A Cowgirl At Heart

Because Tomorrow They Will Be 9 Months Old...

2012-01-17T15:16:00.001-06:00

...I thought I'd better hurry up and post the 8 month shots I took Sunday! Sheesh. And don't ask about the 7 month that are still not uploaded from my camera.

Wow.

Anyway, here are my almost 9 month old babies in a hilarious picture progression.

We start out in Truett's crib, sitting up...

Oh, I think I'll chew on this doll so you can't see my 8! Bubba seems excited.

Eventually Daddy tries holding her in place.

Seriously, Mom? I just wanna stand up and play! Let me go!!!

Now Daddy is holding them and we finally get a couple of decent shots.

Momma, I'll be still for you. I might even pose...but only 'cause you want me to.

K, I'm done! Let's blow this joint!

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Ride 'Em Cowboy!

2012-01-15T21:46:00.001-06:00

The babies got this cute horse for Christmas from some good friends. When you squeeze te war, it makes galloping noises and then neighs and whinnies at the very end. Truett loves it, as you can see in the video. And his Daddy is pumped to see his boy already getting the basics of riding!

YouTube Video

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Birthdays Galore!

2012-01-02T15:35:00.000-06:00

The babies have had TWO birthdays since I last posted! Wowzers! November 18th, the babies turned 7 months old! It took me until almost December to take their 7 month pictures (which I will have to share later because I don't have my camera with me at the moment).
Then, December 18th, the babies turned 8 months old and McHotterson turned the big 4-0! Again, no 8 month pictures because I STILL HAVEN'T TAKEN THEM!! Agghhh...such is life right now. However, here are a few pictures from our little get together for McH's big day! We had just a few close couple friends over, had Mexican pile on and a cake, of course, and celebrated the baby-faced FORTY year-old man! :)

I would have loved to do something really special this year for his big day, but for several reasons it just wasn't possible. So, for his birthday gift, I had this picture of the babies blown up and put on a canvas so he could take it to his office. I also had our music minister at church put the picture of him in his sailor outfit up on the screen at church and announce his birthday. I'm not sure McH was super excited about that, but it was so much fun to surprise him!

It is 16x20 and he LOVED it! I used Canvas People and the quality is phenomenal! It was a little bit pricey, but I splurged because you only turn forty once, right?! It was worth every penny!

Happy Birthday, to all three of my beloveds!

I Think I Can, I Think I Can...

2011-12-31T00:10:00.001-06:00

Be a better blogger, that is. And you know what's silly? I totally stress myself out about not blogging more. Y'all it's just hard right now. When I think about doing it, all of the other things like sleeping, eating, and feeding my children, seem to always take precedence.

*sigh*

One day, I will have time to do things like read and blog again.

One day.

Lots has happened since I last posted.

The babies turned 7 months old, we went to uvalde for thanksgiving, the babies turned 8 months old, the babies got much more mobile and are got more teeth, we had family pics taken, I sent out Christmas cards, Truett has had 3 ear infections and has now been referred to an ENT, Mchotterson turned the big 4-0, we've done some big work on the house and got new living room furniture, we were back in Uvalde for Christmas, and now we're almost to the new year! Whew. And Sunday, New Years day, the babies are being baptized!

I plan on at least sharing pictures to document these things but I need sleep right now folks.

I will leave you with a few pictures and a promise to both you and MYSELF to BLOG MORE in 2012.

Hmm, sounds like a resolution; right along with getting back to the gym and creating a craft room upstairs?

Riiiiiigghhht...

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Tiny Prints, Big Options!

2011-12-05T10:00:00.000-06:00

Well, it's that time again! I'm getting the letter ready and now it's time to choose a Christmas card!

Tiny Prints has made it so easy for me this year! It's always a challenge to choose the perfect card year to year, but with so many choices and great prices, I'm getting close to narrowing it down to just a couple of options.

Here are some of the front runners...

I love this one, mainly because the design is so unique and we certainly have much to be JOYFUL about this Christmas!

I like this one because I can use multiple pictures from our recent family picture session!

And I LOVE this one because of the brown!

And this one is kinda funky and different, always a plus!

How about you? Do you send out Christmas cards? If so, I'd love to hear how you do it! And head over to Tiny Prints and check out their great selection of reasonably priced cards! I'm sure you'll find something you just can't live without!

Eating and Crawling and Teething, Oh My!

2011-10-31T16:45:00.001-05:00

Today was the babies' 6 month well check appointment. They looked great and are growing like crazy!

Truett

-18 lbs 5 oz (61%)
-27 in long (63%)
-93% head circumference (I don't know the measurement)

The last few days Truett has been waking up in the middle of the night several times screaming and crying, almost inconsolable. He had no fever and I first thought it was his next set of teeth coming in. I spent the last week almost in tears because I was both exhausted and frustrated! I just had no idea what to do.

Turns out the poor guy has an ear infection and our doctor said some babies will have no fever or show any signs of infection except that they cry at night. She says during the day they are distracted and might be cranky/fussy but really show no other signs. But at night they are finally still with nothing else to look at and so they are more aware of the pain.

So, we've started him on a 10 day round of amoxicillin and he's taking a marathon nap as I type this!

Reese

-16 lbs 2 oz (40%)
-26 1/2 in long (70%)
-60% for head circumference

As of now, she's looking tall and skinny! Go girl! You know you didn't get that from your Momma! Ha!

Reese is a mover and shaker! She is now crawling and I have caught her once sitting up on her own! She's very busy and alert , always looking an warding everything.

She's gotten so much better about going down, which I think is a combination of me understanding her cues better and her just maturing and knowing I am not going to rock her for 30 minutes until she goes to sleep. That has been so nice!

The babies have also started interacting and "playing" with each other. It is so special to watch.

As always, I leave you with pictures of the rugrats and one of momma and daddy going to a rehearsal dinner in Houston. My brother was here for a quick visit this weekend so there is a pic or two with him, as well! Reese and Truett sure love meeting their Uwa!

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Location:Ave I NW,Childress,United States

Happy 1/2 Birthday!

2011-10-22T10:10:00.002-05:00

Can it be? My babies are 6 months old, as of the 18th of October! I am just floored that it has been half a year since I was in the hospital meeting our little miracle munchkins for the first time!

Lots of things are happening in their little lives. I feel like this age is one of my favorites so far!

They are so interactive and engaging, and are constantly learning new things.

We have their 6 month check up on the 28th but here are sone milestones and currents for each baby.

Reese & Truett

-this girl is about to crawl and sit up. She will get up on all fours, dotage rocking motion and move one leg forward, and then proceeds to dive bomb into whatever it is she is after. It is surprisingly effective and she's much quicker than her brother right now! She will sit on one hiney cheek and is almost able to stay upright on her own.

-he is happy to just scoot around on his belly and really hasn't started pushing upright onto his knees as much. But don't think it means he's immobile. No ma'am, that boy gets exactly where he wants to to in his own way.

-she has no teeth yet, but has been dealing with the effects of teething for the last 2 weeks or so! Ugh. She is so whiny lately, which is not like her at all.

-he has two teeth and boy has it been rough! He cut both of them on our way to and from Houston at the beginning of October. This picture only shows one in and the other starting to come through, but I haven't taken a more current pic of them now that they are both out.

-I wish I could catch it on camera, but she's started this tongue thing that is hilarious. If she's smiling big or excited she stocks her tongue out and to the side as she is laughing. It is hilarious!

-Truett has turned into a smiler! I used to have to work really hard at getting a smile from him, but much to this Momma's delight, he will grin any time you look at him now. He also seems to be quite the daredevil, and when you think they should be scared, he laughs and she cries!

-Reese used to be my baby to fight sleep, but in the last week she has been so easy! I'm praying I didn't just jinx myself and that it continues. I'm afraid it might be the teething and that it will be gone just as I'm believing it might be her new M.O.

-they both have really started "talking" up a storm lately and it's so fun! You can tell they really want to say something and in their world, I'm sure they are.

-they are also much more interactive with each other and the bickering has already begun, believe it or not. It usually revolves around a toy. :)

-they went to their first pep rally and football game last week and were totally enthralled with all that was going on.

-they are still loving solid food and despite a break for a few days, they are even better at eating now. They tried roasted butternut squash yesterday and loved it!!
Here they are in their travel chairs at Sita and Papi's house.

-Huge milestone: both babies are holding their own bottle! Someone told me it's better than when they are finally potty trained, and I have to say, it's pretty fabulous! Now, he is much better at it than she is and will grab the bottle from you to do it on how own. She, in true diva fashion, is perfectly content to have someone hold the bottle for her, but she can do it of you make her! Ha!

T

R

Sunday I attempted my first solo trip with the babies from our house to my parents'. It's about 7 hours and I must say, overall the babies did phenomenally! Here we are taking a stretch/feed/change break at Sam's.

-look at the difference in size...we always say, if Truett grows into those hands and feet...

Papi and Sita with Reese and Truett at Willie G's in Houston.

Family Photo Op!

On a walk yesterday...we had some company.

Watching some Praise Baby this morning.

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Aggie Football Saturday

2011-10-08T11:51:00.001-05:00

We look forward to Saturdays around our house because it means the Aggies are usually playing ball!

Even though we've had some rough losses lately, as our school song sings, "We are the Aggies, the Aggies are we. True to each other, as Aggies can be," means win or lose, we always support our Ags!

Here are two of the sweetest Aggie fans you've ever seen! Excuse the quality...my stinkin' camera battery was dead...go figure.

Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2032!!

Beat The Hell Outta Texas Tech!

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Location:Ave I NW,Childress,United States

Weekend of Love!!

2011-09-29T22:49:00.001-05:00

First, I have to say...get your mind outta the gutter, if indeed it was there! Haha!

This weekend we are headed to Houston for my bestie's wedding. I am a bridesmaid and honored to be so.

It is an 8 hour trip from mi casa to H-town proper, so we decided to try out the "leave at bedtime and drive halfway" theory and see if we could get a big chunk of the trip under our belts while the kidlets were asleep. So far, so good. We shall see!

Another great part of this weekend is my parents, Papi and Sita, will be there and are going to keep the babies one, I'd not two nights! Yippee!!!!!!!!!

I've been a little nervous about trying to wear a bridesmaid's dress 5 months post twin birth, but my mother in law did am awesome job altering my dress and it is going to be great!

Hope your weekend is as full of love as mine promises to be!

Of course, I can't leave you without pictures of the dolls!

Sister is so close to crawling!

Not real happy with momma. I was trying to take pictures after they ate lunch...can you say cranky?!

"What ARE you doing, mother?". Reese doesn't really fuss like Truett, but I definitely am getting "the look."

This might be my favorite picture of them thus far. They were visiting with some friends while I was at Bible study and their daughter snapped this pic!

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iPhone Picture Fun

2011-09-26T15:12:00.001-05:00

Reese with her goofy uncle Ronnie!

Her 0-3 month hat finally fits!

Look at that grin!

Meet Dotters, a.k.a. Truett's BFF!

Daddy and a very sleepy Reese.

Truett and his 80+ year old great grandmother (Rich's Nanny).

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We're 5 Months Old...and other fun updates

2011-09-23T15:43:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe what a bad, bad blogger I've been lately. Anytime I think about sitting down to whip up a post, other things seem to grab my attention...laundry needs to be washed, baby books need to be updated, a list needs to be made, groceries need to be bought, dinner needs to be made, babies need to be fed, changed, napped, momma needs to sleep.

You get the picture.

BUT, on the other side of this, I feel tremendous stress about not blogging. I know. I'm a weirdo. I just had this great plan to blog all about the babies so I could have this blog to look back on in the months and years to come, and especially so the babies will have it later.

Part of my problem is I have an iPhone now. I know, not so much a problem. It's actually amazing and makes capturing things with the babies so much easier, faster, and with less batteries-are-dead kind of frustration. But with that comes the Facebook app. Uploading pics and a quick update to Facebook just doesn't take much time, so I've neglected the ole blog because of it.

The other thing is...and this has seriously been like a death in the family to me...I had to give my Macbook back when I resigned from my teaching position.

Cue the violins, please.

I just have to tell y'all...blogging from McHotterson's TOSHIBA is just NOT the same. Not even close. Not even second to close. Kind of like, makes me want to throw the darn thing out the window, not close. *BIG FAT SIGH*

But, here I am!!! And I'm bound and determined to do better. I hope.

So, the babies turned 5 months old on the 18th of September. I know it's so cliche, but I just can't believe it's been 5 months since I held them the first time. They are absolutely so precious and so, so much fun! I laugh more on a daily basis than I have in my life.

And just to keep it real...I've cried more and been more frustrated and more exhausted than I ever have in my life, as well.

So, here are the sweet peas in their 5 month pics, brought to you by yours truly.

Reese Kathleen

Truett Zeldon

The twinkies!

I was looking through past picture sessions and I am just blown away by how big the babies look!

How about a little FLASHBACK FUN?!

Here are some updates about each one:

TRUETT

-At his last doctor's appointment he weighed 15 lbs 10 oz. He weighs close to 17 now. He was 25 1/2 inches long.

-He rolled from his back to his tummy for the first time TODAY, on his Papi's birthday and I got it on video! We were so excited!!

-He's talking all the time now and makes this high-pitched screeching sound when he's excited or happy.

-He is still an easy sleeper as far as getting him down, but he's had some issues with short naps (as I type this he's stirring after only 30 minutes asleep) and is still waking in the wee hours of the morning to eat. I'm hoping that will slowly fade out, soon!!

-Truett goes from happy to grumpy VERY quickly! It's super easy to know when it's naptime. The boy hits a brick wall and he's done.

-He's very much a Momma's boy and while I love the cuddling and the loving, it can be very overwhelming for me to have a baby who wants me to hold him all the time. He's getting better, I think.

-Truett loves being outside. Now that the weather is nicer we have been taking walks and he really enjoys the fresh air.

-He's wearing 3-6 month and 6 month clothes and a size 2 diaper. Although his percentages are very average, he looks like a big boy. He's thick and solid and Momma's back feels it every day! the only percentage that is high is his head circumference! HA!

-He absolutely LOVES solid foods. We started with sweet potatoes and have tried a plethora of foods; the only one he doesn't care for is peas. I can't say I blame him. They aren't my favorite, either. He's eating between 7 and 8 oz. of formula when it's a bottle-only feeding.

-The babies stayed with a non-family babysitter for the first time last weekend and they did great, but Truett threw up all over one of the girls. Poor thing.

- He's TICKLISH! When I change his clothes/diaper, I tickle his belly and ribs and he just cackles and grins. He's also ticklish at the tops of his legs where they meet his pelvic area. He will laugh and laugh if I squeeze his little chubby legs.

-Overall, he's a very happy baby and we love him so very much!

REESE

- At her last doctor's appointment, she weighed 13 lbs. 8 oz and was 24 1/2 inches long.

- She is definitely a petite girl. Since she was a tiny baby people have been amazed at how girly she looks, which is pretty funny to me since I'm not much of a girly girl.

- She has beautiful blue eyes and now her eyebrows and eyelashes are getting darker and thicker.

- She rolled from her back to tummy on her four month birthday! At her last appointment the pediatrician said, "She's very advanced physically." She was already starting to try to sit up and move forward! She has spent the last month getting up on her hands and lifting herself up like she's doing a push up. It's really amazing to watch. She scoots all over and you never know where you'll find her if you leave the room for a few minutes. I know she'll be crawling in no time. SCARY!!!

- She's wearing 3-6 month clothes and a size 2 diaper.

- She loves solid foods, too and we laugh because she ATTACKS the spoon! When I feed them together and it's just me, they have to wait as their sibling gets a bite before they get the next one. Almost every time when I turn to give her her next bite, she's waiting with her mouth open! As I put it in her mouth, she makes this growling noise like she's saying, "Gimme that!" It's absolutely hilarious!

-Reese is ticklish, too! She has the sweetest little laugh and when I tickle her belly/ribs/underarms or her FEET, she laughs and laughs. If she's tired, sometimes its just a snort. Ha!

-Both babies are "talking" up a storm and are really interactive with you when you speak to them. I love this. They also have started recognizing when I come into the room and knowing when I leave. This is both good and bad for me.

Overall, it's so much fun to see them growing and learning new things every day!

Here are some more random pictures from my computer and my phone! Enjoy!

BATH TIME! They both LOVE baths and now are quite the splashers!

This is the babies' first time in the nursery at church. They did really well!

I am in LOVE with Instagram...one of the many reasons I love my iPhone!

My little Aggies! FTAC of 2032!!

Momma gets bored in the back seat with the babies on car trips! Here's the result! A cool baby in Ray Bans!

Beautiful, sweet girl. Momma's joy!

I'd do just about anything to see that little smile. Love this boy so much!

"This is serious!"

Oh, Snap!!!

2011-08-26T10:32:00.001-05:00

Snapshots of the babies from my phone...

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Location:United States

Happy 4 Months (a little late)!

2011-08-23T14:33:00.001-05:00

Reese and Truett turned FOUR MONTHS OLD on August 18th. We happened to be in Uvalde at my parents and then in Austin with some sweet friends.

At 4 months, Reese and Truett are BUSY! They both are babbling and cooing all the time, especially Miss Reese. She squeals when she is happy, which is absolutely hilarious.

Truett has really started smiling and laughing out loud and I love it! He has a HUGE open-mouthed grin and loves for me to tickle him and kiss him under his chin.

Reese ROLLED OVER for the first time on her 4 month birthday. It happened 2 minutes after her Daddy walked into the room after having been away for a week. She had been teetering on her side for a few days and I knew rolling over would happen soon. I just thought it was so sweet she waited for her Daddy to see it!

Truett is starting to do the teetering thing, so I know it won't be long before he's rolling over, too!

Reese's throwing up is pretty much non-existent these days. Every once in a while, she will surprise you, but it isn't nearly as much as it has been in the past. This has been a wonderful change for everyone in the family!

I am convinced Tru has some major allergies. The poor baby has watery eyes, congestion and is just cranky like an allergy baby. His nose is constatnly red and lately his poor little cheeks have been bright red and chapped. I can't figure out if it is because he's drooling more when he sleeps so his cheeks get wet, or if something is making his cheeks red. I feel terrible for him.
At four months, they are both eating anywhere between 5 and 6 ounces of formula. Both have been great eaters in the past, but lately they've become kind of finicky. I think they are both starting to teeth, especially Truett. He drools, is cranky, constantly chews on his hand, and his appetite has just dropped! Teething is NO FUN! Reese either isn't starting yet, or just takes it a little better than he does. She also drools and has shown a drop in appetite.

I love how interactive and playful the babies have become. They absolutely know you are there, which means they are very aware of when you walk away.

Richard and I said to each other on the way home from Dallas last night we thought both babies were happier and smiling more lately. Not that they were unhappy before, they just seem to constantly smile and we don't have to work so hard to get it out of them.

I bought the Praise Baby DVD set for the babies and they LOVE IT! I love that they can focus on something like that for a while. On our roadtrip this past week, I used our cell phones to play movies through Netflix to keep them distracted for a while. It was amazing!!! Ha!

I have started sleep training and trying to get on more of a predictable schedule and it's going pretty well, I have to say.

Those of you who have multiples understand the difficulty in getting more than one baby going in the same direction at the same time. I'm working on it.

While we were in Uvalde, we went to church.

Reese started on her tummy. This is how I found her in the morning, waiting for me to get her.

Reese is a thumb sucker...always the left hand!

Truett is a thumb sucker, too. Most of the time he goes with the right hand, but as you can see, he's not necessarily picky.

Just like his sister, I found Tru in the Pack and Play on his back, with his thumb and blanket in his mouth.

Precious, handsome boy! I want to eat him up!

We have their four month check-up and shots (BOO) on Thursday, the 25th, so will be excited to update you on their weights and such!

The Dirty Word: Legalism

2011-08-09T13:53:00.000-05:00

LEGALISM: strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, especially to the letter rather than the spirit.

I took a roadtrip yesterday all by myself! It was fantastic! On the way, I was running through the radio stations, trying to stay awake and find something decent to listen to when I came across a sermon and was immediately drawn in.

I don't know who it was, or what radio station it was, but the message was so powerful, I couldn't keep from sharing it with you all.

The title was, Signs Legalism May Be Creeping In to Your Life (that's my paraphrase).

The pastor broke the signs down but was very adamant that this is just a basic list and that there are many more signs we should be aware of. He based this on the life of Abraham who was the exact OPPOSITE of legalistic. He was a man who lived only by faith and was filled with the JOY of serving a loving God.

1.) You care more about what people think than God. Romans 4:14

2.) You are critical of others who's convictions aren't as strong as yours.
-This is especially true towards those who are "baby" Christians. You see their faith as not as strong as yours and judge them for doing things you are convicted about. It might just be that they aren't in the same place as you in their faith, not that they are purposely doing things they know are "wrong."
-This is true when you are critical of the way people talk, dress, look, etc...if it goes against what you think a Christian should look like and you perceive them a certain way because of that, you might be letting legalism creep in.

3.) You lay heavy burdens on others. Matthew 23 (specifically verse 4). Go read Matthew and focus on the Pharisees and how they laid burdens on the people to live in a certain way, but were not willing to help the people in any way. Basically, they spat out law, and sat back to watch the people fail because few could live with such heavy burdens towards keeping the law.

4.) You're getting good at seeing other people's sins...you're a SIN SNIFFER.

5.) You tend to be more black and white than those around you. You have no gray area. This doesn't have anything to do with the Bible or scripture. The word of God is absolutely black and white. But where we should have gray area is in the circumstances and situations of people. When we begin to judge others without knowing their motivations or their circumstances, we move towards legalism, because this takes out the aspect of LOVE in our treatment of other people.

6.) You are overly critical of someone else's sins

Here are a couple of others I found online:

-You revert back to the Old Testament except with a different set of rules. (Galatians 3:1-3 and Galatians 4:9)
-You are blind to your own condition. The Bible says legalists are spirtually blind.

Wow! I don't know about you, but the Holy Spirit has put some serious conviction in my heart after hearing this.

Sleep Training

2011-08-03T20:23:00.000-05:00

I've said it many times in the last 3 1/2 months. I would never give either of these sweet babies back, of course, but I do sometimes think of what it might be like to just have one at a time.

This has really come into play in the last week or so as I've had to start sleep training.

If you don't know what I mean by that, basically it involves training a baby to soothe themselves instead of you having to rock, coddle, soothe them.

This is especially crucial with multiples because you just can't get two babies to sleep at the same time if you are by yourself.

So, I've got them on a schedule (when it works), and part of this has involved me sleep training them.

It started with Reese, who absolutely HATES to go to sleep. It's ironic really, because she is the baby that consistently sleeps through the night. But she FIGHTS and FIGHTS when it comes to actually getting to sleep, especially during the day when I happen to be here alone.

So, I've started rocking them both for five minutes and then putting them down.

Truett is a rockstar at sleeping (except for today...ha)! I can almost walk into the nursery and he's already falling asleep in my arms. And he naps really well, too. He sleeps for 2+ hours and most of the time I have to go in and wake him up to feed him. So nice.

Reesey is a different story.

HOWEVER, I am seeing things improving and it makes me super happy!

She has gone from screaming for 25-30 minutes, with me going in to calm her down every five minutes, to now having to only be calmed 1-2 times (today she went down once with no fussing), and sleeping for a good length of time.

It's hard work, and no one likes hearing their baby cry, but it is totally worth it and I'm starting to reap the benefits, even if ever so slightly.

Today was another LONG day, but this time Truett was the fussy sleeper. He wouldn't calm down and cried and cried and cried when I laid him in his crib. **sigh**

As the day wore on, though, and Reese would flash one of her killer smiles or Tru would laugh as I kissed on his tummy, I was reminded that the hard stuff comes with the good stuff.

And I'll take all the hard for even a smidge of the good any day.

New Life, New Look

2011-07-31T12:45:00.000-05:00

So many things have changed in our lives in the last year, but specifically in the last 3 months!

So, I thought, why not change the look of the ole blog, while we're at it! I love it and I highly recommend Jennisa at Once Upon A Blog. She did my last design, as well! She's super sweet and really easy to work with!

If you're interested, click on the button in the bottom of the right sidebar!

Yee haw!!

BUMBO TIME!!!!

2011-07-27T18:27:00.000-05:00

The babies spent some time in their Bumbos for the first time today.

Facts to Remember

2011-07-27T17:41:00.002-05:00

I want so desperately to be the mother who has it all together. Sadly, I'm NOT! Ha! Actually, I don't really want it that badly!

But, I am so behind on my blogging about the babies. For example, I am now almost 2 weeks late on taking their 3 month pictures and posting them. Boo.

But, I do what I can and hopefully later those posts will trigger memories for me about certain things.

So, here are a few things I want to remember about the babies at 3 1/2 months.

-they are both talking and cooing so much now. Reese is definitely more vocal and has been from the beginning.

-Reese and Truett are both laughing and smiling all the time. Reese gives them pretty freely. Truett you have to work a little bit for, but when you get them, they melt Momma's heart!

-I started trying to get them on somewhat of a schedule with their sleeping. Turns out we have one who will take a bottle, play a few minutes, get tired and go right to sleep (Truett). Baby girl on the other hand...let's just say I hope the stubborn side I'm seeing emerging will prove to be an asset to her later in life. Right now, you could say IT DRIVES MOMMA NUTS! HA! I am definitely having to do some serious sleep training with her and it isn't easy. Her morning nap requires me to let her cry for 5 minute intervals, going in and calming her down after she's cried. I haven't had to do it more than 5 times in a row, but man its enough to make me want to cry myself! Eventually she puts herself to sleep, but it isn't pretty until then! LOL!

-The babies are eating between 4 and 5 oz per bottle.

-I am still pumping and giving breastmilk bottles, as well as formula bottles. I breastfeed at least once a day, usually at night so I don't have to get up and get a bottle ready! Rich says I'm cheating! HA!

-I'm not sure how much the babies weigh, but I would guess Truett is somewhere around 15 pounds and Reese is somewhere between 13 and 14.

-The babies are both rolling over from their tummies to backs pretty consistently.

-They both love playing on their playmats. They will coo and laugh at their reflections in the mirrors on their playmats. I love hearing it!

-Truett is starting to like the swing and bouncer more than before, which is nice for me when I need my hands free or he needs some entertainment.

-Truett was born with lots of congestion and it has only gotten worse, and now his sister has joined him. Y'all it is the saddest thing to hear them trying to breathe at night. They cough and get choked up and I end up sucking their little noses out (you can only imagine how much they love that in the middle of the night). I am convinced Truett's are allergies and we can't do anything about it medically until he's 6 months old. I just feel terrible for the little guy. We are about to replace all of the carpet downstairs and replace our a/c filters with Hepa filters. I hope that helps.
-Both babies are OBSESSED with fans. We lay them on our bed and they will stare at the fan for minutes on end! We call it Friendly Fan. It's the best!

-The babies are starting to notice each other somewhat, and it's precious. I am looking forward to the day they will make each other laugh...I think! :)

-The babies sat in their Bumbos for the first time today and it was a hoot to watch! Truett has a really big head, so he's still working on keeping his head up for an extended period of time!

-We have entered the mega drool stage with both babies, but especially with Reese. I have nicknamed her Bubbles because that is all you see on her lips most of the time. My mom said I was the same way at her age.
That's it for now, I think. I need to start writing all of this down so I can remember to add it to my blog.

Ouchies are No Fun!

2011-07-26T15:56:00.000-05:00

The last couple of weeks have turned into some kind of interesting.

When I started this post, I was sitting in a room in Baptist Saint Anthony's hospital with Richard.

Here's how this all transpired.

Monday night Richard starts complaining his stomach is hurting. He says it feels like he's got to go to the bathroom...kinda crampy and icky. But, he didn't feel so bad he wasn't able or willing to take care of one of the babies that night, so I really didn't think much of it.

Tuesday morning he got up and still wasn't feeling well and I could tell it had gotten worse. Again, he tried anything to make it better to no avail.

He had to deliver some fertilizer East of town, and on his way back through and on to the office, he stopped by the house to see if he could try the bathroom one more time. I actually teased him about not going back to work because I would have loved to have him home with us for the day!

Little did I know just how much time we would be spending together. I would rather he could have gone on to work!

Tuesday he started going downhill really quickly. He ended up spending all of the morning and most of the afternoon on the floor in the bathroom vomiting. I still had two babies to take care of, so I would occasionally go in our bedroom/bathroom to check on him and make sure he was at least still breathing.

About 2:30 the twins were down for a nap in the nursery and I heard a loud thud. I ran to the bathroom to find McH totally out of it. He had vomited for the umpteenth time and proceeded to pass out.

That was it. I insisted we go to the doctor right then, but apparently he had called them and was told the next walk-in time was 5:00 p.m, a whole 2 1/2 hours later. This wouldn't work.

The next thing I knew, I was on the phone asking his mom to come stay with the babies while I took him to the ER. His dad met us there a few minutes after we arrived.

We finally got into a room in ER and to make a very long, and frustrating story, as short as possible, labs and an Xray were ordered. The labs revealed an elevated white blood cell count, which obviously indicated some kind of infection. When I asked the on-call doctor (Rich's regular doctor was on a medical missions trip to Honduras) about where the infection might be or what was causing it, I got no answer. "Oh, it's just an infection...blah, blah, blah...etc..." Hence the letter to the board. During all of this wait in the ER, Rich was doubled over in pain. I've never seen him like this in the 10 years I've known him and I have to say, it scared the bajeebies out of me! He was nauseated and had an excruciating pain down the middle of his belly. And all that was done was labs and an XRAY! An X-Ray? I'm not medically trained, but even I know he should have had a CT scan right then. And don't even get me started on how every time I tried to give some information to the doctor, because Rich was in way too much pain to think or even speak, he would interrupt and talk right over me, like I wasn't even there. He was making diagnoses based on a few minor details.

Anywho, we were told he would have to be in the hospital for the next 23 hours on antibiotics to get rid of this "mysterious" infection.

He was put into a room, and were told he would feel much better in 23 hours. The next day, after lots of frustration and miscommunication, we were told he would be transferred to Amarillo.

His mom and I threw some things together, got the babies ready and headed that way. It was a chaotic afternoon, to say the least. But through ALL of it, God showed up in so many humbling ways.

He ended up being airlifted to BSA in Amarillo and by the time he got there, his appendix had already ruptured and stool was leaking into his abdomen. The infection had spread and was actually pretty bad.

My mom's best friend lives in Amarillo, and she is like an aunt to me. She called me while we were at the hospital and said she was headed out of state for a few days and offered her home to us so we didn't have to stay in a hotel. She lives two exits from the hospital, and we were able to take care of her animals and plants so she could save money on a house sitter. See how BIG God is? It worked perfectly! We left the day before she came home. Rich's dad stayed in the hospital with him so I could stay with his mom and the babies during the night.

When we got there, he was a very sick man. The surgeon told us he should have been in the hospital two days earlier. Sheesh.

Anyway, he had his appendix removed and spent 4 days in the hospital until he finally started to turn a corner and the infection was coming under control. He was still very, very sore and tired and needed help himself, so he was obviously not going to be able to help me with the babies at all.

I have to say, the people and facilities at Baptist Saint Anthony's hospital were phenomenal and amazing! What a blessing they were to us! And of course, the babies caused quite the stir when we would take them. They couldn't see Richard, but we could stay in the waiting areas and the dining center with them as we traded off visiting with Rich.

So, we stayed at his parents' house for a few days until he was stronger.

We got home day before yesterday and then yesterday headed to Amarillo for his follow-up appointment, where he was released completely. His incision was fine and all looked good.

We are so fortunate for our family and friends who, once again, showed up as the hands and feet of Jesus.
Here are some pictures from our time at BSA.

Reese sound asleep. Papa was holding her like this and the sweet baby just fell sound asleep just like this. This is the night of Richard's surgery, after we had rushed around packing the babies up and finally made our way the hour and forty five minutes to Amarillo from Childress. This pretty much sums up the way we all felt when that day was finally over and we knew his surgery went well and he was okay.

Every day we were there, we would call and ask Rich if he felt like meeting us in the waiting room on the floor where his room was, and he always said no. We knew he was getting better when he requested to see the babies and could actually walk down the hall to meet us there. Here is Nonni laughing with Reese while we were visiting with Daddy.

Reese wore this outfit just for Daddy. Truett had one on that said, Daddy is My Hero. Nonni bought those for them at Target the day before.

Here is Rich with the babies. He was so happy to see them!!

This is my FAVORITE picture of Truett so far! I just love how he's looking right at the camera and those huge, beautiful blue eyes are bright and alert! I could eat him up all day! I love that boy more than life itself!

Photo Shoot

2011-07-09T10:35:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we had a little mini photo shoot with the babies. I had the dressed in their Aggie gear and we just couldn't resist. The quality isn't supreme because we took these with McH's Droid, but they're still sweet! Enjoy and Gig 'em!

Future Members of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2033!! Whoop!

On His Own Schedule

2011-07-05T15:03:00.000-05:00

I have tried to make a real point about not comparing the babies to one another. They are certainly individuals, and as far as I can tell, have very different personalities thus far. Part of this has to do with the fact that one is a boy and one is a girl. But I also know, they each just have their own little quirks and individualities, most of which I welcome and love (I say most because Truett's fussiness is not exactly fun on a daily basis...but we're working on it)!

As a teacher, I've witnessed the differences in maturity and development between boys and girls, but it is a different ballgame when it is your own children and you are raising them at the exact same time.

From the very beginning, Reese has done things just a little sooner than Truett and that's just fine.

She started focusing, and about a week later so did he.

She started smiling, and a few days later, Truett was right there with his sister.

So, a few days ago, I posted about Reese rolling over and even though I wasn't worried about it (truly, I wasn't), I did start wondering when Truett would finally make the move to a roller. Whelp, I didn't have long to wait!

That's right, folks. Tru baby is a tummy roller now, just like his little sister!

And he did it on HIS OWN schedule!

Man, do I love this sweet boy!

I Had To Share

2011-07-01T11:43:00.000-05:00

My sister-in-law, Dawn, comes over once a week to keep the babies for a few hours while I get some things done. It is absolutely a God-send to have her in the same town now, and those few hours I absolutely look forward to and cherish each week.

So, while she was giving Reese and Truett a bath Wednesday, she took these amazing photos! They are priceless to me and I had to share.

Reese in profile.

Reese in her princess towel.

In my last post, I mentioned a "clingy" baby. I'll give you one guess which one it is...

Here's Truett with my sweet nephews, Drew and Kade. They are so good with the babies!

Two Precious Moments

2011-06-30T21:50:00.000-05:00

I wanted to get these two moments posted so I wouldn't forget.

First, I've really been thinking about sleep schedules for the babies. It's time. They are now almost 11 weeks old and they have kind of fallen into somewhat of a sleep pattern, but it's not something I can count on or anything really well established. I'm not expecting a miracle and for them to follow the same pattern, exactly the same way, day in and day out. That said, a little bit of consistency, thus predictability, would really be nice. All of that to say that tonight I decided to get them fed and into their pajamas by 8:00, in the hopes they might be asleep by 8:45 or so, or at least hanging in their cribs in a very drowsy state. (IF ANYONE HAS ANY SUGGESTIONS ON MAKING NAP AND SLEEP SCHEDULES, PLEASE FILL ME IN...I'VE READ A FEW BOOKS ON IT, BUT HANDS-ON KNOWLEDGE IS ALWAYS BEST, I FIND)!

So, pj's were on, tummies were full, and McHotterson and I each had a baby in hand.

A few weeks ago I ordered several Wee Sing CD's. If you don't know Wee Sing, Google it! I grew up listening to them and when I realized I was singing songs from the series to the babies while I rocked, changed, played with them, I knew I had to get some! Two of the five I ordered from Amazong came in the other day, so I put one in in the nursery and started singing along while I had Truett in my arms. McH walked by and joined us with Reese.

And as we stood in that small, sweet room, our little family of four, and sang songs from my childhood to OUR children, tears welled up in my eyes and I could not help but cry. It was one of the most special moments I've had since the birth of these two miracles. All sorts of thoughts flooded my mind. Today wasn't an easy day. In fact the last few weeks haven't been easy. It's a full-time, OVER-time job taking care of two babies all day, virtually by yourself (although we do have amazing family and friends who help out when they can and come to visit me). But let's face it...I'm exhausted and sometimes that fatigue turns into full-blown frustration. I have a baby who DOES NOT like to be anywhere but on Momma. Period. Even Daddy doesn't suffice sometimes. And while that is super sweet and part of me melts, another much larger part of me gets very frustrated sometimes because one clingy baby is one thing. But one clingy baby and another baby who, every once in a while needs and deserves my attention too is just...well...exhausting.

Some family friends had triplets a couple of months before the babies were born. They were in the NICU, but two of the three came home and are thriving. One never got to come home and died early Monday morning. When I heard that, I felt an overhwhelming pain in my heart, and as I type I am still getting choked up. Having my own children puts a whole new perspective on things like that.

And I still have several friends who are still trying to have babies of their own. Who, as I did for what seemed like so long, fear they will never have a clingy baby to cuddle and soothe. Or, they have tried IVF only to end up in failure. I pray for these women so much. My heart literally breaks and aches for them.

So, as we stood in the nursery singing, I was just overcome with a calm I haven't had in a couple of weeks. Here I was with my husband and OUR CHILDREN (sometimes I still can't believe it's true), singing, dancing, giggling at each other and at the babies, and watching their little eyelids get heavier and heavier.
Eventually they both fell asleep and we put them down (as I'm typing this, McH has a hiccupping Reese in his hands...she didn't last long, and Truett is still asleep).

That was Moment #1.

While both babies were down, I took the chance to go outside and water my plants. A few minutes later, McH came out with the monitor and said, "Reese just rolled over!" He was so excited. I looked at the monitor and sure enough, there she was, in all her glory, rolled completely over! (and to those of you wondering, yes, we had her on her stomach...please, no judging and no comments...I know about the research...I'm informed...both the babies have slept on their tummies for napping since they were 6 weeks old and I felt okay about it...they sleep on their backs for long, night sleeping while I'm asleep, too).

She had done this once last week...I put her on her tummy and went to check on her and she was on her back, but we weren't sure if she had started on her side or if she had actually rolled over or not. I think we were in denial! HA! Anyway, we now have a roller!

That was Moment #2!

And isn't that what this crazy, stressful, exhilarating, over-the-moon-in love, exhausting, totally fulfilling, challenging, parenting thing is all about?

The little moments. Here's to #3 through infinity...

Picture Post...Mostly

2011-06-24T16:44:00.000-05:00

The babies were TWO MONTHS OLD on the 18th of June. I can hardly believe so much time has gone by!

I'm DONE WITH THIS PICTURE STUFF, MOM! DONE!!

"Did somebody make brother mad? I'll beat 'em up!"

LOVE this sweet face.

"What's up, froggy?" Reese LOVES this frog and will talk and talk to it while she lays in her crib.

Mr. Truett found a new friend, too. He was mesmerized by the lion on his playmat.

McH's parents (Nonni and Papa), kept the babies for a few hours on Sunday so we could get some things done at the house. I felt like I was becoming a part of the clutter and mess! It was so nice and the babies did great! Here they are napping at Nonni's! Look at Truett's little legs! I could eat them!

While we were out at McH's parents, the strangest thing happened. We heard this rapping on the door to the back porch and when we went to investigate, it was a roadrunner who was seeing his reflection in the window and wasn't happy about his "rival". He was trying to attack his own reflection. Hilarious. Anyway, I grabbed my camera and got this shot of him on their back patio table.

Playtime in Truett's crib! They LOVE their mobils and now that they are focusing so much more, they will stare at them for what seems like hours! Gives Momma a few minutes without a baby (or two) in her hands. Sweet! I tried to get a pic of them both looking at the mobil, but Reese followed me every time! :)

The babies are growing and doing so well! They had an appointment on Monday and Reese weighed 9 pounds 15 oz, and Truett weighed 11 lbs. 4 oz! She is in the 14th percentile for weight and he is in the 36th percentile. She is 22 inches long (22%), and he is 23+ inches long (72%).

They are really good at focusing and following now and have started smiling more and more as a reaction instead of just in their sleep. There is NOTHING SWEETER than a baby's smile, especially at the sight of you or the sound of your voice. Absolutely melts myheart!

Reese has become a much more laid back baby than she started out as. Don't get me wrong, when she's really mad, she will let you know and her cry will pierce your eardrums, but for the most part, I can lay her down and she is content and a pretty good self-soother.

Truett has gone from my laid back baby to a real Momma's boy. He is happiest in my arms, and while it is super sweet and I love cuddling, with two little ones to take care of, it has become somewhat of an issue I'm having to work out. It's just so hard to know what to do and when (age wise) to do it.

Speaking of...I hear him crying in the monitor! Naptime is over, I suppose!

Fast Forward

2011-06-18T16:39:00.029-05:00

So, here I am a FEW days after my last post and still so very behind. I decided instead of trying to play catch up, I was going to start from the present and then fill in what I missed later.

SO, here we go!

Friday I had to turn in my laptop for the FINAL time to school. To say I was sad, is a complete understatement. Richard has a laptop he leaves at home, but it is a Toshiba, and I MISS MY MACBOOK! I am in the market for a new one, so if anyone knows of a good deal or has a suggestion, let me know!

Because I have no laptop, I also have no pictures on this computer, yet. They are all on my external hard drive, so this post will be pretty boring.

The events I will have to update you on later are:

-Coming home from the hospital
-Breastfeeding
-Our first few weeks home
-First bath
-Mother's Day in Austin @ 3 weeks
-Our TWO trips to Uvalde
-Our first church experience
-First night away from Momma and Daddy
-Plans for baptism AND dedication
-Our TWO month birthday
-Father's Day
-Anything else I figure is worth mentioning

Today the babies have their 2 month appointment at 10 this morning. They have to get their first shots and I'm flying solo as McH has the boss man in town so he couldn't get away from the office. Eek.

I'm not nervous about taking the babies by myself...that's old hat now.

I'm kind of nervous about what to do if when they get their shots, they are both really fussy. Ugh. It might be a very long afternoon for this Momma.

I know this post is short, but it's a step in the right direction.

Gotta run and start getting ready for our appointment, but here's a picture to tide you over.

I want to eat them...both of them!

One Month Come and Gone: Part 2

2011-05-26T23:14:00.001-05:00

Picking up where I left off in the previous post, here we are in the OR, either right before or during the delivery. Do you think we were a little happy...um, maybe deliriously...just a smidge?

All was well in the delivery room in the beginning. Even though he was Baby B in-utero, Truett demanded to be born first, and ended up Baby A after they were born. He was born at 7:46 a.m. and Reese was born at 7:47 a.m. She will now always have a big brother to protect her!

After the babies were delivered, my doctors were working on the other side of the sheet and I started feeling TERRIBLE! It turns out I was hemorrhaging pretty badly from a gash in my cervix and the medications they gave me to get it stopped made me so, so sick to my stomach! It's such a strange sensation to feel like you are going to vomit (sorry if that's TMI), but not be able to feel your stomach muscles. I could see Truett's isolette from the table where I was laying and I felt so sick I couldn't even really focus on him when they showed him to me. It made me really sad.

I ended up having 2 units of blood while I was in the OR and then 2 more units and 1 more unit of plasma after I was back in our room.

But once they gave me some anti-nausea meds and I started feeling better I could start really enjoying the experience and what an experience it was. Hearing those babies cry for the first time was the most beautiful sound I've ever heard. I know that is so cheesy, but it is so true.

I love this one. Team Jenkins 4-Eva!

Dr. Hales and Dr. Devine hard at work!

Truett Zeldon Jenkins

7 lbs. 5 oz.

7:46 a.m.

Reese Kathleen Jenkins

6 lbs. 4 oz.

7:47 a.m.

First family picture!

Mamma and her babies (Truett on the left, Reese on the right)! I waited for this moment my whole life, but most especially the last four years and of course, the last 8 1/2 months.

Daddy and his babies...Reese on the left and kissing on Truett. I love that his watch has the date and time showing. Isn't that special?!

Proud Daddy wheeling his babies down to meet the family.

The babies' entourage was waiting down the hall for them.

I had tshirts made as a surprise to the family. They had their "grandparent" names on them and then a superscript number kind of like, "to the power of." So, my mom's was Sita squared (I don't know how to do that on my keyboard), Rich's mom's was Nonni (to the power of 4 because she now had 4 grandbabies), his grandmother's was Nanny to the 11th power because these were her 10th and 11th grand or great-grandchildren! I even had some made for my nephews. Theirs said, Cuz squared. The shirts were a hit with the family and with the hospital staff! Everyone knew who we were the whole time we were there, for better or worse! :)

After the babies were born, they were taken to the nursery and McH went with them while the doctors were still working on me and while I was in Recovery.

Reese

Truett had to spend about an hour in the oxygen tent in the nursery, but all was well!

After we finally made it back to the room...you can see the blood pump behind me. This is me with Truett.

McH with his boy!

I LOVE this picture! My brother and sister-in-law live in Washington State and couldn't be there, but once we got back to the room and were settled a bit, we Skyped with them. This is Reese Skyping at one day old! HA! I love that you can see their faces on the screen.

Truett and Reese with Mamma.

We had several visitors during our stay. Here are the babies with my sweet friend, Penny.

Reese with Tesa and Brandon.

Love this picture because it perfectly sums up our 5 days in the hospital. Here is McH asleep on the couch, and my dad asleep in the chair with a baby. Those first few days were exhausting! Little did I know that only gets worse once you get home! Ha!

Mamma sound asleep with her baby girl.

Sister and brother. Makes me a little sad...Truett doesn't even fit in those Newborn footies anymore. He's too long!

Our room at Covenant.

Our AMAZING OB/GYN, Dr. Devine! We loved her and not just because she is an Aggie!

This is one of favorite nurses, Libby! She was so sweet and helpful. She really made our stay pleasant and comfortable!

Here's another of our favorite nurses, Cindy. She was with us most nights and had the most positive attitude and sweet disposition. I don't know how these ladies stay so happy and motivated, but they were such a blessing to us during our stay.

My sister-in-law, Dawn, made a basket of goodies for our visitors and the nurses. They were bags of maroon and white M&M's and each bag had a little card tied to it. They were all in a basket for people to take as they came to see us. It was so cute!

To be continued...

One Month Come and Gone

2011-05-26T10:40:00.000-05:00

I've decided the best way I can pass the time while I'm breastfeeding (which seriously seems like all I do all day long at this point), is to check Facebook, do my online shopping and update my blog, finally!
Don't get me wrong, breastfeeding is certainly a special time and I love the bond it is forming between Reese and Truett and me. However, anyone who tells you that breastfeeding in the wee hours of the morning is ALWAYS special and fun, is LYING! :)

I honestly don't know where to even go with this post as it seems SO MUCH has happened in the last 2 weeks since my last one, and really in the last month because I haven't said much about the babies' birth day or the weeks thereafter. So, to make it a little more organized and manageable for me, I'm going to make a few mini-posts within this one, big long one. Bear with me and my scattered brain!

BIRTH DAY and HOSPITAL STAY

Sunday, April 17, 2011

We drove up to Lubbock the day before (Sunday) and stayed in our favorite hotel, the same one Mom and I stayed in the week before our retrieval and then transfer. Mom and Dad were with us and they stayed Sunday night, as well as McH's parents. We had to be at the hospital for all my pre-op by 5:30, so we tried our best to get to bed at a decent hour, but there was really no sleeping for me. Everyone else would meet us at the hospital around 7:00 for the scheduled c-section at 7:30.

Funny side note. The instructions for the night before surgery included taking a shower and washing with antibacterial soap. I realized I hadn't packed any, so we headed to get some and ended up at a United Supermarket. Dad ran in and was back out in a matter of a few minutes. As he gets closer to the car, I see he has a rather large bottle of soap in his hands. I finally realize what he's carrying and I immediately DIE laughing...

By this time, I was so tired and ready to get back to the hotel, I figured it wouldn't hurt anything and guess what I took a bath with that night! Classy.

As I said earlier, I didn't sleep much Sunday night. On the drive up, McH and I talked about how our lives were about to change so incredibly in just a few hours. It was the most surreal moment in all my life: very scary and very exciting.

MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2011: HAPPY BIRTHDAY REESE AND TRUETT!!!!

We got up SUPER early Monday morning and got ready to head to the hospital. Here are pictures of me that morning just before we left the hotel. I admit, most of me was very, very ready to have these babies. At this point I was extremely uncomfortable and every thing was painful.

What happened to my rear? I think it was sucked forward with the belly!

Exhausted but on CLOUD 9! I was so ready to go meet these babies!

I was excited, exhausted, overwhelmed, and just so thankful to know I was about to be a mommy and was about to meet these little aliens who had invaded my body for the last 8 1/2 months!

I just thought I knew love before this.

You should feel VERY, VERY special. I really contemplated whether I would post these pictures of me but I just figured this blog is about being real, so here goes. **deep breath**

McH in his operating room scrubs. Notice the boots! Love my cowboy daddy man!

Trying to be calm as I wait for them to wheel me to the OR.

Somewhere in that face is me! HA! This is sitting outside the OR area entrance. I couldn't stop shaking both because I was cold and I was a little nervous and excited...just a little. So, McH was distracting me taking pictures. Lovely.

To be continued...

2 Weeks of Sleepy Bliss

2011-05-03T00:33:00.000-05:00

I promised a post with the birth story and an update about what all has been happening these first couple of weeks since our lives changed forever and for the better.

It's coming. It really is. It's just every time I think I might take a moment to write one, I'm so overcome with the strong desire to sleep, or clean, or sleep some more, I decide to put it off until the next day.

But, I couldn't pass up posting at least a little something today, because it is a special day for the Jenkins' babies!

Today they are 2 weeks old!

Here are their basic stats to commemorate the day of their birth, Monday, April 18, 2011!

Born first (although he was always Baby B in utero):

Truett Zeldon Jenkins

7 pounds 5 ounces

20 1/2 in.

Born at 7:46 a.m.

He was born with a head full of blond hair, dark blue eyes and was screaming! He had to be put under oxygen for an hour or so, but before long was back with his sister in the nursery.

Little sister:

Reese Kathleen Jenkins

6 pounds 4 ounces

19 1/2 in.

Born at 7:47 a.m.

She was born with her eyes wide open, looking around the room. She cried some, but she was mostly just interested in what was going on! She had dirty blond hair and big, curious, dark blue eyes.

First family photo! I'd say we were pretty stinkin' happy at this point!

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of many kinds. Stay tuned...

Baby Post Coming Soon

2011-05-01T04:04:00.000-05:00

So...it is 4:04 a.m. My babies are asleep. I am awake. This doesn't make sense.

I've wanted to update the blog with pictures, a birth-day story, pictures, my feelings on finally being a mother, pictures, our plans for some traveling in the near future, and pictures.

But every time I think about sitting down to write said post, I am just overwhelmed. There's so much to say. So much to cover.

So, I will just leave you right now with a promise to update soon! Seriously!

For now, I will tease you with a little picture of the two most beautiful children I've ever seen. No kiddin'. ;)

2011-04-16T19:40:00.002-05:00

How far along: 37 Weeks Today (less than 2 days until D-Day)!

Size of Babies: Baby Center says:
Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away (um, so glad that's not true for me). If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb.
Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like the length of swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

(Image from Google)

Total Weight Gain/Lost: About 60 pounds. I gained two pounds last week from Wednesday to Wednesday.

Maternity Clothes: Uh-huh. Either maternity or McH's XL. I could get away with Large shirts, but they just aren't long enough. Even XL shirts creep up over my belly so I'm constantly pulling them down. HA!

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL (Reese Kathleen) and Baby B is a BOY (Truett Zeldon).

Movement: Yes. They are so big and LOW that when they do move, especially Reese, she usually ends up punching me places that just aren't nice! She hits nerves that sends shocks down my front and my back! As much as I LOVE feeling them move, and having others feel them move, I have to say those painful moments I won't miss much!

Sleep: Not great, but okay. My dad took our 3 dogs to back home with him and will leave them there for a few weeks/couple of months, while we get used to a new normal with the babies. I slept really well last night not getting up to let them out! :)

What I Miss: Feeling normal and not having to sit like a man!

Cravings: Watermelon! I've almost eaten an entire one by myself (no snickering about the irony there). Cold things like ice and popsicles. I bought some 100% fruit popsicles and I have at least 2 a day. I've been putting ice in my water just so I can chew on it when I finish drinking.

Symptoms: Discomfort, lack of mobility, swelling and now I am pretty much on bedrest because my blood pressure sky rockets if I'm up for more than about 10 minutes at a time. I'm just so thankful this didn't happen any sooner! Although these last few days I really wanted to get some things done. Thank the Lord for my parents being here to help SO MUCH and for McH's parents being so close to help with whatever we need! Now, my sister-in-law and brother-in-law have moved here! We are so blessed!

Best moment for this week: Just hearing the babies are still doing well and having some final plans about Monday! Also knowing I made it to my goal of 37 weeks felt so good!

I can't believe this is my last pregnancy highlights post! I will try my best to post pictures and information as soon as possible (or get someone to do so). Thank you ALL for the blessing of your prayers and thoughts for us and for these sweet miracles! We are overwhelmed with so much support, love, encouragement and good wishes! We love you all and can't wait to share God's true miracles with you!

Pregnancy Highlights: 36 Weeks

2011-04-09T17:27:00.001-05:00

How far along: 36 Weeks Today (8 days until D-Day)!

Size of Babies: Baby Center says: Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (or more), like a crenshaw melon, and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, which will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At Wednesday's appointment, the babies' heads were so low they couldn't get an accurate measurement, so their weights couldn't be calculated. In case you didn't know, they use ultrasound measurements of an arm bone, a leg bone, the abdomen circumference, and the head circumference to come up with an approximate weight, once the babies get to a certain gestational age. Before that, they use crown to rump measurements.

(Images from Google and Baby Center)

Total Weight Gain/Lost: Ahem. Let's just say I almost cried on the scale at Wednesday's appointment, and that I am just praying the 'ole "breastfeeding will help you shed those pounds fast" adage, is really, really true!

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL (Reese Kathleen) and Baby B is a BOY (Truett Zeldon).

Movement: Yes. Definitely noticing their movements have slowed down because they just don't have much room in there. But as I type, they're squirming. Their moves are less jerky and more just fluid glides.

Sleep: Eh, still not great, but I've started taking really big, long naps during the day.

What I Miss: Energy. Sleep. Stamina. You know, same old, same old.

Cravings: I've really been craving healthy food the last couple of weeks. Salads, veggies, fruits, yogurt. I made a DELICIOUS strawberry/banana smoothie the other day and then made myself almost sick when I drank the whole thing! HA!

Symptoms: The end-of-pregnancy discomfort has hit FULL FORCE! Sleepy, very emotional, and having crazy dreams! Oh, and I can't leave out those lovely stretch marks. I was so hoping I was going to make it through with very few of them, and it seems they are worse and there are more of them every day! I have to be completely honest and say they really depress me. I hate that I am so shallow about it, but it is really so strange to watch your body permanently change right in front of your eyes. Praise God for my wonderful husband who says to me, "they aren't that bad, babe and besides I will look at them and every time think that that is where my babies lived for nine months!" I love him so much.

Best moment for this week: Wednesday's appointment was good because things are going so well. The doctors were really happy with everything and really impressed with how far I've made it and how few complications I've had. The 2.5 hour trip nearly did me in. I ended up the last 30 miles home, laying in the back seat, so I'm certainly not looking forward to the next appointment this Wednesday, but I'll be ready to know our final plans and hear what they have to say.

I can't believe I will only have one more pregnancy update to write and then I'll be blogging about precious babies with lots of pictures! YAY!

Pregnancy Highlights: 35 Weeks

2011-04-02T17:05:00.001-05:00

How far along: 35 Weeks Today!

Size of Babies: Baby Center says: Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (picture a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

(Image from Google)

Total Weight Gain/Lost: I think we all remember this from last week. Moving right along.

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL (Reese Kathleen) and Baby B is a BOY (Truett Zeldon).

Movement: Yes, but I've definitely noticed that slowing down a little bit. Don't get me wrong, they are still little wiggle monsters and some days are more active than others, but I think they are just running out of room to do much moving. Still moving more at certain times of the day and in certain situations.

Sleep: Eh, still not great, but I've started taking really big, long naps during the day.

What I Miss: It's a little redundant but I still miss having stamina and being able to do even the simplest task without having to sit down in the middle to rest. I also miss feeling pretty. My skin has really broken out lately, and when I look in the mirror, I just hardly recognize myself.

Cravings: FRESH PINEAPPLE!!! Really, I've been craving any kind of fruit and just healthy food in general, but especially pineapple. I've read if you eat a lot of it (and I mean, a LOT) it can put you into labor, but you would have to eat like four whole pineapples in one day to make that even a possibility. Our United has fresh pineapple cores in a container and I'm addicted!

Symptoms: All the normal stuff, I think. The swelling I talked about last week has diminished significantly. Yay! Of course I'm tired, and I've started having moments of just not feeling good, kind of like 1st trimester queasiness.

Best moment for this week: It may not seem very exciting to others, but our video baby monitor came in this week and we were able to play with it a little bit and figure out how we are going to mount it in the nursery! I was so excited! McH had a good time figuring out the exact perfect place to mount it on the wall. We ended up getting the Summer Infant Best View and I love it already! And it's even better because I figured out I won't need another camera (unless I want one to put in another room)! Yay! While we were playing with the camera (which pans and zooms the room...so cool), I would zoom in on the cribs and just picture each baby in their bed. TWO WEEKS!

Pregnancy Highlights: 34 Weeks

2011-03-26T14:10:00.001-05:00

How far along: 34 Weeks Today!

Size of Babies: Here's what BabyCenter.com has to say: Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average CANTELOUPE) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder (we noticed Reese's face was much rounder during this ultrasounds...she has certainly filled out and we love it). Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Wednesday's appointment was fantastic! According to my doctors and the sonographer, they look wonderful, my amniotic fluids look great, and all seems right on track. My blood pressure was still really good, too.

The best part was hearing their weights...BOTH of them are now 5 pounds 3 ounces!!! At our last appointment, 3 weeks ago, Reese weighed 3 pounds 7 ounces and Truett weighed 4 pounds 1 ounce. I was so excited to see they were both growing and especially that Reese had caught up with her brother!

(Image from Google)

Total Weight Gain/Lost: Oh gosh. I am not sure I really want to share this, but I guess there's no real reason to stop now. I have gained 56 pounds, which is right about the top of the suggested weight gain for twins and I still have right at 3 weeks left. Eek. I'm guessing I'll end up at around 60 pounds total. We'll see.

Maternity Clothes: Yep. This question is kind of funny to me now, because there is just no way I could ever wear regular clothes at this point, unless they were McH's.

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL (Reese Kathleen) and Baby B is a BOY (Truett Zeldon).

Movement: Yes! As a matter of fact, they are squirming like crazy right now! I love it! I'm already starting to kind of mourn not feeling them after they are born. I guess feeling them squirm in my arms will just HAVE to do! HA!

Sleep: Sleep is off and on, like always, but I think it might have been better this week. My allergies have subsided somewhat, so I think that has helped me sleep a little better, but most of my REALLY GOOD, HARD sleep comes during naps throughout the day.

What I Miss: I've said it before, but I really miss being able to do things on my own. Just in the last week, my physical limits have really grown. I just can't physically get things done because my stamina is low and honestly my body just hurts. I know when I do too much because my belly gets hard like a contraction so I have to lay down for a while.

Cravings: Nothing really. Had some GREAT carne guisada last night and I think I could eat it every day!! But, I'm not really craving much right now. I think I'm losing my appetite somewhat because there's just no more room to fit food in anywhere! HA!

Symptoms: I am a waddler, for sure, all the time nowadays! Last week I mentioned not swelling and how grateful I was for that. Well, we can scratch that off the list now! Starting about Thursday of this last week, I started swelling in my feet, hands and face. I woke up in the middle of the night and my face was numb...sheesh. I'm down to only wearing my diamond birthday band because my actual engagement/wedding rings are just too hard to get off and on. I've always had pretty thin legs and bony ankles, and the bones are now disappearing! AGH!! I breathe hard all the time, have a stuffy/bloody nose constantly, my knees ache, peeing all the time, emotional, etc...

I write all of these things only to emphasize that I WOULD GO THROUGH THIS ALL OVER AGAIN IF IT MEANT GETTING TO SEE OUR BABIES IN 24 DAYS!!!!!!!!!

Best moment for this week: I just can't narrow it down to 1, so I have 3 best moments: 1.) knowing how big the babies are now and that they could be born any day and still be very healthy, 2.) getting a CD full of our maternity pictures that we took last week, and 3.) setting our C-section DATE!!!! YAY! April 18th, 2011 our family will DOUBLE in size! I'm starting to cry just thinking about it!

A Girl and A Date

2011-03-24T11:21:00.000-05:00

Yes, we do! We have a date for my c-section, but before I tell you about that, I want to share something that happened at one of our doctor's appointments yesterday.

Most anyone reading this blog knows about our past struggle with infertility. We tried to have a baby for four years and in that time went through two miscarriages, some setbacks, lots of tests, more tests and more tests, and many treatments.

We ended up doing IVF this summer and we were blessed to get pregnant the first time with our precious twins.

Fast forward to yesterday in the doctor's office. We are on the couch waiting to be called back; I am playing Angry Birds on McH's phone and he is reading a magazine, probably Golf or American Quarter Horse because he's multicultural like that. Or multidimensional. Multi-something.

In walks a girl probably in her mid-twenties, obviously coming from work. But what I notice first is her attitude. Someone opened the door for her to walk in and she didn't even acknowledge them. I tend to notice that kind of stuff. Maybe that makes me a snob, so be it.

Of course, the (sadly) judgemental part of my mind starts reeling..."wow, how rude is she...look at her face...c'mon, smile a little...life is not that bad...etc..." She was on the phone with her mother, and every other second was an eye roll, a curt comment, a brief answer. I felt sorry for her mother who was obviously asking her things like, "what are you doing tonight? What are you going to do for dinner?..." Things a mother asks.

She was even short with the receptionist.

And here I was, HUGE pregnant staring her right in the face, wondering only one thing: what crawled in her hiney and died? How embarrassing to admit that! Another pregnant woman sat behind this "mad-at-the-world" girl and chatted away on her cell about an upcoming baby shower.

After a few minutes, I went back to my game.

The receptionist called her up to the window and asked her a question I couldn't make out.

But then, she pulled a little box out of her pocket and said, "I'm just here for the nurse to give me this...she's usually the one who does it."

It was a bottle of progesterone.

And it hit me.

And my heart felt like it might just break in a million pieces right there.

She was one of "us".

An infertile.

She was struggling.

She needed prayers, not judgement.

She is bitter.

She is fed up.

She's tired.

And there I sat, big pregnant belly, only feet from her, seemingly without a care in the world.

She had no idea we are sisters.

Part of the worst kind of sorority.

Kindred spirits, but not of our own choosing.

I wanted so badly to go hug her, to put my arms around her and tell her it would be okay and tell her our whole story.

I wanted her to look me in the eyes and to be able to know that I didn't get to this place easily like so many others. I struggled, too. I felt that bitterness, the jealousy (at times), the hopelessness, the helplessness.

I wanted to yell at her, "I'm an infertile, too! I get you!"

We were called back shortly after that and while we were in the room waiting for our doctor, I asked McH if he noticed the girl. He wasn't sure until I started describing her.

I said, "Did you see her eyes? She is so bitter. I recognized those eyes, babe."

And that was that. I've thought a lot about her since yesterday afternoon.

I pray she finds peace and hope even when things seem so far from those two ideals.

But it also makes me so very thankful and grateful to God for bringing me through this struggle and this journey. There are few things I enjoy more than talking to and hopefully helping those who are in the middle of what we are now on the other side of...that deep pit of infertility.

Above all, God is good...even when we don't understand His ways.

We are living proof of just that and of God's promises and that His word is TRUE and ALIVE! During our infertility journey, I clung to the promise of Jeremiah 29:11: "for I know the plans I have for you..." Boy, did He! And they are more than anything we could have ever dreamed of!

SO.........

Speaking of miracles and promises...yesterday our c-section date was set: Reese Kathleen and Truett Zeldon will make their debut (unless He has other plans) Monday, April 18th!!!

Also, they are BOTH weighing in at a whopping 5 lbs. 3 oz!!! Yep, little Miss has caught up to her brother! Way to go, Reesey!!

I am having some canvases painted to put above their cribs. My mom's best friend, and our long-time family friend, Donna P. is painting them and McH and I decided we would each choose a verse to give her to use on one of the canvases. I had been searching for a long time and was able to give her mine pretty quickly (Psalm 37:4...Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart). But McH has really been contemplating and trying to choose what he thought would be the best and what he thought God was leading him to. Last night on the way home, he told me he decided on the following verse; he kept going back to it over and over again so he felt confident this was the right one. I think it is perfect!

Psalm 139: 13-14 (New King James version)

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb; I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

Please Help Bring Misha Home!

2011-03-21T10:19:00.001-05:00

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

You may have noticed a new button in my right sidebar. This is Misha. He is an orphan in the Ukraine who desperately needs a home.

If you click on the button, you will be taken to the page of a sweet friend of mine. She and her family have four children; two are adopted, two are biological. They want to adopt Misha, desperately!

As far as Jan and her husband are concerned, Misha is already their son. Here's the problem: It costs a lot of money to get Misha here and adopted into Jan's family. They are doing all they can to raise the money, but they need YOUR help!

Misha was able to come visit during Christmas break and it was heartbreaking for Jan's family to have to send him back to the Ukraine when his visiting time was up.

If you feel like you could or that God is leading you to do so, please do anything you can to help this family bring their fifth child HOME!

Click on the button to the right and you will be taken to Jan's blog. In her right sidebar is a DONATE button.

I urge you to consider giving and helping to bring this sweet, loving, boy home to his family!

Pregnancy Highlights: 33 Weeks

2011-03-19T12:50:00.001-05:00

How far along: 33 Weeks Today! Most weeks seem to fly by, but this last week has crept along.

Size of Babies: Here's what BabyCenter.com has to say: This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (think a whole pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance). These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Looking forward to seeing how much they actually weigh at our appointment on Wednesday, the 23rd.

(Image from Google)

Total Weight Gain/Lost: Not sure. We will find out on Wednesday at my next appointment. I'm thinking I've probably gained a few since my last appointment just because I feel so much bigger and am really feeling the weight on my legs and feet.

Maternity Clothes: Yep. This question is kind of funny to me now, because there is just no way I could ever wear regular clothes at this point, unless they were McH's. I just bought a few new shirts on Clearance from Motherhood, and I will probably buy some things to wear in the hospital, but I'm hoping I won't have to make many more purchases as far as maternity clothes go.

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL (Reese Kathleen) and Baby B is a BOY (Truett Zeldon).

