31 weeks and we're truckin' along

Well, we've hit 31 weeks which means the babies will be here in about 6 more weeks- the doctor told me we'll schedule a c-section for either the first or second week in August! I had a full day of doctor appointments yesterday and everything was good on all fronts. Addison is weighing in at 3 lbs. 11 0z, and Allison is at 3 lbs. 3 0z.- together they weigh as much as I did when I was born! They are right on track for their growth which is great.



I haven't gained any weight in a month according to the doctor's chart (even though I'm eating adequate amounts), which I don't understand since they are obviously gaining some weight. The doctor told me yesterday that they are like parasites and will just take what they need from me and not to worry a bit, I'm gaining right on track according to their standards. So I've envisioned that these little blessings are just eating away the extra cellulite on the back of my thighs, which I'm only too happy about! I've also lost some water weight which has likely contributed to my overall lack of gaining. I've figured out that the only way for me to stay sleeping on my left side (which is recommended for blood flow and to help with water retention) is to sleep on the couch where the back of the couch keeps me propped up and won't allow me to lie (lie or lay, I always get those confused) flat. I've had the most beautiful ankles for the past four days since implementing my new sleeping arrangement- they almost look as good as before I got pregnant!!! Why didn't I try this 3 months ago??? This has also significantly improved my sciatic and pelvic pain- again, why didn't I try this 3 months ago???



I had a cardiac check up yesterday too, and everything looked good there with no significant changes to my heart. Looks like me and the girls are headin' in to the home stretch- now the nursery is a different story....

I washed all the new clothes I got at showers and I'm completely overwhelmed by the thought of trying to find an organized way to put all these clothes away. I'm not sure where I'll find room for everything! I did at least get them all organized by size, although I learned a 0-3 months in one brand can look more like 3-6 months in another...guess the problems with sizing in ladies clothing starts from day one. Don't you hate that when you can wear one size in a certain brand and then you change brands and all of a sudden you're up two sizes- not fair! No wonder we ladies all have a complex about what size we wear, they start us out from birth not ever really giving us any consistency! This is my rationale for why I need 14 pairs of jeans; because I can flow between sizes in different brands and I must have a couple different brands, styles, sizes, etc.- yet, Andie has 5 pair of jeans because a 36 waist is a 36 waist, no matter how you look at it. Wow, I've really digressed...back to the nursery

Here's some pictures of the mural that I've finished in the nursery...they're vinyl wall decals, not my own artistry- but I think they turned out pretty good.

The tree mural is on Addison's side of the room and the quote mural is on Allison's side of the room.

"There are two things in life we give our children. One is roots, the other is wings"

I've always loved this quote because it reminds me of the great lessons I've learned from my own parents. My dad was always one to have "life lesson" talks with us growing up that centered around morals, values, strength of character, etc. So I always kinda thought of him as the one that gave us our "roots" of who we were, where we came from, and what we should stand for in life. My mom is the never ending encourager, and is still our biggest fan. She always believed in any hopes, dreams, or crazy ideas that we had and stood behind us 100%- so I think of her as having given me my wings in life. She's always there to believe in me and support me.

I thought this quote was something sweet to put up for the girls to ponder as they grow...if Andie and I can be half the parents to our girls that our parents were to us then we'll have done okay for ourselves. We both are very blessed to have been raised by some awesome folks!

The cribs and the nursery bedding should be in by the end of next week and I'll be sure to get pictures up when we get that all set up... I custom ordered the nursery bedding and some of the fabric was back ordered and then they got behind so that's why I don't have it yet- ugh! I'm getting anxious to get it all put together.

I'm still here...swollen and waddling, but here!

I know it's been a long time since I've posted- there hasn't been much news to report other than I continue to get bigger and more uncomfortable. My ankles pretty much stay swollen all the time and I can no longer avoid the pregnancy waddle. The hormones are starting to flow freely; the other night I had my first hysterical crying jag in the bathtub. I got really nervous that the girls are coming so soon and freaked out that I wasn't ready for them to be here. I was all worried that I had no clue how to handle one baby, let alone two, and what in the world possessed me to think that I was intelligent or patient enough to raise children! All I kept thinking is that I didn't want them to come out ever, which is ironic since I'm so uncomfortable that on most days I'd give anything to have them out of there! Luckily that passed and I'm back to being very excited to see their sweet faces.

I have several doctor appointments on Thursday so I'll be sure to post updates on the babies and progress then. The lastest word from the doc is that I'll definitely deliver between 37-38 weeks...that's only 6 weeks away! Yikes, I have a lot to do.

This past weekend was my family reunion in Kerrville. We spend a weekend there every year and Andie and I always enjoy the get away. This was the first time anyone from that side of the family had seen me since I've been pregnant. My cousin is also pregnant- she's only a couple of weeks behind me so it was kinda cool for two of us to be in the same state- though she's not near as big as me! This is my dad's side of the family so it was a little bittersweet to so be with his whole family on Father's Day weekend- I really wish he could see me now! I know he'd be so proud of me for picking such a great guy to be the father of my children, and he'd be head over heels for these two sweet angels! I think he'd be amazed at how big my belly is too!

How about that belly!!

Here's my cousin- what a difference a few weeks and an extra baby makes! You can barely tell she's pregnant and I look like I'm about to pop! Doesn't she look great!

Here's my dad's brothers and some more of my cousins.

What a fun weekend, it was nice to get one last vacation in before Addison and Allison join us!

We ordered the cribs today and they should arrive in about a week. I also have been working on a mural for the nursery. I'll post some pictures of that as soon as I get it all done.

Another baby shower!

This past Sunday, the ladies from the church threw me a baby shower- there were 14 hostesses!!! It was a great day with lots of generous gifts for the girls. We are starting to have to get creative with storage solutions since we are getting so much stuff.



Aren't these some of the cutest cookies you've ever seen!

Here's our drop off station in the house until we can find a place for everything!

The girls are doing great, they are both head down now but they are constantly moving. They weigh 2 lbs 8 oz, and 2 lbs 5 oz, which is right on track. The doctor thinks they will both be about 5 pounds each when they are born- which is only 8 weeks away!!! We are getting excited and nervous, it will be here sooo quick! They are taking up so much room and I'm starting to be really uncomfortable when I sleep. Feet in the ribs is not fun!

We are having a garage sale this weekend which will help clean out the clutter in the house- then maybe we can focus on getting the nursery finished. I finish work tomorrow and I can't wait, I'm so ready for summer break!