Finally an update!!

Wow! I never thought my blogs would cut off so quickly! But as I'm sure you all know, I went into the hospital on May 14 and the girls were born on May 16th.

Life has been a whirlwind since then. Allison lost weight, and left the hospital at 4.5 lb. So, when we got home I was very stressed about making sure she (along with Izzie) gained weight. We have done it successfully, as today Izzie weighed in at 10 lb, and Allie at 8.5.

Along with their birth, Todd has created an amazing website, where it is so much easier to post pictures of our growing girls. Also, there is a blog where we are documenting their milestones.

So for updates on us all, visit www.thegrowingwilsonfamily.com .

And to close out this blog, let me thank you all for your overwhelming support throughout the crazy pregnancy. I wouldn't have kept my sanity (mostly) without all of your encouragement.

Signing off!

Stacey, Allison and Isabelle

The Date is Set!

Two entries two days in a row! So, we had our last OB appointment this morning, and have planned for our C- Section!

Our beautiful girls will arrive on Wednesday, May 18, at 7:00am!!

We hopefully will recovery will go well for all three of us, and we'll get pictures posted as soon as possible. In the meantime I am hoping to just not go into labor prior to Wed!

Todd and I are over the moon that we made it this far, and can't wait to meet our beautiful little girls.

So farewell for now....next time this blog hears from us we will be in the hospital!!

Love,

The Wilson Family

All,

This morning I had my final appointment with Dr. Korotkin, my perinatologist. He has been amazing, and I am so thankful to have him as part of my team.

The more exciting part is finding out that we will be birthing these babies NEXT WEEK!! We don't know what day, but basically because of my heart they don't want to over stress me for an additional week. I can't believe that I may actually have two babies that could be tilting the scales at 6lb/piece.

At this point I am beginning to feel some changes that would build up to labor, and I'm hoping that these will be nice and slow so that I don't actually have labor before the c-section date. So laying down is the way to go!!

I do want to take some time to thank you all, and the amazing team of doctors and family members that have been able to assist me through this extremely difficult process. Todd and my parents, Pat, Larry, Betty and Ginny have been amazing to put their lives on hold to come spend weeks with me. And thank you all of my friends who have sent packages, and facebook notes, and visits, they have all touched my heart. Again, Todd and I have found that we have the best of friends and family around the country, and only hope that we can be there for you the way you have all been there for us.

And so you know everything that is going on here, we are installing hardwood floors on Thursday/Friday, so hopefully the girls will at least hold of until after that!

So, you should be hearing soon with a date for these little ones arrive, and then this blog will take on a completely different tone!!!

Much love to each of you,

Stacey, Allison and Isabelle

Good to Go!

I honestly never thought I would get to this moment. I finally get to say that I am okay with going into labor!

Today is a big marker, 34 weeks. This means that under no condition will they stop labor if it starts. AMAZING!

After all of the excitement over the weekend, our two physicians spoke and decided they will not let me "go" any further than 37 weeks. So within 3 weeks, we'll be parents of two children!

They measured a little differently today, one was 4lb 10oz, and the other 5lb 8oz. I'm excited about both, but it makes me a little weary that their weights are so different, so I'm not tying myself to those.

Thank goodness for SB and GR, who met me at the ER with a wheelchair to help me up to my appointment. Standing up for more than 5 minutes or so is getting to be quite uncomfortable, along with sitting, or hanging in any position outside of laying on my precious Snoogle pillow.

So, the rest of our updates will probably be brief, until the "big day" comes!!!

Team Wilson is on the final stretch!!!

Hope all is well with each of you,

Stacey and the girls

Visit to Northside

All,

After being forbidden to take my old contraction medication, I started having contractions about every 15 minutes on the day of the Royal Wedding. They were on and off, but then got to about every 8 minutes, so I called my physician.

And off to Northside we went. We were placed in a beautiful Labor room, and were evaluated by a Nurse Midwife. She was quick to tell us that I was 1cm dilated and 50% effaced. This sent Todd and I into a tailspin. She basically told us we were "in labor".

