10 weeks with the TWINS!

Week of October 30th, 2014

How Far Along? 10 Weeks

Due Date: May 28, 2015!

Total weight gain/loss: down 2 still

Maternity clothes? I bought some more jeans since I only had one pair and they were from Lincoln and my thunder thighs had worn holes in the upper thighs. 

Stretch Marks? No new ones

Sleep: Normal

Best moment this week: getting to tell everyone! I recorded a few reactions because they were awesome...My mom's was my favorite though!

Movement: I'm so desperate to feel these two!

Food cravings: I don't think so

Food aversions: None...the nausea is practically gone too!

Gender: We are planning to find out! I'm thinking girls though

Labor Signs: none

Belly Button in or out? still in

What I miss: not really anything

What I am looking forward to: feeling them move. and my next appointment! 

Size of baby: 

Baby's now the size of a prune!With bones and cartilage starting to form and vital organs beginning to function, baby is making major progress. Body length will almost double in the next three weeks, and arm joints are now working. (Soon, legs will start working too.)

9 weeks with a surprise!

Week of October 23rd

Today I had my first OB appointment. My doctor recently joined the group that I originally went to when I was pregnant with Lincoln. So I was scheduled for my ultrasound at 12:30. I had worked the night before and only got about 2 hrs of sleep before waking up to go. I didn't go back for my ultrasound until almost 1:45! I was exhausted, and hungry and was very anxious. I just wanted to know that my baby was ok, alive and well!

When the ultrasound tech started her exam she had the screen faced her. I was studying her like a hawk and I noticed her face made a twitch, then it did it again. Finally she turns the monitor to me, as she says "I'm going to show you what I'm seeing". When the monitor was turned to me, my heart dropped because all I saw was my empty uterus. Then she moved the wand, and said "I'm seeing two"...my immediate reaction was..."um what" she repeated herself and I immediately started to cry. I was all alone because Adam had just gone back to work the week before after being off for a month after having knee surgery and I knew he couldn't have taken time to come with me. My heart just swelled and I'm even getting emotional thinking about it now. It's such crazy blessing. The tech let me take a video of their heart beats so I could show Adam. As she was continuing her exam I texted Adam "are you sitting down" He had been nervous too, and had been texting and calling me while we were waiting for my scan. He immediately called me and was like "are you ok" I said I'm fine, he then asked "are you miscarrying, are you sure you're ok". I said yes, I couldn't be better. He then asked, "what's wrong" I said nothing, everything is fine, but it's Twins! I believe his reaction "Shut the fuck up, you're joking, thats not funny". I said no, I'm not kidding. it's really twins. I just sent you a video. at that point we both were in such shock. He asked if they were ok, I said yes, and that I would call him later. The tech continued her exam and told me that she believed they were Mono/Di which meant they were sharing a placenta, but believed  there were two sacs, but that the sacs were very thin and she would have to let my doctor make that assessment. With this, it means that they are IDENTICAL!

After the scan, I met with my friend the pregnancy educator where we went over my diet, high protein is key. and some other things like increasing my folic acid and ensuring I take prenatals.

After that I met with my doctor, who just smiled at me as she stood in the doorway. Then she gave me a huge hug!!!! She was so happy for me, and it just made me feel so lucky to have her as my doctor. She is such a kind and compassionate person and I'm so lucky she's such a support! We went over a few things, such as delivery (I have to have an epidural for the babies and my safety), increased monitoring (bi weekly cervical checks, and monthly if not more frequent ultrasounds) and things like that.

It's all slowly starting to sink in and I suppose I should begin my little journey of weekly posts! I just can't believe there are two babies inside me, although I feel so much bigger this time, so I guess I'm not all that surprised...

How Far Along? 9 Weeks

Due Date: May 28th 2015

Total weight gain/loss: so far I'm down 2

Maternity clothes? they are my best friends...love them!

Stretch Marks? Oh you bet! but no new ones

Sleep: I feel normal. I'm still nursing Landon and he wakes up once, around 5 AM, and then of course I'm still working nights so some days I only get 2 hrs of sleep, so being tired is my right. 

