Almost 2 Months: Update!

You both have changed my life completely. Mostly for the better. There are moments I think its for the worse :). 

You are exhausting - mentally, physically, and emotionally. I don't think I've ever cried so much in my entire life. Even in those awkward high school years! 

One moment you make me so incredibly angry and in the next I melt at how adorable and precious you are.  

You are tough. You cry a lot. And when I say a lot - I mean like literally a lot.

You are also Loved. You are adored and treasured so so much. I know you are a sweet gift and I thank God for you each day. Both of you. Even though there are two of you at once :). I worry about you often. I think about your future daily.

I pray that God captures your heart at an early early age.

I pray you give him your heart at that early early age.

I pray you don't date casually.

I pray you keep things in their proper places until you are married to your bride.

I pray you find a sweet girl that loves you. That adores you more than I adore your Father.

I pray you are smarter than your dad and I. That you make wiser decisions.

I pray you are kind to others. That you don't bully anyone.

I pray you aren't bullied yourself.

I pray you are successful. That you work hard. That you aren't a quitter.

A little about the boys and their personalities.

McLean

You will be my independent fella. You love to be naked, so bath time is your favorite. You like to sit on the changing pad - it calms you down for some reason. You cry big crocodile tears and poke your bottom lip out when you cry those tears.

You are a piggy and love to eat. Like all the time. You are one pound shy of doubling your birth weight and you aren't even two months old yet!

You are my burping machine.

You are so strong. You've flipped over once from your belly to your back (although it's been a while since you've done that!). 

You like to be held but not cuddled tight. You'd rather stretch out.

You have toes like a Marsh.

You grunt and moan and stretch for about 20 minutes when you are trying to wake up.

You have the biggest light blue eyes that I just adore.

You currently weigh 9 lbs 5 oz!

Nelson

You give me the craziest faces. You usually have a furrowed brow and give off an angry look every day.

You don't like to be changed or to be naked for that matter.

You love to be cuddled into a little ball. You stick your bum out and love for it to be patted.

You have the meanest cry when you are angry. You have tiny little whimpers but when you aren't happy you work up to that mean cry. 

You're upper lip is almost non-existent.

You have blonde hair and the longest blonde eyelashes.

You like your pacifier more than your brother does.

You love to keep your hands and fingers in your face like at all times.

If you aren't in our arms you like to hold our fingers.

You have amazing eye contact and follow your Dad and I with those sweet dark blue eyes.

You currently weigh 8 lbs 7 oz.

I love when Seth comes home and wants both of you boys for Dad time. McLean likes to touch Nelson if they are side by side and Nelson usually is screaming and trying to get away! McLean kept putting his arm around Nelson the other night!

One of Nelson's many faces and McLean always just keeps his same sweet face.

I think it is absolutely amazing that you are twins but oh so different. You look different, act different, and grow different!

You both love to be worn and walked around. McLean does better in the Ergo since he likes to stretch out. Nelson loves to ball up and cuddle so the Boba is more his deal.

You don't nap during the day often, which is horrendous for me at times. So, when I get both of you napping at the same time life is sweet for a few moments :).

Sweet sweet faces.

These days are long and the nights are short. I enjoy how little you are now, but I do look forward to you moving out of this constantly crying phase of life you are in. I look forward to seeing you smile and cooing and grow even more!

Even though I am not shy to mention how tough you both are right now - I absolutely want you. You make your Dad and I laugh. You make my heart swell with pride. You are adorable. You are loved. You are mine. Both of you.

Us Four Cook's :)

McLean and Nelson

It is unreal how quickly time has been passing since we've brought these two sweet things home.  The boys are four weeks old today and what a challenging joy they have been to their Dad and I. 

These guys have been the best but hardest addition to our lives. They drive me insane at times but I wouldn't return them. They make me curse under my breath and want to kiss their little cheeks all in the same moment. They make me want to be a stay at home mom until they cry a lot and then I'm so into being a working mother. Even in all the hard moments - long days - crying fits - lack of sleep I'm so blessed to be a Mom - a twin Mom.

One of the sweetest parts of these two joining our family has been watching that stud of mine be their Dad.  Seeing Seth cup their little bodies in his hands to hold and comfort them, kiss their cheeks and heads, hear him call them 'Son' just melts my heart. l can't imagine walking this difficult and tiresome road with anyone else.  He has gone off of less sleep so I could have more - he has spent countless evenings consoling crying babies so I can take a break - he has given our babies formula when I'm so exhausted and unable to nurse them and has been my greatest cheerleader every step of the way. He comes home after working all day to a dirty house that he graciously cleans (other than the bathroom still :)!!) and tells me what an awesome job I'm doing.

