Pumpkin Carving

Wednesday night is our usual "dinner & show night" with friends.  This was our activity last night.... 

Mikey was a good sport

Focus (well...everyone but Tony)

 

We had lots of fun.  The pumpkins look really cool with the lights off.

JACKPOT!

I hit the garage sale motherload last weekend...thanks to my fabulous friend Jamie.  She rocks!!  Last Friday I was working on some projects at home when Jamie called and said she heard about a garage sale in her parent's neighborhood and they had twins.  I am (unfortunately) a skeptical person and usually take the mindset of "what's the catch?"  Since I don't know the genders yet, and some of the garage sale stuff I have seen so far was worn out or U-G-L-Y, I almost didn't go.  Boy am I glad my mom offered to go with me so I decided to do it.

The lady doing the garage sale had 2 year-old twins...one boy and one girl.  Thus, everything was gender-neutral.  All of her stuff matched, and I really liked the pattern.  It's a black and cream paisley pattern that could go with anything, and in my opinion is all in very good condition.  We got a great deal, and pretty much wiped them out of everything they had!  She was happy to get rid of it, and I was ECSTATIC to get so many "big purchases" taken care of at a garage sale.  The savings has taken so much financial worry away that I feel like jumping for joy...however, the doctor told me no jumping.  :)

Anyway, here's the loot:

TWO car seats...

both come WITH bases  :)

TWO highchairs...

Stroller with clip-in carseats....


Shayla was very interested in this one

TWO diaper genie things...

TWO brand-new crib mattresses (and one crib that will go to the lake or my parent's house)...


Yes, I know they don't both go in the same crib...
I just put them there to keep them clean for now   :)

A "big-kid" stroller for TWO....

So there you have it.  Bringing all of this stuff home (it literally filled up the back of my dad's truck) really made this whole thing seem even more real.  Babies....MY babies...are going to be sitting in these things.  Ahhhh!!  I can't wait to meet them.  :)

Baby Furniture Project

My parents ROCK!!  The following project is one that I can take about 2% credit for...which is likely why it turned out so well.  About a year ago, my mom and her very talented friend, Nancy, took me down to this little furniture shop in Forsyth, GA.  It sells furniture taken from hotels when the hotel upgrades, remodels, etc.  We got this really nice armoire for $100 (that's only 2 zeros, not 3!!) from a Disney resort that redesigned.  I love the peice, but my lazy side allowed it to sit in our house for way to long in it's original green with palm trees on the front panels.  It would've been cute in a beach house or something, but didn't quite fit with our "style."  Anyway...it holds a lot and is very sturdy.

So...my mom and I discussed ideas for the nursery and ways to save some scrilla that I would still be happy with.  We decided to give the armoire and a dresser I already own a new face.  She did SO MUCH WORK to make this project happen.  She primed it and then painted it with 2-3 coats of paint.  Sanded certaing parts and re-painted.  Found matching hardware for both peices.  Then she bribed or threatened or otherwise convinced her talented, artistic friend Nancy to come over and paint/distress over the top to give it that "shabby-chic" look.  I LOVE IT!!  Finally, my dad came and finished it off.  He put polyurethane over it all and hung the hanger rail on the inside so I can hang cute little baby clothes inside.  This was a whole lot of work and I can never thank them enough.

Before the pictures...I should remind you that I am new at this blogging thing and totally forgot to take the "before" pictures of these peices.  I am very frustrated about that, but it's over.  Nothing I can do about it now.  :)

In process...



Paint drying...before the glaze



Drying...pre-glaze



Drum roll please.........

 





And here are the cutest onesies EVER from Aunt Erin!!!!

MY EGGO IS PREGO....with TWINS!!!

I have been waiting sooooo long to be able to blog about this.  

I HAVE TWIN BABIES IN MY BELLY 

From this point on, I will likely have several blogs related to the subject.  Can you blame me????  It's babies!





Mikey and I are soooo excited we can hardly stand it.  We got the first positive home test on August 8, 2010 and got a positive blood test from the doctor 3 days later on August 11.  I could hardly believe it was true.  We had been trying and praying and hoping for almost 2 years, and it was a struggle.  I definitely had days when I thought it would never happen...but my heart wouldn't let me give up.  Now we have been blessed beyond what I ever thought possible.

