Our Babymoon

On New Year's Eve, Trae surprised me with a trip to California for our final vacation before babies: our "babymoon".  With twins coming, our Doctor doesn't want us traveling after our 24th week, which is February 8th.  So, Trae took advantage of MLK day and booked us a long weekend trip January 19th-23rd to a resort called Terranea located about 30 minutes from downtown Los Angeles on a peninsula overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
We had an early flight that had us arriving in Los Angeles by 8AM, so we drove over to the popular shopping district and celebrity hot-spot, The Ivy to eat breakfast.  While we didn't spot any celebrities at that hour of day, we had a great time relaxing and discussing the days ahead of us.  From there we headed over to Warner Brothers Studio's. I was too sleepy to take the tour, but I wanted to see where The Ellen Degeneres Show was taped and so many of our favorite movies and TV shows were made!

 

After our stop to Warner Brothers we were ready to get to our resort and relax.  The drive up the Coast was beautiful.  We passed through Manhattan beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach all before getting to the Resort.  Our room was beautiful and had a great view of the pacific ocean.

We started out every day with a morning hike on the trails around the resort. We would see dolphins every morning and look for whales which were migrating down to Mexico while getting some nice exercise. 

 We both indulged in massages at the spa before relaxing in the warm southern California sun making us completely forget about it being January.  Trae's choice of reading: The book of baby names.  It was fun going through ideas and meanings of the names in that special setting.

 Each night we ate our dinner outside overlooking an amazing sunset. The sun was warm and when it started to set the heaters and fire pits turned on around us, and blankets were passed out to those who wanted some extra warmth for dinner and drinks on the patio.

After dinner we snuggled up next to one of the several fire pits around the resort and cooked our own s'mores.  YUMMY!!

On our last full day in California we we decided to go exploring in some of the cute beach towns we passed through on the way to Terranea.  Our concierge recommended we rent bikes in Hermosa Beach and bike to Manhattan Beach to eat lunch and look around.  I was a little nervous to get on a bike with my poor equilibrium due to pregnancy, but after a little practice we felt comfortable and was so glad to be out doing something different and fun.  The weather was amazing and so were the homes we biked past on the strand right next to the ocean.

We were having such an amazing time with our exploring that we didn't realize we had missed Manhattan beach by several miles until we saw LAX right in front of us. Whoops!  We turned around and headed back to Manhattan Beach where we ate lunch right off the beach. 

Pounding my root beer at lunch.

We made our way back to the resort in time to take pictures with one last California sunset.

Our "babymoon" was absolutely amazing: relaxing, romantic, active and so happy in such a beautiful setting.   We left feeling happy, refreshed and ready to embark on all the adventures that await us!

Week 21

Baby Size:

Marination Time: 22weeks 0 days 

The Bump says that in Week 21 the babies grow to the size of a pomegranate.  We know our little boys are running larger than a typical 21 Week old baby, so we'll just call them LARGE pomegranates. 

Baby Milestones:

Week 21 was a week of movements for the babies!  They are working on their baby yoga movements working on their muscle tone throughout the day with 12-14 hours of sleep breaks throughout the day.   They are growing eyebrows and getting ready to open their eyes in the coming weeks.

Symptoms:

Sore back & hips- especially when going on longer walks.  Trouble bending over taking off boots or putting on shoes since my baby belly gets in the way!  Hungry OFTEN!

How I'm Changing:

I'm growing and I can tell Baby A and Baby B are too!  Lots of baby movement, especially when I'm hungry or have just eaten.  I'm in organization mode like crazy lately- lots of changes to our upstairs nursery, office and guest room to get ready for these boys!

What I'm Eating:

Lots of different things. I normally eat fruit 3 times a day: bananas, strawberries, blueberries and mandarin oranges are my favorites right now.  I am craving spicy foods so I tend to add Chalula to everything, including my morning eggs.  Lunch normally consists of a turkey sandwhich.

Annoyances:

The only annoying thing this week is my hip pain.  It's only on my right side which means I need to see  a chiropractor soon.  It wakes me up at night and makes even moderately long walks uncomfortable.

Sleep:

While gone on our California 'Babymoon' I slept horribly.  The soft bedding and lack of body pillow plus extra activities were tough on my back & hips.  Since being home, I'm sleeping better.