I couldn't ask for my boys to have a better Dad.

We had a pretty smooth and easy delivery.  I won't go into much detail about it but we were induced a little over 38 weeks and the boys made their arrival around 9pm and were about 10 minutes apart.

The day after the boys were born.

The boys were immediately taken across the room to be checked out so Seth was able to see them both before I got to. As soon as Nelson was born I looked over at Seth and asked, 'Well, are they cute?' and he immediately gives me a disgusted face and yells 'No!!' Thankfully, they brought the boys to me pretty soon after and they cleaned up nicely :).

Seth letting the boys have brother bonding time.

When Seth comes home he will get one or both of our boys and tell them all is okay in the world b/c they get to have 'Dad time'. I absolutely love watching Dad time. 

Reciting James to the boys.

It is so neat that I carried these fellas at the same time - they are twins - womb mates - but yet they are sooo different. They look different and they have such different personalities.

McLean

What a cutie.

He seems to have his Dad's physical traits. He has long arms and legs like his Dad. He likes to be stretched out. He's not a cuddler. He does not like being hungry and he likes to eat all the time. As long as he has a full gut he is a calm and content fella.  Other than that Sineath nose - he doesn't have any obvious facial features that are me or his Dad - but I think he is going to be more of a Seth look-a-like. He was born first as the smaller baby but has quickly surpassed his brother in weight and height.  He loves being naked.  His head is getting large and he know has a ridiculous widow's peak and has several bald spots. I'm guessing the hair hasn't had time to grow and catch up with the quickly expanding knoggin.  

Nelson 

Melt my heart - another cutie.

Nelson takes after my family moreso with his physical features, but I do see a lot of Woody Marsh in him (Seth's uncle).  He has that Sineath nose without a doubt - but those lips are neither mine nor his Dads.  He is going to be shorter than his brother (or so it seems). He loves to be balled up in someone's arms and absolutely hates being put down. He's totally a snuggler.  He screams and screams when he isn't being held or when he's hungry. He hates having his diaper changed or being naked. Nelson has been harder to nurse than his brother.  Nelson has light hair and loves to keep his hands/fingers all up in his face. He seems to have more of a redish tint to his skin - which is totally a Marsh characteristic.

He loves being held - he goes from screaming baby to content as soon as he is picked up and cuddled. We will put him in bed with us in the mornings if we need just a few extra minutes :).

Dad's way of washing dishes with a baby in tote.

The boys have had lots of family visitors over the past few weeks.

Poppie with his two newest great-grands.

Uncle E and Aunt Britt with the fellas.

Auntie K and Uncle Zach loving on the boys.

Laurie and Sarah came to visit!

Aunt Em with their sweet little cousin Humphrey in tow!

Cousin Olivia!

Uncle E - thankful he didn't have twins when he had Mackay :).

Pops and Gam

Nonnie and Gandaddy

Seth and I are so grateful to all our family and friends that came to visit us over the past few weeks. Who have provided meals to us and taken care of us and our home. We have certainly underestimated the little time we would have to cook and clean since these guys have arrived and are so appreciative to everyone that has provided for us in so many ways!

McLean and Nelson - Sweet babies.

Us four Cook's :). 

Our Twin Discovery.

This past July, while my lovely family was living it up on our annual beach vacay, Seth and I found out we were becoming parents! Seth and I weren't able to stay at the beach the entire time due to it being a busy time of year for my new job at the University. What a pleasant surprise we came home to find out though!

We left the beach to head back to Florence having a few day of suspicions that I may be expecting, but after over a year of looking forward to starting our family without success we didn't want to get our hopes too high.  We decided we'd take a test the next morning and much to our shock there happened to be two pink lines.  Still having a little doubt and uncertainty - I wanted it to be a little more obvious than two pink lines.  We went and got a test that actually reads PREGNANT or NOT PREGNANT. 

And there we have it. Since Seth was dying to take a picture with the stick that I had just peed on, we did so to appease him.

Soon after finding out we were expecting I contacted my lady doctor friend and they wanted me to come in for blood tests to confirm our pregnancy.  A few days later I received a call asking for us to come in for our first ultrasound at 6 weeks.

I should've known something was a bit off beat. I asked the lady if everything was okay because most folks I know don't come in for their first appointment until 9-12 weeks.  Why was I going in so early? She ensured all was well and my doctor just liked to see her patients a little earlier than others.  We told both of our families the weekend before our first ultrasound. Although we were very early in our pregnancy - it was the last time Seth's entire family would be together until Thanksgiving so we decided we'd just spill it all that weekend. Due to me being overly anxious to announce this surprise - Seth did the honor and we were able to record both announcements (which I'm so grateful for!).  Not everyone reacted as we expected. My brother gave off a few stank faces. Mom thought it was an absolutely hilarious joke. Seth's family just stood there for a few seconds and his mom's first comment was 'Are you serious?'.

