It has been too long!

Well, it has been way too long since my last post! Cooper and Griffin are officially 7 months old today and Brody turned 4 on Sept 21st.

Brody is attending Bluebird Christian Preschool 4 days a week. He is also playing soccer at the YMCA. He is growing like a weed! At his 4 year well check, he weighed 44 1/2 lbs and was 43 1/2 inches tall. He spent most of the summer going out with Papaw on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Tuesdays, they would go to the "jar with cookies", also known as the Cookie Jar, for a doughnut and then to the flea market. He loves going to Papaw's house and they usually went to Mac N Donalds, also known as McDonald's, for lunch. He also likes to play with his neighborhood friends Brooklyn and Mason.

Cooper rolls all over the place. He gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth. I am really thinking he will be crawling soon! He can also sit up by himself since about 2 weeks ago. Cooper weighed in at 20lb 7 oz at his 6 month well check and he was 28 inches long. He has his 2 bottom teeth and is working on his top two. This has made for some rough nights over the past week.

Griffin can roll, but he gets stuck on his back and then gets mad! He gets up on all fours but then straightens his legs and does a face plant! He also can sit up by himself since about 3 weeks ago. Griffin weighed in at 20lb 1oz at his 6 month well check and he was 28 1/2 inches long. He also has his 2 bottom teeth and one of his top teeth popped through last Saturday.

We hosted Todd's grandmother, Mary's, 80th birthday dinner in July. Aunt Kathy and Uncle Curt came in from Memphis, Todd's cousin Kyle and his wife Lauren came in from Atlanta, and the Reardon's were in from Minnesota. Kyle and Lauren stayed at our house and it was so great to spend time with them. It was their first time meeting Cooper and Griffin. I guess we didn't scare them too much, because they are expecting their first baby in March. They were a huge help getting everything ready for the dinner. An extra set of hands is always appreciated! Todd's other cousin Chris, his wife Aida, and their son Grayson weren't able to make it. We can't wait to get the chance to see them very soon! Grayson is about 5 weeks older than the twins, so they will be great buddies when they get older.

We went on vacation with my entire family the first week of August. It was such a great time! The kids had a blast spending the week together...going to the beach and playing in the pool. We even went out to dinner a few times, which is no small feat with 8 adults and 9 kids.

Todd's mom, Linda, and John got married this past Saturday. It was a small, but beautiful ceremony at their house. John's son, Bryan, left for Ft Hood on Sunday, so it was wonderful that he could be there for the celebration.

I will work on posting some pictures from our summer soon!

Rolling, rolling, rolling...

Well...we have a roller! Griffin rolled from his belly to his back for the first time today! I think it was an accident, but I was so excited!!


I went to Tara Jurgen's dance recital on Sunday to watch my niece, Jillian and sister-in-law, Jennie dance. They did a great job! Here is a picture of Jillian...she is right in the middle.

Spring 2009 Soccer!

Well, the Spring soccer season is officially over. Brody and his team had a great season. Most of Brody's time was spent just walking around the field and if the ball happen to come near him, he kicked it! He did have a couple of goals. We were proud that he was out there at all!!

In the first picture: Coach Sarah, Nicholas, Jack, Brock, Caleb, Shawn, Brody, Grant, Lucas and Coach Brian

In the second picture, Brody and his friend, Grant

12 weeks old!

The first picture is Cooper and Griffin...now 12 weeks old!! They are really good babies, but they definitely like to be held. They also like to take turns...meaning one falls asleep and instantly the other wakes up. This sounds like it would make things easier, but I never get anything done!! They are staying awake more and have discovered their hands. They really like to suck on their fingers, especially right before feeding time. As you can see in the picture, they are also starting to like sitting in the bumbo and I am hoping to get the exersaucers out soon.

The next picture is Todd with all three of the boys. They are angels...when they are sleeping!

Brody is loving the nice weather...we struggle to get him in the house. He loves playing with our neighbors, Brooklyn and Mason, and he drives his tractor constantly. We also have a pool set-up on our patio. Here is a picture of Brody and Brooklyn taking a swim!

Mother's Day and First trip to the Zoo

Last Sunday was Mother's Day. I had a great day with my boys! We started the day visiting Judy and then went to Linda's house in the afternoon to see the rest of the family. We finished the day at aunt Janice's. The boys were great at all of the stops.

On Wednesday, I met a friend of mine from LPK, Katie, and her twin girls, Brooklyn and Marley. They are 6 months old and so cute! It was fun to see what I am in for in just a few months and get some tips!

