29 weeks

29 weeks

How Your Baby’s Growing (from Babycenter.com):

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (about the size of a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

How far along: 29 weeks

Pregnancy symptoms: heartburn, tiredness, aches and pains everywhere

Food Cravings: pastries

Food Aversions: I haven’t had much in the way of aversions lately – wahoo!  I’ll keep this category just in case something crops up.

Sleep: It’s pretty good pretty consistently.

Measurement: about  inches around

Movement: Lots!

Labor signs: Occasional Braxton Hicks

What I miss: Laying on my belly, getting comfortable in any position, ever

What I’m looking forward to: cooler weather

Milestone: We started our Bradley birth class last night – so excited!!

Thoughts from the children: The girls loooooove to feel the boys move.

Doctor’s visit: Later this week.

Other thoughts: I felt very odd and icky last Wednesday and had the feeling all day that maybe a baby or two was flipping.  Since then, I think I have felt more movement mid-belly than in the previous couple of weeks, but it could be wishful thinking.  I’m really hoping at least Baby A flipped, but it’s just so hard to tell!

I usually have a dress on for my preggo pose, but since Matt wasn’t home yesterday, we grabbed a pajama pose today.  I went ahead and had him capture the “naked” belly while I had a t-shirt on.  Those stretch marks are pretty new for this pregnancy; I most definitely consider them to be badges of honor!!

And because it’s fun, here I am at 29 weeks with James.  I felt huge then, but it sure was NOTHING!!  :)

Baby-related projects:

• I’m putting this on the list kind of after the fact: Work on potty training James.  Hallelujah that boy is doing so so well!
• Clean up/organize the girls’ room to make space for eventual James.
• Go to IKEA.  Look at and possibly purchase the Kura low loft bed and shallow mattress for the girls.  **I’ve been putting this off since it is logistically hard, but we are ready to get this done!
• Move the majority of the toys into the main living area to make space for sleeping and clothes in the bedrooms. I still need to sort through and organize the books, which are in a giant pile on the floor.
• Do some research on the best sleeping arrangements for newborn twins.  *I’m currently planning to use a standard sized pack and play with the newborn “shelf” in it for our bedroom when they’re bitty.  If we discover they don’t sleep well with each other, we can always switch to two pack and plays or just use the cribs.
• Figure out number of diapers that would be ideal for the babies.  **I think at this point we’ll just get a few more newborn sized diapers and then wait and see what works when they come.
• Pick out infant car seats.
• Organize James’ closet.  (This is where the not-in-use clothes live as well as a lot of baby things, and it’s a super-pit.)
• Shop for a king sized bed.  We really really really really want one.  :)  But the logistics and expense may mean this isn’t the best time.
• Tinker with a baby registry.  We don’t need much, but I have started putting some things on an Amazon registry when I think about them
• Pull the baby boy clothes from the attic and take inventory.
• Possibly get some maternity/family pictures made.  
• Wash, dry, fold, put away the 0-3 months clothes.
• Pull the new infant car seats out of the boxes and make sure they are what we think they are and work as they should. **Done!  And I’ve started stalking Joanna’s new car seat, waiting for a great price.

Last Day First Day

This post ended up being kind of like a run-on sentence.  It just kept going!  You have been warned. 

Last week was the last day of Kindergarten/3 year old/nursery Sunday School!

I took my camera just to get a quick shot of each kiddo.

Joanna with her best bud.  (She’s holding her church sandals because Lisa had brought her Toms that she left and Joanna put those on instead.)

This was my best “official pic” of the day.  :)  I deeply deeply deeply LOVE these three ladies who teach the three year old Sunday school.  They are so sweet and loving and always there.  I love that continuity! I don’t know these other kiddos, but they wanted in the picture too!

My Jamesie boy’s LAST DAY ever in the nursery.  Sniff, sniff.  This is our first time since the spring of 2007 not to have a kiddo in the nursery on Sunday morning.  If I wasn’t growing a couple of replacements, I’d be having a rough time right now!

