Bag packed, car seats ready, changing table functional, toothbrushes on standby, ankles and belly continuing to swell, and two little girls apparently oblivious to it all…
Twins: 36 Weeks
July 3, 2012
As you can see, one of the only shirts that “fits” has to be pulled and stretched downward so that my entire jumbo beach ball is covered, thereby making me look like I’ve got one big bump beginning at my neck and ending above my hips…fashionista for sho.
As far as making an entrance, the twins have yet to do so. I am at the current moment three centimeters dilated and around 75% effaced…same as last week. Daddy is almost to the point of hilarity as the waiting becomes close to unbearable, but mommy, even though just a tad uncomfortable (understatement of the century) is happy we’ve gotten this far. Buuutttt…next week both parents will be extremely happy, tired, and besides themselves as we have an induction scheduled for Monday of next week! So, unless these two decide to exit earlier, I’ll be floating on cloud nine (and probably floating literally too after the weight of the twins is outside of my person) holding our baby girls in six days…crazy! The rest of this week will be spent trying to wrap my mind around this incredible fact as I lounge and bid time fly.
I’ll keep y’all posted! If you think of it, please offer up a little prayer or two for us and the safe and healthy delivery of our girls!
Extension
June 30, 2012
I’m running out of clothes that fit which is a serious problem folks. That’s why, when I tried this dress on a week ago and realized it fit except for one minor detail – the length – I had to do something about it asap.
The plan: lengthen it. The fabric: ‘Diamond Eye’ fabric from JoAnn’s.
The ground being about eight inches from the bottom of the maxi, I bought a foot of this lovely geo only to bring it home and realize it wasn’t wide enough. Back to the store I went the next day to get a foot more. After sewing the two pieces together, I quickly lugged out my machine and attached my extender fabric with a simple straight stitch around the entire bottom of the dress, making a pleat, just because, every six inches like so:
And wala:
Now I’m down to four dresses instead of three (maternity pants feeling a teeny bit constricting around the lower belly these days upon sitting) and a few sweat pants and shorts. Here’s to hoping these girls come soon, opening up my still somewhat limited wardrobe. :)
Have a great weekend! Maybe I’ll have a belly pic this week, maybe I won’t. Time will tell! :)
Twins: 35 Weeks
June 26, 2012
These things I know for sure:
(as she steps onto soapbox)
1. I went to put on one of my favorite maternity (non-maternity actually but just very loose) shirts today only to find that the bottom fourth of my belly was visible to more than just people at heights under three feet…sad because I swear I just wore it a few weeks ago.
2. During the past few weeks, maybe months, I have not had one speck of food spilled onto my pants as my belly has acted as a shield and saved me from whipping out the good ‘ole stain remover. My shirts, well, they’re another story.
3. My feet, and sometimes even my ankles, are now perpetually unrecognizable. I thought I’d get away without this plague of pregnancy until a couple of weeks ago. C’est la vie…
4. However, the marks of stretch I have so far evaded. How? I have no clue. I’m sure it’s nothing short of a small miracle considering this small mountain I carry around each day…and maybe good genes (thanks mom and dad) and cocoa butter.
5. Either a grueling tennis match was going on in my abdomen the other morning or both kiddos had the hiccups at the same time for the first time. Considering my size, the first option really isn’t that unrealistic.
6. I am still trying to grasp the reality that I will be a primary caretaker of two little souls that will enter this world in the next couple of weeks. I was watching them move yesterday and put my finger on what was probably a knee or heel, realizing that only a few layers of skin and muscle separated us and how soon, nothing will.
7. Instead of the usual looks of “you’re huge” I was getting, I get more looks (and comments) these days that make me sometimes feel like the ninth wonder of the world. Lots of people are amazed I’ve gotten this far and am still up and around but most people are amazed at how apparently “little” I am for having such a big belly. I don’t know if it’s meant it in a good or bad way but I’m never sure how to respond. Yes, my parents passed down to me the smallest bone structure in the world and for years I was plagued by it but behold, I have put close to 40 lbs. on this bod since the beginning of this pregnancy which I think is pretty darn good. Anyway, that’s all I have to say about that.
