overpackers anonymous

Hi, my name is Laura and I'm an overpacker.

I have always had a tendency to fill my suitcase to the brim... but in my younger years my mom was able to keep my bags from overflowing to a certain extent. I had the opportunity to travel to Europe in high school, and if it were up to me, my luggage would have weighed more than I did. I distinctly remember my mom asking me to bring one tube of lip gloss instead of ten (the horror) and limiting me to 2 pairs of shoes (hard to imagine me going anywhere with only 2 pairs of shoes, right?).

The next summer, we went on a family camping trip to Yellowstone. Since it was a road trip, I was able to pack my bags without it needing to pass the mom-inspection. I felt that it was necessary to bring 2 curling irons (I used them both) and platform flip flops (don't laugh, they were cool in 2000).

It seems the older I get, the more I add to my suitcase. We have a wedding this weekend, and so far my suitcase is filled with:

1. 4 dresses. Two options for the rehearsal, two options for the wedding. At work today I realized that my mom has another dress that I think I want to bring... so it looks like the final count will be 5 dresses.
2. 4 pairs of jeans, including one pair of maternity jeans. I have yet to need any maternity clothes, but just in case my belly magically grows another 3 inches in the next couple of days, I'll be prepared.
3. 5 tops, because I like to have options.
4. 4 cardigans, because I'm not sure which shirts I plan on wearing.
5. 6 pairs of shoes. I might throw in another pair of flats for good measure.
6. Various accessories and undergarments, including my beloved Be Band.

I know that I'll have to adjust my packing habits after the twins come... two dogs+two kids and all of the gear the need will take up a good portion of the available space in my car. But until then I am going to enjoy taking 50 pounds of luggage with me wherever I go :)

Projects

Justin and I have a few projects to complete around the house to get ready for the babies... I love home improvement projects (probably because my dad is handy and has passed on some of his knowledge to Justin... and sometimes when the men are working my mom and I go shopping pick up supplies and refreshments for the workers).

On our to-do list are:

1. Pick out window treatments for the nursery. I think we'll wait on curtains until the big gender reveal. We did order and install blinds already, so we are halfway done!

2. Refinish dresser. I really want a two-tone dresser, similar to this one.

3. Paint nursery... I am pretty sure I want to paint the room grey, but will wait to make a final decision after the anatomy scan. Luckily Justin is a good painter, so this should be a pretty easy project.

4. Install shelving in the basement closets and (maybe) in the entry closet (I could use shelves for my shoes... but we'll see how long the other projects take). We'll need my dad's help for this one- I swear, he knows how to fix/build just about anything. (Unfortunately, the extent of my handy-man knowledge is being able to tell the difference between a phillips and flat head screw driver... and that is probably only because I was required to take Ag in 8th grade. We were quizzed on various tools... flash cards were involved). I'm so thankful that my dad is handy- we wouldn't have a finished basement without him! A fun fact about my dad is that he is a baby whisperer... there were many times when I was babysitting younger cousins and couldn't get them to settle down. I would pass the kiddos on to my dad and he could magically make the crying stop. The twins are lucky to have him as a grandpa- I'm definitely looking forward to when he comes to babysit... and maybe he'll teach me a baby whispering trick or two (let's just hope I pick up on that easier than the whole tool identification/construction thing). 

5. Test drive strollers... this counts as a project because it is a major decision! We'll be in the cities over the weekend and will have the chance to compare different options. I still am interested in the stroller I posted about earlier, but there may be more pocketbook-friendly strollers out there... so we are going to visit a store that has our top 3 contenders.

15 Weeks

I've decided that one of the best parts of having twins is all of the extra ultrasounds- I had ultrasound #5 at my appointment today. Justin and I love getting to see the babies! The nurse said I will most likely have ultrasounds at every appointment because it can be difficult to find the heartbeats using just the doppler. The ultrasound picture was a bit grainy, but we were able to clearly see a hand and fingers. Today the babies were both laying sideways- which probably helps explain why out of the blue it felt really strange when I tried to bend at the waist.

Next month we will meet with the maternal fetal medicine specialist (high risk doctor that all twins are referred to) for the anatomy scan. I was told that the appointment will last about 2.5 hours, which seems ridiculously long, but it should be a fun appointment.

