Merry Christmas!

23 Week Update

How far along? 23 Weeks 2 Days
Maternity clothes? Yes. Although my pants are getting harder and harder to put on. I haven't figured out how to bend without knocking the air out of myself. When googling almost any pregnancy ailment, the first solution is generally "have the baby." However, ailments set on quicker in pregnancy when there are two babies and your body is expanding almost comically. "Have the babies" really isn't an option at this point, which I'm pretty grateful for actually, we're not ready for them to make their arrival just yet!
Best moment this week: Going to the temple last night. It has been a long, long time since we've gone because of one excuse or another. My thoughts when inside the temple always turn to "why don't we come here more often?"
Movement: Yes. They also wake each other up now, which made for a long week of no sleep. Dear boys, if it's a scare tactic, it's working. Point made. Love, Mom.
Waist Diameter:  39"
Food cravings: All of the above. They're all favorites. Although, I have developed a huge appreciation for Granny Smith Apples.
Labor Signs: Nope. Keep cookin’ boys!
Belly Button in or out? In. But in is a relative term. It hasn’t popped yet, but it is streeeetttched...Cam doesn't think it's as close as I do. How does this work? Does it just pop one day or is it always a gradual thing?
What I miss: Nothing really. Maybe emotional stability? I have cried and cried this past week, but I'm generally aware enough of the situation to realize I'm being ridiculous. Getting myself to stop crying is next to impossible, but at least I know I look silly!
What I am looking forward to: Celebrating being a stay-at-home wife & mommy-to-be. My last day of work is TOMORROW. :)
Milestones: Finished Babywise! (Thanks Em!) That book addressed all of my major concerns and gave me some great goals to shoot for. I am excited to see how it all works out. (Terrified is also appropriate to use here, but let's stick with excited.)
Realization of the week: I made stockings for our little family of 4 this week. Cam's says "dad". Mine says "mom". There are two other boy stockings, and their names are definitely on them, but their names are on Christmas cards that went out to parents, family members, mission presidents and most importantly the fertility clinic. :) So, once they receive the cards, we'll post the digital version on here for the friends and cousins that we couldn't afford to mail cards to this year.

22 Week Update

How far along? 22 Weeks 3 Days
Total weight gain/loss: +26.5 <– Not quite sure how I lost half a pound. Although, this time I did weigh myself in the morning.
Maternity clothes? Yes. Although Cam just informed me that we probably won't be buying any more because eventually even maternity clothes won't fit and I will just slob around all day in sweats. Doesn't sound too bad right now, actually. :)
Best moment this week: Cam shaved his beard!! It was a huge day at the Call house. I have been kissing him like crazy. Everyone is happy.
Movement: The boys are big and strong enough to push up against the sides of my belly now. I love being able to feel their little bodies.
Waist Diameter:  too lazy to find the tape measure. Big enough though. :)
Food cravings: Anything and everything. Although food is quickly falling from grace because no matter what I eat, I get reflux. ouch.
Labor Signs: Nope. Keep cookin' boys!
Belly Button in or out? In. But in is a relative term. It hasn't popped yet, but it is streeeetttched.
What I miss: The frequent doctors' appointments at our fertility specialist's office. Man, we were spoiled! This having to go a month between appointments and months between ultrasounds is really lame. Hopefully, we'll get an ultrasound at our appointment next week.
What I am looking forward to: Christmas Break!! My last day of work is one week from today. AND Cam got some sweet time off for the holiday and our anniversary. Merry Christmas!!
Milestones: Tonight when I sneezed, I peed a little. I've heard of this symptom, but had managed to avoid it until this week. It was oddly embarrassing and I didn't really know what to do. lol. There's nothing like relinquishing control over your body. It's a power struggle I don't stand a chance in.
Realization of the week: Eventually these babies will grow up and be teenagers, then adults. And it is our responsibility to raise them in righteousness. How do you raise righteous boys in the world we live in? We're starting with the nursery. The theme of which is "I'll go where you want me to go."

Also, Baby B has a thing for Mariah Carey. I hadn't felt him kick all day and Cam tuned the radio to the Christmas station while we drove up to Salt Lake. A few songs went by and then as soon as Mariah sang her first note, Baby B went wild. He kicked and kicked until the song was over and I didn't feel him again for the rest of the night. lol.

21 Week Update

How far along? 21 Weeks 1 Day
Total weight gain/loss: +27 <– It made me feel better that BOTH of our boys are bigger than average. They're already tall for their age.
Maternity clothes? We hit the black friday sales at Kohl's and nabbed 3 maternity tops. It is so nice to have stuff that actually fits!
Best moment this week: My chiropractic appointment. Oh my word YES. I would pay big money to be able to sleep on my stomach on that drop table.
Movement: Yes. :) Cam finally felt Baby A, who oddly enough is the runt of the two. He has been kicking a lot lately. I think he's happy to be noticed.
Waist Diameter:  38″ However, I have a couple shirts that hide it really well. I wore a black shirt the other day and if you saw me from the front, I look very much un-pregnant. A side-view is a very different story.
Food cravings: So, I mostly like hot food. I've been pounding chester's flamin' hot fries like they're going out of style and hurt my throat. Apparently flamin' hot snacks + pepper jack cheese isn't good in large quantities. Who knew? (It seriously felt like I had a draft in my throat, like there was a window open back there...weirdy)
Labor Signs: Mr. Braxton Hicks has made his debut. I know it's REALLY time to sit down and put my feet up when my whole belly gets hard. Makes things tricky when you're grocery shopping.
Belly Button in or out? In.
What I miss: Moving. ha. No, but really. Getting out of bed, getting out of the car, picking something up, bending...these will all quickly becomes things I did "way back when."
What I am looking forward to: Making stockings for our family of 4. I bought all the stuff. I just need to psyche up and cut them out. I can't wait to see them all in a row up our stairs.
Milestones: Stretch marks on my boobs. TMI?
Realization of the week: I can't do as much as I used to. Normally, when I'm in a rut, I make a master list of everything I want to get done, prioritize it, and get crankin'. This week, I tried that. And by 11 am I had hit a wall. I forced myself to get dinner in the crock pot and then watched The Biggest Loser until I fell asleep. I realized that nap and relaxation is just as productive as doing the dishes, cleaning, etc. It's taking care of my boys. And they need it.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

We've decorated for Christmas over here at the Call house. I love that Cameron leaves the tree lights on for me to wake up to every morning before he leaves for work. :) My favorite part of the tree is that every ornament has a story. My family has had the tradition of buying an ornament wherever we go on family vacations, and my grandmother painted an ornament for each of her grandkids every year. It makes my heart happy to see that there is a growing collection of ornaments from me and Cam's life together instead of a bunch of "kristin" ornaments. In the pictures, the first ornament is one we picked up on our trip to Disneyland last year. Then comes the "Oh Lola!" ornament. You can see the key from our first car, which was purple, tied to the top. We totaled it in a snowstorm last Christmas. The high heel is from my advertising internship. The snowflake is from BYU graduation. The I Love You ornament is from our first anniversary. Putting up the tree this year made me realize just how much of a life we've made together already. It also made me realize how much life is ahead of us. :) I love that.

Additionally, the silhouette has really made Christmas crafting fun. :) I used a bit of white vinyl to make the Oh Lola ornament (after using spray adhesive inside a cheap clear ornament and shaking purple glitter all over) and made the Merry Little Christmas sign from a piece of scrap wood from when we deconstructed the couch and some vinyl. I sure love being able to create anything I can imagine or re-create anything I've seen. :)

20 Week Update - Drumroll Please....!

Judging by the texts, wall posts, and phone calls, it seems like the news of these little babies is killing everyone! Thanks for being so excited! It makes this all the more fun. :)

We went to the doctor yesterday and had a wonderful ultrasound. Everything looks perfect on our little ones. We found out the genders and called Jessica to fill in our gender reveal cakes. A quick stop at home and we were on the way to Arizona for Thanksgiving. (Many apologies to those waiting to hear via Facebook, this is the first internet connection I've had!)

My family was on their way to Idaho for the holiday so we met near mile marker 25 to give them the cakes. My mom and dad started digging (near the headlights for light, of course...lol. I can't wait to see the pictures from all this.) and my dad (who had Baby A's cake) said:

I SEE BLUE!

That's right, Baby A is a boy!

My mom (who had Baby B's cake) said:

I SEE BLUE TOO!

There are two momma's boys headed to our house and we can't wait to meet them!

We got to repeat the entire process this morning with Cam's family. It never gets old.

Normally, when I wake up each morning, I say "hello babes" or something similar. This morning, I woke up and said "good morning, boys. :)

As for the ultrasound, it was incredible. I loved being able to see their little personalities so early on! I really wanted to see if Baby A was head down because I'd really like to deliver naturally if at all possible. Right off the bat, we saw that Baby A was head down and Baby B was breach. I clapped and said "oh good job Baby A! Thank you for being head down!" Not 10 seconds later, Baby B flipped around as if to say, "look mom! I can do it too!" It made me laugh.

We took all the measurements and checked for heart defects, spinal problems, cleft lips, etc. In fact, Baby A had the umbilical cord across his face. (HIS. I love being able to say that. :)) And we needed him to move so we could see his lips. The ultrasound tech prodded him a little bit through my belly and we were able to watch him wake up, arch his back, roll over, and go back to sleep. Seeing him react was so cute!

They're such little people already! Baby A is measuring 20 weeks exactly as he should be and weighs 11oz. Baby B is measuring 20 weeks 6 days and weighs 14oz, but the doctor said it's because he's just taller than Baby A, which really isn't too shocking in our family. We're long people. :) Both babies are getting enough blood and nutrients, which is nice because if one starts taking nutrients from the other we'll have to look at emergency delivery options.

Cameron has been so cute. I think seeing them and knowing the genders has really helped the reality of all this sink in for him. He is such a proud dad. Out of nowhere he keeps saying "two boys!! TWO BOYS!"

As for me, my first thought at finding out I have two sons on the way was:

"I'm gonna love you so much that no girl will ever be good enough for you!"

(2 points to anyone who can name that quote)

[caption id="attachment_1683" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Baby A"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1684" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Baby B"][/caption]

And for the sake of consistency:

How far along? 20 Weeks 1 Day
Total weight gain/loss: +24
Maternity clothes? Yes. I tried my "fat jeans" on a couple days ago. It lasted about 10 minutes before they made me physically sick. lol.
Best moment this week: Finding out the genders and telling everyone! There are so many fun announcements to make when you're expecting. Things I've dreamt about my entire life. And they did not disappoint.
Movement: Yes. :) They are kicking like crazy! The car ride to AZ was so fun because they kicked so often. I think it has something to do with where my seatbelt hits me.
Waist Diameter:  38″ <--I'm measuring 28 weeks for a singleton pregnancy.
Food cravings: Vinegar and Potatoes. Also, hot fries. Anyone from Flagstaff remember "tom's hot fries"? I had them in high school a bunch and I don't think they make them anymore. BUT Cheetos has made a pretty decent substitute. It's not quite the same, but it's good enough!
Labor Signs: None, thank heavens. :)
Belly Button in or out? Totally still in. And actually more in than it has been. Woot!
What I miss: NOTHING! I love this week. :)
What I am looking forward to: Baby shopping on Black Friday. :) :)
Milestones: We know the genders!!
Realization of the week: We are not only being blessed with two sons. Our parents are being blessed with two grandsons. Our siblings with two nephews, and on and on. These boys are coming into an incredible family. And I am so grateful.

(I will post pictures as soon as I get them. My mom has most of them. The rest got accidentally left in Utah. I figured making everyone wait until Monday would not make me many friends. :))

19 Week Update

How far along? 19 Weeks 3 Days
Total weight gain/loss: +22 <– and proud of it! Grow babies grow!
Maternity clothes? Yes. That’s all. My mom called me today with her latest plan for making more maternity pants. The woman is a lifesaver.
Best moment this week: Cam feeling the babes kick! They're sneaky little guys. A lot of the time they'll give 3 big kicks all at once just to get me excited and by the time Cam comes to try and feel, they are all tuckered out and completely still. BUT, around 8 every night, they go a little crazy. I was waiting for them to start kicking and so was Cam. It was so cool to see his face light up "was that one?!" His face when he felt the first kick (and then 2 more!) will go down as one of my favorite moments of our marriage. Our little family really is growing!
Movement: Yes. :) It makes me so happy to know they are healthy, alive, and that they have legs. :) lol.
Waist Diameter:  37" I actually look pregnant! It's awesome!
Food cravings: Found out this week that Starburst makes a bag of "favo-reds" which means all the red flavors are in a bag. Oh. My. Gosh. I ate 50 before I realized what was going on.
Labor Signs: None, thank heavens. :) But my belly does get tight and sore fast if I am walking around too much.
Belly Button in or out? Totally still in, but I’m sure it’s only a matter of time! It’s also sore. But judging from the comments of last week's update, the battle of the belly button will wage for a while
What I miss: Being able to cuddle up close to Cam. My belly is finally getting in the way! I had an emotional breakdown because I couldn't remember the last time he just held me. (It was probably, oh, 2 days earlier, but rational breakdowns are not my forte.) We've since gotten more creative and I've been less picky about how comfortable I really have to be to enjoy cuddling.
What I am looking forward to: FOUR DAYS UNTIL OUR ULTRASOUND! I am so dang excited to see our babes again! I haven't seen them since week 9. It seems like such a long time ago and I can't even imagine how they've changed! As far as I've seen, they are cute little glow-worms with nubs for arms and legs. I can't wait to see BABIES in there. I'm preparing for my mind to be blown.
Milestones: Cam feeling kicks from the outside! Also, we are now halfway to MY goal. :) woo!
Realization of the week: These babies will have physical traits from me and Cam. I had a dream that we had a little girl and she had my eyes. Cam said (in the dream) that he could see me in her. And then I cried. I can't wait to meet them and get to know them and pick out features. Little noses, toes, eyes, ears, hands, the list goes on. How incredible is it that these babies are already people?

Also, it is really hard to commit to looking decent once a week for these pictures. oh boy. lol. The last two have been taken on date night because I try to look normal anyhow.