tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46272613833463068002024-03-13T10:21:22.358-05:00Mommy BecomingFollow along with me as I become a mommy of four in JAPAN!! I am a born again believer, a lover of books and nature and most of all, my family.Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.comBlogger257125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-87081460959469279972014-10-02T20:48:00.001-05:002014-10-02T20:48:30.376-05:0037 and 38 WeeksTomorrow I will have made it to 38 weeks! I'm pretty impressed, since that's unusual for a twin pregnancy. All of those prayers paid off, thanks everyone! I also think it's funny since every time I saw a medical professional they predicted an imminent birth, from 33 weeks onward.<br />
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I've been pretty busy as we've waited these last days for the twins to come. My mom got here around 1:30 am Wednesday, and she treated me to a lovely pedicure on Friday. It felt great, but didn't get labor started. Friday night we were all sitting around watching tv when we heard a knock on the door. Who could be knocking at 10:30 pm, we asked? My brother! He came down and surprised us before he leaves for tech school. Saturday morning we went and walked around a baby expo at the mall, and in the afternoon we went down to the oceanfront to the Neptune Festival. I thought all the walking might start something, but no dice. Miah had to leave first thing Sunday morning, but it was so nice to get to see him one more time.<br />
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Sunday evening Daphne and Brian (my in-laws) arrived with Alie and Elvis, our 5 year old niece and 3 year old nephew. We've spent some fun times at the beach wearing the kids out! My mom took some cute end of pregnancy shots of me in the ocean.<br />
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Wednesday I had my last Dr. appointment. She was pretty incredulous that I was at my appointment and said she'd been watching the postpartum list to see if I'd had the babies. She went ahead and stripped my membranes but doubted it would do anything since I've been so dilated for so long, and she was right. We went ahead and scheduled what is technically an induction for 7 AM Friday morning. I say technically because I'll be booked in to the hospital ahead of time, but all they are going to do is break my water. I'm a stretchy 5 cm dilated, so that should start things. This hospital is really supportive of moving around and laboring naturally so I am hoping things will go well, even with all of the rules and restrictions that go along with having twins.<br />
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I'm trying to write a semi-coherent post about the last week of this pregnancy but in all honesty I'm so tired I can't even think straight. I'm still doing well and could probably hang in there and bake the babies a little longer, but I won't cover up that the last week has been really difficult. I've felt sick and nauseous for most of every day, and I barely sleep at night. Exhaustion definitely makes me more emotional, less patient, and stress is worse. In the last five days I've suddenly gained six pounds (the Dr. promised me it is water weight) and I've notice my ankles look a little puffy for the first time. Basically, I'm falling apart at the seams!</div>
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I will really miss my big belly though, for as hard as it is to haul around, and feeling the babies kick around and play. It's the most incredible thing! It's sweet the way the littles pat it and kiss the babies. Shane told me tonight that he can't wait to hold his babies, and he will be really careful with them. I can't wait for the kids to meet them tomorrow!</div>
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Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-42183105800538765122014-09-25T21:42:00.001-05:002014-09-25T21:53:00.301-05:00Azaria's Birth StoryThis is going to be long, and as detailed as my memory can make it. You've waited two years for me to put your story to paper, so I am not going to spare words. I wanted to write this story as soon as you were born, and it kept getting pushed back in the chaos of two under two, and a newborn who never seemed to sleep at night. It got pushed back so far that I was robbed of all of the beautiful pictures I had of your birth, your first few moments, your first two weeks. I mourned the loss of those pictures and I lost the motivation to write your story. And I lost interest in writing for nearly two more years. I'm sorry, so sorry, that I didn't chronicle your life like I have your brother's. Someday maybe you'll have a little one, and then maybe you'll have a second, and you'll understand why mama didn't have as much time to write. <br />
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But mea culpa isn't the point of the story, this story is about the beautiful moment when I brought you into the world to meet your family. And thanks to cell phones and friends and a recent visit back to the birth center where we welcomed you, I do have pictures to remember.<br />
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I had prodromal labor with you for weeks. Every night, around 11, I'd go to bed and have a few contractions, and then they would go away and I would fall asleep. Grandma flew down the Friday before you were born, May 11th. Saturday I decided to take her for a pedicure for a Mother's Day gift. Why we didn't wait until Sunday I don't know, but we all were saying you might be a mother's day baby. I treated us to the deluxe pedicure: extra long massages, hot stones, paraffin wax, very decadent. I'll always swear the pedicure is what put me into labor! It was so relaxing to have a little pampering, and it was Grandma's first spa pedicure!<br />
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That night followed the same pattern of going to bed and having contractions. Daddy went out to a friend's house and Grandma and I went to bed. Around 11:30 I think I started to realize that my contractions were not going away, but I determined to get as much sleep as I could because I knew if I really was in labor, I'd need the rest. I think they started at about 7 minutes apart. Maybe an hour later I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep, so I used an app on my phone to start timing them. Eventually the contractions got strong enough that I couldn't lie down anymore, so I got up and started doing some things around the house. My body started "clearing out" in preparation, but I wasn't convinced I was really in labor (and I wasn't convinced really until you were nearly born!) but I thought at least I could get some things done while I waited for the contractions to go away. I bounced on my exercise ball in the dim light of the oven hood, and got on the computer to clear off my camera's SD card. I called Daddy, and reminded him that we had church in the morning so he should come home at a reasonable hour. Sometimes I stood and swayed, or leaned back against the wall, or leaned forward against the kitchen island. I'll never forget the way I just hung my head, relaxed all of my muscles, and breathed deep deep breathes. "Open", I told myself, and relaxed my jaw and my hands. </div>
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I called Daddy a few more times. We have church in the morning, I told him. You should come home NOW.</div>
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Around 4, I think I called my midwife Emily and told her what was going on. The birth center was 45 minutes away, and I wanted to know what to do. I think I apologized ten times for waking her. Come in, she said. We'll hang out, and if you're not really in labor you can go home and we'll see you again another day. Later I found out she knew: she knew it was real but I wasn't convinced that anything I could go through with such relative ease could bring me a baby.</div>
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Finally I called Daddy again. "Why aren't you home?! I'm in labor for Pete's sake! I've been asking you to come home for hours!"</div>
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"Why didn't you just tell me that before," he said, "I would've come right away." Like I said, I never was really convinced enough that I was in labor to tell him. Oops.</div>
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I collected things to take to the birth center. Ingredients for the special post-birth meal I wanted, jugs of water, snacks for labor, your little outfit and blanket to come home in. I baked you a chocolate mayonnaise cake with whipped cream cheese frosting. Later that day, after you were born and we sang you happy birthday and we ate the cake I realized that it was lumpy because I had the lights so dim I couldn't tell if I had mixed it all the way! I called my friend Casie to come over and be with Shane, and I woke my mom up. And I swayed, and I breathed, and I swayed, and I breathed. </div>
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I don't remember what time we left for the birth center, but it was still dark. I think it was a little after 5 AM. Nathan drove. Mom sat behind me and rubbed my shoulders. At one point I remember telling her to save her hands because I would need their strength later, when things got intense, and I didn't want her to be worn out too early. Looking back I am sure I went through transition in the car. I cried about ruining Shane's life and how he was too young for a sibling, that I was robbing him. I'm sure mom and Nathan had something reassuring to say, but I don't remember it and like a spring rain, the storm of emotion quickly passed.</div>
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We got to the birth center as dawn broke. I remember posing for one last bump picture in the early grey light, as the early morning sun rays peeked over the horse pasture in back, in my magenta tank top and my familiar old black athletic shorts with the white stripes on the side. The same ancient shorts I'm wearing now, in fact. I went inside, I think, and mom and Nathan unloaded the trunk while I talked with Emily. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My birth record and Azaria's newborn exam.</td></tr>
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I was able to get my birth record when we went back to Texas recently and it's so neat to see everything spelled out in black on white. Emily did an exam at 6:17: temperature, blood pressure, fetal heart rate. She didn't check my cervix, I didn't want to know. My contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and about a minute long. Nathan did something with electronics so we could watch a movie, and I bounced on a big red ball. We all hung out and laughed together: me, mom, Emily (my midwife) and the two birth assistants, Jenn and Amanda. Nathan went to my room and slept. At some point mom brought me a yogurt and prayed over me, and Emily gave me a hot rice sock for my lower belly. I leaned over the back of a chair and rocked and bounced. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The room where Nathan slept, and I ended up for my first "check" and after birth.</td></tr>
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After a while, maybe an hour, I felt that my contractions had kind of petered out. They had been so easily handled that we all thought I was only in early labor and had hours to go, so I asked my midwife if we should maybe go for a walk to get things going again. It was early enough that it was nice and cool, the sun was still early morning beautiful, and I thought it would be nice to walk down the road to see Emily's horses. They checked your heart rate, and then Emily, mom, and I walked out to the road. I think we got maybe five steps down the road before I needed to stop for a contraction and when it was over I looked at Emily and told her "that felt pushy". So she hustled me back into the center and to my room, where she asked if she could check me.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The birth stool is what is holding up the blue ball.</td></tr>
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I sat on a birthing stool and when she checked she asked if she could wait for a contraction. Well, on my next contraction my water EXPLODED all over her! She exclaimed, "If you want to have this baby in the tub you'd better get in there NOW!" I think I stripped my shirt and bottoms off as I ran for the hot tub room, calling to Nathan to wake up as I waddled. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I leaned back against the side to the left, and everyone crowded around across from me by the shelves.</td></tr>
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I got in the tub and Nathan kneeled outside the tub behind me. Each contraction, he'd hold me up by locking elbows with me. I loved my water birth, but I actually was really uncomfortable in the tub because of my floating semi reclined position. This was the hard part of your birth, Azaria. Labor had been so wonderful, calm and I was able to relax myself. I felt so out of control once I got in the tub because of the position I was in, but I wasn't able to move either because once you decided to come, you were going to come! I wasn't pushing very efficiently, and I remember feeling every inch of your head pushing my pelvic bones apart. At one point I remember growling, "I don't want to do this anymooooore!" I watched you crowning with a mirror on the bottom of the tub. I touched your head as you were born. And then your head was there, eight minutes after my water broke, and Emily guided your grandma's hands and my hands to pull you right up to my chest. It was incredible. You seemed so tiny, I swore you were only six or seven pounds, and you looked around with your alert little eyes and your purple little self and I cuddled you so tightly. </div>
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You were born at 8:29 AM and I wanted to let you do the breast crawl, but you had some mucous and your lungs were making some crackling sounds so by ten minutes your APGAR had fallen to a 7 for low muscle tone, color, and breathing. I was asked to nurse you then rather than waiting for you to do the crawl and you improved very quickly. By the time I was ready to birth your placenta, you were ready for some skin to skin time with Daddy. I think you got a few drops of Rescue Remedy, and you were perfect after that. </div>
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The women helped my out of the tub and dried me off, then wrapped me in a snuggly pink robe. They settled me in a nest of pillows on the bed, gave me warm compresses (way better than ice!) and covered me up with warmed blankets. I got you back and we snuggled skin to skin. </div>
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I ate a string cheese while you had another nurse, and we relaxed together. I think Daddy was next to us on the bed, sending your picture to all of the family. Around 9:30 Casie brought brother to meet you. He was so excited to meet you! He sat on the bed with us for a little while, but he wasn't even two yet and soon went to play with toys in the next room.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shane meeting you. Casie is in the doorway and the little girl is Faith, Emily's daughter.</td></tr>
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You feel asleep and Grandma held you while I had a peanut butter and honey toast, and around 11:30 I was helped into my fragrant, warm herbal bath. The herbs are a blend made by Emily that promote perineal healing for mamma and also help baby's umbilical cord heal up more quickly. It's also super relaxing and bonding for mamma and baby. I'd looked forward to that bath every single visit when I went into the bathroom, and finally it was our turn! I relaxed by myself for a while until the water was a cool enough temperature for you, and then they brought you to me and I held you so that just your mouth, nose, and eyes were above water. The second your ears went under you relaxed completely, uncurled, and just floated around completely at ease. I rubbed the vernix off you and out of your hair, and we just loved on each other until the water was cold and it was time to get out.</div>
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You snuggled with grandma and had a little snooze while I got stitched up. There is one moment, and I had captured it on the lost SD card but I still can picture it perfectly, when grandma was holding you and talking to you and you locked eyes with her and just <i>listened</i>. It was like you'd known her forever. Finally around 1:30 our special macaroni and cheese was done cooking and we got to eat! I don't know if a meal ever tasted better. We sang happy birthday to you and ate some cake, and then around 2:30 it was time for your newborn exam!</div>
