Just an Update

  As we inch closer and closer and the weeks fly by I can't help but feel a bit anxious.  Some nights I am up (usually to go to the bathroom), and I can't fall asleep because I keep thinking about everything that needs to still be finished.  They aren't major, but they weigh on my mind.  Like my spice cupboard... I know that it desperately needs to be organized and cleaned out, but I just don't have really want to do it.  I should make some meals and freeze them, but I feel so tired!  There is a big long list of "should do's" but they can wait.  I have to say that the last couple of days I have been by far the most tired I have been through my pregnancy.  Its like the only type of mammal that hibernates in the summer is a pregnant woman.  I am specifically speaking for myself here.  

32 weeks!

  The babies have been moving so much, apparently its supposed to slow down, but I just don't think they will!  I think that they are going to be busy little girls.  I was saying to Dallas that we are going to have to take them to the park in the evening when they are bigger and run them ragged so they sleep, he already thought of that and has picked out some parks that are close to do that.  He is looking forward to taking them for bike rides and so am I.  I just want to be an active family that spends time together.  When we were little supper time was always so much fun, I just remember sitting around the table and everyone talking about their day and laughing.  Thats how I want our children to grow up.  

  Oh a new development is that we have bought a minivan!  Its not new, its not very "pretty", but we are so happy with it!  The seats are plush and there is a ton of room in it for babies, strollers, dogs and groceries.  I just love how everything seems to fall into place when you need it to.  I want to attach a couple of links of a great website for a few little baby things that my parents got for us.  The company is called Woombie and they have a lot of really great things!  

First off is the Donut Woombie, it is like a portable mattress that actually looks really comfortable!  I wonder if they make these for adults!?!?  My thinking is this will be perfect for an afternoon at Grandma and Grandpa's or even for the babes to lay on in the living room!  I am so excited to get this!

http://www.woombie.com/the_woombie_donut.html

Secondly is the Convertible Woombie, it just looks so comfortable.  Its to swaddle the babies and if they don't like it then you can just make it into a sleep sack so their arms are out.  

http://www.woombie.com/convertible_woombie.html

Doesn't that baby look so comfy and peaceful?  I am hoping that they will make our little babies comfortable and peaceful too.  

Just wanted to share those two little things with everyone!  This week Mom also ordered us two ring slings off of Etsy.  Now that is a dangerous website!  If you haven't ever heard of it, beware!  Most everything is handmade and so much of it is SO affordable.  I love the baby stuff, maybe when the girlies are a bit older I will find something for myself on there!

Anyways.  I just felt the need to write a little post tonight.  We are all still feeling well, just tired.  Dallas is a trooper, just the most selfless man I have ever met.  He gets the bedroom ready for my nap with pillows to prop up my feet and a gets nice cool breeze going in the room and takes me for ice cream without even questioning it.  He is going to be the best Daddy.  He said yesterday that it is special when your friends children smile and coo at you, so he can't even imagine what that will feel like when our little babies start to recognize us and do the same.  

  Just a few more weeks and our life as we know it will never be the same.  I can't hardly wait!  

xoxo

Jesse and Babies

Final Four!