My aunt Linda and cousin Kelci stopped by for a surprise visit yesterday and dropped off this cute shirt- it says "my pod has two peas". I love it! And it is nice and long so it should fit me throughout pregnancy. 

 
How far along? 15 weeks- although at my appointment today I was measuring 22.5 weeks (!). Justin teased me and said that I might need to lay off on the malts, but I explained to him that the measurement she used is for people with singletons, so of course I should be measuring ahead. He must have felt bad about the comment, because as soon as I got home from work today he offered to make me a malt :)

Total weight gain? Another 2 pounds (notice a pattern? Apparently my body likes this 2 pounds per week business), bringing my total up to 13 pounds.

 Maternity clothes? Still in regular clothes. I still have room to spare in several pairs of my jeans, so I think I will be able to hold off on maternity clothes for a while. 

 Stretch marks? Nope, although if I continue to measure 7.5 weeks ahead, I could measure a whopping 44.5 weeks by the time I deliver... so I'm not sure what my fate will be. Oh well, typically family are the only people who see me in a bikini, and I highly doubt any of them will point and laugh if I get a stretch mark or two ten.

Sleep? It varies- but is still pretty good. I've had some pretty bizarre dreams though.

Miss anything? Button down shirts- I went to put one on this morning... lets just say I probably won't be wearing them again until about 12 weeks post partum.

Cravings? Raspberries, chocolate malts
 
Aversions? Pork chops continue to be my number one nemesis. Justin continues to forget about my disdain for the nasty hunk of meat and cooks them about once a week. Today he grilled the last of our freezer supply, I am going to ban him from purchasing more until further notice.
 
Symptoms? Nothing this week, although at my appointment today my doctor said that I shouldn't be surprised if I start feeling uncomfortable.   

1 down, 1.75 to go

Week 14 marks the beginning of the second trimester. Since the twins will most likely come between 36-37 weeks, I am already more than a third of the way there. The second trimester was kicked off with the worst bout of morning sickness I've had to date. Thankfully it was no big deal, only about 45 seconds of being uncomfortable, and then I felt fine the rest of the day... I swear, sometimes the morning sickness kicks in just to remind me that I'm actually pregnant and need to take it easy. 

The bump continues to grow- I swear, it gets bigger each day! It is now noticeable to acquaintances... the instructor for the barre class I went to pre-pregnancy saw me at the gym over the weekend commented on the bump. I had a nice discussion with her and am excited to start taking the class again- I had been holding off, because the end of the class has a lot of ab work (which the Dr. told me to avoid) but the instructor told me to just skip that part of the class. Now that I actually have a visible belly, I won't feel silly skipping out on all of the crunches.

How far along? 14 weeks

Total weight gain? Another 2 pounds, bringing my total up to 11 pounds. Thankfully, all the weight seems to have gone to my belly (Friends and family if you have noticed otherwise, don't say anything. The polite thing to do is just smile and agree with me).

 Maternity clothes? Not yet- and pretty much all of my jeans are still buttoning, so I think it will be a bit longer until I need to move into maternity pants. Thank heavens for low rise jeans.

 Stretch marks? No... I read that there is a genetic component to stretch marks, and my mom made it through her pregnancies stretch mark free (and my brother and I were huge babies for her tiny frame) so I'm hopeful that I will have her luck.

Sleep? Still good.

Miss anything? My cute belly button. It is starting to change shape- it is still an innie, but is a bit shallower than it used to be.

Cravings? Pineapple, bagels, Pizza Luce
 
Aversions? Leftovers- I can eat them, I just can't handle dishing them up and heating them. Luckily Justin takes really good care of me and makes sure that I don't go hungry.
 

Symptoms? Aside from my quick run-in with morning sickness, I feel great.  

"maternity" clothes

One of my goals is to make it as long as possible without needing actual maternity clothes. I recently acquired a few cute tops that should help keep me out of maternity tops for at least the next month.

