Summer Bucket List :: Try Ice Cream for the First Time

Eli and Maddie got to try ice cream for the first time! We opted for Cold Stone Creamery, and it was the perfect, hot summer day for some ice cream! We let them eat off of ours, so they tried the sweet cream ice cream with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and the chocolate ice cream with M&M's. I also got mine with a waffle cone, so they could try that too. I mean, why not? Right? :)

Eli wasn't too sure about the ice cream. We think he liked it, but he was completely turned off by how cold it was. But the waffle cone? He LOVED that! He seriously couldn't get enough! It was a little reminiscent of the donuts...

Maddie took one bite of the ice cream and couldn't get enough! She was a fan of both the sweet cream and chocolate, and she LOVED the M&M's. She also liked the waffle cone, but she just really liked the whole ice cream experience haha.

Next time, we'll try ice cream cones! :)

{iPhone Rewind} :: June

Pool side :)

Taking a break from playing in the pool :)

Those curly pigtails...

This pup loves playing with her babies...and then she crashes hard haha

Snuggling with mama and baby brother :)

We met our friend Cooper at the play area at Collin Creek Mall. The mall itself is pretty dead, but that's ok with us, because it meant we had the play place all to ourselves!

Oh man. They LOVE it when Mike brings out his guitar!

When they're being too quiet, you know they're getting into trouble...

The text I received from Mike: "That's the still-living fly I pulled from your son's mouth."  Yep. Nope. I just can't...  definitely glad Mike was the one at home. #boymom

These 3...they just have the grandest of times :)

When you run to the bathroom and come back within 40 seconds and the toddlers have covered their hands {and the walls} with black soot...

Wearing Mama's flip flops :)

Reading books with Daddy

I am LOVING all these Maddie snuggles :)

We celebrated Father's Day with a fun lunch at Blue Goose Cantina- Eli and Maddie LOVE their daddy!!

Stuck. Don't worry- he wasn't actually hurt...just upset that he couldn't get out. He's not supposed to be up on the train table, by the way...

And then the very next day...this. He has a habit of getting himself stuck in places he shouldn't have been in the first place haha. 

I brewed up some iced coffee and have been enjoying this sweet treat during afternoon nap!

Glasses buddies :)

Eli was super excited to try on Uncle Michael's shoes :)

They sure are cute!

Enjoying Uncle Michael's birthday dinner!

Supervising the work in the yard...

Summer Bucket List :: Take Swim Lessons

This past week, Eli and Maddie had their first swim lessons! We signed up for a Mommy and Me class with Ashley's Aquatics, and since I have 2 "Me's," my mom was a HUGE help this week. It definitely would not have worked without having her there!

Ashley is awesome! She offers lessons at her home, and she has a really great setup. The Mommy and Me class was geared more to get Eli and Maddie comfortable in the water and provide me with exercises and safety tips to help them learn to love the water. So they're definitely not swimming yet, but we have lots of good things to work on for the rest of the summer.

Some of the things we worked on this week:

• Blowing bubbles
• Holding breath under water
• Floating on their backs
• Kicking legs and paddling arms {pre-precursors to swimming haha}
• Falling forward/jumping into the pool
• Holding onto the side of the pool
• Crawling out of the pool

We certainly haven't mastered everything, but I was pretty impressed with how much they could actually do! There were some tears this week, as both Eli and Maddie were stretched outside their comfort zones, but {overall} they still did really great! 

Checking out his ribbon

Not at all interested in her ribbon :)

And one of the really fun things about the week is that we got to see cousins! Henley was in the same class with Eli and Maddie, and so it was just fun to be learning all together. 

We're looking forward to practicing our new water skills and then returning next year to build on what we learned this summer!

31 Weeks

Lookin' pretty rough this week haha...no makeup, hair in hat = week of swim lessons with Eli and Maddie!

How far along? 31 weeks

Days since transfer: 198 days

Total weight gain: +24.0

Maternity clothes? Some of my maternity pants are starting to feel a little uncomfortable, and I am realizing that I only wore them at the beginning of my twin pregnancy. So even this bump is outgrowing my maternity clothes...

