Still Growing!

 33 weeks

Today, I am 33w4d and am so grateful to be at this point!  

I saw the MFM specialist last week, and her exact words were, "Things couldn't be going any better."  Such amazing words!  All praise to the Lord!  Her goal is for me to reach the 36 week milestone because she said that 36 week twins usually avoid a NICU stay and go home with mom.  What a tremendous blessing that would be! The babies were both head down with Jonathan weighing in at 5 lbs. and Benjamin at 4 1/2 lbs.  She said that she expects both of them to be over 6 lbs. at my next visit on 11-6.

I also saw my OB last week.  The talk through this whole pregnancy has been about keeping the babies in as long as possible, and now the conversation is switching to getting the babies out. Doc seems to want the babies to come sooner rather than later, so we will be discussing natural ways of inducing labor at my next visit on 11-8.  I am also researching midwifery websites on  my own and have purchased some herbs that are helpful in starting labor and helping it along.  Exactly when I start taking them will be determined at my next appointment on 11-8 and after I have a non-stress test done on the babies.

Physically -- all I can say is WOW.  Every night, I go to bed thinking that there is no way that my body can handle carrying these babies another day, and then I wake up the next morning and by the grace of God do it all over again.  My ability to walk has become severely impaired due to pressure causing intense pain in my pelvis and my energy level remains at zero.  I'll not bore you with the rest of my physical struggles -- just know that I am incredibly happy and thankful to be used of the Lord to carry these precious little ones!

Someone else is growing too!

 Can't believe this little ray of sunshine is just weeks away from turning two years old!

He is quite the happy boy!

 Evidence that a little boy was here . . . . .

 Tom gets the grandest giggles from this little guy!

He LOVES his yogurt!

 So tired . . . . .

 

 but I'll smile for my daddy!

 Helping Christian change a light bulb in the ceiling.

Family Portraits

Thank you Kanella*Brown!!!!!!

(www.kanellabrownphotography.com)

Pictures taken at Nash*Farm*Civil*War*Battlefield

Henry*County*Georgia

Another Year and A Pregnancy Milestone

My dear husband had a birthday last week!

 

Proudly telling his age and showing off his wife's belly!

The whole family was home to celebrate

and our friends, Wayne and Judy, stopped by.

This little guy thinks his daddy is the greatest person in the world!

Luke helped daddy blow his candles out

and helped mommy eat her cake and ice cream.

Today, I have reached the 30 week milestone!!!!!!

Here is my 29 week picture with a sweet little boy who wanted to stand with momma!

WOW - 30 weeks!  We are elated and so thankful to the Lord to be at this point!  Sometimes, I have felt like this pregnancy has flown by, and at other times, I have felt like it is crawling.  As we get nearer to the day of the babies arrival, it definitely feels like it is flying!

As far as preparations go, the big boys have moved to the newly finished upstairs.  The goal this next week is to get Sarah moved in to their old room, and the 3 little boys things moved in to Sarah's old room.  Thus far, baby equipment and clothing have been piling up in the master bedroom and dining room.  I'm looking forward to some de-cluttering and organization!  

Symptoms
Let's just say that my discomfort and exhaustion has reached a level that I didn't imagine possible

Sleep
Sometimes.  See explanation under "Symptoms." 

Energy
None. Zilch. Nada. 

Movement
Two babies = constant movement (sometimes painful)

Weight Gain
Yep. I've gained more weight.  About 30 lbs. total now.  I've even earned the title of "Heaviest Person in the House."  Truly humbling.  But no complaints here!  I'm honored that the Lord is using my body to nourish these two little ones! 

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

Next Doctor Appointments
October16th with the specialist
October18th with regular OB 

Interesting Things To Note
* At my appointment on September 20th with my OB, Baby A (Jonathan) was head down (vertex) and Baby B (Benjamin) was laying sideways (transverse).  The doctor said that they were in a "yin and yang" type of position.

* The babies get the hiccups a lot!  They even had them at the same time once. 

 * I can still wear my wedding rings.  Any swelling has been very minimal and only appears occasionally in the evenings around my ankles.

* My blood pressure is holding low and steady.  Last OB appt. it was 95/62.

* I contract a lot (several times an hour), but doc says the "plumbing" is holding up well with no signs of labor.  

* I have been asked by several people if I have had any cravings this pregnancy.  The only one I can think of is candied ginger.  Isn't that strange?!!   I don't have any in the house right now and I find myself thinking about it all the time.  Lately, I'm also craving cold fluids.  My favorite drinks right now are water and Izze*Pomegranate juice, both with lots of ice.  Ordinarily, I don't like cold fluids and only drink room temperature liquids.  But I'm sooooo hot these days . . . . .

* At 29 weeks gestation with twins, I measured the equivalent of 37 weeks with a singleton.

