2009

We are thanking the Lord for a wonderful year! Finding out in the spring that we were expecting, having a great and healthy pregnancy, and now being a family with our two precious boys...wow!

On Tuesday Caleb and Logan turned one month old. My little peanuts are growing up so fast! :) It's hard to notice some changes when you're with them all the time, but one thing I can see is that Caleb's face is filling out a little. It is fun having them more awake and alert now. They are following objects with their eyes - me being one of the objects, which is totally fun. :)

We try giving both of them some 'tummy time', but Logan definitely likes it better. They both were good at picking their heads up before we left the hospital already, and they continue to do well with that, especially when on their tummies.

Caleb has had a bit of an eye infection, but we got drops for it and it is clearing up nicely so far. We felt so bad - his eyes would be just terribly gooped up and stuck shut, poor thing!

They have gradually been making it longer in between feedings at night. Last night we went six hours between feedings - yippee!


It's been interesting to think back to what the babies were like in the womb, and how they are now. While I was pregnant they always quieted down at night and I hoped that meant they would be good sleepers - so far so good! And, we know that Logan, Baby B, was a little troublemaker during pregnancy, and so far that seems like it still might be the case! Okay, he's not a troublemaker, he's just a little fiestier. :)


In other news, this has been an exciting time in both Mike and my families - Mike's youngest stepbrother just became engaged this week, so we have a wedding to look forward to! And, my brother and his family moved to a new house this week. They weren't very far away, but now they are even closer - the boys have lots of cousins close by to play with! Mike's youngest brother and his wife just flew in from Kenya for a visit, we look forward to seeing them soon. One of my nieces accepted Jesus as her Savior yesterday - how exciting! What a great way to start off the year!!

Have a great 2010!

where it all began

Today Caleb and Logan made their very first visit to Daddy's work (and maybe their future place of employment, too??). And yes, that is where it all began! For those of you who don't know our story, Mike and I met at Schreur Farms way back in the summer of 1999. We didn't start dating until a few years later and we had both moved onto other jobs, but Mike ended up back there over a year ago after getting laid off from excavating. And, then this past spring we were at the farm when we got the good news from the doctor that we were pregnant! So, did I imagine over 10 years ago when I met this handsome guy named Mike that now I'd be married to him and have two beautiful sons with him and we'd still be involved at Schreur Farms?? Nope! It sure can be fun to see God's plan for our lives. :)

So, I managed to get the boys ready, loaded in the car, and over to the farm all by myself! We've been out with them a number of times already, but this was the first time I did it all alone. It definitely takes planning and preparation, but it is doable!

This has been a week of firsts. I had some Christmas shopping that still needed to be done, so Aunt Lea Anne came over and watched the boys so I could go out. This was my first time away from them! We all survived. :)

Caleb and Logan are doing great. Eating and sleeping well. We thought the first couple weeks that we had gotten lucky and didn't end up with spitters, but alas, that has changed. It's mostly Logan (of course!), but Caleb does his share too. Between the burp cloths, their clothes, and my clothes we come up with about one load of laundry each day. I can't imagine how much laundry I would have if we were using cloth diapers... Speaking of diapers, yikes! They're not cheap, and we use lots. :)

who's crying?

This is our new game - if we're in another room and one of the boys starts crying, we try to guess who it is. We're not right 100% of the time, but I'm sure we'll get there after a little longer!

Caleb and Logan are doing great! Last night we had to take them in to the doctor to get weighed just to make sure they are gaining like they should, and they must be eating good because they are gaining! Caleb weighed in at 6lbs 13oz, and Logan is 7lbs. So as long as everyone stays healthy, no more visits to the doctor until their two-month check up.

This week I was mostly on my own while Mike was at work and it went very well. A few times when I'm not sure what to do with two crying babies, but that hasn't happened too often. Caleb and Logan are a little fussier in the afternoons/evenings, but overnight and the rest of the day they do great. They are really good babies!

Want to know how to get attention? Go out in public with two new babies! We've gone a few places with the boys now, and we get lots of looks, comments, and questions. We're not sick of it yet. :)

Macy, our dear, dear cocker spaniel, did something last night that we've never caught her doing before and we're hoping isn't a habit... I caught her drinking out of the toilet!! Maybe she's just acting out because she's not getting as much attention, and she's not happy about spending more time outside in the kennel.

Well, I've got one baby sleeping contentedly on my chest, and Mike has the other - ahhhhh, this is the life! :)

the wait is over!

Can you believe I haven't had time to update our blog?! :) I started this entry a few days ago, let's see if I actually finish it now...

