Taking Pictures

Sometimes when I see interesting light, I pull out my camera and look for a willing model.  :)  I really would love to venture outside to find interesting places and lighting to photograph around, but I’m just too huge, and it’s just too hot!

So my living room is my studio these days.

Natalie was close by on this day.  These bright streaks of sunlight were coming in the window, and I turned off all the lamps inside to get this one.  I actually got on the floor to take it – that was rough!  I converted it to black and white.

The others wanted in on the action, but the light wasn’t being as predictable as before.

But aren’t they the cutest patooties?!

This morning I was sitting in the rocking chair, and everybody started coming over to feel the boys.  My camera was right there so I started snapping!

Sweet James’ hands on the belly.

Natalie came over and laid her head down on the belly.  I don’t have a lens wide enough to get a shot this close so I was holding the camera behind/above me and attempting to point it in the right direction.  I was also guessing a bit on my settings since I couldn’t look through the viewfinder and meter.

I got lucky on this one – I love it!!  I converted it to black and white, but I like the color version too.  The B/W just seems more moody or something.

The settings are way off on this one, but I love the look on her face.  She had put her hands on my belly and was suddenly feeling big movements from the boys.

Sweet girl!

32 Weeks

32 weeks

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

By now, your baby weighs 3 3/4 pounds (about the size of a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

How far along: 32 weeks

Pregnancy symptoms: heartburn, tiredness, aches and pains everywhere,carpal tunnel, trouble thinking of words  :)

Food Cravings: snow cones, poached or fried eggs, chocolate

Food Aversions: Lately I haven’t been into leftovers.  I’m happy to eat something once, but I don’t want to eat it later.  That’s unusual for me.

Sleep: Pretty good.  I wake up very sore, but the sleep itself is good.  I am so tired and would seriously benefit from a nap during the day, but that’s just not going to happen.  :)

Measurement: 223.8lbs

Movement: Plenty!  I’m pretty sure I feel A more than B, but I do feel them both.

Labor signs: Braxton Hicks contractions, some of which are doozies.

What I miss: being able to cool off anywhere outside my house, laying on my belly, drinking copious amounts of Dr. Pepper and hot tea, snuggling my kiddos close to me.

What I’m looking forward to: cooler weather, a baby shower for the boys, meeting my babes (but not for several weeks!)

Milestone: I’m 32 weeks!  That seems like a big milestone to me.  I’ve talked with several twin moms who had their babies at 32 weeks.  That’s not something I’d like to do, but their viability just seems so good right now.

Thoughts from the children: James is always coming up to me and wanting to feel “Baby B.”  That boy is so cute.

Doctor’s visit: I had one this morning, including an ultrasound (which means pictures are to come!)  I didn’t write down everything, but here’s the info I came home with:

• Both babies are HEAD DOWN!!!!
• Baby A (on my right) is measuring 4lbs 5oz and 34 weeks 1 day
• Baby B (on my left) is measuring a little bit bigger (5lbs something) and 34 weeks 3 days.  His heart rate was faster than A’s at 164 bpm.
• Baby A was easy to look at and very active.  B was harder to get a view of his face, and the tech described him as lazy.  :)
• Both babies are practicing breathing – yay!
• My cervix looks good and is measuring about 2.2cm long.
• The tech went on and on about what great twins they were and how great my uterus was and how well I was carrying them.  WAHOO!!!
• My weight is 223.8lbs and my BP is 120/70, which is a bit better than it’s been recently.
• I had a chance this week to think through my ideal “birth plan” and come up with questions for Dr. Torres.  If these babies stay head down, it seems like the experience will be very similar to the other births.  I just need to go to the hospital when I’m in labor; there’s no need to let anyone know first.  I will labor in a labor room and only be moved to the OR when it’s actually time for them to be born and just as a precaution.  I felt so much better after that conversation!  Dr. Torres said she would keep my c-section date on the books to “ward off any evil spirits” – ha!  It would be quite a feat for them to flip again, but they could still do it.  I hope they don’t!
• I now have weekly appointments, and I will have a non stress test each week to check on the boys!

Now you have earned some ultrasound pictures!  They look pretty smooshed in there, but that makes sense!

This is Baby A’s profile.

Then the tech (whom I LOVE) switched over to the 3D/4D option (which I’ve never ever had before!), and we got to see some amazing precious shots of Mr. A.  I teared up a little!

I mean, look at those LIPS!!

Mr. B was very hard to get a face view of, so here’s the best we got!

The top of his head is to the right.  You can kind of see his right eye socket, nose and mouth.

