Blur

Let's see what I can remember about our lives since the last blog update...things have been rather hectic so it's a bit of a blur!

First of all, I don't have any up to date remodel pics - it's on my to do list to get up there today and snap a few. So for those of you who want to see, please be patient!

Painting is ALMOST complete. Ceilings, woodwork, and walls are complete (and I think look great!), and the painter will be back next week to paint the floors. He's waiting until carpet and tile are done to do that. We are carpeting the bedrooms, tiling the bathroom, and painting the floor of the 'open room' and hallway. Carpet layers are upstairs banging away as I type, so things will look different in just a few hours! Having painting done and carpet down in the nursery means that I'll be able to start moving things into the nursery, which I am very much looking forward to. :) Mike and my Dad got started on tiling the bathroom last night. All the tile is cut and ready to be laid, which they'll do tonight.

Friday night we discovered that we could not get the tile we wanted for the bathroom. Yes, we should have checked sooner (and before basing decisions such as counter top and paint on it...), but things have been too busy and because of Mike's work schedule we could never get to the tile store while it was open. Thus began a frantic search for new tile. Obviously we found something we think will work. It's a little different and I'd still rather have our first choice, but I think this will look nice. They've got it all laid out upstairs, I should go take a look...

Saturday was the first day of soybean harvest on my dad's farm. Mike was still finishing up with the celery harvest, so that means he went straight from one farm to the other! Which, as many of you know, is not something that's unusual for him. :) Monday morning I was able to help my dad unload a few wagons of beans (they got backed up because an auger needed repair) - so yes, I am still able to do some farming even in my 'condition'. Just getting the boys used to the loud machinery! With the way this fall is going, they'll get to ride in the combine during corn harvest after they're born.

On Monday Mike's crew finished up with their part of the celery harvest. Yesterday the other crew finished, so celery harvest is done for another year! I can't believe how fast it goes - seems like we were just out there planting this spring when we had JUST found out I was pregnant and this fall seemed so far away...

So, Baby B might be our little stinker. Remember how last time both babies were head down and that wasn't likely to change? Well, it did. Baby B decided to flip and go breech again. It's still possible for him to flip back, but the further along we get the less likely that becomes. Oh well, we'll take them whatever way they come!

I only have one more week of classes and then I'll be done until later in the winter/spring! It's been going well, but really wearing me out. Wednesday's are my big day this session, and I could hardly function when I got home last night because I was so exhausted. It takes a little extra effort to be carrying around a bunch of extra weight right in your front! :)

There is one thing I don't like about living in an old farmhouse - and those of you that live in one yourselves know what fall means...mice! Thankfully we haven't had a really bad problem, we've gotten a few in traps here and there. Macy has never caught a mouse, but maybe just having her inside deters them a little bit? But, we have had something happen a couple times now that I really don't like. Somehow a mouse will get into the wall near the office (Mike's going to investigate if they're actually getting into the cold air return), it won't be able to get out, then it will die. And then it stinks.... So gross!!

Well, I must have ended up remembering most things because this got pretty long. :)

8 pounds

Is anyone still reading this?? If so, please check in! It's just nice to know if this is getting read. :)



So, we've got a couple of big boys on our hands! I guess that's no surprise given the family history. I have almost 8 lbs of baby inside, no wonder I'm starting to get a little uncomfortable! Most people are delivering their one baby at this size, but my boys have probably 6 weeks of growing left to do before they make their appearance. Yikes, this could get interesting...



Yesterday we had an extensive ultrasound where they do a bunch of measuring to make sure everything looks good and the babies are growing at about the same rate. As far as we know everything looks fine! Interesting - at 20 weeks when we had an extensive ultrasound Baby B's feet were bigger, but now this time Baby A's feet are slightly longer. That's not something that would have gotten measured yesterday, but we mentioned something about it and thats when the technician said she remembered us from last time and so I think she had fun checking the feet for us. I'm a little worried about ending up with children that have big feet, and it's a legitimate concern - it can be very hard to find shoes that fit and don't cost a fortune!



