Last Wednesday, my coworkers celebrated our babies upcoming arrival with a baby shower. My section did a great job complete with cute polka dot or giraffe invitations, pink & blue decorations, yummy chips & dips, fruit, nuts & mints, delicious punch & such a fun cake.
{food table, cake, gifts table}
I remembered to whip out my cell to snap a few photos but no one took any while I was opening gifts. Everyone was so generous too. I’d recently added a baby food maker {the baby bullet, anyone have it?} to our registries & two different groups thought it was a great idea for us. We also received a Johnny Jump Up, foam play mats, a crib tent {to keep Moekitty out}, Skip Hop mirror, a few onesie sets with matching hats & mittens, pastel bibs, door knob covers, two different owl car seat/stroller toys, as well as a few gifts cards. Our babies are pretty set!
{I ended up taking back the second baby bullet & extra storage system. So with that money & other gift cards, I ordered the Performance Ergo carrier. So excited about it!}Also thought I’d share what I wore since I had my eye on this Boden maternity dress way before I was even pregnant. Luckily for me, it was on clearance, so I got quite a deal. The material is a little thinner than I thought {I wore a super long H&M tank under it}, but I love the ruffles & am so excited to be able to wear it the rest of my pregnancy this spring.
I watched it. I didn’t mean to, yet I did & I knew I couldn’t not watch. Yet I realized I wasn’t, I’m not, strong enough to watch it home alone (I turned it on while husband was around Saturday). It’s too close to home. Probably was way
too close. & yet, in some ways so different.
I’m talking about last week’s episode of 19 Kids & Counting. Your thoughts & mine on the Duggers in general don’t really matter for the sake of this. I DVR the show because I find their family & lifestyle so fascinating. I remember hearing Michelle had miscarried her 20th child last Dec, but I also think I half blocked it out during my first trimester triplet high.
I didn’t know the details. I didn’t realize that they too went as an excited couple to their 18 week, gender reveal appointment. They too had told everyone (in their case, really everyone) they were expecting & thus had tons of family & friends awaiting great news that afternoon. They too were shocked & saddened beyond what they could’ve imagined by what they saw or, in our cases, didn’t see on that ultrasound. I’ll admit that the Oprah ugly cry occurred through almost the whole show. I was brought back to that Jan 31st day I can’t forget. Watching them break the news to their children tore me up.
But here’s where our experiences separate. While we carried on with a somewhat different but still healthy pregnancy, Michelle didn’t. That makes our grief in the passing, joy in the brief life & how we’ve dealt with the losses different too.
As this pregnancy winds down, I’m thrilled, elated even, that we’ll sooner than later be bringing home (God willing) two babies. That’s what we have & are focusing on. But the impending birth also means we will meet what’s left of Baby B soon too. This week, we’ve discussed this & plan to discuss it further with our doctor next week. We’re not sure our plans. One thing I know from this experience, is that it has bonded me even closer to my husband. And for that, I’m so grateful.
Post written post-midnight Sunday when I couldn’t sleep. I’m learning it’s better to type out these feelings than let them linger inside.
Jason & I had a day date to see The Hunger Games then I went to a friend’s Stella & Dot party. I snapped this photo once I got home from the party. PS~ you don’t buy as much jewelry sober as I usually do after a couple glasses of wine!
{Target maternity top & jeans}
How far along? 27w1d
Maternity clothes? Yes.
Weight Gain? As of last Monday’s doctor appointment, I was up 32 pounds. I asked if that was okay & my MFM told me to keep it up but to watch tons of snacking since babies weights are looking good but he doesn’t me to have an overwhelming amount to lose post-babies.
Stretch Marks? So, those little dots are now definitely stretchies. Strangely they’re only on my right side by my hip. Coming soon to the belly & my left side?! Guess we’ll see.
Sleep? It’s okay. I wake up just as often due to heart burn/reflux as I do to pee. I keep Tums beside the bed to pop one in as needed through out the night.
Movement? Yep, especially in the evenings.
Genders? Baby A is a still a boy & C is a girl.
What I Miss? Baby B always. Not having to eat on schedule & not worrying that I’m not getting enough veggies etc.
Food cravings? Yay for passing my glucose/gestational diabetes test this week! I’ve been loving the cake from Wednesday’s work shower. I’ve eaten the leftovers all week. Also loved fruit this week.
Food aversion? None. Tomatoes don’t love me though.
Labor signs? None, thankfully.
Belly button in or out? Still in but getting smaller.
What I’m Looking Forward to? Getting things in order with the nursery.
Symptoms? Some days I feel awesome. Others I’m beyond spent just going to work & coming home. I think that’s normal for this point with multiples. Today’s a day I’m tired & have thus stayed in pjs all day. 🙂
Weekly Wisdom? Rest when you need to, take advantage of days you feel good, put your feet up & keep Tums close by for nighttime.
Milestones? Last week in the second trimester! The babies are 2 pounds {about as heavy as the head of a cauliflower} & over 14 inches long per Baby Center. The weekly update mentioned hiccups which the babies have definitely had over the last week.