Other thoughts: I am feeling so good right now!  Sure, my body aches everywhere, but I’m feeling very positive about the boys’ growth and the labor/birth possibilities.  We got the house pretty picked up and reasonably cleanish this weekend, and that just lifts my spirits immensely.  Matt took today off, and we got to go to the appointment by ourselves while Mamma watched the kids.  It was a win-win!  We’ve still got to get to the grocery store and do Monday’s school work, but I’m feeling great about having a bit of lazy going on.

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.  **We got Joanna’s new seat last week!  “We” have yet to put it in the car and make sure it’s going to work, but it’s here!
• Preregister at the hospital.
• Work on a birth plan (mainly just for us but also to bring up any questions I want to ask my doctor about this different kind of birth coming up!)
• Hospital bag lists – one for labor/delivery/right away, another of things I’d like to have if I stay a few days.
• Work on “decorating” the nursery.  Basically this involves pulling out anything that isn’t baby boy related and putting up things that are!  **I started this last week and am feeling good about at least some progress.

Stuff

The kids were enjoying playing with math manipulatives this week.  I have a bin of things I got when I was in college, I think.  I was a math specialist, can you believe that?  Coming in handy now though.

These days I am pretty seriously mobility impaired.  It’s extremely difficult to do much of anything.  On the one hand, I’m happy to lay/sit still and let those babies grow.  On the other hand, the messy house (clutter mostly, not so much dust and dirt) make me a little crazy.  :)  I am simply not able to bend over and pick up toys or to carry items back to their homes or to make beds or to vacuum or sweep or reach anything on the kitchen counter!  It’s temporary, I know.  I’m just struggling a bit.  Also, I’m still feeling the nesting urge, and that’s crazy!  How can I nest when I can barely walk?!

So that brings us to the picture coming up.  :)  I had several walls in the living room that needed updating since furniture had been moved around.  Picture collages were not centered or too high or low, and as I sat here on my couch, it ate away at my soul.  I am by no means at all even a little bit a “clean freak,” but excess clutter and stuff on the floor and things not being centered clearly bother me a little.  :)

The children’s bedroom walls also seriously needed some updating (they also most seriously need some paint, but I’m trying to pretend that is not the case).  And the nursery walls needed to be cleared of the big kids’ stuff to prepare for the boys’ things! 

So on Sunday I began running waddling around the house, removing things from rooms they didn’t belong and putting them where I thought they should go.  I also actually have a pile of things to get rid of that don’t really hold any sentimental value.  Yay!  Anyway, I moved things around in the kids’ room and I’m loving it now, except for the lack of paint on the wall.  (Baby steps!)  And I began laying out a collage to spread across this wall that you see below.  There used to be a cross display in the entry part and a “small” collage of frames above where the cubbies are.  The main problem was that I keep moving furniture around and back and forth on this wall, so nothing was staying centered.  It was maddening to my crazy brain.  So I decided to take everything down and spread it across the wall, thus eliminating the need to center furniture or anything.

It may not be the style for everyone, but I’m IN LOVE with it!  It makes me happy to look at.  :)  I did pull things from a couple of other walls and the mantle in the living room, so I have some thinking to do there, but I’m excited!

I edited this picture of the littles from their first day of school so it doesn’t look so foggy.  They’re so stinkin’ cute.

I caught James in this amazing outfit the other day: Thomas the Train flip flops, pajama bottoms, Natalie’s bloomers that he found on the floor, sweatshirt hoodie because I keep the house pretty frigid, and a strand of beads.  He’s awesome.  :)

I’ve had this painting for forever.  I don’t actually know where it came from, but it may have even been in my house when I was a child.  It’s been hanging in my bedroom since I stole it my mother let me have it a few years ago.  A few months ago I looked over at it and saw it in a new way.  The title is “Young Kingbirds,” and it now totally makes me think of the boys.  I decided to move it into their bedroom this week.  For now it’s hanging on a nail that was already there, so it’s not quite in the right spot.  When we get the other crib in there and figure out the exact spacing of things, I’ll get it hung up (and properly centered!).  It makes me smile when I’m in there.

The wife of a patient of Matt’s crocheted these little bear hats for the boys – aren’t they ADORABLE?!!

Yesterday morning during our morning snuggle and chat time, James and I were talking about his siblings.  We agreed he had the best sisters, and I asked him about his brothers.  He told me they were in the belly, and I asked him something along the lines of “what are you going to do when they come out?”  He left and returned with the hats.  He told me “I’m going to put these on them!”  Melt my heart!

