easter

We had a wonderful Easter this year!  We started the day by going to mass.  The visiting priest gave one of the best Easter services I have ever attended. 

After mass we relaxed, hung out, and got some pictures.  Easter was also my 20 week mark so we had to do the weekly belly photograph and just happened to get a few more at the same time.

 

The easter bunny even came to visit...although I'm not sure that Matt was good enough for him to visit this year...

While we got ready for dinner the dogs also enjoyed some relaxation time.

 
For dinner we had several friends over!  Everyone brought food to share and it was a great dinner with our Minot family.  

Overall it was a wonderful day and a great way to celebrate!
.katherine.

babysitting henrik

Last week we had the joy of getting a night with our favorite little man...Henrik!  Most of the night Henrik was only interested in playing with Matt.  They read books, played with the cars, made animal noises, built and knocked down towers, and laughed the entire time.

We have watched Henrik several times now and every time is a delight, however, this time was different because we watched him at our house!  We learned how conducive our house is (and is not) to a playful, mobile, and adventurous little one.  Overall things went very well but we will have to put locks on our cabinets, move some things a little higher, and make sure the breakables are out of reach from little fingers.  We also rediscovered how interesting kitchen gadgets are and how the everyday items can be made into toys.

The dogs also adjusted very well to having Henrik in our house.  They were very interested in him...it isn't every day that someone their size is walking around the house.  Henrik played hide and seek with Oscar, chased both dogs around, and got kisses from Lola.

It was a fun night spent with Hank and made both Matt and me more excited to prepare our house for our munchkins!
.katherine.

the munchkins last week...

Let me start this blog off by saying...everything is fine: the babies are both great, I am fine, and there is nothing to worry about! However, last week did not start off on such a positive note!

Rewind to Sunday night/Monday morning. Overnight I got really sick...abdominal pain and tightness, sharp pains throughout my stomach, and I couldn't keep anything down. I ignored it overnight figuring it would go away by the morning...but I was wrong. When my alarm went off at six so I could go to work, I wasn't any better. I called the on-call OBGYN who thought I may just have a bug but told me to rest during the day and call my doctor later in the day if things didn't improve. After calling work and letting Matt know what was going on, I attempted (with little success) to get a little sleep. Long story short...I got the same response from my doctor's nurse around 8:30. When I called back at 2:30, the nurse contacted the new on-call OBGYN (my doctor is out of the office on Mondays). Her nurse called me back letting me know that she was in an emergency surgery but since I was still having sharp pains they wanted me to go to the hospital to get checked out just to make sure everything was ok.

When we got to the hospital we went, as directed, up to the labor and delivery floor. However, when we got there they wouldn't see me...they only take patients who are twenty weeks and I was nineteen and a day! So, they sent us down to the emergency room...which was packed! The triage nurse got me back to a room quickly (only a forty-five minute wait) and got tests going. They found both babies heartbeats within fifteen minutes of us being there which was reassuring. We talked to the doctor, had lab work done, got IV fluids, and had an ultrasound. This was the first ultrasound Matt was able to see on the big screen...he was very excited through the entire thing. All the tests and screenings came back with no sign of any problems or reason for the sharp pains. The doctor did think I was probably dehydrated but that still wouldn't have explained the pain. I have a small spot on Zoey's placenta that the doctor and radiologists will watch but currently it is only about a centimeter in size and could be anything to include a tear, fluid, or blood. The doctor said it was normal and nothing to be concerned about. When the doctor finished doing his work-up he contacted the OBGYN on call. She said I was good to go home but wanted to put be on bed-rest as a precaution for a week or until I saw Dr. Bozeman, my OB.

The following afternoon, Tuesday, I saw Dr. Bozeman for my scheduled visit. In addition to the normal check-up, he went over all the tests and results from the day before with us and said he did not see any reason for concern. He also said I did not need to be on bed rest but recommended I cut back my hours at work to thirty per week. When he did the measurement of my uterus I am measuring at 27 weeks! This is common during a twin pregnancy but also explains some of the symptoms I have been having that usually show up in the late second to third trimesters such as fatigue and braxton hicks. I also have sciatica, which is where my sciatic nerve is being compressed and causing pain in my lower back and down my leg. Overall things are going really well. Dr. Bozeman says I am doing well and just continue to pay attention to the needs of my body. I am glad all our tests came back with positive results and there was nothing wrong!

At the end of the appointment we scheduled my twenty-week ultrasound! This is the scan where they will look for all the organs, bone structures, and any possible issues. We will have that at the end of this week and both Matt and I are so excited! Check back for those updates within the week.

.katherine.

Munchkins, bee-bops, poppy seeds, mangos...

Let me set the scene for you...


I was on a work trip in Cheyenne, WY.  After our last day's work, I was in my room waiting for my friend to finish his run.  As it was such a nice day out, I left the door open while I read my book.  Suddenly, I hear a knocking at the door and someone comes in with a plate of cake and fruit and whipped cream saying, "room service!"

"I am sorry," I reply, "but I did not order room service."

"This IS room 151 isn't it?"

"Yes it is, but again, I did not request any room service."

"Well, it says here 'we love you, Zoey Dad Bryce.'"

"Huh, I guess it is mine then."

Now, for the all important time travel to an hour and a half BEFORE the mystery room service.

When I was finished with work, I called Katherine expecting her to be home from work.  However, she was still at the clinic...about to have an ultrasound.  She was worried though, that she might find out the sex of our twins while I was not there.  I assured her that I would not be upset and that she should go and see how the babies were doing.  The previous story of my room service was Katherine's creative way of telling me we are now expecting Zoey Rose McPherson (girl) and Bryce Alexander McPherson (boy)!!!

The only correction I had to make was that the plate actually read, "we love you Dad, Zoey and Bryce."

So please, join us in celebrating the anticipation of our twins, one boy and one girl!!

Additionally, this week, they are about the size of mangos, 6 inches and 8.5 ounces.  Their bones are still developing and their brains are forming the ability to interpret their senses.  Although Katherine can be certain that they have both been wiggling for about 3 weeks already, they are now developing the ability to finely control their arms and legs and have started kicking, but not hard enough for me to tell yet.  Bryce is the top baby, streched out with his head just above Katherine's belly button and his legs almost reaching Katherine's right side.  He is our active wiggler and Katherine feels it because he is closer to the surface.  Zoey however is the kicker, most of her movements dulled by how low she is right now.  Zoey's head is just below Bryce's and she is slightly less stretched out.  Both appear to be doing well and we have heard and seen their heartbeats several times now.  We have another appointment in two weeks and we will get more pictures to post then.  Until then, thanks for staying with us and our ever-growing little family.

-Matt