I picked up two cute tops on a recent shopping trip to Express. I'm glad that long tops are popular- since I'm so short they should cover my bump for a long time. I cannot wait to wear the lace top... I'm going to hold off a few more weeks so I can wear it with tall boots. I plan on wearing it with skinny jeans and leggings.

buy it here

buy it here

During our last trip to my parents' house my mom sent me home with a few new tops- she never thought I would be borrowing her clothes!

another open cardigan- I think I will be living in these!

empire waist top- this does a great job accentuating the bump

While I'm doing a post about clothes, I thought it would be helpful to share some of my best shopping tips:

1. Always try it on.

2. While in the fitting room, ask yourself "do I love it?" There is no point in buying something you don't love. Other questions to ask yourself are "is it flattering?" and "do I already own something similar?". If you love it, it is flattering, and you don't already have something similar, then buy it!

3. Never buy something just because it is a good deal. I love a great sale as much as the next girl, but that top you scored for 75% off is no bargain if you never want to wear it. To me passing the fitting room test is the deciding factor- price is secondary. After a few too many bargain purchases gone wrong, I've learned that I'm much happier with one $45 shirt that I love and am excited to wear than three $15 shirts that are just okay.

4. Shop sales whenever possible- this might seem to contradict #3, but it is possible to get clothes you love at a discount. One of my favorite stores is Express, and I've learned to always wait for coupons (I usually get about 2 per month). With in-store sales and coupons, I usually am able to get 50% each purchase.

shopping is what I do best

Another package for the babies arrived today! We received anniversary money from my parents and grandma and decided to use it to buy something special for the babies. These Shi Shu Baby blankets were perfect.

I think these blankets will be perfect for covering the car seats when we are out and about this winter. The blankets are so soft and cozy, I might need to order the throw for myself. l

Justin and I are so lucky to have such supportive family and friends- we have received lots of congratulatory cards... it will be nice to have them as a keepsake for the baby books. Speaking of which, I can't wait to order them!

I've picked out this book by CR Gibson- it comes in both pink and blue leather and records the first five years.

I love how it is elegant and has almost a vintage feel to it. I've checked out some of the baby books in local stores and haven't been too impressed, so I will order two of these once we know what colors we need (only about 6 weeks to go!).

13 weeks

The babies have definitely growing (or maybe I've had a few to many chocolate malts, but we'll say it is the babies) my bump is noticeable. I haven't gotten any comments from strangers yet, but I don't think it will be too much longer.

My diaper bag also arrived last Friday- I love it! It looks kind of small in the picture, but it is actually quite large. I love that it looks like a purse- that way when we are out and about, I will only bring this bag versus lugging around an ugly diaper bag and my purse.

How far along? 13 weeks
Total weight gain? 2 pounds, bringing my total up to 9 pounds. I'm a bit ahead of pace for weight gain (my mom always said I was an overachiever...) but I'm not concerned. I switched from diet pop to regular in order to avoid artificial sweetener, but I think I'm going to try only have pop as an occasional treat and drink sparkling water instead. I love sparkling water, so it shouldn't be too difficult. I'm guessing that eliminating the empty calories from pop is all I need to do to make sure I stick within the recommended 1-1.5 pound weekly weight gain during the second trimester.
Maternity clothes? Not yet- I haven't even needed to use the Be Band this week.
 Stretch marks? No
Sleep? Still good- my mom hooked me up with an awesome body pillow (I named the pillow Fred) which makes it much easier to sleep through the night. Justin is not as impressed with Fred as I am, because I end up taking up more than my fair share of the bed. I tried to tell him that I should really get 75% of the bed now, as I am sleeping for 3... he didn't think that was a valid argument.
Miss anything? My cute red pants from Express (pictured in the week 4 post). Sadly, they no longer pass the full length mirror test.
Cravings? Buffalo wings, sparkling water, bagels, teddy grahams
Aversions? Most meat- especially pork chops.
Symptoms?Just reduced energy level.

raiding mom's closet

Justin and I visited my parents over the weekend, and I had the chance to raid my mom's fabric closet. We have several options for quilts for the babies. I've never been a huge fan of traditional baby fabrics, so a lot of the fabric my mom happened to have on hand will be perfect.

 My mom is an over-achiever and has already whipped up two quilts to have at her house.

 The fabric in the green bucket and purple fabric (below) are some of my favorites. They are girly, but if we were to end up with two boys my mom could always use the quilts for something else.

