Updates

The fact that I have a panic attack when someone else announces a pregnancy is a pretty clear indicator that I'm not planning to add another kid to the mix any time soon. I'm not ruling it out in the future, but no future Nitsy kid is imminent.

Judah and Asher are busy being awesome, cute, and holy terrors. Other twin moms I know are starting to potty train, but I'm no overachiever - I'm waiting another year. We are thinking about making the move to toddler beds as Asher is pretty close to climbing out of his crib, but we're just in the contemplating stages right now.

Early Intervention is totally awesome, but a drain on me emotionally. And our schedule. Did I mention that in the month of March we had 12 EI appointments? TWELVE. Two group classes (Wiggly Worm and Hanen) are ending this week. Additionally we're adjusting our treatment plan soon, and we'll likely drop occupational therapy. My kids are totally blossoming in their speech and other development, all because of EI treatment. But I'm glad they have made so much progress that we can have fewer appointments.

Our kids have started daycare as a sanity-saving measure, and they are thriving there. They love being around a few other kids, and doing fun crafts and other activities. There are two cats and a dog at the home daycare they go to, and Judah LOVES the animals, especially the cat. I would consider getting him an animal if we ever change childcare situations and he can't be around animals regularly.

Nick is loving his teaching gig up at SLCC. We're hoping that he can pick up additional adjunct jobs at local schools, or make the move to full time at SLCC. Of course, it's still a constant love fest between me and AQ. I'm visiting the office in Irvine in June.

Garden

Dudes, I just harvested 8 cucumbers and 1 zucchini out of my garden. My tomato plants have had a recent population boom and I hope to harvest some delicious vine-ripe fruits within a few weeks. One of these days I'll get a photo of my cute garden and my awesome home-grown organic harvest, but today just use your imagination.

Remembering Scottie

Betsy and Scott  at BUHS graduation 1997

April 2008

Hi Scott,


I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately, and I have one question for you; what is the statute of limitations on apologies? Because I owe you one that is seriously overdue - by about 6 years.


This incident may have gone down in worst-date-ever history. It is so bad that I believe it may have achieved legendary status by now, and is being retold as a truly scary story by scouts at camp-outs across the US. So remember when we went to see that Star Wars movie on your birthday in 2002? And remember when I ran out of the theater to take a call leaving you solo for half an hour? And remember how I insensitively told you about the guy I wanted to date on the ride home? Yeah - um, so sorry about that. I am retroactively embarrassed 6 years later. Yes, I am the worst date ever. 


My marriage may not have been the best, but good did come out of it - for example, I have learned a lot of humility, a sense of propriety and tact...[edit] that were sorely lacking on the night in question, and humility to be able to admit my failing (even if it is 6 years too late) and beg your forgiveness. I really am embarrassed of the way I acted.


[edit] yadda yadda yadda ... divorce, work, church, school...


Anyway, I'm babbling. I just really felt like I owed you an apology and wanted to say hi. I know you're in a war right now, which blows my mind and makes me want to sob uncontrollably if I think about it too much. Just know that I am one of many that is so proud of you, and feels overwhelmed and blessed that there are people like you that are willing to put your life on the line so I can live the life I choose. Thanks for that. You're in my prayers.


 Betsy

Betsy,

I had not heard of your divorce and I am sorry that your relationship did not work out the way you wanted.

Otherwise sounds like you are doing well. I'm glad to hear you enjoy being a primary chorister. I have always found that being a primary teacher is the best form of birth control. However, they did provide me with many stories.

Anyways, I lead a pretty simple life right now. The part of Iraq I'm in doesn't look too diferent from home, except it did snow here this winter.

I hope everything works out for you,

Scottie

[Editor's note: Scott clearly had no interest in dating me at that time, and possibly ever.]

July 2008

Something made me think of you the other day, and I realized that I had never replied to your email. Better late than never, right? Anyway, I hope things are well with you. Err... as well as they can be, as you're in a war situation (still mind-boggling, btw). I'm pretty amazing, typical Betsy. Work is work. School is school. Church is church. I'm back with the Young Women in my new ward, so that has been fun. My "dating life" pretty much resembles an episode of Melrose Place, so the drama has kept my life interesting. I never thought I would be in this position again, but since I am, I am enjoying myself, and having a laugh at the expense of the "interesting" guys that have managed to remain unattached into their upper 20's/lower 30's. Absolutely hilarious, and very diverting.


