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7.27.2012

HF4F 7/27/2012


Today is Friday- after what seemed like a crazy long week- it is finally Friday.  Even though my life isn't particularly hectic and crazy- it is just busy.  This week was no different.  Jordan and I like to cram in as much stuff as possible to get it all done.. but at least when I'm cramming- it is with him:)   

Linking up with Lauren for this week's High Five!
1. Hysterical laughter with Jordan at 5am. If you have been following my 'baby bump' pictures you will have learned that one of my new formed habits is eating a bowl of dry cereal every night before bed.  Every.Single.Night.  Typically I watch Yes, Dear or Everybody Loves Ramond while doing so.. and then when I'm done with my bowl I put it on my nightstand, and there is stays until the next night when I refill it with more dry cereal.  On Monday morning Jordan and I woke up at the same time. While still laying in bed one of the first questions we usually ask one another is "How did you sleep?"  After he asked me, I returned with the same question and he replied "I slept well until about 1am.  You decided I needed your cereal bowl, I guess, and literally wedged it between my face and the bend of my arm." (he was face down on his arm, I suppose.) I told him he was lying because I got up at 1:05am for the second (of 4) time I got up that night to go to the bathroom.  It was then he politely handed me my cereal bowl from his side of the bed.

We burst in laughter and I have been giggling about it ever since.  It was a great way to start my week- giggles at 5am with my sweetie.

2. This salad was yum.  I've unpurposely enjoyed salads all week long. Have I found my new craving?  Maybe. All I know this salad was really good, and it had chicken on it.. no aversion- except I did notice a couple chicken pieces left in the bottom of my bowl.  I had no desire to eat them with out all the salad stuff with it. 

3. This past Sunday morning sermon on Trusting GodAfter getting home about 2:30am and not actually asleep until after 3am (I was starving.. I needed cereal) we still decided to get up and head to church for Sunday morning worship.  I am so, SO glad we did.  Have you ever been to church and felt like the pastor was talking directly to you?  Yea.  It was that kind of morning for me.  JP talked about keeping our trust in God, no matter what he brings your way- after all he will bend me, but never break me.  After spending 5+ hours at the hospital for fear something was wrong with my sweet girls- all I could do was trust God in that situation.  Leaning on him and not anything else- it is a glorifying peace to have.  It was a great morning of affirmation of God's grace in my life. 

4. Supper Club! Sunday afternoon Jordan and I spent time with our most favorite people, ever!  Ashley did an amazing job of putting a delicious Greek meal together- It was all so yummy:)  Recipes for July's Supper Club are up at Chocolate Broccoli

5. Finally making a decision on cribs for the girls.  Jordan and I have looked at hundreds of cribs.  Hundreds.  If you know my husband, you know this is the honest truth. He is a studier, researcher, examiner- and above all, one of the best decision makers I've ever known- mainly because of the before mentioned adjectives.  He goes through every senario he can- making sure we are doing the very best thing possible.  Whether it is in regards to buying a vehichle (it took him a year- 365 days- to buy his truck) or the purchase of clothes (I got him an Abercrombie gift card for a pair of jeans one year for Christmas.  He held onto it for over 8 months before he could make a decision on what pair to get..)  and now, for cribs.  I understand his picky brain- I have the same one.  We are having to buy not just one, but two cribs, and there is one thing we have learned about ourselves through this whole process: We have expensive taste.  For several weeks we debated on a set of cribs from Posh Tots.. the crib was $1,000.. each.  Not so feasible to purchase two at this price.  So- now that we have this perfect and 'untouchable' crib in our brains we had to find one just a good, but half that price at least.  Well we have found it!  FINALLY.  The Babi Italia Mayfair crib is beautiful- not bright white- it is a brushed cream, almost distressed looking with an antique glaze. And price?  Half.  Plus, Babies'R'Us offers a twin discount since we are purchasing two.  Sweet:)  I also found out that BRU accept coupons from Buy Buy Baby and will honor them with our twin discount for the cribs.  Hello.  His hand is in everything.

Its been a great week for me, and I hope the same for you, too!  I'll leave you with a quote that was shared with me yesterday from a sweet friend of mine.

"God can do more in your waiting that you can do in your doing."   Love. 

Happy Weekend!

7.26.2012

18 Weeks

Oh my goodness.  LOOK at my belly.  Look at it.  It is getting so big so fast!  At 18 weeks I feel like it is seriously showing off.  I had a lady at Babies'R'Us look at me in shock while we were looking at cribs- "When are you due?" "First week in December."  With raised eyebrows she responded "Oh.. well, good!"  Yes, lady.  I am aware that I look oh, 6-7 months pregnant.  No need to remind me.  And if one more person tells me "I hope you know how big you are going to get.."  I might breakdown in tears right in front of them...  

