Christmas Countdown Chain + Ornaments

These art projects were a little bit more the kiddos' speed. We just used construction paper to make the paper chain, and because it's the cheap dollar store kind, we had to use tape instead of glue. But the kids didn't seem to mind- they just liked having their turn! So far, when we take a chain off, the kids ask why we're taking it apart haha. I don't think they quite understand the idea of counting down, but we'll see if they catch on at some point before Christmas :)

For the ornaments, I bought this kit at Hobby Lobby for 50% off, so it was a $4 project {$1.33 per kid}, so I would say it was well worth the money! There were more than enough ornaments and plenty of supplies to decorate them, and it was just easy, peel-and-stick pieces. It brings a little extra festivity to our little extended stay, and it will be the one and only time we can enjoy a project with a little glitter :)

Baby Bump :: Week by Week // Month by Month

Today I would have been 40 weeks...and I am just so glad that I am not still pregnant :)

Aiden Michael made his debut this past Sunday at 39 weeks + 3 days, and we could not be more over the moon to have him here with us! I promise to blog about all the things, just as soon as I can. Until then, here's a look back on the past 9 months as Aiden grew in my belly :)

1st Trimester :: Month 1 :: Week 3 // Week 4

1st Trimester :: Month 2 :: Week 5 // Week 6 // Week 7 // Week 8

1st Trimester :: Month 3 :: Week 9 // Week 10 // Week 11 // Week 12 // Week 13

2nd Trimester :: Month 4 :: Week 14 // Week 15 // Week 16 // Week 17

2nd Trimester :: Month 5 :: Week 18 // Week 19 // Week 20 // Week 21

2nd Trimester :: Month 6 :: Week 22 // Week 23 // Week 24 // Week 25 // Week 26

3rd Trimester :: Month 7 :: Week 27 // Week 28 // Week 29 // Week 30

3rd Trimester :: Month 8 :: Week 31 // Week 32 // Week 33 // Week 34 // Week 35 

3rd Trimester :: Month 9 :: Week 36 // Week 37 // Week 38 // Week 39

Baby Countdown :: Zero Progress

I saw my OB again today. I have had zero contractions {and not even any Braxton Hicks} since Friday, so I was curious to see if I had made any progress at all...

...and there has been none. Zilch. Zero progress. I am basically in the same place I was before all the crazy contractions. What?? Haha. My type-A, planner brain is exploding over here. The unknown and imminence is driving me crazy! There is nothing about this that can be predicted or pinpointed, so it is really requiring a lot of patience and trust and surrender of control...some of my personal strong suits {not at all}.  :)

This silly boy is perfectly comfortable where he is, and he is still pretty high {station -2}. My OB has even commented several times about how he is curled up in his favorite position. Thankfully, he is head down, and I have made some progress {3cm dilated, 50% effaced}. So it could definitely be worse {good reminder from a sweet friend}. He just needs to turn a little bit and settle further down...and decide to join us on the outside!

In other fun news...when I went to start Mike's car to head to my OB appointment today, it wouldn't start. Turns out, he had a dead battery! So we were able to get that replaced, and we are thankful that's all it was. Definitely glad that happened now, and not when we needed to head to the hospital! So even in the little things, the Lord is orchestrating the perfect timing for Aiden's arrival. I just need to remember that as we continue to wait on this sweet boy...

T-minus 16 days...give or take about 16 days {I won't be updating every couple of days, just wanted to record my appointment for today}  :)

Baby Countdown :: Come on, {Real} Labor!

I have officially made it longer than I did with Eli and Maddie! With them, I made it all the way to 38 weeks + 2 days {a HUGE praise for twins!}. Today, I am 38 weeks + 3 days with Aiden. 

After I posted on Friday, my contractions started to pick up. I started timing them, and I even made it to every 5 minutes for an hour {the official "call the doctor" time}. But I wondered if it was possible for them to stop. So I decided to take a warm shower and then call. The contractions slowed to every 7 minutes, and stayed that way for about 3 hours. Then moved to every 10-15 minutes. Then completely disappeared by the morning. 

And there has been nothing since. Zero. Not even Braxton Hicks. Sigh.