Right after Telling Seth's family.

Right after telling my family.

I'm looking at Seth like - how can they think this is a joke? Mom still thinks it's a joke. Eason's giving me a stank face. Brittany gets it - I'm not sure about Pop. Sweet Mackay is probably thinking this family is cray cray.

I'm not sure why they all thought it was a joke - I mean who jokes about something like this?! But eventually they all came around and shared in the excitement of adding another grand baby to the mix of life.

Then the ultrasound day came.....

Seth and I impatiently waited to be called back at the doctor's office. I was anxious to see this little ball of baby that would be ours. The little creation that we were blessed with that would look like my man or myself. I was nervous but excited and still a little doubt was flowing through my veins.  As we get into the ultrasound room and get situated - we see a little blob that we know is the beginnings of our little Cook kiddo. I was super excited and looked over at Seth who was grinning as I was. 

Soon I hear 'Looks like you have two in there.'

'Um...No, I don't. There's just one.' I quickly reply. I mean obviously this ultrasound lady doesn't know what she's doing.

'No, there are two. Y'all are having twins. See here's one and here's the other.'

'This is a joke. You must joke like this to all of your patients.' I respond still in disbelief.

'Actually, this isn't something I would joke about.' the lady replys.

Seeing she isn't letting up, I request to see both of the baby blobs side by side so I can visually confirm two.

And then there were two.

I looked at Seth who still was just a grinning.

Unsure of what the world was going on - I just sat there.

Seth finally asked if both babies looked okay and if all seemed well with them. The lady said it all looked well. I got up and we headed to the doctor's waiting room. 

Seth stared at the ultrasound picture and I stared at nothing. Everytime I looked at the kid he was grinning ear to ear. He jokingly stated that we would have to look at bigger cars now and how he couldn't wait to tell our brother-in-law Trevor that he was ahead of him in the kid competition (seriously?), but I was unsure of how to respond to our most recent news.  All I could think about was:

How the crap am I suppose to carry two babies at one time? 

Didn't babies come one at a time? 

Why did we get two - How did this happen? 

We were planning to begin looking for a bigger house once our second baby came. 

Can our house fit two babies?

We have to get two of EVERYTHING.

After NOT seeing the doctor but receiving a prescription for a prenatal with extra folic acid to provide for both of the babies I was carrying - we walked out to my car. We attempted to call our families with the news. And NOONE would answer their phones - we called everyone of our family members and finally got a hold of Zachary. We shared the news with him and then slowly got a hold of most of Seth's family. When we spoke with Seth's dad - Seth told him the baby looked fine and they actually found two in there.  Mr. Jimmy replied with 'Two what?' - um....two babies :). haha. Seth's mother gave the best reaction - she LAUGHED and LAUGHED and chuckled and LAUGHED more. She seemed thrilled and everyone else seemed just as shocked as us.  When we finally got a hold of my family we got a...

'You're sh__ing me.' from Victra

Eason responded with a 'So glad that is you and not me!'

So here we have it - Seth and I after finding out we would be starting our family with two babies.

For about a week after we found out about the twins I struggled with excitement. I was scared and unsure about how we would handle this. Can my body do this. Can we afford two. How was this going to work. I'd get ready for work and sit on our bed and tears would fall down. Fearful tears. Uncertain tears. That cute man of mine would walk in and a big grin would spread across his face. He was so excited. I still was not. Don't judge me folks - it's totally a weird situation. I wanted our family to grow. I wanted these babies, but I wanted them one at a time. I never expected two at once. I was scared out of my mind and that took over my excitement.

About a week after we found out about the twins we had a little scare. I called our doctor and was told to go straight to the Emergency Room.  After everything was examined and we were finally cleared to leave the ER with all looking okay for us and our babies - my worry about having two was gone. I wanted both of these babies without a doubt. I was so upset thinking something could happen to one or both of them. Both of these little blobs were ours. They were a part of me and a part of their sweet daddy. For over a year we had been praying to grow our family and here we are growing. God answered our prayer by providing us more than we could have dreamed to begin our family. Having multiples never crossed my mind - not once, but I can't imagine how fun these little kiddos be.  I'm so grateful for both of them and I do not want to even think about not having BOTH our little guys now. 

Have a wonderful New Year's Eve! Us Cook's will be popping open some Welch's Sparkling GrapeJuice (Seth may have himself a brewski) and trying to make it til midnight after cheering on our Tigers!

The Cook's :).