How far along? 18 Weeks 2 days
Total weight gain:  18 lbs.  (Pre-pregnancy weight: 110lbs-112lbs.) 
Maternity clothes? Duh.  Although today I am wearing a non-maternity dress that fits so well, and although my toes are numb and frost bitten I am rather comfortable.  My belly can breath! 
Stretch marks? No- and still have yet to get anything that will help with the itching- Sweet Jesus. My belly itches like crazy.
Sleep: In bed by 8:30pm-9pm every night.  Sleeping so hard- I look like I've been whacked with a baseball bat when I get up in the morning.  Part of it is because I'm just plain exhausted, and the other has to do with the fact I'm on antibiotics that 'may cause drowsiness- do not drive or operate heavy machinery'.   I get up 2-3 times a night to go to the bathroom, but don't have trouble falling back to sleep at all whatsoever. 
Best moment this week: Feeling my babies move:) 
Miss Anything? I'm gonna go with what I said last week -because it is still SO true: The versatility of my pre-pregnancy wardrobe.  Dangit.
Movement: Yes- finally!  I know for a fact I felt baby on the right (my right..) on Saturday.. err- Sunday morning at the hospital.  I know because just as the nurse said she moved I felt something like muscle movement.  This week I have felt the bubbles and popcorn sensations regularly.  Half the time I think it is just my tummy growling (I'm still always starved.) or my food digesting.  But it is the same feeling everytime- and I can't say my tummy grumbles follow the same pattern everytime, per say.  Last night I drank some carbonated water and my belly was going nutso!  I know at least some of that was my sweet girls making their presence known.
Food cravings: Still enjoying my dry cereal every night before bed.  I eat ourselves out of house in home when it comes to fruit- I came home from my weekly shopping trip with 8 apples (along with plums, tangerines, honeydew melon, grapes, strawberries, Rainier cherries, bananas..it will all be gone by Friday- I promise.)  Between Jordan and I we have already gone through half of those apples.  Plain Greek Yogurt- either mixed with Pumpkin Flax Granola or.. fruit (shocker!), and anything salty.  Still showing love to Chester with my addiction to Cheetos- We have started to get the jumbo bags from Sam's Club.  I know.     
Anything making you queasy or sick:  hmm.. well nausea is coming from these antibiotics meds I'm on, but nothing related to food.  Pizza Chicken Rolls are on the menu for tonight.  If I end of chunking it I think I'll be okay with the asparagus and Cream Cheese Polenta side dishes. 
Gender:  My sweet girls. 
Labor Signs: Nope.
Symptoms: Congestion continues.  So tired.  all.the.time.  I feel like I cannot keep up.  I'm in bed before 9pm- and granted I am up around 5ish everyday- that is still 8 hours of sleep- plenty more than I ever go before gettting pregnant.  I feel like I can't get enough.
Belly Button in or out? Innie.
Wedding rings on or off? On.  I almost took off my 'I love you' ring that J got me for our anniversary last year.  It  is on my right hand- and is the same size 5 that is my wedding ring, but it fits a little snug due to the fact it is on my dominant hand.  Within minutes of forcing it past my knuckles I felt- for lack of a better word- guilty and put it back on after I started to put it away.  I couldn't imagine not wearing it for the next several months.  It will have to come off soon, but not this week:)

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and a little humbled.  After this past weekend's hospital trip I realized that all this pregnancy stuff is so fragile and precious.  I've got two growing babies inside of me!  That is serious business, folks! 
Looking forward to: Finally moving into our new house!  It will be so much more fun to be able to have a place to put all my ideas into:)  Oh, and 'bedrest'.  Can't wait for that:)  Starting September 1st I'll be spending my last trimester homebound per my doctor's orders. Since I am high-risk for preterm labor it is best that I take it incredibly easy- meaning no housework, no grocery shopping, and no work work.  I can sit at the computer or make a sandwich, but nothing that requires too much effort- getting up in the morning, showering, makeup, and driving to work is surprisingly stressful on the body- and my doctor will have none of that.  But both Jordan and I agree that we would rather keep these babies safe in my belly rather than the NICU, and would MUCH rather do it at home- not the hospital.  Much more comfortable, and can I say- much CHEAPER.   So- I have just about a month left before my time at home.  Anyone got any suggestions for good books?  I'll be catching up on my long lost love of hardbacks. 

7.25.2012

Nursery Inspiration

So- preggo-brained woman that I am has changed her mind.  Not too far off from my original 'dream' bedding but I think after some more perusing of etsy, pinterest, and actual department stores I've decided finally that I've found what matched up to my idea in  my newly developed scattered brain.

There is nothing wrong with my original, per say, I just wasn't super crazy about ALL the fabric in the palette I had descided on. The browns and blues were getting a bit difficult and clashed with several things that I thought would go perfect in the girls room- but just was off from the colors I chose. 

One thing that has not changed is the main colors I want to use: coral and lavender.  I like pink- but pink is pink.  And everywhere when you are carrying girls in your belly.  Jordan and I agreed that we wanted something different- not super traditional PINK.  Coral is probably my all time favorite color (my bridesmaids wore coral tea length dressing in our wedding- 8 years ago!)

I present to you my color inspiration..

The top pictures are the actual fabric I'm using for the girls bedding.  The one on the left is the main fabric palette I've chosen, and I'm adding the green minky dot fabric (#2 from the palette on the right) for the backing of the bumpers.  I found a gal on Etsy named Nicole and her sweet little shop Dandelion Baby Blanket.  She hand makes beautiful bedding and has some awesome color options to choose from.

The bottom pictures are images I pinned on Pinerest for palette inspiration.

The party scene is from Amy Atlas Events, and fit perfectly in the idea book shelved in my brain when I was first starting to think about how I wanted to do my girls' room. Originally, I couldn't quite find the fabric I wanted, so I went with a more orange coral print rather than the pink coral I really wanted. I'm so thankful I was a little more picky with my search and found the right one!  The bedroom picture is one from houzz.com and totally inspired me to add in a little more green to my coral combo. 

