The Perkins- Our life in twinsanity

Keeping our heads above water

2011-07-03T20:29:00.000-05:00

We have been truly blessed to have such amazing little boy’s. Over the past year we have had many up’s and down’s attempting to raise, or keep alive, two little ones. Caleb and I have talked a lot lately about life prior to them coming into our lives; what did we ever do with all that free time? Between finding out we were expecting twins, to bed rest, then our stay in the NICU, bringing home two babies that we were clueless on how to care for, to finally making it to their first birthday…. It wears me out thinking about it. Parenting is the world’s hardest job and something that you cannot truly prepare yourself for. I like to say it is either sink or swim… luckily we have been able to keep our head above water.

Each stage in their development has brought on new challenges and improved on others. We have two very independent little boys. To go anywhere it needs to be somewhat of a thought out process on when we are going to leave, what we are going to need to bring, what are we going to do if one of us even has to go to the bathroom? (Yes, sometimes that becomes a problem). Sometimes it is just easier to stay home, or get a baby sitter, or go but understand that we may have to just book it out of there before we have a melt down. There are times I look at parents with only one child and how they can just do things with ease but then I remember that their life is boring compared to mine and I am double blessed (and double exhausted). With our life we never know when Caleb is going to be home to help or when we may be able to go do something so I have learned to do a lot of things on my own. There are many times we go and visit Daddy where ever he is so he can at least see the boys so they are getting use to going to random places.

Memorial weekend we had the boys’ first birthday party. It was a “Seusstacular” with a Dr. Seuss theme. We had such an amazing turn out with friends and family all celebrating our wonderful children. I had so much fun planning their party and am already thinking about what to do next year and for their third birthday. I am a little terrified to see what I am going to plan for their 18^th birthday because it my head they keep getting bigger and bigger.

Luke is our little maniac. This kid is ornery and he knows it. He amazes us and makes us laugh so hard at how he can climb just about anything. I have found him on top of the TV stand, sitting on top of the coffee table, on the couch, in the toy boxes, in the wagon… you get the picture. He will go anywhere. Where there is a will, there is a way with Luke. Luke walked prior to their first birthday and quickly learned how to run. He has no problem throwing himself on the floor to throw a fit. We’ve already had to enforce timeout with him; this doesn’t always go well but it is the only way to actually get his attention that he is in trouble. His favorite thing to do is stand up on something he isn’t suppose to and clap his hands.

Dane is still a sweet little boy. He will be the child that does a lot but doesn’t get in trouble for it, he’s sneaky. When he laughs it is contagious. He can easily get his feelings hurt so he tends not to get into as much trouble as Luke does. When you tell him to stop more than likely he will or just give you a huge grin and laugh, turn around and do whatever he was doing and then run to give you a hug. How can you get mad about that? His favorite thing to do is go over to Luke and bite him. We’re still working on this. Before he could walk he would get too frustrated because he would try and just fall down, he’s an old pro now. You can always count on Dane to be the first one to dance if music comes on.

Parenting is hard work but these two make it well worth it.

We have been on the go non stop lately so that has been why I have been lacking in my blogging. That and I've just been too lazy when I do have time. Here are a few highlights from the past few months.

Family Photo after all the festivities

They loved opening presents!

Luke 13 months old

Dane 13 months old

Luke & Mommy at the lake 4th of July weekend

Dane on the boat 4th of July weekend

Much needed update

2011-03-27T15:00:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe it has been almost three months since I have updated the blog. We have had a lot of things going on between the boys, Caleb, and I. First, the boys are 10 months old; I don’t know where the time has gone. I have been thinking a lot about their birthday party which makes me realize it is right around the corner!

They have been crawling for a while now which keeps me on my toes. Usually I do not mind them crawling around the house but sometimes I need to contain them so we had to purchase a gate. The gate is working for now but Dane has been showing signs of being a climber, so we will see how well it works for the next six months. They crawl over each other, under things, over things, into things… you get the picture, they are on the move. My favorite part is when they crawl towards each other and laugh so hard they fall down, I laugh just thinking about it. They have been doing so many new things that make us laugh and of course, we do not get them on video because we cannot stop laughing. They also have been pulling up and cruising around things. We bought a dinosaur walking toy that they love and have really gotten the hang of. A lot of people tell us they will be walking soon but I’m not going to hold my breath because it could still be a while or it could be tomorrow! I remember thinking one day to myself, how in the world are they going to learn to go from their belly to sitting up, well, it happened the next day. Sometimes I am just amazed at all the things they learn and it is something new every day.

When it started to warm up I took the boys outside in their wagon and we went on a number of walks. They love to be outside. Unfortunately, weather decided it wasn’t done so we are once again, stuck inside. I ran my first 5k with the boys a few weeks ago for St. Patrick’s Day and they were so funny during part of it. They were talking up a storm (I was thinking they were cheering me on as we passed a few people) and kicking. You know they like it when they are ok with pushing back supper two hours! On the running note, I have been training for a half marathon and it is right around the corner, 6 days away to be exact. Caleb and the boys will be tagging along as well so of course I have to deck them out in shirts that will cheer me on! I will have to say I am not doing this half to PR but just to have fun. I have ran two other half marathons prior to having the boys but to be able to say that you ran one 10 months after having twins and before that you were on bed rest for 6 weeks, you’re doing well for even attempting to do it. It will make it even better seeing the boys at the finish line, even if they are unaware of what their crazy mother is doing.

We started allowing the boys to feed themselves a few months ago. This is a little early but from what a few people have told me they wished they would have started earlier and I will say, I’m glad we did. They have mastered feeding themselves and really prefer it. They will eat from a spoon but we usually always have to give them something that they can feed themselves. While they are at the babysitters they always have table food and usually will at home as well. We do keep it around just in case and also for when we are on the go. There for a while they were eating a lot of grilled cheese and cheese and chicken quesadillas but we found out that Dane is allergic to milk so we have had to revamp our menu. It has not even been a week since finding out Dane is allergic to milk and I’m already tired of thinking through what is in all the food we feed him, we could have a very long road ahead. I have seen a difference with switching his formula and switching to soy cheese and yogurt so it is well worth it.

Caleb had his biannual machinery auction yesterday, which went very well. It was too cold for the boys to make it out but I’m sure they will be there this fall and next spring helping Daddy and the ring men. Of course we had photos on hand for those that asked about them. Last year at the auction I was 26 weeks pregnant so many of the men were very interested to know about the boys.

Just a little more about the boys and then I will share some pictures of the past few months. Luke has started to lose a little weight because he is always on the move. He has become longer and thinner and has really changed. You can always count on him for a smile or to make you laugh. His favorite thing to do is shake his head no, mainly because we always have to tell him that. This kid finds it entertaining to continuously do things that he knows he is not suppose to do, saying no or even a little hand smack does not faze him. He is ornery. Dane is more of the lover, he loves to snuggle. You can always count on his for a good ol’ belly laugh. He has the most adorable laugh and does it all the time. He is the one who would rather stick to mom or dad. When we go someplace new he is definitely in “Stranger Danger” mode as we like to call it. Even if he knows some of them he still wants to stick to one of us until he is sure about everyone. They both have 4 teeth and are working on #5 and #6. Luke still has his helmet and we should be getting rid of that within a week, it has done an amazing job. Dane had surgery to remove a cyst on his belly button in February and everything is fine now. We have had a long winter of colds and ear infections but hopefully we will be over all of that now. While we have had a lot of little things happen throughout these last ten months that make parenthood a challenge it is all worth it because they bring us so much joy!

Dane & Luke- 8 months

Dane & Luke 8 1/2 months
Valentine's Day

Riding in the waggon

Luke & Dane 9 months

Luke & Dane

9 1/2 months

Luke 9 months

Dane 9 months

The past month at a glance

2011-01-08T21:07:00.000-06:00

I have been slacking with my blogging but the past month has been a hectic one. Not only was it their first Christmas but we also turned 7 months old, picked up Luke's helmet, have three new teeth (Luke has two, Dane has one), and went to get our first haircut.

Getting a good picture of both boys is becoming a huge task. This one is my favorite out of the million pictures we took.

Luke

This child is a wild one. He never stops going, even in his sleep. It is always interesting to see the postions he has worked himself into in the mornings. Usually he is on his belly, proped up on his arms looking up, laughing and waiting on Caleb and I to come in to get them. He loves to be tickled! You can count on a laugh out of him. He has also started to have a mind of his own, which isn't always good. He knows what he wants and gets very frustrated if he can't have it. I'm a little nervous to know what he will be like in a few years. He likes to put both hands behind his head and shake his butt while laying on his back. Caleb likes to call it his Patrick Sawyze moves. We can't help but laugh when he does it. He has also figured out coughing will get our attention no matter what. Luckily we have become smart enough to figure out the difference between his real cough and his fake cough. Once you look at him during his fake cough he just laughs. Oh this child will be a handful. He also has two new teeth! Luke is also the main reason we went to go get haircuts. We have talked about if for a few months how he needed one but just never found the time to go and do it. After picking up his helmet and his hair still went over his helmet and was at his eyes, we decided it was time. He was such a big boy and did awesome! We went to Peggy's Barber Shop in Unionville where Caleb goes. Peggy has a dog, which Luke loves, so I think that helped him sit there. This child is also a bottomless pit. He can eat and gets so excited when he see's food. The past few weeks we have perfected our "pincher" and can eat puffs like no other.

