23 Weeks

Poll Results Are In…
But we may need a recount!

After a few short months the Deming-Hair-Color poll has officially closed, and the results are in. Out of 34 votes, red won the day with a landslide victory of 70 percent of the total vote. Blonde hair secured the runner-up position with 14 percent, while brown hair edged in close behind with 11 percent. For the lone person who voted for black hair, you still might find yourself the unwitting victor. A near decade of highlighting my hair is probably to be included in the poll’s margin of error. However, as the photos below indicate, I was born with a full head of black hair. So, for all those who think Jonathan’s genes are going to carry the day…we’d hate to get your hopes up. Although Jonathan’s DNA produced twins, it may not necessarily guarantee red hair! As you can see from the photos below, it’s still anyone’s game…

22 Weeks

Easter greetings from the Demings...

20.25 Weeks

For all of you who were wondering
what Melissa looks like now...
Click on image below to enlarge

20 Weeks

The Coffee Gene: Myth or Reality?

Today I experienced my first coffee craving. And not for just any cup of coffee, but the French-press kind of coffee. You know, the kind of coffee that cannot be reproduced or even imitated from a drip machine. The kind that requires freshly ground beans. In short, I was craving some real bean juice.

The craving was quite unexpected. In fact, after a five-month aversion, I was beginning to think I had overcome my coffee addiction. No such luck. Kozy and I spent the afternoon on the back porch, enjoying the spring weather when it hit. I was preparing for mid-terms, reading a book. My pre-pregnancy study ritual always included a cup of coffee (although now that I think about it, most of my rituals coincided with some java). So, it could be that old habits die hard, i.e., reading = the need for coffee.

It has been surprisingly easy to attribute such similar cravings to the boys. For instance, I’m 100 percent sure that Baby B has asked for Sonic’s cherry-limeades a time or two. And I’m as equally certain that Baby A particularly enjoys fresh fruit of all varieties (except HEB’s Chilean grapes. I think he’s holding out for the summer harvest). So, it is possible that I can blame my recent and sudden coffee craving on one of the twins?

For those of you who don’t know, coffee appreciation is embedded in my DNA. The King family can turn any occasion into a coffee occasion. This was confirmed on a recent trip home, when I discovered my father was on a first-name basis with all the Starbucks baristas within a 20-mile radius of their home. And I’m just as confident that the boys have inherited the coffee gene from the Deming family. Mr. Deming has turned brewing coffee into an art form by learning how to roast his own beans. But during the first part of my pregnancy, even his Terrazu Costa Rican blend couldn’t tempt me.

Call me what you will: coffee fanatic, enthusiast, or addict. But I think the twins have already jumped on the coffee train.

19 Weeks

We only thought the first trimester was over…

I had planned to go to a bridal shower on Saturday, but went to the Emergency Room instead. It is all those tricky twists and turns that make life so interesting. Before anyone gets worried, Mom is fine, and after 10 hours in the ER, we discovered the boys are perfectly fine too. In fact, true to his previous self-revelations, Baby B was jumping around trying to instigate a fist fight with his brother – perhaps trying to negotiate a little more space.

For the sake of discretion, hereafter is the abridged version of events. I awoke on Saturday experiencing some not-so-nice symptoms. These not-so-nice symptoms kept Mom and Dad busy until the wee hours of the morning. At this point, I hadn’t had any food or drink for 12 hours. For those of you who prayed us through the first trimester, you’ll remember I was eating small snacks almost every hour. In the second trimester, I now can go a little over two hours without food. So, things were looking up – so we thought. The next morning, I tried to eat some dry toast - much to the toast’s chagrin and eventual refusal. Hence: the ER.

As fate would have it, all of northwest San Antonio needed emergency medical care Saturday morning. A lot of tears were the natural result of our nearly four-hour wait and a few near misses in the ER lobby. But true to the character of His unmerited graciousness, the Lord sent two people my way who promised to pray for me. (Either that, or I must have looked so bad that they thought the only thing that could help me was divine intervention). The ER staff was top-notch, hooking me up to an IV and allowing me to occupy one of their much-needed rooms for about five hours. Tests were run and the ER doctor ordered an ultrasound to make sure the babies were okay. Apparently all my late-night eating habits paid off, because even though Mom was severely dehydrated both boys were kicking and wrestling as usual.

Diagnosis? We’re not sure. Options include food poisoning or an elusive virus. But the only diagnosis I really cared about was the status of our boys. However, one funny misdiagnosis did occur. The ER doctor entered our room and announced I might have kidney stones. Apparently, someone else’s test results were shoved into my folder by mistake. Three minutes later, the doctor discovered the errant paperwork, and I was un-diagnosed. Cue 16th round of tears.

We’d like to thank everyone for their prayers. After the last few months, we can testify that prayer works. At a recent Sunday night event, one church member told me, “you two are well-prayed for.” It has been a crucial comfort to know we are being lifted up before God by saints who bend the Divine Ear on a regular basis. And although our prayer requests may not always align with His plans for us - nor our plans align with His answers – the result is, thankfully, always the same. God is active in our lives, using the scary ER moments to encourage us, reveal character, and renew our faith.

18 Weeks

Identical Boys... WOW!

Psalm 127:3-5

Those of you who predicted early on that we would have IDENTICAL TWIN BOYS can go ahead and give yourselves a big pat on the back. That is what the doctor thought during our last appointment and then the confirmatin came today. The babies have doubled in weight in just the past 3 weeks, pretty amazing; they each weigh 8 oz. now. Melissa can feel them nudging her from time to time now. During the appointment, we saw them change positions several times - head to foot, head to head, straight up and sideways, and every combination you can think of. It was really incredible to see in real time motion.

Here are some scans from the ultrasound today. This first one indicates male gender on one of the boys - according to the experts...

The following three scans show side profile views and face shots of both babies. They were moving around so much that really clear shots were difficult to achieve. You will have to use your imagination when you view these. Click on the individual scan to enlarge.

*No alien jokes, please. Our emotions are fragile right now.

NEXT POST WILL FEATURE PHOTOS OF MELISSA... STAY TUNED....

15 Weeks

Can sonograms detect a baby’s personality?

If sonograms can measure a baby’s personality with any degree of accuracy, then our second visit to the specialist was the most enlightening so far! It seems that we have two babies with two very different dispositions.

Meet Baby A: Baby A is laid back…literally. This baby had found its spot and was laying on its back the whole sonogram. It contentedly sucked it’s thumb and stayed still so that we could get a pretty clear picture.

Meet Baby B: Baby B is a completely different story. The last two sonograms have shown Baby B bouncing around, stretching, turning upside down, kicking Baby A in the head, and even trying to grasp Baby A’s hand. The picture below shows Baby B's face, which this early in the game does look a little alienesque, but cute nonetheless.

Despite their differences, we were relieved to hear that both babies weigh about the same (4 ounces) and are developing at the same rate. The specialist seemed very pleased with their development and, of course, Jonathan and I are both relieved and elated at the news.

For those of you who are wondering if your prediction regarding gender is accurate, our lips are still sealed. We were given a preliminary guess regarding sex, however, it is difficult to state with absolute certainty because it is still early. We were told it would probably be best to wait until the next appointment in order to confirm whether the babies are girls or boys. Therefore, we are not posting this information just yet. I know you all are waiting with bated breath, just hold on a little longer...at least three more weeks.

Thank you for your continued prayers!