You Know You're Pregnant When...

I was on babycenter.com yesterday and found a post about, "You know you are pregnant when..." and it got me to thinking about these things myself.  So I thought it would be fun to share these with you all.  I am warning you that some are probably TMI and downright stupid that I cried at whatever it was, but needless to say, they are funny.

You know you are pregnant when...

You have a hard time putting on strappy sandals because you can't buckle them up and your husband has to come to your rescue.

You can't shave your nether regions very well and fear the thought of wearing a bikini and everyone seeing your botch job.

You get upset that there wasn't enough ice cream in the freezer and want your husband to go get more for you.

You drop something on the floor and contemplate picking it up because you aren't sure if you can get back up again.

You cry because you can't bring your pregnancy pillow on a trip because you have no room for it.

You are bitchy at the bartista because she didn't understand your drink order that you have ordered a million times and onlookers are giving you dirty looks for even drinking coffee.  Is a blended vanilla latte that hard to understand?  I don't think so bitch.

You bought a new bra a month ago that was already up three sizes up from pre-pregnancy and you already have to buy a new one an additional size up.  How big will these knockers get?

You dream about pizza/sushi/ice cream all day and cry if you can't have them that night.

You cry because your doctor told you that you couldn't work out anymore.

And for good measure, I saw this photo and thought about myself.  But I probably would have skipped the chocolate and ate the vanilla and strawberry. #pregnancyproblems

 image via Pinterest

21 Weeks

So I told you all I traveled last week and since this is pregnancy related, I thought it was best to share here.  Remember when I told you my flights from two trips ago to Philly area and Jacksonville area were awful?  Feel free to read this part if you need to catch up.  Well I can say that this last trip to LA and New Orleans was so much better.

I took my own advice and wore leggings, a soft tank, over sized sweater and toms on the plane.  So much better.  I could breathe, didn't feel like my jeans were slicing my stomach open and overall felt more comfortable.  And as for the pillow situation, I found a pillow that we use as decoration and brought it on the plane with me.  It is about 12 inches long and not super thick.  I put this baby behind my back and was gold even on a 4 hour flight.  Now I just need to remember to get up more often.  I got up, but not as often as I should I guess.  Overall, my flights were better.  And since my husband will be on this flight with me, no need to worry about lifting my luggage onto the scale, from the carousel or in/out of the car.

Plus I get to wear some fall maternity clothes I have been dying to wear.  Did I just get excited about maternity clothes?  Wow so much has changed.   I have two awesome maternity dresses (that don't look like maternity) for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding.  I have my boots, fall sweaters and jeans all set out for this trip.  I am really looking forward to seeing this part of New Jersey.

Hopefully I can tackle a few other posts today for the next few days since I will be out of town and busy.  But for now, onto the pregnancy/bump update.

How far along: 21 weeks

Babies are the size of a:Pomegranate. And the length of a carrot.  Babies are around 10.5 inches (via TheBump.com) and weighing in around 12.7 ounces each.  I would guess one is and one is a bit more.   

Babies are: "Gulping down amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition.  And their taste buds actually work!  Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid.  Meaning, think about what you want your future children to eat as you prepare your own lunch."

Maternity Clothes: Wearing a lot more, but still am wearing non maternity stuff.  Especially over sized shirts, tanks and one last pair of dress pants.

Stretch Marks: None yet thankfully and hope they never show up.

Sleep: Decent.  I have been waking up around 3 to 4 times per night to pee and it's getting tougher to get out of bed on my own.
Symptoms: Backaches and we are back to the bloody noses.  Thankfully no allergies with it.

Best Moment of the Week:Hanging out with our friends Nick and Nathalie.  It has been way too long and Nathalie got tons of time with the babies.  She loved touching my belly, seeing the nursery progress and hearing everything and anything baby related.

Movement: We have movement folks.  I felt them for the first time last Thursday and now they are moving like crazy.  I love it!!
Cravings: Fruit, pizza, ice cream.  Same as always.
Gender: Two precious baby girls.
Belly Button In or Out: In half way.  My belly button looks very awkward...especially when I laugh.
Wedding Ring on or Off: On.
Anything Making You Queasy or Sick: Nothing right now.
What I Miss: Wine.  And poached eggs.
What I am Looking Forward to: Our trip back east tomorrow! And feeling the babies move more.
Labor Signs: Not even close.
Nursery: I started making their nursery mobiles.  They are so cute.  I need more ribbon, but they are coming along.  Plus we are asking everyone who comes over to pick their color of choice for the girls room.  Painting to commence in a week and a half ish.
Emotions: Feeling pretty good.  Haven't cried this week (yet), but I know I will at the wedding.  I am really full of love and happiness right now.  I will take it!

