Yep...we really ARE alive!

Just in case you were all beginning to wonder, YES, we are still alive! Things have just been quite busy lately...and these nuggets aren't even here yet. Brace yourselves for when they do get here...this blog will probably get updated once a year! :) 

(Let's hope it's more often than that!)

So, of course we have plenty to catch up on. Looking back at the last thing I posted (before the diaper post)...oh man are you guys lost. SO much has happened since then. I've had 4 ultrasounds I think since our last nugget related post! FOUR! Yikes. So much to share. Ultrasounds, belly pictures, trip to Colorado, baby showers, wrecked car, new car. Man oh man how has it been so long? Time is definitely NOT slowing down as the arrival of our nuggets gets closer and closer!! 

Much CLOSER! In fact folks, these nuggets could be here in as early as 5 weeks! Yikes! Well, technically they could come anytime, but the doctor is hoping for at least 32 weeks, which would be in only 5...yes FIVE weeks! EEK! 

So there is a little bit of panicking going on around the Ormond household these days. Closets are frantically being organized, clutter is disappearing, cloth diapers are being purchased...the nesting has begun! Not to mention quilts being sewn, car seat canopies being made...yep, it's pretty much chaos. 

OH, but don't worry, because I'm not working anymore. So that frees up a little of my time. At our doctor's appointment last Monday our doctor kindly informed me that work was no longer an option...too risky to be on my feet all day when I'm already at high risk for preterm labor. The news came with a whole mixture of emotions. Shock being the biggest. Up until that point we had been told as long as things were going smoothly and I was feeling up to it, working was just fine. Then BAM, no work. Needless to say, our budget was planning on a few more paychecks!

Beyond the shock of it, I struggled with the idea of not working. I've always worked. I like to work. And I love the people I work with. Short notice was going to be rough on them period, let alone during back to school time - the peak season for us! BAH! Thank goodness for the best friend/manager a girl could ever ask for. I finished 2 of the 5 shifts I was scheduled for that week, and that was it! I'm officially on maternity leave. Not on bed rest...just restricted to low activity level and only an hour on my feet at a time. 

After a lot of tears and frustration, I'm starting to settle in to being a home-body. Luckily, like I said I have PLENTY to keep me busy!

We just wanted to let you know we are still alive. More posts to come soon! Lots of baby details to share, baby bump photos, life details, projects...Oh the fun we have to catch up on. Until then...here's the most recent baby bump picture to keep you interested :)

26 Weeks

You're Using Cloth WHAT?!

Diapers folks. Yep, we are using cloth DIAPERS. Now, before you all gag and wonder what in the world we are thinking, let me say that the cloth diapers these days are NOTHING like what I pictured when I first heard about them. I pictured the ones I used to play with that my mom had that you pinned on your dolly...the kind that now people use to make burp cloths.

Not the case. These new cloth diapers are actually pretty dang incredible. There are a million options out there, but we have heard great things about the Fuzzibunz.

They are one size, meaning you can use them from the time they are newborn (well, 7 pounds) until they are toddlers. 

There are snaps in the front that allow you to adjust the sizing around the waist.

Adjustable elastic around the legs that let you loosen/tighten here as needed.

And really...the colors are just kind of adorable!

I first heard about cloth diapers a couple of years ago. I have a friend who used them with her boys, and she made an AMAZING blog post about it here. She also linked to the Styleberry Blog where I went and learned even more about the diapers themselves as well as the process. After reading these ladies experiences about them, and finding out how different they were...I was intrigued. And that was before babies were ever even discussed in this house!

I think the part that was most intriguing to me was you buy diapers once, and can use them with from newborn to toddler, never having to buy more! After we found out we were expecting, Tadd and I talked about the options, we were leaning towards cloth, but hadn't officially decided yet. The news about TWINS came, and we leaned even more towards cloth diapers. 

I definitely liked not having to worry about buying diapers constantly - No monthly diaper cost, no late night runs to the store because there are no diapers left in the stash. I also like the idea of less blown out diapers - who wants that mess on a regular basis? Not to mention comfort for the babies - would you rather have a maxi pad stuck next to your bum or soft cuddly fleece?! Knowing how sensitive my skin is, and how allergic I am to everything known to mankind, there's always a risk that our boys will be sensitive little souls too, so less risk of diaper rash with cloth diapers was another big plus.

I had my worries too. Like dirty diapers. I have heard horror stories about cloth diapers - rinse them in the toilet, or a bucket of bleach on standby...NOT happening! Like the links to the other ladies' websites will tell you, dirty diapers - not a big deal. No worse than having blow outs on a regular basis. While the babies are on a liquid diet, you just throw the whole thing in the wash. Once they start eating more solids, you put a flushable liner inside that allows you to flush away the mess and you toss the rest in the washer.

Bottom line, more laundry. That's pretty much it. But like my friend told me - what's another couple of loads at this point?

