Doublestuff

7 months old

2009-08-23T22:09:00.003-05:00

All 3 girls about to go the pool (twins aren't swimmers yet)

Allison blowing bubbles (or veggies if it is dinner time) and Brooke ready to get down and crawl!

I love you sistee! (i love Brooke's arn in this one, she looks so big)

Thing ONE and Thing TWO! Funny huh?

The twins are now 7 months old as of August 20th! I can NOT believe 7 months have already passed! This time last year, I was a mess, thinking of EVERYTHING we had to do before Allison and Brooke got here. I was about to start my 12th year of teaching school, Claire was going to her first day of Primrose, and Junior was starting his first year as principal of Christie Elementary. Man what a year does!!! I am NOT starting school this year, Claire is going to Mother's Day Out at our church (thank GOD) and Junior will be starting his 2nd year of being the principal of a great school in Frisco ( his school got an exemplary rating this past year, FIRST time in the history of the school, I think it has EVERYTHING to do with the principal, I'm just saying....)

Here are some new stats on the girls.....

WE HAVE A CRAWLER!!! Brooke is out of control already. Today while I was getting dinner ready, enters Brooke to the kitchen, first time her little knees ever touch the kitchen floor. She also has 2 teeth! She is pulling up in her bed (which we were supposed to lower this weekend, but didn't get around to ) She says dadadada all the time. She LOVES to be in the mix of whatever everyone else is doing. She is still pretty little, about 15 pounds now, but moving ALL over the place. She is a hoot!

Allison is doing great too! She is a smiley girl! She LOVES her mother to no end....doesn't want me to leave the room or put her down. She isn't crawling, persay, but did army crawl this morning to get a bottle i laid on the floor!! I think we are about to have 2 crawlers on our hands.... Lord help me...Alli doesn't have any teeth yet, but is really working on one, or two! Alli HATES ALL veggies. She spits them ALL over the place at dinner every night. I have come to terms with it now, I just let her blow them all over me every night. Allison says hi now too!

Happy 7 months girls! I can't believe it! We love you very much!!!

2009-08-11T21:36:00.005-05:00

Allison

Brooke

Allison wouldn't let go of the paci.!

junior, jill and the girls (yes, Brooke, I am still here)

This past weekend, August 9th, we had the girls baptized at our church, Grace Avenue United Methodist Church in Frisco, TExas. It was a great day for all of us. We had many family members with us to celebrate. I thought Billy's sermons was most fitting for the day, it was about gathering together! Let me tell ya, we GATHERED! Thank you to everyone who was with us in person, thought, prayer, and in heaven! We love you all from the bottom of our hearts and know our girls will feel your love forever!

6 months old

2009-07-22T14:22:00.004-05:00

Best Friends and Sisters!

Allison Ann

Brooke Elizabeth

Yes, my friends, we made! Half a year that is! The twins are officially 6 months old as of Monday. Lots of people have told us if we could just get to the 6 months mark, things start to get easier. I have to say things are starting to ease up a bit. Brooke seems to have turned a corner and doesn't spit up as much or cry as often. Thank you Lord! Allison is still very sweet, but not quiet. She has discovered her voice and LOVES it! Brooke is getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth. I must say it is pretty cute. Allison hasn't done this yet, but I am sure it is right around the corner. Anothere cute thing we do is sing. Brooke LOVES the "jump up and down" song. It is a song Claire sang at school this year and now it is our house theme song. We go through everyone's name and then everyone laughs! So cute!

We now only have 4- 8oz bottles per day (less washing of bottles, AMEN) and baby food once a day as well. They eat a veggie and fruit each at dinner time. Now if we can just get to the point of not having to buy formula, that will be WONDERFUL (6 MORE months)!

We had our 6 month check up yesterday with Dr. Stokes and all went very well, although both girls had to get a shot in each leg. Both girls are healthy and strong. here are up to date stats on each girl so you can get a sense of how big they are now:

Allison: 15.4 lbs 25.5 inches
Brooke: 14.8 lbs. 25.25 inches

They are both very similar in size but Allison head is bigger which makes her look bigger!

Happy half birthday sweet girls! We made half a year! YEA!!!

2009-07-14T08:17:00.004-05:00

Last week we decided, very last minute, to take the girls to visit Aunt Jenn, Aunt Gregg, Audrey and Marshall in Amarillo! (Claire has always called Gregg "Aunt Gregg" instead of Uncle Gregg, so we let her!) It is a 6 hour trip one way. Junior and I were hesitant about being in the car that long with all three girls, but they did GREAT! We only stopped one time on the way there and twice on the way home (one long stop at Mamaw and Pop's house, much needed and very nice!)

We visited the Amarillo zoo, which is the coolest FREE zoo I have ever been to. We love going there to see the monkeys, tigers, lions, and many other creatures. We also went to the Discovery Center. This museum is so cool too! It is very hands on for all ages of kids! Junior and Gregg got to squeeze in a round of golf too.

We had a great time! THANKS AUNT JENN AND AUNT GREGG!! We love you all very much!

Summer time!!!

2009-06-27T21:15:00.003-05:00

Claire and her "blue" drink! NO MORE WHINING!!

Junior, Jill and the twins (Claire refused to be in the picture) at the DWA! So cool!

4 generations! Memaw, Mimi, Daddy and the girls!

Me with all my girls, notice all the pictures of Claire in the background. She was already at Mimi's when we took this picture. We started date day afterwards YIPPEE!!

Brooke with her faux hawk! Of course Daddy did baths and bed this night, and I am not complaing what so ever!!! I love to have a break!

The summer has officially begun in the Gonzales household! No real bedtimes, doesn't matter what time we get up, no real plans for the day! We love it! We have already done some really fun things. First and foremost, the twins spent their first night away from home! It went really well too! They stayed with Junior's mom, Mimi. AND, Claire stayed at Junior's grandmother's house on the same night, so we had NO kids for the first time in about 6 months. NICE!!! We also took all three girls to the Dallas World Aquarium on Friday. Claire loved it until she noticed all the kids that had colorful drinks, then she HAD to have one in order to stop whining. Thank you Mimi for getting Claire her blue drink. The twins did great at the aqaurium as well! They love to people watch! Now that Daddy is home all week and weekend, he is enjoying more time with his girls! We love the summer time!!

We are 5 months old

2009-06-22T18:06:00.004-05:00

YEA! We are 5 months old!

Allison Ann

Brooke Elizabeth

Brooke doing the motor boat!

And, of course big sister had to be in a pic. too!

I can NOT believe the girls are already 5 months old! Sometimes it feels like just yesterday they were born, and other days I feel like I have been doing this for EVER!! THey have definitely devloped personalities(the first picture captures their personalities very well). Allison is VERY laid back and quiet. Even when she cries it is quiet. Brooke is LOUD all the time and loves attention (by that I mean she likes to be held)! They are both eating LOTS of cereal and soon we will start baby food. Brooke is "scooting" all over the place. She puts her face on the ground and gets her legs up under her. Then she is off! It won't be long until she is crawling! Allison isn't scooting just yet, but she is not far behind. They both love to make the motor boat sound, especially while I feed them cereal! It is so fun to watch them grow every day.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-22T08:14:00.004-05:00

Allison was too tired to join her sisters for a picture with Daddy!

Junior and 2 of his girls!

We had a great Father's Day this year! Claire and I made Junior breakfast in bed and then we were off to church. After church we headed over to Junior's parents house to swim and have lunch! Once we came home all the girls were pooped, see pics. I didn't get any pictures of all 3 girls with their dad, I waited to late in the day. Allison was too tired!
Happy Father's Day Junior!

4 months old

2009-05-28T15:19:00.004-05:00

The girls are now 4 months old as of the 20th! Lots has been going on, hence no blog entries lately! We started the girls on rice cereal. We really started it a few days before they turned 4 mos. due to the fact that Brooke's reflux is killing me! My good friend Laura told me to try cereal. It worked for her daugther Sam. Not so much for poor little Brooke. She does like it though ,even if she throws half of it up an hour after she eats it. Allison on the other hand is not that much of a fan. She cries the whole time I feed her.

