Jesse Coulter

Maternity Countdown Tee

How Far Along: 33 Weeks (this is a week late so I can give you a full update on my 33rd week of pregnancy)

Babies Genders: Boy (Walton) AND Girl (Whitney) #WaltandWhit

Due Date: February 8, will deliver no later than January 25 which is when I'll be 38 weeks

Things to Note: 
- Had my 33 week appointment, which included an ultrasound, 45 min. stress test and visit with the doctor. During my ultrasound the tech was super sweet and let me see a 3d view of Whitney's face because she was in a good position for viewing. She has chubby cheeks and a button nose. Both babies are still head down and facing each other.

-  I'm definitely experiencing lots of emotions as their arrival gets closer. Anxiety, worry, joy, happiness...you name it. I haven't read one book on raising twins, and feel I'm a bit behind.

- Alex, Turner and I said goodbye to our German host daughter this past Sunday after Christmas. We turned her room back in to a guest bedroom, and that is where my mother will stay the first few weeks after the babies are born. I'm thankful we bought a 4 bedroom house.

Weight gain: 41 lbs.

Nursery: 
 - Bought a sound machine because Turner still uses his. The ocean sound is the only noise Alex and I can stand when we are on trips and share the same room with him, so I hope the little bambinos like that sound as well.

 Symptoms: 
- I pulled a muscle in my abdomen, just above my belly button and it is killing me. The doctor told me there wasn't anything I could do except take it easy. Sometimes I forget about it, and then I pick up Turner and I'm immediately reminded of the pain.
 

- Sleeping comfortably is non existent at this point. I toss and turn multiple times a night, which is not easy with my belly. My back and hips also hurt if I lay on one side too long. I don't have a special pregnancy pillow, but utilize extra pillows when needed. When I wake to use the restroom (4-5 times a night) my stomach is as hard as a rock, and the babies are up high. Sometimes they wake up and will kick Alex in the back (haha, I'm usually the big spoon).

- Swelling in the feet after standing for too long (thankfully no swelling anywhere else...rings still fit)

- Lots and lots of braxton hicks, especially when I'm walking around or running errands.

Exercise: Walked around the mall for a few hours, played outside with my nieces during Christmas (minus joining in on the trampoline fun), lots of house work, and getting my child ready for school and bedtime every night are my workouts.

Clothing: Spandex and tunics are my daily uniform. I'm thankful to be pregnant during the winter so I can cover up my pasty white bloated legs, but putting on riding boots is some serious work. A few days ago I slipped on my Birkenstocks due to the 80 degree weather, and they felt amazing!

Tee: Maternity Countdown Tee

How Far Along: 32 Weeks (this is a week late so I can give you a full update on my 32nd week of pregnancy)

Babies Genders: Boy (Walton) AND Girl (Whitney) #WaltandWhit

Due Date: February 8, will deliver no later than January 25 which is when I'll be 38 weeks

Things to Note: 
- I had my 32 week check-up on Friday, and my mom went with me for the first time. It was fun watching the babies on the ultrasound with her. At my 28 week appointment Walt was head down and Whitney was head up. Now they are BOTH head down, so that is great news. They are both facing towards each other towards my belly button, no wonder there is a battle constantly going on near my belly button.

- Walt weighs 3lb. 11 oz. and Whitney weighs 4 lb. 2 oz.. I can't believe I have 8 pounds of baby in me. My bump is measuring 38 weeks of a singleton baby. Turner was just over 6 lbs. at 40 weeks.

-Turner calls the twins' Whitney and Waltney. It really is the cutest, so I don't correct him anymore. I've been thinking about buying him a small gift to be from the babies when he comes to the hospital to visit for the first time. Any ideas?

- Big news this week! I found out that I will likely be able to take 12 weeks PAID maternity vs. the original 6 weeks I thought. I was planning on using 2 weeks of vacation to make it a total of 8 paid weeks, but now that I'm getting 12, I'm going to save the vacation days for a real vacation! My mom will be coming to stay for a few weeks after the baby is born, and Alex gets 6 weeks paid paternity leave. Thankfully Alex can split his up, so he'll take a week off or two in the beginning and then go back to work for a week or two, and then can come back home for a week. It's really flexible, and depends on what our needs are. I'm extremely grateful for that because I know so many moms are not in the same situation. I didn't get any paid maternity leave with Turner.

- I am planning on working up until the day I'm due, so I'm very thankful for a job that I can prop my feet up and work from home when I need to.

Weight gain: 40 lbs.

Nursery: 
- Excited to officially be partnering with the Container Store to renovate the nursery closet! We will be getting started after the new year. More details to come! See the full nursery reveal here.

- I set up my 4Moms mamaRoo and rockaRoo in the nursery. So funny that I won both of these in separate giveaways. I'm so glad I kept them : )

Symptoms:
-  Itching...oh the itching (particularly around my chest). I apply lotion 4-5 times a day.

