Together

Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet. ~Vietnamese Proverb

3 Months Ago

3 Months ago - Jace and Sophia were 4 days old. We had been home from the hospital for 24 hours and were still coming to terms with the fact that we had 2 new kiddos in our house! Wow. They were fairly quiet babies, who slept most of the day from being premature and had to be woken up to eat every 3 hours during the night and day. I was nursing them together at this point and supplementing bottles after each feeding because we were rapidly trying to gain back their birth weight. They were getting the hang of breast feeding little by little which I was so excited about and at their 1st pediatrician appointment they weighed in at 5lbs even for Sophia and 5lbs 3oz. for Jace. So, we had some work to do there! Even though they were so little, they didn't fit into most of their preemie clothes because they were so long. So, we had to put them into newborn clothes which were way too big for them! They were sleeping in our bedroom in two bassinets and we were trying to get used to them being very loud sleepers...making so many different noises! They didn't like getting their clothes changed or diapers changed...at ALL, and I finally started to realize how many times a day we would be doing so! We spent a lot of time staring at their little faces..who were already changing so much.

Jace & Ry at their 1st pediatrician appointment - 12/11/09 Sophia, 4 days old...I still can't believe my mom caught this smile

All snuggled up together

Today - Jace & Sophia are 3 months and 4 days old. We are still coming to terms with the fact that we have 2 babies in the house :) Actually, sometimes I forget what it was like before they were here! They are developing such personalities and I hardly recognize the little faces from the pictures above. They are so expressive and LOVE to be talked to and especially sang to. They have the biggest smiles and seem to know just when their Mommy might need one. They love to play on their playmats, swing in their swings and just started sitting up in their bumbo chairs like big kids! They are so strong. Ryan loves to stand them up (and they love doing it)and keeps joking that he is trying to teach them to walk already...trying to give me a heart attack! They are still nursing every 3 hours during the day, but no longer have to be woken up to eat...they will tell us when they are hungry without a doubt! We don't have to supplement with bottles anymore unless they need it and they are both weighing in around 11lbs. Jace is 22 in. long and Sophia is 21 in. We have been working hard on a sleeping schedule and right now (on an ideal night) they are making it 6-6.5 hours before their next feeding! This is a huge improvement from what they were doing up until now! The hours after their early morning feeding aren't going as smooth for both babies but it's still a work in progress.

They are starting to develop such different personalities. Soph is our mellow lady. She loves to just hang out, snuggle, play with her toys (batting and kicking on her playmat) and loves to have conversations with people. Just looking in her direction makes her smile from ear to ear and she is VERY ticklish! She is definitely going to be a social little lady. She is very vocal and has been starting to make many new noises, including giggles. Especially in the past few days, she seems to laugh at everything! She has developed quite the chubby cheeks and I think I find a new roll on her little body everyday (I mean that with love) :) Her favorite place to be is in her crib, laying under and watching her mobile go round and round. She cries when it stops and if I turn it back on she's happy again and smiles to say "thank you mama"! She also loves the motion and sounds of the TV and will find a way to turn her body so she can see it if it's on. She still has her beautiful blue eyes and we are hoping that she gets to keep those.

Jace is such a little man. He is just so handsome. He has big brown eyes and I'm happy to share that he has dimples just like mommy and daddy and they might even be bigger than ours! He has a huge, sweet smile, just like his sister and is also starting to giggle and make new noises. He is also a snuggler but tends to need to move around more than Sophia. He loves to kick his legs and makes it almost impossible to change his diaper or get him dressed at times because he gets moving so fast! His favorite place in the entire house is the changing table in the nursery. He can be crying away and as soon as I lay him there he quiets down and stares all around the room...it's very calming for him for some reason. I think he also likes it because it puts him up higher so when we talk to him he is right by our faces. Finding things that make him happy has been a bit tougher lately because he hasn't been feeling good. Jace has been taking medication since the beginning of February for severe acid reflux. It makes him a very unhappy boy sometimes and it makes me a very sad mama for him. But, we are working on his treatment with his doctors and are hoping that things will start to get better for him very soon. When he is happy he is so happy and we want to see more of that! If anyone out there has any suggestions for dealing with acid reflux in babies, please contact me!

So, that's the scoop for now on our growing, goofy, ever-changing, 3 month old babies. We are falling more and more in love with them everyday.

"A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for."
-- Anonymous

11 weeks old...having a moment

Where has the time gone and how do I make it slow down so this doesn't all go by too quickly? Jace and Sophia are 11 weeks old and I am having an emotional moment :) Lately I feel like time is flying by so fast. They are changing so much every day and I can't believe that in a few weeks they will be 3 months old. When they were born 3 months seemed like a lifetime away and now it's right around the corner! Next will be 6 months, their 1st birthday, the Prom and then before you know it they are off to college and leaving me already :) Ok, ok...so I went a little overboard, but now I understand why my parents always made such a big deal about us getting older and growing up. It all happens way too fast.

Sometimes I still can't believe our babies are here. We wanted and waited for them for so long and here they are...sleeping, eating, smiling, crying, giggling, snuggling, cooing (if that's really a word), pooping, playing and loving all day long. Needless to say, we are so in love with these two little babies. I am loving being home with them everyday and right now I wouldn't change a thing. I might add a few more hours of sleep to my nights, but hey...what new parent wouldn't say that right?

I'm trying to get better about keeping everyone updated on what the babies are up to and now that I am getting more settled into our new routine I am hoping I can make writing something that is a part of that. Trust me, I think every little thing that they do is something to document so be careful what you wish for :)

“Growing up is never easy. You hold on to things that were. You wonder what's to come. But that night, I think we knew it was time to let go of what had been, and look ahead to what would be. Other days. New days. Days to come.”
The wonder Years

We are parents!

Ryan and I welcomed two healthy babies into our family on December 7th, 2009. I was 35 weeks and 5 days pregnant and these babies were ready to meet the world!

Despite my doctor's attempts to keep them growing even longer, my labor was progressing that morning and I was re-admitted to St.Vincent Hospital. At that time we didn't know if we would be meeting our babies that day or beginning another hospital stay, but within the hour I was taken to surgery and by 12:21pm we had two beautiful babies!

Sophia Raechel was born at 12:19pm, weighing 5 pounds 13 ounces and was 19 inches long. Jace Emmett was born at 12:21pm, also weighing 5 pounds 13 ounces and was 19.5 inches long.

It was the craziest, most amazing day of my life. I plan to share more details of our birth story at some point, but for now I just wanted to get back to my blog and begin sharing our babies with all of you!

Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers as we made our journey to become a family of four. It is more than I ever could have imagined it would be.

Our 1st family photo - 12/7/09

Jace Emmett & Sophia Raechel

"It was the tiniest thing I ever decided to put my whole life into." ~Terri Guillemets

34.....35.....35 1/2 weeks!

Since I updated last, we reached 34 weeks on November 25th and I was able to be released from the hospital to spend Thanksgiving at home like we had hoped! It was such a great few days at home and Ryan and I were so thankful to spend the holiday together with family and a little more comfort! My bed had never felt so good :)

So, the plan was to stick to my medication schedule to maintain my labor and make it to our appointments with my doctor on Monday afternoon. We almost made it! On Monday morning we went back to labor and delivery at St. Vincent hospital because my contractions were getting stronger and closer together and the babies had completely dropped and their movement had slowed way down - all things we were supposed to go back in if I experienced. We spent a few hours in triage before they couldn't get my labor to stop once again and we were re-admitted. At least we got a different room this time! They hooked me back up to IV meds and we waited for our doctor, being told at this time that we were most likely having our c-section in a few hours because the nurse that we were with at the time thought I had dialated further. While we waited, Northwest Perinatal came and did a growth ultrasound on the babies and we were so happy to find out that they were HUGE! This was Monday, November 30th and baby girl weighed 5lbs 10oz. and our baby boy was 6lb 4oz. We were so surprised and so were all of the nurses and our doctor! Even though the babies were so big and it looked like things were progressing, our doctor decided she still wanted us to wait and hopefully make it to 35 weeks and maybe even 36 weeks after that. As tired as I was at that time and as much pain as I was in, even one more day seemed so long. So, they got me comfortable and we settled in to our room for an undetermined amount of time once again. Talk about a roller coaster ride of emotions.

The next morning, my doctor came back and had decided to change the plan. They took me off the medication to stop my labor because it clearly wasn't doing anything other than adding more side effects. She had changed her mind from not wanting me to progress further to wanting me to dialate when my body is ready. So they set a plan for pain medication and hopefully a way to keep me comfortable and possibly sleep. We would just need to wait it out. We spent a few more days getting used to the medication change and then my doctor decided once again that I could do my bedrest from home and hopefully make it to 36 weeks. So, Thursday we packed back up and headed home with a plan to hopefully make it through the weekend and see my doctor this Monday morning. She did mention when she released us that if we could make it to our appointment on Monday with hopes of a few more days, she will most likely consider scheduling us at 36 weeks (Wednesday or after)! At 36 weeks we will be able to deliver at the hospital we had originally planned to be at (one of the reasons she wanted to get me home before next week)and it would not be necessary for the babies to require time in the NICU if all goes well. This all sounds so fantastic - especially after what will be 4 weeks of pre-term labor!

I can't wait to make it through the rest of the weekend and see what our doctor decides on Monday! Even though we have been going through this for so long now, the idea of having the babies in our arms next week seems so soon even now. I can't believe it. 36 weeks seemed so far away and almost impossible at one point so I am so happy and proud that we have made it this far and hopefully have a few more days to go! I can't wait to meet our 6lb babies! They sure have been testing my patience already :)

"There are two things in life for which we are never truly prepared: twins." ~Josh Billings

A few more days...

Today we are 33 weeks and 5/7 days, which means only a few more days until our 1st goal of 34 weeks! It seems like I have been here at the hospital forever...12 days and counting. In some ways it has taken forever to get here and then on the other hand I can't believe we are almost to our 1st goal. It seemed so far away when we first came in at 32 weeks.

As of right now my contractions are still the same, ranging anywhere from 8 minutes apart at the most to only 3 minutes apart at times. We have learned that the contraction medication doing all that it can do and is not going to be able to make them go away so it's mainly about keeping me comfortable from here on out. I sleep a lot when I can because of the pain medication so that is why I haven't been able to update in a few days. The good news is that the babies are still doing great and are continuing to grow and become stronger everyday. We had an ultrasound on Friday checking their development (practicing breathing, movements, etc) and the babies looked great. My cervix has stayed pretty much the same despite all of the contractions so far, so we are kind of just in a waiting game now to see what happens. I still see a doctor here everyday and the nurses have been very nice (minus a few!)

Once we make it to 34 weeks, the next goal to aim for would be 35 weeks - December 2nd. I want my December babies!! Taking things one hour/day/week at a time. My doctor has mentioned that if they can keep me on this schedule of medication for the next few days without anything changing, then I might get to go home to finish my pregnancy with a little more comfort! I would still be confined to a bed and would be taking all of the medication, but it would be MY BED and I wouldn't have to spend Thanksgiving in the hospital. She made the comment yesterday that even if it was only for a few hours it would be better than nothing, and I couldn't agree with her more! So, we won't know the answer to that decision until Wednesday but we are remaining hopeful.

"In life, as in football, you won't go far unless you know where the goalposts are." Arnold H. Glasgow

Update from St. V's

Thank you again to everyone for your thoughts and prayers! Having so much support and hearing from all of you is a blessing.

We ended up getting a visit from the doctor yesterday after I updated because the medication schedule they had me on to maintain everything wasn't working as well as it should have been. At this point they are thinking that I will need to stay in the hospital so that they can supervise everything for the remainder of my pregnancy. We will take things one day at a time and each day that we make it through is one more day for the babies to grow and hopefully less time that they will spend in the NICU afterwards. The goal that the doctors have set is still to make it to 34 weeks, a week and a half from today - November 25th - and then if we make that goal we will set another one.

To be honest, Ryan and I are both surprised by the news that most likely I won't be going home between now and the birth of our babies unless something changes. I think we both really thought that if they could get me on the right medication I could do the same bedrest at home and we would have some time before coming back to the hospital. My mom is in town to help and we have a lot of help from family so we thought we could make it work. But, my body and the doctors have other plans that are out of our control and so we are adjusting and getting ready for the way that it will be from here on out and after they are born. My doctor will be coming tomorrow to go over more details so you never know...the plans may change again and with the way things have been going, most likely they will :)

A lot of people have been asking how I am feeling and I want you all to know that I am doing alright. It is an emotional roller coaster everyday and I am trying to adjust to the fact that I can't do things the way that I want them :) It's difficult to be confined to a hospital bed when so many things are running through my head! The medications and side effects aren't the most pleasant but they are doing what they need to do and that is what counts. I just want our babies as healthy, happy, and as BIG as possible when the time comes for them to meet us...whenever that may be. I am following orders, I promise!

My mom brought me a book from home that I used to write quotes in that meant something to me for one reason or another. Here is one that made me smile today:
"Expecting life to go the way you want because you are a good person is like expecting an angry bull not to charge you because you are a vegetarian." Shari Barr :)

Where we are now...

So I wrote last week with the intention of updating on all sorts of things - which I hope to come back to soon. But, for now my focus is going to be on my family and how things with our pregnancy and babies are going. I have been trying to keep everyone in the loop as best as I can and Ry brought in our lap top last night so I thought this might help also and give me a connection with the outside world! It has been a scary, emotional, roller coaster of a week so far and I really appreciate everyone's support. Sorry if this is a lot of information all at once.

My original due date is January 6th, so going off of that we are 32 weeks and 4 days along today. My doctor had moved my due date up to December 28th a while back because of the babies growth but it was decided to go back to the original date for the remainder of my pregnancy and for scheduling since we will be having a c-section. So, I hit 32 weeks this last week and went in to Good Samaritan Hospital on Wednesday for my 1st scheduled Non-Stress Test, checking for the babies movements and to see if I was contracting. As most people know, I have been on bed rest or modified bed rest for a while now so I have been laying low and trying to do everything I can to help keep these babies growing. Well, something wasn't working I guess! I knew I hadn't been feeling quite right but I've never had a baby before so I didn't know what to expect!

We checked in for my appointment at 1pm and they immediately picked up contractions on my scan. They started a few different medications to try and stop them and none of them seemed to be working. So, things progressed pretty quickly and I was admitted. My doctor came by and I had dialated to 1.5cm (sorry if that's TMI for anyone) so it was decided to put me on an IV of the heaviest meds they could give me to stop labor and gave me steroid injections to help the babies development if they were to need to be born. Talk about a change of plans from thinking we had anywhere from 4-6 weeks to go. Good Sam Hospital doesn't have a qualifued NICU to deliver babies before 36 weeks, so I was transferred to St. Vincent Hospital for them to take over from there. The IV meds had to run through my system for 48 hours so they constantly monitored me and the babies throughout and finished the 2nd round of meds for the babies development. They were able to get my contractions to slow down from what they were and got them to hold at about 6-8 per hour and as far as I know my dialation has stayed the same also. I did the full amount of the meds I could do so now they have me on a combination of pills/shots every 6 hours to keep me to that amount. They are still monitoring everything and these active babies still look great...they just need to keep my body doing what it's doing now - but no more than that for as long as it can! Once they give you the full IV dose once they aren't able to do it again so if things progress they can no longer stop it from here on out.

On a super positive note, we had an ultrasound on Friday afternoon to check the babies' growth and we found out they are both over 4.5 pounds at least! Once nurse came in and said she thought she saw that he measured 4.11 oz and she was 4.7 oz. Either way we were very excited to hear these results and so were the doctors. They seemed happy that even if they do have to come very soon, at least they would be on the larger size for 32/33 week twins. Very good news!

So, now we are waiting until sometime tomorrow to see my doctor again and get a plan of action. We are just trying to do what we can do prepare ourselves for any possible situation. I just want to be able to take our babies home as soon as possible after they are born. Obviously the sooner the babies are born the more problems they could potentially have so as it is exciting to think about meeting our babies soon, I want to keep them growing and put off their birthday as long as possible...I'm still hoping for December babies and am keeping that my ultimate goal!

All of the doctor's that have been working together with us have been great and are hopeful that we will make it anywhere from at least another week or as long as 2.5 more weeks if at all possible to get to 34 weeks. The plan has changed so many times now to be honest I am really looking forward to tomorrow to see my actual doctor again and get the real deal. Each time a new nurse comes in they talk about a new plan of action and it ranges from the babies coming by this Wednesday to keeping me here on medication until hopefully December 1st. So, now we wait....

I will update more as I know more or possibly have someone update for me if need be. Thank you for all of your concern, messages and phone calls. We love you all and really appreciate hearing from all of you. Hopefully tomorrow will bring good news.

" Never let go of hope. One day you will see that it has finally come together. What you have always wished for has finally come to be. You will look back and laugh at what has passed and you will ask yourself..."How did I get through all of that?"-Anonymous

This and That

Hubby just informed me that I am "really bad at keeping up with my blog and I need to do better" :) I can't disagree with him on this one so I had to tell him he was right...I don't like to make a habit of that very often so I will do better and prove him wrong!

Things are going well in the Brown household - changing everyday with many more to come before the new year. I have more than a few things to update on and hope to do so over the next week. In the past month, give or take a few days...I had my last day of work, we had amazing baby showers in Portland and in Washington, took a trip to Colville and spent time with family, had maternity pictures taken, added a new niece to our big family on November 2nd and entered the 8th month of pregnancy! Of course there were a few other things in there but that should sum it up for now!

I am also planning to share pictures of our nursery soon so stay tuned for all sorts of updates, picture sharing and randomness..in no particular order :)

"May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to keep you happy."-Irish Blessing

Pregnancy Update

I have so much to share and it will definitely take multiple posts to do it! So, I'll start with updates on my pregnancy and the babies. Many of you may already know everything I'm sharing, so I hope you don't mind hearing it again :)

So much has happened since I updated at 16 weeks...geez I need to get better about this! We are 23 weeks this week and have seen the babies quite a few times in the past few months. We had our big ultrasound at 18 weeks and found out that we have 1 boy and 1 girl for sure! It was so fun to find out 100% and begin to call them "he" and "she". They are extremely active babies and the techs always complain about them not holding still to get their measurements. Getting into trouble already! At this point both babies are measuring perfectly normal, a little on the larger size actually which is great, and my doctor is very pleased with their progress. We got to see them again last week and they look so much bigger each time.

I felt the babies move around 17 weeks...little tickles just like everyone had told me. I had been waiting and waiting and then it just happened one night. I was laying on the couch looking at my tummy and I felt it! I started freaking out and Ryan was like "What, what is it?" Then we both saw my tummy move! I was shocked! From then on it hasn't stopped! It's like as soon as I knew what it felt like I could feel it all day. It took about 3 more weeks before I felt them kicking and I have to say that is probably one of my favorite things. I'm sure I may change my mind when they get even bigger and stronger, but for now I love it. I hold my tummy all day just so I can feel them. I think it helps to give me peace of mind that they are healthy and growing. Little man likes to hang out way up in my ribs and our little lady lays way down low so it usually feels like I'm getting pulled in two different directions. When they both get to kicking it's like a circus in my stomach and I always laugh outloud no matter where I am. I am sure this will come to embarrass me one of these days :)

I wish that I could share that I have had super weird food cravings that you always hear about, but I'm sorry to report that I'm pretty boring. My favorite after work snack is 2 sliced pickles and a piece of cheese, which Ryan thinks is weird enough. I could eat a cucumber for every meal and if it were up to me I would eat cold veggies and salad everyday, all day. These aren't new things for me, just maybe more multiplied than they were before! I still love anything orange flavored and I go through about a gallon of orange juice a week. I like to put it in the freezer and then eat it like a slushy :) At least it's healthy! I could drink a smoothie/slushie anytime! I still have the same food aversions and don't want bread or ice cream. I guess the weirdest thing for me is that the other day I wanted a piece of chocolate when I was working...I don't even really like chocolate! It's funny to me because I remember my sister telling me that the girls really liked chocolate when she was pregnant :) Who knew I would! I tend to crave spicy/mexican food at times and I am usually the biggest wuss when it comes to anything spicy. I think my taste buds are changing for sure. I have suggested tacos so many times in the last few months and I didn't even realize it until he said something.

