Cruising at the start of week 35 - who would have thought?

Hi everyone -
Yes, we have successfully completed week 34 and are cruising at the begining of week 35! Well, cruising may be a bit of an embellishment, as the extra weight is taking its toll on my hips, and making it harder to get around, but we are surviving!
Months ago we set a goal to make it through the holidays. Some had their reservations (mom), but here we are...on the verge of the new year, and everything is still going very well for a multiple pregnancy!
Brian talked at the beginning about how cool it would be to have one baby just before midnight on NYE, and the other just after midnight...that way they'd have their own birthdays, and even be born in different years (and decades)! However, now I think he is really hoping that we make it as far along as possible to ensure that we have 2 healthy babies that we can bring home once they arrive. So, after we make it to Friday morning, then we strive to make it to January 12th (the end of my 36 weeks), then after that, our target will be January 27th!
Since the new year is upon us, it is only fitting to reflect on 2009, and for us, specifically the past 34 weeks. I realized today that so much has changed, and these babies haven't even arrived yet! So many people have told us that "things will never be the same" - usually in the context of not sleeping, chaos, and learning to be completely unselfish. However, I see how many things have changed already - in a very good way.
For example...Brian. 36 weeks ago if someone would have asked me what my biggest concern was with having a baby, I probably would have told them...

1. Brian would panic at the first sign of a contraction and want to rush to the hospital. However, our childbirth classes were very beneficial in educating Brian that this is a process - and these babies aren't coming after the first contraction. Now, I'm concerned that he'll want to watch the end of the football game/tv show/whatever and put off going to the hospital for as long as possible.
2. Brian would probably be on a gurny in the delivery room next to me, as he would faint at the first sign of blood/fluid, etc. However, again, the childbirth classes were pretty graphic, and he survived them. Now, he is disappointed that he won't be able to cut the umbilical cord because we'll have to do a C-section.
3. Brian would not change a single diaper. But now, he has changed 1 1/2 diapers of Lylah's, and he watched as I changed one of Knox's diapers. He's pretty sure that if it's his own kid, he can do it! (I'm really hoping he can, cause otherwise, I'll be doing nothing BUT changing diapers for the next few months!)

In all seriousness, 34 weeks ago I was fairly certain that Brian would be an amazing dad. Now, I KNOW without a doubt that he will be. He is already concerned with their safety (and mine), and he loves us all so much. He can't hide his excitement when we go through the baby clothes, or try to figure out the toys that we have for the babies already. He beems with pride when he talks to the babies (wishing them a good morning or telling them goodnight, which are always combined with hugs for all of us). And the look of amazement on his face when he puts his hand on my belly and gets to feel one of them roll over or struggle with the hickups - it's priceless.

We still have much to do to prepare for the babies, but someone told us along the way that as long as you have two arms to wrap your baby in, they really don't need much else. And we definitely have a lot of love to give these two little babies!

So, we ask for your prayers that our journey continues for a few more weeks, and remain uneventful and healthy. Thank you all for your love and support during this time.

Love,

Kate, Brian, and the babies

32 week update - from last Thursday 12/17

Hi everyone -
We had our 32 week ultrasound last Thursday - time just continues to fly!
The babies and I are all doing great still. It's a little hard to make things out on the ultrasound now as the babies are getting bigger and they are running out of room. However, everything still looks good, and they are ACTIVE babies!
Measurements last week estimated Baby A at 4 pounds, 4 ounces, and Baby B at 4 pounds 9 ounces - so most likely I have around 8 pounds of baby I'm carrying already!
My blood pressure is still normal, and no sign of protein, so little risk of pre-eclampsia. My cervis is still closed - which makes ALL of us very happy.
I've had a bit of an issue for the past few weeks with swelling in my feet - only shoes I can get on are my tennis shoes. So, I look like a dork, but overall, still feeling well.
The one bit of bad news that we received is that Baby A didn't get the memo, and is breech (butt down). So, right now the doctors are plannign a C-section to deliver these babies. :-( Not what we were hoping for, but all things considered, we'll deal with it.
The doctor indicated that they will not let me go past 38 weeks, so we currently have a C-section scheduled for Jaunary 27th at 12:30 p.m. Of course, anything could happen before then (go into labor, my water could break, etc.), but right now that's the plan! That should give us 2 very healthy babies that we can bring home from the hospital, and we should still be able to have the baptism on 2/13!
I have an appt. this afternoon, so another post will follow later.
Please continue to pray for all of us - we'd really like to make it to January 27th!
Love to all...
Kate, Brian and the babies.

More photos...

