The Pearsalls

2012-02-03T21:59:00.002-05:00

Ella the cheerleader!

Ella is cheering for Upward this year. She loves it, and is so darn cute in that uniform.

Charlie and Mollie are not impressed with their sister's cheerling ability.

2012-02-03T21:54:00.000-05:00

Ella lost her first tooth!

After about a week of wiggling and working, Ella lost her first tooth on January 26! We were at Warm Blessings doing a service project for our Daisy troop, and she just walked over and handed it to me! Of course everyone there fawned over her and made her feel so special. The tooth fairy was extremely generous, she just couldn't resist that sweet, toothless face.

2012-02-03T21:50:00.001-05:00

The twins are 6 months old!!

At their 6 month check-up this week, the twins passed with flying colors. They are just perfect (of course!), and neither we nor the doctor have any complaints. They both received shots, and they both were unhappy and feverish the next day. Luckily, the grumps lasted just one day and they were back to their happy selves once again!

Mollie - 15lbs 4oz, 25inches
Charlie - 16lbs 8oz, 27inches

Also, Mollie got her first tooth just a couple days after the checkup (2/2)! We knew it was coming, and sure enough, she bit Nana's finger! Charlie shouldn't be too far behind.

2011-12-25T19:27:00.003-05:00

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the window with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

Santa came!!

Christmas is FUN!!

Bows are fun, too!

Four Great-Grandchildren at Grandma's.
A little Christmas bear at Nana's house. We bought this outfit last Christmas when we just found out we were expecting. But, we only only bought one! How silly of us to think we would only have one more sweet baby this year!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T22:29:00.002-05:00

Christmas Eve at the Pearsall's.

We enjoyed a delicious meal made by Chuck, then desserts by Nana and Mamaw. Then, after multiple requests by Ella, we opened presents!

What? Anna got an Easy Bake Oven??Oh man, I need to open this big one to see what I got!
Yup, Ella got an Easy Bake Oven, too! Thanks Nana!

Daddy opened his Star Wars game from the girls. :)
Charlie and Mollie couldn't be left out. They both received presents, but the bows were more exciting.

Merry Christmas from the twins!
Ella's Easy Bake cookies were delicious!
Finally, Mollie and Charlie with the best gifts ever!

2011-12-24T22:02:00.002-05:00

Mollie is so excited about her ball!

2011-12-24T21:53:00.002-05:00

The twins welcomed their newest friend on December 16th, sweet little Claire Elizabeth Lyvers.
They also started eating real food! Mollie loves it, and is already a pro at eating carrots and peas!
Charlie, on the other hand, wants nothing at all to do with solid food of any sort. I think Nana said it best when she said, "I may as well have been putting poop in his mouth." Just look at that face!
And he's even gagging here! Not because he is choked, but because he thinks it is so gross!
I guess we'll just have to keep trying with Charlie, but Mollie has eating a whole serving of veggies (carrots, then peas) for four nights now.

2011-12-11T16:33:00.001-05:00

We're getting big!!!

We can sit up (sort of)!

And hold our heads up (they are so heavy)!

We are so silly!

2011-11-29T16:42:00.002-05:00

Check-ups! Four months for the twins and yearly for the big girls.

Mollie - 12lbs, and I already forgot how long. 25% in height and weight.
Charlie - 14lbs, 23.5in. 25% in weight and 75% in height.

You would never know these two babies were preemies four months ago! They are right where they should be now, and Mollie is even a little advanced because she can hold her head up so well and roll over. Charlie will get there, he's just a little lazy. They both got 3 shots, too. Charlie was upset from the get-go because he was sleepy and I think he's trying to get a tooth, so he passed out pretty quickly from exhaustion after his 3 shots. Mollie was so good the whole time and just cried a little bit before she settled down and went to sleep, too.

Ella and Anna are doing great as well. Anna got 5 shots, and was so brave. She said, "I'm not gonna pry (cry)!" She tried so hard; but with 5 shots, I think anyone would pry a little. Ella, on the other hand, cried when everyone else got their shots, but not when she got hers. She literally paced around the room crying, "Oh! Oh! Oh!," while everyone else got their shots. It was like she felt the pain for each one of her siblings.

All told, we survived the 2 hour visit and it wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be.

2011-10-31T20:27:00.002-04:00

Grandma's 98th Birthday

Four generations - Grandma Maymie, Minnie, Chuck, and the kids!

2011-10-31T20:14:00.004-04:00

Halloween!!

Four sweeties ready for trick-or-treating!
A bumble bee and a fairy princess.
Charlie, the skeleton.

Mollie, the ghost.Cuties :)
And then there is this cute picture I just found on my camera. I think Nana took it and left it for me. That Charlie boy is such a smiler.

2011-10-08T14:29:00.003-04:00

Smiling babies!

There is nothing sweeter than when babies start to smile.

Mollie found her hand for the first time - caught on film! It blew her little mind.

Charlie thought it was funny.

2011-10-08T14:24:00.001-04:00

Fall Break Zoo trip!

Anna asked several times to go to the zoo over fall break, so we decided to go on Monday. The weather was perfect, and we all enjoyed the day. It was a relaxing, fun time with the whole family.

2011-10-08T14:19:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Ella and Anna!!

Ella and Anna both have birthdays in September, so we decided to have a joint party at Mr. Gattis this year. No set up or clean up for mommy is a GOOD thing!! Everyone enjoyed themselves, and the kids especially loved playing games! Thanks everyone for coming!

2011-10-04T18:03:00.007-04:00

Cloth Diapering for Twins!!

We have decided to take the plunge and cloth diaper - while at home at least. We haven't ventured into cloth diapering out and about simply because the diaper bag is stuffed to the gills with supplies without putting in bulky diapers as well. We primarily made the decision to save money, but the environmental benefits are great as well. The diaper trash for the first two months of these babies' life is pretty ridiculous! Not to mention the approximate cost to diaper the babies for 3 years is $3500. We are going with the flip system by Cotton Babies because it is pretty versitile, easy, and inexpensive.

We are saving even more money because I made many of the actual diapers (inserts), and got most of the covers on ebay or diaper swappers for less than retail. Actually, I wish I had found diaper swappers earlier, because they have some really great deals on barely used diapers.

So, here's what it cost us to get a good stash that will last 2-3 days before washing:

8 new flip covers and 14 inserts - GIFT from Minnie and Bonnie ($160 actual)
8 gently used flip covers - GIFT from Mom ($70 actual)
2 new flip covers and 6 newborn inserts - $26
2 Sweet Pea diapers - $23
4 flip covers, 21 inserts - $66
30 microfiber inserts made by me! - $20
Several other inserts made by me from old towels, fleece, and flannel - FREE(ish)
Diaper Sprayer - $25

So, to diaper the babies from now until potty training, the cost is.... $160 for us ($390 actual)!!! Woo Hoo! A savings of at least $3000 for us when factoring in water and electricity use as well!

2011-10-01T22:46:00.004-04:00

Two month check-up - 9/30/11

The babies are two months old!! They are growing so well, and are wonderful. Both babies are smiling sweet little smiles and even letting out a little coo every now and then. Those little milestones are just so sweet!

Here are their two month stats:
Mollie - 20in, 8lbs 5oz, almost to 5% on the growth chart for weight! She still spits up all the time, but the doctor thinks it may just be that the sphincter in her esophagus just isn't strong enough. We are going to try Prilosec for a week, but then call it quits if it doesn't help. Mollie is just a sweet, smiley girl most of the time. Even when she spits up, she smiles. Her biggest problem is that she is spoiled and doesn't like to be put down!!

Charlie - 22.5 inches, 10lbs 3oz, about 25% on the growth chart. Charlie is just great. He's happy almost all the time and so relaxed about everything. He's definitely an easy baby, which is so great because Mollie is a little high maintenance. He grunts, groans, and sighs constantly. His little noises are so sweet. He is a great snuggler, too! I could just hug and kiss his chubby cheeks all day long.

In short, the babies are just perfect, and the doctor was amazed at how well they are doing - especially for being preemies.

In other news, we've made the switch to cloth diapers! I'll make another post about this later, but it has been kind of fun figuring out all the stuff that goes along with cloth diapering. We learned quickly that buying disposables for 2 babies is outrageous not to mention horrible for the environment, so we did some research and made the choice to switch! I should have listened to Bethany forever ago about cloth diapering - it really is pretty easy and not a big deal at all! More to come on this later.

2011-09-09T21:01:00.001-04:00

Mamaw Pernie meets her newest great grandchildren (and Anna had to be part of the show, too)!

2011-09-07T18:40:00.003-04:00

Here are some random pictures from the first 6 weeks.

