25 Weeks

I'm now 6 months: the month of the Eggplant according the The Bump. Also, Bump says that the babies' heartbeats might be heard with an ear to the tummy. Haven't tried that yet.
Baby Center:
"Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture."

The babies probably weigh more than 1 1/2 lbs. now, since they weighed that at the appt. a few weeks ago.

I have recently noticed that many of the warnings given to me by moms about pregnancy have been spot-on. In particular, my back hurts (usually if I sit too long), I'm swelling (fingers, ankles, toes), constant hunger, I move slower, etc. I have started outgrowing some of my maternity shirts, which is very frustrating ($$). In general, I haven't been feeling comfortable with my body. Don't get me wrong... all of this is well worth the few aches and complaints. Really, I have had it very good. I haven't been sick, no headaches, I get to be home and relax through the summer. It's really been much better than Todd & I ever expected. (But I'm not done yet!)

The SUV we bought in October is back in the shop again. We initially took it in because I was not consistently getting resistance from my brakes. There were times that I would push the pedal and not get any braking action until I nearly hit the floorboard. This is very unsafe. After taking it to the dealership (because we figured this would be under warranty), we found out that there is actually a service bulletin on the whole brake assembly. Long story short, we had to replace the brake assembly at our expense. They also made some kind of adjustment on the differential and we replaced the rear brakes. Well, since this initial week-long stint in the shop, we have since found that the differential is now leaking, there are pinhole tears in the CV boots and lubricant from those boots is splattered all over the underside of the car... which may mean that the rear CV joints are damaged. So, it's in the shop again, for who knows how long. I don't do well with the idea that my mode of transportation is unreliable. It's just not good on my nerves.

On a lighter note, here's a picture of Rollei with his nose in my shoe. He was like this for at least 10 minutes. Silly dog.

Some of you will like to know that Rollei has been going to his kennel to sleep during the day while we are home. We don't put him there, we don't close the door. He just goes there. He likes it. Makes me feel better about keeping him in his kennel when we're at work.

24 Weeks

I am still in month 5; the month of the papaya.

Here's what Baby Center has to say about this week:
"Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon."

A little sneak-peek of some of the babies' room. Obviously not all pictured, but they have 2 cribs this chest of drawers and a changing table/chest with drawers put together in their room. A totally awesome recliner/glider is on its way, then the room will be full. We still have a bookshelf and toy chest that match their furniture that need to be assembled and placed somewhere. I think the babies will start taking over the guest room before they even get here!

This is a little advantage to being a Kindergarten teacher. I sent home a lot of supplies with the children this year, including wipes. These were the extra from my class and some from another class. I think I have a good start on wipes. So far, I have also gotten/acquired a large number of bibs, blankets, and washcloths that have already been washed and put away in their new furniture.

Our 6th anniversary is the 28th of this month, but we decided to get a combined gift for each other this year. We got a blu-ray player. We bought it a little early. Todd, of course, did his research and picked the perfect one for what (he) we wanted.

Todd with his first Father's Day card. Sweet time!

I felt the need to move the technical graphic to the end... It was just a little much to see when you first open the blog. Ha! This is fraternal twins at 24 weeks.

23 Weeks

The Bump does not give a new fruit/vegetable each week anymore. Baby Center says that this week is papayas. Here's what Baby Center says about the babies development this week:

"Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb."

We had an appointment at our level 2 ultrasound office downtown today. Everything went really well, except for the almost hour and a half wait. Oh well, we don't have anything else to do, right? (They were very apologetic for the wait.) The babies are developing perfectly on target. They each weigh about 1 1/2 pounds. The doctor was very happy about the babies and said they are "great" more than a few times. He was able to tell me a little more about their positioning. Baby A is along my side like I described last week. Baby B's feet are up beside A's feet and his head is against my left side. B is "transverse". That would explain why I feel most kicking all in the same place (the top right of my belly) - all 4 feet are in the same location!

These are the best 2 of the 4 pictures they gave us today. I know it's hard to make out, but the babies are still very small, so it's hard to get detail. (For singleton pregnancies, 3D's are usually done near the end of the pregnancy - about 35 weeks.)

Baby A's left profile with a hand beside his nose.

Baby B's right profile.

Todd has been busy working in the nursery. Yes, I said nursery, not junk room. He got the room cleared out, we painted, and he put together a crib the other day and put another crib together tonight. We have heard horror stories about the difficulty of putting together cribs, but these were surprisingly simple to put together. I am thrilled with the cribs. I think they are so good-looking and sturdy. Here are a few pictures of our (mostly Todd's) efforts.

Todd's all smiles :-)

I edged around the doors and baseboards.

Todd working on the first crib:

Rollei's contribution. He's sticking his tongue out!

Question:
Is it necessary to use baby detergent for the babies' laundry or is it okay to use regular detergent like Gain or Tide? Also, what about fabric softeners? I would love to know what you think!

22 Weeks: Papayas

And now, a graphic! This is fraternal twins at 20 weeks.

Baby Center:
"At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash or papayas, according to the bump), and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily."

