Merry belated Christmas!

I know, I know...Christmas was awhile ago. These pics should have been up by now, but hey, it's better late than never huh?

Let's start with the beginning of Christmas. Cale and I put up the tree before we went to PA for Thanksgiving. It was wonderful to have the house clean and decorated when we came back. Cale was a good helper...initially... ;)

And here's Cale playing with the colored Christmas lights that eventually went outside. Daddy was a good sport about it! And here's the loot (before it was torn apart) on actual Christmas day. Per Tim's family's traditon, one gift per child was unwrapped and set up ready to be played with for Christmas morning. Cale found this to be an EXCELLENT choice of traditions to continue! :)

And here he is...up before everyone else:Megersa's favorite gift of the day, was not even his gift. He very much enjoyed Mommy's candle.

And here's why: (I guess it REALLY smelled good to him.)He got gifts like this board puzzle, but he didn't spend much time on any one of his gifts...Mommy got a gift from Grammie! How adorable are these Willow Tree figurines?!Cale & Grammie. Such a sweet picture of Cale & one of his favorite people ever. :)Daddy (aka Santa) posing for a pic. Another Nester tradition that Tim takes seriously is that Dad always plays Santa and passes out the gifts to everyone. Cale enjoying his etch-a-sketch.Santa and Cale (post bath!).And here's Mommy...refusing to post the terrible bleary-eyed pictures of her in over-sized jammies. :) Oh, and to note...I am at 23 weeks pregnant here:

So that's Christmas!
Unfortunately New Years hasn't been much of anything special for the past few years (post kids). We aren't gambling on little sleep just to watch the ball drop just yet! But it's no big deal for me...as a kid my friends and I would play board games at our New Years Eve church party way up in the attic office. We'd be up there playing an intense game of Monopoly when someone would yell "You're gonna miss the ball drop!" and it didn't deter us.
I do believe Tim, and his parents (who were there to visit) did actually watch the ball this year, but it was only after an intense game of cards. I was cleaning up the kitchen...
Anyway, we had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Here's to 2011!!

why?

Why do all my dress socks have holes in them?
I'm the type of person who wears flip flops until the late days of November, and walks around barefoot most of the day...so why is it that almost every day this week I've had to toss a pair of socks? I like shopping, but buying dress socks seems like a hassle to me. $8-12 for 3 pairs of socks? Seems like a bit much...

Why does the estimated wait for a table at Outback Steakhouse have to be so incorrect?
As a hungry pregnant women I was already cringing at the estimated wait time...but when "45 minutes" turned into an hour and twenty minutes, I started to wonder what was going on. Tim and I saw people who came after us get a table before us.
I guess our buzzer wasn't working....

Why do dreams take a BIT of reality and then alter them into something bizarre?
Where do these ideas come from? I can't imagine my subconscious even coming up with some of this stuff. Despite protest, children who can't blow their own nose (ie: Megersa), sometimes need to be suctioned to help relieve congestion: Normal.
Not normal: Waking up from a dream wondering if I really did suction a 2-inch slimy fish out of my baby's nose...

Why didn't I think of that?!
Tim and I went on a date tonight. Miss Judy came to babysit the boys. She is wonderful with them and very genuinely seems to enjoy it!! :) When Tim and I came home, Megersa was in bed, and Cale was on the floor with Miss Judy working on a "project." Taking TRIX cereal balls and balancing them on the tops of his duplex legos. Each cereal peice fit perfectly in the little holes on top of each lego. Brilliant! Apparently this entertained him quite a bit and I thought to myself, why didn't I think of that?
I guess I need to step up the "thinking outside the box" stuff...

Lastly, Why...OH WHY...am I actually somewhat considering changing my unborn babies' name?
I've been reading a new blog. This blogger has a son named Shepherd. Excitement, jealousy and concern bubbles inside me... Why haven't I heard that name before? I'm almost positive I would have considered it, loved it, and convinced Tim to like it as well. Is it love at first sight...can I get over it? Is it too late to change Zac's name? He's not here yet..... Would it be weird since we've already told almost everyone what their names will be?
I wonder.....

Costco

We love Costco!
Sample days are my favorite, but any day is good!

