Dress Rehearsal

We just got home from a 24 hour adventure at Duke. I had been having contractions through the night and they continued into the next day. Since the contractions were 10-15 minutes apart for 15 hours they told us to head to the ER. They did several tests to determine what was going on but could find no reason to think I was going into labor. So they admitted me and pumped me full of fluids and gave me some meds to slow things down. They had a hard time slowing them down but finally around 9pm we felt some relief. Needless to say they kept us overnight to watch.

So now I am back at home on "modified bedrest" meaning I can take care of my personal needs and that is all. The dress rehearsal was nice in that we got a chance to see if we had everything packed that we needed, work out any kinks, got all the paperwork started, and got some of the blood tests out of the way for the real deal. The DR and nursing staff was superb. YAY Duke!

31 Weeks - New Feelings

A few new feelings this week. Baby Girl Kranz, who is head down, just got her first bout of hiccups as far as I can determine. Baby Boy Kranz is a world of wonder. His slow smooth motions keep me wondering which way he is facing. There newest trick is to have Baby A roll over and push her butt out so I look like I have a mountain on one side while Baby B is pushing out the side - all simultaneously I might add. It is quite an unusual shape I take on that is hard to describe but very funny. Peter can see there rapid movements and acrobatics from across the room. They both love my ribs and seem to have dance parties at night so when I wake up I feel like I have been beat up! :) They have mastered the art of tricking me by doing quick movements in the middle so I am not sure who did what?!?!

I love it all!

30 Weeks

Hoooray! We have made it to 30 weeks. I have had a lot of Braxton Hicks but apparently all is well. The doctors did an ultrasound to check heartbeats, baby activity, and fluid levels. Everything looks normal and right on track! Baby Girl Kranz is still head down and once again Baby Boy Kranz has changed his position so his head is up and feet are down. The doctor laughed and said this is so typical of a boy-girl twin pregnancy!


The doctors have officially recommended that I discontinue work after the winter break. No worries, they are just being extra cautious and trying to avoid any complications and/or preterm labor if possible.


We have a lot to be thankful for this Christmas. We are blessed with loving friends and family. We are grateful for the miracle of two little lives to love. We are forever fortunate to have one another!


Happy Holidays To Everyone! May you enjoy the gift of life and the happiness that surrounds you each and every day.

28 Weeks

Baby Boy Kranz Baby Girl Kranz

Today was a wonderful day at the doctor. We got to check on the growth of both babies and they are doing quite well. Baby Girl Kranz is now 2.6 lbs and Baby Boy Kranz is 2.5 lbs. We are thrilled about this growth and it explains the rapid growth everyone has affectionately noted in my belly pics. There is little room for movement and there is even less room to get good pictures. We are really down to pictures of parts and even at that, they are quite squished. Both babies are pointed down but it became quite apparent why I feel like one of them is kicking me in the rib cage all the time when we found the boy's femur right up against my ribs. The girl is still a girl and the boy is WOW still a boy! Daddy is a proud man!!!

The Nursery - A Work in Progress

The Nursery is coming together nicely. My Dad worked diligently the day after Thanksgiving to put together the changing table and rocking chair in addition to the sweet swing down on the third floor. Mom and I made sure everything was stocked and organized just perfectly. The picture frames currently host two poems selected by Peter for his little girl, Listen to the Mustn't by Shel Siverstein, and little boy, If by Rudyard Kipling. The third frame is a poem we wrote for our babies. Mary Ellen is working on wall quilts for each baby, a valence, and rocking chair cushions. I can not wait,it is just what we imagined.

25 Weeks

The babies experienced their first plane ride from Raleigh-Durham to Washington D.C.. They both were widely bouncing around prior to the flight which was a fun way to wait for departure. As soon as we took off, they both quieted down and I did not hear a peep out of them the entire ride. I like to imagine they were lulled to sleep by the soothing vibrations of the plane!

This is all very good news since Uncle Matt is a pilot!

24 Weeks

A fabulous report from the doctors today. Baby Girl Kranz is 1lb 5oz. Baby Boy Kranz is 1lb 6oz. Both are well within the normal range for 24 weeks!!! Grow Babies Grow!

Today's focus was on individual parts. I have chosen to highlight the four-chambers of the heart for both Baby A and B. In motion, it is absolutely amazing to see the valves and chambers in action.

Neal Baby Shower

Neal teachers hosted a wonderful baby shower for Peter and I. We enjoyed a wonderful afternoon happy hour at Bocci. The Pea Pod theme did not stop with the invitation. A cake was made by our amazingly talented secretary and we even got Halloween costumes for next year that are pea pods. We received tons of cute clothes and items to organize our nursery. The BIG surprise came when I opened a picture of the Graco Ashleigh 4-in-1 cribs on blue paper. We were thrilled and I could hardly read the note. This was quickly followed by another picture of a Graco Ashleigh 4-in-1 crib on pink paper. WOW!

