Spring Bees and Scraped Knees...

Astral Defiance and Defy Aster @13 months old (nice undies daddy...)

Spring is officially upon us and the boys are enjoying the beautiful weather. Astral and Defy are leaving the stranger anxiety phase behind and for that we are totally grateful. They quickly become acclimated to their new surroundings and seem to enjoy interacting with others outside of our immediate little pack.

We are constantly running after these guys, they are attracted to anything and everything that could possibly hurt them or get them into trouble. Defy fell outside while playing and had his first scraped knee, he didn’t cry but I almost did. I know this is only the first of many scrapes. Keeping track of them is definitely a full time job! Baby proofing is a never ending when you have two toddlers.

With Spring now in full effect I hope DnA don’t inherit my pollen allergies. Thankfully Lucas doesn’t have allergies, so maybe they’ll luck out. I really just need to stop over-analyzing ever sporadic sneeze. They are enjoying their time outside and all the animals and insect friends they are meeting. They watch the squirrels play in the trees and have met some big buzzing bees for the first time. Our boys have such great attention spans for 1 year olds.

Astral and Defy just love when we sing I’m a Little Teapot; they do the motions with us. Their favorite part is the “tip me over and pour me out” motion. These little sprouts catch on so quickly and their comprehension is through the roof. They are constantly learning new things and pointing to objects they find interesting. They seem to be saying “wa dat” (“what’s that”) as they point to specific things. We aren’t sure if that is what they are saying, but we act like it is and engage them. They now say their own versions of dog, girl, baby and ball as well. Again, these guys are so in sync with one another and so are their milestones.

They might not look exactly alike, but every day we are still blown away by their actions and interactions. They still fight over toys sometimes, but they love one another so much. They hug and kiss and make the other laugh uncontrollably, which totally makes up for the fighting. It must be so awesome to have a permanent partner in crime to do everything with. Whenever I see a kid playing outside alone I am reminded that twins may be double the work of a singleton, but they have a built in playmate and soul mate.

Being parents to twins is extraordinary. The approach to parenting two children at the exact same age is very strategic. We are very laid back people, but we do live by scheduled naps, feeding times and bed time routines. We find peace in our schedule and I think the boys do too. It makes the day flow easier. Lucas stays home with the boys and has established a great routine with them. He takes DnA outside to play and on walks in the morning and then again in the late afternoon. It is perfect, because they all get to release some energy (super veggie power), get a bit of exercise and some good old vitamin D. He has them on a really nice nap schedule where they sleep around 2 hours (sometimes even 2.5 hours).

Astral and Defy’s molars are really coming in and they are also getting (the same ones of course) 2 new teeth each in the bottom front. With their new teeth they will be able to eat more coarse textured foods. More organic and vegan fun feeding adventures are ahead. Recent additions to their diet have been:

Raisins

Apricots

Peanut Butter

Walnuts

Collard Greens

Garlic

Onions

Pure Maple Syrup

Nori

Lima Beans

Navy Beans

Kidney Beans

Red Chili Beans

Barley Flour

One of their biggest and messiest new skills is spoon feeding. They are able to feed themselves with their baby spoons. Everything is happening so fast!

I love writing and I feel a sense of obligation to continue documenting the healthy existence of our vegan twins. All of the disinformation out there on vegan pregnancy and raising vegan children must be combated. When I peruse other “vegan” pregnancy blogs I am astonished by the number of people that think exploiting animals during their pregnancy is okay. Vegan pregnancy isn’t hard and neither is raising vegan children. Though I was hospitalized due to a shortening cervix, my pregnancy went extremely well especially for carrying identical twins that shared a placenta. Now our babies are almost 14 months old (next week) and are vibrantly healthy, happy and eat plants…yup PLANTS! Yes people babies can survive and thrive with no animal bodies, no animal secretions or other bodily functions (and no television either)!!!

I wish I had more time to blog and expand my subjects and posts, but as you know time is limited. It won’t always be this way, but it is for now and we’re cherishing every moment of them needing us and wanting us. Hopefully in the future I can expand my blog and express all of the great ideas I have floating around in my vegan mommy brain…

Astral and Defy Walk...

