sharing

Having twins means that I have to be shared between them and they are practicing sharing other things too...

sharing the Oregon Teams

sharing hands

sharing foreheads

sharing the bouncy seat

Santa

The boys first visit with Santa...I think they both asked for a bigger car for Mom. They are such good kids!

My Boys

My sweet boys day 1

I am so blessed...I have my twin boys home with me and I get to stay home with them. It feels like I have been given everything I ever dreamed of. I have a husband who I love and who loves me with all my quirks. I have 2 beautiful sons and I love them more every minute. I am staying home with them because we have faith that it is the best thing and because we have the support of our families. Our faith in the Lord is being strengthened daily as we see the blessings that have come into our lives. It really is amazing when you are living the life you were meant to have, everything around just gets that much better.

Here are a few pictures I love...

Ryan and the boys in the NICU

Heading home!!!!!!!

The boys favorite sleeping position...they have already outgrown this bassinet

pictures

A few photos showing the progression of the belly!!!!

Lilli, Tam, Me and Em! August

Me and Em at the UO Game! September

ME and the belly...with 8 weeks to go! October

Love

I feel so blessed! Not only am I having two babies, I am having them with a man I love more deeply everyday! He may not be the kind of man that makes me candle light dinners with rose pettles on the bed...he is the kind of man who spends hours refinishing a dresser because I asked him to. He is the kind of man who will hang curtains at 11pm because I am in tears about how much we still have to do for the boys room. He is the kind of man who redesigned the front yard so that there will be more grass for the boys. He is the kind of man who calls me in the middle of his day because he wanted me to know what he had for lunch or that is only took him 12 minutes to get to work. He is the kind of man who is there when I need him for a hug, a kiss or simply to help me carry something. He makes loving him so easy!

I love my husband so much and I can't wait to see him as a father because I know he will love our boys in the same way he loves me. That means they will always know he is there for them no matter how small or big the need.

Vacation

We just got back from Cape Cod for Ryan's family reunion. We had a great time and enjoyed being on the East Coast and seeing his family. Every time I am there I realize how much I miss it and for at least the first 2 days I imagine moving back. By the end of the week I am so happy to come home and can't imagine living anywhere else but beautiful Oregon! The babies enjoyed the trip and seemed to grow bigger every day!



We also got to see our friends Simon and Nora in Middletown CT. Simon works for ESPN and we were able to go in and tour and pretend to be on TV. I think we have a future!

Growing!!! 20 weeks

The babies are growing...which means I am growing. I am already much bigger than the ladies who are due the same time with just one. I feel pretty good but I can certainly tell that I am pregnant. It is amazing to feel them moving around and to guess which one is kicking where. The seem to sleep most in the morning and start moving around more in the afternoon and evening. I feel so blessed!!!

From 2 to 4!!!

We have been blessed with the best news! We are having TWIN BOYS!!!
I went to my midwife on Monday because I was having some problems and she thought it was a good idea if I came in. They checked me out and found the baby heartbeat but still thought they should do an ultrasound to be sure there were no issues with the placenta. The ultrasound tech fit me in between appointments for a "quick" look. She placed the ultrasound wand on my belly and said "Do you already know that you are having twins?" I started laughing and asked if she was joking, she was very serious and said "no, I don't joke". I asked her how she could tell so quickly and she said "well, there are two!" She also commented that she thinks they are identical. It was amazing to watch them, almost like they are dancing with all the arms and legs in motion. They are facing each others feet so basically they can kick each other in the head all day long. She was able to tell the sex so instead of telling me I had her put those photos in an envelope so I could find that out with Ryan. He was surprised and then started calling everyone he could think of. It has been so fun to see all the great reactions of excitement and shock! We both feel so blessed!

Gluten Free for me!!!

Well...R confronted me on Friday about my diet...I was not too happy about it but I knew he was right. i was diagnosed over a year ago as being gluten intolerant. Meaning I need to avoid anything made with Wheat, Rye, Barley...most all flour products. I was really good when it first happened and felt so much better. Well I have gotten really lax because it seemed to not be such a big deal. R pointed out that I was consuming LOTS of gluten and not feeling well at all. he asked me to try to give it up and see how I felt. OH MY GOSH!!! I feel so much better it is not even funny. I mean I feel like an idiot because I was eating all this crap and basically making myself feel worse and then blaming it on the pregnancy. the last 3 days have been amazing...I have energy and I am only burping/gagging a couple times a day. I wish I had figured this out for myself but I am so thankful that R was kind enough to point it out! HOORAY!!!

Sick and tired...

of being Sick and Tired. I had been told the second trimester is the best! you feel all happy and glowy and have all kinds of energy. I call bunk! I actually have felt worse in the last 2 weeks than I did at 6 weeks. I gag all day long no matter what I am doing. I can be sitting at my desk and out of no where a little air bubble and then GAG! Sometimes I can calm my stomach and other times I am off to the toilet. I feel like such a whiner...but honestly I just want to feel better. I want to have good thoughts about being pregnant and stop saying "I am not doing this again!"

