First Trimester - Things We Love

I was lucky that I had a pretty easy first trimester this go round. My nausea was pretty mild compared to my first pregnancy, and having been through it before, I felt like I was able to stay on top of it a little more. I bought Sea Bands thinking I would need them, but I only put them on once. As long as I constantly had food in my stomach, I was mostly safe. I also had to stop brushing my tongue for a good 6 weeks, but that's what Listerine is for. Keeping Peppermint Candy on hand to suck on really helped when I was out and about and a wave of nausea came on. Sucking on one of those glorious sugary discs gave me a good 15 minutes to procure some food for my uneasy stomach.

My Starbucks Cold Cup is something I never leave home without. I have three of them that I rotate, so I always have one clean. I use a 24 oz cup and keep it constantly filled with ice water. The more ice the better. If I drink 4 a day, I know I'm getting enough hydration. In the early days of this pregnancy, I would fill it with carbonated water which seemed to help keep me full longer. Then after 6 weeks, it just made me burp constantly, so it was back to tap water. I can't say enough great things about this cup, and they even have cute straws and lids you can switch out during different seasons.

My biggest complaint for the first trimester was headaches. I had them last pregnancy too, but this time I would get them for days in a row. I have the ok from my doctor to take Excedrin, but I try not to unless it's absolutely necessary. I found a combination on things really helped when I would feel a headache coming on. The neck wrap is always my first line of defense. I've had others before, but I really love this one. I love that it covers my shoulders too, and I can fold the shoulder part up to apply extra heat and pressure to the base of my skull where the tension starts. Next up is the cooling eye mask. Really great for when I have pressure behind by eyes. I also substitute in a cold wash cloth if my mask isn't cool enough. Breathe Right Strips are another huge helper for sinus pressure. If you can find the lavender or menthol variety, I recommend them, but most stores don't carry them. Yes they look ridiculous when you wear them, and I have on occasion forgot to take one off before leaving the house, but they really help relieve pressure and open up your nasal passages. My headaches tend to effect every part of my head, but only on one side. Not always migraine status, but pretty darn close.

I stole Harrison and Brooke's humidifier out of there room a few weeks ago, and it has made such a difference in how I sleep. I no longer wake up dry and parched. I love this Crane humidifier because it's so easy to clean. I should probably just order a second one so I can give them theirs back. Another huge sleep help has been an extra pillow. I tried out the Snoogle, and I'm not quite ready for that yet. Having a really supportive second pillow that I can prop my leg up on has been HUGE. I can still stomach sleep with it, and I am going to hold onto that as long as possible.

I bought a Bella Band while going through our first round of IVF. I didn't love it during my first pregnancy, but it has been a lifesaver this time. Maybe because I got bigger quicker? Pair it with the hair tie trick, and I'm still wearing my favorite pre pregnancy jeans, although I'm sure not for too much longer.

I have always had problem skin, but over the last few years I've found a good combination of Mary Kay and Aveeno product that work well for my skin. Pregnancy however completely changes the game. Clogged pores and breakouts seem to pop up way more frequently. I already use a Mary Kay face mask that I love, but I decided to try adding in the Biore Charcoal Mask. It only takes a couple minutes, and using it a couple times a week has made a positive difference in my pores. It's a warming mask, so it feels awesome while you're applying it. Extra bonus!

What tings did you love during your first trimester? Anything you couldn't live without for the second or third trimester? I'm always game to try anything that will help make this journey easier or more comfortable.

Sharing the News with H and B

Thanks to some Dunkin iced coffee, I am not napping today. It's a miracle!! I decided I had better get some ish done, like catching up on the blog posts I've had on the agenda for the last week weeks. First up, how we told the big siblings to be the exciting news.

When I was going through IVF we told Harrison and Brooke that I was going to be having tummy surgery. Not too far off, and since telling them "Mommy is going to have a giant needle stuck through her lady bits, and then they're going to put a couple babies in there," isn't really something they would understand, it worked. They we're very good about understanding my limitations. They were careful of my stomach and understood that I could run and play like usual or pick them up.

Once we got to our fist ultrasound and saw everything was ok, I started picking them up again and was willing to rough house a little bit more. Once that happened, they lost sight of being careful around my stomach and I wound up getting kicked, hit, and climbed on way too much. My belly was already super sensitive, and no matter how many time I reminded them, they just forgot.

We were planning to wait as long as possible to tell them, but around 11 weeks I decided it was time to share the news. Robbie was not ready, but I was and we'd already had three good ultrasounds. I was hoping that if they had a reason to be careful around my stomach, that I'd get less feet the the baby belly. I ordered a few big brother/big sister books from Amazon, put them in a gift bag, and we shared the news. I don't know that they really got it at first, but they are definitely starting too.

They ask all the time if the babies are here yet, and we have to remind them the babies won't be here until Christmas. Then they ask if it's Christmas yet. They are both interested in the babies and often ask what they're doing. Harrison especially is all about knowing what the babies are doing, or if they like something. "Do the babies like fireworks? Do they like this song?" I think it will be really fun for them once they can feel the babies, and the babies can hear sound. I look forward to the kids waking me up every morning because they crawl into bed and snuggle with the babies and I. They ask if the babies are still sleeping and if they're hungry. Seriously so sweet, and for the record they always sleep and are always hungry.

If you ask Brooke if she wants brothers sisters or both, she always says sisters. Harrison initially responded with babies, and that was his response for a couple weeks. Now his answer changes from brothers to a brother and a sister. Only 4 more weeks until we find out!

They have both gotten much better about not climbing on my belly, and being careful when they're sitting next to me. I still have to remind them to keep their elbows from stabbing me, but it's so much better than it was before we told them. They also understand that the babies can make me not feel well. Brooke was lucky enough to walk in on me bent over the toilet. She asked if the babies were making me sick, and then came and rubbed my back while I threw up. The sweetest!

I've included my terrible shot iPhone video of us telling the kids. I was concentrating on them, and not to my phone, so you get half of Harrison's face, and no Brooke. Oh well, you can still hear their reactions, and tell that they mostly just cared about what was in their bags. Typical kids.

Books: I'm a Big Brother/Sister, Babies Don't Eat Pizza, The New Baby 

14 Weeks

How Far Along - 14 Weeks
Total Weight Gain - Up 1 pound this week to 7 pounds total. I'm hoping to keep gaining at this pace. I won't quite make it to 20 pounds by 20 weeks, but I still feel like it's a good rate of gain.
Maternity Clothes - More and more. I broke down and got out my box of maternity clothes from last go round. A lot of it is off season, so I need to go through and see what I can actually use. Still able to wear a few pre pregnancy shirts, and holding onto the hair tie trick as long as possible. Also, yoga pants are my friend.
Sleep - It's still hit and miss each day on whether a nap is necessary. A lot of tossing and turning at night still, but aside from the brief wakings, I'm getting a good 8 hours.
Cravings - Still craving ice cold fluids all the time. As far as food goes, nothing has been calling my name too much over the last week.
Symptoms - Daily growing pains are about it this week. This last week is the first week that I've felt really good all week. The kids and I did a lot of getting out last week which was so nice.
Purchases - I am finally going to give the Snoogle a good try, but it needed a new soft cover. I purchased a jersey one that feels super soft, so I'm ready to test it out. I also purchase some prenatal protein powder in hopes of upping my protein intake.
Miss Anything - Yesterday was National Mojito day. To celebrate I got a virgin mojito. It was good, but it would have been so much better with a few shots of Bacardi. I haven't missed alcohol too much, but last night I definitely wish I could have had a real cocktail.
Looking Forward to - I have an OB appointment this week. I am so looking forward to hearing the babies heartbeats. Hearing two distinct heartbeats is the most reassuring thing ever.
Best Moment this Week - I felt definite flutters this weeks, and I just laid in bed smiling. The movement was on Baby B's side, which surprised me a little bit. Baby B has been pretty quiet at all of our ultrasounds, so I expected to feel movement where baby A is positioned first. I never felt flutters with H and B, so this is different and new for me. I'm absolutely loving it.

365 Challenge - Weeks 24, 25, & 26

I've been making sure to snap at least one picture everyday for the past three weeks, I've just been failing at loading them into weekly blog posts. So here is a massive 365 Challenge phone dump. Over the last 3 weeks we've been to The Children's Museum, visited the zoo and library a few times, and have spent as much time outside as the weather would allow. I feel like my not feeling 100% has held us back from fully enjoying the summer, but looking through the last few weeks of pictures tells me otherwise. I hope we can keep the fun going for the rest of the summer.

6.18.2015

6.19.2015

6.20.2015

6.21.2015

6.22.2015 - iPhone

6.23.2015

6.24.2015

6.25.2015 - iPhone

6.26.2015 - iPhone

6.27.2015 - iPhone

6.28.2015 - iPhone

6.29.2015 - iPhone

6.30.2015

7.1.2015

7.2.2015

7.3.2015 - iPhone

7.4.2015 - iPhone

7.5.2015 - iPhone

7.6.2015

7.7.2015

7.8.2015

13 Weeks

How Far Along - 13 weeks 2 Days
Total Weight Gain - Up 2 pounds this week to 6 pounds total. Noticeable weight gain in the girls and love handles. At least ones a plus.
Maternity Clothes - Maternity tanks and tees for sure. The maternity jeans I ordered this week arrived, and while I love how comfortable they are for the ever expanding belly, I hate them everywhere else. I constantly feel like my pants are falling down. So until I can find a pair that feel like they'll stay on my bum, I'm going to stick to pre pregnancy pants and a Bella Band.
Sleep - Still napping most days. By 1 pm I am in need of recharging. If I don't nap, it's hard to make it until bedtime. Lots of tossing and turning at night, but the sleep I do get is pretty sound. I think if I could drop the nap, I'd sleep like a log at night. I'm not quite to that point though.
Cravings - Beverages. Milk, water, apple juice. My mom's cauliflower salad was a big one this week.
Symptoms - No headaches or sickness this week. At least not anything an iced coffee couldn't sure. Still tired on the regular. I'm starting to feel definite growing pains.
Miss Anything - Productivity at nap time. I'm hoping to get some energy back soon.
Best Moment this Week - Not really a moment, but I'm glad to have made it to the second trimester. The glory weeks. I felt great during my pregnancy with H and B starting about this time. I'm hoping for the  same this go round.

July 4th Weekend

Two weeks ago I told the kids we were going to be going to the lake for the 4th of July to watch the fireworks. They asked if we were going to the lake everyday from the day I told them until we loaded in the van Friday morning. I can't say I blame them for their excitement. When the 4th falls on a weekend, the lake is pretty magical. Some of my favorite memories come from celebrating America's independence while at the lake. This year and last with the kids, are both high on that list.

Friday we got to the lake in time for lunch. We ate, played outside, and took naps. When naps were over, we went to pick up some fireworks and grab dinner from the local fish fry. As soon as they had full bellies, they were ready to get in the water. I promised them goggles for our weekend at the lake, and they couldn't wait to get them on. New goggles paired with their new Minnie and Mickey water squirters equaled two ecstatic kids.

The town fireworks were on the 3rd this year, so around their normal bedtime, we got on PJs and glow sticks, and loaded onto the pontoon. The fireworks didn't start until 10:15, and it was almost 11:30 by the time we were back to the cottage. We closed out the night with a banana and peanut butter snack, and it was lights out by midnight. Tired kids, and tired mommy.

They were of course up by 7:15. Sleeping in is lost on these two. We spent the morning playing in the yard and working on blowing up our new giant pink flamingo float. I knew we wanted to hit up the parade, so that is what we planned our morning around. 

The parade was short and sweet. 15 minutes of fire trucks honking their horns, parade floats, and people throwing candy. It took both kids a few minutes, but they got the hang of picking up the candy off the ground real quick. We were surrounded by a lot of older kids, so they missed out on some of the candy they ran after. One little girl kept offering her candy to Harrison since she saw he missed out a few times. It was so sweet.