Things are really moving along with the remodel. These photos of the bathroom are from a couple weeks ago, so things already look quite different. Thanks to my honey, my dad, and my brother the upstairs was ready for the painter to come this morning (I helped some too, but couldn't do as much as I would have liked - thankfully I have a very understanding husband who knows I can't do everything I normally would). After painting, the bathroom will need a few things done, but the 'major' work is complete. And the bedrooms will get carpeting after painting is complete. Things already look different (especially the bathroom!) but will really look different in the next 1-2 weeks! I'm looking forward to having the work completed so we can start putting things in the rooms and get organized and settled. The rest of the house is a bit of a disaster right now so we could have the upstairs cleared for all the work to be done.

Last weekend was another wonderful baby shower. This was given by my sister-in-law, Kara, and was for Krol friends and family. It was a nice time of visiting, playing games, and of course, eating good food! :) Again, I am so thankful for everyone's generosity. These boys will have everything they need, plus much more! With the way they seem to be growing, I hope they fit into the cute clothes that they are getting. :)



As always, thank you for your prayers for mine and the babies health. Everything has been going well and so please continue to pray that we stay healthy and they stay in as long as they need to!

30 Weeks and Counting

Wow, it's hard to believe we're at 30 weeks already! It felt like I was never going to get out of the single digits, and now the end is rapidly approaching. On the one hand we are super impatient to meet these boys face to face, and on the other hand we'd like to make sure we get some projects done! According to my doctor most of his twins come on their own around 36-37 weeks, if they don't he will induce at 37-38 weeks. So only 8 or less weeks to go!

Today was another good report from the doctor. My blood pressure is good, my weight is good, the babies' heartbeats are good - all around everything looks good! Both boys are head down - that could still change, but it's getting less likely. The doctor said that makes delivery too easy for him, he'd like the challenge of one being breech. :)

The super busy season is over for Mike so he was able to come along to today's appointment. He was especially excited to see the babies since it's been a couple months or so since he's been able to come. And we found out today that I will have another 'big' ultrasound next week, so hopefully he will be able to come to that as well. They will do a twin growth study to make sure the boys are growing at the same rate. If one was significantly larger than the other that would signal a problem.

The boys are very active. They do quiet down at night, so I hope that's a good sign!

My dad (and Mike when he's not at work) has been hard at work on the kids' bathroom upstairs. Things should be done to the point of being paintable by the end of this week. After painting, the floor will still need to be tiled. We are doing some of the painting ourselves, and hiring a painter for some. I still need to nail down some colors... Also after painting is complete, we will have carpet laid in the bedrooms upstairs. That I have chosen already - phew! Of course, there's still plenty to do to get ready even after walls are painted and floors are done... I fluctuate between feeling like there's plenty of time, and being nervous about how in the world we're going to do it all!

Last weekend was the first shower given for the babies. It was so much fun! My Steenwyk sisters-in-law threw a great party and were really creative with the twin theme. The photo at left is the cake for the shower - beautifully decorated and delicious! I enjoyed spending time with friends and family, and we received some generous gifts that we are very grateful for. This weekend is shower #2, and I'm looking forward to it!

We have so much to be thankful to the Lord for, and right now we are especially thankful for a wonderful pregnancy. I have been feeling great, and the babies and I are all staying healthy so far. These boys will be our little Thanksgiving gifts - what perfect timing!

Car Seats and Canoes

Last weekend we went on our annual canoe trip with Mike's high school friends - this was the 12th year for them! I've only been around for half of them, so I'm not an old-timer. :) The weather was absolutely gorgeous, couldn't have asked for better. We did not take a dog this year - I wanted a weekend with no responsibility! Even though it is fun having a dog on the river, it's also work and I just didn't feel like dealing with it. We do enjoy how people admire the dog as we're going down the river (we took Brandy one year, and Sadie other years), and Mike felt a little bad that we wouldn't have that this time, but instead he had a pregnant wife that garnered plenty of attention. :) I'm really not sure if we got more comments this year because of me, or in years previous with the dogs... I think a few people were a little surprised I would be in a canoe! It was a great time though, and even the camping went well thanks to a wonderful air mattress that we borrowed.

