Celebrations

The last couple of weeks have been wonderful and overwhelming, filled with events that we have been anticipating for months. On Saturday, August 3rd, my dear friends from church threw me a Baby Shower. I can honestly say it was the most beautiful and special shower I have ever attended, and how wonderful that it was my own! My small group friends, Carrie, Lora, Jennifer and Michele truly went above and beyond to ensure that my shower was special and meaningful for me. From the moment I walked in the door, I was hit with a flood of emotions. I have planned and attended so many baby showers in the past, always wondering if I would ever get to have one of my very own, something many women struggling with Infertility can relate to. So when I walked into that house and saw everything decorated to celebrate me and my miracle babies, I almost couldn't believe it was real. Thankfully, my mom and sister, Holly, were able to come out for the shower, and they were just as amazed as I was at how special the event was. The theme was "Little Peanuts," with elephant and peanut accents. My pastor's wife, Melissa, also played a big role in the day, making my beautiful cake and cupcakes and saying a special prayer over the babies. My friend, Cristina, also made a fun dessert and took video of the shower. My growth group friends created a Giada-inspired lunch, which was simply delicious. We had a fun photo booth, arranged by my photographer friend, Cheri, a onesie-making station, baby block decorating and people wrote notes of encouragement. I couldn't believe how many people made it a priority to be at my shower; I wasn't only overwhelmed with gifts (which took me about an hour to open!), but I was amazed at the turnout. I am truly blessed with amazing friends and a wonderful church family. I am so humbled and thankful to all of the ladies who created this celebration for me and my sons, and also thankful for the presence of my mom and sister. It was truly one of the best days of my life. Below are some pictures capturing the joy of the day...

It was wonderful to get to experience the shower with my mom and sister. We had some great family-togetherness time while they were here, going to coffee, folding baby clothes and having special heart-to-heart conversations. Holly also had her husband and children with her, so we turned it into a mini-family vacation. We had fun going to the pool, watching movies and spending a day at Schlitterbahn. It was so great to spend some time with my cute little nephews. Here are some family pictures of the Cleggs... Justin, Holly, Forrest (5) and Hunter (2). 

After some wonderful and much-needed family time, Mom and the Cleggs left town and Ronnie and I prepared for the next set of family to arrive. To celebrate Ronnie's Graduation from his Army-Baylor Physical Therapy Graduate School Program, the Lamberts (Ben, Kelly, Emmaline, Claira, Josiah) and the Millers (Ron, Bertie, Elise) came to visit. What a fun week of family time. We were at the pool almost every day, celebrated Ronnie's accomplishments and got to spend some long-overdue quality time together. We also got to meet our little nephew, Josiah, for the first time. On Thursday, August 15, Ronnie completed 2.5 years of hard work and finally graduated as a Doctor of Physical Therapy. It was a challenging journey along the way, but one that we are both very thankful for. It was a blessing for Ronnie to be accepted into this program and we met some amazing friends that were also a part of this program. It was hard to say good-bye to all of them after graduation, but we know all of their hard work paid off and they are all moving onto their new adventures.  I am so proud of Ronnie for his accomplishments and dedication to his work and so thankful to be his wife. Here are some pictures from his graduation ceremony...

Now that everyone has left town, we are preparing for yet another big adventure. Our twin boys could be arriving any time now, but hopefully not for another month or so. As of this week, I am 31 weeks pregnant and looking every bit of it. I have been dealing with quite a bit of swelling in my feet, legs, hands and even face. One of the latest challenges I am facing is carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists. I am wearing a brace on my right wrist all day and night, and am being fitted for a brace for the left wrist as well. I am a bit discouraged because I have so many thank-you notes to write from my baby shower, but I literally can hardly hold a pen in my hand. We also just purchased a recliner for me to sleep in because my heartburn and the swelling in my feet are both so intense. I am putting myself on modified bedrest during the day because I have been so swollen, uncomfortable and just plain exhausted. There are so many challenges with pregnancy that I never even knew existed, but I am trying to keep high spirits and realize that the end of the pain and discomfort is near. I am trying to keep a positive perspective, knowing that this is only for a season. Also, pregnancy is something I desired for so long, I don't want to complain or wish it all away, especially knowing it may be over soon and I may never experience this amazement again. So I am trying to focus on the things about this third trimester that bring me joy. The babies are getting bigger and bigger, so when they move around inside of my womb, it truly takes my breath away (not just because of the accompanied Braxton Hicks contractions :). It is truly amazing to see my belly ripple as my sons move around inside of me. I know that is something I will miss after this pregnancy is over, so I want to cherish it as much as I can, and hopefully capture it on video one of these days. I love the bonding that this experience has brought to Ronnie and I. To see him marvel at my every-growing body makes me so thankful I have him as my partner. As he prepares to head back to work tomorrow, I want to cherish my time with him as much as I can, knowing that soon we will go from a family of 2 to a family of 4. Wow. Now I'm going to go enjoy the last vacation day with my husband before we head into our new normal. I will update you all again soon, letting you know about dr. appointments and baby growth stats. Until then...

-Heather