Update on this morning’s appointment: Both kiddos rocked it! Our baby boy scored an 8/10 because he was stubborn and didn’t want to practice his breathing for a consistent 30 seconds straight, but baby girl nailed her tests and scored a 10/10! Yay! Next week is our big appointment when they will go in and remeasured the growth to see if she has had a growth spurt. Essentially we are praying that she is at least the same, but preferably much higher than her 5th percentile. We also are praying that baby boy is continuing to thrive as he has been! This test is Thursday afternoon. In the meantime, both babies are head down again (baby boy loves to flip flop) and they are both facing each other (belly buttons facing in towards my belly button). Little boy is using his sisters head as a pillow and I foresee this as the start of a lot of whispers and giggles between the two of them. :) So we are PRAISING GOD for another week of baby baking sans any issues! 30 weeks has always been our one big goal to make it too, and we are just 5 sleeps away from that! And our c-section is scheduled for 9 weeks from today … which seems crazy soon! Stay in there babies!!!

Alright, now I get to share about ANOTHER baby shower we had thrown for us last weekend! (Seriously, I can’t even tell you how grateful we have been for the outpouring of love! Each shower is so surreal to be a part of, and honestly, the generosity of others has been so incredible. We are learning that two babies need a LOT of stuff, haha!)

Last Saturday, my in-laws’s church were the ones celebrating with us! These women have been praying for us for years and investing in our family for so long. It was so incredibly sweet of them to not only want to celebrate with us, but also plan and throw us such a fun shower!

This shower was hosted by two family friends, Lori and Lisa. They did such a great job decorating everything, and also cooking a delicious brunch! YUM YUM! They had an adorable girl themed table set up, as well as a boy themed table. I have to be honest, I had a hard time deciding where to sit because I felt like I was picking a child as a favorite haha! In the end, I sat at the girls table because that’s where my nieces selected to sit.

Here’s a few pictures of the cute décor!!

We started off the morning by eating a super yummy brunch. Egg bakes, fresh fruit, amazing pastries, juice, teas and coffee hit the spot!

Then we played a really fun game where we had to guess what the “baby” animal was called. For an example, a baby cow is a ____ (calf), a baby kangaroo is a (joey), a baby seal is a ____ (pup), etc. Some were easier than others and I can’t say I was competition, haha!

Then Lori, one of the hosts, gave a beautiful devotional based on this sign (which she gifted us for our home):

She shared thoughts from each point and I want to share them here, at least my recollection of them, so Lori, if I botch them, I apologize! (Pregnancy brain, which I know realize is a real thing.) I know I am forgetting one part, which I most definitely will remember at 2 am.

– Live Well: In order to live well, I will need to (learn) how to ask and accept help. Having two babies is uniquely more difficult that having one baby and it will require me asking for help when help is needed, and accepting help when it’s offered. The people around me will want to help, I just need to be sure to let them in. (This will totally be a challenge for me! An important reminder!)

– Laugh Often: Don’t take (myself) too seriously, enjoy the little moments that each day will bring and laugh often. The days may be hard, but they fly by, so don’t wish them away. Take time to enjoy the richness each day and challenge brings. Let Josh be a dad. Dad’s have a uniquely different set of skills than mom’s, and as a mom I will be tempted to want things to run according to how I plan/do them. Learn to appreciate the way Josh will try to help out and don’t scold or correct him. Laugh when outfits go on backwards or are mismatched or bath time ends up with more water on the floor then in the tub. Let him be a dad and invest the way he knows how and laugh throughout it.

– Love Much: Always put God first. For so long, I have been able to live with the luxury of being able to really press into my quiet time with Jesus and prioritize that peacefully each day. As the babies come, it’s going to be more of a challenge to put that first each day, so I need to get creative. Listen to Christian radio, take advantage of podcasts and audio Bible reading, have handy short devotionals on my phone, etc. He has to be in the center of our lives and I have to focus on pursing Him. After God comes Josh. He is my life partner and our marriage needs to come first. A healthy, loving marriage will result in stability and our kids will be blessed as a result. It will be tempting to put the kids first, especially because they are needy, but take time to go on dates and connect with my spouse first and foremost.

Then, after the devotional, I was invited to share a little bit about how we have seen God working in our story over the years of infertility. After that, we got to celebrate by opening up baby presents and goodness, again, we were so blessed by the generosity of those around us! A GIGANTIC thank you to each woman who attended and loved on our family!

We truly are so grateful for the love and joy that has been showered upon us as we dive into this new chapter so very soon. To all who attended, THANK YOU! We felt so very loved!