Anyway, just wanted to send a quick note to say hi.

Best,
Betsy

Betsy,

Glad to hear that you are doing well. I was always trying to find the Melrose Place's. The closest I came was Atlanta, but I was lucky to make it up there once a month. I do love that city.

Have fun with the young women, they should keep you busy. And enjoy the Melrose Place atmoshpere, it's always fun to be there.

Scottie

The above emails were the last contact I had with Capt. Scott Pace. He was killed in action in Afghanistan while serving in the US Army on June 6, 2012. It's difficult to find the words to honor his life and his service. We spent our youth together in high school and at BYU. We participated in lots of activities together, exchanged a lot of emails over the years, and even went on a few dates. Many many embarrassing journal entries from high school through college and even into my second single-hood attest to the fact that I was at times about 95% sure that we would eventually marry (even though we never even so much as held hands). He was a great friend that will be missed by all who had the honor of knowing him.

The words of a hymn "Each Life That Touches Ours for Good" best express my feelings about Scott's passing. He really was a Christlike friend that strengthened my faith and enriched my days. I know that we will embrace as friends in the Eternities.

Each life that touches ours for good
Reflects thine own great mercy, Lord;
Thou sendest blessings from above
Thru words and deeds of those who love.


What greater gift dost thou bestow,
What greater goodness can we know
Than Christlike friends, whose gentle ways
Strengthen our faith, enrich our days.


When such a friend from us departs,
We hold forever in our hearts
A sweet and hallowed memory,
Bringing us nearer, Lord, to thee.

For worthy friends whose lives proclaim
Devotion to the Savior’s name,
Who bless our days with peace and love,
We praise thy goodness, Lord, above.


Text: Karen Lynn Davidson, b. 1943. © 1985 IRI
Music: A. Laurence Lyon, b. 1934. © 1985 IRI

For MOMs by MOMs: Baby Gear

Time for another MOMs linkup! This time the topic is baby gear. I've recently had a refresher course in baby gear as my beautiful niece was born less than a week ago! I don't have a ton of photos to share, so I'll just give my top picks for gear in bullets with links.

• Zippered sleepers - trust me, you don't want to deal with all those snaps.
• Boppy pillows - it's nice to have a place to set down a kid. We even used ours for daytime naps while they were swaddled (not officially recommended - could be a smothering risk)
• Swaddle blankets - A nice tight swaddle kept our kids sleeping for hours at a time. Most of the best ones we used were sewn by my mom.
• Infant carrier carseats - I was skeptical at first, but infant carrier carseats are boss for twins. You can just pick up and go from car to house and back again. Very handy. Ours are Graco something or other. Almost any kind is great.
• Baby Trend Double Snap N Go stroller - light weight and great for use with the infant carriers. My awesome friend Kirsten passed hers down to me. Worked like a charm for the first 6 months.
• Jeep double umbrella stroller - my mom picked this up used for us, and it is so boss. We still use it today. It folds up small, so it's great for a small car like our Prius, and also great for air travel.
• Graco Pack 'N Play playard with twin bassinet - This worked AWESOME for the first few months. The boys got to sleep close together but without the chance of smothering each other. Bonus is that this Pack N Play is HUGE - much larger than a standard sized one, so you can use it for travel well into the second year.
• KidCo Peapod - We got this as a gift and it is so cool for travel. It's a splurge, so I wouldn't probably pick it up for myself, but it is really neat for a family on the go.
• "Stealing" from the hospital - there is a lot of baby gear given to you at the hospital - especially if your twins have any length of NICU stay. We got the typical nose bulb syringe (see more below), diapers, wipes, ointment, hair scrubbers, shirts, pacifiers, milk storage bottles, nipples, blankets, hats, formula, and probably more. TAKE IT ALL HOME. Technically you're probably not supposed to take their blankets and shirts, but our nurses let us have them. No harm asking. Another top tip - they will give you the pump parts for Medela breast pumps. If you're going to pump at home and buy a pump used, just wait until you're home from the hospital to buy/open new pump parts because chances are you'll get some for FREE at the hospital.
• Little Noses Nasal Aspirator - The only kind that works AT ALL besides the one you get at the hospital. DO NOT waste your money on any bulb kind of aspirator besides this one. I hear Nose Frida is also good, but I haven't personally tried it.
• Aquafor - Best stuff on earth for diaper rash, cradle cap, scrapes, baby acne. LOVE IT.
• Writing to diaper and formula companies - write a short letter to the diaper and formula companies that you want to use and tell them you had twins. Include copies of their birth certificates if possible. They will send you coupons for FREE STUFF as well as high value coupons. I think you can even do this with singletons.
• Baby Jail - Okay, that's just our affectionate nickname for the Dream On Me Babytown Playard. This gated playard will become a sanity saver once you have two on the move. We used it as advertized for a few months, then broke it open and used it as the longest baby gate ever. We still use it today to fence off Nick's desk area. It's a lot easier than baby proofing with all those cords.

