Thursday, June 28, 2012

The One with Crafting & Bethenny...


Now that I'm done going back and forth to work at school, I have been fully enjoying each and every day to the fullest. Yesterday I went to The Bethenny Show with Jenalee, which was so much fun! We have been long time fans of her, so when we heard she was getting her own show, we applied for tickets right away. For those of you who don't know Bethenny, she started out on the Real Housewives of New York and later got her own reality show called Bethenny Ever After. She is most know for inventing the Skinny Girl Margarita. 

Her talk show just started up a few weeks ago and at first I was a little taken back because it was a little on the trashy side. It seemed like all she talked about was sex and it was a little much. I was a nervous about going to a show if it was going to be like that, but as the weeks have gone by, it has gotten MUCH better. The show we went to had Jillian Barberie, David Arquette, Melissa Rycroft w/ her husband, and Kevin Nealon w/ his wife. Tune in Tuesday on channel 11 at 2:00 to see us in the audience! We had really good seats, so I'm pretty sure we will be seen a couple times :)

I have also been starting my projects for the babies! Here are some pictures of some of my completed projects.


T-shirt flower clips for baby girls headband collection


boy & girl bibs...matching burp cloths coming soon :)


2 boy & 2 girl paci clips

I still have a few more bibs and burp cloths to make. A few other things on my list are both of their mobiles, a window treatment/valiance, and some wall decor. Once I hit a wall and don't have as much energy, I'm planning on getting my hooks & needles out, planting my booty on the couch, and starting to crocheting and knitting them some beanies :)


  • How far along? 25 weeks
  • Total weight gain: still at 24 lbs. 
  • Maternity clothes? Yep. Surprisingly finding a few shirts I can still fit into though.
  • Stretch marks? The belly is still clear of them :)
  • Sleep: Loving every minute of sleeping in!
  • Best moment this week: Seeing the babies beautiful heartbeats (according to the u/s tech:). They were both moving around so much she was having a hard time getting each of their measurements! As of Tuesday, baby A (girl) is  head down and baby B (boy) is going across my belly diagonally, forming sort of an X. Crazy how that works! 
  • Miss Anything? Not having to pull my pants up all.the.time. As of now, skirts and dresses are by far the most comfortable. 
  • Movement: Non stop most days. Both of their feet are towards the top of my stomach, so I feel lots of kicks there throughout the day. Baby girl seems to be moving her hands around a lot too. It feels like a fish is swimming around towards the bottom of my belly where her head is.
  • Food cravings: This week it's ice cream/shakes.
  • Food Aversions: Everything sounds pretty good as of now :)
  • Gender: Boy & Girl
  • Labor Signs: Nope
  • Symptoms: This week I feel like my body has slowed down a lot. I've started walking with the pregnancy waddle :/
  • Belly Button in or out? Outie all the way
  • Wedding rings on or off? I officially took my wedding ring off today :( I can still get it on, but getting it off is more of a struggle and I really don't want to leave it on to the point where it becomes stuck. 
  • Looking forward to: Another shower this weekend!!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

The One with the 24 Week Update...


Nothing new or exciting this week. I've been taking it easy around the house, and enjoying being able to sleep in. We were supposed to be camping in the Sierra's this week with Matt's family, but my doctor was cautious of me going long distances where I wouldn't be near a hospital if anything were to happen. I haven't had an complication yet, but ya never know what can happen, so we played it safe and decided to stay home. No vacations this summer, but it's well worth it :) I just finished getting my room ready and finishing up my sub plans today. Such a great feeling! Now I can fully focus on the things I want to start making for the babies such as, burp cloths, bibs, and paci clips, just to name a few :)


  • How far along? 24 weeks
  • Total weight gain: 24 lbs. I'm right on target according to my twins book which says to gain 24 lbs by 24 weeks! 
  • Maternity clothes? Yes
  • Stretch marks? The belly is still clear of them :)
  • Sleep: Good. I've been having some weird dreams according to Matt, who says I've been talking in my sleep.
  • Best moment this week: Finishing all my sub plans for next year! So glad I don't need to keep going into work and thinking about it all.
  • Miss Anything? Nope! I'm really loving it.
  • Movement: Yes! 
  • Food cravings: Hmmm...maybe the huge container of Madeline cookies my mom bought me from Costco?! My all time favorite cookie :)
  • Food Aversions: Nada
  • Gender: Boy & Girl
  • Labor Signs: Nope
  • Symptoms: Still feeling the burn on the top part of my stomach. Other then that, summer vacation has been doing this body good :)
  • Belly Button in or out? Outie
  • Wedding rings on or off? On...but it has been feeling tighter lately. Maybe it's the heat? :/
  • Looking forward to: Our doctors appointment on Monday and ultrasound on Tuesday. I'm excited to see where they are each positioned so I know who is kicking me where :)

Thursday, June 14, 2012

The One with My First Baby Shower...

