{no turning back now!}

Well, this is it. Our last night in the house as just the two of us. My last night trying to sleep with two balls of baby in my belly. 9 hours from now we'll be checking into the hospital and getting ready for the arrival of our two babies. Two babies! It doesn't matter how prepared I have tried to make myself, it all still seems so surreal. I know that Dan and I have no idea what we are in for tomorrow...the emotions will certainly be overwhelming.

Dan got me one of my favorites for dinner...Chili's southwestern egg rolls (with a side of chips and salsa of course). I was definitely risking heartburn with that one.

We had one last exam at the doctor this morning and I was 2 cm dilated and 80% effaced, so hopefully that will give me a good headstart. I wasn't expecting to be dilated at all, since I wasn't on Tuesday, so that's a good sign.

I promise I'll try my best to post an update after they arrive, but I know things will be very hectic. So be patient with me and I promise an update with a picture or two as soon as I can! Thanks to everyone for your prayers and good wishes...I'll need them tomorrow more than ever!!

{5-30-08}

Unless they decide to come sooner, that will be the boys' birthday!! I'll be induced that morning...we go in at 6:30. *insert super tired picture of me here*. But, hopefully going in that early will mean they will arrive the same day. I could be wrong, but I really don't feel like they are going to come on their own before that. So now we have a date to look forward to, and boy am I more than ready! I don't think my poor belly can take much more of this!

{last night}

More contractions starting at 7:30
Go to the hospital at 10:30
Seriously major back pain like I've never felt before
Uncomfortable examinations
A shot of morphine that was like heaven
My first IV...not so bad
Passed out until 6 am with Dan in a chair next to me
Contractions slowed and not dilated
Sent back home...
again.

{37 weeks}

Holy cow! I really can't believe that I'm 37 weeks today. If the doctor keeps his word, and the babies don't come on their own, they will induce me next week! I really don't feel like they are going to come on their own before then, but we'll see. It all seems so surreal and I don't even know what to think or how to feel right now. I'm very anxious and nervous about labor, excited to finally see them, and especially excited for Dan to finally get to hold them.

We go for another non-stress test this afternoon, which is basically me laying on a hospital bed with a bunch of goo on my stomach so they can monitor the boys' heartbeats. It will be my big outing for the day. LOL :)

I'm very curious as to how the cats are going to react when we bring the boys home. Melvin will probably sulk in a corner for a week or so...he's very needy. Miss Chloe is a very curious cat, so she'll probably be all about sniffing them and trying to compete for lap time. Hopefully it won't take long for both of them to adjust. It will definitely be a new adventure for all of us!

Keep your positive thoughts and prayers coming!!

{super husband}

My husband already deserves the father of the year award, and the babies aren't even here yet! Seriously. He does almost everything for me right now...fixes dinner, cleans the house, does my laundry, brings me cherry 7-up with just the right amount of ice. AND he is still keeping up with the things he normally does...mowing the lawn, taking out the trash, cleaning out the kitty litter. He even cleaned out the gutters yesterday and pulled weeds...and he never pulls weeds...that is totally my arena. Thank God he did though...our yard was looking like a dandelion exhibit. He's tired and physically worn out from his job, but he never complains and is always asking me if I'm OK and if I need anything.

Never in my life could I have imagined that I would have such an amazing person to call my husband and the father of my children. I seriously don't know what I would do without him, and everytime I'm in a crazy hormonal mood and get upset about something little I feel awful because he has sacrificed so much for me and these babies. I just can't wait until I'm back to my normal self and I can start helping out with all of these chores again.

Thanks honey...I love you!!

{Mother's Day *love*}

This weekend was full of lots of love for the moms in my life...and strangely enough this year it included me! :) Yesterday we spent most of the afternoon at the park for Dan's cousin's little boy's first birthday. The weather was great and he was adorable as usual. I wasn't going to go, but after I realized that I could just sit the entire time I decided to get dressed and get out of the house. I'm so glad I did...it was a lot of fun.

Look at how cute he is in his little crown! Happy Birthday Gavin! :)


That evening my parents came over for awhile and my Mom and I exchanged gifts. I got her a silver baby cup charm for her charm bracelet and she got me the cutest necklace...a silver heart pendant with two sets of little footprints on it. Perfect! She also brought a very sweet card from my sister. It was so strange to be getting mother's day gifts!


Today the weather has been horrendous...raining all day...but it was perfect to stay inside and be lazy with the hubby. He gave me the sweetest card and a necklace to represent our two boys. It is a silver pea pod with two little pearl peas nestled inside. I just love it. :)

Dan's mom came over later this afternoon for a visit and so we could give her her gift. I found her an adorable necklace on Etsy with four little pearl "eggs" in a silver nest to represent her four grandchildren. I forgot to get a picture of her with it though...doh! Here's the photo of it from Etsy--->

I just noticed that everyone's gifts this year were silver jewelry...not a bad theme to continue in my opinion. :)

On a random note, Dan and I watched "Walk Hard" tonight...what a strange movie. The first hour or so was oddly funny and entertaining, but by the 2nd half I was asleep. That kind of humor can't keep my attention for very long.

Hope everyone has had a great weekend and Happy Mother's Day to all my mommy friends out there!!

{cravings}

As I sit here finishing my 2nd full glass of OJ in the past hour, I thought it would be fun to document all of the cravings I've had during my pregnancy. Some have gone on for weeks while others have just been for a day or two, but I definitely felt like I was going to die if I didn't have each and every one of them at the exact moment the craving hit. Here they are in order from first to last...

1. Nacho cheese Doritos - strange, but when most food made me feel nauseous, these things hit the spot. They were my 10 am snack at work every morning for at least 2 weeks.

2. Burger King chicken tenders & BBQ sauce - their BBQ sauce is the best (well, McDonald's gives them a run for their money)

3. French fries - For about a week fries were the only thing that sounded good...my favorites were Burger King and J's (a locally owned burger place)

4. Oranges - I had never been one to eat fresh oranges, but I had one at work one day and was hooked. I ate two a day almost every day for a few weeks.

5. PB Captain Crunch - now I normally enjoy a nice big bowl of PBCC, but I went through I think three of the giant boxes in a couple week's time. This one made an appearance again yesterday...I actually had a bowl this morning at 2:30 am.

6. Frisch's salads - their ranch dressing is the BEST!

7. Milkshakes - since you're not supposed to eat softserve ice cream when you're pg, and I've been a good girl, my only options have been Steak N'Shake and the ice cream shop in our mall. Dan has been sweet enough to humor me and make a few shake trips since I've been layed up on the couch. My last fix was Sunday morning at 2 am after our first trip to the hospital...a large vanilla shake from S N'S really hit the spot.

8. Orange juice - over the past month or so I swear I could sit and drink a gallon of this stuff at one sitting. I've never been a huge OJ drinker, but right now it is pure heaven in a glass.

9. Cherry 7-Up - this one has been a staple in our fridge for almost my entire pregnancy. Of course it has to be in a glass with a little bit of ice...out of the can just isn't the same.

10. Soft chocolate chip cookies - I ate a whole package in 3 days. Enough said.

11. Popsicles - I'm always thirsty lately and my mouth is super dry so these really hit the spot. One night recently I ate 6. My favorite is cherry but I don't discriminate.

Others that deserve an honorable mention: chocolate milk, sugar cream pie, and Chili's chips and salsa (a usual craving even when I'm not pg).

Luckily, even with all of my cravings I've only gained about 35-40 lbs so I feel very grateful for that. PG cravings are no joke!!

{on hold}

As excited as I am about becoming a mom, and meeting my boys, I'm frustrated right now because my entire life is on hold. I'm not working (not that I'm totally upset about that), can't go out shopping for fun things or necessities, and can barely make it to the doctor's office and back without feeling like I'm going to pass out. Showering is my big activity for the day. Fixing my hair and putting on make-up are pretty much luxuries that I have to save for doctor's visit days.

I want to scrapbook so bad right now...I have lots of pictures and tons of creative ideas floating around in my head, but sadly I can't even handle the physical requirements of sitting at a table and making a scrapbook layout. I'm pretty much stuck on the couch all day watching bad daytime TV...although I am enjoying getting to watch Ellen and A Baby Story on TLC (until they start screaming in pain, then I change the channel.) I also want to decorate the nursery but that is going to have to wait until they are here and I'm healed enough to maneuver up the stairs and lift things.

Going through this has made me realize that the world isn't going to end if I can't get things done on my schedule, or done exactly the way I would do them. I have realized that I'm more of a control freak than I thought I was, so this has been good for me in that way. It is hard for me to accept help from others, but I'm so thankful that I have Dan, his mom and my parents who have been a true Godsend through all of this.

