This is the babies' closet, mostly courtesy of Grandma MonkeyMama (my mom). See the little package at the top? She already got us newborn diapers! It was really cute to see MonkeyPapa marvel at how tiny they are. 19 days till we find out the sexes! I can't wait. When we find out, I am immediately adding these to the closet:




















































17 weeks 2 days

So they don't like Egg McMuffins

The monkeys have made themselves comfortable in their little under the sea adventure. In the past week it seems like they've grown a lot (couldn't be all that Christmas food, could it?) because I have popped. AND there is less room for food in my stomach (do you hear that monkeys? there is only so much I can eat!) so this morning's Egg McMuffin, designed to give them some protein, is now feeling like a piece of hangover pizza. I apologize in advance all of my coworkers for any rejection this McMuffin may experience at the hands of my little parasites.

In better news, I felt flutters for the first time Christmas night! Merry Christmas to me from the monkeys :o)

17 weeks today

16 week photos

We went to the doctor today and the monkeys are doing fine! The doctor did a quick ultrasound to check their heartbeats (she wasn't sure she'd find both on the doppler) so we got a couple of pictures.

Four weeks from today we'll find out the sexes! I can't wait to know what they are. I've already picked up paint chips from the hardware store so we'll be ready. Luckily, the day we find out is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day so we'll be off from work and ready to shop and get started on the nursery.

































16 weeks

Let's talk cribs

Although I'm only 12 weeks, it's time to start looking at cribs. With twins, they can come sooner and there's the chance I might have to go on bed rest and I don't want to miss out on the fun of decorating the nursery.

We'll find out if they're boys or girls on January 19, but for the furniture I don't think it matters to us which they are.

Some 12 week pictures!

We went to the doctor today and had a long ultrasound with the sonographer. She says the monkeys look good and are growing right on track!

Yeah, I'm fat

I broke down and wore maternity pants for the first time today. I can still fit in other pants, but by the end of the day (since I'm hungry all the time and feed the parasites almost constantly), they are a little uncomfortable.

I don't know why we don't wear these all the time. They are so comfy, and they're not even those real maternity pants, they just have adjustable elastic sides. I might never go back to real clothes...

Second heartbeat

Monkeypapa found TWO hearbeats last night! We were so excited. It felt really good to hear them both.

It's funny because he found the first, and then the monkey moved on him. I guess right now they have lots of room to float around in there since they're only about 2 inches each.

11 weeks today

We heard a heartbeat!

We bought an at-home Doppler (heartbeat listening machine) so that we could try to listen to the heartbeats anytime we wanted. Although it's still early and hard to find heartbeats, we found one last night! Actually, Monkeypapa is the one who found it. We only heard one (we think) but we're not worried, because it is so early.

Keep growing, little monkeys! Next ultrasound is in 8 days and we will have new pictures for Thanksgiving.

10 weeks 5 days

Monkeymama = bottomless pit

So I have been eating almost nonstop all day long and there's still 6 hours till I go to bed. I don't even feel full. I think I am eating more than Paisley (aka Monkeydogbrother) did when he had a tapeworm.

Monkeybabies, I am going to have to quit my job just to feed and water you at this rate. I am pretty sure I've gone to the bathroom 8 times and eaten 8 of the 10 hours I've been awake. I will continue to feed you because I want you to grow big and healthy, but just know we will probably not be shopping at Ikea anytime soon. Five hours with MonkeyGrandma with only one food break and sporadic restroom availability is not an option at this point.
Keep up the growing!
Love,
Monkeymama

9 weeks 2 days or 8 weeks 3 days

Nothing much new here

It's pretty status quo at the moment. I'm feeling queasy/hungry every hour and a half or so and eating like a pig and drinking water like a fish. Monkeypapa continues to search through the laundry basket each morning for his clothes because I have no energy when I get home to put it all away. I have to use my energy for working & eating!

Another bedding option

I found it this morning and ran (okay, walked slowly) to the bathroom where Monkeypapa was getting ready and made him go look in his towel at this cute, cute bedding:


I actually think it could work for a boy or a girl (oops, I mean one of each!), don't you?

Wow, I'm tired

I am simply exhausted. No, not simply - add on to that nausea if I don't eat enough/on time, shortness of breath, and inability to sleep through the night (thanks, bladder), and that's about the life of monkeymama right now. I'm not complaining (okay, yes I am), but I don't know how much longer I can keep the monkeys a secret at work!

Yesterday I went home early (just needed to rest) and I think I might need to start taking naps midday, at least until the first trimester is over. You wouldn't believe how much I sleep - the monkeycat and I are pretty much on par, I'm sure.

In better news, my friend Ashley is going to pop out little Luci any day now! So, so exciting. I can't wait to meet you, Luci!

8 weeks 3 days or 7 weeks 4 days (this date is the ultrasound's dating)

One monkey, two monkeys...

Look closely. There are two monkeys in there!

We are still in shock. The ultrasound dates at 7 weeks 1 day, although I thought I was 8 weeks today. Guess we'll see! We have another ultrasound on November 24th.

