On the Night You Were a Born

I don't remember a lot about the delivery. I was so sick from the magnesium I couldn't stay awake much. I remember being rolled into the operating room and the Neonatoligist stopping me and promising my babies would be taken care of. I remember panicking thinking I could feel everything and that I wasn't breathing (although I was fine).

I do remember, however, hearing my doctor say here comes A and the sweetest, most perfect little scream echoing throughout the room and someone saying to Justin, "Here he is Dad! Get pictures!" Only to be followed exactly one minute later by B's sweet, perfect little yelp and cries!

Welcome to the world, Archer!

Welcome to the world, Beckett!

Justin went to check on the babies as their two teams of doctors looked them over while I was finishing up. Once the babies were given the okay, they were wrapped up and brought over to me to see. I was so delirious but remember just staring at those sweet faces and feeling so relieved that they were finally here. Justin held them both for a few minutes while they finished sewing me up, and then they moved me to my regular hospital bed, placed one baby in each arm, and rolled me to my room.

Meeting Beckett.

Hi, Daddy!

Archer Robertson arrived at 12:18am Saturday, February 22 weighing 5lbs 13oz and 19 1/2 inches long followed by Beckett Tinsley at 12:19am weighing 6lbs 1oz and 19 1/2 inches long. We had our parents come in first for a few minutes to meet the boys, then the rest of our family. Those were some of the most precious moments, seeing our sweet babies being loved by so many people.

Beckett and Coy.

Coy, Poppy and Archer.

Daddy, Nana and Beckett.

PawPaw and Daddy.

Our little Beckett Boy.

Sweet baby Archer.

Archer and Beckett, the moments you entered the world will forever be stamped into your Daddy and my's hearts. We waited and prayed for so long to meet you, and it was worth every scary moment, every painful time, all the bedrest and hospital stays, and long tedious labor. I would do it again in a second to have you both here with me.

On the Night You Were Born: The Beginning

When I last updated about my pregnancy with the twins, I was 36 weeks and was a permanent resident of labor and delivery.

I ended up spending close to two weeks in the hospital before actually delivering. Each day, my blood pressure would creep up a tiny bit, but never crossing the line of "we have to deliver now."

On Wednesday, February 19, my OB came in to check me. I wasn't dilated but A's head was extremely far down and I was completely thinned. At this point, the cerclage to stitch my cervix shut was still in place. With all the pressure I was extremely uncomfortable and suffering from what I affectionately named "lightening crotch" all the time. To top things off, my OB informed me that she was leaving that Saturday morning to go to Hawaii. She hadn't mentioned it before because honestly no one ever thought we would make it that far.

Needless to say, I was pretty upset. My OB is the only one who practices at the hospital we chose who will attempt to deliver twins where B was breach vaginally.  So if I didn't deliver by Friday night, not only would I have a c-section, it would be by a doctor who had never treated me. This was terrifying to me.

We decided that the best thing to do would be cut the cerclage stitch and see what happened. This was done bedside in the room with no medication. It was honestly no worse than a pelvic exam. I immediately dilated to two and started contracting. We thought that was the beginning!

However, overnight my contractions slowed and I didn't dilate anymore. Thursday morning my OB came to check me and nothing was happening. I asked her to strip my membranes. She decided to let me walk that day and would come back to check me that afternoon. Of course, nothing happened. Upon her return, she went ahead and stripped my membranes. Now - that was painful. 

She also informed me that she had gotten permission (because I wasn't quite 37 weeks) to induce me on Friday. We decided to start the induction at midnight to give us plenty of time..... Our parents came up to visit and we decided for everyone to head home and try to sleep. We had plans to get sleep that night as well because we knew Friday would be a long day. Well, if we only knew what was to come......

36 Weeks - Permanent Resident of L&D

Well.... Here I am. 36 weeks pregnant with twins. I never, ever in my wildest dreams thought I would be here. Not at all. I don't think my OB did either. Which leads to some difficult and confusing decisions.

