Breast Milk Jewelry

If you don't know by now, I'm a sucker for jewelry. There is rarely a piece, that I don't like. Charming Charlies....I NEVER leave without buying something. Etsy....I have spent so much money on "one of a kind" pieces! I LOVE JEWELRY!!

But when a friend e-mailed me this article, on Monday, I didn't know what to say. Literally, didn't know what to say. I love jewelry. I love breastfeeding my girls. But to wear a necklace, with my breast milk???? I just don't know....

What do you think?? It's a beautiful necklace. The craftsmanship is amazing! I like the handmade look. You feel like it's made with so much love. I just can't get past the fact, that the heart....is breast milk!!

There a number of necklaces, on my wishlist. All handmade. Many having something to do with the girls. Or our family. But this?? I'm not so sure. What do you think? Are you this sentimental? Do you think it's odd? Am I over thinking this??

Pregnancy Update: Week 14

How far along? 14 Weeks
Total weight gain: 9 lbs (Pre-pregnancy weight: 115 lbs). I see a pattern developing. And it scares me. But my Dr. tells me, it's normal. We'll see when I'm as "big as a house!"
Babies are the size of: A nectarine.
Babies' development: All of the twins organs formed, in the 1st trimester. From now on, they'll be maturing.
Estimated length of babies': About 3.42 in
Estimated weight of babies': Less than 1.52 oz. Their weight has almost doubled again!!
Maternity clothes: Why didn't I do this earlier? I've never been more comfortable. I even managed to find some maternity scrubs! :)
Stretch marks: None
Sleep: I'm completely exhausted after work! Completely!! I need to nap, after my shift. But that could be from the long hours. On my days off, I'm pretty good. I seem to have more energy these days.
Best moment this week: Last week, we started our registry. But I was pretty lost. Didn't get too far.  But on Wednesday, Rachael helped me out so much! She brought Miss Savannah with her. And we put lots of stuff on our registry. Mostly "gender neutral." But I totally trust Rachael. She's a momma of 3. 2 boys, and a new baby girl. Hopefully, we can do this again. In 2 weeks. When we find out our babies' genders.
Miss anything: Being comfy in clothes. It's weird to explain. But I can't wait to come home, and rip off my scrub pants. Maternity or not, my belly is screaming for help. All day long!!
Movement: I felt some flutters at our appointment. The nurse told me, that the babies were moving. It was the oddest feeling. Not strong. Just....different. Like muscles moving. Or bubbles. Yes, that's more like it. Bubbles!!
Food cravings: This week, all I can think of is, sweets!! Ice cream, cake, cupcakes, warm chocolate chip cookies. Oh, and watermelon. I think I can eat an entire one!
Gender prediction: James is predicting 2 girls. I'm positive that there is at least 1 girl. But not sold on 2....not yet anyway. :)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Anything with mayo. This is new. And so weird! I just can't deal with the smell.
Labor signs: None
Symptoms: I've been getting dizzy more often. I just think, I'm trying to move too quickly. Last Saturday, I went to the Farmers' Market. For 2 days after, my feet were so swollen. This was very odd to me.
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and excited! I never thought I could be this full of joy and love!!
Looking forward to: Time with our friends this week. And with our families soon! I just can't wait!! I'm bursting with love for everyone. :)

