Merry Christmas!

The Nichols' Family is wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

The Twins Are 4 Months Old Today!

Baptism Photoshow

On Sunday, we had the twins baptised. Here is a nice photo show Grandpa Knupke put together of the pictures he took! The ceremony was beautiful and perfect! The dresses were hand made by Grandma Nichols. The girls had many visitors and received many wonderful gifts including their first cross necklaces from their Godparents- Uncle Laszlo and Aunt Sarah. We are so blessed to have two beautiful little girls.

The girls went to the doctors for their 4 month check-up and vaccinations today. Abby weighs 12 lbs. 4 oz. and Chloe weighs 11 lbs. 6 oz. All went well with the appointment. Both girls are exhausted and I am too!

New Photos!

Here are two pictures of the Abby and Chloe from their first photo shoot.
*Chloe who couldn't be bothered to wake-up. The picture turned out adorable.

*Abby yawning..so cute!

Together!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving! Joe and I have many things to be thankful for this year!

Chloe Caught on Camara

Chloe has informed me that she is a bit jealous of all the Abby pictures posted. This video was taken last Thursday of Chloe caught on camara smiling! Enjoy!

Abby's Losing It...

Hair that is. One of the distinct differences between our twin girls has always been their hair. Abby has (or should I say had) dark brown hair and lots of it, while Chloe has light brown hair and hardly any of it (but it's coming in more now too). Abby has started to lose her baby hair. Joe first noticed this on Tuesday evening during her bath. We can't wait to see what color it will come in next!

3 Months Old!

* Abby smiling because she is 3 months old today!

Today Abby and Chloe are 3 months old. Both girls are doing great! They are smiling and so much fun! They like to watch their favorite toys...currently they love the Winnie the Pooh mobile. We wind it dozens of times and they don't get sick of it.

Adorable!

I only wish they made big hoody towels for adults:)

Election is Over!

I am proud to be part of history when we will have an African American president. I would have also been proud to see the first woman vice president. Either way history was made last evening. I voted yesterday like I have at every election since I was 18. It definitely took me longer to get the girls ready, in car seats and then in their stroller than it did for me to drive there and vote. What makes me angry is when people say they voted "Black" or that they voted "Female". I didn't vote for either of those reasons. I voted for the candidate I thought would do the best job. I am happy to see election day over...no more political ads!!!

Bath Night!

Tonight we gave both girls a bath. Abigail weighed in at 10 lbs. 1 oz. and Chloe weighed in at 8 lbs. 11 oz. They are growing so much everyday. They both smile more and more and follow objects, like their favorite cow and duck toys, with their eyes. Here is a video of Joe with his girls after their bathes and happily fed.

Happy Halloween!

Joe and I started the girls off on their first Halloween by carving two pumpkins last night. The girls were our inspiration for our carvings. I carved a cat in my pumpkin because Abby is a black cat for tonight and Joe did a scary pumpkin face because Chloe is a pumpkin tonight. I think Joe's pumpkin would scare the girls if they knew what a pumpkin was, but we had a great time carving.
I would already have some pictures up of the girls in their Halloween outfits but Abby had a spit-up incident this morning in hers and it had to be washed. And by spit-up incident I mean she spit-up her entire feeding all over both of us this morning. It was not fun for either of us. It is currently in the dryer getting ready for tonight. Stay tuned for those pictures!

Yummy Pumpkin Bread

Yesterday I baked this awesome pumpkin bread. I got in the mood on Saturday but didn't get around to making it until yesterday. I'm not sure why I didn't have the time until then...not two little cuties taking up all my time:) Anyway, the recipe was delicious! I changed the recipe just a bit and it turned out great. First I changed the serving from 36 to 12. It's easy to change the serving because the site does the work for you. Making three loaves is way too much for Joe and I so I just made one. Next I did not measure out my pumpkin, I just added a whole small can of the stuff. Finally I baked it in my bread machine on the bake only program for 1 hour. It was moist and oh so yummy, but the funny thing is I can't stand pumpkin pie but I love pumpkin bread. I think it has something to do with the consistency of pumpkin pie.

What I'm Loving Right Now...

I received the Flip Video as a baby shower gift from my sisters and bro-in-laws and at the time I knew nothing about it. Now Joe and I are totally addicted to taking awesome videos of everything from our girls to the cat. Taking videos is fun but what really rocks is how easy it is to download and share these videos with our family and friends. If you are thinking about getting one of these, I would highly recommend it. And for those who don't know what the Flip video is...you should go find out and then get yourself one!

