Looking Back on 2012...

2012 is the year that our lives changed. 

I still remember peeing on "the stick" early that August morning. 

Thinking, could I really be pregnant? 

Talking to myself; I don't feel pregnant, but Matt says my body (in reality boobs) look different and I'm sleeping a lot more. 

But really, could it be that easy for us to get pregnant? 

I just don't know. 

It was exactly one month since the first day of my last period, to the day. 6:30a.m. on a Sunday. I was too anxious. I had to take a test and just see...

I peed and flipped over the pee stick and BAM! 

I saw it. 

Two lines. 

But wait, it says it takes two minutes. 

So I flipped through my Glamour magazine and waited. 

And looked again. 

Two lines. 

I'm pregnant!! Oh.my.god! I'm pregnant!! 

I looked into the mirror at myself, and cried. I looked at myself for a few seconds and did that dramatic ugly mirror cry. You know, the one you do when you're a dramatic girl. 

Then I ran into the bedroom crying, sobbing, yelling!

" Matt! Matt! I'm pregnant! We're pregnant!" 

I laid on Matt's chest sobbing. 

We did it. We were having a baby.

Oh. My. Goodness, we are having a baby! 

Two weeks later we go for our first sonogram. 

I was nervous for my little baby. 

"Please Cunnie and Pop-Pop, look over this baby. Please let it's heartbeat be strong and healthy."

The night before I did what my hippie mother always suggests. 

I wrote on a piece of paper what I wanted in life "Baby Bogdan strong, healthy, heartbeat" 

My mom says you put it out into the universe so it comes true. 

It had worked two weeks earlier when I wrote one out for a baby..

So I did just that.

And wrote and prayed for my little baby to have a strong heartbeat. 

We went in for the ultrasound and our little simple life changed forever. 

There wasn't one baby, there was two!

Both had their heartbeats, both seemed to be doing well. 

I sobbed. I just kept thinking, we are so so blessed. 

Now here we are. I'm almost 24 weeks pregnant. 

We are preparing for our sweet babies arrivals and couldn't be more excited. 

2012 was the year that changed our lives but 2013 will be the year that our lives get a lot more interesting. 

I am looking forward to holding my sweet babies in my arms and kissing them a thousand times a day. 

I can't wait to feel "that love" that all the moms talk about but I've never experienced.

I can't wait to watch my babies laugh and play and enjoy life as much as Matt and I do. 

I don't think any year will be as exciting as 2013 is going to be! 

Can't wait to officially be Bogdan Party of Four!

   

22 Weeks Pregnant..

Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday!

I know Matt and I did. Matt's been busy with the nursery; painting, customizing the closet, "fixing holes in the walls?!"

All I'm going to say is, we keep the nursery door shut so Mama Bogdan doesn't have a panic attack over it all. 

Hormones kinda kicked my ass last week. I was just a little crazy town/ felt overwhelmed.

I told Matt, "this is the house of hormones!"

 I'm learning and reminding myself, I'm not super woman anymore and pregnant twin mommy needs her beauty sleep or else she gets a little evil.

 Or a lot evil.

Other than that, I'm still going strong! 

Feeling good at almost 23 weeks :-)

Ekk! 

Guys, I'm so happy!

As you can see my belly keeps growing, along with my roots. 

(Since I'm avoiding bleaching my hair during my pregnancy). 

 

To my babies, 

Wow! Mommy is really starting to feel you move this week!

On Christmas day you two were having your own party in my belly. 

It has to be the oddest most incredible feeling. 

I'm still crying when I think about you two. I long to kiss your sweet foreheads and cheeks and watch Daddy hold and kiss you both. 

Daddy finally felt one of you kick the other night! 

I've been making Daddy feel my belly for weeks and finally one of you gave a big "hi-ya! karate kick" and Daddy felt it!  

I was so happy he got to experience what I've been feeling for a while now.

You both really seem to like Christmas cookies, which is terrible because Mommy's butt is going to get so big! I guess you'll have my sweet tooth, unlike Daddy. 

We've also been drinking lots of milk and eating lots of cheese.

