23 weeks

I had the best possible start of my week with back-to-back doctor's appointments with my regular and high risk OBs, both with ultrasounds.  Such a treat to see our peanuts!  Even more wonderful, is seeing their hearts beating and hearing the the reassuring words that everything looks great. :)  Baby Boy is weighing an estimated 1 pound 4 ounces and Baby Girl appears to be around 1 pound 2 ounces, which is fantastic, because a large discrepancy in their size/weight would be a red flag.  I am measuring 27 weeks, and have gained 20 pounds (largely due to the consumption of most of my delectable birthday cake, I'm sure.)  Dr. Anderson warned me up front that I should anticipate gaining between 35 and 40 pounds, finding the time and energy to lose the weight is still hard to wrap my brain around, but hopefully chasing my kids around will do the trick. :-P

My blood pressure remains low, the last measuring being 92/54, which provides validation for my persistent dizzy/lightheaded state.  My recent blood work showed no sign of anemia, but my doctor has put me on extra iron supplements every other day, prophylactically.  I am grateful that I don't have anemia, but am still frustrated by my pitiful energy level, and missing my non-pregnant get-up-and-go.  I realized in the past week that my housecleaning days have come to an end for the time being, and am trying my hardest to maintain my already clean house with small chores here and there for as long as possible before hiring someone to help.  I feel so grateful that we have the ability to do so, enabling me to take that responsibility off my plate.  I am trying to teach Emmy to clean up the toy room at the end of the day, so that I can avoid the bending/crawling movements that make my belly contract.  I am meeting resistance, but I'm hoping to have a breakthrough soon with some consistency. 

Next week, Nick has a work trip and the following week he leaves for a 5 week deployment.  To say that this development has commanded my thoughts for the last several weeks would be putting it mildly.  I am overwhelmed thinking about him being so far away in a combat zone, being unable to call him, managing the care of the girls without jeopardizing the well-being of the babies, progressing in this pregnancy where the risk of pre-term labor heightens the further along I get.  I have wonderful babysitters and have had many incredible offers to help, for which I am so grateful, but there is something about having our family together that provides the most comfort.  I just pray that it all goes as smoothly as possible and that God has his hand on all of us through this anxiety-ridden time.  Most important, Nick comes home to us safely and the babies remain growing in utero without complication. 

At this point, as we teeter on the edge of viability, I see every passing week as a gift.  My time spent working in the NICU has really instilled a frightening awareness of truly how much can go wrong, particularly with multiples.  I'm so grateful the babies are healthy and growing appropriately and pray that I can keep strong to do my part to the very best of my ability.

Change of Command

On June 6, Nick assumed command of a flight company in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.  This company has a rich history and is very well-respected in the military community; many of the missions that they've flown can be found in history books.  Nick is deeply honored to have been given the opportunity to lead such a professional group of aviators and crew chiefs, who are truly experts in their field.  I am proud of him and know that he will do a magnificent job maintaining the exceptionally high standards and preserving the tradition of this unit.  He will hold this position for the next two years, and while there are so many unknowns, one thing that I am certain of is that this time with be nothing short of significant in our family's history.

Grammy, Poppy and JP traveled in for the occasion.  It meant so much to Nick that they were able to take time our of their schedules to come support him.  Grammy took Hannah duty (which was a very tall order, I might add, since the little stinker walked into the Hangar like she owned the place) and Poppy accompanied Emmy.  While I was afforded the ability to watch the ceremony without interruption, one of our littlest, Baby Boy, decided to call attention to himself.  He is on my left side, and is far more subdued than his expressive sister(s).  He kept the beat to the music during the singing of the army song.  It alarmed me at first, because I am unused to activity on my left side and then left me wondering what the timing of his movement might be foreshadowing...

I took a handful of photos as best I could, but there was a photographer there with a much fancier camera than mine, who should be handing over his pictures in addition to a video in the next week or so...

Grammy was on Sissy duty!  God bless her!

Nick receiving the guide-on from the Battalion Commander, this symbolizes the change of responsibility from the old commander to the new commander.

Emmy was entranced in the proceedings.  She was such a good girl, and was elated to be given her own rose during the part of the ceremony that acknowledges the family members.

The former commander, the Battalion Commander and my Nick

The Battalion Commander giving his speech.

Nick's speech: (I couldn't figure out how to focus the camera, so I figured better blurry than not at all...)

Grammy and Hannah spent most of their time in the back...Sissy got a new Baboo during the ceremony. :)

Emmy playing in one of the helicopters. :)

In Daddy's new office!!

Swing Set!

When Nick traveled to California the last time, he returned with a swing set kit from my dad.  Over the last couple of weekends, Nick got to work and built the awesomest play set that ever there was.  Emmy kept him company for most of the time that he was working, spending her time sinking nails into scrap wood.  The girls and I are thrilled with the new swing set, it makes our homestead infinitely more fun, which is clutch since leaving the house will be increasingly more difficult as time goes by....

Sissy was ticked that she didn't get to "help" Daddy too.  She actually has this scowl on her face a good bit of the time.

Daddy and Emmy were too busy to come inside for lunch, so they ate on the job.

A tool belt necessity.

Daddy picked up an Emmy-sized hammer at the store, which was far superior to the rubber mallet.

So much love and appreciation. :)

Sleeping Beauties

"Let her sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world. " 

-Napoleon Bonaparte

22 weeks

Everywhere I go now I get prego comments.  Usually, someone asks Emmy if she is Mommy's helper "because it looks like Mommy's going to need some help pretty soon."  They will then turn to me and ask if I know what we're having, to which I reply, "one of each."  People usually go buggy-eyed after they glance at Emmy & Hannah, and then wish me luck.  I always accept it cheerfully, because I am grateful to have all the luck anyone has to offer.  I know I am going to need it.

I'm not really used to people commenting on my physique, so it's been a little uncomfortable to converse about my size.  I had a conversation with the sales associate at a children's store earlier in the week, who asked Emmy if she was going to have a baby brother or baby sister.  We followed up with, "both!"  The lady looked me up and down and asked how far along I am.  When I told her 22 weeks, she announced that she was as big as I am when she was 7 months pregnant.  I kind of chuckled, unsure of what to say back.  In that time she said, "You're what, like, 3 months pregnant?"  Needless to say, I have a feeling I am going to have to become familiar with conversations about the size of my belly.  From what I understand, mothers pregnant with twins typically measure 10 weeks larger than mothers pregnant with singletons at the same gestation.  I've also learned that 20 weeks is when the difference really becomes apparent. I'm just grateful these two munchkins are growing!

Emmy got to feel her baby sister kick the other evening, which has prompted her to ask me frequently if "the baby brother and the baby sister are awake." If so, she likes to come cuddle and put her hand on my belly.  Melts my heart.  Sissy, of course, could care less, and doesn't cut me much slack at all.

I have been slowing down substantially (if that was even possible considering the pace I've been keeping since I found out I was pregnant.)  I am tired all of the time, and even the most basic physical tasks take a good deal of time to recover from.  I get short-of-breath by climbing the stairs or changing Sissy's diaper (which is a work-out for even the most able-bodied.)  My low blood pressure also leaves me woozy and needing to sit down frequently throughout the day.  It's been really frustrating to be so debilitated, but the ends justifies the means, and I am desperate to avoid anything (within my control) that would put me on bed rest.  To quote one of Nick's favorite youtube videos, "ain't nobody got time for dat."

21 weeks

21 weeks

My 31st birthday just-so-happened to fall during week # 21.  In order to properly celebrate, Emmy dramatically pleaded with me to make a cake.  After some consideration, I told her that I'd rather let someone else.  So, we went to Sam's Club picked out their biggest and gooiest chocolate fudge cake.  I asked Emmy if she would do me the honor of decorating it, and she took her job VERY seriously.  Three containers of sprinklers, and a piping bag of her requested pink buttercream frosting later, we were in business!

She tagged it with an "E" and and "H". :-P

Sissy's new favorite accessory is underwear around her neck.

A couple of Sissy gems:

She crashed in her booster seat while I was making dinner one night.

Very much awake while I was making dinner the next.