It's Starting to Feel like Fall Here!

We've been having some gorgeous weather here in Northeast Florida. By gorgeous I mean lows in the 50's and highs in the low 70's. You know it is starting to feel like fall in Florida when you can turn off the air conditioning and open the windows, even if it's only for a week or so. I really got into the spirit of Halloween and Fall while my big sis Sarah was here. She helped me get out my decorations from the shed and make my house festive for the season. I didn't realize how much I missed decorating. You see, this was a huge part of my job as an activities director for the assisted living facility. We always decorated the building for every holiday. And by every holiday I mean every holiday and when you do it so much at work it becomes tedious. I really missed that part of my job and just didn't realize it. Here is a pic of the wreath I made and hung on the front on my house.

Growing, Growing, Growing....

On Tuesday evening, I gave the girls their first "big girl bath". By "big girl bath" I am referring to their bath tub. Up until Tuesday we had been giving the girls their bath on the kitchen counter on a towel more like a sponge bath. But on Tuesday I decided it was time to try out their bath tub, and it worked perfectly. Chloe was first and she seemed to really like it. She didn't cry at all and actually almost smiled when I poured the water over her for the first time. Abigail was second and was not thrilled at all. She was hungry and was letting me know as well as the mesh they lay on was now wet and cold from Chloe's bath. Once I poured the warm water over Abigail she seemed to enjoy it much better. All in all bath time in the big girl tub went great.

The girls have grown so much since their birth. I have had to pack up most of the preemie clothes because they have out grown them. Abigail weighs 9 lbs. 4 1/2 oz. and Chloe weighs 7 lbs. 13 oz. Abigail is wearing the 0-3 months size and Chloe wears the newborn and some 0-3 months. With the cooler weather we've been having I've enjoyed dressing the girls in their footy PJ's. My absolute favorite is their Winnie the Pooh sleepers with Pooh hand covers. They are so soft and comfy. The girls love them too!

Sleep is not readily available in our house unless you are a baby. This is a picture of the girls sleeping in this morning around 10:30am. They look so adorable in the double bassinet our friend Carey let us borrow. Thank you so much Carey. The girls love it and it is nice to have them in the bedroom with us for the next few months!

Long Time No Post...

Just in case you were wondering...yes we are still here. I unfortunately have not had much time to post anything and/or have not been inspired in what to write about. Between the feeding schedule and exhaustion of caring for twins, the days seem to fly by and time runs together. We have had lots of family visiting and I welcome all the help I can get from them. This week my sister Sarah and bro-in-law Laszlo have been visiting. We've had lots of good times visiting and of course I will be sad to see them go on Sunday.

The girls are doing great these days! They are changing daily and they have gained so much weight since their birth! Abby weighs 8lb. 13oz. and Chloe weighs 7lb. 6oz. I can't wait for them to smile at me. They have smiled mind you but it is usually after the release of gas or something like that.

I will post more soon....Chloe is calling to be fed:)

6 Week Follow-up

I had my 6 week folow-up appointment at the OB-GYN today. I recieved the all clear to return to my normal activity.
Here is my first picture holding both girls!

All Dressed Up & No Place to Go...

I got the girls all dressed up today in their adorable skirt outfits handmade by their Grandma Nichols! The girls had cute little shoes on for the very first time. I got them out of the closet today because they are so tiny I knew if I did not use them now they would soon out grow them. We actually did have one place to go, the pediatricians. Chloe had a 2 week follow-up appointment. This appointment was to track her weight gain to make sure she is gaining enough. She passed with flying colors. The goal was for her to gain a half ounce to an ounce a day and she gained 15 1/2 ounces over 15 days. Chloe now weighs 6 lbs. 3oz. and Abby weighs as of Saturday (we weigh them on bath days) 7 lbs. 4 oz. Tonight is bath night so I haven't weighed Abby today yet.

This has been a busy week of appointments. Chloe had two- pulmonologist and pediatricians and I have my 6 week follow-up at the OB-GYN. Chloe is still on her monitor for another 2-3 weeks per the pulmonologist. She said Chloe was doing great but it is standard procedure to keep them on for 2-3 weeks after their due date (which was this past Saturday). We only have to keep her plugged into the monitor when she is sleeping. We will be so happy when she is done with that.