Charlie's eating pose - 9/3
Using the Podee bottles - 9/2
Sweet babies - 8/29
Chatting after a bath - 8/28
Monkey See, Monkey Do - 9/5
The Thinker - 8/22
Poop face - 8/4
My Honey, my girlies, and my babies - 7/30
7/28
Giant flower headband - 8/26

2011-09-07T11:24:00.003-04:00

Quite a bit has happened in the last week or so! First of all, the babies are growing! Mollie weighed 6lbs 7oz and Charlie weighed 8lbs 4oz yesterday at exactly 6 weeks old. Next, Charlie is smiling at us! He smiled the first time (while awake) on Sunday (9/4), and then again last night. He also saw his twin sister and gave her a big smile as well. :) The little things like smiling for the first time are just so sweet and make being a mom so worth all the stress!

As I've posted before, I'm feeding the babies by pumping breastmilk and giving them bottles. I'm on the verge of weaning the babies off breastmilk and introducing more formula. I've really struggled with nipple/breast pain from pumping since the beginning (definitely not as comfortable as nursing), and even with my new "Pumpin' Pals," I think I just need to quit. I have such a difficult time finding free time to actually do the pumping when I need to. I'm only doing it 4 times a day now (7, 12, 5, and 10), but finding time to be completely "free" for 30 minutes with twins and a four year old is stressful. Someone inevitably cries, or I feel rushed, and it has just become too much for me. I hate having to stop snuggling with a sweet, sleeping baby to pump. I wish I could just nurse them; but with two, it is just so difficult (not to mention they still aren't nursing effectively). I am not coordinated enough to tandem nurse, so that brings up the issue of having to make sure one is happy while nursing the other - then switching! Whew. So, I'm going to try to pump 3 times for the next few days instead of 4, then 2 times for a few days, then one, then none. It is truly a bittersweet decision, and I'm still struggling with it, but I think it may be the right one. Everyone (family, friends, and their pediatrician) has said how awesome it is that I've given them breastmilk for 6 weeks now, but I still feel guilty for not continuing. I'm sure the feeling of guilt will pass when I can sleep past 7am or hold my babies instead of pumping or go out without making sure I have the pump and all its parts. Right now is hard, though.

2011-08-29T11:22:00.002-04:00

August 11, 2011

Mollie - 4lb 10oz
Charlie - 5lb 6oz

August 25, 2011

Mollie - 5lb 6oz
Charlie - 7lb 1oz

I've been exclusively pumping and bottle feeding the expressed milk for about two and a half weeks now. The babies are thriving this way, so I'm just going to keep it up as long as possible. I'm pleased that the babies have gotten breastmilk for over a month now, but I never expected to have to give it to them this way. It is rough on me, but I want to do what is best for them as long as I can stand it. I'm down to pumping just 4 times a day, and I'm getting almost enough to feed them with the exception of one formula bottle a day. If there was just one baby, I'd have enough extra for a freezer full by now!

2011-08-12T12:57:00.003-04:00

August 10 and 11 - Lactation Consultant and 2 week appointment

On Wednesday, I finally went to see a Lactation Consultant at Norton Suburban about my sore nipples. After speaking on the phone with someone at HMH on Monday, I tried to remedy the "nipple sucking" (meaning the babies only get the nipple in their mouth and not enough of the surrounding breast tissue) myself to no avail, so I made an appointment in hopes that we could get this figured out.

Unfortunately, when we arrived and evaluated, I was told there is basically nothing I can do about the "nipple sucking" except wait it out because their mouths are just so small right now. We did uncover a larger issue, though. The babies aren't gaining weight the way they should be. They had both basically maintained their weight from a week ago and hadn't gained back to their birth weights, which they should have by now. The lactation consultant said that because the babies are premature, they just don't have the strength or energy to successfully nurse exclusively. We should have been supplementing, but no one ever told us. Frustration about that fact aside, we were told by the lactation consultant to nurse, then pump and feed the babies the additional milk so they would both stimulate the breast and get enough to eat. After just one night of this ridiculous routine, which took at least an hour and then started all over again in another hour, I knew my sanity couldn't take it. We had to figure out an alternative solution.

I was incredibly discouraged because I really want breastfeeding to work, but with two preemies, I just wasn't sure I could do it any more. This brings us to the appointment on Thursday. The nurse practitioner and I discussed several possibilities and agreed that giving them breastmilk is best if possible. So, after weighing my options, I've decided to try pumping for most feedings until they are big enough to properly latch, but still nursing a couple of times a day to keep them familiar with the breast. This way, we know how much milk they are getting, and my nipples aren't so sore (although pumping doesn't help the soreness very much). Depending on my pain level and sanity, we'll try this method for awhile.

2011-08-12T12:50:00.004-04:00

These are some of the pictures that were taken in the hospital by Bella Baby Photography. I couldn't believe the quality of these, especially since I was expecting the standard hospital pictures. The babies are 2 days old here.

Charlie
Mollie

I just love all of these!

2011-08-09T17:34:00.002-04:00

Charlie - 14 days old.

No more umbilical cords for these babies! Tub baths tonight!
The best big sisters two babies could ever want. :)

2011-08-07T14:12:00.002-04:00

Mollie - 12 days old - She lost her umbilical cord! Yay big girl!

2011-08-05T13:06:00.001-04:00

Impromptu photo shoot with the babies.

We wanted to see how these two babies fit in my belly. It just seems impossible that they were both in there! No wonder I was so uncomfortable!

Cuties.

Look how tiny her little head is...

2011-08-05T12:57:00.002-04:00

August 1 - The twins' first doctor's appointment.

We took the babies to the doctor on Monday for their one week check-up. Everything checked out just fine. Mollie weighed 3lbs 15oz and Charlie weighed 5lbs 7oz. That should have been about their lowest weight, and they should start gaining now that my milk is in and we are getting better at nursing.

Charlie looked a little yellow, so we were sent to get a quick blood test to check both of their biliruben levels. Thankfully, their levels came back low, so they are both great.

Our two week appointment is next Thursday.

2011-08-04T21:52:00.002-04:00

Ella's first day of First Grade!!

She is so excited!
And happy!
She loved her first day, and is quite proud of being in the first grade. When she came home, Anna was bugging her (as usual), so she said, "Anna, I'm a first grader, and you can't bug first graders!"

2011-08-04T21:42:00.002-04:00

July 30, 2011 - First sponge baths!

Mollie goes first, and she is none too happy!

Charlie is next, and he isn't happy about getting a bath either!

This picture was just too sweet. Chuck and his little boy. :)

2011-08-04T21:34:00.002-04:00

July 29, 2011 - Babies are 3 days old.

We were all released from the hospital together on Friday. My greatest fear did not happen - I didn't have to leave my babies in the hospital without me. We are so lucky that our babies are healthy and happy!

At home with big sisters!

2011-08-04T21:27:00.002-04:00

July 27, 2011 - Babies are 1 day old

Proud big sisters.
I love seeing everyone holding both babies at once. The expressions on each person's face usually says, "Wow, this is crazy!"

Zac
Mamaw Minnie
Gigi
Papaw with all four of his KY grandbabies.

2011-07-26T23:35:00.009-04:00

July 26, 2011 - The Twins are born!

After a long morning of waiting and preparing ourselves, Chuck and I arrived at the hospital for the scheduled c-section at 11:30. The nurses hooked me up to monitors and an IV to get me ready for surgery. Then we began the wait. Our c-section was scheduled for 1:30, but my doctor had to attend to a few emergencies and was about an hour or so late. Fortunately, it gave mom a chance to get to the hospital before I went in to surgery; but it also meant that I had another hour to get nervous and anxious about the impending surgery and arrival of the babies.

When the doctor finally came in to tell us she was ready, everything seemed to move at light speed. After hours of waiting, it seemed to take no time at all to go to the operating room, get the spinal, lay down, and begin the operation.
After lots of waiting and tugging and pulling, little Mollie was born at 3:06pm. As soon as she came out, she screamed and cried so loud that I knew her lungs were working just fine. Before I could think too much about Mollie's health, Charlie was born and began his own chorus of cries at 3:07pm. Suddenly, the room was much noisier than it was just a few minutes before!

Mollie in her first moments of life.

Charlie moments after birth.My next concern was their health and weights. I sent Chuck to be with the babies as I anxiously awaited to hear how they were. Mollie was 4lbs 8oz and 16.5 in, and Charlie was 6lbs 4oz and 18in. Mollie's weight worried me, but both babies received apgar scores of 9. The doctors were concerned that Mollie wouldn't be able to hold her temperature because of her weight, so they swaddled the babies together and gave them to Chuck to snuggle up and keep warm.

Mollie isn't happy about being weighed.

Charlie is chunky compared to his sister!
Two sweet babies swaddled together.

