Weekend Recaps (Weeks 21-23)

The past few weekends have been BUSY!   A recap...

July 6-8:  Wes and Nathalia's Wedding Weekend!  Michael has been friends with Wes since the 2nd grade--he is such a great guy and absolutely hilarious.  Before Wes met Nathalia the three of us would hang out together and as much as we loved those times, we were thrilled when he told us he'd met someone.  They had an instant bond and married a year later!  Wes and I went ring shopping last Fall, which happened to be the day he found/purchased her ring so I feel like I am partially responsible for their marriage.  Haha.  :)  Michael was a groomsman in the wedding so we went to the rehearsal/rehearsal dinner on Friday night.  Brian is another childhood friend and also a groomsman so I got to spend a lot of time with his wife, Erin, who (whom?) I adore.  The dinner was fantastic and we had such a good time catching up with everyone.   Brian and Erin live in California (awesome for them, terrible for us) so we only see them a few times a year.

Wes, Nathalia, and the Groomsmen

 

Coppell Boys - Wes, Brian, Michael, and Craig

Erin!

(Taken after the rehearsal dinner - 21.5 weeks)

On Saturday morning the groomsmen came over to our house to spend time together before the wedding so I got the boot.  I spent the morning with Michael's parents and we reunited at the wedding.  It was beautiful!  Nathalia was stunning and Wes looked so handsome (Michael looked pretty great too).  It was a very sweet ceremony and then we headed to the reception, which took place at an old theater in Grapevine.  Very cool venue.  We loved seeing all of his Coppell friends as many of them live out of town/state.  Three of us are pregnant and Lindsey had a baby boy a few months ago so you can imagine what the female discussion was about.  After the reception several couples came over to our house to continue the celebration (sans Wes and Nathalia).  It was a great day!

Gorgeous couple

Coppell group at the wedding!

 Michael, Craig, and Brian

Erin, Amy, Lindsey, and myself

Our little family of four

Amy is due a few weeks before me in October and Erin is due early January! Our kiddos will be classmates! (...if these girls would ever move back to Dallas!)

(My dress was not nearly this neon in person.  I blame the flash.)

 

 

 (Almost all of the above pictures I stole from Erin!  Thanks Erin!)

I woke up Sunday and felt like someone punched me in the face.  Apparently my energy level is not what it used to be.  Michael and I went to Lisa and Bryan's house to meet their sweet one-week-old daughter, Sophia (Sophie) Elise.  She is precious and they are naturals.  There is no way Michael and I will look that good or feel that relaxed when our kids are 7-days-old.  I was in awe!

We left right before lunch and I got ready for Amy's baby shower.  She and I have similar taste so there were several items she opened that we have sitting in the nursery or waiting patiently on our baby registry.  It was a lovely shower and one more chance to see the girls before a lot of them drove/flew back to their homes.

This past weekend was another busy one.  We attended a hospital class on Saturday afternoon, which was highly informative and (to me) a wee bit terrifying.  Our instructor (RN) is so used to the whole birthing process that she didn't really sugarcoat anything.  I'd prefer she say things like "c-section" instead of "when they cut you open."  Oh well.   After learning all about the delivery process we were given a hospital tour and taught how to perform CPR on an infant.  We were given a 20-minute instructional video as well as a "mini-baby" so we could practice.  Don't be surprised if I ask you to watch the video before I leave my babies with you.  Just kidding.  I think.

After several weeks of narrowing down a paint color for the nursery (FYI: there are approximately 5 billion greys), we finally settled on one so Michael spent Saturday evening painting!  We love it!  Sunday morning we went to his parent's house for breakfast and then came home to put some furniture together.  The goal was to assemble one crib (we've heard nightmares about cribs) but ours turned out to be very easy so he put both together in a short amount of time.  Michael's parents came over and his dad helped him assemble the dresser/changing table so the laborious part of the nursery is DONE.  Up next: time to decorate (yahoo)!

I'm feeling great!  My belly button is now doing this weird volcano-like thing (it's as cool as it sounds) so I'm going to go ahead and call it an outie.  FAIL.  The kicking and/or punching and/or head butting is still going strong and I already know a few things I can do to guarantee instant kicks (Jude does NOT like it when I sleep on my right side--it is war at 3 am).  Sloane is situated in a spot where I don't feel her kicks as often but when I do they are POWERFUL.  The babies are each around a foot long now!

