Week 18

Here's the week 18 tummy pic! A little shadowy, but you get the idea.

I'm going to the doctor tomorrow (I've been going weekly for about 5 weeks, now). This will be the first time I can say that the bleeding has lessened quite a bit. I hope that's great news! I would think that it would be. Things got really scary because of the "complications" in December, but with each passing week since, my doctor seems to feel better and better about things. Maybe tomorrow the blood clot will be gone (or much smaller) and this pregnancy will be more back to normal! Keep the prayers coming, please.

Now for the fun news: they're kicking! Or punching or rolling around. I'm not sure which, but I can for sure feel them moving! Marshall even got to feel them move the other day. This is way earlier than I felt Laney moving. I don't know if that's because this is my second pregnancy or because there's less room in there with twins. Probably a combination of both. I just can't wait to meet them! I can barely stand it that I have to wait 2 more weeks before we find out their gender for sure. I'm so ready to name them. That's when they become SO real!!

Well I'm signing off for the night. My goal was to get the playroom decorating finished this weekend. That didn't happen. I'm gonna go finish painting one of the canvases right now. Be back with pictures SOON!

Ribbon Clips - Easiest Project EVER!

I absolutely love crafts. LOVE them. There's such a thrill in making something that you were already going to go buy or use. If I didn't have so many other more important jobs -- being a mom, wife, and teacher -- I'm convinced I could fill up 24 hours each day with all kinds of paper crafts, sewing, and painting. You should also know that I'm a complete copy-cat. Now and then, I'll come up with something on my own, but most of the time I find things on blogs or in stores and make my version of them. I've really been trying to limit my projects lately, though, because I end up starting several things and never finishing any! Remember the felt playhouse I started sewing for Laney last year? I'm still swearing I'm going to finish that thing one of these days!

I saw this ribbon clip tutorial on another blog and had to make some. I've been looking for something cute to hold Laney's bangs back out of her face, and these are perfect. Most of the projects I find on blogs are too time-consuming for me to take on right now. But not this one. It was so easy and only took about 20 minutes. Here are my finished clips:

And I somehow lucked out and got these two professional models to style them for me. They were really busy watching Yo Gabba Gabba, but said they didn't mind being my mannequins anyway. Too sweet. Can't wait to see if Laney actually leaves these in her hair! I'm already pretty sure that Daddy will not leave them on his beanie.

Other news in crafts: Marshall ordered me a Silhouette and it's on its way right now!!! Hopefully it will arrive sometime next week. I've been wanting a craft cutting machine for over a year now. I've debated going out and buying one many times, but just couldn't get myself to spend the money. I think Marsh finally got tired of hearing about it! He was going to surprise me with it, but broke down and told me he had already ordered it (probably after hearing me bring it up about 7 more times- ha!). AHHH I can't even decide what I want to make with it first! :)

Oh, and about that week 18 tummy pic -- it's coming today. I'm stalling, if you can't tell. Waiting for that "skinny" moment of the day.

These Are My People!

Some of you probably know that I recently missed out on going to one of my good friend's weddings in Cabo San Lucas (if you didn't know that, then you probably haven't been around me in months because I have been complaining about it for that long- ha!). Madisen was the bride and she is one of my eight long-time "Girls' Weekend" girlfriends from high school. Marshall really enjoys her fiance (now husband) James, so as soon as they announced their engagement last year, we booked our flights and room. Then we got pregnant...but luckily the doctor said we could still go. Then we had some complications....and the doctor said there was no way we could go. *Tear*

They say they missed me while they were ALL eight there except for me, but I'm absolutely sure I missed them and missed out WAY MORE! I've been looking forward to putting the pictures from the wedding on here so you could see these girls that are such an important part of my life. (Just crop me in in your mind...that's what I've been doing). I stole this picture collage from Natalie's blog:

From left to right in the biggest picture: Molly, Kate, Jackie, Natalie, Madisen, Alison, Claire, Mendy

Here's the link to the photographer's blog post. She did such a great job capturing the day. Not all the girls in the pictures are the Girls' Weekend girls (some of them are Mad's college friends).

So here's the link to Natalie's pictures of the day, which only contain our Girls' Weekend friends. Haha did that sound as exclusive and snobby as I think it did?

