Nursery Progress

I'm so excited; things are progressing with the nursery! We decided to move out of the master bedroom and set up the larger room for the babies. I've purchased nearly everything on Craigslist (deals, deals, deals!). We didn't need to paint the room, as we loved the green color we already had on the walls and ceiling. This is the before:
Thanks to some great 50% off coupons for the fabric store and some excellent style advice from my mom, I was able to make the bedding and curtains and finally finished them yesterday! The only things missing are the light pink flannel crib sheets that we've registered for - they are the same color as the light accent pink and will go nicely on the cribs, I think.

A few pics with the flash on so you can see the detail:
And a few without the flash to see the true color and warmth of the room (so far):




So... anybody have some good ideas of what to put on the walls???

Farewell, Second Trimester!

I can hardly believe it, but tomorrow begins the third trimester!

We had an appointment/growth scan today and, thank you Lord, both girls are looking great! They are both 2 lbs, 2 oz, and are a bit on the thin side but are otherwise measuring right on track! Nothing to be concerned about, and my conversation with my doctor was short and sweet as usual. I am SO incredibly thankful for how well this pregnancy has been going so far - I know that God is truly with me and giving me an extra measure of grace through it.

The girls are so cute; and Baby A has had the hiccups two times now! Their movements are getting stronger but fewer as the room to play in there is getting smaller. Meanwhile, Surfer and I are busy setting up their new room to play and having a blast with it!

From this point on, I will be having weekly ultrasounds and OB appointments and also non-stress tests (NSTs) to make sure those girls keep growing like they should. As November approaches, plans for appointments, dinners out (squeezing in a few more date nights before the babies are here!), Thanksgiving, and then the wonderful whirlwind that is the Christmas season, time is certain to fly by!

We are in the home stretch, girls!!! Your mommy and daddy can't wait to meet you!

Be careful what you wish for!

This pic is me and the girls at 25 weeks (and a couple days)!

I have been hoping and praying that both girls will eventually move head-down so we can avoid a c-section delivery. However, I didn't necessarily mean for them to move head down now! While I LOVE being pregnant with twins, there is one negative side effect - when they get their little heads together they tend to do some damage! Instead of one cute little noggin nestled into my pelvis it is two - and even at this stage of growth those two precious craniums press and pinch my organs against the inside of my hips... and then I am convinced they talk to each other in twin telepathy:

"I'm crowded in here. Are you?"
"Yeah!"
"I have an idea! Lets both kick as hard as we can and see if we can move Mom's stomach out of the way!"
"OK!"

So, at 6AM my little darlings were going crazy in there, trying to shift organs around to their liking.

Oh, the wonderful adventures of pregnancy - it's really great most of the time, and I am SO thankful for Tylenol on days like this. Keep growing strong and healthy, girls... we can't wait to meet you in about 10 weeks!

Having a blast

This is my first week off work, and I have to say I'm having a blast. As much as I loved my job, I didn't realize how stressful it was at times. Now that other household projects are completed, we can enjoy working on the nursery. I am in the process of making the crib bedding and it is going to be SO cute! Surfer's job has been hectic lately, as has the market, but it is nice to have him come home and have dinner together - just enjoy being "just the two of us" for a few more months. Scaling down our pace has really made life much more peaceful.

The girls are slated to grow a ton this week - they have been very quiet; saving all their kicking energy for putting on weight. They started the week at approx. 1.5 lbs each and should grow to approx 2 lbs by the end of the week!

32 at 24

We had another great appointment yesterday - cervix check looked great; nice and long and closed so those girls are staying put for now! Their heartbeats were right where they should be, and they were snuggling, both head down (please, stay that way!) and were so cute. They actually looked a lot alike in the photos we got of them so I wonder... could they be identical?

When we met with our Doctor, we discussed some of the challenges I've been having, not the least of which is the nearly-blacking-out-while-driving thing. He told me that basically, I am very pregnant. :) He measured me and said that I am measuring 32 weeks and I am actually 24 weeks tomorrow... so I should expect to feel like someone who has been pregnant 32 weeks in size and girth and energy, etc.

I have to admit, I am a bit jealous of those tiny bellied one-baby gals. Our ultrasound tech yesterday was 34 weeks pregnant and looked like I did about a month ago! Other gals have had a full two months longer to stretch to the size I am now, and they have a lot less farther to go by the time they get there! If I had one baby in there, I could also be going to the gym, exercising, maybe even jogging, feeling cute and tiny.

But I wouldn't give up one of my little girls for all that!

My last official week at work is this week, although I am just basically on call and will go in on Friday just to say goodbye to everyone. It is very bittersweet - I have loved my job and will truly miss it and the folks that I work with. But it is SO wonderful to be at home, to rest when I need to, to not have to feel great if I really don't, to calm life down a bit and just switch gears in preparation for the babies.

Having the 32 week measurement is very helpful to know what I can expect myself to be able to do - and to help me not to overdo it. I'm getting projects at home done one by one and will be able to start the nursery this week, I think!

Doctor was so impressed with how fast my pregnancy is going! Well, maybe a bit faster for him than for us... but it is moving right along and our girls will be here before we know it!

Go ahead, touch the belly

As I've reached the point in my pregnancy when I am very obviously pregnant, I have started to notice the phenomenon of "touching the pregnant belly" - from family, friends, strangers...

Last night, we were at a large celebration - an event honoring my wonderful boss' 60th birthday and an event to watch the VP debate. (Give 'em hell, Baracuda!) As I was making the rounds, saying hello to people and such, I noticed that nearly every woman I came across reached out tentatively to touch my belly.

Why do women do that? Actually, I even had some men try it - although, they are by far the exception... My thought is that instincutally, we are all pro-life. There is no thought that goes into that reach, just a magical, mysterious draw of the knowledge that inside that roundness is a little life (or two!) - that there is a miracle touching our very ordinary lives at that moment and people just want to be close to it.

So, go ahead - touch the belly, and be amazed with me at the wonder of these two little ones that God is literally knitting together inside me.