- Heartburn...Thank the Lord for tums. Oh, and note to future pregnant self, oh wait, that's never happening again. Note to all other pregnant women, DO NOT drink orange juice if you have terrible heartburn. It's very painful coming back up.

- Calf cramps every once in a while in the middle of the night

Exercise: Christmas shopping, yard work, and chasing my toddler around count as my exercise these days.

Clothing: I've stopped buying clothes for myself, and have become obsessed with all things baby girl. I've discovered I'm a hoarder of leggings. I can't get enough of the adorable patterns, and I could never do that with Turner. Poor little Walt and his hand me downs...eh, he'll never notice, plus Turner had some pretty stylish outfits so he's fine. Whitney on the other hand will be sporting lots of bright leggings and headbands.

How Far Along: 31 Weeks (this is a week late so I can give you a full update on my 30th week of pregnancy)

Babies Genders: Boy (Walton) AND Girl (Whitney) #WaltandWhit

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

Things to Note:
- I threw a Favorite Things Christmas party on Friday night. It took a lot of prep work and cleaning the day of, which was a bit hard on my body. Using the Swiffer wet jet was the most exhausting part, and caused me to have a ton of Braxton hicks every time I contracted my stomach.

- Saturday night I went to a friend's tacky sweater Christmas party and my neighbor let me borrow her amazingly horrific denim jumper. It was a hit at the party, and thankfully I didn't have to worry about how I looked...because I was wearing a bag. I ate a TON, and then had horrific heartburn all night. I've been popping tums like they are going out of style.   

- I've bought the cutest boy/girl outfits lately (mostly from Old Navy & Gap).  Buying for boy/girl twins is seriously the funnest thing. I don't think if I had girl twins or boy twins that I could buy the same outfit twice, so I love it when I find matching outfits but in contrasting colors.

Nursery: Hoping to begin working on the closet very soon with an awesome collaboration. Stay tuned!

Symptoms:
-  Braxton-Hicks contractions

- Heartburn, especially during the night. Propping myself seems to help a bit.

- I wake up about 3 times per night to use the restroom.  I wake up around 3/4 I'm wide awake so I have to try very hard not to get on my phone.

Exercise: 30 min. walk. I've basically given up on exercising. At this point, every time I move I have braxton hicks contractions, and the weight is definitely putting a toll on my body so I've decided to take it easy from this point on.

Clothing: I'm really hoping that I can nurse the twins, so I've been eyeing nursing friendly tops and bras. These Bravado nursing bras look super comfy! Do you have any recommendations?

Maternity Countdown Tee

How Far Along: 30 Weeks (this is a week late so I can give you a full update on my 30th week of pregnancy)

Babies Genders: Boy (Walton) AND Girl (Whitney) #WaltandWhit

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

Things to Note:
- I skipped week 29 (too busy), but I traveled to Dallas for Thanksgiving. I did well in the car, but definitely had to make a few stops to use the bathroom.

- Purchased a few of the last items on our registry; Joovy Roo Twin + Stroller, Twin Z Pillow (Craigslist)

- Saturday night I met some of my high school friends downtown in Austin for a bachelorette party. I didn't leave my house till 8:45pm to meet them...I was sooo tired, but I really wanted to be there for my friend. I'm glad I went, although I really wished I could have indulged in a cocktail. 30 weeks pregnant at a bar on 6th is....funny. You get lots of looks, especially when you start dancing. By midnight I was driving home to the suburbs in my mini-van. I laugh at my #momlife sometimes. 

- Had my 30 week appointment, and the doctor told me my belly was measuring 32 weeks for a single baby. Funny because at my 28 week appointment, the doctor told me I was measuring 34 weeks. Hmmm? I didn't have an ultrasound, but got to hear both heartbeats which sounded great.

- I've really started to feel and notice the weight gain this week. I know it's necessary (I'm not eating too horrible), so when I have a negative thought about my body I just think..."You're growing two babies. Give yourself a break." I already have a plan to start the PureBarre Baby Bounce Back plan when I find the time/energy after the babies are born. 

Weight gain: 35 lbs. 

Nursery: Haven't done much other than pile the diapers and wipes in the middle of the room.

Symptoms:
-  Braxton-Hicks...last Friday night we went out to eat Tex-Mex and I had braxton-hicks the entire time we were out. They continued the rest of the night as well.  I got a bit worried, and thought to myself, "I need to go put the car seats in! What if these babies come soon?!" I did some googling, and I think it just had to do with the fact that I was dehydrated (our water was shut off the entire day due to road work, so I hadn't drank any water).

- Heartburn

Exercise: 30 min. walk

Clothing: My maternity jeans are starting to fit VERY snug around my belly, and my shirts are getting much shorter. I ordered some more leggings from PinkBlush Maternity as well as a few tunics to wear with them. 