We were able to find some boy fabric too- I like how this has a vintage feel to it.

This could maybe be gender-neutral- especially depending on what she chose for the binding and backing (wow, look at me talking like a professional quilter... I bet my mom thought she would never see the day!)

More gender neutral fabric...

This was supposed to be a picture of all of the fabric possibilities, but clearly she looked a little deeper in her closet and we found more options. I'm sure every time I visit we'll find more cute fabric.

My mom loves golden books, so she'll do something with this.

Flannel for burp cloths- these will be for at my parents' house too. It will be so handy to have extras of things at their house.

And for the crown jewel... because I have a specific vision for how I want the nursery to look my mom ordered fabric to make two Pottery Barn Kids inspired quilts. The babies (and me) are spoiled already... thanks Grandma Lu!

12 Weeks

How far along? 12 weeks
Total weight gain? Another .5 pounds this week bringing my total up to 7 pounds. I hoping that my weight gain continues to be slow and steady.
Maternity clothes? Still using the Be Band with a few pairs of pants- this has definitely been a good purchase!
 Stretch marks? No
Sleep? Still good- I usually wake up once or twice.
Miss anything? Making it through the work day without hourly bathroom breaks.
Cravings? Apple juice, bagels, goldfish. I don't have true cravings yet- just some foods sound better than others. 
Aversions? Most meat- the nausea has subsided for the most part, but if I think of a food that sounds gross to me I start gagging. 
Symptoms? I've been pretty tired, but I think that might be related to being a major slacker at the gym. I've made a goal of going 3 times per week, so hopefully that will help my energy level.

 

 

12 week bump

I've had a lot of people ask me if I have a gut feeling about the gender of the babies- I don't yet. My Grandma Verna had a dream that I had twin girls... I can't wait to find out if her grandmotherly intuition is right. I became pregnant shortly after she had her first pregnancy dream about me, so she might be on to something!

Strollerama

I've come to the conclusion that shopping for a double stroller is even more difficult than buying a new car. I don't think I'm that picky, but I have certain criteria that the stroller must meet:

1. Compatible with Chicco Keyfit Infant Car Seat and able to accommodate two car seats (a surprising number of double strollers only work with one car seat at a time)
2. Able to fit both infants and toddlers (our house is going to resemble a babies r us, the last thing I want is 3 different strollers taking up space).
3. Tandem instead of side by side (will be much easier to navigate the aisles at the grocery store Express and  Baby Gap.
4. Seats can be adjusted to be both forward-facing and rear-facing. 

See? I really don't think that I'm asking for too much (I haven't even touched on any of the really important stuff, like color). Unfortunately, I have only found one stroller that meets all of my criteria- it is an awesome stroller, but the price rivals that of my first car. Here it is, the Baby Jogger City Select.

Check out all of the configurations- the possibilities are almost endless! Since the babies will be born in the winter, we will skip the bassinets... but it is nice to have the option. This stroller also converts to a single, which would come in handy if we ever had an outing with just one of the twins.

I'm 99% sure this is the stroller we'll end up with, but will test drive it first just to be sure. It isn't sold in town, but we will be going to the cities soon and will check out a few baby boutiques. I've been researching and watching youtube videos like a madwoman, so I can't wait to see it in person- the stroller is the baby gear purchase that I am the most excited about.

I hope it handles as well as the Uppababy Vista- my friend has this stroller and it is amazing. A second seat can be purchased for the Vista, but it is only works with one car seat at a time... which rules it out. 

Organized Closet

I took advantage of having an entire weekend to myself and went on a closet decluttering and organizing spree.

The first step was to take absolutely everything out of the closet. I purged rarely worn items (3 bags!) and packed away form fitting dresses and tops for after the babies come. I then arranged everything by color.

The biggest change is how I organize my jeans- I used to hang them all, but decided it would be more space-efficient to fold them.

I'm excited to have an organized space! I'm not sure how it will work to share with Justin though... I am already packed to the brim, and have another rack of clothes in the laundry room. Maybe he'll want to use one of the closets downstairs?

