As I have been bitching about explaining, I have not been craving much this pregnancy. It has more been about what I am not craving as opposed to what I am. We will be discussing what to do for dinner and most things trigger an automatic gag reflex however, spring has arrived and that means Rita's is back in season.
I have been a Rita's addict since my high school days working there sporting the white baseball hat and red Rita's golf shirt. A mega-bonus (on top of the $5.25 minimum wage salary) was that at the end of every shift, you were allowed to bring home a quart of whatever water ice you wanted. My parents freezer was stocked from March through September with quarts upon quarts of every flavor.
Maybe I should go back to Rita's part-time to reap those benefits again? It definitely would save us some $$. Who doesn't want to be served water ice by a knocked up chick who is more concerned with eating a mango/vanilla gelati then serving you a misto??
Once again, I am beyond lucky that Erin encourages my addiction and this past weekend we had our first Rita's of the season. It was freakin delic. Of course while eating it I commented how they really need to make size small gelatis as medium is just too big and I will never be able to finish this. Fast forward 10 mins and I am asking Erin for a bite of hers as mine has disappeared.
And tonight, we have another Rita's date planned...cheers!
All I want is to marry my amazing lady and have it be recognized by ALL.
As I mentioned in my post earlier, today is chili making day and lately my brain has been on vaca.
Perfect example occurred this morning...I spent a while chopping up green chilis, jalapenos, garlic, onions, corn..browning the meat...straining some tomatoes...throwing in a ton of spices - cayenne pepper, chili powder, white pepper, red pepper flakes...the usual. (and voila! now you have my chili recipe!) I keep thinking to myself how delic this smells already. I turn the crock pot on high and begin the tossing together of the ingredients into the pot.
I do some dishes - give the chili a good stir - and leave the kitchen to work on grad school crap and I realize that I cannot smell the deliciousness of my chili in the living room, so I pop back into the kitchen and give it another stir.
20 mins later - get up to stir again. Is it just me or is it near impossible to just leave a crock pot alone?? Granted I am aware of its function and that is the beauty of a crock pot to not have to tend to it every 20 mins but I can never resist.
I walk into the kitchen..tripping over fat-bags Reebok on my way in - and the delic chili scent is completely gone! I give it another good stir and go to sample a bit and it is ice cold.
Genius - next time it probs would help to PLUG IN the crock pot. Simply turning it on high does not do the trick.
Brain - I miss you but I'll deal with you being MIA for the next few months as long as Erin agrees that we can order out every night because my cooking skills seemed to of left with you.
Yesterday we hit our 17th week of pregnancy! Well technically we are in our 18th week because week zero was technically week 1..I suppose. Erin continues to explain it to me but it goes right over my head...not a huge shock these days...my brain has been on vacation the past few weeks.
Our lil bambinos are getting much bigger this week - building fat on their lil bods which is beyond exciting as I love smuggling chubby lil babes!
To help them beef up I am trying to pump up my red meat consumption - gag! mmm yum! Homemade chili is sizzling in the crock pot right now because what else is there to do at 7:30am on a snowy Monday when the wifey has to leave for work and I am determined to procrastinate on writing papers? Make chili, of course!
Speaking of the babies beefin' up, I definitely am too - yay! So far I gained probs about 7ish pounds. It is so freakin hard to track because every scale is diff and I lost weight in the beginning with the OHSS but now I am up to 144ish so thats 6-7 pounds over my norm. It must be the weekly milkshakes, inhalation of nilla wafers, and 2 bowls of cereal daily that is contributing to these lbs.
Our lil bambinos are about the size of onions crown to rump this week and according to "the books" (which I read way to much of) I should start feeling some little flutters soon of them dancing around. This is a feeling I am beyond excited for!!!! I keep thinking I feel something then realize it is just my stomach growling or some indigestion that is rumbling around but hopefully soon!
Per my usual ranting about the wait between u/s appts, Friday CANNOT get here soon enough!!!! Luckily, this week is busy so HOPEFULLY time will fly. I am beyond anxious to find out the genders but I think I am even more excited just to see them and hear again that all is going perfectly.
Erin is becoming a pro w/ the doppler and amazes me at how she locates the 2 heartbeats within minutes...it really is an amazing purchase and Erin is almost ready to admit that too ;)
Here we are @ 17 weeks - semi-hard to see the bump w/ the lighting but you get the idea. We do take belly pics without the shirt to see how much the belly is really growing (and oh how much it is!) but lucky for you and just in case you are eating while reading, I'll spare you those images.
Have a great day all!
Over the past year we have been discussing what we would name our future bambinos pretty much nonstop.
Granted the convos have gotten more intense over the past 4 months since we found out we were prego and even more in the past 3 months since we found out we are having twins.
There have been many a nights where we sit on the couch facing each other - one of us on the iPad (usually me - I know, Erin, I don't share it well) and the other on their iPhone looking up names for hours and hours.
