Baby #3 Week 37

It's getting closer! Can't believe we are 3 weeks away from due date. I'm still feeling good but nesting in a major way. I'm feeling the time crunch that baby boy will be here in less than 3 weeks. Clothes are washed and our hospital bags are packed but I have TON of monogramming to do. After losing three things this week I have decided that our home is an unorganized disaster area (being extremely dramatic here) and it is time for a major clean out.

Some of my cheerleaders threw an adorable shower for me on Saturday. They were all such sweet hostesses and you could see their cotillion manners coming out! They gave a super sweet toast to me and baby Shep. We got tons of lovely gifts and played some really fun shower games.

We met with the doctor on Tuesday and everything seems to be good. I am not dilated and very thankful! We didn't discuss delivery options but I'm pretty set on a repeat c-section as the date gets closer. My first was pretty fabulous and I don't really see the point of laboring for hours when I'm not sure if I'm going to end up having a c-section anyway. I've been hearing tales of scars busting open too during the labor process and that is just not appealing to me!

Nesting has set in and I am an organizing machine! We are hiring a cleaning crew to do a deep clean of the house before we go into the hospital but I want to get everything organized and picked up so they can work their magic. Jay and I completed the dining room, living room, front, and hall closets last night and already have giant piles in our living room. I divided everything up into sell, donate, put away, and trash. Our system is working pretty well and I'm loving the increased closest space. Can't wait to finish up the rest of the house!

I also forgot to post this last week but we met with the pediatric urologist and learned about how they would help Shep once he arrives. I really like our urologist. He did Holden's surgery and makes me feel super relaxed. He is very optimistic that Shep's kidney will heal on it's own. They are going to put him on antibiotics as soon as he is born to avoid any infection and will do an ultrasound within his first 2 days to see if the kidney is truly blocked.  

Pregnancy Highlights:

Today's Date: Friday, March 28, 2014

How Far Along: 37 weeks 

Pregnancy Countdown: 21 days until due date!

Size of baby: Yay! Baby has reached full term. He likely measures around 18.9 to 20.9 inches and weighs about 6.2 to 9.2 pounds. He's gaining about 1/2 ounce each day. Shep is the size of a winter melon. 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I've stayed the same at 25 pounds gained. I'm slowing down on my eating because this guy is taking up a lot of space! 

Maternity Clothes: Yes, all maternity

Gender: Boy- Arthur Shepherd Carroll

Movement: Lots of movement. I'm taking time to lay in bed each night and feel the kicks. While I'm pretty sure I'd like another baby, I am cherishing the last few weeks of this pregnancy in case this is my last. I'm trying to make memories of how all the kicks and rolls feel and what its like to grow another human :) 

Sleep: Sleep is pretty good. If I get restless during the night I'll get up and use the restroom but it's still not waking me up. So thankful for this bladder! I'm alternating moving from stomach to side to sleep. I can lay on my back too long because it is hard to breath and makes that heartburn worse!

What I miss: SUSHI! If anyone comes to visit in the hospital, this is what you must bring me! ;)

Cravings: Nothing really this week. The sweets cravings have gone back down. I am loving some orange tea though!

Symptoms: Heartburn is still there. I'm a little swollen but my rings are still fitting snugly. Thankfully no new stretch marks, nesting is kicking in BIG time, and I found out that the pain I thought was round ligament pain is really just scar tissue stretching from the last c-section. 

Best Moment this week: Cleaning! Seriously, I sound crazy but it makes me feel soooo much better to be in a clean, organized house.

Baby #3 Week 36

Well here we are... uncharted territory. I didn't have an old 36 week post to reference because the twins were making their debut at this exactly point 21 months ago. I'm still feeling pretty good and energetic. We didn't have any appointments this week so things are pretty much the same.

I can say that I am definitely feeling pregnant now. I'm large and in charge. I am having a hard time fitting into maternity clothes because my belly is BIG. My trusty old navy tanks from last time are still fitting with room and as soon as I get home I pair one of those with comfy leggings. I'm still not at the point where I want to deliver, actually quite the opposite. I've got less than four weeks to go and so far so good!

I'm feeling lots of pressure and would guess that baby is head down. I'm feeling a lot of movement/kicks in my hips and it's a weird sensation. At 5 foot 2 there is not a ton of room for baby in my belly. He seems much happier when I am standing up or laying down vs. sitting.

