30 weeks

Never say you won't post a belly pic...you will! :) 

Weeks: 30 weeks! The end is in sight! Matt is trying to organize a betting spreadsheet for the twins arrival, weights, and lengths. He thinks I will carry them ALOT longer than I think! I haven't asked him what I'll win if I'm right! ;) 

Size of Babies:I had a doctor's appointment this morning, but they didn't do an ultrasound. I will have one in two weeks. Hopefully they are both well over 2 lbs and gaining everyday! 

Weight Gain - I can no longer do a pull up even using the bands to help at Crossfit due to the added 30 lbs....yes I just wrote to the public that I've gained 30 lbs! This is very much in the range I should be in for twins and being 5'10". I honestly don't care about the number, I just want to make sure they are growing!   I only gained 2 lbs since the last appointment. I can tell more in my face, arms, thighs, etc that I'm gaining. (I know it's only the beginning) 

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Maternity Clothes - The wardrobe is getting more and more limited. I cannot express how ready I am for fall clothes! I can just throw on a cardigan and tank! 

Stretch Marks - Still in the clear!

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Best Moments of the Week - 

1.Sitting by the pool during the cool evenings in NWA. 

2. Matt and I went to Fayetteville to relax and visit his family. 

3. We also spent some much needed time with Matt's high school friends. 

4. We met up with our friends the Turners (I forgot to take a picture). They (Margo, Doug, and the twins Caleb and Grace) have been in Honduras for a year. It was SO good to see them and catch up! 

Miss Anything -Sleeping through the night. Being able to bend over. Regular coffee!!

Cravings: Still nothing...I'm actually back to the point where nothing sounds very appealing. Not fun! 

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Movements -Kate moves like crazy. I don't feel Madeline as much, maybe due to her position. Matt and I have contemplated switching their names to maybe better match personality...why not start the confusion already?!?!

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Symptoms - Wednesday night I had my first "contraction." I woke up to pain in my abdomen like I had never felt before. Matt quickly woke up to my noises of pain. We were a little scared for about 10 minutes, but it didn't happen again. I unfortunately do not have a high pain tolerance, so I'm only dreading more what "real" contractions will be like. 

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Mood - Getting more anxious and ready for them to be here. I woke up one day just feeling emotional for some reason. After trying on several outfits before church and only becoming frustrated, I warned Matt that the tears may flow. Thankfully there was no crying that day! ;) 

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What I'm looking forward to: Another relaxing week! Football starts Saturday! 

Another picture from the weekend. Matt's grandfather lives with his parents. He started a morning and evening ritual a while ago now known as "spoons." He has a dachshund that he feeds canned food. It later turned into him giving the leftovers to the other dogs. Well, now he opens THREE cans of dog food and spoons out bites one by one for the dogs. When we come to visit, there is a total of six dogs ( one german shepherd, one dachshund, two pitbulls, and two who knows what kind of mix dogs). They sit patiently and wait for their turn. It's always funny to watch! 

Pearl, Bagel, Ethyl, Lily, Bula, Bella, Amps (grandpa), and Scott (Matt's brother) 

Two "go-to" chicken recipes

We are a chicken family. I grew up eating little red meat, so my go-to meal almost always is chicken. My poor husband has to remind me to integrate red meat sometimes! ;) Here are two VERY simple, VERY quick, and VERY delicious recipes. 


Pesto Chicken:

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless chicken breast
1/4 cup or more pesto
1 1/2 t sour cream (you can add more or leave this out if you don't do dairy)
1 1/2 t mayo *here is a link to a Paleo mayo recipe to make this fit the Paleo diet, and take out the sour cream*  Paleo Mayo
1 T pine nuts
1 T shredded parmesan cheese (also optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Arrange chicken in single layer baking pan. (I cut my chicken breast in half for smaller portions and faster cooking!) Combine pesto, sour cream, and mayo in small cup. Brush over chicken. Sprinkle cheese and pine nuts. 
2. Bake about 10 minutes or until chicken is not longer pink. 

*Serve with rice, pasta, or by itself!

Dijon Chicken:

Ingredients: 

• 8 small chicken thighs, skin removed
• 3 T Dijon mustard
• 1 T light mayonnaise Paleo Mayo
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 lime, squeezed, and lime zest
• 3/4 T pepper
• salt
• dried parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°. 

2. Rinse the chicken and remove the skin and all fat. Pat dry;place in a large bowl and season generously with salt. 

3. In a small bowl combine Dijon, mayonnaise, lime juice, lime zest, garlic and pepper. Mix well. 

4. Pour over chicken, tossing well to coat.

5. Spray a large baking pan with a little Pam to prevent sticking since all the fat and skin was removed from chicken. Place chicken to fit in a single layer. Top the chicken with dried parsley. 

6. Bake until cooked through, about 30-35 minutes. Finish the chicken under the broiler until it is golden brown. 

28 weeks

How Far Along - 28 weeks

Madeline's profile. Katherine did not want to be photographed today. 

Size of Babies:Petite little babies! Our ultrasound today measured Kate at 1 lb. 14 oz. and Maddie at 2 lbs. 1 oz. The are growing still within proportion, so the doctor isn't concerned as of now. They just need to grow MUCH more before making an appearance!   