On Friday, Brody and I took Cooper and Griffin to the zoo for the first time. We went with Jennie, Joel and Jillian. It was such a beautiful day and the zoo was packed! 83 school buses! Cooper and Griffin slept the entire time we were there...even drank their bottles with their eyes shut! They must have been enjoying the fresh air!

9 weeks old

Cooper and Griffin are now officially 9 weeks old! This picture is of them cuddling this morning.

We went to see Dr. Linhardt yesterday. Cooper is weighing in at 13lbs 1oz and 23 inches long! He is in the 90th percentile for weight and 50th for height. Griffin is weighing in at 12lbs 12oz and is 23 1/4 inches long! He is in the 75th percentile for height and weight. I can hardly believe that they are both nearly 13lbs...although my arms can tell!

We went to the park on Tuesday with our friends, Tricia, Victoria, Jenny, and Michael. Brody was at daycare, but Cooper and Griffin enjoyed the fresh air and new faces to look at! Victoria had fun running around and Michael is getting so close to walking! Crazy how big they are getting!

Today, we spent the afternoon visiting my Grandma and Grandpa Buechel. They really enjoyed seeing Cooper and Griffin, even though the babies slept most of the time that we were there!!

Baptism

On Sunday, April 26th, Cooper Robert and Griffin Curtis were baptized at St. Joseph Church.


Uncle Jeff and Aunt Jennie were Cooper's godparents. He wore the baptism outfit that was made from my mom's wedding gown. Uncle Jerry and Aunt Aileen were Griffin's godparents. He wore the baptism outfit that Todd, Uncle Ryan, Taylor and Garrett were all baptized in.


My Grandma Kendall made me a bonnett for my baptism out of a hanky that I carried as my something old on my wedding day. This is a family tradition that we have carried on. Brody inherited my hanky, so we bought new bonnetts for Cooper and Griffin. Todd thought they looked a little girly, but I thought they looked cute!


Cooper was a little fussy during the baptism, but neither of the boys minded the water on their heads. We had a great day for the party and I think everyone had a nice time. Thank you to everyone for all of the nice gifts for the boys. We feel very blessed to have such a great family to share these special occasions.
http://picasaweb.google.com/ebenke44/CooperAndGriffinSBaptism?feat=directlink

8 weeks old

Cooper and Griffin are now officially 8 weeks old! They are starting to smile a lot and "talk". They love the ceiling fan and they are also pretty fond of their big brother. They usually stop crying when he talks to them. They are getting so big, that I cannot wait to go to see Dr. Linhardt next Wednesday to see how much they weigh. Here are some pictures from April 30th, Cooper and Griffin's 8 week "birthday". Cooper is on the left and Griffin is on the right. Griffin is talking to Brody in the last picture.

Easter 2009

We had a great Easter this year with all of the boys! We spent Saturday night at Linda and John's with Becky, Ryan, Aileen, Taylor, Garrett and Olivia. Cooper and Griffin loved cuddling with uncle Ryan and Becky! The kids had a blast finding Easter eggs and then their baskets.

Easter morning, Brody woke up and had forgotten about the Easter bunny. We reminded him and he could hardly wait to get down the stairs. He found his basket and helped Cooper and Griffin find their baskets. The Easter bunny brought Brody the leaf blower that he has been wanting since Christmas. Santa ran out of them, so the Easter bunny took care of it! He has been talking about Santa forgetting his blower for over 3 months!! We are all happy that the Easter bunny came through.

We spent the rest of the day visiting family. We started with brunch at Gary and Judy's, then to aunt Jan's and dinner at aunt Janice's. Everyone enjoyed seeing Brody and most people were meeting Cooper and Griffin for the first time. They were happy, because they love being held. It was a busy day, but it was great to spend time with the family. The link is for some pictures from the weekend.

http://picasaweb.google.com/ebenke44/Easter2009?feat=directlink

5 weeks old!

Cooper and Griffin are officially 5 weeks old today and they had their 1 month well-check yesterday. It went really well. They are definitely growing boys...Cooper is weighing in at 9lb 8oz and Griffin weighs 9lb 12oz. They are both 22inches long. This is between the 50th and 75th percentile. This is a picture from their one month birthday. Cooper is on the left and Griffin is on the right.

The boys really enjoy sleeping all day long and partying all night with me! I try to explain that we are supposed to be sleeping, but they don't seem to care. The other thing is that they tend to take turns on who is going to stay up all night, which makes for a rough night since one of them is always awake wanting to eat.