@ cosmo's vegan shoppe (42 weeks)

47 weeks (1/27/11)

46 weeks

44 weeks

43 weeks - 10 months old

42 weeks

Astral 42 weeks - officially walking!

Happy New Year! I know it’s been a while…

As you imagine we have been extra busy raising our sweet vegan twinsies! I haven't blogged since December, but I am determined to get a post logged for January. I have less than 2 hours left so here goes.

Our amazing little Astral and Defy will be 11 months in 3 days. So much has happened since the last blog post! The most exciting news is that Astral and Defy now walk!!!!!! Can you believe it? Astral took 3 steps when we were in Atlanta over “the holidays”, then a few days later he took 7 and never looked back. Defy launched off about a week or so after Astral! It is super entertaining to watch them toddle around the house. Astral was walking while still 9 months old and Defy when he had just hit 10 months. They are truly outstanding and already have us chasing after them like crazy…

The boys had their first plane ride in December and to our surprise were absolutely great flyers. They didn’t cry at all. They were complete angels. And to think I had nightmares about uncontrollable screaming among other scary things before the trip! We upgraded to business class on both flights so that we’d have more room and also so that we could sit next to one another. In economy seating there is only one extra oxygen mask in each little seat section so they have restrictions prohibiting more than one lap baby in each section.

When we were in Georgia we got a chance to hit up Cosmo's Vegan Shoppe’s (http://www.cosmosveganshoppe.com/) storefront to pick up some awesome vegan goodies. There is nothing better than going in to a store where you know everything is vegan! We were able to meet Leigh, one of the owners. We love supporting vegan owned businesses...

All of DnA’s milestones seem to progress so fast! Their next well baby check up is in March when they turn 1. It will be so interesting to see how much they’ve grown!

They already seem to have their own language and unique way of communicating. They only say Mama and Dada, but I imagine they say a lot more to one another.

They are always switching personalities on us, Defy is in the bully stage right now where he steals Astral’s toys away and then holds whatever it is up in the air to show it off. He is really good at defense too. Astral was the brother bully for a long while, but all of a sudden they've reversed roles. When they aren't fighting over toys (many of which they have double of) they are the best of buds and show great affection for one another. Sometimes while they play they sit back to back. It is seriously the sweetest thing EVER! I hope they remain best friends for life!

The boys are eating more nutritious, organic vegan foods and enjoy their finger foods almost as much as Star and Sunny, who are very happy to wait to see what treats come falling down to them while the boys eat in their high chairs! We are still waiting a few days in between introductions to watch for possible allergies. The most recent foods we've added to their diet include:

Brown Rice Snaps (crackers – only ingredient brown rice flour)

Brown Rice Cakes (only ingredient brown rice)

Brown Rice Pasta (only ingredient brown rice flour)

Puffed Brown Rice Cereal (only ingredient puffed brown rice)

Black Eyed Peas

Pineapple

Red Skin Potatoes

Tofu

Oatmeal

Blackberries

White Button Mushrooms

Tomatoes

Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas)

There is so much joy ahead and so much behind. In February Lucas and I will have been partners for 9 years. In August we will celebrate our 5th year of marriage. It is so interesting to look back at our lives then in comparison to what they’ve become. Time has flown by and this year is no exception, it is almost unbelievable that in a month our babies will be 1. Being parents has changed our lives profoundly and there is nothing that can compare with the love and happiness that Astral and Defy bring to our lives…

First Times...

40 weeks

39 weeks

37 weeks

Astral and Defy are now 41 weeks old (9 months old). They are doing so many new things! They can give five (both high and low), wave, clap and even give kisses! There is nothing better than an unsolicited kiss from your babies! They are both attempting to walk and stand unassisted like they’ve been doing it their whole lives. Astral often takes two perfect steps before falling.

