October 24, 2005 - 21 weeks and 1 day pregnant!

Bryce & Kade both weigh 12 ounces!
Bryce
Bryce
Kade; Bryce
Kade
Bryce's legs; Kade's head

Bryce's heartbeat on October 11, 2005

Kade's heartbeat on October 11, 2005

October 01, 2005 - Flutters & Kicks

On October 01, 2005, I felt the first flutter of movement in my tummy and by October 17, 2005, I felt the first real kicks!

The Absolute Surprise of a Lifetime - September 30, 2005

We went in for the normal check ups and actually heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time on Thursday, August 25, 2005. I have to say that hearing the heartbeat was one of the most enjoyable moments of my life. We didn't have another ultrasound until Friday, September 30, 2005, which was the earliest date we had a chance of finding out if our baby was a girl or a boy. I was 17 weeks and 5 days pregnant at this point. This was my first ultrasound from the top of my belly. I remember leaving work and calling my mom and asking her to pray that the baby was a little girl. I told her I wanted a girl because I wanted to have the relationship that my grandmother, mom and I share. The three of us are very very close and I wanted to add another girl to the next generation. I recall being in tears when I got off the phone with my mom and just praying to God that I would have a little girl. Little did I know what God really had in store for me. Jason met me at the doctor's office and we were so anxious to get there. Time stood still for me. Right on time, we were called back to the ultrasound room. My mind was blank for a moment. I had prayed every night from the moment I felt that I was pregnant that God would bless us with a healthy and happy baby and this ultrasound would tell us so much about the little mystery that rested inside of me. The nurse began the sonogram and I was looking at the screen, not knowing a thing that I was looking at. I remember looking over at Jason and he had both hands on his hips, his eyes were focused on the screen, and his left knee was rapidly jumping up and down. The nurse didn't say anything and I couldn't find the courage to even speak a simple "Is everything okay?" The nurse was moving the monitor over my belly from one side to the other over and over, not staying put for very long at all. Finally, she said, "hang on guys, I have to check something," and she walked out of the room. She was only gone for about a minute, but I assure you, we thought it was an eternity. Jason and I didn't speak, we just stared at each other. Finally, I broke down sobbing and asking Jason what could possibly be wrong. When the nurse returned, she realized that she had scared us and immediately said, "oh, my...please don't cry...everything is perfectly okay...actually it is doubly okay Stacie, you are having twins." "You are having twins" echoed in my mind over and over and then over and over again. I have never been a drama queen or one to get overly excited, but I assure you that at that moment, I was an uncontrollable, emotional, pregnant lady that didn't believe what she had just heard. "What did you just say," to which Jason replied "You didn't hear her Stac, we're having twins, we're having twins...isn't it great!" It was an absolute out of body experience. That was not me laying on that table and that was not me seeing two babies on that screen. That machine must have been hooked up to some other pregnant lady that must have had her senses about her because I certainly had lost all of mine. There was no way that I was almost 18 weeks pregnant and just finding out that I was pregnant with twins. The nurse explained that she had left the room for that reason exactly. She had to check when the last sonogram was because it shouldn't have been missed. In hindsight, I know exactly why we didn't find out any sooner. God had a plan and He knew how much of a worrier I was (and still am) and I feel confident that He spared me that time knowing that I would have struggled early on knowing that I was pregnant with twins. After making it to 18 weeks with healthy twins, the prognosis for delivering healthy twins increases significantly. As the ultrasound continued, I went through a range of experiences including my first hot flash. I began sweating and breathing hard; I was in total shock. After having a fan hooked up and directed to blow straight on me, I eventually came back to earth. All the measurements of twin A had been taken and it was time to try and figure out the sex. After a few seconds, the nurse said, "looks like we have a little boy". I have to say that my heart fell just a little bit (it was already near the floor from the previous announcement, so it didn't have far to go). I looked up and Jason was bouncing up and down with excitement...he was going to have his little boy that he so badly wanted. I then remember saying, "oh perfect, then the other one can be a girl and it will be just..." Oh, no, the nurse interrupted me, identical twins can't be opposite sexes. Identical twins...no one said anything about identical...what are you talking about identical? Sure enough, twin B was also a little boy, identical to his brother. I recall looking back at Jason and this time he was jumping up and down beating his fist on his chest in excitement. Both boys weighed exactly 7 ounces and were doing just wonderfully. We had beat many odds and didn't even know we were up against them. How wonderful our God is. He protects us always.



(pic 1 & 2 twins; pic 3 twin A with twin B's foot; pic 4 twin B; pic 5 twin A; pic 6 twin A's legs with twin B's head)



(twin A - Bryce; twin B- Kade)

August 25, 2005 - First Heart Beat

On August 25, 2005, we heard the first heartbeat at the doctor's office. We do no know if we heard Bryce's or Kade's heartbeat!

Second Ultrasound on July 22, 2005

My second ultrasound was on Friday, July 22, 2005. I was 7 weeks and 2 days pregnant. The heart was really beating this time, 166 beats per minute to be exact. The 2 weeks that passed between sonograms were definitely the most trying for me. I was sick to my stomach the majority of the day and I didn't have an appetite at all. This seemed to last for ages, but in reality it only lasted a total of 4 weeks. Again, we don't know if this baby is Bryce or Kade.

First Ultrasound on July 11, 2005

Our first ultrasound was scheduled for Monday, July 11, 2005. As you can see, the baby was very tiny, but the joy that filled our hearts was enormous. We could barely see it jump around as the heart beat would flutter. I was 5 weeks and 5 days pregnant! We do not know if this baby is Bryce or Kade.

I'M PREGNANT!

My pregnancy was fairly uneventful as far as our health; however, it was full of unexpected surprises! I knew really early on that I was pregnant. I can't put into words exactly how I knew, I just felt it. When I was only one week pregnant, I told my mom and Jason that something didn't feel right. I justified my awkward and unexplainable feelings by saying I must be getting sick. After a week or so, I purchased the pregnancy test that advertised finding out that you were pregnant at the earliest possible moment. The pregnancy test remained in the cabinet for another week; I was too afraid to take it. Eventually, the suspense was just too great. I woke up early one Saturday morning and secretly took the pregnancy test. I already knew the answer...some way...some how. My heart was pounding as I watched one line appear fairly quickly and then slowly the second line became darker and darker. I just sat there for awhile...speechless...motionless... I was convinced that I was pregnant, but you know me, I had to make sure. I opened the second pregnancy test and took it too. Again, I relived the gamete of feelings I had previously experienced only minutes before, but I just had to do it. Finally, I raced back into our bedroom and woke Jason up to share with him not that I was pregnant but that "I TOLD YOU SO!". My yearly exam had already been scheduled with my OBGYN for the following week on Monday, June 27, 2005. I told them that I had taken a pregnancy test and that it had came back positive. They proceeded to give me another pregnancy test just to make sure for their records, which strangely came back negative. They said that maybe it was a fluke and gave me another test, which also came back negative. I was so incredibly nervous and to make things worse, I had requested that Jason go with me to this appointment. I could just see it in his eyes. He could not believe it! I know he wanted to say "but you told me so", but he resisted his urge. Once the doctor came in, he said that I must be very early in the pregnancy, which I concurred and he then ordered a blood test, which not surprising to me at least came back POSITIVE! Finally the truth came out and it was confirmed. After counting back and calculating, I was actually 4 weeks and 1 day pregnant! We left that day optimistic and very excited about our future.

These are the pregnancy tests I took at home...














This is the final blood test at the OBGYN!