Happy Birthday Sweet Baby Girls!

A video of the girls first year (click link): Adelyn and Kailyn's First Birthday Video

Yesterday it happened. I knew it was coming. I didn't want to admit it. I wanted to stay in denial. But, it happened anyway. My baby girls turned one.

I can hardly believe an entire year has gone by. May 31, 2011 I went in for a routine NST (non stress test) and never left the hospital. I had a gut feeling that morning that something was going to happen that day. I know I was more than ready to be d.o.n.e. with being pregnant. Still, when it came down to actually hearing the words 'we need to deliver these babies TODAY' I got incredibly nervous. There were so many thoughts running through my head. I was incredibly anxious (which did not help the blood pressure issue). There was a flurry of activity with people coming in and out and getting ready for surgery. And, then, suddenly I was in an operating room, getting poked in the back and laid down. I felt the push and tug as the doctors were pulling the girls out. I heard them. They cried. I cried. Then they showed me these two babies. With hair. Lots of hair. And it was dark. It's a good thing I was the only pregnant person in the room or I would have sworn they got my babies mixed up with someone else.

That was an entire year ago already. Seriously, where did the time go? I know that is such a cliche thing to say but dang it it's true! It is so hard for my brain to wrap itself around the fact they have turned one. I'm not sure why this particular birthday is so hard for me to accept. I think it is because they have taken one of the last HUGE steps out of babydom. This is also the first time any of my kids has reached their first birthday without me being pregnant. There aren't any more first birthdays to look forward to or dream about and maybe that is hard pill for me to swallow even though I know with 100% certainty I am done birthing babies!

A year ago it was impossible for us to know what kind of little person these girls would turn into. Watching their personalities unfold this year has been one of the most exciting things to see. Watching them experience the world together has been a true joy. One year ago we were able to tell them apart based solely on their skin tone. Adelyn was beet read and Kailyn was very pale due to the acute TTTS they experienced during delivery. Now, at a year most people struggle to tell them apart. I, however, think they have incredibly distinct looks but it sounds like I'm the only one who thinks that! Watching them and seeing their personalities really makes it easy to tell them apart (most of the time).

Adelyn is my monkey. My go getter. My destructor. My cuddle bug. My ham. Kailyn is my sweet little charmer. My little smiler. My 'brains of the operation' child. My observer. Adelyn is always making noise, always has her mouth open "saying" something, tasting something, exploring something. Kailyn loves to sit back and take everything in, she loves to pal around with Elliot (she thinks he's the greatest thing EVER), she loves to give coy little smiles & act like she's playing it cool. She's a charmer. Adelyn is a huge drama queen. She has the girly shriek perfected. She has the 'throw myself on the floor, kick & scream' tantrum perfected. She's a master of mischief & never misses an opportunity to get into something she isn't supposed to. Kailyn, while being the sweet one, also manages to be her sister's biggest bully. She loves to chew on Adelyn which, in turn, makes Adelyn throw one of her huge tantrums. Kailyn also loves to cause mischief. She loves to climb in diaper boxes, check out the cupboards, open the potato/onion drawer. She's my little analyst. She observes everything - nothing gets past her. She checks everything out - first feeling it with her hands & then sometimes her mouth. She loves watching the outdoors although spending too much actual time outside requires a dose of benadryl.

The twin bus has been a crazy ride but a year after they were born I can honestly say that I love it. I would take another set of twins in a heartbeat (I used to think people were crazy for saying that.). I cannot wait to see what the next year holds for us and to see them become extraordinary little girls!

Pictorial Trip Down Memory Lane

On my laptop I have a folder named P&P which stands for Petey and Pepper. Those are the names we usually went by at camp. In fact Petey is still what I call my husband. I refer to him as Mike with some people but calling him that? No way, jose. That's just too weird. Anyway, this folder contains only pictures of us. I keep it as the first album in my pictures folder so that I can flip through them often and see just how old we've gotten ;) Seriously, we were BABIES in some of our first pictures!  And, anyone who knows me knows that this barely scratches the surface of all the pictures of the two of us.

Here, take a look for yourself:

Our first picture taken of the two of us June 27, 2006 {my birthday}

Fourth of July 2006 Photo marathon - I'll spare you & only post one. Trust me there are several baaaad ones!

