Happy Halloweenie!!!

this is Lily's current obsession--Alexander... not the best photo of him (he's a very cute little boy)

Time to play catch-up a little bit...Happy Halloween everyone! Lily had a costume parade at school today and she went as a ballerina. She wore her pumpkin costume for trunk-n-treat at her school the other night, and again yesterday at my moms' group party. Ty's class didn't dress up which was just as well because he isn't keen on his lion costume. Lisa and I went to her OB's office today to have a nurse paint our bellies, which was a ton of fun. She's scheduled to deliver next Friday so we wanted to capture our bellies together. Anyway, here's a whole menagerie of photos to catch me up...enjoy!

on the mend...

so, once it was all said and done, the whole fam came down with the stomach flu and we are all now in various stages of recovery. todd was the last one to suffer and thankfully so, since he took care of all of us this week. i had my ob appt today and all was well. i heard the babies' heartbeats and isabella's was about 135 and james' was 145, both perfectly normal. my belly is already measuring 23 weeks, which is about 5-6 weeks ahead of where i am (i'm almost 18 weeks pregnant). i also got a flu shot, which now that i am feeling a bit run-down seems sort of reckless after the week i've had...oh well. we took the kiddos to get pictures taken tonight and they were so cute. lily did such a good job, trying so hard to show her teeth when she smiled (even if her eyes weren't smiling) and ty wanted nothing to do with his halloween costume, but through it all we got some fantastic pix. i will post them later. i'm quite tired so i am going to sign off...

A quick update...

this will be a short post since i am still in the throes of the stomach flu--thanks ty-ty for sharing with mommy! i just pray that no one else gets it! the craft festival went great--i raised enough for atleast a goat or a llama and i think i'm going to go with the goat. i encourage all of you to visit the heifer website and consider donating--this is such a practical way to reach out to those in need www.heifer.org as for my ob appt today, i ended up not getting to see my doc because she got paged to deliver right as i was waiting to see her--but i did get my ultrasound...annnnnd... we have a boy and a girl!!! thankfully everyone was cooperating today! they both looked excellent--everyone has the correct number of hands and feet and the rest of their anatomy looked just as it should. they were wiggling and kicking the whole time! So James and Isabella it is! what an answer to prayer since twin to twin transfusion is no longer a possibility! i just thank GOD for their little bodies and pray they stay healthy! that's all for today--need to lay back down now! cheers...

Time Management...

I firmly believe that when the line turns pink on the pregnancy test, you enter a time warp. Some days fly and others drag, but you are always behind on something (if not almost everything) and you have to learn to be OK with it. Such is my life right now and here it is October 18th and I haven't updated my blog since September...sad...anyway, I am 16 and a half weeks pregnant now and looking the part. I think we have finally settled on names for Peeka and Pooka, so here it goes... our definite boy, Baby B will be named James William. Todd and I both loved James and William pays homage to both of his grandfathers. Baby A, who right now has led us to believe she's a girl, will be named Isabella Spence. Isabella sort of evolved from who knows where and Spence comes from my grandmother's maiden name. Now, if Isabella is-a-boy, uh, well I guess we're back to the drawing board. My next scan is on the 23rd (next Tuesday) and don't you know I am chomping at the bit--I already called to try to make it earlier, but no such luck. In the meantime, I am doing a craft festival this weekend in Jax at Todd's parents' church and I am so excited. I've decided that I am going to buy a cow with my earnings (through Heifer International http://www.heifer.org/) and if I don't make enough for a cow, I will buy a llama or a pig. God has blessed me so richly with my hairbows that I want to give back in a very practical way to someone in need. As for my babes, they are growing like weeds still and keeping us on our toes. Lily is slowing emerging from the terrible twos and is becoming more enjoyable every day. Ty, however, is entering the twos early and giving me daggers at every turn. We went to the Pumpkin Patch today with Nicholas and baby Ryan and had fun. We also recently bought new sofas etc. for our family room, so you'll see a photo of the kids trying them out. Here are some recent photos to try to catch this blog up to speed! Cheers!

Over the moon...

Baby A with her hands up by her face (Todd swears it's a girl...)
Baby A's profile Baby B showing off that it's a BOY!! The arrow is pointing to his male parts...
Baby B profile...

We had our ultrasound today of Peeka and Pooka (Lily's names for them) and they looked fabulous! Baby A measured 6.5 centimeters from crown to rump and Baby B measured 7.5 centimeters CTR, both perfect for 13 weeks. We were able to see both babies raise their hands up to their faces and wiggle their legs and feet--so reassuring for us! And, Baby B, who is on my left side and I swear I've been feeling his movement, showed his male parts pretty well and the ultrasound tech said with almost 100% certainty that it's a boy! He didn't stop moving during the entire scan! Baby A was pretty active too and the tech said with a little bit of certainty that it may be a girl, but we would need to wait until my next scan in 4 weeks to confirm. As a matter of interest, our tech today has just one hand and she has earned a special place in our hearts--she's also awesome at what she does and we love watching her work! Our doctor said I would be getting a scan at every appointment from now on, which is A-OK with me!! My doc also said my heart palpitations are normal, which was nice to hear. One thing which may pop up later as an issue is that the baby's placentas are fused so if they're identical they can be at risk for twin-to-twin transfusion, where one baby receives more of the nutrients than the other and the growth is discordant. We are not concerned now and will be praying that all is well in that department. At any rate, here are our pix of our babes--enjoy!

TGIF!!!

Today was another great day...Lily had school and I took Ty to open gym with Auntie Sarah and Travis. Ty had SO much fun in the ball pit and running on the tumbling trampoline. We had a quick lunch with Daddy and then came home. Lily's halloween costume came in the mail today and she was just bursting to try it on--I let her! SMILES!!! She WILL be the cutest pumpkin ever and Ty will be a lion, although he doesn't know it yet. Have a great weekend everyone and Go Gators!!!

A Great Day

Ty's first day of school--he wouldn't pose for me...

It's funny but after several days of riding the emotional rollercoaster, life was pretty sweet today. Lily and Ty had no school so we spent the morning watching TV and just enjoying being home--I did have some special moments with the potty (silly me for thinking morning sickness is gone for good!). Lily woke up in the most pleasant mood and she sat and cuddled with me on the sofa for quite a while before Ty woke up. She has had sort of an awakening and understands so much and is curious about so much that it boggles my mind. I can catch a glimpse of the furture with her which should be really fun. Ty has also had an awakening--in his ears! His surgery went perfectly and we notice a BIG difference in his hearing. He has been imitating new words almost non-stop since he came out of recovery. His first day of school was Wednesday and he had a ton of fun. He did not, however, eat a bite of his lunch, which is pretty consistent with him, but still frustrating for us! This too shall pass... back to today, we ran some errands and then ended up at the mall for lunch, where we all sat at a little table. What a joy to just look at their little faces and try to freeze the moment in my brain. They played in the "germ pit" (thanks for the monaker Lisa :)) and Lily told me she had a skunk, a Barbie doll, and a flashlight in her arms (all invisible) and she kept up the charade all the way until we got home--so very cute. She has been interested in skunks lately after a Curious George episode featured one. So funny what captures their interest, you know?And she calls the woods the "woodens," so she reported that her skunk was lost in the woodens--I hate that this age, as difficult as it is sometimes, will someday end. This afternoon during the 4-5 o'clock witching hour I took the kids outside to play in the front yard--they had a blast! And when Todd got home, all Ty wanted to do was play catch. I really felt like today was my rainbow after several days of rain. I just thank God for all the days I have with my babies because the only thing certain in life is change and they won't be my babies forever. Cheers...

A "Bump" and a Bruise

The bump refers to my bump--today I am 11 weeks! I count each day and week as a miracle and I am so thankful and blessed to have these babies inside me! The bruise refers to Ty and the little fall he had in the church parking lot--he landed face first and now has the road rash to prove it! He is such a boy, though! He cried for about 30 seconds and then he was fine. I'm hoping it looks a little better when he has his surgery on Tuesday for his ear tubes--those of you praying for our family, please add this to your prayers as I am very nervous. I know Ty needs this to hear properly, but it's scary handing your baby over to the nurse for surgery. Also, I need prayers for my worries over the twins. I have done relatively well thus far, but I am so antsy for my next ultrasound just to make sure they are both still in there and healthy. I am always hesitant to request prayer because I know how there are so many other people out there who are hurting and in need, but I also believe in the power of prayer and I am not able to deal with this alone--so thank you in advance to those of you joining me in this effort. At any rate, here are some photos of the day's adventures! P.S. I painted Lily's nails tonight and she was thrilled, but she wouldn't smile for my picture! What a little stinker!

Miracles...

Here are some photos and info from a site I reference below--isn't pregnancy amazing??!! I am still marveling that there are two of these guys inside me! Oh, and I did dream last night that they are both boys...hmmmm... one had really dark hair and he was wearing Harry Potter glasses and I told him his name was James (which is one of our boy name picks and also Harry Potter's dad's name--HA!) and then I told the other one we didn't have a name for him yet but we were working on it. I usually don't take my dreams lightly because they have been fairly accurate in the past. But, I will also allow the next two ultrasounds the weight they deserve! So James is one of our names and Maisy is still fairly solid for a girl...the other two names are taking a little longer! By the time we know their gender we will probably know their names for sure. Anyway, enjoy these pix and info--I know I did!!

