It has been 15 weeks since I learned that I would be given a new title in my life. Along with husband, son, son-in-law, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, saxophonist, graduate student, and Marine, I would add to that list with the role of 'father'. Not in the sense of becoming a priest, but in actually having children of my own. I say children because it was 10 weeks ago that two little heartbeats were found during an ultrasound, and my life would forever be changed. For the better of course. There was a 10-minute span in which Chelsea and I were in shock right after we discovered this, and I believe there is still a little bit left of what we felt that day. Nonetheless I am anxious and truly happy to be a dad.
Over the last few months there have been changes happening. With the obvious ones (Chelsea's body growing to accommodate two little babies, our apartment getting smaller due to the boxes of diapers, wipes and baby supplies growing, and realization that our family will double in size come February) there are ones that the every day spectator might not notice. For instance, there was a period in which nothing sounded good for dinner (In Chelsea's opinion) unless it was from a restaurant. I could not cook something that fully satisfied her desire for food. Also, our bed did not expand, but the amount of pillows in it increased. Rather than sleeping next to my wife I found that a body pillow in the shape of a question mark separated us. There was also a couple weeks that included Chelsea's olfactory nerves being heightened, and I had to carry mouthwash, deodorant, and soap with me whenever I was in the apartment with her. Okay, that was a slight exaggeration, but you get the point.
I could not have a better life, and being able to share it with my wife has been the greatest blessing from God. We pray together every day for our life to be blessed, and for our two babies to stay healthy. This opportunity to be a parent has given me a new challenge, and one that I will take on with pleasure. I realize that the next few months will be exciting, and when we have two little babies there will be less sleep, more noise in the home, and less money to save, but I will embrace it.
Keeping up with what we still need to buy for the babies, how many diapers we'll need to have, planning to have people over when they are born, etc. gets to be the busiest part of the day. There is always something more we could do that will better the lives of our future children. We have found a new home on Camp Pendleton, and hope to move there in the next two weeks. This will give us more space and be closer to the hospital. I am excited to live there (even if it will only be for 14 months) and make it a family home for the first year of our babies lives.
I feel incredibly lucky to be married to Chelsea, and sometimes still can't believe how wonderful our marriage is. She has been fortunate through the pregnancy not to throw up, and I have been able to watch her grow into a perfect mother-to-be (in my eyes). We are over half-way complete and before we know it there will be a pair of crying babies...one in my arms, and the other in my wifes. Goodness I'm excited!
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Friday, October 25, 2013
19 Weeks: Mangos & Dancing
First: we have picked out a second girls name: Harper Marie. The two other names that made it to the top 3 were Peyton & Olivia. We picked Harper because it isn't super common and yet not a crazy name. Emmalyn and Harper: our two girl names. Who knows, we may not even use them if we have boys, but at least we are ready either way!
Kyle and I went to his birthday ball last Friday. Technically that happened in the 18 week time frame...but hopefully you won't hold it against me. I wore an old homecoming high school dress and was surprised it fit. I know I didn't actually look pregnant in the dress...just chubby, but who cares. I didn't have to buy a whole new dress! We had a good time. Kyle got to enjoy himself on the dance floor with the rest of his band. I joined in on a few songs, but didn't want to overdo it. We didn't even leave until past 11:30pm, which is unheard of for us.
Some Symptoms:
This week was about turning in our housing application for on base housing and packing. We have applied for a 3 bedroom house which is exciting! I certainly have not been too thrilled about packing. Luckily, some of Kyle's friends have said they will be helping us move so that's even better! Currently our spare bedroom is full of boxes and unused furniture. It looks like a bomb exploded in there! Today, Kyle and I went and looked at the 2 options they gave us on base, and we picked the house we liked and fit our needs! Of course, we wanted a 1st floor house, but we were only given 2 floor options, but it's fine. Now we just wait until they call us back after receiving some paperwork and they can tell us when the house we picked is ready. :) We are so excited!!
