Last ultrasound......

Yesterday we had our last ultrasound. We've been referring to the baby boy as Baby A since our first ultrasound (which would mean he would come out first in a natural delivery) but the technician said that she thinks they've been wrong and baby girl will come out first......I'm anxious to find out.

He's measuring 6lb, 5oz and she's measuring 5lb, 14oz. They can be pretty far off at this point but they're likely both over the 5lb. mark and that's a good sign-one of the requirements for a vaginal delivery. It was nice to see how they are oriented because I'm always really lopsided. There's always what feels like a bottom sticking out on my right side and nothing on the left. We learned yesterday that's her bottom near what would be my waist if (I had one) and she's curled up facing my back. He isn't curled up....he's also head down but laying over her with his bottom under the middle of my ribs. I like to think he's already protecting her. I realized a lot of what I thought was her legs moving has probably been his because both sets of legs are to my right.

In other news I've had terrible insomnia that gets worse every night. I fall asleep with no problem but I wake up between 1-2am-I'm wide awake, restless, and can't get back to sleep. I am (according to the Perinatologist) 37 weeks today. That's full term for twins so I have to say I am MORE than ready for them to come at any time. I see Dr. Swanson tomorrow and after looking at the ultrasound results we will set a day for delivery in case they don't come on their own.

Here are some pics of what I see at my non-stress tests every Monday and Thursday.....

Three monitors-one for Baby A, one for Baby B and one for my contractions.

As for the big kids-Gracie is starting to talk more and more every day. She knows all of her farm animal sounds and a few more. Books are her favorite thing to play with. She has her dad read at least ten books to her every evening and almost every time I come home from an appointment the sitter is on the floor with her reading a book.

Gage has been busy with school and the new homework packets for kindergarten.......

He's waiting anxiously for the arrival of the twins but he's more excited about a possible trip down to the farm to see the new piglets at Uncle Jack and Auntie Kalli's!

So many have been sending wishes our way and we know we're in the prayers of so many. Thank you for the warm thoughts and prayers-they are much appreciated.

Love.

Car Seat Covers.......

After I made the bedding for the twins I had a TON of leftover fabric. All the fabrics had been ordered online and can't be returned. I decided I wanted to make car seat covers. Months ago Christina let me borrow her car seat cover as a sort of template and I searched for online tutorials. I found one here that I decided to use because instead of a big floppy cover she re-covered the actual seat giving it a more clean look.

It wasn't easy. We decided to use Gracie's carrier and buy another one just the same for the boy so they would fit the same in car/strollers/etc. I'm terrible with my before/after pics but here's what the original car seats looked like:



Imagine without the bunting because we live in the central valley and I just tossed that out.

So I started with the one for baby girl.........

This tutorial requires that you use a seam ripper to take apart the cover.......like this


So that's what I did. Then I covered the desired pieces with fabric and went to sew them back together......only to find that it was too thick for my machine and I was only catching every 10-50th stitch. I thought, "Matt is going to die when he finds that I have destroyed the car seat and can't get it back together." Thank God for Sew-N-Sew......I took it there and they put the pieces back together again.

Here it is.......

Any sane person would have just given up on doing the second car seat.....not me. I was determined to cover baby boy's too. This time I made one little change and I was able to complete the project myself-can you spot the difference?

It was the minky piping on hers.....in the original cover it was just a thin nylon and when I covered with the minky it became too thick for my machine. So his went without......and I actually like the way it looks without the piping better.

Anyway......that was the last of the major sewing projects I wanted to get done before the twins arrive.

Ta-da!!

Love

The dreaded, "How are you feeling?"

I know that when people call or text to ask how I'm feeling it's because they're thinking of me but it's a question I hate to be asked right now......

Why? I've always tried to live by, "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all" and anytime my kids complain I remind them-"Nobody likes negativity". It's never been an issue with prior pregnancies because I've always felt great. This one I'm sure is made worse by the fact that there are TWO babies, I'm......older, and my body didn't have time to fully recover after Gracie. 

