Jesse Coulter

I'm SO excited Spring is here! Warmer days and longer nights to play outside! Everyday when I pick Walt and Whitney up from school, I let them run around in our front yard for an hour or so. I have to keep my eye on Whitney the most because she will eat rocks, dirt, trash and leaves like it's the yummiest dessert she's ever had. She also enjoys discovering ant piles...God help me.

ONE YEAR! My babies are officially a year old! I love them so much I could eat them up. This past year has been filled with MANY smiles and MANY tears.

• The first few months were filled with extreme anxiety, sleepless nights (well I still have those), and trying to figure out how to raise three kiddos. I gave up breastfeeding after a week, spent lots of time in my hometown for extra help and went back to work after 3 months. I am EXTREMELY grateful for my mother and the rest of my family and friends for helping us. Our village was strong and still is.

• When people say, "Oh my goodness, I want twins!". I look at them like they're crazy. I know that sounds mean, but this is NOT easy. It's the hardest thing I've ever done. It has put extreme pressure on every aspect of my life, but it has taught me, changed me, and molded me into a stronger person.

• We had a very simple first birthday party with close family and friends. You'd think I would go all out, but I really didn't have the energy to plan it and I didn't care about going big. No invitations, no balloons, no elaborate decorations. I bought two simple cakes from HEB,  finger foods (meat, cheese, fruit, nuts) and had custom cookies made by ShortBread Baking Co. Not having to cook was a GAME CHANGER! I remember at Turner's first birthday running around like a mad woman trying to prep everything and cook, and I did not want to repeat that. The only thing that took time was making the pom pom garlands and a ONE sign, but making them was so much fun! 

One more month and my last babies will be one year old! As I see them grow in to toddlers, I am making more of an effort to be present and aware of the baby stage. Smell their baby skin, kiss their soft cheeks and bald heads and soak up their baby giggles.

LIFE LATELY:

- I am dragging my feet in planning their birthday party for a couple of reasons. 1.) My life is INSANELY busy right now. 2.) Every time I start to plan in my head I get completely overwhelmed with all the things I want to do and shut down. Planning a birthday during Christmas is not fun. There are days when I think about going ALL out, and then other days when I think they'll be lucky if they get a cake.

- Last week Whitney and I took a quick overnight trip down south to visit my parents. When we got home Alex said "Do you want to see what the boys and I did this weekend?" He proceeded to show me pics of them at Catch Air (an indoor play park), which he took them to on Saturday night. Then Sunday he took them to breakfast, grocery shopping at HEB, and then to a kid's birthday at Mt. Playmore (another indoor play place). I couldn't believe it. Alex said they all had a great time, but he was definitely tired.

- I totaled my van (which I had bought a year 1/2 ago after totaling my last car, and replaced the transmission 6 months ago for $5,000 because we thought we would drive it forever...UGH!!!). All three kids were with me which was very scary, but thankfully everyone was OK. We bit the bullet and bought a new Toyota Sienna and I'm in LOVE!

9 Months! This month flew by and the babies didn't change much developmentally.

Life lately:

• I feel like we've had a crazy amount of appointments so I've had to take a lot of time off of work. Thankfully I have a lot saved up. 

• We took a road trip to Dallas last week for a family reunion (Turner side) and the babies were able to meet aunts, uncles, and cousins for the first time. I spent most of the road trip in the 3rd row of our van entertaining or feeding them (definitely not fun).

• Nights seem to have gotten crazier this past month for some reason. Both are super cranky and fussy from the moment I pick them up from school till bedtime. I usually take them for a walk to get at least 30 minutes of peace and quiet!

• We had family photos taken with Laura Morsman Photography, and I just love having photos of all 3 of my kids together! Know though that it was EXTREMELY hot, humid and there were hundreds of mosquitoes in the greenhouse. I was sweating like crazy and we only shot together for 15 minutes! 
  
  

SIX MONTHS! We've made it halfway, hallelujah! Time has not flown by...it's slooowwwlllyyy krept by BUT we are happy, alive and grateful. 

