We Have Babies!!!

Born at home in water at 1:02 and 1:14 am this morning, October 30th, after a very easy, mere 2 hour labor!! We did get October babies!!

My intention of blogging through labor was a bit abandoned, as it just went so fast.

Pictures and birth story to come.

Warren "Graham": 7 lbs 7 ozs

"Gatlin" Wayne: 7 lbs 5 oz.

Not sure on the lengths. Still need to measure them.

Everyone is perfect in every way! Evye was present for the birth and got to help. Grayson, Garrison and Grant came in shortly after to meet their new brothers. Everybody else woke up to 2 new babies this morning...and were asbolutely amazed!

God is good. We have been blessed so far beyond measure.

Born at 40 wks 2 days.

40 Weeks with Twins!

Reposting the pics since we now know they were the last of the pregnancy!

Taken at 39.3 weeks.

October 28th. Due date day and still very much here and more than a little pregnant. A few exhausted tears were shed last night after children were put to bed. Quietly curled up...or as curled up as you can get when you're this massive in size....next to patient, sympathetic, attentive husband sleep finally pervaded. I woke this morning with a new outlook and a much better perspective about continuing on. I know this feeling and it happens about the half way point of every run. Exhausted, sucking wind, struggling to breathe and realizing you're merely half way done. It's not the "I'm half way finished!!" victorious feeling that comes...it's the "Oh crap....I'm ONLY 1/2 way done???" thoughts that tell me there's no way in life that I can ever keep going....but then I do. Sweet encouraging husband, who knows me so well, recognizes this within me and, much to his credit, knows when to encourage and when to remain quiet and just be there...running quietly beside me, his presence all I need to continue on. And when the run finally does end it just feels good, there is sweet victory and I realize I did it....and I can do anything. So it is with carrying these two sweet boys. The discomfort is fleeting and the rewards so much greater than the momentary unpleasantness....if carrying twins could even be considered "unpleasantness". The joy of the Lord is my strength and so it is that I carry on past 40 weeks with joy. How I marvel at their movements...limbs so strong and huge you can actually identify some body parts as they roll. How husband, children and I watch in awe as two sets of feet, knees and baby bottoms rise and fall as they push against the taut skin of my stomach. And I wonder for the millionth time what they look like, who they'll look like and how much they'll weigh. So, I wait with bittersweet joy and agonizing anticipation as these last few days spent carrying them roll by.


I read yesterday in an article along with having several midwives inform me on Monday that it is perfectly possible to be dilated and show signs of labor, such as I did now almost 2 weeks ago, and then regress. It actually shows your body's ability to function extraordinarily well, as it recognizes the fact that babies are not ready or could be in better shape so puts a stop to labor until they are. Labor actually backs down from it's semi active state and holds them in a little longer until their immune system is in top functioning status and they are the most capable of thriving in health with the least amount of risks and best ability to fight off anything to which they are exposed. And with cold and flu season upon us it comforted me to know that my body is just doing what it was meant to do and protecting babies while the Lord puts the finishing touches on everything about them from immune systems to weight to lung ability.

So, here we all are at 40 weeks....still pregnant!

On a Different Note

The way he loves to sleep...little burrito boy.

I know the baby stuff's got to be getting a bit old at this point. I'm still very happily...albeit a little uncomfortably....pregnant. Did you really expect me to update with anything more??? :) On the baby note...that I purposed I would not touch in this post and have already begun by doing....this past week has been full of nothing but encouraging stories of successful home births of not just twins....but, overdue twins. I have been inundated with stories of moms carrying very healthy babies to 41 weeks. Most delivered in the 40th week but some actually carried a little into the 41st week. I can't say I'm really wild about seeing week 41 still pregnant but it was such a huge boost of encouragement to know that all is well and babies are flourishing. Babies look good, sound good and I am right where I need to be for everything. So, very peacefully I carry on and wait for the day of their arrival to eventually come. Honestly, at this point, I'm just not feeling very close at all. Perhaps due to the immense amount of prodromal labor or maybe just due to the fact I know my body and I'm just not feeling the labor thing coming anytime in the near future. So, my guess is another week or so more while my body does whatever it needs to do to get ready and function at it's optimal ability and deliver some babies. I really do feel so blessed to be here at this point though. I know from such personal experience that traditional care would have mandated that we induce at this point, if they would've even let us induce....and many inductions result in unnecessary c-sections. Many dr's say even induction with a twin pregnancy is too risky on the uterus so just immediately opt for the c-section route. And after many phone calls we found that here, in rural west Texas, the dr's mandate a c-section due to hospital policy not allowing them to vaginally deliver any high risk patients....all twin pregnancies being considered high risk.