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I curled up in the same corner of the couch where I'd sat so many times before for my appointments and the midwives set up a heating pad covered with blankets for you. They did your exam right there on the floor of the living room so that I could watch and bubby could "help". He helped measure your head (14 in), your chest, (13.5 in), and your length (19.75 in). Then he helped weight you. I might've been convinced you were teeny tiny, but you were actually 8 lb 4 oz! I guess I just forgot how tiny newborns are. They finished up their exam and grandma got you dressed, just like she did your brother, for your trip home.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dressing you in an outfit made by Aunt Erika, on your blanket made by Grammy</td></tr>
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By 3:20 we were working on getting discharged. I nursed you again while Daddy loaded up the car and by 3:45 we were on our way home!</div>
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I couldn't have imagined a more perfect birth, little love. I am so glad to have had such a special experience just for you! We all went home and spent the rest of the day learning all about you. Happy birthday, Azaria Natalie!</div>
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Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-49406454309218133422014-09-25T19:22:00.000-05:002014-09-25T19:22:46.511-05:00Shane: Eye UpdateShane had a follow up appointment at the eye doctor today and the results were as expected: his <a href="http://mommybecoming.blogspot.com/2014/07/shane-and-his-glasses.html" target="_blank">condition</a> has worsened rather than improved and he will have to have surgery to correct his eye muscles. It's an outpatient procedure and he will have to be put under general anesthesia. During the surgery they will basically be tightening some eye muscles to help his eyes look at the same thing. He is young enough that we are hopeful he will be able to develop some depth perception. It's about a 50% chance that it will be fixed within one surgery, otherwise he may have to have a second surgery down the road but the first should help for a while at least. The ophthalmologist said it's very rare for the condition not to be fixed by the second surgery.<br />
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The good news is, he doesn't have to wear his glasses anymore! There is no point since they are not helping at all, and his actual eyesight is perfect. I've gotten so used to the way he looks with glasses that now he looks odd to me without them.Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-52189368338736945832014-09-23T15:47:00.002-05:002014-09-23T15:47:41.232-05:0036 Weeks {4 Days}I guess I'll do a brief update, since I had a Dr appointment today and who knows how many days I have left to be pregnant!<br />
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I had one final growth ultrasound first, and the tech scared me at first by saying she thought that Dean had flipped to breech. Dean is Twin A, and if twin A is breech they won't do a vaginal delivery, although they don't care if twin B is breech. As it turns out though, they are just so squeezed in there that she was having trouble distinguishing body parts and both are still head down. Whew! She mentioned that there is a large margin of error at this point, but Dean is estimated to be 5 lb 8 oz, and Dani is estimated to be 5 lb 10 ounces. </div>
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Then I saw Dr D, who I've been requesting ever since I went to L&D just for continuity of care (and I like her). We talked a little about some things going on, and she checked me and found me to be another cm dilated (5) and with membranes bulging. I told her I wanted to make it to 38 weeks and she said I could certainly try--I've made it past what everyone guessed so far. She doesn't think I will though, and I guess I don't really either. </div>
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I've felt really nauseous and "off" today, and had a few other signs that labor might be coming. It might be something I ate, or it might really be coming, but either way I called my mom and asked her to come. I burst out in tears at the very thought of it, and when I talked to her on the phone, and that's completely unlike me so I really feel like it was one of the emotional sign posts and hopefully it was the right thing to do. She's on her way now! I've felt for the last few days like maybe I'm just holding out until she gets here, so we'll see. I would really like to make it to Shane's eye Dr. appointment tomorrow!</div>
<br />Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-84556038833411628602014-09-19T16:28:00.001-05:002014-09-19T16:28:44.781-05:0036 Weeks<br />
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We made it! Praise Jesus! Only one more week until twin full term, and really good lung maturity! This weeks the twins should be around 6 lbs each and around 18 1/2 inches. </div>
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I had an appointment today and I dilated another cm to 4, but no changes in effacement or Dean's station so that's good. I'm not technically on bed rest anymore, but the Dr. said to continue to be lying down as much as I can since that's when I have the least contractions. Moving around throws me into strong and closer contractions, so I'm trying to "Let it Go". I hate that song so much, by the way. It's been nice to have Nathan home this week to let me keep the babies cooking! The babies look good; they both had heart rates of 134 today, and I'm doing well too. Low BP, no weight gain or loss, no swelling, etc. </div>
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Want a glimpse into our week? This is how we do story time every night now. Cuddled up together on the big bed!</div>
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And one last picture, just for fun. </div>
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SO, SO happy to have made it to 36 weeks! Thanks for the prayers, all. I keep reminding myself that their birthday has already been chosen, and it is not in my hands.</div>
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<br />Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-36667848705824031052014-09-18T17:38:00.000-05:002014-09-18T17:38:59.435-05:00Shane Goes To School<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You asked me for MONTHS if it was time for you to go to school yet. MONTHS. Every time I told you, "in the fall, baby". Then it was "next week, baby". Finally, after a fun weekend and Uncle Jer and Aunt Heather's house, it was "one more sleep, baby".<br />
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And then it was the day!<br />
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We warmed up to it with a special day of school shopping for your markers and crayons and picking out a red folder. Grammy sent you a special lunch box with Pirate Jake, and mommy ordered a doggy backpack you picked out.<br />
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When we walked out the door that morning, you said "mommy, I'm nervous". "It's ok, baby," I said. "It's ok to be nervous. I bet you'll have lots of fun once you get there though!"<br />
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And then you melted down over taking a picture, because there were Cicada shells stuck to our favorite tree and you didn't want bugs to get on you, even though I promised they were just empty shells.<br />
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Daddy got to go in to work late so he could go to school with us on the first day, and sister tagged along with her little puppy lunchbox so she felt included. We stopped after we got out of the van to pray over you and take another picture. </div>
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We had visited your classroom and your new teachers the week before, so you were familiar with where you were going, but the halls were packed and chaotic and I could feel your little hand grip mine more tightly. We stopped to take one last picture at your teachers sign, and she was waiting right there to welcome you to class.</div>
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You gave us all hugs and kisses, and walked right in to look for your special backpack hook and your teddy bear to match up to the attendance board. </div>
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The first afternoon I picked you up you were about the grumpiest I've ever seen you. You were pretty happy after a long nap, though, and every day since then when I pick you up and I ask you how your day was, you say "great, mommy!" or "it was awesome!" I'm so glad so see how much you love going and all of your activities. Every day you bring home papers and I'm not sure what to do with all of them, but I enjoy getting a little glimpse into what you did that day. </div>
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Miss Charlotte says you are doing really well and this week she started a new chart she sends home with you every day that has a red, green, or yellow mark on it to show us how well you listened and participated that day. You are so proud to show mommy your chart and another green dot. The only day you have gotten a yellow dot was the day we had to take you to Miss Cassie's in the middle of the night and you got up extremely early. Extenuating circumstances, I think. You love earning your "lovey" pompom for good behavior every day and getting to pick a prize at the end of the week. This week you got the classroom helper job you've been telling me you wanted since the first day of school: the lunch box distributor! Last week you were the caboose, and the first week of school you were a trash helper. </div>
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Once in a while you come home telling me someone is weird, or someone was mean to you, and I hope in those moments that I'm teaching to how to be kind, how to love people that aren't like you, and how to stand up for yourself too. </div>
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It's hard for me to believe you are already big enough to go to school. Yesterday I think you were giving your new sissy kisses and the day before that you were laying on my knees in the soft glow of a sunrise on the morning after you were born. You are kind, and boisterous, and you love to help. You are frustrating, and challenging, and four big years old. You want to be in the Navy or the Air Force when you grow up, and "drive a boat like Daddy". Your favorite color is orange, you say the most incredibly precocious things, and you still crawl into bed with us many nights. I couldn't imagine my life without you, precious boy. I love you forever and always. Mommy.</div>
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<br />Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-49789851379404858092014-09-17T15:53:00.000-05:002014-09-17T16:17:00.340-05:00A Second Trip to Labor and Delivery {35 weeks + 3 days}Many many moons ago, Dr H suggested I schedule my L&D tour early, since "most twin moms end up there early". I scheduled the tour and we took it, but in the back of my head I thought, not me! I won't be there early. I'm holding out until the end.<br />
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Ha. Haha. Just to warn you, this might be a little on the TMI side. Such is the nature of having babies!<br />
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Monday afternoon we went to the library and had Sonic for dinner. I went to bed around ten, feeling a little nauseous and off, and fell asleep by 10:30. By 11 I was awake, cramping and miserable. You know how you get awful stomach pains when you really need to use the toilet? And all you want is just to die? It was like that for about three hours. I blamed it on the Sonic I'd had for dinner, since it was kind of greasy, but eventually I realized there was nothing left to clear out and the cramps felt more like contractions. I timed them randomly and tried to doze through them, but it wasn't happening. Not too long after Nathan went to bed I couldn't lay down any more and realized that every time I had a contraction it wrapped around my back and down my thighs. At this point I wasn't sure what to do exactly: I didn't want to be in labor but at the same time, that was how labor started with Azaria and I was in denial about it being true labor almost up until she was born. I called my mom at 1:25 and talked to her for a few minutes, deciding to try a warm shower and see if that helped stop things, since I'd already been drinking a lot of water and lying down wasn't happening any longer. I spent quite a while in the shower, and at 2:04 I texted mom,<br />
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"Shower didn't stop much, maaaaybe slowed it down. I'm going to try relaxing on the couch and using a rice sock for a while and see if I can sleep it off."<br />
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She texted: "Well do you think i should leave?"<br />
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I decided to time them for a while, and they were pretty steadily 3 minutes apart, lasting for a minute or so. Normally I would have labored at home for a while, walked around and bounced on my ball to get things intense and regular, but since I was still so early I didn't want to do anything to make labor progress. I called the after hours line at my Dr. office at 2:35 and got a call back from the midwife on-call at 2:46. She said to go on in to L&D and get monitored. I woke Nathan up to get last minute items, make Shane a lunch for the next day, and load the van with my hospital bag and the "bug-out bag" I'd packed the kids. I called my friend Cassie at 3:04, to ask if I could bring the kids over.<br />
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I texted mom, "Just going to go in and be monitored , see what they say." 3:26 AM. She headed out. I told her I wasn't sure if it was the real thing, and I hoped it was false labor, but that she could turn around and go home if it ended up being nothing.<br />
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I'm not sure what time we actually dropped the kids off at Cassie's house but it felt like it took forever to get the kids and everything in the van and get there, and she only lives down the street! Thank you so much Cassie, for taking the kids in the middle of the night! I later found out that they went back to sleep and did well at their "sleepover".<br />
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We got to the hospital and had to go in through the empty ER. A tech came down from L&D to escort us up to the nurse's station, and then Jane got me into a room and onto monitors: one for Dani, one for Dean, and one for contractions. After she monitored for a while she came in and said the on-call doc had ordered an exam. She found me to be 2.5 cm dilated, 70% effaced, and Dean at -2 station. The past two weeks the Dr I had seen had found me to be 3 cm, so I'm thinking it was difference of finger size! Of course as soon as I got in the van contractions really slowed down, so nothing much was happening.<br />
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At 4:56 I texted my mom to let her know that things had really slowed down once I got to the hospital, and they just wanted to monitor me all night until the new on-call Dr. was in to re-check. She decided to just pull over at a rest stop and sleep until we knew if it was going to get more serious. I was on the monitors all night, and my contractions were steadily five minutes apart. Dani HATES the monitor and kicked it almost the entire time we were there, and the contraction monitor kept slipping so I had to keep a hand on it. I dozed for about a half hour, but I honestly don't know how people get any sleep when they are in a hospital being monitored! Those things are itchy and uncomfortable! At one point Dani had the hiccups and they sounded so funny through the monitor. SO LOUD!! Nathan slept on the little pull out bed, which was broken but he rolled up in a blanket and slept through most of the nurse visits I think.<br />
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Around eight the new on-call Dr. came in and checked me, calling me a 3 again. She said because I'm still so early it's against policy to induce, which we wouldn't want anyway since we want them to be in as long as possible. They gain about 40 grams of weight a day, and every day they are in is approximately two they don't spend in the NICU. She said I could go home, and be on bedrest until Friday at which point I'll be 36 weeks. She also changed my weekly office visit to Friday, so we can know if anything has changed before the weekend.<br />
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And so I was discharged and had to take the "walk of shame" back down through the hospital and out the ER to the van. I called my mom and told her I was discharged, so she went back home and went to work. Nathan teased me mercilessly. I felt bad for inconveniencing my friends. By that point, my friend Heather had picked up my kids to take Shane to school (her son goes to the same preschool) and let Azaria play with her little daughter. She VERY kindly kept the kids for us all day until just before dinner time so that Nathan and I could sleep. Then my friend Joy brought us over some dinner. I am SO very grateful and blessed for all of my friends' help and generosity! Thank you guys so much! I was also surprised to find that my stomach was really sore from all the time the kids spent kicking the monitors and the contractions.<br />
