8 Weeks Old

Wow...the girls are 8 weeks old today. It is so hard to believe that it has been 8 weeks already!

We take them to the doctor, next Wednesday. I am not really looking forward to it because they have to get shots but I am interested to see how much they weigh. Katelynn is catching up to Kendall.

They are doing really well. We started giving them baths every night around 9:00 because they were both being fussy after they ate at 10:00 pm. The baths seem to really be working! They are starting to sleep a little longer during the night. The only bad thing is that one night Katelynn will wake up so we have to wake Kendall to eat and then the next night Kendall will wake up so we have to wake Katelynn to eat...hopefully one of these nights they will both make it longer then 4 hours!

We are having lots of fun with them though!

I will try to be better about posting once a week...but I am a little busy you know!!


Kendall and Katelynn in their Phillies outfits from their Great Uncle John and Aunt Cathy!


Katelynn and Kendall

Kendall and Katelynn after a trip to Mimi's house.

Kendall and Katelynn in their pumpkin outfits from their Great Aunt Jan. We got their Halloween costumes the other day....you will have to wait and see what they are going to be! Love the pumpkin feet!

Katelynn and Kendall in their Pooh outfits from Great Uncle Russ and Aunt Wendy.

Kendall and Katelynn...they even sleep alike!

6 weeks old

Well the girls will be 6 weeks old tomorrow! I can't believe it!

They are doing really well. They have been doing really well with sleeping 4 hours in the middle of night before waking up to eat!

My mom, mother-in-law and sister have been very helpful! We could not have survived this far without them!

This is my favorite picture of them!


"It's all good with Grandma" shirts


They looked so cute in their duck outfits but they did not want to be photographed!


Molly, Katelynn (who was sleeping), Kendall and Mary


Another one of my favorites!

1 month old

The girls were 1 month old yesterday! We can't believe it has already been a month since they were born.

We went to the doctor for their 1 month visit.
Kendall weighs 6 lbs 8 oz and is 19 3/4 in long
Katelynn weighs 5 lbs 1 oz and is 18 1/2 in long

They are doing well!!


Kendall in her first Purdue shirt!


Katelynn in her first Purdue shirt!


Daddy holding both the girls.


Mommy holding both the girls!


Katelynn and Kendall


Katelynn with her eyes open.

Kendall with her eyes open.

The Girls are home!!!

The girls came home on Tuesday! We were very excited and nervous at the same time!

Kendall is now 5 lbs 10 oz and Katelynn is 4 lbs 6 oz.

Kendall can no longer fit into preemie clothes. She is wearing new born. Katelynn is still wearing preemie clothes, and thanks to a friend we have plenty of those.


Katelynn and Kendall. They look more alike in person. Katelynn does have light skin and light hair like her mommy and Kendall has darker hair and darker skin like her daddy.


The ride home.


Our surprise when we got home. My mom, sister and little Mary decorated.


Kendall and Katelynn


Katelynn Kendall

Pictures

Here are some pictures of the girls!

Kendall is now 5 pounds 3 ounces and Katelynn is 4 pounds.

They are doing well! They are growing and eating which is what we need them to do!

Kendall Grace

Katelynn Elizabeth

Well the girls decided that they were ready to enter the world a little early! Kendall Grace and Katelynn Elizabeth were born on Friday, August 6 at 4:09 and 4:10 am by c-section.

They are still in the NICU but are doing well!

Kendall Grace was 5 pounds 1 oz
Katelynn Elizabeth was 3 pounds 12 oz

I came home on Sunday.

Pictures to come!

33 weeks

Well I am 33 weeks today and I think we are have everything ready!! Everything is put together, the bases for the car seats are in the truck, the bag is packed and the clothes are washed!

Here is a picture of me at 32 weeks 5 days! I actually don't look that big in this picture. I am interested to see what I am measuring at the next appointment!


The girls got their first Harley Davidson outfit from their Great Aunt Alice and Uncle Greg who live in FL. They are so cute!!



People keep asking me about my cravings. I crave anything that has to do with breakfast. Pancakes, waffles, muffins, bagels, cereal, biscuits and gravy....I could eat breakfast for all 3 meals!

