Yesterday my parents took our whole family (minus my brother who is at college) to Disneyland and we had so much fun! It was my first trip back there since having gone through the IVF process. I was a little nervous about all the walking around but my body seemed to handle it well. I ate my corn dog with the best of them and finished the day off with clam chowder in a bread bowl. Now that's how you do Disneyland!

I went on all the toddler rides with Blair like the carousel, tea cups (no spinning please), train etc. We watched the parade and enjoyed the sunset from the top of the Ferris wheel. We even got my dad to ride on Radiator Springs Racers in Cars land. It was a hoot watching him go by all smiles.

Two sets of twins...three if you count my Mom who is an identical twin!

Family of five coming up!

Heaven forbid you smile. While at Disneyland. On your favorite ride. :/

You can follow me on snapchat (nataliebushman) to see some snippets from our day.

Oh, and just for the record if any of you have twins out there feel free to send me advice! I want to know your favorite products, how you breast fed, sleep trained, and remained sane. Happy Friday!

I don't know about your toddlers but mine is majorly into crafting lately. Play doh, kinetic sand, painting...you name it! I thought I would round up some of Blair's favorite crafty activities lately in case any of you mamas are looking for something new to try!

From top left
1. glitter glues
2. kinetic sand- this stuff is really weird and like having the beach at your house!
3. water colors
4. princess play doh set- she LOVES creating dresses for all her magic clip princesses
5. jewels- she likes gluing these to cards that she makes for her friends
6. do a dot colors- grab a dot art coloring book to go with these...great hand eye coordination!
All items can be found on Amazon.

Mondays are just the best! For me anyway...I realize I'm probably the only person to ever say that. ;) But Mondays are when we get to see our little babies and it just makes my heart soar!

It always takes the tech a while to find the babies (in my opinion)  and I find myself holding my breath. The sense of relief I get when she points out their little hearts beating is overwhelming...in a good way! Baby A's heart rate was 173 (last week it was 147) and Baby B was 181 (last week it was 148). I'll never get tired of seeing their little hearts go buh bump, buh bump (according to Blair). Baby A is measuring 8 weeks 4 days and Baby B is measuring 8 weeks 2 days. The tech also pointed out the babies umbilical cords that have formed. Did you know that their intestines start out in the umbilical cord and then move into their stomach?! So crazy! Oh, and my ovaries are still large and in charge...hence the Buddah belly. ;)

Babies are the size of gummy bears! Which is way more fun than raspberrys. ;)

 My meals have been super lame lately. I don't have nausea but I have some serious food aversions. I was the same way with Blair. The only things that sound good are carbs, smoothies, soup, and any form of take out. M has been eating healthy (grilled chicken and veggies) and it's all I can do to not gag while putting away his left-overs. I just can't do meat (chicken in particular) and veggies. Woof. This changed for me later in my pregnancy with Blair so hopefully healthier days are ahead!

Tomato soup and grilled cheese...nom nom nom! I may have eaten this for lunch AND dinner yesterday.

I still can't believe we are having TWO babies! I remember when we were struggling with infertility these last two years how I would lay in bed and think, "What would it be like to wake up and not have this problem?" I would wonder if that would ever be the case. I would also wonder if I would ever be pregnant again and that I regretted not enjoying my pregnancy with Blair even more. I find me having to remind myself that this is now my reality...times two! I'm soaking up every moment as this may be my last pregnancy (never say never!). I still have bad habits and wake with anxiety occasionally but I would say I'm making progress to being more fearless. It's a journey, right?

Tomorrow I go to meet my OB! I'm looking forward to it and we will see what he thinks about my hope to deliver naturally. Insert eyes popping out of my head emoji. I just want to try it...I'm curious! And I think I'm tough enough to do it. I'm very aware this may be difficult with twins but a girl can try. ;)

Yay for Friday! Since I already reported about my appointment I had on Monday there isn't much to say regarding "Fertility Friday." I think I'll be posting about my pregnancy with twins whenever it coincides with my doctors appointments. You'll just have to check in on the reg...sorry about that!

In similar news I think M and I are headed to Sherwin Williams for some gray paint this weekend. No matter the combination of twins we could have, I've decided that grey is my color of choice. The nursery and Blair's room are currently upstairs with a jack and jill bathroom in between. I've been scratching my head to as how to fit two cribs in the empty room till M suggested that we switch Blair to the empty room and put the twins in her current room. The way the rooms are configured makes it much easier to have two in her current room. So, she's getting the boot next door basically.

We mentioned this to her and she didn't seem to care. We told her that her room was where the babies go and then when you get big you get to move next door to the big girl room. Done and done!

I know it's very early to start nursery prep but here's the thing...I'm type A. And no matter the gender it will be grey so may as well paint now and not when it's blazing upstairs in the summer. We also want to install crown molding in Blair's new room. Her current room has it so we're good there.

After scouring Pinterest I came up with quite a hefty list of grey paints I'm interested in...

All of which come from paints Joanna Gaines has used on Fixer Upper. Because hello...obsessed.
 

intellectual grey

mindful grey

Argos grey

Repose Grey

Amazing Grey

Silver Strand

agreeable grey

The tricky thing about paint is that it can look so different from room to room. Depending on whether your room is north facing (paint will be darker) as opposed to west facing will really change its color. I'm looking forward to showing you guys the swatches!

Do any of you have greys that you love? Tell me below!

Ready, set, dress! I love a good festive outfit and since Valentine's Day is coming up I thought I would pick out a few of my favorites for the littles.

I found the red sweater with the pink heart in the middle at Gap on sale (it still is!) so Blair will be wearing that this year. All items are from J Crew, Gap, or Old Navy. Happy shopping! I'll have to find some Val Day gear for him and her soon!

Blair and I have been working on her Valentine's this week and I've been so inspired by all the cute designs out there! I know it's early but I feel like Val day always creeps up on me. Here are some of my favorite designs I've seen on Pinterest!

For the Boys.

For the Girls.

For your main squeeze.

For the classmates.

This year we decided to incorporate swans into our cards and they are coming along really well! I'm looking forward to showing you soon. :) Happy crafting!

God is good! We had another good ultrasound and got to hear our babies heart beats! It was music to my ears and (surprise!) I cried.  I'm absolutely in love with these babies and I can't believe how developed they already are. At seven weeks they have hearts that have two chambers and their brains are growing 100 cells every minute. The miracle of life gets me every time.

Baby A is measuring 7 weeks 2 days with a heart rate of 146 and Baby B is measuring 7 weeks 1 day with a heart rate of 147. When the nurse went to see the babies she laughed and said my giant ovaries were in the way. So I'm still hyperstimlating but she said that won't go away until she takes me off my progesterone and estrogen at 11 weeks. Then she said whatever is left will be all babies. :)

 Over the weekend Blair attended a Frozen birthday party at our neighbor's house. She made a wand and ate plenty of frosting off the cupcakes. I'm pretty sure this fueled her excitement for her own princess party coming soon!

I am a woman of extremes. One minute I'm worrying about "vanishing twin syndrome" (don't google it) and the next I'm adding things to a baby registry (already!). My emotions swing high and low (which is why I need someone stable like M) but today they are high and I couldn't help but check out some baby items and start swooning over them! I know it's waaaaay to early for this but when you've been waiting for your babies for two years you can't help but be excited! Here are some things that will definitely be on my registry...

1. Little Unicorn swaddles
2. Bla bla doll
3. Milk Snob nursing cover/car seat cover/shopping cart cover (this thing is SO rad!)
4. Passy Clips: pacifier clips that are leather!
5. Baby Lit: classic books for baby
6. Solly Baby wrap: even though it's only meant for one babe I figure the other one can go in a soft carrier on my back
7. Madly Wish: unique sheets and bedding
8. Flokati Rug: I should have snagged this at  Costco this winter. I can't wait to snuggle and take cozy pictures of the babies on this rug!

These are typically items that can't be found at Babies R Us or Amazon but they are so unique and darling! I just can't wait to find out the gender of these babies!

I'll be seven weeks on Monday and we go in for another ultrasound. The doctor said it wasn't necessary but I can not possibly go two weeks without seeing/hearing their hearts beating. My estrogen and progesterone levels are decreasing but they said that is normal and they are very pleased with my progress so I'm not going to worry (about that anyway). My biggest struggle at this point is having fear that one baby won't make it. Pray for me in this! We decided on a hospital and I got in with the doctor I wanted even though he isn't taking new patients. It pays to have nursing friends! They typically don't see patients until they are nine to thirteen weeks but he wants to see me at 8 weeks. Of course I'm good with that!

This weekend we are headed to a birthday party for one of Blair's friends and not a whole lot else. Probably throw some naps in there. ;) 

Life's about to get a "hole" lot sweeter...times TWO! 

After two years of infertility we are overjoyed to announce we are expecting twins! It's safe to say I am in complete shock but that my joy definitely outweighs my fear (for once!). I'm sure reality hasn't set in. With my sis-in-law also expecting twins in April my Mom is going to have her hands full, that's for sure. I'm also looking forward to her showing me how it's done since she will have four months of practice on me!

On Monday we were scheduled to go in to hear the heart beat and I was a WRECK. My arm pits were dripping (so cute) and my blood pressure had to be through the roof. Really good for the babies. ;)

My Mom and Matt went with me down to the beach and on the way there we all made our predictions. Of course me and my negativity said, "I bet it's either one or none." Matt said he thought it would be two because "there's no reason for it not to be." And my Mom kept mum. She later told me she thought it would be one or two but she didn't want to get my hopes up if we had bad news.

After the nurse put us in the ultrasound room we waited for a short while. When the ultrasound tech came in and inserted the ultrasound wand it was very very dark in there for what seemed to be an eternity. Even my Mom later said, "It was reallllly dark in there. I was nervous." The tech finally said, "There's your baby! See the little heart flickering? It's too early to hear it but you can sure see it!" Then quickly after that she panned over to the other side and said, "And there's your second baby! See the heart fluttering inside?"

Insert the water works here. 

My Mom gasped and Matt just had a wry little smile on his face. They managed to keep their cool but I let the emotions fly. You're shocked I'm sure. ;)

I could NOT believe how blessed I was. I waited two long years for this moment and it was finally here. And God completely exceeded my expectations with TWO babies! It kind of makes sense why He made us wait...He knew we would have our hands full! Clearly there were other reasons He made us wait but that has to be one!

At first before I knew how many (if any) babies were growing inside I would pray for one healthy baby. That was the bare minimum of what we desired. But then I started thinking...God is SO powerful and He listens to each one of my prayers...I'm going to be BOLD. I'm going to ask Him for what I really want...TWO babies. It may not be in His plan but it doesn't hurt to ask! I'm not saying that's why we got twins. But praying boldly did strengthen my faith/trust and I needed that.

The rest of the appointment was spent in a blur. I asked a bunch of stupid questions like, "Can I still go to Disneyland?" (like that even matters) and "When can we have sex?" (Because if you have ever done IVF you know this is a no-no). I'm sure Matt appreciated that I asked this in front of my Mom. I mean once you've had everyone and their mother check you out down there you pretty much don't get embarrassed easily. The tech also looked at my ovaries and confirmed that they are still hyperstimulating and are twice the size as they should be. Hence my belly that already looks huge.

I spent quite a bit of time on my phone on the way home telling all my friends before announcing it to the world. I've had a HUGE outpouring of love and support. I'm baffled by how many people care and are praying for this next step of pregnancy. I'm humbled and so thankful. The way strangers are cheering us on makes me tear up...I'm beyond grateful!

For now I'm still letting the news sink in. I've read one article about how twin pregnancies are actually quite different than single pregnancies. Twice the vitamins, a ton of water each day (a gallon!), and exercise it not really recommended. They also frown upon traveling AT ALL (what?!) And definitely not after 24 weeks. But you know what? I don't care at all. This is my dream and I'm willing to sacrifice anything for it!

Please keep praying for this pregnancy. I will be very high risk since Blair came at 35 weeks and now I'm carrying twins via IVF. Clearly there are many things to be anxious about. Pray that I'm able to stop my "what if" thinking and just trust the Lord! He's got this!

Get ready to watch me grow! We think I'm due in the beginning of August. And I'm a smidge over six weeks now!

I spent the whole weekend wishing it was Monday morning already. I'm sure no one else has ever wished that but me! Most of you know that we have our ultrasound this morning so please pray for that!

We had a low key weekend and M painted Blair's Kid Kraft fridge white (we bought it at a garage sale pink). It turned out pretty good but still has a pinkish hue. We're thinking about adding a coat of real paint instead of the four coats of spray paint we did. :)

Ei

 Either way it definitely looks better than it did cotton candy pink!

On Sunday we decided to grab a sandwich for lunch at one of my favorite sandwich shops, Marisa's. Blair and I rocked our Soul Sunday Apparel shirts. They are so cozy (and cute!), perfect for the weekend and mom life in general.

Never mind Blair's princess crown with her "adventurous soul" tee. Hey, princesses need adventure too! Thank you Soul Sunday apparel for our sweet tees!

Most of you know I had another blood draw on Monday and my HCG is looking great at 8078! While talking with my nurse she told me that if there is one baby then she can tell me the sex as early as 9 weeks! If there are two babies I'll have to wait till the 16 week mark like most mamas. On Monday we go in to the doctor at 10 am to find a heart beat. Be praying for that! I'm still unsure of how far along I am. I think my week turns every Wednesday. And my guess is that on Wednesday I was six weeks. If one baby is brewing my tentative due date is September 1st. If it is two then it bumps up to August 10th! Again, we will know more on Monday.

As far as symptoms go I really don't feel too different. I mean aside from my giant hyperstim belly. Ha. My breasts are looking like a veiny road map (TMI?) and I get the occasional ligament pain in my stomach when I turn a certain way in bed or if I get up too quickly. Like when I've been napping on the couch and then Blair wakes up. ;) Yay for napping on the reg! I'm more thirsty than normal and peeing every two seconds it seems like. I didn't have any morning sickness with Blair so I'm hoping it stays that way this time around too.

I think I turned 6 weeks on Wednesday. This is from Sunday and most likely when I will be taking all my pictures since I have to get dressed that day for church. ;)

I am pretty much dying for Monday to get here. I think once I hear a heart beat(s) I'll relax a bit. Maybe. I mentioned last Friday that I'm a ball of nerves and while that hasn't changed too much I've found some verses that have brought me much peace...

1 Peter 1:6
 So be truly glad.^[b] There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. ⁷ These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (I just LOVE this verse! I wrote it on my chalkboard.)


Philippians 4:4-9
 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

I think that I have mentioned before that I am really focusing on taking control of my fearful and negative thoughts. I catch myself doing it and immediately turn to prayer and recite things that I know to be true (such as Bible verses). Satan knows how to make me anxious and not fully enjoy God or live for Him to the best of my ability. I've found peace in prayer.  It's a work in progress but I know it's a step in the right direction. 

This week we had a lot of rain and so we took the kiddos to the indoor play gym on Thursday. They had a blast and afterwards I had my friend (who is a nurse) give me my estrogen shot in the tush. My other friend made sure to snap a photo of this going down. She's so sweet. ;)

A day in the life of IVF!

My estrogen shots continue until the vile runs out. Let's just say I have a ways to go. I'm still on progesterone suppositories and those will continue through my first trimester. With Blair being so early I'll be high risk (as if I'm not already) so I wouldn't be surprised if they keep me on progesterone for longer.

That's a wrap for now! Thank you for your continued support and prayers. They mean the world to me!

The time has come. I knew I wouldn't be able to escape it. I couldn't deny her of it anymore.

Blair wants a princess party. 

How how how do you make a Disney princess party chic and classy?! I have scoured Pinterest high and low. No luck. This is uncharted territory folks. True, I could do a generic princess party but it's just not the same. I've decided to compromise and go with a soft color palette but still add Disney princesses to it. I'm thinking about cutting out their silhouettes on rose gold paper with my Cricut since I have Disney princess cartridges. There will be plenty of crowns and wands for all. Shoot, maybe even a jewelry station? Here's my very raw idea board...

I like the idea of tulle pom pom for decor. So girly and cute! I may have to throw some Disney princess balloons by the front door, some cheesy goody bags, and maybe even paper ware (ugh) but mark my words all that "cute" stuff will be far far away from my the dessert table. :) 

With El Nino hitting us this year I'm planning on having the party indoors. Major bummer. Hopefully the weather is good enough that day to set up a bounce house in the back yard and get the knights and princesses outside. 

If you see anything that fits my above mood board send it my way please! Have an enchanted day. ;)

I still have some Christmas pictures to catch up on and what better time to do that then after Christmas! Insert teeth clenched emoji here. One of Blair's good friends has a December birthday and instead of throwing a party (because there is already too much to do in December) his mama decided to gather a small group of his friends and take them to the Irvine Regional Park to ride the Santa train!

The Christmas lights at the park were seriously magical. There were tons of old oak trees and the lights spiraled up each individual branch nearly to the top of the tree. We truly felt like we were at the North Pole! And trust me...that night the weather was cold enough to fool us to thinking the same thing.

The kids rode the train to see Santa, sat on his lap and took pictures, drank hot coco, jumped in a bounce house, went "ice fishing", decorated sugar cookies, and did a couple other games as well. They had an absolute blast!

The crazy munchkins. They've all been naughty this year. ;)

Yellow and orange...your typical Christmas colors.

This is something I definitely could see us doing every year. Irvine is far enough away for this to be considered a special treat but close enough so that we don't have to stay overnight in a hotel. If you're nearby I highly recommend it!

A while back in October my best friend got married in northern California at Regale Winery. I've had the professional pictures sitting in my inbox for a while and I've been itching to show them to you! Everything she put together for the wedding turned out so lovely. She made all the wooden signs herself along with the seating chart. Her vision came together so beautifully! Here's some inspiration for the new year!

Such a stunning venue and wedding right?! Congrats again to the newlyweds! Enjoy your first year of marriage!

Photos by Morgan Hydinger

Second of all yay for more good news! My third blood draw came back with great results yesterday. Here are my stats so far:

days past transfer: 13
hcg: 814

days past transfer: 15
hcg: 1799

days past transfer:  20
hcg: 8078

I realize these numbers don't mean much for people who aren't familiar with IVF but trust me...they're good! And no, we still don't know how many babies there are in there. Googling hcg numbers won't help either. The reported ranges for hcg levels of people with twins are SO wide and varying that there truly is no way to tell. Everyone's body is different! Monday will tell us what we're in for. And like I've said...I'm happy with one or two!