This is such a fun time and I can't stop smiling.  While nothing is written in stone, Michael and I have always wanted two kids so this will most likely be our only pregnancy.  I'm really trying to savor every moment because I can't help it, I absolutely love it.  As excited as I am to meet these two, I already know I'm going to miss these sweet moments with my babies so close to me.  Gah, here comes the tears so I'm signing off.

23 weeks--15 more to go!  EEK!

My Favorite Things

I believe this is the fourth installment of "These are a few of my favorite thiiiiiings."  I wanted to include the following items but decided not to due to their absurdity (but if I'm being truthful, honorable mentions go to):  jean shorts, ceiling fans, chocolate chip cookies, and sleep. 

Here we go! I hyperlinked all of the items in case you're interested.

1. OluKai Paniolo Leather Flip Flops
One would never use the word "comfortable" while looking at my shoe collection.  I do own some flats but for the most part I prefer heels.  That being said, it finally dawned on me that 1) It is summer and 2) I am pregnant and 3) Comfort is slowly passing fashion.  When I was in Florida I realized I needed a pair of comfortable shoes.  I tried on several and while my feet were in heaven, my brain was screaming, "Take them off right now--they're hideous!"  And then I saw the OluKai Paniolo flip flops. They were (in my opinion) the absolute best of the worst.  I tried them on and birds sang as they reminded me of my Birkenstocks, circa 1997.  I now wear them 5+ days a week and love them.   While they aren't cheap, I believe they are worth every penny. 

2. Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System
When I worked at Nordstrom a few years ago the Clarisonic Mia was one of their bestsellers.  My in-laws gave this to me as a birthday gift this year and it is absolutely fantastic!  While my face doesn't look 10 years younger, I do notice a difference and my face actually feels clean after I use it.  It can be used at the sink or in the shower and it comes with a charger.  Once again--this is not uber cheap, but very useful for those of us who worship the sun.

3. MAC Lipstick - See Sheer (coral-orange)
You know how most women can go to a makeup counter and the employee excitedly shows them what colors look great on them?  I am not one of these women.  Each time I say, "I'd like to find a new lipstick that works well with my skin," they point me to the 1000 lipsticks and saunter off.   I either buy the same color I've always worn or leave feeling discouraged.  For some bizarre reason the employee listened to my request on my last visit and stayed by my side.  He examined my skin, my hair, and my eyes, and then pointed to a color that was "so me" and "on trend" (I hate that phrase by the way).  I never would've picked out this color for myself but I love it and it makes me feel very... on trend (ugh). 

4. Babylit Board Books
I can't remember where I first saw these but I thought they were THE cutest baby books ever.  I showed Michael and he agreed so we're now building a small collection for our future literature junkies. They're obviously very basic and innocent (for example (SPOILER ALERT): no one dies in Romeo & Juliet) but if we can limit the number of times we have to recite, "Brown bear, brown bear what do you see? I see a monkey and I want to punch it in the face (or whatever the words are)" we consider it a huge success.

 (Inside page of R&J)

5. The Newsroom
This is Aaron Sorkin's new drama on HBO and holy cow.  We adore it.  It is a behind-the-scenes look at the people who make a nightly cable news program.  It's very smart, very fast-paced, and very, very good.  We always have plenty to talk about after each episode and are still talking about it the next day.  And if you need another reason to subscribe to HBO, it's called Game of Thrones.



6. Of Monsters and Men - My Head Is An Animal

This cd has been on repeat in our cars since April.  If Jude and Sloane do not come out singing one of their songs I will be shocked.  Their folksy sound is similar to Mumford & Sons and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes.  I love this album because I can start on track one and listen to the entire thing without skipping around.  And they're from freaking Iceland, so that's cool too.  Below are two of their songs.  (The MP3 download is a whopping $4.99 on Amazon.  Buy it.)