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Nathan was given special liberty by his command until Friday, which is wonderful and makes it possible for me to relax. Today, I'm not contracting very often as long as I'm sitting still. When I get up or walk around on my potty breaks they do come back. I'm still holding out hope for the end of September! Stay in twinsies!<br />
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And that's my drama for the week.<br />
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<br />Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-68788691422826403722014-09-05T16:51:00.000-05:002014-09-06T16:52:33.852-05:0034 Weeks {and a few hours in Labor and Delivery}<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E0mKlbBjT4A/VAtm0VFL3QI/AAAAAAAABxE/eR2BlxoptQ4/s1600/IMG_1160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E0mKlbBjT4A/VAtm0VFL3QI/AAAAAAAABxE/eR2BlxoptQ4/s1600/IMG_1160.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know it's not my normal black shirt, but one was dirty and I outgrew the other!<br />Also, I know it looks orange but it's a really pretty coral color. It's one of the ones my mom made me.</td></tr>
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<br />34 Weeks is a great milestone week. I can now deliver in the hospital where my practice is associated, rather than being transferred to one with a higher level NICU. Also, if the twins were born now (NO NO BABIES!!!) they would likely just need a week or two in the NICU to gain weight and learn to suck/swallow/breath. They are fully developed and working on gaining weight, to the tune of about a half pound a week, and they are each about the size of a cantaloupe. Mommy has also gained weight--31 lbs eek! It's more than I wanted, as I was aiming for 25, but I don't think it's too much considering there are two in there. I should probably also tell you, considering the following story, that if I'm not lying down I have constant Braxton Hicks contractions, which are "false contractions" that are very common, and become more frequent during third trimester or subsequent pregnancies. I get them worse in the afternoons and evenings, and I get them so regularly and so strongly that I don't do much past housework. I don't go for walks or exercise at all, which was why the pool was perfect for me and I'm still angry that it closed for the year on Labor Day! It's 90-100+ degrees here people! I even broke down and rode a motorized scooter in Walmart the other night, for the first time in three pregnancies, because I just could not walk without stopping every few moments to breath through a BH. Yes, it was incredibly embarrassing!<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dean. Hand up by his face. 4 lb 4 oz</td></tr>
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<br />I had my 34 week appointment this week, which started off with what will probably be my last growth ultrasound. The twins are looking great! They are positioned in there exactly like I talked about in my last post., and the tech showed me hair on both tiny heads. Dean is estimated to weigh 4 lb 4 oz, and Dani is estimated to weight 4 lb 14 oz. The margin of error is 20 %, just to remind you--straight from the U/S tech's mouth! I feel like they may be on the smaller size, based on my current size. I know I look big, but I'm actually not that big for carrying twins. At an estimated growth of half a pound a week, that would put them at 5 lb 4 oz and 5 lb 14 oz by 35 weeks, and 6 lb 4 oz and 6 lb 14 oz at 38 weeks. Those are pretty good weights for twins! Their fluid measurements were also really good, as were their, and I quote, "gorgeous placentas". So as far as the twins go, they are good for the long haul as of right now!<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dani. Profile, cuddled against Dean's chest. 4 lb 14 oz</td></tr>
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Unfortunately, things went downhill quickly when she did my cervical measurement. This particular tech is always commenting on measurements: this looks great, that looks great, and so on. She didn't say anything after she took the measurements, (cervical measurement is taken transvaginally, once lying prone and a second time while bearing down, to see how much it shortens.) so after I was done I asked her what the measurements were and she very reluctantly told me. My cervix has always been a nice long 4-5, and I think they don't get really concerned until it's under a 2.5. Mine is down to a 1.?, and shortens even more when I bear down. That was a pretty quick change, and I knew it as soon as she told me the measurements. Then the doctor examined me and found I was dilated to a three, when I've always been closed up tight--as recently as two weeks ago. Apparently all of my BH aren't just BH! The Dr.decided to send me over to Labor and Delivery to get a Non-Stress Test and steroid shots to develop the babies lungs. It made me a little nervous, to have such a quick change and to be just 34 weeks (I was actually only 33+6 at my appointment). </div>
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I made some quick calls for childcare, called Nathan and my mom, and went home to pick up Azaria from my friend's and Shane from school. Once I got the kids settled in with another friend (I am SO grateful to have friends who are willing to help out!) I headed back out to L&D.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottom monitor is Dean, top middle is contractions, and top right is Dani.</td></tr>
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<br />They hooked me up to the monitors to have a NST, which basically watches the babies heart rates go up and down and on a separate line monitors contractions. Dean was mostly laid back about the monitor, but Dani was not having it and kicked the monitor most of the time.<br /><br />
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I think they monitored for 20 minutes, and then the CNM on call came in and reviewed the strip. It took her about two seconds to decide I have super active babies and not too many contractions (of course, I was lying down resting!) and I could be released. Phew! Then I got a glorious steroid shot in my thigh, which burned a smidge but wasn't anything like the horror stories I've heard about how much it hurts. The point of the steroid shots is to help the babies lungs develop early, as well as a few other organs. I need to keep them in about 48 hours after the second shot for them to be most effective. As I was talking to the CNM I asked if she thought I could hold out on birth until the end of the month when Nathan would be home from his underway. She laughed at me and then realized I was serious. She thinks I'll be lucky to make it two or three more weeks. HOWEVER, we all know God is sovereign and he knows his timing. I also know that it's possible to keep babies in for weeks even walking around dilated. Body, don't let me down now!</div>
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The most stressful part of the whole "you'll probably have the babies early" thing is that Nathan was supposed to be gone on an underway for most of the month of September. It turned out to be such God timing that I had my appointment the day before he left, because once his Senior Chief found out what was going on he took it up the chain and got permission for Nathan to stay home this month. </div>
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I was supposed to get my second steroid shot 24 hours later, in my doctor's office next door to the hospital. That turned into a two hour saga of being sent back to Labor and Delivery because the nurses in L&D wouldn't release the dosage to the nurse at my Dr's office. Then the L&D nurses had to wait for doc orders NOT to hook me up and monitor me and TO give me a second shot. What a kerfuffle! Finally I did get the second shot, bent unceremoniously over the L&D bed. At least it didn't burn at all getting it in the rear! And I got two child free hours to relax and finish a crossword puzzle. </div>
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It was strangely exciting sitting up there in L&D, looking at the birthing bed and the baby warmer. While of course I don't want to have early babies, it did make me excited for the big day! This whole trip motivated me to actually finish my birth plan and hospital bags, and make plans for the kids too. I've been delaying a little I guess! That's this weeks drama.</div>
Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-4282070448657776942014-08-31T13:23:00.001-05:002014-08-31T13:24:10.791-05:00DIY: Roadside Dresser and Nightstand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's a Wilkins thing: we like to get other people's garbage off the side of the road. What can I say, we're thrifty like that! It works out particularly well when you live in a military community with people pcsing all the time, because usually what you get isn't that bad. I got this ugly nightstand several months back when the neighbor behind me got a new bedroom set, and the ugly dresser when my friend called me and said her neighbors had put it on the curb. The dresser was actually an answer to prayer, because I'd been telling God I needed a dresser for the twins' things. There's nothing wrong with either piece, other than that they are ugly and old! After I had them for a while I finally decided on a color and I think I spent about $50 on supplies like sandpaper, paintbrush and sponge rollers, drawer pulls and spray paint, primer and paint, masks and floor plastics, etc. I wouldn't have had to spend so much but we didn't have ANY supplies for this kind of project. I also didn't take as many pictures as I should've, so bear with me!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ugly nightstand, missing hardware.</td></tr>
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I started by dragging the nightstand outside and sanding off the flaky paint. I started the nightstand a day before the dresser because I wasn't sure how well it would go.<br />
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The next day I took out the dresser drawers and dragged the dresser outside to work on. I have no pictures of sanding the dresser, priming, or painting any of it. But I did! The nightstand got a coat of Kilz primer (supposedly it sticks to laminate without sanding), two coats of my chosen blue paint, and two coats of Poly. All the hardware for both pieces, plus that black wrought iron lamp base, got spray painted a gloss white.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ugly dresser before, minus the drawer I'd taken out to clean and test paint.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of detail in those dresser drawers!</td></tr>
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The ugly dresser got sanded, two coats of Kilz, two coats of blue paint, and two coats of Poly. The drawers were the awful part. They took HOURS with all those details and the "beehive" carving took a long time to cover. I sat on a stool hunched over them and my parents got to our house midway through my second coat of primer. (As it turned out, the drawers were actually plastic, the paint flaked off no matter how I tried to clean them, and the primer didn't cover very well--hence the second coat.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what it looks like to be working out in 95 degrees wearing a mask!</td></tr>
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As it turned out, dad was not thrilled that I was doing all of this so he took over finishing the drawers. (And if I remember right, he did the last coat of poly on the dresser/nightstand for me.) I'm not going to lie, I was pretty grateful not to be on the stool painting those drawers! He roped Nathan into helping him for part of it, and as you can see Shane also wanted to be involved with the boys. Thank you so much for finishing my project! It doesn't seem like that much work, but it took a lot of days with all the time I spent waiting for coats to dry and pulling furniture in and out of the house. It was surprisingly exhausting, and I didn't even do the bulk of the work on the drawers!<br />
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Finally, the finished products! Both pieces are in my room, the nightstand by my bed and the dresser full of clothes for Dani and Dean. I want to do something different with the lamp shade, but I don't know what to do to it yet. I actually think the lamp is really ugly, but it's better now that it's white.</div>
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In case you were wondering, other free roadside finds include one of those plastic outdoor play towers with the slide and little house for the kids, a shelf unit I have in the play room, two play mats for the twins, a baby seat that bolts on the back of my bicycle, two baby gates, and that's all I can remember right now. Obviously I clean everything I get, and I only take things I need. I'm not a hoarder. Sure it can be embarrassing to stop and get stuff off the side of the road, but it also helps save a lot of money. One person's trash is another person's treasure!</div>
<br />Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-42618597830184982502014-08-31T11:57:00.000-05:002014-08-31T11:57:02.855-05:00DIY: T-shirt to Maternity Shirt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Many many moons ago, my parents came to visit and helped me with a couple of projects. One of the things my mom did was take over my sewing project: turning my VBS volunteer shirt into a maternity shirt. I had deliberately gotten the largest size they had, and planned to cut down the top but leave the bottom large. She did it for me, using my favorite maternity t-shirt as a pattern, and it turned out to fit really well, especially in the top! </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MGhiDgYqRbw/VAIzTHKhHnI/AAAAAAAABvI/jfAv2-28UUo/s1600/July14shirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MGhiDgYqRbw/VAIzTHKhHnI/AAAAAAAABvI/jfAv2-28UUo/s1600/July14shirt.jpg" height="240" width="400" /></a></div>
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A few weeks later, I started volunteering in the church nursery during first service and I got a church volunteer shirt. It took me several weeks to get around to it, but finally I made time to cut it down like the other one. Unfortunately I grabbed the wrong black t-shirt from my closet (I have two, one fits perfectly and the other I outgrew a month or two ago) so the top is a little too, um, fitted. But it works. Since maternity shirts are expensive and T-shirts and thread are relatively inexpensive, I thought I'd share what we did in case you'd like to make some of your own maternity shirts. Mom has since made and sent me several!</div>
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Start by laying your T-shirt out completely flat and even.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I kept getting my belly in my photos!</td></tr>
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Then, lay your shirt that fits out on top of it. Make sure the necklines are centered and the shirts are both spread flat and evenly.<br />
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Using a sharp pair of sewing shears, or in my case use the pair that you ruined by cutting fleece, and cut along the outside edge of the shirt that fits, including the arm hole, and tapering out once you get past the bust to allow for belly growth. Don't forget your seam allowance! I actually didn't cut off all of the edge of the T-shirt, I left it connected after the point where I tapered it. (On the left of the picture, near the "m").</div>
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Fold the shirt in half, using the collar and bottom of the shirt to make sure it's even, and cut the other side off following your line. Then sew up each side. Don't sew your arm holes closed! When mom sewed mine she zig zagged along every seam she sewed, but I didn't bother.</div>
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Cut your sleeves down to size. I used the piece I cut off the armhole above to guide my inside line.</div>
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Sew the bottom of your sleeve (under your arms). I made mine really short, so I only sewed about an inch, and went back and forth a few times.</div>
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Line up your bottom seams and pin. Because I used my cut off piece to guide my new sleeve cut, the new sleeve fit perfectly. I'm not usually much of a pinner, but sleeves have some tricky curves!</div>
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Sew it up! Don't forget your seam allowance. I turned the shirt right side out and checked after I pinned and after I sewed, because I was nervous I'd done it wrong! Then I did the other sleeve and tried it on.</div>
