2 Months Old!

Our sweet baby girls turned 2 months old on Christmas Eve! I still can't believe time has gone by so fast. The girls are growing too fast- time needs to slow down!

 

At their 2 month check up Hadley weighed 9lbs 4oz and Ava James weighed 7lbs 10oz. That is a BIG difference from the 3 & 4 pounds that they weighed at birth. Both girls are only in the 3rd & 5th percentile, but that is normal considering they were born 4 weeks early (36 weeks). If they had been born full term at 40 weeks, they would only be a month old! Dr. Trumbull was once again very pleased with their growth and progress. Hadley is progressing a little faster than Ava James, but that is normal. After all, they are two completely different human beings. Both girls got their first round of shots at their doctor visit as well. I think the girls did a little bit better than their Mom :( I had to make Rusty help the nurse- I couldn't stand to see my baby girls so upset! But they both did good. After a short snuggle after their shots, they both calmed down and went back to sleep in their car seats. However, later that afternoon both girls seemed to be hurting pretty bad. After all, both girls still have very skinny legs where they were given their shots. Per doctors orders, I gave them both a small dose of baby Tylenol and they both felt MUCH better. Poor Hadley even ran a low grade fever, but she is good as new now.

 

In their two short months, their personalities have become very evident. They are two very different little girls! Hadley smiles, coos, and even giggles A LOT. She loves to play and demands a lot of attention. She wants to sit up, stand (with help obviously), and kick/jump (also with help) ALL DAY LONG. With so much activity, you would think she would conk out towards the middle/end of the day. However, she will do anything in her power to keep from falling asleep. She doesn't like naps very much. The majority of time we have to rock her for a while in order to get her "sleepy" enough to go in her crib. Ava James is beginning to smile and coo. She is our more observant little girl. She loves to look around at all the colors and lights! She is our most snuggly girl. She is perfectly happy laying on your chest and examining every inch of your face. Unlike her sister, Ava James has no problem taking naps and going to sleep. We can put AJ in her crib wide awake and she will go to sleep.

 

 

Merry Christmas from The Russells!

 Hadley Kate (asleep) in her new sunglasses

Ava James (also asleep) in her new shoes

 

The girls had a wonderful first Christmas (even though they slept through most of it). Both girls received a Bumbo seat, Sophie the Giraffe, sunglasses, shoes, clothes, and A LOT of new toys. Santa spoiled our baby girls :) On the 22nd we headed to Skipperville, Alabama to celebrate Christmas with their Great Granny, Great Grandpa, Great Aunts, Great Uncles, and a lot of cousins. The girls got to have Christmas with Rusty's side of the family on the 23rd at our house here in Montgomery. Their grandparents, Aunt Tara, Uncle Cliff and cousin Jake all came! Then, on the 24th we headed to Wetumpka, Alabama to celebrate Christmas with the girl's Nonnie, Poppa, Uncle Jason, Aunt Meredith, and cousin Harper. On Christmas Eve night the girls got to attend their FIRST Christmas party at The Roberson's in Montgomery. We stayed in Wetumpka for a couple days because of bad weather before heading home on the 26th. It was a very crazy busy Christmas, but we survived and had a great time!





1 Month Old

I still can't believe it- my baby girls are ONE MONTH OLD! Time is already flying by :(

We had our one month check up on Monday. I feel like I live at the pediatrician. We went to the doctor the previous Friday. Both girls had thrush on their first Thanksgiving :( This left us with two VERY fussy babies and very little sleep. For those of you who don't know what thrush is, it is a mouth infection. All babies are actually born with thrush- I was surprised when Dr. Trumbull told us this! I was scared to death that I hadn't cleaned and sterilized their bottles and pacifiers good enough. All babies pick up the infection before they are born. However, most babies have an immune system that can fight off the infection. Since both of my girls were premature, and some of their family have thrush even into their later years, the girls couldn't quite fight off the infection. Hadley Kate had the worst of it. She was VERY fussy and had trouble eating. The infection went all the way down her esophagus. Ava James wasn't quite as bad, but was still very uncomfortable. Dr. Trumbull prescribed them both a very strong antibiotic that they will take for 2 weeks. Fortunately, the antibiotic has already knocked out the infection and both girls are feeling MUCH better :)

Their one month check up went great! Dr. Trumbull is very pleased with their weight gain, growth, and over all health. Hadley weighed 6lbs 12oz (up from 4lbs 9oz at birth) and was 19 inches long. Ava James weighed 5lbs 8oz (up from 3lbs 14oz at birth) and was also 19 inches long. They are both healthy as can be (other than the thrush)!