Movement: Yes, still lots of movement and its pretty predictable. They move a lot when I'm in the bathtub, or when I'm on my side. They are very active mid-morning and then very inactive in the afternoon, and then active again right at my bedtime, around 9.

Sleep: Still not great, but I think that is what should be expected at this point. I am back on my acid reflux/heartburn and it has helped my sleeping a bit. Now, my sleep is impeded mostly because I am having really bad allergies and I can't breathe at night.

Oh, and one more lovely fact...I've started snoring! I mean y'all, it's so bad sometimes, that I wake myself up! HA! I never, ever thought I would be a snorer and I'm PRAYING I go back to not being one once the babies are here!

What I Miss: Sleeping on my stomach, for sure! I guess I miss feeling "normal." Right now I'm just so awkward and can't do much of anything. I'm ready to be back to myself in most ways.

Cravings: Nothing really. Last week I posted about McHotterson getting me 4 pints of ice cream. I should have mentioned I did NOT eat them all at once! I still have 1 1/2 in the freezer. :) I do still love my chocolate milk, so that's the closest thing to cravings I've had recently, I guess.

Symptoms: I am a waddler, for sure, all the time nowadays! I am so fortunate to not have much swelling at all. In fact, I'm still wearing my wedding rings, and, thinking there was no way it would work, I put my boots on the other day and they fit just fine...not even tight. Otherwise, I have just normal things happening...my feet hurt, I'm tired all the time, and I have no stamina.

Also, I have to admit something: I had already found a couple places where some stretch marks were starting to creep up. I was so excited because I had made it so far with none, so when I found these two places (oddly enough in the exact same spot on each side of my hips, really low...like where you would put your hands on your hips) I was a little bummed. I was really trying to avoid stretch marks. Well, a couple of days ago, I found some more on my belly and I almost cried. I know after the babies are here I probably won't even give them a second thought, but y'all, I am watching my body change PERMANENTLY right before my eyes! It's not fun, plain and simple. And stretch marks aren't pretty, no matter how many times sometime tries to make it sound better by calling them "battle wounds" or "love scars" or whatever.

Best moment for this week: Thursday we took some maternity pictures with a local amateur photographer. I was so excited and I'm hoping they all turned out as well as this "sneak peak" pic she sent us. We had a great time documenting this point in our journey!

Gig 'em!

Reese and Truett Jenkins

Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2032!!!

Pregnancy Highlights: 32 Weeks

2011-03-12T16:23:00.000-06:00

How far along: 32 Weeks Today!

Size of Babies: Here's what BabyCenter.com says: By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds, (like a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth. As always, R & T are measuring a bit bigger than these averages, but it's just an approximation.

(Image from Google)

Total Weight Gain/Lost: Somewhere between 46 and 50 pounds, if I had to guess.

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much all the time. If it's not maternity, it's L or XL, or one of McH's shirts or pajama pants.

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL (Reese Kathleen) and Baby B is a BOY (Truett Zeldon).

Movement: Oh, yes, all the time! I hope they never get so big that they can't move around! I just love it! A couple of days ago, I was in the bathtub and Truett stuck his hand or foot out so far, I thought my tummy might pop! It was amazing!

Sleep: Still not great, but I think that is what should be expected at this point. I had a really bad breathing attack of some sort in the middle of the early morning a couple of days ago. I ended up being taken off my reflux medicine to see if maybe I'm allergic to it. Now that my reflux has started coming back a bit, sleep has kind of gotten worse again. But, I manage.

What I Miss: Sleep and stamina.

Cravings: Nothing really. McH DID get me 4 pints of ice cream (4 different flavors) last night when I wanted them. YUMMY!

Symptoms: Just normal things really...a bit of swelling, of course some waddling, sleepy/tired, little sleep, and lots of peeing all the time!

Best moment for this week: Thursday we were sitting on the couch, watching a little t.v. before bed, and all of a sudden, McH looks at me and says, "Saturday you'll be 32 weeks. That means only 5 more weeks. That's not very long." The look on his face was so serious and almost worried. I said, "Are you just now realizing this?" HA! Priceless.

"You Know You're Having a Baby or Two When": Bullet-Style

2011-03-08T19:24:00.001-06:00

So of course, I know I'm pregnant. I've known for a while, I realize that. But recently, especially today, there have been particular "signs of the times" that have hit me in the face, in a good way.

As I was taking a bath this morning, I looked down and y'all my belly was rolling like giant worms in the sand (Tremors, anyone?). At one point, my stomach looked like it had an arm and was pointing Southeast. I'm not joking. Truett's arm or leg or head or something, was pushing out against my skin and I looked like I had an extra appendage! I just giggled through the whole thing.
I ate lunch with friends today at school to celebrate Alana's birthday! Happy Birthday, A!! When I got home, there were four packages on the front steps. Here are two of them:

Nothing says, "Hey, Mommy!" like TWO car seats on your front porch! I was so, so excited to get them! I had to open one just to see it, and I'm saving the other until McHotterson gets home so he can experience the thrill, too! When I first opened it, I took a picture with my phone and text it to some of my family. When I text it to McH, I said, "If this doesn't spell reality, I don't know what does! I love you!" His response: "WOW! I love you toooooooo!!!!!" He's so excited he can hardly stand it. Some of you might not know it, or just don't remember, but he is 8 years older than I am. He will be a daddy for the first time at 39 1/2. Depending on when the babies are born, I will be 31 or 32 (my birthday is April 10th).

I took the two schnauzers, Maggie and Marlee, to be groomed today. I had 3 smacks of reality there:

When I got there, the groomer asked, "Now, when are you due again?" Me: "The middle of April." Groomer: "What? Wow! Are you having twins?" Me: (I've already told her this, by the way), "Yes, I am!" Groomer: "Okay, so that's why you're so big! Bless your heart! Five more weeks?"
I told said groomer I would pick the pups up at 4:30. At 5:30 my cell phone rang. I can't say I exactly forgot, but I was engrossed in helping a friend with some important proofreading/editing/revising and totally lost track of time. That is just not like me. And when she called, I was shocked when I realized I was an hour late! Eek.
When I finally got there to pick M&M up, she had my card for my next appointment ready. As I was walking out the door, I said, "okay, see you..." (glancing at the appt. card in my hand) "...May 5th...oh...the babies will be here by then." TOTAL HIT-ME-IN-THE- FACE MOMENT!

And of course, nothing says, "You have TWO babies in your belly" like a picture that proves it! For comparison sake, here's my 26+ weeks belly shot, followed by 31 weeks (taken Saturday).

So, in t-minus 39 days OR LESS, I'll be having a baby...I mean, TWO!

“[Praise to the God of All Comfort] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Pregnancy Highlights: 31 Weeks

2011-03-06T06:34:00.001-06:00

How far along: 31 Weeks 1 Day

Size of Babies: Here's what BabyCenter.com says: This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (um, maybe a smidge more) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy. Babies are heavier than 4 navel oranges.

(Image from Google)

Total Weight Gain/Lost: About 46 pounds. My multiples pregnancy book says up to 56 pounds is suggested for my pre-pregnancy weight and height, so I'm hoping to stay at least somewhere close to that. We will see. I was measuring 38 weeks (for a singleton pregnancy) at my apopintment Monday.

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much all the time. If it's not maternity, it's L or XL, or one of McH's shirts or pajama pants.

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL (Reese Kathleen) and Baby B is a BOY (Truett Zeldon).

Movement: Oh, yes! and I LOVE it! Early this morning, it felt like snakes were swimming in my belly! Last night we put a flashlight on my stomach and Truett moved towards it. McH didn't like thinking we might be blinding him (HA), so it didn't last long!

Sleep: Eh, still not great. I was up at 4:50 this morning and couldn't go back to sleep, mainly because I was hungry and my mind was racing! I sleep much better during daytime naps than I do at night.

What I Miss: Of course I miss sleeping well. I also really miss church. We haven't been to Sunday school and church since I was put on work restriction at 26 weeks and I miss it so much! At this point climbing the 3 flights of stairs up to Sunday school is out of the question and I'm not sure I could make it through sitting all the way through church. We do watch on t.v./Internet/listen to the radio, but it's just not the same as fellowship with our church family!

Cravings: I pretty much drink Nesquik Lowfat Chocolate Milk like it is going out of style. It is SO tasty, plus it really helps my heartburn!

Symptoms: Acid reflux/heartburn has gotten SO MUCH BETTER! Thank you, Lord! Other symptoms are insomnia, I'm back to peeing all the time at night, hungry but can't eat much at once at this point, got my first stretch mark last week, other ailments I will NOT mention on this blog!

Best moment for this week:There's not one particular great moment this week, so I will list a few I can think of.

1.) The nursery is slowly coming together with the valance, crib skirts, sheets (thanks to McH's very talented mother), and some beginning of organization.

2.) McH is really into feeling the babies move and talking to them. I just love it.

3.) I'm almost caught up with my thank you notes! WOO HOO!

4.) We continue to receive some amazing gifts and I am excited to check the mail every day! We have been so very blessed, undeservedly so!

5.) I was able to use some gift cards this week to make some online purchases for the babies and it was so fun!

6.) The downstairs bathroom has been completely destroyed and I couldn't be happier! This will be the babies' bathroom, so I'm looking forward to getting it painted and decorated before they get here!

I Can't Believe I'm Posting This

2011-03-04T17:16:00.000-06:00

No, really. The ONLY reason I decided to put this on the WWW is to document this pregnancy. Period. You people are just lucky you get to witness/laugh/fall out of your chairs/get sick as you watch it.

Monday after our doctor's appointments, we made a trip to Lowe's. We really needed to go and I was already pretty tired and knew I wouldn't last five minutes trying to walk around that place.

So, McHotterson decided I needed to use one of those little scooter-thingys so I could handle our shopping trip. I was mortified at first. Seriously, it was really embarrassing using one of those things, but it was the only way I would be able to participate in picking out some new tile and CARPET!

My mother documented the experience.

For your viewing pleasure and my absolute HORROR, here ya go:

The first 2 are photos, the last is a video.

Pregnancy Highlights: 30 Weeks

2011-03-02T17:17:00.000-06:00

How far along: 30 Weeks 4 Days (I'm a little behind)

Size of Babies: At Monday's appointment, Reese was weighed 3 lbs. 7 oz (up from 2 lbs. 3 oz 3 weeks ago), and Truett weighed 4 lbs. 1 oz.! Grow babies, grow! I was so relieved and thankful for baby Reese's continued growth. She's still quite a bit smaller than her brother, but that's just her, it seems. And T is a BIG BOY! Love it! I can't wait to see their baby fat cheeks and legs! According to Baby Center.com they can be compared to a head of cabbage as far as weight goes.

(Image from Google)

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much all the time. If it's not maternity, it's L or XL, or one of McH's shirts or pajama pants.

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL (Reese Kathleen) and Baby B is a BOY (Truett Zeldon).

Movement: Oh, yes! and I LOVE it! As much as I will be ready to have these babies mainly because I'm just so uncomfortable right now, I'm going to terribly miss feeling them move around in my belly! It is the best feeling, ever! Now their movements are really intense! My belly moves all over when they do and the rolling movements are awesome! The best part is seeing McHotterson's face when he catches it! Priceless!

Sleep: Eh, still not great. But, I did get a presecription for some Ambien to help with it and I took one last night and got a wonderful night's sleep which has made all the difference today!

What I Miss: Energy.

Cravings: No real cravings, but I have discovered Greek yogurt and am IN LOVE! It also is really good for you during pregnancy, so BONUS! If you've never had it, go get some! It's less sweet and delicious!

Symptoms: Some swelling, but the worst symptom I've recently developed is the worst acid reflux/heartburn ever! It is pure misery, y'all. I'm trying so hard not to complain through this pregnancy, but this, by far, has been the worst symptom so far. It makes me nauseous, so I don't eat as much and then I get more nauseous because I haven't eaten. This is a big reason why I'm not sleeping, too. Laying down makes it worse. UPDATE: I finally got a prescription strength heartburn med and I'm hoping it will work SOON!

Best moment for this week: Of course, I have to say our doctor's appointment was the best! Just love seeing those babies move around and checking in on everything. I was put on a monitor for a little while after the doctor discovered my cervix had shortened quite a bit since my last appointment. But all was well and he didn't seem too concerned about it and neither did my OBGYN whom I saw the same day! She assured me it was normal for my body to start doing this. She reminded me I have 7.5 pounds of baby in me and am measuring full-term if I were carrying only one baby. So, this is all normal. Overall the best news was Reese's growth continuing to stay on track! And I guess since they don't want to see me for another 3 weeks, they must think things are going just fine!

Showered with Blessings and Love!

2011-02-27T17:17:00.000-06:00

You were probably expecting a 30-week update. Don't worry, it's coming. I just thought I would wait until after our doctor's appointment tomorrow so I would have updated information for you!

Instead, I thought I would post about our first two baby showers for the twins. We have been so overwhelmed with kindness, gifts, love and support. We are so very grateful!

So, I was supposed to have my first baby shower February 5th in Austin, but the week before I was put on strict work and travel restriction by my doctor, so we had to make a tough decision and postpone it until after the babies are here. I'm okay with that, truly, because then people who might not otherwise will get to meet them!

So, our first baby shower we actually got to go to was a couple's shower, hosted by four sweet couple friends of ours: the Steeds, the Pipers, the Chisums, and the Blackburns. We had such a great time! Because it was February 12th and it was a couple's shower, it was Valentine themed. So cute and creative! Despite the fact that many couldn't be there because C-town had/has been invaded with the flu, stomach bug, mono and strep, we still had a good turn out and had a great time visiting.

Oh, and I can't believe I somehow didn't get a picture of the gift table. The hostesses asked that the gifts not be wrapped, and included a cute tag with the invites so each of the guests could write something on it and attach it to their gifts. This way, no one had to sit around and watch McH and me open presents; we spent our time visiting and eating instead! They also had thank you notes on the table, and each guest who brought a gift addressed an envelope so all I had to do later was write the note and put it in the mail! How awesome of an idea is that?!

Here are some pics...

Cute banner Alana made.

Glass jars filled with Valentine candy...

Even the mantle was decorated.

The spread of food...yummy! It included a to-die-for artichoke dip in a bread bowl, chocolate covered strawberries, and everything in between. Heaven!

Some of the ladies (and Chad), having an animated conversation!

Sweet friends! Isn't Paige's house beautiful?

McH (far right), chatting with the boys.

Me...um, yeah, I'm the big, pregnant, swollen-faced one...I know you were wondering...with all of the hostesses, minus Alana who had sick kids and had to leave early.

The second shower was given by church and school people. It was in our church parlor and again, we were blessed beyond any expectation! It was last Sunday afternoon.

Visiting after we first got there.

Me, with 7 of the 15 hostesses and the table set up...so pretty.

McHotterson's mom (Nonni) and my mom (Sita)

Amazingly precious cookies made by C-town's Cookie Queen! Aren't they cute?

Opening gifts, I was so touched by all of the handmade items. This is one of two quilts made by the Pleasing Stitches group from our church. I had to hold it up in front of my face because I started getting weepy.

Richard's sweet cousin, Jessica came to the shower all the way from Midland! She brought her mom, Rich's aunt Frankie, and her sweet daughter, Rylee. I was so happy they made it!

Again, couldn't hold it together. These New Testament Bibles were gifts from my sweet friend (and our high school librarian), Faith Self. When I saw their names engraved on them, I couldn't hold it together! See mom's face...amused at the tears! Ha!

This is sweet Ayana Brown. Her parents are in our Sunday school class and she brought me gifts to open as I sat in my chair. She was so sweet and such a great helper!

I know this is blurry, but I had to include it. Miss Jennifer walked in to my shower even though she was already 3 cm dilated and 75% effaced with her 3rd baby (a girl after two boys)! When she walked in, I said, "What are you DOING here?" She's a trooper and I was honored she came!

This is our jogger stroller, the hostess gift from this shower! I was blown away! What a blessing! I can't wait to use it with Reese and Truett.

The gift table...and this wasn't even everything! You should see our dining room, office and nursery! HA!

These were the hostess gifts I put together. I got 15 different patterned and colored kitchen towels from Crate and Barrel. I had some personalized thank you notes made at TinyPrints.com, with Reese and Truett's names on them, and I wrote, "Thank You! Love, The Jenkins family" on the card, punched a hole in it and tied one around each towel with natural and green raffia. I put them in a big basket and let each of the hostesses choose whichever they wanted before they left the shower. It was easy and pretty inexpensive considering there were 15 hostesses.

Pregnancy Highlights: 29 Weeks

2011-02-19T13:48:00.000-06:00

How far along: 29 weeks TODAY!

Size of Babies: According to BabyCenter.com, the babies now weigh about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and are a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Of course, we know Truett already weighs more than this and we're praying his sister does, too. Their muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and their heads are growing bigger to make room for their developing brains.