And finally some pics of something besides a huge baby filled belly. Not exactly the best quality picture but still funny. Rain is a novelty here and thoroughly enjoyed in every aspect!

And I do ask that if you have any negative opinions or feedback to leave concerning the length of this pregnancy or the route we have personally chosen to take for our family, this pregnancy and the wellbeing of our babies that you refrain from commenting or continuing to follow our story in judgement. We are very well educated in the decisions we have made and are fully aware of the responsibility involved with any pregnancy...especially that of a multiple pregnancy. I have trusted prenatal care and the babies and I are very well monitored. I honestly do not care what the rest of the world's opinions are, having been down this road once before and having walked the road we walked in our first twin pregnancy. I know that our choice in continuing to carry this pregnancy past 40 weeks goes against everything America and the medical profession shoves down one's throat and "teaches" the public at large to believe about pregnancy and the many risks involved, but what most do not know is that America has one of the highest fetal/maternal hospital mortality rates in the world...and has lost the ability to trust the woman's body to do what it was so perfectly designed to do. We both know there is indeed a place and a time for dr's and the care they provide. How very many times we have been so grateful for their services and skills....evident by what took place as I hemorrhaged during our miscarriage last fall as it ended in a hospital stay, or the many times we have sought medical care for our children as we have encountered staples in the head, stitches, strep throat and severed toes. But there is also a fine line of their knowledge and attempt at care becoming completely intrusive and invasive as they seek to needlessly interfere with that which is a very normal, uneventful process of life. I am truly thankful for the many dr's that have saved the lives of babies and we will not hesitate to seek care with a dr and deliver in a hospital if we feel the need arises. Brad and I are completely at peace and both feel that we are exactly where the Lord wants us to be....a very, very amazing and peaceful place to be in life. And we are both so very grateful for those of you who have covered us in prayer for this pregnancy and as we near the birth of our sweet boys.

But, truly on a different note not even closely related to gestating or the pregnant woman....I have now added city council member to my list of things accomplished in life...not that I ever really set out to master this position that I have now filled. Council member husband resigned due to having taken the assistant position on the water dept. One cannot be an employee of the town and sit on the council also. With his seat left open and very few capable, quality people in this rural place to fill the void, the council discussed and requested it, Brad and I discussed it and it was decided that I will be appointed. So, my job description now consists of city council member also. We firmly believe in being politically active and want to model this for the children as well, as they are taught the importance of it all. And we both know there is no better place to start than your own backyard and the place in which you live. It does seem kind of funny to me though...wife, stay at home mom, mother of 10, sitting up there behind the council table listening to all of the redneckers gripe about not being able to burn plastic or rubber in the backyard and smoke out the town or their disgust and disagreement with not being allowed to have crap cars sitting all over their property as rattlesnake, black widow and scorpion habitats. I am excited about continuing to advocate for a newer "city park" and playground equipment..something that has long been on the drawing board...along with continuing all of the efforts of betterment in general of everybody that currently sits on the council. So, I think I'm going to have some fun with it all.

The latest. While wrestling in the bedroom he fell into the metal bunkbed and hit the bottom bar with his teeth. The damage done is still not so entirely pretty to look at. His darkest tooth was knocked loose and over a period of only 2 days his perfect white front little teeth turned to this shade as they died. So, now awaiting a dentist appointment the 1st of November. My guess is that they'll pull the worst one, which is the loose one and maybe leave the gray one next to it. They may both have to go. Oh, the joy of rough and rowdy boys.

Picture Journey of a Twin Pregnancy - 39.3 Weeks!

......and still going! Hopefully this is to be the last picture documenting this pregnancy. I certainly wouldn't mind babies coming any time now. At this point in Garrison's and Grant's pregnancy I gave birth tomorrow....39 weeks 4 days....having gone into labor completely naturally. And at this point in Ivye's pregnancy I had already given birth yesterday....39 weeks 2 days. Which means, I have now carried two sets of twins longer than I carried one of our single babies.