King and Lionheart


Sloom

20 Weeks & The Babies Shower

THANK YOU for the sweet comments re. the last few posts.  It's crazy (and sad) how everyone who has ever been pregnant has had to deal with hurtful remarks.  I also learned I've stepped over the line as well. I often tell someone how small she looks.  Unfortunately, I never realized this could be just as hurtful, causing the mom to panic that something might be wrong with her pregnancy, etc.  (For the record, I will never be offended/upset if you want to tell me how small I look.  Thank you.)  At the end of  the day, it sucks that it happens but being pregnant is absolutely, positively worth it.  21 weeks down, 17 (or less) to go. :)

Moving on to a more exciting topic--thank you for your kind words about our kiddos names.  Many have asked if they are family names or if there was a particular reason we chose them and our answer is simply this:  We just love the names.  No family relations, no sweet stories of a young Jude saving young Michael's life, etc.  I've been obsessed with names for over a decade.  In junior high I realized I would need to have at least 14 kids in order to use up my list of names--I don't remember all of them but if you guessed a random President's last name you're probably right.  I blame my history teacher.  Michael learned about my love of names on one of our first road trips while we were dating.  I asked him to play the name game with me.  Most boyfriends would panic and pull over immediately but he patiently listened to me list off dozens of names and would offer his own suggestions when I gave him the opportunity.  With that being said, we've known our son and daughter would be Jude and Sloane for years.  If the twins were two boys they were going to be Jude and Sullivan (Sully) so when we found out it was one boy we did the most obvious thing we could think of and combined them.  As far as girl names, I was a bit panicky at the thought of having two girls.  Sloane was always at the top of our list and nothing else (in our opinion) compared.  Since the name Sloane is a little unusual, Michael asked that we use a classic middle name.  We love the name Elizabeth but thought we'd use the European spelling (Elisabeth) since Sloane begins with an "S."  And there you have it!  Let's hope she doesn't have a lisp like her mama did.

A few weekends ago we drove to Fort Smith for a wonderful baby (babies?) shower.  The turnout was fantastic and everyone was so generous.  We are one blessed little family!  Each of the guests played a very important role in my upbringing (neighbors, Sunday School teachers, high school teachers, best friends, etc.) and it was so neat to have all of them together in one room. It was such a special day.

Another exciting thing happened while I was in Fort Smith--I felt the babies kick for the first time!  It happened a little before 20 weeks and now I feel them ALL OF THE TIME.  It's absolutely wonderful and so reassuring.  The only problem is I don't always know who the kick belongs to so it can be a bit confusing.  A few days later Michael was able to feel them as well!  They're busiest at night (around 10p) and oftentimes I just stare at my stomach and watch the craziness unfold.  If it weren't so special it would completely freak me out. 

Sorry, I'm jumping all over the place.  Instead of driving back to Dallas after the shower I stayed another day in Fort Smith and then drove to OKC to spend more time with Leslie and her adorable family.  It was so good to get to know her beautiful new baby boy, Rhett, and it is always a joy to hang out with her older son Riggins (Riggs).  He was a little unsure of me at first but by the end of the visit I felt like I had a new best friend--I absolutely adore that boy!  Leslie is a wealth of baby knowledge and I completely took advantage of this during out visit (thanks Les)! 

Ok, pictures from the shower! 

June 24, 2012 (almost 20 weeks)

 That, my friends, is A LOT of gifts.  And a very happy Merd.

So many wonderful memories with these girls!

The two lovely hostesses!

Formal Introductions

I'd like to introduce you to two of our favorite people...

Jude Sullivan

(Jude is a bit camera shy like his dad--his face is head down)

and...

Sloane Elisabeth  

We had our 20-week perinatologist appointment today and both babies look great!  They are still so BIG!  Jude is 14 ounces and Sloane is 15 ounces so I'm carrying almost two pounds of babies!  Everything else looks perfect--their hearts, brains, kidneys, spines, etc., are exactly as they should be. 

Their personalities are still quite different.  Sloane can't sit still.  At my ob/gyn appointment on Wednesday she was breech (head up) and two days later she's head down.  The entire time the doctor was looking at her she was kicking like crazy, which is why her feet are a bit blurry in the above shot.  She's also quite the ham--when the doc tried to zoom in on Jude's face, Sloane was having none of it and kept blocking him.