Pregnancy Highlights:

Today's Date: Friday, March 21, 2014

How Far Along: 36 weeks 

Pregnancy Countdown: 35 days until due date!

Size of babies: A Coconut. The baby weigh between 4.2 to 5.8lbs and should be between 17.2 and 18.7 inches long.  I'm guessing S is measuring at a good 6lbs by now

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm up a pound this week making the total 25 lbs. Not too bad. I am still feeling swollen but not NEARLY as bad as with the twins. Rings are still on but shoes are a little snug. 

Maternity Clothes: Yes, all maternity

Gender: Boy- Arthur Shepherd Carroll

Movement: Lots of movement.

Sleep: The heartburn is creeping back in and I've woken up twice for tums (could be the fact that I had spicy food and oj before bed too)

What I miss: drinking a beer on the deck

Cravings: Seriously craving sweets. Dinner is not complete without dessert. I've also had a think for oj lately.

Symptoms: Heartburn and lots of contractions. Some that stop me in my tracks but nothing consistent. Also lots of round ligament pain getting in and out of the car or standing up too quickly.

Best Moment this week: sunny days playing outside with my kids! This sunshine has made us all sooo happy!

Scenes from Our Weekend- St. Patty's Day and Nursery Updates

We had such a fun and productive weekend spent with family we love!

I got a text from Jay midday Friday containing this picture. He is not one to run out and buy toys so I was pretty shocked. He is ready to start teaching the kids some baseball. He had it out with the kids on Friday evening and to Jay's disappointment, all Holden did was take the ball of the tee and run away with it. Future running back instead?

I had a bunch of sewing to do so I headed over to my mom's after supper to get to work. It's so relaxing and I was able to keep any eye on the State game. We were so excited to knock off Syracuse! 

From the hooop: I put the monogram on Shep's bumper fabric! The seamtress is coming to pick up the fabric today to start working on the bumpers! 

I was up bright and early Saturday to head back to my mom's house to sew. I had been putting off making this kids St. Patty's day monograms to match their new pants. I just found a new site to order blank stuff to monogram/applique and am LOVING the quality! 

We got to the parade a little late and weren't able to get seats. Jay and my Mom were great to hold the babies on their shoulders to get a better view. Holden looked like this the entire time. He was amazed by everything. The parade was a little hokey but the kids still had a good time. 

Poor baby makes the worst faces! I promise he was happy/excited in this pic.

She never really smiled but looked interested the entire time. 

our ?happy? family of four point five!

I'm truly not a fan of selfies but if I don't take them, I'm not in any pictures with my kids. I want them to know that mommy was actually present in their lives! My face is also beginning to get its pregnancy swelling on.

We went to the park uptown after the parade for lunch and running around time. The babies did great but were all over the place. I definitely need another adult to help me corral the kids in this open space.

H was just lounging eating his pb & j. 

she LOVED to jump off of the side. Hopefully she'll be doing this into the pool in a couple months!

love this shot of my mama and emma cate against the city

daddy was getting intense while swinging H.

I was feeling a little stressed when we returned home after our morning outing. Last week was sooo busy and our house was showing it. I have said it so many times but I am DYING for a clutter free house. I want to purge everything and have less but purging always gets pushed to the side in favor of other things. I am treasuring spending time with my kids rather than spending time on my home but once they go to bed and I see the mess/clutter and I freak out a bit. I want someone to come over and help me purge/organize my house! I cannot take the mess anymore! I'm hoping I can get around to doing this stuff on maternity leave.

Instead of cleaning/purging, I dropped my mom off at her house and decided to sew a little. It is so relaxing making things for my family and I'm so proud the things I make. I had ordered this bow holder for Emma Cate a week ago and wanted to put a monogram on it and get it hung. It was so nice to cross a little project off of my to do list!

Again, instead of staying home and cleaning, we took advantage of the amazing weather and walked up to Zoe's Kitchen for dinner. They just opened a new location and it's about 1.5 miles from our house and a really easy walk! I often forget how close some of these places are! Walking is such a stress reliever and my kids love seeing all the cars go by on our walks!

again. the selfies.

Sunday morning was actually really calm around our house! We came up with a good game plan to get ready and out the door for church. Are Sunday's stressful at anyone else's house? Sunday am is bath morning at our house and getting everyone fed, showered, and dressed before 9 can be a production! 

