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It's been 8 weeks

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0200

Well today marks 8 weeks since the boys were born. I just realized that I hadn’t posted a blog entry since then and thought I would add a quick update. Hopefully I’ll be able to update a little more now. Things have been a little busy around here. The boys have had LOTS of visitors though and they love them very much. (mommy does too because it gives her an extra hand around the house) After grammie and grampa left, Widmar had to leave to go on a trip and I learned real fast how to take care of two newborns on my own. Although a little chaotic and slightly unconventional we got ourselves into a routine. Widmar was home on the weekends for the next three weeks due to some training he had going on. After that, the boys were very excited when their Aunt Jamie, Uncle Ricky, and Uncle Matt came to visit them over their spring break. As their big sister it was pretty fun to watch them interact with the boys. Needless to say, they are all in love. Just this past weekend grampa was able to stop by in between TDY’s to see his little ones. It was great to have him here and we already miss him very much!

The boys have been doing GREAT! We couldn’t be more blessed with such beautiful babies. They are growing like CRAZY!! They are in 3 months clothes (some 0-3, but not many). Two weeks ago while Widmar was gone I was witness to Jacob’s first smile. Not the gassy smile, or the I’m going to sleep smile, but the real smile. Ever since then both boys are smiling and cooing like crazy. When Widmar and I are talking to the boys they “talk” back and it’s really funny to sit in the living room together and listen to it. Both boys are VERY strong. They grab onto everything in site and they are able to hold their heads up for a pretty good amount of time. Both boys have rolled over as well. Although I don’t think this is due to my Gifted children’s many talents, it just so happen they were very unhappy about being on the floor and fussed themselves right over. However, if we lay them on their tummies they are both able to roll over occasionally which makes me slightly nervous at how much we will have our hands full very soon. Jacob is the king of scooting. I was able to leave them on the play mat while I took a quick shower or folded laundry or went to the bathroom, but the other day I came out of the shower and went to check on them and Jacob had scooted himself backwards all the way off the mat. I didn’t think this was supposed to happen yet? They spend a lot of time playing on the floor with me though, so I’m not sure why this surprises me. We are enjoying their milestones and at the same time sad at how fast they grow up. I have had many emotional moments already. They are so big they didn’t fit in the pack and play together anymore so we had to move them to their own bedroom. I think I laid in bed and watched the video monitor for an hour sobbing. Now I’m informed that we need to move them into separate cribs because they are too big and wake each other up. I can’t watch both of them at the same time on the monitor so we will see how that goes. The first smile always brings a tear to your eye and when it’s been a long day of crying, the one smile makes it all worth it. We are loving being parents and we both agree that it gives you a whole new perspective on what God can do. Babies are true miracles and we just happened to be blessed with two of them.

Things around the house have been a little crazy the last couple of weeks. As most of you know I wasn’t able to get the boys to latch on to breastfeed, but I was pumping so they were getting it at every feeding. Apparently when you have two babies, you don’t have a problem with milk supply. I went for my 6 week postpartum check up on the 25th and had a concern of a lump on my breast and the previous two days I had 103 fever and severe chills. (all while Widmar was away at a school) The doctor that I have, who is phenomenal, treated me with mastitis and told me to email him updates every couple of days. By Friday, I thought everything was getting better so he had me wait it out through the weekend and I had to update him Monday. Widmar made it home by this point. By then, it had gotten worse and the mass probably doubled in size. I had to go in and see him and get it checked out. This was 11am that morning and by 4:30pm I was in surgery. They measured the mass at 6cm by 7cm and decided it needed to come out. I was rushed around the hospital like a crazy person with Widmar and the two boys. Poor kids were in the stroller all day. Which they didn’t seem to care, they were sleeping, but I felt horrible. At the end of the surgery I was able to speak with the PA that was in the surgery ( I was completely knocked out so I have no recollection of anything) and she said that it wasn’t even a mass. I had massive plugged ducts and the milk was backing up so much that it was causing all of the pain and tenderness. Basically for 30min of surgery they watched milk flow out. Which at the time, I didn’t find funny, but looking back at it really kind of makes me laugh. I had a long week of recovery because they couldn’t close up the incision it had to heal from the inside out. Widmar was able to take off work, thank goodness because I was on drugs and was really only good for holding the babies to feed them at that point. It was quite the week and I’m happy at the start of a new one.

The boys have their 2 month appointments on Monday and we are very interested to see how much they have grown. They seem so big now compared to when they were born. We are guessing about 10-11 lbs or so for both of them, but we aren’t sure. After that I will be flying out to Texas on the 14th. I think having babies has made me lose my mind slightly, but I thought it would be fun to go home and visit with the family and friends that are down there and since Widmar can’t go, I will tough it out on the plane alone with the two boys. I’ll update after and we’ll see how it goes. Other than that things are going great around here and I’m loving being a mommy. Even on the hard days I stop and think of how blessed I am to have two beautiful boys and a husband that although he has been gone frequently, he is not deployed and he is AWESOME with the boys when he is here. I hope that everyone has a blessed Easter weekend. Enjoy some of the more recent photos.

They are here!!!

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0200

Well, since babies are sleeping and mama got a little sleep last night I thought I would take the chance to update this blog. Not to mention I'm proud to show of my little darlings.

Everything is going great here. The delivery was not exactly what we expected though. It was actually very emotional for me, but in the end we have two very healthy and happy baby boys. Here's the condensed version of the delivery for those of you that have been asking how everything went. We went to the hospital at 5:30 to get prepped and ready for the C-Section. Everything was going great and the anesthesiologist came in to ask me a million questions. There was a look of concern and some risks because of the back surgery and steroid epidurals that I had had. (Not sure why I didn't think about this before) Widmar is getting suited up at this point in his bunny suit and I'm wheeled off to the operating room. 25 minutes later, after a lot of pain and poking around in my back to get the spinal to take they think they have hit the right spot. Things started moving very fast from here. The nurses moved my legs over the top of the table, which caused me some concern as I told the doctors that I could have moved my own legs because I felt everything. They said it could take a few minutes and they waited and waited and then did some “can you feel this tests”. I could. Needless to say at this point I was a little nervous, ok maybe very nervous and upset. I tried to hold my composure because I like to think I’m tough. Then the anesthesiologist said they were going to have to put me to sleep because they couldn’t get the spinal to work. (I realized this the next day when mom and Widmar told me I had 12-15 dots on my back from where they had put the needle in so many times). I really wanted to see Widmar before they did this so they let him in just to kiss me and let me know he was ok. One thing I was excited about was hearing the first cries and letting Widmar be in there to see the babies. I was more upset about Widmar not being able to experience it. From this point on, I remember nothing. I woke up in the labor and delivery room just as Widmar was wheeling in the babies. It was quiet the emotional event and the only thing I can remember saying was that I loved them and Oh My Gosh when mom told me how big they were. Joshua a whopping 7lbs 11oz 20 ½ inches long and Jacob 7lbs 10oz and 19 inches long. No wonder I was HUGE. As my sister has quoted me saying in my drug induced state. “It wasn’t that bad, I went to sleep, I woke up and I had two babies” It was all worth it in the end to have our two little, I mean big, healthy baby boys.

Everyone was very healthy after this whole experience and they actually predicted I would be out of the hospital a couple days later (Thursday), and I was. The hospital stay was less than desirable for the most part. I had a horrible nurse at one point and really who would like to sit in a bed instead of get up and take care of their babies.

So, now we are home, I think we are on day 4 at home. The first day we had the boys’ first pediatrician appointment, we were late. We got in the car and just laughed as Widmar said “day 1”. The nurses laughed at us because we were 10 minutes late to the appointment, I guess they expect that when you are a first time parent and especially when you have two babies.

The boys are such good babies. They already have their own personalities and it’s been really fun and exciting watching them. They have yet to latch on so I am pumping after their feedings so they at least get the milk. That’s what is most important to me. They feed about every 3-4 hours and then sleep in between. Yesterday we had our first tummy time and there are some pictures below of that. It was pretty funny to watch them interact together. We are dealing with two poopers for sure though. They poop before, after, and sometimes during feedings. Sometimes when we are lucky, like last night and this morning, they even poop in the middle of us changing their poopy diaper. We just laugh in the end because there is nothing you can do. They are awake a lot for newborns and very alert. They love to snuggle with whoever is holding them. They are absolutely perfect!

We have been blessed with the help of my parents. They even took the babies last night for their late feeding and let us sleep a couple of hours before bringing them into the room. I had to remind myself that they raised three children and they are fully capable of taking care of them. I was nervous that they weren’t in the room with us. It’s a mommy thing, I think. But we have to take advantage of it because it’s not everyday someone will be here to help us out and let us have a little sleep. They have been wonderful and the boys already love their Grammie and Grampa.

All in all things are going great here. It's amazing how much love we have for these little boys. I often find myself just staring at them and admiring what God has brought into this world. We are so incredibly blessed and we love them with everything that we have and more. I have posted some pictures from the last 6 days. Hope you enjoy them!

Less than 12 days and counting

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0200

I thought I would update every week, but that has not been the case. There isn't much going on over here when it comes to baby action. The last three days have been a little more intense, but I have told Widmar I am not going to the hospital to lay there until the 10th of February so in the mean time I sort of take it easy around the house. Other than that, we are getting very excited about our upcoming additions and we are both a little nervous. Last night, before falling asleep Widmar and I were talking about how we couldn’t believe we only have 12 days left. I have all sorts of worries and concerns starting with having the babies before the 10th, to the c-section, and then if I'm fit to be a mom of twins. I know all of this is in God's hands and He would not have given us such a huge blessing if He alone did not think we could handle it. We are blessed already with the amount of people who have offered to help when the boys get here. My parents will be driving in from Texas the weekend before the scheduled C-section to help us get things together and be here for the big arrival. They even get to stay for 3 weeks, which we are really excited to have them here to help and be a part of the big day. Many of our friends here have offered to help in everyway possible. Widmar’s unit has also offered to make meals for the first week back at home. We are overwhelmed with the love and support that is shown to us and we often talk about how it was exactly in God’s hands when we moved here. We have some wonderful friends in this place.

I wanted to take a minute to thank some very AWESOME and special friends that I have. Chrissy & Robin two of our friends from Fort Riley, who coincidently moved to Fort Benning, threw me an FABULOUS baby shower. It was wonderful to have old and new friends together and it was such a wonderful time. I have posted some pictures of the festivities below.

Other than that, I’m exhausted all the time. I’m not sure what I would do if we already had children because I find most days I just want to lay on the couch. I think I’m ready for the boys to get here just as much as they are ready to come out. We still watch in amazement as we see heads and butts poking out of my ever so stretched belly and the tiny feet kicking at the other’s head. I think we are in for it when the boys get here, they’ve already started their fighting.

Widmar has been doing some good things around here though. He started his EIB (Expert Infantryman Badge) and was able to pretest in his second week. The final week was t his week and we were a little conscerned that that was cutting it very close to delivery time. He passed all of his pretests in the second week and as of tomorrow he will have his EIB. I am very proud of him for it and a couple of us are going to Texas Roadhouse (widmar's favorite restaurant) to celebrate on Friday. Although it is not definite yet, it is still waiting approval from the regimental commander, he has been selected for the Best Ranger competition. For those that don't know what that is, it's a huge physical/skill competition that is televised on ESPN in the spring. He has started his training for that and works out 3 times a day with his officemate Andy. We'll let you know when the competition so you can watch him on tv.

I promise to update at the end of next week before the boys get here and between Widmar, my parents, and I someone will update as soon as the boys are arrive. We are trying to hold out until the 10th, but we will see if these little boogers can wait that long. I can not thank you enough for all your support and love through all of this. It truly is a blessing to know that we are bringing these little boys into this world with wonderful friends and family that already love and care for them. Enjoy the pictures!!!

We have a date

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0200

Hello all! Well we had an ultrasound and an appointment this week and everything seems to be looking great. The doctor said I was a good incubator, which in doctor terms means the babies are probably going to last til February. They are about 4lbs 12oz a piece and still growing at the same rate which is awesome. The doctor has scheduled a C- Section for February 10th in the morning. It was like pulling teeth to get it that early, but I told him I had Valentine's outfits for them so they really needed to be here before the 14th. That's not really why he scheduled it then, but I did try to use that when persuading him. Joshua is still breech which is why I'm scheduled for a C-section, although I'm convinced that I could give birth to a foot any day now. He likes to kick a lot. After about 15 minutes of trying to pick a date, he went with the 10th. I was pretty happy about that and he agreed that we are not dealing with two premature babies and that they would be fine at 37 weeks 1 day. Looks like my cousin Mandi might win the prize for guessing the right date. This is all assuming that I will make it that far.

Other than that exciting news, not much else is going on. I’m still having pretty constant contractions about every 20-30 minutes that are strong and last about a minute. Although very uncomfortable and sometimes very painful, I’m doing fine. The doctor prescribed me some ambient to help me sleep since it’s hard to sleep with two babies kicking and having contractions all night. It seems to do the job. Although last night I swore the end of the bed was rolling and the pillows were flying in the air. It was pretty amusing!

I don’t have much else of an update this week, but I will try to update this every week until the 10th of February. I have attached a few new photos. Some of me and some of what Widmar does in his free time.

Any guesses?

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0200

Hello everyone! I just thought I would post a quick update to let everyone know that things haven't changed much around here. We did receive the results from the Fetal-Fibronectin test. It was negative, which is a good thing I think because the likelihood of delivery in two weeks from last Wednesday is very slim. Although they reassured me that the babies have minds of their own and I have a 9lb uterus which is full term and they could come at anytime.

I titled the blog Any guesses because we have taken bets on when I will deliver. The farthest out is my mom and Robin who say the 20th of January. Matt, Jamie's boyfriend, guesses the 9th and that's the earliest guess. Everyone who has given us guesses has been added to the calendar with their respected dates. So feel free to join in the fun. We shall see what happens I suppose. Everything is good here. I am still having some pretty strong contractions and I try to spend most of the day on the couch.

I have an appointment with my doctor on post on Tuesday at 8:30am and I'm hoping that he will have some sort of news for me. I don't expect that he will, but I can have wishful thinking I guess. :) I hope all is well with everyone and that you are enjoying the New Year so far. I will update again soon! Lots of love!!!

Labor & Delivery

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0200

Happy New Year everyone! I hope that you brought in the new year doing something fun or just relaxing with family and friends. We had quit the time leading up to New Years this year. We had our first tour of Labor & Delivery!!

It all started on Saturday when I thought it would be a good idea to go for a little 30 minute stroll on the treadmill at the gym. (Which the doctor told me was fine by the way) Well the rest of the day I was having mild contractions, but just figured it would go away because they are sometimes like that after I work out. Well they didn't go away, but I still wasn't too concerned because they weren't very strong and they weren't consistent. Sunday came around and we went to church and all through church I was having contractions. We also went to lunch and target still with contractions, the commissary was next on the list, but I told Widmar that we should go home because I just wasn't feeling well due to the contractions and the sinus problems I have been having. I'm usually not that whimpy so he knew I was serious. Well, we came home and Widmar went for a run and I had had about 5-7 contractions in an hour. I monitored them again for the next hour while we ate dinner and I was still around the 8 range. I made the call to Labor & Delivery and they said it would be best to come in and at least get checked out since we were having twins. From here it all goes crazy, first time for everything I suppose. After we got there, they hooked me up to the monitor for the babies and the contractions and low and behold my contractions went from every 10-15 minutes to every 3-5 minutes. On top of all of this my heart rate was in the 120-130 range (I was a little anxious I think) I had also went from 0 cm to 1 cm in an hour. They got concerned here at Fort Benning and they dont have the facilities (a NICU) for that premature babies so they have to transfer me to the local hospital that does have one. BY AMBULANCE! I've never ridden in an ambulance and have since decided that the first time should not be when you are having contractions that are that close together. There was what felt like 30 train tracks along the way and lots of other bumps. They reassured me they had delivered many babies in the back of cars before. I just laughed and prayed that wasn't the case this time. Despite the uncomfortableness of the whole situation, the ambulance guys were pretty funny and one of them lived in Watertown, NY when he was in the Army. The conversation about the cold kept my mind off the bumping a little.

Widmar met us at the hospital and they put me in the Labor & Delivery room from 11pm on Sunday night until about 9am on Tuesday morning. The first night was a lot of poking and prodding and checking everything and they also put me on some meds to slow down the contractions. I was hooked up to the machines the whole time so sleep was non-existent in the L&D room. Not to mention that bed is made to give birth on not sleep on for two days. I had my first experience with a bed pan which didn’t go as planned, its hard to pee when two nurses and your husband is standing there staring at you. So my stage fright led me to catheter which was my main complaint the whole time. Poor Widmar had to hear me whine about it the entire stay. Monday night was the most exciting, not for us, but for many women in L&D. Lots of babies were born. We were conveniently placed between the two loudest deliveries. We listened for 30 minutes as blood curdling screams and yells from the room to the left of us and then a victorious “we have a baby” from the doctor. My blood pressure was really low at this point so they were coming in every hour because I was setting the machine off. The nurse came in after the first delivery and I asked if that was with or without an epidural and she said “there were some meds, but obviously not enough”. Then about 30 minutes later to the right of us some more screams and yells came. It was straight out of a horror film, if we weren’t in labor and delivery you would think that someone was dying. Another nurse came in when my machine was going off and apologized for the loudness. It was crazy and I think my comment to Widmar was, I’m ok with the babies being breech now because I don’t think that sounds very fun. We laughed.

After a couple rough nights in L&D they moved me to the main floor which was a much pleasant experience. And they got to take the catheter out. I asked every doctor and nurse that came in my room if it was going to come out before they moved me. I think we were in the new room for an hour and I was asleep on Widmar’s shoulder while he watched a movie next to me. They had to take me off the contraction medicine because my blood pressure was too low for too long. Which turned out to be fine because they had slowed down a lot anyways without the meds. We spent the rest of the day and night on the main floor and it was wonderful. Widmar and I couldn’t stop talking about how wonderful the nurses and doctors were. They really took care of us and I know us and the babies will be in good hands if we have to deliver there. So here we are waiting at home until these little boogers decide they want to make their appearance. I have had a lot of strong contractions since I’ve been home but they are more than 10 minutes apart so we aren’t jumping up to go anywhere yet. Widmar has been the best husband anyone could ask for through all of this. Other than a couple hours on Monday morning when he had to come home and grab a couple of things for the two of us he never left my side. His love and support for me is what kept me going and strong in that hospital and I can’t say enough good things about him. He is going to be a wonderful daddy. (he is currently daddy nesting) The house is being cleaned and baby things are being moved out where they belong. He truly is wonderful. I have posted some pictures from the hospital. Not in L&D room because I wasn’t really in my best state then, but these are from the main floor that we stayed on. Enjoy! Thank you to all of those that said prayers for us and the babies. We can’t thank you all enough for all your support and we look forward to introducing everyone to our new little bundles of joy.

Less than 8 weeks to go

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Hello Everyone! I hope this Christmas season finds you all doing well. Things here are going great! We have finally finished the nursery and we are actually washing baby clothes as I write this. I am not sure how two babies that are not born yet can have 4 full loads of laundry, but that is what we are working with right now.

Not much has happened in the last couple of weeks. I am getting HUGE and the babies are moving a lot. We can actually watch them kick each other which has been pretty entertaining. We had another ultrasound on Wednesday and a doctor's appointment on Friday. The boys are doing FABULOUS. They both way 3 1/2 pounds. Which is awesome for twins at this stage. Joshua is being a little uncooperative at the moment and has not moved out of the breech position since the last appointment. He would be the first to come out and he is blocking everything right now so if he does not move I will definitely be having a c-section. Not what I planned or necessarily wanted, but I just want two healthy babies so whatever it takes. The doctor was so impressed with the health of me and the babies he doesn’t even want to see me for 3-4 more weeks. My next appointment is on the 14th of January. He did say to be prepared for anything because twins can come early. If all goes well until the next appointment they will schedule a c-section at that time or possibly induction he said. I would really like him to be the doctor that delivers the babies and that’s the only way to get him to do it is to schedule it. We'll see if it works out.

Although we wish we could be with family for Christmas we have to hang out around here. It is nice to have the time together though as Widmar missed Christmas last year. We are excited to see our families after the babies are born. We are blessed beyond belief and we are getting more and more excited everyday. I think the reality of having two babies is setting in and I’m not going to lie, I’m a little nervous about the whole thing. I know God will take care of all of us and give us the strength to do what we need to do. After all He is the one that allowed this to happen and for that we are very grateful. We hope you all have a blessed Christmas and New Year. Enjoy the new pictures!!!!!

We are So Thankful

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Sorry it has been so long since I last updated. There's no real excuse, besides I get lazy and sitting in the computer chair for that long is less than enjoyable for me. Everything here is going great. We had an ultrasound to measure the babies again and they are growing perfectly. They are both over 2lbs now and all of their organs are working correctly. It makes my massive weight gain worth it to know that there are two healthy babies in there.

Widmar and I (mostly Widmar) have been working hard on the nursery. I have posted some pictures, but I promise to post more when we get the other dresser in. One of the dressers was broken, so we had to return it and order a new one. Other than that, it is pretty much complete. We have some rearranging and organizing to do in the closet, but that will come with time.

Funny story from when Widmar and I were setting up the nursery. We hung one of the diaper stackers up in the room and Widmar wanted to put the diapers in it. He had one in his hand and realized that they were slightly scented so he smelled it. His response to the smell…” No wonder babies smell so bad when they poop their diapers already smell like poop ahead of time. The poor kids have no chance.” He wasn’t impressed with the diaper smell at all and we both got a pretty big kick out of it.

The house is decorated for Christmas and we even have some Jacob and Joshua things up as well. We bought them tiny stockings and hung them by ours as well as little ornaments with their names on them. I have posted a picture of our outdoor decorations that we put up yesterday. We will soon have a pretty flowerbed in the front of the house, but in the mean time, it is a pile of dirt.

This thanksgiving we had plans of going out to eat because we didn’t want to cook a big meal just for the two of us. We were blessed to have been invited to one of the guys that Widmar works with house and we had thanksgiving with his wife and family. We have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. We have had one heck of a year I would say. Much better than the previous, I think. For those of you who know we had a pretty rocky first year of marriage with financial issues, the miscarriage, and Widmar deploying for 15 months. Widmar and I never lost sight of who was in charge and I know God has truly blessed us for relying on Him. This year Widmar returned from Iraq, we are blessed with a sustained pregnancy with not one, but TWO little ones, and God has provided for us financially. There is much more to be thankful for such as the health of both of our families. We are so thankful for all the support we have received throughout the last couple years and words cannot describe how truly blessed we feel.

There is no new doctor’s updates, I have another ultrasound in about a month and I will see the doctor again in two weeks. I cannot believe in less than 10 weeks we will have two beautiful baby boys in our lives. We are both a little nervous I think, but so very excited for what is to come. Enjoy the new pictures and I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving.

SURPRISE

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Hello everyone!!! Everything is going great here! We were able to have our first doctor's appointment here at Fort Benning and everything went great. Both babies were healthy and kicking and had good strong heart beats. Our new doctor took some getting used to, but I think we will like him in the end. He is very funny and honest. Basically I'm in for long 2-3 months is what he told me. He basically gave Widmar permission to stay far away from me as possible because in his words I was either going to cry a lot or be the toughest woman in the world. I hope it's the second option. I have been having bad pains in my rib cage in my back and the doctor said it is because the baby is living in there and he reassured me that it wouldnt get any better. He was pretty funny though. I just keep telling myself that it will all be worth it in the end when we have our two beautiful boys.

The docotor did say that he does not typically like twins to go past 38 weeks and that it is possible to deliver them naturally as opposed to a c-section. We'll see how everything works out, but that was reassuring.

Some of you might be wondering why I titled this blog surprise and that's because we did a 3D/4D Ultrasound today and didn't tell anyone :) We thought we would keep it a surprise. It was an AMAZING experience. Jamie...the babies are doing fine and their heartbeats were great during it and they are kicking me a lot now so DON'T WORRY!!! We received a CD with 17 color pictures and we hand carried about 15 pictures with us. We also got a DVD set to music of the whole ultrasound experience. Which I cry everytime I see it and hear the music. It's very sweet and our boys are BEAUTIFUL!! Joshua has a button nose like his Auntie Angels so we think that he will look more like Widmar and Jacob was blessed with the Boshart nose we think and he looks a lot like Ricky. You all can decide for yourselves what you think. The tech that did our ultrasound said she thinks our due date should be moved up a lot because they are 2lbs a piece. They are measuring almost 2 weeks bigger than what the doctors have. We are so blessed to have healthy babies. We were able to see their full bellies and that their kidneys were working as well. It was all very exciting. Not to mention both boys are very proud of the fact that they are boys. That was the first thing BOTH of them showed us.

I have posted some of the photos from the ultrasound as well as some new belly photos. I hope all is well with everyone. We love you all and thank you for your continued prayers and support!!

23 weeks

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Hello everyone!!! I apologize that it has been awhile since I last updated, but we have been crazy busy trying to move into our new house and get situated here at Fort Benning. Everything is going GREAT here. Widmar has a great new job that he thinks he will enjoy a lot and I have been trying to get acquainted with post and the new area. It has been a blessing to have my friend Chrissy here already; she and her husband Eric have really taken care of us since we got here. Widmar is adjusting and getting settled into the Regiment and I thought he was going to faint this morning when they called and told him it was casual Friday and he could wear jeans and a polo shirt. Not at all what he is used to.

I wanted to take the time to say thank you to Mrs. Kowalski and Mrs. Carlton for the beautiful baby shower they threw for me while we were visiting our family in Texas. It was a blast and thank you to everyone who was able to take part in that. It is such a blessing to have such wonderful friends and family that love us and our boys already.

The babies are doing great, I am feeling them kick more and more everyday. I actually think they have soccer matches in my belly half the time because they are kicking and punching in all directions. Transferring all of my OB information and charts down here and getting appointments have been a nightmare so far, but I’m hoping that changes quickly. I am used to them wanting to see my at least every 2-4 weeks and here they are VERY VERY slow getting me any kind of appointments. I was finally able to convince them to give me my first “ask a million questions” appointment earlier than they planned. That was yesterday and it went great. The nurse we saw has two sets of natural fraternal twins. She had a lot of great information for us. I have a real doctor’s appointment next Thursday. I am pretty excited about it because I want to see them on the ultrasound again. It is always nice to see them and make sure they are doing alright. I have no doubt that they are fine, like I said the frequent soccer matches in my belly are pretty reassuring to that.

It has been slightly entertaining the amount of people who have said that I look like I’m going to have my baby anytime now. Just today, a girl said, “wow you look like you are going to pop anytime now.” This happens almost daily and is almost annoying. But I will say that my belly is getting pretty big so I guess I can see where people are coming from, but it just makes me think what people will say 2 months from now when I really am ready to pop.

I think that’s all I have for now. I promise I will be better about updating more regularly after this week. We get internet on the 6th of November so after my next appointment it will be much easier for me to just come home and update the blog. In the mean time here are some belly pictures that we have taken in the last couple weeks. The ones in the pink shirt were taken at 21 weeks and the other ones are at 23 weeks. It’s crazy the difference in size just in two weeks. Have a wonderful weekend!!!

The boys are great

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Hello everyone!! I just wanted to send a quick update to let everyone know that the boys are doing great!!! After a long week of waiting for an update from a doctor both boys heart beats are strong and healthy. I knew they were I can feel them kick me all day. I think the text message I sent my mom today was "you have two ADHD grandchildren because they have been kicking all day". It is now alomst 9pm and they are still kicking in all directions. The ultrasound tech last week said it exactly right. I feel like an alien with babies kicking and punching in all directions. Widmar was finally able to feel the kicking the other day, he is waiting for the day when you can see it all the time. Little does he know the pain it causes as Jacob kicks at my rib all day, but I am excited about his enthusiasm.

We are doing well here our packers actually took our computer already so I am unsure when I will do another update. I am hoping to post new belly pics and an update next week while I'm in San Antonio. Come monday we will be on our way to Texas and then a week later on our way to Georgia. There I will follow up pretty quick with a doctor so I can get another ultra sound with maternal fetal medicine. (I guess I need those every 4 weeks) It's fun though because I get TONS of pictures. I have told the boys they need to stop fighting as soon as they come out, it's cute to watch on the screen, but I can only imagine we will have our hands full when they get here. I hope all is well with all of you and thank you so much for the encouraging words and prayers. Lots of love from the four of us :)

And their names are...

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Hello all! Sorry this is so late! Yesterday was a busy busy day for us so in the free time we had I was on the couch relaxing. We are in the process of getting all of our things ready for moving and having meetings for all of that. Hard to believe our packers are coming next Thursday.

Yesterday I had my follow up doctor’s appointment and it went ok. We had a little scare, but we think that everything is under control now and that Thing 1 is doing alright. At every appointment I get an ultrasound to differentiate heart rates. The doctor put the ultrasound on Thing 2 and he was doing really well and right where he is supposed to be. Then he moved the ultrasound to Thing 1 and I noticed immediately a huge difference in the heart speed. From what I could tell it was barely beating. I could tell the doctor was a little concerned and then he turned on the heart rate monitor (this never happens). The heartbeat looked and was slow in the beginning, the heart rate immediately went up and was at 150bpm. He kept it on Thing 1 for a while to make sure the heart rate was stable and it stayed at 150 the whole time. Mommy was a little nervous, but held her composure in the doctor’s office. We went through all the possible scenarios of what could happen, which was slightly nerve racking. The most concerning was that the babies could be delivered at 25 weeks if this is a continual problem. Not what they think will happen, but just a possible scenario. Me being the planner that I am thought that might not work out since we have nothing and we wont even have a house by then.

There is no explanation for this now, but he does want me to come in next week so he can do another ultrasound to make sure that the babies are doing alright. The doctor seemed a little worried, but kept reassuring us with the awesome ultrasound that happened just two days prior. Widmar keeps reminding me that he’s a doctor and has to be concerned. I am not able to do a whole lot at the moment, no heaving lifting, working out, or anything else. My day consists of reading on the couch, which if you know me is not an easy task to be lazy all day. I also have a pretty rough cold that I can’t take medicine for at the moment because of the low heart rate. However, I was prescribed cuddling with Widmar by the doctor. This was to ensure that I was sleeping on my side and not my back. We got a kick out of that.

After leaving the office I was a little shaken up, but with the reassurance of Widmar, I was able to calm down a little bit. We both know that God has given us these two babies and believe whole-heartedly that he would not do anything to take them from us. I like to think that little Thing 1 was jealous that I called his brother “the stubborn one” and wanted to show us that we will have two of them on our hands. Needless to say, we are growing two little fighters in there. We ask for your continued prayers for the babies and their health and that the appointment next week goes well.

Now, onto more fun things…THE NAMES!! We are still in some discussion about the names but as of right now Thing 1 is Joshua Joel and (he will come out first and daddy wanted to give him some part of his name). Thing 2 is Jacob Maurice (named after his Grampa Boshart). Joshua means God Rescues or God saves. Jacob means God is Gracious, May God Protect, or The Supplanter (which literally means he who holds by the heel). This name was said to be given to Jacob from the Bible because he was the twin of Esau and was second born and he came out holding his twins heel. As of now those are the names we have decided on. The meanings had nothing to do with why we picked the names, but I thought they were pretty neat so I added them. Stay tuned next week for an update on Joshua and his little heart beat. Thanks so much for the prayers, we are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family. Lots of love!!!

And we are having....

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Two Boys!! That's right we are excited to say that the Roman family will be adding two boys sometime in February. I think mommy is going to have her hands full with all that testosterone around. Good thing our friends in Georgia have girls to even us all out.

As most of you know I went for my ultrasound today. The babies are doing great. We told the tech right when we walked in that we really would like it if she told us what we were having and she said she wanted to know too so it was an exciting event for all. As soon as she started moving it around we immediately saw that Thing 1 was a boy. She didn't even have to tell us. Then she moved over to Thing 2, who is proving to be the stubborn one already, and it was more difficult for us to tell, but with some minor baby adjustments definite boy on Thing 2 also. Many of you know I HAD wishful thinking of having a boy and a girl, but that went out the window as soon as they started the ultrasound. I didn't care I was so excited to see two very healthy (fat) babies. As the tech said. Haha!

As I have said in previous updates we have two very active babies on our hands. At first they were relatively calm, but after laying there for an hour we got to see them fight already. They are butt to head so one baby is head butting the other and the other kicking the other in the head. Both babies have big heads and extra large feet. Thing 2 was pretty stubborn he was laying right on the membrane and she couldn't get a very good shot of it because he kept moving to block it. He also kept curling up in a ball and grabbing his feet. We all had a good laugh about that one. My bladder was also extremely full which pushed both babies up and one was already under my ribs. I dont think they were very happy about mommy having a full bladder as it caused them to kick it very hard.

All in all both babies and mommy are doing well and are healthy. I have another appointment on Wednesday and I will hopefully have an update on the names for you. We have the first names picked out, but we are working on the middle names. We are almost there, I think. Then we can start calling them by their names and not Thing1 and Thing2 Here are some of the ultrasound pictures along with some belly shots. Lots of love!!!

What are we having?

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Hello all! At the request of my mom I have posted a new blog update with belly pictures. As you can see I definitely have a bump and I think it grows over night, EVERY night. I am 17 weeks today and we are starting our countdown to our next appointment 11 more days. On the 29th of September we have our big ultrasound and we will hopefully find out what we are having. Hopefully the babies aren't as stubborn as their mommy and daddy. Other than being very impatient on finding out we are having, all are doing very well. I still get pretty bad headaches, but I have a lot more energy and I have been taking care of things around the house to get ready for our move to Georgia. |

We would also like to say congratulations to Mandi (my cousin) and her husband Shane on their new addition to the family. Peter "Talon" Stenhjem, 8.1 lbs 18 3/4" long. What a blessing to have a healthy baby boy and a healthy mommy. :)

We have been looking up old wives tales to see what they say about what we are having and they aren't very good with people with twins, but we started a list and thought it would occupy your time for the next 11 days if you took a guess at what you thought we were having. All the tests we took online come back 50% could be a girl, 50% a boy. So to me that means 1 boy and 1 girl. Some friends (cough cough) Erica, and my sister Jamie seem to think otherwise. Here's what the tales say. *Carrying the extra weight out front- boy (this is still early to tell, but Wid thinks its a yes)

*Hair onlegs is not growing any faster during preganacy-girl

*Carrying high-girl (still early to tell but mom thinks my bump is high)

*Feet are colder than they were before pregnancy- Boy

*Refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread- Girl

*Dad-to-be hasn't been gaining weight along with Mom-to-be -girl

*You didn't have morning sickness early in pregnancy -Boy

*You are not looking particularly good during pregnancy. Therefore, it must be a girl, because girls steal their mother's looks.