Dane

Such a sweet baby. He loves to cuddle, which I don't mind at all. When he laughs it is a true belly laugh, there no sound that is as sweet as his little laugh. While he was the first one to roll, he is perfectly content saying around his toys. Luke will roll all over the room while Dane just watches him. He still loves to look at his hands and will study them all day long. Dane has a new fondness of Luke's helmet. I'm not sure what it is but now he thinks he can pound on Luke's head and laughs so hard while doing it. He can quickly get his feeling hurts. While he loves people, it takes him a minute or two to warm up otherwise, the bottom lip comes out. When he eats his feet never stop kicking. I think he would be perfectly ok with never having another bottle, just putting it in the sippy cup. He is just like brother, loves food and has perfected the self feeding of puff's. Dane is a lot like his mother, he loves his naps, likes to sleep in, and likes to go to bed early. He is happy in the mornings but it takes him a little bit to really wake up and become coherent. After spending the last few nights at my parents house, Caleb and I saw a picture of me when I was little, which could be the spitting image of Dane. Poor kid. At the end of December we finally got a tooth!

Luke's helmet:

Luke is doing amazing with his helmet. We went the 27th of December to pick it up. They gave him 4 days of breaking into it before he had to wear it most of the day. New Years Day was the first day of full time wear. He did excellent and it never even bothered him during his sleep. He is doing awesome and we are so lucky he doesn't mind wearing it. We take it off for about 5 to 10 minutes a couple times a day because he gets hot so we need to clean it out. We also take it off first thing in the morning and give him a 30 to 45 minute break and then we wash his hair at night, the helmet and he gets a little cuddle time (it is hard to cuddle with a helmet on his head) for about 45 minutes. They want us to have him wear it at least 20 hours but 22 is prefered. I would say we are doing great with that. We went for his first check and his head is shifting a little aleady. I can already notice a difference. The stickers to decorate his helmet came in so we will be putting those on tomorrow.

First Christmas:

Caleb's sister Shanee, her husband Jesse, and daughter Joya came home from India so it was a very special Christmas, but busy one. During this time Luke and I both had the stomach bug, luckily Dane did not have to go through the horrible experience. The boys did great with staying up late, lots of people, and lots of holding. I would say they also did very well in the gift department. Lots of toys and clothes, which was perfect! Daddy still needs to put together the other pedal tractor, let's hope that gets done before next Christmas!

Perkalator:

Caleb believe's his tractor is part of the family as well. It did not make the Christmas card this year. He really wanted me to put a note on there that the Perkalator will be making the card next year that she is in the shop being worked on. You can only imagine my response to that. So yes, I am updating you all on what is going on. Caleb is moving up a class and we will be going to our first pull with the new Perkalator in January at Gordyville. I am also going with him and leaving the boys with Grandpa and Nana Perkins for a couple days. It will be good for us to get away together but this isn't exactly what I would call a real getaway, at least for me.

New cousins:

The boys have a ton of cousins and the family keeps growing. On New Years Eve, my brother Scott and his wife Niki had their 2nd child, Sophie. This is the first granddaughter on my side. Also, Shanee and Jesse announced they will be having a baby due June 16th! What is even better is they were able to find out what they were having prior to going back to India, a boy!

The boys are changing all the time and I'm sure there have been a million things happen that I should blog about, but of course, I don't remember. I will update our pictures later as it is not letting me upload any more tonight.

Just fixin' a flat

2010-12-18T09:35:00.000-06:00

This is an update on Luke. As many of you know we have been battling torticollis. This is where he looks to one side and tilts his head to the other. In Luke's case he always would look to the right and then tilt his head to the left. We started to notice this around 2 1/2 months because it was causing a flat spot on his head. It progressively became worse and at 5 months after a lot of effort on our part to make sure he was looking to the left at all times, I called the pediatrician. At that point we started therapy going every 2 weeks to see if any progress was being made. We did achieve better range of motion but he still had a head tilt. There is an older lady who is always there at therapy when we are who has torticollis and it isn't something I want Luke to have to go through. She is always in pain and walks around with her ear to her shoulder, has to do therapy frequently, has had a number of surgeries, and also recieves botox injections to help with the tightening of the muscle. Needless to say, if we don't do anything now it would be a long road ahead for Luke, something we don't want him to have to go through. About a month ago we started going to therapy twice a week and schedule an appointment to see a pediatric plastic surgeon who specializes in cranial problems. So, Thursday, Caleb, Luke, and I made our treck to St. Louis in the terrible weather. Luke was such a trooper through it all. It took 5 hours to get there due to the weather, we stopped to feed him and have lunch ourselves. He sat in the highchair, ate, and was such a good baby. We finally made it to Children's Hospital in St. Louis and had to go to radiation. Let me just say walking into that hospital was a huge eye opener. There were kids there that were healthy, just like Luke, but when we walked into radiation there were a number of inpatient children there and while I didn't know what was wrong when them I knew that I was truly blessed that this the only problem we are having. We had to have x-rays done to make sure his plates were not fused together and to make sure there was not a tumor which could cause the problems we are having. Luckily, that is not that case. We met with the doctor and she gave us two options: continue with positioning like we are doing (making him look to the left, more tummy time, more sitting up, etc) with a small possibility that his head may look a tiny bit better or put him in a helmet and see a lot of improvement within a few months. Caleb and I had already prepared ourselves to hear we needed a helmet. I have been doing a lot of research on them and knew that is what I wanted to do. They also took a photo of his head. It was a 3-D photo where they pulled it up on the screen and from the top view you can see where it is starting to effect the placement of his ears and has alot pushed his right cheek out. Another thing we have noticed is the degree to which Luke tilts his head is the degree of his eye level. Basically, Luke could be tilting his head to try to correct his vision. So, another thing that will take time is we are hoping it will level out his eyes so he doesn't have to tilt his head to correct it.

So, here we are, we are going to have a child wearing a helmet. This is common, especially after the back is best campagin. This is also something I would love to make more parents aware of. If you notice your child always favoring a side there is a good chance they are developing torticollis which can cause flattening of the head. We learned alot about the possibilities of why this happened as well. It is very common in multiples, especially baby A. The doctor stated she has not seen a baby b have this problem in 2 to 3 years and even then, it may have only been one or two before that. Baby A tends to be smashed, which is what happened to Luke. His head was basically resting on my left hip and never had a lot of room to move his head, especially towards the end. It is also very common for infants who spent time in the NICU, even though they have OT's and PT's in there with them everyday. When we were getting the mold taken of his head they informed us he was on the lower end of severe plagiocephaly (asymmetrical head shape) so it is a good thing we are doing this. He will have a black helmet that he wears 22 to 23 hours a day. It is great that he gets to wear this in the cooler weather as it tends to make children extremely hot. We are also to the point where it may have been too late to do anything. They like to put kids in the helmet prior to 7 months and we will be 7 months on Christmas. They are going to go ahead and go by the boys adjusted age which is 6 months so we should be ok. It will be worn probably for 4 months. We pick it up on the 28th, go back a week later to make sure everything is fitting ok and then we will go down once a month to have it checked. It will not hurt him at all, it just encourages growth in the other areas that are flattened out. It is light (around 6oz.), only takes a baby a few days, if that, to get use to it. There are a number of websites that have stickers you can put on the helmet to make it fun. So, here we are, fixin' Luke's flat. We already have people stare at us, chase us down asking questions about the boys, all because they are multiples. Now, we have even more of a reason for people to stare but since one of them is wearing a helmet maybe people will feel uncomfortable to ask questions :) We can only hope, we can only hope.

Here is a picture of what a baby with a helmet looks like:
They aren't all the same, Luke may have a little big different shape to his but in general, this is what it will look like.

Give me toofers, I need toofers

2010-12-04T15:49:00.000-06:00

We're teething up a storm and all my boys want for Christmas are their two front teeth! Never in my life have I seen so much drool. People kept giving us all these bibs and to be honest, I thought about taking a lot of them back because I couldn't understand why someone would need so many bibs.... I now know why.

We hit the six month mark on Thanksgiving Day. They are getting so big and doing so many new things. There are days that I pick them up and think they have grown over the few hours I was away from them! Luke finally got the rolling thing down and now cannot get enough of tummy time but Dane has changed. He was the one always rolling like crazy wherever he wanted to go but now he is content not rolling or ever being on his belly. He would much rather sit up or have us stand him up and if he wants to go somewhere he just scoots on his back. They both are doing great with sitting up. When they first started we had to be right there but now I am comfortable just leaving them there. Sure, we have a few crashes but I have learned to just act like it is not big deal, sit them back up, and we can continue to play without any tears. If I need to go in another room to get a few things done I just put the boppy pillow behind them.

We also have a couple of chunky monkeys on our hands. We went to the doctor the other day and Luke weighed in at 19 lbs. 8 oz. and Dane is close behind at 18 lbs. 2 oz. Considering they started out at 5 lbs 12 oz and 4 lbs 4 oz, we are doing very well. They eat solids three times a day and are doing great with that! If you miss a meal and give them a bottle instead the rest of the day isn't always pretty. They are also starting to drink out of sippy cups and I have started giving them their formula in sippy cups at meals. It took a few cups before we found one that worked and luckily they both use the same one.

