Ultrasound #5 - December 11, 2009

Just another routine ultrasound this morning for an expectant mother of twins....we are getting spoiled seeing them so often! Baby Girl A had the hiccups and Baby Boy B kept moving around, but we were able to find out that they are both measuring as expected at 22 weeks and weigh approximately 1 pound each. I guess I'll have to blame those other 10 pounds on myself! (By the way, if you click on each photo, it will open up larger in another window.)

Thanksgiving Weekend

What a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend - we are so blessed! My sister Marissa came out for a short visit (to see Sydney, of course) and we did some marathon movie-watching and eating. Dan and I each got to go on a "date" to the movies with Marissa, too! She even helped me bake some Christmas cookies and motivated me to make banket for the first time after she left. Here's a few photos of how we kept her occupied:

The welcome feast:

Watching Veggie Tales with Sydney:

Reading to Sydney:

And finally getting a decent photo with Sydney's cooperation!

20 Weeks

Finally over halfway, at least for twins -- and growing by the second, it seems!

Announcement at 18 weeks!

At our ultrasound on the 13th, we found out that these babes are one BOY and one GIRL! We are very excited and the wheels in my brain are already turning with things I want to buy, make, create, etc. My doctor says that at 18 weeks, my uterus is already measuring 25 weeks.....yikes! I am getting nervous now for just how big I may become by the end of this! For now though, I am healthy and feeling great, and we are extremely thankful for that. And for those curious minds who keep asking, below is a photo of the steadily growing bump.

Ultrasound #4 - November 13, 2009

Baby Girl A - playing shy:

Baby Boy B - relaxing:

Baby Boy B - showing off his "parts:"

Fall Activities

This fall we have enjoyed a visit from Beppe, round one with the cold virus, picking up leaves, building (and then promptly destroying) Lego sculptures with Daddy, and trying to get outside before the weather turns horrid. Sydney is exploding with words and can mimic almost any word we say these days (scary)! It is fun to hear her say new things and try putting words together into sentences. She doesn't like being told "no," but what 16-month-old does? We are working on that...

Fall Fun at Meijer Gardens

Cuddling - Ultrasound #3

Yesterday was our first appointment with the Maternal-Fetal specialist and while pretty uneventful, I did get a chance to see the babes again via ultrasound. This time the babes surprised both of us by showing up cuddling with each other when the tech turned on the 3D image! Typically, these 3D ultrasounds creep me out (I think it's the color) but it is still pretty cool to see. It seems crazy how they can already be little buddies in there but I'm pretty sure they are. So far, everything is looking good! 13.5 weeks and counting...

TWINS!

Nope, it's not a joke, people. We are actually having twins! Our first doctor appointment and ultrasound on Tuesday revealed that there are TWO babies growing inside of me. We can hardly believe the news ourselves and the last few days have just been a blur....it is so hard to concentrate! I canNOT believe that come April (hopefully not March!) we will be the proud parents of three children under the age of two. Our God definitely has a sense of humor!

A big THANK YOU to all our wonderful friends and family members who have congratulated us and wished us well. We look forward to all your support!

Sea Island, Georgia

We were once again fortunate enough to take a trip with some of our close friends to a tropical climate where we stayed in a beautiful home. We spent the days lounging by the pool (i.e. splashing around with the kids) and the evenings were spent feeding the masses and getting the kiddos off to bed before we could have some adult time outside on the screened-in patio. Despite flight delays and the complications of traveling with little ones, we had a wonderful vacation!

Wyalusing State Park, Wisconsin

Over the Labor Day holiday, we spent a beautiful weekend camping on the Wisconsin-Iowa border at Wyalusing State Park which overlooks the Mississippi River. While a bit nuts with eight kids under age 11 running around near the 500-foot bluff, we had a great time hiking, eating, roasting marshmallows, and hiking some more. God's creation is beautiful and we love exploring new places while sleeping under the stars!

Our road trip to Winnipeg

Our first road trip (almost 20 hours) was a huge success! We drove through the night and made it to Winnipeg shortly after lunch. Our visit with Justin, Heather, Ethan and Ella couldn't have been more enjoyable, and it was so great to see the kids spending time getting to know each other better. This trip will hopefully become an annual event as it was well worth the drive!

These photos are in no particular order:

Running around the cottage with Ethan

Swimming in the front yard