Bryan Avenue

What's in a name?

You know how we call Cohen, Mitt Romney? And he always protests so much? Sometimes we'll be driving along and I hear him muttering from the backseat, "I not Mitt Roney, I Cohey Gray Hancock." I think it really bugs him enough that he thinks about it from time to time and has to say it out loud to convince himself he's Cohey Gray.

He's also started asking us "what's his name?" when we're stopped at a light beside someone in a car. Or if we're standing in line at the grocery store behind someone. He evens leans over and asks complete strangers what their names are, and most of the time they think he's pretty cute and will tell them. When I ask him what he thinks their name is, it's always Todd, regardless of their gender. Always. I have no idea if he knows a Todd, but it's definitely his favourite name. When asked what we should name the babies, without fail it's Baby Ava and Baby Todd. Well, sorry to burst your bubble, CGH, but there will be no Todds or Avas in this house. Maybe he can save those names for the baby dolls I still need to buy him (note to self: add "buy baby dolls for Cohey" to the to-do list) so he doesn't feel slighted when we choose something a little cooler than Todd or Ava. 

And now a photo of our nosy one.

 

Reno, shmeno

Well, the basement renovation is still moving forward, which is good. There is paint on the walls (4 shades of gray to be exact), painted and hung doors in all the rooms, grouted tile on the landing and bathroom floor, ungrouted tile in the bath/shower, a new back door, and window wells installed. Just a few more finishing touches and we'll be moving to the basement and setting up shop.

I cannot wait! Hopefully the babies can!!

Below are some photos I snapped 2 weeks ago. I'll snap some more this week and will hopefully get them up before Friday. 

I still have a big to-do list, which I won't bore you with, and am hopeful that the hour I leave early from work can be spent putting checks in the boxes on the to-do list. Looking from the "office" portion of our bedroom to where the bed will be.
The "office". Don't worry, the door on the right, leading into our closet, is not the final door. Our contractor selected really nice doors for all the rooms (almost too nice...like they don't belong in our basement). The loo. 
The twins' room. Nice big window for them to escape out of. Looking from the bathroom up the stairs.

And the beat, and dust, goes on.

8 weeks today

Well, only 8 weeks from today I will get to meet Alex and Bobbi-Jo!

I cannot believe it. It seems so fast. Not that I feel this pregnancy has flown by, but it hardly seems feasible that in 2 months, I will be holding 2 babies in my arms. Holy crap, I have a lot to do!! Every night I ask God to please keep them in until June 22nd at 7:30 a.m. so I can get everything on my 2 page to-do list checked off.

The babies are incredibly active right now--the most active they've been, and I thought they were pretty active before. I was resting on the couch on Wednesday afternoon after work and the movement that was going on inside was unbelievable. I was actually grossed out by it...don't judge me for admitting that. I normally like to rest my hands on my belly and feel them moving around, but it was too much for me. There were multiple body parts jabbing out all over and gliding across in every direction. I kept muttering to myself, "Stay calm, Kristyn. Those are babies, not aliens. Don't throw up from disgust!" I wouldn't be surprised to learn at my next ultrasound that they are in completely different positions than 2 weeks ago...and that they have hockey sticks in there with them. And spears. And they've invited some friends over. Who also have hockey sticks and spears.

I also hate to admit this, but I'm starting to slow down. I thought, because I've gained less than 20 lbs so far and have been feeling really good, that I could delay the 3rd trimester exhaustion, but I can't. It slapped me in the face really hard this week. My doctor told me I need to reduce my hours at work from 40 to 30 but I don't know how feasible that is, so I'm leaving an hour early instead. I'm finding that lying down on the couch (after cleaning the house of all the reno-dust) for an hour before C & C get home really helps me get through until bedtime.

I missed the 28 week photo, and the 29 week photo, and am aiming to do a 30 week photo this Saturday. But until then, here's a photo taken of me yesterday. As you can see, I look like I'm ready to deliver. I'm sure the stripes don't help. Nor does the dress style help. And the big letters sprawled across my belly from the projector just add to the comedy. Oh hell, I'm just huge and having a hard time admitting it. Enjoy!

