The day our lives forever changed!

We're pregnant!
Praise God for all of the wonderful things HE does!

We found out that our first beta (5dp6dt) on Tuesday was 21 which was great. At this point, wanted it to be 5 or greater. Our second beta (7dp6dt) was today and it was 69!! They were looking for it to at least double, so we're right on track! (At this time, we thought we were just having one baby, but we later learn there will be two of you!) Our initial singleton due date was April 30, 2010, but we look for this to be updated to perhaps the first week in April.

When Daddy got the news he told me he couldn't stop shaking. When he told me over the phone, I completely lost it and big crocodile tears started streaming down my face. Finally. The first time we truly allowed ourselves to hear the pitter patter of little feet throughout the house.

"Signs" you're telling Mommy you're here! I love that I can connect with you already. Here are all of the things that have seemed "different" to me.

• Sunday (3dp6dt): Subtle pinches in uterus - 1 x in the afternoon about a series of 6 about 2-3 seconds apart and then again in the evening while lying in bed.
• Monday: WAY more hungry than normal. Ha, probably just me on this one, but great that I might already be able to "blame" it on the baby(ies). :-)
• Tuesday (5dp6dt): First beta drawn at 8am. Result - 21! Pinches in uterus again when I woke up, this time a bit stronger and more obvious; by the evening, a slight bit of heaviness, but very subtle.
• Wednesday: By late afternoon into evening, heaviness like period is coming on - not as strong as a typical cycle start, but still similar. Some minor cramping in the PM too.
• Thursday (3dp6dt): Second beta drawn at 8am. Result - 69!!! I am officially 3 weeks and 6 days along (This site is great for figuring that out, by the way. You just enter in your ER date [mine was 8/7/09] and it tells you TONS of stuff). So far, this afternoon I've felt some of the heaviness again and more subtle cramping. Nothing severe, but noticeable.

Baby's First Picture!

And just like that - you were created, perfect
in God's image just as he had planned for all along.

What a challenging road it was getting to you, but we now realize you wouldn't have "been" if this isn't what we were to go through. We are so very thankful that you are ours. Each and every little cell we see is just adorable. ;-) Of course I am a bit partial!

I joked with Daddy the day we held this photo for the first time and told him how one of you had his different features. I also said that the "little one" must be our girl, and the larger one our "little boy". It will be awhile until we know for sure if you are male or female, but just know we'll love you the same either way. You are our perfect little miracles.

We love you, Tweedles!
Mommy & Daddy

What's a Tweedle?

We thought you might be wondering :-)

The "Tweedles" is a name that Jay came up with when our babies were still teenie, tiny embryos (or embabies as I like to say) when we were going through the IVF process. Rather than call them "baby A" and "baby B", he wanted something that felt a bit more personal.

Technically, he came up with the full name of "Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum", but I refuse to have any of my kids called "Dum", so we've shortened it to "The Tweedles". It's a far cry away from real names, but it will do for now!

We love you Tweedles!

About Us

If you've found your way here, you most likely already know who we are :-) We are thankful for great family and friends who are praying and supporting us during this time in our lives. If you are one of those special people - we love you dearly!

Chances are you also know what it's taken to get to this point. It hasn't been easy, but I can't say that either of us would have changed that, oddly enough. We know that God has a plan and purpose for our lives and this is just part of that big picture plan that we can't always see or understand at the moment. We're just extremely thankful that he has led us through this and to this very point in our lives. If you don't already know about our struggles in getting pregnant, but would like to catch up on things, you're welcome to read our other blog.

We feel utterly blessed to be pregnant with, not one, but two babies!! We realize that two babies at once will present it's own set of challenges, but we are also already focusing on all of the wonderful experiences it will give us. To think of being able to love two of your very own at one time is amazing. Watching them interact with each other, see each of their own unique little personalities come out and, of course, fostering a relationship with each other that will last a lifetime. Each one of those experiences, and so many more, make our hearts melt. We feel that if God has brought us to this and this is His plan for our lives, He will, no doubt, equip us with the skills (and yes, hopefully patience!) needed to be the best parents we can possibly be for these little ones.

This blog is designed to do two things
1) Allow us to share our pregnancy and these babies with our family and friends, and
2) To act as a collection of memories to document all of the things that we experience - both physically and emotionally. Thanks to the wonders of the web, I will be able to use a service that will allow me to turn this very blog into a professionally printed memory book. I love to double my efforts like that!

Thank you to each and every one of you for following our journey and for your continued prayers. We're looking forward to a healthy pregnancy and to welcoming two healthy babies very soon! Tentative due date is mid-to-late March or Early April!!

Sites I Love

This is my growing collection of favorite links relating to pregnancy, twins, parenting, etc.

Local Resources
3D/4D Ultrasound Imaging in the STL area:
http://www.expectationsultrasound.com/
http://www.ultrasonastlouis.com/
http://www.theultrasoundzone.com/index.html
Expectant Mother Guide STL: http://www.expectantmothersguide.com/local/ESL99.htm

Prenatal Care
How to read an ultrasound: http://www.ob-ultrasound.net/
What to bring to the hospital: http://multiplesandmore.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-do-i-need-to-bring-to-hospital.html
Average Gestational Weight: http://www.raising-twins.com/ideal-weights-for-twins.html

Multiples Blogs
Network of Multiples Blogs: http://multiplesandmore.blogspot.com

Preparing for Multiples
Article on Getting Ready for Twins: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art2997.asp

Caring for Multiples
Multiples Blog: http://multiplesandmore.blogspot.com/
Print-out for Twins Scheduling: http://www.doubleupbook.com/twinsschedule.pdf
Breastfeeding Tips: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/maintainsupply-pump.html

Cloth Diapers
Savings Calculator: http://www.diaperpin.com/calculator/Calculator.asp
Reviews from moms of multiples:
http://multiplesandmore.blogspot.com/2009/03/cloth-diapering-multiples.html
http://crazyoatie.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/cloth-diaper-review/

Other reviews:
http://www.theclothdiaperreport.com/
http://www.diaperpin.com/diapers/diaperpages.asp
http://elizabethcarroll.wordpress.com/2009/08/18/bumgenius-3-0-vs-smartipants/#comment-3211

Diaper Swappers (buy & sell 2nd hand cloth diapers): http://www.diaperswappers.com

Glossary

This is an ongoing list of terms or acronyms related to pregnancy.

Misc
8w5d - In other words, 8 weeks and 5 days pregnant :)