Just Sharing

This is a different sort of post than I usually do.  I just wanted to share with you something that's been on my heart. 

Adoption.

After our third failed IVF transfer (which was my "sort of miscarriage") I thought we were going to adopt.  I felt VERY strongly that adoption was the direction we were supposed to head in.  We went to an informational meeting at Bethany Christian Services.  I was convinced.  Jeremy wasn't.  If you start looking into adoption you often hear that the husband is the reluctant one.  I prayed for God to change his heart and for him to want to adopt as badly as I did.  And then we decided to do IVF one more time.  It was honestly a financial decision.  Adoption is expensive.  Like, really expensive.  The cost for us to adopt a domestic infant would have been around $30,000.  Since Walgreens has infertility benefits it was WAY less for us to do IVF again, which is around $12,000 if you don't have insurance that covers it.  Our out-of-pocket costs were significantly less.

Well, you know how that story ends.  These two.

 
But I still hope we have an adoption story one day!  I have always wanted to adopt.  Before I was even married I always liked the idea though I couldn't really tell you why.  Obviously Ben and Ainsley keep us plenty busy so adoption isn't anywhere in our near future but maybe when they are (much) older when could adopt an older child instead of an infant.  I don't really know, I don't make those sort of plans anymore because I don't think God intended me to be his personal comedian. 

So, I was reading Kelly's Korner the other day and she had this post about adoptions.  I clicked on a couple of them and found this one.   Jess and Eric are adopting from Ethiopia and they are doing a really neat fundraiser.  Now I may just be living under a rock but I thought this idea was really unique!  They are doing a puzzle fundraiser.  So they have a puzzle and are "selling" the pieces to it.  You can "buy" a piece for $10 and they write your name on the back of the piece and when it is done and put together they are going to hang it in a double-sided frame in their baby's room.  I bought a piece each for Ainsley and Benson.

She sent me these pictures of our puzzle pieces!

So disclaimer time: I don't know Jess and Eric.  I don't know their last name.  I don't know where they live.  I do know that every Monday Jess writes a letter to their baby in Ethiopia.  I do know that adoption is outrageously expensive.  I do know the hurt that comes with wanting and waiting for a child.  That was enough for me to donate $20 in Ben and Ainsley's names. 

Also, I'm not asking you to donate!  What I would love though is if everyone who reads this would take a minute to pray for those who are still waiting.  Waiting on fertility treatments to work, waiting on the call to come in that their little one half way across the world is ready to meet them, waiting for God to show them the way.  If you don't feel like praying that's alright, too!  Just think about them for a moment.  Spend a couple minutes of quiet time reflecting on it.  And if you DO feel like donating - go for it!  I'm super excited to see this puzzle completed and to watch Jess' blog and see their story unfold!

Three Months

The twins are THREE MONTHS OLD!  Well, they turned three months on January 11th but we just got around to taking their three month pictures because everyone has been sick.  We are all, in fact, still sick but I figured we had better go ahead and take the pictures or else they'll be four months old before we get it done!  Poor Ainsley looks just pathetic.  She is usually so smiley but she just looked at me the entire time like, "Seriously, Mom?" 

Ainsley - You are getting so big!  At your weight check this last week you were 10lbs 7oz!  You are eating about 4oz of breast milk fortified with soy formula every 3 hours during the day.  You sleep all night from about 8:30pm or 9:00pm to 5:00am.  Sara and Lindsay at daycare always tell us how smiley and happy you are!  You love to look at your mommy and daddy and you are really starting to respond to faces we make and us talking to you.  You love to "talk" back to us.   You also love watching your mobile and talking to your "friends."  You do get fussy at night but I think it's because you are so alert and love to stay awake and play at daycare that you get so tired at night.  We are going to stop swaddling you pretty soon.  Probably after you get over this cold.  You sometimes break your little arms out and you are getting too big for your Halo Swaddle Blankets.  I think it will go well for you! 

Benson - You are getting big too!  You actually lost a few ounces because you have been sick and haven't wanted to eat much.  At your weight check this last week you were 9lbs 11oz.  I'm sure you'll gain it back as soon as you feel better!  When you aren't sick you are eating 3oz of soy formula mixed with 1oz of breast milk.  You just do not seem to "like" breast milk as much as formula.  I highly doubt your palette can distinguish the subtle difference so I really have no explanation for this but we go with the flow and feed you whatever you will eat and not cry about!  You spit up...a lot!  But since you've been on your Zantac it doesn't seem to bother you so much and you don't cry at all when you eat anymore - yay!  You do, however, usually go through about three outfits a day.  I think ONCE you have came home from daycare in the same clothes you went in.  You are really starting to smile and "talk" more.  Your favorite thing to do is kick your legs!  You do it ALL THE TIME!  You always kick your socks and blanket off.  Your little legs just go, go, go!  You too are getting too big for your swaddle blanket.  This will make Grandma Barb happy since she thinks we are torturing you when we put you in it (we use a Miracle Blanket for Ben).  You are startling yourself less and less so hopefully it will be an easy transition to no swaddling but I think you will probably wake up a little more during the night without it. 


Regarding Ben's health - We ended up seeing a neurologist in Iowa City so we won't have to travel to St. Louis or Denver.  He really didn't tell us anything new.  He again went over all the possibilities of things that could develop down the road related to Ben's stroke.  We are still in "wait and see" mode and probably will be for many years.  Ben also saw Dr. Ramsey at the Developmental Clinic.  He referred us to Physical Therapy for Ben's torticollis.  However, the physical therapist doesn't seem to think it is actually torticollis.  I'm not sure if I've mentioned much about this but Ben has a preference for turning his head to the right.  He will turn it to the left and seems to have no problem with range of motion.  The physical therapist thinks it could be a result of his stroke or caused by his reflux.  This was something I learned.  Babies with reflux can have a preference for turning their head to the right.  When food goes down your esophagus it turns left to go into your stomach and turning your head right further elongates the process which is a natural way to help with reflux.  I personally feel like Ben is already starting to turn his head more to the left.  That being said, I also feel like his head is a little misshapen from turning it more to the right so we'll see what the pediatrician thinks at their four month appointment.  I think that about covers what is going on with him but if I've left anything hanging feel free to ask me! 


We also took a little video which I think we'll continue to do each time as well.  I just love videos!  They are so fun to watch!  The only thing I don't like is listening to myself in them.  I should learn how to take out the audio.  Anyway, here is the video from their 3 month photo shoot.  Ben is ALWAYS kicking his legs like this!  I think we're going to be in trouble when he starts crawling and walking!

Thanks for checking in on us!  We are all ready for January to be over and hopefully we'll all feel a lot better!

Ainsley and Her Mobile

Miss Ainsley just loves her mobile! She loves to watch her friends go around and around. She talks to them and smiles at them. I find it quite adorable.  Hope you do too!

We are all getting over being sick.  ALL of us.  Ben started it so I blame it all on him.  Ainsley hasn't been quite as bad.  I am definitely ready for all of us to be healthy again!  I have yet to take their 3 month pictures since they haven't been feeling well.  Hopefully we'll get that done in the next few days!

Hippo Hats

The art teacher at my mom's school made these for the twins! They are so adorable and anyone who can knit, crochet, sew, anything of the sort really is a.ma.zing in my book!

Love!

I also wanted to share my new FAVORITE blog! A friend on Facebook initially shared this post and I proceeded to read like, the entire blog. It is seriously fabulous - hilarious, honest and insightful! Check it out!

First Pinterest Project

Like so many others I have developed a love for Pinterest. I have many, many things pinned. However, I have only completed ONE project (other than recipes). This is the pin I found and thought "GENIUS!"

Source: curbly.com via Reanna on Pinterest

Basically, you spray paint 5-gallon paint sticks and cut off the end with the curve for your hand then screw them into your cabinet. Add some cup hooks and hang your measuring cups and spoons! We pre-drilled holes in the cabinets and paint sticks before screwing them in. I laid out the paint sticks and marked where I wanted to put the hooks so they would be somewhat uniform when I hung the measuring cups/spoons. It was a SUPER easy project and now I don't have to dig for the cup or spoon I need. The only con I've found is that I keep forgetting they're there and I fling open the door and give myself a heart attack when everything clangs against the cupboard! I'm starting to remember...sometimes...

Here's mine:

I want to do this next but so far haven't seen these holders anywhere.

Source: kevinandamanda.com via Reanna on Pinterest

What projects from Pinterest have you done?

Hello!

We have been pretty busy this week since I have gone back to work (which is going great) and will be even busier next week but we wanted to say "hello!"

They got these adorable outfits from Jeremy's colleague, Tom, and his wife, Julia! They have little ears on the hoods!

Awww - snuggles!

These are from my cousin Joe and his wife Jeannie - I always look at them and go "Womb Mates - haha." It's funny every time you say it!

Allyson, who I work with made these for the babes...yes, MADE! She obviously knows her way around a sewing machine, unlike me.

Hope you all have a GREAT weekend!

Random Thoughts

1. I'm thinking about doing a 21 day challenge. "They say" it takes 21 days to form a habit so since we got an elliptical last week I am thinking about challenging myself to work out EVERY DAY at 4:30am.

2. Speaking of working out...Jeremy started a blog! He came up with this crazy idea to burn 100,000 calories in a year! Follow his journey (and mine) here. I'm sure he would be tickled pink to have some followers though he would never admit it of course!

3. I have a really hard time not looking ahead in those daily calendars where you tear off a page every day. I mean really hard...put.down.the.calendar...

4. The twins are 12 weeks old today!

5. I took them to daycare even though I don't work so I could run errands, work out, and clean the house up.

6. Second day back to work yesterday and someone hung up on me already because our Lipitor is more expensive than Wal-Mart. Nice.

7. I have tons of magazines from the last year that I hate to throw away. Is there some place you can donate them to? Obviously I wouldn't "throw them away" I would recycle them if there isn't someplace to take them.

8. You may have seen on Facebook I made my own laundry soap. That is probably a whole post in itself but it is working good so far!

9. I completed my first Pinterest project recently! I'll share that soon too!

10. I'm not liking all this cold and wind! I much prefer a minimum temperature of 40 and a mild breeze. Do you hear me Johnny Mac?

That is a whole lot of randomness for one day! What random thoughts are on your mind?