Very, very ready for some babies. We have taken a rest from all of the natural induction, "get things moving" methods and are to the point of just knowing babies will get here when they get here......because obviously they're coming in their own time and not mine! And, honestly, I'm a bit tired of hoping that the hard consistent contractions from 5pm to midnight every single night mean something and then awaking the next morning to find myself still very much pregnant. So, we rest and we wait. And I hope that in the next 7 days babies will come forth.

Full Moon

No full moon babies tonight. And I think that whole gravitational pull on tides affecting amniotic fluid the same way and causing your water to break is a crock of crap. I have yet to have any baby on a full moon. In fact, when looking it up and having spent some time researching it, of our children's birthdays and moon cycles, ALL of our children have come right in the middle of the moon cycle....as far away as you can get from the full moon...and we have only induced two labors out of 7. We have tried everything to induce labor naturally yesterday and today and there is just nothing. Given that fact, it's looking like I will be pregnant well into next week. And there is a very good possibility that I will see my 40 week due date still pregnant. So, unless my water just miraculously breaks in the middle of the night for no apparent reason....other than the moon, of course.....it's just going to be awhile before we see some babies. Now just hoping to even get within the month of October.

Exhausted husband is already asleep but I think in order to get the full benefit of the moon and it's oh so powerful pull on the human body I'm going for a late night walk. I'm quite assured that no man with dishonorable intentions is even going to try and get close to the land locked whale. And 3 dogs all weighing over 80 lbs is a bit intimidating for most. So, I'm going to go walking in the absolutely amazing weather and soak in this beautiful night....and give the moon every opportnity in the world to work and put pressure on the amniotic fluid that resides within. Entirely laughable at this point.

Suffice it to say...I'm not holding my breath. When every labor inducing technique fails it's pretty much a guarantee I'm going to be pregnant for at least another week or so....probably another 40.

39 Weeks

Early morning darkness. I wake to the dim light of sweet husband's phone as he tries not to disturb my sleep. Familiar belt jingling, rattle of keys stuffed in pocket, clinking of digging change out of glass jar. Warm, humid air blankets the room from his morning shower. It doesn't take much for the realization to set in that I am still heavily pregnant...and the disappointment to ensue. Eyes barely open and tears already threatening to fall. I slowly get up and revisit the bathroom...for the seemingly thousandth time in 6 hours. Hard consistent contractions anywhere from 2-10 minutes apart from 5-11 the night before. Somehow I knew they would dissipate as we finally went to sleep but it makes it no less disappointing come morning. And my patience and optimism begin to wane with all of life.

I remain ever guarded about whining, griping, complaining and letting my focus transition over to the discomforts. It truly is all in the perspective...or at least most of it. But there are times when even my own limits are taxed and the ability to maintain the attitude and keep the perspective on track is very much maxed out in every way. Having remained quiet and expressed no discomfort or frustration to patient husband over the last few months I finally grow honest with him in the darkness. Breaking the silence I muttered dejectedly, "I told you it wouldn't go anywhere." Clueless, he asked simply, "What?" Not entirely used to this side of it all and my grumpiness he honestly had no idea where I was going with it. But, in his defense, it's not entirely his fault given the fact we went to bed with me on a happy note laughingly stating that it was safe to sleep since it would eventually all go away and I'd still be largely pregnant come morning. Self fulfilling prophesy, I suppose.

I know...I really truly know....how much we have been given and how absolutely overwhelmingly much we have to be grateful for. I look back on, not just the last year of our life, but the works the Lord has done in the years we have been married...how far we have come...how very much we have been lovingly and sometimes so painfully taught. It is an absolutely amazing thing to be where we are today...as individuals, as a couple and as a family. But even more specifically, how much we have been to be so exceedingly thankful for after surviving last year. How humbling it is to be at this place in life...especially after some of the tears that were shed in such pain but also such great selfishness, the thoughts that were allowed to take hold and some of the words that were spoken in such outraged anger on my part over the injustices I felt the Lord had allowed into our lives....how forsaken and abandoned my heart felt as we both fought and struggled our way through it all. Sweet innocent seven year old girl still with us emotionally, physically and in every other way despite what took place. Months and months of never ending loss and then an uncertain future for ever having anymore children. Yet here I sit entirely massively pregnant once more...blessed beyond all measure....with two more tiny lives ready to emerge and join our family. How many stories we have heard of dear people and families that long to have just their 1st or 2nd or even 3rd baby with no success. And how many moms have come to me stating their desire to have just one set of twins...to be able to experience the absolute joy of it all. And here we are....living this out for the second time in life...something that very few people in life will ever know.

So, how then....with all that we have been given and blessed with....could I ever begin to focus on the discomforts and even appearing to be slightly ungrateful for the gifts in life we have been given so abundantly...and for the joy that has come after the mourning of last year?? All I have to do is read about the people that have lost the lives of their children in ordeals such as we endured with Aubrey or listen to the numerous stories we are told when out in public. Stories of all couples longing for children but, for whatever reason, have not been able to succeed in having them and I am reminded how fleeting these discomforts are....what an amazing thing it is to be here at this place experiencing it all. So, I am not ungrateful, unthankful or even taking any of this journey for granted.....but, truthfully and honestly, I am very, very tired of being pregnant. I grow weary of continually having to give my fear back over to the Lord when babies' movements have seemingly slowed but, in all reality, I have just become so busy I have quit paying attention to their rolling ways...as they are far too big to kick anymore at this point. Heart rates and growth rates confirm in every way that they are indeed healthy and thriving. But the fear of losing another baby never really truly ever goes away. Somehow the innocence of pregnancy was stripped from us in what we endured and I no longer ever begin to take for granted the fact that a full term healthy pregnancy is just common. So, I continue to place my fear and my worry at the feet of the Lord, as I have done for the past 39 weeks, and know that He has given us these gifts and grown them into huge full term babies and He will bring them forth.


So, in the darkness I utter back to husband, just as forlorn as my first "I told you so" statement, "I told you I'd wake up still pregnant." Softness overcame him as he walked to me and fingered gently through my hair. He spoke softly, patiently, "We can try to get something going tomorrow if you want." My resolve fading I finally fessed up and uttered the long suppressed complaints, on the verge of tears... "I'm just really really tired of being pregnant. Everything hurts and I'm just really done." With sweet, endearing compassion and 12 years worth of knowing everything about me he grins and says quietly and simply, "I know." Sweet comfort in 2 such simple words. How grateful I am for this man that knows me so well. How in love with him I am. Knowing how opposed I have been the entire pregnancy to trying to start labor before my body begins it but also sensing how very much done I am he gently teased and reminded me of my words yesterday..."It's a full moon. You've got nature working on your behalf too if you take me up on it." It is no secret that more babies are born on a full moon than at any other time of the month. Research has even proved this odd fact and both dr's and midwives will eagerly attest to this amazing novelty. Something about how the gravitational pull really truly does affect the physiology of one's body. Any good medic will also have no problem telling you that the crazy people all come out on the night of a full moon too. It really does alter your body somehow....and if you're prone to being insane in the head it just exacerbates this....but if you're due to have a baby it can also greatly aid your cause...most of the time. But given how very due I am and how ready my body seems to be maybe, just perhaps, it might be enough to push it over the edge and get some babies here.

So, I contemplate his offer and finally quietly formulate a plan with him. We both know this road well enough to know what needs to be done to naturally help things along. And we both have teased and discussed how timely labor would be if it took place anytime tomorrow or tomorrow night since it begins a 96 off for him. And their birthday would be October 23rd if they came in the early morning hours....and I like odd numbered birthdays or any birthday counting by 5's. Strange, but true.

Children are finally all packed up...the area I always procrastinate with the most. I'd much rather clean house all day everyday than pack suitcases. Way too much required mentally to make it even somewhat enjoyable, despite how exceedingly much we love to travel as a family. So, at 39 weeks exactly I finally have managed to get all the bags packed....except Ivye's. I'll work on that today. And I'll clean and prepare for babies and focus on getting through today so we can see what tomorrow holds. And if there are no babies by Saturday morning I'll wake up and cry and get it all out of my system and then carry on and wait for the day they do arrive. Technically, I still have another 4 entire days left in Garrison's and Grant's pregnancy. So, surely I can get to next Monday if nothing takes place before then. Someone said during this pregnancy...as they clearly doubted my ability to carry a second set of twins full term.....that the odds of carrying two sets of twins past 39 weeks are less than 1%. But I know the amazing ability of the Lord and that He can grow some very healthy full term babies. I'm not sure if the percentage is really accurate but I do know that it is entirely rare to make it past 39 weeks in any twin pregnancy. To have done it twice is really rare and very much a blessing. Most twin pregnancies end around 36-37 weeks, if they've even made it that far, either naturally or by dr's interference.