We have been struggling with Luke's torticollis and have been doing some stretches and strengthening exercises at home along with a few visits to physical therapy but it has not been working. We are going to start doing a little more intensive therapy going in twice a week and then we will also be going to a doctor in St. Louis in a few weeks, Dr. Woo. Dr. Woo is a plastic surgeon who specializes in DOC bands. Due to Luke's torticollis he has a flat head (the right side) which has caused his right eye to be lower than his left. This causes him to tilt his head to the left to correct his vision. While his ability to look to the left and right has improved, the tilting of his head is significantly worse. The plan is to find a doctor that will put a DOC band on Luke so we can fix the problem. Hopefully Dr. Woo is willing to do it but if not we will be going else where. We had planned on going to a doctor in Columbia but our pediatrician doesn't feel as though he is the correct doctor to go to at this point. While he is a good doctor, he is more likely to want to wait and we need to get this ball rolling on this because we are on a limited schedule. You need to have a child in treatment with the DOC band prior to the age of 1. I'm not sure on the specifics or exactly how often we will have to go to St. Louis if this is the doctor that is going to do it but from what I read they need to adjust the band every two to the three weeks. Treatment usually lasts for 12 weeks and he will have to wear the band 23 hours a day. Luckily he will be wearing this in the winter so it won't be as miserable for him. Caleb likes to tell Luke that he is perfect but he just has a few fine tweeks to be taken care of.

Speaking of Caleb, he has been busy working on his tractor. He decided to go up a class so he took it to Fayette, Missouri to be worked on. We will be going to Gordyville, Illinois in January for his first pull with the new and improved Perkalator. He is very disappointed the Perkalator did not make the Christmas card this year but he wanted me to assure everyone she will be making an apperance next year.

I have been busy keeping up with the boys and work and life in general. I will be starting training for a half marathon in a few weeks. My goal is to have another half under my belt before the boys turn 1. The one I plan on doing is in Kansas City on April 2nd.

Here are pictures of the boys from the past month.

Just to give you a little laugh

2010-11-20T11:25:00.002-06:00

This isn't baby related but I read it this morning and had to share! I promise I will be updated soon about the boys.

50 things people think but never say...

1.I wish Google Maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option.

2.More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can’t wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that’s not only better, but also more directly involves me.

3.I don’t understand the purpose of the line, “I don’t need to drink to have fun.” Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they’ve invented the lighter?

4.Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you’re going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you’re crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

5.That’s enough, Nickelback.

6.I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger.

7.Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the “people you may know” feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?

8.Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn’t work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ’s. We just figured it out. Today’s kids are soft.

9.There is a great need for sarcasm font.

10.Sometimes, I’ll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the f * ck was going on when I first saw it.

11.I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I’ll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone’s laughing at the right parts

12.How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

13.I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

14.I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

15.Was learning cursive really necessary?

16.Lol has gone from meaning, “laugh out loud” to “I have nothing else to say”.

17.I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

18.Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

19.Whenever someone says “I’m not book smart, but I’m street smart”, all I hear is “I’m not real smart, but I’m imaginary smart”.

20.How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear what they said?

21.I love the sense of camaraderie when a n entire line of cars teams up to prevent a *** from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

22.Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using ‘as in’ examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss’s last name to an attorney and said “Yes that’s G as in…(10 second lapse)..ummm…Goonies”

23.What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

24.While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it…thanks Mario Kart.

25.MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

26.Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

27.I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

28.Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

29.I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired.

30.Bad decisions make good stories

31.Whenever I’m Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don’t mind if I do!

32.Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every year?

33.If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

34.Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I’m from, this shouldn’t be a problem….

35.You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you’ve made up your mind that you just aren?t doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

36.Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don’t want to have to restart my collection.

37.There’s no worse feeling than that millisecond you’re sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

38.I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

39.“Do not machine wash or tumble dry” means I will never wash this ever.

40.I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There’s so much pressure. ‘I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren’t watching this. It’s only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?’

41.I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dammit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What’d you do after I didn’t answer? Drop the phone and run away?

42.I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

43.When I meet a new person, I’m terrified of mentioning something they haven’t already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.

44.I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it’s on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

45.As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

46.Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

47.I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

48.Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn’t know what do to with it.

49.Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, hitting the G-spot, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey – but I’d bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time…

50.I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

Happy 1st Halloween

2010-10-31T18:29:00.000-05:00

5 months old

2010-10-31T18:10:00.001-05:00

The boys turned 5 months old last week, once again, time flies!

Dane is rolling all over the place and Luke thinks scooting everyone is just fine. He has rolled a few times but for the most part doesn't seem to really care too much about it. We have been battling a cold with both boys and poor Dane ended up with bronchitis.

We had our first Halloween. Luke dressed up as a monkey and Dane was a tiger. We had a quick photo session with their pumpkins that I carved (Note: I have lost my pumpkin carving talent). These pumpkins are HUGE and were a pain to carve. I broke a few letters on both pumpkins and about threw in the towel but finished them anyway.

The boys are teething like crazy! Not only are we drooling and chewing on EVERYTHING, we are fussy because of it. Thank you makers of Orajel. We have champion eaters as well. We have made it through all stage 1 foods and we are moving onto stage 2. They are eating solids twice a day. Generally they have oatmeal and fruit in the morning and rice and a veggie at night, fruit if they are still hungry. Our boys are pretty darn big, but they are adorable that way. They are outgrowing their infant carriers and I am a little sad and concerned about that. I have been lugging them around and wondering each day how in the world I can go any longer with them in there but just haven't been able to transition them over. My main concern is how in the world am I going to get them into places (such as house or babysitters) at the same time. I know I can get one, take him in, get the other and take him in but that just doesn't seem like something I am ready to do. I guess I just like having really toned arms.

Both boys love to laugh! Sometimes you really have to work to get a laugh out of Luke but Dane is always ready to chuckle. Luke is a tempermental child. I have a feeling he is going to be the one that is laying in the middle of the floor throwing a tantrum, kicking and screaming while Dane just goes about his business. I could be wrong but as of right now, I would bet money on it.

Caleb finally got the crops out. The boys and I went and rode with him one Sunday afternoon for about an hour and a half. They were great! With two babies, you never know what you might get but they were such champs and loved it.

We are gearing up for the holiday season as I have already started their Christmas list (as well as my own). Here are a few pictures from the past month.

They cannot get enough of eachother. After about 10 minutes of trying to get a picture where they both are looking at me, I gave up. This is what all of the pictures loked like.

First combine ride

We're growing and rolling- 4 months

2010-10-01T19:01:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe once again, my babies are another month older. This has been a very busy month for our family as always. The boys have been changing hourly (yes, I feel as though they grow by the second so I do not feel as though I can classify them as growing “daily”). Here is a little bit about what is going on with our family:

Luke: He rolled from tummy to back and back to tummy once. He has yet to figure out how again, but he is close! He is a scooter and I have learned you cannot leave him on anything he can fall off of. I will have to say I miss that day when you could lay him in one place and when you come back he would be in the same spot. He loves to blow bubbles and has started to drool…. Hello teething! He is still our high maintenance child who has suddenly developed stranger anxiety. Luckily our pediatrician informed us this is completely normal and does not mean that it will continue for long. I kept racking my brain trying to figure out how in the world that could happen, we take them everywhere! Oh well. He loves to smile but sometimes he makes you really work to get one out of him, I think he thinks we just look stupid making faces at him. It is time for a haircut in my opinion but I’m sure we will wait a little while longer. Caleb and I are not fans of the comb over look so I would say a trip to the barber shop with Daddy is going to be on the agenda within the next few months. I do not have enough guts to do it myself and feel 100% ok with the fact I will have to pay $10 to have it done. He is excellent with tummy time! Today at their well baby check up he weighed a whopping 15lbs. 14 oz. and 25 inches long. His body is finally growing into his head!! He is 75% in weight and 65% in height with 40% with head circumference. I will have to say, he has some thighs on him!

Dane: He is so close to rolling over but everyone starts to get excited and then he just starts to smile and laugh so he loses all concentration on rolling over. We are really struggling with his eating because he cannot stop smiling so I have had to turn him away from me in order to get him to eat at times. I will have to say, he is one happy baby! He is a huge fan of belly laughing. Tummy time to him is laying his head down and chewing on his arm. He will every once in a while make mommy and daddy happy by lifting up on his arms but he would rather just smile and chew on his arm. He is excellent with hold his head up and loves to stand! If he is fussy we just stand him up and once again, a huge ear to ear grin. Both boys are sitting up with assistance and can sit up for about 5 second on their own before falling over. Dane doesn’t know a stranger but he is a big fan of Mom and Dad, he is also the little snuggler. Like his brother, he could scoot all the way across a room if you aren’t watching. Today he weighed 14lbs. 10 oz. and was 23 ½ inches long. He is bound a determined to catch up to brother! Sadly he is only in the 35th percentile for weight and 10th for height, but we aren’t worried since he was so much smaller than Luke and both of them weren’t even on the charts when they were born.

Both boys are sleeping through the night and have been for a couple weeks. Before we were very lucky that they would only wake up once and would eat rather quickly and go back to bed. We could get up, change diapers, make bottles, and feed both boys within 15 minutes and be back asleep. We have had a few early mornings here and there but they always go back to sleep if it is before 7.

We started feeding the boys cereal a week before their 4th birthday. They both were starving in the evenings and all I could do when I would come home from work is feed them, it wasn’t much fun. So, one day I went and bough cereal and we tried it…. Surprisingly it went very well. We probably got half the bowl in them (about ½ tablespoon of cereal) before they had enough but they are now playing in the evenings instead of constantly eating. Sometime in the next week we will start with veggies and fruit. My boys are eaters!