The boys witnessed their first snow last week. I can’t wait until they can run around and really enjoy it. Of course with the winter weather comes everyone’s favorite consumerist holiday! We are not thrilled to say the least…

They are eating a bunch of new foods including; amaranth, pinto beans, black beans, ground flax seed, nutritional yeast, blueberries, kale and green beans. They are both such great eaters now! It brings us great joy and giggles to see their little green food mustaches!!

Here is a list of everything they’ve eaten so far. They have a more diverse diet than most adults out there!

Sweet Potatoes
Asian Sweet Potatoes
Acorn Squash
Butternut Squash
Golden Potatoes
Turnips
Carrots
Avocados
Apples
Bananas
Strawberries
Peaches
Peas
Mangoes
Yams
Pears
Green Beans
Blueberries
Kale
Lentils
Black Beans
Pinto Beans
Ground Flax Seeds
Nutritional Yeast
Rice Cereal
Amaranth
Quinoa

DnA are still sleeping with us, we tried for about 5 minutes to get them to sleep in their cribs before they started scream/crying. It was too much for our hearts to handle, especially my mommy heart. I had a physical reaction to my babies' discomfort where I felt sick to my stomach, I immediately ran upstairs to soothe them (and of course bring them back right where they belong). I figure if all they want is me, I can surely accommodate them. After all, we chose to bring them into this world. I was slightly influenced by a lot of negative talk about letting them sleep with us, but I have done a lot of research and co-sleeping is very healthy and normal. I have since joined an attachment parenting meet-up and have shut the door on all the co-sleeping naysayers out there! It works for us. I feel like sleeping with my children allows an extension of my parenting time. Since I work outside of the home I feel like I am getting quality time with them that I missed during the day, even if it is only while they’re sleeping and nursing randomly through the night. Lucas and I still find private time for one another; you just have to be a little bit more creative and unconventional, which totally suits us!

Astral and Defy are going through the stranger anxiety (or more like anyone who isn’t mom or dad anxiety) stage and have been for a while now, Astral more so than Defy, who will eventually warm up to a stranger. The craziest thing happened when my college friends that are identical twins came to visit; Astral let them hold him and played and interacted with them right away, which NEVER happens. He barely lets his own grandmothers hold him! It was very intriguing to watch. Both babies kept looking curiously back and forth between the two adult twinsies. I wonder if they had some crazy identical twin connection.

Oh yeah and I’m not sure if you recall me previously writing about my “nipple anxiety”. Well my horrible fear has come to life and I have been bitten so badly that I bled more than you’d ever like to imagine due to one of the babies chomping down during a night nursing session. TALK ABOUT PAINFUL. And that was just the first time, it has happened since then with less of an extreme result, yet still PAINFUL. Of course I am still nursing, though I could just stop and exclusively pump. I just know how much they enjoy it and I can’t take that away from them just yet…

We will be taking the boys on their first plane trip in a couple of days. Thankfully it is a short flight. I can not say that I’m excited to finally be those annoying people with screaming babies X 2! Hopefully we will get through it will minimal screaming and crying and a maximum amount of sleeping and being cute…

From Newborn to Infant...

Astral and Defy 6/3/2010

Our Big Boys

D&A are now 3 months old, which is very exciting (14 weeks this Wednesday). They officially leave the newborn stage behind for the infant stage. Both Astral and Defy are growing into such animated and joyful little people. I'm on my third week back in the office and every morning I still get a little choked up. I just love those cute little sprouts so much that I can't help it. Thankfully, I can quickly snap out of it when I see them cooing and smiling at their papa. They truly love him and I know they are being well taken care of.

Everything is going well! They both have a little cradle cap, but we're treating it with olive oil and natural shea butter. Honestly, we needlessly worry about the boys, but we know that it is only natural and everything always turns out fine.

The pediatrician says that at 4 months they can start on rice cereal! They have such great head control, which is one of the signs that they are ready. Graduating to spoon feeding will be a super fun milestone. We cannot wait to make them awesome organic baby food. A few months ago we purchased the book "Feeding Your Vegan Infant with Confidence: a Practical Guide from Pre-conception Through Pre-school". It is such a great resource and we totally recommend it. It has a lot of nutritional information and awesome guides on when and how to introduce foods to your baby. Feeding the babies will be such a great topic to blog about. (It also has information on nutrition while breast feeding! )

Pumping at work has been pretty easy, though during the first week a man walked in to empty the trash. I didn't have time to stop him so I kind of just shrieked as he entered. He apologized and quickly left. It was kind of funny after the fact. Also, one day I lost about 3 oz of my liquid gold in transport, by not putting the top on the container properly.

