Jayden's Best Week Ever!

Jayden has had the BEST WEEK EVER with both his Mom and Dad home, all day. Every day. We have enjoyed breakfast, lunch and dinner together all week, plenty of episodes of Mickey Mouse, playing with his new toys, and nap time! Last night we headed to Chuck E. Cheese for one last "family of three" outing!

I am sure Jayden shot over 1,000 baskets and played 50 games of bowling. He hit up the ski ball game for a couple rounds too. I did, however, catch the big kid playing some games too.

This weeks ranks pretty high on my best week ever. I love being home with both of the boys. It has been so nice!!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to our friends and family both near and far! I can't believe that Christmas has already passed by so quickly. It crept up on me so fast and then was over in an instant. This year we stayed in Central Illinois due to my inability to travel and being so close to welcoming the twins into the world. It was nice to be home in our own beds and visit with family here, but at the same time we really missed the Christmas traditions in Southern Illinois.

Aaron's family came up for a quick visit and Christmas celebration. We were all spoiled as usual and Jayden got a brand new 4-wheeler to ride this spring along with some other cool gifts.

He also got a new train table from Poppy along with another train and race track before they left for Canada to visit with Steve, Suzy, Lia, and Alex. Jayden loves choo choos!!

I guess Santa thought Jayden was a good boy this year because he made the stop at our house! Jayden got a new hoop that goes to 6 ft. It is a lot bigger than his last one and he loves it. He still has the shooters touch. He got a lot of other little goodies too.

After the gifts were unwrapped we headed upstairs for some yummy cinnamon rolls. I had planned to make a new Christmas breakfast for the boys in our new oven, but I didn't have the energy. Maybe we can try it next year because from what Pinterest says it is super easy and it looks super yummy! I also of course wanted to try out my new kitchen and appliances, but I guess cookies for Santa is a start. A huge thank you to Aaron for accomplishing this task before Christmas! What an awesome gift!

Now it is time to enjoy the rest of our week at home. I think my greatest gift of all is spending the entire week at home with no agenda, no rush to get anywhere, and just hanging out with the boys before the babies arrive. Jayden is loving having both his Mom and Dad home for an entire week all by himself. 

Merry Christmas!!

33 weeks and counting!

This week we had our week 33 check for the babies. Baby A weighed in at 4 lbs. 8 oz. and Baby B weighed 3 lbs. 14 oz. Baby B was being difficult or maybe shy and wouldn't show her face but Baby A was right there for all to see. We will spend the next few weeks of Christmas break resting and trying to put on a few more pounds before they make their grand entrance!

A Visit with Santa

We were hoping that this years visit with Santa would be a little more successful than last years visit, but it pretty much went the same. Jayden knows that "Ho,Ho" brings presents and he has watched Santa on Mickey Mouse for the last month, but he wasn't so thrilled when we went into the little house! He screamed a few times and then just looked at him like he was a fool.

We got a better view outside of the house where Santa waved and that was enough for Jayden! Better luck next year! I can't believe that Christmas is only a week away!



Acree Twins Sprinkle

Our little group of friends has started the tradition of throwing a "sprinkle" for the second baby. It is just a fun little way to get together before Momma to be is busy for a while. This weekend, Meredith, Kristy and Sarah hosted one for the Acree girls. It was hard to get everyone together at the same time with the holiday, but it ended up being perfect. We did miss Amy and Sarah who were unable to make it due to other engagements.

 Kristy, the baker, made the yummiest pink sparkle cupcakes and Meredith cooked up some yummy snacks.

 Crafty Amy shipped some homemade blankets for the girls in pink and purple. They will be perfect for this winter! Sarah sent cute little hats and ordered some bows. Meredith got me a giant pack of diapers which we decided will go super fast when I am going through 12-20 diapers A DAY!!

 Brittany had a bow board made because she knows exactly what I am in for with two girls. Payton and Madelyn have a million bows, so she knew this was something that was much needed!! Thanks, Brittany!! Kristy bought the girls swaddle me blankets. A much needed gift to help the girls sleep through the night!!

 I had Nanny, my Mom, and Aunt Lori make the adventure over. It is partly Nanny's fault for starting this twin tradition (I have told her this statement from the beginning), so I felt it was necessary she attend her first sprinkle for her second set of great twin granddaughters of which are the third set of girl/girl twins and the fourth set of twins in the family. Don't you think she should get some credit?? She put her craftyness to work and sewed together two quilts and these little lovies for the babies. I  just love them!

 These two pictures make me laugh. Nanny with her twins and the twins on the way and then me with my mom and aunt twin. This twin thing is just a little too out of control. I am just waiting for the picture with all of the twins. Now that is going to be something!!

Thank you to Meredith, Addison, Kristy and Sarah for hosting my "sprinkle" and for everyone who was able to come. I loved catching up with you and thank you for letting my family attend. They thought it was great and so did I!

Maybe we will get lucky and get to host one more twin sprinkle if Kristy's twin tradition catches her like it did me or maybe it will hit our friend Amy.....time will only tell!!

Catch up post....

Time to play blogging catch up. Since I finally got my new wonderful iPhone, posting via my phone has become much easier and I have neglected posting from my actual camera. So, here is a catch up game.

For Thanksgiving we visited Mt. Carmel. The weather was so nice on Friday that Jayden was able to play ball outside with his Nana. He ran back and forth chasing his ball.

 We enjoyed some yummy meals and some long wonderful naps!

 Last weekend I went to Reagan, Adan, and Livia's Christmas program at church. Livia was a king (green dress above), Adan was a shepard (white costume) and Reagan sang a solo.

 They all did a wonderful job! It was great to see!

 This weekend we were able to stay home and relax for the most part. Jayden was such a good eater and loved his cinnamon rolls. He ate tons for dinner tonight too. It is nice to have a normal eater rather than a snacker in the house.

We are looking forward to a busy week with the arrival of our kitchen cabinets, new stove, and our counter tops being measured. It looks like everything is going to fall in to place just at the right time!

Little Artist

I recently found some bath crayons that Jayden received as a gift for his 2nd birthday and thought it would be a great time to try them out. Bath time isn't his favorite part of the day but he is really into coloring. His love for coloring, sometimes in the wrong places, meaning the walls, had landed him in trouble more than once. Just ask his dad and grandma.

Last night I bought him a 9 pack of bath crayons and he was a happy camper. He scribbled all over the tub, named all his colors, and allowed his hair to be washed without a fit (he hates water in his ears). It was a very successful night in the bathtub thanks to this wonderful invention!

31 week check

After school today I had my 31 week appointment to check on the little chicks. Baby A who is proving to be as hyper as she was from day one, continues to rule the roost and take up as much space as she wants. Her heartbeat was 156 and from the sono it seems that she is looking more like Aaron than me. On the other end of the spectrum, Baby B is calm, relaxed and content with staying head up. She has a profile that resembles my features. Her heartbeat was 148. It looks like 6 more weeks until we can go in for a planned induction. We head back in two weeks for a growth scan to make sure they are both growing on schedule and after that one week appointments will start for weeks 34 to 37. We will see if we can make it!

Here are a few pictures of the girls.

Kitchen Update

After a few days of resting after a long weekend of being away from home, Aaron found some time and energy to install our new window. I was very hesitant at first because it was going to take away from cabinet space that I'm going to need for a family of five. However, after seeing it installed and what I can now see in the backyard makes it worth it.

Next task is picking out granite countertops. Not much time left to decide. I've pictured my top two choices.

Cabinets are set to arrive December 15 and after that I'm going to be one busy girl arranging them with all of our stuff!

30 Weeks and a "To-Do" List

We have made it to 30 weeks and the countdown is on! I am not sure if there will be babies in 6 weeks, 8 weeks or 10. It is going to be a wait and see kind of deal over the next few months. I decided at the 27 week mark to make a to-do list and have it post on the 30 week mark so I can start crossing things off my list and continue to add to it, if needed. My friends and I all posted a "to-do" list this summer and it was great to see things being checked off the list. Another reason for posting, because someone may call me and tell me to add something to the list that I totally never thought about!

So here it goes:

-Purchase a double stroller. We have to have one so I can make it in and out of the doctor's office.  (We were able to find a double snap and go, but eventually I will have to get a real double stroller!)
-Find the extra car seat base--item found!
-Get another car seat for Baby B which is borrowed from a friend
-Baby books or something of that manner for each baby and their footprints
-Find a few more bases at least by the time I go back to work
-Speaking of work, make some general lesson plans for the first few weeks of January, just in case. (first week done)
-Pack a bag for the hospital (started)
-Pack the two girls a bag for the hospital
-Pack Jayden a bag for any overnight adventures he may encounter in the next month or two
-Pack Aaron a bag for the hospital or tell Aaron he must have a bag packed (at least we live closer now)
-Rest
-Watch Aaron clear the garage so I can park without encountering yucky weather
-Buy a new memory card for the camera
-Find the little bottles, clean them, put them away in the cabinets which are set to arrive December 15
-Get the extra crib matress from my cousin
-Pre-register at the hospital
-Put the second crib together
-Get curtains made and hung in their room (Mom this is your job)
-Put up the pack n' play upstairs so we have two choices to where they are going to sleep
-Stock up on the baby meds (just in case) since we are not close to a Walgreen's
-Get twin sheets for extra bed downstairs
-Spoil the "only child" before his life gets turned upside down for a while (I am pretty sure this is a daily occurance)


OK, so I have a lot more to do than I thought. At least all of their clothes are washed and a bag is packed!

Happy Thanksgiving

We made out adventure down south this weekend for the holiday and Aaron's class reunion. Jayden did a great job in the car thanks to his "i phone" and had a lot of fun showing off his basketball skills to everyone. I think the next time we adventure down it will be as a family of 5. I hope everyone had a great holiday with family and friends!

Baby Update: Week 29

Today I had my week 29 checkup. Both babies still look great and are growing on schedule. Baby A had a heartbeat of 130 and weighed in at 2 lbs. 10 oz., and is head down. Sister B had a heartbeat of 130 and weighed in at 2 lbs. 5 oz., head up and sitting comfortably. Although their weights are slightly different, it is not dramatic enough to worry.

I'm measuring the same size as a 35 week pregnant woman with a single baby. A few weeks ago I was only 4 weeks ahead. This week 6! I can really tell they have grown!

Someone else has grown too and is quite the bed hog these days. Jayden is loving food and life right now. I'm so thrilled that his tonsil surgery has helped him become a happier person!

A Celebration: Jayden Style

Jayden celebrated our new kitchen tile and me passing my three hour glucose test by

 doing a little dance....

jumping off furniture....

and working on his football moves.

I celebrated by relaxing and taking pictures of this crazy little boy while Aaron worked on the kitchen tile that is so close to being finished. He headed to Deer Camp this weekend for a much needed break and high hopes on shooting the perfect buck.

We head back to the doctor on Tuesday for a measurement scan of the babies who should each weigh at least 2.5 lbs. I am anxious to see the little chicks again!

Just a Little Too Sweet

These girls are making me too sweet. Unfortunately, for me, that isn't good. Tomorrow I have to head to a 3 hour glucose test because the one hour test didn't come out as I had planned. Hopefully I will be able to pass this test and not have to worry. I am keeping my fingers crossed!

Above is a 3D picture of Baby A. I can't tell who she looks like from this picture, but it does remind me a lot of Jayden. Baby B was being a little crazy, so they couldn't get a good picture of her face. I know they are going to have big brown eyes like Jayden, but from the amount of space they currently have, I am guessing their little faces will be squished when they arrive, just like their big brother.

We head back in two weeks for a measurement sonogram and another 3D sonogram. At this 27 week appointment, both girls were head down and then B decided to flip back around during the ultrasound. A had a heartbeat of 146 and B was at 141. I measured out at 31/32 weeks, so not too much bigger than what a singleton pregnancy would look like at this point. The only problem besides them pushing on my ribs all day would be Braxton Hicks. These are daily especially when I walk my students to and from specials or carry Jayden as much as he would like. I am not sure we are really going to make it 9 more weeks unless this Momma parks it in the chair for most of the day.

Next week Aaron leaves for deer camp for a long weekend, so I have a personal assistant coming over to help me survive the weekend and chase Jayden so I can relax when it is needed.

27 weeks, A Crazy Dance, and Drywall!!

This week marks #27...only 10 or 11 more to go!! I think I "grew" over the weekend as today I had two teachers make specific comments towards my growing bump.

1. "I can finally tell you are pregnant and that is a good thing."

2. "You are the cutest pregnant girl, ever. Seriously. And with two, you would never know. I just love seeing your belly."

Although I am growing, I think I am doing pretty good. My t-shirts still fit, I can see my feet, I am still putting my own socks and shoes on, and I can zip up my coat. I know this will all change in a few weeks so I am going to enjoy it while I can. Maybe if I am feeling this good in a few weeks I might even go to Aaron's class reunion. Right now in single to twin pregnancies I am to look 33 weeks pregnant. Some other ladies due at the same time with twins are measuring 10 weeks ahead. Yikes! I go on Friday for the glucose test and another check of the babies. I am sure they are both past two pounds by now! My eating habits have also changed this week. I am not hungry at all. Sure I could go for some cookies, but my stomach has no room for food. I do force myself to enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but only because I know they need food to grow. I am sure that will change too. Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I plan to enjoy my lunch and dinner to the fullest.

Our photographer also posted another picture of Jayden on Facebook. When we were taking pictures, he would go down the slide and then do a crazy dance. I think this was the *happiest* he was all day, except when he tackled me for a hug.

These picture really describe how Jayden is feeling now. He is so much happier, does crazy dances, and is enjoying life. Thank goodness for good doctors!

We are making progress in the kitchen thanks to a really hard worker and a windy day! Aaron worked the entire day on Sunday to get plumbing moved, a snack bar built and drywall hung on the ceilings and walls. Oh, and he also got his new window framed and ready to go. Jayden gave the final approval and didn't mind the change. Although the kitchen isn't nearly the size of last one, it will be brand new, perfect, and practical.



We also stopped by the cabinet place today to look at the different styles of cabinets along with colors and set up a day for them to measure and order. We had planned on using our old cabinets but it wasn't going to cost much more to just go with all new. It is also less work for Aaron to not have to match paint colors and style. Now my laundry room is going to get some nice cabinets, both top and bottom, from our old kitchen. I can't wait to have that extra storage in there. It is going to be really nice to have the base cabinets down there so I can have a counter top to fold clothes, store extra towels, laundry soap, and a collection of children's work. I think I am going to spend the next million years folding laundry so I might as well get a good set up now! I would actually like to use any of the other the leftover cabinets for a built in desk, but I will have to see what boss man says about that. Now that I think about it, I guess that means I need to add "paint laundry room" to someones to-do list.

So for now, progress is being made in all aspects of our crazy world. I can't believe it is already November, that Jayden has been off medicine for this long of time, and we might actually have a new kitchen by Christms. Time is flying!!