14 weeks at-a-glance

So now I'm challenged with the task of remembering the past 14 weeks.... This is tough.

We stayed in the hospital from September 20th to September 24th. I didn't want to leave. While in the hosptial, we were visited by an amazing group of family and friends and were completely overwhelmed with their generosity.

We introduced the girls to their new home on Saturday, September 24th- the day after Chris' and my 5 year wedding anniversary. I can't imagine a more perfect anniversary gift!

On Sunday, September 25th, the girls went for their first walk through the neighborhood. It was BEAUTIFUL out! Sunny, warm, blue skies. Mother Nature obviously knew two amazing babies had just entered the world and wanted to impress them.

Chris stayed home with us until the following Thursday when he had to go back to work. I felt homesick when he left. My family unit was broken up and I felt completely off. Luckily my mom was there to help me for the first few days.

Andy surprised us at my front door the last weekend of Sept. My mom and I were sitting on the couch and the doorbell rang.... it was Uncle Andy!! Cue the tears...

Uncle Ryan also came to visit the same weekend. It was a complete Blandfee reunion.

At 10 days old, the girls took their first trip out of the house. We were on the hunt for baby Browns gear and traveled to two Old Navy's and Target in search of the perfect apparel.

Their first restaraunt experience was on the patio of Chipotle around 2 weeks old. They were perfect angels.

Over the course of the next several weeks, we had many visitors so excited to meet our beautiful baby girls! And we were thrilled to show them off!

I tried to get into a groove pretty early on. We'd wake up and eat in our bedroom. When they fell back to sleep, I would take a shower and pump. Eventually, we'd head down to the living room where we spent the remainder of the day.

I can't exactly remember when, but we eventually transitioned bedtime into a process of the girls sleeping in our bedroom with the monitor on while we stayed in the living room. This was tough... really tough. Before this, they would stay in the living room with us until we were all ready for bed. This way, I could sit and stare at them nearly 24/7. Moving them to the bedroom was a good idea though. It started establishing a bedtime routine. Around 9-10 weeks, the girls started sleeping longer at night and we were able to elliminate one of our middle-of-the-night feedings.

At around 12 weeks, we started transitioning them into their own room. This was WAY harder on mom than it was on babies. Our routine became eating around 8:00 and bedtime right after. They'd sleep for a long stretch in their cribs and around 4 am would wake up and come into our room with us. Baby steps for mom...

So that brings us up to now.... they are 14 weeks old and here's what they're up to:
Ellie talks. all. the. time. She laughs and coos and giggles and smiles. You cannot help but laugh.

Charlotte LOVES to stick out her tongue. She'll do it all day long. She'll give you a smile, but you have to work for it and even then it's likely more of a smirk... much like her daddy.

Both girls can now roll over from their bellies to their backs! Charlotte did it for the first time on December 21st- one day after her 3 month birthday. Ellie followed suit soon after on Christmas day!

They eat around 5.5-6 ounces every 3 hours.

They go to bed around 8:00 and sleep until 2:00 am (sometimes longer). They'll take their binkie and go right back to sleep. 4:00 am - 7:00 am is a little dicey sometimes as they reapidily lose their binkies.

They LOVE to be naked! Nakie baby time is their favorite. They'll wiggle and dance. If they are fussy (fussy time = 5 pm - 7 pm), nakie baby time calms them down nearly every time.

They love bathtime and get a bath every other day in the kitchen. We put their tub on the kitchen sink, bathe them there and use the island to dry and dress them. It's worked out perfectly so far.

They've begun grasping things and love putting their entire fists in their mouths.

About mommy:

My body has been a little less than cooperative since giving birth. My guess is that my nutrients are leaving me through my breastmilk and my defenses are a little lower than usual. At a couple weeks old, I developed mastitis for the first time. It's when a plugged milk duct becomes infected and results in breast pain and a fever. It's treated with antibiotics. I went to the doc, got some meds and felt better almost instantly. A couple weeks later... it came back. My fever spiked at 103, but quickly went away. NEXT, the top of my foot randomly became numb. It turns out that because my pelvis is trying to reposition itself, I likely have a pinched nerve. THEN I got a double ear infection and my right ear drum ruptured. O.U.C.H. THEN my Crohn's had a mini-flare and I got pouchitis. THEN my ear infection came back in my left ear. Because of my pouchitis, I was unable to feed the girls my breast milk, so I was forced to pump and dump for about 3 weeks until the meds were gone and out of my system. I'm finally able to feed them again and am super thankful to be back at it.

Phew, okay I think that's it. I'm on the mend now and am hoping my string of bad health is over!

And babies make four...

On Tuesday, September 20, 2011 Charlotte Kelly and Elliot Marie entered the world. It was- without question- the very best day of our lives.