  Well here we are 1 day shy of 32 weeks.  I cannot believe how fast this has went!  Technically in like 3-6 weeks we will have our little girls here at home with us ( I hope ), and life as we know it will never be the same.  Which to me is a good thing.  I am ready for the challenge, I have been saying that parenting twins must really bring out the true character of the people who are parenting them.  I first must say that I am just in awe at how amazing Dallas has been through this entire journey.  He never once complains about the never ending "to do list before babies come," and he just happily gets me a tea in the morning and if I need it, helps me out of bed.  Just an amazing dad in waiting.  One of the moments that I look forward to the most is just seeing him holding our little babies and that look of love I know he will have when he sees his little girls for the first time.  Must remember pictures!
  So to bring you all up to speed on what is going on; we are going to be 32 weeks tomorrow, I have been counting this pregnancy in weeks of 4 so that means we are basically on our last 4 weeks... the home stretch!  YAY!  I had an ultra sound on the 12th and the babies were looking really good!  They are both about 4 pounds each already, so I think that my body must grow babies really efficiently!  I was just glad to hear that, although I know that just because they are a good weight doesn't mean that they are ready to join this world yet... I am happy for them to stay put for awhile yet.  The ultra sound tech said that the babies move so much that he had a hard time taking pictures of them... he said that its good that they were "bad" babies, movement is a good thing.  Yesterday I had my last appointment with my OB, I am being switched to a different one because mine is going on holidays!  But he says that the next doc will take good care of us too!  I will miss my South African doctor with baseball mitt hands, he calls me deary and sweet.  The appointment went well, its incredible how fast and how much the body changes in a few short weeks though!  I went from just having an abundance of energy and being able to do almost everything without much trouble and now I have swollen feet that are like the Elephant Man, my gums are not quite as swollen as my feet but close and I have lovely carpel tunnel in my right hand.  I guess when you consider what I could have I am really lucky!  So I will take it and know that it is just the hormones surging through my small frame.  I also stood on the scale and could not believe my eyes!  I weighed a whopping 198 pounds, but the doc said that 7-8 of that is the water that I am retaining in my legs and feet... so that made me feel better, kind of.  The babes heart rates are good, they are like little champs in there!  At this rate he figures they will be be over 6 pounds when they are born!  That was my goal!  Good 6 pounders!  
  I have to say that even though there has been some discomfort over the last couple weeks or so, it is not unbearable.  You have to have the rain before you can have the rainbows right!  I am just everyday thankful that our little babies are healthy and that I am too!  I am thankful for a supportive husband, family and friends.  I think that when you surround yourself with positivity that it easily rubs off on you. I have learned in the last month that EVERYONE will give you unsolicited advice about EVERYTHING and it is just my choice to take it or leave it.  I have to admit that sometimes it brings me down when people get all up in my business, but I know they mean well.  That being said I have been given some really wonderful insight to raising twins!  I guess that when it boils down to it we all have a different experience, its like you can never have the same exact feeling ever two times.  No matter how hard you try the experience will never be the same as someone else's and it will never match an experience you have had. 
  I hope that you are all enjoying this weather we are having, enjoy the rain too!


xoxo
Jesse and Babies

Babies Bedroom

Birdie mobile that I made

 This has easily and quickly become my favorite room in the house!

Fantastic crib!

Wall Decal, sorry its blurry!

More decal and change table

Is this Co Sleeping?!?

Better picture of decal!

Almost There!