I’ve been rewatching episodes of Star Trek: Voyager on Netflix lately, and the kids often catch parts here and there.  They love it.  :)  Anyway, Natalie was working on a card for Anna’s birthday today and drew this:

Does anybody see it?  It’s Voyager!  She called it the starship.  I think she’s amazing.  :)

Also Natalie related, she has told me a couple of times when she catches sight of my belly that she thinks my stretch marks are beautiful.  I mean, who could argue with her reasoning – they’re like pretty pink ribbons!

Preschool!

My kiddos have always gone to Mother’s Day Out and Preschool up at the church, starting just after they were six months old.  I love it; they love it – yay!  I have always worked during that time though, or I might have waited until they were a bit older to send them (who knows?!)  Anyway, back in February when it was time to register, I registered James and Natalie on Tuesdays and Thursdays, thinking I would be watching extra kiddos during the week and hopefully teaching Musikgarten on the MDO days.  Fast forward six months, and wowza!  :)

I decided (for now at least) to keep Natalie and James in on Tuesdays and Thursdays this fall.  Natalie loves learning and would soak up anything I did at home.  But I don’t think I will be doing her much justice over the next several months!  James, as a not quite three year old, still requires a lot of care, and it’s good for me to have a few hours each week as a break from that care.  He loves his class, which is an excellent bonus.  I think once the babies come, these days will be good “normal” days for these two in the craziness that will ensue at our house.

And y’all, my house doesn’t become a war zone on Tuesdays and Thursdays when they’re gone.  Wahoo!

If it sounds a little like I’m trying to justify sending them to school… well, I am!  Ha!  I go back and forth a bit about whether I should be sending them.  :)

Anyway, yesterday was their first day, and they were so excited!  It was a little hard to get everybody dressed and ready to leave the house with bags packed and pictures taken (and school doesn’t start until 9!)

It is SO HUMID outside, and it takes quite a while for my camera to acclimate and lose the foggy lens.  I kept wiping and wiping, but there are quite a few hazy shots.  :)

I think this next one is my favorite with their signs.  I’ll probably play around with the edit on it to make it a little smoother and brighter.  And whatever-er.  I just click things in PSE.  :)

The only difference between the pic above and the one below is that I wiped my lens in between.  It was icky outside!

Loooooooove James’ smile in this next one!

Just before dropping him off – love that scrunchy face crooked neck smile!

I actually made Natalie put her lunch box away a second time because people kept blocking my shot.  :)

It seems they each had an excellent day, and Joanna and I got school done very quickly!

31 Weeks

31 weeks

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

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3 1/3 pounds (about the size of a coconut) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

How far along: 31 weeks

Pregnancy symptoms: heartburn, tiredness, aches and pains everywhere, maybe carpal tunnel coming on in my right hand, headaches

Food Cravings: pastries, cherry limeades, chocolate, fried or poached eggs, sweet potato grill fries

Food Aversions: Really I can eat anything I need to, but the other day the smell of leftover spaghetti was pretty off-putting. 

Sleep: Pretty good.  I wake up very sore, but the sleep itself is good.  I am so tired and would seriously benefit from an nap during the day, but that’s just not going to happen.  :)

Measurement: about 50 inches around

Movement: Lots and all over the place

Labor signs: Braxton Hicks contractions, some of which are doozies.

What I miss: being able to cool off anywhere outside my house (like the church –oy!), laying on my belly, drinking copious amounts of Dr. Pepper and hot tea

What I’m looking forward to: cooler weather, a baby shower for the boys, meeting my babes (but not for several weeks!)

Milestone: 31 weeks doesn’t seem very milestone-y.  I sang with my women’s choir on Sunday morning, and felt like it could be the last time for awhile.  We’re scheduled to sing again in early October, but who knows what I’ll be up for!

Thoughts from the children: Today Natalie was “pregnant” with her baby doll, and Dr. Joanna performed a c-section to get it out.  They are so into all of this!

Doctor’s visit: My doc is out of the office at the end of this week, so I’ll go early next week for an ultrasound and appointment.  Matt should get to come too!

Other thoughts: My energy took a serious plummet a couple of weeks ago when Matt had to work on the weekend.  I feel like this past weekend I was finally able to catch up from that (as much as I can anyway!)  I got a lot of chores and little projects done this morning.  I ACHE, and I really feel like I could lay on the couch or my bed for the rest of the week, but it’s good.  :)

In a couple of weeks a sweet group of friends is arm-twisting me into a baby shower.  I love showering babies (even the 4th and 5th!), but I was kind of thinking I wouldn’t have one this go around.  My sweet friends wouldn’t take no for an answer though!