I'm looking forward to maternity fashion- I think a lot of the items I already own will work throughout pregnancy. I have tons of jackets and cardigans, which should work regardless of how big my belly gets. A couple of years ago I heard a piece of fashion advice from Heidi Klum that has stuck with me- she suggested wearing loose, flowy tops in the beginning stages of pregnancy, and wearing form fitting tops after you have a definite bump.

11 Weeks

Justin and I celebrated our 5th anniversary this week. He was out of town on the actual day, so we decided to go out to eat earlier in the week. He surprised me on the actual day by calling and letting me know that he had a card hidden away- I thought that was a really sweet touch. We are going to buy something for the babies when he gets back... I think I might want to order their diaper bag. I have had my eye on the Skip Hop Versa.

Justin has always been a great husband, but he has been especially wonderful lately. He is sure to remind me to take my vitamins, drink water, and make sure I am getting enough rest. He has also done 95% of the cooking and cleaning over the past several weeks. My energy level is improving, and I haven't had nausea lately, so hopefully I will be able to be more helpful around the house.

How far along? 11 weeks
Total weight gain? Up .5 pounds this week, so 6.5 pounds total. I'm surprised I haven't gained more- I feel like I have doubled my caloric intake, and have really cut back at the gym. Once I'm out of the 1st trimester I expect weight gain to be in the 1-2 pounds per week range.
Maternity clothes? Just the Be Band
Stretch marks? Nope... hopefully it stays that way!
Sleep? Still good
Miss anything? The gym! I've been going to Zumba, but miss my other classes. I think I'm going to start doing Jillian Michaels No More Trouble Zones- it will be easy to modify and will remind me of circuit class.
Cravings? Apple juice, buffalo wings, chocolate malts
Aversions? Grilled chicken breast and red meat
Symptoms? Nothing too dramatic- I'm hungrier and have less energy than usual, but those are my only symptoms

11 week bump- starting to fill out!

10 weeks

The photogenic twins had ultrasound number four- they are definitely looking more human! The last time we saw them, they were still just cute little blobs, but things can quickly change over two weeks. They were busy waving their little arms and legs. Baby A is currently positioned head down, and Baby B is laying sideways- it will be interesting to see what position they are in at our next ultrasound... I'm sure they will do lots of acrobatics.

Here are a few questions that I will try answer each week:


How far along? 10 weeks
Total weight gain? 6 pounds- the range for twins is 37-54 pounds, so I am right on track.
Maternity clothes? None yet, although I need to use the Be Band with some of my work pants.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep? Has been pretty good- I usually wake up once during night.
Miss anything? Running and circuit class. I'm hoping to run the 10k in the Fargo Marathon next year, so I have a running event to look forward to.
Cravings? Apple juice, chocolate malts, pizza
Aversions? Grilled chicken breast, red meat
Symptoms? Less energy than usual, but other than that I have been symptom free. I had some nausea weeks 6-9, but it was incredibly mild- I'm glad I had early ultrasounds so there was proof that the babies really do exist! With twins I was expecting debilitating morning all day sickness, so I feel very lucky. Hopefully the rest of the pregnancy is easier that I expected.

Wedding Bells

During Week 9 we celebrated my cousin's wedding (which was beautiful). I was a bridesmaid, and thankfully my dress fit perfectly! My mom decided to hold off on alterations until the last minute and it was a very good thing she did... I managed to fill out the dress that originally needed to be taken in two inches- so the babies are busy growing!

I was able to tell my grandmas and most of my extended family about the twins over the weekend. The cutest reaction was from my Grandma Verna- she was excited when I told her, but must have been tired from all of the excitement of the wedding and her birthday. The next day, my mom went to visit, and Grandma Verna told her "I had the strangest dream last night, I had a dream that Laura was having twins!" My mom got to tell her that her dream was true :)

Weeks 7 & 8

No pictures this week... the bump didn't change between weeks 6-8. Justin and I went to Once Upon a Child for their $1 sale, we found a few outfits, but the exciting purchase was the bassinet! I introduced the dogs to the bassinet, and thankfully they didn't seem to be bothered by the noise.

We had another ultrasound during week 8- having a Friday the 13th appointment made me a little nervous, but thankfully everything went well. We got to hear their heartbeats again, which was wonderful!

Other excitement during week 8 was telling Justin's parents and grandparents- everyone is very excited about the twins!