32 weeks pregnant with baby girl!

It's funny, my twin pregnancy was so drastically hard from my first pregnancy with Max that it made my 3rd pregnancy, Easton's, seem crazy easy! Even though I was uncomfortable at the end it was still way easier than begin pregnant with twins. So now my 4th pregnancy, baby girl, seems so difficult because my last memory was that pregnancy is easy! Ha!

Lots of back pain. I don't know what it is but from early on, my back began hurting, darn it. I've been using KT tape on my belly which I do think has helped it. It made it go from excruciating painful back ache all day to just a tired feeling all day. I can deal with tired feeling. I've been trying to do back exercises, again, may or may not help. And then on days it's awful and take Tylenol and use deep blue.

Chubbiness. Just turn me green and call me Princess Fiona. Holy cow my whole body has slowly gotten quite chubby everywhere, lol. I've heard people complain about getting fat during pregnancy and I've always thought "well duh, there's a baby in your belly, your stomach is going to get fatter!" Sure you may gain a little fat through out but I just thought they were talking about their stomachs. No. They were really talking about an overall body fatness and I can relate! Ha! My arms and my legs have been huge indicators that the baby weight gain has not just been to my stomach. The face shows it, but face always has. My love handles and back have shown it more! So here's to crossing my fingers the "baby weight" comes off as easily this time as it has in the past 😣

I'll be sitting down for however long and when I stand up it's like I suddenly have to pee NOW, ha. No hints of that feeling when sitting.

Picking up the house is not fun, it's not awful yet, but not comfortable. I beg the boys to pick up the floor and just put it on the couch so I can help put it away comfortably too

It is so uncomfortable to lay down! I toss and turn most of the night from side to side, bathroom breaks, I'm always hot it seems, take Tums in the middle of the night with this crazy new sensation of pregnancy heart burn I have never experienced!

I know that at 32 weeks all these things I'm feeling will only get worse but still, it doesn't feel good with them even at this level, lol. It could be way worse after talking to friends (vomitting, varicose veins, gestational diabetes, high risk pregnancy things) so much worse, so I'm feeling like I should be grateful for the problems I do have. It's like Pres Uchtdorf's talk "being grateful in your circumstances" haha.

The boys are so understanding of mama's belly and me being pregnant. Mostly very willing to give me back and foot massages even if they don't do much good, ha. Love to tell people about me being pregnant, ask to see the baby app to see how big the baby is. Easton still calls himself the baby. When you point to everyone in the room and ask him to say their name he says "baby" when we point to him, ha. But he also points to my tummy and says baby. It's really cute.

I love babies. I love that I have been gifted with the chance to be pregnant with multiple babies and multiple times. It is so coll having a sweet little baby kicking in your tummy all day long. It's like your little buddy that no one knows about. A special relationship between just you and them. She is so wiggly and I love feeling her kicks :)

26 weeks with numero 4

At 26 weeks I'm beginning to feel the feels of pregnancy. Harder for me to get off the couch, must use a body pillows to sleep with, not really into jumping on the tramp with Maxson. Maxson really wanted to race the other day at the park back to the car after saying no a few times and him begging a few times, I gave in and we raced, he definitely won and I was definitely trying.

I feel like this boy moves A LOT. I probably just don't have a great memory of the twins movement , I know it was a lot but that's what I expected, there were two in my belly there should be a ton of action. But this one is constant and everywhere. I've never had one so low at times nor so high either. I get contractions a lot. I don't know if it's more than my other pregnancies or the fact that I actually realize what contractions are this time around (rock hard belly). 

Maxson feels the baby kick a lot it's really sweet. 

and for fun here I am with the twins at 25/26/27 weeks, whewie! I definitely was  A LOT bigger with twins, lol, that makes me feel good. And here I am at 26 weeks with Maxson

About this baby!

So baby number #4 is making his grand debut Dec 20 this year!

Much earlier than ever planned but welcomed nonetheless.

We're already a circus, what's one more?!

I finally figured it out at 6 weeks that we were pregnant, just a little before graduation and went in to the doctor as soon as possible. They like to see you at 9 weeks but I really had no clue how far along I was exactly so I ended up in there at 8 to make sure it was only 1 baby. I may have died if it was 2 again. At both the 8 and 12 week ultrasound I asked them to look around a little further to double check it was only 1, ha. At 12 weeks it was very obvious it was a little boy in there, I was expecting it, ha, we will have a fun, busy, ravenous household with 4 boys in 4 years (not planned people! twins sure put a wrench in your plans! 4 kids at 26?! I'm an idiot/crazy not brave or amazing).

Obvious boy at 12 weeks, you see?

I am 17 weeks right now, nearly 18 by the time this gets posted. I was sick for about 3-4 weeks, after the first week I was like "I cannot survive motherhood like this laying on the couch feeling crappy all day, medicine come my way!" Called my doctor and a prescription was sent in before I even went in to go see her , love that wonderful doctor of mine (Terra Papik!) Diclegis for the win my friends, diclegis. (This pic is 17 weeks but  trust me I am bigger than it appears, strangers ask me if I'm pregnant all the time this week)

Other than that I'm just tired. But honestly, I was tired before I was pregnant too, that's kind of just my life.

Maxson understands there's a baby in my tummy and asks me about it every once in awhile. The twins are OBSESSED with other people's babies so I'm sure they'll love when they get their own.

We're stumped on boy names. Advice wanted.

So ready or not, Cutler party of 6 is coming your way!

Progression of the twin bump.

 Amazing news, I finished our 2014 family photo album! Wahoo! It's been 2 months shy of being done for almost 4 months now so it was high time I got my bum in gear. I made a comparison of my pregnancy pictures in it that I thought would be fun to share here too. Being this huge feels like yesterday even though it was 7(!) months ago, ha. It is something I will never forget. So do enjoy my giganticness and feel free to compare your pregnant self to me and feel way good about yourself ;)

That last month was so hard to find clothing to fit over my stomach. Casey's shirts didn't really fit me anymore except for like 2, and even then I would have liked more room in them. I am so proud of what my body did and still amazed how God created it to do such amazing things. The trust He has in us women!