Pregnancy Update: Week 13

How far along? 13 Weeks
Total weight gain: 7 lbs (Pre-pregnancy weight: 115 lbs). 2 more lbs! What's going on?? I know I'm having twins. But is this normal??
Babies are the size of: Meyer lemon. If you are like me, you ask what's the difference between a regular lemon, and a Meyer lemon? Honestly, in size, I don't think there is a difference. The Meyer lemon is just more round. I bought some, but for some reason, citrus just doesn't sounds good.
Babies' development: The twins are forming their vocal chords. This is when we start to see, if they are more like James, or me. :)
Estimated length of babies': About 2.91 in
Estimated weight of babies': Less than 0.81 oz
Maternity clothes: I caved this week. And I started wearing my maternity pants this week. I also went out and bought some bigger scrub bottoms. Mine are just too tight!!
Stretch marks: Not a one!
Sleep: I'm sleepy all the time. But I'm resisting. I just have so much to do. I think my biggest problem, is having to get up all night long! I'm going to bed between 8:30-9:00pm. Most nights. And sleeping until 6:30am. It just doesn't seem to be helping....
Best moment this week: Wearing my maternity clothes. Crazy, right? But I just LOVE that I finally get to wear them. To be 100% honest here, I've had some of these things, for a few years now.
Miss anything: Weird enough, sleeping on my tummy. I don't do it a lot. But when I'm snuggling with my hubby, that's my preferred position. Now, I must find a new way to sleep, with my hubs.
Movement: Nothing. But I'm waiting for it!
Food cravings: Cheerios and cucumbers. Not together. But I want both of those, most days. Oh, and a new one for me....mashed bananas on toast. Yum! My new breakfast. And "after dinner" snack. :)
Gender prediction: James is predicting 2 girls. I'm leaning towards 1 girl, 1 boy. 99.9% of the people we work with, say 2 boys....
Anything making you queasy or sick: Now that BBQ season is in full swing, I'm in trouble!! The smell of BBQ sauce, and most meats, sends me running. Oddly enough, so does the smell of beer. We went out to dinner this week, I just couldn't handle it. We ended up getting our food to go. Oh, and citrus. That's weird. Even I know that!
Labor signs: None
Symptoms: I've been really tired. And if I move too quickly, I'm getting dizzy. Also, my breasts are incredibly sore! I experienced this pre-pregnancy. Thanks to hormones. And probably around weeks 4-8. But it seems to be back!
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Excited!! This is the end of my 1st trimester. I can't believe how fast, it's gone. I've NEVER made it this far in a pregnancy. And I'm just "over the moon!" This whole pregnancy thing, I'm loving it! I wouldn't mind doing it again. :)
Looking forward to: Learning the gender of our babies!! In 3 weeks, they will tell us. Although, they say they can tell at 15 weeks. There is no "guarantee" on that deal. Until weeks 16-20. I can't wait!

Pregnancy Update: Week 12

How far along? 12 Weeks
Total weight gain: 5 lbs (Pre-pregnancy weight: 115 lbs). Another 2 lbs. Regularly, I'd be stressing out! But this is "good weight gain." 3 weeks ago, my Dr. was worried.
Babies are the size of: A passion fruit. I'd heard of these. But I'd NEVER seen one! James came home with 2. For us to try out.
Babies' development: The twins are forming their bones, fingernails, toenails, and a fine layer of hair. All over their bodies!!
Estimated length of babies': About 2.13 in
Estimated weight of babies': Less than 0.49 oz. Almost double last week's weight!!
Maternity clothes: My pants are getting really tight. I should start wearing some of the maternity ones, that I bought last week. Other than that, I've been wearing this band I bought. To allow me to wear some of my "normal" clothes, a little longer. I did try out 2 maternity shirts. And I really like them. :)
Stretch marks: Not a one!
Sleep: If I didn't have to work, I might sleep 24/7. No lie! I've even cut my "getting ready time" down. Just for some extra zzz's in the morning. Funny how I don't sleep good at night. But when 4am rolls around, I'm so good!
Best moment this week: Searching out nursery inspiration. With my mom and momma-in-law. I'm pretty sure, I know what I want. :)
Miss anything: A good night of sleep, BBQ food, and did I mention sleep??
Movement: None. But I hear, it's just around the corner!
Food cravings: Cheerios, cucumbers, bing cherries, fresh pineapple, and baked S&P chips. :)
Gender prediction: James is predicting 2 girls. I'm leaning towards 1 girl, 1 boy. 99.9% of the people we work with, say 2 boys....
Anything making you queasy or sick: BBQ food. Just the smell of it, sends me running. But it's all I can think of.
Labor signs: None
Symptoms: Feeling more "human." But still so tired! And now, way out of breath. When did that happen?
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Very happy. But when I'm tired, really tired, I'm so emotional! Like yell at my hubby, emotional. Just because he asked me, to pick up some bread, at the grocery store. Where I already was. Because I was tired. Yes, I feel really bad about that.
Looking forward to: Eating normally again. And feeling more energetic. Oh ya, and buying stuff for our nursery.

