Baby Shower #3

Some of the boys celebrating a little early!
32 weeks and 1 day
Me and my hubby!

Kim (below) and Ericka (above) planned the shower. Lots of food, lots of drinks, and lots of fun!

Been a long time...

I know it has been quite a while since I last posted...I have been waiting on pictures! Isn't that why you all look at this blog anyway?? Like my brother-in-law said, "Jen is getting huge!" Thanks, Zach :) At least you are honest. That should sum up what you will see with the pictures I will post from last Saturday's shower. In the meantime, here is a quick update on my last couple doctor's appointments. Everything is looking good! The stitch is doing it's job, and my contractions have been under control. I only have one more appointment with the high risk specialist on July 28th, and that is the last time I will see him! They will do one final ultrasound that day, and if everything looks good with the girls, they will take me off all my medication. Yeah!! I won't be sad at all to not have to carry my friend (the Turbutaline pump) around with me anymore. My OBGYN will finish up the job from there. I will be 33 weeks this Friday. The doctors have told me after 34 weeks they will not try to stop me from going into labor.

I think it is really starting to sink in for both Chris and I that we will soon have two baby girls to look after. Chris has been busy putting together all of the fun gifts we received last weekend at our shower. He was pushing our double stroller around the living room Sunday to "make sure it worked." Also, the nursery is almost finished!

We have been overwhelmed with the generosity of our friends and family with all of the help and support they have provided through this whole pregnancy-- from cleaning our house, to cooking, to babysitting the dog, to keeping me company while on bed rest, to throwing baby showers, and everything else we never thought we would have to rely on others for. We are so lucky!

30 weeks

The girls are growing!! Two weeks ago Lena weighed 2lbs, 15ozs, and Madeline weighed 3lbs, 4 ozs. Today Lena was 3lbs, 9ozs and Madeline was 3lbs, 14ozs. It is unbelievable how quickly they are maturing! Not completely unbelievable...the ligaments in my stomach have been incredibly sore. I guess that goes with having two rapidly growing children in your belly.

It has been an exciting week (for someone on bed rest). Grandma Smart and Grandma Parmentar were here this last week to visit and help out around the house. Both of them asked me not to have the babies within the next two weeks. G Smart is traveling in Europe, and G Parmentar is in northern Michigan. I told them I would do the best I could :)

Max- our black lab- came home from Grandma and Grandpa Parmentar's house where he has been living since I was put on bed rest. It is good to have him home, and he is behaving well since he has been back (other than trying to play with the cats who want absolutely nothing to do with him).

Between dad and Grandma Smart, the nursery is almost ready to have furniture moved into it. I will post pictures as soon as it is done. It is looking really cute! We already have plenty of clothes to move into the closet after the showers the grandma's each hosted! I posted some pics from the Parmentar shower of Chris with his grandparents. There is one from my birthday, too...with ice cream cake!

29 weeks

Once again, the girls are trying to make an early entrance into the world. I went to my doctor's appointment on Monday to have an ultrasound, but ended up finding out I was having contractions again. We were checked into the high risk unit and started on a different type of medication. The doctor also gave me steroid shots just in case I go into early labor. They help to develop the babies' lungs. Hopefully today will be my last day here...the food isn't too good (although it is not keeping me from gaining weight)! Things seem to have settled down, so I will go back home and start the same medication I was using there before.

On a very positive note this week, dad was promoted at work!! He works so hard...we are so proud of him! He has also had a long week- between work and the hospital and runs to Dairy Queen, he will need to relax this weekend. :)

27 weeks

Getting closer! At 27 weeks, I am measuring at 37 weeks for one baby. I am starting to wonder just exactly how much my skin can stretch. It has been a good week- no extra medicine and no changes in my daily doses. The girls have been behaving. :)

On Saturday, Grandma Smart and Aunt Stephanie threw a baby shower for us even though we couldn't make the trip to Illinois. They had lots of good food including a strawberry cake- pink inside for girls-, and they caught up with family friends and my friends from high school. What good sports! Grandma Parmentar has already been shopping for matching pink outfits. A great souvenir from her New York trip!