I couldn't believe that the babies were just fine. I had prepared myself for the worst - time in the NICU away from me. But they would stay with us in the OR, then travel with us to recovery where I finally got to hold them both. The nurse recommended skin-to-skin time since they were both so small and my body heat could help keep them warm.

Nana was so happy to see and hold her newest grandbabies in the recovery room. We were so afraid she wouldn't be able to see them if they were sent to the NICU.
Here we are, happy to have our new additions.

Charles Julian Daniel Pearsall (Charlie)

Mollie Elizabeth Beatrice Pearsall (Mollie)Adorable babies. I'm so in love.
Our first visitor - Bethany with the babies.

2011-07-26T08:12:00.002-04:00

36 weeks

Here I am at exactly 36 weeks - one day before the arrival of the babies!
Today is the big day! I am nervous, anxious, excited, scared out of my mind, plus a hundred other things all at once. I am most nervous and worried about the babies being strong and healthy. Since they are technically 4 weeks early, there are any number of problems they could have. And any of those problems may mean that they will have to stay in the NICU or regular nursery, and not with me. I hate the thought of having these two babies that I've waited so long for, then being forced to hand them over to someone else.

We only have a few more hours to wait, and they will be here! The worst part about having surgery at 1:30 is that it is only 8:00am and I am HUNGRY and THIRSTY!! This is going to be a long, and life changing, day!

2011-07-20T18:57:00.002-04:00

35 weeks, 2 days

Our weekly appointments were today; and as usual, we wondered if we would "pass" and get to go home, or have babies. At our first appointment, the growth ultrasound and BPP, we saw some concern about the results. First of all, baby girl's fluid is low, so she scored a 6/8 on her BPP. Secondly, she measured 4lbs 8oz, and he measured 6lbs 4oz - quite a difference. Because of that difference and the low fluid, the technician seemed concerned that we may be admitted today. However, when we saw the doctor, he was fairly nonchalant about those issues and just said that we should "call it quits" by 37 weeks. Chuck and I were both surprised at his decision, but we thought he should know best and went on our way to my OB appointment.

My OB appointment was an entirely different story. She was immediately concerned with what they found this morning and said that basically it was ridiculous to wait until 37 weeks to deliver these babies based on the risks posed by low fluid and discordance. She told me to stop the Procardia, but stay on bed rest. The Procardia can cause low fluid; and if I go into labor at this point, then I'll just have the babies - no reason to stop it at this point. She is on call this Saturday and next Tuesday, so she said Tuesday would be the latest day she would wait to deliver the babies. She wanted to look at the report from the ultrasound and would call me after she decided which day would be better for me and the babies. We all hoped we could put it off until Tuesday because I will be 36 weeks, which reduced the chance of NICU time drastically. To try to hold off labor until at least Saturday, she said I could take the Procardia if I had more than 6 contractions in an hour, but if I get contractions 5 minutes apart, I need to go in no matter what.

A few hours after we left, my OB called to let me know she saw the report and decided Tuesday would be a good day to deliver the babies. Now I'm just waiting to get a call from the hospital telling me what time. This evening, however, I've had several contractions (probably from being up and about so much today), and I took a Procardia to try to get them to stop. I would really like my OB to deliver these babies, not the on call doctor. So, just 5 more days of bed rest (at most), and we'll have two new additions to the family!

2011-07-16T15:49:00.000-04:00

34 weeks, 5 days

2011-07-14T20:34:00.002-04:00

34 weeks, 3 days

Both babies passed their BPP today with flying colors - perfect scores all around. The doctor said they are doing great and seem happy in there. We also got a pretty cute 3D picture of Charlie. Mollie never is in a good position for pictures, she's always so low and wiggly.

However, my OB appointment didn't go as well. While I'm in good health, it seems as though the babies are putting a bit too much pressure on my cervix. Today I was 1-2 cm dilated and 70% effaced (the 80% that the nurse in Labor and Delivery said a couple of weeks ago was completely off). So, that means all these contractions I've had day after day are actually doing something. So, the doctor put me on official bed rest and a prescription of Procardia pills every 6 hours around the clock to attempt to keep these babies in another couple of weeks.

We have the c-section scheduled for 1:30pm on 8/2, but no one seems to think I'll make it that long. I'm so miserable that I think these babies are going to stay until they are evicted just to spite me. Anna says the babies are coming tomorrow. We'll see.

I do still plan to go see Harry Potter tomorrow despite the bed rest.

2011-07-13T17:33:00.003-04:00

The nursery.

It is a bit crowded with two cribs, two dressers, and lots of baby stuff, but we made it work.

The Nursery

2011-07-12T07:34:00.001-04:00

Baby Shower - 6/26, 32 weeks

Cute shirts everyone made for the babies! This isn't all of them, but they are all cute!
Bethany's
Gigi's
Madison's
Ella's
Nana's
Anna's (It's a dinosaur for Charlie.)
The yummy and cute cake!
Thanks everyone for the wonderful shower!

2011-07-07T18:38:00.003-04:00

33 weeks, 3 days

Our weekly BPP and growth ultrasound was this morning. Both babies gained 10 ounces, so the girl is 3lbs 10oz, and the boy is 4lbs 14oz. While the weight gain isn't ideal for either, they gained enough to be allowed to stay in another week. The doctor said gaining about a pound in two weeks would be great, so we are hoping for that at the next growth scan. As for the BPP, they both performed wonderfully - breathing, wiggling, etc. They actually wiggled so much that it was difficult for the tech to get some of the measurements! As for the discordance, they still think it is partially due to gender differences, but also partially due to placental differences - the boy is just hogging the food.

The way these appointments work is first the tech does the ultrasound on both babies - measuring, watching, checking, etc. Then, they give a report to the doctor and the doctor usually comes in the room to give us the news. Well, this time, we were asked to go into the doctor's office. My heart jumped into my throat because I could only imagine bad news if she had to tell it to us in the office! Thankfully, I was (mostly) wrong!

The doctor also speculated about how much longer I could keep these babies baking. She seems to think I'll have them within the next few weeks. We talked about NICU time for babies born at 34 weeks (next week for me), which is anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks. Delivery anytime after 34 weeks would be fine with her because the complications decrease drastically at 34 weeks. She said if I "miraculously" make it to 37 weeks (8/1), that is when I will likely deliver. She didn't seem too optimistic that I would make it that long. So, while I'm ready to meet these little babies, I know the longer they stay in, the better. What I have realized is that the little girl may not make it to my 5lb goal for her before delivery. These babies are going to be so tiny, such a difference from 8lb Ella and 7lb Anna!

2011-07-05T19:02:00.003-04:00

33 weeks, 1 day

Chuck and I made another midnight trip to the hospital last night. I started having contractions last night and they continued and increased for a few hours. So, we called mom and headed up to Louisville again.

After getting me all hooked up and determining that my contractions were about 5-6 minutes apart and not letting up, they wanted to give me the Terbutaline injection again. I was worried about the side effects, and after checking my heart rate (which was up a little), they decided to go with Procardia pills. The pills worked, and after prescribing an antibiotic for a possible UTI (maybe the cause of the contractions?), I was sent home.

So, while I suppose I needed to go in to get the contractions to stop, I just felt like a great big inconvenience to everyone involved. I hate not having control of my body, especially in the middle of the night when I know everyone would rather be sleeping than making arrangements to go to the hospital.

I need to keep these babies baking for at LEAST another week, four more weeks would be ideal. We have the BPP and growth ultrasound on Thursday, and I am optimistic that our little girl has grown adequately so they can stay in for another week.

2011-06-30T11:09:00.004-04:00

32 weeks

The Pearsall Twins have had an eventful couple of days!

Yesterday morning (6/29), we went in for a biophysical profile (BPP) ultrasound at Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM), which tests their breathing, movement, blood flow, swallowing, etc. Both babies scored an 8/8 - perfect! We also got a cute picture with both of their heads together! This was the first appointment that both babies were head-down. We go back next Thursday (7/7) for another BPP and growth ultrasound.

After the MFM appointment, Chuck and I had a few hours to kill before my OB appointment, so we ate lunch at Olive Garden, did a little shopping, and tried to rest up.

At the OB, the news wasn't quite so positive. She is worried that MFM won't see adequate growth in the little girl next week (at least 200 grams) and may recommend anything from rest to delivery! She suggested I get steroid shots just in case pre-term delivery becomes necessary. While I wasn't thrilled about the idea of two shots in my butt, I was willing to do it for the babies. I also asked about our "target" date of 8/9 for the c-section, and she revised her best case scenario to 8/2. I'm actually happy with that date (I'll be 37 weeks - plenty far along enough for healthy babies). After checking my cervix (closed!), I was off to triage for my first shot.