I'm glad I didn't call and then have to be sent back home...but it's slightly disappointing that I had contractions for 20+ hours, and then they just stopped. I mean, come on! Haha. I go back to the doctor on Tuesday, so I am hoping that I at least made some more progress with all those contractions??? Come on, you silly boy! Haha- we're ready to meet you!! :)

T-minus 18 days...give or take about 18 days :)

Baby Countdown :: The Waiting Game

When I went in for my 36 week appointment, I was already dilated 2cm, and my OB told me to make sure my bag was packed, because she didn't think I'd make it to my due date. I had a bit of a panic moment, thinking Aiden could arrive at any moment, so we rushed around to finish our baby to-do list {what have I been doing all summer??}. I had lots of contractions, and really felt like we would meet him early...

Fast forward to my 37 week appointment: I was still only dilated 2cm, and my OB asked if I would want to schedule an induction at 39 weeks. To be fair, it's a routine question for her patients, but the vibe was that maybe we didn't need to worry so much about him coming early after all. I barely had any contractions this week, and it seems like he is perfectly content where he is. 

I started having legit contractions around midnight. They're still not close or regular enough, but it's something. I have also felt super nauseated, and have had some intense lower back pain. At my 38 week appointment today, I had progressed to being 3cm dilated, 50% effaced, and he's in station -2. I was hoping I would be further and she would send me to labor and delivery, but I guess some progress is better than none! I'd be more than ok if things sped up and he came this weekend :)

But for now, we're playing the waiting game.

The good news is that we have everything checked off our baby to-do list. We are actually ready for him, and I won't have to worry about finishing anything up after he arrives! Our bags are packed, the nursery is set up, and the freezer is stocked. We're at the point where I want him to come soon, so I don't have to re-set and re-stock what we have already prepared for the last minute rush out the door haha!

I definitely don't feel as uncomfortable as I did with my twin pregnancy, but I'm also not feeling my best. I am so thankful I didn't have to do bed rest this time, but I'm moving slower and feeling pretty tired and achy by the end of the day. Chasing 2 toddlers under 2 with a gigantic belly makes for some interesting challenges! I have enjoyed this pregnancy, but I think I am ready to have my body back and relieve some of the typical pregnancy aches/pains :)

It's a little strange this time around because I feel like I'm still clueless about this whole going-into-labor thing. I was able to avoid a C-section with Eli and Maddie, but I was induced. So waiting around for labor to start just feels different this time around. I'm not trying to keep him in as long as possible; instead, he is ready anytime, and we are ready for him to come out! Is that a contraction? {probably} How far apart should they be when I call again? {every 5 minutes for 1 hour} What if I miss it? {you won't...at least that's what people say} Will my water break? {maybe, maybe not} Will there be enough time to get Eli and Maddie settled before we have to go to the hospital? {hopefully, but we'll figure it out}. Haha- I know we'll be fine, I just feel like a first time mama again!

My OB won't let me go a week past my due date {due date is August 30}, and I'd really like to avoid another induction, if possible {pitocin is NO JOKE}. So Mr. Aiden has 20 days to come on his own! Plenty of time for him to figure it out, right? :)

So for now, we wait. We do a lot of walking/squatting/moving to encourage him to come on his own. We have that last minute play date or lunch {if I can muster the energy}. We soak up our last remaining days as a family of 4. Because all too soon we'll be in the bleary-eyed newborn stage, trying to figure out life as a family of 5 {five!}

T-minus 20 days...give or take about 20 days :)

Countdown to Baby Aiden :: 100 Days!

I officially have 100 days left until my due date. When I was pregnant with Eli and Maddie, I wrote an overly sappy post about all the sweet moments of my pregnancy. I wanted to remember all that the Lord had done, all the sweet gifts He allowed me to experience.

So now you get an overly sappy post about this pregnancy :)  

A lot of the sweet moments of this pregnancy are the same. Getting to experience pregnancy again is just such a sweet gift, and I have tried to enjoy every moment of it. It has been a little bit harder to focus on this pregnancy, since my days are filled with chasing crazy toddlers. But I often have moments in my day when I feel him kick or see my belly dance, and I just can't help but feel overwhelmed that I get to experience this again.

Some of the sweet moments that are different in this pregnancy...