Both girls seem very strong to be so little! Both girls like to lift their heads and look you in the face if you are trying to burp them. They have become very alert and love to be held and talked to! I am trying to my best not to spoil them too much :) Ava James is very observant and loves to look around. Hadley likes to "talk" to you...whether you are around or not. She grunts and moans all day long. Both girls are very sensitive when it comes to their twin sister. If one girls is crying, you can bet the other girl is going to start. They hate to hear their sister cry.

They are sleeping fairly good at night now, which is SUCH a blessing. We sleep in 2.5-3 hours increments throughout the night. We probably get about 5-6 hours total? I won't know what to do when I can finally get 6 hours of sleep without interruption!

The girls eat about every 3 hours during the day. The longest they have gone in between feeding is 6 hours at night- but that seems to have been a one time thing. At night they can stretch about 4 hours in between feedings fairly regularly. I attribute this to their growing appetite. To be so small, they eat quite a bit! Hadley eats 4oz regularly and has eaten up to 6oz in the past. Ava James eats 3oz regularly and has eaten up to 5oz. We are very fortunate to have both girls on the same schedule. Therefore, if one girl wakes up, the other is normally not far behind. Same goes with feedings. I have learned how to multi-task and feed/burp/play/hold/rock both girls at the same time.

I have had my crying, "I can't do this!" moments, but they seem to be dwindling away. It is getting easier and easier as time passes. Don't get me wrong, it is still VERY difficult, but it is all worth it!!! I am still in awe of these miracle babies and how much God must love me to "loan" me two of His children :)

They're Here!!!

Our little miracles have arrived!!! Hadley Kate Russell and Ava James Russell both arrived at 8:36am on Wednesday, October 24th, 2012. Hadley Kate weighed 4lbs 9oz and was 16 1/2 inches long, and Ava James weighed 3lbs 14oz and was 16 3/4 inches long. Believe it or not, even though they were so tiny, both girls were able to go to the well nursery shortly after being born- NO NICU TIME! Both girls had an APGAR score of 9.9- amazing :)

So since I never even got to give our 36 weeks update, I guess I will start there. The Monday morning before the girls were born, I had a doctors appointment. Everything looked perfect- no Braxton Hicks and both girl's heart rates looked perfect. Dr. Dupre was actually out of town, so I saw Dr. Nedham that day. Dr. Dupre joked the previous week that I better not go into labor since he would be out of town...little did we know...

The next day, Tuesday, everything seemed normal. I actually felt a little bit better than I had in previous days. I seemed to have more energy. That night we went to church for dinner and made it back home by 8 or so. Once we got home I laid on the couch to relax a little bit. Something both Rusty and I found REALLY strange was our fur baby Bailey, our 7 year old Pek-A-Poo, kept sitting next to me only to stare at me. We took her out to potty, made sure she had food and water, etc.- nothing seemed to satisfy her. All she wanted to do was stare at me! I swear that she knew something that we didn't...

So fast forward to early Wednesday morning. As usual, I was up about every 45 minutes or so to go to the bathroom. About 5:15am I got up to go to the bathroom and started to make my way back to the bed. Next thing I know...my water breaks! Since I have never been pregnant before, I wasn't quite sure that my water had really broken. Therefore, I laid back down in bed and googled "Did my water break?" Yes, I am that big of a dork! After reading several posts online, I decided that we might want to head into the hospital just to be sure. About 30 minutes later, I got up and woke Rusty up to tell him we had to go to the hospital.

To my surprise, both of us were very calm. I always assumed that both of us would be in a panic- especially since I was only 36 weeks! But we got up, I put on make up, Rusty packed the car, and by 6:30am we were on our way to the hospital.

I was immediately admitted to the hospital and taken up stairs to the labor and delivery rooms. I was SO HAPPY to see a sorority sisters face as soon as the elevators doors opened! :) I might have freaked out a little more, but knowing that Ashton was there made it all a little better! Plus I knew that another sorority sister and long time friend, Kirby, was in the NICU in case the girls weren't perfectly healthy when ever they were delivered.

I was checked to see if my water had broken, and sure enough, it had! Since Dr. Dupre was out of town, and both babies were still breech, that meant that whatever doctor was on call would perform the c-section. This happened to be Dr. Desautels. Even though I LOVED Dr. Dupre and wished he was there, I'm glad that Dr. Desautel was on call that night in comparison to some of the doctors that could have been there.

After speaking with the doctor, it was determined that they would start to prep me for the c-section. We originally planned on having a spinal block, but since I had a slight case of spina bifita as a child, the anesthesiologist decided that it would be best to completely knock me out. There was a possibility that I might bleed out with a spinal block- the general anesthesia avoided any possibility of this happening. Not being awake while the girls were being born came as a shock at first, and it honestly upset me quite a bit, but I understood why that just wasn't possible. Having general anesthesia also meant that Rusty couldn't be in the OR while the girls were being born. I know that he was pretty upset about this, but I know he would rather have me come out of surgery safely than the alternative.

About 3 hours after my water broke, the girls were born. Rusty was able to come in the OR as soon as the girls were delivered. He was actually standing outside when they were delivered and heard the girls cry for the first time. I was still knocked out! Rusty said that they were still stitching me up (creepy/gross/scary) when he came in the OR.

It is beyond amazing to me that both girls were so healthy. Nothing but a miracle! Ava James was 50 grams away from going to the NICU simply based on weight. They are both so tiny, but so perfect.

 

Hadley Kate

Ava James

 

After staying in the hospital for 3 days, all three of us were discharged on Saturday to go home. I was still sore from the c-section, but nothing like I thought it would be! The girls have adjusted well to being home. We are still working on getting them on a schedule, and it seems to be going pretty good! They had their days and nights mixed up at first, but thankfully they are starting to get everything straightened out. They eat like CRAZY! At their doctors appointments this past Friday, Hadley Kate weighed 4lbs 11oz, and Ava James weighed 3lbs 13oz. Dr. Trumbull, their pediatrician, was VERY happy with their weights. Most babies can take up to 2 weeks to get back to their birth weight...it didn't take our little girls that long! Not with how they eat :)

 

 

I still can't believe that God has blessed us to much. It has been such a journey to get these precious miracles here- it still doesn't seem real. I don't feel deserving for any of His blessings, but I am forever thankful. Becoming a parent has been the most rewarding experience/job of my life. It's definitely hard, especially with two, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I never knew that you could love someone so much. I knew I loved these little girls before they were born, but nothing compares to my love for them now. I am forever thankful for my husband as well. Rusty is an AMAZING Daddy. He is a pro at changing diapers, feeding them, and loving them the way every father should love his children. Seeing him be such a wonderful father has only made my love for him grow stronger.

 

 

More updates to come later!!!





35 Week Update

We have made it another week! I am officially 35 weeks, 1 day today. I never would have imagined that we would make it this far! I thought for sure that the girls would be here by now.

I had another doctors appointment this morning with monitoring and an ultrasound. Everything looks GREAT! Dr. Dupre seems VERY happy with the way everything is progressing. I didn't have any contractions while being monitoring- not even one Braxton Hicks! Both girls' heart rates looked fantastic.

The ultrasound showed that both girls are still growing as they should. Ava James still weighs less than Hadley, but she is still within a normal weight range. Ava James weighs about 3lbs11oz, and Hadley weighs about 4lbs5oz. Their rate of growth has slowed, but Dr. Dupre has assured us that that is perfectly normal with twins. After all, they are running out of room! Technically, I am carrying 8-10lbs of baby already. They will continue to grow, just not as quickly as a singleton baby would due to lack of space.

I always enjoy the ultrasounds. We have been VERY spoiled. Most pregnant women only have a couple ultrasounds throughout their entire pregnancy- we have one every week now. In the past we would have at least 2 ultrasounds a month. I LOVE seeing our little nuggets every week. It has been so amazing seeing them grow from a tiny peanut at 6 weeks to a full blown baby at 35 weeks. Life truly is a miracle! During this weeks ultrasound we saw Hadley sticking her tongue out (see picture below)...repeatedly. The tech was able to get a really good picture of Hadley's face. Even though she is still tiny, she has some chubby checks! And like every week, she had her hand(s) in her face. Unfortunately. Ava James was being a little more difficult. She has consistently had her back to the tech every week. Therefore, we were only able to get a good picture of the back of her head and her back. We could still see that she has a good amount of hair, though!

From here on out we go to the doctor twice a week to be monitored and have an ultrasound. Dr. Dupre is out of town next week so I am under STRICT orders to do absolutely nothing. There is no evidence to show that the girls would come any time soon, but you never know! I personally have NO PROBLEM being lazy for the next couple of weeks. I am so sore it is becoming VERY difficult to even walk. Getting in and out of bed and chairs has become quite a task. I have been told that I am so sore because I was so thin and narrow to begin with. Add that in with twins and I am bound to be miserable.