My parents came into town this past weekend for the consignment sale & to help get the babies’ room more set up. Friday night, we stayed up too late cheering on NCSU’s loss to Kansas. Dad put together the changing table that will be in the den. We also cleaned out everything left in the nursery except for Jason’s desk which he moved to the center of the room & covered in plastic.
Saturday morning came early, even with sleeping in. Mom & I went to Lowes, bought rods for the babies’ closet & picked out paint. After much looking & getting confused by all things green, with the help of two nice strangers, we chose Valspar’s Mountain Green {I think?}. Dad trimmed off the room in the blue tape. My aunt was recruited to help paint, so she joined my parents rolling away. Jason took apart his old, broken dresser then put together his new IKEA one. A college friend stopped by {hi M!} & we caught up while everyone else worked. I felt bad about that, but my Dad insisted I not paint.
nursery {take 1}
I love the color of the room! It’s brighter than we thought it would be, but I think it’s very cheery for a nursery. And will off-set the dark furniture we will fill the room with {polka dot baskets will go in dresser, Costco rug on the floor, trash can already lined with a wet bag}.
We did our first load of baby laundry Saturday! I folded blankets, bibs & hung up the new clothes we’d received as gifts. I then used the rest of the hangers we had as well as ran to Target for more hangers {I think 110 total!}, so I could hang up the newborn & 0-3 month hand-me-down clothes {thanks to J & A!} in their closet. The top shelf will be emptied off when the other changer/dresser is put together. I hung up the clothes stacked in the bottom Sunday & the rest will be cleaned out once the cribs are built.I also loaded the den changer with cloth diapers, covers & AIOs {that I have yet to wash} & the few newborn disposables & wipes we’ve received as gifts as well as elastic-bottomed sleepers & swaddlers. Can you tell the babies are pretty set for clothes?!
Sunday, we took another trip to Lowes for a cloth diaper trash can & white outlet covers after Mom & I went to church & a grocery store run. They left that afternoon & husband & I were both pretty tired. I got a second wind though & did another baby stuff laundry load. This time, I tackled the linen closet & washed & folded blankets, crib sheets & baby washcloths. I love that all of that is stacked & ready for the babies! I’d say my “nesting” urges have set in. 🙂
Over the years, I’ve heard great things about local consignment sales. Big over-whelming ones at the state fairgrounds, filled to the brim with fabulous deals. Y’all know I love a great deal.
One of the reasons I chose to join the local moms of multiples group was the fabulous things I’d heard about their sale. So when I heard the Spring sale date of last weekend, I called the fam to see if they’d come to town. The TMOTT sale opens Friday evening for members only & they allow pregnant members a helper as well as a five minute head start. I knew Jason had to work, so it was perfect that my mom & aunt joined me. I thought I could bring a helper as well as a guest {for $5}. I was mistaken about the guest though; the sale opens to members’ guests at 8p while we were able to shop at 6. It worked out okay though. Mom & Sue switched off as one would take things to the car & the other would shop or stand by our loot.
Friday night at TMOTT sale
So what’d we get & for how much?!
Here was our wish list. For my Nana at the beach, an inexpensive pack-n-play & sheets for it. For my mom {she has a crib already & had picked up a pack-n-play at a church sale}, cribs sheets, crib mattress pads, pack-n-play sheets. For my friend Beth, shoes for her daughter. For us, a second infant rock-n-play sleeper {recommended by multiple twin moms}, an Ergo carrier, a jogger stroller, pack-n-play sheets, bibs, matching or twin themed outfits. Also thought I’d look at breast pumps & bottles.
We found a Graco pack-n-play for Nana {$25} & the rock-n-play {in white for $20} in the large items area during the 5:45p preview/walk through & Mom ran right back to them when the shopping doors opened. I *think* there might have been one jogger stroller but someone quicker than us found & swiped it up. There weren’t any Ergo carriers & I got a little unsure when it came to used {by who knows who} breast pumps.
We also found the sheets, mattress pads, waterproof pads, bibs {boy, girl & neutral ones grab bags} & bottles {1 bag of small & 5 big Medela ones for $9} we were looking for. Four precious pairs of shoes for little R {$10 total}. I grabbed two twin/matching outfits; both 6-9 month sizes. One is blue/pink onesies that say Peace, Love, Twins & the other is matching long sleeve/pants outfits covered in red crabs. I love them both {although I forgot to photo them before I washed & gave our 6 month+ stash to mom to store}!
R's shoes, floor mats & sleeper
Not on my list, but I also purchased a soft boa blue/green Boppy cover {$4}, 20 ABC foam floor letters {$10} as well as an itzbeen timer {$6} that ended up being broken~our only sale fail {luckily I’d bought my two on sale & with Walmart gift card}. I don’t know how much Mom spent, but I spent a total of $77 dollars which was a total I’m really happy with.
The sale was really organized & much less chaotic than I expected. I’m looking forward to the fall sale & next spring’s sale for big baby clothes & shoes & walking toys!
Also thought I’d share what I wore since I had my eye on this Boden maternity dress way before I was even pregnant. Luckily for me, it was on clearance, so I got quite a deal. The material is a little thinner than I thought {I wore a super long H&M tank under it}, but I love the ruffles & am so excited to be able to wear it the rest of my pregnancy this spring.
