I'm dreaming of a.....

White Christmas! ;) I always hope for one, especially since we ALWAYS had one when I was growing up and we spent our Christmases in PA with family. But the reality is- it RARELY ever happens in VA, especially in Richmond! Well, our wishes were answered this past weekend. We ended up with 11-12 inches of the beautiful white stuff from a nor'easter. This is actually the second big storm we have had here this year- super shocker!It is still here since it has been really cold still this week so at least we will get to wake up tomorrow morning and see the pretty scenery.

Lucas and Todd did get out for some playtime in the winter wonderland twice over the weekend. I missed the actual first reaction and play session since I was confined upstairs. I did catch them with the camera on Sunday! He seemed to really like the snow and playing in it with the exception of getting stuck since it was so deep! It came up to his knees if he happened to fall through it-there are downfalls to this much snow with toddlers. Poor guy ;) He spent most of his time Sunday "helping" daddy shovel snow and entertaining Bailey with snowballs. We always love to see the pups (RIP Hunter) play in the snow, they instantly turn into puppies again! This was no exception for Bailey, from the minute the flakes started falling Friday night she was so excited and begged to go outside every 30 minutes ;)

I guess I should mention that we were slackers in the Christmas card dept. We took a family shot a few weeks ago but I also knew that I wanted to send birth announcements for the girls in a few short weeks. So I decided to forgo the holiday card this year and opted for a "full family" greeting that should be arriving in a month or so! We do love you all though and hope to see you soon!!!

We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and be safe if you are traveling!

Christmas Carols with Lucas

Enjoy Lucas' rendition of some Christmas favorites :) He was on a roll so I had to grab the camera to catch it...Sorry for the messy house, it was a lazy, snowy Saturday morning with a little boy who has a cold ;)

Let the celebrations begin!

Lucas had a fantastic Christmas party at school Friday! Everyone brought goodies and shared in the festivities at TLC. As you can tell from these pictures Lucas really loves his teachers and all of his friends! We have really been blessed with a wonderful daycare ("school"). I can only hope that he will have this much fun at home with mommy in a few months ;) We are going to keep him at TLC part-time I think so he still gets the social interaction and learning experiences too ;) Plus mommy can get errands run on those days- two kids is manageable when three might be a bit crazy. But I can't wait!

Lucas and Ms. KeishaLucas and Bri (same little girl he was trying to kiss when they were 8 months old)Lucas and Tyler, his best little buddy! They are one day apart in age..Lucas and Gabby, a new friend in the 2's room

Hey shaking hands is a start, right?
Party time!

And we even got presents that he made at school especially for mom and dad :)

A homemade Christmas tree

A really cute homemade book with lots of pictures and artwork

Hope that you all are having a great week before Christmas!

Pre-holiday fun!

We have all been staying busy these past few weeks in our own ways.

For me, busy is a little different- as busy as a bedridden momma can be! I have spent my time working on lists of things to get done, online shopping for Christmas, searching Craigslist, folding laundry, sorting through baby stuff and figuring out what we still need to be ready for these two girls, and what few nursery preparations that I can do.

Todd has been making great strides getting the girls furniture put together, I think after tonight we will have a dresser ready to be filled with clothes and blankets! And the cribs are ready for their bedding. Maybe by Christmas we will have a completed nursery? He even got a chance to run out and get some Christmas shopping done last weekend while good friends Scarlett and Shannon came to babysit Lucas and I! On top of all of this he had also been shopping for our new(used) mini-van. He found a great deal last weekend and brought it home Tuesday afternoon. I love it and know that it will be a lifesaver to tote around our family of five, and Bailey too of course! I would be lying if I wasn't a little sad to say goodbye to my 4-Runner- I loved my SUV...but the Sienna drives great, so much smoother than a truck! Not to mention the fact that we had outgrown it...;) All of this on top of work and taking care of the house and Lucas, I know that I have said it before but I will say it again- he is such a fantastic husband and daddy- we are VERY lucky!!! Who else would get up at 6:45 to clean bathrooms and counters before heading off for breakfast with Santa, a day of shopping, and vehicle test driving?