Best moment this week: Finding out we are having...wait for it....TWINS! the feelings we are having is everything you can possibly imagine. we are elated, nervous, scared, excited and overwhelming blessed. with each pregnancy i've felt so blessed and just can't imagine how much God has blessed us, but this time, the feeling is almost overwhelming! I feel so blessed and lucky. I'm almost moved to tears every time I think about it. 

Movement: too early for this, but I can't wait until I can, making sure these babies are ok is what I'm most anxious for. 

Food cravings: Nothing really

Food aversions: pretty much food in general. I get mildly nauseated every time I eat. but its NOTHING like what it was with the boys!

Gender: I'm thinking we might be changing our tune a little bit...I'm thinking we will be finding out. Twins is a HUGE surprise and I need some sort of control, so being able to pick out two names, and gather a second set of all things baby will be important.

Labor Signs: none...thank you lord!

Belly Button in or out? Innie, maybe with twins it will actually go out!

What I miss: being able to eat sandwiches... Jimmy Johns sounds so good, as well as subway!

What I am looking forward to: Telling everyone. We usually wait until I'm out of the first trimester but with all the complications with identical twins, I'm thinking we need all the prayers we can get and the sooner the better. We plan to tell my parents and Adams parents tomorrow. I called and told my sister today. Its really kind of fun being able to tell people!!! their reactions are PRICELESS!

Size of baby: 

Baby's now the size of a green olive!

Your little embryo has now officially graduated to fetus-hood. Adding to the excitement, a Doppler ultrasound device might be able to pick up the beating heart. With basic physical structures in place and increasingly distinct facial features, baby is kind of starting to look like...well...a baby!

Baby Chafin #3

Week of October 3rd

Ok This week I decided that it had been a while since I had my cycle and maybe I should take a pregnancy test. I took it just to ease my mind. I never really thought I was pregnant. My cycle was really irregular when I was nursing Lincoln, I mean 16 or 67 days...very hard to predict, and it was pretty much the same thing this time as well. I took them regularly when I was nursing Lincoln and they were always negative, and we were actually trying to get pregnant with both boys.  We did get pregnant with Landon shortly after I stopped nursing.

So when I took the test, and the horizontal line immediately appeared  my jaw dropped. We weren't trying, we weren't ready...were we? We were going to wait another year, when did this happen? Are we really ready? All these things were running through my mind. I immediately came out of the bathroom and asked Adam to read the pregnancy test to see if he saw the same thing I did...he said he felt it was positive too...I told him I had to go to store to get a digital one that read pregnant or not pregnant because I just wasn't sure. When that test came back positive too, to be honest I broke down. I started to cry. I was scared, I was nervous, I was overwhelmed. After all I wasn't expecting this, we weren't financially ready. This wasn't a part of our plan. I wanted to wait another year before trying.

It all came as such a shock because for the first time when I took a pregnancy test that turned out positive, I don't feel pregnant, nor were we actively trying. Sure we said 4 years ago when we began our journey to parent hood that we wouldn't prevent until we were done, it wasn't an active decision as it was with the boys. But I feel completely like I always do. No fatigue, no nausea, no breast tenderness, NOTHING! But since the test says positive, I'm hoping for a viable pregnancy and that this isn't a ectopic or molar pregnancy or something...so i'll be praying until I can get in to see my doctor in a few weeks. Also since I don't know how far along I am, I'm going to hold off on doing my normal weekly posts until I know for sure how far I am...5, 6 or 7


weeks...who knows!

turns out I'm 6 weeks 3 days here

How Far Along? Not a clue!

Due Date: According to my LMP may 22nd. According to my cycle length June 2nd...see why I have no clue!

Total weight gain/loss: 0 lbs so far...we shall see. I'm starting 3 lbs lighter than I did with Landon.

Maternity clothes? The sweet high elastic waist bands have never left me. They are my best friends!

Stretch Marks? Still covered. I wonder if I'll get more with this one like I did with Landon!

Sleep: ehhh I'm slightly more tired than normal but nothing like with Landon or Lincoln...I also work nights so it's hard to tell!

Best moment this week: finding out we are pregnant. We were not trying and were not expecting this. But we are so so thrilled!

Movement: too early for this

Food cravings: none really...i must be healthier than the last pregnancies than the last. I never did get around to losing the last of my lincoln pregnancy weight

Food aversions: none

Gender: unknown and I'm not sure we will find out again...i know we drive people nuts!

