19 Weeks!

How Far Along: 19 weeks and 2 days
How Big are the Babies? They are each about the size of a mango (I think in crown to rump measurement, that's how long they are...)

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Eek...  I've gained a few more pounds these past few weeks!  

Maternity Clothes: I'm still wearing most of my own clothes.  I have one pair of pants that I can still button, but everything else I have to wear a Belly Band to hold up my pants.  I just borrowed a lot of maternity shirts and dresses from my coworker, so that's nice.  I need to get some pants now, though.

Movement:  I still can't feel those little guys!  I had another appointment today, and my doctor seemed a little surprised, but she also said because of the positioning of my placenta, I might not feel them as soon as other people would.
Belly button in or out? Normal.  Innie.

What I miss: Sleeping without coughing all night--ugh!  I can't kick this bronchitis. 

Milestones: Hitting the halfway mark (counting 38 weeks as my max)!

Food Cravings: Eggs?

Aversions: Fried food

Symptoms:  Numb tingly hands every so often.  Reflux.  Swollen ankles (bummer!)--just today.  
Best Moment this week: Dr. Hollar chasing them around to hear their heartbeats as they squirmed all around my belly.

What I'm looking forward to: Seeing the boys again on Dec. 20th for our next ultrasound :)

At our appointment today, the doctor measured my uterus for the first time.  I'm measuring at 28 weeks!  That's crazy!!  Especially because I don't feel like I have really popped yet.  She said I could have a deeper pelvis and she commented on my "tight abs".  I liked that :)  Funny because I don't really have tight abs, but it was nice to hear.  I feel like my uterus is growing lengthwise but not outwards.  Oh well, I know I will get huge one day soon!

18 Weeks and Gender Reveal!

Happy Thanksgiving, friends and family!

I have been ready to post since Monday, but for some reason my 18 week belly pics 

would not upload onto my computer.  So, this lovely photo will have to suffice for my belly shot!

(Our friend Danielle Swanson is an amazingly gifted photographer.  

We will be hiring her for maternity and newborn photos, for sure!)

The pic I had Andy take of my belly showed my bump much better, but you can kind of tell here that I'm popping out now... or at least I think I am!  It's crazy feeling the bump.  I love it!

I'll do my pregnancy update then post the genders (although, most of you I'm sure already know!).

How far along: 18 weeks and 4 days
Baby size: as long as sweet potatoes (crown to rump)
Total weight gain: still about 10 lbs...  I may or may not continue to reveal this little detail!!  My doctor told me to gain 5 lbs every month here on out from our last appointment on Nov. 2, but I don't think that's absolutely necessary.  I'm trying to watch my portions and eat healthy and let things happen.
Sleep:  I've had a terrible cold/respiratory infection that has plagued me during sleep... coughing a ton and needing to blow my nose through the night.  But pregnancy wise, I'm sleeping well!
Movement:  I still can't feel their movements!  I'm trying hard to concentrate and feel those "flutters".  We found out both placentas are anterior--or basically on the top.  I read if that's the case, they have to kick through more layers, so you may not feel them til later on.
Food cravings/aversions:  I honestly don't think I'm craving anything in particular.  I don't like thinking that any food or craving will control me, anyway!  But I will say that bagels are still yummy and my love of rich coffee has returned :)
Pregnancy Symptoms:  The headaches are still on/off,  but not as bad.  I have gotten sharp round ligament pain when changing position really fast.  Other than that, I feel great!
What I miss: Nothing!  
What I'm looking forward to:  Picking out some cute clothes for the babies for Christmas and starting to plan their nursery.
Milestones:  We found out their genders!  In addition, their whole anatomy scan was amazing, and we were so thrilled to see their sweet little bodies and how miraculously God has formed them and continues to grow and develop them.  All of their parts and organs looks healthy!  (brains, kidneys, intestines, spinal cords, 20 fingers, 20 toes, hearts)
Best moment this week: Spending Thanksgiving week with my parents, Nick, Victoria, and Andy in my parents' new place in Scottsdale.  We're having a lot of fun together, and it has been great to relax with not much on the agenda.  I enjoyed cooking and baking a ton yesterday, too.

Now, onto the gender reveal!!!

TWO BABY BOYS!  

We were actually SO surprised and almost taken aback, but after sometime to process and pray, 

we both realized how exciting this is.  God knows what's best for our family.

We have learned to trust him, especially when things don't go exactly how we planned.

We were thinking we'd have at least one little girl, 

but instead we have been given 

2 little boys. 

2 best friends.

2 mighty men.

We can't wait to meet these special, miraculous little guys!

16 Weeks!

How far along: 16 weeks 4 days (oops, I'm a little late)

Baby size: avacados

Total weight gain: still about 8 lbs

Sleep:  I'm sleeping pretty well!

Movement:  Still can't feel their movements.  I'm waiting on pins and needles for those butterflies, though.

Food cravings/aversions:  I haven't been feeling great this week, so I haven't really been eating as much.  An apple or bagel still does the trick, though.

Pregnancy Symptoms:  Acid reflux and terrible headaches :(

What I miss: Nothing!  

What I'm looking forward to:  Our ultrasound on November 22nd!  We'll find out their genders :)

Milestones:  On Sunday night, I gave myself the last shot I'll have to give for awhile... at least until we do IVF again (if we ever do).  I've been on some form of injection(s) and pills since May, with only a little break in July.  Nightly shots are no fun.  So thankful they're done... but thankful for the medicine and help they were to get our little ones created!

Best moment this week: Spending lots of time with Andy.

15 Weeks!

How far along: 15 weeks 1 day

Baby size: Navel oranges

Total weight gain: about 8 lbs

Sleep:  Sleep has gotten better this week, although sometimes I'm woken in the night with round ligament pain (and least I think that's what it is).  I'm finally sleeping through the night without peeing!  I'm a stomach sleeper, but that's no longer comfortable...  now I'm sleeping on my back, but I know that can't last too much longer!

Movement:  I cannot wait to feel them!  I'm hoping I feel them sooner rather than later... but definitely not for at least 3 more weeks.

Food cravings/aversions:  Bagels... but I think they're more a vehicle for the plain cream cheese that I'm loving! Still loving apples.  Drinking lots of tea.  I've said goodbye to anything fried for now because of my reflux.

Pregnancy Symptoms:  Acid reflux... which causes stomachaches.  (I've started Zantac for that, which is helping!)  Round ligament pain.  Exhaustion.  Breathlessness.

What I miss: Nothing!  

What I'm looking forward to:  Our ultrasound on November 22nd!  We'll find out their genders :)

Milestones:  Baby A kicked during our last appointment when Dr. Hollar was listening to his/her heartbeat with the Doppler!  I didn't feel it, but you could hear this big "thud".  So cute.  Also, they can hear and discern voices somewhat.  I read that there was a research study done in Australia...  women who watched the soap opera Neighbours while pregnant, their babies calmed down  and focused when the show's theme song played after they were born.  So, Andy and I are trying to decide on a worship song that we want to play to my belly every night--in hopes that this can be the twins' "calm down" song when they out of the womb!  So fun.

Best moment this week: Last weekend I slept in a lot.  That was great :)

13 Weeks!

Our little babies are the size of a kiwi this week!  

(But I've also read that they're the size of a clenched fist... so somewhere in between?)

Their vocal cords are developing, 

their digestive system has moved from the umbilical cord into the abdominal cavity, 

their little fingers and elbows can bend, 

their fingerprints have formed...

Isn't that crazy?  Such a miracle!

As for me...

I'm feeling OK.  Definitely not out of the woods yet with symptoms... 

I'm having trouble sleeping, which causes headaches, which causes overall blah-ness.

My stomach is bothering me a lot, but not as much nausea, so that's good.

I can't believe I don't have a bump yet!  Or do I?

Definitely pudge, though :)

I was mistaken about the ultrasounds being monthly--that doesn't start until after 18 weeks--

sad!  So our next OB appointment is in a week, and we'll hear the heartbeats again.

But the next peek at the little guys won't be for another 4-5 weeks!  

The fun thing is, though, we'll find out their genders then, yay!

I feel like time is moving pretty quickly, so maybe the ultrasound will be here before I know it. #wishfulthinking

The weather is changing here, and it has been feeling so nice outside!  Still hot--up to the 90s during the day, but it's cooling down in the mornings and evenings.  

Andy's mom and step dad get in town tomorrow for a little visit, so that will be nice.

I also need to update with pics from my NYC trip earlier this month!

Almost 12 weeks!

I can't believe that I'll be 12 weeks pregnant on Monday.

It feels like these weeks are flying by... I also still can't believe it's October!

For the most part, I have been feeling pretty well.

My main pregnancy "symptom" has been exhaustion. Like extreme exhaustion!

It's weird to feel so tired and not look pregnant yet, but I keep reminding myself that 

my body is busy growing and developing TWO little babies.

It's hard for me to have grace for myself!  

But I'm hoping to find some good time to rest over these next couple of weeks.  

I've had bouts of nausea, but nothing too major, and I've had several migraines.

Oh, and I also have some of the other side effects of pregnancy, 

mainly the GI system slowing down majorly :)  Lovely.

But I am so thankful for this pregnancy and who knows?  It could be my only one, 

so I want to enjoy every bit of it.

(It's actually probably impossible to "enjoy every moment", but I'll do my best.)

I haven't had many food cravings, but I am loving fruit, especially big juice apples and oranges.

I've been making a lot of grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches, and I love my string cheese.

For some reason when I'm not feeling hungry or my stomach feels sour, all I want to 

eat is sticky white rice with soy sauce.  ugh, so unhealthy!  My mom got me these easy

microwaveable bowls of it, so unfortunately, I'm eating that every once in awhile, too!

Here's my first "belly shot".  Now, I wasn't the thinnest girl around to start and I think most of this picture is bloating--no bump yet!  But I'm looking forward to getting a bump here soon in the next few weeks :)

I had my first OB appointment on October 2, and I really like this doctor.  She seems really sweet

and personable and pretty laid back.

She found both heartbeats on the doppler, too!  I was amazed and so thankful

because I had been bracing myself for the worst, I think.

She wants to see me every month and get an ultrasound monthly, too.  

My next ultrasound should be in the next couple of weeks--it seems like forever

since we saw them last!  I'm hoping to find out their genders with the next one :)

But even if we do, we'll keep it a secret until a family gender reveal at Thanksgiving.

Our Dreams Came True!

We're Pregnant!

With TWINS!!!

I don't even know where to begin... 

God is Faithful.  

I will always begin and end there.

My heart is just so full.

Everything we have gone through has led up to this point, 

and it has all been worth it. 

I will post more in the coming days of the road we took to get here, 

but for now I will just leave you with these precious pictures.

Baby B (right) is a little bigger than Baby A and is upside down in this shot.

They measure about 14.9 and 14.4 mm (in this view B looks way bigger).

They won't be identical--you can tell they each have their own gestational sac, so they'll be fraternal.

Right now they're about the size of a kidney bean!  

Me and Andy after crying tears of JOY
when we heard the heartbeats of our little miracles.

Thank you to the hundreds of friends and family who have been praying for us.
These little guys will be part of your inheritance, too!

"Those who plant in tears
    will harvest with shouts of joy.
They weep as they go to plant their seed,
    but they sing as they return with the harvest."

Psalm 126:5-6