The next step was to have them ultrasound the cervix to confirm. We waited about 2 grueling hours, and of course I'm thinking that things were going to move forward before we got down there.

So we finally get downstairs into to the ultrasound and BAM.....no change since last week. So basically the Midwife was wrong, completely wrong. There was no dilation at all. I can't tell you the relief that we felt at that point.

With two physicians, we decided to watch the contractions over night, and then home in the morning (Sat.). Also, they went ahead and gave me the steroids for the babies' lungs. But I think they felt that the contractions would die down, which they didn't. So every couple of hours the nurse came in to tell me she was calling the physician, and then would try a new medication, which barely effected them.

Sat. AM they scanned again and found that there was still no effect on the cervix. So basically they sent me home.

What is next? I am not to report back to the hospital until I 1) am in labor or 2) I come in for my c-section.

AND, they will not be doing anything to stop labor, so when these girls decide to come, that's that!!

I can't believe we are coming so close.....FREAKY!

I'll keep you posted!

Stacey, A and I

3 Appointments

Hey All!!

Kept you waiting on the Tuesday update this week, sorry about that!!! We have had three very different appointments in the last two days. I'm going to jump right in.

1. Our Perinatologist told us that both babies are for sure breech, so C-section it is. Also, the cervix still looks good. This being said, they aren't going to look at it any more. This means I actually graduated from something...very exciting! He wants to skip next weeks appointment. Scary :)

2. I went over to Crawford Long to see my Cardiologist today. Echo and ECG, and all looks good. She is happy with the C-section because it is less work on the Aorta. So good appointment as far as she is concerned!

3. We stopped for a quick burger at Wendy's (new fries are great) and headed to our OB. This is where it took a little turn. All was fine from a cervix standpoint, but there is now a change in focus. Instead of focusing on the babies and preventing prematurity, we are now focused on my health. So, he said that he doesn't want me taking Terbutaline for my contractions any further. So basically, if I have 6 or more in an hour, I am headed for the hospital to have them stopped.

And to put it in perspective, I have taken a Terbutaline for the last two days.

So, along with these threatening Tornado watch and possibility tonight, we could be headed to Northside Hospital at any time. I will update my blog every day IF I go in, and in fact may start updating a little more frequently.

So, I'm glad everything is going well, and if I end up in and out of the hospital for the next two-four weeks, that is fine by me, just wish I could keep control of them at home still.

Alright, well I'm off, talk to you soon!!

Stacey

Ouch!

Happy 32 Weeks everyone!!

It has been a busy few days, so I'm going to get right to the meat of the story this week.

Friday: At the OB's office we rescanned the cervix, which had returned to its original length and it did not change at all. He pulled the Fetal Fibronectin test (will explain more below) and told us that at 31 weeks, our babies would be healthy if they were born today. Of course there would be time in the NICU, but that they would pull through. This lead to a good weekend!!

Monday: The Fetal Fibronectin test came back NEGATIVE!!! A negative means that there is a 96% chance that I will NOT go into labor in the next two weeks. More good news!

Today: Babies look great! They are 4lb 5oz and 4lb 4oz, so exciting! I am so glad they are keeping up with each other, and in fact they are both growing at a terrific rate. Cervix still looks great, and the Perinatologist told us that "we won", meaning we have gotten to the safe range. So with two doctors telling us that, it is an amazing feeling.

Here comes the two "Ouch" items:

1. Both babies are still breech. So since they will most likely end up doing a C-section. I'm cool with it, as long as our babies are safe!

2. Heparin. In order to keep my blood thin, they have to switch me from Lovenox (lasts a few days in your system) to full Heparin (which lasts about 12 hours) in case I go into labor. I will start that in 2 weeks. For all you RNs out there, I'll be on 10,000u SQ BID. OUCH and BRUISE!!

So all in all, Todd and I are basking in the happiness that we are getting to our goal in this 3 year adventure. It seems so scary to just enjoy what is happening, but I am getting there! Of course with each week I want one more week so badly :):).

