Catching Up

Well, in just under a month, Ben & Ella will be 3. Time goes by quickly - people who say that aren't kidding.

This past weekend, after learning about this place called Country Village in Bothell, we went to go visit it. I read on their website that they had a train and Ben & Ella have been talking about trains and busses all the time. So we went there this past Saturday when the weather was just beautiful. We got there, and the train ride wasn't ready yet so we played in a little playground that they have there for a while. Ben & Ella enjoyed climbing the ladder to the top of a pirate ship and also rocking on some horses down on the ground. They swung in the swings too. Nicholas enjoyed walking around. He was put into the swing but quickly voiced his disapproval as there were things to explore here. There were also roosters walking around - two of which started to fight when we were there.

After a while, the train ride was ready. It was a small little kid sized train but big enough for adults to go too. Ella & Benjamin really liked it and wanted to go on it again - as well as go into the bouncy house too. We decided to go into the Toys that Teach store. They got to play with a model train set for a while before we told them it was time for lunch. Benjamin went quietly after being told he could pick out a train to bring home. Ella - not so much. I had to take her kicking and screaming - ugh. Eventually, we went out. I went to go order some food while the other three watched the ducks in a little pond. The food was just eh and Ben & Ella apparently felt there was too much to look at to eat anything. Nicholas, since he didn't get a morning nap, was a bit cranky. So after lunch, we headed home so all 3 could take a nap.

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Apparently, the kids at daycare/preschool have been eating outside at lunch when it's been nice outside - as they should. And since then and since we went to Country Village, Ella keeps talking about a picnic. So when it has been nice outside, we eat our dinner outside. Ella wanted to eat outside last night but since it was windy and threatening more of a downpour, we did not. She was not pleased. No matter how much I told her it was cold and wet outside.

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Nicholas has been saying a lot more words lately. He said a big word the other day - outside. He hasn't said it since though. He knows what it means too. If you ask him to go outside, he heads straight for the door. He has said door before as well and something that sounds like bear. Before last night, if I needed to calm him down or get him to go to sleep I would give him this polar bear that he just is excited by. Last night, it just wasn't cutting it. I tried to get him to calm down (he was overtired - he fell asleep on the way home last night and the night before) but nothing was working...until I gave him this stuffed orange bull. He was happy with that - put it under his head and fell asleep using it as a pillow. Eventually, he moved off that so I could take it out of his crib.

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Other words that Nicholas has said - kitty or cat; nice (usually said when he is touching the kitty); and what's that. I'm sure there are others, but I'm blanking on them.

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Benjamin has informed me that his name is not Ben - it is Benjamin.

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Benjamin is doing better with potty training but still not quite there yet. I thought he was doing really well when we went to Country Village and to church and he wore underwear the whole time without wetting himself, but apparently, that wasn't quite yet the consistent behavior I want/need. He forgets to tell the daycare people when he needs to go and he forgets to tell us until it is just too late. We're trying though. He's only going to be 3 next month and I said my goal was to have him trained by the time he was 3 1/2 (at least day time training - nighttime training is something (I heard) I just can't control - that is more up to their body to mature to that point).

Ella - is great with her potty training...when it comes to pee. With poo - still an issue. I just don't know what to do. They have their 3 year checkup soon, so unless it has somehow worked out by then, I'll be asking the pediatrician for advice on this one.

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A while ago, I started to sing "lullaby" to the kids at night in hopes it would calm them down to go to bed (sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't - usually the latter). Anyway, the other day we were driving home and Ella starts singing it to her bear. SO. CUTE.

Now the version of Lullaby I sing doesn't have the same lyrics though it has the same melody and sometimes I forget my own lyrics. I'm surprised Ella hasn't told me that isn't the way it goes when I do that. It all started this way because I couldn't remember the actual lyrics. My lyrics are like this:

Lullaby and good night
Go to sleep my three children
Go to sleep now, Go to sleep
And rest your pretty eyes
Go to sleep my 3
Your mommy loves you
Go to sleep my 3
And I will see you tomorrow

Lullaby and good night
Go to sleep my little Ella
Go to sleep now, Go to sleep
And rest your pretty eyes
Go to sleep Ella
Your mommy loves you
Go to sleep Ella
And I will see you tomorrow

Repeat for Benjamin & Nicholas.

More tidbits about Benjamin & Ella & friends

Just a few little tidbits...

Benjamin seems to really love bathtime. He was splashing so much in the water and would look up at me with a huge smile on his face. It was so cute!