**broken record alert**
It still feels unbelievably surreal that I am actually prego and cooking TWO babies...how freaking lucky can I/we get!?!? Un-BELIEVABLE!!!! so so thankful and lucky!!
Also, a part of the name change/selection discussion is what will our babies last name be? We discussed hyphenating but, in our opinion, that is a lot to put on any kid and eventually in school or just in life, the latter of the names would probably be dropped purely due to length. So we decided on my last name which also means my Erin will be taking on my last name which is beyond a compliment in itself that she is doing so. Gives me chills to think about how we all will have our family name soon.
So, we have spent hours dreaming about our bambinos names...but it did not dawn on me until a few days ago that my name is changing too. In a few months, I am going to be called Mommy. What a freakin amazing feeling this is! I cannot even explain how out-of-this-effin-world this feels.
Sitting here with tears streaming down my face at the thought of this perfect little voice looking up at me (thank you pregnancy hormones paired with being a sap to begin with) and saying, "Mommy" Beyond amazing.
I get a new name..and it is the most beautiful name I have ever heard.
4 months!!! Holy Hell - how freakin amazing!
I CANNOT believe it is 4 months already...so wonderful! For some reason 4 months sounds so much further along than 16 weeks. Either way - I WILL be keeping these bambinos cooking until at least August 11th.
I am over eager to get this month moving by quickly as we are settling on our new house April 5th - YAY! I cannot wait to get in there and organize/clean/re-organize in plenty of time before the bambinos or bed rest arrive. Luckily, packing is moving along swiftly now it just needs to be the 5th already!!!
I cannot wait to get the babies room set up...We know what we are doing - Grey walls....grey and white bedding...with BRIGHT accent colors...orange...aqua...green..and once we know the genders perhaps throw in some bright pink and bright blues...so eager to get in our house!!!
We have been listening to our bambinos heartbeats daily...so amazing. I should add that we think we are hearing both heartbeats...it definitely is a challenge to know when you are locating two heartbeats..There have been a few times where we got them both at the same time and other times we locate 1 and move around a bit then hear another. Either way - it is reassuring to hear them. The doppler may be the best $50 investment I have ever made. I'll be sure to pass it onto the next prego lady in our group of fam/friends ;)
oh and we always find 1 heartbeat around 160 and the other 1 around 140...old wives tales, I know but maybe it is 1 boy and 1 girl!?!? We will find out soon enough :))
In my usual fashion, I am late to the game of posting this weeks pic. However, it is well worth the wait as this week we have a special guest appearance in the pic.
Our lil man, Tyson, aka soon to be dethroned king of the castle, wanted to be in this weeks pic. Granted I am biased, but that lil pup face melts my heart every time. And that bump sure is growing - yay!
All is going great with the twins! Countdown is on til our next u/s 3/29. HOWEVER, I did order a doppler so that we can listen to our bambinos heartbeats. It should arrive this week...I am freaking psyched!
I had to sneak behind Erin's back surprise Erin with ordering it as she was not the most enthusiastic to buy one. She knows me all to well and what if I cannot find the heartbeat then I'll freak and be on the phone w/ the doc in a panic BUT I know these things are not full proof but at least we can try. (and I figured if the dumbass orthopedic/OB nurse can find at least 1 heartbeat then my odds are decent.)
What is the over/under on how long it takes me to be sent into panic if I cannot find 2 separate heartbeats? I give myself about a week.
Yesterday, we had out monthly check-up w/ our OB. We are lucky that I have been going to this amazing OBGYN practice since I was a teenager. They are the best in the biz - particularly when it comes to babies. One of the perks of having a Mom as an RN in the same hospital who I am pretty sure scouts out each doc she crosses paths with and then gives recommendations/bad reviews accordingly. Every doc in the practice has extensive experience w/ multiples and high-risk pregnancies (not that we are in that category, yet - and hopefully never)
One downside of being a patient of the "best" in the biz - is their client list. Everyone wants to see the best of the best, understandably. So day in and out, its a revolving door in that office. My main OB was kind enough to give me advice on how to always be bumped to the head of the line whether its an appointment needed or a call back requested. He advised me to drop the T word. Twins. and it has rang true! After a few times of not receiving a call back after messages have been left, I start dropping the T words and miraculously within minutes, my call is returned! Imagine that! Makes me wonder how many other patients prego w/ singletons are still waiting for their call back??
Anywho, yesterday started off normal with a friendly, smiling nurse calling us back to our exam room. I followed the routine of popping on the scale (gained 2 pounds - yay!), pee in a cup and unavoidably pee on your hand, and a quick BP check. All was great.