I hope this helps any expectant moms or MOMs out there. Did I miss anything that was a must have for you? Leave it in the comments!

For MOMs by MOMs: Pregnancy

Another instalment of the MOMs linkup. Enjoy!

20.5 weeks pregnant with twins

My pregnancy showed me that Heavenly Father not only has perfect timing and a perfect knowledge of our circumstances, but also a pretty boss sense of humor which he uses to reveal himself in our lives. Prior to being pregnant with my twins I had wanted to be a mom for a long time. I had openly and often wished for triplets in my 20s. Everyone told me I was completely insane, and while I understood their concern I quietly wished for the opportunity to eat my words. As my first marriage fell apart towards the end of my 20s I lamented that I might never have kids. Going through the absolute dump truck of a situation of my divorce humbled me and brought my desires for my future into clear focus. When I met and married Nick we wasted no time in trying to start a family.

We tried to get pregnant for 9 months before it happened. There were a few months of the normal stuff, followed by a few months of the taking-my-temperature, ovulation-kit, etc etc etc trying. When I was able to conceive on my own I was thrilled. At my first pregnancy appointment my doctor did an ultrasound to date the pregnancy. Immediately she said "I have to tell you something and I need you to brace yourself." I was terrified that I had lost the pregnancy. She proceeded to tell me that I was expecting twins and that the babies were in their own sacs with great heartbeats. My shock coupled with relief that I hadn't lost the pregnancy produced buckets of tears for the next 5 minutes. I pulled myself together to call Nick and share the shocking news. I had joked earlier in the week that it would be "hilarious" if we were expecting twins. Nick said "It's a good thing we're not, because I can't handle that." See? Sense of humor.

I really enjoyed being pregnant and I had almost no complaints until near the end. No morning sickness, just a touch of heartburn. I felt the babies move for the first time around 17 weeks. I received tons of ultrasounds to monitor my cervix and then check the twins for growth every 2-4 weeks. It was awesome. I developed gestational diabetes, but it was not severe and was easily managed through diet. At 31 weeks 4 days (I think) I started showing signs of preeclampsia and preterm labor. My doctor put me on bed rest. I lasted 3 more weeks, which was pretty much just the break that I required prior to my kids showing up. At the very end I started to get uncomfortable and I delivered via c-section at 34 weeks 6 days due to preeclampsia. You can get the full scoop on my birth story at pregtastic.com. The boys stayed in the NICU for 13 (Asher) and 15 (Judah) days.

Those tears that turned on like a faucet when I learned that I was expecting twins haven't stopped. I love love love my kids and being a mom. I am reduced to tears of joy almost daily when I look at their sweet faces, which makes complete sense when I consider the following:

The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude.   Joseph B. Wirthlin

I consider my kids to be a blessing from an understanding and loving God through the Principle of Compensation. Going through a divorce sucked out loud and I hated every minute of it. Now, only a few years later I feel like I'm living a charmed life.

For MOMs by MOMs: Introduction

I thought I would come out of my relative state of hiding to participate in a MOMs (Mom of Multiples) linkup.

I'm Betsy. 32 year old working mom of awesome 16 month old fraternal twin boys Judah and Asher. The boys are spontaneous twins (aka a BIG SURPRISE!) They are awesome and so totally cute. I telecommute as a sales analyst for a consumer electronics company, and I love my job almost as much as I love my family. My husband Nick is a filmmaker and sleepwalker. It keeps us on our toes. We just bought our first house in Provo, UT and will be moving there (from Oceanside, CA) at the end of this month. We can't wait to have a back yard for the boys to play in. I can't wait to be within walking distance of my favorite bakery.