So far we are still looking at November 6th for our c-section (both babies are still breech and will most likely stay that way). Please keep praying for healthy, strong, full term babies!

34 Week Update

We have made it to 34 weeks!

Today we had our 34 week appointment. Everything went very well!

Both babies heart rates looked really good. Dr. Dupre made the comment that they must be "happy babies" based on how much they moved while they were monitoring them. I had a couple contractions while being monitored, but nothing like the contractions I was having a couple weeks ago. They were definitely nothing to be worried about- all normal. Dr. Dupre made the comment that everything looks "perfect" for having full term babies. Twins are considered full term at 38 weeks, but most twins are delivered between 34 & 36 weeks- so I am sure you can see why this excited me! If I can carry these baby girls to 38 weeks, I will be over the moon!!!

The ultrasound showed Hadley weighs about 4lbs and Ava James weighs about 3lbs4oz. Their weights are still within normal range, however Dr. Dupre wants us to start having ultrasounds every week to monitor their weights a little closer. As long as their differences in weight does not get any larger, everything should still be okay. Their fluid looks fantastic, which is good when looking at their weight. If Ava James was smaller due to lack of oxygen or nutrients, she would have less fluid. Thankfully, her fluid looks perfect- just like Hadley's!

The ultrasound also showed that both girls have HAIR! I was so tickled when the ultrasound tech showed us. Mainly because I was bald until I was about 2!

Both girls are still breech. In fact, they have turned a little more upright than they were two weeks ago. They seem pretty comfortable with their heads shoved in my ribs and feet dancing on my bladder. I would be VERY surprised if they flipped!

Since both girls are still breech and we are 34 weeks, Dr. Dupre went ahead and scheduled our c-section. Assuming that all goes well between now and then, we will be having a c-section on Tuesday, November 6th- ELECTION DAY! Thank goodness I already sent in my absentee ballot :) Now I have to search for some patriotic onesies....

Thanks for all the prayers and thoughts! Please continue to pray for big, strong, healthy babies that can make it to 38 weeks!

How Rude!

I am going to blame it all on the pregnancy hormones, but people are really starting to tick me off with their unnecessary RUDE comments! I am absolutely amazed at the things that people will say to you when they find out you are pregnant. It is even more amazing what people will say to you when they find out that you are having TWO babies! I am not the first woman to have twins, nor will I be the last. I have kept my composure and remained the "sweet southern belle" over these past 8 months. HOWEVER, my sincerity is shot and my patience has run thin. There is only so much that an uncomfortable, irritable, pregnant woman can take. So I  have decided to address and respond to all the rude comments. Here goes nothin'...


-"TWO babies?! You are going to be so broke!"    First off, Rusty and I are responsible adults. Before making the decision the start a family, we made sure that we were financially stable. Yes, children are expensive. That is why we live on a budget and live within our means. Way to point out the fact that more people = more expenses, Captain Obvious.

-"You are going to be so tired...all the time."     Yes, we will be tired. Once again, way to point out the obvious. Life will not cease to exist if we are low on sleep.

-"Twin GIRLS? I'm sorry Rusty."     This comment pisses me off the MOST. It comes mostly from men- surprise, surprise. First off, those are my babies you are taking about- Watch your mouth. You really don't want to piss off Mama Bear. Secondly, what is SO terrible about girls? Last time I checked, if it wasn't for a strong, loving, woman, you wouldn't be here. Rusty is going to make a wonderful daddy to two little girls. Children are a gift from God- no matter what their gender may be. Yes, Rusty will be swimming in the Estrogen Ocean, but he is so excited about being a hero to two little princesses. There is something so special about a Daddy/Daughter relationship. I know because my first love was my daddy. I am so excited for Hadley and Ava James to experience that relationship with their Daddy.

-"Your house will never be clean again."     Yes, my house will be clean. Will it be as organized as it is currently? Doubtful!!! If you really knew how much of a clean freak I am (Rusty too), you would not make stupid comments such as that.

-"You will never get your figure back. Your body will never be the same!"     REALLY? You mean pregnancy changes a woman's body...who knew?!

-"Good luck (spoken in the most sarcastic tone imaginable)"     This just ticks me off...(giving the stink eye). I don't need your "luck"- Thanks, but no thanks. I need your prayers- as does EVERY parent.

