If I am being honest ...

Photo by the very talented Jessica Cudzilo of 503 photography

I need to start by saying how truly thankful I am that I have had such a great pregnancy - sure I had my share of morning sickness, some early small scares, and I haven't been able to feel my hands for the past 6 weeks ;) - but overall I feel so lucky not to have been put on bedrest, that I have been able to remain active throughout, and that Bean & Sprout have been so strong & healthy. I never imagined that I would still be carrying the girls at this point in time ... the doctors all said that they would be surprised if I made it to Valentine's Day ... but here I am on February 28th and the girls are still hanging out in my belly.

I feel bad complaining at all - especially given the long road that Randall and I had to go down to get to this point and the fact that I know that the best prize in the world awaits us at the end - but I am so ready to meet these girls. I am not sure if my belly can expand any further ... I've already gone from a 28" waist to a whopping 44 inches. I have gained 41 pounds and it is becoming difficult to perform simple tasks such as putting on socks & shoes and fastening my seatbelt. If I am being honest, I am just plain uncomfortable.... but am trying to remain positive.

I have been doing anything and everything to try to kick start labor ... tons of walking, eating everything from eggplant parmesan, to spicy food, to pineapple, to licorice, to beet soup. I had my pressure points worked, have tried positive thinking and meditation ... if you've ever heard about something to stimulate labor, I've probably tried it. I have been having contractions and I am hoping that they become more consistent and lead into real labor.

In the mean time I appreciate all of your positive thoughts & prayers!

Bean & Sprout - I promise to take great care of you on the outside. There are so many people that are so excited to meet you and already love you so very much. Please come meet us soon.

Baby Kicks & Belly Pics

I don't think there is a more amazing feeling in the world than to feel your baby kicking in your belly. At first there were those butterfly movements - those little flutters where I wasn't sure whether it really was my girls or if it was just indigestion or wishful thinking. But then one day I was sitting at my desk and there it was - a kick so evident that it moved my arm which was resting on my belly. And it brought a huge smile to my face - and then it was followed by a few additional pronounced kicks which made me giggle out loud. And in that moment the bond which I felt with my girls strengthened and the love I felt for them seemed to grow exponentionally. I was bursting with happiness! It was like no other feeling I have ever had.

And while those kicks have become more frequent, that joyous feeling never goes away. That first series of big kicks came from Sprout and she has remained the more active twin. Although, her sister does her fair share of dancing as well. Bean's moves are more fluid - like a little ballerina or yogi practicing her downward facing dog. Whereas Sprout seems to be more into acrobatics or gymnastics - doing little flips - or maybe even martial arts - practicing sharp kicks, often to her sister's head :)

One of my other favorite pregnancy moments was the first time that Randall was able to feel the girls kick from the outside. He was anxiously anticipating this milestone and the first time that he felt it, it was so amazing to see his eyes light up and a huge grin spread across his face. He loves resting his hand on my belly during their active kicking sessions - often in the middle of the night lately - and he too giggles at some of the moves that his daughters make. He especially likes it when he presses on the outside or talks to them through my belly and they respond with a kick or high five, acknowledging his presence. Daddy so loves his little girls.

I love these little dancers in my belly beyond words. And while I am so anxious to meet them and to hold them in my arms, I know that once they are here I will miss these belly kicks - those bonding moments between the 3 of us that still make me smile and giggle each and every time. It is truly miraculous!

For those that have been asking to see a recent belly pic - here is one taken this week. Hopefully HUGE belly = big healthy babies :)

Big Brother

Tobi has been our "baby" for the past 7 1/2 years. He has brought so much joy to our family. He has lived with us in both of our houses in Cincinnati. He travelled with us to Washington, D.C. for our wedding. He moved with us to Geneva, and travelled with us to Italy, France, and Germany while we were living in Europe. He has trained for marathons with us, has accompanied us on hikes and mountain bike adventures. He has shared in all of our highs and lows over the past 7+ years and has been a constant loyal companion. His love is unconditional.

We are so anxious to see how he is going to react to his two little sisters and how he will adjust to life as a big brother. What will he think of having 2 additional people in the house?