Admittedly, I was nervous for the shot, but it was a breeze. The worst part was the slight soreness afterwards.

We finally got home after a long day, and I crashed in my recliner for awhile. When I woke up, I felt crummy - just grumpy and tired, so we ate dinner. Then, around 6 pm, the contractions started. Painful contractions that came anywhere from 3-10 minutes apart. I drank water, rested in bed on my left side, even took a warm bath to try to stop them. No luck. They lessened, but didn't stop. Finally, around 10pm, I decided they weren't going to stop on their own, and they were still coming 5-10 minutes apart. I messaged my wonderful mom on FB to see if she could come stay with the girls, and Chuck and I headed back to the hospital.

After almost an hour of registering and waiting, I was finally checked (1cm dilated, 80% effaced) and hooked up to 2 heartbeat monitors and a monitor for the contractions, and the observation period began. Another hour passed, and they decided that I was indeed having "contractions and some irritability" (Yes, I know! That's why I came in!), and contacted the on-call doc. She recommended a shot of terbutaline to stop the contractions. The nurse noted that the drug may make me jittery and increase my heart rate. Luckily, the shot worked perfectly and the contractions stopped immediately, but I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my skin and my extremities shook uncontrollably! Finally, around 2:30am, we were sent home. The side-effects of the shot wore off about 3:30 or 4:00, and I finally got to sleep.

Whew, it was a long day and night for all of us! We are headed back to the hospital today for another steroid shot, but I hope no more contractions!

2011-06-24T08:01:00.003-04:00

31 weeks, 3 days

Another ultrasound yesterday (6/23) revealed that baby boy is sort of taking over in there. His estimated weight is 4lbs 4oz, and the baby girl is estimated to weigh just 3lbs. That is a 30% difference as opposed to the 20% difference three weeks ago. So, the doctor would now like me to come in for weekly ultrasounds (biophysical profiles to be exact) to ensure that both babies continue to get what they need. The good news is that both seem to be doing just fine individually, there is just a difference in their sizes.

As far as I'm concerned, I haven't gained any weight in about a month (still at about 38lbs total gain), my feet tingle when I stand, my hands are swollen, and sleeping is becoming more difficult. None of these things seemed to concern the doctor, so I guess I'm doing okay.

I am really looking forward to the baby shower on Sunday as it should be a fun time and a much needed break from the monotony of sitting around at home!

2011-06-02T18:52:00.004-04:00

28 weeks, 3 days

The ultrasound this morning went wonderfully. The girl measured 2lbs 7oz (50%ish), and the boy was 3lbs 1oz (75%ish). While there is a difference between the two, they are each growing as they should on their own growth scales. The doctor isn't worried and attributed the difference to the sexes - little girl, big boy. Everyone is relieved that they are both just fine.

However, the doctor did tell me that I need to rest as much as possible from now on. The babies are growing rapidly now, and every ounce of energy, oxygen, calories, etc. I expend by walking, shopping, working, etc., takes away from them. Apparently the babies need me to lay around and eat and help them grow, so that is what I plan to do as much as possible.

I have another OB appointment in 2 weeks and an ultrasound in 3 weeks. In the mean time, the Pearsall's have a busy schedule (that Chuck is going to have to take over!). Both Chuck and I have Professional Development the next four work days, the girls start swim lessons Monday, then Ella has Girl Scout day camp the following week; not to mention the Heartland Parade, Chuck's band concert, doctor's appointments, a Louisville Bats game, and Girl Scout meetings. I guess laying around is going to be harder than I thought...

For your enjoyment and amusement, here is a picture of me and my ginormous belly at 28 weeks.
And for comparison, 38 weeks or so with Anna - about 2 days before delivery.

2011-05-31T19:31:00.002-04:00

I had an ultrasound and OB appointment today. I'm doing okay, I guess, considering I'm 28 weeks and measuring 34 (I measured 30 just two weeks ago). My back is killing me and it is becoming more and more difficult to do anything. But, there are only 2 days with kids left and 4 teacher days and I'll be finished with work for awhile!

As for the babies, there was a problem today at the ultrasound. The baby girl is measuring 2lbs3oz (33 percentile), and the boy is measuring 2lbs13oz (66 percentile). Unfortunately, this means that the girl seems to be "small" since there is more than a 20% difference between the two. This is called "discordant," which is something that apparently not taken lightly. My OB wanted me to have another ultrasound today to look more closely at the babies, but Maternal Fetal Medicine (the specialist) couldn't get me in until Thursday at 7:30am. She also said that after that ultrasound at MFM, they may put me on bed rest. She seemed to want to do that today, but I told her I have a few more days of school, so she relented until I could get the ultrasound.

As appealing as laying in bed sounds right now, I hope that isn't what happens Thursday. I want to at least be able to finish up this year at school; but if I need to lay in bed to help my little girl grow, I guess that is just what I'll do.

The good news from today is that I was able to see both babies kicking and wiggling around in there, and I even saw the little girl swallow. :)

2011-05-06T15:55:00.005-04:00

Comparison pictures.

34 weeks with Ella.
37 weeks with Ella
24 weeks with twins.

At least I'm not as swollen this time.

2011-04-30T16:06:00.002-04:00

We went for another growth ultrasound on Wednesday (4/27), and the babies are just great. I was 23w2d - the girl measured 1lb3oz, and the boy measured 1lb5oz. They wiggled and pushed each other the entire time during the ultrasound, and it was great to see them squirming so much. Both are breech right now, but I'm not worried about that since we're having a c-section anyway.

On a side note, Chuck painted my toenails for me last night. He didn't do the best job, but it was sweet of him to try. Prom is today, and I'm wearing a dress I made last year. I'll try to take a picture of me in it if I get the chance.

2011-04-25T16:22:00.001-04:00

Okay, here I am at 23 weeks.
I may have ultrasound pictures this week, and will definitely have an update about how the babies are growing!

2011-04-21T18:13:00.003-04:00

Appointment 4/19/2011 - 22w1d

This appointment was fairly uneventful. I've gained an ungodly amount of weight already (25lbs), but my doc was not concerned and even said it was a normal amount for twins. My belly is measuring 26-27 weeks, which is probably why I feel so huge. I'm having pretty bad reflux/indigestion, so she recommended some medicine for that.

I asked about realistic delivery dates, and she said it is rare to get twins past 37 weeks, and that I would likely deliver the last week of July, which is my 36th week. She also said that it is lucky that school is out soon because she usually has women carrying twins to stop working at 32 weeks. My last day of work before break should be June 8, and I'll be 29w2d.

Also, we've decided to purchase a recliner. Women at work (one of which is a mother of twins herself) said that I won't be able to get in/out of bed toward the end of my pregnancy this time, and a recliner would be much easier and more comfortable for me. Many women also say that nursing twins is easier in recliner than a traditional glider rocker simply because of the size. Chuck wanted one anyway, so it didn't take much convincing!

Finally, we painted the nursery half pink and half blue. The bedding we chose (on our Target registry) coordinates perfectly, and I'm excited to see the final result of the completed nursery.

On a side note, I've developed an unhealthy craving for Twinkies. I hope the babies don't come out fully preserved from all of the artificial ingredients in those things!

2011-04-01T21:28:00.005-04:00

19 weeks, 2 days

On Wednesday, 3/30, Chuck and I arrived at our level II ultrasound at Maternal Fetal Medicine. This ultrasound was extensive. They checked every major organ, growth, and my cervix to ensure that I'm not currently at risk for preterm labor. After about an hour and a half of measuring, remeasuring, checking, probing, and asking questions, it was determined that both babies are just fine. They have no visible abnormalities, and are doing well with their growth - great news all around! Not to mention, it was fun to get such an extended view of the babies. I am happy to finally know where each one is inside my uterus and who I can blame for kicking or punching me in certain places!

We have a regular OB appointment mid-April, and another level II ultrasound at the end of the month.

In the mean-time, I've gone crazy with the baby registries, and have set up registries on Target, Wal-Mart, and Amazon.com. The most extensive is at Target, but some of the things there can be found cheaper at Wal-Mart or Amazon.com. We thought we were in good shape as far as baby items went - we have almost everything...for one. Now we need double!

2011-04-01T21:11:00.005-04:00

18 weeks

On Monday, 3/21, Chuck and I arrived at our ultrasound appointment eager to see the babies again. Sure enough, they were still there, and they were still a boy and a girl. The girl was named "Baby A" and the boy, "Baby B" by the tech and doctor. All of their measurements were excellent, and they were perfect for their gestational age.

