A Proper Upbringing

For those of you who might be concerned, Maranda and I have committed to raising our children in the way they should go--as Tennessee Vols fans. Even though we now live further from Neyland Stadium and Thompson-Boling Arena than we did in our own childhoods, the tradition will remain a necessity for another Coulter generation.

And just a kindly reminder to the friends of ours who are not necessarily fond of Rocky Top and who insist on purchasing anything with a Dawg, Gator, or Elephant on it, please refrain. These gifts will quickly find their ways to the bottom of the nearest diaper bin. :-)

Scriptures to Pray

Just as a side note for those of you praying for us, we are standing on Isaiah 61 and Psalm 91 during and after the pregnancy. Maranda is making a more complete prayer list, but if you would pray these Scriptures over us, we would be greatly appreciative. We know that prayer works, and we know the Word works. So praying the Word is only doubly effective.

God bless,
A

POTATO SALE

The Nashville area has a great organization (some might call it a support group) for the parents of multiples. POTATO--Parents of Twins and Triplets Organization--meets once per month with a keynote speaker and then breaks off into groups to discuss the special moments, both positive and negative, one encounters when tackling to raise more than one infant at a time.

This past Saturday was the POTATO Sale, an annual consignment sale that is open to the public. The first day of the sale is open only to POTATO members (which we are not), and then, the second day is open to others; all parents of singletons, twins, and triplets are welcome to attend.

Maranda's brother Matthew, her sister Megan, and her mother Kim came over this weekend for the sale and to bring some items from back East. We were so blessed to have them come over. We were able to pick up a glider rocker, a bouncy seat that Megan took from under the nose of another prospective buyer, and a diaper champ--not to mention a ton of baby clothes. Most of the baby clothes came from a yard sale nearby. Twenty-five cents an outfit? Can't beat it.

As time goes by, it's definitely starting to sink in that the girls are real and are coming--ready or not. People seemed surprised that I am so excited about having two girls, but why not? I mean, they're my girls. Two pieces of me are going to be walking around on this planet, and I'm never going to be able to get those pieces back. It's settled: I will be a blubbering ball of mush for the rest of my life, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
~A

I like to kiiickk and streeetch and kiickk....

I have been feeling the girls move sporadically over the past few weeks. Two days ago was the first strong kicks I have felt. We definitely have one with strong legs! I haven't felt too many strong kicks like that yet, but that first one was a little surprising. The kicks were up kinda high and felt like a sequence of syncopated thumps.

Yesterday I sneezed and apparently one of the girls didn't like that, so she gave me a hard kick or two for that.

I have discovered that they enjoy M&M Sonic blasts as much as I do! After having one yesterday, they moved around in there all afternoon. I'm convinced it was their way of letting me know I should eat more "blasts".

I'm looking forward to more thumps, and hopefully they'll go easy on me as they continue to grow stronger.

Ultrasound Photo #4

This is probably my favorite picture from the entire ultrasound! You can see one of my baby girls with her hands up to her cheeks here, posing for the camera.

We tried to get a 3D picture at the ultrasound, but as soon as they were about to take the picture, the baby covered her face with her hands and turned away.

...So we know at least one of the babies doesn't take after Maranda. hehe

Ultrasound Photo #3

This photo is obviously of an outstretched leg. While we were watching on the screen, the baby gave Maranda a hard, hefty kick. She must think she's crowded with another baby in there with her, but see all of that black space around the leg? That will be gone in a matter of weeks. She'd better enjoy that leg room while she can!

Ultrasound Photo #2

Here is a frontal shot of one of the girls. The circular shape to the left of the screen is actually her belly. You can see the face a little bit in this picture, with the white of the skull highlighted and a darker circle where her right eye is.

Ultrasound Photo #1

Here is a wide-angle view of the ultrasound from Monday, August 21. For those of you like me who need help in deciphering ultrasound photos, Let me help you out a bit.

The two large, white circles are actually the girls' heads. The doctor told us that many, if not most, women do not find out they are having twins until now. I'm glad we found out earlier.

M&Ms

Maranda and I were fortunate enough to find out that we were having twins at 6 weeks into pregnancy. We knew right away that the grandparents, who all live in East Tennessee, would go crazy for the babies before they were born.

With family being over three hours away, I wanted to create a place where anyone could access pictures, stories, and tidbits from the lives of twins and from the crazy adventures their parents face. We know the transition may be a bit shocking, going from newlyweds to a family of four, but God would never give us more than we could handle.

The shock is beginning to wear off, and we're beginning to get excited. After a small panic attack or two, Daddy is doing well. I'm getting more accustomed to the thoughts of having two little ones to look after. Now, after Monday, my excitement has grown.

We went to the "big ultrasound" to find out the sexes of the babies. To our surprise, we will be having two girls! Of course, I looked over at Terry, Maranda's father, knowing that my life has changed forever. Two daddy's girls, who would eventually grow up and become as beautiful as their mother, were simply waiting to be born. A co-worker of mine has already offered to take me to buy a gun.

It's funny how this has changed my perception of what life will be like in the years to come. Aside from lots of purple and pink, there will be braids and Barbies, teapots and teaspoons. But still one (or both) might decide that a basketball uniform is more for her than the cheerleading outfit. We can only wait and pray.

As for their names, we have decided on Madelyn and Maleah. We've not decided on middle names yet, but Madelyn's will most likely be Rayne.