-"Twins? Better you than me."     Ya' dang right!!!! God chose this path for Rusty and I because He knows that we can handle it. I see that as a compliment. He didn't chose you as a parent of twins for a reason :)

-"Life as you know it is over."     Life will change...but it's not over. Only a moron would expect things to remain the same.

-"Are you going to breastfeed?"     None ya' dang business. If I do, great. If I don't, that doesn't make me a bad mother. Last time I checked you are not a doctor or a lactation consultant, so get off me.

-"Twins? Did you take fertility treatments?"     Once again, none ya' dang business...but as a matter of fact, yes we did. Which means I am more thankful for these two little miracles than anyone could possible imagine!

-"Have fun while you can, before the babies get here."     Why? Because after you have children, life sucks?!


I am sure I have left out so many...but these are the majority of the comments that Rusty or I hear on a daily basis.

I will never understand why so many people feel that they have to "warn" you with unnecessary threats and comments. Rusty and I understand that life will change. We also understand that we will be tired, have more expenses, the house might be dirty, and I might weigh a little more. However, those are all things that we are willing to live with. Having one, two, or three children does not make you an expert on pregnancy, parenting, and childcare. You might think it does, but it doesn't. Each pregnancy, child, and parent is different. I appreciate advice, I really do. But I DON'T appreciate "scary stories" about how terrible life is going to be after Hadley and Ava James arrive.

Sorry for the vent session...I just had to get it all off my chest once and for all!!!

In closing, let me say this...Children are gifts from God. Rusty and I are so blessed to be pregnant with these two little miracles. I refuse to let any rude comment or question change my view on that. I know there will be days where I will be exhausted and frustrated, but God chose Rusty and I to be the parents to two of HIS children. That is such a compliment and we are forever grateful.

33 Week Update

We have made it to 33 weeks!

 

My doctors appointment went A LOT better this week than it did last week. From here on out, I will be monitored every week at the doctor. Sometimes I have ultrasounds, sometime I don't. This week I did not have an ultrasound- just monitoring of the heart rates and for contractions. We will get to see our baby girls via ultrasound next week. As I mentioned in my post from last week, I was having contractions every 2 minutes last week. Dr. Dupre was concerned and was considering admitting me into the hospital in order to stop the contractions. And would you believe it...this week I did not have ANY contractions while being monitored. The contractions have seemed to have slowed down- THANK GOODNESS! I will contribute this to my EXTREME laziness this past week. I finally decided to listen to my body and slow down! Even though I am working only part time now, I had made it a habit to keep myself busy while at home. I was constantly cleaning, doing laundry, organizing the nursery, giving the dog a bath, cooking, etc. I finally made the decision to LAY DOWN and DO  NOTHING over the past week and it certainly has paid off.

 

I will be the first to admit, I was not at all comfortable with the way things were looking last week. I was just about convinced that these baby girls were going to come early. Dr. Dupre could not be more excited about the way things looked this week! Both babies were VERY active in addition to the lack of contractions. In fact, they both kept kicking and punching the monitors. I am still having contractions, but they are any where from every 15 minutes to hours apart- very irregular. Nothing like last week! Dr. Dupre has assured me that this is perfectly normal. If we can keep this going, hopefully we will be able to keep them "baking" for another 3-4 weeks.

 

Another praise report- my swelling has gone down! It isn't completely gone by any means, but it is definitely better compared to a week or two ago. This has helped some of my discomfort to go away!

 

Thank you for all the prayers! Please continue to pray for healthy, FULL TERM babies :)

32 Week Update

So I was 32 weeks this past Tuesday and I can officially say...I OVER BEING PREGNANT.

I know that is terrible to say, especially considering how blessed we are to even be pregnant. However, I am to that "miserable point" that all pregnant women talk about at some point in time. I am swollen...VERY SWOLLEN...all the time. My feet are retaining so much water that if you poke them, they will hold the shape of your finger. They are so swollen that I can't wear my own shoes :( I have to wear Rusty's shoes! I haven't been able to wear my wedding rings for months now and my face is even swollen. We were worried that being so swollen meant that I had high blood pressure- but luckily my blood pressure is fine. On top of the swolleness, my complexion SUCKS. My skin thinks it is 15 years old again- which is ironic since I have always had clear skin. I have gained a whopping 50lbs (and counting) and my body is having a hard time adjusting. My joints ache and my tail bone hurts constantly. The bathroom is my new best friend...I see "The John" about every 30 minutes or so. Since both babies are breech, I have four little feet dancing on my bladder at all times. Even though it is annoying having to go to the potty all the time, the dance recitals on my bladder are sweet reminders of the two miracles growing inside of me :) I LOVE feeling them move!

On top of all of this, Braxton Hicks contractions are now a daily occurrence. In fact, they are an hourly occurrence. And as we saw Wednesday at the doctor, they were occurring EVERY 2 MINUTES! This scared both my doctor and myself. Luckily, I am not dilating and the contractions are not painful- just uncomfortable. However, having ANY kind of contractions that close together is never a good thing. I am on strict orders to rest, stay out of the heat, and to drink A LOT of water.

More on my doctors appointment from Wednesday- Hadley Kate weighs about 3lbs9oz. Ava James weighs about 2lbs14oz. Dr. Dupre said their difference in weight isn't an issue since it is less than 20%. After all, they are two completely different individuals! It could just mean that Ava James is more petite than Hadley. They will continue to monitor their weights and if they get to be too drastically different, then they will intervene and possible induce labor early. If Hadley starts to get A LOT bigger than Ava James, that could just mean that she is getting more nutrients than Ava James.

So that's the latest! Please pray that the Braxton Hicks subside (luckily they have subsided some in the past day) and that I can carry these two baby girls for as long possible. Also pray that mentally I can continue to carry both little girls for as long as possible. Being uncomfortable is one thing, but not being able to do anything for myself (like clean, organize the nursery, wash clothes, plant flowers out front, etc.) is very frustrating. No matter how miserable, uncomfortable, or frustrating this pregnancy may become, I want Hadley Kate and Ava James to be healthy babies. I would rather suffer through another 32 weeks of pregnancy than have them come early and stay in the NICU. With each day that passes, I am more and more aware of God's amazing gift of life. These two baby girls are gifts, and Rusty and I are forever thankful.

Sorry for my pity party- sometimes it feels good to just vent :)

Happy Birthday Harper!

This past weekend was very exciting for a very special little girl. Our niece, Harper Grace, had her 2nd birthday!!! I can't believe that she is 2 already- how time flies. Over the past two years, Rusty and I have watched this precious little girl grow into a smart, sweet, and very loving little girl. She LOVES her family and talks about them regularly. She even talks about the "two babies" in Aunt Katie's tummy (which makes me happy) & even knows that their names are "Hadley" and "Aba Dames (Ava James)!" Her birthday party was actually at my parent's tailgating spot for the Auburn vs. LSU game. The theme was Aubie- one of Harper's favorite characters.

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Harper Grace

Aunt Katie & Uncle Rusty love you VERY much :)

 

 

 



 

 

Sugar & Spice

So it has been FOREVER since I have updated our blog! If anyone has stalked my Facebook page, you are most likely updated on our two little miracles- BUT I figured I would write a post about it anyways. I am currently 29 weeks, 3 days...

We found out we are having TWO LITTLE GIRLS! Rusty will be an amazing Daddy to two little girls. He loves that most little girls worship the ground their Daddy walks on, and that Mommy is almost ALWAYS the bad guy :) The doctors still refer to the babies as "Baby A" and "Baby B." Baby A is the baby closest to the cervix. We actually knew Baby A was a girl WAY before we knew Baby B was also. Baby A (who we have named Hadley Kate) showed NO SHAME when it came to what gender she was. Baby B (who we have named Ava James) was a little more modest- she kept her legs crossed for ultrasound after ultrasound, until FINALLY at about 17 weeks she changed positions and the tech could see her "parts."

As far as the pregnancy goes, we have been extremely blessed. Most twin pregnancies come with a long list of complications. So far, I have had NONE! All multiple pregnancies are considered high risk. Dr. Dupre has said that for a high risk patient, I am as low risk as I can possibly be. I have swelling like you wouldn't believe, but we can thank Alabama weather for the majority of that. Hot and humid definitely do not help! I get out of breath regularly, but that is mainly because Ava James' head is positioned directly under my diaphragm. My once perfect complexion has disappeared :( The hormones from TWO babies have tricked my skin into thinking that it is 15 years old again. BUT that is a price I am willing to pay :) The morning sickness lasted until I was 13 weeks or so and has thankfully stayed away! I have gained a total of 42 pounds so far!!!! Believe it or not, I am extremely proud of every single pound. My doctors and I were worried that I wouldn't be able to gain the weight needed to ensure healthy growth of both babies. I normally find it extremely hard to gain weight...But OH MAN were we wrong!!! I eat more than Rusty at most meals- which is definitely saying something, believe me. My appetite has actually started to slow some since the babies are getting bigger and pushing on my stomach. Hopefully the weight will come off as easily as it came, but I know that is just wishful thinking :(

The girls are both currently breached (head up) and seem to be very comfortable that way. There was once a possibility that I would be able to avoid a c-section. Unfortunately, the babies are starting to run out of room to turn and therefore it is looking more and more like we will be having a c-section. We are both fine with that, I just dread the recovery period. As long as my girls get here safely, I will be happy. They are both facing each other and seem to be punching and kicking each other constantly. During one of my last ultrasounds, Hadley was kicking Ava James in the gut- I'm sure she enjoyed that :) I constantly feel them move now which is so exciting :) I can feel Ava James move more than I can feel Hadley- that is primarily because of their position. Hadley sits back towards my back bone more than Ava James. At my last appointment (which was two days ago) Hadley weighed 2 lbs 7 oz, and Ava James weighed 2 lbs 4 oz. Dr. Dupre seemed VERY happy with their weight and growth. They will both most likely be "petite," as the ultrasound tech said, but they will still be within normal range. There was once a slight concern that Ava James wasn't growing as well as Hadley, but she has caught up beautifully!

I still don't know why God has blessed Rusty and I so much, but I am forever thankful. Every little kick, punch, or roll I feel is a reminder of God's love for me, you, EVERYONE. I can't wait to finally hold our baby girls and let them know how much we love them already.

Please continue to pray for healthy babies and a healthy delivery!

And They Came By the Twos...

RUSTY AND I ARE EXPECTING TWINS!!!

Our two bundles of joy will arrive sometime in late October, early November. My official due date is November 19th, but most twins comes early- normally around 36 weeks or so.

It only took one cycle of Follistim shots! Normally, most couples do not get pregnant on their first round on Follistim. Both Rusty and I, and the doctors, were VERY surprised! With Follistim, we had a 20% (or less) chance of having twins. We obviously fall within that percentage! Doubly blessed :)

At the current moment I am struggling with the joys of morning sickness. NOT FUN! Some days are worse than others, and afternoons are definiately worse than mornings. Lately, I seem to live off ice cream and cheeseburgers. However, I wouldn't trade it for the world! He has answered our prayers and we are forever thankful.

Please keep us and the babies in your prayers! We pray that I will have a happy and healthy pregnancy and that both "buns" will "bake" as long as possible! :)

Like I said in my previous post (Our Journey to Baby), it will be (and was) all worth it. All the tears and struggles of infertility will be worth it as soon as we get to hold our two miracle babies. We are so, so incredibly blessed. We serve a mighty, merciful, and loving God!

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
Romans 8:28

Our Journey to Baby...

Very few know the struggle that Rusty and I have had while trying to conceive our first child. Infertility affects 1 in 4 couples. With that being said, I know there are others out there that share our struggle. Maybe, just maybe, by sharing our story, we can help others along the way!

Here is our story...

Rusty and I decided to start trying for a baby in August of 2011. After coming off birth control, I immediately noticed that my body wasn't "working right." Most women will understand what I mean...we notice when things are "off." On one of my annual visits, I mentioned to my OB-GYN some of my concerns. He mentioned that I might not be ovulating well, or I may not even be ovulating at all. As most of us learned in Anatomy, if a woman doesn't ovulate, there is no possibility of getting pregnant. The doctor ran some blood work to determine whether or not this was the issue. If I wasn't ovulating, my progesterone level would be very low.

A few day later, the blood work was returned and determined that I had low progesterone. Just as my doctor had suspected, I was not ovulating. Not at all. Not even a little bit. A normal progesterone level would be any where from 8-10. Mine was a 1.9. I was crushed. This was my worst nightmare. From the time I was a little girl I knew I wanted to be a Mommy. I felt that God wanted that for me. Now I wasn't so sure...

My doctor (OB-GYN) put me a low dose of Clomid. Clomid is the most common fertility drug, used to stimulate ovulation in women who have trouble conceiving. The plan was for me to take a months worth of Clomid, try to conceive, and then come back in 21 days for more blood work to test my progesterone levels again. If the Clomid was working, then the progesterone level should have increased.

But it didn't. In fact, my progesterone level dropped! My first reaction was "HOW DOES THAT EVEN HAPPEN?!" It went from a 1.9 before medication, to a 0.8 after medication. I was once again, crushed. I immediately called my doctor back. I wanted answers. I wanted to know WHY I had low progesterone? What more we could do to fix it? How did he know something else wasn't wrong? Or that something else wasn't the cause for my low progesterone? The nurse I spoke with refused to let me speak with my doctor (OB-GYN). She then told me that they would not run any more tests until we had been on Clomid for 6 months. That seemed very backwards to Rusty and I. Wouldn't they want to test me for everything first? And then determine a treatment plan?! It made no sense....