I'll try and be as brief as possible in telling their birth story...
Tuesday morning was my regularly-scheduled, weekly appointment. I went in at 10:00- Chris met me there. We must have had a feeling it was time as he usually didnt join me for my weekly appts.

The nurse took my blood pressure and it was high, so she took it again.... still high. A few minutes later, the doc entered. He took my BP and once again, it was high. We chatted for a moment and Chris said, "Doctor, do what you have to do to deliver these babies today." The doc gathered up his things and said, "I'll be right back." We could hear him in the hallway talking, but couldn't exactly make out what he was saying. A few minutes later, he reappeared. He began talking about high blood pressure and pre-E. He explained that in order for me to deliver, I needed to go home and wait for a few hours then come back. If my BP was still on the rise, I was to head to St. Ann's for a c-section. The bad news.... my regular OB would not be there to deliver as she was in a conference. I was devastated. Dr. R HAD to be the one to deliver! And she was going to be the one to notify Dr. J! How would Dr. J know to come to the delivery if Dr. R wasn't there!?

I left the OB in a haze and immediately called my mom to cry about Dr. R. I raced home and gathered things for the hospital and cleaned up the house a bit.... just in case. At noon, Chris came home and loaded the car. We had a repeat appointment at 1:00 that day to re-check my BP. The verdict was- if my BP was still high- C/S. If it had gone down- it was back home and wait a little longer.

We arrived right around 1:00. The nurse came in and checked my BP one last time. I had a terrible feeling it had gone down and my hope of delivering that day was over. (now let me just say, that I didnt want my BP to be dangerously high at all.... I just wanted it high enough to warrent a delivery).

A few agonizing minutes later, the doc appeared and instantly said to head to the hospital. My c-section was scheduled for 4:00 pm! Holy hell, we're having some babies!!!He then went on to say.... Dr. R would be there afterall! And if that wasn't amazing enough.... so would Dr. J!

So we jumped in the car and called our parents to tell them to head to the hospital. I don't think either of our moms stopped long enough to blink before racing to the hospital.

We arrived around 1:30, went up to the 3rd floor, and registered. We were taken back to a triage room where I changed into a gown and was hooked up to monitors galore. It turns out I was contracting about every 1-4 minutes, but they weren't really strong enough to do anything. In triage the nurse took my medical history and got me prepped for my c/s. Dr. R made an appearance and explained that we were stalling for Dr. J who had a 5:00 appt and would be in right after.

So we waited, and waited, and waited for what seemed like 3 weeks. Finally around 4:30, I was taken back to the OR. Chris had to stay behind until I was prepped and ready to go. I'll spare the complete details of the OR, but basically, they numbed me from the armpits down and put a curtain up in front of my face. Chris came in and sat holding my hand. Then they got to work...

They were very careful with my incision because of my past surgeries. A few minutes into surgery, Dr. J appeared! When she walked in, I just looked at her crying and said "thank you." I shudder to think where we'd be without her...

Then, a few minutes later, at 5:08 PM, the most beautiful Baby A to ever exist entered the world. I could hear her cry before I could see her. They lifted her up over the curtain so I could see my amazing little miracle and I've never felt such a rush of emotions in all my life- and imagine I never will again. She was perfect. Healthy, plump, pink, and LOUD! No need to worry about that little one's lung development! Chris cut the cord and just moments later... the most beautiful Baby B to ever exist entered the world. Meeting Baby B is a little more of a blur as the OR had gotten a bit hectic at that point. There were nurses caring for babies and doctors caring for me and people taking pictures.... it was perfection.

I could see Baby A from where I was laying. She was in her bed and was so pink and so healthy. I just couldn't get over it. Chris eventually brought both of my little miracles over to me for the first time. I was in awe. How is it possible that these two perfect little beings are mine?! How is it possible that I get to take them home?!

After surgery was finished, I was taken to triage where Chris and OUR BABIES were waiting. Dr. J and Dr. R came in got to hold them. Then we called in the parents... I can't remember exactly how it happened but I imagine there were quite a few tears... and several thousand pictures. Eventually, Chris went down to the 2nd floor for the babies' first baths and I was cleaned up a bit myself.

You're probably wondering why I havn't called the babies by name yet... that's because at this point, we still hadn't decided on names for our little girls! We were pretty confident in Elliot Marie for Baby B, but were still trying to decide between Emma and Charlotte for Baby A... We were so unsure, we continued to call them Baby A and Baby B for several hours after their birth. Finally, with lots of votes from family and nurses, we officially decided on Charlotte Kelly for Baby A and Elliot Marie for Baby B.

The rest of that first evening is a complete blur to me. I know I held them, I know I nursed them, I know I walked for the first time post-surgery. But other details come and go. What I will never forget, is seeing them for the very first time and hearing their very first cries of life. I will never forget the instant love I felt for them and the love that grows stronger and stronger each and every day.

