Feelin' the love

When little c was just over a year old, I was shocked to see him come home from daycare with Valentine's Day cards from his classmates. He was only 1, afterall. But that's just how those 1 year olds roll these days.

This year I decided I would not be the only parent who did not send V Day cards along with their child to distribute. In fact, I was going to MAKE them myself. I had seen an idea in a Disney magazine at the midwife's office and decided to go for it.

I armed myself with some bags of plastic animals from the dollar store, some animal print paper,  cardstock, and some glue, and got to work at 9:00 the night of February 13th.


I was pretty pleased with the end result. I mean, it wasn't my original idea (who has original ideas these days now that Pinterest exists?), but I thought they turned out pretty well. C told me I was putting far too much time and effort into something for a 2 year old, which I couldn't argue with, especially as I was still up making them at 11:00. But I just can't give store-bought cards. It's just not in me, even if it is for a bunch of unaware, ungrateful 2 year olds. 

But it turns out it wasn't all in vain. Last week Cohen received a thank you card (not a note, an actual card) from one of his classmates and his family thanking him for the "thoughtful, creative, and most delightful Valentine's card we have ever seen."

I will have to remember this a year from now when I have two 8 month olds and a 3 year old. I will probably think back upon how easy life was just a year before as I drive to the drugstore at 11:00 on Valentine's Day eve and purchase a box of store-bought V Day cards and quickly scrawl Cohen's name on them as he's walking out the door for "school."

Spring forward by falling back

So the nerds have really done a number on me.

The other night it was Daylight Savings Time. I fell asleep watching a movie and woke up at midnight. Crawled to bed (literally crawled as my back was hurting something fierce) and set my clock back, so instead of going to bed at midnight, I was in bed by 11:00. I even asked C to change his clock too when he came to bed.

According to my clock, Cohen woke up at 6:00 the next morning. Far too early for me, pregnant or not pregnant. This kid usually wakes up at 8:00 on weekends. C got up with him while I fell in and out of consciousness. I decided to get up at 7:00 and make some tea.

It wasn't until a little while later, when I was checking my e-mail on my phone, that I saw what the actual time was. I complained to C that my phone had updated the time the wrong way. Didn't it know it was 7:30, not 9:30 as it was claiming? I was so confused when C said his phone did the same thing.

And then it finally dawned on me.

Let's chalk this up to a major case of baby brain brought on by two fetuses. They're already out to get me!

Pretty packages

A few weeks ago I attended the baby shower for my friend, S. She wasn't due for a few weeks but guess who decided to come early? Her baby girl, Eva. Unfortunately, the one we were celebrating was still in the hospital, but we did get to celebrate with the woman who carried her for almost 8 months, which was a real treat.

If you know me, like really know me, you know I'm one of the world's biggest procrastinators, second only to my mom (sorry Mom, but you know it's true. Decorating the Christmas tree the day before Christmas seems to seal the deal for all of us that know and love you). My usual M.O. when invited to a birthday party, shower, or wedding, is to go out the night before or morning of said event, stress myself out and buy something I haven't put a lot of thought into. Then I rush home to wrap it and kick myself for not spending enough time thinking through everything. Well, let me tell you something. I actually did things for this baby shower the way I imagine normal people do things. I thought carefully about the recipient (at this point, we didn't know if the baby was a boy or girl) and it's parents and then started to plan. This was 3 weeks before the shower. Crazy! I started shopping and planning and had everything in hand 24 hours before the shower. A first for me. Seriously. 

The night before the baby shower, C was studying and I thought, why not start wrapping the gifts? I have a couple of hours before bedtime. People, I have never had this thought enter my head before!
And here is the end result. Feast your eyes because this may never, ever, EVER, happen again!


And here are a couple of shots of what was contained within some of these pretty packages.

(Eva was conceived in Australia and I couldn't resist)

It's official

Cohen and I both have outties (outies?).

It popped out, with my belly, a few days ago. My belly has popped so much that I've already had strangers asking me when I'm due. That makes me feel FANTASTIC!

Maybe you've seen your last belly shot at 20 weeks. I'll leave the next 18 to your imagination.

It's my party

...and I'll cry if I want to.

At this point, we didn't realize the birthday boy had an ear infection. Poor little birthday boy had to leave his party early to go wait at the insta-care clinic for 2.5 hours and didn't get to blow out his candles or open his gifts. Instead, everyone else ate the cake and then helped clean up so I could go relieve Daddy, who had an important deadline looming for school.

But we still have the "Cohen" banner up on the mirror and I'm sure it will be up until Easter, seeing as it remained for Valentine's Day. And he still insists on forcing us to sing Happy Birthday to him every now and then. Maybe next year's birthday will be a little less painful for the little guy.

And now, some images from this low-key party. And yes, it was low-key like I promised myself it would be; hotdogs, condiments, chips and dip, veggies, and cake. Oh, and if anyone needs rainbow bunting, it's yours for the taking! I'd love to see all of that late night sewing go to good use for someone else.

Cohenisms

Me: Are you Mummy's Coco Bear?

Cohen: NO! I not Mummy's Coco Bear. I Cohey Gray Hancock!

Oh maaaannnn! - said whenever he drops something.

Uh-oh pedi-ohs - Uh-oh spaghettios.

I live on Bryan Avenue in Salt Lake City, Ooootah.

Me: Hey Cohen, what should we name the babies?

Cohen: Ummmmm, Baby Ava and Gordon.

Watch this, Mummy & Daddy - he then proceeds to do something which he wants us to watch. This occurs every minute or so at dinner and every couple of minutes the rest of the morning and evening.

And his latest "trick" is to ask me a lot of why questions. When I finally get to the point where I have no more answers, I tell him "because." So now when I ask him a question, like "what would you like for breakfast today, Cohen?" he answers "Because!" Smart kid.

Trying to show off his four new two-year molars.

Twenty weeks

Well, I'm officially beyond the half-way mark. I cannot believe it. I haven't even started obsessing over nursery colours yet (nor even started thinking about anything beyond today).

I had my 19 week ultrasound on Valentine's Day. It was a lovely treat to see Alex and Bobbi-Jo. They were both measuring almost to the day of gestation and each weighed 10 oz. All of their measurements were great and I learned that Alex's placenta is posterior and Bobbi-Jo's is anterior, which means all the movement I feel is Alex. At this point, I don't feel like he's (yes, I'm still convinced it's two boys) as active as Cohen was at this point, but maybe I just can't remember all that well--or he's a lazy slacker.

Yesterday I met with my midwife for my 20 week appointment. I've gained 3 lbs since my last appointment 5 weeks ago for a grand total of 10 lbs so far. And I finally found out how much weight I should gain as people have asked me and I had to confess that I had no clue. I was pleased to hear my midwife say only 35 lbs. I was expecting her to say 45 or 50. If the babies start to measure smaller, then we'll talk about putting some extra weight on, but at this point, it's business as usual since they are measuring to their gestational age. The big shocker was when she measured my uterus. I'm currently measuring at 27 weeks! That's one large and in charge uterus I have. My appointments will now be every 2 weeks and I'll start meeting with the high-risk doc who will be performing my c-section. Ultrasounds will still be every 4 weeks at this point since everything is going so well.


And now for my 20 week photo. I couldn't decide which one to post so you've got your choice to gawk at. Enjoy!

 

Honesty in pregnancy

My friend M-B has a blog where she captures life raising two boys. One of her frequent titles is "Honesty in parenting" and I couldn't get it out of my mind when I was thinking about what to write today. So M-B, this one's for you, whether you like it or not.

Two weeks ago I had just recovered from a 5 week bout with a head cold that turned into sinusitis. Good thing Sudafed is okay to take during the second trimester because that stuff saved my life. Literally. Okay, not literally, but pretty close. Anyway, was just feeling better when I was hit with a stomach bug. I initially thought it was morning sickness as I woke up feeling okay and then threw up, but instead of feeling better, I started to feel really crummy.

Made it through work all day without throwing up, but wanted to. Just kept telling myself I was fine. But when I got home that night and was hanging out with little c (Daddy was at class), I couldn't convince myself any longer that I was okay. No, I certainly was not okay.

Started throwing up just after dinner, but I had my lovely companion beside me to pat me on the back and alternate with "What doin' Mommy?" and "Mommy's funny!" the entire time I was barfing. That wasn't so bad. And the next time wasn't so bad. But the next time, after I had got little c down to bed, I threw up AND full-on wet my pants at the same time. Gotta love throwing up while having two babies jockeying for position on your bladder.

Oh, and if you really want to know, the next time I missed the toilet completely.

Out of the mouth of babes

We had a lovely weekend with little c. It included a very cold and windy trip to the zoo, letting him make his own sandwich (the kid is obsessed with watching everything we do from the vantage point of standing on his new little chair and now wants to get his own meals ready), lots of time spent playing with Play Doh, dinner with new friends who are also expecting twins, fun at church, and having a blast with Stacey & Bryce while Mommy & Daddy went to a Superbowl Party.

But the highlight for me was when I was changing one of his 4 daily dirty diapers yesterday. He looked up at me and said:

"Mommy's an old lady and Daddy's an old man!"

Well, he's half right! But we'll make sure we don't let Daddy hear that or he'll feel worse about being 40.

Bump spotting

And now for the moment some of you have been waiting for, and e-mailing me about, and leaving comments on my Facebook page. The first belly shot. How I wish I'd done one at 12 weeks when my belly looked more like it had a food baby in it, not two babies.

So, my idea is to have Cohen hold the picture frame indicating which week this is. Unfortunately, someone was too grumpy, or, turns out, sick with an ear infection, to join me for the photo. Hopefully he can overcome for the next photo. Or maybe the fact that he's two and the game has now changed entirely!! will prevent him from being in any photos. Time will tell. Or maybe I'll stumble upon a really great bribe, because the ones I offered on Sunday didn't tempt him enough.

Without further ado...
I looked back at my pregnancy photos of Cohen and realized I'm about the same size I was for this photo:
where I was about 23 weeks. Funny that I was already wearing maternity clothes because I was so excited to start wearing them. Now I'm holding off as long as I possibly can. Fortunately my clothing style has aligned with current fashion and I've already got some ruched tops that accommodate the bulge. This was just a couple of days, or maybe a day, before Tara's little lady, Charlotte, arrived. Doesn't she look great for being 40 weeks?

So there you have it. Christian is going to have to zoom out for the next photos. I fear the tight shots will have to come to an end!

 

Welcome to week 16

Week 16 photo coming soon. I still need to take it. I don't think a couple of days will matter much...actually, I take that back.

According to babycenter.com, they are 4.5 inches long. The size of an avocado. Now I'm craving guacamole.

I had my 15 week appointment with my mid-wife on Tuesday. I was actually 15w4d to be exact. Heart rates were 150 and 155. I'm calling two boys if you go by heart rate, which some people swear by and others roll their eyes at. I swear I roll my eyes.

Here's the shocker. My midwife measured my uterus or fundal height or something like that, and happily announced "18!" I sat up abruptly and said, "What do you mean by 18?!?" with much surprise and mortification in my voice. Yes, I'm measuring 18 weeks. Cool. As I said, it was a shocker to me because I have people telling me all the time I'm not even showing (liars) and I don't feel that I'm THAT big. I mean, I look like someone who's had one too many Frosty's, or keggers, or Timbits, or all of the above. She reminded me several times that there are two babies in there. Something I have to be reminded of.

The good shock was I only gained 3 lbs since my last appointment AND that includes Christmas. I know the serious weight gain is fast approaching, and that's okay. I want big babies. Big, healthy babies. So if it means I need to eat the entire pint of Ben & Jerry's, I'll do it for them.

And on the eve of the 16th week, I felt Bobbi-Jo doing the two-step. It was a comforting feeling. And it means that B is going to be the over-achiever. Mark my words. A is the slacker, but only by a couple of days as I felt it move earlier today. Ah, I love that feeling. And I'm putting it in writing for a few weeks from now when I start complaining about how much they move.

Okay, I'm off to make guacamole if anyone wants to come over and join me.

Cohen turns 2!

Our little miracle turned two while we were in Canada for Christmas. Of course I knew that I wanted my sister H to do the cake...there is no other option. We started talking about it about a month in advance and I sent her some images of what I wanted. Since little c is still obsessed with elephants and I'm still obsessed with red and turquoise as a stunning combo, the following was created:
It was better than I had imagined. And it tasted AMAZING! She makes all of her cakes from scratch and did a lighter chocolate cake with a raspberry buttercream filling (with fresh raspberries). Fortunately it was large enough to feed the crowd that came to celebrate with us with a few pieces leftover.

Check out my sisters blog where she showcases all of her beautiful and delicious cakes.

Happy Birthday to Cohen! (who really enjoys singing the birthday song all.the.time.)

Big changes are afoot at Hancock Manor

I've enjoyed calling Christian, Cohen and myself the Hancock Three over the last two years.

But that's all going to change in a few months.

I'd love to say we're becoming the Hancock Four, but we're not.

Try the Hancock Five on for size.

Yes, we're expecting twins on July 8th.

After three attempts up at the fertility clinic, doing exactly the same thing we did when we conceived Cohen, we discovered we were pregnant at the end of October. On November 15 at 4:40 p.m. we saw not 1 but 2 embryos. I started laughing hysterically while Big C put his head in his hands, saying "Oh no, oh no, oh no."

Since then, we've had opportunity to see them on two separate occasions. They are measuring a day apart but that's not out of the norm, I think--I forgot to ask. The fertility doctor was pretty sure they were fraternal since I had two follicles that released eggs. And the sonographer confirmed it. Which means we could have a boy and a girl. Not out of the realm of possibility, but with my sister's and my luck, I'm thinking there are two boys in there. We'll just have to wait and see when they're born. That's right, we're leaving it a surprise for everyone, including ourselves. There's nothing like waiting the entire time and having your husband announce what it is you've been carrying all these months. My eyes are welling up just remembering him announcing that Cohen was a boy.

When you find out you're having a baby, at least for me, it was so very exciting. No other emotion entered into the equation. But let me tell you something, when you find out you're expecting twins, there are other emotions that come into play, like fear. BIG TIME! I especially know what it's going to be like as I experienced it first-hand with my sister when she had twins. And a good friend of mine also had them. I'm just glad I'm surrounded by so much experience and wisdom. And I'm not going into this alone. I've already met someone at little c's "school" who's expecting two boys a couple of months before Thing 1 & Thing 2 come along. And I've also been told there's someone at church expecting them too. Should be fun, right?!?

I'm excited to say that I've already got friends and family informing me they are flying in to come help. I think I'll have about 8 weeks of help lined up with people coming from Canada, Idaho, Montana, California, and hopefully my friend who had quadruplets in Kansas. I have a feeling twins would be really easy for her.

It's been a lot of fun sharing our news with people. It took my sister (the one with twins) 10 minutes to believe that I was carrying two. It took my other sister a little less time to believe me. I guess when you're the prankster in the family, it's hard to believe someone when they share such news. Most people's reactions have been great, but a couple of people have shown more concern than happiness. Oh well, I'm not letting it get to me. Like I said, I know it's going to be really hard, for a really long time. But I also know it's going to be twice as rewarding.

I always wanted three kids but when we found out we were pregnant, Big C said "We've got our two, so you'd better enjoy this because we're not doing this again." I was sad but I knew he was right. He only wanted two and I couldn't change his mind. Let's just say it's taking him a little bit more time to adjust to the idea of having three kids rather than his perfect two. And it does mean we need a bigger vehicle. Either the Jetta or the Outback have got to go (my vote is for the Outback since I heart my Jetta). C also thought we'd need to move to a bigger house, but looking for a house, worrying about financing, packing, moving, and unpacking while pregnant with twins just isn't my idea of fun. So for now, Bryan Avenue will remain home. But when they start to get mobile, we'll probably have to start the search for something bigger than our current 1600 square feet.

There's so much more I want to share, but I'll save it for later posts. Will I post belly shots like I did with Cohen? Absolutely. Stay tuned for the comedy that will be my belly. In the meantime, meet Alex and Bobby-Jo. (Until we come up with better non-gender specific names...I'll take any recommendations you might have) They were the size of a kumquat (according to babycenter.com) when the paparazzi showed up in Maternal Fetal Medicine at St. Marks.

Dear Cohen

Wow! You're two! Even though you think you're seven, for every time we ask you how old you are you say "I be 7! Noooooo, I be 2!" and you hold up 5 fingers.

You are still my most favourite thing in this entire world. I look forward to hearing you turn on your safari music thing in your crib every morning and seeing you with your ridiculous bed head, telling me that you dreamed about big, loud elephants and crocodiles that say SNAP. And I love spending evenings with you as you force me to sing every song ever written or read all of your books to you.

You are not short on words and you love to talk, talk, talk. In fact, you do not like it very much when Daddy & Mommy are having a conversation because you tell us to stop talking. We are teaching you to say "Excuse me Mommy & Daddy" but it's not working...yet. You are very clear in your communication and when we were home in Canada at Christmas, everyone said how well you spoke for a two year old. Even Nana said she'd never met a two year old that spoke so much or so clearly. That's our Cohey Bear.

Sleep is still your strong suit. You continue to get close to 12 hours at night, 2 hours during the day when you're at "school", and 3-3.5 hours at home on the weekends. You really take after your Mommy and that makes me so happy. You still will not sleep in your carseat, especially during a 1.5 hour drive home at 10:00 at night from Auntie Lou & Uncle Reid's house. But I think we can overlook that.

Your favourite friends are Lucy Goosey, Reesey Piecey, Milo & Alicia, Benton & Charlotte, and Bean (Charley from next door). You also love to see Emma at church and jump off the stairs to show off for her. And how you adore all of your cousins. I just wish we lived closer so you could see them more than twice a year.

You still think people are food and continue to bite them, but not as much. The number of incident reports at "school" have gone down significantly. For awhile I thought you were a vampire. Now I'm convinced you're a normal toddler trying out boundaries and getting a taste for human flesh.

You have a minor addiction for Caillou, the bald, Canadian 4 year old cartoon character. When you watch Caillou, the house could be burning down around you and you wouldn't notice. Daddy and I wonder what it is about Caillou that you love so much, cause we find him kind of annoying.

You can count to ten, even though you skip 4 and 5. You can say your ABCs to E. Colours are easy peasy for you. And you can even spell your name, although you sometimes forget the "E."

Your personality is very sweet and sometimes funny. You have Daddy and me laughing out loud many times a day. We especially like how you dance when we ask you to shake your booty. But I'd be remiss to not mention that you can scowl better than any 2 year old.

Food is still your best friend. You've started eating lettuce and you now like cucumber. I can't think of anything you won't eat. You especially love blue cheese, pickles, olives, and chevre and you try everything we offer you. We lucked out when it came to our little eater.

Your most favourite thing to do right now is to run naked. You ask every morning and every evening to run naked, so we take off all your clothes and you run around buck naked for a few minutes, until you pee on something. Will you be the child in the neighbourhood this summer who can't keep his clothes on?

We love spending time with you Cohen, whether it's at the zoo (your favourite), reading, playing outside, singing numerous songs, colouring, playing with Play Do, or building a pillow fort.

I will always be your biggest fan and I love you more and more each day. I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring!

Love, Mommy xo
Typical Cohen with cousin Sammy.