Pregnancy Update: Week 11

How far along? 11 Weeks
Total weight gain: 3 lbs (Pre-pregnancy weight: 115 lbs) Holy cow! How did that happen?? In just 7 days people!!
Babies are the size of: About the size of a Brussels sprout!
Babies' development: From now until week 20, the twins' are going to triple in length and their weight will increase triple fold.
Estimated length of babies': About 1.61 in
Estimated weight of babies': Less than 0.25 oz. That's double from last week!
Maternity clothes: I went shopping. Picked up a few things. Because I'm starting to get a little tummy.
Stretch marks: None :)
Sleep: I'm tired 24/7. But I just can't sleep. I feel sick all the time. Make at least 5 potty breaks a night. But at work, in a chair, I take 5 minute naps. All day long!!
Best moment this week: Browsing the maternity and baby departments, at Target. Just dreaming up our future. Oh, I can't wait!!
Miss anything: Sleep. I'm talking good sleep. And eating a hotdog at Target. Crazy! I know. :)
Movement: Nothing so far.
Food cravings: Dry Cheerios, Target hotdogs, anything from Chico's, banana pancakes, and cucumbers. Out of all these things, I just eat Cheerios. Day and night. And for the last 2 days, I've finished off, an entire bag of English cucumbers. You know the bags. From Costco!!
Gender prediction: James is predicting 2 girls. I'm leaning towards 1 girl, 1 boy. 99.9% of the people we work with, say 2 boys....
Anything making you queasy or sick: Lots of movement, the normal "morning sickness," bending over, strong smelling foods. But can we talk about "morning sickness?" Did a man come up with that term? Because my dears, I'm sick all day long!!
Labor signs: None
Symptoms: Tired, nauseous, and I have 0 energy. I also have 0 desire to cook or clean. Which is a very new thing around here.
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: I'm that happy, tired, always throwing up "pregnant nurse." Bodily fluids don't make me sick. But breakfast trays, oh ya they do!! But I'm keeping my spirits up. Telling the kiddos silly jokes. :)
Looking forward to: Being able to wear my new clothes. I just can't imagine myself, with a big 'ol belly. Even though, my "belly" is already showing. Someone asked me today, if in my 2nd trimester. Not yet. And I've only gained 3 lbs. So how am I already showing??

Pregnancy Update: Week 10

How far along? 10 Weeks
Total weight gain: 1 lb (Pre-pregnancy weight: 115 lbs)
Babies are the size of: A kumquat.Thank goodness for this girl. She told me what a kumquat is. And here I thought, I was eating a good diet before.
Babies' development: The twins' are stretching their spines. Their eyes, and eyelids are more developed. And their eyebrows are starting to grow.
Estimated length of babies': About 1.22 in
Estimated weight of babies': Less than 0.14 oz. That's double from last week!
Maternity clothes: Nothing yet. But my clothes are feeling tighter....
Stretch marks: Nada!!
Sleep: It's not going so well. Nothing seems comfortable. The heat is getting to me too. Mostly, I like to nap during the day. Darn work, is getting in the way of that!
Best moment this week: Hearing the babies' heartbeats. Since we are a high risk pregnancy, we get to go to the Dr. every week. But there was just something about my appointment this week. I cried my eyes out, when I heard the twins' heartbeats. :)
Miss anything: Mostly sleep. And going out to eat. I can barely take working at the hospital, during meals. I can't even imagine going out to dinner....
Movement: Nothing
Food cravings: Bing cherries. For breakfast. Lunch. And dinner! Crispy tortillas. And cheese. In any form! Dry Cheerios before bed. It's a must!
Gender prediction: James is predicting 2 girls. I'm leaning towards 1 girl, 1 boy. 99.9% of the people we work with, say 2 boys....
Anything making you queasy or sick: Sudden movements. Long car trips. This is new. But driving to church (an hour drive) is killing me. I NEED there to be no sudden movements. I need to lay down. And have soft music on. With my eyes closed. Oh ya, food is still my enemy. Anything with a strong smell.
Labor signs: None
Symptoms: Just exhaustion. I'm not really sleeping. Or eating much "cooked" food. Nausea is constant....all day....every day.
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, but tired. I'm realizing that mornings are not great. I'm usually just tired. And right after my shifts, I'm pretty crabby. But after resting for 30 minutes, I'm happy again!
Looking forward to: Really looking pregnant. I definitely feel it. But right now, I just look like I've had 3 too many Sonic Cherry Limeades. And Chico's fries....