Girl - Baby A

Boy - Baby B

We soon left the ultrasound and were called into our appointment with the doctor. The nurse (who I've seen often) still couldn't believe the news. Everyone in the office commented about how "small" I was for twins. The doctor even said that my fundal height wasn't where she would expect for a twin pregnancy. I asked about delivery dates, and she gave 8/9 (38 weeks) as the goal. She seemed optimistic that I will make it to that date, but I have my doubts. Unfortunately, Chuck took her optimism as a guarantee, and took quite a bit of convincing (and speaking to another doctor) to accept that I may deliver at 36 weeks or even earlier (though we hope not). Upon leaving the appointment, we scheduled yet another ultrasound, this time at Maternal Fetal Medicine. I couldn't help but think how ironic it is that struggling with the choice to have an elective ultrasound before my 20 week appointment seemed silly now that I will have 3 within a two week period and many more to come.

2011-04-01T20:51:00.004-04:00

I couldn't sleep the night we found out. There were too many questions, too much to consider! Not to mention, I had to tell my doctor!

Work the next day was eventful. Many of my coworkers already knew the news because I posted it on Facebook the night before. Both Chuck and I were congratulated enthusiastically, and we said, "Thank you!" the best we could amidst our shock. I showed my classes the first couple of minutes of the DVD and let them figure out the news themselves. Of course they were excited, and it was neat to see their reactions when they figured out that there were two babies on the screen - I can only imagine we all looked 10 times more surprised the night before.

After playing phone tag with my doctor all day, I finally spoke to a nurse about 3:00pm. She scheduled me for an ultrasound and appointment the following Monday. Oh, so NOW you want to give me the ultrasound I begged for, I though. I teased the doctor at my last visit that I needed an ultrasound "to check the baby" purely because I wanted to know the sex. She said, "The baby is fine!" and left it at that. Fine, indeed!

That weekend, Mom and I set out to the KKCS to begin to outfit ourselves with two of everything for these babies. Luckily, Saturday is half-price day, so she tackled the girl clothes while I shopped for my new baby boy. In record time, we sorted through and bought enough clothes for the twins to make it through their first few months of life, and only spent about $100! Unfortunately, we still needed a carseat, crib, double-stroller, etc. and the sale was all out of those "big ticket" items. I still felt accomplished for having purchased a sizable wardrobe for our twins.

Of course I also had to purchase books about twins and twin pregnancies. I had so many questions that only a book could help me! I surfed Amazon.com until I found When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads: Proven Guidelines for a Healthy Multiple Pregnancy and Ready or Not Here We Come: The Real Experts' Guide to the First Year with Twins. They arrived Tuesday, and 20 minutes into reading the first book, I was terrified and crying. There were so many possible complications with twins and twin pregnancies! I read that twins are born at 35 weeks and weigh 5.5 pounds on average - this is not what I had in mind! I am terrified our babies won't get to go home with us or will have to spend time in the NICU instead of bonding and learning to nurse in our room.

Then there were the nutrition requirements for a twin mom - 3500 calories a day and about 200mg of protein. I come nowhere close to either of these. My appetite is virtually nonexistent, and I barely eat any meat. This wouldn't be easy. I decided to buy some protein drinks and to eat meat, especially high-quality steak, for the first time in many, many years. My babies are more important than my dietary quirks, so I just tell myself I'm doing it for the twins.

Chuck threatened to take the books away from me because they were making me so upset, but I was determined to learn all I could about my babies and their development. I finished both books within three or four days, yet I am still unsure about so many aspects of twin pregnancies and raising twins. My impatient personality is not going to do well with the "wait and see" aspect of this pregnancy.

2011-04-01T20:37:00.006-04:00

We were a little early arriving at Precious Views, so we waited (im)patiently while another family saw their new baby boy. Finally, it was our turn to enter the ultrasound room. Everyone took a seat, and I made myself comfortable on the exam table. The huge screen was easily seen by everyone - I especially had an optimal view. After squirting an ample amount of ultrasound gel on my belly, the unsuspecting tech placed the probe a couple of inches below my belly button. Immediately I knew, though my brain couldn't process what I saw on the screen. Chuck saw them, too, but he was in the same unbelieving state as me. The tech began to ask repeatedly, "Are you sure you haven't had an ultrasound yet?" All I could think was, No, lady, or we wouldn't be here! Then she gave us the news, "Well, you're having twins!" Chuck, mom, Minnie, and I exclaimed simultaneously. "What??" "No Way!" "Oh MY GOD!" If only our reactions could have been recorded, we could surely win America's Funniest Home Videos. I began to tremble uncontrollably. If I weren't already lying down, I may have fainted.

Two Babies!

TWO BABIES! There are TWO BABIES inside of me. My mind raced with all of the implications of the news. How am I going to take care of two babies at once? How will I breastfeed two at the same time? Will I ever sleep again?

While these thoughts bounced around uncontrollably in my head, the tech continued her examination, first finding our little boy, then the girl. A boy AND a girl. I could have never imagined that we would be having twins. Our third AND fourth child.

We thanked the ultrasound tech and piled back in the car - our minds reeling. On the hour and a half ride home, we took turns calling relatives and friends. Minnie called Grandma Mamie, and we all heard her say, "You don't mean it!" on the other end of the line. She was ecstatic. Minnie then called Bonnie who was equally surprised, "TWINS!" Chuck texted Tom and Will, and I called Bethany. There was one person left to notify - Dad. We decided to let him see the news for himself and took the DVD for him to watch.

Dad doesn't get overly emotional about anything, so his reaction to what he saw on the video was something that we don't see often. While his voice remained as calm as ever ("I see two!"), his eyes gave away his shock and excitement. I know it is a cliche, but his eyes grew to the size of saucers, and he didn't look away from the screen the entire 16 minutes of the video.

Me, on the night we found out about the twins - 17 weeks, 3 days.

2011-04-01T20:24:00.004-04:00

My symptoms were driving me crazy. I was well into the second trimester, and my morning sickness hadn't gone away as promised. I felt cheated. In addition, my heart began to "act funny" - racing, skipping beats, etc. So, I told the doctor of my symptoms at my 15 week appointment: nausea after eating, dizziness, heart issues. She immediately ordered a 24-hour holter monitor to record my heart activity. I was opposed to wearing it to say the least. I complained, questioned, even phoned after hours to make sure it was absolutely necessary. I had worn one while pregnant with Ella, and there were no abnormalities. But, to appease the doctor and my family, I went ahead with it. Not surprisingly, there were no problems. Great, I thought, what a waste of my time and comfort. I still had no answers about what was going on with my symptoms (we would soon find out the true cause), though I did start to feel a bit better as I headed into my 16th and 17th week.

One thing nagged at me, though. I wanted to know the sex of our new addition! I brought up having an elective ultrasound several times to Chuck, friends, and family. I heard the same thing time and again - "Just wait a few more weeks until your scheduled ultrasound on March 31." Fine, I thought. But there was this great SALE coming up, and I was dying to start buying stuff for our new little one.

Finally, on the Thursday of the big Kentucky Kids sale (3/17), I couldn't take it anymore and scheduled an elective ultrasound at Precious View 3D/4D Ultrasound in Bowling Green. They were the least expensive, and the only place who could work me in on such short notice. I asked Mom to go, but she didn't want to go all the way to Bowling Green; but when I asked Minnie, she jumped on the chance to see the baby! At the last minute, Mom called and said she decided to go (thank goodness!) because she wasn't doing anything else anyway. So, that night, Chuck, Mom, Minnie, Ella, Anna, and I all piled in the van to go take a peek at our little one. At the last moment, we decided to splurge for the 4D package and have a DVD made of the entire ultrasound, and I am so glad we did.

2011-04-01T20:07:00.004-04:00

I'll be honest, I considered giving up the blog in favor of just posting pics here and there on facebook. But then something big happened, well two something bigs.

First of all, just before Christmas 2010 (actually on December 14), we found out that I am pregnant. We were elated, but the morning sickness and mood swings kicked in almost immediately. After making the announcement on Facebook on Christmas Day, I felt that at least I could be open with my sickness. Thank goodness, because by the beginning of January, I was almost an invalid. I was miserably nauseated almost constantly. If I wasn't asleep, I was lying on the couch trying not to heave the massive meal I just ate. As an added blessing, January's weather was tumultuous. Luckily, I never had to go to work for more than a few days a week for the entire month! Some cursed the call for yet another snow day, while I thanked my stars that I got to roll back over and go to sleep.

Ironically, with all the sickness also came a ravenous appetite. I was starving, yet when I ate, I could barely move because of the constant nausea. This increase in my morning sickness symptoms from my pregnancies with Ella and Anna led me to believe that I might be carrying a baby boy this time. I was just 11 weeks, 2 days along in the picture below. I felt bigger than I had with the girls as well, but I attributed my size to this being my 3rd pregnancy. Everyone knows moms show earlier in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. pregnancy. I never thought there might be more than one baby growing in there.

