Birthday Cake

Every birthing story is different. Ours started with a cake. . .

After days and weeks of false starts and stops of labor, I was scheduled for an induction on Monday, October 18th. It wasn't an ideal situation in my mind, but by this point I was measuring 43 weeks pregnant and I was miserable. So Monday it was.

Last Wednesday, Graham and I had the day to ourselves. He was off work and his mom had taken Maddox to D.C. overnight. My poor mother-in-law had been staying with us for over two weeks by this point and was meeting up with my father-in-law in Washington before heading for home. While we had free time, Graham and I spent the day running errands, taking a walk, and even going out for a movie and dinner.

At about 9:30 Wednesday night I began having contractions, not too close together but consistent. This has all happened before, I thought, so I shrugged it off and began baking my husband's birthday cake, a yummy yellow cake that used tons of eggs and butter, with a dark chocolate frosting. It took a little over two hours to completely prepare, bake, and cool, and by the time I was done, it was after midnight. All along I had been timing contractions. Finally, about 12:30, I went upstairs and laid down to get some sleep. Little did I know that just a few hours later my little ones would be born. Turns out, I was baking their birthday cake all along!

Graham and I made it to the hospital around 3:30 on Thursday morning, October 14th. I was in serious pain and my contractions were only 2 minutes apart. I was fully dialated a half hour later and our Baby A, Harper Rose, arrived at 5:04 a.m., weighing 5 lb. 13 oz and measuring 19 1/4". Baby B, Landrum Henry, was just about 30 minutes later at 5:35 a.m., weighing 5 lb. 6 oz and measuring 18 1/2".

Harper and Henry have completed our family. They are true joys to have brought into this world. I can't wait to share more of them with you in the coming weeks and months! And by the way, today is Graham's birthday! He celebrated with a near sleepless night last night as Henry and Harper decided to have his party for him from 12-5 a.m.!

Flipping Out

Based on a recommendation from some new friends of ours, I bought a handy little gadget yesterday called the Flip. It is a video camera that can literally go anywhere and is tiny enough to fit right in your back pocket. Made by Cisco, the HD Flip stores two hours of video from one charge and has a USB arm built right in. With ease of use and instant playback, even Maddox can record and watch right away. We plan on taking it to the hospital when we have the twins (not that we'll be taping the birthing moments- ha!), and can't wait to capture those special firsts in the months to come.

This little gadget retails for $140 at Best Buy right now, $60 off the usual $199 price. I also purchased the 1 year "accidental death" plan. Gee, do you think it's possible with a pre-schooler and two infants that this poor little camera might get dropped, spilled on, sat upon, or cracked in some other way? The $25 insurance was, in my mind, completely worth the extra pennies!

Fun on the Farm

Today, Maddy's pre-school class visited a local pumpkin farm. This was the field trip she had been waiting for and it did not disappoint. Other than choosing "the best pumpkin in the world", the children listened to stories, played around on the farm, and learned about the different pumpkins that grow here. We heard about varieties like the Cinderella and Fairytale pumpkins, Confetti squash, and even the hilarious One Too Many or Redeye pumpkin. Personally, I was most excited to take a hayride through the fields in hopes that it might be bumpy enough to produce my own little pumpkins. Alas, the ride was slow and smooth.

I go back to the doctor on Friday (one day shy of 37 weeks) for an ultrasound and consult. Can't wait to meet these babies and share them with you!

Perfect fall weather for the pumpkin farm.



Getting in a little John Deere tractor time here. True farm girl today!



The infamous hayride that didn't trigger labor. Bummer!

Posh Preggos

A dear friend of mine who is expecting her first baby next spring emailed me today to ask for advice on where to look for maternity clothes. I too remember wondering about this when I became pregnant with Maddox. Over and over I asked myself why women have to give up their sense of style for nine months? Surely there had to be more out there than cheap polyester and bad denim. Where were all the posh preggos?