Pregnancy Update: Week 9

How far along? 9 Weeks
Total weight gain: 1/2 lb (Pre-pregnancy weight: 115 lbs). Back up. Thank goodness!!
Babies are the size of: A cherry. This is so appropriate, it's not even funny!! :)
Babies' development: The twins' now have a digestive tract. And reproductive organs. But we're still over a month, from finding out if they're girls or boys.
Estimated length of babies': About 0.9 in
Estimated weight of babies': Less than 0.07 oz
Maternity clothes: Nothing yet. 
Stretch marks: Nada!!
Sleep: It's off and on. Mostly off, during the night. And on, when I need to be working.
Best moment this week: Coming home, to find these. James is so cute!! He's already an amazing daddy!!
Miss anything: Food, sleep, anything related to feeling "normal."
Movement: Nothing
Food cravings: Crispy tortillas, Cheerios, and Wheat Thins. I eat a bag of bing cherries a day! It's pretty crazy. But it's the only thing that I really want anymore. At work, I snack on orange jello. And I'm buying cheese slices, like they are going out of style!
Gender prediction: James still says 2 girls. I'm still going with at least 1 little girl, in my belly.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Food! The smell of it, kills me. Walking the halls at work, is almost too much! I'm glad we told everyone early. So I don't have to try and hide this. Getting up too quickly, too much time on my feet, any sudden movements, are all still bothering me. The Dr. tells me, this should begin to slowly go away....
Labor signs: None
Symptoms: Tons of headaches, after work. I just think, it's my body telling me to slow down. After workouts, was worse. So my Dr. has told me to stop working out. I'm still feeling nauseous all day. Every day. Completely feeling "out of it." I have zero energy. Sleep....is still the thing that bothers me most. Will I ever sleep again??
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Usually I'm happy. Lately, I've just been  exhausted!
Looking forward to: Finding out the twins' genders. This momma is ready, to do some serious shopping!!

Pregnancy Update: Week 8

How far along? 8 Weeks
Total weight gain: 1/4 lb (Pre-pregnancy weight: 115 lbs). Apparently, all this throwing up, is not helping with weight gain.
Babies are the size of: A cranberry bean. Ya, I didn't know what that was either!
Babies' development: The twins' hands and feet, now have webbed fingers and toes.
Estimated length of babies': About 0.63 in
Estimated weight of babies': Less than 0.04 oz
Maternity clothes: Nothing yet.
Stretch marks: Nada!!
Sleep: Call me "Sleeping Beauty." I sleep all the time!! But I'm not really "resting." I'm still exhausted!
Best moment this week: Lunch with some friends. It was nice to just hangout. And get some advice, from some real life mommas. :)
Miss anything: All things food. And feeling "myself." Because I've NEVER in my life, been this tired!
Movement: Nothing
Food cravings: Crispy tortillas, Cheerios, bing cherries, orange jello, and cheese slices.
Gender prediction: James says 2 girls. I'm starting to believe, there has to be at least 1 little girl, in my belly.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Food, getting up too quickly, too much time on my feet, any sudden movements, or the smell of food.
Labor signs: None
Symptoms: I'm still getting headaches. Not as often. But they are something to be reckoned with. I'm still feeling nauseous all day. Every day. And boy, I've never felt this "out of it." I have zero energy. And always feel like I should be in bed, fast asleep.
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Mostly happy. But James is starting to find out, that he NEEDS to stay out of my way. In the mornings. I'm just too tired. And usually feeling sick. :(
Looking forward to: Just getting some "rest." I want to finish a shift at work, without feeling like I'm on my last leg.

Two Peas in a Pod

The day we found out, that we're expecting, James and I, were over the moon! We've been super excited, from the very first second. I just wanted to laugh on Friday. When I got home from work. And I found these sweet onesies, at our door....

Looks like James is totally on top of this!! Not only did we buy 2 books, and 2 stuffed monkeys, on the day we found out about the twins. But James hunted down these onesies. And ordered them! Now I must admit, they are adorable!! To imagine, in 7 1/2 months, we'll have babies to wear them. I just can't believe it!!