Both girls can now turn over as well. They roll from back to front and front to back, so watch your step!!! Brooke is even rolling over in bed and sleeping on her tummy. We had to seperate the girls at night so they wouldn't roll on top of each other. The first night they slept apart, Brooke woke up every hour. She obviously missed her sistee! They are doing fine now though.

Our 4 mo. check up went very well too, in and out in about an hour (thanks to Mimi). Both girls are 24 1/4 inches long. Allison weighed 12.12 and Brooke weighed 12.4. Brooke still looks a lot smaller because her head is smaller!!

All is well in the Gonzales household. We are ready for summer break so our Daddy can play with us ALL day! Just think, it's kind of like I am going to have a part time employee now! YIPPEE!!!

Mother's day for a mother of 3!

2009-05-13T11:28:00.003-05:00

This was my first Mother's day with all my girls! How special! I had a great day starting out with 1. no getting a baby out of a crib and changing her diaper or giving her a bottle and 2. Breakfast in BED with Claire! It was so sweet! We went to a yummy lunch, visited with Mimi and went to the park. I only fed 1 bottle all day long and only changed 2 diapers! NICE! I also got really pretty red roses and a funny card from that Claire picked out. I hope all my mommy friends out there had a great day as well!

3 months old

2009-04-20T10:19:00.003-05:00

Brooke

Allison

Today the twins are 3 months old! I can't believe how time flies! They are sleeping in their own room, talking lots and smiling ALL the time! They are really good babies! We are truly blessed !

Easter

2009-04-16T15:08:00.006-05:00

We celebrated Easter this year at home, church and at Mimi and Papa's house. Claire was super excited about the Easter bunny coming to visit. We made cupcakes for him to snack on. Easter morning was really cute. Claire's basket was full of things she loves, including a princess watch (she spotted in Walmart). She showed both her sisters their baskets as well. So cute! Then we were off to church. The weather was not great, but it did stop raining long enough for us to get into and out of church. After the service we had a butterfly release. Claire had never done this before and I don't think she was too much of a fan. Note the pictures! After church we went to Mimi and Papa's house for an excellent lunch of beef tenderloin. YUMMY!
All in all, the twins first Easter was really fun! We hope everyone had a blessed Easter!

First trip to Henrietta

2009-04-06T20:39:00.003-05:00

I ventured to Henrietta for the first time with all three girls, by myself mind you, this weekend! It was a huge success. It literally took me three days to pack, and I think I only forget a few minor things! (I now have a running "what to pack list" on my computer. Genius huh?) The girls visited HHS, Davis Funeral Home, FUMC (twice: Jr. Delphian tea and church on Sunday), As Good As it Gets, Rolling Meadows, and good ole'Sikes Center Mall! We had lots of vistiors while we were home! It was so good to see all our friends so they could meet Allison and Brooke. (Sandy, I know you are reading this, it was so nice to see you and get even more tips from a grandmother of twins!)

It was also palm Sunday at church. It is custom for the youngest baby in the church to lead the palm parade, so Brooke and Allison did that duty! (Technically Brooke led because she was born one minute later than Alli). Mawmaw and Pop carried the girls and Claire walked in between. I must say I was a proud mother and I am pretty sure my parents were even more proud than me!

I love going home! Claire loves going to Henrietta! Now, Allison and Brooke love going too! I can't wait to go back to Clay County.

Brooke leading the palm parade

Mawmaw, Brooke, Pop, Allison, and Claire making their way through the palm procession!

Proud Grandparents!

2 months old already!

2009-03-30T14:12:00.003-05:00

The girls had their 2 month well check last Friday as well as their first round of shots (boo)! They are both right on track and growing ever so quickly! Both are starting to smile and make the cutest noises ever! I love hearing them try to talk. Here are the new stats!

Allison: 9.15 pounds 21.5 inches
Brooke: 9.7 pounds 21.25 inches

Their doctor has put both of them on reflux medicine. Brooke seems to have a harder time with reflux than Allison, but both are now taking Zantac to help. They both also have to have a VCUG and renal ultrasound done within the next two months. These are two tests to see if they have unrinary reflux. THis is a herditary condition that runs in our family (Claire has it, as well as Audrey (my niece), and my cousins two girls, Maddie and Meredith, both have it too!) It is not a fun thing to have done, but very necessary. If they do have urinary reflux they will have to take antibiotics until the condition goes away.

Anyway, we are all doing great and sleeping quiet a bit! Today was my first day to go to a mom's group at church. All three girls went with me and went to the nursery. This was a first for Brooke and Allison! They did great, slept the whole time! What a blessing for the girls and ME to get out and meet some more moms! There were 4 sets of twins in Allison and Brooke's room! Isn't that crazy! Twins everywhere I look!

Happy 2 months Alli and Brooke!

Claire's 3rd birthday

2009-03-19T15:18:00.002-05:00

Claire's 3rd birthday was Sunday March 15th. We had 38 people at our house (did I mention we have a really small house). We were supposed to have the party in our backyard but mother nature had a different plan for us. Instead we busted out the bubbles, Ring Pops, and sidewalk chalk. My parents brought their bounce house, yes they own one, and it was dry enough in one stop of our front yard to set it up. The kids had a blast! Happy Birthday Claire Bear!

Who needs pants?

2009-03-09T20:36:00.005-05:00

I just had to post these pictures. This weekend Junior spent most of his time in the yard in preparation for Claire's 3rd birhtday party next weekend. We are having her party at our house, keeping our fingers crossed for good weather. He mowed, weed eated, fertilized, repaired the fence, and finally planted flowers that he picked out for her. Well, when she saw him out in the yard with the purple flowers, that was it. She had to go help. For those of you who know Claire, you know she changes outfits AT LEAST 3 times a day and usually it invovles a princess dress. Well today it was a cute little shirt that would have looked adorable with jean capris, but instead she chose Tinkerbell panties and flip flop. No pants needed!!! But how cute are they!!!

First visit to Grace Avenue

2009-03-01T20:44:00.002-06:00

Sunday we woke up bright and early (not on our own will of course) and decided it was time to take the twins to church. We go to Grace Avenue United Methodist and we absolutely love it! This is where Claire was baptized when she was about 8 months old. We will also have Allison and Brooke baptized here as well, when I am not sure yet!

In the Methodist faith, the first Sunday of every month is communion Sunday. So, of course we were prepared for this. Junior and I had decided we would just take turns going to the front to receive communion. Well, we didn't plan on it being conformation Sunday as well! There were 27 confirmands during our service. Needless to say Junior and I were nervous that the girls would wake up screaming during this special service. The twins proved us wrong and did wonderful through the entire hour and half service!

Daddy and his girls on the back row!!

Getting ready to leave for church

Still snoozing away at the end of the service!

Out to eat

2009-02-22T08:05:00.004-06:00

Last night we ventured out to our favorite Mexican food restaurant, Los Charros, with all 3 girls. We had to time it just right (everything is about timing these days). We fed the girls at 6 and left for the restaurant promptly after! We eat at this restaurant at least once a week. They have the best fajitas in the world! We haven't gotten to go there to eat since the girls were born, so it was nice to see the familiar faces of the Los Charros staff again. We usually sit in the same spot, but last night when Junior walked in with 2 carseats and a toddler, they opted to sit us behind "the wall" where all the other people with small children were located! We had a great time and the twins slept through the whole meal! What a blessing. Claire did well too until it was time to leave and then she wanted another "majita"!!! We told her she could have ice cream since all the "majitas" were gone and that cleared up her frown pretty quickly!

I want another majita!!!!

One Month Old

2009-02-20T09:53:00.005-06:00

I can't believe it, but the twins are now 1 month old!!! It has been a busy month, but such a fun one!