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It might not get me on Project Runway, but it works for me! And it's better than wearing around a 3 X shirt with my sleeves down to my forearms! I wish I had take a before shot.</div>
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Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-90000843385775500652014-08-22T21:33:00.000-05:002014-08-25T09:35:01.281-05:0032 Weeks32 weeks seems like a good number to hit. To the best of my understanding, the babies are fully developed and gaining weight at this point. They would have a really good chance of survival if they were born at this point (I am NOT hoping or wishing for that) and would likely just be in the NICU to gain weight and learn to suck/swallow/breathe.<br />
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At this point they weight about 3.75 lbs each, and should continue to gain about a half pound a week (yes, EACH) until birth. Twins often do slow down earlier than singletons though. I'm guessing they'll be between 6 and 7 pounds. What would you guess?<br />
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I was looking around the internet for some belly mapping pictures to help "show" you how the twins are situated and I found these.<br />
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This is pretty close to how they are positioned. Dean, twin A, would be the presenting twin (presenting=closest to cervix) and Dani, Twin B, is the twin on my right. Her head generally feels as though it sits on my right hip. I'd also guess that Dani sits in there like this:<br />
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And that Dean sits in there like this:<br />
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So, pretty much exactly as is shown in the twin picture I used first. I have a lot of women ask me about movement and what it feels like. It feels exactly like having a singleton, with twice as many body parts! Similar in that they still have their wake/sleep patterns, and their preferred positions (although I'm not sure how easily they could actually switch positions at this point) but different in how many limbs move at once! I am still waiting for them to get hiccups at the same time as I imagine that will be a unique sensation! I am so thrilled that both babies are vertex and presenting well.<br />
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As for me, I'm doing well. I think last post I wrote was a pretty big downer but there are good days and bad days and those were some bad days all in a row. I feel bad for even complaining: I have been incredibly blessed to have a smooth, uneventful pregnancy so far. I haven't had morning sickness to speak of really, or pre-term labor, or any signs of the many other things that often go wrong in a multiple pregnancy. So I'll take my few discomforts and be glad to inhabit a body that seems to do pregnancy "well".<br />
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I have such a peace about this being my last pregnancy, and I never thought I would. I loved pregnancy the first two times, and I still enjoy a lot of parts of it this time. I thought I would really struggle and be sad knowing that it was the last time I'd get to feel a little baby squirming around in there but for now, I am completely at peace knowing I won't be doing this again. Maybe that's the unexpected blessing of extra physical discomfort! It seems to go beyond that, though, in the knowing the God is closing this childbearing chapter of my life. I know I'll miss the sweet newborn stage but I'm sure I can find somewhere to volunteer to get my "fix".<br />
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I've started to have some pretty funny encounters with strangers lately regarding my size. I can't even count the number of times I've clarified them as twins and gotten a relieved, "oh, I THOUGHT you were too big for one!" The best encounter I've had lately though was at the pool. I was chatting with a sweet couple and we were talking about our kids. I had just finished telling the husband how old Shane and Azaria are, when he asked if they were twins. Ahhhh, clever! I told him no, but the ones inside were! That started an amusing argument between the husband and wife about whether or not he'd guessed I was having triplets or just multiples. And for every time I've had someone tell me they don't know what they'd do if they had twins, I've probably had another person tell me how much they wanted to have twins. I find, as I've said every pregnancy, that it's best to not get offended by the awkward things people say or intro questions they ask as generally they are just looking for a way to start a conversation with you. Pregnancy and babies are something people of all ages seem to love! (Do I <i>NEED</i> to start singing the Circle of Life song?)</div>
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In the morning, I look bigger than I feel, and by night time, I feel bigger than I look. I haven't had any swelling in my legs, ankles, or feet, which is wonderful, and while my fingers are definitely puffy I can still get my rings on and off. My face is certainly puffier, which is annoying but just an expected part of it at this point. </div>
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My big project this past week was to get all of my carpets cleaned, which is a huge job but it needed done desperately and I really did not want to have to do it after the twins were born. At this house it's not at simple as just cleaning the carpets though. I have to empty the room, clean the windows and wipe dirty hand marks off the walls (which I have to do all the time anyway), and THEN I can vacuum and steam. I actually go over the carpets twice because they just collect SO much dirt and grodiness. Thanks to my mother's training, I don't see any point in cleaning a floor if everything else above it is dirty. I did ignore the ceiling fans though. I'm absolutely certain they are disgusting, but I didn't look because I didn't feel it would be terribly wise to be teetering on a step stool to clean them at the point. When I did the living room, Nathan shoved the love seat into the play room and then he moved the big couch for me. I love having the little couch in the playroom! I feel like I spend so much more time playing with the kids again, so we left it there. Because the floors were such a project I didn't get much else done other than sewing a shirt, but the was probably the most physically demanding project I had left so I'm just happy to have it done! On to the three overflowing baskets of (CLEAN!) laundry I've been ignoring, the hospital bag I should start thinking about, the baby stuff I should start bringing in the house, the paperwork I need to do, and the million other things on my to do list!</div>
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Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-51207882924088090732014-08-08T09:03:00.001-05:002014-08-08T09:03:48.725-05:0029 and 30 Weeks<br />
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Woo! 30 Weeks! For some reason, 30 weeks seems so much further along than 29. At this point I know I have eight weeks left before the docs start talking induction. I don't want an induction so I'm sure I'll do my best to negotiate around it, but...if I'm being honest...I really hope I don't go past then anyway. September 28th seems like a good day to me! I'll be 37 weeks and some days. </div>
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**Whine alert, skip for the good stuff**</div>
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Time is passing, as it has all summer, so slowly. My energy and ability to live life seems to come in spurts. Some days I can get things done. Some days I can't seem to even stand long enough to cook a decent meal, much less deal with a messy or unclean house. Yesterday afternoon I stood at the sink and cried a few self-pitying tears, as I tried to make a meal, some muffins for breakfast, and get the kitchen cleaned up, and it all seemed so utterly impossible as I stood there in the devastation of my mess of a house. I'm thinking a belly support belt would be a big help, as much of my problem seems to be the huge heaviness, the pain of the hernia, and the amount of contractions I have when I'm standing. Going for walks is also incredibly uncomfortable--the pool is only a short walk away and that takes me forever. I actually DROVE to a friend's house this morning, and it's a ten minute walk--because I only have to much energy for the day, and I didn't want to waste it on a walk. Last night I wrote a completely whiney and complaining email to my mom, wondering what I'm going to do in my last few weeks and how am I going to fail my kids at being a good mom and housekeeper and cooking anything other than cereal or a sandwich! Of course I completely regretted sending it this morning but sometimes you just feel the way you do! This morning I read a perfectly timed and encouraging verse: 2 Corinthians 12:9, "But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for <b>my power is made perfect in weakness</b>.' " Part of my discouragement, I think, is knowing that I'll be doing my last month pregnant on my own and somehow that seems even more overwhelming and difficult than doing newborns and little on my own, because at least then I'll be physically able. On the other hand, I keep telling myself that inside babies are the easiest it will ever be, and I'm getting WAY more sleep now than I will for months to come! I hate complaining and I try really really hard not to complain in real life, but at the same time I know I've combed other twin mom blogs wondering what its really like and right now, today, this moment, this is what it's really like for me. But enough venting, lets talk about the good part of life!</div>
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Sorry but no veggie or pics with the kids again, same reason. If you need a fix of the kids, you can check out my last post. At 29 weeks the twins were about he size of butternut squashes, and at 30 weeks they are supposedly the size of large cabbages. I'm not going to lie, these size comparisons seem to jump around a lot! Symptom wise things are fine. The geographic tongue I mentioned in the last update went away, and I've suddenly developed heartburn. I KNOW, I can't believe I got away without having it until so late in the game! Don't worry, I paid my dues with Shane. I got heartburn with him before I even knew I was pregnant! </div>
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I had two appointments last week: a follow up with my endocrinologist and a full morning at the OB office. I did the three hour glucose test (AGAIN) at the doctor's and I passed. Low fasting, pretty high one hour, low two hour, below normal low three hour. In between my sticks they worked me up and did the monthly growth ultrasound on the twins. I really really liked the tech who did the U/S this time and I think I'll try to get her each time from now on out. She was so personable and friendly, and the other two techs are not no matter how hard I try.</div>
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Per the doctor, Dean is now twin A since he's lower, and Dani is twin B. That puts an end to the confusion about A and B, and they just made a note of the changed designations. As the tech was scanning nose/mouths she asked me who had the big nose in the family, because according to her Dean has a perfect pug nose that looks nothing like mine. Then she compared shots and we thought it was cute that Dani's features look so much more delicate than Dean's. Probably my favorite part was watching Dani's teeny tiny little perfect mouth take big gulps of amniotic fluid as she practices "breathing".</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dean on top, Dani on bottom</td></tr>
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Dean is a little more spread out than his sister, and Dani is kind of curled up into Dean's neck and torso. We were able to get a nice profile of Dean but not Dani because of how she was curled into him. Dani hangs out all the way over on my right side and she's the one I often feel bulging out or have to push out of my ribs. Dean hangs out more on my midline and also more inside, if that makes sense, so I feel him but he's not quite as obvious. It's CRAZY how they both manage to hang out on my right side, and you can really see it when I have a braxton hicks. Nathan is a little creeped out by them and calls them the aliens and tells them they should spread out and take advantage of the space while they have it!<br />
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Dani is estimated to weigh 2 lbs 10 oz, and Dean is estimated to weigh 2 lb 14 oz (At 29 weeks). The tech said they usually gain about a half pound a week from now on out, as the third tri is all about gaining weight for babies. That means the would both weigh a little over 7 lbs each by 38 weeks. However, twins to tend to slow down their weight gain a little earlier than singleton babies do so that 1/2 lb a week may actually be a little less. I guess we'll find out in eight weeks! It's fun to guess though. If it helps you be a little more forgiving of my earlier whining, I'll put this to you in numbers.<br />
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I am 30 weeks pregnant. </div>
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As of last week's visit, I measured at 37 weeks pregnant, with eight weeks still to go.</div>
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I am carrying 5+ lbs of baby (probably more like six now).</div>
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Each baby includes about ten pounds of placenta and amniotic fluid, since they both have their own of each.</div>
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That's about 25 extra pounds, which is what I've gained (I can't believe I just admitted that).</div>
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That's a lot to carry out in front!</div>
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And finally, my favorite moment of the fortnight was a ladies night out for out Women of the Chapel group! We went to eat Mexican food, and then hung out at the home of one of our ladies and played games and had microwave smores. (We were supposed to have a campfire and smores at the beach, but we got rained out).</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j7hNsBPU1TU/U-QSM9dXPiI/AAAAAAAABgc/76bMEhqT1Nw/s1600/hat+belly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j7hNsBPU1TU/U-QSM9dXPiI/AAAAAAAABgc/76bMEhqT1Nw/s1600/hat+belly.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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The owner of the restaurant brought out a bunch of sombreros at the end for us all to play with and take pictures. I had to laugh when I saw this picture--I'm pretty sure my belly and the sombrero are the same size! The evening was SO much fun and just what I needed. I'm so grateful for that group of sisters!</div>
Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-74612817096586437002014-08-06T20:11:00.002-05:002014-08-06T20:11:27.904-05:00While Daddy's Away...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I don't know about life in any branch other than the Navy, but in the Navy before deployment sailors have to do something call underways, or workups. It's kind of like doing short practice deployments before actual deployment. Well, our family is going through our very first underway right now, and the kids don't really understand why Daddy isn't home yet. They are used to him being gone overnight sometimes when he has duty, but they are spoiled in that they are used to him being around most of the time. I guess Shane is too young to remember when we lived in Texas and Daddy was gone for weeks at a time, but he knows now and asks me often how many "sleeps" Daddy will be gone. Azaria doesn't seem to realize that he isn't here, or maybe she just doesn't have the words to express it. I was trying to think of ways to help them understand, and I remembered about a favorite from my childhood--paper chains! They're not just for Christmas, yo!</div>
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We started with a pile of markers and bingo dot painters and some big pieces of scrap paper. When they got tired of making art, we moved on to cutting. I drew lines on the paper for them, and figured it would be good cutting practice for Shane. </div>
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This was Azaria's first time using scissors! She cut for a few minutes and then tried to cut her hair. Sigh, how predictable. Shane LOVES cutting--I think something about being destructive and not getting in trouble for it appeals to him. He did a pretty good job of cutting on the lines, and he cut them all even though he said his hand was tired.</div>
