15 1/2 weeks.

Garbage find. . .

. . .yes, the week we are moving. I couldn't help but snag this vanity even though we're heading out in a couple days, but I've been wanting one for so long that I just had to take it in.

Plus, after watching so many people stop and look at it, flip it over, and leave it at the curb, I just had to take a look myself. Fortunately my husband is handy (ok, more than handy) and was able to easily refasten the legs and hinges on the mirror.

Now it's as good as new!

It's a pretty oak  (I surprised myself, too-- I actually can like oak), or maple or pine :) but I think I'll refinish it as a project this summer, then fall even more in love with it and be forced to find it a new home.

it has a giant space in the center for all my
makeup, and two small drawers on either side
perfect for hair stuff or jewelry.

-A.H.

Easter weekend.

I've been off the radar for a few days now, but I'm back at least for today.

Friday I spontaneously decided to drive to Detroit with my grandma to celebrate Easter with my family. We had a great time, complete with a trip to a farmer's market, an Easter feast, egg hunt, and lots and lots of games, coloring and Pixar movies (Tangled was a first for me. How cute!).

Saturday was busy (it always is in this house, with 9 people all doing various activities). My dad took Noah and Nolan to the racetrack in Lansing where Noah races his go-karts every weekend, Nick and Nevin headed to soccer practice, and my mom, grandma, the little girls, Nate and I went to the farmer's market, then to find Nate a lavender tie for a dance he's attending in a couple weeks.

We were blessed with more than beautiful weather, and temperatures in the upper 60s and low 70s, which made Easter egg-hunting all the more fun.

On Sunday after church service, we came home and ate our fill of food, then headed outside to watch little ones storm the yard for colorful eggs. Afterwards, we always have a round of the family favorite "trading game", where everyone lays out their candy on a table and siblings come around and trade jelly beans for peanut butter eggs and malt eggs for chocolate bunnies. We have been doing this as long as I can remember having egg hunts.

these pictures were stolen from an email, so they're terribly blurry, but
they'll do. (Folks, this is how we know I'm not a photographer. I have several
friends that wouldn't even consider posting pictures this blurry).
L-R back: Aliza, Nick, Nate, Anna, me, Noah
front: Nolan, Nevin

-A.H.

Fourteen weeks.

I wish I could be consistent about posting these on the actual week change, but this will do. 

Yesterday we had a midwife appointment, and everything looks awesome! At first the student nurse couldn't find both heartbeats using just her electronic heartbeat detector thing-a-ma-bob (I am confident this has a more professional name. . .not a stethoscope :)), which was a little disconcerting, but the midwife did an ultrasound and as soon as we saw both of the babies jumping and bouncing around, with their hearts beating strong, we knew everything was fine.

My stomach feels huge and rock hard, but it seriously doesn't look huge. My midwife thinks I'll probably start really showing around 20 weeks, so we're almost there. I guess there's something with smaller people showing later. . . I always thought it'd be the other way around though. My uterus is giant, but that doesn't make me look very different. :) 

Our anatomy screening is scheduled and we can't wait! Peter's finally getting into the naming game, and we're so excited to know what kinds of names to be looking at, though we already have favorites. Also, we've got some pretty darn cute gender announcement pictures planned (Ashley Kate), so stay tuned for those!

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How far along? 14 weeks (and several days)

Total weight gain/loss: +3 from last time. 

Maternity clothes? yep, mostly because they're so comfy.

Stretch marks? no.

Sleep: still not great, but bathroom breaks through the night have ceased for the time being at least. Honestly though, I take better naps.

Best moment this week: throwing up again. k i d d i n g. I suppose the ultrasound yesterday, they're always special. But this week has been pretty uneventful pregnancy-wise.

Movement: it is becoming more and more noticeable, but still not to the point of kicking and punching that I can feel. I don't have to "look" for it anymore, especially when I'm laying down, but it's mostly just  them squirming around.

Cravings: not really. 

Gender guesses: Peter: he's had two dreams in the past 1 1/2 weeks that its two boys! And he just texted me saying its two boys. Me: still one boy and one girl, though the heartbeats are throwing curveballs in my guessing game.

Labor Signs: no.

Belly Button in or out? innie. It looks like it's beginning to pop a little though! Isn't that early?! Let's hope it's just my eyes going bad.

What I miss: honestly, I'd like a good mixed drink with a neon colored straw (and even an umbrella would't hurt).

What I am looking forward to: ooh, the anatomy ultrasound!