I've been drinking Organic Mother's Milk tea in order to keep up my supply while away from the boys. It seems to be working so far! I cannot wait to walk in the door in the evening and nurse the boys. I never thought I would actually enjoy breast feeding, but the bonding experience is unparalleled. After my early college party years I have always been career focused and basically all my goals revolved around that, but these boys make me feel like I am fulfilling the actual purpose of my entire existence.

I still have about 16 lbs to lose. I haven't started exercising yet, but I plan on getting to that soon! At least the first half of the weight fell off immediately. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

WE ARE ALMOST AT THE FINISH LINE...

35 weeks

33 weeks side and front view

36 weeks today and only 9 days until they're here! We are super excited, it seems so unreal...

A date has been set for the birth of our identical twin boys!!! My c-section is scheduled for March 3rd 2010 at 9 am! I will be 37 weeks and 3 days pregnant!!

I have been on bed rest since November 28th and hospital bed rest since December 28th. Every excruitaing second has been more than worth it. These babies are so healthy and so big. Thankfully they stayed put and next week they'll officially be full term! This is such a huge accomplishment after having a short cervix for the last 2 months!! The boys were weighed at 34 weeks (2 weeks ago) and were way bigger than even the average singleton. How amazing is that? Baby A weighed 5 lbs 5 oz and Baby B weighed 5 lbs 2 oz. We had hoped for them to weigh at least 5 lbs at birth and they have exceeded those expectations. I am sure in the last two weeks the babies have gained even more and are at least 6 plus by now!! So great for identical twins! If everything keeps going as well as it has been then we will be avoiding NICU time which was our major goal!! We want to bring both of this little sweeties home with us.

I would have to say that even though I have a short cervix that has caused me to be hospitalized, it didn't stop my organic and vegan diet from greatly benefiting the babies and their health for the best. The twins continue to flourish and grow and be active even though my movement has been restricted. I still feel great, though I have felt a little nauseous the past few days. The doctor's ordered lab work just in case and it all came back perfect. They said it is normal at this late stage to start feeling nauseous and be more tired than usual again. Other than those symptoms I continue to have no swelling, no back pain and no other problems.

Sometimes with the pressure of this heavy belly I imagine that they will just drop out of me at any time! I have gained around 33 lbs so far! I'd gain 33 more to make sure that our babies were as fat and healthy as possible.

We recently picked our pediatrician. We have to drive 30 minutes away just to go to a practice with a more holistic approach, that doesn't force drugs and vaccinations down your throat and will let you as a parent decide how you want your children to be cared for.

I have had several meetings this past week with hospital pediatricians, neonatologists, lactation specialist and the postpartum nursing staff to discuss what happens during and right after the cesarean. I am nervous and excited at the same time. I was really excited to learn about what the nurses call "baby boot camp" where they help us learn everything we need to know about caring for and breast feeding the boys before we're discharged!! We have established our birth plan, explaining what we don't want going in or on their bodies, etc. I feel very confident that everything will go well, though I am totally freaked out that this isn't the natural birth I dreamed of and that shortly I will be having a needle full of drugs stuck in my spine. UGH! I understand why I have to get this surgery, but I am nervous nonetheless.

Boy, we have come so far along during this amazing vegan journey through pregnancy! I will try to post again before the babies are born. Though the c-section is scheduled, they could come at any time now. I am hoping they will be born on their daddy's 28th birthday on Feb 26th, but we'll see....