In sum:
Charlotte Kelly was born on Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at 5:08 PM, weighing 5 lbs, 14 oz and measuring 18 inches long.

Elliot Marie was born on Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at 5:09 PM, weighing 6 lbs, 10 oz and measuring 19 inches long.

So it's official... after three long years and many tears, our baby girls are finally here!

36....

Far along: 36 weeks, 4 days
How big are the babies: Still unsure. I'm hoping they're around 5.5-6 lbs by now.
Total weight gain: ~46 total
Maternity clothes: Is it unacceptable to wear the same pair of sweat pants everywhere I go?
Sleep: It's bad. Very bad.
Gender: Team Pink!
Movement: Still lots of movement.
Food cravings: None really.
What I miss: Rolling over in bed with ease.
What I'm looking forward to: Meeting my babies!!!
Milestones: We are so so close!!!
Symptoms: Exhaustion, swelling, exhaustion, uncomfortableness, exhaustion...

We have an official c section date: 9/28, unless I go before then which my OB thinks I will. My mom is predicting this weekend and several people at work think it'll happen this week. I really hope they're right! I'm so ready to meet my little pumpkins. However..... I really will miss being pregnant. This may be my one and only time being pregnant and, though I'm uncomfortable now, I've loved every. single. second.

What I'll miss:

• Looking down and seeing my baby bump
• Feeling them move around
• Hiccups
• How easy it is to take care of them
  
• How protected they are from the outside world
  
• Watching my body change every week
• Experiencing something I wondered if I'd ever get to experience in life
  
• Watching them in ultrasounds change from embryos to babies
  
• Getting to eat what I want with little-to-no guilt
• How nice everyone is... even complete strangers
• Parking in the maternity spot at work

That list really doesn't even begin to capture how much I've loved this experience. I guess I can't label it exactly.... It's just been the most amazing, mind-boggling, surreal, fantastic, uplifting, exciting, miraculous, astonishing, life-altering experience I have ever been through. If I could go and do it all over again, I'd do it again in a heartbeat...... or two.

35/35

I hit mile-marker 35/35 on Saturday. Which means 35 weeks and 35 days to go. This is a pretty big milestone on the board, of course it's only 35/20 for me (or around that) because of our 38 week cutoff.

It's been 3 years- almost exactly- since we started trying for a family... and now we're just days away from meeting our little pumpkins. And after a completely uneventful and uncomplicated pregnancy (knock on wood) to boot. How could we be luckier? It's just so surreal to think of how far we've come and how close we are to meeting our little girls...

Far along: 35 weeks, 5 days
How big are the babies: We haven't checked in a couple weeks, but they are supposed to be gaining about 1/2 a lb a week now.
Total weight gain: ~44 total
Maternity clothes: I don't want to talk about it....
Sleep: I'm becoming increasingly uncomfortable, so sleep is becoming increasingly difficult.
Gender: Team Pink!
Movement: Tons of movement! They really have to be running out of space in there.
Food cravings: None really.
What I miss: Moving around with ease- sitting, standing, walking, bending, etc.
What I'm looking forward to: I am so excited to meet them. To hold them. To squish them. To hug and kiss them. Etc. Etc. Etc.
Milestones: We're almost there..... If I make it to 38 weeks, we're still only talking 16 or so days.
Symptoms: Swelling, hip pain, back pain, general uncomfortableness (huh, that's actually a word)

In other news, my cousin Amber welcomed her beautiful baby boy, Jacob, to the world on Tuesday the 6th! I am so so happy for her and it just makes me that much more excited to be next in line!!

33/34

Far along: 34 weeks, 4 days
How big are the babies: As of Friday, Baby A is 4 lbs., 12 oz. and Baby B is 5 lbs., 4 oz.
Total weight gain: ~38 total
Maternity clothes: I am so sick of my maternity clothes. I refuse to buy any news ones and most of what I have doesn't fit so I'm stuck with the same 5 items every week....
Sleep: Sunday night I got around 4 hours of sleep in a row! It was amazing!
Gender: Team Pink!
Movement: Still lots of movement! And lots of hiccups. It's the coolest thing ever.
Food cravings: None really right now.
What I miss: Sleep.
What I'm looking forward to: I'm really getting excited to see what they look like.
Milestones: We have an end date! If Baby A stays breech, we're scheduling a c-section for on or around Sept 24th. If she turns before then we'll just wait and see what happens. Either way, we're going to meet our babies by Sept 24th!
Symptoms: Tons of leg/feet/ankle swelling; generally uncomfortable; ligament pain; hip pain when I sleep; exhaustion.