Pictures from the weekend

Christmas/Anniversary Celebration

Wow - it's been a long time, so I guess I'll do a couple of posts!
First - what have we been up to...
I had my 31 week appointment for the babies on 12-8, and everything checked out fine.
The rest of the week was busy as we were preparing to celebrate Christmas with my family, and also to celebrate 40 years of marriage for my parents. So, we put the Christmas tree up, did lots of Christmas shopping, wrapped all the gifts...and we got everything done that we needed to.
Thursday 12-10 was my Christmas party for work, so I had the afternoon off. When Brian was finished with work, we needed to go to church for our baptism prep class that evening. It was very enlightening and informative, and we are very excited about getting the babies baptized in February.
Then, the whirlwind weekend began...Friday morning, we packed up the car, and headed to Toledo. Unfortunately, it was a very long ride for me and the babies - they really don't like being in the car for more than an hour! Upon arrival, Brian needed to stop into the office in Toledo to finish something up at the last minute, then we headed to Lyn and RJ's. They were taking the kids to see Santa Clause, so we tagged along. the trip was interesting, as Brian and I got a glimpse of what life is going to be like for us - getting 2 kids dressed and out the door takes time! However, it was very precious to see Lyn's 2 kids sitting on Santa's lap, so we know that fruits of our labor will be worth it.
Friday evening, we met our friend Barb for dinner and conversation. It was so wonderful to catch up with her. However, our visit was limited as there were other friends to see. After dinner, we headed to Waterville to visit/meet a former co-worker of Brian's. Although Brian and I have been together for almost 7 1/2 years, I had never met Marcia until Friday evening. We had a great time visiting with Marcia, Robin, and their family and friends...although it was a bit odd for me to be in a bar drinking water!
We were able to enjoy a good night of sleep and Lyn and RJ's, then Saturday morning packed up to head to my parents. Once everyone arrived, we did some family pictures, enjoyed a delicious lunch, then it was time to celebrate Christmas! We all received many nice gifts, but the best was having everyone together - including Rod and Dennis from Phoenix.
After Christmas, it was time to finish preparing to celebrate mom and dad's 40th anniversary. We washed up the good china, finished the sides for dinner, and left detailed instructions for Aunt Shirley for finishing up dinner. Then, we were off to church at 4:00. (You all thought I was kidding earlier when I said it was a whirlwind weekend, didn't you?)
Mass was very nice. They mentioned mom and dad's anniversary during the petitions, and they were asked to carry up the gifts. Gram was there, as well as Aunt Marie, Uncle Jim, Uncle Bill, Aunt Jean, Hunter and Ryan. It was nice to have so many loves ones present to celebrate such a milestone.
After church and visiting, we headed back to mom and dad's house for the remainder of the evening. Aunt Shirley had everything set up for us, and we enjoyed a delicious Prime Rib dinner (along with a few beverages for most of us). It was a jam packed day, but a very joyous celebration.
Sunday was a very relaxing day, as we really didn't have a whole lot planned. Gram and Pete stopped by to spend some time with Rod and Dennis, as did Aunt Marie and Uncle Bill. We spent time looking through mom and dads wedding albums, and laughing at how much things have changed in 40 years.
Monday, Brian and I, dad, Lyn, RJ, and the kids went to Montpelier and took mom out for lunch before it was time to head back to Cincinnati. We stopped to see Brian's mom and his sisters for a while, had dinner with them, then onward home. We were all exhausted when we arrived home - thankful for a wonderful weekend, but also very happy to finally be home. Our last trip before the arrival of the babies had concluded.
Pictures from the weekend will be posted shortly. Hope you enjoy.
A baby update will follow shortly as well.
Love to all,
Kate

30 week update!

Hi everyone -
Yesterday marked the end of my 30th week!
We marked the occasion with a trip to the doctor.
The doctor indicated that making it to 30 weeks with twins is our first milestone - and congratulated us. She said we would now focus on getting to 32 weeks, then 34 weeks - and anything after that is just icing on the cake!
Our appointment went really well. I've officially gained 19 pounds, I'm measuring fine, and my health overall is still really well. The doctor reviewed everything - my glucose test was a 78 - which is very low, and very good. My repeat iron test was amazing (she indicated most twins are anemic, but no sign of that for us). No more swelling issues. My leg cramps have gotten better since I started the magnesium supplement. Still having contractions, but nothing regular or timable. Overall, things couldn't be any better!
I got to listen to the heartbeats again (this is becoming my favorite part of our visits). I saw a doctor yesterday that I hadn't seen since my very first visit. After hearing the heartbeats - she had a different prediction on the genders! She predicts seeing a lot of BLUE in our future (she thinks we are having two boys). When I shared this perspective with Brian, he seemed a little disappointed - I think he is really hoping for a boy and a girl. Guess we still just have to wait and see once they come and join us!

Things continue to be busy for us. We were out of town the whole week of Thanksgiving. We were able to have dinner with our friend Melissa, spent time helping Lyn adjust to having 2 small children for a few days, visited with my Grandma, and spent Thanksgiving with Brian's family. Friday we celebrated Thanksgiving with my parents, Aaron, Lyn and RJ, and RJ's parents. Saturday we were able to get a little bit of Christmas shopping done, as well as be Godparents for Knox's baptism. Lyn and RJ are really blessed with a sweet little boy, and Brian and I are honored to be his Godparents.
Sunday we stopped in to visit Brian's other Godchild, Ashley, as well as Jay and Tracy. Then we returned to Cincy, and continued our preparation for the babies. We are working on cleaning out and organizing closets, cupboards, etc. We were able to move a lot of the baby stuff into the closet in the nursery - now we just need to get some furniture in there!
We have lots of appointments and things to do this week, which may be challenging, as the tiredness is starting to set in. Please say some prayers that we are able to continue tackling our "to-do" list!

