Our October Surprise

We are expecting #3. And #4.  Twins!  Can you believe it?  And they're identical!  Crazy.

We have known I'm carrying twins for two weeks but today is the first day we've been able to be excited about the pregnancy.  At our first ultrasound two weeks ago (which I had because of some unexplained bleeding) we were told the twins were monochorionic/monoamniotic, which means sharing a placenta and an amniotic sac.  That kind of pregnancy is very high risk; there was serious potential for the babies to not even live to viability. So you can understand that we were trying to guard our emotions and prepare for any possibility.

But today we met with a specialist, had another ultrasound, and it clearly showed a membrane between the babies.  Praise God!  Our pregnancy is now monochorionic/diamniotic (one placenta but two amniotic sacs).  There are still some risks but they are much lower and our babies have an excellent chance of making a healthy entrance into the world.

So some details.  I am 9 weeks along.  My due date is June 3, although I will definitely have the babies before then.  Between 34 and 36 weeks is likely, depending on how they are growing and whether any complications such as twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) develop.  I will see both my doctor in Indiana and the specialist I saw today in Johnstown.  I will have ultrasounds about every two weeks to check on the babies growth and to look for signs of TTTS.

Rejoice with us friends, and thank God for His goodness. We have been walking through a bit of a valley the last two weeks but felt His presence the whole time. I read Psalm 145 the morning of that first ultrasound and verse 9 really stuck out: "The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made."  He made these babies, and his goodness and mercy is at work in them no matter what the end result of this pregnancy.  But I am so thankful that He has lifted from us the burden of an extremely high risk pregnancy.  Now I can start really thinking about what it will mean to be mommy to twins!  And it's a bit scary...

Aww, aren't they cute?  Baby B was quite active during the ultrasound
and showed us a little shimmy.

Mommy-Sanctioned Mess

Last spring I bought a plastic container and a 20 pound bag of rice for Austin to play with.  I thought it was a messy activity but worth it because he loved it so much.  I would kind of grin and bear it, you know?

Well, if I thought it was messy back then, that was nothing compared to what happened when Esther got in on the action today.  Once she threw the first cupful over her shoulder I realized there was nothing to do but relax and embrace the mess.  The kids played together happily for fifteen or twenty minutes and I just sat back and enjoyed watching them.

Pretty sure this cupful got flung backward a second later.

The floor looked much worse by the time we were done.

The fun had to come to an end when Austin informed me that Esther was eating the rice.  She put it in her mouth, then tried to get it out.  I helped, then she put another handful in.  Yuck.  So I put her in her highchair with some goldfish and cleaned up the kitchen.  Thankful for a good broom. :)

Weekend Research

For years our little town had no doughnut shop.  One of its few imperfections, in our opinion.  But all that has changed.  2011 witnessed the opening of not one but two doughnut shops.  First came Donut Connection in May, then Dunkin Donuts opened in September.

The obvious question, of course, is which doughnuts are better?  When we awaken on a Saturday with a craving for sugar, where do we go?  Some research was in order and we bravely carried it out.

The samples to be tested included a glazed doughnut, a sour cream doughnut, and a blueberry doughnut (Austin's request) from each store.  And the results:

Glazed: Zach preferred D.D. because its texture was "creamier" but Courtney preferred the flavor of the glaze from D.C.

Sour Cream: Zach liked the crunchier texture of D.C. and thought it had the better flavor.  Courtney preferred the texture of D.D. but agreed that the flavor of D.C. was better.

Blueberry: Zach liked D.D. because it was sweeter; Courtney thought it was a draw.

So bottom line...we don't really have a clear favorite, do we?  Donut Connection is within walking distance of our house so it is the choice for summer morning walks, but maybe Dunkin will be our winter choice?  I guess it's a win-win situation for our family.

Monkey Girl

Our little girl is a climber.  Thankfully she's a good climber and can climb down as well as up.  Still, it can make mommy a bit anxious.  Imagine what she'll be getting into when she's taller!

Not-so-recent Trip

The kids and I spent a week or so in Missouri at the end of September.  I took about two pictures on my camera; fortunately Mom and I took a bunch more with hers but I forgot to transfer them to my computer when I had the chance.  Mom sent me a CD this week, though, and I was kind of overwhelmed with how many adorable pictures there were.  (Oh nice camera, how I long for you to be mine.  Someday.)  The weather was beautiful the whole time we were there so we had lots of fun outings, and we spent lots of time with extended family and friends as well.

This is what happens when you try to get a three year old and two one
year olds to sit next to each other for a picture.

Three kids again and not one looking.  I think we look pretty good, though,  Megan.

A Walker at Last

Esther started taking a few steps weeks ago but she was in no hurry to become a real walker. Maybe she heard the pediatrician tell me on Thursday to call her if she didn't start walking in the next 4-6 weeks.  At any rate, something motivated her this weekend and she really took off. Now Austin tells me a dozen times a day "Look, Mommy, Esther's walking."  Yeah, Austin, she is, and about time!

How We Eat Bread

There is so much I could catch up on (we've been to Missouri and back since my last post) but I just wanted to take a minute tonight to record some cuteness from dinner.  Zach brought home a lovely baguette from our local bakery and of course Austin was more eager to eat that than his carrots or stuffed pepper.  But no plain bread for our boy; no, first he has to request that we pour "oyive oy," "vindegar" and "pardesan cheese" onto his plate for dipping.  I love it.  I am not eager for adult speech to overtake my little one.