Missing:

I didn't miss anything this week.  It was a great week!

What I'm Most Excited About:

Week 21 was an exciting week!! The nursery was painted, our bottom stair was fixed to be safer, the ELFA nursery closet organization system was installed and we bought our nursery rug on sale!   All this got done before our amazing 'Babymoon' trip to California which gave us great alone time to soak in some sun, laughs, relaxation and talks about our future together as a family. 

We stayed at a resort named Terranea which was amazing and beautiful.  I would LOVE to go back some day with our little ones!

Biking along Hermosa and Manhattan beaches.

We took morning hikes along the Pacific in beatiful 78 degree weather.

Evening sunset dinners looking for dolphins and whales

Soaking up the Southern California sun looking over the pacific

Registries

Thank you to all who have asked where we are registered!

We are still working on building our registries and learning what we will need as first time parents, but have registered at BuyBuyBaby and an online registry called BabyList which allows me to add different items from different stores to one online database.

Here are the links to both registeries:

BuyBuyBaby

BabyList


Thank you again! I hope to see you all soon!!

Love,

Cyndi

Week 20

Baby Size:

Marination Time: 20 weeks 

The Bump says that this week Baby A and Baby B have become little bananas!  I received an email from Everyday Families this week that said "If you are having twins, they are about 7.5 inches long this week and weigh close to a pound each."  And they were right!  We had our sonogram this morning with Dr Seeker and both babies weigh about 14oz a piece and were long and active!!
It confirms that twins grow a bit faster in these early weeks to make up for the shorter stay they have! What a miracle the human body is.


Baby Milestones:
The twins are growing hair and moving even more.  They have fully working taste buds, even though all they get to taste is amniotic fluid at this point.  They are gulping down several ounces of amniotic fluid each day.

Symptoms:
I've been pretty tired this week, needing to rest or nap at the end of the day. My tummy has been a little sore this week and bending over is much more challenging as it hurts to bend from the waist.


How I'm Changing:
The baby belly is continuing to grow with the babies growth.  I've also felt the boys move a LOT more. Lots of kicking, jabbing, rolling and hiccuping!


What I'm Eating:
Fruit, Bean & Cheese Tacos (my weakness), Turkey Sandwhiches, protein bars

Annoyances:
Low Energy continues to be an annoyance.  Another annoyance is the amount of organization our house needs! Trae and I have been in constant de-clutter mode so that we will have room to put baby stuff places! Our office looks like a tornado hit it and we have a LOT of work to do so that we can continue to prepare for the babies!


Sleep:

Baby A is head down and low and gets pretty upset when I lay on my left side at night. He makes sure to let me know that I'm cramping his space by kicking & nudging me until I move into a more comforatble position. I'm usually woken by Baby B moving and kicking up by my belly button.

Missing:
The only thing I miss these days is my energy so that I can stay continue to get things done without needing breaks or naps!


What I'm Most Excited About:
We started making progress on the nursery this week!  It's exciting seeing the room taking shape little by little.  We put in crown molding and had the nursery & closet painted this week. Next week we are having the closet organization installed by The Container Store so we can start organizing some of the amazing baby gifts we have already received from family and friends.

Also, this weekend Trae is taking me on our 'BABYMOON' to a resort outside of Los Angeles called Terranea.  There is a heated pool which sounds devine for my aching back and hiking trails around the hotel.  It's so exciting that we'll have a weekend to ourselves to reflect on all we have been through to take us to this point and all that we have to look forward to.  Maybe we will even get closer to finalizing names for our little guys!

Here are the latest photos of the babies:

Baby A proving he is all boy!

Baby B looking straight at the camera

Baby B proving he is all boy!

Baby A side profile.

Week 19

Baby Size:

Marination Time: 19 weeks 6 days

The Bump says that this past week the babies were growing to be the size of Mango's!  They should both weigh about 8.5 oz a piece and measure over 6 inches long.  We'll have a Dr. appointment next week to see how the boys are growing exactly and be able to update more then, but I would guess they are closer to 6.5-7' long now and maybe 10 oz a piece since they have always measured a week ahead of schedule.