Today at lunch: hotdogs and ice tea...mmmm! :) Last week we got ice cream. The boys were very entertained by 2 other silly kids.How cute is this kid in overalls?!M not so sure about the ice cream at first...but eventually, he warmed up to the sugary goodness. ;)

my boys are bruisers...

well...with the exception of Megersa. :)

Megersa weighs just under 22 lbs. Apparently this is in the 10th percentile for weight...but I think the fact that he gained at least 10 lbs since he came home is pretty good.

Cale has always been off the charts in height and weight.
I think he currently weighs something in the 43 lb vicinity. And he's 42" tall.

The twins have GAINED!
Last month at my 20 week check-up, they were 13 oz and 14 oz respectively.
Today, at 24 weeks, Thad weighs 1 lb, 10 oz...and Zac is 1 lb, 11 oz.
Both are currently head down (Thad is much lower though). Heart rates have been steadily in the 130s-140s. Thad was facing my back so we didn't get a profile pic of him. We got lots of Zac, but most are blurry because he is my mover. I swear he's up all day kicking and punching away. It's almost comical to watch the right side of my belly move around while the other side remains still.
Thad tends to wake up at night when I'm laying on Zac's side and he has more room.

I asked the u/s tech if they can hurt each other. Honestly, if they kick each other as hard as they kick me, I'd say they'd be doing some real damage to their tiny bodies...but she assured me that they wall between them is thick...saying one sac could break and the other remain intact.

Doc said each twin has plenty of amniotic fluid and that my cervix is very long. They like the cervix to measure 30 cm, and mine's at 37. He has no concerns with pre-term labor at this point and said the boys are a week ahead in weight (which is good for twins!)
My uterus is measuring 32 weeks so the Braxton Hicks contractions I get are normal and will only increase...
So, my eerie feeling that they are gonna arrive soon, and I'll have micropreemies is just all in my head (at this point anyway)!
Good news all around!

(Me and the twinkies cooking at 24 weeks.)

So how am I doing?
Well, I'm tired. I wish I could get more sleep, but my belly really is starting to get in the way. At night I'm in alot of pain trying to get comfortable.
But, I'm gonna try to adopt the new attitude of "keep your eyes on the goal."
The goal is 2 more healthy boys.
If I think about the now...at 24 weeks, 3 days - 10-12 more weeks seems like an eternity.
But if I think about when they'll be here and we'll have no sleep with chaos everywhere, that 10-12 weeks seems to be too soon.
Life is changing in a big way.

The big guys are both are doing great. I wish it was warmer outside so we could get out of the house more without having to run errands...but I recently purchased a mini trampoline online so that they have an outlet for all that pent-up energy. I can't wait for it to arrive!

The boys love each other so much already. Cale always wants Megersa around. It doesn't seem to matter that Megersa can't talk, and doesn't really understand "playing" - Cale wants him to be right by his side.

Both the boys have been in moods today... No nap for Cale and less than 2 hours nap for Megersa (which is not good). They both have had their share of time-outs and scoldings. Tim was correcting Megersa and jokingly said that if he did it again, M was gonna sleep outside.

Cale was gravely concerned and said with tears in his eyes that "Megersa can't sleep outside, because when I wake up, I won't have him anymore."

Sweet brotherly love.

I hope they can learn to love the twins as much...and I REALLY hope they all get along this well when they're teenagers.... ;)

I guess I'm having twins:

I mean, I've seen the ultrasounds...I feel their body parts pounding me in the gut as I type, but seeing these matching newborn outfits - well, that's proof they'll be here in the flesh at some point!
TWINS.
Two children that will share everything...including clothing.
I get asked pretty regularly if I'm going to dress them alike.
Well, nope.
I have 2 boys already, and they've never had 2 of the same exact items of clothing.
So unless the hand-me-down clothes suddenly duplicate themselves, these boys will rarely ever match.
So what's the story with these?
Well, they're newborn sleepers. Cale was barely in newborn clothes, and M came home at 6 months old, so I have a very short supply of this tiny brand of clothing.
I decided to look online for some cheap newborn stuff.
So many lovely friends offered to send me their newborn clothes, and I won these in an ebay auction for $5 total!
The twins first matching outfits. :)

