Fall Fun

Fall was full of several fun events for the family. Erin and I had our first girl's weekend away from daddy and Jack. We went to Dubuque with my college friend, Liz, to visit another college friend, Robyn, and her family. Erin was a great traveler and enjoyed getting to know Liz, Robyn and Robyn's adorable kids. A trip to Dubuque would not be complete without a picture by the Clarke sign for grandma and the Loras sign for mommy. I think we may have a future Duhawk in our family. :)

This one is for grandma.

Future Duhawk



We also had a trip to the Pumpkin Patch with cousin, Maggie. We are looking forward to making this an annual trip. Hopefully Erin will be happier next year.

Maggie and Jack

Jack

Erin

Erin

Jack and Erin

The twins celebrated Halloween by visiting the grandparents and great-grandparents in costume. I also took them to my school for the Halloween parade. It was a little much for them this year, but they still looked cute in their costumes. A big thanks to my mom for making them.

Happy Halloween from Thing 1 and Thing 2.

 

 

 



Three Months

Our precious miracles are three months old!! Here are some pictures that I took today. I will try to write about what we are doing these days in my next post.

Two Months

The twins were two months old on September 3rd. They are both doing great. They are making eye contact and smiling more frequently. They love looking at faces. They are also interacting a lot more with toys. It is so much fun to see them learning and growing. Some of our favorite activities are: morning walks, tummy time, reading books, singing and baths. We are enjoying every minute with them.

Two month stats:
Erin: 10 pounds, 6.5 ounces
Jack: 11 pounds, 1 ounce

Jack

Erin

 

 

 

Newborn Photos

When the twins were three weeks old, we had some professional photos taken by Devin Parrish Photography. She does a phenomenal job. Here are some of my favorites from the session.

One Month

The twins were one month old on August 3rd. They are both such wonderful babies. They are eating, sleeping, and growing. With each passing day, they interact more with us, making eye contact and smiling. It has been so nice to have Greg home with me. He was able to take 6 weeks of paternity leave. It has made the transition to having 2 babies so much easier. We are both loving this time of getting to know our babies better each day.

1 month stats:
Erin: 8lbs 12.5oz
Jack: 8lbs 11oz

Jack

Erin

Both babies

Eggstravaganza

Throughout our Fertility journey, I have met many wonderful people, from the amazing doctors and nurses at Fertility Centers of Illinois to other hopeful couples also dealing with Infertility. Since I know firsthand what an emotionally and physically draining experience this can be, I have always enjoyed being able to connect with others. It is my hope that in sharing my story, others can find strength and hope when they are in the trenches of fertility treatments.

Greg and I learned very quickly how financially draining this process can be especially when you enter the world of Third Party Reproduction(Surrogacy, Egg/Sperm Donation). We were and are still so grateful to everyone who showed us emotional and financial support. We were truly overwhelmed by all of the support that we received from friends, family, colleagues, medical professionals and even strangers. It makes us happy to be able to pay it forward by offering support to others and giving back to causes which raise money for couples dealing with Infertility.

I met my friend, Michelle, a year and a half ago when we were taking a Yoga for Fertility class taught by a mutual friend. We hit it off right away and have been friends ever since. She and her husband have been trying to conceive a child for over 3 years. They have been to multiple doctors and have tried anything and everything to increase their chances of pregnancy. They are about to start their final IVF cycle in which they are pulling out all of the stops. They will be using their own eggs and sperm in addition to donor eggs and sperm and testing all of the embryos before transferring to Michelle.

me, Michelle and Dr. Beltsos before her last retrieval. I brought her wine and flowers.

Dr. Eve Feinberg, of Fertility Centers of Illinois, raised money for our cause last year by running the North  Shore Half Marathon in our name. In October, she will be running another Half Marathon to raise money for my friend, Michelle and her husband, John. We are thrilled to be able to support Michelle and John and will be at the race in October to cheer Eve on as she runs in their honor. We hope that you will also consider offering your support. Please use this link to learn more about this wonderful cause and help Michelle and John make their dream of parenthood come true. No donation is too small.

Hospital Pictures

We had some pictures taken at the hospital. Below is the link. Enjoy!!
Erin and Jack: Hospital Pictures