So... I don't know if you know this, but toddlers. are. hard. The first year was like a cake walk compared to the last few months. The boys are into everything, making messes, throwing fits, pulling hair, biting each other/walls/anything. They drive me bonkers regularly. Nevertheless, I love being a mom and I adore being a MOM. One of the best parts for me is seeing their relationship blossom as they grow and develop. Watching them learn brings me total joy.

Homeowners!

After some random inspection drama and an interesting mortgage procurement process (being in a different state) we bought the Blue House! And are moving into it at the end of May! Full disclosure: I originally typed that first sentence without any exclamation points. I've been really reserved about the whole process knowing that it could all go to hmmhmm at a moments notice. My life is basically a soap opera so when meth was detected in the house during the home inspection it kind of made perfect sense. Luckily it was remediated and we were able to move forward on the deal. But it was stuff like that which made me keep my emotional distance during the whole roller coaster process. But we've now closed and received the keys so I can use exclamation points! Without! Reserve! EXCLAMATION! POINTS!!!!

 Karl and Allie will stop by for random quality control checks over the next few weeks to make sure that the local youths are behaving and that hobos and/or a family of raccoons has not taken up residence.

Now the reality of home ownership is starting to settle in with its various required responsibilities. Get HVAC bids, schedule yard maintenance, set up utilities, buy a hose and/or sprinkler, change the locks, get the carpet cleaned, change address on everything, schedule moving truck, pack the whole universe, throw away 50% of our belongings, do a sometimes-metaphorical-sometimes-literal tap dance to entertain twins whilst simultaneously working a demanding job without missing a beat. You know, the usual stuff.

Can't wait until moving day!

Provo and the Blue House

Blue House

As you may or may not know the Nitsy crew is seriously contemplating a move to Provo once Nick graduates this spring. The reasons for the move are many, but I would say the main four are

1. Money - The cost of living is MUCH LOWER in Utah than here in California. I will be able to keep my current job (and current salary) making a home purchase possible (see my current pick above). If we continued on in California (with or without a move to LA) we would not be able to buy for a few more years at least. Our total house payment will be lower than our current rent by a few hundred dollars at least. We'll actually be saving money.
2. Family - In Provo we would be close to Karl and Allie and their Caucasian female baby. Allie has offered to help us with wonder-twin care (an offer that I'm sure she'll withdraw soon after the first time she tends them - especially when she'll have her own newborn...). Regardless, I want Judah and Asher to grow up with their cousins. Boopie and the Professor live a short drive up the freeway in SLC. We'll be within a reasonable distance of Zach, Danielle and Ethan too (in Rexburg). Plus we're halving the distance to Malia and Caitlin. Not bad. I'm sure we'll miss Gma and Gpa Hite and Gma Neal, but they will visit. Plus, we'll hopefully have a guest room for the many many visitors we'll host.
3. Lifestyle - We want to have a healthy and happy life. Where we're at now it's hard to do that. Going up and down the stairs keeps me from taking the kids outside much. We don't have a yard for the to play in, or a park nearby. We don't have a lot of friends, so we don't do a lot of funtivities. Nick doesn't like to "do stuff" as much as I do, so it will be fun to tag along with other friends on fun outings while Nick sits in a corner by himself (his version of a good time). Plus Allie has agreed to help me with my diet and exercise goals.
4. Opportunity - There is plenty of opportunity for Nick up in Utah. Maybe he'll land a job with the Church's film studio, or a teaching gig at BYU or UVU, or maybe something up at Sundance. There's also a pretty active indie film scene up in Utah. Plus there is always contract work for productions that shoot up there, both made for TV stuff like High School Musical, and feature films like 127 Hours.

Mother Judger?

I was reading an essay on motherhood by a cute-as-can-be 22 year old mother of twin boys that are close in age to my little guys. The essay is about the love a mother feels for her children, and also about judging other mothers. Perhaps I have been exceptionally blessed, or at the very least exceptionally naive and/or blind to the thoughts and/or words and/or actions of others, but I have yet to feel judged for my choices as a mother.