Now I've decided- and it is in stone.  I gave the go ahead for the bedding making to begin.  No changing my mind now!

And I'm totally fine with that... I think:)

7.24.2012

A Not-So-Emergent Emergency


This past Saturday came and went as usual- I spent my morning doing my usual grocery shopping and then  on to girlie things with my sweet Stephanie- mani/pedi and brunch.  Such a good day.  A great day, actually, but I was wiped out when I finally got home. 

My afternoon was spent lounging around in my comfies and watching DVR'd Rachael Ray and Giada.  Finally 9pm rolled around, an appropriate time to get in bed- the sun is down at that point at least.  My contemplation for bed had been since 7:30pm- and finally it was time to lay down for the night.

Jordan was at the fire station (that's how it always happens- anything, anything goes wrong, he is at work.)  and as we were saying our goodnight's he caught a run and had to hang up quickly.

I went around, turned off all the lights, poured my nightly bowl of dry cereal and headed to the bedroom to get in bed.. but not before I made a quick stop at the potty. 

Blood.  Wait.  This isn't right.  Not normal.  How could this be happening.  I feel FINE.  My face was beet red at this point and fratically I was trying to figure out what to do. I called Jordan with no answer.

I called again.  And again.  5 phone calls later, plus a text message or two- no response.  He was actually saving the life of a three year old that had fallen into a pool at her birthday party, so I understand why he didn't answer- but at the time all I could do was cry. Bawl, actually.   I just wanted my level-headed husband to talk me through this and tell me everything would be alright. 

I had just gotten off of the phone with my mom, and so my next thought was to call her. 

Me: "What do I do, Mom??  I'm so scared.  I can't loose these babies." 
Mom: "Call your doctor.  Now." 

Bathroom again, more blood. 

After I paged the doc, I called my mom back and she walked me through my day- asking a series of questions and keeping me incredibly calm.  I had actually stopped crying by the time the on-call doctor returned my page. 

Doctor: "Go to the ER."

The tears returned.  Ok.  Right about the time I thought I would be venturing to the ER by myself, I got ahold of Jordan and he immediately called in for sick-leave so he could take me to the ER. Thank you, Jesus.  I couldn't possibly keep my head on straight to go alone.

I met Jordan at the fire station, dropped off my car, and hopped into the truck with him to head to Plano ER.  We prayed the entire way to the hospital for the safety of me and the safety of our girls.  Getting out of the car upon arrival to the ER I was calm and collected.  The tears had ceased and we walked in together confident with God's control in this situation.

The triage nurse checked me in and asked her run of the mill questions. 

Nurse: Are you bleeding right now? 
Me: No.  Only when I go to the bathroom.
Nurse: Cramping? 
Me: No.
Nurse: So, is it blood in your urine?

Bingo- totally clicked for me.  That makes complete sense.  4 tubes of blood, an IV hook-up, blood pressure cuff and finger glove, and 1 hospital gown later I was left to wait.  Surprisingly I was still calm, and so tired- I couldn't help by close my eyes. It was after 11pm at this point. 

Doctor came in to inform me of my elevated WBC (white blood cell) count and yes, in fact, blood in my urine.  I ended up being diagnosed with a minor bladder infection, causing the blood in my urine. Preggo-friendly antibiotics would do the trick to clear it up.  After a check of my cervix- nothing showed to be wrong with the babies.  Last thing to do was to check the fetal heart tones.  Good- Even if you are telling me that they are fine, I still needed to hear them.

The nurse hooked up the monitor and attempted to listen.  Baby girls were wiggle worms (as usual)- kept moving. As she was just getting the count for baby girl on the right she moved.

I felt that!  She moved and I felt it!!  I started crying- of course.  (I'm just about to cry right now as I'm thinking back to it.) Hearing both girls satisfied my nerves and I was able to sleep for the last hour we were there.  Finally, around 2:30am I signed the discharge papers and left for home. 

Long, emotional night for us.  I'm still recovering from that late night, actually. 

Since that night I have had no more signs of blood at all- all is well in this body!  But, I have taken to heart the fact that I need to slow down.  Saturday was a really busy day for me- carrying all the groceries in by myself, running around all day with my sweet girlfriend-with little time to rest and recoup.  This pregnancy is slowing me down, and I need to listen to my body. I had no idea anything was wrong, but if I would have taken the time to listen to my body I probably would have observed the classic signs and symptoms (I'll spare you here..) of an infection. 

It is funny- I spend my entire day attempting to convince my clients that they need to take better care of themselves, and here I am spending 5+ hours in the emergency room on a Saturday night. 

I should probably take my own advice. 

7.20.2012

High Five! It's Friday:)

How has yet another week passed me by?  I feel like just when I've posted my high five for the week, it is time to post another!  The past couple months have been a total whirlwind- I like it when I can take the time to be thankful for my week's happening, even if it is just as simple as a new nail polish.  Which brings me to my first of the high five for this week. (Linking up with Lauren @ From My Grey Desk)   
1.) New fingernail polish:)  OPI Call Me Gwen-ever.  I love it when I see the new flavors displayed so beautifully in the store- and this one is so fun for summer (Don't you know that nail polish colors are called flavors?  Along with candle scents, and lip gloss..).  Different from the classic pink, almost orange, and, if you ask me- seriously the 'it' color of the summer.  I learned this morning when I went to grab my favorite lippy gloss flavor at the moment- Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush: Red Delicious- it matches perfectly:)  Effortless color coordination. 