Yesterday was promotion Sunday – time to move on up!

Before church.  It appears we get ready for church much more quickly when Daddy’s not there.  Hmmmmm…

{Matt had training all day Saturday and Sunday, so we had to go without him.}

I posted several because Natalie just looks so stinkin’ cute in each one (which is abnormal and bizarre) while the others’ faces are mid-change or something odd.

A man saw me taking pics of the three at church and offered to take one of all of us.  He said then I could prove I’d been to church that day.  :)

I managed to drop all the kiddos off at their Sunday school classes (which required climbing stairs – boo!) and get to mine on time.  Whew!  Then I gathered them up (stairs again!), got everyone a snack, and found a spot in the 11 service together.  They did a blessing of the backpacks (or children, if you don’t have/didn’t bring a backpack) and gave them each a keychain with a cross on it.  It was very sweet!

All three kiddos went up; James and Natalie will start preschool in a couple of weeks.

The congregation raised hands over the children and prayed for them.  You can see James (over on the left) with his hand raised as well.  Cutie pie!

It was a very sweet addition to the service and an excellent way to send the kiddos off to school!

After church there was a big dinner and the “Back to School Splash” involving water toys and fun.  Since we knew Matt wasn’t going to be there, I made the decision a while back that we wouldn’t go.  I was sad we had to miss it (and someone even asked me to take pictures!), but I knew it was beyond my capability to monitor all three around water outside.  I prepped them that we wouldn’t go (there were still some tears though!) and promised fast food for the way home.  :)  But then I got a text from Aunt Mindy that she and Uncle Steve were bringing over lunch!  That got big cheers from everyone!

It was a lovely visit with two of our favorite people, and it made the day go by more quickly.

I sure was bushed!  I’m not used to Matt coming home after six in the evening.  Yuck!  And then we had our first Bradley class last night.  I’m definitely enjoying today with Matt home.  I’m cramming a weekend worth of rest into today.  :)

In fact, it’s the first day of public school around here, and we hardly did any school at all today.  Ha!  We did do lots of playing and some chores and reading with Daddy.  And it was lovely.  And we’ll catch up on the other stuff this week.  :)

28 Weeks

28 weeks (technically 27 weeks 5 days)

How Your Baby’s Growing (from Babycenter.com):

By this week, your baby weighs 2 1/4 pounds (about the size of a large eggplant) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

How far along: 28 weeks

Pregnancy symptoms: heartburn, tiredness, aches and pains everywhere, still some nesting urges

Food Cravings: chocolate, steak, potatoes

Food Aversions: I haven’t had much in the way of aversions lately – wahoo!  I’ll keep this category just in case something crops up.

Sleep: It’s pretty good pretty consistently.

Measurement: about 48.5 inches around; 215lbs

Movement: Lots!

Labor signs: Occasional Braxton Hicks

What I miss: Laying on my belly, getting comfortable in any position, ever

What I’m looking forward to: passing along a LOT of maternity clothes to my cousin :), cooler weather

Milestone: the third trimester is officially here!  I’ve been more than 2/3s of the way through for a bit, since twin pregnancies tend to be a bit shorter, BUT it feels good to be really in the third trimester.  I hurt everywhere (!!), but it won’t be too much longer now.  I’m getting eager to meet them, but I really really really really want them to STAY PUT for ten more weeks.  Think my body can do it?

Thoughts from the children: The girls loooooove to feel the boys move.

Doctor’s visit: I had a visit last Thursday, which I blogged about here.  Things are looking good, and I will start seeing her every two weeks now.

