I didn't do a 35 weeks post

...because I was too busy celebrating!!! I feel fantastic- I am so crazy excited to have made it this far! On Monday we selected our pediatrician and think he is amazing- turns out he graduated numero uno from Notre Dame!

On Wednesday, mom came down and she and Bubs and I went to my appointment. We got to see the boys, Oliver was 5lb 14oz and Harrison was 5lb 12oz. She also did an internal (not cool) but I am 80% effaced and 2 cm dilated!
She's pretty certain that I will not make it to 37 weeks and if I did I would be induced at that time (no thank you).

In other news, I have found some tummy relief. I have tried Burt's Bees Belly Butter and Balm. Every product Palmers makes, Bio Oil and Mederma and some weird hippy stuff that smelled like chocolate and made me itch more...
Turns out Vitamin E oil ($5) is amazing! My skin is so soft and the stretchmarks I do have seem to be improving everyday and I don't think they are breeding! ;)
Dr. P also gave me the above "Belli" cream and it is very soothing and keeps my tummy nice and moisturized all day!

I can't believe we will most likely be meeting these babies within a week!?!?!?!?

Gloomy

It's another blah, gloomy, rainy, icky day....

Last night would have been amazing sleeping weather if I were capable of sleeping anymore... every movement feels like my insides are going to bust apart! Usually, I'm cool with it because once I do get settled in, the boys start moving around and it's fun to poke back at them.

Yesterday, Harrison was very pushy- he just kept stretching out. I could see his little hand through my tummy and I was able to trace his fingers, it was so cool. I will be 35 weeks tomorrow, it doesn't even feel right to type that. I cannot believe we have come this far! Braxton Hicks contractions have started picking up, which can be rather annoying but is a good thing since my body is preparing itself.

A couple of days ago I went in the garage to grab something and saw the double stroller, I looked at it as if it were an alien- why in the world do we have a double stroller?!? That's right because we're having babies! Total reality check, that when this is all said and done we will be parents for the rest of our lives.

Tomorrow we're going to interview some pediatricians and then Wednesday I have an ultrasound to check the growth on the boys!

34 WEEKS!!!

Things are about to become very different around here... it will no longer be just the two of us but the 4 of us!!! We spent yesterday, running around town together doing errands, huge grocery shopping stock up and enjoying a little Sonic. We've always enjoyed doing things together and we will go out of our way for things normal people don't give a rats ass about...like pain au chocolat, a killer sunset or just somewhere something funny happened.

Last summer, my friend Aubrey was incredibly kind and took "wedding" pictures of us. We did not get a lot of photos from our real wedding, and it is one of those things that I didn't think would matter, but it did. I now cherish these pictures (not only for the flat tummy). If only I had met Aubrey a year sooner! Anywho- Bubba and I talked about the simple things like how to grocery shop with twins...we had a bit of envy as all these cute couples with ONE baby strolled past and looked at my belly like "holy smokes- what is she doing out and about?!?!"
We came to the conclusion that we will try our darndest to still do things together, get out of the house, and teach the boys how to behave in public. Even if this means double stroller, advanced planning, lots of dirty looks and a dumptruck worth of patience!

We have to believe we were given this gift for a reason, for crying out loud there is only a 3% chance and here are the common contributors according to the March of Dimes:

1. Fertility treatment- nope
2. Age over 30- nope
3. A personal family history- unknown
4. Obesity or taller than average height- nope
5. African American race- nope

Hmmmm....

The Nursery!

Adjusting...

Putting a photo into this post just seems like too much work this morning!
I was up most of the night, rolling over has become incredibly uncomfortable, I'm a million degrees and I'm crazy thirsty- but the more I drink the more I have to get up to pee! ARGH! :)

I now wake up with anxiety about having two newborns, our lives are going to change to drastically. Bri and I really are each others best friend- we love just being with each other. He was prepping the gardens this week-end and I watched from my new "bedrest nest" on the deck. I remember being in the garden with him last year and us flirting like we had just met while we spread chicken poop... I hope the passion will still be there when it's spit up, green poop and crying babies.

We're a young couple, and by the time we have sex again it will be almost a year (More like 8 1/2 months- but who's keeping track?)! I say this because if you would have told us to take a 1 year sex hiatus we would have called you crazy. Yet, here we are, terrified to do anything that could disrupt our little men. Frankly seeing your vagina on ultrasound every other week and knowing there is a wimpy 2 cm between it and your babies head is enough to make you go "uh, no thanks."

