Wall Art Round 1

Toby and I ordered these lovely wall decals from http://www.etsy.com/ awhile ago and finally got around to putting them up. We like the idea of these since they are removable and do not ruin the paint. These match the nursery colors perfectly. We started on Saturday night by putting the butterflies above the closet---we had no idea it was so difficult. The first one took a little long to figure out, but we finally got it! We put the monograms above the cribs today---those were quite the process and took both of us to get them up. We finally did it! Since the names are top secret, I have blacked out the actual letters on the monograms. Later this week, Toby will hang up the wall hangings that go above the changing table. We were also able to install the carseats in my car and the extra carseat bases in Toby's car, thanks to the help of Audie K. We did a few loads of the laundry and put on the waterproof mattress pads and sheets for each crib. Some of the blankets and clothes got washed too! We are on our way...

The butterflies above the closet

The crib and monogram decal for one of the babies

The crib and monogram initial for the other baby

Getting fatter!

I went for my 31 week 3d ultrasound today - oh my goodness! These babies are getting BIG. The normal weight for a single baby in the womb at 31 weeks is around 3 lbs. My babies are each 3 lbs. 2 oz! WOW! The doctor was very happy to see them at that size and we don't have to go back for 4 weeks. My mom came with me this time and got to see how neat their technology is. Baby A & Baby B switched places so Baby A is now on my left side and Baby B is on my right side. Baby A is head down and Baby B is sort of on her side. Their limbs are all entangled as it is getting tighter in there. Baby B was much more photogenic and Baby A was covering her face with her hands. Baby B's mouth was moving the entire time the doctor was doing the ultrasound and was being dramatic with her little kicks and punches (just like her mommy) and Baby A was calm, quiet and shy (like her daddy). We're glad the girls are doing great and gaining enough weight to make the doctor happy. Hopefully they will stay inside for at least 4 more weeks!

Baby A - the one on the left - She was being shy, so this is the side of her head - her face was turned away from the camera.

Baby B on the right side - she took a break from moving her little mouth to pose for this photo. That is her umbilical cord in front of her face.

A Weekend and the Royal Hawaiian

Toby and I stayed the night at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Saturday. We had a gift certificate that we were given from the hotel when we got married there over 4 years ago. We finally were able to use it. The hotel went through a major renovation and reopened this year. It was always such a beautiful and historical hotel and we were glad to see that it didn't change too much. We were given a beautiful suite, the same one we had at our wedding, but on a different floor. It was amazing. After we checked in around 10:00 am, we spent the next few hours at the swimming pool. The Sheraton Waikiki, another Starwood resort, is located next door. Both hotels have their own swimming pools, but share a larger water playground. We hung out there for about an hour before we got tired of how busy it was and went back to the Royal's pool. It was much quieter there. We had lunch by the pool, swam, and enjoyed lounging in the sun. There was a Ho'olaulea in Waikiki that night so the entire street was closed and it was busy! We ate dinner at The Cheesecake Factory and watched some of the UH football game at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center. We enjoyed some cheesecake for dessert and relaxed at the hotel. The hotel removed their restaurant, The Surf Room, and now only have a smaller outdoor area for breakfast and lunch. We went there for breakfast (the only option at the Royal) and were told there was a 40 minute wait list. I think the hostess felt sorry for me after I begged for a glass of juice since I couldn't wait 40 minutes to sit down. We were seated in 15 minutes, but waited 35 minutes for our food. The food was great, but it was hot outside. As we were leaving, one of the male servers asked how much longer we had till the babies came and when I told him 6 weeks, he said, "it will be sooner, trust me, I am wise." Well, we shall see if he's right!

Our Suite

The view from our living room

Our living room (you can't see the dining area and the very large flat screen TV)

Part of the bathroom

Our bedroom

Toby relaxing in the dining room

Toby enjoying the waterslide at the Sheraton

The "mommy" view. This was my view over my tummy of the Royal's pool

In the afternoon, they leave a tray with their signature banana bread loaves - yum!

When we checked in, we got a complimentary hisbiscus elixir. This was a complimentary banana and blueberry smoothie that we were given at breakfast.

No artwork but...

We didn't get the artwork hung in the nursery, but we did manage to accomplish something.

Toby and I had a lazy day...I was on the couch watching Lifetime movies while Lucy napped next to me and Leia slept by the front door. We were able to organize a little bit. We have been looking for something to store our wine glasses in. Currently, they are in one of the kitchen cupboards and we need that space for baby bottles. We searched a couple of furniture stores and found nothing we liked or nothing in our price range. I had the idea to go on craigslist and we found something! Toby picked it up today and even got $20 off just for asking! What a deal! Here is a photo of our new piece of furniture....now it's time to get all the bottles in the cupboard.

Thankful

Today I am feeling very thankful that I am carrying two healthy babies. I saw this quote by Maureen Hawkins and really enjoyed it:

"Before you were conceived I wanted you
Before you were born I loved you
Before you were here an hour I would die for you
This is the miracle of life."

I am still very much in awe that two babies are growing inside me. I love to feel their kicks and punches and to feel them wiggling around. To hear their hearts beating every week is the most beautiful sound. I don't like to complain about being pregnant because being able to go through this experience is amazing. I can't wait to meet these girls. 54 more days!

This weekend we will be working on hanging the wall art - photos to follow!

More Congrats!

I have to congratulate some friends on their fabulous and exciting baby news! Now our girls will have new playmates =) Congrats to Lisa and to my other friend who I will keep anonymous until she shares her news with everyone. I am so happy and excited for you both! It has been quite the year for babies. Here is a list of happy births and exciting arrivals to come:

May = Kaylee was born
July = Trent was born
July = Miya was born
August = Chace was born

We have friends who are having babies every month from September - April...YAY!

18 week videos - sorry, a little late!

This is a little late, but here are some great videos of the babies at 18 weeks.

Baby A at 18 weeks

Baby B at 18 weeks

A New Look

Thanks to my extremely talented cousin Jenn for designing the photo reel that now sits at the top of the blog. Isn't it incredible how these babies have grown?