Catching up *February *March *April

Ashley, Samuel, Eli, me, Eliza and Luke
Lize had a work trip in NY so Ash picked her up from Connecticut and drove out to stay with us. It was so fun to have them out here. It only takes 4 hours from Ct to Hershey. Amazing! Luke and I made the trek out to stay with Ash and fam our first summer here and I could not believe that I drove through 4 states in four hours. Love the east coast.

Dave working the fireman uniform! We had our PIM playgroup at the fire station and Dave had the morning off so he decided to join us and being the only adult male there he was stuck trying on everything.







"Protecting His Dream" with a Hershey kiss on the fire truck. I love this place. I was surprised to find out that all of the firefighters in the towns around here are volunteer based. No one gets paid at all. I don't get it. Our house is on the same street as the fire station and we always get to hear the sirens calling all the volunteers into the station. It freaked me out a little at first because it sounds exactly like an old school tornado warning alarm.
Easter egg hunt at Shank Park


Easter morning
Egg hunt at the outlets
Ice skating- Dave suddenly had the urge to take Luke ice skating after watching the Olympics. He said something about how Luke could be this natural skater like Apollo Ono but we would never know it. After seeing Luke ice skate I am pretty sure that he is no natural. He was very cute though.

Oh Boy!!!
Get ready for some more Owen boys because we are having two more!


Grandsons number 15 & 16 on Dave's side of the family with only one granddaughter. What is with those boy genes!?! We are really excited and everything went well with the ultrasound. I always get really nervous for this big ultrasound appointment. It took a full hour and a half of the tech measuring everything with the twins. I only remember Luke's taking about 10 minutes and this time my stomach and back were super sore. The tech kept trying to move the babies into different positions with that probe and it was so uncomfortable! But they are good and I keep imagining all of the many sporting games that I will be going to for the next long while...and surprisingly I am excited about it.

To answer some questions:
1- No they are not Siamese twins. I can't remember who asked me that but I thought it was weird.
2- The doctor said that they are most likely fraternal but there is still a chance that they could be identical. Since they are in very separated and have their own placenta etc.
3- Yes, we do have a lot of twins that run in the family but I am pretty sure it was the Clomid that did it more than genetics.
4- We were very surprised even though I was taking Clomid. It was the first month that I had ever gone on it, we were moving and the Dr. told us that there was only a 5% chance of having twins so I was pretty much in shock/panic mode. I hadn't put much thought into multiples even though Dave "predicted" twins 3 years ago and came home one day when Luke was a newborn to tell me the news. Not something that someone with a newborn needs to hear.
5- Will I nurse? I sometimes get this question. I ask myself the same thing everyday. I think in some way or another I will attempt. Either pump or one at a time and trade off. All I know is that I will not do that football holding two at a time thing (I am really not coordinated enough) and I won't be nursing for 16 months like I did with Luke. My goal is at least for the first few weeks. I am feeling anxiety and pain just thinking about it! But I will do my best. Any advice?
6- Due date February 23rd but planning on leaving January and February wide open.

Bring on a house full of boys! And are those bibs going to be the story of my life?

Twinners

I think that everyone knows by now but I just thought I would throw it out to the blog world that we are having twinners. I am still in twin shock but it is feeling more and more real and I am getting really excited. I had my appointment yesterday and since I have to have an ultrasound every visit (to detect the separate heartbeats) I thought they would be able to see the gender but unfortunately the ultrasound machine at the clinic was too much of a clunker so we couldn't tell. But in less then 2 weeks (I will be 19/20 weeks by then) we will hopefully be able to tell with the hospitals machine. I am amazed that there are two little peeps in there just hanging out. They were doing all sorts of fun flips yesterday on the ultrasound screen and at one point they were facing each other and doing some hand motions and Dave said that it looked like they were playing a game of cards! It totally looked like they were. I am sure that they are just trying to pass the time until they are born.

Right now I feel like a new woman. More energy, that blasted summer heat is over, no more barfing and I can actually get off of the couch and be human again. I hate to complain because I know that pregnancy is such a huge blessing but this summer was ROUGH (in all caps)! But bad times are behind us and we are are trying to enjoy the calm before the storm. Newborn twins are going to be crazy. Someone save me! I am open to all and any advice. Feedings scare me the most, then the nights, leaving the house, billions of diapers etc. etc. I keep trying to focus on how cute those little guys will be and how fun it will be to see them grow up together with that special twin bond.

One thing that has been driving me crazy are the not so nice responses. Most people are really nice and positive about the twins but it is all of the random people that need to just pipe down. My favorite response was "oh, twins are the biggest curse in the world. I am so sorry!" Punch. All I can say is I know it is going to be soooooooo hard believe me I struggled with only one newborn, I know it will be pricey, I know delivery won't be fun and feeding them and all that jazz but seriously no turning back and I am looking forward to having two for the price of one! Can you tell that I am trying to think only good thoughts?

Well, I am absolutely sure that no one reads this neglected little blog anymore but it is nice just to write. In Luke news he think we are having a boy and a girl and he is dead set on naming them Hiccup and Astrid (from that dragon movie). I asked him awhile back what is the first thing that he wanted to do when the babies come out and all he said was "punch them in the face." Aw, pure precious. I don't blame him though. He spent all summer bringing me barf bags and fending for himself. His world is about to be rocked!!!

So in honor of the twinsters in my belly here is a twin montage...



























Celine and I are so excited and just really trying to prepare for both of our twins. I am sure that she is pretty much doing the same things as me like searching for cheap cribs on craigslist, saving diaper coupons and other things like that.





Again, the pic of Kate. I can't get over this shot. I am hoping that since I am delivering at the same place (also Dave's work) that a twins delivery will be a cinch after sextuplets.




P.S. Wouldn't you hate to be Gisele's twin. You would always be the ugly one.


Stay tuned for some glamorous belly shots. I am getting huge!

My first posts. By Dave.

Father Sons outing, always a success. Luke with his friend Max.
Luke and "little buddy."

We finally found a new place to live. We will be moving in a couple of weeks. Our good friends the Jurgensmeier's found it for us and the best part is that we will be back yard neighbors with them.

Oh the Amish...so naive. We all know that Luke just loves pretzels so we had to visit the factory.
Some random Amish house that was selling homemade root beer. It is too bad that the Amish don't let you take pictures of them.

I searched the entire state to find some type of sport for 3 yr olds. Thank you soccer tots.

Luke and I practicing his first talk in church. He was way excited.

New York

Niagara Falls.
We took a trip to New York last month. Loved the Maid of the Mist.
Stan would not approve.


We stayed by Lake Ontario, thanks be to Creighton. Still not sure how he gets those hotel deals.
I finally got Danielle to skip a rock, she looks psyched.
Palmyra. Joseph Smith's log cabin.

Pondering the meaning of life in the Sacred Grove.
Luke decided he had to roll down the Hill Cumorah.The Sacred Grove.