Click here for the same comparison pictures when I was pregnant with Maxson

And another fun series we did. Slowly but surely my toes seem to disappear! That belly was HUGE!

35 weeks and still pregnant!

Shocking. I'm truly surprised my body hasn't been like "Ok, this is getting ridiculous, let's shut this down" because that's kinda where I am mentally.

We had a few hours in the hospital last week.

We had a few hours of real contractions going on.

We got pedicures.

But we've gotten those babies to stay in!

I've decided it would be most comfortable to have a heating pad on my back and an ice pack on my belly at all times. Those two combos would feel great.

We had to turn the heater on the other night to keep Maxson and his room warm enough. In our room we had the fan blowing straight on me all night, the heating vent closed as much as possible, Casey huddled under the large comforter and myself sleeping without even the sheets atop me. Seriously I'm always HOTT.

Bed rest has begun. I can tell how it's actually already helped my body surprisingly. My body isn't physically as tired each night, my back doesn't KILL, I have less contractions, bed rest works my friends.

You guys, this picture is ridiculous. I remember feeling SO LARGE and uncomfortable in this first picture while pregnant with Maxson. I look at that belly and think "Holy crap, I was so small!!!" ha what a difference!

and a funny picture of Maxson :)

Pregnancy is getting…harder.

So here I am, THIRTY FOUR WEEKS! As I've said before, every week is a huge accomplishment and I'm so happy to have made it this far! Nothing new really, both boys were head down at my doctor's appt this week, yay!Hopefully they stay that way, but there's still a huge pocket of fluid in there that gives them lots of space to move around in aka flip directions in, boo. My doctor is out of town until the 20th, so let's cross our fingers they don't come while she's gone!

Here's baby A, we got some really great views of his face during the ultrasound this week, haven't seen either of their faces in a long time so it was really fun. He kept sticking his tongue in and out trying to lick and suck on his fist, so cute! I can't believe how much they can do in there! Also, Casey and I both agreed his lips look really big, we shall see if that's the case in person! So here he is with his tongue sticking out. Also that line to the right of his face is the sac that separates him and Baby B

Some days are easier than others, I try to sit a lot. But just because I try doesn't  mean it necessarily happens, the show must go on. Maxson needs to be cared for, food needs to be made, the house needs to be cleaned. I can't just stop (even though making it stop would definitely make this pregnancy easier, ha). I'm just chugging. Here's 34 weeks!

Here was a post I was going to post last week for 33 weeks but never got around to it, ha. This was definitely one of my not as good days… I laugh while reading how pathetic I sound but also know it's the cold hard truth and days like this will (sadly) still pop up over the next month.

***

33 weeks.
I am the point where I want to be physically and emotionally done (most of the time.)

It's so hard to get up from any position, sitting, laying, leaning, whatever it is, it's really hard.

My legs are starting to feel like little sausages when they're bent. I still am sitting on the ground a lot if it's (trying) to play with Maxson, picking up toys, organizing something in my house, working on some last minute to-do craft project, taking a bath, etc. It' just getting really uncomfortable and too tight when I'm bent, plus there's no room for belly when I'm down there.

My back kills. My back brace is only kind of working, it usually just always hurts.

Sleeping has begun to get awful. Switching sides in the middle of the night is like rolling over with 50 pounds of dead weight hanging off your belly, I dread it. You guys, it's hard. I get up 2-3 times a night to go to the bathroom. Any position borderline hurts and I barely get any sleep it feels like so therefore I'm tired all day long. Part of me wants to sleep on the couch because I would then have a back support and I could use a pillow for my front support but the thought of sleeping on a couch sounds like it would hurt more and then I wouldn't be sleeping by Casey which would make me sad.

Some people look at me and say "I just don't know how you can stretch anymore." Sometimes I agree with that, and other times I'm like "I can get way bigger are you kidding me." But then again, I know that getting bigger is just going to hurt more :(

Housework is overwhelming. My house gets messy SO fast for so many reasons but I can't keep up with the mess as it comes. So it gets really bad and then I somehow find energy to clean it or a portion of it up which literally gets me out of breath. I sit down and can't do anything for the next hour it seems like and within that hour it all returns. Messiness isn't so bad but dirtiness must be dealt with: floors dishes, spills. It just kills me. Casey has really stepped into help a ton but since he also has to help way more with Maxson and has lots of studying to do, it's all really taking a toll on him too.

I am getting so slow. It makes me sad that I can't play with Max the way I used to, or push him on his bike, or run after and play with him. I just don't feel like my body right now and I waddle so slowly after Max unable to catch him. I'm just ready to be "young" again.

To be completely honest (and probably totally childish)  I'll look at Casey in an extreme moment of pain with tears beginning to well up and say "Casey, being pregnant is just getting so hard, I don't know how much longer I can do this"

I'm just huge.

I'm achy/in pain most of the time.

I'm grateful I am still pregnant with these twins.

I'm grateful I'm pregnant with twins at all.

I'd rather be pregnant and still achy like this than have them in the NICU but that doesn't physically make it easier.

Mentally I'm wearing down.

I'm hoping these next 4 1/2 weeks go by in a flurry.

I'm at the point where I think it will be easier to take care of two more babies outside my body with Maxson around than to continue like this.

Send good thoughts my way.

***

Ha, see like I said, a little pathetic sounding, but really it's the truth. Here's to 3 1/2 weeks left!!!!!!

Here's some silly pictures I've asked Casey to take recently to remind me of how difficult things have been. Doing dishes is hard because my belly doesn't allow me to get close to the sink so I either have to hunch over and work or turn sideways and work, neither are comfortable. Also, I SQUISH Maxson in the rocking chair when reading him books and singing songs before naps/bedtime. Sometimes he says "owie" if he's too squished, ha. (ps-that is not my belly hanging out, it is a stretchy wrap I wear under shirts because NOT A SINGLE SHIRT will cover my belly these days. Cue tears. Also my legs look huge in this picture, I don't think they normally look like that…this could have been a more strenuous day of too much activity, who knows…)

31/32 weeks

Every week I'm still pregnant it's like a triumph to me. Sounds silly but it's true. There are so many reasons that twins come early that are totally out of your control. It's just so strenuous on your body and there's nothing you can do about it. So good job body I'm so very proud of you!

