Abundant Blessings

Sweet little boy found all the pillows that Momma sleeps with in her bed and decided it was a good place to play.  We are thankful for the blessings of sleep and play, and the joy this little boy brings into our lives every day!

Luke is making friends with the John Deere - he has been content to watch Daddy and the big boys operate it from the safety of inside the house with his nose pressed up against the window.  This was a big deal that he wanted to get on it.  We are thankful for the blessing of working tools that make our chores a little less cumbersome.

He'll be the designated grass cutter before we know it . . . . .

We are thankful for the blessing of work, for it is from the Lord.

Luke was helping Andrew clean out his drawers and somehow ended up in one of Andrew's shirts.  We are thankful for the blessings of love, tenderness and affection that our older children show towards the youngest member of our family.

The Anderson ladies brought an afternoon high tea with scrumptious delicacies to share with Sarah and I.  We are thankful for the blessing of friends and sisters in Christ who pray for us and lift our spirits.

The upstairs is finished!  Time to start moving the big boys upstairs to make room for more little boys on the first floor!  We are thankful for the blessing of a roof over our head, and that our big boys have chosen to live here with us while they complete their college studies.

25 Weeks

We are thankful for the blessing of  two more little boys to raise for the Lord!

My heart is just bubbling over with joy and anticipation as the days count down towards the fall season - my favorite time of year!  There are so many projects I want to tackle and food I want to make, but my large size and energy level are dictating my "To Do" list these days. 

Our school year is in full swing and is very different this year as Sarah is the only child who is formally enrolled in our homeschool.  She is in ninth grade, and in addition to her core academic subjects, she is studying sign language, the violin, and participating in a homeschool choir.  While Luke is a few years away from formal studies, he is already soaking up information.  His speech has exploded and we can carry on conversations with him - so sweet!  He is recognizing numbers and letters already, and loves to count and read books.

Christian is only 2 tests away from being able to apply for graduation from college!  We highly recommend the program College*Plus as it has allowed him to finish his four-year, fully accredited college degree in only two years with a great savings in time and money.  He is now looking for a "real job" which I hope to successfully report on in the near future.

Andrew started college this past week and has chosen to pursue a criminal justice degree through a local college.  We are thrilled to have him living at home while he works on his studies! When he is not at school or doing homework, he is working at Chick*fil*a, so we don't see him too much, but we are thankful for the occasional glimpses we catch of him.  

My dear husband and I are doing well and thank the Lord every day for the hustle and bustle about our household!  

We received very good news at both of my doctor's appointments this past week.  Both babies are growing well - on Tuesday, Jonathan weighed about 1 lb. 15 oz., and Benjamin weighed about 1 lb. 10 oz.  Jonathan was in a vertex position (which we hope he stays in) and Benjamin flip-flopped around this week.  On Tuesday, he was breech and literally folded in half with his feet up at his head, and on Thursday, his head was next to Jonathan's in a vertex position.  While Jonathan has always been called Baby A because he is lower in my womb and will likely make his appearance first, I learned on Thursday from my regular OB that if Benjamin continues to be head down, he could push Jonathan out of the way and end up being Baby A. 

Other news to note is that the blood clot that has given me problems from the beginning of the pregnancy has resolved - woo hoo! - and I passed my glucose test.  Both the specialist and my OB are pleased with how the pregnancy and babies are progressing, and there aren't any issues to note at this time.  Neither of my doctors have increased the frequency of which I am being seen, so my next appointments will be in four weeks at 29 weeks. 

Symptoms
Occasional heartburn/reflux
Ligament pain when standing
General discomfort from my lumbering frame
Still feel like my belly is going to explode! lol

Sleep
Amazingly and thankfully, I am sleeping remarkably!  I invested in a large pregnancy pillow that supports my whole body and I'm so glad I did.  As soon as my head hits the pillow, I fall asleep.  Some nights I wake up once for a bathroom break, other times I sleep straight through the night.  WHAT A BLESSING!!!!!

Energy
I have lots of energy in the morning and get as much done as I can in the first hour or two after I get up before ligament pain forces me off of my feet. 

Movement
The babies move almost constantly!  I laugh when I see the picture of two little babies floating at the top of my blog because the babies in my belly do not have room to float like that!  They are pretty squished in there which means that I feel just about every movement they make - some of them quite aggressive.  Andrew and I were sitting together talking last night and he saw my belly jerk abruptly.  His eyes got big and he asked if that was from the babies, to which I smiled and said yes.  I love the movement part of pregnancy! 

Weight Gain
At 24 weeks, I had gained 20 lbs.  I'm pleased with that number since I really don't have much of an appetite with this pregnancy.  Anything I eat I have to basically force down. 

Gender 
No surprises - they're both still little boys.  :) 

Next Doctor's Appointment
September 18th with the specialist
September 20th with regular OB 


Interesting Things To Note
The babies are laying side by side in a vertical fashion which has given the front of my belly a peculiar plateau with a dip in the middle.  From my point of view, it looks pretty funny, but I don't think anyone can tell if they are looking at my belly from the front.

My maternity clothes are becoming too small for my belly.  I picked up a few larger size tops on e*bay, but even they are too small.  I guess I'll have to go even larger and not worry about how big the top is through my shoulders as long as it fits my belly!

At 25 weeks gestation with twins, I am measuring the equivalent of 33 weeks with a singleton.  

Things to Pray For  
*I'm thinking more about the birth of these days, and a spirit of fear and anxiety has crept into my mind.  Fear is not of the Lord, so please pray that the Holy Spirit helps me to take every thought captive and know that the Lord will equip me to do what He has called me to do.

*That both babies stay head down

*That the babies stay in the oven until at least 36 weeks

Thank you for your prayers and support!