As people have asked, "How are you feeling?" I've been lying and saying, "Good". Then last week my father-in-law called me out on my lie and I realized I'd better come up with something else to say.......

The truth is I'm tired-more exhausted than I've ever been for this length of time. I think if I didn't have time to nap when Gracie does during the day I would die of tired. I don't sleep well because I'm up every two hours to use the ladies room and by the third time my mind starts to work and I can't turn it off. If it's not that then it's pain that wakes me-from contractions making me sore, pain in the ribs from one twin living in them, heartburn, hip pain, back pain you name it. We have a good mattress-I can't imagine how bad it would be if we didn't. I get winded from rolling over in bed-which is a process.....I'm not even sure it can be called rolling over. My belly itches like crazy all day every day. By the time I leave a trip to Target it takes everything I have to walk normal instead of waddling. Every evening Matt takes care of the clean-up and dishes after dinner (this is hands down the worst time of day for me). He'll say, "I've got it-go take a hot shower". The time is treasured but it would be so much more comfortable with a shower chair.......seriously. I have to sit to blow dry my hair because standing in one place for too long becomes painful.

I'm so grateful for Matt and Gage.....they've both been busy taking care of things for me. That's probably the hardest part for me......I know Matt's been hard at work all day and I feel guilty when he takes on the dinner and clean up jobs too. Anytime I drop something Gage can be heard from the next room, "Don't worry Mom, I'll get it! Don't bend over!" It's so sweet. 

Here's a picture.......just the belly because I had just woken up from my nap and I had bed head......

See that black thing wadded up on the floor? Those are Matt's sweats that I couldn't WAIT to put on. 

Anyway.....go ahead and ask me how I'm feeling. I came up with a standard answer-I'm hanging there.......

Love 

 

They really could be coming any day.....

Since the holidays we've been busy getting things ready for the twins.....finally bought some diapers, cribs are put together, I finished sewing the major parts of the bedding, take home outfits are washed and I'm working on packing the hospital bag.

The non-stress tests (which I have every Monday and Thursday) have been going well.......the twins seem to be happy in there. I'm seeing Dr. Swanson every Thursday and he still thinks I'm the perfect person to be carrying twins......but I think Dr. Swanson has a way of making all of his patients feel like everything is perfect.

When we found out we were expecting I decided I wanted to make the bedding for the nursery (aka-our bedroom, ha!) myself. Then when we found out it was twins......I reconsidered.....then decided I still wanted to make it. The hardest part was finding fabric-I really didn't love my options. I wanted the fabrics to be the same prints but one to be blue, the other pink. The other concern was that these two might be sharing a room with Gracie so I wanted theirs to maybe coordinate with hers just a little. After hours of browsing the Internet I really think I might become a fabric designer cause I couldn't find anything. I finally settled for using minky for the ties. I can't say that I LOVE the bedding....but I like it......and I DO love that I made it for them myself.

Hers......

 His......

 We're having TWO.......

The toughest part was that these are mini cribs so there were no GOOD patterns or tutorials to follow online......it was a real do-it-yourself.

Last night as Matt and I laid in bed we realized that if I were to deliver at the same time Danneal did-I would have these babies tomorrow......and that also coincides with the average delivery time for twins.......yikes. So today I pack my hospital bag for sure. Anticipating the twins is different from a single baby. On one hand I can't wait to see their faces, give them names and love them.....on the other hand I'm worried about being able to handle it all and in some ways I'd just rather they stay in there. It's not like me to be so up and down.

I'm starting to feel BIG......but I'm not complaining because I'm lucky. I haven't gained too much weight, as of now I still have no stretch marks (don't worry-I still have a few weeks for those who might be wishing them upon me), and my wedding ring isn't even snug. But when I catch my belly in the mirror it looks crazy huge and I've lost track of how big it really is. I've almost burned myself a few times with the iron and against the stove. I was stirring the soup and suddenly by tummy was burning.......oops, didn't realize it was so far out there!

It's been so cold that I realize if there was ever a time to be stuck inside resting-this is it! I figure by the time I'm feeling ready to get out and take my brood for a walk the weather will be turning back to the warm side!