I look at some of these pictures and think "Man, I'm really that big? I don't feel that big. Dang, my belly really is huge!"

So 32 weeks is technically on Wednesday, today, these pictures were taken at 31 weeks 3 days. And then we went to the doctor at 31 weeks 5 days, so this is really a 31/32 weeks post.

I swear every person I meet asks the same question "How are you feeling?" Strangers, friends, family, EVERYONE. I know it's all in good intentions, really people are just being kind and wondering how's pregnancy going, but oh man I'm tired of that question. Ha, everyday and week is different though. Casey is the only one who probably doesn't care "How I'm feeling" and surely never asks me because I voluntarily tell him everyday how's it going and he just knows from the activities that I say I'm willing/not willing to do, my complaints, just everything. Poor man, he's seriously been SUCH a trooper this pregnancy really stepping up to help out/do SO many more things because I physically can't sometimes. Oh how I love and appreciate him.

I'm still amazed by all the comments of "Oh you must be so uncomfortable/ you look so uncomfortable" Really, people? No I'm fine, people. Again, I know people are just trying to empathize with me and be kind but...

We had a growth scan this week and the boys were somewhere around 4# 6 oz and 4# 2 oz, which is AWESOME! I can't believe how big they're measuring at this point already it's actually so totally awesome and I'm way proud of them for growing so well. The doctors ideally want less than a 10% difference between their weights, you know, so they are growing equally/proportionately and that one isn't getting more nutrients than the other, they're at 5% which is great. They were both head down at this appt, face down too. I'm totally cool with not getting fun ultrasound pictures of their faces because Max was always face up, looking straight up at us and he came out that way too! So if they're always looking down hopefully that's a good foreteller!

My blood pressure is still wonderful amazingly enough, no swelling, not really any stretch marks thanks to either this being a second pregnancy or that I'm actually using shea butter lotion stuff religiously everyday, that might not be the case in the next few weeks, who cares. All my the weight of gained literally feels like it's right in front of me hanging on my belly, my back is taking a beating for it. I wear a pregnancy support belt that actually helps A TON. It's relieved so much pain.

Casey and I both agree that we're finally at the point where we're really excited for them to come, it's going to be here in less than 6 weeks! At the same time, we're still a little overwhelmed at how hard it may be with 2 babies at one time, but we're gearing ourselves up for the worst, ha.

We reorganized our master room layout yesterday to accommodate the babies once they come. Little steps like this is sure making it seem real! We have lots of different scenarios of what we'll do for sleeping arrangements for when they get here, all involve a white noise machine in each room, ha, got to drown everyone out!

I went through all the baby clothes I have from newborn-about 6 months last week. I really have no idea what I'm going to do clothing wise ha, should I buy more? Should I tough it out and make what I have work? So many decisions! Hope these little boys are good to me!

I had a goal to pack my hospital bag at 30 weeks, well 2 weeks later it's still on the list. I actually did something about it yesterday though and made a little list of what I might need to pack. I remember thinking last time that I should write down what I actually used from my hospital bag because I felt like I used NONE of it, ha. Anyone else feel that way? So hopefully I can get it packed this week without too many unnecessary things I won't use (like last time!)

Happy 32 weeks to me, these 2 babies, Casey, and Maxson!

29 weeks pregnant with twins

I'm 29 weeks pregnant and definitely feel like I could be 38/40 weeks pregnant. Apparently MANY people I run into agree with me ha. You wouldn't believe how many comments in the last week I've gotten of the following:

When are you due?
Not until November 5th, but I'm having twins!
(Shock) Twins? Well yes I was guessing that.
You must be so uncomfortable/you look so uncomfortable.
I bet you are so ready to be done.
Two more boys, your hands are going to be so full!

Blah, I'm already done with those comments and I'm not even into the 30 week area yet, ha.

On the there hand, I do GREATLY appreciate those strangers that come up to me and say "You look so cute!" I want to squeeze those people as tight as I can with a beaming smile and tears in my eyes and say "thank you, thank you!" But instead I shyly say "Oh well thank you, you're so sweet, but I actually have a long ways to go since I'm having twins" (while I keep my distance mind you) and then if they're super spectacular people they'll say "You look so good for having twins." Those people are zeeee best!

At our doctor's appointment last week at 28 weeks we had a growth scan. The boys are doing spectacular. They weigh about 2#11oz and 2#9oz. Good job boys for staying the same size, that's muy importante with you two! My blood pressure was miraculously low (probably because I was lying down for my 30 min ultrasound and then they took it. I passed my glucose test with flying colors. It was just so great for Casey and I to see those boys wiggling all around, it felt like it had been so long since we had. It's crazy when they do ultrasounds you just see a bunch of circles at first (multiple elbows, hands, feet, heads, bellies, knees) it's just a jumbled mess. They were both head down at the 28 week appt. It was just such a great appointment. Every week I continue being pregnant I am just so grateful and overjoyed. Preterm labor signs are scary and I whole heartedly do not enjoy them…

But Friday I woke up with some strange symptoms I hadn't had before and a very sore belly in general. We went in later that day for a quick appointment just to make sure all was still alright. My doctor concluded I'm just getting bigger and heavier and stretching more, it's just kind of the way it is and it's ok, just take it easy when I could. Glad I had that reassurance. The boys were both breech 10 days after that last appointment ha

I was complaining to my doctor that I just feel tired and at a loss of energy a lot and wondering if I was missing a nutrient somewhere. She replied "Nope, your hemoglobin levels came back fantastic. You're just literally growing 2 full babies in there, that is a lot of work! Your body is just working really hard!" I appreciated her answer and at the same time wished there was a nutrient I was missing so that I could have a new burst of energy.

