Busy busy busy...

I have been trying to get on here and post since my church shower last weekend and it has just NOT happened! Life has been super busy lately and I have been super TIRED! We had a wonderful church shower last Sunday and an awesome couples shower this past weekend that I will be blogging about soon...well as soon as I can figure out how to get pictures off of my new camera...haha! Hopefully that means this week. Derek has his last basketball game tomorrow night and that is the LAST thing we have scheduled between now and baby time. Everything on the calendar is now clear and we are trying to get the nursery ready, bags packed, gifts put away, clothes washed, and everything else to prepare for these little bundles of joy...SO EXCITED!!!

Goodies from the church shower

Somehow Derek and Dad got this all in my car!?!?!?!

My 2 assistants in present opening! They were also planning to move in once the twins are here...ha!

So how have things been going? Surprisingly well! The first 2 weeks back to school after Christmas were ROUGH!!! My body was hurting, Adelyn was laying super low, and walking was a PAIN! But the past two weeks have been GREAT! Even with a little allergy and congestion issues from the weather changing, I have felt really good physically. We had a doctor's appointment last Wednesday and Dr. Sutliff said everything was looking good. I am already measuring 40 weeks...haha...but am showing NO signs of pre-term labor, not dilated at all. He didn't even give me any restrictions...I can keep working and walking and all of that good stuff for now. Blood pressure is doing good and I have very minimal swelling...PRAISE GOD! I am so thankful for a good report because I want to try and make it as LONG as possible to let these babies grow nice and big before they make their debut! I also want to keep working up to delivery so that I can take my time off when the babies are actually here. My goal is to make it ALL the way to Spring Break which is about 5 more weeks...everyone thinks I'm crazy but I think I can do it! We want some nice, big, healthy, full-term babies!!!

31 Weeks

32 Weeks

Things all around are looking good. I have 3 assignments left in my LAST grad school class to finish so that I can GRADUATE in May. I am anxious to finish it all up before these babies come! Derek is also finishing up basketball and then will be on honey-do duty until our nursery is complete...haha! We were OVERWHELMING blessed at both showers and have been looking for storage space to put up all these goodies!!! I have given up my scrapbook closet...still haven't got Derek to give up his hunting closet yet...haha! Babies take up ROOM!!! And they aren't even here yet!!! And there is TWO of them...yikes!!! Sometimes it still has sunk in yet that we will be bringing home TWO BABIES very soon! We are so excited and also have NO IDEA what life is going to be like. God is SO SO SO good! Can't imagine how much we would have missed out on had we not allowed his plans to grow in our life. Why do we think our plans are better than his???

A little sneak peak of some nursery decorations!

Yes...Derek and I mod-podged ourselves!!!

Curtains by Mimi, bookshelf by Grumpy!

Even with the busy-ness of life lately, I have been reflecting on this journey quite a bit lately...probably the craziness of pregnancy sinking in...haha! In some ways, it feels like this journey is coming to a close, yet the next chapter is going to be SO GOOD!!! This sounds crazy but the past year has been so incredible that it is sometimes hard to remember the 5 years of pain and struggle that we went through to get to this! A friend said on my last blog that I made pregnancy seem like "rainbows and unicorns" which made me laugh. Those around me know that this pregnancy has been more than a little challenging on me...especially physically. I have a whole new respect for ALL mothers who have gone through these changes...especially mothers of TWINS!!! But I try VERY hard not to complain about the hard times in pregnancy because I know there are still people out there that are struggling to conceive. I used to hate hearing people complain about the pains of pregnancy or getting up in the middle of the night with their babies because I would have given ANYTHING to change places with them. The truth is God can see you through ANY of these obstacles...the disappointment that comes with not being able to have a child, the heartbreak of miscarriage and losing a child,  the pain and discomfort that comes with the joy of pregnancy, and the trials of parenthood. I have learned during this period in my life that the ONLY way I can survive is by giving EVERYTHING totally to God and allowing Him to work in my life. He is the great physician, my comfort and my strength, the lifter of my head. Each day that is a struggle or that I am in pain, I thank Him for allowing me to go through this pain because it means that my babies are healthy and growing and that He is blessing us richly. Pregnancy is definitely not "rainbows and unicorns" but it is the most wonderful blessing that I have received. For this reason, I will keep praising my God!

Life as we know it is about to CHANGE!!! Derek and I have a mini-panic session about once a day about actually having these twins and bringing them home. Life will be so different yet so AMAZING!!! Please keep us in your prayers as we hit the home-stretch! We are praying specifically for:

1) Health and safety for our babies- every single day...all day...praying that they grow big and strong!

2) Praying that we will make it long enough for the babies to be big enough to come home after delivery...we are hoping to not have to spend any time in the NICU

3)That my body continues to handle this pregnancy and can continue working and being active until delivery time

4) That God will continue to work on our hearts and mold them into the heart of parents

5) That God will be glorified through this process, that His blessing of children in our lives will help testify of His greatness

6) For the nurses and doctors that will be working on me and the babies during delivery, that God's hands are over them throughout the process

7) Prayers of thanksgiving for all of our wonderful family, friends, and church family that have been with us through this journey and blessed us so richly each step. We could not be here without you!

Hopefully there will be some updates VERY soon with pictures and re-caps of the showers. We got a new camera for when the babies come and I don't know how to get the pictures off yet...haha! Also, we have a sonogram this Friday to check on baby sizes and weights and then will see the doctor again next Wednesday. We are ALMOST THERE!!! SO exciting! Love to you all!

One last get-away before the babies come! We had fun in Abilene eating, shopping, and swimming!

"But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high." Psalms 3:3