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While the kids colored and cut, I used my favorite homemade stain remover on a pile of stained clothes. I'm not sure how it happened, but some of my stored baby clothes seemed to develop stains while in storage. And then of course the already-born kids get stains on their clothes on a regular basis. This stuff is like magic--it even gets dryer set in stains out!<br />
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Once we had all the strips colored and cut, I counted up "sleeps" and then we stapled the chain together.</div>
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One paper chain, ready to go on the wall!<br />
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Azaria got to have the first turn ripping off a night. Also, this picture proves that my children actually DO own clothing!</div>
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And that's that! We can't wait to see you, Daddy!</div>
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Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-78978857339649019642014-07-29T21:06:00.000-05:002014-07-29T21:09:23.908-05:0027 and 28 Weeks {4 Days}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sorry guys, I don't have any of the cute fruit/veggie pictures with the kids for these two weeks. 27 weeks were two rutabagas. I'm not entirely sure I'd recognize a rutabaga, much less know how to eat two of them!<br />
27 weeks brought a few strange pregnancy symptoms. I discovered that the odd, smooth patches on my tongue devoid of taste buds are what is known as geographic tongue--sometimes brought on my the hormones of pregnancy. In my case it's utterly painless, just...odd. I had my 3am insomnia return, but thankfully only for for or five days. I also noticed that my skin is incredibly sensitive sometimes. So sensitive that even the brush of one of the kids touching me makes me just want to scream. It seems to be most concentrated in my legs and torso, but thankfully it's not constant!<br />
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At 28 weeks, the twins should be around 2 1/4 lbs each, or around the size of an eggplant. Again no picture with the kids because I can't stand eggplant, so what would I do with two?!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do I look tired? Cause I feel tired. Obviously I'm so tired I didn't clean the mirror after Shane "cleaned" for me.</td></tr>
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The twins seem to be doing well, and I think I am as well although I won't lie, I'm certainly feeling large! Can I just tell you how heavy this belly is? I feel like I'm nearly full term with a singleton. Evening walks (waddles?) are pretty out of the question for me, as I'm in quite a lot of pain from my hips and I seem to have a lot of BH contractions when I walk in the evenings. The pool is as much as necessity as ever; what a blessing that I'm having this pregnancy in a place where I can be in the water nearly every day.</div>
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My favorite time of the day is the evening, when I lay down and watch the twins move. It's incredible to see how big and obvious they are already as they dance around, and they still have 10ish more weeks to grow! It creeps Nathan out to watch or feel them. He says it looks like aliens dancing around under my skin and it's creepy. So I guess it served him right that the last time he tried yelling at my belly to wake them, he got a thump in the mouth! Haha.</div>
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Oh, and lest I forget, I failed my second one hour glucose test. Even though I passed the three hour with flying colors last time, they wanted to diagnose me with GD since I failed the one hour a second time. I refused to go to the MFM (my insurance won't cover them!) and told the nurse I wanted to take the three hour again. I won. Yaaay? Lucky me. Darn double placentas!</div>
<br />Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-73770492470605666912014-07-21T13:49:00.003-05:002014-07-21T13:49:26.571-05:00Shane and His Glasses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A few months ago, we noticed that Shane's left eye was wandering a lot, particularly when he was tired or when he was looking off into space. I made him an appointment with our pediatrician, who referred us to an eye doctor. Eventually Tricare referred us to a pediatric opthamologist, and though we were scheduled for about a month and a half out we were able to take a cancelled appointment and be seen earlier.</div>
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It was quite interested how they can tailor all of the eye tests to a child by using pictures, toys, and even a barking dog on a far wall. Shane was a brave boy: he had to sit in a special chair and they did a series of eye tests, some using a strip of prisms to test how far his eye was wandering. He did cry a little bit about the numbing eye drops--the nurse said they stung--but was fine after they took effect and he had to get three other kinds of drops. I may have bribed him slightly with the mention of the special sunglasses they would give him when we left! </div>
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Eventually the Dr. finished and said that Shane has something called Strabismus. If you would like to learn more about it, you can click <a href="http://www.childrenseyefoundation.org/index.php/get-vision-facts/strabismus/patient-and-parent-guide-to-strabismus-surgery" target="_blank">here.</a> It's a lengthy read but quite informative. In Shane's case, he has constant wandering in both eyes at a distance, and intermittent wandering of both eyes at close range. He literally sees (and his brain processes) two images. Because it's already so advanced at a distance patches would be ineffective, and the doctor said that either glasses or surgery are our options. He recommended we try glasses first, although they have only a 15% success rate in cases like Shane's, but obviously I don't want the poor guy to have surgery if we haven't tried the less invasive route first. We have a follow up appointment in a few months (when I'm 37 weeks pregnant!) to re-evaluate and see how things have changed.</div>
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I took the kids to Walmart to pick out a pair of frames and Shane was NOT thrilled with any of them. There were a pair I thought were really cute, kind of a retro look almost like 3D glasses have. But the only pair he liked were "the green ones"! I figured that the only chance of getting him to wear them was if he really like them, so that's the pair we went with!</div>
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That week while we waited for the glasses to come in I tried to really get him excited about them. We talked about all the people he likes who wear glasses, and even a little girl in his class at Summer's Best Week who wore glasses a few days. (She doesn't like hers either!) The day we went to pick up the glasses I told him we'd have a Glasses Day Party with fun and treats.</div>
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So we picked them up and had them adjusted for his face, and as we walked around Walmart he got offended every time someone talked to him and didn't comment on his glasses. We went home and we played in the sprinkler and ate watermelon, and in the evening he got to watch Rio 2 and have popcorn and cookies. </div>
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On days when he doesn't want to wear the glasses but he has to anyway, he always asks if he can have another glasses party! Way to try to work the system, kiddo. </div>
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He's pretty good about wearing them. We spend a lot of time reminding him to put them on, and he's always taking them off and putting them down somewhere. Sister has also gotten in trouble a few times for snatching them off his face. I need to go get her a pair from the dollar store! I still see his eye wandering sometimes, but it doesn't seem quite as bad now. God is a God of miracles, and I am praying hard that the glasses work and he doesn't have to go through surgery(ies).</div>
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The first week he wore his glasses might have been harder on me than on him. There were a couple times I cried a little, wishing that I could take it from him. I hate the thought that he has to see everything blurry (the way it works for now is that they've given him a prescription he doesn't need for vision, but the theory is that his eyes will have to work harder to work together to see which may correct the muscle imbalance. Or something like that.) I hate the thought that his head might be hurting from strain. I just hate this for him.</div>
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On the other hand, I'm grateful to live in a place and with insurance that could get him help, and that he is still young enough that even if he does need surgery it has a good chance of working. His brain is still developing as well as his eyes, which gives him a better chance. My mommy heart just hurts for him, that's all. He's pretty cute rocking the green glasses though!</div>
<br />Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-65477074252841343432014-07-14T15:03:00.000-05:002014-07-14T15:26:11.239-05:0025 and 26 Weeks {and three days}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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26 weeks marks the end of my second trimester...woohoo! I can't believe how much this second tri has draaaaaaagged by. I felt like this pregnancy was flying by before the summer--we were doing something every day, whether is was a pre-school swap day (three days a week), bible study, church, or finding a fun free activity. Once summer hit we were down to bible study and church and time has not been ticking by as quickly! Of course now we go swimming most days and there are still a lot of fun things to do in the area but it has just seemed slower.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cauliflower sized at 25 weeks</td></tr>
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My kids ditched me for last week's picture and I didn't realize I had dropped something on my stomach, so be forgiving. I spent that week slaving away over a dresser and nightstand that I wanted to refinish for the babies. They were both side of the road freebies and worked well, just needed a little sprucing up! I spent hours outside in the hot sun, wearing a mask, sanding and cleaning and priming and painting and sealing. Between trips outside I worked on a couple of things I wanted to organize, washed and stored some baby stuff, and cleaned the house top to bottom. That Friday (when I turned 25 weeks) my dad kicked me off the remainder of my project (the dresser drawers) and finished painting and sealing them for me. That sounds like it should have been a simple project but the drawers are ornate and detailed and had to be completely painted with a tiny paintbrush. I had primed them all and by the time I finish my hips were dying from sitting on a stool hunching over the drawers. It sounds like it shouldn't have been much work at all, but it was unbelievably exhausting! Then my parents spend the weekend with us, and this past week I volunteered at our church's vacation bible school all week. That also sounds like it should've been easy, and was also an exhausting week! Saturday we ran errands all day, and yesterday I started volunteering at church so I was there all morning. In the afternoon we packed a picnic supper and spent a few hours swimming. Ahhhh, water. Sweet rejuvenating pain relief! I so love the pool. So to recap, the last two weeks have been busy, although fun, and I'm tired!<br />
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So here we are, 26 weeks, and according to everyone I've talked to lately, "not looking very big". The camera doesn't lie, people. Some days I feel massive, and some days I feel small. But the camera captures how I look! Can I just put this out there...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shane, left, 36 weeks. Azaria, middle, 35 weeks. Twins, right, 26 weeks.</td></tr>
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<b>Babies:</b> The babies should be about 14 inches long and about 1 2/3 lbs now, around the size of a head of lettuce. Supposedly they can hear our voices now, and are practicing breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid.<br />
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<b>Weight Gain: </b>I don't know. Azaria used my scale as a stool and now it just blinks. I haven't put much effort into fixing it yet.</div>
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<b>Stretch Marks:</b> No new ones yet!<br />
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<b>Belly Button:</b> Bulgy. Unfortunately I have an umbilical hernia, which is when a small hole rips in the membrane that holds your guts in and a small piece of inside pokes out. That's a really simple explanation but thankfully mine is small for now and it's nothing I did, it's just my third pregnancy and I'm stretching out fast. It hurts a lot, sometimes I have to press on it for a while to sort of push it back in and I've hit it on the corner of a chair or the couch a few times and I almost passed out from the pain. </div>
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<b>Maternity clothes</b>: I've outgrown a couple shirts. :( Mom made my volunteer shirt into a maternity shirt, so now that we know how to do that we'll probably just get some t-shirts and convert them instead of buying bigger maternity shirts. Those things are expensive, and if I buy a bigger size to accommodate the twin belly they'll be way big up top, where converting a t-shirt allows for tailoring the top half to suit.</div>
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<b>Movement:</b> Feeling the movement has always been my favorite part of pregnancy, and it's even cooler with twins. I <i>think</i> Dani is the one who is more active, usually on my far right side. Sometimes I'll feel her moving, and then I think Dean kicks her back and they play footsies and wiggle together. It's not uncomfortable for me yet, although I've gotten a few zinger hits to the cervix, but my ribs are intact for now!</div>
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<b>Sleep</b>: I need naps and hours and hours of sleep, but I get neither. That's life! Thankfully I'm not terribly uncomfortable while I am sleeping, but I do always end up on my back and that puts my hips out which is painful. I've also found myself doing a lot of grunting and pulling on things for leverage to help me roll over. Some days I feel so tired and like I can't go on that I just want to cry my eyes out, but God gives me strength to make it to another bedtime.</div>
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I have no particular cravings or aversions, just a to do list a mile long and a limited amount of time in which to finish it! I hear that a lot of twin moms just hit a wall around 30 weeks and can't do much after so I'm trying to get as much as I can done now. Even at this point I find myself trying to limit how many hours I'm walking around at events because I start to get regular and uncomfortable braxton hicks. We haven't done many of the festivals or things like that this summer because of that, and thankfully the kids aren't really old enough to know. We just spend extra time at the pool! Any time I think of how uncomfortable I am or that something hurts, I remind myself that I have a long way to go and I am certainly not the first woman pregnant with multiples! I also tell myself that my kids know I love them even if I'm not on the floor with them much anymore, and they really like cereal, oatmeal, and sandwiches, so they forgive me on the nights I don't feel up to cooking a healthy, balanced meal. Excuses? Maybe. I like to call them temporary modifications I can live with.<br />
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Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-32591544421598882382014-07-07T14:30:00.000-05:002014-07-10T06:33:52.256-05:004th of July Weekend <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Last weekend my mom and dad came down for a visit. They got here on Thursday night and *sniff, sniff* left on Sunday after church. As with most visits it was way too short, but we packed in lots of fun (and work)!</div>
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I realized as I was getting pictures off my camera that I took hardly any! Bummer man. Friday morning mom got Azaria all dressed up and gave her her first braids. She looked like Pippi Longstocking!</div>
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The socks...oh, the socks. One time Daddy dressed Azaria and pulled her socks up to her knees. Ever since then, she refuses to fold them over and wears them like knee socks. Toddler personal style, man. Live and let live.</div>
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Since Azaria got all dressed up and was being oohed and aahed over, Shane left to go get dressed up too. He didn't want any help, he just wanted to surprise Grandma and BopBop. This is his pirate get-up, and it's his current favorite. I didn't get it in the picture, but the outfit includes his cowboy boots. Always.</div>