Another Daddy Post - (Mis)Representations of Non Human Animals On Baby Products

What children are taught to believe:

Reality:

Kenya and I have babies on our minds! As parents-to-be we've been recently exploring the vast world of baby merchandise. It came as no surprise to us to see many representations of non human animals (which I will be referring to simply as “animals” for the rest of this entry) displayed on everything from bedding to clothing to wall paper borders to pacifiers to baby dishes and beyond. The vast majority of the representations are of warm and fuzzy, cuddly and cute animals with joyous expressions on their adorable cartoon faces. Cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, fish, frogs, birds, dogs, cats, bees, dolphins, monkeys, giraffes, zebras, lions, and many more animals are often shown in themes of either free settings; an open pasture, the forest, a jungle, or just “the wild” in general – or in captive settings; farms, zoos, circuses, etc (although the cages are rarely included). In either setting these animals are clearly shown as being happy and comfortable, often with big anthropomorphic smiles to prove it.

Now, as vegans, Kenya and I are quite aware of the realities of animal exploitation that are sanitized and misrepresented on baby products. I'd like to briefly go over a few prominent examples.

On “farms”, for instance, animals are forcefully impregnated and bred in order to be confined and exploited for unnecessary human desires and they are all eventually killed. To not kill them, from a business standpoint, would not be economical, regardless of the size of the operation, from small scale to factory farm. They are all exploited and used in ways that would be considered torture if humans were in their place. Rape (forced impregnation), torture (mutilation, intense confinement, rough handling, etc.), and murder are standard business practices. The animals are all the property under the law (same as a couch or an Ipod – only animals have interests) and, of course, they are treated accordingly. When they no longer serve a purpose to the “producer”, they become a hindrance to making profits and are ultimately killed at a very early age. Not exactly what was depicted on the burp cloths and in the wooden toy sets that we've seen.

Dairy cow's, for example have to give birth constantly in order to produce milk. Forced impregnation is necessary to the operation and, in many instances, this occurs while the cow is restrained in a contraption referred to as the “rape rack” (this goes for female pigs --sows-- as well). They, as all other mammals, certainly do not produce milk just so humans can steal and consume it. They produce milk, which is “designed” by nature, for their own babies, to feed their calves. When they give birth to a male, he would cost too much money to raise in order to run an efficient operation (too much input, not enough output). So what is done with them? They are torn from the mothers and turned into something economical; veal, the flesh of calves. When dairy cows are “spent”, meaning no longer productive, they are killed just like the male “beef” cows, often ending up in hamburgers.

Egg laying hens are certainly not any better off. Whether the operation is “free range” or “cage free” or your average factory farm setting, the hens' beaks, a very sensitive part of their bodies, are often cut about half way off with a hot blade so that they do not naturally establish a pecking order, peck and/or cannibalize other hens also within close confinement. Egg laying hens are starved and their reproductive cycles are manipulated into laying more eggs, simultaneously with other hens, so that they are productive and efficient so as to compete on the market. Male chicks are an unwanted byproduct of the egg industry. Once hatched, they are simply killed; gassed, suffocated, crushed, electrocuted or ground up alive in large numbers. That way a “producer” can eliminate what would otherwise be uneconomical; the life of male chicks. This reality is much different from the idyllic scenes on the blankets, clothes, and bibs.

As vegans, Kenya and I are also aware that many free or “wild” animals, many represented on baby items, are killed in order to protect ranchers and their “livestock”. The USDA's Wildlife “Services” program kills hundreds of thousands of “wild” animals, using tens of millions of taxpayer dollars, every single year. In 2004, for example, Wildlife “Services” killed 2.7 million “wild” animals such as coyotes, beavers, raccoons, feral pigs, snakes, skunks, squirrels, foxes, deer, prairie dogs, and rats. These animals are shot, poisoned, gassed, snared, and caught in leg hold traps. In addition, millions of birds are killed in order to protect crops, many crops which are primarily used to feed “livestock”. Starlings, pigeons, crows, ravens, sparrows, geese, swans, vultures, and many many more are killed in the thousands and millions annually.

Other “wild” animals that are depicted on baby items are, in reality, shot and killed, or sometimes left injured, just for “sport” and/or tradition.

