Professional Pictures are up!

Last month we had a Kristin Mizo photo shoot again! Here are the girls at 7 months! I could kiss those cheeks all day! Check out the rest in our photo album :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

To end my week of thanks I have to mention my fur baby Layla. She is not the perfect dog. She's hyper, doesn't always come when called, sleeps on the couch when she knows she's not supposed to, does the barf-n-roll, jumps on guests and is sometimes just plain underfoot!

BUT, she was my baby before I had babies. She was my Rollerblade and bike buddy. On my days off we played at the dog park for hours. She has kept me company and made me feel secure on nights I am home by myself. She is happy to see me when I have been away even though she has been terribly neglected and pushed aside this past year. She is sweet and gentle with my children. I am thankful for her forgiving nature and hope that I can make it up to her in this next year.

Today I celebrated the holiday with the special ladies in my life: my grandma, my mom, my sister and my daughters. All the guys were either away or working. We ate a great meal and had fun marveling over how grown up the girls are getting. My life is good and I am THANKFUL!

I am thankful for...

our jobs! There were so many sleepless nights we spent hoping that Rusty could find a decent paying job when the economy took a plunge and the auto industry fell with it. Not only has he found a job with great benefits and good pay but he also ENJOYS it! That is something to be thankful for!!! Working at Universal Studios has really taken a big weight off our shoulders.

Now that Rusty is able to carry the benefits, I have been able to drop to a per diem position 2 days a week. Not that being a nurse working 3 12hr shifts isn't great enough but dropping that extra day has enabled me to stay at home with my girls 5 days a week and avoid child care (see: I am thankful for my family!) I am so lucky to have such great co-workers and have such a flexible work schedule. Our jobs don't make us rich but we can pay the bills and have a little bit left over. Besides, the time I get to spend at home is truly priceless!

I am thankful for...

our family. We would have never survived this year without the support of our families!!! My dad was a tremendous help while I was on bed rest. He cooked me dinner and kept me company on the nights that Rusty had to work. I would have been one hungry and lonely pregnant lady if it wasn't for him!!! My mom was especially helpful in the early days of bringing the girls home. She would come over and convince me to take a nap (sleep when the girls are sleeping!!!) and help tidy the house and do my laundry! She also did my grocery shopping while I was on bed rest :) Rusty's parents have been an awesome help with babysitting the girls on Saturdays on alternating weekends with my dad. They also fed on MANY occasions when we were just too busy (or tired) to leave the house! Not to mention my sister, whom left a huge void in my life when she went back to college! We would stay up late and have desperate housewives marathons and keep me company while I was feeding (and feeding and feeding) the girls! You all are amazing and I'm so glad you are part of our lives!

I am thankful for...

our friends! Today we celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday with our friends. We have done this every year since Rusty and I have lived together. It has always been something that I have looked forward to even though I always stress out over cooking the perfect turkey. This year, we haven't had much time to gather with our friends and it was so nice to see everyone again. Between 4 couples we had 5 kids under the age of 3! Our guest list has certainly evolved since our early gatherings and I wouldn't change it for anything! I'm especially grateful that I can be my tearful self during the blessing and not feel too silly. We are very blessed to have such a wonderful and loving support system!

I am thankful for....

my Madison! It wasn't long after Audrey was born and along came Madison. It was a totally different birth because she wasn't breathing and they had to resuscitate her. It was the most scared I have ever been! Right then, nothing else mattered except knowing that she was going to be ok. She finally let out a loud cry and I knew everything was going to be fine! It was one long week after that, that we were able to bring her home!

Madison was the easier of the two to soothe and put down for bed. She had this long, soft fuzzy back hair and super soft skin that was irresistible. We had our special time together when she was still in the NICU. I would leave Audrey with Rusty and go to visit Madison. I would arrive in time for her evening feeding, nurse her, give her a bottle, and then sit and rock her until I had to go back home.

She is a sensitive baby and loves to cuddle with her momma. Every now and then she will even rest her head on my shoulder but those moments are becoming few and far between. The world is just too interesting to rest! I am thankful for her tonight; her sweet smiles, her silly giggles and the way she gets excited when I come in the room.

