Happy 25 Weeks, Babies!

We are learning that we are not good bloggers. We have failed to keep regular updates like we were hoping to do in the beginning!

Our last appointment was April 15th and all looked well! Both twins weighed in at 1 lb 5 oz! (Grow, grow, grow)! We have been told they have picked their side they will remain on until birth, but they may still flip around in their individual sac. So Anna is on Melissa's left and Abigail on her right. Right now Anna is head down and Abigail breech. That is good news we think, since Anna will be the first out if we are able to have a vaginal birth. If she was breech, we would not be able to do so. So Anna, try and stay put and don't flip around too much :D

All stats were good, but Melissa's blood pressure was a higher than usual. She does not have high blood pressure, but Dr. Gibson told her to only eat what she can grow and kill. So, basically he knocked out about 90% of her diet. Matt has been helpful in keeping her on track, but we confess to eating a couple of items this week that don't grow on trees...

The girls are letting us know of their existence quite regularly. Lots of movement that Melissa always feels, but Matt has not been so lucky at catching them. He tried to sneak up on them the other day, but they must know when his hand is pressed against their nest. One of these days we hope they will give him a swift couple of kicks so he can partake in the fun!

Let's all welcome Melissa to the world of swollen feet and stretch marks! Yes, sad to say, this week Melissa has discovered 3 small stretch marks on her left side. Thanks Anna Mae! They look like three little cat scratches, about the length of a fingernail. She knew they were coming, it was just a matter of time :(

Our next appointment is not until May 13th! Dr. Gibson said things were going so well he didn't see it necessary to see me until then. Melissa was surprised since she was going every 2 weeks, but now it will be a 4 weeks difference. It will be at this appointment Melissa will be tested for gestational diabetes and the girls will be at 28 weeks development already! Wow.

Lots of nursery work to be done in the next couple of weeks. We finally got the new carpet laid and paint samples picked out. Our bedding has arrived from Land of Nod and we finally registered at Target. Now if Melissa can only get Matt to paint the nursery walls and assemble the cribs instead of playing with the dogs.

God continues to bless us...

A Surprise Baby Shower

When I walked into my classroom this morning, I was surprised to see several baby items stacked on one of my kitchen counters. Shortly thereafter, the gifts just kept coming and coming. My dear co-workers had planned a surprise Diaper & Storybook Shower!

I must rave about my fellow staff members. They have been so supportive and helpful over these three years. I have learned so many lessons from them and their continuous advice is always useful. My co-workers are kind, thoughtful, and so generous in all of their actions. With your endless gift-giving, today we received 1,048 diapers and dozens of children books. Matt says if we only change diapers 1.5 times a day/twin, that will almost last a full year! We do not want DCFS on our case, however, so we will make sure to change their diapers on a regular basis! We also received two adorable embroidered baskets and a travel cooler for milk/formula. You all are so thoughtful and creative!

Needless to say, it will be a bittersweet day when I leave Midwest Central. I can't say I will ever return to the profession of teaching, but the people I work with everyday make the 50 minute commute worth it. Again, thank you for your generosity and the surprises! I was touched and will miss you all when I leave this spring. I hope you all find the time in your short summer schedules to come visit Abigail, Anna Mae, & I once they arrive! I know I may need some "grown-up" time and I would love for you to meet them too!

Here are some snap-shots of the darling little cake and all the gifts :) THANK-YOU, it is all greatly appreciated!

22 Weeks!

We hit 22 weeks this past Wednesday! Yesterday we had another "big" sonogram with the sonographer. She did some measurements of Melissa's uterus & cervix to make sure everything was holding up with the double load. So far, things are looking great. She then moved on to our two little girls. We were happy to hear there was a head down, instead of a butt! That is a good sign, but from our understanding, there is still some time for them to change positions again. The sonographer continuously commented on how active the girls were. The girls were constantly moving. We saw lots of kicking, swallowing, and waving.

We heard nothing but good news today. One twin weighs a pound already and the other is just shy, at 14 oz. Their hearts had a strong beat and they seem to all still have 10 fingers and toes!

Here are some pictures of our little Abigail and Anna Mae! We were fortunate to receive a couple of 3D sonogram images also!