Overall I have been feeling pretty good throughout my pregnancy. I am monitored very well by my doctor and am very pleased with the way I have been taken care of by my clinic and the perinatal clinic. I have been dealing with some pain issues over the past few months and was put on bed rest once before and now again for what might be a while. Everything with the babies is totally fine, but they are trying to get my pain under control which means staying off of my feet, resting and laying on my back a lot. I have a very high chance of having pre-term labor so they are taking every precation to make sure this doesn't happen and these babies continue to grow as long as they can. I am trying my best to follow all of their orders and do what I can to have a long and healthy pregnancy. I have learned that I can't do everything I would normally do and that's ok. I am able to work from home so I have been making it all work to the best of my ability for the time being. I go in for another ultrasound next week so we will know more about what lies ahead of us then.

So, with that I will quit rambling and leave you with our latest ultrasound pictures! These are from our 18 week appointment (I haven't had a chance to upload the ones from last week).

This is our little man. He definitely has Ryan's nose and lips and he has calmed down on the camera so we get to see more of him than just his buns finally:) (The first few times all he wanted to do was stand on his head and moon us). I love this profile picture of him..he looks like such a little man and I can't wait to see what he will really look like. I have no doubt that he will look just like his daddy though :)

This is our little lady. The tech told us that she has a little button nose like me! She could have told me that she had my elbows and I would have been happy :) She is so sweet and I can't wait until our active little girl is here.

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us and supporting us. We wouldn't make it through this without our friends and family. Only a few months left and we will be able to share our little ones with all of you!

"God touched our hearts so deep inside, our special blessing multiplied." ~Author Unknown

Pointed Toes & Tu-tus

Two of our nieces, Adysen & Bayleigh, turned 5 this past month and are starting school this fall!! I can't believe it. They were just babies 5 minutes ago! They have such personalities and I know their teacher is in for a real treat :) They are smart little cookies and have the wildest imaginations. They continue to surprise me every time I talk to them and constantly make me smile.

My sis allowed them to pick 2 activities that they wanted to start in the fall with school. They chose soccer and ballet...and are THRILLED about both! Tiffany made them tu-tus for ballet and here are some pics she sent me of them trying on their special outfits and practicing!

Tricks! Miss AdysenStrikin' a pose! Check our their new ballet shoes they got for their birthday :)

Miss Bayleigh

"Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's looking." -Unknown-

"We are the Champions"

Well, not me...but Ryan's co-ed PGE Softball Team is!!

This was their 1st year playing in the league and they went undefeated! Games were every Thursday night and it was always fun to watch them all play together. I'm actually sad it has come to an end!Celebrating after the big win! They were SO excited! It wasn't much of a nail biter (I think it ended up 17 to 9) but it started out as a close one!

Team Trophy Shot! Congrats PGE Hotsticks! I guess I should also share that Ry got a home run off of a pop fly to the catcher (hehe). He was embarrassed to take it, but hey...it was for the big trophy after all :) These are all guys he works with and they have become like family to him. I am thankful he LOVES his job and his co-workers!

"Are you Crying? Are you Crying??? There's no crying in baseball!" - A League of Their Own (might be one of the greatest movies of all time!)

Beach Weekend

We headed to Seaside, OR for the weekend and I couldn't wait to get on the road. I have to admit that on top of everything else I was looking forward to getting out of the super hot heat for a few days. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the summer...but this heat is ridiculous!

Ryan and his Dad, Jimmy, were playing in a golf tournament on Saturday bright and early and I had originally asked if I could tag along to get out of the city...add in my mother in law and brother in law and it made for a fun family getaway! I wish everyone could have came with us, but there is always next time. The weather was gorgeous. A little cloudy and cold in the mornings but high 70's and beautiful in the afternoons. We stayed right on the beach so I spent a lot of time staring at the ocean. We relaxed on Friday evening and then on Saturday the boys headed to golf and Kathy and I spent the day walking around and taking in the sunshine - and ALL of the people! There was a huge motorcycle weekend ("Bike Fest") going on so the town was packed! I have never seen so many people on the beach in Seaside as well as that many Harleys in the same place at the same time. I think I saw some of the most amazing bikes I've ever seen. We strolled and window shopped on the promenade for most of the morning, layed out on the beach and took in some sunshine for the afternoon (I got brave and let my baby bump show on the beach! Agghhhh!) and then met back up with the boys for some dinner and karaoke. A Brown tradition wherever it is available! We had a lazy day Sunday and got in some baby shopping at the outlet stores which was a fun bonus...after all it was their 1st trip to the beach :) It was my 1st clothing purchase for the babies believe it or not! All in all it was a nice, relaxing, great time. We needed that!
I couldn't stop staring at the ocean this weekend and Ryan and I both decided that we need to take advantage of living this close to it more often! From our house in traffic it only took us about an hour and 20 minutes. We made a trip to Seaside last summer with my Mom, Dad and brother and we had a blast also. Definitely something we plan to do more of!

