So much for a halfway point!

So I had another bi-monthly MFM (Maternal Fetal Medicine <- the specialist I go to) appointment today, and much to my surprise (and delight) Rush was able to come with me! We've been lucky for the last two because his boss had been out of town so Rush was free to come with me, and this morning I was thinking he was going to be on a plane with his boss on their way to California. Well SURPRISE! Delta struck again (honestly it's no surprise) since there was a huge delay in their flight, Rush's boss decided it wasn't worth it to go to Cali and they came home in time for me to pick Rush up on my way to the Dr.

Well overall we had another great dr appointment. :) The babies are still girls and still looking great! As of today Baby A was 12oz and measuring 20weeks and Baby B was 11oz and measuring 19weeks and 4days. So their size and their fluids made the Dr. happy which in turn makes us happy! They were even able to measure the heart rates with the sonogram and Rush was able to hear them for the first time! I had previously heard them on Monday at my other dr appt, but it wasn't on a sonogram and they were hard to differenciate, so I enjoyed hearing them too. Baby A was beating at 150bpm while Baby B was beating at 151bpm, so it's safe to say they are fairly similar in all aspects right now. I also got sonogram pictures of them "snuggling!" I guess technically it's not snuggling since they are in their own sac but they were lined up with each other and from what I can tell facing each other. They are definitely going to want to be sleeping in the same crib for a while. Also one of the other pictures I was given was of Baby A's profile where you can kind of see Baby B in the background. It's very faint, and I had to have the sonogram tech point it out, so don't feel bad if you can't see Baby B.

Here are the sonograms:

The Babies "Snuggling" (Baby B is the top baby)

 Baby A's profile with Baby B in the background

 Baby A's Heart Rate

 Baby B's Heart Rate

We still haven't picked out names yet, so if you have any suggestions we'll take them into consideration! :)

It's hard to believe I am more than halfway through this pregnancy, especially since we have absolutely NOTHING ready for the arrival of these two little ones! As he always does Rush just seems to know what questions to ask when we go to the dr appointments. Turns out we are more likely (than a couple that has had a singleton) to have twins again in the future! Scary thought. And that an average twin pregnancy usually only lasts 36-37weeks, and our Dr. suggested that we have overnight bags for each of us ready because we never know when I might be going (and then staying) to the hospital. So by my calculations I'm a week past my halfway point! But I'm hoping that since so far we've sailed through this pregnancy that the winds keep filling our sails and we make it really close to our due date. I'm just going to try and keep doing the things I've been doing (since they seem to be working for me and the babies) and listen really closely to my body and take it easy when I need too. Normally moms with twins stop working and start laying around, around week 22 but I don't really see that happening. Seeing as at week 23 I plan on being in DC and walking 6.2 miles with Robin and Lindsay for the MCM 10K and then around the National Mall and Monuments. :) And I won't be quitting my job (at least the full time aspect) until mid November when I will be coming home for Thanksgiving and my babies shower! And even then I'm considering working part time for a few hours 2-3 times a week. It all depends, and we'll figure it out when we get there!

On a totally different note, Christmas is RIGHT around the corner, I finally took some initiative and started my first craft! I am making a wreath out of white burlap with red fabric flowers to hang on our door. I know that it doesn't sound very pretty, but I'm about halfway done and I think it is actually going to come together quite nicely. Of course I am going to try to take pictures and post once I finish it, but until then if you are absolutely dying to know what it's supposed to look like, click on the Craftaholic blog (it's one of the blogs I follow and it's located on the left of the screen) and then click on tutorials. It should have a picture somewhere in the list. Also I finally bit the bullet and bought an unfinished wooden sign to paint myself. I know it doesn't sound like much, but I have issues with things not looking the way I imagined them in my head. We'll call that my slight OCD. But I am actually quite happy with how it is looking, it's not a finished project either but not far off. I'll take a picture once I do finish to post.

