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Chloe & William's Nursery

We're (almost) done!  We finished the twins' nursery so much faster and earlier than Dominic's nursery because I am so paranoid about bed rest and early delivery. So here you go!

That empty space on the shelf will be filled with their newborn photos in silver frames that are engraved with their birth date, time, weight, and height. Thanks Mom and Dad!  We'll fill the white frame with a photo of the two of them.

Another gift from my mom - these cute matching banks during a week that I was feeling especially down. Love you Mom!

The one in the middle says, "Keep trying. Be believing. Be happy. Don't get discouraged. Everything will work out." I felt that was a necessary reminder, especially during the first few months. The two canvases were painted by Dominic.

The quilts from Restoration Hardware Baby. The bumpers match, and we scored an awesome deal!

Their matching kitties. Brian thinks they're creepy.

I saw a bookshelf like this on pinterest and Dad and Brian made it a reality. It's one of my favorite parts of their room!

I have been waiting for a few years to buy "I Had a Favorite Dress"! And how appropriate is the shoe book?!

And a few photo bombs from my loves:

Not now Mom. I'm working out.

Her new favorite spot. She's going to hate the babies for stealing this and her chair she used to always sleep in.

Pregnant with Twins: 25 Weeks

How far along?  25 weeks
Baby Crauns' size:  They are each the size of a head of cauliflower and weight between 1.5 to 2.5 pounds. 
Total weight gain/loss:  17-18 pounds, depending on the amount of water retention in my legs and feet. I bought compression socks last Sunday and wore them a few days this week, and magically lost 5-6 pounds (per our home scale)!  I can't get over how much the socks help, both with swelling and the pain. We'll see what the official doctor scale says in a few more weeks. 
Maternity clothes:  After shopping last weekend, I have a few more things in my rotation, but I will probably have to do laundry 1-2 times a week to keep up on bottoms and those darn socks. I hate doing laundry.
Stretch marks?  I bought the Medela stretch mark therapy and prevention. Hopefully it works!
Sleep:  I seriously pass out at the end of every day because I'm so tired. I've been getting a lot done during the day, and I'm hoping that I can keep this up for a few more weeks, both for my work to do list and our home to do list.    
Movement:  They are still moving like crazy. I took some video this week of my belly moving but I can't figure out how to post it on here. Stupid phone.
Symptoms:  I've been feeling so much better with those stinking socks, and probably because I'm working hard on trying to stay positive. I think I strained one of my stomach muscles yesterday trying to pick up my nephew. It hurts a bit to sneeze, cough, and sit up/stand without using my arms. Brian keeps yelling at me about carrying pretty much anything...guess I need to listen to him for sure!
Labor signs?  A few more Braxton Hicks this week.
Food cravings:  Beer. This nice weather and football is missing some cider beer. And I keep finding all these yummy-sounding fall spiked drinks on pinterest. Dang it.   
Miss anything?  Playing on the floor with Dominic, especially when he says, "Mama, sit down" and points at the floor by his toys. I also miss picking him up and holding him. I'm afraid that by the time I'm able to physically that he won't want that anymore or that he'll seriously be too big for me to do that. Cue tears.    
Belly button in or out?  It's pretty much flat.
Wedding rings on or off?  Lost cause. I'm retaining so much water all over that even my wedding band is leaving a mark on my finger. It's usually twisting and turning all over the place! I'm afraid that I'm going to have to take it off before this is done.   
Nursery progress:  We just need to make a little base for their humidifier so we can keep it on the floor instead of wasting space on the table top or dresser top. I still need to rig up something on the chair to keep it from hitting the wall. I was going to clean their new clothes/blankets this weekend but we were so busy that I'm waiting until this coming weekend. We plan on hunkering down to work on potty training with Dominic so I'm sure I'll have plenty of time. Sometime this week I'll post pictures!
Best moment this week:  Watching Dominic and Bennett play together like crazy monkeys this weekend. Brian's family came to town and it was great to see everyone. We went to Night Eyes at the Zoo, and then swimming at the hotel.