2010-12-26T18:43:00.002-05:00

Christmas 2010!

Santa came!Let's see what he brought.

Well, that was fun, what's next?
Merry Christmas everyone!

2010-12-26T18:22:00.004-05:00

Ella's Christmas program 2010 - "A Gingerbread Christmas"

We were so proud of Ella. She danced and sang just like she was supposed to and smiled the whole time! Leaps and bounds from the program at the end of pre-school last year.
Here is the highlight reel.

2010-10-08T21:55:00.004-04:00

On Fall Break this year, we went to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg with Bonnie and Mamaw Minnie. It was Bonnie's idea, and she gave us the royal treatment the whole time. We all enjoyed ourselves thoroughly - especially the girlies!

Here are Bonnie, Mamaw, and the girls sitting on Forrest Gump's bench.
And of course I had to get in on the Gump picture since it is my favorite movie!
Anna looking cute in Gatlinburg.
We played Fantasy mini golf. Anna loved the mermaid from the moment she saw her. She said, "Me want kiss her!" But when the moment arose, she chickened out.
Ella hiding under the bear at Fantasy mini golf.
A bear seat and a cute girl.
A bear seat and two cute girls!
After Gatlinburg and mini golf, we went to the Dixie Stampede! The show amazed the girls from start to finish. They could barely eat the whole chicken that was plopped on their plates because they were too busy watching the horses and chickens and pigs run around the arena.

Thursday, we did a little shopping, then ate lunch at the Applewood Firehouse Grill. Everything tasted great, and our bellies nearly popped after our feast.
After eating ourselves silly, we decided to ride the Aerial Tramway to Ober Gatlinburg. The view was amazing, but Minnie nearly passed out going up and coming down. Meanwhile, the girls and I took in the view.There was so much to do at the top of the mountain. We rode the chair life to the alpine slide - twice. This was the girl's most favorite part of the day. I have to admit, that slide was awesome.
Of course we visited the horses on the carousel.

After a long day of playing mini golf (yes, again), sliding, riding, and eating, we rode the tramway back down the mountain while taking in the gorgeous view.

Thursday night, we had the pleasure of eating at the Cherokee Grill. Let me just tell you - this place exceeded our expectations in every way. It would be an understatement to say that the food was the best we had the whole trip. If you are ever in Gatlinburg and you don't eat at the Cherokee Grill, you are missing out on some absolutely delicious food and outstanding service.

We all fell into bed Thursday night and rose too early Friday morning to pack up and leave. We couldn't resist returning to the Applewood Firehouse Grill for breakfast, and the food was just as great the second time around. Chuck made $20 by taking a few pictures for a generous family, and we all nearly died of embarrassment that he actually took the money instead of graciously refusing it.

After one final trip to the outlet mall (and a new Coach purse for me thanks to Minnie!), we were on our way home. We made multiple stops, including one to clean up and comfort Anna after she got carsick, but finally arrived home around 6:30.

We couldn't have asked for a more pleasant Fall Break, and we thank Bonnie for giving us such special treatment on our trip!

2010-09-26T10:33:00.003-04:00

Ella and Anna's Birthday Party! 9-19-10

The party wasn't even in full swing and Anna's hair already fell down.
Ella showing off.
The cake.
Amelia and Eliot - our baby guests - cute as ever.
Ella and Anna about to blow out the candles.
Cake is yummy!
Eliot agrees.
Beginning to open presents.
The mess that ensued.

Bye!
Thanks everyone for a great birthday party - the girls had a wonderful time!

2010-08-04T20:23:00.002-04:00

August 4, 2010 - Ella's First Day of Kindergarten!

Ella is looking cute, ready to go to school!
She's got her bus tag so everyone knows where she goes in the afternoon (to Mommy's school)!
Ella and Daddy, and a school bus following us to Lincoln Trail.
Walking in...
Here she is at the doorway to Mrs. Allen's room! This is where I started to tear up, so I couldn't take any more pictures!
She did so well and had a wonderful first day. She arrived safe and sound, albeit HOT (101+ temperature outside), to my classroom right on time. She ran to me and gave me a big hug, drank some lemonade and ate a snack, and played quietly while I taught the "big kids." I am so proud of her!

2010-08-04T20:04:00.003-04:00

Fairfield Glade, TN - July 14-16, 2010

Chuck and I had a nice little getaway in Fairfield Glade, TN - otherwise known as nothing-to-do-ville.

We fed some ducks and fish,

played some mini-golf,
visited the Bee Hive,

found an "overlook,"

and went canoeing - twice.

We had a nice, relaxing time, but I don't think I would go back to this particular resort. While it was quite accommodating, and the jacuzzi was awesome, there just wasn't enough to keep me occupied!

2010-06-26T21:04:00.002-04:00

Like father..

like daughter.Chuck and Anna look so similar! Luckily, she is prettier than he is. :)

2010-06-24T19:22:00.002-04:00

Bruin Cheer Camp 2010: June 22, 23, 24

Ella attended cheer camp this week. I think she decided she doesn't want to be a cheerleader (too many people watching her!), but she still had lots of fun!
Sorry about the poor picture quality, but (if you can believe it) that is Ella at the top of that stunt!

Here are a few clips from the program they put together for the parents. I'm just happy she participated!

2010-06-21T21:59:00.002-04:00

Vacation Day 8: 6-12-10 and the Drive home

We woke up bright and early Saturday morning to pack up, and we found the girls cuddling in their bed. We couldn't resist taking a picture of the sweetness.

The drive home was no fun at all. First, shortly after taking off, Anna puked. Then she puked again. Then she was extremely pitiful and slept most of the rest of the morning and afternoon. We hit some traffic that delayed us about an hour and a half, and Anna was still sickly for much of the afternoon. Luckily, she perked up in time for us to stop for dinner, as shown by her skills with a spoon.
When we entered KY, our wonderful GPS told us to take US150 from Mt. Vernon to Bardstown. During daylight hours, this may not have been a problem, but it was dusk on a Saturday night in the country when we ventured onto the dreaded 150. First, a crazy redneck in a huge truck with even bigger tires wanted to play chicken. Thank goodness Chuck was alert enough to swerve onto the shoulder before we were all killed. Next, a deer ran across the road right in front of us. Then, crazy rednecks decided to drag race and swerved around us at high speeds. From that point until we were safely in our driveway, Chuck and I both feared for our lives and flinched every time we saw an oncoming car or truck. I advise anyone and everyone who will listen - do not drive country roads on a Friday or Saturday night! Teenagers are crazy, and redneck teenagers are even worse.

Thankfully, we made it home alive, but the trip took about two hours longer than planned. We were just happy to be home!

2010-06-21T21:44:00.004-04:00

Vacation Day 7: 6-11-2010

Instead of heading home early to make Ella's last soccer game, we decided to spend one more day at the beach - and we are so glad we did. The beach that morning was so peaceful and wonderful.

After the beach, we poked around town, took a nap, then headed over to Barefoot Landing again to see some tigers. I actually hoped to hold a baby tiger (for a mere $59), but after observing someone else going through the process, I decided against it. They only held that baby tiger for about 5 seconds - just long enough to snap a picture! For $59, I need a good 15 minutes of baby-tiger play time. Besides, Anna was more interested in the moth on the glass than the tiger...
We spent our last night in the pool and on the beach. Ella finally decided swimming was fun, and both girls had a great time with her floaties!
We took a night time stroll along the beach and bid our farewells to the ocean.

2010-06-21T21:31:00.003-04:00

Vacation Day 6: 6-10-10

We spent yet another morning at the beach, and it was fantastic. The men and girls were busy building a sand castle, and Bethany and I finally got to enjoy the waves a bit.
Anna probably made 100 trips from the ocean to the various sand castle sites through the week. She is so busy.

After the beach and lunch, we headed south to Myrtle Beach proper - to the "strip". After getting a little lost, we finally were able to walk around and view all of the various storefronts. The most impressive by far was the "Gay Dolphin". This shop is a legend in Myrtle Beach, and for good reason. I cannot even begin to describe the incredible volume of "stuff" in this labyrinth of a store. I could barely venture 15 feet in before I feared I would get lost and never emerge. There are several floors (I'm not sure how many), packed floor to ceiling with nautical nick-nacks of all shapes and sizes. There was not one inch of unused space, and the aisles were just wide enough to squeeze through. You cannot understand the "Gay Dolphin" until you see it for yourself.

We ended the last day of the Tiesman's visit with a nice dinner and some outlet shopping. I can't pass up a good deal, and I scored big time at The Children's Place Outlet. I just can't help myself.

2010-06-21T21:15:00.003-04:00

Vacation Day 5: 6-9-2010 (also known as Papaw's birthday)

Ripley's Aquarium was first on the agenda for day 5, and luckily, Chuck and I suffered through 2 hours of timeshare propaganda to win 4 free tickets.

