Update

Well I just got off the phone with the Dr.'s office and it looks like bedrest for the weekend (HAPPY NEW YEAR). I'm supposed to be doing 4 hours a day (which I did for about 3 days) but it seems close to impossible to do with 2 little ones and a husband (and a house that needs cleaning!)... I had a urine culture done and there is blood in my urine, apparently not good for 30 weeks pregnant:) So the party will be held on the couch (my bed) this weekend! I wish you all well....

50 Days... and counting

The maximum time left is 50 days! I'm feeling it now as the swelling has started! Oh how beautiful and puffy we can be late in pregnancy...lol. I'm hoping and praying it's normal swelling and nothing related to pre-eclampsia or high blood pressure.

Babies are well.... I think they got into their first fight yesterday. One would kick, then immediately the other one would kick back and on and on it went. I believe our little boy had the last kick.... it was entertaining for awhile.

I hope you all have a safe and wonderful New Year!

The couch...

Well I have officially termed the couch MY OWN BED! Ordinarily, it's not that comfortable, but with all the weight of my belly it's nice that it molds to my body. I don't have to shove pillows under my belly to keep it up! Sleeping is getting more uncomfortable by the day, but I'm thankful I can still sleep horizontal. My Peri had told me that I'd probably reach a point where only a reclining chair will work b/c of the pressure on my lungs! For now, I'm just thankful to get a few hours sleep and to be sleeping horizontally.

The only other "fun" thing to report is the swelling! Some days it's worse than others, but stepping out of bed (my couch) and walking in the morning is a little painful! Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, just keeping everyone informed of the exciting things we encounter with pregnancy! Knowing what is to come is worth every bit of pain and uncomfortableness! In about 53 days (or less) I'll be holding my precious little ones.... I can't wait!

Few more pics...

29 Weeks!

I hope you all had a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! We sure did... but it was mostly due to the excitement our kids created. They are at perfect ages to enjoy the hype of the holidays! Since our family is ALL back east, we celebrated Christ's birth (by giving gifts:) home alone this year. Keller reminded me so much of ME as a kid. He had trouble falling asleep b/c of his excitement... then was talking in his sleep about santa coming down chimney and eating cookies... etc (he does know santa isn't real, but loves to play up the story). He woke up at 2:00, 4:00 and then at 7:30 asking if Santa came yet. He raced downstairs and was just yelling and running around screaming about 100's of presents (which was the furthest from the truth)! Saylor wanted to sleep in with daddy and didn't care to even go look! (FOR SURE KINGSLEY'S GENES IN THERE) I had told Kingsley, "it's a matter of seconds before he comes racing up and wanting us to come down and see"... and before words were out of my mouth we heard the pitter patter of his feet come racing up the stairs.... "mommy, daddy, you HAVE to come see this, hurry, HURRY". My heart just melted and tears welled up (yes, it's pregnancy related) because I remember that EXACT moment I had every single Christmas as a kid. (I'll admit .... it's not as fun being the parent:) That moment was priceless. Needless to say, we had a great morning!!!

Later in the afternoon, we had our closest friends drive up with their 4 kids to spend the day with us. They added so much fun and joy to our day. My UTI started acting up (on ALL days!) and I was unable to cook, stand, etc... I felt so helpless. My good friend (who is ALSO pregnant, 26 weeks along) took over the kitchen and cooked, cleaned, managed 6 kids etc. I don't know how she did it, but I must have thanked God for her 100 times yesterday afternoon. I am now a FIRM believer in superwoman... meanwhile the boys all played games on the Wii and we had fun watching them....

It was a fun and memorable day! Next year we'll have little 10 month olds crawling everywhere and eating the paper I'm sure:)

I PASSED!

Well the news I've been waiting for ... for almost 29 weeks.... I passed the GT 3 hour test! I was quite excited to hear the news so that I could enjoy all the "fixings" on Christmas Day. My OB heard their heartbeats nice and strong and my uterus measured normal for twins at 29 weeks. The only negative side to the appointment is that I think I have UTI (infection).... I had to go to the lab right after my appointment. I find out today if that is the case. I am kind of praying that IT IS... because if not, then the symptoms lead more towards pre-eclampsia which is quite dangerous! So all went well yesterday.

Other than that I'm starting to swell a little (in the mornings)... which I did with both Keller and Saylor, so it's no surprise. Standing hurts, but now sitting does as well. Laying down is the only way to relieve the pressure of both babies being head down. I was ordered to spend 2 hours on my left side (laying down) in the morning/afternoon and 2 hours on right side in the late afternoon!

Babies are doing well.... not kicking as much as moving. I feel huge body parts protruding out and it's fun to kind of push them back in! My little girl isn't so mean anymore.... she doesn't mind you touching her like she used to!
So that is the update for now.

I think I need to go put some Christmas music on and start wrapping some gifts! It will be such a fun Christmas (well as fun as it can be w/o mimi and diddy playing Santa Claus)!!! We are having our very good friends come up in the afternoon for some food, fun and sledding (hopefully). Their family means so much to us, so it'll be nice to still be with "family" on Christmas. I pray (and I just did so that I didn't lie in writing that) that everyone who reads this has a blessed Christmas and remembers the reason we celebrate.... the birth of our Saviour....

SNOW!

He's LOVING the snow!

Professional sledders!








It's not often we see snow here.... come to think of it the ONLY time you see snow in southern California is if you DRIVE to see it! So that is what we did. We drove north about 30 minutes to let the kids "experience" snow. We found a great little place for sledding. Keller had such a fun time sledding with Daddy while Saylor complained it was too cold the whole time! For a kid who didn't enjoy teeball too much, Keller sure enjoyed throwing quite a few snowballs! It was such a fun and memorable afternoon! We hope to do it again soon.

little man

Here is our little man at 28 weeks gestation. He kept us entertained the whole time:)

Saturday...

Well I made it! Not sure if I passed the GT test, but at least made it through w/o fainting! I got pretty dizzy and the nurse was checking on me every 5 min, but all went well and I've got some nice bruises on both arms to show for my labor:) I'll get the results on Tuesday.

Today is going to be an exciting day for both our kids.... we are driving to see SNOW! Keller saw snow in Ohio when he was around 1, and we saw a little snow in Phoenix (of all places) 2 years ago, but this will probably be the first time both kids REMEMBER the snow! They are quite excited and have gathered their sweatshirts (sad they don't own coats!) and scarves! I'm hoping we can borrow some sleds so they get to experience what "real sledding" is like. Our little town imports snow (which lasts a few hours) for our boat parade, but it's not the same as having hills and hills of REAL SNOW! I'm quite excited as well (though I'm not sure I can do the sledding thing), but it will remind me of the good ole days I had in Ohio as a kid. My dad always took us on some incredible snow sledding adventures. I loved seeing my dad act like a kid when the sleds came out... he would dodge trees and zip around bushes (sometimes we landed in them!) I loved that he encouraged us to be daring and take risks.... we always had the most memorable experiences even when we got hurt it made it even MORE fun! Thank you dad!

Well I have 2 more hours to kill at this glucose test... So I figured I'd update my blog from my peri appointment! Everything went perfectly, in fact it was better than I expected! Both babies are head down right now (thus the incredible pelvic pressure). I thought just our son was down but I guess his sister followed his lead! They both looked huge on the ultrasound! She is weighing in at 2.8 lbs while he is 2.6 lbs! It was amazing to see all 4 chambers of their heart! At this point they would notice any irregular heartbeat or murmur.. Both hearts were pumping beautifully! Their spines and other bones and organs all looked perfect as well! Our daughter was the shy one this time so we didn't get any pictures of her... But got a few good ones of our little man! He was so busy playing with his foot the whole time! He seemed fascinated by his toes and both hands were playing with it like it was a toy! So adorable!
I had asked the peri why they don't let mothers of twins go to 40 weeks. He said because twins mature (lungs develop etc) at a faster rate than a singleton... Full term or 40 weeks is 37 weeks for twins! Said after that point the placenta doesn't really nourish them and can deteriorate. He said even though I am 28 weeks the twins are developed at a 31 week fetus stage! Thus the reasons twins can be born at a premie stage with nothing wrong with them! That was quite comforting to hear! He said average twin births occur around 35 weeks.... That is February 3 for me!
So that is the update! The kids love going and seeing their "twins" and we were blessed to have Kingsley join is too! I know it's possible for one or both babies to change positions... I pray they stay head down!
I am so thankful to God who has allowed me to sail through this pregnancy with no problems. I know He is in control of all things! How comforting!
She (the nurse) is calling me in for another blood draw. She was nice and used small needles today. I asked her why would use bigger needles.... Apparently they can do that if you upset them! I've been kissing some butt with her to avoid big needles!

CBR

I've had it on my to do list for a few months and finally got around to finalizing the CBR (cord blood registry). We banked both Keller and Saylor's cord blood stem cells and are so thankful we did, as stem cell research is curing things we never thought it could (Type 1 diabetes, cerebral palsy, leukemia, etc). Of course our prayer is that we never have to use it, but in the case that we do, it's priceless to have. Selfishly (but never a reason), I'm thankful because for the mother you have 100% match. Father's aren't as "lucky", I believe their chances for a match are 25%. Many of you know our beliefs in medicine and drug therapy, so to have all of our children with banked cord blood stem cells is such a blessing. I thank Kingsley for allowing us (in philosophy and financially) to make the decision. (If you happen to read this honey, I love you). I have a few relatives and friends pregnant right now, so if you are interested, I can give you my contact guy at CBR... he is great! One of the best parts of the process is the collection. Because it takes 10-15 minutes to extract the stem cells from the umbilical cord, they place my babies on me all gooey and bloody (and still connected to me with umbilical cord) for those 10 minutes instead of rushing them off to be cleaned up. It is the most precious 10 minutes I have with them! I'm getting all teary eyed just thinking about it.

I'm also 28 weeks complete today.... so on to my 29th week. I will sigh a sigh of relief once I hit 32 weeks as the problems they will have (if born that early) will be minimal (Lord Willing). I also go to see my Peri today. I always look forward to getting a glance of my 2 babies... and it's almost as shocking as first finding out I was having twins. I still can't believe it. I have a hunch (could be WAY OFF) that our little boy is head down? Either that or he's kicking less and using arms to hit more... I'm feeling the kicks higher instead of lower now.

I'll post the HUGE belly picture later... hope you all enjoy the weekend.

Nothing new

I'm not posting much, because there is really nothing to post. All is well. My stomach is getting larger by the day making ordinary tasks quite hard. Sleeping is not as restful as it has been before as I wake up every time I turn b/c of the weight of my stomach hitting the mattress! Our little guy is much more active than his sister. I have a peri appointment on Thursday and then my 3 hour glucose test on Friday, and a regular OB appointment Tuesday. It'll be a busy week.

a pregnancy moment....

There are so many times I forget something, or do something stupid, trip, put clean laundry BACK IN WASHER TO CLEAN or put clean dishes in fridge, etc.... but last night was a good one. We were invited to my neighbor's HUGE Christmas party and with Kingsley out of town, I thought it would be fun to take the kids. So we all get dressed up and go over. I'm there almost an hour (meeting a ton of people), when I keep feeling something scratching my neck. I reached up and realized I had put my shirt on INSIDE OUT and BACKWARDS... the tag was just sticking out for everyone to see. I quickly ran to the bathroom and changed it, but it was completely obvious and completely ME! I'm not so sure it was pregnancy related since I've had that happen on numerous occasions..... I guess Kingsley is right about one thing... I do need to work on being more observant!!!

27 week belly bump

3rd TRIMESTER BEGINS!!!

It's the home stretch... the 3rd trimester! Right now the little one's are weighing over 2 lbs each... which is great if I go into early labor! I've gained almost 20 lbs. in this pregnancy and if I keep it to 1 lb a week over the next 9 weeks... I should keep it under 30 which is INSANE considering I gained 40-45 with Keller and Saylor! Not sure why the difference. Maybe it's the extreme morning sickness that did a number on me or it could be that I just can't eat as much since there isn't room in my stomach (nor do I want heartburn). Whatever it is, it hasn't been too intentional!

The twins have been nice to me lately, not too much movement. I get a tad worried at times, but then i'll feel a little flutter here or there. I believe counting kicks to make sure they are OK starts at 28 weeks.

I can't wait to see who/what they look like... I'm getting excited to hold them both and love on them. It's just a few weeks now and I'll be able to kiss them to no end. For now, they receive plenty of kisses from big sister Saylor. She loves to hug and kiss on the belly and tell them how much she loves them. I'm praying her excitement stays when we bring them home!

Off to finish Christmas Shopping....

All is well

Everything checked out great today. Both babies are still in the breech position. Our little girl's heartbeat was around 150 and our little guy's was 155. Blood pressure, weight, etc... are all where they should be. The only bad thing was he (Dr.) did not give me the green light to go to vegas... not even a glimmer of hope... it was an absolute NO!!! (so to my wonderful friends who steered me away from the idea of going..YOU WIN:) So I'll be home this weekend... and ON BED REST! He wasn't impressed that I haven't been off my feet for 2-3 hours in the afternoons.... so starting my 28th week (next week) he wants 4 hours bed rest a day! YIKES. I did come home and lay down for 2 hours .... so I'm starting to get the "obedience" concept:)

As I suspected...

Well it's off to the 3 hour glucose test... AGAIN FOR THE 3rd TIME! After drinking 50 grams of sugar, my blood sugar levels didn't come down far enough for the cutoff levels. I barely missed the mark. I figured that would happen since it happened with both Keller and Saylor. I dread the 3 hour as it's a fasting test, then spikes your insulin and it drops, etc.... I almost passed out with Saylor! I'll probably go a in for the test in a few days. I'm debating going to Vegas this weekend, and I don't want to stress about it all. I have another Dr. appointment tomorrow, so hopefully there will be more to report...

75 days left.... 10 weeks and counting.

When I think about 10 weeks ago (which seems like yesterday) I realize how fast the twins will be here. I keep thinking "I have time, lots of it", but in reality ... I DO NOT! I guess even when you are not pregnant life is like that. We all assume we have tomorrow or next week, but we aren't promised that. So with that in mind... I'm packing my hospital bag. I remember with Keller that there wasn't time to pack my bag once my water broke, so I was glad I had packed WELL IN ADVANCE (he was 3 weeks early too). It feels like forever since I've been in the hospital and I forget what I may need. Feel free to email or post any creative suggestions that may help!

Part of my urgency to pack came last night when I thought I was on my way to L & D (labor and delivery). I started dozing off on the couch when I was quickly awakened to such a painful, very painful feeling. Saylor had jumped right on top of my belly with her little 38 lb body and every muscle in my uterus contracted and wouldn't relax. For 20 minutes I laid there in pain, just crying b/c I couldn't move. Keller instantly was by my sides rubbing my back and getting me water, hugging me and giving me all the "i love you's" i could possibly ask for. I called Kingsley who came home and got the kids in bed. Once the muscles relaxed (and I relaxed) I started having painful contractions .... just a few of them... but they were not the typical braxton hicks! I debated calling my OB, but I thought, "he'll only ask far apart they are" and at that point they were not close enough to warrant a visit into L&D! So with this in perspective, I need to make sure I'm ready at any given time. (again, even when not pregnant, a good principle to live by). I pray I can cook these two little ones long enough to a safe delivery..... maybe I'll invest in a shield to protect them for now:)

Saylor kept getting out of bed and peeking over the balcony. I realized that because she internalizes everything that she was probably having trouble getting to sleep b/c of the situation. I hobbled upstairs and she just grabbed me and hugged me like she never has before. She very quietly kept asking "mommy, which twin did I hurt" (i'm sure she was hoping nothing happens to her beloved sister)... she was trying to hold back her tears, which made me lose it. I kept reassuring her that it's going to be O.K. and that it was an accident, and she has nothing to be sad about. She asked me to stay with her until she fell asleep. It was a precious moment to know that she just wanted reassurance that mommy loved her.

So ... now to finish packing my hospital bag!

26 Weeks and glucose tolerance test

Well today ends my 26th week and begins my 27th week! What better way to celebrate than with the yummy glucose test? I went in for the one hour screening test... . I usually fail the 1 hour and pass the 3 hour test... so we'll see if my body reacts the same with twins. The nurse seemed to think that most her patients with twins went on to have gestational diabetes. There is something about the placenta constantly putting glucose in the blood???? Not sure, I'll have to google that one, but if it's true, 2 placenta's would make my pancreas work twice as hard! I should get the results back on Tues when I go to my OB appointment!

Belly Button

It's official... my innie is now an outie..... I will spare you the pictures!

My sweet Saylor

Here are a few more pictures of our weekend in Arizona. We had such an amazing time with "Mimi" and "Diddy".

Thanksgiving Day

Here is how we spent our Thanksgiving Day....

25 Week Belly Bump

It's a day early, but I'm sure we'll be busy (EATING) tomorrow! I went to the Dr.'s yesterday and everything was great... again. The only thing that has changed was the expected bedrest. It's not too bad... 3 hours a day off my feet. I think it's much needed at this point. He also advised me NOT to travel:( Apparently labor/delivery moves quickly and sometimes unexpected with twins whereas a singleton you can see symptoms a little earlier and "prepare". We still plan on going to Arizona. My dad is friends with a good OB out there in case anything happens. We are excited to see Mimi and Diddy again before life gets too hectic!

Prayer...

Well yesterday's opthomologist appointment did not go as well as our previous appointment. Keller's vision in his left eye is starting to deteriorate again. It's back to 20/50 with glasses!! It seems the amblyopia (or lazy eye) is starting to return. Once the brain stops using the eye, there is nothing they can do to "fix it", so our attempts are to help the brain use the eye before it completely gives up. This has been an on going struggle. These last few months Keller had the option of wearing his glasses all day or patching for 2-3 hours. Since we "lost" (or Keller hid) his glasses we ended up patching, but not consistently. Now he MUST wear his glasses everyday, there is no option. I will also patch each day in addition. Once he reaches 7-8 years old his vision issues will be permanent, so our goal is to improve it as much as possible. It breaks my heart to see him realize more and more of the severity of his eye mutation. He saw a cross disection of an eye at the Dr. office and asked if his looked like that. We explained he was missing the "strings" that connect the eye to the brain. In his sweet innocent voice he says "Mommy, I'm all done having a hurt eye, will God give me a new healthy one soon?".... The Dr. we go to is a believer and she grabbed his leg and said "Keller God does NOT make mistakes, even if we think they are mistakes, God knows better than we do and we need to trust Him"! She encouraged him through a few stories as well. She has been a HUGE blessing in our lives. I didn't realize how little he can see with his left eye. When she patched his right eye he said "where did mommy go?" I had been sitting a few feet away from him! He's been so dependent on one eye, and we had little idea how he was shutting off from using the left eye! All that to say, if you think about it, please pray for him and for his vision to improve!!!

Interesting facts (2)....

Where
YOUNGEST MOTHERS/FATHERS OF TWINS & TRIPLETS
Details
--YOUNGEST MOTHERS OF TWINS--
The youngest mother of twins is Donna Dowman of England, conceived twins at 13 and had Rachel and Rebecca at age 14 in 1997. Nicola Doherty of England had her twins Courteney and Caitlyn April 20, 1997 when she was 14.

--YOUNGEST FATHER OF TWINS--
The youngest father of twins is James Sutton of England, who was 13 when his girlfriend Sarah Drinkwater (age 17) had identical twins Leah and Louise in late 1999.

--MOST TWINS--
Mrs. Fyodor Vassilyev of Shuya, Russia (1702 or 07- June 16 1782) gave birth to 16 sets of twins (in addition to 7 sets of triplets & 4 sets of quads.). She had a total of 69 children, 67 of whom survived infancy who were born between 1725 - 1765. Mrs. Mary Jonas who died in 1899 had 15 sets, and all were boy/girl.

-LONGEST INTERVAL BETWEEN TWINS--
Mrs Peggy Lynn gave birth to Hanna on November 11 1995 and twin Eric on February 2 1996, 84 days later, the longest interval between twins. The previous record was held by Mrs. Danny Berg of Italy, who had Diana on December 23 1987 and her twin Monica on January 30 1988, 38 days later. The Keys family of Louisiana had their twins 95 days apart, in 1994 and 1995.

24 Week Peri appointment

My suspicions were confirmed at this weeks Dr. appt. Our little girl did indeed go transverse (sideways) and is still in that position! Our little guy however decided to go into a breach position! His position is the only one I'm concerned with as we get closer to delivery, because he is considered "twin A", the closest to the cervix. He is the one who will be delivered first, so his position determines whether we attempt a natural delivery or a c-section. They can of course still flip and change positions multiple times in the weeks to come, so we still have time to manipulate him to get into the right position!
Both babies weighed in at a whopping 1.5 lbs! They are expected to be 3 lbs. by Christmas! They are right on track in the growth department. Not too big or too small. Our little guy got bored of taking pictures and turned his back to us before the 3D machine was turned on, but our little girl was quite the little model! She was opening and shutting her eyes, opening and shutting her mouth, sucking on fingers, scratching ear, etc. She reminded me so much of Saylor when I saw her at my 38 week ultrasound. They have the same little nose and mouth! From what I could tell from the 2D ultrasound, our little guys seems to have Kingsley's nose. Because she is transverse and he is breach, her feet are right on top of his head and he is getting a facial beating from her constantly!!! I guess it's payback for him kicking her a few weeks ago! I can't wait to hold them both and kiss them to no end.
The only other thing they checked was that there was equal amounts of amniotic fluid in both placenta's, and there was. Their cords were not wrapped around their neck nor did they have any obvious knots in either one of them. The Dr. measured organs (heart, kidney's, bladder, etc) and everything is growing right where it should be.
My cervix is still 4-4.5 in length which was the BEST news, because now we can travel to Mimi's and Diddy's for thanksgiving. We weren't planning on going since my OB didn't want me traveling after my 24th week, but since the appt. went so well I believe we can take a little car ride over to Arizona for a few days! Get that broccoli casserole ready mom.... I'm coming for it!!!

23.5 Week Belly Bump

It's late, but here is a picture of this week's progression... I seem to be carrying low now... so maybe our girl turned? We'll found out on Thursday at the peri appt.

23 Weeks

Always a new and FUN symptom to experience and this week it's the HEARTBURN!!! The myth is that it means the baby has a lot of hair... not sure how true that is, but if it is, with doubling the amount of hair, I have double the heartburn!!! I seriously feel like I'm breathing fire most the time. It's an awful feeling, but I try to remember what the end result of all this is!

A new difficulty, or something that is close to impossible is shaving!!! I just can't bend or flex in too many positions.... nor can I see past my belly, so having 2 smooth legs won't happen anytime soon. Apparently I had a few rough patches, and Saylor was QUICK to point them out to me... (yes, we are still wearing shorts here in CA)

I should be experiencing a big growth spurt in the next 4 weeks. The babies are supposed to double in size by week 27-28! I can't imagine getting twice the size I am, but we'll wait and see I guess. Today was quite interesting. Our little girl decided to go transverse (sideways) for about 20 min or so. I could feel her moving and I looked down to see a giant growth like thing (her head) protruding out from the right side of my belly! I know not to touch or poke at her as she kicks or head butts quite hard... so I just sat and watched. I had this big round pregnant belly with a HUGE growth on the side... it looked really funny! After awhile she adjusted and found a more comfortable position. For a few minutes I just sat and imagined the day I'd be kissing her sweet head. It's amazing to realize just a little skin, some fat, muscle and tissue separate her head from my hand.

I will have to upload the belly shot later.... I have a hot date tonight and need to get ready (add about 2-3 hours of cleaning!)

Double Digits!!!

99 days left until my due date..... (just subtract 21 days from the rotating baby on the right).... that puts me 37 weeks.... full term for these two little ones... Funny because I feel like I could go in 10 days!

Another appt.

The appointment went well. My blood pressure, weight, babies weight and uterus growth is right on track.... They always ask if the twins are "active" and I said "well, my little boy is, but my girl is lazy".... The Dr. wanted to make sure there was ample supply of amniotic fluid around them, so I received another ultra sound. Both were active (VERY active) with good strong heart beats. They looked HUGE to me... they are over a pound each and are over 8 inches from head to "rump". I asked him a few questions and we were on our way. I know you may get tired of reading about boring appointments, but boring appointments are always good from my perspective....

More pictures

Pictures are of Pismo Beach and Morro Bay

22 Week Belly bump

22 week belly! This was taken on Pismo Beach, where our resort was located. Kingsley and I had such an amazing (and much needed) weekend away at a marriage retreat! We had a chance to talk (without interruptions), and dream/goal about our family. Part of our homework was to come up with a "mission statement" (most businesses have them, churches, etc... so why not a marriage?) It was really wonderful to think and ponder about where we want to take our family and what we want to portray to the world. I am blessed and beyond thankful for my family and the responsibilities God has given me. I want to be more purposeful in my days so that each minute is truly working towards our goal as a family...

