Nursery Update

A few weeks ago, Jessie and I did some more work on the nursery. After getting the cribs assembled, the next item was to take off the closet doors and replace with a curtain. Then, we went in search of a glider.

For the curtain, we decided to go with a gender neutral solution that matched the green walls in the nursery. We found a great curtain at Pottery Barn Kids, and we picked up a rail at Target. After taking off the doors and some jockeying with the rod and the alignment, we got the curtain up! The polka-dot color matched the wall even better than we thought in the store. Should allow for easy access to the closet while not interfering with the 2nd crib.

We then went in search of a glider. We didn't want the "traditional" glider style (with the cushions on the wooden frame), but one that is like a normal chair that we could re-use. We went to several stores (Babies R Us, Kids 1st, etc.) and landed back at Star Furniture, a traditional furniture store.

A side note, when your wife is pregnant, she lets you know exactly what she likes, in a very emphatic manner. In this case, Jessie let me know exactly why she loved this particular beige glider at Star Furniture. She nearly fell asleep in it while in the store. While being priced a bit higher than we wanted to pay, I decided it was worth it since Jessie liked it so much!

Naturally, the glider came fully assembled, so I had to fight to get it up three flights of stairs and into the nursery. Minimal structural damage to our house was sustained!

The glider is very comfortable and swivels, so it makes great addition to our nursery! Next steps are assembly of the hutch/drawers (sometime in late November) and cleaning out the closet to get ready for the baby clothes.

15 Weeks, 2 days OB Appt. Update

Baby A & B together at our 15-week U/S.

Yesterday we had our first appointment where we met our actual doctor for the first time. It was also a very important appointment because we had an ultrasound to determine if each baby had their own placenta or if they were sharing one. The ideal situation is for each baby to have their own, because if they share it is a higher risk situation.

We felt very fortunate after the ultrasound revealed each baby had its own placenta. We were also very happy to receive a lot of other great news health-wise for me and for the babies. The babies continue to grow right on schedule, in fact, Baby A was measuring exactly to the day (15 weeks, 2 days) and Baby B was measuring 14 weeks, 6 days. Their heartbeats continue to be strong, Baby A: 163 bpm, Baby B: 155 bpm, so there was less of a difference compared to last time.

As for me, my blood pressure was "excellent" and my pulse was great. I have also lost a total of 12 pounds since I have been pregnant. The doctor said it is very common for this to happen in the first 14 weeks because of morning sickness and lack of appetite. I have felt much better recently and my appetite has returned so for the first time in my life I can actually say that I hope I gain some weight next time.

We did have a little bit of a scare when a test came back saying I had some Glucose present, which can be an indicator of Gestational Diabetes. The doctor said since I am carrying twins I am at higher risk. So, I had to drink a very sugary drink and wait an hour to have my blood tested. Chad and I were both nervous and concerned. We were THRILLED to find out today that my test came back negative and I do not have GD. I will still have to re-take this test later in the pregnancy, but for now we are in the clear.

Overall it was a very eventful appointment but all looks well. We were so happy to see our babies moving their arms and legs and we couldn't help but exclaim at any little movement they made while we watched. This experience is incredible and we are so grateful for it.

I will leave you with a few ultrasound pictures from this time. Next appointment is October 11th and we should find out the genders then!

A great shot of Baby A.

3D U/S showing both babies.

Nursery Evolution, Labor Day Edition

By Chad

Labor Day weekend provided a great opportunity for us to work on the nursery. I decided to mix in putting together the cribs between football games on Saturday.

Everyone told us we should expect a multi-hour, all-day affair when it comes to assembling the cribs. I had prepared myself for this; I thought I'd work on them slowly over the three-day weekend.

So, I unboxed the cribs and hauled the parts upstairs and staged them in the nursery.

Armed with three steps of directions, 14 screws, and an allen wrench, I was off. I could tell this would be easy, so I asked Jessie to time it. Jessie was great adding in strategic help in aligning things. Trying to be careful not to scratch anything and making sure everything was super secure, I took my time and got crib #1 assembled in 45 minutes.

Now knowing the procedure, I assembled crib #2 in 21 minutes.

Both fit perfectly along the wall in the nursery with room in between. As expected, we'll have to remove our closet doors for the crib up against it, which is Monday's project.

Funny side note, it took me 40 minutes to break down and crush all the crib boxes and haul off the packing material, almost as much time as it took me to assemble it!

We got the new curtain to replace the closet doors today at Pottery Barn Kids and tomorrow I plan on taking off the doors, hauling those to the attic, and installing the new curtain.