Things I have learned thus far during Pregnancy:

Wow! Second post in one day! I have started to compose a list of things I have discovered as a result of pregnancy. I am sure I will add to this list as the weeks go by but here is a good starting point! :)

1) Whoever made up the saying “eat two crackers before your head leaves the pillow” as a cure for morning sickness was NOT pregnant with twins.

2) I can’t vouch for moms that are pregnant with singletons (though I am sure it is similar), but I think moms who work full time while expecting twins should be applauded every Monday that they decide to go to work after the 25 week mark. I figure if you start the week that should mean you can finish the week. Matter of fact, I held a moment of applause for myself as I crossed my husband’s path in the hallway after getting out of bed this morning and he gave me a grin.

3) Getting sick four times a day from weeks 5-12 will actually not make you go crazy, and because you are so excited about being a mommy, it won’t even make you cry. You just do it.

4) Nothing can describe or take the place of the feeling you get when you feel two babies moving in your tummy. This is especially precious when you turn off your alarm in the morning and feel a gentle tap on one side of your tummy followed by a gentle tap on the other side of your tummy as though the twins are saying “good morning mommy.”

5) Absentmindedness is a true pregnancy symptom. I can’t count how many times I have lost my keys or phone during the pregnancy. Yes, I know, I lost them several times before the pregnancy, but now it happens at least twice daily. Thank goodness I have a patient husband who will help me look for my keys and call my phone when I misplace it for the millionth time!

6) Sleeping while sitting up against the backrest of the couch becomes a normal occurrence during the second (and I am sure third) trimester. Indigestion. Indigestion. Indigestion.

7) If you attend a Tennessee football game while pregnant with a son that is just like his father, you will sense how upset he is when Tennessee makes a mistake. No joke. An Oregon player got an interception and ran it back for a touchdown during the game this past weekend and Baby Billy hit his fists against my tummy the entire time the Oregon player was running towards the end zone.

8) It is important to appreciate the full control you have over your children while they are in the womb. It is so nice to know exactly where they are and pretty much exactly what they are doing. For instance, this week the twins are beginning to open and close their eyes and are setting their own individual cycles of sleep and wakefulness. Let’s just say Brooklyn is a night owl like her mama. I hear this control is quickly diminished/changed after they are born so I am eating it up right now. ;)

9) Ice chips may not do anything for you during the first trimester, but starting around 24 weeks they are miraculous. I am constantly chomping ice (and probably annoying those around me).

10) Despite how laid back you may be prior to pregnancy (and I consider myself an extremely laid back person), you WILL become more dramatic during pregnancy. The important thing is to always keep yourself in check and to run your exaggerative-ness by a close friend to ensure that it is worthy of the drama production you are putting on. If you think it is but your friend says it isn’t, just get a second opinion. You can always find someone who will tell you what you want to hear.

11) It’s amazing how quickly you begin to develop a mothering instinct during pregnancy and how protective you become of your babies. If you experience the good side of this, it could mean me making you cookies “just because.” If you experience the bad side of this, it could mean me correcting you and telling you to straighten up if I see something is amiss.

12) Foods you have aversions to during the first trimester become the foods you love during the ladder second trimester. For the first 16 weeks (I kept a calendar) of my pregnancy I could not even look at chocolate, now I am having to express some self-control.

13) Enjoy the attention you get during pregnancy, but remember that this attention will be transferred to the babies (as it should be) when they arrive in the world. Be very wary of this, because people tend to do everything for you when you are expecting, and you must remember that it will be YOU that will go to work full time when the babies get here (See, I am coaching myself for the near future)….Disclaimer: this statement does not include the occasional assistance and guidance you will receive from individuals who go by the names of Brenda and Penny… you know who you are...

14) If you are a self-labeled tomboy who loves sports, loafers, and video games as much or more than most males you know, you will still melt and fall in love with all the purples and pinks you can (and will) buy for a baby girl. Brooklyn already has several prissy jackets and dresses for the future.

15) Your pets know when you are expecting. Boo use to go to bed at 12:00 at night, he has now started going to bed at 10:00. I think he must be preparing for the future.

16) Insomnia comes with the territory. I have always been a night owl, but I could easily stay up until all hours of the night. My doctor giggled when I told her about this newest symptom and she said “nature has a way of preparing you for the future.”