Weekly Wisdom: ??

Milestones: into the second trimester.

Some old family pictures and an update.

I was debating whether to combine these overdue posts into one big one, or fill peoples' news feeds with several notifications. I think I'll do a mix of the two.

Me- 1 month
Ashlee- 19 months

I dug out an old, old photo album yesterday and have been quite busy flipping through it. If I were able, I would scan every single picture it contains and upload them all. Maybe someday I will do more.

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Moving plans are progressing, and next week is our last full week in this house. As far as an actual departure-from-the-US date, we're still working on that. As my pregnancy progresses we'll have a better idea, it's just tough to plan for an international flight in one's third trimester with twins. I'm sure you can imagine.

Back when our family was a tad smaller.

We've inquired about some beyond adorable cottages over in Saint Andrews, and rather than calling them "home", they all have names like Meadowside, The Old Mill, Hepburn Gardens and West Lodge.

Loans are well underway, and we've begun visa applications as well and, supposedly come June, things are going to fall into place pretty darn quickly, then there's no turning back. :)

We already have several budding friendships with people in our new town, as well as established communication with a great Reformed church in the village and a doctor that will get us in contact with a midwife upon our arrival.

I was happy to hear that during the summer months, it doesn't get dark there until midnight. Winter's a little different-- dusk supposedly hits at about 4PM, but we'll never have Cleveland winters of days upon days of -2 degrees.

To say we're excited about all of it would be an understatement. It will be sad, but summer is going to fly by-- it always does-- and before its even over, we'll be off. Our support system here has been phenomenal, and we couldn't even be walking this path without these people. . . you know who you are.

For those that are interested: consider overnight accommodations in the SA area taken care of if you ever want to tour Scotland (or just visit us).

Me- 1 month.

Last thing, not Scotland related-- as of tomorrow evening, I will be finished nannying Joyce. It's a really good thing for all of us, but I'm sad to see her go. . .to daycare, especially.

-A.H.

My mother.

I realize I've been horribly lazy in blogging recently. And I'm sorry about that because right now, it is my only way of remembering this pregnancy, and I know in the future I will be glad I have whatever it is I have accomplished on here this time around.

So, here I am purposing to do better.
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I remember always hoping that I would look like my mother pregnant. From as far back as I can remember (and there are pictures for when I can't), she g l o w e d.

Very pregnant with me, holding Ashlee

She is one of the very few women I have encountered that, well, looked so incredible pregnant that you thought she should consider being so her entire life. And it isn't all about looks either. She was radiant, and all her friends knew she was pregnant before it was ever even announced because of how overjoyed she looked. But, though I can recall a few "bad" days, days where my sister and I would man the house while she rested in bed, she genuinely loved every part of being pregnant-- each day, trimester, side-effect and symptom. 

Pregnant with Nicholas, holding me.

That's just not in the cards for everyone, and here I am still fighting occasional nausea and headaches, complete with continued dry-heaving and vomiting, in the second trimester. I keep praying I will come around in the next month or so. . .

______________________________________________

Coming soon: week 14 midwife update and more old family pictures, as well as an update on life.

-A.H.

Plain old rambling.

A couple nights ago both Peter and I had dreams. His was that both the babies were boys, mine was that they were one boy and one girl.

A lot of people have predicted two boys, and my sister, Ashlee, encounters twin boys all the time and tells me, "It's a sign," though she firmly believes they are a boy and a girl.

Also, I realized what I don't like about the gender poll-- I don't know who voted how. So, if you feel like sharing your guess, leave a comment for us, pretty please, even if you've never commented before, or if I have no idea who you are. We'd really like to know how you all voted.

And to the 6 of you that voted 2 girls, thank you! I want to know who you are. . .
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We've officially made it to the second trimester, and it's a great feeling.  Nausea-- almost completely gone. Fatigue-- lessened. Appetite-- slowly returning. Belly-- getting rounder and harder every day. There are other aches and pains that have arisen, but I am so grateful at least the nausea is gone.

Our social life is resuming as well. Through the first trimester Peter used to tell people that our lights were out at 8PM and our heat was set at 82. We laugh about it, but it really wasn't far from the truth. I remember many Sunday afternoons taking a 3 hour nap, waking up at 6PM, making dinner and falling back asleep at 8:00, only to wake up at 7:30 Monday morning. What a life.

