{iPhone Rewind} :: April

We got to go run and play with cousins :)

When you're just trying to get ready...you can't take your eyes off them for 2 seconds!

26 degrees. On April 7th. Ridiculous.

She likes cuddling up in my lap to read books. And I like having her close :)

He stood like this {still and amazed} for the entire time the locksmith was changing the locks haha

Packing, unpacking, cleaning...all crazy hard tasks when you have "helpers."

They just can't stay away from the shoes...

I LOVE my Snowflake Mama t-shirt!

Love these two so much!

Eli got a second pair of backup glasses! He looks like such a little boy and less like a baby...

Reading books with my girl

The ADORABLE housewarming cookies that Lindsay made for us!!

My kiddos tried bacon for the first time...

...and it was a HUGE hit haha! We have a couple of bacon lovers!

We got to visit Grandpa for lunch when he was in town for a conference!

I will miss these gigantic roses at the Sherrye house...

Such an avid little reader :)

This is just about the cutest welcome to the neighborhood!

Such a sweet "helper"

And then I wonder why I can't get anything done...

Grandma was a BIG help on moving day! Keeping the babes occupied with fun new puzzles :)

Haha- silly girl :)

Our little engineer...and Grandpa's helper :)

It was a crazy month of moving, but we are so thankful for our new home!

We got to celebrate my mom's birthday with a fun dinner at the Cheesecake Factory!

Love sweet moments like this...even if they are short-lived :)  {As soon as I snapped this photo, Eli was done holding hands, Maddie was not, and a full twin toddler meltdown ensued}

A battle I have chosen not to fight...there could be worse things than hopping into the dog bed, right?

Checking In on Aiden

Today I had another OB appointment to check in on our sweet baby boy! It should have been just a quick in and out with my doctor, but she had also wanted to do an extra ultrasound to check on my placenta {they found what looked like placental cysts last month}.

Good news is that our boy is growing really well and is super active! We didn't get good photos this time, but it was fun to see him move around and be silly. He kept kicking against the ultrasound wand and waving hello :)  

Heart Rate: 141 bpm

Weight: 1 pound, 2 ounces

Measuring: 22 weeks + 3 days {I am 22 weeks + 1 day}

And even better news? No placental cysts! Apparently they were never cysts, to begin with...they are placental lakes. They are basically enlarged spaces in the placenta filled with blood, and they are considered normal. They will continue to watch them and make sure Aiden is growing ok, but they seemed less concerned about lakes than cysts. So there you go! Who knew?

He is still breach, but there is still plenty of time for him to turn...but I wonder if he's going to pull a Maddie and stay in the "wrong" position until the last minute... I'd rather he didn't keep us on the edge of our seats, but we'll just have to wait and see what he does!

22 Weeks

New house, new background! :)

How far along? 22 weeks

Days since transfer: 135 days

Total weight gain: +12ish {our scale broke in the move and we got a different one, so I'm pretty sure the measure is different. I'll know for sure after my OB appointment tomorrow}.

Maternity clothes? Finally. High panel pants and side-ruched shirts never felt so comfortable :)

Sleep: I have slept like a rock this week. With our move and chasing toddlers in a new house with a new routine, I have had zero trouble sleeping all night, and I am so thankful!

Best moment of the week: Moving into our new house! It has been crazy for sure, but it has also been really exciting. Now we're working on getting unpacked, and our sweet baby boy's nursery is our current holding place for all our boxes. 

Cravings: Sweet tea. I crave/want this on a regular basis, even not pregnant. But nothing sounds more refreshing these days than a nice cold sweet tea :)

Symptoms: By the end of the day, my body is aching a good bit, particularly my back. When I am able to finally sit and relax and get some rest, I feel better. Just need some time to recharge and get ready for the next day! Today was also my last official day to wear/carry both of my babies. Usually, when we are going into a restaurant, I don't mess with the stroller and just wear Maddie in the Ergo carrier, and carry Eli on my hip. Strength-wise, I can still do that. But bump-wise...it wasn't happening today. It was just too uncomfortable to have Maddie crammed against my belly. To be honest, it lasted longer than I thought it would!

Looking forward to: Seeing our sweet boy on ultrasound tomorrow! And family time this weekend! Mike was traveling a bit for work this week, so we are excited to have him home over the weekend for our first weekend as a family {without extended family} in our new house!

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Size of baby? About the size of a bag of half dozen bagels, a package of Oreos,  or a baseball mitt

Development: Baby weighs a whole pound already {and something tells me it might be a little more, since all my kiddos tend to measure bigger than their milestone}. He is developing his sense of touch, and his sense of sight is also becoming more fine-tuned. He can perceive light and dark much better, and he can hear my voice, my heartbeat, my blood circulating, and my gurgling stomach :)

Heartbeat: Can't wait to hear that sweet sound tomorrow!

