State Fair - Joseph and the Cow - Take 3

We went to the Wisconsin State Fair last weekend so that Joseph could see the animals and Jay and I could sample the chocolate covered bacon (a new item on a stick this year in addition to all the oldies but goodies....pb&j on a stick, smores on a stick, mac n cheese on a stick....just to name a few....and of course all are fried). We're that family that shows up as close to 8am as possible to avoid the crowds, and in this particular case, the heat and humidity. Though this year we discovered the downside to arriving early....not sure if something's changed or if last time we lingered longer among the cows...but they don't start serving a lot of the food until later. And even at 9, I wasn't able to get potato pancakes or french fries with cheese and bacon. (Are people seriously supposed to eat eggs and sausage for breakfast at state fair? Puh-lease....not when there are cream puffs and fried pickles to be had!) I bet I could have found a beer and some cheese curds though. ;) In addition to our traditional cream puff, we were able to score a new flavor of milk....banana (and when I say we I really mean Jay and Joseph. I don't do milk unless it's accompanied by cookies or cake). After a few hours of walking the fair grounds even my slow pace was starting to turn into more of a crawl, so we traded pigs and $3 bottles of water for lawn chairs and a kiddie pool at home.

A look back at Joseph's previous State Fairs:
http://conwayupdates.blogspot.com/2008/08/state-fair.html

http://conwayupdates.blogspot.com/2007/08/gotta-love-cows.html

Umbilical Cords...Check!

All went well at the follow up appt at the hospital to check the "flow" through each of the umbilical cords. So everything is good and it just so happens that they were growing at different rates over the past two weeks (or if when we go back for our next appt they are equal again, mayhaps the tech made a small error on one of the measurements) But no matter....it's nice to know that everything is ok, and we got a pretty good picture out of it...Twin B's profile with Twin A's arm. Next friday is when we will return for more measurements and we'll have updated weights on both girls. Now that Jay's back from his trip to London and India, we're both in planning mode. He called while tied up in some traffic on the way back from picking up the crib and started asking about sheets and diapers and formula and do we have enough birp clothes for two babies....some could describe it as momentary panic but I'm pretty sure it was just his preparation instinct kicking in. ;)

27 Weeks - End of the Second Trimester!

And to me it looks and feels more like the end of the third trimester, but I guess that's what happens when there are two babies instead of one. According to my growth measurement on Friday, twin A is 1lb 15oz (39%) and twin B is 2lbs 3oz (49%). (That's 4lbs of baby for those of you less skilled in the art of math...it actually took me a while to figure that out as it seems that hormones and pounds have replaced brain cells and memory.) A ten percent difference can be normal with mono-di twins, but since at my last measurement they were the same I will have weekly appts with the high risk doctor to see how things go over the next few weeks. Everything else checks out though, so no need for concern! They've both been moving around like crazy today. I can't always tell the difference, but tonight there was visible action on all sides of the belly. Aside from growth, there's no other changes, except that I started insulin over the weekend. I'm not the biggest fan of needles, but actually the shots are much better than the finger pricking! I only have to do it before bedtime so it's not that big of a deal. I have my regular every other week visit with the obgyn tomorrow, and then back to the hospital on Friday. They should consider offering spa services while you get your ultrasounds. A facial or a pedicure would be nice while having your belly probed by the transducer.

Ribs, Pinocchio, and Park

Joseph has had a lot of fun over the past week...he got to play at his friend Morgan's house and eat ribs for the first time, went to Festa Italiana and celebrated Pinocchio's 125th birthday, had a field trip with daycare, went out to dinner with his friends Morgan and Connor and got to see the choo-choo trains (the restaurant was right next to the train tracks), and this morning visited the park in our neighborhood for some fun on the playsets and splash area. Of course with all this activity came exhaustion, and he had a bit of a meltdown during lunch and went down for his nap without eating. Joseph is talking quite a bit these days, carrying on actual conversations with us or his toys. Yesterday he said "the train is loud" and this morning he stated "I want to play with Morgan". Nice to know what's on his mind! Which 80% of the time is usually Nemo, Woody, or Buzz.....but still...the words help. :)