Last night, I was holding Ella and Sophie came up to visit with us. Ella reached up her hand and Sophie did a little jump, but stayed put. Ella then lifted her hand again and with one finger kinda scratched Sophie under the chin. Her grandma and I were showing her that's what Sophie likes. Sophie enjoyed it for about 2 seconds and Ella thought that was fun and she gave a little giggle. SO cute!

Jon told me this morning that he went to go put Benjamin into the car first, then came back in for Ella. He walked in and Sophie was moving away from the mat that Ella was laying on, and Ella had a huge grin on her face. Perhaps Sophie was giving Ella some affection?

A friend from work will have her baby featured on Cos&tco's diaper and wipe products sometime in the next 3-4 months. She's definitely a cutie.

Another friend is expecting another child - congratulations to her!!!

7 weeks 2 days

Well, Tuesday went a lot better than Monday... of course, we spent half our day at a friend's house and others were holding the babies. Thanks for letting us come over Kendra!

Wednesday started out the same as Monday, but got a lot better. Today, has been pretty good thankfully! I was able to finish Harry Potter! Right now, both babies are asleep. It took Benjamin a while as he didn't want to sleep even though he kept yawning and slowly closing his eyes then jerking them wide open. Silly baby - don't resist the sleep! Ella has only woken up to eat which isn't quite like her. The babies have switched for the day apparently.

Tomorrow I'm going to another meeting of the twin moms - I'm looking forward to it as there is a lot on my mind - did things really get better after 8 weeks and how do the moms handle the stress of two babies crying at the same time needing someone to hold them? perhaps twin moms who read this can answer - I might have already asked this question but I don't remember. I keep meaning to e-mail some of the twin moms who have responded to my earlier questions but I just haven't yet. I just managed to order the hospital pictures and the babies are nearly 2 months old! My list of things to do is just so long so I should probably go do them but I'm pretty sure the babies are about to wake up to eat pretty soon so there isn't much time to do anything on that list!

Oh, and that reminds me. I was going through the 3-6 month clothes that I have as Benjamin is around 12 pounds now and a lot of the 0-3 month clothes say up to 11 or 12 pounds, so we need to break into the 3-6 month clothes except...I just noticed that some of those clothes say up to 12.5 pounds. UGH! So I should have had him wearing these clothes before now? Makes me sad that some of these cute clothes he may never wear. Sigh. Oh well, maybe my sister-in-law will have her unborn son wear them. I don't think I've mentioned that my sister-in-law is pregnant - she's due in late December. There is a possibility that the baby may have Down's syndrome - they're checking on that later this month.

As for the girl clothes, I'm going to see if my support group buddy wants them. There are some clothes for her that go up to 11.5 pounds though they say they are for 3-6 months. I wish I would have noticed the weight and separated by weight. Of course, not all of the clothing manufacturers list a weight - they really all should.

On a final note - the cutest thing happened yesterday (I think it was yesterday). Oliver came up to Ella and rubbed his head against hers - aww, he likes her!!!

Another lengthy post

Thanks to Ally for watching the twins for me for a couple hours so I could go to my OB appointment on Friday! Thank you also to Ally and Paul for giving us their couch - it is soooo much nicer than the loveseat!

So speaking of my OB appointment - it was my 6 week postpartum checkup and everything looks good. The incision has healed nicely, my uterus is almost down to its pre-pregnancy size, and my cervix is back to normal. We talked about post-partum depression and she said that everything I've been feeling is normal that she doesn't feel like I need anything so that's good. I don't think I need anything either. We also talked about birth control which sounds odd considering we did IVF to get pregnant in the first place, so it would seem I don't really need anything but just in case my tubes fixed themselves during the pregnancy, I do want to be on some birth control for a while. The question is do I want the progesterone only pill or do I want to do an IUD? I've done the pill before so I know how I react to that, but I'm not sure about the IUD. My OB recommends I do the IUD - one reason is that you don't need to remember to take the pill at the same time every day and with two babies (even one would make it hard), that might be difficult. Has anyone ever used an IUD? My OB gave me info on an IUD, but I haven't looked at it yet.

That's pretty much my appointment on Friday. Since everything looks good and there is no medical reason to extend my maternity leave, I need to figure out when I'll be going back to work. The plan right now is mid to late September (which I think I might have mentioned already), but I need to figure out exactly so I can let my boss know.