I think I had a lot of learning and growing to do in faith before I was ready to be a mom.  I admit it...I totally wanted a baby for ME and for Mikey...and didn't ever really think about much else.  It was selfish.  We are currently reading "Radical" by David Platt in our small group, and one of the most amazing lessons we have learned is that God doesn't bless us for OUR SAKE...nope...it's not about us.  He blesses us so to bring Himself glory.  This is not because he is selfish, but because He is the only one worthy of it!  This pregnancy is absolutely a miracle from God and only He can take the credit.  We are infinitely thankful, and so totally pumped!!  (I have been using the word "pumped" a lot lately.  I don't know where it came from, but ironically, I am totally NOT pumped in the physical sense because I am not able to do much exercising.  Ha!)

Anyway, here are lots of details and LOTS of ultrasounds (I'm so lucky...I love seeing those babies on the monitor).  I am considered "high risk" since there are 2 growing in there, so I get lots of extra attention.

August 18:  First ultrasound.  Saw the little black "sac" and was in shock...then heard the doc say "I'm trying to see behind this one and...yep...there it is...you have a second one."  Most.Amazing.Feeling.Ever.
  

5 weeks!!
Mikey says this looks like an owl  :)





August 25:  Second ultrasound.  Heard two BEAUTIFUL heartbeats and got a due date of April 21st.

 

6 weeks!!

September 8:  Heard 2 LOUD heartbeats and saw the babies again...growing fast!!

 

8 weeks!!



September 22:  We can see a "head-shaped-thing"...and it's adorable.  :)  The lower twin is easier to see on the ultrasound, and the higher twin likes to hide...but not for long!

10 weeks!!

October 1:  Switched doctors and this was my first appointment with my new doctor.  Really liked her.  This picture isn't as easy to see, but watching it on the monitor was really cool!

 

11 weeks!!

 October 8:  Went to see the "high risk" specialist for the first time.  LOVED her!!  Their equipment was awesome too and we could see a lot of detail...  

Left = Head and Arm

Right = Babies waving to each other

12 weeks!!

 

Left = Baby A (you can see the spine!!)

Right = Baby B (they were almost in identical positions)

 

Left = tops of heads

Right = leg and feet  (awwww)



 

Tops of those developing brains  :)



  And lastly...here is me...getting bigger.  Yikes!



12 weeks, 3 days





Our "official" due date is April 21st, but the average delivery for twins is 5 weeks early at 35 weeks.  I predict I will go to 38 weeks and 3 days...but who knows.  I just want healthy babies, and I am trying to do everything I can to facilitate that.  :)

We should find out around Thanksgiving time if they are boys, girls or one of each.  I want to know SO BAD!!!!!

My apologies...

To my hundreds of blog followers (sike!)...I want to apologize for my lack of posts.  My life is great to me, but for some reason I don't feel like I have too much to write about...well, except one thing...but that's being saved for tomorrow.  :)

Anyway, I know this is backtracking, but I wanted to mention my small group's retreat to the lake in September.  I finally found the pictures I took (they are not the best), but wanted to post.

We have 6 couples in our group....Dave & Renee, David & Tracy, Martin & Katie, Caan & Raven, Mark & Janna and Mikey & me.  Unfortunately, two of our couples couldn't make it (Dave & Renee and David & Tracy) but we still were able to have some fun. 




Lots o' Boating



One the highlights of the trip for me  :)

Gabby and Caan...and froggy

Mark, Janna and Raven on the pontoon

Sweet couple...Caan & Raven

Martin, pre-jump

Sorry it's blurry.  Martin, post-jump

It was a great weekend and I can't wait to do it again!

Painted Furniture...Coming Soon!

So...we didn't quite finish on the schedule that I thought we would.  Also, I need to stop saying "we" because my mom is doing ALL of the work while I nap and sit around.  She rocks!!  She had her friend, Nancy Connor, who is AMAZING come over today to help with some of the detail work.  It is looking soooo good, but I can't put the drawers in the peices yet because they still have to dry and then we put a coat of polyurethane on top. 

All that to say, it will be a few more days until I can post pics.  It's gonna be great though.  Totally worth the wait.  :)