After speaking with a friend that had gone through infertility and spending many nights praying for answers, we realized that we needed to seek the advice of a true fertility specialist. From the second I called the fertility clinic I knew we were on the right track! Everyone was very understanding and considerate of the difficult situation that Rusty and I were going through.

The first appointment we had with the fertility specialists showed that I had developed a large, and I mean LARGE, cyst on my right ovary. Most likely, the cyst was from the cycle of Clomid that my OB-GYN had prescribed. Had I continued with the treatment plan that my OB-GYN had set up for us (6 months of Clomid), the cyst would have most likely ruptured, possibly putting me in the hospital. Since the cyst was so large, we had to wait until it went away to start another round of fertilty treatments...

Another set back. I can't say that I was surprised at the time. It seemed like every time I turned around it was something else...another dose of bad news. At this point, I was beyond upset...I was mad.

To make everything a little bit lighter and more comical, I named the large cyst on my ovary Cathy. Before I left the fertility specialist that day, I told the nurse that I would be back soon- we were going to PRAY CATHY AWAY! And guess what?! We did! Exactly one week later, the cyst that was once the size of a lemon was almost completely gone. BAM! And now were ready for some serious fertility treatments!!!

My fertility specialist, Dr. Houserman, prescribed us injectable medication called Follistim. I would give myself shots in the stomach everyday for 6-12 days and be monitored constantly by ultrasound and blood work. I was constantly at Dr. Houserman's office! Whenever I had mature follicles, Rusty would then give me a shot in the hip which would make me ovulate. In laymen's terms, a woman's eggs are inside a follicle- when a follicle measures 18mm, it is ready to ovulate! After ovulation, then you can actually try to get pregnant!

I will never forget talking with my mom on the phone the night I found out something was wrong. I told my mom that I was angry- angry with God. She told me something that I will never forget, "Tell Him- talk to Him about it. Its not like He doesn't already know!" From that day on I spent most nights just talking to God. I prayed for understanding, as well. I think I prayed for understanding more than I prayed for a baby. I just wanted to be "okay" again. I felt so broken. Like something was wrong with me. Like it was something I brought on myself. I felt horrible- that Rusty would never get to have children, because of me. Because of my broken body. I am ashamed to say, I almost lost my faith. There were days that my faith in God was running on "E."

For a very long time, I was angry with God. Actually, I was FURIOUS with God. I wasted many days asking "Why me, Lord?" I could not understand why God would choose this path for Rusty and I. Why does every drug addict get pregnant and have a baby, but not me? Why do women who abort their babies get pregnant, but not me? We are responsible adults. We have the financial means to raise a child. We have a loving home that serves the Lord. WHY NOT US?!

As time went on, I came to understand that God chose this path for Rusty and I for reasons that we will never understand. We aren't meant to understand God's path for us, or why He does certain things. I like to think that God chose us to go through infertility because He knew we could handle it. Whether that is why or not, we will never know.

What have I learned from all this?! I have learned several things...

(1). Evil will use EVERY opportunity to turn you away from the Lord. Satan himself saw our struggle as the perfect opportunity to turn me from God.

(2). I am so thankful for Rusty. If wasn't for him offering a shoulder for me to cry on every night, I think I would have given up a long time ago. I am so blessed that God chose him for me, and me for him. I would rather go through the struggle of infertility with him every day than go through a normal pregnancy with anyone else. He is the most compassionate, loving, patient, and kind human being that I know and I am forever grateful for him. He is my hero.

(3). Infertility has made our marriage stronger. I feel as though our marriage is more solid today then it was before our struggle with infertility. I feel like we can conquer anything! Our wedding vows mean more to me now then they did the day of our wedding. "For better, for worse. In sickness and in health."

(4). God always has perfect timing. You may not see it that way, but it is all part of His master plan!

(5). He will never give you more than you can handle.

(6). He will test your faith...daily. Sometimes even hourly! Don't fail the test :)

(7). He never promised it was going to be easy, He just promised that it would be worth it. One day, all the let-downs, all the tears, all the pricks from needles, and being probed like some kind of alien science project, will all be worth it when we get to hold a child of our own- a perfect product of Rusty and I.