September 4, 2006 - Jed & Jess's wedding; also the day before we officially started dating. That wedding was hands down one of the most awkward experiences of my life. Don't even get me started on the 14+ hour (one way) drive alone with Petey. Awkward. Awkward. Awkward.

November 4, 2006 - Mini golf for our 2 month anniversary (also my parent's wedding anniversary)

December 16, 2006 - Holidazzle Parade - Minneapolis, MN

ENGAGED!!!! January 7, 2007 

March 28, 2007 - hanging out and wedding planning (seriously, BABIES!)

June 23, 2007 - P-Cov Wedding Shower. Yes, those are potato heads

MARRIED!! August 11, 2007 - Twin Lakes, IA

(Also, the hottest day in the history)

April 17, 2008 - One day after being admitted to hospital at 25 weeks pregnant. 

July 2008 - Elliot's first bath at MumMum's house

February 18, 2009 - Surprise!! Little Cupcake is on the way!

October 20, 2009 - Hadley Elizabeth is born!

October 2011 - Our crazy, busy little family!

Dr. B

May 31, 2011 was one of the most amazing days of my life to date. The day I finally laid eyes on my two baby girls. So much happened on that day that most of it is just a blur. However there are a few random details that I can recall with surprising clarity.

One of those details was meeting the on-call pediatrician in the operating room. It was decided that I needed to deliver due to rising blood pressure and pre-eclampsia risk but I was also most definitely in the beginning stages of labor. And back labor at that. (It sucks big time for those of you that don't know.) I know I was nervous, excited, anxious, eager, and SCARED. I was about to have my first surgery ever and I was going to be wide awake for it. I remember sitting on the table while there was a flurry of activity going on around me - warmers being set up, nurses going in and out, getting my spinal ready, etc. I sat there in pain, excruciating pain, and I know I just wanted to get this started and over with. Several nurses introduced themselves to me and then Dr. B came up, took my hand and introduced herself. I don't know why that moment sticks out more than any other. I remember feeling uneasy about someone I had never met checking over my girls right after they were born which was totally silly because that's the way it had been with both of the other kids. I remember being ready to burst into tears as that made it really sink in this was happening. I'm not 100% positive but I'm pretty sure I muttered some witchy response. Sorry Dr. B!

Soon, I was laying on the table and numbed. Mike was back with me and it was time to meet our babies. Adelyn, as we all know, made her debut first. Just thinking about it now nearly a year later still makes me get teary.  Husband was snapping pictures like a mad man not even knowing what he was getting pictures of exactly. Because of that we have some pretty graphic birth pictures....... But anyway, here's a picture of Dr. B (in the lighter blue) checking out my little Adelyn Grace.

Kailyn was a little more stubborn when it came time to make her exit. I remember so much tugging and pulling and feeling like they were reaching up my throat to grab that baby out of my stomach! Eventually they grabbed her little booty and pulled her out. She always has been a squirmy baby that is hard to hold on to at some moments.....  Here's Dr. B's while she was first checking out Kailyn.

Their doctor, some nurses and Mike showed me the girls and all their DARK hair. That was seriously the biggest surprise of the day. My newborns had HAIR!! They finished up with me and sent me back to my room for recovery. Mike was able to snap a few pictures of the girls being weighed, getting IV's, xrays and being poked and prodded. I am forever grateful to him for taking pictures and being there with our kids when I couldn't. 

This is Dr. B checking Adelyn. That day I had absolutely no idea how important she would become to our girls and to us. No idea.

So, while I remembered our first actual meeting I had no idea how important or special this woman would turn out to be. In fact for the next several days I didn't realize it and I don't remember an a-ha moment when I realized it either. It just sort of happened over the course of our hospital stay and our first visits to her office. Fortunately she didn't hold my horrible attitude against me ;) I was so NOT a nice person while I was in the hospital after the girls were born. I was worried about my health, I wanted them to be with me, I was annoyed with some hospital policies and I wanted to go HOME. I was also a little annoyed that she kept putting a 't' in Kailyn's name. Little did I know she was just the first of many, many people to do the same. I promise I don't hold it against her!