2.) My lovie and I enjoyed a mini mid-week date night- Gloria's is Yum!  Nothing super special, but we don't typically dine out during the week, saving it for the weekend activities, but it was a nice change from the usual:) Our date night, however included two special guests- my Mom and Dad.  We haven't seen them in a long time, and so it was a nice evening of catch up and discussion.  They came in for just the afternoon and then headed back home to Austin after dinner.  Really good to see them:)  Jordan and I enjoyed it!   

My belly (and my sweet babies) were pleased with the weeknight mix-up. 


3.) Got back to the gym this week, finally.  It has been, oh, I say about 17 weeks and er.. 3 days since I was at the gym.  It was no spin class (oh, how I miss you.) but I felt the burn with my fast strides on the treadmill.  I was getting dizzy trying to focus on the television that was connected to my treadmill.  It took all I had not to look at it- I would for sure be falling off if I made focus for too long.  My Nike Dri-Fit tee barely fit over my belly.  I guess I've become bigger than I thought..

4.) We are new homeowners!  The ink is still wet on the documents, actually.  Oh my gracious this has been quite the headache- but worth it, I suppose, to get one beautiful house (on a half acre might I add?  My land-lover of a husband is SO pumped)! Looking forward to raising our sweet Parker and Jolie here:)


5.) My FAVorite part of the entire house.. the kitchen.  DUH.  Look at what I've got to work with here! Gas stop stove (hello!  I could stop right there.), TWO Jenn-Air ovens, a convection microwave.. and not pictured is the built-in stainless steel fridge and mega dishwasher.  Not to mention that this kitchen is completely open to the living area, perfect for entertaining.  I'm so in looovvve.

This weekend shall be fun- totally looking forward to it! 

**Tonight Jordan and I are staying in and relaxing- homemade pizza is on the menu, along with playing catch up with our weekly DVR'd shows and probably a movie or two via Netflix.  I love lounging in our comfies.  Even more so than going out, I think.  This morning while I was getting ready for work I was relieved and excited to think about our evening at home.

**Stephanie is back in town and settled from her move back home toTexas from Chicago.  Saturday will consist of mani's, laughter, pedi's, more giggles, Sonic drinks, fun banter, and yummy brunch at one of my favorite places- Benedict's.  Cannot WAIT to see this girl!

**Sunday evening Supper Club will be hosted by my sweet bestest- Ashley!  We had to mix it up this month on what day we planned to meet up for dinner- it was getting difficult with busy summer schedules and planning around Jordan's shifts at the station, but we found a day to work, thank goodness:)  I haven't seen Diana since her teenie baby bump popped out, can't wait to give it a rub- and of course hug the neck of all my favorite people! 

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!  Loves!

7.19.2012

17 Weeks


How far along? 17 Weeks 2 days
Total weight gain: 16lbs.  (Pre-pregnancy weight: 110lbs-112lbs.)  It doesn't matter if I am watching my intake- sticking to lean protein and veggies, or chowing down on Cheetos and chicken tenders.. the weight is coming on. 
Maternity clothes? Just about in full maternity.  I attempted to 'slip' into a pair of my favorite cream slacks this morning when I was trying to figure out what I was going to wear- thinking I would just wear the belly band with them (basically, I'm screwed at this point if I don't have any clue what I think I want to wear.  I have to do it the night before.)  After wiggling into them, I quickly pulled them off for fear that if I made any sudden movements I would tear the seam down the rear.  I may have shed a few tears after that episode.  I don't understand how some women wear their pre-preggo clothes through their entire pregnancy.  Yes, I am aware that I am carrying twins- but just saying..   Wearing my go-to Gap Pure Body Side Ruched Tanks here in this picture- love them.  Simply L.O.V.E. them to the moon and back.
Stretch marks? No- although Jordan continues to remind me of the lotion that I need to get to help with them.  I think he overheard me and the girls talking about it a couple weeks back and so now he has got it on the brain.  Anyone have any tips on the type of lotion to get? 
Sleep: In bed by 8:30pm-9pm every night.  Sleeping well for the most part.  I get up 2-3 times a night to go to the bathroom, but don't have trouble falling back to sleep really. 
Best moment this week: When I was drawing on the chalkboard, Jordan  asked me what size the girls were at 17 weeks. 
Me: They are the size of an onion now- getting so big!
Jordan: Well, that's not what you are writing.. wait, they can hear now?  Why didn't you tell me this? 
Me: We talked about it last week while you were talking to my belly- and I told you at 17 weeks they should be able to hear you..
Jordan:  But, you didn't tell me they can hear now!  I would have talked to them already... 
Me: You mean, since today- the start of 17 weeks, they can hear and your upset because I haven't told you yet?
Silly boy.  Makes me laugh:)
Miss Anything? The versatility of my pre-pregnancy wardrobe.  Dangit.
Movement: No!  I find myself laying really still trying to see if I feel the flutters, and then I realize I've stopped breathing, which can't be good for any of us residing in this body.  It takes me a few seconds to recover from not breathing and try it again- with the same 'not breathing' stunt I pulled before.  I'm over it at that point. How do I lay really still AND keep on breathing? 
Food cravings: Dry cereal, Fruit, Plain Greek Yogurt, and anything salty- think, pickled okra and saurekraut.  The thought of one of those Reuben sandwiches makes my mouth water- never even thought twice about something like that pre-preggo.  Oh, and how could I forget, fried food. I suppose the pregnancy gods are getting the best of my appetite now because I typically wouldn't touch that kind of stuff 5 months ago. 
Anything making you queasy or sick:  No queasiness or nausea at all this week.  We enjoyed not one, not two, but three meat protein dinner meals.  A major change from before. 
Gender:  Still have them girls in there. 
Labor Signs: Nah.
Symptoms: When I am out and about running errands or whatever, I've become very aware of every bathroom in the vicinity of the area.  I have to go all the time.  Often times I find myself flushing the toilet, getting my clothes situated and comfortable, washing my hands, and realizing I have to pee.  Again.  True story.  Happened about 3 minutes before sitting down to finish this post.  I'm ravenous for the most part- but when I do eat I attempt to get in smaller portions.  Depending on what I'm eating, I get full really quickly.  Yesterday I was miserable after eating just one (6-oz) carton of Greek yogurt and a handful of grapes.  I'm also pretty sure I'm the only one blowing her nose every 5 minutes when it is 100+ degrees outside.  We were laying by the pool yesterday and I couldn't breathe out of either nostril at all whatsoever.
Belly Button in or out? Innie.
Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, Happy, and a little grouchy some mornings.  I'm still SO tired all the time- I used to be a morning person, but not so much these days.
Looking forward to: Beginning my 5th month of pregnancy- and hopefully to be feeling those baby girls soon!  I've been feeling good and enjoying every minute of my pregnancy- such a blessing.  I can't belive how fast this is all flying by! 

