So much to do- So little time :)

The furniture is all moved in :) Tony's mom's friend had a whole bedroom set that she used for her only son that she gave to us- so we really lucked out. It is really cute- all white. The only thing we need to get now is a crib mattress.

We are improvising and have to use my room as both a bedroom and a nursery so it is pretty cramped in there- but Tony and Zack (Nessa's boyfriend) made it look really cute! I am going to put all the baby things away tonight and get the room organized- I'll take some pictures after that is all done :)

Tomorrow is my first weekly non-stress test... and I also have another doctors appointment. I never thought I would be excited about doctors appointments before being pregnant! I'll update you on how everything goes and put up some nursery pictures tomorrow night!

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT IS GETTING SO CLOSE!!!!!

Holy Cow!!! We're Having Real Babies....SOON

So we had a little bit of a scare last week...I started getting contractions! No need to panic thoough- after 5 lovely hours in the hospital we were assured that everything was alright. Yes- i AM in deed having legit contractions- but they are very sporadic and my cervix is still completely closed. The doctor said that I am fine to go about my normal activity- I just can't be lifting anything or running around too much :) Both babies are doing great and moving around a TON!

Starting this week I will have weekly doctors visits as well as a weekly non-stress test at the hospital. That's when they hook each baby up to a monitor to make sure the hear beats are regular ad they also monitor your contractions. Its standard procedure for all moms with twins. They will also increase the frequency of the ultrasounds- which is NEVER a problem with us hehe :)

I have just been taking it easy- looking forward to my last dya of work...Aug 22! We are getting the furniture the weekend, it will be fun to have things to start working on getting set up for the boys.

This week it is sinking in how close I am to actually being a mom! In just a few short weeks I will be writing to you about poopy diapers and funny things the babies did...I CAN'T WAIT!

Reminiscing...

Hey! I was just playing around on picnik.com, this awesome site that lets u edit and customize pictures, and thought I would post a picture from the first night Tony and I ever kissed...I still get goosebumps. I actually started that night out by tellmy friend Julie, "do not let me kiss Tony tonight", that didn't work out :) Looking back, I am glad she didn't stop me because who knows where we would be today. I really believe that everything happens for a reason and what is meant to be will always find away. I love this picture because I think it shows how much fun we have together and how happy we are :)

The babies are doing great- they are EXTREMELY active this week. I love being able to feel them kick and roll, it's like they are my own little secret buddies. I can not wait until I can hold them in my arms and see what their little faces are going to look like.

I'm off to do some more photo editing. If you are looking to do something fun and creative with your photo's, definitely check out www.picnik.com

Overwhelmed...and loving it...

I'm back with more pictures! There are a couple of my belly- it is getting SOOOOOO big (and heavy). I also put up some from the baby shower we had last weekend.

Everything is going great with the babies- they are growing more and more each day. They are kicking and rolling like crazy now, it is so much fun to just lie down and feel them play :) Sometimes I wonder if they are playing together- how precious would that be??? I've been feeling a little more (ok lot more...) tired than usual lately, I think it comes from the extra work of carrying an increasingly large belly everywhere I go....I have just been trying to get as much rest as possible.

Even though I have these little ones weighing me down, I have embarked on a mission of cleaning my house and getting everything ready. Over the past 3 weekends, my mom and I have cleared the 1st and 2nd floor or all unecesary clutter and done a thorough cleaning :) We only have the dining room and the basement to do now! I can't wait for that to be done so that I can start moving in baby furniture and getting things put in their places, clothes, bedding etc. Yes, I know its early, but lately I'm beginning to wonder how much longer I will be on my feet- Better safe and prepared than sorry :)

We had our first baby shower, thrown by the grand-mothers, this past weekend and it was a blast! We got tons of baby things that we really needed, and a great start to a savings account for the boys :) It was awesome to see our friends and family. Thank You everyone!!!

There will be a second shower coming up in Aug...stay tuned for details :)

Energizer Babies- They Just Keep Growing, and growing, and growing...

