day 1: kansas city

day 1: kansas city

7.31.2017

708 miles.

Our first full day of driving was...interesting! We had our sights set on St. Louis. The day started out fine, uneventful. We started listening to our audiobook, Bringing Up Bebe. Before you start giving Craig a hard time for being willing to listen to this book, hear me out. It's actually super interesting and informative. It's told in a story format vs. "self-help" format which makes it interesting. I had already started reading it but stopped when I realized it would make a fun car book.

Shortly into our morning journey, we spotted a BABY BEAR on the side of the road attempting to cross from under the guard rail. He was pretty cute. I hope he made it across to be reunited with his momma.

There have been some great rest stops along our route where we can get out and run around with the dog in the grass. Haven has been doing really well and enjoys checking out all the new smells at each stop.

Around 11am when we were about 2 hours outside St. Louis, we decided that we could definitely but in more hours and changed our plans to end up in Kansas City which only added 3.5 hours to our day. (All in, we ended up driving for about 10.5 hours and it really wasn't that bad!)

Shortly after adjusting our route, we decided to make a stop for lunch and planned to get out of the car to sit outside for some fresh air. Literally 2 minutes from the exit, Craig proclaims that we have just...RAN OUT OF GAS! Let me just say, it's a miracle I wasn't driving because I would have NEVER heard the end of it. Somehow, our miles-to-empty estimation went from 40 miles to 0 miles in a minute and then just puttered out.

We managed to pull over under an underpass to wait out a fuel drop off. Luckily we were parked in the shade because it was pretty hot by this point in the day. It was definitely a little nerve wracking with all the trucks speeding by but within about 25 minutes, Rick from Rick's Towing, was able to fill us up and get us on our way. We have never run out of gas because so this was definitely interesting. I tried not to be too hard on Craig about it and we ended up having a pretty good laugh a few hours later.

We finally made it to Panera for some sub-par lunch and then got back on the road. New rule, get gas every chance we get!

We arrived in Kansas City around 8pm. Our room at the Sheraton came with access to the Club Lounge so we were able to get some appetizers before winding down for the night with the latest episode of Game of Thrones.

We're finishing up our breakfast now and plan to drive to Fort Collins, CO today (about 9 hours). Onward!

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day 0

day 0

7.30.2017

Moving is such a complicated thing. We would know, we've moved every 2 years for the last 6 years. We've done it all sorts of ways. For this adventure, we opted to go for your typical huge moving company and enjoy their packing services as well. Because we don't have an apartment lined up in San Fran yet, our belongings have to be stored until we have a place to live. All in, the total number was not pretty and at the end of the day, we have no idea if our stuff will even make it!

So Day 0, Saturday, started out with an early morning wake up call and no power. We took the dog for a walk to Starbucks (why doesn't Bodo's open until 8am?!) and hurried back to meet the movers. They gave us an arrival window of 8-9am and by 8:45am we were getting pretty anxious. They showed up at 8:59am - naturally.

Lucky we had a great crew and they got right to work packing. They were very friendly and loved Haven which was a bonus. (PS. Haven got some puppy Xanex to help ease the transition.) It was annoying to not have power but not the end of the world.

Once things were well underway, I headed out with Haven to a local coffee shop to do a little bit of work and give her a break from the chaos. Naturally, as soon as I left, the power came back but we had already disconnected the internet so it was a moot point.

Amazingly, the movers wrapped up around 3pm and we took some time to clean up and toss/donate all the items they couldn't move. We dropped off some goodies for our dear neighbors, Julia and Hamid, and then made the decision to get in a few hours of driving since it was only 5pm.

We decided on Huntington, WV as our first destination purely because it was about 4.5 hours away and that seemed like a doable drive in the evening. Packing the car was actually a breeze thanks to our new rooftop carrier. The pup has her big bed back there and all the non-essentials went in the roof. In case you missed a beat, we traded in the Toyota 4Runner for a Subarbu Outback a few weeks ago because the 4Runner is a bit unruly especially in a city and also hard to get carseats in an out of.

And that was that! We arrived at our hotel (a lovely Holiday Inn hosting both a wedding party AND a 1972 high school class reunion) around 11pm and promptly hit the sheets.

Haven did great and enjoyed sleeping on the bed (a king!) something she's never really allowed to do at home.

Our plan for today is to head to St. Louis which is about 7 hours straight. With our frequent stopping, we should make it there by early evening.

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it's a boy and a girl

it's a boy and a girl

7.28.2017

Pretty much as soon as we found out we were having fraternal twins, I was anxious to know the gender. For some reason with two babies in there, I just really needed to know. I also felt like knowing the gender would make everything seem a bit more real. It was hard for me to really envision those tiny humans in there without picturing boys or girls.

I was thrilled to find out we'd be having out anatomy scan at around 18 weeks - 2 weeks earlier than normal. As the days ticked away, I could barely handle the wait. I've been asked a lot if I had a feeling about their gender and I just really didn't. I honestly had no clue and no hunch. That is, until the night before our ultrasound, I had a super vivid dream that the ultrasound tech said, "It's going to be a boy and a girl!" So when I woke up on Monday morning, I was convinced that was what we were having. So bizarre!