  I have been very tardy with updating this blog of mine, isn't that normal though?  Becoming complacent and just "not having the time."  That is not an excuse for me, as I have nothing but time now a days!  To bring you all up to speed here, I am not working much anymore.  Just a little bit here and there which is nice.  I haven't really felt that need to nest around my house as I have gotten a lot of things done, I do have a list though!  Soon I will start checking things off of that list, I just needed a few days to do nothing!  So that is what I have done.  I have dove into a book and I am not sure if that is a good thing or not...
  We are moving right along with this pregnancy!  We are now 30 weeks, which is amazing to me!  Technically in like 5-8 weeks we will parents to two babies at once!  I can hardly believe it somedays.  I am still in awe of the human body and what it is capable of.  Now I must say that I have started to become uncomfortable!  I have had a couple of new symptoms pop up swollen feet, Dallas likes to call me club foot, its interesting for sure.  Along with the feet my gums are also really swollen and bleed a lot, but not to worry I was proactive and went to the dentist a couple weeks ago and have been taking good care of that!  I have difficulty breathing when I lay down, so I am taking a homeopathic thing for that and it really works!  I am just thinking to myself that I have been really lucky!  If these few minor symptoms is all that has crept up in 30 weeks surely I can make it another 8!  The weather has not been bothering me too much either!  I find that if I sit outside in the sun I can handle maybe 15 minutes then I have to find some shade or go inside for a wee break, but no hot flashes!  I consider myself lucky.  On Tuesday we have our next ultra sound, we are so excited to see our little girls again!  I can't imagine how much they have grown, I can feel it though.  Just incredible to wake up and feel those little nudges and kicks and pokes, I will miss that.  The doctor isn't concerned about anything at this point, we have been cleared for diabetes and anemia, so there are no worries.  Dallas and I have started a journal this last week for the girls, we wanted something in our writing to remind us and to show them how we were feeling these last couple of months, it is sweet and it makes me cry to see a Daddy in waiting so eager to teach his little girls how to be aggressive soccer players.  Oh a funny thing too, the last two weeks or maybe three, Dallas has set up the tent and has slept in it, as I am big and its uncomfortable to share a bed right now.  I toss and turn so he graciously sleeps outside every night!  I think its so cute how every night he says goodnight and walks out the front door and unzips his tent and sleeps out there.  What a great guy!  
  I did want to mention something here and I think that it is so important for all mommies to be and even for those who are trying to be mommies.  The importance of a GOOD prenatal vitamin and a few other supplements.  Now maybe I have gone over board, I don't know, but I contribute a lot of my good pregnancy to the vitamins and a healthy diet.  I have taken a prenatal vitamin ( Centrum ) and yes it is more expensive, but it is packed full of all of the good stuff that those babies are taking from me.  In addition to this I also have been on a calcium magnesium pill too.  They say that you are supposed to take vitamin D with this because it helps to absorb the calcium better, but I drink a lot of milk and orange juice and get a lot of calcium anyways.  I tried the vitamin D and I found for me that I had a hard time sleeping!  The other one that I have been taking is an Omega 3.  I started with a 3-6-9, but during pregnancy you really just need to focus on the Omega 3.  So that is what I started to take and I found a vitamin that was an Omega 3 Prenatal.  This is such an important one for those little brains that are growing inside of me (and mine too I am sure).   Now some women might think that a prenatal isn't going to "do much" after the first 3 months or so, but I assure that is not the case.  When you have little babies or baby growing inside of you and taking all the nutrients that are usually going to you then you are left with very little to sustain yourself and your health.  The vitamins aren't a substitute for food, instead they help your body to cope with what it might be lacking during pregnancy.  Just another thing that I have learnt too and many of you might already know this!  Keep taking your prenatal as long as you are breast feeding, and switch to an Omega 3-6.  As women we need to always keep our calcium levels up to prevent disease like osteoporosis, so I will continue to take that as well.  
  This is something that I really think has helped me during my pregnancy, I know that everybody's bodies are different, but it really can't hurt you or your babies to give a little extra of this and that.
  I hope that you are all doing well and thank you to those who have been such a great support system through this journey!  Not long now and we will have our little babies at home!


xoxo
Jesse and Babies  

Fashionable and Pregnant... is this EVEN Possible?

