18 Weeks

My Beautiful Baby Boys

18 Week Bump Shot

I will start off by mentioning that my babies are extremely healthy and doing great. I was not so sure prior to my appointment with the specialist. After lunch I was experiencing a lot of tightening in my abdomen and some pain in my lower back. I figured it was the beans I ate for lunch. Before we were about to leave for my appointment, I went to the bathroom. A normal occurrence that I do 100 times a day. The abnormal part was the pool of blood that I saw in the toilet. My first reaction was to panic and cry. Momma was at my house and reassured me that everything was fine. Jaime drove me to the doctor. I was so grateful and appreciative to have her with me because this was the one appointment Marc was not able to attend. They took me in to the ultra sound room and within seconds we heard two beautiful heartbeats. I was extremely relieved and ecstatic! My cervix was completely closed and very long (2 things that I learned are very important during this pregnancy). It was a freak thing and the doctor or the technician did not have a definitive reason as to why the bleeding happened. The only explanation I got is that this could happen and as long as there is no cramping, it is probably nothing. At least the bleeding stopped and I felt better:)

Twin A, which I call Danny Devito, is the smaller of the two and he is located closest to my cervix.  When I say smaller, I actually mean the normal average size for a twin. His heartbeat was 140 beats per minute and he weighs 8 ounces so far. Twin B, which I call Arnold Schwarzenegger (remember the movie Twins?) is above average. His heartbeat was 150 beats per minute and he weighs 10 ounces. During the hour long ultrasound, neither boy would sit still. They were bouncing all around my belly, which made it a challenge to get measurements, but this sonographer was amazing. We counted 10 fingers and toes on each boy (both boys gave the camera a thumbs up:), saw their vital organs, and we 100% spotted those boy parts. After today, there is a 0% chance that either one of these babies are a girl. We are not set on any names yet, so any suggestions would be gladly welcomed! The important thing is both of them are extremely healthy and perfect.

As for me, I am overall feeling good. Morning sickness has been replaced with headaches and I am getting that extremely tired feeling again the last few days, but nothing I can't handle. Kickboxing has gotten more difficult as well, but I am still planning on going until my doctor says not to go anymore. I just listen to my body and take it easy when I feel I need to. Our next task is to see if 3 carseats will fit in my car. I hope so because I just bought my car in January and I love it. I am not ready to be a minivan mom:( I may have to get over that soon! 

Extra Favorite Vacation Moments

My Happy Boys

This trip was even better than last year because Mason really enjoyed everything! He loved the beach, Sea World, and having family nearby every day! 

Mason's bedroom was in the bathroom. He slept like a champ:)

Mommy's Beach Bum

Auntie helping Mason in the water

Mason loved the Sesame Street play area

Mason's Favorite Ride

"I don't want to wait in line!"

We had so much fun hanging out with cousin Taryn for the day:) We want her back in AZ!

The crazy bird that stole the fish from Marc's hand right as he was about to feed the sea lion!

Watching the movie Cars for the hundredth time! 

Mason was a little nervous on the Sky Ride.

Until next year San Diego! (Depending on the twins)

Family Vacation: Day 5

We decided to go back to SeaWorld today and eat breakfast with Shamu. We did this last year and really loved it, and this year was just as fun. There was a 5 month old whale that was adorable. She stayed close to her mama the whole time. We (including a new addition Stephanie) enjoyed the food and especially the killer whales. After breakfast, we went on a few rides and explored the park for a bit. Mason fed some seals, but freaked out when a seagull swooped up out of nowhere and snatched the fish from daddy's hand. Those birds were quite aggressive. Mason went on his favorite Elmo ride with daddy. Marc was able to ride the fun roller coasters while Mason and I enjoyed the tropical fish and stingrays. 

After SeaWorld, cousin Taryn came to our hotel to hang out for the afternoon. We strolled along the beach, ate food at an Irish Pub, dipped our feet in the pool (even though Mason stressed me out because he did not sit still), and walked to my favorite candy shop to buy Coronado Crunch. It is this rice crispie type of treat with white chocolate, marshmallow, peanut butter, and other things all mushed together into a blob of amazingness! This is one of my most favorite chocolate treats! It was awesome spending time with Taryn. 