Mom sent us a gift that was exciting to open. It is a little swing/glider for babies...super cute :) Kyle and I also ordered a glider for the nursery and it arrived quickly. I am so stinking excited to move so we can set up an actual nursery!! It will be even more exciting when our baby furniture comes in. Yay for baby stuff! Kyle and I need to go back to the store and buy more diapers though.
This week a singleton baby would be about the size of a mango. I can't wait for my anatomy scan next week....hopefully they'll tell me how big the twinnies are.
Kyle and I went to his birthday ball last Friday. Technically that happened in the 18 week time frame...but hopefully you won't hold it against me. I wore an old homecoming high school dress and was surprised it fit. I know I didn't actually look pregnant in the dress...just chubby, but who cares. I didn't have to buy a whole new dress! We had a good time. Kyle got to enjoy himself on the dance floor with the rest of his band. I joined in on a few songs, but didn't want to overdo it. We didn't even leave until past 11:30pm, which is unheard of for us.
Some Symptoms:
- I may be feeling the babies move. Of course, I am not completely sure but I am assuming some of the little twinges and other feelings I experience are the twinnies moving around.
- Stuffy nose.
- Lower back discomfort.
- Hungry. I'm constantly wanting to eat food...any kind of food, really.
- I no longer like ground turkey meat or pork during this pregnancy.
This week was about turning in our housing application for on base housing and packing. We have applied for a 3 bedroom house which is exciting! I certainly have not been too thrilled about packing. Luckily, some of Kyle's friends have said they will be helping us move so that's even better! Currently our spare bedroom is full of boxes and unused furniture. It looks like a bomb exploded in there! Today, Kyle and I went and looked at the 2 options they gave us on base, and we picked the house we liked and fit our needs! Of course, we wanted a 1st floor house, but we were only given 2 floor options, but it's fine. Now we just wait until they call us back after receiving some paperwork and they can tell us when the house we picked is ready. :) We are so excited!!
Mom sent us a gift that was exciting to open. It is a little swing/glider for babies...super cute :) Kyle and I also ordered a glider for the nursery and it arrived quickly. I am so stinking excited to move so we can set up an actual nursery!! It will be even more exciting when our baby furniture comes in. Yay for baby stuff! Kyle and I need to go back to the store and buy more diapers though.
This week a singleton baby would be about the size of a mango. I can't wait for my anatomy scan next week....hopefully they'll tell me how big the twinnies are.
Friday, October 18, 2013
We've lived through 18 Weeks!
I started out this week snuggled in my CA bed, next to my wonderful husband. It was a wonderful way to start the week.
I can also say that I have officially begun gaining weight for this pregnancy! This is the first and probably only time I will be excited about weight gain. At one point I had lost about 4 lbs during this pregnancy, and I can officially say that as of the first day of this 18th week I have gained about 7 lbs. That's quite a change, isn't it?
Some symptoms:
I also had another doctor appointment this week. Kyle made it just in time (since it was during his lunch break) so I was really happy about that. Everything is going fine! My blood pressure is normal, I've gained weight (7lb) and the doc seemed okay with it, and both babies are still doing well! Baby A is already breached but they obviously have plenty of time to flip back around. I also had to have more blood work done to test my thyroid and to check for any possible genetic defects the babies could have. Prayers, please, that everything comes back normal! :)
It was especially exciting for Kyle to be there since he hasn't seem the twinnies since we found out there were 2! They have obviously grown much more in the 8 weeks since he's seen them last and actually look like little babies. They were squirming around and having a good ol' time... well Baby B was anyway. Apparently Baby B enjoys being a camera hog. Both had good strong heartbeats and the doc said there seemed to be plenty of amniotic fluid in each sac which is another good thing! I have my next appointment in 4 weeks and on Halloween I'll have an anatomy scan of the little ones. We will be praying it goes well and nothing is wrong!