So, I will spend today in the presence of my children and we will laugh and not worry about the messes that are made. I will immensely enjoy these last few days of being a family of 10 and only having these 8 children before we transition over to the chaos and fun and newness of welcoming two more and becoming a family of 12.

Morning sun has risen, children stirring, coffee hot in pot and clean kitchen smelling of pumpkin candle. Oatmeal waiting on stove for hungry little people to wake up enough to eat. Hot shower waiting. Absolutely beautiful weather blows through open windows. And I have an entire day to spend outside with my children painting and sidewalk chalking before determinedly beginning the work of getting some babies here.

Post Notice

So...if you saw a post on here and it disappeared it's not exactly all in your head. One of the many joys of it taking 3 entire days to write a blog post due to the many interruptions that come during a day is the computer being left wide open to tiny little hands that LOVE to push buttons. So, Ivye expertly posted today what was far from being finished and not entirely intended for the general public as of yet. So, once it's finished I'll actually post it.

Until then...know that I am still massively pregnant....with absolutely no contractions taking place at all. As in.....none. I think if I were to have any at this point I might hit 7 or 8 cm and a baby or two might just eventually fall out. That'd be kinda nice. Sitting at 38 wks 5 days and still going. Not that anyone's counting at this point or anything.

Just Waiting

38 weeks 4 days

One would think by the time you get to babies 9 & 10 you'd have this down really well. But, as I learn more and more, each pregnancy is so totally different and so it is with the labor and birth of each baby too. So, still here in every way...hugely, largely, massively, obnoxiously pregnant. Fundal height has hit 49 cm and when I sit and measure I can get it up to 54. I have stretch marks for the first time in my entire life. I think I may just laugh if these boys come out weighing a mere 6 lbs. after having stayed so physically small with Garrison and Grant and delivering 6'4 and 7'2 babies. At this size these boys better be round and robust 8 lb babies.

But, it's looking like these two will also go into my 39th week. I am definitely showing signs of having babies...but not anywhere in the near future. Not much of anything is happening so I just figure I'll enjoy the time while I have it. I'm truly not feeling in much of a need to hurry these babies up. I think the unknown timing is worse than anything else...always waiting in suspense....since I'm not one entirely known for my saintly patience. But, for now, I'll sit and just wait it out, hoping that the more time that passes the less amount of work I really have to do in the end. Contractions come and go and with each one I just envision myself making more and more painless progress..so that when the time does eventually come all that is left to do is push a couple of babies out. Although I will say, it'd be so amazing to wake up to my water breaking sometime in the middle of the night. At least then I would know...the time is now!

But, for now, I'll just wait.

Wait for the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord. Ps 27:14.

The Beginning?

So, I wasn't going to post this at all due to the details involved but then I just figured any and all male readers...all two of them....can just politely skip this post. This is definitely nothing any man wants to know...unless they're the husband in the deal. But I also know there are many people praying for us and I know there are many sweet female friends and fellow moms out there waiting in total anticipation and eagerness to know when anything changes.

As of today there are imminent signs of labor happening within the near future. Definite progress is being made and I am now dilated to a very painless 5....a first in any pregnancy for us. I usually do not ever make any progress at all until good hard contractions are well established. As of today I began actively losing the plug and with the only other pregnancy with which that has occurred it was only a matter of 48 hours until we had a baby. They say once this has happened it can be anywhere from 24-48 hours all the way up to a week before labor starts, but given how far dilated I already am and the fact it was only 48 hours last time I am guessing we only have a couple of days left before we're holding babies....at the most, a week. But, however long it takes this process we're definitely looking at October babies! Hopefully, due to already being so far into it, once labor really does begin it will go quickly.