Other thoughts: I pretty much hurt everywhere all the time, and my stamina is almost non-existent. But it absolutely could be worse, and I’m so so so thankful that I’m still pregnant and still able to keep going.  I’m so happy to be carrying around these boys, and I just pray I’ll be strong enough to carry them quite a while longer!  I’m pretty excited that they seem to be measuring bigger than “normal.”  Assuming the measuring they do on ultrasounds is pretty accurate, the boys are more than a half pound ahead of “schedule.”

Baby-related projects:

• I’m putting this on the list kind of after the fact: Work on potty training James.  Hallelujah that boy is doing so so well!
• Clean up/organize the girls’ room to make space for eventual James.
• Go to IKEA.  Look at and possibly purchase the Kura low loft bed and shallow mattress for the girls.  **I’ve been putting this off since it is logistically hard, but we are ready to get this done!
• Move the majority of the toys into the main living area to make space for sleeping and clothes in the bedrooms. I still need to sort through and organize the books, which are in a giant pile on the floor.
• Do some research on the best sleeping arrangements for newborn twins.  *I’m currently planning to use a standard sized pack and play with the newborn “shelf” in it for our bedroom when they’re bitty.  If we discover they don’t sleep well with each other, we can always switch to two pack and plays or just use the cribs.
• Figure out number of diapers that would be ideal for the babies.  **I think at this point we’ll just get a few more newborn sized diapers and then wait and see what works when they come.
• Pick out infant car seats.
• Organize James’ closet.  (This is where the not-in-use clothes live as well as a lot of baby things, and it’s a super-pit.)
• Shop for a king sized bed.  We really really really really want one.  :)  But the logistics and expense may mean this isn’t the best time.
• Tinker with a baby registry.  We don’t need much, but I have started putting some things on an Amazon registry when I think about them
• Pull the baby boy clothes from the attic and take inventory.
• Possibly get some maternity/family pictures made.  Need to find someone wonderful and affordable and look more into this.  **I’m soooooo excited that the wonderful Rachel Robinson, who took James’ newborn pictures, will be IN TOWN doing a few sessions later this month, and she’s going to take some maternity/family pictures of us.  Yahoo!! 
• Wash, dry, fold, put away the 0-3 months clothes.
• Pull the new infant car seats out of the boxes and make sure they are what we think they are and work as they should.  I’m not ready to install them in the car yet, as that will require moving the big kids around.  Also, I’m thinking we will get another car seat for Joanna before I put them all in the back seat again.  She’s in a booster with a back right now which I’m basically comfortable with (she is six), but I think another Radian (super-skinny car seat) will fit better back there, and it will be easier for her to buckle than the booster (she can’t get her hand squeezed between the car seats when they’re three across.)  And as a five point harness, it offers a bit more protection in a crash.

27 weeks 3 days

These pictures weren’t taken today; they were taken on Monday, when I was 27 weeks.

Yesterday I took the three hour glucose tolerance test.  It was pretty miserable!  I definitely wouldn’t recommend it.  :)  I survived it though, and got the results today that I do NOT have gestational diabetes!  I’m so so so so thankful!

Today I had an ultrasound and an appointment with my doctor.  Wonderful Lisa watched all the kiddos for me since I can’t take them along to ultrasounds.

Baby A is now in breech position and measuring 29 weeks 2 days at around 2lbs 14oz – a chunk!  He was moving around a lot during the ultrasound; the tech got to feel him jump around.

And here’s his handsome face:

Baby B is (still) in breech position and measuring 28 weeks 5 days, also around 2lbs 14oz.  They sure are growing boys!  He was looking down so the tech couldn’t capture a shot of his face.  :(  We know he’s handsome though!

My cervix is measuring at a good length via the ultrasound.  (Is it TMI to write about my cervix?)  I didn’t have to wait at all to see my doctor after the ultrasound, even though it was the lunch hour – wahoo!

My blood pressure was 130/60 and my weight was 215lbs.  Wowza!  (It’s the boys though – they’re so big!)

