(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday =)

Like Mother, Like Daughters (They really do repeat what they see! These girls LOVE water!)

AND

A perfect Saturday morning with Daddy =)

Happy Hump Day! Have a great rest of your week!

Until next time -
Megan

28 Weeks =)

I feel kind of like I am neglecting posting about "Baby C" (aka - "Baby Boy H" or "Little Man"). I posted SO much about the girls when I was pregnant, but everything is so different with a twin pregnancy; more doctor's appointments, additional monitoring and ultrasounds, more possible issues...and with one baby, well, it's easier.

Okay, so I think "easier" is open to discussion. I don't know that this has really been any easier than it was with the girls honestly!

I think another big part of my neglecting posting about Baby C is that we have two crazy toddlers running around, being adorable, and keeping us crazy busy. I don't have the time to analyze every little thing going on with this pregnancy, and since I'm only being monitored once a month, if we don't get good ultrasound pictures (we NEVER seem to get good ultrasound pictures), I have little to nothing to post about.

We don't have another OB appointment until next week, but since it's been 4-5 weeks since I've posted anything about baby C, AND 28 weeks is a milestone time point for pregnancy, I figured it's about time I just wrote some items down!

So...

We are 28 weeks this week. Wow! Only 11 weeks to go if we go the C-section route, and about 12 weeks to go if we go the VBAC route. We are on the home stretch for sure! I should probably start buying clothes for this little peanut....too bad baby boy clothes aren't nearly as cute as baby girl clothes! I'd have his little closet filled already! Well that, and I don't really know what size to buy...with the girls I knew they'd come early and likely would be in newborn clothes for a while. But with this little man being full term, he will likely be 8 lbs (or more!) at birth, so I don't know that newborn is the size that I should be shopping for! Any insight mommas?

So what else? This little man is very very active! Brianna was a very active baby too, but I think that this little man may have her beat. He really squirms all over the place and takes full advantage of all the space he has in there. Full, BIG movements are common now. I can watch my entire belly move like a wave. Very cool! The girls continue to be obsessed with my growing belly and belly button. I keep telling them that there is a baby in there, but they still don't really get it. Livvy has started giving my belly kisses though, which is absolutely adorable, so I think she maybe has some tiny bit of understanding that there could be a baby in there.

A couple of things that have been different with this pregnancy (and the reason that I note that this pregnancy may not be any "easier" really than the first pregnancy) is the amount of soreness I have been experiencing. My hips and pelvis are SO sore. So sore! All the time. My OB says that since the two pregnancies are so close together that my ligaments pretty much just stayed loose, therefore not supporting my frame and structure (and are getting more loose by the minute it feels like)! While I may not be carrying as much baby weight around, the whole act of moving around, standing, sitting, etc. is more difficult this time. I have definitely been surprised. I was looking forward to an easy, pain free pregnancy! HA!

The other thing I have been watching for with this pregnancy is Pre-Eclampsia. Since I developed pre-e with the girls I now know what to watch for. It makes the symptoms easier to spot, but I also get concerned a bit easier too when I see a new symptom pop up. My blood pressure has been elevated for about the last 6 weeks, but it's not too high yet to where it's overly concerning. They did a 24 hour urine on me about 4 weeks ago, and my protein was already at 260 (300 is clinical indication for pre-e), so that is being watched as well. I just had my week 28 blood work and Rhogam shot, and they went ahead and added on a CMP (Complete Metabolic Panel) to check my liver function and make sure that all is still well there. I feel like I'm being appropriately monitored, I just wish there was something I could do to prevent the pre-eclampsia from occurring all together! My OB told me that my chances of developing pre-eclampsia in a second pregnancy are lower, only about 15%, but with my numbers already being elevated on several of the clinical markers it makes me think that probably I will end up fitting right into that 15% the longer I progress into my pregnancy. I'm hopeful that won't happen, but I'm not counting on it.

So, that's the story! Now on to belly pictures! Just as I did last time, I will post a comparison shot - one of me now, with a singleton, and one of me at the same point with twins. Definitely smaller this time around =).

Here I am today, at 28 weeks 1 day with "baby C"

Here I am at 28 weeks with the girls

HUGE difference right? LOL!
Okay, so that's all for now! I hope you all are having a great week, and if you have any input for me, clothes-wise, pre-e - wise, or otherwise, please feel free to share it! Thank you!!!

Until next time -
Megan

Been soaking up the beautiful weather!