Lately I'm VERY tired........I have a haircut this morning and I slept terribly so I'm honestly afraid I'll fall asleep during the cut. Danneal said she was more tired at the end of her pregnancy than she was in the first weeks after their birth so that gives me hope. It's a kind of tired that makes me scared......I'm afraid I'll fall asleep driving or that I'll fall asleep and Gracie will get into something.

For those of you praying for us-thank you. Pray that I don't fall asleep during my haircut, ha! :)

Love.

People are so good........

Earlier this week my neighbor Carrie brought spaghetti and a loaf of french bread over so I wouldn't have to cook. It was fabulous and the kids both LOVE spaghetti so it was perfect!

My friend Chrissy with this blog passed on a HUGE box of Greyson and Doodle's boy duds for me. There was so much to go through I had to take a break......then another break......then one more break while going through it!

A wonderful surprise luncheon/shower was thrown for me last week. It was perfect-just a few close girlfriends made for a nice intimate lunch. Danneal came and brought the twins!! Not only did she take time from her crazy busy life, she brought the adorable Penny and Charlie AND the most thoughtful gift with TONS of things I'll need but hadn't thought of!! It was certainly a little glimpse into my future.......and as she got both the girls into that Moby wrap we all had our eyes wide and jaws hanging open in awe. Then she passed on one twin girl's worth of preemie and newborn clothes. It wouldn't seem like much in just one tote bag but with the clothes so tiny the stash seemed never-ending!


Julie took time from her kids and work to join us and brought a bouncer and some clothes for the little man. It's a good thing cause I am much more prepared for baby girl than baby boy!! She is expecting her own bundle of joy, a baby girl, in May and I can't wait to meet another little Gonzales. I hope I have the time and energy to make something special for her! Christina joined us bringing the sweetest matching Polo outfits for the babies. One pink, one blue.......still can't believe there's two. She makes such great company-it was wonderful to have her there and I'm thankful she lined up someone to watch Carter so she could join us! Sister came and she's been so busy with all that her kids have going on I don't see her as often as I'd like. She brought adorable matching Nike's for the twins. Then Jenny had beautiful flowers delivered and gave us a most generous gift card. With her own two little ones under two and a business to maintain she's busy; I'm so glad she was able to make time to join us and it was great to see her!

33 weeks


My friends Alyson went above and beyond in putting together a celebration for our growing family. I was moved by her thoughtfulness and generosity in throwing this surprise shower. One of her gifts was a Moby wrap so I could do "The Danneal" and wrap and carry these two!!

I was overwhelmed by the generosity of my friends......I am so grateful.

I'm off to a non-stress test then back work on the bedding for the twins........I'll post pics when it's all said and done......IF I ever finish!!

Love

Life after Christmas.......

Sometimes our blogs give off a false sense of what our life is really like. We post the highlights and leave the rest out. My intention in blogging was really to journal the life of our family so our children and I can look back and see our lives when I can't remember the details.

By nature I focus on the positive and often give the highlight reel but here's what's real: MANY days in the last few weeks-I haven't gotten out of my pajamas and haven't taken a shower till 8pm when Matt got home from work. Gracie's been in nothing but pajamas for nearly the entire month of December. I took my kids to the park last week-in their pajamas.

I was still in mine too.

While there I stepped in dog poop.

There is a stack of paperwork on my desk that I've been avoiding filing for over 3 months. There is probably at least a cup worth of Cheerios beneath the cushions of my couch. I've cried almost every day since Christmas.

The crying has to be hormones but it's also that sometimes life is overwhelming. As we've been preparing for the twins I've told Matt over and over, "Let's just wait till after the holidays". So the morning after Christmas I woke up crazy. I started cleaning up Christmas and cleaning out drawers and cleaning out the pantry and cleaning out closets. I suddenly had an overwhelming desire to get the house completely organized and ready for the twins. I wouldn't let Gage open any Christmas gifts because I felt like we needed to build some storage in his closet before it just became more unorganized.

I cried of overwhelmed that day. Then I cried because Gage has been acting up lately........I didn't cry because I was upset with him but because I was upset with myself. I've been too tired to discipline and deal with it the way I should. Then I cried because I'm afraid I won't be able to give each the kids the time and attention I should when the twins come. Then I cried because I was so exhausted that I hurt (sleeping has been AWFUL this last week). Then I cried at church because we were asked to take a moment and pray for what we needed. I cried because I realized that though I've been prayerful about my thanks, I haven't taken any time to ask the Lord for His help.

Lately my feelings are all over the place in regards to the twins. I'm excited to hold them and see their little faces and I'm beyond ready to be NOT pregnant. But as much as I can't wait to see them and I'm over being pregnant-I'm nervous and have anxious about our life when they get here. I wonder if we'll ever be able to get out of the house. Sometimes I'm still unable to wrap my mind around the fact that there are TWO babies in there. I still want to ask the doctor, "Are you sure?"

The upside in this post-because I just can't go without one-is that everything IS really good. I'm not on bed rest. I can still hold Gracie. In my last non-stress test the babies responded beyond expectations. Even though I haven't been out my pajamas for weeks (except for a few special occasions) I have only gained 36lbs which my doctor and I both think is great for a twin pregnancy at this point. There are no signs of pre-term labor. My physician tells me I could be his poster child for having twins. Though Gage has been acting up a little-he's still very helpful when I need him to be. After dinner last night he told me, "Don't worry Mom-we'll clean up, we'll do the dishes. You don't have to worry about anything, go sit down. We'll cook you breakfast in the morning too." He might need to work on his impulse control but he really does care for others.

Love.

Christmas 2012

This was the first Christmas that Matt and I didn't travel down to the farm. Dr. Swanson wanted to be safe.....at this time in the pregnancy a three hour trip into nowhere wasn't something he suggested. November was the month of travel for us so it was actually REALLY nice to stay home for Christmas this year.

We spent Christmas Eve in Dos Palos then came home to prepare for Santa's arrival. We knew Gage would be beat from playing with cousins so we had left out our plate of goodies for Santa and his reindeer before we left for DP. We were right, he couldn't wait to go to bed by the time we got home.

Matt and I woke up at about seven and we were shocked that the kids were both still sleeping. I got up to start preparing breakfast and Gage came in just a few minutes later. We waited a few minutes for Gracie to wake up then we all opened our stockings first.

Gage's stocking had playing cards, dice, Uno, chapstick, deodorant, paddle ball, his favorite candy bar, and green army men.

Gracie's had new cups, a few new tops, bath toys and a couple of Cuties-her favorite snack. Santa fills our stockings too but this was a busy year so he kept it pretty simple.

For breakfast we had cinnamon pancakes with berries and home made whipped (whoop according to Gage) cream, scrambled eggs, and sausage. Then it was time to open gifts. Since we didn't go to the farm, Dale and Debi came to visit the night before Christmas Eve and brought all of the gifts from the Creighton families. So we had LOTS of gifts to unwrap.

The kids opened their gifts from family and Santa. Gage's favorite gifts were the robe we let him open from us on Christmas Eve, Beyblades, and a Razor Scooter.

The highlight was that Santa left Gracie's play set and Gage's scooter outside. We opened all of our gifts and the kids thought Christmas was complete. Then I had Gage open the blinds to let the light in and he saw what was waiting outside. He was SOOO excited to see that play set for Gracie and his scooter.

I love this picture.....the spirit of Christmas, she was so excited and felt like such a big girl on her new slide. 

We try really hard not to get too much "stuff" at Christmas but with such a big family we all end up with SO many wonderful gifts. My favorite gifts were a new lens for my camera from Kandi (my Creighton secret Santa), and my new planner and diaper bag from Santa Matt. He's also bringing me the iPhone 5 but it'll come when we have time to get over to the AT&T store. Matt's favorite gift was his gun safe.

After opening gifts we just spent the day relaxing at home. We enjoyed the sights and sounds of the holiday in our home.......and considered what Christmas will be like next year with two more delightful faces to enjoy........

Love