Week 33....
Of course I can't remember. We had our weekly appt with Dr. R on Friday and an u/s. We didn't get any good pics of the girls bc they are so squished together. Both are measuring great though. That was likely our last u/s. It's too bad we got so few throughout this process.... 17 ultrasounds just isn't enough (sarcasm).

Weeks 31 & 32...

Far along: 32 weeks, 2 days
How big are the babies: Last time we checked, Baby A was 3 lbs, 7 oz. and Baby B was 4 lbs, 3 oz.! Keep on growing little ones!
Total weight gain: ~32 total
Maternity clothes: All maternity pants. Still clinging to about 3 non-mat shirts
Sleep: What's sleep?
Gender: Team Pink!
Movement: They have been super active lately! I can tell they are both breech still by the way I'm being kicked pretty low and I can feel their heads up high pretty often.
Food cravings: Still ice cream. But I really need to watch my sugar intake.
What I miss: Sleep.
What I'm looking forward to: As cliche as it sounds- I look forward to every day they are still in me. I love being pregnant and am not ready for it to end.
Milestones: We are down to less than 60 days till our due date.
Symptoms: Swelling, exhaustion, back pain

31 week update...
Week 31 is a total blur. I really can't remember what happened. I did get to hang out with little Foster and his mommy on Friday night, so that was fun!! He's so cuddly and adorable! It's hard to believe that very soon, I'll have two little outsides babies to squish and love on!!

Maternity Pics...

I just realized I never posted maternity pictures! Here are a few of my favorites....

Far along: 30 weeks, 4 days
How big are the babies: Last time we were at the dr. Baby A was 2.5 lbs and Baby B was 3 lbs.
Total weight gain: 30 total, so far...
Maternity clothes: All maternity pants. Still clinging to about 3 non-mat shirts
Sleep: What's sleep?
Gender: Team Pink!
Movement: I feel like it's slowed down slightly. I'm guessing they are starting to run out of room.
Food cravings: Sugar, sugar, and more sugar.
What I miss: Sleep.
What I'm looking forward to: Visiting Foster tomorrow!
Milestones: We have hit our 30s..... so crazy.
Symptoms: Swollen feet/ankles, achy back, exhaustion, exhaustion, exhaustion

My last baby shower was this week. Chris' family through it and did such a great job! The games were so fun and it was wonderful to see everyone! We are so appreciative of all that everyone has done for us throughout this pregnancy!! [pictures to come]

It's hard to believe that all my showers are done.... We got EVERYTHING we could have hoped for and so much more! Now it's all down to organizing things and returning duplicates.

Week 29 update:
We saw the dr. and everything looks great! Both babies are breech, but my doc is not worried yet. We also found out they're 2.5 and 3 lbs. I had my 1 hr glucose test only to be told that my labs were mixed up with someone else's and I had to re-take it..... only to find out I failed it and had to go in for the 3 hr. test... sigh. All is well, it was just a lot of waiting in waiting rooms.

Also, my amazing friends Mary and Jessica and my wonderful Mother in Law through me a work baby shower! I bawled at it! Mary had a speech prepared for me and made the most amazing book, ever! It had family pictures from coworkers and family/parenting advice. It was so thoughtful and heartfelt and we will cherish it forever! I am continually blown away by how remarkable the people in my life are...

Good bye SECOND tri?!?!

Well, time just keeps on slippin slippin slippin into the future. I can't believe it but I'm officially in my third trimester. This pregnancy has to be the fast pregnancy in the history of life. I think because I'd gotten so good at waiting and so used to time just ticking by, feeling like an eternity while trying to get pregnant, that this feels like a split-second.

So the big updates this week are 1) we had maternity pics on Saturday! My friend, Megan, and her boyfriend (who is a professional photographer) were in town from Florida and offered to take the pictures for us! They turned out more amazing than I could have ever imagined! It was such a fun day and one I'll remember forever!

2) Lindsey is being induced tonight!!! This means little Foster could be here in the next day or so!!!! I cannot wait to meet him and see who he looks like! Lindsey & Justin- we love you guys and are so happy for you and so excited we got to through this journey with you both!!

Far along: 28 weeks, 4 days
How big are the babies: Still not sure, but based on What to Expect they should be about 2.5 lbs each at this point
Total weight gain: Another 5 lbs.
Maternity clothes: All maternity pants. The only non-mat shirts I can fit into are really long wife-beaters.
Sleep: Sleep is still bad. Very bad. I've tried everything too: body pillow, small pillow, pregnancy pillow, no pillow..... nothing.
Gender: Team Pink!
Movement: It's still pretty frequent but not constant. Someone had a Cafe Disco party today and didn't invite me though... how rude.
Food cravings: Still ice cream and lemonade. Simply Lemonade to be exact.
What I miss: My ankles.... the swelling is pretty crazy.
What I'm looking forward to: Meeting Foster Everett in the next day or so!!!
Milestones: I am in my third trimester and I cannot believe it!!!! At all!!!!
Symptoms: Swollen feet/cankles are a biggie. I swear my feet look like the bad guy's from Big Trouble in Little China. Lower back pain, hip pain when I sleep, sore feet, exhaustion, and pure elation at the thought of the two beautiful miracles thriving inside me!

