What's in a Name...

Well a lot actually. Naming a baby isn't easy. Naming two felt even more difficult. You give a child a name and that name helps to shape who they are as a human. That's a lot of pressure! You don't want to make their lives harder by giving a name that leads to teasing later in life either. We all know those names... poor kids.

Anyone that knows my husband well knows he can be pretty particular about the details. Ask him where he wants to go for dinner and you won't get an answer, but have him pick out a pair of sneakers and he will spend hours looking and critiquing every inch until he finds the one he likes. Knowing this about him I knew he would be a tough sell on a name. With Jake, we had a list of like 6-8 names that we liked OK before he was born. We brought it to the hospital and just decided we would pick once we met him. We both knew Jacob (Jake) was the right choice.

This time we both agreed we would like to have names before the babies are born. For me it's my neurotic planning. I want to incorporate the names in the nursery and being southern, I would monogram everything if I could.

We knew our girls first name pretty early on. It was a name Mike and I both loved for a long time but we had no idea for a middle name. Her first name was a name I shared with Mike that I had loved since I was little. It actually came from a man my family knows that lived in our neighborhood. From the time I heard it I loved the idea of naming a little girl that name.

For our 2nd son we struggled to come up with a name we both loved. We wanted a good, strong name. A name that sounded confident and male without being to plain.. Mike kept suggesting names of professional soccer players but I shot them down with flaming arrows.

Here's the funny things about names. What we think may not be what you think. Luckily for us, we didn't need anyon else's approval of our names. Without sounding harsh, if you don't like the names we chose, please be polite and keep it to yourself. If you have better names, feel free to carry two babies in your womb for 8+ months and then name them whatever you see fit! What works for us may not for you  and that is a OK! :)

So, since we are all clear, without further ado - meet our twins, for the first time, by name....

Our 2nd son will be Anderson Michael Adams and our daughter, Lawton Calloway Adams. We both stumbled upon Anderson and liked it a lot. It's different, but it isn't wacky, in our opinion. It sounds strong to us. Michael, the middle name, is obviously after his Dad and Grandpa. (Mike is a Jr.) Originally we didn't even think of using Michael, but as time went on I suggested it and really liked the way it sounded together. Mike agreed, he may be partial. As I mentioned before, we were pretty set on Lawton for our girl. I just love the name and luckily Mike does too. Again, we went around and around on middle names... we looked at family names and a bunch of more traditional sounding girl names, but none of them were like "bam, that's it". Funny enough, I was on Instagram and a friend posted a prayer request for a little girl name Calloway... Instantly I loved it. I didn't know what Mike would think but I sent him and email and just her name. Lawton Calloway Adams. A few seconds later I got a response that just said he loved the name too. <3

So there it is. Our babies Anderson and Lawton. We have talked a little about nicknames, but really we will just wait for once we meet them. We are so excited to have names we all love (we had to get Jake's approval too of course)!

Let the monogramming begin! :)

19 weeks!

How far along? 19 weeks 1 day!

Total weight gain: As of my last doctor's appointment I'm still down 3 pounds. IVF made me gain weight, not eating in the first trimester made me loose it - overall I'm still 3 pounds lighter than I was pre-pregnancy. Fear not! I am eating now and my doctor doesn't seem to concerned. She says it's fairly common with multiples to not see any real weight gain until you get past 20 weeks.

Maternity clothes?  HA! Are you joking? That is all I can wear. The only things that technically aren't maternity are my undies (I just bought up a size) and my tank tops and anything I steal from my husband. The tanks are from Costco and they are long and super soft so they work for now. I know in a month or two I will have to switch over to maternity tanks.

Sleep: I sleep like a rock. The issue is how often I wake up to go to the bathroom. I think right now I'm averaging 4-6 trips per night. At my last appointment the doctor told me as I get closer to 20 weeks I really need to try to sleep on my left side, so that has been my focus. Trying to lock myself in with pillows. It works for most of the night.

How big are the twins this week? They should be right around 6 inches long weighing in at about 8.5 ounces.

 

Peak of the week: Jake running to tell me bye this morning. He kissed me, kissed the left side of my tummy (home of our girl) and then fist bumped the right side (where baby boy hangs out). This is the first time he has really taken the time to specifically acknowledge them and it nearly made me cry.  