*Computer Hog Alert*

Marshall's online grad school semester just began. Boo. Not only does this mean less time with him during our evenings after Laney goes to bed, but also that I'm often going to be booted off the computer. For some reason, Marshall thinks that his school work is more important than my blogging (can you imagine?). So I just wanted to let you know that the week 18 tummy picture, a pregnancy update, a tour of the newly decorated playroom, and Laney pics and videos are on the way, but not right this second. Here's a few thoughts I'll end on before the computer gets taken out of my hands quite literally:

-I'm SO proud of Marshall. He is so motivated and responsible and such a great provider. He stays up at night to work on grad school work AFTER a full day of working, being a very involved Daddy, and waiting hand-and-foot on a pregnant wife. And he has a great attitude about it all. I want to be like him when I grow up.

-I can't stop wanting to cut all my hair off right after I finally got it grown out long. Typical.

-I'm really enjoying teaching right now. We're in a really fun chapter.

-I can't wait to see Natalie next weekend!

Week 16

Here's the week 16 tummy picture. I edited this picture on Picnik and used the effect called "Holga-ish" because I definitely look...well...Holga-ish. Ha. I keep telling myself, "I'm so glad that I'm gaining weight and the babies are gaining weight!" Ya right. I guess I'll just laugh it off and use lots of Palmer's Stretch Mark Lotion.

On a more lovely note, Marshall and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary on January 10th! I still can't believe that this is my life - being married to my very best friend and living together and doing life together. Can you believe it's already been two years? Or can you not believe it hasn't been more? I can't decide which way I feel. It just seems like SO much has happened in 2 years. Because it has!

We got engaged:

Got married:

Found out we were pregnant:

Went through an entire pregnancy:

Had baby Laney:

Laney turned a year old:

And we were pregnant again by the time this picture was taken:

WOW!

It's a good thing mine and Marshall's love story began a lot further back than 2 years ago. It began 8 years ago. When I was 15. And I'd like to go back and tell that 15-year-old Melanie, "Nice choice! This turns out really wonderfully. You are so so lucky." I probably could have used that at that time. :)

Busy Busy Bug Videos

Laney Bug has been busy busy busy. If her eyes are open, you can bet she's running around doing something in a hurry. In fact, she's so busy that I can hardly ever catch any of her cute little actions on camera. Here's a list of things she's doing these days. She pretty much does precious things all day long...UNLESS I have video camera out- ha:

-blows sweet kisses to everybody

-waves bye-bye

-quacks like a duck

-makes an elephant sound

-roars like a lion

-finds her belly button

-finds her nose

-always wants to wear a hat

-pets the kitty cats

-rocks & kisses her baby dolls

-dances

Laney has been so hard to capture because whenever she sees the video camera come out, she kind of shuts down and just wants to play with the camera. I have managed to get a few things on video, though. Here they are!

-Marshall ran out of diapers when he was keeping her the other day. So when I came home, Laney was just wearing her maroon bloomers and squeaky shoes. Pretty dangerous....but VERY precious! In this video she's chasing Penny the cat around like it's the first time she's ever seen her. And picking her own wedgie.

-Here's just a little clip of Laney playing and laughing with Aunt Lauren after we got a diaper on her. They have so much fun. I got a little bit of "quacking" in this one.

-Here Laney is rocking her baby doll. And gives her a quick kiss. What a sweet little mommy she is. And I promise Laney does wears clothes most of the time. Ha.

You'll have to watch these next clips sideways! Sorry! I took them with my iPhone and can't figure out how to rotate them. Marshall and I warred with the computer for about 2 hours, then finally gave up.

Finding her belly button. 

Roaring like a lion.

A Look Back at Laney's Christmas

I know I just posted. But I'm on a roll. If I don't put these up now, who knows if they'll ever be seen by anyone! Here's a look at some of my favorite pictures of Laney from Christmas day. I'm not even going to mess with or edit the photos because they're just so cute and pure and I don't want to risk messing that up.

I always pictured Laney waking up on Christmas day and running around in her bright red & white snowman pj's (the ones that I put her to bed in on Christmas Eve). Of course, though, she got tee tee all over them by morning. So we had to improvise and change into our elephant pj's. What can you do? Also contrary to my visions of Christmas morning, Laney was not at all interested in presents. She was way more concerned with eating some Veggie Dip Crunchies, her favorite snack.

Want some?