Here are some facts that might garner some negative feedback:

• Fact: I waited until age 30 to have kids
• Fact: I gave birth via c-section without even TRYING for a vaginal delivery
• Fact: I only breastfed my kids for 6 weeks
• Fact: I work full time to support my family
• Fact: I only took 6 weeks of maternity leave (when I could have taken 14 weeks)
• Fact: I don't always lock my door
• Fact: I let my kids lick rocks
• Fact: I pay someone to clean my house rather than do it myself
• Fact: Baby bedtime is often my favorite time of the day
• Fact: My kids are probably cuter than your kids
• Fact: Even though I can't love my kids with all of my time, I still manage to love them with all of my heart.

I worry that I haven't faced the working mom prejudice here in California that I might face in Utah. The author of the essay I mentioned above lives in Provo, the city that we hope to inhabit in just a few short months. But here's the thing; I don't want to live in a city of judgy mcjudgersons. Is everyone really all up in each other's grills about various life choices? Or is that young mom just making judgements based on a shorter journey in this big crazy world? I think I might have made similar judgements with a decade less experience.

So tell me, is Provo Judgement City, USA? Or can this remarried old working mom of twins catch a judgement-free break?

Swinging together at the beach

This is one of my top things about having twins.

Confession

I like to take the boys to Costco just so they can both sit in the cart side by side and everyone will stop me to tell me how cute my kids are. I can't disagree.

Judah (8 months)

Asher (8 months)

Busy busy busy

A few things going on

• I have just 2.5 months to finish the class I've been working on for the last year for BYU's BGS program. It is Psychology of Gender, and very interesting, but difficult to find time to work on.
• I've been reading the same book (for pleasure) for the last 6 or 7 months. I finally finished it last night. The last 2 pages blew my mind. In a good way.
  
• I got called to serve in the Primary as a the chorister. It is way fun to be with the kids again, but a crazy time with the twins in tow. Everyone helps me out though, so it's all good. Plus I'm sharing the calling with another woman, so it's not every week, which is a good fit.
• Work is good and busy. Busy busy busy.
• Judah and Asher are busy busy busy little guys, which keeps me and Nick busy busy busy.
  

Alone with my thoughts

Kids are asleep. Nick is at school. Work is done for the day. I am enjoying a few blissful moments of silence, which are few and far between these days. I can actually hear myself think.

Asher is pulling himself up on any and all things 24" or less in height. But his balance is still not that stellar so he's been falling over a lot too. He goes into the "ugly cry" at least 2 times daily. But he gets over it quickly, and goes about exploring the floor (and cords and shoes and bits of paper) with his mouth. I think he might be part puppy. He has started sticking out his tongue again a lot, which I am a big fan of.

Judah is not very motivated when it comes to mobility. He's saving all his energy to grow teeth and flirt with women. He has 2 bottom teeth, and a top tooth is about to pop out any day now. He is a social little guy and loves to be around people, loves attention, and does this thing where he lowers his head but keeps his eyes trained on his object of affection - which is pretty much any woman. I sometimes worry about what this means for his future - especially the teenage years, but mostly I'm just jealous that I'm not the only one he flirts with.

Nick started his last year of grad school today. There was much rejoicing. He will be shooting his thesis film this Fall. It will not be shot in my house. When I learned this fact there was much rejoicing. You should check out his fundraising site and kick a few bucks our way: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nickreddoch/space-garden-graduate-film-thesis

I love being a work-at-home mom. Even though I'm still working with Nick to establish what I believe to be a fair distribution of labor on the home-front, I think I've struck a pretty sweet balance between work life and home life. I enjoy my job tremendously, and I think I'm pretty good at it. I am challenged by new things thrown in my path, and I am able to handle them well. I really like and respect my coworkers and managers. Every time I think about my company I feel a swell of pride and it's pretty much a constant love-fest whenever I get to talk about my telecommuting arrangement or almost anything at all to do with where I work and with whom I work, not to mention our products. I hope I get to work there forevers.

