Good Bye 2009 & Hello 2010!

So, 2009 is going out with a bang!  This was a year of tears and of lots of joy.

Looking back, the beginning of the 2009 was very tough for us.  I had be hoping to be pregnant through the holiday season and into the new year and it hadn't happened.  So, Chris and I entered 2009 with heavy hearts.

This year will also be known as the year my Grandfather went up to heaven.  Jim, Cobbo, Granddad, Colonel Cobb these are just a few of the names that could only begin to describe a man who touched the hearts of those around him.  He taught the women in his family what love is.  He grounded our family of women who are all still lost without him in our lives.  We understood it was his time to go, and we would never have asked him to stay and suffer on this earth.  We KNOW with out a shadow of a doubt that he is in Heaven waiting for us.

And yet as this grief was still fresh in our hearts, God gave our family something to rejoice about.  He blessed our family with the promise of a new union.  Sara and Robby decided to marry in 2009!  I spent many hours on the phone with Sara, talking about their wedding or visiting places!  Venues, colors, dresses, flowers, programs, hotels, tea parties, showers and so many more fun and exciting things to plan and help with!

Then as the wedding was almost here Chris and my prayers were answered in one final swoop! September 2009:  I turned 29, Sara was married, our house went under contract, and found out we were expecting...FINALLY!  Two Pink Lines in 09!!  We were even able to throw one last amazing party at our home for our best friends little girl who was on the way!   Thankfully, God is good and his timing is perfect.  There is no way I could have planned all those events so smoothly!

So, here it is 12-31-09 and I am looking back and thinking about all the happy and sad tears that fell this year and I wouldn't change anything.  At the time going through all the events and emotions; there were some dark moments of despair.  In Ecclesiastes,"to every thing there is a season",  this is so true.  As we journey through life we may not understand the whole picture at that moment.   But, looking back over this year I am able to in a small way understand God's wonderful plan for our lives.  He taught us patience this year and how with patience comes great rewards!  What could be better than waiting 14 months than to find out you've been blessed with twins!  It has to be God's plan for our friends to get pregnant before us, so that I would have time with their little girl before my world is turned upside down with 2 babies!  It had to be God's timing for our house to sell right before the wedding so we wouldn't have to stress during the wedding, and we could move afterward.  It is, also, His timing that the house we are renting became vacant right as we needed a place to live.  His planning that our family would help us out with at low rent payment so we could save for the arrival of our twins.   There are many more big and small miracles that happened in our life this past year, but I have to stop with my ramblings! :)

So, I lift my sparkling grape juice to 2009!  I wouldn't want to live through you again, but I wouldn't change you either!  And here's to 2010 and all the tears and joy you are sure to bring!

18 weeks!

How far along: 18 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 14.5 pounds
Maternity clothes: yup-i am already too big for some pants I was wearing early on in the 1st trimester!
Stretch marks: nope  
Sleep:  i have joined the ranks of tons of pillows in the bed to be able to sleep, one for my front and one for my back!  
Best moment this week:  1st Christmas with our babies...even though they were inside!  Next year will be so special with them in our arms!
Gender: finding out on January 7th
Belly button in or out?: In, but it is wider and not as deep
Craving: not much really...pickles always sound good! 
What I miss: not much, i am so happy to have these little ones inside me!
What I am looking forward to:  ultrasound in a week and a half! 

Baby Center:  "Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound."

Here is what a 20 week difference looks like, my BF Christie came over for dinner and we had to get at least one picture with us both pregnant!  She is 38 weeks today and is scheduled to have her little girl on January 5th!  We both got engaged and married in 2005 and are having babies in 2010!  We said 5 years and we meant it!  God is so good to have bless us in so many ways!!

nicknames

So the other night Chris and I were talking about the babies, now that I can feel them move I tell him all the time.  Well, he always wants to know which one moved.  If you know my husband you know he has a random fascination with Benjamin Franklin. Anytime, he sees/hears anything about Ben he says something about how awesome he was or how amazing, etc. you get the idea.  Chris also thinks it is cute when you name the babies with names that start with an "A" and a "B".  Therefore, baby B became Benjamin Franklin and somehow baby A became Abraham Lincoln. Well, this is WAY to long to type much less say each time one of them moves, so we shortened it to Ben and Abe...but that was to boring so I changed it to Benny and Abbey!  (didn't you just enjoy the play by play of our random bedtime conversation...nope the H's are not going to be curing cancer or solving the worlds problems anytime soon!)

Abby is currently on my right side and toward the front making me look lopsided, and Benny is hiding in the back left.  I don't feel Benny move as much as Abby and I think this is because Abby is near the front.  I am feeling them move several times a day, more when I am calm and pay attention.

We are still on for January 7th and our BIG ultrasound!! Can't wait to see you again Abby and Benny!  Your mommy loves you!

update on past few days

I thought I would update on the past few days, just to keep an ongoing record of this pregnancy.

Saturday and Sunday I felt great, really great!  I had gone from 1st trimester nausea, to a horrible head cold, to a pulled muscle in my leg (that had me limping for several days).  So, on Saturday while snowed in Chris and I worked on lots of projects that we had been putting off.  Then on Sunday, we cleaned the house, went out for Mexican food and headed to Wally World.  By the end of the shopping my stomach was so tight and beginning to hurt pretty bad.  I thought that I had just over done it, so I went home and laid down for the rest of the day.  That night was a bad night, I tossed and turned till about 2am when I decided to call my Dr's office and speak with a nurse.  She had me drink 2 bottles of water, take 2 tylenol and some milk of magnesia, then lay on my left side and make sure there were not any contractions.  Thankfully, there were not.  About 3:30, I began to get somewhat sleepy and moved back into our bedroom and was able to get a few hours before going into work.  All day on Monday my uterus felt very heavy and I was very uncomfortable.  I was barely able to get through some much anticipated Christmas shopping with my sister Sara. 

Thankfully, my husband is a wonderful man and he started a yummy hot dinner so by the time I finally got home we were able to eat together before I spent the rest of the night on the sofa.   Last night I got some good sleep and I didn't want to get up this morning, but I did.  We are headed to my mom's right after work and can't wait to see my sisters and Grandmother.  I do still have to pick up 1 more gift and need to wrap a few other items, but I can do the wrapping at mom's and grab the gift at lunch.  I can not let my body get that way again and so I am not stressing about not finishing everything.  Just like I didn't stress about decorating our home for the holidays, there will be plenty more years to do the big tree and soon enough the little ones will enjoy it with us!

Merry Christmas everyone! Just remember that Jesus' birth is the reason for the season and spread the love to everyone!  Be safe in your travels!

17 weeks

How far along: 17 weeks (please ignore our messy bedroom, I didn't want to make Chris get out of bed to take the pic)
Total weight gain/loss: 12 pounds
Maternity clothes: yup
Stretch marks: nope  
Sleep:  not much last night, could not get comfortable  
Best moment this week:  Feeling baby a move and then the next day baby b; now feeling them every once in a while!
Gender: ??? finding out on January 7th
Belly button in or out?: In, but it is wider and not as deep
Craving: pancakes  
What I miss: not much, i am so happy to have these little ones inside me!
What I am looking forward to:  almost at the 1/2 way for twins! 

"How your baby's growing:

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.  

How your life's changing:

Starting to feel a bit off balance? As your belly grows, your center of gravity changes, so you may begin to occasionally feel a little unsteady on your feet. Try to avoid situations with a high risk of falling.  You may also notice your eyes becoming drier. Using over-the-counter lubricating drops may help. If your contact lenses become uncomfortable, try wearing them for shorter stretches of time. If you still have discomfort, switch to glasses until after you give birth."

check out

Don't forget to check out my other blog, my christmas corner is up with lots of pics!

hi babies

To our babies,
Dad and I heard your hearts beating yesterday and we are so exciting you are on your way into our arms.  We love you so much already, we talk about you all the time.  We are looking forward to finding out who you are and giving you names that will carry you throughout your life.  We love you both so much, you are the best surprise gifts we have ever gotten.  We promise to love you everyday even when you are naughty!  We are looking forward to setting up your room and other preparations for your arrival.  Don't worry Mommy is very organized and will make sure to get everything done in time and Daddy is so good at putting stuff together and is very patient with Mommy and we will get it ready for you both.  Everyone in our families are so excited for your arrival too they are praying for you, so stay in there and grow nice and big! 
love,

mom and dad

ob apt today

I love love love this dr office.  Everything she said made me feel comfortable and secure.  They are going to let me try and to a natural birth if both babies are healthy, no complications, and head down.  This is what I want!  Then if there are complications we can schedule a c-section.  I like that the decision is not being made today, but waiting till we have more facts.  The only draw back is that they don't take medicaid and I have to pay everything upfront which is about 4k.  The second baby costs $1300 extra.  Still cheaper than having them separate (trying to look on the bright side). 

Our big ultrasound is scheduled for January 7th and we will find out who these two are.  I can't wait...I am looking forward to this more than Christmas! 

So here is some bedding Sara found at BB&Beyond.  Light blue and Brown ROCK AND ROLL!!!  Love it!

bedding ideas

a quick search on Babies R Us and I found these; girl bedding is so much cuter!  I don't really like animals but thought the simple giraffe was cute and I like the mix of fabrics!

look what we got!

2 cribs!  My uncle is going to go check them out and if they look like the pics he is going to buy them for me!  Thanks Wes for finding these at such a great deal!  (yes i did check and they are NOT on the recall list!!)

Yippie! I have babies on the way!

disappointing news...but it's ok

I just called my Dr office to see if they would be doing an u/s at my appointment and they said no that they didn't have it on the schedule.  So, I guess on Thursday when we leave we will find out when we will find out the sexes.  I still plan on asking her if she can do a quick ultrasound...but I am not feeling very confident about it.  Here's to learning some more patience!

How far along: 16 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 11 pounds
Maternity clothes: yup
Stretch marks: nope  
Sleep:  still getting up to use the restroom 4 plus times a night, I am used to my new pillow for my side sleeping and I am sleeping better, poor Chris has to freeze while I switch sides and uncover him in the process.  He is too good to complain.  
Best moment this week:   this week was not so great, I was focused on my head cold
Gender: hoping to find out on THURSDAY!
Belly button in or out?: In, but it is wider and not as deep
Craving: being sick I was not interest in food very much.  
What I miss: not much, i am so happy to have these little ones inside me!
What I am looking forward to:  my DR apt on THURSDAY!! did I mention that it was this THURSDAY...even if we don't find out the sexes, we should know the date for the next ultrasound and when we should be able to find out!!!

baby center dot com "Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.  The top of your uterus is about halfway between your pubic bone and your navel, and the round ligaments that support it are thickening and stretching as it grows. You're probably feeling a whole lot better as you settle into pregnancy, too. Less nausea, fewer mood swings, and "glowing" skin contribute to an overall sense of well-being.  Soon you'll experience one of the most wonderful moments of pregnancy — feeling your baby move. While some women notice "quickening" as early as 16 weeks, many don't feel their baby move until about 18 weeks or more. (And if this is your first baby, don't be too impatient — you may not be aware of your baby's movements until 20 weeks or so.) The earliest movements may feel like little flutters, gas bubbles, or even like popcorn popping. Over the following weeks they'll grow stronger and you'll be able to feel them much more frequently."

What a night....

technically it is still night time.  It is 4:45 as I begin to type this.  I have been awake for the past 3+ hours tossing and turning.  First my soar throat woke me up and I had to get a cough drop, while I was awake I went ahead and used the opportunity to pee & blow my nose.  Well, when I got back and bed and hoped to fall right back asleep that was a joke.  My soar throat has gotten worse, my head began to have another head ache from blowing my nose and now the worst case of heartburn has come on IN MY LIFE!!!  The burning starts right below where my raw throat hurts and goes down into my stomach.  But that not all, my back and shoulder muscles have tightened up and no position is comfortable.  So, I took some tums and kept trying to get comfy.  I even tried the couch.  After that didn't' work I woke Chris up and got him to massage my shoulders, which did help for the 10 minutes he did it, the then scratched my back and went back to sleep.  I think I may have dosed off for a few minutes but then the heartburn and muscle cramping in my back hit me like a brick wall and I was wide awake again.  So, here I am at now almost 5am awake squinting at the PC screen b/c I didn't put my contacts in and every few minutes I have to blow my nose e or take a break to massage my aching shoulders.

I know I asked for this pregnancy and  Iam not complaining, but yes I am complaining.  Why did this heartburn attack have to happen when I am trying to get over this horrible head cold.  I hope I am not gong to make this heart bun wost but I am hungy so I am gong to SLOWLY eat a 1/2 bagel with just a little butter, can I get any more bland?  You shouold have seen all the typos before I fixed them and if this post doesnt't make any sense, I appoligize.  if you got this far reading tgis thanks for listening to a crazy sick lady on the middle of the night.

15 weeks

How far along: 15 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 10 pounds, weighed in this morning we are right on track for twins!
Maternity clothes: yup
Stretch marks: nope, but did buy some coco butter/shea butter lotion this morning on the way to work.
Sleep:  still getting up to use the restroom 4 plus times a night, I did make myself a pillow out of extra memory foam from our mattress pad.  We named it the square sponge bob pillow.   
Best moment this week:   relief of switching doctors 
Gender: to early to know still, but thinking they are boys hoping at our next DR apt on the 17th they will do an U/S and we might find out!
Belly button in or out?: In, but it is wider and not as deep
Craving: not much this week, most food doesn't sound very appetizing.  
What I miss: sleeping on my stomach
What I am looking forward to:  Feeling them move, I may have felt a few little flutters/popcorn popping sensations but until they are more frequent I can't be sure. Finding out the sex of these little ones!  I can't wait and I am NOT a patient person......urgh!

baby center dot com: Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")  The picture is of twins at 16 weeks, hey close enough for me!! Wanted to post it while I saw it! 

Belly pic hopefully to be taken tomorrow, poor husband was so sleepy and sick this morning I couldn't ask him to get out of bed.  

blood type

So, I called my "old" dr office that I am switching away from to ask my blood type.  In the computer, they have me switching to another dr office, but then when she retrieved my file she realized she didn't have the consent form to release my file (therefore it was not sent as I was informed).  After some consulting with another lady (which I could hear EVERYTHING-they were very confused and some shuffling of papers) she found the release form that I faxed last week and was going to make sure to send my file today to my "new" dr office. 

I was going to call the "new" office to find out my blood type, but then decided just to call the "old" office and I am glad I did!!  This way at our DR apt on the 17th they will have all my information.

Anyway, I am O positive.  Just thought it would be good to know.  Now, I wonder what blood type Chris is.....

cool twin article

http://www.newsweek.com/id/225492

This is about Chinese twins separated at birth and then how they found each other and their adopted families, a really sweet article-worth the read. 

who wants to buy me these?

I need these....though I don't know where I found this picture.....

announcement

I have officially divorced under-wire bras until further notice. 

i've offically switched DR's

I have been having some reservations about my doctors office for a while.  Mostly, it seems there is a serious disorganization there and several other friends that are patients have had some "bad" experiences.  The last thing I want at the end of this pregnancy is stress and regret about not switching doctors. 

I feel so much better about switching back to my old doctors office, even though they are going to make me repeat the health education with the nurse and it is going to cost us some extra money, but in the long run it will be worth it.  I haven't had anything but great experiences with this doctors office. 

Today I had to:

1. call my old "new" dr office and set up appointments
2. call the other dr to get my file transfered
3. fax in the release to transfer my file
   
4. call the money department to get a credit for services paid for that I haven't used

I am hoping at the apointment on the 17th they will do an ultrasound and we might find out the sex of these 2 beans that I am cookin!

14 weeks!

How far along: 14 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: not sure, I forgot to weigh myself again (as  you can tell I am not really concerned about it)
Maternity clothes: yup
Stretch marks: nope
Sleep:  Still peeing about 4 times a night, no more tummy time for the mommy to be.  I am having a hard time finding a new position to fall asleep in.
Best moment this week:   Thanksgiving with family and friends! 
Gender: to early to know still, but thinking they are boys
Belly button in or out?: In, but it is wider and not as deep
Craving: I did eat some pickles the other day that tasted AMAZING!   
What I miss: nada
What I am looking forward to:  Feeling them move, still nothing yet.

Milestones: Our first baby gift from their Aunt Robyn. Here is a pic, thanks Aunt Robyn for the diapers, does this mean you will come and change them often??  I hope so!

From Baby Center:  This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

29 things I am thankfull for at 29

A day late, but no less thankful (in no specific order):

1. My loving Husband who takes care of me and our family's needs
2. My sister Sara who is my bouncing board and confidant
   
3. My sister Robyn who is growing up into a beautiful woman and finding her feet
4. My parents and their love
5. My wonderfully large family of in-laws and their even larger hearts full of love
6. My cousins who keep me laughing and are beautiful inside and out.
7. My new minivan that my husband bought for our growing family
8. My friends who invited us to thanksgiving with their family
9. The food that is in our fridge and on our tables
   
10. My job that I enjoy (most of the time!); but that I have learned so much while working there
    
11. My health 
12. The twins growing inside of me, and the 2 sacs that they are in
13. Our God, our savior who saved us by grace
14. The roof over our head, and the safe place to sleep at night
15. My family's health
16. That I get to make my grandmother's wish of making her a GREAT Grandmother in 2010!
17. My best friend that I am getting to go through life big changes with, who understands me even when I am not being the best me.  
18. That I can pray whenever I want to and know that He is listening even to the smallest requests
19.  The education my parents gave me that brought me to this point in my life and will continue to give me what I need throughout my life
20. That my 1st trimester I didn't throw up from morning sickness
21. That I will still be 29 when our babies are born
22. That the Lord blessed our family with twins, with two little babies to love and hold
23. That I can eat almost whatever I want b/c I am supposed to gain weight right now!
24. That I have no school loans
25. The beautiful things that fill up my house making it our home, most of which were given to us and make it that much more sentimental
    
26. That we have no credit card debt
27. All my friends in real life and fellow IF'ers that have supported me this past year in one of the most difficult times of my life
    
28. That I don't have to be patient and wait any longer that my babies are on their way to my arms
    
29. The love from all my family and friends that surrounds me daily
    

a first!

So a complete stranger today ask if I was pregnant!!!  I was like yes, with TWINS!  She was so excited and I think it help me get the tag to my new minivan even faster b/c I told her I was starving and headed to lunch and she was like "well, we need to get you out of here to feed those babies".

13 weeks, entering 2nd Trimester

Woot woot!  2nd trimester here I am!!!

The twins are the size of 2 peaches!  Baby center dot com: "Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long and weighs nearly an ounce."

  
How far along: 13 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: not sure, I forgot to weigh myself
Maternity clothes: wearing maternity pants, and mostly regular tops if they are long enough to cover the random waistlines
Stretch marks: none that weren't there before the pregnancy!
Sleep:  Still peeing about 4 times a night, and able to sleep on my stomach.  I am enjoying being on my belly and back as long as I can!
Best moment this week:   When Chris said "you are really starting to show"!
Gender: to early to know still, but thinking they are boys
Belly button in or out?: In, but it is wider and not as deep
Craving: Not craving anything really, just hungry all the time and still somewhat nauseous.
What I miss: Here is what i don't miss...worrying if we will ever get pregnant! 
What I am looking forward to:  Feeling them move, some say you can feel at 14 weeks which would be next week!  
Milestones:  Starting the second trimester and hopefully still feeling this good or even better. As my DR put it, better enjoy this time because at the end I am going to be miserable.  I was reading a blog by a lady who is 29 weeks with twins and she says she doesn't know how she would be able to work right now b/c she is so uncomfortable. That her legs feel like she has run a marathon ever day.

And without any further ado: my belly shot!

christmas comes on monday or tuesday!!!

Our new minivan will be here Monday or Tuesday next week!! I am super excited!!! YIPPIE!!!!

12 weeks

So this is the last week of my first trimester.  It started so slow and has started to fly by!  I can't say that I mind because I am ready to hold these little ones.

How far along: 12 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: gained 5 pounds
Maternity clothes: wearing maternity pants, and mostly regular tops if they are long enough to cover the random waistlines
Stretch marks: none that weren't there before the pregnancy!
Sleep:  Still peeing about 4 times a night, and able to sleep on my stomach.  I am enjoying being on my belly and back as long as I can!
Best moment this week:   Seeing the babies on friday and knowing they are growing right on track!
Gender: to early to know still, but thinking they are boys
Belly button in or out?: In
Craving: Pancakes!  I ate them 2 days in a row!
What I miss: my old beautiful house (even though I wouldn't go back) I wish we had a house so I could start thinking about the nursery.
What I am looking forward to: Next week being in the 2nd Trimester!
Milestones:Last week in the first trimester. I have to say it has been pretty easy!  Even though I have been nauseous all the time, thankfully no vomiting! 

How are babies are growing this week:
babycenter dot com

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long  and weighs half an ounce.

Here is what twins look like in the womb.  These are fraternal twins and ours seem closers together on the ultrasound.  Thanks baby center for the photo! I keep saying this, but I can't believe there are two in there! So unexpected!

11 week ultrasound pics

Here are our little babies!  The first one is how they were sleeping when we got there, all snuggled up together.  The second one is where baby A woke up and started wiggling.  Third picture is Baby A saying "hi mommy and daddy!"   Isn't our little alien just so cute!

dang hormones and stupid tree branches

The past few days have been so dreary, cold, and wet with howling winds.  So, this morning as I was backing out of our driveway all of a sudden I hear a horrible noise that could only be me running over something with the Jetta.  Well, it happened to be a massive tree limb (limb does not describe this arm of a tree!).  Well, I got out and dragged it out of the way...hoping and praying I would not be late AGAIN to work.  Well, after lunch today I was walking back to my little Jetta and noticed a HUGE dent under the bumper!  I feel like all I do recently is tear up our cars.  I scratched Chris's work van recently and now this. 

So, it was eating at me and I had to tell Chris and then I started crying.  Dang hormones, no way that I would have cried if I hadn't have been pregnant!  Sorry little ones to blame this on you, but it is your fault.  I forgive you, you are worth every tear.

I am worried about what I am going to do to our new minivan....oh wait! You haven't heard!  We bought a minivan!  We should get it by the end of the month.  It is leather inside and very nice, a 2005!  I am excited! 

just a random post

well, I feel like I am not posting as much as I used to, but it is because I am so happy being pregnant with these twins and thankfully there is not much to report.  I have had all day nauseousness, but thankfully not so bad that I have thrown up!!!!  That is my worst fear of pregnancy other than the obvious fear of labor or losing the babies. 

Well, I bought new slippers!  We are living in a rental house and I felt like I was ruining all my white socks by wearing them around and getting the bottoms dirty.  The choices were funny or granny slippers...so I picked funny (as you can see!).  Please ignore the cankles!

11 weeks!

How far along: 11 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: gained 4 pounds
Maternity clothes: wearing maternity pants, and mostly regular tops if they are long enough to cover the random waistlines
Stretch marks: none that weren't there before the pregnancy!
Sleep:  Still peeing about 4 times a night, and able to sleep on my stomach.  I am enjoying being on my belly and back as long as I can!
Best moment this week:   Going maternity clothes shopping with Christie!
Gender: to early to know still, but thinking they are boys
Belly button in or out?: In
Craving: Cheeseburgers and carmel chocolate covered apples from the holiday show!
What I miss: feeling like myself, but I am NOT complaining!
What I am looking forward to: ultrasound this FRIDAY!!!
Milestones: those close to me say they can see a small bump!  My sister calling me after seeing last weeks picture and freaking out!!

Baby center: "Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig(or a lime according to the bump), is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.  She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming."

10 weeks cont.

So week 10 and our babies are the size of a prune.  I don't like the picture so I am borrowing this from another blogger Pippy and what she used as her week 10 picture!  Thank you again to baby center dot com for their descriptions of what is going on in there this week:

"a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long."\

They also mentioned that my uterus is the size of a grapefruit!  I wonder since there are twins in there how big it really is!  By the way, the bump slide-show has been updated at the bottom of the blog!  Enjoy!

10 weeks

How far along: 10 weeks, 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: gained 2 pounds
Maternity clothes: down to only 2 pairs of pants that fit comfortably, I bought 3 pairs of maternity pants and LOVE them...even though they fall off of me.  I am sure I will grow into them quickly!
Stretch marks: I am thinking that I am doomed to have them now that there are 2 inside me, they will be worth every mark!
Sleep:  Still peeing about 4 times a night, and able to sleep on my stomach.  I am enjoying being on my belly and back as long as I can!
Best moment this week:   Getting my necklace!
Gender: to early to know still, but thinking they are boys
Belly button in or out?: In
Craving: I never eat the pickle that is next to a sandwich, but the other day I decided to take a bit and ended up eating the WHOLE pickle.  Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.  So, today I ate fried pickles from fincastles dipped in ranch sause...so good!  
What I miss: feeling like myself, but I am NOT complaining!
What I am looking forward to: Our next ultrasound on Nov 13th!
Milestones: 1/4 of the way there!!

My stickfigure family!

Make your Stick Figure Family at FreeFlashToys.com

9 weeks and a present for me!

Thank you to thebump dot com for letting me know that our babies are the size of olives!  According to babycenter they are the size of grapes!  Either way both sound kinda yummy! 

From the babycenter:  Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain.

Oh goodness, did you read that last line I put in bold?  We are poised for double rapid weight gain!! Here we go!


How far along: 9 weeks FINALLY!
Total weight gain/loss: gained 1/2 pound
Maternity clothes: Not yet, but i am planing on buying some soon.
Stretch marks: way to early for that!
Sleep: great except when I am peeing, I am up to 4 times a night and i've been sick all week so sleep has been harder due to a soar throat and runny nose :(
Best moment this week:   Finding out there might be a cleft meaning two sacks and our babies are less high risk.  Also, the new necklace that I ordered today from the jewel box.  It is my belated anniversary present from my husband!!  This is the first item we have bought since finding out I am pregnant!  Ours will look similar to this one except have a green dangle for May the month they are due!
Gender: Team green, still thinking they are boys
Belly button in or out?: In
Craving: nothing except EVERYTHING, I am eating every 2 hours.
What I miss: nothing...i am so excited to be pregnant finally!
What I am looking forward to: Our next ultrasound on Nov 13th!
Milestones: making it to 9 weeks, more than 1/2 way through the 1st trimester!

bump pic, 8 weeks 5 days

Still no visable bump, but from all the food I am eating I should have gained 10 pounds!!

medicad & insurance

I had left a message with a lady in the medicad office in Alamance county.  She called me back!  She said we should definatly apply. 

A little background on why we do not have maternity health insurance.  BlueCrossBlueSheild requires that you add maternity in November when the policy is being renewed.  Then you have to wait 6 months before getting pregnant.  There for you have to pay for the maternity coverage for 15 months at $500 a month that is $7500 if IF you get pregnant the first month.  In our case what could have happened was add the maternity (6 months) and try to conceive (14 months) equaling $10,000.  So, we decided that it would be better to pay out of pocket.  Well, what we didn't think would ever in a million years happend.  We are having twins, putting us into a high risk category and now we are stressing about medical bills.

So, anyway the lady from medicad had 2 suggestions for us.

1. We can apply for medicad after we have the babies and have over 6k in unpaid bills.  There are some other requirments that we will have to figure out, but she thinks we could be approved.  In this case they would pay for 1 month of our bills, so most likely the delivery and any hospital say for that 30 days.
2. The second option is even better (sort of).  If I go on bedrest and am no longer making an income we can apply and hopefully get the pregnacy medicad.  If we get this then ALL the bills will be paid for AND the babies health insurance will be paid for the first 13 months of their life!! This would be amazing. 

Of course we are not counting on either option actually happening but it is nice to know we might have a chance at getting some help.  Unfortunatly, I work for a company who does not do benifits and my husband's company is too small to have a health insurance group plan.

If anyone has any other suggestions for us, we are always open to hearing them!

1st OB apt today!

Well, that was an interesting appointment! That was the first male doctor that was ever "down there" and my husband had to watch!  Anyway, the DR did another u/s and the babies heart beats were 187 and 177!!!   They are growing right on track and are healthy!  The DR thinks he saw a cleft, meaning that their might be TWO SACKS!!!  We are still praying that they confirm the second sack at the next appointment .  If this is the case they will keep me at the clinic in Burlington and I won't have to be sent to Chapel Hill!!  This means there is less chance of being on bed rest and in the hospital!  One thing the DR mentioned was that I would be measuring full term at 28 weeks.  Basically, I will look like I am fully pregnant at 28 weeks and will still have at least 10 more weeks to go!  I am going to be a big belly and that I should enjoy being pregnant now because I am going to be uncomfortable later...but we are going to have two babies in our arms to kiss and love!

8 weeks again!

We are 8 weeks again this time two raspberrys.  No belly pic because our camera is broken.  I am going to have to get Chris to try and fix it soon or we are going to have to buy the video camera that we keep talking about!  I started back on the prescription prenatal vitamins for the twins and this morning I had to make Chris go to my car and get me some Ginger-ale before breakfast.  It is the weirdest feeling to be starving and nauseous at the same time!  So far today I have eaten:  a bagel with butter, 1 can of ginger-ale, a pack of peanut butter crackers, 3 ginger snap cookies, a chicken pita wrap with a side of fruit.  I did eat that in that order, yes that was some cookies before lunch!  I just finished lunch about 30 minutes ago and I am hungry again!  At least Chris is being sweet about letting me eat all I want, at first he thought I was being a dramatic pregnant lady, but now he knows it was the twins sucking all my energy!

In other news: I found out a girlfriend of mine has the same due date!  I am so excited that we are going to go through this together.  We are getting together for lunch tomorrow at one of my favorite restaurants downtown. 

How far along: 8 weeks (for the second time!)
Total weight gain/loss: 1/2 pound, i've lost a 1/2 pound somewhere in all this eating!
Maternity clothes: Not yet, but i am feeling the pants getting too tight
Stretch marks: way to early for that!
Sleep: great except when I am peeing, I am up to 4 times a night
Best moment this week:   1st ultrasound and finding out they are twins and healthy heartbeats
Gender: Team green, really thinking they are boys now
Belly button in or out?: In
Craving: nothing except EVERYTHING
What I miss: nothing...i am so excited to be pregnant finally!
What I am looking forward to: Our Dr apt on Wednesday to find out more info on MoMo twins
Milestones: Nov. 13th--2nd u/s

MoMo Twins

As of right now the doctors think we are having Monoamniotic Twins.  Basically, they share the same sack of fluid.  Please pray that at our Nov. 13th u/s they find a second sack.  This would be better for the development of the babies. If you are looking at the picture ours is the 3rd one down.  But we are hoping for the 2nd picture.  Thankfully, we are not the last picture!!!  I did ask this during the u/s and she said they are two SEPARATE bodies!
click here for more info

I included the link to the website where I found the picture and if you want to read more about our type of twins go there!  The shortened term is MoMo for Monochorionic/Monoamniotic twins.

u/s pics!

baby A and baby B together!

baby b

baby a