Marshall finally got her to help him open a present. She really enjoyed pulling the wrapping paper off the box. Side note: Laney has crazy hair like this every morning. It's so cute. I'm gonna miss it so badly when her hair grows out!

Then we went to Mama C's & Papa D's house (Marshall's parents) for brunch. Marshall's mom had this wonderful, freshly cut, flocked tree. So pretty. Laney thought it was pretty neat, too.

One of Laney's favorite presents was a rocking horse that neighed, galloped and rocked. It also had a twitching tail. She had so much fun on that thing! Thank goodness it wasn't a real pony.

Then she looked for Odie (their BIG dog) for a while. This girl is an animal lover.

And if you can't tell, she loves Santa. :)

Week 14

Here's the week 14 tummy picture! I posted the previous ones, too. I'm definitely getting a belly now. I heard two of my male students at school talking about how big my tummy got over Christmas- ha! I love freshmen. They'll say anything. I just appreciate that they didn't mention any other parts of my body expanding.

Other news in pregnancy: I got 2 new pairs of "A Pea in the Pod" maternity pants! Very excited about these. Heidi Klum endorses them and raves about them. And I'm absolutely sure this means that if I wear them, I'll be ready to strut the Victoria Secret runway 6-weeks after delivery, too. Just like Heidi! Thanks for your secret, girl.

A Long, Worrisome Road

There have been several times when I've felt too busy and too inconsistent to keep this blog going. I've stifled the urge to delete it, though, for one main reason. I decided that even if it wasn't perfect and even if nobody else ever cared to read it, this blog would be a great chronological document of my family and my life as an adult. It sounds cheesy, but I picture myself making it into one of those "blog books" years down the road for my family to enjoy, look through, and remember. I want it to be an accurate account of our life, not skewed to make me or my family look perfect. I preface this post with this information so that you may understand why I want to vent, rant, and express my imperfect emotions at times. I just might want to remember someday that I felt this way:

I'm worried. Terribly terribly worried. I'm finally realizing what a long, worrisome road my family and I have ahead of us with me carrying twins. Especially with me already having had a lot of bleeding and needing bed rest this early on. This worry was really first piqued, though, the other day as Marshall and I began reading our new book about raising twins, Double Duty. It seems like a great book, and I'm sure it will be great once we actually get to the part about RAISING them. It's all the parts about being pregnant with them that are unsettling. We read through laundry lists of possible conditions and problems that can occur just because there are two babies in there. We read about the percentages of early births in multiple pregnancies. We read accounts of babies born after merely 20-something weeks. Then, with tears in my eyes, we decided to put the book down for a while and begin again in a few days on a different chapter.

I then had a long conversation with someone another day about the extra-importance of good nutrition during a multiple pregnancy. Those who really know me know why this was unsettling for me. I'm the type of girl who thinks a serving of potatoes is a large order of McDonald's french fries and that ice cream is really good for you because it's dairy. So, if ramen noodles and Ruffles potato chips aren't chock full of the good nutrition I need for these babies, then I'm in trouble. Those prenatal supplements better be doing the trick- ha.

To top that off, I just had to go Facebook stalking today. I had heard about a friend of a friend of a friend who recently gave birth to twins. I knew they were born a little early, but was dying to see a picture of those cuties! Even though I'm not Facebook friends with this lady, I was so excited to somehow find a photo album with a picture of them. Then I clicked on the picture. And my heart just fell. Not because they weren't beautiful and not because I wouldn't have loved them dearly, but just because they were so different than I had imagined. They were nothing like I had experienced. They were nothing like the big, chubby, rosy-cheeked, 8-plus-pound Laney that was put in my arms right after I had delivered her. They didn't get to go home with their parents like Laney got to come home with us. They were so small. They had tubes and tape on their faces. They were very easily a lot like what I should be expecting this time around. And it scared me to death. Because it's hard to imagine anything different than perfect after having the pregnancy, labor and delivery experiences I had with Laney. I'm just so afraid that even if everything goes well, I'm going to feel sad and disappointed on that day. And then feel so incredibly guilty that I felt that way.

So there are my fears. And here is my hope:

"Do no worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, submit your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4: 6-7

So I will not worry. I will submit my requests fervently to God. And my heart will be guarded. (And I will also eat ALL the raw vegetables, peanut butter, raisins, and other good things that we just spent over $300 on at the grocery store. And try to skip the french fries.)

Love and blessings.