Nursery Video's

Video of the border after getting put up...

Today's video trying to take more video of the completed Nursery...camera ran out off battery...

35 Weeks / 35 Days to go...

That’s if I were to go the full 40 weeks... But since I'm only allowed to go to 38 weeks I only have 21 days to go... Yep we are down to single digit weeks and almost below the 20 days to go mark...yipee!! I feel this pregnancy has lasted a LONG time and some days gone TOO fast. This will be my only pregnancy and I'm very happy on how it has gone thus far. The things I don't like that happened was my gestational diabetes and possible (not confirmed yet) preeclampsia. I could definitely do without both. The preeclampsia just showed up yesterday at my doctor’s appt. I had protein in my urine (4+) and my blood pressure was elevated 133/89…both were a shock to the doctor and us. So what I have to do today is collect my urine for 24 hrs and take it in tomorrow and get some blood drawn too. Then wait and see what the results are. Those are the only symptoms I’m having, minus the swelling of my feet. My doctor also checked my cervix and I’m completely closed and hard…no softening.

With the gestational diabetes…I feel I have this very under controlled now that I’ve been working on my diet for the past few weeks. I’m back to eating ice cream…yay!! At my last growth scan the MFM was not happy on how I was eating and told me to bulk up. So I started eating more meat at dinner, eating more eggs in the morning, and adding the ice cream back into my diet. I only eat ice cream if my blood sugars from dinner are below the 120 mark. And then I check it again after I eat the ice cream…last time I checked after eating ice cream it was 110…so that is acceptable. Plus then right before I go to bed at night I eat one more snack of goldfish crackers, cheese sticks, mixed nuts, and raisins. In the morning I’m always below the number for fastening and feel much better…I’m not starving all the time any more. And the MFM was not happy hearing me say that; especially since I’m pregnant with twins. If we would have had more time he would have sent me to another dietitian to help me with my diet…but there is not enough time for that. The one thing that shot my blood sugars through the roof was eating at Subway the other night… We got home very late from the doctor and Mike didn’t feel like cooking. So we stopped at subway and I got the chicken breast sandwich on wheat with lots of veggies on it. Well when I went to go test my sugars it was 202…way TOO high…oops. Needless to say no ice cream for me that night or a snack…maybe a light snack. But by morning I was below the 90 mark for fastening so all was good.

My growth scan from last Monday…Andrew (Baby A) weighed 3lbs 12 oz and Joseph (Baby B) weighed 4 lbs even. This is why the MFM was not happy about my diet. They had only gained a pound since my last scan 4 weeks earlier and they should have been closer to 4.5 – 5 lbs a piece…granted I’m a small / petite woman but I just knew with me not gaining weight I knew they weren’t gaining either. We go back July 7th for another scan if I make it till then…LOL Just to check it out one more time before delivery and I’ve heard from another patient his growth scans are right on the money. I feel since I’ve been eating more and last night’s appointment showed I gained some weight…I know feel like they are both 4lbs a piece and growing rapidly now.

The nursery is completely done!!! I just have a few more things to put away like the clothes and blankets… But it is painted, border is up, and cribs are completely ready for babies!! It looks awesome and I can’t wait to bring my babies home to start using the room. We still have a diaper stash sitting in the hallway because there is no room in the closet for all the diapers I received or bought myself. We are waiting for one more piece of furniture and that’s a night stand to go next to the glider and that’s it. The dogs go into the nursery and are very confused. They sniff around, look into the cribs, look back at me and just kind kink their heads to the side and probably saying “what the hell?”…LOL :)

Also, I found a pediatrician office that I love. Associates in Pediatrics, SC in Elgin right across the street from the hospital. The doctor I choose was Patrick Esposito M.D. and I really liked him. He’s grounded, funny, and gives you that comfort feeling. The office was clean and bright…has a separate waiting room area for sick kids. And the nurse staff was very, very friendly.

Some of the things I feel I need to go get still are… Some more crib sheets and pack n play sheets, changing pad covers, nursing accessories (nipple cream, bra’s, tanks, and nightgowns), and another storage unit for downstairs for diapers and stuff… I might be doing this tomorrow with mom and using a wheelchair to get around in the stores… If I’m too swollen or when I go drop off my urine and get checked out and my blood pressure is too high I won’t be doing any of this…boo :( But I will do what is best for me and the babies…and that stuff will just have to wait.

Otherwise this is it for this week…I will try my best to update the blog before I have the babies…but lately I’m just too tired to get up and come get on the computer. Plus I swell when I sit here too long…not good… :(

Here are some pictures...



Wall Border


Cribs



Diaper Stash...LOL




Cribs Completed w/wall border



Bouncy Seats and Elephant


Changing Table / Dresser


Lamps & Lion



Belly Pictures...TMI...There are bare belly pictures, too!!