Okay, and last but not least, you get to see big mama Wilson. Please don't laugh too hard! (Okay, you can laugh, I will laugh with you)

Love you all!

Stace, A & I

The Ball is Officially Rolling

Hello All!

I am very glad that I did NOT skip my appointment this week, as recommended by my physician.

My cervix is beginning to shorten, and in fact it is what they call "dynamic". Basically, we don't know what it means outside of the cervix shortening and lengthening on its own. It reminds of me of some sea creature, opening up and closing. In fact, it closed right in front of or eyes on the ultrasound.

So we go in for testing on Friday which should determine if we are going to deliver in the next 2 weeks. And if it is positive, we will start the steroid treatments. If it is negative, I guess I don't know what the next step will be.

I guess we are getting to the exciting time, but I am just determined to do what it takes to keep these girls in me as long as humanly possible.

While I tend to be freaked out by anything outside of normal, of course Dr. K remains calm, cool and not concerned about it. So I'm trying to stay that way too. He feels the body is just simply warming up for what needs to happen in the next few weeks.

That's what I've got, I'll keep you posted as we get more news!

Always,

Stace and the Girls

The Big 3-0

A couple nights ago I was laying there, and then all of a sudden felt that the right side of my stomach was going to be pulled off my body.

And, as confirmed by ultrasound yesterday, I was right in thinking that. For our little growing baby "A" had flipped over, leaving both babies head down (and staying that way is my only hope for avoiding a c-section). It was great news itself, not to mention that I feel like I'm starting to understand what is going on in there :):).

Other great news, the babies are weighing 3lb 5oz and 3lb 9oz. So we're working toward 7lb of baby in there. I couldn't be more excited about them gaining 1 lb each over these last two weeks. And hopefully this will continue for seven more glorious weeks! At that point I may not be able to reach around my belly to post the blog, but maybe someone else will pick it up for me.

But the most exciting thing we are preparing for this week is the arrival of our newest neighbor, the little "B" Bean! Our children have been a project we have worked through together over the last couple of years, and out of it we have gained an amazing friendship. The three babies we'll be delivering in the next month or two have been part of our plan since the end of 2009. And without DB's support and encouragement, I'm not sure I would have made it through the grueling IVF process without losing my ever loving mind. So with that we can not wait to meet the first of our litter on Monday (or earlier if D actually executes the mulching of her back yard this weekend).

Have a great week, and I will try to be more punctual with my Tuesday updates next week!

Love, Stacey and the girls

Tulip Time!

Two years ago I planted my first bulbs, along with this small bush/vine that I hoped would some day grow up my mailbox pole. I was so delighted when they actually grew and bloomed! I then understood the satisfaction that comes with gardening.

Last year, after a year of highs and very low lows, Todd and I took a trip to Hawaii. The trip was awesome, and I wouldn't trade the memories for the world, however my tulips hit their peak while I was gone. So I didn't get to partake in their beauty.

Last week, our beautiful tulips bloomed again, along with the bush around the mailbox. And once again, my opportunity to view them is only on mornings when we pull out of the garage to head to doctors appointments :). So my Uncle Larry did the best thing ever by taking some pictures. So this is what I will savor until I am able to enjoy them more, in spring 2012.

Our Tiny Girl Update

So this was an interesting week.

Once I hit the 28 week mark, I decided it was good to start reading books and ordering stuff. I apologize if every sentence I say starts with, "I was reading that...". K, I am reading the twin books and they are FREAKING ME OUT!

In addition, Carters had everything on sale, so I went on and ordered plenty of coordinating pairs of preemie, newborn and 3mo. outfits. They have so much cute stuff, it was hard to choose! But not to worry, because my loving sister had a similar idea and today I received a box with literally every item that they carry that I did not purchase online. Maybe we have some sisterly ESP :). Between us, my aunts and Todd's mother, I actually think we could open our own Carters small baby franchise!

