So Very Thankful

Thanksgiving has come and gone once again, and we have so, so much to be thankful for this year. The last few months have been a series of ups and downs for us, obviously, but we are on a major uphill climb for now, and we are glad to be here! I had my first experience with the Neonatal ICU today, visiting a friend's baby, and let me tell you, that's a trip that will make you grateful for the blessings in your life. The little guy I was visiting was born with a birth defect that will require at least two surgeries to correct, but he is making good progress and should get to go home early next week. I saw a family in the waiting room whose baby was born at only 23 weeks, weighing barely one pound. Amazingly enough, that was almost a month ago, and he's still fighting! I glimpsed tiny, two-pound babies with breathing masks bigger than they are, and I saw the strain on the parents' faces as they watched their children fighting unfair battles. Jeremy and I spent the first few weeks of our pregnancy preparing to be one of those families, and just praying we'd get the chance to make it that far. Now here I sit tonight, nearly 18 weeks into an unbelievably healthy pregnancy, giving thanks for all the blessings that God has sent our way.

Speaking of which.... Our last visit to the doctor was wonderfully uneventful! The babies are growing even better than expected, weighing in at 5oz. and 6oz., which is about a week ahead of where they should typically be at this point! The fluid on both babies was normal, indicating that there is no sharing going on at this point. Another potential complication dodged for now! We are so, so lucky. : )

And, of course, the other important news...it looks like we are likely having GIRLS!!! She got a pretty good look at one, and since we know they're identical, that's all it takes! We're not painting the bedroom yet, but we are definitely moving in that direction. Though I would have been just as grateful for boys, I am a little relieved. I have not had much experience with baby boys, and I'll admit I was quite nervous about the possibility of learning by experience with two at once!

I'll end with a recent picture- me at 17 weeks, earlier this week:

And a close-up of the baby bump:

One more, because I can't leave them out...our first babies (who are in for a rude awakening in a few months!):

Sick, Sick, Sick

We are still alive in the Hughes household. I have been off work the last two days, sick with a cold. It really, really stinks not being able to take my usual Tylenol Cold to help me breathe at night. I have spent the last two days moving back and forth between the couch and the recliner, kicking the dogs off my feet when I get hot, and complaining about daytime tv. Can I just say that I am absolutely bored to death?! There are things I could do...clean up a little in this filthy house, work on Northeast stuff, etc. Instead, I have watched most of season 3 of the Gilmore girls (which just happens to be my favorite season) and consumed massive amounts of pistachios (lots of protein).
I have to go to work tomorrow, because Monday is my next doctor's appointment! We are having the big ultrasound to check for growth discrepancies in the babies, and we should also find out whether we need to start planning for boys or girls!! I am so looking forward to seeing them again, and to knowing what we're going to have. I think that will make it feel a little more real. I am officially in my second trimester now, and I am feeling pretty good. I'm still tired pretty much all the time, but not as bad as before. My belly is growing almost daily, and I am wearing maternity pants most of the time now. Pictures coming soon....
We had a wonderful time in Gulf Shores a couple of weeks ago...just the restful and relaxing week we needed. It was COLD most of the week, so we spent most of our time eating, napping, and reading. Perfection. I have to admit, we never even set foot on the beach! Jeremy saw a sign for the naval aviation museum in Pensacola, so we headed over there one morning to check it out. We got to watch the Blue Angels practice, which was really fun...even if it was THIRTY-THREE degrees!! It was a neat side trip, and best of all, completely free. I suggest checking it out if you're in the area.
On another note, I can't believe how quickly the holidays are approaching. Thanksgiving is just the week after next, then Christmas will be here in no time. Where has the year gone? We bought a new Christmas tree at Costco on Tuesday, and I can't wait to get it decorated! I like a real Christmas tree, but it's so much work and mess that we've switched to artificial (at least for now). Time to get in the spirit!

Good news

Our appointment yesterday went well! It was a very quick appointment...the doctor did a quick ultrasound to check the heartbeats (167 bpm and 171 bpm, still high, which I say means girls!!), and that was about it. Dr. C. thought she might catch a glimpse if they are boys, but they were moving so much she couldn't tell anything. She said they were bouncing all over the place, which should be lots of fun in a few weeks when i can feel them! : )
Our next appointment is in four weeks, and they are going to do a growth scan, which is normally done later on in a pregnancy. The purpose is to check for discrepancies in the size of the babies, which could indicate twin-to-twin-transfusion syndrome (TTTS). We are at risk for TTTS because there is only one placenta (which I now understand is how we know they're identical), but I have faith that God will take care of it. We are still a much, much lower risk pregnancy than we thought in the beginning, and TTTS has a few possible treatments if it's caught in time, so we are not going to worry without due cause. Along those same lines, we chose not to get the bloodwork done to check for the possibility of Down Syndrome. The tests only predict the increased possibility of genetic problems...and knowing our luck, they would come out indicative of problems and that would be another worry on our minds for the next six months! It wouldn't change anything anyway, if God chooses to give us children with special needs, that's what we will have.
For the moment, I feel so much more at ease and confident that our babies are on track and doing well. I will try to get some pictures posted soon, I just wanted to update on the appointment!

