Our Two Gifts

Countdown: 9 more weeks until I make the goal of at least 36 weeks

That means only 63 more days!!!

I am 27 weeks today.

As most people hate going to the doctor, we look forward to the bi-weekly visits now so we can hear the heartbeats and be reassured that everything is going great! We have also began our regular ultrasounds scheduled for every 4 weeks to measure growth and keep a close eye on the babies.

Twin A

Twin A has grown from 1 lb. 4 oz. to 2 lbs. 3 oz. in the past 4 weeks. The heartbeat remains a strong 150 as it has the last couple appointments. Twin A is still head down and it feels as though he/she is the more active of the two. The ultrasound tech. commented how he/she is hogging more of the space but he/she also has Baby B's butt is it's face. ;)

Twin B

Twin B has grown from 1 lb. 3 oz. to 2 lbs. 8 oz. in the past four weeks. The heartbeat has changed a bit since last time. It is now closer to that of Baby A at 147 (it was 141 at the last appointment). The position that Baby B is in, makes it hard for a good profile picture, but I thought this one is cute with him/her looking right at you. This baby has it's head near my right rib and causes me much pain and discomfort the majority of the day if I am sitting. Sitting in a reclining position most all the time and the heating pad have become my new best friends. Standing also helps relieve some of the discomfort, but as I told Adam... as of this week, I no longer have ankle bones so I try to keep off my feet as much as I can!!!

The babies are a thinner, smaller, redder version of what they will look like at birth. They continue to put on fat and their lungs, liver and immune systems continue to fully develop. They can probably recognize our voices and their eyes are beginning to open, if they are not open yet. In the past the measurement for length was the crown-to rump, but this weeks marks where they begin measuring total length and they should be about 15 1/4 inches. They are about the size of an eggplant.

This week marks the end of our second trimester and we are sailing into the third. As people ask me how I am feeling I will respond with "I am good, but slowing down quite a bit!" I find myself teaching from my chair more often throughout the day, asking the students to carry my bins to and from where they need to be in the classroom, and having the students pick stuff up off the floor for me where in the past I would not have thought twice about picking up a dropped pencil. The end of the weeks are harder than the beginning, and trying to do something after work that requires me walking (as in Christmas Shopping) is really hard. I also need to give Adam tons of credit for the helper he has been at home. He now has the responsibilities of helping me up, helping with my socks, and making sure my very tight shoes get tied!

So the next question from most is if I will be back to work after this holiday break? I am hoping so!!! My doctor will work with me and listen to how I am feeling, but as long as my body holds up and the babies remain healthy, I really hope to make it to the end of January or early February.

Adam and I look forward to spending this holiday season with many great friends and our amazing families. We already have our favorite gift of all, the two bundles of joy that we will have soon! Next weeks post may be a little delayed due to some traveling, so check in on Monday! We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Warm Winter Wishes!

Baby Shower & Blizzard

Well, The title of the blog this week says it all. If you go back to a November post the theme was also all things that start with a "B" (Bad Roads, Baptism, and Babies). Sticking with that them this week is all things that start with a "B" as well. This past weekend was a special day for me, Adam, and the Babies. We had our first shower, but the weather did not cooperate! Thinking back, two years ago we planned a winter wedding and the weather was perfect. I should have known not to try and be lucky with Wisconsin winters... This is a day that stories will be shared for awhile! I sincerely thank all that made it and those who did not - we missed you, but I completely understand. I debated on whether to cancel, but in the end the food was prepared and I rescheduling would have been difficult to find a weekend before I am unable to move comfortably. So again, THANKS to all there and those there in spirit!

This is how the Baby Shower started out... an empty lot full of snow, and needing to be plowed out. Thanks to Adam, some guests were able to make it by him going to pick them up!!!

The babies were VERY spoiled with necessities... and some fun stuff too!

Thanks for the cupcakes Missy! They were two-peas-in-a-pod and very yummy...

After helping get things all ready to go, helping people get to the shower, and driving from Eau Claire in the weather... the boys got to enjoy the shower as well. They also helped the numbers...

After my brother drove from Downsville and went to dig out my sister's car, we thought he should stay and join in on the fun.

From the time we knew we were having twins (at 9 weeks) they have already been labeled "Baby A & B". These two adorable outfits are from Nana (my mom).

At that same time, Jerry named the twins "Sears & Roebuck" so here are their very own shirts that were made by Adam's Grandma Zielke. Why do we even have to think about names anymore?