Labor Signs: none, thank goodness

Belly Button in or out? Innie never went out with either boys

What I miss: nothing really

What I am looking forward to: My doctor appointment October 23rd. If for nothing else to make sure this is a good pregnancy and to find out when I'm due. I am not going to post anymore weekly updates until I know! I'm sure not much else will change!

Size of the Baby:

Baby's now the size of a sweet pea!
Growing like crazy, baby is starting to sprout eyes, ears, nose, cheeks, and chin. Those little hands and feet -- still webbed like paddles -- might wiggle by week's end, the heart is beating (almost twice as fast as yours!), and blood is starting to circulate.

Landon's 11 months old

Well considering I have a little over a week before my baby is 12 months (gasp) old I guess it's high time I get his 11  month post done.

It's been a rough month with losing a very dear friend. I haven't had much energy to do much and we spent a lot of time with his family. But I'm so grateful for Landon and the joy he brought all of us during such a very hard time.

11 months how is it possible? How has a year almost past already. I just can't believe it. I can't believe it was just about a year ago that I was sitting and praying that I wouldn't go into labor early so that I would have Christmas off, while also hoping that this baby wouldn't come on Lincoln's birthday...funny trick Lando. 

These last 11 months have been a dream. Landon is the perfect baby and perfect addition to our family. He makes me want to have 10 more (ok maybe not 10, but a few more at least). He's just a joy and continues to be so, just the happiest and best baby you could ever hope for. We are so blessed.  

Being that he is truly almost 1, I'm going to try to keep these milestones to what he accomplished by 11 months instead of all the things he's done since then.  

•  This month we officially have crawler. He moved from the army crawl to a normal! He's such a big boy!
• He's not walking yet or even close. I bet he's 18 months before he walks!
• He pulls up on everything. He will even just sort of bounce on his knees. It's quite cute. 
• He will cruise across everything one he pulls up
• He won't really take steps if you hold his hands, which is why I think he will be slower to he walking, but I'm ok with that since he crawled so late. I'm in no hurry for him to get big!
• He is still in the stage of putting everything he can find in his mouth. I find myself bring a neat freak and vacuuming constantly to make sure he doesn't get into things he shouldn't. 
• My favorite thing he does is use his index finger. He will point with it and use it to explore everything. It's really cute. 
• He has 6 teeth 4 up top and 2 on bottom.
• He loves food. All food. There isn't anything he won't at least try, but bananas, Cheerios, and peaches seem to be a fave. 
• He still loves to nurse. Although I'm not sure he's getting much ounce wise since my supply has  dropped significantly. He still wants to do it. And when he wants to do it, here is no changing his mind!
• He still nursing 5 to 7 times a day!!!! But they aren't all full feeds, sometimes it's just for a minute or two. 
• He's becoming a little shy and will hide in my arms when some people come up to him at times. Other times he tries to high five everyone he sees.
• We are working on our discipline. We say no, and he sometimes listens but he's clearly testing out its meaning. Because he will stop what he's doing and smile at us, then try to go for it again. The biggest thing we say no to is, hitting our new tv! We can't let what happened to the last one happen again.
• He knows his name. When Adam or I say it he stops and will look at us. 
• He will come to me when I tell him to, granted he wants me anyway but when i say "come here" he usually does. 
• He loves to grunt, growl and make lots of noise. He doesn't really say any words yet, but he has said mama and dada just not necessarily distinctively yet. 
• He's still my good little sleeper. He sleeps about 10 hrs before waking for a feeding and then will sleep a few more hours after the feeding. 
• He takes a 2-4 hr nap everyday. But if I'm working he usually gets up around 7/8 and then my parents hold him off till I get home and then he will take a hr or so morning nap for them, then a later one for me. 
• He's a big boy and is mostly in 18-24 month clothes. Though for some reason I feel like he's not as big as Lincoln was. 

Here are some pics from his photoshoot. I feel like I was really able to capture his personality this time. He is so much fun. 

Landon we love you so much, thank you for being such a wonderful little person! we are beyond blessed!

Landon's 10 months old!!!!!

How is it that my baby is no longer single digit months!!! He’s 10 months old! WHAT THE HECK!!! Seriously where does the time go. I’m just flabbergasted! The month of July truly just came and left before I knew it! Its been a busy work month with extra shifts and I swear this whole working full time thing really takes it out of you!! But is what it is…I’m just thankful to help support my kids and hubby with a job that’s enjoyable to go to.