It was a wonderful afternoon filled with so much love and

excitement for our two little peas-in-the-pod!

A Precious Moment

Another ultrasound! I love it since I think I could watch them play all day long. It was an early morning visit and Baby B prefers to sleep in (like daddy) so he was yawning (saw his tongue) and rubbing his eyes. Baby A had woken up (not sure if she slept at all) and was all wiggles but facing the wrong way so we could not see her little face. The cutest part was that they were cheek-to-cheek. Granted they are in their own little sacs but their heads were as close together as they could get them. Ahhhhhh...I love motherhood already!

Baby Shower at Carolina Inn

Elizabeth and my Mom hosted the most beautiful baby shower at the Carolina Inn. The tables were beautifully decorated with fresh flowers, cute baby confetti, baby pictures of Peter and myself, M&Ms with "Kranz Twins", "Baby Girl", and "Baby Boy" printed on them, and party favors shaped like building blocks filled with M&Ms. We enjoyed a scrumptious lunch, played a cute game guessing the prices of baby items, and opened a million wonderful gifts. Peter and I are forever grateful for the generosity of our friends and family.

A couple of exciting, almost tearful, moments occurred when I opened the BOB Ironman Double Jogger from my Mom, Elizabeth, Lana, and Abigail and again when I opened the most precious hat and bootie sets made by Mama Kranz. We are so lucky and feel so loved. Thank you everyone!

WOW!!!

I have been feeling the babies move around for a while. Then the flutters turned to bumps and thumps. As of Friday night, we can actually see little body parts bop around. Each little benchmark is so amazing to us.

Baby B (Boy) at 20 weeks

Baby B loves to ham it up for the ultrasound. He showed us all his parts with no hesitation, especially his boy parts! At one point he looked like he was doing yoga with his legs over his head. He certainly likes to wiggle during the day.

Baby A (Girl) at 20 Weeks

Both babies were perfect angels for their ultrasound. Baby A was mostly twisted and on her side with her head down. She must really like her little butt because that is what we saw most of the time. We did get a very precious picture of her face with all her teeny, tiny features. The other picture looks like she is pondering something very intensely. I continue to be amazed at the amount of growth that occurs in four weeks. The finite details are unbelievable and sooooo adorable!

Field Trip

Today the babies and I went to visit Daddy at Duke. He is on-call this weekend but thought it might be fun to take a peak at the little wigglers. They were definately wiggling! Baby Girl Kranz was sucking her thumb. We could see her lips and jaw moving. Baby Boy Kranz was a little wiggler and kept putting his butt in Baby Girl's face followed by his feet. Oh Boy...I can not wait! :)

Week 19

Still growing! I think I grew significantly over the weekend. The little wigglers continue to wiggle all day long which is quite soothing. My appetite comes and goes but everything tastes better than ever. Peter and I joined a couple of friends at Vin Rouge for an exquisite dining experience topped off by the most marvelous chocolate mousse. While I miss the wine the most, feeling the babies move makes it all worth it. Just 12 more days to go until our next detailed anatomy scan - can not wait for that three hour appointment!

A New Walk

One of my sweet colleagues informed me that I have a new walk. I was like what? No? Do you think? Seriously? I had not noticed, but apparently only a mom can notice these things of another mom. I have some sort of "mom sway" according to another colleague who confirmed what the first person was pointing out. This is not yet considered a "waddle"; however, this is soon to develop as well. I guess it is what it is - I have a new walk! I wonder if the old walk will return? Another fun development in the Day-in-the-Life of pregnancy. :)

Week 18

I feel this blog is much less exciting than the ones with pics, so I have delayed moving the thumb suckers down at all. I think things are progressing quite nicely and quickly. It feels like constant flutters and from time-to-time a light thump. You can see by the slideshow of the belly pics (right side) that between week 16 and week 17 the bump really popped. My next detailed anatomy scan (i.e. more pics) will be October 17 and I am already counting the days to see our little wigglers in action.

Sucking Their Thumbs

Both babies likes to find their fingers.

Week 16 Anatomy

Today we had the detailed anatomy scan done. Both babies look great, have all their right parts in the right places, move around constantly, and measure the correct age. We are so happy! Now on to the fun part - Pictures. Both of these pictures display the babies in their relaxed position. Baby A (Girl) likes to keep her butt in the air. Baby B (Boy) likes to play it cool and just chill out.

