Growth

Sometimes I forget how much this belly has grown until I look back at earlier belly pics. I still look down at it and think it just looks like I ate too much Mexican food (which, let's face it, I do a bit too often these days), until I catch a glimpse of my profile and realize that it's definitely a preggo belly! I am loving starting to be able to feel them move. I am dying for Kyle to be able to feel them. I'm also dying for Teddy to feel them too. I can't wait to see what he does when he gets an unexpected kick. I'm beginning to think he knows there is something in there. He curls up to my belly when I'm lying down all the time now. He used to only curl up at my feet. I like to think he is just trying to get to know his sisters. :) Here is a progression from earlier until now...

20 1/2 weeks-very close to not being able to wear non-maternity stuff

Almost 20 weeks lounging by the pool. This picture just made me laugh at the time. It's crazy to look down and not be able to see my swimsuit bottoms.

13 weeks, when I could wear non-maternity shirts. Those days are numbered for me now.

I'm fairly certain this was around 9-10 weeks. So little!

Table Time

After searching and searching, we have finally found a kitchen table (within our budget)! I thought I was going to have to give up on my hopes for a farmhouse type table because all of the ones I had found were at least $500 or more out of our price range. However, we finally hit the jackpot this last week. I think what I love about these tables is that they are so timeless and seemingly indestructible. I feel like it will be difficult for me to get sick of this piece. I also love how distressed the tops of them are, and how they seem to just get better with age and wear (think marker stains, banging sippy cups, smeared PB & J X 2). We are having one custom built at El Paso, and I am so excited to see the finished product. Here are some bits and pieces of how it will look...
Above is the bench that will go on one side of the table, only it will be in the darker stains seen below.

This is the color of the bench (and table and chairs)

These are the chairs. I really like the pattern on the back of them!

The great thing about custom building stuff at El Paso is that you get to pick out every little tiny detail of whatever it is you are designing. This is what the legs of the table will look like. I mostly like them because they are called the "fat lady" leg (appropriate for a table of mine currently...).

And this is the table itself! Only of course in the darker stain. It will also have a "skirt" right below the table part that is not seen on this one. We ended up going with a 7 foot table with 4 chairs and the bench.

Now we just need a kitchen to put it all in. :)

Photo Shoot!

I know that millions of women every day, all over the world, for the last several thousands of years have been pregnant and given birth, but I am amazed daily at these little miracles inside of me. I just can't believe that they are ours, and that Kyle and I are capable of creating life together. I really do just gaze at these pictures and am so unbelievably thrilled at everything I see. Their noses, fingers, toes, hearts, movements are all so breathtaking. And I truly can't believe that just 6 months ago I felt like I would never get to experience this and couldn't believe that I was lucky or deserving enough to get to have this in my life. I still am in awe that we are blessed enough to have them, and can only imagine how unreal it will be to finally meet them.

"So maybe it's true, that I can't live without you
And maybe two is better than one
But there's so much time to figure out the rest in my life
And you've already got me coming undone
And I'm thinking two is better than one..."

kiss the cook(s)

The only thing cuter than a cute ladies apron is a cute kid's apron. I just love these two from Anthropologie. It might be planning neurotically too far ahead to order these now, but I'm oh-so-tempted to get some for the girls! :)

front porches

I guess with the summer heat comes lots of daydreaming about our future front porch and back patio in our new home. I love well put-together front porches and patios. I think it's easy to sometimes overlook these parts of a home; especially when you forget that a front porch is the first thing a visitor sees when coming to your home. I get very easily overwhelmed when it comes to decorating this area. Probably because I get very easily overwhelmed when it comes to potted plants/flowers. It seems that most front porches/patios are either "over" decorated and tend to look cluttered or crowded or they are too barren as if the owner forgot they were supposed to decorate this area of the home. I've been brainstorming ideas mostly for my front porch.

I have loved this bench from grandinroad for awhile now. They have it in an aged black that I like, too.

I really like the ferns on this porch. What I really love are the pillows on the chairs. One of them has the address monogrammed on them and the other has the last name of the family. I would love to get 2 pillows like this to put on the above bench.

These are just 2 more that I found. I like the natural stone color of them.

my sweet girls

It is with great excitement that I announce our little twins are officially GIRLS! Although I knew in my heart of hearts these little ones were both girls, it was officially confirmed through ultrasound yesterday. I think Kyle is warming up to the idea that he is not getting his boy (for now). My heart kinda broke for him yesterday because he was so set on the idea that they were boy/girl twins. However, I can't help but think these sweet girls are going to just make him fall head over heels for them once they arrive. I'm also very thankful he has, surprisingly, a lot of guy friends who have girls and absolutely adore them.

We were also thrilled to see how healthy and great they looked on the ultrasound. The doctor said they looked "gorgeous" {I could have told you that :)} and were developing perfectly. The greatest words I could have heard. We even got to copy their movements and heartbeats onto a DVD. I knew this was dangerous when they told us they could do that because I feared all I would want to do is sit and watch them all day (I've only watched it twice so far). Baby A was very photogenic, so we got a lot of great profile shots of her and even got to see her trying to suck her thumb! Baby B was a little less photogenic due to her position, but we still got some great shots. I will have to post these pics later on.

For now, I will leave you with this comical picture below. This is what happens when a Ball girl finds out she is having twin girls and takes her sisters shopping immediately afterwards. I can't wait to put them in all of these precious outfits!

Colorado Bliss

This past week, Kyle and I were fortunate enough to be able to go on a pretty much "free" vacation to Vail, CO courtesy of Chesapeake. It was a wonderfully relaxing vacation with delightfully cooler temperatures. There are not too many things more beautiful than Colorado in the summertime. The days were extremely chill, and at night we were treated to delicious dinners by Kyle's fun Louisiana brokers. Southern folks sure know how to have a good time! I don't think we escaped from a single dinner in under 3 hours. Even though I couldn't fully indugle in the many bottles of wine, it was a lot of fun. We most definitely soaked up every second of it considering it will probably be the last real vacation we go on before these sweet little ones decide to join us. We were even planning our next vacation after the babies get here (Mexico, Tahoe, Napa Valley...) I think it made us both realize how great it was to spend so much time together, just the two of us. Even though we have relatively few distractions while we are in Edmond (yes, this will change drastically soon enough), I think we just tend to get into a rut of everyday life and forget how much we really do like being with each other. These were a few highlights of our "babymoon" (I think this is what people call the last vacation before a baby gets here?) On top of the mountain after our gondola ride. This was probably one of my favorite things we did together. This place we are standing also had stone benches stadium-style in front of us. We found out from some other people up there that they use this spot for weddings. Can you imagine getting married and looking out into that view?!

Belly pic with a breathtaking background! I really wish my iphone camera could have truly captured the beauty of this view.

On our way up the mountain via gondola.

My hunky husband and I by the pool. Gosh I love laying out in fleeces so much more than a swimsuit right now. Did I mention how much this vacation catered to a pregnant girl?

This was my spot every morning until about noon. After breakfast I would sit out on our balcony, sip coffee, and read in the sun. Our resort was by far the most luxurious place I have ever stayed. We found out a few days into our trip that the Arabelle was ranked the 2nd best ski resort in the country last year! In the wintertime you can ski down the mountain right into the resort. Maybe in another life we could afford to come back here in the winter. :)

xoxo