10.21.2011

family, a photo by Stacie_919 on Flickr.

So.In.Love.


More to come........


XO

31 Weeks!

31 weeks and I think my back may be broken! This belly is getting BIG!!! Baby B has decided that stretching out underneath my ribs is the perfect place to spend his final weeks in utero. And, last Thursday at our ultrasound, we got to see Baby A's cute little butt cheeks hanging out and sitting on my bladder. :)

Measurements:

Baby A: 3 lbs 7 oz
Baby B: 3 lbs 14 oz

I smile every morning when they start their little routines of  kicking, rolling, and shifting positions in there. But, I'm looking forward to the new routines we'll get accustomed to like crying, cooing and watching as they adjusting to their new little lives out in the real world.  I now spend my days wondering what they will look like, how their personalities will be and what their little cute cries will sound like for the first time when they're first born.  It's starting to become more real that we'll be parents in a few short weeks!! :)

I was a tad dilated at my last checkup, so I am now supposed to watch out for labor signs and hope that we go just a little bit longer! We're hoping 3-4 weeks so they can fatten up some more in there! We'll do a growth check up next Thurs, 10/27. Hoping they'll have put on another half to three quarters of a pound these past two weeks!

28, 29, and 30!

You'd think being on bedrest would provide me with lots of motivation to keep my blog updated...... Not the case, clearly! I've officially been on bedrest for 3 weeks and it seems like 3 years!! We've had a few visits to the doctor's office to check on some aches and pains over the past few weeks.  The first trip was up to the Antenatal wing to administer steroids for the boys lungs.  This was precautionary as I was showing some signs of potentially going into pre-term labor.  The other visit was for random muscle pains, which I thought was labor. Hurt like nothing I've ever experienced!!!! Since then, things have been pretty uneventful and quiet.

The boys are looking great and as they get bigger, so do their kicks!! :)  They weigh roughly 3 pounds each now! Hoping that they'll weigh 3.5 next week although I keep reading that their weight gain isn't as rapid towards the end.  Last week they were measuring at "average" size, between the 48th and 55th percentile, which is great! Today marked 30 weeks and our doctors are pushing for us to get to our first milestone of 32 weeks.  Each day after that is great, but we really need to try and get to October 20th, at a minimum.  I've been pretty good about the bedrest because I know how crucial it is for us to get to 32.  They'd definitely be fine should they come earlier, but each day they stay in and bake really counts. I read that each day in utero is 3 days less in the hospital should they come early. I don't know at what point that theory applies, but I'm keeping it in the back of my head and willing these little men to hang tight!

Last Sunday, Kev's family threw me a surprise baby shower and we got a bunch of great stuff! It was so nice to get out and see everyone and we felt beyond blessed to have so many people there showering our little boys with love and gifts! A special thank you to my Mother-in-law, Patty and my Sister-in-Laws, Julie and Kristen! You three did a fabulous job and it was so appreciated! I love you all! :)

Also, Mr. Mom, as I like to call him these days, has really stepped it up and taken care of anything I've needed, done all the cooking, cleaning, etc. Love you, Kev!! :)

Continue to think positive thoughts for us all, we'll take all we can get :)

Here are our weekly pictures from weeks 28-30, I wasn't wearing makeup during week 28, that's why I look like the headless horseman! :)



(Excuse the vacuum)

Nursery Update

Kev finished up the nursery painting and trim this week and it looks SO good. I'm so proud of what a handyman he is!! Now we just need the furniture, some decor and two sweet little boys to make their room complete!!

27 Weeks and some news.....

Today marked 27 weeks and the beginning of the third trimester! It also marked Day 1 of bedrest ( waah, waaaaah!) This morning, at our appointment, I was told that for the next week, I need to act like each day is "a lazy Sunday." Which means no working, exercise, cleaning, cooking, running around, etc.... I was kind of bummed that it's happened this soon, even though it's just "modified" bedrest and precautionary.  I was hoping to make it to at least 30 weeks without having restrictions. Oh well, whatever is best for the boys!

Work has been great about this recent development, I'll work from home this first week then we'll reevaluate after our next appointment on 9/22.  You don't hear of too many cases where bedrest is lifted, but I'm hopeful! My mom sent me a list of "helpful tips" while on bedrest so you don't go stir crazy!! I'll definitely be referring to it!