Lately I've been noticing that my babies aren't little babies anymore. They're turning into little boys slowly but surely. I'm torn between wanting them to stay little forever and wanting to speed up time to skip to the next thing and the next. Sometimes I think about having another baby (or babies) and it scares me because my kids are in reality still infants. I have two stinking babies at the same time. And they are still babies. Even though they aren't the little peanuts I brought home from the NICU lo those many months ago. Mostly I just don't want to wait too long to have additional kid or kids. Nick and I are no spring chickens over here. I would love to be done having babies by age 35. That kind of limits my window. Also I don't want to have too much of a gap between kids because if my next kid is a singleton then they might be spoiled or have last child syndrome (you'll have to ask Nick about that one). And if it's twins again, might as well be full crazy for a few years instead of spacing out the madness. Then again, maybe I won't be able to have more kids. If I learned one thing from my pregnancy it is this: I am not the one in charge. I did not get to control the timing of that pregnancy (not to mention the fetal count), so I expect I won't be able to control the timing of any additional pregnancies - if I am lucky enough to have any more.

For the record, twins are the best. I love having twins and I feel so blessed to be entrusted with two beautiful and perfect little boys. Sometimes I try to imagine what it would be like to have just one baby. Then I do the mental equivalent of biting my tongue because I don't want to know what it would be like to have just one baby. I am in love with having two babies. Sometimes I feel like everything in my life up until this point has prepared me for having these kids. They are my blessing, my retribution, my make-up-for-lost-time, my everything. And I'm pretty sure Nick agrees.

Anyway, it's getting late. And I have to fold the clean laundry that is on my bed so I can get into it. Ah, bed, I love you.

9 on, 9 off

I don't remember where I heard the expression, but I quickly embraced the idea of "9 on, 9 off" in reference to pregnancy weight. I had my beautiful twin boys almost 7 months ago, so if I am true to my word, I have just 2 months to go until I should be back at a comfortable pre-pregnancy weight - and more importantly, pre-pregnancy size.

I gained a total of 37 pounds during my twin pregnancy, which was not that much all things considered. I delivered almost 11 lbs of baby back in January, and lost ALL of the 37 pounds plus some within 1 week. At my 6 week check-up I was actually about 10 pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight. Then I stopped pumping breastmilk. And my appetite which had been pretty low during pregnancy made a grand/unwelcome reappearance. Now I'm back at my pre-pregnancy weight. But don't get me wrong, I am not at my pre-pregnancy size. I have a lot of extra belly, and appear to be about 5 months pregnant, which I can assure you, I am not. I want to see if I can dip below the 200 lb mark by the time my little boys are 9 months old, which is extremely doable.

Since I had twice the amount of kids do I get twice the amount of time to work off the baby body? I think yes. If I work hard and continue to TRY I can make huge strides by the time my kids are 18 months old. For the record I am about 75 lbs above my goal weight, however that might not be realistic for me post-baby and post-20's. My goal for now is to shed 50+ lbs in 11 months. Then I'll reevaluate a realistic and healthy final goal weight/size. Here we go!

Blog by email?

I'm testing out the ability to blog via email (via my phone). If this is possible you may *may* see more than 1 post every 6 months from me. Get excited.

As a reward for your continued patronage of the blog I have attached a pic of the twins from when they were itty-bitty things. You're welcome.

Sleeping

The most common piece of advice that I received while I was pregnant was some variation of a) get some sleep while you still can! or b) sleep when the baby sleeps. Unfortunately the way the human body is designed stockpiling sleep "while I still could" is not really a helpful option. I had gotten plenty of sleep for the past 30 years, so I was all good on that front. As far as those jokers that recommended sleeping while the baby sleeps - clearly none of them have twins. Nick and I have decided that we concur with the sentiment we heard on the Father's Day episode of This American Life. The word "twins" should be abolished from the dictionary and replaced with "two f-ing babies at the same time" because "twins" doesn't really adequately convey what is going on. "Twins" is adorable. "Two f-ing babies at the same time" is adorable yet terrifying. Anyway, in those early weeks when it is important/possible to catch up on sleep during the day while the baby naps our boys were on totally different schedules, rendering that advice useless. I think I remember one day time nap in the first six weeks, and that is just because Judah was still in the hospital. After 6 weeks I returned to work making weekday napping something that I look forward to doing on vacation. In like 10 years. Maybe.