Poor hunsband R and kitty Olive are catching it. He has had terrible indigestion and gagged while cleaning the litter box and poor kitty threw up yesterday. I swear this is contagious...don't come near me unless you want to feel the all body convulsion that is the GAG!

i have tried:
rolaids
tumms
pepsid AC, tablet and pill
ginger snaps, ginger chews

they all help for about 20 minutes...then back to the same old thing.

Hopefully my next update will be much cheerier!

MAMA

Most of my childhood memories involve me playing house. I always loved being the mommy, caring for my dolls or for my bear Wally...who still lives with us! My mom was my favorite person in the whole world. I never felt more loved than when I was with her and I remember thinking I want to be this kind of mom. Well, I am being blessed with the opportunity to try. That's right...I am pregnant with our own little one. Yesterday I laid in my midwifes office and prayed and prayed that they would find the heartbeat. After what felt like an eternity she said "do you hear that?" I felt such relief, like i had been holding my breath for the last week and I was finally able torlet it out. It is the most amazing sound to hear your own childs heart beat. We feel so blessed and a little freaked out. Which I hear is completely normal. I can't wait to write about this new adventure and share it with our little one someday.

I have been getting lots of questions so I will cover them here...

I am due December 13, give or take a few days.
I am feeling ok but not great...also something I hear is normal
Yes, we will find out what we are having...I am a planner after all.
No, we have not decided on names
Yes, we will take all sorts of hand me downs
Yes, this was planned and no it did not take long.
Yes, we are excited and happy and unsure and scared and overwhelmed...i hear this is normal too!

Good Friends!

I have many women I would call my good friends. They fit into 3 catergories

1) Old Friends...these ladies I have know almost literally since birth. We lived through middle school together, graduated high school together, partied through college, stood up at each others weddings and have celebrated babies together. We talk often about going on road trips when we get older and are retired. I know with all my heart that these ladies will always be my friends

2) New Friends...most of these dear women I have met since I have been an adult. Some from college, some from work and some are wives of my dear husbands friends. I love these ladies so much. They all make me laugh so hard and we have so much fun! I look forward to the continued growth of these friendships!

3) Family Friends...these gals are a blessing!! My sister has always been a support for me. She has watched me grow up and has always been there when I needed her. My step-mom has fit into an amazing place for me. She is part friend and part mom. We get to grow together in friendship and so much more! Lil sister has also been an amazing light in my life, she is always there for a great story and has such an amazing sweet spirit...I look forward to our friendship growing deeper and deeper.

I do not know what I would do without all of these ladies. Each one holds a place in my heart that could not be filled by another!

Blessed

I decided today that I want to change the tone of my blog. I do not want to be negative or judgemental. So I am going to try to write...when I do write...about how blessed I am. I need to remind myself often just how blessed my life is and I am going to start right now!

R and I are trying very hard to be wise with our finances. We want to get out of debt and have a good savings. I have been putting off getting my hair done because it is expensive and not a priority. Well this week I realized I could go on no longer, the gray is taking over...we talked about it and since I only have it done a few times a year we would put it in the budget and pinch somewhere else. Well this morning as I was opening the mail I received 2 unexpected checks. One from my little part time job, a bonus! One from my eye doctor...serious! We had over paid for something when we got our glasses...a year ago. These two checks will cover the cut and color and I will only have to pay for the tip. I am still amazed.

I have always known that the Lord blesses us when we are diligent and respectful of our finances. I just have to smile when he does it in such an unexpected way...I feel like he is smiling down saying "don't even try to understand, just feel blessed" So I am going to feel blessed and really enjoy my time being pampered.

The Oscar's

Oh, how I love a good awards show!

I love the beautiful dresses and the men in tuxes. I love the tearful acceptance speeches! I love that they can bring me to tears. I really imagine what it would be like to be in their shoes...I even think about the people I would thank and how I would honor my mom...makes me cry every time.

Here is a run down of my favorite moments!

Marion Cotillard winning for best actress. She was so cute and truly surprised. I love when the winner is genuine about winning.

"The Bourne Ultimatum" winning for all the technical awards. I love that movie so much so it made me happy that they won all the awards they were nominated in.

Tilda Swinton winning best supporting actress. He speech and comments to George were priceless. I can tell that they had a good time on set.

Diablo Cody winning for best original screen play for JUNO!!! The former exotic dancer did not disapoint with her animal print high slit dress! She was just as you might have expected from her bio on IMDB.com

Nicole Kidman...he little baby bump was so sweet. I am just so happy for her finally getting to be pregnant! She was certainly glowing.

Jennifer Garner looked beautiful!!

The memorial video made me cry from the first picture. I was preparing for the last photo to be Heath...and I am still sad for that loss.

Things I could have done without...John Stewart. I was missing Ellen.

