***Meet the Mama***

Let's welcome Beth as this week's Meet the Mama. It's time to put her in the spotlight and ask her those questions we've all been wondering about. Here is a little bit about her:

DH and I have been married for 3 years. We met through Match.com. We had lived 12 miles apart for 5 years and had friends in common, so we have no idea why it took the computer to find one another. We struggled with infertility for 2.5 years before our successful IVF.

We are expecting g/g twins. Since it was so difficult to get pregnant, I was really expecting an uneventful pregnancy. Wrong! I had severe OHSS after the IVF which had me hospitalized for 5 days early in the pregnancy. I mostly recovered from that just in time for the horrible morning sickness to find me. That lasted until 16 weeks. Then we had a questionable measurement for baby A at out 18 week u/s. We were sent to see a peri the following week. The good news was that both our girls are healthy. The bad news they discovered was that I was having contractions and that my cervix was funneled to 1.0 cm. They kept me at the hospital overnight and sent me home for bedrest with Indocin to keep the contractions under control. Last week they discovered that the Indocin was making the babies' fluid low, so now we're trying to figure out what the next step is.

When I'm not on bedrest, I teach K-6 Music in west central Minnesota. We have three furbabies: Ripoff (Springer mix), Fezzik and Zoe (Shih Tzus). I enjoy reading, computers/Internet, and cooking/baking.

 

Hi Beth,

1. What was your family's reaction when you told them the news, that you were having twins?

2. What has been the most exciting part of this pregnancy?

Have fun!

 

Hi Beth,

Guessing since you teach music, you play music...what instrument(s) do you play?

Dianna

 

How has the bedrest experience been??

What theme are you doing your girls room in??

Is this your first pregnancy??

 

Hi Everyone. I have a dr. appt. this morning (too much excitement in the past days with a trip to L&D). I'll update when I get home this afternoon and look forward to answering your questions.

Have a great Monday!

 

Hi Beth, have you read any great books while on bedrest?

 

Are there any new shows you have started watching while on bedrest that maybe you wouldn't have normally watched?

Dianna

 

Hi Beth; welcome to the spotlight!

My questions:

1) What is your favorith recipe?
2) Have you picked out names for your girls?

Hang in there on bedrest; twin pregnancy may not be uneventful, but the outcome sure is fun!

 

QUOTE(summerfun @ Dec 2 2007, 08:25 PM) [snapback]517993[/snapback]
Hi Beth,

1. What was your family's reaction when you told them the news, that you were having twins?

2. What has been the most exciting part of this pregnancy?

Have fun!


1. I think they were more excited than we were. DH and I were more nervous than excited in the beginning. I guess we still are, but we are looking forward to having both babies now.

2. There hasn't been a lot to be excited about. It's been pretty rough going. But feeling the babies move is great. DH finally felt them for the first time yesterday.

 

QUOTE(Dianna @ Dec 2 2007, 10:06 PM) [snapback]518094[/snapback]
Hi Beth,

Guessing since you teach music, you play music...what instrument(s) do you play?

Dianna


I was a vocal major in college, so that was considered my instrument. I play piano poorly, but enough to pass the proficiency exams in college.

 

QUOTE(Babies On The Way @ Dec 2 2007, 10:16 PM) [snapback]518104[/snapback]
How has the bedrest experience been??

What theme are you doing your girls room in??

Is this your first pregnancy??


Bedrest is not fun, but I'm coping well. Things could be much worse. I try to keep a positive attitude.

I'm really not a thematic person (I don't teach using themes either although many elementary teachers do.), so I wasn't planning a theme, but one sort of happened. I've been reading Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney to the babies each day since I've bee on bedrest. I read that they will be able to recognize the book after they are born if they hear it frequently in utero. Anyway, I found a couple of prints that are illustrations from the book and the colors happen to match the color I painted the walls way before we were pregnant. Mom mom has also gathered some bunny stuff that sort of goes with the book.

Yep. First and likely only pregnancy.

 

QUOTE(ladybenz @ Dec 3 2007, 08:14 AM) [snapback]518312[/snapback]
Hi Beth, have you read any great books while on bedrest?


Would you believe I haven't read much. I keep thinking I should read my book club books even though I can't go to the meetings now, but I haven't done any. I've read Ready Or Not Here We Come and I just stared Mothering Multiples.

 

QUOTE(Dianna @ Dec 3 2007, 09:37 AM) [snapback]518468[/snapback]
Are there any new shows you have started watching while on bedrest that maybe you wouldn't have normally watched?

Dianna


I subscribed to Netflix and started watching the first season of House, M.D. I've been enjoying it, but I have to skip any episodes with sick babies.

 

QUOTE(Overachiever @ Dec 3 2007, 11:03 AM) [snapback]518621[/snapback]
Hi Beth; welcome to the spotlight!

My questions:

1) What is your favorith recipe?
2) Have you picked out names for your girls?

Hang in there on bedrest; twin pregnancy may not be uneventful, but the outcome sure is fun!


1. Gosh. I have so many. Most of my favorites are ones my grandma taught me years ago. Her homemade banana cream pie and creamed chicken recipes come to mind. Good "down home" cooking, but not too healthy. I'm willing to type out those recipes later if people are interested.

2. We have a short list. One baby will probably be Karina. We're leaning towards Annelise for the other, but it isn't set in stone. I also like Anya and Meira. We don't have middle names yet.

 

Hi Beth,
I think it is cool you met your DH on match.com. That is where I met mine!! How is he doing with the pregnancy?

 

QUOTE(MommaK @ Dec 3 2007, 02:13 PM) [snapback]519069[/snapback]
Hi Beth,
I think it is cool you met your DH on match.com. That is where I met mine!! How is he doing with the pregnancy?


It took him a while to get on board with kids at all. He's very financially cautious. He wants to be sure we can provide well. Anyway, the joke has been that he finally agreed to one child. I always wanted two. He tells people, "As usual, she wins." DH has been fantastic through all the road blocks and the bedrest. I really can't say anything negative. He says he wants whats best for all his girls. I guess he's probably the reason bedrest has been tolerable.

 

Hello Beth!

Have you had any pregnancy food cravings?

 

What was your reaction when you were told it was twins?

Dianna

 

Beth,

What's your shopping weakness or do you have one?

What's been your favorite thing to buy for the babies?


(I have shopping on the brain!! )

 

QUOTE(Lynie @ Dec 3 2007, 04:38 PM) [snapback]519289[/snapback]
Hello Beth!

Have you had any pregnancy food cravings?


Not really. I was so sick for the first 16 weeks that nothing was appealing. I'm still having trouble with appetite. Some foods are more tolerable than others and they seem to go in spurts. I don't really crave them though. For a while it was apples (Honey Crisp) and PB. Then it was yogurt. Now it's pears.

 

QUOTE(gina_leigh @ Dec 3 2007, 10:41 PM) [snapback]519833[/snapback]
Beth,

What's your shopping weakness or do you have one?

What's been your favorite thing to buy for the babies?
(I have shopping on the brain!! )


I'm really not a shopper and I was put on bedrest so early that I didn't get to do much shopping for the babies. I think I would have enjoyed that shopping. I've done very limited shopping online. Early on I did get little winter bunting/snow suits for the babies since they are due in Feb. and we live in MN. They look like little teddy bears with ears on the hoods and little paw feet.

 

Hi Beth,

I am so impressed by your positive attitude about bedrest. Keep up the amazing work you are doing preparing for your baby girls! We're due in February, too and live in Florida. So, I'm totally jealous about the teddy bear snowsuits...they sound adorable, but we'd never be able to wear them down here. ;-)
Here are my questions:
1. What is the best thing about being a teacher? (I taught 6th grade, so I'm wondering if we had any similar feelings about teaching.)
2. Have you always lived in MN?
3. What is your dream vacation?

Take care,
Erin

 

QUOTE(Mama2Eric&2peasinpod @ Dec 4 2007, 09:33 PM) [snapback]521212[/snapback]
Hi Beth,

I am so impressed by your positive attitude about bedrest. Keep up the amazing work you are doing preparing for your baby girls! We're due in February, too and live in Florida. So, I'm totally jealous about the teddy bear snowsuits...they sound adorable, but we'd never be able to wear them down here. ;-)
Here are my questions:
1. What is the best thing about being a teacher? (I taught 6th grade, so I'm wondering if we had any similar feelings about teaching.)
2. Have you always lived in MN?
3. What is your dream vacation?

Take care,
Erin


Thanks for your kind words. I just keep trying to remember that in the grand scheme of things, this isn't really that long.

I just remembered that I have a picture of the snowsuits so I can show you all.

1. I love it when a kid (usually sounding surprised and to another kid) says, "That was fun." Also, I keep getting reports that the kids say they miss me. One little guy wouldn't sing for his family at Thanksgiving "because Mrs. Jahn is gone right now." Awww...isn't that sweet? But, there are tons of things I don't miss either.

2. Nope. I grew up in northeast IA and moved to MN when I was 25 because there weren't any teaching jobs in IA at the time.

3. I've already traveled a lot, but I'd love to go back to Europe. DH and I haven't been there together. I've never been to England and think that would be fun.

 

The snowsuit is adorable

Dianna

 

QUOTE(Beth*J @ Dec 4 2007, 10:49 PM) [snapback]521243[/snapback]
Thanks for your kind words. I just keep trying to remember that in the grand scheme of things, this isn't really that long.

I just remembered that I have a picture of the snowsuits so I can show you all.

1. I love it when a kid (usually sounding surprised and to another kid) says, "That was fun." Also, I keep getting reports that the kids say they miss me. One little guy wouldn't sing for his family at Thanksgiving "because Mrs. Jahn is gone right now." Awww...isn't that sweet? But, there are tons of things I don't miss either.

2. Nope. I grew up in northeast IA and moved to MN when I was 25 because there weren't any teaching jobs in IA at the time.

3. I've already traveled a lot, but I'd love to go back to Europe. DH and I haven't been there together. I've never been to England and think that would be fun.



Beth,
You'll have to send even more pictures once the babies are wearing the adorable snowsuits!
I totally agree that it's easy to miss the sweet students, but there are soooo many things not to miss. ;-)
England is a blast! I am trying to get my husband to go there w/ me too. We actually had our first trip to Europe together this summer (first time away from our one year old and right after we found out we were pregnant...did NOT know about the twin-factor, yet, though...). We chose to go to Italy and it was the perfect romantic vacation. We are VERY glad we did it, too b/c we don't see any trips like that happening anytime soon...ha ha ha.
~Erin