Hope everyone has a great week.
Love,
Kate

Ultrasound and appointment update

28 1/2 weeks, and the babies are doing great!
Went to the doctor today, and they did another ultrasound. Measurements say that "Right" weighs around 2 pounds 11 ounces, and "Left" is at 2 pounds 13 ounces. This is more than a pound more for each of them than what they weighed 4 weeks ago. This is awesome! (Especially when you consider that's 5 1/2 pounds of baby, and I've only gained 17 pounds in total so far).
The doctor is very pleased with how the babies are doing, and with how well I am doing.
I finally received my swine flu vaccine. Babies are still nice and high (not putting pressure on my cervix) and my cervix is still closed. That all means that I'm still cleared for traveling!
I've been experiencing some leg cramps (the kind that wake you from a dead sleep in the middle of the night). Doctor recommended ensuring I'm getting my calcium (Tums), potassium (banana), and magnesium (need to get a supplement). I'm willing to give anything a try!
I've had a few warm up contractions, but as long as they aren't regular, and aren't getting any stronger, nothing to worry about for now. It would just be nice if they would come when I'm not driving, as it gets pretty hard to move back and forth between the gas and the brakes when I'm having a contraction!
Hoping we get the nursery walls painted tonight, and running some other errands for the babies tomorrow. Then heading to see baby Knox and Lylah on Sunday. More traveling this week to see the Hart family for Thanksgiving as well. Here comes another busy week!
Hope everyone has a great week, and a Happy Thanksgiving.
Keep praying that things continue to go well for all of us. We appreciate everyones help!

Love,
Kate

We almost forgot...

Happy Belated Birthday to Uncle RJ (Nov. 12).
Happy Anniversary to Uncle Sean and Aunt Beth (Nov. 14)
Happy early birthday to cousin Alissa (Nov. 20)
Congratulations to Uncle Rodney and Uncle Dennis on 20 years (Nov. 21)
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone next week - we hope everyone has some time to reflect on the wonderful blessings they have in their lives!

28 Weeks!

Hi everyone -
It's been another busy week in the Hart household! Mommy and Daddy are getting tired, but they still have a lot to do to prepare for our arrival!
Last Tuesday, they attended a 3 hour long class related to multiples. They were surprised that there were 13 different couples in the class! That's a lot of twins for the Cincinnati area!
Wednesday night, they were supposed to meet with a lawyer to get their wills done, but the lawyer needed to reschedule, so they are going tonight.
Thursday evening was a painting night...Daddy finished the second coat on the nursery ceiling while Mommy painted the trim boards in the master bathroom. (She's been wanting to get those done for about 3 years now, so figured it was time!).
Friday night, we stopped and picked Uncle Aaron up after work, and we hit 75 north toward Toledo. We stopped in Dayton and had dinner, then proceeded to go visit Aunt Lyn at the hospital. They induced her on Thursday evening, but things weren't progressing very quickly. When we left the hospital around 12:30, she was having some contractions, but she was sure that she'd be going home after breakfast the next day and waiting for her baby boy to arrive when he was ready.
What a surprise we got when Aunt Lyn texted us at 1:30 to let us know her water had broken, and she was dialated to one centimeter! By 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, she was fully dialated, and waiting for the doctor to arrive. Our new baby cousin Knox Joseph Willinger was born at 7:08 a.m. on Saturday, November 14th. He weighed 8 pounds even, and was 21 1/2 inches long. He has dark hair, and looks just like his big sister Lylah did when she was born!
Mommy, Daddy, and Uncle Aaron arrived at the hospital between 8:00 and 8:30 on Saturday to meet Knox. We got to see Maw-ma and Paw-pa, and Aunt Rachelle too at the hospital.
Saturday was spent visiting with Knox, Aunt Lyn, Uncle RJ, and the whole family. We got to play with cousin Lylah in the afternoon too (she even gave us kisses through Mommy's tummy).
Sunday was more visiting before heading back home.
Last night Mommy and Daddy ran lots of errands. First they stopped and got a new suit ordered for Daddy, as he is going to need one for cousin Knox's baptism, as well as ours! Then they stopped and picked a few things up at Walmart, then they were off to the dry cleaners to pick up some of Daddy's things. Finally, around 8:00 they had some dinner before heading off to the grocery store to stock up for the week. After arriving home around 9:30, they put the groceries away, then Mommy unloaded the dishwasher and did a load of laundry. By 10:30, it was time for bed, as they were both exhausted!
Lots of things to do this week: meeting with the lawyer tonight, C-section class at the hospital on Wednesday evening. Thursday and Friday night, Daddy plans to put the new ceiling fan up in our room, and hopes to get the pretty yellow paint on the walls. Mommy needs to get her thank you's for her work shower done, and hopes that her and Daddy can agree on some baby furniture for our room so they can get it ordered. Otherwise, we may arrive before the furniture does!
Saturday will be wrapping up anything that didn't get done for the week, and hopefully watching the Ohio State/Michigan football game. They will also be preparing for the busy week of Thanksgiving!
We hope you all have a great week. We'll write more after our ultrasound and appointment on Friday.