Well, after months of waiting to hold our boys in our arms, the time finally came! We

checked into the hospital on Friday, November 27th, to be induced. The doctor had decided the babies were big enough and

it was time for them to be born.

I was started on Pitocin first thing, which meant I had to be on monitors constantly - one for each baby, and one for contractions. Ugh, what a pain. Our very active boys kept moving around and they had trouble keeping them on the monitors. Plus, I was very uncomfortable in bed, but anytime I tried to shift positions they'd lose one of the babies on the monitor. So, most of the day was spent with a nurse fiddling with the monitors - very annoying and frustrating. And, of course, labor wasn't progressing.

Friday night the doctor gave us three options: 1. stay on Pitocin and hope things kicked in 2. go home and come back in a couple days (no way!!!) 3. try a different drug overnight and go back on Pitocin the next day. The doctor was leaning towards #3 and that sounded good to us. What was nice about this other medication was that I only had to take it every 4 hours, and only had to be on the monitors for 1/2 before taking it and an hour after - so I actually had some 'free' time!

Saturday late morning the contractions finally got stronger and more regular. They put me back on Pitocin to make sure things kept progressing. Mid-afternoon I got an epidural. The contractions stayed strong and regular, but things just didn't move along. It was a long night - I had to push the button every 15 minutes to keep my epidural up - they kept reminding me I needed to be good and numb at delivery time because of Baby B being breech.

Sunday morning, after two days in the hospital it was finally time to bring these boys into the world. It was around a shift change for the nurses, and the doctor wanted to make sure it happened with them all there because he knew Baby B would be a little stunned by the breech delivery. So, he sped things up by delivering Baby A with forceps - he cried right away and it was just amazing to see him. Then the doctor grabbed Baby B and we got him out - it was a good thing the doctor warned me he would be stunned from the delivery because he was limp and not breathing. But, they got him going right away and he was just fine!

After seeing both babies we decided to name Baby A, Caleb Donald, and Baby B, Logan Harold. For those of you who don't know us as well, the middle names are after their grandfathers. Kinda handy to have two boys at once so we didn't have to choose one! :) Caleb weighed in at 6lbs 7oz, and Logan was 7lbs 3oz. I'm really not sure how they both fit in my belly!

Sunday afternoon we had a bit of a scare with Logan. Being the second born and breech, he ended up with a bunch of fluids that he needed to get rid of. He started choking at one point and was not getting any air - he turned purple fast! Mike yelled for the nurses and they were in the room and working on him immediately (we love the nurses, they were wonderful through our whole stay!). They had him breathing again in no time.

We came home on Tuesday, December 1. The first couple nights weren't so hot, but then the boys started to figure out daytime and nighttime. We have to get up a few times to feed, but for the most part they are sleeping well - what a blessing! Mike went back to work this past Tuesday, it has been so hard for him! He just wants to stay home and be with his boys - and I would certainly love it if he could. :) My sister has been here this week helping during the day and it's been great. It's wonderful to have an extra pair of hands, plus she's been cooking, cleaning, and even decorated our Christmas tree.

Last Friday we took Caleb and Logan to their first doctor's appointment. They had normal weight loss - Caleb was down to 5lbs 13oz, and Logan was down to 6lbs 7oz. The doctor thought they looked a little jaundiced, so we had to take them in for bloodwork. What a pain! Their levels were up from what they were in the hospital, but not high enough to need the special blanket. We had to take them in again on Saturday for more bloodwork (again, what a pain!), and their levels were decreasing so that's a good sign.

They stayed quietly sleeping so I could finish this entry - yay! :)

house update

As requested, here are a few updated pics of the house...

The living room in it's current state. Finally free from the big pile of baby stuff in the corner! Also, notice the 'new' chair on the right - so exciting to finally have a chair that matches the room! Take a hard right to walk through the room and that wall is totally open, just waiting to put the Christmas tree up later.

The former office, which is now the playroom (but will start out as the babies' room so we don't have to go upstairs right away). The loveseat will normally be in the living room, but we wanted something to sit on in this room, plus make room for the Christmas tree.

The new office. This is the 'open room' at the top of the stairs.

The nursery currently. Needs a few odds and ends completed, but we're almost there! Can't wait to see what the curtains look like when we get them up - made by my mom and I, and we are NOT seamstresses (but she does better with that stuff than she thinks she does...).

The new upstairs bathroom. Also needs a few small things finished, but is very close to being done. I'm very excited for it to be completed so I can decorate with all the fun monkey-themed stuff!

just a little bit longer...