Contractions at this point are entirely irregular, mild and painless though entirely there. I must say that I am amazingly impressed with the effectiveness of Gentle Birth Formula. In every previous pregnancy I've taken Nature's Sunshine 5-W but have never had an experience such as this. I've made an amazing amount of progress in dilation before actual labor and everything is just rather painless. At this point it's all just been really strong sensations and a bit like surges more than anything painful. And if it really has taken the edge off of pain, shortened the length of labor and resulted in such great progress beforehand as people have stated that it does, I am quite sold on it.

So, let the process begin! I'm definitely thinking we still have anywhere from 2 days to a week but probably no longer than that. But at least something's finally happening!!! Come out sweet boys! We desperately want to meet you!!

Picture Journey of a Twin Pregnancy - 38 Weeks!

Oh, to be so blessed. The last few posts have erred on the side of grumpy....perhaps due to hoping so badly they came the weekend of the 10th. But as the dated weekend passed my outlook on life began to improve drastically. No longer feeling the need to evict babies anytime in the near future I have reached the place of perfect contentment and continuing this pregnancy for however long it lasts...like I really had any choice in the deal. But I just realized it's all truly in the perspective. After reading numerous other pregnancy journeys of both single and twin stories and hearing the lament and whininess over all of the headaches, pains and discomforts I just realized once again it's all in what you make of it....as is all of life. I actually grow weary of hearing some's complaints and I just don't ever want to be that person...not to myself, to my husband, to my children or to anyone else I know. There's just way too many things to be grateful for, not the least of them being the absolute miracle that not only am I pregnant after such dire medical predictions but that there are two babies carried safely within, both now entirely full term and both strong and healthy. So many times within just the last week I have been reminded of just how much we have to be grateful for. I've had no less than 8 other twin moms come to me and tell me how amazing it is that I am still pregnant when they only carried their twins to a mere 29 to 31 weeks....and to be so so thankful for what I have been given, not just once, but twice now with very, very full term twin pregnancies.

And while out we usually get some comments about how others longed for large families but for one reason or another were unable to have them. But within this past week of rather trying discomfort we have been approached an unusual amount of times while out. It's even come through email and letters by people who've read the blog. These sweet women and families that have prayed for years...some even with expensive fertility treatments endured...longing for more children, all to no avail. I was entirely humbled by a gift that arrived in the mail only a few days ago from someone I have never met that has been touched by the size of our family. It only served to remind me again of those months endured, not knowing if we would ever have more children and the intensity of the loss we felt, not only for a sweet 14 wk old baby boy, but for the loss of perhaps never having more children. I do feel very very blessed...and I will happily carry these babies until they are born.

Just cause it's fun to compare the 2 pregnancies....

40 wks with Garrison and Grant

measuring 42 cm in fundal height

38 weeks with Graham and Gatlin

measuring 48 cm in fundal height

I do not have babies in the NICU and I am not even facing my hospital dread. I am healthy, our babies are healthy and I am at home where peace prevails. I am 38 weeks pregnant with twins...an amazing thing in and of itself. I have much to be so entirely grateful for. I do have headaches, my back does hurt, my hips do hurt, my feet are kinda swollen, and rolling over is about like trying to change the direction of the Titanic, but this so drastically pales in comparison to what I have to be overwhelmed with gratitude for. It's just a perspective thing at this point. And I will cherish these last couple of weeks of carrying these boys while they gain another pound or so.





And since life really does exist beyond the belly...other news consists of Ivye being fully and completely potty trained....pee, poop and all. Not even 2 and the job is done. This is the farthest apart we have ever had naturally spaced babies so to have not even one baby in a diaper is feeling a bit odd right now. The potty training milestone never ceases to amaze any of us. It's right up there with walking, reading, and riding a bike. It just doesn't matter how many you have...it never gets old. And I suppose one of the most amazing aspects is that it seems the more children we have the easier the whole process gets. There's not really much "training" involved anymore. With a little instruction and just a few accidents here and there it seems to be done. I think she has had a total of maybe 4 accidents since she has had her little chair....all easily cleaned up, reminders given and problem fixed.

And with potty training completed she also made the transition from crib to big bed. She's just not so much the baby anymore.

More of life to catch up on over the next few days.

Helping do chores...her idea of feeding the cat.

And we really do have more kids than just this one pictured in the last few posts. But with the beautiful outside weather the other 7 seem to have vanished in outdoor play.