This is one of my favorite pictures.

After the aquarium (which only took about 2 hours, and we were extremely happy not to have paid almost $20 each for 2 hours of semi fun), we ate a picnic lunch at Broadway at the Beach, then just the Pearsall's headed out for another round of mini golf. Ella just had to go back to the dinosaur place, in spite of the numerous alternatives, so we humored her and went. Luckily, the dinosaur place has two courses, so we still enjoyed a new mini golf experience!

I think we went back to the pool or playground after dinner, but I honestly don't remember.

2010-06-21T20:56:00.003-04:00

Vacation Day 4: 6-8-2010

I started nearly every morning drinking my smoothie on the balcony, listening to the ocean, and relaxing. It was heaven.
Another morning at the beach, busy making sandcastles.

In the afternoon, we went on a dolphin watching cruise with the Voyager Fishing Fleet.

This is the best dolphin picture I could manage. Those things are wily!

Ella + Zac = BFFs
This is a little crab the fishermen caught in their net. One of the passengers has a salt water fish tank and planned to take the little guy home. I thought the whole fishing net thing was going to be cool, but it really turned out to be a chance for the crew to be cruel to the sea life they caught. I was disheartened, but I also realize those guys fish for a living, so they are desensitized to their actions.
We ended the day at Barefoot Landing with some overpriced food, a carousel ride, and some balloon animals.

2010-06-21T20:36:00.005-04:00

Vacation Day 3: 6-7-2010

We began this day with a trip to Brookgreen Gardens. These gardens are really wonderful - full of statues, beautiful flowers and plants, and even butterflies!

Here are a few of my favorite statues, unfortunately, I forgot the names of most of them.

The muses.

This area was just amazing. These trees are hundreds of years old and just breathtaking.
We after a quick trolley ride, we ventured over to the "zoo" part of the gardens, which was really just a bunch of semi-domestic animals on display.
Then, we all enjoyed the butterfly house.

Anna always needs to inspect interesting creatures up close.

I just thought this picture was too sweet not to include.
After returning from the gardens and eating dinner, we decided the best place to spend the remainder of the evening was the pool! The girls loved it!

2010-06-21T20:10:00.004-04:00

Vacation Day 2: 6-6-2010

The day began in the most amazing way...Ella and Anna who normally avoid Zac at all costs decided he was awesome and played with him incessantly! Unfortunately, Chuck and I were obligated to go listen to a timeshare BS session, so Bethany and Zac graciously offered to keep the girls. Those two hours must have been a breakthrough for Ella and Zac especially. By the end of the week, we almost had matching "BFF" airbrushed t-shirts made for the two of them!
Then they decided to switch their attentions to Stella.
We spent the morning at the beach. Let me tell you, the early morning is the absolute best time to relax at the beach - there are no crowds, and it is still nice and cool. We all had a great time.

Ella had this problem all week...poor girl. ;)
After the beach and some relaxing, we decided to head out to a local recommendation: "Ella's of Calabash"! The name was why we chose it among the other recommendations, but we soon found out the food was AMAZING!! Starting with the absolutely delicious hush puppies, it just kept getting better. Chuck was adventurous and ordered the soft shell crab - to be eaten whole. He liked it, but I just couldn't eat something that looked like it was staring at me.
To add to an eventful day, with full bellies, we headed to mini-golf. We chose the dinosaur course, though there were about 20 different themed courses on the "strip" in North Myrtle Beach. Chuck was very serious about playing the game correctly, but the girls just wanted to hit the ball. Finally by about hole 10, he gave in and just let them go.

Finally, to finish off the evening, we donned our glow bracelets and (after a mini rave party), headed off for a nighttime stroll on the beach.

2010-06-21T19:56:00.002-04:00

Vacation Day 1: 6-5-2010

After leaving home around 10pm the night before, we arrived in Myrtle Beach, SC around 11am on Saturday morning. Luckily, we were able to check in early, grab a quick lunch, and head straight to the beach!

Chuck is a bit pasty-white on day 1, but by day 7, he is noticeably more tan!
"What, Mom? I'm just digging here!"
We had a great drive down, and a wonderful afternoon at the beach!

2010-05-09T10:41:00.002-04:00

Cougars VS Lions 5/8/10.

We FROZE during this game. The actual temperature was in the 60's, but the wind was horrendous.

Here is a great action shot of Ella throwing in the ball.
Here they are, getting ready to kick it into play.

2010-05-06T20:31:00.003-04:00

Ella's First Soccer Game! Cougars VS Bears - GO COUGARS!

2010-04-24T18:54:00.001-04:00

Let's Go Fly A Kite - from Mary Poppins

Mr. Banks:
With tuppence for paper and strings
You can have your own set of wings
With your feet on the ground
You're a bird in a flight
With your fist holding tight
To the string of your kite

Oh, oh, oh!
Let's go fly a kite
Up to the highest height!
Let's go fly a kite and send it soaring
Up through the atmosphere
Up where the air is clear
Oh, let's go fly a kite!

Bert:
When you send it flyin' up there
All at once you're lighter than air
You can dance on the breeze
Over 'ouses and trees
With your first 'olding tight
To the string of your kite

Londoners:
Oh, oh, oh!
Let's go fly a kite
Up to the highest height!
Let's go fly a kite and send it soaring
Up through the atmosphere
Up where the air is clear
Let's go fly a kite!

2010-04-24T11:08:00.001-04:00

The girls were surprised with presents from Bonnie - all the way from Virginia! Thanks Bonnie! They can't wait to fly their new kites and color on the sidewalk with the chalk!

2010-04-07T22:13:00.002-04:00

Goin' to the zoo!
Fun with Stella!
Anna and Ella sliding, too!
Anna's favorite - turtles! (Actually some sort of tortoise, but she doesn't know the difference.)

2010-04-04T16:33:00.005-04:00

Easter with the Pearsall's!

The funniest part about coloring eggs was the Paul Newmanesque scene Anna enacted. A couple of the eggs broke, so we peeled and ate them instead of coloring them. Anna stuffed a half of an egg into her mouth and proceeded to chew. Before I could grab the camera, out it came, just like Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke. I could only think about how much I wish Jason could have seen that scene - he would have loved it. Wouldn't Uncle Jay be proud of his little Paul Newman-like niece?

Anna's and Ella's baskets.

Anna helping color eggs.Ella and Mommy coloring eggs.
The Easter bunny came!
Wow, look at all the cool stuff!
The spoils.
Hunting eggs at Papaw and Nana's.

2010-02-17T18:15:00.001-05:00

Cabin Fever! What better way to entertain two snowed in girls than skating in the living room??

Anna's butt was in the air most of the time.

2010-01-30T20:21:00.002-05:00

Snow!

Elizabethtown received about 5 inches of snow last night, so of course the girls had a snow day today. They were nearly frozen when they came in, but they sure had fun out there!

Here, I think Chuck is rolling on the ground and they are throwing snow on him.Anna making a snow angel.
Rivers, who was mercilessly chased and doused with snow by Ella.
After the snow, we dressed in our warmest fleece and played some Rock Band!

Overall, a fun Saturday for everyone!

2010-01-23T10:36:00.001-05:00

While downloading some craft pictures from my camera, I came across these pictures as a cute surprise! I think Nana had an impromptu photo shoot...

I just love those girls. Maybe I love these pictures so much because the girls are spending TWO nights with Nana and Papaw this weekend and I MISS them.

2010-01-07T15:33:00.001-05:00

Snow Day!

Heading out for an adventure!
Having fun!
Makin' snow angels.
Mmmmm...hot chocolate with marshmallows!

I love snow days!

2010-01-01T14:06:00.001-05:00

Catherine Pearsall July 1997 - January 1, 2010.

2010-01-01T13:58:00.001-05:00

My Christmas present - a sewing machine!

I've been busy the past few days with my Christmas gift. Check out the new blog dedicated to all my crafting endeavors!

2010-01-01T13:47:00.003-05:00

Christmas Day 2009!

SANTA CAME!!

Yay!

Santa even brought Daddy a present!
Whew, all that present opening makes a little girl tired.

At Grandma's and Nana and Papaw's house, the girls got even more presents from Mamaw Minnie, Bonnie, Jim and Sue, Harry and Deb, Grandma, and Nana and Papaw! Thanks everyone!
The perfect way to end the day: Ella and Daddy playing her new Kai Lan game on the Wii.

2010-01-01T13:39:00.002-05:00

Christmas Eve 2009!

As per our tradition, we invited our families to our house for a Christmas Eve feast. This year, the main courses were lobster tail, sushi, and crab. I think we all enjoyed dinner.