Speaking of nutrients, remember how much I love milk? Well I think my milk intake increases while I'm pregnant because I drink so much at every meal ha. These babies are gonna love milk in all forms!

I also had a dream the other night about the twins. The main part I remember was that they were EXCELLENT at nursing. Hoping that dream was a little insight to my future because that dream was so comforting.

My belly literally feels like a watermelon. The other day I had 2 watermelon in my grocery cart and a lady told me I looked as ripe as those watermelons, ha. Funny thing is when I was picking out those watermelons I thought "I think I am bigger than these…" Whenever Max sees me putting the lotion on my belly he takes some, lifts his shirt up and follows suit. I probably seem very lazy to my family and friends and Casey but I just can't do it all anymore. I am fully aware, grateful, and ok with my friends helping chase after Maxson when I cannot, they are the best.

Sitting down and getting up seems like so much effort.

I have been wearing a belly/back support and it's been making a WORLD of difference! My back is no longer in pain, just tired from all the weight, but the no more pain part is WONDERFUL!

Have I mentioned how I have the fan blow directly on my at night? No covers. And it feels great. Casey on the other hand is freezing under the covers, ha. My 2 personal heaters are working overtime. Sleeping is getting rather uncomfortable though...

It is fun to be pregnant, it's such a special feeling. So much movement inside your belly all the time, kicks, punches, bulges, arching backs, roundhouse kicks, hiccups, etc. Just lots and lots of moving. When I look at my profile in the mirror I'm just amazed at what my body is doing. It is stretching so much to accommodate these growing babies. Organs inside are moving out of the way to make space. My body is feeding these babies and helping them grow! What a miraculous gift I have been given as a woman from our Father in Heaven. I have been entrusted to grow and care for these 2 babies. The gift of creation is such a powerful one, I feel very inadequate once I truly begin thinking about it.

BTW there are apparently 2 humans the size of butternut squash inside me…these squash were huge...

27 weeks with twins

Holy moly has this pregnancy been different. So different all around from what it was like with Maxson. At 27 weeks I'm feeling rather large, more like I'm 36 weeks pregnant and just have a little longer to go, but that is not the case (stay in there babies!). My lower back hurts so much, it's a constant thing, last night I told Casey I need to stop using "my back hurts" as an excuse not to do things because I could literally use that as an excuse for everything. I just need to suck it up for the next couple months. and realize my back is going to hurt for the next little while. I am carrying 25 lbs of babies and stuff right there in the front of me, I don't think the weight is anywhere else in my body.

I have not swollen up anywhere yet, (except that big old belly of mine of course) a big hallelujah there. Pregnant life is so much easier when your ankles, legs, hands and fingers haven't grown in size.

The babies kick like crazy. It's a mad house in there at times I swear (and of course anytime someone wants to feel the babies move they stop right away). With Max I can only remember "kicks" and "pushes" really. With the twins it's more like rolls of arms and legs and big jumble crazy movement; kinda cool how different it is. Lately they've been active right when I'm laying down to go to sleep, makes falling asleep rather awkward and impossible.

I have definitely slowed down immensely over the past couple of weeks. I am drained after chasing Maxson around for just a little bit, I feel bad for constantly asking Casey to do x and y for Max but I just can't keep up with him. I'm a slow mover now days (and Max just keeps getting faster I swear). Picking him up is getting harder and harder and I try to do it as little as I can. He still begs at my feet/legs sometimes to pick him up and all I can see are his little eyes sticking out behind my large belly.   I am NOT looking forward to having Casey go back to school just knowing I'll have to wrangle Maxson myself, I'm literally dreading it.

Clothes are beginning to have less options. Even though I could probably still fit into a bunch of them, I'd rather be comfortable in loose clothes (like Casey's shirts). Some maternity shirts that used to have tons of room to grow when I first saw them, now end at the bottom of my tummy and are border lining too short, it's stupid ha. Maxi dresses are definitely still a huge win though, love those puppies (and I can foresee those to be the only things that I can legitimately wear in public the further along I get)

I have a growth scan next week to see their progress, very excited for that. Back at 24 weeks we had one and they were approximately weighing 1 lb 9 oz and 1 lb 8 oz. We're hoping and praying everyday for them to grow at the same rate!

Breathing is hard at times. Sometimes I just can't get DEEP breaths and that makes it so very uncomfortable.

Food is great. I eat a lot. I'm kinda self-conscious when I eat around other people because I'm seriously packing in a TON of food. Probably as much as Casey if not more than at each meal. I am no stranger to getting seconds and thirds at each meal. On the flip side if the babies are in a certain positions (I'm guessing) and I eat too much food it just hurts and is so dang uncomfortable, almost sickening. And I just have to lie down for a long time in hopes that it goes away soon.

I get LOTS of braxton hicks when doing too much activity, mostly walking too much. Casey has been a great supporter of limiting and supporting my minimal walking because we've had a few scares where it seemed like the contractions weren't going to stop. I want to do all I can to keep these babies in and I think borderline bed rest is my best bet right now.

24 weeks

25 weeks

26 weeks

Also I must add that it seemed SO MUCH harder to be pregnant in Arizona than it was in Nebraska. The humidity is awful, truly. But pregnancy wise, that high heat just DRAINS you. I was so unbelievably tired after just a little time in the sun. I hope I am never huge pregnant in the Arizona summer again.