The good thing about our appointment is that both boys look GREAT! Healthy little heartbeats in the 150's and they were moving around a ton! They're in the same position as our last appointment with Baby A breech and Baby B vertex (head down) Explains why my ribs and bladder are still being used as punching bags! :) 

Baby A weighs 2 lbs 6 ox and Baby B weighs 2 lbs 7 oz. So, Baby A has almost caught up to his brother now!  They put on a total of 1 lb 2 oz in 2 weeks, which is great!! I just hope they continue to fatten up in there at this rapid rate!!   We got to see one of our little guys sucking on his fist/thumb, it was so cute!! Here are pictures from today.  Please keep all 3 of us in your thoughts and prayers. We need these little guys to cook a while longer!!




A's Cute little arm!


B's sweet little face :)

Nursery: Before Pictures

So, these aren't overly exciting but you can see there's a LOT of work to be done!! We replaced almost all of the trim upstairs over the past few years, but this room was neglected. Mainly because I used it as my walk-in closet and there was stuff everywhere! Now it's all cleaned out and ready for Kev to get going. Over the past few weeks, he's prepped the room filling in nail holes, ripping out old woodwork, etc.   Last weekend he painted the room a tealish blue and tan to match our crib bedding, seen here...

Today, he and our brother-in-law, Jason, are installing the white chair rail and trim.  I think it's going to look really good when it all comes together! Our furniture probably won't be delivered until October, maybe even November. So, getting everything else done now is key. Especially while I'm still pretty mobile and can pick things out and decorate.

More pictures and updates to come as the room progresses!!

Itty bitty closet!

Corner where our chair will go...

Yankees Suck :)

26 Weeks!

At the end of this week, I'll officially be into the third trimester, YAY!! Now that Fall is arriving, I know I'm in the home stretch. I've always wanted to be pregnant during this time of year, you can't beat Fall In New England, that's for sure!!

College and NFL football are back, the Sox are making their run for the post season and who could forget "all things pumpkin?" I'm talking lattes, muffins, delicious Shipyard Pumpkin Ale (that I can't yet enjoy!)  I was watching College Gameday this morning and was such a proud Coug when I spotted 4, yes 4 Coug flags and only one dinky Husky flag. :)  Brought a smile to my face! There's nothing like being a Coug fan!! I was telling Kev that next year, we're going to Pullman. I don't care when or how, but, we're going!! We've been together 7 years and I still haven't managed to get him there! 2012 IS the year!!!

Okay, enough love for my Cougs..... Kev started the nursery last weekend! The "before" pictures to come!! Speaking of pictures, we're doing maternity / family pictures with the pups first week of October. Hoping to have lots of beautiful foliage as a backdrop!

25 Weeks!

I'm a little behind in posting, whoops! Last week we celebrated our 4th anniversary and 25 weeks! I'm telling ya, the weeks are flying by now and I love it! One week closer to meeting these two babes!  Check-up went well on 9/1 and feeling pretty good!! I noticed that over Labor Day Weekend, my feet started to turn into hot italian sausages. Nothing a little AC and elevation couldn't take care of, though. :)

4 Years......

And I love him even more now than I did then! September 1, 2007 was the BEST day of my life! I married my best friend and partner in crime.  NO ONE can make me laugh like he does! For example, this morning, we were waiting for our ultrasound and he said something that literally had me laughing so hard that tears were running down my cheeks and I couldn't catch my breath! If I'm not laughing hysterically at his "Kevin-isms," he's making me smile with his sweetness and charming good looks! :)  I know he'll be the best daddy in the entire world and I'm proud to say he's my hubby. Here's to four years and many more, Kev. I love you! XOXO

24 Weeks and a new little nephew!

I'm 6 months now, wow!! We got to see the boys yesterday and Baby A was finally laying on his back, see how cute he is? Look, he's waving! :)



I swear I'm bigger than last week, even if the picture doesn't quite capture it!



I'm feeling pretty good, sleeping has been rough, though! Especially on Tuesday night as I was patiently awaiting the arrival of my new little nephew, Kyler William Partridge! Congrats to my Lynnie and Joe, he's THE cutest thing ever! "Angus" and "Beef" can't wait to meet him! (Marge came up with this new nickname, it cracks me up!!)