We had one of many firsts this week as well. Brooke and I spent Wed. night in the ER! I got really worried about her after she wouldn't wake up all day. I even gave her a bath to try and wake her up, no luck! So I finally called the peditrician and she receommended taking her to the ER just to be safe. Turns out she does have some sort of virus, but is doing much better! It was pretty scary at the time and of course Junior is out of town (bilingual convention in Austin). BIG thanks goes out to Mimi and Laura. Laura went with me and Brooke to the ER while Mimi stayed with Claire and Allison! It was weird only having one child in the car as I sped down the tollway!

One other cool thing the girls have started doing is snuggling up together at bed time. We were putting them in wedges to sleep, but they have figured out how to scoot down to the bottom of them so they can touch. I took the wedges out a few days ago so they could just be together, but I put them back in there last night due to Brooke's reflucts. They did no good, they were at the bottom of the bed again this morning all snuggled up! So cute!

We went to the ped. yesterday for out one month check up.
Allison weighed 8.2 and Brooke wieghed 7.10. They are both growing and thriving! Brooke has started taking Zantac for reflucts (we are used to this, Claire had the same thing). They are sleeping well and taking about 4 oz. of mommy milk at each feeding. I have started doing one formula bottle at night as well (to keep my sanity).

Happy one month birthday Allison and Brooke!

Sorry it's been so long, we've been a little BUSY....Announcing Allison Ann and Brooke Elizabeth!

2009-02-15T08:05:00.003-06:00

I can't believe it has been a month since my last post, but our lives have been a bit nutty this past month. Our twin baby girls were born January 20, 2009! They are precious, healthy and the best babies on Earth!

Allison Ann was born at 8:03am. She weighed 6 lbs. 7 oz and was 19 inches long.

Brooke Elizabeth was born one minute later at 8:04 am. She weighed 5lbs. 11oz and was 18 3/4 inches long.

The delivery went very smoothly. There was about 15 people in the room. Each girl had 3 to 4 nurses attend to them right after they were born. I remember seeing them right when they were born, and then I was out! My dr. said, "Night, Night Jill,see you later."

After the girls were born, I got pretty sick. I had HELLP (hypertension, elevated liver, low plateletes) syndrome, which usually develops during pregnancy and the only cure is to deliver your baby. Well, I had already done that, so the cure for me was to have a blood platelet transfusion! It was kind of scary for a little bit, but I had pure faith in God and my doctor that I would be ok to take care of my precious family. Basically my BP went way up the night the girls were born (190/100). THe next morning they put me on magnesium to help with my bp and then they ran blood lab work. Your regular blood platelet count is supposed to be between 120 and 400. Mine was 18! My dr and the nurse first thought it was a mistake, so they ran it again and this time it was 16! Soooo, that is when they decided to give me the transfusion! We had to spend an extra day and half in the labor and delivery ward instead of going to the post pardum ward. Junior wasn't real happy about that b/c the bed in the LD room was horrible!!! Finally my liver levels came down and my platelets went up! I had soooo much blood drawn during those few days I am surprised I have any left! (for those of you who know me pretty well know that I don't do good with shots and blood, I am a passer outer!!)

All in all it was a great experience and our girls are here and HEALTHY! Praise the Lord!

A typical night with Claire

2009-01-16T07:44:00.003-06:00

Claire is at such a fun age! She has developed such a personality and is so funny! The other night after her bath she wanted to dress up in her princess costume. So, of course we said ok. She comes walking into the living room with her pj's on, the costume over the pj's, a crown on her head, her dress up high heels, and of course her purse (she goes no where without her purse). She takes out a little card from her purse and says, "Mom I have a gift card to Target. Goin shopping, BYE!" We laughed at her so hard.

Really! How cute is she!!!

Here is her Target gift card! Too cute!

more of week 37

2009-01-15T10:49:00.002-06:00

Sorry I was so short last time, but I was TIRED! Then of course I slept awful and have been up since 4 this morning (I didn't have my Tylenol PM, refered to later in the post). I did take a nap for bit, so I am a little refreshed now. More about the dr. visit.....

I already posted the girls stats, so there is not much more on that. My sweet mother in law took me to the dr. yesterday so she was there to experience my final sonogram. She also got a good look at my belly!! WHOA!!! The sonogram went well, it was just really hard to make anything out this time because the girls are so big. It was very special to have Brenda there with me anyhow!

My belly measures 43 weeks and I have gained 50 pounds. I gained 50 pounds with Claire (because I ate anything and everything sweet I could get my hands on) so I feel pretty good about that. My dr. thinks it is great as well.

I know this may sounds kind of weird, but I am truly going to miss seeing my dr. and her nurse Valerie every week. I know I always have to wait hours to see them, but then once I get back to the room I am truly treated like a queen. Valerie nevers make me go straight into a room, she always let me wait in the BP room and we talk. I feel like she is one of my friends now. I know all about her and her family, Valerie is a twin by the way! She is even going to come see me when the girls arrive.

Here are some interesting facts about the past nine months:

June: We found out we were pregnant and then on the 19th we found out we were having TWINS! What shock!
Junior also had surgery on his achilles tendon. He was in a cast for a LONG time!

July: I had my 15 year class reunion and felt like I was going to through up all month. I never did though! We also took a quick vacation to Galveston. It was not our favorite vacation (not becasue of the company, but because of the ailments that trailed us). Junior still had his cast on and was completely uncomfortable at the beach. Do you blame him? I also started having heart palpatations. Come to find out, those are very normal while carrying twins. I had to wear a heart monitor for a few days!

August: Junior and I both turned 33 and started another school year. junior started his new job as principal of Christie Elementary, so proud of him! Claire also started school this month! It was a BIG deal for her and she loves it!

September: We found out we were having 2 little GIRLS!!!
I am pretty sure I had a cold/cough/sore throat and had to take antibiotics this month. this is something that happens to me every year! We also went to Henrietta for Pioneer Reunion and to celebrate my dad's 65th birthday.

October: I can't remember anything too spectacular that happened this month. I know I looked like a pumpkin at this time!

November: We traveled to Henrietta for the last time as a family of 3! We spent Thanksgiving there with my family. What a great visit.

December: Another cold/cough/sore throat episode and more antibiotics. I went on bedrest December 5th. Heartburn became my worst nightmare (I have been through 2 bottles of Tums and almost 1 bottle of Pepcid!) My best friend however throughout this month has become Tylenol PM (my dr. said to take it, so I trust her and thank God it works). I have been through 2 1/2 bottles of the PM!!!
We spent Christmas break with Junior's family in Allen. I was hoping to get through the break without any signs of labor. My dr. was in Hawaii for 10 days! I did it!!!

January: WE MADE IT!!! I have been on bedrest and trying to take it easy all month. I am all packed and ready for Allison and Brooke to make their entrance into the world!

Well, that wraps up the past nine months in a nutshell. I feel like I have been pregnant for years and now it is truly coming to an end. I am NOT sad!!!!

Week 37 quick update....tired

2009-01-14T19:59:00.002-06:00

Hi there! I know a lot of you are wondering about my dr. visit today. i am going to be very brief b/c I just got home and I am really tired. New stats:
Allison: 6.1 lbs 18.7 inches
Brooke: 5.10 lbs 18.5 inches
That equals 11.11 lbs and 37 inches of baby all wrapped up inside me! UGH, no double UGH!

I am dialated to between a 1 1/2 and a 2. Dr. Jacobs says it could be any time now, but if not, definitely Tuesday morning by 8 a.m.
Will write tomorrow. I am off the rest!

Week 36

2009-01-08T10:02:00.002-06:00

I went to the dr. yesterday and everything is still good. I am still dialated to a one barely! I had my non stress test done yesterday too. The girls heart beats were great. It was cool to see how they would both be exactly the same for a little while! I also pre-registered to the hospital, so if I should go into labor anytime soon (yeah right) I don't have to worry about any paperwork! Good thing!!! My dr. still says that I am the most boring pregnant with twins lady she has ever had! I take that as a compliment for sure!! So since she said I was doing so well, I treated myself to lunch at Neimans after my appt. Those pop-overs are to die for!!!