Week 27 Update:
Week 27 consisted mainly of finishing the nursery! Well.... almost. We're about 98% there. We got our mattresses and the chair slipcover and finished painting the letters. So now we just need to hang the letters on the walls and finish organizing everything before the ladies arrive! I absolutely love the nursery and have gotten so many compliments on it!!!

In addition, week 27 included a visit to the amazing Dr. J and the rest of our friends at RGI. Lindsey and I went in and visited with everyone for a little while. It was amazing and so surreal! Not long ago I was sitting in that waiting room on beta day wondering how I could get through another failed IVF.... and this time I went in with my beautiful belly bump just a few short months away from welcoming two beautiful baby girls into the world. RGI and Dr. J will always have a huge space in my heart. It am confident that it is because of them that we are where we are today.

And then I start to think......... if my friend Mary hadn't turned me onto the bump.com, I never would have met Lindsey........ and if I had never met Lindsey (well many things would be different in our life) I never would have know about RGI....... and if I had never known about RGI..........................

Fate steps in.

26 and double digits....

Far along: 26 weeks, exactly
How big are the babies: Our next dr. appt isn't for a few weeks, so I'm not really sure...
Total weight gain: Okay fine.... I'm up 22 lbs. Happy now?
Maternity clothes: All maternity pants. The only non-mat shirts I can fit into are really long wife-beaters.
Sleep: Sleep has been kinda non-existent these days. My hips are just killing me. All for good reason tho!
Gender: Team Pink!
Movement: It's becoming more frequent and I love it! They seem to like my evening baths the best. That is when I can see and feel the movement the most. And now that I know Baby A is on my left and baby B is on my right, it's nice to be able to tell who is kicking each time.
Food cravings: Still ice cream and lemonade. Simply Lemonade to be exact.
What I miss: Still sleep.
What I'm looking forward to: Right now.... the 4 day weekend! Work has been ca-razy lately.
Milestones: We are officially in double digits... What this means- we have less than 100 days until my due date! I just CANNOT believe how fast this is going. If only I could stop the clock for a little bit. I'm not ready for this to be over. Another milestone was my first baby shower, last weekend- more on this below...
Symptoms: I've been very tired lately- likely due to my lack of sleep. And my hips, back, and feet tend to hurt. Otherwise I really feel amazing!

Week 25 update...
So Week 25 was amazing! Why- because I had my first baby shower!! I have imagined this shower for nearly 3 years and finally, I had it! It. was. perfect! My mom, Andrea, Amber, and Brittany all threw it for me and put so much time, effort, energy, and love into it, I can't even explain! They had multiple "planning" meetings and worked so hard the days leading up to and the day of the event. And Andrea was even willing to give up her birthday to have the shower the same day! I am one very, very, very, very, very lucky girl!



The shower was held at my mother-in-law's party house which was perfect! It was huge and held all ~40 guests with ease! Nearly everyone I invited was able to make it. The only bad part was that I didn't get nearly enough time with everyone one-on-one. It all went by so fast!

The decorations were adorable! The first thing I saw were two cute little signs by the entrance to the neighborhood with cute little booties saying "Welcome to Amie's Shower." When I got to the clubhouse, there was an adorable sign that matched the invitations that read: "Two miracles from heaven; two little girls" with pictures of little pea pods. And there was a little baby doll crib with two little baby dolls wearing our "1 of 2" and "2 of 2" onesies. Inside the clubhouse there were adorable tissue paper flowers hanging from the ceiling and flowers on each of the tables. The food table looked amazing with multiple heights to set food on and different pink and white fabrics layered in. And the cake! It was adorable!! I was bummed that my friend Stacey couldn't make it, but the lady who ended up making it did a perfect job!



And then the guests arrived.... like I said, we had around 40 people and everyone was so incredibly generous!! I invited my mom's family, my dad's family, and friends. It was so great to see everyone.



Finally.... the gifts. Holy cow! I never in a million years expected we'd get all that we did! Even my brother sent a gift (cue the tears). It took my car, my dad's truck, my mom's car, and my in-law's car to transport everything home! Just to name some of what we got:

• Our double stroller
• Both car seats
• Both bumbos
• Both boppie pillows
• Our bath tub
• Three laundry loads of clothes
• A laundry load of blankets/swaddles
• A laundry load of towels
• A Jumperoo
• Two vibrating chairs
  
• Sheets, diapers, toys, books, hygiene items, first aid items, etc. etc. etc. etc....
• And! My mom hand-made the girls coordinating quilts! She's been working on them since the moment she found out I was pregnant. I will truly cherish them forever!