I'm continuing to pray everynight for you two. We just love you two so much! Your all we talk and think about. 

Continue to grow and dance in my belly! 

It won't be long till you'll both be snuggled up in our arms! 

xoxox

Mommy

 

Thursday Twin Thoughts..

Work has been so hard when all I think about is my two babies.

I sit at my computer and type and feel all sorts of weirdness going on in my belly. I know it’s my babies, agreeing that work is so boring and that we’re all so over it.

Matt’s going to start the nursery tomorrow. Exciting stuff, ya’ll! He’s going to start with customizing the closet.  

I already went through their room and donated so much stuff to the Goodwill. I still have so much more “junk” I want to get rid of. But I’m on roll with the organizing, go me!

I like a clean, clean house and knowing that two little binks are coming to live with us, means Mamas gotta get down to business.

We decided that the babies are going to share a nursery. All the twin books say they love being able to see each other, touch each other, talk to each other. And some even say they like to sleep in the same crib till they start to roll over. But most importantly all twin books say to prepare to be flexible and change your “original plan.”

I think that’s probably going to be the best advice we get. Because although we have “a plan” for binky and winky, I know it might not work out “exactly” how we picture it.

Like breastfeeding or their sleeping arrangements or my thoughts about maintaining my wifely duties. Who knows what will happen when I have TWO babies to care for. I’m sure we’ll probably be eating a lot of takeout, I’ll have big black bags under my eyes and won’t wash my hair for weeks (bc I already don’t wash it for days-ha! Thank you prenatal vitamins).

Needless to say, I know it will be so so worth it. These two have already stolen my heart. I talk to them every day, and try my hardest not to drop any f-bombs anymore.

When I see pictures of twins on FB or pinterest or wherever, I cry. They are too sweet. I can’t wait to meet binky and winky. I really can’t wait to see their little faces and kiss them and welcome them to this world!

 http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/babies/images/10866467/title/twin-babies-photo

I mean, seriously?!

How can you NOT cry when you look at these two?

To my babies...

HI! I’m still alive and well. So so so well.

These two binkers, Oh.my.god, guys! They are growing so big and strong!

The doctor told me yesterday, “They are the same size as a single pregnancy at 20weeks.” Dr. Lim, my doctor, expects them to be 6-7lbs each!

I’m a proud Mama!

These two are moving and grooving and although I didn’t realize what exactly I was feeling at first I now know that it’s my precious babies moving all around in my belly.

Dr. Lim said yesterday, “Wow, so much kicking going on in there.”

To my babies,

Even Dr. Lim is excited to meet you! She said yesterday she doesn’t even know what gender you are and she finds twins so fascinating, just like Daddy and me!

Daddy and I learned Friday at the sonogram that there is chance you could be identical. Daddy thinks now you’re either two girls or two boys.

Mommy thinks you’re a boy and a girl.

To me you already seem different.

Baby A, my sweet Baby A, you are so low and I feel like you have less room to move and groove than your sister or brother.

I think are you going to be our sweet, laid back baby. I hope that means you’ll let me snuggle with you!

Baby B, you’re already our wild child. You made us laugh at the sonogram because you moved all around my belly and the sonographer was having a hard time measuring you.

You even moved down my belly to wake up your brother or sister to play!

Even as I type I have tears in my eyes thinking about you two! No words can even express how excited, happy, exhilarated I am that Daddy and I got blessed with TWO sweet babies!

We pray for you every night and we can’t wait to meet you!

Daddy picked up your cribs last night. Daddy said, “It’s starting to feel really real.” It was raining and Daddy dragged mud all in the house and tried to blame it on your puppy dog, Chase. I told him, No way! Daddy had mud on his shoes.

Daddy has been listening to you in my belly and talking to you. Usually in funny voices.

Mommy’s been listening to all sorts of music, in hopes you’ll like to dance as much as I do!

Keep growing big and strong!

Mommy loves you!
xoxox.

Since I haven't posted in a while...

18 Weeks Prego

20 Weeks Pregnant

Ravens M&T Bank Stadium for my work holiday party.