19 (weeks) and counting

that's half way for me!

woot woot!

i know i'm already looking very pregnant to friends and strangers, but i don't feel huge yet, i think i thought i'd be bigger at this point. so i guess i should be happy with that, ha. sleeping is beginning to get uncomfortable. i'm switching sides lots of times during the night, my SIL let me borrow her pregnancy pillow (those c-shape ones, know what i'm talking about?) i'm definitely investing in one of those myself, those things are kinda amazing. i'm sporting the baby (babies) bump pretty dang obvious these days and i'm starting to eat a lot more food than i used to. i remember i felt maxson kick (from the outside) at 19 weeks exactly. at 19.5 weeks i felt the first kicks with these boys! it was such an exciting day! funny thing is, during ultra sounds, baby B(my left baby) is always the SUPER wiggly one, that boys never stops moving. baby A (on my right) moves, but not nearly as much. well it felt like it was the baby on the right, baby A that i could feel the kick from! funny huh? we had the anatomy scan at 18.5 weeks with them with a high risk doctor and everything looks great. they couldn't tell if it was one placenta or two, and were going to look closer at that. i sure hope it's 2! she said we may not be able to tell just because it's already getting pretty squished in there, but we could see the membrane separating them. i'm beginning to feel a lot less room when i bend over to get something, not looking forward too much to not being able to bend over much especially with all of the messes maxson makes on the floor, ha.

we found a video last week of me pregnant with maxson at 39 weeks and OH MY GOSH. I WAS HUGE. seriously you guys, so big. my nose was swollen, my whole face, my belly was ginormous, the bigness just never ended anywhere. we talked about baby names and oddly enough, maxson was the last name we mentioned. we weren't sure if it was maxwell or maxson on our baby name list we liked. i complained about being 39 weeks : "i'm so tired, my fingers are swollen and numb, my back hurts, it's so hard to sleep, casey is so nice and massages my swollen ankles, i feel fat, i just want to be done being pregnant" etc. oh poor pregnant full term kimber, i really was miserable there at the end, ha. i hope i don't swell as much this time :( i just don't grow gracefully as a pregnant woman i've decided.

pregnancy this second time around is definitely going faster, hopefully that will prove to be the case at the end too, maxson just keeps me so busy and occupied and can't only focus on being pregnant now. it is such a fun thing to be pregnant though, i rather enjoy this amazing thing my body does. it's so crazy to think i'm growing TWO LITTLE HUMANS IN MY BODY right now! it truly is  miracle of life!

pregnancy thus far

oh boy has this pregnancy been different! we are so very ecstatic to be adding a little one to our family this year! here's a little sum up of the past few weeks:

4 weeks: we find out we're pregnant! i get up with (crying) maxson at the wee hours of 6:45 am, take a pregnant test and am just giddy with excitement. i'm so beyond happy with the results that i hug and squeeze, and kiss maxson all over and he becomes happy. casey is due to wake up at 7:15 so at 7:14 i go put my face close to his in bed and whisper "i'm pregnant" with a big smile on my face. he starts shaking his head no while a smile creeps onto his face while his eyes stay closed (amidst us is maxson crying, because i closed the bathroom door, ha). come to find out he was going to go to class an hour later that day, meaning he was finally going to get to sleep in, but my news would mean he'd be too excited to keep sleeping, thus that head shaking, ha. he too was thrilled. we were both very surprised it happened that month but it was very welcome nonetheless.

in a random family text my mom says to everyone "did you know byu is getting a new president?" casey  then follows with a "did you know we are getting a new baby?" our family was very happy and surprised.

5 weeks: feeling great, hung out in indiana with casey's siblings where we told them our news, they are such great exciting news receivers making you feel like a million bucks

6 weeks: BOOM. morning sickness. ugh. i wasn't sick one lick with maxson so i wasn't expecting this AT ALL. granted i know what i feel wasn't bad at all in comparison to what others feel. it truly was minor, the first hour or so after i woke up, and the last hour or so before i went to bed. i spent this week trying to figure out common causes and helpings. also my lack of blogging at the end of march was due to this plus the fact that during nap times i was sleeping the whole 2 hours too. i needed that nap.

7 weeks: hit and miss. i definitely understood the important of getting a lot of good sleep at night, that helped. i still randomly would feel yucky during different times of the day.

8 weeks: saltine crumbs cover our floor and couch nearly everyday. i eat those a lot, they help, a little, a little is better than none. definitely keeping up on eating food all day long helps but it's this viscous cycle of not feeling well, not wanting to eat, not having enough motivation to get up and make something nutritiously filling, therefor i just get a small snack like yogurt or a cheese stick, and since i didn't eat a lot, the yucky feeling comes back sooner, etc. it's this never ending cycle. the house is nearly always a wreck. it's so hard to find motivation to keep up on it with maxson, he's so busy!!!! but actually staying busy helps a lot, it takes my mind off the yucky feeling, so…

9 weeks: not so bad actually, i've felt a lot less yucky overall, just a few times in the evenings now. woohoo! it probably has helped that i've been quite busy with easter, get togethers, and being in arizona with my family. i get twinges of pain in my lower sides of my abdomen if i move in a wrong directions. i remember them from my last pregnancy too, not sure what they're from.

10 weeks: felt super awesome! i wonder if it was because i was in arizona most of it. nonetheless, i finally felt better. still not much energy to make food and want to eat all food but no sitting around. i already pee 1-2 times a night. bladder control is not my strong suit, ha.

11 weeks: TWINS!!!!!!!??????!!!!!!!! holy moly biggest shock of my entire life. i think finding out you're having twins is akin to finding out you're pregnant when you had NO plans of getting pregnant. you're not ready for it, there's so many more changes to life than the plan you had scripted out, it's just WILD! it constantly consumes my mind, i'm already losing sleep over it because i wake up in the middle of the night to pee and then that's all i can think about and can't go back to sleep! i toss and turn the rest of the night. oh man these babIES! also this week was when i had my first doctor's appointment and man we found out NEWS! the end of the week included lots of nights of not feeling so great :( evening sickness…

12 weeks: so so all week. we were in wyoming and my saintly mother in law cooked all the food for me and didn't make me lift a single finger when it came to dishes. my belly has popped out a little compared to last week. if i'm thoroughly distracted in the evenings my stomach never bothers me but that's not always the case, we shall see…

13 weeks: it's like a flip switched! i'm suddenly not tired and don't always need naps and my stomach uneasiness has disappeared, it's a miracle! anything and everything sounds just fine to eat. i don't have to constantly be eating to stop myself from feeling yucky, it's just WONDERFUL! goodbye first trimester, hello honeymoon second trimester!