Instead of bring a card, guests were asked to bring a book. We look forward to reading these special books with the babies (these are just a few... we need a bookshelf for the nursery)!

Some other special books given to the babies came from when Adam was little. These were a few of his favorites! These will be "looked" at on the shelf or in a shadow box and probably not played with.

Some other pieces that Adam was given came directly from his nursery. His bear was made by his Grandma Zielke, the wood toys he played with, and some of his nursery decorations are very special to have.

The kiddos were spoiled with many toys. Once we got home, I combined them all into a bin that Nana made for the twins. Adam's family has been going to Door County for 30+ years and we pack our "stuff" in bins in case it rains... so now the twins have their Door County Bin all ready to be packed next year!

We made the decision that if we have no major developments on our house this week, we will paint the nursery and just start to get settled here. When we got home from the shower, I went through all the goodies again and attempted to sort through all the treats!

After 18.5 inches of snow, someone needed to snow blow the driveway... Adam is just really a big kid who can't wait to play in the snow!

At one point I peeked out at him and he was sitting in a drift (looked like he was in a recliner) and eating snow... wondering where all the kids were at to play with?!?!?!

St. Nick came to the house on Monday and left some presents next to our shoes. The babies got some Nuks, Adam got a tie clip, and I got a coupon organizer... I am thinking it will be more than half full with diaper coupons!

And lastly, Last Friday Adam helped take down the last of the trees at the lot. The HUGE Oak needed to come down and it was a beast. We would have loved having a beautiful tree in our front yard, but this is where the driveway needs to go...

TIMBER!

This week is my last week before two weeks off for Christmas break and Adam and I have a doctor appointment on Wednesday. We will have another ultrasound and cannot wait to see the babies again... so next week will be ALL ABOUT BABIES!

Memory Tree

I'll start out this week with a picture of our Christmas Tree. The past years I called it the "Hodge-Podge" Tree because it is all sorts of random ornaments. Growing up I always had trees with themes. One year it is all white ornaments, the next it is all blue and white, and then my mom had a snowman tree. So naturally as I started having my own tree, my tree always had a theme. Our first year together, I laughed at Adam's ornaments because they were "Hodge-Podge." But as he decorated the tree, there was a story behind every ornament. There is a truck with a tree on the top = the family tradition of cutting their own tree. He has all the Craftsman series ornaments = Sears, and he has a life jacket and duck from when he lived on Long Lake. Those are just to name a few... So naturally as we meshed our lives together, we continue to get ornaments that have special meaning and I choose to call the tree this year the "Memory Tree" as it sounds better than "Hodge-Podge." I really do like the tree and the Charlie Brown look emphasizes all the memories hanging on the tree! Yes, I still have a tree with a theme, but it isn't going to be put up this year... too much work right now.

Izzie got a much needed haircut this week. I should have taken a "before" picture... you couldn't even see her eyes! As she was getting her haircut, we had some hours to burn in Eau Claire. Adam's favorite store in Eau Claire is TJ Max as he is always looking for the deals. One thing he found and could not pass up were these "Air Jordan" booties. He (and I) had a couple pair of Jordan's while growing up so how fitting that will be the first pair of "shoes" for the babies. However, they are Pink so if we don't have girls or a girl, they will be a gift to someone who has a girl!

On Saturday, Adam and I went to a shower held for Amanda and Matt. Amanda and Matt are the son and daughter-in-law of Adam's business partners (Char and Gerry). Amanda is due with a baby boy this Christmas (December 26th)! We couldn't help but get a belly shot of the two of us. The first thing I see is how much taller she is than me, but then I can't get past the thought that she has 3 weeks to go and I have 11 weeks (until week 36) to go and were THE SAME SIZE...

Front Shot... not so bad.

Side Shot... Bam!

We have had quite a bit of interest in our house as of lately as well. We have had showings most every weekend (at least we have a clean house every week) and a very interested couple hopefully making an offer early this week. It's really hard not to get our hopes up... but to be completely honest, I am getting nervous about the thought of possibly moving twice in the up coming months and maybe with newborn babies! Not to mention, nothing being done with the nursery. I continue to remind Adam, I will not be able to help much with a move... With the activity on the house, we have been busy putting the finishing touches on the plans and getting the lot ready for the hole to be dug and concrete poured. This means trees needed to come down.

The stakes are for the concrete people. It's hard to envision the layout just by where the stakes are...