Ultrasound tomorrow!

More specifically, our first appointment is in 18 hours. I am so excited! We are going to have monkey's first pictures taken (first ultrasound) and I can't wait. Cross your fingers everything goes well and monkey is healthy!

7 weeks 6 days

Tease!

Someone just brought the office one of those huge coffee setups from Starbucks, and I can't have any because of the enormous amounts of caffeine in there :o( What a tease!

Hungry or full? Nauseated or not?

Today, the baby ticker says the monkey is .43 inches. I cannot figure out if I'm hungry or not. A few minutes ago, I was starving. I ate a little applesauce, and I felt super full and nauseated!

If monkey has this kind of power at half an inch, I'm in for some trouble once he/she gets here.

7 weeks 2 days

Time to move into covert operative mode.

I have a wedding to attend for a dear friend. Problem is, my other friend and my "date" (Monkeypapa has some volunteer work to do) are going to have a hard time not wondering what's up if I'm not tossing back the wine!

Current plan: say I had sooo much to drink the night before that I can't stomach the thought of alcohol. It should work, since that has happened to me before. Now I just hope the dress I want to wear fits...

9 days until our first appointment! I can't wait.

6 weeks 4 days

We'll call this how I lost my brain part 2

Today I couldn't recite a simple spiel about defensive driving I've been saying for 4 years. I kept calling them driving licenses and stopping in the middle of sentences.

At one point today I said "make-a sense". Apparently being pregnant has turned me into an Italian pizza chef.

The most damning: I park, walk into Costco. Pay for photos. Walk back out. Have forgotten where I parked three minutes earlier.

p.s. I just posted this accidentally on my other blog. What did I tell you?

MonkeyPapa in Da House!

Well, I thought I would show my face around here so Monkeymama doesn't tell too many fibs about me. I'm really excited about the monkey growing in Monkeymama's belly, even if it has made her a bit more whiny than usual. :o) I'm quickly learning that my evenings for the next several months are going to consist of MonkeyMama continually bombarding me with potential names for a girl (we already have the boy name picked). For some reason, MonkeyMama is obsessed with names that end in "a" or "y". My first choice was Gertrude, but she wouldn't go for it. Oh well.

Food aversions

have begun. The only thing I could contemplate eating right now is gummy candy and sprite. Food sounds so disgusting!

Even Tetley tea with milk & sugar wouldn't go down. THAT's how strong the aversions are!

Thank GOD the monkey likes Tex Mex

We went to a yummy Mexican restaurant for dinner. No margaritas :o( but the cheese enchiladas were the. best. ever. Or is that pregnancy hormones talking? Either way, good thing you liked those enchiladas, monkey, or I'm afraid we'd have to disown you.

Electronica for baby?

I wonder how infants would respond to electronica and trip-hop. I find some of it, like Frou Frou and Massive Attack, really relaxing. No, I'm not doing drugs and producing yet another crack baby...just curious. Not sure how much Barney I'll be able to take before turning into a wine-for-breakfast kind of mother.

Speaking of Frou Frou, the lead singer has a really pretty name - Imogen. Betcha 100 bucks MonkeyPapa will HATE that name!

I'm losing my brain, already.

Exhibit 1: this morning I had to look in the cookbook to remember how to boil an egg.

Monkey stuff

Yes, I know it's early (I'm only 5 weeks 3 days) but I have found the cutest bedding that would work for a boy or a girl. I know I'll probably change my mind a hundred times, but MonkeyPapa likes this too.

So, about this eating healthy.

I have THREE pregnancy books - one about nothing but what to eat. I am overwhelmed with information! They basically say to me: eat healthy or your tiny fetus will suffer and you will be a terrible parasite host - I mean mother.

Couldn't someone make it easier? I mean, Tim Gunn gave women the sweatsuit alternative (in his 10 essentials). Can't there be a Whataburger for lunch alternative clearly spelled out somewhere?

Last night's dinner exhausted me. I was chewing for over 20 minutes! I don't want to see broccoli or cauliflower ever again, and sadly, there's 6 more pounds of that veggie mix in my freezer. Tonight I may make my healthy dinner, put it in the blender, and drink it through a straw. Thank goodness I don't have any nausea (yet). Thanks for that, monkey. Keep up the good work and I will let you eat candy anytime you want once you're here.

Thanks for ruining my Sunday, darn parasite

Dear Monkey,

You successfully kept me on my back for most of Sunday. (Your dad did a good job and brought me gatorade, baby tylenol, and a snickers, though. Way to go dad!)

I would just like to say it's unfair to have a hangover without even getting to drink. Although I suppose you are worth way more than a night of drinking :o)

Love,
Your host for the next 9 months

A monkey baby!

So no one knows yet but Travis and me and a couple of friends (and a few salespeople), but we're pregnant! I have taken to calling it the Parasitic Monkey since it will leech everything off me for the next 9 months. Stick around, little monkey!