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My parents got up with the kids each morning, and I slept until between eight and nine. (We won't discuss Nathan's sleep habits). There was a lot of book reading, play time, and love and hugs. I absolutely love seeing the kids light up and attach to their grandparents! </div>
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A wonderful part of the weekend for me, other than enjoying my parents company, was all the <i>help</i>. Mom did all of my piled up laundry and cleaned my stove. Dad took over a huge project I'd been exhausting myself on. They helped with the cooking and cleaning up and the kids. It was so nice! </div>
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Hey, speaking of all that laundry? In the middle of the second load of laundry we heard the washer start making a really odd clicking noise. Now this washer is only about a year old. I had to get a new one when we moved here because my old (VERY old) one rusted out in storage. It's a good brand, and there's no reason it should be breaking down! However, because it's a newer, although basic, model, it's got electronics involved. Dad and Nathan pulled it out and took it apart and hemmed and hawed and I'm not even sure what all they did, but after searching around on the internet Nathan came to me with the part they thought it required and a price. After I picked my jaw up off the floor and recovered from my minor heart attack, I turned back to whatever I was doing. A short time later I hear Nathan exclaim, "there's a sock in it!" He decided to take the drain pump apart before buying a new one, and he found a big pink sock (left) stuck deep inside. We still aren't sure how it possibly could have gotten in there! I looked at the sock and swore up and down that I had never seen a sock in that size and color before. Mom thought maybe it was one of Shane's that started white and turned pink because of whatever drained through it. That night I looked through a bag I keep of lone socks and found the original (right). Smaller, pinker, and at the BOTTOM of the bag. That sock must have been in the pump for months! </div>
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Then, not too long later, I was using the blender to make part of our supper. I smelled burning, took the blender jar off, and saw the base motor smoking. I threw it outside and huffed and puffed a little longer about another appliance biting the dust. This may have even been before the washer was fixed (for FREE, thanks for persisting Nathan!). Nathan and Dad took it apart after it cooled down to see if they could fix it, but it was DOA. Shane was out there helping the big guys--he pal-ed around with them all weekend and it was amazing to see him light up with all the male attention.</div>
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We stayed up late on the fourth after a nice supper of bean burgers, potato salad, and black bean brownies. Fireworks were cancelled in our area due to the hurricane effect storms that had been expected, so we hung out on the back porch and enjoyed the nice cool evening. Below you can see "the boys" working on (taking over) my project--but more on that in another post!</div>
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Saturday we hit the beach bright and early. No pictures, but lots of fun! Daddy took Shane out and broke waves with him for quite a while. Azaria wasn't interested in much but playing in the sand. I found myself kind of nervous to go out with either of the kids. My big old belly makes me float even more easily than normal and I didn't feel comfortable trying to keep them safe. Once we got them fed and down for naps, mom took a sewing project off my hands (more on that later, too) and I worked on gluing and taping my "fix-it" pile of toys, books, and hair clips. </div>
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Once the kids got up from their naps mom and I took them to Chik-fil-A to play in the play place while the men watched a movie. I love how clean Chik-fil-A keeps their play place!</div>
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Eventually the guys met up with us and we were treated to an amazing dinner at Red Lobster. Thanks so much mom and dad! The kids went down to sleep straight away, and mom went to bed soon after. The rest of us watched Grownups 2. It was so funny! We went to early service at church Sunday so my parents could get on the road sooner. We stopped at a couple shops on the way home from church, and after a quick lunch they were headed back to Ohio and I headed back to church for a meeting. </div>
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Thanks for making that huge drive, guys! We wish you could've stayed longer, but we are so glad you came!</div>
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<br />Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-1720274836602196412014-06-30T17:03:00.002-05:002014-06-30T17:03:42.723-05:0024 Weeks and Star Spangled Babies Shower<br />
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24 Weeks is always an exciting time--24 weeks is considered Viability! Viability, meaning that's about the earliest a doctor would try to save a baby if you were to give birth, or that the baby would be able to survive. 28 weeks is actually better in terms of baby's prognosis but 24 weeks is a good milestone to reach.</div>
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<br />The babies may weight about 1 and 1/3 lb, and be about a foot long. Their movement is amazing! That has always been my favourite part of pregnancy, but it's even more mind blowing now when I feel one kick, and then the other kick back, and the squirming and the somersaulting! I love to try to picture them "playing" with each other. At the last scan one of the twins was head down and one was breech. The U/S Tech also changed her mind about which twin was A and which was B. At our 20 week scan, Dani was A, and on my right; Dean was B, and on my left. At our 14 week scan Dean was A, on my right, and Dani was B, on my left. At the quick heartbeat check at my 23 week visit, they were back to the 14 week position. Who knows what they will be next time! I guess I'll find out tomorrow--I have another growth scan! (I have a growth ultrasound every four weeks, and a checkup every two.)<div>
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The above picture kind of gives you a better idea than a cantaloupe as to their size. I really don't feel as though there are two babies that size in there. I actually feel like I don't really look pregnant at all to people who don't know it's not just fat, but I guess I do since I've been getting a lot of "when are you due?!" questions. And then I walk past a mirror and I'm like, nope, that doesn't look like pudge!</div>
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It seems like everywhere I go people ask me how I feel and I'm not always sure what to say. I feel fine, but I think people expect me not to! Honestly, I seem to kind of go in waves. Last week I think we maybe had a growth spurt, and my belly hurt and I was tired. This week I have a little more energy, and about a two page to do list. Overall? I really couldn't complain at all. I'm having twins. I'm going to be uncomfortable, and as the weeks pass I'm going to get even more uncomfortable! I think I'll save the complaining for when I really need sympathy, and continue to say I feel great for now. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whoa. There's a difference!</td></tr>
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<br />At 23 weeks the babies were supposedly the size of grapefruit. Grapefruit to Cantaloupe seems like a big size jump, but I supposed they are going to be putting on a lot of weight now. The big happening of week 23 was I completely forgot to go to the endocrinologist. Oops! Rescheduled, but it's a month away.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nNGeWl5DZ40/U7HI7gjP42I/AAAAAAAABaA/eVI9t_zmgJU/s1600/IMG_0964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nNGeWl5DZ40/U7HI7gjP42I/AAAAAAAABaA/eVI9t_zmgJU/s1600/IMG_0964.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">23 Weeks--Grapefruit</td></tr>
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<br />I don't have a size comparison picture for 22 weeks, because the fruit was supposed to be papaya and the only time I ever bought one of those in the US I nearly barfed trying to eat it. It was not the papaya of my childhood! Suffice to say, I wasn't about to waste money buying two of them.</div>
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<b>STAR SPANGLED BABIES </b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3SeCFuC1AIM/U7HNXKwRmOI/AAAAAAAABbA/3jGc0cXhnpg/s1600/IMG_20140610_122435_072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3SeCFuC1AIM/U7HNXKwRmOI/AAAAAAAABbA/3jGc0cXhnpg/s1600/IMG_20140610_122435_072.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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I was very blessed in early June to be a part of a baby shower, Star Spangled Babies, hosted by Operation Homefront. Sign ups were online and filled up within about two hours, so I must've gotten in in the nick of time! There there were around 125 ladies there, either due soon or with teeny tiny newborns. Once we signed in we filed through a front room of pregnancy and mother related services booths--babywearing, nursing, doula, formula, WIC, and a couple of others that I can't remember. They also had an area set up where a local photographer took a maternity portrait of each of us (which reminds me, I never got my link to get mine! Hmmm.) She wasn't allowed to give out her name or info, but I figured out later in the afternoon that she was a photographer Nathan had told me about months and months ago--who happens to be the wife of his chief! We had quite a nice conversation near the candy bar. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photography was done by <a href="http://www.sassysnapz.com/#!/Sassy_Snapz_Photography_Studio" target="_blank">Sassy Snapz</a></td></tr>
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Eventually we went through a buffet for a delicious lunch, played some fun games, filed through the candy bar (I shouldn't have spent so much time talking to the photographer--all that was left by the time I got there were two Dove chocolates! Which were delicious, by the way), and got started on the raffle!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Candy Bar</td></tr>
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<br />The big ticket items (things like swings or pack n plays) were given away by raffle. I would guess maybe 25 women won. Then we had a speaker, and were released to another room to receive our shower gifts--a 31 diaper bag filled with baby gifts, and a second gift bag full of "essentials". Twin mommies got double, since they had a few extra things. The biggest surprise was that we were each taking home a brand new Evenflo car seat!! I nearly cried, what a great gift! It was fun to get together with other ladies and shower our babies.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super cute decorations!</td></tr>
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Oh, and I nearly forgot, I made it into the news spot! My two seconds of fame. Literally, I'm at 22 and 23 seconds--polka dot shirt and curly hair. Check it out <a href="http://www.wvec.com/my-city/vabeach/Military-wives-moms-treated-to-star-spangled-baby-shower-262547501.html" target="_blank">here</a> if you want to see.<br />
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Here are a pictures of some of the goodies I brought home. Thanks so much, Operation Homefront!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two diaper bags and two gift bags</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two new car seats for when the babies are a little older</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup of the boy set--they didn't have girl left so I got boy and gender neutral.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uQGOYiMP_DE/U7HI2Cw7ReI/AAAAAAAABZo/KP-QWEE0quU/s1600/IMG_0895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uQGOYiMP_DE/U7HI2Cw7ReI/AAAAAAAABZo/KP-QWEE0quU/s1600/IMG_0895.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the loot from the bags</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two handmade baby quilts.</td></tr>
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And there you have it folks, you're caught up!</div>
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Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-3631723991950130182014-06-04T21:54:00.000-05:002014-06-04T21:56:07.336-05:00Twin Gender Reveal: Then and Now<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Part 1, April 21st, 2014</b></div>
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What will they be?</div>
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I'm not publishing this post until I get confirmation at my next ultrasound, since we found out so early, but on April 21st we went to an elective ultrasound for an anniversary present. I'd wanted to get one while I was in Ohio for <a href="http://mommybecoming.blogspot.com/2014/04/graduation-weekend.html" target="_blank">my Dad's graduation</a>, since my mom hasn't ever gotten to see an ultrasound or one of my ultrasounds, but that plan changed when Nathan was unable to get leave to come along. I didn't think it was fair to potentially find out the twins' genders if he couldn't be there, so we did the next best thing. We went to the ultrasound and got a video to take her to see!<br />
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I was shocked, since I was only 14 weeks, but the sonographer was absolutely certain of what she was seeing. She told us the genders! The twins were so sweet and active--one was cuddled up to it's placenta and one was punching and kicking the other.<br />
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Before we went, Shane helped me sort out pink and blue candies to put in two little eggs for a gender reveal. We had to use plastic eggs since, after all, it was right after <a href="http://mommybecoming.blogspot.com/2014/04/easter.html" target="_blank">Easter!</a><br />
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Shane loves to sort things...especially when you get a piece as a reward after!</div>
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So when I got home that night I filled my little Easter eggs and packed them up to take to Ohio...where the kids gave them to my parents!</div>
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And the babies are...</div>
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...One of each! Wahoo!</div>
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I know these pictures are hard to understand. This twin was the one cuddling the placenta, which is that large blob. Head on the left.</div>
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The twins have been spooning each other in every ultrasound so far. Hope that continues all the way to a double vertex delivery!</div>
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<b>Part 2, June 2nd, 2014</b></div>
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Now that I've had my "official" anatomy scan I'm glad to be able to finally publish this post. Both twins look healthy and whole. The difference is that twin A is actually our girl, Dani, and twin B is actually our boy, Dean. Dani (A) is estimated to weigh 12 ounces, and Dean (B) is estimated to weigh 14 ounces. Both placentas are posterior (toward my back) and both were extremely active during the ultrasound. At one point when the tech was trying to measure Dean's humerus he was kicking to fast that his legs were little blurs! For the first time the babies aren't spooning each other: Dani is head down, Dean is feet down, and both were kicking each other in the head the whole time. In the picture below Dani has her hand up by her cheek.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dani, Twin A</td></tr>
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The tech was really nice about explaining what she was looking at and measuring and thanks to my Anatomy and Physiology class I was following along really well. She didn't have a very good sense of humor though. As I laid down on the table I told her I hoped she didn't find a third hiding in there, and snickered. She very seriously told me that it was highly unlikely, and if I was having triplets I would have found out at the same ultrasound in which I found out I was carrying twins. Ooooookay. I didn't make any more jokes! I was grateful to her for her explanations though.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dean, Twin B</td></tr>
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I wanted the big littles to be involved in helping introduce "their" babies, but they were more interested in playing with the balloons. I just LOVE how excited Shane is. He tells every random person he meets that hes having two babies; one for sister and one for him, and he'll share with me sometimes. He plans on sharing his bed with "his" baby. Azaria doesn't get it quite as much, but she loves to pat my tummy and say "babies", and then try to look under my shirt to find them.<br />