17) When you become pregnant, that desire for a mini cooper or Audi tt roadster becomes a thing of the past and all you really want is an SUV with third row seating or a crossover of some sorts. It even sounds way more exciting to you!

Less than 3 months until the twins are here!

It's hard to believe the twins will be here in less than three months! Our scheduled induce date is December 11th, which was three months from this past Saturday. I am predicting that they will come during late November though! I wouldn't be surprised if I went into labor during the Alabama/Auburn game. Seriously! Our last dr's visit went really well! My blood pressure was 110/70 and I have officially entered into the 150lb weight division for the first time ever. haha I weighed in at 151 lbs. :) Hard to believe that I am suppose to gain roughly 20 more lbs in the next several weeks. My "What to Expect When You Are Expecting" book tells me to enjoy my time now as my tummy size will likely double over the next month or two. Looking down, I can't imagine that! Looks like I better enjoy these last few moments of food before the indigestion becomes unbearable. haha The twins have been growing really well so far! I always get really anxious/nervous before their ultrasounds bc I want to see that they are gaining weight really well. During this past visit on September 8th, Brooklyn Rose weighed in at 1 lb 10 oz and Billy Ray weighed in at 1 lb 11 oz. I was so proud of them! Billy was yet again facing right toward the camera :) Brooklyn was faced more towards the side and appeared to be "doing her own thing." Brooklyn is our "active" twin. She is constantly moving her arms and legs. Billy is a little quieter and I tend to feel him most when I wake up in the morning or when it's time to eat. I am not drawing any conclusions on their personalities however because I have read a lot of material on babies here lately and it seems that often times really active fetuses are calm babies, whereas calm fetuses are really active babies. Who knows! Right now I am thinking Brooklyn is our independent gal and Billy is our relaxed soul. We shall see!

This past weekend we went to the Tennessee vs Oregon game. I really enjoyed it! I am so thankful to have such wonderful in-laws! The twins are going to love them! I can picture Mama H being so delicate and soothing with them and Daddy H being the one to always get them laughing and sneaking them candy when they get a little older. :) I can picture my mom being so soft and listening intently to them and my dad tickling them with his mustache or taking them for a ride on the John Deer. I can only hope to do half the job my mom has done raising me and Billy's mom has done raising him. We have some big shoes to fill to say the least :) Best advice I ever gathered from my mom during my childhood is to treat each child, no matter what their age, as though they are individuals and "small adults" per say....to remember that what is big in their world may seem insignificant to us in our adult world, but to remember to view it on the same level of importance that they do. It always felt good to know that my mom would never dismiss or diminish the way I felt or the value that I placed on certain things during my childhood.

I bought the twins a glider today! I laughed after I purchased it because I realized I have something to rock the twins in, but I don't have anything for them to sleep in yet. :) First things first, we have to get their nursery painted! I think we have decided on a soft green color. It is a very soothing color! I told Billy we need to have their room completely finished over the next four weeks. Slowly but surely I am trying to get the house prepared! I can't wait to meet the twins! The other day I showed Billy two onesies mom had gotten for the twins and he draped the pink one over his shoulder as to imitate holding Brooklyn, and I just about melted in a million pieces...I can't wait to experience their birth with him and to see the expression on his face when he sees them for the first time...despite my worries and fears regarding the whole birthing process, I absolutely can't wait for our family to reach that milestone. God has truly blessed us!

!6 Weeks and Counting!

We are officially four months pregnant! The time has flown by, and it is hard to believe in six months or less we will have two bundles of joy to love! This past Thursday I had to be put in the hospital due to having Ketones. They kept me over night and I was released Friday afternoon. This resulted due to dehydration after excessive nausea and vomiting. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't keep fluids down! I am currently seeking out those individuals who told me nausea would officially subside after the first trimester. :) One fhing is for sure, these babies are absolutely worth it. I will experience anything for those two!