I had so many sleepless nights while pregnant wondering how I would ever survive two babies. I just couldn't fathom TWO babies at once. Now, I think of all the joy I would be missing out on if I had only been blessed with one instead of two :)

I am thankful for....

my little Audrey. She can be such a stinker but she sure is worth it! I feel like it was yesterday when I held her in my arms for the first time. She didn't waste any time joining this world after a swift kick to the amniotic sack at 36 weeks. Only 6 hours of labor and 10 minutes of pushing and she was in my arms. My 4lb 12oz ball of fire!

She is my daughter and the whole experience is so surreal! Rusty and I made her! She was inside of me! And now here she is, 7 1/2 months old, into everything and interested in everything. Sharp, bright eyed and one-of-a-kind! She is my spitting image (or so I'm told) and knows what she wants and how and when she wants it.

I feel like I had the full birth experience with Audrey and it's something I missed out on with Madison being in NICU. Just after they were born I went back to my room to recover. Daddy was with Madison and for a few minutes it was just Audrey and me. It was as if we were the only two people in the world and it is a memory I will cherish forever. I am so thankful for her being born healthy and for the opportunity to be her mother!

And I think we all know what I'm thankful for tomorrow :)

I'm Thankful for...

...this guy! When Rusty asked me to be his girlfriend 11 years ago this month, I got this feeling that I was getting myself into more than I realized. Was I ever right! I never could have predicted what a wonderful husband, friend and father he would become! There isn't anyone else I'd rather go through life with!

A Week of Thanks

There is something about this time of year. A change in the weather, crisp mornings, fall colors and then Thanksgiving. My favorite holiday! A day of coming together with family and friends, enjoying good food and good company. This year, more than any other, we have so much to be thankful for. Each night until Thanksgiving day I'm going to share some of these things.

Tonight I am thankful for our basic needs. We have shelter, food and water, and our health. We have never known what it is like to be hungry, truely hungry. We've done our fair share of cheap spagetti dinners but we have never gone without. I recently took care of a patient that hadn't eaten in 3 days because he didn't have money to buy food and I realized that we sometimes take some of the most basic things forgranted.

Fall is here!

The weather has turned cool, my spiced pumpkin candle has been lit and life is good! Things have been busy around here and the month flew by! I think the girls wore their Halloween outfits three times (maybe).

We bought weekday passes to Disney and started with a visit to Epcot. The girls rode their first ride (the boat ride in Mexico)! It seems to be getting a bit easier to go out with them but we haven't quite figured out naps on the go. The day usually just ends in tears and an early bedtime..haha!

We also took a trip to the Sanford Zoo. Of course, the girls don't really get much out of all this but Rusty and I enjoy the time out as a family together. Paige was down for that weekend so it was so great to see her too!

THEN we hit SeaWorld. Uh, I'm tired recalling all of this! SeaWorld's Spooktacular was crazy! Could've had something to do with going the day before Halloween but I see a few more of those trips in our future. We got the girls dressed up in their costumes and people were stopping us to take pictures. Twins certainly draw a crowd!

The girls continue to mature rapidly! They are getting really good at self-feeding and their favorites are carrot, asparagus and banana! I used to have to help them get the food in their hands but now they just go at it as soon as I put the tray in front of them. Things that used to be difficult for them to pick up are now simple. They are working on drinking from a sippy cup and can now sit up on their own (still losing their balance from time to time!) Audrey crawled a few inches with daddy the other night and Madison is now starting to roll more often. This makes sleeping interesting..I no longer find them where I left them! Who knows what this month has to bring?

In other news: Rusty enjoyed a nice raise at work (yay!!) Universal is now having to compete with Lego Land but all the better for us! We have moved into busy season at my job which is good since I won't be getting canceled as much!! This month we are looking forward to having our annual get together with our friends just before Thanksgiving. This year we have SO MUCH to be thankful for!!! More pictures of the girls are in our photo album to the right!

6 Months Old!

It's hard to believe half a year has passed since the birth of our girls! I'm not sure that time is so much moving faster since their birth, but we are so much busier that it truly seems that way! Each day passes into the next, always something on the horizon. Looking back, this is not how I ever imagined my life would be! But what a great life it is! Rusty has been such an involved dad, interested in the fun things that come with being a parent but also the side effects (dirty diapers, baths, cleaning dishes and a constant need to tidy the house!) Our marriage is truly a partnership with shared hopes and goals. Something almost 6 years in the making! Being a mother is also something I knew I would love but it is different in unexplainable ways. I think the most surprising thing is the emotional roller coaster. One minute your heart is about to burst with joy over your precious babies, the next, they are screaming for no damn reason and you want to tear your hair out! Haha!