I am SO ready to move on with things and have these babies here! For a while I was getting uncomfortable and of course excited to meet our boys, but I wasn't feeling like I couldn't handle one more day of being pregnant - now I've hit the point where I'm really anxious to just be done with it. I was wondering how in the world someone with one baby can make it to 40 weeks without going crazy, but the doctor reminded me today that I've hit the miserable point sooner than someone with just one baby would.

Babies are doing great and very happy in there - hopefully they don't like it TOO much, and decide to come out soon! The doctor is pleased with how they do during the non-stress tests, and they are growing good. Actually, he did a very rough measurement today (normally he just takes a quick look to check heart rates) and they are probably about 6 pounds each. 12 pounds of baby in there! Yikes! No wonder I'm ready to be done. The doctor had said a few weeks ago that he would induce if I made it to 38 weeks, but after measuring them today he said that if I make it to next week we'll plan an induction for that week (which would be the 37th week). So there IS an end in sight! This could be a long week though...

Baby B is going to keep us guessing. He has flipped around again and is body crosswise and head up. Ugh! I have no idea how he has any room to move around so much, but apparently he's not happy to just get into position and stay there. Whereas Baby A has been locked and loaded in the proper position for quite some time now. I am very curious to see if this is any indication of their personalities - will Baby A be more laid back, and Baby B more active? Maybe B is more athletic. Although, Mike has dreams of them being basketball stars together. :)

We had our very own maternity photo session this weekend - I am really not comfortable in front of the camera! Even though I'm used to directing people, I have no idea what to do myself in that position. I'm really anxious to see how the photos turned out - besides the fact that it's documenting an important time in our lives, Mike and I don't have our picture taken together much, so it's just nice to have that done once. Below is a snapshot taken a little over a week ago - maybe not my best angle at this point...and why do I have to have such a skinny husband?? :) I passed him up in weight probably a few weeks ago, my only consolation is that I'm only 3 inches shorter than him. I shouldn't be too bad off though once I get 12+ pounds of baby out, plus all the other fun stuff that comes along with them!

mindset

Well, the doctor walked in today and knew I wasn't in labor because I'm still smiling. :) But he does want me to start thinking labor! He said it's just nicer if the babies come on their own, rather than getting to the point of having to induce. As long as they keep doing okay he'll let me go a few more weeks, but he doesn't want to leave two babies in there too long and I guess it's debateable on how long is too long. So he's getting a little anxious for things to start happening. I told him I'd like to have at least another week so we can finish up the odds and ends of our house projects and have a few days to chill before things get really crazy - he said as long as I'm thinking that way they'll probably come soon and not give me that time! :)

Both are still head down, and it's very unlikely to change at this point - it's pretty cramped in there, and they're settled into their own little bit of space that they have. We could see on the ultrasound that they are starting to 'breathe' - obviously they're just taking in amniotic fluid at this point, but the doctor said they don't start doing this until a couple weeks before birth and it's a good sign that they are going through that exercise. If there were to start getting stressed in there they wouldn't do it anymore.

So, the house is pretty much ready! Just need to tie up a few loose ends, and the house needs a good post-construction cleaning. Ugh. Thankfully I've got people that can help so I'm not trying to do it all myself! My energy level is definitely very low - even if I manage to get a decent night's sleep. And if I DON'T sleep well? Watch out! I turn into a cranky, emotional pregnant lady. My dear hubby does a pretty good job of handling it. :)

Things are still quite busy farming wise (which doesn't help with my stress level when I'm tired...). Soybean harvest FINALLY finished at the end of last week! What a yucky fall for trying to get crops in. Now it's right on to corn. The ground is wet, and the corn is wet, but they're able to roll with it. Slows things down out in the fields, and the corn will need extra dry time in the bin, but at least they're able to get out there and work on it!

commute

Now is when I'm especially glad that we live so close to the hospital! I get to go 2x a week now - once a week for my normal check-up with the doctor, and once a week for a non-stress test. The doctor wants me to have the NST weekly in between visits to him just to keep an eye on the babies as we near the end and they run out of room to move around in there - it'll be harder for me to tell if they are as active as they should be.

The boys appear to be doing well - we're at 34 weeks, which is great! Let's hope for at least two more weeks before they make an appearence. It's hard to believe that probably sometime within the next four weeks we'll be holding our little babies! I'm not terribly nervous about labor and delivery yet, maybe I just haven't thought about it enough...

Baby B is now head down again. Phew! His body is actually somewhat crosswise, but once Baby A is out he'll probably drop into place better. Or so the doctor says...

