Twins - 31 weeks & 33 weeks

One December 2nd, I had my 31 week doctors appointment! The twins are doing excellent. Baby A is measuring 3 pounds 13 ounces and had a heartbeat of 138. Baby B is measuring 3 pounds 15 ounces and had a heartbeat of 141. And they are currently both head down, which is great and hope they stay that way. Both boys are right where they are supposed to be and growing at the right speed.

On Friday I had my weekly biophysical appointment. The babies looked great. Still both head down, great heartbeats and passed all the tests that they do on the babies.

Then last night I woke up about midnight with extreme pelvic pain. So after the rest of the evening of trying to find comfortable positions and a 3am bath which helped, I called the doc this morning. And after hearing my symptoms she required me to come in and be seen. After seeing my doctor she decided to do 2 things: a test called Fetal Fibronectin which can help tell them if I am in preterm labor whether I would deliver in the next week, but it is only 20% accurate. (which i thought was quite low, so taking that one with a grain of salt, apparently there are not a lot of studies with the test and multiples pregnanies). And she decided to check if there was any movement with my cervix. After checking me, it happenes that I am already 2cm dilated and 50% effaced. So I was sent to labor & delivery for monitoring to be sure I wasn't havng contractions that I couldn't feel that we're progressing me. I was hooked up to heart monitors for each baby, blood pressure cuff, and a contraction monitor for abut 2.5 hours. After that and having a few contractions - nothing painful, she checked my cervix again but there had been no change. And the above test result was negative - again taking with a grain of salt. So hopefully that means that the small contractions I was feeling are not true labor and not progressing anything and itnis the babies pushing down causing the dialation. I was released and allowed to go home, but ordered to rest a lot more and take in more fluids and to come back in if things get worse. Otherwise stick with my regularly scheduled appt on Friday. I am 33 week's tomorrow, so really want to keep them cooking for at least 2-3 weeks if I can. But a this point, just going day by day. I am still pretty uncomfortable, so have been laying low all afternoon and have Judy (Mike's mom) helping out with Cohen periodically throughout the week so I can really rest and not do much.

Skipping over November!

Well, I'm back . . . it's been a long time and A LOT has happened so time to update.

I am going to pass over the month of November and I'm sure most, if not all of you that read this (if there is anyone anymore) will understand why.

So on to December . . .

Halloween

Of course, Cohen was Batman on Halloween - and every day for two weeks prior to Halloween and still is almost a week afterwards! :-) He is obsessed with Batman and everything to do with wearing a mask and cape. Here is my little man in his costume:

Every year we go to a friends of a Halloween party. It is full of yummy food, tons of kids and of course candy!! We do a pumpkin derby, eat up and then jump on a hayride (behind a truck) and golf carts and cruise their great neighborhood trick or treating. Cohen had a blast, but got worn out and preferred to sit on the back of the golf cart and snack on candy. Like mother like son . . . he inherited my sweet tooth! :-)

Twins - 26 weeks

Today I had my 26 week appointment and everything went great. We had an ultrasound (as we do at every appointment) and the boys are growing wonderfully. Today Baby A is about 2 pounds 3 ounces and Baby B is about 2 pounds 8 ounces. So they have each gained about 1 pound in just over 3 weeks! Their heartbeats were both 143 - which is right where they should be. I took my glucose test earlier this week and passed!! But my iron levels were a little low so need to make sure I keep taking my iron supplement! :-)

During the ultrasound, Baby B continually kicked Baby A in the face and he kept trying to push his feet away. We would sit and watch them for a few minutes and it kept going on. It was SO funny and neat to see them in action.

Here is a picture of the kicking in action:

Also, here is me at 26 weeks, 3 days. Getting bigger and bigger!

Next appointment is in 2 weeks!

And their names will be . . .

Mike and I have made the final decision on the boys names! We are so excited to give them more of an identity and can't wait to meet them in January. And they are . . .

Jackson Douglass and Cameron David

Douglass is my dad's first name and David is Mike's dad's middle name. We felt it was important to honor our dad's with these boys.

Up until today I have occasionally felt a flutter here or there. But yesterday I really started to feel them move. It is so reassuring to feel the movement.

Cohen is growing like a weed!

Last Friday, Cohen has his 3 year old check up and I can't believe how much he is growing. He weighed in at 36 1/4 pounds, which is in the 90th percentile, and was 40" tall, which is in the 97th percentile! I knew my little man was tall, but geez . . . :-)

Everything else checked out great and developmentally he is all on track. He had two shots - an immunization shot to get him up to date and his flu shot. He was a pro. No whining or anything. Just a slight flinch and that was it! I had my flu shot a few days earlier and I think it helped to watch me get one!

He still has one ear tube in (in his left ear) and the right one has fallen out. The tube will probably make its way out on its own and if it is still there in a year we will head back to the ENT to see what they want to do.

We will go back for a regular check up at age 4!

Twins - 19 weeks

On Monday, September 12th, I had a regular doctors appointment. We did not do a formal ultrasound as later in the week, I would be meeting with a specialist. But we did an old school, informal ultrasound just so the doctor could see the babies and their heartbeats. They were moving and beating those little heart of theirs! Everything else with my pregnancy was progressing great and healthy. Next appointment will be in 4 weeks!

Today, September 14th, I had an appointment with a perinatologist, which does an extensive ultrasound of measuring both babies and practically EVERY part of them. She confirmed the sex of the babies to be BOYS and she said that for a twin pregnancy everything is best case scenario. Perfect size, with own placentas and thick healthy membrane between them. Right now at 19 weeks, they are measuring about 11 ounces. Which sounds small, but perfect for where I am. It is crazy to think that they will gain (hopefully) 5-6 pounds in the next 15-18 weeks!! :-)

We are pretty sure we have decided on names . . . but will save that for the next post. Just to add a little suspense!!

Here is a belly picture of me at 19 weeks!

Cohen's 3!

Today is my little boy's 3rd birthday. I can not believe it. It seems like yesterday I was holding him in the hospital in complete awe of how my life has changed! On Sunday, September 11th, we had a little birthday party . . . actually we had quite a lot of people, kids and action! We had a fun bounce house, burgers and hot dogs and tired kiddos at the end of the day! Cohen had so much fun with all of his friends, cake and new toys.

Here are a few from his birthday party day:

On his actual birthday, we woke up to do a few gifts and then we went and met Daddy for lunch for a birthday lunch. We went to Steak n' Shake for burgers, fries, and milk shakes! Cohen (and mom and dad) had so much fun at lunch. We all laughed and told funny stories. At the end of lunch, Cohen wanted to play the claw game. He played all by himself with no help and came up with an animal BOTH times! Check it out:

What is Cohen doing and up to:

* wearing 4t shirts and 3t pants/shorts

* wearing 9/10 shoes

* playing soccer, riding my balance bike, learning new sports

* sleeping and loving my new bedroom

* new obsession: batman and spider man

* learning to play independently and using his imagination (creating scenerios, etc)

* LOVES apple juice, meatballs, chicken nuggets, yogurt, apples/peanut butter

* working on colors and numbers

* favorite song on the radio: Soul Sister

My slice of heaven . . . Michillinda!!

Cohen and I headed to Michigan on August 16th to spend a week at our family cottage on the Lake. Michillinda is a slice of heaven for me and my family and I think in my 32 years of life, I have only missed 2 summers. Cohen has yet to miss one . . . so this being his 3rd! My whole immediate family was there (Mom, sister and 2 kids and brother and his daughter - and spouses). We spent the week beaching, swimming (unfortunately, not me - see ** below), dune scooting, and much more! Cohen had so much fun with his cousins, nature walks, swinging and boating!

** On August 12th, I was painting the twins room and stepped back onto a curtain rod bracket barefoot (I know, I know) and sliced, more like gauged, my foot open which resulted in a trip to the ER for 10 stitches on the bottom of my foot on my arch. Sadly, I was not allowed to swim and had to wear a sock and shoe on the beach . . . sexy, I know! But Cohen and Mike enjoyed the water for me!

Here are some shots from our week in heaven!

Baby #2 . . . AND #3!

Beginning of June, Mike and I found out we were pregnant and we were ecstatic! Just as with Cohen, we decided to keep it to ourselves until we were out of the 1st trimester, or close to it. So we powered thru and kept our secret. During that month we also sold the liquor store that we had co-owned and I worked at full time for the last 15 months and also put a contract on a new house in the neighborhood of Shawnee, KS which is a suburb of Kansas City. I had been feeling pretty good, but had some nausea around 5-7 weeks and just completely exhausted! And I just felt completely different this pregnancy compared to mine with Cohen.

We had our first doctors appointment on June 20th, which was very routine of asking and answering questions and getting blood work done. And then another wait of 4 weeks before my next appointment. During that time, Cohen and I made a trip to CO for the 4th of July and kept busy packing up to move to the new house.

We closed on our house on the 14th of July and I had my 2nd doctors appointment on the 15th. Again, very routine of seeing the doctor and just chatting. She didn't have any intention of listening for the heartbeat since I was only about 10 weeks and 3 days and she likes to wait until mid 11 week or 12 week to do that, since it can be hard to find. But I insisted. I had been very paranoid and just feeling weird that I really wanted to hear the baby. She tried to listen, but with no such luck. Since it was a Friday and she could tell I was worried, she ok'd an ultrasound to be done. So we made our way to the tech room and as soon as the wand was put on my stomach I saw them . . . the TWO sacs. At first I thought twins, but then I thought there is no way. And as the tech kept looking she said, "looks like there are two babies in there!" Mike and I were in complete shock . . . I didn't even know what to think. She checked them both out, we saw and listened to both of their heartbeats and left the room speechless and in awe!

A little background . . . I am a fraternal twin. But my mom took fertility drugs when getting pregnant with both my older sister and with my twin brother and I. With us being the only twins in the family . . . we just assumed the drugs are what caused the multiples. Now we are not so sure. It could be that I am a twin from the drugs and then me having twins is completely random. Or it could be that my mom did pass a gene which I carried, then causing the twins. We will never know!

After moving I went to go see my new doctor in KC - so 2 ultrasounds in 1 week!! - and learned a lot more about pregnancy with twins. I will be seen the regular schedule, but will have ultrasounds every appointment to check the growth of the babies. My next appointment is August 15th. Until then . . .

It's been too long!

Oh my goodness, I can not believe it has been since April since my last past. I feel like the months have flown by. I am going to do a brief update to get us up to date and then I promise I will keep blogging regularly about what is going on with us!

June was a very busy month for us. Over the weekend of June 11th and 12th, my sister and mom came to visit and we all participated in the 2011 Alzheimer Walk! It was such a fun weekend and really meant a lot to all of us as my grandmother passed from the nasty disease and my dad is currently battling it. We had this great t-shirts made:

And here is Cohen after winning "his" race:

The week following Cohen and Mimi and I went to make Mike his father's day gift. He "painted" him a coffee mug. It was a fun little activity:

And for Father's Day, we went to the Oread Hotel for brunch. It was so fun and yummy. Family picture with Memorial Stadium behind us:

Twins . . . 15 weeks!

Today, I had my 15 week doctor appointment. Every appointment I have an ultrasound first where they check out the babies, do measurements of things and look/listen to their heartbeats. Cohen went with us to this appointment and he thought it was so fun to see his siblings on tv. The ultrasound tech asked, if she is able to tell us the sex do we want to know. She said that it was still early, but she may be able to tell. Well, with Baby A it was almost immediate . . . BOY! And then after all the measurements, she moved onto Baby B. And again, almost immediate . . . BOY! That is right, 2 more boys. She said that is is almost 99% sure that they are boys as it is kind of hard to mistake boys. Cohen, Mike and I were very excited as I have loved having a boy. They are SO much fun.

I haven't felt much movement at this point, except for maybe one or two movements every 1 or 2 days. I'm ready to start feeling them on a regular basis!!

Here I am at 15 weeks!

4th of July

Cohen and I made a road trip to CO for the 4th of July as we hadn't been home in forever. It was the first time that Cohen and I did the 9 hour drive by ourselves (without Mike), but surprisingly he did very well and we made it!

My sister and 2 nieces (Madison and Chayse) also flew out. It had been almost a year since seeing them, so it was a long time coming to get the cousins together. We spent the week at the pool, playing on on the swing set and all of Mimi's toys. And a trip to Chuck E' Cheese and many family gatherings.

It was so good to see family, have the kiddos play and just relax for about a week!

Here are some pics from the week!!

Mom and Cohen Day!

Today was Mom and Cohen Day!

We started the morning with going to get a haircut for Cohen. He has become a true star at getting his haircut. We go to an awesome barber shop in downtown Lawrence and see Jess, who rocks!! Cohen sits like a big boy and is SO good throughout the whole haircut. I think it is because he knows a sucker is provided following good behavior!

After a haircut, we made our way down to Memorial Stadium for the Jayhawk's spring football game. We headed into the Kids Zone for a romp thru a bounce house. And then over to see Big Jay and Baby Jay!

We went into the stadium to watch the spring game and ran into our friends, Jeff and Brynn. Cohen and Brynn danced to the band and watching the cheerleaders!

Needless to say, we got into the car and he was out in 5 minutes. He was SO tired!

It was a perfect mommy and son day . . .

Easter Weekend

Easter weekend we had a wonderful weekend full of playing kids, family, candy and egg hunts! Saturday, Cohen played with his cousins, Drew and Emilly and that evening we grilled and all hung out and relaxed. Sunday, we woke up - went to church and back at our house for lunch and an east egg hunt!

The Easter Bunny (or bunnies) treated Cohen well with new tennis shoes (this kid's feet are growing FAST), a soccer ball and much more $1 store specials!

Here's our little easter egg huntee . . . once he realized the plastic eggs had candy in them, he was no longer interested in gathering more!

Coloring Outside the Lines

This weekend Cohen and I had a mommy/son adventure of an art class at the local art center. It was called Coloring Outside the Lines and it was just that. It was perfect!! It is focused on 2-3 year olds and it is a complete free for all. There was everything from crayons to paint to trucks in dirt.

That's right, I said trucks in dirt. They had a big sunken table that had a bunch of dirt in it and you could just move trucks, plows, bulldogged thru it. It was by far Cohen's favorite. We also painted, created a collage, then there was outside time. Playing in the sandbox, a play car and brooms, etc.

We had a wonderful time and would recommend the class to others living in Lawrence!

Potty Trained and Buzz on Ice

I love these words and the thought of not having to buy diapers right now is the BEST!! We kind of stopped pushing the whole potty training thing, knowing that Cohen would tell us when he is ready! Well . . . starting the week of March 21st, he was interested. He did great and told us when he needed to go and would pull his pants down and waddle his way to the bathroom and do his business. We continued to wear diapers at night and during naps.

Then sadly, our WONDERFUL Nanny, Julia's, last day was March 24th and Cohen was going to start at a daycare. So we weren't going to worry about nights and naps for awhile while he was going thru this transition. But he continued to wake up dry in the mornings and after naps. So during the week of the 28th we gave it a try . . . and we have had ZERO messes. I am so proud of Cohen, yet so sad that my little man is growing up SO fast!!

On Saturday, March 26th, we treated Cohen to Toy Story Disney on Ice. He was such a trooper and sat in complete amazement the entire time. He would scream when each new character came on stage. It was nice because there were SO many children there that it didn't matter if yours seemed louder than any others!

Sadly, I didn't get any pics because it was so dark. None of them turned out! But it is something that I won't forget doing with my very own Buzz!!

Adventures, Swimming and Trains

This weekend was a fun, busy family weekend of just what the title of this blog is . . . adventures, swimming and trains!!

Saturday morning we woke up and decided to take an adventure on a nature path by our house with everyone (Naismith included). We picked up rocks, sticks and walked thru lots of mud. Cohen loved it and got tired towards the end and needed to be carried!!

After our adventure we went home for lunch and nap and then went swimming that afternoon at the indoor aquatic center. I have really been working hard on keeping Cohen in the water during the winter so there is no question when summer comes around and we spend hours at the pool and weeks at Lake Michigan. He loved it! Loved watching all the kiddos and splashing mom!

Then on Sunday we decided to head to Kansas City to Union Station where there are tons of

exhibits and things to do - especially for children! First we went into the train exhibit. Cohen was amazed and just kept running from one area to another! Then we went into Science City. I can't believe we have been back in KS for almost 2 years and hadn't hit that on up yet! He loved it and loved checking out all the different learn/play areas. His favorite was the helicopter!

After Science City we walked over to Fritz's which is a fun burger and fry joint and a train brings you your meal on a train. Here is our little conductor making an order:

Needless to say, he was exhausted by the time we got back home!

Two and Half Years Old

This last week Cohen hit 2 and half years old. Holy Cow . . . where is the time going!! Here are some updates on the little man:

Weight: 33.6 pounds (81 percentile)

Height: 3 ft 3 in (97 percentile)

Underware during the day, size 5 diapers at night

Size 4T shirts

Size 3T pants

Favorite foods: meatballs, fruit snacks, almonds, peanuts, milk, apple juice

Vocabulary is skyrocketing: using a lot of filler words (I, me, am, are, was, etc)

We've been putting Cohen to work! He has become very independent and want to do all/most everything himself. Even after I have done something that he wants to do, we have to re-do it just so he can do it:

One of our favorite places . . . Naismith's bed watching Backyardagins

We just finished our second gym class! Here we are with our "award"

Potty Dance

So a few weeks ago we thought we would give potty training a try and didn't have much luck, so we backed off and knew Cohen would let us know when he was ready. Well, last week he was ready! I bought some tiny dinosaur underware, which he got a HUGE kick out of and all he wanted to do was use the big boy potty! So all week he has been in underware all day long with diapers at nap and night. He has been waking up from naps and in the morning dry and wants to head to the bathroom first thing in the morning. Yesterday morning (3/17) he came into our room at 6:30am and said, "Mama, potty". So I jumped up and said, "ok, buddy, let's go". He said, "no, I potty. I show ya". So Mike got up with him and they went into the bathroom. Our BIG 2 1/2 year old woke up by himself, stripped down (including diaper), turned on the light and went pee. Then came into our room. I was very very proud of him!

College Deja Vu

Over the weekend of March 11-13th, I had a girls weekend with 2 college girl friends, Katie and Danielle. It was SO good to see them and cruise around Lawrence. They arrived Friday afternoon and we of course headed to Free State Brewery for dinner and then home early - we are old and tired!! On Saturday we were up and at 'em with breakfast at the Oread, walk campus and thru the bookstore and then drive-bys of all our old houses/apartments. I, of course, was too embarrassed but Katie and Danielle actually knocked on the doors of our neighboring houses from junior year of college for home tours. I sat in the car behind tinted windows with my head down! :-) That afternoon we headed to a sports bar to watch our Jayhawks claim the Big XII championship title and out to a piano bar following for some cocktails. I had such a great time with old friends and reminiscing about old times! Here's a few pics from the weekend:

Katie on the Jayhawk in front of Student Union

Katie and Danielle in front of the Campanile

For those of you wondering where the "Rock Chalk" chant comes from:

What Cohen is up to . . .