So far I haven't had a lot of food cravings, but certainly a lot of food aversions. I thought I would start a list and add to it as I go along, so here we are:

FOOD CRAVINGS:

Anything grape flavored, ranch dressing, pizza, PICKLES (including the juice), squash casserole, spaghetti, regular chips, steak, Junior roast beefs from Arby's, Lemon water

FOOD AVERSIONS:

Chicken fingers (used to be my favorite), french fries, ANYTHING sweet (the twins send it back nearly everytime), certain cheeses, hamburger steak, ice cream, most fish or seafood items

My third doctor's visit went really well! My blood pressure was 110/80 and I had gained 3.5 lbs! I have now gained 9 pounds so far and they have recommended 45-50 lbs for twins. We heard both baby's heartbeats and at this visit they were 154 (Baby B) and 152 (Baby A). I must say that hearing their heartbeats is simply the most amazing feeling I have ever experienced. On August 9th we will get the "long" ultrasound and get to find out their genders (fingers crossed). I am SO ready to be able to refer to them by gender and name. The most important thing is that they are healthy though! I must say I would LOVE any combination of genders. Boys to take care of their mama, girls to rule the house with, or one of each!!!

Surprise!!! We are expecting twins!!!

Okay, so I realize it has been a little too long since my last blog post, but hey, give this girl a break...in the last couple of weeks my husband and I found out we are having TWINS! I can't say I'm entirely shocked...I had three tale-tale signs. 1) One of the symptoms of twins is quote "extreme morning sickness"...and I have to say, after rushing to the bathroom 3-4 times a day for the past 7 weeks, I have officially met that criteria. 2) I started showing a wee bit at 8 weeks...luckily the weight wasn't going to my tail (keeping my fingers crossed) so I didn't let it bother me....and 3) I distinctly remember riding home with my dad at night one time when I was between the ages of 9-12, and we were talking about how his grandmother was a twin, and all I could think about was, wow, wouldn't it be awesome to carry on that kind of heritage? :)

Well, roughly 10 years later, here we are!!! It's hard to believe that we are roughly a third of our way through the pregnancy! It has been such a blessing! It's hard to describe how much love I already have for them, each individually, and how much I can't wait to meet them. The babies are in seperate sacs so it is more than likely that they are fraternal twins (unless they seperated within the first three days of conception). That means more than likely, if they are fraternal, they will have 50% of their genes in common, like my sisters and I or any other siblings...the difference is with them being the same age, they are more likely to look even more similiar :).

If you are wondering if I am going to dress them alike, the answer is : Absolutely yes!!! BUT only at first. I want to ensure we support their independence and individuality once they are old enough. This will be super easy if they are different genders. I want as many matching-hat outfits as I can find. :) haha

When we had the ultrasound and the nurse let us know we were having twins, Billy and I immediately looked at each other and started giggling. There I was concerned about ensuring we heard that first little heartbeat, and we were blessed with TWO. It was amazing to see them floating around in there. Baby A was waving hello and Baby B was turning flips. I couldn't stop laughing! I saw a few tears in Billy's eyes and all I could think about was how much love was in the room, and how many incredible blessings God has provided us with...it is truly amazing to think about!!! More to come soon!!!

Our 2 Year Wedding Anniversary

It’s hard to believe Billy and I will celebrate our 2 year wedding anniversary on Monday, May 24^th. The last three years have truly flown by! This year we are going to Savannah, GA. I am so excited because I have always wanted to go! I am so blessed to have such a Godly, hard-working, supportive, and gentle husband and best friend. Because of Billy I truly see how much God can work in your life if you allow him to. I have now learned to count my many blessings and to not take any moment for granted. Every opportunity I have to tell Billy I love him, I do. Every time I have the opportunity to hold his hand or give him a hug, I do. In the short time we have been married, I have learned the following:

It’s not about assets, it’s about substance.

It’s not about silence, it’s about comfort.

It’s not about just attendance, it’s about worship.

It’s not about words, it’s about actions.

It’s not about forgiveness, it’s about acceptance.

It’s not about differences, it’s about individuality.

It’s not about flaws, it’s about perfect imperfections.

It’s not about being right, it’s about having approval.

It’s not about thoughts, it’s about choices.

It’s not about making decisions, it’s about consideration.

It’s not about making changes, it’s about growth.

Here is to the next 70 years, a house full of kids, and all the sporting events we can muster in our schedule! I love you!

