Bed rest & such

Lately I've been googling things to do while on bed rest…and there are quite a few options out there for mamas who can't leave their bed or sofa. So far I've worked most of the time, but I've definitely watched my fair share of TV, movies and I'm trying to read more. I'm going to start reading Purpose Driven Life in addition to my book club Five Love Languages for Children.

Since being put on bed rest, I've watched quite a few movies…so far I've finished:
The Goonies
The Sandlot
The Bodyguard
Inception
The Social Network
Zero Dark Thirty
Titanic
Left Behind

I'm sure I'll be adding quite a few movies each week I'm on bed rest!

As hard as it is to be laying down all day and give up my day-to-day activities, I know it will all be worth it when these sweet girls make their big debut. Every day they are growing inside me is another day they don't have to be in the NICU…so I'm trying my best to enjoy and treasure this time…especially the quiet time! I know that once they are here, our house will be a little crazy and chaotic, so sometimes I just lay on the sofa and enjoy silence.

Plus I only have 33 more days! I'm so beyond excited to meet these girls ~ sometimes in the middle of the night when I can't sleep I imagine what they will look like…if they will have my skin color and Jonathan's eyes or my hair and Jonathan's chin :)

I have two tiny miracles growing in my belly and even though this pregnancy is physically and mentally one of the hardest things I've ever gone through, I know without a doubt my babies are worth it!!

Since I can't take care of Jayden while I'm laying down 90% of the day, I'm really missing my sweet girl each day. 

I love cuddle time <3

Where's Jayden??!! 

One of her favorite games is hide-and-seek!! Sometimes she even plays by herself or with her baby dolls! 

One morning, before I was put on bed rest, I was getting ready and I left my bedroom door open so Jayden could play in the loft area. After a minute or so I couldn't hear her, so I went to look and see where she was and I couldn't find Jayden anywhere! She wasn't in her new room, she wasn't in the nursery, she wasn't in the bathroom…so finally I went and looked in the little space behind the sofa, and there she was covering her eyes!! What a little stinker! 

I can't believe how big she is getting and how her vocabulary is growing each day! Right now some of my new favorite words to hear her say are:

Pizza - "zeezah"
Dirty - "duryee"
Dirt - "durrt"
Silly - "siyee"
Elsa - "seesah"
Ana - "nana"
House - "souse"
Outside - "owsyee"
Glasses - "sasses"
Trucks - "tucks"
Shirt - "shurt" ~ sometimes it even sounds like a naughty word LOL
Ducks - "duks"
Bus - "buhs"

Jayden's 2 year appointment is next week so I'm excited to see what the doc says about her progress, and I can't wait to see how tall she is and how much she officially weighs! I couldn't be more proud of my little peanut! 

32 Week Update

Yesterday was my 32 week check up and even though my blood pressure has come down a little, I'm still on full bed rest :( The doc said since me resting has helped bring it down, he doesn't want to risk it going back up if I'm out running around. Also all my blood work came back normal, except I'm anemic...so overall that's a good sign ~ the doc just told me to start taking iron pills.

I also got to see my sweet girls and we did a full ultrasound to measure how big they are. Baby A is measuring at 33 weeks 2 days and weighing about 4 lbs 11 oz! Amazing right?! Baby B is measuring at 33 weeks 4 days and weighing about 4 lbs 14 oz!! I can't believe how big they are! These girls are going to be some big babies! It's amazing that I'm carrying almost 10 lbs of pure baby! My tummy is measuring as if I was carrying a 38 week singleton and even though I lost another pound, my doc said the babies are looking perfect and he's not worried because they are clearly getting all the oxygen and nutrients they need to thrive! I can't even image how big they are going to be in 5 weeks when we deliver! 5 weeks…that's right around the corner!! And even though I'm not excited about 5 weeks of bed rest, I know that means I have a much higher chance of carrying them to the end!