28 week update

No photo to show you this week. I got the sign ready but haven't taken the photo yet. I'll aim to do it this weekend. I'm still being told that I'm "tiny for having twins" but let me tell you something, I feel anything but tiny. Not quite Shrek yet but maybe a Biggest Loser contestant. I know the Shrek stage is coming.

Had an ultrasound last week and my 28 week check-up this week. Babies are in the same percentile as last time and weighed 2 lbs 4oz (B) and 2 lbs 3 oz (A). Alex is no longer head-down but is now feet down, standing on my cervix. Both babies heads are side by side, so no more kicking each other in the head. I can feel both heads right below my bust and I've got to say it's a little weird. Good news is my cervix is still 5 cm thick/long and no signs of opening. Which also means no transvaginal ultrasounds anymore! Hopefully ever! They are not my favourite thing.

16 lbs gained to date. Doctor is not concerned due to the babies growth and size since last ultrasound. I honestly don't know how women gain 60+ lbs with one. I mean no offense, I just don't understand how it's possible if you don't have gestaitional diabetes or pre-clampsia or any other conditions.

C-section is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. on Friday, June 22nd. I was lying down on my boss' couch yesterday because I was really uncomfortable sitting at my desk. I was thinking about when Cohen was born and then imagining myself on the operating table with my arms strapped down and my belly slit open and I started tearing up just thinking about knowing the date I get to meet these nerds. So surreal. But it makes me very glad we opted to not find out their genders because now that we know when we'll meet them, it's one less surprise. Of course, they could come earlier, but I think they know what trouble they're in for if that happens.

I'm part of an online community of women expecting twins in July and almost every day another woman is going on bedrest. And I talked to someone last week that recognized me from the Mother of Twins club meeting we both attended a few weeks ago and she was being put on bedrest in the hospital at 24 weeks because she's got mono-mono twins (identical) which means they are both in the same sac and share one placenta. It's the scariest kind of twin to carry since there can be so many complications. After speaking with her, I thanked God that I am blessed with di-di twins and haven't had any problems at all.

The basement reno is chugging along. I got a hall pass tonight and went from work directly to Home Depot to order blinds, then to the paint store to pick up some paint, then made a very important stop to get myself ice cream, then home to help C clean as the drywallers finished up today and the entire livable space was covered with an inch of dust. I also sat down and made my big master TO-DO list, which is 2 pages long and contains everything I can think of that I need to get done in the next 9 weeks, including everything related to the renovation to the twins to wrapping our neighbour's birthday present and taking it to her. I've had her gifts for 3 weeks (bought them the day before her party) but neglected to wrap them and there they sit, covered in drywall dust, on my dining room table. 

In Cohen news, he informed me this morning that he was grumpy. I was glad to pass him off to someone else for the day while he turned that frown upside down. I got him on a waitlist for a preschool program in the fall in the chance I don't go back to work. I need to try and find another preschool option where he's not on the waitlist (crap, I guess I need to add that to my to-do list). His teacher informed Big C tonight that he sat on the potty at "school" today for the very first time, which is a very big deal. I think he's taking all of our big brother speeches to heart. And when I got home from running my errands tonight, he was still awake and talking to himself so I went in and offered to snuggle with him (which is no small feat these days) and he asked if he could go back inside me and see the babies. I offered to lift my shirt so he could kiss them instead and he asked for his lighbulb (translation: flashlight) so he could see them. He shined the light directly on my belly and felt the babies protesting in response. He kept laughing every time they kicked him. It made this Mama proud. He's going to make a sweet big brother, once he gets over the adjustment of them staying and not going back to the hospital.

And that's about all I've got. The Unisom is starting to kick in so I'd better get this posted before I start babbling even more, although it might be interesting what I write while under the influence of sleep medication...

 

Sneak peek at the twins room

Here's a bit of advice: don't start a renovation project on your house a couple of months before you're expecting twins. There, I said it.