Zoos and Circuses are also prominent themes appearing on baby items. In pretty much all the zoo themes, the animals are depicted without having any barriers around them, or as if they were in their natural environments. This is very much in contrast to the actual reality of zoos, on and behind the scenes. In reality animals in zoos are often prevented from doing many of the things that are natural and important to them, like running, roaming, flying, climbing, foraging, choosing a partner, and being with others of their own kind. This causes them great stress, which is blatantly apparent if one knows what signs to look for. Furthermore, many animals in zoos live only a fraction as long as they would in their natural environments.

Circus scenes on baby items are often the most exciting. Anthropomorphic animals can be seen smiling as they perform various acts, seemingly having the best time of their lives. In reality, animals do not naturally perform “tricks” as they do in circuses. In order to force the animals to perform tricks trainers use whips, tight collars, electric prods, bull hooks, and other painful tools. The scenes behind the scenes at circuses are not so much exciting and fun as they are horrifying.

Knowing these realities behind what is often represented on children's merchandise as “happy”, “playful”, “natural” forms of animal exploitation, I think at least two questions need to be raised;

1) Why do we want our kids to love the animals that we routinely exploit, and brutally harm for no other reason than for our personal pleasure?

And...

2) Why do we lie to our own animal loving children about, and make them unwittingly complicit in the injustices that occur to their beloved friends and companions, the animals?

Having once been an unapologetic omnivore and then a confused vegetarian in denial about the unnecessary harm I was causing for most of my life, I actually already knew the answers to these questions. We can't be honest with our children about the ways animals are exploited because we ourselves are uncomfortable with it on some level and know our children would not be comfortable with it either. Most of us are aware that other animals, including the ones we regularly exploit are intelligent, sensate individuals with interests in living and continuing their lives free of exploitation.

Many of us are now aware that we don't need to consume animals or their bodily secretions to survive and live healthfully. Therefore, we want or need to believe in this fantasy that animals bred and raised or captured for unnecessary human purposes live happy, full lives and are treated with love and respect by their exploiters. Otherwise, we would come face to face with the reality that for no justifiable reason we are directly responsible for the many pitiful lives and cruel, brutal deaths of animals that are every bit as alive, conscious, and sentient as we are - that we are the oppressors of our children's lifelong friends. This is why we need to show “happy” representations of animals to our children when those animals are in reality, very far from being happy as they are exploited and killed. We wouldn't want them to grow up and call us out on our own exploitative and murderous conduct, now would we?

This is early indoctrination into a speciesist world, to erroneously teach our children that animals are merely things that are meant and even happy to be used by us. Never mind that animals have their own lives and their own interests. That would ruin the fantasy... not to mention dinner.

A quick 19 weeks update...

18 week baby bump

16 week baby bump

So everything is progressing smoothly with our (identical twin) vegan pregnancy. We are now in week 19 and the twins are growing rapidly and are super active. We saw them on Friday and they continue to amaze and excite us!

We are going to a new practice and have a new Perinatologist that will do all of our prenatal care from now on and will also deliver our little bundles. They specialize in multiples and all other high risk pregnancies. The whole practice is great and a major bonus is that they have the most high-tech and state of the art equipment. We view our sonograms on these huge flat panel screens, bringing the babies in high-def as if they were right in the room with us. It is insanely cool!

On Friday we had our second visit with the new doctor. He said everything was a perfect as possible and that we don't need to come but every 2 weeks. We had been going every week, alternating between our old OB and Fetal Medicine Specialist. He really comforted us with his positive outlook on the pregnancy and the progress of the babies. However, he said that he wanted me on bed rest way sooner than I expected. We will see what happens. The thought of bed rest for such a long period of time is excruciating, but in the end I will do whatever keeps these little buns in the oven the longest!

My appetite is very normal, I am not hungry every second like I expected carrying twins. I have gained around 6 lbs total this pregnancy and thankfully it is all in my baby bump so far! I have been hungrier at night than during the day.

My skin still isn't doing as well as I would like, but oh well I guess I should be thankful for the 30 years of good skin I've had. I'm just happy not to have morning sickness anymore and have my energy back! As far as sleep goes, I'm still going back and forth at night on my sides which is totally annoying as well. For some reason I sleep better during the day (if I take a nap) than at night.