Everything else is fine here. This is my first week without any help during the day and it is going well. Joe and I are exhausted most days but who wouldn't be with two.

Happy Birthday Aunt Sarah!

Tomorrow is my oldest sister Sarah's Birthday! The Twins wanted to wish their Aunt Sarah a very special Birthday so here it is...
The girls put on their cutest outfit (that they fit in) for this picture. These outfits are actually "Premmie" size and look how big they are on them. The tag says up to 5 lbs. As of Sunday Abby weighs 6 lbs. 11 1/2 oz. and as of Saturday Chloe weighs 5 lbs. 9 1/2 oz. Notice how Chloe's eyes are actually open for this picture and Abby's are shut. It is usually the other way around.

Homecoming...

It's official...both girls are now home from the hospital and doing well. Abby came home on Thursday, September 4th and Chloe followed a week later coming home on Thursday, September 11th.

*Abby in her car seat

*Chloe on her first car ride

Happy Grandparents Day...a few days late

I wanted to wish the new grandparents a "Happy Grandparents Day", even if it is a few days late.

*Here is a picture of Grandma and Grandpa Knupke with Abby on Sunday, September 7th.

Abigail is officially home! She came home on Thursday, September 4th and has been doing great since. Breastfeeding has been demanding but definitely worthwhile! I have had to supplement by offering her a bottle after each feeding to ensure she continues to gain weight. I am going to continue this with both girls since exclusively breastfeeding two girls is really hard. Abby has been a great baby thus far, she only cries when she is hungry or has gas. Chloe gets to come home tomorrow-Thursday, September 11th. We will be bringing her home on a monitor for her Brady's (dips in her heartrate). I am extremely happy to be bringing her home and of course a bit nervous. I am looking forward to learning her personality over the next few days to follow just as I have Abby. My Mom has been staying with us since last Friday and has been an amazing help. Not only does she help out with the baby and the new mom, but the house work too. I'm not sure what we would do without her and her great mother advice. Experience is everything!

Twins Are Really Growing!

I have officially been given the okay from my doctor at my 2 week follow-up appointment to start driving again which I am really excited about. I have my freedom back to go to the hospital whenever I want or to just run to the store if I need to. I spent most of my day at the hospital with the girls yesterday and I can't wait to get them home. I was able to breastfeed both girls yesterday for the first time. It was a bit difficult at first, but soon enough Mommy and both girls will get it with no problem. Both girls have grown leaps and bounds. Joe and I think they look different with every new day. Abigail weighs 5 lbs. 5 oz. and Chloe weighs 4 lbs. 2 oz.

*Chloe and Abigail about a week ago. Both girls have since had their feeding tubes removed!

Introducing

Announcing our New Arrivals!

We welcomed our beautiful twin girls into the world on Monday, August 18th. Abigail Marie was born at 5:22pm, weighing 4 lbs 4 oz. and measuring 16.5 inches. Chloe Nicole was born at 5:23pm, weighing 3 lbs. 6 oz. and measruing 16 inches.

Abigail is the bigger twin with the darker hair and Chloe is the smaller twin with the lighter hair.
Mom was discharged from the hospital on Friday afternoon but unfortunately the girls had to stay in the NICU to fatten up and grow a bit more.

We will keep you posted on updates for the girls. The new Mom needs to focus on resting now and healing from the C-Section.

Last Minute Preparations

This weekend was pretty quite. On Saturday, our friends Todd and Kerry came up to Jax from St. Augustine for a visit. After a nice dinner we dragged them along with us to Target and Babies R Us to get a few things we still needed with our gift cards (Boppi Pillow cover, mattress pads, crib skirts, nipples for bottles, changing pad and cover, mobiles and exchanged the swing).

On Sunday in the afternoon after church, Joe and I spent a few hours finishing up the nursery. We made up the cribs which are now complete with mattress pads, crib skirts, sheets, bumpers and the most adorable pooh mobiles ever, cleared off the top of the dresser so we could put the changing pad on top and the diaper basket, I took apart two diaper cakes (one took forever...each diaper was rolled and rubber banded but we got lots of diapers!), Joe put together the second swing and Joe put the car seat bases in the cars.