 What better way to celebrate the beginning of summer than with a baby shower! My cousins, Heidi & Holly, and my Aunt Lynda (their mom) threw me the cutest baby shower last Saturday. They live in Visalia, so they drove all the way down to host it at my Aunt's in Corona. It couldn't have been a more perfect day. Heidi is basically my crafting mentor, so you can imagine how cute all the decorations were. Luckily you won't have to imagine, because she took awesome pictures of everything (posted below:). I new it was going to be a cute shower right when I got the invitation...also designed by Heidi (check out her new business here on fb).



The adorable favors each guest took home.


The next few photos are of the food table display...


           
 Love the cute owl cupcakes for dessert!



And here I am about to stuff my face :)

We are so thankful and blessed by all the amazing gifts everyone gave us.

                

 
With the Grandmas to be!!

The amazing & talented hostess'

Heidi is due July 19! She already has 16 month old twin boys & she has already been so much help to me. I am one lucky girl to have not only a cousin that is also a close friend, but she is also an amazing mom who makes raising twins look easy!

Pictures with a few of the guests...
Me with my Mom and her sisters.

The Rollema side.

My sweet cousins, Morgan & Chandler.

A I am so thankful for all these amazing women. We are truly blessed to have the support and love from all of them as we prepare for the arrival of these babies. Love you all!

Onto the update...
Since it's my first week of summer, I thought I would wear what I have on the majority of the day...that is if I don't go out in public :)

  • How far along? 23 weeks
  • Total weight gain: 22 lbs
  • Maternity clothes? All maternity
  • Stretch marks? Not yet.
  • Sleep: Loving being able to sleep in!
  • Best moment this week: Going fabric shopping with my mom. I THINK we found all the fabric for the bedding!
  • Miss Anything? Nothing new.
  • Movement: All the time! One of the babes is at the bottom of my belly, and the other is by my belly button. From what I feel, I think they are in a bunk bed position, but we will see in 2 weeks at our next ultra sound :)
  • Food cravings: BLT Sandwiches
  • Food Aversions: Cakes/cupcakes 
  • Gender: Boy & Girl!
  • Labor Signs: Nope
  • Symptoms: About a week ago, the top of my stomach started to feel really sensitive/tender. It feels like I have a really bad sunburn. Nothing looks different, but it hurts to the touch. Not so fun :/
  • Belly Button in or out? Out...as you can see in the pictures above!
  • Wedding rings on or off? On
  • Looking forward to: Starting to decorate the nursery!



Wednesday, June 6, 2012

The One with the Last Week of School...

...till January! It's exciting, yet overwhelming that I won't go back to work till January. It's a lot of work just making sub plan for a day or two. It's even more work making maternity leave sub plans, and I get to make out maternity leave sub plans starting from the first day of school! There is so much to do leading up to the first day of school, especially because we don't have a final count of how many students will be in our class until the last possible minute. I have to have all curriculum planned, bulletin boards set up, my routine written out, among many other things. I'm hoping to have it all said and done by the end of June so I can REALLY be done till January. Ok, enough teacher talk...here is my weekly update!

  • How far along? 22 weeks. I forgot to mention that at last week Dr.'s appointment I was measuring at 28 weeks...totally normal by the way :)
  • Total weight gain: 21lbs
  • Maternity clothes? I'm all set for summer now! I went shopping with my mom this weekend and got a lot of cute summery tops and a few dresses for my upcoming showers :) 
  • Stretch marks? Not yet.
  • Sleep: Great! I can't wait till next week when I get to sleep in...until Sept/Oct that is :)
  • Best moment this week: It being the last week of school!
  • Miss Anything? Laying on my belly. 
  • Movement: Lots. It's been much more consistent this past week. Before, they moved mostly at night. Now I feel them throughout the day. Love it!
  • Food cravings: Wendy's Vanilla Frosty and French Fries...together :) 
  • Food Aversions: Nothing this week.  
  • Gender: Boy & Girl!
  • Labor Signs: Nope
  • Symptoms: Consistent back and rib pain. It feels like my back normally does after about 3 weeks of not seeing the chiropractor. Now that I"m pregnant, the chiropractor adjustment just doesn't seem to last as long. Nothing I can't handle, just uncomfortable.
  • Belly Button in or out? In during the day, flat after dinner :) 
  • Wedding rings on or off? On
  • Looking forward to: My family shower this weekend!

