18 weeks {feet up}

 

...and he is so excited about that!

How far along: 18 weeks, 2 days

Weight gain/loss: +6 lbs. at 142 (starting weight 136)

Maternity clothes: Loving all Gap maternity! I think this week is the last week I can pull off my non-pregnant shorts.

Sleep: Sleep is a little better. waking up a few times really sore and starting to wake up really hungry around 4am

Best moment this week: We registered on Sunday. It was fun {for me only for the first hour, for hubbs, the whole 3.5} Also I am starting to feel a bit of movement in there!!!

Food cravings: pasta, protein shakes, strawberries {sometimes with sugar sprinkled on top}, watermelon.

Food aversions: still meat. I talked to my OB about it this week and she is not at all concerned with eating since the twins are growing perfectly. But she is happy I am drinking my shakes.

Movement: a little bit!

Gender: BOYS!

Symptoms: Pressure here and there, lower back pain and some serious stretching

Looking forward to: Our peri (high risk) appointment next Friday. I love going to that office. I learn so much and get to see the littles for a long time!

Baby/momma medical update: I had a regular OB checkup this week and all went great. She found both heart beats on Doppler, & my belly measured at 22 weeks {which is good for twins to be 4-6 weeks ahead}

She did however tell me I need to be off my feet as much as possible for the next few weeks. {when we left she said "feet up" and Adam replied with "I have no problem feeding her and making her eat" the doctor and I both started laughing and said "FEET"} She wants as much weight off my cervix as possible. So no standing for long or walking around too much. It's going to be a long summer folks.

For those of you who know me, know how tough this is for me. I am "doer" and a "go, go, go person" This also hinders the "travel" portion of my work. Although both shows are only a quick drive to Orlando, they don't think its a good idea for me to be on my feet for that amount of time. Thankfully, I have an amazing boss, company and team. They have all rallied around me and are helping with the "at show" portion of my job. Have I mentioned I love them? There is nothing better than having an amazing, supportive and understanding boss and team. Mine rock!

I am hoping to be mobile in time for my second show in July that is in Orlando. My boss is actually going to that show as well, so I would love to give her a big squeeze in person and thank her!

 

Hoping you all are having a great week!

xxoo

-b

 

 

Our Weekend

 

 

We had another busy weekend that ended up taking a toll on me less than halfway through. So the tail end of the weekend I spent on the couch, resting.

 

{friday}

Friday night we went to dinner with a few of my girlfriends and their husbands. We were celebrating one of my friends and her husbands birthday (birthdays are the same day, how fun?) And I got to see little Miss Avery Grace, which always makes my day.

 

 

 

{saturday}

Saturday brother and I drove to Orlando to see family that came into town, including our precious Mammaw!

 

 

{sunday}

Sunday morning we went to register. My, oh my. I thought Adam would be the one to get overwhelmed and grouchy. WRONG! it was me. We were there for 3.5 hours, and by the end of the first hour I sat on the floor of each section and pointed while Adam gunned is way through the store. But we got it done. We ended up making our main registry at Buy Buy Baby and then that night I did an online registry for Babies R Us. I have never been so tired or in so much pain, ever.

Hubbs was amazing! I am so lucky to be married to this man.

 

 

Sunday evening we went over to our friends house for BBQ and to see their new little one, who is so precious!

 

{monday}

We laid on the couch, all day. Except for a run to Whole Foods for grocery shopping. But after being there for 10 minutes, I realized I should have stayed on the couch.

 

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Yay for a short week!

 

-b



Friday's Letters

A: every day I love you more and more. Your endless support, love and optimism with this pregnancy gets me through every single day. I am so excited to have these boys come into the world and be raised by you. You are an amazing man. I love you.

 

babies: its time to fatten you up, eat up boys!

 

body: please cooperate and keep these boys in there until 34 weeks. I will do everything in my power to give you what you need.

 

mammaw: I am so excited to see you on Saturday, even if its for a quick visit. I miss you and can't wait to hug you.

