Drum Roll Please...

Introducing ~

our two little ones! Yes, it's twins in there! Joel & I are so, so happy and praise God for these two miracles. The doctor said that they looked great and that both heartbeats are strong. We are incredibly thankful. Joel asked if there was any chance that there could be another one hiding somewhere, but the doctor said that would be very unlikely. We just had to check, because both of us really thought there were three. But we are thrilled with TWO! My due date is January 16th. And by the way, the babies are toward the top of each sac, and they will be fraternal twins.

We really appreciate all your prayers for all FOUR of us, and ask that you continue to pray for us and the babies, for a healthy pregnancy, development of the babies, and delivery. We have another ultrasound in two weeks, and we'll keep you all updated as much as possible. Thanks for all your love & support! The Proud Parents :o)

Sunday afternoon

I told ya'll I'd post my six week belly shot, so that's what I'm gonna do. Somehow, my belly is already "pooching" out, I can't believe it. Probably cause there's so many babies in there. Well, either way, here they are, along with one of me and my hubby after church.

Cora Howe

Well, this school year has come to a close... the kiddos last day was Thursday and for them, summer has officially started. My co-worker, Briana, and I will still work over the summer, but we have a much more laid-back schedule. It's nice. I wanted to show some pictures of our sweet little school, all the diversity, and face painting on field day.

There aren't a whole lot of updates on the pregnancy, but I'll tell you a few changes I've noticed... My body is certainly, um, changing; I have to go potty a LOT; and I get tired earlier in the day. Nothing too bad or uncomfortable. I am six weeks, and a lot of exciting things happen to our babies this week! Their hearts are beating, their eyes, nose, and ears are developing, they have arm and legs buds, and are about the size of a lentil bean. So cute! And yes, I keep referring to "them" because folks, my levels are so, so high, I cannot wait to find out just how many! Joel & I really starting to think that all three embryos have implanted and that we've got triplets growing in here. I'm not joking. Last Friday (the 23rd) my levels jumped to 11,897. And guess what they were yesterday?!?! My HCG is now 49,011! At this point, honestly, we'll be surprised if it's twins. Either way, we will be so thrilled! Our ultrasound is scheduled for Friday, May 30, so very soon!!! We are looking forward to hearing those heartbeats and finally knowing just how many babies are going to join our family. Oh boy. Please pray for us, for FAITH rather than fear, that we would trust God's good and perfect plan for us, and that we wouldn't worry so much about the financial aspect of having multiples. We have always had ALL that we need and more, and we believe that God will provide for us. Thanks for your constant encouragement and most of all, for lifting us (all of us!) up in prayer. I'll post my six week belly shot tomorrow. Lots of love to you all!

Day by Day

Well, I'm still feeling good and my levels continue to go up! I went into the clinic yesterday for them to take more blood, and my HCG has now gone up to 3,068! Holy cow! Joel and I are still in a bit of shock, but at the same time on cloud nine. I'm really trying to rest and take care of myself. It hasn't been that hard to take it easy, because I've been pretty tired. I will be quite busy these last couple days of school, so any down time I have, I'm gonna enjoy. I'm also going to take "belly shots" every couple of weeks, so you all can see how it grows! So, gone are the six pack abs (ha ha, just kidding!) and welcome the expanding belly. Also, the belly ring is from my freshman year of college, so it's been with me for quite some time, but I think I will have to say goodbye to it soon. Enjoy the pics, some of the belly at 4 weeks and of Joel & I on Mother's Day. Lots of love to you folks!!!

WE'RE EXPECTING!!!

