Do we have everything?

The babies are coming in less than 3 weeks and I am starting to worry about whether or not we're ready for them. Do we have everything?

We have the Pack'N'Play, which the babies will share for a little while. I think it's important for them to sleep close to each other at first - they're so used to it.

We have the swing. We only got one, so far, because we're not sure they'll both like it. We can still get another one later, if we need to.

We have the cribs, which take up most of the room. Once the babies have grown a little and can sleep for longer periods of time, we'll move them to separate cribs. The drawers underneath have blankets in them - all were homemade presents from friends and family members.

We have the rocker/glider, which I have already used a ton. This will probably be my nursing spot. I have even placed my boppy pillow in it, already. From there I can also read to the babies.

We have the changing table, which was FREE. My sister-in-law, LeiLani, helped me to paint it to match the rest of the furniture (before I was put on bedrest). We also have lots of diapers, wipes, diaper rash ointment, pacifiers, and burping cloths. And a trash can for the dirty diapers.

We have the dresser, which has most of the babies' clothes, and also onesies, socks, bibs, spare crib sheets, and the monitor (which changes colors according to the temperature of the room).

We have the carseats, but we haven't set them up in the car, yet. I want to make sure my car is vacuumed and clean before we do so. (Billy's job)

And we got Bumbos, because I heard they were the coolest thing ever, and I found them on Craig's List for super cheap.

In the bathroom we also have the bathtub, shampoo, lotion, and hooded towels.

In the kitchen we have the bottles, brushes, and a bunch of free samples of Formula.

And by the door we have the diaper bag and my hospital bag, just in case they decide to come before my scheduled C-section.

I also have a nursing cover, nursing bras, nursing pads, and I should get an electric breast pump at the hospital after the babies are born.

I think that covers it all. If you think of anything else that is a must-have, let me know.

Week 33 update

I have had weekly appointments and ultrasounds since my 24th week of pregnancy, but this week we gained a lot more information.

Interesting facts:

1. We officially have a date set up... July 31st (3 weeks from TODAY)!
2. Baby A is still breech and Baby B is still vertex. At this point, there's pretty much no way Baby A will move head down, and since he's closest to my cervix, the babies will definitely be delivered by C-section.
3. Baby A weighs 3lb12oz and Baby B weighs 3lb8oz. They are both very small, even for twins. But let's give them a break, I can't expect them to be 7-8lb babies when I was born weighing 5lb8oz on my due date.
4. There are still issues with Baby B's blood flow, which is the reason why my OB/GYN decided to deliver them at 36 weeks. He believes that they will actually grow and develop better outside my uterus than inside.
5. The chances that the babies will have to go into the NICU are slim. If they spend any time in there, it should only be for a few days. They both have been practicing their breathing and their lungs should be close to fully developed by the time they are delivered.

Fun facts:

1. The babies have had hiccups. It's pretty fun to watch on the ultrasound.
2. Baby A likes to kick hard and Baby B likes to move around a lot.
3. Baby A likes to punch and kick Baby B while Baby B likes to snuggle with Baby A.
4. Baby A likes to cover up his face during ultrasounds and Baby B likes to goof around.
5. They both like to show that they're definitely BOYS.

My favorite things

I saw this on a friend's blog and thought it was a really cool idea, so I decided to create my own.

1. The best day of my life... My wedding day!
2. My favorite temple... Mount Timpanogos Temple, where Billy and I got married.
3. My favorite dessert... Chocolate mousse!
4. My favorite flower... Lily of the Valley!
5. My favorite city... Plaja d'Aro, in Spain, where I used to go on vacation.
6. My favorite animal... Dogs, definitely!
7. How I feel right now... Huge but excited to be a mom to two wonderful baby boys.
8. My favorite weather/season... Fall, because I love the colors and temperature.
9. My favorite vacation... The Atlantis, in Nassau, where Billy and I spent a whole day.
10. My favorite thing to do... Kissing and simply being with my hubby.
11. My favorite sport... Rock climbing!
12. My dream vacation... Hawaii!