Promise to keep blogging! Miss everyone!

16 Weeks

As you can see, the twin belly grows at a rapid speed. I don’t think it’s that bad. The twins are doing so well. We went to the doctors yesterday. They are amazing. How blessed am I? Seriously, I ask myself this every day. I am so thankful for my life and health. Binky and Winky, Mommy cannot wait to hold you and kiss you! I hear I’ll love you more than I love Daddy. Hahah. I can’t imagine what that love even feels like. I can’t wait to experience it!

Trying my hardest to be good and do weekly belly shot post. I loved hearing Brittany’s updates each week, so I hope she doesn’t mind that I stole this list from her. Thanks Britt!

How Far Along: 16 weeks and 4 days.

Babies Size: I think they are right around 5oz each. According to my chart the radiologist gave us.

Total Weight Gain: 13 lbs. Holy shit. Lord help me. It ain’t gonna be pretty for long, girls.

Maternity Clothes? Yes, these happened at 12 weeks. My jeans just got too tight to sit in all day. Lucky for me, my sister and awesome friend Summer gave me all their maternity clothes! Thank you, ladies!

Stretch Marks? So far, so good. I lube up on the baby oil and lotion like a mad woman.

Sleep: Yes, I would like to do more of it. But gotta make the money for these two.

Best moment this week: Hearing the babies’ heartbeats and realizing Baby B (Binky) was asleep. Hehehe. Binky’s heartbeat was lower than Winky’s which isn’t normal, in their case. When the doctor checked again Binky’s heartbeat was up to par with Winky’s. I just thought that was so cute. I could picture them inside my belly hitting each other, “Wake up!”

Miss Anything? My favorite drink ever, an ice cold fountain soda of Diet Coke with a slice of lemon!

Movement: Not yet. I felt something, but it was probably gas. There’s always lots of that. Doctor said probably around 20 weeks I will feel them.

Food Cravings: Milkshakes, peanuts, bananas, mac and cheese.

Anything making you queasy or sick? The smell of our basement makes me feel ugh. It’s unfinished and just smells musty.

Genders: Not finding out.

Labor Signs: Nope. And let’s keep it that way; we need these babies in the oven for a long time!

Belly button in or out? Still in. But I heard once it does pop out you can really give it a good cleaning. Lol Sounds like that’s something to look forward too, no?

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy I think. But sometimes I can be real B. Especially at or after work. So stressful.

Looking forward to: Feeling the babies move!! Omg! I can’t imagine. I cry about everything so I can’t wait to cry about this! Hehe.

The Pregnancy 411

16 weeks into in this whole twin pregnancy deal.

So far, I am a freakishly good pregnant person.

I would say.

My sister on the other hand thinks I can be a total B when I want to be.  I just sometimes want to punch certain people in the face, is that really that bad?

Things to look forward to during your pregnancy or at least these are things I’ve been experiencing.

1.Itchy boobs and belly. Lord. I don’t think someone could humanly use anymore coco butter and baby oil. The stretching of the skin has started and everything won’t stop growing.

Classic Matt line, “Oh my god! Your boobs are ENGORGED!!”  Even though he swears he doesn’t use this word, he’s said it twice to me while open jaw staring at my breast. And I get it, these puppies look like they might explode at any minute.

2.Crying no let me rephrase that, sobbing at the drop of a hat.  

Yes, I sobbed for same-sex marriage rights at the voting station. It just got to me. How would I feel if I didn’t have to legal right to marry who I loved? The poor man, holding up the sign for question 6, didn’t know what hit him. I sobbed, he cried. I had to awkwardly run away. I just felt for him and his family. Same-sex marriage passed in Maryland, I sobbed. Hormones will do it to ya.

And of course every time I think about binky and winky, the tears keep falling.

3.The need to purge junk!

I am a clean freak who can’t stop. I got rid of four big black trash bags full of stuff last weekend. I told Matt, “Two more humans are coming to live with us. I have to get rid of this stuff!”

4.When  I’m hungry, I’m starving!

A normal person gets hungry and can hold off for 10 minutes or so to eat. Pregnant hungry Mandy, please get the hell out of the way!

5.Cravings, I think

I’ve been really into certain foods lately. Like peanuts. I can get enough of peanuts. And milkshakes, I’ve been making them like a mad woman. Matt, was all confused when he heard the blender- we have a blender?  Bananas. I’ve been putting bananas on top of everything. Blueberry eggos with peanut butter and banana on top, you bet ya. Pumpkin bread with strawberry cream cheese and bananas on top, it was amazing!

The list goes on and on but so far, those are some fun things to look forward too if you’re planning on get prego.

PS> I was in a wedding a few weeks back. The dress barely fit. But I got the dress zipped, that’s all that matters.  

The wedding was so fun.

Drunk Mandy probably would have had more fun but sober pregnant with twins Mandy danced her butt off.

Nothin can stop me from dancing, girlfriends.

16 Week bump pics to come this weekend!

13 Weeks..

Man, I am so MIA during this pregnancy and I have so much to talk about all the time. 

Why is it, I found out I'm pregnant with twins and I'm so busy at work and in life. 

Anyways, pregnancy has been so good. 

I cry about the twins basically everyday. 

It doesn't take much. 

I'll be driving in the car to work thinking about their arrival and flood works. 

I'm out of control. I'm too damn excited about wink and bink!

Dado (my Dad) officially named them binky and winky. And since Matt and I are old school and not finding out the gender of these two beans, wink and bink is stickin.

Girlfriends, my belly is growing at rapid speeds. 

Am I the only in maternity clothes at 13 weeks?

Actually, don't answer that. 

Seriously though, I'm not mad because I know bink and wink are growing so big and strong!

We went for another sonogram at 13 weeks and OH MY!

These two were reaaally putting on a show.
 

Did I really expect anything less?

These are mine and Matt's children and we both LOVE being the center of attention so did I really expect for these two little binkers not to be insanely cute and active?

The radiologist was into it. She printed 15 plus pictures for us.

She was all, "Oh my god! These two are HAMS! They are pullin out all the tricks."

I mean, they were spooning for the love of god. Spooning. It doesn't get any cuter.

   Babies, We CANNOT wait to meet you!

Stay strong in Mommy's belly!

Wednesday Laughs...

I sometimes don’t know if I just have the most random life or everyone has this many hilarious things happen to them in an average day.

One of my girlfriends out of the blue just texted me,

“I have a question when you pee do you wipe up or down because I wipe up”

I didn’t realize I got the text…

“What about the pee thing?”

Me, “I wipe up too but when I went to the doctors she saw a sign of a UTI so now I’m trying to wipe down.”

"So really I have been wiping my vjay wrong for 25-years?"

Me, "Yes, we all have. WTF. Our moms taught us wrong and it's a hard habit to break."

"It is. I can't do it. It got brought up at work and then I went into the bathroom to practice and it felt weird."

Email from my sister today…

“The scenario was this…..5:45 this morning I was frantically trying to pack a lunch because I was later then I wanted to be. I saw the bread I made for camping last weekend and thought it would taste GLORIOUS with the fresh apple butter I bought at the farmers market in PA. Fast forward to today at 1:45 when I went to eat my lunch and realized all the bread was moldy. But I ate most of it. I am going to BARF!!!! I really went into the bathroom and dry heaved and then the cleaning lady was in there rinsing out her dentures. So I felt even more sick. “

Does this shit happen to everyone?

Sometimes I think my life would make a very interesting reality T.V. show.

Happy Wednesday all.

Can’t wait to post some bump pics this weekend!! Because yes, the bump is happening! Along with the gas, good thing I sit by the men’s room at work. All these farts can be easily disguised. And don’t worry I turned on my fan, I would never torture innocent bystanders.

These girls keep me laughing.

Surprise!!

Can you believe this?

I still have to pick my jaw up off the floor.

This is the most exciting, exhilarating, shocking, amazing news Matt and I have ever received!

I don’t think it gets any better than this two for one deal we happened to score.