We also have had a busy few weekends. We celebrated Gary's retirement 2 weekends ago and had a going away party for Bryan last weekend at Linda's house. Everyone is enjoying meeting the babies and they love being held! Brody had his first sleepover last weekend at Uncle Ryan and Aunt Aileen's house with Taylor, Garrett, and Olivia. He had a blast! On Sunday, we went to an Easter Egg Hunt with Stephanie, Grant, Addison, Stephanie and Keegan. They found lots of eggs with candy in them!

Brody's first soccer game is Saturday. I hope he plays...keep your fingers crossed! We are also excited about the Easter Bunny coming for a visit this weekend.

Here is a picture of the boys in their matching shirts from Aunt Bev.

Growing fast...

Cooper and Griffin are now 3 1/2 weeks old. Time has been flying by! We think they are having a growth spurt, since the only thing they want to do is eat! They are starting to get chubby cheeks and their legs are filling out. We go to the doctor for their one month checkup next week and I cannot wait to see how big they are getting.

Brody is at Aunt Amy's house today, so I am taking advantage and uploading some new pictures! We have had a few "photo shoots" because I need a good picture for their birth announcement. It is inevitable that one of them doesn't want to cooperate in the pictures. I can see this being an issue in the years to come! Enjoy!

http://picasaweb.google.com/ebenke44/March2009Pictures?feat=directlink

Pictures from Cooper and Griffin's 1st week

Here is a link to pictures from Cooper and Griffin's first week.

http://picasaweb.google.com/ebenke44/CooperAndGriffinS1stWeek?feat=directlink

Two weeks old...already!

Well, time is flying by! I can hardly believe it, but Cooper and Griffin are 2 weeks old today! They are doing great! I took them to the doctor today for a weight check. Cooper is weighing in at 6lbs 15oz and Griffin is at 6lbs 14oz. They have both gained exactly one pound! Brody is learning to be a great big brother, but he has definitely been testing our patience! He loves to hold the babies and he really has been pretty gentle with them.

All three boys and I took our first adventure out yesterday. We met aunt Amy, Jack and Brooks at the park for lunch. Brody had a great time running around and we all enjoyed the fresh air.

A HUGE thank you to everyone for all of the gifts and for providing us with so many dinners! We can't thank everyone enough for their thoughtfulness and generosity. It has been such a help to not have to worry about what we are going to cook for dinner. We feel very blessed to have so many family and friends who care about us and want to help out.

The picture is from last week. I know I am slacking in posting pictures. This is one of my goals over the next few days. Stay tuned!

The boys have arrived!

On Thursday, March 5th, the Benke twins made their entrance into the world! Cooper Robert Benke was born at 6:04pm, weighing in at 5lbs 15oz and was 19 inches long. Griffin Curtis Benke was born at 6:11pm, weighing in at 5lbs 13oz and was 19.25 inches long. The induction officially started at about 8:30am and the delivery went perfectly! This was in large part due to Dr. Lubrano and our nurse, Sue. We can't thank them enough!

They are definitely identical...we haven't figured out a way to tell them apart yet. We came home from the hospital this afternoon and they are eating, pooping, and doing wonderful.

Thanks to Linda, John and Bryan for keeping Brody for 3 days. He had a great time and we were so thankful not to have to worry about him.

I will hopefully post some pictures tomorrow, but for now, I am off to bed since the babies are already sleeping and Todd is working on putting Brody down now.

37 weeks!

The attached picture is from this past Monday at 37 weeks. As of today at my doctor's appointment, my belly is measuring at 41 weeks and I was 3 cm dialated!!

I also had my non-stress and ultrasound today. My non-stress test went well, but at my fluid check, they determined that the fluid was low. So, we would have had to deliver them tomorrow either way. The timing worked out well.

We are scheduled to be at the hospital tomorrow morning at 6:30am and Dr. Lubrano thinks the labor will progress quicker than last time. Brody is already at Linda and John's house...he could hardly wait to get out of here!

A special thanks to my dad who has spent each Wednesday over the last few months watching Brody for all of my doctors appointments and ultrasounds! We really appreciate it...and Brody loves having you over to play. We will post an update as soon as we can with pictures of the newest Benke boys!

36 weeks...

The first picture is from this past Tuesday at 36 weeks and the second picture is Brody wanting to get HIS picture taken!