14 weeks: during the first trimester food was hard. nothing sounded good usually (except chicken noodle soup) but i knew i had to eat something. the LAST thing i was willing to eat was mexican food. guess what was the first thing i made when i got home after our trips? tacos. ha. also hunks of meat sounded awful. again, that first week back i made us steaks. my belly has already begun sticking out quite a bit. not only do i have a disadvantage of not showing for awhile because this is my second pregnancy, but add on to that being a twin pregnancy and i'm goners. i'm appreciating all the comfortable nights of sleeping as much as i can right now, i know it won't be lasting very long!

14 weeks

the size of lemons

i just reached 15 weeks, so I'll post about that soon.
i can only imagine how large i will be getting with these babies, seriously i will be GINORMO

we have a secret(s) to share!

wait a second, let's take a closer look...

indeed,
two babies! 
TWINS!

we're shocked, thrilled, nervous, overwhelmed, excited, apprehensive but most of all grateful for this monumentous surprise in our lives!

full term on november 5th :)

lots of blog posts coming this week all about our thoughts and questions we get asked, check back soon!

dressing the baby bump.

let's talk about maternity fashion.

i loved when friends shared their thoughts on the subject, so here's my 2 cents.

*note i was large pregnant in the fall/winter*
so sorry summer girls, you may be overly hot with these tips...

and note, the tips are mainly for when when your body begins to truly get bigger and bigger and bigger than you thought possible!
all that how to dress for pregnancy in the first and sometimes second trimester is hogwash. H.O.G.W.A.S.H.
(hello oh goodness what a small hbelly)
the h is silent...
and i'm too lazy to readjust some of these pictures so some may be doubles.

1. buy some great basics. i loved the maternity shirts that were were ruched on the sides with elastic (all time favorite maternity shirts=ruched sides!). stretch is key, stretch in all directions. like i mentioned before, my favorite was this black one from h&m (you really can't beat $10). i wore it all the time i swear. i also had a white motherhood brand tee i by chance found at goodwill that was in excellent condition. by the end, the white one didn't have enough stretch in all directions, especially length, to feel comfortable whereas the black one did the whole time and doesn't seem stretched out. also some great maternity jeans (pants, shorts, or capris depending on the season). some people frown at forking out money for maternity jeans and i will frown back. i'm going to have multiple pregnancies (all in cold states most likely) and want some cute, comfy jeans for all of them. i got some from h&m (not online anymore...). i loved that the top stretch panel went all the way up my belly, made it so comfortable. the last thing you want is tight clothes squeezing any part of your belly. hopefully (fingers crossed) i picked a jean style that won't go out of fashion: simple, dark, medium flare. 

i.e. favorite black h&m shirt, maternity pants

2. work your wardrobe. of course. common sense. this works for quite awhile, surprisingly. you know the more flowy (and stretchy) shirts you have, they work for some time which is nice. i would suggest, however, maybe around 25-30 weeks, going through your whole closet and dividing what you can and can't fit anymore or what you don't want to stretch out anymore. half the battle when choosing clothes is thinking "is this going to fit/be too tight?" or having to go through the effort (and disappointment) of putting it on (or not being able to) and having to take it off all exasperated. as soon as you decide the first time that a shirt isn't working anymore for various reasons PUT IT TO THE SIDE seriously. this will make you feel much better when only choosing between 20 shirts that you could possibly still fit and putting those other 30 to the side (i don't really know how many shirts i have...) but also, don't be too afraid at stretching out some of your shirts, if you're nursing, tight shirts are not your friends. 

i.e. this dress is definitely not maternity

3. find shirts that give you definition. i always gravitated toward clothes that tended to go back to being snug under my belly. doing this made me feel cute-pregnant and not tent-pregnant. for real, work this one.

this non maternity shirt has a tight band of fabric underneath that hugged my belly and this skirt is what i talk about in #5

4. sweaters and belts. those 2 basic black and white tees may have been worn all the time but at least i was constantly doing different stuff with them. sweaters can always fit, just don't button it but do belt it around your ribs. and while collecting belts (before, during and after pregnancy), collect LONG SKINNY belts. i thought i would/could wear my thicker stretchy ones and that turned to a heck no real quick. the skinny part between your boobs and belly does not like thick stretch belts or even just thick ones. and i was surprised how much my ribs expanded and the belts that fit around my waist before didn't fit around my ribs comfortably! so that's why i say get long ones. you'll be able to belt them on your real waist with all the cute styles afterwards. also, for the purpose of sweaters, i did buy one $5 white tank (size large) from old navy to wear for undershirts (for extra material above and below shirts) and to wear under sweaters occasionally. i really liked it and wore it during postpartum too.

5. back to the stretch. can i not mention stretch enough? ha, i just felt that that is the key to pregnancy clothes! belly bands. they help make your shorts, capris, and pants work for a very long time, and if you're wearing a long enough shirt, i was able to wear some of my regular pants the whole pregnancy (not that they were as comfy as my maternity ones, but i did want some variety). though i was often needing to tug and pull at the belly band during the day to make sure everything was in place and nothing was showing that i didn't want to, but it still worked. buy a black or white one, not a skin colored one because that'll look like your belly is showing...i did this and it was stupid but workd fine. also skirts and dresses made of jersey or stretchy material. i loved in these old navy skirts the last few months. they were so wonderful. i had a great supply before hand of maxi dresses and skirts that were incredibly forgiving and a win win is that i can still wear them when i'm not pregnant. yay for stretch! but honestly, if you look back at my pregnancy pictures, i was often in dresses and skirts and that wasn't just because we often took the pictures on sundays.

i.e. this was MY FAVORITE pregnancy dress. stretchy, forgiving, comfy, wonderful in so many ways.