Love to you all,
Left and Right

1 Day short of 27 weeks

Happy Monday!
We've all been quite busy since Mommy's last post. Mostly running errands, getting things taken care of before we arrive.
Friday night, Mommy went to a shower for us that her work hosted. It was a really lovely evening spending time with the ladies that Mommy works with. All of them are curious about how this whole twin thing works! Mommy doesn't have all the answers...she just keeps saying they will figure things out! Thanks to everyone who came to the shower, and for all of the wonderful things for us.
While Mommy was at the shower, Daddy was at home working on the nursery. He was able to pound the nails in that popped out, put screws in to anchor the dryway, and had everything patched up. Daddy is working really hard to get our room ready for us!
Saturday, Daddy went to Grandma Hart's to take care of things. Mommy spent the morning running errands - dry cleaner, Target, the mall, Meijer, and the garden center to get fertilizer for the yard. She also went to get her blood drawn for her glucose test (more on this later).
In the afternoon, Mommy worked on laundry, and put a first coat of paint on some new shelves for the family room. After all that running around, and the yucky stuff for the glucose test, she was pretty tired by 5:00. She spent the rest of the night catching up on TV shows on the DVR, and talked to Maw-ma and Paw-pa Muehlfeld before Daddy got home.
Sunday was another busy day - church, then a trip to Home Depot to get the paint for the nursery. Daddy mowed the yard, and put the winter fertilizer on while Mommy made lunch, dinner, and another meal for later this week. She also emptied the dishwasher and cleaned up the whole kitchen.
After lunch, Mommy and Daddy took Uncle Aaron his lawn mower, visited with him for a little while (and convinced him to come help paint the nursery ceiling). Daddy and Uncle Aaron got the first coat of paint on the ceiling while Mommy worked on taping the baseboards, and put the second coat of paint on the shelves for the living room. They all enjoyed some chili for dinner after all their hard work. Hopefully they will finish the ceiling tonight, and move onto the walls later this week!
Mommy took us to our doctor's appointment this morning. All good news to report! Mommy passed her glucose test (which is very surprising, as they had told her to prepare for the worst since there are 2 of us, and she is 35 years old). Mommy is very happy - she really wasn't looking forward to having to drink more of that yucky stuff! Doctor let Mommy listen to both of our heart beats again - still very strong (and Right is still kicking Left), and still VERY different!
Mommy has been worrying that she hasn't gained any more weight since her last appointment, but the doctor said not to worry. The babies are still growing, so as long as Mommy feels good, she should keep doing what she is doing and not worry about what the scale says. Mommy's belly is continuing to measure bigger each time, and we are right on schedule!
We go back to the doctor next Friday for a visit and an ultrasound, so Mommy and Daddy should have more pictures of us to share!
That's all for this week's recap. We'll have more to share next week, hopefully including news that our new baby cousin has arrived!
Have a great week everyone!
Love,
Left and Right

6 Months already! (26 weeks)

It is really hard to believe that it has been 6 months since this miracle started!

Brian and I greatly enjoyed a very quiet and serene weekend in Hocking Hills. Our cottage was perfect (after Brian got over the initial shock of NOT having a TV). Saturday we checked out some of the sites - Old Man's Cave, Cedar Falls, and Ash Cave before grabbing some lunch. In the afternoon, we indulged in a couple's massage - which we both greatly needed. In the evening, we enjoyed a delicious meal (including dessert), before retiring early.

Sunday was our first wedding anniversary, and started with breakfast before we checked out of our cottage. We took a nice stroll through the woods to find Rose Lake, which we hadn't visited on our previous trip to Hocking Hills. We walked through Conkle's Hollow after that, enjoying the beauty of the gorge and the waterfalls. Unfortunately, the time went too fast, and we began our drive home.

We stopped during our drive for an ice cream treat, then we stopped again in Jeffersonville at the outlet malls. We were able to find some Christmas presents for our nieces and nephews there, then finished our drive home. We celebrated All Saints day by going to 7:00 mass, then exchanged our anniversary gifts. The rest of the evening was just spent together, relaxing in preparation for the coming week.

Monday night was our final Childbirth Class - we sure hope we are ready! We definitely learned a lot over the past 5 weeks, and we are looking forward to getting to hold our little miracles in the next few months. We know time will be challenging when we bring them home, but we are also reminded that the good times will far outweigh the bad.

Tonight we are planning to run some errands (Auto Zone, grocery...who knows where else) and continuing to plan our week.

We hope you all enjoy the fading leaves and the cooler temperatures of fall, as Winter is around the corner!

Love,
Kate and Brian

Where does the time go?

Hi everyone -
It's been a busy few weeks since we "blogged" last. Sorry - guess we've been busy!
Daddy went to Las Vegas with his friend Jay for a few days last week. Daddy really seemed to enjoy the trip. They saw a few shows (Daddy is still raving about the "Love" Beattles show), checked out the casinos, and of course gambled. Daddy learned there is more than one way to play Blackjack, and he's also rooting for the BearCats to make it to the BCS title game so he can win back some of the money he lost!
While Daddy was gone, Mommy kept busy so she didn't miss him too much. Monday night she took Uncle Aaron to dinner (Thai) before she drug him to the nutrition class for her childbirth classes. Overall, I think Uncle Aaron enjoyed it. Tuesday Mommy was on her own - she picked up a few gifts on the way home, then worked on helping us write all our thank you's for the showers. They are all written - and the last 2 are in the mail today. WHEW!!!
Wednesday and Thursday Mommy had dinner with friends, and really enjoyed catching up!
Mommy came down with a nasty cold on Friday, so she stayed in and ate some soup, did some laundry, and rested up.
Daddy flew back from Vegas late on Friday night, arriving back in Ohio early on Saturday morning. He visited with Tracy's mom for a bit, then took a very long nap (which he needed)! Daddy got home just before 10 Saturday night.
Mommy spent most of Saturday cleaning up around the house. She got everything cleaned except for the floors, tubs, and showers. She was pretty tired! She ran a few errands in the evening before Daddy got home too.
Sunday was a day of rest for everyone. Daddy was still recovering from his trip, Mommy from her cold and everything she did on Saturday. It was a nice relaxing day for all of us.
This past week has continued to be busy.
Mommy and Daddy went to the doctor on Monday morning for another ultrasound. We both cooperated this time, so it only took about 1/2 hour for the tech do do all the measurements for both of us. Mommy and Daddy couldn't believe how much we've grown in just 6 weeks! "Right" is weighing around 1 pound, 9 oz. and "Left" is at 1 pound, 12 oz. That's more than double what we were last time! Everything still seems to be going well, although the doctor was concerned that although we are growing, Mommy had lost a pound since our last visit 2 weeks ago. Mommy feels it's because she hasn't had much of an appetite with her cold, but is trying to do better about eating even if she isn't hungry.
"Right" still has it's head down, so Mommy is still hoping we can avoid a C-Section!
Monday night Mommy and Daddy had their 4th childbirth class. The teacher reviewed comfort options, as well as interventions (such as epidurals, pain shots, etc.) Lots of great information!
Tuesday night Daddy went to the Bengals stadium and gave blood, so it was another "resting" evening, as he didn't want to exert himself too much.
Wednesday was another night of getting things done around the house, while Thursday Mommy and Daddy went to Uncle Aaron's to check on Grandma Hart's computer. We think we are getting it back in order for her!
This weekend Mommy and Daddy celebrate their first wedding anniversary. They are planning a quiet weekend at Hocking Hills - more R&R for everyone! Hopefully they will get re-energized so that they can get some work done on the nursery next week.
That's all for now. Hope everyone has a great weekend! More updates to come!

Love,
Left and Right Hart

Time keeps on flying by!

Wow - another week has passed already! At least we are continuing to make progress!
Last Wednesday, we toured the maternity area of the hopital, and got a peek into the NICU unit. All I can say is that I hope anyone who tries to come visit us in the hospital isn't afraid to ask directions! Brian and I are planning to do a few dry runs through to make sure we really know where we are going. There are lots of elevators - some take you where you need to go, some don't! We'll deliver on the 9th floor, but after that we could be moved to the 13th or the 7th floor. To make things more complicated, they are working on a new entrance to the maternity ward which opens on 11-1...so we weren't even taken the way we'll need to go. Hopefully we'll figure things out before the first of the year!
Thursday night, Brian put the paint samples for the nursery on the wall, and we made our decision on Friday with which one to use. It is called "Moonlit Yellow" and just seems perfect for babies! Now, we just need to fix the nail pops in the ceiling, paint the ceiling, then we can paint the walls. We may get it all painted by the first of December!
Late Thursday night, we got a call that Brian's niece Alissa broke her leg. It's a spiral fracture in her lower leg, so she has to keep her leg elevated, and no pressure on it for 6-8 weeks. Poor thing! Please say some prayers that everything heals well for her!
Friday night was an errand evening at Target. We had lots of cards to buy, as well as a little cheer up gift for Alissa.
We mailed part of our thank you cards on Saturday. I hope to write the other thank you's this week so that Brian can read them when he gets home on Saturday, and we can get them in the mail.
Saturday was a trip to Fort Recovery for our baby shower on the Hart side. We had a really great afternoon visiting with Brian's aunts (and some uncles too!). We received more amazing gifts for the babies, and were once again reminded how blessed we truly are! Everyone gets excited for a new baby - so the idea of getting 2 at once is reason for double the celebration! Thanks to Lisa and Beth for hosting the shower for us, and bringing all of us together.
Unfortuantely, it was a very late night getting home (especially since we were stuck in traffic for an extra hour because of an accident), so Brian and I slept in on Sunday. However, once we were up, it was time to work on our "to-do" lists. We grabbed some breakfast, started some laundry, then we unloaded the truck from our shower on Saturday. It was fun to go through all of our gifts again, and we really can't wait for the babies to arrive.
After organizing the gifts, Brian went outside to cut the grass, and take care of the yard work while I tended to the house - many loads of laundry, unloading the dishwasher, and clearing off the kitchen counters. Doesn't sound like much, but after going up and down the stairs about 7 times, and bending over to move 5 loads of laundry from the washer to the dryer - it's a lot to do for a woman almost 24 weeks pregnant for twins.
After lunch, I rested, and helped Brian prepare for his trip. It's going to be hard to have him so far away this week, but he deserves to go have some fun before the babies arrive. Plus, I know that the weekend of our anniversary that I get him all to myself, so we have that to look forward to.
Hope everyone had a wonderful week, and that the one ahead is just as good!
Love to all,
Kate

Belly to Belly shot for my little sis and me!

Baby Shower pictures

23 weeks down!

We hope everyone is doing well.
A LOT has happened since we posted our last update.
Thursday evening, we traveled to Toledo, and spent the night with RJ, Lyn, and Lylah. Friday morning, the girls (Lyn, Lylah, Rachelle, and I) and Aaron drove to my parents house to prepare for the baby shower on Saturday. The morning was spent moving furniture, setting up tables and chairs, and decorating.
We took a break for lunch, which had to be fish at Sam's. Aunt Shirley surprised us and joined us, so we got some extra visiting time with her. Plus, it was her 44th wedding anniversary!
The rest of the day included naps, then getting dinner ready for when the guys arrived.
Saturday was a very big day for me. It was so wonderful to see all of our family and friends. We greatly enjoyed visiting and catching up with everyone - filling them in on how the babies are doing. We were showered with many gifts, and feel very blessed to have such a loving and supportive family. Thanks to everyone who came - the babies look forward to meeting each of you!
Saturday evening was clean up time from the shower, and visiting more with Brenda, Dick and Kelly Willinger. We hadn't seen them since Lylah's birthday in March!
Sunday we were up early for the canoe trip - breakfast at 8, launch at 9.
We were again blessed with more visitors who weren't able to attend the shower on Saturday. Kathy Balogh stopped by early in the morning before breakfast, then Lee "the other Mrs. Hart" stopped by mid-morning. Last, Wes, Jen, Alyssa, and Zoe stopped in just before it was time to head off to lunch. We really are blessed that we were able to see so many people all in one weekend!
We braved the cold again to have lunch back in the woods by the river, and watched the canoes roll in. Unfortunately by 2:00, it was time for us to load up the truck and head south, without seeing RJ arrive in his canoe. Still not sure what time he finally arrived - or if there were any jello shots left!
To say the least, it was a long drive back to Cincinnati, as I was completely exhausted. We arrived home around 6:30, but still needed to unload the truck (and part of Aaron's car - I told you were were blessed this weekend).
After unloading, I fixed some grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for dinner, then it was time for a very long, hot shower.
Rejuvenated from the shower, we decided to go through all of our gifts again, to ensure that Brian knew what we received (he was a little busy decorating onesies when I first started opening gifts). We sorted through things, and organized them. Our guest room looks like it should be the nursery now!
We finally retired for the night, with the work week approaching.
Monday night we attended our second Childbirth class. This week we covered labor and delivery - which included some pretty graphic video! Brian did better than expected. Although natural delivery doesn't exactly look pleasant, I still think it will be better than a C-section, so everyone please pray that Right gets its head down when the time comes!
Tuesday morning we had a check-up appointment with the doctors. Doctor says we are all doing great. The babies are still pretty high - which is a good sign. Still no talk of bedrest - which is a very good thing. We were able to hear their heartbeats again - both are very strong, but definitely distinctive. The doctor predicts we'll get a boy and a girl (just because of the heartbeats). When we were listening to Right's heartbeat, we could hear another noise - the doctor told us that was Right kicking the other baby! Guess calling Right "feisty" is still appropriate!
We had some questions for the doctor, which she answered, and assured us that everything was going VERY well. She encouraged Brian and I to "get away" for our anniversary in a few weeks - so we are planning a weekend trip. We are not only blessed with twins, but we are still having a great pregnancy as well, so we may as well enjoy ourselves!
Our next appointment is on Monday, October 26th, and this will include another ultrasound. Hopefully we'll have pictures and more good news to share then!
Tonight we take our tour of the maternity unit, and the NICU. Very exciting!
Hope everyone is enjoying the fall air, and the beautiful colors.
We'll post pictures from the shower soon!
Love,
Kate

22 Weeks!

Hi everyone -
Time continues to fly by, and I continue to worry about how we are going to get everything done! However, we finally made some great progress this past week!
Wednesday night, Aaron came over and had dinner with us, then helped Brian move furniture around in the office, and we finally got the extra bed out of the nursery. Just need to clean out the closet, and then the nursery is BABIES only!
Friday night we went shopping for maternity clothes, but no luck. Luckily, I found some great deals at OldNavy.com, and ordered some additional items on Sunday. Just waiting for them to arrive!
Saturday was a very busy day of running errands...and wiping me out. We went to Home Depot and looked at paint samples, checked out the ceiling fans, and bought a new surge protector with a longer cord for the office. Then we went to Lowe's to check out some lumber Brian needed, and thought we may as well look at the ceiling fans there too. We found one we like for the nursery, so it came home with us!
Next we stopped and had lunch at Chipotle, then stopped by the house to drop off the ceiling fan, and to pick up the Costco coupons at Aaron's. We made a quick trip to Costco for Lylah's Christmas present and a few other things, then stopped into Michael's quick. After that we went to Hobby Lobby, then onto Sam's Club (we went to 2 home improvement stores, and 2 craft stores, so why wouldn't we go to 2 Club stores!). We finished the afternoon at Kohls where Brian got a new winter coat.
We barely had time to stop back at home and unload, as well as put dinner in the oven, then we were off to church. The rest of the evening wasn't very productive , but we definitely accomplished a lot in one afternoon. Sunday was a day of rest (and online shopping) for me, while Brian went to Fort Recovery for the day.
Monday evening, Brian and I attended our first Childbirth class. The instructor is great, as well as the other couples, although we heard the gasp of fear when they all heard we are expecting twins. Having ONE baby seems to be freaking most of the other couples out more than having 2 does me!
Today marks the close of my 22nd week. The next few weeks are going to be busy as we have the Muehlfeld shower, then the Hart shower, then Brian heads to Vegas. It will be holiday season before we know it!
More to follow next week - including pictures!
Love,
Kate

21 weeks and counting!