I have all the girls clothes ready for the hospital. They each have six outfits and six pairs of sock ready to go (I know it sounds like a lot, but don't we need choices???). I have been washing all my things this morning so that I will be ready as well! I have a new robe, a new really pretty pair of PJ's (thanks to my wonderful mother) and new house shoes! I think I am set!

12 days and counting!!!

Profile shot

2009-01-04T09:01:00.002-06:00

I have had a lot of people want to see what I look like pregnant with twins. So here ya go! No jokes please!

Week 35

2008-12-31T15:19:00.002-06:00

Still prego and doing GREAT!!! I went to the dr. today and all was very good. I am dialated to a one still, my dr. said I was barely a 1! Both girls are doing wonderful:
Allison: 5lbs 3 oz 17.6 inches
Brooke: 4lbs 13 oz 17. 4 inches
(I only weighed 5.15 when I was born, so Alli is catching up fast!!!)
On the sono. today we could see both girls practicing breathing which is outstanding. If they were born today, they would probably be able to breath on their own. Brooke is once again horizonal. Her head in on my right side and her feet are kicking her her sister in the booty!
I go back to the dr. next Wed. I will update then again!

Happy Week 35 pretty girls!!! Can't wait to meet you. You have beautiful things waiting for you in your beautiful room!

Love,
Mommy

Week 34

2008-12-23T16:36:00.002-06:00

Only 4 more weeks!!! Can you believe it! I went to one of my doctor's partners today. I was only there for 30 minutes total! The wait time was nothing and I was so excited! This office was also in Frisco. Dr. Jacobs better watch out, I might have to move my business to this office AFTER the girls are born (but I just love Dr. Jacobs)

The other news is that I am now dialated to a one (which is really no big deal). My BP was elevated to 144/87 which the dr. was a little concerned about, but said I should just take it VERY easy and to call if it got higher than 150/80.

Happy week 34 Alli and Brooke! Please hold off from getting here until at least next week when Dr. Jacobs is back from Hawaii!

We love you,
Mommy, Daddy, and big sister Claire

What Christmas Party?

2008-12-20T11:02:00.003-06:00

Claire's school had a so called "Christmas Party" yesterday. Needless to say it wasn't much of a party. I was not impressed. The party consisted of a snack, yes, just a snack! No games, no book, no songs, not even a party favor. The menu consisted of one cookie, Cheetos, fruit and water. I even donated to the "party fund". Not sure where my money went, I guess to buy a bag of Cheetoes! Anyway, here are a few pictures of Claire at her "Christmas Party"!

One Month From Today

2008-12-20T09:25:00.002-06:00

I can't believe that in one month from today (hopefully not sooner and we know it won't be later) we will no longer be a family of three, but a family of five!!!! I never in my wildest dreams thought I would have 3 children. The number 5 is really big and foreign to me. We need another chair for our kitchen table! It's little things like this that I keep thinking about. It may be weird to me to have a family of five but I am finding myself getting very anxious and excited to meet my new girls. I know our house is going to seem extremely tiny with 3 little girls running around, but I can't wait! They are going to have so much fun in such a little space!

Here's to one more month!

Week 33

2008-12-19T08:09:00.002-06:00

My dr. appt went very well yesterday despite the length of the wait in the waiting room! ( my appt. was at 3:30 and I didn't see the dr. until 6:00, yes, I know it is absolutely ridiculous, but I do LOVE my dr.) I had a sonogram and it is funny how I can't make out the girls anatomy any more. They are too BIG! Isn't that great problem!

Official stats:
Allison- 4lbs. 1 oz 16.8 inches
Brooke-4lbs. 6 oz. 17.1 inches
they are measuring about a week and half behind but that is perfectly normal for twins. They are measuring about 31 and half weeks and I am 33 weeks!

Last time Brooke was a bit smaller and this time she was the bigger one. My dr. says they are growing so well and in such similiar fashion! We need them to keep growing for at least the next 2 weeks. My dr. goes to Hawaii on Sunday and doesn't return until the 30th. I will see her on the 31st. I am going to see one of her partners next week just to check my cervix and blood pressure (which BTW was great yesterday 110/80).

I am on antibiotics and cough medicine now too. I have a horrible cough and sore throat, which made my day even longer yesterday!!!

Happy Week 33 Allison and Brooke! We can't wait to meet you! Love, Mommy!

Claire's Christmas Program

2008-12-14T08:09:00.004-06:00

Thursday night was Claire's first Christmas program with Primrose, her school. It was so stinkin' cute. Each class sang 2 songs (even the baby class). Claire's class sang "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". They were supposed to wear red shirts, jeans, black shoes, a Santa hat, sunglasses and have a guitar to play. I don't think Claire really knew what to expect. She was a little stunned when she got out on the stage and saw how many people were there to watch (there were hundreds of people there!!). She mostly just stood there and swayed back and forth every now and then. She would also lift her sunglasses up so she could see better. We are very proud of her! She did well although she didn't sing to her best potential due to stage fright! ROCK ON SANTA CLAIRE!

Week 32

2008-12-09T14:39:00.005-06:00

Ok, I am over the bedrest thing ALREADY!!! It has only been a few days and I am bored. Day time TV is horrible, I can't get comfortable enough to take a good long nap, so I feel like I am on the computer all the time. I think I am getting carpel tunnel syndrome! I am also reading a good book, Twilight. Junior is out right now buying stuff to make chili. A cold front blew through here and it is about 38 degrees!

The girls are moving nonstop. They are the size of large jicama. They have fingernails and toenails. They also have hair (which I could have told you due to my massive heartburn!). The weekly email says they are starting to plump up in size, about 3.75 lbs, and about 17 inches long.

My friends came over Sunday and started painting the nursery. We are not done just yet, but it looks really cute so far. I will post pictures as soon as the room is finished!

We are looking forward to THursday night. Claire will be making her debut in her shcool's Christmas program. I can't wait to see how she reacts to the crowd. My parents and Junior's parents are all coming to watch the little angel!

I go back to the dr. on Friday morning. No sono. just a check up.

Happy week 32 Allison and Brooke!

Bedrest WaaWaa!

2008-12-06T08:12:00.002-06:00

My dr. visit went ok yesterday, not great but ok! When I got there my BP was 140/90 which is high. My hip was killing me yesterday as well. I could barely walk (thank God for valet parking at the hospital). She thought my BP being high could have been caused my the pain in my hip, which means I need to STAY OFF MY FEET! That is pretty hard to do when you have a room of 20 nine year olds. My dr. said she thought it would be best for me to hang it up as far as work went. She said i am not on strict bedrest, but I do not need to go to work, clean my house (which is fine with me), or go shopping!! I am ok with this decision. I am sad as well. I am going on Monday to tell my kids and friends bye. Then I will be at home until the arrival of Allison and Brooke. Soooo, feel free to email, call or write me anytime. I am going to have lots of time on my hands.
She doesn't think I will make it until January 20th. The girls could be here a little earlier than expected.
Please keep Junior in your prayers. He is now on FULL time Daddy duty. He is such a great dad to Claire and I know he will do a great job with the twins as well. It's just a lot for one guy to take on!

Week 31

2008-12-02T18:06:00.002-06:00

I am still pregnant! YEAH!!! I can't believe I only have 7 weeks left. According to my weekly emails, the girls are about 3.3 pounds and 16 inches long (like carrying 8 navel oranges). Things are going well. I am starting to get pretty uncomfortable. My feet and hands swell every now and then, but overall I can't complain! I need these girls to roast for AT LEAST 5 more weeks (to be on the safe side). I go back to the dr. on Friday. I promise not to send any text messages (you know who you are!!) Two of my friends from work are coming to help paint the girls room on Sunday. We are going to paint yellow polka dots! I think it will be really cute! I can't wait!

Happy Week 31 Alli and Brooke!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T11:13:00.003-06:00

We had a great Thanksgiving in Henrietta. Claire had a great time playing with her cousins and looking at all the Christmas lights. She also got to talk to Santa. She ran right up to him and said, "I want a Cinderella computer!" She wasn't scared at all!
We hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday!