7.13.2012

H54F 7/13/2012


Here we are again- Friday!  I can't believe this week has flown by me, again.  This week was no exception in being a good one.  I've been having plenty of great weeks- but what can I say.. Life is good these days. 
1.) We started our week with fun times with our Firefighter Family for Sha's Annual Fourth of July Pool Party.  Always a fun day (12+ hours of fun, actually), and firemen and their families come, sometimes not having seen them since the year before.  Love seeing all these faces!  Loads of kiddos come along as well, and Sha hooks them up well with the blow up slide.  I do believe my own fireman slid down this thing once or twice.  Oh, how I wish!
2.) Finally finding the right colors for our baby girls' nursery!  I searched long and hard, and finally was able to come across the perfect fabric and colors for the baby bedding.  LOVE.
3.)  Quality pool time- this week's cooler weather has kept me in my suit and close to the water (93 degrees is MUCH cooler than 107.  Thanks.)  I wish for more weeks like this.. especially as my belly continues to grow.  May I add something here..?  The Keratosis pilaris on my legs is gone.  Like GONE, gone. I didn't have really all that much on my legs- but as I've gotten older I've noticed more and more patches on my legs.  My arms are/were the worst.  It is a hereditary thing, but pregnancy has completely cleared up my arms, too.  Seriously smooth.  I make Jordan feel how smooth they are- I even tolerate his eye-rolling after the twenty-third time of making him feel. My smooth arms (and legs) can be a high five themselves, here. 
4.) LOVING the new look of our blog!  Thanks SO much Andrea! She doesn't even have to consult me now when she does things for me/us.  Several years in a row she has done our Christmas cards, birthday invites, Valentine's day cards, and not to mention multiple blog makeovers.  Love working with her!  She makes my life prettier:)

5.)  I love getting mail.  Good mail always brightens my day (hint to any of those that posess my home address- feel free to send me some snail mail if you feel led to do so).  You may remember, I got notification a couple months back about my winning a recipe contest for my Zucchini Pesto with Shrimp & Farfalle.  I was part of my High Five back in May.  Well, this week I recieved my special copy of the August/September issue of Taste of Home's Simple & Delicious, featuring my winning recipe.  It looks awfully pretty to me! 

Have a High Five?  C'mon... It's Friday- something went well for you this week, I'm sure!  Link up every week with Lauren @ From My Grey Desk

7.12.2012

16 Weeks


How far along? 16 Weeks 2 days
Total weight gain: 15lbs.  (Pre-pregnancy weight: 110lbs-112lbs.)
Maternity clothes? Full maternity for the most part.  Repeat outfits are already happening, and if you know me well enough this pretty out of the ordinary.  But when something is comfortable, it's what I'm gonna wear, over and over.  The Gap Pure Body Side Ruched Tanks are a favorite as well as my (hand-me-down) Target Liz Lange yoga capris.  You can see me wearing these two together more often than not.  The tanks are good for work and lounging at home.  So cute on, and I like the way it makes my tummy look.  I'm actually wearing a navy one under my yellow sweater in the belly picture.
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: Still in bed early on most nights.  It's becoming more regular, even when Jordan is at work. 
Best moment this week: We spent some serious pool time with our Firefighter family over the weekend to celebrate the 4th (on the 7th).  It was fun to see all of my wifey friends- none of them had seen me since my new found curves (well, just one curve actually..) One of the girls just about made my day within the first five minutes after a welcome hug: "Girl, you are still so tiny and you are 16 weeks!"  Thank you.  Thank you very much.  (I'll always accept comments like these..)
Miss Anything? Margaritas.  There was a rather large margarita machine at the party this weekend.  I literally gawked at every person walking by me with a 'rita in their hand wishing I had a really, really long straw.  It was 104 degrees and I wished nothing more than to have a frosty drink.  I stuck with my ice water in a Solo Cup to match everyone else laying by the pool enjoying their adult beverages.
Movement: No!  Boo.  My doctor told me at my 16 week appointment on Monday that I should be recognizing feelings of them move soon. 
Food cravings: Dry cereal (Cascadian Farms Chocolate O's or Fruitful O's and Life Original ), Fruit, Plain Greek Yogurt (Oikos and Fage), Cheetos Puffs, and anything salty.  Last night I woke up STARVING at 2:45am.  I laid there for 30 minutes before I decided I wasn't going to be able to fall back asleep unless I had something to eat.  Dry cereal did the trick:)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Chicken, although it successfully made its way to my plate twice this week!  The second time (last night) didn't do over so well with my tastebuds, but I was able to pick around it.)Sweets are another thing that I'm not too fond of lately. I'll eat them thinking I want them, and then feel yucky soon after. 
Gender:  Still have them girls in there. 
Labor Signs: Nah.
Symptoms: I feel pretty good this week, no realy complaints.  I feel like I'm starving all the time (hence the 3am snack.)  Headaches come and go and congestion rears it's ugly head on a daily basis. 
Belly Button in or out? In- although my 'never-ending' belly button isn't so never ending anymore.
Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Quite the happy girl these days.  Still to thankful to be SO blessed.  I can see God's hand in my life on a daily basis.  So awesome.
Looking forward to: Beginning to build the nursey of our dreams:)  We think we have finally found  the crib(s) and the colors for the baby bedding.  We searched this past weekend through multiple stores and online for both.  I've been looking for the perfect colors to have the bedding made for weeks and was out of luck until Friday night I found someone on etsy that will make all we need in the most gorgeous colored fabric.  Perfect colors for what I'm looking for in the nursery!  

7.11.2012

Our Road to Fertility

I've had several emails and requests to discuss my personal road to here.. many questions regarding the twins, do they run in your family, did you do InVitro, how long did it take for you to get pregnant, etc.. 

So- after seeking permission from my sweet husband to share his experience as well- because the pieces don't fit well together without him, I've decided to share:)  This post is long, and I apologize in advance for it.. but I feel it is necessary to cover all the bases.

The Beginning

My (our) story starts about 10 years ago.. I started having issues with regularity.

(Ok- stop right there.. this is going to have some pretty deep info about myself and Jordan's reproductive abilities..nothing to gross you out per say, but I would stop reading if you're fearing TMI..)

Back to my irregularity.  Off and on I couldn't get a regular monthly cycle going, and it was at that time my Ob/Gyn at the time decided to put me on birth control.  I was 17 years old. 

Irregularity continued over the next 5 years, through 4 doctors, multiple trials with hormones, birth control, and uncomfortable exploratory exams- nothing.  Even on the highest dosage of birth control/hormones my body could handle, I was still not getting into a regular monthly cycle (I would start my period about a week into active pills.. sometimes really light and other times had me headed to the hospital for excessive bleeding or cramps that put me to my knees and would force Jordan to carry my into the ER in his arms curled in the fetal position.  Makes me want to cry thinking about those times..)  Finally the last doctor I saw took me off everything and decided to let my body do it's thing.  3 years went by and I can count the number of times I had a period on my two hands. 

A Diagnosis- Finally.

Jordan and I finally, after 5 years of marriage, decided it was about that time to have kids.  We wanted them, and wanted to take the next steps in doing so.  This led to another doctor search.  Randomly one day in November of 2009 I opened up my insurance book and picked a name.  Dr. Walsh. I liked the name well enough.  It sounded.. pretty.  So, I called and made an appointment, with the new doctor (yet again.) and got into see her in the New Year, January 19th.  After 20 minutes with this woman I realized the fact that I 'liked her name' was no accident (duh..God's hand is in everything.  It is humorous to think that I actually had something to do with it all).  She scheduled me for a sono that following week and I was diagnosed: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). After 8 years, and finally FINALLY some answers.  My misdiagnosis for so long was simply because I didn't 'fit the bill' for a classic PCOS'er.  I was not overweight, did not have facial hair due to overproduction of testosterone, I surely don't think I look like a male.. but what I do have?  Irregularity and acneic skin (which I only thought I could attribute to my mother..) as well as ovaries that look like two clusters of grapes at any given time of the month. 

So where does that leave us for babies..?  It was shortly after my diagnosis when we decided to seriously start taking steps on the route to pregnancy.  Per recommendations of my ob/gyn, and the fact I've been off birth control for about 4 years at this point and no baby, we had Jordan screened for infertility as well.

A Bump in the Road

The results came to conclude that Jordan had fertility issues of his own. (The hits just keep on coming..) Jordan has what is called varicoceles or varicose veins on his man parts.  His results showed that while he has an absurd amount of spermy guys, but they are with decreased morphology or, for lack of a better way to describe it- lazy sperm due to the addition warmth of the blood flow in the varicoceles down there.  There were millions of them, but once they got to my egg (if I even had any that month) they had no strength to break through.  Surgery to repair this birth defect was scheduled and Jordan began his (rather painful) recovery.  The three month follow up after his surgery was rather disappointing.  His numbers hadn't budged from before surgery. We knew of the risk that this surgery wouldn't work, but surely there was something we could do to improve his number in the least bit, right?  I decided to pull out my dietitian brain and do some research. 

After a brief evidence-based analysis on male infertility I decided on several things to include in my sweet husband's nutrition prescription. 
1.) Cut the caffeine.  I didn't realize what a crazy role this plays with fertility- for both male and female. 
2.) Increase your fruit & vegetable intake.  No problem there.  I keep him loaded.
3.) Flaxseed.  The Omega-3's are beneficial for male fertility.
4.) Supplements.  Jordan began to take the following supplements: Vitamin C, Zinc, Vitamin E, Vitamin B-12, Men's Multivitamin, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, and L-Carnitine (I think that’s all of them..) 

At his 6 month post-op appointment Jordan's numbers went through the roof.  The urologist had never seen such numbers of improvement before.  So much so, that he decided to see Jordan back for a 9-month appointment before releasing him to make sure.  Finally the 9 month post-op appointment came, and Jordan was still with improved numbers, and finally he was released as fertile:)  

Reproductive Endocrinology

So back to me.  With my lack of ability to produce viable eggs, we were advised my by Ob/Gyn to seek assistance from a fertility specialist for further care.  She recommended IVF Plano with Reproductive Endocrinologist Dr. James Douglas and his amazing team of nurses.  Our first appointment with Dr. Douglas consisted of a basic interview/counseling session as well as the drawing of our plan of care through this process- due to the history of infertility in the both of us, Dr. D decided our first step: IUI ( Intrauterine Insemination).  We left the appointment feeling ready and confident, and about half a mile down the road reality set in.  What if this didn't work.  What happens when we have to repeat this process multiple times.  Were we financially ready to make the commitment?  We had done some previous research on PCOS and treatments and have had several friends try different things before skipping right to the serious treatments of IUI and In-Vitro.  Jordan and I both felt we were skipping a step here somewhere. 

Finally, after a couple weeks of praying and talking about what we thought was the right way to go about this, we decided to try simple hormone therapy (Clomid) to start.  We figured going this route for a couple months would help us to feel more confident in our decision to go with IUI after the hormone therapy didn't work rather than skipping it all together.  I had a friend give me some advice, and through my tears it clicked.  After starting IUI it isn't like you can take a step backward to hormone therapy and expect it to work.  Start from scratch, and see where it takes you. 

And that we did. 

 

And Then There Were Nine

After taking the prescribed Clomid as directed I was at Dr. Douglas' office multiple times over the next couple weeks- sonogram after sonogram- monitoring for egg production.  It seemed that my body loved Clomid beyond everyone's expectations.  I was on the lowest dosage of Clomid (50 mg) you can give (My Ob/Gyn actually laughed out loud when she discovered my dosage and how my body reacted to it.) and my body produced 9 eggs- yes NINE eggs.  The sonographer confirmed with me that I did have two larger eggs, and promised that the other 7 would stop growing and eventually fail to be viable for ovulation.  I was scheduled to return in 3 days for yet another sonogram to check measurements.  On that day I did in fact have two eggs ready to go, and the other seven, well, they did not stop growing, and were rather large at this point.  My doctor made it clear that I needed to ovulate today or I may have a problem on my hands.. Yowza.  After testing for my LH surge, and I was without (classic PCOS), the office decided to give me an injection (Ovidrel) to force ovulation.  I was advised to go home and make sure I have sex  the following day (Tuesday) and again on the day after (Wednesday) in hopes for it to work.  No problem, right?

Not So Romantic After All

Jordan and I decided this wasn't going to become some robotic action just to try and get pregnant- it was all stressful enough in the first place.  Well- no one plans for the weather.  That day happened to be a day of crazy storms and multiple tornado touch downs and disaster here in Fort Worth/Arlington.  Jordan was called into work for emergency assistance, and on his way to grab his bag from the house he called me at work to inform me of all this.  We were running off generators and hiding in doorways away from windows here at the hospital- so when he called I said "Okay, love you and be careful." and we hung up. 

Immediately it clicked in my brain and I called him back- "You aren't going anywhere before you see me- wait right there, I'm coming home."  My boss looked like she had seen a ghost when I walked into her office and told her I was leaving.  Thankfully she is aawweesommme and totally knew and understood what was going on.  I had to be open and up front since I was in and out of the office several times during the week due to doctor appointments and follow-ups. 

I got home safely and it was just wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am.  And he left.  So romantic.

Follow Up- Again.

At the end of that week I went back to the doctor for another sono, and this time I was looking at empty follicles where the eggs once were and had since ovulated (so incredible.) It was confirmed that I ovulated 2 eggs- one from my right ovary and one from my left.  I left there with instruction to take a pregnancy test in two weeks (Wednesday) and then call if it is positive.  So- you mean to tell  me I have to wait two weeks before I found out if all this worked?  Good grief.

 

The Time Has Come

Finally the time came to take that test- I/we had been waiting for two long weeks!  I say long- it actually flew by and I couldn't believe it was already time.  I kept counting my days to make sure I wasn't off somewhere.  That morning I woke at 3am having to pee so bad.  I laid there realizing quickly that I wasn't going back to sleep unless I got up to pee, and I wasn't going pee unless I pee'd on that stick.  So- 3am was in the morning, the early morning of the day they told me to take the test.  What the heck.  

May Take Up to 3 Minutes For Results to Appear

3 minutes?  Try 30 seconds.  That test was positive in no time flat.  I couldn't believe it.  I got back in bed and felt Jordan moving around a bit.  'Jordan.. I'm pregnant.'  It worked.. I feel like it is too good to be true at this point.  That was.. easy.  But- reality is, it wasn't actually easy as I recollect back through our journey here to write this LONG post (sorry).  

In the days following my positive pregnancy test I took multiple blood tests to check HCG, progesterone, etc.. all came back healthy. Very healthy.  My HCG level was well into the 700's in just two weeks of pregnancy.  That flew up some red flags for me.. even though all the nurses could say was 'You have a very strong pregnancy.'    On the morning of my second HCG test a couple days later, the nurse informed me that it would be okay if my numbers didn't quadruple as they would normally since mine were so high to begin with.  Oh, but they did,  more than quadruple might I add.  HCG was in the 3,000 range.  Even with all this, I had thoughts of multiples, but since multiples are pretty uncommon with simple hormone therapy, I didn't think twice (no pun intended).  

Finally came the time to see this sweet baby on the monitor!  I couldn't contain myself!  I was 6 weeks 2 days along when the sonographer said "Well.. how do you guys feel about twins?" 

Tears.  All I had was tears.  I couldn't stop crying- joyful crying, let me be clear on that..

So here we are- with our sweet baby twins.  A rather long time coming, and we are blessed with not one baby, but God chose me to carry and be a mother to TWO babies.  What an honor that he would bless me in this way. So, no IUI, no In-Vitro.. just a little help from hormone therapy and a good doctors.  I have been so blessed with GREAT doctors.

I did find out a couple days ago..

My grandmother was a twin.  Hmm.  Good to know..

7.09.2012

Introducing..

We would like to introduce to you our sweet baby girls.. by name:)  After weeks of going back and forth, contemplating the very best names for our precious little ones, and after finding out the sexes of both babies, we decided on our favorites.

Hi.. my name is Parker Jane (aka, Baby A) 
So, where did Parker come from? Well.. thanks to television and these Massey's love for our 'shows' we heard this name about 3 years ago on one of our then favorites.  The character was so cute (like blonde-hair-blue-eyed cute..) and hilarious.  So spunky and ambitous.  One night after pizza for dinner (yes, I remember it all that well.) I said out loud, "I really like the name Parker for a girl..I've heard it for a boy before, but never a girl."  Jordan responded in a agreement and it sort of stuck in our brains as our all time favorite name for a girl.  This was our number one girl name- so even before when we didn't know the sex of the babies just yet, we for sure had one boy name and one girl name. 

Our boy name will just have to be saved for later... although Jordan has said on more than one occasion that our sweet Lord will provide him with a house full of girls and no boys. 

We decided this name for Baby A due to the fact that this girl is all over the place.. and well, has her own sense of 'spunk' going on in the womb.  Every time we see her via sonogram she is literally bouncing off the 'walls' in there- screaming for attention, so to speak.  Last time we got a glimpse, she was scrunching in a ball and then shooting all her limbs out, repeating over and over again.  Our doctor even got a good laugh out of it.  I am afraid we will have our hands full with this one.

The middle name is after Jordan's Granny Jane (Jordan's grandmother on his mom's side.) 

Baby B.. Jolie Grace
Jolie.  I ADORE this name.  This name has not been a favorite my whole life.. nor for over three years like Parker.  We have some old friends that named their first little girl Jolie, and don't ever remember thinking I just LOVED the name.  Randomly I put it on our list of names, under the girl column, and there it stayed.  A second girl name hadn't been given much thought at all, but when it did come down to it, I totally fell in love with it- not remembering why or how that happened.  Jordan and I went back and forth between names and it consistently came down to this name.. and the next day we'd be back at it again with decisions.  Partly because my husband seems to have 'buyer's remorse' with everything decision he must make- double checking himself through all accounts possible after he has chosen to go a certain way. 

Large purchases are a nightmare.. try sitting at a car lot for over 11 hours.  I cried. 

But, with every conversation about our girl's name, Jolie brought a contageous smile to his face. He knew.  I knew.  We both new.  This was it.  Plus, the name just seems to fit Baby B, as she is completely chilled out, sleeping, or rolling around on her tummy (like her mamma,. these days.) whenever we see her.  In fact, on the day we found out the sexes, she was curled up in a ball- careless to the fact we were trying to see what in the world she was- boy or girl.  The doctor was pushing and trying to make her roll over, and Parker was having none of it.. being a little wiggle worm and messing up the screen.  It was a fun day to see them, for sure.

Jolie's middle name comes from Jordan's MeMe on his Dad's side- her name is Grace.  Plus- I love this name anyway, sweet grandma or not:)

So there you have it:)  And, in honor of our sweet girls, I want to thank Andrea from Slightly Askew Designs for helping to renew our little space in blog world- making it more fun, and including the biggest part of our lives- these little ones, Parker and Jolie, set to arrive in December.

So.. names are decided.. now onto the nursery.  How FUN this is going to be!!
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