Thank you to everyone who came and celebrated this amazing, perfect day with me! Thank you to my mom, Andrea, Amber & Brittany for making it happen. And thank you to everyone for your generosity. We are completely blown away!

24 weeks

Far along: 24 weeks, 5 days
How big are the babies: Baby A is 1 lb 7 oz; Baby B is 1 lb 10 oz.
Total weight gain: Let's just say, another few lbs.
Maternity clothes: All maternity pants and still a combo of non-mat and mat shirts.
Sleep: Sleep has been pretty tough lately. My hips hurt and I need to rotate quite often.
Gender: Team Pink!
Movement: It's becoming more frequent and I love it! They tend to stop moving as soon as Chris tries to feel it, unfortunately.
Food cravings: Still ice cream.
What I miss: A solid night's sleep.
What I'm looking forward to: My first baby shower on Sunday!!!!
Milestones: We hit a pretty big milestone at 24 weeks, exactly: Viability Day! The babies now have a 50% chance of survival outside of me. While I want them to stay comfy for at least another 10 weeks, I guess it's a little comforting to know they've made it to this point.
Symptoms: Still having a weird pain in my back, which I'm thinking is muscular. I've also been pretty tired lately.

Week 23 update...
I can't really remember last week. Work has been pretty busy, so it's been consuming most of my time. I do remember receiving my crib sheets! I bought three of them so I can use one for each crib and the third to make fabric inserts for wicker baskets. My mom also started working on the crib skirts and ottoman cover.



Finally, Happy early Birthday, Andrea! And Happy early 1st Birthday to my cousin Brittany's little Lily-Bug!

22 weeks

Well, like all the others, this week has flown by! And it looks like we're to the point where the fruit only changes once a month, so get used to this papaya!

Far along: 22 weeks, 6 days
How big are the babies: Baby A is about 15 oz. and Baby B is over a lb! I have 2 lbs of baby right now!
Total weight gain: I think we've also come to the point where I don't announce my weight gain anymore...
Maternity clothes: All maternity pants and still a combo of non-mat and mat shirts.
Sleep: I still get up once or twice at night and my hips hurt in the morning.
Gender: Team Pink!
Movement: Houston, we have movement! Chris has even been able to feel it at times. It's pretty freaking amazing!
Food cravings: Still ice cream.
What I miss: Hmm.... maybe a comfy night's sleep?
What I'm looking forward to: Working on the nursery some more!
Milestones: I finally picked fabric for the nursery! It will be fun to get started on the curtains and crib skirts!
Symptoms: I am having a strange pain in my upper back. The high-risk doc checked my gall bladder and it's fine, so it's either muscular or just a result of everything shifting around. I'll keep an eye on it and will ask my OB the next time I see her.

Fabric choices:
Blue = curtains; Green = crib skirts; Pink = ottoman

21 weeks and over halfway there!

Far along: 21 weeks, 5 days
How big are the babies: I wasn't at the doctor's this week so I don't know for certain, but they are the length of bananas now!
Total weight gain: I haven't weighed myself this week so I'm not sure. 12 lbs +, I'm guessing.
Maternity clothes: All maternity pants and still a combo of non-mat and mat shirts.
Sleep: I still get up once or twice at night and my hips hurt in the morning.
Gender: Team Pink!
Movement: I think maybe I'm feeling something??
Food cravings: Still ice cream.
What I miss: I guess I could go for a turkey sandwich from Jersey Mike's. I think once I hit third tri, I'll be less paranoid about eating deli meat.
What I'm looking forward to: My shower in a few weeks!
Milestones: I forgot to mention that last week I was officially Half Baked! It's so crazy. This is seriously flying by.
Symptoms: I had a pretty severe heartburn attack yesterday. If that becomes common, I may have to ask for some acid reflux meds.

Better late than never....

Wow I am behind on updates!! I'll work backwards...

Week 20:



Far along: 20 weeks, 4 days
How big are the babies: 11 oz. and 13 oz. I'm not sure exactly how long.
Total weight gain: I am up 12 lbs! I blame vacation... I guess this is what happens when you eat an entire carton of ice cream in a week with no help from your husband.
Maternity clothes: All maternity pants and still a combo of non-mat and mat shirts.
Sleep: Sleep has been pretty good lately.... except for the time on vacation when Chris punched me in the face in my sleep. Yep, that was fun.
Gender: We reconfirmed today that we are, in fact, Team Pink!
Movement: Maybe?
Food cravings: Ice cream (but that's nothing new)
What I miss: Being on vacation. It's really depressing being home.
What I'm looking forward to: Seeing Andy this weekend!
Milestones: Our parents bought us our cribs and we received them and put them together! This is really happening!
Symptoms: My feet and ankles have been swelling lately. It sounds like it's just from the weather and will likely get worse as it gets hotter.

