Twins-in-Progress: Week 23

23 Weeks: March 30-April 5

 

How far along? 23 weeks (5 months, 3 weeks)

Babies size: 1 lb each! Also, they are each the size of a standard envelope… 

Sleep: Whew, this sleep stuff is getting harder and harder. I feel bad for my sweet husband, but he is so understanding!

Exercise: Better. I enjoyed a mile-long walk with a friend and my tummy was screaming at me by the end of it, even with a support belt on. Just another sign I need to build up some stamina!

Best moment this week: Babies LOVE their daddy’s guitar. These kids dance for Jesus every time we worship!

What do you NOT miss? short hair and brittle finger nails. This pregnancy has been GREAT for my hair and nails.

Babies’ Movement: The Right ninja (our little man) is always active! I feel so much rolling and kicking and stretching on my right side, all the time. Lil’ Lefty is much quieter, which sometimes worries me. Until we went to see Captain America this week, and guess who woke up? That’s right, I have blackmail FOREVER for our daughter who apparently has a thing for Captain Steve (for the record, Shane and I approve).

Food cravings:  Shane mentioned this week that I crave whatever I see. It’s true. If it’s in a movie, tv show, advertisement, or billboard, I probably want to eat it. The only exception is cookies: If I see pictures of cookies or cookie dough, I want to throw up. I still like to eat cookies, but I don’t like pictures of cookies.

Genders:  a Boy and a Girl.

Kids room prep: I am taking a break from dreaming about the kids’ room and focusing on getting our new house ready for moving! A bit of painting and some hardware installation is the line up this week at the new place.

Labor Signs/prep: I love my “earn while you learn” class at Legacy Pregnancy Resource Center. My dear friend, Kelsey, and I have enjoyed being pregnant together and learning about baby care and parenthood together.

Symptoms: Nauseous when the babies roll around. Also, my hips have been increasingly sore this week.

Mood: I still have a brief breakdown at least once a week. Shane is ever displaying a Christlike patience for me. I feel my body is being stretched passed what I think I can handle. My belly is bigger every day, and there are moments I feel I am going to burst! Still, I realize this doesn’t even compare to the stretching God is doing on my heart. My identity is shifting in a major way, and that can sometimes feel emotional. But I know my God is faithful, and he will provide the perseverance and heavenly perspective to flourish in this season, and every season hereafter.

Lullaby of the week: How He Loves Us. I like this version by Will Reagan and Laura Hackett. They sing it like Shane and I do together. This song has blessed us in so many ways: at our wedding, at our college and camp ministries, and now with our twins. We can sing this song in confidence knowing God gets all the glory for the unconditional love he gives us, when we don’t deserve it.

Truth I’m dwelling on: I have been praying Colossians 1:9-12 this week, over Shane and myself, our college students, and of course our twins! Here is my personalized version of Paul’s prayer, for our twins:

I have been praying for you, my darlings, since the day I found out there were two of you! I constantly ask God to fill you, even in my tummy, with the knowledge of His will. I pray that as you grow up, God will pour out all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in everything you do, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, just like Jesus did. I pray that as you develop physical muscles in the womb, that you also be strengthened with all power, according to God’s glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience. I joyously give thanks to the Father every time I think of you, and I can’t wait to thank Him together with you when you are old enough to pray with your dad and me. After all, it is Jesus who has made us able to share in a relationship with God together. That is the greatest inheritance that we hope to pass on to you, by God’s will: the privilege to be in the family of God.

Looking forward to: Painting the twin’s room and getting crafty with the decor!