Jun 27, 2013

The "Twizzler Pregnancy"


On Hailey's 2nd Birthday! Popsicles by the pool in VA!
 Brian has decided to call it this, because all I want is fruity, sugary candy.  Mainly Twizzlers, Starbursts, or Skittles.  Although, twizzlers cause less heartburn.

Sorry for no updates for a while, but we were homeless and just got internet this past Friday!  But we ARE in the NEW house and settling in!  Loving it!  We don't have enough furniture to fill it, yet, but the kids have used the empty rooms (mainly the dining room and living room) to put empty boxes to make forts and car ramps and all sorts of box fun!

We had an interesting homeless time that was filled with travel and family!  Me and the kids lived like gypsies and went everywhere from Kalamazoo, to Richmond, VA, back to Cadillac, MI, and then to Lansing.  We closed on the new house only 4 days later than originally planned on Friday June 14, 2013 and have been trying to make ourselves at home ever since!  We were even reunited with our dear Abby the following week!  I really think she even likes it better here!  Or, she's just so old and tired she doesn't care where she is anymore and is just glad to be with her family again!

Ben update: He's in need of some structure and play time!  He's being very good with all the moving around, but asks to play with his friends, sometimes he wants his old room, things like that.  He's comforted by the fact that he now has HIS bed back and we needed the bigger house for the babies.  Unfortunately, we told him the babies weren't coming until "we are in our new house."  Well, now we are in our new house and he thinks every night when he goes to bed that the babies "will be here tomorrow!"  Poor guy.

Hailey update:  Turned 2 while we were in Richmond!  We had the morning at the zoo and the afternoon by the pool and she had a ball!  She got lots of gifts from Grandparents and Great Parents.  Her parents planned to get her a bike "in the new house".  Guess we better get on that.

She is settling in and also seems relieved to have her bed back!  She still loves her crib, and she just turned 2 so we haven't transitioned her out of it.  We'll see what the next couple of months hold.

Hailey is also, furiously figuring out the English language!  She is a chatter box all the sudden and VERY smart!  She continues to love her colors and can distinguish a lot of them very well!  She also has come to LOVE singing and dancing.  We get a kick out of listening to her sing anything from Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, to ABC's as she lays in bed before she falls asleep.  Often times it's at the top of her lungs!  She also continues to dance to everything and has learned to curtsy very pretty!  She really just wants me to clap and cheer for her.

Both kids have been doing well with having Daddy back with us!  Ben has a little anxiety whenever he wakes up and Dad is not here.  I tell him he goes to work and he sometimes cries and is just starting to see that at least Daddy comes home at night now!  We didn't have that for a couple months, so they are a little thrown off.

Twins update:  I am 25 weeks 3 days pregnant with twins right now.  I asked at the doctor this morning who I can blame for being extremely tired and sore all the time?  The babies?  The 2 I already have?  My husband?  The move?  And her simple answer was "Yes."  The good news we got this morning despite all my DOUBLE pregnancy symptoms is that both babies and myself are as healthy as we can possibly be!  We even had another ultrasound this morning and were told both babies were "perfect!"  They kept saying "perfect".  Good size all that.  At my 20 week ultrasound, which my mother was able to come with me to, they were transverse (lying sideways).  With Baby A flipping all over.  Today, they were both very active and both up and down now.  Baby A is breech, and Baby B is head down...for now.  But they were both very active and have not stopped moving all day today!!!  And, Baby A continues to kick Baby B in the head, much like at the 20 week ultrasound.  Leading many to speculate Baby A is a boy.  Brian was able to be there and got a kick out of watching them move around.  We got a nice face shot of Baby A and he/she is SO CUTE!  It was a perfect round face!  Baby B was facing my spine, but the back of his/her head was pretty darn cute, too!!!  

Update for myself so I can remember these things in the future:  I have gained 16lbs to date this pregnancy.  Not bad except it's the heaviest I've ever started.  And the doctor said this is fine, even for twins since I was a bit heavier.

How I feel, I will use bullet points here:

* I've been having Braxton Hicks all the time, and a couple painful contractions a day, but told this can be normal this early in twins and just keep an eye on it.  Rest.  Drink lots of water. I'm trying.

* At my 20 week appt, my last with my old doctor, I officially measured bigger than my last appt, just prior to delivering Hailey.  Twins are quite a trip!

*  Heartburn: I wouldn't call it that anymore.  I've learned what and when to eat.  But, if I lay down too soon after eating, things just sort of...back, backup.  Sorry.  So, I try not to eat much after 6pm so I can lay down and sleep at night.  No drugs or Tums will help this, so my stomach just needs to be empty prior to laying down.

* Sleep:  I'm starting to figure it out.  Although, we will either need a king size bed, or Brian may need to end up in the guest bed because it takes about 6pillows and 1 body pillow to support various areas of my body.  We are running out of room.  With all the pillows, and my gut expanding, I also need to be awake in order to turn so I have to wake up, flip, readjust pillows, make sure the "heartburn" is ok, then I can fall back asleep.  I will sleep again in a few years.  It'll be fine.

I would like to thank everyone who has helped us in the past couple of months!  Both getting through our homelessness, and getting us into our new house!  Mainly, our parents!  My parents even kept Abby for 3 weeks for us!  Mom and Dad also came and helped with getting boxes unpacked and at least the kitchen and bedrooms liveable in about 2-3days of us moving in!  Amazing!  Now, I can maybe start thinking about all the things we will need prior to the arrival of the 2.  Things like we need car carriers are coming to mind!  It'll come together....

Daddy joined us in VA for a couple days! Lucy loved it, too!

Hailey Slideshow

Slideshow for you!