I had all of my appointments today...full ultrasound, non-stress test, and my normal doctor appointment. Baby B is still head down and the presenting twin, while baby A is now breech. Baby A weighed in at approximately 5lbs 12oz and Baby B at 5lbs 15 oz. They are in the 30th and 33rd percentile for a single baby. They were very active today, so the non-stress test went quick. The biggest problem was keeping them on the monitor!

We also went for a visit with Dr. Lubrano. My belly is measuring at 39 weeks, which is less than last week. This means that the babies have dropped a little. I am 1-2 centimeters dialated and 50% effaced. So my body is getting ready, but I am not getting my hopes up yet. This is exactly what I was for about a month with Brody, before having to be induced a week overdue! He is also not concerned that baby A is breech. Since he is not the presenting twin, apparently the other baby can flip around as much as he wants. Baby B was far enough down in my pelvis that Dr. Lubrano is confident that he will remain that way.

The big news of the day was that Dr. Lubrano went ahead and scheduled my induction for next Thursday, March 5th. This means that my boys might share a birthday with my cousin Adam and my friend Amanda, who will both be 30! I will still go in to see the doctor next Wednesday, because he wants to see if I have made any progress. It could be delayed, but for now the plan is for these babies to hopefully arrive sometime next Thursday.

On a side note...some other good news! Todd's dad is now home from the hospital! I know that he is very happy to be out of there! Also, congratulations to my corporate LaRosa's friend, Beth, and her husband, Jeff, on the birth of their beautiful baby girl, Eva. Eva will have 2 new boyfriends within the next week or so! A second congratulations to my co-workers at LPK, Cory and Jenn, on the birth of their son, Samuel! There seems to be a baby boom recently!

35 week update

This post is a little late...I am actually 36 weeks today! The attached picture is from last Monday at 35 weeks. I am growing by the day!

I had my usual appointments last Wednesday (non-stress test, fluid check, and weekly appointment with Dr. Lubrano). They all went well. No news to report, other than my belly is measuring 40 weeks...full term for a single baby.

My last day at work was last Friday, so now I am just relaxing! We went to visit Todd's dad, Gary, in the hospital on Saturday morning. He is still fighting an infection from his back surgery and we are praying every day that he will be home very soon.

Todd and I were able to enjoy an entire night just to ourselves on Saturday night. On Saturday afternoon, Todd's mom, Linda, and her fiance, John, offered to keep Brody all night. He had a blast with his cousins, Taylor, Garrett and Olivia. Thanks Linda and John! It was very nice to enjoy dinner at an actual restaurant! It might be the last time for a while! We went to Allyn's Cafe for dinner, where we were seated in a booth. For the first time, my belly was hitting the table! Next, we went to Applebee's for "dessert", which consisted of beer for Todd and chocolate lava cake with a scoop of ice cream for me...and I was still asleep on the couch by 11pm! Sunday was spent enjoying a pedicure with Amy and Jennie. Then, we celebrated Garrett's 4th Birthday!

I have a full ultrasound this Wednesday, February 25th, where we will find out how big the boys are measuring. After this appointment, we will visit Dr. Lubrano and will probably have more information on when the boys will arrive. It will be no later than 2 weeks from today!

For those that are wondering, we still have not picked out names. We have a few options narrowed down, but we won't pick them officially until they are born!

34 weeks and counting...

I have made it to 34 weeks! This picture was taken on Monday at exactly 34 weeks...as you can see Brody and Maxie wanted to be a part of the picture as well! Dr. Lubrano checked me last Friday and I wasn't dialated, so that was good news. I had my non-stress test and fluid check today and those both went well. The babies were both cooperative. Baby B is still breech, but Baby A is head down and presenting, so that is all that matters. I also saw Dr. Lubrano today. Nothing too exciting, other than my belly is measuring at 38-39 weeks.

I am still working as of now, but it is getting more difficult by the day. My back pain is the biggest problem, along with some swelling. We will re-visit this subject when I return to the doctor next week. I will have my next full ultrasound with measurements in 2 weeks and then we will probably discuss when these babies will be making their entrance into this world. I am thinking that my body doesn't know how to go into labor by itself, since I was induced with Brody.

I am trying to get everything as ready as possible...including enjoying time out with friends. Todd and I had dinner out last Friday night with friends, while Brody enjoyed the evening with his cousins, Nick and Cole. I am meeting the girls from the LaRosa's corporate office this Friday and I am trying to squeeze in one more friends dinner next week!! In addition to all of this, I have been meeting lots of downtown friends for lunch...Nicki and Amber, Todi, Liz, Joy, and Michele, Katie and Kristin, and, of course, all of my LPK Finance buddies!

