28 Weeks - Twin Update

The boys are healthy healthy healthy!

I am 28 weeks along now and am measuring at 36. The multiples specialist, Laura said "woah! they had a big jump this week!" because 2 weeks ago I was measuring at 33 weeks. She thinks in the next 2 weeks I'll be at full term size and warned me not to push it because of how big I'm getting already. I had to buy a back brace this weekend because by about 2 in the afternoon my back is done and it is getting more and more difficult for me to walk around.

Somehow I only gained 1 pound since my last visit with Laura. The babies seem to be getting enough healthy food and nutrients to keep them growing without packing on unnecessary pounds on me! Yay! I've been drinking smoothies like they're going out of style and I've got to attribute some of the good growth to the fact that those things are packed with fruits, veggies, protein, and flax or chia seeds. Pretty cool!

I now weigh 156.8 pounds and I started somewhere around 134. I think I may have weighed less in my first trimester, but that was only because before I knew I was pregnant, my new little inhabitants were sucking the life out of me and I was dropping weight way too fast... I got down to 125! That may be my post pregnancy target because I really liked how my clothes were fitting at that size. I probably haven't been that small since high school! Regardless of the numbers, I'm more focused on making sure these kids get enough good stuff for them to grow big and strong!!

All is well on the baby front and I couldn't be happier - aside from not being able to sleep more than 3 1/2 hours a night for the past couple weeks. Ugggg. I'm tired all the time but that's okay... If that's the worst of it, I can live with that.

What else? I've managed to pack up most of my office and am starting to transition it into the new nursery. We have one crib setup now, and I'm hoping to get another matching crib sometime after the baby shower in March. I really don't want anything else to match... except those cribs :)

And, a couple weeks ago I scored the sale of a lifetime with our stroller - they were transitioning the 2013 cribs out for the 2014 cribs and I was able to get the stroller I want for about 35% off the retail price. Woo hoo!! I got the Baby Jogger, City Select thanks heavily to the fact that Tammy has one and sang it's praises and then when I meet with the stroller specialist at Buy Buy Baby, he recommended it over all the other twin strollers. It's pretty awesome and there is a kick plate on the back so Travis can stand and ride on the back if he wants to. Pretty cool. And it's a tandem stroller, so we should be able to actually fit through doors. Big bonus!

I'm taking my glucose test today to test for gestational diabetes... cross your fingers that it comes back normal. I'll let you know how it goes when we get the results back.

That's all for now, have a great week everyone!
xoxo, CB

My New Favorite Nail Polish

Warning: silly girly blog post. 

This stuff is AMAZING.

CND Vinylux from left to right: 

Rouge Red #143, Pink Bikini  #134, Gotcha #116, Hot Pop Pink #121, Powder My Nose #136,  Weekly Top Coat 

I love pretty painted nails.  I will be the first one to notice them on friends and give out compliments on how nice a well manicured hand looks because I completely appreciate how much time it takes to maintain pretty nails!  I have been doing the gel/shellac nail thing for a couple years have loved it because once it is on, it is not going anywhere... but that's also why I sort of hate it.  When your nails grow out you have this perfect nail polish that requires another trip to the salon to have removed (and I am just not that dedicated)... so, I end up picking at it and completely demolishing my nails in the process.  Not good.  

Until now! I recently read an article on these vinyl nails made by CND - the same company that makes the gel nails, but it comes off with acetone and it doesn't require a UV lamp. I ordered them on Amazon and was so impressed.  My toenail polish has been on for close to 2 weeks and looks as perfect as the day I put it on and my finger nail polish lasted nearly 8 days.  I'm now wearing the Rouge Red - I used the Powder My Nose first and it is just so classic.  And today the Pink Bikini (soo pretty!), Gotcha and Hot Pop Pink arrived.  Spring is in the air :) I'm too excited. 

I liked them so much I ordered some for my sister... Tammy - you'll have to update us on how long it's lasted for you. 

I'm happy if nail polish lasts 3 days because normal nail polish maybe one day for me.  They say it should last a week and I hope it does with the darker colors!  And now, I'll share someone else's pretty pictures, because they're so much nicer than mine with the camera phone.

Yay for my first obscenely girly post.  

In the midst of all these all these boys around me, I am reveling in the girlyness (at least for the moment!) 

xoxo, CB

Beach Cottage Interior

Ahhh... the interior.  

It isn't finished (will it ever be?) but I have so loved seeing the transformation it has made from where it started to where it is now.  

I think, the fastest way to update a space is with paint... and we did a lot of painting!  

Almost every single surface has been repainted!

We started with Kilz - Jason Kilz'd the entire inside all by himself. (YAY, daddy!)  He didn't want Travis to be surrounded by paint fumes, so he went up for a couple days before we got there and got so much done.  A fresh coat of white over the previously hideous paneling made a world of difference!   I wish we had pictures - but you can use your imagination. 

