Introducing...

My two beautiful girls....born July 27 via scheduled c-section at 38 weeks.

Hope Antonia (left) was 5lb, 15 oz and Lindsey Rae (right) was 5lb even. I am so in love with them!!

I can't believe they are already 7 weeks old. They have been the most challenging 7 weeks of my life and also the most rewarding. The girls are smiling now and really "know their momma" now and it melts my heart every time they grin at me.

I am still feeding them breastmilk and pumping 60+ oz each day. I feel like a cow and my boobs resemble cow udders but oh well...I am going to keep it up for however long I can and go from there. Formula is looking more and more attractive from a simplicity standpoint alone so I have a feeling it's going to be in our near future.

We have a good schedule going so far and the girls are tandem in all areas (sleeping time, awake time, feedings, etc) so that has made life much easier and assisted with my sanity.  Visitors are abundant around here and we love every minute of it...and I love the extra hands that want to help feed, change and play with the girls. They are so loved by so many and it's been so special to have so many people come see us to meet our new additions.

So life is crazy in a great way and I am happier than I've ever been. I think back to a year ago this time and the tears of frustration I felt wondering if this day would ever be possible. And then to think here we are now, new parents to healthy, beautiful girls and then I catch myself fast forwarding to next year this time...with two girls on their way to being toddlers running around the house. It's hard to believe it's all happened, is happening and will continue to happen....watch this space. The fun is just beginning around here!

T Minus 6 Days

To be honest I can't believe it's July and I can't believe in one week from today our baby girls will be here. It's still surreal, still a miracle and still so freaking exciting as it was the day I got those two little lines on that pregnancy test. OK on all of those many pregnancy tests. And when the fertility clinic confirmed it for me 2 days later the reality set in. We. Are. Going. To. Be. Parents. And soon.

My mom has been here for a week waiting on these little ladies to arrive. I was sure we'd be a part of the masses and they'd come earlier (around 36 weeks). Well, today I am 37 weeks and not dialted at all. So wait we will. These babies have an agenda of their own.

I had an ultrasound yesterday which was fun to get a last sneak peek at the girls one last time. They are so big it's hard to see much but it's still fun nonetheless. When I hear their hearts beat I tear up like I'm hearing them for the first time all over again. Their measurements were great...actually, they were beyond great. Excellent in fact. We have a set of chunky little twins we think and we couldn't be happier.

Baby A – 6 lbs, 4 oz
Baby B – 6 lbs

I asked the OB and the ultrasound tech how accurate these measurements really are. She said on average it's +- 1 lb but in their office they are within ½ lb 95% of the time. Alex and I were both big babies (he 9lb,2oz and me 9lb, 11oz) so we knew they had the genes to be biggins. And it appears they are going to be as far as twins go.

Today is my last day of work. Next week I'm taking vacation days before starting maternity leave and plan on going out to breakfast with my mom and eating whatever I want, go swimming at the gym at a time other then before or after work when it's packed, getting another pedicure even though I just got one, getting my hair cut and definitely will be hibernating for at least one full day watching Lifetime movies. I'd like to think I'll also work on their baby books, get my closet in order and do some more “productive” things but the reality is I just want to relax and do what I want. When I want. And how I want to do it. So I am looking forward to some quiet time with me, myself and I.

Here is a look at the bump at 37 weeks. I've gained a total of 37 lbs so far and I am sure that will go up between now and next Friday. My toes are like a drain that is clogged and retaining water is their #1 priority. My feet literally squish when I walk. It's so wicked!! Based on the measurement of my bump at the Dr I am measuring like a single pregnancy would measure at 42 weeks. It's big I promise...and I am not sure this picture does it justice but I cannot bring myself to post a bare belly one. I just can't do it.

Hopefully next time I'm back on here posting it'll be a family photo of the 4 of us...we shall see!!

Happy Friday!!

False Alarm

Today was my first false possible labor alarm...and I hope I don't have any more after today! My precious mom arrived to town last night and so we went to grab a quick lunch today and ended up at the Dr.'s office.