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Weight Gain - Right where I need to be ;) Feeling the weight of the babies more and more, especially when exercising. 

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Maternity Clothes - A mix still. I went to Forever 21 to find some tops. I ended up finding some dresses that appear to be tops on me! I know I'm tall, but some of those "dresses" are ridiculous! (I sound old, I know!) 

Stretch Marks - Keeping my fingers crossed! 

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Best Moment of the Week - Little Rock Shower! Having a good ultrasound that confirms everything is going well! 

Miss Anything - School. It has finally hit me that I'm not teaching this year. I miss the lesson planning, thinking of new creative ways to teach, and getting to work with new students. It's hard to say goodbye to that phase in my life because I found such confidence and a sense of worth in teaching. However, I know that I will find SO much purpose in being a mom! 

Cravings: Nothing. I'm still praying for the days of being "hungry" again. 

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Movements -Kicks, jabs, rolls, a little bit of everything! 

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Gender - Two girls! Kate and Maddie. 

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Belly Button - Getting flatter...

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Mood - Still feeling good! Getting more anxious and ready for them to be here. I did have my first "I have no clue why I'm crying" moment this week. Matt just looked at me like I was completely crazy. I told him he should be thankful that has been my only breakdown! ;)

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What I'm looking forward to: Continuing to work in the nursery. Matt not traveling soon! Razorback football! ;) 

Little Rock Baby Shower

Finally a picture of the two of us! 

This was actually one of our first attempts! Way too awkward! 

 Our friends were so great to host a couples baby shower. I think the girls were much more excited about it than the men! ;) The guys enjoyed watching the Olympics while we caught up on life. We had a ton of delicious mexican food. Plus Jordan's mother-in-law made this watermelon creation:

Hilarious and very impressive! 

Nicole modeling with the babies

They got me a mini-gluten free cake from Dempsey Bakery! Delicious! 

All the girls

Lair and I have been friends for almost 3 years now! We've never taken a picture (neither of us are picture people). I have been so blessed to meet her in Little Rock through church. We hit it off from the start and have walked through life together. We were married 3 months apart, and our girls will be about a year apart! 

I've spoken before about how blessed I am by my friends from college. Our relationships have grown and changed over time, and I don't thank God enough for them in my life! 

Michelle and Nicole 

Amy and Sarah (I was always called by my maiden name "Tippit" in college, and still to this day I am rarely called "Amy" by a college friend. If someone says "Amy" I'm assuming they are talking to Amy in the left of the picture. Confusing I know, but it works for us!

I received many great gifts, but these books were too cute!

Matt and I have been overwhelmed by other's generosity and kindness during this exciting time! We often wonder why the Lord has blessed us SO much! 

27 weeks and a visit...

Not my greatest pic. ;) My sister is on the right due in December

How Far Along - 27 weeks

Size of Babies:16 in., 2.5 lbs...all up in my rib cage already!  

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Weight Gain - More...haha or at least the belly is growing outward

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Maternity Clothes - Yes, some regular. I put away some summer clothes that I will definitely not wear this summer. I'm VERY ready for fall clothes, dreaming of tanks, cardigans, and boots.  I'm running out of options already! 

Stretch Marks - Keeping lotion on all the time! 

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Best Moment of the Week - My nephew and sister came to visit. Here are a few things we did:

Ate at La Hacienda

Played drums with chopsticks

Lily hung out with my grandmother on the couch to avoid the chaos of a 3 year  old

Had fun being silly with Uncle Matt 

Miss Anything - Sleeping through the night! (I know this is only the beginning of getting little sleep!) 

Cravings: Swedish Fish, which is very random, but I had to buy some at the store the other day! Reminded me of sharing bags of them with my college friend, Becca while studying for finals!  

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Movements -All the time. It is a comforting feeling! 

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Gender - Two girls! Kate and Maddie. 

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Belly Button - Getting flatter...

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Mood - Getting a little impatient! Ready for pregnancy and summer to come to an end!

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What I'm looking forward to: Ultrasound next Monday. Praying they are growing equally or within two weeks of each other. 

Easy DIY Onesies

I am a short project crafter! I enjoy doing crafty things, but I must finish them within a day or well...they never get done. For example, a few summers ago I wanted to make DIY roman shades out of painter's cloth. Well, I finished one and the other was just finished this last spring! haha I decided to give onesies a chance the other day. Here was the QUICK and EASY process! 

1. Prewash onesies due to shrinking.

2. Print off pattern or design and cut out.

3. Trace pattern onto rough side of Wonder Under. (They sell it by the yard at fabric stores). 

4. Cut out Wonder Under. Place rough side down onto back of fabric. Iron onto fabric for about 30 seconds. Let cool. 

5. Cut out fabric using Wonder Under pattern as a guide. Peel paper off the back. 

6. Iron fabric to onesie for about 30-45 seconds. Make sure all edges are down firmly. 

6. I hand stitched the edges of all the fabric to ensure they stayed. You can use a sewing machine if you are extra crafty! ;) The final product: 

*Just a side note. I bought Gerber brand onesies from Target in 0-3 months and 3-6 months. They run very small! The 3-6 month onesies are barely as big as other 0-3 month brands.*