* My husband has taken away my driving privileges.  He says that the way in which I have to sit to drive at this point in my pregnancy is simply not safe.  He's right!  So thankful for big boys who can drive and help with errands and such!

* I must end this post as the babies are becoming very irritated with my arms reaching around my belly to get at the keyboard to type!


Things to Pray For 
* That the babies and I would have continued good health
* Labor and delivery are heavily on my mind as of late.  Please continue to pray that I surrender my fearful thoughts to the Lord.
* My family - my abilities are severely limited these days putting a lot of responsibility on to every one else.

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!

Ultrasound Appt. Update

We went in for the 20 week anatomy scan on Monday.  We give thanks to our Lord that both babies are developing normally!  The room where the scan was done was large with a flat screen TV up on the wall so Tom and I could watch everything that the tech was doing.  It was so amazing to see every little part of their beings.  Both the tech and the doctor commented on how active they both were -- translated "I can't see what I need to see or measure because this baby won't hold still!"

These precious little boys now have names -- Jonathan and Benjamin.  Jonathan, also known as Baby A, is lying lower on my right side and Benjamin, Baby B, is a little higher on my left.  Jonathan is Baby A due to his positioning which will make him the first to arrive.  At Monday's scan, Jonathan weighed 1.1 lbs., and Benjamin weighed 13 oz.  Of course these numbers are approximate, but there is a difference in their growth at this point, with Jonathan measuring about two weeks ahead of Benjamin (J at 22 weeks, B at 20 weeks).  This is not a concern being that the twins are dizygotic, meaning that they came from two different zygotes or eggs.  They each have their own sac and placenta, and are developing individually as if they were each a singleton pregnancy.  If they were sharing a placenta, the concern would be that Jonathan is getting more nutrients than Benjamin, but that is not the case.  It is always interesting to me to see how the babies are laying inside of me.  So far, the only two positions they have been in are breech (head up) and vertex (head down).  At my 17 week hospital visit, Jonathan was vertex and Benjamin was breech.  Three days later at my doctor's appointment, Jonathan was breech and Benjamin was vertex.  Three weeks later at the 20 week scan, they were still holding the same positions.  Since Benjamin will be arriving second, his position isn't as much of a concern as Jonathan's.  The preference is for Jonathan to be vertex, although my doctor won't hesitate to do a breech delivery given his many years of experience doing so.  It's ME that would prefer a vertex delivery!

After the scan was done, a maternal/fetal medicine doctor came in to meet with us.  She told us that the babies looked as if they were both developing normally and that the pregnancy appeared to be going well.  Her only concern was the placement of Jonathan's placenta which is very close to my cervix, and what appears to be a piece of his placenta that has broken off.  She doesn't believe that the small piece that has broken off will cause any trouble for me or the babies, but it would explain the episode I had on June 30th.  I was disappointed to hear that something like that could happen again, but at least we would know the cause.  She wants to see me regularly in addition to my regular appointments with my OB for the rest of the pregnancy, of which I am very glad.  Two heads are better than one! 

As we approach the 21 week milestone tomorrow, Tom and I rejoice in the Lord for each and every day He has graciously given us with these two little ones.  Truly, we rejoice and thank Him for every day He has given us with all of our children!  Each of them was chosen by Him to be a part of our family, and each one is unique and fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God!

Luke and Momma Update

My apologies to my faithful blog visitors who check for updates everyday!  You have been far more faithful to my blog than I have.  I have had this post swimming in my head (as well as other ones) for weeks now.  I am learning that being pregnant with multiples means that everything happens much faster than with a singleton pregnancy, including being uncomfortable.  The desk where my computer sits has a terribly uncomfortable chair, so I have avoided spending any time in it since the babies have entered the second trimester.  I suppose I could have moved my laptop from my desk, but since I've become such high maintenance for my family, I didn't want to trouble anyone to untangle the cords under my desk (which I can no longer get to) just so I could have my computer.

Time really does seem to be flying by very quickly with this pregnancy, and I have shared very little about it here on the blog, which I am coming to regret.  Also, I haven't given any Luke updates in awhile, and there are folks that come here just to see his precious little face and read about how he is doing.  That said, I decided I needed to grab my computer (minus the cord) and start working on this post a little bit each day until my battery power runs out and I get it finished. So far, it has taken me a week.  (I am sure that I could have said all of this more succinctly - my brain just doesn't seem to be cooperating lately.  I blame raging pregnancy hormones x 2!)

