Over 4 lbs of baby

The girls are officially both over 2 lbs now (2.1 and 2.2 to be exact). Everything looks great. The doctor actually told Elizabeth she was their model twin patient. We are still anticipating a December 1st arrival at this point and are preparing accordingly. We may need to build a storage unit for all their stuff because it is slowly taking over our house.

We went down to Wilmington for our last weekend of travel before December. We got to spend time with my immediate family plus my aunt and uncle and my young, but very inquisitive cousins. They were quite interested in Elizabeth's new body and when the girls were going to arrive. This weekend confirmed again that our family is just as excited about the twins as we are. Beach trips are going to be a lot different going forward!

We also got to attend an engagement party and see a bunch of friends from school. You can imagine what the topic of conversation was in most circles. It is nice that we have so many friends going through the same experience at the same time. The friendships that have stood the test of time for us will be passed down to the next generation through all of our children. Our kids will know more kids by the time they hit kindergarten then I did in high school. Last, the original reason for heading to the coast was for the triathlon. My brother and I ran in the Wilmington sprint triathlon on Saturday. This may turn into an annual event so next year the girls will be there to cheer dad on!

A PowerPoint To Remember

Well my friends, I have a new appreciation for motherhood and the practice of breastfeeding. Without going into too many details, I will just say the PowerPoint presentation I saw last weekend was one I will not soon forget. We attended a breastfeeding class at the hospital. I said that this whole experience felt real when I heard the heart beats for the first time, but I had no idea what I was talking about it. That seems like years ago. I never really pictured myself sitting in a class like this with a bunch of strangers. It was a little awkward at first, but everyone was comfortable by the end and eager to join in on the competition of breastfeeding jeopardy....yes breastfeeding jeopardy. Enough said.

So we have a couple more classes to go - one on childbirth and another about multiples. I am really looking forward to the later, not so much with the childbirth class. I have friends that have "been there, done that" and they haven't held back in their detailed descriptions of what I have to expect. Anyway, everything else is going great. Elizabeth's birthday was a hit. I surprised her with some jewelry after she thought all she was getting were matching bibs for the girls. We had a nice dinner with her family and the girls racked up again. They already have more stuff then we do! We should be getting as close to being as prepared as we can be. Elizabeth is a walking baby encyclopedia at this point. Who knew she was such an avid reader?

I am off to California tomorrow and Elizabeth is heading back home to see family and have a "twin lunch" with her aunt, and two other twin moms. No better way to learn what to expect then to hear it firsthand from a mom with the same experience. She is really excited and I suspect it will be good for her to realize she probably already knows more then she thinks.
Back to the doctor end of the week so hopefully the girls will cooperate and pose for us!

Only 3 lbs?

"I've only gained 3 pounds" was the email I got from Elizabeth on Thursday morning after the visit with her primary doctor. It was right then that I knew the answer to the question lingering in my head from the drive into work that morning. I left the house a little late for me around 6:50 a.m. to head to work on Thursday. That meant I was immersed in the thick of school traffic, but the one thing I noticed leaving our neighborhood were all the moms standing with their kids waiting for the bus. Already showered, coffee in hand, helping their children with backpacks or just making sure they were safely out of the road. The question that immediately popped into my head was - how is Elizabeth going to do that? Not in a bad way at all, but you have to understand, Elizabeth loves her sleep. Until recently, I could bang around all I wanted getting ready and leaving for work without disturbing her one bit. How will she be able to get up, shower, make coffee, get the kids up and ready, and be outside to meet the bus before I leave for work?

My answer was in her email. The fact that she was concerned about ONLY gaining 3 pounds demonstrated to me that she has already stepped, scratch that, jumped head first, into the world of motherhood, putting the girls first. She is only concerned with one thing and that is being everything to these two girls. Selflessly, she insists that no one needs to get her anything for her birthday rather that they should get something for the girls ("that's what we need right now"). December 1st is going to be here before we know it, but I am not worried about how we are going to handle our new responsibilities. We are going to be great parents and the girls are going to have the best mom in the world....showered, coffee in hand, and getting them ready for the bus - all before 7 am!

Here are the pics from the doctor on Thursday. The girls are 1 lb 7 ounces and 1 lb 10 ounces. Everything still looking good. It is getting tough to see them since they are on top of each other! I will have to do a separate post about our class on Saturday!

The eskimo wins

The poll is closed and it appears that the eskimo is the clear winner. The overwhelming majority of you think the girls will look more like Elizabeth. Another few months and we will get to see. I added a baby ticker so everyone can keep up with how quickly the girls are growing. We can definitely tell they are growing from our side! Elizabeth has been able to feel them kicking around for a few weeks now and I can finally feel them as well. You can actually see Elizabeth's stomach moving if you watch closely.

The nursery is coming together nicely. Here is Elizabeth on the window seat. Good thing it is comfortable...we will probably be sleeping here a good bit!

Back to the doctor on Thursday.

22 weeks...one pound each

Looks like my guess was right on the money. They are both 1 pound each. Meb and I went to the ultrasound on Friday which was nice. It was her first time and it has been a while since my last trip. We found out that the specialist Elizabeth sees has the 4D ultrasound - so the pictures will only continue to get better. The one this week was a little early, but really cool nonetheless. It's amazing how far technology has come. The top picture is the girls tete-a-tete and the bottom is the 4D of Baby B. We enjoyed seeing everyone at the cookout Sunday. Glad the whole Maddux crew could make it. Not too many more of those events before we start having much younger guests. Do you think the girls will ever dove hunt with dad?

Thanks to all who have voted. It looks like "the eskimo" is clearly in the lead. Official results to follow. Don't worry - we can't tell how you voted.