Blessed & blessed & blessed & blessed.

 It's been a whole month since our last growth scan, so we were very excited for our scan today. I will admit to a little bit of nervousness, however both Andy and I were mostly feeling peaceful about it. As I've said before, we really do feel your prayers and they have brought a great deal of comfort during what could have been a very stressful time.

Before we even got our results there was no doubt in my mind that the babies were growing. I know this first because during the past two weeks I haven't been able to stand up or shift positions on the couch without needing to urinate, so I knew the pressure on my bladder was increasing. Second, the babies movements have been crazy of late. I will try to get a good video of it and post a belly dancing link when I can. There is hardly a time of day or night when I can't feel anybody moving! I can feel and often see limbs on the surface of my skin, though I couldn't tell you whether they are arms or legs.  Last, I'm huge! Everything is tougher at this weight, including breathing. Poor Andy must feel like he's sitting on the couch next to a bull in a rodeo as loud as I have become. 

Overall though, I have to tell you that so far this experience has been less horrible than I imagined. Yes, sleeping is hard, walking is tiring, the stairs feel like running a marathon, I get nose bleeds when I blow my nose and occasionally pee a little when I sneeze, my ribs and back hurt all the time, the swelling in my feet has been miserable and I see the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man when I look in the mirror. However, there have also been a lot of wonderful things about the last months. I've gotten to know Mr. Hubs in a whole new way as he takes care of me and prepares our house for the babies. I've gotten to know God on a deeper level as I learn a new level of dependence, (because don't you know that my spiritual growth seems to come only during times of trial). We have enjoyed dinners with family and friends, the prayer and blessings of strangers, countless laughs with Andy on the couch, the joy of first feeling, then seeing the babies movements, the fun of getting to see the babies on the ultrasound screen every two weeks since way back when we were just five weeks along, and the anticipation of meeting these precious little miracles for the first time. 

But back to today. Against all the odds (praise God that he doesn't work in odds) the babies are all growing perfectly. At 27 weeks 5 days we are still on track with singleton babies. It took two ultrasound techs, several position changes and a lot of creative angles to get our numbers. Poor Micah is buried in brothers so he was hard to see but we finally got the results. 

Micah 

2lb. 9oz. /1172 grams

66th percentile

Heart rate 141 bpm

Becker

2lb. 7oz. /1093 grams

49th percentile

Heart rate 135 bpm

Roland

2 lb. 5oz. / 1060 grams

42nd percentile

Heart rate 139 bpm

Marin 

2lb. 9oz. /1176 grams

66th percentile

Heart rate 131 bpm

What little miracles they are! Isn't God amazing? Doc J. it's now pretty confident in their health. At this point their survival chances are very high and their chance of brain or other disorder low, though as we all know, nothing is guaranteed.

Unless something happens in the meantime we go back to the doctor Labor Day week.

Last, we had our maternity photo shoot a few weeks back and yesterday got our first preview. We can't wait to see how the rest of the group turned out, but we're tickled with the first! Abby Jayne Photography did a great job, though it was her newborn shoots that really drew me to her, so I can't wait to get those Mieler Peanuts in front of her!

Until next time, love and blessings,

Jen