We have in our possession the car seats that we will be using for the boys. We have yet to try them out in the car, but I have a sneaking suspiscion we might have some space issues. A couple weeks ago when we babysat my niece we had her car seat in and we had to move the front passenger seat up - I moved the driver's side up the same amount to check it out and it makes driving quite uncomfortable. Of course, we'd be fine if Mike and I were shorter or if we were only having one baby. :) I am SO not mentally prepared for getting a minivan, but it just might have to happen. That's a major purchase that was not on our list of things to get - yikes!!

Tomorrow will be our last day of onion harvest. Phew! We've had such good weather for it that it's been go go go for a while now. As much as I enjoy it, I think I'm ready to be done - it's getting a little harder for me to move around, and just the busyness of it is a little taxing. It's a good thing with farming that you have the winter to recuperate, this pace would be impossible year round!

The babies are doing great, no major updates there. They are pretty active during the day, but thankfully let me sleep at night. From the way they've been positioned the last couple times I've seen them, they are hitting and kicking each other. I knew the fighting would be unavoidable, but I didn't think it would start so young!

Two Babies...Really?!

This weekend we had the pleasure of babysitting my 8 month old niece - not only is she adorable, but she really is a great baby. There were just a couple challenging moments with the rest of the time being a joy, but even while things were going well I just couldn't get the thought out of my head, "..two babies...add another one in here and how will we handle this situation??" Feeding, sleeping, changing diapers...it's certainly going to be a challenge! We are anxiously awaiting that time though. :)

More about my niece (I have several nieces and nephews who are all superstars, by the way!) - not only she is just too stinkin' cute and has a smile that will absolutely melt your heart, but she has a fun disposition as well. We found out recently that she loves the dogs, just like her brother! She just giggles and laughs like crazy when watching them, and she likes to touch them. My brother is not yet convinced that he'll have to get a dog someday for the kids, he thinks they'll get their fill just coming over here, but I'm not so sure...he might have to give in at some point! I am so grateful to have such gentle dogs - we are, of course, always very careful when kids are by the dogs, but I've seen hair pulled, tails stepped on, etc. with not a peep out of the dogs. They're great!

Mike's been quite busy at work. It's going well, and we're so thankful that he's in a job he loves. (And I mean that for real, I'm not just saying it because his boss might be reading this!) I've been able to help out some too, which has been great! I enjoy the work, I'm very grateful to still be able to climb in and out of a tractor at this point, and Mike and I like working together. :)

Thanks to the weather not being very good, we didn't have to work late on Thursday and were able to make the annual trip with my dad to the tractor pulls at the Hudsonville Community Fair. Of course, thanks to the weather not being very good that meant we had to sit in a drizzle most of the evening, but it wasn't too bad! The tractor pulls were loud and fun as always - and I think the boys liked them too. They were both very active at the beginning, then quieted down - so maybe they got used to the noise??

Diapers and Dusting

For those of you not on Facebook (and I know that's very few...), here's a photo of the babies and I at 22 weeks. Everybody's growing! For anybody interested in the details of my pregnancy, overall I am feeling great. I really expected to be feeling much worse! Even if I end up feeling miserable these last few months, at least I've made it this far! And yes, I know that every pregnancy is different, so I might not be so lucky (sorry Mom, 'blessed'...) next time - let's just get through this one and not worry about a next time. Sleeping is getting a little harder between the heartburn and having to wake up each time I need to roll over and change positions, but I'm still trying to store up as much sleep as I can right now! The babies are moving lots - the last couple weeks they've been especially active during church, that could be a good or bad sign...either they like it, or they're being naughty and not sitting still! Mike hasn't gotten to feel them anymore, other than church we never have a chance to sit down together, and when he's tried in church they hold still. He thinks they're being uncooperative, but I think it's more like "Oooo, Dad's here, we'd better behave!".

