24 Weeks & BIG NEWS

The Snyder Duo: WEEK 24
24 WEEKS: 4 DAYS

We have been a little busy this week to say the least. We got an offer on our house from some people who looked at it while we were in Nashville. They looked at it again on Tuesday and made an offer. This is the same house that we had decided that if it did not sell by the end of the month we were going to take off the market, because we have so much to do to get ready for babies and I have so much to do moving my classroom. CHANGE OF PLANS. They offered, we counter offered, THEY ACCEPTED. So as of yesterday we began house hunting. We had been looking online-just in case. But last night we picked out 5 and went to see them in person. I LOVED one and Stuart loved one. One was ruled out and one is looking like it was about to be in a bidding war and that is a turn off for me. The last one would be okay. We are going to look at more Friday and our realtor and Stuart think we will find one and make an offer by next week! YOWZA. Needless to say I did not sleep at all last night and was up at 6:30 this morning. I do not EVER have trouble sleeping- last night my mind was racing. I was comparing all the houses we saw. Imagining all of our stuff in them. Imagining 3 kids in them. Imagining life in them. My brain would not rest. I am so glad that Stuart is so at ease with it all because I am a little nervous. I know it will work out like it is supposed to, but I am not a huge fan of the unknown. I am sure there will be more house info posted later, but the reason of this post is to document this pregnancy so back to the babies!


Baby Size:
According to my sources the babies are about the size of ears of corn. They are about 10-12 inches long and weigh about 1.7 lbs. each. We got to see them on Tuesday and they looked GREAT!! They were both measuring on track and look to be weighing 1.8 lbs. each. Baby Girl is breech and was all over the place. Like I said she is a wild one! Baby Boy is up high and horizontal. He is more laid back but was moving and so sweet to watch. We loved seeing them again and we were reassured that they are still one boy and one girl- You know I had to check!

 Weight Loss/Gain:
On Tuesday I learned that I was +12 lbs. Yes, you are reading this correctly. At my 20 week checkup I was +5 and this time I was +12. I GAINED 7 POUNDS IN 4 WEEKS. I was a little shocked by this but no one else was concerned so I did not fret too much. But really 7 lbs! I guess the anniversary trip eating and my slight ice cream habit might be catching up with me. I will be okay if I don't make it a habit to gain 7 lbs. a month!  Next month I have my glucose test so I will be a little more careful about my eating this month. Last month I was just so happy to be able to eat without getting sick that I might have taken full advantage of it! :)

Maternity Clothes:
Are you kidding??
All maternity pants and mostly all maternity tops. My belly gets bigger everyday and I am amazed at how quickly the maternity tops are getting tight. The shirt in the picture below I bought in February and wondered if it would ever fit. It was hanging on me. Now it is stretched about as far as it can go. This could get very interesting.

Sleep:
I having more trouble sleeping than I have. (Not just because of my my house hunting fears) I can only sleep on my right or left side. My left side is most comfortable because Baby Girl is on my lower right side and she tends to squirm and kick around if I lay on her side too long. My left shoulder and hip are starting to hurt and I think it is from lying on them so much. So I try to flip sides during the night to avoid her jabs and the sore shoulder and hip. However, everytime I flip I have to get up to go to the bathroom. So I am getting up about five times every night to go. Fun times.

Symptoms:
I am feeling great these days. I have not been sick and I have been keeping most if not all meals down. (Obviously- due to the 7 lb. gain)  I go to the bathroom all the time. I have a bad taste in my mouth all the time and I have been chewing lots of gum to try to make it better. I have been eating lots of cereal and popsicles.

Movement:
ALL OF THE TIME. I have found that I can tell the difference between the two and I think that is pretty neat. My hunch was confirmed Tuesday when I learned they are in about the same place they were last month. All lower movement is my girl and all the upper movement is the little guy. I am not sure that I have felt them at the same time, but I have feel them both at different times all throughout the day.

Best Moment This Week:
Of course the ultrasound was a BIG DEAL this week. I loved seeing them on the screen and learning that they were thriving and growing big and looking great. We got to see them move around, the little fingers and toes and learned a little more about their little personalities.

Food Cravings:
Nothing exciting this week, I have just been eating meals and enjoying it. We ate some great food in Nashville and I have been loving some Fiber One squares each morning for breakfast. Popsicles have been a great treat in the afternoons! Dora popsicles at that!
What I Miss:
I still miss Jazzercise. I miss sleeping on my belly. I miss having lots of energy. I usually like to get so much done during nap time and this past week I have napped every time that Clark has. I have lots to do like pack, read my 5th grade curriculum and such but instead I have been napping. I guess baking 2 babies takes a little more energy than I thought!
Looking Forward To:
I am looking forward finding a house and getting started on the nursery! I have lots of ideas and I am so excited to see it. I am also excited to see them again in 4 weeks.

Our Weekend Away.

Saturday was our 6 year wedding anniversary and we took a childless (well-kind of!) weekend trip to Nashville. Thanks so much to Stuart's parents for keeping Clark and Barney so we could enjoy this wonderful trip! I think the boys had a great time at camp Snyder and we had a great time just the two of us in NashVegas.  We made a last minute decision (two days before) to take the trip. We knew the Snyder's were keeping Clark but we had no clue what we were going to do. Stuart suggested Nashville and we went with it. Last year we went to Charleston, SC for our anniversary but this year we did not do a week long trip just a weekend so Nashville it was.

So Wednesday night we made hotel reservations, dinner reservations and talked to some friends from college who live there for some good ideas and the plans were made. We left Friday afternoon to stop and drop the boys off in Elizabethtown and then we were on our way. We had a wonderful time just being Stuart and Abby. We love traveling with little agenda and just enjoying the local spots wherever we go. We like to enjoy the culture, food and Stuart usually has to throw in a little history.  So that is exactly what we did on this trip.

Friday night we stayed with the Snyder's and had an evening with some of Stuart's high school friends. We had a great night visiting and all of the other wives were pregnant too so it made for easy conversations. During the conversations I learned about a local children's boutique that is closing and everything was 50 % off so of course we had to hit it up on Saturday morning! I got some super cute things for the twins and Clark. I might have even spent a whole hour looking through all the cute things. Let me tell you. Shopping for coordinating outfits in just the right sizes for the right seasons is tough! I tried to explain this to Stuart as I had to explain the need for the one hour detour, but he did not get it. Owell. I have lots of cute things. It was totally worth it.

After the slight detour we made our way to Nashville were we met up with our friends Sean and Ashley. We met them at their new home and it was absolutely adorable. After the home tour we rode with them to a local brewery for lunch and then a trip to The Frist. Sean and Ashley are members of the museum and we got to use their free guest passes to see the Andy Warhol exhibit that was on display. It was a great afternoon and I loved seeing them and seeing the sights and sounds with them.

After the lovely afternoon we made our way to our hotel. We stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and it was fantastic! We really felt like we were more on a cruise ship than a hotel. Neither one of us had ever stayed there so it was a great place to spend the weekend. If you have never been I would totally recommend it. It was beautiful and had so much to do.

Once we checked in we relaxed for a bit and then got ready for dinner. We had reservations at Maggiano's and our dinner was WONDERFUL. We loved every bite. We split a pasta dish that had lobster, shrimp, mussels and clams in a red sauce over linguine. It sounded great to both of us however, I am allergic to shrimp so we asked for it without shrimp and they said this would not be a problem. So that was the plan. We were sitting at the table enjoying our calamari appetizer when the chef came to our table. He said that he heard I had a shrimp allergy and he wanted to discuss the meal with us. He said that the sauce contained a shrimp stock and he explained what he was going to replace it with and asked if that would work for us. Well of course it would! We were so impressed that he took the time to do this and the meal was super great. The portion was HUGE and even the two of us could not finish it.

After a the lovely meal we walked around our hotel and enjoyed the sights and sounds. We even found an ice cream shop and got some FREE ice cream. The people in line in front of us had a travel voucher and could not spend it all so they paid for ours too! The ice cream was great and the twins and I really enjoyed it. I will be checking at the grocery store to see if they carry the same flavor! ha! :)

We slept in until 10:00!! Took our time getting ready and made our way to one of the restaurants in the hotel for breakfast. After breakfast we made time for a little history. We went to The Hermitage. The Hermitage is Andrew Jackson's home and now a museum. It was rainy, but of course we made the best of it. We took the self guided tour of the grounds and the home and it really was quite interesting. They had headsets for us to wear and each spot had things to listen to. There was an adult version of the narration and a children's version. Stuart chose to listen to the adult version and I chose the children's version! ha! It really was so much fun and it was like how I would talk to my 3rd graders so of course I liked it better! The twins even heard a little too. Gotta get these babies learning a little history right??

After the history lesson we made our way back home to pick up our boys and say goodbye to Nashville. We had a great trip celebrating together and the boys had a great time with Grammy and Grandpa. Clark did not even want to come home so I think he liked it.  I wonder if next year for our 7th anniversary the grandparents will be volunteering to keep all 3 kids and Barney! ha! We will see. Until then here are some pictures from this year's trip.

The Snyder's at The Frist.

Thanks Sean and Ashley!!
We had a great afternoon.

A quick shot inside the hotel.

An anniversary picture AFTER our yummy meal.

Me and The Duo in our hotel.

A self portrait. We have these from everywhere we go!

Stuart giving the lobby decor a thumbs up.

Stuart made new friends as we walked around the hotel.



Me and the yummy goodness!



Our view at breakfast.

Stuart learning a little history at The Hermitage.
He was loving it. Promise. :)

Me learning all about Andrew Jackson and the twins taking their turn listening.





As you can see we had a great time. So happy that we got to do it.
I love you Stuart! Thanks for a wonderful trip and for making me so happy the last 6 years.
I am looking forward to at least 60 more!!

22 & 23 Week Update.

The Snyder Duo: WEEK 23
23 WEEKS: 2 DAYS

In all of the end of school, a special 3rd birthday, and summer start I missed the 22 week post. So here is 23 with a quick pic of 22. Yes- there has been some belly growth! According to Stuart, my belly is as big now as it was when Clark was born...Ohmy!

22 Weeks



23 Weeks



23 Weeks

Baby Size:
According to my sources the babies are about the size of large mangos. They are about 11.5  inches long and weigh about 1.1 lbs. each. We get to see them next Tuesday so we will see how accurate this is.

Weight Loss/Gain:
At my last appointment I was +5 lbs. I sure feel much bigger than +5. I don't weigh myself- ugh! So I will have to wait until my 24 week appointment to find out.


Maternity Clothes:
All maternity pants and my much adored gaucho pants and a mix of tops. My belly gets bigger everyday and I am amazed at how quickly the maternity tops are getting tight. These shirts that I bought a few months ago and were hanging on me are now snug.



Sleep:
I am sleeping. Not sleeping very well, but I am sleeping. I get up at least 4 to 5 times a night to go to the bathroom. I cannot sleep on one side for very long and when I roll over to the other side I have to get up to go to the bathroom. :) Lovely I know. But I have been taking naps when C takes naps.


Symptoms:
I am feeling great these days. I have not been sick and I have been keeping most if not all meals down. yay! I go to the bathroom all the time. I have a bad taste in my mouth all the time and I have been chewing lots of gum to try to make it better.

Movement:
Yes. I have been feeling them more and more. They are more like flutters and rolls. There has been some jabs and a few kicks and I have noticed them responding to loud noises. I think I can tell the difference between the two and I am very interested to see if I am right when we have the ultrasound on the 28th.


Best Moment This Week:
I love hearing Clark tell people that there is "One boy and one sister" in my belly. It makes me smile. Also, for Father's Day I gave Stuart some monogrammed onesies with the babies names on them. He was pretty excited and he even teared up- it was super cute. OH YEA- WE HAVE NAMES!! That is another post for another day.

Food Cravings:
Nothing exciting this week. I have just been eating regular meals and staying hydrated. Clark and I have been drinking LOTS of KoolAid and eating lots of popsicles to stay cool around here.

What I Miss:
I still miss Jazzercise and not being able to wear regular pants and shorts has been a problem this week because I only had two pairs of summer maternity pants to wear and it has been so hot. So I am so thrilled I found some.

Looking Forward To:
 I am looking forward to our 24 week appointment so we can get another glimpse of the duo. I am also looking forward to putting their room together. I don't like to work part but I do want it to be finished.

Sweet Summertime- Week One.

Last week was our first official full week of summer break and Clark and I did not do a whole lot of sitting around. We had no official plans or agenda but we did make the most of our days. I know that next summer it will not be as easy to pick up and take a last minute trip to the pool or the zoo with three kiddos as it is with one so we are going to lots of small trips, pool days and last minute decisions.
Here is a peek at our summer so far.

monday

Pool Day with Jack & Ginny- Lexington, KY

tuesday

Salato Wildlife Farm- Frankfort, KY.

 



wednesday

Gap Clearance Center- Hebron, KY
(lots of good deals were found here. including lots of pink and blue tiny things)

thursday

JAMMIES ALL DAY LONG!!- Our House

friday

Library Fun Friday- Our town, KY



saturday

Graduation Party- Ashland, KY
Wedding- Maysville- KY



So as you can see we have been all around the state doing a wide variety of things- just me and my boy . We had good times and enjoyed each minute. This week is a little more low key with agenda-less days and Bible School at night. Here's hoping we have another relaxing week just soaking up all that is summer!

The Party Post!

Sunday June 12th was party day!! Clark turned 3 and we had his party at The Explorium. The Explorium is the Children's Museum in Lexington and it was a great place to party! We rented The Gumball Room where we had the cake, ice cream and opened gifts. I did do much as far as decorating goes. They provided balloons, plates, napkins and table cloths and we just showed up with ice cream, drinks and cake. I could have done more with the decor, but we were not in there long and the kids did not mind! I was so busy trying to take pictures that I did not even have time to worry about it.  The kiddos could not wait for cake so we had it almost immediately and then opened gifts. The guests were all little boys except for one and they all loved everything Clark opened. This made for a few sharing situations so we decided it was time to go play as soon as the last gift was opened.  So play we did. The kids were set free and ran wild through the museum. Since it was a Sunday it was not crowded and we were able to play some together. I think the parents had a good time too as we chatted and watched our little ones explore. My mom and Stuart's mom got the room all cleaned up while we played and that was so nice. I am pretty sure the pictures speak for themselves so here are a few from the day my boy turned 3!!

The Birthday Boy ready for his party to start!

The cake. Clark requested a Mickey cake- so of course we listened.
Each of the kids got to take home a treat bag and a cookie.

Lots of cute boys at the party.
We colored and had playdough while everyone arrived.

Make a wish big guy!

He was very into opening his gifts.
He needed no help from me. SO BIG.

A quick pose with his gifts.
(yes, this is a new face he makes ALL- THE-TIME.)

Look at all my loot mommy!

We enjoyed water play with Ethan.



C testing his horsepower with his "Daddo".



His buddy Jack the Jockey.

Miss Ella and her mommy. Ella was the only girl there.

Our pal Christian cooking up something good!

Luke and Layton learned all about dental hygiene!

Mr. Nate in the adobe oven! He is such a cutie!

Sweet Ella loved The Bubble Room.

Drew and Mindy bubbled together!

My bubble boy!

Some of the boys on the moon!
Pretty sure it will never be the same.

Clark and Grandpa Snyder.
These two share the same birthday. We think that is pretty special!

It was a great day. Clark is already talking about what kind of party he is going to have next year! ha!
So far there has been talks of a "Wildcat Party", a "Percy Party" and a "Monster Truck Party". Oh this boy is just too much! He asked me if I wanted a "Princess Party" for my birthday. I am thinking my birthday will most likely be spent in the hospital having babies, but we shall see. A Princess Party could be fun!