The boys hard at work. We hired it out, but Adam and Gerry helped to cut the cost in half!!! A BIG thanks to Gerry :)

There is a bit more to finish next week, and we'll keep you posted as this should be an interesting week if everything comes together right!

Baby Update: Week 25

Each week as I do my reading on the babies, I giggle to myself. I do not have a book that refers to a twin pregnancy so I laugh when it tells me how big I should be. This week it says my uterus should be about halfway between my belly button and the lower part of my sternum... Well Baby B has been in my right rib for the last 3-4 weeks causing A LOT of pain and periods of being quite uncomfortable! I am much bigger than a soccer ball as well... as the book says that is the size I should be. Other than that, I have been feeling a lot of movement and the their main job now is to put on fat! I am not sure if it is their placement or little personalities coming through already, but Baby A is quite a bit more active then Baby B most days. We can't wait to see them on our next ultra sound in a week and a half!

As I mentioned earlier, this coming weeks could be very busy with some developments in selling our house, starting our new house, we start birthing classes, and I have my first baby shower this coming weekend! Thanks for checking in and we'll keep you posted!

~Amy, Adam, and the Nizzer.

Family Traditions

This week brought many great get-togethers with our families. We started out the Thanksgiving festivities at my brother's and Katie's house for more of a Thanksgiving lunch. Izzie loves to go visit her cousin, Kingston. No pictures, forgot the camera... bummer. Kingston is a Yorkie and they get along so well! Then we were off to Eau Claire to continue the festivities with Adam's side of the family. The food was delicious, although I have to be careful how much I eat. I am in extreme pain if I eat too much! Thursday night was cut early as Adam had to get up at 1:30 a.m. to be at the stores for BLACK FRIDAY!

The ladies kept with Black Friday Tradition and headed West to Stillwater and St. Paul to hit some boutiques. We stay away from all the large department stores and malls which is just fine with me! It was Elle's first year and she was a trooper! I am nervous about keeping this tradition alive next year... two babies + a double stroller + tight boutiques = not sure if it will work...

Elle has the cutest Christmas Shopping hat on... I love hats as well!

Continuing to stay with Wamboldt Family Tradition, we watched "Christmas Vacation" on Saturday night. It is a rule to not watch this movie before Thanksgiving and to watch it with the family on Thanksgiving weekend. It is a family favorite, hence Adam's Halloween costume this past year. All lines are recited on cue and every year they have to pick out something they have not noticed before!

Elle was a good little Tree Shopper! Her pink nose matches her hat!

Another Wamboldt tradition is cutting Christmas Trees. The last two years we have stayed close to home at the Pleasant Valley Tree Farm. Years prior, we traveled to Nicolet National Forest near Green Bay to cut trees. That is where Adam and I got engaged! Our first tree was as Charlie Brown as you could get. The branches were soooo weak we needed fish line to hold them up to support ornaments and lights. So, we still kind of look for the Charlie Brown tree... and we found one!

I like the holes in it and it to not be as full so more of the ornaments show through!

Before we could cut it, I needed to make sure I was not wider than the tree (this is my belly shot for the week.... 24 Weeks).

Adam was proud that he conquered the tree!

The tree is in the house, but will not be decorated until later in the week. check back next week for the finished product!

Baby Bump

Ok... Not so much a bump but maybe a hill. It will soon be a mountain, which makes me a bit nervous! This week is ALL ABOUT the BABIES.

Week 23
The first picture is with the BIG belly covered.

I really don't feel that large on a daily basis... but WOW when you catch a direct side profile the babies are there! Many of the books I am reading state that friends may start to notice the expanding belly... Ummm the MAILMAN made a comment to me last week! Adam and I have also noticed while out and about people's eyes go from my face to my belly.

Then there is the full belly shot... yes, that is a smile on my face still.

The babies continue to be very active. Often times the two are active at the same time. Sometimes though, I can tell that just Baby A is moving and then goes still and Baby B will move at a complete separate time. It is crazy to feel both moving at the same time. It's like there is a boxing and kicking match going on!

The Babies continue to grow as they are working hard to build more body fat. Their skin is still wrinkled but their body and face are beginning to assume more of the appearance of an infant at birth. Their main job right now is to put on weight and fat and strengthen their systems that are already developed. As our doctor said on Monday, "They will continue to grow and we need to keep them in the womb as long as possible!"