Here is Braeden at 26.5 weeks! We had another ultrasound on Monday and they are getting BIG! It was hard to get great pictures of either one of them because the other twin would always roll into the frame. I am amazed at how they both can fit into such a tiny space- no wonder twins love c0-bedding even after they are born- it is all they have ever known. Braeden and Brody are both about 1lb 13oz right now...almost at the 2lb mark :). Each visit they seem to have doubled in size and I still have 2.5 months left- I wonder how big they are going to be!!!

I've had many requests for pictures of my pregnant belly (which is almost the size of a woman 9 months pregnant with 1 baby ). My mom took some pictures of it yesterday and I am working on getting them uploaded. I lost the USB chord to hook up my camera to my computer but am ordering a new one tomorrow. Those pics should be up within a week!

This weekend is going to be filled with baby things. Saturday Tony and I have our birthing class- all day long. I am so excited for it- I cant wait to take a tour of the birthing unit and nursery to see all the brand new babies :). Then on Sunday is the baby shower! I will keep u posted on how everything goes <3ttfn

Finally, Some Pictures!!!

My Gosh the boys are getting rowdy! I feel them kick almost on a daily basis now. I still haven't felt them changing positions or anything but the kicks are getting stronger :) We had our second level 2 ultrasound last week and it was just as amazing! Cheryl, Tony's mom, came with us this time and she loved it! We had a much better experience with our ultrasound nurse. The first time, the lady was a b*tch, for lack of a better word. She would not crack a smile for the life of her. i don't understand how someone can look at babies all day long and be so miserable. The woman that did the ultrasound this time though was awesome. She was so enthusiastic about telling us what everything was so that we could fully understand every part of what our boys were doing. She also gave us like 10,000,000 photos :) I have finally gotten some loaded onto the computer that are at the beginning of this blog along with a pic of Tony, God Mother Julie, and pregnant me at Julie's College graduation this past Saturday. I can't wait till next year when the little ones will be there to see me graduate!!!

"I Have a Baby in My Ribs"

Sorry I haven't posted in a little while- I have been on a constant shopping spree since we found out they are boys. With all the adorable clothes that the Grand-Ma's and I have gotten these little guys are going to be the best dressed babies in the country! I never thought I would have so much fun planning outfits for boys...


We have decided to spell Braeden with and "ae" rather than an "ay". I love that it makes it more gaelic- I am a sucker for gaelic names :)

I have felt to boys move a couple times and it was awesome! One of them keeps poking me in the ribs. It is uncomfortable now, I can only imagine how it will feel at 8 months...AHHH!

well ttfn- I will make an effort to post more often and get some pictures up here of the little ones <3

*B*O*Y*S*

We found out yesterday that they are BOYS!!! Tony is thrilled- he has been wishing for boys all along. Looks like this girly mom is going to have to gear up for a house full of testosterone. I am excited, I think two little boys will be fun. From what I hear they are super affectionate to their mommy's and full of energy...I hope I can keep up :) As of right now the names are Brayden Paul and Brody James, although Brody may be replaced by Bradley...

Being the girl that I am, I HAD to go right out shopping after we found out. My mom and Tony came with me. We started at Baby's R Us and added a bunch of new things to our registry- that little scanner gun is so fun! I also got two onesies that are blue and white and say "Double Trouble". Nana (my mom lol) got them little white onesies with yellow ducks. After, we went to the mall and Tony and I made them stuffed animals at Build-A-Bear. We made one Puppy and one Bear. We each made a wish on the hearts and gave them a kiss :) I thought this would be a cute idea, a little more personal that picking a stuffed animal out at a toy store. Our final stop was at The Childrens Place where I got them onesies that say "chick magnet" and "little rebel" (they are already taking after their father...) and 2 blue hats!

I am so excited that we finally know and now I can actually shop for them!!!

"There is nothing like the blessing Of a bouncing, baby boy He will fill your home with energy And touch your heart with joy. He'll hug you and bug you And try you within But each precious memory You'll treasure again and again."

Patience Is a Virtue...or so I am Told

IS IT MONDAY YET?????????????

