Amazon favorites | June 2019

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I think we are the last people on earth to bite the bullet and join Amazon Prime. A few weeks ago I made the plunge and haven't looked back. It is quite dangerous to be able to search and buy literally anything in a matter of minutes and have it show up on my doorstep in 2 days. Between maternity leave and middle of the night feedings, we are keeping Amazon in business. Here is a super random assortment of my favorite purchases in the past few weeks.

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I first spotted this orange and white bathing suit when Christina posted about it a few months ago. I am in dire need of a few new cute mom swim suits and decided to give this one a try. For $29, my expectations were low but it definitely exceeded them. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and it does a great job of holding my "pumping for twins" chest in place. The tie gives it a cute touch and it is very flattering on a postpartum belly.

A few weeks ago we re-did our upstairs bathroom. We kept it pretty plain and gender neutral, not knowing what gender children would be sharing it. When the girls were born we knew we wanted to give that bathroom a face lift and we were now safe to make it girly. I ordered these clear acrylic jars to store q-tips and hair rubberbands and they make the bathroom counter look so much more clean and organized.

Getting clear hair rubberbands out of Vivian's hair is a nightmare. She screams and I feel like I am ripping all of her hair out, no matter how easy I try to be. Then I remembered that Megan posted about these hair elastic band cutters and they have been a game changer. No more tears from Vivian and no more hair broken off or pulled out!

Life with newborn twins consists of very little sleep. I am happily sleep deprived but the bags under my eyes don't lie. I try to put these depuffing undereye patches on for a little while every morning and they really help.

I posted a video of Vivian playing in this water activity center on Instagram and had more messages than ever before! For $85, I can say without a doubt that we have already gotten our money's worth. Super easy to set up and all you have to do is attach a hose and it will keep your little entertained forever. Summers in NC are miserably hot so we are always looking for fun water activities.

I was on the hunt for the perfect straw hat but couldn't find one for less than $100. For $16, I won't feel guilty when this straw hat gets covered in sunscreen, smashed in my beach bag, etc. There are numerous different colors and the size is adjustable. 

Pregnancy #2... some frequently asked questions!

I feel like it has been foreverrrr since I have blogged regularly. I have been feeling like pure crap so blogging has been the last thing on my mind but I sure have missed it! I have also missed connecting with everyone in this space so I am going to try to start blogging again regularly now that I'm somewhat coming out of the first trimester fog. I got lots of questions when we announced our pregnancy so I figured I'd answer them all in one post. If I missed anything leave a comment and I will answer!

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1. Is this an IVF pregnancy?

Yes! We had an unsuccessful IVF attempt earlier this summer. About 5 weeks later we tried again and it worked! Full recap of our successful IVF attempt coming to the blog soon!

2. How many embryos did you transfer?

Only 1, it split! It was a 1 in 300 chance of this happening. SHOCKED is an understatement!

3. Are the twins identical?

Yes! It was one embryo that split which makes them identical.

4. Do we know the genders?

Nope! A lot of people assume that if you do IVF you know the gender already. This is only true if you do PGS testing (genetic testing of the embryos) before your embryo transfer. We did not do this with our embryos so we will not know the genders until our anatomy scan in a few weeks. Since they are identical they will either be both boys or girls.

5. Are you going to do a gender reveal?
We will do something small with just our families. Trying to think of something unique to do... if you have any ideas send them my way!

6. How have you been feeling?

So awful. It hit me right before 6 weeks. Severe nausea from the second I woke up to the time I went to bed. And the throwing up... ugh. I would literally just cry all day because I felt so awful but still had to function/go to work/take care of a toddler. So miserable! When we found out we were having twins it made sense why I was feeling so awful. Thankfully over the past week it has lessened some. Still super tired and throwing up occasionally but the nausea is more manageable. My doctor says she is not surprised because there are twice the hormones, meaning that it's common to feel twice as bad. With V I had nausea my first trimester but it was nothing like this.

7. Does Vivi know what's going on?

No she is too young. I will ask her how many babies are we having and she says "twoooo" and I can also say "whose tummy are the babies in?" and she will say "mama!" but that's only because we have said it so many times. It makes me sad when I think about how we are about to rock her world but I know there is no greater gift than a sibling(s). I think she is going to be so great with them!

8. Have you picked names yet?
No! I'm having such a hard time with this. It's hard enough choosing one name, two is impossible! I do have one girl name but that's it. Ahhh!

9. Will you continue to work once the babies are born?
Yes! I love my job and work gives me an outlet to feel productive and makes me a better mom when I'm home. I only work 3 days a week now so will continue this after the twins are born. Bless all the mommas that stay home with their kids, I was not made for that!

10. What are you most nervous/afraid of with twins?
This is such a stupid concern but I'm terrified of never sleeping again. V was such an awful sleeper that I am scarred for life. More long term worries are that Garrett and I will never be able to have date nights, travel, etc. alone because no one will be able to handle our circus. I am worried about the logistics of everything... how will I get 3 babies into and out of a car when we have somewhere to be? How will I go to Target alone? Answer: I won't. Thankfully I have an amazingly supportive and hands on husband and both of our families are close which is so great. We will be just fine, I just may not do anything for the next 2 years haha!

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Things are about to get so crazy in the Davis home. Thank you Lord for these two blessings!

We're having TWINS!

We are shocked, excited, anxious, terrified and thrilled to announce that we are welcoming TWO babies into our family in April 2019! After a heartbreaking failed IVF attempt this past summer, we are so thankful and feel so blessed that God has gifted us not one but TWO miracle babies. Things are about to get crazy in the Davis household!

What to do in Key West

I've had lots of messages and emails about things to do and places to eat in Key West. I posted recently about our favorite restaurants in Key West and today is all about what to do on the island.

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+ First things first, rent bikes at Eaton Bikes. Having bikes is key to getting around the island and being able to explore. There is absolutely zero parking available so don't waste money renting a car. There are places to lock your bikes up outside all restaurants.

+ Get a drink at Sloppy Joe's Bar. A Key West landmark and a must visit while you're there! There is live music at all times. It is such a fun and loud atmosphere.

 + Ride the Conch Tour Train. Super touristy but a fun way to see the entire island and learn the history behind everything. The perfect way to relax and spend a morning.

+ Take the boat to Latitudes at Sunset Key for happy hour. You have to call Latitudes restaurant to make reservations for happy hour and they will put your name on the list to get on the ferry boat to the island. You board the boat right near Mallory Square and its a quick 5 minute ride to Sunset Key. The cocktails are divine and there's a reason it's called Sunset Key. This is my favorite activity that we do every trip. A must!

+ Walk Duval Street. Start at one end and make your way down. There are tons of neat shops with handmade souvenirs but also some decent shopping like Banana Republic factory, Gap factory, etc.

+ Throw a quarter into the fish's mouth outside of Captain Tony's Saloon. There is a huge fish at the entrance of the bar and it is said that if you toss a quarter and make it into the fish's mouth, good luck will follow you until you leave the island. After a few of Captain Tony's famous rum punches, this makes for a hilarious time.

+ Visit Mallory Square at sunset. Every single night, 365 days a year, people gather for live music, drinks, magicians, jugglers, food, and it's basically one huge party. It is the best place on the island to watch sunset and a must when in Key West.

Ever been to Key West? What fun things am I missing?

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Use #thoughtsforthursdays on Instagram and tag us @homeofmalones , @eastcoastnat and @mrsordavis. Link up starts at 7 am EST.

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Weekending: middle of August

Happy Monday friends! How is it already the middle of August? Time is flying and I can't believe fall is right around the corner. While I will definitely be sad to see beach weekends come to an end, fall is my very favorite time of year so I'm looking forward to cooler temps and all thinks pumpkin!

Friday we were up bright and early for a doctor's appointment. When you have to go to the doctor every single week your babysitter options get used thin so I've been lugging my little sidekick with me and thankfully she's 2/2 on being an angel.

I have also been super busy delivering cinnamon rolls around town. Together with my sweet friends Justine and Emily, we have raised over $2,000 for precious Charlotte and her family. My very favorite part of blogging is how it has connected me with so many amazing women and April is one of the very best. Their recent news about their daughter has just wrecked me completely and I'm so thankful that we have been able to do just a little bit to help. Local people, let me know if you want some delicious homemade cinnamon rolls!

 Friday afternoon we were beach bound! It was the prettiest weekend and Vivi is a total water baby. She has NO fear and will run straight into the ocean, totally unaware of the fact that she is going to get crushed by waves. She will also jump right in the pool even if we aren't in there yet which is completely terrifying! She definitely keeps us on our toes.

Saturday night we attended an engagement party and had the best time. It was at a gorgeous house right on the water. We enjoyed cocktails, delicious food and great friends. It was really fun to have a parents night out!

my jumpsuit

my jumpsuit | solid red jumpsuit

How was your weekend?!

Infertility rears it’s ugly head... again

I’ve been so bad about blogging lately but we have had so much going on and I honestly have just been in a weird place for the past few weeks. It’s so hard to feel interested in the latest lipstick colors and the best Nordstrom sale deals when you’re in the depths of infertility. It just completely consumes you and your thoughts. We were so hoping to be sharing a pregnancy announcement in the next few weeks but instead we are mourning the loss of what would have been our second baby.

Sharing our journey has been both the hardest and most rewarding decision. I am an introverted, private person by nature but I prayed that our story would help at least one other couple and since sharing in spring of 2016, I have connected with hundreds of women going through the same thing. God is definitely using our story for good! And I would be doing a disservice to only share the highlights and successes of our infertility journey, because it doesn't always have a happy ending.

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We always knew we wanted our children to be close in age. We decided that 2 years apart would be ideal so back in March of 2018 we made the all too familiar 2 hour drive back to our RE’s office to come up with a game plan. We met with our doctor and set a July 2018 transfer date. In late May I went back to UNC for a saline ultrasound, mock embryo transfer and bloodwork. Everything looked great and we were ready to start meds!

I started taking birth control (seems so ironic right?) and then late June I had an ultrasound and bloodwork and started estrogen 3x a day. The goal of the estrogen is to make your endometrial lining nice and thick, a healthy “cushion” for baby to grow in. We went for weekly ultrasounds and bloodwork and everything progressed perfectly. Five days before our embryo transfer I started intramuscular progesterone injections in my butt nightly and let me tell y’all, those things hurt. They hurt much worse than I remember. We were all set for transfer!

The morning of transfer we woke up bright and early to make the drive and have a breakfast date before our appointment. I chugged lots of water (you need a full bladder for the procedure which is the most uncomfortable part) and we were ready to go. Everything went perfectly and we headed home and I relaxed on the couch the rest of the day. We were so excited and optimistic!

 They tell you not to POAS (pee on a stick) at home after an embryo transfer because it can be falsely negative. They like you to wait until 9 days after transfer for your blood test but I'm way too Type-A to wait that long. I POAS at 5 days post-transfer and it was a BFN (big fat negative). The worst feeling ever. I felt like someone knocked the wind out of me. I knew 100% at that point that it had not worked. I had a positive at that point in time after our transfer with Vivi so I just knew. I had to wait 3 more excruciating days before my blood test when I already knew what the results were going to be. There is nothing worse than continuing to take meds and injections when you already know it didn't work.

We got the call from our doctor that our blood test was, in fact, negative and we officially had an unsuccessful transfer.  Having our sweet baby has definitely made this more bearable because I don't have the overwhelming thoughts of "will I ever be a mom?" However, infertility is awful and never gets easier and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. The emotional and physical toll it has on your body is tremendous. Not to mention the financial aspect that is so unfair and stressful. We were and still are so sad but we are picking up the pieces and will try again!

If you have any questions about IVF or our infertility journey, don't hesitate to email me at davisduoblog@gmail.com. I'm happy to talk!

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Grab the button below and link up to Annie , Natalie and Owen on your Thoughts for Thursday post.

Use #thoughtsforthursdays on Instagram and tag us @homeofmalones , @eastcoastnat and @mrsordavis. Link up starts at 7 am EST.

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Tarheel chocolate pie

Last night I took dinner to one of my best friends who just had TWIN baby boys! And because every new momma deserves a delicious dessert after dinner, I whipped up the easiest chocolate pie. She said it was a huge hit so I figured I'd share the recipe! Literally so easy and yummy!

Tarheel Chocolate Pie

Ingredients:

-1 stick butter

-1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

-1/2 cup sugar

-1/2 cup brown sugar

-1/2 cup flour

-2 eggs

-1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

-Melt together the butter and chocolate chips on the stove

-Combine sugar, brown sugar and flour in large bowl

-Add the chocolate mixture to the dry mixture and stir until well combined

-Add eggs and vanilla

-Pour into pie crust and cook on 350* for about 35-40 minutes

-Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!