The Week of the Doctors

This week I met with the cardiologist at Children's Hospital for fetal echos, my new ob gyn at her office, and the high risk doctor at Waukesha Memorial (where Joseph was born and where we are planning to deliver the girls). The hearts are good, I am much more comfortable with my new ob, and the high risk doctor joked about how well things are going. (I told him I take full credit.) Both girls weigh 1 lb 9oz, and it seems that every time I go now they are in a different position. Their bodies kind of make a circle around my belly, with twin A's head and butt in my upper left belly region and twin B's head and butt down towards the right. If I understood correctly not all of the parts shown in this ultrasound belong to twin A....just the left body portion, with the legs belonging to her sister. We haven't been able to get clear face/body shots of the two of them for the past few appts because of their position, so this is the best I can do for all you ultrasound lovers out there. But don't worry....I get these done at least every two weeks so there will definitely be more to come. Though there are only three more months to go! The doctors are targeting a delivery between week 36 and week 38 which ideally puts the expected arrival in the first half of October. Only time will tell if the girls decide to go along with this plan or whether they come up with their own scheme of when and how to enter the world. Personalities form very early you know.

Just Like His Mom

Apparently I used to fall out of bed all the time. Though how he ended up with his blankets, grover, and yurtle next to him I do not know. ;)

Joseph's Big Boy Bed

We did it! We made our move to the "big boy room" last night after Joseph returned from Minnesota. Figured it was good timing since he'd been staying in a different room all week and was completely wiped out from an action packed vacation with the grandparents and Aunt Trish. So last night he crawled into his bed, Jay read him a book, and Joseph then said to us "I lay down here" and that was that. We said goodnight and walked out of his room and he was asleep within minutes. We were awoken several times at night (because we had the monitor on just in case), but each time Jay went up to check on him he was still in his bed, so we assume it was either his arm or head whacking the wall as he moved around. I think tonight we'll turn the volume down a bit lower. ;) This morning at 6:15 when we awoke to calls of "Mommy" and "Daddy", we figured he'd be standing at the gate we put up in his doorway, but instead Jay found him sitting cross-legged on his bed. He then told Jay "I want to get up", Jay said "ok", and Joseph then crawled out of bed and started playing. The pictures are actually from his nap time today, which was a little more challenging because he usually prefers to play instead of taking a nap, so I laid there with him until he fell asleep (didn't take long). So far I'd have to say that this is much easier than we thought it was going to be....pretty nice when that happens!

Joseph Playing and Babies Moving!

Joseph spent 5 hours yesterday playing at the beach in Lake Zurich, IL yesterday with family. He is loving the water this summer, and apparently can't get enough of it because last week he woke up saying "I want swim". We've got his "big boy room" just about done, and plan to move him into it sometime in July so that we can get him used to a twin bed before the babies arrive, and get a second crib and a few "girly" items into the baby room. When the high risk doctor mentioned 36 weeks as a delivery time to me last week (of course we still have no idea of exactly when), I realized for the first time that we only have like three months left to get everything ready. (to a normal person this wouldn't be a big deal, but to someone who plans everything this means I should have ordered our crib yesterday). The girls are about a pound each, and have maneuvered themselves into the head down position! Pretty early for them to stay that way, but it seems they still have room to flip. There's a lot more kicking and punching going on in there, and quite a bit of belly out here!

Happy Father's Day!

DISCLAIMER: Photo not taken this weekend. Dressing a child in long sleeves and jeans when temperatures are approaching 90 is borderline abusive. More so than spanking. :)

20 Weeks - Halfway There!

Summer Fun Has Finally Begun

Seems the warmer weather is finally here to stay (nice considering it's June and all). After the Penguins won the cup on Friday night, we spent the rest of the weekend outside enjoying the sun. Brewers vs. White Sox at Miller Park on Saturday, and the Milwaukee Zoo and Conway Sprinkler on Sunday. In preparation for all the weekend activity Jay cut the grass during the week, and as usual, Joseph was right there beside him doing his part.

Anatomy Scan....Check!