Here is my attempt to share what's happened without being too graphic...As it turns out, it appears my body is like an old car...leaky and somewhat run down at this point in the game. I know, lovely picture, right? Picture the old junker with a rusty bumper and operating on a spare tire...that, my friends, is apparently me these days.

As you know a car is made up of many parts and the engine must be working properly in order for the car to run successfully. So today, upon noticing some some change in my "car parts" I called the Dr (aka my mechanic) an they had me come in immediately. Luckily in the end, instead of my car leaking engine fluid, which is key to the success of the car's operation, my "car" is leaking something useless....that we can compare to A/C fluid. As you know sucks when you have no A/C, especially in this brutal summer heat we've had lately, but a low dosage of A/C fluid doesn't effect the overall operation of the car. The car can still operate successfully but the driver may be uncomfortable until it's fixed.

I must admit that when I was at the Dr.'s office I was super excited at the thought she might say "let's go ahead and have you head over to the hospital" and mentally pictured how I would come home, get everything together in my hospital bag and I'd be a mom by tonight! Unfortunately, today that wasn't the case. So I got in my real car, with my real A/C and drove home.

Now this old beat up car I am referring to is sitting around at home, waiting it out until it's time to be taken to the mechanic again. Hopefully next time they'll keep the damn car for a few days and fix it for good. :-)

And then we'll be able to come home eventually with all working parts, and two pieces of precious cargo in the backseat.

The Final Countdown...

I can't believe it!!!

Only...

....left til I get to meet my precious baby girls!!!

I'll admit I am hoping to possibly meet them a little earlier than this, though I am not wishing to rush anything at the same time. At my appointment this morning they showed no signs of coming early. I am not having contractions (yet), not dilated (yet), nor is my cervix screaming "get them the hell out of here" (yet).

Statistics show most twins will come on their own between 34-37 weeks. I will be 35 weeks tomorrow and we're wondering if we'll be part of the masses? Or if we'll hang in there til the scheduled surgery. Only time will tell I guess.

Everything on the homefront is good. We're always finding a few things to get done here and there to prep for the babies but for the most part, we're done. My mom comes this Tuesday to wait it out with us and I spend any spare time I have these days swimming at our gym pool or paying homage and respect to a man named Willis Haviland Carrier. He is the brilliant man who invented the air conditioner and let's just say....I am in love with him. Now and Forever. I love him.

My feet make me hungry when I look at them because my toes resemble tater tots. My cankles are not sexy, but they are there whether I like them or not. So I choose not to care. My husband told me this morning that my stretch marks "are getting really bad" and while it bothers me that I tried so hard to avoid them, I still don't care. They are what they are. I would be willing to bet my 92-yr-old grandad could beat me getting up off the couch faster, or in/out of bed quicker. But again, I. Don't. Care.

These last few weeks will probably be the longest ever but not in a bad way. I have had the best possible pregnancy a girl could ask for and these little nuances that have crept up on me the last few weeks. Well, so be it. Bring them on. I'll take them. Ten fold. I still can't believe that I've gone from ever wondering if I could even get pregnant to expecting two little chickadees in a few short weeks.

I think after they arrive I'll have a glass of wine like this...

...to celebrate my chunky toes, my cankles and my "really bad" stretch marks. Cause in my eyes these are not negative side effects...but instead little victories to show just how far we've come. 

Thoughts of an Insomniac...

As my sleep has started to dwindle given the size of my belly these days, I've been waking up at all hours of the night and my mind will wander off to the most random thoughts.

Like totally random. And sometimes odd. Like I find myself thinking about this chick:

This morning, at 4:45am I was thinking about the current season of The Bachelorette, which yes, I do watch, and I came to the conclusion I think I know who will be getting the final rose this season.

Without further adieu, I think the final rose will go to this guy:

Anyone else with me?

Happy random Saturday thoughts to all of you!!



Maternity Picture Sneak Peek

A few months ago I was talking to my sweet friend Ashley back home in Texas and she asked me if we were planning to do maternity pictures. At that point I said no...while I really wanted Tiffany with Uncommon Reel to do some when we were in Denver in May, there was just no way we could schedule it with Alex in town for only a few days and the packed schedule we had...and I didn't know anyone out here to contact so had just decided that we would skip them.

Fast forward a few months...in thinking back my conversation with Ashley something she said kept coming back to my mind. Maternity pics were not necessarily about the pictures for us, but rather for our girls. She knows Alex and I do not plan to undergo more fertility treatments in the future so this truly could be our only chance. Then she went on to tell me how her daughters absolutely love to see pics of when they were in her belly...and that is all I needed to hear...I was sold.

I found D Marie Photography via the Twins Club I joined and Alex and I had a blast on our photo shoot with her last week. She has a fabulous sense of humor, paid no notice to our often sometimes inappropriate comments and overall we had a great time on a gorgeous evening. We took a ton of pics that I can't wait to see but for now we have to settle on a few sneak peeks:

We can't wait to see the finished product and more pics!! We did 5 outfit changes and walked all over God's creation this nature preserve all in about 1 hr 20 mins. I was exhausted by the end of it but it's well worth it given the keepsakes we'll be able to give our girls.

Finally, we are on the final countdown!!! I am scheduled for a c-section on July 27th (I'll be 38 weeks) in case these girls have not voluntarily vacated their leased space by then. They will be officially evicted that morning at 8am. I stalk my personal countdown timer daily....well actually several times daily. I am secretly hoping they appear on their own time just a little early...not too early but maybe 7-10 days before we're scheduled for surgery. It's getting tougher and tougher just to do everyday things and my ribcage is severely bruised on my right side from Baby B's constant headbutting me (she is going to be the little lady who gives me a run for my money I can already tell). Symptoms and not-so-fun-side-effects aside I still would not change a thing. I have been very lucky with a great pregnancy so cannot complain!

All in all, we just cannot wait to hold these miracle babies in just a few short weeks!!

I'm a banana short of a fruit salad

My friend Tiffany mentioned a few weeks ago I should do a post about my pregnancy…I had no idea what to write but recently saw this on another post so seemed like a good one.

How far along: 23 weeks, 4 days

How big Is baby: Our babies, in fruit terms, are each somewhere in between the size of a papaya and a grapefruit. Lovely comparison huh? My sister and I always joke that we’ve got a full fruit salad on the way!

Maternity Clothes: Oh I am definitely in maternity clothes, and to be quite honest I might never give maternity jeans up. These things are so comfortable I swear every woman should have a pair, if not more than just wearing annually on Thanksgiving when seriously stuffing our pieholes. Seriously, they are unbelievably comfy. One thing I have been surprised at is how expensive some maternity clothes can be. I was fortunate enough to inherit a ton of shirts from my dear friend Jamie and bought a few pairs of jeans. I also bit the bullet and bought a few summer dresses which I am currently having altered now. I just needed something a little girly and a little dressy but with the prices the way they are I stopped at 2. Hard to justify knowing it’s just for a few more months. I also bought a maternity swim suit…not because I want to be mistaken for a beached whale anytime soon but I have been swimming at our club several days a week and let’s just say gravity did its job with my pre-preggers suits. They are stretchy and fit over the belly but brought the chestline down. Way down. My boobs looked like cow udders. Needless to say I am very happy with the swimsuit purchase!

Sleep: Love it. Lots of it. That is, when I can get it. The last few weeks I’ve had a VERY hard time getting comfortable at night but went ahead and invested in this pillow and couldn’t be happier with it. I get pretty stiff when getting up and a little light headed too but overall everything I read indicates this is normal so just going with it. The fact that my pillow is the size of me makes for a little less room in bed but my husband is a trooper and knows it’s temporary too.

Movement: Well hello Texas Tech! I have a few cheerleaders brewing up for ya! These girls are at it all the time. When one sleeps the other is moving so it’s a constant feeling of babies churning like butter in there. I can see my skin jump when they are doing their thing. They have really started to stay more active in the last week and it’s a constant motion of one of them. When I lay down at night they get a little pissy when I lay on “their side” and will let it be known. I feel like I am squashing them but the OB and Dr Google swear I can’t squish them. That, my friends, is a relief.

Food Cravings: Um, why yes. In the beginning I just wanted simple foods like mac-n-cheese or a tortilla with cheese & salsa (a go-to snack being from Texas)…but as time goes on I am getting a little less picky. I. Love. All. Food. I absolutely love Subway sandwiches (sweet onion chicken teriyaki), McDonald’s soft serve ice cream, smoothies, fresh fruit, homemade nachos and the list goes on. My appetite has increased more than two-fold and I now proudly eat more than my husband at dinner. Tonight’s dinner – Mexican lasagna and I’ve been thinking of it all day!

Food Aversions: You know in the beginning the thought of a steak made me want to throw up. Or a piece of chicken or pork too. But I am over it now and don’t really have any aversions. Instead I am just indecisive on what I want. I can never decide what looks good when we are out to eat and usually end up trading with Alex after I get orderers remorse and his looks better when it comes. At home I haven’t been in a huge cooking mode lately unless it’s super easy so we’re doing a lot of frozen foods (nuggets, tots, etc.) and easy mac. Don’t judge, you know it sounds awesome!

Gender: We have two baby girls on the way and Team Katen is officially Team Pink!

Symptoms: Other than eating like a cow and watching my body change drastically to look like something out of a National Geographic magazine no real symptoms here. I think I passed all those a while back and I am happy to say as long as I am fed, I am happy.

What do I miss: Not gonna lie – I miss wine. And sushi. And wine again. It’s not like a pitiful-this-sucks-kind-of-miss feeling but just in general I miss sitting on the patio with the hubster in nice weather and drinking a glass of wine. And sushi is just so delicious. Who wouldn’t miss it? These are all temporary no-can-have items I know but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit how excited I am to get my hands on those two babies in July…oh and my twin babies too! LOL.

Best moment this week: When Alex got to feel the girls kick for himself…I got home from a work trip in the Dominican Republic on Monday night and it had been a week since I’d seen him. Anyway, that night he had his hand on my stomach and pulled it back like something had bitten it when he felt one of the girls move. It totally freaked him out. He loved it at the same time. Now he wants to feel them on command but they aren’t that talented just yet! But watch this space -there are BIG things ahead for my sweet girls!

What I am looking forward to: I am looking forward to everything!! A lot of our bedding has come in and we’re waiting on a few more pieces of furniture and then I think we can really start watching the nursery take shape. I am also having several showers in May and am super excited about seeing friends, catching up and seeing all the cute things these wonderful people have gifted us to welcome our babies. I felt weird about having a shower at first as I didn’t ever want anyone to ever think we expected anything from them in a gift sense. But at the same time I also know how excited I get to go to a baby shower as a guest and help get the new parents ready for their baby. So I am over the uncomfortable feeling and now just plain excited! And I hope the guests are too!

I’ve been working on this post little by little for weeks now. And now it’s like info overload. So sorry for the long winded post. This is what happens when I can’t have wine and sushi. I type instead.

Anyhow, Happy Thursday friends! My fruit salad and I are going to make dinner soon! It's time for this momma's next feeding!

Girl Power

I am currently 21 weeks pregnant now and not sure where in the hell the time is going to be honest. It feels like yesterday I was sitting in my RE's office being told our fertility procedure didn't work (yet again) and my pregnancy test was negative (yet again)...tears flowed first, then flowed the wine, then along came the dreaded be-otch Aunt Flo and then finally came our decision to get right back in the game and not give up! And here I am 5.5 months later with 2 little bambinas on the way. Thank God for modern medicine, and thank God for answered prayers!!

We had another ultrasound yesterday and met with a Perinatologist, which is a specialist for high risk pregnancies due to multiples/age, or in my case...drumroll please...a combo of both. You see, last time I met with my OB they had to call in the order for me to see the Perinatologist. They gave me a slip of paper to take with me to my appt and it had on there AMA and mandatory consult with the Perinatologist. If you are not familiar with the term AMA let me tell you what it doesn't mean in the medical world:

Awesome Mothering Ability
Amazing Mom Anatomy
Adament Maternal Awesomeness
Ambitious Matriarchal Attributes

Nope, my friends, it means this:

Advanced. Maternal. Age.

Lovely, huh? They could have just come right out and told me like it is ,"Maam, since your ovaries are definitely aged and your eggs clearly nearly retirement we need you go see this really expensive dr that your insurance may or may not cover so our asses here at our clinic are covered in case something goes wrong later!" Perfect. Gotcha. Set me up with that appointment Doc!

In all honestly, joking aside, I was really happy to go and get this consult with the specialist despite my wrinkly ovaries or not. Any chance to see these chicquitas and know they are doing well is A-OK with me. So off we went yesterday.

Our appointment went awesome and we learned a few things:

1. Both babies are definitely girls!!

2. Baby A weighs 12 oz now and Baby B is at 13 oz

3. Both of their measurements on brains, hearts, kidneys, etc. all looked awesome so there is no reason for any concern at this point which is a huge relief!

4. Baby B was loving having her pic taken, Baby A not so much - we got a good 3D image of Baby B's face...only b/w images of Baby A

5. Since everything is going seemingly awesome the specialist did not forsee any reason we'd have to go see them again so should only be seen by my regular OB moving forward which is great news!! AMA what??? Take that wrinkly ovaries!

6. Each girl has 10 fingers and 10 toes - always a good thing right?

I can't believe we get to meet them in just a few short months!! In the meantime, I am feeling great and rested courtesy of my best-invention-ever Snoogle pillow so really can't complain. Even if I could complain, I have said from the beginning I wouldn't. I am honestly just already so amazingly thankful for these two little ladies who I can't beleive are gonna call us Mom & Dad soon!!! Holy-Effing-Schnikeys!! WE CAN'T WAIT!!!!

And finally, here's a pic of us stupidly-excited-and-proud-parents-to-be...we celebrated our wedding anniversary last week. Our last one when it's just the two of us!

Happy Tuesday!

Happy Anniversary My Love!!!

I can’t believe it’s been two years ago since I married my man. We’ve had a crazy ride but a great one! We’ve had our ups, and our downs, but way more ups than downs and the downs were things we couldn’t control. We’ve had great days and awesome days. We’ve watched some friends get married along the way and sadly some end their marriages too. We’ve taken some great trips just the two of us, and some great trips with awesome friends. We’ve laughed and we’ve cried. We’ve moved half way across the US from Denver to Chicago. We’ve worked hard and played extra hard. We’ve rented one house and purchased another. We’ve made new friends and vowed to stayed in touch with old ones. And most importantly, we’ve done it all as a team.

Overall, we’ve been blessed with an amazing two years of marriage…and to think this year it’s only going to get better as the two of us become the four of us when we welcome our baby daughters this summer!

A little flashback over the past two years…

Honeymoon in the DR - May 2010

Friends Wedding - July 2010

Aspen - Feb 2011

  

Bel Air, CA @ a Friends Wedding - Sept 2011

March 26, 2011 @ a friends wedding

Sometime in 2010 - visiting my hometown in TX

AND MY PERSONAL FAVORITE....

March 26, 2010 - our wedding day in Rivera Maya!

Happy Anniversary to my silly, sexy, funny, witty, intelligent, easy going, patient-for-putting-up-with-me husband! I could not imagine my life without you!! And can’t wait for many more anniversaries to come! I will always remember it started out just as the two of us!! Here’s to many more fun and fabulous years my love!!!