Don't get me wrong...I know this is all going to be more worth it than I even realize right now, but I miss the old Mandy and hope she comes back really soon...even if she is only around for a few hours a week. :)

{again}

Went to L&D again last night...contractions were coming for 3 hours so we thought it was better to be safe than sorry. Of course they gave me a shot and within 30 minutes the contractions had stopped so back home we went. I'm still having them randomly but hoping we don't have to do that again, especially in the middle of the night. I'm also having pain in my left arm which is odd. The nurse last night told me that it is probably being caused by the babies pushing on a nerve.

So this morning I'm emotional, tired, frustrated and anxious. Wondering what is going to happen next and hoping that I won't have another episode like this until the real thing. I'd appreciate all the prayers you could send my way!

{L&D}

Well, it was a good thing that Dan got my hospital bag together yesterday (and put the swing and bouncer together), because we made our first trip to labor and delivery last night! Around 9:20 I started getting contractions and they kept coming every 5 minutes, so around 10:30 I called the doctor and they told me to go to the hospital. Wow I've never been so nervous in my life! On the ride there Dan and I were holding hands and I was shaking uncontrollably. Once we got there I calmed down quite a bit. The nurses were so nice. It took them forever to find the boys' separate heartbeats which started to get comical. Plus, my stomach is such a hard ball that they couldn't get the monitors to stay on.



At first we thought we would be there for at least 24 hours, but they were able to give me a shot of medication to relax my uterus and it worked, so we were out of there by about 1:30 this morning. We're just praying that they will stay put for at least another week. 36 weeks would be ideal. Now I'm scared to move around too much because I don't want to cause the contractions to start again. I guess I should enjoy my last week or so of being a total couch potato. :)



Dan's mom is bringing over a big meal today for Dan's birthday so we're both looking forward to that. I was actually a little disappointed in the hospital last night that I might have to miss it. LOL :) (although those ice chips they gave me were quite delicious.)


So now we just wait and see how long these babies are going to stay inside. Any prayers you would like to send my way would be greatly appreciated!



Oh...Dan also got the dresser finished for the nursery. We love it! Their little socks look so small in the drawer! :)






See my belly in the corner? LOL :)

{pack my bags?!}

We had our 34 week appointment today with an ultrasound and the boys are doing great! Baby A is 4.3 lbs and Baby B is 4.9 lbs...that's almost 10 lbs of baby in there! The doctor told me to be sure to have my hospital bag packed and everything in order because it is common for twins to come as early as 35 weeks (his wife had her twins at 35 weeks). Whoa...this is really happening!!

For my 34 week photo, I resorted to a couch shot, because I didn't want to get up and I figure this is how I spent most of my time now so its very appropriate. My belly looks a lot smaller when I'm laying down! LOL :) We went to Cracker Barrel for dinner after the doctor and everyone I passed was like, "almost time, huh?" and "good luck!". Sometimes it annoys me to have so much attention placed on me, but it is really sweet when you can see the genuine excitement on a complete stranger's face.

I ordered a bunch of baby boy scrapbook stuff yesterday. I know that I probably won't get around to using it for awhile after the babies arrive, but at least I'll already have it. There are so many cute things out right now! A couple of my faves--->

One other thing I've been enjoying is playing music for the babies once in awhile. I should really do it more often now that I'm hanging out on the couch all the time. They've gotten a healthy dose of Ben Harper, with some Jack Johnson and A Fine Frenzy thrown in for good measure. Looking at the headphones on my belly makes me smile. :)

{still creating}

Even though I'm super sore and can't sit in one position for very long, I'm trying to keep up with my scrapbooking and craft projects. God only knows when I'll get back to them after the babies arrive! I decorated their inital letters for the nursery and love how they turned out. They were plain MDF (from ebay). I painted them white and added rub-ons from Hambly and Basic Grey.

I also did a couple more scrapbook pages today. I really wanted to do a page about their names and I had a few more belly shots to use. I also want to do a few layouts with the photos from our maternity photoshoot. I can only do a page at a time because my energy level is so low, but since I'm sitting at home with not much to do all day I'm hoping I'll get all the pages done that I want to before labor hits.

Dan started putting the nursery dresser together today. I loooove it...can't wait until it is done so we can put all of their clothes away. We washed most of their stuff the other day and it was so fun folding it and looking at all of the cute designs. I can't wait to dress them up! :)

I have a doctor's appointment today and get to have another ultrasound so I'm excited to see the boys again. One of the big benefits of having twins is getting to have monthly ultrasounds. Thank goodness for good insurance though! I'm hoping the doctor will have some insight into how far along he thinks I will go.

Hope everyone has a great day!