As for Lucas, he too has had lots of fun getting ready for Christmas and spending time with family and friends. He continues to LOVE school and comes home every day with another cute story. He tells us about hugging and giving kisses to his little girlfriends- Bri and Ce-Ce. "M0mmy, I gave Ce-Ce a kiss" You did honey? Where did you kiss her? "On her cheek!"...He and Scarlett walked around the corner in the hallway with their arms wrapped around each other the other day, SO cute! Maybe we should be worried about this at his age? Naaa... He loves to sing Jingle Bells and fill us in on his painting and drawing adventures for the day. His fantastic teachers really work with them on potty training by trying the potty every time they change their diaper. He has peed on the floor in front of the potty a couple of times now, which we did not realize is a GOOD thing. It is a big step in the right direction to not peeing in his diaper. Well, yesterday daddy got a great report that Lucas "pee-peed in the potty!" He was so excited to tell us and Todd treated him to a special treat at Bruster's to celebrate :)

As for the saying...I get by with a little help from my friends, it is so TRUE!!!

Ne-Ne, Grandpa, and Uncle John have been down helping us get things ready for the girls arrival-painting, hanging trim, picking up furniture, shopping, washing baby clothes, etc. And playing with Lucas of course! Along with family help we have enjoyed visiting with the Webb family, the Edmond's, and The Smith's. Rusty, Wendy, and Russell came to visit a few weekends ago and the boys had a BLAST while Wendy and Rusty helped get our Christmas decorations down from the attic and up around the house. It was so nice to catch up with them and spend some time together before the holiday rush got here :) Russell and Lucas played trucks, colored, watched Bob the Builder, and ran around like mad men on a rainy Saturday before they tuckered out for some good afternoon naps :)The Edmond's clan stopped by one evening with yummy dinner and the kids got to play while we chit-chatted and caught up. Shannon and Scarlett have come to play a few times over the last few weeks. They enjoy playing together too, he even chased Scarlett around and gave her lots of hugs and kisses this past Saturday! If she wandered off on her own he quickly tried to wrangle her back up "C'mon Scarwet, run wif me, come get me!" Shannon and I really enjoyed some girl time while the kids played and napped and she also helped so much in the nursery and fixed us three yummy meals- we were truly spoiled!!! ;) We really have been blessed with such great family and friends and cannot thank them (YOU ALL) enough for all of the help you have given us! Be it a sweet phone call or email to check in, running to the store, spoiling Lucas, meal, card, giving Todd a break, everything- WE LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

Some of our fun adventures:

Lucas and Aubrey- smooches! Well worth the removal of the paci ;)

Two little monkeys jumping on mommy's bed!

Russell and Lucas-"We didn't do anything!" Don't they look guilty in this one?

The Webb Family

Scarlett and Lucas acting silly on the couch

Hugs for Bailey!

We pulled out the old car seat and Lucas took advantage of a new "rocking" chair

Helping Daddy decorate the tree

The finished product, minus my bow that they can't seem to find in the attic! :)

Daddy and Lucas had breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus last weekend. I think he was more excited to tell mommy that " Santa rode in on a yellow fire truck" :) It was at the volunteer fire dept.

Merry Christmas!

The newest addition- my momvan!

My sweet girl

During the last 6 weeks we have spent most of our time together in about the same fashion. Although not cuddled together, Bailey has kept me company in a way that only a sweet doggy can. All she asks is that I give her a few cuddles, pats, and maybe an open door to the outside each day. That's all! I know Hunter would be fighting her for the comfiest spot in the family room if he were here too ;)

Yes, Nala is here too. But in typical cat fashion she has better things to tend to. When she is inside (which is rare during the daytime) she ventures upstairs, eats a little, and then finds a cozy place to curl up and nap. She doesn't seek out affection much during the daytime, she saves that for later in the evening.Not Bailey girl! She is my buddy from the time I wake up and even through the night, rarely leaving my side. I even caved over the last few weeks and started putting a blanket on the couch for her to sleep on at nighttime. As if her padded doggy bed isn't good enough ;) I knew she was a momma's girl from the moment I picked her out ;) And that has pretty much held true. Hopefully she won't feel displaced when the girls arrive..She always has, and always will, hold a special place in my heart as my first little girl.

Note the fact that she is NOT laying on the blanket! This was after I woke up from a nap yesterday afternoon:

But, who can be upset at that sweet, helpless face?

Toddler Fun & Lucas-isms

We have been having lots of fun this fall with Lucas. It never ceases to amaze me how much he has changed and grown up in such a short period of time. Our little two year old is a heap of energy, curiosity, wisdom, and endless love all rolled up into one!