We read a book on sleep training, gleaned tips from other parents and blogs and such, and just used a series of real life experiments to find the sleeping routine that works for us. Over the past month Asher has slept through the night maybe 5 to 10 times. Judah slept through the night once, but it was sadly not on an Asher-sleep-through-the-night-night. Nick and I have worked out a shift system for night feedings, and I almost never end up stumbling around at 2am swearing and crying and looking for a bottle. We have "double trouble" about once a week when both babies wake up to eat simultaneously. Other than that, our sleep life is pretty descent. What I once considered to be a modern day miracle (both babies sleeping AT THE SAME TIME!) happens pretty regularly now for daytime napping and night sleeping. Just ask Nick - as a summertime stay-at-home dad he has taken full advantage of this routine.

They're Here (and critically awesome)

My beautiful baby boys are here, and have been for the last 6 weeks. I am officially the worst blogger in the world, but I've been busy adapting to my new role of mom.

Judah James (on the right above at 3 weeks) was born first via c-section weighing 4 lbs 6 oz. Asher West (on the left above also at 3 weeks - duh) was born two minutes later weighing 6 lbs 5 oz. Both boys were born crying with full heads of hair.

We totally lucked out with these awesome kids. They don't give us too much trouble unless they're hungry or uncomfortable. Judah is a bit more of a dramatic little guy (dramatic chipmunk) compared to the ultra laid back Asher. We're excited to start sleep training soon so we can reclaim some of our sanity, though honestly it really hasn't been too terrible on the sleep deprivation front (but ask me again at 3am, and I'll give a different possibly curse-word-filled answer).

A few lessons I've learned in the first few weeks of motherhood:

• Leaving preemie babies at the NICU is a blessing and a curse. It was so great to have time to recover from the birth knowing that they were receiving expert care, but so so difficult to leave the hospital day after day without those little darlings.
  
• Huggies leak like crazy on my boys. I can't wait to finish the boxes I have. I want to try out Luvs, Costco and Target store brand diapers to see if they work for us, but if not I am totally sold on Pampers (which we have never had a leak with to date.)
• Little boy parts should point DOWN in a diaper, and the ruffles around the legs should be OUT. And no, this wasn't the problem with the Huggies.
• Judah is calmed by the vocal stylings of Celine Dion (learned this one tonight while watching the Academy Awards).
• Asher loves to eat and smells like toast.
• Always accept help/meals/hand-me-downs when offered.
• Boppys are my lifesaver. The boys happily sit in them, sleep in them (for daytime naps), and use them as props for tummy time.
• Both boys hate baths so far, which is why we delay and delay giving them. Maybe that explains the toast thing.
• Swaddling is tops.
• I am totally in love with all of my boys. I can't believe how blessed I am. And I can't believe how much I love being a mom to boys.

Festivus Bed-Restivus

Festivus was yesterday, December 23rd. I was expecting a relatively quiet Festivus holiday, but instead got the following.

This is what my feet look like normally.

This is a dramatic reenactment of what my feet looked like on Wednesday night.
(Sadly I didn't have the wherewithal to take a photo - thanks Google Image "pregnancy cankle" search!)

So, I have had some mild swelling in my feet through the last few months of my pregnancy, but nothing serious at all. That is, until a few nights ago. I noticed that my feet were looking mighty fluffy popping out of the top of my cute flats. I lifted my pant leg and saw the true horror of the situation: my ankle had entirely disappeared and had been replaced by a fleshy tree trunk instead. Also, my shin had developed what appeared to be fat rolls. Really? Although this is a regular thing in most pregnancies, mine came on so suddenly that I decided to give my doctor a quick call, just to be on the safe side. I was told to stay off my feet for the rest of the night and then head in for a blood pressure check in the morning (as the sudden swelling can be a symptom of pre-eclampsia).

When I got to the doctor my blood pressure was slightly elevated (but nothing out of this world). I had gained 4 cm in the last week, and 6 pounds! I am now measuring as large as a 40 week singleton pregnancy (40 weeks is full term, btw) even though I was a day shy of 32 weeks. I also had a little protein in my urine, which is what got me sent to labor & delivery for some labs and a non-stress test. Note, I was by myself and I had no idea that I was being admitted into the hospital. I thought I was just getting a blood test. Silly me.

