A Merry Christmas SURPRISE!

We feel so blessed to tell all our family and friends that both sweet babies due in May are BOYS!!

We've known the news for a few weeks now and decided to keep it a secret until we could tell our families in person.  As I've mentioned before, we worked so hard to have these sweet little lives that our families have been with us through every hurdle, including every bit of good news regarding the babies.. but its all been over the phone.  We wanted to share the exciting news with them in person and see their reaction in person, for once.  And BOY!!! (pun intended) Are we glad we did see it in person... and we are also glad we RECORDED this reaction to show the boys how excited their families were to have them before they were even here.

First, let me tell you how Trae and I found out.  We went in for our 15 week appointment when Dr Seeker said he was 100% sure he knew the babies genders.  Trae and I had dreamed of the moment when our OB would be able to tell us the gender of our baby...or babies and agreed we would want to have him write down the news so we could open it by ourselves at home.  We drove from our appointment so excited to know the news... both having our own guesses as to what our babies were going to be.  My Guess: 1 boy, 1 girl.   Trae's Guess:  2 Girls  

We were SO sure we were going to have a girl, we bought 2 beautiful baby girl dresses in Costa Rica!

We opened the note in front of our christmas tree and were SHOCKED!!  We laughed for a full 2-3 minutes before saying anything and then decided to keep it a secret until Christmas when we could surprise our families with the news.

Trae opening gender letter with the dogs

Mid Laugh/Shock after receiving the news.

The note reads "both babies are boys. :)"

We decided to tell our parents by surprising them with "It's a Boy" balloons wrapped in a big box.  We told them that we were going to find out the genders at our appointment on December 26th to keep up the surprise.  Here are their reactions:

It was so fun to surprise our family and start talking about all the fun twin boys are going to bring to the family.  We received lots of nice gifts for the babies including books, toys, sweet tiny outfits and Mommy received the diaper bag she was wanting & is looking forward to using in a few months!

We love our little boys so much already and can't wait to read all these stories to them one day about how much Mommy, Daddy and all our friends and family loved them so much before they were even here.

Merry Christmas!

Week 17

Baby Size:

Marination Time: 17w5d

The Bump  says that this week the babies are the size of an onion. The average baby their size would be 5 inches and over 5 ounces.  We had our latest sonogram today and both babies are still ahead of their growth schedule, now measuring 5 days ahead.  They are just shy of 6 inches, 8 ounces and proved to be very active little babies as they were kicking their long legs and turning from side to side saying "hi" to Mommy and Daddy.  

Baby Milestones:

Baby A & Baby B are getting bony and stronger this week as all their soft cartilage changes to bone. They are also getting a stronger and thicker umbilical cord as they rely more and more on their placentas. Sweat glands are starting to develop along with a little baby fat developing to help with their temperature regulation after they are born. We have 59 days until viability (24w0d on February 8th) and we have about 140 days until their last possible (and most optimal) delivery date at 37 weeks.  It's so crazy that we are about HALF WAY  through our pregnancy!

Here are our sweet babies profiles as of this morning:

Baby A Profile

Baby B profile

Symptoms:

I'm still having some middle back pain, but have started prenatal yoga and think the stretching will be good for my tight muscles.  

How I'm Changing:

Growing belly every week proves my little bundles are growing right on track!

What I'm Eating:

When my sweet tooth kicks I'll have a Root Beer or 7UP since both are free of caffeine. If I give into the urge and eat something sugary, my body tends to not like it very much and I get a pretty sour tummy.  Beans are sounding good these days and since they supply protein and fiber good for the babies and me, I eat them a few times a week.

Annoyances:

I've had such an easy pregnancy so far, it's hard to be annoyed by anything!  

Sleep:

I'm sleeping hotter and hotter these days which tends to wake me up.  Even if its 68 degrees in the house (like last night) and our fan is on, I wake up so hot and Trae is bundled under the sheets. I hear this just gets worse the bigger the babies get, so poor Trae will probably be wearing a parka to bed soon!

What I'm Most Excited About:

Now that Christmas is coming to a close... I'm committed to get more serious about planning this nursery and making some big decisions like cribs, paint color etc.  We DID start our baby registry at BuyBuyBaby a couple weeks ago, so that was a start.... it will be fun to continue planning and putting plans in motion!

Week 16

Baby Size:

Marination Time: 16w6d

The Bump  says that this week the babies are growing to be the size of avocados.  For the boys perspective, His Boys Can Swim tell Trae to think of Baby A and Baby B as studs!  Or at least little stud finders.

Baby Milestones:
This weeks biggest baby milestone is that Baby A and Baby B can now hear!  By birth, the babies will be able to recognize our voices as long as we talk to them frequently. It makes me smile to think that my babies can start to hear my voice and I talk and sing to them often.  Also, this week their little eyelashes and hair is starting to fill in more and their tastebuds are forming.

Symptoms:
I'm feeling good this week!  Still getting tired after only a moderate amount of excercise or running errands, but glad to be able to sleep in these days.

How I'm Changing:
My belly is growing little by little so I tend to get lower back pain after long days. I've started prenatal yoga which I think will help stretch out my muscles and maintain my flexibility.

What I'm Eating:
A little bit of everything! My appetite picked up slightly this week, but I'm sticking to my normal diet. No big changes here!

Annoyances:
Sore back muscles and a low level of energy throughout the day.

Sleep:
My sleep is pretty good once I'm asleep.  I just have trouble getting to sleep these days.

Missing:
The only thing I'm really missing these days is working out with my friends regularly like I used to. The weather is so nice I would like to go for a run or to the gym with friends and the Dr insists that I lay low so the babies can stay safe.

What I'm Most Excited About:
This week I'm most excited about spending Christmas with our families. I love this time of year and we start the Christmas celebrations this weekend at my parents house in San Antonio, then on to Glen Rose for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Also, our next appointment is on the 26th and we get to see the babies again! We see our little angels every 3 weeks via sonogram and we look forward to it every single time!

Week 15

Baby Size:

Marination Time: 15w5d

The Bump says that in Week 15 Baby A and Baby B are the size of navel oranges weighing around 2.5 oz.  For the guys perspective, His Boys Can Swim says the babies are the size of baseballs this week!  We know from last week's sonogram that the babies are several days ahead of schedule on growth, so we are probably closer to week 16's measurements today, but its fun to compare week to week.

Baby Milestones:

This week the babies will keep growing bigger and getting stronger.  The babies are more proportional this week now that their legs are longer than their arms. Their bones are working to get stonger and more supportive. This week they are going to get even MORE active.  I can't wait until I'm feeling them move regularly!!  The Dr. said it should be anytime and I'm so excited!!

Symptoms:

Pelvic Pressure and Round Ligament Pain. 

How I'm Changing:

My baby belly is growing little by little and starting to change shape a little.  Dr. Seeker says it should start growing more round and bigger in the next 2 weeks as the babies grow and as my uterus moves completely in my abdomen. 

What I'm Eating:

Sandwhiches for lunch, eggs and toast for breakfast, protein shakes for snacks.  I am really not eating more than I was eating before pregnancy, only more carbs to help with my energy.  So far, it's working well for me and the babies.

Annoyances:

Walking with pain is pretty annoying and most of my walking is full of cramping from pelvic pressure and round ligament pain.  Looking forward to this easing up in the next few weeks as the baby's position moves higher.

Sleep:

The body pillow seems to be doing the trick! I'm sleeping through the night again with only bathroom breaks waking me up!

Missing:

Exercise and walking without pain.

What I'm Most Excited About:

I'm most excited to feel my babies move regularly. I can't wait to feel that connection with them!  

We had our first pediatrician interview last week and am excited to meet the other 2 offices we're interviewing in the next few weeks.  Also, we made an appointment with a personal shopper at BuyBuyBaby in Austin to help us start our registry.  I've started making lists of things we need and products we're interested in, so I think the shopper will help us answer questions we have specific to our needs.

Oh...and I'm starting to get SO excited about Christmas!! I just love this time of year!

Week 14

Baby Size:

Marination Time:
Today is the last day of week 14! 14d6d

The Bump says that this week the babies are growing to the size of lemons.

Baby Milestones:

Baby A and B can now suck their thumbs (in fact, Baby B was sucking his or her thumb at the Sonogram on Wednesday!), wiggle their toes, produce urine, and breathe in the amniotic fluid.  Their little systems are developing!!  They are also growing lanugo, which is a thick, peach-fuzzy hair all over their bodies to help keep them warm.

Symptoms:

I've had a dull headache off and on this week.  This week my back pain has been intense, probably because of my growing belly.  Sleeping is very uncomfortable due to back pain, so I've been waking up pretty tired everyday. A big "Thank You" to Shelley and Casey for letting me borrow their Snoogle body pillow this week- it's helped a lot!  Round ligament pain is still intense.  Dr Seeker says back pain and round ligament pain should ease in the next 2 weeks as my uterus moves completely into my abdomen.

How I'm Changing:

Growing every day!  I look even more pregnant than last week! I've gained 7 total pounds since pregnant, which the Dr is happy about.

What I'm Eating:

I'm back to eating most of my normal foods, just having issues with quantity.  I am not eating any more than I would have normally eaten pre-pregnancy, so sometimes I have to remind myself to eat and make sure I'm getting enough protein in.  Dr Barbara Luke's book "When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets or Quads" recommends gaining 24 pounds in the first 24 weeks of a twin pregnancy.  In order to do this, you need an additional 300 calories a day.  The book also suggests putting yourself on an eating schedule and eating every 2 hours.  I'm not hungry enough to eat every 2 hours, but hear this appetite will be sure to pick up in the coming weeks!!

Annoyances:

This week the biggest annoyance is my back pain and the lack of sleep that's come with it.

Sleep:

Despite not getting much sleep this week due to back pain, I definitely have more energy back which is nice!

Missing:

Waking up feeling rested and with no pain. 

What I'm Most Excited About:

We had our Dr appointment this week and got to see the babies again!  They are growing quickly and are measuring 4 days ahead of schedule, which this Momma is very proud of!  The little babies are so squirmy so we couldnt get any great photos of them, but they are both measuring 8.94 cm crown to rump and seem to be very happy. 

Here's some photos:

Little B looking straight at camera and A's head

See A's little foot? How cute is that?!

Profile of Baby A