29 and 30 Weeks!

The weeks are really flying by now! These last two weeks have been filled with several wonderful things!

Let's start with Week 29:

I went to my normal doctor appointment and everything still looks great! I measured 33 1/2 weeks. On Friday we went for the follow up with the specialist and got to see the sweet babies on the ultrasound. They were moving all over. Baby girl is head down and on the left side and baby boy is breech and on the right.

The best part of week 29 was my "Sweet Peas Shower." My mom did a fantastic job making all kinds of decorations and turning my grandma's house into a perfect shower. Here's some pictures that are definitely Pintrest worthy. :)

 The cradle was made by my grandpa (Dad's dad) who is 82. It's made from cherry wood and is absolutely beautiful!! I can't wait for the twins to sleep in it. It's so special to have this piece of furniture we can cherish forever.

 It was such a wonderful shower and we were blessed with several gifts!

 How far along: 29 Weeks
Total weight gain: about 28 pounds
Maternity clothes: some of them are starting to get too small
Stretch marks: still not yet
Sleep: waking up early and at least once during the night
Best moment of this week: Sweet Peas shower and Mom helping me get organized
Miss anything: energy
Movement: lots of kicking in the top right and lower left.
Food cravings: still nothing in particular
Anything making you queasy or sick: eating too quick
Have you started to show yet: continuing to grow daily
Gender: Girl and Boy
Labor signs: some braxton hicks
Belly button in or out: the left side continues to stick out more
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or moody most of the time: this week I was pretty happy overall
Looking forward to: putting up all the wonderful gifts we got this weekend!!

Week 30: 

This Thursday I went to the hospital tour. Clay had to fly out of town last minute so my mom went with me. I was VERY overwhelmed when I left that night. I think it all just became real seeing where I will be delivering the twins! Then on Saturday Clay and I went to the birthing class at the hospital. It was all day but it was such great information. We both really enjoyed the teacher and how she presented all the information. I feel a lot better about the whole labor/delivery process now. On Sunday, we focused on getting the nursery finished up. Friday afternoon I had a small shower at work and once again I was amazing by the generosity of those around me.

Here are some pictures from my work shower:

My co-worker that I have known for 11 years. She is the reason I became a dietitian. She throws a great baby shower too! 

Here are some pictures from the nursery!!

 Mom painted the letters for the shower and I couldn't wait to hang them up above Colton's bed. Colton's full name will be Westley Colton Strovinskas (like his daddy- Westley Clayton Strovinskas).

 Ann Marie Strovinskas will be baby girl's name!! My mom's middle name and my middle name combined.

 How far along: 30 Weeks
Total weight gain: about 29 pounds
Maternity clothes: several items are too small this week.. not happy about having to buy new things with 8-10 weeks to go
Stretch marks: still none
Sleep: getting up at least once per night and still waking up a few times during the night to move around
Best moment of this week: work shower and the birthing class
Miss anything: being able to move easy.. carrying this extra weight is starting to make all movements harder
Movement: continues on the upper right and lower left sides
Food cravings: anything cold.. icecream especially! :)
Anything making you queasy or sick: I ate pizza twice and it made me sick both times
Have you started to show yet: continuing to grow each day!
Gender: Girl and Boy
Labor signs: braxton hicks
Belly button in or out: the left side is out
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or moody most of the time: overwhelmed and anxious
Looking forward to: my friends shower this weekend!! I can't wait to see all my best friends and celebrate the twins!!

28 Weeks

The weeks keep going by faster. I can't believe I am already in my third trimester! This past week was another wonderful week. We went to Seabrook Island to celebrate the 4th with Clay's family.

We were blessed that Clay's grandpa was able to come to the beach with us this time. We love Pop-pop and we are excited for the twins to have so many wonderful great-grandparents.

While we were at the beach my mom finished the bedding for baby girl!

The sheet is the only girls sheet I currently have, but you get the idea. I just LOVE how all the fabrics came together.