After waiting in the hall for a while and exchanging confusing calls and texts with Nick, my mom and Malia, I was given a hospital bracelet and one of those sweet hospital gowns that flap open in the back (a first for me). I decided that Nick should probably get down there just in case (and that incredible journey is a whole different story because of our car breaking down the prior day.) Anyway, after being stabbed in the arm 3 times my labs came back and showed no pre-eclampsia. Great news! However, my non-stress test (which monitors the babies heart beats and uterine contractions) showed that I was having a bunch of contractions. I wouldn't have known because they weren't painful at all, but they were regular enough to be of concern to my doctor. Then I got to have my cervix swabbed to check for preterm labor (fetal fibronectin test for those keeping tabs). That one also came back negatory, which means that it's highly unlikely that I'll give birth in the next two weeks. My doc also measured my cervix with ultrasound, and it was still in a normal range, but getting shorter than she would like to see at this point. I'm also not dilated at all, which is good.

After all this fun I got a shot of something to stop my contractions. Also around this point Nick showed up (about 3 hours after I had been admitted). My contractions actually responded to the meds, so my doc decided that I could go home (yay) but on bed rest (boo). I'm popping pills every 6 hours to keep the contractions away, and chilling in my bed. Nick is doing a great job of getting me food, beverages with straws, books, dvds, and everything else my heart desires. He also cleaned up the house so my family can come visit us for Christmas later today (since I am now house-bound except for doctors appointments).

If you need me in the next 2-6 weeks, you'll know where to find me! Happy Festivus!

Let's talk about sex, baby!

A big congrats to Tyler, Dean, Alex, Kristine, Rachel, Todd and my subconscious for guessing the correct gender combo for the Nitsy Twins. That's right kids, we found out at our detailed ultrasound today that Twin A is a boy, and Twin B is... another boy! Sorry LC, we're all snips and snails and puppy dog tails over here. It did not come as a huge shock to me as I had a dream very early on in my pregnancy when I first knew about the twins that they were both boys. I was hoping for one girl, but I guess I'll have to try again for my girl.

Both babies are developing well, and still have healthy heartbeats and growth. Twin A weighs 13 oz, and Twin B weighs 14oz. For those keeping tabs, my cervix is still long and strong.

I also took the dreaded gestational diabetes test this last week... and failed. So I have to go in for a more extensive 3 hour test. Yuck!

In other fun news, I joined a podcast called Pregtastic. It's an online radio show where pregnant moms from the area get together to discuss different pregnancy topics. I have recorded 3 episodes so far, and the first came out today! If you're interested, check it out here: http://www.pregtastic.com/category/podcasts/ or just search for "pregtastic" on itunes.

Vital Stats:

How Far Along? 20.5 weeks - over half way there!

Maternity Clothes? I still fit in a few of my larger regular shirts and stretchy pants, but I'm wearing mainly maternity clothes now.

Weight Gain? 12-ish pounds, but I haven't been weighed at the doctor in a few weeks.

Stretch Marks? Oh yes. Though I think they might have been there pre-pregnancy... but I'll just go ahead and blame the twins from here on out.

Feeling Movement? Only a few times each day, but we saw that both twins were quite active during their ultrasound.

Sleep? I am sleeping 9-10 hours per night. I discovered the wonders of the body pillow, and now I'm loving my sleep again.

Belly Button In or Out? Still in. I have a belly button aversion, so we'll see how I feel if/when it pops out.

Cravings? Hotdogs and rootbeer. Weird, right?

Best Moment of the Week? Finally learning the genders of my little guys!

Genders? Boys

What I Miss? Sushi! Also, walking and taking stairs comfortably. I feel mildly disabled.

What I Love? Looking at baby clothes. Deciding on nursery decor. Feeling the babies move.

What I'm Looking Forward To? Reaching 24 weeks (viability).

Milestones? Over half way there!!!

Other Thoughts? Nick and I both feel so blessed to have such a mild and healthy pregnancy so far. Keep growing babies!

Lots of love to you all!

Nitsy

Fun Game!

We will be finding out the genders of the Nitsy Twins in the next few weeks (so long as they're not modestly hiding the goods). We've started a game to get your Nitsy Twins gender guesses. To enter, simply leave a comment below. Boy/Boy, Girl/Girl or Boy/Girl. The prize for guessing correctly is bragging rights, pride, and big props for being so intuitive.

Happy guessing!