So it was kinda sad for me on Friday as that would be the last time I see my OB unless I continue to go to that clinic for my GYN needs too. I'm debating whether I want to stay with this clinic and my OB or if I want to go back to my family practice doctor. I like both of them a lot - of course, I won't be seeing my OB for my pap smear in September since she's having her own baby here in a few weeks (which by the way at 36 weeks, she looks so tiny compared to what I looked like). UGH - I can't decide. Jon thinks I should stick with my OB because of something she said to me on Friday regarding me getting out and doing things so as to keep my sanity. She also suggested I get some help at least a few days a week if only for someone to come over and just hold a baby or two so I can get other things done (and there are sooooo many things I need to get done in this house that I had planned on doing when I was at home on bedrest (like going through files and recycling old papers, etc. after we got a new filing cabinet) that didn't get done because I was in the hospital instead). It frustrates me that there is such a mess in the baby room and upstairs in the office, so if anyone wants to come over and hold a baby or help out, I'd appreciate it! I hate having a messy house!

Anyway, what else has gone on since my last post? I walked around Greenlake on Wednesday with a couple women from our childbirth class - that was really nice to meet with them and share birth stories and taking care of baby stories. Hopefully, I'll be able to join them again this week if they go - however, we have a reunion this next weekend with that class so I'll see them then too. I also walked around Greenlake with Ally on Thursday. Both times were a bit tiring and we stopped a couple times, but I did make it around. Hopefully, I'll work my way up to walking around it a couple times without any breaks soon enough.

And last, but not least, news on the babies. They are growing so much!!! They are nearly 7 weeks - I can't believe it. We weighed them the other day and Ella was a little over 9 pounds (when I took Ella into the pediatrician for possible reflux issues, she was at 8.2 pounds) and Benjamin was 11.8 pounds!!! He's going to be in those 3 month outfits soon (I need to go pull those out pretty soon). I bought them some toys yesterday that I hope they'll like. Ella really likes to look at herself in the mirror. It is just so cute. And I finally was able to find the pacifier she likes (the Soothie pacifier that they gave us in the hospital). Oh, and Ella has breastfed a few times since my last post - so happy she came back to it though she still can be finicky about it. Benjamin will breastfeed and still be so super hungry that we give him a bottle too. He likes his food!

One last thing as this post is so super long - I suppose I could have broken it down to two posts - Oliver is so good with the babies. He is such a caring kitty. If one of the babies is crying, he goes back and forth with looking at me then to the baby as if telling me, "help that baby! It needs you!" I've also seen him go up to a baby and sniff the baby's head as if trying to give some comfort. Oliver is back to sleeping on our bed too. Sophie is still a little nervous around them, but she's coming around. She also seems to be lacking in the affection she gets, so I better go give her some love.

29 weeks (Warning: Long Post)

This weekend was great for the most part. My mom, sister, and 2 nieces came over on Friday for the weekend so that they could attend my baby shower here in Seattle. After going to my CLE on Friday and visiting my friends in the hospital (though sadly, I waited for one of my friends to get back from her time in the jacuzzi, but she didn't come for a while and my family was in town, so I didn't get to see her then - I'm going to go visit her this week), I met my family for dinner. We ended up going back to my house to have dinner which was good so we could actually hear each other when we talked.

Saturday, we got up and hung out for a bit before heading out to the baby shower. As usual, I show up early. I had a wonderful time, and it was so great to see everyone come celebrate with me. There were quite a few people there. I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends, family and coworkers. Thank you so much to everyone that came and a big THANK YOU to the hostesses of the shower - Ally & Kedra!!!

Apparently, I forgot to charge the batteries in my camera and I didn't have any extra batteries with me, so I don't have many pictures from the shower. I'm hoping that the hostess will share any pictures that she took. Oh, and I had a teeny bit of cake at the shower - I had been pretty good the past few days and everyone told me to go ahead and enjoy a piece, so I did. :-) But no more sweets for me...at least for a very long time.

After the shower, we came back home and my mom and sister were so incredibly nice and helped me put together the nursery. There are some things that still need to be done, but it is looking a lot better than it did before they came over. THANK YOU!!! Hopefully, we can put the finishing touches on it soon and I'll take a picture to share with everyone.

However, I must have done a little too much that night as sometime in the middle of the night, I woke with some painful contractions. Luckily, there were only 3 and they were quite short. Then later on, on Sunday morning, I had a couple more. I then asked my husband for his stopwatch so I could keep track of them, but they stopped and luckily, haven't come back. I'm really anxious about Wednesday's appointment as the OB is doing another FFN test and I'm nervous about what the test results might be. I can only hope we get good news again. Because of the contractions, my husband wants me to be on modified bedrest, so I'm trying to rest as much as possible (though I can see all the things that still need to be done and want to go do them). My brother is supposed to come over to live with us next week, so I'm hoping he'll be nice and help out.