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.  **We got Joanna’s new seat last week!  “We” have yet to put it in the car and make sure it’s going to work, but it’s here!
• Preregister at the hospital. 
• Work on a birth plan (mainly just for us but also to bring up any questions I want to ask my doctor about this different kind of birth coming up!)
• Hospital bag lists – one for labor/delivery/right away, another of things I’d like to have if I stay a few days.
• Work on “decorating” the nursery.  Basically this involves pulling out anything that isn’t baby boy related and putting up things that are!

Joanna, ObGyn

This morning the kids were playing all kinds of pretend games, and at one point Natalie came out with a doll under her shirt to be pregnant.  She was doing a pretty good job of moaning and saying things like “when can I get this baby out?”  I turned to Joanna and asked if she was the doctor.  She said yes and began to get ready.  She looked around and declared that she was going to have to do a c-section.  So she went over to her play kitchen and got a plastic knife.  She then stirred it around in a container containing one pink headband, I can only assume to sanitize it.  She told me something like she didn’t know how to do these; she was just going to do it her own way.  She thought she could remember what I’d told her about it.

She came over to Natalie and “cut” her abdomen.

She reached in and grabbed the baby (breech!)

And pulled her out!

Sounds about right to me.

Fun was had by all.  :)

She really is paying attention to everything!

Clearing out the “to blog” folder

Awhile ago, James discovered the girls old Thomas the Train flip flops, and he lives in them pretty much all day every day.  He was even wearing them to bed for a bit.  One day, we left one at Lisa’s house (we are always leaving one shoe of somebody’s over there), so he couldn’t wear them for a few days.

Next best thing?  Natalie’s pink rainbow flip flops.

Pair those with his standard uniform of pajama top and underwear, and he’s got quite the outfit.  :)

I must have really had these pictures hidden well – I had forgotten about this one!  They loooooove to feel the brothers move!

One day I braved taking the kids to the grocery store.  I don’t mind shopping with them, but walking around the store is above and beyond difficult for me right now.  Anyway… we were rewarded with being right there as the firefighters were heading back to their station.  They invited the kids on the truck to look around!

Natalie said no way, but James and Joanna hopped on.  I couldn’t hear them, but Joanna even talked to the fireman.  Fun!

A very sweet friend brought a huge meal (and then some!) a couple of weeks ago for us to eat on for a few days.  It was all beautiful, but I only took a picture of this pie.  Soooooooo good!  I shared a little with my family, but I definitely snacked on apple pie and glasses of milk several times over a few days.  That’s practically health food, right?

A friend passed along a LOT of limes to us, and one day I realized I had lotsa limes and lotsa strawberries in the house.  It was time to do something about that!

I browsed Pinterest and found a recipe for strawberry limeade.  I don’t feel like hunting it down right now, but I’m sure it’s pinned on one of my boards.  It wasn’t perfect; the recipe could use some tweaking.  But it was fun to do!

I blended up the strawberries with my immersion blender and juiced I think three limes.

We had a density lesson when we discovered that the mashed strawberries were less dense than the lime juice, water, or simple syrup (that’s what’s making it dark since we use sucanat).

Pretty huh?!

It was a big hit with Joanna, and a mediumish hit with everyone else.  I think if I’d have had Sprite, it would have been delish.  :)

I think I’m going to keep going, and make this post super longer than it already is.

I recently grabbed all the pictures off my little camera that I carry around when I don’t have the big one.  There is quite the assortment of fun in there.  :)

The girls made James up a bed (on top of a laundry basket or bin or something) – doesn’t he look cozy?

I took the girls for haircuts (in July).  James tagged along with us.  The before:

James was very good about waiting for his sisters.

Natalie and Joanna each got a French brain after their trim.

No more scraggly ends!

After Joanna climbed down, it was so cute – James climbed right up in that chair even though we hadn’t come for a cut for him.  He goes with Daddy to the barber and didn’t really need a cut then.  I guess I should have prepped him though!  Stacey was so sweet to go ahead and trim him up a bit so he could feel special too.  Awwwwww…

This was at my mom’s house.  She rescued a turtle from somewhere, and it was hanging out in a pen in her backyard.

The kids loved that bit of life science!

David took it to a good turtle-y kind of place later that day.

A random trip to the Chinese buffet (we love that place).  The picture is to illustrate that James likes to eat his ice cream out of the cone with a spoon.  He’s is the cutest.  :)

And now I feel better for having cleared out the blog folder, even if it was all over the place!