Yes, that’s right, we’re having twins! It seems to be the most talked about topic around our kitchen these days.  Enjoy the home pics as I share the top 10 questions we have been asked ;).

1. How far along are you & when is your due date?
This week we hit 23 weeks.  Yes, I know, it looks like I could deliver any day now…but we’re merely half way.  Officially due the 1st week of March.  (Thank goodness for the Holidays!  Best time to be pregnant in my book!)

2. Do you know if they are boys & girls, & are they identical?

This was our biggest surprise, I thought for sure they would be a boy & girl or maybe 2 girls, but there they are: two boys, fraternal (so no, they probably won’t look alike), in their own respected sac & eating from their own placenta (no wonder I’m so big, lol!), we couldn’t be happier!

3. Are the kiddos excited?
They sure are.  The dancer was a little sad after we told them (she’s been fervently praying for a sister for about 3 years), but after lots of love & consoling, the next morning, she announced that she simply loves babies & it will be ok. 😉

4. Where will you put them, do you need to add on to your new home already?
We’ll be cozy & just right ;).  Our home has 4 bedrooms.  The twins will be with us for a while, & when the time comes we’ll have a bunk room waiting for all 4 boys.  I had the framers leave out a wall between two of the rooms, (not knowing of course), but it will be perfect for our 4 boys.  The dancer will move into the guest room, soon, we think.  And can always bunk with us or the boys when guests come.

5. Did you have any idea there are more than one?
This pregnancy has been so different from the very first few weeks.  While pregnant with our 1st 3 kiddos I was sick, had way too many food allergies, & struggled with other health issues as well.  After the explorer was born we decided it was imperative that I healed before getting pregnant again.  Over a couple years I found great help & healing & we felt confident & began trying.  6 miscarriages & 3 years later, here we are. 😉  Timing is so important, we’ve learned.   I was feeling so healthy & thought this would be my easiest pregnancy yet…couldn’t be further from the truth, lol!  And yet, I’m filled with gratitude as truly, this is the best chance I can give these sweet boys. So I’ve been sick times 2 & uncomfortable from the get-go with breathing & circulation challenges I’d not faced before.  In quiet moments I kept telling the designer things were different, that there might be more than one, but he would laugh & sweetly remind me that I am getting older & may have forgotten what it feels like.  😉  We’ve made adjustments & now that we know it is different for a reason, are embarking this untraveled adventure openly.

6. Why didn’t you find out before 20 weeks?
We were holding out on the ultrasound.  The last time I had one they told us the baby was no longer thriving.  And we thought it would be fun to wait to discover the gender till birth.  Had I known the great difference between carrying multiples before, I definitely would have gotten one sooner.  At 16 weeks I was measuring 2 weeks ahead which I’ve never done but is not out of the ordinary.   My midwives checked for two heartbeats with separate dopplers but they couldn’t hear more than one heartbeat.   I was told it was a possibility, but to not “fixate” on the idea of twins…that we’d know more at the next appointment.   So I tried my best to let the crazy thoughts go for a few days…then I’d feel kicking on both sides of my belly at the same time.  It was a viscous cycle of feeling crazy & “not fixating” for a month. 😉  Then my 20 week appointment came…this time I measured 4 weeks ahead & was displaying other signs of multiples.   Again, the dopplers failed to capture more than one heartbeat.   My midwife calmly gave me a book on twins (just in case) & asked me to get an ultrasound – that day if possible ;).

7. Do twins run in your family?
When feeling so different & crazy I found solace in researching all about twins.   The more I learned, the more I realized it was a possibility.   I’d always heard that twins are determined by the father.   This can be  true for identical twins.  But with fraternal twins it has everything to do with the mother:  it so happens that my mother’s only sibling, (my aunt Buffie) has fraternal boy girl twins (TJ & Sara) & my dad’s cousins, (sisters Gretchie luv & Ali) each have a set of fraternal girls.   So yes, I guess they do run in the family ;).  Though we like to simply call them blessings. 🙂

8. Will you be having these babies at home also?
Yes, midwives have great success with healthy twins. We’ve loved our birth experiences & look forward to another quiet welcome for these sweet boys.

9. What if something goes wrong?

By all means, as we planned with our previous births, we’ll happily head to the hospital if there are any complications.  After all, that’s what hospitals & doctors are there for right?! 🙂

10. How do you feel about having twins?
From the moment the technician placed his probe on my belly, the designer & I could see 2 heads…we held our breath until the technician confirmed what our eyes were telling us.   I burst out laughing in relief & joy.  The designer was in utter shock.  The shock has had it’s time to sink in & we couldn’t be more happy.   He was mostly worried about names.  We have a boy & girl name picked out, but usually never more than one.   On the way home that night we solidified middle names for each & I saw him breathe a sigh of relief.   It will be a lot of work for a while, but we are so excited!

Please leave your experience, best advice, & questions in the comments below.  Now that I’m done puking all day (& sometimes night) & no longer worried about miscarriage, I’ll be writing regularly, documenting our wild adventure! xo – katrina