"I have the world's largest collection of seashells. I keep it on all the beaches of the world...perhaps you have seen it." Stephen Wright

Week 16 Update...A few surprises!

We had our 1st doctor's appointment at the Perinatal Center last Wednesday which made for a very exciting week! It included an ultrasound with a new tech and was the most detailed ultrasound we have ever had...measuring every little bone in their bodies. I was so nervous of what they might find or say was wrong but so far so good. Everything appears to be going well and both babies are healthy and right on track. We got to stare at them for about an hour! The clinic was really nice and I think they are going to take really good care of us there - very thorough that's for sure!

The babies were very active as usual and the quality is much better on these machines than our last ones so every movement was amazing to see. I had just seen them 2 weeks ago, but they have grown SO much again...which I guess I shouldn't be surprised about each time :) These little ones are changing fast and the doctor actually moved my due date up a week and 2 days because of it. The babies have been measuring slightly ahead of what they thought my due date was from the beginning but they wanted to wait until I got to this clinic to change it if need be. So that was the 1st of a few surprises.

Next came the big one, or two I guess I should say. First of all, Baby B is 100% confirmed a boy! We did not plan on finding anything out last week and I really didn't think we would be able to see anything but let me tell you, this little man wanted us to know what he was! He showed us more than a few times that he was a boy if you know what I mean :) He is the one on the left that always stands on his head, hides and acts silly and for some reason I have called him a "he" the whole time. Guess it was for good reason! My mom said that is my mother's intuition coming through :)

So, after that news the tech did some more measurements on the little guy's sibling. At this point the tech is 85% sure Baby A is a girl! He said he couldn't get the perfect shot to prove it but based on his measurements and what she (at least he thinks so) is looking like...he thinks we have a little lady in there too! We have our next ultrasound on August 7th for some more testing and will confirm everything then, but for now it is SO fun to think about! There is still a slight chance that it could be 2 boys, which we would absolutely love also, but just knowing a little bit has made everything so much more real. I still can't believe it's all happening and am so appreciative to have healthy babies.

So, today I am 16 weeks. My new due date is December 28th, 2009, which means if I can carry them to 38 weeks which is the goal they are estimated to arrive sometime around December 14th. 36 weeks would be November 30th. I want them hanging in there as LONG as possible so I am going to be praying for December babies.

Sharing all of the news so far has been an incredible experience. We have been waiting for these moments. Telling our families about our surprise of a boy and possible girl was so much fun. This will be the 1st boy grandson on Ryan's side of the family out of 5 grandkids so everyone was over the moon to add a boy into the mix. See his 1st Football below :) On the Tripp side we have the twin girls and 1 little Mr. Parker so he will be happy to have a playmate! The girls had decided over 4th of July weekend that 1 boy and 1 girl would be best because it would be a girl for them to play with and a boy for Parker too so they just might have got their wish. Many people have predicted a boy and girl combo since the beginning (including my mom from day 1) and a few are rarely wrong...shout out to Trevor Rollinger for most likely his next correct prediction - I believe he is in the 20's now for picking right! We will find out for sure on August 7th so stay tuned!

I don't mean to be too sappy in this post but I have to say that I am overjoyed with being pregnant. Each day is new and exciting and I feel so fortunate for each experience as I didn't know if we would ever get to go through this. I look at life so much differently now and I love the way that I see things. I can't wait to share more as we go and to introduce you all to our new family. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers for us and I am happy to report that all is going well!

There are two things in life for which we are never truly prepared: twins. ~Josh Billings :)

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles." - Audrey Hepburn