This week, we ordered our baby furniture! Another super exciting thing! We are also in the process of applying for on-base housing and poor Kyle is required to do things he hates since he's the sponsor. I just have to sit back and nag him about finishing it so we can turn it in and get the ball rolling on moving. I don't want to be a beached whale before we transition into our new living quarters, because I have a fun/cute nursery to put together!
Two more names crossed off the girl's name list: Taylor & Lacey. There are only 3 names left!! That means, we will hopefully have our 2nd girl's name next weekend.
I'm hoping to get Kyle on here one day and post something about his experience as a daddy-to-be. So, maybe you all well get to experience a fun post from him.
I can also say that I have officially begun gaining weight for this pregnancy! This is the first and probably only time I will be excited about weight gain. At one point I had lost about 4 lbs during this pregnancy, and I can officially say that as of the first day of this 18th week I have gained about 7 lbs. That's quite a change, isn't it?
Some symptoms:
- Taking deep breaths can be a challenge, especially at night. It probably takes at least 10 tries before I take a satisfying deep breath, only to want another one 30 seconds later.
- Emotional. Poor Kyle sees me crying more often than not.
- Face acne. I still have red marks all over my forehead BUT I can honestly say, it looked better this week than it has.
- Bloody/Stuffy Nose.
- Lower Back Pain.
- Pounding Heart
- Cramping. I am assuming this cramping is for different reasons. One of them is obvious: growing pains. Now, though, after I use the bathroom I will feel a cramping feeling. Some woman experience more UTIs during pregnancy because our immune systems aren't functioning as well since we are busy growing humans instead. Perhaps that is the case, but other woman have the same cramping sensation but don't have a UTI, so I'm not really sure.
- Also, some more symptoms that might be considered "Too much information," so I'll keep them to myself =)
I also had another doctor appointment this week. Kyle made it just in time (since it was during his lunch break) so I was really happy about that. Everything is going fine! My blood pressure is normal, I've gained weight (7lb) and the doc seemed okay with it, and both babies are still doing well! Baby A is already breached but they obviously have plenty of time to flip back around. I also had to have more blood work done to test my thyroid and to check for any possible genetic defects the babies could have. Prayers, please, that everything comes back normal! :)
 |
| On the top, you can see the head is on the left side. On the bottom, the head is on the right side. |
It was especially exciting for Kyle to be there since he hasn't seem the twinnies since we found out there were 2! They have obviously grown much more in the 8 weeks since he's seen them last and actually look like little babies. They were squirming around and having a good ol' time... well Baby B was anyway. Apparently Baby B enjoys being a camera hog. Both had good strong heartbeats and the doc said there seemed to be plenty of amniotic fluid in each sac which is another good thing! I have my next appointment in 4 weeks and on Halloween I'll have an anatomy scan of the little ones. We will be praying it goes well and nothing is wrong!
This week, we ordered our baby furniture! Another super exciting thing! We are also in the process of applying for on-base housing and poor Kyle is required to do things he hates since he's the sponsor. I just have to sit back and nag him about finishing it so we can turn it in and get the ball rolling on moving. I don't want to be a beached whale before we transition into our new living quarters, because I have a fun/cute nursery to put together!
Two more names crossed off the girl's name list: Taylor & Lacey. There are only 3 names left!! That means, we will hopefully have our 2nd girl's name next weekend.
I'm hoping to get Kyle on here one day and post something about his experience as a daddy-to-be. So, maybe you all well get to experience a fun post from him.
These pictures show the difference in how much I've grown from week 7 to week 18. You all better see the baby bump, but while I may be eating more, that isn't me! It's babies!
Saturday, October 12, 2013
17 Weeks: Kentucky & A Baby Shower
Well, my 17th week was a wide range of emotions. I began the week in KY
with Mom being back from Europe, as well as my baby shower with friends
and family. It was a nice change to my normal California lifestyle, but
it was still a little bitter sweet since Kyle couldn't be here with me. I
can never enjoy being home the way it was meant to be enjoyed unless my
other half is by my side.
