Wordless Wednesday

Springtime & Babies Update

Today is so many things. It is one of my niece's birthdays, one of my uncle's birthdays...and of course, it is the first day of Spring. I can't help but hear Lola (of 'Charlie and Lola') in my head singing with her little friend Lotta: "Spring is here, Spring is here! Spring is -- Spring is -- Spring is here at last!"

My body has been waiting for this season. It doesn't like the cold weather, no matter how much I try. I will play in the snow and the leaves, but I don't ever fully embrace or welcome those days like I do the ones that bring green and flowers and sunshine.

My heart has been waiting for a different kind of Spring. Casey and I have talked many times about our 'winter' of grief, all that we went through as we were clinging to God and each other. And so it is a very happy coincidence that my physical and emotional springtimes are meeting up. I smile thinking about how amazing and creative our God can be.

I won't ramble on, but I thought I'd give a quick update on the babies, plus some pictures. This is partly because I know so many who have been through all of this craziness with us and prayed for us can't see me on a regular basis -- this post's for you, so I hope you're feeling that special warm fuzziness right about now!

Oh, wait...back up on the warm fuzzies, because first I'm going to show a photo of my last progesterone shot. For those of you still wondering if the in vitro decision is ever made on a whim, think again:

'Ouch' is the word you're looking for

That there is a 1-1/2" IM (intramuscular) needle with 2 cc's of PIO (progesterone in oil). Yes...in oil. We're talking sloooooooow-moving stuff. With in vitro, you have to have these once a day (switching hips helps, but not much) until you find out if the cycle worked or not. If it didn't, you stop the injections. I wish that they stopped with a positive test as well, but no. I started getting these shots on January 4, we found out we were pregnant on January 19...and my last progesterone shot was last week on March 14. That is 61 progesterone shots. I had lots of help from my RN friend Monica, but upon realizing we'd be doing this for eight more weeks, Casey and I decided we'd try it on our own. It wasn't easy by any means, but once you've done everything we have for these babies, it's just a matter of counting to three and breathing.

Okay, here's something that's a little easier to see (I hope!). I need to commit to the same outfit and/or same photo spot, but I'll get there.

Why do I look so different, just one week apart? I think that's because it's daytime in one and nighttime in the other, so the flash on the camera makes a difference. But if you're wondering if my belly actually grew in that week...it did. At this point in my pregnancy with Miles, there was no belly yet. I knew I'd show earlier this time, being that it was my second pregnancy, but last week when my OB informed me that I could be the size of a full-term pregnancy at 24 weeks...all I could think was 'I have a LOT of growing to do!' But I'm still feeling good, and being that I'm right on the edge of my second trimester I am very excited to get some energy back.

And now for pictures of the babies. Not everyone can say they have a photo of their kids at five days past fertilization, but we can! And no, smarty-pants, I don't know which is which.

Five-day blastocysts

Six weeks (first time we saw heartbeats)

Eight weeks

Ten weeks (they were moving around the whole time!)

Twelve weeks -- last Thursday (first OB appointment)

You might notice they switched which was A and which was B from the pictures before.

I love that they are lying feet to feet...they were so relaxed, just kind of hanging out.

Baby A says hi!

Heartbeats: Baby A was 165 and Baby B was 169

Both babies measured 12 weeks 1 day!

And for the finale, I saved a picture I took the other day. If this doesn't say springtime, nothing does. Casey decided to coach Miles' team this year (go Rockies!), so they were outside getting some swinging, catching and throwing practice in before the season starts.

 Just over three weeks before my first baby is six years old...I am so not ready.