Still going to the doctor every week for close monitoring. We're now getting an awesome test done each week that detects a certain protein that is predictive of pre-term labor.  It's pretty accurate, it can tell whether you're at risk in the next two weeks. But, since everything looked great with me, my doc decided not to send the test off for results.  Hoping this becomes the trend :)

Anyhoo, off to the beach tonight, a bridal shower tomorrow and hopefully meeting up with my dear friend Carrie on Sunday morning for breakfast. At this rate, though, I'll be hanging out with my new friend, Irene,  instead! Maybe you've heard of her!???

23 Weeks

Whoa! I guess this is what I look like when I wear a tighter shirt! My oh my, that belly is ginormo!!! I suppose this is a much more accurate representation of what I look like these days. I'm all about embracing it now :)  It is currently measuring as big as a single pregnancy at 30 weeks, if that gives anyone a reference point at all.

Check up went well today, both boys look great! Baby A has been prett shy the last few ultrasounds and won't show his adorable face. He just likes to lie upside down and show off his little spine instead. Baby B was just hanging out so we got a cute profile pic of him.  I go again next week just to make sure things are still going well with me.  Each week that goes by is another week closer to meeting them and NOT being on bedrest!  Of course I'd love to never be put on bedrest and I've made a lofty goal of trying to get to 30 weeks without it. They have their own agenda, though, so, we'll see!

22 Weeks!

I'm about a week behind, but here's my 22 week picture!


Feeling pretty good overall. I have days where I feel VERY pregnant and others where I "almost" forget. That's until I catch my reflection in the mirror! :)  Last weekend I headed to Seattle which is my last trip there before the boys arrive.  I sort of pampered myself. Okay, I really pampered myself with mani/pedis, a massage and shopping. My doctor said to "take it easy," and I did what I was told :)  Much more relaxed than my usual trips home!!

On Sunday, my mom and friends threw me a beautiful baby shower to celebrate the impending arrival of our little boys. It was perfect! Weather, food, company and of course all the goodies they were spoiled with! I didn't take any pictures but I will be getting some soon! (Coffey?)  Thank you to all who came and to those who weren't able to attend but were extremely thoughtful and sent something, it's much appreciated! I headed to Kelly's later for a last minute BBQ, here's a pic with my BFF's!



Lynnie is due tomorrow with Baby boy P, isn't she darling?? C'mon "Pete", we want to meet you!!!!



23 weeks tomorrow, time is FLYING! We have an appointment tomorrow to check and see how "mama" is doing. I'm sure we'll still get to see the little guys as well!

21 Weeks

Not a ton of energy or motivation to blog this week. But, here's a picture of me and my little "carrots" from this morning, at 21 Weeks.

20 Weeks!

Bananas!! That is the fruit comparison of our little guys this week.  Head to foot they each measure right around 10 inches. We had a appointment this morning and both boys look great! They were waving, kicking, doing somersaults and in general, just being cute. :) Both heartrates are in the low-140's which is perfectly normal.  The tech showed us Baby B's "middle leg," as she scanned his body, funny to see! He's definitely a boy! :)

Everything is looking great with me, I was cleared to fly to Seattle in August for my baby shower, yay!! We will be having another ultrasound the day before I leave just to be sure nothing has changed and that I'm all set to go!  I'm loving all this monitoring, it's so reassuring to be able to see them so often.  Both boys are now head down with Baby A hanging out on my right side and Baby B on my left.  They've seemed to move from their "bunkbed" position to being side-by-side.

Over the past week and a half, they've been really active!! While I have felt them since about week 17 or so, the first day I felt consistent movement by both babies was July 21st, the day I flew to Seattle. Either they really liked all the orange juice or the flying! :)  Since then, they've moving a ton, but thankfully only during the day! Let's hope that doesn't change!! The other day, I felt one of them kick from the outside and last night, Kev got to finally feell his first kick. He had a big smile on his face, it was pretty neat for him!