Sorry for my delay in posting! It's been about 10 days since I've updated. I'm a major slacker I know. I am absolutely blaming in on the GORGEOUS weather we have been having in Nebraska for the last week. Seriously, it's been in the 70's and 80's...In NEBRASKA....in MARCH! Unheard of. We have broken so many records in the last week, and records that were set back in the 1800's....so, this just doesn't happen.

We've spent lots and lots of time playing outside, and momma has spent a bunch of time sorting clothes and buying some new spring clothes for the girls. The girls have just gone from size 18 month to size 24 month, and naturally, we didn't have much at all for spring (or summer) anyway since I didn't know for sure what size they would be, so I HAD to go shopping =). The girls got several little dress and skorts outfits, a couple of pairs of shorts, and some sleeveless shirts and short sleeved onsies. Whew!

In other news, Livvy now has enough hair to pull up into a little Pebbles pony tail. She is SO proud of her hair! Now she can be like her sister Bri! She is so excited!! Oh, and books! We LOVE books! We are reading all the time! I love it!!!

Oh, and what else have we been up to? Well, it was our mission to re-finish our basement (or at least part of it) before little man got here so we could have some extra space to accomodate our growing family. I am pleased to say that we have at least started the task now (less than 12 weeks pre delivery - ha!). Friday we got a dumpster, Gramz and Grandpa came down to help and watch the girls, and we started tearing things out of the basement and purging. We have a 1920's home that never had a finished basement, but the previous owners did a half attempt at kind of making it more livable down there with some wood paneling and crappy ceiling tiles, so we had to tear that out. So far, definite success. Yesterday we managed to fill our dumpster. It felt so great to purge!!! Probably a bit of nesting mixed in there too...lol =).

So that's what's going on with us! I promise I will post a picture of mommy and her growing baby bump very soon. I'd have stuck them at the end of this post, but I didn't have any on my camera. I will try to have Si snap a couple tonight or tomorrow.

Hope you all had a wonderfully safe and enjoyable St. Patricks Day, and enjoy the rest of your weekend! It's back to work for me! Talk to you later!!

Until next time -
Megan

Making Sugar Cookies!

On one of the cold rainy days last week we decided to break out the cookie cutters and let the girls make sugar cookies! This was their first experience with sugar cookies, and they did GREAT! Daddy helped so mommy could document our first cookie making experience, and the girls had so much fun!

How it started...

Brianna and Daddy cutting out cookies =)

Brianna very excited about cutting out her very first cookie with a cookie cutter!

Olivia and Daddy cutting out cookies =)

The girls both cutting out cookies with cookie cutters at the same time...Daddy's crazy talented!

Si's favorite picture of the day - Livvy giving Daddy knuckles after a job well done and Bri smiling happily for the camera! Super cute!

Brianna eagerly anticipating the minute she gets to eat one of these delectible sugar cookies!

This was a very fun activity! I have to say though, it was relatively messy with all the flour, and it took the entire evening! What a fun evening we had as a family though - I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Making the cookie dough, cutting out the cookies, and baking the cookies took nearly two hours on it's own, then the cookies had to cool enough to be frosted and sprinkled. The girls were entertained through the whole process though, and they loved being able to use the cookie cutters, essentially on their own. It makes me think that maybe they will be ready to use cookie cutters and play with play-doh sometime soon! They are growing up =). It's so fun to be sharing in all of these first new experiences with them!

Have you made cookies with your kiddos yet? If so, how'd it go? If not, what's holding you back? I would definitely encourage you to give it a try if you haven't already!

Until next time -
Megan

Our beautiful differences =)

When we are out and about with the girls, at least once a day (usually multiple times a day!) we are asked "oh, are they twins?!". When we answer yes, at least 60% of the time the follow up question is "are they identical or fraternal?". I like to say that our girls are "very fraternal". Apart from the (I think) obvious differences in their appearances, they are also very different in terms of their personalities and individual development.

And I LOVE those differences.

Miss Olivia can single-handedly light up a room - instantly offering a huge smile and making friends with everyone around her.

Miss Brianna is more shy and reserved, will cower behind mom and dad, or refuse to be put down around strangers. Well - until she gets to know you - then she is a fireball! Always wanting to be the star of the show.

Miss Olivia does an excellent job of listening to what is said, and following instructions.

Miss Brianna listens about 50% of the time, and follows instructions less than 10% of the time. She likes the additional attention she receives when she has to be asked or shown something repeatedly (sneaky little lady).

Miss Olivia knows what she wants, and she wants it NOW. Patience is not a skill she posesses at this point. She becomes frustrated quickly, and will act out by hitting or screaming, when she doesn't get what she wants.