Next up, a little color!  I love light and bright and airy and that is exactly what we got.  

The front of the cottage is painted this ever so light blue.  It is just off to the left of the door when you walk in.  

Look at those fishing rod holders!  I almost asked Jason pull them down, and boy am I glad I didn't - not only are they extremely functional, I think they're super cute... and they give you something to look at on the ceiling!  

The lamp was inherited when we bought the cabin.  I'll change out that shade one of these days.  I found the bed at an antique shop in Rockdale called Antique Queens.  I love the chippy paint - Jason doesn't :( and sadly, it is a REALLY tall bed with the box spring, so I don't know how realistic it will be for us to keep it in this space once Travis actually starts sleeping on it... I can just picture his little head thumping on the tile floor when he falls out.  Terrible! 

But for now, it is my favorite piece of furniture in the whole cottage.  :) 

And yes, the frames are missing pictures.  

We'll get there - hopefully very soon, it's driving Jason crazy.  I just can't decide what to put in them. 

In the next photo, I'm painting the living room (across from the guest room - to the right when you walk in the front door) and I had a very hard time telling if the blue color was actually going up on the walls because it is so light!  Surprisingly enough, it took on a lot of pretty color.  

I love it, I love it, I love it - I am so happy with how it turned out!

Keri came up one weekend over the summer and dove right in!  I bet you don't believe this by the look of the picture below, but she hates painting!  Not only was she a huge help on the painting front, she was amazing at keeping Travis entertained.  I think she read him "The Gruffalo" 40 times that weekend.  Poor little guy was not getting his normal attention from us but it was definitely a treat to have his Aunt Keri to play with! 

The main portion of the cottage is painted a very faint green color.  I was so impressed with how much color came out of the blue that I undershot the pigment of the green.  

I'll probably end up repainting that area because I think it is too light, but for now, it'll do!

Can you even tell the color difference in the picture?  It's hard to tell when you're actually standing in the room too.  

You might also notice in the window nook, the railing was taken down! YAY! 

Why someone would have staircase railing there, I will never know... but it's gone now!  

And Jason fixed the broken trim moulding on the frame of the wall.  

The master bedroom has an original map of the Rockport/Fulton/Lamar area from 1958!  

We haven't figured out the bedside-table situation yet so for now, a beer cooler and a rinky-dinky table, that we inherited when we bought the cottage, are working just fine :) 

You can barely see it on the right side of the photo, but I added a couple hooks on the walls with crystal(ish) knobs.  

Soooo exciting!

The little dresser at the end of the bed came from Pottery Barn Kids.  There is another one in the living room that the TV is sitting on.  We store our extra sheets, beach towels and blow up mattresses in them.  The circle mirror came from HomeGoods. I love that store. 

In the kitchen, Jason did a lot of updating! 

He and Evan added bead board to the back wall (it's nearly impossible to see in these pictures - sorry!).  

I love the bead board... we haven't painted it yet, but I really like it white... so maybe it'll stay like it is. 

I have grand aspirations to eventually get rid of those old cabinets and put in a decent countertop.  One of these days (when we save up enough American Express points!) we may do that.  They function now, not perfectly, but they are good enough.  Oh and the sink.  Oie.  And the faucet... I have dreams about updating all of it but if I keep fussing, I'll drive myself nuts.  

It works.  I'm happy!

We got rid of the old yucky refrigerator for new bigger model.  Jason and I went round-and-round on if the fridge I wanted was too big.  Jason wanted a smaller one... but guess who won?  hehe.  I am really glad we got the big one because it fills up quickly (especially when there are lots of boys down there and we need space to keep all the beer cold!)

Jason took down the cabinet that was on the right wall of this photo... it was about to fall off the wall, so it's good that it is gone.  He also took down a random shelf that held a mustard yellow 1970's bread box and an old mirror.  

Now this wall is blank and I don't know what to do with it.  I think mounting a TV up there next to the AC would be cool, but we'll see.  

I'd also like to add something above the stove - shelves? A pot rack? I don't know if it's worth changing before (if?) we update the cabinets, so maybe I'll just get a clock. 

Eventually I'll refinish that table - it came with the house too!  Bonus! 

Do I love it... nooooo.  

It is far far far from anything I would ever buy, but it is a solid table and with a lot of TLC I'm sure it could look cute. 

  In the living room, you can see the couch I reupholstered.  Jason framed a map of Rockport and he recently made a side table to replace the one that is falling apart below (I'm not sure I love it yet, but maybe it'll grow on me - he worked so hard to make it.)  