As for my belly, we especially noticed it getting very hard and round in the past two weeks. Around week 10 I felt fat and bloated, but it is finally feeling harder, more round and less wide (though it doesn't even look like very much). And, it will only get bigger from here on out. . . We're considering buying a walker to support my lower half within the next few weeks. Just kidding.

My husband is good to me. Both our social lives were put on hold. When I would go to bed at 8, he was right beside me. When I would grow green in the face, he would run to get a bowl because I refused to move to the bathroom.  I asked for a babymoon, and he's the one who pursued transatlantic repositioning cruises instead of a flight to Edinburgh. And I am wholly convinced that he would find a fast way to get to China if I demanded authentic Chinese food.
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On another note, our house sale is over and our home is officially awkwardly empty. We have a few odds and ends here and there, but nearly all of our clothes are in laundry baskets, there are boxes upon boxes of donations sitting on our dining room floor (did I mention that's empty too?), the only room we have curtains hanging in is the living room. This is not how I would choose to live, out of boxes, with nothing in a "home", but for a time it is great. It reminds us of what is to come, and so we are actually enjoying it in a way.
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We're so sad to be packing up things at our cozy first home. Though we haven't quite accomplished all we would have liked to, we worked so hard making it just for us, and we're so very sad to go. We are convinced we have the best front porch with the nicest views of the whole neighborhood, and many many summer (or winter!) nights will be missed on this porch. As for the ample space, well newlyweds really don't need 3 bedrooms with a finished third floor, but we loved having it and enjoyed filling each room so we could be as hospitable as possible to overnight guests. The neighborhood is great, neighbors are friendly, shops and restaurants are a block away. After I moved up here, every preconceived notion I had of living in Cleveland Heights was utterly demolished. We would settle back here in a heartbeat.


Now, to go start dinner. . .

-A.H.

Second 12 week ultrasound

baby A

baby B

Twelve weeks.

a bit blurry, but here's what we have:
on left: one baby's entire body can be seen. Its hands are near its face and
 its feet can be seen near the bottom of the sac. (heartbeat 140)
right: this baby's taking a nose dive. you can see its bottom half and yes,
those are teeny legs and feet (and toes!). (heartbeat 150)

here's a better picture of the second baby. Not nose-diving this time, its
just waving. :)
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How far along? 12 1/2 weeks.

Total weight gain/loss: -2 this week. Time to get eating! 
Maternity clothes? finally, finally! We went out and bought some pants a couple weeks ago because I just couldn't get into anything besides leggings, and even those were uncomfortable.

Stretch marks? not on my belly. . . ;)

Sleep: interrupted. Never fails: 5AM I'm up for a snack, a giant glass of water and consequently, a trip to the bathroom.

Best moment this week: the best ultrasound so far! we watched in awe as Baby A danced and tumbled for us while Baby B waved with its new hands and kicked with its new feet. Baby A showed us its entire face.

Movement: only when lying down and "looking" for it, even then it's so slight.

Cravings: I had to have Pop Tarts last week. Those cravings will be extinguished shortly. :) 

Gender guesses: Peter: one boy, one girl. Me: one boy, one girl. And it changes again! Only a few more weeks until we will find out. (I think we're decided now).

Labor Signs: no.

Belly Button in or out? innie.

What I miss: sleeping through the night.

What I am looking forward to: last week of the first trimester!

Weekly Wisdom: pregnancy hormones may cause you to grow a handlebar mustache. And avoid sugar completely. You'll feel like a different woman, and your husband and post-baby body will thank you too.

Milestones: Well, pretty well past the point where I lost Hugh and Leif, so that has been exciting and relieving to both Peter and I. Also, seeing their distinguished body parts very clearly today on the ultrasound.

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The reality of what is about to happen to us is starting to hit: in two weeks we are moving out of this house, in a few months we will be moving to a new country, in a couple more months (if we make it that far) we will have two babies, then I will turn 20, and we will celebrate our 2 year anniversary. At the rate we are going we just may leave Michelle Duggar in the dust. Pfft, 19, that's nothing! Aaand I am totally kidding.

-A.H.

Gender poll.

I think it's safe to say we've decided to find out the genders of these little ones. Even if you never comment, please place your vote. There's no prize, but we're curious to see what you all think!

Interestingly, we're not a divided house over here, and are both consistently thinking one of each. Whenever I'm what-to-register-for searching, I always look at blue and pink, and when I think of or talk about them, I always refer to them as our favorite boy and girl names, which I will not be sharing here. ;)

two boys, two girls, one of each?

• boys
• girls
• one of each

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