This past month we were busy with ordinary life. My sister, Paige came for a much needed visit and we took a trip to the beach with Grandma and Grandpa Jones. Most noted, we introduced solid food to the girls' diet! So far they have eaten: avocado, pear, sweet potato, zucchini, butternut squash, banana, yellow squash and carrots! They hardly ever like something the first time they try it but when offered a second or third time, they will polish off the whole jar! It's so much fun to see them exploring food and trying new things for the first time!! We are still letting them explore table food as they experience spoon feeding. Their favorite things to feed themselves are avocado pears and bananas!

Developmentally, they are starting to sit unassisted. Audrey is rolling all over the living room and Madison prefers to sit and watch the show. (Especially when it involves Layla chasing after her toys!) They are doing well, according to their doctor and Audrey remains solidly in the 5% for weight and height and Madison is around the 50%! They differ in weight by 2.5lbs now and are certainly very different babies! For October, we are looking forward to visiting SeaWorld's Halloween Spooktacular, a mommy's day out brunch (with daddies to babysit!) and a picnic with work friends at Lake Eola. Oh, and babies' first Halloween of course! With fall in the air, it's shaping up to be a pretty good month!

Adventures in Solid Food!

Today the babies got their first taste of something other than milk: Avocado! Probably much more exciting for Rusty and I than for Audrey and Madison but they didn't seem to DISLIKE it!


First, they started out feeding themselves (well at least Audrey did, Madison was totally uninterested!) This is called the baby-led-weaning method of introducing solids. In true BLW, there is never any spoon feeding, the baby decides when and how much solid food to eat and when to wean from milk. I'm into letting them discover textures and foods in their natural form but I'm wanting them to actually EAT the food too (this doesn't usually happen until about 9 months old with BLW). So we are making up our own routine! BLW with some spoon feeding thrown in the mix! It was so much fun watching their little faces with the first tastes of food!



I'm not quite sure what Madison thought of the whole experience. Definitely not as interested as Audrey but not totally rejecting it, just unsure! Our more timid child for sure!!! Next on the menu: baby cereal and pear and sweet potatoes! I wonder if the girls will have the same reaction to sweet potatoes as Rusty did as a baby (he spit it all over his grandmother!) Just another day in the life of a twin mommy :)

August

As August draws to a close it seems it is time for another update. I feel like I'm doing pretty well if I can update this blog once a month...lol. We didn't do much this month except maintain! The grandparents (my dad and Rusty's parents) alternate watching the girls on Saturdays and daddy gets the girls Sundays when I work. Monday and Tuesday are our weekend but it's hard to just enjoy when there are long to-do lists on our short weekend! I have started to work less night shifts and more day shifts. It's harder on me that way (less time to sleep between shifts!) but it's nice to have my Monday off be an actual day off and not just a recovery day from staying up 24+ hours.

We took a trip to the beach, just the 4 of us, and had a great time until Mother Nature decided it was time to have a thunderstorm. We got a good hour at the beach but would have loved a bit more! I think another trip will be in order soon. I never got my nap!

The girls are now 5 months old and we have gone through the trouble of getting a new pediatrician. We met him this week and are really happy with our choice. Audrey is now 12lbs and Madison, 14lbs. Madison is almost 3 times her birth weight. I almost can't recall how tiny they were anymore. It's sad how memories fade so fast.

The girls are both very smiley these days. Audrey is very interested in anything and everything going on around her. She likes to sit, stand, look around and be stimulated as much as possible! Madison is much more easy going and has started to giggle, especially at the dog. It's fun to watch their personalities blossom.

Next month we are looking forward to Labor Day weekend (my sister is coming home...YAY!!!) She returned to school at the beginning of August and her leaving has been an adjustment! (We miss her!!!)

More pictures...

July pictures are uploading now! Check them out in our web album on the right side of this page!! :)

July in a nutshell

Another month has flown by and the girls are now 4 months old! They are doing new things everyday it seems. Just the past few days Madison has started giggling and Audrey has been babbling! SO cute! They are sitting up with support, rolling over and jumping around in their bouncy. Our living room is quickly transforming into a daycare with plenty of gadgets to entertain little ones! Life is good!

I returned to work mid-July and have survived! It has been a challenge to find time to pump at work but it's working out so far. My co-workers have been so supportive and it has been nice to come back! Right now, I am working on the day shift and night shift twice a week. I am working per-diem which means a minimum of 3 days a month, one holiday a year and no rules when it comes to which days I choose to work. Unfortunately, it also means I am first to be canceled when we are overstaffed. This may end up being a problem as our unit recently hired 30 new staff. I'm hoping things work themselves out!

4 years after graduation from college, we finally paid off our last student loan. Not a week later, our indoor a/c unit revealed it was in need of major repair. We decided to replace it. So much for getting ahead! Ha! At least now our a/c is covered under guarantee for the next 5 years! If it's not one thing, it's another!!!

At the end of the month, Rusty finally got to dive someplace other than Jaws!! We took the girls to Blue Springs and Rusty went diving with our friend Charlene. We got rained out but that didn't interfere with diving :) He had a great time and is looking forward to his next diving trip!!!

Change 3 Things

It all started out as a way to save money but it has evolved into so much more. The choice to cloth diaper our babies seemed insane when I first thought of it. When Rusty agreed to try it it was plausible. But when we started diapering Madison over a month ago it seemed like second nature! I knew it was good for the wallet, the babies and our planet.

Recently I found the "Change 3 Things" campaign. It challenges parents to replace 3 diaper changes per day with cloth diapers instead of disposables. If 100,000 parents make the switch it will result in up to 50 MILLION POUNDS less waste in our landfills. Waste that, by the way, won't biodegrade for over 500 years! In just one day, the 9,000 people who have joined the project so far, prevented the amount of diapers 19 babies use in a year from entering our landfills!!!

In the time it takes our girls to be potty trained we will have saved our wallets over $3,000, our planet 14,000 disposable diapers in a landfill and saved our girls' cute little butts exposure to chemicals! So for all the skeptics out there: it is easy and it is possible! If you know someone having a baby, challenge them to consider using cloth diapers instead of disposables! (And yes, I'm ready to get off my soap box now!)

Besides, who could resist these cute diapers :)

Happy 4th of July...

...a few days late! Here's a pic of the girls from Independence Day! The girls didn't get to enjoy fireworks this year but they got to enjoy their mommy. We had friends over to celebrate and shoot off fireworks. The girls, who usually go to bed about 7 and sleep until 1 or 2 am (yay!), changed up the routine and kept me sequestered in the nursery feeding them until about 10pm! Although I'm sad I missed fireworks, I can't really complain about extra snuggle time with my girls!!!

In other news: Audrey. Is. Mobile. She rolled over for the first time on her 3 month "birthday." Now tummy time is almost impossible because she has figured out how to get into a more favorable position! Madison remains content to hang out and just smile :)

Sunday will be my first night back to work. Nervous and anxious to leave my girls. Happy to be going back into society. Hoping like hell I can remember how to do my job after 5 months on bedrest/maternity leave!!! Daddy will be taking over childcare on the days I am working...I know he'll be great!

3 months old

Is it really almost July? How did that happen!? Pictures from this past month are uploading now! Audrey and Madison are 3 months old! Here are some smiles to brighten your day.

First beach trip!

This past weekend we took a trip to the Tampa area to visit our friend Savanah while she is home from California for the summer. We even took the girls to see the Gulf of Mexico for the first time! They really loved it and are already beach babes!!!

It wasn't long before the sounds of the ocean put Audrey right to sleep. We've never seen that child sleep that well before!!!


Here's a shot of the 4 of us enjoying the waves. The sun did some damage that day and fried daddy to a crisp. Luckily the girls got off with just a touch of sun on their cheeks. All in all we had a great trip and enjoyed getting out with the girls and catching up with friends!

Have twins? Will travel!

Since the girls have been born, our outings have become few and far between. When we do get out it is planned and executed like a small military operation. But that hasn't stopped us! We have been to Sea World twice, to a bridal shower, a wedding, an overnight stay in a hotel, out to restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and across town to visit friends and family for day trips. I hope as the girls continue to grow, we will still be mobile an expose them to many different things and places!

This weekend, we attended my friend Jen's wedding. It was beautiful and I got to catch up with a lot of my high school buddies. This is where the picture was taken :) Today we introduced the girls to their great Aunt Kathy and Uncle Nate! Soon (hopefully) I'll be posting more pictures to our photo album!!

Growing up!

