Registering at Target

Today, Kyle and I went to Target to register. I was really excited to get this process started. But we soon found out that Target didn't have a lot of what we wanted. I think we will end up doing the majority of our registering at Babies R Us. We did have fun though. It's always fun to make a wish list of things that you would like to have, not to mention things that you will really need.
Kyle insisted that we get the pink bottle of Johnson & Johnson baby wash and lotion, not the Target brand. It had to be the real thing. :)
This last picture is for the Minnesota family. Look at all the snow we got this weekend! :) I know you guys think we're silly but this is a lot for us. This is me and my belly at 22 weeks out in the snow!

Pink Toes

Yesterday I found a bottle of nail polish that I thought was so pretty and springy. The warm weather has really given me spring fever lately, so this color was perfect. I thought I would paint my toes while I can still reach them and see them. :) I feel like the day that I can't do either is coming quickly! I can't say that I'm too sad about this, considering this will give me an excuse to go and get pedicures when I can't paint them myself...as if I really needed an excuse in the first place!
As I am painting, I am reminded of all the questions and concerns that have come up in these last few months. I feel like I have become the most paranoid person in the world. Are the fumes from this nail polish bothering the babies? Silly I know. But I have discovered there are so many questions that I don't have answers to. Should I eat lunch meat or hotdogs or queso dip? Did I drink enough water today? Did I drink to much caffeine? Are my babies moving enough? How can I not be squishing someone when I lay down? And when I lay down, what is the best position to sleep in? Whoo! And this is just the short list. :) Yes, I could just google these questions, and I do. But I have at times found some really scary things on the internet that really only make me more worried and make me think of more questions. My doctor has told me to stay off the internet as much as I can. But it is just so tempting to have Mr. Google right there at your finger tips. He knows everything...perhaps he knows too much and has too many answers from too many sources.
No matter how many questions I have or how paranoid I get, the truth is I have these two miracles growing inside me...and that's worth all the worrying in the world.
Yesterday on my way to dinner with friends, I was singing in the car and they started to move and kick. So naturally I continued, thinking that they must love the sound of their mother's singing voice. During dinner, we discussed whether the kicking means they like what they hear or they are kicking because they are trying to get their mommy to stop. I like to think it's because they enjoy listening. :)
21 weeks have past and I can't believe it. It has flown by so quickly. I can't wait to meet my babies!

My Belly at 20 Weeks

I was so surprised after Kyle took this picture. This is what my belly looks like 20 weeks pregnant with twins. But it feels so much bigger! Even when I look down, it seems to be bigger than this. But I'm sure I will be huge soon enough.:) I am not able to fit into most of my clothes now, so I went shopping yesterday at Motherhood Maternity. I had so much fun! I'm quite proud of my "baby bump". :) It is fun to have some clothes that show it off a little bit.
Although I had been told by some that pregnancy cravings were not a real thing, there are most definitely certain foods that taste extra yummy at this point. Pizza, oranges, Honey Nut Cheerios, Sonic breakfast burritos...just to name a few. And of course pickles. I know...how cliche.
I am feeling the babies move more and more. They seem to be on different schedules...one will move a lot while the other one sleeps and then they will switch. This of course gives me reason to worry about the one that is not moving at the time. :) But it is still my favorite past time to sit and feel them move. It is such a strange and wonderful feeling. I am excited for Kyle to soon be able to easily feel them move all the time, not just once in awhile.
It is hard to believe that we have reached the halfway point! These past months have flown by. Please continue to pray. Our next ultrasound is February 1st.

The Big Ultrasound

On Monday, we went in for our "big ultrasound". They were able to check the babies size, all their vital organs, etc. They were both very active, moving around a lot and the ultrasound technician was not able to look at everything she wanted to. Even after talking to them and begging them to turn, our babies would not cooperate. "Let me introduce you to The Hyde Family", Kyle explained. :)
But she said that everything she could see looked really good. Both babies are growing at the same rate, both about 8 oz. a piece. Since we don't want to know if they are boys or girls, we had to look away from the screen at times. That was extremely hard (for me at least). Kyle is staying strong and will keep me strong through the next few months. :)
I have been feeling a lot of movement in the last couple of weeks. What an amazing feeling! If only I didn't have to go to work...I could just sit and feel my babies move all day. I've been anxious for Kyle to be able to feel something so we could share the experience together. Yesterday I quickly put his hand on my belly, and he felt a kick! I was surprised because everything I've read so far has said he wouldn't be able to feel anything for a few more weeks. I guess our babies are just over-achievers already. :)
Next ultrasound is Feb. 4th. We can't wait!

"Yep, I see two babies in there!"

These were the words of our ultrasound technician only a few short months ago. I can't describe the joy that Kyle and I felt after this wonderful news. I don't think either one of us felt scared or overwhelmed...we just felt incredibly happy and blessed. After praying for a baby for a year, the best news we could have gotten was that God was giving us 2 babies instead of 1!

These are our babies at about 18 weeks. This was the first time we had seen pictures of them when they actually looked like little humans and not little blobs (or astronauts with blast shields, as Kyle affectionately called them). Tomorrow we go in for "the big ultrasound", when they will measure them, make sure they are both growing, look at all the vital organs, etc. This is also the time when we would find out what their genders are, if we wanted to know. But we are not going to find out, which we have found out is not the popular choice between family and friends. :) But we can't wait for the day when they come into the world and we receive the wonderful surprise of finding out if our babies are boys or girls, or both!

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Because they are twins, the babies and I will be watched closely over the next months, eventually having ultrasounds every two weeks. Our due date is June 4th, but our doctor tells us our babies will come early because there are two. We are praying they stay put until at least week 36!

We are excited to invite you to join us on this wonderful adventure! More posts to come!