I am feeling pretty good. Sleeping is always a challenge but besides that, I can't complain.

We have a non-stress test at the hospital tomorrow and then a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. A week from Monday we have another ultrasound. We are interested to see how much the girls have grown.

We will keep you posted!

The Room.....

The room is done!!

We have almost everything put together, we just have a swing left. We still have a few more things to buy and then I think we will be set. Well as set as you can be when bringing home 2 babies!! ha ha!!

Here is a picture of the room.

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This is a picture of me at 31 weeks and 6 days! I look horrible and that shirt makes me look huge...oh wait...I am huge!!



Next week I only go to the hospital for a non-stress test. Then the following week we have a non-stress test and doctor's visit. We will keep you posted! Right now I am just keeping my feet up so they don't swell and trying to get comfortable while sleeping!

Growing like weeds....

Well we had our 3rd ultrasound today!!

5 weeks ago, Twin A was 12 oz and Twin B was 14 oz.

Today Twin A was 3 lbs 11 oz and Twin B was 3 lbs 8 oz!!
So at 30 weeks, I am carrying around 7 pounds of baby!! I still have at least 6 weeks left!!

Twin B is very active so I was sure that she was going to weigh more. I thought for sure that she was bullying her sister for the food. Guess Twin A can fight for herself!!

We were very pleased to see how much they are growing and that they are so close in weight!

Twin A is still head down and Twin B is breech. We also clarified the information about the placenta and the sac. The babies are in the same placenta but they each have their own amniotic sac. The reason they think they are identical is because they are in the same placenta, there is a thin membrane between them and they are both girls.

We have another doctor's appointment next Tuesday and I go to the hospital as well!

We will keep you posted and I will start posting weekly pictures so you can see the growth!

The Girls' First Car

Last week we received the news that no car owner wants to hear...that the transmission on Heather's 6 year old SUV with 62,000 miles was beginning to show signs that it was failing. So on top of everything else, we suddenly found ourselves in search of a vehicle. After an intense negotiation that ended up lasting almost a week, we ended up purchasing a Chevy Tahoe. We are hopeful that the Tahoe will give us the space that our soon-t0-be family of 4 will need. Heather and the girls will be riding in style even if it means that dad will have to drive a moped if gas prices rise again.



Make sure you scroll down, there is another post before this one.

30 weeks

This is a picture of me at 30 weeks.

We had a doctor's appointment last week and everything is going great. The doctor that we saw was Dr. Short. She is awesome! We talked with her about the birth and the best way to deliver the babies. Right now Baby A is head down and Baby B is breech. She said as long as Baby A stays head down, then we can go natural. Once Baby A is out, they will flip Baby B. She said there will be 2 doctors in the delivery room and 9 times out of 10, they are able to flip Baby B. So that was very encouraging.

She also talked about them being identical. We talked about ways to help us tell the difference between them. She said that sometimes they will paint their toe nails different colors or we can put different colored bracelets.

I only have 4 days left at the library. Not that I am counting or anything! It has been a fun experience but I am ready to be done. Then I plan to kick up my feet. They are pretty swollen these days!

I am having Non-stress tests once a week at the hospital, doctor's appointments every 2 weeks and ultrasounds every 4 weeks. We have an ultrasound on Wednesday. So we will see how big each baby is.

We will keep you posted after the ultrasound.

Twin Rules

Ethan's dad is an identical twin so this was written by his dad and uncle. This was read at our shower.

Dearest Heather and Ethan,
In preparation for the arrival of the twins, Uncle Greg and I have taken the liberty to prepare the following Twin Rules. Being that we are the only twins in the collective gene pool we represent ourselves as experts in this matter. ;-)
1. Dressing the twins the same must cease after 1st grade. It is only cute to the observer.
2. Under no circumstances are these beautiful babies to be entered into tap dance lessons or be entered into any toddlers and tiaras like competition. We were placed in tap lessons against our will in second grade. Having shown no latent talent for such foolishness we believe we were being exploited as a possible cash cow for our mother.
3. Rhyming names such as Perry and Jerry, Jenny and Penny are strictly forbidden. Remember the twins have to live with this silliness longer than the parents.
4. Historical data indicates that twins raised as Cubs Fans are more likely to be incarcerated in their life time. “GO SOX”.
5. Always insure that you have the correct offender when administering discipline. Taking a whooping for your twin does not qualify under the taking one for the team rule.
6. Embrace each twin’s individuality. On birthdays receiving individual different gifts is wonderful.
Regards,
The Expert Panel of Twinness

This was written by Ethan's mom and dad.

