Six Months!

I am into month SIX now of pregnancy with Stevie & Marlee! At times it feels like I've been pregnant forever, then at times it feels like it's flying by. Both girls are starting to move a lot, mostly during the day. I hope that's a sign that they have a good sleep pattern of awake during the day and sleeping at night - but I won't hold my breath! There's already a lot of pressure on my lower back and bladder, I can't imagine what I'll feel like as I continue to grow over the next 18 weeks or so. My only hope is I keep these little girls safe in my belly until 38 weeks! I want them both healthy enough to come right home with us and their big sister Violet! Here is a photo of Mommy & the Twins at 21 weeks:

We are also now 2 weeks away from Violet's FIRST Birthday! I can't believe my little baby is going to be ONE. I heard parents say it all the time, but you never realize it until you have a child, just HOW FAST they grow up. Some days I wish I could freeze time and keep her just the way she is for a little longer. However, I couldn't be prouder of the little lady she's becoming. She can say quite a few words like: Mommy, Daddy, Nana, thank you or "ta-eww," of course her number one favorite word is Daddy, and she'll point at pictures or the TV and say his name over and over. She can also sign many words (thank you baby Eintstein) like: eat, mommy, daddy, milk, more, friends and baby. When I point to my growing belly and say "babies" she'll immediately do the sign for baby. She also does the sign for baby when she sees my Mom's dog Baby Blue, sooooo...we'll just hope she sorts out the difference as she get's older! LOL Right now her biggest troubles are an abundance of teeth all cutting at the same time. It makes her a bit on edge and cranky, which is not like her at all. She hates baby orajel and taking Tylenol, so it can sometimes be a challenge but for the most part she's a trooper. One of her favorite times is "coffee time" at Mamaw & Papaw Mustin's house. She's always the highlight of the hour and puts on quite the performance (wonder where she get's that from). Everyone loves to watch her talk, dance, laugh and practice her walking - she's now up to a good 4 or 5 steps before she decides that crawling is faster still!

I'll do better to update more often, but with so much going on, it sometimes slips my mind! (or my mind has slipped - one of those two - ha!) Schoff - Party of Five is on the way...

19 weeks and the color PINK!

Looks like more PINK in the Schoff household!! We found out yesterday that both twins are girls!!!! I think it took Daddy by surprise quite a bit. He was so certain that there was at least one boy in there, the look on his face was priceless. Like my OB said, "There's always next year" LOL!!!!!! If my Mom is reading this she probably just had a minor heart attack! (Mom, I really won't have another next year - I don't think?!) *evil grin*

Now to get busy on the GIRLS' room! When I say we have done nothing to prepare, that's an understatement! We have not even begun to buy things for their room, so we definitely have our work cut out for us, and by us, I mean Steve! At least I know that my babies will have clothes. All of Violet's things that are too small are still in the bottom of her closet in a HUGE plastic bin. I can just move them over to the twins' room, and wa-la, instant wardrobe!

There were some really amazing images taken yesterday, but unfortunately they weren't all converted onto the CD correctly, so I'm waiting for my new copy in the mail. I do have some print outs that I can scan later on, and I'll do my best to post those soon.

In the meantime, say a little prayer for Daddy Steve, he'll need lot's of encouragement to get through life with 3 mini-Sarah's!!!

5 Ways You Know Your Morning Sickness is Old News

#5 You've had 2 kolaches, chips, coffee & candy all before 11am even though you just threw up 2 hours ago.

#4 People around you start complaining that THEY are nauseated!

#3 You can simultaneously update your Facebook status while vomiting

#2 While getting sick your husband walks into the restroom to start shaving while you are hunched over the toilet

#1 After you've wiped your mouth and flushed the remains of your breakfast, said husband asks, "Can you hand me a towel?"

*please note than I can neither confirm nor deny that my actual husband inspired the creation of this list

UH-OH!

Looks like Baby V has a new favorite word, and boy is there a story on how it started! Sooooo...last Saturday while Daddy went fishing, me and Violet were having some quality time and she was "helping" me do laundry. After putting the fresh warm towels into the basket I plopped her on top of them to let her ride in the basket into the house. Well, Mommy got carried away and pulled a bit too fast across the floor, the basket hit a bump, started leaning then rolling then out rolled Violet face first onto the wood floor. OKAY, so before everyone starts google-ing the number for Child Protective Services; Violet is perfectly fine and will only need a few weeks of regular therapy to recover - just kidding! To continue the story, once she relaxed and started eating the ice pack intended for her head, I put her into her high chair and she looked right at me and said, "UH-OH"!! lol Uh-Oh is right my sweetie, and she kept on repeating and repeating it! It was like she was saying, "I love you Mom, but I'm not letting you off that easy"!! Since that day Uh-oh has been her new favorite word. She'll drop her cup or toy off her chair or wherever just so she can say "uh-oh"!