Aside from the incredible seminars, Kingsley and I traveled north to Cambria, CA. We ate the best (beef:) ribs in the world, then went and shopped around in Morro Bay. We got to see quite a few dolphins and sea lions swimming around! We then drove down to the Apple Farm for MORE food and headed back to the beach!

It was the perfect weekend!

22 weeks

22 weeks down and 15 to go (hopefully)! Kingsley and I are up in Pismo beach at a marriage retreat so I don't have a picture to upload... But thanks to the iPhone I can atleast post!
The twins are doing well... Or atleast I think they are! I actually spend WAY too much time laying on my back and watching them go crazy! Other than my uterus hitting my diaphragm and making breathing almost impossible (and making digestion difficult)... I am doing well!
I met a woman at the retreat with boy/girl twins (now 21) and it's been fun picking her brain and hearing stories!!! It got me even more excited for the opportunity ahead... But also nervous for some of the "things to come"!! She was explaining that towards the end, her belly got so big and heavy that she would black out if she laid on her back! I've read about that but never met anyone who had the joy of experiencing it. She said it made ultrasounds very difficult. They could only do a few minutes at a time before she started blacking out. I'm sure she'll share more stories as the weekend continues, and I can't wait to hear ALL of them!

The kids are staying with friends and I miss them so much already. I can't wait to see their little faces when we return. B... if you are reading this, words can't express my gratitude for your willingness to help.... especially with your "plate" full right now. What a blessing you are to me! I love you.

It's ELECTION DAY!

If you are an American citizen... GO VOTE!!! Not to mention you'll get a free starbucks coffee, krispy kreme doughnut and a scoop of ben and jerry's ice cream.....

My first try at bed rest....

Well I failed my first try at bed rest! As of Friday I was put on full bed rest due to some MINOR spotting. (just until Monday, today) I wasn't even going to call the Dr., but figured with the weekend approaching and if it got worse, I wanted to know my options. SO...... since I down played it they said I could stay home, but had to be on full bed rest. If anything changed I would have to go into labor and delivery to have my cervix checked to make sure I'm not going into early labor!!! It could just be a capillary. Needless to say, the first 2 hours were great, but then it quickly got old. Just 2 days (ok, 1 day... went to church on sunday and ran errands) was horrible. I have so much to get done (and am moving slower by the day). I am really going to try to slow down and rest more so that I can avoid ANY bed rest in the future.

The GOOD part about the weekend, was that we got a HUGE storm (storms just don't happen here in CA... EVER!). I woke up 3am on friday morning thinking I was back in OHIO! In the 10 years of living here, I've never heard thunder or seen lightning and rain is a 5 min deal in the afternoon. SO.... to wake up to such a rare event was GREAT! I was so excited I couldn't sleep. I know you Ohioians think I'm crazy, but it was such an fun thing to experience (and have kids experience). It rained and stormed most of friday as well.

I'm off to get a few things done while I'm feeling "energized". Hope you all enjoyed your weekend.

21 week belly bump

OK so here I am at 21 weeks..... looking rough because I had watched 5 kids night before and was exhausted (or am I just looking for an excuse???) Anyway, my Dr. appt went well. I found out that c-section or not, he'd let my mother sit in with us... YEAH!!!! But even better news was that if Twin A (boy) stays head down he will let me birth naturally (still with epidural, so not "natural"), then he will try and turn Twin B (girl) to get her head down, that is assuming he stays head down and she is breeched. He originally told me both had to be head down... so the news was UNEXPECTED and WONDERFUL to say the least!!!

My baby...

My baby is 5 (I know he turned five last month... but it just hit me). We went to get his 5 yr. old picture and I just can't believe how big he has gotten. What a blessing it is to know him, mother him, love him, grow him, be challenged by him and learn from him. I'm so proud of him and can't wait to see what the next year holds for him.

21 weeks

It's Thursday, so I do turn another week, "21". but I don't really feel like posting or talking about my appointment when someone I hold so dearly is grieving today. For those of you who don't know, my baby sister, miscarried. She went in for her 11 week appointment and was surprised with exciting news, she TOO was carrying twins. Then the devastating news hit that they couldn't find either heartbeat. I can barely write this without tears in my eyes. Maybe it's hormones, but more likely it's watching someone you love hurt. Everyone handles trials in different ways, and I thank the Lord that my sister trusts in God's will and His sovereignty. She has gone through such a tough time but has come through the fire refined like gold. This is not to say it's still tough, but her thinking is biblical, and she has such a godly response to the situation. It's hard for me to be excited for my own situation knowing that I will be a constant reminder of her 2 babies that are now under God's perfect care in heaven. I count it a blessing and a privilege to have been pregnant with her and BOTH CARRYING TWINS! What an amazing bond I feel to her because of the odd chances that sisters would be pregnant, at the the same time with twins! I pray God gives me grace in how I speak and write during such a sensitive time. I admire her in so many ways and am blessed to be called her sister! Please keep her and her husband in your prayers. B... if you are reading this, I love you with all my heart!

The line

So my "linea nigra" (dark line) on my belly showed up this morning!!! It usually shows up once your abdomen is distended... so I guess mine is distended! LOL.

Nothing new to report.... I go to my regular OB tomorrow. It's probably a weight/blood pressure/ measure uterus and find heartbeat appointment. I am meeting one of my best friends again (we go to same OB). We'll meet up and let the kids play a bit before we both check in... I'm quite excited to see her!!!

Interesting facts...

1. Fraternal twins make up 75% of the twinning population (with boy/girl twins being the highest percentage) Partly b/c fertility drugs (and increasing usage) stimulates ovulation of more than one egg.

2. Fraternal twins most of the time look just like any other 2 siblings in the same family (in odd cases can look more identical than IDENTICAL twins... example: Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen are fraternal twins)

3. The youngest reported twins to survive outside the womb were 21 weeks and 6 days! (9 days from now for me)

4. Twins now occur 1 out of 90 births.

5. A mother of fraternal twins has a 50% increased chance of having twins again in next pregnancy. (yikes)

6. African Americans have the highest percentage of fraternal twins, while asians have the lowest percentage.

7. Most women conceive fraternal twins after the age of 35!

8. Daughters of a mother who had franternal twins have 3-4 times more chance of conceiving twins (due to the hyperovulation gene).

9. If a husband is a twin or has twins on his side of the family, it has NO effect on a woman conceiving twins.

10. The average week most women deliver is 35 weeks, while full term for twins is 37 weeks.

Getting ready

Well with a little over 3 months (hopefully) left, I decided to get out all Saylor's old clothes and start organizing them for her little sister. I am having so much fun going through the bins and remembering every little outfit! I also picked out the outfits to bring the twins home in. I believe one was what Keller wore on his way home and one was the one Saylor wore home. I know they'll be here before I know it.

As I was going through my 5th bin (she has way TOO MANY clothes) I got a call from Old Navy. Apparently Keller won a coloring contest drawing and is receiving a $50 gift certificate to Old Navy. We are off to redeem and shop! I think he was bummed when he realized they didn't have "toys"... but I promised him a quarter for their machines up front! Not bad.... a quarter for him and $50 for me:)

Making Cupcakes....

Yesterday I realized how fast time goes by and what "little" time I have with my kids while they are young. I spend so much time cleaning, organizing, doing laundry, dishes, cooking etc... (which all need to get done:) but I forget how much they need my time and attention. So yesterday Saylor and I got out the aprons that I used to wear with my mom growing up (thanks for saving them mom!!!) and we baked cupcakes!!! No occasion, just celebrating how much I love them! Saylor did everything but crack the eggs! She was so proud that SHE DID MOST THE WORK (while mommy did ALL the clean up!!!) Keller was mostly interested in the END RESULT! He'd pop into the kitchen and Saylor would yell "NO BOYS ALLOWED IN MY KITCHEN" and we'd chase him out... just to have him reappear within minutes.... they loved playing that game, and I loved watching them enjoy a moment of no responsibility, no stress, no worry, no cares in the world! I know from experience (again THANKS MOM) that it's those defining moments that make childhood so memorable and wonderful! I was blessed beyond what words can express with an incredible childhood filled with so many memories and experiences, not to mention the unconditional love! I pray I can give a sample of what I had to my children. I have been convicted (thanks to a friend's blog) on how selfish I am with my time and really aim to change my focus back on to my kids.... they only have one childhood, and I only have this one chance to raise them. What an amazing opportunity we have as mothers.