While Mom was in Italy, she bought us a little angel. It's a pretty crazy angel, for sure, but it definitely grows on you. The angel is supposed to hang somewhere and look over those around it. So, we will be putting it in the babies room somewhere since they will need the most protection. I'm assuming the manic hair is because they will be a hectic duo for this poor angel to keep up with!
Some Symptoms:
Mom and I have looked at some baby furniture while I was home. It can be stressful to find good, solid furniture that will last for 18-20 years. Yes, I want to buy a convertible crib so one of the babies can grow into the furniture throughout his/her life. Therefore, I can't order a random crib online. I have to go and feel it, feel the sturdiness of the drawers and the bed, etc. That takes time.
After the baby shower I was overwhelmed by all the stuff we will still have to buy. While I used to be overwhelmed by everyone's advice, I am now overwhelmed with the financial aspect of having two children at the same time. Kyle and I are trying to put our trust in Christ, that he will provide the necessary money we'll need...I am trying to come to terms with the fact that we will basically be poor for quite a while. I am even sure that we'll qualify for WIC and food stamps once the babies are born. Of course, that terrifies me because I want to make sure we can provide for ourselves and our two little ones. We will continue to tithe and give back to God during our financial strain because what little money we will have, is a blessing from Him. Everything is in His plan.
I've noticed since I've been home and I've been telling people certain things I'm pretty adamant about either with raising the twins or just various decisions Kyle and I have made in regards to them, that many people are already rolling their eyes or looking at me like I'm stupid. Oh well. I'm pretty sure the only mother who could be telling us what we should or shouldn't do is the Virgin Mary since she was Jesus's mother. Unfortunately she isn't around to give us direction on raising a perfect child, so everyone will just have to deal with how we choose to raise ours. Kyle and I are taking our own beliefs and ideals about parenting and will put them to use. It will be trial by error, I'm sure, but it will be our way, no one elses.
Two names we have crossed of the possible girl's name list: Hayden & Callie. There are only 5 names left!
It was good to get home to hubby but I certainly did hate leaving Momma. Going home without your spouse can be so difficult and it didn't let me enjoy my time at home as much as I wanted. I did have a great time seeing family and friends, it just would have been better with my husband. Next time most people see me again, I'll have a baby on each hip!
While Mom was in Italy, she bought us a little angel. It's a pretty crazy angel, for sure, but it definitely grows on you. The angel is supposed to hang somewhere and look over those around it. So, we will be putting it in the babies room somewhere since they will need the most protection. I'm assuming the manic hair is because they will be a hectic duo for this poor angel to keep up with!
Some Symptoms:
- Acne. It has still taken over my forehead. Ridiculous.
- Peach fuzz, all over my stomach. Weird and possibly a little gross, right? Kyle and I will start having a contest to see who is hairier!
- Lower Back Pain. I can't sit OR stand too long. Seems babies don't like momma to be comfortable.
- Crying. I am emotional to begin with, but this so called "pregnancy tears" become really annoying. I cry about everything.
Mom and I have looked at some baby furniture while I was home. It can be stressful to find good, solid furniture that will last for 18-20 years. Yes, I want to buy a convertible crib so one of the babies can grow into the furniture throughout his/her life. Therefore, I can't order a random crib online. I have to go and feel it, feel the sturdiness of the drawers and the bed, etc. That takes time.
After the baby shower I was overwhelmed by all the stuff we will still have to buy. While I used to be overwhelmed by everyone's advice, I am now overwhelmed with the financial aspect of having two children at the same time. Kyle and I are trying to put our trust in Christ, that he will provide the necessary money we'll need...I am trying to come to terms with the fact that we will basically be poor for quite a while. I am even sure that we'll qualify for WIC and food stamps once the babies are born. Of course, that terrifies me because I want to make sure we can provide for ourselves and our two little ones. We will continue to tithe and give back to God during our financial strain because what little money we will have, is a blessing from Him. Everything is in His plan.