Today we had our "marathon ultrasound", aka full anatomy scan on both babies. While we're not sure how many toes each baby has or who's feet belong to who, we do know that all limbs, organs, chambers, spines, and heads are accounted for (see two heads pictured above). The girls (yes, they are definitely girls) are facing each other and both feet down so all that could be seen from the 2D ultrasound was a big foot party going on at the bottom of my belly. They each weigh in at 11oz and are measuring on track at 19weeks. The doctor said not to loose any sleep over the feet, and I assured him that is not what keeps us up at night (barking dogs, street sweepers, and the sounds of birds chirping way too early in the morning have that covered). He also said that I need to come back to meet with a different dietitian on Friday to start the finger pricking, and then back in two weeks to meet with both him and the dietitian on the blood sugar levels and next set of growth measurements on the babies. I asked if they had a frequent flier program I could join for free beverages or food in the cafeteria, but apparently no such program exists.

Our First Prom...Together

Now if it were photos from our proms back in high school, Jay would have been sportin a mullet and I would have been wearing a very stylish banana clip back in the early 90s (I still think the banana clip dos look good, but can't say the same for the mullets). For this prom we were out in our neighbors back yard, slow dancing and bustin a groove to popular 80s hits and more recent hip hop (bend over to the front and touch your toes). Hmmm, wonder why there wasn't any country music....

It's funny that you don't realize how big you are until you see yourself captured on film. This time around my belly is super high and super huge compared to when I was pregnant with Joseph (yes, I do realize there are two babies in there but c'mon...that's 14 oz of baby instead of 7). But according to the dietitian, I am "right where I need to be" in weight gain and need to continue gaining a pound a week. I was confused as to how exactly I would do this while on a low carb diet, but to my surprise and utter happiness I am being allowed 30-45 carbs per meal this time and 2000 calories a day. Now it would be nice if those 2000 calories could include a smoothie or huge bowl of pasta, but I'll be ok with apples dipped in peanut butter and a cup of pasta with two meatballs instead. :)

Go Penguins Go!

Penguins start in the Stanley Cup Playoffs tonight....Jay and Joseph are very excited. :) And yes, our girls will also be dressed in Pittsburgh attire (with the occasional Bears outfit of course).

Joseph in the Sprinkler

We turned on the sprinkler to water the grass out front when we got home from work last week (the never ending battle of us vs. the lawn), and the minute Joseph saw it he got super excited and started playing in the water. Hopefully he'll be just as excited about going in pools this summer! (Last summer he didn't particularly enjoy being in water if his feet couldn't touch the bottom) We spent lots of time playing outside this weekend, and visited a few parks (afterall, Joseph "needs park" almost every day) We also got the little pool out and gave Rosco a bath. Joseph was waaaaay more excited about this than Rosco, and kept saying "I want bubble bath". But it was a bit chilly so instead Jay gave him a cup to help rinse Rosco off. Of course most of the water ended up on him and not the dog anyway, and somehow I ended up getting squirted by the hose and dumped on by the cup.

Girls, Girls, Girls!

That's what you get when you count me plus the two little ladies in my belly! Jay has already said that because he is going to be outnumbered, he gets vito power on all decisions (sounds like reality hasn't set in for him yet). The girls are 6oz each, and looking good. I weigh much more than that, and am doing pretty good too. I'm enjoying my last week of a carb filled diet, the official news came this morning that I failed the initial glucose test. And so I graduate to the three hour blood test on Friday, which I also anticipate failing. And so I am eating all the fruit and pasta that I can, and will be indulging in desserts and potato salads this weekend before I meet with the dietitian. (after all, 5mos with hardly any carbs means I'm proceeding as usual until the finger pricking begins) And now back to the girls, we go back in three weeks for a full anatomy scan, and then every two weeks following for growth measurements. They are both positioned with legs down and heads kind of facing each other now, but that is likely to change. They literally look right on top of each other (somehow I thought separate sacs meant separate sides of the belly...not the case). They appear to resemble Joseph's ultrasound pics, they are ok with pink but it's not their favorite color, and they would prefer not to wear identical outfits (though they aren't opposed to coordinating). That's all we know for now. :)

16 Weeks and Growing!

Well apparently it's true, two babies do take up more space than one. If you had to take a guess and didn't know me you'd probably put me at the end of my second trimester instead of towards the beginning. I seriously don't even think I'm eating that much, but I am trying to get some carbs in now while I can because I get tested "early" for gestational diabetes this week. Oh well, the upside is that this time I have the clear drink instead of the nasty orange and cola flavors that I've had before. And of course the more obvious upside of not being able to gain much weight on a diet of vegetables, nuts, cheese, meat, and fish. Oh yeah, and eggs. Yummmm. (is the sarcasm coming across?) But until then, bagels and fruit for breakfast it is! I'm also making pasta sauce. Wishful thinking that I'll make it through the entire batch before having to prick my finger after each meal.