Life lately: 

• Sleep deprivation is still a very real struggle due to Walt waking up at least twice a night.

• We started buying diapers and formula this month and WHOA! Talk about a budget buster. Our new phrase might be, "Put it on the credit card."... kidding and kind of not kidding.

• Work and planning my local blogger event has kept me VERY busy, and by Tuesday of every week I feel like it should be Friday. Most nights I don't get to bed till around 11pm, and I'm passed out in less than a minute. 

• I'm so excited to have 6 month photos of the babies taken by my good friend and Austin photographer, Laura Morsman, next weekend!

Every month we hit with these babies is a huge milestone and accomplishment to me. FIVE months Alex and I have survived raising twins + a toddler. That may sound dramatic, but it's how I feel.

Life lately: 

• Sleep deprivation and going back in to the office every day has been a killer this month. I'm back to about 5-6 hours of broken up sleep a night. It's times like these I wish I drank coffee!

• Here's an interesting fact, Alex and I haven't had to buy formula or diapers YET! We bought a few cans of special formula when Whitney was super gassy, but other than that we have been gifted formula that has lasted us until this point. It's been through coupons and samples from our pediatrician. We have been tons of diapers and wipes from family!

• Alex has been super great about watching the kids when I've had an event to attend. Watching all three is VERY hard....you've got to be ready for lots of crying, fussing from Turner, and never a moment to yourself. I'm extremely thankful for his support of my hobbies and blog.

Month 3 seemed a tiny bit easier because the babies gas and colic was subdued and feeding was much easier! I had my first full week alone and a couple of weekends with just Alex and I, and finally felt comfortable handling both babies. Now handling all 3 of my children is another story, and I haven't had to do that yet.

Let me tell you, weekends alone suck. Alone meaning no extra help from family. I feel like it's a never-ending cycle of no sleep, feeding, rocking, burping, repeat. It's been tough on me, because I love to be active...especially when the Texas weather is absolutely AMAZING right now (mid-70's). We can get out, but it takes forever. So what usually happens is Alex and I take turns. For example; last Saturday afternoon, I took Turner and Whitney to a friend's baseball game, and later that night Alex took Turner to a movie while I took care of the babies. So basically we're never all together unless we're at home. I don't mind it too much, because it gives me an opportunity to spend quality time with Turner. Finding the new normal has been hard, and going back to work is going to bring a whole new dynamic to our situation. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

I discovered my new favorite activity during month 3, selling baby clothes to second hand stores (Once Upon a Child, Kid to Kid, and SparkleKids)! Walt and Whitney have outgrown their newborn clothes, and many of their winter 0-3 month outfits so I took a bunch of clothing and miscellaneous items to a few kids second hand stores and was blown away! Not only did I make some great money, but I also discovered super cheap clothes that I adored and most for less than $4! Whitney doesn't have a lot of clothes, so I bought her a few zip-up terry cloth Carter's sleepers for $2 each, and then 4 new comfy 3-6 month summer outfits for less than $15 total. Old Navy and Gap are my baby clothing kryptonite (seriously, they have THE cutest dang clothes), but it's SOOO hard for me to spend money on baby clothes. It feels painful at times. I might buy a few outfits that I can't walk away from BabyGap or Old Navy, and then get all of her outfits for daycare from second-hand stores. I've been wanting to bite the bullet and buy a cute pair of baby moccasins for both of them, but I seriously can't justify spending more than $15-20 for a pair...and even that is pushing it. This is mostly because they can't walk. When they start walking I won't mind spending more on a quality pair of shoes but $25 is usually my limit. I also have this strong desire to find cute matching outfits (in different colors), so when I do I usually have to spend more money.

Sleep:

• Alex still sleeps in our bedroom, and Whitney is in our closet in a rock n' play. Walt sleeps in the nursery in a rock n' play, and I sleep in our guest bedroom. We do this because we get more uninterrupted sleep that way. I only wake up when I hear Walt, and vice versa for Alex with Whitney.

