After Hardin

15

~ TESSA ~

I put off going back to Karen and Ken's house for another month. I wanted to let some of the morning sickness die down. Karen has been calling me often wanting to work in the greenhouse. I decided that I would head back this weekend and work with her. I have been missing Landon too. It will be nice to see them all. I'm not ready to tell Ken and Karen yet, so it is a good thing that I am still able to hide the fact that I am pregnant. I won't be able to do that much longer and I will have to come clean with them.

Christian has given me more hours during the summer so that I can save up money for when the babies are born. I work every day 8-5, except Friday, I get out at noon. I have been riding into work with Kim so I can get a little bit longer to rest. Today, I drove myself though. I'm leaving right after I get out of work at noon. I'm excited to have a nice family dinner with Ken, Karen and Landon. I miss them so much.

This morning I have my next OB appointment with Dr. Miller. Kim asked if she could come along and I was happy that she offered. I am so thankful that her and Christian have been so supportive. Kim really has stepped up and is doing all the things with me that traditionally would be done by the baby's father. Kim and I leave the office at 9:30 to make it to my 10 o'clock appointment.

We make it early and wait anxiously in the waiting room. I am wondering how big the babies are now. I feel like I am showing way earlier than I should be, but then again, I don't just have one baby growing in there. When I'm finally called, my nerves ramp up. We do the routine check up and questions with the nurse.

Dr. Miller is quick to come into the room. She has the ultrasound machine again today. She tells me that since I am carrying twins that I will have an ultrasound every time that I come in and that it is the routine procedure. They need to make sure both babies are progressing and growing properly. This makes me excited that I will get to see my babies more often than most pregnant mommas get to.

I lay back on the table and she pushes up my oversized dress shirt and sticks a paper towel under the waistband of my pants. Dr. Miller squirts some warm jelly on my belly and then starts moving the wand around. It doesn't take long to hear the sound, Glub.. Dub... Glub.. Dub... Glub.. Dub. I don't only hear one heartbeat, but two.

Kim grabs my hand and I squeeze it. We are both staring at the screen. The babies look like tiny humans now. You can see a difference between their head and bodies, and you can also see legs now. "They are so cute. They look like little babies already." I blurt out. Dr. Miller assures me that they are developing on schedule and look absolutely healthy. She prints out another set of pictures for me of both babies.

Before I head out I ask her, "When will I be able to tell if the babies are boys or girls?" Dr. Miller told me that I will be able to tell at my 20 week appointment. There is something to look forward to. I make my next appointment and we head back to the office.

Kim and I talk about how adorable the little ones are and she can't stop gushing about how excited she is to be a grandma. She makes me laugh at how excited she is, but I know she will be a fabulous grandma. She will spoil these babies beyond belief. I am so glad that my babies will have love from at least one set of grandparents.

When we get back it's 11:30, so Kim tells me to just head out. I stop by Christian's office before I leave to make sure it is ok for me to leave. "Hey, Christian, Kim said that I could take off since I'm driving back to spend the weekend with Landon. Is that OK with you?" I ask him.

"Tessa, you have been working so hard and are putting out more quality work than some of your coworkers. Go and have a great weekend. Try to relax and enjoy yourself. You deserve it," Christian reassures me and gives me a hug before I head out. I grab some things from my office and the pile of manuscripts that I wanted to finish this week. Who knows, I may have time to work on them this weekend.