I can hardly believe the words as I'm typing them, but they are very true! I am pregnant! The nurse called me right as I was getting ready to leave work this afternoon, and when I saw that number pop up on the caller id, my heart just started pounding. And her words to me were, "Congratulations, you are very pregnant!" Apparently, my hormone levels were through the roof! Her next words were, "I am almost positive you'll be having multiples!" Honestly, I am not surprised. I think I was just in shock, because my mind went blank and I couldn't think of anything to ask her. She said that my HCG level (I think that's a pregnancy hormone) was 742, which compared to where most women would be at this stage in the game, most levels are between 100-200! Oh my goodness! After giving me a few more numbers and another appointment time, we hung up and for a minute I just stood at my desk, stunned and trying to let the news sink in. In my heart of hearts, I had really believed that I was pregnant, but I was trying to be realistic and wait to hear the actual results. I have felt different all week, and pretty tired too. But when I woke up this morning to get ready to go to the clinic and have my blood drawn, I felt so nervous.

Let me recap the day for you... I woke up around 8:00 and had butterflies in my stomach. Joel had already left for work, but had prayed over me before he left. I put on a Christian cd and proceeded to get ready, trying to take deep breaths and calm down. Driving to the clinic, I just kept praying and talking to God, singing praise songs, and speaking scripture to myself. As I pulled in the parking lot and parked my car, I just took a deep breath and said, "Lord, I commit myself and these little embryos to You. I know that no matter what the result, you love me so much and are in control over all of it." So I went in, gave blood, and left. It was very fast.

I headed to work, which is at an elementary school. It was our field day and that couldn't have been a more perfect way for me to pass the time and enjoy my day while I waited for "the call." It was a gorgeous day, and I sat under a big old tree and painted faces. All day. It immediately helped to calm me down and take my mind off things. I really had fun, and enjoyed seeing all the kids. Before I knew it, it was almost 3 o'clock and time to go. My nerves were gone, but I kept looking at my phone, which I knew could ring at any time.

So, you know what happened next... then I had to wait to drive home to tell Joel. I just couldn't do it over the phone, this was too big & important, and I had to see the look on his face when I told him. So I raced home (as safely as possible, of course) and walked in trying to look nonchalant. After putting my stuff down, we sat together on the couch. I said, "I need a hug" and he gave me one. Then I just leaned back, and said, "Honey, you're going to be a daddy!!!" The biggest grin broke out on his face, and for the next few minutes, we just kept hugging and smiling, hugging and smiling. And Joel kept saying, "Thank you, Jesus, Thank you, Jesus." It was so sweet! After relishing in our new reality for a few minutes, we immediately called our family and shared the news. Of course, they were beside themselves with joy and excitement for us.

I am four weeks along, which is determined by the fact that our eggs were retrieved two weeks ago, and then you add two more weeks for gestational age. I will continue to go to the clinic for blood work a couple of times a week for them to monitor my levels and make sure they are going up. I will continue on all my medicines and shots, til they tell me otherwise. Joel & I will go for our first ultrasound when I'm about 8 weeks, so in another month or so. Then we'll hear the heartbeat, and know just how many little ones are in there! :o)

I cannot even find words to express my deepest gratitude to each of you who have written me and called me this week to say you're thinking of us and praying for us. You are so kind. This is the part where I tear up writing all this, because I have been so overwhelmed by your love and support of us. Truly. I have never felt so surrounded by the body of Christ! You have blessed me, and all I can say is that my cup is overflowing. Thank you.

I am so glad each of you is on this journey with us and can share in our joy! Please keep up the prayers for these little ones growing inside of me, that they will develop as they should, and that they will grow into healthy babies. I will continue to post pictures as my belly grows and give you updates as we navigate along this new path to parenthood. We are so thrilled!

Celebration!

We had a fantastic time celebrating our 2nd Anniversary! We had a yummy dinner at Red Lobster, and then just enjoyed hanging out together. I've been kind of tired lately, so I'm really trying to take it easy. Two more days til we get our pregnancy test results... we're so anxious! Well, we took a few pics to commemorate our anniversary. Enjoy!

A Few Things

Well, first of all, today is our 2nd Anniversary, so that is certainly something to celebrate! And they have been two sweet, fun, and adventurous years! Looking forward to many more...

