saying goodbye

18 years hold quite a few memories. Especially when you're only 23.

Ever since my parents put their house on the market a little over a year ago, I've been constantly asking myself the question, "How am I ever going to be able to say goodbye to this place?"

I've been at mom and dad's since Tuesday to be here one last time and help with packing, cleaning, and such, and we're leaving tomorrow to make the trip with the last trailer of stuff. So with tomorrow being my last day here, it has finally come time to say a final goodbye. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to deal with that. I've always been the sentimental type and am really not a fan of change. It has helped, though, that I've had plenty of time to think about it, and I'm happy for them in their move to the Knoxville, TN convention grounds. I just wish it wasn't 12 hours away from us!

I loved my childhood. Mom and dad's house ... the area ... the friends. Seeing the house empty out has caused me to think back quite a bit, and I'm thankful that it was all so wonderful. In one way, those wonderful memories make it harder to accept their move since I feel like I've tied a lot of special times to their house. In another way, I'm glad that I can take away good memories from the place and know that the years were well-spent. As I grow older, I also grow in appreciation for my upbringing and the privileges I had when I was younger. I can now understand that the house was just a temporary dwelling place, yet I can forever hold special thoughts and memories within my heart.

Even after getting married and moving out, coming back to mom and dad's from time to time still felt like "going home." It's been interesting to hear others express what the place has meant to them, too. Their house was a "home" to many. I've enjoyed hearing different people share their memories of being here through the years. Many potlucks... many get-togethers. It's exciting that mom and dad will be building a new house and many new memories will be in the making through the coming years. I know that going to see them in TN will feel like "going home" because that is where mom and dad are.

I'm glad that endings lead to new beginnings. Although it is my "last" time here, and my "last" time to do this and that, like skipping up the stairs with my sister while singing silly songs (a little insight to a secret of ours), it is also the "first" time that I will get to visit my parents' new home in TN, and it will be the "first" place that my little boys will know as Papa & Gram's.

Amy & her girls came earlier this week. I didn't get Lara in the picture because she was standing next to me, being quite the little miss photographer with Gram's camera.

I will miss you, house! You was a good one :)

boy oh boy!

Blue jeans and trucks

Scrapes on their knees

Running in the dirt

Being a tease

Making a face

Build and destroy

There's nothing like ... Just being little boys!

Double trouble it is ... we've got 2 boys on the way!!

Nate & I both made our final predictions before our ultrasound appointment yesterday. I thought for sure it was a boy and a girl, but Nate guessed 2 boys correctly! We are thoroughly excited and so happy to know what they are. Although I'm feeling a little out-numbered.

The appointment went very well, and we found out that they are developing at the same rate and are both measuring at 12 oz. each. Each has its own placenta, meaning that there is a chance that they could be identical or fraternal. I guess we won't know for sure until they arrive!

I've been feeling some movement, which is very very fun! It's all becoming much more realistic. I've stayed up way too late tonight researching nursery ideas and coming up with a list of possible little boy names! :)

Loved this picture.

half-baked

Double trouble. Twice blessed. Twinadoes ...


However you want to put it, we're expecting twins!!


We're thoroughly excited and can't wait to meet the little peanuts! Yes, it's a tad overwhelming. And no, we don't feel prepared. Someone else must have felt the way I'm feeling right now when they said, "There are two things in life for which we are never truly prepared: Twins." We know it's going to be a bit crazy and a lot of work at times, but wouldn't want it any other way. We'll try to prepare to a certain point and then will just learn as we go!


While full-term labor is 40 weeks, I've been told that twins usually arrive around 36 weeks, thus putting me at the halfway point. I just reached 18 weeks and consider myself half-baked. You know how when you're baking goodies in the oven, like cookies or brownies, and when they're about halfway done they look squishy and you just want to poke them? Well that's how I feel. I'm at that stage where I'm showing but it's not obvious. I've noticed people glance at my belly but not feel like they can say anything because they're not sure if I'm really preggers or not. Nate and I, and others who see me often, can definitely tell that I'm poking out, but to someone who doesn't know me, I just look pudgy ... or to stay with the theme, like a squishy biscuit. I'm sure when I'm nearing my due date, I'm going to look and feel like I'm twice baked. Kind of like when that aforementioned biscuit stays in the oven too long and gets puffed up so big it looks like it's going to explode.


It was life-changing to find out that we were expecting, but wow, what an experience to receive the news that we're expecting ... two! I wish I could put it into words ... it was so many emotions at once! Fortunately, Nate was there with me for the first ultrasound when I was only 6 weeks along, so we were able to see each other's genuine reactions to the shocking news. His eyes got as big as saucers, jaw dropped to the floor, and I started crying of course! It was SO fun to tell family and friends. It only happens once that you get to tell people that you're pregnant with twins for the first time, so we came up with quite a few creative ways of breaking the news! One of my favorites was taking a red fabric pen to a plain white onesie and writing "If you think I'm cute, you should see my ..." on the front and "TWIN" on the back. Watching people's reactions to flipping over that onesie were priceless!


My 40-week due date is December 15th, and 36 weeks is November 17, so if all goes well, they'll probably arrive somewhere within that month's time.


We'll get to find out genders at our ultrasound next week, so we'll be putting our heads together once again for creative ways of letting people know what they are! :)


Here are some pictures that were taken during my ultrasound when I was almost 14 weeks.

~Baby A~

~Baby B~

~A & B together (tops of heads - separate sacs)~

~18 weeks~

And to sum up, here's a quote about twins that I thought was absolutely adorable:

Twenty fingers, twenty toes,
Plenty of work we soon will know,
Four little arms to hold so tight,
Four little cheeks to kiss goodnight.

pretty as a picture

The internet finally let me upload some photos!! So here are a few pictures that I took of the house last week. Each caption goes with the picture shown below it.

Welcome to the Stidolph's! As you can see, our house is set back a little ways from the main road and tucked in around the woods.

Different angle - view of the front.

A view of the back showing the garage on the far left, the sun room with all the windows in the middle, and the deck with the staircase on the far right.

Since there is no ideal place to have a garden with the shaded areas and the hilly areas, Nate made these raised garden beds! Cilantro, parsley, onions, peppers in the right one; strawberries, tomatoes, and I don't know what else in the other one. They're pretty full but are coming along quite nicely!

Our back deck: for grill-outs and watching deer ... and also where raccoon families like to visit us in the middle of the night.

The front entrance - complete with a white porch swing :) which I've noticed is a nice place to sit and get good cell phone service!

The entry way coming in through the front door.

... which leads to the living room ...

then to the dining room ...

(if you come visit us, you get to use the giant silverware on the wall)

and finally to the kitchen! I absolutely LOVE this kitchen.

Here's an inside view of the sunroom. It's a very calming area to sit, eat, read, but it's pretty warm in there right now.

Spotting a friendly wooded creature!

The deer and raccoons aren't the only animals around the place ... we see this curious creature sniffing around in the flower beds quite often!

Thanks for taking the photo tour with us! Feel free to come take the real 3-D tour if you'd like :)