It's official! Slowly, but surely the girls are growing up. These days they are napping in their crib and last night was the first night in their crib! They can hold up their heads and no longer like being held like "babies." They want to be held in a sitting position facing out to see the world.

We have started Madison in cloth diapers and Audrey will be soon to follow! Can't wait to see what the next few months have in store for us!

2 month update!

On Monday the girls had their 2 month check up. Audrey weighed in at 8lbs 5oz and was in the 5th percentile for weight and length. Head circumference was in the 10th percentile. Madison weighed 9lbs 7oz and was 20th percentile for weight, 5th percentile for head circumference and 70th percentile for length. Looks like we're going to have at least one tall baby! Things have been going pretty well but we have a fussy time in the evenings now. The 8pm feeding is not our friend!

Over the last month, we have been to SeaWorld twice. Once with Paige, Michelle and Michael and again when Nolan came home from basic training. It has been nice to get out and they have really nice nursing facilities there too. Seems weird to have to go to a theme park to have a private place to nurse my babies!

We also had a family BBQ at mom's for Nolan's return from basic training. It was the first time most of the family had seen the girls. After the BBQ the babies got to get their feet wet in the pool for the first time. (Rusty and I were both swim instructors during our time as lifeguards!!) Soon enough they'll be little swimming fish!

As always, new pics are posted in our album :)

6 week update!

Now that the babies are 2 months old I guess it's time to post the pictures we've taken up to the age of 6 weeks! Things have been going well and we've been getting more and more mobile with the babies. They are starting to hold their heads up more and are giving us social smiles almost everyday. Those super cute, open mouth smiles! We have stopped using formula and Audrey's fussiness at feeding time has gotten so much better!

Nolan is home from the Army and Paige is home from school. It's so great to have all the siblings home!! Tomorrow we are going to celebrate Nolan's return from the Army and Memorial Day with the family!

New Pictures

Check out the photo albums for the professional pictures we had done by Kristin Mizo!

One month old!

Audrey

Madison


Today is (was?) my due date and on Sunday the girls will be one month old. Believe it? I don't!


We celebrated Easter at my mom's house. Lunch was amazing and it was nice to have a change of scenery and visit with family. We even got a multi-generational picture.


Paige came home from college and has spent most of her time so far here helping out around the house! She even helped me go to a support group for new mommies and bake some cookies to say thank you to the office that cared for me during my pregnancy.

Gotta keep it short because my babies are stirring and ready to eat again! Check out the newest pictures in our photo album :)

2 weeks old...

...where does the time go? I'm going to be one of those parents always looking back, unable to believe how old her babies are!! The girls are 18 days old today! This week at their doctor's appointment Madison weighed in at 6lbs 3oz and Audrey 6lbs 4oz! I guess all that forced, high calorie formula feeding worked! For now, we are totally off formula and the girls don't seem to miss the bottle at all!

In other news, Rusty is back to work this week. I think being away is harder than he thought it would be. It just makes me think about when I'll return to work. I look forward to it and dread it all at the same time. I love being home with my babies every day and could totally see myself staying home but I'll be back to work this July!!

This week we've had a lot of firsts! We gave the babies their first baths, went on our first outing (Crispers and Babies-R-Us), and started taking early evening walks around our block. As always, check out the photo album for more :)

They're here!!

As many of you know, we welcomed our girls into the world on Sunday, April 3rd. After a quick labor Audrey was born at 6:29pm weighing in at 4lbs 12oz. Madison was soon to follow at 6:39pm weighing in at 5lbs even! Audrey was well enough to join us in recovery but Madison had some initial breathing problems which landed her in NICU for several days. With that behind us, we are so glad to be home with our girls :)

As always, check out our photo album (right) for the pictures!!

Celebrating 36 weeks

We made it!! Now the babies are considered full term and will be ready for the outside world!! I celebrated with a pedicure (gotta have nice toes for delivery!!!!) and a trip to the pool. Ok, it was just over to my mom's but it was nice to sit in the sun and get some Vitamin D especially after the terrible weather we've had the past few days! Plus, the dog enjoyed getting out too! Here's to the wait!!