Over the course of two pregnancies, I now feel like I have this maternity thing down pat. A few pointers for all my fellow big belly sisters out there:

1. NEVER shop out of desperation. The worst maternity purchases I ever made were done when I had "nothing to wear."
2. If it doesn't fit well in the store, it won't get any better when it comes home. Period.
3. Check the labels. Pregnant women are like little walking ovens. Polyester doesn't breathe. Why in heaven's name would you buy something that would make you even hotter than you already are?
4. If you weren't into shirts with beads and sequins as a non-preggo, don't go there just because you are expecting (even though they are in rampant supply for some unknown reason). In other words, stay true to your style!
5. Look for the bargains. You may have to join a company's email list or keep checking back, but everything goes on sale eventually. Again, patience.

Here are a few things I found today when bumming around on my favorite maternity websites:


Love this pocket tunic sold at Isabella Oliver. Wear it over jeans or with tights this fall.


This cool chain necklace top is from Heidi Klum's line at A Pea in the Pod. (P.S. It is on sale right now).



I think Gap has the best maternity jeans. You could spend a lot more on designer brands, but why dish out that kind of money on something that will only fit for a few months?



This embellished sweater is new at Old Navy. It is stylish and comes in four fall colors.



Love this top from Nordstrom. The cut is great and the gathered seams are flattering. Wear to work or out on the town.

Cut from the Cloth

So, I have the MOST talented friend, Jenny Gilbert, who just happened to "pick up" sewing several years ago, and since then has seen her small business, Savvy Stitches, take off. You can visit her website here. Her specialty is window treatments, but she has dabbled in much more including pillows, baby gifts, hairbows, and now, clothing for girls. When my nursery was finished, I had a bits and pieces of fabric left over. Instead of storing away the extra scraps or tossing them, I sent everything to Jenny and asked her to just make me some things. Here's what she came up with:

Love the fringe on this pillow for my rocker. I think it gives it a great Western feel while still looking sophisticated.


Oh-so-cute bibs for the kiddos. I appreciate that Jen uses snaps on these!


Burp cloths always come in handy and now I have some that match the nursery!


Even Miss Maddy blends into the mix as Jenny made her a sweet little apron.


So don't toss those leftover fabric scraps anymore! You never know how they might be put to good use!

Lounge in Style

After my firstborn arrived, I guessed I would be back to my old self in no time. Imagine my surprise when I was still wearing maternity jeans and tops for several weeks after my daughter was born. Ugggh. (I was seriously tempted to burn all my maternity wear after that, but glad I didn't because I just sold a bunch at a consignment sale in Charlottesville!) Even after I had lost enough weight to pack away the maternity garb, I still couldn't fit into any of my old clothes for several months, and made a lot of cheap and cheaply-made purchases out of desperation. Lesson learned.

This pregnancy go round, my expectations have been much more realistic. I realize that it may be Christmas before I am really feeling good about myself again and am able to have "me" time for some of my favorite workouts, namely jogging and yoga. Also, after birthing twins I am not planning to be back in my pre-pregnancy size anytime soon. What I am hoping to do is still maintain a bit of style while trying to change 16-20 diapers a day, feed two hungry mouths every few hours, and attempt to keep my sanity.

A few weeks ago, I found a great line of active wear online at Nordstrom that will be perfect for lounging after the babies arrive, as well as running errands and working out in a few months down the road. The company is called Zella and the jackets and pants are stylish and comfortable. A little pricey, but I find it best to buy a few quality pieces instead of purchasing many items that won't last in the long run. Here are a few things that I loved:


The "Edge" jacket. Very cool.


This is the Zella wave print jacket. Also comes in black.


Loved this houndstooth jacket although it is no longer available at Nordstrom. Waiting to see if they receive another shipment anytime soon.



The pants are also great! I ordered the Zella "Soul" and the "Booty" pants and they are a nice, heavier material which tends to be very flattering!

How 'Bout Them Apples!

Just in time for fall, our family visited Carter Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville to pick apples. My sister-in-law and her boys came along for the fun. Our nephew Dresden fully expected Uncle Graham to climb to the top of the tree to retrieve the Golden Delicious apples, but thankfully for Graham, we found some low hanging fruit. We all had a yummy time munching as we picked! Too bad for me that it was a long hike into the orchard and back and it felt more like summer than early autumn. Afterwards, I recharged on a big bottle of water and an apple cider doughnut! Totally worth it!


Dresden and Maddy show off their fruit!



Baby Lex sucks on a sweet apple piece.



The kiddos take a break while Graham goes scouting for more apples.



Happy Fall!