I did get the H1N1 vaccine today - I had been on the fence about it, but decided to go for it. Thankfully, my doctor's office had two doses left so it wasn't a big hassle to get it. Now, what to do with two new little babies born in the middle of a flu pandemic?? This will be interesting.

We are down to odds and ends with our remodeling. Hopefully we can pretty much wrap things up this week and maybe have a little time to relax before our lives change forever. :)

Remodel Update

Okay, so as soon as the carpet guys left I went upstairs to take some pics! Here's the latest:


Here's the view when you first step into the 2nd floor, looking down the hallway. I'm standing in the open room that will become the office, the 'funny shaped room' is the first door on the left, the nursery is the far room on the left, 'Mike's office' is at the end of the hall (he just likes to call it that...), and the bathroom is the door on the right. The hallway floor will be painted.

Here's the 'funny shaped room'. We're waiting to paint the walls until we know what this room will be used for.

Here's the nursery with brand new carpet! It's not really that stripey, just looks that way because they vacuumed it or something.

Here's 'Mike's office'. We decided to wait on painting the walls until we know down the road what this room will be used for, but we went ahead and had the ceiling and woodwork painted, and the carpet laid.

And, ta-da, the biggest transformation of all, the bathroom! This is looking in from the hallway. Behind the new wall immediately on the right is the tub/shower. You can just see the end of the counter top/cabinets to the right of the window.

Blur

Let's see what I can remember about our lives since the last blog update...things have been rather hectic so it's a bit of a blur!

First of all, I don't have any up to date remodel pics - it's on my to do list to get up there today and snap a few. So for those of you who want to see, please be patient!

Painting is ALMOST complete. Ceilings, woodwork, and walls are complete (and I think look great!), and the painter will be back next week to paint the floors. He's waiting until carpet and tile are done to do that. We are carpeting the bedrooms, tiling the bathroom, and painting the floor of the 'open room' and hallway. Carpet layers are upstairs banging away as I type, so things will look different in just a few hours! Having painting done and carpet down in the nursery means that I'll be able to start moving things into the nursery, which I am very much looking forward to. :) Mike and my Dad got started on tiling the bathroom last night. All the tile is cut and ready to be laid, which they'll do tonight.

Friday night we discovered that we could not get the tile we wanted for the bathroom. Yes, we should have checked sooner (and before basing decisions such as counter top and paint on it...), but things have been too busy and because of Mike's work schedule we could never get to the tile store while it was open. Thus began a frantic search for new tile. Obviously we found something we think will work. It's a little different and I'd still rather have our first choice, but I think this will look nice. They've got it all laid out upstairs, I should go take a look...

Saturday was the first day of soybean harvest on my dad's farm. Mike was still finishing up with the celery harvest, so that means he went straight from one farm to the other! Which, as many of you know, is not something that's unusual for him. :) Monday morning I was able to help my dad unload a few wagons of beans (they got backed up because an auger needed repair) - so yes, I am still able to do some farming even in my 'condition'. Just getting the boys used to the loud machinery! With the way this fall is going, they'll get to ride in the combine during corn harvest after they're born.

On Monday Mike's crew finished up with their part of the celery harvest. Yesterday the other crew finished, so celery harvest is done for another year! I can't believe how fast it goes - seems like we were just out there planting this spring when we had JUST found out I was pregnant and this fall seemed so far away...

So, Baby B might be our little stinker. Remember how last time both babies were head down and that wasn't likely to change? Well, it did. Baby B decided to flip and go breech again. It's still possible for him to flip back, but the further along we get the less likely that becomes. Oh well, we'll take them whatever way they come!

I only have one more week of classes and then I'll be done until later in the winter/spring! It's been going well, but really wearing me out. Wednesday's are my big day this session, and I could hardly function when I got home last night because I was so exhausted. It takes a little extra effort to be carrying around a bunch of extra weight right in your front! :)

There is one thing I don't like about living in an old farmhouse - and those of you that live in one yourselves know what fall means...mice! Thankfully we haven't had a really bad problem, we've gotten a few in traps here and there. Macy has never caught a mouse, but maybe just having her inside deters them a little bit? But, we have had something happen a couple times now that I really don't like. Somehow a mouse will get into the wall near the office (Mike's going to investigate if they're actually getting into the cold air return), it won't be able to get out, then it will die. And then it stinks.... So gross!!

Well, I must have ended up remembering most things because this got pretty long. :)

8 pounds

Is anyone still reading this?? If so, please check in! It's just nice to know if this is getting read. :)



So, we've got a couple of big boys on our hands! I guess that's no surprise given the family history. I have almost 8 lbs of baby inside, no wonder I'm starting to get a little uncomfortable! Most people are delivering their one baby at this size, but my boys have probably 6 weeks of growing left to do before they make their appearance. Yikes, this could get interesting...