Week 30

2008-11-26T07:08:00.003-06:00

Can you believe it! Only 8 more weeks to go! (that is if all goes well, Junior thinks 6 weeks max. we'll see!) This week Brooke has been really active. Especially around the wee hours of the morning, like 4am! I was awake very early for several days. In fact last Sat. I was at Walmart by 5:45 Christmas shopping! UGH! My dr. told me to take Tylenol PM to sleep, so I took her advise and now I sleep much better!

Junior and I pampered ourselves yesterday. We had a "parents to be" massage/lunch together. It was the BEST! I actually got to lay on my stomach for a bit! I know it sounds weird, but the spa had this amazing pillow that made me feel like i wasn't pregnant!

We are preparing to go to my parents for a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration. We will also celebrate my mother's BIG birthday! I won't say how old she is, but let's just say it has a "0" at the end. In our family, BIG birthdays consist of numbers ending in "0" and "5"! This is probably the last time we will travel to Henrietta as a family of 3! Next time we go we will be a happy family of 5! WOW!

Happy Week 30 Allison and Brooke!

Week 29

2008-11-20T19:16:00.002-06:00

After going to the dr. today, all is still GREAT!

Here are the newest measurements:
Allison: 2lbs. 14 oz. 15.2 inches long
Brooke: 2lbs. 10 oz. 14.9 inches long

This is the first time they didn't weigh exactly the same which is totally normal. My dr. said she was starting to think I was super woman at growing twins! One other thing that was different is the both girls are now head down. Brooke has always been breech and head up. Today they were snuggling head to head. We couldn't get a good picture of Brooke's face because she is facing my back, but we got great shots of Allison's face. So stinkin' sweet!
I am clear to travel to my parent's house for Thanksgiving as well. As long as I relax I should be fine! I am so THANKFUL!

Happy Week 29 Allison and Brooke!
Love,
Mommy

Pink Shower

2008-11-15T07:36:00.003-06:00

I know I am having 2 girls, but the school where I teach is named Pink (fitting for a woman pregnant with twin girls!) Hence the name of this post!

Yesterday my team mates hosted a wondeful shower/happy hour for those who could partake. I got many wonderful gifts including numerous gift cards! I was shocked at how many people came and brought gifts. I told my friends not to worry about getting me anything since this was my second baby (oh and thrid!)

Thank you so much Allison, Niki, Tracye and Kia! (these are the girls on my team that I am going to miss enormously). Working at Pink has been such a bright spot in my career. Not only do I love the kids, but I truly love all the people that I work with. It is SUCH a good feeling to wake up in the morning and look forward to getting to work.

week 28

2008-11-09T11:21:00.004-06:00

I went to the dr. on Friday. Everything is still great! I am measuring 36 weeks (almost as big as a full term pregnancy). I have to take an iron supplement 3 times a day. I had to take iron with Claire as well, but not this much! I hope all goes well that (if you know what I mean). I went to the store this morning and bought LOTS of items with extra fiber!!! My blood pressure was great! 100/60. With Claire, that is why I was put on bedrest. My BP was really high, so hopefully this time that will not happen! Actually I only have 2 weeks left to work, but i think I am going to work longer. My FMLA leave starts as early as Dec. 1st ( I have the whole week of Thanksgiving off YIPPEE), but I can't imagine being at home doing nothing all the way through December! My new goal is to make it to my Christmas break which starts around the 20th!
The only bad news was last week I had a stomach bug on Tuesday night. I spent the night throwing up while waiting to hear that Barack Obama had become the new president! So now I am down to 7 days maternity leave! Can you believe that!
Happy week 28 girls!

Quadruple Halloween for Claire

2008-11-04T18:14:00.015-06:00

Yes, Claire celebrated Halloween 4 different times! Mimi took her to the fire station the Friday before, we had "Trunk or Treating" at church on Sunday, we went with Sam (aka Lovebug) and Laura the real Halloween night, and then we went to Mamaw and Pop's on Sat. Needless to say Claire was on a complete sugar high by the end of the weekend, so much in fact that she got in tgrouble for the first time at Primrose on Monday!!! She had to sit in time out for not listening and not following directions!!! I was so sad, but I knew it was coming!

Here are a few pictures from Claire's Halloween extravaganza!

Trick or Teating with Mamaw and Pop

At the next door neighbors house in Henrietta

ALL the candy at Pop's house (if you are ever in Henrietta for Halloween, you want to go my parent's neighborhood FOR SURE!!!)

With Mimi at a house in our neighborhood.

The fairy and lovebug ride in the wagon!

"the lovebug" Sam and "the fairy" Claire!

The sassy fairy

Trunk or treating at our church.

At the pumpkin patch! Claire didn't like walking through all the hay. It got in her sparkle shoes! Oh My!!!

Claire the fairy!

a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4yOR0ZwiH5Y/SRDr0LpsoeI/AAAAAAAAAJw/_c0UOWs_OA0/s1600-h/Halloween+2008+052.JPG">
I had to include this picture of my friend Kelley's little girl Brynn. She was Dolly Parton for Halloween! Brynn has been obsessed with boobs for years (she is in 3rd grade)! Kelley finally let her be Dolly this year!!!! Brynn LOVED it!

Week 27

2008-11-04T18:09:00.002-06:00

We are now into week 27 and I feel great! I am a bit tired, but who isn't!!! My weekly email says that the girls are the size of the head of a cauliflower! They are opening and closing their eyes and can even have the hiccups. In fact, I think Allison had the hiccups earlier today. (Claire had the hiccups everyday towards the end of my pregnancy with her). I could feel a steady little rythm way down deep. Allison's head is down and Brooke's head is up, so that is how I know it was Allison.
Junior and I have started to really think about middle names. Any suggestions are welcome!
Happy week 27 girls!

quick update

2008-11-04T07:28:00.001-06:00

My dr. called yesterday around 4:00 and good news............NO gestational diabetes!!! I am so glad, especially since the holidays are right around the corner!
BRING ON THE PUMPKIN SPICE CREAMER
BTW Aunt Sue, I found it in the large size yesterday!!!! YUM-O!

Week 26

2008-10-28T20:05:00.002-05:00

It has been a good week until today. We have had minor set back. My dr. called today with the results of my glucose test that was conducted on Friday. My sugar level was high, so I have to go back to the dr. on Thurs. for the longer glucose screen (3 hours of no eating, drinking or walking!!!). As my grandfather used to say, " I rather be sitting in the pasture with my butt hurtin'"! I think I am more upset that I have to take yet another day off work. That leaves me with a whole 9 days of maternity leave! Nice huh! I tell ya, teachers get all the perks, yea right!
Junior is a camp with his 5th graders, so I am bummed about that as well. It has been a crappy day all the way around. (I did do my civic duty today, I voted)! I think I will just go to bed!

Happy week 26 Allison and Brooke!

Week 25 and a Tailgate Party!

2008-10-25T07:59:00.007-05:00

I know you are probably thinking what the heck do Week 25 and tailgating have to do with each other!! Well, Claire had a tailgate party yesterday at her preschool. It was really cute!
First, let's get to Week 25. I had a dr. appt. yesterday. All was great yet again! Both girls are still the exact same size, 1 lb. 11oz. and 12.7 inches long! My dr. is amzazed at how well things are going. She says it is unheard of that these two little girls are sharing equally, still!!!! She is thrilled. I am 25 weeks, but measuring 33 weeks. It is starting to get a little uncomfortable, but I need these girls to bake quit a bit longer. Here is a picture Junior took last weekend of Claire and me:

Now to the Tailgate party! Claire's preschool had a tailgate party yesterday in lieu of celebrating Halloween. All the kids were supposed to dress up in their favorite sports attire (ok, their Dad's favorite sports attire!) Claire finally got to wear her Dallas Cowboys cheerleading outfit that she has had since before she was even born (thank you Mamaw and Pop). She was really excited about the party even though she thought it was a birthday party!
Enjoy!