Good news and bad news

Good news! I am officially a US citizen... and right in time to celebrate the 4th of July! It actually all happened really fast. I turned in my application during Spring Break, got my fingerprints taken sometime in May, and took the test, got an interview, and made an oath at the end of June.
I really wanted to get this out of the way before the babies arrived, and it is a blessing that it has. I know that many people are not as fortunate as me. As expected, during the oath ceremony, I discovered that I was the only Belgian applicant. Others were from India, Bosnia, the Philippines, and Canada.
I have now been living in the United States for almost 9 years (on July 10) and consider this country my home. As much as I love Belgium, I cannot imagine what my life would be like if I were still living there. This is my home now, and there's nowhere else I'd rather be with my husband and twin boys.

Bad news! I heard many times that when a woman gets pregnant, it's not just her belly that gets bigger, it's her hips, her butt, and her thighs, too. I always thought that because it happened to many women, it didn't mean it would happen to me. I mean, I never had to work really hard to stay slim (until now!)
Well, today, I really wanted to wear a pair of capris that I used to wear before I got pregnant. I thought "Alright, so I'll just leave them unbuttoned and wear a long shirt to cover it up." So I got the capris up to my knees... and then... they got stuck. There was no way they would ever make it past my thighs, and definitely not my butt or hips.
Now, more than ever, I am motivated to hit the gym as soon as I can to get my body back. But don't worry, my expectations are realistic. I know my body will never be the same again. I just have to try and do my best.

The =) and =( of pregnancy

Up to this point, this pregnancy has had its numerous ups and downs. Fortunately, I know the babies will be well worth it and I am really excited to hold them both in my arms.

=) 1. Feeling the babies kick.
=) 2. Watching Billy baby-talk to my belly.
=) 3. Being spoiled by my wonderful husband and amazing friends.
=) 4. Watching my belly change shape.
=) 5. Looking at the babies in 3D/4D ultrasounds.
=) 6. Getting coupons for baby stuff in the mail.
=) 7. Not having to cook dinner every night.
=) 8. Cleavage - oh yeah!

=( 1. Bedrest - not being able to go anywhere or stand for more than 10 min.
=( 2. Feeling uncomfortable, during the day and at night.
=( 3. Not being in the mood for any type of food (no cravings).
=( 4. Having to get up every hour or two to use the bathroom.
=( 5. Losing bladder control every time I laugh hard or sneeze.
=( 6. Getting backaches, nosebleeds, and occasional migraines.
=( 7. Feeling nauseous and throwing up for the first 14 weeks.
=( 8. Getting bigger ALL OVER (that's right, not just the belly)!

Megan, you will be missed =(

Celebrating May 5 the Mexican way.

Celebrating Cambri's first birthday,

Celebrating Annie's baby shower.

Celebrating Erin's pre-baby shower.

Goodbye party to all those leaving Des Moines.

Celebrating MY baby shower.

Celebrating the Winter Gala for DMU students.

Megan, Nate, and Cambri have officially moved this week. I try to comfort myself by remembering that they'll be back in a month, for just a few days, to pick up their stuff, but the reality is that they have left Des Moines for good. (Who can blame them? It is miserable to be outside 48 weeks out of the year - either too cold or too humid.)

Megan has been a wondeful friend to me and many others these last 2 years. She is sweet, loving, compassionate, selfless, and a lot of fun to be around. I feel extremely blessed to have had her in my life, and I hope that we will stay friends, no matter the distance that is between us. I wish her the best in Sandusky, OH, and in the future.

Megan, I will miss you tons. Keep in touch =)

Rotations

The countdown and pressure of the boards are ON! Billy is taking the COMLEX on July 13 and the USMLE on July 20. It is a really stressful time because, at this point, he does not feel ready to take the tests.
It's kinda scary to think that the babies could come at any time, before or during these boards. But the doctors have been showing more confidence that the babies will wait until their daddy has taken both tests.