{getting ready}

Wow...I'll be 34 weeks on Tuesday! If I was just having one baby, I wouldn't already be so anxious, but with twins I know that there is a possibility they could come in just a few weeks. I was dealing with a heavy dose of depression last week, but the last few days I've been feeling a lot better, more optimistic, and I'm getting really excited to meet my boys. I'm also excited, on a selfish note, to have a wider wardrobe selection again. I'm so sick of living in the same three tops and pj pants.

I entered a fun belly photo contest on The Nest this morning...if you get a chance check it out and vote for me! :) Click here for the link!

That photo is one of the maternity shots we had taken. I finally got the finished photos back from the photographer...here are a few of my favorites-->

Yesterday was a fun day and really lifted my spirits. The hubby's cousin and his fiance came over to watch the NFL draft (snooze), but just having company over was so nice since I don't get out of the house much at all anymore. They just got engaged last weekend in Las Vegas and they are sooo cute together. They were asking us all sorts of wedding planning questions...I can't wait for the big day!

Not much going on around here today. I'm hoping that the hubby will put together our new dresser for the nursery. We have quite a list of things we still need to get done before these babies arrive, and unfortunately, he has to do most of it by himself. The weather is gorgeous today...sunny and cool. Definitely puts me in a good mood!

{blessed}

Over the past year I've been blessed to be a part of an online community with a group of ladies that I definitely call my best friends. I think a lot of people would find it weird, since I've never met any of them in person, but we chat every day, and we've been there for each other through a lot of great time and a lot of bad times. I will be the 4th one of us to become a mom during this time, so having their support and advice has been invaluable to me. They have been both my cheerleaders and my shoulders to cry on. I really don't know what I would do without their friendships. A few days ago I got a special delivery from them...the baby swing from our registry! They also sent us a gift card to get more items that we need. I was so surprised and thankful for their generosity. If any of you are reading this, thank you from the bottom of my heart...I love you whores! (inside joke...they really aren't whores LOL :)

I've been ordering stuff for the babies like crazy the past few weeks...diaper bag, baby books, toys, initial letters for the nursery, changing pad and covers, baby carrier. The UPS man is really getting to know our house! Now it just all has to get put away and in its place...the hard part since I'm hardly mobile anymore. My discomfort has definitely reached a new level and there are times when I get really down about not being able to do the things I want to do. I am very blessed to have a husband who has taken up so much of the slack and is taking such very good care of me. I truly don't know what I would do without his support. Love you honey!!

I finished some more scrapbook pages for my pregnancy book over the past week--->

Hope everyone is having a nice, relaxing Sunday!

{earthquake!}

OMG I never thought I would say this, living in Indiana, but we just had an earthquake! It was a 5.4 and was centered in south eastern Illinois. It only lasted about 5-10 seconds here, but it was enough to wake me up and scare me to death. I was sleeping downstairs on the couch...my first thought was that the house was going to explode from a gas leak or something. Yikes!! We live on the eastern edge of Indiana so this was a strong one! Hope everyone in Illinois is safe!

{hanging in there}

That's what I tell people when they ask me how I'm doing. I'm hanging in there. The truth? I'm miserable. Really sore, really emotional, really frustrated that I can't do normal daily tasks like running out to the grocery store (or even shaving my legs for that matter.) I had my 32 week doctor's appointment today and I'm measuring at full term for a single baby...not surprising. I know that I have at least 4 more weeks to go so it is hard for me to stay positive when I already feel so crappy. I came down with some sort of a cold early this week too which is not helping.

But when I feel those babies move inside of me I can't help but smile from ear to ear...it is the most amazing feeling. I know once I have them in my arms I'll be saying what every mother says...it was all worth it.

One of the most frustrating things right now is that I'm off of work, sitting at home all day, but most of the time I just have to lay on the couch because I don't have the energy to do anything else. I want to scrapbook and I want to work on the nursery but even doing a scrapbook page right now is tough. My goal is to at least get all my pregnancy pages done before they arrive because from day one I'll be amassing quite a pile of baby photos that I'll want to scrapbook, and I won't want to work on my pg photos.

There are so many things we still need to do before we are officially parents. We need to buy a new car...that's a big one. Luckily we were able to pay off our current car with our tax refund, but it is too small to handle twins and all of their gear, so we need something bigger. We also still need to buy a dresser for the nursery. The one we really want is at IKEA, but even with the new one in Ohio, it is still 1 1/2 hours away and I can't go, so hubby would have to go alone or find a friend to go along with him. Their price just can't be beat for the quality, and we need a really big dresser since the nursery doesn't have a closet. Hopefully we can work something out. This is the one I have my eye on...