LUKEY UPDATE:
HE IS SO MUCH FUN!  His speech is really taking off and he is so proud!  His little face lights up when he realizes that he has said a word and that we understand what he has said.  He loves to help the rest of the family members with whatever task they are doing, especially putting things away.  I woke up from a nap on the sofa the other day and couldn't find the sandals I had left on the floor.  Sarah said she saw Luke carrying them towards my room when I was sleeping, and sure enough, he had put them away in my closet.  He likes to throw his diapers in the garbage and his dirty clothes in the laundry basket.  Can we keep this up until you leave home someday buddy??????

He is still a great little sleeper, going to bed at night at 7:00 and waking up in the morning around 7:00, and he takes a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon.  That's FOUR babies the Lord has blessed me with that love to sleep, and I'm praying that the twins do the same!

He has come to me several times pointing to his diaper in front, and when I check it, it is still warm.  I think he is starting to become aware of the sensations associated with going potty.  I decided not to waste this opportunity and bought a potty chair.  My first three were not potty trained before they were three years old, so I don't have my hopes up, but we've got to start the process sometime.

Due to my near permanent position on the sofa as of late, my camera has been in use very little so I don't have very many Lukey pictures to post.  I did find some videos that Tom had taken of him and have included a few of those at the bottom of this post.

Camping in Knoxville in March

At the police station celebrating with his brothers after their graduation

from the Citizens' Police Academy.

Playing with his new water table

Discovering that Sissy makes great cookie dough!

Playing with sissy and the camera on momma's phone.

MOMMA UPDATE:

As of July 20th, I am 20 weeks!  I am so grateful to the Lord and joyful to have made it halfway through this pregnancy!  I truly had no idea how challenging a multiple pregnancy was going to be - from the nausea, to the fatigue, to my rapidly expanding middle which began very early in the first trimester, as well as some other issues more common with a multiple pregnancy.  

Unfortunately, our family has continued to operate in survival mode even now that I am in my second trimester.  I am off of my feet for most of the day due to some issues, one of them being severe round ligament pain when I stand for more than a few minutes.  (There are young eyes that read this blog, so I if you are curious about the other issues I have encountered, please shoot me an e-mail.) The body of Christ has been such a source of encouragement and blessing to us during this time!  There have been so many letting us know they are praying for us, my dear sisters in Christ and my mom have brought meals, and many have come for a visit to keep me company while I veg on the sofa.  The sweetest part of all is the precious time I've been able to spend with all of my children.  My older kids sit with me often for heart to heart chats  and Luke climbs up and snuggles with me often.  While being off of my feet has been difficult--especially since I am wanting to NEST!!!--my family has taken wonderful care of me!

Symptoms
Nausea - GONE AT 13 WEEKS - YAY!
Short of breath
Fatigue
Back ache
Vivid dreams (bizarre ones at that!)
Belly feels like it might explode
Braxton Hicks contractions

Sleep
I have slept wonderfully up to this point!  However, rolling over to my other side is becoming an Olympic sport.  I am waking up at least once during the night as whatever side I am laying on starts to ache and it takes some maneuvering to flip to the other side.

Energy
I actually have a lot of energy - just not the endurance for ligament pain.  My brain is constantly turning with all of the things I should be doing to get ready for these babies, and I miss taking care of my family . . . .

Movement
My favorite part of pregnancy!  With every roll and kick, I marvel and rejoice that the Lord is knitting these two little bodies together inside of me!  The babies are very active, especially in the evenings.  If I wake up at night, I can feel them moving, but so far, they have not kept me awake.  Falling asleep is kind of interesting though.  I start out sleeping on the side of the baby that is protesting the least.  When I sleep on my left side, Baby A lays on top of Baby B and visa versa.  Whichever baby kicks the least is the side I start out sleeping on.

Weight Gain
12 pounds so far!

Gender
TWO LITTLE BOYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next Doctor's Appointment
July 23 - 20 week anatomy scan at the hospital
July 31st - regular doctor appt.

Interesting Things To Note
This wasn't so much interesting as it was frightening - I had a terrible scare on June 30th.  Upon waking it appeared that one of the babies membranes had ruptured.  Thankfully, Tom was home and was able to get me to the emergency room right away.  After a whole day of testing, it was concluded that both babies membranes were intact, but it was inconclusive where all of the fluid/blood came from.  An inconclusive diagnosis was not what I was hoping for, but we praise the Lord that the babies were fine

Things to Pray For
* The health of the babies
* That the babies stay put until they are full term
* That I would make good food choices each day
* That my doctor can get my thyroid medication regulated quickly - I had my blood drawn this week and my TSH was 0.212 and my T4 was 15.7. - MEDS APPEAR TO BE STABLE - THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS
* That our family would recover quickly from the cold that is making its way through the household.  Andrew and I have been spared so far. - ANDREW AND I BOTH CAUGHT THE VIRUS, BUT THANKFULLY HAD A VERY MILD CASE - THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS

15 Weeks

19 Weeks