Limes in my Belly

As of today, I am 12 weeks pregnant (almost through the first trimester!!), and according to babycenter, my babies are about the size of limes. That's the first comparison that has really seemed substantial to me. I am familiar with limes (unlike the kumqwat a couple of weeks ago), and I can imagine the space two limes are taking up in my belly. My belly is growing almost daily, and I've bought my first pair of stretch-waist pants (pictures soon...of the belly, not the pants). I am still looking forward to our appointment on Monday, although I'm nervous about it. I'm a major-league worrier, but at the same time, I tend to irrationally think that if I don't know something is wrong, then it can't be that bad. Crazy, huh? If something is wrong with our babies, it's wrong whether I know it or not, and there's nothing I can do about it. Jeremy tries to convince me everything is fine...I'm having all the normal symptoms, no cramping or bleeding, and as mentioned, my midsection is expanding. Still, I've done a lot of praying for God to give me peace, and I hope to get some reassurance on Monday.
I still don't have much energy, but I did have some plans to clean the house today. So far, I've done the following: cooked breakfast (which I haven't done in many, many weeks), loaded the dishwasher, washed the comforter from our bed and hung it on the line to dry...and napped on the couch, off and on during about 4 hours of Law & Order. Productive, huh? Oh, and I should also mention that it's now 7:15, so my bedtime is quickly approaching. : ) So much for that to-do list.
This exhaustion is really beginning to take a toll on my tv-watching. Last week I fell asleep during the last 10 minutes of The Office!! How could that happen? This week, I did manage to make it through the episode (loved Michael & Holly's awkward hug and the Jim & Pam voicemails at the end!), as well as at least half of the Thursday night edition of SNL's Weekend Update...pretty funny, by the way. All I can say is thank goodness for episodes available online! I still have to watch this week's Grey's Anatomy and How I Met Your Mother. There are a few new shows I'm semi-interested in, but I just can't fit anything else into my sleeping-eating-worrying schedule (did I mention I'm supposed to gain about 40 pounds with this pregnancy?? So far, I've lost 2, gained 1...net gain of -1. Gotta get going on that.). I guess maybe this is preparation for life with two newborns...I'm sure I won't be watching much tv then, either! I will really have to try to get my fill for the next six months or so. Bring on the Law & Order!

Counting the Days

It seems like I'm just counting days lately. I'm looking forward to a couple of different things later this month, and now I'm just waiting on the next couple of weeks to go by!
The first (and most important) thing I'm looking forward to is my doctor's appointment on the 20th. I'm so ready to go and see those babies again! I'm so nervous that something's gone wrong and I don't know it. I'm trying to think positive, but I will feel ten thousand times better when we get to have another ultrasound and hear those little heartbeats. By my next appointment, I will be in the 12th week and almost through the first trimester, so the risk of miscarriage drops drastically. Maybe I can breathe a little easier then. After all the worrying we started out with, it's still hard to believe we may actually have TWO healthy babies in the spring. It seems too good to be true. After my 16 week appointment I will start going every two weeks, so no more month long waits between appointments!
The other thing I'm looking forward to is our trip to Gulf Shores at the end of the month. We have our annual conference for work the week of the 27th, so Jeremy and I get a nice vacation courtesy of the state! It is definitely a great perk of my job. Sometimes I think our division gets the short end of the stick by having our conference so late in the season...it probably won't be warm enough to do much swimming or laying out on the beach. But on the other hand, this is kind of a down time of the year- summer is filled with vacations and trips anyway, so we get to enjoy a wonderful week away in a season when most people don't get to take such a break. I'm especially looking forward to it right now...it's going to be a quiet, relaxing week with no stress and lots of reading (for fun!).
Speaking of reading, I've procrastinated long enough, and I should really go get started on posting an assignment for my online course. Maybe it will help pass the time until the 20th. : )

"Office" Love

Well, I'm almost a week late, but I had to mention last Thursday's season premiere of The Office. It was a long, dry summer without my favorite paper company, but the premiere did not disappoint! I just love Angela, even more so after watching some of her short videos on the NBC website. I thought she was fabulous in this episode, dialing up Dwight for covert meetings every time Andy mentioned their wedding. I wouldn't think anyone but Dwight would be nuts enough to work with Angela, but Andy is a pretty close second. Still, I like Angela and Dwight together...
And, of course, I have to mention the couple everyone waited three months to see again...Jim and Pam, naturally. How sweet was that proposal in the rain??? And I have to admit, I really didn't see it coming. I'm wondering if the writers are going to stir up some trouble for the happy couple. I'm sure they probably will, but I hope it's nothing too dramatic.
I'm not too sure I like Ryan being back, but it's kind of funny watching him try to apologize to everyone. I loved how Kelly totally blew him off. Oh, and Michael and Holly= Cute!
All in all, I'm looking forward to a great season!!

Answered Prayers!!!

We went to our second doctor's visit on Monday. The nurse didn't think we were having an ultrasound, but I was kind of insistent that the doctor had said we could have one, just to make sure everything is okay with the babies. She got the room ready and the doctor came in to do the ultrasound herself. And guess what she most unexpectedly found?? Separate sacs for our babies!! You could just barely seem them when she moved the wand the right way, but they were most definitely there. That means our babies are not momos, and barring other complications, we should have a normal identical twin pregnancy! (Yes, they are still identical, though I have no idea how she knows that.) Praise God! Words cannot explain the relief we have felt over the last few days. It's as if I can really be excited about the pregnancy now, and start to believe that we will bring two babies home with us in April (and not have them in February and spend months in the NICU). I am so thankful for all who have prayed for us over the past couple of weeks, and I ask for your continued prayers for a normal pregnancy! God is so good.