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of going to my first 'Mothers of Twins' club meeting. They were having a new mom's social. Interestingly, it was both encouraging and overwhelming all at the same time! I met some great moms who have so far survived having twins, and I think they will be a great encouragement in the coming months of craziness. Of course, having two babies is a bit overwhelming in and of itself - there are a whole host of things that parents having one baby at a time don't have to think about, and just like anything else, there are TONS of various opinions out there! Between feeding, sleeping, and what gear we really need, my head is spinning a bit. At the meeting they had lots of great door prizes, and I won the adorable diaper cake you see in the photo. (Did I ever think I'd be excited about diaper cakes???) For those of you who know me well, you know I'm rather shy in these types of situations, and I was just sitting there thinking, "I want to win something cool, just don't call my name first..." And what do you know, first name drawn, "Elizabeth K.!" So, I had to overcome my fear of going up to the table first, but that meant I had first choice of all the neat prizes. :)

Mike's work has had a crop duster come in a couple times now. I don't know why but I always thought it was airplanes that did it, but apparently helicopters do too. I was rather disappointed the first time it came that Mike didn't call and tell me it was there so I could come see it, so the other day he called to let me know it was back again. So, Macy and I drove over to watch a bit. This photo shows the helicopter just taking off from the truck where he lands to fill up - they set up right behind Mike's packing shed so I was able to get a good vantage point. It's pretty fascinating to watch the helicopter buzzing around over the fields, then coming right over me to go in for his landing on the truck. Macy wasn't quite sure what to think of it, I think maybe she thought it was a really big bird she should be trying to go after??

We haven't made a ton of headway on house projects, except we've discussed what we'd like the layout of the bathroom to be, and I've maybe made some headway on decision-making for decorating the nursery (I really need to just get over it and commit to something). One thing at a time...

Life

I really have nothing interesting to report - I just feel like I should post something, and I need something to do while scanning photos. Yes, I am actually scanning photos! This is one of those projects that has been hanging over my head for a very long time, and now I'm trying to get done what I can before the babies come. I'm hoping I can be super productive over the next few months.

We have our replacement windows installed - that's one thing we can check off our list! That went much easier than we originally expected, and Mike was able to do it all himself. There is still some painting and staining that needs to happen, but the windows are in. Next, the nursery needs wallpaper and carpet, the bathroom upstairs is getting a complete remodel, a room upstairs needs to be converted to the office, and the current office will be converted to a temporary nursery/longterm playroom. Yikes...that's alot!

Of course, we are just entering Mike's busiest time at work. His packing shed began running on Friday, and they started harvesting onions last week. Oh, and to add to that, last week his boss unfortunately hurt his knee, requiring surgery, and sprained the ankle on his other leg! Life will be interesting for the next little while!

I have been quite busy all summer with photography work, but right now things are slower, which in light of everything else going on I don't feel so bad - I've got plenty of other things to do to fill my time!

We will soon be done for a while with our caretaking duties. We have been keeping an eye on the farm while my parents were in South Africa for three weeks. They returned Wednesday, only to leave Thursday night for my cousin's wedding in Iowa! And for a week in there I had the pleasure of watching my niece's hamster while they were gone. During that time only one animal didn't make it, and it was our own, so overall we have a pretty good track record. :) Right now we've got four dogs under our watch - two are our own, one of the extras will be going home today, and the other stays for the week, but then I think the other one comes back for a night next weekend... You didn't know we ran a kennel service?? That might have to stop for a while after the babies come!

Mike got to feel one of the babies (Baby B) kick for the first time today! He has been very anxiously awaiting this. I have been feeling them for a while, but every time we tried for Mike to feel them they wouldn't cooperate.

All for now - I'll report in at a later date to let you know how productive we're being with all our projects...