Movement: He is moving A LOT more this week. He seems to be more active at the end of the day and in the early morning.

Gender Predictions? It's a BOY! :)

22 weeks- twin pregnancy

So Long, Sherrye

Today we loaded the moving truck and said goodbye to our second home. {You can read our goodbye to our first home here}.

For us, Sherrye was a fresh start. After closing our church, losing a job, and walking through the loss of a genetic family, we desperately needed some time to heal. We didn't know what the Lord had for us next, so we needed a place where we could figure that out. A temporary stopping place.

Mike and I have reflected on how the Lord has been so gracious to us in each of our housing situations. So it was no surprise when Sherrye was a blessing from the start. We put out the feelers that we were looking for a place closer to Woodcreek, as we had decided to move back to the church where we had met to be close to family and community while we processed through life. Some friends from the 20s group reached out and everything just fell into place.

We have been so grateful for the Sherrye house. You never know how renting from friends will turn out, but we never had to worry about that with J&T. They have been super gracious from day one, and we were just glad to be the chosen stewards for their home while they lived abroad. We hope and pray that we were able to be at least a fraction of the blessing to them as they have been to us.

This home didn't come with creaky floors or crazy rodents {thankfully!}, but as an older home, it still came with its own charm. But I like to think it got us prepared to be homeowners :)  

While we were trying to figure out what the Lord had for us in this season, we found this home to be a safe haven. We have been closer to family and community, and it has allowed us to seek the healing we so desperately needed. While we would still face more questions, loss, and heartache, this home will always hold a special place in our hearts, because Sherrye is where we brought our babies home.

Some of the great memories in this home...

• Getting re-connected with our church family at Woodcreek
• Being closer to family, enjoying lots of cousin time
• Celebrating 5 years of marriage to my best friend, deepening our relationship through the Re | Engage study, and remember that fun year of dates?
• Getting to set up a nursery and take maternity photos {which I love, since we got to take engagement photos in our Leland house}
• Bringing our precious babies home and surviving the first year with twins :)
• Celebrating our first Christmas as a family of 4
• Learning to lean on and trust the Lord through miscarriage, crazy health issues, job and ministry changes

Despite our plans for a temporary stopping place, Sherrye was home to us for almost 3 years. It was never our plan to stay long term, but we will forever be grateful for the opportunity we had to live, heal, and grow in this place. We are excited about diving into our new home and community, but we know that it would not have been possible without the blessing of this Sherrye home.

21 Weeks

How far along? 21 weeks

Days since transfer: 128 days

Total weight gain: +10.0 {no gain this week...hmmm}

Maternity clothes? I successfully made it to our move without unpacking our maternity clothes! But now it's definitely time :)

Sleep: Still sleeping fairly well. I had some insomnia again this week, but I think that's mostly due to our move...my brain just can't shut off as it runs through my endless to-do list.

Best moment of the week: Getting to feel baby more! I love the kicks and flips, and I especially love when Mike can feel them too. Also, getting to show the new house to family! We're getting closer to the actual transition to the new house, and while things are definitely crazy, we are so excited! 

Cravings: Nothing specific this week. I still have a sweet tooth, but haven't actually eaten much sugar this week.

Symptoms: Overall, I feel good! Baby boy is starting to kick my bladder a bit more, so I find myself running to the bathroom more often. Also, pregnancy/mommy brain has definitely set in. I mean, I am definitely dumber after having Eli and Maddie {it's a real thing, and it makes me so sad haha}. But it's definitely getting worse...you know, like when you schedule a TV installation without having moved your TV yet...oops. There really is no defense for that, but I will say that the technician was able to successfully complete the install without my TV, so there's that. WIN. And I provided him a good laugh and story. So, you're welcome TV Installation Guy...you won't forget the crazy lady that scheduled a TV installation without her TV and had 2 crazy toddlers running around, dropping Sam's-sized Cholula bottles on the tile floor. Thank you for at least trying to keep your laughter at bay :)

Looking forward to: Moving into our new home! And getting unpacked...I am ready to be rid of boxes!

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Size of baby? About the size of a Chipotle burrito, a bottle of Sriracha, or an 80s fanny pack

Development: This week, measurements switch from crown-to-rump to crown-to-heel length. His little arms and legs are finally in proportion, and neurons are connected between the brain and muscles. Cartilage is turning to bone. So all this means more control over limb movements. But despite all of his movement, he is still sleeping a lot. He is practicing his swallowing, and his taste buds are developed.