So other than Dr visits, work, and projects, Rush and I have been trying to spend as much time as we can enjoying our "freedom." We take the dogs to the beach, or go eat at a nice restraunt, mainly just spending time together before our lives as we know them are distant memories. We're even planning a "babymoon" trip over to Ashville, NC in early November to see the Biltmore! YAY! Don't get me wrong, we are looking forward to the adventures to come, but we are definitely relishing the calm and quiet for now.

Wow, I just noticed how long-winded I've been in this post! Geeze! Looks like I'll have to start posting more frequently so as not to write a novel each time. ;)

I hope y'all have enjoyed our updates!

We're almost to the half way mark!

Well nothing new has happened with the babies since finding out they were girls, people have started asking me if I feel them yet and I can't honestly say yes. I feel "flutters" randomly and when I stop to concentrate on them they never "flutter" again. Figures. :) I've also noticed that my belly button is changing rapidly. Weird I know, but it's flattening out and I'm working on being okay with an outtie for the next 4.5 months. I'm also in a stage where I definitely need to go shopping for more clothes. I've managed to get away with most of my regular clothes with a few maternity pieces mixed in, but I noticed today that my shirts aren't coming down as far as I would like, and honestly I just don't like the way they are fitting. Shucks, I HAVE to go shopping. ;)

Speaking of shopping I am about to go crazy with all of the different baby bedding options! There are just so many out there, I am starting to get amazingly overwhelmed by them. That and I'm picky. I want two different sets (either different color combinations or coordinating sets) so that they aren't exactly the same, and there aren't many options out there (that I like) for twin girls. I have mangaged to find a few "sets" but I'm not that good at the whole decision making thing when it comes to big purchases. Oh well, that's what family is for, right? To give opinions on these kinds of things and to help you make a decision? :)

On another topic, we had our first guests here at the new house! Quinn and one of his flight students came by over the weekend just to hang out with us! It was a fun weekend, we watched the Cowboys' first win of the season, went to the beach with the dogs and Rush busted out his boogie board (the waves were huge and he even shared it with Quinn and Aaron!), and the boys helped me babysit one night for a friend. Overall it was a successful weekend with AWESOME Fall weather! Who wants to be next?

Did I mention the awesome weather? Well this weekend was great, even though it has been raining solid pretty much since Sunday night, but this coming weekend is supposed to be another great one! In fact it's supposed to actually get chilly, and I would say I'm going to bust out my sweaters but I don't think there are many that will still fit me. Oh well, gotta get some of those too while I'm shopping. ;) Anyways I'm excited about the change in weather, we've got some fun activities planned and it's going to make them easier on me just by being cooler. My girlfriends and I are hoping to drive up to an outlet mall one weekend to do some shopping and Christmas shopping and then another weekend Rush and I and maybe another couple are planning on driving out to the Biltmore! YAY! I've been wanting to see that place for a while. Then we've got the Marine Corp Marathon up in DC on Halloween that is going to be a blast, even if I can't run the 10K. Some of my girlfriends are planning a small shower for me here in NC in November and then the Marine Corp Ball somewhere around the middle of the month, and then I am flying home for a shower and Thanksgiving! What's not to love about this Fall?

Drumroll please.....

Rush and I are having identical twin GIRLS!!!
I know y'all might not believe me but I've got ultrasounds to prove it. This came as a big surprise to everyone in my family. Everyone would have sworn up and down that it had to be boys, but God had other plans and we all know that He doesn't make mistakes.
The dr appt went very well, nothing out of the ordinary and we are proud to say the Dr. used the words "perfect" more than once to describe our girls. Who could ask for more? He said they were right where they need to be and again had beautiful anatomies. I'm starting to wonder if he says that about everyone or if our girls are just that "perfect"? I'm going to go with we have perfect girls. :) It's hard to really believe that we are having girls, we are still getting over the fact that we were having TWO babies! I'm actually starting to let myself do some online-window-shopping to see what's out there for girls and how I'm going to want to dress them. I must admit there are so many more options for little girls than boys. I think we might need to buy stock in Gymboree! Oh and before anyone asks, we DO NOT have names yet! We honestly don't even know where to begin. It's so much more fun to name other peoples kids, naming your own is stressful! At least we still have a few months until we have to make anything legal. I'll take suggestions, but I'm not promising that I'll use them.

Anyways, here are the ultrasounds. The tech wrote on the picture where each leg was and which one is which.

Hope everyone has had a great last day of summer! Tomorrow is officially the start of autumn, and I'm excited about it! I know it may not feel like fall yet, but I am ready to start decorating for Thanksgiving and CHRISTMAS!!! And seeing as we will be spending Christmas here this year, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be going all out. ;) Rush will be trying to hide my debit card! LOL! Just kidding, but really I do love Christmas season, I'll be struggling to keep the Christmas CDs away until after Thanksgiving. Can you imagine how crazy I'm going to be when I have two little elvettes* to help me!
*I made this word up. :)

Where do I even begin?!

For those of you who don't know, my grandma Mooney passed away this past Thursday. I was very lucky to be able to get a last minute flight down to San Antonio to see her and talk to her Wednesday and was able to be there with my family Saturday when we laid her to rest. I am very grateful that I was able to make this last minute trip. This wasn't unexpected, but it was quicker than we expected. And sometimes quicker can be better. Mooney didn't suffer long term in a nursing home or in hospice which I believe to be a blessing in itself. She lived a long fullfilled life and made a difference in many others. Looking back I am glad that I got to spend those years at home before Rush and I got married. I was able to spend time with Mooney while driving her to the doctor (she liked to call me her "Crazy Wreck Driver" even though we never once had an accident or a close call and I always got her there on time :)  ), helping her around the house (mostly with George the dog) and also with the cattle (Dad and Uncle Jesse did most of the work, I can only take credit for Buttercup and Wesley). Speaking of Buttercup and Wesley, to those who don't know, they were a set of twin calves that one of Mooney's cows had and was having trouble feeding. Twin calves are pretty rare, and we had to supplement these with bottles. Maybe God was testing me with twin calves and I passed! Anyways, Mooney was a sweet heart and I don't know that I ever heard her say anything hurtful about another. I couldn't have asked for a better Mooney. She will be very much missed, but I know that she is happy and in Heaven with Jesus, Papaw, and Bubba.

So that was my week and weekend last week, and as of Monday we now know what we are expecting in February! I am so excited, but I'm not going to tell you just yet. ;) Rush says I'm sadistic in that way. Anyways I wanted to give everyone one last chance to vote on our baby gender poll, and if you are one of the lucky few who we've managed to get a hold of, please do not vote. I am hoping in the next day or two we will have managed to get a hold of immediate family to let them know the news, and I will be able to post pictures of the twins showing their gender in the ultrasounds!

Until next time, thanks and Gig'Em! :)

So far so good!

Well Rush and I went to my first appointment with the specialist down in Wilmington this past Wednesday. So far he said everything is looking great. In his words the babies have "beautiful anatomies," which is what every momma wants to hear. :) As of now one baby is slightly bigger than the other, the Dr. said that is perfectly normal, and to be expected. And as far as scanning for TTTS, I found out all they do is an ultrasound and measure the amount of fluid around each baby. The fluid levels were slightly different (just like their sizes) but that we are still good and have no worries yet. Main thing is for me to be on top of my nutrition and exercise. He even tried to see if he could tell the sex of the babies! Of course they weren't developed enough to tell (I'm in week 14) but we're hoping that maybe at our next visit in two weeks we'll be able to see some clues as to what we're expecting. :)

We also found out that our Dr. was from Abilene! And went to med school at UTSA right around the same time that Leland did, so our job is to find out if they might possibly know each other before our next visit! It truly is a small world.

Now as for Thanksgiving...he did NOT want me to travel. He didn't like the idea of me traveling after week 26, but he did give me advice if I decided to "break the rules." SO I did some looking and I will be right at 26 weeks and figure I will just be on my best behavior while I "break the rules!" We are really looking forward to being able to see all of our family since it will probably be next summer when we are moving back to Texas (we hope) before we will see everyone again. Either way, we are both looking forward to Thanksgiving and getting to spend time with family.

Now I know everyone is hearing all about Earl and NC and all of the evacuations. Well we were not given a warning to evacuate so I think I will be just fine riding it out with the pups. Heck, I slept through the one that came through last year! I think we will just have some wind and rain and a lot of branches and leaves to pick up this weekend. Nothing major. And if we lose power I have plenty of flashlights, a radio, lots of water, food, and dog food. All in all I'm thinking it's going to be a good night to curl up with a book! :)

And last but definitely not least, I get to brag again! This is breaking news, so much so that I had to call Rush and tell him, even though it is about him! We just found out that Rush has been career designated! Yay! This doesn't mean we know where we are going to be relocating to, but that it is highly likely we will be a military family for 3 more years. CONGRATS Babe! I knew you would get this, and I'm so proud of you! I love you!

Latest dr appt...

So I had my first appt this morning with a dr at the Naval Hospital, and it went well from what I can tell. Rush was able to come with me, which was nice since he won't be able to make many with his schedule. I pretty much caught the dr up with what is going on so far in the pregnancy, asked about 100 questions, and he did an ultrasound to measure the heartbeats.

He said the babies are still in a good range, Baby A was at 130 bpm and Baby B was at 150 bpm. He said the normal range is 120-180 bpm. He also agreed that there was only one placenta, and said that the membrane between the babies was still "loose & flowy" which is good because it means there isn't one baby with not enough or too much fluid in the sac.

So it looks like we will be able to come home to Texas for Thanksgiving (if we have our way we'd like to come for about 11 days), but it is highly unlikely that Christmas will be an option. I'm not too sure how I feel about this yet, I know it's for the babies health, but it'll also be our first Christmas not in Texas surrounded by family. I think once the holidays get closer, it'll hit me harder and Rush will have to deal with me going overboard with decorating for Christmas more than usual. Mom has mentioned that they might try to come up and spend Christmas with us, no pressure Mom, but I would be forever grateful. I also wanted to put it out there that anyone else that wants to is more than welcome to come visit over the holidays. The more the merrier, and we understand if you can't because of normal traditions taking place back home. We're planning on me quitting work before Thanksgiving so that we can maybe spend even more time at home for Thanksgiving to be with family and maybe a baby shower (or two.) ;) Seeing as it seems like the only time I'll be making it to Texas...

OH also, Robin, the dr said that the 10K shouldn't be a problem. Pretty much its up to how I am feeling and if I think I am ready. So I have a few weeks to make up my mind and figure out if I am going to transfer my entry to Will Baskin (Rush's cousin) or if I'm going to go for it. Of course the dr said that my specialist dr will definitely discourage it, so we'll just have to see.

And not to brag, well yeah I want to brag, I came home yesterday from work to a tbone dinner on the table! Rush surprised me with a very good steak and salad, and I just wanted to brag about how sweet he's been since the pregnancy and my weird food-mood swings. He's really been very understanding and a big help around the house. The house would be a wreck without him! I love you babe! :)

Latest ultrasound pics!

Finally remembered to bring these to work with me so that I could scan them!  These are from when I went to the specialist and they determined there was only one placenta. As you can tell they have much better equipment than the naval hospital, and the details are just much more visible. While I was watching the ultrasound I could literally count fingers (of course they didn't sit still long enough for me to) and see their defined legs and arms. So far both look good!

Also just FYI my dr appt got changed to Sept. 1st. So expect more updates on the babies then! :)