The evening was spent packing up our belongings. I can't believe how fast our trip went:(

Family Vacation: Day 4

Today we decided to leave Coronado and head over to Pacific Beach. The weather was cold and overcast, but we enjoyed walking along the boardwalk. We ate delicious fish tacos at the Shore House thanks to Brooklyn. And then we ate ice cream sandwiches from freshly baked cookies of our choice at The Baked Bear thanks to Taryn.  It was a fun excursion.

We all decided to go to dinner at Brigantine. It was a delicious seafood restaurant. Mason was the best behaved little boy. Poppa says that he is setting the bar high for the twins. We have high expectations for them:) Mason was cracking himself up throughout dinner. He would growl and make funny hand movements, and then start laughing hysterically. We all enjoyed the sweet sounds of his giggles. After dinner, we walked to the beach and played with these light sling shot contraptions that Momma bought for the kids (Marc was the most excited:). Mason had a blast, and we did too watching his excitement.

Looking forward to breakfast with Shamu tomorrow!

Family Vacation: Day 3

Mason was not a fan of the helmet, but then he got over it:)

Mommy's Little Burrito

Today was an adventurous type of day. After breakfast, we decided to rent a 4 person surrey, which is a big bicycle.  Austin rented a mountain bike, which was definitely the smarter idea! This 4 person bike was more work than what it was worth, especially since Steven slacked on the pedaling. We were yelling, arguing, and cracking up all at the same time. Mason did enjoy this tour around the island though. And we got a kick ass workout! I am pretty sure that next time we will all rent our own bikes!

After a late lunch, we headed over to SeaWorld.  We enjoyed a very funny sea lion show. Mason loved the music. We then headed over to the Sesame Street area where Mason went on his first real ride. He loved it!!! We were very high and went around and around. He kept putting his hands up and cheering. Mason even cried when the ride was over because he wanted to keep going.  Then Auntie Jaime took him on his 2nd ride, and it was not as successful. He was very scared and cuddled with her the entire time. Mason did not want to go on that ride again! We went to see penguins, whales, sea turtles, sharks, and much more. This year Mason is really into all of the sea creatures and exhibits. After a long day, Mason passed out the second we got into the car. It was a long, fun day:)

Family Vacation: Day 2

We started our day with breakfast outside. The sun was shining and the weather was beautiful. We all then headed out to the beach. Mason was obsessed with the freezing ocean. Thank goodness Marc and Steven (Teeny is what Mason calls him) were willing to let their bodies go numb so that Mason could play and splash in the water. Mason even helped to build a sand castle and dig in the sand. It was a great day at the beach. We then went back to the hotel and ate the biggest pizza I have ever seen. The twins and I really enjoyed it! The rest of our day was spent napping and watching TV. Being out in the sun really took a lot out of us. Our evening consisted of dinner (everything revolves around food:) and walking around the Del Coronado Hotel. I am loving these relaxing days that I get to spend with my boys and my family! 

2nd Annual Coronado Vacation: Day 1

Last year, Marc, Mason, and I took our first family vacation to Coronado in San Diego. We instantly fell in love with this island and decided to make it a yearly tradition. This year we added Momma, Poppa, Jaime, Austin, and Steven. Our 6 hour drive was quite stressful because of torrential rain. You couldn't see two feet in front of you! It was scary, but Mason was extremely happy. He loved watching the rain. He also enjoyed watching the movie Cars over and over.  I was so impressed with how amazing my little guy was being in the car for so many hours.  Once we got to Coronado, the rain stopped so that we could enjoy our first evening. We walked to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Miguel's, and enjoyed margaritas (everyone but me and the kids) and calamari burritos. After dinner, we headed to the beach.  Mason did not like the sand again and refused to walk on it. Auntie Jaime helped to change his mind and before we knew it, he was loving the sand and the freezing cold water. On the way back to our hotel, we stopped and had Moo Time ice cream.  It was so amazing and will perhaps become a nightly ritual:) After swimming in the heated pool, it was time or us to head in for the night.  We have thoroughly enjoyed our first day and can't wait for more fun times ahead!