Sips n' Strokes

I know that I have not posted in a while and have lots to document and catch up on, so here goes several posts!

Over Thanksgiving Jared and I went to Atlanta to visit with my family and to Lake Martin to visit with his family. We had a great time visiting both families and catching up! While in Atlanta I was able to also see a childhood friend, Ashley, and her mom along with my sister in law, Mercy. All of us went to Sips n' Strokes which is basically where you try your hand at painting a picture that the studio has pre-selected while you "sip" on wine or your favorite drink (sparkling grape juice for me this time around). It is a ton of fun and although we are definitely not Picasso's, we had a great time pretending.

Nestle and Santapaws

Nestle is probably the most spoiled dog on the planet and doesn't realize that she's even a dog. She is going to have a rude awakening when Carter and Coleman are here and she's no longer the center of attention and getting all the pets and hugs she does now, but I know the boys are going to love her and she's going to love them. For the past couple of years, Nestle has made a visit to see Santa and tell him what she wants for Christmas and this year was no exception. She was a little excited to see him in Petsmart and it took some coaxing and treats but she finally settled down enough to have her picture taken. Can't wait to hear what's on her list this year!

Coleman and Carter

These are some of the ultrasound pictures from my 21 week appointment with our specialist. Coleman and Carter look great! They are both measuring the same size and weight and have strong heartbeats and organs. I think Jared and I are truly spoiled to be able to see these sweet babes grow every month and to watch them for over an hour each time. It is so amazing to watch each of those little bones move and turn and to see them dance around and kick one another. Right now their heads are both next to one another and they are getting so big that the specialist will be measuring one's growth and the other one will have an arm or leg float into the screen. Too cute! We will be going back in January at 26 weeks and I can't wait to see the growth they've made then!

I have started being able to feel them move a LOT more. It's amazing to feel these little kicks and jabs and to feel them in two different places! They are especially busy when I sit down and relax or just after I've finished eating. Jared was able to feel the little kicks for the first time a few days ago. It was such a neat moment to be able to share together and to know that those are our two little boys in there! I know those kicks are only going to get stronger as they get bigger and run out of room....let's just hope they save those soccer skills for when they are older. ;o)

As the belly grows...

This belly picture was taken when I was 5 months, which just made me realize that I need to take a new one since that was three weeks ago! I've learned that in just one week the belly and the boys can grow leaps and bounds! I am definitely feeling much more energized these days but am having the worst time sleeping through the night. I used to default and sleep on my back and there's no doing that anymore, so having to get used to sleeping on my side with 30lbs (yes, 30lbs so far!) of extra weight is proving to be difficult in addition to the bathroom trips every few hours. I have heard that sleeping in a recliner is the best cure all for this but I enjoy snuggling with Jared too much, so I just see this as Mother Nature's way of getting me ready for those sweet boys that will be here before we know it!

Washington D.C.

Jared and I were talking a while back and I had mentioned that I had never been to Washington D.C. and would love to go sometime. Now that we live in North Carolina, Washington D.C. is only four hours away so it is easily doable for a weekend getaway, so Jared and I decided to do just that for an early anniversary celebration. We had an amazing time and we really lucked out when it came to tourists. We hardly waited in any lines, if any, and were able to go to all of the museums, memorials, gardens, and even the zoo without any problems. Our legs were definitely sore from all the walking but it was totally worth it!! We were pretty busy though, so we weren't able to have dinner with Obama and his family. Maybe next time...

The Belly

That belly is definitely growing, which is a great thing since the boys are growing in there too! It is kind of an awkward feeling though to not be able to fit into clothes, sleep how you would normally sleep, and use the bathroom a zillion times a day. It is true what they say though, the second trimester is wonderful compared to the first!! I have not had any morning sickness this trimester and eventhough I still enjoy my daily naps and early bedtimes I feel like I have a lot more energy than I did in the first trimester. I am about 19 weeks now, which means that we are halfway there (I am due to deliver at 38 weeks instead of 40)!! It is kind of crazy to think that our family of two and a half (Nestle) is about to become a family of four and half in just a few months. It's going to be a crazy ride but what a blessing it truly is. This is a picture from when I was 16 weeks and that belly has grown a lot since then. I'll update some more current pictures on here soon!

Happy Halloween!!

We had a great week celebrating Halloween with some friends by carving pumpkins and then having our own trick or treaters come by. Our pumpkin didn't turn out quite as scary as it looked like it would be on the page, but we thought that it looked pretty cute!


Nestle was not a huge fan of her costume for the second year in a row...she wound up retiring it by the end of the night and wearing a more fashionable Halloween bandana instead.

We can't wait until next Halloween when we get to dress up those cute little boys of ours!!!