35+ weeks

At our 35 week check up, the babies looked perfect during their weekly non-stress test. I also had an ultrasound to measure the babies and check their position. They are still both in perfect position and dropping lower every week! Their estimated weights were 5lbs 4oz (44th percentile) and 5lbs 10oz (59th percentile). The smaller baby is actually probably much bigger but she was so hard to measure because she is smashed so low in my belly! I'm still on my medications for contractions and no dilation so far but they still don't think birth is far off (they keep saying that!). Friday makes 36 weeks. At this point each day counts!!

We also received our double jogger in the mail!! Rusty put it together in a snap and has also organized the whole garage but he made me promise: NO MORE ONLINE SHOPPING! I complied (it's all done now!) This stroller will be perfect for the theme parks and jogging on the trail behind our house. At first we'll be using our in-line because we'll be able to clip the car seats right in. Who knew there were so many choices for double strollers?!

This picture was taken by our new Nikon camera. We bought it for the rapid shutter speed, amazing picture quality and it's ability to take video too! This should last us for many years to come!! PS: Flowers from my dad. It's nice to have pretty things to look at while I lay on the couch..haha!

Final preparations!

Things are starting to fall into place. Hospital bag packed, pack and play set up and ready for the babies first nights at home, finishing touches to the nursery done, freezer full of ready to eat meals, online shopping done, thank you cards written and newlywed scrapbook complete! Oh, and new camera tested, see the test subject below...haha!

There's only one thing left: mental and emotional prepartion. I'm not sure that's an item I can check off my to-do list! Can any new parent-to-be?

10 day count down!

So, as of today there are only 10 days left until I'm full term! Yikes!!!! THAT snuck up on me for sure. Today we had an appointment and they hooked me up to a monitor for a non-stress test. The babies looked perfect according to the doctor! I on the other hand have been having a lot of contractions!!! They are hopeful I will make it to April for a delivery date but aren't making any promises. (We are still keeping our fingers crossed though!) So, until they deliver, I remain on bed rest and hope that will be enough to keep them from coming.

Maternity shoot!

Just got our proofs back from our professional photo shoot with Kristin Mizo. This is how we spent our Valentine's Day :) She is amazing and there are more in our photo album!

It's in the details!

So, here's the crib bumper that took me a good portion of last week to hand sew...but didn't have much else on the calendar so it worked out! I'm happy with how the room has turned out so far...check out the photo albums, as always for continued picture updates :)

At our 33 week checkup today we got a chance to see the babies but they didn't get measured this week (but will in 2 more weeks!) They have a good amount of fluid around them and are officially both in head down positions!! Perfect for a normal delivery...keep your fingers crossed for a non C-section birth!!!

I've still had quite a few contractions despite medication, fluid and rest so they will be happy to see me get to 36 weeks. The doctor said I should expect them to come home with me if they are born at that time. So for now, I'm back on the really, really taking it easy instead of just doing a lot of resting. The time is getting close, and we are getting nervous but I'm happy with how things have turned out so far! Just hoping for a safe delivery for the 4 of us (no passing out daddy!)

It seems like everything is all about baby(ies) for now but life goes on for Rusty! He is enjoying his job at Universal on 2nd shift and has been able to get really good at diving! He even tricked a veteran diver into thinking that he's been diving for several years! He's hoping to get his advanced dive certification soon and maybe, one day will talk me into it so we can do some reef diving in the Caribbean. Ahh...dreams! We all have them :)

32 week update

We had another appointment today and it looks like all is going well. I'm still on a modified bed rest but I'm able to get up a bit more than before. This week I'm going to get started on sewing the crib bumpers while I still can!!

The doctor also cleared me to get out of the house once or twice a week for lunch or any place I can go and sit and not do anything! At this point I'm losing the desire to go out and do a whole lot anyways! I'm trying to enjoy my mid-day naps as much as possible because I won't get much sleep soon.

This weekend I have a baby shower with my work friends and I'm SO looking forward to it! It'll be nice to get out and see everyone again.

31 week update!

Well, another week down! At least 5 more to go!! At our appointment today everything seems to be going well with the babies and my contractions are under control with the medication they have me on.

Today the ultrasound tech estimated both girls to weigh in at 3lbs 6oz!! Now the real weight gain should start (at least for the babies!) We also got a nice surprise, baby "A" is now head down instead of transverse! I may be able to have the babies naturally instead of a c-section although time will tell! Here's hoping!

With all that good news you might think I'm off bed rest. I think all the excitement and anxiety of the day got to me. My blood pressure was elevated to the point I'm on bed rest because of it! Boo! Going back Thursday and hoping to be off restrictions!!!! Of course, when I got home my blood pressure was better than ever.