Being on bed rest has really opened my eyes to what amazing friends and family we have! The outpour of love and support has truly been incredible! I've already had friends visit, family watch Jayden and people offering to bring us meals and do my chores :) That's the one nice thing about bed rest is no chores :) LOL

We truly are so incredibly blessed with the most incredible friends and family anyone could ever ask for and I'm eternally grateful for our amazing support system! <3

32 weeks and on bed rest

That's right, this week I was officially put on full bed rest :(

I went in for my NST on Tuesday afternoon and even though the babies look perfect, my blood pressure was a little high (135/97). So my doctor ordered some blood tests and a 24 hour urine test to check my organs and see how they are functioning. He also told me he wants me laying down 90-95% of the day :(

Today is my 2nd full day on bed rest and I'm bored out of my mind. I've already caught up on all my shows, read this week's chapter for my book club and finished quite a few sudoku puzzles. I've been checking my blood pressure a few times each day and it has come down…so I'm hoping my blood work comes back normal and since my blood pressure has come down to around 130/85 my doc will allow me to resume normal (or at least partial) activities.

Tomorrow I'm 32 weeks! I never made it this far when I was pregnant with Jayden…so I'm happy to be at 32 and I'm hoping to keep these girls in for a few more weeks! As of today, I have 40 more days until my scheduled c-section! These girls are going to be here before we know it!

How far along: 32 Weeks

Total weight gain: 26 pounds…I actually lost weight in the last 2 weeks…probably because I get full after 5 bites of any meal! I'm only eating because I know I need to eat, not because I'm hungry.

Stretch marks: None yet

Sleep: Since I've been on Benadryl for this pregnancy rash, it makes me drowsy so I've been sleeping a little better :)

Best moment this week: Jayden's birthday…even though her turning 2 was a little bitter sweet, we had such a fun day celebrating :)

Miss anything: My freedom! Bed rest is the worst!

Movement: My little karate babies like to kick up a storm, especially when we are at my appointments. The nurses and doctors always say they are show offs :)

Food cravings: Still my (decaf) coffee!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope :)

Belly button in or out: Out

Wedding rings on or off: Off

Happy or moody: This week was a bunch of mixed emotions ~ between Jayden's birthday and being put on bed rest, it was definitely a combo between happy and moody.

Looking forward to: My doc appointment tomorrow and crossing my fingers I get off bed rest!

Happy 2nd Birthday Jayden!

I think I'm still in shock our baby is turning 2 today! It seems like just yesterday we were in the hospital delivering our miracle baby…and here she is running around, talking up a storm and turning into a toddler before our very eyes!

Yesterday we had her birthday party and it was so much fun! We kept it pretty mellow since I'm enormous these days…so we just ordered a bunch of pizza, made cupcakes, ordered a bounce house and let the kids play outside all afternoon! We had such an awesome turnout also! We had about 15 kids celebrating from newborn up to 8 years old :)

Setting up the bounce house!!

The face painter was a hit also! I'm surprised Jayden let him get near her…you can tell she was NOT a happy camper when he was painting her arm! LOL

But her flowers turned out super cute <3

Since there was such a huge age range, we would have "big kid" and "little kid" time in the bounce house…for the first hour or so of the party Jayden was not a fan of the bounce house, or really pretty much anything since she was fussy, but after we sang happy birthday…she was one happy camper! I guess all she needed was a sugar high from a cupcake! LOL

Jayden's water table was a hit also! Half the kids ended up soaked ~ but enjoyed every second! :)

Not quite sure why I'm the only one smiling in this pic…

…cheer up birthday girl and daddy! 

Overall her birthday party was a hit! I think everyone had such a fun time and the kids all played so well together!!

And since today is Jayden's "official" birthday, we had to let the celebration continue! And we had such a fun day! Jayden was perfect and we played and played and played some more! Pretty fun birthday if you ask me :)

Jayden woke up right as daddy was leaving for work, so we got to sing to her first thing in the morning! 

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday to Jaydennnnnn!

Happy Birthday to you!

...and that crazy hair you inherited from mommy! :)

Birthday kisses for daddy & mommy!

Such a fun-filled day! We met daddy and some fam for lunch and Jayden was so spoiled enjoying mommy and daddy's oreo milk shake!

She would bring it back and forth to me and Jonathan…then she realized while she's transporting the shake, she could take a few sips herself! 

After lunch Jayden went down for a 3+ hour nap! It was incredible…if only mommy was able to get comfy, I would have probably slept the whole time also!

I love this little mini me <3

I can't believe how quickly our little peanut is growing up!

Makes me want to slow time down and enjoy & cherish every single day to the fullest!

Birth Day:

1st Birthday:

2nd Birthday:

Happy Birthday to our sweet miracle baby ~ you forever changed my life and your daddy's life and we are beyond blessed to be your parents! 

We love you past the sun, the moon & every single star in the sky!

We can't wait to see what the future holds for you <3

xoxo

Mommy & Daddy

31 & So Beyond Uncomfortable

I am so beyond uncomfortable these days it's out of control…this belly of mine is getting so big and heavy that sleep is almost impossible and finding a comfortable position while sitting is unheard of. The most comfortable position I can find is sitting down with a pillow on my lap and under my belly for support. 

To make matters worse, I'm getting a rash that is taking over my belly and crawling up the inside of my arms. I had a rash on my arms a few weeks ago, but it seems to have returned with a vengeance and is super itchy! Tuesday I'm going to ask my doc what he thinks it could be and I'm praying it's just a rash from the creams and oils I've been using to prevent stretch marks…although, there's a possibility it might be PUPPS (pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy). One of my friends had it during her pregnancy and she said it is miserable…so I'm reallllllly hoping it's just from my creams/oils. 

On top of that...Jayden got me sick this past week with a nasty cough AND I strained a muscle in my belly! So now whenever I cough, sneeze, blow my nose, laugh, etc., it's SO painful! It was so bad the other night it woke me up at 4 AM and I thought I was going into labor! 3 days later and I'm just now (somewhat) getting over my cold and I'm still in pain whenever I cough :(

I swear I cannot catch a break with this pregnancy…it's by far been the most difficult 31 weeks of my life and I still have another 6 weeks to go! 

Things I have difficulty doing:

Standing / Walking for long periods of time

Carrying Jayden :(

SLEEPING

Bending over to clean or pick up the house

Getting dressed…not only is it hard to find clothes that fit, but putting on pants, socks, shoes, etc. is difficult in itself

Giving Jayden a bath 

Did I mention Sleeping?...

Putting Jayden in her crib or in a pack-n-play…this belly is too big to be reaching over the side!

Cleaning…not gonna lie…I don't really mind not cleaning and I'm really enjoying the fact Jonathan is doing more and more around the house :) He even offered to do ALL of the laundry! I just about died when that came out of his mouth :)

Laying on my back - which is nearly impossible these days…I've nearly fainted a few times even laying at a 45 degree angle!

Oh and sleeping! Thought I might mention it one last time…it is the most difficult thing for me right now which is probably why I'm up at 11:45 pm blogging instead of catching some ZZZZ's!

How far along: 31 Weeks

Total weight gain: 27 pounds

Stretch marks: Still none…but this rash is taking over my tummy!

Sleep: HA! Sleep…who needs sleep anyways...

Best moment this week: Spending some quality time with my cute little fam, my sis, my niece and my mom in Palm Desert :)

Miss anything: Being comfortable, whether it's sitting, standing, laying down…I really miss just being comfortable.

Movement: Not only do I feel the babes moving all of the time, but these braxton hicks are really starting to get stronger by the day!

Food cravings: I don't think I really noticed it before, but a nice hot cup of coffee…I've really been craving a venti skinny (decaf) caramel macchiato extra hot :) … and it's going to be great when I can delete the "decaf" portion of that order!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope :)

Belly button in or out: Out

Wedding rings on or off: Off

Happy or moody: This week I was a little moody…between catching Jayden's cold, this rash breaking out on my belly & arms and feeling like I haven't slept in decades…I probably haven't been my normal happy self :(

Looking forward to: Celebrating Jayden's birthday tomorrow…still can't believe my little angel is turning 2 tomorrow (tear, tear)!

One Busy Weekend

Our poor Jayden was super sick over the weekend :(

Friday she started coughing first thing in the morning and Saturday afternoon she started heating up and had a temp of 101. Jonathan and I decided to take her to the walk-in since we're supposed to be leaving to go out of town this week and wanted to get her better ASAP. Luckily she doesn't have RSV or the flu, just a virus we have to wait out :( But today she was coughing to hard she threw up her lunch! 

My two babes resting while waiting for the doc...

You know Jayden's sick when she gets super cuddly!

Having a sick baby is one of the hardest things as a mom…you want to do everything you can to protect your babies and when they are sick it's so hard when you feel so helpless!

On a better note, we did quite a bit of prepping for the twin's arrival this weekend. Our new double stroller arrived so Jonathan and Jayden put it together :)

Well, Jonathan put it together and Jayden enjoyed getting in and out :)

We also bought the glider board so she can have a place to stand when we push the twins…since Jayden's still so tiny, she fits perfectly sitting down also :)

I'm also really proud of myself for cleaning and organizing all the bottles for the babies! Yesterday I washed all the bottles and today I cleaned out our cabinets and made room for a special spot for all of them. 

Although I'm not quite sure if 20 bottles will be enough…I'm hoping to nurse the twins, but if they are like Jayden where they take 9 weeks to learn to nurse, we might be going through all 20 bottles each day!! YIKES…if that's the case, we will be doing a ton of bottle washing each day!

Prepping for Babies Checklist:

Nursing stations ~ Check

Baby bottles cleaned/organized ~ Check

Double stroller assembled ~ Check

Hospital bag packed ~ Check

Baby clothes cleaned/organized ~ Check

Baby daily log/notebook assembled ~ Check

Two car seats ready for the twins ~ Check

I think hope we'll be ready and prepared for the girls when they arrive :)

THIRTY WEEKS ~ AND THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS

That's right! 30 is here! I'm excited, anxious, nervous all at the same time! It's hard to believe these babies are going to be here in 51 days (or sooner)! 

My doctor appointment this week went really well ~ both babies are still looking perfect and other than my high heart rate at 129, everything is looking great! Both girls have completely moved and are now head up (breech)….it's amazing how much they can move in just a few short days! I also had my 2nd NST on Thursday. This time it was only 40 minutes but I was having consistent contractions almost the whole time. Since they weren't painful and I could barely feel them, the doctor wasn't concerned. Although, once they unhooked me and I was in the room waiting for my ultrasound, I started having heavier contractions…nothing to be worried about, but I could definitely feel them!  

It's definitely getting harder and harder to see my toes! 

How far along: 30 Weeks

Total weight gain: 25 pounds

Stretch marks: Still none

Sleep: I'm still beyond uncomfortable at night, but I'm truckin' along! 

Best moment this week: My surprise baby shower for sure! <3333

Miss anything: A good night's sleep!

Movement: It feels like they are moving all day every day! Both girls are now breech so most of the time it feels like they are bouncing on my bladder!

Food cravings: None right now

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Belly button in or out: Out

Wedding rings on or off: Officially off…I could probably go another week or so, but today I felt like I was swelling and I had a hard time taking my rings off, so I had my mom take my rings to the safety deposit box at the bank for safe keeping :)

Happy or moody: Still happy :)

Looking forward to: A relaxing weekend <3

Surprise!

Today was one of those days when you realize how amazing good great friends truly are! 

Last semester at MOPS I had the most wonderful table with awesome mamas ~ and since this semester we had to switch up the tables, we decided to to do a Thursday morning book club to stay in touch and continue our friendships :) Well today was our official first meeting after reading chapter 1 and I was SO excited to see all my "table #2" mamas! We originally decided to meet at church but a few days ago one of the moms said we were going to meet at her house instead. When I walked in, I was amazed how she went all out decorating for our first meeting ~ balloons, banners, the works! 

Then I saw the banner that said "Erickson Twins" and everyone started saying "surprise!" and I realized they threw me a surprise baby shower <3 <3 <3 

I was so in shock and so surprised I almost started to cry...good thing I still had my sunglasses on so everyone didn't see the waterworks! 

Me and all my "Table 2" MOPS mamas…minus the photographer/organizer Karen...

I <33333333 these ladies so much! 

I'm still in awe and still feel so honored that they all pitched in and threw that for me and the twins! What an amazing day with some amazing mamas! Good friends are hard to come by and in this case I have some GREAT friends! 

I am so so so blessed <3 <3