Claire and her teacher, Miss Randee! Claire LOVES Miss Randee!!

Playing with the parachute.

The party starts. Claire was more interested in Mimi, Daddy and me being there!

Claire does she cheerleader pose. Notice the bracelet! Every good cheerleader needs a purple bracelet!

Adam Crockett and Luke William

2008-10-21T15:01:00.003-05:00

I didn't know if I should post this or not, but since I have been home all day sick it has been on my mind nonstop.

I have reached a milestone in my pregnancy. I am 25 weeks today. This is a milestone for me because my sister delivered her precious baby boy twins at 25 weeks. Unfortunately, Adam and Luke are not with us here on Earth, but in Heaven. I believe they are watching over my twin girls, Allison and Brooke. They are making sure that Alli and Brooke are going to be healthy girls and get here safe. I am sad today as well. It is emotional for me to write about this topic. I don't normally post about such serious topics.

For those of you who don't know my sister, I wish you did. She is the most brave, inspirational, determined person I know. Really words can not express how I feel about her. She has taught me so much about life, being a wife, and most of all being a good mother. She has 2 beautiful children now and 2 that are waiting on her in heaven. I love you Jennifer and thank you for teaching me so much about motherhood.

God Bless Adam, Luke, Allison, Brooke, Marshall, Claire and precious little Audrey!

Week 23 & 24

2008-10-17T19:10:00.005-05:00

Last week was week 23 and this week is week 24. I decided to combine the two posts since I am lagging a bit. Things are going well. The girls are now the size of corn on the cob. Crazy huh! Just think, 2 ears of corn popping around in my belly!

Yesterday, Junior's school hosted a baby shower for us. It was sooooo nice. We got lots of nice things for the girls, the best of which was 40 packages of diapers! Yes, I said 40 packages! There are various sizes so that will help us out a ton! Another cute present we got was two bibs that say, "If you think I'm cute, you should see my twin"!

Here are some pictures of the festivities:

Great Dr. Report

2008-10-10T18:20:00.003-05:00

I just got back for Dr. Jacobs office and she called me boring, which I personally think is wonderful! Both girls weigh 1 lb. 4 oz and Allison is 10.9 in. long while Brooke measures in at 11.1 in. long! Both girls are right on target with all their measurements! I have gained a little weight (not telling the real number) but my dr. thinks it is an ok amount. The really cool thing that happened this time was that while Becky (the sonogram tech.) was measuring Allison (she alwsy gets to go first) her head was right next to Brooke's. Both heads were right under my left boob! HA! They looked so sweet and snuggly! Then all the sudden Allison flipped and her head was back downstairs where it usally is!
All in all things couldn't be better! I go back in 2 weeks for my gluscose test and another sono. More info. then!

Week 22

2008-10-08T17:57:00.002-05:00

Bring on the grapes and coffee!!! I can't get enough of either of these, usually I don't eat them at the same time, but now that I think about it......AND, just FYI the coffee is either decaf. or half caf. I have to have the pumpkin pie spice in the coffee as well! It is soooooo yummy! This coffee addiction is weird because when I was pregnant with Claire I couldn't stand coffee! Totally different story this time!

Junior finally felt the girls this past week as well! That was really exciting for us! They are really moving around now. I can't wait to go to the dr. on Friday! I will update more then!

Happy week 22 Allison and Brooke!

Twins Sale!!

2008-10-04T14:22:00.006-05:00

WOW!!! This morning the North Dallas Mother of Twins Club had a sale in Richardson at the civic center. It was one of the wildest things we have ever experienced! There were soooo many people there and the room was not big enough! It proved to be a succes for us though. We found 2 matching car seats, 2 really cute bedding sets, and a custom made moses basket! BUT the best part is now I am an official member of the club! It sounds like they will be a great support group for us. (It also got us into the sale earlier than we expected!) They have monthly meetings, family social activities, play groups and much more! I am excited to be a member of something twinish!

Week 21

2008-10-02T17:51:00.011-05:00

Mommy, Allison, Brooke, Claire at Oktoberfest! (Junkior cut my head off a bit)!

Claire holding a buuny rabbit at the petting zoo during Oktoberfest!

Claire holding a baby pig!

Daddy and Claire

Claire doing the Hokie Pokie at Babe's

This past week I have been full of energy, which is great! I am so happy I feel so good. The other day I didn't even want to stop for lunch break-and that is so not normal!!! One thing that is driving me crazy is the pregnant brain! I will be in mid sentence and forget a word! I couldn't remember the name of Stars Wars the other day! HELLO!!!!

The girls are now the size of spaghetti squash (per my weekly email). They have also started to form teeth buds. I thought that was really neat! They weigh approx. 1 pound now.

Claire has been busy this past week as well. Of course she went to school all week and then over the weekend we went to McKinney's Oktoberfest! I couldn't stand the smells (hot stall beer), but Claire and Junior had a ball! Then on Sunday Mamaw and Pop came for a quick visit. We ate at Babe's Chicken and Claire was the only kid to get up and do the Hokie Pokie! She thought she was really cool! While Mamaw and Pop were around, we put them to work. The little girls room is now move in ready. We don't have eveyrthing we need yet, but we do have a crib, a changing table, a few clothes and some diapers!

Happy Week 21 Allison and Brooke!

Week 20 We have NAMES!!

2008-09-24T21:10:00.007-05:00

Brooke and Allison are the official first names! Middle names are still under negotiation! I love being able to actually call them by name now! Claire can say both names really well too!

Week 20 was a great week! This past weekend, we went to Henrietta for Pioneer Reunion! Jennifer and her family were all there and the kids all had a blast together! Claire and Audrey are just too cute together! Marshall has really grown up too!

One really cool thing that happened this weekend was while sitting at the dining table at my parent's house, I felt one of the girls kick really hard! We were all sitting around the table talking. The kids were all running around playing. Then out of nowhere, I thought Claire tapped me on tummy. Well, when I looked downed to say "Careful" (like I a do a thousand times a day) Claire was nowhere to be found! It was a kick that even made me jump! After I realized what had happened I was amazed! It was like the girls thought, "OK I think our mommy really needs to start feeling us now!! Let's see how hard we can kick her!" Let me tell ya, I feel them a lot now (especially at school)!

We also celebrated my dad's 65 b-day! Happy Birthday Pop!

Claire, Audrey, Marshall and Pop!

Claire WILL NOT let me take her picture. When she sees the camera she looks the other way. BUT, I had to get this pose. She has started to sit like this all time. I think it is so cute!

Jill, Audrey, Mamaw and Claire

Claire's favorite float in the Pioneer Reunion Parade. She LOVES Cinderella. In fact she sleeps with a Cinderella book every night!

Week 19

2008-09-16T16:57:00.002-05:00

We now have a true due date! My c-section is scheduled for January 20th! I will be exactly 38 weeks that day! Heopfully I will be able to carry these 2 little girls that long.

I am really feeling the girls move around now. I can't really tell which one is which yet. I think when I feel movement way down low, that is Baby A. All other movement is Baby B, I guess!

Not much more news this week. Friday's Dr. post was the "biggest" news. Keep us all in your prayers!

Have a great week baby girls!

Dr. Update

2008-09-13T11:16:00.002-05:00

I went to the dr. yesterday and things couldn't be better! Once again the girls are measuring the exact same size. Dr. Jacobs says that is so not normal, yet so incredibly great! Both girls are 10 oz. and 8 inches long! They are even bigger than my weekly update email through babycenter, which is just for one baby! I am 19 weeks and 3 days along and the girls are measuring that exact size! Now, although the girls are right on schedule, their mom is measuring 27 weeks!!!! YIKES Dr. Jacobs also says this is normal due to having twins! When I thought about each girl measuring 8 inches long, when you put that together, that is 16 inches long. Claire was 19.5 inches long when she was born! WOW! Another piece of good news is that I was supposed to start going in every 2 weeks after yesterday's visit. Dr. Jacobs said I was doing so well that she didn't want to see me again for 4 weeks! I am so thankful everything is going this well!

