Happens to the best of us

postpartem hair loss...it happens to the best of us. i knew all about it. i knew that it is more than normal (can something be more than normal??) when a woman is pregnant she does not shed hair the months she is pregnant. it is her bodies natural defense to protect the baby. once the baby comes and her hormones level out (usually once mom is no longer nursing the baby, or greatly decreases her production) she sheds all the hair she would have lost while pregnant plus the 40-100 "normal loss" hairs. its shocking!! its even more shocking when you have very fine and thin stringy hair like me. its completely shocking when most of your loss is around the front hairline, again like me. it was gross. my hair loss started around 7 weeks postpartum. nursing did not go well for me and the twins. i think i have mentioned that before. but if not, in all reality i was pretty upset about it and it really sucked. we are over it now. i cant go back and change any of it. so, around week 7 i was pretty much completely dry and my hair was everywhere! every time i would look down my shirt had a good 10-15 hairs on it. i would pick them off, get up and thrown them away and then realize one or both of the babies was also covered in my lost hair. peter was completely grossed out. and when i say it was mostly in the front, around my hair line, i am not kidding. i looked like i was a middle aged man. i had a receding hairline and a thin patch in the very front. i was super self conscience when my hair was pulled back. well lets fast forward about 4 months. my hair is now coming back. its crazy! of course i now look like i have side burns and "angel hairs" all in the front (especially where my hair parts) and all down my part. in case you havent seen me, or just dont know, i have been growing my hair out since july 2012 including my bangs. my hair is longer than it has been since my wedding! and i have had bangs since middle school! i have enjoyed longer hair...being able to curl it, pull it back, etc. but now i am rethinking that! these little short hairs all over my head sure would blend in better if my hair was shorter and bangs help blend, but i think either way i am going to have awkward hair for a while. good thing i love these babies and they are totally worth sideburns and porcupine hairs! 

here are a few pics for ya!!

last thursday our friend Juliet came over, she is 3 months old. their first play date together!

see those little hairs..yep they are all along my hair line! 

Annabel, Briggs, Claire. briggs is our little buddy (just as big as annabel but a month younger) and came to visit friday. claire is already trying to make the moves!! lol 

sweet annabel! 

crazy claire, i love you! ps. she got 2 teeth in 4 days! 

perfecting her little wave on our way to church saturday night

annabel wasnt sure if she really wanted to leave the house

on our way to the BBQ cook off, claire needed her thumb to tide her over!

the twins and i at the annual COF Texans Tailgate. please excuse my face...i forgot my makeup on the way out the door! ewwww!! 

blessings, ALo

Claire Mackenzie and Annabel Marie

THEY ARE HERE!!!!

i can not believe that i have not posted anything over the last few weeks. if you have been trying to follow along, im sorry you have been left hanging. unless we are friends on Facebook/twitter/instagram, you would have no idea. "my" laptop had to be turned in when i resigned from my job, and our home computer pretty much completely crashed that same week.

so, the quick version goes like this: after that 33 week appointment (last post) my blood pressure was all over the map at pretty much any given point. i would have really good days and really bad days. of course, it just so happened that each time i would have a doctors appointment, i usually had a bad day. i was asked to stay for observation 3 times. those stays always involved a 24 hour urine test to see if there was a certain protein in my urine that would be indicative of pre eclampsia. there was one visit (at 34 weeks) that peter and i took ourselves to the hospital because i was having regular contractions. turns out it was not true labor and we were sent home, but not before a 24 hours test :). in the end, peter and i met up for my bi-weekly appointment with dr. todd on friday march 8. my blood pressure was very high (no surprise to us) and we were admitted. at the end of another 24 hour test and no eating or drinking for over 9 hours, dr. todd came in on march 9 and gave us the option to deliver that night (saturday) or sunday morning. we chose right then...we were tired of all the back and forth, plus i had already not eaten...what was a few more hours? dr. todd thought the girls were ready and based on an ultrasound from friday, told us to expect 6.5-7lb babies, pretty big for 35 weeks and 3 days!!!

on saturday, march 9 at 8:02pm, Claire Mackenzie Loeser was born, weighing 4lb 11oz and 18 inches long.

on saturday, march 9 at 8:04pm, Annabel Marie Loeser was born, weighing 5lb 9oz and 19.5 inches long.

thankfully, the girls came out doing great. they were smaller than what the ultrasound predicted (no surprise there), but were very healthy! they were breathing great on their own and showed no signs of needing assistance. they did go to NICU for the first night for observation and to "be safe"...after all, they were twins and born late term pre mature. unfortunately for me, things didnt go quite as i had planned in my head. dont get me wrong, i had two healthy beautiful babies, but because of my BP issues and because i have amazing doctors who are cautious, i was unable to spend much time with the girls until 6pm sunday night. i was taken to antipartum instead of postpartum to have medicine to control my BP (although it was stable after delivery). i was not allowed to leave my room, and the girls were not able to leave theirs. so, outside of seeing them for 5 min between my move from recovery to antipartum, i did not see them...just a few pics and videos peter and other visitors would show me. BUT all things considered, i am so blessed!! i have said several times over the last few weeks, we make plans so that we can change them!

the great news is that after the normal 4 days after c-section stay in the hospital we came home all together as a family of four! in fact, we could have left after 3 days, but we opted for the extra day to adjust to being parents with the nursing help if needed. how many 35 week twins can go home 3 days after delivery??!!??

after being home for a few days, i am so happy to say that we are all doing fantastic! we are TOTALLY in love! i have the cutest baby girls (no bias there), they are good eaters, amazing sleepers, and all around perfect!

they do not really look anything alike and we can already tell they are going to have unique personalities...its so fun! they also have their daddy wrapped around their little, tiny finger! peter has been an amazing dad from the get go, and this week he has really stepped up his game. i feel like the luckiest woman in the world to have him as my partner in parenthood (more on this later).

for tonight, i will leave you with the above...maybe i will share more later...like my c-section experience...not at all what i thought it would be. and of course i will have to really tell you how life at home is going. please feel free to follow me on the social media sites...there have been some really cute pics of my sweets added over the last week. geesh...my babies are a week old already!!! but, in case you dont want to do that, here are just a couple.

first day! top is Claire (baby a) bottom is Annabel (baby b)

taking a snooze on daddy's lap in the hospital. Claire on the left, Annabel on the right

i am one tired momma, but soooooo happy! (day 3) Annabel on left and Claire on right

finally at home! Claire on left, Annabel right

one week old at the newborn photoshoot. peter loves his new job! Annabel on the left, Claire on the right

cant believe they have been here a week! Annabel on left, Claire on right

thanks for all the prayers and support and encouragement for peter and me and our girls. we really could not be more blessed or more thankful for all that God has given us in the form of these amazing little people!

blessings, ALo

Ready, Set...

not time to go...yet! i just got back from my 33 week appointment. the girls are both doing great, growing big and still cooking away! peter and i were able to see them on another ultrasound...they wanted to see if they had turned. no such luck there, but they are both doing great. we even got to see some hair on their big ole heads! :) based on the measurements, they are both right around 5 pounds...claire is just under and annabel is just over. i am still having contractions and lots of pressure down there, but the dr. todd says its totally normal. the pressure will not ease up simply because there are two babies, twice the weight and pressure bearing down on me. thankfully, i am still closed, not dilated at all. my belly is measuring 50.5 inches and i have gained exactly 30 pounds. i had gained a little more, but after this weekend i have lost a few. plus, i am trying to cut out sodium so as not to blow up! lol!! so far i still have my ankles showing, so it must be working! :) so, things are still good for us. i go back next tuesday. no plans to schedule anything, just take things one day and one week at a time.

peter and i were able to get away for a weekend...a babymoon! our friends from church, jimmy and melissa, have a place in matagorda (about 2 hours away from houston) right on the water and they offered to let us use their home this last weekend. matagorda is mainly a fishing village, but it was perfect for us! we were able to lay around and relax, enjoy the beach (which is not like marco island, but totally fine!) get lots of rest, eat good seafood, do lots of walking on the pier and the beach, and enjoy the sunshine (even if it was a tad chilly). we had an amazing time! it was exactly what we needed before our lives become insanely chaotic!! i didnt take very many pics, but here a few:

the beach on sunday afternoon. lots of debris, but we didnt care!!

the babymooners! so blessed by this sweet man!!!

the twin shell we found on the beach. we brought it home for the nursery!

some days we feel ready for the girls to be here, some days i am not so sure. thankfully, God is in control and has blessed us beyond belief with these little ones already! please pray with us as we finish the last minute stuff to bring them home! :)

blessings, ALo

Little Alarm Clock

so, in all the books that i have been reading lately it talks about how the LOtwins are already starting on a schedule. its crazy because, in the mornings the girls are very active from about 6:15 to 7:15...its like they know its morning and time to get a move on. there are a few other times throughout the day that this happens too. i dont have the big rolling across the belly movements any more (not enough room) but they sure know how to give me a jolt with a punch or kick or booty dance (they do not get that from me, by the way!!) well, yesterday in the early hours of the morning, we must have lost power. at just before 3 am i woke up from all the kicks and karate moves going on in my belly. i was a little bit annoyed because they were strong enough that i knew i would not be falling back to sleep. so, i took my phone off the charger and decided to play a little tetris in bed (yep, i still LOVE tetris!). but when i looked at my phone the time said 6:56am. what??? for real?? i looked at the clock and back to my phone and then over to peter's side of the bed. uh-oh. he was still there. typically, peter is up by 6:20 and out the door for work by 6:30 to miss the major traffic. i said in a gentle voice (at least i hope it was) "honey, i think its almost 7am. i know your clock says 3am, but your phone will say 7am." "what?? uh..." "honey, the girls woke me up, they know its time to get up. im sorry". SO CRAZY!!! the girls saved the day!! well, they saved peter from leaving any later than he already was. i just cant believe it. i think its so cool!

i had a good doctors appointment yesterday. they are still in there cooking. i am still fully closed. dr. todd gave peter and i the green light to get away this weekend, just the two of us!!! :) still praying for a few more weeks! i am getting pretty uncomfortable and rather tired, but i know they are not ready yet!! my biggest complaint (even though i dont like to complain) would just be the heartburn/indigestion and my itchy belly (serious stretch marks!) it will all be worth it in the end! here is a pic before i went to the appointment. 32 weeks!

if you are not friends with peter on instagram or facebook, you should check out some of his pictures from honduras. he has some amazing stories!!! the views are amazing, the little girls all look so sweet, and the team got a ton accomplished! the girls loved that peter is so tall!! lol! i love his big heart and his willingness to go and serve but more importantly to come home changed by these sweet girls and all that God is doing in honduras at Casa de Esther. check out photos here. (these photos were taken by jamie from Casa de Esther) this is one of my favs!!!

hope y'all have a great day!! its a beautiful sunny day here in houston...and its chilly!! perfect!!

blessings, ALo

A little observation

well, today has been a little bit eventful.

first, if you follow me on twitter or facebook...thanks for praying throughout the day, especially because i was giving you very little info. i was doing my best, but until about now, there was no down time to give more. here's what happened:

i had a routine weekly appointment scheduled at 11am with dr. todd. earlier in the day, i was receiving some not so good news about a family form our church. on friday, they gave birth to baby ava at 26 weeks. i knew she was in the NICU at the same hospital i go to for my appointments, so i was planning on stopping by and praying with the family right after my appointment. sadly, baby ava passed away and went to be with Jesus this morning. i got the news just as i was heading back to get my blood pressure checked. i knew it was going to be high...i told the nurse that. sure enough 138/84. VERY high for me!!! when dr. todd came in he was very concerned about my BP, the amount of cramping i was having, and the pressure in my pelvic area. he said i needed to go right down to labor and delivery for some observation and monitoring. i asked if it was really necessary as peter is still in honduras and i had not come prepared to be here. so said it was, that "he liked me too much not to be safe". to make this long story short, my BP is back to normal 112/58, my FFN (fetal fibronectin: swab test in "lady parts" to check for the possibility of preterm labor) came back negative, and my physical check and ultrasound both showed that my cervix is closed and long and that my uterus is high and thick. all very good things. i am still having contractions, but nothing long and strong or consistent. i am also feeling better after they let me have something to eat and drink. they also gave me a shot of steroids just to be sure that if i go into preterm labor and end up delivering, the girls will be fine. i wish i could just go home and rest, but i know that i am in good hands here. i have until late tomorrow afternoon for the 2nd shot...sometime around 3. looks like i will end up meeting my mom at my house and peter wont be far behind (hopefully). i am sure that i freaked him out a little bit, but i have been in really great hands! i have had such an outpouring of people here in houston that have offered to come bring me food or to just sit with me. i dont like putting people out, but i did let my friend jess come and bring me things like clean underwear and my computer. my friend jacqueline brought me some of my most favorite snacks. crazy things is, i didnt even tell her what they were...she guessed and totally got it right!! :) thanks so much to all you have offered. i feel so loved!!

please pray that these little girls keep growing on the inside!! they hated being on the monitors today...they are very active making it a challenge for all. but that is a good thing. the nurses were consistently coming in to change the sensors position, it was a little bit funny. ideally. claire and annabel will give us at least a few more weeks to get ready!!

please pray for my mom, uncle mike, and joann (mom's friend) as they travel to houston tomorrow. it is such great timing to have my mom here the rest of this week!!! God is so good!!!

please pray for peter and his team as they travel back from honduras tomorrow afternoon. i just got off the phone with him...he has had an amazing time!! i cant wait to hear all about it!!! i know he doesnt really want to leave those sweet girls behind. knowing i am being observed has probably helped him be a little more ready to come home. he is already making plans to go back!! :)

PLEASE be praying for the ritter family. i can imagine, only slightly, what they are going through having to say good bye to their sweet baby, ava dawn. erin and brady have three other small girls at home. i am sure they do not understand. grief is so hard without trying to help young children understand or to keep them on a healthy schedule. just please pray for God's comfort during this unimaginable time.

thanks so much for all your prayers!!! for me, for claire and annabel, for mom and peter, and for the ritter family!!

blessings, ALo

Party Time

this week (monday and tuesday) we had our first baby shower and then our doctors appointment to see how the LOtwins are doing.

the shower was so nice!!! the ladies from my church staff all got together along with some of my amazing volunteers from the student ministry to throw a party to completely spoil me and the girls. there was (of course) amazing food and literally five different flavors of cake. they really know the way to my heart...chicken salad from Newks and delicious cake!!! we of course had to play a few games, but nothing too unbearable (not the biggest fan of shower games, maybe because i hate always winning...lol). then it was present time. to say i was spoiled is an understatement!! all 32 guests brought the most amazing gifts. from personalized ruffled bloomers, to custom burp cloths, to the most awesome stack of diapers and wipes!! from the fun and whimsical to the practical and useful. not going to lie...i was completely overwhelmed! i am so blessed to have a family here that has loved and supported us through the last year and a half and is now going above and beyond to help us prepare for these twin baby girls!! if it had stopped there i would have been elated, but my friends ended the party by praying for me and for peter and for claire and annabel. it was awesome! to know that there are so many that are encouraging and supporting us, but also praying for us is amazing. i know that in 7 weeks our whole lives will totally change...we can use all the prayer we can get. it was a really sweet time of praising God for His faithfulness and blessings and asking for guidance and health! thank you so much to all that were there, y'all are the best!!!

yesterday, peter and i went in for a check up with dr. todd and an ultrasound to see the girls. they are getting so big! big enough that getting good ultrasound pics to bring home is pretty hard. but, as always, it is so reassuring to see claire and annabel moving around and to hear their heartbeats. we again heard that the babies were big, so i asked what that really meant. i asked if they are big compared to other twins or compared to single babies. answer: single babies. claire, who is transverse breech (her head is on my right side with her body going across to my left) and on the bottom is just over a week ahead in length and is weighing in just over 3 pounds. annabel, who is also transverse breech (her head is on my left side and her body crosses over to my right side) is just over two weeks ahead in length and weighs over 3.5 pounds. all of the other measurements and stats for the girls were great! i have had some seriously intense pain in the front of my belly and turns out annabel's long legs are pushing on my abs so hard my muscles are seperating. we are hoping that it does not lead to a hernia, but even so, it will be worth it! i am now up 24 pounds total. not too bad. my belly may not look huge, but there is no space left on my torso! literally...my boobs sit on my belly and my belly rests on my legs! this week i have noticed that i have grown out around a little (not just straight out). probably because they are both transverse!! dr. todd said the chances of having both girls turn to be head down is pretty low...that we will most likely have a c-section. the plan is to still go towards 37 weeks. dr. todd is hopefully that we can do that, but with their size, he is thinking they will come a little earlier. we are just praying for healthy babies and healthy delivery all in God's timing!! at 29 weeks, things are going great! we are really excited!! we are even going away for a weekend in february when peter gets back from his missions trip to honduras! woohoo...babymoon!

thanks for continuing to pray for all of us! we are definitely in the home stretch now...only about 7.5 weeks left!! here are a few pics from the shower!

blessings, ALo

some of the cute decor, including a really cute "blessings" board! 

top & bottom left:robin, she knows i hate being touched :) top right: abby and lindsey, two of my students. bottom right: jacqueline!!! a really sweet and thoughtful friend!! 

top left: casey, my cubicle partner...we are always giggling about something! bottom left: justine and awesome mom to paisley! love her! top and bottom right: rachel, my partner in crime and fellow mommy to be! student ministry is gaining three babies in just a few months! :)

right after the shower...one day short of 29 weeks!! 

Home Stretch

woohoo!!! we are 28 weeks today...3rd trimester!!! i cant believe in about 8 weeks these LoTwins will be here! some days it feels this pregnancy has just flown by, some days it feels like its dragging. usually those "dragging" days are because i have done too much through out the day. but really and truly, i feel great! here are a few quick little things about how things are going...

* this week i have been craving frosted mini wheat cereal
* i have been up to no good again...lots of baking! anyone have any requests?? i really shouldnt eat any more sweets!
* i am no longer doing full days of hair. last week after a full day i had braxton hicks.
* i have been pretty "homesick" (hence the post about mom) but was so excited when she called to tell me she is visiting in three weeks, i cant wait!!!
* my first baby shower is this monday...i have no idea what to wear!
* i am still working at the church, just sitting down a little more.
* claire and annabel have been moving like crazy!! i love that feeling, even when they make me slightly uncomfortable.
* i do feel like i am running out of room.
* they are each supposed to be about 15 in. long, but last time we checked, they were two weeks ahead in length. like dr. todd said, "huge babies"
* i measured my belly last night...it is 47.5 inches around!
* my belly button is barely there...such a strange feeling/sight.
* stretch marks...yep! right now just on the front of my belly, but they are pretty bright!!
* i am now up 22.5 pounds.
* its weird when your big pregnant belly makes your "girls up top" look small!! lol
* my biggest complaint is heartburn, but that is more than manageable!!!
* i am still sleeping, but not as well as i used to.
* the nursery is coming together...lots of little things to do, but so cute, even if i say so myself (pics to come soon)
* i am so blessed and i cant wait to meet these girls...hopefully sometime after march 13!!

here are two belly pics from the last few days...

Sunday after church. 27 weeks 5 days

27 week 6 days (last night). my mom bought me this cute shirt, so i had to show her how it looked. i also colored my hair in the morning but chose to forgo makeup (a common thing now days)

here are a few pics from charlotte's birthday celebration...i forgot to post them last week.

2nd birthday balloons. we released our note balloons and kept the mylar.

mommy's note to her baby girl!

daddy's note to his sweet girl!

Charlotte's 2nd bday cake. it was pretty good! 

3rd trimeseter...i am glad to meet you!! lets get to know each other for at least 7 weeks!

blessings, ALo

Big Year Already

this year is off to a crazy start!! some really great memories and some serious moments of prayer!

lets start with some of the fun memories...we ended and began the year with family!! it was so great!

over christmas we (peter and myself) traveled to michigan to spend some time with my huge family there. it was so great. it was chilly, but no such luck for a white christmas...even though it snowed in dallas...weird!! this year we were there a few days before christmas, peter left on christmas day (he had to work a few days that week) and on the 26th i headed south. being there early meant fun prep time before the big day and being the oldest of A LOT of kids, there was a bit of prep to be done. one of the highlights is always christmas eve at my grandmas southwick's house (my dad's side). its loud, there are kids everywhere, we play bingo, and everyone probably has more fun than needed :) no, it really is the best! the other highlight was pj/movie day at my brother jonathan's house. a few weeks before christmas, i had an idea of getting everyone coordinating pajamas for christmas and then helping to coordinate a fun family filled day. it was just my immediate family, but of course that was 21 people!! dad, jessie (dad's wife), me, peter, jonathan and whitney (bro and sis in law), kayla and carter (niece and nephew), grant and jim (bro and friend), olivia and brian (sis and bro in law), zoe (niece), my little sibs mamie, matilda, mila, maggie, edy, and jude and two extras, beal (jonathan's army bro) and michael (olivia's foreign exchange student). yep!! crazy!! 12 adults and 9 kids age 9 and under. we also learned that dad and jessie are expecting a new baby in september! whats one more when you have 10, right dad??!!? :) movie day was so fun! tacos, pizza, snacks, movies, lots of sugar and a few pictures. plus the kids got to open a gift...it really was so awesome!

on the 26th i headed down to marco island, florida to meet up with my mom and a lot of her side of the family...including most of my siblings (well, as grant calls us, the first batch: me, jonathan, grant, and olivia). florida was fantastic. it was warm, sunny, full of family, plenty of down time on the beach and just what i needed to recover from the cold i got in michigan. the best part of this week was the beach. we dont always go to the beach when we go to marco but with the nieces and nephew around plus michael from germany, we all ventured out. it was so fun to watch the kids play in the sand, find sea shells and to be able to lounge with the adults. second best was pool time! mom rented a nice house (not enough room for all of us at mimi and boppa's house!) with a great pool and hot tub (no i did not get in the hot tub...dont worry!) i even got to give zoe (almost 2) her first haircut out by the pool. it was so cute!! peter and i have both said a few times this week that we cant wait to retire and move to marco island! it really is one of the best places we have ever been! i am blessed to have made it a home away from home since before i was born...doesnt get much better than that!! thanks to my mom for making it so relaxing and enjoyable...it was a great belated christmas and an awesome start to the new year!!

here are a bunch of pics...then scroll down to join in praying for a sweet friend of mine!

Carter was really excited!! :)

American Girl dolls!

LOL, typical Edy skepticism! 

Jude just wanted to be a little bigger. 

Zoe trying on her mom's ear muffs

Uncle Petey liked Carter's lincoln logs too!

the guys in their pjs

cute!

Dad, Jessie and the kids

Dad and his girls

"the original batch"

all of Dad's kids

all of the girls in their pjs

Christmas eve @ grandma's. these are just some of the grandkids/great grandkids

Christmas stockings

breakfast with my grandma!!! love her!!

do we look alike?? :) love you, dad!

Zoe and Uncle Grant in the hot tub

Zoe's first haircut!!! lol

Then Aunt Aimee painted her nails :)

Mom and her kids (except Jonathan, sad!)

grandkids and their Mimi

Mimi Reva, Boppa, Mom and the kids

I love my Mimi and Boppa!! So blessed!!

Group shot

My awesome hubby and me. LOVE him!!!

Uncle Petey with Kayla and Carter (aka Raphael) on the docks! 

Peter and Michael found a HUGE mollusk!!

Zoe and Carter on the beach 

the twins loved the sunshine!! 25 weeks 6days

so, yes, 2012 ended with fantastic memories and began with awesome family time. but, there have also been things that have kept me on my knees pleading with God.

bekah and i have been friends since she started dating my cousin while we were all in college. our friendship grew quickly right after peter and i were married and she and travis got serious. we went on countless double dates, ate plenty of penny candy, and shared real life together. peter and i both had the privilege of being a part of their bridal party and watching them begin their married lives together. we were so sad to say good bye to them when we moved to texas. but distance has not kept bekah and me from still being close friends. she even made a trip down here last spring to spend a long weekend with me. we did nothing but sit on the couch and watch both seasons of downton abbey (fitting that it started again tonight!!). bekah was a huge source of encouragement and support and one of our biggest prayer warriors when we were pregnant with Charlotte and ultimately had to say good bye (in fact, trav and bekah were some of the first people that we told we were pregnant with Charlotte). i got a call from bekah just before leaving for christmas break to tell me that she is pregnant! she also shared that this fall, she and trav suffered a miscarriage, but had never told anyone. when we talked before christmas, she asked me to start praying. no one else knew, but she was fearful of going down the same road as she did in the fall. i was honored to begin praying with them and the family that God was creating. bekah called me this thursday with some devastating news, doctors told her that she was most likely miscarrying again. we were all so upset. the ultrasound showed an irregular shaped sac and bekah had been bleeding. they were told to just wait. on friday, bekah and trav rushed back because she was hemorrhaging while teaching. during a second ultrasound, the doctor found TWO heartbeats!! there are still some concerns, but the dramatic change from thursday to friday is nothing short of a miracle and answered prayer!! bekah's hormone levels are high (indicative of twins, which is good) but there are still a few concerns. she will go back again tuesday for more lab work. please join me in praying for this sweet friend of mine!! i can not even put into words how much i love her and trav and how excited i am for them. i am certain that God has some incredible things for them through these two little babies. they are already capturing so many of our hearts at such an early stage!! i cant wait to give you an amazing update!!! :)

this is exactly what bekah posted tonight along with the picture:
Fall 2012: We had a miscarriage.
December 2012: We find out we're pregnant. 
Thursday: After some bleeding, the ultrasound shows an irregular sac, and we're told we're probably going to miscarry in the next few days. 
Friday: I leave school, hemorrhaging. Trav meets me at the hospital for an ultrasound. We find TWO HEARTBEATS and are told we have TWINS.
Today: We acknowledge God is a God of miracles, and there is POWER IN PRAYER. Please join us in praying for our two precious heartbeats.
We have two requests. 1) that my hormone levels continue to increase, which shows the babies are developing 2) that both babies (but especially the smaller one) continue to grow and strengthen.

We covet your prayers and admit we're scared- but leaning on the God Who will never leave us nor forsake us!

ps. cedarville university is a small liberal arts Bible college in ohio. while i was not the most popular girl in school, i did have a few close friends. of those that i would consider a friend, not just someone i knew from around campus, 5 of us have twins!! tiffany (lived across the hall and was in choir with me) brenna (my roommate), brittany (practically a housemate), me, and now bekah. something has got to be in the water!! especially because i am the only one that has had any "help" (fertility treatments) in the matter!

thanks for praying. thanks for being a part of my new year. i know that there will be a lot going on (especially in the next 2 months!!!) i really hope to keep everyone in the loop!! :)

blessings, ALo