Katherine Heigl...whoa easy on the makeup honey!

Didn't anyone tell her less is more???

Things I was sad were missing...ANJELINA AND BRAD! After the bump photos from saturday night I was really hoping to see them again. Oh well...I am sure the stinkin paps will hunt them and get more pictures for us! But...I will never post those pics. I prefer the ones the people actually knew were being taken. I do not like it when the kids are there and I can only imagine what those little minds are thinking.

The Grammy's

I watched most of the Grammy's tonight...well actually more like I listened to them. Here are a few of my comments:

Country rocks! I really like Carrie Underwood...she is cute and sassy. Her songs say something without being overtly sexual!

Kanye made me cry. Generally I do not like him at all...but my heart is all to familiar with his pain. I stood in the kitchen listening to his tribute to his mom and cried.

I don't understand Rihanna's neon nails and her jewel tone dress. Is it 1985???

I don't understand Beyonce's outfit...she is beautiful but she should wear pants! Why is she so blond???

TIna Turner looks really fake and who thought silver spandex was a good idea? yikes

Are shorts the new skirts?? Seems like more than one woman performed in short shorts

Amy Winehouse...oh where to begin? I guess it is fitting that her song is about going to rehab. When she gets clean she needs to go to hair product rehab!

There you go...please feel free to add your comments!

Dreaming of a different world!

I hope you vote...I know I have taken it too lightly in my life. I don't anymore. You can't even attempt to make a difference if you don't use the resources you are given. We are so lucky to have all the outlets for our energy and our opinions. I want to see a change. I want to believe there is good in all people. I want to know that enough people with one focus can make a difference.

"Where two or more are gathered, I am there" God

Believe. Hope. VOTE!!!!

going for it on my own

So...I have decided to do weight watchers online...on my own. I was finding an increased anxiety about going to the weigh ins each friday morning. It started on thursday and would last about 24 hours. I will follow the program, weigh in myself and be forgiving of my mistakes. I guess I know deep down this is my battle and I want to have it be my victory. I do not want a guilt victory...or an anxious one! I will keep you posted.

DEAL OF THE WEEK!!! I thought I would let you know the great deal at my favorite store:
Healthy Heart Granola bars, 6 = .99

Love that store!!!

My favorite store...and the weigh in!!!

So Friday I weighed in after a week of being very vigillant. I dropped 2.4!!! I am now at my lowest weight since being back on WW! I am so happy. I think being back to work is helping. I have more of a schedule and I am too busy to cook. so I eat whatever sweet R perpares for us! So kind of him. I am going to keep on...hopefully I can get to my first 15lb goal by valentines day!

My favorite store: For many people who know me this may be surprising. I am the girls who buys most of my clothes at JCrew, shoes at Nordstrom and makeup at Bare Escentuals. I have Ralph Lauren Dishes, towels and sheets. So you can see that I like name brands, new and clean! But I have a secret love affair with....the grocery outlet! I know, shocking! I went the first time to buy tick tacks. I had spent a few years teasing my Mother in Law about going there, I called it the "used food store" She swore it was fabulous...all I could think of was goodwill. ick.

Then on a trip she had these fabulous tick tacks. They were huge and yummy, of course she bought them at the grocery outlet. I humbled myself and went to find them.
Now for those who have never been to a grocery outlet you may think like I did...all the food would be wierd white labels with black type "peas". I was SO wrong. First thing in the doors was a HUGE crate of cheeze its for 99 cents. The boxes were banged up a bit but that was all...I bought 6 boxes. I walked though with my mouth agape. Tampons half the price of Costco. The $3 soy creamer at safeway was 79 cents and had more than a week left to expire. I was hooked! I do 80% of our shopping there. I get lunches in the freezer section and the most I ever pay is 2.49. I get pasta, crackers, all our cleaning supplies, candy, chips, cereal, granola bars, ice cream...if it comes in a box I get it there and I save about $100 a month on lunches alone.
I am in love...we date once a week. It is a great adventure, never know what I am going to find, it is new all the time. Aussie shampoo 2 bottles for 2.99 just last week!

HOLYCALORIES!!!!

Check out this article from MSN...it rates the 20 worst foods in US restaurants. Do you know how many calories are in an awesome blossom????

http://health.msn.com/nutrition/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100182334&page=1

I am SHOCKED at how many calories are in some of these items.

Work in progress

So last post I was discouraged. After the holiday I gained another 2 pounds...but our meeting leader handed each of us a tiny little eraser. She told us the eraser represented our erasing past mistakes or disappointments. Mine is a little orange fish. I decided to keep it in the change section of my wallet so I could see it and remember the past is in the past and there is nothing I can do about it. I lost .6 this week and I am happy. I was no where close to perfect but I tried. I wrote down what I ate even when I was ashamed I ate it.
I am a work in progress...and that is just fine with me.

On a side note...how sad is this whole Britney thing. My heart breaks for those boys! I hope she gets some help.