Tee: Maternity Countdown Tee

How Far Along: 27 Weeks (this is a week late so I can give you a full update on my 27th week of pregnancy)

Babies Genders: Boy (Walton) AND Girl (Whitney)

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

Things to Note:
- Alex's co-workers through us a wonderful baby shower. We have a few items left on our baby registry, so we're putting any extra gift cards towards those....Twin Z Pillow, Baby Monitor (we never used one with Turner, but thinking we'll want one with two), Joovy Twin Roo Plus Frame Stroller, Baby Brezza Formula Food Maker and LOTS of diapers!

- Had my glucose test. I really don't understand why women complain about it so much, it's not that bad. I scheduled my appointment for 7am that way I wouldn't have to fast during the day. I chugged it, then got on my laptop and worked as the hour went by. I haven't gotten the results back yet.

- Had an amazing massage (half chair massage for my back, then laid down on the normal massage table with a big wedge behind my back & she massaged my legs/arms....heaven!)

Nursery: The nursery is complete...minus organizing the closet. See the final reveal photos HERE!

Symptoms: 
- I really felt heavy this week. My body just kind of hit a wall, and I was dragging. By the end of the day I didn't have much energy to play with Turner (the time change doesn't help).

- Tons of pressure down there...TMI, but constipation is my life these days.

Exercise: Body Pump x 2, Pure Barre x 1 - I honestly feel super strong and proud of myself when I'm lifting weights in my Body Pump class. When I look at my side profile in the mirror I think "Wow....look at that belly! Get it girl." Cue the not so pretty weight lifting face.

Clothing: All I want to wear are leggings, but I only have two shirts that cover my rear. I really don't want to buy any more maternity clothes, so I'm trying to wear a lot of my dresses. My favorite pair of maternity jeans have become uncomfortable : ( , because the waist has started to cut in to my belly. I also desperately need a new bra or two. Mine is so uncomfortable, so I tend to wear sports bras almost every day.

Cravings: Burgers, French Fries, Coke

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

How Far Along: 22 weeks (P.S. I'm posting these a week late so I can give you a full update of how I felt during that actual week)

Babies Genders: Boy AND Girl

Things to Note:
- Super emotional watching the Leftovers Premiere...I was SOBBING during the opening scene. Any mothers feel the same way? I also cried on the way home thinking about holding two babies constantly, and the thought of Turner feeling lonely or sad that I wasn't giving him enough attention.

- Collecting a list of twin pregnancy books on Amazon I want to read (specifically in regards to sleep and breastfeeding), but I'm running out of time. I really really want to try breastfeeding, but I am terrified. I had such a hard time with Turner, so I can't imagine how it will be with two.  Praying for guidance, support and the right help.

Nursery: Decided to participate in the One Room Challenge and complete the nursery in 5 weeks! Follow along my journey, as I will be posting updates every week till the big reveal on Nov. 12th.

Symptoms: 

- Indigestion and heartburn have officially kicked in. I'll eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast, and a few hours later I'll have heartburn. I can't imagine what spicy Mexican food is going to do to me!

- Constipation...TMI, but it's true.

Exercise: Body Pump (weight training) x 2, 30 min. walk x 3

Clothing: Received an awesome package in the mail from Envie De Fraises with some beautiful maternity dresses. I wore one to my baby shower, and will be sporting the others to work very soon!

Cravings: N/A

How Far Along: 20 weeks

Babies Genders: Boy AND Girl

Things to Note:
- Had our 20 week ultrasound and both babies are healthy and growing! I prayed and prayed prior to our appointment for a good report, and was so thankful to hear good news. Baby A is a boy (Walt) and is on the bottom. The doctor advised he will be delivered first. Baby B is a girl (Whitney) and she is sitting right on top of Walt (right near my belly button). Poor Walt was getting kicked in the face by Whitney, and he kept squirming trying to get out of the way.

- Got the go ahead from the doctor to travel/fly for work when I'm 26 weeks pregnant. I wasn't sure what the risks were with twins when flying, but I'm good to go.

- Alex felt kicks for the first time...very sweet moment. Turner on the other hand doesn't want to feel them move.

Nursery: Excited to be getting these indigo dyed crib sheets from Etsy shop, Shop TeAdoro. 

Symptoms:
- Feeling sharper movements. My belly will randomly get hard in certain spots and I can feel the babies bodies pushing up against me.

- Starting to notice a bit of swelling after exercising. I'm definitely beginning to "fill out" a bit, and noticing changes in my legs and arms. I gain most of my extra weight during pregnancy in my thighs/hips. I try hard not to worry about weight gain, because I know the babies need it (plus I love food).

- Can only sleep on my right side. For some reason, every time I try to lay on my left side I experience extreme discomfort in my ribs/side, so one of the twins is in an odd position. 

Exercise: Body Pump (weight training), 30 min. walk x 3, 1.5 hour hike at the Barton Creek Green Belt

Weight Gain: 17 lbs.

Clothing: Trying to find underbelly maternity jeans that don't cost an arm and a leg. I will be set if I can find a pair of distressed/boyfriend style jeans and 1 pair of black jeans. I absolutely despise over the belly maternity jeans (they sag and drive me crazy).

Cravings: All food...wanting to eat everything in sight.