Yesterday we had an extensive ultrasound where they do a bunch of measuring to make sure everything looks good and the babies are growing at about the same rate. As far as we know everything looks fine! Interesting - at 20 weeks when we had an extensive ultrasound Baby B's feet were bigger, but now this time Baby A's feet are slightly longer. That's not something that would have gotten measured yesterday, but we mentioned something about it and thats when the technician said she remembered us from last time and so I think she had fun checking the feet for us. I'm a little worried about ending up with children that have big feet, and it's a legitimate concern - it can be very hard to find shoes that fit and don't cost a fortune!



Things are really moving along with the remodel. These photos of the bathroom are from a couple weeks ago, so things already look quite different. Thanks to my honey, my dad, and my brother the upstairs was ready for the painter to come this morning (I helped some too, but couldn't do as much as I would have liked - thankfully I have a very understanding husband who knows I can't do everything I normally would). After painting, the bathroom will need a few things done, but the 'major' work is complete. And the bedrooms will get carpeting after painting is complete. Things already look different (especially the bathroom!) but will really look different in the next 1-2 weeks! I'm looking forward to having the work completed so we can start putting things in the rooms and get organized and settled. The rest of the house is a bit of a disaster right now so we could have the upstairs cleared for all the work to be done.

Last weekend was another wonderful baby shower. This was given by my sister-in-law, Kara, and was for Krol friends and family. It was a nice time of visiting, playing games, and of course, eating good food! :) Again, I am so thankful for everyone's generosity. These boys will have everything they need, plus much more! With the way they seem to be growing, I hope they fit into the cute clothes that they are getting. :)



As always, thank you for your prayers for mine and the babies health. Everything has been going well and so please continue to pray that we stay healthy and they stay in as long as they need to!

30 Weeks and Counting

Wow, it's hard to believe we're at 30 weeks already! It felt like I was never going to get out of the single digits, and now the end is rapidly approaching. On the one hand we are super impatient to meet these boys face to face, and on the other hand we'd like to make sure we get some projects done! According to my doctor most of his twins come on their own around 36-37 weeks, if they don't he will induce at 37-38 weeks. So only 8 or less weeks to go!

Today was another good report from the doctor. My blood pressure is good, my weight is good, the babies' heartbeats are good - all around everything looks good! Both boys are head down - that could still change, but it's getting less likely. The doctor said that makes delivery too easy for him, he'd like the challenge of one being breech. :)

The super busy season is over for Mike so he was able to come along to today's appointment. He was especially excited to see the babies since it's been a couple months or so since he's been able to come. And we found out today that I will have another 'big' ultrasound next week, so hopefully he will be able to come to that as well. They will do a twin growth study to make sure the boys are growing at the same rate. If one was significantly larger than the other that would signal a problem.

The boys are very active. They do quiet down at night, so I hope that's a good sign!

My dad (and Mike when he's not at work) has been hard at work on the kids' bathroom upstairs. Things should be done to the point of being paintable by the end of this week. After painting, the floor will still need to be tiled. We are doing some of the painting ourselves, and hiring a painter for some. I still need to nail down some colors... Also after painting is complete, we will have carpet laid in the bedrooms upstairs. That I have chosen already - phew! Of course, there's still plenty to do to get ready even after walls are painted and floors are done... I fluctuate between feeling like there's plenty of time, and being nervous about how in the world we're going to do it all!

Last weekend was the first shower given for the babies. It was so much fun! My Steenwyk sisters-in-law threw a great party and were really creative with the twin theme. The photo at left is the cake for the shower - beautifully decorated and delicious! I enjoyed spending time with friends and family, and we received some generous gifts that we are very grateful for. This weekend is shower #2, and I'm looking forward to it!

We have so much to be thankful to the Lord for, and right now we are especially thankful for a wonderful pregnancy. I have been feeling great, and the babies and I are all staying healthy so far. These boys will be our little Thanksgiving gifts - what perfect timing!

Car Seats and Canoes

Last weekend we went on our annual canoe trip with Mike's high school friends - this was the 12th year for them! I've only been around for half of them, so I'm not an old-timer. :) The weather was absolutely gorgeous, couldn't have asked for better. We did not take a dog this year - I wanted a weekend with no responsibility! Even though it is fun having a dog on the river, it's also work and I just didn't feel like dealing with it. We do enjoy how people admire the dog as we're going down the river (we took Brandy one year, and Sadie other years), and Mike felt a little bad that we wouldn't have that this time, but instead he had a pregnant wife that garnered plenty of attention. :) I'm really not sure if we got more comments this year because of me, or in years previous with the dogs... I think a few people were a little surprised I would be in a canoe! It was a great time though, and even the camping went well thanks to a wonderful air mattress that we borrowed.