Week 19:



Week 19 was spent in Myrtle Beach on our "Babymoon." We had a FANTASTIC time and really didn't want to come home. We stayed at a beautiful resort with 8-9 pools, a lazy river, and the beach just steps away (which of course I didn't care about, but Chris loved frolicking in the waves).

We also went golfing one day and by "we" I mean, Chris golfed and I drove the cart. Believe it or not, Chris was actually pegged by a stray ball in his left shoulder.... you know, the one he just had surgery on! The poor guy was in so much pain he fell to the ground and I struggled to get the freaking cart in park so i could jump out and help him without running him over.... good times. All in all we had a wonderful time and it was so nice to be just the two of us and to be away from the grind.

We left Myrtle on Saturday morning and headed to Raleigh to visit Ryan. It was great to see him, see where he lives, and meet all of his friends. Everyone was incredibly nice and the area he lives in is beautiful!

Week 18 (yeah, that's a sweet potato apparently):


I can't really remember week 18..... I believe Mother's Day fell within it. So it's pretty cool to say that after 2.5 years, I finally got to celebrate being a Mommy. How surreal. Chris had my car detailed for me. It looked brand-spanking new! My mom and Christy bought me several items to take on vacation, including a pool bag (because who really likes the beach anyway), new clothes, and flip flops. I also got a wonderful card from my amazing friend, Mary and many well wishes in person, via text, and online. Again- so surreal.

We also ordered and recieved our cribs- thanks to our very generous parents! And installed them in the babies' room! It's so crazy to see that room take shape after so long!

Phew, so there's the recap of the past three weeks. I'm sure I've forgotten something, but I guess there's always next time.

17/6

Far along: 17 weeks, 6 days
How big are the babies: About the size of my hand laid flat.
Total weight gain: I think I'm up about 5 or so lbs. I'll find out at my next dr. appt on Monday.
Maternity clothes: Still maternity pants/reg shirts. I bought a new pair of jeans last night and they are super comfy!
Sleep: I sleep pretty soundly until about 5 am and then the tossing and turning begins.
Gender: Team Pink!
Movement: None that I can tell
Food cravings: Root Beer floats are still good. I have also been eating more red meat than usual.
What I miss: The sunshine. Seriously, Sun?! Seriously?!
What I'm looking forward to: Meeting my high-risk OB on Monday and seeing the pumpkins again.
Milestones: I shopped at a maternity store for myself for the first time in my life!
Symptoms: My back gets sore a little easier and my hips hurt when I lay on my side. Otherwise, I feel great.

What a week!

Wow, what a week!!

We found out the genders of our pumpkins on Monday..... team pink! I still can't believe it! I also had a very busy week at work. Today was our annual Take Your Kids to Work Day/volunteer activity. It went really well! I brought my cousin's Kennedy and Alexis, Christy brought her nephew, Andrew, we knocked out our activity in record time, and CD101's ice cream truck paid us a visit!! Overall a great success!

However, the day was bittersweet as I had some issues with my boss as a result of an internal survey we completed. What a mess. I feel sick about things and am mad at myself for letting it take away from the amazing week we had!

Let it go, this too shall pass.

Far along: 16 weeks, 5 days
How big are the babies: Almost 5 inches long, crown to rump; 7, including legs!
Total weight gain: I haven't weighed myself all week, but I'm feeling like I gained a lot this week
Maternity clothes: Still maternity pants/reg shirts
Sleep: I sleep pretty soundly until about 5 am and then the tossing and turning begins
Gender: Team Pink! (what?!)
Movement: None that I can tell
Food cravings: Root Beer floats have been good this week
What I miss: Wearing flip flops. Really, will it EVER stop raining?!
What I'm looking forward to: After the toll this week has taken on me..... the weekend
Milestones: We are expecting two beautiful baby girls!
Symptoms: I get a little short of breath when I lay on my back

15 w/6d

This week has gone by so fast, I almost missed my check in!



Far along: 15 weeks, 6 days
How big are the babies: 4 inches long!
Total weight gain: I'm up about 2 lbs now
Maternity clothes: Still maternity pants/reg shirts
Sleep: It has been awful this week. Both Chris and I have been tossing and turning all night.
Gender: Not yet
Movement: None that I can tell
Food cravings: None really, I'm still just enjoying the fact that my appetite is back!
What I miss: The sunshine and warmth!! Will it ever be nice out again?!
What I'm looking forward to: Our vacation in Myrtle Beach!!
Milestones: My appetite is back!
Symptoms: None really, except the sleeping issues.