** Wearing size 5 diapers (after bed milestone is under control, will be time to work on potty training)

** Size 3t and 4t shirts and 2t pants

** Meatballs and apples are favorite meals and fruit snacks (preferably Curious George ones)

** Bath time has become a favorite

** Starting his 2nd gym class this week - favorite part is jumping on the trampoline

** Favorite Song - "If Your Happy And You Know It"

** Still obsessed with Toy Story and Buzz and Woody

** When tired or needs comforting, reaches out for "Lai" - his green blanket

** Counts to 15

** Spells his name (except says "y" instead of "e")!!

** Starting to form sentences and works really hard at finding the word he is looking for

Crib Escapee and Fun Activities

The beginning of January Cohen reached another milestone . . . climbing out of his crib. On January 2nd, Mike and I were watching tv during nap time and all of a sudden heard a door slam upstairs and I immediately knew it was Cohen coming out of his room. I walked up the stairs and he had this smurk on his face like he was this amazing crafty little one. Which I must say he was. He re-enacted his climb out and completed it very crafty without not having both feet on the crib mattress the whole time. We decided to not act immediately and see if this was just a faze. For about a week and a half, he stayed put in his crib until he woke up in the morning. My most favorite morning . . . was when he came in and stood at the foot of our bed and said, "Happy New Year". Made me smile!! Finally on January 11th, he realized he could get out WHENEVER he wanted and he did. Mike and I decided we couldn't have him climbing out as much as he was - 1. for his safety and 2. it was starting to become a game. So we purchased the big boy bed (a full size as his crib can serve as a headboard and footboard when ready) and had a "Big Boy Bed Party" on Friday, January 11th with his cousins, Drew and Emilly, and Aunt Kelcey. We played on the new bed and had cupcakes and ice cream. Our first night was a little un-nerving. I felt as though I had a newborn all over again, with him coming out every 3 hours or so!! And going down was about an hour and half process. But every night since has gotten better and better. So we are almost there. I must say, I was a little heart broken that he was done with the crib as it is just one more thing that confirms my little boy is growing up . . . and the crib is a fantastic thing. Containment when needed, saved my sanity!! :-) Here is little man with his big boy bed!

Another milestone (a little smaller than the above) was getting a haircut and sitting by himself!! No more sitting on mommy or daddy's lap. He was very proud of himself on that morning of January 4th!

On the 8th, we spent a morning at the local pet store where they are very welcoming of young kids and pull out as many animals as possible for people to pet! Here is Cohen petting a $500

python snake!! I couldn't stand it. But just because I am scared of snakes, I don't want Cohen to be scared of them!

This last weekend was our monthly pizza and beer night. Every month (at least we try) two

other families and use gather for a night of pizza, beer, play time and laughs. We did a belated Christmas book exchange and decorated cookies. As usual, it is pure entertainment and wears the kids out!

Christmas 2010

December was a busy month of holiday parties and multiple Christmas celebrations! We had the Baker family Christmas on December 18th with Santa and all!! :-) It was the first time Cohen had spent any time close to Santa this year and we wasn't so sure. He kept his distance and had

no interest in sitting on his lap. As Santa was leaving, he did want to give him a high five, so that is a start! We had a nice relaxing afternoon with Mimi Judy, the Schmitz's, the Hall's and the

Baker's. It was a nice celebration!

A few days later we jumped in the car and made our way west to spend Christmas in Colorado with Mimi. Cohen was a trooper in the car (for a 2 year old) and we had a nice 6 days in Colorado with family! While we were there I hosted a baby shower for my cousin, Liz. She is expecting a

little baby boy beginning of March and I couldn't be happier for her! Such a fun time . . .

Christmas morning was interesting with Cohen at this age. He kind of got the idea of Santa, but more just associated Santa with presents. He was a great help in opening all of his present. Was in heaven with all the trains, Woody and Buzz outfits and toys and much, much more!

Cohen spent a lot of time playing outside, as we had pretty warm weather while there. We visited the stables so he could see all the horses, decorated cookies, and played with Bailey!

November and Thanksgiving 2010

November was a busy month! We started off with an adults weekend away to Lake of the Ozarks to relax and unwind. There were 3 couples total and the weekend went too fast! Cohen spent the weekend home with Julia (our wonderful weekly babysitter). He, of cours

e, had a blast and kept busy all weekend!

The Sunday we returned from the Lake of the Ozarks, my mom (Mimi) arrived for a 2 week stay to help out with Cohen while Julia had some time off to spend with her husband who was home from Iraq for a mid-tour break. A fun unexpected treat, was that my uncle also was in Lawrence for 48 hours while performing a radio play at the university. Cohen loved seeing Uncle John and sharing an ice cream!

We had so much fun while she was here. She treated Cohen to story time, pet store visits, his weekly gym classes and much, much more! The time, as usual, went way to fast and we are always waiting for the next time we will see her. Here's a picture from the park!

The end of the month was Thanksgiving spent with Mike's family! His sister, Kelcey, nicely hosted lunch with everyone. It was so fun to have a relaxing Thanksgiving with everyone!