Well, my stomach is telling me its time to eat again (or maybe that's the babies sending my stomach messages). Either way the fridge is calling. :)

{creative dressing}

So none of my maternity tops cover my belly anymore. I have a couple tunics I ordered from Forever 21 that still do the trick, and my sweatshirts still cover the boys, but the weather is getting warmer and I'm getting very frustrated with my lack of wardrobe. So, I just ordered two dresses from Target to wear as shirts...never thought I would have to do that. I was going to order a few dresses from Forever 21, but after measuring myself they were going to be too short! *shaking my head in disbelief*. Hopefully these dresses from Target will last me through the rest of the pregnancy.

I also ordered the boppy sleeping wedge pillow. I have a body pillow that works for between my legs, but it doesn't help support my stomach at all. Who knew that the thought of sleeping could be so stress inducing? I don't even look forwad to it because I know every hour or so I'll wake up in pain and have to go to the effort of turning over. At least the sleep I do get when the boys are here will be more comfortable.

We're having a very laid back weekend. Yesterday I was feeling very sorry for myself and hardly did anything. But today I'm feeling better and even did some scrapbooking when I got up. The big plan for the day is a trip to Walmart later to pick up the boys' car seats and some other necessities. Oh the glamorous life we lead!

{moving along}

I'm 30 1/2 weeks now and really starting to feel the effects of carrying two babies around all the time. Thankfully today was my last day at the office. I'm working from home next week and then I start my maternity leave on the 14th. It is such a relief to know that I won't have to get up every morning, get dressed up, and spend the day at work. I get exhausted just from walking to the car these days.

One thing I'm excited about catching up on during my leave (before the babies arrive) is my scrapbooking. I have a bunch of pregnancy pictures that are waiting for pretty pages to call home. I did a couple pages the other night of the cats...they are my only babies for a few more weeks after all. :) Here are the pictures I used on the pages...I just love the close-up of Melvin's face. He's sooo not impressed. LOL :)

Chloe has found a new toy in the boys' stroller...she gets in it once in awhile and sniffs around.

And here are the layouts...I absolutely loooove the new Sassafrass Lass papers!

We had our first child birth class last night. It was a lot more interesting than I expected, and I learned some very valuable information. Next week's class we will watch the labor and c-section videos...that I'm a little nervous about. I mean, I know I'm going to be going through it all, but I won't have to actually see it happening from that viewpoint...thank goodness! The class definitely made it all feel very real!

Looking forward to the weekend...not much planned because I can't handle big excursions anymore, but I'm sure it will be a nice relaxing few days. I'm sure lots of baseball will be watched by the hubby. We are supposed to have warmer, sunny weather so that will be great.

{showered}

Yesterday was my baby shower and what a lovely, fabulous and overwhelming day it was. We had about 20 or so people packed into the house, and so much fun and love was in the air. The best part of the day was that my Grandparents were able to come from Kentucky. With my Grandaddy being so ill the past few months it was so wonderful to see them. He looked so good too. :) One big bummer was that my sister had the flu and couldn't come, so we were both pretty sad about that.

The boys received so many wonderful gifts, including lots of outfits, their stroller, activity mat, and some sweet handmade blankets. My Mom and mother-in-law did such a great job arranging everything and the food was great. I especially loved the cupcakes with two green jelly beans to represent my two little peas. :) Here are some pics from the day...

Just in time for the shower, Dan got both of the cribs put together and the bedding all in place (still have to wash it). I'm so in love with everything...it is coming together exactly as I pictured. :)

It looks like I'm going to be able to start taking my maternity leave very soon, which I'm so relieved about. I've been very sore lately and getting around is getting a lot harder. It will be nice when I don't have to get up early during the week, get dressed up and go to work. I'll be 30 weeks on Tuesday!!

{nursery progress}

It has been painting mania at our house the past week or so. Dan has been busy finishing up our stairway and painting the trim and walls in the nursery. Thank goodness for his mom's help...between the two of them they have gotten a lot done. The nursery just needs a little more trim paint and some wall touch ups and it will be done! The wall color is "tree branch" from Sherwin Williams if anyone is interested. It is such a warm color, and I can't wait to see the white furniture against it.

The stairs are finally completely painted, which was a project I intended on finishing myself months ago. Life just gets in the way sometimes. I love how it brightens up the hallway.





I'm 29 weeks today! It all still seems so surreal, and I guess it will until I actually have two baby boys in my arms. I just can't wait until that moment, so I can know what that love everyone talks about really feels like. I ordered the carseats today, so add that to the cribs, mattresses and bedding we already have and we're on our way!