Jude is still our chill baby and seemed completely relaxed throughout the appointment.  The doctor tried to get him to move a few times and he just took his sweet time.  I have to give the boy credit, he's already tolerating his sister and the rest of us quite well.  :)

I'll continue to see both doctors (ob/gyn and perinatologist) throughout the pregnancy, which is wonderful.  Although things could change in a moment's notice, both doctors are very pleased with the babies (and my) progress and see no cause for concern.  Hallelujah!

I'll write more about the Fort Smith shower and your previous (very sweet) comments in the next post--I really wanted this to be all about our babies. 

We are so proud of these two already!

19 Weeks - Halfway There!

While I would never describe this pregnancy as "flying by," I can't wrap my head around the fact we're halfway there and will be meeting our babies in a little over four months!  This is assuming they stay put until week 38, which is fairly uncommon with twin pregnancies as most arrive early. My brother and I were both late so I'm hoping the tradition continues. We were also 9 and 10 pounds respectively and the very thought of 19 pounds of babies makes me die a little inside.

Not much has changed since the last post: the stomach continues to grow, the round ligament pain continues to annoy, and the energy continues to increase.  While I considered myself blessed with an easy(ish) first trimester, the second trimester has been downright FUN!

Speaking of the stomach, I am now the size where strangers feel completely confident asking me when I'm due.  I had a rough experience this past weekend that I will share only because of its all-around ridiculousness.  We were standing in line at Potbelly's (a good name for my current condition) and a woman asked me how far along I was.  I told her 19 weeks and she introduced me to her one-month-old daughter.  We chatted briefly and that was that.  I left the line so I could save us a table and she approached me again, this time asking if this was my first baby. I told her yes and that we were actually expecting two and she said (I'm paraphrasing), "TWINS!  I thought so due to your size!  When you told me you were only 19 weeks along I almost asked but thought 'That would be SO RUDE if she's not expecting twins!' so I didn't say anything.  But you definitely look like you're having more than one."

Crickets.

I put on my best smile and felt my eyes well up with tears.  And I hated myself for it because HELL YES I'm having twins and until she opened her mouth I'd been very happy and proud of my stomach.  But alas, I'm still a girl (a very hormonal girl) and hearing that I looked huge was unsettling.  Later that day I shared the story with my mom and she politely (but firmly) told me to grow some thicker skin and be grateful.  She's right, of course, and I'm once again quite proud of my burgeoning belly and its adorable occupants.

(But come on, was her outburst truly necessary?  Sheesh.)

The truly wonderful part of this past weekend was a visit from my best friend Kaitlin and her family!   It was so good to see them and we had an absolute blast with Leighton.  We spent the weekend swimming (Leighton is a fish!), shopping, eating, and relaxing around the house.  Michael and I asked lots of parenting questions, which I know will continue for the next 18+ years.  Such a great little family and we were both so sad to see them leave.  We might have had L withdrawals the rest of the day.

19.5 Weeks

(Almost) 18 Weeks

It's been a busy few weeks!  Bullet points for everyone!

