can't live without it: amazon prime

There are countless things I can't live without...but right now the one I have to share is Amazon Prime. I remember when Dave first signed us up, I was skeptical. Now I am obsessed. It is the best $99/year ever.

Free two-day shipping? For a year? YES PLEASE. We order SO much from Amazon. We've also been using Amazon Pantry and plan to use Amazon Mom. 

I have ordered everything from shampoo to shoes to craft supplies on Amazon.  You can also stream movies, TV shows and music. 

So if you don't have it, I highly recommend it!

master bedroom: before

As I mentioned before, we are planning to do some updating to our master bedroom! MUCH needed updates.

Here are some old before pictures! I can't believe I'm sharing these- yikes! You can tell it is not put together and we were just making do. This duvet is actually just one from Ikea that I like to use in the summer. Our typical one is solid gray from Restoration Hardware. We plan to keep that and use it in the winter.  So it is important that anything we do the room will match that duvet and the new one for spring/summer.

The headboard is staying- I love it. The rug, bedside tables and bench are staying as well.  

   

This dresser is actually now on the other side of the room with the TV on it. That wall needs a low, long dresser. 

 

The tall gray piece in the corner is now in the nursery. That corner is where I want to put a chair. 

Here are some pieces and bedding I love...

This room is not a super high priority...but I do hope to finish it before the babies come. Or at least have a plan in place and maybe have ordered some pieces.  

And here are a few bedroom spaces I just looooove....

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bump update: 25 weeks

How far along? 25 weeks

Total weight gain: 8 pounds

Maternity clothes? Of course and still loving them! I haven't been able to find any good white jeans, but I did get white shorts that I love.

Stretch marks? Yes :( a few on my lower belly.

Sleep: total insomnia

Best moment this week: Ultrasound for sure! Love getting to see them in there. And I just love feeling them move....except when I'm trying to eat.

Miss Anything?  Champs....and being able to eat food normally. 

Movement: Yup, all the time

Baby Size: baby girl is 1 pound 10 ounces and baby boy is 1 pound 7 ounces

Food cravings: Still loving strawberry/banana smoothies! Blueberry muffins- made from a Betty Crocker box, vanilla ice cream with magic shell and rainbow sprinkles, triscuits with cheese

Anything making you queasy or sick: Eh, yes...still fighting the same food aversions to proteins and veggies.

Gender: boy and girl!

Nursery: Coming right along! Be sure to check out Beth's blog for updates!

Labor Signs: Nope, my dr thinks I'll easily go into the mid 30 weeks (so end of June- mid/late July)

Symptoms: Heart burn/indigestion, still getting out of breath super easily these days, insomnia, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrom

Wedding rings on or off? On for now, but tight some days!

Looking forward to: finishing the nursery! 

                                                  

picture is from 24 weeks!

five on friday: april 24

Helloooo Friday! This 5 on Friday is all about our home sweet home...

one. Our house is a disaster. And I suspect it will be this way for awhile.  Decorating and renovating are not easy, especially when you have no spare space or room to "dump" or store stuff.  I'm still trying to find a place for everything that was in our guest room, which is now a nursery.  Eventually my little office will become a guest room, so we don't want to get rid of it. Everything is over taking our sunroom and dining room. Our 3 car garage is packed full- with zero cars in it.  So that option is out for now.  We moved everything from my dad's apartment in there until my sister and I can sort through it and will have to store building materials there when construction on our addition starts.  I am not OCD or typically a very neat person, but this is driving me nuts. We are short a dresser in our bedroom because we took mine and put it in the nursery. So I have no where for some of my daily clothes- PJs, tshirts, etc- until we pick out a new one. Everything is in different bags or baskets, scattered around. 

two. Speaking of decorating, next room to update is our master bedroom.  We need a new dresser, I want to recover our bench, pick out new bedding and add in an arm chair. I'm so excited to get started on this and make it a nice, relaxing space before the babies come. I'll be sharing more details and before pics next week. 

three. Our carport addition hasn't started yet. And I could have the babies in 10-12 weeks (putting me at 35-37 weeks). Taking bets on whether or not it will be done before the twins arrive. I may or may not have told Dave that the twins and I will live at the Ritz if it isn't done when we bring them home.... :) 

four. The nursery will be done next week as it is being photographed for ORC! I am thrilled and can't wait to share the final room with everyone. I think it will become my sanctuary the next few weeks as the rest of the house is a disaster. 

five. I finally took some photos of our kitchen and living room to share! They are not the best photos, even though I used my nice camera. It is really hard to photograph rooms!! The light was not cooperating. 

 

(quick iPhone pics)

thoughts on thursday: ivf

This week is is National Infertility Awareness, so I thought it was the perfect time to share our story. 

Our journey to conceive has NOT been easy. It may not be as difficult as some I have heard (like Jaime King), but it has taken us years to get here.  We ended up doing IVF (in-vitro fertilization). I won't share too many personal details, but IVF was our best option. 

