36 weeks and 5 days...4 day countdown has begun!

  I'm 36 1/2 weeks and this is my last blog pre babies.  My official induction date has been set for this Thursday June 21st...4 days away!!! Matt and I can not believe we have come this far and are finally just days away from meeting our babies! At my 36 week doctor appointment last week, Jude weighed in at 5lb 15 oz and Chloe was right behind her brother at 5lb 9oz!  It's crazy that this was our last weekend just the two of us; we've been together for 11 years and so it is kind of surreal to think our lives as we have known it will never be the same!  But we could not be more ready and excited for this new adventure we are about to enter.  I feel like this pregnancy has lasted FOREVER and I'm so anxious to finally meet Jude and Chloe!
  My sister is coming in town on Wednesday and will be with us for an entire week.  We are so fortunate to have such an amazing resource with us in the birthing room. Being a midwife, Kimary has definitely prepared us as much as she can for what to expect and it gives me comfort knowing she will be there with us through the whole process! My parents, Gigi and Grandpa, and Matt's parents, Mimi and Papa, will all be in town as well to meet their grandbabies while we are in the hospital.
  Thank you all again for all your love and support throughout the past 9 months!  I hope you all have an opportunity to meet Chloe and Jude, they are so lucky to have such wonderful people in their life.  I'm going to try and continue to blog once the babies are here, but I don't know how frequent that will be in the beginning...I have a feeling I'm not going to have as much computer time as I'm used to :) 

Love always,
Emily

                                                                36 weeks and 5 days

                                                         surprise visit from great friends!

                                                  Nursery is complete and ready for babies! 

 

Beautiful Tree and monogrammed wall art by Alyson!

 

 

35 weeks...Jude and Chloe, Mommy is ready for you to be here!!

  I'm 35 weeks and feeling more pregnant then EVER! My belly is HUGE and I'm officially super uncomfortable. While my feet and ankles have not swelled (knock on wood), my fingers have and they like to go numb at night...it's so delightful :/ I'm also experiencing a lot of pelvic pressure and have to use the bathroom every 30 minutes these days.  But I know it's not too much longer before we get to meet our sweet babies, so I'm trying to overlook the discomfort as much as possible by focusing on getting in as many naps as I can and making sure everything is ready for when Jude and Chloe decide to make their arrival! 
  This past week Matt's family was in town for the annual Bryant beach week down at Kure Beach.  It was so relaxing and fun to hang out with everyone and get some quality time in.  They threw us a baby shower at the beach house and Chloe and Jude continue to get spoiled with tons of adorable clothes, toys, baby essentials and...a double BOB jogging stroller from Mimi and Papa!!!!  I was SUPER surprised and am sooooo excited to be able to get back in shape with my babies in that amazing ride!
  We also had a baby shower thrown by our close neighborhood friends this past week.  It was held at Lou and Lori's house and was so much fun!  My parents came in town for it and it was so nice having one last weekend with them before the babies are here.  We have been so fortunate to have so many close family and friends in our life that have gone out of their way to help prepare us for this next chapter in our life.  Through all these showers we have received practically everything we needed and can not explain in words how thankful we are for everyone's generosity!
  I'm still going to my OB office weekly to get the babies' heart rates monitored.  Everything has been looking good.  Next week, at 36 weeks, will be my last visit and ultrasound with my high risk doctor.  I'm anxious to see how much they have grown in 3 weeks!  My tentative induction date is Sunday June 24th...but I'm hoping they decide to come on their own before then!  So now it's just a waiting game...crazy! Matt and I plan to go to the movies and out to dinner this weekend...maybe the beach again if I'm feeling up for it.  Won't be too much longer before our world as we know is going to be changed forever...but we can not wait for the change and to finally meet our precious angels!

Love,
Emily

                                  33 weeks                                          Bryant Family Shower

                                                                       34 weeks

                            Neighborhood shower thrown by our wonderful Wilmington friends!

 

                                                      beach trip with Gigi and Grandpa

                                                                    35 weeks

33 weeks...and the 4 week countdown has officially begun!