Mi hermana esta en Espana

Right now my sister Anna is studying abroad in Spain! She is there for three weeks and her trip is already a third of the way over. I am so proud of her for pursuing her studies the way she has for her Spanish major. I know that she will look back on her experience and be proud for going! She is great at speaking the language and you can tell how much she loves Spanish when she talks about it. I know that being there in Spain will help her when she is teaching her students in class one day. :) Anna and I have always been very close so it is hard not being able to talk to her everyday. There have been several times over the last week when I have dialed her number and then remembered I would have to wait a bit longer to talk to her. Time goes by quickly though so it will be soon enough! Not many people know this, but I want to have at least three kids as a result of how much Anna means to me. Growing up we did everything together, from spying on our big sister while she was with her boyfriends, to building forts in the yard, to playing basketball to the tune of our Space Jam CD, to playing football on the N64 until the wee hours of the morning. I love you lots sis and I am looking forward to renting movies when you get back and spending ALL day on a Saturday watching them with you! (We can order take-out from Brass Lantern too with some fruit tea....YUM)

The Good News

Billy as a toddler! How adorable!!!

I will never forget the moment I first realized we were pregnant with our first child! It was April 17th, 2010! I remember feeling a little hot that day, as though I was having mini hot flashes and I thought, hmm, I wonder if maybe I am coming down with something...I checked my temperature and it said "99.7". I had an extra pregnancy test so I thought, hey, why not check it out?! :) Those were probably the longest two minutes of my life! I said a little prayer and did my business and then waited for the results to show. I would like to recommend using electronic pregnancy tests if you are trying to conceive. It's worth the few extra dollars. I'm not a fan of having to decipher the lines and sometimes they are not completely accurate. Why not just go for a clear phrase? :)

It's hard to express the feeling that overcomes you when you read the results "pregnant" for the first time. It is like excitement, happiness, joy, anxiousness, and surprise all at the same time! Most of us all plan on having kids one day, and it has been on my mind for the last year and half (we decided to wait for awhile while we saved up some money)....but it's still kind of hard to grasp when you first find out. I guess the best way to describe it is to say it's surreal. To think there was a little bean inside of me, totally connected to me and depending on me for his/her needs!!!

I was immediately overwhelmed with how much I love our Lord and how thankful I am that he has blessed us with a child. That song "Count Your Many blessings" comes to my mind. Sometimes I think people take for granted all the wonderful blessings we are given in this life. Well, I guess we all do from time to time. This is definitely not something this gal is going to take for granted!

I jumped in my car and drove to Walmart in order to get a few more tests. I wanted to make sure before I told Billy! While I was driving I was overjoyed and teary-eyed. I couldn't believe it! Thank goodness Walmart is only like 3 miles from our house! When I got back home I laid out all the tests and squeezed out what I had left (haha) and used them one by one...all said "Pregnant" in bold black writing!

I had gotten a litte Tennessee jumper a few weeks earlier to give to Billy as a gift when I found out we were expecting, so I fixed it up in a bright orange bag and waited for him to arrive home. He was at Home Depot at the time picking out flowers for our landscape. I called him at the time and tried to act all normal and like nothing was going on...thank goodness he couldn't see my facial expressions at the time. Ha

When he arrived home I told him I was giving him an anniversary present a little early this year. Our two year anniversary is May 24th and he was having a golf seminar that week (lucky banker) so he assumed I was giving him golf attire at the time. He was acting very animated at the time and pulling the tissue paper out and tossing it in the air. I was thinking, haha, he has no idea what he is about to learn. When he finally pulled it out and unwrapped the jumper, he looked up at me and I asked him if he "knew of anyone that might want to wear that." He teared up and said "Are you serious?!" Then he gave me a big hug and a kiss and we held each other for a few minutes. I also showed him all three pregnancy tests I had taken. Lol


There are moments in life that we classify as "big moments" or "life changers." For me it's getting your first car, becoming an aunt, speaking at high school graduation, attending a Christian college, finding the love of my life, getting married to my best friend...and now finding out that I am becoming a mommy! WOW! Life is good and I must say that I am truly blessed.

Seven Months and Counting

I have decided to start my blog back up after months of not using it. And to what do we owe this joyous occasion? I'm PREGNANT! Billy and I are expecting our first child. Right now we are close to being 8 weeks along. It's hard to believe there is a little baby growing inside me right now. The pregnancy material I've been reading says our baby's heart is beating 150 bpm right now is our baby is starting to make slight movements which we can't feel just yet. :) How exciting! I figure this will be a great way for me to keep up with all of the fun pregnancy moments and hopefully I will be able to show this blog to little Billy or little Brooklyn one day. We feel incredibly blessed and cannot wait to be parents! I am going to go backwards on my blogs for a little bit until I catch up on where we currently are in the pregnancy. There have already been a few funny memories!!!