 

to our military past and present: thank you for your selflessness and love for our country. You and your families are thought about everyday and hold a big place in my heart.

 

3 day weekend: thank you for being here, I've needed you.

 

online orders: I wish you were getting here today, that would make for a fun weekend treat.

 

laundry: can you do yourself? I can put you in the washer and dryer and as long as you can fold and put yourself away.

 

 

happy memorial day weekend!

-b

linking up with Ashley from The Sweet Season 



17 weeks { & Vasa Previa}

 

"halfway? b - I don't think you know how to count?"

{see all the way below}



How far along: 17 weeks, 2 days

Weight gain/loss: +2 lbs. at 138 (starting weight 136)

Maternity clothes: Loving all Gap maternity bottoms, and I got some great sweat shorts from Old Navy that I have been living in this week.

Sleep: Sleep is a little better.
 

Best moment this week: We got to see the littles on Monday and they were precious. Baby A (on the bottom) was breech so head up feet down, and Baby B was horizontal and they had their little heads together. Looked like they were telling secrets. Secrets that probably went something like this " let's give mom something else to worry about for her whole pregnancy" and then I'm sure they giggled. {see very bottom of post}

Food cravings: pasta, protein shakes, STRAWBERRIES. Strawberries like you wouldn't believe. I actually woke up for the first time in the middle of the night to go downstairs and eat them. It sucks that those suckers are so dang expensive.

Food aversions: still meat. Ugh, meat. But I have started supplementing my protein intake with vegetable/plant based protein shakes that are yummy!

Movement: none yet

Gender: BOYS!

Symptoms: This week I had a lot of lower abdomen pain and a lot of pain in my back.

Looking forward to: Registering this weekend and getting to see the babes again next week (yes I have an appointment every 10 days, again see below)

Baby/momma medical update: Oh, goodness. I was hoping not to have one of these this week, but as my Peri doctor said "you get more interesting every time you come in"

So lets start back a few weeks ago (6 weeks ago) when my OB discovered I had Placenta Previa, where part of the placenta was covering my cervix. It was so early that they thought it would move, and it did.

 Then 2 weeks ago in the Peri's office they discovered the Placenta Previa had moved but had left behind a blood vessel in its spot, also blocking my cervix. They thought this would more or dis ingrate. HA! No, no my friends. Don't they know God and the universe are out to test my anxiety and will to trust?
On Monday when we went in for my ultrasound, they discovered that blood vessel is actually an artery blocking my cervix, and that artery is attached to Baby A's umbilical chord. This is called Vasa Previa.

{a little back ground on Vasa Previa. Its pretty rare, as in 1 in about 3,000 pregnancies and is detrimental if it goes undetected. There are a lot of deaths at birth of singleton babies because the mother nor doctors knew the mother had vasa previa. What happens is when a woman's water breaks, there is nothing to support that artery anymore, so it breaks with it. This causes the baby to bleed out as it would if one of our arteries were cut}

So since they caught mine early and can monitor me I will be seen almost every 10 days to measure my cervical length and I have to monitor myself for Braxton Hicks. Here are the scenarios for me: (these plans are all to keep my water from breaking on its own)

Best case scenario: My cervix stays the same length (or a good length) and I don't get Braxton Hicks contractions. I get to be at home, living normal life until 34 weeks. At 33 weeks they are going to give the littles a round of steroids to help their lungs and then they are going to take them by C-section at week 34. They will take them this week regardless. 

Middle case scenario: My cervix shortens to below where the doctors want it or I start getting Braxton Hicks. If either of these two happen from next week forward, I will be hospitalized for monitoring until 34 weeks. ( I know hospitals are the best place to be, but I really don't want to be a summer camper at St. Joe's)

Worst case scenario: my water breaks on its own before 34 weeks. If this were to happen, Baby A would not make it and Baby B would be critical and would more than likely not make it, since they share a few blood vessels.