How far along: 28 Weeks
Total weight gain: about 27 pounds
Maternity clothes: yes!
Stretch marks: still not yet
Sleep: Still flipping around a lot during the night. The pregnancy pillow is my best friend when sleeping.
Best moment of this week: spending time with Clay on the beach
Miss anything: being heartburn free.. this heartburn is killing me
Movement: today they have been moving around a whole lot.. I still love it!
Food cravings: nothing in particular
Anything making you queasy or sick: ovens/ toaster ovens continues to bother me and if I eat too fast
Have you started to show yet: yes at work they said I grew over the weekend again
Gender: Girl and Boy
Labor signs: I really think I have braxton hicks often
Belly button in or out: the left side continues to stick out more
Wedding rings on or off: On but continues to get snug
Happy or moody most of the time: this week I was really happy!
Looking forward to: my family shower that my mom is throwing this weekend! I also have two doctor appointments this week. Looking forward to seeing my precious babies on Friday at the ultrasound.

27 Weeks

This past week was a great week. On Wednesday I went to the doctor for another check up. Everything is still looking great with me and the babies. On Friday I actually flew to Hilton Head Island to spend the weekend with my mom and aunts. It was a perfect get away to relax, get some sun, and laugh (I have seriously not laughed that hard in a long time). I am so blessed to be close to my mom and her sisters. My aunts have always had a big part in my life and I am thankful the twins will have several strong Christian women to love and support them.

Here's my mom and I at dinner: 

27 Weeks Pregnant:

This past week mom also gave me the paintings she did for the twin's bedroom. The paintings will hang above their cribs.
Here's the one for above the girl's bed:

Here's the one for above the boy's bed:

I am so thankful for a crafty mom. She has truly been a blessing helping with the nursery. Here's the start of the baby boy's bedding:

(I may not use this sheet at all times, but it is the only boy one I have so far)

27 Weeks:

(This picture was taken after 5 hours in the car - had to make sure I got it in before tomorrow when I will be 28 weeks)

How far along: 27 Weeks
Total weight gain: 25 pounds (stomach measuring 29 weeks)
Maternity clothes: growing out of a few of the dresses I bought at the beginning
Stretch marks: Not yet
Sleep: This past week wasn't so great with sleep- I wake up several times during the night to change positions. I also woke up really early while on vacation.
Best moment of this week: relaxing on the beach with my mom and aunts
Miss anything: being able to shop in the regular section- there are some cute clothes out this season. Ohh and sleep straight through the night!
Movement: They continue to move all around and I love it!! 
Food cravings: Icecream!! They had the best gelato in Hilton Head!
Anything making you queasy or sick: still ovens/ toaster ovens
Have you started to show yet: of course and I continue to grow each day :)
Gender: Girl and Boy
Labor signs: I may have started having some braxton hicks contractions but very rare
Belly button in or out: the left side continues to stick out more
Wedding rings on or off: On but getting tight
Happy or moody most of the time: this week I was really happy!
Looking forward to: Going to the beach with Clay and his family this weekend to celebrate the 4th.

25 and 26 Weeks

Week 25:

How far along: 25 Weeks
Total weight gain: 21 pounds
Maternity clothes: yep- and even those are getting a little snug :)
Stretch marks: Nope

Sleep: Not bad this week- Clay says I kick him a lot during the night

Best moment of this week: Healthy doctor appointments. At the regular doctor I had my glucose screening test first thing Thursday Morning. The midwife checked their heart rates and everything was good. The next day I had an appointment at the specialist and they were finally able to see all of the baby boy's heart. Everything looked good!
Miss anything: being able to shop in regular stores :)

Movement: everyday they are moving more and more
Food cravings: nothing in particular
Anything making you queasy or sick: still bad smells
Have you started to show yet: Yes I am measuring "30" weeks on a normal scale

Gender: Girl and Boy
Labor signs: None
Belly button in or out: Starting to poke out on one side
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or moody most of the time: Overall pretty happy, with a few moody moments.

Looking forward to: Working on the nursery more! Clay put up the second bed. 

Here's a comparison of week 20 and 25. I would say it's safe to say we are growing. The boy's estimated weight was 1 pound 11ounces and baby girl is 1 pound 8 ounces.

Week 26:

How far along: 26 Weeks
Total weight gain: 22ish pounds
Maternity clothes: found some great deals this week on new dresses
Stretch marks: Nope
Sleep: For the most part ok.. I am waking up early on weekends (I guess I am getting ready for the future)
Best moment of this week: Clay felt one of them kick real hard and it kind of scared him. It was neat to see him light up when he felt it.
Miss anything: being comfortable laying out at the pool
Movement: The move a lot (like today when I was trying to take a nap)
Food cravings: still nothing specific
Anything making you queasy or sick: strong smelly things
Have you started to show yet: Still growing
Gender: Girl and Boy
Labor signs: None
Belly button in or out: the left side has kind of popped out
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or moody most of the time: this week I was pretty moody.. :)
Looking forward to: Going to the beach with my mom this weekend.

We worked on the nursery some this weekend. I cleaned the floors and we placed the beds where they would go.

We also got the changing table from my parents house. My grandpa made it for me when I was born. As my mom said, "it's been many things over the past 28 years." It was in my bedroom until we moved to Michigan then Ryan had it in his room. After that Dad kept it in his office with all this flies for fly fishing on it. Clay is cleaning it with some oil that restores the wood. I am excited to use it for my babies.

My mom and dad also got us this rocking horse that has made it's way into the nursery as well.

Slowing it is coming together. My mom is almost completely done with the boy's bedding. So excited to get the bedding on and put baskets in the changing table. Mom is going to help me organize everything so far after my shower at my grandma's house in July.

This morning at church was a reminder that these precious babies belong to our Heavenly Father. I am excited I get to be their mom here on earth but thankful that they ultimately belong to God. Looking forward to another week as we move closer to meeting the twins and praising God for the miracle they are!

24 Weeks

This past week flew by! It's amazing how quickly the whole pregnancy is going. This past Friday my mom picked up our cribs for us. Clay put one together Firday night and we LOVE it!!

 

 

On Saturday night we had our first shower in Jasper at Clay's Mom's mountain home. It was a wonderful time celebrating with her family and close friends. Clay and I are so blessed with not only a big family but also close friends that have watched us grow up. Here are some pictures from my phone from the shower.

 

 My Nana- So blessed the twins will have time with their great-grandma

Couldn't go through all this without my mom. :)



Here's the picture and the questions for this week:

 

How far along: 24 Weeks
Total weight gain: 20 pounds
Maternity clothes: Yes- still loving skirts and dresses
Stretch marks: Still not yet
Sleep: Waking up most nights to go the bathroom. I also feel like I flip and flop all night long.
Best moment of this week: Our Jasper shower, being blessed by family and friends.
Miss anything: Being able to do a normal workout.
Movement: They are kicking around like crazy. Today one of the twins was hitting my ribs and that was not as fun. I still love every time I feel them.
Food cravings: Nothing really.. I love sugar and always have- so sweets always sound good! :)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Still the smell of ovens/toaster ovens.
Have you started to show yet: Yes- people think I am a lot further along.
Gender: Girl and Boy
Labor signs: None
Belly button in or out: Still kind of flat.
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or moody most of the time: Still pretty happy, this week I was more teary eyed then normal but I held it together pretty good! :)
Looking forward to: Doctor appointments this week and especially the ultrasound on Friday! Clay is going with me this time again and it will be neat to see the babies before Father's Day this weekend!

 

We are getting the mattresses this week (a very generous gift that I am so excited for) and Clay is planning on putting the other bed together. It's really coming together. Even more so it's really becoming real!



23 Weeks

The past two weekends we have been working on projects around the house. We are starting to get the house ready for the twins!

The nursery has been our main focus. As always I didn't get to take a good "before" picture. However, this room was previously used for Clay's office- but more realistically random storage.

Here's the room before we started painting:

I am so blessed to have Clay and my mom give up their Saturday to paint the room.

Since the twins will be in the same room, we wanted to walls to be gender nuetral. We selected a paint/primer that was light grey and dark grey. (Thanks to the Memorial Day sale we got an extra $10 off the paint).
Here's a picture when they finished painting:

Here's a picture once we added the rug and curtains. We got a deal on the curtains- they are brand new in the package from Ikea for only $8 at Goodwill. The rug came from Home Depot and I love it!

We are hoping to get the cribs this week! I will post more pictures as we add more.

This week I am 23 weeks pregnant. It is so crazy to me that I am already that far along. Time is sure flying by! One of my best friends gave birth to a perfect baby boy last week! It's been so wonderful to go through this journey with close friends in the same stage. Another close friend is due in July and then the twins will be here sometime in September! It will be so great to share in all the stories together. I am already blessed by those close to me that already have little ones. It's amazing the support and encouragement friends can give.

Here's my picture from this week:

 I also always found it interesting to read friends blogs when they answered questions each week. So I am going to give it a shot too. :)

How far along: 23 Weeks
Total weight gain: 19 pounds
Maternity clothes: It's all that fits now. I really like the dresses because they are light weight and comfortable.
Stretch marks: Not yet
Sleep: This week I started waking up every night to have to go the bathroom. I guess it isn't so bad seeing I made it 23 weeks without having to do that. The leg cramps still come and go but not as frequent.
Best moment of this week: Texting with all my friends as we waited for our friend to give birth. We didn't know the gender before so it was a super exciting day!!
Miss anything: Energy- still so tired. A glass of wine on the weekends.
Movement: The movement has really picked up this week. Clay hasn't been able to feel it as much but today after lunch two co-workers got to feel them move.
Food cravings: nothing in particular.
Anything making you queasy or sick: still the smell of ovens/toaster ovens.
Have you started to show yet: oh yes.
Gender: Girl and Boy
Labor signs: Nope
Belly button in or out: It's kind of just flat right now.
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or moody most of the time: Usually happy! There have been some moody moments (I am sure Clay or my mom would say more then a few "moments").
Looking forward to: Our first shower this weekend in Jasper with friends and family.

Here's to another great week!

Big Changes are Coming

It has been awhile since I have blogged about any house projects. We did complete our master bathroom this past fall, but other then that not much else. This January we got some exciting news.. we are pregnant!!! Then the first week of March we got even bigger news...

TWINS!!! To say Clay and I were shocked is kind of an understatement. Now that the shock factor has died down a little bit, we are so over joyed and excited to have twins! The night we found out we were having twins I came home and sat on the couch and called my closest friends. The one thing that each friend told me was, "if anyone can handle twins you can.." I think this was God's way of telling me it would all be ok. Another friend reminded me that God has known I would have twins and has been preparing me for this journey. When I was in high school I started babysitting for a family that has twins. The twins were barely one at the time and now they are turning 11 this summer. They have been a big part of my life and I know that if I could babysit them every week and over summer vacation then I can handle twins of my own now.

My pregnancy has overall been great! I did feel sick the first trimester and I feel constantly tired. My mom mentioned the other day that I have really been blessed so far. My prayer is that I will continue to stay healthy throughout the remainder of the pregnancy. I am hoping to carry the twins to at least 37-38 weeks.

Here is a picture of me at 12 weeks:

 

And here is last week at 21 weeks:

 

This weekend we are starting to work on the nursery. Clay is going today to buy the paint and my mom is going to come over and help him paint the room. My mom has also offered to make the bedding for the twin's beds! We are going this weekend to buy all the fabric we picked out.

We are looking forward to this adventure that lays ahead!