  First off I have to thank Jessica for featuring me on her blog.  Jessica and I often find ourselves speaking about fashion and trying to define our own individual style with words.  I have thought about this for a couple of days since I knew I would be a feature and I have come to the conclusion that everyday we have to define our style.  Maybe one day we will have a vintage look with a hint of boho and the next we feel classic yet effortless.  Style is something that evolves over a period of time with influences from everything from nature to classic 1960's style icons.  I always try to not judge people's fashion sense (well unless it is horrendous) because it is such an individual thing and really anything goes these days!  So that being said, here I am 7 months pregnant with twins and still trying to maintain my own sense of style.  I have grown so rapidly the last month so it feels like I have kind of rotated a few outfits with some variations each time I wear them.  I guess that if I was to try and define my style from day to day it would be what Jessica refers to as effortless with a hint of boho (and a lot of the time I don't match), but that is me.  I suppose I try to keep a modest neck line but I like to show a bit of leg when it permits.  
  So my advice to pregnant women about maintaining their sense of style during this time in life is just that, stay true to yourself!  Do everything to feel beautiful and celebrate the changes that your body is going through.  Don't hide under frumpy layers and hide your growing tummy instead embrace the changes and enjoy the journey.  There is something very special about being pregnant (obviously), but I mean about the way you feel about yourself (maybe this is just me).  I have never felt so healthy and beautiful and its all because I am sustaining lives inside of me.  I once heard someone say that instead of wishing nine months away and complaining about pregnancy she would embrace this time and enjoy every moment that it brought.  Now I understand that some women have a tough time during the 8-10 months of carrying babies, but you have to have the rain to enjoy the rainbow at the end of it right?  
  Ok back to fashion... I have a couple pieces of advice that I have found work for me and I hope they will work for you!  First off... don't kid yourself. There are clothes in your closet and drawers that likely won't fit you for close to a year to a year and half after you enter your 2nd trimester (for me it was the middle of the 1st), so take the time and get them out of sight!  Pack them up and put them aside for a year and when you feel that the time is right unpack them and its like Christmas!  My whole thing was that I didn't want to feel depressed that I couldn't fit into certain favorite items so I just took them out of the whole picture, I mean its not like we were saying goodbye forever, it is just a temporary break from each other.  Absence makes the heart grows fonder right!?!  Secondly, if you are going to invest in maternity clothes you don't have to buy them from a maternity store!  I know this is hard to grasp for some people, but it is true.  I did have to buy a pair of jeans, but that is pretty much the only major purchase I made from a maternity store!  I am not trying to say that maternity stores aren't valuable, but there ARE other options.  Just be creative!  I tried to buy clothes that I know I will wear after the babies arrive and that aren't super expensive.  That was the thing about maternity stores, I found that for the prices vs. the amount of time you would actually wear the clothes it wasn't worth it.  So my favorite places to find affordable "cross over" maternity clothes have been H&M and Joe Fresh from Superstore.  I am a total dress girl, so I purchased dresses that I could wear now and after.  H&M has a very small maternity section and I did buy a couple pieces from them, but again I can wear them afterwards.  I am vertically challenged and have always been super intimidated by maxi dresses, but I broke down and tried one and I fell in love with it!  So I bought another!  Who can honestly argue with a floral, Little House on the Prairie maxi dress for $14.95?  Honestly.  I had to be honest with myself and realize that I am not going to be a size 8 for a LONG time, so I am going to try and embrace the changes now and not freak out afterwards when I haven't "slimmed" down.  I guess I should inject here that I am frugal, cheap, thrifty what ever you want to call it... the only thing I don't mind putting money out for are of course shoes!  And if I can find them for a deal I will!  Believe me!  I wouldn't say that I have a shoe fetish of any sorts (like some people I know... ahem... Jessica), I would say my heart belongs to scarfs.  They are the BEST accessory and the best way to inject a bit of color and a funky pattern to an outfit that would otherwise blah.  So my last piece of advice while to trying to maintain your sense of style during pregnancy is just to enjoy the changes happening as they happen.  Don't "hate" your body during this time, embrace it.  Enjoy this time when it is socially acceptable to have, for lack of a better term, a fat belly.  I don't necessarily mean wear spandex dresses that are so tight you can't breathe, but wear pieces that are flattering in any occasion.  Be true to yourself and stay positive about your ever changing body.  I have heard so many mommies tell me they miss their tummy after the little babies enter the world... so take that and run with it.  
Enjoy the journey!
xoxo
Jesse and Babies


The photo's to go along with this post are on Jessica's blog!  Check them out!