 I obviously didn't stage these pictures to get all our junk out of them... next time I get down there I'll try to take some fancy pictures for you.  But most of the time, this is how it really looks when we are there:) 

The itty bitty couch folds out into a twin, so we can comfortably sleep 4 and there is still room for a cot or 2 for the kids and another cot for an adult.

We once had 5 adults and 1 Travis here... it was tight, but it was a lot of fun!

My plan is eventually to get a normal full sized couch and move the little couch to the side wall, where the map is.  That way, if someone didn't mind sleeping on a couch we could add one more overnight guest. 

The important part of this picture are the window coverings.  The old blinds were dirty, metal and broken, so we threw them out and put up new ones.  I think they look 1000% better.   

So that's it!

With 2 new little boys joining our family, we are already brainstorming how we can re-vamp this space to sleep 3 boys and 2 adults while still having enough room to move around.  I'm so curious to see how it will change with us as we all grow.  

I love this place and I am so glad we made the crazy decision to buy it when we did.  I can tell you, that if we had waited even 6 more months, we probably would have chickened out.  Who in their right mind would do that if they knew they were going to be having twins?! But I am SO GLAD it has worked out like it has.  I can't wait to get back there, and to watch our family and friends get a lot of happiness out of this place over the next chapters in our lives.   

Love you all, sweet dreams. 

- CB

Beach Cottage Exterior Remodel

Now that you've seen some of the "before" photos, here are some of the "during" and "after" shots of the exterior. 

The exterior needed some of the most immediate attention.
There were pieces of siding that were broken or rotting away, so one weekend Jason and Les pulled down the parts that needed replacing and put up Hardie Board. 

Right Exterior: 

before 

during

Priming with Kilz

 Left side:

before

during

Priming with Kilz

 Below is the front of the cottage as we primed the outside and started painting the trim.  

The trim is the color "milk paint" from Sherwin Williams. 

You might also notice, we put a new roof on it! 

I think that made a huge difference in freshening it up. 

Our next big goal was to paint the exterior.  The color did not come out how we wanted it (we both think it is WAY too bright and saturated) but unfortunatley, the paint was mixed improperly and we just went with it.  It's pretty bright, but the sun down there is so strong, that I have faith it'll fade soon enough - either that or I'll repaint it.  But for now, here she is. 

Jason removed the super heavy concrete blocks that were flanking the cottage. 

He also pulled down the random piece of gutter that was over the front door. 

I was very glad to see them go!  I think it looks a lot less cluttered now.  

 

Here is the view looking at the water down our little street.  

 

Jason was so excited to be able to hang a flag, so we have our American flag, a Texas flag and we just got an Aggie flag to fly when we are down there.  

I like how this picture is showing the green in the paint but it is still pretty bright. 

Soon, I'll show the interior - I don't have "finished" photos of the inside, but they're good enough for now ;) 

and I don't know if I'll ever really consider it finished... we still have a lot of ideas on how to spruce up the inside. 

xoxo, cb. 

Our Beach Cottage

A little over 6 months ago, we bought a beach cottage :)

I've been quiet about posting it here because I don't want people to get the wrong idea about us - it is absolutely nothing fancy, but Jason is down there hunting, and I am missing that place so much that I can't get my mind off of it.  I wish I could be down there.  I think January is one of the best times of the year to go to the beach.  But sadly, one of the not-so-fun things about being pregnant with twins is that I'm on travel restriction - and even if I wasn't, I wouldn't be able to feel my legs at the end of a 4 hour car ride.  Boo.

Jason and I have dreamed of having a place in Rockport since before we were married and for years would go down to the beach and hunt for houses.  We would drive around for hours.  Looking at vacant lots, looking at so many beautiful homes, we even meet with a few realtors over the years.  Unfortunately, we were never able to find anything we could actually see ourselves owning, at least that we could afford!  So for the longest time, it remained just that, a dream.  We never wanted anything big - a place for us to be able to watch our kids grow up on the weekends, decorate with beachy stuff (though our opinions of what is appropriate in a beach house are completely different!) but mostly, we just wanted to have a place to call our own.

So, last January, we made a trip down with some friends and visited their cabin in Lamar (just north of the Copano Bay Bridge, near Big Tree and Goose Island State park.)  It was completely lucky when, one block away, I caught a glimpse of a "Cottages for Sale by Owner" sign.  They were all in a row, on a terribly paved road but just off the water, and some were in pretty rough shape.  Frantically, I made my sister-in-law Kristi, memorize the first few digits of the phone number on the sign, while I memorized the last and I called as soon as we could get cell phone reception.

I even made Jason drive by later that weekend to get his input... and as you can imagine, he didn't show all that much excitement, but I knew deep down he liked the area better than downtown Rockport.