I've made my list of what to put in our hospital bag and hopefully tonight Joe and I will get that packed and ready to go. My doctor's appointments went well on Friday and Monday. The OB I saw on Friday did a "32 Week" happy dance. It was hilarious but he was just happy we made it this far. All the doctors keep reminding me I could have these babies any day now. So for now we just wait and see.

Fun at Work!

At Joe's work this is what happens when you go on vacation for a week and your birthday is missed. Joe told me there are approximately 900 balloons. Notice you can just barely see the top of the computer monitor on the desk.

32 Weeks and 5 Days...

I had been looking forward to Wednesday's appointment this whole week. Every two weeks on Wednesday they measure the twins and give us an approximate weight. Abigail now weighs 4 lb. 12 oz. and Chloe weighs 2 lb. 7 oz. Our doctors are still pleased with this weight gain. While Abigail is in the normal range for her gestational age, Chloe is below average but still growing. If we can continue to have her gain 5 ounces every two weeks, by 36 weeks she will be just over 3 lbs.; she'll still be small but we will take it!

Wednesday was a busy day all around for me. Joe's work threw us a baby shower (making that baby shower #3). What a great bunch of people who obviously like Joe very much. But I can't blame them...what's not to like:) They spoiled us with gifts and great food. When I arrived home a little after 2pm after being gone since 7:30am, I was exhausted. My afternoon nap didn't even help much, I still went to bed around 8:45pm. Today I've spent the day resting and doing what I'm supposed to be doing...being on bed rest.


*This is a picture of one of the two swings we got at the shower. It swings front to back and side to side, plays 10 songs and has an adorable rain forest theme. I know the girls are going to spend some quality time in these!

32 Weeks and Still Going...

I am proud to announce I have reached my doctors initial goal of carrying the twins to at least 32 weeks. When Baby B (Chloe) became distressed, the doctors set a goal of 32 weeks and were unsure if I would even make it that far. But here it is Saturday, August 2nd...the first day of my 32nd week of pregnancy! I have high hopes of making it another 4 weeks so these girls have more time to grow. Overall the past week or so, I have been feeling pretty great. Knock on Wood...I haven't had heartburn or terrible indigestion (I'm back to enjoying eating again), my feet have returned to their normal size and have not swollen since being put on bed rest and I just feel blessed to have the gift of two babies inside me. I do get tired very easily but I guess I can blame that on carrying around 30 extra lbs and two babies stealing my energy:) I am hoping they will measure the girls again this week for an approximate weight update!

*On a side note, our cat Vivian loves the fact that I am home all day long with her. We take naps together, she gets to go out on the porch and she follows me where ever I go around the house. Boy is she going to sad when the girls come and she isn't the center of our attention:(

Hiccups

While some people seem to been prone to having hiccups from time to time, I have never been one one these people. I guess I am different but I usually only get a hiccup. Yes, one loud hiccup and I am done. I know it sounds strange, but that's just me. On the other hand, my twins living inside me get them all the time. The first time I noticed this was a few weeks back during an ultrasound. I could feel this little constant thump but I didn't put two and two together until the ultrasound tech. said Baby A (Abigail) has the hiccups. It was cute and fun to feel the movement and see it on the screen. Baby B (Chloe-our little twin) had not had the hiccups, but on Monday she got them! I was hooked up to the fetal heart rate monitor where they were monitoring both babies heart rates and testing for stress (they call it NST-non stress test); I have this done three times a week with the ultrasound. This time I was actually down in Labor and Delivery where I had been admitted for the afternoon for additional monitoring; Chloe was not behaving during my Monday morning appointment and the doctor was concerned (she's fine...just better safe than sorry). I was listening to Chloe's heartbeat because she is the hardest to find and keep on, when all of a sudden I heard another constant thump that wasn't her heart beat. After I inquired I was told it was Chloe having the hiccups. I was pretty excited about this. It felt like a little milestone had been met, since her sister has been doing it for a couple of weeks. After some research it was fun to find out that some scientists believe the brain releases a growth hormone when the baby hiccups, while others believe the baby is strengthening their diaphragm in preparation for breathing. With either theory, it meant that our smaller twin was growing! Sometimes it happens several times a day and sometimes not at all but I just love feeling the little thump, thump, thump of them getting the hiccups.

Busy but AWESOME Weekend!