We have in our possession the car seats that we will be using for the boys. We have yet to try them out in the car, but I have a sneaking suspiscion we might have some space issues. A couple weeks ago when we babysat my niece we had her car seat in and we had to move the front passenger seat up - I moved the driver's side up the same amount to check it out and it makes driving quite uncomfortable. Of course, we'd be fine if Mike and I were shorter or if we were only having one baby. :) I am SO not mentally prepared for getting a minivan, but it just might have to happen. That's a major purchase that was not on our list of things to get - yikes!!

Tomorrow will be our last day of onion harvest. Phew! We've had such good weather for it that it's been go go go for a while now. As much as I enjoy it, I think I'm ready to be done - it's getting a little harder for me to move around, and just the busyness of it is a little taxing. It's a good thing with farming that you have the winter to recuperate, this pace would be impossible year round!

The babies are doing great, no major updates there. They are pretty active during the day, but thankfully let me sleep at night. From the way they've been positioned the last couple times I've seen them, they are hitting and kicking each other. I knew the fighting would be unavoidable, but I didn't think it would start so young!

Two Babies...Really?!

This weekend we had the pleasure of babysitting my 8 month old niece - not only is she adorable, but she really is a great baby. There were just a couple challenging moments with the rest of the time being a joy, but even while things were going well I just couldn't get the thought out of my head, "..two babies...add another one in here and how will we handle this situation??" Feeding, sleeping, changing diapers...it's certainly going to be a challenge! We are anxiously awaiting that time though. :)

More about my niece (I have several nieces and nephews who are all superstars, by the way!) - not only she is just too stinkin' cute and has a smile that will absolutely melt your heart, but she has a fun disposition as well. We found out recently that she loves the dogs, just like her brother! She just giggles and laughs like crazy when watching them, and she likes to touch them. My brother is not yet convinced that he'll have to get a dog someday for the kids, he thinks they'll get their fill just coming over here, but I'm not so sure...he might have to give in at some point! I am so grateful to have such gentle dogs - we are, of course, always very careful when kids are by the dogs, but I've seen hair pulled, tails stepped on, etc. with not a peep out of the dogs. They're great!

Mike's been quite busy at work. It's going well, and we're so thankful that he's in a job he loves. (And I mean that for real, I'm not just saying it because his boss might be reading this!) I've been able to help out some too, which has been great! I enjoy the work, I'm very grateful to still be able to climb in and out of a tractor at this point, and Mike and I like working together. :)

Thanks to the weather not being very good, we didn't have to work late on Thursday and were able to make the annual trip with my dad to the tractor pulls at the Hudsonville Community Fair. Of course, thanks to the weather not being very good that meant we had to sit in a drizzle most of the evening, but it wasn't too bad! The tractor pulls were loud and fun as always - and I think the boys liked them too. They were both very active at the beginning, then quieted down - so maybe they got used to the noise??

Diapers and Dusting

For those of you not on Facebook (and I know that's very few...), here's a photo of the babies and I at 22 weeks. Everybody's growing! For anybody interested in the details of my pregnancy, overall I am feeling great. I really expected to be feeling much worse! Even if I end up feeling miserable these last few months, at least I've made it this far! And yes, I know that every pregnancy is different, so I might not be so lucky (sorry Mom, 'blessed'...) next time - let's just get through this one and not worry about a next time. Sleeping is getting a little harder between the heartburn and having to wake up each time I need to roll over and change positions, but I'm still trying to store up as much sleep as I can right now! The babies are moving lots - the last couple weeks they've been especially active during church, that could be a good or bad sign...either they like it, or they're being naughty and not sitting still! Mike hasn't gotten to feel them anymore, other than church we never have a chance to sit down together, and when he's tried in church they hold still. He thinks they're being uncooperative, but I think it's more like "Oooo, Dad's here, we'd better behave!".