Pit of the week: My breakdown. I broke down this week. I'm a little stressed about all we have going on and prepping for the babies as well as the pressure and uncomfortableness that has really set in this week. It's going to be fine, I just have to keep telling myself to take it one day at a time.

Miss Anything? Cold, draft cider beer and raw tuna. I don't miss wine which use to be my go-to happy hour beverage. Instead I really want a cold cider. When I'm out to dinner and I see a tray of beers go by my mouth waters. So weird.           

Cravings: all things peanut. chocolate. fries. lucky charms. cheese.       

Symptoms/Labor signs: The babies are moving. Like I've mentioned before I can feel little girl a lot more but I am starting to feel her brother too. A lot of the time it feels like they are rolling around, but I have also felt some quick sudden kick like movements. I am also having a lot of pressure down low in my belly. I asked the doctor about and she says it's a combination of the babies putting pressure on my organs and my body stretching. Another lovely symptom... boogers/mucus. I am full of snot. I must blow my nose 40 times a day. Just another typical symptom I have to work through! :)

Looking forward to: Our 20 week appointment next week on Thursday. They will do our official gender scan, but it is also a long appointment with time set aside to check out their development and growth. They will look at all the organs, the heart, brain, etc to make sure it's all developing properly. I am confident that all is well, but it will be nice to get to see so much of them. I am also hoping for some good pictures to share.

 

 

A Little Background Info on Our Twins!

We get a lot of questions about the twins and my pregnancy (which we love talking about) but it made me realize that I have never done a Q&A with the common questions we get. SO, here goes! Hopefully this gives you a little insight and if there are any questions you have that I don't touch on, leave them in the comments and I will answer away!

When is your due date? June 4th, 2015 - but we know we won't make it to June. A twin pregnancy is considered full term right around 36 weeks. Most doctor's don't want moms to go past 38 weeks due to increased risks of complications. Most women don't make it past 37 weeks naturally.
If I haven't already gone into labor, we will be induced at 38 weeks - which puts us at May 21st (my birthday).

What are the sexes of the twins? Baby A is a girl and Baby B is a boy! We are overjoyed!

How do you know which is A is which is B? The doctors determined which is which. but Baby A is the baby closest to the cervix. She would be born first naturally and is known as the lead twin. Baby B is right behind her in the birthing order.

Are the twins identical or fraternal? Our twins are fraternal. We know this, because they are male/female. Identical twins share identical DNA and your sex is defined by your DNA so no identical twins can be opposite sex. To some, this may seem obvious - but we get this questions a lot and it made me realize that if you have never had twins, or don't really know any on a personal level you would probably not ever think about this. No dumb questions! :)

How do twins happen? Well, identical twins are the result of one fertilized egg splitting into two. Fraternal twins are the result of more than one egg being fertilized. In our case, our doctor (through IVF) transferred two fertilized eggs back into my uterus. This is no guarantee of twins as they both have to successfully implant and continue growing. Even with putting two embryos back we only had about a 25-30% chance of twins.

Do twins run in your family? Yes, they do. Mike's mom is a twin, and apparently there are twins on my side of the family as well. That being said, twins aren't actually genetic. At least not identical twins. Twins are a (most wonderful) glitch in the system as far as research shows. Some studies show that women can be inclined to be hyper-ovulators which could be a common trait passed down from one generation to the next. That would result in ovulating more than one viable egg at a time which would result in fraternal twins.

Do they share a placenta? Our twins are what is known as Dichorionic/Diamniotic twins. This means that each twin has their own placenta, amniotic sac, and chorion. This is the safest type of twins to carry during pregnancy. They are growing as two separate babies and the only thing they share is the womb. You can read about the other types of twins here or by googling it. That being said, the membrane - or lining - between our babies is about the thickness of a plastic grocery bag. They are also very close to one another so they feel each other's movements constantly. Every kick, punch, hiccup, etc.

Are you having a c-section? We honestly don't know. That really isn't up to us. I can tell you that I am praying that I will be able to deliver these babies naturally every single day. That being said, there isn't much I can do to control that either way. The twins will have to be in the correct positions (head down) which they currently are. The babies will need to be healthy and strong - so far so good. The risks with twin pregnancy is much higher than with a single baby, but a lot of the factors that determine a need for a c-section are the same. If the babies are healthy and in position, and we have no known additional risks we will do our best to have them naturally. I am trying to mentally prepare myself either way. It also requires me to put a lot of my trust in the team of people that will be taking care of me. If you are willing to pray for us, please pray for the medical team as well as for Mike and I to make the best decisions for the well being of the babies and me.