Yes...It Is the 10th

...and yes 10/10/10 would've been a cool birthday for babies 9&10. And yes...I am still pregnant. And no....I am not in labor nor am I anywhere close to being in labor. At the rate I am going I will be doing good to be unpregnant by New Year's. Prune juice has now been attempted with no success. That was yesterday. And let it be well known that not even Charmin is kind when prune juice is involved. An entire 30 ozs yesterday from 3 pm on did not even budge these babies.


And because it makes me feel good and brings endorphins rushing within, the children, Mother and I also got out there and cleaned the 600 sq ft playroom from top to bottom...organized, threw no less than 100 lbs of crap away, dusted, vacuumed, and I personally made no less than 50,000 trips up and down the attic ladder to insure that I gave babies the chance of a lifetime to come out. I then proceeded to lift and move jiu jitsuing husband's 100 lb boxing bag the length of the room, painted the living area, scrubbed the walls, cleaned the ceiling and ceiling fans, vacuumed and washed the walls that did not get painted, power washed the front of the house, scrubbed the toilets, scrubbed the bases of toilets, scrubbed the sinks, scrubbed the tubs, scrubbed the shower and so forth. Outdoors we picked up, swept and hosed down the entire outside area and then from there I pretty much just delegated the rest since I realized everybody had skipped lunch, was super cranky and it was already time for dinner. I did manage to do 100 squats yesterday. My weight at this point only proves to work in my favor and provide an extra 45 lbs of resistance. I think I was just hoping I might squat a baby or two out. But...it didn't quite work like that.


I am still very largely pregnant in every way...and it looks like I will be for a good long while. And, for the record, I intend to post progress reports on here as I labor...at least in theory anyway.


So, hopefully sometime by the end of October I'll be holding babies. At the moment my body seems to be quite partial to carrying twins to 40 weeks. Maybe we'll take more pics tomorrow.

37 Weeks

Yep...it's a boring title. And yes....all I can do these days is count down. I am quite convinced I have become the most boring blogger ever. I have never been so ready to evict babies in all of my life. And that's saying alot when you've carried 6 single babies and a twin pregnancy to term....as in, all 40 weeks, some to 41 weeks.


Patience with all of life is waning at this point...if I ever had any to begin with...which I assure you....I didn't. And being cooped up running errands all day in a stinky van smelling like sweaty kids, stinky feet and farts only seemed to exacerbate the pleasantness and amiable state I seem to be in. My cause was not aided in the least when I failed to actually fit into the Taco Bell booth we occupied for dinner....in all seriousness! If freak show status was ever up for debate it has now been solidified and can be confirmed by all Taco Bell employees. Sitting SIDEWAYS in a fast food booth because I suddenly have become Santa's identical twin with a 50 inch girth and need a cattle scale to be weighed along with having my 8 little elves in tow...clean cut though they may be... definitely has the ability to get anyone's attention...as it so proved to do. Good news though. Went in today to get a pregnancy confirmation for back up insurance and the office seemed to think I might be pregnant. Had to pee in a cup to confirm it though. That proved to be a little interesting. I assured them this was not exactly a 40 lb pillow I am boasting underneath. Our little crew proved to be quite the novelty and source of entertainment up there. According to employees, they were inspiration for all of the expectant mothers that occupied the waiting room. I think perhaps employees lived in initial fear when they saw us coming....that we would send the patients fleeing and popping birth control pills a dozen at a time. In contrast, we were questioned by all, the children spoken to and conversed with and many within the waiting room sat in awe. Hopefully our presence encouraged as opposed to discouraged. The people within seemed to think it had done amazing things. One can hope.


We managed to spend half of the afternoon at the station with on shift husband and I managed to avoid most every person up there. I think at this point all the guys are a little fearful I will just lay down on the gurney and push out 2 babies quite effortlessly. It's a little difficult to avoid all human existence up there when he works at the busiest station in all of town and there's a total of 17 guys on shift at a time...along with a myriad of admin and brass sharing the space. So, we snuck around...with as much sneaking as you can do with 8 children in tow...4 of them being overly excited, entirely loud little boys and 1 being a super exuberant, tiny chatter box of a girl.....and they played in the game room and then sat in driver's seats of every truck up there. You'd think at some point it would become mundane and run of the mill for them all...but, alas, it never grows old to any of our children. Maybe because it's associated with daddy or maybe because they're just huge shiny trucks that make a ton of noise...or maybe a lot of both.