Dearest Heather and Ethan,
As Jane and I embrace our new liberal environment here in the great northwest we have compiled a list of names which we feel would be appropriate for our new granddaughters. Please feel free to mix and match as you see fit.
1. Moon Beam and Sunshine
2. Chardonnay and Chablis
3. Patchouli and Willow
4. Zanadu and Venus
5. Cheyenne and Dakota
6. Prairie and Meadow
7. Trillium and Morning Glory
Peace Out
Nana and Grand Faather

GIRLS!!!

We are excited to announce that we are having GIRLS!! We were shocked because we were both convinced that they were boys but we are very happy! I can't wait to take them shopping!!

We do not have names picked out yet. We have a few ideas but have not decided for sure yet! Once we do decide, we will wait to share the names once the babies are born!

Sunday was our shower. We would like to thank everyone for all of the wonderful gifts. We are pretty much set now!!

Below are some pictures from the shower! We revealed the sex of the babies at the shower. The cakes were decorated with pink and purple. Then each table had either a pink or purple balloon on it! This was a fun way to announce the sex.

2 cakes!


All the tables had a different book and a stuffed animal to go along with it. I think the girls are set with stuffed animals! We also asked everyone to bring their favorite children's book to start a library for the babies!


All the presents!


Ethan and I opening!


The nursery with all the stuff from my school shower and this shower!


We can't even walk in the nursery! This is my project for Tuesday!

Measuring at full term....

Well we went to the doctor on Wednesday. Everything is looking great! We will start going to see the doctor every 2 weeks now. I also will be going to the hospital every 2 weeks to have a non-stress test. Since there are 2 babies and there is a lot of movement, they just monitor to make sure that I am not having contractions. They will hook up heart monitors on the outside of my stomach to monitor the babies. Ultrasounds are still every 4 weeks.

I am almost 28 weeks and I am measuring 40 weeks which is full term! ha ha...

Sunday is my shower so that is when we will reveal the sex!!

Below is a picture of Ethan...practicing with our niece Molly!

26 weeks

Not the greatest picture of me...so just look at the belly!! ha ha!!

10 to 11 weeks left??!!

If the babies come early like the doctors say, I only have 10 to 11 weeks left. Not that I am counting or anything!! ha ha!!

The babies are moving a lot now. Ethan is able to feel them move and sometimes just by looking at my stomach, he can see them move. They really get moving when I drink orange juice and sometimes other sweet things.

We had an ultrasound and Twin A weighs 12 oz and Twin B weighs 14 oz. This is good, they want their weight to be within 20% of each other! So Twin B may be hogging a little bit more of the food but not too much!

The shower is in 2 weeks and then we will reveal the sex!!! They are pretty sure that they are identical. There is a membrane that they look at. When they are identical, the membrane is thin. The membrane is thin and they ARE the same sex! They can't know for sure until they are born but most likely they are.

Next doctors appointment is June 23rd. I have to drink the "special drink" for this appointment so that they can do the glucose test. We also hope to ask more questions. We will keep you updated on anything new!

All my friends at Liberty Elementary threw me a "Baby Baby" Shower. It was wonderful. We got a lot of great stuff as well as gift cards. They have been burning a hole in my pocket but I will wait until after my other shower to spend them.

Thank you again to all my Liberty friends!

Here are some pictures!

2 cakes!




My mom, sister and nieces came!


Diaper Raffle- people brought diapers and then got to enter a raffle to win a prize. We got a lot of diapers which will be helpful! We read that we could use 4,000 in a year! So that means 8,000 for us!!



Presents

Here is a picture from the last day of school!!!

I am 24 1/2 weeks!!

I am feeling pretty good just tired! I will be doing an internship for my Master's degree at the Valpo Public Library this summer. It is only 20 hours a week for 6 weeks. Besides that, I will be doing a lot of relaxing!!