www.jandtbrake.blogspot.com

Happy and Healthy

So we are slowly but surely approaching the final stages of this pregnancy.  Our third trimester is around the corner and I am still feeling pretty great!  I have had some blood taken today to make sure that I am not anemic, its pretty standard.  It is amazing how the weeks have honestly flown by!  I remember laying there wishing that I could feel movement and longing for the day when we could see the belly movement, well my friends those days are here.  I could honestly sit there and watch them all day, though sometimes uncomfortable I am reminded that there are two tiny humans inside there fighting for space.
  As some of you know my sister is also expecting twins, crazy I know.  She has had a really tough go this pregnancy, so I think of her often and wish that there was someway that I could take some of the angst she has experienced.  I am thankful that I have had a healthy pregnancy up to this point, and hopefully will continue to do so.  I am not diabetic, nor am I anemic and I haven't had a single cold or flu.  Jill has had a combination of all of these conditions in this one pregnancy.  So I think about her a lot and her babies.  I think she is 30 weeks this week and I just hope and pray she can make it to 35 weeks and have some good healthy little girls (oh right she is also having two girls)!
This week I am doing a "guest post" on a friend of mines blog!  Now how exciting is that?  She has a fashion/ lifestyle blog that I adore!  I feel that I have lost some steam and running out of ideas about what to write, so I am hoping that writing for Jessica will give me some motivation and keep those creative juices flowing.  Oh yeah... so my guest post will be about maintaing your sense of style during pregnancy.  I just think it is so important to feel beautiful during this time when our bodies are changing so quickly and drastically.  I am not sure how many outfits we are going to feature, but I am looking forward to having a morning of all things fashion!
So hold onto your hats people!  We are slowly but surely approaching that coveted third trimester whilst trying to keep a positive attitude about all of the uncomfortableness that is awaiting!
Here is a link to Jessica's blog... its so great!  If you have the time to look at it I adore it!
www.jandtbrake.blogspot.com

I hope you are all enjoying the sunshine while it is here!

xoxo
Jesse and Babies

Blossoming

  So this week has actually been better than I thought it would go!  Dallas is away till Friday, so that means that he would be gone for a week!  Now under normal circumstances (that's me not being a hormone casserole last week), this trip would not be a big deal at all.  For some reason carrying two babies, being at home alone for a week and not being able to communicate AT ALL with your husband was a big deal.  However, that being said, this week has been great!  The weekend it was nice to do nothing and not feel guilty about not getting dressed on Saturday and napping for a total of 8 hours on the weekend... when I sleep like that my Mom always says, "Well you must have needed it."  I guess I really did.
  On Monday my dear friend came down from Edmonton and helped me get our basement "guest" ready... and it looks FABULOUS!  So I am no longer scared to take people to that side of the basement... now the other side is another story and maybe a whole weekend of purging... that is a scary thought.

Lily, babies and I at 25 weeks!

  I guess more importantly on Monday (sorry Layne), was the appointment with our Obstetrician.  Thankfully I looked on the calendar, because it was at 9 am and NOT 1 pm... I would have been SO mad if I had missed that one!  We went over all of my pregnancy thus far and he doesn't seen concerned about anything.  The babies are growing right along like they are supposed to and he thinks I have fabulous boots!  Ha... Fashion Mommy!  Sorry, no he said I have gorgeous hemoglobin, never been told that before.  But it sounded so nice!  My BP was good again, and the babies heart rates are almost the same! One baby was 130 and the other was 131.
  I did step on the scale yesterday, and to my delight I weight a whopping 181 lbs!  Can you believe it, I am thankful for those years of back catching that have helped me to keep some strong legs to carry all of this weight around.  Would I ever want to put on this much weight any other time, doubtful. So here we are almost 26 weeks and I am measuring like a 31 week pregnant lady with one babe!  Crazy... I guess that I am allowed to be tired and irrational when my husband leaves... right?
  Last week at the Chiropractor she mentioned that in a few weeks I will look down and not believe how much I have grown, well... it didn't take a few weeks, its happened, I had THAT moment.  It is great though, its a miracle what the body can do to support two lives living inside of another body.  They might be sucking out all of my energy, but that's what they are supposed to do.  If they weren't I would be concerned!  Still the only complaint that I have is an unbelievable sore back!  Bathing twice a day never bothered me before, so now I enjoy it even more ( the babies move so much during our baths together ).
  I guess its three sleeps till their daddy gets home, its a weird feeling not having him around, our little family is separated for the first time, wow that though actually just came to me!  He deserves a break from everything too!  All I am saying is that he better take me for a steak when he gets back!

I hope you are all having a great week!

xoxo
Jesse & Babes

**Oh... I wanted to post a picture of the wall decal, we put it up last week...

Wall decal