Friday, June 1, 2012

The One with the Nursery Sneak Peek...

Last post I had mentioned that Matt had spend the weekend painting the whole nursery. We went with grey, and are going to accent it with teal & coral. This past weekend, my in-laws graciously drove down to San Diego (while we were laying out in Palm Desert :) and picked up our first piece of nursery furniture...our changing table! I am in love with it. It is vintage, but in perfect condition. The place we got it from offered to paint it any color we wanted, so I picked out a teal color I liked from Lowe's and it turned out great. For some, it might be a little too bright, but my vision is that it will be the focal point of the room. For what it's worth, the owner said it was her new favorite color and she was going to recommend it to other clients :) Let me know what you think!!


The cribs are going to be very simple. Since the room isn't very large, I didn't want 2 big bulky cribs taking up a lot of space. Instead, we are going with Jenny Lind cribs (which have been around forever) that are very simple and classic. 
The teal and coral will be tied in with the bedding...if I can find something I like. Right now it looks like I'm going to have to resort to finding fabric and getting them made. I would LOVE to make them myself, but my sewing skills aren't THAT amazing. 

Below are some pictures of the very beginning process of making our guest room into a nursery :)
This is the itty bitty closet I will be squeezing 2 babies wardrobes in :) I'm hoping to add a second bar halfway down so each one has their own section. Luckily, the dresser has 9 drawers which the majority of the clothes will go in anyway.

This bedroom used to be our guest room. Originally it was painted the same color as my old bedroom at my parents...guacamole green :) My dad and Matt installed the bead-board before we moved in 4 years ago and I'm so glad they did. I love the way it looks up against the grey walls now.  

 This is the dresser/changing table! We are planning on putting a crib on either side of it. Keep in mind, the color is a little more vibrant in person. 

Here is a better picture of the dresser color. It's bright huh? It really looks so pretty in person. Trust me :)
Also, these are my first purchases of baby clothes! Matt and I went on a date to Cabazon last weekend and stopped in the Carter's store. There were so many cute summer outfits, but they won't be able to wear that stuff until next summer, so I decided to get some cute, but practical things. 

It is so crazy to think back to last year's Memorial Weekend. All the girls and I went shopping at Cabazon and I remember going in Carter's with them, so badly wanting to be shopping for my own child. Now I'm shopping for 2!

Matt and I were just talking about how these past couple years have been the hardest we have ever gone through, but we are so thankful to God for ever bit of heartache, sadness, and struggle that we have experienced. It has made us closer to each other & God. We would both go back and do it all over again because we gained & learned so much from it. I know it's easy to say now, especially since we have 2 babies on the way, but it I really would cry every tear again if it meant having what we have now...stronger faith in God, more love for each other, and 2 miracles on the way.



  • How far along? 21 weeks
  • Total weight gain: 19lbs
  • Maternity clothes? Still squeezing into to a couple non-maternity shirts & dresses. I'm going shopping this weekend for some much needed summer clothes.
  • Stretch marks? Still staying away :)
  • Sleep: It's actually been a lot better this past week. I think I'm just so exhausted each day that I'm sleeping deeper, so I'm not waking up to toss and turn as much :)
  • Best moment this week: An incredibly relaxing 4 day weekend in Palm Desert! Just what my body needed.
  • Miss Anything? Being able to stand for long periods at a time. I am thinking about hiring a students to follow me around with a chair :)
  • Movement: Definitely feeling them now! It makes me smile every time. Matt felt them for the first time this weekend! He was quite jealous for a while that I was the only one feeling them :)
  • Food cravings: This past weekend I was really craving strawberry sour strips. 
  • Food Aversions: Nothing this week!  
  • Gender: Boy & Girl!
  • Labor Signs: Nope
  • Symptoms: Just starting to slow down in general. The usual aches and pains that comes with a growing belly. I had a pinched nerve in my tailbone last night and was in extreme pain, I couldn't even walk. Thankfully this morning the pain was gone. 
  • Belly Button in or out? It changes daily actually. Sometimes it's flat, right now it's in, and sometimes the top half starts to pop out. Weird. 
  • Wedding rings on or off? On
  • Looking forward to: Being done with school. Only 4 1/2 more days!!