Dominic, the king of the Wild Things

Where the Wild Things Are is one of Dominic's favorite books. I love to read it with him because he remembers certain lines, and I get to pause and let him say them. Lately we've been changing from Max to Dominic when we read, so this costume definitely had to happen. Thanks Grandma Cindy for making such an awesome costume!

Weekly wisdom:  So I really am lucky to be married to someone who helps out and takes care of me and Dominic. I can't imagine having children with anyone else but Brian. But why is it that I always hear that I'm the lucky one?  Shouldn't he be lucky too?  It's pretty sad that a man who steps up and does his share to run the household and raise the children and take care of a very pregnant wife who works full time is consider abnormal in our society. It should be normal!  
Looking forward to:  My little nephew being born this week!  I can't wait to meet little Austin, even if it is through facetime. It's so strange that my little brother is going to be a daddy, but I know that he and Ally will be wonderful parents!

Pregnant with Twins: 24 Weeks

How far along?  24 weeks
Baby Crauns' size:  About a foot, so comparisons this week include a cantaloupe (??) and a foot-long sub...ah...Jimmy John's...
Total weight gain/loss:  23 pounds total. After concerns about me losing weight initially and putting on weight slowly, I apparently wanted to show my doctor that I have no problem gaining weight by gaining 14 pounds in 4 weeks. According to my doctor this was bad, but according to the 5 twins books I've read so far, this is normal. Who to believe? And I was feeling a little fragile last week because I was tired and sore from traveling so this news bothered me a lot, more than it probably should have. Apparently some of it is water retention since my legs, ankles, and feet swell like balloons, but most of it is "maternal weight" aka I'm a fat ass. I finally ordered some compression socks which are supposed to help with the pain in my ankles and feet so maybe I'll be a little less stationary. All I know is thank God it's fall and almost winter because I won't have to look like a 70-year-old man with knee-high socks in the summer.
Maternity clothes:  Everything is too short. And if I want something long enough then it's way too big up top. I've started to buy stretchy tunics and dresses at normal stores in my normal size so at least they fit and are long enough. If I'm going to be a fat whale for the next 13 weeks at least I'll have cute clothes. 
Stretch marks?  I stopped caring. At this point it's a lost cause.
Sleep:  I'm dead tired again, but of course not sleeping. Guess this is preparing me for life with two babies, a toddler, and a full time job.   
Movement:  Flips and karate kicks are regular. Very little time goes by without one of them moving. I've zoned out at work and home more than once watching them move my belly.
Symptoms:  This sucks. Back pain, swelling, headaches, nausea, pregnancy mask, super dry skin, difficulty breathing, heartburn, no sleep, no patience or tolerance for stupidity or errors. It's like I'm 36 weeks pregnant. Oh wait, I'm only 24 weeks. Yay. 
Labor signs?  Nothing this week. The good news is that we've hit the 24-week mark so the odds of survival given early labor is high, and it also means that hospitals will do all they can to sustain life.
Food cravings:  Cold turkey sandwiches. I want a beach club at Jimmy John's or a market turkey at Palmers so bad.  
Miss anything?  Energy. Ability to read or play with Dominic without huffing or puffing or having him move all his toys he wants to play with to a spot I can reach. Doing anything without bumping my belly (I've slammed it with my car doors more than once now).   
Belly button in or out?  It's officially out at the top and starting to on the bottom now. 
Wedding rings on or off?  Lost cause.  
Nursery progress:  The glider was fixed, now I just need to figure out how to make it not go back as far so it doesn't mess up the wall. Next weekend I'll start cleaning all the clothes and blankets that we'll need the first month or two.
Best moment this week:  Macey was born on Monday! I can't wait to meet her! I can't believe that my sissy as three beautiful little girlies and that my brother will soon have a little boy. Where did the time go?  I'm also very proud of my friend Bess for completing her first marathon (but a little jealous that I couldn't run it with her)!
Weekly wisdom:  I think I'm just alternating between shitty weeks and semi-good weeks. This one goes in the shitty column. I think mostly because I'm expecting too much of myself between work and home. I've been doing good about not working at home, mostly because I'm trying to get other stuff done or just sitting with my feet up trying to de-swell from the day and thinking about all the crap there is to do or redo around here. Next week's goal:  actually take lunch breaks and take movement breaks every hour. Maybe these two things will work as my coping skills since shopping is no longer fun or acceptable, I can't drink, and I can't run or punch things.
Looking forward to:  Being able to run again. I figure it's either that or drink all the time to survive their first year.