For lent, in addition to giving up highly processed foods (still going strong with no candy, soda, chips, etc!) I also decided that I wanted to look into a Sunday school class. We've been members at our church for over a year now and haven't gotten plugged in. This past Thursday, I went to a Mommy SOS class which I didn't know at the time (one of my neighbors took me) was an extension of one of our church's Sunday school classes. Mommy SOS was a really great small group and I loved the wine and apps social part before we got down to our study. Anyway, Jay and I went to the class on Sunday and really enjoyed it! We are probably the youngest there but have kids similar ages to everyone else. They do a ton of activities and it seems like a great place for us to be. I'm excited we tried this out!

Sunday was sooo rainy and yucky but we had a strict plan (since we couldn't enjoy the weather) to get everything accomplished. We did a family target trip (never again with hungry kids) and had lunch at Pizza Fusion. Their veggie pizza was Ah-mazing. Unfortunately their organic sauce has proven REALLY hard to remove from kids clothing (AHHH). I had to pick up some things at trader joe's and Jay volunteered to stay in the car with the kids and watch Nemo. I only let them watch the car DVD on trips but if it would buy me a little time to grocery shop, I was all for it. I think Jay enjoys that movie as much as the kids.

We came home and changed into comfy t-shirts and pjs and the kids took great naps. I got to work painting the nursery. I tried a ton of different techniques before really finding what worked, unfortunately, by the time I got to this point I was on the little wall to the right of the window. Maybe I should have started there. I got cups of water and added splashed of different paint colors. Some I applied with an old rag and some with a brush. The brush covered a lot more and I prefer the look of the rag. Overall I'm pretty happy with how it came out. At one point I had put two cups on a ladder and was working underneath the ladder. I forgot the cups were up there and tried to move the ladder while I was seated. The full cups hit the floor and paint went EVERYWHERE. Thank goodness it was diluated. Jay ran to help me and we got most of it off the floor, rocker, dresser, and crib. A little stained the wall and we're going to have to touch that up.

painted wall

This guy woke up from his nap an hour before his sister and we let him help. He was obsessed with Daddy's drill and helping out. Jay got a little upset with me when he noticed I was letting Holden practice hammering on our hardwoods (I'm totally one of those people who believe our home is a reflection of family. I am more upset by a house that doesn't seem lived in compared to a few small dings in the floor... you may want to ask me how I feel about this in a year after we get all of our hardwoods refinished! haha).

While Daddy hung the drapes, we heard Holden making a lot of racket in the hallway outside. He found Jay's dress shoes and decided to do a little tap dance down the hall.

I'm loving how things turned out with the deer head and curtains. I was so iffy about the curtains and thought about using white sheers to let some light in but really like the look of these navy ones. We're adding  DIY shelves above the chair on the left  and possibly an old clock to the wall to the right of the window (it depends on how within reach of baby the clock will be). Jay is also working on a rustic toy box to go between the foot of the crib and the wall. 

I think little man is pretty obsessed with this deer. He's going to love it when he and Shep share a room in a few years. I think I might keep this theme going on! I also have to add for memory that H seems to be getting a little jealous of Shep's things. He walks in and points to the deer head everyday, he takes Shep's lovey and teddy bear (that used to be his but he NEVER touched) and walks around with them and tried to put on a sweet pair of truck and tractor pj's that a friend bought for Shep (don't worry I went to HA last night to get him his own pair :)). 

I was craving something home cooked but did not want to do the cooking. My mom made my Grandmother's Swedish meatballs and brought them over with mashed potatoes for dinner. I can't remember the last time I've had a home cooked meal that I haven't cooked. It was amazing! Thanks Mom! 

My uncle (a gulf war vet) recently wrote a little thank you to my mom for all the support she and the rest of his family provided while he was overseas and mentioned the cookie bars that she used to send him. I haven't had one of those in YEARS (seriously like since he was overseas over 20 years ago) and immediately had a craving. Mom brought everything over to our house and cooked with the babies while Jay and I prepped for the Monday ahead. I snapped a few quick pics of the babies cooking with their Gigi. 

I tried this recipe for homemade fruit snacks. I didn't buy enough gelatin and I think that's where I made my mistake. They did taste pretty good and I made a few star shaped ones (think jello-jigglers) to send in for snack at preschool.

hmmmm cookie bars!