And there you have it.  Baby updates are done for this week and I managed at least two posts so far.  I call that a win for the week.  Hope to have more ready for you all.

A Late Week Update

Wow I feel like I should once again be dusting off this blog.  With all of the work travel, nursery prep and maternity clothes shopping, I find it harder to write a post.  No excuses though.

Lots of fun stuff has been happening in the Butler household.  We have been going to lots of football games (traveled to San Jose for the Nevada vs. San Jose State game and this past weekends lost to Boise State), having friends over, blanching our tomatoes for the winter, starting on the nursery and picking names for these beautiful babies, it has been a busy life for us.

Last week I was fortunate enough to go to the City of Angels (plus the Palm Springs area) and New Orleans.  While in LA, I sat in a lot of traffic to get to my work, but then it was amazing to see my best in the evenings.  We had so much fun catching up.  Plus she got to see the bump in full force and we got to eat so much amazing food.  Fried mac n cheese balls, seafood salads and a tasty version of guac and chips.  This pregnant gal was in heaven.

This wasn't from my LA trip, it was from the San Jose trip during the weekend before.  It is a crab benedict.  I know I am not supposed to have poached eggs, but I had to indulge just once and it was SO.WORTH.IT.

Plus I had acai bowls for breakfast daily.  They still didn't hold a candle to my experience in San Diego, but they came close.

I also managed to visit my grandfather's grave since it was so close to where I was staying.  It was a huge blessing to take the babies to see their great grandfather and feel his presence. 

We brought pink flowers because duh, girls and meeting their great grandfather.

Here is that baby bump I promised you in my 20 week update that never made it onto the blog.  Sorry.

Wednesday I headed off to New Orleans and almost didn't make my flights because most flights were late....especially mine out of Vegas.  A mere 50 minute flight away.  But luckily they held our plane since there were over 10 passengers on the flight with me going to New Orleans.

I had never been to New Orleans nor Louisiana, so I was excited to say the least.  I didn't realize how close Bourbon Street was to my hotel, nor did I realize that it is hard to find a great creole/etouffe place.  I searched Yelp and had no real luck.  But I did manage to find an amazing oyster bar called Acme Oyster House.  I had half a dozen char grilled oysters (heaven with all the butter and cheese).

And then I had the fried soft shell crab with sweet potato fries and hush puppies.  So much fried goodness right here.

Sorry for the poorly lit photos.  It was dark inside.  But they had the Giants game on (they beat the Pirates) and the food was killer.

The next morning I woke up super early to walk down to Cafe Du Monde for some of their famous beignets.  Now my husband never had a beignet on his trip to NOLA, but I knew I couldn't pass up the real deal.  In fact, I had them twice in one day.  Breakfast and dessert.  Don't judge.  They were worth it at $2.65 (tax included).  Ladies and gents, meet heaven in the form of a pastry.

These gems were absolutely perfect.  I need more of these in my life.

Let me tell you, Louisiana is HOT.  Like dying with so much sweat hot.  I wore a partial suit and it was a big mistake.  And I was in the car a lot, but I still felt like I was dying.  But I managed to see different parts of the southern side of New Orleans and some damage from Katrina along the way.

After work, I ventured out to Baton Rouge to check out LSU's campus because you must see that campus and stadium. So beautiful there and so hot.  Plus I ran (or drove) through some massive amounts of rain.

Meet Mike the Tiger, LSU's mascot.  He was very hot and tired, but he did pick his head up when we talked to him.  Did you know he hasn't been to one game this year so far (unless he made it to last weekends game, not sure).  The guy who was showing his grandma and mom around said he usually only goes to cooler temp games.  They give him the say in if he goes or not.  Pretty cool.  He was gorgeous with that white and orange mix coloring.

Friday it was time to head home to see my pup and the husband.  But my flight was delayed which meant I wouldn't get to Chicago in time for my next flight.  This also meant no Pot Belly's, whomp whomp.  So I manged to get my flight changed to earlier, but that also meant 15 to 20 minutes to pack and get ready in the morning.  Stressful morning and tons of rain in New Orleans.  Luckily I made A List this trip so security, boarding and checking in were easy.  Thankfully.