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of going to my first 'Mothers of Twins' club meeting. They were having a new mom's social. Interestingly, it was both encouraging and overwhelming all at the same time! I met some great moms who have so far survived having twins, and I think they will be a great encouragement in the coming months of craziness. Of course, having two babies is a bit overwhelming in and of itself - there are a whole host of things that parents having one baby at a time don't have to think about, and just like anything else, there are TONS of various opinions out there! Between feeding, sleeping, and what gear we really need, my head is spinning a bit. At the meeting they had lots of great door prizes, and I won the adorable diaper cake you see in the photo. (Did I ever think I'd be excited about diaper cakes???) For those of you who know me well, you know I'm rather shy in these types of situations, and I was just sitting there thinking, "I want to win something cool, just don't call my name first..." And what do you know, first name drawn, "Elizabeth K.!" So, I had to overcome my fear of going up to the table first, but that meant I had first choice of all the neat prizes. :)

Mike's work has had a crop duster come in a couple times now. I don't know why but I always thought it was airplanes that did it, but apparently helicopters do too. I was rather disappointed the first time it came that Mike didn't call and tell me it was there so I could come see it, so the other day he called to let me know it was back again. So, Macy and I drove over to watch a bit. This photo shows the helicopter just taking off from the truck where he lands to fill up - they set up right behind Mike's packing shed so I was able to get a good vantage point. It's pretty fascinating to watch the helicopter buzzing around over the fields, then coming right over me to go in for his landing on the truck. Macy wasn't quite sure what to think of it, I think maybe she thought it was a really big bird she should be trying to go after??

We haven't made a ton of headway on house projects, except we've discussed what we'd like the layout of the bathroom to be, and I've maybe made some headway on decision-making for decorating the nursery (I really need to just get over it and commit to something). One thing at a time...

Life

I really have nothing interesting to report - I just feel like I should post something, and I need something to do while scanning photos. Yes, I am actually scanning photos! This is one of those projects that has been hanging over my head for a very long time, and now I'm trying to get done what I can before the babies come. I'm hoping I can be super productive over the next few months.

We have our replacement windows installed - that's one thing we can check off our list! That went much easier than we originally expected, and Mike was able to do it all himself. There is still some painting and staining that needs to happen, but the windows are in. Next, the nursery needs wallpaper and carpet, the bathroom upstairs is getting a complete remodel, a room upstairs needs to be converted to the office, and the current office will be converted to a temporary nursery/longterm playroom. Yikes...that's alot!

Of course, we are just entering Mike's busiest time at work. His packing shed began running on Friday, and they started harvesting onions last week. Oh, and to add to that, last week his boss unfortunately hurt his knee, requiring surgery, and sprained the ankle on his other leg! Life will be interesting for the next little while!

I have been quite busy all summer with photography work, but right now things are slower, which in light of everything else going on I don't feel so bad - I've got plenty of other things to do to fill my time!

We will soon be done for a while with our caretaking duties. We have been keeping an eye on the farm while my parents were in South Africa for three weeks. They returned Wednesday, only to leave Thursday night for my cousin's wedding in Iowa! And for a week in there I had the pleasure of watching my niece's hamster while they were gone. During that time only one animal didn't make it, and it was our own, so overall we have a pretty good track record. :) Right now we've got four dogs under our watch - two are our own, one of the extras will be going home today, and the other stays for the week, but then I think the other one comes back for a night next weekend... You didn't know we ran a kennel service?? That might have to stop for a while after the babies come!

Mike got to feel one of the babies (Baby B) kick for the first time today! He has been very anxiously awaiting this. I have been feeling them for a while, but every time we tried for Mike to feel them they wouldn't cooperate.

All for now - I'll report in at a later date to let you know how productive we're being with all our projects...

Body Pillows, Bellies, and Babies

Based on a few recommendations I purchased a body pillow to aid with my sleeping comfort. It IS comfy, however, I did not realize we would also need a king size bed to accomodate this third person! I actually have to tuck this thing in at night - get it all under the covers and situated before I can get in. Mike asked why I can't snuggle with him to get comfortable - he's just not squishy enough! Sometimes during the day when I walk past our bedroom and out of the corner of my eye see the bed, it freaks me out that there's someone in it!

My belly is growing bit by bit, and I guess I'm noticeably pregnant, but I'm still a bit surprised that some brave souls are already asking if I'm pregnant, etc. I don't dare ask someone even if it's super obvious! You just never know. At this point I think I could still pass for just needing to go on a diet. If I thought I could pull it off, next time someone asks I would say that I'm not pregnant just to see how they handle that, but there's no way I could say it and keep a straight face!