Does this pregnancy feel differently than your singleton pregnancy? Oh yeah! Jake's pregnancy was easy. I didn't begin to feel uncomfortable until the last 5-6 weeks. With these two I am beginning to feel that way now at 19 weeks. My belly is much heavier, my symptoms are stronger, and my body is adjusting, just not as gracefully. I feel, personally, like I am about 8-10 weeks ahead as far as where I felt with Jake. Now, I am 8 years older and I started out in better shape with Jake but nothing drastic. I also began showing a lot sooner with this pregnancy than I did with Jake which was to be expected. I know I have a long road ahead and this pregnancy won't be as easy. That being said I don't take it for granted. I feel so incredibly blessed to be where I am.

Will the twins have to spend time in the NICU? I hope not. We won't know this until we get closer to their arrival. If they come early or have any health issues than they will more than likely have to spend some time in the NICU. If they are born "full term" for twins and seem to be healthy than no. While no mom wants to see her babies need additional medical care, I am confident in the NICU staff. Those are men and women who have devoted their professional lives to caring for babies and seeing them thrive. I know that is their ultimate goal and I have faith that they will do everything they can to care for our babies if needed. I think the hardest part for me would be the constant worry combined with the fact that at some point I could be discharged and have to leave without my babies in my arms. That makes me feel panicky - but Mike has been really good about reminding me that we will cross that bridge when we are forced to.

Are you nervous about caring for two? Sometimes. I won't lie. It's been a long time since we've had a newborn and never since we've had two. That being said, I am pretty confident that we will manage. Mike is a hands on dad. He isn't afraid of a dirty diaper and as we get closer his excitement is growing. We also have a lot of support. Between Mike's family, mine, and our friends, we both know that if we need anything help is a phone call away. The hardest part for me will be to take advantage of my breaks. When the twins are sleeping I need to be too. So, if you come to visit us and it looks like the house is a war zone just know our babies are loved and momma is taking naps! :)

Are you excited about caring for two?  Absolutely. We have been dreaming of this time for the last 6 years. Infertility sucked and the only thing that kept us going was the faith that it would all work out. We can't wait to meet our babies and bring them into our family. I am also incredibly excited to experience twins. I know it won't always be easy, but from the books and YouTube videos and other twin parents - I am so excited to experience the bond that they will share with each other. Whenever I start to panic about their arrival I remind myself of what a blessing they will be.

Is Jake (our 8 year old) excited? Yes, very much so. He also has become my little nurse. Constantly checking on me, seeing if I need anything. Asking about the babies. Part of me wonders if I'm doing enough to brace him for impact. He has been our only child for 8 years and I think we are all more used to that then we realize. I know there will be some growing pains for him, but I know he is dying for siblings too. We will all adjust as needed and Mike and I have talked a lot about making sure he gets time with us without the babies.


So there it is. Everything I could think of that people frequently ask in one place. Like I said, if there are more questions you want to ask publicly leave a comment. If you have anything you'd like to ask privately reach out to me on the blog's facebook page. Thank you so much for reading and for all of the sweet notes we get from y'all. Our hearts are so full!

An Update On Our Babes...

OK so - originally I wasn't going to post until after our 20 week appointment next week, but I haven't blogged in a while and I feel like my soul needs it.

Also, after reading some other blogs I've decided my new goal beginning this week will be to post a picture weekly along with an update on how I'm feeling, how the babies are developing, etc. I am currently searching for a standard format to use each week and my goal will be to have the posts up each Friday. Thursday is my week marker so by Friday I should have a current picture and be ready to complete my update.

I should have started this sooner, but between the sickness of the first trimester and my new found love of being l.a.z.y. I just didn't really think of it.

That being said, I am entering into the neurotic phase of pregnancy where I want to read every bit of detail I can on what I should be expecting, what I need to be looking for, what should be done to prepare etc. Poor Mike. He has been so sweet juggling my crazy. I owe him.

Speaking of Mike being sweet... I've realized that it takes a little bit of time for men (or my man) to really let pregnancy sink in. He, like me, has been very excited about the babies, but I think as my belly grows it is becoming more real for him.

These last few weeks he has been so attentive. Asking how I am, checking to see if I need anything, sending me for naps, and my most favorite of all... his hands on my belly. <3

Melt my heart.

There is nothing more beautiful in this world than watching a good man love on his children. Mike has always been such a great dad to Jake so I never doubted his excitement about these two... but I have realized that as the dad he doesn't have that direct interaction with the babies yet. I'm sure, in a lot of ways, it's easy to sort of go through your daily routine as normal when your wife is in the early stages of pregnancy. Granted he has to listen to me remind him how NOT NORMAL my life is at the moment, but you get the idea.

Now that I am feeling the babies move (a lot) and getting bigger he is dying to feel them too. My two favorite parts of the day right now.... greeting my sweet boys when we all get home from the day and then laying in bed at night while Mike tries to feel movement.

In those two moments, the uncomfortableness, the back pain, the stretching ligaments, the constant urge to pee, they all melt away.

Alright, enough with that... on to the babes.

Today I am 18 weeks 5 days. Half way through my twin pregnancy (or close enough). The babies are growing like weeds and between my bladder, hips and back I am constantly reminded of that. In the past 2 weeks I have really been able to feel a lot of movement, especially at certain parts of the day.

So far, there hasn't been much to report because with twin pregnancies no news is good news.

Last week, the night before New Years Eve I had been feeling pretty bad with what I thought was a sinus infection. I kept telling myself I would ride it out - as I don't want to take any medicines unless I am desperate.

Sinus issues, in general, are super common in pregnant women. During different stages in pregnancy it is totally normal to be excessively... well... boogery. It has something to do with your hormones and your body working double time and the increased blood flow... Any who, lets just say I have become obsessed with making sure there are no bats in the cave.

So back to the night before NYE - I didn't really feel all that bad... just exhausted. Mike let me slip off to bed while he managed Jake and I fell asleep fast. A few hours later I woke up with pain and my first thought was contractions.

I have had contractions before (obviously with Jake) and they are a distinctive pain as any mom can tell you. I was a little nervous but I decided to try and sleep through them and just call the doctor first thing in the AM. If it would have happened in the middle of day I may not have been so calm... chalk it up to my love for the bed.

That morning I called the doctor as soon as they opened and told the nurse what was happening. She put me on hold to speak to the doctor and then came back and asked me to come in right away. I kept telling myself that freaking out did no good and that I would remain calm. I called Mike, he left work and came and got me and to the doctor we went.

As soon as we went there a nurse practitioner (who I adore) came out to see us and told me she wanted me to get an ultrasound right away. Mainly she wanted to see my cervix and then on to the babies to make sure they look good.

The ultrasound tech (who I also adore) came and got us and took us back. She hadn't scanned us in 5 weeks but remembered us both right away. She checked everything the NP ordered and said that our NP would go over the results, but that everything looked good from what she could see. My cervix was measuring at a 4.6 and they just want to see it above a 2. She then moved on to our babies! We hadn't seen them in over a month and every time I recognize that outline of a head my heart starts to swell.

They have both grown so much! Heartbeats were great, she confirmed genders for us, and told us everything looked really good. The babies were measuring well, had plenty of fluid surrounding them and were in great shape.

She finished up and told us we could go back to the waiting room for the time being. Once the NP called us back we went over all of the results. She concluded that my contractions were because I was most likely dehydrated (woops) but that this was ok because it would be easy to fix and my cervix looked great. No signs of early labor! Praise God!

She then went and read through the babies stats and explained to us where they are in my belly. Baby A - our girl - is on my left. She is lower than B and in the head down position. Her placenta is behind her (ideal) and she is measuring perfectly. Baby B - our boy- is on my right side. He is slightly higher up, also head down. This is exciting for me because it is a crucial part of if we will be allowed to try and deliver these two naturally. I am praying daily for them to stay this way and for a safe and healthy delivery.

As for Baby B's placenta - it is in front of him, or anterior. While this can make life a little harder on the doctors it isn't any cause for concern for me or the baby. Unfortunately is does explain why I haven't felt much movement from him. His placenta is taking the blows. The NP explained I may be able to see him move before I can feel him. She also explained that the lack of feeling causes some moms concerns but for me to not worry because they can rarely get him still for measurements.

While I would love to feel even more movement, I am thankful that there are no real worries with either baby for now. Plus I know it's a matter of time before space gets so tight that anterior or not, I will know he's moving!

All in all, the babies are doing great and I am doing pretty well myself. I know my harder days are ahead so I am trying to soak in the easy days right now. :)

Oh! I think we have our names locked down... but I want to talk it over with Mike and get his approval before I release them to the world. Naming humans is a big undertaking. That being said, I'm dying to have the ability to monogram something so pretty soon we will share the babies names!

Our Gender Reveal...

Mike, Jake, and I were fortunate enough to have 2 of our good friends throw us a gender reveal party in Charleston this weekend.

Most of my family and friends live there, and with them not being able to be involved in the day to day stuff, it was really nice to be able to share our big news with them, all together.

We had a wonderful time seeing everyone and the reveal was a lot of fun. Everyone's excitement about the Adams' twins was so heart-filling! These miracle babies are so loved already!

Without further ado, the video from our reveal....

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Sorry if it's a little blurry.. here is a picture of the cut cake!

It was both beautiful and delicious. ;)

All 3 of us are so excited for the outcome! We feel so blessed to even be at this phase of a *so far* healthy, (relatively) easy twin pregnancy and our gender news was the icing on the cake!

See what I did there? :)

Funny enough, Jake was 100% accurate with his guess. Even as to which is which. Baby A is our girl and Baby B is our boy. I know Jake is secretly releaved to be getting at least one little boy!

Hello 2nd Trimester...

Today marks 14 weeks as well as a very happy ADIOS to the first trimester!

This is a big deal, as anyone who has ever been pregnant knows. Even though my RE doc was very comfortable with the stability of our pregnancy at 6 weeks (when we first heard the heartbeats) it is still a major milestone.

Maybe if I keep telling myself that I'll stop worrying and relax a little....

...ha.

Anyway, about a week and a half ago we got to see our babes again! The last time we saw them they looked like..well.. gummy bears.

This was at 8 weeks, so when we got to see them last week I was right at 12 weeks 4 days and WOW how they changed. No more little gummy bears! This time we had full on little people!


Up first, Baby A. He/She was so cooperative. The ultrasound tech was able to get every angle she needed, and all of baby A's measurements were perfect. Praise God! He/She was showing off for the camera, ready for her/his close up. Of course, Jake (our 8 year old) is convinced Baby A is a girl because "Girl's like to take pictures and stuff". ;)



Sorry it's a little more blurry scanned then in person, but hopefully you can make out Baby A's sweet little face. In these pictures he/she is laying on it's back the head is to the right and you can probably identify the nose. The brighter white line on the back is the baby's spine. For anyone that believes in the "dangle theroy" This baby's dangle is turned downward and is a little easier to see in person. This would indicate that Jake may be right!

Now on to Baby B - the baby that as the tech said "is going to keep me up at night". Baby B was wild. He/She was in the upright position when we first saw B. (I hate calling either of them it so for now I'll just go with A or B). B looked like he/she was jumping on a trampoline. We even got to watch B do a front flip then spin around to face towards A. We were almost an hour in before the tech could get B to hold still long enough to get the pictures she needed.

Baby B's shots are a little clearer. You can also see in that third one that we may have a thumb sucker on our hands. Jake sucked his thumb, and this time around I will do everything in my power to get that thumb out and a paci in. Don't get me started on dentist bills. This is right after Baby B's front flip when he or she finally wore itself out. Jake's theroy on Baby B "B is definently a boy because boys like to jump and kick and stuff". Baby B's measurements were all right where they should be as well. <3

On each baby we got to see all fingers and toes... crazy to think there are 20 fingers and 20 toes in my tummy right now! I can't tell you how amazing it is to know there are 3 hearts beating in my body - it honestly brings tears to my eyes.

Each time I see them I cry a little. The road to this place was rough. At times, I really felt like I may never get to expierence this again, but today I can stand here as a testimony that when God puts a desire on your heart if you chase it with all your might and trust in His plan you will get the result that fills your heart.

Here's one more pic of the two of them in a side by side shot. This is before Baby B flipped...

