.ome Goods on a random trip there. I was looking for something completely not related to baby items, but couldn't pass these up! The letters that spell our her name are a white wood (I blurred them out for the time being).
Everything I have read in twins books says not to get a rocking chair because it is too small for holding/nursing twins. Books suggested a futon, daybed, double wide chair or loveseat. We opted for the loveseat option. We'll see how it works... Depending on how breastfeeding goes, we may purchase a rocker for our son's room.

As far as other baby items go, we registered/purchased one of all the big items (swing, Pack N Play, bouncer, play mat etc.). We're going to see what we use the most and if we need two of something we'll purchase it later. (Thank goodness for free shipping from T.arget!!) The only thing we purchased two of were the Rock 'n Play sleepers. We registered for one (and received it), but after speaking with moms and reading the reviews on A.mazon and T.arget, we decided to buy another one. Check them out if you haven't already. Everyone says they are a MUST HAVE and they are affordable at $50. I also received a very useful tip from a stranger at BRU while shopping. My husband and I were discussing over the door organizers for the kid's closets to store all the little items (extra diaper rash creme, thermometers, hair bows, rattles, shoes etc.) and a lady told me to pick up a clear over the door shoe holder from W.almart. I picked up two and I LOVE them!! They cost only about $7 (compared to $25+ from the baby store) and they are clear instead of fabric. This makes organizing and finding the items much easier. Thank you random stranger! Great advice!!

Now on to the items I made!! I found these birds, but obviously the colors were all wrong. I painted them and added some flowers and hung them on the wall.

I bought some plain wood bird houses and painted them. I couldn't stop there so I added ribbon, flowers and birds as well. I had my mom pick up a few more birds like the one on the middle shelf, so I'll add those to the shelves/dresser later. Surprisingly, I had a hard time finding small birds in stores!!










I spruced up a plain pink lamp shade as well. Finally, the window seat is made of a white wood. I love the extra storage, but it needed something! My mom and grandma went shopping to pick out fabrics to make a seat cushion. The cushion is currently under construction, but here is a photo of what it currently looks like. My grandma is very talented when it comes to sewing and I absolutely love how this cushion looks!! What would we do without mothers and grandmothers? They are the best!!!
Although we have two nurseries set up, we're planning on keeping the babies together after we bring them home. We have no idea how long they can stay together in the same crib/room, but once it quits working, we'll move them apart. That's the little girl's room! I'm thankful that the rooms are both finally done. It seemed like a never ending to do list for a while...

Little Man's Nursery Pics

I wanted to get this posted yesterday, but our internet went out and I spent over an hour on the phone with someone from another country I could barely understand trying to get it set up again. We have an iMac and the guy only knew how to reset PC's apparently...he ended up telling me to call Apple. Umm..what?! Thankfully my husband came home and had it up and running within two minutes! Go C!!

I've also had a new pain issue thing going on. Whenever I walk around I'm having a moderate pain on my right side continuously. I sit for a while and it eases away, but the minute I'm back on my feet, bam! It's back!! I have googled the crap out of it and the only thing I can figure out about the pain is that it's false labor and the real thing may not be far away! If anyone has any advice or experience on this please share!! I have an OB appointment tomorrow so I'll discuss it with her. In the meantime I am being a complete slug on the couch. I'm incredibly uncomfortable and the pain kind of freaks me out. The closer I get to labor the more worried I get. It doesn't help that my dreams at night are non-stop baby/labor filled!

Let's get down to business!!! Our theme for the little man's nursery is barn yard. It's meaningful because my husband's grandparents and several uncles/aunts farm in South Dakota. They have the seriously huge kind of farm that stretches as far as the eye can see. All the roads are gravel. Yes, it's like going back in time. The town they live near accepts I.O.U's at the grocery store!! Anyway, he spent a lot of time there as a kid so it seemed like a perfect theme for our son's nursery.



We wanted to stay away from all the typical sports, nautical, jungle etc. themes. Although this was a different kind of theme, it was difficult to find accessories to go along with it!! I had to put my Martha Stewart hat on and be creative.

