Some more photos from this day. When Joel came home we took out the balloons again and even though I don't like the idea of releasing balloons I let J hold them and into the sky they went. Afterwards we kept the celebration going and had frozen yogurt for dinner!!
I can't believe that a whole week has gone by already! We've been a little sick over here and this pregnancy is already kicking my butt. I will be back soon though.
Thank you so much for all your comments throughout this past week on all the baby news going on here!!! I do have so much more to post but right now I just wanted to pause with all the twin talk.
The other day I gave Jbear a pen because a crayon wasn't nearby and he started drawing on the first piece of paper he found. I was just amazed at how he held his pen. I love his beautiful toddler fingers!
So we found out this weekend that the twins are a girl and boy! I simply can't believe it. It was so much fun having our families together to share in the excitement. When we found out we were pregnant back in November I entertained the idea of waiting til birth day to find out the gender although Joel was totally against that. However, when we were hit with the surprise that I was carrying twins well then, I knew there was NO way I could wait.
We had a gender reveal party when I was pregnant with my son and it was so much fun! But I always thought, with our second pregnancy, that Joel and I would go in for the ultrasound, have the technician write down the results and then we would open it together at a romantic restaurant.... or in the car in the facilities parking lot. Being pregnant with twins changed that again. I liked having another excuse to have our families get together.
If you google gender reveal parties you will come across a slew of photos and videos of cake cutting and balloon releasing and elaborate decor. Those ideas are so cute but not for us. I really liked just opening the envelope and laughing maniacally while Joel held up the results in my hysteria. We were all set to do the exact same thing this time around but I got another idea when we went to the toy store 2 weeks ago. I saw a rack of ugly dolls and thought what if we get one each in a corresponding color (pink or purple for a girl or girls and blue or green for a boy or boys). We would go to the store and if the employees didn't understand what I was talking about we would scratch that idea... but they understood and didn't look at me like a crazy person (I understand if you have NO idea what I'm talking about- just watch the 90 second video below to see what I mean). Joel kept threatening to open the envelopes before the party so we left them and the wrapped ugly dolls in the car for safe keeping.
The next day our families got together and immediately wanted to get the party started but I wasn't in a rush. I had photos to take and everyone's guesses to jot down. I could could go on for days with photos and videos (and maybe I even will) but right now I'll just share the video my nephew took (he shot the video from 2.5 years ago too) and some photos my father in law captured.
I love the giggles coming from my nephew! Jbear is not a huge fan of my screaming and enthusiasm. The poor guy was so distraught by the time I announced the 2nd baby. I can't help but smile when I hear everyone giggling and laughing and just cheering away.
I couldn't contain my excitement. My gigantic teeth make an appearance in every single photo from that day.
A big smile from Joel and more jumping by me. My whole body ached the day after.
Oh man, what a special day it was! I am SO excited to meet my babies but I want them to keep on growing and take their time! I have no words to describe the blessing that I feel.
Sure, why not?!!! Throwing confetti (made with my fave craft punches.... dork) into the air in the middle of the street is a very normal way to celebrate the fact that...
Tomorrow we are having a small celebration to announce the genders of our babies!! No cake cutting gender reveal, just something simple but surrounded by our close family. I can't wait to see so many of our loved ones gathered around cheering and making guesses about our babies to be.
So here I am only 18 weeks pregnant but looking more like I did at 26 weeks with the Jbear.
Joel thinks 2 girls but I am still undecided. In 24 hours we will know the answer!!!!
the envelopes we are bringing to the ultrasound
2 boy signs and 2 girl signs for a little game that I want to play tomorrow.
And here is the sweet little video my nephew took of our gender reveal 2.5 years ago!
(Part 1 of this story)
When I was pregnant with Jbear (a few months before we even found out we were having a boy) Joel and I were walking around the city and stumbled into a store selling everything related to babies and kids. It was so early into the pregnancy that thoughts of cribs, high chairs, and the like weren't on our radar quite yet. But I just didn't want to leave the store empty handed.