The other half of the nursery is looking fab so I figured I'd post a behind the scenes look  at this half! This is the view sitting in the rocker. I still need to finish waxing the crib, making the frame for above Shep's bed, working on the crib skirt, having the bumpers, changing pad cover, and pillows made, finding hardware for the dresser, purchasing a laundry basket to go in the corner where the light is, painting the frame to go above the dresser, and stocking the drawers. We did get a LOT of closet progress made yesterday though! We washed and stain removed all the newborn clothes, built the shelves for the closet, purchased 2 out of 4 needed baskets and organized all the blankets. 

We had a great mix of productivity with fun and play. I'm still working on finding that balance between getting it all done and spending quality time with my kids. Goals for this weekend include finishing the nursery completely (hoping the bumpers are finished), cleaning out the upstairs of my house, hopefully starting on the basement, and making LOTS of trips to goodwill.

Baby #3 Week 35

Yay for 35 weeks! This was my last post with the twins so next week will be a completely new place for me! Thankfully I am still feeling great and not ready to have this baby yet. Towards the end of the evening I'm definitely moving slower but all in all everything is really good!

I had a Dr. appointment on Tuesday and learned that I gained some weight and my tummy was measuring a little big (35 weeks at 34.5 weeks). I got to see my primary doctor, who I hadn't seen since the very beginning. He is definitely my primary for a reason. He is so calm, kind, and reassuring. I told him about the specialist asking about diabetes and he actually apologized because he thought it was rude. He told me that I have a gained a perfect amount of weight and passed my diabetes test with flying colors and not to worry about the size of this baby.

We started talking delivery options and thinking that planned c-section is the way to go. After talking with Jay we are thinking that we want to push it out to 39.5 weeks instead of 39. This gives us an extra weekend to get things done. I know that babies come on their own time but having this little plan makes me feel a little more in control (which we all know I thrive on). I'm heading back in at 36.5 weeks to start the lovely "manual checks" for labor signs and to firm up delivery plans.

We are trying to finish the nursery this weekend. We haven't spent a lot of time on it during the week because we are staying up later with the gorgeous sunshine and then tiring out once the kids go to sleep. We did purchase a shelf for the closet and I got a few things organized. I'm planning to do all of the laundry tonight and get all of his clothes hung and diapers put away. I've also got to put some hours in at the sewing machine to applique and monogram a few things for baby.

I'm going to spend some time this afternoon looking for hardware for Shep's dresser. It came with these plastic casters that are hideous! I've convinced Jay to do two more projects before we call it a day. He's making a toy bin and shelves out of reclaimed wood that we have leftover. I'm so excited to see how these projects turn out. I love how this nursery has so many personal touches. My nursery projects for the weekend include white-washing the pallet wall, waxing the crib, and painting this really cool mirror I picked up at homegoods the other night. I have a feeling we'll be cutting it close between getting all the fabric sewn and completing the finishing touches!

Pregnancy Highlights:

Today's Date: Friday, March 14, 2014

How Far Along: 35 weeks 

Pregnancy Countdown: 35 days until due date!

Size of babies: A Coconut. The baby weigh between 4.2 to 5.8lbs and should be between 17.2 and 18.7 inches long.  I'm guessing S is measuring at a good 6lbs by now

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm up 4 pounds. I didn't weigh myself last week so I'm guessing I've gained it in the past two weeks which is fine by me. I was hoping to stay under 25 but looks like it'll be more like 30. My total right now is 24 lbs. 

Maternity Clothes: Yes, I have around 3 tops that fit. It is so hard with spring weather. I don't want to buy any more clothes but can't really wear my sweaters anymore.

Gender: Boy- Arthur Shepherd Carroll

Movement: OMG a ton! He is nuts. Jay finally felt him going crazy and was all how do you sleep with all that going on? 

Sleep: Back to sleeping really well. Not waking up during the night at all :) LOVING IT! This is crazy but I am still halfway sleeping on my tummy! I tried doing this at Jay's mom's house when we stayed a few weeks ago and couldn't. Our mattress is super soft and I'm thinking that is the only way this works for me. We've been talking about getting an new firmer mattress but will definitely be waiting until we are DONE having children :) 

What I miss: getting out of my seat without round ligament pain. It has been intense! Also wine.

Cravings: Last night I wanted proscuitto soooo badly! I have a serious love for that stuff but only the really good ($30/lb) kind so I only buy it when I really want a treat!

Symptoms: Not too many. I have contractions at night that will stop me in my tracks but none are consistent. I need to use the restroom more frequently and I've got a lot of pressure happening on my hips and pelvis. 

Best Moment this week: Watching Holden love on baby Shep. He always points to my belly and says baby and will randomly run up and give my belly a hug and a big kiss! On the contrary, Emma Cate is terrified of my belly and stays as far away as she can!

Twin Update 20.5 months

Just a few things I want to remember about my babies at 20.5 months old. Big news this weekend... the pacis are gone. We are still adjusting to earlier wake up times and shorter naps but that could also be the time change. Holden gave his up easily and Emma Cate still says paci when she is upset but a little cuddle with Boo and she's good.

Emma Cate
You are still so feisty. You are a stubborn little girl and you remind your Gigi of your mama. I guess karma comes back around... You LOVE to hide and then look at us and say "I see you". You say is really fast and with purpose, like ic yooouuu. If a say peek you'll respond with ka-boo. You have definite opinions on everything. We'll ask you if you want something and you'll give us a clear yes or no. You've been learning about time out recently and you do not like it. You are quick to hit the dogs and Holden if they get too close to you. You are not one to love and cuddle. You are Miss INDEPENDENT. I love that God gave you such a strong personality but know that you are going to frustrate your daddy and I :) You love to hide in the corners of your crib and give big smiles. You are always so sweet when we come to get you from your crib. You are the BEST helper and will pick up things and bring us your shoes and socks. You have been LOVING going outside. You love the bubbles, pushing your Y bike around, and swinging. I'm hoping that we can get Daddy to install your swing soon. If I mention outside, you are quick to sit down for me to put your shoes (shooooos) and socks on. You are quite the little imitator! You got your first skinned knee this week and love showing your boo boo. You are still into accessories and love hats and sunglasses. You've finally started wearing bows and I love it! You have started requesting to go potty and you'll sit on there for a long time. You've only actually gone in the potty twice. I'm taking a laid back approach to this. I'm thinking we'll work on it harder after the new baby is born and I am home with you all day. When we head to the fountains at froyo or the mall you are so cautious with your pennies. You like to drop them in to hear the kerplunk sound. You are also cautious on the steps and don't like to go down on your belly anymore. You prefer to use the handrail like an adult.

Holden
You are Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Gosh you are soooo sweet and such a flirt but then you can turn into a little terror! You love looking at us and making us smile with your silly faces. You are a good little imitator like your sister. You hate to be left out. If Emma Cate falls, you will fall too just to get attention. If someone coughs, you fake cough too. You are way more patient than your sister. You recently bit Emma Cate pretty hard. She was flailing her arms at you and you grabbed and bit her. I didn't see it but you definitely left a mark. You are getting a little mischievous. You'll look at us and listen for instructions and then do the exact opposite. You love you some Gigi and Pop Pops. You call Pop Pops, Pop-pooh and every time you say his name you say airplane. I'm guessing you either understand that we went to see Pop Pops and rode an airplane or that he always visits us on an airplane. Speaking of, you LOVE planes. We've been outside a lot lately and every time you hear one you go crazy looking for it. You love when we spot it and you can watch it fly overhead. Thank goodness we live on a flight pattern! You are LOVING cutting the grass outside. You also love your trucks and especially when you make them crash. Crash is a new favorite word. You also love to say bless you when someone coughs or sneezes. Sometimes you fake sneeze to say it to yourself. It comes out as bess you. You are also very familiar with time out. You throw your cup and food at the dinner table and wind up there a lot. You are quick to say sorry and give a hug to get out. You are very affectionate and still run up to give me big hugs randomly while you are playing. You kiss with your head and mommy has been head butted a few times recently. You love to do fist pound with your daddy and I had to tell your teachers about it because I was afraid they would think you were trying to punch someone! You are getting good at throwing and looks like you'll be a righty! We've visited the fountain at froyo a lot and you've got a pretty good penny throwing arm!

You both are so funny and I have the BEST time hanging out with you. You make your Daddy and I laugh so hard and bring our family so much joy. We couldn't imagine our lives without you.

Baby #3 Week 34

This has been one of my most uneventful pregnancy weeks and I'm am so thankful for that. I'm still in a little bit of shock that this baby will be here in 6 weeks or less. Pregnancy is still going really well and I am not to the point where I am begging the doctor to get him out :)

I am feeling the pressure of getting the nursery together and washing baby clothes. Little Shep has a pretty good selection of newborn stuff and I've been ordering lots of 3 month stuff to match his siblings. I've got a bunch of gowns and hats to monogram. 