Sleeping has become MUCH more difficult. I'm a total back/stomach sleeper so this "side sleeping" is for the birds! My mom got me a kick ass memory foam preggo pillow, but even with that, my back has been really sore. I know it's only going to get worse so I'm going to start getting chiropractic work again to help my body stay aligned. I hope it helps!!! Swimming has been really good for me since it's so low-impact.  I've taken advantage of the 71 degree water down at our beach house and swam a ton! When not in the ocean, I head to a friend's pool for about 30 minutes of treading water or kicking with a ball. I know it's not a ton of cardio, but it does seem to help stretch and keep my muscles a little less tight.

A few weeks ago, at 18.5 weeks, we hit the halfway point!  A twin pregnancy is considered full-term at 37 weeks, so we're well on our way into the "second half" of pregnancy!  I can only hope/pray that the remainder goes just as well as the the first half has! If I was to deliver right at 37 weeks, these two would be born on Thanksgiving! That would be pretty neat, wouldn't it??

Here's my 20 week pic, I found this non-maternity dress a few weeks back at TJ Maxx for $24 and LOVE IT! I only wish they had it in more colors!!

19 Weeks

Here's my 19 week photo taken this pastThursday in Seattle.  Not the greatest since I had just gotten off a 5.5 hour flight from Boston!  According to my preggo iPhone app, at 19 weeks, the babies are the size of heirloom tomatoes, which I love!! A few pics from the weekend and a 20 week photo to come!

We are having........

We decided to find out what we're having!! We actually decided a few weeks ago when a friend in Seattle told me about a cute way that people have learned the gender(s) of their baby/babies.  It was important to us to find out alongside our family, we knew it would make the surprise of it all that much more fun and memorable for us.

So, at last Thursday's appointment, I had our ultrasound tech write down the results and seal them in an envelope. It was hard not to open it and peek, let me tell ya! Good thing it wasn't in my possession too long! I immediately drove to a  local baker and handed them the envelope. I said, "bake two cakes, one chocolate and one vanilla, but I want the inside frosting to match the results inside the envelope." So either pink or blue frosting, or one of each.  I asked for the outside frosting to be neutral (white) with green icing identifying which cake was which.  It was definitely weird to think that she would know the sex(es) of our children before we did!!  I picked the cakes up on Friday afternoon and after a quality check to be sure the colored frosting in the middle wasn't leaking out the sides, I drove straight to our beach house. 

That night, after dinner, we said my grandpa had brought dessert over and that we were anxious to dig in. Our plan was to Skype in my mom and step dad from Seattle for the big reveal. So, Kev and I sneakily ran a covert op mission setting up laptops, etc....

It was finally time.... We unveiled the cakes to everyone and when what we were doing sunk in, everyone was super excited! We all took a guess of what they thought they were then we were ready to cut into the first cake!!!

Here are the cakes, pre-reveal!



Twin B is a ..............................................



Drumroll.....................................................



BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



How "wedding" of us :)

and


Twin A is a.................................................



another BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



We have TWO BOYS!!!!!!



We couldn't be more excited to welcome our TWO little boys this Winter. The thought of Kevin raising our two little guys to love sports melts my heart. He's going to be the BEST daddy and I'm so excited for our journey to begin with them.  I will never, ever forget last Friday. It was the perfect way to find out for us and I'm SO happy we did it that way!

I, of course, have already started looking at nursery stuff, baby boy clothes and picturing what the little guys will look like! Will they have that infamous cutie Mullin nose? Blue eyes, brown eyes, or one of each? Will they arrive with full heads of hair? None of that matters I suppose, we just want them to be strong, healthy and happy! I hope these two know how much they are already loved!

18 Weeks!

Yesterday, Kev and I had our 18 week ultrasound which is equivalent to a singleton 20 week appointment.  We got to see both babies moving around, dancing, waving their arms. Incredible! They've definitely grown a ton since our 12 week appointment! They're both doing great which makes us both VERY happy! :)  I don't think either of us stopped smiling throughout the 1 hour and 20 minute appointment!  I seriously could just lay there and watch them move around all day, it would never get old!  Since we're so closely monitored, we may be able to see them again in two weeks! :)

Here are the pictures from yesterday, Baby A is on the bottom, head down. Baby B is on top in the breach position. The doctors assured me that they'll move around quite a bit in the next few months so not to worry about B being breached. Baby A has an anterior placenta which means that it's at the front.  I'll probably feel him/her less than Baby B who has a posterior placenta, meaning behind him/her. They are starting to move around a lot, coolest.thing.ever!  And yes, this was the appointment where we could find out the genders... But, we chose not to, at least yesterday! :) ! We do have them written down, should we crack! :)



I think they definitely look alike!