Sleep: This week has been the return of the insomnia...I fall asleep just fine {because I am just so tired at the end of the day}. But then when I inevitably wake up in the wee hours of the morning to pee, I can't go back to sleep for several hours. It's starting to get pretty annoying, as I am basically starting every day at 2 or 3 am...

Best moment of the week: When Mike came home! He traveled out of town over the weekend, so we were glad to have him back home. Also, getting to spend the week with my parents! My dad was here over the weekend, and then my mom stayed for the week to help with Eli and Maddie's swim class.

Cravings: Nothing specific this week. Just can't get enough water!

Symptoms: My hips are starting to feel a bit more achy, and I am starting to feel a little bit of a slow down. Still not quite to the extent of my twin pregnancy, but definitely feeling the heat and weight of pregnancy. Something didn't agree with my stomach this week, and I had a night where I was pretty sick; the hard part was that baby boy had flipped and his little head was practically up under my ribs, which made my sickness all that much more uncomfortable and difficult. I literally had to push on his head to get him to move, just so I could breathe!

Labor Signs: I am adding this category now, only because I went into preterm labor with Eli and Maddie just after 31 weeks. Hopefully we won't see any signs of labor anytime soon, but I am definitely on the lookout, just to be sure!

Looking forward to: My next OB appointment! I see her again next Thursday, and then after that will start seeing her every 2 weeks...how are we already at that point??

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Size of baby? About the size of a 1 pound jar of Nutella, a football, or a large movie popcorn

Development: His brain connections are developing at a rapid pace. He is now processing information, tracking light, and perceiving signals from all five senses. He is growing fast- quickly approaching his birth length. He is also putting in longer stretches of sleep. He is making faces, hiccuping, swallowing, breathing, pedaling with his feet and hands, and sucking his thumb.

Heartbeat: Looking forward to hearing it again next week!

Movement: It seems like he is flipping a lot. I definitely felt his little head up by my ribs a couple of times this week, so I need him to settle down, get his little head in the right position, and stay there! :)

Gender Predictions? It's a BOY! :)

31 weeks- twin pregnancy

30 Weeks

How far along? 30 weeks

Days since transfer: 191 days

Total weight gain: +22.2

Maternity clothes? Yes. I am definitely feeling the heat of the summer. I rarely get cold while pregnant anyway, so the added summer heat adds a new dynamic to my wardrobe choices. I doubt there will be much pants-wearing {at home} as the summer wears on. It's just. too. hot.

Sleep: I have slept a little better this week. My insomnia seemed to be a little better {though not completely gone}, but I have woken up quite a bit with back pain, so that hasn't been super fun.

Best moment of the week: Celebrating Father's Day! I am just so thankful that we get to celebrate this sweet day, and now with another little one on the way :)

Cravings: Grilled cocktail onions. Haha. We grilled chicken kabobs this past weekend, and we use cocktail onions on them, and I just can't get enough of them! Which is funny, because I don't really like onions in general. But grilled cocktail onions? Yes please :)

Symptoms: I have had some more headaches this week. I got my blood work back from my OB visit and learned that I was trending toward anemia. So I have to increase my iron intake, which will hopefully start to help with my headaches. My hips started aching a bit more this week, and I tweaked my back at some point, so that has been pretty sore/tender. So all kinds of aches and pains this week haha.

Looking forward to: Having my parents here this weekend! Mike is traveling over the weekend, so I am thankful to have the extra hands and just be able to have some good family time.

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Size of baby? About the size of half a large Cheesecake Factory cheesecake or a garden gnome

Development: He's going to start packing on the weight at a rate of half a pound per week for the next seven weeks {awesome}. His brain is starting to develop grooves and indentations, which allow for an increased amount of brain tissue. The lanugo {soft, downy hair covering his body} is starting to disappear, and his bone marrow has completely taken over production of red blood cells. 

