This is my update for the last week or so. On March 21st my Crossroads church family threw me my final baby shower. I knew the ladies would have some sort of surprise for me, but they truly outdid themselves this time. What was my surprise you ask? My best friend Andrea flew in from Arizona and showed up at my house at 9:30 in the morning while I was getting ready. I hear the doorbell ring and think - who could that be - then I hear Andrea say "Candi." I was like, WHAT??? I was truly in shock b/c just that morning while I was doing my makeup I was trying figure out what the surprise would be and I thought, how awesome would it be if Andrea showed up, but then I rationalized with myself and knew that it was impossible. And then there she was...she actually showed up. It was so incredibly special to have her share in this big day; she actually led a time of prayer and encouragement for me which was so uplifting. Another surprise of the morning was a fun Price is Right game...and who played Bob Barker, none other than my hubby. I had such a wonderful time with my sweet friends from all walks of my life, it was a great way to celebrate! Hope you enjoy these photos from the shower.

On March 25th I went to the doctor for just a regular check-up. My blood pressure continues to be stable, no anemia and I'm measuring just fine. I will go back to the doctor on April 8th for another ultrasound and I'll find out how much the babies weigh. Hopefully they've gained over 1 lb. each b/c I know that I had gained 4 lbs in 2 weeks and I'm hoping most of that is baby. I'm continuing to work, hopefully for at least a few more weeks - I'm kind of playing it by ear. I'll be 34 weeks this Friday, which is the mark that the doctors told me they wouldn't stop me if I went into labor. We're still hoping that they'll make it to 37, preferably 38 weeks, so hopefully I've got 3-4 more weeks until they arrive. I feel like we're much more prepared. We've gotten all the presents put away, the sheets are on the bed, the changing table is stocked with diapers and the carseats are in the car. The only things I REALLY need to do are go through and wash clothes and finally, pack my bag for the hospital. I'm so in shock that they're so close to being here.

Here I am at 32 weeks - I can hardly believe it. It is becoming more and more real with every passing day. Yesterday we purchased a used mini-van, which made the reality of everything sink in. We got a 2004 Chevrolet Venture w/ great mileage at a great price! It was God's provision for us, truly. I've continued to feel well overall. Meredith and Berkley are definitely growing because it's become very difficult to bend over now and even uncomfortable to sit sometimes. I've been trying to catch a video of my belly moving, but haven't caught them at the right moment just yet. I'll keep trying though. People ask am I ready and honestly, no. I don't know that I could ever truly be ready for the unknown world of becoming a mommy to twins. I continue to trust God, that He will provide me the strength and knowledge that I'll need to care for my babies.

As for you, how can you be praying for us you ask, well...Please be praying that the babies would continue to grow well. Pray that I will continue to feel as well as I have been and will be able to continue to work into April. Pray that our babies would make it to at least 37 weeks (only 5 more weeks), but I'd love it if they held out until 38 weeks, around May 1st. Pray that our babies would be turned down so that I might have a natural birth versus a c-section. Those are just a few of the prayer requests.

Update

No pictures to share, but we had an ultrasound yesterday. The babies are just getting so big that it's difficult to get good shots. My mom "grandmama" attended the ultrasound with me and Steven, which is always a sweet time to share. We saw Meredith sucking her thumb. It was awesome to see that little chin working so hard as she sucked her thumb:) Meredith was also turned down, which is how we'd prefer for her to stay. In contrast to previous ultrasounds, Berkley was the difficult one to see instead of Meredith. He's situated so low that we could barely get a shot of his face, but we confirmed once again that he's 100% boy:) Berkley now weighs around 3lbs14oz - he's gained over 1 1/2lbs in the last month. Meredith now weighs 3lbs5oz - she's gained over 1 lb in the last month! Everything looks healthy and Meredith is quickly catching up with her brother. All is well with me thankfully - no blood pressure issues, my weight gain is good and no issues with edema yet. I'm now planning on continuing work through part of April, for as long as I feel well.

...In other news, Steven was interviewed by PBS on Wednesday in regards to his experience at the School of Medicine. I'm not sure when it's going to air, but I'll be sure to keep you all posted. That's all for now:)

Piney Grove/Farm Life Shower

For those of you who have known me for awhile, you know that I come from a small town called Farm Life, where everyone knows everybody and there's a great sense of community. My home church is Piney Grove Baptist Church and the church family there have been a huge source of support for my family over the years. Well, this weekend was my "home" shower with all of my church, biological, and Farm Life family. Talk about being blessed - so many folks came out to share their love and excitement for our upcoming arrivals. Once again, I was so touched by everyone's well wishes and overwhelmed by their generosity. Here's some pictures of the big day!

Lots of Preparations

This was a weekend full of baby preparations. Friday I had a brief doctors appointment; they measured me and listened to the babies heartbeats. Meredith's heart rate was 160 and Berkley's 140, so everyone is healthy (including mommy)! Saturday Steven and I had our Expectant Parents class at the hospital from 9-3:30. It was a long day, but very good for the two of us to share together. Poor Steven, he already knew most of the facts, but he went to support me. I feel much more knowledgeable about what to expect now, but I know that the delivery day will bring tons of surprises:) Saturday night was filled with nursery preparations. Steven put the cribs together...hats off to him for working for like 4 hours on them, his poor knees were so read afterwards. It so surreal to look at two cribs in our nursery and know they are ours. Everything is becoming real very quickly. We'll put some pictures on the blog of the nursery once it's a bit more put together. Right now it's in a bit of a disarray because we had a big baby shower on Sunday with Steven's family and church family. We were so encouraged by the turnout on such a rainy day in Williamston. We got some absolutely adorable gifts. I've included a few pictures from the shower on Sunday as well as pictures from the wonderful shower that my coworkers threw for me on Tuesday. All in all, I've been so uplifted by my friends and family and continue to praise God for his provision for our family!