Inside and Outside

Here we are! Me and my boys at 22 weeks. We had an ultrasound on Monday and there was another verification that we have identical boys. :) They are in the same position that they were the last time, except since they're bigger they are now able to really kick each other. Most every picture we got has the head of one and the feet of the other. Baby Boy B is still shy and won't let us get a good look...though if they're truly identical it won't matter because he'll look just like his brother. These pictures have both of them in the same pose - hands up to defend themselves from one another!

Nature vs. Nurture

When I was a kid, we had a family dog. My mother decided one day to just 'trim' her hair a little. Well, a little trimming led to a little more and before we knew it the dog was, well, not quite what she was before. My sister and I laughed at her when we saw the result, and for a while the dog wouldn't even be seen outside...she'd just go out and hide in the bushes!

What does this have to do with me? Our very own Chloe got a haircut on Friday. When we brought her home, I decided that they didn't cut her tail or ears short enough. I'm no dog groomer, but I was pretty sure that I could just 'trim' a little. I finished with her tail and just laughed and laughed. I had cut it too short, and now it just sticks up like a poof-ball when it's curled up over her back (the natural position). Patrice - please don't hold this against us....I promise not to use the scissors on George!

So though I'm adopted, I've inherited my mother's ability to trim doggies' hair. Chalk it up as one case for "Nurture."

Before: The Scruffy dog naps on the floor...note the length of her tail all fanned out.

After the groomer: Note that her tail is laying down, making a nice arc to the floor.

After I tried to fix it: See how her tail just sticks up...and her ears aren't so even anymore. And no, she isn't trying to hide from me in the corner... :)

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

It's official! We had our 18 week ultrasound and found that we're having identical twin BOYS! We're so excited! The babies are doing great - growing like they should be, and now I'm starting to feel them moving around. I have to admit that I'm a little apprehensive about raising boys, but people keep telling me that boys are easier to raise than girls. We bought Dr. Dobson's book on raising boys to help us get in the mindset. It's supposed to be helpful, but the first chapter just scared me. :) This could be a real challenge...

Today I tried listening to their heartbeats with the doppler at work, but they were too active and I only got to hear them briefly. I have a feeling this is just a peek into what my life is going to look like, and it won't be the last time I'll be searching for them. I guess I should enjoy this time...knowing exactly where they are!

Here are some pics of me and my boys:

This is a side view of me and my ever growing tummy (at 19 weeks). I think it expands every day. One friend at work said she could see the difference after just three days!

My amazing disappearing toes!

Our first 3-D pictures of the boys. Baby A on the left is giving us a profile shot with a leg up, and Baby B has his back to us with a profile shot facing right.

This is the best picture we have yet - Baby A! He was being very cooperative and giving us good pictures. The ultrasound tech kept saying that his brother was being lazy and stubborn (he was asleep and definitely didn't care that we wanted a better picture). :)

I can't believe that we get to have more of these "inside looks" at our babies. We'll have an ultrasound every 4 weeks from here on out. This time we saw so many things - parts of the hearts, kidneys, nasal bones, major vessels and so much more. They really are "fearfully and wonderfully made!"