I used to look at all pregnant women and just assume it was easy for them to get pregnant and be jealous of them. That made me think- I don't want someone struggling with infertility to look at my pregnancy and think it was easy for me. I understand what you are going through. I am sympathetic.

Sadly infertility isn't talked about very much. I kept it hidden for awhile, then only told close friends our struggle.  I wish it was something people were more open about.  One reason I wanted to keep it a secret was I didn't want one million opinions on the subject.  Everyone has a friend that tried for years and finally did IVF or adopted and then got pregnant on accident. That story doesn't help me. I also didn't want people constantly staring at me down the road trying to figure out if I was pregnant yet. But keeping it a secret means people don't think before they share they are pregnant without trying or on accident. 

I went through months of not knowing why I wasn't getting pregnant.  I encourage you to be proactive. We were. After 7-8 months of trying we made an appointment with my regular OB/GYN and did preliminary testing.  After 14 months of trying we went and saw a specialist. I was ready for a baby and I wasn't going to wait. 

Once we decided on IVF, it was still a long process. We started our process in spring and didn't actually have the procedure until late fall. IVF is not for the faint of heart. I didn't feel good for months! IVF consumes your life. I would have to leave places in a rush to be sure I could get home in time for shots or get to the doctors office in time for blood work or an ultrasound. At one point I went to the doctors office 5 days in a row. And gave blood every time. My stomach was one giant bruise from shots. I had so many side effects- I was nauseous, tired, sore, etc. And that doesn't even cover the financial stress and burden. And the fear that it won't work. 

just a few of my meds

my view more mornings than not

But it was all worth it now.  Now, all I think about is how lucky and happy I am that we are expecting twins! Two healthy babies on the way. I have almost forgotten how rough the process was!

not everyone gets a pictures of their embryos! Baby Girl and Baby Boy on transfer day!

I would also HIGHLY recommend my doctor (Dr. Katz at REACH) for anyone in Charlotte considering fertility treatments. He was amazing...and that word doesn't even fully do him justice. I am so thankful for him and his amazing staff. I remember at our first appointment, right before Christmas 2013, he said "We'll get you pregnant in 2014. We will get you that baby you deserve." He was so hopeful and positive. I knew he would do anything he could to help us.

A few blogs I read during my struggle (and still read!):
Dreaming of Dimples
Baby Ridley Bump
Unnaturally Knocked Up

There is a huge community out there full of people trying to conceive (TTC) and the support they provide each other is amazing. 

If you want to know more about IVF, Samantha Busch has written some great blog posts about it. I would be reading hers and saying aloud to Dave "OMG it is the exact same thing as us!" or "I feel that too!"...so here are the links if you want to read all about shots, patches, exams, etc! :)   (we did have some different processes and medications, as everyone does, but this gives you a good examples of what life during IVF is)

Egg Retrieval 
The Transfer

 our transfer day! going from not pregnant to technically pregnant

My biggest piece of advice to someone supporting a friend going through infertility- do NOT ask them if they are pregnant. If they aren't, it will make them sad and remind them they aren't. If they are, they will tell you when they are ready.  This is the number one reason I didn't tell some people about IVF. I didn't want people asking me all the time if I was pregnant. And still some people did ask me. Trust me, when your friend wants you to know they are pregnant, they will tell you. 

When we found out I was pregnant, December 1, we knew ahead of time who we wanted to tell and not tell.  I only told my sister and very best friend the day we found out. We waited a few days, after some more blood work, to let his parents and my dad know.  Then we waited a few more weeks to tell more close family/friends.  

If you have any questions or want to talk about IVF, please feel free to reach out to me!

These are so true and so funny...had to share!!

babymoon packing list

Last week we took a babymoon to Jamaica and had the best time! We weren't sure if we would get to take one or where or when...but everything just fell into place. We haven't been anywhere tropical together since our honeymoon. I was fortunate to go to Turks & Caicos awhile back with some college girlfriends, but nothing for just us!

Here are a few things that were on my packing list:

 striped dress / maxi dress / white top / scallop shorts / cut off shorts

 cover up / tankini top

jack rogers jelly sandal / flip flops / sunglasses 

I was very excited to use the new beach tote I picked up awhile back at Cotswold Marketplace. I saw it and knew it would be perfect for me! :)

I took a risk and purchased a straw fedora hat for myself at Scout & Molly's.  Dave said he liked it on me, so I'll be keeping it and trying it out! I don't always think I can pull off trends, but I think its fun!

And, I can't forget my accessories! :) 

I'll share more about our trip soon! 

a pet peeve

This past weekend brought to light one of my major pet peeves...price gauging. This is not just about the Lilly for Target stuff, but in general.  

Saturday Dave and I were out running errands and popped into a few home stores to look for items for our bedroom, the nursery and my new office.  In one of the booths inside one of my favorite stores was a pair of lamps. Not just any lamps, the exact lamps that Beth had brought to my house for me to look at for our living room. They were from Home Goods. I believe they were $50-$60 each. While I loved them, they didn't work in the room so she returned them. This booth was selling them from $275 for the pair. And I know that they were the EXACT ones from Home Goods because I had a picture to compare.  

