12 weeks and 1 day

We had our 1st ultrasound at the "regular" OB yesterday. It was definitely different not being known by name by every nurse. ha. The Dr. was very nice though and the tech took a lot of time with my ultrasound. She tried really hard to guess the sex, but it is just too early to tell. boo! They looked amazing!!!
Baby A's heart rate was 154
Baby B's heart rate was 168
They measured the exact same- 12 weeks and 1 day (which is what I am )
I added a short part of the video from the ultrasound- Baby B is moving around a lot in this one...they were so cute! I love them so much already~

He put in his thumb, and pulled out a....

...PLUM! The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. The twins fingers will soon begin to open and close, thier toes will curl, thier eye muscles will clench, and thier mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, the babies will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. Their intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into their abdominal cavity about now, and thier kidneys will begin excreting urine into thier bladder.Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in the babies brain, synapses are forming furiously. Their face looks unquestionably human: their eyes have moved from the sides to the front of thier head, and thier ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, the babies are just over 2 inches long and weighs half an ounce.

Here is a diagram of what the twins look like in the womb at 12 weeks...

Infertility Awareness Week

This week is National Infertility Awareness week. I want to stop and take a moment to acknowledge all of the women that are struggling with infertility and/or loss. I do not ever want to get so wrapped up in this pregnancy that I forget what it took to get us here. It wasn't one night of passion, let me tell you that. Literal blood, sweat and tears went into this process. It is a process that will always be a part of me. It will always be a part of my soul. I will always feel a kindred spirit between me and other ladies that are suffering. Honestly, I still feel infertile. I get in in comments like, "Did you have twins naturally?" "Do they run in your family?" to which I answer simply, "Yes, my grandfather was a twin." It is none of their business how I am having twins...the only thing that matters is that God has blessed us with twins...however they got here! A comment really made my pregnancy feel less important the other day.... "Well, a friend of mine has twins on the way, I am not sure if it was IVF or the real way." Do people think that every twin pregnancy is an IVF pregnancy, and are my babies not REAL??? They most certainly ARE real! They were put here by God. They are little gifts from God that to me.... one night of passion could never encompass the love, devotion and sacrifice that it took to get them here. I will always be a part of the "infertile club"...it is a club that I would have NEVER joined on my own free will, but it is a club that I am now SO very proud to be member of. We understand the pain, the guilt, the solitude, and my prayer is that every woman that involuntarily joins this club learns the deep sense of gratitude for having been given the gift to join. I would have never truly sensed the beauty and awe of God's grace and the Faith that it takes to walk behind Him. There are so many things that I would have taken for granted without infertility...and for that, I am grateful.

put the lime in the coconut... (or should we say TWO limes in the coconut)

Slightly more than two inches long now and weighing about a third of an ounce,the twins are growing by leaps and bounds. And so are their heads, which is equal in length to the rest of the body. On the crown of that large head (and over the rest of the body), hair follicles are forming. Fingernail and toenail beds begin to develop this week and by next week, the nails themselves will start to grow. Your baby's body is straightening and his or her torso is lengthening. Other poses the babies can assume now: stretches, somersaults, and forward rolls. And while you can't tell this baby's gender by its cover yet, testes are developing if it's a boy and ovaries if it's a girl.

10 weeks

End of week 10

With bones and cartilage starting to form and vital organs beginning to function, baby is making major progress. Body length will almost double in the next three weeks, and arm joints are now working. (Soon, legs will start working too.)

They are nearly an inch and a half long and the size of a prune, but not nearly as shriveled (even with all the time it spends in water). In fact, the babies are really taking a human shape now. Bones and cartilage are forming, and small indentations on the legs are developing into knees and ankles. The arms (complete with elbows) can flex already. Though the baby's arms are taking shape and getting stronger, each one is only about the size of this number 1. The tooth bud fairy is making her appearance this week, heralding the arrival of the twins first little choppers, which are forming under the gums. Other systems are go, too. Their stomach is producing digestive juices, the kidneys are producing larger quantities of urine, and, if they are boys, or if one of them are a boy, he's already producing testosterone.

Ultrasound pictures will be posted tomorrow!

One Week- Wow

One week made a big difference....no pun intended...
8 weeks:

9 weeks:

Graduation of the Twins

Things seem to be falling in place for C and I. It seems that God works all at once sometimes. We were talking about things last night and were thanking God over and over for everything...but then stopped to remember that even when everything seemed to be going wrong, we were still thankful then. We knew that God had an ultimate plan and it is so nice going through life knowing that we can rest in that fact. Such an extreme sense of peace...because truth be known, it probably will not be long before we have another season in the valley, and in that season we will know that we can trust and rest in HIM! We just sold our home and are planning a trip to KY in a couple of weeks to look for new homes. we feel so blessed that God is making all of this work like clockwork! All praise to Him!

Just for my memory, here is what The Laney Twins are up to this week:

Sunrise, sunset: The babies are having thier first graduation already! Yes, it's true: At 9 weeks pregnant, the twins have left the embryonic stage and are entering the fetal period now (good-bye embryo, hello fetus). They are now about one inch long, the size of a medium green olive (but no martinis, please). The head has straightened out and is more fully developed, the ears are much more prominent, and some new organs (the liver, spleen, and gallbladder) are forming. They are also making spontaneous movements of their arms and legs now that minuscule muscles are beginning to develop, though I won't feel the tiny dancers for at least another two months.

Thier dancin!

8 weeks...

We got to go see the "doodles" today. I really am upset with how the pictures came out. I have decided that I like Sonar room B better than Sonar room C...the pictures are not clear in room B...and today I was in room B. I tried to lighten up the pictures...but the babies looked so much more life-life on the screen than on these pictures. They are really starting to look like babies. Baby B measured 8 weeks and 1 day (and I am 8 weeks and 1 day) and Baby A measured 8 weeks and 3 days....so Baby A is a little bigger than B. It has been bigger from the beginning. BabyA was (according to the tech) "sleeping" and when you nudged on it's sac, he/she would start moving around. Baby B, however, which is the smaller of the 2, was wiggling all around. It was looking straight at us, so we had a better view of head, body, arms and legs. You could only see Baby A's arms and legs when it would move around, it was curled up with it's legs in front of it. The tech said A is going to be our "laid back" baby and B will be the active baby.. Ha... I realize you can tell nothing of the sort at this point, but it is fun to guess...ha.

A picture of them both is getting harder and harder to capture because they are getting so much bigger. You are really only able to see the top of A's head here and B's head and body.

It was SO incredible to see them moving around. What a blessing. I told Cal when we left that I am just still in shock. I really don't think that I would have truly appreciated this 2 years ago as much as I do now. There were times when I wondered if we would raise a child that was our biological child. I would have been perfectly OK with that if that is what God wanted. I am just still in awe that we are really going to be able to raise 2 children that are part of Cal and I. What an incredible blessing.

2 little Raspberries!

The babies are now the size of a raspberry!
They are growing like mad, putting on about a millimeter every day and continuing to straighten out in the trunk. They are moving those little arms, legs, and (now only slightly) webbed fingers and toes like crazy.

At a length of about half an inch right now, the babies have graduated from blueberry-sized to raspberry-sized. They are growing in my womb about a millimeter each day, and are looking a lot less reptilian and more baby-like, as lips, nose and eyelids take shape.
What else is changing at 8 weeks pregnant? A close-up view of our little embryos (say cheese!) would reveal a more baby-like appearance (and thankfully, a less reptilian one). You'd see an upper lip forming, the protruding tip of that cute button nose, and tiny (and very thin) eyelids. And check out those hands and feet! The babies webbed fingers and toes are differentiating now. His or her hearts are beating at the incredible rate of 150 times per minute. (That's twice as fast as your heart beats.)

{I am copying this infomation from "The Bump" and "What to Expect"}

gummy bears!

7 weeks

The twins looks like little gummy bears with beating hearts today. It was such an amazing thing to see how much they grew in one week. You can truly see the fingerprints of God as we watch these little ones grow. It is breathtaking!

7 weeks

I am a full 7 weeks today, and I obviously have 2 little people inside of me that are about the size of a blueberry! :) Here is the info on "The 2 doodles" this week:
At 7 week pregnant, your baby's length is approximately a quarter of an inch — the size of a blueberry. Sounds pretty tiny still? Consider this for a little perspective: Your baby is 10,000 times bigger now than it was at conception a month ago. The biggest fetal growth this week is your baby's head (the better to store all those smarts in), with new brain cells being generated at the rate of 100 cells per minute. How's that for a budding genius? And talking about buds, your baby is going out on a limb this week as his or her arm and leg buds begin to sprout and grow longer (and stronger), dividing into hand, arm, and shoulder segments — and leg, knee, and foot segments (though the limb buds look more like paddles than hands or feet at this early stage).
Also forming this week are your baby's mouth and tongue. And although your embryo is just one month old, it's already gone through three sets of kidneys. The ones in place now are the permanent set and are poised to begin their important work of waste management. In about a week, your baby will start producing urine. Lucky for you, there's no need for diapers (yet). As your baby matures inside you, much of that urine will be excreted into the amniotic fluid, swallowed again by your baby, and then excreted again in a continuous cycle.

I just don't think I will ever tire of thanking HIM!

Manic Momma....

OK...so I am manic and paranoid. I woke up this morning and did my progesterone insertion, which is a plastic applicator with a twist-off tip. Where you twist off the tip sometimes leaves a jagged edge where you insert. So, long story short, I used the applicator, saw blood, called the doctor's office, went up and had an ultrasound, saw my 2 beautiful baby's hearts beating, and there was no more blood at all. Turns out, I CUT myself with the dang applicator and nearly gave myself a panic attack.

I do have to praise the Lord for letting me see another one of His overnight miracles today, though. I have a retroverted uterus (it faces by back)...and if the uterus doesn't flip in the correct position by the 13th week of pregnancy, there is a risk that I could lose the babies. Well, last night, my uterus flipped. It is in the correct position. Isn't God grand?!?

I am so glad that I was able to see that and also see those little flickering hearts beating right at the same time. Their little hearts are in sync with one another...it is crazy!

I can't believe that "the 2 Doodles" will look like this by the end of this week. So incredible!

HCG beta progression:

4 weeks: 151

5 weeks: 2,762

6 weeks: 33,210

They will not monitor my levels any longer. I just wanted to put them up here for my own memory's sake.

6 weeks, The Most Beautiful Thing...

C and I saw the most beautiful thing we have ever seen in our lives today. C and I were able to see both of the baby's beautiful, strong heartbeats! I started crying. I was in such a blur of emotions...but C said that I said, "I have been waiting my whole life to see that"! C had to run grab the tissues for me, of course. I cannot believe how much they grew in 6 days! You could actually see the little beans and see their little hearts beating. It was truly amazing! They both measured 5 weeks and 6 days...and I am 6 weeks today, so they were right on target...I couldn't believe that they measured the exact same size.

Baby B's sac is sort of behind Baby A...so you can tell that it looks like Baby B's sac is peeking around the side of Baby A's sac. Baby A (below)- the arrows are around the baby

Baby B (below)- at the bottom of the sac.

Baby B's sac is measuring just a tad smaller than Baby A's sac, but the babies are the exact same size. The nurse explained to me that with multiples, the sacs are pushed up against one another- so they will measure differently than a singleton's sac. She assured me that she is the nurse that is "brutally honest" with the patients and she looked at both of us and said that everything looked "textbook perfect" again! Their heartbeats were 110 beats per minutes, which a very strong heart beat! I am completely taken away by the mercy of our God. I just can't stop thanking Him...I feel so honored to carry these little souls and to have the honor and blessing to parent them. C and I just can't stop praising!!!!

Also, today is 6 weeks....

So, here is the weekly info on "The 2 doodles":

Your baby's jaw, cheeks, chin, eyes, ears, and nose are beginning to form what will eventually become one adorable face. In addition, her kidneys, liver, and lungs are developing, and her heart is now beating 80 times a minute (and getting faster every day). All this and she's still no bigger than the length of a nail head (about a quarter of an inch) from crown to rump!

Family

C made a comment to me today that I needed to write down how we told certain people in our family that we were pregnant- b/c we got a few funny responses that we want to remember...so I will record them here:


My Mother: (Grandmother/ Nonna)
I called her while I was waiting for C to get home. I already knew the results and wanted to surprise C with the onesies and such. My mom answered and I nonchalantly said, "Well, I am just walking around the house getting out all of the stuff that I have been saving for 2 years to tell C that he is going to be a daddy"....Mom started hyperventilating and said she needed to get off of the phone so she could start breathing again. ha. She called me back about a minute later- screaming.

My Father: (Grandaddy)
I called him on the phone- he was on his way to Memphis. I told him that he was going to be a grandaddy around the 1st of November. He started giggling and started trying to talk me into having the baby on Oct. 31st (his Bday) ha

C's Mother: (Sue-T)
We called them about a week after we found out. They were in New Zealand until we were able to tell them. It drove us crazy waiting for them to get back so we could tell them. C's mom was so excited and wanted to hear each and every detail.

C's Father: (Chuck)
When we told Sue-T about everything we thought that Chuck was in the room listening- but come to find out, he had his sweet feelings hurt because we didn't tell him personally about the babies on the way. C called him the next day and he started instructing C to start pinching every penny (like he doesn't already ha) sidebar: C is VERY cheap...or shall we say frugal
We then called him back the next afternoon after we found out that the "baby" was really "babies" before we called Sue-T, and he felt important again after that! ha

C's brother Uncle Brad:
C: Well, I have some exciting news for you!
Uncle Brad: IT HAPPENED!!!
C: Yes it did...you are going to be an UNCLE!
Uncle Brad: WHAT...how do you already know it's going to be a BOY???
C: Well, Brad, it doesn't matter if it is a boy or a girl...you are still going to be an Uncle....

ha- we will give him the benefit of the doubt- he was working on 3 hours of sleep from b/c of a big law case in Houston he was working on.

C's brother Uncle Lazer:
C told Lazer the night we told Sue-T. Lazer's response was, "Cool man, congratulations!"...and if you knew Lazer- this would make perfect sense. Lazer started scheming ways that he was going to be the "bad uncle", and C was busy telling him all of the reasons that he would NOT teach his children to do such things (use your imagination)ha...boys will be boys.

This is mainly our way of keeping memories...although I don't think I will ever forget Uncle Brad's response...that will go down in our family history book LOL

Now Unto HIM....

who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

~Meet the Laney Twins~

Yes, there are 2 sacs...we will go back next week to hopefully be able to see the heartbeats. They measured perfectly and they were in just the right spot in my uterus. Dr. Long said that everything looked "textbook perfect"!

Praise be to God!

5 weeks today!

Here is the info on doodles this week:
Your baby now resembles a teeny tadpole (complete with a tiny tail) and is about the size of an orange seed. The circulatory (or blood) system, along with the heart, is the first part of that tiny body to be functional; and as your baby's heart starts to form, you may even be able to see it beating on an early ultrasound. Another part of your little tadpole that is under construction: the neural tube, which will eventually become your baby's brain and spinal cord.

A detailed picture of what "doodles" looks like today! So amazing!

The results...

Everything looked PERFECT!

Today, I am 4 weeks and 6 days pregnant...

HCG beta level- 2762

Progesterone- 54

Estrogen- 529

Since my levels are above 1500, they know that they will be able to see the sac, so they want me to come in on Thursday for our first ultrasound!!!! YAY!!!!

OK- C and I play a lot of number games around here... we have fun making connections and we also believe that our God is a God of order, so it is neat to see how the numbers all add up! ;)

I will go ahead and say that in our relationship and in my life...the number 7, 11, and 17 come into play A LOT!

egg retrieval- 2-17-10 (2+1+7+1+0= 11) & 17 eggs retrieved

transfer- 2-22-10 (2+2+2+1+0= 7)

pregnancy test day- 3-3-10 (3+3+1+0=7)

HCG beta on 1st pregnancy test- 151 (1+5+1=7)

Repeat HCG beta- 2762 (2+7+6+2= 17)

Now that you think that we are officially crazy....you have to admit it is kinda strange! With God, there is no coincidence

Disarm Fear

I just had to copy this to keep for my own journaling purposes... I am now waiting again for a phone call from the Dr. to see if my levels are going up as they should- Why am I so nervous?

Facing Fear
“You alone are to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry?” Psalm 76:7 NIV

Fear certainly is something on most people’s minds these days. With terrorists attacks, wars, earthquakes, stock market troubles, and Hollywood’s unending supply of fear-based entertainment, Americans and many others in the world have plenty of inspiration for fear.

What exactly is fear, anyhow? Fear is like “negative faith” and is based on doubt that God is still in control of things. It suggests that the current situation has gotten too big for even God to recover from…that evil has finally gained the upper hand in things and that hope of good triumphing has vanished or at least, is not certain.

I believe that God wants us to exercise our faith in the face of every fear-filled circumstance we face in life. I’m certain that most of us face some type of fear every day. It could be the fear of death, the fear of failure, the fear of getting fired, the fear of breaking secrecy, the fear of our marriage dissolving, the fear of financial ruin, the fear of persecution, or many others. God calls us to evaluate every situation from the mindset that he is Lord over all things in heaven and on earth. The word says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).

This doesn’t mean that the devil will stop killing, stealing and destroying, but it does mean that ultimately justice will be carried out by God in his timing. If we’re trusting in God, we need not fear anything in the list above…even being killed by a terrorist, because our identity is as a son or daughter of God for eternity. We can take comfort in God’s words to us in these troubled times, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10 NIV).

Questions for further thought:
What are some of the sources of fear in your life? I was so afraid that I would never become pregnant- I gave that to God and now I am scared about the pregnancy.
What are two of your greatest fears?
- losing the baby
- me doing something to hurt the pregnancy
What is the truth about those fears, especially considering your identity as a son or daughter of God in Christ?
- God is in charge- He knows what is best for me no matter what. He has the BEST plan, and I need to rest in that. I am HIS daughter and He wants the best for me and C. God has not given us a spirit of fear!
How does faith in God disarm fear?
Faith in God disarms fear by simply overcoming the fear due to complete and total reliance. I learned this when I was waiting to find out if I would ever have a baby, and now I am re-learning this as I care for this life inside of me. I have to know that whatever happens, happens because God wants it to happen that particular way. I cannot it will it one way or the other.

Prayer:
“Heavenly Father, I praise you for being God of heaven and earth and everything in them. I thank you that nothing can succeed against you and that you will execute perfect justice in your time. Please forgive me for succumbing to any fear in my life. I see that it is linked to doubting you, and I see that as sin now. Please help me live in the reality that you are Lord over all things and that I am your child and servant. Please help me apply the truth to every area of fear in my life. Thank you for your favor and protection over me that Jesus purchased for me by dying on the cross. I love you, Father. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

Unseen...

I have had the most amazing morning praising the Lord, crying and thanking Him for what He has done. I can feel that this pregnancy is something that is going to last. God is giving me so much peace. I will have to say that I have to constantly fight the feeling that something might happen. After losing the pregnancy in December, it is much easier to have those doubts. I was reminded this morning the true meaning of FAITH:
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Things UNSEEN...and believe me, I am having to have A LOT of faith right now that things are going as they should in my body. I am giving this baby all that I can humanly give, but God is ultimately in charge. If it were all up to me...that would really be scary...but it isn't- it is in HIS hands.
I am keeping this blog as an infertility/pregnancy diary. I have only given this address to a select few and if hearing about my pregnancy bores you...then please do feel free to not read. I will probably be redundant and very graphic.
Today, I am 4 weeks and 3 days pregnant. During this week, "doodles" looks more like a tadpole than a baby. He/she already has heart tubes- 2 tiny chanels- and though it is not quite functional, it is already beating! Also, the neural tube, which will become his/her brain and spinal cord. It is not yet closed...but will close by next week. It is so cool to think that a semi-formed heart is already beating inside of me. I can assure you that my heart has already been stolen by this tiny person.
I am feeling great- just a little wave of nausea every now and then. I am so HUNGRY all of the time...that is weird. I wake up every morning at 4:45- STARVING. C said to put food by the bed-side...but I can't stomach eating in the bed- that is just nasty. My breasts are a little tender and sore, but hurt the worst at night. I had a little bit of a metallic taste in my mouth yesterday, but not today. I feel small cramps in my uterus...I know that it is just stretching. It has never done anything like this before. ha. I have to run to the bathroom a lot, and I am VERY tired in the afternoon. Other than that, I am feeling great-I know that it is still early, but I am routing for NO morning sickness! :)
I smile at every symptom. This is such a blessing. I am doing my best to relax and enjoy this. Having Faith in things unseen...

4 weeks- Little Poppyseed!

....and this is what we will call "doodles" looks like until we know the gender... he or she (or they)are/is the size of a poppyseed! Thank you God!!!!!!!

Weekly info on the "doodles"-

In week 4, now safe in your womb, the ball of cells (blastocyst) splits in two, becoming the embryo and the placenta. The amniotic sac and fluid are forming around baby, and will act as a cushion for the next eight months!
___________________________________________
From my devotion this morning: What a powerful message:
From reading Psalm 30:1-12

In verse 6 David gives a testimony: "Now in my prosperity I said, 'I shall never be moved."' When we have prosperity without humility, it leads to adversity. Why? Because we start to be more concerned with things than we are with God. David said in his prosperity, "I shall never be moved." But then he found out that he could be moved. He found out that his prosperity did not guarantee security. So instead of saying "I shall" or "I shall not," he began saying "You have." He submitted his will to God's will. "You have" defeated the enemy. "For You have lifted me up, and have not let my foes rejoice over me" (v. 1). "You have" given me victory. "You have" answered prayer. "You have healed me" (v. 2). "You have brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive" (v. 3).
God did some marvelous things for David. He defeated his enemy, answered his prayer, saved his life and established him (v. 7). And then He gave him joy. "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness" (v. 11). Move from "I shall" to "You have" and, in humility, praise God for what He has done.

Look at what God has done...

For almost 2 years, I have been collecting little things that I wanted to put out when I told C that he was going to be a daddy. Today, the Lord blessed, and I was able to display those precious things on our table. Yes... God has blessed us with a baby on the way! We are simply ecstatic!

I had the white and green onesies made online...
"Mommy and Daddy's Answered prayers"

and just for C..."Worth Every Penny$" ha

this is the little blue onesie in the middle...I saw this about 1 year ago and grabbed it...and yes...this feeling...it was worth the wait!
...and visual proof for C!

Dr. L called me today at around 11:30... I was terrified by the tone of his voice. I prayed for God's grace before I even hit the answer button. He said.."Well, A.... You are pregnant!" I started sobbing and thanking God...Dr. L was laughing. He asked me if I felt like I just won a gold medal at the Olympics...and I said, "This has to be much better than that"!

The nurse then got on the phone to give me all of the specifics and go over all of the meds that I am taking.

My HCG beta level is: 151 (WoW...that is high)

my progesterone and estrogen levels were also perfect.

and for keeping memories...here is a picture of our babies on the day that they were transferred:

and this is a blurry picture of my uterus and the bright white dot on the right of my uterus is the babies at the time that they were transferred:God is SO good...all I have been doing is praising Him all day. I immediately fell to my knees and started thanking Him the minute that I got the news. I still feel like I am in a dream. Somebody pinch me please!