Last week I saw my doctor on Monday and my BP had continued to rise. However, it wasn't at pre-eclampsia status and neither was the protein in my urine. So we decided to remove the cerclage on Valentines Day, keep me overnight for observation, and see what happened. She also sent me home with instructions on taking my BP and also testing my urine for protein at home.

By Wednesday my blood pressure was really too high for comfort. My OB had us to come to her office and immediately sent us to the hospital with talk of induction. Of course, once I was in the hospital my BP started going back down. After running labs and some other tests, though, it was determined that I have mild pre-eclampsia. So, my doctor made the decision, based on various reasons, to keep me in the hospital until I deliver.

At this point, the cerclage is still in. Right now, it is not doing any harm. Because I'm in the hospital it is easily monitored and can be removed immediately if I start to contract. They are watching me closely and have me on "toxemia" protocol. If my BP or labs begin trending forward, we will have the discussion about induction. Right now, we are just in a waiting game to see if my body decides to go into labor itself. Average twin gestation is 36/37 weeks so I can't imagine going much longer.

Hospital bedrest isn't what we wanted or imagined. But I'm so grateful, after where we started, that I've carried these babies to a safe point! It's nothing less than a miracle. It's hard because the hospital is an hour from home. Justin stayed this weekend, but during the week has been/will drive back and forth so he can work, visit me, then get back home to take care of our responsibilities at the house and sleep. Thankfully, both my siblings live here where the hospital is and my mom has flexibility with her job. So I have visitors in and out until Justin can get here after school.

I know when I hold these beautiful babies in my arms it will be worth it. I will forget the struggle and how hard it was to get here, and the difficulties of the pregnancy! 

"For these children I prayed; and The Lord hath given me what I asked of Him." 1 Sam 1:27

Back to L&D - 34 Weeks

Well, looks like weekly trips to L&D are becoming the norm.

Last Monday I went to my usual check-up at Dr. W's office. Justin actually got to go with me because school was cancelled due to the weather. We had to leave about an hour earlier than usual because of the roads, but thankfully we were able to make it.

I felt off that morning, so I wanted to make sure we stopped to eat breakfast. Ha! Priorities. I didn't want to end up admitted and not able to eat. Also the BPP test goes better if I've eaten and the babies are active.

The BPP went great and only took a few minutes. After that, we had to go over to the hospital for the NST because the doctor's office doesn't perform those tests on multiple pregnancies. Over on L&D we got checked in and one of my favorite nurses Julie hooked me up. As soon as she took my blood pressure I knew I was in trouble. She had me hooked up for about 20 minutes and the babies were doing great but my BP wasn't budging. She called Dr. W who told me to come straight over to her office instead of waiting for my scheduled appointment. Julie took me in a wheelchair and wouldn't let me walk.

It didn't take Dr. W long to decide to admit me. I had protien in my urine and my BP was still elevated. When she checked me, my cervix was completely thinned and A's head is RIGHT THERE. Which explains the serious discomfort.

Needless to say, we went back to the hospital and I was admitted for a 24-hour urine catch and monitoring. The babies looked great the entire time and I wasn't contracting any more than usual. After staying overnight Dr. W ended up releasing me because my protien came back under the cut off and my BP calmed down. 

We will see what happens tomorrow! My BP remains elevated but not overly concerning. I can't believe we've made it this far though. 35 weeks tomorrow - seemed impossible 14 weeks ago! 

32 Weeks

Y'all. 32 weeks! 11 weeks ago I didn't think I would still be pregnant right now. It's such a miracle and blessing from God.

I was 32 weeks exactly on Monday. On Tuesday, we had doctors appointments. It started out as a major cluster of problems.

Originally, the plan was I would see my regular OB and also have a biophysical profile (BPP) and non-stress test (NST) in her office. The Maternal Fetal Medicine doctors agreed I could be released from their care with the exception of growth scans every three weeks from the 30 week point. 

My appointment was at 11:20 and we live about an hour from the doctor's office. At 10:00 I get a phone call from the doctor's office saying I actually needed to go to MFM for the testing because I couldn't do it in their office. I specifically asked if they had called MFM to let them know, and the reply was "Yes. They know you had an appointment here at 11:20 but will be coming there first and they said they would work you in."