So, measurements at 37 weeks are now up to 46 cm. Because I can no longer reach the kitchen sink and have the driver's seat now fully extended I decided..because I have nothing else better to do than clean house with an arsenal of toothpicks and q-tips and obsess over the freakishly large status I have obtained...I measured fundal height while sitting too. That reached 50 cm. I think size alone has begun to scare even my own husband....though he is ever faithful to assure me no one has ever stayed pregnant forever and that I can only get so big. I'm beginning to doubt that part...on both accounts. On an encouraging note...I actually had a woman tell me while out today, "Honey....you're just about the most beautiful pregnant woman and mother I've ever seen.....and to be so enormously large you don't even waddle!!!" Thank you....I think? I'm quite convinced at this point it was strictly an obligatory statement given the fact she was standing directly front and center of the bulging buttons threatening to give way down the entire length of my shirt....clearly fearing for her life while she chatted.


So it is that I am still here and am 37 weeks. And no...I really cannot think of anything else to talk about right now other than pregnancy and babies, labor and birth....and how I long to go run in the cool weather. And how pumpkin is finally back in season.

Picture Journey of a Twin Pregnancy - 36 Weeks!

You think I'm kidding.

You know it's getting a bit bad when you finally get a girls night out before babies arrive and with absolutely no children whatsoever, minus the ones currently occupying the 5 feet of space in front of you, and your dream of a night ends up being a trip to Bed Bath and Beyond and sitting in the massage chair demos talking in the quiet of the store for 2 hours. And then you continue to sit and shop from the chairs you occupy and notice everything up high you have never in your life noticed before. We made ourselves quite comfy by finding the most deluxe massage device we could find and then putting foot massagers under feet for a full body massage. And I just sat for 2 entire hours with heated massage devices kneading and shiatsuing every body part that exists. We then proceeded to walk down the isle and smell every flavor of 1.00 soap they had and then returned to the chairs, in which we now had in hand a wire head massager that we took out of the package and put to use with the rest of the body massagers. And we laughed until we cried and stayed until the store closed. They finally announced 20 minutes after closing time, for the sheer benefit of the two of us still left, that the store had closed. But, in our defense, had they taken the time to perhaps announce what time the store closed we might could've helped them out a little by leaving on time.


After closing them up we moved on to the local bookstore's coffee shop, made use of the drive thru, and ordered the largest iced caffeinated coffee we could find, along with some pumpkin bread. We continued to sit yet some more in the quiet of the parking lot with windows rolled down and night breeze teasing long strands of unleashed hair as we watched the rest of the world go by. At one point we wandered through Target and I picked out 2 new tiny matching little boy welcome outfits to have something new just for them. That lasted about as long as my feet and bladder could stand...all of probably 20 minutes....and we made our way back to the truck....and just sat and talked some more before finally meandering our way home down dark, winding, starlit highways at 11pm. Greeted by a dark sleeping house I sat up in the living area yet some more...sitting seems to be the key word of this entire night....my alertness aided by the massive caffeinated drink just ingested, and sorted through baby items while we laughed about nothingness. Exhaustion finally overcame caffeine high so I eventually headed to bed to face the long restless night that lay ahead....peeing every 30 minutes..and every other lovely thing that goes along with rivaling the size of the Titanic.

Birth supplies arrived in the mail yesterday. It was quite the cause for celebration. 36 weeks, everything we need on hand, all little misc items gathered and everything in its place. It felt good and amazingly peaceful to know from this day forward we can have babies anyday....but it also made the clock seem to pause mid tick and never continue onward. I'm not sure the days can possibly pass any slower at this point. I don't remember ever reaching a point like this in Garrison's and Grant's pregnancy and being so entirely ready to have babies, but the hugeness of this pregnancy alone readies the heart and soul a little prematurely. But, as of this past Thurs we have passed the safe point and are free to have babies anyday....though given my history they probably will prove perfectly content to stay put for another 4 entire weeks. That's just a really long time away right now. How grateful I am to have carried babies this long but how grateful I will be to hold them in my arms instead of my distended belly.

And here they are at 36 weeks....somewhere around 6 to 6.5 lbs each....maybe a bit more.