Letters to my Babies - Finally Here!

 

We are so thankful for this pregnancy! After sharing our journey through infertilty on the blog, I knew I wanted to log our newfound 40 week journey of pregnancy on the blog as well. Not knowing if I’ll ever be able to experience pregnancy again, I have chosen to log our pregnancy by writing occasional letters to our babies. The letters will keep my readers posted on how we are doing each week, but the letters will also be something that our little ones can go back and read, as a reminder of how much he or she was loved from the very beginning of their existence. You can read previous weeks by clicking on the following posts: Week 5, Week 7, Week 9, Week 12, Week 13, Week 15, Wee16, Week 18, Week 19, Week 21, Week 22,Week 24, Week 28, Week 30, Week 33, Week 35.

 

 

You’re here!  We did it!  We successfully brought two healthy twin boys into this world!  37 Weeks.  That’s how long I made it with you inside of me.  That’s full term for twins.  Those last few weeks were physically awful!  Neither I nor my doctor thought that I would carry you that long!  I was dilated for weeks….I was having contractions for weeks…..I had Baby A’s head on my cervix for weeks…. yet somehow, I managed to keep you inside of me until my 37^th week of pregnancy! 
 

I continued working until the 35^th week.  Those last two weeks at home waiting for your arrival went by slowly.  Daddy would come home from work and find me crying every day.  I truly did not know how I was going to be pregnant any longer!  Towards the end, my belly was so heavy I could barely walk.  In hindsight, I’m glad I was able to keep you inside of me for as long as I did, because on March 22, 2014, after twenty-four hours of labor and weeks of misery (and yes, I will always remind you of that), we welcomed two healthy, beautiful baby boys into the world. 
 

Aaron Elijah (Baby A), entered the world weighing 5 lbs. 7 oz.  Tiny but mighty, you are my dominant twin.  I love how when you sleep, you often have your hands up by your head, as if you don’t have a care in the world.  Your personality in the womb is exactly what we expected outside of the womb.  You have a set of lungs on you, and if you don’t like something, you have no problem letting us know.  You hate diaper changes, and losing your pacifier in your sleep really annoys you.  You love to be held.  You are my needy little guy.  If someone would hold you all day long, you’d be thrilled.  Daddy said that as soon as the nurses started washing you off after birth, you were looking around at your new world, bright-eyed and full of curiosity.  You speak with your eyes.  Your eyes let me know if you are angry, happy or just being mischievous.  While you look a lot like your brother, your physical features favor your mama.  My newborn pictures look a lot like you, although you and Brother are looking more and more alike as each day passes.
 

Ethan Matthew (Baby B), entered the world weighing 6 lbs.  You are much more laidback than your brother.  The only time you really fuss is if your pacifier falls out of your mouth while you are trying to fall asleep.  I love how you constantly have your hands on your face or cheeks, just like you did in all of our ultrasound pictures.  We call you the lazy one, but really you’re just an easy going fella.  The looks you give with your eyes, chubby cheeks and half smile melt my heart every single day.  You favor your daddy more than you do me.  You definitely have more of the Asian features, especially in your eyes. In general, you’re just a content little soul, and you are the yin to your brother’s yang.  You balance one another well. 
 

I’ve had you home with me for a little over a week now, and I’m still in awe of the two little miracles God has given us.  Taking care of twins is a lot of work, but I wouldn’t trade this new life of mine for anything in the world!  I am more content falling into the role of motherhood than I have ever been with any other job I’ve ever had.  Yes, I am tired, but the feeling of love, peace and contentment overwhelm the physical feelings of fatigue and exhaustion.  I have a sense of completion when I look at our little family at night.    
 

To my two sons, this is my very last letter to you in this blog series.  I have thoroughly enjoyed journaling my journey through this pregnancy.  The same emotions that overwhelmed me when I saw that positive pregnancy test months ago, overwhelmed me once again when the doctors placed you in my arms for the first time.  No words….I had no words….just tears from all sorts of emotions wrapped up into one moment.  That’s how this journey started on that late summer morning when I saw two pink lines on a HPT, and that’s exactly how it ended on an early spring day when I saw you and held you for the first time. You have given me a new purpose in life.  I truly never knew the love of a mother until I became one.  There is nothing quite like it.  What a gift you have given me.  At just a few days old, you’ve already shown me a new kind of love.  A deeper more intense love that I can not possibly explain.  We are truly blessed.  Life as I know it will never be the same.  From the moment I held you in my arms, you changed me for the better.  We thank God everyday for choosing us to be your parents.  We don’t take lightly the responsibility that He has given us, as your parents, to love and nurture you and to raise you in a way that would honor and please Him, our Creator, the giver of life and the One who has blessed us with the gift of parenthood.
 

Love,

Mommy

Letters to my Babies - Week 35

 

We are so thankful for this pregnancy! After sharing our journey through infertilty on the blog, I knew I wanted to log our newfound 40 week journey of pregnancy on the blog as well. Not knowing if I’ll ever be able to experience pregnancy again, I have chosen to log our pregnancy by writing occasional letters to our babies. The letters will keep my readers posted on how we are doing each week, but the letters will also be something that our little ones can go back and read, as a reminder of how much he or she was loved from the very beginning of their existence. You can read previous weeks by clicking on the following posts: Week 5, Week 7, Week 9, Week 12, Week 13, Week 15, Week 16, Week 18, Week 19, Week 21, Week 22,Week 24, Week 28, Week 30, Week 33.

35 weeks….we’re almost there!  I’m dilated to two cm, and Baby A is very low on my cervix.  The doctor said it could be any time now.  It’s simply a waiting game of when I get to meet you, and I’m ready.  Yes, we are ready in the sense that our to-do-list is pretty much completed.  But more than that, I’m just physically ready to be done with pregnancy. 

Physically, I am more than ready to deliver you. The physical limit that my body is being pushed to with this twin pregnancy is something that I could not have quite prepared myself for.  I think I was doing really well and staying optimistic until about 30 weeks.  After 30 weeks, everything just started to get really difficult.  By that time, I was already measuring full-term for a singlton pregnancy, so I'm using that as my excuse.

The third trimester has definitely been the hardest for me.  Just so you know, the things that my body has gone through over the last two months will forever be held against you and used as guilt for the rest of your life.  I’m just sayin’…..when you misbehave and let me know what an awful mother you think I am in the moment, you should expect to hear all about the things my body went through to carry you into this world. Yep, it’s gonna happen.  I’m sure of it.    

 

In the first trimester, I was just so overjoyed to be pregnant that the constant state of nausea and fatigue were easily overlooked in my mind.  

In the second trimester, my energy came back and the feeling to vomit went away, so while the following pregnancy symptoms were unpleasant, I didn’t think it was too much to complain about at the time:  sinus infections and constant nasal drip, swelling from my edema, heartburn and acid reflux, lower back pain, fast weight gain and placenta previa for Baby A. 

The third trimester has been a whole new story.  I still have the heartburn, swelling and the constant nasal drip from the second trimester, but on top of that, the following pregnancy symptoms have made this last trimester almost unbearable to me:  the PUPPS rash started at 26 weeks – this is by far the worst part for me.  I scratch myself until I bleed.  I have scars all over my legs.  There is no cure and very little relief.  I feel like I've had chicken pox for nine weeks, and the itching is not guarenteed to go away after delivery.  If I didn’t pray so hard for a child and know the feeling of not being able to get pregnant, this rash alone would make me want to have my tubes tied after I give birth to you; stretch marks – I was doing pretty good with stretch marks until I got the rash that starts and spreads within stretch marks.  In less than ten weeks, I’ve gone from a few stretch marks below my belly button, to big deep stretch marks from my thighs to my chest.  They’re not just ugly, they are painful and itchy.  My stomach has stretched so much that it literally feels bruised.  My body will forever be scarred, and I’m pretty sure my belly button is permanently misplaced on my body from being so severely stretched; rapid weight gain – I’m as big around as I am tall.  I know a lot of it is water weight from the swelling, but I’m downright huge.  I keep telling myself it took nine months to put it all on, so allow myself nine months to get it all off;  lack of sleep – I do not get more than an hour or two of sleep at a time, simply from sheer discomfort or the constant need to go to the bathroom.  They say this is the body’s way of preparing for motherhood.  I say it’s a cruel way to prepare me for the exhaustion that I already know is coming once we bring you home; contractions - I’ve been having contractions since 23-24 weeks.  They have progressed from an annoying tightening in my stomach to being downright unpleasant, and I have to breathe through them to get rid of them; pelvic pressure – there’s only so much room for you in my short 5’ 2’’ body.  You are running out of room quickly.  Baby A’s head has been on my cervix since week 31.  I’m not even going to try to explain to you how much discomfort that can bring.

 

Yep, I think that about covers it. And I haven’t even experienced labor and delivery yet, so expect that to be added to this list of things that I will forever remind you of on the days that you and I are not having our finest mother/son moments.  

In all seriousness, I know that the two of you are worth every one of the unpleasant things my body is experiencing.  And if I could experience the past 35 weeks all over again just to have you, I would do it in a heartbeat.  The reality is that pregnancy, labor and delivery will seem short-lived compared to the joy that motherhood will bring.

So to my two sons, if this is the last letter I get to write to you before you enter this world, know that you have been worth every bit of unpleasantness along the way.  I waited a long time to see those two pink lines on a pregnancy test.  You were worth the wait.  And while I may be ready for pregnancy to be over, I would experience everything ~ from the heartbreak of negative test after negative test, to the uncertainty of fertility treatments, to the discouragement of medical bills, to all of the discomfort of pregnancy ~ just to be able to be your mama.  We love you with all of our being and are anxiously waiting for these next few days/weeks to pass.  We can’t wait to hold the two little blessings that were created from two human beings who pleaded with God for the gift of a child. We begged God for one, yet He chose to give us two.  We are truly blessed that God has chosen us to be your parents.

Love,

Mommy

Letters to my Babies - Week 33

 

We are so thankful for this pregnancy! After sharing our journey through infertilty on the blog, I knew I wanted to log our newfound 40 week journey of pregnancy on the blog as well. Not knowing if I’ll ever be able to experience pregnancy again, I have chosen to log our pregnancy by writing occasional letters to our babies. The letters will keep my readers posted on how we are doing each week, but the letters will also be something that our little ones can go back and read, as a reminder of how much he or she was loved from the very beginning of their existence. You can read previous weeks by clicking on the following posts: Week 5, Week 7, Week 9, Week 12, Week 13, Week 15, Week 16, Week 18, Week 19, Week 21, Week 22, Week 24,  Week 28, Week 30.

We've made it to 33 weeks!  Only a few more weeks to go!  A lot has gone on since my last post three weeks ago.  For one, the snow has finally started to melt, and for the first time in a long time I can see the grass again!
 

More snow is sure to come, but the green grass is just a sign of spring being around the corner.  This year particularly, the arrival of spring means the arrival of my babies, so forgive me if I am a little more excited than usual about melting snow and sunshine!

Also, Daddy and I celebrated our last Valentine's together as a family of two.  He is always so thoughtful, and I couldn't ask for a better man for the two of you to look up to and hopefully one day be just like.  As you grow up, notice the way he treats me....with love and respect. This is the kind of treatment that will be expected from you towards your Mama, your future wives, and women in general.  Don't just learn by me telling you, but learn by the example he sets for you.

 

Along with celebrating Valentine's Day, Mommy turned thirty last week.  Turning thirty marks a big life change for me. Motherhood is just a few weeks away, and I don’t take that for granted.  A year ago, I spent my 29^th birthday recovering from an IUI to try to get pregnant, only to find out two weeks later that the procedure would not take, and we were not pregnant.  When I go back and read this blog entry about those IUI results, it still brings tears to my eyes.  I spent the next few months accepting that I may not ever be able to get pregnant, yet here I am one year later, pregnant with twin boys. It turns out being 30 isn't so bad.  You can read more about my simply perfect birthday here. 

Other than snow and celebrations, the past few weeks have brought changes to my body.  I’ve really noticed my body preparing itself for your arrival.  1) Braxton Hicks contractions are happening frequently, and at times they are more than uncomfortable.  I know they are not active labor contractions, because they are still very sporadic.  At times, my contractions may be five or six minutes apart, while other times they are still an hour apart.  To cope with the contractions, I'm resting a lot more than I would like to be and am drinking plenty of water.  2) You boys have dropped since my last post, and carrying you so low is quite uncomfortable.  I swear it feels as if you are going to fall right out of me some days!  3) I'm just getting downright big!  I seriously don't know how my body is going to stretch anymore than it already has.  My stomach literally feels bruised, and each time you move the soreness only intensifies. 
 

 

I am now at a point in this pregnancy where I am seeing the doctor on a weekly basis.  Around 31 weeks, I called the doctor, because I was having a considerable amount of pelvic pressure.  During that appointment, the doctor was checking my cervix and discovered that Baby A’s head was right on my cervix. This was clearly the culprit of my pelvic pressure and discomfort.  During that appointment, my cervix was still closed, but partially effaced. I was sent home without any restrictions, although I did start to cut back on some of my physical activity after that appointment.

 

At 32 weeks, we had a routine growth ultrasound and discovered Baby A jumped from 2 lbs. 12 oz. to 4 lbs. 3 oz. in one month's time, while Baby B jumped from 2 lbs. 9 oz. to 4 lbs. 5 oz.  You’ve been around the 50^th percentile this entire pregnancy.   While you were still measuring in the 50th percentile for your 32 week growth ultrasound, the very thought of delivering two normal sized babies to 38 weeks was overwhelming to me.  The following Facebook post clearly shows how I was feeling right after that appointment…….

 

“We went in for our 32 week growth ultrasound this morning. The babies have definitely grown this month. Baby A (Aaron Elijah) measures 4 lbs. 3.oz and Baby B (Ethan Matthew) measures 4 lbs. 5 oz. So at 32 weeks, I already have close to 9 lbs. of baby in me, plus they each have their own placentas and amniotic fluid. They will not induce me until 38 weeks. I'm not gonna lie, the very thought of having to make it six more weeks brings actual tears to my eyes. With an expected weight gain of .5 lbs. per baby each week from this point on, 38 weeks puts the boys around 7.5 pounds each. That's 15 lbs. of baby in me! As I was lying on the ultrasound table doing the math in my head, I actually started to cry thinking of that thought. And in the waiting room as we were waiting to be seen by the doctor after the ultrasound, I'm sitting there sobbing, looking like a pregnant mess to others I'm sure, telling my husband that "I just can't do it...I just can't go six more weeks....I can't deliver 15 lbs of baby.....I can't make it that long.....I'm so miserable already.....I'm only 5.2 with a short torso and I married a tiny Asian man, how in the heck did we create two average sized babies....we're not big people, I thought for sure we'd make tiny babies....I haven't had any pregnancy cravings, have been watching my sugar and do not have gestational diabetes, how am I ending up with two 7+ lbs. babies in me by the time they want to induce at 38 weeks!" Yeah, it was not my finest moment for sure."
 

At 33 weeks, my fears of having to deliver 15 lbs. of baby were put to ease.  At that appointment, the doctor told us she highly doubts I will make it to a 38 week induction.  She expects you to arrive in a couple of weeks, as I was already starting to dilate at that appointment.  I was less than a cm. dilated, so I was sent home without any restrictions.  Every woman is different.  I could be walking around dilated for a month before going into labor, or it could happen much sooner than that.  I will say that I feel like I could go into labor at any time.  Even small amounts of physical activity puts me into contractions, so I am forced to take things much easier than I would like to.  We really do want to keep you in till at least 36 weeks.  Even though I have no specific restrictions from a doctor, Daddy and I have agreed to cut back my hours at work considerably, so I can spend much of my day off of my feet and resting.  He is also not allowing me to do much of anything around the house.  He has taken on all of the grocery shopping, the cleaning and the cooking.  While I love that he is so concerned about all three of us, it kills me to not be able to do those things.  I hate having to watch him work a full day and then come home and take care of responsibilities that I would normally be doing. 
 

 
Other than all of the physical discomforts of this last bit of pregnancy, we are still making progress in preparing for your arrival. Since my last post, we had our church baby shower. We are certainly blessed with a wonderful church family who can’t wait to meet you.

We’re feeling more and more prepared as each week passes. Over the past few weeks, we've....

1) purchased the remaining items that we needed for your arrival
2) packed the diaper bag, and it's ready to go
3) packed my hospital bag, and it's waiting by the door with a list of last minute items for Daddy to put in the bag before we leave
4) have the carseats ready to be put in the car, and Daddy is taking them to get inspected this weekend
5)  have the stroller ready to go
6) have the bassinets ready for you in our room
7) put the baby moniter up in the nursery
8) assembled all of the baby gear and put batteries in everything
9) took a birthing class at the hospital to better prepare us for labor and delivery

We still have a few more small things to buy here and there, and I want to make sure the house is cleaned really well before you come, along with getting the freezer and pantry stocked up. I guess those are all things to work on next weekend.

Other than that, I think that we are as ready as we are going to be for our big day.  We are certainly looking forward to meeting you face to face.  It feels like it's taken forever to get to this point.  It won't be long now.   Seeing you face to face will be here before we know it. 

Love,
Mommy

Letters to my Babies - Week 30

 

We are so thankful for this pregnancy! After sharing our journey through infertilty on the blog, I knew I wanted to log our newfound 40 week journey of pregnancy on the blog as well. Not knowing if I’ll ever be able to experience pregnancy again, I have chosen to log our pregnancy by writing occasional letters to our babies. The letters will keep my readers posted on how we are doing each week, but the letters will also be something that our little ones can go back and read, as a reminder of how much he or she was loved from the very beginning of their existence. You can read previous weeks by clicking on the following posts: Week 5, Week 7, Week 9, Week 12, Week 13, Week 15, Week 16, Week 18, Week 19, Week 21, Week 22 Week 24. Week 28.

 

 

We’ve made it to 30 weeks!  I can see the finish line quickly approaching, although not fast enough if you ask me.  My body is ready to have you boys, but I know you are not ready to enter the world yet. A few weeks ago, I would have said my goal is 38 weeks.  That’s when my doctor plans to induce if you have not arrived on your own by then.  However, I am now saying that my goal is 36 weeks.  That’s when your lungs should be developed, and you should be healthy enough to not have to stay in NICU, although it’s not a guarantee.   I can’t say that my doctor will induce me at 36 weeks.  We’ll have to take it one day at a time.  But if you are healthy enough by then and my doctor considers it safe for all three of us, I would gladly be induced around 36 weeks.  If I can make it that far, I will consider it a big success. While this momma is so very grateful to be able to experience the gift of pregnancy, being able to safely deliver two healthy boys into this world can not come soon enough for me. 

 

I’ve definitely entered the uncomfortable part of pregnancy.  Even the smallest tasks seem to be more work than it should be on my body right now. I’ve also started to experience braxton hicks contractions within the past few weeks.  They are not painful yet, but they are clearly happening more often as each day goes by.  My doctor wants me to keep an eye on how often I am having them.  If they become too frequent, it may be time for me to start slowing down some.  So far, I have not been put on any restrictions, and thankfully it looks as though I am going to go through this whole pregnancy without being but on bed rest.   

Preparations for your arrival are still in the works.  Things are being checked off of our to-do list as each week passes.  For one, we had some maternity pictures taken a few weeks ago. I'm sure I'll do an entire blog post about our maternity session soon to share with my readers.

 

The nursery has been ready for awhile, but I finally took pictures and posted them on social media to share with family and friends who don’t live close to us.  I can’t wait for you to call this little boy space your own.  I’m already envisioning all of the rough-housing and all-boy fun that will go on in this room in the years to come.

We also had our family baby shower last weekend.  The weather didn’t cooperate as much as I would have liked, but we had a good time.  Using some ispiration from Pinterest, a friend made the perfect cake for the shower.  It was almost too pretty to eat....almost. 

 

 

Grandma flew in from Florida for the shower and brought the baby blankets she made for you. I love them! How special it is to have them handmade by your grandma.

Daddy has spent the week putting baby swings and other equipment together.  We are fully expecting the loft to be taken over with all of your baby gear in the next few weeks.  We have one more shower to get through next weekend, and then we will go out and purchase any other things we need before you arrive.  Things are coming together nicely.  Pregnancy has felt like a marathon, and Mommy and Daddy are ready to finish this final stretch and hold our baby boys in our arms.  We love you both so much, and while I’m trying to savor this last bit of pregnancy, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t anxiously awaiting the day we get to safely deliver you into this world and bring you home.

Love,

Mommy

Letters to my Babies - Week 28

We are so thankful for this pregnancy! After sharing our journey through infertilty on the blog, I knew I wanted to log our newfound 40 week journey of pregnancy on the blog as well. Not knowing if I’ll ever be able to experience pregnancy again, I have chosen to log our pregnancy by writing occasional letters to our babies. The letters will keep my readers posted on how we are doing each week, but the letters will also be something that our little ones can go back and read, as a reminder of how much he or she was loved from the very beginning of their existence. You can read previous weeks by clicking on the following posts: Week 5, Week 7, Week 9, Week 12, Week 13, Week 15, Week 16, Week 18, Week 19, Week 21, Week 22 Week 24.

 

 

It’s hard to believe I haven’t sat down to write a blog post in four weeks.  There is much to inform you about, so I’ll start with the most recent and work my way back.

We went in for your 28 week growth ultrasound on Friday.  As usual, the doctors are pleased that you are healthy and well.  You’re both around the 50^th percentile in growth, making you very comparable to normal singleton babies in size.  You’ve both gained about a pound in the past month.  Baby A weighed in at 2 lbs. 12 oz., while Baby B weighted 2 lbs. 9 oz.  We are expecting another pound weight gain for your next growth ultrasound at 32 weeks, and then from there you should be gaining about a pound every two weeks.  We didn’t really get any good pics, because the tech said we are past the point of good pictures.  Apparently, you are taking up more room inside of me, making for shadowy ultrasound pictures.  We did get one decent pic of Baby A, where you can kind of see your face with your hand in front of it.  The rest of the pictures were too blurry to make out any of your features.

 

I also am very pleased to say that I passed my 28 week glucose test.  I definitely over indulged on sugary-unhealthy things over the holidays, but as soon as the new year came, we got rid of the junk and filled the fridge and pantry with normal food again.  Our diet is now back to normal, which means sweets and treats are only eaten in moderation.....which explains why I celebrated passing my test with a cupcake and decaf white mocha.  It was my reward for being so good, the past two weeks:)

 

 

My body has certainly grown in the past four weeks as well. I seriously wonder how this belly of mine is going to get any bigger….and yet, I know it will!  I'm still measuring eight weeks ahead.  So at 28 weeks, I'm measuring 36 weeks,  which is all very normal for twins. 

 

 

As my body grows, I feel and see your movements on a regular basis.  I won’t miss a lot of things that come with pregnancy, but I will certainly miss this part of pregnancy.  At times, your activity makes me uncomfortable and keeps me up at night, but there is something so very miraculous about looking down at my pregnant belly and seeing the movement of life growing inside of me.  It’s something I will always cherish.

 

 

As I’ve entered my last trimester, some of the pregnancy symptoms that bothered me so much in my second trimester have now subsided, while new symptoms have plagued these last few weeks of pregnancy.  For example, I was carrying quite low for much of my second trimester.  With that came the swollen feet and sore back.  Yet, sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I noticed that I was carrying higher.  Since then, I haven’t really had to deal with swollen feet, and I only have a sore lower back on days that I do a lot of cleaning and/or physical activity. 

As you've grown, heartburn became atrocious!  I was tempted to ask for some sort of prescription at my 24 week check up, but just decided to make do by taking the usual antacids and drinking milk for instantaneous, yet temporary relief.  I’m glad I didn’t ask for a prescription, because within the past week or two, the heartburn has subsided some and has become much more bearable for me.  I’m not sure what the reason for this is, but I’m sure glad that the heartburn and acid reflux has settled down.

My newest pregnancy symptom is a pregnancy rash called PUPPP.  I started coming down with it around New Years.  After about a week, I couldn’t take it any more and finally called my doctor for a diagnosis.  Apparently, it is very rare and only occurs in 1% of all pregnancies, yet somehow I am lucky enough to get it.  It’s probably the worst part of pregnancy so far.  I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.  It won’t go away until I deliver, and it is leaving stretch marks and scars in its path.  I admit that at first, it really got me down.  Just the thought of dealing with something so very itchy for the remainder of my pregnancy was really discouraging.  However, I have accepted it for what it is, and I am learning to cope with it.  Through much determination and internet research, I think I have formulated a daily method of dealing with the rash and keeping its effects on my daily life at a minimum.

While I was coming down with the PUPPP rash, our nation was experiencing a historic arctic blast.  I only bring this up, because I will probably be one of those mom’s who says, “I remember when I was pregnant with you and we had -40 degree wind chills with 13 inches of snow, and the whole state was shut down for a week.”  Yeah, I figure it will sort of be how my parents still talk about the blizzard of ’78.  I just thought I’d throw this in here, so you are aware of the stories that are to come as you grow up.  The storm hit just after our two week Christmas vacation, so after three weeks of being lazy and doing a whole lot of nothing, Daddy and I were ready to get back into a regular routine. 

 

The holidays fell in the middle of the week this year. Being off for the holidays and adding in a few vacation days, made for a much needed “staycation” for Mommy and Daddy.  We spent our time doing a whole lot of nothing, but doing a whole lot of nothing together.   We planned it this way, as we realized it was probably the last time that we had to just spend time together with just the two of us.  It was certainly a time to for us to relax and refresh before entering the new year, as your soon arrival will bring to us changes that we can not possibly prepare ourselves for. 

 

 

We’re anticipating your arrival in the next 6-10 weeks, and while we may be prepared for your entrance into this world, I don’t know that we will ever be ready for the life changes that are coming our way.  Yes, the nursery is ready, the names have been chosen, the diapers are stocked, the baby books have been read, the hospital tour has been taken, the child birth classes are scheduled, the new "life with babies" budget has been planned out and put onto a spreadsheet, the maternity pictures are completed, the baby showers are planned, the baby registry is complete and what we don’t get we will go out and buy after the showers are over. We’re checking things off of our to-do list left and right, yet we will never be fully ready for what we know you will bring into our lives in the next few months.  At first, I’m sure you will bring much stress and sleep deprivation as we try to survive those first few months of caring for newborn twins on our own.  There’s really no way for us to be ready for that.  But I’m also certain that you will bring a love that we have never known and can not possibly imagine. As our eyes meet for the first time and we hold you in our arms, our family of two will instantly become a family of four.  As much as we plan and prepare, nothing will truly make us ready for such a change.  It is a little bitter-sweet.  I will miss the time that your dad and I have had together, just the two of us.  It’s been a good five years.  All of that is about to change….yet, we know only the best years are to come. So in this new year, here’s to growing our family and the changes and challenges that come with it.  I'm looking forward to all of the new things 2014 brings our way.