Cutie pie!


My heart melted when I saw this picture!!!! :)

SO excited

My best friend, Katie, is in labor!!! I can't WAIT to get the text with his sweet little picture and hear what name they finally decided on.  I have a good feeling of what it will be, but we'll see! I'm a total mess at work right now, I can't concentrate and am SO excited for them!!! I wish my trip to Seattle was starting tomorrow, not next Thursday! I can't wait to meet him!

Belly Pix Catch Up!

Here are some belly pictures from weeks 12-17! I'm definitely growing despite what a few of the pictures show.  I swear stripes make me look bigger than anything does but I love them! At some point you just have to embrace the belly, right?!

I picked up two cute lightweight dresses from H&M the other day. One is super colorful stripes dress and the other is a darker grey with little white polka dots. I have to say, H&M Maternity may have a small selection (at least in my local store), but, I love it! And at $29.50 each, you can't beat that! It's SO hot in Boston right now, dresses are the way to go!

Excuse the blurry self portraits, my iPhone's zoom feature is sub par! Kev took weeks 15 and 16 which turned out much better. Thursday marks 18 weeks, still undecided on whether or not we'll find out the sexes yet. We're VERY excited to see our little ones, regardless!  It's been 6 whole weeks! :)



12 Weeks


13 Weeks


14 Weeks

 

15 Weeks



16 Weeks



17 Weeks

Tiny Blessings....

I don't know if they always come in packages of two, but this time they did! Kev and I are ecstatic to announce that this winter, we will welcome two new little Mullins!!! Yes, TWO!  They are due mid-December but we (read: me and my big ass belly) hope that they arrive around Thanksgiving. They obviously have their own agenda and timeline so all we can hope for is that they are happy, healthy and, if it's not too much to ask, I'd love if they got their daddy's baby blue eyes :)  Things are looking/sounding great and I'm feeling pretty fabulous in the second trimester! Thankfully, I somehow avoided morning sickness alltogether, I've heard it's doubly awful with twins, too! I have had some wicked headaches and acid reflux, but all in all, I can't complain too much.

Today marks 16 weeks, time is starting to fly by!  We can find out the genders, if we choose to, on July 14th, at our 18 week appointment. . We're still undecided on whether to find out or not. Most people think I'm nuts to even entertain the idea of NOT finding out. We'll see, it may be a game time decision.  We're very closely monitored and are seen every two weeks which is very reassuring!

Below are our Mullin beans at 12 weeks, or as they've been more affectionately called by friends, "2.0" or "Max and Mabel."    In this pictures you can see that they're comfy hanging out in their "bunkbeds" stacked on top of one another.  Baby B is looking down at Baby A who is looking up. You can see Baby A's hand by its face :)



While following others' blogs through the years, I would always get SO excited to see the ultrasound picture pop up in the blogroll when someone would announce their pregnancy.  Now, it's our turn and I hope you are all as equally excited as we are!  We got to tell my dad, stepdad and lots of friends last week while we were in Seattle.  It was so wonderful to see the surprise, shock and joy on their faces. 

Speaking of, quick story...When Katie and Lynne came to visit in April, they knew I was pregnant but had NO idea that we were expecting twins.  To this day, after all of the "reaction" photos I've taken, this one still takes the cake! I handed them a stack of pictures of the "baby" for them to look at over dinner... When they came to the last picture, which was one of both babies, I snapped this photo.  It was like it clicked in both of their heads at exactly the same time. Lynne has a look of utter shock and Katie's about to say "Shutup!" in disbelief, as she often does when she's reallllly caught off guard. I will forever cherish this picture and will definitely be showing it to our kids someday. :)



Oh, and doesn't this just melt your heart? It does mine!



So, I suppose I have two really good reasons why I have to keep up to date with my blog now, don't I? ;)