Now for the more exciting part of this post. I'm actually wondering how many of you scanned through the first two paragraphs, not really reading them, to get down to this section. So, we had the 'big' ultrasound today. It took an hour and a half and they checked out and measured all sorts of stuff on each baby. Everything looks good - they both measure 20 wks and 1 day, which is 1 day ahead. They are both 12 oz. Baby B has big feet - given my family history I'm not surprised, but I'm hoping some other growing happens so they end up average sized... Both heart rates are good and fall in the normal range. Right now Baby A is breech and Baby B is head down - the position of who's A and B won't change, but there's still room and plenty of time for A to end up in a head down position. (Which is important for how they are born - A has to be head down otherwise I'll have a c-section.) Baby A was quite active today, and did not want to hold still for pictures. Oh, I almost forgot! Okay, not really, I'm just dragging this out... The baby who was so discreet last time did give us a between the legs view today. And.........it's a boy! So, we've got two little boys in there! My mind is already racing with all the trouble they are going to get into together. :) We got one picture today where just because of the angle it looks like Baby B is giving Baby A a hug OR has him in a headlock - guessing the second option would be more likely...

Well, now we can move ahead with more planning. We have LOTS of work to do in the next few months!

Farewell

Today we are saying good-bye to our dog, Brandy. She made it to just over 14 years, and it was a good ride! Mike got Brandy as a puppy for his 19th birthday in June 1995. They were best buds. I remember when we got married, and Brandy and I had to get to know each other - I know it sounds weird, but it can even be awkward with an animal! However, it didn't take long and she was 'my girl'.

It's been sad watching her age over the last few years, and we knew today was going to come sooner or later. This week it became clear that she was just suffering too much and we shouldn't try to hold on to her any longer. It was a quick and painless visit to the vet, and she is now buried by the woods (where there is plenty of room for our other dogs we are sure to have to bury in the future...).

We've talked about how at least Sadie will probably live long enough for our kids to become attached - I'm not quite sure how I'll help kids through it if I'm all emotional myself! We'll always have dogs, so this will be an every few years or so experience...

It is very strange to think we only have two dogs now - it seems so normal for us to have three, even though for most people that's a little overboard. We didn't plan on having three dogs, but it's been a blast!

Good-bye, Brandy - you were the best dog a person could ask for!

Haunted House

You'll all be happy to know that we do not have a haunted house! Not that I actually thought we had ghosts, but there have been some suspicious occurrences as of late, and today I was able to figure it out. So, we've got a stereo in the dining room that does not get used very often - actually, I want to sell it and just get a small under-cabinet cd player/radio for the kitchen. Last week, one of my nephews came to play and we listened to some music for a while. Ever since then, the stereo has periodically turned on by itself and started playing music. I was terribly mystified as to how this could be happening, and a bit miffed because I don't want to sell a less than perfect stereo. It wasn't until this afternoon when it magically turned on that it dawned on me there might be a pattern as to when it turns on, and this just might be a sophisticated enough piece of equipment to have a timer. Yup! That's all it was! This has really been bugging me, and I feel so much better now.

In other, slightly more interesting, news, we have found new renters for our cabin up north. Okay, we don't really have a cabin up north, but the house is north of us and it does have a cozy, cabiny feel. Our current renters, who have been great, are leaving when their lease is up at the end of this month. Thankfully, we again had no problem finding new tenants. We have a good feeling about them, so I hope they don't let us down... We feel very blessed that renting out that property has so far gone very well. The headaches we've had with the house are only due to the high water table there, not problems with the renters themselves.

We have enjoyed a very productive day here at our primary residence. If the babies and I can summon up a little more energy, we may go back outside to do a little more work. Mike did not have to work at Schreur's today, my parents are in South Africa so there's only a small amount of farm work to be done, and we actually have a weekend with no other activities planned! This is a very rare occasion for us, and I have enjoyed every minute of the day. We had a bunch of little projects to do, and it was great to get them done and to be able to work on them together. Right now Mike's doing some of the necessary farm work - raking hay so it can dry to be baled next week.

All for now!

Girls? Boys? One of each??

Well, as many of you know we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our two precious babies in December. Time is seemingly moving extra slow right now, but we are almost halfway through the pregnancy, and finally at a point where we can see more 'details' in the ultrasound. So, today we learned that one of our children is either challenging and not going to cooperate with us, or *she* is discreet and doesn't want to show off the between the legs view! I'd rather go with the latter reason...
So, here's the scoop: we for sure have at least one boy! He had no problem giving us a good view. The other baby was turned so we couldn't see that spot at all - hopefully next time we'll be able to get a good view!
It is amazing to see how much the babies have been growing. Up until this point it was easy to see both babies separately on the ultrasound, now things are getting a little more crowded and squished together, so it's a little harder to tell who's who! They are growing good, have good heartbeats, and were squirming around during the ultrasound.
Thank you all who have been praying for mine and the babies' health during this pregnancy - don't stop!