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I have about 15 funny outtakes, but I'll spare you and just share one. They were bouncing their balloons together so much that the above is the only one where they were still!</div>
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<br />Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-38654746049189933822014-05-30T08:00:00.000-05:002014-05-30T08:00:06.634-05:0020 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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20 Weeks! Halfway again. Or, it would be halfway if I were having a singleton pregnancy.</div>
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This week we change the way we measure the babies: we're going from head to rump to head to toe measurements. They babies should be about 10 inches now, and about 10.5 ounces--about the size of a banana. They are practicing swallowing and starting to produce meconium.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Sorry, the kids ate all the bananas so you are stuck with my frozen smoothie/ice cream bananas. Also, I'm not sure if I still have toes but since I can mostly walk without falling down I am assuming so.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Said bananas were extremely cold, and Shane was not happy to have to hold them. Also, both kids were having an apple when I wanted to take these pictures so here you see my ten seconds they gave me to snap a picture.</td></tr>
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Waaaaay back in my <a href="http://mommybecoming.blogspot.com/2014/04/13-weeks-4-days-second-trimester.html" target="_blank">13 week update</a> I talked a little bit about how uneasy I felt through much of my first trimester, knowing how many things could go wrong. I was thinking this morning about how much that's changed, about how I feel so relaxed about this pregnancy now and confident that things will be ok. Peace that passes all understanding, for sure! It also helps that I can feel regular movement now. Goals for the pregnancy are to stay off bedrest, make it to full term, have to babies that don't have to spend time in the NICU, and deliver both vaginally. Lofty maybe, but what's life without goals!</div>
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The most exciting part of the week for me is that I started feeling movement from the outside last Thursday (19 weeks 1 day)! So cool. On Sunday I even videoed them moving but it's not very clear. I think I'm feeling them both although I always feel the movement really low while I can feel the hard lump of one somersaulting high on my right side, often even wedging into my right ribcage. Because of that I've wondered several times if righty has an anterior placenta and I'm really only feeling movement from one baby, so I guess we'll find out at my anatomy scan next week. Nathan still hasn't felt them because he's never in bed with me during their busy time. </div>
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In way less thrilling news, I took my three hour glucose test last Friday. The three hour test is more complicated than the one hour: you fast after midnight, get a blood draw, drink 100mL of the most disgusting straight sugar in a drink you've ever tasted, and then get your blood drawn three more times. The first hour, I was sick to my stomach, dizzy, shaky, and "high". The second hour was mostly ok. The third hour I crashed, could barely keep my eyes open, and by the last fifteen minutes my ears were ringing, I started having tunnel vision, and I knew I was going to pass out soon. I kept telling myself, just get through or you'll have to do this again. Just get through. I laid there with my eyes shut until my timer rang for the last blood draw, walked to the lab as slowly and carefully as possible, and sat down. The lady asked if I as okay and asked her to take my blood as quickly as possible and get me a juice! She got me a juice and some crackers and I sat in the waiting room for a little while until I was able to see clearly. I was pretty wiped out for the day after that...it's such an unrealistic test, if you ask me.<br />
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To sandwich the bad between the good, I also found a maternity swimsuit that fits and has plenty of room to grow in the tummy, managed to get WIC, and took a tour of the Labor and Delivery Unit at our hospital. I was encouraged to hear that the nurse giving the tour is also a Doula (and the Doula certifier for our area!) as well as being one of the two hospital lactation consultants. I think it would be a huge boon to have her as my nurse, so I'll be praying for that! In trying to see the positive, I think that the benefit of delivering in an L&D unit associated with a midwife run birth center is that the nurses are used to working with midwives and tend to do things and be open to doing things more naturally. For example, during the tour we were told the the nurses encourage movement and position changes during labor. There were several other things we were told that were great, and I also like that they really focus on giving mommy/daddy/baby a lot of bonding time before they start doing the weighing and the bathing and all that business. They've even recently changed policy so that even C-Section moms are getting immediate skin to skin with their babies. (Obviously, everything I'm saying is based on maternal/fetal health). I still am struggling with the loss of they birth experience I had desired and birthing in a hospital, but I am praying desperately that I can still have good birth experience along with my healthy babes.<br />
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And for my final good news, I don't have gestational diabetes! I still haven't gotten a call from the office, but I remembered tonight that I could check if my results were in through the patient portal. All of my numbers were nice and low (but in a normal range), except the final number. You know, from the blood drawn as I was blacking out? Yeah, that number is 39. Normal would be from 65-139. That explains a lot! They have the final result highlighted, notated as PANIC LOW, and starred underneath as **verified by repeat analysis**. I find these results vindicating, and a confirmation that they high number from my one hour truly was <a href="http://mommybecoming.blogspot.com/2014/05/weeks-18-and-19-halfway.html" target="_blank">user error</a>. Glory Hallelujah! On to repeating the same test in seven weeks!<br />
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Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-39993866485711417402014-05-22T14:27:00.000-05:002014-05-28T14:31:30.758-05:00Weeks 18 and 19 {Halfway!}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>18 Weeks</b></div>
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Here's the requisite (Ha! Neglected!) list of questions:</div>
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<b>How far along: </b>18 weeks</div>
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<b>Size of babies: </b>5.5 inches, head to rump, and about 7 ounces--the size of a green pepper!</div>
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<b>Total Weight Gain:</b> 10 pounds. I hovered at 2-5 for the first tri, then gained a few quickly when the twins seemed to have a big growth spurt. I've not gained again since then. I don't think ten pounds is terrible for halfway through a twin pregnancy.</div>
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<b>Stretch marks: </b>No new ones. I can see mine starting to stretch back out though.</div>
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<b>Maternity clothes: </b>Always!</div>
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<b>Gender: </b>We haven't had it confirmed for certain yet, so you still have to wait to find out! ;P</div>
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<b>Movement:</b> Oh definitely! I love feeling their little pops and wiggles. </div>
<b>Sleep:</b> I don't have to get up to use the bathroom every night anymore (blessed 2nd trimester relief!) but I don't sleep very well either. My pillow is too flat, and my bed is too uncomfortable. Haha, how's that for complaining! I'm very grateful to get the amount of sleep I do, because I know it's going to be a lot less very soon!<br />
<b>What I miss:</b> Not much yet, although my hips are terribly out of place so I guess I miss walking without pain or getting "stuck" on the floor because my pelvis moves out of place. I haven't been to the chiropractor yet but I need to get in sooner rather than later!<br />
<b>Food cravings and aversions:</b> Nothing in particular. I'm really into cold watermelon. My best summer purchase this year was popsicle molds. I dice up watermelon really small, and then fill them the rest of the way with honest kids juice, which is super low in sugar. I also fill them with leftover breakfast smoothies. The kids are huge fans! I can think of about a million combinations, so I'm excited to have the whole hot summer to eat popsicles. No aversions, particularly.<br />
<b>Symptoms:</b> Not much, other than a big belly! With Shane I had horrible heartburn. With both kids I was nauseous and felt gross all first tri. So far, this has been my easiest pregnancy symptom wise, with the exception of my poor messed up pelvis. I know that I'm carrying double so the end will be hardest, but no complaints so far!<br />
<b>Best moment this week: </b>Home again after a long time away!<br />
<b>Worst moment this week:</b> Azaria SCREAMED in the car most of the way from OH to D.C. Not like crying screaming, but this thing she does where she just screams for the fun of it. Frustration, Anger, Exhaustion, Hunger, Fun, Excited; you name it, she likes to scream for it. My poor dad will probably never go on a trip with us ever again!<br />
<b>What I'm looking forward to:</b> Seeing the babies again next week.<br />
<b>Excercise this week:</b> Is that a real thing? Haha. If it doesn't involve pushing a stroller behind a three year old on a bike, or pushing two kids on two swings, it probably doesn't involve me! Haha. I like to consider chasing my kids and doing housework excercise. Shh, don't break my heart with your truths.<br />
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On the weekend in between 18 and 19 weeks we took the kids down to the boardwalk to see the pirate festival! A couple pictures of these two were so cute I couldn't help but share, even thought it's a maternity post.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">Shane was wearing the Jake and the Neverland Pirates shirt Miss Tara spoiled him with before she left. One of the activites at the pirate fest was a headscarf, beads included. And then Mommy and Daddy spoiled him a little with a wooden sword. I want to point out that we did NOT ask him to get into the stocks, he and Azaria just found this little child sized one and wanted their picture taken!</span></div>
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We might have taken them to the pirate festival, but their one true love is sand so after much begging and pirate watching we went down to the beach.</div>
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I mean, tell me these two are not the cutest things ever?! Ok, I know you think your own kids are so actually don't tell me. I'd rather live in my jaded ignorance.</div>
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<b>19 Weeks</b></div>
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Mango babies? Only if a mango is 6 inches from head to bottom! I feel that my mangoes were smaller than my green peppers, but if they'd been African mangoes they would have been a proper size! I'm also relatively sure that my mangoes weighed more than my approximately 8.5 oz twinskies. In biggest news, 19 weeks is considered halfway in a twin pregnancy! Yay, halfway! </div>
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This past Thursday I went and did my one hour glucose test. For the non-pregnant among you, it's where you go drink 50 mL of glucose, wait an hour, and they test your blood sugar. I don't love the test--it made my super dizzy and shaky and "high" feeling. But I did it, and it's done, and the most wonderful part is that I had to do it early because of my twin placentas and so I have to do it again in eight or so more weeks. I also had a checkup, and the twins look fine. Or they both have heartbeats, which is apparently the same thing in pre-anatomy scan lingo.</div>
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Friday the kids and I went to visit the preschool Shane will be attending in the fall. The public school system here only does full time preschool on a needs basis, and I feel that full time is too much for a four year old. I really wanted him to go to a Christian school anyway, and so I was thrilled to find a church-based preschool under five minutes from our house. It's not going to be the easiest thing to drag four kids out of the house twice a day, but it will be so perfect for my social little man and I know he will thrive with the attention mommy might not have the ability to give him once the new babies come.<br />
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Next was yet another frustrating WIC appointment, in which I took out both kids at naptime, my proof of income was STILL not sufficient, and at which Azaria decided screaming loudly at any child that came near her or her brother would be a great way to act. Ugh. Back again next week, lets hope we can get it right next time.<br />
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Finally, I got a call from the nurse that told me I was "too sweet". As in, I failed my glucose test by three points and now I get to go back for the three hour glucose test. Sigh. As I thought about it, I realized I pretty much did it to myself. See, the nurse told me I could eat beforehand but only protein. Well, I don't really eat meat often but I thought maybe I should this time, so I grabbed some lunch meat from the commissary. I didn't think about it being honey smoked ham. High sugar protein! Then, as usual when I have to leave the house with the kids, I was in a rush and didn't get a chance to eat until after I dropped them off at my friend's house. So basically I ate a sugary food directly before I drank a sugary drink. Let's just chalk it up to a pregnancy brain mistake and stupidity! Anyway, three hour test here I come. Super-sarcastic-sounding yaaaaay.<br />
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<br />Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-63709372341827982242014-05-10T20:49:00.000-05:002014-05-10T20:49:20.003-05:00Weeks 16 and 17<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'll do a bigger update next week, but for now here's a quick Mac 'N' Cheese update.</div>
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At 16 weeks, the babies were about the size of avocados: 4.5 inches and 3.5 ounces. I was feeling movement, but not regularly and it was still very light. Babycenter told me that my uterus should be halfway between my belly button and my pubic bone. </div>
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Ha! I think Babycenter is unaware that I am on a third pregnancy, and it's twins. My uterus is more like halfway between my belly button and my ribcage! If I have a full bladder and I'm lying down, I can palpate the top of my uterus about at the bottom of my ribcage.</div>
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As usual, Azaria looks to Shane to make sure she is doing her job correctly.<br />
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At seventeen weeks, my helpers deserted me to run through the sprinkler out back with Grandma. However, the twins are supposedly the size of onions (which are smaller than my avocados, but whatevs). The babies are about five inches long, and weigh about 5 ounces. That's a nice growth spurt, and I can tell as my stomach got better and I've started feeling regular strong movement! One of the babies, A I'm guessing, can usually be felt to the lower left of my belly button. The other, B I think, is mostly often in the very top right of my uterus, in my ribs. Azaria spent most of her time lodged on my right side in my ribs, and I well remember how uncomfortable it could get!</div>
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Babies skeletons are turning from cartilage to bone now, and they are practicing sucking and swallowing. I've started to get some energy back finally, which probably has to do with the amount of naps I've been able to get while I've been staying at my parents--between one and two hours every day the first weekend, plus every day of the week that my dad was home during the kids' rest hour. It was amazing!</div>