Next came the opening of the presents... (not the ones from Santa, of course)
Mamaw gave Ella the Kai Lan doll she wanted so much!
Anna didn't know what to play with first.
We finally settled down to play with trains and paint.

2009-12-19T21:10:00.002-05:00

Chuck is part of the Heartland Winds Community Band, and tonight was the Christmas concert. The girls loved watching Daddy play, and made it known to the entire audience that their Daddy was up there on stage. Anna even ran up on the stage at the end to greet him.

Also, since the girls were all dolled up for the concert, we decided to have an impromptu photo shoot.

Ella, with her eyes perpetually rolled to the side - in every almost picture!The girls with their Nana, who looked exceptionally pretty for the concert.
Me and my girls.
Silly Anna.
Pretty Ella.
And, of course, it wouldn't be a photo shoot without Anna's antics.
Here she is showing me her "bup" (butt).
We had a great night - Daddy did a wonderful job!

2009-12-16T18:25:00.004-05:00

For the annual "Holiday Goodie Week" at work, I made this cute little Christmas tree out of Peeps and rice crispy treats. It was a hit, and pretty easy to make!

On a more somber note, Anna (and Ella, for that matter) has had a wave of sickness over the last few weeks. One fever after another plagued the little stinky. One especially trying night, her fever rose to 104 degrees. Luckily, she fought it off and is back to getting into trouble.

2009-11-26T22:25:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving 2009!

After a long day of food and family time, the Pearsall's headed home for some family pics and tree trimming.

First, the sweet girls.
Then, we attempted to get a self-portrait of the whole family, which is much harder than you would think.

After family pictures and trying to figure out why some of the lights don't work on our tree, we started hanging up ornaments.Then I couldn't resist taking some more pictures of the girls.
Ella just LOVES her new dress...

At the end of the day when both girls are tucked in their beds, it is easy to see we have so much to be thankful for.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE PEARSALL'S!!

2009-11-15T18:32:00.001-05:00

Ella the artist.

Leaves

Moon and Stars

Patrick

Ella

2009-11-06T20:40:00.002-05:00

Height predictor results from BabyCenter:

Ella 5'5"
Anna 5'7"

Both significantly taller than me, and I'm okay with that. Maybe they can actually buy pants that are the right length right off the rack!

2009-11-05T17:40:00.002-05:00

The girls had their yearly checkup today!

Ella at 4yrs - 41 inches tall (75%), 40 pounds (75%), 5 shots (4 regular vaccines and 1 H1N1 vaccine), and an ear infection

Anna at 2yrs - 35.5 inches tall (75%), 25 pounds (20%), 2 shots (1 regular vaccine and 1 H1N1 vaccine), and an ear infection

Both girls are just perfect, no problems except the ear infections!

2009-10-31T19:49:00.002-04:00

Halloween 2009! This year, Stella joined us in our trip to the mall because her Momma and Papa are in the hospital enjoying the birth of Stella's new baby brother, Elliot!

Jasmine, Kitty Cat, and Kangaroo (take 2).

The girls all loaded up on tasty candy!
Yummy!
Where did it go, Anna?The End...by the way, if this picture looks familiar, check out the Halloween post from 2 years ago...

2009-10-25T20:20:00.002-04:00

We went to Crawford Farms pumpkin patch today with the Tiesman's. The girls had an awesome time: corn maze, petting zoo, stacks of hay, scary tunnel, and picking pumpkins! Then, we all came back to our house and carved our masterpieces!

From left to right: Danna's and Ella's, Zac's, Stella's, Chuck's and Anna's.
Chuck's in the dark.
Danna's in the dark.

Chuck playing with the camera...I forgot my camera for the actual farm part, so I hope Bethany emails me the rest of the pictures soon so I can add them here. ;)

2009-10-13T22:04:00.002-04:00

Ella driving Anna around in Nana and Papaw's front yard. She is really moving!

2009-10-13T21:46:00.003-04:00

Ella and Anna had a great visit with Nana and Papaw this weekend!

They found a wooly worm.
And followed it around.
Anna wanted to pet it.
And then they followed it some more.
Then, to continue their fascination with bugs, they found a ladybug.
Anna said, "Where! Let me see!"
"Oh, there it is."
Nana drew pretty flowers all over the driveway.
Then, of course, they drove their jeep around the yard.

Finally, Ella helped Nana cook dinner; something she LOVES to do.

Ella twisting Anna up in the swing and then letting go! It looks like a nauseating move to me, but Anna seems to enjoy it.

2009-10-06T21:57:00.004-04:00

I just had to document Ella singing in the car. Almost every time we get in, she demands, "I want Daddy's song!" She means "Troublemaker" by Weezer, and I'm not exactly sure why it is "Daddy's song," but we play it and she sings right along, or at least mouths the best she can. She also knows many of the other songs, and does quite well with the high parts in "Greatest Man That Ever Lived," which is good because that means we don't have to suffer through me singing those parts. Anyway, she was only captured on video because I was covert and pretended not to be filming. She refuses to sing or even pretend to sing if she thinks anyone is really paying attention. Enjoy!

2009-09-21T20:57:00.002-04:00

My parents continue to spoil these girls. I am coming to the realization that there is no stopping them. The latest acquisition? A pink Barbie Jeep. Ella already has the "diva" look down.
Anna, as usual, wants to be the daredevil. She stomps the gas and just goes, dogs, trees, other cars be damned.
Thanks Nana and Papaw!

2009-09-13T19:51:00.002-04:00

Ella and Anna's Birthday Party 2009!

Before the party, the girls wanted to goof off with a little spinning and floor rolling.

After all the kids arrived, we made princess and pirate accessories. It was a little crazy, but it gave the kiddos something to do besides run wild through the house.
...and Sam was just so darn cute in his pirate hat!
Anna sported the eye-patch,
while Ella wore her "Birthday Girl" crown and sash.And then we opened presents. I had no idea this would be such a fiasco! I had no idea who gave what to whom, but I think I got most of it sorted out after the fact. I still don't know who gave Anna the kissing Elmo or from whom most of the books and coloring books came.
Presents, presents, everywhere!
Finally, the cakes!! I made Anna and Elmo cake and Ella a Kai Lan cake. The Kai Lan cake was my first experience using fondant, and I was quite pleased with the results. While the Kai Lan cake looked nice, I'll admit the icing on the Elmo cake was tastier!
Blow out the candles! Anna is TWO!
Ella is FOUR!
The party was a huge success. Everyone seemed to have a great time, and I know the girls couldn't be happier. Thanks to everyone who attended! These girls are so lucky to have so many people who care about them!

2009-08-29T18:40:00.004-04:00

Anna's first haircut was exactly one week before her 2nd birthday, August 28, 2009.

The endeavor didn't start out so well, she cried incessantly.

But brushing and styling her hair was becoming impossible, so the curls had to go.
Fortunately, the result is adorable!
From the back - cute!
Oh yeah, this angle is pretty adorable, too.

Here is the video of the task. Much crying ensued, but it eventually died down to a few hiccups.

2009-08-07T15:53:00.003-04:00

Ella's First Day of Pre-School at St. James School, August 7, 2009.

Streeeeetch! "Morning sleepy head! It's the first day of school!"

Here she is eating a nutritious granola bar for breakfast while wearing her uniform blue dress, socks, and chucks.
It's off to school we go!
"Okay, Nana, I know I'm cute, but cut it out!"
In front of the school with her BoBo sister, Anna.
Her Kai Lan backpack hanging neatly in her cubby and she is already off to play...
Unfortunately, I didn't get to take her or see her off on her first day; Nana earned that privilege. However, seeing as I felt tears welling up in my eyes just from looking at the pictures, it is probably a good thing I didn't take her. I don't even know why I cried. Maybe because my baby is growing up, but I really think it is because I'm just so excited for her. School is awesome, it really is. It was so awesome for me and for Chuck that we decided to stay there forever! Just think about all the cool things she is going to experience this year alone...Sure, later on school can get tough, but it is still awesome because with all that hard work comes learning! But right now, Ella gets to learn by playing, making new friends, and creating glorious messes. What could be better than that?

2009-07-28T21:01:00.002-04:00

Vacation: Planet Hollywood.

Exchanging some love at Planet Hollywood.

Me with "Jenny", the boat from my favorite movie!

This was the last day before the endless drive home, so we were pretty wiped out by this time. I'm still wiped out, which is why these last posts are so short!

2009-07-28T20:53:00.002-04:00

Vacation: Beach Day!

We all had loads of fun, but the sand got a little ridiculous. It was a fairly miserable ride home because we couldn't thoroughly rid ourselves of the sand until we were back at the condo. And, even under the umbrella, wearing a T-shirt, and donning SPF 70 sunscreen, I got a sunburn.