So for right now, I just go to my appointments, get monitored, listen to my doctors and pay really close attention to my body. And of course pray like heck and trust that best case scenario wins out.
With having a C-section at 34 weeks, the twins will be 6 weeks early and will more than likely spend a few days if not weeks in the NICU.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers and this momma is terrified and stressed to the max. I am staying calm for my body but don't think I haven't gone over these scenario's over and over in my head every day.

until then, we just keep plugging along and get this house baby ready:) Our late October babies are now going to be mid-September babies. (I never thought at 17 weeks I would know that for 100% fact)

hope everyone has a great weekend! and I'll keep the updates coming!

xo

-b

       

Steak Swap Cobb Salad



I am and have been an avid viewer of the Food Network and Cooking Channel. It's what got me through my first year of marriage and my engagement year. When I first started cooking I relied on Rachael Ray and her magazine. I have since broadened my horizons and love lots of recipes from all chefs on those channels. However, one of my very favorite recipes from Rach is this Steak Swap Cobb Salad recipe. It's amazing. We've been making for about 3 years now, but hadn't had it in a long time.

The homemade dressing in this recipe is also to die for. She takes all the wonderful flavors of a steakhouse and combines them perfectly in the dressing!

This weekend when we were deciding what to make, A really wanted to grill, but I haven't been in the mood for meat. When he dug this salad out of the back of his memory and mentioned it, I then HAD to have it.

Below is the recipe and my tweaks are below it.

(my Publix had no ripe Avocados, so they are missing from our salad, but its one of the best parts)

 

Ingredients

• 4 small strip steaks, 8-10 ounces
• Salt and pepper
• EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling, plus about 1/2 cup
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped or 1/4 to 1/3 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• 2 lemons or 3 limes
• 1 large shallot, peeled
• 1 clove garlic, grated or minced and pasted
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon warm water
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• 1 heart romaine lettuce, shredded
• 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1 small bundle watercress leaves, trimmed
• 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 2 baby Vidalia onions or 1 small bunch scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 hard boiled eggs, sliced or chopped
• 2 ripe Haas avocados, peeled, seeded and diced or sliced

---

Yields: Serves 4

---

Preparation

Bring steaks to room temp and season with salt and pepper. Heat outdoor grill or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat or broiler. When you’re about ready to eat, dress meat with a drizzle of oil and cook steaks 4 minutes on each side for medium rare, up to 12 minutes, turning once, for well done.

Let meat rest while you combine chopped parsley or cilantro and zest of 1 lemon or 2 limes. Slice each steak thinly against the grain and dress sliced steaks with herb, garlic and zest mixture, the juice of 1/2 lemon or 1 lime, another drizzle of oil and a little more salt.

Grate shallot and garlic into a bowl and add mustard, Worcestershire, tomato paste and warm water then whisk to combine. Add vinegar and pour in EVOO, about 1/2 cup, in a slow stream while you whisk the dressing to emulsify it. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.

Combine the lettuces in a bowl with dressing and blue cheese. Arrange dressed greens on individual plates and top with arrangement of sliced meat across the center. Place the tomatoes mixed with scallions along one side and the eggs and avocados along the opposite side. Dress the avocado with the juice of 1/2 lemon or a lime before arranging on salad to keep it form browning on the plate.

 

*My tweaks*

-I use flank steak, because hubs and I just love that for a thin steak

-The onions, I sauté so let the natural sugars make them extra yummy.

- I use lemon, not lime

-I use cilantro, not parsley

- I also don't sprinkle oil on the steak after its cooked.

 

hope y'all enjoy!

-b

 

 



Weekend Update

 

 

 

I have a love/hate relationship with busy weekends. I love all the things we get to do and accomplish but hate it when I feel like we didn't get to relax once. This weekend was one of those weekends.

 

Friday we attended the Dick Vitale Gala in Sarasota. The gala was for The V Foundation for Cancer Research. I had no idea how many celebrities in the sports world would be there, so it was fun getting to meet all of them and bring awareness to this great foundation. They inducted 3 college coaches into their hall of fame: Bobby Bowden, Jim Calhoun, and Bill Self. Clearly with my hubby being a Seminole, being able to hear Bobby speak again was great!