In the pic, Cale is pointing out which outfit is "Zachery's" and which is "Marshall's."
(Tim and I discussed the latter name as a strong option early on...but decided against it.)
But Cale still won't let go of the name Marshall....every time we ask him what the babies names are, he'll say "Zachery and Marshall" - I'm beginning to think he may have some issues with Thaddeus later in life..... ;)

Oh, and I think we've nailed down their full names.
See what you think about these:
Thaddeus Drew Nester
Zachery Kade Nester
'Drew' after the baby we lost...and 'Kade' because we had always planned to give our first girl the middle name Kate...and well, it's looking like that may not happen - so, Kade is after me. :)

random acts of kindness

Have I gotten bigger in the past week or so?
I mean...noticeably so?
Because today I can record 3 random acts of kindness from total strangers.
Maybe it's not just the belly...maybe they see me at McDonalds with my purse slung over one shoulder, a baby on the opposite hip, trying to balance the food tray, yelling for Cale to "grab your drink, the tray is too heavy!" while he shouts back "which one is mine?!"
A man stopped me mid-fluster, looked in my eyes and said, "Mam, would you like some help?"
It kinda took me by surprise. How kind of him to offer.
Before that I was at Walmart with the boys. Megersa was strapped in the cart, but Cale was loose...climbing the counter to make sure the cashier scanned his 'sparkle' toothpaste.
When I handed her the gift card for payment, she dropped it on my side of the counter. I looked down... (Bending over hasn't been a favorite movement of mine even before I was pregnant with twins.)
But, the man in line behind me quickly reached down at the same time I was, and offered to pick it up. (I was already inches from it, so I did end up grabbing it myself...but again...)
How nice!
And while in line at the restroom, holding Megersa's squirming hand and keeping a hawk eye on Cale (making sure he doesn't look between the cracks or under the stalls), the lady in front of me asked "do either of the boys have an emergency that can't wait?" I told her "for the moment, we were in line because Mommy had to go." She glanced at my belly and asked "Is it an emergency?" While I smiled and said I'd be fine, she stepped back guestering for me to walk ahead of her...just as two stalls were opening. She willingly offered me the handicaped one, which is almost a must with all I bring in. :)
Another wonderful person!!
Ironic that these little 'Good Samaritan' moments are happening now -
I've been filling out the twins' "Belly Book" religiously. There is so much to write down this pregnancy and I don't want my memory to fail me later on...
Anyway, I've had to skip the section of the book where it wants me to write "the first time a random stranger gave up their seat or a spot in line for you - or another act of kindness with regards to your belly." Well, nothing like that had happened.
To the contrary actually - I was ready to write down the time that a women literally pushed her cart into my backside while I was loading groceries and trying to keep an eye on my kids (making me topple forward on to my cart) because she was trying to get in line ahead of me....
But today, I can fill out that page with a positive note.
Today was a nice day.
I appreciate you, random strangers.
And whether it's because you take pity on me; you find it amusing to watch me maneuver tasks with a big belly and 2 children in tow; or simply because it's Christmas time.....today you warmed my heart and your acts will forever be recorded in Thad & Zac's Belly Book.

15 month check.

Megersa had his 15 month check-up yesterday.

Tim took him while I did some last minute Christmas shopping with Cale.

It's getting harder and harder on my belly to be carrying Megersa around, and when it snows like it did yesterday, there is no option for him to be walking. Plus, all that gear adds another 5lbs to his weight, I swear! :)

Tim said he did well with most things.

For whatever reason he hates people touching his nose and he sensitive about his mouth. So when it came time for the doc to look down his throat, Tim mentioned that the doc had to resort to prying his mouth open with her hands while Tim held his arms down.

Sounds like fun... ;)

Daddy said he was more upset about laying down on the table then the actual shots, but after it was over and the lady left, Megersa said "Byeeeeeeee!"

I guess he survived. :)

So, the stats:

weight: 21 lbs, 12 oz - apparently this is in the 10th percentile. In his last check he was in the 25th, so the doc expected more weight gain... I dont know...he eats more than Cale will sometimes. I think his growth is in his legs. In the 9 months he's been home with us, he's moved from a size 3-6 month clothing to 18 months. The waist of 12 months (and even some 9 months) still fit perfectly, but his skinny little legs are LONG!

height: 31, 3/4inches - 75th percentile.