Hi everyone -
Wow - it's hard to believe that I am 21 weeks old already! By the way, I'm "left" as daddy refers to me (the good child as "right" led you all to believe).
We've all been quite busy since our last post. We took a trip to Maw-ma and Paw-pa Muehlfeld's to celebrate Paw-pas birthday. Mommy's foot swelled up quite a bit, but it's doing better now. We also went and visited Great Grandma Hug-Muehlfelds family (the Starks). There were a lot of people there mommy didn't know, but they were all excited to hear about right and me. It was nice to see everyone, and they are all praying for mommy and us.
Daddy had part of the week off last week, so he worked on his "to-do" list quite a bit. He spent time at Grandma Hart's a few days, and also over-seeded the yard at home.
Saturday was a bit of a lazy day...mommy ran some errands in the morning, then mommy and daddy both watched some football in the afternoon and evening. Daddy thinks mommy has two Buckeye fans growing inside her, but mommy thinks different. We'll see!
Daddy got a big treat Saturday evening...it seems my sibling was feeling feisty as usual, and was kicking pretty strongly. So mommy had daddy put his hand on her tummy, and sure enough Right gave her a wallop! Daddy is finally convinced that there is at least one baby in mommy's belly. Guess I better build my strength up so daddy doesn't forget about me. That Right - always has to be the one to do things "first"!
Sunday, Daddy and mommy worked on cleaning out the office so they can transform it into a guest room. They are making progress!
Mommy and daddy start their childbirth classes next week. Wish them luck!
Hope everyone has a great week!
Love,
Left

P.S. - please say some prayers for Natalie Sue Siebenaler - she is the newest member of Justin and Kim Siebenaler's family. She's here in Cincy at Children's Hospital, and they have a few surgeries scheduled for her in the next few days. Please keep them all in your prayers!

Week 19 and ultrasound update

Hi everyone -
Mommy had her 19 week ultrasound today. Daddy came along so he could see how well we were doing.
I ("Right") felt like being ornery, so I kept moving around just to make things difficult for our ultrasound lady! They have a checklist of things they need to look at to ensure that I'm growing. I tried my best not to cooperate, but eventually, they saw everything they needed. Mommy and daddy do not want to know if I'm a boy or a girl, so the ultrasound lady made them look away when it came time to check out my legs. Daddy kept trying to peak though!
They say that I look like a perfectly normally little baby...other than being a feisty one! I weigh approximately 10 oz. currently, and my brain, heart, spine, kidneys, and bones all look good.
After they finished looking at me, they decided they may as well look at my sibling while they were there. "Left" as daddy calls my sibling was much better behaved. The ultrasound lady joked that all she had to do was think about what she wanted to look at next, and Left would just roll right over and made it easy for her to find what she needed. That Left, just trying to be the "good child" already.
Like me, the ultrasound lady said that everything looks perfectly normal with Left. 10 oz. for that baby too. This really helped put daddy's fears to rest, as he was really worried that I was taking all the food, and poor Left wasn't getting much. But since we are both the same size right now, that's really good!
Although mommy and daddy didn't find out if either of us are a boy or a girl, Daddy has made his predictions to mommy...but she's not sharing! Guess we'll have to wait and see!
The doctor then checked mommy's weight, blood pressure, and asked her how she is feeling. Everything is looking good. Mommy has had a few dizzy spells in the past week, but the doctor said that is normal. Seems to be when she's on her feet for longer than she's used to...so guess daddy needs to let her rest some more.
Our next appt. is in four weeks. We'll share more updates on what is going on in mommy and
daddy's lives before then. The shower for mommy's family is in just over 3 weeks!
Mommy will post the pictures of us later tonight or tomorrow...so please check back soon.

Love to you all,
"Right"

Ultrasound day!

Hi everyone -
Today is ultrasound day! Brian is coming along with me this time, so please pray that the babies are active! We hope to post some pictures of our two little ones later today, so check back!

Love,
Kate

Wonderful and productive labor day weekend

Wow - is the long weekend over already?

We had a GREAT weekend. Brian and I only worked 1/2 day on Friday, which gave us the afternoon to prepare for the weekend. RJ, Lyn, and Lylah arrived around 6:15, and we all enjoyed fajitas on the patio for dinner. Afterwards, we played Wii, and just enjoyed the evening, until Lyn and I fell asleep on the couches...then it was time for bed.
Saturday we were up early (with an 18 month old, sleeping in doesn't happen), and made ham, eggs, and toast for breakfast. The Willingers left around 10:30 to head to Louisville for a family get together that afternoon. Brian and I spent the afternoon running errands - TSC, Sam's Club, then off to BabiesRUs to add things to our registry. We made some good progress - just need to figure out the car seats and stroller, then we'll be pretty well set. After BabiesRUs, we stopped at Frisch's for milkshakes, then at Walmart to check out their baby department. We were home around 6, and needed a nap! The rest of the evening was researching car seats, and resting after a very productive Saturday.
We got up early on Sunday and went to 9:00 mass. After a quick stop at the grocery, we headed home and had an early lunch. After lunch, Brian stirred up cookies while I threw chili in the crockpot for dinner. The Willingers arrived back here around 3:30 - plenty of time to eat dinner before heading to the fireworks. We headed downtown around 5:30 to check out Riverfest...and had a lot of fun. Never realized how many people invade downtown!
Lylah made friends in the parking lot with some very sweet boys who let her play football with them, and also with the "neighbors" who shared their glow toys. Lylah enjoyed the fireworks, but got a little bit bored about 3/4 the way through. Parking was perfect though - as it only took us 1/2 hour to get home from downtown!
Today was a very lazy day. We had cereal for breakfast, then just visited the rest of the morning. Heated up a bunch of leftovers for lunch, then everyone (including Brian) were gone by 2:30. I spent the afternoon catching up on Y&R, and resting from the weekend.
It's back to work tomorrow, but then Brian will be home tomorrow night. Hope to have a productive week getting things cleaned out and rearranged in the house to accommodate the babies. Wish us luck!
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and we get to see or hear from you soon.