During the sonogram, Baby A kept kicking Baby B in head! It was sad, yet funny at the same time!!! I asked the dr. if that was ok and she said of course! That is just what happens when there are 2 babies in there!

We picked up the new dresser/changing table last night as well! It looks great in the new room. Now, I just need to start putting clothes, socks, sheets, towels, blankets, etc. in the drawers! I guess today will be a good day since we are starting to feel the effects form Hurricane Ike (nothing like Galveston and Houston, BTW keep my cousin Brian in your thoughts. He lives in Galveston, but is safe at his work in Houston). It is rainy and yucky outside! No fun for a Saturday!

Just FYI on the name situation: I have decided their names will be Brooke and Allison. Junior on the other hand is still up in the air. He is afraid he might find something he likes better! We'll see............Keep the suggestions coming!

Unitl next time............Be safe!

Week 18

2008-09-09T20:42:00.003-05:00

Let's see..... where has this week taken us............Oh yeah...........HEARTBURN!!!! Yes, heartburn has begun. I had it horribly with Claire. They say if you have heartburn your baby will have lots of hair. This held true with Claire. I guess these 2 little girls are on their way to long beautiful brown locks just like their big sister (I'm sure they won't have blonde hair, but maybe one will have blue eyes. I'm keeping my fingers crossed).

Today's email read that the girls should be about 8 oz. each and 6 inches long, now the size of a large heirloom tomato. The email also said their hair is starting to form, hence the heartburn.

I go to the dr. on Friday afternoon for another sonogram and check up. I will post after the appointment.

Also soon to come............NAMES!!! Any suggestions?

Week 17

2008-09-02T18:26:00.002-05:00

The babies are now the size of a bell pepper! Supposedly they are 5 1/2 inches long and 7 oz. each. Their ears are in place and so are their girlie parts (which we already knew). Their veins are visible through their skin.

THis weekend we purchased our first "twins stuff". We bought a changing table, a new diaper bag, a new thermometer, and 2 wedges for the girls to sleep on! It was a bit overwhelming looking at all this babystuff, there is really not that many twin items out there! Everyone we talked to at Babies R Us said, " You have to go online for a better selection of twin items!" Well, I really don't want to shop online for things. I am the kind of person that likes to see what I am getting before I jump off and buy it!

More to come next week!

Happy 17th week girls!

Club Libby Lu

2008-08-27T20:49:00.010-05:00

Junior's mom, Mimi as we call her, signed Claire up for a free makeover contest at a store called Libby Lu in Stonebriar Mall. LL is a lot like the place we got Claire's haircut, Sweet and Sassy, minus the giant pink limo! Anyway, it is a little girl's paradise. Not thinking that a 2 year would ever win a makeover Mimi thought, sure why not! Well low and behold, Claire won week 1 of their contest! So last Sat. Mimi, Mamaw (my mother), Claire and I headed to Libby Lu for the " make over"! It was the cutest thing I think I have ever seen! Claire got to pick the hair style she wanted along with a costume (that Mamaw ended up buying b/c it was so darn cute), makeup colors, and finger nail polish color. I have never seen Claire so serious and still while Jazz, the Libby Lu artist, made my 2 year old look more like a 15 year old!
Enjoy the pictures!

Week 16

2008-08-27T20:41:00.003-05:00

Week 16 has been an exhausting one! As you can tell by the lack of blogs, school has started in full force! I am now standing on my feet WAY too much, but it is worth it (I feel like my feet are the size of Goodyear tires by the end of the day)! I have 20 new cute 3rd graders that all love me to death (don't mean to toot my own horn , but they do love me)! They all think it is really cool that I am having twin girls. They can't wait to meet the girls! Now the girls are the size of turnips! I really don't like turnips, but that is what the email said! I feel like I am growing by the minute! In fact today when Junior got home from work, I was changing my clothes and he said, " Yeah Babe, you definitely look pregnant now"!

Happy 16th/4 months babies girls!

2008-08-24T09:06:00.006-05:00

I have written 2 blogs about this already and lost both of them. I am now frustrated with my blog!!! I did want to post some pictures of Claire's first day at "her" Primrose.
Enjoy

On our way to school!

Claire and Dad on our way into school.

Love this pic.

I look happy in this pic, but you should have seen me walking out those doors!

All in all, we are very proud of our Claire Bear! She is just getting so big and learning so much.

Week 15

2008-08-20T08:25:00.001-05:00

Week 15 was having the surprise of 2 girls. I didn't want to leave out a week though! I have also started to feel a little bit of a flutter every now and then! Next week we will have more. Sorry not so newsy!

Pretty in Pink!!

2008-08-14T16:10:00.002-05:00

Our dr. visit today was GREAT! We are having 2 little girls!!!! I am VERY excited and Junior is excited as well! Both girls weigh 4 oz. and are 4 1/2 inches long. The dr. said they are still sharing well, which is wonderful. Baby A was not as cooperative as Baby B. She just wanted to sleep with her legs crossed so we couldn't see what her sex was. So, we switched over to Baby B. Well, Baby B was dancing all around. At one point, she stretched her legs all the way out. It was the cutest thing! After we measured Baby B, we went back to Baby A and finally she was awake and ready to show her goods! Junior was shocked to see both were girls! He is going to be way out numbered in our house, but he can't wait! We still do not know if they are fraternal or identical. We won't be able to find that out until they are born. My dr. said she would be happy if i could work until Thanksgiving. She said I would be pretty big and fat by then (I am already measuring 5 1/2 months, and I am not quiet 4 months yet).

Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers that have been coming our way!

week 14

2008-08-12T08:05:00.004-05:00

This week I did a lot! I started the week off with school stuff. I had to go to a few workshops regarding math. It was fun to see people that I hadn't seen all summer. Some of them didn't know I was pregnant and then they were really shocked to know I was having twins!

Another huge event this week was having Claire's hair cut! I decided it was time for a big girl hair cut and I must say, it look so darn cute! I made her an appointment at Sweet and Sassy (which I said i would never do, but now that she is bigger I wanted her to have the experience). For those of you who don't know about Sweet and Sassy, it is a little girl salon equipped with a bright pink limo that will pick you up from your house or school (yes, it causes many tears and hurt feelings at school) for your birthday party. We won't ever have the limo experience because I believe Claire needs that experience a lot later in life! BUT, the salon was great! The lady cute her hair then put glitter in it and hairspray that smelled like cupcakes! She loved it!!!!

More Sassy than Sweet!

We also had Claire's 2 year picture made, finally! She was really good for about the first 10 minutes and then she had had it. She told me she didn't like the man who was taking her picture. I don't know why, he was really nice to her. I really think she was tired. Shoot time was 2:30, right in the middle of naptime!

We ended the week at Mamaw and Pop's house. Aunt Jenn, Marshall and Audrey were there too. All the kids had a wonderful time and aunt Jenn and myself had a little bit of girl time! The pedicures were great Mom! Thanks again!

We are now anticipating Thursday! We go to the dr. at 8:30 for another sono. We will hopefully find out the sex of these little blueberries! Pray for us on Thursday!

Happy week 14 babies!

Week 13

2008-08-04T08:29:00.008-05:00

Week 13 was full of Daddy!!!! We celebrated Junior's 33rd birthday. On Sat. we spent the morning with Mema and Mimi. Mema made a delicious lunch for all of us and Mimi surprised Daddy with his favorite, a red velvet cake! After leaving Mema's house, we headed to Grapevine for a little family fun! The Gaylord Texan Resort was having a summer fair. We strolled the atriums of the beautiful hotel. Claire loved looking at the motorized trains and all the water fountains. Then Claire got her arm painted with a picture of Tinkerbell! In fact, we still have Tink on our arm this morning. She won't let me wash her off! Once we were finished touring the summer fair, we went back home to have a yummy dinner at Jinbeh ( a Japanese steakhouse). Claire LOVED it! She thought the chef was hilarious even though his remarks were not for little ears!