It's Just Like Christmas...In April

5 days until we can find out the sex of the babies!!! I can't wait, i was telling my mom last night how i haven't felt this excited about something since Christmas when I was 7 years old :) I have my fingers crossed for girls...shhh don't tell.

This past weekend was the first time My mom and Tony's mom met and it went great! My mom and I were out and about looking at 2-family houses and decided to stop by Tony's since the grandma's (sorry guys...) needed to talk about the baby shower. We all ended up going out shopping at the Children's Place and grabbing treats (and a Dr. Seuss book of course) at Barnes and Noble. It was a great afternoon and I am so excited that they got along so well!!!

On another topic-Does anybody have experience with bringing babies into an environment with a puppy? We have a 1 year old mini-dachshund who is very attached to me. I am afraid that she will get jealous or the babies and any advice on how to avoid this and make the transition as easy as possible would be much appreciated :)

The Name Game Continued...

Hey! It's been a few days- sorry for being MIA :) It's been a busy busy weekend. On Thursday my mom and my two friends and I went to the Jay-z and Mary J Blige concert. Mary J has such a beautiful voice and is awesome to see live, but my main interest was Jay-Z. I thought about how funny I must have looked- all pregnant and rocking and rapping along to the music! I would have found myself quite comical. Friday I met up with my friends Julie and Erin at TGIFridays for dinner and drinks (for them) and then had a sleep over with Tony. He and I spent the day together on Saturday and had a little cookout that evening. I love when he grills, it's just so relaxing. I started thinking about how awesome it will be to someday have a yard of our own to grill out in the summer time while the little ones play in the yard.

The morning sickness has kept up and was really bad yesterday, leading to another dang headache...not too fun. Does anybody have any old wives tale remedies for pregnancy headaches? So far the only that has helped in applying a cold or hot compress.

On a lighter note, we are thinking of maybe replacing the name Bradlee with Brody. The twin boys would then be Brayden and Brody...I like that a lot! We are rethinking the girl names too. We both love Kaydence, but had also been in love with the name Reese. I am trying to come to terms with the fact that twin names CAN start with two different letters...but that may take time...and time is running out day by day! I just can't decide whether to stick with what we have (Kaydence and Kenadi), switch to Reese and and another R name, or throw caution to the wind and have Kaydence and Reese...HELP!!! Does anybody ever really settle on a final name before the very end? Not that I mind...this is actually one of the funnest parts of having kids :)

Hospitals are fun...

People say pregnancy is supposed to make you "glow", your skin is supposed to be flawless and your hair, better than ever. BULL SH*T! At least for me... The only thing my skin has turned is green from nausea ( I may possibly turn into Kermit th frog), my hair hasn't had a chance to shine as it's always in a messay bun to hold it back while I puke, and just forget about any inklings of a "glow".

I just got home from my second trip to the hospital for I.V. fluids for dehydration. The nurses have been so nice both time's I really must say that I couldn't havce asked for better care :). As much as I liked them though, I do hope this is the alst time I see them until my due date.

Here are a few tips I can give other women experiencing "morning" sickness (should be all day sickness if you ask me) to help relieve at least a little bit of the discomfort:

1. Eat small frequent meals.

2. Opt for bland foods. I.e. rice, bagel, pasta with no sauce.

3. Mac and Cheese has proven to be very helpful to me

4. Get plenty of rest.

5. Stay hydrated!!! This is easier said than done, but try pouring a sips worth of liquid into a cup and working on that over an hour or two. A full cup can be overwhleming and you will do more harm then good trying to rush your fluid intake.

6. Have a couple go-to snacks that work for you. I have found that crackers to be amazing.

7. If water is hard to keep down, try these: Apple Juice, Cranberry Juice, Ginger Ale. You can even try mixing any combination of those 3 to give yourself some variety.

8. Crack a window for some fresh air.

Cute Poem

I LOVE THIS POEM- IT MAKES ME CRY :)

Did you ever think, dear Mother

As the seeds of me you sowed

As you breathed new life inside of me

And slowly watched me grow

In all your dreams about me

When you planned me out so well

When you couldn't wait to have me there

Inside your heart to dwell

Did you ever think that maybeI was planning for you, too

And choosing for my very own

A mother just like you?