This past Saturday my two older sisters, Sarah and Laura threw me an amazing shower. The shower was an afternoon tea party theme including this great spread of delicious food, all my favorites of course, and an adorable cake decorated with a tiny little tea set. Although I did not drink any tea, they made this lemonade punch that was a huge success...I think I probably had 6 glasses. The shower was just perfect. It was fun, girly, intimate and although I was exhausted by the end I had a wonderful time. I received tons of gifts, everyone is so generous, and to my amazement I only received a few clothing items (besides the 3 adorable handmade outfits from my mother-in-law which included matching little purses, bonnets and pink baseball caps). I guess with twins everyone is much more practical realizing we need the other stuff more than the clothing. After all, we have been so blessed with hand-me-downs! I have been given three bags from my friend Carey who has twin girls, a box from a coworker and two boxes from my cousins Mary and Kim (who even sent left over diapers from her son...thank you for those!) I also received gifts from my Aunt Pat and my two cousins, Mary and Kim who all live in Indiana.

On Sunday, our families were a wonderful help in getting some much needed things done around the house. My Mom worked hard on our laundry, which has become Joe's job since my bed rest and he obviously was slacking in that department...but I can't blame him who really likes doing laundry anyways, while the other girls helped put away all the new gifts and organize the twins nursery. The nursery was a mess because I kept piling all the new stuff in the cribs. They organized the clothes in the dresser, packed the bigger items in boxes to trade out in the future and organized the closet. Whew I was tired when they were done and all I did was sit in one of the gliders, help open some small items and of course put my opinion in. I can't thank them all enough! Clean laundry... and an organized nursery!

Yesterday at the doctors they measured the twins again. I am happy to report that Abigail now weighs 3 lbs. 12 oz. (she gained 10 oz. in two weeks) and Chloe weighs 2 lbs. 2 oz. (she gained 5 oz. in two weeks) . The doctors were very pleased with both of their progress, although Chloe is only growing at about half the rate of Abigail, she continues to grow, remains very active and is showing no more signs of distress. The doctors set a goal of carrying them until at least 32 weeks a few weeks ago but I am feeling much more confident about making it to 36 weeks! On Saturday I will be 31 weeks so that would only be 5 more weeks.

Friday's Better!

After a gloomy, rainy Thursday I am finally feeling much more like myself again. Although, it is still rainy today. But I do usually enjoy a good rainy day now and again. Vivian, our cat seems to like it...she is currently dead to the world sleeping on our guest bed as I am typing. What a hard life she lives. We had a nice evening last night, our friends Todd and Kerry came up from St. Augustine for a visit and brought dinner. We enjoyed spending the evening hanging out with them and this also helped lift my spirits. My appointment this morning went well. They are even talking of moving me back to 2 appointments a week again. I will wait and see what they say next week.

This is me last Sunday at 29 weeks. The picture is not very good but it's all I've got.

Third Trimester Blues

This week has definitely been a tough one as far as my pregnancy has gone. Friday Joe and I went to what we thought would be a pretty routine doctor's visit, and oh how I was wrong. Our smaller baby, Chloe, was showing signs of distress which prompted my doctor to put me on bed rest. Hard words to fathom when you are used to working, currently four days a week, doing tons around the house and etc. This past weekend was hard for me. Just letting the news sink in and the reality of it. My parents were returning from their vacation in NC, so they stayed with us on Saturday evening and left Sunday afternoon. It was nice to have some company with the recent news.

Just as I was getting used to the idea of being at home all day long (sounds like great fun but take my word it's not), Monday sent me on a trip to the hospital. The babies were fine, it was a "mommy-to-be" issue. I woke up Monday morning at 2am unable to sleep due to much discomfort in my chest. By 5:30am I was unable to sit or lay in one place for more than about 15 minutes, and by 7am the pain was just about unbearable and Joe took me to the hospital. Once I was admitted to Labor and Delivery, they hooked up the fetal monitors and determined I was not having any contractions and the twins were just fine. It was later determined I had a GI issue of some kind (either I ate something bad or severe heartburn....acid blocking up into my esophagus). An IV and two medications later I was feeling well enough to let them wheel me upstairs to visit the ultrasound doctors, I had an appointment with them that morning anyways. All was well with the girls...Chloe was no longer showing signs of distress! This made it all worth while, the bed rest I mean. I was discharged from the hospital about 1:00pm and we arrived home around 1:30pm. I promptly went straight to bed and slept until around 5:30pm waking up feeling better, but still not great.

Tuesday was uneventful, until around 8:30pm....the chest pain was creeping back. I immediately took a Zantac per my doctor and prayed the pain would go away. I slept on and off through the night having a lot of upper back discomfort and minor chest pain. Wednesday morning back to the doctors for the 2nd of my 3 times a week appointments. The twins were still looking great. The bed rest is really doing it's job. Now if they could just make my chest and back stop hurting. Picture constant upper back pain no matter how you sit or lay and every time you breath, chest pain. Definitely not anything like Monday's experience but still miserable. One of the joys of being pregnant is severe heartburn. As the stomach acid backs up into the esophagus it irritates the lining creating the burning sensation. Luckily the Zantac seems to keep the pain at a reasonable level.

So far today has been pretty good. Chest pain seems to be gone for now and minimal back pain too. I even seem to have a bit of my appetite back. I had been forcing myself to eat the past three days but today I enjoyed my breakfast. Hoping this will last at least over the weekend. My sisters are throwing me a baby shower on Saturday (the beginning of my 30th week) which I am super excited about and I want to be able to fully enjoy it.

28 Week Update!

On Wednesday, I resumed what I thought would start my weekly appointments at the ultrasound doctors...oh how I was wrong. I now get to go twice a week to the ultrasound doctors.

Well let me start from the beginning. After having a week off from appointments I went yesterday at 8:00am to the ultrasound doctors then at 8:50am to my OB doctors. I was super excited about going to the ultrasound doctors yesterday. I missed seeing the girls...I am really spoiled having an ultrasound every week! I was also excited because I knew they would be measuring the girls this week and I was looking forward to seeing how much they had grown (they hadn't been measured in 3 weeks). Baby A (Abigail) now weighs 3lbs 2oz and Baby B (Chloe) now weighs 1lb 13oz. This was a bit of a shock...Chloe is much smaller than Abigail. They have definitely ruled out Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS). This is where one twin grows significantly large for her age and one remains small for her age. Two leading factors in this syndrome include fluid levels in the amniotic sacs being quite different (one having a lot and the other having very little) and one baby growing much faster than the normal rate and one remaining small. We do not have either of these factors. While Abigail is larger than Chloe she is still in her normal growth size but Chloe is just too small and both girls have about the same fluid levels in their sacs. We were glad to rule this syndrome out for now! A small discordance is very normal in twins, but my girls have a significant discordance in their weight that the doctors are concerned with. So my twice weekly appointments now stem from them wanting to monitor Chloe's growth very closely. They assured us not to worry or lose sleep, both girls look very good besides the weight difference. Chloe did grow about 8oz since her last measuring which is also a good sign!

At my OB appointment, I found out I PASSED my three hour glucose tolerance test! Yeah! We also went over the information from the ultrasound doctors and answered some questions I had. They assured me the best place for our babies is in "my oven" so no other plans to be made just yet. While all of this information may seem overwhelming Joe and I remain calm and positive. They assured me there is nothing I can do at this time but what I have already been doing, taking care of myself and the babies. I have still not been put on any other restrictions so I feel good about that as well! Right now we just wait and pray for our little Chloe to grow baby grow and to catch up to her sister!

28 weeks!

Wow, it seems like time really does fly. Yesterday marked the beginning of my 28Th week of pregnancy. I am officially in my 3rd trimester! Some days it feels like I have been pregnant forever, but saying I'm finally 28 weeks just sounds weird. 36 weeks is the magic number according to my OB doctors for twins so I could potentially have these girls in 8 weeks! But of course it could be more or less. Most often if you are carrying twins and you go into labor anywhere after 32 weeks they will do nothing to stop it.

Joe and I went to our first of five Childbirth Classes on Wednesday evening. The class was quite full with about 15 other couples in attendance. So far so good; at our first class we talked a lot about anatomy and the changes our bodies are going through, as well as did deep breathing and relaxation techniques. The deep breathing and relaxation reminded me of the end of yoga. Some interesting pieces of information we learned... the blood flows at a speed of 4 miles per hour through the umbilical cord, the average baby now weighs 7 lbs 6 ounces to 8 lbs (not for twins of course) and most of the time Mom's of multiples who are not having a c-section still deliver in an operating room (this is just in case a c-section has to be done quickly).

Yearly Dose of Fireworks...

