Wordless Wednesday

White Christmas!

Ok, so it really didnt snow on Christmas day...it began raining/sleeting around 6:45 PM or so, but it changed to snow later in the evening.

Regardless, we all awoke to a gorgeous winter wonderland that is the closest to a white Christmas as I have ever experienced!

Sadly, even after working 24 hours on Christmas Eve, Mike had to head back to work this morning so he completely missed out on all of the fun.

And boy did we have fun!!!

Merry Christmas!

Santa visited....

....the kiddos came downstairs with astounding excitement....

....finally opened door # 25 to complete our advent calendar and corresponding tree (sorry - these pics are from December 1 - I was too slow to catch them opening December 25!)....

....and quickly began the chaos of Christmas 2010!

Christmas Card Pictures 2010

We had wonderful weather one morning in November, so I took the kids out to our favorite spot and gave it a try at taking my own pictures this year. 

Christmas Eve

Opa and Grandma Shushi arrived and we sprinkled out the reindeer food on the front lawn.....

....and quickly got into bed hoping that Santa and his eight tiny reindeer would arrive sometime overnight!

Festivities with Friends

Ella and Aidan adore "the boys" and we rarely go more than a few days without a playdate of some sort.

In the spirit of the season, we got together to decorate gingerbread men and make Christmas trees!

It was a huge mess...but isnt everything that is any fun?

The kids even got together and gave us our own private performance of Christmas carols!

Just One

Since posting yesterday's big news I have been bombarded with so many questions that I do not even have time to answer them all - so I thought I would just do a little Q & A and post it here!


Were you trying for another baby? 
Not in the least! This was a complete surprise! It took us three years filled with all sorts of tests and procedures and even a miscarriage before bringing Ella and Aidan into the world. They are our miracle babies - we really had no idea that we could even get pregnant on our own! This truly is an amazing blessing!

How long have you known about the pregnancy?

We have known about our new baby since early November. After taking the home pregnancy test, I immediately called the Dr. and got the very first appointment possible. At that appointment they tried to dismiss me without a blood test and I would have none of it - I demanded a blood draw to get an accurate HCG level (herein lies the bonus of being a former IVF patient and knowing all of the little details!). My levels came back outstanding - in fact, it was higher than what it was with the twins four years ago.

After returning two days later for another blood draw to ensure that the numbers were doubling appropriately, we scheduled the first ultrasound. In fact, my numbers had not only doubled, they tripled! Yikes - both the Dr's and myself actually thought there was a possibility of twins!


Did you secretly hope it was twins?

I will admit that there was a small part of me that secretly wanted a second set of twins.  More as a theoretical thing, not so much reality.  And, truth be told, I might have liked another pair for the baby’s sake.  I think the bond that Ella and Aidan have is so incredibly amazing, I’m almost sad for this singleton that he/she won’t have that.  And yes, I do worry a little bit that the little one might feel left out when the older kids are doing their “twin thing.” But I think that’s just as much of a concern with their age difference as it is with the twin-ness versus single-ness.

But for my sake? I only wanted one. The day of our first ultrasound back in November, I worked myself into a total panic.  While my history of miscarriage had me afraid of getting the news that something was wrong, I can say I was equally petrified of seeing two.  Obviously, I’d do it - I already know I can.  I so wanted the experience of a single baby. So portable, so flexible. And I can carry him/her and still have another hand! Fancy that! There was maybe 20% disappointed when the ultrasound tech looked around and pronounced that there was just one. 80% was utterly relieved.

Are you excited to be pregnant with just one?

Yes, I’m pretty darn excited to be pregnant with “just one,” and am especially looking forward to having “just one” newborn. Newborns are not easy. They’re up at all hours, you have no idea what time it is, and frankly, it hardly matters. I will be physically and sometimes emotionally exhausted. I acknowledge this.  But still. It’s JUST ONE.  

Wow.  

Throw that kid in a carrier and off we go.  I’m glad that I became a twin Mom on the first try for a great number of reasons, but I think I am especially grateful for the fact that I can recognize the easier parts for what they are.  When you’re a first-timer, especially of two, you don’t think about how surprisingly flexible those first weeks are. No nap schedule, they fall asleep easily in the car seat, etc. Now? Now I can see the benefits of that age and intend to take advantage of them while I can.

Any differences in the pregnancy so far?

I am decidedly more tired than the first time around, probably from not having a moment to rest or relax and chasing two, 3 1/2 year olds all day long. Still nauseous all the time, but not throwing up like last time. I am still in my regular clothes (by this point with the twins I was already in maternity pants) and I have not gained any weight, in fact, I have lost nearly eight pounds! Best diet ever! The Dr's do not seem concerned, so neither do I at this point.

I can see other noticeable differences coming, especially with regard to how I’m treated at the OB’s office.  No level-II ultrasounds. No maternal-fetal-medicine specialist visits at the hospital.  Heck, I think I will be granted a total of maybe three ultrasounds total (the six week one to confirm pregnancy, the 12 week for the Ultrascreen that we just had completed, and the 19 week bio-physical profile and that may be it for the duration. Really?  Last time I had nearly 20 ultrasounds! It’s weird to be so low-risk.

There you have it, the round-up on my feelings thus far on one as compared to two.  I’m sure there will be plenty more as time goes by!

Wordless Wednesday - SURPRISE!

Kids' Choice - Back to Universal Studios

Our last day in Disney World we had a choice - with our tickets, we could go back to any of the parks we had already visited (except Sea World), or try our hand at Epcot. After reading about Epcot, we decided that it just seemed to overall cater to older children and would not be a place that Ella and Aidan would enjoy right now.

When we asked them, the decision was unanimous - back to Buzz Lightyear and Ariel!

We had a wonderful time seeing everything again, and even taking in a few of the shows we missed the first time around.  

We were sad that our week at the most magial place on earth had come to an end, but thrilled to have been able to provide such a wonderful opportunity and experience for Ella and Aidan.

We decided to make a pit stop on the way home and spent Saturday night in Atlanta with Opa and Grandma Shushi.

Overall, our trip was amazing. An incredible visit filled with many firsts, much fun, and a few surprises.

SeaWorld

Out of all of the parks we visited on our trip, the kids enjoyed SeaWorld most of all - the shows were incredible and the experiences priceless!

First thing upon entering the park, we made a beeline for the Dolphin Cove.  Can you guess what we did with these friendly guys....

....yep - we fed them their breakfast! Well, Mike, Aidan and I did - Ella was less than thrilled with being so close and hid at my feet the entire time.  It was amazing to be so close to the dolphins - what a once in a lifetime experience!

Ella did enjoy watching them from the "safety" of the aquarium!

After stopping off at a few more exhibits....

....we made our way to see the famous Shamoo show! It did not disappoint and the kids were beyond fascinated!!

After a nice lunch on the water we visited the best little playground within the park - completely dedicated to little ones! Aidan quickly discovered that he REALLY loves roller coasters, and we rode several of the toddler sized rides over and over (and over) again! Ella preferred to keep her feet on the ground and watch the fun from a distance!

We then made our way to the dolphin show - an amazing way to end one amazing day in SeaWorld!