I've noticed since I've been home and I've been telling people certain things I'm pretty adamant about either with raising the twins or just various decisions Kyle and I have made in regards to them, that many people are already rolling their eyes or looking at me like I'm stupid. Oh well. I'm pretty sure the only mother who could be telling us what we should or shouldn't do is the Virgin Mary since she was Jesus's mother. Unfortunately she isn't around to give us direction on raising a perfect child, so everyone will just have to deal with how we choose to raise ours. Kyle and I are taking our own beliefs and ideals about parenting and will put them to use. It will be trial by error, I'm sure, but it will be our way, no one elses.
Two names we have crossed of the possible girl's name list: Hayden & Callie. There are only 5 names left!
It was good to get home to hubby but I certainly did hate leaving Momma. Going home without your spouse can be so difficult and it didn't let me enjoy my time at home as much as I wanted. I did have a great time seeing family and friends, it just would have been better with my husband. Next time most people see me again, I'll have a baby on each hip!
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
16 Weeks and Homeward Bound!
I hit another exciting mark: 16 weeks! This past week has been exciting simply because of that fact. Fingers cross the babies are still doing well! I won't know for another few weeks.
This week is a little bitter sweet. I am flying home for a few days which is unbelievable exciting. I am also going to be surprising Mom at the airport by picking her up from Europe. She has no idea! :) While I'm home, there will be a baby shower, too. I'm just really happy to see everyone one last time before I'm stuck in California until Kyle's contract is up and we finally move home. However, though all this exciting stuff is happening by going home....I will be leaving hubby behind. That thought makes me sad. I hate being apart from him for any period of time.
Some Symptoms:
Kyle had to spend the night out of town on Monday night. It isn't anything out of the ordinary for him, of course, but with me leaving early Wednesday morning it made me extra sad because that meant I only had Tuesday evening to spend with him before I flew home. Needless to say I was a pregnant mess. Monday morning I had work, and he didn't have to be at work until 11:15...gotta love how our schedules never match up. Being the loving husband that he is, he waited for me to arrive home before booking it off to work so I could see him one last time that day. He met me outside, we said our goodbyes, and as he left I had already started crying. When I walked into the apartment and saw a dozen red roses on the table... Well... you can only imagine what a hysterical pregnant woman must look like. I completely lost it. I'm pretty sure I blubbered for 30 minutes straight, at least. It was so unbelievably sweet. Of course this made the whole process of leaving him for KY so much harder....
Two names we knocked off the list: Tiffany and Genna. There are 7 left to choose from!
We are also still in the process of looking for an apartment. Luck has not been our friend. Finding a 3 bedroom apartment, closer to Kyle's work, on a certain budget is nearly impossible in California unless we want to pay $2500 a month. Um...I think not. One place looks pretty nice and they'll have one apartment available on the first floor starting in November. They have Washer/Dryer/Dishwashers which is perfect and on my Must Have lists and they also pay the Water bills! Basically, perfect. However, the downside is that the apartment complex is on a hill, so EVERY apartment has to either go up or down at least a few stairs...even the first floor. Ugh. Stairs were what I was trying to avoid! We shall just have to see what our other options are.
---
Currently, I am home and enjoying a comfy bed in my mother's house. When I arrived home, it my situation became a little sticky. A few days ago, I had actually hit "publish" for this post instead of "preview" and Mom automatically had the blog sent to her in an email. I freaked out because at the top, you can clearly see how it says I am planning to surprise her! I texted her several times and sent her an email saying READ ME FIRST! Thankfully she read that email and said she wouldn't read the blog post.
As soon as I got home, I tore through the house looking for the set of spare car keys I needed. All of them had disappeared. Needless to say I became extremely agitated. I texted Roger, my step-brother, and asked if he knew where they were. Finally, after having to talk to some other people (and due to the truck not sounding right), Mike (my youngest step-brother) allowed me to borrow the Lexus to get around for a day. I felt so bad taking a car away from a teenager. Thankfully he allowed me to move around and get some things done that I needed to.
Today is the day that Mom arrives home, and I get to go pick her up! Brandon is going to tag along with me so I have a ride (I gave the car back to Mike). I'm very excited and hope she hasn't read my blog even though she said she wouldn't!! :)
---
Now momma is home and have enjoyed hearing her stories from Europe! I hope she was a little surprised by my presence!
This week is a little bitter sweet. I am flying home for a few days which is unbelievable exciting. I am also going to be surprising Mom at the airport by picking her up from Europe. She has no idea! :) While I'm home, there will be a baby shower, too. I'm just really happy to see everyone one last time before I'm stuck in California until Kyle's contract is up and we finally move home. However, though all this exciting stuff is happening by going home....I will be leaving hubby behind. That thought makes me sad. I hate being apart from him for any period of time.
Some Symptoms:
- Very thirsty at night.
- Stuffy/bloody nose.
- Growing pains. Holy crap they can be painful. I was hunched over all evening one day from it.
- Pounding Heart.
- Headaches
- Feeling like a whale. =P
- Etc, etc.
Kyle had to spend the night out of town on Monday night. It isn't anything out of the ordinary for him, of course, but with me leaving early Wednesday morning it made me extra sad because that meant I only had Tuesday evening to spend with him before I flew home. Needless to say I was a pregnant mess. Monday morning I had work, and he didn't have to be at work until 11:15...gotta love how our schedules never match up. Being the loving husband that he is, he waited for me to arrive home before booking it off to work so I could see him one last time that day. He met me outside, we said our goodbyes, and as he left I had already started crying. When I walked into the apartment and saw a dozen red roses on the table... Well... you can only imagine what a hysterical pregnant woman must look like. I completely lost it. I'm pretty sure I blubbered for 30 minutes straight, at least. It was so unbelievably sweet. Of course this made the whole process of leaving him for KY so much harder....
Two names we knocked off the list: Tiffany and Genna. There are 7 left to choose from!
We are also still in the process of looking for an apartment. Luck has not been our friend. Finding a 3 bedroom apartment, closer to Kyle's work, on a certain budget is nearly impossible in California unless we want to pay $2500 a month. Um...I think not. One place looks pretty nice and they'll have one apartment available on the first floor starting in November. They have Washer/Dryer/Dishwashers which is perfect and on my Must Have lists and they also pay the Water bills! Basically, perfect. However, the downside is that the apartment complex is on a hill, so EVERY apartment has to either go up or down at least a few stairs...even the first floor. Ugh. Stairs were what I was trying to avoid! We shall just have to see what our other options are.
---
Currently, I am home and enjoying a comfy bed in my mother's house. When I arrived home, it my situation became a little sticky. A few days ago, I had actually hit "publish" for this post instead of "preview" and Mom automatically had the blog sent to her in an email. I freaked out because at the top, you can clearly see how it says I am planning to surprise her! I texted her several times and sent her an email saying READ ME FIRST! Thankfully she read that email and said she wouldn't read the blog post.
As soon as I got home, I tore through the house looking for the set of spare car keys I needed. All of them had disappeared. Needless to say I became extremely agitated. I texted Roger, my step-brother, and asked if he knew where they were. Finally, after having to talk to some other people (and due to the truck not sounding right), Mike (my youngest step-brother) allowed me to borrow the Lexus to get around for a day. I felt so bad taking a car away from a teenager. Thankfully he allowed me to move around and get some things done that I needed to.
Today is the day that Mom arrives home, and I get to go pick her up! Brandon is going to tag along with me so I have a ride (I gave the car back to Mike). I'm very excited and hope she hasn't read my blog even though she said she wouldn't!! :)
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Now momma is home and have enjoyed hearing her stories from Europe! I hope she was a little surprised by my presence!
Here is my picture from 16 weeks...see my bump???:
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