Robbie had to work in the morning, but he made it up just as we were waking up from our naps. The kids and I were in the water as soon as we could get our suits on. We needed to try out the new float! It fit all three of us comfortably. While the idea of just floating around is mostly lost on them, I can see many a afternoon spent floating on the giant pink bird while sipping a beer. Already thinking about next summer. :)

That evening we drove the boat down to the local Mexican restaurant for dinner, because nothing says Happy Birthday America like Mexican food for dinner. ;) After the boys consumed ginormous margaritas, it was back to the cottage for fireworks.

We did poppers, sparklers, tanks, and a whole lot of fountains. We had a nice little 20 minute show for the kids, and then it was time to sit on the pier and watch the main attraction. There are quite a few people on the lake who spend way too much money on fireworks, and it makes for a great show. Every direction you look in there are fireworks going off. It lasts for a good couple hours, and by 11 or 12 it quiets down.

Harry asked to go the bed by 10:30. Brooke would have stayed up until the very last firework, but I made her call it a night by 11. 

Sunday started off with monkey bread and sausage. Harrison had been asking to go for a fast boat ride since we got the the lake, so after breakfast we took out the ski boat. Tyson even came along for the ride.

We bought some of these water balloons, and we gave them a try when we got back. It was the kids first go round with water balloons, and they thought it was fantastic. We told them we only throw them on the ground or at people's feet, and they did a surprisingly good job listening. Once the balloons were gone, they got to run through the hose for a few. Watching them made me realize we need to get a slip n' slide to try this summer.

The kids did some swimming before lunch. We ate, napped, and were back in the water as soon as I woke them from naps. I think they would have kept swimming all evening, but I insisted we get home in time for our usual bedtime routine.We were all beat and called it a night early.

We all had such a good time, and I can't wait until we have time for another lake weekend. Brooke asked me this morning if we were going back to the lake today, and while they were playing with their hot wheels cars the cars kept going to the lake. I'm glad they love it there as much as I do.

I hope all of you had a great weekend spent with those you love, celebrating this great nation we live in. Happy Birthday 'Merica!!

12 Weeks

How Far Along - 12 Weeks 4 Days
Total Weight Gain - Still holding strong at 4 pounds. I know I need to start gaining real quick, so hopefully I can start that headed upward.
Maternity Clothes - Still mostly non maternity except for a few shirts. My favorite express jeans are still doing the trick.
Sleep - Much better this week. My congestion is mostly gone, and if I didn't have to wake up to go to the restroom, I'd probably sleep 8 hours straight. Naps still happen most days, but aren't an every day thing anymore.
Cravings - Cucumbers, all fruit, rye Triscuits, and skim milk.
Symptoms - The morning sickness has definitely eased up. The queasy feeling hasn't completely left, but it's 10 times better than last week. Still getting quite a few headaches, but they're mostly controlled with a little caffeine. Not sure if hormones, weather, or the caffeine are the main culprit for the headaches.
Purchases - I bought a few maternity camis, a pair of maternity shorts, and a pair of maternity jeans. I tried purchasing three pairs of jeans on clearance, but A Pea in the Pod was kind enough to tell me 4 days after I ordered that two pairs were out of stock. I'm hoping I love the ones I am getting. Still no baby purchases, but I do have a running list in my head. It may be time to get that on paper.
Miss Anything - I went to a concert with my parents last night, and I found myself drooling over the wine slushies I saw everyone drinking. For the record, I can't even drink wine when not pregnant thanks to migraines.
Looking Forward to - Feeling movement. I've had a couple time that I thought I felt a flutter, and then I convinced myself it was gas. I'm so looking forward to feeling for sure movement, and I'm even more excited for when the kids will be able to feel it.


I am really working on trying to up my protein. Eating over 100 grams per day is super hard for me to do. When not pregnant, I rarely consume more that 40 grams per day.  If you have any high protein snacks or meals you are willing to share, please do! I may wind up living on Cluver's double butter burgers and Greek yogurt just to make it over the 100 mark each day, or drinking protein milk shakes for every meal. Help!