The following information is from this site: http://www.pregnancy.org/pregnancy/fetaldevelopment1.php
Week Eleven
Nearly all structures and organs are formed and beginning to function.
Fingers and toes have separated - Take a glimpse at how incredibly precious your child's tiny feet are at this point.
Hair and nails begin to grow
The genitals begin to take on the proper gender characteristics - It will be just a few more weeks before your ultrasound can show if you are having a boy or a girl! Have you been dreaming of pink or blue?
Amniotic fluid begins to accumulate as the kidneys begin to function - This fluid, consisting primarily of water, helps provide a cushion for your baby while she's nestled within your womb.
The muscles in the intestinal walls begin to practice contractions that digest food.
Your baby is about 1.61 inches (4.1 cm) long and weighs 0.25 ounce (7gm).

Big big big belly big big big!!

For those of you interested, I am going to post belly shots on this blog so you can watch me expand--it'll be fun for all. This is my first belly shot of this pregnancy and I am nine weeks and two days...already the size of someone who is about 4 months pregnant! Enjoy!

Two...

Who would have thought that a little number could so change everything? The number two is now resonating through our family like a tidal wave--two babies...two new everythings (since I got rid of all our baby stuff because we were done having children...) two blessings, two new lives to worry about. And as I was lying on the table and the ultrasound tech said, "You do know there's two, right?" and we returned her question with gaping mouths and silence, the number two began to take on a whole new meaning. The name of the exact emotion I was feeling when it began to sink in is eluding me--somewhere between elated and terrified about sums it up. And truthfully, I had had twin dreams about a month ago, so even though I was shocked, deep down in my soul I was not surprised. I think God has always prepared me for big things in my life--this being no exception. I have been laughing almost non-stop since the news broke and I still find the whole thing rather funny (defense mechanism??), but do not get me wrong--I love these babies with every fiber of my being. Watching those little hearts beating strong was the only image today that brought tears to my eyes. I can already feel God testing me and I know this pregnancy is going to be equal parts physical journey and spiritual journey. My OB said I will probably gain 40-50 pounds (legitimately, since I gained that much with Ty--now I have an excuse :)) She also said I am now due March 30th and that they may how me mercy and allow me to deliver at 38 weeks...this sounds great since she said I will look and feel full term around 28 weeks! OH MY GOSH!!!! What have I done???!!! Now, the quest begins for knowledge on all things twin--for those of you who know me well, isn't it great for me to have something positive to obsess about?? Anyway, here's Roo and Two's first photo session...please pray for them and for us as we walk (however slowly) on this journey!

Long Time, No See...

FYI--the pictures that will follow are in reverse order...
Well, I guess it's been a while since I have chronicled the lives of my kiddies--tonight I plan to catch up slightly...only very slightly!! We have packed the summer with travel and we are now home for a while with no travel plans in sight. We just returned from New Jersey/New York--we spent a week with Jamie, then my aunts and uncles, and then in NYC. I am exhausted still, but it was very worth it! I flew alone with the kids on the way up--frightening!!! Lily was an angel, Ty was AWFUL!! The lady in front of us wasn't very nice about it either! The ride home was much smoother--Ty slept the whole way in Todd's arms (not fair)! While at Jamie's, Lily and Jules had an exercise in sharing and playing nice--you can only ask so much of 2/3 year-olds--HA! The had fun picnicking in the living room, eating cupcakes and ice cream, visiting the farm, and just watching their mommies make up for lost time! There's just nothing like going to Target with your best friend... and then we packed up and moved on to my Uncle Tony and Aunt Angela's house where we stayed to attend my cousin Dennis' wedding. The accommodations were superb!! And the wedding was beautiful and so much fun. I can't adequately put into words how amazing it is for me to be with family again--some folks who I haven't seen or communicated with in 15+ years! My cousins, Katie and Samantha, are just growing into little women before my eyes! They took Lily under their wing and occupied her any chance they got--a break for Mommy!! And Lily, my dear little angel Lily, got into some chocolate and mints one night while Angela was babysitting--and proceeded to throw it all up in the bed that she, Todd, and I were sharing!! Angela took it in stride and we stayed another night after that before heading into the city. We visited the Central Park Zoo, FAO Schwarz, ToysRUs, Hard Rock Cafe, Carmine's, Maxey's, and several Starbuck's (I swear it tastes better in the city!). We also visited the American Girl store and Capezio, where Lily got her first pair of ballet shoes!! I was bummed to miss out on seeing Wicked again--I plan to catch it in April in Orlando! I also visited M&J Trimming in the city--anyone who knows me knows this is like making the haj! I bought a modest amount of ribbon... I could've spent all day in there...I digress... Anyway, here are some photos from these adventures! I will blog more on our earlier summer adventures soon!! Cheers!