Pregnant with Twins: 23 Weeks

Dominic stole the Bumbo seat from Chloe and William's room right before we took my weekly picture, and we caught him sitting in front of his toy drawer like this!

How far along?  23 weeks
Baby Crauns' size:  About 11.5 inches. The bump.com compares baby to a grapefruit this week.
Total weight gain/loss:  I haven't stepped on a scale for a few weeks now so not sure on this one. Guess we'll find out next week!
Maternity clothes:  At this point my belly is starting to out-grow some of my maternity clothes from Dominic - they're all too short! If I'm not careful I have that whole sexy belly hanging out of the bottom of my shirt look that beer-bellied men at the Iowa State Fair have perfected. 
Stretch marks?  I think I see mini ones around my belly button. Time to get serious about this prevention/treatment.
Sleep:  I seriously wish I could sleep now since I know I won't be getting much sleep once Chloe and William arrive. My back has been so sore this week from being on my feet and running around too much at work and then traveling to Arizona and back home.   
Movement:  So I thought being pregnant with Dominic was like the alien in Spaceballs (around 1:40 in the clip), especially the last few weeks. Turns out being pregnant with twins means this starts right about now. Sometimes they karate-chop me so hard it looks like they're trying to bust out!
Symptoms:  Time to invest in compression socks. My feet have been perma-swollen since we landed in Arizona. Travel and I are not friends right now. It's crazy how swelling can make my ankles hurt super badly. On top of the swelling, I'm also super emotional and I have a very short temper. 
Labor signs?  More Braxton Hicks this week. 
Food cravings:  Nothing really. I have to remember to make myself eat every few hours or else I get hangry. 
Miss anything?  Hanging with Brian at Buffalo Wild Wings every Saturday and Sunday (and sometimes Monday and Thursday nights) watching football, drinking beer, and eating wings. This time of year always makes me miss our first fall living together.  
Belly button in or out?  The top part is for sure out. My belly button looks really weird right now. 
Wedding rings on or off?  I wore my ring to Arizona but then my fingers were too swollen to wear it the whole weekend. Wearing it home today on the flight was painful. I think I may be done with it for now. 
Nursery progress:  We did nothing on the room this past week. Hoping to finish up the odds and ends over the next week.
Best moment this week:  Despite being super uncomfortable traveling and in the Arizona heat (and it wasn't even that hot!), this weekend was a great weekend!  We spent the weekend in Arizona City with Mitch's awesome family. Wish we could see them all more often! Dominic loved seeing Marv (he referred to him as "Brian's Grandpa") and had so much fun playing with everyone. I think the highlight was watching Brian's cousin, Streeter, sky dive for the first time (despite the fight between Dom's lip and a set of bleachers; thank God I didn't see that happen!). Dom and Bennett loved watching the airplanes and I loved the spontaneous applause when Streeter landed on the ground. Thank you again to Mitch and Julie for planning and paying for the trip for all of us and for Rhea and Randy for hosting everyone!

Four generations of Crauns

Weekly wisdom:  I'm very blessed to have so many caring, supportive people in my life. I'm doing much better this week, and I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate your kind words after last week's post. I'm glad my mind is in a better place this week, because I'm pretty sure the feeling like junk all the time stage is setting in again.
Looking forward to:  My third niece should make her arrival tomorrow! I'm so excited for my sister and her family! Now to figure out when I can go visit them all...

Pregnant with Twins: 22 Weeks

About time to start using a real camera...