*Your chest development has been quite dramatic during pregnancy -Girl

* Since the sum of the mother's age at conception and the number of the month of conception is an odd numbe- girl

*A needle on a thread held over the belly moves from side-to-side and in a circle- Boy and girl

*You have a craving for salty or sour foods and sweets like sweedish fish and candy corn- boy and girl

*nose has been spreading- Boy (i noticed this before I knew anything about these tales)

*have been craving fruits- girl

*baby's heart rate is 140 or more beats per minute- girl (both were)

*You have no desire for orange juice- Boy

*You are having headaches- boy

*Your belly looks like a basketball-boy (Widmar thinks it does)

*Urine is bright yellow in color-Boy (a lot of info there sorry)

*Moodier than usual- Girl

That is 8 for a boy, 9 for a girl, and 3 that were for both boy or girl. They say that a mother's intuition is 80% correct. I'm not sure about this one. Widmar and I both think that they are a boy and a girl, but that could just be wishful thinking. Either way we will be happy with two healthy babies. Have fun guessing what you think we will have. Look for an update around the 29th :) Lots of love!

15 weeks

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Hello everyone! I hope this finds you all doing well. Things here are going alright I have been battling horrible headaches for the last two weeks, and one instance of dehydration. I found myself at the doctors office last Monday for two hours because my blood pressure was really low 70 over 20, 90 over 30. The nurse kept telling me I shouldn't be talking to them with BP that low. The nurse, who was not so pleasant to work with, said I was dehydrated and made me drink 3 pitchers of ice cold water. After two hours of blood pressure checks, it finally went up. And my body temperature had to have been -20*. I drink gallons of water a day so I'm no sure how I was dehydrated other than there are two babies taking all my fluids.

I had my normal doctor's appointment today and it went well. We were told that if they did a good ultrasound that they might be able to tell us what at least one of the babies was. We were disappointed that that didn't happen. They did an ultrasound but it was real quick to check and make sure that the babies still had good heartbeats. Which both babies are still looking very healthy with good strong heartbeats. But we sure were looking VERY close at the screen to see if we could catch glimpse of anything. We will have an ultrasound at every appointment because the doppler is not fully accurate when trying to find two heartbeats. It's hard to know which heart beat is for which baby. We also found out there is not much they can do about my headaches so I just have to sleep them off which I have become very good at doing.

Other than that things here are going great. I feel a lot better other than the headaches and I am feeling more pregnant. Well I'm looking more pregnant and not just like I eat way too much food. I have gained 8lbs and they want me to gain 15 total by 20 weeks. I think i have gained a little more than that, but sounds better to say 8 :)

We will be going for our big ultrasound sometime in the next 2-3 weeks. We will have to drive an hour to Topeka for the ultrasound because I have to see a Maternal-Fetal Medicine doctor there and have him do it. I guess they want a more thorough ultrasound than what they can do here at Ft. Riley. At that time, as long as babies are cooperating we should know the sex of both of them. Then I will have one more appointment here with the doctor I have been seeing and then we are off to Ft. Benning, Georgia. Widmar has officially made into Ranger Regiment and we will be moving sometime in the beginning to mid-October.

Funny moment of the week: Monday we decided to go to the pool with another couple and their daughter so that the boys could practice swimming for the triathlon they are doing this week. I thought that wearing my pre-pregnancy bathing suit would have been fine because other than my belly things haven't really grown too much. I was VERY wrong and I was the source of a good laugh for Widmar and I. As cute as everyone seems to think it would have looked for me to show my belly off at the pool I dont think the general public was ready to see all of me popping out. Other parts of your body tend grow when you become pregnant and I think I could have compared to Dolly Parton that day. I still wanted to go to the pool so I pulled out a bathing suit that I have had for a long time that used to fit me a long long time ago and wore that, which was still not so flattering. I chose to wear my cover-up the whole time we were there in fear someone would get a show they weren't quite ready for. We got a good laugh about it and I came home that night and ordered a maternity swimsuit that will hopefully fit much better. :)

I have posted new belly shots. I chose not to wear the same shorts in fear that you all might get a show of things you dont want to see. I have grown significantly since the 8 weeks shots and even since the last photos taken.

12 weeks

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Hello everyone! I don't have too much to update on besides I'm feeling great and I'm growing A LOT. Well, I dont know if anyone else will think it is a lot, but I sure do. I have been at home visiting with family while Widmar is in Fort Benning. I am the source of entertainment with my food aversions and my increased sense of smell. I never know what I want to eat until right before I start to eat it. It's amusing. I do have more energy these days and I am not as nautious I was before. Which is expected as I am coming up on my second trimester. I am actually in my second trimester now, 13wks, tomorrow. Other than that everything is going great and I'm enjoying my visit with my family.

I was able to do an ultrasound while i was here so I have posted some new pictures from that. It was pretty awesome because I was able to hear the heartbeat for the first time. Mom and Jamie came with me and they were just as excited. I also have new belly pictures to show too. Enjoy :)

We have two

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Well, I went to today's appointment with some anxiety. They were going to use the doppler to hear the heartbeat and we have waited a long time for that. Apparently the doctor (who is FABULOUS) could sense that and thought that maybe us and the grandparents needed to see pictures. He decided to do an ultrasound instead. They did the normal head to toe exam and then moved us to a different room for the ultra sound.

Now for the fun part. I was beside myself excited and so was Widmar. We finally got to see our little baby in there. Well, in goes the ultra sound and up pops...TWO BABIES!!! The doctor was shocked and so were we. Apparently it's not everyday that a doctor is there to actually diagnose twins. Widmar's reaction was priceless. "Holy Cow, there's TWO in there" He had a huge smile and grabbed my hand. Me, i was slow as usual, and was just staring at the screen in shock and disbelief and then the tears started to flow. Not only were their two babies in there, but they were healthy and active, arms and legs flying and babies flipping. The doctor commented because it looked like they were bothing waving at us. He also positioned it so we could clearly see the heartbeat on both of the babies.