We received a letter from our doctor this week confirming pretty much what the ultrasound techs told us last Monday at our appointment. But, after viewing the radiologists report, Dr. Walker wanted to let us know that the babies actually have their own placentas. It takes some stress off of us worrying about one twin stealing all the nutrients as they have their own supply. Otherwise everything looked great and there were no concerns. We have another appointment in three weeks and we will have another ultra sound! We will have many pictures of the little ones before they are even born!

I am looking forward to only one and a half days with kiddos this week. Adam is looking forward to getting all the stores ready for Black Friday and kicking off their holiday season. The both of us look forward to spending time with family this week and eating all the yummy food that Thanksgiving brings!

Bad Roads, Baptism, and BABIES!!!

This post comes a day late, but is full of news and pictures... Not much happened during the week, but we had a very busy weekend to make up for a slow week!

We'll go right in the order as my title says... Starting out with the Bad Roads. We had picked out our nursery furniture months ago and were just waiting for the right time to buy. I was thinking that a Black Friday sale would be the best time, but when I called to hear their promotions, it turned out that this past Saturday was the best day to buy. I was up early to hit the road on a mission... Needless to say, the biggest snowfall in the month of November for Minnesota was also on a mission! I contemplated not going, turning back a couple times, but talked myself into voyaging forward to USA Baby in Minneapolis (just past The Mall of America). My mom rode with, which I am not quite sure if I would have rather been by myself. I didn't need the stress of her reacting to every little snowflake falling. Below are some pictures of our trip... my mom got busy with the camera which took her stress and eyes off the road.

ISH...

EEEEWWW...

ICK... yes, that is a car in the ditch facing oncoming traffic.

The last picture is the steady and trustworthy family vehicle that got us there and back, safe and sound!

We ordered two cribs, two dressers, the mattresses, the toddler rails, and the adult rails. The cribs we picked will allow them to be toddler beds and turn into double beds as well. I think I can say it's the most money I have spent in 10 minutes! Pictures will follow when they are set in the nursery... but delivery is out 10-12 weeks which makes me kind of nervous!

Saturday night we hosted some family members that were up for Elle's Baptism. Adam's aunt Cathy and uncle Bill, his parents, his Grandma, and Aunt Missy came over to order Ted's Pizza and play quarters. We also cannot forget about Elle, Missy, and Dave as well!

Notice Izzie peeking over my arm... she is running out of room on my lap!

Elle Marie was Baptised on Sunday and Adam and I are Co-God Parents. She was the cutest in her gown (made by Adam's Grandma and worn by other cousins) and the bow in her hair.

Elle is so lucky to have two sets of god parents that will always look out for her... and spoil her.

Not crazy about this next picture... It's bad of both Adam and I, but we could not be prouder of our beautiful niece, Elle Marie.

Last but not least, news on the BABIES! We had our appointment today (Monday, November 15th) and we got to see the little bambinos on the big screen. NOOOO we did not find out the gender! The best part of the ultra sound was right away they were punching each other. OK not so true, Baby A was hitting Baby B. Baby B seems to have the shorter end of the stick with being cramped up and having to deal with punches. I have been feeling A LOT of movement and had a pretty good idea on their placements, but today confirmed it. Baby A has his/her head down and is positioned on my left side and Baby B has his/her head right below my right rib (and I can feel it) and his/her legs are down by Baby A's head. Basically they are smelling each others feet but the arms are positioned to be able to punch each other.

Like I said earlier, little Baby B is kind of cramped and was at a bad angle for a good profile shot but here is the best one below... You can see a very tiny nose and the other little blob is it's fist, or boxing glove.

Baby A was a little more cooperative and you can see the profile better. What a cute little nose!

Some quick Stats from today's appointment:

Baby A: 1 lb. 4 oz Heartbeat: 150

Baby B: 1 lb. 3 oz. Heartbeat: 141

They are sharing a placenta and as long as they stay similar in size all is good! Otherwise we don't want one to be stealing all the nutrients. I am measuring 7 weeks over. If you remember from last time, I was 4 weeks over. Oh Boy... big belly, here we come! But... the past 3-5 weeks was a big growth spurt for the babies. We go back in four weeks and I have the dreaded blood sugar test. We will also have another ultrasound at this time and probably every four weeks from now on. It is scary to think that after our next appointment, I am scheduling appointments for every two weeks! Then we will move to every week! Eeek. Time is flying by!

We have a lot to be thankful for!

Amy & Adam