How far along? 22 weeks
Baby Crauns' size: The size of a papaya. 
Total weight gain/loss: I haven't weighed myself so we'll just say the same as last week.
Maternity clothes:  I scored some dresses on the clearance rack at Target for like $4 each! I bought a size bigger so hopefully they'll fit me when I hit the duplex stage.
Stretch marks?  No new ones.
Sleep:  The colder weather has helped me sleep a little better this week. It's freezing in our room but it's perfect for sleeping.    
Movement:  My weekly email from thebump.com says that they should be sleeping 10-14 hours per day. It feels like they are always awake and moving, which means that it's likely that at least one of them is always awake. This also means that they aren't totally in-sync, which sort of has me freaking out for when they're here. 
Symptoms:  Breathing has started to get a little difficult between my allergies and the space-hoggers. I've been using my inhaler more and I have a breathing test on Monday at the allergist so we'll see what that says. I also think I have that mask of pregnancy (whatever the official name is). My face is super blotchy and weird looking, and I didn't notice it until I used my airbrush foundation last week for pictures and then went back to my daily BB cream.
Labor signs?  I felt my first Braxton Hicks contractions on Tuesday, and it made me think of when I was pregnant with Dominic. I had awful contractions for like 2 weeks straight at the end with none of them being regular. I'm thankful that I don't have to go to 41 weeks again!
Food cravings:  Taste of New York made it on the list again! I took Dominic there for a lunch date yesterday and he loved it too. Most of the time, though, nothing sounds good but water. 
Miss anything?  Getting up from the floor without hurting. Sleeping on my stomach. Shopping for cute new fall clothes (because what's the point when you're only going to fit into something for a few weeks).  
Belly button in or out?  Holding steady at just the top part starting to poke out.  
Wedding rings on or off?  I've worn it more this week with it being colder.
Nursery progress:  We're almost done! Brian brought up the glider (that was his Grandma's and my mom recovered) and I noticed the back is coming apart. So we need to fix that piece, finishing cleaning the cat fur off, and then rig up the bottom so that it doesn't slide back too far and hit the wall. I need to find a side table that will fit the space. Pictures to come later once we've finished with everything. Other things include (and this is now my to do list!):  hanging the video monitor, decorating the shelves above the chair, touching up a few spots of paint, and washing the new clothes, blankets, and bibs (I'm superstitiously waiting until 25 weeks since the likelihood of miscarriage goes way down and the likelihood of a baby being born and surviving at this time goes up). Then I need to pack a hospital bag and get serious about them coming!
Best moment this week:  My bestie had her baby girl, Isla, on Monday! I got to visit her on Tuesday at the hospital (more on that below), and we took Dominic to visit her this morning. She is so sweet and such a good little baby! Dominic did okay with me holding her and he even helped feed her. He even talked and played quietly so that he did wake her. I'm so proud of how well Dom did during our visit, and I'm very proud of how awesome Megan and Jon are doing with this whole parenting gig!

Dominic and Baby Isla

And then we went to the pumpkin patch and Dominic had a blast. He loves being like Daddy!

That's Daddy all the way up there carrying his pumpkin.

Weekly wisdom:  So this week has been really hard. I had a complete backslide to the feelings that I had the first three months. When I got to the maternity ward at Mercy to visit Megan, Jon, and Isla, I seriously almost had a panic attack thinking about our time there almost 2.5 years ago and about what's coming up. How the heck do you recover from a c-section with 2 babies?! I struggled with one! Megan posted a picture of me on Facebook holding Isla and I can totally see on my face how panicked and sick I felt, and I can't get over how pale I looked in the picture. The whole time I was there I felt like I wanted to puke, my heart was racing, and I had a cold sweat going on. When I left I sat in my car and cried for about 10 minutes, then cried the whole way home. Every single one of the thoughts/doubts from before all came rushing back because it all became more real. I've been thinking a lot that I can't do this. But yesterday morning I was on pinterest and came across this:

Looking forward to:  We're visiting Brian's grandparents in Arizona later this week and I'm excited for them to see how big Dominic is now. I'm a little worried about how he and I are going to handle traveling though...