Heartbeat: Was 141 bpm at our last appointment

Movement: Moving all the time! My development app says his movements may have slowed this week because he's running out of room...but my little guy is still super active, and I love it :)

Gender Predictions? It's a BOY! :)

30 weeks- twin pregnancy

Summer Bucket List :: Take Wagon Rides Around the Neighborhood

The summer heat has kept us from doing this more regularly. It would be ideal to go out in the mornings before the sun is blazing hot, but this preggo doesn't have the energy to pull them. So we have to wait until Daddy is around, which is usually during a warmer part of the day. And then, sadly, we broke our little wagon {which was such a bummer!} so we had to replace it.

Despite the hurdles, we still try to do this as much as we can! It's a good distraction to get out of the house, and Eli and Maddie LOVE it. And I just happen to think that they are the most adorable little wagon riders ever :)

The really nice thing about our new neighborhood is that we are within walking distance of the pool, the playground, and City Hall {which has the spray fountain and the library!} So we take lots of our wagon rides to these fun places to play!

We have enjoyed many wagon rides already, and we look forward to many more!

Summer Bucket List :: Eat Watermelon

When I think of summer, I think of eating watermelon :)

Our grocery store has had them on sale for 20 cents a pound, so we are taking full advantage of the watermelon season! We have bought one almost every week, and plan to get our fill over the next couple of months. And I am so glad that my kiddos enjoy it so much! Seriously, they can POUND the watermelon. I have to cut them off every time haha. They are both asking for more before they even finish what's on their plate. We even started giving it to them as a "dessert" after they finished eating their meal. Because when they see it come out...nothing else matters.

So I think it's safe to say that we LOVE watermelon in our house :)

29 Weeks

How far along? 29 weeks

Days since transfer: 184 days

Total weight gain: +22.0

Maternity clothes? Yep. I was getting ready for church last week and had one of those moments where nothing fit right, and I just felt like a whale in everything I put on. I'm not any bigger than I was with the twins, but I guess I just wasn't feelin' the maternity wear in that moment. Better get over that quick, because this little one is growing fast, and I still have awhile to go!

Sleep: Still having a lot of insomnia this week, which isn't super awesome. Maybe I am just noticing it more this time around, since I can't just take a nap in the middle of the day anymore. Plus, I'm finding that if I am able to sneak a quick nap while E&M are napping, it just makes it that much harder to fall asleep at night. But apparently, when I am able to sleep, I sleep pretty soundly. We have officially entered the snoring phase of pregnancy. Poor Mike sweetly said the other day that he might have to go sleep in another room...I thought for sure I would last a little longer before that started, but I guess not. Sorry babe!

Best moment of the week: Lots of fun things this week...seeing our sweet boy on ultrasound this week, and learning that he finally moved head down! Let's hope he stays that way haha. Also, scoring some baby items for Aiden, while simultaneously passing on some items to other twin moms- win, win! I got a Boppy pillow for free and blessed another twin mama with our Twin Z pillow. I also found a Solly baby wrap for an awesome price, which I am really excited about because I want to baby wear Aiden and needed something more lightweight than my Boba wrap for when he first arrives.

Cravings: No weird food dreams this week haha. I actually haven't been super hungry this week. Which you can't tell by the numbers creeping up on the scale...

Symptoms:  I have had some headaches this week, so I am watching those. Thankfully they haven't been too bad. I also started getting a little indigestion, so I am trying to eat smaller meals. And I am almost positive I have had some Braxton Hicks contractions. You would think I would know for sure about that, but I just didn't register them with the twins, so I feel like a total newbie again.

Looking forward to: A free weekend at home before the craziness of some full weekends coming up! Celebrating Father's Day with Mike :)

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Size of baby? About the size of a 1 gallon jug of milk, a loaf of bread, or Gizmo*

Development: He is starting the process of putting on more fat deposits, so his skin will start smoothing out. His kicks and jabs are going to become more vigorous because he is stronger and excitedly responding to all sorts of stimuli.

Heartbeat: Was 141 bpm at 28 weeks + 5 days

Movement: Moving ALL the time! He kicks and jabs constantly. I still am not sure when he sleeps, but for now, I will just enjoy his sweet movements!

Current Position: Head down! Let's hope he stays there...but I know he'll probably flip back and forth until the end :)

*from the movie Gremlins...I had nightmares about this movie for years! But Gizmo was cute :)

29 weeks- twin pregnancy