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<br />Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-91329370673756292002014-04-28T18:31:00.000-05:002014-05-01T18:33:24.647-05:00Graduation WeekendMy Daddy graduated again this weekend! He has now earned his Master's in Social Work! I am so incredibly proud of him for all of his hard work. He graduated with a 3.98 GPA (seriously, 4.0 every semester but one and I think he got gypped!) as a returning student, while working and doing internships. I also have to give a shout out to my mom, who obviously has been working this whole time, while maintaining a household to her exacting standards of cleanliness and cooking nearly everything completely from scratch. Oh, and did I mention that eight months of this was accomplished with the insanity of me and two kids living with them?! If I've never mentioned it before, my parents are two of the hardest working people I know. I'm so very proud of them both!<br />
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Dad's graduation meant a busy week for us all. On Tuesday, the 22nd, I rushed around the house packing and after an early afternoon WIC appointment (which was completely fruitless, but that's another story!) the kids and I drove up to my brother's house in D.C. Wednesday morning I helped get their fridge cleaned out and the house picked up a little, and we loaded up the van and left for Ohio after my brother got off work.<br />
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Friday morning, we got up bright and early and headed to Cincinnati. Dad had to be there early to check in, and we wanted to only take one car so we didn't have to pay for parking. My cousin and her husband babysat the kids, so thankfully we didn't have to try to keep them occupied for hours while we waited for graduation to start! We found a coffee shop while we waited, and Miah decided he'd rather have this than a coffee.</div>
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We were sitting facing at Dad's back as he crossed the stage, so this picture was the best I could get of him! He smiled the whole way across the stage.<br />
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That evening, we all went out to dinner at a favorite restaurant called The Pub. I had an amazing appetizer called "Cheese Bollocks", and Fish and Chips. </div>
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Saturday Mom and I and the kids spent the morning at the Armpit (Walmart) and the Dollar Store getting stuff for Dad's party while Dad, Miah, and Heather went out to a shooting range. I know it's ridiculous, but those few hours of walking around had me exhausted! My mom ordered me to bed as soon as we'd gotten the kids down for naps, and she and the rest of the family spent my nap time setting up for the party. I felt guilty, since I generally help mom, but it was probably good for the rest of the family (cough my siblings cough) to step up and help out. It was a wonderful nap!<br />
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Quite a few people came, both family and friends from church and Dad's work, and my BIL did all the grilling.</div>
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My cousin Suz was able to come, but accidentally locked her keys in the car. Good thing my brother is an honest guy, because he jimmied that door open with some trash from the garage! I'd hate to know what he could have done as an alternate career if the Air Force hadn't worked out.<br />
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Oh, and did I mention that Suz is the first member of my family with whom I get to be pregnant?! It's so exciting! She's nine weeks ahead of me, and I got to feel her sweet baby girl squirming around.</div>
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What would life be like without my brother being goofy? He is, obviously, the only goofy member of our family. We were supposed to stick our bellies out, but Suz missed that part and just looks cute as ever. </div>
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"Bopbop" (my dad) made Azaria a pretty hair bow out of a balloon anchor and the fingers of a latex glove. It made her day! </div>
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We finished off the day with a rousing game of croquet! Uncle Nate won, with me following and Shane close after. </div>
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Sunday was the last day of festivities. Miah turned 24 on Saturday but since that was Dad's day we celebrated on Sunday. After church we rushed off to the flea market, then we came home Heather made Jer a nice cake, we grilled up our leftovers, and spent the evening chatting and laughing and having more fun outside in the nice weather.</div>
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The last thing we had to do was take a picture with our family dog. We got her our second year back in the United States, and she's been a great dog. Amazing with kids, gentle, sweet, and loyal. She used to like to roll in dead deer, and never did learn to stay away from skunks and porcupines. She would bring home "treasures" to my dad--most memorably one of a pair of nice leather welding gloves. We went up and down the road but never did find out who it belonged to! She used to go hiking and snowshoeing with me, and later with my sister. When we moved away from our home in rural NY she went to live with my sister and her husband, and now she's 12 ( I think). She's in constant pain from cancer and I don't even know what all else, and it's her time. They'll be euthanizing her in two weeks. I am so glad that I got to say goodbye to her and that my kids have gotten to play with her throughout their lives. I really couldn't imagine a better dog! Goodbye Cadet, we all love you.</div>
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Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-39570525423565306242014-04-23T10:01:00.000-05:002014-05-07T10:03:26.914-05:00Weeks 14 and 15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">14 WEEKS</span></div>
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At 14 weeks, the twins have hit about 3.5 inches and 1.5 ounces. Their kidneys are working now, so they can pee, and they are also learning to squint, frown, and possibly even suck their thumbs! </div>
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Isn't it incredible what God made our bodies to create?! And of course, here's a little outtake from my "helpers". Shane gets what we're doing and enjoys it, and Azaria is always like...huh? Chew on a lemon? Ok mom, sure thing.</div>
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This was a pretty uneventful week. I was still in D.C., and extremely exhausted. In a way it was nice that I was in DC, because I was much less busy. In fact, I often took the route of easy parenting and let the kids watch TV in the morning, then we went for walks and to the park in the afternoon. For some reason, the guest bed at my brother's house (which was my twin bed as a high schooler) is the most comfortable place I sleep. I took an amazing nap while I was there! Over the weekend my SIL had some houseguests from Germany. They spent most of the time out sightseeing, but we enjoyed talking to them in the mornings and evenings. One the last night there their family had a BBQ out by a volleyball court, and the kids played in the sand there for a couple hours. They are the family of one of my brothers friends, and several more of his friends were at the BBQ. It was a fun evening, and not awkward since these friends come over nearly every time I visit. One of them has been in love with Azaria since she was an infant. It's pretty cute. One of the guys got a new girlfriend, who seemed like a nice girl but she did ask me if I knew how babies were made, and said she'd go live in a psych ward if she had to deal with two older kids plus twins. So, maybe not as nice as she first seemed. I laughed it off instead of being a smart aleck, as I'm sure I'll get quite a lot of not so kind remarks throughout this pregnancy. My friend Tara told me early on that the way people react isn't a reaction to me but rather how they would feel if they were in my position. So I don't usually take people's comments personally. She also painted me a lovely word picture of the fun I'll have with the twins, which was such an encouragement then and I'm sure will be during sleepless nights to come!</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">15 WEEKS</span></div>
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At this point the babies are about the size of an apple, 4 inches long from crown to rump, and about 2.5 ounces. Unfortunately we don't have an apple picture for you, because my apples were teeny tiny! I buy them small so the littles don't waste them when they get full, but there was no point in taking a picture of something smaller than lemons!</div>
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This was an incredibly busy week for me. I went back home for a week to go to a bunch of appointments before we traveled to Ohio. We drove home on Wednesday, and on Wednesday evening I had scheduled a tour of the Labor and Delivery ward where the twins will be born. When I scheduled the tour online the webpage said children were welcome, which was great and Shane got excited to see where babies are born. Unfortunately Nathan ended up having to fly that night, which I didn't know when I scheduled the tour, so I was going to have to take both kids and go alone. So, that morning I traveled home (and had several rude interactions with strangers, which I won't go into but it didn't have me in the best mood). I had to go to the commissary before I went to the house, then Nathan called and asked me to bring him a late lunch before he flew. Finally we got home and tried to get ready to go, but we were running late and I was pretty worn out at that point already. I got to the tour about two minutes late, but it was fine because they hadn't started yet. What wasn't fine, however, was that I wasn't supposed to have my kids there! Apparently you are only supposed to take your kids the last week of the month! They were both packed into the stroller with snacks and toys to entertain them, so after some discussion the nurse kindly said that we could try taking them, and I said I'd just leave if they became disruptive. I had a lump in my throat already--I was embarassed, and being tired never does anything good for me. So the tour finally started, and we all went to the elevators. I didn't fit with everyone, since I had the big stroller, and I said I'd take the next elevator. Once they got in and the doors shut, I pressed the button. Wouldn't you know, it opened the door back up? The nurse poked her head out and told me I needed to wait until they left before I pushed the button. I swallowed another lump of embarrassment tears, smiled at her, and nodded my head. It was an honest mistake; there are three or four elevators and I just thought it would call another one. I instantly decided that if every little thing was going to make me want to cry then I needed to just go home. I asked a nurse going up to let the L&D nurse know I would just reschedule, and practically ran out of there. Once I got to the parking lot the tears hit. I put the kids in the car with Shane of course asking me why can't he see where the babies are born, why, why, why? Then I sat there and cried for about five minutes. Pathetic, I know--extremely so, but I'm cutting myself a little slack here with double the hormones and a large side of exhaustion. I passed out that night at nine o'clock.</div>
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Thursday as part of my housecleaning and preparing to go to Ohio I decided it was time to switch my closet from normal clothes to maternity clothes.</div>
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Nathan, of course, made some smart remark about how now I'm getting all my nice clothes out. He hates my wardrobe! If I'm being honest, I do too. But there's always other places our money needs to go, and since I was losing weight I didn't want to buy things that I would shrink out of anyway. Now I just get to do that all over again! </div>
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Then on Friday I had an appointment at the endocrinologist to see what's going on with my thyroid. My levels are still off, but only slightly, so they are going to check my blood work again in two months and monitor me. The Dr. said she believes it's pregnancy related and should be normal again soon. Whew! Friday was also our sixth anniversary, which we celebrated by doing absolutely nothing.</div>
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Monday was my normal OB appointment. The twins look great, I look great, the kids acted great while we were there and Shane was excited to see babies. It was the cutest thing, we got to see one of the twins sucking its thumb!</div>
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We also saw that the twins are spooning each other, and got a picture of their heads all cuddled up close. One baby is lying down, and the other baby's head is on the left.</div>
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Monday evening we had a very special appointment, the kind of appointment where you get to see your babies and find out their genders! Happy anniversary to us!</div>
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Unfortunately for you all, you have to wait to find out until I get it confirmed at my next ultrasound. The tech said she was sure, but it was very early to find out so I want to double check!</div>
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Finally, Tuesday was our absolutely fruitless WIC appointment. In the morning I rushed around, finishing laundry and packing, and finding all of our paperwork to take to the WIC appointment. I loaded the car and we headed out early. It was a good thing I was early, because I went to the wrong goverment building and had to go to a different one. Of course, by the time I got there I was five minutes late, but they didn't mind so I filled out some paperwork and we waited. The waiting room there has some fun toys and books and Shane was being such a social butterfly enjoying the other children. It was so sweet! Finally it was my turn and I took all my papers to the lady...who told me that my proof of income was not acceptable because Nathan is military and I'd have to reschedule (again!) and come back with a different paper. Now mind you, when I called to set up this appointment I asked specifically if this was what I needed, and I was told yes. Cue frustration and embarrassment, load the kids in the car, shed a couple tears, and make the long drive back to DC. Ugh.</div>
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So if you were keeping track, that's twice in one week I cried for no good reason, and I'm not a person who cries often. Apparently it's a nice cocktail of exhaustion and hormones. I wasn't like that in my other pregnancies, but I guess that second baby is sending me over the edge! </div>
Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4627261383346306800.post-64282930772606688852014-04-20T22:30:00.000-05:002014-05-07T10:27:44.800-05:00Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our Easter was very laid back. I sometimes feel that Easter is too much of a second Christmas, but my goal is for the kids to know more of the real reason behind the day. That being said, it was a busy week and I was too tired to take them to any big egg hunts or celebrations anyway! </div>
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I decided that morning to make cinnamon rolls, and I let the kids help me measure everything into the Kitchenaid. Unfortunately this is an oil free vegan recipe, not a kitchenaid recipe, and the mixer just ruined my dough. Not only that, but while I turned around for two seconds to put something in the sink Azaria tossed a metal measuring cup into the bowl and the mixer got stuck, so now it's messed up and making a funny grinding noise. Sigh. I had to toss it and I was frustrated enough that I told the kids we were just having cereal! But, they were disappointed and I had promised so I whipped up a batch by hand, got it in the oven, and we finally ate breakfast at lunch time! At least they were delicious!</div>
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Mmm, cinnamon rolls, applesauce, and almond milk. Littles approved!</div>
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After breakfast we had a nice warm bath, and then I pulled out some spring stickers. I had to peel them for Azaria, but Shane can do it himself.</div>
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Azaria thought she needed to smash the stickers on.</div>
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We went to church that evening, I wish I'd remembered to take a picture because we happened to all wear purple just like last Easter! After church Nathan took us out to a pizza joint he'd been wanting to try. It was better than cooking an Easter dinner! (Plus we'd had Easter dinner on Friday night with our bible study group.) Happy Easter! Christ is Risen!</div>
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<br />Mommy Becominghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02653362448386028766noreply@blogger.com0