I had an appointment scheduled for tomorrow, but ended up going in today. The babies heartbeats are strong. Baby A has his head down, his spine follows the curve of the right side of my belly and his feet are under my right ribs. He is stretched out and probably pretty comfortable. Baby B, though, is head-up (his head is next to his brother's feet) and is tightly curled up. They couldn't even find a good profile shot to better explain his position. The babies still have lots of time to move. I am measuring about 7-8 months if I were pregnant with just 1. I feel baby A move a lot and some movements from baby B. Todd likes watching my belly move.

Todd had a big job Saturday. He announced the names at graduation. All of the high school faculty wore their college regalia. I heard from many how much they liked that. They felt distinguished - as they are.

Here is a short video of him at work:

So, I thought I would share a recipe. My friend, Nikki, made this when I visited her in Tennessee about a year ago. It is so good and easy to make. I have changed a couple of details (I serve green beans on the side rather than in the casserole). I hope you want to give it a try.
You will need:
1 lb. Hamburger
1 small onion, diced
1 small can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can refried beans
1 can enchilada sauce
1 envelope mild taco seasoning
6-8 flour tortillas
3-4 cups mild cheddar cheese (or Mexican blend)

1. Saute onions and brown hamburger meat.

2. Place 1 layer of tortillas in baking dish & spread a thin layer of refried beans over the tortillas.

3. Add corn, seasoning packet, and 3/4 can of enchilada sauce to meat.

4. Spread about 1/2 of the meat mixture over tortilla layer and sprinkle with cheese.

5. Add another tortilla, bean, meat (remainder of the meat), cheese layer. Top this layer with another layer of tortillas. Pour the remainder of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas then top with a good amount of cheese.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Put on your plate & enjoy!

I serve with green beans. You can also serve salad, chips, guacamole, etc. I also really like a little sour cream on top of the casserole. This is really a delicious dish. Thank you, Nikki, for the amazing and easy recipe.

The first day of summer has been great. I had the appointment, but also got to run some errands. The tomatoes pictured above came from Mom's garden--I stole them today. Todd mowed the grass and loaded more of my school stuff into the attic. Rollei has gotten 2 new toys recently. This is a short video of his first interaction with one of his new toys. His play mode is hilarious. He puts his chest down, tail up and wagging, and barks over and over! Yeah, this may just be interesting to me and Todd. That's okay.

Until next Monday... Have a great week!

Just so you know, uploading pictures and videos takes Blogger F-O-R-E-V-E-R! Anybody know what's up with that? Are there shortcuts that I don't know about?

21 Weeks: Bananas

Baby Center says:
"Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot (or banana, according to the bump). You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well."

This day is bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S! (Kelly Kapor - The Office, of course.)

We attend the "Anchor Class" at church on Sunday nights instead of going to a small group. This group is mostly made up of "prime timers". We really enjoy this class. The group has so much wisdom to share. Anyway, much to our surprise, they threw us a Surprise Baby Party (not "shower" because men were present) after an abbreviated class this past Sunday evening. We were completely shocked and overwhelmed with their kindness and thoughtfulness to do this for us. I don't have any pictures of the party, but this is one of the loot we brought home.

All the puppies are too/two cute!

We have been so blessed with so many people's generosity. I know I can't have too many diapers, but my diaper closet is filling up quickly... I'm glad. Also, I'm starting to feel the push to get this nursery going, as I want to have places to put all of the babies' awesome gifts away.

Aunt Pat and I went shopping/browsing Saturday afternoon and I decided on what I'm going to do with they boys' bedding. I have been taken back by the price tags of bedding sets starting around $150-ish. I just couldn't bring myself to spend that kind of money on bedding X's 2. I found these bumpers, bed skirts, and sheets that coordinated and I liked them, so I got them! (Unfortunately, though, I have realized since that I paid about $10 too much for the bumpers, each, and about $3 too much for the sheets, each. I will be making a return and re-purchase elsewhere.) The babies will not need a comforter/quilt to sleep with, so I don't feel the need to spend on that right now. They already have a good assortment of blankets, which I love. So, here's the picture of the bedding before I make the exchange. I have always had blue, green, and brown in mind. It's simple, but I like it.

We have 2 early release days left this week and an inservice day on Friday. I am still trying to finish up packing and moving the stuff in my room. It has been a big job for me. Mom was able to help make a big initial dent in moving the school-owned materials into the new room and we unloaded it into the storage closet. The rest has been up to me, so far, though. Todd keeps planning to come by to pack/move/load boxes, but his schedule has not allowed him to come yet. Fortunately, the past 2 days, I was able to get some willing older students to load my car (very carefully) with shelves & boxes, but that ended today. (Don't get me started on why. Grrrr.) I really need Todd to come load things now. Our deadline to be completely finished and boxes moved is Thursday early afternoon (I forgot the official time). So, the pressure is on!

Maybe Tomorrow

So sorry to disappoint, but things are just too busy here and I'm now too exhausted to do my regular "Monday" update today. Hopefully I will be able to get it in tomorrow, so check back! Lots of news, a surprise, and several pictures coming up soon.