Week 15

More Wonderful News.... I just returned from a doctor appointment where I talked the nurse practitioner into doing an ultrasound even though I am getting a detailed anatomy scan next week. Baby A and B are both doing quite well, the right size, active, good heartrates. They were moving like crazy and it was hard to get any good pictures. Baby A, the calmer one of the two, was happy to lay out so we could see her head to toe. She waved at us and then started sucking her thumb. Too cute for words! Then the more challenging of the two, Baby B, tried everything in his powers to avoid being seen. He turned his head toward us and feet toward my back, then decided that was not comfy so switched but crossed his legs, apparently that was not working for him either so he turned and faced us but put his hands in front of his parts. What a mess... As you might have gathered we are having one of each Baby A=Girl and Baby B=Boy!!! I mean can it get much better...

I Think It Has Happened...

This week seems to be very eventful in the growth and development of the little bundles of joy! Not only did I feel the first flutters of Baby B, but my tummy has officially "popped". There is just no hiding it now! One of my teachers very kindly suggested that I make sure I tell anyone I have not told since it is more than obvious! Hehehe! A very fun development indeed!

Week 14

WOW, so I think I felt the flutter of Baby B for the very first time last night. I did not move for two hours hoping it would continue forever. Honestly, what a miracle!

Week 13

The nausea is subsiding and the joy of sharing our terrific news is so fun and exciting.

Week 12

Another wonderful day of scans! We gladly sat through 1.5 hours of measurements and analysis watching every movement. The sonographer said Baby B is the "good child" finding a comfy position to rest for the duration of the analysis with a small hand gesture at times and its little lips opening and closing. Baby A, on the other hand, is a "trouble maker" who did not sit still for a moment trying to flip, cross legs, and show off long arms and legs.

Peter and I decided we could sit and watch our two little wigglers

all day long. Every day is a little miracle! This is just so amazing!

Week 11

Today was my first visit with the nurse practitioner. We got through all the nitty-gritty, then we got to look at the babies! They have grown so much in a week, I just can not believe it. They are right on schedule and you can see all their parts including fingers and toes! Today they were very active. Baby A hogged the screen as soon as the u/s found it. It completely uncurled all the way and shoved Baby B out of the way. Baby B clearly wanted us to know it was there too, so it did non-stop somersaults! It is all so amazing and surreal to us.

Week 10

A very exciting day indeed. Peter and I took a trip to Duke to get an ultrasound. We saw both babies had grown tremendously in two weeks, there heart chambers were becoming more apparent, Peter saw the eyes of one little one, and both were wiggling about like crazy! I think we were both most excited about the movement. It was not just a random fluke that they happened to move, they were REALLY moving around and waving at us. It was the neatest moment ever!

Week 9

A relaxing week at Caswell Beach with the Kranz Family. We made our exciting announcement by sharing two ultrasound photos - one of Baby A and one of Baby B to Mom and Dad Kranz. They had no idea they were looking at their future grandchildren! When it all became clear the screaming, hollering, and hugs were flowing. It was an exciting evening for all!

Week 8

I went in for a second ultrasound. I have experienced a lot of nausea the past week in addition to a lot more pulling and stretching. I was nervous and everything turned out perfectly! Baby A & B are growing and their heart rates are awesome!

Baby A is 16.3 mm and has a heart rate of 178

Baby B is 14.8 mm and has a heart rate of 170

My tummy is starting to poke out more and more.

Week 7

I went in for my first ultrasound. I reported to Dr. Likes (my very favorite doctor) that nausea had set in and I had a lot of pulling and stretching sensations. He assured me with the ultrasound that I would feel a lot more nausea in the coming weeks as well as pulling and stretching due to the TWINS I was carrying!!! What an unbelievable moment to see two babies, see their little hearts flickering on the ultrasound, and then actually HEAR the heartbeats.

Baby A measured 6.7 mm and had a heart rate of 138!

Baby B measured 8.9 mm and had a heart rate of 148!

We are very proud parents-to-be!!!

Week 6

We just returned from an amazing 4th of July weekend in Litchfield, SC. I happened to eat Steak every night and every night it tasted better. My favorites this week include BLTs, pickles, and Oreo milkshakes. Boy do I love the pregnancy tastebuds! I am keeping myself super bsy with workshops, lunch dates, and cleaning in hopes that the week will go faster. Next week is the big ultrasound!!!

Week 5

Today I went in for a second beta test to make sure things are progressing normally. After an agonizing wait, Dr. Likes called to confirm that my beta levels were 2200! WOW, what a jump in four days. We are thrilled with the news are ready to celebrate with a long weekend at Litchfield Beach, SC.

Week 4

Today is the most exciting day of our lives.

We received news that our beta level was 491.

We are having a baby!!!