I've been meaning to write this post for a few days, but there was an unexpected death in the family, and my mind has been elsewhere. 

But Landon has been such a joy the last month, not that he ever isn't, but I love this age in how they gain so much personality, temper and begin to really figure things out. He's still the happiest baby ever, and so super easy but he also lets us know when he's mad and things aren't going the way he wants them to. 

Here are a few of his milestones:

• He's still our champion sleeper. going down a little later this month, around 9 or so and sleeping until about 7/8 with a feeding and then down for another hour or so. 
• He also takes a morning nap on the mornings I work back to back, since I'm not there for the early morning feeding, and also a 2-4 hr afternoon nap.
• He still breastfeeds 4/5 times a day. 
• there are days where he wants nothing to do with table food, and there are days where he wants nothing to breastfeeding during the day. 
• I haven't really found a food he doesn't like. He does really well eating table food in the evenings. He loves the dinners we have together
• He likes puffs and cheerios a lot. I've been bad about veggies this month, but always room for improvement. But he likes peaches and pears a lot. 
• He is crawling, but mostly army crawl. He has in the last few weeks taken a few "normal" crawling steps, but he still prefers the army crawl over anything
• He pulls up on EVERYTHING! and I mean Everything. Nothing is safe. This means he falls down from time to time, and he has a lot of bruises on his poor little head. 
• His favorite place to pull up is onto our "tv stand" and he is now starting to pound on our tv. I'm going to have to think of something to prevent this because I don't want him ruining our TV like Lincoln did our last one! 
• He will also climb a few stairs, and has even fallen down a few before I could run to get him! (we are talking about 1 step, not several)
• We had to move his crib to the lowest spot this month bc he has gotten so good at the pulling up that I didn't trust him not to fall out. 
• He loves to stand and bounce. When he is pulled up into the standing position he just bounces his little legs. 
• When he stands holding our hands, he will take a few steps! 
• He will mimic you a lot, more so than I remember Lincoln doing
• He will say mama, dada,  and tt. but i still don't think he knows what it means
• He knows his name! He will always turn and look at you when you say his name. 
• We are working on "high-fiving" He sometimes does it. We are also working on "bye bye"
• We have had to start discipline him. Which breaks my heart. I hate it, because I feel like kids are  so innocent, but he has to learn somehow. 
• He thinks Peak-a-boo is hilarious!
• He is in size 12/18 month cloths. Mostly 18 months.
• He most of the time hates to have his diaper changed, and hates to have his clothes changed...i don't get this at all
• He loves his big brother and watches him all the time and loves to interact with him. 
• He also loves pillows. He sees a pillow and he gets so excited and immediately throws himself down onto it.

Here are a few of my favorites from this month's photo session. 

Landon is just a beautiful little boy and has such a beautiful soul. I love every moment I get to spend with him, and I just hate leaving him for work or other things. He's just perfect! and the perfect little addition to our family! I can't believe he is getting so close to ONE!! crazy how time flies...

Thank You Dave Ramsey!

I just wanted to post this because I wanted to remember what this felt like and how happy we are to have accomplished this.

I’m proud to say that Adam and I are officially CREDIT CARD DEBT FREE!!!! Back in February we decided to stop the cycle of paying off our credit cards and getting back into debt and just figure out how to live on a budget and get out of debt.

This month (A few days shy of my goal) we are officially free of credit cards and I am also so proud that we will NEVER have them again. If we don’t have the money then we don’t’ need it…even those 0% for so many month ones…we are not responsible enough to have them, and I’m ok with that!

Our next goal is to have Adams student loans paid off by December, that might be hard to do, but it’s a goal…and I’m hoping we can make it…

I’m just so proud of our hard work and dedication! It feels so good to say that! And here in a few weeks, we will have our car repairs, and my doctor bill paid off! So all that’s left is the major stuff! Cars, student loans and our house!

God is good!

Lando's 9 months...wayyy late

Well my sweet little boy is officially 9 month old. I once again am late in writing this so I’ll try to keep it to what he had accomplished at that point.

