Names and Pregnancy Questions

I get asked a lot of questions in regards to this pregnancy. 

Some tactful and some completely tact-LESS. (Then again, those usually occur in public places from strangers anyway....."STRANGE" being the key word.)

In effort to answer the tactful ones here we go......

1) Do twins run in your family?

That's a yes.....ish. Twins aren't really a common occurance in my family line. In fact the ONLY ones I know of are the ones my great grandmother had (two girls)..... my grandmother's sisters. But no one that I know of has had twins since and I don't know of any prior. I actually didn't think the link was close enough to have me be a viable candidate for genetically passed down twins...(maybe I'm wrong though)... I figure with me being in my mid-30s and having had 8 other children put me in the "high-chance for twins" category on top of that. Although twins in a man's line has nothing to do with the chance of you having twins, I DID think it was interesting that my mother-in-law's sister had twins (Brooks' cousins).

2) Are they identical or fraternal?

Once again....not a definite answer. I just answer not identical because it's easier. However medically, there is STILL a 30% chance that they are identical and the only way of confirming or knowing that at this point (since they are in separate sacs w/ separate placentas) is by a genetic test after they are born. But whether they are identical or not Iris is wishing that they both have brown hair sooooooo bad. With her and Bronson being the only brunette children she said it's HER turn to have a sister with brown hair. Obviously I don't care either way but a brunette WOULD save her/them in later years some major hair bills in keeping up the highlighted blonde. :)

3) Stretch marks? 

I really have been asked that. I'm wondering if they wanted a visual? But the answer would be no.....to both.....the visual and the fact that I don't have any stretch marks. Apparently I'm Elastagirl.

4) Were you so excited when you found out or overwhelmed?

Anyone who has read my blog knows I was and AM super excited.... so overwhelmed really wasn't my response. Granted that was closer to BROOKS' response but honestly, we have our hands full as it is! Having children is obviously a personal matter between the husband, wife and Heavenly Father. (In fact, I don't even know why I'm sharing this paragraph for that matter....) And had you asked Brooks and I (ESPECIALLY on a Sunday evening!) if we were done and overwhelmed after having 8 we would've said yes. But that's just 2 parts of the triangle. The third part is Heavenly Father. And HE patiently and consistently told me we needed to get pregnant. I fought it for a while. Through fasting and prayer though I couldn't deny what I was being prompted to do. So in faith and knowing Heavenly Father could make me equal to any task He has asked me to do we decided to add to the family. THIS is the part I didn't tell Brooks about until it was "too late" ;)..... you see, I KNEW my body/mind and family life couldn't handle another pregnancy. But I also wanted to do what Heavenly Father wanted of me because that's really what's most important. Well, during my prayers I kinda told Him my mind.....I guess as I always do in my own rambling way. I mentioned that I WOULD be willing to have another child but also that I was super tired of being pregnant, so if there was more then one up there that needed to come to our family (or that He wanted to send to our family) then He better send them down together because I'm calling it quits after this. Yes, I guess I have some gumption and it's funny how it worked out. I won't ever know if genetics, my age, my many children or my prayers were the reason for these two little girls but I can't help but smile with grateful tears in my eyes. (I tear up a LOT) Maybe one day when I'm praying for guidance and help I might get a "You asked for it!" answer..... I probably will.

5) Are you excited they are girls?

What's the right answer to that?! I'm excited they're HEALTHY!!! However, today would be the RIGHT day for me to answer and HUGE HUGE YES!!!!! After having a neighbor come over just a few minutes ago bringing back a certain son of mine and telling me what he did outside playing I realized a few things, 1) I want to wring that child's neck (but didn't) and 2) ANY and EVERY time we have had to march a child over to a neighbor's, a church teacher's, a store manager's, a school teacher or a bus driver to apologize and completely embarrass the kid it has always ALWAYS been a boy. So yes, today I'm BEYOND thrilled I'm having two girls. AND the idea of little bundles in pink and sisters sitting there playing make-believe together warms my hormonal heart. Towards the end of our family we'll ONLY have a household of girls (when the boys move out)!!!! That's so strange. But I hear girls take care of their elderly parents better anyway, so I will have SIX girls to chose from to call and wipe their father's bum one day when we are old.

Last and MOST common question.....

6) Do you have any names?

AHHHHHHH!!!!!! If you only KNEW how hard girls names are for us. Actually I think I've consistently blogged about it during Kellyn's AND Everly's pregnancy and how hard it was for us to come up with ONE name.....now we need to come up with TWO!!!!!!! And then there's all the pressure because their individuals but twins too. But Brooks doesn't like matchy matchy anything names AND clothing (however, he's gonna lose the clothing battle), so thankfully I don't have to have them start with the same letter or anything. But they DO need to come out of the mouth easily because they WILL be called together a lot. 

If we went with names that had to do with this pregnancy then they just MIGHT be named:

Hazel and Nut

(I probably eat that on toast three times a day. No kidding) or

Jelly and Belly

(I mean, they could be short for Jillian and Belinda or something right? Nah, how do you tell your girls you named them after your favorite treat and energy boost?)

Janela and Panela

(I actually SAID when I was 12 I would name my twin girls that. I was studying portuguese prior to moving to Brazil and liked that the words for "window" and "pan" rhymmed. Again, who wants to be named after a pan?)

 Honey and Maple

(after my most favorite turkey meat?......that's kinda up there with Spinx and Zaxby...and I can't name kids after the gas stations/restaurants where I like to to buy my drinks because their chewy ice is my FAVORITE!!!!)

Nueve and Dezie

(I actually call them that now....meaning "9" and "10" with Spanish and portuguese mixed to make those names. But no, they aren't serious considerations)

I FEEL like they should be called

FAITH and HOPE

(shortened from LEAP OF FAITH and HERE'S HOPING to our sanity..... then again, Brooks doesn't like shortened names. "We name them what we'll call them". I can't really see myself yelling, "Leap of Faith, quit pulling your sister's hair" or "Here's Hoping, pull up your pants!")

I liked a few names I suggested to Brooks and they were quickly shot down, and then he liked a few and they sounded too much like our other kids' names (on our girl list he always liked Emory and Camry) so they were out. I've always liked Jane/Janey among other traditional names but they have become too popular now and Brooks hates that.

I DID tell Brooks that if he died during this pregnancy (like some of my wacky pregnant dreams include......every pregnancy it never fails) that I would name one Brooke after him. Even though I don't like that name. He said he just wouldn't die to prevent that from happening. #winwin 

We DO have a FEW I'm considering but I'm one of those people that has to say them over and over again and picture them at all ages saying, "Hi my name is _______" or hearing a boy say "Yea, I'm dating a girl named _________". 

Soooooo, as you see, I don't really have an answer for the name question. Good thing I have PLENTY of time to figure them out. But 7-10 weeks (here's HOPING I go that long) really isn't that much time!!!!