Do twins run in families?

This link shares insight into how identical and fraternal twins come about.

http://www.thetech.org/genetics/ask.php?id=86

New Weigh In

At 20 weeks, I have gained a total of 14 pounds.

The big brother

For those of you that don't know, this is a picture of the twins' big brother. This is Howie our miniature schnauzer. He is now 7 years old and is very excited at the prospect of following around twin girls. I suspect he will be a little confused at first since he's had full reign over the house and our undivided attention.

We were once on a walk in a forest preserve and came across a nice couple and they had told us they had a dog before they had kids. They said they like to say their first kid had 4 legs. So, I think that's what we'll say too.

Weight Chart

This is a link to a chart that shows approximately what weight the babies should be at various weeks.

http://www.twinstuff.com/twinweights.htm

Just another day...

Nothing new to report at this time. The two girls are just growing and hanging out. :)

Twins in the Bible

Probably the most known twins in the Bible are Jacob and Esau. It is obvious to me that they are fraternal twins based on the physical description the Word gives us. But did you know there is another set of twins in the Bible as well. Tamar and Judah had twins. Their twins were Perez and Zerah.

"When the time came for her (Tamar) to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb." Genesis 38:27

Keeping it in the family

Twins in my family:

Fraternal twins:

Bobby & Carol (Born 1940's) Born to my Great Aunt Marian. (Maternal Side)

Bobby & Billy (Born 1950's) Born to my Great Aunt Esther. (Maternal Side)

Identical twins:

Susan & Linda (Born 1950's) Born to my Great, Great, Aunt Ethel. (Paternal Side)

Brandon & Bryan (Born 1980's) Born to my first cousin once removed. (Maternal Side)

The ultrasound showed...

First, we want to thank everyone for praying for the health of the babies. That means so much to us. The babies look great. Each of them is 9 ounces. Also, thanks for voting in our poll. The results were interesting to see. The ultrasound showed...that we are having two girls. :) We are very happy with the outcome of today.

Level II

Tomorrow Andy and I go at 10:30 for our Level II ultrasound. It's also called Targeted Imaging for Fetal Anomalies (TIFFA). This is a very detailed ultrasound and could take up to two hours. The ultrasound specialist will probably look at nearly very internal organ of each baby. She will record detailed measurements like the circumference of each baby's head and the length of each baby's limbs. She'll look at the placentas, amniotic sacs, uterus, and cervix. Hopefully the babies are each in a good position so that we can share the sex of each baby with you tomorrow after our appointment. :) This visit will be exciting and scary at the same time. But, I trust in the Lord and know God is forming them and that they are safe.

What's the twin break down?

There are more fraternal than identical twins. Two-thirds of twins are fraternal. The other one-third are identical. Andy and I are having fraternal twins.

Weight Gain

At 18 weeks and 5 days, I have gained 12.5 pounds. For a healthy twin pregnancy, I should gain about 35 to 45 pounds by the time the babies are born.

Famous Twins

Famous Twins:

Paul and Morgan Hamm (Born 1982)
Olympic Gymnasts

Tiki and Ronde Barber (Born 1975)
National Football League

Jenna and Barbara Bush (Born 1981)
Daughters of President George Bush

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (Born 1986)
Entertainers

Mark and Scott Kelly (Born 1964)
NASA Astronauts

Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren (Born 1918)
Advice Columnists

Fraternal twins in the womb

See fraternal twins in the womb from Implantation to 36 weeks! It's amazing to see how two babies grow together inside their mother.

http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-twins-images-3-weeks

Halfway Through

A full term pregnancy for carrying twins is 37 weeks. Today I am 18 weeks and 4 days. I am halfway through a full term twin pregnancy. Time flies when your pregnant!

The Twins at 13 weeks 6 days

Here are the twins at 13 weeks and 6 days. This ultrasound was taken on August 13th. The twins are now 18 weeks. Please check our poll question on the right side of this web site and vote what you think we will be having (2 boys, 2 girls, 1 boy 1 girl). We'll reveal what the next ultrasound says on Friday, September 19th.