A few of his favorite things:
Trucks- of all kinds!!! Construction and rescue are by far at the top of his list. He has lots now and plays with them all of the time. Not only does he play with them like a mad man- running up and down the hallway and through the "1st floor loop" but, he LOVES to talk about them and tell you every detail about the type and use of each. For example, here are some Lucas-isms (AKA- phrases we here quite often that only a sweet toddler could come up with!)
- "Mommy, I saw a front (with the biggest F sound) loader, it pick dirt up!" after he gets home-they drive past construction on the way home.
-"go see digga truck?"- if you happen to not drive past the excavators.
- "I'm gonna go fast with my dump truck!", " see mommy I go fast!"- as he tears down the hallway!
- "fire truck gonna go help somebody", " fireman climb up ladder", as we play with his new fire truck.
-he also loves to correct us and friends on the correct truck type- which is hilarious! He apparently caught poor Shannon at school when she was trying to play with him- "no, das a front loader, not a dump truck!" :) and he caught me last night while we were watching Bob the Builder. me: "Look Lucas there is the tractor!" Lucas: "No mommy, das da rolda truck (that's the roller truck), not a tracte!(tractor). Well then! :) I had been trying to teach him that the other day but he kept calling it a tractor, so I figured- we'll go with that for now...Proved me wrong!! Geez mom!

Books: he will bring me LITERALLY- like 20 + books a day to read. And this just isn't at bedtime folks, it is ALL DAY. See, when you are confined to the couch or a bed, you are in the perfect position to read books with your little one! Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love it and snuggling with him. But I must tell you, I can read Go Train Go, Elmo on the Farm, Let's Be Helpful, and Go, Go Fish without even looking at the page!!! He can too actually!! He tells me what is happening and repeats the words- SOO FUNNY!
- I am pretty animated with most of these so he really gets into that- "look mommy, the storm is coming!", "he got out of da boat" (as Jesus walks on the water), etc. I'll have to try to get a video of this....:)
- "sheep are not nice, day (they) not listening, bad sheep", "milk comes from cows mommy", "dare are seven eggs in da basket- 1,2,3,4,5,6,7...(pause)8,9,10"- yeah, he can get a little carried away! :)

It just amazes me how much he has grown up, what his little brain has absorbed, and how much he LOVES to talk!!! There is more favorite things and Lucas-isms to come, but I am sure that you are tired of reading at this point! I'll be back with more soon ;) Promise!! But to wrap this up, here are a few pics:

I haven't been the best at having the camera around and ready to capture all of our fun times but I did manage to get a few.

Thanksgiving FunOr...not so fun! He was worn out and wanted his paci back, but I insisted at least one picture without it!

he made these hats at school during their Thanksgiving fun. Mockingbird was his Native American name-mommy didn't know this.. The week before I asked him what his name was (we have been working on that) and he looked at me with such conviction- "Mockingbird!" Huh??? Turns out they all got Indian names while they were learning about Native Americans at school. Oh, now I get it!enjoying some "choc-et" with Uncle John

having lots of fun with big cousin Justintwo worn out little guys! Can we say "Turkey"?

Lovin Grandpa's homemade applesauce!!!YUMMY!!!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Week 31 update

We have now embarked on our weekly Dr's visits which means the end is quickly approaching! I went yesterday for my 31 week appt. I saw both docs as usual and got the normal ultrasound to see how the girls were doing. Once again I almost passed out/got sick during the exam from the sheer weight of my uterus, so they had to roll me on my side for the rest of it. That is not a fun feeling!
It was a growth week this time around so they measured them to see how they were doing. Well folks, I now see why I am getting so uncomfortable and having a hard time sleeping. I already have over 7 pounds of baby in me! And that is just baby, not counting the fluid, placenta, etc. "A" was measuring at 3 pounds 7 ounces, moving all over the place, and still grinding head down on my cervix and bladder. "B" was 3 pounds and 10 ounces, also active, and transverse/breech- her feet are downward on "her side" but she is laying sideways at the top- AKA- my reason for breaking out the Zantac again to deal with the heartburn :). So these girls are feisty and growing like weeds! Woo Hoo!!!
My cervix had shortened some but Dr. Love wasn't concerned with that anymore since we are heading into the final stretch. All of my other tests came out great and I have already scheduled the 32 and 33 week appointments. I did ask what our game plan was from here and was a little shocked with his response...keep up the bedrest, niphedipine, and whatever you are doing to keep things looking this great! (I figured that was coming)...And, recent studies have shown that mono/di twins (AKA- the type of identicals we are having) do best if they are delivered between 35-36 weeks if things are still looking optimal. The closer you get to term the higher the chance for a spontaneous stillborn- we don't want to go there!!! So, you do the math.... Today I am 31 weeks and 3 days, and it's Dec. 1st.....
In the words of Annie's orphan friend- "Oh my goodness, OH MY GOODNESS!!!!" these wee ones will be making their grand entrance around the holidays which is only 4-5 weeks away! So we are kicking it into high gear to get ready for their arrival -nursery, van, car seats, clothes and bottles washed and ready, etc. Hopefully we can get some Christmas cheer worked in there somehow...;) I do LOVE a lit Christmas tree and holiday decorations!!! We still have pumpkins on the steps and sad looking mums, so we will see. It will be a quiet celebration for our family this year, but I am sure that this is the only year I will be saying that! I do want to make it special for Lucas though so we need to get rolling! Don't worry, I won't be doing much more than directing but once again Todd, is a busy man-But such a great hubby and daddy ;)

So here's to another 4-5 productive, restful, joyful weeks of baby cooking! :)

another update

this one is short and sweet :)

The results came back from all of my tests- THEY ARE ALL NORMAL!!! Yeah, thank you God for answered prayers. And, thank you all for all of your prayers and support! ;) I go back next Monday for the next check-up (31 weeks) and then I will go weekly until they arrive. I cannot believe it is already almost here! Time has really flown by so fast. Just think, one month from now is Christmas eve-YIKES!!! Oh how I wish I could get out there on Black Friday for the good deals, maybe I can find some online?

And here are some of the latest ultrasound pics- I had to weed through them and pick some of the better ones of each. We have LOTS considering the number of times I am in there!

This shows the super thin membrane seperating the two of them:

Baby A:

Sorry that there is only one! She is super low and smushed up against the placenta so getting her picture is tough for the ultrasound tech's. We'll try again next week!

Baby B:

Dr. Love was even nice enough to give me a 4D last month of B!these are the ones that really remind me of Lucas:she has her arm resting on top of her head in this one ;)

Double Trouble

on the body....
Apparently that is what these girls are for me ;)

I realized that I had not posted a baby update in awhile on here so I apoligize that this is a little overdue! Since being released from the hospital three weeks ago I have been at home on bed rest, behaving and following all of the doctors orders. Yes, boredom sets in but I know that every day is worth it and hopefully in the end we will have two healthy, beautiful additions to our family. That is what keeps me going...I must admit, I was really bummed to have to go through this again. I felt cheated of a "normal" healthy pregnancy free from complications, frequent trips to the doctor, and bed rest. Although I did realize that my chances of accomplishing that were being put to the test at week 8 when we learned there were two in there. I think that was one of my biggest fears upon hearing that news...pregnancy complications...I just want healthy babies!!!

So this time around at least part of that wish has come true thus far. We have two healthy little munchkins in there. Week after week they look fantastic. They are growing great- two weeks ago they were measuring in at 2.2 and 2.4 lbs (right on track for their gestational age-they only measure growth at every other visit); have great amounts of amniotic fluid to "swim" and practice breathing in; and look healthy overall-heart rates, movement, blood flow, etc.; not to mention I think they are pretty darn cute if I may say so myself! They remind me of their brother. (I know that updated ultrasound shots are long overdue, the scanner is upstairs though and I don't make it up there too often. I will try and get those up here in a few days-PROMISE!) A has been head down and overall the calm one this whole time. Minus the fact the she is the one that gives my bladder some serious grief ;) While her sister, B, is the wild child-she flips all over the place and jumps from my ribcage laying sideways while kicking here poor sister in the head, and giving me some serious heartburn...next thing you know she flips around and ends up head to head with A again! Wild I tell you! If this personality persists I think we know who will bring out the grey hairs for mom & dad ;) And...if you are wondering, no we haven't decided on names yet, we do have a list of ones we like but haven't made any decisions. I am guessing this won't happen until we are in the hospital to have them! So A & B munchkin it is for now ;)

As for me, well my poor body is the one that is falling short this time around. First was the preterm labor scare which started this whole bed rest. Since then the doctors have been watching my cervix closely for signs of shortening and I'm on medication to keep contractions away. So far so good! The last three weeks have been thankfully uneventful and things continue to look good in these departments. Not to mention that my belly is measuring at 36 cm, typically your belly measures the number of weeks you are pregnant when it is one baby in there! So 36 is pretty big :) Well, today the doc noted that I had increased protein in my urine-JOY! So...I am currently collecting urine for 24 hours and praying that those results show that I do NOT have pre-eclampsia (pregnancy induced hypertension). My blood pressures have all been good, but, I am taking Niphedipine to keep the contractions at bay which lowers your blood pressure- so this could be masked... I also had to do the glucose tolerance test today. That stuff is horrific and that is coming from a girl who likes sweets. I don't remember having any issues with that when I was pregnant with Lucas but today was a different story. After chugging the fruit punch concoction I headed off to ultrasound...about 5 minutes into the exam I thought I was going to pass out, vomit, you name it....Holly could see it on my face and quickly had me roll over and take a breather for a few minutes. My poor body went into serious sugar shock! So I am also praying that those results come back OK as well. I'll keep you all posted!

So...there you have it- the three increased risks for moms carrying multiples- preterm labor-CHECK, pre-eclampsia-TBD, gestational diabetes-TBD. God please, can this excitement end here? All I am asking for is 5-8 more weeks of uneventful gestating....is that really too much to ask? But in the end, just give me two healthy girls!!

Blessed

I am such a lucky girl! These are two of the greatest men in my life, if only I would have snapped a picture of dad when he came to visit me in the hospital :) Todd and Lucas are handling my bed rest like true champs. It has been tough on all of us but we know that the final outcome will be worth every day, hour, etc. In some ways it had been so great to get to see these two become even closer and share that special father/son bond, especially since Todd pretty much takes care of Lucas. I miss bath and bedtime, heck- even diaper changes! I do still enjoy our special time to read books(LOTS), color(LOTS), and snuggle(LOTS). It melts my heart when he comes home and says he missed me and "wuv wou mommy", who can resist coloring the 100th digger truck for that sweet little boy? I also love when he cuddles up in bed with me and proclaims " I'm going night-night with mommy!" Mommyhood is the best gift that is worth every difficult moment, toddler tantrum, and newborn sleepless night :) God, help me remember that in a few months....

But Super Daddy is really the one who deserves all of the credit!
I feel so lucky to be blessed with such a wonderful husband who takes such great care of bedridden me, Lucas, and the rest of our family; along with keeping up with the never ending laundry, doggie entertaining, house cleaning, shopping, and cooking- not to mention working full time!!! He is gonna need a vacation after these little girls arrive! Thank you Todd for your time, love, patience, and understanding. Lucas and these girls are SO LUCKY to have you as their daddy and me....

I truly am so blessed :)

My dad and brother have also helped spoil me these last few weeks :) They were kind enough to come down and paint our hallways and foyer for us AND keep me company! Plus, dad made my favorite fall treat, homemade applesauce- YUMMY!!! Just another example of the wonderful men in my life ;)

I couldn't resist this sweet picture of my buddy during the day, sweet Bailey girl. She snuck up there, we don't let her on the couch ;)

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Halloween Fun

Both Friday and Saturday were full on fun and excitement with Halloween celebrations for Lucas. On Friday they had a costume parade and party at school. I really wanted to go and be a part of the festivities, but as we all know, plans change... His teachers were great and took some pictures to capture the fun just for us! We love them and were sad that this was also Lucas' last day in the toddler room but he sneaks in hugs with them still whenever he gets a chance! These are the toddlers and young two year olds playing during the parade time :)These two faces were too priceless to not share! Plus that sweet little pumpkin is Kaden, Lucas' little buddy outside of school :)Back to the toddler room for a little party time! Note the hand holding going on here ;) That sweet little Robin is Ce-Ce, Lucas' little girlfriend. She is a sweetheart!

More Ce-Ce lovin!

Todd and Lucas headed off for some trick or treating fun Saturday night with two other families in our neighborhood that have little ones around his age. They all had a great time and really got it this year. We were a little nervous before the actual night since every time we tried on the Franklin costume, there were tears! But with a little coaxing and a cute pumpkin in hand, he got it and did much better! We worked with him Thursday night on saying "trick or treat" to get candy in his pumpkin- of course he LOVED this part!!!They went to each door and even tried out the "trick or tweet" :) Not too many houses this time around, about 8-10 but that was plenty considering the humidity and warm temperatures! All in all it was a hit! I was bummed to have to miss out but I know he and daddy had a great time while us girls vegged inside. The crew did come by to visit and let me see the rest of the cuties after their adventures. Now we gotta hunt down another great deal on next years costume!

Hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween Weekend!