Let's get down to the serious stuff. On Sunday my Braxton Hicks contractions started getting quite close together, about three minutes apart. Naturally I went into panic mode and called the Midwife on call. I doubled my meds and was able to get through the night. Monday they resurface and I called the office again. Stacey, the RN for my doctor was able to talk me off the cliff with much reassurance, and so I was able to make it through last night.

This morning I almost packed a bag, pretty much sure I was dilating and was going to be sent to Northside to be admitted. But believe it or not, my ultrasound was so good that Dr. K and the sonographer were shocked how far I am from dilation. In fact, they measured twice! If you would like more details shoot me an email, and I'll give you the figures. Also, he implied that I may make it to 37 weeks. And here I was counting down to 34!

So all in all it was a great appointment. In addition, it is "Jose" day, Jose is our house cleaner. So I'm not sure it can get better than that :).

Thank you again to all who have commented on FB, emailed and visited, it is helping me keep my sanity for sure.

Much love, Stacey and the girls

Welch's and McCormick

Todd and I went to the Dr.'s office this morning to check on the girls, and everything STILL looks great!! For the 6th week in a row, he reassured me that my contractions are not changing anything. Also, the girls are each weighing about 2.5 lbs. So from a visit standpoint all is well.

But if you all remember from a few posts ago, both doctors told us that after 28 weeks we either "popped the champagne" or "everything more is gravy". So when I returned home from my appointment, one of my closest friends popped over with some McCormick and Welch's!! We both had a few sips until she got a headache (she's looking for an early April delivery of a little boy) and I started getting a touch of heartburn. But still the best celebration that I could ask for. Without her, I don't know if I would have mentally made it this far.

So I will continue to lay in bed, have contractions and pay bills, and we'll keep baking these girls as long as we can!!

Have a great day all!!

Stacey and the girls

I am so happy to pass the 27th week of this crazy twin pregnancy. And no, the anxiety does not go away. I think I will be anxious until I have to bouncing chubby little girls!! Allie and Izzie have moved on us again, and have returned to a T formation. Baby A is feet down with her head around my belly button. Baby B is laying across the top. I'm posting some pictures today, this first one doesn't show much except the outside of the sisters' heads. It's the best "group shot we've gotten in a while.

The next shots are both of Baby A. She was working the camera this morning! Here is a little profile of head and belly (head is on the left) and maybe a little fist sticking up there.

This second one of Baby A is a little crazy. She is looking straight at the camera. You can see her left eye pretty well, and her chubby cheek and mouth. I think she gets her baby fat from her mom.
Lastly and DEFINITELY least, is a little pic of me. I know you are all wondering how I look carrying these two beauties around....so there you have it. But with many more weeks to go, you may not see many more pics of me as the clothing selection is getting limited!

Overall, it was a great appointment and I look forward to getting through the next week and into the safety zone. Thank you all for your support, and I'll keep you posted!!

Duh, Spooning!

Sorry for the Charlie Sheen ref., but it was too easy!

The weekly report went well! The girls are holding up, and so is their mother! So we keep cranking away!!

They have shifted both again, and both babies are breech. I should have guessed it happened with the amount of action that was happening in there on Sunday. The are both facing my left side, spooning I guess! I am thankful that the "head by the bladder" thing is over for the time being.

Also, they both weigh about 2 lb. The are growing as they should and are measuring right on 26 weeks.

This week our aunts B & G are here from Salem, and are being amazingly helpful. I don't know what Todd and I would do without such an supportive group of family and friends.

Thank you K. for the twin books, they arrived today and I've already dove into one. Kind of scary to think of the chaos that is about to hit this house.

That's the update, I'm back in my loose pants and am ready to celebrate the rest of Todd's birthday! Also, Happy Birthday to A and C, so many good ones today.....and Courtney tomorrow!!

Thirty-what?

I am very aware that I will be growing bigger because I am having twins. But my OB announced today that I am measuring 37 weeks! Doh! This is only shocking when one realizes that I am only 25 weeks, with many, many weeks to go.

On arrival home mom and I realized that I am down to about 4 pairs of pants that fit me, have you know that they are all pajama pants/scrubs. (and the scrubs will probably only last another week or two)

So you can imagine how excited I will be for spring to really arrive, so I can start wearing some of my maternity summer dresses to MD appointments. Yes, my only excitement for looking cute involves Dr.s Garcia and Korotkin.

On a side note, this premature spring weather (it will be freezing over next week) has caused all of my tulips to pop up early, so that's a bummer. Hopefully they will live long enough for me to see them when I go to a doctor's appointment one day!

Happy Friday everyone, have a beautiful weekend!

Unsynchronized Swimmers

We went to see our little unsynchronized swimmers yesterday, and everything looks great!

Baby A is head down, with her feet over her head, holding a serious pose. It looks quite uncomfortable, but also helps me understand the discomfort my bladder is feeling too!

Baby B has her head in the left upper quadrant of my abdomen and is laying straight across. The coolest thing about her is that while the ultrasound was over her, she was drinking away! Just enjoying the fluid.

I think she picked that up from me, seeing as I'm probably going through about 3 liters of water a day. And since this is my main activity, she's just following my lead.

The cribs arrived this weekend, and Todd was able to assemble 1 within about 15 minutes (stud). We are probably going to change out our flooring before the girls come, so the other one remains in the box. I can't wait to start taking pictures of it as it comes together!

The guest/girls bathroom is also being transformed, as Todd refuses for this process to end without a pink room. Mom and Todd have been layering the coats on over the last few days, but basically the bathroom will be a pink explosion very shortly. Go Girls!

Bed rest is going fine, I could complain but there is no place I'd rather be than at home growing my family.

Thank you for all of the visitors!!! If you are considering a visit, the morning is definitely better since I tend to get more contractions in the afternoon.

Mostly, thank you to my mom who had been tending to me over the last week, and has more time to go. She's putting up with my water intake habits very well.

I guess I should post updates a little more frequently, as it seems I have a few more things to say than I originally thought! I hope you all are having a great week!

Champagne or Gravy?

Today I had a great check up with Dr. K. All looks great as we move into this exciting new time! I am officially 6 months pregnant, with a couple of VIABLE babies!!

So what did I do when I got home? Ordered two cribs and mattresses! I can't wait to get the nursery finished off!

What is next? Here are the two messages I got from my two physicians (top in their fields)

Dr. G - "At 28 weeks we pop the champagne"

Dr. K - "At 28 weeks it's all gravy"

You make the call....or guess which call I may make ;)

First Week of Bed Rest - Wrap up

Well,

I am not fluent in Spanish yet, nor have I tried :)

This week has been not been bad, although I did get released for two outings to Dr.'s appointments. Next week there is only one, so we'll see how nutty I get then.

Here's a wrap up of my days:

I get up with Todd, and usually shower after he does. Then I take in a bit of the Today show. Then I usually read until lunch, which is followed by more reading. I take nap in the afternoon, then follow up with Ellen.

This loose pattern, very luckily, has been interrupted almost every day! Courtney was here for almost a week, and Pat Wilson is now here keeping me company. I love being able to have quiet time to catch up with everyone! This week I also had great visits from Ali R, Georgette R, Suki F (and Nico), Julie S, Joyce C and Amanda W!

Now I am leaving out exciting events such as paying bills on line and checking FB, but I'm sure you all know I keep up with that!!

Hopefully posts will continue to be this calm and pleasant, and I'll talk to you soon!!

Stace and the girls

Big Trip Out

I never thought my legs would feel weak walking down the stairs! But I left my lair this morning for a jaunt down to Piedmont to get checked out.

Ran into a couple of neighbors at the office, which definitely confused the office staff.

The girls, and even better, the cervix, all look perfect! So Todd jetted me back to the bat cave to continue my hibernation.

Today I'm trying a new site I read of in my Vanity Fair called InTheMO.com. It basically takes your ranking of various activities and restaurants around town, and then makes recommendations for places to try. The downside for me, is that I can't actually try any of it right now. It is sort of a "Pandora Radio" for life :).

Hope all is well with you!

Monday - Reminiscing of childhood

It's Monday! I am keeping up with many suggestions from friends regarding bed rest, so basically I have not left my bedroom since Friday night. (Thank you all for your input, I'm taking it all!)

It kind of reminds me of a game that Court and I used to play when we were little. We would divide our room in half with jump ropes, and whichever part of the room we were stuck in was our apartment. Usually Court would get the closet and the bathroom and I would have the door that exited to the rest of the house.

Man times have changed, I guess I'm stuck with the bathroom and closet :).

Melissa stopped by today, it is so exciting to be able to catch up with friends! I thank you all for your messages, calls and visits!

Calming the girls

It has been a long week for the Wilsons, which kicked off with some serious anxiety on Tuesday. I just didn't feel "right", which was followed by a quick trip to Dr. Korotkin.

Dr. Korotikin, my perinatologist, is an amazingly calm man and remained this way through our appointment. He checked the girls and my cervix, both of which are still perfectly in place. Lastly, he placed me on the monitor, which is where he found I was having mild contractions.

He placed a call with Dr. Garcia's team (my OB) and off to Northside we went. I'll give credit to Georgette, who dropped it all to pick me up in a wheelchair and drive me to meet todd. So we hit the ole' 5 o'clock traffic on the way up 400 and arrived at NH around 5:45.

I planned on making a scene at admissions, since it took us about an hour to get a bed last time we were admitted. But this time I just sat in my wheelchair, stated our case, and we were in a room in 10 minutes. At this moment my contractions were about 3 minutes apart, but not very strong.

The nurses and physicians were speedy and got things moving as quickly as they could. This meant restarting my IV after my first infiltrated during the middle of shift change (very big props for nurses!).

After one night the contractions decreased to about 1 per hour. They planned on keeping me one more night (at least) and moved me to a room with a window and a shower. After the shower, contractions began to increase again. This is when Todd and I realized what we are in for for the next 14 weeks.

Later last night we made the decision that we would be headed home tomorrow (today). My fear is complete boredom which will lead to further anxiety. So, in response, our family came together on a conference call and are creating a coverage sheet for the next couple of months.

So let the bedrest begin!! We new it was coming, just not sure when. Todd ordered me a kindle, and the tips I received are to stay in bed because if you go downstairs you're tempted to do things. So you can all picture me in my bed, growing some girls! Get ready for some really slow blog updates!

Oh, and I'm looking for a Rosetta Stone Spanish set if anyone is willing to let me borrow :)

Ciao :):)

A Serious Beer Belly

I saw our little 20 week bananas today! Todd is busy filling Packers and Steelers orders and was unable to make it, but he checked in on his "little ballerinas" as soon as he could. Mostly the appointment was to check my cervix, which looks great, so it wasn't too eventful otherwise.

They are both measuring around 20 weeks, and are officially a couple of cans of beer. One is weighing in at 12 oz, and the other at 13. Why was beer the first thing I thought of when she said "12 oz"? I don't know but am definitely questioning it myself.

They are both head down feet up, I guess they haven't figured out that the top of the uterus has more room! Hopefully they will soon (for my own comfort sake)

Let the countdown begin, 4 weeks until I start frantically planning for the little ladies' arrival this spring!!

Weekend Visitor/Bad Movie weekend!

Mammer came to visit this weekend, and was an amazing help around the house. She encouraged my rest while she helped Todd with various household chores. Thank you Mammer!

We went to JP's shower, where the www.babyfans.com gifts were greatly received! Her husband is from Philly, so we made a good grouping of UGA, Phillies and Eagles gear, all topped off with our new Philly Phanatic hat, which is SO cute! The shower was so fun, with some amazing food.

Because of JP's shower, we missed a shower for AS. We dropped a gift with DB for her with some Georgia Tech goods including a GT sunshade for the car. I think a cute (or sporty) sunshade is a great gift because at Babies R Us you can only get them with their logo....boring! Hmmmm....maybe we need to make some www.babyfans.com sunshades :)

We went to see the King's Speech on Friday, which Mammer gave a thumbs up, mine was in the middle, and Todd was excited to make a trip to refill the popcorn whenever needed. Saturday we watched Bad Lieutenant with Nicolas Cage in the Wilson theater. Now we know why it never made a run in the "real" theaters. So, needless to say, we need some good movie recommendations!

I am feeling great (well, as good as can be expected), and looking forward to a 20 week check up tomorrow!

8 Chambers and...

Two aortas!! Today we saw all of the heart chambers on on the girls! They are measuring 19weeks and 5 days, which is about 5 days ahead. So Mom and Dad are happy campers! This may be your first look at the girls, they sure have come a long way from when they looked like two little lumps with flickering heart beats. Slowly but surely this is all becoming VERY real...

Snowed In!

I've always wondered what it would be like to be snowed in. No work, really no responsibility outside of staying in the house. Well Monday morning we awoke to 6 inches of snow, covered with a nice layer of thin ice, and Atlanta has come to a standstill.

Did we know the storm was coming? Yes. But did we really think we'd be trapped? Absolutely not. So no shipping for Baby Fans (keeping all staff safe) and no commute downtown for me.

I have not worked on the floor since I passed my 12 week mark, so it is bitter sweet this week. No, I don't HAVE to be there so I can stay home and safe. But on the other hand, I love being able to help out, and hate that I couldn't assist in the staffing nightmare it becomes with adverse weather conditions.

So day one consisted of watching a movie on Roku, cleaning out the fridge, and making a quick trip to a neighbors house. The trip may have not been the best idea, as we barely got the car moving out of the ice and snow when we decided to leave. Then it was home, and a visit from Paula, J and D to watch the national championship game. (Congrats Auburn!)

Today, Todd has ventured to Kroger in Paula's Toureg (only 4 wheel drive we know) to get some necessities. We should reach a balmy 34 today, and are hoping some of the ice/snow will start to melt enough to get the cars out of the garage. Realistically, we probably won't be fully mobile until Saturday.

I am 18 weeks today, so that is something fun to celebrate here at the cabin. And of course, now that we are limited to resources, a McDonald's milk shake and fries sure does sound good! Guess we'll have to thaw out for that to happen.

I'm including a couple of pictures of Buddy and his friend Leeka "enjoying" the snow. Buddy's not so sure about it, but Leeka wants to spend hours outside. We continue to coax her into the house so the poor little girl dosen't freeze to death! Enjoy!

Still Crazy...

I'm 17 weeks now, just 7 away from my first big benchmark in this pregnancy. But am I still crazy? Absolutely!

I saw their beautiful little profiles on Tuesday, and heard some rapid heart rates (both in the high 140s). They also told me, because I can't visualize it, that the stitches Dr. Garcia put in are holding wonderfully.

But Wednesday, I feel a little sharp pain NOT near the cervix, and it's sent me into a panic. Thank goodness my coworkers have been so wonderful to cater to my activity requirements, and if I could have used an electric wheelchair all day, I would.

As always, I went home that night, laid on my side and fell asleep around 8:30, and felt fine moving forward.

I guess I can plan on feeling this way for the entire pregnancy, slightly unstable. You may find my eyes searching for somewhere to sit, or prop my legs up, but I know once these girls get here that will be over and I'll be glad I did it.

That's my self venting for today...now I'm off to spend Todd's Keno winnings from last night.

Ciao!

Simplify

My New Years resolution is to simplify this house before the girls arrive. So I am starting this today. Gone are the throw pillows that I kept "just in case" we happen to get new bedding that matches them.

I also believe that plastic bins will be my friend for many, many years to come. I'm off to Target to buy some more, so our Christmas decorations won't have to be taped back into old cardboard boxes moving forward.

And yes, the Christmas decor is getting a serious clean out this year too. Todd is loving all of this, but may change his tune as I start tossing a bunch of old wires/electronics that we don't need.

If only the weather was good enough for a tag sale!