Baby Projects

I recently finished a few projects that I was working on for the babies.  I made each of them a quilt.  I was so excited to get both finished before the babies arrived.  There is nothing like a deadline to keep the pressure on. 

Quilt for our boy.  I must admit that this isn't my favorite quilt that I have ever made,
but I do think the brown binding helped me like it better.

Quilt for our girl.  I really like how this one turned out.  Rebecah did too.  She was a
little envious of this quilt since the quilt I made her as a baby wasn't pink and purple.  

Since we will have two babies and two car seats I decided to make a car seat cover.  Someone had made me a small tied fleece blanket when Kimball was born and it was the perfect size to fit over the car seat during the winter.  I decided to make a similar one, only in girl colors instead of buying an actual cover.  For $7 I was able to make this and a little blanket for Rebecah.

Car seat cover.

I wanted to make Rebecah's blanket as big as I could from the left over fleece so instead of tying it I just did a blanket stitch on it.  She was thrilled with the blanket even though it is on the small side.  I think it is the perfect lap blanket.

Rebecah's fleece.  I finished it after Rebecah was asleep so I put it on her to surprise her in the morning.

My other projects have included getting the babies' room ready.  Rebecah enjoyed helping with this project so I always had to wait until she was home from school to work in the room.  I also stocked my freezer with dinners, bread, cookie dough (we have to have the essentials covered), jam and applesauce.  My freezer is now quite full and I'm just waiting for these babies to arrive.  We are down to 17 days and we are all excited!

Trip to Ontario Orchards

Last weekend Joseph took the kids to Ontario Orchards, a farm about an hour from our house.  I fully intended for it to be our last fun outing as a family before the babies arrive, but I didn't quite make it on the journey.  I started having contractions the night before so Joseph thought it best if I stay home and in my gut I knew he was right so I took one for the team and stayed home.  I REALLY wanted to go though.  I had looked forward to it all week.

Apparently there were a lot of different vendors selling things and then you could buy an inexpensive arm band and have unlimited jumps on the inflatable toys.  The kids enjoyed those.  There was also a tractor ride to and from the parking lot.

Jumping around.

A view of the vendors.

Kimball and Rebecah going up the slide.

It is hard to see, but I think Rebecah has such a happy expression in this picture.

Going down together.

After the kids played for a while they went apple picking for me.  Together with Joseph they picked a bushel of apples.  There were 3 varieties ready for picking...Gala, Cortland, and McIntosh, and I just had them pick an assortment of all three.

Picking apples.

I was glad everyone had a fun time.  I was productive at home and did put my feet up a bit.  It's hard to stay down when I think of all that I need to do.

On Wednesday we turned our bushel of apples into applesauce.  That was a big job, but I was glad I could have help from the family. 

Baby Update

I know I haven't blogged much about my pregnancy or the babies, but I just don't want to overwhelm everyone with baby posts.  Just because the babies are at the center of our family's focus doesn't mean it is at the center of the rest of your lives.  But, for those who are curious...

I'm 33 weeks and things are going surprisingly well.  When I was told at 9 weeks that I would have twins I was terrified of all of the pregnancy complications that I just assumed would accompany a twin pregnancy. So far, knock on wood, my pregnancy has been free of most twin complications.  No dehydration, major swelling, bed rest etc.  I feel well most of the time, although I have noticed that it is harder to bend over with two bodies in there rather than just one.

The biggest change for me is going to the doctor so much.  I started 2 week appointments at 24 weeks, before then they were every 3 weeks.  I have been going weekly since week 30.  I will now go in for visits twice a week.  I'm currently measuring small and at my ultrasound last week the babies were estimated to be a little on the small size...16th and 30th percentile.  Since they are on the small side I will now have the twice a week appointments which will include fetal monitoring, a brief ultrasound and then visit with the doctor.  I will also have ultrasounds every 2 weeks instead of 4 to check the growth of the babies.  Every two weeks is the absolute soonest that they can do ultrasound measurements while still accounting for measurement error. The fetal monitoring is to ensure that the babies aren't in distress since they are small.  Each appointment takes about 2 hours so that is at least 4 hours a week I am spending at the doctor's office!

The babies are both head up right now.  I'm really not surprised by this.  Kimball and Rebecah were both in the footling breach position so I figured it was just a matter of time before these babies got in the upright position.  I think they just have more room if they are upright.

I hope was hoping for some ultrasound pictures, but with the babies packed in so tightly I never get pictures anymore since it is hard to get a good angle for printing pictures.

Any prayers that the babies will grow to a healthy weight so they don't have to linger in the NICU are appreciated.

My c-section date was moved up from October 22 to October 16.  October 16th would put me at 38 weeks which is considered full-term for twins.  If I make this scheduled c-section date, all of my kids will have been born on a Thursday.

Rebecah, like the rest of us, is VERY excited for the babies to come.  She kept asking when they would arrive so we decided to make a paper chain so she can rip off a link every day and note the progress.  We have about 35 days to go, or 5 weeks.  Rebecah loves to help get the babies' room ready and she doesn't like me working on it without her.

First Day of School

Yesterday was the first day of school.  We probably have one of the latest start dates in the country!  All week Rebecah was saying that she didn't want to go to preschool because she didn't know anyone and Kimball kept telling me that he didn't like school.  I knew it was just end of summer blues and nerves about the first day.  Bright and early yesterday morning they were both up and ready for school very excited to start the day.The kids were so excited they wanted to go out for the bus 20 minutes early. 

All smiles as they climb on the bus.  Rebecah had NO hesitation
at all about riding the bus with the big kids.

 This year Rebecah is in a state funded pre-Kindergarten program.  She goes 5 days a week for 2 1/2 hours.  She is bused to and from preschool.  I was glad she was accepted into this program because I know she will need this to make her feel special after the babies are born.  It will give her something to do daily when I'm initially so busy with the babies.

Her first day was great.  She managed all of her bus transfers with adult help and she enjoyed her class.  She is making friends already.  I miss her while she is gone, but I got used to having her gone a little last year when she was gone 2 mornings a week.

First day of pre-K

 I think Kimball looks so old in the picture below.  Kimball started 2nd grade.  He did some reading and school practice most days during the summer so hopefully he is still up to speed on everything.  He LOVES to learn languages...currently German is his language of choice.  His first day of school was great.  He came home so excited and said how much he loved school and how 2nd grade is better than 1st grade.  That is what we want.  Today he came home a little disappointed that his class hasn't done any science yet.  He loves science related topics.

The mature 2nd grader.

Both kids excited and ready for new adventures.

I think we will have a great year.

Roommates

This week we moved Rebecah into Kimball's room.  They will share a room until the babies are old enough to sleep in big beds and then the boys will share a room and the girls will share.  

The switch has gone really well.  Kimball was very against Rebecah's things being in his room at first.  He is the type that really needs his own space, but the kids are getting along as well as they always do.  For now I think it is a novelty to be sharing a room and they have built legos side by side using their own Legos.  They also like to talk in bed at night.

We didn't want Rebecah to feel that she had to give up her room and all of her girly things so we made sure to give her a special space.  She and I went out and picked out some girl sheets.  She picked Frozen sheets.  Joseph also hung up her Princess poster, a Disney calendar and her Sunbeam frame from her teacher.  Kimball was dismayed to not get to sleep on the top bunk and he wants to rotate every month, but I'm not so sure about that yet.

Rebecah's sanctuary.

We also started getting the room ready for the babies.  Since Rebecah will be returning to that room in 2 years or so we aren't repainting it for the babies.  It seems a waste of time, money and energy to repaint it. We do have the cribs and changing table set up.  We need some extra man power to move out the futon that Rebecah was sleeping on, but once that is out of the way it will be all ready.  We also have the car seats ready in there as well as the baby clothes and bouncer seats.  I wanted everything ready by week 32 and I think we made it.

NY State Fair

I love the State Fair.  We went to the New York State Fair last year as a family and enjoyed it so we wanted to go again this year.  It is very convenient to have the state fair less than 30 minutes from our house.

I watched the forecast for the week very intently to see which days would be cool with no rain.  It just so happened that the best day for us was PERFECT weather.  The high for the day was 70 and in my mind that is perfect weather.  The kids wore shorts and t-shirts and complained of being cool at times.  Admittedly, in the shade it was cool, but it was SO much better than having it in the 80s where we would have been sweating.

We did some of the same activities as last year...i.e. seeing the animals, visiting the petting zoo, a cooking demonstration for me, but we also ventured out and did a few new things as well.  We went to the agriculture building and watched some demonstrations there.  They demonstrated soap, basket and dulcimer making. They also showed how a lathe works and how to spin flax.  It was pretty neat.  Kimball got to do a little hands on with the man running the lathe and it excited him.

Kimball helping the lathe man.  He worked very intently to keep the wood
spinning while doing the foot pedal.

Enthralled by all of the African masks.

Getting a feel for what it would be like to milk a cow.  This particulate cow just gave water.

Every now and then Kimball will see a truck that excites him.
 I guess in this case it can be the inflatable kind.

Our cute ears of corn.

Rebecah was very dependent on the stroller this year.  She refused to walk unless we forced
her to.  We just told her that next year she will be walking because the babies will be in the
stroller...a double stroller that is.  Here she is posing next to "Aurora's" spinning wheel.

The sand sculpture theme this year was Dr. Seuss. It was neat to read the
various quotes from his books and see the different Seuss creatures.

We also saw a wolf show this year and a few piglet races.  I just love the environment that comes with the fair.  I find the rides the most expensive and boring part of the day.  We usually go to the rides at the end of the day when we start getting tired anyway, but let's face it...standing around while your kids are on the rides is just plain boring.  We were party poopers but there was only time for the kids to ride one ride before we went to the wolf show.

The fair is now over, but we look forward to going next year.  I did see a few parents pushing around double strollers with twins and I kept thinking next year that will be Joseph and me.  I'm just glad the weather was cool and my doctor had no reservations about me attending the fair.   I would have felt very left out if I hadn't been able to go.

Ballet Camp

In August Rebecah participated in a ballet camp that a friend of ours ran out of her house.  For 3 weeks Rebecah went to ballet practice twice a week for an hour.  At the end of the three weeks the girls had a recital.  There were 6 girls in Rebecah's class and 6 girls in the older class.

Rebecah loved having this activity and it really made her feel special.  She loved coming home and showing us the new things she learned.  She would practice her ballet with Joseph, yes, Joseph.  He is actually quite good.

Here are a few pictures from Rebecah's recital.  The song was "I know you I walked with you once upon a dream" from Sleeping Beauty.

Looking good.

Returning to first position.

Rebecah's dance group...the 3 and 4 year old class.  The little girl in the green tutu is
 the only 3 year old.  She is Rebecah's friend from preschool who is a twin.

Both classes with their teacher.  It was amazing how much bigger the 5 and 6 year
old girls were compared to the girls in Rebecah's class.

Rebecah with her pretty flowers.

Rebecah wore her flower crown all day long.

With Kimball.

I hope my friend continues to do these ballet camps because it is nice to have a dance camp that is modest and inexpensive.  I know Rebecah would love to participate in a regular dance class, but the immodest costumes and the huge cost have just deterred me from even looking.