6. bring someone of your "normal" size to buy clothes with you. i heard this from a friend but never got to try it. if she was going shopping to buy new clothes to be able to wear during pregnancy, she'd bring her sister along who was about her normal size to see how those clothes fit on a non-pregnant body so she'd also be able to wear them afterward. i loved this idea. i.e. maxi skirt/dresses.

7. wear your husband's shirts. fa reals though. my husband has a bunch of great big (men's size large) stretchy shirts from old navy and forever21 (loved the f21 ones the most). i always went for his shirts in the mornings. and during that first month and half postpartum and if you're nursing, those shirts were my favorite too. i'm not kidding that when we did laundry none of my shirts were in the laundry but they were all my husband's. put a sweater and belt on those boxy man shirts and they look great on a pregnant woman! when we both packed for the holidays, i think i put more of his shirts in my suitcase that he put of his own shirts in his suitcase. and if you're just hanging around the house and not going to be seen in public, i also constantly wore his big cotton shirts, you know the free, 100% cotton ones you always get for different occasions? ya, those are definitely a pregnancy wardrobe staple and free!

i.e. husband's shirt

8. borrow from friends/sisters/sister-in-laws. i had some very generous SIL's who offered to let me borrow whatever maternity clothes i wanted from them. so incredibly kind of them. they've gone through 2 and 3 pregnancies themselves so they have slowly but surely gathered cute maternity clothes i got to choose from. so find family/friends and don't be afraid to ask! if someone has been pregnant they understand what you're going through! i would just say that you should be extra considerate to those clothes by letting them hang dry so the wear and tear on them is much less and their colors fade less.

9. half shirts. i didn't actually buy one of these but i really wanted to! i think they are such a smart idea! there were many empire type shirts i had that i loved but i didn't want another layer on over my belly. this was the perfect answer. and bonus: it's the same situation for nursing, you don't want a whole 'nother shirt to bother pulling up/down/over/under when needing to nurse. i definitely want to buy one before my next pregnancy. biggest bonus: they fit no matter how big or small your belly is!

10. buy maternity clothes before you become pregnant. i always shopped maternity sale sections in person and online years before i was pregnant! yes, i'm talking high school people. i did it back then because i honestly was able to make the maternity clothes work as normal stuff and could care less what people thought of me in the maternity section. and then the closer it got time to realizing i was going to be pregnant i would buy maternity clothes i saw on awesome sale, no matter what season they were for. so happy i did this because by the time i was big and pregnant i didn't have to buy much because i slowly accumulated things over time that didn't break the bank! (why do they charge so much for maternity clothes anyways?). but then again, if you find something you LOVE maternity wise and know it will last the seasonal/yearly trends, i say try to wait for it to go on a good enough sale for you and snatch it up! especially if you're going to be pregnant many times, plus there's always postpartum/transitional stage before you can/will confidently wear your more slim fitting pre-pregnancy tops (keep in mind it's not just the size of your belly changing but the size of your bust!

although this picture is from 2 years ago, this is a maternity dress and i'm pretty positive i wore this exact outfit while pregnant (minus the hat...)

this sweater is technically a maternity sweater i bought ages ago and have used for years.
and used lots while pregnant and non!

i wish i had tips for shoes, but i don't. i pretty much fit nothing by the end except sandals. (heck yes i wore [my nice] sandals to church when there was snow outside, i couldn't get my big old swollen feet in anything else!). there are many lucky girls whose feet don't swell, i wish you the best in this regard.

although you may not feel cute because you have this large basketball in front of you, you are. every woman is beautiful when they are pregnant, you are creating a child within your body, and that is truly beautiful. the days you feel extra big, make and effort to put on (bright) lipstick, do your hair, and a put on a cute shirt. those simple little things totally help. remember, you won't be like this forever, it will end. enjoy growing another human in you! a pregnant body is incredibly beautiful in so many ways, dress to show that!

the progression of the baby bump

it's so funny to look back at pictures when i was pregnant.

i remember at 38/39 weeks looking at previous pictures thinking "oh you were so small at x weeks!"

and also thinking "i'm not that big right?"

now that i'm not pregnant anymore i look at all these pictures, especially that bottom row and think

"holy moly, kimber! you were SO big!"

ha, i'm so glad maxson arrived so healthy though.

at times i miss being pregnant

i miss being able to tell casey "but i'm pregnant, you do it/i don't want to do it :)

it really was so fun to watch your body change.

it's amazing that God has created women's bodies to adapt and grow a human being inside!

those first few weeks i was constantly looking at maxson thinking 

"you used to be in me! you are so big!"

do enjoy the progression of the bump:

**note to self and others:**
i distinctly remember posing in a way for the last half of these pictures so i didn't look HUGE in front of the camera, which i truly was.
i will not be posting the true profile 39 week picture because i promise you (cough cough lyndsey..) will see me one day and say "kimber! you were so big! holy hannah! i can't believe how big you got!" and i will think in my mind "thank you for reminding me how large how i had gotten" but will say out loud "i know, crazy, huh?"
sometimes i would look at the pictures casey took and immediately say "oh my goodness, i look GINORMO! take some more" and i would stand differently so you couldn't fully see the straight up profile largeness.
so future pregnant kimber and other pregnant friends: do not compare yoursleves to these pictures. they are decieving at times and everyone/every baby grows differently :)
just enjoy the ride of pregnancy and maxi dresses/leggings/belly bands.
cheers.

40 weeks and still pregnant.

instead of writing a post of how bitter and depressed i still am (which is a draft in blogger actually)

i will write a post of things i have loved while pregnant.

1. satin sheets.

they make ALL the difference when sleeping.

at the end of this pregnancy i'm constantly having to switch from side to side in the middle of the night.

when you have all that weight on your stomach it takes ALL your effort to turn.

satin sheets help you totally slide from one side to the other.

heavenly i tell you.

2. very fashionable compression socks.

made all the difference in the size of my feet at the end of the day.

there finally were no creases of skin on my ankles at the end of the day!