That is the screen shot of a modern day miracle.

 

 

As for me, I am feeling much better. I still have my moments, but honestly, nothing like before. I can eat again! I gained a pound as of my last appointment, and my energy feels better than it did. No pregnancy is the same some are easy (Jake) some are tougher... My version of a hard pregnancy may be your version of an easy one. All I can do is compare it to my previous one and with that I can tell you, this one has been harder. I still think I got off pretty easy. Some of the poor women in my IVF support group have been SO sick. So really, I would still say this pregnancy has been good to me so far. I think to, I've come to be so appreciative of the expierence that I will take whatever it throws at me, especially if it means these two beans are healthy!

 

 

We will get to see these two again this Saturday. We are going in for an optional ultrasound to try and get a determination of gender. Hopefully they both cooperate and we will be able to determine the sex of both. Mike and Jake are convincened that A is a girl and B is a boy. I guess that is what I think too. I had one dream about the sex of the babies, a few weeks ago, and that was the outcome in my dream. It really doesn't matter either way, except that it will enable us to move forward on planning.

 

Funny enough, I think Mike is dying to know and I am a little more willing to wait. Two of our sweet friends are throwing us a gender reveal party for out family and close friends (aka our biggest supporters through our journey) back in Charleston on the 13th. Once that has happened I will figure out a way to share with all of you. Maybe a video from the reveal...

 

 

All of this is just so exciting. Sometimes I have to pinch my self. I am really looking forward to the day I first feel them moving! 





It's been a while...

It's felt so long since I last logged in and wrote an update. Today it took me 3 tries to remember my log-in information!

I think, for a while, there wasn't much going on so I didn't have much to share. Not to mention my energy levels have been so low and I haven't been able to eat much. I can't remember the last time I really went out and enjoyed time with friends or went out to dinner and actually ate it. :( I miss that.

This past weekend I started to feel a little better. Which is good, because between Jake and Mike's sports schedules, Jake's social life (10 times more exciting than mine) and everything we need to get done, I needed to get it together.

Jake had a sleep over Saturday night so Mike and I went out for a date. It consisted of a trip to the outlets and dinner. Anyone that knows me knows I can spend hours at the outlet mall, but after a walk through an over-crowded Nike and Adidas I could feel myself tanking. We left there and headed to dinner where I nearly fell asleep on the table.

I think I was asleep before we even made it home.. poor Mike. I haven't been much fun these last few weeks. Luckily for me he's been pretty patient.

Sunday morning, I woke up and headed straight to the bathroom - just like every morning and 3-4 times during the night - only this time there was blood.

Of course my first reaction was to freak a little. It had been so long (over a month) since a bleed that I had put it out of my mind and assumed it was over. I didn't have any pain and it seemed very similar to the last bleed so I decided to do what they told me in the past. Bed rest, pelvic rest, drink lots of water.

Monday was my scheduled first appointment with my OB - so after speaking with a nurse at my reproductive doctor's office - we decided to just rest and wait for Monday.

The appointment Monday went well. It took almost 3 hours, but that was partially because it was my first appointment - lots of paperwork, seeing different people from billing, to nurses, to lab work to the doctor. When I finally got to see the doctor we went over any questions I had. I told her about the bleed which she assured me that everything was fine. She said she sees it more common than not on twin pregnancies. She also measured me and said I am sitting right at about 13 to 14 weeks so she thought we would be able to pick up the heartbeats on the Doppler. Obviously, I was excited about that because anytime I can hear their sweet hearts all my worries (temporarily) wash away. She was able to find them both! Baby A at 166 Baby B at 157! There is no sweeter sound - amen!

After that, I had to give what felt like a gallon of blood. I got a little dizzy, so they had me sit there for about 15 minutes before allowing me to go home. The doctor told me she wanted me off of my feet for the remainder of the day, which was easy for me because I was exhausted.

So far so good! I am down almost 9 pounds which they aren't thrilled about. She said she would let it slide for now since you put on weight with IVF and because she knows I'm trying to eat as much as possible. She said that when I am feeling better she wants to see that made up pretty quickly, and assured me that she doesn't think it will be a problem. Up until I got to hear the heartbeats it had been a pretty anxious 24 hours. I will go back in 2 weeks for an ultrasound and I can't wait to see how much they have changed in a months time.