Landon grew so much over the last month, he gained several new skills and continued to warm all of our hearts with his bright big toothy smile. His big blue eyes and huge open mouth grin get me every time! He continues to be such a laid back and easy baby and is developing quite the little personality and temper.

Lincoln and Landon’s relationship has also really grown this month. It’s so fun to see how much they interact together and how concerned Lincoln is with Landon. I truly hope these two are close and remain close for all their lives…and not to mention I hope they stay close to me.—I don’t know why but I keep thinking about the day they are going to leave me, and it truly breaks my heart. I don’t know what I’m going to do when they leave the house, let a lone leave me for another woman ::gasp:: or leave me for another state. Good thing I have many years to prepare for this….

But anyways here are my little guy’s milestones.

• He has 4 teeth finally. Both top and both bottom
• He still loves to breast feed, but he will get 1-2 “meals” of solid food too
• His favorite solids are peaches, bananas and puffs. He’s obsessed with puffs…what is about flavored air??
• He sleeps like a boy wonder…usually 12-14 hrs at night, sometimes he wakes to nurse in the wee hours of the morning, but mostly goes down at 8-8:30 and will wake to nurse at 8-8:30 and sometimes even go back down for a few more hours
• He will take a 2-4 hour nap in the afternoon
• He is up on all 4s and rocks back and forth
• He hasn’t started crawling yet, but has started to sort of scoot. His whole body will twist in 1 direction and then the other to get what and where he wants
• He loves to plank. It’s really quite funny!
• He’s gotten really good at going from a laying to sitting position. Though I’ve rarely seen him do it. It’s quite random when he actually does do it.
• He has also gone from a sitting position in his crib to pulling up to his knees. He’s only does this a few times, but I’m sure pulling up to a standing position won’t be far behind, and I’ll have to move the crib down…I just hate doing that!
• He has said mama and dada, but not necessarily to one of us…but he will sort of mimic me. 
• He loves when I say mama…he gets a huge grin on his face melt.my.heart
• He loves to point to things with his index finger. He is constantly pointing at and putting his index finger in my mouth or my eye or nose.
• He also loves to grab at my necklaces and earrings.
• He loves to laugh…everything is funny, especially his brother. He has the best giggle ever!
• I’ve moved up the settings on his jumperoo and he likes it much better. He will sit and jump in it for a while, but no where near how long he used to.
• We also have a “walker” that we let him use when we are outside and he seems to like it a lot!
• He really enjoys bath time and getting to splash around—therefore he loves the pool, I just wish we could go more often!
• In the bath he loves to roll onto his stomach, something Lincoln would NEVER do, and it makes me a little nervous, I feel like I can't take my eyes off him for a second. And I feel like I'm sitting on pins and needles just waiting for him to dunk his face in the water. 
• We are at the stage where EVERYTHING goes in his mouth. I’m finding a need to really keep the house spotless so he doesn’t choke on something…good motivation to have a clean house I guess…
• I love this age because his personality is starting to show through, where we can see his likes and dislikes…
• He as also started to develop a temper. He gets upset and throws his head back and arches his back…I can’t help but laugh…I  can usually get him to laugh though, and he quickly snaps out of it.

At his doctor appointment

• He was 28 ½ inches long
• He was 70% of height
• He was 22 lbs 2 oz
• He was 75% for weight

Just for comparison sake…he’s an inch shorter (Lincoln was 29 ½”) and he’s almost 2 lbs heavier than Lincoln! (Lincoln was 20lbs 9oz)

Our photo shoot went rather well :)

Landon is just such a perfect addition to our family…I really can’t express or say it enough…when you have a second baby, you just wonder how your life will change and how different things will be and for me I wondered how challenging going from one to two would be and if the second would be as tough as the first one (Lincoln was colic). I sit there and look at Landon and I just cant imagine getting luckier, he’s the perfect baby. He is so calm and quite and really requires little from us. He is laid back and easy going.

He learned so much this month, and I just love getting to watch him grow and learn new things, but now that he’s getting more and more independent, I’m starting to get that baby fever again…though I do have to say that while I was very anxious to get pregnant after Lincoln, with Landon, I do want a third baby, but I also want to enjoy the two of them right now.

Our life is pretty amazingly perfect…I wouldn’t trade a second of it…well maybe the seconds at work I’d trade for being at home, but maybe someday.

We love you Landon Richard Kalvin!