Father's Day, Baby Presentation, and this time last year...

Hello to all! As usual I feel super behind in blogging world! Seems impossible to find the time to sit down and type out a blog! One of these days I will have it all together...or maybe not! Ha! Life in the Schoen casa has been great! We are enjoying being out for the summer and loving all of the sweet time we get to enjoy as a family! We have also been super busy with visitors, road trips, and me working on my principal internship. I have to accumulate 160 hours of principal work which is kinda crazy to get while taking care of two 3 month olds! I am doing my internship at Grape Creek so I have to drive out everyday during summer school for a few hours and then hurry back to feed babies! It has been crazy and I will be happy when it is all said and done! It's one of those things that I committed to do so I might as well just suck it up and do it!

Go Bulldogs!
Since it's been awhile since I last blogged, things have changed a little bit in our household! I am not the only one with a new job for next year! Derek accepted a job at Miles for next school year and will be the head girls basketball coach and head cross country coach. We are THRILLED about this new opportunity and know that God opened this door wide open for our family! The drive will be about the same as it was to GC everyday, so thankfully we are staying in our house! We have been praying and praying about this situation for a long time and feel completely blessed to be starting the next chapter at Miles. We also feel very blessed to have been a part of Grape Creek for the past seven years and are glad to be leaving on good terms. We have been blessed to teach and coach some truly great kids over the past seven years and have made lasting friendships at the Creek. God is good!

Father's Day
This past weekend, Derek got to experience his first Father's day! What a blessing it was to FINALLY get to give Derek a Father's day present! I have wanted to give Derek children since the day we said "I do" and I am so thankful God allowed that to happen this year! The twins and I got Derek a new red shirt for him to coach in at Miles and a bible with his name on it! Inside, we wrote scriptures that talked specifically about fathers and husbands to help encourage him as he strives to be the head of our household! We couldn't ask for a better man for the job!

Go Bulldogs!

Tucker is a little bored 

Doesn't get much hotter than that!

My sassy girl and her bow!

Sweet daddy time!

Baby Presentation
Derek got to experience a double blessing on Father's Day because we also got to present the babies at church that day! I cannot tell you how long I have dreamed and hoped for the opportunity to present babies in front of the church! I would picture us standing up there and our sweet names on the projector and just pray that God would fulfill our desires! Of course I was emotional during the entire service because I am just SO THANKFUL that God has blessed us so much. I still am just in AWE of our sweet babies! I LOVE them SOOOOO much!!! The presentation went amazing...Tucker was a little bit fussy because they woke up earlier than usual, but it wasn't too bad. The presentation was even more special because we got to have our Grumpy pray over the twins as their elder! So precious! Our cup continues to runneth over!

Is the bow too much???

Dressed up and ready for church!

We've waited so long to see those names up there!

Our happy family!

Receiving their bibles

Grumpy was juggling!

Such a happy day!

Tucker and Adelyn
In case you were wondering, the babies have been doing great!!! They are extremely happy babies and for the most part, really easy! They are sleeping great during the night and even slept from 9:00-7:00 straight last night! They usually nap two long naps during the day and may take a couple of cat-naps too! They are still breast-feeding well and are continuing to grow! Tucker rolled from his tummy to his back on June 8th and has done it a couple more times since then. Adelyn rolled from her tummy to back on June 15th twice, but hasn't done it again since. They already seem a little competitive because Ady works SO HARD to roll over and doesn't want any help doing it...ha!

Whatchu looking at???

You talking to me???

The twins have gone to bible class twice and LOVED it! Tucker watches every thing the teacher does and Adelyn likes to watch Tucker...haha! Most of the time they are both really well natured but Ady has come out with a little temper lately...especially if she is hungry! I think she has a little of her mama in her! Tucker is still attached to mama, but is doing better with letting others hold him. He still gets upset sometimes where only mama can calm him down, but that is getting few and far between. Both babies love their daddy as well and are enjoying all of this time that he is home!

What is that on my head???

We LOVE bible class!

This past week, Jordan and Jaxson have been in town and we have spent a LOT of time with our cousins! Both Jordan and Jax LOVE the twins! Jaxson is especially into every single thing about them! They love being helpers and bringing the babies their bottles, paci's, elephants, and blankies! Both of them love holding the twins and helping feed them! The cousin love is too cute!!!



One year ago...
I continue to wake up each morning and wonder how in the world I could ever be this blessed! We have the two sweetest twins in the whole world who brighten each and every day! It is so hard to imagine life without these two and the joy they have brought to our lives!

OUR JOY!

Since summer began, I keep remembering where we were a year ago at this time. How different our lives were! This Saturday marks exactly one year since we began the in-vitro process! I can VIVIDLY remember each detail about this week last year! I can remember the fear I felt inside, worrying that it wouldn't work or worrying about the pain that we might go through. I remember the tears I would cry each night, scared to go into the unknown of IVF. I remember the LOVE I felt from the elders and family and friends who prayed over us before we left for San Antonio. I remember the nervousness of our first doctor's appointment, the scariness of my first injection, and the sense of achievement I felt after every shot, blood draw, and ultra-sound.

What a roller-coaster of emotions last summer was! And how AWESOME is our GOD!!! To think He could create such BEAUTIFUL LIFE out of our brokeness and bring us so far out of our despair! His plans are SO MUCH bigger than anything we could ever hope or imagine! I look at Tucker and Adelyn's sweet faces and just cry out my thanksgiving to God! Thank you God for not answering my prayers immediately during those six years!!! Thank you God for waiting and doing things your way! Thank you God for healing my heart and taking your time to create our precious babies! You alone are faithful and trustworthy and you are WORTHY of our praise! I am still amazed that people can ever deny the existence of God once they have experienced the amazing miracle of pregnancy and childbirth. Only God can create something so wonderful!

Praying on this day last year

Medications

First Shots!

Sitting in the doctor's office

The beginning of our journey!

We hope that everyone is having a great summer! We are enjoying every minute of ours, especially loving our family time! The babies have a check up on July 9th to see how they are doing and to get their 4 month shots...boo! I will try and keep posting as often as I can...which I hope will be more! Love to all!

School's out...forever???

Hello to all and happy June! Can't believe this school year is OVER and it is officially sweet summertime! We have had a CRAZY wonderful year and are enjoying every minute of it! We are super happy that school is over and that we get to spend LOTS more family time at home with these sweet babies! 

For those who are wondering...I made it through the last two weeks of school! It was CRAZY hard to leave those babies, but I also knew that it was just for two weeks which made it a lot better. Being a working mom is HARD work and I admire all of those women out there who have ever tried to get themselves, their husbands, and their babies ready and to the baby-sitter before 7:00!!! What an adventure! It was actually nice to go back for a little bit because my students were SO happy to see me...which is a nice feeling! But at the end of the day...I missed my babies! I went home everyday at lunch for some quick snuggles and kisses and then rushed back to school. I probably put more miles on my car these past two weeks then the previous 11 weeks at home...ha!

Which brings me to the next announcement...I have officially resigned as a teacher at Lake View to pursue another career...being a MOMMY! I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to stay home with my sweet babies for as long as possible! After waiting 7 years for these guys I could not imagine having to leave them everyday! It is going to be hard...we are going to have to sacrifice some things we are used to...but in the end we both feel that it is what is best for our family! I am planning on doing some tutoring for SAISD next year part-time, which will help with the income and allow me to stay connected to education. But my number one job will be staying at home which is AWESOME!

Best job EVER!

Other than that, things are good! I have a few things to tie up with ASU this summer including my Practicum to get principal certified and a Comprehensive Program Review to receive my diploma. My super-helpful advisor allowed me to hold these off to the summer since the twins came in March which was a huge blessing. I'm not excited to have to spend hours away from the twins, but I want to get everything completed so that one day when I go back to work I will have some other options than just teaching. God is good and I know the time will pass quickly!

In other news...the twins are WONDERFUL!!! Seriously could not ask for better babies! They are the two sweetest things in the whole world and they light up our lives everyday! They are getting so fun...smiling and starting to laugh! Both are getting stronger and we are working on sitting in our bumbo chairs! They are both still nursing and eating well and are out-growing clothes! Tucker is even stretching out his 3-month onesies in length which is awesome! Both babies nap well and have been sleeping GREAT at night! Our night-time routine involves bath-time, bible stories, nursing, and then a quick (5 min or less) rocking and they go right to sleep! They are still waking up once during the night but only for a quick nursing and then go straight back down. They sleep 10 hours (getting up once) from whenever they go to sleep which is WONDERFUL! In the morning they are full of smiles and laughter and love playing and cuddling! We are so blessed by their sweet spirits and love the JOY they have brought to our home! Our hearts are full! 

Hope everyone has a GREAT summer! Maybe I can find more time to blog now that school is out!

"Indeed, you are our glory and joy." 1 Thessalonians 2:20

We love play time!

Sister's little grin!

What you looking at???

Twin love!

Is the bow too much???

Morning time fun!

I'm a big boy now!

Why are you making me sit in this thing???

Smirkin!

Mommy made us match!!!

PS....I got a new MacBook for graduation and we upgraded internet so adding pictures is WAY easier! I just uploaded all of these pictures in under a minute which used to take me ALL day! YEA!

Two month update, graduation, and my first mother's day!

Hello to all! I just realized my last post was from the twins one month appointment and here I am a week behind on their two month update! I would apologize for the lack of blogging, but I am not at all sorry to be SO BUSY with these two that I haven't had time! I LOVE being a mom and am perfectly ok that I don't have time to sit down at the computer any more...haha! My days are full of feedings, changings, rocking, putting babies to sleep, playing, reading books, singing songs, and LOTS of LOVE! I have never felt more sure that I am doing exactly what God wants me to do...and that is being a MOM! I love it! I am super sad to have to return to work next week, but know that it is only for 2 short weeks and then I will be home for summer! I am hoping that these two weeks FLY by!

I wanted to give everyone an update on these two PRECIOUS babies that are occupying all of my time and energy! The past month has been great! The twins are growing and changing constantly, have outgrown all most of all their newborn clothes, are now wearing size 1 diapers, and are getting better and better at sleeping at night! We have had 2 nights this week where they have slept 6.5 straight hours!!! Mommy was SUPER excited about that! We took the babies on their first road-trip to Brownwood and they got their first round of shots at their 2 month check-up. We have seen their first smiles and love hearing their coos and babble each day. They recognize faces now, love to hold their heads up, love listening to Praise Baby music, and love taking baths!

We love our bouncers!

Our daily schedule now:
Wake up between 6:30-7:30 to eat
Play time until 10:00-10:30
Nap time until 4:00 (eat around 1, then right back to sleep)
Daddy comes home for more playtime around 4:00
Eat around 7:00
Bath and bedtime at 9:00
Eat somewhere around 3:00-4:00 am

Loving our bath time!

Not too bad! We have established this routine after several trial and errors...this is a combination of mommy scheduling mixed with twin scheduling. It is working well! Both babies are still breast-feeding exclusively (YEA!) and we have all gotten much better at feeding. The twins can feed at the same time now which cuts down tremendously on feeding time and they also drink pumped milk in bottles several times a day. This has worked best for us and both babies are growing well so we are keeping it up! I am so thankful that we have been able to continue breast-feeding and are not having to use formula! God is good!

Two Month Check-Up
Last Wednesday was the twins' two month check-up. I was dreading the appointment because I knew they would get their first shots, but excited to see how much my two had grown! We were hoping for good numbers! Our doctor said both babies looked great and healthy, which we are so thankful for!
Tucker weighed a whopping 9 lbs 15 oz (15th percentile) and was 22.5 inches long (33rd percentile). Adelyn weighed 9 lbs 8 oz (19th percentile) and was 22.25 inches long (44th percentile). So needless to say, our tiny little Tucker boy who caught up to his sister at the one month check-up has now surpassed her in weight and length at two months! He loves to eat and is a growing boy! Both babies are skinny for their heights (5th and 3rd percentiles) but are growing steadily so our doctor was pleased!

Now onto shots...this was the part I was dreading! And of course my sensitive little Tucker must have picked up on my nervousness because he had a rough morning before the appointment, not eating well and running 100 temperature before we even went! I will say that the shots were not NEAR as bad as what I envisioned. Tucker cried longer afterwards and Adelyn cried louder during the shot, but both calmed down fairly quickly. Daddy held the babies while they got the shots and I was the consoler afterwards. Thankfully Derek took the day off to help me at home in case they felt bad. Both babies slept a lot the day of the shots and ran low fevers all day and night. I had a long night of rocking babies, giving tylenol, and feeding but we made it through. On Thursday, Karla and Mom came over to help me out which was AWESOME! The babies were still running low fever and both wanted Mama all day. By Thursday evening, most of the fever was gone and the babies seemed to feel much better. We all survived and at least I know what to expect for next time!

Graduation
This past weekend was SUPER busy! Besides being mother's day, I also got to graduate with my MASTER'S degree in Curriculum and Instruction! It was SO exciting to finally be done with this degree which I started 2 and a half years ago! Graduation was easier said then done because it was a lot of work to get me and both babies ready for the event! Derek also had to take care of the twins, parking, taking pictures, feeding, etc. because I was basically stuck at the graduation! It all worked out and I am so proud that my babies got to see their mama accomplish this goal. Afterwards, we had a hamburger cook-out at my parents which was a lot of fun and then spent the day playing with Uncle Grant, Aunt Hillary, Jordan, and Jaxson. We had a nice evening sitting around in the backyard watching the kids play, Grant and Derek play, and holding the babies. Our evening was complete when Jaxson decided to run around the back-yard naked for about 30 minutes...too funny! I love that goofy kid!

Bubba was SUPER happy to have Mama back!

Jaxson's hand on Tucker's head is hilarious!

My First Mother's Day
I am probably going to cry writing this...but I got to experience my FIRST Mother's day this year! Praise God for His goodness and faithfulness! I have kept this verse close to my heart during this whole journey and this year I got to see God's promise come true...

"He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children" Psalms 113:9

Our God is SO good!

I knew throughout this journey that God intended to make me a mother. I didn't know how it would happen or what all I would have to go through...but I always trusted that it would happen. What a faithful God we serve! Mother's Day was always a reminder that I was not yet a mom...that God hadn't come through...that my body was still broken. I always dreaded the day and hated being reminded of my brokeness. Looking back...I wish I had been better, wish I could have trusted God more, wish I could have celebrated all the wonderful mothers out there who have been influences on my life. I wish I had focused on the positive role models in my life and celebrated my own mother, instead of dwelling on my own pain. Thank God for the gift of forgiveness, because I have had to ask for it several times for my selfish behavior!

Thankfully, our God chose to make this year be the year that I got to see His promise unfold. I got to wake up on Mother's Day to the two most beautiful babies I have ever seen who were waiting for me with a sweet wrapped present in between them. The twins got me a boy and girl dangle charm for my Pandora bracelet which I proudly wore to church. Church was even more fun, as the twins were very active in needing mama during the service. I was out of church more than I was in calming Tucker, feeding both babies, changing diapers, etc. I wouldn't have it any other way! How fitting it was to be needed as a mother on this special day! Daddy even gave me a gift that day by letting me take a nice long nap by myself in our room...amazing! All in all, it was a super sweet, precious day. God is good!

Opening my first present from the twins!

These past 10 weeks...
have definitely been the best of my life! I still have to pinch myself sometimes to believe that I really have these two precious babies. My heart is completely over-joyed at becoming a mother and I love all the wonderful things that come with it! My two blessings are extremely sweet!

Adelyn is still Miss Personality keeping us entertained with her funny noises and coos. She is very easy going and will go to just about anyone. She can sleep anywhere, loves to be held, and is a party animal at night. I catch her talking to her bumper pads on the monitor all the time. She is also a scooter and will scoot her way off the pallet when she is ready to wake up! She gives funny one eyed smirks and has amazing full smiles. She takes her time eating and would nurse all day long if I let her...ha! She can still wear newborn clothes, but is slowly out-growing them. All in all, she is the sweetest little thing ever! We are pretty sure her hair is going to be some shade of red, although right now it is mostly bald...haha!

Tucker Boy is still very attached to his mama! He is my sweet, sensitive boy and does not like change! He is super alert and aware any time we are in a new surrounding or someone new is holding him. He tracks mama around the room and is particular about who he takes his bottles from! He is also SUPER snuggly and sweet and is my good eater! He would probably sleep through the night if sister wasn't waking up...and usually doesn't even open his eyes when we feed at night. He gives huge full mouth smiles and smiled at Ady this week which was super cute. Tucker boy is strong and loves to hold his head up already and will straighten his legs to standing if you hold him. He is starting to reach for toys and bat at them when he can. He talks and coos a little bit...when sister lets him get a word in!

As for me, I LOVE being mama to these two! Month two was definitely easier than month one...haha! My days just keep getting better and better and Derek and I are extremely thankful and grateful for our blessings. We are so glad that we serve a God that is so much bigger than our own weaknesses and has such better plans for our lives!

Prayers
We ask that you continue to lift these sweet babies up in prayer with us as we work to raise them the best that we can. We are constantly praying for safety and health for these two, that God will help mold us as parents, and that we raise these children to know and love God daily. We covet your prayers daily and ask for help in raising these children. We know that God has surrounded us with godly parents, friends, and family that will love and support our children throughout their lives!

Also, please pray for me next week as I return to work. I am going to be one sad mama! I know that the babies will be in good hands (Grammy and Derek) but that will not stop me from missing them! I am praying that the days go quickly and that I will soon be home with my sweet babies!

Hope you enjoy the pictures...it is CRAZY hard to get good pictures of both of them, but we try! Hope I can update soon, but if not know that it is because I am loving on these miracle babies! Love to all!

"The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus." 1 Timothy 1:14