Here are a few pictures my Mom took 4th of July weekend of our "uh-oh" girl!

I just love this one of Megan and Violet. Megan is a long-time family friend, which we really consider as part of our family anyway. I remember holding Megan when she was Violet's age and I was her age....amazing how quickly time goes by!

Violet is learning to Stand!

I can't believe Miss V is now 10 months old, and in a few short months will be an OLDER sister x's TWO! I'm really trying to just soak up all the time I can while it's just her. This is such a special time, and even though she won't remember it, Mommy sure will!

Here is a video link of her playing and practicing standing while at coffee time at Mamaw and Papaw Mustin's. Even though I was sick a lot during my time off from work, these were the moments I was glad to be able to share with everyone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgXbYSIvsTA

**I tried to download the video directly onto here but it was taking WAY too long, so you can enjoy it on youtube!!**

Back to the Land of the Living at 15 weeks!

Wow, it's been a long time since I've updated everyone! Shortly after my last entry I became VERY sick with what is medically called hyperemesis gravidarum. That just means I had really bad morning sickness which required me to be hospitalized for 3 days. I lost a significant amount of weight and was extremely dehydrated. All I can remember from that day is that I could barely walk into the doctors office, and I was throwing up about every 30 minutes. By the time I was admitted, I was in a world of hurt! After giving me meds for nausea and starting me on fluids my body started to ache and burn all over, which was normal according to the nurses for how dehydrated I was. The rest of my stay was a blur, just fluids and more fluids and anti-nausea meds, some that made me quite loopy and sleepy which was fine by me. When I was discharged, I can't say I felt a whole lot better, I was just tired of being away from Steve and Violet and sleeping in a hospital bed. The first night home was pretty miserable. I almost felt like I had made a mistake by leaving the hospital. Steve was taking care of everything and I was in the bedroom asleep. He started to make himself some dinner (a skillet meal) and the smell drew me from a dead sleep. I couldn't barely take it the smell was so awful. I asked him to bring me a dryer sheet to put on the other side of my sheet over my nose, but even that wouldn't do the trick. Finally, about to throw up AGAIN, I ran for the back door, and waited out the stench on the back porch until the smell had dissipated from the house. Poor Steve, he had no idea that making himself dinner would turn into such a fiasco.

The weeks passed and I had nausea and vomiting on and off so my doctor kept me out of work until yesterday, which was my first day back. I still get nausea almost every day, but it's controllable through medication, and I haven't been SICK in about 2 weeks, which is major improvement. Now I'm just ready to focus on the positive things in my pregnancy, enjoying our last months as a family of three, and getting ready for Violet's first Birthday CELEBRATION! I can hardly believe she's going to be one in just 2 months. She'll always be my sweet baby girl no matter how old she is, and I'm sure that will go over well in her teenage years! I'll update more tomorrow on Violet's latest achievements and progress...she's developing the cutest personality. So until then I'll leave you with this quote, that kind of reminded me of my current situation:
"YES I'm pregnant again, YES I know what causes it, NO I don't think I've had too many". - author unknown

Thank Goodness for my Husband!

I have to say the past week I've probably (okay definitely) been miserable to be around. I've been nauseated EVERY day 24 hrs a day 7 days a week for some time now, and it had started to weigh on me emotionally. Some days I just had to come home, drop my purse and head straight to bed. Steve was there to feed Violet, wash dishes, clothes, give her bath, put her to bed & get her bag ready for the next day. After all that, he still had homework to do. Let's not forget that this full-time Daddy & husband has a full-time job & full-time school work to do! He's been wearing more than his fair share of hats lately and I just wanted to have it IN WRITING how much I appreciate all that he does. I may not say it or look like I feel it enough, but I do appreciate everything he does to keep our little family running! So Honey, thank you so much, me and Violet and the Schoff twins could not do this without you. I know it's hard right now, but I won't be sick forever (it just seems like it - lol). I know sometimes it's difficult to understand what I am going through but you're patient with me anyway. You're an amazing partner, I'm so proud of how hard you work to keep us all going....I love you so much more than you'll ever know! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU (that's one "thank you" for every baby)! I love you!