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