Well, my Mom and I arrive at the hospital and go to check in at the MFM clinic and they have no idea why I'm there. My doctor's office never called! So I explain the situation and they tell me to wait while they check. Then they say I can go up to the OB floor for the NST and then head to my doctor. Well, I also needed the BPP - which couldn't be done on the OB floor! So long story short, they finally figure it out but can't fit me in until 1:00!! And Dr. W didn't want to see me in her office until AFTER all the testing. It was such a mess.

We ended up going to the restaurant in the hospital and getting lunch, because my favorite nurse said the babies would likely perform better if I ate right before hand.

Anyway, they got me back around 12:45 for the testing. The babies passed the BPP immediately. The ultrasound tech spent about 15 extra minutes just letting us watch them move around. Archer was sucking on his little hand like he was starving! Beckett had NO interest in performing for his Momma and refused to turn his head to look at the "camera." Then I had to be hooked up to the NST for about 30 minutes. Thankfully, the babies heart rates were perfect and I didn't have a single contraction.

By the time the testing was done and I waited on the doctor, it was after 2:00 when I made it to my regular OB appointment. And of course, I had to wait in the waiting room and in the exam room. I ended up laying down on the exam table because I was so tired and my back and belly were aching from being up all day.

My OB was great and answered all my questions. We spent time talking about my "birthing plan" AND scheduled a date to remove my cerclage. So basically the babies should be here within four weeks or less! I am now allowed to slowly start increasing my activity to build some stamina, and get out for little outings once or twice a week. Dr. W just said to use good judgment and common sense. If I feel tired, rest. If I start to contract or feel uncomfortable, take that as a sign I need to really slow down.

So here we are. Just waiting and hoping these sweet boys stay inside for a few more weeks! 

Oh - we had a great friend come take maternity pictures at our house that are "bedrest" friendly. Here's a little peak! I will share more once we have them.

Day in the Life

I thought it would be fun to do a "day in the life" post right now, and then compare it when the babies are actually here. Ha! I picked Friday to do it. My life is actually much more interesting at 32 weeks than when I first went on bedrest at 21 weeks. And interesting is probably a great stretch of the imagination.

4:00 am - finally tired of tossing and turning so I get up and head to the couch.  I feel horrible because I know I wake Justin up and he's been sick all week.

7:00 am - Hear Justin get up so I get up with him. I make a pitstop at the bathroom and also brush my teeth, hair and throw on my comfy pants and a tank. The bedrest uniform. I talk to Justin while he gets ready for work.

7:25 am - Turn on the Keurig & brew my one cup of decaf coffee. Fill my large Tervis of ice water. Tell J bye and make another pitstop to the bathroom.

7:30 am - back on the couch with coffee and television.

9:15 am - Get up and head to the bathroom again. Put instant oatmeal in the microwave while I pour a glass of milk and refill my water. Head back to the couch and eat breakfast.

9:45 am - Do some online shopping for J's birthday. 

10:40 am - Back to the bathroom. Decide to lay down because my back is really aching. It's not coming and going so I don't think it's contractions (I usually feel contractions start in my back).

11:00 am - Let Oreo out and head back to the bathroom. I can tell it's not going to be a good day when I have to pee every 20 minutes.

11:35 am - Let Oreo in and, you guessed it, back to the bathroom.

12:10 pm - Pee again. Both babies have decided to use my bladder and cervix as their own personal trampoline. Decide while I'm up I might as well eat lunch.

12:40 pm - finish eating my salad, clean up my dishes, let Oreo out to pee and head back to the bathroom for another pitstop. Make sure to refill my water before I set down.

1:00 pm - Decide to watch last nights Parenthood because I am procrastinating writing thank-you notes. I settle in the recliner hoping it will help my back.

1:15 pm - My mom drops off a casserole, salad and applie pie for our dinner. I chat with her and she eats a sandwich before heading back to work. Make a pitstop at the bathroom.