I know there are a million things that have changed and happened but due to my bad blogging and my lack of memory, this is all I have. Caleb has started harvest and I will be starting my training for a half marathon fairly soon, good thing the boys like their stroller!

3 months old

2010-08-26T16:58:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe they are 3 months old. In some ways I feel as though I just had them yesterday and in others they have been with us for years. I can say with confidence now, you cannot tell they were preemies! We had to do a quick weigh-in the other day (the babysitter was kind enough to do this for us) and Luke came in at 15lbs and Dane at 12lbs.

Luke

Dane

It use to take a lot for us to get Luke to smile but within the past few weeks he has become the happiest baby. Don't get me wrong, he still has a terrible temper, but for the most part he is a happy guy. Dane use to be the kid we could always count on for a smile but now he just stares at us like we are crazy making faces at him. He does smile a lot but always AFTER we have tried to get him to smile. Isn't that the way it always goes? He is still a laid back baby, which is nice considering Luke can get himself into a full out screaming fit. One surefire way to have them both grinning ear to ear is to sing Justin Bieber "Baby" in a high pitched, obnoxious voice, they love it!

They both love to "stand" and sit up and look at what is going on around them. I thought I was busy when they were "new" but I know it will only get busier the older they get. They are so much fun though!

When they both get upset they have the worlds biggest pouty lip, the most adorable thing ever! I don't like them to get upset but I must say, it is cute to see!

I have found out why Dane has lost some of his hair, Luke. Luke has this thing with feeling hair,

mine, his own, and Dane's. He especially does this when he is tired.

They aren't sleeping through the night yet, but we are close. Luke has 4 times while Dane is getting closer and closer. This is my first week back at work and they have been going to the sitter or Martha's (Caleb's mom) so their schedule is out of wack so they have gotten up earlier in the night than usual. They also have decided their bedtime needs to be a little earlier these past couple of days. They are asleep by 8:30, get up around 3:30 and days I have to work are up no later than 6:30. Can't complain too much.

August has been a busy month. With the State Fair, me going back to work, and Caleb's auction we have been on the go. The boys have been sick the past few days. What started out as just a cold turned into a 24 hour stomach bug. My first day back to work I already had to call in, but it was a good thing because I wasn't feeling so hot myself.

They are changing every day and I can't believe they have grown so much. It is hard to remember that we really are only suppose to think of them as 2 month olds, their adjusted age. Before you know it our next post will say "4 Months Old"

Missouri State Fair

2010-08-18T08:56:00.000-05:00

We took the boys with us to the Missouri State Fair. We arrived Saturday afternoon and Caleb pulled Sunday and Monday. We left at 9am Saturday and arrived back home at 8:30 Monday night. The boys did great! We had one melt down, luckily it was in my parents camper and only family was around, but other than that they did great! Caleb ended up winning his class so he is now the reining champion! Here are some pictures of the boys from the fair for your viewing pleasure.

Parenthood

2010-08-06T18:46:00.000-05:00

No one can really prepare you for parenthood. You can read all the books, listen to all the advice, prepare like you have never prepared before but once they are here that really goes out the window. Caleb and I both decided we didn't want to rely on a pacifier for our kids. Guess what I bought the other day.... a clip so it can always be attached to them. I also swore I would never let them sleep in our bed. Now, this doesn't happen often but if they wake up at 5:30 in the morning and I just want that extra 30 minutes of sleep before they are suppose to get up, I'm not above throwing them in bed with us. We are just trying not to make this a habit.

I also have realized that until you become a parent, you really can't fully appreciate everything your parents have done for you, and what they continue to do.

I have also learned that having a clean house is a thing of the past. I try to keep up with it all but right when I get ready to do something I have a screaming kid. I really hate my house to be dirty and really, it isn't now, it just isn't how it use to be and I realize, it never will.

I have always hated laundry and adding two more people to our family hasn't made that better. I will have to say I am pleasantly suprised with how much there is. Everyone kept saying, "oh just you wait, you will have so much laundry" so I prepared myself for the worst. All I have to say is, try Pampers and your child might not have to change their outfit all the time. :)

Going out into public can be.... well.... interesting. For some reason everyone flocks to you like you just escaped from the circus. While we may look like that at times I prefer not to be gawked at. I love how people come running and want to tell you all about their 3rd cousins babysitter's mom's boss's 4th cousins ex-brother in law knows someone who has twins. When people tell me that information all I have to do is smile and look at them like they are idiots. I really try not to but at that point in our one way conversation there is not much more I can do. I also love how people just assume twins are one boy and one girl. No, they are both boys and I would prefer you not touch them, thank you.

I also have a lot of people ask a lot of questions and make a lot of comments. Now, usually these questions are some what reasonable but the comments... we won't go there. The main question I hear is "how do you do it". At first I just smiled and said it's hard. I now have gotten to a point that I want to say "do what? Take care of my kids?" You can only imagine the things that run through my head such as "didn't you know twins don't eat as much or poop as much so it is just like raising one" or "I just throw them in a closet with some bottles and diapers and tell them to fend for themselves". Really people, I just do it, there is no right or wrong way to take care of more than one child, you just do what works for you. Do these people not think about people who run a day care, they take care of multiple children every day and they are never asked "how do you do it". Another question I love is, "how much does it cost to take care of them". Well, that varies from person to person but if you are wondering if they are expensive, yes, all kids are. Luckily I am still going through the stash of diapers from all the showers I had, I will let you know how I really feel about buying diapers all the time in a different post, I'm sure.

My next favorite thing about being a mom is once you are one, people feel as though they can ask you random questions and make rude comments and it is perfectly acceptable. Lately I have had a lot of problems with people making comments about my size. The other day someone asked me if I starved myself after I gave birth. I really wanted to tell her yes but instead I kept my mouth shut and became the bigger person. I appreciate it when people tell me I look great after having twins but when they attempt to make a comment of that nature but it is rude, I become very defensive. I guess it is just assumed that if you have a child then it is perfectly acceptable to carry around a few extra pounds and use them as an excuse. While yes, it is hard to lose weight after having a child that does not mean you can be rude to the people who can. The funny thing is it is usually larger indiviudals who like to make rude comments. I have a few things going for me; my age, I was in shape before having them, I was some what healthy when it came to what I ate while pregnant. Another reason why I think I lost the weight (or most of it) is because you had to walk 75 miles from the parking lot to the ICN in order to see your children. I'm not kidding either. It was a jaunt. There were many times that you would stand there for 5 minutes for the elevator so Caleb and I started taking the stairs. Do this 4 times a day and you will be in shape within a week. Also, I'm up and down all day long taking care of them and attempting to get things done around the house. I will now step off of my soap box.

We really do think our boys are such a blessing and when I'm crying, they're crying and Caleb is walking into the door to this madness he is the one that reminds me of this. I am constantly worrying about something. Dane seems to always be cause of worry. He has had a stuffy nose from the day he was born but everyone is starting to realize this. Caleb and I had never been overly concerned about it because to us, this was normal but when people keep pointing it out you start to wondering. Well, that has been our biggest concern lately but we think we may have figured it out. He has acid reflux and may have a milk intolerance (he will grow out of this and really, this may not be what is wrong). We changed his formula to the same one as Luke, which is lactose free. I see a sligh improvement but this could also be from the acid reflux medicine so we don't really know. He also should be getting rid of his monitor soon! This is very exciting. Luke we don't worry about as much. My only concern is his head is lop sided. He favors his right side and I have tried everything to get him to lay on his left. I have moved things around, I have put him in his crib another way but nothing. This kid would stare at a blank wall if that means he can lay on his right side. So I have officially started proping his head up so he can't lay on the right. I do this during the day and just let him do whatever at night. If it means he will sleep, so be it.

Luke is still our child with the temper. One day he will like one thing and the next hate it. He can't make up his mind half the time. Dane is laid back, go with the flow, for the most part. He has his moments but once you figure out what he wants then he will smile and you know he is happy. Luke on the other hand will scowl at you even once he stops to cry. He smiles a lot but he also stay mad for a long period of time. Most of the time I just laugh because it is so cute.

I have always been a planner but I am also a person who can just go with the flow which helps a lot. I try to keep the boys on a schedule and if they get hungry an hour early because they chose not to eat the 3 hours before then they can get their pacifer until it is time to eat. They survive and usually eat even more at the next feeding which allows them to go even longer until the next feeding. It benefits us all. There are easy days and there are hard days but at the end of the day when my head finally hits the pillow all I can do is laugh at the day I had. I am lucky to be able to spend so much time with them.

Sorry for any typos or things that don't make sense. I am writing this as I'm holding both boys. That is talent!

2 Months Old

2010-07-27T15:46:00.000-05:00

They are getting so big! On Sunday we hit the 2 month mark. It doesn't seem possible that they are this old but at the same time it seems like they have always been around. As of the 26th Luke weighed 11 lbs and Dane 9 lbs. 8 oz. Luke is 22 1/2 inches long and Dane is 20 3/4 inches long. Dane has finally gained enough weight that he is now on the growth charts and Luke is creaping up to the 30th percentile.

Luke still has a temper and things are never the same with him. One minute he loves something then the next he hates it. He is a little more work at times. Dane is easy going and is perfectly content taking the world in. He is a lot of work but for other reason's than his brother. He is still on the heart monitor, has terrible congestion, and has acid reflux. Poor kid can't get a break. We are still on the heart monitor but really only wear it at night, sometimes during the day if we are going to be out and about for a long period of time. It hasn't gone off for a week or two now, which is great! We don't go back to the doctor until September so we will have it until then. I'm sure in a month or so we won't be putting it on him during the day.

I go back to work in a month. I'm getting to the point where I am almost ready. I think this has been the perfect amount of time to be home with the boys. With Dane improving with his monitor it makes me realize I couldn't have gone back any earlier and felt comfortable about it. I will only be working 3 days a week so I still will have a lot of time with them

We are still taking the boys with us basically every where we go. I even took the boys to Wal-Mart with me all by myself! Granted, I had to go because Dane was out of formula and I didn't realize it. We made it there on a Sunday morning around 7:30. I put the boys in their stroller and I carried a basket so we couldn't get a lot. I had a lot of people looking at me like I was crazy--- I just might be!

It is exciting to see the boys continue to change every day and can't wait to see what they learn to this month.

"Stop hitting your brother"

2010-07-13T10:56:00.000-05:00

Yes, it has already started. I say this every day, even though it doesn't help because they don't realize what they are doing, They are 7 weeks old today. Time flies! They are getting so big! On July 2nd (5 weeks 3 days old) Luke weighed 8 lbs 6 oz. and Dane weighed 6 lbs 8 oz. Dane is still the little guy but he is growing quickly and is now eating like a champ! Luke eats 5 oz. every 3 hours and Dane eats 4oz. every 3 hours. They usually go to bed around 9 or 9:30pm and will usually sleep until 3:30-5:30 (varies day to day) and then will be up again 3 to 4 hours after that to eat again and will wake up for the day between 8am and 9am. We cannot complain about their sleeping considering they are still very small and need to eat often. They were due on June 24th so we are told to base their development off of that date so really they are only 2 weeks old.

In these 7 weeks they have changed so much. We have spent many of hours at the doctors office with different things. Dane was required to go in for weight checks and to discuss his heart monitor once a week. Well, during all 3 weeks we did that we were also in there earlier in the week due to illnesses. First, Dane had a virus. The poor boy was so stuffy that he could not breath and he also had green eye boogers. She put him on an antibiotic eye ointment for that. (Side note: the package said to put a small bead of ointment on the inside of the lower eye lid, try doing that on a 4 week old!) Luke also developed the eye infection so we just shared medication. :) I know you aren't suppose to do that but, we had extra! Luke also developed a terrible gas problem. I felt so bad for him! He would scream and cry until he would pass gas and then a few minutes later would do the same thing. I tried gas drops but that gave him other bowel movement issues and still didn't get rid of his gas! So, I took it upon myself to change is formula (I kept calling the doctor's office but the nurses didn't seem too concerned, the doctor was not happy about this one). I had an extra can of a sensitive formula so that is now what Luke is on. We were doing so well for one week, in the same diapers, on the same formula, and wearing the same clothes. Now we are on different formula, in different size clothes, and getting close to being in different diapers. Dane's heart monitor is going off less and less. These past 3 days it had not gone off at all. We noticed one day he was different baby. It was obvious he is maturing and with his heart rate monitor going off we know that is what is occuring. Dane is just a little behind Luke in his development. There was always the thought from day 1 that Dane was a week behind Luke and we see that is the truth now. But Dane is meeting all his milestones along with Luke. They both are GREAT at holding their head up and we can get some smiles out of them too! They are both awake more and more each day (which leads to mom not getting a lot done). They both have their moments where they just want to lay there and look around and other times they want to be entertained. They love to be read to so I just hold them both and read all the books we have, sometimes over and over. If you stop reading they are no longer content. I could make up stories but I'm not that creative.... we leave that up to Daddy.

Their personalities are coming through! Luke has a temper! He is a happy camper one minute and within a slip second he can throw the biggest fit. If he is crying beware, arms and legs will be going and it can take a few minutes to really calm him down. He is very dramatic with everything he does. Dane is laid back. When he starts to cry a lot of the time all you have to do is touch him and he will be satisfied. When I am feeding them by myself he is the one that is fed last because I know that he can be content for the most part just laying there with his paci. Both boys grunt, a lot! They also are very gassy babies. Everyone who holds them always thinks they are filling their diaper but usually they aren't. Between their grunting and passing of gas I can see why they would think that. They are both developing baby wrinkles/rolls and it is adorable. Luke appears to have a larger build than Dane. If I could predict what it will be like in the future I think Luke will be built like my brothers and Dane will be tall and skinny.

We have been taking the them a lot of places. They went with me to my doctors appointment in Columbia (thanks to my mom's help) and made their first trip to the mall. Over the 4th we went to the lake and stayed for 3 nights. They had their first boat ride and had a weekend of being the center of attention. We made our first trip to the shop to visit Daddy and spent a few hours down there with people stopping by to visit. They also had their first visit to Sydenstrickers in Macon as well as a trip to John Deere in Centerville. On the way home from Centerville I realized they have officially been to another state.

There are many things that I don't get done during the day (luckily I can do this by typing one handed). I still have a million thank you cards to write (so if you haven't gotten one yet, I'm sorry and expect one by their first birthday ha!) and I still do not have everything but away from me being gone for 2 months. But, as long as the boys are fed, clean, and happy, that is all that matters.

Dane 6 weeks

Luke 6 weeks

Dane already knows what fraternity to rush

5 weeks

Luke LOVES his boppy!

5 weeks

Luke & Dane

6 weeks

We are one month old!

2010-06-26T11:10:00.000-05:00

Dane & Luke

Dane

Luke

We love having them home! While it isn't always fun to get up in the middle of the night to feed them, we can't complain, they are great babies. These two have done a lot in their few weeks home such as going to a tractor pull, BBQ, a trip to Columbia, and a few doctors appointments. We have already had our first illness; Dane caugh a virus as well as an eye infection. We have to take Dane to the doctor once a week for weekly weight checks as well as to make sure we are not having any problems with his monitor. I went back for my post partum check up and was cleared to exercise so the boys and I are still waiting for a cooler morning or evening to go on a walk. They are growing up so much!

Dane's first bath

Lukes first bath

Father's Day

Dane's first tractor pull

Luke's first tractor pull

Dane thinking Mommy is funny (only if this was a voluntary smile)

Luke doing some tummy time

Mommy & her boys at the tractor pull watching Daddy

WE ARE HOME!!!

2010-06-14T12:49:00.001-05:00

We were finally released on Saturday! I have not updated in a while but last week, I believe Monday, Dr. O'Gorman switched the boys to a 4 hour feeding schedule and after that, they were brand new boys! They would stay awake for their feedings and would eat more which was a blessing. After 24 to 48 hours of not using the feeding tube there was an order placed to not put it back in if it was pulled out. The funny thing is Luke was notorious for pulling his out multiple times a day while Dane left his alone. After the orders were in, Luke didn't touch his for days but Dane ripped that thing right out. On Wednesday, which just so happened to be our anniversary, Dr. O'Connor asked me if we were ready to stay with them in pediatrics. This was the best anniversary gift ever! Our first night went very smoothly and only woke up every 4 hours to feed them. We had a bit of a snag the next day when we left for a little while after one of their feedings and came back an hour and a half later... the nurse said they were fussy so she fed them both again! Granted, they didn't very much at all but we were so mad because we struggled to get them back on their 4 hour schedule. She believes in demand feeding, Caleb and I do not! Our boys eat a lot more if they are on a 3 to 4 hour schedule. Thursday night/Friday morning the boys did their car seat test. This is done on preemies and they must stay in their car seat for the amount of time your drive is to go home. Our boys were required to be in there for two hours. Luke passed (and broke in his car seat by having a lovely leaky diaper) but Luke did not. They monitor their heart rate and oxygen level during this test and it must stay above a certain number. Friday morning they had their circumcisions done. Saturday morning Dane took his car seat test again and passed so they both had their Hep B shots. At this point on Saturday we weren't sure what was going to happen. It was already after 1 pm and the doctor had not been in yet and the nurse was very skeptical about us going home. Our biggest concern was there was a new doctor on, while the other doctor had told us we would probably go home Saturday. We knew for sure Luke would be discharged but Dane we weren't sure about. Dane has been having Bradycardia which is when the heart rate slows down below 70 beats per minute. He has always come out of it but he was having more episodes than they were comfortable with. This is something he will grow out of and is completely normal in preemies and should resolve itself when he is considered term (June 24th). Once the doctor finally came in she discussed with us going home with Dane on a monitor and of course Caleb and I were completely fine with that and honestly had already been discussing that option with the nurses. She told us he could either stay in the hospital or come home with this monitor that she informed us can sometimes be a pain in the rear. We did not care, we wanted our babies home and would do anything necessary to get them there. The big problem is this was a Saturday afternoon and most medical supply stores are closed but they had the hospital social worker get on the phone and find one for us. 2 hours later she is there and we are being taught how to use it. Of course, we run into some problems. We get him all strapped into this thing and it goes off 3 times within 5 minutes. This has never happened! Good thing we still had the hospital monitors on him as well and saw that there is no way he was having an episode. The lady kept saying no, he was having an episode and she was hesitant about us going home (like she really had a say one way or another, I'm not even sure she had a medical degree of any sort). Caleb came to the rescue and handled the situation with her and the nurse helped and of course, the machine was set incorrectly. It made me laugh she was wrong because I was not a huge fan of this lady because of weird comments she would make as well as the fact that she was handling my child and had obviously just smoke a cigarette (has she not heard about people handling children after they smoke and the increased risk of SIDS from it? Over protective mother I know but it also just smelled horrible with her perfume and I felt sorry for my child having to be that close to her). After all that was done we handled all the paperwork, removed their tags, changed their clothes, got them in the car seat (of course not without a picture first), and hit the road. I never thought I would be the mom who sits in the back with their children but due to the monitor I needed to be able to check on Dane if it went off so I was the mom I never thought I would be (but I had a valid reason, right?) I'm glad I did sit back there because an hour into our drive it went off for a second. No big deal, but it is important that we see what he looks like after it happens so we can see if he was straining (which can lower a babies heart rate) or any other cues that are abnormal). The doctor recommended we stop halfway home but Caleb and I knew that we would be cutting it very very close to feeding time if we didn't keep going so we continue on with no problems and make it in the nick of time. As we were going through Green City they started their 10 to 15 minute routine of fussiness before they eat. We are so glad to be home and it has been amazing to finally get to be in complete control of their care. For 19 days of their life we/they have relied on the nurses and doctors. While being in the ICN and seeing all the other babies that are a lot worse off it made me realize how blessed we are. Caleb and I also realized how blessed are children are to have parents to take care of them and that were able to spend all of their days with them. There are a number of babies in there who's parents would maybe see them once a day and not for very long. There were three nights Caleb and I left to come home to finish things up for them and it killed me, I can't imagine not wanting to go see your child. It isn't easy seeing them in the hospital hooked up to all the tubes but it is part of it. I also realize how amazing Caleb is. I rarely saw any dads there and I was there a large amount of the time. If a dad was there he would just sit back where as Caleb was hands on and many times telling me how to do things! We are definitely a team when it comes to taking care of our boys and we love it!

Here are some pictures from our last few days in the hospital and our first days at home

Finally both in an open crib and checking each other out. (Luke on left, Dane on right)

In our car seats and ready to go! (Dane left, Luke right)

Mommy & Daddy couldn't be happier!

Big brother Benji likes to help with diaper changes (Dane)

Friend Kent came to visit the boys (holding Luke) and brought them their first Nerf ball and hot wheels!

Pictures

2010-06-05T12:38:00.000-05:00

Daddy & Luke

(I told Caleb to smile and this is what I got)

Dane

He always has his hands by his face when he sleeps and eats

Dane

How can you not love looking at this sweet baby all snuggled up

Mommy & Dane

Luke wide awake

Daddy burping Luke. This is possibly the funniest thing ever. He always has to hold onto your hand and tries so hard to lift his head and look around. Adorable!

Daddy feeding Luke again

Progress

2010-06-03T17:29:00.000-05:00

We are slowly making some progress! There have been a few things happen over the last 24 hours. First, Dane was taken off his nasal cannulas and has done amazing! This is a huge hurdle for him. Also, both boys are having their isolette temperature decreased each day and have been able to hold their body temp, which is another huge hurdle. They both still have their feeding tubes in and pull them out daily. Dane drank his first whole bottle!! Granted it was only 45 cc's but for him this is big. Big brother Luke has yet to accomplish something of this magnitude but he also has a lot more to take in (currently 55 and they need to be able to eat 60 before they will be discharged). They both aren't gaining weight so they started them on a new formula that has extra calories. I'm afraid we will just have little babies. All the nurses can't get over the difference in their body shape but how much they look alike. Dane appears a lot longer than Luke but is an inch shorter. He is just really long and skinny. His feet a so long and his legs are really long and skinny with huge hands as well. Luke has broad shoulders and has a little more to him. He has big hands and larger legs. It will be interesting to see how they change over the years. Right now Luke is having a problem with staying awake through his feedings. He wakes up for them, eats a little (usually around 20cc's) and then falls asleep. About 30 minutes after they feed in through his NG tube he is wide awake for about an hour or so. We are glad he is awake and active but we just wish he could stay awake. We just want to thank you all for the thoughts, prayers, phone calls, etc. If you call and I don't call you back, please don't take it personal or think I don't want to talk. We aren't allowed to use our phones in the nursery and when we are out of the hospital we are trying to get some things done or rest as much as possible. It is draining going back and forth, even though it seems like we should get a good nights sleep it is hard to do when you know your babies are being taken care of by someone else. You have the emotional and physical exhaustion going on at the same time and it takes a huge toll on ones body but Caleb and I are doing very well.

Sorry no pictures this update, I promise to get more up soon. We haven't been the best about getting pictures taken because we are so involved with them while we are there.

Update

2010-05-31T20:04:00.000-05:00

Luke and Dane are the most adorable kids ever! Caleb and I have been so blessed to be able to spend quality time with them in the ICN. Not only do I have the most amazing kids ever, I also have the most amazing husband. I can't tell you how great Caleb has been with the boys as well as helping me. Having a c-section is a huge toll on your body and he has been the best. He is the one to jump in and change their diapers and would rush over to see them first thing in the morning. While most people think we are probably getting a little more rest since the boys are in the ICN, we aren't. We both sleep well at night but we have so many things we need to do within a small period of time plus get to the hospital at certain times to feed them. The nurses said that if we can make it through them being in the ICN, we will be fine at home.

I was discharged from the hospital on Saturday. Friday morning the doctor on call came in (my doctor was gone for CE courses) and asked if I would like to be discharged on Friday or Saturday. Well, you can only imagine that I said Saturday. My room was literally right across from the ICN so it was easy for me to walk over there whenever. We have been staying with Kevin and Tonya Reynolds in Columbia (we can't thank them enough) since I was discharged. This morning (Monday) Caleb and I woke up at 5 to make it to the hospital before their 6am feeding because we decided to come home for a day. Caleb needed to hlp out a little in the field and I neded to get a few things done at the house as well as repack my bag. My mom, Martha, Laci, and Erica cleaned the house while I did small things around the house. I can't thank them enough for their help either! I feel like we are finally ready for them to come home. It is also great to spend time with Benji. Once everyone left in the early afternoon Benji and I took a long nap. I missed cuddle time with him! It has been a long time because there for a while I was just too big to do anything. I will have to say leaving my boys in the hospital was the hardest thing to do but the nurses encouraged me to come home and get things done as well as get some rest. I haven't slept in my bed since April 8th and I cannot wait. I am also very proud of myself, I have only called to check on them once, right before their 3pm feeding. Their nurse today is one that I love and she was great when I talked to her.

As for the boys, they are improving more and more every day.

Luke: I don't know where I left off on the first post but basically he was taken off the vent within a day and did not need anything else to help him breath. He took his first bottle and has slowly been increasing his feedings. Currently he eats every 3 hours and as of today he is given 40cc. He is a very slow eater compared to brother and has a hard time staying awake while eating. You cannot cuddle and feed him or he will not eat. We have to hold him out, rub his feet, and he cannot be wrapped up. He loves his mommy and daddy and loves to hold our hand. The second he hears our voice and we touch him it is the first thing he does. Our favorite thing to do with his is to give him different hair styles. One day the nurses gave him a comb over and dad did not like that so we decided on a mohawk. I must say, this child has great hair! We still can't decide exactly what color it is, the nurses all say blonde but we think brown with highlights. It is so hard to tell. He has amazing color as well! Both my boys are darker than I am.... sad. He no longer has his IV either. He was a little jaundice but his numbers weren't high enough they had to do light therapy and as of this morning they were going down. Luke is also our pooper. His favorite time to do his business is when he is eating. This could be why it takes him forever to eat because he can't seem to do both at one time. He really has to focus on going to the bathroom I guess. Basically, he is doing great we just need to get him up to 60cc, continuously eating out of a bottle and then we will work on the body temp.

Dane: One morning we walk in and he is like a different little boy. He just looked like he felt better! We were so happy. He was taken off the vent and put on c-pap. Yesterday they took him off of c-pap and put in nasal canulas. They never have to give him oxygen but they use room air. He just needs a little help. When I talked to the nurse at 3 this afternoon they took him off of his canulas and they were going to see how that went. He was moved to a "big boy bed" (this is what Caleb and I refer to it as, the isolete) a few days ago and loves it. He no longer has his IV either. They bumped up his feedings to 38cc this afternoon. He is our eater! He can suck a bottle down in no time. There are a few times that he doesn't eat very well due to being tired but for the most part he does an excellent job. They treated his for jaundice by doing light therapy. It is so cute with his little shades on. Dane is the one who likes to pee on people, you definately have to watch out with him. Just like his brother, he likes to hold mommy and daddy's hand. My favorite thing is when he holds my hand he always brings it to his chest. Talk about something that melts your heart! It is amazing how they already know who we are and how they all of a sudden relax when we have them in our arms.

Overall the boys are doing great. They have a few things pop up here and there but nothing major. We have met a few moms that have babies in the ICN but now our boys are the only ones in that room besides 3 others that are in special rooms within that room. They finally moved their beds together so Caleb and I can sit there and hold them both without having to be across the room. Caleb and I are there a lot more than other parents are. Many of them have other responsibilities which hinders their ability to be there so we know we are very lucky to be able to spend time with our boys. Also, there are either a lot of single mothers are some of the fathers just simply don't come by very often. Caleb and I are there a large majority of the day and we have yet to see more then 2 or 3 dad's there. This is another reason why I have an amazing husband! We have already become a great team. When feeding the boys sometimes they don't always want to open so we pull their chin down. When this happens it is hard to do it yourself due to all the cords and everything else we are strapped down to so we rely on the other parent to reach over and help. When this happens we refer to it as "chin me". We also have a tendency to refer to each other as mom and dad when we need something for the boys. We started this because that is what the nurses do and all of a sudden one day we realized we were doing it so we make fun of ourselves. We don't have a timeline on when they will be coming home really, they just give a 10-15 days or so but that can change at any time. We will be required to stay with him for over 24 hours, possibly 48 hours taking care of them, no monitors, on the pediatric floor. Not only does this help us but it also helps the doctors make sure they are ready to head home. They are amazing little boys and we are so lucky! I couldn't imagine not having twins.

Dane's first bottle

Luke's first bottle

Dane holding mommy's hand (sorry a little blurry)

They're Here

2010-05-26T20:03:00.000-05:00

May 25, 2010

Dane William Perkins. 4lbs. 4 oz. 17 1/2 inches long. Our little guy was born at 12:11pm. He has curly long hair as well as long fingers and toes. This little one does not like to have his picture taken with a flash! There are so many things Caleb and I already know about his little personality. We can't wait for him to be taken off the vent so we can hold him.

Luke David Perkins. 5lbs. 12 oz. 18 1/2 inches long. Born at 12:10pm. This little guy has been doing great and was taken off the vent Wednesday afternoon (May 26th). He is our little chubsters even though he has long skinny feet and fingers as well. His hair is long and curly, just like brothers. I spent the afternoon holding him which was amazing. Caleb will hold him tomorrow, they don't want him passed around currently. I can't complain about that because I don't want to share my baby yet.

The story: Monday (May 24th) I had a regular doctors appointment. I went in for the ultrasound and NST, boys looked great. Then I went to see the doctor. This is where they found that my blood pressure was running a little too high, which never has happened. Dr. Morse wanted me to go to labor and delivery to monitor my blood pressure and run some labs. At that point she was unsure of what was going to happen. I called Caleb so he could get down here just in case something happened. My blood work came back and some of the numbers were higher than what she would like so she decided that the next afternoon she would do a c-section. We were at a point in my pregnancy where it is hard to decide where the babies are better off and my blood pressure showed they were going to be better off outside. Monday night Caleb and I stayed in the hospital and the next morning I was ready to have my babies! My blood pressure was still high but it never became high enough that it was a huge concern. I know there had been word spread around that it was indangering the boys, no, they were fine. At 11:50am they rolled me back to the O.R. I was given a spinal around noon. They started the c-section at 12:09, Luke came out at 12:10 and Dane at 12:11. Both boys came out crying which was the most amazing sound ever. I came out of the O.R. and back to my room by 12:35pm. Quick! They were transfering me to a post partum room and before they took me there Caleb and I went through the ICN to see the little guys (I was still in my bed at this time). That evening they got me up and walking a little bit so we went back to the ICN to tell them goodnight. Wednesday morning was rough due to the soreness but I made it up and next door to see them again at 6am. Not only am I sore from the c-section but I am also sore from Luke and the position he had been in for so long. Overall I am doing great, just VERY swollen! They told me I would be very swollen due to the c-section but I never realized just how swollen that would mean. They told me it would down in a week.

Our new little family of four has started and Caleb and I really enjoy having our time with the boys. We have become selfish in that regard but we don't really care, they are our babies and we want to have time to bond with them. They are precious and we can't wait to be able to hold them both. We will keep everyone updated on the status of the boys. Thank you for all your prayers.

35 Weeks

2010-05-21T20:45:00.000-05:00

We made it to 35 weeks! This is huge because we didn't think we'd actually make it this far. My doctor thinks every day I will be calling her telling her I'm in labor. Sadly, that has not been the case. The only thing new is I am no longer on bed rest. She told me to get out and walk and maybe labor might happen. I am still on the medicine to slow my contractions but if labor is going to happen, this medicine will not stop it. Here is a picture of me at 35 weeks, double chin and all. I have come to the conclusion that no one can possibly look good at 35 weeks pregnant, especially if they have twins. If you looked good at this point, I no longer like you. I did go to Wal-Mart tonight and walked around for about 45 minutes and wow, that wore me out. Not only did I 1) walk into the guys bathroom (and took me a minute to realize it because there was a man in there but he appeared to be retarded and so at first I really thought he was the one in the wrong bathroom) and 2) knock something over with my butt because I was more worried about my belly getting through a tight spot. People stare at me like I am a freak. A poor little old lady couldn't stop staring as she turned the corner into another isle. I really wanted to tell her yes, I am huge but you are the one wearing a sweater with cats on it (one of those with three cats on the front and then once she turns around there is their butt) so I really should be looking at her like she was a freak. Little kids are my favorite though, they can't ever seem to get over how large it is. At first I didn't think I was very big and have had a number of people tell me that really, I don't look like I am having twins but once people start to look at me like they are concerned for my well being and once I see my reflection, I realize that yes.... it is official, I am HUGE.

Just so you know... this is what I looked like at 8 weeks and I began to have a little bloat then. Oh how I would love to have only that bloat back!

Out of the hospital and 34 weeks

2010-05-16T11:22:00.000-05:00

Sorry, no pictures of my belly on this one, I promise to take one soon. Friday we went to the doctor and nothing has changed so she let me out of the hospital. Originally we weren't going to be able to leave Columbia but I told her that I would be more on bedrest at my parents house, not having to cook, clean up after myself, do my laundry, etc. Luckily she decided that was probably a good idea. So here I am, camping out at my parents house. I will go back to see her twice a week for biophysical profiles (ultrasounds) to make sure Baby B is doing ok. I am still on nifedipine every 6 hours to slow contractions but it isn't necessarily going to stop me from going into labor. Our next goal is 26 weeks and at that point she may take them, depending on what each appointment brings. We still aren't 100% sure on what these next few weeks are going to bring but Caleb and I are both ready for them to get here. They keep telling us that anything after 34 weeks is an added bonus. We are still prepared for them to stay in the ICN for a little while. At this point they may or may not need to but we aren't too worried about it.

I thought I was uncomfortable at 25 weeks, that was nothing compared to what I am now. I feel sorry for people who have multiples, those with only one at a time, I'm not really sure you have room to complain. :) My skin hurts so bad that I am now putting ice on it to numb the pain. I don't sleep more than an hour or hour and a half at a time without having to get up and go to the bathroom or just being so uncomfortable that I can't sleep. I officially started to have swollen feet and hands. I was very proud of my body for not swelling before now but Friday when I finally got to my parents house my feet were VERY swollen. It also is not uncommon for my legs to go numb and turn red. This is due to all the pressure the babies are putting on them. There are questions people keep asking and here are my answers:

1) Are you going to have a c-section? We aren't 100% sure it all depends on the situation so that decision will be made when it is necessary and I am leaving it up to my doctor, she knows best.

2) Are you going to breast feed? I don't know, we will see. Thank you all for your concern on this matter and input but Caleb and I are going to do what we feel is best for our children, no matter what.

3) Do you have names? We have been asked this question for a while now (probably since February when we found out what they are). Actually, yes, we are 99.9% sure on names but no we aren't telling. Our main reason is we don't know which one is going to get what name and we aren't 100% sure on names so therefore we don't want to tell people. Also, we don't want to hear everyones opinion on the name. Sorry, I know that isn't nice but that is why it is nice being the parents, you get to make these decisions. :)

We both know we have a long road ahead of us to get them here and even longer one once they get here but we are both excited. It helps that I know a number of people with twins and have that network of people for advice. Raising twins is nothing like raising a singleton, so we are lucky to know so many people in our boat. I will keep everyone updated on what is happening but hopefully soon you will see a picture of our little boys on here.

Week 31

2010-04-25T13:39:00.000-05:00

We made it to 31 weeks! Each day the boys stay in is one day less they will have to be in the NICU. As much as being in the hospital on bed rest really stinks, I realize that I have a reason I am in here and that helps. When Caleb and I go for my wheel chair ride I see a lot of patients in the hospital that are fighting for their life whereas we are in the hospital fighting for our boys. We had an ultrasound on Friday and they are doing great! Baby A is 3 1/2 lbs and Baby B is 3 lbs. I can't believe I have 6 1/2 lbs. of baby! Actually, I can believe it considering how uncomfortable I am. I thought 10 weeks ago I had hit the uncomfortable mark but each day it is harder and harder. Who would have ever thought if I wanted to roll over I would have to literally take my belly with me, if I don't, it's painful! I am still taking medicine to stop the contractions every 6 hours and will continue with that. Everyone keeps asking us when they will get here and my doctor said it best, it is not up to us. We would love to know if they will be here tomorrow or in 7 weeks but we have no clue. I would prefer them stay in there at least 5 or 6 more weeks! I'm sure people feel as though we are holding back information from them but we aren't because we are just as clueless as everyone else. I promise we will keep everyone updated though. A few weeks ago (my second Saturday in the hospital) I was suppose to have a shower in Huntsville. Well, that obviously had to be changed so my friends Laci and Erica moved it down here. I was allowed 30 minutes (although I stayed a little longer) for me to attend the shower. The boys have lots of new clothes to wear and I'm sure will look adorable in them. Laci and Erica have been such a huge help, they went to our house and washed the babies clothes, got their room put together, and started putting together their dresser. They left the rest to Caleb. :) We have also had a lot of help from other people and we can't think them enough. It is frustrating relying on other people but I must say, I could get use to it! I always feel bad laying in bed while housekeeping comes in and cleans my room. I have gotten to know them and we talk while they clean so I feel as though I'm at least being nice to them while they do it. On Saturday it was pouring down rain here and I was just laying in bed watching the marathon of The Hills when I hear dripping water. I looked around but didn't get out of bed thinking it was just from the rain. Well.... it picked up and once again I looked around and decided maybe I should check it out. On the other side of the room, next to Caleb's bed, the ceiling is dripping water. I'm not talking a little drip, drip, drip, I'm talking huge puddle on the floor and it is starting to REALLY come down. The ceiling tile went from dry to soaked in 5.2 seconds! I press the button to call the nurses and said "my ceiling is leaking" and she was like you're what? You're leaking? I'm finding this rather humorous at this point and said no, it's the ceiling. Two nurses come down to assess the situation and realize that I was not exaggerating! So, the nurses and I pack all my stuff up (and I have a TON of stuff) and head to another room on the other side. This is a great thing because now I have a new view! And it appears as though Monday morning I will have more activity to watch. I called Caleb to tell him that I moved to a different room because my ceiling was leaking. Well, he didn't understand what I said and thought I might be going into labor. All he caught was new room, leaking. You can only imagine what he thought as he knew if I moved rooms it was because we were having these babies. Luckily I quickly cleared that up! We also decided to take a 31 week belly picture. We have skipped quiet a few weeks, especially since being in the hospital. I'm not sure how much bigger it can get and if it does continue to grow I'm not sure I will be able to walk without toppling over.

Bedrest

2010-04-13T09:34:00.001-05:00

Sorry for not updating in a while but we have been a little busy with other things. Friday (April 9th) I went in for my weekly check-up. During these appointments I receive an ultrasound, non stress test (NST), and then meet with the doctor. The ultrasound looked great, the boys are receiving a great score (which is another thing they do is give the boys a score, they have to meet certain marks) and then I went in for the NST. With the NST they hook me up to the monitors and monitor both babies’ heart rates and then they monitor my contractions. They saw I was having contractions every 1- 2 minutes and they were reading high enough it appeared I was having "labor pains". I felt the contractions but didn't think anything of it. Next I went over to my doctor and she checked and I was dilated. These lovely contractions I have grown accustomed to cause me to dilate, which is not good. So, over to labor and delivery I went. By no means was this an urgent deal either. I drove myself over to the hospital, walked up to labor and delivery, stood there and filled out paperwork, etc. They finally got me back to triage (this is what I would refer to as the first stage of when people come in to labor) and started blood work and an IV. They pumped a bag of fluid through me rather quickly as well as other medicines that I couldn't even tell you what they are, they were just suppose to stop my contractions. We stayed all weekend and finally Monday morning my doctor came in. We received the news that I am in until I have the babies basically. If I can make it to 32 weeks (2 1/2 weeks from now) she MAY consider letting me go someplace in Columbia on bed rest but I basically will not be leaving Columbia without my children in my arms. We would rather me be in the hospital on bed rest than have to deal with them in the NICU (or the ICN as Boone calls it). Caleb has been such a trooper through all this. He stayed over the weekend and then Monday morning after the doctor came in he went home. He drove back last night and stayed and has gone home again. We have had a ton of visitors, phone calls, cards, thoughts and prayers and we couldn't be happier with the support that we have. We are trying to keep everyone up to date but it is hard to do when we are so unclear of what is going to happen day to day, let alone minute to minute. The babies are doing great and there is not concern at this point about them. It is my body that can't hold them in anymore, so we are trying to stop if from doing what it naturally wants to do. If you are in the Columbia area, feel free to stop by!

It's becoming real

2010-03-24T18:26:00.000-05:00

Their room is officially painted. This has made me realize that we don't have much time left before they are here. The other night Caleb said he felt like we should be doing things we won't get to do when they get here. Sadly we decided that doing nothing is what we wanted to do. We have been cherishing each night being able to watch tv and lay on the couch because we realize those quiet moments will soon end. Hopefully this weekend we will get their cribs together and finish up on their room.

This will give you an idea of what the walls look like.

Last weekend I had my first shower in Columbia with all of my college friends. It was great to see everyone and we are now one step closer to being ready for them to get here.

Yes, I am already the mom who does these types of things, such as put a hooded towel on my head to show it off. Nicole is so talented and made both boys little hooded towels that are hippos, they are adorable. Check out the sign by my feet as well, it states "This farm is a Case IH farm". That sign possibly could be Caleb's favorite gift. It will go perfectly in their room. Alyssa also made a cake the fits their room.

Now for the belly picture: Week 27. I do have to give credit for this picture to Shelly Wood, she is a much better photographer than Caleb.

And now, a "front view"

5 1/2 weeks later....

2010-03-14T19:33:00.000-05:00

I've been a terrible blogger. Caleb has been preparing for his auction, which means he doesn't get home until late at night. At that point I have been asleep on the couch for a while and the last thing I want to do is take a belly picture. I could have done them in the morning but let's be honest, I'm not exactly a morning person. So, 5 1/2 weeks later we finally have one. His auction was yesterday and went great, minus the rain. March 5th I went to Columbia for our 24 week check up. Both babies look great and kick up a storm. Baby B is my little mover and has a distinct personality already. Baby A moves around a little, but really seems to be the calm one. Let's see if that holds up when they are here. These next few weeks we will be having someone come in and paint the nursery and then Caleb can put together the cribs. As Caleb put it, it's nesting time. We still don't have names and don't plan on having any until they get here. We have a few in mind but we don't want to stress about it as there are a number of other things we need to worry about, such as getting them here. It has become harder and harder for me to get things done. I take a lot of breaks when I'm cleaning the house or doing any basic task that I always took for granted as easy. I find myself needing more sleep and am struggling sleeping through the night. We hope they stay in there at least 10 more weeks. Our next appointment is April 1st and after that we will go back every week. Here is my 25 week picture:

I realized I don't have the best photographer and we haven't been taking the pictures in the best place. But, I always bother Caleb to take them when he is watching the history channel or the discovery channel, which is hard to get him to move for. :)

Our little boys

2010-02-12T13:04:00.000-06:00

Baby Boy A & Baby Boy B

Boy A Profile (As well as his brothers leg)

Boy B Profile

Enjoy our little boys!!!

I am out numbered

2010-02-07T18:06:00.000-06:00

We had our 20 week ultrasound on Friday (pictures to come). There is no doubt about it, we have two little boys on the way. They are all boy too, legs wide open showing us all what they had. The ultrasound took about an hour and a half with the boys putting on a show the entire time. The way they are positioned, Baby A is always being kicked in the head by his brother. Don't worry though, he kicks back. I'm a little concerned they are starting to fight already.
A little information about the babies:
-They are fraternal
-Baby A is in the 50th percentile in growth
-Baby B is in the 20th percentile in growth (don't worry though, there is no concern about this)
-Baby B has decided to inform us that he wants to be a kick boxer, this is his favorite thing to do to his brother as well as his mother

"You're going to be huge"

2010-01-27T20:26:00.000-06:00

Caleb's exact words. Yes, well aware I will be huge, I do have two babies inside of me. This picture 19 weeks (or 18 weeks 6 days to be exact). We will find out in a week what these little ones are!

Happy Birthday Benji

2010-01-17T17:24:00.000-06:00

Yes, we celebrate Benji's birthday... he's 2!

Bringing him home

Almost 2 years later

Now for what you all have been waiting for.... 17 week belly pictures. My belly has decided to finally grow! Caleb has been gone for a few days so he was very suprised to see within just a few days my belly is much bigger. Just a few more weeks and we will find out what these little ones are.

15 weeks

2010-01-03T17:50:00.000-06:00

I have been slacking on posting as well as taking our belly pictures. A little update: We went to the doctor on Tuesday, December 29th. We heard two strong little heart beats and everything seems to be going great. I have continued to gain about a pound a week, which is great for twins. I'm not showing a lot and became concerned so of course I had to ask the doctor. She gave me a nice compliment by saying "you just have great ab muscles". So obviously that is the only thing holding my belly in at the moment. But after she stated I have great ab muscles she continued to state that I am in the "pudgy stage of pregnancy". I'm just going to go with I have excellent abs and forget she said I was pudgy. :) For the most part, I can't complain about how I am feeling although I do have a ligament pain here and there. Today was the first day I really exercised (if I could call it that). I lasted about 20 minutes walking before it became too uncomfortable. I have a long way to go and figure at some point I won't be able to do anything so might as well get in a few walks here and there. Our next doctor's appointment is January 26th. We schedule our "big" ultrasound for February 5th. We can't wait to find out what they are!

12 weeks

2009-12-09T18:13:00.000-06:00

We have officially hit the 12 week mark. I am still not "showing" yet but on my way!

Week 8 pictures, Benji wanted to join in. No more flat stomach for me!

Week 12. Please ignore the just got out of the shower look. No baby bump yet, just becoming "thicker" as I like to call it.

Our family is expanding....

2009-12-05T08:32:00.000-06:00

Caleb and I decided to start a blog so we can share the excitement our of new little family with everyone. On November 13, 2009 we found out we were pregnant with twins! We couldn't be more excited, nervous, scared, thrilled, and every other feeling you would expect when you hear you're going to be having two. Benji will no longer be the only child.