That's right! We're having two boys!!
I can't believe it has been 2 weeks since we found out that we will be having baby boys...and now 4 weeks since I have written my blog! To make up for it...I'm going to pack this post with everything that has been going on!
Knowing that I will now have two sons to call my own is amazing. It feels so much more real! My heart swells just typing this. Want to know their names....?
We put a lot of thought into our babies names and we can't wait to welcome John Alexander, "Alex", and Mason Christofer into our life. John Alexander is a combination of two of Matt and my most favorite people in the world; our grandfathers - John Franklin Rayburn (mine) and Theodore Alexander Werkhoven (Matt's). Matt really liked the name Mason, and Christofer is Matt's middle name - it's spelled the Dutch way, we weren't purposely trying to switch the more normal "ph" for the "f". Matt and Mason will share the same initials - MCW. We love these names.
It was one whole agonizing week after we found out their genders before I got to shop for our baby boys...and "boy", did we!
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| First shopping spree for Mason and Alex! |
I have been growing soooooooooooooooooooooooo much! It is crazy-amazing-sometimes painful-wonderful that I can hold my stomach in two hands as if it's a basketball! I'm facinated by myself! For so long before I was pregnant, I would imagine what it would be like to feel and look this way...and now it's happening! I don't take this for granted. I am so thankful for it.
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| 17 weeks pregnant |
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| 19 weeks pregnant - Easter afternoon at MIL and FIL's |
We can feel them moving from the outside of my stomach now! So far, Matt, my mom, Andrea, Betsy, and my MIL have been able to feel a little kick or movement. Last night, while I lay on my side, I could feel so much going on! It doesn't always feel good - yesterday it felt like one of the babies was playing cowboys and indians with my bladder. Nonetheless, I love it and so very much enjoy feeling their presence!
Life for us has been crazy lately!! It addition to being in the busiest season at work, we have been making huge changes to the house that are hopefully on track to be completed before the babies come.
We painted the outside of our house...
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| Before |
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| After |
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| Before |
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| After |
A few weekends ago, we also had Liz's wedding in Huntsville. It was beautiful and we had a really great time!
********My take on having a healthy pregnancy********
Back in my first trimester, when I was getting sick from brushing my teeth and spitting toothpaste out (this was the extent of my morning sickness) I stopped taking the vitamins that I had initially first really liked. I would definitely recommend these vitamins to anyone TTC or those who are pregnant and are able to swallow pills:
| I really liked that these were "raw". They gave me great energy and helped to make me feel good. |
| These do a great job keeping your system regulated and also help to ward off icky pregnancy woes such as a y.e.a.s.t. infection. |
I took all of these while we were TTC and also probably up to two months of being pregnant. It's a good idea if you are TTC to start storing the folate and other nutrients to prepare for the growth of your baby, or in my case babies. At about two months into my pregnancy, I had to stop taking all of these vitamins, unfortunately. I just could not swallow them.
My friend Anna turned me on to some chewable vitamins that I have really enjoyed taking since then- and not just because they are delicious.
Together they have plenty of DHA, Folic Acid, Calcium, and Vitamin D, and I'll say it again, they are flipping delicious. Matt even likes taking them, even the prenatals! Ha ha...
I recently discovered that I like root beer. I haven't had the taste of my beloved soda, Diet Coke since December, and while I used to not like root beer-once I had a taste of that brown bubbly on my tongue, I've been hooked! It's caffeine free and is the only soda taste I'm allowing myself to have. Done deal. I will warn you though, not all root beer is pregnancy friendly. Beware of Barq's, it has caffeine.
I have increased my water drinking by a lot compared to what it used to be. It hasn't even been difficult, I'm thirsty allll of the time! I only drink root beer maybe once a day. The rest of the time, it's good 'ol H2O. I also continue to eat tons of spinach and vegetables, salmon and the safe kinds of fish, and I have been drinking yogurt smoothies for an extra calcium boost in addition to yummy snacks of Greek yogurt.
The one thing I really need to improve on is my stretching. I have had several prenatal massages now and have increased going to my chiropractor, but I know that some good stretching would do me wonders. My excuse is this: I'm so tired once I get off of work. Maybe I'll cook dinner. Thankfully Matt has been really great at picking up my slack in the kitchen. I generally just want to either lay on the couch, get in the bathtub, or go to bed. Somehow I'll have to make myself incorporate some stretching.
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Last but certainly not least, I wanted to share a video of our gender reveal sonogram. It starts out with Matt filming us on the way to our appointment. I don't seem as excited as I actually was in the video. I was so nervous! Some of the best baby movements are in the second half of the video.
If I have forgotten anything, I'll be sure to remember it for next weeks post-which I fully intend on writing! :)
I'm going to have 2 sons!!, -Natalie
2 sons! How rich are you to become!
ReplyDeleteI know how I felt when I was pregnant. I didn't take it for granted to, it was such a wonderful feeling. Even if you don't feel greet physically, that smile doesn't come of your face till labourday ;)
About the stretching, why not take some time to do it in the morning, while you're fresh and 'full' of energy for the day?
About the middle name of Mason. Christofer doesn't sound Dutch, more German. I looked it up on a website that has tons of information about the history of names and I could only find Christopher, it comes from St. Christophorus/ Christoffel.
In the Netherlands you mostly hear Christiaan.
Funny to hear Matt's family originally comes from the Netherlands.
And forgetting everything since the day I was born, become pregnant made it even worse in my case! I HAD to bring a notebook (one you can actually write in) and write every thing down...
Wishing you luck on that!
But most of the time you don't think about how heavy the belly is, how your feet hurt, how tired you are, how hungry/thirsty, and how big the belly gets... you are pregnant and that makes you privileged.
Lots of love and faith in God.
I know what you mean about being forgetful, now I'm trying to remember what my normal degree of "forgetfulness" was! ;)
ReplyDeleteMatt had always told me that his middle name was spelled the "Dutch-way" because his father's name is Josef. He was born in Curacao and come over to America from Holland on a boat when he was a young boy. When he entered the USA, his name was spelled Jozef, but then he later changed it to Josef. Now I'm thinking that maybe Christofer is spelled as it is as more of a way of taking after the spelling of Josef. Haha...who knows!
I think your morning stretch idea is a good one...but what may get in the way of it is my need to get every last second of sleep possible! Haha... As it is, when Matt and I drive to work together, I eat my cereal and put on my make up in the car! I'll figure something out...
I completely agree with your last paragraph. :)
I hope you have a wonderful day! Thanks for your comment! -Natalie