The good news is we're working with a great contractor, our friend G of Northstar Builders (just a little plug), and it looks like we'll be wrapping up within the next 3-4 weeks. I'm going to keep my legs crossed until then to keep these suckers inside as I still need to select paint colours, carpet, bathroom fixtures, blinds, etc. Oh, and decorate the nursery and wash and put away all of the baby clothes. And work on photo books of Cohen's first 2 years. And start stockpiling diapers and wipes. And research double strollers. And come up with at least one name for one of these kids. And figure out a schedule for people flying in to help. And get a million things done at work. I think that's it. 

And now for your sneak peek...

Oooooooh. Ahhhhhhhhh. This photo was taken this past Monday. Since then, the exterior walls have received insulation and the drywall has been installed. Taping and mudding is up next, then I can't remember what, I just know I really need to figure out paint and carpet in the next 48 hours. Why I couldn't have decided those things a couple of months ago is beyond me. 

I'm really kicking myself for not taking before photos of the red shag carpet, wood panelling throughout (4 different kinds to be exact), and the sparkle popcorn ceiling. You'll just have to imagine the horror! Anyway, here are a couple more shots of the reno project. First up, our bedroom. Then our "office" which is part of our bedroom. Then a view from the bathroom. Finally, a shot of the bathroom.

Whatever you do...

don't call your 2 year old son Mitt Romney.

Little c has become quite the flip-flopper. When asked if he wants apple or orange juice, he'll say one of them only to get upset when the juice of choice has been presented to him. He'll say "I not want apple juice, I want orange juice!" in a very upset manner.

So he's my flip-flopper. He's like that with EVERYTHING these days. I'm guessing it's a toddler thing???

Well, one day a couple of weeks ago I'd had enough and I said to him, "You'll drink your apple juice and you'll like it, Mitt Romney!" to which he replied VERY angrily,

"I NOT MITT RONEY!!! I COHEY GRAY HANCOCK!!"

I had to leave the room because I a) was laughing so hard, and b) wet my pants from laughing so hard.

Since then, everytime I call him Mitt Romney, I get the same angry response.

I was telling my sister about it last week and she said I need to capture it on video and send it in to Ellen. Well, I've tried a couple of times but when he sees the camera, he won't perform. So now I need to figure out how I can hide it and capture the whole thing without him knowing.

Gee, I wonder how he'd react if I called him Newt!

I think he had forgotten all about his nickname here as he was having a lovely time at the park with Daddy and Mommy.

24 weeks...and counting

Everything is still going great. Saw Alex & Bobbi-Jo again at 23 weeks and once again, Bobbi-Jo was showing the world it's goods as it's legs were wide open. The tech told me to look away. I have to admit it's pretty tough to not find out genders with all of these ultrasounds, but I am remaining strong. And besides, it's two boys anyway. I've been having strange dreams about them and they are always two boys, probably because that's what I've convinced myself they are anyway. At the 23 week ultrasound, one of them was measuring 1 lb 4 oz and the other was 1 lb 3 oz. Very good sizes for both of them. They are in the 41st and 44th percentiles for their gestational age and my midwife was pleased with their size. The goal is to keep them in this range or get them bigger. If they start to fall below the 40th percentile, Mama's going to have to start downing milkshakes every day.

I've been doing a bunch of reading and discovering that the type of twins I have, di-di, or diamniotic and dichorionic, is the best kind of twins to have. And by best, I mean there are usually fewer complications with this type then the other three types. Di-di means they are each in their own sac and each have their own placentas.

At my 24 week appointment, I only gained 1 lb in 2 weeks, probably due to the stomach bug I had the week before where I threw up every hour on the hour for 12 hours. Despite that, I'm measuring 30 weeks. I can't remember the heartbeats but I think they were 155 and 135. They continue to move A LOT. B is definitely busier, or maybe I just feel it more as A is down really low. A is still head-down while B is breach, not that it matters anyway since I'm having a c-section.

Sleep continues to evade me but I just see it as my body getting ready for what lies ahead. 

Heartburn has come back but not with the vengence I was expecting. Maybe they'll be bald, unlike their older brother who had a good amount of hair at birth.

And my clubfoot is returning, slowly but surely. It's trying to be all sneaky but I can see it growing each day. I'm sure I'll devote an entire post to it at some point as it deserves the spotlight.

I have an appointment with my high risk doctor on Tuesday where we'll set the date of my c-section. Fingers crossed that it will be June 22nd, the day after Big C finishes his last class of the semester and the day before he runs the Steeplechase. Yeah right!