...carrying only 1 baby! Haha- it's sweet because it has made this pregnancy so much easier on my body. I have mentioned before on my baby bump posts that I don't look any smaller with one, but I definitely feel smaller with one. And that's a HUGE blessing. By this time in my twin pregnancy, I was definitely feeling the weight of carrying two babies. I feel like I have so much more energy and feel less achy this go round, and that is definitely sweet :)

...the benefit of knowing what to expect {for the most part}. I still have the unknown of actually going into labor {which is HUGE}, since I didn't know I was in preterm labor and ended up having to be induced in the end with Eli and Maddie. But everything else seems familiar, and it has been fun to anticipate some of those things. Like knowing what baby flutters and kicks feel like, and knowing the weird things about pregnancy, and knowing how he has been developing along the way. 

...the joy of adding to our family again. There's a joy and excitement over your first. There's a different joy and excitement over adding to your family and giving your first a sibling! So while he still won't be genetically related to me or Mike, he will be genetically related to Eli and Maddie. And we are so thankful for that sweet sibling connection. We have loved getting to watch the beginnings of Eli and Maddie's relationship grow, and we are so excited to see how Aiden fits into that sibling dynamic.

...the excitement of getting to meet this little one. When will we get to meet him? What will be his birth story? Will he come early? Late? Will he look like Eli or Maddie? Or neither? How will he fit into our little family? How will he change our dynamic? We are so excited to meet him, and while we know it will be crazy and hard with 3 under 2 {yikes!}, we just cannot wait to see how he rounds out our little family. 

I can still hardly believe how the Lord was kind enough to allow me another pregnancy. I was told I wouldn't get to experience pregnancy at all. And the Lord has graciously allowed me to experience both a twin AND a singleton pregnancy. How many people in general get to say that, let alone someone with an infertility diagnosis?? 

There are still some bittersweet moments, as this will be my last pregnancy. These will be the last baby kicks I will feel, the last miracle of growing a tiny human inside of me. And there is certainly some grief over that. Not because I necessarily want to be pregnant again. And certainly not because I am ungrateful for all the Lord has already provided. But because there is just such a finality to it all. This will be my last countdown to the arrival of a baby.

And so I want to remember this sweet and precious time. I want to remember all that the Lord has done and given. I want to enjoy the last moments of this pregnancy, and of pregnancy in general. Because the Lord made a way where there literally was no way. He generously gifted the impossible.

-------

So what will these next {more or less} 100 days look like?

• Finishing unpacking and getting fully settled in our new home.
• Working on Aiden's nursery.
• Preparing Eli and Maddie for the arrival of a baby brother {at least as much as you can prepare toddlers under 2!}.
• Breastfeeding education. I am definitely hoping to try again, so I want to brush up on a few things to help get ready.
• Soaking up sweet time as a family of 4 before we jump into the fun and excitement of being a family of 5!
• Check-ups with my OB {that hopefully remain uneventful and routine}.
• Sleeping long stretches at night :)
• Enjoying the sweetness of feeling life inside my belly.

Thank you, Jesus for your unending blessings. For reminding me to stop and enjoy and remember these sweet moments. Thank you for the incredible gift of these precious moments.

High Five for Friday!

I'll be honest...all of my days seem to blend together now; I have a hard time remembering what day it is. I tend to operate in 2-3 hour increments. But Fridays are still a big deal around here because it means that Mike is home for the weekend! Which means reinforcements :) 

{one} Eli and Maddie had their one month check up today {a week late}. They have already grown SO much! Eli is now 8 pounds, 13 ounces and Maddie is now 9 pounds, 2 ounces. Definitely puts this mama's heart at ease, after they had lost so much weight at the beginning. It's crazy to think that they are already 5 weeks old. It has been the longest and shortest 5 weeks of our lives haha. Being parents to twins is definitely hard in so many ways, but we are still so thankful and loving this precious time. And just because they're cute...

{two} My dad's surgery went really well! He is home recovering, and I am so glad that he is taking all of December off to do that. The doctors are confident he is now cancer free, but he will go back in 3 months for more testing to confirm. Continued prayers for the cancer to be gone are very much appreciated. 

{three} So the cold weather has definitely arrived! We had our first freeze of the season last night. Crazy Texas going from 80 degrees to 20 degrees. I guess since it is December, it was about time.  I was actually telling Laura the other day that having babies in November worked out well, since I would want to hibernate in the colder months anyway. So being home bound right now isn't so bad! I don't mind staying inside where it's nice and warm :)

{four} So this is the first year since I was diagnosed that I haven't blogged for Crohn's Awareness Week. I have been a *little* busy :)  So this is my short PSA for this year...this year's theme is #IBDvisible. Because IBD is often an invisible illness, there is a lot of misunderstanding surrounding these diseases. By sharing my story, I can help give a face to the disease. I still hold out hope for a cure, but I am so thankful that I have been able to achieve and maintain remission now for almost 4 years. And I am thankful for the modern medicine that has allowed me to do that.

{five} There are 16 days left until Christmas. How did THAT happen?? We decorated the house, but other than that, I haven't really thought much about Christmas. We don't really have much planned, since babies are still so young, so it will be a low key, quiet Christmas. I have done zero shopping and am not really confident that it will happen this year. I mean, it will. This is just the latest I have ever started or thought about Christmas haha. Thank goodness for online shopping! :) 

Baby Bump :: Week by Week // Month by Month

Today would have been my due date! It's crazy to think that we made it all the way to 38 weeks with twins. What an incredible blessing from the Lord! But I am super thankful that my doctor didn't let me go much past that though; an act of mercy, for sure haha.

I thought it would be fun to look back over the past 9 months and watch my belly grow! I knew I would get big, but to actually see it in photos is so funny to me. Just when I thought there was NO way I could get ANY bigger...I did :)

1st Trimester :: Month 1 :: Week 3 // Week 4

1st Trimester :: Month 2 :: Week 5 // Week 6 // Week 7 // Week 8

1st Trimester :: Month 3 :: Week 9 // Week 10 // Week 11 // Week 12 // Week 13

2nd Trimester :: Month 4 :: Week 14 // Week 15 // Week 16  // Week 17

2nd Trimester :: Month 5 :: Week 18 // Week 19 // Week 20 // Week 21

2nd Trimester :: Month 6 :: Week 22 {+ actual on beach} // Week 23 // Week 24 // Week 25 // Week 26

3rd Trimester :: Month 7 :: Week 27 // Week 28 // Week 29 // Week 30

3rd Trimester :: Month 8 :: Week 31 // Week 32 // Week 33 // Week 34 // Week 35

3rd Trimester :: Month 9 :: Week 36 // Week 37 // Week 38

I am so thankful for this pregnancy. It certainly wasn't uneventful, but overall, it was a good one. If you got tired of pregnancy posts, please forgive me. I just wanted to have a detailed record of everything. After our difficult journey through infertility, it is so humbling to look back through these photos and see the incredible miracle that the Lord provided. We are so thankful for the gift of embryo adoption and the blessing of this healthy pregnancy. And we are just so in love with our babies!

Countdown to Babies :: Baby Day!

We knew that we would be meeting our babies no later than the beginning of November. We had November 2nd scheduled as Baby Day, and we were just waiting to see if the Lord would bring them to us via C-section or induction. After we made it full term, and I was cleared from bed rest, we started the countdown!

Countdown to Babies: 8 More Days

Countdown to Babies: 7 More Days

Countdown to Babies: 6 More Days

Countdown to Babies: 5 More Days

Countdown to Babies: 4 More Days

Countdown to Babies: 3 More Days

Countdown to Babies: 2 More Days

Countdown to Babies: 1 More Day

And because babies decided to do things on their own terms, they made us wait the whole time instead of coming earlier :)

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**When we found out we were having twins, I knew that my ideas of what I wanted our birth to look like would have to be held loosely. There are just so many risk factors involved, and at the end of the day, we just wanted the safest delivery possible for healthy babies. I had been praying for the Lord to put them in the exact position they needed to be in for the safest delivery, and I had to then just let go of control. Which was hard. In the end, I didn't have to have surgery, but there were many other interventions that would not have been my first choice. But there were also unforeseen circumstances that made me grateful that we were in the care of the Baylor hospital staff. Looking back, I wouldn't change anything about the delivery. Everything that happened that day needed to, and I am just so thankful for doctors, medicine, and medical care. And I am thankful that our babies arrived safe and sound!**

-------

The last couple of weeks before their arrival, both Eli and Maddie were head down. And that was the deal with my OB in order to deliver without a C-section. So we were really excited when were able to cancel the surgery and schedule the induction instead! 

I don't think either of us slept a wink the night before we checked into the hospital. We knew we were going to need the rest for labor, but how can you sleep when you know you are going to meet your babies the next day??? :)

So when the alarm went off at 3:30am, we were both already up and ready to go. We headed out the door and checked into Labor & Delivery at 5am. They gave me one last ultrasound to verify babies' presentation, and then we were all set for the induction. When they started the pitocin and penicillin {since my Group B strep test was positive}, I was already dilated to 3cm, but we were still in for a long day of labor.

At 10:30am, my doctor broke my water, since I hadn't progressed. The waves of contractions really started at that point, so I was ready for the epidural by lunch time. I originally wanted to try without it, but I am glad that I made the decision to take it. I was going to need all the energy I could get to deliver my babies. Once that set in, I was able to take a nap, which offered some much needed relief since we had been up for so long already.

Sleeping shot, courtesy of my hubby :)

I progressed pretty well for most of the afternoon, but ended up stalling at 7cm from 4pm to 7pm. My doctor wanted to see more progress, or we were going to have to start discussing other options. I was trying to stay positive, but I felt so defeated thinking about laboring all day, only to have a C-section after all. So we started praying that we could see just a little progression so we could stall the surgery conversation. When my doctor came back an hour later, I had made it all the way to 10cm, and we were ready to head to the delivery room!

Part of the protocol for delivering twins is that I still had to deliver in the operating room. So we were wheeled in to meet our huge team of doctors, nurses, and baby attendants. It's true when they say that all modesty goes out the window during birth...oh well :)

Thankfully, I didn't have to push for too long, and Elijah Winn was born at 8:25pm. He was 6 pounds, 8 ounces and 19 inches long. We were so excited to meet our sweet boy, and it was definitely love at first sight! And I am so thankful that most of the staff in the delivery room had nothing to do but wait around and grab Mike's phone to take photos for us :)

After all the hard work to meet Eli, I wasn't done...now we had to prepare to meet his sister. My contractions slowed, so we did a lot of waiting around between pushes. And I was actually pretty thankful because I needed the break to catch my breath. So Eli was an only child for 31 minutes before Madeline Grace was born at 8:56pm. Not to be outdone by her brother, she also weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces and measured 19 inches long. It was the absolute best feeling to finally be all together as a family of 4!

Big, healthy babies!

My amazing OB

Pushing was the most exhausting thing I have done, but I am thankful that both babies were out in less than an hour. At this point, I don't remember a whole lot of those first couple of hours after delivery, because I started to experience some complications. I was losing a lot of blood, and so they had to work quickly to get placentas out and me stitched up. Delivering 2 babies {with an epidural} was not terrible. But them pushing on my stomach to get the placentas out {still with an epidural} was incredibly painful. Even though I was pretty out of it, I remember begging them to stop because it hurt so much. And I remember being the most cold I have ever felt in my life. Teeth chattering, whole body shivering cold. I think I asked for another blanket at least 25 times, only to be told that I already had 3. 

Poor Mike was on his own with our babies for a little bit. Of course, he took great care of them, and they got some really good daddy time while everyone was waiting for me to recover. I am thankful the hospital staff still helped me experience skin to skin right after delivery, even though I don't really remember it happening.

Because of the blood loss, I was extremely anemic and ended up having to get a blood transfusion. Once I had that, I felt a little more "with it" and ready to snuggle our babies. Of course, life with 2 newborns doesn't afford much sleep, so recovery has been difficult and slow. But when I look into their tiny faces and realize how the Lord took care of ALL of us, I am just so thankful. 

So our journey to building our family was a long and eventful one. But after praying for 1,524 days, we finally got to hold our tiny miracles in our arms. And it made every one of those days worth the wait...

Countdown to Babies :: 1 More Day!

We made it to November! After the adventure of preterm labor and thinking we could have September babies, to praying just to make it to having October babies....it's funny that we got our November babies after all. Eli and Maddie just had their own ideas about how this would all go down :)

This is our LAST day just the two of us! It seems so surreal. Tomorrow morning, we will check in at the hospital a family of 2, and we will leave at some point this week as a family of 4! We have prayed for this for so long, and we are definitely ready, but there's still a part of us that just can't believe it's actually here. 

And it's not lost on us that November is National Adoption Month. We were blessed with the opportunity to experience pregnancy and grow our family because of the Lord's grace and provision. And He chose to do that through the incredible gift of embryo adoption. On the eve of meeting our little ones, I can't help but think of our sweet donors. Because they loved their tiny embryos and wanted them to have a chance of life, we get to meet Eli and Maddie soon. There just aren't enough words to express our gratitude. 