3. maxi dresses

it's so nice not having tight clothing under, on, or above your belly.

not having to pull at clothes to make sure nothing is showing or tight or unflattering on you

4. this H&M shirt.

i only bought this one shirt and 1 pair of maternity jeans for my "pregnant" wardrobe.

the shirt is seriously so comfy and perfect every way.

it's long, soft, perfect amount of ruching on the sides to make you look cute.

plus, wearing the black made me feel much skinnier than i probably was.

if you're not going to "buy" any maternity clothes, take back what you said and at least get 1 black and white fitted maternity shirt with elastic sides.

you can wear them with SO many things and their fit makes you feel so good.

an absolute pregnancy wardrobe staple in my book.

plus they're usually cheap.

5. casey.

sorry don't think you can get yourselves this model but maybe you can find something similar

6. a large water bottle.

and i mean LARGE.

you'll be drinking so much water the last thing you want to do is fill up my bottle every 30 minutes.

that's it for now.

send all your "get out baby/go into labor" thoughts my way and i'd surely appreciate it.

and if you'd like to leave any tips on how i can coax this baby to come out, i'd appreciate that too :)

"we know you're in there!"

our new favorite phrase whilst talking sternly to my stomach:

"come out!

we know you're in there!"

it hasn't been working...

39 weeks

let's continue to over hope that the next time i post it will be a real picture of this boy...

PS- also, you know the great thing about taking pregnancy pictures often?
you go back and look at them and it makes you feel good about yourself now seeing yourself so much smaller back when you "thought you were so big."
example: i remember the 30 week picture thinking "i'm so big! blah, i'm only 30 weeks, my friends are smaller than me, i still have 10 to go, mmeh, mmeh, mmeh."
i now look at that picture and am like "woah! I was still so little at 30 weeks! kimber, you look great!!!"
so ladies, if it's just to make yourself feel better at 36-40 weeks, do take pictures, you will appreciate it when you truly are ginormo:)

last essentials.

last night we had our final "what else do we need for this baby" shopping trip.

other than actual baby/post pregnancy essentials,

we picked up ourselves "look we had a baby!" treats.

casey's choices: beef jerky, licorice, zebra cakes, fruit gushers

kimber's choices: pirouette's, gatorade, kit kat bars

together choices: blue berry muffin tops, chocolate covered granola bars, orbit gum

we figured you only have a first baby once so why not celebrate (with treats {don't judge our treat choices})!

we also picked up a frozen oreo pie for a happy 3 years to us and happy pre-baby.

it's pretty dang yummy if i do say so myself.

still kickin'

we are currently tip toeing around the end of this pregnancy!

i stepped up to the 38 week box and am so ready to have this baby in my arms already.

heavenly father was so wise when he made women pregnant for 9 months because once you hit that point, you are done and would so rather have the baby out than in.

9 months is the perfect amount of time when you can finally say out loud i'm ready for the baby to be here and you have no fear.

i'm still so very grateful that i do have this little babe inside me though.

it's kinda bizarre to think there's a full grown baby in my stomach just forced to stay in there, ha.

when i roll (literally, i have to roll out) of my bed in the mornings there's a long mirror right in front of me.

and every morning i look at myself and think "woah, my belly is so big! when did that happen!?"

38 weeks 2 days

this baby is more than welcome to come anytime after tuesday afternoon (actually we'd prefer him to come on friday for various reasons:).
tuesday afternoon is when casey finishes his anatomy final for the semester and can finally be depended upon to come back to me whenever birthing this baby begins!

beyond pregnancy, nothing really is going on, ha.
i've finished up pretty much all the projects i've been wanting to do.
i've done a bunch of freezer cooking to prepare for the months ahead.

i do wish there were more fun things and pictures to share at this time...but there's not.
soon there will be a plethora though!
and i can't wait for it!!!!!!

long time no see

gosh, a whole week since blogging.

there's one for the record books.

what has been going on lately?

in words:

1. i've turned into what seems a widow.

terrible anatomy tests/finals=endlessly lonely wife.

i will be much happier when thanksgiving hits.

2. numb finger tips all the time.

3. getting all my last projects done around the house.

4. weekly doctor appointments.

5. cold days, oddly hot days, crazy windy days, crazy cold days.

we've had it all this week (except rain and snow).

6. very swollen feet all the time.

why wear shoes when you don't fit them?

in pictures (not just from last week):

maybe you'll see me blogging more the rest of the week...maybe you won't.
we'll all just have to wait and see!

(and yes that is an eye open in the 2nd sonogram picture you see.
we saw him  blinking during our appointment last week, way cool...)

november has arrived!

do you know what november means!

it (should) mean the birth of our baby boy!!

we are so overly excited.

at the beginning of this week,

our dental school friends had their twins eleven weeks early.

a. scary they're so early, luckily they are doing great

b. it made us super jealous and we really really wanted to have our baby here already!

clothing consists of casey's shirts and my favorite PJ pants if i'm home.

dresses if i'm going out and about.

occasional pant/cute shirt sightings have been rumored to appear every once and awhile.

fingers/hands are crazy numb at random times.

super annoying.

back pain=gone, hallelujah.

i never thought it'd go away.

red face/acne= cleared up lots.

another big hallelujah.

i was worried my face was going to be forever scarred from it,

but one day i looked in the mirror and it was back to what it was from the past years.

oh joy (that may sound vain, but it was really important to me!)

sure it comes and goes even still but at least i know there's hope.

maybe i will turn back to what i once was like before all these hormonal changes!!!!!

clothes are washed and folded in drawers.

baby's room is not anywhere near finished but there's definitely more organization in there than there was before.

we just are so excited for baby boy to make his entrance this month!

(and to be able to sleep on my tummy, pick things up from the floor, not breathe hard when trying to put on shoes/change sleeping positions, not have my heart race when i lay down, i could go on but won't...:)

here i was at 35 weeks 2 days.

tomorrow i will be 36 weeks which means officially 9 months, unbelievable!

i can totally do 4ish more weeks.

big thanks to casey, my wonderful assistant to assisting and making me laugh.