33 Weeks 3 Days

35 Weeks!!!

Week 35 Pregnancy Quiz

How far along: 35 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 40 lbs
Maternity clothes: All maternity clothes...went and bought men’s shorts to wear to pass on to my brothers after I’m done…LOL
Stretch marks: Yes…belly has lots of them…cocoa buttering it up
Sleep: I'm sleeping downstairs now, full time and the couch is not the most comfortable spot but it is easier to get off of then the bed.
Best moment this week: The nursery is practically completed...all painted, border up, clothes put away and cribs are completely set up with sheets and everything... :)
Movement: Yes and other people can feel it and see it.
Food cravings: Goldfish crackers, raisins, cheese sticks, mixed nuts, and chocolate chips.
Gender: BOYS!!!!
Labor Signs: Yes and no... No longer taking anything to stop them
Belly Button in or out: Flat and out
What I miss: Sleeping in my own bed with my husband....
What I am looking forward to: Meeting my babies here in the next 2-3 weeks...
Milestones: Passing the 24 hr urine test for Preeclampsia...I don't wan t the babies this weekend...too soon...

A chance of Showers...Baby Showers...Updates, too!!

This is going to be a post about the Baby Shower's I had and some updates. I know I’m really behind on updating and blogging. The reason being is I couldn’t find the cord for my camera to put pictures up. Plus after my last post I came down with a terrible cold / sinus / ear infection to get through. That took a good 2/3 weeks. Then it just got plain busy around here with the step-kids and the end of the school year stuff…craziness’s.

My first baby shower was April 28th at my work hosted by my co-workers. All the wonderful ladies I work with are very generous and truly happy for me. Most of them don’t know that I went through IVF to conceive the twins…so a lot of them are in the dark about that. But it’s so cute hearing some the questions I get asked and so worried on how big or small I am. We had pizza, salad, and of course cake. My twin brothers who are 10 yrs younger than me got out of school early that day and showed up for the shower at the end…that was very cool!!! :) But I received a lot, a lot, and a lot of nice things. I got 2 BIG ticket items…my jumperoo and my storage cart. Plus some other very necessary items for the babies. Here are some of the pictures from that shower…







Me, Nathan, Mom, and Tyler



My second baby shower was May 15th at my mom’s house hosted by my mom, step-daughter, and sister-in-law. Again a lot of wonderful women who’ve come into my life blessed me with some wonderful gifts and necessary items for the babies. Most of the ladies at this shower did know that I had help and were so happy for me and Mike that we are able to conceive on our first try of IVF…and blessed double. We had lots of wonderful food…chicken / egg salad sandwiches on croissants, artichoke dip, tossed wild green salad, jell-o molds, and a yummy punch. Here are some pictures from that shower…














Game Played...Sniff-A-Poo...melted candy bars...LOL


UPDATES:
I’m officially on bed rest now. Reasons being I had to go to the doctors again on May 17th because I was having more contractions, but my cervix is handling them quite well. I’m now on a beta blocker to help keep them at bay. I only get contractions when I do too much.

Also, I was supposed to do the 3-hour glucose after my last post but that’s when I came down with the terrible cold / sinus / ear infection that following week. I told you it lasted quite a while… So I finally did the test on May 18th the Tuesday after my baby shower. And did it SUCK!!! I didn’t go back to work after the test because I was SO tired. Plus I failed… Yep I’ve been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. So with those two diagnoses me being on medicine to help keep the contractions away and the gestational diabetes…I’ve been put on house arrest…I mean bed rest…LOL.

So May 21st was my last day of work…I was hoping to make it to this Friday, June 4th (32 weeks) but I guess we have to do what is best for our bodies and babies. I’m enjoying the time off and the extra sleep I’m getting too. I don’t have the swelling issues like I was having at the end of the day at work. The only bad thing about me being home is I want to put the baby stuff away and start nesting. But the nursery is not finished yet nor is the dresser. I’m going crazy!!! Not your fault mom…she reads the blog and she is painting the dresser. I should be able to update my blog easier than before, but for some reason naps seem to take priority over doing other things…hmm.

The nursery has been primed and 1st coat of paint is up. So it’s getting closer to being done. Anthony’s basement bedroom is almost done, too. We just have to finish dry walling his closet and mudding the seams. Then we can prime and paint and get carpet in there and we would be done for now. The trim work can be done some other time. Lots of projects and no time I feel like because I can’t help with any of it. Mike being on 1st shift…that’s probably a new update…I thought we would accomplish more during the week then before when he worked 3rd shift. But I hate 1st shift…he is so tired when he gets home. His work hours are long…he gets up at 3:45 a.m. and doesn’t get home till 4:00 p.m. That is a LONG day…I get that. BUT there are certain things that need to get done, now. Vent over…

Gestational diabetes…oh what fun…NOT. I thought if I just cut out my sweets (ice cream) and fruit juices I would be fine. Nope…I’m on a special diet and can’t cheat at all… Not that I’m doing major cheating. A few things that really make my sugars sky rocket are carrots, small pieces of pizza, apples, potato salad, and macaroni salad. Then because I can only eat a certain amount of starch, fruits, veggies, and meats…I’m hungry a few hours later. I feel like I’m losing weight, which at this point would not be good. I’m pretty sure if the scale doesn’t move up a few pounds this week at the doctor’s appointment I’m going to be questioned once again, but this time I can blame it on the diabetes diet I’m on.

The boys last growth scan...they weighed in at 3 lbs a piece...right on track!!

I think that’s it for the updates for now. I’ll post my recent belly pictures and nursery pictures…too.

Bare Belly Pics...TMI Warning

Glucose, Level II U/S, and 1st L&D Visit...

Glucose Test…wasn’t that bad at all. If you like flat orange crush pop then you should be able to handle the orange drink… I don’t know about the other flavors, but that’s what I thought the orange one tasted like. My tips are cut out all sweets and just as normal as you can. I had the night before chicken, green beans, and mac n’cheese. Then for the day I had my oatmeal, boiled egg, peaches, a salad with chicken and cheese on it, and some peanut butter crackers…and lots and lots of water!! I took my test after work. My results came back at 148 and you can only score 140 or lower. So yes I did fail but not horribly. I’ll be doing the 3 hour test either Monday or Tuesday morning…not sure which one yet. And I feel confident I will pass.

Thursday night I had my Level II U/S for growth checks and double confirmation on the genders. Mike was able to come to this one. He thought it was so cool to be able to see little babies in there instead of blobs or blurry images. Well they are both BOYS…no doubt about it. Mike and I got to see their little manhood parts and there was no denying what they were. I could tell they have little penis’s. And their growth is right, right, on track. Baby A – Andrew – is 1lb 9oz’s and Baby B – Joseph – is 1lb 13oz’s. So I have over 3lbs of baby inside of me…so exciting!! I go back in a month for another growth check. No good U/S pics…just some face shots…no reason to upload. I will add more pics the next few days or next Friday.

Then on Friday….

I had my 1st visit to L&D yesterday… Thurs nite/Friday morning I got up to go to the bathroom and just thought I was having an upset stomach and my back was killing me. TMI…I was having diarrhea. So I thought I would just eat something and drink some water. Well when I woke up at 6:30 Friday I realized the pains where menstrual like pains and was having back cramps…Like your first day of your period. And that’s not a good sign being pregnant. So I called the doctor to ask if I should go in or not…and of course she said yes.

My mom took me to the hospital and by the time I got there I was feeling no pains and my back wasn’t hurting anymore. So I thought for sure they were going to send me home…NOPE. Mike met us there…he just works 5 mins from the hospital. That’s why my mom took me, not Mike.

They hooked me up and I was having little baby contractions…I couldn’t feel them. Then they did this special test to swab my cervix to check if I would be going into labor within the next 2 weeks. And checked my cervix to make sure I wasn’t dilating at all since I was probably having these contracts all night long…nope no dilation…thank goodness. But the test on my cervix for the labor results came back invalid. They have never had that test come back invalid…I’m so special…LOL Well then we had to wait 12 hours before they could do the test again…ugh. By the time the test results came back I was really having some contractions that I could feel…and what a weird hard thing to describe. But they gave me some water and apple juice and that helped. I had to eat 2 hospital meals…lunch and dinner…both sucked!!! And the babies did NOT like dinner at all…they made me have small contractions…LOL

So about 9:30 last night they came back to do the cervix swab once more and the results came back negative…Yay! So now I’m home and just have to take it easy. No lifting anything and just normal activity…nothing too stressful. We don’t know why I had them or what triggered them… So hopefully it doesn’t happen again…

But that’s what has happened this past week…hopefully this week no more DRAMA…please!!! I’m hoping this Saturday the 24th to be able to start setting up cribs and kicking Anthony out of his room…we’ll see????

Week 24 Pregnancy Quiz

How far along: 24 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 35 lbs
Maternity clothes: All maternity clothes...work pants and shirts!!And I need bigger sizes now…I have no PJ’s that fit…I’ve stolen 1 pair of pj bottoms from Mike and they are too tight…LOL
Stretch marks: Yes…in the breast area and that’s it thus far
Sleep: Getting harder to get comfortable and getting up to pee, again…FUN!!
Best moment this week: I’ve have some baby items in my house and it’s so cool to see them
Movement: Yes and other people can feel it and see it. But when Mike comes over puts his hand on my belly...they stop...LOL
Food cravings: Ice Cream Still – Vanilla w/chocolate swirl or Vanilla and Chocolate together
Gender: BOYS!!!!
Labor Signs: Eeek - none!!! We want none of that for at least 12 more weeks.
Belly Button in or out: Flat and out
What I miss: Finding a comfortable sleeping position
What I am looking forward to: Seeing Shelby’s reaction to the U/S at my dr. appt.
Milestones: Finishing Anthony’s Basement Bedroom here in the next month and getting started on the Nursery in the few weeks.

24 Weeks & Lots of Updates!!!

I'm so bad at this blogging stuff…I'm really mad at myself. I wanted to have a journal to look back on to see how week by week I was growing and how I was feeling…and I'm just plain too lazy and busy to get on here and blog about it.

My last OB appt in March was such a breeze there nothing to report there. I've only had one tiny scare/confusion. A few weeks back I had the strangest feeling down in my private area…like a tampon was falling out. I went to the dr. and she said I was fine. No dilation or anything. What probably happened is the boys gave me a good kick in the cervix and it's not use to that kind of thing. But otherwise I've been feeling really good and lucky thus far with everything.

I started my Baby Registry there at Babies R Us, babysupermall.com, and Target. My mom and I went registering together at Babies R Us and Target a few Saturdays back… and man what a blast that was. Looking at all of the baby stuff was just overwhelming and fun!! But I brought along my Baby Bargains Book and a list I had found online on what they had registered for their twins for. Both were a great resource/help. Did I follow everything to a "T"…NO…but I think I registered for everything that was reasonable to ask for and is a need…not a want. There is probably something's I left off because either I don't know I need yet or just don't know about. Mike did not want to participate in this adventure. But as soon as I got home that night…he was like what did we register for.

Baby Super Mall is an online store that has all my nursery items. It was $20 - $30 cheaper than Babies R Us and/or Target. I like a deal when I'm shopping so I figure if anyone is going to buy me things for the nursery I rather save them so money if I can.

Baby Shower invites have gone out. If you did not get one please let me or my mom know ASAP…we didn't mean to leave you out or it got lost in the mail. I'm really excited about my Baby Shower…and it's my baby shower, too… I can't believe I'm saying that. The baby shower is set for Saturday, May 15th.

Everyone now can feel the babies kick…such an awesome feeling. You can actually see it from the outside if they kick hard enough…especially the baby on my right side. My biggest craving / desire is my ice cream… And it must be vanilla w/chocolate swirl or vanilla and chocolate…I must have it on a nightly basis if not every other night at least. And when Mike forgets to buy it…I get quite angry…LOL…and go buy it myself at my local grocery store.

Nursery…not started…BUT…we have started Anthony's basement bedroom. We've, I mean, Mike, Anthony, my DAD, and my twin brothers (Nate & Ty) have been working their butts off these past few weekends. We have the whole area framed and electricity is being run this weekend. It's so exciting to see that room coming together and I think Anthony is getting more excited to be getting a basement bedroom. At least I hope he is. Anthony has been given an eviction date to get out of his old bedroom so that we can start setting up the cribs and let them air out. Plus I'll need the room for all the gifts I'll be receiving at my work shower coming up in a few weeks.

My next OB appt is tomorrow (Sat. the 10th) and my mom and Shelby are coming with me. My dr. always does a quick U/S to check heartbeats. And since my mom couldn't be in the room with me for my Level II U/S I'm bringing her with me to this appt. Plus Shelby has never seen a U/S before…she is quite excited about seeing her little brothers.

Then my next Level II U/S for a growth scan is next Thurs. the 15th…taxes are due!!! And because I made this one for an afternoon appt…Mike gets to come see. He's only seen the fuzzy images / blobs on the screen. Minus the pictures I bring home from the Level II U/S's I've had…but it's not the same till you get to see them moving on the screen. The last Level II U/S I had that was a quick in and out appt baby B had found his ear and was tugging on it… It was so funny to see that and I'm like don't pull to hard, please…you kind of need that kid…LOL Even the U/S tech laughed at the sight. I will be asking for double confirmation on the sexes…not that I doubt that they are boys…but I just want to make sure… We do have some names picked out and we will have to see if they suit the boys once they make their appearance. Baby A - Andrew Thomas and Baby B - Joseph Nunzio/Scott still deciding on the middle name...I'm pretty sure we will go with Nunzio after Mike's middle name.

Here are some belly pics and yes they were taken at my work bathroom. Every Friday on the message boards we do a Baby/Belly Pic Friday. I almost try to participate every week or other week, so I go into the bathroom at work with my cell phone and take the pic.

16 Weeks...






20 Weeks...




23 Weeks




24 Weeks




Here is a picture of the Nursery Bedding that we have picked out. It's called "Jackson" by Cocalo.
Nursery Bedding...Jackson