The nurse as reading my chart gave us an, "OMG twins! How exciting!" Erin and I both gave our sheepish smirks and let out an, "oh yes - so great!" She continued that she had just transferred to OB from orthopedics and commented what a different world it is. She then continued to tell us that she was unsure how to find two heartbeats using the sonogram machine. This convo included her laughing/saying that she just has no idea how she will be able to tell the difference between the two heartbeats. I nervously gave a chuckle and an, "oh yea - I am sure its hard." All the while thinking, "okay..this is your job. I want to see/hear BOTH heartbeats...learn your shiz." She begins the sonogram (all the while giggling and chuckling) and we hear 1 babies heartbeat....she continues moving around and we hear another heartbeat and she asks me, "now how do we know if that is the same one or the other one?" Listen Chippy, I don't effin know. I am not on their payroll for a reason. Get the doc already!
She leaves and says that the doc will do it to be sure to we hear both heartbeats.
Doc enters (sans sonogram machine) and says that it can be hard to find 2 heartbeats at 14.5 weeks since they are still small (little lemons!) which I can totally understand BUT when we were in the office 2 weeks ago (at 12ish weeks prego) due to bleeding, the nurse easily found both. He asks me to lay down and continues to explain that in the days before u/s and sonograms, docs would feel the patients stomach to see if they were prego with multiples. He starts pressing all around my stomach and comments that I am measuring 16-18 weeks for a singleton but he can tell I am prego w/ multiples, as I am only 14.5 weeks.
Alright old man....It is 2013. We have u/s machines and sonograms at our disposal (and damn good insurance to pay for these services none the less.) While I appreciate the history lesson of pregnancies during the Renaissance era, I would appreciate even more hearing my babies heartbeats. He reassured us that my ultrasound from 3/1 looks great so he has no concerns and feels all is great. Shakes hands and peaces out.
Granted, I know 10000% we are spoiled by our RE. Weekly visits with u/s, blood work, a one on one meetings with the doc, and hugs from the nurses as we leave..and not to forget enjoying a butterscotch candy from the front desk candy dish...I know we are not going to get that type of treatment here as we are now in a different fertility ballpark BUT it would have been nice to hear their heartbeats - or at least have the doc try and locate both heartbeats and be able to distinguish between the two.
Luckily, we have another u/s in 3 weeks (f/u to our first tri screening) and another 2 weeks later (20 week u/s - full body bone scan for both bambinos) so we will see them soon but in my over-worrying mind, not soon enough.
Outside of that, all is great. I feel great..still sleepy all the time but energy is definitely creeping back. I am noticing that when @ work w/ my little charge that I am slowing down in the playing on the floor get up, sit down, up again lol Could be a combo of laziness and my bod working hard to nourish these bambinos.
Never a dull moment :) I'll update soon w/ our 15 week pic...Can't believe we are almost 4 months prego...so amazingly crazy :)
Seeing as how Erin and I are beyond lucky in the fact that we get to name not only 1 baby BUT 2 babies at the same time, there have been many a convos about the potential baby names. We have a solid list going on the iPad with about 5 girl names and 10 boy names but we are still holding out for the gender reveal to narrow the list down even further.
With that being said, we have told friends and fam some of the names we are thinking of and at times, we get the crinkled nose/forced smile reaction. Granted none of our names are THAT out there - no La-a (pronounced La Dash Ah) or ManMeet (BOTH real names that friends have come across) however, some of our names are unique but I love that!
The name Jack has always been a fav of mine but go into a kindergarten classroom today and you will have at least 2 Jacks. I want to pick names that will not be the 'norms' of the year 2013...and I think we are well on our way to successfully selecting these names!
I am not going to post our potential names so I can leave at least some element of surprise but I know me, and once we know the genders I am sure this blog will be blown up with talking about our babies by their first names paired with embroidered onesies to boot.
Bambino bump is here to stay - yay! and the love handles are definitely beefin up and I am sure will be a bitch to get rid of someday post-prego but nothing a good pair of spanx can't help.
Some have said that I look teensy for twins - some say I look huge. Whichever way I look - I am lovin it :)
Week 14 bump pic - sans creeper smile (make-up was already off for the the night and hair was a wreck so we just went for the bump this week...thank you, zoom lens)
It is always such a flippin fantastic day when we get to see our healthy, strong bambinos. They are growing like crazzzy and dancing around nonstop.
Erin did have me drink choke down a vat of orange juice as it helps gets the babies moving and it sure did work. They both were waving at us and baby b spent the morning sucking his thumb and baby a was the stubborn one who would not turn over so the u/s tech could get accurate measurements. After some poking and prodding by the tech, she got him to scoot around. Both babes are perfect!
The u/s tech did say that it was too early to tell us the genders with 100% confidence so even though I am referring to them as "him"...the genders are still unknown! A few more weeks of suspenseful wondering is okay by me :)
Once again, I am amazed by the ultrasound pics...so freaking amazing.
Excessive ultrasound photo bomb below:
