Crib Cam...

Presleigh was an early walker - we'll be happy with whenever these two start walking, but here's a couple of photos of the nearly 8 month old twins holding themselves up in their cribs. They've yet to pull themselves to a standing position on their own, but hey - one step at a time, right?

Observe and enjoy the cheesy smiles from these two.

Oh, and of course a cute shot of Jovi just being Jovi. Love the teeth. In case you didn't know, she's had those pearly whites there on the bottom for about a month or so now. Jezreel decided to take a more conservative approach to tooth bearing and popped his first two through the gums last week. Fortunately for us, that's all he's decided to pop them through.

Mommy decided to have some fun with the camera while Daddy and Presleigh were out this afternoon. Jovi and Jezreel were playing in their cribs, just being their cute little selves and we got some candid video of them while Presleigh and Papa arrive from the food run. Jovi is ridiculously cute with her "I'll laugh at the drop of a hat" philosophy. So, on top of some cute photos, here's a little video for the archives, too.

Papa

One of Those "Day We've Been Waiting For" Days

No, they're not walking yet. But, stay tuned - we could be looking at a pair of early walkers in another couple of months. Two more days, and they'll be 7 months! WOW.

Anyway, today's news is that it's an official "Day We've Been Waiting For". About two years ago, we saw this... this... kitchen gadget... power tool... VitaMix thing demo'd at a local wholesale club. When we saw all it could do and how it could be used to prepare healthier, simpler foods, we were all in... except for the biggie price tag. Now, you know us - you know we're not buyers of big ticket items. No fancy TVs, no ostentatious furniture or decor, etc.

Would this be an exception? Well, considering it was about a $350 item, we'd be certain to have to save up and put that sucker on layaway. And we did. Presleigh was born and didn't see it yet. It wasn't until this year's tax return came in that we were able to slap down some cash to get one of these crazy things. Literally, about 200 smoothies, pounds of ice, heads of purple cabbage, red grapes, apples, bananas, mangos, salsa ingredients, batches of tortilla soup, carrots, mint lemonade, frappucinos, marinara sauces, and batches of fluffy pancakes later, we FINALLY got around to making a few batches of baby food!

Today's experiment? Can we turn a batch of apples into bona fide baby food?

If you're anything like me, watch and smile.

Jovi and Jez did!

They're having a great time right now, napping in the swings. Earlier today, Jezreel showed off his "rock and roll" moves by rocking on his hands and knees in a not-too-far-from-the-real-thing attempt to crawl. Then, on realizing he wasn't making forward progress, elected to roll halfway across both the living room and dining rooms to get to nowhere in particular. Whoaboy, he's going to be another rough and tumble kid like Presleigh!

Jovi, in her joviality, simply rolls around and laughs at everything. What a ball of overflowing joy - aptly named!

How COOL is THAT?!

 As you know, Mommy and Papa work for a non-profit ministry called Seasons of Life Ministries. Why does that matter? Many reasons. But, it's relevant to the twins because of these cool photos you're looking at right now.

Papa had to order a batch of Seasons of Life shirts and Miss Kim from Vintage Wearables did such a great job with the first run last year, we didn't hesitate to call her again. This time, all we ordered was a small batch of shirts. But, what she gave us were the shirts PLUS some uber-cool onesies and leggings for the babies! (Heck, Presleigh even got a super cute Seasons of Life t-shirt!!!)

So, I'm not just posting these as an update on the twins, I'm giving a SHAMELESS plug for Kim and Vintage Wearables - our t-shirt (and baby gear) vendor of choice!

Hey, if you've got a baby,  babies, or friends who have or are about to have a baby or babies, or you just love cute, little baby clothes, get on over to www.vintagewearables.com and check out some great baby gear, will ya?

Check it out!!!

Papa

Closing in on Six Months!!!

WHA?! Who messed with my calendar? Weren't they just FIVE months old?!

Uh, yeah, that's because time flies.

What's amazing to us is that only 8 weeks ago, we were looking at two babies who could barely lift their own heads and now, we've got twins who lay on their bellies for almost an hour with their head up, looking around at all the amazing things in their little worlds. Jovi has officially popped two teeth up past the gums to be seen with the naked eye... that's if you can get her to move her tongue out of the way while she's smiling like a gigglemonkey!

Teeth, scooting, what in the world?!

Jezreel has begun to do something really cool - while he's just a day or two away from a reliable, legitimate scoot, he's actually begun getting on hands and knees and getting his pelvis off the floor. He could go from a scoot to a crawl pretty quickly at that rate. He may have a little catching up to do in the cutting teeth department, though. Drool city, gumming toys to their demise, but no teeth yet.

Coming soon - the tooth fairy? Prom?

SLOW DOWN!!!

1 Week Away

Presleigh's surgery is officially scheduled for next week - Wednesday, about noon. We're eternally grateful for everyone's prayers for her and also grateful for Aunt Shanua making the trip down from Charlotte to help out with the twins while Mommy and Papa are in the hospital for Presleigh's recovery.

You'd never know there was anything going on with her from the outside - running, jumping, climbing, shouting, singing, counting, watching TV, playing with the twins, giving kisses to Mommy, Papa, and the babies... Wow. She's growing up so quickly.

As Mommy and I watched "old" videos from earlier this year, we were amazed at how much she's matured, from the walking to the talking to the facial gestures. Words, words, and more words "Thanks, Mommy!" "My try it!" "Jovi's crying"... Let's hear it for toddler language acquisition and development skills, right?

We threw Presleigh a last minute party and only invited a handful of folks - sorry if you were left out - we realized with all the kids we now know, the house would be overrun with toddlers very quickly. We were right! Cake everywhere, kids all over the place, but a great party nonetheless. And, now, we present to you, Presleigh Pina - 2 year old. We officially no longer have 3 under 2. It's 3 under 3, but thank God for the strength He has given us thus far!


AP

5 Months Ago, Today

We were delivering Jovi and Jezreel. Today, they coo, roll onto their bellies, and scoot from one end of a blanket to the other! Well, Jovi's a little ahead in that department because she's shaped a little differently. Jezreel mostly kicks his legs like he's swimming and tries to move ahead.

It's remarkable to see how much they've both grown. To think I was actually worried Jezreel wouldn't put on any weight on his bones. Now, he's got healthy, chubby, baby legs that he can stand on (assisted, of course) and bear weight.

Both of the twins love the "jumpa" - our term for the circular toy with springs that babies jump up and down in. Yeah, I know it's got an official name, but around these parts, we just call it the jumpa, 'cuz that's what they do in it!

Here are some shots of these two cuties on the floor, doing something that months ago seemed impossible: lifting their heads up and smiling about it!

3 Months Strong

Tonight, Mommy and Papa got to have "date night" for the first time in a couple of weeks. Woo-hoo!!!

It's sort of odd to think ordering Chinese take out from our favorite strip-mall Chinese food place (Jumbo Chinese) and eating it at our kitchen table with Presleigh in her booster seat and two babies beside us is actually a "date", but we really enjoyed it. It is, as Cristine reminds me, just a season. We've got romance, we'll have more soon enough. In the meantime, we have three under two and they are a delight to us.

This week, the twins turned 3 months old. How the heck did that happen?

Today, they weigh in at almost 15 lbs each - two and a half times their birthweight. Jezreel is chunking UP!!! Jovi is trailing a dainty pound behind him and today chuckled for the first time. About two weeks ago, they both started gooing, cooing, and gurgling regularly. Jezreel is the more vocal of the pair, as we expected, but he laughs more than we had imagined. When doing certain activities, he'll throw his head back, open his mouth wiiiiide, and laugh a goofy, adorable laugh that cracks us all up.

Jovi chuckles a lot like her older sister, an infectious giggle you'd expect from a baby girl with a super cute smile.

While the count isn't exact, the math and empty boxes suggest we've just hit the 1,500 diaper mark - not that we're going for a record, just amazed that we've seen that many diapers go bye-bye at the whim of two teeny babes. At least now we're only using about 100 a week. That's great news when you consider the bigger the diapers get, the fewer come in a box for the same price, right?

God has provided marvelously. This week, Papa was asked to do an extra speaking gig and was paid enough to cover the diapers, his back X-ray at the chiropractor's, and buy some food for date night tonight. He supplies our needs, often before we know we need them.

These babies are amazing and we're still scratching our heads in wonder at the fact that they're here, they're ours, and they're so adorable. Thanks, to all of our wonderful visitors, by the way. We don't get out as much as we used to, but it's been great to fire up the grill for our friends and enjoy their company. We are so very blessed by the fellowship of such great people.

May God bless you and keep you.

Amen.

How DID we get this far?

It's really hard to believe that these two incredible blessings of ours are officially 8 weeks old!

After building up and building up, it looks like Jovi and Jezreel are now about 12 to 14 lbs. - that's twice their birth weight! In just 8 weeks? It just seems like this leap in size took so much longer with Presleigh. "Can't you just stay teeny for a couple more months?"

Nope. Time marches on!

Yet, if you interviewed either Cristine or I, you'd hear us tell a very different story: sleep... is... a... priceless... commodity!!! Sometimes, it seems like the feed-wake-change-sleep cycle never ends. Alright, it never really does end!

The count goes on - we're at roughly 950 diapers since birth. Yes, that's a LOT of diapers, right? With two, it's a totally different ballgame than with one. No, I don't just mean the diaper changing, but the feeding, waking, getting back to sleep, changing again ("didn't I just change your diaper?!")

Yet, it's far more than twice the blessing. I am amazed at the little nuances we both see in our twins. (Not to mention the ongoing advances that both Presleigh and Brianna continue to make.) Little changes to their faces, new coos and moves, bigger fingers than I think they had yesterday... Life unfolding - what an amazing witness to the glory of our sovereign God. "The heavens declare the glory of God..." yet, so do some of His smallest creations, no?

In no particular order, here are some recent photos of the babes, as promised. After getting Jezreel and Jovi a bit chunkier, we were able to really dig in to the Babywise techniques and I'm grateful to say, we're getting a bit more than 4 hours of sleep at a time, provided our bodies don't naturally wake us up at 3AM thinking we're about to miss a feeding.

Thank GOD we had a visit from an acquaintance turned new BFF - Lily. She and Cristine just got to know each other and it turns out they lived two towns apart back in New Jersey - how funny is THAT? Well, she and two of her 7 daughters (guh-WHAH?!) brought us an awesome Cuban dinner (Arroz y picadillo - NICE!) so, Papa got the night off from the cookin! Praise Christ, and thank you Lily & family!


Well, night-night for Mommy and Papa. Here's some pics, more to come.

Hey, if you're not already a supporter of Seasons of Life, would you consider it, even if only for a few bucks over the summer? As Papa begins to emerge from the fog, he'll be doing more fundraising. But, lately, we're back to praying, making the need known, and trusting God to provide. Actually, that's right where he's wanted us all along. Pray that we stay there and never move back into our own strength! So, you've read this - the need is now known. Click here to help out.

Peace & Go Celtics!

AP

Night-night, Jovi!

Night-night, Jezreel!

More Photos Coming

We've taken a little over a thousand photos of these two since they were born. Suffice it to say that with minimal sleep and lots of work, we've made little time to parse through all the snapshots.

Since the twins are sleeping a little longer at night, we're just about ready to barrage their blog with a TON of photos. So, sit tight, keep your eyes open, and click back here before the weekend's over and you'll get a look at what can happen to newborn twins in a mere 7 weeks!

Papa

The Funnest Babies Ever!!!

No, it's not my favorite thing in the world, to get up at 2 in the AM, especially when we just got back to bed at 11PM from the 10PM feeding, knowing we'll be up again at 5 or 6AM after getting to bed at 3... But, this is one of those things that's probably never meant to be fun, just worth it. I mean, look at them! How could this NOT be fun?!

Wow, Jovi and Jez continue to grow and change with each day! Unless you're watching, you'll miss something. "Look, his face is different... She's lifting her head, well, not really lifting, but trying... Did he just move his eyes in tandem? Didn't I just empty the diaper genie?"

There's so much to say about a newborn. Twice as much, when there are two, right? But, with little sleep for the blogger/Papa and much photo snapping, I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Playing on the Floor Mat

Stylin' with Jezreel

More photos to come tomorrow and a few on Presleigh's blog as well. Thanks, for all of y'all's prayers, meals, and other support!

AP

Les Photos...

We've been counseled to be selfish this first two weeks - not the "three pieces of cake for me and no cake for you" kind of selfish, but the "y'all just had twins and need to keep your priorities straight" kind of selfish. I think we've done a pretty good job of it. We're getting some good, two hour chunks of sleep in between feedings and a few friends have visited with meals and a box or two of diapers. All in all, it's one wild experience that we are thoroughly grateful for.

Hope you enjoy some of these first "official" photos from our collection!

AP & CP

Jezreel arrives!


Joyful Jovi!


Mommy & her only son



Sunrise, Day 3



Sunrise, Day 3



Cristine - Elastigirl... and the two new Incredibles!

He does this one sided "Harrison Ford half-smile" like Papa



"Don't make me come over there!"



Brie and the wee-ones

To All of Our Volunteers, Family & Friends

Thank you, thank you, thank God for you and all He's done!

Arrived home late Saturday night. Nice to start "settling in".
Photos coming up early in the week. Probably get a few out to close friends and fam before then. Now, sleep, feed, get babies on a schedule, stay unplugged when possible.

God is great. God is good. We wouldn't have it any other way.

Thank you to all of the volunteers and visitors who've been so vital to us. The meals, the diapers, the van, the everything. We are truly amazed at God's provision, your generosity, and obedience to Him.

Love from all to all.

in Christ,

AP

What Else Can You Say?

When you get a ringside seat to see God do something completely amazing, what more can you say but "Osssssssum"?! Awesome, awesome, awesome.

Jezreel Jaxton Pina arrived at about 5:47 PM, weighing in at 6 lbs. 4 oz., roughly 19 inches long. His sister joined the family about 12 minutes later - 6 lbs. 2 oz., 18 inches.

Mommy's tired, but she... did... awesome.

Resting, enjoying our two new additions and praising God for His faithfulness.

Photos up sometime in the next day or two. Family first.

in Christ,

Pina, Party of 6

What It Takes

If you're not 10 cm dilated, you ain't allowed to push. Right now, we're between 6 and 7 cm (alright, 45 minutes ago...). So, we're a far cry from where we were this AM when we showed up at Hotel Babyfactory. But, there's still 3 cm to go...

I've never been pregnant - (you noticed?), nor will I ever be, right? So, I've got a limited perspective on what it's like to have a baby (much less, two) inside your body for an extended period of time. What I do know, is Cristine is a champ for all she's endured and it's extensive. Exhaustion, back pain, belly pain, cervical pressure, muscle strains, and then a little more exhaustion on top, just for fun. She's got what it takes to have these babies, right?!



It's all good, though - thanks to our dear friend Dr. John. Dr. John has been an anesthesiologist for over 25 years. He strolled in with the coolest pack of stuff a laboring mother could ask for - specifically, that drinking straw sized needle known as an "epidural". Anyone who's ever had one knows it brings a strange smile to the face of the woman about to receive it - a smile of joy about the floating-on-fluffy-clouds feeling it's soon to bring, undergirded by wincing of pain required to deliver the happy clouds.

Cristine's had that happy feeling for a couple of hours now. So, we've had the privilege of telling her when her contractions are coming, since she can't really feel a whole lot. The contractions are great news, though, because they're doing the work of helping Jezreel make his trip down the slide and out the chute. We're estimating it'll only be a matter of a couple more hours to get the doorway wide enough for the Great Escape.

For now, pray for Cristine - once they do the epidural, you're not allowed to eat anything more than ice chips and she hasn't eaten since last night. Good LORD, give her strength, right? Mommy wants some yummy in her tummy!!!

Looking up.

Papa P

Ooops! Gotta run. Having babies!!!

30 Second Time Out

Water's broken and we're just waiting for the contractions to get so unbearable that Cristine stands up and screams "YOUUUUUUUUU did this to me!!!"

She just explained to me that having a contraction is like having someone grab all of your intestines and squeeze them. Okay. this is the point where I unplug from all social media and give her my undivided attention. You might hear from me in another couple hours. Or, you just might get some photos posted later tonight.

(Nice timing - the epidural lady just came in!!!)

Peace and chicken grease!

AP

What's for Lunch?

Cristine's all checked in, hooked up, and just waiting for lunch time to roll around. They've started the Pitocin drip to kick the labor into a higher gear and expect our doctor to come back pretty soon to break Jezreel's water.

Twins should be here in time for a late lunch...

Thanks, to all the well wishers, prayer warriors, housesitters, baby transporters, tween watchers, and unbelievable friends for all you're doing!

Babies soon!

AP

Paul Revere's ride...

You remember the cry of Paul Revere, right? "The British are coming, the British are coming!" I think if we were in olde Boston tonight, we'd be hoisting a lantern up at the Old North Church. Then, we could have old Paul ride through the streets to declare "The babies are coming, the babies are coming!"

We've been cordially invited to head to the hospital tomorrow to either go into labor naturally or be induced, whichever comes first. At 37-1/2 weeks, the docs agree - Jovi and Jezreel are ready for prime time, and with all the last minute preparations we've done today, we're ready for them to come on out!

Thank you, to everyone who's pitched in a hand, an hour, or a meal to sustain us this far. Thanks, also to a small handful of y'all who are considering joining Mommy and Papa's support team at Seasons of Life. Papa does most of the fundraising work (while we know God actually raises the support, ultimately), and he'll be giving full time to Mommy, the twins and the rest of the kids for the next two weeks while she recovers and the rest get settled into a "normal" schedule. Thank you for your prayers, all of y'all. It's wild watching the body of Christ at work. We're seriously honored.

So fired up for tomorrow - how cool are these two, right? They'll NEVER forget what day is tax day...

Papa's hoping to do some live blogging from the hospital if the world's slowest laptop gives him a little grace. Got the camera loaded up? Yeppers!

Yes, keep Mommy in your prayers as well as all the awesome volunteers who've come along side to help watch Brianna and Presleigh while Mommy and Papa are ushering in the twins! Sorry we'll miss you at church on Sunday, but remember we'll be there in Spirit (and online!) Hope to join you there at www.northpointonline.tv!

'Til morning...

AP & Fam

Heading Out Soon?

We had a rather uneventful visit to the hospital last week - you know, contractions, little dilation, blah, blah, blah... Then we knew we'd be off to see the OB and the Perinatal gang again on Monday. At this point, Momma had resigned herself to hearing either or both Doctors say "come back in another week!"

Instead, there was light at the end of the tunnel - the cervical tunnel, that is!!! Both agreed that the babies look really healthy (6lbs. 6oz. and 7lbs. healthy, at that) and are ready to join us outside the womb - SOON!!! In fact, we've made plans to head down to the hospital so they can head out on Thursday!

Mommy feels great about having a date-certain, and Papa's grateful to be able to set down all the plans that were previously floating. He's also looking forward to what many are referring to as "vacation" for the rest of the month. But, we know him better than that. He'll be cooking up a storm in the kitchen, taking care of Mommy and the twins, getting Brie and Presleigh off to school, and preparing a lot of reading and writing projects that can be done while the twins are (hopefully) sleeping blissfully.

We're extremely excited to meet Jezreel and Jovi and can tell by all the kicking in there that the feeling is reciprocated.

Keep us all in your prayers, as always.

in Christ,

AP & Fam

What are YOUR Plans?

Last week was the "perfect" week to have twins - it was Spring Break, so there would have been no shuttling of older siblings back and forth to school, plenty of volunteers to watch the kids and the house, and Papa would have been able to spend full time at the hospital caring for Mommy, Jovi, and Jezreel.

But, of course, that was not God's plan. And, around here, we know how to make plans, but do our best to get out of God's way when His timing doesn't match up with ours. So, we had our brush with Braxton-Hicks, played with the kids, did our best to entertain our "bored" tween (who's still grounded for life, but gaining back privileges), and kept the twins in for one more week.

Probably a better plan than ours was, anyway - you think?

Saturday, we officially rounded the corner of week 37, an important milestone in the development of the unborn. While long term results for twins born at 36 weeks are virtually identical to those born a week later, the short term troubles go from 15% for those born at 36 weeks down to less than 8% for those born just one week later.

I'm not much of a betting man, but if I had to bet on odds, I'd like the odds on week 37 babies by a long shot.

Sometime tomorrow (I'll have to check my schedule), we'll get to visit our ultrasound Doc and our OB to get a look at the state of the union. Hopefully, one of them will say "you're dilated 5 cm, let's get you to the hospital", and that'll be it. Either way, they'll be taking measurements tomorrow and we'll know how big these babies are (with a margin or error of several ounces). Two weeks ago, I believe the ultrasound indicated Jovi was about 5 lbs. 6 and Jezreel was tracking 5 lbs. 11, so we ought to see weights over 6 lbs at this stage for each. That's healthy, right?

Again, I say all of this under the proviso that this is "our plan". HIS plans will ultimately prevail. And, for this, we are eternally grateful. God. Is. Good.

In Christ, AP

Drum Roll, annnnnnnnd Nothing!!!

So, the contraction meter that was hooked up to Cristine was very active most of the night... most of the night. Somewhere in the medium hours of the morning the large, lengthy, and frequent contractions she was having gave way to a strange absence of contractions. Babies look fine, heartbeats strong, just no more contractions and a high cervix. If Mommy had dilated any more than the 2 cm she was at when we came in, the Doctor said he'd have kept us and induced. But, as it stands...

"You're free to head home..."

That's what we want to hear AFTER the babies come. Can someone shake that Doctor, make sure his batteries are fresh, and see if he understands we're ready to have us some twins?!

Thanks for all the prayers, keep them coming, we're headed back to Cumming, and hopefully the contractions will be coming back, we'll be coming back, and the babies will be coming to Cumming today... tonight... this week...

God is righteous, sovereign, and good.

in Him,

Papa

Update

Contractions - big suckers... Yet, still not fully dilated. The Dr. should be returning soon to let us know if they're going to send us home and make us come back again. For now, Mommy's a little more comfortable from the meds they gave her. Actually, more like "asleep" from the meds they gave her.

Back to the waiting game - this time it feels like the "full contact waiting game".

Owwwie.

- Papa

Hurry Up & Wait

We got the call back from the doctor following an episode of "pressure" Cristine was experiencing. Considering she was experiencing contractions and all else that comes to bear on the situation, he gave us the go-ahead to... go ahead. We dotted a few i's and crossed a few t's and once we were comfortable the house and the girls would be well supervised, headed out to the hospital. Come 1AM, there weren't a whole lot of wheelchairs available in the lobby (there's a big wheelchair basketball league in this part of town and I'm guessing they were a man down or something). But, we managed to get Mommy into the elevator - Papa almost didn't bring Mommy OUT of the elevator once it arrived.

She's moving as fast as she can, Papa. Cut her some slack, right?

Once we got to the admin desk, of course we had plenty of paperwork to fill out, but soon enough, we were on our way to our room. Now, let me set this up - Mommy's a little nervous about the fact that the babies are finally coming. She's also sweating and a little freaked out over the back pain, etc. she's going through.

So, is it okay if we walk into our wing without hearing a woman screaming at the top of her lungs a few doors down?!

Yeah, Mommy wasn't too reassured by that.

Regardless, we followed up on our housewatchers, settled into the room, and are now awaiting... awaiting... the twins!!! It looks like they'll be here soon, just not as soon as the uncomfy Mommy may like. For now, it sounds like we'll be here for several hours while Jovi and Jezreel finish cleaning up their wombs.

More as soon as it's available.

Thanks, for your prayers!

Aarron & Cristine

Really?

Yeah, after a whole lot of waiting and thinking that our plans were going to work out, we get to see God's plan - three days later than we had expected, but right on time in His timing!

Mommy's having some serious contractions at 36+ weeks and the doctor just gave us the go ahead to head to the hospital! Could be anytime, now!!!

Keep her and the twins in prayer!

Oh, yeah, and me, too!!!

AP

Ouch!

Alright, now THAT was a contraction. Too bad the last one was over 90 minutes ago!

Easter twins, maybe?

Could it be?

Well, we've been waiting quite some time now (35.7 weeks to be exact) and still have only signs that the twins are coming. What Mommy's aching for now are some signals!

Cristine has been such a champ - to date, she's carrying two 5-1/2 lb. babies who kick and roll at every turn, making it truly uncomfortable for her to stand... walk... sit... lay... breath. And yet, she perseveres. Sometimes, she even tries to do regular household chores, which Papa has to scold her for. Lately, Papa has been flying solo to church, events, meetings, and people ask him - "how's Cristine?" to which I can only reply "ready..."

Earlier this week, we had some pressure that we thought was contractions, but turned out to be... turn-ing. Yeah, as the twins are now both head down in preparation for an Olympic photo finish, they're creating all kinds of pressure in all kinds of unfamiliar places. Although the most recent pelvic exam resembles my old favorite haircut (high and tight), we can't help but imagine that could change at any moment.

Today, Mommy's feet are swollen for the first time and the pressure is more evident, but we're both still scratching our heads wondering if this will be the day. For now, keep praying and we'll keep you in the loop.

in the love of the Lord,

AP

How Big IS a Woman Carrying Twins?

Mommy's been gracious enough to pose for a photo most women wouldn't dare allow. About a week or two ago, she remarked - "Babe, I'm BIG!"

Now, most guys might fall for it, but I've been counseled by some older, wiser men - "don't ever answer that statement wrong!" So, I replied "Sweetheart, you look great!"

While we had to agree to disagree on that point, we had to agree that a photo wouldn't lie. So, as we approach today, day 1 of week 34, we proudly present - Preggo Extraordinare, my lovely bride, Mrs. Cristine Pina, with the belly out to... here?

Keep praying that we go to at least 36 weeks, possibly 37 for best results. Strong, healthy babies, who walk with the Lord all their days.

AP

Foreshadowing?

Last night, we got to take a trip down to IKEA, because the bed some friends gave us didn't come with a fitted sheet. No big deal, so why the trip down to 17th St., right? Well, IKEA is a Swedish company and all of their baby bed stuff is European sized. What's more, the linens aren't available online or over the phone - in store only...

So, we made the trip, got the sheets, and on the way back got to stop at Northside to visit our best friends, Sarah and Jason with their 3 hour old baby, Samuel Jayden Allen!!! Woo-hoo! As I looked at their sleeping newborn, the coming of the twins hit me even more clearly - we've got two babies on the way, and SOON!

Samuel was a whopping 9 lbs at birth, 21 inches long (go, Sarah!!!) and slept the whole time we were there - nice break for mommy & daddy, since they'll be in for some sleepless nights once they're released from the hospital. Shae is now officially a big sister and loved the opportunity to hold her little brother while he's still "holdable". Knowing Samuel's mommy and daddy's work ethic, this little boy is going to be hard to hold on to once he's up and mobile.

It was great to see him and we're excited for Sarah to finally be "empty" and equally stoked for Jason, a step-dad of one and now first time dad.

We got to hold Samuel for a while, in fact, long enough for Cristine to ask - "so, how's that going to go when you have to carry two babies?" Being that the most baby sized and baby weighted thing in the room was a Diet Coke bottle, I put a 2 liter in one arm and Samuel in the other.

WOW, carrying twins around is going to be an experience! I started doing the math and if Samuel weighed only 9 lbs and the Diet Coke bottle only weighed 3 lbs (it wasn't a full bottle), that's 12 lbs. and if I've got any hope of holding Jovi and Jezreel together when they arrive, Papa's got to start lifting weights!

After the trip, I've decided to add our baby registry to the left hand column of the page as well as give a shoutout for IKEA - with all the organizing we've got to do in the future, I think it'd be super smart for us to ask for IKEA gift cards for Cristine's shower next weekend. So, if you're thinking of the twins and Mommy & Papa's sanity, visit our registry or pick up an IKEA gift card!

In the meantime, keep Sarah & Jason, Shae and Samuel in your prayers for a smooth transition home, a full night's sleep as soon as possible, and (shammmmmeless plug) plenty of new work for Mr. Jason's business "Fresh Start Remodeling".

It's a Date!!!

For all the guys out there, I'm about to let you in on a really cool secret guaranteed to heat up your marriage. If you're looking for a great place to take your wife for a weekend (or just overnight) getaway, you've got to try the place that's becoming a bit of a tradition for us. Two years ago, Cristine was pregnant with Presleigh - terribly hyperemetic (a fancy word for "full time nausea"), and wound up dehydrated. So I, being the high priest of romance in our marriage, did what any sensible guy would do - I booked us a room... at Northside Hospital. Valentine's weekend, of all times, right?

Yeah, I know what you're thinking "Dang, Cassanova, you spared no expense!" Well, if you're over your medical deductible for the year or you're on Medicaid, it could turn out to be a whole lot cheaper than tickets to Whistler for the Olympics and they'll wait on your wife hand and foot... and heart... and I.V. FYI, free parking at the Emergency Room helps make it a cheaper date.

Alright, so it's not all that romantic, but late last night, Cristine was complaining of a severe burning pain in her upper abdomen and we weren't getting a whole lot of action in her belly from the twins. Knowing the drill, I was able to get a bag packed and get us out the door pretty quickly. Within about 10 minutes, Brianna had been re-stationed on the living room couch and assigned to Presleigh-sitting duty and we were headed for the highway.

A few minutes into our check-in, we had a nice room and some snacks (graham crackers, saltines, and juice - we're talking serious romance here...) to whet the appetite. Our personal butler... uh, nurse, got to work popping in an IV and checking the fetal heartbeats. Good news on both accounts - the IV went in smoothly, I selected a fine bag of 2009 Lactated Ringer's for the lady, and the twins registered healthy, vibrant heartbeats of 140 and 132 beats per minute. I could tell Cristine was in the mood for love... or sleep... I'm not sure which it was, because it was 3AM and I already had my feet kicked up on the recliner - zzzzz. ZZZ...

The abbreviated version is, after ultrasounds and observation, it turns out Cristine had severely strained an abdominal muscle. By the time check-out time arrived we'd spent 12 hours in the hospital, confirmed the fine health of our babies in waiting, enjoyed the fine cafeteria cuisine we've not sampled in over a year, and reaffirmed my conviction that Mommy needs to be either in bed or on the couch and nothing more for the next two months. Here we are, enjoying our Valentine's Day toast, courtesy of Chez Ronald and Le Vending Machine.

It was good news all around and we got some more photos of Jovi and Jez. But, the star of the day had to be our oldest, Brianna, who babysat Presleigh through 2 late night wake ups, 3 poopie diapers, an afternoon nap, and 12 long, unexpected hours on the job. She really rose to the occasion and deserved every bite of that pizza we brought her back... that is, what Presleigh didn't devour!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Is No News Good News?

We hope so.

Today, we got another good look at Jovi and Jezreel (though we couldn't get any really high quality new glamor shots). Everything looks normal in terms of height and growth (both measuring in the 2 to 3 lb range for now... Mercy!!!) As for the aqueduct in Jezreel's brain, we've got roughly the same measurement we had four weeks ago - between 1.06 and 1.14 cm. This means there's still some swelling there, but it hasn't gotten any worse.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but if he's grown an inch or two in size and the measurement stayed the same, doesn't that paint a picture of the body's overall growth outpacing the swollen part? Perhaps. I'm comforted by the "no worse" prognosis. My prayer is that Cristine is comforted equally.

Of course, this begs the question: will I find my comfort in statistics and measurements or the Lord, who cannot be measured? Fair question. I'd prefer to lean on Him than on the wisdom of men any day. And so, I will.

Thank you, for the many who have kept us and the twins in your prayers and thank God, who is perfect and yet condescends to listen to the desires of our hearts.

in Christ,

AP

News on the Way

Today, we're heading to our regularly scheduled ultrasound for another look at Jovi and Jezreel. The Dr. from our last visit explained that we're still in a holding pattern regarding the aqueduct in Jezreel's brain. Today, our prayer is that his body's growth has outpaced the swollen spots and that we're back in the clear with no other issues.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, check the previous post. If you'd care to take a knee on our (his) behalf - please direct all prayers to Yahweh, the Lord and Maker of all, Father of Jesus, who is the Christ. Or, simply preface them with the word "Lord..." He gets that mail pretty regularly.

in it with you,

Papa Pina

You Need an Update!

Today we've had a lot of blog traffic, which is cool. But, we haven't posted since way back in December - which is not cool!


To that end, here's the promised scan of Jovi and Jezreel. As you can see, we've caught her lounging around in her womb, minding her own business. With all the kicking she's been doing, that's certainly a rare moment.

Jezreel is seriously chillaxin, too - check out the thumb in the mouth action already! Don't let him fool you, though - he's quite a kicker, too. Could we have early walkers in their sister, Presleigh's footsteps?

Ugh! Take your time and crawl, kiddos!

These scans, from January look mostly normal. Mostly... The doctor was very frank with us about Jezreel, though. Within his head is a place where the CSF (cerebro-spinal fluid) typically enters the brain cavity to bath and protect the brain. In Jez's case, this aqueduct is inflamed. Typically at this stage of growth, we expect to see the measurement of this part of the brain at about 1cm or less. Jezreel's measures 1.17 cm.

This is not a huge discrepancy, but it is something to watch. Next week, we return for another regularly scheduled ultrasound where we'll get an update. The tough news is, regardless of whether he outgrows this anomaly or not, we can only wait. There is no in-utero solution for this. Once he's born, if it's still an issue, it will have to be monitored and can be shunted, but little more.

Are we concerned? Yes. Are we freaked out? No. It's purely a trusting game in which we wait on the Lord and see what His ultimate plans are. We are encouraged and hopeful. Your prayers are certainly welcomed for Jezreel's brain and for Mommy's back.

Did I mention Mommy is whooped?

So, keep us all in your prayers that we will trust in God so ruthlessly that we'll stay focused yet peaceful with all He is up to. Ultimately, we have no control over much more than our attitudes and that's right where God wants us anyway, right?

More news next week!

in Christ,

AP