Tickled pink!!!

So today was our big day...our 20 week level 2 ultrasound!  It was amazing.  We had it at Abbott Northwestern and boy is that place incredible!  It is like its own little city.  Our tech was very knowledgeable and has been doing ultrasounds for almost 30 years-we could certainly tell!  It lasted about an hour and a half and she took measurements of just about everything you could think of!  We feel blessed and happy to report that both babies are healthy!  4 heart chambers, good brain sizes, fluid in their tummies (which means they can swallow), strong heartbeats (Baby A-155 and Baby B-153) and each had perfect little arms and legs that we got to experience moving all over the place!  They looked like little chicken legs!  We could also see feet, toes, hands, fingers, their mouthes moving, eye sockets...even some internal parts like their kidneys and liver!  Medical technology is absolutley amazing. 

Its amazing how much they were moving around!  I have felt lots of movement especially within the last week...I feel tons of flutters inside and Pete and I got to experience the first definite kicks externally last Tuesday after I came home from...how perfect is this...the Twins game (on a night we actually won!).  Then this weekend Pete put his head up to my belly and in his words "was punched in the ear!"  So seeing the little rascals move inside of me today made sense but we were still amazed at just how much they are moving.

If you haven't figured it out already...the most exciting news we learned today was the sexes!  It turns out there is only 1 placenta which means they are identical (occurs in about 25% of pregnancies) so as soon as she told us the sex of baby b we knew what baby a was (but she double checked to make sure)....

We are having identical GIRLS!!!! 

The best news is that although this means there is a risk for TTTS (Twin Twin Tranfusion Syndrome-basically where one baby gets more nutrients than the other and can result in early delivery) our Dr. said things couldn't be going any better!  They measure almost identically and weigh the same...12 oz...which is a great sign that the gals are on the right track.  Our Dr. said that if TTTS will develop it usually doesn't appear any later than 24-26 weeks...so only a few more weeks left.  To be on the safe side I will be seen every 2 weeks for the next 6 weeks for a quick ultrasound to ensure the growth is progressing healthfully.

We just couldn't be any happier...it's really neat that I have great girlfriends Anne and Sarah that are twins...so I know all the secrets already (haha).  Sarah's reaction was great...my parents guessed that she would squeal in delight when I told her and she sure did! So cute.  I wore my dad's late twin sister Becky's ring on my necklace to the appointment today and my dad and I both were thinking that this is kind of a indirect way that she is being honored being that they are both girls :-)  It just seems extra special.

Muahaha...Pete is outnumbered and has said that he will just start living in the garage now and might as well have a door with a little slot under it where we will push his food through to him.  Lol.  Nah, he is so excited and we all know the girls will have him wrapped around their fingers.  He is going to be a GREAT Daddy.  Being a girl myself I do know that these little ones will be pricier down the line than boys...shopping, hair, makeup, weddings, etc.  Oh the good times to be had :-)

It was so fun calling and telling our parents the news.  They all will be fantastic grandparents!  Poor Gabriel (our nephew on Pete's side) is outnumbered now 4 to 1!!!  He will be a great cousin to them we know for sure!  I got to talk to my niece Laney today and when I told her there were girls in my belly she said, "maybe we can come over right now and see them!" So cute...and she also later said that we should name them either "Plomey and Clomey" OR "Isla and Isla" (which is her sister's name).  I wonder where Plomey and Clomey came from?!  She is adorable.

My parents had us over for a delicious dinner tonight and it was very special spending some time talking everything over with them.  They even picked up some adorable pink and white booties and little pink onsies :-)

Sorry we didn't contact everyone personally...we sure were wiped out after the appointment!  There was a lot of information and after digesting all that info, grabbing a bite to eat, starting our registry and imagining all the possibilities...we took a little nap!  Figured we better get it in now!  

Thanks to EVERYONE for all of your thoughts and prayers.  They mean SO much to us and we couldn't do this without your support.  We love you!
Love,
Pete, Becky and the bambinas :-)

God is good!

Pete sent me this photo via text on Mother's day...I thought it was from the internet but then noticed our kitchen countertops under it!  Pete had made hardboiled eggs the other day and we think this was God's way of confirming our precious blessings to be!  How cool is this?!  By the way...I had a great "mother's day"...thanks Mom, Pete and Ellen and Tom for the sweet gifts and cards and to my friends for sending me messages.  I feel so loved!

I've been feeling SO much better.  Had a small set back this weekend with what I like to call "the ghost of first trimester past" and was up in the middle of the night throwing up.  My back is starting to bug me a bit but doc has me wearing a support belt and its really helping.  Also, my iron is a bit low so I'm working on making sure that in addition to my prenatal I am getting enough through my food.  Total cereal has 100%! 

We're getting anxious for our 20 week ultrasound.  It's scheduled for May 31st and we'll get to find out the sexes! :-)  We've also decided we will deliver at Abbott Northwestern in Minneapolis...they have a level 2 nursery and they've got great neonatoligists on hand. 
I've met 3 different moms of new twins at Pottery Barn.  It's really exciting to see their babes and awesome having them as resources...they've all been so helpful!