Mike got off work early, and we got to enjoy a fun date night out...possibly our last one for awhile haha! 

Date #34: Our last dinner out as a family of 2! #wcsavethedate16

I am so thankful for this man. He has been an amazing husband, and I can't imagine walking life without him. As we get ready to jump into this adventure of parenthood, I am just so thankful for how the Lord has poured out His grace on us. I know Mike is going to be an amazing daddy, and I am just so thankful I get to walk alongside him as we navigate the crazy fun life of raising twins. Bring it on :)

**This post was published after our babies were born**

Countdown to Babies :: 2 More Days!

We had said we really hoped not to have Halloween babies, but I am feeling so uncomfortable, it just doesn't matter at this point haha. But I also decided not to do a ton of things today, but rather to just rest and not tempt babies after all. I have had zero contractions the last few days, so I think they're going to make us wait until Wednesday after all. So Netflix and craft projects it is :) 

I did get a call from my OB's office, confirming that we are scheduled for an induction {instead of the C-section}. This is SUCH an answer to prayer! We would have been ok either way; I had asked the Lord to put them both in the exact position they needed to be in for the safest delivery. But I am so thankful that I can avoid surgery, if for recovery-sake alone. It will also be better for my history of endometriosis to avoid surgery scarring. There is still a chance that Maddie could flip after Eli is born, so I will still have to take all the same surgery precautions. But I am thankful for the medical team that will be in place and ready to take care of me and our babies.

This afternoon I got a text from Lindsay, asking if I would be interested in getting a pedicure. I am so glad that I said yes, because it definitely helped my swollen and achy feet feel better! And my toes just look pretty now :) It was also just fun to sit and hang out as sisters. I'm so thankful for her. And I'm excited to raise our kiddos together!

**This post was published after our babies were born**

Countdown to Babies :: 3 More Days!

I had hoped I would wake up to the start of labor or my water breaking. No such luck. We decided to sleep in and rest this morning, but then we met my brother for lunch at Spring Creek BBQ and walked around Fry's to get some exercise in for this gigantic preggo. 

We also Skyped with my parents to get a game plan for the week...you won't find more excited grandparents haha. 

It was a quiet and relaxing Sunday...probably our last for awhile. We are SO close!!

**This post was published after our babies were born**

Countdown to Babies :: 4 More Days!

Still no babies. Haha they seem quite comfortable where they are, so they're probably going to make us wait until next week. I mean, when you have waited 4 years, what's a few more days, right?? :)

I posted this photo on Instagram, because, well, it's about how I feel these days. The funny part is that not more than an hour later, I was calling for Mike's help. I had kneeled down in the hallway to get into my gift wrapping stuff and literally could not get back up. Of course, my sweet husband came around the corner like a knight in shining armor filming and asking me what the problem was. My hero :)  He did eventually help me up, after we had a good laugh and he caught it all on camera. 

We headed over to Bryan and Christa's for a Star Wars themed birthday party for Luke and Elizabeth. As far as theme parties go, they definitely did it right...I mean, it wasn't much of an effort for the Star Wars-loving family :)

**This post was published after our babies were born**

Countdown to Babies :: 5 More Days!

So my excitement over having contractions was short lived. I tend to have them at night, but nothing more than 2 in an hour, and nothing more than 3 hours in a row. So nothing significant or helpful. So today I started drinking red raspberry leaf tea, in hopes that it will help bring on labor. It actually tastes pretty good, so I'm glad that it's at least enjoyable to drink.

I met Lindsay and the girls for lunch at Chick Fil A. PK was requesting it, and I am always happy to oblige :)  We keep saying that the next time we see each other, babies will be here, but babies keep holding out on us!

Since Mike only works half days on Fridays, we had the afternoon to get a few things done together. We went to vote together, and then I drug him to Target {for niece and nephew birthday gifts} and Sam's {for stocking up on basics for when babies are here}. 

Date #33: Voting! #wcsavethedate16

It's still surreal to me that these are our last days, or hours, just the two of us. We are obviously over the moon excited about welcoming our little ones. But it also seems strange that this season of our married life is quickly coming to an end. We wouldn't trade it for anything, but I am so thankful for the last 5 years we have had just the two of us.

**This post was published after our babies were born**