Love,
Kate

9/2 Appointment

Hi everyone -

Wow - it's sure been a busy week!

Mommy had an appointment this morning, and so she got to take a peak at both of us! Hope you like the pictures...cause they sure were hard to get! We both decided that we'd play a bit with the ultrasound tech, and tried really hard not to show her our faces. We both kept our heads down and pointed toward mommy's back. We eventually gave up, but it sure was fun.

The tech told mommy that things look really good...she showed mommy our brains, hearts, kidneys, and even our spines! We get to go back in two weeks, so daddy can see how big we've gotten, and they will continue to make sure that we are both growing!

Hope you all enjoy our pics - more to come in the future!

Love to you all...

Left and Right

Note from Mommy:

Right (baby A) is definitely more active than than Left (at least whenever we have ultrasounds done). However, both babies seem to be of good size, and are doing great! Almost to the half way point!

Don't forget to vote!

Almost forgot - don't forget to vote on what you think the babies will be! The poll is on the right side of the screen!

17 weeks - and the First of September!

Hi everyone -
Another week has passed, and we sure have been busy!
Friday night, Maw-ma and Paw-pa Muehlfeld arrived for a weekend visit. We ate pizza, enjoyed the cooler weather on the patio, and chatted most of the evening. We hadn't seen them for 5 weeks, so we had a lot to catch up on!
Saturday morning, Maw-ma, Paw-pa, and Uncle Aaron helped Mommy and Daddy can tomatoes. With the colder weather, we'll be making soup before we know it!
Mommy went early on Saturday to have some blood drawn for tests - so her and Daddy got out of the tomato canning for a little bit! Still waiting to hear the results of the blood work.
After making lunch, everyone had a bit of time to relax while we waited for Great Uncle John and Great Aunt Pam to arrive. We all went to church, then headed out to the vineyard for dinner. After dinner, Paw-pa and Uncle Aaron introduced Maw-ma to the Wii. They bowled a little bit till Maw-ma's shoulder hurt, then Uncle Aaron and Paw-pa checked out the baseball, tennis, golf, and boxing games. They had a lot of fun!
Mommy and Daddy played cards with Great Uncle John and Great Aunt Pam while the others played Wii. Daddy and Great Uncle John didn't have the best of luck against the ladies!
Sunday morning meant a big breakfast of hashbrown casserole, BLT's, and eggs...then apple crisp for dessert! It was a wonderful breakfast on the patio. Our guests left early in the afternoon to head home, which gave Mommy and Daddy time to nap!
Looks like a busy week ahead...many things to do before Uncle RJ, Aunt Lyn, and Lylah arrive on Friday. Hopefully we will get our registry completed this week before the shower invitations go out!
More on our accomplishments later this week! Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

16 Weeks!

Welcome to our blog!

We will use this to share updates, our progress for preparation, as well as any other "news-worthy" events in our lives!

Wow...it is hard to believe, but Mommy is 16 weeks along! A few more weeks and she will be half way! Unbelievable!

She's still feeling pretty good, but does get tired easily. Since she's having two babies, she should be twice as tired - right?

Everyone is surprised that she's not showing more...but we know that will come eventually!

This week, we are as long as a hand with the fingers spread as far apart as possible (or about 4 1/2 inches long). We still don't weigh very much, but will be gaining over the next few months.

Mommy and Daddy are still working on cleaning out the nursery room, and moving the one guest bed into the office. They are also reading books regarding the best baby products on the market so they can get their registries set up.

We are currently planning on having a baby shower for the Muehlfeld side on October 10th, and for the Hart side on October 17th. We hope everyone can join us!

Maw-ma and Paw-pa Muehlfeld are coming to visit this weekend. Maw-ma says Paw-pa is anxious to see how Mommy is doing, as well as how we are progressing. They worry so much more about all of us now! We are looking forward to their visit. Great Aunt Pam and Great Uncle John are coming this weekend as well, so should be a relaxing weekend for all of us.

Aunt Lynnie, Uncle RJ, and cousin Lylah will be popping in and out Labor Day weekend. Mommy is looking forward to seeing how Aunt Lynnie and baby boy Willinger are doing. I'm sure they will talk lots about baby names, the baby registry, and everything else! Daddy may have a few "favors" to ask of Uncle RJ and Uncle Aaron too!

Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, and well wishes for all of us. Check back soon for more updates!

Love to all!
Brian, Kate, Right, and Left :-)