Joe and I definitely got our yearly dose of fireworks this year. On Thursday, July 3rd after work we went down to St. Augustine. Our friends Todd and Kerry invited us to come over for dinner followed by watching the World Golf Village's fireworks display. The weather was perfect! We got there in plenty of time to get a great spot on the grass where we could see both displays.
On Friday, July 4Th, Joe and I slept in and leisurely went to the pool about 11am. We ate hamburgers and hot dogs, hung out with our neighbors Jay and Jan and went swimming. In the evening, they invited us to have dinner and watch the downtown Jacksonville fireworks on their boat. We anchored the boat, had dinner and enjoyed the evening until the fireworks started at 9:45pm. We had a great spot in between two of the three barges set up in the St. John's River. The display was awesome like every year. The only downfall was getting home late. Joe and I both had to get up and work today...what a drag that was. So far the day has gone by relatively fast with only 4 more hours of work to go! If the rain hasn't come in yet, we plan on going back to the pool this afternoon and later finishing watching the movie "American Gangster".
Hope your Fourth of July weekend is fun and safe!

Cravings

Throughout my pregnancy so far, one of the number one questions I get is "What are you craving?". Up to this point my answer is usually just food period. I seem to eat something every few hours and it really doesn't matter what. But now I think I have a real craving...donuts. It seems like every time I drive by Krispy Kreme the hot sign is on. It's like a huge bright red stop sign yelling to me, "TURN HERE, WE'RE HOT & DELICIOUS!" Twice in the past week I have driven by and that darn sign was on. And it's not just Krispy Kreme, it's any place with donuts. I find myself looking twice as I drive by one of those Dunkin Donuts/ Baskin Robins combos. I think, "Do I need anything in Publix...because while I'm in there I could get a chocolate frosted donut." I've given in once but I am trying to hold out:)

I failed!

So what is it about failing, even if you have no control over it what-so-ever, makes you feel well like a failure. So you may be asking yourself, what did I fail? I failed my one hour glucose tolerance test at my 26 week OB appointment. I did everything they said to do. I didn't eat sweets...in fact I only had water that morning. But after drinking the fluid and waiting an hour, they tested my blood sugar, and yup it was too high. So congrats to me I am the lucky winner of a three hour glucose tolerance test at the lab. So tomorrow morning at 7am after my total FAST I go to the lab to drink the fluid again and have them draw blood three to four times over the course of three hours. How fun....well lets just hope I got a false positive the first go around (apparently failing the first test is rather common) and this is just a good precaution. But I still feel like a failure.



With that said the rest of my appointment went well. I have officially gained a total of 25 lbs., basically stating I am the size of a normal 9 month pregnancy at 26 weeks. According to the Ob's I am right on track for twins and shoud have 15-25 more lbs to go. Oh the joys of carrying twins:) My OB has decreased my work week from 5 days a week to 4 days a week. So starting next week I will work Monday and Tuesday, have Wednesday off, and work Thursday and Friday. Not so bad since I have weekly doctors appointments on Wednesdays anyway...except for next week! I have no appointments next week at all!!! But the following week back to weekly ultrasound appointments and now I will start seeing my OB every two weeks. But don't get me wrong I'm not complaining. I have been extremely blessed with this pregnancy thus far with little to no problems. I hope to carry these girls until at least 36 weeks!

Behind On My Updates...

The past two weeks have flown by. Where did the time go? We went to my parents, in Largo, for Father's Day weekend to celebrate with my DAD! We had a nice trip, which will probably be our last trip down there until after the girls are born.

On Wednesday, June 18th, we had our 25 week appointment with our Ultrasound doctors. Joe came with me since he was unable to make a few of the last ones, and boy was he happy he came along for this one. We had an awesome ultrasound tech who gave us a 3d ultrasound of Baby A- aka Abigail. The picture was amazing to say the least and we were so happy to get a better look at our little baby. She did not do the 3d on Baby B- aka Chloe because she is still too small and it would look a bit creepy. Abigail is still quite fuzzy and her nose did not show up on the picture but still it is a huge difference between the regular ultrasound pic. Here is a comparison:

Here is Abigail in 3d at 25 weeks.

You can see her forearm and hand in a fist at the left of the picture.

Here is Abigail in 2d. This is a good profile picture.

The little round blob above her abdomen is her hand making a fist.