Also while shopping at this store, one booth had a gold Target tray for sale- exactly like one I have and bought for around $20. They were selling it for $45 and had even left the Target Threshold sticker on the bottom.  This made me really think about what I am buying when I see it in these cute booths.  I always thought it was fun finds from yard sales, flea markets, vintage pieces, etc.  At anther store a few weeks ago, a booth was selling a tray for $70 that Beth had brought to my house my from Home Goods for $20.  I recognize that the people running the booths need to make money and that it is their job.  But it was disappointing to me to see this.

Since finding out I am having a baby girl, I have taken interest in lots of cute little girl clothing shops on Instagram and Facebook.  One line I love is Sweet Honey.  But it is impossible to get a dress! They sell out within seconds of launching and then some people immediately sell the dress for twice what they paid, if not more. I refuse to pay that.  Its so sad (#firstworldissues) that I can't get a dress for Eloise, because people are doing it make a quick buck off desperate moms.  

And I think that is what happened with Lilly for Target as well. People knew that some people would be desperate to buy pieces at any cost. So they bought it all as fast as they could to then resell it at a mark up.  Its just sad.  I was able to buy one dress online for Eloise before the site crashed and my friend Katie got her 3 outfits at her store in Colorado.  There is nothing I needed badly enough to pay twice the price of.  

 

Eloise's Lilly for Target finds coming from Colorado!

Ok Monday pet peeve rant is over now.... hope everyone has a great day!

twin nursery update

It is week two of ORC! I hope you will pop over to Beth's blog to read about our nursery progress.

I put together a little collage together of what we have picked out so far. I am in love, I think it will be my favorite room in the house!

I love the mix of Pottery Barn Kids with Urban Outfitters!  A perfect combo of my style. I can't believe how little time we have to finish it all- yikes! 

a new office

I'm so excited that we are in the early, early stages of building me a new office. Well...technically building a guest bedroom, but we will use it as my office! To say I am excited would be an understatement.  The room I use now is just not big enough for everything I need to do.  I use the same desk to work at the computer, make pieces and pack orders. Also, we are turning the current guest bedroom into our nursery and by adding this space, we can make my office a guest room. 

This will be the only room in the whole house that is all ME. I don't plan to give Dave one say so... :)  He lets me do most of the decorating, but I always give him veto power and ask his opinion.  

Here is a little of what I am liking for the office:

Storage Dresser / Rug / Chairs / Bison Skull / Curtains / Pillows / Pouf / Mirror

Everything except the white chair & pouf is from Urban Outfitters. I haven't shopped there in YEARS and had totally forgotten about them. I need good storage for all of my beads and supplies, a desk with my computer, a separate work space and a place to keep everything to pack and ship orders. Bonus, I plan to set up a little sitting area if I can with a little bar. I mean...why not?!

Click here to see my full Pinterest board! 

twin nursery

Let me tell you, planning a boy/girl nursery is not easy! At least not for me. I am so picky and I don't want it to lean too girly or too boyish. I also don't want a "theme" like animals, colors, shapes, trains/princesesses, etc. I want it be very neutral. This way as they get older and bigger, I haven't spent a lot of money on something they only have for a year or so.

Seeing as how I was struggling with ideas and a concept...I knew I had to get Beth to help me out! She has some amazing ideas and I can't wait to share it all. And then she had the genius idea to do for One Room Challenge (ORC)! I am thrilled and can't wait for her to share updates each week. 

Here is what we have done so far:
--Painted the walls Classic Gray by Benjamin Moore
--Hung up this chandelier
--Purchased these cribs
--Found and bought this rug:

(from World Market, no longer available)

Click here for her post about it and be sure to follow along! Here is my pinterest board too!

(Beth has done our kitchen and living room so far- I need to share pics- and I would love to slowly have her do the whole house! Even my hubby is on board with her help in each room. The other day he goes "What does Beth think about new bedding in our bedroom?" and I was like well we have never asked her to help in that room! But maybe we will now!)

my sister

I am really glad my sister started a blog! She has amazing recipes to share and great outfits. This has made it much easier for me to track down her recipes, where she bought something or where new to eat instead of texting her over and over for the same thing. Which I still do sometimes.

But mostly I love it because of her honesty.  Being sisters we have a lot in common, but are also very different people.  I like when she posts personal stuff and opens up about her reaction to the situation.  Because we handle things differently.  We react differently.  And it isn't always easy.  

Her post about my dad made me cry.  It was all so true...every detail...but all from her perspective, not mine which makes it so interesting to me.  So, if you need a cry...click here.  

I want to reiterate what she said about her friends...they are amazing. They are a blessing to our family.  I told her I didn't need them to come, I called one and said I was ok. They ignored me, walked in my front door, held me, sat with my dad, cleaned my house, etc. I am eternally grateful for them.  God truly put them in our lives for a reason and I hope some day I can repay them for all that they have done. 

And thank God for sisters...