Happenings.

For someone who can't do much but kick back on the couch, we sure do have a lot going on! First, since last we visited, there is baby movement! Lots of baby movement. Roland and Marin are kicking up a storm. Funny, our baby who didn't have much chance at survival is by far the most active. The other day I looked down and saw him kicking out at my stomach! There are days when he completely distorts the shape of my belly. See the linea nigra line way over to the left? That's the center of my belly, with our little Lando popping way up on the right. Sometimes Marin does the same to my left side, and at such times my bump looks like a square.

Well, summer has finally arrived in July. I have to admit, though I usually don't mind the heat, there are nights when I wish we had air conditioning. Last weekend was really warm and I was able to convince Andy to take a break from his home improvement marathon to go to the beach for a couple hours. Once we started getting ready I quickly realized that I no longer had a bathing suit that would fit me without completely cutting off my circulation. I managed to put together shorts and a top and off we went! I was a little self conscious with my belly hanging out, but the sand and water felt so good that I didn't mind for long!

As I get more and more swollen my wedding rings are becoming more of a challenge. In the last few weeks there have been only a few days I could get them on comfortably. I tend to force them because I feel strange walking around with a naked ring finger. Well, I found a great solution. It's called the Qalo, and it is a silicone wedding ring used mainly by athletes, folks with metal allergies, and those for whom the nature of their work makes it dangerous to wear a metal ring. It's super comfy and since it's silicone, it should stretch enough to accommodate my finger even if it swells a bit more. It comes in lots of fun colors, but of course I opted for grey. Yes, it lacks the sparkle of my actual rings, but seemed like a marvelous temporary fix at $15.00.

In baby news, there are a few things to report. We had an appointment Tuesday for a quick heartbeat check and everybody is still beating away, mostly in the 140 BPM range, which is normal. Next Tuesday should be a longer appointment, which hopefully will include checks of everyone's weights. If you recall, last time we did this, back on June 30,  all the babies were between 11-12 ounces, so we hope they are over a pound each by now. From this point on we will have weekly, rather than bi-weekly appointments.

Next Thursday Andy and I will head over to Helen DeVos Children's Hospital for a tour of the NICU and a meeting with one of their Neonatologists, Dr. Dinh. 

Last in baby news, please send up extra prayers this week. We are nearing the end of a very critical time in Baby Land. Today we are at 23 weeks, 2 days. At 24 weeks, the babies are considered viable. If they were born today, there would still be a chance for them, but as you can see by the chart, their chances of survival go way up next week and then continue to rise steadily from there, right up until our goal date of 32 weeks when their odds are all the way up to 99%.

Last but not least, The Intervention. As I've mentioned, I've really been losing steam these last few weeks. If you look at my belly it's easy to see why. I'm now carrying an extra 45 pounds around with me, and it makes everything uncomfortable! On a side note, no stretch marks yet, but I imagine they're coming.

So this week, Andy and I found our new FamilyMobile, for which we have been searching several months. The long hunt has given me time to get used to the idea of driving a minivan and Andy time to get used to the idea of parting with his beloved Honda in favor of my newer, lower mileage (but far less sporty) Mazda. Unfortunately, our new van turned out to be located in Peoria, Illinois, a five hour drive from us. I told myself and Andy that I could make the drive. I'd spend the whole trip there reclined and would take the return trip slow with several stops. Besides, I needed to be there to sign paperwork so there was really no way around it. Wednesday, Andy and I had dinner with my mom, stepdad and two old friends. They took the opportunity to stage an impromptu intervention and tell me in no uncertain terms that attempting ten hours of travel was a bad idea! On the twenty minute drive home that evening, I realized that I was incredibly uncomfortable before we even got to the highway. Suddenly the idea of me being in a car for ten hours seemed almost comical. I probably wouldn't make it thirty miles! Well, I called the dealership first thing in the morning and they immediately offered to overnight the paperwork to me so that I could sign from the comfort of the couch and send it along with Andy on Saturday. As I write, The Mom and The Hubs are driving together to Illinois to pick up our new ride. Happy travels, Road Trippers!

As always, thank you all for your prayers. There are a lot of days that reminding myself of how many people are lifting our babies to the LORD is all that keeps me positive! Thank you too, for continuing to share the blog and adding so many more Prayer Warriors. You all mean so much to us.

Love and blessings,

Jen