Without further ado, my 24 week belly shot. A lot has changed in the 2 weeks since it was taken so you'll have to tune in for my 28 weeker.

Look at my cute assistant. Here is one more of the little guy. And one more with his girlfriend, Charlotte.

Feelin' the love

When little c was just over a year old, I was shocked to see him come home from daycare with Valentine's Day cards from his classmates. He was only 1, afterall. But that's just how those 1 year olds roll these days.

This year I decided I would not be the only parent who did not send V Day cards along with their child to distribute. In fact, I was going to MAKE them myself. I had seen an idea in a Disney magazine at the midwife's office and decided to go for it.

I armed myself with some bags of plastic animals from the dollar store, some animal print paper,  cardstock, and some glue, and got to work at 9:00 the night of February 13th.

I was pretty pleased with the end result. I mean, it wasn't my original idea (who has original ideas these days now that Pinterest exists?), but I thought they turned out pretty well. C told me I was putting far too much time and effort into something for a 2 year old, which I couldn't argue with, especially as I was still up making them at 11:00. But I just can't give store-bought cards. It's just not in me, even if it is for a bunch of unaware, ungrateful 2 year olds.

But it turns out it wasn't all in vain. Last week Cohen received a thank you card (not a note, an actual card) from one of his classmates and his family thanking him for the "thoughtful, creative, and most delightful Valentine's card we have ever seen."

I will have to remember this a year from now when I have two 8 month olds and a 3 year old. I will probably think back upon how easy life was just a year before as I drive to the drugstore at 11:00 on Valentine's Day eve and purchase a box of store-bought V Day cards and quickly scrawl Cohen's name on them as he's walking out the door for "school."

Spring forward by falling back

So the nerds have really done a number on me.

The other night it was Daylight Savings Time. I fell asleep watching a movie and woke up at midnight. Crawled to bed (literally crawled as my back was hurting something fierce) and set my clock back, so instead of going to bed at midnight, I was in bed by 11:00. I even asked C to change his clock too when he came to bed.

According to my clock, Cohen woke up at 6:00 the next morning. Far too early for me, pregnant or not pregnant. This kid usually wakes up at 8:00 on weekends. C got up with him while I fell in and out of consciousness. I decided to get up at 7:00 and make some tea.

It wasn't until a little while later, when I was checking my e-mail on my phone, that I saw what the actual time was. I complained to C that my phone had updated the time the wrong way. Didn't it know it was 7:30, not 9:30 as it was claiming? I was so confused when C said his phone did the same thing.

And then it finally dawned on me.

Let's chalk this up to a major case of baby brain brought on by two fetuses. They're already out to get me!

Pretty packages

A few weeks ago I attended the baby shower for my friend, S. She wasn't due for a few weeks but guess who decided to come early? Her baby girl, Eva. Unfortunately, the one we were celebrating was still in the hospital, but we did get to celebrate with the woman who carried her for almost 8 months, which was a real treat.

If you know me, like really know me, you know I'm one of the world's biggest procrastinators, second only to my mom (sorry Mom, but you know it's true. Decorating the Christmas tree the day before Christmas seems to seal the deal for all of us that know and love you). My usual M.O. when invited to a birthday party, shower, or wedding, is to go out the night before or morning of said event, stress myself out and buy something I haven't put a lot of thought into. Then I rush home to wrap it and kick myself for not spending enough time thinking through everything. Well, let me tell you something. I actually did things for this baby shower the way I imagine normal people do things. I thought carefully about the recipient (at this point, we didn't know if the baby was a boy or girl) and it's parents and then started to plan. This was 3 weeks before the shower. Crazy! I started shopping and planning and had everything in hand 24 hours before the shower. A first for me. Seriously. 

The night before the baby shower, C was studying and I thought, why not start wrapping the gifts? I have a couple of hours before bedtime. People, I have never had this thought enter my head before!

And here is the end result. Feast your eyes because this may never, ever, EVER, happen again!


And here are a couple of shots of what was contained within some of these pretty packages.

(Eva was conceived in Australia and I couldn't resist)