Will he be jealous that he no longer has mom and dad's full attention? He is such a sweet dog - a truly kind soul - that we are fairly certain that it will be a smooth transition. He already seems to sense that something is happening ... he has been especially loving towards me throughout the pregnancy - always wanting to be by my side, and already likes to spend time lying in the nursery - but has not attempted to 'steal' a single of his sisters' stuffed animals. I think and hope that Tobi will be a great big brother. I think he and his sisters will be great pals and playmates. I can already imagine Tobi convincing the girls to feed him treats. I can imagine them dropping their leftovers from their highchairs to Tobi's delight. I can imagine him being a good sport and letting the girls play dress up with him...

Tobi - you will always have a special place in our hearts as mom and dad's first baby. We hope that you will share in our excitement as we welcome your little sisters into the world!

Our Forever Valentine

We had a great "Love" Day yesterday! Randall is the best husband and is going to be the sweetest father to his 2 little girls. We are so lucky to have him as our forever Valentine! We woke up to cupcakes, cards, and gifts ... a spa gift certificate for me and a special valentine's book for the girls. Randall already loves his girls so much and is beyond excited for their arrival.

When we first found out that we were having 2 girls at our 20 week ultra

sound, I wondered whether a small part of Randall wished that he was having at least one boy. But I can honestly say that the excitement that he showed during that ultrasound has never left him. He is 100% genuinely excited to be having 2 little girls. And these 2 girls are going to have daddy wrapped around their little fingers :) Randall already loves reading to his girls, his face lights up when he feels their kicks, and he has made up silly songs which he sings to them in my belly. Seeing the love that he has for our daughters makes me love him even more each and every day.

Randall - we love you on Valentine's Day and every day! Thanks for being you and making us feel like the 3 most special girls in the world!

Love, Antje, Bean & Sprout

Showered with Love

Randall and I both feel so blessed to have such wonderful and supportive family and friends in our lives. Our girls are already so loved by so many people. We have been so overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and generosity throughout our pregnancy. Thank you to all of you! A special thank you to those that hosted and attended our amazing baby showers and showered these baby girls with so much love!

Our first shower was 2 days after Christmas in New Orleans. It was a couples shower hosted by Randall's mom's best friend, Janet, and his sister, Danielle, and everything was so perfect. It was so great to celebrate with all of Randall's family and friends New Orleans style - lots of people, lots of food - including jambalaya of course, and lots of fun! It was also really special to me that my mom was able to attend.

Our second shower was in Cincinnati and was hosted by the "Geneva Girls" - great friends that we me met while living in Geneva who all now live in Cincinnati - Audra, Carolyn, Rochelle, Kathryn and Veronica. It was such a special celebration at the Greenup Cafe with all of my closest Cincinnati based girlfriends. Everything was perfect - from the invitations, the venue, the food, the decorations, and most importantly the people - thank you girls! I was also so excited that Lindsay, one of my best friends from UVA was able to be there!

My work group also had a wonderful shower for us. Everyone at work was so supportive of me throughout this pregnancy and I was so touched that they all came together to celebrate the pending arrival of our 2 little girls.

Thank you to all of you! Our 2 little girls are so lucky to be surrounded by so much love!

The Waiting Game

The nursery is set up; sheets, blankets and tiny onesies have been washed; pack n plays, bouncy seats and swings have been assembled; car seats are installed; strollers are ready for walking; hospital bags are packed ... and now we are waiting. Waiting for the day that we have been waiting for for the past 9 months. The day that we have longed for for so much longer than that. The day that we finally get to meet our two precious daughters. The two girls that have already brought so much joy into our lives.

We had a doctor's appointment yesterday and both Bean & Sprout are looking good. Bean is estimated to weigh 6 lbs and is still being stubborn (strong willed just like her Dad) and is hanging out in a breech position. Sprout is estimated to weigh 5 lbs 4 oz and she is head down, ready to be the first one out.

So while we are anxiously waiting to meet our two ladies, I decided it would be a good time to start a blog. Since so many of our family and friends are spread out all over the country and the world we thought this would be a good way to introduce the girls to you and to keep you up to date on how our lives are going as a "Party of Five" ... can't forget about our firstborn four-legged son Tobi. It is sure to be a "Party" ... we can't wait for all of the adventures we are about to face together!