(Image from Google)

Total Weight Gain/Lost: I'm really starting to feel my weight. Everyone says I look great and don't look like I've gained much weight at all, especially when I tell them it's probably around 45 pounds so far! But I think it's because it is fairly evenly distributed on my body. I see it more in my face/neck, my upper arms, and upper legs, and as far as the belly is concerned, I am sticking STRAIGHT OUT! Seriously, very little to the sides and all up front! HA!

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much all the time. If it's not maternity, it's L or XL, or one of McH's shirts or pajama pants.

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL (Reese Kathleen) and Baby B is a BOY (Truett Zeldon).

Movement: Yep! Definitely have a pattern to their movements, too. As a matter of fact, they are really squirming a lot at this moment, especially Reese. I've started paying more attention to their kicks as I know the doctor is going to start me kick counting at my next appointment.

Sleep: Well, today is not a good day to ask. I have not slept well the last few days, but especially last night. I will sleep really hard for about 3 hours and then wake up and not be able to go back to sleep. Very frustrating but I'm combating it with naps during the day.

What I Miss: Getting out of the house.

Cravings: Still love bacon, but honestly not craving much these days.

Best moment for this week: I've had lots of great moments...first, we continue to get some amazing gifts in the mail and brought to the house and we are just so thankful for each and every one of them. We had our first shower, a couples get together, given by some of our friends. We had a great group turn out and had a lot of fun just visiting. My SIL, Dawn, came by Thursday and brought some goodies and gifts with her and that was so much fun, AND she went to the grocery store for me which was HUGE! I'm so thankful they are going to be here permanently soon!

But, I have to say the BEST moment of the week was the day I stopped VOMITING after I had an awful 2-hour stomach bug. I know it's gross, but I'm telling you there are few worse things than throwing up while you're pregnant. Ugh. It was a huge relief when, I realized at 2 a.m. when I woke up STARVING, it had run its course and I was on the other side of it!

A Story of Obedience

2011-02-16T12:46:00.001-06:00

Psalm 128:1: Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in OBEDIENCE to him. (NIV)

Psalm 128:1: BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, to be envied) is everyone who fears, reveres, and worships the Lord, who walks in His ways and lives according to His commandments. (Amplified Bible)

You may think that now that I'm pregnant, all my thoughts about infertility have gone by the wayside. I must tell you, nothing could be further from the truth. There are days when my heart just aches for my friends, fellow-bloggers and even family who still struggle with having a baby.

Richard and I tried to start a family for four years. In fact, our first miscarriage was March of 2007, and if all goes as planned, and God willing, I will deliver the twins just a few weeks after that four-year mark.

Through those days, weeks, months of struggle, I questioned so many things in my life. Was I being punished for bad behavior earlier in my life? Why would God do this to us? Why are so many unwed, teenage girls able to get pregnant on a whim and not even want their babies, and here I am struggling so much to just have ONE shot?! The list goes on and on.

Slowly...and I mean, S-L-O-W-L-Y...I began to realize that having a baby wasn't what this whole journey was about. Yes, it was what our goal began as. But through the four years (I'm a slow learner, it seems), God taught me about the bigger picture. He showed me it wasn't all about having a baby. Nope. God was much bigger than that. And I don't mean that it was about having TWO babies, either. I was on a journey that was no one else's but mine. Having a baby at 15 wasn't my story. Having a baby after trying for one month wasn't my story. Adopting a baby wasn't my story.

Somewhere in the process, He placed this thought in my head. "If I go through this whole process only focusing on the end result (having a baby), I could miss an opportunity to know my God on a much more personal level and to reach a point in my faith I've never been and I REFUSE to miss that chance by dwelling on the struggle."

And so began MY STORY of obedience. My flesh cried out MANY, MANY times to turn the other way and run to the easy choices. But my heart and my soul said otherwise.

When I finally surrendered and told God I would do WHATEVER He wanted me to, even if it meant not being able to have a child, I actually meant it. I meant it because I finally got it. I understood what being OBEDIENT and being a disciple meant and that even though it hurt at the moment, I knew something bigger, and grander was waiting for us when the journey ended.

I read a post today on one of my favorite blogs. Malinda, at A Gift Worth the Wait, has such an amazing and inspiring perspective on adoption and God's plan and will in her family's life. I first found her blog when we were contemplating adoption a couple of years ago. Go on over and read about what is going on in their lives and how they have lived in obedience to God's will and calling.

Pregnancy Highlights: 28 Weeks

2011-02-12T12:11:00.000-06:00

How far along: 28 weeks TODAY! Y'all, I'm starting the THIRD TRIMESTER! Can you believe it?

Size of Babies: By this week, the babies weigh two and a quarter pounds, like a Chinese cabbage (maybe Reese, but Truett is way past that...I'm guessing he's already pushing, if not at/over, 3 pounds) and measure 14.8 inches from the top of their heads to their heels. They can blink their eyes, which now sport lashes. With their eyesight developing, they may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. They're also developing billions of neurons in their brains and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Fraternal twins at 28 weeks gestation. The one on the right is very similar to the way Reese is positioned...head down, RIGHT ON TOP of my cervix!

(Images taken from Google images and BabyCenter.com)

Total Weight Gain/Lost: I'm sure I've gained at least a pound or two since my last appointment. I'm probably around 40-42 pounds gained. I really see it in my face/neck, my upper legs, and my back (ugh). I tried to put on some pre-pregnancy pajama pants because my maternity/bigger ones were all in the wash. That was hysterical. One pair, I couldn't even get past my hips! HA! So, I had to raid McH's drawers and borrow some of his, which, thank goodness, are still a little big on me, but super comfy!

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much all the time. If it's not maternity, it's L or XL, or one of McH's shirts or pajama pants.

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL (Reese Kathleen) and Baby B is a BOY (Truett Zeldon).

Movement: Oh, yes. All the time! Love it, love it! Their movements have definitely gotten more intense, too. They are now kicking and punching and my belly moves like crazy! It's amazing! I've waited 4 long years for this and I can say I've already started thinking about how much I will miss feeling them moving around.

Sleep: Still here and there. Lately, I can sleep okay, when I'm actually sleeping except that I'm constantly stuffy at night so I'm up several times a night trying anything and everything to be able to breathe.

What I Miss: I have really started to miss my friends and seeing people on a regular basis. But, I'm getting used to it.

Cravings: Still would love a Coke Zero and BACON! I seriously can't get enough of it! Oh, and cinnamon rolls. That's my new favorite breakfast: cinnamon rolls, bacon, and juice/water.

Symptoms: Some swelling, lots of aches and pains, an extremely stuffy nose, and a BIG BELLY! Of course there are other things but I won't dare mention them here! HA!

Best moment for this week: While my mom was here, we got the first coat of paint on the nursery walls, and I got a package in the mail with all of the nursery bedding/rocking chair pads/valance. They are absolutely perfect and you can't get better than handmade, especially when it's by someone you know! My other "best moment" was I experienced baby hiccups for the first time a couple of days ago, and my mom and McH got to feel them, too. I had been wondering if I would ever get to feel them in utero, and sure enough, sitting watching t.v. the other night, Truett starts hiccuping! It was great!

Pregnancy Highlights: 27 Weeks

2011-02-06T21:58:00.000-06:00

How far along: 27 weeks yesterday!

Size of Babies: As always, R & T are a little bigger than my Baby Center emails say they should be. At Thursday's appointment, Reese weighed 2 pounds 3 oz (53rd percentile), and Truett weighed 2 lbs. 12 oz (over 95th percentile)! They are apparently about the size of a cauliflower (in weight)...apparently Truett is a very LARGE one!

Please say some special prayers for Baby Reese. Our fetal/maternal specialist wants to keep an eye on her because she's quite a bit smaller than Truett. He just wants to make sure she stays on her own growth curve and doesn't start to fall off of it.

(Picture taken from Google images and BabyCenter.com)

Total Weight Gain/Lost: At the doctor Thursday, I have gained 39 pounds. My goal was around the 45-50 mark, so I'm hoping I can steadily increase and end up somewhere between 50 and 60 pounds. We will see. I'm not really concerned about it, honestly. I don't want to go crazy, but as long as the babies are healthy and growing, I'm okay with it.

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much all the time. If it's not maternity, it's L or XL, or one of McH's shirts.

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL (Reese Kathleen) and Baby B is a BOY (Truett Zeldon).

Movement: Oh, yes. All the time! I love feeling them move around and it's definitely gotten stronger and more obvious. They definitely have a schedule of movements, for the most part, and have now started really getting active just when I'm about to fall asleep! Guess I should get used to that! HA!

Sleep: Sleep is still touch and go. Some times okay, other times not so great. I'm dealing with it. However, now that I'm home full-time, mid-morning and afternoon naps are what saves me!

What I Miss: Sleeping well, but also being able to do things for myself. I've started having a hard time getting around lately and I have to rest a lot during the day. Even standing in the shower very long takes it out of me.

Cravings: Really starting to crave sweets, but mostly in the form of cookies, or breads. Lately, and strangely enough, I've started really, really wanting a soda of any kind, but mainly a Pepsi or Coke Zero! Yum! I can't wait until I can have one!!

Symptoms: Some swelling, lots of aches and pains, an extremely stuffy nose, and a BIG BELLY! Of course there are other things but I won't dare mention them here! HA!

Best moment for this week: Well, of course I always love getting to see the babies, so the ultrasound on Thursday was great! But, I also found out I do NOT have gestational diabetes...WOO HOO! That was a great relief!

At Thursday's appointment, the nurse said they would consider delivering them as early as 35 weeks if I'm absolutely miserable or there are some other complications/reasons to do so. Aside from that, we're still shooting for 37 weeks. This means they could be here in as little as 8 and at most 10 weeks! WHAT?????? I just can't believe it!

Lookin' Out My Front Door

2011-02-01T10:56:00.001-06:00

Before all of the white stuff started falling, I experienced my first pre-snow thunder and lightning storm. It was kind of bizarre; you don't expect lightning and thunder when it's snowing. It was peaceful listening to the sleet and then heavy snow, hit the sky lights upstairs and McHotterson built our first fire of the cold season. Come to think of it, its the first fire we've built since we moved into this house. It was lovely and before he left for work this morning, he stoked it and threw another log on, so it's still blazing.

Y'all stay warm!

Pregnancy Highlights: 25-26 Weeks

2011-01-29T20:45:00.000-06:00

I didn't get around to posting my 25 week pregnancy highlights, so I will combine 25 and 26. If you didn't read about last Saturday's "excitement" scroll down and catch up.

How far along: 26 weeks today!

Size of Babies: Between weeks 25 and 26, they've grown from the size (in weight) of a

RUTABAGA

to the size (in length) of an

ENGLISH HOTHOUSE CUCUMBER (whatever the heck that is)

(Picture taken from Google images and BabyCenter.com)

I'm anxious to see how much they really weigh and how long they really are at our doctor's appointment this Thursday. They are usually bigger and longer than what the books/emails suggest.

Total Weight Gain/Lost: At the doctor Wednesday, I have gained 37 pounds. My goal was around the 45-50 mark, so I'm hoping I can steadily increase and end up somewhere between 50 and 60 pounds. We will see.

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much all the time. If it's not maternity, it's L or XL, or one of McH's shirts.

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL (Reese Kathleen) and Baby B is a BOY (Truett Zeldon).

Movement: Oh, yes. All the time! I love feeling them move around and it's definitely gotten stronger and more obvious. I think they are responding to me pushing on them now, too. If I push near Reese's head with the fetal doppler, she will punch back and the doppler and my hand will bounce off my belly.

Sleep: Sleep is still touch and go. Some times okay, other times not so great. I'm dealing with it.

What I Miss: Probably getting good sleep more than anything right now.

Cravings: Food. :)

Symptoms: I'm tired, I'm starting to waddle, some Braxton Hicks, some swelling and other things I would not mention on this blog...ever!

Best moment for this week: I don't think I would consider it the "BEST" moment of the week, but it certainly will go down as the most significant of the last few days. I had to go to Labor and Delivery on Saturday to be monitored because the tightening/contractions in my belly started getting more intense. It wasn't a fun experience, but it was good to go and find out all was well. Then, Wednesday I had an unscheduled visit to the doctor as kind of a follow-up and she put me on work and travel restriction, which in some ways is a huge relief, and in others a huge disappointment. But we deal with it, and move on, knowing in 11 weeks when these babies are full-term and healthy it will all have been worth it. I have to miss my first baby shower in Austin this coming weekend, which I was completely bummed about, but such is life when you're in a high-risk pregnancy.

I love these babies more and more each day and we are getting so excited about meeting them...just not anytime too soon! :)

Little f, Big F, Big N

2011-01-29T11:21:00.001-06:00

So, Wednesday while I was at the doctor, she did what is called a Fetal Fibronectin swab. If you're a nerd like me, a fact junkie at heart, click on the link and read about it. It's actually pretty interesting.

The teacher in me can't help but give an image, as well, for all of you visual learners like me.

Basically, fFN tests your likelihood of going into labor within the next 2 weeks.

Yeah, kinda scary.

And you can't get the results back immediately. You have to wait a couple of days.

If the results are negative, then your chances of going into labor soon are very small, almost nothing.

If the results are positive, it could mean impending labor/delivery, but you can also have false positives, some of which are exacerbated by cervical cerclages (remember, I had one of those in November).

Lovely.

I called yesterday but because of some issues at the office, the results wouldn't be in until today. My AWESOME doctor has an electronic information portal for her office and emailed me early this a.m. that my results were up on the website.

And they were....

NEGATIVE!!!!!!!! Woo hoo!

As we say in the South, I'm pleased as punch, y'all.

Not Exactly Bedrest

2011-01-28T22:21:00.000-06:00

You might have noticed I never posted a pregnancy update for week 25. Here's why.

Saturday, I woke up with some pretty intense contracting going on. I've never done this stuff before, so I was pretty uneasy about what might be going on. They didn't hurt at all, but were coming more often and with more intensity than they had before. I've been having some Braxton Hicks off and on for the last couple of months, but this was different.

So, after some phone calls, we ended up driving the 2.5 hours to Lubbock and went straight to Labor & Delivery. We got there about 7:00 Saturday night. After being hooked up for about an hour, all looked well. I only had one very small contraction and I never even felt it.

I was given some instructions and an Ambien (heaven sent) and McH and I stayed at a hotel in Lubbock for the night.

We came home Sunday and I rested and took Monday off so I could rest more. I felt much better and the tightening got much better so I decided to go back to school Tuesday.

Bad idea. All day the tightening was bad, and even somewhat painful in my lower abdomen, which really scared me.

By the end of the day Tuesday I was miserable. So, I decided to take the day off Wednesday and call the doctor in the morning.

Of course she wanted me to come in so she could check me out, and basically that was when she made the decision.

I am now on complete work and travel restriction. This means I have to stay close to home, and close to a bed or couch so I can lay horizontally if I feel like I need to. Right now I can stay on my feet for 10-15 minutes at a time before I need to sit down, and I can sit for a while longer before I need to lay down.

There you have it.

Not exactly bedrest.

I can't say it's fun necessarily, but it is totally worth it, of course, and just reducing my stress level by not being at school I know will help.

My goal is still to make it 11 more weeks (37 weeks) and I know it is possible, I just hope my body cooperates.

Look, Ma! No Hands!

2011-01-24T15:36:00.001-06:00

I've been meaning to blog about this for a week or so, but just haven't gotten around to it. Friday, the 14th, I had a doctor's appointment in Lubbock and my parents were here to go with us. Of course, we have at least 1, if not 2 potty stops along the way, and one of them is in Matador at a Shell station owned and operated by women (read: they have a GREAT restroom).

By the time we got there, I was in pretty dire straits and eager to get inside. I was also ready to get out of the car and stretch my back which by this time was already getting sore.

So, Mom and I head to the bathroom and are both standing at the sink washing our hands and talking nonchalantly. Mindlessly, I leaned forward with my elbows on the sink to stretch my back out and all of a sudden, I hear this loud, mechanical sound.

We both turn around and realize I had triggered the hands-free, motion-activated dispenser.

Just picture it: A very large and in charge pregnant girl, just trying to get some relief for her aching back and not quite used to the ba-donk-a-donk rear end she has developed or it's potential power.

It's a good thing I had just gone to the restroom because Mom and I laughed so hard we both were crying.

One of the owners then came out of the third stall and we explained what had happened and she joined in our giggles.

Classic.

Nursery...So Far

2011-01-19T20:54:00.000-06:00

This weekend my parents were here and I was hoping we would get to get some things done around the house...things that I can't do at the moment like lift, climb, walk 10 feet without getting winded. That kind of thing.

So, Friday I had my 24-week appointment in Lubbock, and my parents went with us. My great-aunt (who is really like a second grandmother to me), told Mom the last time they saw her she really wanted to get the babies something special. In her words, "something big, something nice, something expensive." Sweet, sweet, and sweet!

I was thinking maybe a car seat, or a pack 'n play. But apparently her definition of "something big" is much different than mine. Someday I'll get there. :)

So, we ended up picking out a dresser for the nursery and decided while we were in Lubbock to swing by Babies 'R Us and see if maybe they at least had a floor sample so we could see it in person.