Because they’re both breech, my doctor wants to go ahead and schedule a c-section for 38 weeks (on or around October 28th).  We still have time for them to turn, and hopefully they will, but she said it was a good idea to get it on the books.  It’s much easier to cancel it later than to try and schedule it later and not have much wiggle room in the schedule.

I am of course praying and preparing for a vaginal birth, but I have been at peace about the possibility of a c-section this whole pregnancy. 

Overall things look good, and I’ll go back to the doctor in two weeks for another check up.  As we were walking out, my lab results from yesterday showed up, so my doctor was able to read them and let me know I was fine after the three hour glucose test.  That sure put a big ol’ smile on my face!!

Food!

The other day I made French toast for lunch and decided to try doing a little blueberry syrup to go with it.  I halved the recipe from Heavenly Homemakers – I think it was a cup of fresh blueberries and 1/8 cup of sucanat.  You could easily add more sugar for a sweeter syrup.  Anyway, you just cook the sugar and blueberries in a pot until they get all soft and syrupy.

I thought it was pretty beautiful.

James and Joanna thought it was pretty delicious; Natalie was just “eh” about it.

There was blueberry everywhere!

I think I’m going to have to stop working on this post right now.  I’m sitting in LabCorp, fasting for my three hour glucose test.  I feel grody, and I’m so hungry!  No more pictures of food for me!

Aaaaaannnnnd… I’m back!  It’s the next day, and I survived the glucose test – more on that to come in another post. 

Back to this post.

This was a day the kids had leftovers for lunch.  I was taking a picture of my meal, and everybody wanted me to take a picture of them and their lunch as well.

Joanna had leftover sloppy joes on slider buns.  Yummo!

And I, so very thankfully, had some seafood, courtesy of my mom and David!  I cooked the shrimp and the crab cake – they were from HEB, and they were PERFECT!

So so so good.  :)

Shower time!!

My friend Kristina is due next month with a baby girl – her first!  A group of friends threw a shower for her this weekend, and I was excited to go.

Belly pose!!

And you know I took a picture of my plate of food.  :)  It was SO YUMMY!

Here is Kristina and the sweet ladies who threw the shower for her – what a gorgeous group of girls!

I’m so excited to meet that sweet baby girl!

27 Weeks

27 weeks

How Your Baby’s Growing (from Babycenter.com):

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (about the size of a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

How far along: 26 weeks

Pregnancy symptoms: heartburn, tiredness, aches and pains everywhere, still some nesting urges

Food Cravings: soft pretzel, cinnamon rolls, ice cream, fresh fruit

Food Aversions: I haven’t had much in the way of aversions lately – wahoo!  I’ll keep this category just in case something crops up.

Sleep: It’s pretty good pretty consistently.

Measurement: about 48 inches around

Movement: Lots!

Labor signs: Occasional Braxton Hicks

What I miss: Laying on my belly, getting comfortable in any position

What I’m looking forward to: passing along a LOT of maternity clothes to my cousin :), cooler weather

Milestone: uuuuuuuummmmmmm….

Thoughts from the children: The girls loooooove to feel the boys move.

Doctor’s visit: Later this week

Other thoughts: I’m so itchy to take pictures lately.  I really want to get out and find pretty places and go take pictures of our family!  But I have almost no stamina and it is freaking hot outside.

Baby-related projects:

• I’m putting this on the list kind of after the fact: Work on potty training James.  Hallelujah that boy is doing so so well!
• Clean up/organize the girls’ room to make space for eventual James.
• Go to IKEA.  Look at and possibly purchase the Kura low loft bed and shallow mattress for the girls.  **I’ve been putting this off since it is logistically hard, but we are ready to get this done!
• Move the majority of the toys into the main living area to make space for sleeping and clothes in the bedrooms. I still need to sort through and organize the books, which are in a giant pile on the floor.
• Do some research on the best sleeping arrangements for newborn twins.  *I’m currently planning to use a standard sized pack and play with the newborn “shelf” in it for our bedroom when they’re bitty.  If we discover they don’t sleep well with each other, we can always switch to two pack and plays or just use the cribs.
• Figure out number of diapers that would be ideal for the babies.  **I think at this point we’ll just get a few more newborn sized diapers and then wait and see what works when they come.
• Pick out infant car seats.
• Organize James’ closet.  (This is where the not-in-use clothes live as well as a lot of baby things, and it’s a super-pit.)
• Shop for a king sized bed.  We really really really really want one.  :)  But the logistics and expense may mean this isn’t the best time.
• Tinker with a baby registry.  We don’t need much, but I have started putting some things on an Amazon registry when I think about them
• Pull the baby boy clothes from the attic and take inventory.
• Possibly get some maternity/family pictures made.  Need to find someone wonderful and affordable and look more into this.  **I think I’ve pretty much decided to skip this, mainly due to the heat but also the logistics involved.  I am trying to make sure to take (or have Matt take) regular pictures of myself to document this crazy body-changing pregnancy!  I need to be better about getting the kids and/or Matt in the shots with me.
• Wash, dry, fold, put away the 0-3 months clothes. 

Some of This and some of That

Matt took this picture over the weekend I think.  I was sleeping.  :)  The kiddos woke up and were COLD!

I was getting my settings right for my preggo shot on Sunday morning, and Joanna was being my stand-in.  Look at that hand on the hip and the booty out!

Matt made me this AMAZING sandwich for dinner last night.  It’s ham, Colby jack cheese, lettuce, and mayo mixed with mashed avocado as the spread.  SO SO good.

Mamma and Pop and Heather came over yesterday evening so Heather could say good-bye.  :(  She leaves tomorrow.  :(

She got in the castle with the kiddos.  :)

Despite my almost total neglect, this little rose plant in the backyard still manages to produce a bloom from time to time.  It’s my Joanna rose, because my grandma gave the plant to her for her first birthday.

Our First Day of School

On Sunday I decided to pull everything we would need for the week and put it in a basket.  It’s been nice to be able to carry the basket to the couch or the table to work.  This is almost everything:

The Sonlight boxes that brought all of our supplies converted into a castle!

The kids have very much enjoyed relaxing inside and coloring every square inch of it.  :)  Natalie spent a very large chunk of the day inside the castle coloring.

Yesterday we tried doing everything in the living room with me on the couch and Joanna using the little table as her “desk” when she need to do any writing.

Today we tried doing our work at the dining table, and I think it worked better.  Though I find our dining chairs particularly uncomfortable at this stage in my pregnancy.  :)

Everybody needed a sweater or a jacket yesterday.  I’ve been really cranking the A/C down at night, and I (well all of us actually) have been sleeping quite well.  But it makes the morning pretty cool!

Official “First day of school” picture!

Late in the day when the light was prettier, I took Joanna outside for a little photo shoot.  I did the same last year, and I love those pictures!

For kicks, a few from last year to compare…

This year!  Her pensive face, I think.  It’s kind of the default when I tell her not to smile.

Sassy face:

Basically what I want to know is WHO HAS BEEN TEACHING THIS CHILD TO MODEL WHILE I WASN’T LOOKING?

She sure is pretty.  (And smart and helpful and kind and generous and cranky and feisty and wonderful)

And because no photo shoot is complete without a pirate face… apparently.  :)

So far, basically, I’m LOVING this.  I know it’s only been two days.  And honestly, I don’t think it will feel “real” until August 26th when public school starts back up and she doesn’t go.  I’m very glad we’re starting this early though.  It feels good.  Today seemed like a really long day.  I’m not sure why exactly.  It wasn’t what I’d call a bad day, just a long one.  Sometimes the hours just move slowly I guess.  :)  But Matt will be home soon, jump-starting our evening routine.  Then the magic cleaning fairies will come (no? bummer), and everyone will go to bed and I will lay down… for a long time.  :)