Obviously, our little guy's name is above his crib, but I blurred it out for the time being. We did find letters that looked like old barn wood, so they fit in perfectly. The big barn in the corner is my husband's from when he was little. His mom was kind enough to bring it down along with all the animal accessories. I know our son will LOVE playing with it once he gets old enough. I found the barn themed wall stickers on Am.azon.

Now that you've seen the overview of the room, I want to talk about the items I made.
First, I found these letters and wood board at H.obby Lobby. I painted them all and added the animals to make the farm sign that is above the changing table.

I also found a plain wooden barn that needed to be painted. I painted it and added the fence and extra animals. This is what is located on the bookshelf. The
bookshelf is empty at the moment, but my parents are bringing us a bunch of books!
Next, I took a plain blue lamp shade and spruced it up a bit. I used the chickens from the little guy's bedding to make chickens to apply to the lamp. I also added a decorative farm ribbon to top it off.

Finally, I made two farm pictures and framed them to hang above the book shelf. I used scrap booking paper to create these two photos. The tractor I saw on H.GTV on an episode of H.ouse Hunters; a similar picture hung on the wall of a boy's room and I made my own version. The chicken picture I made up; I used chickens from the wall stickers as inspiration. These took a long time to make, but they are my favorite pieces in the room!

There you have it-the little man's barn yard room!! I really enjoyed making all the items for his room. It kept me busy when I stopped working and still had energy. I can't imagine doing any decorating right now so I'm definitely glad they are done!!

This post is plenty long, so I'll post pictures from the little girl's room later. I hope you enjoy the sneak peak of our son's room!

Week 33: Grow Baby Grow!

After our MFM appointment yesterday, I was under the impression that everything looked fine... I got a phone call from Dr. W this morning. She told me she was writing up the report about our visit yesterday and forgot to mention a few things. She recommended weekly monitoring from here on out and a repeat growth scan in 1-2 weeks. Done and done. She also said they wanted to keep an eye on baby boy because he's still measuring smaller than they'd like. Hmm...I didn't think they were concerned about his size... Turns out they are. It's nothing immediately alarming, but it will be interesting to see where we go in the next few weeks. If he doesn't start growing we're going to be having these babies sooner rather than later. My new motto for the next two weeks: grow baby grow!!

I mentioned in my earlier post that I went grocery shopping yesterday. Why are so many items located low on the shelves? I had to bend over to get two cans of tuna from the bottom and of course I dropped one in the process. Huge pregnant lady bending over to pick up tuna..I should have had one of those beeper noises on me like when trucks back up. It was quite the task. I don't know if I'll venture out on a solo grocery shopping trip again...it really took it out of me.

Driving has also gotten dangerous for me. I wouldn't recommend riding in the car with me anywhere. One of our cars has the electronic seat mover levers. Simple. The other has the old fashion you move yourself levers located under the seat. Well, I'm so big I can't properly bend over to reach the manual lever to move myself up an adequate amount of space. My belly is also starting to get quite close to the steering wheel. I'm afraid in another week or two I won't even be able to fit behind the wheel! Turning to check blind spots on the interstate is another awkward and difficult maneuver. Whenever we go anywhere, the husband drives.

We are completely and utterly done with the nurseries. My next post will be about the nurseries:) I'm excited to show them off! We have the baby items packed for the hospital along with the electronics and toiletries. I only have so many clothing items I can wear, so I'll have to pack them before we head out the door to go to the hospital.

We attended a breastfeeding class at a local hospital this week. I wasn't sure what to expect. It started out hokey-a video about all the benefits of breastfeeding and then further discussing the benefits. It was a little too sales pitchy for my liking. However, once we got passed that portion, I found it to be extremely useful. I learned a lot and feel quite confident moving forward with breastfeeding. We got useful handouts, a book and the pager number of the instructor (she said she'll answer all pages before 8 p.m.). I'm ready to tackle breastfeeding. My feet, ankles and calves (yes my calves have now joined the swelling party) swelled so much in the first half of the class that one of the instructors insisted I put them up on a chair. She also bestowed several 'bless your heart' comments on me. Oh how I love the South!!

A few ladies I work with at one of the hospitals I work at stopped by yesterday with baby gifts. It was great to hang out and catch up. They brought some adorable outfits, blankets and the much needed diapers!! We have about 550 diapers at the moment...I wonder if that will get us through the first month?! I don't work at that hospital much, so it was very thoughtful of them to think of us. Collin is having a cupcake baby party today at work. It's incredibly nice that his co-workers organized a get together for him. Yum...cupcakes!!

Today is the kick off of week 34!! My goal this entire pregnancy has been to make it to 36 weeks so I'm a mere 2 weeks away. Let's hope baby boy hits a growth spurt!!

Coming up we have weekly OB appointments from here on out. We also have absolutely nothing to get done this weekend for the first time in months!! I'm looking forward to drinking an endless supply of ice water, kicking up my feet and watching movies. It will feel strange to not have something on the never ending to do list to accomplish, but honestly, we have nothing left to do. What a concept. Nothing. Unless you can think of something I missed??

OB Concern = A Trip to the MFM

We went in for a routine growth scan and OB appointment yesterday at 33w4d. I have noticed the scans are taking longer and longer because the babies are growing and it's difficult to differentiate between the two. I enjoy the extra viewing time of course, but my back and swollen limbs do not.

Post scan, the OB had two concerns. First, the systolic/diastolic (S/D) ratio was slightly elevated on baby boy. I had no idea what the S/D ratio was at the time, but it's a measurement of the umbilical cord artery that compares the systolic and diastolic flow and it identifies the amount of resistance in the placental vasculature. Aside from the elevated S/D ratio, baby boy's growth had slowed down as well. He was weighing in at 4 lb 8 oz (30th percentile) and baby girl was weighing in at 5 lb 3 oz (50th percentile). Prior to this, the babies have been nearly identical in their growth habits. The two of these factors combined can indicate an issue with an umbilical artery that could potentially be slowing down baby boy's growth. *Gulp*

Although the OB did not find anything alarming with the results, she still wanted me to head over to the Maternal Fetal Medicine in the a.m. to get a second opinion. We arrived there this morning at 7:30 after a restless night of sleep, as you can imagine. Although we weren't in immediate danger, I was still concerned about what the appointment could reveal and where we could possibly be heading...I am not ready to have these babies yet!!

We got in quickly at the MFM office and proceeded to have another ultrasound done. It was very detailed and took an extended amount of time. The MD, Dr. H, whom I can only assume is in charge of the practice was not immediately available to review the ultrasound info so another MD, Dr. W, stepped in to speak with us. She also performed her own ultrasound viewing the S/D ratio herself. Both times it turned out completely normal. While she was talking to us, Dr. H stepped in and gave his approval of the scans as well. He didn't see any issues.

Based on today's measurements, baby boy was weighing in at 4 lb 3 oz and baby girl was weighing in at 4 lb 8 oz. Although neither one were in the 50th percentile anymore with these measurements, their weights were more in sync with one another so this was less concerning. Obviously the scans were done with different machines and by different people so there is some variability that can result from scan to scan. Also, we were told with multiples, at the later stages of pregnancy, it can be difficult to get accurate results based on positioning of the babies.

I really liked Dr. W! She talked a long time with us and told us a lot about research she did in San Diego in regards to multiples. She was extremely knowledgeable and helped ease both our concerns. Overall, she felt things looked great and she said I was doing a wonderful job. I don't know why, but hearing her say I was doing well made me extremely happy; this hasn't been easy and her acknowledging my effort in this pregnancy put a smile on my face.

I'm thankful our OB sent us over to the MFM office just to make sure everything was indeed fine. Although we were both nervous about the possible outcome, I feel completely satisfied with the information we gained. Everything looks fine. Let's hope that continues!!

I'll update more on other baby news later. I went grocery shopping after the MFM appointment and I am swollen and exhausted!!

One interesting piece of info the MD left us with, she said in her years of research/practicing she has learned to 'never trust a multiple.' A woman can come in for a scan and everything appears textbook perfect, but she can go into labor the next day. Multiples are tricky and don't tend to play by the rules. I found that bit of info to be amusing. I hope our babes cooperate for a few more weeks!

Week 31: There's No Stopping Now!

This is happening. We're having babies in the not too distant future. It used to be fun talking about the babies, because their arrival was so far away. But now, it's real and it's going to be happening. It hit home finally that we will soon be welcoming two babies into our home and we have no idea what we are doing. I'm a little nervous...two babies!! We have about 4 weeks to go until the babies will be here. I had a talk with the babies yesterday and asked that they please hold on until 9/6 to arrive. This is the opposite of our anniversary of 6/9 and I love that idea! They kicked me a few times during and after the conversation, so let's hope they agree as well.

I had a two hour OB appointment this week. Not because there was anything wrong, but there was an emergency case that came in and backed everything up. I had a long ultrasound that put the babies through several tests: breathing, movement, tone, and measured fluid and heart rates. They passed the tests! YES!! It was adorable to see their tiny ribs expanding and contracting as they practiced breathing. Since I had to sit waiting on my OB for so long, my feet turned into huge swollen messes. The OB walked in and declared I had sausage toes. I was up 3 pounds at the appointment, so I'm at a gain of 31 overall. More cheers from the OB re: weight gain. I'm officially 'normal' in terms of weight.

I do all the grocery shopping at our house and I get into couponing. It's so addictive! Target had a deal this past week on diapers. If you bought 2 cases of diapers, you got a $10 gift card. I went in armed with coupons and bought several cases of diapers as well as laundry detergent, blankets and other baby items. I spent $143 but I saved $53 in coupons! This gets me excited. What doesn't get met excited is the cashier who asked when I was due (I said in about a month) and then commented 'oh honey when you were walking up here I felt so bad for you because you are just huge!' I wasn't sure what to say in response to this so I uncomfortably laughed. Thank goodness these killer deals had me in a great mood or I may have burst into tears. **Note on diapers-we are going to cloth diaper once the babies are big enough to fit into small cloth diapers at 8 pounds. In the meantime, we're going with disposables. I figure we have enough to figure out the first few weeks so the cloth diapering can wait a bit..sorry for the delay Mother Nature**

As far as a due date, I'm officially due on 10/05. However, when people inquire about a due date, I have given up saying October 5th because the look of horror and disbelief on their faces quite literally scares me. I always tell them it's twins to try to ease the shock, but to no avail. Twins usually arrive around 36 weeks, so I now am telling people I'm due in the middle of Sept for my own sanity. It helps to ease the shock face of strangers.

Insomnia is the new excitement of the week. At some point, I wake up during the middle of the night on one of my many trips to the bathroom and inevitably cannot fall back asleep. I'm up for about 1-2 hours just laying there like a slug. I'll usually throw in a DVD and eventually fall back asleep. One day this week I was up at 12, 2 and 4; each time it took me at least an hour to drift off again. Last night I only was up for one episode at 4 so I guess it was a good night. I can't believe how sore I get from sleeping. My hips and legs crack every time I roll myself out of bed. I had no idea how creaky my body could be.

Another sleeping note, last Saturday I was up early having one of these insomnia experiences and I became hungry. So hungry my stomach was growling uncontrollably. My stomach growling woke up my husband from a peaceful sleep. I went to fetch some cereal so we could all sleep in peace again.

Putting socks on is an athletic feat for me. I wobble and flounder and my husband gets a nervous look on his face. It's so difficult, after successfully getting on a pair without toppling over, I threw up my arms like I just stuck a landing in gymnastics. C loved it. He has taken over the sock putting on duty for the time being to ensure everyone's safety at this critical time.

I'm obsessed with ice water and ice tea. I have a glass of one or the other at my side at all times. I have to drink. This, of course, means several trips to the bathroom. Last night, he made me laugh so hard I thought I was going to pee on the couch. I literally could not get off the couch (I had limbs splayed in every direction attempting to move but I was like a turtle on its back) and amidst my laughter shrieked 'pee' and 'help.' C sprang off the couch and helped peel me off the couch and I took off in what felt like a sprint to the bathroom (C confirmed it was more of a waddle jog and he was worried I'd trip). I barely made it in time. Not to self: hysterical laughing is not allowed unless I'm on my feet or in a position in which I can easily manuever myself to a bathroom.

Upcoming this week: finish decorating the nurseries (we have finally picked out names so we can hang them on the wall and decorate around them) and pack our hospital bags (I keep having recurring nightmares of going into labor and running around the house in the middle of the night packing a bag).

These babies are coming in about a month. There's no turning back now!!

Not the Typical 30 Week Update

Something has definitely happened in the past 3 weeks of this pregnancy. I was on a straight and narrow path, but somehow I made a sharp right turn and things have absolutely changed. Here's what's been going on with this pregnant lady lately:

• I am nesting and its scaring my husband. Since I took leave from work about 2 weeks ago, nesting made a full surge attack on me. I'm always a to do list type of gal, but I may need to attend To Do Lists Anonymous and admit I have problem soon. I have a full list of things to get done each week; some small annoying things I've been putting off and plenty of new items I add daily. My husband came home from work and I was in a frenzy of 'we need to do this...have you thought about that...let's work on this tonight.' He knew better than to question the list and got to work, but later, once I had calmed down, he told me I was acting a tad batty. Needless to say, we have gotten a lot done the past two weeks. I'm feeling great about where we are at with the nurseries and with the prep of the arrival of the babies. All that's left to do in the nurseries is finish hanging decorations.

• I wonder if people think I'm a tramp. My fingers have officially become too swollen to comfortably wear my rings. I had to pry them off with soap so I think the wearing of my rings ship has sailed. I've thought about purchasing a bigger 'fill in' ring, but at this point in the game it seems like it would be a waste of money. I hate not being able to wear my rings. Since my husband gave me my engagement ring 8 years ago, I've only removed it to swim in the ocean a handful of times. They are beautiful and the 3 center diamonds were hand picked for me by a jeweler friend on a diamond buying trip to Belgium. You get the picture, the rings are important to me and I LOVE them. I feel naked without them. I wonder what people in public think of me...the very obviously pregnant lady walking around with no ring on my left hand. I'm afraid I'm being judged as the unwed lady who, bless her heart, got knocked up. I don't think I'm being paranoid, I do live in the Bible Belt after all...

• My body is weird. Since I started leave from work, I have packed on the pounds. This makes me think it's a definite positive I stopped working when I did because I've been struggling to gain the recommended weight. My body and bump have taken on a life of their own. By bump is huge and I can't get used to how big I am. I run into things, knock things over and am a klutz in general. Navigating the world with this bump can be challenging. The worst things I've done recently include burning my bump with an iron (got too close while ironing and I wasn't wearing a shirt) and I ran into a door knob (I had a red circle for quite some time afterwords...I hope the boy wasn't in the breech position or he may have suffered his first concussion.)
  

• I require naps like a toddler. I haven't been moody overall. No lie. Sure, I have my moments where I've gotten a tad cranky, but overall C said I've been doing great in the mood department. However, the mood department quickly goes awry if I don't get a nap in. The exhaustion has reached a new level all together. These babies must be growing a lot the last few weeks because my body is constantly fatigued. If I take 1-2 naps a day I can remain my normal happy self. If we're busy and I don't get a chance to nap, I quickly become crotchety. We were prepping for some friends to come over Sat and I didn't get a nap in...ugh it wasn't pretty. Naps are a must to keep everyone in this household content.

• My husband goes to bed shivering every night. I am hot! Literally, physically hot, especially when I'm trying to sleep. Don't get me started on how much I loath summers in the South...but this is beyond normal summer hotness. When we go to bed every night, I crank down the upstairs AC unit and turn on our ceiling fan on the middle to high setting. My husband has covers pulled up and wrapped under his chin because he is so cold. I partially cover with a sheet. I wake up sweating most of the time despite these cooling measures. I have a small fan on my bedside table I turn on when I get overheated. Cranked down AC and two fans aren't enough to keep this pregnant lady cool these days.
  

• Collin can add Personal Assistant to his resume. Since I'm feeling so awkward these days, Collin has become a personal assistant to me. It's difficult to put socks on, bend over to pick up things I drop (I drop a lot of items these days), remove my ass from my comfortable reclining couch position or get all the clothes out of the dryer. He has done a phenomenal job of helping me with the list of tasks I can no longer complete with ease. The list of things I can't do is growing longer every day. Case in point-I cut my toe nails today and it left me winded and my toe nails look like I chewed them off rather than cut them (they aren't pretty).

• Emotional Mama. It's easy for me to cry lately...Here's my latest emotional installment of crying when not necessary-I signed us up for a childbirth class at the hospital we're delivering at. I asked several questions when I called to sign up to ensure it was the right class. Today is the first class. I looked online this morning and noticed the class is mainly preparation for the last stages of pregnancy, relaxation during birth, and birthing options. Um...I primarily cared about infant safety/CPR, breastfeeding and the tour. The classes I wanted are all separate classes and when I called to get into the breastfeeding class, it was full already. I cried. Poor C was home over lunch and had to help me calm down. Time is running out and I want to do these things!! I don't care about birthing options and relaxation because I don't think much of it will apply to our situation. I don't see my husband massaging me and telling me to breath...we're more than likely going to end up with a C-section and I won't have a lot of choice in the entire birthing process. Luckily, I did some research online and my inner granola mama found another breastfeeding class we could get into (I know breastfeeding is going to be a challenge, but I really want to do it. We're also going to cloth diaper. People look at me like I have arms growing out of my head when I say we're breastfeeding and cloth diapering twins.) Scratch the childbirth class. We're doing the tour and breastfeeding class and infant safety/CPR if I make it to the class date without giving birth. My tears have dried up for now, but I'm sure something else will make me cry shortly.

I posted a picture with my face! Ah I'm crazy!! I figured the 3-0 mark was a big mark to reach in this journey and I may as well share it with the world. Check out the size of that bump on that lady who isn't wearing a wedding ring!! Keep cooking for 6 more weeks babies!!

That's about all I can think of for this installment of a pregnancy update. Other random items, I'm completely obsessed with the Olympics! The ladies gymnastics team was phenomenal!! Throughout their competition, I was thinking about our little girl and told C she'd be the perfect age to compete in the 2028 Olympics. His response? He just stared at me and shook his head. I LOVE gymnastics and the Olympics!!

Did any of you hear about this article 'Work after eight months of pregnancy is as harmful as smoking?" Of course working has no effect on mothers under 24, but has more of an effect on older women. Crap. Am I an older woman?! Who has kids before they are 24? Like we need any more things to worry about...

The Name Game

Lately, the question of choice I've been fielding from friends and strangers has to do with names. Everyone wants to know what we're naming the babies. When I say we haven't decided on names, people ask what names we are considering. I can't seem to escape what I have dubbed the name game.

Here's my thoughts on names: We told everyone the sexes of the babies, but we want there to be some kind of surprise element when it comes to the birth of our children so we're not sharing the names. Also, we haven't decided on names yet. We're probably 75% decided on the girl's name, but the boy's name is completely up in the air at this point. Since we aren't firm on name choices, I don't want to share any of the names we are even considering. Why? Everyone has an opinion they are more than willing to share. Normally, I don't mind this, but I don't want other people's opinions overshadowing our name choices. I want to pick out the names without other people's opinions dancing around in my head while I'm trying to decide what I like.

I don't know if we can pick out names before meeting the babies either. I think it would be nice to meet these tiny humans that have been growing since January before we decide what we will forever call them. What if we pick out the name Piper for baby girl, but she looks nothing like a Piper when she comes out? **BTW-I LOVE the name Piper, but C does not concur so we're not considering it.**

One more thought on names. Picking out names was easier before we got pregnant. I'd hear a name and think 'Oh I like that name.' Now that I'm actually naming real people instead of my 'someday' babies, it's a lot more difficult than I thought it would be! I think boy's names are especially difficult. It seems like you have more liberty to be creative with girl's names.

I keep joking that we'll just have two juniors coming in less than two months because we are struggling to pick out names we both like. Are we making this more difficult than it actually is? Has anyone else found this to be a tricky task?

A friend of mine posted this article: American Baby Names Are Somehow Getting Even Worse and I found it hilarious. Honestly, I laughed out loud like a crazy lady while reading it. This is exactly what we are trying to avoid!

The Name Game. Not so easy to play...