• My parents visited last weekend for the gender reveal and we had a wonderful time.  Michael's parents were able to spend a lot of time with us so it was great to have everyone together.  On Saturday we registered at several places, which was terrifying at first but ended up being a lot of fun.  There were several items one of us would hold up and say, "What the hell is this?" while the other merely shrugged and decided, "Yeah, we definitely need at least three of it." 
• You may be thinking, "Wow, they registered really early!" and you would be right.  My doctor has asked that we stop traveling out of DFW around 21 weeks, which is fast approaching.  That being said, some of my mom's friends have been generous enough to throw a small shower for us in Fort Smith.  It's in two weeks (!!!) and we can't wait!  
• I attended my first "Mom's of Multiples" meeting last Thursday and for the first time in several months was not met with a "WHAT?!" when I mentioned having twins.  I met Aaron through my friend Courtney, and she was sweet enough to invite me to my first meeting.  It'll definitely be a great resource throughout my pregnancy and especially once our kids arrive.  
• We attended a gorgeous wedding last night and there were (at least) three pregnant guests.  One came up to me at the beginning of the reception and asked when I was due because we "looked the same size."  I smiled politely and told her the end of October, knowing full well she was due way before me.  Yep, she's due in September.  (Awkward Pause.)  Before I could help myself I blurted out, "We're having twins..."  We congratulated each other and wished each other well and as soon as she walked away I turned to Michael who immediately said (bless him), "You do NOT look the same size."  I've trained him well.
• As far as the bump, I'm carrying high.  And low.  I'm just carrying all over the place.
• Had a true craving this week.  I'd just put bananas, apples, oranges, blueberries, and blackberries in the cart when I smelled the peaches (they were about 20 feet behind me).  I stopped in the middle of the aisle, did a 180 and grabbed several.  They were all I could think about for the duration of the visit and as I was driving home I almost pulled over so I could eat one.  It was bizarre.  Once I made it home I cut one up before I unpacked the groceries and only then could I think straight again.  So weird.
• We believe we have names picked out!  We're not sharing at the moment but will soon enough.  Michael and I have started calling them by their names when it's just the two (four?) of us and it definitely makes everything feel very real.  
• My best friend Leslie was sweet enough to lend me her ENTIRE maternity wardrobe, which has made getting dressed in the morning much more fun.  Since this will most likely be my only pregnancy I have a really hard time paying much for items I will wear for a few months and never touch again.  THANK YOU, LESLIE!
• Four of us are due in October.  Two of us are having twins and five (of the six) babies are boys.  Our daughter needs a girlfriend or she's going to turn out like a certain blonde bowl-cut girl I once knew.
• My fears have subsided a lot but have still stuck around.  I make bargains with God on a daily basis ("If I could just make it to 36 weeks..." or "If they could just weigh 5 lbs each..."), which I'm sure he finds highly irritating.  I know people all over the country are praying for these two babies, which I find comfort in daily. 
• I have another post that is ready to go and I just need to hit "Publish" already.  It has nothing to do with our babies but does have to do with us. Hopefully this week.  And it is not nearly as ominous as it sounds, I just wanted to let you know I am capable of stringing thoughts together that do not revolve around our babies.
• I love babies!!!

 A few pictures of us before the wedding last night.  I'd like to give a big shout-out to non-pregnant Meredith who purchased several dresses in the last five years that can handle a growing stomach.  I realize the days and dresses are quickly coming to an end so I'm enjoying them while I can.

:)

17.5 weeks

The Big Reveal!

My parents weren't scheduled to arrive until tonight but plans changed and they drove to Dallas last night instead!  As soon as my parents arrived we let each set of grandparents pick a gift to open.  Ready for the contents?

Gift #1 (opened by my parents):

Gift #2 (opened by Michael's parents):

We're having a BOY and a GIRL and could not be more thrilled!  

Our appointment this morning went so well--they are both perfectly healthy and BIG!   Not only did we get confirmation that they are a boy and girl, but we also got to see the chambers of their hearts, all fingers and toes, brains, spinal cords, lips, etc.  It was amazing.  I was terrified the entire time (of course) but we received a dvd of the sonogram so we're going to watch it tonight with our parents.  I think I will be able to relax and enjoy it this time around.  :)

Most of you guessed correctly (stupid me and my posting of the heart rates) but the wives tale was definitely disproved--the boy was the one with the faster heart rate!

Thank you so, so much for your sweet words and encouragement!  We are so blessed.

16 Weeks

I'd like to apologize for the bombardment of baby posts over the last few weeks.  I can't promise it'll change, but I do realize the blog has been centrally focused on one (well two) things. 

Had our 16-week appointment today and the babies look great!!  One of the cool things about twins is we get an ultrasound (sonogram?) at every appointment since the Doppler thingy can't distinguish separate heartbeats.  No complaints here!

Heart rates are great (161 and 146) and the babies are (literally) so close.  One is right under my belly button and head up and the other is on my right side and head down.  Apparently they have issues with the left side.

I'm going to pretend that has nothing to do with politics.  :)

What else?  Oh that's right...

WE KNOW THE GENDERS!!!

We weren't sure if she'd be able to tell with such a quick scan but the kiddos have zero prudish tendencies.  Unfortunately, my parents don't arrive in Dallas until Friday evening so we're keeping it a secret for (at least) another 52 hours.  It is highly likely I lock myself in our closet with no internet/phone connection so I don't ruin the surprise.