8. I am so absolutely blessed to have the most incredible husband in the world and I can’t wait for his little girls to meet him and to be like him. I can’t wait to be lead by him as a family through life and then to heaven. I also can’t wait to see two teeny, tiny babies nestled in his big, strong arms. And now I have to stop writing about him because I’m tearing up…gosh, I love him. :)
9. After I have a nap, I’m off to the store to buy much needed groceries and all the ingredients to make these cookies that I’ve been dying to make since Grace posted about them. They just might serve as my dinner tonight and breakfast and lunch tomorrow with a prenatal vitamin in between for a little variety. :)
(aaanndd she steps off her soapbox, awkwardly and not without huffing, but she does)
PJ Refashion: Part II
June 23, 2012
If you missed Part I of this little refashion, read about it here.
After I ‘summerized’ the legs of my hand-me-down pjs, I was left with these:
Waste-not that I am, I knew there had to be something I could use them for, even if it just be rags. But then, I don’t know if it was a little reminder jab from one or both of the girls or just a plain ‘ole light bulb goin’ off, but it dawned on me that these two pieces of fabric would make perfect infant maxi skirts! They’re already hemmed on one side anyway, so all I’d have to do is figure out how to add elastic to the top and bang – baby’s en vogue! The only minor problem, I’ve never sewed in elastic before…but, not knowing has never stopped me before, right?
So, materials: 2 pant leg remnants, a yard or so of 3/8 inch elastic (you can use whatever width you desire), a safety pin, sewing needles, and a sewing machine (or your hands and a needle and thread if a machine you do not own).
Disclaimer: Before I begin on my tutorial rant, I must tell you that this little rant in particular is the epitome of “winging it”. Like I typed above, I’ve literally never sewed with elastic so I used what I thought I knew about it as I was too lazy at the time to look up anything of real value. Copy at your own risk/discretion/whatev.
First I pulled out a newborn-sized onesie and measured the belly of it to get an idea of how big/small I should cut the elastic to.
Not knowing exactly where the skirt would eventually sit, I ended up making the top about 12 inches in circumference to allow for baby fat, the diaper…basically whatever I might not be thinking about due to my relatively beginner knowledge on baby wear. If they ended up being too big, I figured they could always graduate from ‘maxi’ to ‘knee-length’ status as baby grows.
Next I sewed a seam around the entire top of the skirt leaving enough of a hem to make sure my 3/8 inch elastic band could fit inside the new pocket of sorts and also making sure to leave a small, two-inch opening to feed the elastic through.
Annnddd here comes the possible gray area…if you’re a professional seamstress, you may want to avert your eyes or just scroll down to the completed project.
I read somewhere, sometime ago that to feed elastic through a pocket, you attach a safety pin to one end and then, making sure the other end is securely attached to the starting position, feed it through until the two ends meet. However, I think I read this pertaining to making a changing pad cover so whether this technique is used on clothes…well, let’s just say it is in my book. :)
So, doing just what I stated above, I fed the elastic through the pocket of my newly-forming skirt. (Tip: Make sure that you feed the elastic through so that it lays flat all the way around and there aren’t any twists in it…my carelessness on this matter left the first little maxi I made with one).
Then, I carefully sewed the two ends of the elastic together using my sewing machine. I actually thought I’d have to hand sew them together at first, being that the elastic was relatively thin but, I put on my big girl panties and just tried to sew them together using my machine and a few back and forth stitches later, I had a perfect union!
After that, I quickly sewed up the gap I had left to feed the elastic through.
I seriously considered using my two old Minnie Mouse dolls as models but then came back to reality and just paired two cute onesies my friend Lauren embellished for the girls with their new maxis to show the final products.
I’m going to go out on an “inexperienced mom” limb and say that they’re hopefully more friendly with diaper changes than pants and will be great for the summer and fall. Now we just need these two to get here…an eviction notice is a couple weeks from being posted. :)
. . .
Before I log off and leave you lovely readers, I thought I’d end with a nursery and kitchen progress update.
Nursery:
The closet on the other hand is the only real picture of sanity in the room and is just being added to (or subtracted from once zee dresser arrives) and is also waiting for me to put up some curtains.
Kitchen progress:
Of course, once we’re done I’ll write up a whole post about our tiling fun and the happy dance I’ll be doing (the modified ‘pregnancy’ happy dance, that is) at the mere fact that our kitchen makeover will be complete.
Until next time, have a fancy, shmancy weekend! :)
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