Today Rusty installed the car seats in the Fusion and we practiced putting the car seats into the double stroller. Seems like it would be easy but it's a tight fit! One more thing we can check off our to-do list!!

30 week update

After nearly a week on bed rest I had a check up with the doctor today. Everything is going well and the amount of contractions I'm having at this point are considered normal! I've been prescribed another week of bed rest until my next appointment and ultrasound. Then they will look at the babies and if things are still looking good they will consider changing my activity level and weaning down my medication for contractions. Either way, I'll still have to be very careful and take it easy..not an easy task but definitely worth it! Thank you to everyone for their kind thoughts and support!

Showers, Babymoon and Bedrest!

Well, since our last posting a lot has happened!! Starting with the baby showers! Both my mom and mother in law threw me a baby shower. Many came to show their support and celebrate our joy! The gifts were generous too! We are getting very close to having almost everything we need...only 2 more baby showers to go. We are very blessed! Here's a photo of my mom and I at her shower. Pictures of Patti's shower are to come :)

At our 27 week check up and ultrasound we got a clean bill of health and an ok to go north for our babymoon! The babies were measuring 2lbs 7oz and 2lbs 9oz. A full 5lbs of baby inside of me...so hard to believe!! They are growing right at and above a normal singlton baby :) But, it looks like Baby "A" is still being stubborn, in a transverse position...they say she has plenty of time to turn and face head down, but only time will tell!

As for the babymoon, Rusty and I took a quick vacation to northern Florida. We were lucky to get an extra night and spent it in St. Augustine. The next day we visited the fort and watched them discharge the cannon. It's been since 4th grade since I visited that place! Then we continued our drive to Amelia Island where we spent 2 additional nights. The weather was awful, cold and rainy as a cold front moved through. All we really did this trip was eat, and sleep so the rain really didn't interfere :)

The last day was beautiful. Before leaving town we did a little shopping (a beach town is perfect for finding beachy stuff for the babies' room!) then headed to THE beach. It had been 80 degrees in Orlando that previous week, keep in mind! I was determined to go the the beach, so that's what we did! Overall I had a wonderful time with my hubby and tried to cherish every moment of quiet! In a way I'm sad things will be changing because they are so great right now, but I know once the babies are here it will be great too, just in a different way.

About a week after we returned from our trip I started having some contractions. Painless but much more frequent and strong than usual. I headed to the doctor's office and promptly got sent to the hospital. I was surprised but complied. After 6 hours, several medications and some fluids I was sent home. Later that night the contractions returned and Rusty drove me back to the hospital for a 2 night stay. I'm now on strict bedrest for at least a week or 2 and on a pill that helps control the contractions until they are ready to be born. So far, things are going well but we still have a long 6 weeks until we should even be THINKING about welcoming the babies into the world. I just hope they don't have any other plans!!

Now that I am home on bedrest, I should hope to update a bit more frequently :) As for right now, I'm doing a whole lot of directing and supervising from my comfy spot on the couch! I'm feeling well but wish I could partake in some of the activities around here! My mom and dad have been by helping with chores and cooking. Rusty has been so supportive and is really helpful and keeping my spirits up. How lucky could a girl be?

Our growing family!

So far the pregnancy is still going well. I feel like we just found out we were pregnant but also find ourselves rushing to get things done before the babies get here!! How does time go so fast? As you can see I am growing rapidly which is starting to make getting around at work a little more difficult! I have 6 weeks left before I have to take my leave of absence...hope I can make it!! So glad to have such a great team at work to help me!!!!

We have started getting bombarded with baby stuff (thank you!!). Strollers, cribs, clothes, car seats, breast pumps, diapers, baby swings and bouncers. It is clear our lives are about to change drastically! We have installed a closet system in the baby room to start getting things organized. The last 2 weekends have been spent installing a fan and light in the room. They finished wiring it in today...I feel like the worth of our home just increased :) Tomorrow we are going to try to tackle the garage. I feel tired already!

Overall I'm feeling well and have really enjoyed feeling the babies activity (especially in the last week!) I think sometimes they wake each other up kicking! If everything is still going well, Rusty and I are looking forward to our "babymoon" to Amelia Island at the beginning of February. This week we start our parent education classes and soon the baby showers are going to start! So much to look forward to!