Our big anatomical scan is now on Nov 2nd (we'll be 20 whole weeks)! Time is flying by!

Oh yeah and everyone is always asking me if I have any "weird cravings" or if I am craving animals or their by-products. The answer for all of the above is NO! To me animals aren't food, so they aren't even in my spectrum of choices to be desired. There are so many amazingly delicious and nutritious plant-based foods that far exceed the number of animal based products out there, I NEVER consider anything else. Being vegan isn't just a diet, it is an integral part of my entire existence and belief structure that is at the forefront of every move I make. I will always be vegan no matter what the circumstance, there is no compromise EVER.

the most amazing news ever...

Our Vegan Babies @ 11 Weeks 5 Days Old

Our Vegan Baby A @ 11 Weeks 5 Days Old

Our Vegan Baby B @ 11 Weeks 5 Days Old

A lot has happened since our last post. Our lives have been changed forever, in the most ultimate and best way possible. At our third ultrasound/OB appointment on Monday 8/31 we received the shocking news that we are expecting twins!!! Not only are they twins, but they are identical twins!!!

The OB was performing a vaginal ultrasound while we watched the screen intently, then all of a sudden I noticed a round looking mass on the screen in addition to our baby. I asked the OB what the splotch was and if it was a cyst, he laughed and said it was another baby. The most indescribable feeling washed over me, I felt as if I were going to faint. Lucas' face looked completely dumfounded as we locked eyes. I asked the doctor if he was sure and he said to hold on and to not pass out while he did an abdominal ultrasound. As he glided the wand around my belly we immediately saw two babies floating around and two blinking heartbeats! Unbelievable! We were super surprised, yet immediately felt lucky to have such an amazing gift of two babies!

The doctor was in shock too and we discussed how the vaginal ultrasound doesn't always get a full view and that the second baby was hiding! We discussed how identical twins are complete anomalies and have nothing to do with heredity. We've learned so much in the past week about identical twins. The doctor gave us a referral to a fetal medicine doctor for a level 2 ultrasound so we could determine if the babies have a separating membrane in their sac and if they share a placenta.

We went in for the level 2 ultrasound on 9/2 and found out that our twins are indeed monozygotic sharing a placenta. Thankfully, they do have a separating membrane within their sac so that their umbilical cords can't get tangled. The ultrasound was amazing, we got to hear both heartbeats for the first time. I have never been so emotional in my life, to hear our children's heartbeats was the most beautiful thing.

A lot has changed since last Monday, we are now considered a high risk pregnancy because we are carrying twins. The doctor also informed us that there is a high chance that I will have to have a cesarean section. UGH! I wanted a natural delivery with no drugs! We don't take pharmaceuticals and I had no intention of starting, but if it is the only way the babies can be born healthy then that is what we will have to do. The doctor also said that we might deliver in February instead of March at 36 weeks instead of 40. Only time will truly tell...

We were only expecting one baby, but having two will be so perfect. As vegans our babies will never feel alone because they always have one another. A built in best friend and life long playmate. I now know why I've been so sick and so fatigued, I've been building two babies for 3 months! We are at 12 weeks as of this past Friday and I'm way better than before, but still sick here and there. I've been having a little bit of restless sleep at night for the past week or so, I can't seem to get comfortable and all I can think about is my two little bean sprouts growing inside of me. Often we look at one another and giggle and say, "WE ARE HAVING TWO BABIES"! Insanity...

Our families are so excited as are our friends. Twins bring out such joy and intrigue. It seems people are even more stoked than we announced our pregnancy. It is so hard to believe we conceived on our first try and conceived identical twins at that!!!

When we first found out we were pregnant I wished for twins, but I never thought it would happen. I kept saying that I wished I was pregnant with twins because I didn't know if I could handle doing it again. My wish came true after thinking for 3 months that I was carrying one baby and after seeing one baby twice before on the ultrasound. A TRUE MIRACLE...