XOXO,


Your Forever Gracious Wifey

If Only Money Could Buy Brains

On this glorious Tuesday morning I thought I would jot down a few of the questions I've been asked over the years while reminiscing my life on the road as a Travel Director...taking uber wealthy Americans on their vacations around the world:

Q: What time does the 9 o-clock bus leave?
A: Sir, the 9 o'clock bus leaves at 9 o'clock.

Q: What makes the Great Wall so great?
A: Well sir I guess you'll just have to go back again to figure that out

Q: Are we in the mountainous region of Antarctica?
A: Ummmm, really?

Q: How far above sea level are we? (this asked as we're sitting in a zodiac in the ocean)
A: Well ma'am, your head is about 2.5 feet and your feet about 2 inches above sea level.

Q: How come your luggage came off the plane to the carousel first?
A: Oh, I called ahead before the flight landed.

Q: How come the room next to mine has a mattress that is wider by 2 inches?
A: I'm not sure Mr. Rowan, but are you saying size matters?

Q: How am I ever going to get my day back in life if we're flying from Hawaii to Australia and I am skipping it all together?
A: Well sir, I guess you'll have to go on your next Around the World by Private Jet trip going to the other direction.

Q: It must've been a fascinating time when the Romans were building Macchu Picchu...
A: That would have indeed been fascinating, sir. Especially since they were such a long way away from home.

Q: Was it hard to get a visa to for your trip to America? (this was asked upon landing with a group in JFK airport from Russia after a 2-week trip)
A: No maam, I've had a Visa credit card for years? (I mean honestly WTF - my Russian accent must be awesome!)

Q: I need help, my mom just tried to use the bathroom and fell off the toilet!! She's laying on the ground and I can't get her up...(I then run from our Hosp Desk to their room)
A: Mrs. Ford, that's not the toilet, that's a bidet and not meant to be sat upon. Now let's get your mom up off this floor and get that ever-growing hematoma taken care of now, ok?

These, my friends, are real questions and scenarios from real people who run multi-million dollar companies and have more money than I could every imagine.

I'm afraid if money could buy brains I would not have nearly the stories I have to laugh about, even all these years later. Cause surely these people would've bought them!

Catching up....

So where did I leave off? August 2010 when we were still living in Denver….we had begun our journey to start a family and were enjoying the newlywed life. Shortly after in September 2010 my husband’s company announced a deal to sell the division of his company he worked with and his job was going away…everyone was offered severance and their jobs went away. The same applied for hubby, unless we decided to move North of Chicago and they would offer him a job in the company’s HQs. So there began an agonizing few months of back and forth…do we stay or do we go? In the end, after many talks, drinks, tears, listing pros/cons on paper, talking with friends and family and pounding the pavement in Denver looking for a job for him we decided it was best if we moved and avoid the unemployment line. Were we happy about the move? Absolutely not. But we had to do what was right for our future family and bite the bullet. In February of 2011 Alex began his weekly commute to Chicago Mon-Fri and I joined him in May of 2011 after getting our house leased to our fantastic tenants and finishing the bulk of my Spring travel for work. We have a great house in Gurnee, which is North of the city and our street is reminiscent of our Denver neighborhood….but lacking the mountain views!

Life in the Chicago has not been bad, but it’s admittedly very different from our life in Denver. Different for a number of given reasons as Chicago and Denver are two very different places, albeit both great cities, we are finally feeling ourselves settle in to life here…meeting new friends, sightseeing with out-of-town visitors, enjoying the many amazing restaurants Chicago has to offer and so on. We miss Denver terribly, like really, really miss Denver but are trying to make the most of our time in the Midwest.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 months since I arrived and the last few of those months have flown by…I am sure the next 4 will also as we anticipate the arrival of our sweet baby girls! More to come on those adorable little ladies in another post but let’s just say our move to Chicago was a piece of cake when it compares to our journey to parenthood.

Here’s to making the best of the situation you’re in…always!

Baby(ies) I'm Back!

Watch this space...lots been happening and lots to look forward to in the coming months!

Here's a preview: