The Boone Family

Cookies

2010-08-09T14:59:00.007-05:00

I absolutely refuse for it to be A WHOLE YEAR between posts. Good thing I made it just in the nick of time. A whole week early. Wow, that’s sad.

I wish I could say that we had been doing all this fun and exciting stuff and that is why I haven’t updated. But I cant. We have just been living life…working, traveling some, sleeping when possible, and spending as much time as a family as we can manage.

I should probably catch you up a little on what has been going on the last year. I started a new job in December. I’m still with the same company, just a much different position doing finance and budget. Yes, I’m serious. I know, I never thought I’d see the day. I do like it, and the people I work with are great! Alan started his new job in March. The best part about that? He no longer has to travel EVERY WEEK! YAY!!! I have a husband again. His position is much different as well, but it is going great.

We have amazing twin 15 month old boys. They love to walk (ok, run) around the house, play with their toys, and read books. Their new favorite thing to do is throw the ball for Buddy. Please keep in mind that “throw” is a relative term. It’s really more like holding the ball up in the air, saying “baaaaaaaaa” and then one of three things happens:
1. Grayson slightly moves his arm and lets the ball go about two feet in front of him. Buddy just stands there and looks at him, like “Really? That was a throw?”
2. Grayson actually throws the ball. Buddy gets annoyed that it wasn’t a far enough throw, so Grayson ends up going to get the ball himself.
3. Ethan holds the ball behind his head while Buddy barks in his face. Buddy eventually gets so tired of waiting on Ethan that he just walks behind him and takes the ball out of his hand.

The boys love their day care (as do we) and they are learning all kinds of amazing things. They are painting (I am so glad they do this at daycare – not in my house!!), learning their colors, playing with beads, and learning all about animals. They are just growing up so fast!

So, now for the part you’re actually interested in…the pictures. A little background: Our wonderful friends, Marc and Andrea, moved back from DC this weekend. YAY!!! In addition, our other wonderful friends, Kirk and Rachel, came up from Austin. So, on Saturday, Rachel and Andrea brought us lunch. Such sweet friends! The boys especially thought so because this lunch included the most chocolately chocolate chip cookie I have ever seen. Needless to say, they loved it and made a complete mess! It was awesome!

What a Difference a Year Makes

2009-08-18T17:48:00.002-05:00

Sunday was our anniversary. Yep, Alan and I have been married for six years. It's so hard to believe! I think the craziest part is that a year ago, we were in the middle of in vetro, scared to death about the future and whether we would ever be able to have children. But today our two precious boys are four months old. They are truly the greatest blessings God has ever given us. I cannot imagine life without them.

Between our anniversary and the boys "birthday," the past couple of days have been filled with reflection. This last year has been one of the most difficult, yet exciting and joyful years of my life. From in vetro, to a difficult early pregnancy, then bedrest, the hospital, a C-section, the babies in NICU, and then taking care of these beautiful boys; it almost seems like a blur. But the one thing that I know was consistent was all of you. So, from the bottom of my heart, I want to say "THANK YOU!!!" Thank you for the many prayers, phone calls, messages, and help over the past year. I know that we couldn't have gotten through it with out all of you! Thank you especially to my wonderful husband for six years. They haven't all been easy, but they have all been worth it! You are an amazing dad! And to our parents: we would not be where we are without you. Thank you so much for all your help and support!

We love you all!!
Jennifer

Deep Thoughts by Grayson Boone

2009-08-09T18:14:00.003-05:00

Visit with Great Grandmother

2009-08-09T17:51:00.005-05:00

We are so grateful that our boys have two of their great grandmother's still living. This is my grandmother that lives down in Gatesville, Texas. We went down and had lunch with her at her apartment. (Its actually an assisted living facility.) She absolutely loved showing off her great-grandsons to all of her friends. We had a great time!

Grayson and Great Grandmother - don't I have a cute smile?

"No, Mommy! I don't want to look at the camera!" says Ethan.

Grayson being rocked in his Great Great Great Grandmother's rocking chair. I just thought that was really cool - and he calmed down immediately.

EB and Ethan

Playtime

2009-08-07T11:25:00.003-05:00

Things are pretty much the same around here...babies, babies, and work! Everything is going well, though. Alan is on his annual golf trip with his college buddies this weekend, so its just me and the boys. And then tonight EB (my mom) will join us. We are going to get up tomorrow, feed the boys, and head out for a little road trip. Key word: LITTLE. We are going to take the boys down to Gatesville (no, you've never heard of it) to visit my Grandmother. She is so excited to see the boys. We will pick her up and go to lunch and head back home in the early afternoon. This will be good practice for our BIG road trip to Mississippi next month.

I've never done this before, so I hope it works... Here is some playtime from this morning. Ethan is on the right, doing most of the talking. Hope you enjoy it.

3 Months

2009-07-27T15:16:00.010-05:00

Well, maybe one day I will actually go back and do some "catch-up" blogging from the last couple of months. But I feel like I am just going to have to move forward or I will get so overwhelmed that I will end up never updating this thing.

The boys are getting so big! Grayson weighs 13.5 pounds and Ethan is 14.5 pounds. They are "talking" and kicking like crazy. They have also recently discovered their hands, and eat them all the time! They are both really good babies, eating a ton (obviously) and they are sleeping through the night. At least they had been until Grayson decided to wake up at 2 AM this morning hungry. I think he is just hitting a growth spurt, though, because he has gained 1.5 pounds in about two weeks! Ethan's tummy seems to be doing a little better - thanks to all of you that have been checking up on him! I really think the prune juice (YUCK!) and the yogurt have started to help.

I am back at work now, but my boss is being very generous and letting me work from home. I am so thankful for getting to spend another couple of months at home with them. They will start daycare and I will go back to the office after Labor Day.

All you Mississippi folks, mark your calendars... Alan and I will be bringing the boys to meet all of you in late August. We need to plan lots of lunches and dinners!

And since I know this is what you really care about... here are some of their 3 month pictures. These were taken by my friend Adrien. She is an amazing photographer and so good with the boys!

Grayson and Ethan

Grayson

Ethan

2009-06-29T17:34:00.003-05:00

Its been a little crazy around here, so I haven't had a chance to download pictures. But here is everything else that is going on. They are still growing like crazy and doing well. Here's the funny part...the night after previous blog (where I joked about them sleeping longer) they slept all night! From 9 PM to 5 AM. Of course, I think it was a fluke because it hasn't happened again since. Bu they have been sleeping about 5 hours at a time. I never thought I would be so excited about 6 hours of sleep.

In other news, we took Ethan to the doctor again on Friday. He had started throwing up about twice a day for a week. The doctor went through a whole host of ideas, and determined it was one of three things: 1. The formula, 2. some muscle in his esophagus that had gotten too thick, or 3. reflux. Obviously we decided to try the sensitive formula first. As of the formula change on Friday - no more throw ups!! And he is like a whole new baby - so much happier!

This weekend was also full of excitement. We all went to Dallas on Friday AND Saturday for a little shopping and to eat with friends. It was so good to see Jim and the Harkins while they were passing through town. Then we hit our first pool party with the boys on Sunday. Grayson slept through the entire thing. Ethan did get to put his little feet in the water, though. The water was so warm, that I think he just thought it was a bath. Then Donna and Madeline came to visit later that afternoon. Madeline was precious holding Grayson! And yes, I have pictures...

Two Months

2009-06-24T20:29:00.002-05:00

Can you believe these guys are two months old?!? It sure doesn't seem like it. But they have definitely gotten bigger! We went to their two month check-up on Friday and they did great.

Grayson was 10 lbs. 12 oz. and 21 3/4 in. long. And Ethan was 11 lbs. 9 oz. and 22 in. long. They also had their shots. It was so hard for Mommy, but they did great. Thank goodness that nurse was FAST! They only cried for a few seconds and were fine after I picked them up. Huge shout out to Kay for going with me to take them to the doctor! I couldn't have done it without you. Everything else is going pretty well. Ethan has a little bit of reflux, but nothing to be overly concerned about at this point. Now if they would just start sleeping a little longer... :)

I have tons more to update everyone on, but I need to download pictures first...more to come!

Random Updates

2009-06-12T19:08:00.004-05:00

It is so hard to believe that the boys will be 8 weeks old tomorrow! They are doing awesome. Their parents, however, are still tremendously sleep deprived and maybe still a little overwhelmed by the craziness of our lives. They boys have (finally!!) started sleeping a little longer at night - a whole 5 hours!!! I know that doesn't sound like much, but it was huge for us!! That means we only have to get up once (or maybe twice) a night instead of three or four times.

They are also starting to look around and focus a little bit. I swear that are looking at me now (but maybe that's just Mommy's wishful thinking!) Our new favorite thing is to put them down on a blanket together. They just look at each other and kick their little feet and talk all about it! It is so cute.

We also took our first road trip with the boys. We went down to Austin for my cousin's graduation (Congrats, Kaitlyn!) They did so good. And it was good for us because we didn't touch either baby for about 3 days. My family totally hogged them. :) The boys got lots of love, and we had a great time!

We aren't sure how big they are, but we go back to the doctor next week. I cant wait to see how much they weigh!

One month and counting...

2009-05-22T22:36:00.008-05:00

Its so hard to believe that the boys are over a month old now! They are such good babies. They of course cry when they are hungry or wet, but thats about it. They both eat well and sleep well (until they get hungry again, that is!) We took the boys by the hospital today to weigh them: Grayson now weighs 8 lbs 3 oz and Ethan is 8 lbs 12 oz. It already seems like they are growing up so fast!

My good friend, Anna, took some fabulous pictures of the boys for me on their one month "birthday". I think they are SOOO GOOD!!! Here are a few of them:

Grayson

Ethan
Grayson (left) and Ethan (right) Grayson (left) and Ethan (right)

We are still sleep deprived, and still very busy, but have had wonderful help ever since they were born. We are so thankful to our family and friends!!!

I'm in trouble...

2009-05-12T19:43:00.014-05:00

I am so sorry for being a blog slacker! Time is just flying by... I cannot believe they are over 3 weeks old now! Here are some pics, since I know this is what everyone really cares about!

Grayson (left) and Ethan (right)

Our first bath...

Grayson

Ethan

Ethan and Daddy (this is one of mommy's favorites)
Our first tummy time... we both rolled over!!

Grayson - you gotta love this face!

Ethan - this face just cracks me up!!!

We are all doing great! Pretty much just eating and sleeping like awesome little babies! What an amazing blessing. Thanks to all of our friends and family who have helped out tremendously. We love you all!!

We're Home!!

2009-04-29T21:06:00.003-05:00

Everything went great last night, and we did get to bring the boys home! We are so glad to have them here, and they are doing great.

Good News All Around!

2009-04-28T08:53:00.002-05:00

Both boys have their feeding tubes out! It is so nice to see their beautiful faces without those tubes! They are doing so well. They also had their hearing tests and car seat tests yesterday - all passing grades. So, what does all this mean???

They (hopefully) get to come home tomorrow!!! We are so excited!!! We are heading to the hospital in a few minutes for the day...and the night! We get to "room-in" with them. That just means they put us in a hospital room and we take care of them all night - with the nursing staff right down the hall, if we need them. I cant believe that our boys are 10 days old and we haven't gotten to spend a night with them yet. It is so hard to leave them at the hospital everyday! If everything goes well tonight, we will get to bring them home some time tomorrow! Please pray that everything goes well!!!

Thanks to all for the prayers and support! We cant wait to share our little guys with you!

Pictures

2009-04-24T09:19:00.004-05:00

Ethan

Ethan
Grayson
Grayson

Two of a Kind...Working on a Full House

2009-04-24T08:53:00.004-05:00

Our twin boys are doing great, but they don't get to come home quite yet...

I am so sorry it has taken me so long to update, but the last few days have been jam packed! I was released from the hospital on Wednesday. It is so nice to be home, but we hate that the boys aren't with us.

The boys are still in the NICU. They are doing great! The doctors said yesterday that all of their blood work, etc. is excellent, they just have to learn how to eat! Fortunately, it does get better every day and we are only two steps away from them coming home! We are hoping that will be on Monday, but it may be a little later in the week.

They eat every three hours (8, 11, 2,and 5) , so we are going up to the hospital for half of their feedings. We get up there for the 11 AM, then stay around in that area the rest of the day. We have lots of errands to catch up on before they come home, so we are taking advantage of that time between the feedings.

I am doing well - tired, of course. It has been difficult getting back into the swing of things. After being on bed rest for so long, my body is rebelling a little bit. We are just asking it to do A LOT!! But it is getting better every day.

Parenting - Day 3

2009-04-20T21:35:00.002-05:00

Well, I can one thing for sure...it has been a whirlwind! But we have the most precious, beautiful little boys! They continue to amaze us!!! They are doing so well. The doctors all seem very happy with their development so far, and their blood work has been good. The only thing we still need to get a bit better at is feeding. They still haven't really figured it out; both boys still have feeding tubes. The doctors say that feeding is sort of like a light switch - one day that switch will turn on and they just figure it out. We hope that day comes quickly, so they can come home!!! I will probably go home on Wednesday, and they will have to say until Friday at a minimum. They will remain in the NICU until they go home. Alan and I go down to see them for every feeding during the day - taking turns to hold and love on each of them. They eat every three hours, and then we come back to the room to pump. So, once you add in some eating and a couple of naps - that's our whole day!!

Thanks to everyone for all your calls, e-mails, and messages. We truly appreciate all of your love and support!!! And we are very sorry that we haven't been able to talk to most of you! We are all doing well, and look forward to all of you meeting our precious angels!!!

Parents - Day 1

2009-04-19T09:15:00.008-05:00

Well...one day down. A lifetime to go. It's been amazing so far. Tons of firsts. Not a lot of free time. Imagine that. The boys are doing well, but will remain in the NICU for most of next week. They are being a little stubborn feeding and the nurses are watching for jaundice. The staff has been awesome. We get to go see them as much as we want. The downside of the great NICU care is that they are not available to see or hold outside of the NICU. So anybody that wants to see them will have to wait until they come home probably. Sorry!

Jennifer is doing well. Still swollen and a bit groggy. She has already started walking a little bit today. We will probably be here until Wednesday.

We are at Harris Methodist HEB in Bedford, TX, Room 119.

The Mississippi Girls have been bugging me plenty to see their Fairy Godsons. So here are some pics. Captions come before the pictures. I'm too tired to write more.

Jennifer at 35 weeks 3 days before she left the house for the last time pregnant.

Getting ready for birth.

Grayson at 4 mins old.

Grayson and Mama.

Ethan at 6 min old.

Ethan and Mama.

The whole family in the operating room.

Mama with her boys.

The new Boone clan in the NICU.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

2009-04-18T14:27:00.002-05:00

Mark it on your calendars. April 18th is a great day! Grayson Alan Boone was born at 1:01 PM weighing 5 lbs 7 oz and stretching to 18.5 in. Ethan Bennett Boone was born at 1:02 PM weighing 5 lbs 7 oz and stretching to 18 in. The boys are in the NICU for observation, but the doctors and nurses say that everything looks normal for the first hour of life on the outside. Mom is doing great. C-section went well. Jennifer is in recovery now, and hopefully we will get to see the boys again within the hour. More to come later. Thanks to all of our friends, family, and folks we don't even know for the thoughts and prayers. God has surely blessed us today. You all are part of and share in our blessing.

As promised...

2009-04-17T21:51:00.002-05:00

So, it is a little later than expected, but I did promise an update, so here it is...

I am back in the hospital. And no, I was not exactly thrilled with this development. The good news, however, is that the boys are still doing great. But here is the rest of the story:
- Ethan's amniotic fluid is low
- My blood pressure is getting high
- I'm having lots of swelling
- I'm having contractions about 5 minutes apart, especially in my back

My OB came in a little while ago and here is the go forward plan. The specialist will check Ethan's fluid level in the morning. If his fluid is regular and my blood pressure is back to normal, then we will get to go home. The more likely scenario is that things will be the same or worse. If that's the case, we will have a C-section sometime tomorrow.

We'll keep you updated as we can.

35 Weeks!!

2009-04-16T17:29:00.003-05:00

I know, I know - I was supposed to update yesterday. So sorry for the delay. So, the doctor's appointments yesterday went fine. The boys are doing great! They didn't measure them, but I promise they've gotten bigger. Only one small issue - Ethan's fluid was "borderline" low yesterday. This is not a big deal, as long as it doesn't get lower. I go back to the specialist in the morning to check it again. If it has gotten a lot worse, then we go straight to the hospital and have the boys tomorrow. Yes, that's right - I would have to have a c-section tomorrow. It's hard to believe!!!

But, if the fluid is better, we will just keep doing what we are doing. It has been so nice to be off the medicine, and I really haven't felt any different - no more contractions that before. And the doctor said yesterday that I haven't started dilating yet. So, if they don't do a section tomorrow, Alan and I think it will be another week or so before they are here.

Thanks for checking on us! I promise that one of us will post tomorrow to let you know what happens!

34 WEEKS!!!

2009-04-09T15:40:00.001-05:00

Well, we actually made it! As I have mentioned before, we still want to make it a while longer, but everyone got to breathe a collective sigh of relief yesterday when I hit 34 weeks. I have been at home for a several days now, and we have pretty much gotten the hang of everything now. The first couple of days I was having lots of contractions and was on the home monitors for HOURS at a time. After going to the doctor yesterday, they increased my threshold (the number of contractions I can have in an hour without having to re-monitor). So, yesterday and today have been much better! I will remain on the monitors and pump until next Wednesday - then it's game on. Alan and I think we will be in the hospital by that next weekend. I am not dilated at all yet, so we will just have to wait and see how fast it goes.

The boys are still doing great - and growing tons! Yesterday Grayson was 5 lbs. 7 oz. and Ethan was 5 lbs. 3 oz. They both grew over a pound in two weeks!! As you can imagine - their Mommy has grown a little bit as well. And yes, I actually took pictures. But please keep in mind...bedrest for two months - I don't look so hot!

Home Sweet Home!!!

2009-04-05T19:21:00.000-05:00

No, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. And no, I'm not being ironic either. I finally got to come home!!! It was so exciting. The doctors had told me that it wouldn't be until Wednesday, but they surprised me yesterday morning with another sonogram and test to see if I was at risk for pre-term labor. The sonogram looked great, and the test came back negative. We got the good news about 10:00 yesterday morning, and we were out of the hospital by 11:00. We wasted NO TIME getting out of there. We captured the last time I was wheeled out of that door! After 4.5 weeks, I had pretty much moved into that hospital room! Fortunately, my husband is a master packer! It's amazing we got it all out in one trip. Here's the cart...

I don't think I have ever been so excited to see my house! And Buddy was very excited to see his Mama, too. I thought that you would all get a kick out of this picture. This was my greeting when I got home - there was no stopping this dog from kissing his Mama!

So, I will be 34 weeks on Wednesday. All of the doctors are thrilled that we have been able to hold off labor for 5 weeks. However, they still hope for me to make it to 37! I will remain on bed rest at home until at least 35 weeks, maybe 36. I am still on the tributalene pump, and also have to monitor my contractions and blood pressure from home. This will continue until 36 weeks. After that, its time to get moving and try to get these babies to come meet us! The ideal situation is for me to go into labor naturally between 36 and 37 weeks.

Thanks so much for all your love and prayers. I truly believe that God has honored all the requests brought to Him, and blessed us throughout this time. We look forward to meeting these two little guys (in about 3 weeks) and for you all to meet them too!!

Special Request

2009-04-01T01:27:00.000-05:00

I am so thankful for the many prayers we have received throughout the entire process of our pregnancy. Alan and I are so blessed to be surrounded by such love and support. Our boys continue to be healthy and strong, and I will most likely be able to go home next week and let these boys come in their own time.

While we are celebrating so many blessings, this is also a time of great sadness for me and my family. As many of you know, my dear cousin Kim lost her 3.5 year battle with breast cancer last year. This week marks the one year anniversary of her death. I miss her more that I could ever express. I want her to be here for this so badly - and I know she would want to be here as well. But I also know that, on the day these two little ones are born, she will be up in heaven jumping up and down and celebrating with us!!

So, my very special request for this week is for all of you to please pray for Kim's family, especially her husband, Bryan, and six year old daughter, Madeline. We all miss her dearly, and this life is just not the same without her. Pray for us to remember all the wonderful times that we shared, and to get through this week praising God for putting her in our lives.

This one's for you, my beautiful angel...

HOOK 'EM HORNS!!!!

Alright, Alright...

2009-03-25T16:49:00.000-05:00

I succumbed to the pressure...I finally pulled out the camera. Thought you might like to see my new digs. OK, so they're not so new anymore - I have been in this room for over 3 weeks now. But, for a hospital room, this is a very nice one, so I cannot complain!!

And I was REALLY brave and even took some pictures of myself. So, this is me at 32 weeks. But please excuse my appearance - I have been in the hospital for 3.5 weeks. There is no such thing as looking cute anymore.

And in other news, the boys are still doing great. I had a sonogram yesterday. Grayson is 4 lbs 4 oz and Ethan has caught back up with his brother weighing in at 4 lbs 2 oz! That's right, people, over 8 pounds of baby! And I am starting to feel it, too. I am definitely getting larger (as I am sure you can tell!) , and its getting harder to move. I cannot imagine what another 2 - 4 weeks will bring!

I got nothin...

2009-03-21T19:32:00.000-05:00

So, I really don't have any updates, but I thought I should update to let you all know that :) Everything is pretty much the same, which is good news! The boys are doing great. I am still having lots of random contractions, but nothing to be concerned about. The hospital itself isn't so bad, its just the four walls that are getting to me. Basketball is keeping me pretty well entertained (even though all of my brackets are completely messed up!) I have officially started the "Going Home Countdown." This, however, is probably not a good idea since there is no guarantee I will actually get to go home. But a girl can dream, right? IF I do get to go home at 34 weeks, then I have 17 days to go! The only other thing that is really annoying me are the thousands of food commercials during these basketball games. You have no idea how bad I want a pizza right now!!!! Only a few more weeks...

Updates and Observations...

2009-03-16T16:57:00.001-05:00

from the weekend:
- I only have to have my finger pricked twice a day now! WOO HOO!
- I don't know how diabetics prick their fingers multiple times every day. I have a new found respect for them.
- I think I have received more shots in the past two weeks than the rest of my life combined, which is saying a lot since we did in vitro.
- Shots do cause bruises. Bad ones.
- Stressful basketball games can cause contractions (only one, but still!)
- When the Bulldogs win a bid to the Big Dance, my husband will also do a dance. Let's hope the Bulldogs Dance is better than Alan's. (Love you, honey!!)
- My dog is afraid of wheelchairs.
- The refrigerator is leaking some strange colored fluid that apparently only Alan and I can see. It has been there for days, and it has not been cleaned up. I thought a hospital was supposed to be ridiculously clean...
- I miss outside.
- Apparently sometimes contractions are brought on the monitors. I swear I dont feel them until they hook me up.
- I am not really sure how I am going to stand being in here for another 3.5 weeks. But I know this is what is best for my children, so I will suck it up.

The Full Moon...

2009-03-13T13:23:00.000-05:00

Have you ever heard that things get a little weird at hospitals during a full moon? I had heard it before, but I cant say that I ever really believed it. Until this week. Things have been CRAZY around here. Since I am confined to a hospital bed, I cannot actually confirm that there was a full moon, but the nurses tell me there was. A couple of days ago, things started changing a little. Suddenly, there were people being admitted left and right. It continued right through yesterday - until this hospital was completely full! All the nurses have been running around like crazy, totally stressed out. And I swear my children knew it, too. When they hooked us up to the monitors yesterday, these boys literally RAN from them. They sent three different nurses in here to try and find them, but they wanted nothing to do with it. The monitoring that usually takes 30 minutes took over two hours yesterday. And during all that, I had to change the tributalene cartridge in my pump. It fell apart. Yep, the syringe just broke. All over me. It was the weirdest thing.

We are all still doing really well, I just hope there isn't another full moon before April!

Sonogram

2009-03-11T08:46:00.000-05:00

I had a sonogram this morning. The boys are doing great. Grayson is 3 lb 10 oz and is dancing a jig on my bladder :) Ethan is 3 lb 5 oz and actually looked at us today! The specialist wants to add one more shot to my long list of meds, but other than that, no changes. That is good news to me!

The Nursery

2009-03-09T17:58:00.001-05:00

I am so sorry it has taken me so long to post this. I've been a little distracted by the whole hospital thing. Anyway, better late than never, right?

First, let me start by saying...my aunt, Mary Emma, is AWESOME!!! She is so very talented. I still cant believe everything she did. I know that the boys are going to LOVE their nursery becuase it is impossible to walk in there without smiling. So, here it is...

This is the view from the door. This is the most comfortable chair in the history of the world.

4 Weeks and Counting...

2009-03-07T11:25:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe that I have already been on bedrest for four weeks. Hopefully five more weeks to go! The nurses tell me that if I make it to 34 weeks, then the boys will be developed enough that they will just let me go home and go into labor naturally. So, that is what we are hoping for. It would be nice to actually be at home for a little bit before they get here.

The past couple of days have been a little hectic here in the hospital. I know, I know...how can laying in the hospital be busy? The babies and I have to be monitered every day, so I have to go down to Labor and Delivery for at least an hour. There are lots of medications to take throughout the day. And I had to take the very yucky 3 hour glucose test. Not to mention all the doctors and nurses in and out all day long. The boys continue to be very active and are always doing good. My body, on the other hand, is not cooperating quite as well. I am having intermittent contractions again, but we can still control them with the pump. The bad news, though, is that I failed the 3 hour glucose test (only by one point - which really stinks!!) According to the doctor, this is not unusual with multiples. And since I am already in the hospital, they are just going to go ahead and regulate my diet for gestational diabetes. Again, not the best news ever, but I just have to eat the food they bring me.

I think that is all the news we have. Thanks for all the prayers and support!!

I'm back!

2009-03-05T11:20:00.000-06:00

Thanks to my wonderful hubby for updating for me the past few days!! But now I have decided to pull out the computer and return to the land of technology. I have been doing lots of cross-stiching and watching terrible TV. I never knew how much I would miss HGTV and the Food Network. I will definitely not say that being in the hospital is the best part of this pregnancy, but I do have people brining me food and waiting on me. So, I cant complain too much, right?!?

Now for some updates...Alan posted about my contractions yesterday morning. They gave me another shot to stop them, which worked great. At that point they decided that since the tributelene shots were working so well, they would go ahead and put me on the tributelene pump. That means that I would get a small dose of the medicine throughout the day, instead of large doses to stop the contractions. The nurse came yesterday afternoon to "install" the pump. I don't really know how else to say that, but basically its just a needle in my leg that attaches to a cell-phone-like pump that regulates the meds. Its not as bad as it sounds, I promise! And the good news is that I haven't had a contraction since early yesterday morning!! WOO HOO!! I also saw the specialist again yesterday afternoon, and they were very pleased with how I am responding to the new regiment and the babies look great.

SOOOOO, all good news to report. We are doing well - just adjusting to life in the hospital. Will keep you posted if anything changes!

Room with a view!

2009-03-04T14:24:00.000-06:00

It's Alan again.

We've been moved across the hall to a larger room with a view of a courtyard. Thanks, Patti! Now Room 191 at Harris HEB in Bedford. It's not the Ritz, but Jennifer definitely feels less like she's in a hospital here. The staff is still great and we're learning how to grease the wheels around here.

Jennifer is still doing well. Probably better than me. The boys are great. Jennifer has had a couple episodes of close contractions, but the low dosage of tributelene that they administer has stopped them each time. Doctors are happy with that so they are going to install a pump (like an insulin pump) in Jenn's thigh so that the dosage will be smaller and constant in order to ward off contractions versus stop them.

We will see the specialist later on today. Thanks for all the prayers, calls, and visits. Love y'all!

2009-03-03T12:41:00.000-06:00

Hey everybody, it's Alan. Jennifer is too enthralled in cross-stitching and watching "Family Feud" to type at the moment.

Well, it has been an interesting 24 hours. Jennifer and her Aunt Donna went to see the specialist yesterday for Jenn's weekly appointment. The babies are healthy and assumably happy. Grayson is now at 3lb 5 oz. Ethan is at 2lb 13 oz. The problem is they are a little to eager to greet us. Jenn was having contractions they could all see on the ultrasound. So they left the doctor's office to get checked into the hospital. Luckily, I got a phone call before I got on an airplane to frosty North Dakota.

They have been able to stablize Jennifer. She's only had one contraction today so that's good. She is now in the hospital for the duration of the pregnancy. Hopefully that's another 7 - 9 weeks. She is good. The boys are good. We just have to figure out a new routine and pray for the best.

On a personal note, I had a wonderful 30th birthday this weekend at Rahr. It was a great venue for a party. I was totally suprised by it. I had no idea. Lots of family and friends and great cake. Jennifer did awesome planning it (thanks to those that helped) and it was a great time.

Good News!

2009-02-25T15:54:00.000-06:00

So, the fluid is back to normal. Its amazing what a little bedrest and 228 oz of water in one day can do. The doctor says everything looks good, I just have to be even more careful to stay flat and drink lots of water!

This week's updates...

2009-02-23T16:50:00.000-06:00

We went to the specialist again this afternoon. As is typical, we have good news and bad news. The boys are doing great - and growing like crazy. Which explains why I am getting so large and uncomfortable! :) Grayson is 2 lbs and 12 oz... still just hanging out with his hands right up near his face like always. Ethan is 2 lbs and 10 oz... he's always just a couple of ounces smaller than his brother. Ethan was very cooperative today, though. We actually got to see his face today. They are both weighing 2 weeks ahead... which is great news! Also, the bedrest and medicine seem to be working. On that front, everything still looks the same as last week. WOO HOO!!

The little bit of bad news... Ethan's amniotic fluid level is lower than Grayson's. The doctor said that it is not "too low," its just low compared to Grayson's, so he wants to make sure that I am not losing fluid. So, I have to stay on bedrest (as if I wouldn't be doing that anyway) and hydrate for the next two days and go back to see him on Wednesday. This seems precautionary and hopefully everything will be fine, but we will know more Wednesday.

Bedrest - week two

2009-02-16T15:33:00.000-06:00

So, the bedrest continues. We went to the doctor today, and the babies are doing great. Grayson still has his hands right up in front of face, and Ethan is still facing downwards. For some reason, I think our kids are going to like having their pictures made! :)

As for me, things look about the same as last Monday. This is really good news! So, we will just continue what we are doing and hope the results stay the same!

Thanks for all the calls, well wishes, and especially the prayers!!

The Results...

2009-02-09T14:11:00.000-06:00

At the doctor this morning, everything looked about the same as it did on Thursday. This is really good news because I haven't progressed any further. What this means, though, is that the bedrest is working. So, yep, you guessed it... I am on bedrest until these babies come - hopefully about 12 weeks. This doesn't sound like the best 3 months of my life, but I would MUCH rather be at home on bedrest than in the hospital, so I am following doctors orders!!

The Good, The Bad, and the Boring

2009-02-08T19:12:00.000-06:00

THE GOOD... the babies are doing great! As of Thursday, Grayson weighed 2 lbs. 1 oz. and Ethan weighs 1 lb. 13 oz. Both of their heartbeats are really strong, and they are kicking their mommy like crazy. Daddy finally got to feel them really good last week as well.

THE BAD... At the specialist on Thursday, they discovered that my body is preparing for these kiddos to come a little earlier than we want them to. (There are a lot of technical and biologically correct terms for this, but since this is a family friendly blog, I will refrain.) So, the doctor sent me immediately to the hospital to make sure that I wasn't having contractions. Fortunately, I wasn't, so they gave me a prescription to prevent contractions and sent me on home.

THE BORING... But they sent me home to be on bedrest. Yep, bedrest at 25 weeks. We all sort of expected that I might have to go on bedrest, since I am having twins and all. But I certainly didn't expect it to be quite so early. So, I am supposed to be on my side all the time except to go to the bathroom. In case you are thinking that this might actually be a nice change of pace, or sort of fun for a few days...I probably would have agreed with you... Until it actually happened. I am all about a lazy day on the couch - I love them! But when someone tells you that you HAVE to be on the couch, its not so much fun. I've never been so motivated to get stuff done around the house in my life. And I cant move. Thank goodness for my fabulous mother that has been at my house the past two days doing amazing things like laundry, hanging pictures, and sorting through tons of baby clothes. THANKS MOM!!

So, I go back to the specialist on Monday morning to see where we go from here. Hopefully, things will look better and I wont have to be on bedrest for the rest of this pregnancy. I'll let you know how it goes...

Random thoughts...

2009-02-02T16:50:00.000-06:00

I really have no news, but I am trying to do better about updates. SOOO, here are a few random tidbits...
- These boys are AMAZING! I know, I know...I havent met them yet. But they are still amazing to their mommy. After all the trials and tribulations, I just feel so blessed to carry them. And I believe that God hand-picked these little guys to be put back in my tummy. It is a little harder while they are kicking my stomach, ribs, and bladder - BUT they are worth every moment.
- All of that being said - WOW, am I starting to get uncomfortable! I will be 25 weeks along on Wednesday; I didn't really think it would start quite so soon. And yes, I KNOW it is going to get worse. That's why I said "starting to..." Anyhow, I guess with twins it just comes a little bit faster!
- I go back to the doctors on Thursday and Friday. I am a little worried that they are going to tell me I actually have to slow down - as in, stop working full time and cut back on everything else. I will totally do what they tell me to (I promise!!!), but it will hard for me! Especially when there is so much to left to do to prepare for these twins to arrive in our home.
- We picked up the second crib and ordered our glider/recliner this weekend. And I am going to buy the fabric and send it to my fabulous aunt tomorrow. So, the nursery is actually starting to take shape. Now for their closet...

That's all I've got for now. If you actually made it through all of my rambling, thanks for reading! If you have questions, feel free to comment.

Baby Shower Galore

2009-01-27T16:04:00.000-06:00

My wonderful friends from high school and college threw the MOST AMAZING baby shower for us in Jackson this past weekend. The whole shower was beautiful, and we RACKED UP!! Thanks to all who gave us such generous gifts! Its like we are going to have two babies or something :) Hostess picture: Amy, Chrissy, Christy, Mary Katherine, me, Lorin, Natalie, Catherine, and Transito (We missed you, Kendall!!!)Beautiful table set-up.

The Boone clan!

Me and Mom

Our gift from the hostesses - our double stroller. It's HUGE! But something we will definitely be using a lot! Thanks so much, ladies!

These are the canvases that Mary Kathering did for the boys' nursery. They are all so amazing, and Alan and I LOVE them!! Thanks so much, MK!!

I know, I know...

2009-01-22T15:35:00.000-06:00

I'm in trouble! Its been forever since I updated this thing! So, here are the new sonogram pics (at 23 weeks).

And we OFFICIALLY have names now! I would like to introduce Grayson Alan Boone (twin A) who now weighs a whopping 1 lb and 7 ounces. He always has that little hand up next to his face (no peace sign, this time though!)

And then we have Ethan Bennett Boone (twin B) at 1 lb 5 ounces. He is not in as good a position, so he's a little harder to see. But I was able to see him yawn during the sonogram, and it was the cutest thing ever!!

The specialist says they both look great and healthy. What a blessing!!!

I thought I would also go ahead and answer some of the questions that we have been getting - and feel free to ask some more (maybe I will do better about updating then!)
- Grayson and Ethan are names that we came up with - we wanted them to be a little unique, but not far fetched. However, they both have "family" middle names. Alan is their dad's name, and Bennett is my mom's maiden name.
- Yes, we do know which twin is which! They are labeled based on where they are in my belly, and they haven't (and won't) switch positions, I promise!!!
- This has been a relatively easy pregnancy. But everything is relative, right! I am still doing really well, but I am starting to get uncomfortable. I just hope I can keep up my schedule for about another month!
- The nursery is coming along. I will post pictures when we get the rest of furniture and the bedding. My fabulously creative and talented aunt is making the bedding!! But, of course, I had a hard time deciding on the fabric, so it will be a bit longer on that. We do have one crib and their dresser set up in the room, and the other crib is on its way. We are fortunate to have a pretty large room for the nursery, but it is getting filled up VERY quickly!

I cant think of anything else at the moment, so I will quit babbling. Thanks to everyone who has continued to check this blog, even though I have been lazy! I promise I will try to do better!

Let's hear it for the BOYS!!!

2008-12-11T15:19:00.000-06:00

Sonogram pictures, as promised... These are the profiles of both of their faces. Twin A (facing right) appears to be our more laid back twin. He was very cooperative during both sonograms and was perfectly happy to let us watch him move around and play. He even gave us a "Peace Sign" (below). Twin A weighs 9 ounces and is about 13 - 14 cm long. He continues to be a little bit bigger than his brother.

Twin B (facing left) seems to be a little more stubborn (I wonder where he gets that from :) ) He wasn't real keen on us watching him, so the doctor had to give him a little motivation. Unfortunately for Mommy, that motivation was A LOT of poking her stomach with an ultrasound wand. Twin B weighs 8 ounces and is about 13 cm long.

We are so thankful to have two healthy babies! The journey has been long and hard (and we know it will continue to be), but holding those precious boys will make it all worthwhile.

Thank you so much to all of friends and family for your love, support, and most of all, your prayers!

And the twins are...

2008-12-10T17:28:00.000-06:00

BOYS!!! Yep, two more Boone boys. We are so excited...they are both healthy and doing well. We went to the specialist today for a sonogram. But this was no ordinary sonogram...we got to see twenty fingers and twenty toes, the four ventribles of two hearts, two brains, four kidneys, plus lots and lots of vertebrae and ribs. I must say that this was absolutely the best doctors appointment in history! I will post the sono pictures tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-25T13:38:00.000-06:00

The Boone Family will be heading down south to my aunt and uncle's farm just outside of Gatesville, Texas for Thanksgiving. We always have such fun with our family! We call the trips to the farm our "redneck weekends." They usually consist of riding four wheelers, shooting guns, playing games, and eating a ton. Oh, and we also usually have almost as many dogs in attendance as we do humans. We take these redneck weekends seriously, folks! I hope that all of you have as great a Thanksgiving as I know we will!

Speculation

2008-11-17T12:48:00.000-06:00

Well, I started this on Monday, but I guess I got a little distracted.
So, the doctor wouldnt speculate...she said it was too early to tell. But we should definitely find out what they are when we go to the
specialist next month.

Here are the new sonogram pics. Everything still looks really good. The top twin's head is on the right; the bottom twin's head is on the left. You can't really tell from the picture, but they are both facing downward this time.

The votes...

2008-11-12T16:14:00.000-06:00

So, I go back to the doctor tomorrow. I am exactly 13 weeks today, so I totally doubt that they will be able to tell me what I am having. BUT, I am going to ask them to speculate. Just to see if there are any clues.

I learned a new trick - I added a poll to keep up with the votes - see above!

Lets hope that you guys are right. There are no girls in the Boone Family, and my father-in-law wants a granddaughter REALLY bad!!!

We are heading to New York City tomorrow to celebrate some birthdays, so I will post the new sono pictures next week.

Kicks and Giggles

2008-11-03T16:35:00.000-06:00

So, we went to the doctor last Thursday. (Yes, Alan finally got to go with me!) I was 11 weeks at that point. The twins are doing great! They are both almost 5 cm long. They were moving around and kicking up a storm. Here are their pictures…the first picture is both the twins with the measurements of the top twin. The second picture is the bottom twin with measurements.

The top twin's head is on the right with the feet on the left. The bottom twin is opposite with the head on the left (and I swear I can see the face in that picture!) My favorite is the little foot kicking in the bottom picture - I think that is so amazing!!

I go back to my regular doctor in two weeks. Then 4 weeks after that, I start going to the specialist (this is just because I am having multiples.) My doctor said that we will definitely be able to find out the sexes at the specialist appointment.

I am currently taking a vote on what everyone thinks the babies are. So far, I have 4 votes for one boy and one girl, and 3 votes for two girls. Let me know what you think!

The truth about morning sickness...

2008-10-22T17:20:00.000-05:00

***Disclaimer: You might not want to read this blog if you have a weak stomach, or dont want to hear the truth about pregnancy. ***

Yes, I know I havent written anything in the past week. I would like to say that I have just been so busy that I havent gotten around to it. But...I can't. The truth is: I have been too SICK to get around to it. God bless the women that carry multiples. I truly dont know how women carry more than two children. My two are enough to have me in the bathroom almost 24/7. Whoever named it "morning sickness" is just mean. It should be called "just go ahead and stand over the toilet 24/7 sickness." Fortunately, my doctor prescribed Zofran (after I got to the point that I couldnt even keep water down), which seemed to work...for a while, anyway. It stopped working Monday night, so the past couple of days have been bad. The doctor did warn me that weeks 10 - 12 would be the worst. I just hope its over after week 12.

I guess that's about it for now. I go back to the doctor next Thursday, so hopefully I will have sonogram pics to post then.

My First Blog

2008-10-14T19:02:00.001-05:00

So, I am definitely NOT a blogger. However, I am now being forced to start (thanks M.K.) to make it easier for all my wonderful friends and family to keep up with us...and our pregnancy!!!

Here's a little background...
My husband, Alan, and I have been married for a little over five years. We started trying to have children a little over two years ago. After many tests (and some surgery) we were referred to fertility specialists. We ended up having to go through in vitro. We got the news on September 15 - we are PREGNANT!! Woo Hoo!!!

On October 1, I went for my first sonongram. One healthy baby! And ANOTHER healthy baby!That's right - we're having TWINS!!!

We are still a little overwhelmed, but definitely very excited. I will do my best to keep you all updated on the quickly growing Booone Family.