Crib sheets

I'm on a birth board for March. There was a DIY post for crib sheets. Looked simple enough and possibly less expensive than buying crib sheets at the store. I know how to sew. I had just sewed Clark's Halloween Jedi costume when I saw the post. I decided to go to Joann fabrics and buy some fabric to make the boys' crib sheets. Found some super cute dinosaur ones and some cute whale ones. Decided to get the dinosaur ones first, then if it was as easy as it looked, I'd come back for the whales ...
I'm not going back for the whales. It wasn't hard per say. It was slightly time consuming. I made many mistakes. But I did it. And I love the end results. They may not be as perfect as brand name sheet, but it's made out of love. They are on the boys' beds. I smile every time I look at them. They're going to look so adorable laying on them. I can't wait to bring them home.

31 weeks, 4 days

I can't believe we are 31, almost 32 weeks!! Yippee! What an awesome feeling!! 

In other news, I have stopped trying to induce lactation. There was a mix up with my birth control, forcing me to start pumping sooner than I really had wanted to. I pumped for a couple days and ended up stopping. The toll it was starting to take on my body was foreshadowing to how it'd be like once the boys got here, but worse. I wanted to give it a try and to bond with them that way, but He had other plans. My health truly does need to come first. So after months of going back and forth between formula and Lori pumping for us, or just formula, or donor breast milk and Lori pumping, or just donor milk, Lori will pump for the boys! What an amazing gift she's giving us. I didn't want to burden her with that task because of my experience with pumping, it gave me a negative view of how it might be for her. And I didn't want that. She's already "given" us over a year of her and her family's life, plus the trials of carrying twins. I didn't want it to feel like a chore or a burden on her to be pumping throughout the day and night. I didn't want to be selfish. She wants to give them the gift of breast milk. We also have accepted a freezer full of frozen breast milk from an amazingly generous woman I knew from high school. That will help us with beginning feedings while Lori's supply comes in. From what I have read, it takes a couple days for the milk to come. So instead of feeding them formula in the hospital and for the first few days until we can meet up with Lori again, we will supplement with this donor milk. So we have shifted from supplementing formula to providing them with breast milk only. I am so happy for that, not that I have anything against formula. Clark received BM from our former surro as well as formula. He turned out just fine :) It just will be nice that they will have exclusive bm at least for the first few months. We will cross that bridge shall we need to.

The cribs are up! I am sewing them crib sheets, which I hope to complete this weekend. I will post pictures when I finish. We have a few more things to do to complete their "nursery" but we are mostly fully ready for them! We shall be receiving their car seats this weekend, all washed and new looking. Clark's car seat was used by my niece. I will wash the cover this weekend. We are borrowing my other nieces' car seat from my SIL. She is washing it this weekend as it is still being used, until this weekend. Once those are in our possession,  I can take a big sigh of relief to know that we are officially "ready" for them. I do not want them just yet, but at least we are prepared for them when they do make their arrivals. We have a double snap 'n go. My sister gave me a wonderful custom made baby carrier, which I am so thrilled to try out! We also have 2 mobys. I plan on wearing at least one baby as much as possible. I never knew those types of things existed with Clark. So I want to do it often with boys to promote more bonding with them. Plus, it might make things slightly easier since now I will have a 4 year old in the mix.

Coming soon.. our "nursery" pictures!

PBO

We sent in our pre-birth order paperwork back in October or so. Called the IL State Dept of Vital Records today to make sure they had received the paperwork and that it was correctly filled out. Yay! They received and it was filled out correctly!! Called the hospital we will be delivering at. Made sure they received our paperwork; They did! Set up a hospital tour and chat with the L & D charge nurse for the Monday following the weekend we will be down visiting the Rineys for Monster Jam and Super  Bowl Sunday. It's all coming together. It's hard to grasp that in 6 weeks, we will finally meet our boys. We've waited so long to be this far along.. Our goal right now is to make it past 32 weeks. The hospital can handle the babies after the 32 week marker. Once we pass that, it'll be 34 weeks, then 36. Every day they stay in there, means less time in the NICU, and that is my ultimate goal: No NICU time. I want them coming out healthy and ready to thrive in this environment. I keep trying to imagine the day of their births. I know we are scheduled for a 9 am c-section. Lori tells me we need to be there 2 hours early. I picture Joe and I spending most of the 21st night tossing and turning unable to get any important sleep. I picture the bundle of nerves I will have in my stomach as we head out the door. Will we stop to get some Starbucks as our lives as a single child family comes to an end and we embark into a 3 children family. I might need all the caffeine I can get that day. ;-) I am so so excited to be going through this with such awesome people. We have come such a long way since first meeting. I consider them my family now, whether they like it or not. They mean so much to us. I am feeling anxiety about how our relationship will shift. Will we still have the same type of relationship that we've developed over the year? Will I be too exhausted to text her like I usually do? I know in my heart, I will never stop loving her or wanting to talk/text her. She is giving me the (second & third) greatest gifts I could ever desire. I want her to remain as close to me as we are now. Our lives will take different turns, but the boys will always hold us together. I wish we lived closer, so I could visit more often. But that isn't the case. Luckily, Joe and I never mind traveling, especially to St. Louis, especially if the Blackhawks have games versus the Blues. ;-) So I find comfort that they are only a drive away. I want the boys to know her, and to know Ryan and Koen, Brayden, and Bella. Clark has formed a great friendship with her boys, so it'll be refreshing for him to see them often as well. So as long as they'll have us, we plan to never leave their lives. God brought our families together for a reason and a season. We are bonded for life :)

Some pics!

Here are some pics I wanted to share. Our growing baby bump and some of the latest pics of the babies

Today 30 weeks 4 day

Baby A-EJ
Hr-132
Wt-3lbs10oz

Baby B-JJ
HR-125
Wt-4lbs3oz

Happy healthy moving babies!!!!