They didn't have a floor sample. But they did have ONE, yep, ONE in stock. And we were able to bring it home with us and set it up. This was Friday. Saturday, Mom got an email from Wal-Mart saying the crib and mattress from them was in, so she headed over and picked it up.

Empty room, ready to be filled!

The beautiful dresser and me.

Working hard...well, some of us were just hardly working.

And...dresser and Crib #1 were set up! And I was happy.

Then, Monday I had a sorority meeting and was gone for a couple of hours. While I was gone, McHotterson's mom called and said Crib #2 was in and he could pick it up. So, he did and when I got home, Crib #2 was set up and in the nursery! What a sweet, sweet surprise from my hot man! Happy didn't quite cover it.

So, here are some pictures of the nursery...so far.

Truett's crib.

Reese's crib.

We will change the paint (went yesterday and got some chips to tape to the wall), and there will be closet doors as soon as they are painted. But the idea is coming together and I'm so in love with it!

And here they are together! I can't wait to get started on the paint and get the bedding on!

Sometimes I'm just completely overwhelmed by how much God has blessed us. I can't explain it, really. I just know how much I don't deserve any of this, yet He keeps pouring His blessings onto us, even as I continue to sin and be so imperfect. I've been trying to choose a scripture to go on the wall in the nursery, and although I haven't picked one yet, this one keeps coming back to me, over and over.

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Pregnancy Highlights: 24 Weeks

2011-01-15T22:06:00.001-06:00

How far along: 24 Weeks, today!

Here are 4-D pics from our appointment yesterday. Baby A, Reese.

Baby B, Truett.

Here are fraternal twins at 24 weeks...

Size of Babies: Well, the sizes that the My Pregnancy This Week email gives are always a little small for our monsters. It says they should weigh just over a pound, but yesterday Reese weighed 1 lb. 8 oz. and Truett weighed 1 lb. 10 oz. They are also measuring slightly more than 24 weeks. Apparently, they resemble an ear of corn. Hmm, not sure, but it gives you an idea of how long they are, I guess.

(Picture taken from Google images and BabyCenter.com)

Total Weight Gain/Lost: Wow, people, this one I just have a hard time fathoming. But, I haven't been ashamed of my weight gain from the beginning, and I won't start now! In the last 4 weeks, over the holidays and all, I gained TEN POUNDS! Oh my goodness! I really didn't know that was possible! I have now gained about 32 pounds! Holy moly! Suggested weight gain for a twin pregnancy is between 35 and 45 pounds, so I don't have much to go, but I'm hoping it will be a steady gain from here on out.

Maternity Clothes: YES! I can still wear t-shirts (no more smalls and only a few big mediums, though), but most of my wardrobe is spent in maternity wear and/or pajamas! Yesterday I bought a couple more maternity pants and a couple tops at Target. I'm really trying to stretch my wardrobe out so I don't have to buy much more.

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL (Reese Kathleen) and Baby B is a BOY (Truett Zeldon).

Movement: Well, we found out yesterday the reason I am feeling more movement on "Reese's side" is because both of their feet are in the same position. Basically, Truett's head is about at my belly button, head down, and his feet wrap around under my sternum to the other side. Reese's head is really low, and her legs come up to right about the same spot Truett's do. So, what I've been feeling and thinking was only Reese, is really BOTH of them! No wonder!

Sleep: Sleep is still touch and go. Some times okay, other times not so great. I'm dealing with it.

What I Miss: Feeling rested, and being able to get things done around the house.

Cravings: Not really having any cravings, per se, I just like to eat! :)

Symptoms: Tired, some Braxton Hicks, some swelling and other things I would not mention on this blog...ever!

Best moment for this week: Definitely getting to see the babies again and getting so many great 4-D pictures of them! Just can't believe we are getting into viability stage. Of course, we don't want them to be here any time soon, but just knowing we are only 13 weeks from my full-term status (37 weeks for twins), is so hard to fathom!

23w2d BELLY PIC!!

2011-01-11T19:22:00.000-06:00

Pregnancy Highlights: 23 Weeks

2011-01-09T11:49:00.000-06:00

How far along: 23 Weeks, Yesterday!

This picture is actually during 22 weeks, but I love it! My sister-in-law, Amy, took these during the break.

Size of Babies: They weigh just over 1 pound each and are more than 11 inches long, the size of a large mango.

(Picture taken from Google images and BabyCenter.com)

Total Weight Gain/Lost: I'm guessing between 25 and 30 pounds, but I'm not sure exactly. I am definitely seeing it in my face and my hands.

Maternity Clothes: YES! I can still wear t-shirts (no more smalls and only a few big mediums, though), but most of my wardrobe is spent in maternity wear and/or pajamas! Unfortunately I think I'm going to have to buy some bigger jeans. The mediums just aren't cutting it anymore, which makes me kind of sad, just because I don't want to have to buy more.

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL (Reese Kathleen) and Baby B is a BOY (Truett Zeldon)

Movement: Yes! They are really starting to move, especially Reese. I don't know if I'm just feeling her more, or feeling the movement more on her side, but she is really an active little thing. Truett moves some, too, but not nearly as much as his sister. The best is watching Richard's face when he sees my belly wiggle and move. They definitely have somewhat of a pattern to their movement...really active mid-morning, and late evening, as well as when I'm sitting in certain positions.

Sleep: Sleep has gotten rough. The extra weight on my body makes my hips hurt so bad when I'm sleeping so I'm constantly waking up and shifting. McH has started sleeping in the guest room because his snoring keeps me awake, too, now that I'm waking up all the time. I come home and take naps again, like I did in the beginning, and when I get in bed, initially I can read for about 10 minutes and I'm out, until I wake up with hip pain. Despite all those things, I know every pain and fitful night is absolutely worth it!

What I Miss: Feeling rested, and being able to ride long distances in the car without pain.

Cravings: Starting to crave sweets, which is kind of unusual for me.

Symptoms: Aches and pains, hungry, tired. But overall, I honestly feel pretty good most days. I just get tired and worn out really easily and have to really be careful about drinking enough water and not overdoing it (which I did over Christmas and really regretted it).

Best moment for this week: It actually happened this morning. Reese was really moving around and of course when I called McH over to watch it, she stopped. So, he put his face really close to my belly and started talking to them, and IMMEDIATELY she started moving and kicking again! He stopped and she stopped. He started again and she started again. It was so sweet. I teared up and it made him SO happy! He's already such a good daddy.

Pregnancy Highlights: 22 Weeks (and HAPPY NEW YEAR)!!

2011-01-01T22:00:00.001-06:00

How far along: 22 Weeks Today!

Size of Babies: They weigh about 1 POUND each and are about 11 inches long, the size of a spaghetti squash.

(Picture taken from Google images and BabyCenter.com)

Total Weight Gain/Lost: About 25 pounds, and I'm starting to feel it, especially in my back and I can see it in my face.

Maternity Clothes: YES! I can still wear t-shirts (no more smalls, though), but most of my wardrobe is spent in maternity and/or pajamas!

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL (Reese Kathleen) and Baby B is a BOY (Truett Zeldon)

Movement: Yes! They are really starting to move, but of course it's not nearly enough for me! While I've been at my parents for post-Christmas and New Year's celebrations, the family has been able to see my belly moving as they do. Pretty fun and special.

Sleep: I've slept much better than last week because my allergies/cold has gotten much better, but my back has been hurting again so sleep is good and not-so good, depending on the night. Of course being away from my own bed is never fun, most especially since I've been pregnant.

What I Miss: Definitely miss sleeping on my stomach and I have to admit, I missed toasting the new year with a glass of champagne, but that wasn't a big deal. I miss stamina for sure. :)

Cravings: Mexican food, fruit, DQ Blizzards.

Symptoms: Just back pain this week for the most part.

Best moment for this week: Getting so many wonderful gifts for Reese and Truett during our Christmas celebrations. We, and they, are so very blessed!

Book Recommendation!!

2010-12-27T20:10:00.001-06:00

I just finished reading The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven on my Kindle. I heard about this book in Sunday School and it piqued my interest. Here's the website about the story.

I have to say, I wasn't disappointed, in the least.

The story is non-fiction; it tells the experience of a 6 year-old boy who was in a horrible car accident with his father, and ended up a quadriplegic. The majority of the book is written by Alex's father, Kevin Malarkey. During Alex's experience, he goes to heaven and the book is his story about what happened both right after the accident and in the last few years afterward.

This is an amazing story, filled with details about the accident scene, told from Alex's (the boy's) perspective. The phenomenal part of the story is the majority of these details Alex has no way of knowing except that he saw them after he died.

Alex's parents are honest about their experience with his claims.

If you're looking for an inspiring, uplifting, and easy read, I highly recommend this book!

Pregnancy Highlights: 21 Weeks!

2010-12-26T15:37:00.001-06:00

How far along: 21 Weeks Yesterday!

Size of Babies: They weigh about 3/4 of a pound each, and are about 10.5 inches long, the length of a carrot, from head to toe.

(Picture taken from Google images and BabyCenter.com)

Total Weight Gain/Lost: About 25 pounds, I think. Hard to believe because I really don't feel like I've gained that much weight. That's probably a good thing. ;) Although, I was a bit disturbed when I was standing in the shower and noticed the tops of my legs actually touch now. **sigh**...BUT, it's all worth it, that's for sure. And to be really honest, I look forward to seeing how much weight I've gained. I know, I'm weird. But it's true. I feel like I've accomplished something when I've gained a pound or two (or five...ha) between weigh-ins.

Maternity Clothes: YES! I can still wear t-shirts (no more smalls, though), but most of my wardrobe is spent in maternity.

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL (Reese Kathleen) and Baby B is a BOY (Truett Zeldon)

Movement: Yes! They are really starting to move, but of course it's not nearly enough for me! Can't wait for those karate kicks!

Sleep: I've had HORRIBLE allergies the last week or so and because I can't take any strong decongestants (I'm taking Sudafed, but it just doesn't do a great job), I've had a really bad time sleeping the last 4 days or so. I'll be ready when that starts to get better.

What I Miss: Not sure. If I had to say one thing, I guess it would be being able to physically work for hours at a time without resting. We had company come in today to stay and hunt for a couple of days and I couldn't work for more than about 30 minutes without sitting down, drinking some water and resting for 10 minutes. Makes daily chores pretty time-consuming.

Cravings: Mexican food, fruit, DQ Blizzards.

Symptoms: Heartburn and acid reflux still come and go. Starting to have pains in my ribs, too.

Best moment for this week: Yesterday, on Christmas DAY, we saw the babies move in my stomach for the first time and the reaction and look on Richard's face made me tear up. It was the sweetest, most exciting time I think we have ever had as a couple and we've waited so long for it. It was such an amazing feeling and crazy that we could actually SEE my stomach moving. I've been able to feel them more and more lately and it's AWESOME!

Merry Christmas to All!

2010-12-23T12:56:00.000-06:00

I wish I could send a Christmas card to all of you, but because that isn't possible, I thought I would post one so at least I could send you our Christmas wishes! I also included our annual Christmas letter. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to all of you!

Dearest Family & Friends December 2010

Merry Christmas and Happy 2011 from Childress, Texas! Last year, I decided not to include a letter in our Christmas card, but I’ve picked the tradition back up this year as we have had a very blessed and busy year!

I think Richard and I will remember 2010 as “the year everything changed in a hurry.” I’ll start with the newest addition to our family, Sadie Mae. Richard has always wanted a “cow dog”, so when I saw a post on Facebook about a border collie/blue heeler mix that needed a good home, I mentioned it to him. We ended up taking Sadie into our home. Despite some puppy behavior we are trying to get out of her, she really is an obedient, sweet, and smart dog.

I am still teaching high school English at CHS but was given the opportunity to move into a new position. I moved from sophomore English, and am now teaching 5 classes of Junior English and 1 Dual-Credit senior English class I really enjoy. I can hardly believe this is my ninth year teaching! I am still coordinating the Gifted and Talented and Academic UIL for the high school and they both keep me very busy!

In early June, I was blessed to work another Walk to Emmaus in Stanton, Texas and was honored to share our faith journey in a talk entitled Discipleship. What a weekend and what a way to kick off what would become an amazing summer!

In late June, I had the extraordinary privilege to travel to Peru with my sister-in-law, Amy, my mother and a group of sponsors and students from Amy’s school in Washington State. What a trip! The main purpose of the trip was to visit an elementary school that the Spanish teacher at Amy’s school had been corresponding with in a pen pal type program. Our trip lasted 13 days; we spent the first half working in the school in an area called Chincha Alta. We stayed with two families, and were overwhelmed with their love and hospitality. This area of Peru was almost completely destroyed by a devastating earthquake in 2007. These people have very little, and yet they gave us all they had, and more. We were humbled, and departed with many, many tears as we left our new friends. There is so much I could say about these people and the impact they had on all of our lives, but I just don’t have room! I hope someday I can share our experience with you personally! The last half of our trip was spent as tourists in the area of Cusco and Machu Picchu. Oh my goodness. There are just no words to describe how amazing this place is. I will never forget this trip and I’m so thankful I got to share it with two of my very favorite women!

Richard is still an engineer with TXDOT. He still enjoys golfing when he can and of course working with our horses. The biggest change in Richard’s life is our new business. He came to me about a year ago with what began as just a thought. But after much prayer, discussion and more prayer, he decided to launch Jenkins Ag Services (look for us on Facebook), a ground crop spraying operation. He saw the potential and the need and acted on it, and once again, we have witnessed as God has provided a window of opportunity to our family that has opened up other possibilities, as well. He is enjoying his new adventure and I am so proud of him for his hard work and success and most especially for listening to God’s guidance.

As if all of this wasn’t enough, rather unexpectedly we decided to move houses this summer after I got home from Peru! We only moved about 5 blocks from here, but it was yet again another opportunity for our family we could not pass up. I just can’t explain to you how much the Lord has paved a path that has led to blessing after blessing in our lives. We have seen prayer after prayer answered this summer; prayers we have been saying for years in some cases.

This all leads me to the biggest news for our family since our marriage 8 years ago! After four years of frustrating infertility, many tears, many prayers, and a testing of our faith, we decided to start the in-vitro fertilization process…yes, ALSO this summer! Whew! It was about a 2 month process, beginning to end, but after much anxiety and prayer, on September 20, 2010 we found out we were pregnant with TWINS! We were absolutely ecstatic and couldn’t stop praising God for His faithfulness and perfect timing. He was preparing us for this journey, even in the times when we didn’t understand His plans. In November, we found out Baby A is a girl and Baby B is a boy! Isn’t He amazing? Praise Him! We are looking forward to their arrival sometime in April! We covet your prayers for their health and wellness and a smooth, long pregnancy.

As for the rest of our family, Richard’s parents continue to really enjoy their retirement, working on the ranch with cattle and enjoying time together. His brother and sister-in-law are in the process of moving to Childress, with our nephews! We couldn’t be happier and are ready to have the whole family in the same town! My mother retired in May and has not slowed down at all! She is thoroughly enjoying “her” time and has been an absolute blessing to us during the early parts of my pregnancy. She has stayed with us four times to date and I anticipate them being here much more often in the coming months. My dad will retire from Del Monte in the spring, and we are all ready for him to be stress-free with more free time! Will and his wife, Amy, are still in Washington State. We look forward to every chance we get to see them! We love SKYPE!

What a year 2010 has been for the Jenkins family. We look forward to even more blessings in 2011, and pray the same for you and your family! As always, if you ever come our way, even just passing through, we would love to see you or have you stay over a night or two! Please keep in touch!

Love, Peace and Joy,

Charla & Richard, (Maggie, Marlee & Sadie, too) charlajenkins2002@gmail.com / www.rcjenkins.blogspot.com

A Cure for the Blahs

2010-12-20T15:12:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm in a "BLAH" kind of mood.

Wanna know why?

Because I've been at school ALL DAY LONG with juniors! Yep, I'm still at school, watching my students work on their Podcasting project.

And I have to be at school half a day tomorrow, too. Now, I do appreciate the fact that I am here because I had Labor Day off and I will get Memorial Day off later. But right now, I'm not sure which I'd rather have because it sure would be nice to be home like all of my other teacher friends.

I've really had to give myself a pep talk, but it didn't seem to be working.

So, 6th period, I had a student find the cure for my blahs.

We are making Podcasts in class entitled, "Christmas Means." They include "Christmas Means" statements, pictures, and voice overs. The students have fun with them, and I enjoy watching their final products.

Today, after everyone was through in 6th period, I hear, out of the blue, one of my students (who happens to be one of my favorites...shhh, don't tell anyone) say,

"IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COOL TO BE JESUS' STEP-DAD" (referring to Joseph, of course)

And I'm not sure why now, but I DIED laughing! I couldn't stop. I thought it was hilarious, but I think it was partly because of who it came from, too.