The biggest hit of the weekend was the Ringling Brothers Circus! Claire and I had never been to the "big" circus before. It was truly amazing! Junior always went to the circus for his birhtday as a child, so it brought back lots of fun memories for him. Claire LOVED the elephants, but she also wanted to know where the cows were. I guess she is a true Texan!!! We had nothing but junk food for dinner and it was heavenly! Who could ask for more: nachos, popcorn, cotton candy (although it was $12, but you got a really cool big circus hat along with purchase), snowcones and cokes! I was really surprised that Claire actually feel asleep on the way home after all that sugar!

Week 13 was great! Happy week babies!

Daddy and Claire under the big top!

Claire and one of the pretty dancers! Notice Claire's jacket! They let the kids try on some of the circus clothes!

Mommy and Claire's first time to the circus! We LOVED it!

My two Clowns!

Completely worn out from our fun weekend!

Week 12

2008-07-26T15:49:00.001-05:00

Jennifer, Jill and the kids!

Claire and her cousin, the donkey!

Mamaw, Pop, Marshall, Claire and Audrey at the zoo!

We spent week 12 (last week of the first trimester, yea!!!) at Aunt Jenn and Aunt Gregg's house in Amarillo. Claire calls her Uncle Gregg, Aunt Gregg and we think it is cute so we don't correct her! We had lots of fun with Jenn, Gregg, Marshall, Audrey, Mamaw and Pop! We went shopping, eating out and we took a trip to the best free zoo in the world.

All in all, I am feeling pretty good. The day trip to the zoo had me a little tired, but I bounced back. According to my weekly update on the babies, they are the size of limes now. I can't wait until August 14th. We will have another sonogram on that date and hopefully we will know what are babies will be: boys, girls, or a boy and a girl!

We have started thinking about the twins room. Junior is thinking about building some shelves in the closet. Things like, where are 2 cribs going to fit in this little room, have started consuming my mind. I know we will figure it all out soon. If anyone has any helpful hints, send them our way!

Happy 12th week babies!

week 11

2008-07-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

Week 11! I know, I already look 6 months pregnant!

We went to the dr. Thursday for our 11 week check up! I was a bit nervous, but there was no need to be. I had a sonogram done and the tech said that the babies both looked absolutely perfect. They are the same size (which is not normal, but very good news). This means they are already sharing politely with each other! We teach our kids very young to share!!! Baby A was moving around just a little, but baby B was really making waves! From the looks of the sono., the tech said they look to be fraternal, but there is really no way of telling until they are born. Of course, if it is one boy and one girl, we know for sure they are fraternal.
All in all, things couldn't be better. We are so thankful for everyone who has prayed for us during these last few weeks! We love you all and can't wait for you to meet our twins!

Beach Bums

2008-07-17T05:42:00.000-05:00

Claire and all her cousins! (very hard picture to take!)

Claire and her Dad at Murdochs! One of our favorite beach stores! (yes, that is a wheel chair Daddy is sitting in!)

Beach Bum!

Claire at the "seaside"

Well the Gonzales family headed to the beaches of Galveston, Texas last week. It was a vacation we will not forget! We had a great time with our family, but Junior did not have such a great time hobbling around the beach with a cast on his leg! (You can only imagine)
Claire is a true beach bum. As soon as we drove up to the Seawall, Claire says, "Oh Mommy look! It's the seaside!" Too cute!
We were slated to stay in Galvestion until Sat., but Junior's leg had a different plan for us. After "trying" to go swimming with his "leg rubber", it was time to just call it quits! Junior got his cast a little wet and really that was a blessing in disguised. He was worried about the cast sticking to his leg and it had become, what he described as, walking on razor blades! OUCH! Sooooo, after a lot of soul searching, Junior headed to Urgent Care. They took his cast off and his incision looked to be infected. Well, that was it! We headed home, but not before we had a little more beach time.

Week 10

2008-07-11T16:45:00.001-05:00

Week 10! (sorry a little late, the beach got in our way this week!!!!)

See the big picture How your baby's growing:
Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

Something else new going on this week is that I am being monitor with a halter monitor. I had it put on today. Basically this is going to monitor my heart for the next 72 hours. I have been having these weird heart flutters for about 2 weeks now and they are really starting to bug me! Hopefully after Sunday we will know what is up with my heart. It could be a number of things including anxiety. I will keep everyone posted!

BTW, pray for Junior and Claire. I can't shower until Monday so they are going to have to put up with a dirty, stinky momma for a few days! EEEWWWWWWW!!!

Happy 10 weeks babies!

Claire's 4th of July

2008-07-11T12:24:00.000-05:00

Who's ready for fireworks?? Claire is! Claire is!

Daddy and Claire

BUBBLES!!!

Claire and Mimi getting the bubbles ready!

Claire and her green thumb!

We spent the day with Mimi and Papa in Allen. Claire had a great time hanging out with Mimi and digging in Papa's flower beds. After a wonderful dinner of chicken kabobs, we headed to Frisco for the big fireworks show at Pizza Hut Park. I didn't really know how Claire would react to the fireworks. As it turned out, she absolutely LOVED them. We got to the park around 7:30 and the show didn't start until 9:30. Needless to say, we had some time to kill. Thank goodness for bubbles! Claire was so funny! At one point she was running around chasing the bubbles and said, "BUBBLES, I like you!" Junior and I nearly fell out of our chairs laughing! Finally the fireworks began. We couldn't have had better seats! It was like the fireworks were right over our heads. Claire sat very contently in my lap and watched the whole show. Once we got in the car she said, "Those fireworks were so fun!"
Gotta love the 4th!

9 Weeks

2008-07-01T14:35:00.000-05:00

Here is what is going on this week in a 9 week old fetus (this is not for twins, as I can't find exact descriptions for twins this early), so this will have to do for now.

How your baby's growing:
Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain.

We have moved from sesame seed, to lentil, to blueberry, to kidney bean, and now the grape! I love the way this site relates everything to food! Now that I am regaining my appetite food finally sounds ok! At first I just wanted to eat watermelon all the time. I still don't want any Mexican food, which is not normal for me at all!

Happy 9 weeks babies!

Big Girl Bed

2008-06-30T08:30:00.000-05:00

Well I guess Claire is truly a "big girl". Claire's Mimi, Junior's mom, was so generous to purchase Claire a whole new bedroom suite yesterday! Claire will have a white twin sized sleigh bed, chest with mirror, and a nightstand on Thursday. I am not sure she comprehends what is about to happen to her sleeping arrangement (she slept with us last night and she rarely sleeps with us!) I know she will love her new bed and furniture. It is absolutely adorable and I can't wait to see her sound asleep in her new room!

Welcome to Doublestuff

2008-06-26T19:14:00.000-05:00

Hello all! I decided that I would venture into the world of blogging. Since we have a monumental event happening in our lives, I thought it was only fitting.

For all of you that haven't heard, we are having twins!!! Yes, I said twins. Junior, Claire and I went to the doctor last Thursday June, 19th. We were just going in to confirm our second pregnancy. After waiting in the waiting room for 3 hours, I did say THREE hours, it was finally our turn. Claire was so patient and we were all very excited to see our new little blueberry! When the doctor finally made it into our sono. room I was so ready to just be done and go home. I hadn't been feeling great that day and now I know why! As soon as she turned on the sono. machine she looked at Junior and then at me and said, " I am glad you are both sitting down, there are 2 blueberries!" I started bawling as Junior was shouting, SHUT UP, STOP LYING, YOUR JOKING. This was no joke! We saw 2 little babies and 2 little heartbeats.

We are still in shock and trying to wrap our brains around having 3 kids under the age of 3, 3 kids in college, 3 kids driving, etc. etc. The list goes on. Anyway, we are now at 8 weeks and 2 days. My due date in New Year's Eve. There will be a big party happening every year at our house!

Please keep all 5 of us in your prayers!