1:40 pm - back to watching Parenthood.

2:30 pm - I apparently dozed off and wake up feeling very crampy and achy in my lower abdomen and back. Everything feels like it's stretched to the max and my bladder is killing me. I get up, take some Tylenol, use the bathroom and refill my water.

3:00 pm - I cannot get comfortable or find relief. I get back up to use the bathroom and walk around the house for a couple of minutes hoping my back will ease up.

4:30 pm - Jay gets home from baseball practice and I burst into tears because I'm miserable. I have a couple of mild contractions but they aren't steady.

5:00 pm - Decide to go ahead and get up and shower. A photographer friend is coming over to take some belly shots. Maybe getting up and the hot water will help.

7:00 pm - Start photos.

9:00 pm - Eat dinner in the recliner. Finally my back isn't hurting as bad.

9:30 pm - Dose off in recliner.

10:45 pm - Jay wakes me up because I have to take my medicine at a specific time, one of which requires me to lay horizontally for an hour afterwards. I go through and wash my face, brush my teeth, take my meds and get in bed.

11:30 pm - Fall asleep.

5:00 am - Decide I'm not sleeping anymore apparently. Play on my phone, try to convince my body sleep is necessary. Make frequent trips to the bathroom.

6:15 am - I'm starving. I get up and eat powdered donuts and drink milk (super healthy).

6:30 am - Get back in bed hoping for more sleep.

So there you have it. A day in the life of bedrest at 32 weeks. Wild and crazy!

Our Little Sunshines

I thought I would post a couple of the newer ultrasound pictures. I think the boys have strikingly similar profiles, so I'm excited to see how similar or different they look at birth.

We think they are handsome little rockstars!

31 Weeks

As of yesterday, we are 31weeks pregnant! Every week is such a milestone now. It's crazy to think I've been on bedrest for 10 weeks! That's 2 and a half months. 10 weeks ago we were petrified, facing the very realistic thought that we could lose the babies we fought so long and so hard to have.

Today I had two doctor appointments. The first was at the high-risk specialist MFM Clinic. There are a group of doctors who rotate every four weeks, and today happened to be my favorite. As soon as he came into the room he exclaimed "look at that beautiful belly! Now that's what I like to see!" I hadn't seen him since I was 22 weeks. His bedside manner is amazing and he made me feel so much more comfortable about everything. My cervix is holding strong around 1.5 which is great for me in general. It's not bad either for someone carrying twins at this point. He said I do not have to go back weekly for cervical lengths anymore, because Dr. W can check me digitally from now on. I don't know if that's something to be excited about considering how bad it hurt last week, but I will take it. Now I will go every three weeks for growth scans to the MFM clinic.

I also visited Dr. W's office although I had to see her partner. It was a quick appointment and I basically moaned about how miserable I am. We talked about some pain relief options and also helping me sleep. Now I will see Dr. W weekly and also have weekly biophysical profiles and non-stress tests. This is typical for a twin pregnancy.

I'm hoping that the rest of my appoinents are as non-eventful as today, and that these babies decide to hang out inside mom for a few more weeks. However, I'm right around the corner from 32 which is a magic number, and I know that this is all in the Lord's hands. He knows exactly when these babies will make their debut.

I will leave with a picture from today. Not

A belly shot :) I laid back in the car while my sweet Mom ran my errands and returned a TON of things to Target for me.

 

PS - still rocking the maternity jeans I bought around 18 weeks. That secret fit panel ain't much of a secret anymore though ;-)

My Bump

Well, I fell off that weekly bump-date bandwagon fairly quickly, now didn't I? Granted, when you have been on bedrest for 10 weeks, the first 8 or so of which I literally did nothing but go from the bed to the bathroom and back, taking weekly photos is kind of difficult.

However, I tried to snap one as often as possible when I was up to visit the doctor.

There's a weekly progression through Christmas, which was week 28.

Week 29 happened to fall around my baby shower, which I will give a little update on later. But here is a picture with my lovely Momma!

We didn't get a picture for week 30 because, well, things got kind of crazy that morning before we rushed to the doctor. I will try to get one Tuesday for week 31 because I'm telling you, this torpedo belly just keeps growing and growing!

The shirts I bought thinking would be big for most of my pregnancy - HA! I have hardly bought anything since being on bedrest other than several tank tops, a couple more pairs of leggings, and 5 pairs of fleece pj pants. Yes, you read that correctly. My daily uniform is a tank and pjs. Sometimes I might get crazy and throw on one of the four-ish long sleeve shirts that fit. But I try to save those for special occasions, you know, like going to the doctor.

I Owe a Recap

Wow! I'm such a slacker. You would think that with 9+ weeks of bedrest I would have plenty of time to blog. I just haven't had a lot to say.

I am now 30 weeks 3 days! Woohoo! When we went in at 21 weeks for the cerclage, we basically were told making it to 24 weeks would be tough and making it last 27 would be a miracle. I am just so, so thankful to be in this position. If the babies decided to come at any time, they would survive with no lasting long term side effects. Praise be to GOD because I'm under no doubts whatsoever that this is all Him. He gets the glory.

These last four weeks have been a little crazy. I always have appointments on Tuesdays with both the Maternal Fetal Medicine doctors and also my regular OB/GYN, Dr. W.

The week before Christmas, the ultrasound showed some shrinking of my cervix, down to around 1.5. However, it wasn't steady. My cervix is very fluid and in a matter of a 3-minute ultrasound can vary over a centimeter. The MFM dr was throwing around inserting a pessary, which is a device that basically inflates inside the vaginal canal and holds the pressure of the cervix. My OB however felt it wasn't absolutely necessary and wanted to check again in a week.

The week of Christmas and New Year happened to fall where the MFM doctors weren't in Cape, so I saw my regular OB for ultrasounds and checks. The week of Christmas my cervix was back to measuring over 2.0 which for me was great. She even gave me her blessing to attend our family Christmas gatherings on Christmas Eve!

The week of New Years my regular OB was on vacation, so I saw her partner. Of course, with a different ultrasound tech AND different OB things had to have changed. My cervix was back down to 1.5 and since the doctor wasn't as familiar with my case she decided to admit me to L&D. Thankfully I was not contracting and after making some phone calls, she let me go home.

Tuesday I woke up planning to be at the MFM clinic by 8:00 for my appointment. Since it was a routine check, Justin planned on going to work so he can save his days for when the babies arrive and my mom was going to take me. However, when I got up to use the bathroom I had some light bleeding. I was terrified! That's the first sign, especially with a cerclage, that the cervix could be changing. I screamed through for Justin who ran in, threw on clothes, and flew to the school to get a substitute arranged. Of course, this was before the doctor office opened and then on-call number wouldn't work!! I finally got through to L&D at the hospital who told me to go straight to my MFM appointment (which is at the hospital with the L&D floor) to be checked.

Now, since our surprise admission the precious week, I got busy and already had a complete toiletry bag packed with everything both Justin & I needed (except of course things we use daily that couldn't be packed) and I had a clothing bag started as well. I finished getting dressed and threw everything else we needed in bags, and by the time Justin got back to the house I was ready to go.

After being examined by MFM, the ultrasound showed my cervix still at 1.5 and the cerclage still in place. That was a huge blessing - Gods work #2 of the day! (I will get back to #1). We also had a growth scan and both babies are perfectly healthy and BIG! God's work #3 of the day. The MFM nurse, who I adore, went ahead and called my doctor who was on the L&D floor finishing surgery and filled her in. Dr. W told me to meet her at her office instead of waiting for my appointment after lunch so she could check me as well. God's work #4.

Dr. W did a full internal exam (ouch) and also checked for dilation (double ouch) and discovered what she believed was an infection. She sent me immediately to  be admitted to L&D for monitoring. God's work #4 of the day.

Once on the monitors it was almost immediately apparent I was contracting, though mild and sporadically, but I had no clue. Monday night I didn't sleep and was up frequently to pee and felt general discomfort, but none of the typical signs of contractions. I fully believe the bleeding was God's first way of working in our life that morning to alert me something was off. If if hadn't been for that, it would have taken the contractions becoming much more before I realized what was happening.

We went ahead and did the steroid injections to help mature the babies lungs just in case, along with treating my infection. After an overnight stay I'm glad to be home.

Where does this leave us? Right now I'm measuring 40 weeks so my uterus thinks it is full term. Mild sporadic contractions are normal. If they become painful, more than 4 an hour, or I notice bleeding or leaking of fluids, I call and head straight to L&D. Otherwise, back to bed rest and following up with weekly appointments.

We still need prayers these guys calm down and decide to stay in moms belly just a while longer!

The one picture we took in the hospital - right before discharge!

I will be back with some bump updates, pictures from our shower, and maybe a Christmas recap?

Hairbows or Bowties? Footballs or Pom-Poms?

"Sons are a heritage from The Lord, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." Psalm 127:3-4.

Yes, our quiver will be on the way to being full. We are joyfully expecting two sweet little BOYS. 

Both Baby A and Baby B are very clearly boys! They are active and already picking on each other, even in the womb.

What a blessing these sweet, sweet boys are to their Daddy and I. He's so over-the-moon about having two little mini-mes, and I have to say -  I am too. Being that Justin is my favorite person in the world, I can't imagine anything better than two tiny little sidekicks hanging off his legs.

My boys - mommy can't wait to meet you (but I can wait a few more weeks, so don't get any ideas!).

A Long Overdue Update

Let me begin by saying if you make it to the end of this mini-book I just wrote, congrats.

Wow. I know it has been such a long time since I've updated. Almost 9 weeks, give or take.

A lot has happened in those nine weeks. 

First, I was just so sick during the beginning of the pregnancy. Honestly. I never really threw up, but I was nauseated all the time. Add to that unbelievable exhaustion and I could hardly function!

Then, around 16 weeks I turned a corner!

I finally felt human again. I wasn't sick, but starving :) I had a sudden burst of energy and we took advantage. Justin was super busy with football games, and we were gone a lot. We enjoyed the weekends and went out shopping, eating or to more football games when we could.

At 21 weeks we had our "big" ultrasound with maternal fetal medicine. We were both so, so excited! It was standard for our doctor to send multiple pregnancies to MFM for a Level II scan around this time. Not only were we excited to see our little peanuts, but to finally find out what they were.

We had big plans for the day. Justin took the entire day off as did I, and we planned to shop all afternoon for our little boys or girls. Plus, we were planning a big football themed gender reveal party the following weekend to announce the news to our families and friends!

The ultrasound started off great. We immediately saw the genders of our precious babies :) I thought Justin was going to crack his face from smiling so hard.

If anyone has had a Level II ultrasound, you know how long it is. They had to let me up between scanning Baby A and Baby B because I couldn't lay flat on my back that long. Soon, the tech was done and said she was getting the doctor (standard) to review the images and that they also wanted to check cervical length (again, standard - especially with twins).

The doctor came in and of course, I was a nervous wreck until he said the babies were both perfect and healthy. What a great praise! However, he said my cervix was measuring very short and also funneling, and that I would need to see my regular OB/GYN immediately.

Being our first pregnancy, neither Justin or I knew what was happening. The nurse told me to get dressed while she got a wheelchair and they would take me on upstairs to wait for my doctor to consult and decide what was next.

Again - we were still clueless! No one ever said, "Claire, we have to admit you straight to Labor/Delivery because you are going to need a procedure (or more) to keep your cervix closed." We had no clue until we got to the Labor/Delivery desk and they told Justin he had to go get me registered while I put on a gown.

Needless to say, the next minutes and hours were scary and stressful. I got changed and into a hospital bed while Justin went to admit me and call our parents. Neither of us knew what was going on or what was about to happen.

Justin made it back to my room and we settled in to wait. Finally my sweet nurse came in to find me in tears and explained as much as she could. Basically she thought I would be in the hospital for a few days and they were waiting for my OB to come examine me on her lunch break to decide what to do. 

