My sweet little beans, How you have sprouted over the past few weeks! It must be my new and improved appetite, which has meant fewer empty calories (McDonald's Cheeseburgers) and more of everything else. (Organic peanut butter on whole wheat toast, washed down with a homemade fruit smoothie, and chased by a handful of yogurt-covered pretzels. And some days, that's all before lunch.) I can tell you're growing stronger by the intensity of your punches and kicks, which keep me entertained throughout the entire day. Between the two of you, there is rarely a dull moment. Your dad and I visited with a big-city doctor last week, who performed a detailed Level 2 Sonogram. He carefully examined each and all of your parts and gave us plenty of reassurance that everything is in working order. Actually, he used the word, "perfect," but that was old news to us. You are almost exactly the same size: 12 ounces, with a difference of only 2 grams! Baby Girl, you're still our Baby A (first in line for the grand entrance.) And Baby Boy, I'm so pleased that you're already minding your mama and have decided to flip around to a more ideal position, head down and sweetly spooning your sister. Now, all you have to do is stay put, and GROW! I'm sure you can hear us by now, and hope you're enjoying Willa's endless chatter as much as your dad and I do. She's really excited to be your big sister and practices her swaddling skills every day. Her once interchangeable dolls, Suzy I and Suzy II, are now inseparable Suzy and Molly, the twins. I have finally found the energy and mental capacity to begin making room for the family addition. Mostly, it has just been thinking and planning but I foresee some execution is on the horizon. I'm sure that you will feel that you fit quite nicely into our home and family. The consensus out here is that the two of you will perfectly complete us. Here we go again with the "perfection"...Don't let it go to your heads.
Love you,
Mama
You've hardly caused a bump, but oh, the havoc you have wreaked! I've emerged from the first trimester in one piece, though it hasn't been pretty! You and I have been high-maintenance, to say the least. Your daddy almost gave up on ever reuniting with the pleasant pre-twin-pregnancy version of me and threatened to pack up and head to the ranch, with your sister in tow, for an extended vacation. Surprisingly, the store didn't crumble, due to my compromised abilities. I am amazed that the household filth generated by the dog, the toddler, the man, the my temporarily slovenly self has not accumulated enough to bury us all. Needless to say, I've been TIRED. Irritable. Nauseated. And, oddly, congested and allergic like never before in my life. But it's all been for good reason. You have clearly needed the energy more than I do, with your rapid development and the complex construction of all of your bodily systems. And like any mother, I'm happy to merely survive so that you two can thrive. Just know that once you get here, I expect you to be good sleepers. You owe me that. Things have improved over the last couple of weeks. You've eased up on me now that your physical development is mostly complete, and I can definitely feel the difference. I was able to take Willa to the park for a picnic yesterday. I hope the slide wasn't too much for you. Anyway, the more days we can have like that, the easier your big sis is going to be on you when you get here. My nausea has subsided, for the most part. It's only when I miss your signal and don't feed you on time, that you stick it to me. In which case, I deserve it. I feel less depleted and have these exciting, yet fleeting moments of energy. I hesitate to act on them, though, for fear that they are only an illusion that is suckering me into some physical activity that I'll pay for later. I'm trying to prepare for your arrival as best I can, by picking the brains of other twin mamas and reading whatever I can find on the subject. I tell you what, nobody has candy coated it! And I'm actually grateful for their honestly. It's better to know what to expect. Willa is making room for you, too. She has already given up diapers in anticipation of the toll your pants are going to take on the landfill. Bringing you home will be the biggest challenge of my life. But I'm up for it. I'm your mom! And I'm sure your daddy and I wouldn't have been given anything that we can't handle. So rest assured, you're in good hands. We wanted you more than you'll ever know, and love you both already!
{I owe credit to PacingThePanicRoom for inspiring me to track my belly and pregnancy progress in this way. The blogger is an awesome photographer who adores his wife and did a weekly series of maternity photos and notes to their baby. It's worth clicking over and checking it out. So sweet. And the awesome photographer that I've enlisted is Jennifer Lankford of PortraitsByJenn. Her site is worth checking out too!}
Here are the newest ads we're running locally. Amy looks darling in the Root ad, but I am especially excited about these new photos we used for The Roadrunner. A photographer from Philadelphia was sent here a couple of months ago for a Hill Country story in Sherman's Travel...whatever that is. The shop was also featured in the article, and those shots were amazing, too. I sure do have a great appreciation for professional photography. Maybe someday, I'll pick up a trick or two of that trade.