The other night and again yesterday morning, our baby boy was having hiccups. Poor little guy - he is just so excited about swallowing that amniotic fluid! I'm feeling the babies move quite a bit - usually rolling around, but I will also get some rather big kicks. I find that feeling so wonderful. I have a feeling I might miss being pregnant for that reason (despite the swelling and back aches) though I cannot wait to meet these babies - however, I do hope they hold off on their arrival for another 7 weeks at least!

Some cute news for this weekend, my husband was cooking and cleaning with my nieces. That was really cute. My 4 (almost 5) year old niece LOVES to clean - I hope she doesn't outgrow that.

The kitties were very spooked by the little kids around the house. They hid out in our bedroom most of the time. At one point, Oliver got mad at me because I wouldn't let him into one of the cribs. I think he might have been upset with me too that I let these people come into our house. I can only imagine what he's going to be like when the babies come.

More Kitty Pics That I Had to Share

Lola mentioned in a comment to my last post her kitty carries a plastic cat-toy around in his mouth, so it reminded me of Oliver carrying this beanie baby owl around everywhere and I swear it seems like he is talking to it. The other night he actually woke me up with all his meowing and I got up and he was near the owl. Since I never can catch him carrying the owl around, I just took a picture with him near the owl. I actually put his paw around the owl to make it even cuter. :-D



I also wanted to share this picture of Sophie. You might be able to see Sophie's eyes in there. Sophie loves to hang out in boxes and bags and what could be better than a bag in a box?

Sophie & Oliver

Sophie & Oliver
Originally uploaded by heathercim.

Per a request, here is a picture of my cute kitties. Oliver is the tuxedo kitty and Sophie is the big fluffy kitty (she's not fat - she's big-boned - the vet said). :-D

They are sitting by their bed in the hallway (sometimes they sleep in it - not at the same time though - most of the time, they sleep with us in our bed) - a shirt of my husband lays in the bed that was most likely dragged there by Oliver. He likes to carry some of our dirty laundry around.

Tidbits of News

First, I still have no clue what we're doing to get $$$ for the IVF shared risk program. We went to talk to another bank this morning, and I'm just incredibly confused and nervous about the whole thing. Really, the decision is whether to get a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit. I'm not sure! And let me just say that I don't want to borrow money to do this, but it feels like it is the best option for us so we can get started without too much delay. Hopefully, with using the part of the medical costs associated with this and the interest off the loan/line of credit on our taxes, we'll get a good size tax refund to help pay back whatever we get from the bank.

Second, just a cute story. Sophie, one of my kitties, is upstairs in our office with me and she's sitting on the window sill looking outside (don't worry, there is no way she could fall down) and the wind is blowing through her long fur and she looks like she is having the best time right now with the nice breeze. So cute!

Third, I went on a walk the other night with a friend of mine from work. I told her of our plans to get a loan/line of credit and she thinks that it would be a bad idea for us. She gives me all these doomsday scenarios to sufficiently freak me out about it. And it kinda annoyed me. It's not like I want to do this, but I really don't see much of a choice for me right now...unless my grandmother suddenly decides to lend me the money (I'm not holding my breath). Plus, I feel like we'll be able to pay a good portion of it with our tax refund and along the way through these cycles. I don't think it will bankrupt us or even close to doing that. And if it doesn't work, we'll get 70% of our money back! But I hope and pray that it works (the sooner, the better)!!! We've made our decision that this is the route we are going to take. I just don't need to be scared about this even more so than I already am! Oh and after she asked me if I was sick of hearing about her leg injury, I jokingly asked her if she was sick of me talking about my infertility treatments, and she responded with "I don't have to sit next to you anymore" - what does that mean? She is sick of me talking about this? Are my friends sick of me talking about this?

Fourth, it's completely ridiculous of me to even have a miniscule amount of hope, but I have a teensy bit of hope that the 1 in a zillion chance of us conceiving naturally will happen this cycle. I don't know why I feel this way because I know that there really is NO chance of it happening naturally, but I can't help myself. I'm holding on to our one last hope before we move onto IVF. My husband told me yesterday before I even told him my silly little feelings of hope that he was feeling the same way. However, this morning, my temp appears to have dropped - which, even though this cycle has been incredibly long, seems like too soon for the luteal phase to be over. My luteal phase has always seemed to have been around 14 days no matter when ovulation happened - that is, before the last IUI cycle when the luteal phase was so very short. So I don't know what to think - AF could be showing up tomorrow or the next day or the temp could've been wrong. I'll see soon.

And finally, I got my Garmin Forerunner! I can't wait to use it. Perhaps tomorrow during my walk at lunch!