My parents arrived shortly before my OB came in, and my doctor finally explained what was happening. Basically, they needed to examine me, start some fluids and antibiotics, run a few tests and decide/prepare to perform surgery to place a cerclage. She did a physical exam and tentatively planned to perform the surgery the next morning, depending on the results of the tests and another ultrasound. She did tell me I would be there a few days.

That being said, we live an hour from the hospital and were not planning on staying. Since my parents were there, Justin left to run home and get everything we would need. 

That evening was difficult. I was scared. We both were scared. All I wanted was someone to tell me my babies would be okay. Justin was such a sweetheart, and held me in the hospital bed while I cried and cried.

I was also terrified for the procedure. I've never been in the hospital until that point, and had never had a surgery and especially a spinal block..... I was freaked out.

That evening, we prayed together for both the babies and for our strength. For our doctor to make the right decision. Early Wednesday morning they took me to ultrasound and there was a slight change in my cervix. My doctor decided to wait and consult some other high-risk doctors, particularly those who dealt with multiple pregnancies. So my parents and Justin's, plus my sister and brother, ended up at the hospital waiting for a surgery that was canceled :) We decided that since the gender reveal was cancelled, we would just do it then. It was still a joyous moment telling them what the twins were.

Long story short, I had the cerclage placed successfully on Thursday morning. The procedure went well, and I did fantastic with the spinal. I had no issues and was up and walking within a couple of hours. Other than some bleeding and slight cramping afterwards, it wasn't too terrible.

So, where are we now? 24 weeks today and I have been on bedrest for three weeks tomorrow. The past two appointments show that my cervix has stretched somewhat and the cerclage is holding.

What do I need? Prayers. We need a lot of prayers. Today is a huge milestone, but these babies need to stay inside and develop much longer. Please pray, friends, that my cervix holds steady and that I don't have any pre-term labor issues. Please pray that I make it as far as possible at home on bedrest. We are taking this one day at a time. One week at a time. And I know with our God in control, we will make it.

He's never left my side. I know the reason I did so well in the surgery is because of Him. Justin prayed over me before I went back, and my doctor allowed him to stay in the room during the procedure. I felt so at peace the entire time. Even though I am scared, and the days are long, I know He will carry us through.

A few bump dates to catch up: 

16 weeks - feeling good.

17 weeks at my sweet cousin's football homecoming.

19 weeks - heading out for a date.

 23 weeks - heading to my weekly excursion to the doctor. My belly was measuring 29 WEEKS at that point!

Hopefully I will get back in the swing of things now. I do want to document this amazing experience.

Pregnancy: 15 Weeks

How Far Along: 15 weeks

Size of Babies: Oranges! I can't believe  I have two little oranges in my tummy.... No wonder it's sticking out.

Weight Gained: At the last appointment I gained 3lbs (in 13 weeks). I have a feeling I will be picking up speed!

Maternity Clothes: Yes, please. I have very few summer non-maternity clothes that fit. I'm planning on going through my fall/winter clothes this week, and I think I will have a few things that will work for a while. But in general, especially with pants, maternity clothes are the only clothes that are actually comfortable.

Sleep: I'm still exhausted but it seems to be getting a little better. Some nights I sleep great and others I will toss and turn.

Cravings: Nothing really crazy so far. I will get hooked on certain things and want to eat that all the time. Last week it was cream cheese and bagels. We will see what this week brings.

Best moment this week: Having some professional announcement pics shot today by our lovely friend Leigh Ann Colson!

What I miss: Energy!

Double the Trouble!

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Ephesians 3:20

God has once again blessed us - this time doubly! Yes, we are expecting TWINS in March!

Now that I'm feeling human again (somewhat) I hope to start posting weekly updates and belly bump pics - because believe me, there is no denying two little babies are stowing away in here!

Just for fun - and because I think they are beauties, here are our miracles in 3D (!!!!) at 6 weeks and then a regular ultrasound from 11 weeks. Check back soon for more details!