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Daddy here.
Mommy is contracting every 3 to 4 minutes. They will not attempt to stop the contractions, but have given her a shot for the pain. The doctor said the contractions will either go away or intensify and lead to delivery. It looks like we're going to make it to August!

A little excitement

Well, last night I began to have some contractions that were more uncomfortable than I had experienced so far. They subsided enough for me to sleep (in fact I don't remember my nurse bringing me my pill at 1 a.m.!), but started up again early this morning. I got the doctor's attention, so he ordered bloodwork, to be followed by IV fluids and some medication to stop the contractions. While the bloodwork was being processed, the contractions tapered off and I started to feel much better. The bloodwork came back clear (no sign of infection), so the IV and meds were avoided! I know God is fully aware of my next goal (August 1st), and so far, He is agreeing with me!

We were able to take a tour of the NICU today (me in my wheelchair). We were glad to see it ahead of time, and even saw a baby girl that was similar in size and age to our boys. She was doing well, but was SO tiny!! It will be an adjustment from our 9 lb. 5 oz. baby Ian!!!

33 WEEKS!!

Yeah for reaching 33 weeks! A week ago, I would not have thought this would be such a major milestone, but today is one to celebrate! On the wall in my hospital room, there are wooden blocks with numbers on them that you can change each day. Changing it this morning to 33 weeks and 0 days felt very good! My next small goal is to get to August... just 2 days away! Pray with me!



Last night we had another wheelchair ride. After being in my room for nearly 48 hours since the last ride, I was ready! Ian was happy to push again... no "contractions" this time.







I scheduled a NICU tour for tomorrow and a meeting with the NICU lactation consultant. I figure since I'm going to be here, I might as well do some planning ahead!

Ian's "first" haircut

Since I'm the barber at our house, we had to come up with an alternative for Ian's overgrown hairdo. Daddy took him to Cookie Cutters this morning, and I don't think he'll ever want me to cut his hair again! Apparently, he was pretty apprehensive about the whole thing, but a never-before-seen Thomas movie and a race car seat solved everything! He's the most handsome soon-to-be big brother we've ever seen!



Same old, same old for me. Just trying to be patient. Back massage followed by a nap was today's highlight! Keep the prayers coming!

New games for Ian

We introduced Ian to 2 new games today: Old Maid (which he kept calling "Old Mermaid") and a Word World spelling game. He enjoyed both very much, and loves the fact that they can be played on a rolling table!



Nothing new for me. Time to get some sleep before my 1 a.m. antibiotic. And hopefully, the resident will not make another 5:30 a.m. visit to ask me how I am feeling!

Doing well

Just 9 days to go! Turns out the cellulitis in my arm was probably a reaction to the plastic in the IV, and having lots of IV antibiotics pumped through it. It's all better today, though!

The doctor ordered massages for me... doesn't that sound great? ORDERED! I'll look forward to that tomorrow!

Otherwise, not much else to report. I'm developing a bit of a routine here, and I'm being well cared for my the hospital staff, friends and family. Thanks for all of your notes of encouragement. It means a lot!

Went for a spin

Well, I did get to go for a brief wheelchair ride, and Ian was eager to be the one to push me. Daddy got me into the hallway, where Ian took over the reigns. By the time we reached the nurses' station (about 2 doorways down), he said, huffing and puffing, "I think I'm having a contraction!" I haven't had any painful ones, so I'm not really sure where he heard that, but he's definitely in the right place!

Status update: Probably not as wonderful of a day as yesterday was, but things are still stable. The babies were moving so much this evening that it was diificult to keep them on the monitor for my required time. I have developed what a doctor thinks is cellulitis in my arm, so they pulled my IV port (same arm) and will continue with the antibiotics that I'm already taking. They say it's completely unrelated to my original reason for coming here. On the bright side, it's nice to have a needle-free arm since I completed by IV antibiotics earlier today! Now I can shower without plastic covering... just trying to enjoy small pleasures!

Day by day...

I had a smooth night, and things seem to be going fine this morning. My doctor was in to check on me this morning, and he said at this point, if I go into full blown labor on my own, they will not stop it. No signs of that at this point, and we're still hoping to get to August 6th! The steroids for the babies' lungs will take full effect about an hour from now, and in my mind, that has been the most important hurdle so far.

Plan for the day: shower, blog, check e-mail, watch TV, read, drink water constantly, and maybe even go for a spin in a wheelchair! Ian is coming with Nana and Papa around lunchtime, and I'm looking forward to some cuddle time!

Thanks again for all the prayers!

Last, but not least?!

Okay, this COULD be the last belly pic you will see. (Like I said before, this is not easy for a twin momma to do, but I keep telling myself it is for posterity!) As a result of our situation, we have come to the realization that we don't know what will happen within the hour, so I'm blogging as we go!


32 weeks, 3 days

Today has been a great day, all things considered. Babies are active, just a couple of very mild contractions, and very little fluid loss. I continue with the antibiotics as a preventative measure. Your prayers are working!

Ian's sibling class

Get used to lots of updates... at least while I'm feeling up to it! There's not much else to do in this bed!



Ian had a great time at his sibling class, and learned how to gently touch the babies and even learned to change a diaper! We'll see if he actually wants to put that skill to work in a real-life situation!





Status quo for me. Grow boys, grow!

Saturday morning

Well, it was a good night. I had some contractions before bed, but none during the night, and none yet this morning. Your prayers are working! I'm looking forward to a shower soon!

Ian and Daddy are on their way here to the hospital now. Ian has been signed up for several weeks for his sibling class this morning. I can't wait to hear how that goes! He spent the day yesterday with his friend Megan and her mom. They had an absolute BLAST, and even went fishing yesterday afternoon. His first fishing experience!

His friend Megan asked Ian if she could hold one of his babies when he is born. Ian told Megan, "You can hold Baby A," and he told Megan's mom, "You can hold Baby B." How cute!

Speaking of baby names... Ian's choices all along have been "Max" and "Moses" for his brothers' names. We hope he won't be too disappointed that we won't be using his suggestions! We are keeping the names a secret until they are born, and honestly yesterday's "excitement" is forcing us to be sure that our choices are final!!

I'm in the hospital :(

As of this afternoon, I am in the hospital until the babies arrive! :( I am leaking amniotic fluid from Baby A's sac, so I'm being watched for signs of infection or labor. So far, I have neither. I'm feeling fine, just a little overwhelmed... yesterday everything was going great! At my appointment yesterday my belly measured 40 weeks (full term for a singleton), so I'm thinking it thought the timer was up!

I am 32 weeks, 2 days pregnant today, and the first goal is to make it 48 hours before delivery to allow the steroid injections to do their job of developing the babies lungs. The next goal (and delivery day, if we make it that far) is August 6, 2008 (34 weeks). The babies are big for their age - 5 lbs. 2 oz. and 5 lbs. 4 oz. - as of today's ultrasound, so that is a plus.

Meanwhile, I'll try to enjoy my flat screen TV, DVD player, wireless internet, 24/7 room service, and doing nothing! I'm fully aware that several weeks, months and years from now, my life will be much busier!!

Please pray for our family, and especially these 2 precious boys that we will meet soon! Prayers are such a comfort.

Days with Daddy!

Daddy has been home for most of July, which has been so great for all of us! It has been close to perfect timing pregnancy-wise because Mommy can't do the things she would really like to do. Daddy and Ian have gone on many adventures together... everything from Wal-Mart and Home Depot to the zoo and Chicago!

On Monday, they went to The Children's Museum together. Ian absolutely loves going there, and as usual, the dinosphere was the highlight. In fact, when they arrived home, instead of giving any details about the trip, he said, "Mommy, you're an allosaurus. Daddy, you're a brachiosaurus. And I'll be a t-rex."

Dressed as a dino

An Indianapolis tradition

The superhero exhibit

Ian is a HUGE Curious George fan! Can you tell by the smile?

The outside of the museum


A note to Ian: When you are old enough (and interested enough) to read this, I want you to know what a wonderful daddy you have! He LOVES you and you LOVE him!! He is patient with you, plays any game you want to play, and teaches you so many great things. You are the luckiest boy in the world (and so you know, I'm the luckiest woman in the world)!

Summer Fun!

Last Friday, we had the chance to get together with good friends for a cook-out and s'mores over the campfire. It doesn't get much better than that! Our friends live on a golf course, and at dusk, the sprinklers come on. (We knew from previous experience to pack trunks.) In all, the five families have 12 kids (not including Baby A and Baby B), and 7 of the boys had an absolute blast getting soaking wet!

(Ian is on the far right.)

Ian's 7th Inning Stretch

Boy's Backyard Fun!

After swimming lessons, it's hard to make our backyard seem fun, but I think he's managing just fine!

Soaking wet just before deciding his bathing suit would be a good idea!


Our swimming pool!


Grass-covered and loving it!


The beauty of boys! Daddy gave permission to "go" behind the shed, and I was actually fine with it since he was wet and covered in grass! Another good reason for our recently installed privacy fence!

4-H Fun

Our county recently had it's 4-H fair, complete with animals, greasy food and a parade. I think it's a law that the week of the fair brings with it record-setting heat and humidity, and this year was no exception! It's amazing how 3-year-olds can completely disregard the sweat on their brows when petting animals and eating ice cream is involved!

The fair kicked-off with the annual parade, which happens to pass by the end of our street. Handy! While the adults enjoyed a shady vantage point, Ian and his friend Megan stood with buckets in hand to gather their loot! They did such a great job of not going into the street to get candy (even if they could have easily reached it by keeping their feet in the grass -- they are such first-born rule followers!). They also made sure they gathered even amounts of candy, often handing pieces to each other, just to be sure. So cute! I'm not sure they could tell you any of the vehicles or floats that were in the parade; their concentration seemed to go from one load of flying candy to the next!


Ian loved seeing all of the animals. Each year he seems to get more brave!

Catching up!

I seem to have fallen behind in my blogging duties! I guess you learn who is reading the blog when you take some time away from posting! Well, get ready for a series of posts that will attempt to bring you up-to-date on our household!

Adventures in Kiddieland

Ian and Daddy took a trip to Chicago just after the 4th of July to go to Kiddieland with Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle Andy, Aunt Kathy and Emma. They had a great time riding the rides and eating ice cream!

Looking like a merry-go-round pro!


Enjoying the "whip"


Eating ice cream with Emma