I am actually really excited for Billy's rotations. He'll finally get to walk around and work with patients, instead of reading and sitting all day long, which is soooo not healthy. His third year schedule of rotations looks like this:

8/3 - 8/14: Sports Medicine @ Iowa Orthopedic Center
8/17 - 8/28: Anesthesiology @ Metro Anesthesia & Pain Management
8/31 - 9/25: VACATION (Sort of... This is when Billy will take care of the babies while I enjoy some "me" time, but he doesn't know that.)
9/28 - 10/23: General Pediatrics @ Mercy Hospital
10/26 - 11/20: Family Medicine @ Winterset, a couple of hours away
11/23 - 12/18: Orthopedics @ Metro Orthopedic Surgery
12/21 - 12/25: VACATION (We'll probably enjoy this one a little more since we should have adjusted to our new life by then.)
12/28 - 1/22: Psychiatry @ Iowa Health Physicians / Penn Mental Health
1/25 - 2/19: General Surgery @ Mercy Hospital
2/22 - 3/19: ER @ Methodist Hospital
3/22 - 4/16: Internal Medicine @ Mercy Hospital
4/19 - 5/14: ER @ Madison County Health Care
5/17 - 6/11: OB/GYN @ Broadlawns
6/14 - 7/9: Family Medicine @ Broadlawns

Citizenship

Exactly 10 days from today, I will be taking my citizenship test. I am really excited to finally get this out of the way, but I am also really nervous. I know there's no reason to stress out, but it's still kind of scary.

I have been studying from a booklet of 100 questions. During the interview, they will ask me 10, and I will have to answer at least 6 correctly. Not too bad, huh? Here are some 0f the questions I could expect.

1. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?

2. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?

3. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?

4. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?

5. Name one right only for United States citizens.

6. Why did the colonists fight the British?

7. There were 13 original states. Name three.

8. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.

9. Name one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for.

10. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?

11. Who was President during World War I?

12. During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?

13. What movement tried to end racial discrimination?

14. Name one U.S. territory.

15. Who is one of your state's U.S. Senators now?

I have now lived in the United States for 9 years! That's almost 1/3 of my life, although not exactly. I lived in Maryland for 5 years, Utah for 2 years, and Iowa for 2 years. Who knows where school will take us next...? Hopefully somewhere warm =)

The other day, Billy asked me if he needed to come with me to the interview. After thinking about it, I realized that it'd probably be better if he didn't. Let me explain. Whenever we travel and the airport people check my papers before Billy's, I get through with no problems. Whenever they check Billy's papers before mine, however, they end up checking both of our bags, every single time. Maybe they think he married me just to get into the country... Anyway, now we have to pretend we don't even know each other until we get to the gate. At least then, we save some time by having them check Billy's bags only, and not mine.

Projects

Finally, I finished my corss-stitching projects! I also finished reading "Angels and Demons", and "The Happiest Baby on the Block." As you can imagine, it's not very hard to get stuff done when you've got 16 hours every day.

I have been feeling pretty tired lately, though, and I don't know why. It's not like what I do is draining or demanding or anything. Maybe it's because I have to stay in the same position all day, or maybe it's because these babies are sucking the life outta me =) But I love them!!!

Twins and bedrest

This week marks my 28th week of pregnancy, and the babies’ condition hasn’t worsened. In fact, they’re doing better. 3 weeks ago, they were 3 oz part; 1 week ago, they were bigger and 2 oz apart. This means we are past the placental surgery option, which I am really excited about. This also means that the babies could arrive any time now, which is kind of scary. Hopefully, they can hang it there another 10 weeks because by then Billy will be finished with his boards, they won’t be premature, and they should both weigh over 5 lb 8 oz.

I think I could handle another 10 weeks of bedrest. Talking about bedrest, many people have asked me what I do to stay busy and keep myself from losing my mind. So here it is:
- I am cross-stitching a blanket with baby animals
- I am reading books about babies and twins
- I am reading Angels and Demons (thanks Amanda)
- I am watching The Office on DVD (thanks Sara)
- I am watching all the Harry Potter movies (thanks Amanda)

Thank you so much for your prayers and your delicious meals. We feel truly blessed to have such wonderful friends and look forward to opportunities to be answers to your prayers.