The funny part of all of this is Widmar and I have joked for the last couple of weeks about having twins. I was blaming my weight gain on that because I just couldn't understand how I had gained 7lbs in 11 weeks when I have no appetite and I work out 5 times a week. The doctor confirmed that I started off small and that the weight gain was normal for my size and for having two in there. Then, walking into the appointment Widmar said, "I know we will hear the heartbeat and we'll have no problems, but I'm just wondering how many heartbeats we will hear". I laughed because it has been a joke for awhile now. Little did we know that our joke wasn't really a joke. We are really having twins!

Needless to say we are both VERY excited about this news and a little nervous due the higher risk, but God will take care of us. And we think of this as His way of giving us a little one back.

I have no other updates besides I'm measuring a week later than we thought, but it wasn't enough to change the due date. So I'm more at 11 weeks than the 10 and 2 days I thought. Enjoy the ultrasound pictures and the new belly shots. I'm not "showing" I just look like I eat too much. Not to mention the workout clothes I am in are not very flattering. But nonetheless here we are.

8 weeks

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Hi Everyone, Hope all is well out there. As of today I am exactly 8 weeks pregnant and we are very very excited. Not much has changed since the last update, except more frequent trips to the bathroom and I am very tired all the time. I have also been nauseous a lot more lately. Widmar asks all the time how I am feeling and my response is usually “well, I feel a little sick”. He says he can’t wait for the day when I say that I am feeling great. Don't get me wrong, things are great, but the constant feeling as if I may have to run to the bathroom and puke has been a little ridiculous. I just tend to sleep it off these days. I have also learned that 3 meals a day just isn't going to cut it. So, I've cut back on portion size and have started eating more like 5 small snack meals a day, with close attention to the nutritional value of the food I eat. That is pretty much how I have been feeling for the last 4 weeks. Although this is an update for the baby I thought I would update you on Widmar too. He has returned to his love of being a tri-athlete and he was able to participate in a triathlon this weekend. He did GREAT!! He actually placed 58th overall out of 200 and finished in less than an hour and a half. He also came in 6th place in the 25-29 age group. I was very proud of him and hope to one day join him in these events. (Not right now, they frown upon going down steep hills on a bike when you are pregnant I guess). He also finally heard back from Ranger Regiment and he has a ROP date scheduled for August 10th. As long as all goes well, there is a good chance we will move in September to Ft. Benning, Georgia. Which excites me more than him I think, the PX there has a Starbucks AND they sell Vera Bradley purses. Not to mention a dear friend of mine just moved there. :) I had my first doctor’s appointment today. I have no updates there because all they did was take my weight and then ask 5 million questions about my medical history, give me the cute purple book on what to expect, and then send me to get all my blood taken out. I did however learn that I could drink my cherry coke and I would be fine. I have not drank any caffeine since we found out I was pregnant because I have seen that it can cause miscarriages and other complications. So today, when we were talking with the nurse she said that was for people that abuse the caffeine intake. I just wanted one drink, that’s all. So the first thing we did when we left the hospital was get a cherry coke. I also gained 5 pounds already, but according to the nurse it was fine. I was slightly concerned, for anyone that knows me I try to stay in pretty good shape. Breaking my foot, and then becoming pregnant has caused me to lose muscle and gain some weight. I think it is my body’s way of preparing me and the nurse said that since I have been exercising now and I eat very healthy there is no cause for concern. Huge relief seeing as though I thought they would give me a hard time for that. We were able to convince them to give us a doctor’s appointment before Widmar leaves for ROP, so that he could be there to hear the heartbeat. Which we are both extremely excited about. Well, that’s all I have to update on at the moment. We are still praying for a healthy baby and we thank everyone for their support and love that they have showed us in the last couple of weeks. It is great to know that we have such wonderful family and friends that support us and pray for us all the time. We greatly appreciate it and we love you dearly. Enjoy these new 8-week belly shots. Although you all may not be able to tell, my waist has expanded some and this was taken prior to eating or drinking anything. I want you to picture yourself as a kid in one of those circle floaty tube things. That’s sort of what it feels like after I eat, like I have a big inner tube around my belly. I am convinced that when I eat, it makes me look like I am 5 months pregnant instead of 8 weeks. Slight exaggeration, but even Widmar notices a difference. By the next morning, it has all gone down and I’m back to not having anything there. You may notice a small bloating pooch in the front, and that’s pretty much all that is. Enjoy!

First pictures- 4 weeks

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Not much has changed since the last post, but I thought I would add the first belly pictures. Widmar and I took these on Saturday. We are very excited and saying lots of prayers for a healthy baby Roman. Thank you so much for everyone's support and prayers. We could never thank you enough and we are very greatful to have such wonderful supportive family and friends. Not much has changed with me, besides I'm tired. (Ask Jamie) Funny story: Today is Jamie's 23rd birthday! Happy Birthday Jamie! I called her roughly around 2:15 to tell her happy birthday and in the midst of leaving a message I started to cry because I didn't want her to think I had forgotten her, but I had fallen back asleep this morning. She thought it was pretty funny, but yes other than that things are going pretty well. Here are the pictures Widmar took. Thanks so much for the prayers and we continue to ask for them as we get through these next couple of months!!!

We are going to be Parents

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Widmar and I are very excited to announce that we will be adding another addition to our family. It all started on June 17th, (the day I was getting my cast off). I took a test in the morning, negative. They took a test at the doctors, also negative. Then comes June 18th, I take another test in the morning (I was obsessed). I noticed a really light line on the results window. I had kept the other one to compare the two and when Widmar came home from work I insisted that it was positive and well..he wasn't convinced quite yet. June 19th, Widmar left for PT and I decided to take another test (against Widmar's better judgement because he thinks I am impatient) and there was clearly two lines in the results window. So today we start the journey. I will say that I am a little nervous about this pregnancy, but that is only because the first time was hard on both of us. BUT I know that God will take care of us and we are praying very hard that he will create a happy and healthy baby. We are very excited and we thank everyone who has been saying prayers for us. Keep checking back here for updates on drs appts, ultrasounds, and all those other crazy things that will go on. Say a prayer for a happy healthy baby Roman to be born sometime around February 20th. :)