Pregnancy Update: Week 7

How far along? 7 Weeks
Total weight gain: 1/2 lb (Pre-pregnancy weight: 115 lbs)
Babies are the size of: A small blueberry
Babies' development: Their small arm buds, are now looking like paddles. :)
Estimated length of babies': About 0.5 in
Estimated weight of babies': Less than 0.04 oz
Maternity clothes: Nothing yet.
Stretch marks: Nada!!
Sleep: I'm still ridiculously tired. At work, I take a nap during each break. And I probably sleep from 8:30pm-6am. Every night. But I still don't feel like I'm getting enough rest.
Best moment this week: A mini shopping trip. James and I went to look at some baby items. And bought the cutest baby pjs. J also bought 2 of the softest blankets ever!! He brought those home, after a long shift, at the firehouse.
Miss anything: I still miss eating. And cooking. Pretty much, all food gets me sick. :(
Movement: Nothing
Food cravings: Still dry Cheerios. I find myself carrying around a Ziploc bag, filled with Cheerios. Even my kiddos at work, think it's funny!
Gender prediction: James is still insisting on 2 girls. He tells me, he's going to be outnumbered. He just knows it!
Anything making you queasy or sick: All food. This week, I just couldn't cook. It all made me feel so sick. The sight, smell, and feel of raw meat, is killing me!! Chicken and fish are the worst!
Labor signs: None
Symptoms: The "all day sickness," will not go away. I'm ridiculously tired. Sleeping way more, than I've ever slept in my life. And I'm still getting headaches, when I've pushed myself a little too much. I think it's just my body, telling me to slow down.
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Completely over the moon! I still can't believe, that I'm really going to be a momma!!
Looking forward to: I'm excited to see the pregnancy progress. To get into my 2nd trimester. And hopefully, get some sleep.

Never Stop Dreaming....

Way back when, I found myself dreaming. Dreaming of a baby. This was years ago. And even then, just a few weeks pregnant, I found myself dreaming. Dreaming of being a momma. Having a precious little baby. During that first pregnancy, I dreamt. Of babies, happy times, and lots of cute things. I even saved this picture....

After my miscarriage, I was devastated. I endured a few of those. Then James and I took a break. We just couldn't handle it. We needed time to heal our hearts. But this picture, it was a constant for me. I kept saving it. From one computer, to another. And I kept dreaming.

From the time, that I found out I was pregnant, I've constantly looked at this picture. Imagining what our sweet babies will look like. Knowing, that in some way, we will incorporate monkeys into their nursery. Or playroom. Because they are flipping adorable!

And gave me the faith, to keep trying. To continue believing, that one day, James and I would have a precious baby. Or two! ;) To hold, call our own, and love. Now I MUST find something similar. In a few months, we will have 2 baby monkeys.

Pregnancy Update: Week 6

How far along? 6 Weeks!!
Total weight gain: 1/2 lb (Pre-pregnancy weight: 115 lbs)
Babies are the size of: A pomegranate seed
Babies' development: They have tripled in size. And the amniotic fluid is protecting them.
Estimated length of babies': About 1/8 in
Estimated weight of babies': Less than 0.04 oz
Maternity clothes: Nothing yet.  
Stretch marks: Nada!!
Sleep: I'm just plain exhausted. I can't seem to sleep enough. Honestly, I feel like a bear, that NEEDS to hibernate....
Best moment this week: Telling our family and friends. My dear Lord, knows how hard this was to keep a secret. Dr. C and Dr. S are the only 2 people that knew. Other than our fertility Drs. It was so amazing to share our "little secrets." With the people we love most! Believe me, we've waited a very long time for this!!
Miss anything: Eating. And not feeling sick all the time. TMI: I've never in my life, thrown up this much!
Movement: Nothing
Food cravings: Dry Cheerios. I can eat these all day. Every day. Bing cherries always sound yummy. And good 'ol mac 'n cheese. You know, the box kind!
Gender prediction: James says there are 2 girls. I'm feeling there could be a boy and a girl. All the Drs. and nurses I work with, say 2 boys. My dear friend says, 2 girls. Only 9 weeks until we find out. :)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Every kind of food you can imagine. Meat is my new enemy. Spicy or strong smelling/tasting foods, send me running. Pretty much, I can only stomach dry cereal, crackers, fruit, and some veggies.    
Labor signs: None
Symptoms: Horrible "morning sickness." That lasts all day, every day. Crazy headaches, when I've been on my feet too long. And I'm exhausted. Like "barely keep my eyes open," after 2 hours of work. Not the norm for me. At all!
Belly button in or out: In
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Completely shocked, happy, and excited. James and I, have prayed for this, for a very long time. Honestly, I'm still in shock. I don't even know, if I completely believe what's going on.
Looking forward to: Everything!! There is not a thing, that I can't wait for. I want to experience the entirety of my pregnancy. Even all this "morning sickness."