Chatterbug

An appropriate nickname for Joseph these days. Over the past week or two he's turned into quite the talker! We went out to dinner on Saturday night and he jibber jabbered the entire time (and not using an inside voice...something I was told to do quite often when I was younger) I think Jay noticed the difference right away after being gone for a week....hard not to because it's amazing how much Joseph understands now. At breakfast this morning Joseph said "momma fork please". And after I gave him his gummy bear vitamins and told him to chew them he finished and said "I chewed it". The best was last week when I told him if he ate his macaroni then he could have a treat, and he looked at me, rolled his eyes and said "no-ooo, I eat chicken" (like duh mom, I don't want the macaroni I want more flippin chicken). A not so cool recent development is that he screams like crazy during his bath, like it's some form of ancient water torture. Seriously, our neighbors must wonder what the heck is going on inside our house. :)

Turn my back for one minute...

And Joseph climbs his way up to sitting on the kitchen stool and tries to make a phone call. I literally only turned my back long enough to wash one sippy cup! Maybe he wanted takeout (thai please!).

Actually I've been pretty weird about food lately...I get hungry but I don't feel like eating (and let me say that is a very new feeling for me!) Nothing is very appealing though I do become fixated on certain things that I have to have right away. Yesterday all I could think about was an asiago cheese bagel with veggie cream cheese, so that's what I got this morning. (I'm thinking of getting it tomorrow morning too.) The other night it was pasta, so Jay was very accommodating and made dinner while I sat on my ass (something I am always in the mood to do these days). I have to get my carbs in while I can, since I'm being tested for gestational diabetes in a few weeks (oh joy of joys). I've already been told that I will fail the test it's just a matter of when. Lovely.

Joseph is clapping his hands to sesame street right now (ladybugs twelve, at the ladybug picnic). We also worked on his letters and sounds using starfall.com (awesome site!) The banana and cookies for dinner didn't exactly score me high parenting points though (at least there was milk). And now Rosco is licking the crumbs off the couch. Nice.

Twins!

That's right...I'm pregnant....with twins! It all started with this ultrasound picture on Friday, March 13th. They had just wrapped up taking pictures of "the" fetus when they started taking shots of my ovaries. As they moved across my belly to get to the other ovary another heartbeat flickered on the screen. Jay actually recognized what he was seeing, and the technician and doctor confirmed...there's two in there!

Another ultrasound with the perinatologist last week confirmed that the twins are identical, two sacs but one placenta (mono-di). That means that through some twist of fate the egg split into two sacs, but the babies share the same food source and blood. So there's a higher chance of complications....yadda yadda...we'll be having lots of ultrasounds.....blah blah blah....had to switch doctors and will be seeing specialists....likelihood for bed rest and c-section....I could continue with all the details but then your eyes would glaze over and you'd be less likely to come back to the blog for updates and I'd have to talk to people on the phone more and that sure isn't going to happen.

While it may not have been fate that split the egg, it wasn't genetics either. While fraternal twins can be hereditary, there is no answer for what causes identical twins. Tall moms, obese moms, moms that eat lots of yams and dairy....all are linked to higher chances of twins...but since I didn't start eatting ice cream by the gallon until after I was pregnant it seems we were just lucky!

I'm feeling fine other than being tired and hungry all of the time....hoping that goes away soon...if not I'll be one large mama my the time the babies arrive! Due date is November 1, 2009...12 weeks down, 28 more to go!

Joseph's 2 Year Stats

Height: 36 inches (100%)

Weight: 30 lbs 4 oz (80%)

Head: 48 3/4 cm (50%)

No surprise that Joseph is still on the tall side...but the nurse was a bit generous with his height because she measured him at 37. (which he is definitely not). He started screaming the minute she walked into the room and told her "bye bye" several times before coming to terms with the fact that we were in a doctor's office. He calmed down in time to get checked out by the doctor though, and even said "Ahhh" so that we could see his 2 year molars. Only needed one shot and one blood test this time around, and that's it for the needles until public school time! He wasn't very pleased with the shot in his thigh but he got over that as soon as he realized there were robots on his band aid. But seriously....what happened to the suckers? No cutesy band aid or sticker could ever be as good as a lollipop.....unless they start coating band aids and stickers with sugar.

Two, Ha, Ha, Ha!

"Two, Ha, Ha Ha" is Joseph's consistent response to the question "How old are you?" And after weeks of preparation the answer finally fits....Joseph is 2! We made cupcakes to take to school and share with everyone, but did some pre-celebrating this weekend with family and will have post celebrating next weekend with more family. Hopefully next weekend he'll be a bit happier at cake time. While his mood did make for some cute pics I decided not to post the ones of his screaming. After all, it is his birthday.

Negotiate or Dictate?

This morning when I walked into Joseph's room he made a noise that was part whine part scream. (and not because I woke him up, he was already awake with the light on) When I asked him if he wanted me to leave, he said yes, I left, and the noise stopped. Easy peasy.

Some things are not as easy to resolve. Like not wanting to go inside after playing outside. Or wanting to watch Nemo everyday. And so the question is, which method is better.....reasoning or forcing? I tend to lean towards negotiating tactics when confronted with a tantrum. "If you put on your coat, then you can have a vitamin" (side note: whoever came up with the idea of gummy bear vitamins was a genius).

Joseph picks up new words every day so it is getting easier to communicate. His favorite phrases of the moment are:
"Apple Juice" (he gets very happy while drinking it, and lets you know by wistfully repeating the phrase after each sip)
"Rosco no Rosco stop" (clearly he learned this from me)
"Mommy sit" (usually accompanied by Joseph pointing to the exact spot he wants you to sit on)
"Daddy up" (translation: Daddy pick me up)

The Irish Soccer Player

The kid is part Irish so we had to put him in green today in honor of St Patrick's Day(I had previously dressed him in red, black, and white and when we were changing him into his more festive attire he kept crying "no....black.....no.....black" Translation: No, I want to wear black). He's looked like a little boy for a while now, but his haircut, height, and use of words all makes him seem so old. This morning while having his diaper changed, he happily sang "Patty Cake", rolling and kneading included. Patty Cake is much easier to understand than Joseph's version of the ABCs and Farmer in the Dell. He was actually singing the real words and not just the occasional C and Q or repeating of the word "dell" to a familiar toon. :)

A View of the After....

Sometime between 1938 and 1986 someone thought it would be a good idea to incorporate Cerulean Blue (a not so subtle turquoise) into our bathroom (since our house was built in the 30s I'm wondering if it was actually the original color). In 2009 we decided to rid our lovely home of the nasty color, and thanks to "Uncle Pat-ric-cak" I think we now have a color that will stand the test of time. (White has been popular since 1883) You can't help but no so much about toilet colors when living not too far from the toilet capital (Kohler) of the country. In addition to the spa and golf courses they also have a very nice toilet museum. Maybe we should have donated ours....

If you don't recall what our bathroom previously looked like, you can catch a glimpse of it here: http://conwayupdates.blogspot.com/2008/06/turn-my-back-for-minute.html

And yes, Joseph is wearing a pair of my slippers. Or as he like's to call them "momma boots". :)

Joseph and Rosco Finding Nemo

Joseph Playin Around

Well as you very well know, Joseph has a favorite movie, and that is Finding Nemo (we watched him get found again this morning. That Marlin sure is getting unbearable). But what you may not know is that he also has a favorite song (of the moment). Surfin from Ralph's Under the Sea CD. That's the song he is dancing to in this video. He's done much more elaborate performances but of course not while the camera was out. He surf's, wipe's out, and sings along to some parts. No dancing yet today, but we've bowled, shot some hoops, played "go go trucks" (a game invented by jay where he races his big yellow trucks across the dining room), and at swim lessons he jumped into the water without holding on to me (yes, I was there to catch him). Head still stays above the water but he seems to be getting more comfortable. He even blows bubbles (I told him that's what nemo does).

Preparing to be Two!

Jay was informed at daycare today that Joseph needs to be able to put on his own shoes and clothes for the two year old room (his next classroom). Nice of them to keep us abreast of what he should know how to do at each age (else we'd never know!) We'll be practicing for the first time tonight. :)
He's doing good with colors though, one day last week he turned to me, pointed at Rosco and exclaimed with excitement "Rosco is brown!). So we've started with small sentences it seems.
A few weekends ago when it was super warm I took Joseph to the zoo and he had loads of fun in the reptile house (which also contains fish else I never would have ventured in...I hate snakes). And speaking of snakes, we got to witness a python throwing up. Talk about fun. We've cut back to watching nemo just a few times a week, and so on Sunday afternoon we went to the aquarium at discovery world. Joseph wasn't as "awestruck" as the first time we went, but he had fun putting his hands in the water with the sting rays and pressing buttons to make gadgets move.

Still Happy

About the Steelers Superbowl win. A few shots of a couple of fans from last weekend.

Potato Fun

Joseph loves his potato heads, and it seems we've managed to keep track of most of the pieces (though an ear and set of feet have fallen victim to the land of the lost). As you can see he likes to use lips for ears and hats. I myself fancy the elephant pirate dressed for a birthday party. He's looking at me like I'm crazy, but trust me, wearing the glasses was his idea.....

Say Cheese

I think Joseph may actually understand what "saying cheese" means. He also understands what yes and no mean, and continues to get frustrated with us when we use the N word in response to his pleading to watch nemo. He's made several attempts to turn on the tv and dvd player by himself, and I find myself feeling strangely proud that he seems to almost have it figured out just from watching us do it. We allowed him to watch several scenes from the addictive disney movie this morning, and as soon as he woke up from his nap and had lunch he requested nemo once again (shouldn't have been surprised as the name of the friendly fish is repeated over and over at least 50 times each day). So as a distraction Jay took Joseph upstairs to play on the computer and practice his shapes and songs. Can't wait for it to warm up a bit so we can get outside and play! Next week we start swim lessons so that should help keep the little man entertained and get him ready for the summer. Only three more months! (yes, I naively still count May as summer).

Apple Juice

The clearest words spoken by Joseph. As he is now requesting his "Apple Juice" on a regular basis, we've decided to take the advice of a wise Bubbie and mix water in with the good stuff so he's doesn't drink too much of it. Not aiding us in our effort to limit his apple juice, is that I think when he sees beer or cider poured into a glass, he thinks that we are drinking some of the good stuff without him (which we are, but it's not what he thinks it is!) Still forcing him to have milk instead of juice for two meals a day, which I'm sure will mean that eventually he'll be diagnosed with a mild allergy to the disgusting white beverage. :)

Brrrrr it's cold....

Joseph doesn't seem to mind the bitter cold, since we're trying to only have him ride in the car that has functioning heat (that's right, the 4runner is not blowing heat and it's 0 outside). Hasn't been too big of a deal since we carpooled one day and Jay's heading out of town tomorrow...it'll just be a cold ride to the airport for him unless he breaks down and wears a hat, scarf, and gloves. (what is up with men not wanting to wear coats and gloves when it's cold?) I tried to drive into work today (in the car that does have heat) and man that was a mistake. One inch of snow + bitter cold = freaking chaos. Oh well, it is winter in Wisconsin. Joseph loves wearing hats and mittens, even in the house (sometimes he gets upset if you try to take them off). We were able to de-mitten him last night, though we did find him sitting on the couch with his hands under his butt while watching "finding nemo". It's his favorite movie of the moment, he points at the tv and asks for "fishy". And he'll actually watch happily for 30 minutes, which allows us to either veg out early in the morning, or get some stuff done while listening to the now very familiar beginning scenes of the flick. For a while it seemed like Joseph's bedtime may have been getting later, but we're back to getting tired at 7pm and it seems the crib escapes have stopped....at least temporarily which gives us some time to figure out what to do next!

Happy New Year

Joseph went to bed on New Year's Eve a bit earlier than most, and started 2009 with a bang at 6:30 this morning (why he couldn't sleep until 7:45 like he did yesterday I do not understand). He has continued to show off his climbing expertise this week....but thankfully has not hopped out of his crib again since monday. We're debating on whether we should replace the front of the crib with the toddler rail that came with it (so that he can climb in and out on his own), or go straight to the twin bed (minus the frame, so that it's lower to the ground). We're not quite ready for the little man to be released from his cage, but it seems we have no choice. He is in control and loving every minute of it....