I ordered Shep some baby blankets and they just arrived! I'm so excited to see his name in the room. We also brought his glider home this weekend and I love how it looks in his nursery! We also brought home a side table from Jay's house. The table is Jay's grandmother's grandmother's (Granny Massey). I guess that would make it Shep's great (Helen) great (Helen's mother that passed away during childbirth) great (Helen's grandmother) Grandmother. The twins LOVE going in "sep's" room. They try to scale the crib and climb in his rocker. I think they might be a little jealous of little brother's room.

new chair! the wall color on the left is the color of the room. the color on the right is the old color of the room. we're putting the pallet wall up on the right wall this weekend and didn't want to waste time painting it. Jay is painting the trim tonight and hopefully spraying the closet doors if the weather is good this weekend.

This room is pretty teeny tiny so I can't wait to get all this extra stuff down (anyone want a random leaf hanging thing or an asian inspired floor lamp? Jay will randomly decide to be a decorator and will bring stuff like this home AND will put it up. I think he does it to see how long it will take me to notice. Most of the time it's been up long enough that I don't do anything about it but often I make him take it down... we also have a random CAFE clock in our bedroom)

can't wait to rock my baby in this chair!

Last pregnancy I didn't really worry about going into labor on my own. I was out of school when the babies were due and thought, if it happened at all, it would happen at home. This year my plan is to work until my due date. All of a sudden I had a very real fear that my water would break in the middle of class. I teach business and computer technology classes and my classes are pretty male dominated. That would totally FREAK them out. My plan is to stay seated behind my desk as much as possible. I'm also keeping a towel and change of clothes just in case. To add to it, one of my students actually brought it up the other day so I'm guessing they are wondering about the same thing I am! 

Pregnancy Highlights:

Today's Date: Friday, March 7th, 2014

How Far Along: 34 weeks 

Pregnancy Countdown: 42 days or less (OMG)

Size of babies: A butternut squash. The baby weigh between 4.2 to 5.8lbs and should be between 17.2 and 18.7 inches long. Shep was measuring in at 5 lbs 12oz last Friday so I'm assuming we've reached the 6lb mark this week. Whoa Baby!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Still up 20lbs. I assume I should be gaining more weight in the next few weeks but keeping it under 25lbs would be fabulous. 

Maternity Clothes: Yes, the shirts are getting shorter and shorter. I LOVE my old navy maternity tanks because they keep everything covered. I am resisting buying shirts with all my might and just keeping the 5 shirts I have in a rotation. Come on spring weather!

Gender: Boy- Arthur Shepherd Carroll

Movement: Yes but it has calmed some since he flipped head down last week. Before I had arms and legs jabbing me but now its just legs. He loves smoothies. The bump tells me that the baby has started to descend a little making it easier to breath but harder on my bladder, bringing me too...

Sleep: It is getting rougher. I've woken up twice each night. Once to tinkle and once because my arm is killing me. I am still recovering from tearing my ac joint and the pain has actually gotten worse as my arm has become more mobile. I find myself sleeping with my arm above my head and then waking up in excruciating pain. I've got to keep up with the PT exercises my sister gave me. I'm still taking a tums before bed to keep things in check.

What I miss: red wine! We went out with H & EC's preschool class last night and I would have LOVED a glass of red!

Cravings: none really this week. my eating has slowed down. I try to eat a big lunch and then a smaller meal at dinner to keep my reflux in check. 

Symptoms: braxton hicks like WHOA. I'm not sure if it's round ligament pain or what but getting in and out of Jay's car is PAINFUL. I have to use the restroom more frequently and my skin just broke out :( 

Best Moment this week: date night with my husband.

The Twins- 20 months

I wish I had kept up with these posts like I did their first year of life. Maybe I'll start now!

What Our Life is Like:
Holden normally wakes up first between 6:45 and 8am. We normally have to wake Emma Cate up. We change diapers and eat breakfast. Breakfast is usually a carb (waffle, veggie muffin, oatmeal pancake, cereal (which is your absolute fav but we don't serve it much), a fruit (banana, strawberries, or a pouch), and eggs with cheese (and sometimes we add some spinach and peppers). Gigi gets to our house around 6:55 and helps change morning diapers while I prepare breakfast. You both put your dirty pajamas in the hamper and we are so proud of you! Daddy usually finishes unloading the dishwasher and taking the dogs out. I normally eat with you guys and head to work around 7:20. You leave the house with Gigi at 7:30-7:40.

You play at Gigi's school until its time for your school. Gigi walks you downstairs to your classes or across the parking lot depending on the day. On Fridays, either Gran or a babysitter come or Mommy or Daddy stay home with you.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, Daddy picks you up from school and walks you over to Gigi's school. On Tuesdays and Thursdays your teachers take you up to Gigi's classroom. You play in Gigi's room until 2 and then she takes you home for nap. Depending on the day, you'll either nap at her house or in your cribs. On the days I get home early, you sleep at our house. Sleeping is tricky! Holden is good about being transported from his carseat to crib and continuing to sleep. Emma Cate usually wakes up. Sometimes you'll go back down but a lot of times you have "quiet" time in your crib until you get too loud.

You both are normally up by 4:30 and we try to squeeze in some playtime before dinner. A lot of times you'll sleep until 5pm and that doesn't leave us much time together. I'm excited to be at home for maternity leave because you'll be able to go down earlier. You have a small snack when you wake up but I'm trying to take this away because it spoils your dinner. Trail Mix is Emma Cate's favorite! Holden loves bananas. You both normally play (ie take everything out of the cabinets) while I fix dinner. I also put you in your seats and let you watch me prep dinner. You find it so fun to smell and touch the different ingredients. I love your faces when you smell onion! Your teachers have all commented that I must cook a lot because you play in the kitchen area at school and "wash" all the plates and silverware. You also always say "HOT" when you get near the stove or a pan!

Dinner is hit or miss. I do a ton of casserole type dishes because you'll  eat a variety of things if they are all blended together. Neither of you like veggies by themselves which makes it hard! We do a lot of mexican casseroles and casseroles with quinoa. Spaghetti is a favorite as is mac and cheese. You always drink milk with dinner.

Depending on when we eat, we can usually squeeze a little playtime into our schedule. We head to the basement where you bounce, slide, cook, and play with trains.

Every other night you take a bath. We start bath around 6:40 and let you both splash around for awhile. Holden is a wild man in the tub! You both HATE when we pour water over your head. Swim lessons should be super fun next month! At 7 we head back to the nursery. You both get lotioned up and diapered. We take turns reading you books. One baby will sit with me and read a book and the other will sit with Jay and read. You both have different interests when it comes to books. Holden could read choo-choo books every night! It has been sooo fun for me to read The Little Engine That Could to you! It was one of my favorites as a child. Emma Cate LOVES the book, Hello Twins. She chooses is EVERY night. I am so glad we went with two gliders in the twins' room. Its nice to be able to cuddle with each baby individually before bed. We finish books and put you both in your cribs. We say our nighttime prayers and Emma Cate always does "prayer hands". You both say Amen (very loudly!) and we tuck you in for the night. Most nights Emma Cate will cry but only for about 15 seconds then you are both off to dreamland.

Emma Cate:

Nicknames:  Cate, Sassy, Tay, Tay-TayWeight: Not sure- Maybe around 24lbs?Height: Not sureHair: The sides and back are long. We are having issues with the top. It's a very light brown color.Eyes: Have turned pretty blue!Clothes: You are wearing most 18 month clothes without a problem. I've started to get you 2t for next year but I think a lot of it is going to be too big! You are a tiny little thing!
Eating: You eat like a bird but have a major sweet tooth. I try really hard not to give you too much processed food or sweets. You could survive on fruit and milk. You also love shredded cheese. Likes: The bounce house, the Y bike, you Boo dog, being held, running outside, swinging, sliding (you are pretty fearless), bouncing/jumping, reading, animals.Dislikes: meat (except for ground beef), when someone leaves the room (separation anxiety), diaper changesDevelopment: Talking, running, can find objects and bring them to a specific person, can repeat most words, can put two words together (all done, get down, more please), drawling lines and dots, can use a spoon and fork (it's pretty messy though!), throws a ball, helps around the house, loves to pick up things and straighten the rug, can tell you when she needs to go poopy (we are working on making it to the potty instead of the diaper), working on walking up stairs, can do down stairs on her tummy, names pictures in booksWords: Outside, yes, no, ball, doggie, pop pops, gigi (pronounced Gee Gee) mommy, daddy, allie, bo, boomer, sophie, riley, mac mac, fry fry, milk, sippy, down, up, vacuum, hot, bow bow, read,  bess you (bless you) and lots more!Teeth: They are almost all in! Just waiting on a few more molars. Dare I say that teething has been a breeze! I'm glad you waited to start until you were 11 months!

Extra: You are still our little pistol. You throw some epic tantrums and I have lots of photos of you throwing a fit on the ground. Luckily, with your improvements in communication, you are throwing fewer major fits. You have strong personality and are determined. You have started running away from mommy but a quick time out and you learned your boundaries. I am proud of the strong determined girl you have become. You are so sweet and loving at times. You also let us know when you don't want to be messed with (we have to work on your hitting Holden). You are getting better at sharing but it is not your strong point. You are such a good helper around the house. You find things and put things away like a champ! Your facial expressions crack us up. You know exactly what you want. I'll read a book and you give me a definite no when it is time to move onto something else (same with food and singing songs). You can be super clingy, especially when you are tired. I still carry you a lot. I'm a little worried about your reaction when Shep gets here. You have just started wearing bows again and it makes this mama sooo happy. You are adorable in bows! You do a little dance when you run and it's pretty freaking cute. You like to climb and explore. You are a gift to your daddy and I!

Holden:

Nicknames:  Holdy (that's what Emma Cate calls you)Weight: Not sure- Maybe around 26/27 lbsHeight: Not sure but a good 2-3 inches taller than Emma Cate.Hair: It hasn't really grown in length but it's very thick and still white blond. You have a little patch that sticks out from the back of your head. Eyes: Such a gorgeous blue!Clothes: You are in need of 2T. We pretty much skipped the 24 month clothes. I have ordered you a bunch of new things and can't wait for them to get here. You're growing like a weed and a lot of your longalls are too short.
Eating: You still like to shove food down! Your absolute favorite is mac and cheese but you will eat pretty much anything with the exception of veggies. I'm trying to get sneaky with those!Likes: Mama, Gigi (you CRY when she leaves and it is so sad- its like Geeeeee Geeeeeee, all drawn out), running, dancing (you LOVE to dance), watching tv (you don't sit still but you'll lay in weird spots for 3-4 minutes while watching and then change to a different spot), bath time, playing outside (collecting sticks, and rocks are your new favorite), riding in your car, pushing cars/trucks/trains around the house, airplanes, choo-choos, and type of truck or bus, going for walks (you like to walk yourself), reading books, waking up Sassy, finding Sassy, playing "Boo" (hiding), playing in the dog's water bowl, throwing food/cars/sippys/anything really.Dislikes: leaving Gigi, going to bed when you aren't tired, teething, time out (unfortunately you go there a lot), not getting out of your high chair fast enough when you are done eating. Development: Talking, running, can find objects and bring them to a specific person, drawling lines and dots, can use a spoon and fork (it's pretty messy though!), throws a ball, helps around the house, loves to make messes, destroy towers/blocks, dump dog dishes, can kick and throw a ball, working on walking up stairs, can do down stairs on his tummy, names pictures in books, flies an airplane, opens doors, likes to pick up heavy things, can sign more but often uses it for please. Words: Definitely a work in progress! The past month has been amazing to hear your vocabulary grow! You always say mama instead of mommy and you say it a LOT! Other words: Gigi, Pop-O, Allie, Bo, Sew-E (sophie), Bmer (boomer), ball, ahpane (airplane), up, down, truck, car, baby, Shasshy (Sassy- this is a favorite, you will run around looking for her screaming Shasshy!!!), bess you (bless you) and a bunch moreTeeth: You are missing a few and teething is NOT our friend!

Extra: You are my sweet little flirty boy. You know the rules and sometimes you choose to follow them and sometimes you don't. You are a grumpy little thing when you need a nap. You sit in time out at least once a day. You will walk over to the dog's water dish, give me a smile and then proceed to dump the water. You then head to time out on your own and take a seat. It drives me crazy that you know what you're doing is wrong but you do it anyway and take the consequence! You love all things transportation. You have made me stop and notice every airplane, fire truck, police car and ambulance. Even when I'm not with you and I hear a plane it always makes me think of you and miss you! You LOVE to throw and we have a "balls only" rule because your will hurl anything. Your poor sister ends up being the target sometimes and she does NOT like it. You give great kisses and hugs. You are quick to say sorry and give a hug when you hurt someone on accident. You love your sister so much and always wonder where she is when you don't see her. She isn't always receptive of your affection. You are so kind and sweet but can be so mischievous. It is so fun being your mommy and daddy. You are truly a gift to us!