Man, these binker babies are going to be soo adorable. I just can’t wait to hug and kiss and love these babies!!

I’ve been dying to tell my blog girlies!

And now I can finally talk about all the stuff that’s happening during my pregnancy.

Get excited ladies, shit gets a little weird.

But I won’t bore you with my “I just want to squeeze my boobs at my desk” talk, I want to tell you the “how we found out it was twins” story!  

At 6 weeks I had my first sonogram. I was so excited and nervous to make sure that our “Baby” had its little heartbeat.

When I called the woman to make the appointment she reminded me to drink 16oz or more of water. Of course, I made the mistake of over killing it with the water intake and drank 24 plus ounces of water.

I pee a thousand times a day, what did I think was going to happen? 

Basically, at my first sonogram I had to hold my vagina so I wouldn’t pee my pants.

Seriously, the whole time in the waiting room I was standing up, sitting down and squeezing my legs together, until finally the receptionist told me I could pee for 3 seconds. Okay, it’s pretty much impossible to stop your pee and only makes things worse.

Matt and the world's oldest man both just gave me the stank eye the entire time in the waiting room like I looked crazy or something?

Just learn from me girls, drink the water in the waiting room of prenatal place. You’ll be waiting awhile.

Anywho, finally we get called back to get the sonogram done and we are so excited! The sonogram girl (radiologist would be the term?) starts out trying an external sonogram but soon realizes that I am not far enough along and determines she has to do an internal sonogram.

Don’t worry I was prepared for this, thanks Laur (my sister). Plus to my advantage I could now pee before the internal sonogram.

The internal sonogram isn’t bad. It’s just a little uncomfortable and there is lots of lube involved.  Warning.

So the internal sonogram happens and we hear the sonogram girl talking to herself. Saying things like, “Okay, yeah. Yup it is what I thought.”

Me, “What? What’s going on?
 I couldn’t see the screen at all.

That’s when she spilled the beans, “Okay guys, it’s not just one baby there are two babies. You guys are having twins!!”

I cried immediately. I couldn’t believe it. Matt asked a million questions, “Are they Siamese?” Me, “No! You mean identical, Matt.”

That’s when we found out that they are fraternal. Meaning two eggs dropped and each egg got implanted with a sperm. So it’s basically like having two siblings at once. They could be a girl/boy, or girl/girl or boy/boy.

After the sonogram girl took the measurements of the babies, she left Matt and I alone with a box of tissues (not for my tears but for- put two and two together) so I could change.

I tried “cleaning” up and getting dressed but immediately fell into Matt’s arms crying.

I was SO HAPPY!!!

As tears rolled down my face I realized I had lube up to my elbows. And through my tears I told Matt, “I love you and I’m sorry about all this lube.”

We laughed so hard.

We walked out of there with the BIGGEST SMILES on our faces!

As we were leaving the parking lot we were yelling out the window to random people, “We’re having TWINS!!”

People just looked at us like we were nuts, I loved it.

This is exactly why I married my Matty. It’s just too much fun and now double the trouble. Holy fun house!! I can’t wait!

Bogdan babies will be arriving April 25, 2013. J



Don't mess with our crazy neighborhood...

For the last three or so months the cars in our neighborhood have been getting broken into.

The robber’s only mess with the unlocked cars but when they are robbing cars once a week you’re bound to make the mistake of accidently leaving your car unlocked.

Guilty.

 Those bastards stole my GPS, car registration, car manual and insurance card. (This happened about two months back).

I felt ill. It’s a weird feeling when a stranger has touched all your personal stuff.  

But then when I actually witnessed these scum breaking into cars I felt like I wanted to punch someone in their drug addicted face.

Clearly, these boys are looking for money or looking to sell our stuff. They need their drugs, man.  

And these boys, or boy in Sunday night’s case, aren’t very bright because they kept coming back, and coming back.

I kinda understand why, easy escape through the woods that surround our homes.

But what this little bastard Sunday didn’t realize was that he had a handful of 20-something “Essex*” men waiting for his arrival.

Oh man when Matty’s mad ya’ll, you better watch yourselves. There ain’t no stopping this man.

Let me just give you a play-by-play of my phone conversation with the dispatcher when I called 911 Sunday night.

Me, “Yes I’m watching this creepy little bastard right now get into our neighbor Casey’s car. Okay, now he’s in Mrs. Diane car. What a sketchy ass mother f-er. Eww. Okay, now he’s about to hit up my car. Oh man, I hope I locked it.”

Dispatcher, “Girl, me too.”

Me, “Okay, thank god. It’s locked. Okay now he’s going to my husband’s car. And OH SHIT! NO!! F!!  My husband’s outside, with a baseball bat. Oh shit. Now my husband and the dog are chasing this kid down the street. Oh crap. Here’s another guy in the neighborhood with a baseball bat. Okay, their gonna kick this motha f-ers ass. You better get the cops out here fast.”

Seriously.

(If you don’t know already, I curse a lot. When I’m pissed, it’s lethal. I don’t know when I thought it was appropriate to talk to the poor dispatcher with this kind of language. Dang.)

Matt and my brother in-law chased this kid into the woods with, our dog, Chase. I guess Chase felt Matt’s energy and wanted to protect Matt. My brother in-law said that the woods were pitch black and the only reason he was able to jump on top and tackle this guy was because of Chase’s white fur.

Modern day Lassie right here.

This kid had to be scared. My brother-in-law is about 6’5. And he had three grown men chasing him with bats.

I would have pooed.

My brother-in-law said the kid goes, “You all are crazy. You smell like you’ve been drinking”

My brother-in-law responded with, “Were all crazy mother f-ers around here.”

I think they are.

Don’t mess with Essex, we turn a little gangster when need be.

I also think we totally lived up to our white trash reputation that night. It was priceless. I wonder what the cops were thinking. They did send out six cop cars. Guess my baseball bat comment didn’t help.

I mean this dog is serious about his love for his papa. No wonder he helped out with catching the bad guy!

(And this is an old pic, I do not have my Christmas tree up yet. I promise. lol)



Emily's Bridal Shower

Saturday I hosted Emily’s bridal shower at my house.

I felt lucky because all the girls offered to bring a snack (and I totally took them up on their offers.) We had so much food and it was all so tasty. Thank you pinterest for making things interesting.

The shower was very sweet and relaxed. We didn’t play any games; instead I had created a “date night” box where each guest wrote an idea for a date. It was really cute and I had fun listening to Emily read the “date night” ideas after everyone had left.

For favors I went to Bath and Body Works and got each guest a travel size lotion and hand sanitizer.  The lotions were the “new” scent for the season, and the sanitizers were the scent “love.” With my coupons I only spent $30 on the favors for 20 guests. I thought that was a steal! And to add some cuteness to them I just tied them together with a purple ribbon. Seriously, all the girls went bananas over these. Guess you can never have too many lotions for your purse.

The weather Saturday was perfect so some guest even sat outside to eat. It really ended up being a beautiful shower.

Okay, don't you die over this "Bride-to-Be" Banner. Thank you Mama Claire for helping me!

Pat on my back for an awesome job! ;-)

A little Relazation..

Us Bogdan's have been enjoying some nice relaxation time. 

I feel like my mom would say it's "totally zen" here. 

Not that we went anywhere special. I don't know if I'd considered Ocean City, Maryland "special" but it's definitely nice and a total tradition for any Baltimore folk. 

I mean, let's be honest, anything is nicer than sitting at a desk all day.

Even today when it rained all day and Matt and I got all slap-happy-goofy-bored.  You know how when that happens you laugh so hard you cry?

Maybe not as hard as when Matt and I saw the biggest hairiest butt crack known to man. Seriously, hairy butt cracks less than a foot from Matt's face make me laugh so hard my nostrils shake and flare. I had to walk away or I would have really peed my pants. 

Anyway, life has been good this week. 

(Assateague Island) 

Tomorrow is our last day on vaca. Hopefully, the sun will come back out and we can be lazy and lay on the beach all day reading.