Secondly, I went in to the fertility clinic yesterday, for them to draw blood and check my hormone levels. Increased levels can indicate pregnancy, although not definite. I got a phone call later on in the afternoon to say that my levels were "very good" and that my estrogen level was like 1962, which is really high! So that was certainly good news for us so far. We're still hopeful and prayerful.

And lastly, I have a book that I just HAVE to recommend to you - it's called "The Shack" by William P. Young. It is honestly the BEST book I have ever read. EVER. It's a fiction novel, but I long for it to be true! It's such a beautiful representation of our relationship with God - the Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. My friend Briana recommended it to me, and I finally finished it while on bed rest. But seriously, it is so good! It really opens your heart and mind to God and his desire for a relationship with us. That's all I can tell you, you just have to go out and buy it!

Top 5

Well, I'm officially off bed rest, although I am supposed to take it easy this entire week. After being bound to my bed for four days, I made a top five list of things that I am very thankful for, especially recently.
1. My husband, Joel - he served me with such a great attitude, did everything for me and never complained. He's also been very protective over me, it's so sweet.
2. Mobility - I am thankful that I have legs that work and that I can walk around as I please.
3. Outside - I went out on our back deck yesterday to read, and just loved every bit of the outdoors, from the breeze, to the sun, to the sounds. I soaked in everything I felt, smelled, and heard. It was wonderful!
4. My friends & family - I got so many phone calls and emails, it really was encouraging and helped to pass the time. I also had a few visitors, and it was really nice. Thank you all for thinking of us and praying for us.
5. Rest - time to reflect, pray, and realize that I have a lot to be thankful for!!!

Is this cheating?

I am finally on my last day of bed rest... yahoo! Just to let you know what it means for me to be on bed rest, let me explain. I HAVE to stay in bed, laying on my side, and can get up ONLY to use the potty. Yep, that's it. No shower, no getting myself a glass of water, just to go to the bathroom. And since you get quite sore and restless just laying in bed, I've devised a scheme. I drink as much water as possible so I can get up and go potty as much as possible. I mean, I cherish those few steps from my bed to the bathroom, it's my only chance to be upright and stretch out my legs a bit. So I'm guzzling my glasses of water - is that cheating??? I sure hope not!!! ;o)

In honor of my husband

Okay, so when Joel came home to check on me today, I proudly showed him the work I had done on our blog. He thought it was great! Then he really wanted me to post some pictures of him after he had "hunted" his first turkey and also caught a few fish. He went fishing & hunting a few weekends ago with our bro-in-law, Justin, and a friend from church. And since this blog is not just about me, I am gladly putting up some pics of Joel, doing some of the things he loves to do! You can tell by the huge smile on his face just how happy he was!

Greetings from my bed!

Well, I've jumped on the bandwagon and created a blog! I figured since I'm on bed rest for five days I've got plenty of time to work on one. So here's the beginnings of this new adventure. I also figured we should share our story, our challenges and joys, and any updates on our journey to parenthood! I know I may need to go back a bit for those of you who might not know all about our experiences, but I will save that for another time. But to give you a snapshot, after much preparation and many prayers and a lot of ups and downs along the way, I have just gone through my first round if IVF (in-vitro fertilization), where I had three embryos transferred. Yes 3! That does mean we could have about an 8% chance of triplets and a little over 50% chance of twins. We're just trusting God and waiting with great anticipation.
IVF is obviously a very interesting, involved, and delicate process. At times it has challenged our faith, and through it all has strengthened our faith and reminded us that we are NOT in control! These past few days I have known such peace, been surrounded with a lot of love and support, and much encouragement from family and friends. Thank you all for you thoughts and prayers sent on our behalf! We are humbly grateful. I will be on bed rest one more day (yahoo!) and then on Sunday can finally take a shower (don't know who will be happier about that - me or Joel! ha ha ha) We'll go for our pregnancy test on May 9th! Just a week away. We're hopeful, of course, but we also believe that God knows the desires of our hearts and will work out His will and His perfect time, and it doesn't always look like what we expect, but that it will be for our good and His glory!