The Combs Krewe

Today marks 31 weeks into my pregnancy! How am I feeling? I'm feeling very pregnant . I'm feeling very conspicuous . It's awkward to have everyone stare at me. So many people stop and talk to me. So many people can't believe I will grow EVEN LARGER. I met a lady earlier this week who, upon finding out that I'm having twins due on April 3, absolutely and openly gawked. She eyed me up and down with her mouth wide open. I am not exaggerating in the least. She kept saying, "Bless your heart." I really wasn't sure what to say back. I don't know how to explain how I feel. Almost guilty. Almost immodest somehow. I feel like staying home. I feel like I shouldn't feel that way. I'm feeling heavy . I've gained over 40 pounds and sometimes my little size 6 feet sometimes have a hard time carrying me around past supper time. Of course, laying down really is not an option anymore. I'm a stomach sleeper and am missing it. I can't li...

It's Mardi Gras season and I have loved collecting little things to decorate our home with. Here's a few pictures of our decorations. The wreath on our front door came from Sam's last year. I thought it was an excellent deal since I'd seen several very pricey ones in home stores. I love all the colors and glitter. I added some ornaments in Mardi Gras colors to the urn on our table then circled it with a boa and added some masks and beads. (Sorry for some reason I couldn't get the picture to turn upright!) The top of our bookshelf just behind the table holds an umbrella that Keeleigh got at last year's parade, some boas and beads, and--my favorite--a little jester doll from the French Market. I decorated over the balcony door with beads, a boa, and some masks. The outside of the balcony door holds the rag wreath I made last year. (Again, couldn't figure out how to get it turned the right way.) And on the railing ar...

Today I am 30 weeks pregnant! According to my Babycenter email the babies are around 3 pounds (which supposedly they were 2 weeks ago at my ultrasound) and are a little more than 14 inches long. I am feeling lots of hiccups and lately they have all been very low so I'm hoping that is a sign of a couple of head-down babies. I also have Braxton Hicks contractions constantly. Sometimes it's so strange during these contractions; it feels like my stomach isn't even part of me just something sitting on my lap growing harder and heavier. Other times the contractions are uncomfortable, and I find myself trying to sit very still during them then running to the bathroom to empty my bladder! The kids have begun to ask about the babies often. Jathan and Ryland love sitting next to me and feeling them move. They think it's funny that the girls are already kicking their brothers. This morning the girls were moving so much that Jackie could feel the bed shake! Tomorrow is my ...

Last week I had my regular OB appointment. Keeleigh and my mom got the opportunity to go with me. After arriving late thanks to stupendous NOLA traffic and a long wait, we were finally called back. I was happy to find that I weighed two pounds less on their scale than the scale at the ultrasound office, ha ha. It was also great that my BP is still wonderfully perfect. The doctor saw us quickly since we'd had a long wait, and because my mom and Keeleigh were there, she did a little impromptu ultrasound right then and there to show them the babies. She took her time pointing out all their little parts...feet and fingers and other slightly less cute sounding things like brains and amniotic sacs. I will now be seeing the doctor every two weeks and because preterm labor is a risk in twin pregnancies the doctor wanted to check me for dilation. I was actually opposed to this mainly because it seems pretty pointless to me but consented. Of course I was not dilated at all and the twins...

I am 28 weeks pregnant today. Yesterday was my monthly ultrasound appointment. So far I have gained slightly over 40 pounds! I was delighted that my blood pressure was great and that the twins looked awesome as well. At the end of the ultrasound, the technician said, "Well, the babies are getting FAT!" The average weight for a single baby is around 2 and a quarter pounds, each of the twins weighed around 3 pounds. Apparently the girls enjoyed all the yummy stuff I ate over the holidays!  I was not so pleased to find that Twin B was now the "presenting" twin and that she was breech. Twin A was head down but slightly sideways. Of course, I'm only 28 weeks and this will likely change but I'm just really hopeful that they will both turn head down allowing for a vaginal hospital delivery. I am feeling more and more encouraged in the hope that I will have a pre-eclampsia free pregnancy. Everything feels so normal right now. Many people have as...

Confession: I am a bit of an overachiever. I am an all-or-none kind of girl. If I'm going to do something, I'm going to go all out or not even start. Whatever I commit to doing, becomes not just something I do but something I'm passionate about. So New Year's resolutions are a tricky thing for me. Usually I just don't make any because I haven't had time to meticulously plan out how I'm going to carry them out. And if everything doesn't go right on day one then I'm thrown into a downward spiral of depression. This year, however, I've had so many ideas about ways that I'd like to change/improve life that I'm tempted to actually call some of these goals "resolutions." I'm going to try terribly hard to be relaxed about these goals and not freak out if they don't go exactly as I planned but also to stay committed to getting back on the horse, so to speak, should it buck me off. Here's the thoughts that have been runni...