Any guesses as to what we're having? :)

We have another ultrasound on Friday--this one is very detailed and will allow the doctor to take a good look at the hearts, spines, etc.  My doctor recommends this ultrasound for anyone who is having multiples and though it makes me very nervous, I'm excited to get a closer look at our babies.  While the sonographer said she'd be "shocked" if the gender outcome is different, it'll also be nice to get double confirmation on what we're having.  With the above in mind, we ask for your prayers for two healthy babies.

As far as the pregnancy is going, I'm feeling fantastic.  Best I've felt in months.  My appetite is still alive and my stomach leaves no doubt that I am, in fact, pregnant.  Haven't felt any kicks yet but I know it's still pretty early.  The most disappointing piece of news is my belly button is disappearing at a very fast rate. My guess is it will be gone by week 20.  RIP innie.

Here is a terrible picture of yours truly.  I accidentally cut off my face (truth: I was wearing zero makeup and hadn't washed my hair in three days).  Please disregard the lack of bedding.  We'll take a family picture on Friday and I will try to wear more appropriate attire and use an actual camera.

16 weeks (Go Rangers)

Until then...

Highlights

Highlights from the twins first trimester:

-First flight:  We flew to Chicago in early April to celebrate Braden's first birthday and Easter.
-First concert:  Saw Death Cab for Cutie (along with Magik Magik Orchestra) in Dallas.  Lucky babies--we'll be attending our next concert (Snow Patrol) tomorrow!
-First announcement:  After much trepidation, we made the "big announcement" on Facebook and the blog and were absolutely overwhelmed from all the love and support we received from friends and family.
-First maternity shopping spree:  Hello elastic waistband!
-First time with dad away:  Michael flew to Eagan, Minnesota to attend training for his new job.  The kiddos were nice enough to keep me company.
-First Wedding Shower:  We had a large group over to our house to celebrate Wes and Nathalia's upcoming nuptials!
-First meeting of potential new friends: baby Luca, baby Dalton, and baby Logan
-First self-administered shots:  That's right, this mama has been giving herself Lovenox injections (blood thinners) for several months now!  What used to be a huge fear is now no big deal.
 -First wedding and road trip:  We drove to Tulsa this past weekend to celebrate the marriage of two TU friends.  This also led to first wedding cake and first dance-off ("Lovely Lady Lumps" with my best friends pointing to my stomach was a true highlight)

These don't really qualify as "firsts" but are still noteworthy Tri-1 happenings:
-Michael started a new job and is really enjoying it!
-I turned 30!

Kreston & Kerri's Wedding (and my 30th birthday) in Tulsa

Few days shy of 14 weeks

Catching Up On The Last Few Months

Thank you.  Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for your kind words.  I'll be honest--Michael and I figured we'd receive a polite response on Facebook and the blog but the comments went so far beyond a simple "Congratulations" and made us feel so loved.  People say they're praying for you and I've taken it for granted so many times as I just assumed it was a polite way to end a conversation.  Never again.  From the bottom of our hearts, we are so grateful for you, for your prayers, for your well wishes, and for your love.

8:30 on a Saturday morning and I've already started crying.  Par for the course.

On that note, let's catch up on the last few months.   I apologize now for the absurd amount of words that follow.

The pregnancy:  So far, it's been pretty awesome.  Sure I go to bed by 9 pm every night, but I've had it pretty easy.  Very limited nausea, zero throwing up, and no food aversions.  Actually, the only problem I've had with food is I can't stop eating it.  The few times I've felt "eh" were due to not eating something in the last hour.  I now feel like one of those celebrities who talk about their "5 small meals a day."  Except change "5" to "7" and "small" to "regular-sized" and we're there.

Let's see, what else?  One of my first symptoms was in the boobal region.  PAINFUL.  I've also experienced heartburn for the first time.  My only cravings have been lemonade and pancakes.  The pancakes have subsided a bit, the lemonade has not (I would be drinking some right now if I hadn't just brushed my teeth).  I get up at least twice every night to go to the bathroom and if it's between the hours of 2:30 and 4:00 then I'm up for at least an hour thinking about absolutely preposterous things that no one should ever think about.  Insomnia is not fun. 

I wore my first pair of maternity pants during week 10 or 11.  I was still able to fasten my regular pants but it was uncomfortable and looked even worse.  I am now all-maternity (pants) all the time and love it.