 

 

 

Saturday I helped my little brother find a new place closer to the hospital where he'll be doing his clinicals for the next two years in med school. It went great and we found him a rad spot! While I did that hubbs stayed home and finished the musical rooms game. Got the new nursery completely cleared out and the guest bed moved into the new guestroom. He is awesome! That night he grilled a flank steak and I made a favorite salad of ours {which I will post the recipe to this week}.

 

 

Sunday I woke up not feeling so hot and super dizzy. So we made breakfast and I laid down for a bit. We then headed to Ikea to get our dresser for the nursery! And then spent three hours putting it together, gotta love Ikea:) But we had fun! Sunday night we went to see the Great Gatsby with another couple. It was fantastic! I had heard there were bad reviews, but I think it was excellent and I will be buying the soundtrack today!!!

 

 

this was the finished project! The walls are NOT staying that color and we just hung the picture there to measure a few things since that will be a gallery wall. {and yes, being the organized freak that I am, I already bought drawer organizers}.

 

Hope y'all had a great weekend!

-b



16 weeks

How far along: 16 weeks

Weight gain/loss: +1 lbs. at 137 (starting weight 136)

Maternity clothes: Still loving my gap yoga pants, and the Gap flat from shorts {pictured above}! I now want them in every color

Sleep: Sleeping a little better than last week
 

Best moment this week: Found we are having BOYS!!!!!!!! and of course shopping for them and getting those sweet little packages at the door and holding those little clothes. They are precious and I am now obsessed with boy clothes!

Food cravings: Soups, french fries, cantaloupe, strawberries (at night with a sprinkle of sugar for dessert) and fudgesicles.

Food aversions: still meat, and big portions or big bites

Movement: none yet

Gender: BOYS!

Symptoms: still lots of ligament pain, some pressure and severe back pain.

Looking forward to: We have another high risk appointment on Monday for cervical length and extremities measurements. Plus measuring their bellies to watch for TTT {details below}.

Baby/momma medical update: I figured I would do these as I have appointments so I can keep track of what happened when. Last Friday when we went to the high risk doc my previa had improved! The weekend I went to the hospital is was full previa. The week after that when I went to my OB it was then considered a "low lying placenta" and was .5mm from my cervix { the length my placenta and cervix should be from each other is 2cm}. Last Friday at the Peri {high risk} it was 1cm, improving.  But it left behind a blood vessel that is right on top of my cervix and baby A's umbilical cord is partially attached to it. This is not harmful to the baby, but can cause me to bleed and if it stays there I will 100% have to have a C-Section as its very dangerous to me.
Baby A's umbilical cord is also low on my placenta. They want both UC's to be right in the center the placenta for ample nourishment and blood flow. With twins this is a larger concern because this is can cause TTT {Twin to Twin Transfusion} which is where one twin takes all the food and blood supply leaving one with next to nothing. There is a procedure that can be done for this, but the 3 doctors that do it (in this country) are in California, Ohio and Miami. I wont go into the surgery that has to be done if this happens, because I am thinking positively and not even going down that road.
Both boys measured great though. Both were 5oz/ 4 inches and both of their stomachs were the same size, which is good and means they are both sharing properly {clearly my kids} :) They will just need to be monitored very aggressively every other week.
*I also went into my OB yesterday with severe back pain and pressure. I of course went in sobbing being terrified of TTT and pre-term labor. Everything checked out fine {my previa moved even more and is 1.5cm away...almost there!} and the boys were great! my pain is just from being preggers with Twins, which eased my mind. That I can deal with:)

That's my update for now! While I am so nervous to buy or register for anything, we are going to start this weekend! Heading out to buy our dresser and get that set up. YAY! Here are a few pics from our 16 week appt.

 

 

hope y'all have a great weekend!

-b

*if you don't follow me on instagram or twitter, below is how we announced the gender . . .
{if you want to follow : insta: brittanylaws and twitter: thelawsnest}