When life gives you lemons...

This week has truly flown by! I know I may regret saying this, but I almost want things to slow down. It took so much to get here and now I feel like I'm going to blink and it will be over. Granted, that means I get to hug and kiss the little pumpkins, but I have wanted to experience pregnancy for so long, I just want to savor every moment.

Far along: 14 weeks, 5 days!
How big are the babies: Lemons!
Total weight gain: I thought I had gained a bunch this week, but I'm still only up a lb.
Maternity clothes: I have officially said goodbye to non-mat pants. My regular shirts still fit.
Sleep: It's been pretty good until about 5:00 am when the tossing and turning begins.
Gender: We're getting closer... just a few more weeks!
Movement: None that I can tell.
Food cravings: Nothing in particular. Even milk isn't as delicious as it once was.
What I miss: Belt loops!! Maternity pants don't have them and I have no where to clip my work fob.
What I'm looking forward to: Finding out the genders!
Milestones: We painted the nursery.... twice. The first color wasn't working for me, so we tried again and I absolutely love it!
Symptoms: My appetite is back! My nausea is finally gone. However, my sinuses are stuffed up all the time. But hey, that I am used to.

Good Bye First Tri...

According to several baby sites, I am officially in my second tri! Whoop! According to other sites, it doesn't start until Saturday.... We are ignoring those sites.
Far along: 13 weeks, 3 days
How big are the babies: The size of peaches!
Total weight gain: I think I'm holding steady at a pound or two.
Maternity clothes: I should really be in all maternity pants, but I'm still clinging to my normal pants- just unbuttoned.
Sleep: If my husband would stop snooring, I may be able to get a solid 8 hours...
Gender: A few more weeks. Lindsey- take a deep breath.
Movement: I still don't know.
Food cravings: Milk is still delicious. Fruit is also.
What I miss: Binge drinking.
What I'm looking forward to: Painting the nursery.
Milestones: After 2 1/2 years of wanting a nursery, we finally starting working on ours!
Symptoms: I was pretty sick last week with what I think ended up being a sinus infection and tonsilitis. I'm still pretty congested, but am feeling better. I'm still naseous, but I think that's more from all the drainage. My appetite is slowly creeping back, I think.

This time last year...

On April 1, 2010, it was my mom's 52nd birthday, and the day of IVF#1's negative beta result. After a year and a half of trying including, 7 months of Clomid, 2 IUIs and a three month long IVF cycle, we still weren't pregnant. I felt like the earth was crashing down around me. It was the lowest of the low, the bottom of the bottom. It was hell.

But, would I do it all over again if it meant I got to be a day away from my second trimester in a pregnancy with twins.... HELL YES- a million times over. Every hurdle that was placed in front of us, every ditch we had to climb out of, led us here.

In between IVFs 1 & 2, someone asked me, "How many times could you put yourself through this if you had to?" My response: As many times as it takes. And I meant that. If money was no object, and a doctor told me I still had a chance, I'd do it. And I'd continue to until it got me here. There was no thought of quitting in my mind- there was no room for it. Now don't get me wrong, on occasion I let the "what if I never get pregnant" thought enter my mind. But I quickly chased it out, because I knew in the very depths of me, that I would someday experience pregnancy and I would someday be a mom. Call it future mother's intuition, but I just knew.

I guess the moral of this tangent is that the hell and the suffering we had to go through to get here was 1 million percent worth it... and it only gets better from here.

12 weeks, 1 day

Far along: 12 weeks, 1 day
How big are the babies: Each are the size of a plum!
Total weight gain: About 1 lb
Maternity clothes: My mom and I went shopping yesterday and picked up a couple pairs of pants. It's time.
Sleep: Last night = good; Friday night = not so good
Gender: Not yet
Movement: I don't think so
Food cravings: Milk and I guess vinegar- italian salad dressings and pickles sound great
What I miss: Heroin
What I'm looking forward to: Getting into my second trimester!
Milestones: We had a really cool u/s this week.
Symptoms: Nausea, exhaustion (it finally set in this week)

Because I feel like these check ins are getting kind of boring, here are some u/s pics of the babies...

Baby A:

Baby B:

11 weeks, and allll's welllll....

Far along: 11 weeks, 0 days

How big are the babies: This week, we have limes!

Total weight gain: Nothing yet

Maternity clothes: It may be time to try out the maternity pants. Most pants are about an inch or two from buttoning.

Sleep: Not terrible last week

Gender: Just a few more weeks...

Movement: I'm not sure.

Food cravings: Milk!

What I miss: Crack. Life is just not the same without it.

What I'm looking forward to: Each day.

Milestones: I met my new OB on Tuesday and loved her!

Symptoms: Nausea; puking count is up to 2.