Brody and I also visited a pre-school today, which he will probably be attending next year. He seemed to like all of the teachers and we were able to observe the 4-year old classroom, which included none other than my nephew, Joel! Brody will probably be in the same class as my niece Jillian, but our little friend, Ava Combs attends the school as well. They are all getting too big!

Ultrasound today...

I am 33 weeks now and we just got back for our full ultrasound. I will say it again...I can't believe how much these babies are still moving around! Baby A is back to being the presenting twin and he is still head down. He is weighing in at approximately 5 lbs. This is the 48th percentile for a single baby. Baby B is now breech. He is weighing in at 4lbs 10oz and is in the 39th percentile for a single baby. The non-stress test went well again and the babies seem to be doing just fine in there. We go to see Dr. Lubrano on Friday morning. I have included a few pictures from today's ultrasound. The further along we are, the harder it is to get good ultrasound pictures. The first one is baby A's profile and the second is baby B's face. The last one is baby B's arm and fist.

Ultrasounds, NSTs, and Dr Appt

My fluid check and non-stress test was cancelled on Wednesday due to the snow and ice, so I had my appointments on Thursday. The boys did well for their first non-stress test after the nurse finally figured out how they were laying. I wasn't sure what to expect, but basically they hooked me up to a monitor and they watch both babies heart rates in relation to movement and watched me for contractions. They want the heartrates to increase whenever they move. It was great to just sit and listen to their heartbeats! Baby A had the hiccups, so that was fun to hear and baby B was sleeping. The nurse didn't have enough movement from baby B, so she "buzzed" him to wake him up. As soon as she did that, they both started going crazy in there!! The other good news is that since the buzzing woke them up, it means that they both could hear it. I am learning so much from this pregnancy!!


Next, I went for my fluid check. The fluid looked fine for both babies. Baby B has pushed baby A back out of the way, so he is back to being the presenting twin. They are still both head down. I had an episode of lightheadedness when the nurse was doing the ultrasound, which she assured me was just from laying on my back. The things that babies do to your body!!

I went to see Dr. Lubrano today. My belly is measuring at 37-38 weeks, so I am definitely growing!! Other than that, everything looks great. I am still working and hope to be for as long as possible!

We had two new babies arrive this week! Congratulations to my cousin Anthony and Bridgett on the arrival of Audrina Morgan! Congratulations also to Todd's cousin Chris and Aida on the arrival of their baby boy earlier today. There must be something in the water...

32 Weeks today!

Well, I am 32 weeks today! I can hardly believe it! I have my ultrasound and non-stress test this Wednesday and doctor appointment this Friday. I will post again after all of those appointments. Here is my picture taken today...my belly is definitely growing!!! As I sit here and type, the boys are moving around like crazy. I think they might be having a wrestling match in there. :)

We had dinner on Friday night at our neighbor's house. They have a 2 1/2 year old son and 7 month old twin girls. They gave us a ton of wonderful advice and were very patient with all of our questions!!! Not to mention, Brody and their son Luke had a great time playing. They will be a very good resource over the next few months! Thanks Matt and Jill!!

January 21st Ultrasound

I had a fluid check and doctor appointment today. The boys fluid still looked good and they continue to be head down. Baby A has pushed baby B out of the way, so he is now the presenting twin.

My doctor appointment also went well. I will begin seeing Dr. Lubrano every week from now on. Also, in addition to the fluid checks each week, I will start non-stress tests. I am just over 31 weeks, so I am hoping they keep baking about 5 more weeks. I am definitely getting more uncomfortable and having a hard time sleeping, but I can wait a few more weeks. I would love them to both be at least 5 lbs!

January 14th Ultrasound

I had another ultrasound on Wednesday. The first good news was that the babies have done some moving around in there! Both of them are now head down!! They were actually face to face. Baby B is still the "presenting twin", but baby A has moved down as well. After much searching, the fluid looked good for both babies. "A" had a DVP (deepest vertical pocket) of 3.3 cm. It took a little more time to find "B"'s DVP. At first, we could only find a little over 1 cm, but eventually we found 2.2 cm. As long as it is over 2 cm, it is considered in the normal range. So, we are still hanging in there. These boys are extremely active and my belly is growing. I will be 31 weeks on Monday, so we are approaching the end.

The boys are growing...