This past weekend was a busy one as well, but in a good way. Elizabeth and Jennifer at my work threw me a baby shower. We had a great turnout of 15 people and we got lots of great baby gifts. Stroller, Vera Bradley baby bag, adorable Pooh stuffed animal, monitor, hygene and care items, Pooh lamp, diapers, assorted baby toys (my fav are the two from my mom- a chick and a cow that both make noise), clothes, hooded towels, bath items....just to name a few. The closet is getting very full already. I need to organize and put some of the clothes in the dresser. That may be on my list for this weekend.

The rest of the weekend was spent with our family from out of town (my mom, dad, sisters and brother-in-laws, mother-in-law and sister-in-law). Joe and I are pretty tried today, and getting up for work was the worst. We should have gone to bed at an early time yesterday but we had to watch the last space show on the Discovery channel. We were both totally addicted. Luckily no big plans for this weekend.

Beautiful!

I wanted to share these beauties with everyone. I absolutely love hydrangeas and I am blessed to have three beautiful plants in my shaded yard. Our oak and magnolia trees provide the perfect spots for them. Unfortunately only one of the three plants is currently blooming. Last year they bloomed the color blue but this year the acidity of the soil has changed and they are blooming the color pink. I love them any color!

Twins and Weekend Update!

First of all, I had my 24 week appointment with the ultrasound doctors, whom we love, today at 9:45a.m. All looked good! Baby A, who we are calling Abigail weighed in at 1lb. 13oz. and Baby B, who we are calling Chloe, weighed in at 1lb. 4oz. Both of which are healthy for their age. I am amazed how they've grown from just two weeks ago when Abigail was 1lb. 4oz. and Chloe was 15oz. Grow babies grow!!! They are continuing to see me on a weekly basis to keep a close look at their size, blood flow, and sac fluid. Today was fun because they were very active. Abigail kept pointing with her index finger and Chloe stuck her tongue out. I couldn't actually see the tongue sticking out but the ultrasound tech saw it several times! We got pictures of both girls doing this, although like I said I cannot actually see Chloe sticking her tongue out.

My Saturday was productive and fun. I got up around 8:30am and got right to candle making about 9:00am. I made three different batches: Christmas Berry, Christmas Spice and Black Raspberry Vanilla (a new fragrance and a personal favorite of mine). I had a blast listening to music and just working. I also came up with some new and creative ideas which I cannot tell, since some may see them in the future:)

Inspired!!!

So as most of you know I would consider myself a rather crafty person. I enjoy making beaded jewelry mostly for friends and family as gifts and candles have been a fun project the past two years for Christmas gifts. Last year I also ventured into bath salts, body wash, and bath oil. With my belly growing bigger each day, okay maybe not each day...but it feels like it, I have been looking for some inspiration and well motivation to get going on some crafts for this Christmas and just gifts in general. I have finally found some motivation!!! I must thank two old friends I went to High School with. Both have blogs I have been catching up on what's new with them and their crafty sides surprised me. They both have shops and sell their creative designs online and at shows. This has motivated me to get to work! I don't know how much I will be able to work when the twins come, so this summer I need to get busy. Jewelry is my first true passion and I would love to someday sell my designs, but for now I am going to focus on stocking up on gifts. I have the house to myself tomorrow morning so who knows what work I will get accomplished.

Twins Nursery

If you've been to our house, you will remember the room formerly know as the office, as being blue and well of course looking like an office...desk, bookshelves, file cabinet, etc. It is now being transformed into the Twins Nursery! Joe painted the walls "cracked wheat" which really means a soft creamy yellow in my book. We purchased two cribs and a dresser, both a natural wood color. Dawn, my mother-in-law came this weekend and painted Classic Pooh. It's really starting to look like a nursery! We decided to do most of the crib linens in pink and green. So what's left you might ask...well we would like to get a glider, no wait make that two and possibly a small end table to put in between. We originally were going to get two wooden rockers but Joe being the clever one, remembered our tile floor. Have you ever rocked on tile floor. Instead of it being a smooth rocking motion it ends up being more like rock..clunk...rock...clunk. So now we are on the hunt for two relatively inexpensive nice gliders. Also curtains. I can't decide what color. But hey, we still have lots of time.

First Blog

So I have given in to the trend and have officially started this blog. I have to admit I have never and I probably will never truly enjoy writing, but I do admit it is fun to read and be updated on what family and friends are doing on their blogs. I hope this will be fun to read and my intent is to provide updates on what is new in our world (our soon to be changing world when the twins make their arrival). Happy Blogging!