Time for Maternity Photos Already?

Time is literally flying by.  In some respects this summer and fall have dragged on and on-  but in others it has gone by in a flash.  With Jim working a campaign he isn't here a lot.  I mean A LOT.  That makes time go by slow.  Lots of dinners alone with just Polly.  But it is OK-  the election is almost over.  Thank you Lord. 

We are 31 weeks this week-  that means only 7 more weeks at the most.  With twins the doctors won't let me go back 38 weeks (tons of medical reasons- I researched so please no emails or calls on why it isn't healthy).  We still have so much to get done- but hopefully Jim will be here more often now and we will knock things out. 

This week we went out to Halsey and Christi's house/farm to have our maternity pictures done by an amazing Gator Grad, Candy.  She did a great job with two/three subjects who don't do well with the camera.  I'm sharing a few pictures below-  but check out her work on Facebook-  Sweet as Candy Photography. 

22 weeks

We have had a busy summer.   Jim has helped managed a Florida House campaign and I'm happy to report that his candidate won the 4-way primary with little doubt.  I'm particularly proud because he was the only one on the ticket who had never ran before-  so he came from behind and kicked it too. 

During the week of the primary my family all went to St. George Island for the week.  Mom, Dad, Granny, Papa, John, Angela, Adam, Shaina, us and of course some puppies all headed to a really nice house right on the Bay in St. George.  A little fishing, a little scalloping and a lot of being lazy ensued.  Jim came and went as his schedule allowed but we had a good week. 

I am very happy to report that I no longer am intimate friends with any toilet that is near when my stomach upheaves.  For the last couple of weeks I have finally been able to keep down food and while I don't have a huge appetite, I am able to eat and have gained 2lbs back out of the 15 or so I have lost. 

This happened about the time that I "popped" with my belly and finally started feeling the twinsies move.  It is still sporadic (the movement) but I usually can feel them a little if I am laying down or slouching. 

The week before we went to St. George my parents came up early and painted the nursery and Dad helped Jim put the cribs together.  We have ordered our recliner and the room is really starting to come together.  I just need to order the dresser I like and we will be almost complete. 

August went by in a blur and Jim and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary fairly low key.  September seems to be already filled with activities, including my first shower in Okeechobee. 

We have a lot going on (Jim is back at campaigning with a vengeance) but praying we have plenty of time and babies (who shall remain nameless till birth) take their time making an appearance. 

Finally ordered thank you cards

18 weeks...

This week was our second visit to the maternal fetal medicine doctor.  I've decided the only thing he does is ultrasounds.  Which of course is fine by me.

Although they never told us that this was the "anatomy scan" that is clearly what they were doing.  They checked the kidneys, the hearts, the hands and feet, the stomach and even measured bones.  I am happy to report that all appears to be functioning and developing right on track. 

Baby A measured 17weeks and 6 days (which was my actual day) and Baby B measured 18 weeks and 3 days....Baby A was 8 oz and Baby B is 9 oz.  So Baby A is just a wee bit smaller than Baby B-  which is funny because Baby A is THE BOY and Baby B is THE GIRL!!!! 

We are very excited that we have one of each.  I am very excited that we never have to do this again!!  I apparently am not one of those women who enjoy being pregnant.  They keep telling me it is going to change and I will feel better soon.  I'm waiting. 

This week we got the carpets cleaned and I have paint samples up on the wall in the baby room.  We picked out a recliner/rocker last week and have one crib here and waiting on the second one.  Slowly things are coming together. 

Jim is busy as ever with Halsey's campaign and things are picking up a little bit for me at work as well.  I can hardly believe it is already August, but I admit I'm ready for December.

Belly Pics...

I admit that I am not excited about showing off my growing self.  Us "pleasently plump" girls rarely enjoy gaining weight!  Although I have not gained any weight.  I am down about 10lbs from my heaviest during the fertility treatments.  Enjoy!

12 weeks and craving...

About 9 months ago I wrote a post on the latest Facebook meme that had FB users posting # weeks and craving in their status trying to raise awareness on breast cancer.  As someone who was dealing with infertility those posts were the cause of a couple bouts of tears before I realized they weren't real. 

So ironically, 9 months later, this post is titled 12 weeks and craving.  After thousands of miles on our car, tens of thousands of dollars, hundreds of injections, and more doctor appointments than I can count, Jim and I are excited to announce that God has given us our own little miracles.  We are expecting twins at the end of the year! 

When we first got the diagnosis of infertility it hit me pretty hard- and for a while it threw both of us for a loop.  But  Jim was the best husband ever and didn't blink an eye when we were told that IVF would be the only way we could have our own biological child.  He truly has been my rock during this battle. 

Thanks to so many of our family and close friends that covered us in prayer while we were going through the treatments, my brother Adam for letting us "move in" to his home in Gainesville when we underwent the treatments and our awesome work families that didn't once question the amount of time we had to be away. 

The hardest part of this process was not being able to openly talk about it-  not that we were ashamed of what we were going through- but trying to save us future heartache if things didn't go the way we had hoped.  The never ending questions and the attempts of friends to make us feel better when, especially me, we were so sensitive and so easily hurt.  Many days ended in tears for me and it was easier to not bring too many into that world.  Since I was unable to shout to the world my sadness, my fears, and my frustrations I started a blog that I kept to myself for many months.  This blog allowed me to express my every emotion without fear.  It still is a brutally personal blog- but I feel sharing it may help someone else who is quietly dealing with the same thing. 

Baby Spratts A & B

Our official due date is January 3, 2012-  but with twins we expect them to be born earlier (around 12/12/12).  We have had three ultrasounds and so far both babies have strong heartbeats and are developing right on time.  As is common with most IVF pregnancies I keep waiting for something bad to happen-  but I know God is with us for this journey and all I can do keep praying. 

So, this week I am 12 weeks and craving absolutely nothing-  because God has given us more than I could have possibly imagined.  And because anything besides Saltines make me throw up.  :-)

Don't Ignore

In our lives we ignore things on a daily basis. THOUSANDS of things. The voice in the office next to yours, the nagging ache in your back, phone calls and emails of people we don't want to deal with, dirty dishes in the sink and a floor that needs mopping, the homeless man on the street with his sign. We are almost programed to ignore that which is uncomfortable or unpleasant. And its easy to do. Our own lives are complicated enough without adding other people's problems or issues to them. There is always something more pressing to do.

Today, I am asking you not to ignore. For me- I've been ignoring our diagnosis of infertility. It is easier not to talk about it, not to share and not to have to deal with the thousands of questions that come from it. But easy is not why God put us on this earth. Easy is going with the flow and not standing up for one's self and the thousands of others.

It is national infertility awareness week and RESOLVE has challenged the millions like myself and Jim to write a blog called "Don't Ignore". Infertility is still a "dirty" word in this country and it is time for that to stop. Too many people are left in shadows with shame over something that wasn't their fault and there is MEDICAL procedures to help with. There has not even been a single media coverage of the event of any substance. It is time to stop ignoring.

Currently only 15 states require fertility treatments to be covered by insurance for this disease (and yes, it is a disease. A documented disease of which its patients have little control over). As a conservative I hate Government meddling in business affairs- but I also realize how little insurance companies want to cover. I saw in Florida where they did not even want to be mandated to cover therapies for Autistic children- and this year even made a play to have that removed. While I am completely OK with insurance companies (and any company for that matter) making a profit- even an obscenely large profit- if you are in the business of covering diseases- you should cover all of them and not get to pick and choose- and I am OK with paying more for that coverage.

Jim and I are in a tough battle and it is not even remotely over. It has created more challenges than I ever thought we would face in our entire marriage- much less the first year and a half. It has been emotionally, physically and financially draining. Dreams have had to be altered and faith has been shaken. So today, I am asking not for sympathy or pity, not even for kind words. I am asking for your prayers and for you to stop ignoring. Stop ignoring your neighbors, your friends, your co-workers, and your family. We all deserve that.

http://www.resolve.org/infertility101 (Basic understanding of the disease of infertility.)

http://www.resolve.org/national-infertility-awareness-week/about.html (About NIAW)

House Painting/Spring Cleaning

Sometime this winter we took our gutters down and discovered that the fascia and soffits (I have no idea how to spell that) was rotten.  Probably because they used particle board when they built it.  So a couple of weeks ago Jim took down all the rotten board and replaced them (this took more than one trip to Lowe's and several "only a few more items")- but he did a good job and I am always super thankful that I married a man who can fix things himself. 

House with new fascia and old mauve/pink color paint

Last weekend we pressured washed the house to prepare for painting.  Since we already had to paint the new boards and I was not overly in love with the not red (really almost mauve/pink) we decided to go blue. 

I didn't want to go too light of blue- and I didn't want to go too navy either.  And while I LOVE my Gators....I didn't want Gator blue either.

Yesterday while Jim was in Gainesville I started with the front door- and that was nothing but a mess.  When I started getting everything out it was bright, sunny and hot.  The minute I put the paint brush in the oil based paint (I have never used oil based paint and that was a disaster in itself) it started raining.  So the humidity and my ineptness made for a less than pretty front door- but I got it done. 

Blue- from a distance

This morning after trying out yet another new church we started on the rest of the house- and by the rest of the house I mean the front.  I completely over estimated ourselves and what we could accomplish in a day.  I also over estimated how much paint it would take to cover that lovely mauve/pink color. 

I think the front will be the longest.  The rest of the house doesn't have shutters and the area around the garage took a lot of paint and time. 

At least the part of the house folks can see when they drive the neighborhood is painted.  Hopefully we can finish the rest in a couple of weeks.  I also now have to think about what color roof we want! 



A side view



Welcome to the Spratt's!!