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!

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!!

The One with Being Half Way...

I can't believe we are already at the 20 week mark, although, it is technically a little over halfway for me (hopefully). My doctor said he wouldn't let me go past 38/39 weeks. I know I'm not huge yet, or even close to what I will be by the end, and that is what scares me. I am feeling big...and I'm only halfway! But I am very thankful because this growing belly means these babies are growing bigger and healthier by the day which is all I can ask for. 

I went away on a Women's Retreat this past weekend and had such a nice time with some of my closest friends. We praised God, learned how to be organized wives and mommies, and did a lot of relaxing. Matt, on the other hand, was busy working away on the nursery. He got it all painted by the time I got home on Sunday. Such a nice surprise. I've always wanted a gray nursery and that's what I got! The room already had white bead-board on the bottom half, and I just love the combo of the gray and white together. It looks so crisp and clean :) My in-laws are picking up the dresser/changing table this weekend. I can't wait to get home on Monday and see it set up in the room. Pictures to come next update :) I hope everyone has a great Memorial Weekend! 

• How far along? 20 weeks!
• Total weight gain: 16lbs
• Maternity clothes? Pretty much everything is maternity now. I was able to fit into a regular tankini over the weekend, but that definitely won't last through the summer.
• Stretch marks? Not yet!
• Sleep: Ehh. Just ok. 
• Best moment this week: Having the nursery painted and seeing our healthy & energetic babies at the Anatomy Scan  on Monday. The Dr. called and said everyone looks health and normal. Thank you Lord!
• Miss Anything? A back that doesn't hurt 24/7.
• Movement: I felt the first couple jabs on Sunday night! 
• Food cravings: Salad still :)
• Food Aversions: Anything hot and greasy. 
• Gender: The Anatomy Scan confirmed we are still Team Purple!
• Labor Signs: Nope
• Symptoms: My back pretty much hurst non-stop. My ribs have now started hurting too :/
• Belly Button in or out? It's officially flat!
• Wedding rings on or off? On
• Looking forward to: I relaxing 4 day weekend in Palm Desert with friends! 

The One with the 19 Week Update...

• How far along? 19 weeks
• Total weight gain: 13lbs
• Maternity clothes? Yes! All this nice weather has me itching to go shopping for some summer tops. 
• Stretch marks? Still staying away...we will see.
• Sleep: Having a hard time finding a comfortable position throughout the night. 
• Best moment this week: Registering! It went really well. We both had a lot of fun picking out both pink and blue things for the babies.
• Miss Anything? The sleep I used to enjoy so much, but I know that won't be back anytime soon :)
• Movement: Feeling them more and more. Mostly at night. Still a lot of flutters.
• Food cravings: Still lovin me some salad.
• Food Aversions: Burgers
• Gender: Pink & Blue!
• Labor Signs: Nope
• Symptoms: Lower back pain, frequent bathroom trips, and growing belly :)
• Belly Button in or out? Almost flat.
• Wedding rings on or off? On
• Looking forward to: This weekends Women's Retreat in Laguna Woods. Relaxation, amazing friends, and worshiping God...can't wait!!

The One with the 18 Week Update...

This weeks bump picture and update...

How far along? 18 weeks
Total weight gain: 12lbs
Maternity clothes? All bottoms & I can still squeeze into some non-maternity tops.
Stretch marks? Not yet!
Sleep: It's definitely not like it used to be. I always wake up on my back which I know is a big no no. :/
Best moment this week: The Gender Reveal Party!
Miss Anything? The ease of getting up and sitting down.
Movement: YES! I started feeling them last Thursday for the first time. It still feels like a flutter/wiggle, but I can tell them a part. Baby girl is on the bottom and baby boy is on the top.
Food cravings: Salad with ranch.
Gender: Baby A is a GIRL & Baby B is a BOY!
Labor Signs: Nope
Symptoms: My body is definitely starting to ache and slow down a lot more this week.
Belly Button in or out? The top half is starting to flatten out, but it's still in.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Looking forward to: Registering this week!

The One with What Will They Bee?!?

Last Sunday was the long awaited Gender Reveal Party. We decided to keep it small and invite our parents, brothers, grandparents, and a few close friends over for the big reveal. These people have all been a great support system in our journey to parenthood and we wanted them to be a part of sharing the exciting news. The theme was "What Will They Bee?" so the decorations were bumble bee themed with yellow and black. I had so much fun planning and crafting away! 

Here are some pictures from the day...

The Sweets Table. My mom was generous to help out with the party in many ways, one being the beautiful flowers. I had a lot of fun making the sweets which included Honeycomb cereal, Bit O' Honey, Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies... 

 Chocolate Covered Pretzels and Marshmallows

Lemonade with Mason Jars and Paper Straws

and more food that my wonderful Mother-in-law made.

Baby A & B each had a flower pot that held the Bumble Bee pops that had the gender color inside which each set of Grandparent's bit into to reveal to everyone :)

As guests arrived, they wrote down their guess on the chalk board. I was surprised at how many people guessed right. Kinda bummed too, I wanted to catch more people by surprise :)

  

Excited to reveal the news to everyone. I loved being able to share this special secret together for a few day before telling everyone. :)

What Will They Bee?

 The Big Reveal!

 Matt's parent's bit into the pops first and revealed the BOY! My parents went next and surprised everyone by revealing the GIRL :)

Some of the guest...

The Girls

(Kelly, Jen, Carmen, and Shelly)

The Guys

(Eric, Steve, and Keith...we missed you Sam!)

 Grandma and Great-Grandma to be

Uncle Tyler & Grandpa and Grandma Rollema

The BFF, Jenalee, who took so many awesome pictures. Thank you!

A big thank you to the talented Danielle Evans for the adorable hives and bumble bee favors!

My bump photographer is out of town fishing till tomorrow, so I will do my 18 week update/picture tomorrow :)

The One with the Big Ultrasound...

Wednesday afternoon, Matt and I drove out to Costa Mesa to find out the gender of the babies. I have never wanted to find out what we were having before I got pregnant. I love surprises, and the thought of waiting to hear the doctor announce..."It's a Boy!" or "It's a Girl!" is so worth it to me. Matt on the other hand, is extremely impatient, so the choice to find out or wait has always been a battle. Well, after implanted 2 embryos, I made a deal with him that if only one took, we wouldn't find out, but if both took we would. He obviously lucked out on the deal which is why we are finding out. I am totally okay with that and see the pluses to knowing ahead of time, especially now that there are 2 :) 


Well, the babies thankfully cooperated and now we know what they are!! Unfortunately for you, you'll have to wait a little bit longer until after our Gender Reveal Party on Sunday. We are having immediate family and a few close friends over to make the big reveal. I am so excited to throw my own little party. I love crafting and making party decorations, so this party gives me a good excuse to craft away! I promise to have my blog post already to go on Sunday so I can post it as soon as the word is out :)


This weeks update...

How far along? 17 weeks
Total weight gain: 9lbs still.
Maternity clothes? All bottoms & some tops still.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Just bought a Snoogle the other night and have been sleeping much better.
Best moment this week: Finding out the genders!!
Miss Anything? Sleeping without a giant pillow.
Movement: No :/
Food cravings: TJ's Sub Hoagie sandwich. MmMmmmmM
Gender: Soon to be revealed :)
Labor Signs: Nope
Symptoms: Going to the bathroom nonstop!
Belly Button in or out? Getting shallower by the day.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Looking forward to: The Gender Reveal Party on Sunday!

Please post a blog comment with your guess of what they are!! :)