Heartbeat: Supposedly you can hear baby's heartbeat with a stethoscope now...I haven't tried it, but if I get access to one, I will definitely try it!

Movement: Definitely feeling him A LOT more! I can even feel him doing somersaults haha. Mike got to feel him kick this week, which is always fun! 

Gender Predictions? It's a BOY! :)

21 weeks- twin pregnancy

High Five for Friday!

{one} I posted my weekly bump photo yesterday, and I can't believe we are already halfway{ish} through this pregnancy! I thought it would be fun to do a little side by side comparison of my twin bump vs. this singleton bump...but looking at the two photos, I am trying to figure out how on earth my bump is bigger with one baby haha! Despite the fact that my bump looks bigger, it is definitely smaller from hip to hip {so I guess he just sticks out farther?}, and it feels a whole lot lighter! Also notice how less tired and refreshed I look 2 years ago...   :)

{two} We are in FULL packing/moving mode around here! I do as much as I can while babies are napping, because having 2 little "helpers" makes getting anything done practically impossible :)  We are also going to have to do some serious baby proofing in the new house...they can reach and have already figured out how to open any and all doors {yikes!}, and cabinets are a joke to them. Someone asked me why I wanted to keep them out of all the rooms...and it was hard to explain what it's like to have 2 kiddos pulling any and everything out of cabinets/drawers/closets in separate rooms because there are 2 of them. Think: monkey see, monkey do. They divide and conquer, and they're FAST. I just have to run to the bathroom for 60 seconds and the house is completely destroyed. So that's the crazy toddler stage we're in right now!

{three} This is completely random and probably super uninteresting, but can we talk about the crazy weather?? In the last week, we have had temperatures ranging from 82 to 26. We have had tornado warnings, hail, high winds, and sunshine. I know it's spring in Texas, and we often have crazy weather patterns, but I don't ever remember it being 26 degrees in April. This is what I like to refer to as "stupid cold." I am hoping the crazy cold temperatures are behind us, and we can look forward to real spring warmth!

{four} So Mike recently got a promotion at work, and I am so proud of him! He has been working really hard, filling in a lot of gaps as changes in personnel have occurred, and I am excited about this new position for him. It will give him the opportunity to do more direct one-on-one coaching, as well as engage with a broad range of church leaders again, which are both things he excels in. I am so thankful for how hard he works to provide for our family, and I am thankful for how the Lord continues to show His grace in Mike's work. 

{five} We're headed up to the new house again this weekend to try to move some more boxes and get a few things done. I'm glad I'll have help, so then maybe we can divide and conquer the twin tornadoes and actually get some tasks checked off the list! :)

20 Weeks

How far along? 20 weeks {halfway there!}

Days since transfer: 121 days

Total weight gain: +10.0 

Maternity clothes? I'm trying to hold out...mostly because we're moving and things are just crazy. My maternity clothes are still packed away, and I really would like to not have to unpack them until we get into the new house. We'll see how this goes...and again- it's not because I'm so tiny haha. My belly is plenty big. It's because I have a lot of stretchy clothes that aren't labeled maternity, but for all intents and purposes might as well be :)

Sleep: I have been so exhausted at the end of the day that I just pass out and barely move until my alarm goes off. Turns out chasing toddlers, growing a baby, packing, and moving while pregnant are pretty exhausting endeavors! But I am super thankful for the energy and good sleep.

Best moment of the week: Closing on our house! We are officially homeowners, and we are so excited about where the Lord has placed us. Also, Mike was sick for a couple of days {not a best moment of the week}, so I was on full time with babies. And it. kicked. my. butt. Haha. Shout out to the single mamas; you are my heroes. So that means a best moment was when Mike was better and we were back on track as a team!

Cravings: Still having a lot of sweet cravings. But mostly I have craved water all week...I am super thirsty these days!

Symptoms: My back started hurting a little bit, and I am sure it's because of all the packing, moving, bending, chasing, etc. I am doing. And this probably isn't a symptom, but I wanted to include it because I think it's funny...so my baby bump this time around is definitely more squishy than last time haha. My sweet daughter is oh so kind to point this out, as one of her favorite things to do these days is lift up my shirt, point at my belly button, and squish my belly. She thinks it's hilarious, and it's a good thing I have good self esteem :)

Looking forward to: Moving into our new house! I am ready for the packing {and the unpacking} to be over, so that I can focus on counting down to our sweet boy!

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Size of baby? About the size of a pint of root beer or a red Swingline stapler

Development: His eyes can now open, and he is growing like crazy!