A mother who smelled sweet and who

had hands so creamy white

A tender, loving creature

Who would soothe me in the night?

Did you ever think in all those days

While you were coming due

That as you planned a life for me

I sought a life with you?

And now as I lay in your arms

I wonder if you knew

While you were busy making me

I was choosing you!

Happy Easter!!!

Happy Easter Everyone! I hope you all had a great holiday with lots of chocolate :) One of the strange craving I have been having lately has been for a chocolate bunny. Chocolate of any other variety was just not acceptable, it had to be in bunny form! (Weirdo...) Good thing this craving hit at the right time of year, I got 4. These babies are going to be on a sugar high! I also got the most adorable stuffed duck from Tony, he was really cute this year- Thanks Babe :)

So far, my favorite part of being pregnant is being able to eat anything I want ( with the exception of fish and a couple other things)! I have always been the type of person who analyzes every bit of food I put past my lips. Some would call me a work out junkie or a health freak. With my new "pregnant" label all those restrictions have flown out the window. The freedom to go all outand not feel guilty about having a cookie (or 7...) is liberating, I'm a new woman!

The Name Game

I think one of the most fun parts of having children is deciding what you will name them. As a typical girl, I have been thinking of names since I was named myself. We girls never take into consideration that our partner may not like your name plan or, god forbid, have some input of his own. We got through this pretty easily and have settled on 2 sets of names, one for boys and one for girls. If boys, the names are Brayden and Bradlee. For girls we have decided on Kaydence and Kenadi! As you can tell, we don't really go for traditional John and Mary type names.

Middle names have been more of a struggle though. My friend Julie and I went to Starbucks last night (don't worry no coffee for me!) and came up with a few possiblilities:
1) Kaydence Grace
2)Kenadi Reed (it is my mom's maiden name AND it sounds good)
3)Brayden Paul
4)Bradlee James (my dad's name, major brownie points would be scored)

What do you think? Any suggestions?

More Two Love

This being my first blog, already 3 months along, I suppose I should share a little bit on how I came to discover that I would be double-y blessed as a mommy of twins! Being 22 and a full time college student, pregnancy was not in the game plan just yet for me. However, sometimes life throws you a curve (or in my case, 2). Anywho, This past Christmas break my boyfriend Tony got some sort of eerie sixth sense that I was pregnant, or it could have been the fact that I was 2 weeks late, nauseas ever morning, or that my boobs had grown a cup size in about 3 weeks. I still hold that it was a sixth sense... He asked me time and time again to take a test, I assured him however that everything was FINE, this was all COMPLETELY normal...(denial anyone?). I finally caved in and was met with an undeniable "pregnant" reading on my digital home test, pretty hard to deny if you ask me.

Next on the agenda was the task of telling our families...always a fun time for a 22 year old couple let me tell you! My mom and his family took the news great (great is relative given the response we had expected). My dad on the other hand had a little more to say...we need not go down that road as he has seen the light and is coming around wonderfully. After that, we moved on to sharing the good news with friends, needless to say this didn't take long to spread through the grape vine. Thanks to the wonderful networking powers of facebook, and my oblivious little brother's "I'm an uncle" status posting, I hardly had to make one phone call.

So with ourselves prepared, and I do say excited, and family and friends in the know, we ventured to our first pre-natal appointment and ultrasound! Now this was no normal ultrasound like you see in the movies, when you are still in the wee weeks of pregnancy, the ultrasound tool more resembles a giant tampon and is adminstered accordingly (ill spare the details). This was surpries number one of the day...two and three were jsut around the corner. About 3 minutes into the u/s , the first words out of the tech's mouth..."YOU HAVE TWIN BABIES!" After many long long minutes of shock, worry, double, triple and quadruple checking that she was sure..the double excitement set in! The rest is history :)

Walking out of the appointment I received a text from my mom asking, "did you get the pictures?" to which i wittily responded "Yes of both of them". After about 15 minutes of thinking this was some kind of sick joke, she became the proudest, most excited grandmother-of-twins-two-be out there ( yes I would plasce bets on that).