So, why do we like her so much and why do we feel like the world's best pediatrician kind of fell in our laps? Oh where to begin? 

Since we've started taking our kids to her it's been awesome to feel like someone really knows us and knows our kids. It's even more awesome that our kids love going to the doctor's office now. When my hands are full or things get overwhelming she's helped me get the babies dressed, taken Hadley out for some extra stickers, drove my stroller out for me, etc. It's all those little tiny things that make my life easier and make me feel very well taken care of. I don't know if most doctors are like this or not. Most of them that we've seen are in, out, done and ready to send us on our way as fast as they can. They don't seem to want to actually get to know us - they just want to get their job over and done with and move on to the next patient. I don't feel that way when we're with Dr. B. For sure she has other kids she needs to see but I don't feel rushed in and then shoved out the door. It also helps that I feel like she talks to me and respects that I'm their mom and that I know them better than anyone else. Too many times I feel like I've been brushed aside as irrelevant when my kids have had to see the doctor and that just doesn't sit well with me. Several times she has personally called me to pass on info she could have easily passed to a nurse and she's always offering words of encouragement which seem to come at the perfect time. Yesterdays adventure at the doctor's office only cemented her rockstar doctor status with me. She's always been willing to lend me a hand with the kids. Maybe that's because she feels sorry? Hahaha I don't know but I appreciate it!

Mike and I have been so happy and impressed that we've decided to stick with her even though our insurance has better coverage at different doctor's offices. Neither of us think we'll find someone who makes us feel like our kids are as important to them as Dr. B does and that is something we can't put a price on!

31 weeks (almost)

Tomorrow will officially mark 31 weeks but today was my 31 week appointment. Everything checked out really well which was a relief! My weight was up a little up which is to be expected. My blood pressure was the lowest it's been in quite awhile. I thought it was a fluke last week when they checked it at the diabetes center but I guess not. I fully expected it to go UP the further along I got but instead it seems to be going down. Cervix is still closed which is a relief and makes me feel more confident that I'll be able to cook these girls a few more weeks. I'm measuring at 44cm this week which is equivalent to being 44 weeks pregnant with a single baby - not comfortable at all if you can imagine! I told Petey that I knew I was incredibly large when my toddlers disappeared under my belly and I walked over them. So, that might give you a bit of a visual.......

It seems like absolute craziness to me that I'm down to saying 'weeks' until they get here instead of 'months'. It makes this all seem so much more real although I'll admit I'm not sure I'll 100% believe this is all true until I'm holding TWO babies at once. Two of my own babies. Want to know what else is craziness? Taking two toddler to the "baby doctor" with us. Baby doctor is what Elliot calls any of my doctors. As soon as he heard I was going to see the baby doctor today he insisted on coming along and helped pick out quiet toys to take with. My purse was ready to burst!! They both did really well in the waiting room and in the exam room. As soon as the doctor came in Hadley was not so sure about all of this anymore and she was NOT ok with someone touching her mommy. Elliot was so into watching his baby sisters on the small ultrasound screen that he didn't care at all. Daddy had to lift him up so he could see it even better.

Speaking of Elliot...it has been so much fun to see how much he understands lately. I know he doesn't completely comprehend the fact that he's going to have two new baby sisters but he seems to have a pretty good understanding for a little guy his age. He will tell anyone who asks that his Mommy is having two babies and that they are "down there" meaning in the tummy. Lately he seems to think he has two babies in his tummy  - not sure where he got that but it's a fairly new thing. He talks about his baby sisters and prays for his baby sisters which just melts a person's heart. I am actually kind of excited to see him with them. He can be such a sweetheart and seems to have a soft spot for babies. As for Hadley....let's just say she has never been ok with sharing her mommy or daddy with any other baby even for a few minutes. And, if the way she reacted to the doctor checking me today is any indication we could be in for an interesting adjustment period!

27 Weeks!

Our little sweet P's are growing, growing, growing! We had another growth scan (these happen every 3-4 weeks) yesterday. It's always so much fun to see the girls and get an estimate on their size. Both of them were bopping all around while we were trying to get their measurements. Needless to say it was really hard to get any good pictures of them! Their heartbeats registered at 154 & 150 which is perfect. Baby A is measuring right on at 27 weeks 1 day with an estimated weight of 2lb. 6oz. Baby B is measuring about a week behind with an estimated weight of 2lb. 2oz. Baby B's head was measuring smaller which we think threw off the measurements. Still, it's only a 12% growth discrepancy and as long as it is under 20-25% we aren't worried.

Baby A had previously been in a head down position. Both babies are now breech with their butts toward the exit. We were able to see Little Miss A doing some practice swallowing and then stretching her legs alllllll the way out. While it was really sweet to see I couldn't help but think that her poor sister was getting really cramped! We were also able to see a couple contractions which just look strange on the ultrasound!

In other news from my appointment yesterday I haven't gained any weight, my blood pressure was 134/78, my cervix is measuring over 6.5 cm long and is closed (yay!). My fundal height is 38cm which means I'm measuring full term and I can definitely feel it. I get worn out a lot faster and I just plain hurt everywhere. At the end of some days it hurts just to lift my leg to get into bed and forget trying to roll over and move once I'm in bed - lol. I also talked to the doctor about a couple episodes of seeing spots I've had in the past week. The worry is pre-eclampsia but since I don't have any other symptoms and they went away he's not worried. If they happen again and I'm not able to get rid of them then we would worry. He did tell me not to get any ideas about an early eviction for these ladies. Basically he told me to just keep doing what I'm doing and chugging along but that he would never wish twins on anyone - haha.

25 Weeks

Wowza - 25 weeks. This week brings a lot of anxiety with it as it's the same point in my pregnancy that I began having all sorts of issues with Elliot, landed in the hospital for 8 weeks and gave birth 7 weeks earlier than planned. I'm hopeful we'll avoid all that this time!!

This morning was the first of my weekly appointments. It's crazy that from here on out I'll be in that office once a week! Luckily I've been pretty happy with all but one of the doctors. Some of the stats from today:

Weight: Down 1 pound

Blood Pressure: 134/70; seems high to me but it's been consistent this whole pregnancy so I guess it's the new "normal" for now.

Cervix: Closed - YAY!!!

Fundal Height: Not sure. I forgot to ask :/

I'm definitely feeling pregnant. Oh boy am I feeling pregnant. I have pain in places that shouldn't be painful and I'm so ready for that part to be over! Sleep is hard to come by due to not being able to get comfortable and having to pee all.the.time. My belly button is getting closer and closer to popping which only started to happen just before Hadley was born at 38 weeks, 5 days which leads me to believe I'm probably measuring close to 37 or 38 weeks. I definitely feel that way and sometimes find it hard to believe I'm ONLY 25 weeks. As much as I'm ready for this pregnancy to be over I'm not ready to meet these beauties yet. They need more cooking time, more time to grow, more time to mature. I'm aiming for another 9-10 weeks. That would get me to 34-35 weeks. It's hard to imagine how much larger and more uncomfortable I'll be by then......

In other news I think all four of us are fighting some sort of head cold ickiness. Petey and I both have sore throats and I can feel my sinuses getting congested. I'm hopeful we'll all kick this quickly as I really don't need anything else to kill my energy level!!!

21 Week Appt.

I think I have a new favorite doctor. Today I met one of the docs I'd only talked to on the phone previously & he's officially my new favorite. He's very personable and seems to know his stuff. Both babies were moving and grooving when he checked heartbeats. Baby A is sort of head down (head on my right side) with her body laying across. Baby B is pretty much in a complete transverse position with her feet in Baby A's face ;) In other news here's a rundown of some of the stats:

Weight Gain: Up about 8ish lbs. from pre-pregnancy

Blood Pressure: 134/82 - kind of high for me but it's been running higher this whole pregnancy

Fundal Height: 33cm!!!! Two weeks ago it was 24. Holy moly.

Cervix is still closed - YAY!

In two weeks I have another growth scan and another appointment with another doctor. So far this pregnancy has kind of wiped me out physically but at the very least baby girls seem to be growing and doing well!

21 Weeks

Wow....21 weeks. Already. On one hand it feels like time is flying by and on the other hand it feels like I've been pregnant forever. We're 3 weeks shy of viability although baby girls are not allowed to join us for quite awhile after that! I think the threshold of viability is way more exciting after almost having a baby at 25 weeks in the past. I'm feeling really big and finding myself going to the bathroom more than I thought was humanly possible. I've been working on teaching the little people not to climb on or push on Mommy's tummy - it hurts!! I'm feeling a lot more movement from these little ladies. It's still not as consistent as it eventually will be but it's very exciting to feel them. I have an appointment tomorrow to check everything out and I'll probably be back to update after that!

20 Weeks

It's official folks - I've hit that almighty 'halfway point' although I can say with 100% sincerity that I hope I'm further than halfway! From what I understand most twin pregnancies don't go past 38 weeks and are considered full term by that time. My personal goal is 36 weeks which would be May 31. We'll see what these little princesses have in store for us though. And, yes, with 99.9% certainty we can say princesses :) Elliot is going to be one busy big brother!

This morning was our 'big' anatomy/anomaly scan at my OB's office. Jessica, our ultrasound extraordinaire, was fantastic as always. I'm so glad we have someone we get along with so well and that is very personable. Both babies are head down so she was able to get some really fun pictures of the two of them together. She informed us that most times one is head up and the other head down so it makes getting pictures of them together pretty difficult. One of the cutest things from this morning was seeing all four little feet kicking at each other. They are definitely active little girls - they'll fit in well around here! For a few moments they were even looking facing each other. So precious.

Both girls were measuring pretty consistently for them. Baby A was measuring 19 weeks 3 days with a weight of about 10 ounces and Baby B was measuring right at 19 weeks with a weight of about 11 ounces which means they have a 2% growth discrepancy which we are completely fine with at this point. Baby A checked out perfectly and all major organs were accounted for and appeared to be doing their job. Baby B almost got as good a report but we want to take a closer look at her heart next time just to make sure everything looks ok. Since she's small & wasn't in a super great position today we weren't able to get all the measurements we needed & it looked like there might be something there that shouldn't be. But, it's nothing to worry about at this point! I love having a chance to get a peek at our little babies and it's so much fun to see them moving and grooving all over the place. I can't wait to see what they look like when they're born & who they'll resemble more. I'm also anxious to know how alike they'll look since they are identical. All in due time....all in due time.

I've attached just a few of our pictures below. We got quite the chunk of pictures to take home with us as well as a CD of the images - 26 total. Jessica took nearly 130 for the doctor to peruse!

Two little baby heads :)

Our identical little princesses!

All smushed up inside Mommy.

Baby B's face shot

Baby A's face shot

19 weeks

Today marks 19 weeks. The littlest of our little people weren't being very active today but they've moved and grooved a little bit for me tonight. Hadley was such a wild child when I was pregnant with her - well to be honest she still is kind of wild ;) I felt her consistently from about 16 weeks on all.the.time. By this point Petey was able to feel her and it wasn't long after this that you could see her from the outside as well. I guess I expected this time to be similar especially since there are two of them in there. My thought is that they are more like their brother and are mellowing out in there for now. I felt him for the first time around 18 weeks but not consistently until after 20 weeks.

Anyway, I should be at the half-way point if not further. To my knowledge the longest they will most likely let me go is 38 weeks. My personal goal is 36 weeks. I have a gut feeling they'll be coming early. I just hope it's not too early!! I've been getting increasingly uncomfortable. Stretching pains, not being able to move, varicose veins in bad places, not sleeping well, etc. I also feel HUGE but I hope that's just a good sign that babies are growing like weeds in there!

In other news we're in the middle of a huge snowstorm - Blizzard 2011. The last I heard we were forecasted to get 15.5 inches of snow on top of the few we got last night. It's also blowing like crazy with at least 30 m.p.h. sustained winds. Needless to say Petey is staying home tomorrow. The county plows were pulled off the roads at 5 pm tonight and won't go back out until tomorrow morning sometime. We are to expect very large snowdrifts several feet tall and travel is not advised anywhere. Thank God these babies are due in June and not in the middle of the winter!

18 Weeks

Baby B's Profile - she's the feisty one!
Baby B waving at us :)

Baby A's face. She's head down and I think it would be perfect if she stayed there and informed her sister it's a good place to be ;)

So technically 18 weeks was yesterday but I'm going out on a limb and guessing you'll all forgive me for being a day late.