We stood in front of a wall of stuffed animals and went back on forth on which one to choose. I don't know what it is but I LOVE plush toys. I always knew I didn't want a house full of plastic and loud kids stuff (which I've kind of stuck to) but stuffed animals get me all the time. I am truly surprised my son doesn't have a crib full of them. Anyway.... we finally decided on a monkey.
I remember coming home with the monkey sweetly wrapped in a gift bag and just thinking, "what did we just buy and who is this monkey for?" When the nursery did come together I would place the monkey on the crib thinking how one day our baby will be here. Although Jbear is obsessed with his bear that his Auntie in London got him and could care less for this monkey- he means something to me. Two people clueless about the journey ahead of them innocently making their first purchase for their soon to be baby.
Last week I was 17 weeks into my second pregnancyand just realized that I would like to pick out another stuffed animal. But wouldn't it be sweet to have the, soon to be, big brother do it?!! So we headed to the toy store:
Very eager to look at the "animals"
Joel and I had our favorites but we decided to let J make the final say.
decisions, decisions!
A little moo cow for himself (although on the ride home he kept baaa-ing because he thought it was a sheep).
It sounds so silly... picking out a stuffed animal as if Jbear truly knew the meaning behind our excursion. But it meant so much to me! My baby boy is going to be a big brother and now he is part of the story- the preparations and excitement over our growing family. And grow it will!!!
So here are Jbear's choices. It's not that we let our son pick two animals out of indecision. He picked one for each sibling.
Hello there! I don't know if you remember me but I sometimes blog in this space right here and then weeks go by. I don't know why it's taken me so long to announce some pretty big news. But here it is accompanied by some totally exquisite photos of me and my big teeth.
My baby boy is going to be a big brother this summer!!!
As I've mentioned before, I LOVE Valentine's Day. My dad made it special for me by always getting me my own box of chocolates. My sister in law would make this crazy mousse and whipped topping concoction. My friends and I would get each other carnations that would be handed out during school (one year I was the one delivering carnations and I would sneak extras to my best friends). For me it was never about having a boyfriend to buy you huge stuffed teddy bears or roses. I don't see Valentine's Day as a Hallmark holiday where you suddenly tell the person you love that you...um, love them. I am very vocal with expressing my love to the loves in my life all the time. I just like an excuse to overdose on pink and red and STRAWBERRY FROSTED EVERYTHING!!!
I kept adding each decoration little by little. Joel asked me when I thought I would actually be done seeing as it eventually has to come down.
apple and banana hearts for the Jbear (he also had a cupcake)
but he wanted some of my breakfast too, to which I replied, "Lay off kid" but felt bad and cut him a tiny piece anyway. Joel has gotten me a strawberry frosted donut and a bagel with strawberry cream cheese on February 14th since 2004.
my breakfast last Valentine's Day
"pean bunner" and jelly sandwich. I should have cut out the heart myself instead of using a cookie cutter on soft bread.
mmmm so so good. I knew I had to make these cupcakes when I saw this on pinterest. I topped them with a strawberry cream cheese/ buttercream frosting.
Jbear needed some valentines for his classmates so we whipped some up. And by whipped I mean hours of working with elmers glue (I have no idea why it took me so long to make the most mediocre cards).
At least I had a helper. He loved using the heart stamp.
waffle with almond butter and strawberries for Jbear.
raisin nut bran and strawberries for me.
Did you have a nice weekend?
Joel and I celebrated Valentine's Day on Saturday with a ridiculously yummy dinner at Skappo in New Haven. The rest of the weekend was spent watching movies and making valentine's with my baby boy.
I saw this on Marvelous Kiddo and was in awe. A love for dance never goes away. I look at this woman and feel that my moves look the same... they do not. But my love for dance is real and I just adore this. Plus that Beirut song is one of my favorites.
Oh my goodness, I've been wanting to share some of my Valentine's Day crafts but my internet was out for the past few days. This is what I've been working on during Jbear's naps. And sometimes when he would wake up he would help me out. However, in the years since I've used glitter I have forgotten how messy it can me. I'll be vacuuming it up for months along with random pine needles from Christmas.
I always loved thisgarland by my friend Kristin and decided to make something very similar.
I have fallen in love with my heart craft punch. I want one in every size.