Weeks went by and I didn't hear anything.  I called again, and nothing.  And again.  Nothing.  Maybe it was a sign.

Let me tell you, these dreams, they were lofty dreams - Travis was barely a year old, and really, who are we to buy a beach house?  We are most definitely not fancy people.  But, it was just too perfect - the timing, the location, to be so close to our friends and have the sound of the water outside your open door and the smell of the salty ocean breeze drifting in as you nap in the middle of the day.  Oh, I love it.

After much pestering, I finally got a hold of the owner, and a few months later, we went back and stayed in one of the cottages - the owner was selling 3!  Kristi, Jason's brother Les and their two girls rented one of the other open cottages that same weekend.

I was so cool because we got to see how different they all were and decide which one we liked the most.

There are 10 cottages/cabins/shacks lined up in a row off the water.  They were built in the 1950's and I believe they were originally all part of a fishing club, but slowly were sold off one by one.  So, they're all very similar, but each have their own little differences; some have exterior walls still up as interior walls, some have the refrigerator in different places, some have been updated, but most are just weekend get-aways that aren't all that fussy.

They are a mere 480 square feet and the house is split up into 4 tiny sections.  They were originally somewhere around 300 square feet until the front porches were built-in.  The roofs are slanty, none of the exterior colors match, but our place is less than 150 steps from the water and there is a boat ramp at the end of the road.  A fisherman's delight.

There is so much to this fun story, but I won't share it all here, now.  It's getting late and I'm exhausted after a day of chasing my little man.  We've done a lot of updating to our cottage, mostly cosmetic, and we aren't done - but at least I can go to sleep dreaming of the smell of the ocean and the sound of the water tonight.  

Before

(sorry, this first shot is completely overexposed) 

I'll take you on a tour of the cottage clockwise.  

The first space off the left of the front door is the "guest room"

Next to it, is the "master" bedroom

You can see the entrance to the bathroom, next to the "master" on the right side of the picture below.

I'll spare you those pictures for another time. 

Across from the "master" bedroom, is the kitchen and dining area.

Get a load of that amazing fridge. 

There is a side door to exit to the back yard. 

Across from the kitchen is the "living room" - they're using it here as a 3rd "bedroom" 

And then, voila! you're back at the front door! 

It's not big... that's for sure!  

But look at the view.  

That is Saint Charles Bay.  

And our neighbors white picket fence :) 

Want to see what we've done with it since?  

Well, you'll have to wait :) 

I've got to upload and organize those pictures, but I'll share them soon.  

It's cute, I promise.  

Love you all - have a good night, don't let the bed bugs bite. 

xoxo, CB

Honey Sesame Chicken

Honey Sesame Chicken is a hit!!

Quite possibly one of the best and easiest crock pot meals I've ever made.

Bonus: Travis loves it.

xoxo, happy cyndy

Mega Diaper Sale!

Friends,

I am not a couponing mommy but if you have babies in diapers, this is by far the cheapest deal I've seen this year (it's even cheaper than the Black Friday promotions!  Yes, while you buy electronics and Christmas gifts on Black Friday, I stockpile diapers - life of an expectant mommy of twins.)

Baby's R Us is selling Huggies mega box for $29.99 tomorrow and Saturday.

p.s.  It even smokes the Amazon Mom's Subscribe & Save 20% off deal! 

Yay Baby's R Us!

I like the LIttle Snugglers and Little Movers - they're so flexible that we rarely have "accidents" that require outfit changes anymore.  The Snug and Dry (shown above) are very crunchy... not my favorite. 

xoxo, cb. 

Travis' 2nd Birthday

My sweet Travis was born 2 days after Christmas, 

which as I'm sure you can imagine, is quite a hectic time 

for family 

and friends 

and travel 

and gifts 

and all that goodness... 

so, on his birthday, we try to keep it special but very low key 

(in light of all the aforementioned crazy!)  

And so not to cheat him out of the big birthday parties all little kids should have, 

we have adopted the idea of having a half-birthday party in June.

A big summer party - we send invitations, friends are invited and we all play in the sun! 

For Travis' 2nd birthday, it was all about pizza and pancakes!  

Two of his very favorite foods... 

Travis was telling everyone he was six... 

See that little hand???  He would raise it up and say "I'm six!"  

Uncle Bubba got the biggest kick out of that. 

Then to add a little something extra special to his day, we ordered a cookie cake.  

 It was hilarious to watch him get excited about his cookie cake.

He was trying to put his face in the cake before anyone else got to it.   

Little ham :) 

 After pizza and cookie cake,  we opened gifts and all hung out.
It was so nice to be with our closest friends and family and I think Travis really enjoyed it! 

Happy 2nd Birthday my little man.  

We love you so much!

Thank you to our family and friends that came to share the fun with us!

xoxo, mommy