TWINSpiration!

I created this separate post because we were going to keep the fact that it's twins a secret. :) Harder than you think. We spilled the beans about the pregnancy and the twins at the same time. Haha. So here is our journey up to now.

June 17, 2013
5 Weeks 3 Days
A few days ago we found out we are having TWINS! We were able to see two sacs in our first ultrasound and I have been heavy in prayer since then praying that we will see two babies in today's ultrasound. Prayers answered. At this point they look for a yolk sac and today we saw that each sac was complete with its own yolk sac so TWO BABIES!!! We are besides ourselves with excitement. It is early so there are still lots of prayers in our hearts for these two babies to grow strong and healthy and I am looking forward to the musical sound of two heartbeats. I am hoping we get to hear that on Thursday but I know it might be late next week by the time we are able to hear that. I am so excited to carry twins. I can hardly believe it. A family of FIVE! I love the sound of that!!!

June 19, 2013
5 Weeks 5 Days
I have another ultrasound tomorrow and it can't get here fast enough. I wonder how long I am going to worry constantly about the survival of these two tiny lives. I am so in love with both these babies already and I know these first weeks are so fragile, especially it seems, with IVF babies. I have started researching Mothers Of Multiples groups and Chip and I have begun to discuss second names. I just love both these babies so much and pray for their safety and health several times a day. I believe that it is God's will for BOTH of my children to be born into this world beautifully but it is hard to let go of that fear of "what ifs". I just hope and pray we can hear TWO heartbeats tomorrow. This is around when I heard Elijah's heartbeat for the first time.

June 20, 2013
5 Weeks 6 Days
TWO HEALTHY HEARTBEATS. PRAISE JESUS! Everything looks perfect! One baby is a little smaller than the other both but are in the normal range. We could not hear the heartbeats yet but we saw them and they are both around 100 bpm. Ahhhhhhhh. I can exhale....for today. But once you get a heartbeat the risk goes down quite a bit so I am feeling so happy, grateful and full of love in my belly.

You can see Petite Parish A and Petite Parish B pretty clearly.  PPA is in the middle and PPB is to the left and down a bit. 

June 27, 2013
6 Weeks 6 Days

As you can see in the picture, Baby A (right) is living large in a deluxe condo and Baby B (right) is keeping it real in a studio apartment. The nurse said they both look great though. No concern that Baby B's sac is smaller. Both of me sweetheart babies are looking great!

Another great ultrasound. Petite A is measuring a day ahead at 9.57mm and Petite B is measuring a day behind our actual gestation age at 7.77mm. To compare, at 7 weeks, Elijah measured 1 day ahead at 10.29mm. Both babies heartbeats are around 137, which was close to what Elijah's was at this point. I don't want to compare because I know all my children will be different but I had a very healthy pregnancy with Elijah so the fact that all my babies' stats are similar is reassuring. I predict that baby A is a boy and baby B is a girl since s/she seems to be more petite. And I have just had a feeling that we have one girl and one boy baking in the oven.

July 1, 2013
7 Weeks 3 Days
We went to the Galleria for our ultrasound today to see our favorite nurse, Catalina! She took great care of us through my first trimester with Elijah (along with two other favorites, Lisa and Ceci!). I was so happy to be back at my familiar office. It was close to where I used to work to convenient back then, but quite a drive nowadays.  Petite B (who has been a about a day behind on growth) has caught up to Petite A and now they are both a day AHEAD on growth. (Taking after big brother!). Their heart beats are 136 and 152, respectively. Both great numbers. (Could this indicate Elijah will be getting a little brother AND a little sister? The sonographer seems to think so!) Babies are doing so great and I could not ask for more. Please continue to pray for all three of my children to be strong and healthy and adapt to the new world around them (Elijah's world is now full of changes!)

How am I feeling? Well the fluid has finally subsided (although my ovaries are still 4x their normal size so not out of the woods yet) and I have the smallest little pouch of a veteran pregnant mother who has TWO babies in her belly. Not showing a lot yet but it won't be long. I am still on progesterone shots to support the pregnancy. (Standard for IVF). With Elijah they started making me sick around 5 weeks. This time around I have been blessed that the sickness (which feels like the sore, achiness of the flu) just started about a week ago. It gets worse at night and it varies from tolerable to downright miserable/painful. 23 more days of shots to go! I have been on them since around May 24 so we are more than halfway done. I will be so ready. Morning sickness has not been too bad. A little nausea here and there but LOTS of fatigue, preparing me for life twin babies and a toddler (?) :)

Prayers for this weeks

Please pray for Baby A & B to thrive, continue to share nutrients well and be blessed

Please pray for Elijah health (could not handle two of us being sick right now!) and adjustment to this new normal. 

Please pray for us as we research and choose our birth team (Lots of decisions have already been made but we still have some pretty important ones in the works. 

Please pray for Chip as comes home after long days at work and takes care of ALL THREE of his babies and his pitiful wife. :) And a house that is no longer even close to neat and clean. :)

For some reason, in this angle B is on the right in this shot. Usually s/he is on the left.