Miss Brianna is pretty patient with her sister and other kiddos. She doesn't love to share, but she will usually do it to keep the peace. Like Olivia, Brianna also knows what she wants, but she is more likely to incessantly sign the word "please" over and over again while whining until she gets what she wants then she is to hit or scream.

Miss Olivia dislikes getting in trouble. Time out is her arch enemy. She cries and cries the whole time she is in time out.

Miss Brianna lives on the wild side, and will push her limits right until the very end (right before she would get in trouble or get time out) then would stop. Time out does not seem to be an effective deterent for Brianna. When put in time out she plays by herself or talks. She rarely cries or becomes upset. This could be a challenge later on!

Miss Olivia gets SO excited about things - for instance - we adopted a new kitty (Dora) last week. Olivia LOVES this kitty. Every time she sees Dora, she does this high pitched scream and barrels toward the poor cat. Luckily Dora came from a home with children, so she is relatively familiar with this procedure and doesn't freak out as much as she would otherwise.

Miss Brianna is pretty even keel. You can tell she is excited, but it isn't quite as obvious. She gets a great big smile and becomes very affectionate (hugs and kisses). The kitty and the pugs both really like Brianna.

Miss Olivia is a very independent little toddler. She is happy to play on her own, without much direction from others. If she wants you to read a book to her, she will bring it to you and ask. She expects your full attention while reading. After you are done reading, she is content to go back and play by herself. Affection from Olivia is rare.

Miss Brianna is has more of a dependent personality. She is okay playing by herself for a short period of time, but she prefers to be involved in activities suggested/regulated/directed by others. She is happy to sit in your lap and read books for hours, and doesn't mind if her sister wants to sit in your lap too. She is content to share her space. She also LOVES to cuddle and give kisses.

Miss Olivia is very particular when she eats. She loves food, but only certain kinds of food (currently crackers, cheese, and macaroni and cheese) She prefers to remain relatively clean, and hates to be cleaned up after meals.
(Picture caption - I'm done!! I'm dirty! Ewww! Get me out of this chair!!!)

Note how clean Miss Olivia is - her hands, her face, and her tray...items are still relatively organized....

Miss Brianna LOVES food! She loves how it feels between her fingers, how it tastes when mixed together, how it sticks to the walls or feels in her hair. She too has become a bit more particular with what foods she likes (macaroni and cheese has been a massive hit over the past week) but she spends more time playing with it and flinging it than she does eating it. Not that she is starving in any way...we have big healthy girls =).
(Picture caption - I'm happy just being messy!!!)

Note how very dirty Miss Bri is...food all over her hands, arms, face, in her hair, all over her tray, and whether you can tell or not, there is actually rice on the wall!

It's these differences, along with many others, that really make me cherish each girl as an individual. I love their beautiful differneces...every one of them...even if sometimes they frustrate me or drive me absolutely batty =)

I really feel like instead of having "twins" in the traditional sense/belief (alarmingly many people think that twins are simply two of the exact same child) we have two siblings who just happened to be born on the same day. They will have a very special bond because of these circumstances, naturally, but my expectation will never be that they will be "the same" person. They are so very very different.

Do you love the differences is your kiddos? Are they incredibly apparent like ours, or are they more subtle?

Until next time -
Megan

Using Anatomical Terms

Si and I had previously discussed how we wanted to proceed when the girls started asking questions about specific body parts. We had decided that we were going to use the correct anatomical terms from the get go, in an attempt to avoid any unnecessary confusion later. We figured that the girls would probably be 2 years old or so before any of these "anatomical" terms would need to go into effect.

Or so we thought....

We have been working on naming major body parts with the girls for a while now. We sing "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" on a pretty regular basis, and we have several books that go over body parts - mainly eyes, ears, nose, teeth, tongue, and belly button. The girls are absolutely obsessed with my growing belly and belly button (and breasts), along with eyes, nose, ears, tongue, and teeth, so I thought the girls had a pretty decent understanding of each of these body parts we had been working on.

Apparently this is not the case.

Last night the girls were enjoying their nightly bath and were busy touching each others noses and ears. I jumped in asked them to point to their belly buttons (as belly buttons have been a recent fascination to them and I was 99% sure they could easily identify their belly buttons).

Livvy pointed to her belly button right away, but Bri, instead of pointing to her belly button pointed to her, ahem, lady parts. Si and I looked at each other in an absolute panic!

Oh no, I thought, what was our plan again?
Correct anatomical terms, right??? That's what we'd decided when we talked about this months ago, right? Right???
Well, technically that isn't her "vagina" is it? No, that's probably her "clitoris"...but were we going to be that specific? Oh, but I don't like this naming "real" parts at all!
Crap! So what do I do?!
Si is impatiently looking to me for a response....

"No," I replied "that is your vagina. Show me where your belly button is."

Bri, again, points to her lady parts.

"No, that is not your belly button sweetie, THIS is your belly button" (pointing to her belly button).

"Now show me again where your belly button is."

Bri again points to her lady parts....

"No sweetie, that is NOT your belly button, that is your vagina. THIS is your belly button."
(You are supposed to reinforce what you have taught them, right??? You should make sure they really understand, right??? Wrong??? I just don't know! Should I have just dropped it???)

By this time Livvy is getting confused, so I decided to move on.
"Livvy, where is your nose?"

Livvy points to her ear....

Oye...I guess we have a ways to go on naming body parts after all...

Sigh...

So, what do you guys do? What terminology do you use with your kids? Is it pee-pee's and wee-wee's? Private parts? Lady parts? What do you call the girl (or boy) parts, and why??? I'm kind of thinking there should be some standard so everyone does the same thing, otherwise this gets incredibly confusing and difficult for both the parents and the kiddos! Besides, while it may be the correct anatomical term, I don't really want to be in the middle of church service and have one of the girls blurt out something about their vagina - eek! Not that there is anything I can really do to prevent that...kids DO say the darndest things at the absolute worst possible times, don't they?

I understand this is a bit of a touchy topic, so thanks for sharing your input and advice!

Until next time -
Megan

A "sweet" bloggy award!!

I've been given "The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award" from Melissa over at MaMe Musings! Thank you Melissa!!!

Any of you that know me "in real life" know just how perfect a "sweet" award is for me! It makes me hungry just looking at it....I'm sure being pregnant has absolutely nothing to do with it...this just looks amazingly tasty doesn't it???

Part of accepting the award requires that I tell seven things about myself that my readers may not know before passing along the award to (10) other blogs I love, so here goes.

1) I always thought I would be a pediatrician, even as I went through college. I took all of the pre-med classes but when the time came to apply to med school I kind of chickened out. I decided that I would rather have a family than an MD after my name. Looking back now, I'm so glad I did.

2) My undergraduate degree is in Psychology. I also have about a year in on a Master's in Counseling. I feel the most comfortable working with people/patients with mental health issues. I know I am supposed to be helping people...not really sure how my career in research is directly affecting this mission, but I have faith that it is (or I wouldn't be doing it!).

3) My first real job (at age 14 where I got paid $4.15/hr) was working at the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo. I worked in concessions and worked on the train doing the "train speech" about all of the different animals at the zoo. I'm telling you, I think it was prepping me for my own personal zoo later in life! LOL!

4) I have a new fascination with working for the FBI....no idea why...but, I am a federal employee, so I suppose maybe that would make it easier to jump organizations, right? I have no idea what I would do working for the FBI...it just sounds like something I could/should/would do. Weird, right?

5) I am TERRIFIED of spiders. Like jump up and down and scream bloody murder until someone comes and kills the thing terrified. I have no idea when this developed...I wasn't scared of spiders when I was little!

6) I have absolutely no idea how the game of basketball works, yet I've attended at least 10+ college games! I get SO annoyed with the squeaky shoes on the basketball court that I have to tune it out and focus on something else...like eating mini donuts =).

7) I am ADDICTED to sweets. Addicted. I am having the HARDEST time not eating piles of cake and cupcakes and cookies and frosting and candy right now....but I ended up with GD with my last pregnancy, so I am trying to limit my intake. It takes all of my will power. I couldn't ever give up sweets for Lent...I think I'd die...well not literally, but I think you get what I mean. It's HARD not to give in to pregnancy cravings!!

So there's 7 random facts about me!

Now on to nominating 10 blogs!!! I read and follow A TON of blogs, so I'm going to try and pick some of the smaller blogs I love (and of course ones that haven't already been nominated). Some of these are blogs that I have been following for years, and others I've only been following for a short time, but already love (these are denoted by a **). Definitely feel free to check them out if you need some new reading material =). Here they are in no particular order =):
The Baker Twins
Cherry Pie Twins
**It's Time for More Coffee
Just Another Mom of Twins
Pontifications of A Twin Mom
Three Little Men and a Mommy
Three Little Chicklets
Life with the Dokulils
The Hutton House
**TwinSane Asylum

Thanks again Melissa for nominating me!!! =)

Until next time-
Megan
PS - I hope to have another post either tonight or tomorrow...I need momma advice once again... imagine that...this time regarding body parts....can't wait, can you? LOL!