  So it has been a month since I last blogged and I am happy to report that everything is looking really good.  That hospital scare at 28 weeks definitely made us nervous, but now I am past the critical point for the babies safety and am in the final stretch of pregnancy!  The babies are growing perfectly and getting so big! Yesterday at my 33 week ultrasound, we found out that Jude and Chloe each weigh 4lbs 9 oz...that's a whole lot of baby in me and it shows! I'm feeling the extra baby weight in full force these days and while I know they need another month of cooking, I'm ready for them to be here! It's definitely getting more uncomfortable for me to sleep and I get winded and tired much easier then I used to.  Which is ironic because my doctors basically took me off of bed rest yesterday but at this point I enjoy laying on the couch and taking it easy!  But I will say it is very nice to have the freedom to run errands and meet friends for lunch if I'm up for it!  Matt and I have been going on date nights and out to the beach on the weekends too, trying to get as much one on one time together while we can!  Our usual beach experience will never be the same with two little ones, but we're up for the challenge and fun!
  Two weeks ago our wonderful and supportive friends threw us a baby shower in Wilmington, since we couldn't travel to Greensboro where it was originally going to be held.  It was so much fun and really made us feel loved to have so many of our friends make the trip here!  It was held at Alyson and Teddy's house and they made everything so beautiful and festive...and made amazing food that the babies enjoyed :)
  Now we are getting all the finishing touches done on the nursery and assembling baby equipment.  We went to the fire department this week and got our car seats installed...very surreal driving around with two car seats! Matt put together our double snap and go stroller and I've packed a hospital bag for the babies and myself...things are definitely getting real!
  This weekend Matt's family is coming into town and renting a beach house for a week.  We are really looking forward to spending time with family and Matt is thrilled to take some days off of work and have a mini vaca!  Work has been very busy and he needs a break!  We'll be celebrating his 29th birthday and having a Bryant family baby shower this weekend! 
  Now that we are getting down to the wire and I will be going to weekly doctor appointments up until delivery, I will try and blog more frequently to keep everyone up to date with the latest!  But unless these babies decide to come earlier then expected, I plan on being induced at 37 1/2 weeks, which falls around the weekend of June 24th!

Love always,
Emily

                                                             30 weeks

                30 wk U/S pics     Chloe 3lbs 9oz       Jude 3lbs 8oz

                                                31 weeks...friend baby shower

 

                                                                      32 weeks

29 weeks and getting BIG!

  Last week, at my 28 week appointment, I had a little scare.  To my surprise, my doctor noticed I was having some preterm contractions and sent me to the hospital to get monitored.  Fortunately, after they gave me some IV fluids, they stopped and we were sent home!  That experience definitely made me appreciate being on modified bed rest at home rather then in the hospital.  Needless to say, I've been drinking TONS of water and am still taking it easy.
  I was supposed to go to Greensboro for my family baby shower this past weekend, but because of that scare, my doctors don't want me traveling for the rest of my pregnancy.  So my family all came to Wilmington and brought the party to me, which was awesome!  My sister drove down from Atlanta and my Aunt Val came all the way up from FL.  It really meant a lot to Matt and I to have everyone here!  We were showered with so many wonderful gifts for Jude and Chloe, we are so grateful for all the generosity we have received from family and friends!  These bambinos are already spoiled and they aren't even here yet!
  I went to the doctors yesterday for my 29 week appointment and my cervix continues to be stable.  So I got a good review from my high risk doctor.  She basically told me that since my cervix hasn't gotten any shorter and has been consistent for the past 6 weeks, that next week will most likely be the last time I will need to get it checked.  She believes this is just a normal cervix range for my body with carrying twins.  She still wants me to take it easy, at least until 32 weeks, and then she feels comfortable giving me some freedom to do a little more activity.  I feel like 32 weeks is right around the corner, so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!   The babies are still super busy letting me know they are there all day long!  Next week they will do all the baby measurements, weight, etc...so excited to see how much they have grown in a month!

Love,
Emily

 

28 weeks: Family Baby Shower

                                                                                  born together best friends forever

                                                                       29 weeks           

                                                Jude                                             Chloe