The appointment was late in the afternoon so it was hard to stay focused throughout the day. Our last ultrasound was around 11 weeks so in general, I was just feeling anxious to see them and make sure everything was a-ok.

I made sure to let the tech know right away that we were hoping to know gender. Since most of our appointments have been a little on the early side, they sometimes give us a hard time about getting the right pictures. After a few measurements and some poking / proding, she asked us if we were SURE that we wanted to find out. We agreed that yes, we wanted to know. She said she's only had 3 twin moms in something like 15 years ever want to keep it a surprise.

And sure enough, just as my dream predicted - a boy and a girl!

Honestly, the moment was somewhat anticlimactic. I mean, in any instance, we were going to be thrilled. So we just kind of smiled and relished the moment while she kept taking measurements and pictures.

After that super long ultrasound (so many tiny body parts times two!), we spent the next 45 minutes reviewing our baby names list and it suddenly became really hard! The idea of committing to a name for the rest of these kid's lives is intense.

So there you go - one of each! It's funny how many people have responded with, "Oh how perfect! You're all set!" as if all we need is a white picket fence to be the perfect complete family. I'm just happy that they are growing and healthy (and that I can browse tiny baby clothes!).

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maternity favorites | 18 weeks

maternity favorites | 18 weeks

7.20.2017

Shortly after finding out that we were pregnant, I felt like I was already huge. At the time I just thought that maybe I was further along than I had originally thought. At 7 weeks, my jeans already didn't fit and anything around my waist, including leggings, was super uncomfortable. Little did I know that I was already feeling big because we were having twins! Needless to say, I've needed to make some clothing adjustments more quickly than most people with a singleton pregnancy. Now, at 18 weeks, I am measuring like someone who is 26(!) weeks pregnant.

While the hairband trick got me through a few weeks, it didn't last long. I caved and started wearing maternity jeans around 9 weeks. Below are some of the things I've been loving so far as I adapt to my changing body.

BASICS

There have been a few key items making this stage of pregnancy more comfortable. I love that all of these items aren't maternity specific and will definitely get a lot of use after the twins arrive.

>> Storq: I currently have the bra, leggings, and tank. While these basics fall on the slightly pricier side, they are SO worth it. None of the items scream maternity and they are supremely soft. I love that the tank is thick, study, and stretchy. I especially love that the leggings can be rolled down below the bump or pulled all the way up. The bar is perfect especially for the ever changing shape of the new "girls".

>> Old Navy: While I've been trying to limit my purchases from "fast fashion", I just couldn't pass up these luxe tees. They have the perfect drape and are super soft. I currently cannot tolerate any scratchy, itchy fabrics so softness is key. They wash up great, just make sure to line dry them. I picked up three in a small to accommodate what I know will be a massive bump as I move into the third trimester.

JEANS

Maternity jeans are both amazing and horrible. I've tried on several pairs and luckily found a few gems. I've much preferred with below bump band so far but who knows how long that will last. The GAP ones didn't work for me and Old Navy never carried a size below 16 (so weird?!).

>> Madewell Maternity Jeans: I'd heard Madewell did maternity jeans but was convinced I would never spend that much on jeans. However, I should have known I would love them because every other regular pair of jeans I own are from Madewell (mostly purchased on sale or secondhand). It was love at first try-on with these. They do sit very low so that can take some getting used to but I love that they have a regular button (but are pull-on!) so I can still do the "front-tuck" with my shirts.

>> Topshop Boyfriend Jeans: I stumbled on these when browsing Nordstrom and after having little luck with cheaper styles (under $50) I decided to pull the trigger. (Bonus: They went on sale 3 days later and Nordstrom gave me a credit!). These. are. amazing. They are super soft and have a great fit. They aren't too tight and have plenty of stretch. I'm so so happy to find a super comfy pair of jeans.

DRESSES

Typically, I'm not a dress person - jeans and tees all the way. However,  I've been loving dresses during this stage. I think it's so cute to see pregnant women in fitted tee dresses that really show off the bump. I'm also loving midi length dresses which I think look great in fitted styles, makes everything look a little less skimpy. I've scooped up several dresses from the non-maternity sections at places like GAP, Madewell, and JCrew. I love using Poshmark to browse for tee dresses (use code NXBIR for $5 off your first purchase).

ATHLEISURE

This trend really works in your favor when you're pregnant because you can essentially wear lounge/workout clothes and call it a put together outfit. And so many brands are making styles now to take you from gym to street.

>>Athleta: I picked up this pair of pants (yay for stretchy waistbands) and this skort recently. The pants are amazing because they are comfy, look more put together than sweatpants, but aren't as constricting as jeans (I'm wearing them now as I type this). The skort is great because again, stretchy, and also looks like you made an effort even though it's just like wearing shorts.

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