Heartbeat: Still nice and strong, and still one of my favorite sounds :)

Movement: Definitely feeling him more! The other day, I had my hand on my belly and could feel him from the outside, so I am hoping Mike can start feeling him soon too! I also think it will be fun when Eli and Maddie can feel him...I can't wait to see what their reaction will be :)

Gender Predictions? It's a BOY! :)

20 weeks- twin pregnancy

So We Did A Thing...

...WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!

We signed the papers today, so I guess you could say it's officially official- we are homeowners! AKA real adults  :)

Once again, the Lord has been incredibly gracious to us in our housing situation. We started saving for a house when we got married, but had to put those plans on hold when we experienced health issues and infertility. We originally thought we would buy in McKinney {since we planned to plant a church and lifelong roots there}, but when the Lord showed us He had other plans, we didn't really know where we would be, so buying a home didn't really make sense.

Since the Lord has been gracious to Mike in his job, and we have found a new church home at Parkway, we revisited the idea of buying a home last Fall. We started looking, just to see what was out there. We quickly realized it wasn't the right time; the housing market has been CRAZY in the DFW area. So we decided to put things on hold until the summer and save a little more.

In February, we started talking about buying a house again, since we knew baby #3 would be joining us in the Fall. We realized that it would be most ideal to move before the summer {so this preggo didn't have to wrangle toddler twins during a move in the middle of the summer}. Otherwise we would be waiting until after our little guy was born to start that process. I mean, you can dream, right? So we started looking again, and well, here we are!

We reached out to a realtor friend, started receiving listings, and walked through 2 other homes before we saw this one. We instantly fell in love with it and decided to put in an offer. And they accepted it. No joke. The whole process, from making the decision to look again to the offer being accepted, took 2 weeks. THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN. At least not in this market. When we tell people how fast and easy everything happened, they can't believe it. We know people who have literally given up on the whole house buying process because after 20+ offers and no results, you {understandably} get a little discouraged. It's partly why we started looking again so early, because we thought it would take awhile. Certainly more than 2 weeks! 

But it's how we know the Lord was planning for us to live in this house all along. There were fun blessings after the fact, when we realized that the Lord was connecting us with a sweet family. As soon as we walked into the house, Mike noticed the books on a bookshelf and immediately recognized them as DTS required reading. After we had put in our offer and they accepted it, we drove by the house and got to meet the owners {not planned...we're not stalkers. Though we learned they stalked Mike on Facebook haha!} 

From our amazing realtor to my connections at the bank, everything has fallen into place in ways only the Lord can orchestrate. I am thankful for the ease of everything, which has made this process as smooth as it possibly could be. We have been in full packing mode the last couple of weeks, and will start moving things over now that we have keys, but won't make the big move for another couple of weeks. But when it's all said and done, we will be moved and settled before I get HUGE, and before it gets too hot, and I could not be more thankful.

Pro Tip: Bring along a Granny to distract the toddlers :)

So where are we moving? We're headed just north of McKinney to Melissa. We actually are only 10 minutes away from our Leland house, so we will be right back in that area for our day-to-day shopping and entertainment. Once we get settled, I will provide more updates about our new home and community. But for now, we are just so excited about this next step, and we cannot wait to see what the Lord does in our new home and neighborhood!

19 Weeks

How far along? 19 weeks

Days since transfer: 114 days

Total weight gain: +8.0 {that packed on fast haha}

Maternity clothes? Still all things stretchy and loose. We had a weird cold front come in earlier in the week, so I just clicked right along in sweatpants :)

Sleep: I seem to sleep pretty well, with a random night or 2 of insomnia here and there. 

Best moment of the week: Getting to see our sweet boy on ultrasound! He was moving all over the place, but it was so comforting to hear that he was growing right on track :)

Cravings: Anything sweet. I have done really well with not craving sweets so far, which is huge progress over my twin pregnancy when I craved something sweet every day. I'm trying to be good, but I found myself thinking about more sweet treats this week...

Symptoms: I feel good! I don't really have many symptoms, if any. Or if I do, I'm just too busy chasing toddlers to notice them haha. Either way, I am thankful for some extra energy and for feeling good!

Looking forward to: Hitting the halfway point! How crazy is it that we're almost halfway? Oh, and closing on our house tomorrow...  :)

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Size of baby? About the size of a box of Thin Mints, a hot dog, a pair of sunglasses, or a square tissue box

Development: The vernix caseosa now covers his skin, which protects his sensitive skin from the surrounding amniotic fluid.

Heartbeat: Loved hearing that beautiful sound at our ultrasound last week. We got to see the 4 chambers of his heart, and all was looking good!

Movement: I am starting to feel him a little more consistently. It's still pretty faint, a few "thump thumps" here and there, but there is definitely no mistaking it anymore.

Gender Predictions? It's a BOY! :)

19 weeks- twin pregnancy