Sunday, March 25, 2007
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Ultrasound pics
Here are some of the ultrasound pictures. In case you can't tell, they show Baby B's profile, Baby A's face and tummy, Baby B's face and tummy, then Baby A's "gender determination" (in that order).
You can click on any image to view full-size.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Twin info I forgot to mention
For those of you who like details...
The twins are each in their own amniotic sac, and they each have their own placenta. This means that it is more likely that they are fraternal twins (not identical). However, it is still possible that the twins could be identical. If we find out that Baby B is a boy, then they are fraternal, but if Baby B is a girl, they could be either.
One of the first questions that people have been asking is whether twins run in our family. As far as we know, there is only one set of twins within the generations of our family that are living today (Aaron's Dad's cousins - Pam and Penny). Apparently, each of us also has a great-grandmother who had a twin pregnancy, but neither one carried the twins to term. An increased likelihood for fraternal twins is genetically linked to the mother's history...so there is only one instance of a twin conception that we know of that is relevant to my genes - and it is a number of generations back. (From what I've read so far, it sounds like genetics are not thought to influence the likelihood of identical twins.)
The twins are each in their own amniotic sac, and they each have their own placenta. This means that it is more likely that they are fraternal twins (not identical). However, it is still possible that the twins could be identical. If we find out that Baby B is a boy, then they are fraternal, but if Baby B is a girl, they could be either.
One of the first questions that people have been asking is whether twins run in our family. As far as we know, there is only one set of twins within the generations of our family that are living today (Aaron's Dad's cousins - Pam and Penny). Apparently, each of us also has a great-grandmother who had a twin pregnancy, but neither one carried the twins to term. An increased likelihood for fraternal twins is genetically linked to the mother's history...so there is only one instance of a twin conception that we know of that is relevant to my genes - and it is a number of generations back. (From what I've read so far, it sounds like genetics are not thought to influence the likelihood of identical twins.)
Surprise, Surprise!
WE'RE HAVING TWINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, you read that right. We found out during our sonogram today that there's not just "a" baby in there, but there are TWO babies! Twins!
Backstory (Some Cool History): Prior to my pregnancy with Abigail, we lost a baby to miscarriage (in 2004). Shortly after that time, Aaron and I both thought "It would be cool to have twins." So, we prayed and asked the Lord for twins. Clearly the Lord has answered that prayer. It was a little delayed from what we were thinking, and definitely came as a surprise, but it is like a kiss from God! He heard the cry of our hearts, and He answered with a double blessing.
Story (How We Got the News): Today was my first prenatal appointment. I am 17 weeks pregnant, so that's quite late to be starting prenatal care. We went in for a sonogram right away. (Aaron was there for that part of the appointment). The tech squirted the cold gel on my belly and barely even started to take a look at things. She probably had moved the wand around for about two seconds when she stopped, took a breath, and asked "Have you had any care yet for this pregnancy?" I responded - "No, this is my first appointment" - and in the mere seconds that it took for me to say that and for her to she speak again, I was thinking "Oh, Lord! She already saw something that she's concerned about? What on earth could be so bad that she would see it within two seconds??" Thankfully, she didn't wait to respond "Well. It's twins." Aaron and I both said something exclamatory, smiled, looked at each other, and grinned goofy grins. We kept saying "Oh my gosh, we're having twins!" while alternating between joy and shock.
Stats (The Basic Info): Both babies are looking healthy and are normal size. Probably about half a pound each. They are both measuring just a little bit ahead of their gestational age...just like Abigail did throughout most of my pregnancy with her. "Baby A" is a girl. "Baby B" appeared to be a girl as well, but it was less clear. We're going to wait for the next ultrasound and hope we get a better view before calling it for sure. My due date is August 28, but it's very rare for twins to go full term. The midwives would like to see me get to at least 34-36 weeks, so basically anytime after mid-July is the "safe zone" for delivery, so to speak.
Thoughts (Our Reaction): We were thrilled and shocked, all in a moment. Our overwhelming reaction is joy. We are so blessed, so excited. We're still thrilled, and still definitely trying to grasp the reality of it all. We are just starting to think about all that this means for our family. Our planning process will look very different that we thought it would. The arrival of two babies at once has some significant ramifications on the practical realm. And on the heart!
Prayers, please!: We would appreciate your prayers as the pregnancy continues. Of course, our first and foremost request is that both babies be born healthy, with no complications. I will share other specific requests as time goes on...but at this point, general "health" is pretty much what we want. In the practical realm, we will be needing to find a larger vehicle. We currently drive a little Hyundai Accent, which we love. But there is absolutely no way that we could fit three car seats in the back. We are praying that the Lord will provide the right vehicle, at the right time.
So, that's the big news 'round here! Thanks for celebrating with us!
I will try to find a way to post some ultrasound pictures soon.
Yes, you read that right. We found out during our sonogram today that there's not just "a" baby in there, but there are TWO babies! Twins!
Backstory (Some Cool History): Prior to my pregnancy with Abigail, we lost a baby to miscarriage (in 2004). Shortly after that time, Aaron and I both thought "It would be cool to have twins." So, we prayed and asked the Lord for twins. Clearly the Lord has answered that prayer. It was a little delayed from what we were thinking, and definitely came as a surprise, but it is like a kiss from God! He heard the cry of our hearts, and He answered with a double blessing.
Story (How We Got the News): Today was my first prenatal appointment. I am 17 weeks pregnant, so that's quite late to be starting prenatal care. We went in for a sonogram right away. (Aaron was there for that part of the appointment). The tech squirted the cold gel on my belly and barely even started to take a look at things. She probably had moved the wand around for about two seconds when she stopped, took a breath, and asked "Have you had any care yet for this pregnancy?" I responded - "No, this is my first appointment" - and in the mere seconds that it took for me to say that and for her to she speak again, I was thinking "Oh, Lord! She already saw something that she's concerned about? What on earth could be so bad that she would see it within two seconds??" Thankfully, she didn't wait to respond "Well. It's twins." Aaron and I both said something exclamatory, smiled, looked at each other, and grinned goofy grins. We kept saying "Oh my gosh, we're having twins!" while alternating between joy and shock.
Stats (The Basic Info): Both babies are looking healthy and are normal size. Probably about half a pound each. They are both measuring just a little bit ahead of their gestational age...just like Abigail did throughout most of my pregnancy with her. "Baby A" is a girl. "Baby B" appeared to be a girl as well, but it was less clear. We're going to wait for the next ultrasound and hope we get a better view before calling it for sure. My due date is August 28, but it's very rare for twins to go full term. The midwives would like to see me get to at least 34-36 weeks, so basically anytime after mid-July is the "safe zone" for delivery, so to speak.
Thoughts (Our Reaction): We were thrilled and shocked, all in a moment. Our overwhelming reaction is joy. We are so blessed, so excited. We're still thrilled, and still definitely trying to grasp the reality of it all. We are just starting to think about all that this means for our family. Our planning process will look very different that we thought it would. The arrival of two babies at once has some significant ramifications on the practical realm. And on the heart!
Prayers, please!: We would appreciate your prayers as the pregnancy continues. Of course, our first and foremost request is that both babies be born healthy, with no complications. I will share other specific requests as time goes on...but at this point, general "health" is pretty much what we want. In the practical realm, we will be needing to find a larger vehicle. We currently drive a little Hyundai Accent, which we love. But there is absolutely no way that we could fit three car seats in the back. We are praying that the Lord will provide the right vehicle, at the right time.
So, that's the big news 'round here! Thanks for celebrating with us!
I will try to find a way to post some ultrasound pictures soon.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Friday, March 16, 2007
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
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