Oh and if any of you are bachelor/bachelorette/bachelor in paradise fans, I met Robert (who looks like Liam Hemsworth) in LAX on my way home.  

And so ends another work trip.

I spent the weekend going to the Pack game vs Boise State where we lost and had every opportunity to win.  We blanched tomatoes and made homemade spaghetti sauce and started working on the girls nursery mobiles.

Life has been pretty good to us lately.  Next up, we are going to New Jersey, Avalon to be specific on Thursday for a cousin's wedding.  I am pretty excited.  Plus I have my husband on this flight, so things should be smoother in that sense.

Stay tuned for a pregnancy/bump update tomorrow.  How was your weekend and last week?

20 Weeks

Greetings from LA, soon to be New Orleans, I hope. Right now I am delayed in LA and have a short layover that I may not make. Fingers crossed.

We are at the half way mark theoretically if we were having one baby, but since we are having two, we hit that a week or so ago. The doctors say the babies look great, all organs are perfect, all tests look great and they measured in at 10 oz and 11 oz as of Friday. The only thing of worry is my uterus is grown more than normal which means there is more amniotic fluid then they like to see. So we have to be monitored more, I have to cut my workouts even more and make sure I get lots of rest for these little girls.

Now onto the update...
(I have a photo I will upload later when I have use of a computer and not just my iPhone and iPad.)

How far along: 20 weeks

Babies are the size of a: Endive/Banana. Babies are about 6 1/2 inches from head to bottom and 10 inches from head to heel. Babies are at least 10 and 11 ounces, but most likely bigger now. 

Babies are: Swallowing more which is good practice for the digestive system. They are producing meconium which is basically their digestive waste, but don't worry, it most likely won't come out until we change their first diapers. 

Maternity Clothes: I am wearing more and more, but still some non maternity clothes. 

Stretch Marks: None yet thankfully and hope they never show up.

Sleep: Pretty good. Especially in the big comfy king bed I have had all to myself on my trip.
Symptoms: Backaches, swollen feet and ankles. 

Best Moment of the Week: Seeing the babies growth and hearing their organs are perfect! Also our weekend trip to Cali. 

Movement: Nothing.  Doctor said anytime though.
Cravings: Fruit, pizza, ice cream.  Same as always.
Gender: Two precious baby girls.
Belly Button In or Out: In half way.  My belly button looks very awkward...especially when I laugh.
Wedding Ring on or Off: On.
Anything Making You Queasy or Sick: Nothing right now.
What I Miss: My husband and dog.
What I am Looking Forward to: Getting to New Orleans and exploring the city and amazing food. I can't wait for beignets.
Labor Signs: Not even close.
Nursery: We picked out some colors for the walls, painted samples and now are trying to figure out which works best.  So hard to choose.
Emotions: Feeling pretty good. I got to see my best friend in LA both nights and we talked for hours. Plus she saw the bump. 

19 Weeks

It's time for another bump update and this time I actually have a picture.  Plus I should have pictures for next week as I am going out of town this weekend which means my husband can play photographer.  I just need to be good and get some posts done this week for next week since I will be traveling for work again.  Where am I going you ask?  Palm Springs/Palm Desert and New Orleans, LA.  I CAN.NOT.WAIT.  I have never been to New Orleans and I am dying to have some amazing southern food (fried, creole, beignets, etc.).

Anyways, onto the bump/pregnancy update.

Babies and boobs are getting huge.

How far along: 19 weeks

Babies are the size of a: Zucchini/Heirloom Tomato/Mango.  Babies are about 6 inches long and 8.5 ounces each.  We had an ultrasound/anatomy scan yesterday and things are looking great.  Babies are measuring big and look to be perfect.  We have another growth scan on Friday with our perinatal doctor, so more pictures and more baby info. 

Babies are:  Developing a protective coating over their skin, called vernix caseosa.  They are also developing/working on their five senses.

Maternity Clothes: I wear some and still rock some non-maternity clothes.

Stretch Marks: None yet thankfully and hope they never show up.

Sleep: So-so because I have some allergies that are making my life miserable.  Anyone know of medicine I can take?
Symptoms: Allergies, backaches and swollen feet and ankles.

Best Moment of the Week: Seeing our babies on the ultrasound moving and shaking.  Plus having dinner with friends who also have twin baby girls.  So informative and fun.

Movement: Nothing.  I was told that it might not happen for a few more weeks since there are twins in there.  Get to moving babies.
Cravings: Fruit, pizza, ice cream.  Same as always.
Gender: Two precious baby girls.
Belly Button In or Out: In half way.  My belly button looks very awkward...especially when I laugh.
Wedding Ring on or Off: On and looking pretty.  I finally got my ring checked for any loose diamonds, polished and cleaned.  Looks brand new.
Anything Making You Queasy or Sick: Nothing right now.
What I Miss: Wine, especially on dinner nights with my girlfriends.
What I am Looking Forward to: Going to San Jose for the Nevada vs. San Jose State football game and having a weekend with my husband.  This much travel and I really miss him.
Labor Signs: Not even close.
Nursery: We picked out some colors for the walls, painted samples and now are trying to figure out which works best.  So hard to choose.
Emotions: Feeling ok.  These allergies are killing me and making it hard to function.  Ugh, go away allergies.  But other than that, I am feeling pretty good and no emotional meltdowns so far.

The Horror Stories of Pregnancy and Motherhood

Ok so I am jumping on the bandwagon and writing about hearing horror stories, pregnancy advice, motherhood advice, etc. I keep reading blogs and Huffington Post stories on how hard it is to have a newborn.  How "hellish" life will be once the little one(s) arrive.

It makes me cringe when I read these stories because it sets myself and other pregnant women up for a not so pleasant look to our future.  I know that motherhood is going to be hard, but each and every baby is different.  Your baby may not take to breastfeeding or is constantly crying, but my baby "could" latch on right away and be a very calm baby.  One never knows until they go through the experience.

I would rather hear that it is hard, but the most rewarding experience of their lives.  That having a baby changed their lives, but in a good way.

Since announcing that we are pregnant, we have heard so many horror stories.  Oh, so and so's water broke and so much blood came out of her that they didn't think she would live through it.  Then she experienced a horrible delivery only to have a late c-section....You will probably have a c-section.  What kind of story is this for a scared momma-to-be?

Or my body is so small that they will tear me apart if I try to deliver them vaginally.  Like a lot of stitches and pain for a month or more.  And that I should just schedule my c-section now.  I am sorry, but this is my body and I know what my body can and can not take.  Thank you very much.

And since announcing that we are having twin baby girls, I have gotten so many lovely and mean comments.  Everything from baby girls are the best to I feel so sorry for you.  I would never want twin girls.  That is a death sentence right there.

Why can't people keep their mean/rude/non-constructive comments to themselves.  I don't care if you think that having two girls is the worst thing ever.  I feel blessed to be pregnant, excited that they are beautiful little girls and I know that God chose us for these baby girls because he knows we can handle it.  Heck we will thrive on it.

So why can't people share more of the great experiences and not always the bad/worse case scenarios.  Do people do it for validation that they made it through this awful experience and we should be proud of them?  Do they do it to warn others to not have children?  I don't get it.  Sure I want to hear the bad with the good, but let's even it out a bit.

So please, share your stories/advice with me.

Gender(s) Reveal

So on Friday I told you all that we know the babies gender(s), but I hadn't revealed them yet.  Well I am finally here to reveal what the babies are.  And if you follow me on facebook or instagram then  you already know.

Friday after running errands, I bough some cupcake ingredients and baked away.  After letting them cool, I used a paring knife to cut a small part out of the top of the cupcake and saved it for later.  I mixed my colored frosting and piped it in replacing the part I cut out with a slightly smaller piece of it.  Then I frosted in basic vanilla frosting and added sprinkles so I could tell which ones had the color(s) in them.

So without further ado...

 What gender(s) are the Butler babies?

Notice how big the bump is now?  Crazy.

The Butler babies are...

Identical (most likely) twin GIRLS

The husband and I couldn't be more excited.  Sure we are a bit worried how much these little princesses will cost us in the future, but the bows, dresses, cutest clothes and sparkly everything help even it out.

To say that we were surprised is an understatement as it has been with everything about this pregnancy.  We were thinking one was a boy from early on based on early ultrasounds, but we had it in our minds they were either boy/girl or boy/boy.

I can't wait to decorate their nursery.  We already hit Home Depot this weekend for paint colors which are on the walls (decisions to make now), bought supplies for DIY mobiles for each crib and bought tons of girly clothes at the Just Between Friends event.  Any other suggested DIY baby room items I should make?

Did you guess right?