Monday Petey and I were able to go to our growth scan ultrasound together - alone - and it was awesome. We will have several of these to check on the growth of our little babies and make sure they are progressing at the same rate and not having any complications. I was most anxious to see both of them and know they were ok AND I was dying to know what they are. Jessica, our ultrasound extraordinaire, was able to tell us her best guess is GIRLS!!!! We definitely didn't see anything else dangling in that area so we feel pretty confident in saying they're girls. And, yes, I did make Petey go shopping with me later that day and, no, we didn't go crazy.

Both girls were measuring 17 weeks and 3 days and weighed about 7oz. which is perfect. We were able to determine they are in their own amniotic sacs which was a huge relief for me. I'd been pretty worried about that for the past week or so. It was very reassuring to see that membrane floating & waving around with plenty of amniotic fluid around it. They both have good pockets of fluid as well. Baby A is head down and appears to be our calm baby. Baby B however is quite feisty. She did NOT want that probe placed anywhere near her and we were able to watch her kicking at it like crazy. It made getting the measurements we wanted hard but it made for good entertaining ;)

I also received a message from one of the doctors yesterday afternoon telling me the twins looked great but he wanted me to come in more often for ultrasounds. Most likely it will be every 2 weeks instead of every 4. I'm waiting on a call back from him to learn more.

Movement

For about a week now I've been able to feel Baby A & Baby B (no better nicknames for them yet although some are in the works) moving and grooving around in there. It's amazing and one of my most favorite parts about being pregnant. I know eventually those kicks will become harder and more painful and I might not be so excited about them then but for now it provides a bit of reassurance that things are going well in there. The movements aren't overly consistent yet which is not surprising at this point and I have no idea which baby is making which movements but it's still awesome nonetheless.

I have an appointment tomorrow morning and I'm hoping for a good report from the doctor. This will be the first time meeting with one of the OB's from this office. Hopefully she'll be able to answer all of my questions and ease my mind that seems to run a million miles a minute!

Identical

That's right folks - identical twins. I had my first ultrasound at the doctor's office today and fortunately I think their tech is great since we'll be seeing quite a bit of each other. She said that typically she will do a growth scan on the babies every four weeks and possibly more than that depending on how things go. She also said that every time I'm at the office one of the doctor's will do a quick ultrasound to check the heartbeat since using a doppler isn't as accurate when you're trying to track more than one little one. I'll also start having more frequent visits earlier than a woman would if she were only having one baby. I'll learn more details on that next month when I meet with the doctors for the first time.

The ultrasound tech was able to tell pretty quickly that they're identical little babies. They share one single placenta and are in the same chorion together. She tried for a long time to find a membrane separating the two and while she thinks she saw one she's not 100% sure which at this moment isn't cause for concern. If we find out definitively at some point that there isn't a membrane separating them into their own amniotic sacs then we start to worry. Even so carrying identical twins who share a placenta has some additional risks. I won't go into detail about that here - no need to worry about it unless it becomes an issue at some point.

Both of them are measuring the same size which is fantastic. Baby A is measuring 12 weeks 5 days (6.31 cm) and Baby B is measuring the same (6.32 cm) According to LMP (last menstrual period) I am 12 weeks 6 days so they are measuring just perfect. Baby A had a heartrate of 165 and Baby B's was 159. It's still too early to tell whether they are boys or girls (although I do have a hunch ;) but we all agreed that we thought we saw 2 arms and 2 legs on each of them! Both babies were pretty quiet at first but by the time we were finished both of them were bopping around in there - it's the sweetest thing to see your little babies moving and grooving on the screen!

In other baby related news Elliot is starting to grasp the concept that there are babies in Mommy's tummy. I've had to teach him not to squish the babies since he's used to using me as a springboard to get where ever it is that he wants to get! He now tells them sorry, rubs my belly and gives them kisses. It melts my heart every.single.time. He can be a wild and crazy little guy but deep down I think he's a softy with a big heart. When we ask him how many babies Mommy is going to have he answers: "Two little babies!!" while holding up two fingers of course! Hadley still doesn't quite get the baby thing - I think she will have the hardest time adjusting to new little people in the house!

First Purchase

The other night we made our first purchase in preparation for doubling our number of kids. We currently have a stroller that we really do love but it's only a double which would leave Elliot and Hadley without a seat and free to get away from Mommy. In all honesty I don't know how often I'll get out on my own with all 4 kids but with our new ride at least three of the kids will be able to have a seat! We've been looking on E-bay for a little while to try and score a good deal and we finally found one! We got a Valco Twin Tri-Mode EX (in Brilliant Black instead of the color Petey really wanted) for almost $300 LESS than retail value and it's NEW and we got free shipping. I felt like a little kid at Christmas time. Here is a picture:

And I know many of you are probably thinking...'but this is still just a double stroller....while you are correct it is just a double stroller here but it can have different attachments added to it. Here is what it will look like with the third seat (wrong color stroller but you get the idea):
If we wanted to we could also add a platform in the back for another little person to stand and ride on that way. Petey has informed me that this will be our LAST stroller purchase but he's pretty excited about it as well. If the shipping info from the seller is correct it should be on my doorstep this Friday - just in time for me to roll it out over the weekend :)

We're hoping to not have to buy too many more baby things in anticipation of our new arrivals. We know we'll need another infant carseat and probably at least one more (maybe two) convertible seats so Petey can have seats in his car. Elliot will be starting pre-school in the fall (perhaps sooner) & he'll ride into town with his Daddy when it comes time for that. There are a few smaller items that would be nice to have another one of but we've accumulated quite a bit over the last couple years - if you ever have doubts feel free to come check out our storage room.....haha. And, if you feel so inclined you could organize it for me too. Oh, a girl can dream right?!?

12 Weeks

Last night I made it Facebook Official that we're expecting again. It's our third pregnancy in three years which I think might qualify us as crazy! Lots of people have been asking me if this was planned or a surprise and I'm not really sure how to answer this question. First, I wonder if they're trying to glean some juicy bit of info to either confirm we are completely crazy or if we're just stupid about birth control. Second, I wonder if it's really any of their business and my answer to that is: 'No!' So, to any of you who might be wondering there's your answer ;)

Also, as many of you who are probably reading this know by now we are expecting twins this time. This came as quite a shock to us & we definitely had never planned to have a double blessing but we'll definitely take it! I will admit that I had a hunch something 'funny' was going on even before I had officially confirmed my pregnancy. I have been incredibly sick - not necessarily throwing up - and have wanted nothing but to sleep all.day.long. I've also felt really, really awful after everything I eat. With my other pregnancies there was usually something I could count on eating that wouldn't make me feel icky but this time I've yet to find that something. I also started sporting a baby bump really, REALLY fast. I knew it would happen early this time since it is my 3rd in as many years but even I was surprised at how soon I pulled out those maternity pants (6 weeks to be exact).

Petey & I and some of our family joked with us that it would be twins this time. None of us were very serious but it made for a funny moment when the ultrasound showed two little beating hearts. Speaking of ultrasounds...the one that completely changed everything for us this time happened on December 3. I had volunteered to be a model for a clinic here in town where they are training sonographers. I was 10 weeks and 3 days & figured it was a perfect opportunity for me to get an early peek at my little bean. As soon as they started and found the gestational sac I knew something was different. Soon enough I saw two different blobs (there's really not a better way to describe them at that age) moving and wiggling independent of each other. Baby A was measuring 9 weeks 6 days with a heartbeat of 187 and Baby B was measuring 9 weeks 4 days with a heartbeat of 180 which are pretty decent measurements for how far along I was. When the ultrasound was done they three people in the room prayed with me (while I was shaking). Petey had hoped to be in the room for the ultrasound but the kids were fidgeting so he took them out to the van to watch Mickey Mouse. Imagine his shock and surprise when I showed him the picture...... ;) I will be able to see the babies again next Monday at my actual doctor's office & that day can't come soon enough!

I'm hopeful as the 1st trimester comes to a close that I'll start to feel better and have a little more energy. I'm looking forward to feeling consistent movement from these two and to finding out whether they're boys, girls or a combination. Either way we know we have been blessed and while we may not understand why God has chosen us for this journey we know He has a plan which has been comforting in those moments when I feel completely overwhelmed at what's to come!