Baby Milestones:
This week the babies grew a greasy protective layer on their skin called vernix caseosa.  This protects thier skin from their watery surroundings for the remaining of the pregnancy.  Also this week, the baby's brain nerve cells are working on their senses: hearing, sight, smell and taste are being perfected this week.

Symptoms:
Dizziness at times when I stand too long.  Extreme thirst throught the day, so I've been drinking a lot of water and supplamenting with gatorade.  My abodmen was feeling very tight towards the beginning of the week and is still sore when I bend or twist much.

How I'm Changing:
The baby belly is still growing and with it, I can finally feel significant movement.  At night when I'm on my back I dont feel kicks or jabs, I feel hard big parts (like a head or bottom) changing positions slowly... almost as if they are sleeping and switching sides. When this happens, my belly visibly changes shape, which is a weird and sometimes uncomfortable feeling.  In the middle of the day/evening I am feeling definite jabs.  They feel stronger than belly bubbles but don't hurt.  It's pretty fun, but wonder what my boys are doing when there is that much movement!!

Last photo of my 19th week! 

Also, I may have officially started nesting. In the past week we have done a lot to prepare for our little ones! We have picked out paint samples & scheduled painting to be done, ordered an ELFA closet system to keep the nursery closet organized and made a decision on the cribs!  I look forward to updating everyone with the nursery progress.

What I'm Eating:
Protein Bars for snacks and breakfasts, turkey sandwhiches, fruit for snacks and regular dinners.  Nothing specific, but I am finding myself a little more hungry than normal.


Annoyances:
I had some bad pelvic pressure and middle back pain at the beginning of the week and purchased a support belt.  It feels amazing on, but looks bad under clothing.  The back pain is a little annoying, but I feel blessed to still be as active as I am and that the pregnancy is going well.


Sleep:
I sleep pretty well these days: I still wake up 3-5 times a night for potty breaks but am also waking up at night due to the boys moving around in my lower abdomen.  Their movement puts pressure on my pelvic bone and tailbone which is uncomfortable to me and makes me change positions frequently throughout the night.


Missing:
I'm missing my energy lately- It doesn't take much activity to completely tire me out these days.


What I'm most excited about:
I'm so excited to be feeling A & B moving around finally! It gives me relief to feel their movements and I look forward to learning more about their little personalities through their movements during the next few weeks.
I'm also excited to see them again next week at our Dr. appointment and to see our nursery start to unfold in the next few weeks.

Week 18

Baby Size:


Marination Time:  18w6d

The Bump says that this week our little boys are now the sizes of sweet potatoes.  The average baby their age would be 5.5 inches and almost 7 oz.  As we all know from our sonogram last week, the babies are both well ahead of schedule measuring 8 oz already.  Healthy babies!

Baby Milestones:
Baby A and Baby B are growing and moving!  They twist, roll, change positions, flip, punch and kick. We've seen them kick each other on ultrasound and the other twist in defense. So cute that they're already fighting in my belly!  This week they are also swallowing, hiccuping and yawning.

Symptoms:
My belly has felt very tight all week and there is a lot of pelvic pressure due to the babies still being side by side and carrying low.  I'm also exhausted by the end of the day! Just cooking dinner takes so much energy out of me that sometimes I'm too tired to eat!

How I'm Changing:
Tighter Belly and GROWING belly!  Even though I can't feel specific movements yet, I can tell there is major movement because my belly will change shape at times.  This usually takes my breath away from me - I can tell they are moving quickly!

What I'm Eating:
Bubble Water, Fish, Turkey dishes and Chicken dishes.  Turkey Sandwhiches for lunch. Pretty basic menu but quantity isn't much more than normal still.

Annoyances:
Low Energy!

Sleeping:
I'm sleeping well lately.. as long as I have my body pillow. When I wake in the morning I still have a sore back but I sleep well at night.

Missing:
Red Wine and beer.  We went to a nice New Years Eve dinner and I had the tiniest taste of Trae's beer.   It tasted SO good, but I felt immediately guilty afterwards.

What I'm Most Excited About:
Starting to seriously plan and start purchasing items for the nursery!  My "to-do" lists for the house and nursery are really adding up, but plans are in place! This weekend we're going to pick out paint and I'm giving myself a 3 week deadline on ordering cribs.

HAPPY NEW YEARS 2013!!!!!