And in case you still think we are crazy, after talking about all of these things - we did the math! We went to Wal Mart, Sam's Club, Diapers.com, Amazon...it was an extensive math process. On average, we figured 

8 diapers per day (and yes we know in the beginning this is playing it safe)

365 days in one year....That's 2,920 diapers - for ONE baby.

Average cost per diaper...22 cents

That is $642.40 per year on diapers.

BUT, don't forget we are having TWO babies....TWINS! So that cost doubles. Almost $1300 on diapers in one year. And that was if we bought the cheaper brands. The Huggies (which I've heard leak less for boys..and gentler on sensitive skin...?!) put us closer to $1600 per year!!!

I don't know about anybody else, but to us that was a LOT of money. The idea of spending about $400-500 total on diapers up front and not having to add an extra $100 or more to our monthly budget is DEFINITELY appealing.

So, it's official. As of yesterday, we are a cloth diapering family. We purchased our first of many Fuzzibunz. But really...you have to admit they are pretty cute. 

Can't you just picture a lil bum in these?!

And...in case you STILL think I'm crazy...Tadd volunteered to do the extra laundry if it meant saving us $1600 every year. :) And now that statement is in writing - I'm no dummy!

Reacting to the News

IDENTICAL twin BOYS!!! Yah, the news is still the same...and somehow, so is my reaction! Every time I tell anyone or I have someone ask me about it my heart starts racing and I think...IDENTICAL twin BOYS!! Because you know me, everything is CAPITALIZED when it's exciting and I'm slightly FREAKING OUT! :)

As always, the emotions and thoughts come in floods (we've upgraded from waves now...it is just right to a flood of thoughts!) BOYS - I'm beyond excited! That part of this news was easy for me to handle. IDENTICAL - now that might be a different story. For some reason identical just freaks me right out.

What if we mix them up?! How do you make sure they feel like they have their own identity? What if one commits a crime and frames the other for it - their DNA will be identical too ya know?! (Yah, I watch a lot of crime shows...what can I say?!) Do we have them match? Do we care if they match? Ok, we know it's boys, do we really want a baseball theme? Are the names we picked out really the names we want to give them for the rest of their lives? What if we name them backwards, Baby A should have been Baby B and vice-versa? And the one Tadd laughed at the hardest - what if I grow their boy parts wrong? How does my body know how to grow them? I've never had any!

That's just some of my randomness. Trust me there is plenty more! Having twins was complicated enough, now having IDENTICAL twins just makes it seem even a little more intimidating. I told Tadd we will have to paint their toenails or something...markers wash off too easily! 

Tadd's reaction (other than the goofy grin plastered on his face)...

"It's a dream come true!" 

 His exact words in fact. He says every dad wants a boy, and to get two at the same time - Awesome!

That's a guy for you...I worry constantly and think of the craziest and silliest things...He just goes on being blissfully happy, living his ultimate dream apparently. We will see if that excitement lasts when those dream fulfilling boys are the reality of two screaming newborns at our house. 

I won't lie, knowing these lil nuggets are boys is kinda fun. Okay, it's really fun. I like being able to tell Tadd "Your boys sure are wiggly tonight" or "Will you tell your sons to stop pushing on my bladder?" And I used to think they listened. Tadd would talk to my belly and tell them to be nice to mommy and they seemed to listen. Now when he talks to my belly, I think they recognize his voice. They seem to get excited and move around more! Which is fun too. It makes me cry every time. Ahhh, pregnancy hormones! 

Wiggling babies is indeed a strange sensation. I've been able to feel them off and on for a few weeks now. Kicking babies - now that's even more strange...yet equally awesome! They started actually kicking about a week ago. It was a Sunday and I had to work, and they just started kicking. If I pushed on my belly they kicked me back. :) It always makes me giggle. 

These boys are definitely starting to become more active. Not enough that I can pinpoint a time of day they move more, or what foods make them kick (at least I hear that foods have an impact) - but they move enough I know they are there. Tadd has even been able to feel them. One of them kicked him at church on Sunday - quite comical. The look on his face was great. Before that he'd felt them moving a little, but this time it was a KICK!

It is amazing how fast time has gone by. I mean really, 21 weeks this week. How did that happen? I mean sure, I think back and March sounds like a really long time ago. But as far as the pregnancy goes, how did this belly get so big?

20 Weeks

Oh that's right, because there are TWINS in that belly. IDENTICAL twin BOYS!! (Yep, still slightly freaking out at that news!) That's how it got so big. Two babies the lengths of large carrots. (Last week the e-mail said bananas, this week carrots...I think a banana sounds bigger personally.) Does that blow anybody else's mind? Cause mine sure is blown. I swear it wasn't too long ago they were only the length of an almond or an apple. Does time always go this fast with babies?

Apparently. Or so I'm told. Definitely seems to be flying by for us. But I'm glad we've been blogging about it so you can all read along with our journey! And don't worry...there's plenty of journey left. :)