• Walt's head is very flat on his right side, so I've been trying to get him to nap on his belly in hopes that he won't have to get a helmet. When I transition them to their cribs, I will likely put both on their bellies once I'm completely done swaddling.  

• Walt sleeps 3-4 hours straight on a good night, and Whitney has a great 5-6 hour stretch. Poor Walt...no one wants "Walt night duty" because it's a lot more work than easy going Whitney. Although, the first night after they went to daycare all day, Walt slept 6 hours and Whitney slept 10!

• Naps are getting a bit better. They will have a good 1-2 hour nap during the morning and afternoon, but they usually aren't at the same time. Then they'll have a few short 30-45 min. naps throughout the day.

Health: 

• Walt and Whitney have both had a cold for a few weeks, but Walt is much worse. We took him to the doctor a few days ago and sure enough he has an ear infection (the day after I go back to work...typical). He has a rattly chest and coughs like an old man every once in a while when he tries to cough up the phlegm. They both have tons of green snot, but thankfully I have the Nose Frieda to save the day.  

• I got whatever they had, and it got so bad that one night my throat was so red and swollen that I could barely swallow. I didn't sleep a wink because every time I did swallow it was extremely painful. I went to a throat specialist the next day and he prescribed me a steroid and an antibiotic. This same sickness actually happened to me about a month prior, and I had to go to an urgent care facility and was prescribed antibiotics as well.  They ruled out strep both times. I will never take my throat for granted again! With all that being said, taking care of a baby while your sick sucks...taking care of TWO babies while your sick is HELL! I texted my mom at 5am when I was feeding Walt because I knew that I couldn't make it through another day without an extra hand. She is the best, and came right away (praise you Gigi)!

Eating:

• Whitney is on a added rice starch formula for reflux/spit up, and Walt drinks a gentle formula for gas. They are drinking 4-5 oz. per feeding, which can be every 3-4 hours.

• I just changed out our Dr. Brown nipples to size 2 for 3 month olds, and I'm hoping this makes feeding take less time. Walt takes FOREVER to eat.

Growth:

• Clothing - 0-3 months
• Diapers - Size 1 Huggies (Pampers are too tight)

Likes:

• Baby Einstein play gym, they enjoy looking up at the dangling toys that play music
• Walks in the ACK Wrap. If I have trouble getting Walt to sleep I put him in the wrap and he's OUT! It's also a way for me to help round out his head instead of having him on his back during the day. I felt like a supermom when I grocery shopped with Walt in my wrap.

Dislikes:

• Walt seems to have an love/hate relationship with pacifiers. He will take them for a few seconds, and it will soothe him...then he spits it out. Not sure if his latch is just weird, because he's always had trouble with bottle feeding as well. 

Fun Facts:

• Walt:
• This child does not stop moving! He is constantly grunting, looking side to side, stretching backwards, wiggling and squirming. Whitney on the other hand is the exact opposite. She's calm, quiet, and stares deep in to your soul with her blue eyes ; )
  

• Walt can roll to his back if he's laying on his stomach.

• Whitney: 
• Loves to smile, and likes when I stick my tongue out at her. I think I got a little giggle the other day.

• I'm officially obsessed with dressing her up. My budget is going to take a hit once she starts walking.

Hello 2 Months! The second month with these babes was quite difficult due to gas, fussiness, and not much sleep. Thankfully I had lots of help from my family, and took many trips to my hometown on the weekend to get some extra rest. Many times during a rough day, I would tell myself...If you can just make it till Friday, you will sleep! I'm finally starting to become semi-comfortable with handling both of them on my own, most days I don't have a choice...but now I don't necessarily dread it. I don't dread the babies, but I dread the stress, 2 babies crying at the same time, anxiety and the lack of sleep.

We had our first family outing to dinner (hello pizza buffet), which was insane. Both babies were fussy and crying, so they had to be held. Turner was great, but kept standing on the bench of the restaurant. There wasn't anyone around, and I didn't have the hands or patience to discipline him, so I just went with it...choosing my battles at this point.  On the way home Turner was trying to talk to me from the very back, but I couldn't hear him over the screaming babies. At one point he yelled "STOP IT!!!" to the babies, haha. First time he's been annoyed by their crying. Turner doesn't have much interest in the babies, except a few kisses every now and then.

Between the hours of 6 and 9pm is the most stressful time. Trying to cook, play with Turner, hold babies, feed babies, give baths, put Turner to bed (such a long process), and the babies to bed takes a TON of work. Alex and I barely have time to look at each other, let alone have a conversation. We need a date night desperately.

Adorable outfits by Rainy Lain

Sleep:

• Our sleeping situation is very odd right now. Alex sleeps in our bedroom, and Whitney is in our closet in a rock n' play...might sound crazy to you, but it's dark, quiet and Alex doesn't have to hear her grunts. Walt sleeps in the nursery in a rock n' play, and I sleep in our guest bedroom. I close the door, but can wake easily to Walt crying when he's ready to eat.

• Walt sleeps 3-4 hours straight on a good night, and Whitney has a great 4-6 hour stretch.

• After thinking about it for quite a while, I've decided that I'm going to split up their cribs. I will move one crib to my guest bedroom, and leave one in the nursery. It's going to be a major change. Currently we have a queen bed in our small guest bedroom, so we'll have to sell that, and buy two twin beds. One for the nursery and one for the guest bedroom, since we want to have a place for our guests. They say to keep your babies on the same schedule, but I when one sleeps WAY better than the other, I'm not going to wake that one up. 

• Naps are a bit up in the air...they tend to take a long morning and afternoon nap. If I'm lucky, I can get them to nap at the same time, this has only happened about twice all month. 

Eating:

• Whitney is on a heavy formula for reflux/spit up, and Walt drinks a gentle formula for gas. They are drinking 4-5 oz. per feeding, which can be every 2-4 hours.
• I use Dr. Brown's bottles, and feel like my life is revolved around washing bottles.

Growth:

• Clothing - 0-3 months
• Diapers - Size 1

Likes:

• Baths if the water is just right
• Being carried in my ACK Baby Wrap

Dislikes:

• Tummy time
• Car rides/car seats...I'm in SHOCK. Turner would immediately calm down when we would drive around with him. These babies aren't having it. Stop signs and red lights are my worst enemy, seriously. 
• When the other one cries. I swear Whitney could be as calm as ever, and if Walt starts fussing or crying, she immediately joins in. This makes feeding time extremely difficult and stressful. 

Fun Facts:

• Walt:
• We took Walt to a pediatric dermatologist for his hemangioma on his nose. He was prescribed a topical and we will do a few laser treatments.
  

• .He's starting to get chunky and I'm LOVING it! Turner was always so tiny (in the 2 percentile or less category for the first 2 years), so the thought of seeing some baby rolls makes me giddy. 

• You know when this kid is pooping. Turns bright red and grunts so loud, you would never know Whitney pooped...lady like manners ; )

• Whitney: 
• We found 2 more hemangiomas, one on her butt cheek and one at the top of her head. Although these are growing at a much slower pace than the one on her arm.

• She is very strong, and holds her head up much more than Walt. She's great about looking me in the eyes, and I could look at her cute little face all day.

Prior to having Walt and Whitney, I made the decision that I was going to try my hardest to breastfeed. I struggled breastfeeding Turner and only lasted 5 weeks. You can read about it here.

Photo: Kayla Snell

A week before the twins were born, I had a lactation consultant come to my home for a consultation, and after she left I felt semi-confident. The twins were born vaginally at 36 weeks, and about 1-2 hours after they were born, I was able to breastfeed each one individually. Because they were premature their latch wasn't great, but thankfully I had a great lactation consultant in the hospital that helped me work on it.

I spent 2 days in the hospital and headed home.  My milk came in great because I started taking my placenta pills. I had two placentas thanks to the babes, and I loved using Hill Country Placentas to encapsulate them. Lisa, the owner, is seriously the sweetest and personally delivered them to me the day I came home.  I would highly recommend placenta encapsulation if you are pregnant. Thankfully, their latch was much better than Turner's so it wasn't as painful, BUT it took forever. I fed each one of them individually, and it would usually take an hour to an hour and a half to feed both.  I spent hours and hours in my nursery glider by myself. I constantly worried if they were getting enough to eat.


After a week of breastfeeding, I went for a long walk and sobbed. I was physically and mentally tired. I prayed and talked to God and I came to the conclusion that I wanted to stop breastfeeding, and instead I would try to pump exclusively. Thankfully I had rented the hospital pump the week prior, so I began to pump every 3 hours. I bought an awesome pumping bra that allowed me to have my hands free. Bottle feeding twins + a needy toddler + pumping = NO LIFE. Once again I went for another walk in my neighborhood and I decided I wanted to stop pumping. The only reason I lasted a week, was the thought of how buying formula for twins would kill our budget. I broke the news to Alex that I wanted to quit pumping. He replied that prior to having the babies, I told him I would want to give up, but to not let me. I replied....screw that, I'm done...and ultimately this is my decision. He supported my decision, because a crazy and unstable wife is not what he wanted.

I then began the process of weaning myself from pumping...OUCHHHH!!! It took about a week to wean myself, but still to this day I can express milk in the shower. It's crazy how a woman's body works.


I don't feel guilty of choosing to formula feed...not one bit. I am physically and mentally in such a better place. I don't dread the nights as much, and I have been able to get out of the house for more than a few hours and not worry about feedings. Thankfully we have gotten a ton of free formula samples from our pediatrician, so we haven't had to spend too much money on formula. We did have to buy our first box because the babies have been super gassy and needed a gentle formula. We are estimating our formula expense to be around $250 per month.

If you are a mom struggling with mommy guilt because you've given up breastfeeding....Please don't! You are doing the best you can do, and ultimately are making the best decision for your family. Your physical and mental state is important. Stand strong in your decision, and know that your baby will be just fine on formula.

We made it to 1 Month! It hasn't been as difficult as I thought, but it's all due to the help of my mom and other family. My in-laws took Turner during the first week, and that was a lifesaver. Turner has been one of the hardest parts of the transition, because he is constantly wanting attention and needing our help (putting on clothes, going to the bathroom, getting food, bathing, bedtime, etc). My mom helped me with the night shifts, and allowed Alex to sleep through the night, then my mom and I would try to take a good nap during the day while Turner was at daycare. After 3 weeks, my mom went home and we were on our own. That's when it really got hard. We've had a TON of support from friends as well, and have had a few meals a week brought over to the house.

Adorable organic outfits by Rainy Lain

Sleep:

• 2-3 hour stretches. Oh, I can't wait until they start sleeping longer!

• For the first 3 weeks they slept in a MamaRoo and RockaRoo, but now have transitioned to Rock n' Plays. I use a sound machine to play white noise.

• They both sleep in their room, and I don't use a monitor. I wait till I hear one of them crying before I get up. I'm such a light sleeper, so I wouldn't sleep a wink if I heard Walt grunting all night.

Eating:

• The first week I breastfed them, the second week they had pumped breast milk supplemented with formula and by week 3 were drinking formula only.

• We are feeding them Enfamil newborn formula, but have switched to Gentlease since they have been so gassy the past week. Whitney is much more gassy and can barely get comfortable eating, and has a very hard time sleeping due to gas pain.

Growth:

• Clothing - Newborn
• Diapers - Newborn

Likes:

• Sleeping and eating (sometimes). What do most babies like other than these at this stage? 
• Whitney takes a pacifier, Walt not so much.  
• Taking naps on my chest

Dislikes:

• The process of being swaddled. Walt usually grunts and tries to get out a few times during his naps, but I know that it ultimately helps him sleep better.
• Walt absolutely hates having his diaper changed, and has the highest pitched scream the second a wipe touches his bottom.

Fun Facts:

• Walt:
• My jumpy one. He reacts so easily to sounds, and throws his hands up constantly. He's also my grunter...constantly making noises.

• Might have torticollis, so we're watching him closely. I he has a hemangioma forming on the left side of his noise. I noticed it when he was 3 weeks old, which is about the same time Turner's began to form.

• Whitney: 
• She has the cutest double chin, and I'm OBSESSED with her strawberry blonde hair.

• Also has a hemangioma like her brothers, but hers is on the bicep of her right arm

• I love putting tiny bows on her. I currently have RosieOutlookTX and TinyTurban bows. I only have a small window to dress her how I want, so I'm taking full advantage.

Well, if you haven't seen my social media posts....Walt & Whitney are here! I wanted to pop in and give you a little life update. I can't wait to share their birth story with you...it's crazy! As I read over my last post before I went in to labor, it's crazy to think how life has dramatically changed since. I wanted to touch on a few topics I previously wrote about.

Preparation: 

• Well, my bag was semi-packed when I went in to labor, but honestly I didn't wear anything in my bag except a pair of leggings and a nursing robe on my ride home. I brushed my teeth every day and took 1 shower but that was about it when it came to using my toiletries. I ended up wearing hospital robes the entire time because I didn't want to get my personal clothes dirty. I only had a few visitors, and I honestly didn't care what I looked liked.

•  I've been using my Earth Mama Angel Baby products like crazy...thank you bottom spray and nipple balm for making me feel a bit better.

Anxiety:

• I decided to put the babies in their Rock n' Plays the first night home in their room, but honestly I felt like they were way too small to be in them. The next night I put them in a MamaRoo and RockaRoo which has been much better. I've turned them on a few times at night, but during the day they nap in them (without movement) between feedings. They sleep for longer stretches during the day (3-3 1/2 hours) than at night...of course.

•  Breastfeeding: Oh goodness....I will write a whole post dedicated to this, but I lasted a week. It honestly wasn't a tough decision to stop, because I was miserable. I've decided to pump instead, and I've had to supplement with formula when I don't make enough for each feeding. I'm pumping about 4 oz. every 3 hours, and the babies eat 2-3 oz. every 3 hours. 

• Turner loved meeting the babies, and has been super sweet. He pretends like he is a baby tiger or cat every time he is around them and rubs his face on their foreheads. I don't blame him, because the babies' faces are so stinkin' soft! My in-laws were in town the day after the babies were born and offered to take Turner home with them to Dallas for a week. At first I was hesitant, because I didn't want him to think we were shipping him off or abandoning him. But the first night we came home from the hospital was crazy. Turner was super hyper and all over the place, and I immediately knew that it would be an easier first week at home adjusting to the babies if Turner wasn't home (sounds mean, but it's true).  He has a blast with his grandparents anyway, so I know he is well taken care of and getting much more attention than we would be able to give him right now. 

• Alex and I have been doing really good together at home, even though we both have cabin fever. He's been a huge supporter when I've broken down multiple times, and given me multiple back massages when I'm so tight from breastfeeding. At night, I find myself clinging to him (I'm always the big spoon...and now I don't have a belly keeping me away). He's been able to sleep at night thanks to my mom getting up with me during the night to help with feedings, and then will watch the babies more during the day so my Mom and I can nap.

Random:

• My mom has been with me since the babies were born, and her help is more than I could ask for. I'm so thankful for her support, help, and comfort.  I think most women find comfort in their mother's being there for them after the birth of a child. Thinking about her leaving terrifies me. She will be staying with me for another 2 weeks, and I'm extremely grateful for her taking the time off of work to be with me and the babies.

• I'll be sharing the twin's birth story on my friend's podcast, The Birth Hour, next week and will let you know once it's live. 

• Alex and I actually got to go on a date when the babies were a week old. We wanted to try out the new HopDoddy location in Round Rock, and my Mom didn't really want to go and said she would stay with one of the babies. We took Walt because he had just eaten....poor Whitney got left behind on our first outing. Walt slept through the entire dinner (the advantage of newborns).

• I've taken a bath almost every night and done by hair while my Mom is here. I don't go many places other than the doctor, but it's nice to feel normal. When I was getting dressed to go out with Alex, I thought my body was smaller than it was and tried to put on some non-maternity jeans. Big mistake. I've dropped 25lbs., but my body is still not back to it's pre-baby form (obviously and that's OK). I forget how much my hips shift. I'll be wearing lots of leggings and my maternity jeans for quite a while.  

• I've received so many messages from friends and family and even strangers on Instagram about helping with the babies. I am beyond grateful for everyone's support and kinds words. I was having a few rough days ago, and I posted a photo to IG about my struggle as a new mom and experiencing the baby blues. I received an outpour of encouragement, and it definitely helped brighten my spirits!

Leaving the hospital

How Far Along: 26 Weeks (this is a week late so I can give you a full update on my 26th week of pregnancy)

Babies Genders: Boy AND Girl

Due Date: February 8, will deliver no later than January 25

Things to Note:
- I traveled for work this past week, and I did much better than I thought. I had a bit of swelling in my feet, and a bit of back pain. Alex found the trick to giving yourself a massage when you have neck/back pain, and it's AMAZING! Want to know the trick? A lacrosse ball!  I surprisingly had no nausea on the plane, which I usually have when I'm not pregnant...weird that it was gone.

- Thinking a lot about if I'll be able to breastfeed TWO babies. I'm not holding myself to any standards, but I definitely want to try. I had a rough time with Turner. It would save us a TON of money, but I'm worried about long nights, getting super stressed out/anxious, a changing diet (Turner was so gassy, they wanted me to stop eating dairy....and I LOVE cheese). I know it might sound selfish to think about my sanity over my baby's health, but I do think formula fed babies turn out just fine.We'll see what happens.

- Had maternity photos taken in Georgetown, TX by photographer Todd White. I worried about being huge by the third trimester, so I scheduled them at 26 weeks but I wish I had waited a bit longer. I'm not as big as I thought I would be (although, I'm about the size I was with Turner at 40 weeks).

Nursery: It's the final week of the One Room Challenge! I can't wait to show you the BIG REVEAL this Thursday, so stay tuned.

Symptoms: 
- My back and feet ache after standing for too long.

- I felt hiccups for the first time this past week and it was the sweetest thing. I know it was Walt because it was on the left side of my stomach which is where he is positioned.

- Still having Braxton-Hicks contractions 3-5 times a day.

Exercise: N/A (maybe a little if you consider walking in an airport way too long)

Clothing: I am now starting to think about the clothes I'll need post babies! I bought a pair of house slippers and a cute baseball cap because I know I won't be getting around to doing my hair much during those first few weeks/months. I'd love to get some comfy pajamas, sweat pants, and maybe some cute workout leggings (for actually working out as well as trips to the store).

Cravings: French fries, Dr. Pepper/Coke...all the healthy things my doctor recommends ; )

How Far Along: 25 Weeks

Babies Genders: Boy AND Girl

Due Date: February 8, will deliver no later than January 25

Things to Note:
- People are beginning to comment about my bump. Strangers hadn't started saying anything till a few days ago, and 3 people in one day asked me when I was due.

- Alex and I took Turner trick-or-treating this year, and after an hour 1/2 walk around the neighborhood I was ready to sit down. Thankfully my in-laws took Turner to a hotel for the night, so Alex and I could through our annual Halloween party which was a blast. I stayed up till 1am, and woke up naturally at 7am (which was really 6am due to the time change). Why?! I finally can sleep in and I can't!

Nursery: Currently on week 5 of the One Room Challenge and the nursery is 95% complete! I can't wait to show you the final look. It's definitely my favorite room in my home. Check out my latest post of Week 4 here!

Symptoms: 
- The babies are starting to roll around in my belly, making the movements a bit painful at times but I love it.  Every once in a while I'll wake up in the middle of the night and the babies are NOT ready to be woken up. I'll go to the restroom, and my stomach is super tight and the babies are in the weirdest positions.

- Aching pain in my right hamstring/butt after I stand for too long.

- I have braxton hicks contractions about 3-5 times a days.

Exercise: Finally feeling better and was able to get back in the gym! Body Pump, and tried out the new PureBarre Cedar Park!

Clothing: I have officially stopped buying maternity clothes. There's just no point since I'm so far along, although I wouldn't mind having some long tunics to wear with leggings since I want to wear spandex every day.

Cravings: Hamburgers (what's new), sour candy

Welcome to week 3 of the One Room Challenge! I'm halfway to completing Walt & Whitney's twin nursery. Actually more than halfway, because during week 5 I will be out of town for work and week 6 I'll be having photos of the nursery taken. That means I have less than 2 weeks to finish this. Eek! I honestly didn't do much this week other than make some larger item orders online that I realized need to be shipped ASAP to get here in time. I did a lot of window shopping and took a ton of photos of things to remember, but I won't pull the trigger on the small details till the last week.

Here is a break down of what I did accomplish this past week;

• Rug - I layed out my 5x7 Homegoods rug and I wanted to make sure the ends didn't curl up so I ordered rug corners online and applied them to the corners. They seem to be working good so far, but we haven't had much foot traffic in the nursery yet).

• Ordered glider - We had a small rocking chair style glider in Turner's room, but Alex wasn't comfy in it. I knew with twins we HAD to have a chair that he liked. We tried out the chairs at Babies R Us for size, and then I made my final order on Wayfair's website. I've never tried the chair, but I'm really hoping both Alex and I love it. It was our biggest splurge of the room at $300. A lot of my finishing touches and decorating are depending on the glider and its color so I can't wait till it arrives this Friday. 

• Bought floor lamp and set up - cashed in a Target gift card and found the perfect lamp. I can never have too many lamps in my home. I loathe overhead lighting

•  Intended to hang a large mirror above the dresser, but couldn't get the dang price sticker and it's residue off so I'll be scrubbing this week. Any tips?

• Bought curtains, and I'm on the hunt for the perfect curtain rod. It's crazy how much importance I put on the small details of the room. Hunting for a curtain rod takes days checking multiple stores. Anyone else do this? My go to stores to look for decor are; Target, Homegoods, World Market, TJ Maxx, Tuesday Morning and IKEA.

Trunk & globe are both thrifted and were in this room prior. They work perfectly between the cribs!

• Preview/Inspiration
• Week 1
• Week 2

Alex and I have known for quite a while that we wanted to call our next son, Walt. No reason behind it other than the fact that I like older names (no it's not from binge watching Breaking Bad). But throw a baby girl in to the mix and we were a bit stuck. We went back and forth over a few names, but finally settled on Whitney for a matching W. Walton and Whitney, we're so excited to meet you! Follow their journey under #WaltandWhit on Instagram.

Baby Moccasins: Old Navy ($12). Wire Letter: Hobby Lobby. Faux Sheep Skin Rug: Walmart

How Far Along: 17 weeks

Babies Genders: Boy AND Girl

Things to Note: When I found out the genders I immediately went shopping! I bought some cute matching hats/socks that are blue and pink, and then bought some girly outfits since I have none. I climbed in the attic and grabbed a huge tub full of Turner's baby clothes and began to organize them in the babies' dresser.

Nursery: I'm so ready to get the nursery started, but I can't fully begin the decorating process till around November. The nursery is currently being used as a guest bedroom and has a queen bed in it. I hate to not have a guest bed for family and friends, so I'm going to wait till the beginning of November to take down the bed. 

Symptoms: A few cramps when exercising, stressed but that's due to some exciting things going on at work

Exercise: Body Pump, 30 min. walk x 3


Clothing: My bump has officially made it's appearance, and my maternity jeans fit. My loose fitting maternity tops are still too big, so I'm still wearing non maternity tops and tees.

Cravings: Burgers. I've been eating a lot of burgers throughout this pregnancy. I frequent In-N-Out almost twice a week for lunch. Animal style cheeseburger and a side of fries to go!