Pregnancy Highlights: 20 Weeks

2010-12-18T09:49:00.003-06:00

How far along: 20 Weeks Today! Over halfway for these little twinsies!

Size of Babies: They weigh about 10.5 ounces and about 10 inches long from head to heel (the length of a banana).

(Pictures taken from Google images and BabyCenter.com)

Total Weight Gain/Lost: About 23 pounds. My goal was to gain 25 pounds by 20 weeks, so I'm almost there!

Maternity Clothes: YES! I can still wear t-shirts (no more smalls, though), but most of my wardrobe is spent in maternity. And I finally had to buy new...ahem...undergarments, if you will, yesterday. It was time.

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL (Reese Kathleen) and Baby B is a BOY (Truett Zeldon)

Movement: Feeling them more and more. Although, I still feel Truett more, I think, and I still have a hard time even knowing if what I'm feeling is their movement or not.

Sleep: Pretty good, actually.

What I Miss: I miss my BRAIN! I feel like my thoughts are all over the place and I forget to do simple things like respond to people's emails and/or texts or run a little errand or take the dogs to the groomer. The "pregnancy brain" phenomena is no joke!

Cravings: Mexican food, buffalo wings with celery and ranch, soup, fruit.

Symptoms: My newest symptom has been heartburn and acid reflux. I had it bad last week. It seems to have subsided a bit this week, but I'm sure it will be back with a vengeance soon enough. Yucky! I'm definitely tired by the end of the day, too.

Best moment for this week: By FAR, getting to see the babies again yesterday. They are doing so well, and the doctor says things are just going very smoothly now. We're so thankful. Their little hearts are perfect and they were moving around and are growing like crazy!

Don't Let the Belly Fool You

2010-12-16T18:35:00.002-06:00

Monday I had a doctor's appointment with my OBGYN in Lubbock. For those of you who do not know, we are about 2.5 hours from Lubbock so doctor's appointment days are a pretty big ordeal for us. We try to schedule appointments for the same day, but this time it just didn't work out. So, we are headed back tomorrow for an appointment with the fetal/maternal specialist (my favorite because we get to see the great pictures and get all of the babies' measurements, and see how much they've grown).

McH didn't go with me because it was just a check-up...no ultrasound...and he needed to be at work.

The appointment itself was pretty uneventful. I've gained 5 pounds in the last 3 weeks (YAY!), my blood pressure was good, and urinalysis was negative. All good news.

Then, the nurse decided to do my first, official fundus measurement. If you don't know what that is, look it up. Basically, it is a measurement of your tummy size. Well, that's the elementary explanation. Like I said, look it up if you need further explanation.

As she's finishing her measurement, she looks up and says with complete nonchalance, "So, you're measuring 29 weeks, and you're...(as she look at her notes), 19 weeks and 2 days."

And what was my reaction? Laughter. Purely. It's all I could do. Say what? 29 weeks? Are you sure? So, if I do the Math, I could be pregnant for 50 weeks?!?! Am I carrying a baby elephant, or what?

She didn't seem to think there was anything to it; she acted like it was just as normal as me sitting there breathing. Except I was laughing and breathing at the same time. And she just went right on about her merry way.

And I called McHotterson to tell him the news.

So, tonight, I thought it was time to try to get a better quality belly shot of my almost-20-week front end.

And NOW, I can see all 29 weeks of it. Yep. Guess the tape measure was right.

Try not to laugh quite as much as I did...OH, what the heck, go ahead! It's funny!

And I'm LOVING every inch of it!

Drumroll please........

Pregnancy Highlights: 19 Weeks

2010-12-11T10:35:00.000-06:00

How far along: 19 Weeks Today! I seriously can't believe it!

(this picture is actually of me at 18 weeks and a few days, but close enough)

Size of Baby: Babies are the size of a large HEIRLOOM TOMATO and weigh about 8.5 ounces. They measure around 6 inches from head to rump.

(Picture from Google Images)

Total Weight Gain/Lost: Not sure, but I'm still thinking somewhere around 20 pounds, maybe a bit less. I have an appointment on Monday with my OB, so I will get an exact weight then.

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much all the time! I also spend lots of time at home in pajamas and yoga-type pants.

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL (Reese Kathleen) and Baby B is a BOY (Truett Zeldon)

Movement:Still feeling Truett more than Reese. I wish I would feel them both more! I love it when it happens!

Sleep: Sleep is getting better, I think. Most nights, I'm only up 2 or 3 times.

What I Miss: Still miss being able to do things for myself, especially around the holidays when so much needs to be done!! I'm also missing sleeping on my stomach a lot more lately.

Cravings: Wings 'n More BUFFALO WINGS with Ranch! I've also been craving fruit the last week or so.

Symptoms: Not too many. Still get hungry pretty often, and of course the belly is there and growing. But, I am feeling pretty good most of the time, so I can't really complain much about symptoms. By the end of the day my back is usually aching but I'm kind of getting used to it.

Best moment for this week:Starting to register for showers. I can't believe the time has come, but we've already set one shower date and have another in the works. Honestly, it makes me a tad nervous to already be registering; it is overwhelming! I was just telling a friend I wish I could fast forward to about 25 weeks when I know the babies have a chance of survival outside of my womb, and then slow down so I can enjoy the last couple of months of pregnancy.

Punchy Beverage

2010-12-10T17:29:00.000-06:00

Recently I acquired a punch bowl from my great aunt. She used to have a catering business and for years had several punch bowl sets in her barn. So, when she told me to go and pick one for myself, I was excited! I don't think it's commonplace anymore for people my age to have things like punch bowl sets.

Yesterday I was privileged to help host a baby shower/sip 'n see for a coworker and his wife who just had their second baby, Kinley Mae.

I immediately volunteered to make punch so I would have the chance to use my new-to-me bowl.

One problem: I had never made punch in my life.

Solution: GOOGLE, of course!

Here's the recipe I used and it was a HIT! So good and so easy!

1 can of pineapple juice
1 small can of frozen orange juice (I used 1 large can)
1 liter 7-up
2 cans Hawaiian Punch
1 carton of raspberry sherbert (I used neopolitan sherbert)
ice (pellet is the best)

(This is a Google image, but it looks very similar to it.)

Mix all ingredients and about 15 minutes before serving, add raspberry sherbert. OH, and I left the orange juice out for a few hours before the shower so it was thawed.

And, down the hatch!!!

You Asked...

2010-12-07T09:36:00.000-06:00

I've had many requests for a belly picture and I just haven't gotten around to it. I had great intentions, but I just didn't take the time to actually take one. Plus, I really wanted to try to get a picture with my actual camera, but again, it just wasn't convenient. So, without further ado, here is my 18 weeks 3 days belly picture, taken with Photo Booth on my MacBook (forgive the quality and the backwards literary elements posters in the background).

It's All About the benji's!

2010-12-06T13:44:00.001-06:00

Okay, so maybe in my case it's more about the Lincoln's and the Washington's, but regardless of how much money you have or don't have, it never hurts to save a little here and there. I've found myself really drawn lately to try and live more frugally. It probably has something to do with the little money-eaters currently taking up residence in my stomach! Kids are expensive. Period. And I'm finding out it starts MUCH sooner than birth!

I have seen some Facebook and Blogger posts lately about moms and families using coupons to save money and I've been so intrigued. So, I was excited to find coupons for our local United online. And even more exciting, they were actually for things I use (and some I had just bought, unfortunately).
I was so excited, I decided to try and find coupons for the other major grocery stores so maybe some of my readers could start saving at the register, as well. Here's what I found!

KROGER
UNITED
H-E-B
TOM THUMB
SAFEWAY

I'm sure there are grocery stores I didn't list. If that's the case and you are reading this and are interested, just google the name of the grocery store + coupons and you should be able to find what you're looking for!

Happy Bargain Hunting!!!

Pregnancy Highlights: 18 Weeks

2010-12-04T11:01:00.001-06:00

How far along: 18 Weeks Today...I'm now considered 5 months pregnant!

Size of Baby: Babies are the length of a BELL PEPPER! They weight somewhere around 7 ounces.

(Picture from Google Images)

Total Weight Gain/Lost: Not sure an exact amount but I'm buying a new battery for the scale TODAY, so hopefully I can keep up on my own between doctor's visits. I'm going to shoot for somewhere around 17 pounds so far.

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much all the time! I also spend lots of time at home in pajamas and yoga-type pants.

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL (Reese Kathleen) and Baby B is a BOY (Truett Zeldon)

Movement: I'm pretty positive I've felt them both. It's such a strange sensation and so hard to describe. I don't think many of the descriptions I've read have accurately described the feeling for me. Here's how I described it to McHotterson: It feels like when you accidentally shock yourself and you get a little buzz, only it doesn't hurt. Instead, it just catches you off guard. I've felt Truett more than Reese, and both of them are more "active" (or at least I feel them more) in the morning and in the evening. Every once in a while I'll get a little something in the middle of the day at school. :) Can't wait for the feelings to get more frequent and stronger!

Sleep: Sleep is getting better, I think. Most nights, I'm only up 2 or 3 times.

What I Miss: Still miss being able to do things for myself, especially around the holidays when so much needs to be done!!

Cravings: None especially. Some things sound better than others, but true cravings have kind of subsided.

Symptoms: A BIG BELLY! My back is getting better for now (YAY). Some days I'm really hungry, others not so much. I've started getting kind of tired again, but all in all I'm really feeling good. Sometimes if I'm walking down the hall or even just sitting on the couch, I'll forget I'm pregnant for a second...of course I'm reminded as soon as I glance Southward! HA!

Best moment for this week: Realizing what I'm feeling in my belly is the movement of the babies and honestly just making it one more week with these little ones safely inside, growing up a storm. December 17th can't get here soon enough for me!

Pregnancy Highlights: 17 Weeks

2010-11-30T11:48:00.001-06:00

How far along: 17 Weeks 3 days!

Size of Baby: Babies are the size of a TURNIP!

(Picture from Google Images)

Total Weight Gain/Lost: I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and was weighed and...**GULP**...I've gained between 15 and 20 pounds already! OH. MY. Honestly, it doesn't bother me, I just can't believe it's already that much! It makes me happy when I've gained some weight because I know as this twin pregnancy progresses it won't be very easy to eat as much as I need to.

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much all the time! I also spend lots of time at home in pajamas and yoga-type pants.

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL! Baby B is a BOY!

Movement: Still not sure, but I think I feel movements here and there. I just am not sure what they feel like, so it's difficult to know for sure. I'm hoping they will make it really obvious here pretty soon!

Sleep: Sleep is getting better, I think. Most nights, I'm only up 2 or 3 times.

What I Miss: Honestly, I don't miss much. I am starting to finally enjoy being pregnant and can relax a bit. But, if I had to choose something, I guess it would be that I miss being independent, and being able to do things on my own, without having to wait for others to help me (like getting Christmas decorations down from the attic).

Cravings: None especially. Some things sound better than others, but true cravings have kind of subsided.

Symptoms: A BIG BELLY, a sore back and some mild cramping and stretching.

Best moment for this week: Meeting my new OBGYN this week. She was really outgoing and fun and most of all, very positive. PLUS, she's a Fightin' Texas Aggie!!! We didn't know that when we chose her as our OB, so that was definitely a pleasant surprise.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T09:28:00.001-06:00

I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving day, and every day of the year!

I'm thankful for (in no real order):

-my freedom and the men and women who earned it and now keep it on a daily basis

-my family, who supports and loves me unconditionally and always has

-my husband, my best friend who knows me better than anyone in this world and will make the BEST daddy!

-I have to throw in there, I'm very thankful for a Fightin' Texas Aggie WIN over t.u. last night! WHOOP!

-my home, including my pups that love on me and are happy to see me every day!

-my friends; I have some of the best friends a girl could ask for. Some, I've known since I was a child and some are fairly new, but they're all so very special to me.

-my salvation...in the last 4 years my relationship with Jesus has grown leaps and bounds. I know if it hadn't been for all we have been through and the challenges we still face in this pregnancy, I wouldn't be so in love with Him today. Thank you, Jesus.

As I sit in my parents' living room, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for all of the blessings in my life!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, Y'ALL!

"Now, our God, we give you thanks and praise your glorious name!" 1 Chronicles 29:13

In With the New

2010-11-23T11:08:00.001-06:00

This summer McH and I moved houses. When we moved to C-town, we acquired a big office desk from my sister-in-law's parents. I happened to be visiting her at their house in Oklahoma and they offered this desk to us. We needed one, they had one, I took it. It was in a large storage building where they had lots of other furniture and things, and they promised they weren't planning on using it.

It was a little beat up when we got it, and we beat it up even more using it for the last four years.

So, during the move, the desk just fell apart and ended up at the dump.

For the last 4 months or so, we've lived with an office that is not put together at all because we've had no desk. This wouldn't be as big of a deal if it weren't for two factors:

1.) McH does all of his bookwork and billing for his business from our home
2.) the office is a room you must walk through to get to our living room area, so it is seen all the time.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. My mom was in Amarillo and text me a picture of a desk she found at World Market she thought I might like. She was right.

So, I waited until I found a good coupon (World Market has good deals if you are patient and wait for the coupon...when I bought my hutch, a few years back, I had a 40% off coupon).

This time the coupon was 25% any piece of furniture.

Yesterday after our doctor's appointments, we headed to WM and purchased a beautiful desk and hutch to go on top of it. We saved some good money, too, because we picked it up at the store instead of having it shipped AND because we bought the pieces separately and were able to use a coupon for each one. Here are the desk and the hutch together.

I CAN'T WAIT to put it all together and finally be able to arrange our office area! The "double drawer" on the right, is actually a hanging file area and the drawer in the middle folds down to accommodate a keyboard if you desire.

Want 50 Free Christmas Cards?

2010-11-21T08:22:00.000-06:00

I informed McHotterson about something he wasn't necessary keen on. I picked out an outfit for him and told him I wanted to get a good picture of us over Thanksgiving to use on our Christmas cards.

Every year, since I can remember, my mother sent out a Christmas picture with a long letter, updating everyone on the goings on in our family.

So, when I married in 2002, I decided we would start the tradition, too. Every year since then, we've taken pictures and I've made Christmas cards. The last few years, I've used Shutterfly mainly because they are just so easy to work with and timely. I'm not necessarily good about getting all the details put together before the last minute, so the fact that they are able to have my cards ready not long after I order them, is perfect for this procrastinator!

One of the most difficult parts of choosing a card for me, is finding something that doesn't include "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings" and expresses our beliefs accurately. Shutterfly has a ton of choices when it comes to religious cards. Another difficulty is finding something affordable. I send out quite a few cards each year, so I have to find something in my budget, but sophisticated. With Shutterfly, you can choose from very simple and inexpensive, to very elaborate and more expensive, but still affordable. I also like that as you order more, they get less and less expensive. It's like Shutterfly is handing you cash back on your purchase! Here are a few of my favorites:

I saw a post on a friend's blog that really piqued my interest. Who could pass up 50 free Christmas cards? Especially from Shutterfly? If you're interested in this great deal, too, go here and get blogging!

Pregnancy Highlights: 16 Weeks

2010-11-20T18:31:00.000-06:00

How far along: 16 Weeks Today!

Size of Baby: Babies are the size of an AVOCADO!

(Picture from Google Images)

Total Weight Gain/Lost: Not sure. Will know on Monday at our doctor's appointment.

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much all the time! I also spend lots of time at home in pajamas and yoga-type pants.

Gender: Baby A is a GIRL! Baby B is a BOY!

Movement: I'm pretty sure I felt Truett move this week! It was great! Felt like a very light flicking from the inside out and it really caught me by surprise!

Sleep: Some nights it's okay, some nights not so much. My hips are hurting and my back has really been aching lately. But the last couple of nights have been better.

What I Miss: Sleeping on my stomach, being able to do things when I want to (like move furniture, or climb a ladder to hang something). I'm not used to waiting on people to help me. :)

Cravings: Not really any true cravings right now, but I am hungry quite a bit still. And I'm thirsty all the time.

Symptoms: A BIG BELLY!!! :)

Best moment for this week: Feeling some movement this week and hearing their hearts beat every day with the doppler. Awesome!

Next doctor's appointment is this Monday. Looking forward to meeting my new OBGYN for the first time.

Update to Yesterday's Post

2010-11-18T10:50:00.000-06:00

About a week ago, I ordered a Pre-Natal Yoga DVD from Amazon.com. It came in yesterday and I started it (well, I did the warm-up), and I'm really hopeful it will help with my back pain.

It seemed better this morning after last night's rest, but just sitting here in my chair in my classroom it's already starting to hurt again. I also wore jeans with a good upper support panel, so maybe that is helping a bit, too.

I did use a heating pad for a while last night, and between that and the little bit of stretching I did, I think it did make a bit of a difference. I'm hoping if I continue like that I can get my back feeling much better, very soon.

Thank you all for the suggestions!

Psalm 6:2 Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am faint;heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony.