I have no good excuses for being so late on updating the blog! The holidays always seem to take over when they roll around, and the new year usually starts off with plenty on the list. But, never the less, it’s time to catch up with all that’s been happening.
The holidays this year were, for us, probably some of the best we will ever remember. Just before Thanksgiving we learned that we were expecting twins. My brother and his wife had also just had their twins, who were two tiny miracles still in the NICU, but doing well. My sister had just become engaged to be married, and so many great things were happening. At Thanksgiving, we truly were grateful in deeper ways than we had ever remembered. Not only had so many prayers been answered, but our whole family was being abundantly blessed with more than we had ever expected. The turkey dinners and mashed potatoes held a new meaning this year as we reflected on the blessings in our lives. I dare say that it was more humbling to count our many blessings than ever before.
Christmas was an extension of those great feelings of gratitude. I know pregnancy brings out a lot of unusual emotions, but I couldn’t help but think of Mary and her sweet baby. Of course, she knew who He would be and the great responsibility and blessing it was to be a mother weighed heavy on her heart. And, although I am far from worthy of comparison to Mary, I kept thinking of the plan and purpose that Heavenly Father has for these little babies of ours. I couldn’t help but wonder why it was such a process to even get this far and why did we have to wait so long? With statistics against us, why did they both progress and why were they coming as twins? What were they going to accomplish in this life? Maybe some of this is just logistics, but the Christmas season brought so much reflection of miracles, the Father’s plan for us as individuals, and the importance of righteous families bringing children into the world. I felt a new responsibility to make sure that I was the mother I needed to be to these babies and Brooklyn, now and in the future. Of course, the emotions of the season are always strong, but this year they were almost overwhelming at times. Even Jerry caught the emotion-bug and we both had several times when it was too difficult to hold back the tears. We were so full of such gratitude for the whole experience, the blessings received from others, the success of the process, the health of mom and babies, and the promises and challenges that lie ahead in the future. As a family we tried really hard to focus on thinking of and serving others because we had felt so blessed. We really wanted Brooklyn to feel and understand that the miracles in our family were only possible with the generous blessings, love, and prayers of so many others. So, we did things like the 12 days of Christmas to a family near us who are struggling, and tried to help her focus on opportunities for service and gratitude during the season. Many of the gifts we gave or received were a reflection of the miracles and blessings we had experienced. It was an emotional Christmas season, but a wonderful way to celebrate the birth of our Savior, the plan of our Heavenly Father, and the many ways He blesses us.
The new year has brought more busy days…back to school and real life, back to work after a nice long holiday break, and back to a more normal schedule for all of us. Jerry’s work had stayed very busy due to a damaging wind storm just before the holidays. Brooklyn came down with a nasty cold and a double ear infection the first week back to school. I’ve started getting a fatter tummy, and actually worked a little, and life is back in full swing.
The babies are getting bigger! I’ve been seeing my doctor every 3-4 weeks. This week I will be 15 weeks into the pregnancy, and it’s starting to show. Not ready for maternity clothes yet, but the regular jeans are ‘unbutton-able’ now. Mostly I just feel like I ate way too much! I am feeling a lot better than I had been over the holidays, though. I had forgotten how yucky you can feel being nauseated all the time. I was not so sick that I couldn’t continue with daily life, but it sure does wear you down. For the last three weeks or so I’ve felt much better and am grateful for that! I do get hungry a lot, and am still a little picky about what sounds good to eat. But if you know me, I can eat most anything. I haven’t had any real specific cravings, but have liked fresh and ‘clean’ food. I have felt more tired than I expected, but again, not too much to complain about. I could be in bed for 12 hours a night and still want a nap…but who gets a nap!? Bed time is always a welcome sight. Jerry and Brooklyn have been so loving and helpful to me, though. They are both so patient and helpful when I need them to be. They like to rub the Buddha belly already and we talk about possible names for the little ones. Brooklyn is pretty funny and intent on what she wants to name them and what they will be. She is getting more and more excited. It’s fun to watch.
I see the doctor tomorrow for a checkup. At the 12 week visit the end of December, both babies were moving a lot and seemed happy. The doctor said that if they were moving that much they most likely had normal brains and normal spinal cords…never thought of that but it seemed appropriate. I was glad to hear it. You could see their arms and legs and hands and feet. They looked like little people and not just gummy bears. So much of the development and formation of the body occurs early in the pregnancy. It’s amazing to think about how much has already happened in just a few weeks. Within the next visit or two we should know the gender of the babies. So, maybe in a month when we know for sure, we will make an announcement. Now they will start to put on more weight and concentrate on growing. It will be fun to see how they change. Our fridge is plastered with ultrasound pictures to remind us of the fun and crazy blessings we love already!
We continue to be amazed that we are even in this situation. It’s been interesting to watch people react to the news and who is interested to hear more. Those who know the whole story obviously seem to be more connected and appreciative of the progress. And, those family members and friends closest to us are still our greatest source of encouragement and support. I love to observe the ‘human experiment’ of this. For us, it’s still very personal and emotionally close to the surface. Every day we pray in gratitude for the blessing we’ve received, and then plead for continued help and blessings. We are so grateful for the thoughts and support from our loved ones…our great family and friends!