I cry.  A lot.  Sometimes it's three or four tears running down my face and I can usually hide them from Michael.  Other times it is the full-blown SOBBING that makes me question my intelligence.  Show me any sad/sweet commercial or youtube video and I'm done.  Play a song that is either reminiscent, talks about love, or just sounds pretty and I'm done.  I will share two embarrassing moments and then we'll move on.  1.  Michael's former co-workers gave him a very sweet card signed with well wishes.  Normally that would make me smile and give him a hug.  Oh no.  I was curled up in the fetal position BAWLING my eyes out for words borderline strangers said to my husband.  Michael's face was priceless.  2.  I was watching Glee last week and they're all getting close to graduating.  I was doing good, doing good, and then NOT GOOD.  I don't even like that show anymore and I was ugly crying.  Michael asked if I was sad for the characters and between hiccups I told him I missed high school.  Let's be honest, high school was awesome but hell no I don't miss it.  Give me a break.  The good news is I cry for happy things now, which is something I've never done before (see first few paragraphs).  I'm an equal opportunity crier.

The Babies:  The babies are doing great.  They are both BIG, which is fantastic.  At the last appointment one was a full week ahead of its due date and the other was 4 days ahead.  While that thought terrifies me once I hit the third trimester, I know it's a good thing.  We've also learned that they already have completely different personalities.   One was dancing and head-banging (literally) and the other was completely chill with its tiny little hands behind its head.  Just like their parents.  :)

Their heartbeats are both strong and typically in the 170s.  I got to hear them a few weeks ago and it just blew me away.  My next appointment is in 2.5 weeks and I'm so anxious to see them again.

I wish I could talk more about these two but as many of you know there isn't a whole lot to share/see in the first trimester.  They're almost the size of "medium shrimp," which is about the worst description one could ever give. 

Michael:  Oh, Michael.  He has been absolutely amazing throughout this entire experience (I'm not just talking about the last two months) and to see the joy on his face is a breath of fresh air.  For those of you who know Michael, he tends to be a somewhat quiet guy who would rather listen to what you have to say than garner all of the attention.  Not anymore.  He has shared our news with complete strangers.  After a recent ultrasound he took the pictures to work and showed any person who would look at a (let's be honest) white blob on a black background.   When we first saw the little arms and legs he squeezed my hand and I found myself watching him instead of the babies.   He is the main reason we shared our news this soon and after we decided to post at 5p, he sent an email at 3:30 and asked if we could go ahead and do it.  For me, I can't imagine anything (or anyone) better.  And on top of his excitement, he has completely taken over all chores, groceries, and errands while I remain a blob on the bed.

He will be an excellent father and I CAN'T WAIT to see him holding our babies.

Fear:  This has not been an easy few months.  While the pregnancy could not be more textbook perfect, my fear has kept right up with it.  Every time I go to the bathroom I panic.  Every tiny growing pain in my stomach I confuse for a cramp.  If my boobs don't hurt one day I know it's all over.  I wish, so badly, that I could say this fear has subsided but it hasn't.  Miscarriages are psychologically damaging and the memory holds so tightly to me that sometimes I'm unable to breathe.  I've memorized verses about fear and meditate on them when I'm up at night.  I've recited the 23rd Psalm hundreds of times.  I remember telling Michael I would feel better at 12 weeks and he held me and said "You won't feel better until you have those babies in your arms."  And he's right.  It breaks my heart that I cannot simply enjoy every single second of this pregnancy.   With that being said, I DON'T CARE.  I don't care that I'm filled with fear at least once a day. I don't care that I still have a long road ahead of me.  All I have to do is think about these two precious souls inside of me and I am filled to the brim with gratitude.

Thank you, Jesus, for these two miracles.  

Another Room Reveal!

Thank you so much for your comments on our living room! It was fun to put together and always makes me smile when I walk upstairs.

You’d think the living room would sustain me for a while but (of course) it did not so I have another room reveal to share! It’s quite small--comfortably fits two--but has taken months of planning and is still a work in progress. Strangely enough, for such a small room I can’t stop thinking about it.

I present to you....

The Babies' Room

(12.5 weeks)

The Haynes twins are set to arrive 10.30.12! We are absolutely thrilled and thank God every day for such an incredible blessing.

(This “room” may be quite small compared to the others, but it is by far my favorite...)

Living Room Reveal!

About time, right?  This room has been a work in progress for a very long time.  We had a wedding shower at our home this past weekend (more on that later!) so I figured I'd take some pictures while our house is clean! :) 

We wanted the living room to be fun and laidback.  I loved the idea of navy, chartreuse, and orange, but it's really turned into all colors thanks to our Deep Ellum movie posters, Penguin Classics collection, and the abacus.  Anywho, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves but I'm glad I finally get to share it with you!

 

 

And some "detail" pictures... :)

This cannister cracked me up.  I do love carbs.

I've had these Campbell's soup cans for 7 years.  They've never really gone with anything else I've owned but they work quite nicely in this room!

Nesting trays on nesting tables.

Hope you enjoyed it!

Hello April!

Someone reminded me the other day that I have a blog.  I've received a few texts and comments from some of you asking if everything is alright, which made me feel good and terrible at the same time.

In short, yes, everything is quite alright.  Thank you for asking. :)

In not so short, I just haven't felt like blogging much lately.  I can't blame it on work or a busy nightlife (haha), but the blog has lost a little of its luster and whether I intended to or not, I stepped away from it for a bit.

Quite honestly, I'm not sure this post is an "And I'm BACK!" post, it's more of an "I'm still alive" post.  I will fill you in on the past few weeks, which have had many great and and a few not-so-great moments.

GREAT MOMENTS:
- One of my best friends just had a gorgeous (& healthy) baby!  Meet Rhett Matthew and beautiful mom Leslie!
- Work has been rather calm lately.  Sure it's the calm before the storm (renewal season is upon us), but I appreciate the small stuff.
-  Last night we went to a FC Dallas game with some friends and had a great time.  It was my first outing in almost a week (see "Not-so-great moments" below) so it felt nice to put on make-up and regular clothes. 
- We went to Chicago last weekend to celebrate Easter and Braden's 1st birthday!  We hadn't seen everyone since Christmas so of course the boys looked like college students.  We had a wonderful time and were so glad we got to be with Braden when he turned the big ONE.  We probably won't see them again until Thanksgiving so we tried to make the days count with our nephews.  It was pretty good to see Justin & Michelle and my parents too.  :)

- Speaking of nephews, they're about to become BIG BROTHERS!  Michelle and Justin are expecting their third in late September!!  Mom and baby are both doing great and of course the waiting game begins as to whether they'll welcome another brother or baby sister.  :)
- One more surprise - Michael accepted a new position early last week!   You might be a bit confused because he started a new job a year ago (almost to the day).  Well, he wasn't looking for anything but was recommended for this position by a friend of his.  It's a big step up for him and was too good of an offer to pass up... and he begins next Wednesday!  I know it was hard for him to tell his current boss and team but they were all very understanding and supportive.  Yay Michael!

NOT-SO-GREAT MOMENTS:
- This isn't blog-worthy at all but I love throwing pity parties and inviting my closest internet buddies.  Monday morning I went to work and noticed my throat was a bit sore.  I figured it was the dreaded allergies and prepared myself for a a few days of misery.  Tuesday morning I woke up to my throat on FIRE and an excruciating headache.  I decided to stay home and around 3p I noticed I didn't have any typical allergy symptoms.  At 6p, I took my temp and it was over 100 so we drove to the walk-in clinic.  At the tender age of 29, I was diagnosed with strep.  The doc asked if I'd been around it and I told her my nephews both had it a while ago and that I was at a birthday party with 16 small kids.  That seemed to be enough for her and she told me to take the next few days off.  I had strep all the time when I was little and seemed to get over it fairly quickly.  Not this time.  And so in addition to Tues, I stayed home Wed, Thurs, and part of Friday.  Woke up Friday to a stuffy nose and cough.  Ah yes, the allergies.  Let me tell you, when your throat hurts from strep but you can't breathe through your nose because of allergies, your temperament is AMAZING.  Woke up this morning to what looks like pink eye but it seems to have calmed down a bit so I'm praying I won't have to add it to this week of awesomeness!  At the rate I'm going, I will have Lyme Disease by Wednesday.  :)

And there is your April update!  Where has the year gone?  For the record, I've missed you guys a lot.  Hope to be back to my old writing self very soon!