We had a full ultrasound this past Wednesday, January 7th, where they do all of the measurements and give the approximate weights of the babies. I was 29 weeks along. Baby A weighed in at 3 lb 4oz, which is the 57th percentile for a single baby. Baby B weighed in at 3 lb 2 oz, which is the 53rd percentile. This was great news!

Baby B is still the presenting twin, which means that if I went into labor now, baby B would be born first. This is not an issue, but normally baby A is born first. There is already a power struggle between the two!!

The only real issue right now is that baby B is breech. We need him to flip around or we will have to have a C-section. I am not crazy about that idea, but whatever is best for the boys is fine with me.

Christmas 2008

See attached some of my favorite pictures from the Christmas holiday! Hope everyone had a great Christmas and a happy new year! We will have a lot to celebrate in the upcoming year!

http://picasaweb.google.com/ebenke44/Christmas2008?authkey=V2v2SkYB8TY&feat=directlink

The name game...

As we approach the arrival of these boys, everyone is wondering what the names will be. The verdict is...we haven't decided! We don't have a very good track record when it comes to naming babies. Poor Brody didn't have a name for almost a full day after he was born. We have a much harder time with boys names. So, of course, we have 3 sons!

Our name problems are definitely not from lack of suggestions...my personal favorite was from my brother Jerry. He named them Homer and Gomer. When my nephew Cole heard these names, his input was that he didn't really like Gomer. But apparently Homer is okay!

We have heard everything from Jasper and Casper to Bo and Luke to Robert and Roy (after my grandpa and his twin brother). We are always open to suggestions, because we have not found the perfect names yet. In our house, they are affectionately called Shaggy and Scooby. And I give you one guess who picked those out!!!

Speaking of Brody, he is adjusting to the idea of having 2 baby brothers. His biggest excitement is that he will get to sit in the very back of the Navigator, which he insists on reminding us often. He also tries to help me out by yelling at my stomach telling the babies to stop kicking me and that it is not nice to kick. HMMMM...I wonder where he has heard that one.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Benke Family Blog! This is my first time blogging, so bear with me. My husband, Todd, and I have a 3 year old son named Brody and I am currently 29 weeks along with twins. Here is the story of how we got this far!

We found out I was pregnant on July 13th. We were thrilled to be expecting our 2nd child...or so we thought! On August 5th, I had some bleeding and of course, thought the worst. I had my HCG levels checked that day and they came back at over 100,000, which for 7 weeks along is a very high level. Todd and I went for an ultrasound on August 6th and sure enough 2 little heartbeats were found right away. After this shocking news, the tech continued on to make sure she couldn't find any additional heartbeats. After a couple of minutes, she was satisfied that there were only 2. Needless to say, Todd and I were both relieved!!

The biggest scare from that ultrasound was the threat that the twins might be mono-mono twins, which means they had no separation between the two of them. This results in an extremely high risk pregnancy. On September 2nd (Jack's 4th birthday!), we went for a 2nd ultrasound. This time they were able to find a membrane separating the two babies. This was fantastic news!

Due to the twin pregnancy and only having 1 placenta, we were scheduled to have ultrasounds every 4 weeks. The biggest thing they are watching is for the babies have equal fluid levels and growing at a similar pace. The existence of only 1 placenta means that the babies are identical, so 2 boys or 2 girls!

My next ultrasound was on October 6th at 16 weeks along. The babies were both growing well and weighed in exactly the same at 5 oz. each. The following one on November 10th put me at 21 weeks. At this ultrasound, baby A weighed in at 1 lb and baby B at 14 oz. They are not concerned about the weight difference until it is more than 20%, so we were in the safe zone. Also at this appointment, we learned we were expecting identical twin boys! This was even more special, because my grandpa is an identical twin. I think he was really excited that they were boys!

After my doctor consulted with the high risk doctor, it was determined that I should be having weekly DVP fluid checks. This is where they find the "deepest vertical pocket" of fluid for each baby. In addition to these weekly ultrasounds, I would still continue to go every 4 weeks for a full ultrasound to check on the babies' measurements. These weekly ultrasounds started on November 26th and will continue until these babies are born.

At my next full ultrasound on December 10th, both babies were back to weighing the same. They were up to 1lb 12oz.

We have started the process of getting all of the baby stuff out and buying some doubles that we think we will need. Thanks to craigslist, we are trying to save some money on the doubles!!
Now we just need to get everything cleaned.

It has been such an exciting, nervous time...and the adventure has only just begun...