It's amazing how much your focus can shift. I hope that in time once we become a little more settled with the babies that we will once again make each other and our marriage our priority.

UPDATES:
Had my last appt with Dr. Steele and Stacy...it was bittersweet. The boys looked great! They were measuring 4lb 9oz and 4lb 12oz. They also have rather large heads which is a little intimidating! eeek... I still had 2 cm left of good cervix so I am now able to resume as much activity as I am comfortable with, which to be honest is not that much! We loved/love Dr. Steele and Stacy- we really looked forward to our appointments with them. There are people in the world that you just mesh with and they were those people. So, being released from their care was hard- I haven't really been an emotional prego lady but when we walked out of their office, I did cry (even though I told Stacy at that appt that I don't cry I just get pissed!- which is obviously a lie).
It was mainly the fact that we wouldn't be seeing two people that we genuinely admired and enjoyed and it was also closing another chapter. For 10 weeks I depended on them for the "good news" and the reinforcement of positive vibes to "keep gestating!"

33 weeks!!!!!

Bri and I woke up this morning, well not really, Mabelle woke us up this morning and we both said 33 weeks!!!
It's such an amazing feeling- 10 weeks from when I was put on bedrest. These boys will be outside in less than a month!!!! Wow!

The above picture is of my niece, Ashlynn, born days before I was put on bedrest. It was my last trip home and I remember holding her so soon after she was born and being so overwhelmed with all these different emotions. She was so perfect and tiny, tiny at nearly 7 lbs. I couldn't help but wonder how itty bitty my babies would feel...

Now, we have carseats installed, the diaper bag packed (complete with most adorable "coming home" outfits), mom's bag ready to go, bottles and pacis, sterilized. I can honestly say - we are READY!!!!

This guy!

That is Adrian, my sister's little guy. He is by far one of the funniest boys out there! This was 4th of July last summer and he was in a particularly good mood (i.e. not saying the camera hurt him).
I love summer, water, sun, boats, suntan lotion, swimming suits and the lakes of my hometown. This was one of those perfect days, where is lasted forever and just felt so dang good!

I do this Adrian all the time, usually when he won't kiss me- I plan on using them as blackmail at some point. Whenever I do something silly like this he says. "Oh Geeg..." Like he is so above my antics...

That is my dad...I can promise you, you will never find a happier looking picture of him, than on a boat. In all their albums, the best pictures usually involve him and water. This is a particularly good one cause you get him+boat+grandson = one happy grandpa!

Eat!

So, I didn't make this in bed but I did make it- with help from Bubba. We took it to Easter at a friend's house and everyone seemed to enjoy it! We had a great time and got to experience a very different Easter filled with 9 kids and 17 adults! Wowza! They are such a nice family and we are able to blend right in. Well Bubba is- I don't blend so well anymore...

Green Goddess Pasta Salad (Really Barefoot Contessa's Pasta, Pesto and Peas- but that's a boring name)

Barilla Campanelli Pasta (1 box)
1/4 c olive oil
1 1/2 c pesto
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach (defrosted and squeezed dry)
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 1 /4 c mayo
1/2 c fresh grated parm
1 1/2 c frozen peas (defrosted)
1/3 c pine nuts

salt, black pepper, and garlic salt to taste

Cook pasta till al dente, drain and toss with the olive oil. Let cool.
In a food processor puree pesto, spinach, lemon juice and mayo. Add to cooled pasta along with the parm, peas, pinenuts and seasonings. Toss to coat.

*I'm not big into measuring but I'm pretty sure I do more parm and pine nuts - I also toss it with more olive oil and lemon juice at the end- if making it ahead of time.... Enjoy!

32 weeks +

It's a cold and dreary day here today- so different from 60's and sunshine! Seeing as my adorable kitty, Clarabelle has moods that change like the weather it only seemed appropriate that I feature her today! ;)

Well we're 32 weeks and my LAST ffn came back negative!!! So here's to making it to 34 weeks and beyond! I'm so happy and just can't believe that my worries are now shifting to actually birthing and raising two gentlemen- when for so long I was just concerned with holding them in there! I have my LAST cervical check on Monday and if all is well- I believe I will be free! Scary!