The Snyders

Hmmm...

2010-12-13T16:22:00.000-08:00

Ever since we took Luke out of his crib, we haven't really had a problem with him staying in bed. He gets up sometimes, but always gets back into bed before he falls asleep. Lately, though, he has been sleeping in all sorts of weird places. We have found him between the cribs, under the bumper pads, behind the door...he seems to like small, enclosed spaces. It's like he's the opposite of claustrophobic.

Last night, I put them in bed at 8:30. I could hear Emily walking around, playing, and generally just not sleeping for quite a while. At about 10 (!) I went in there to put her back in her bed, and stepped on something soft and fleecy. It was Luke's pajamas. Laying right next to his diaper. Meaning he was naked. In bed. NAKED. Totally asleep, all spread-eagle, not even covered up. I put a diaper and his jammies back on and covered him up. He didn't even wake up. I put Em back in bed and called it a night.

Luke woke up a little before 4:30, crying. When I opened the door, I picked him up and he said "machine on." I don't think he was even awake. Then he said "Hi!" and "I need tatties (his little giraffe blankets)" I put him in bed and went looking for the tatties, which is no easy feat when you're sound asleep and it's pitch black and you're trying to not wake up the other kiddo. I finally found the blanket that he sleeps with in the closet. Warm. Like he had been ASLEEP IN THE CLOSET!!! I covered him back up, again, and he slept until 9:30 this morning.

And just now, when I got him up from his nap, he had slept in the closet again! In this snazzy get-up:

No pants. Socks. Boots on the wrong feet. Awesome.

So it looks like we have a little nudist-in-the-making. Or a sleepwalker. Goodness, can you imagine if it's both??!? We could have a nekkid toddler roaming the house by night! Well, roaming his room at least. He can't get out of his room at night anymore, thanks to a childproof door knob that was put in place after Scott found him wandering around one night with the plunger, muttering about the Wiggles. But that's a story for a different day...

One of those days...

2010-12-09T11:17:00.000-08:00

It's 11:00 and it's already been one of those days!

Emily is in a no-sleeping phase. Which I really don't get and REALLY don't appreciate. She has woken up before 7 every morning this week, which might seem late to some, but is early around here...they usually sleep until 8 or after. Last night she went to bed fine, but we could hear her in there talking and playing until AFTER 10:30. And of course, she woke up about 6:45 this morning. Which makes for a tired, cranky kiddo who has been crying for most of the morning. I'm hoping for an early nap and a very early bedtime!!!

Luke has been, essentially, potty training himself. He comes to me about 10 times a day, without a diaper, telling me he has to go potty. And he goes. Every single time. It's really laziness on my part that has kept us from just doing it, but I'm thinking it's time. I can't ignore the nekkid buns much longer :)

Scott's car has been leaking coolant, so he took mine to work this morning. At least, he took it about a block before it died on him. ??!?!? Soooo...I guess we'll be fixing both cars in the near future!

I finally got to take a quick shower a few minutes ago, so things are looking up!!! Just an hour until lunch and then nap time!!! Hope your days are going much smoother than mine!!!

2010-12-04T17:20:00.000-08:00

We took the kiddos to see Santa today. They were so excited!!! They talked about it all last night, and this morning, and all the way there, and in line...and then we got to Santa. Luke totally stopped in his tracks, and refused to sit on his lap. Emily screamed her head off and clung to Scott's neck like we were trying to throw her off a cliff or something. Santa made ME sit on his lap (barf!) in hopes that it would calm everyone down...Luke sat on my lap but Emily was still glued to Scott. The plus side is that there is a Santa picture of me at exactly the same age screaming my head off :) But all in all, not the cheery, happy holiday experience I was envisioning.

We put the kiddos down for their naps and I gleefully went off to the grocery store by myself. (I try to go by myself if AT ALL POSSIBLE because the last time I took the kids to the grocery store Luke cancelled the entire transaction by pushing random buttons on the credit card machine while I was chasing Emily down. ahem.) The store was PACKED and there was lots of crimson and gray...but I was pleased to see a few Husky fans as well :)

I hadn't been to the store in a while, what with all the snow and ice and general busy-ness that has been going on around here, and my cart was pretty full. While I was unloading, the lady behind me said to her husband, "Why would anyone buy so much food? They must be preparing for a storm! But there isn't a storm coming! I don't think I've ever seen so many groceries! Look at all that bread!" To be fair, I did have several coupons that were about to expire, so I was stocking up on cereal and a few other things, but I only had 2 loaves of bread. Scott said they probably weren't talking about me, but it seemed pretty obvious...especially since she later said, "of COURSE she has coupons too! *grumpy huffy sigh*" It was actually pretty funny. I wonder if it was her first time at Wal-Mart.

I tried to buy a coupon card thingy from a cute little guy selling them for the local high school wrestling team, but he didn't have any change. Poor guy, he was really disappointed. It was cold out there.

We are staying in tonight, listening to the Apple Cup on the radio and then having a pizza movie night after we put the kids to bed. Happy Saturday!

A little holiday cheer...

2010-12-01T08:28:00.000-08:00

Happy December :)

You know you're a mom when...

2010-08-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

...you get excited over who is going to be on Sesame Street. Jeff Gordon? Brendan Fraser? Awesome!

And don't forget cameo appearances by Dale Wormhardt Jr. and Carrie Underworm :)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

matchy-matchy!

2010-07-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

Lots of times Daddy and Luke are the ones with the matching outfits...but not on this day!

(Hey, wait...does that mean my husband wears girlie clothes?? ;) )

Little Mama

2010-07-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

The other night, we caught Emily putting Ernie to bed. She wrapped him up, gave him her kitty and her blankie, and even gave him a pacifier :) Such a good little mama she is!

Em spends lots of time with her babies and little toys...I frequently catch her reading books to them, tucking them into her little doll cradle, feeding them (she likes to water them, too :) ) and rocking them in the swings. Sometimes she even brushes their teeth! :)

And of course, she seems to think that ALL mamas have two babies. The other day I watched as she picked up one baby, lovingly kissed it, bent over sideways, and picked up another baby (making a sound remarkably similar to the one I make, heh). She's a little sweetie and we can't get enough of her!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-09T08:55:00.000-07:00

He's a biiiiiig boy!

2010-07-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

Luke has recently started noticing trucks. "Tuck, mama, tuck! Big tuck!" And the "big" thing is new, too. And just for your information (because I know somewhere along the line this will come in handy) there are three types of trucks. Tucks, big tucks, and BIIIIIIIIIIIG TUCKs. Oh, and there are also "grandpa tucks". His favorite thing to do while we are driving down the road is point out all the trucks. And sometimes vans. But they still count, right? As long as they're BIIIIIIIG.

This weekend Luke got something new to add to his "BIIIIG" repertoire: a bed.

It all started on Thursday. Luke and Emily only get their pacifiers when they are in bed. Not around bed, not around bedtime. In bed. Which means it sometimes takes Luke half an hour to get out of bed...he just doesn't want to give up the pa-pa. So on Thursday, when he ~~unearthed from the secret hiding place underneath his crib~~ picked up the beloved pa-pa, I picked him up and plopped him in bed. Where he stayed for 20 minutes. By this time I left the room and resumed whatever it was I was doing. THUD. I turn around just in time to see Luke walking down the hallway, saying "all done! all done!" with the biggest, proudest grin you can imagine on his little face. I sighed, called Scott, and said "Houston, we have a problem."

The next day, after naps, I got Emily out of bed and went to get Luke out. Em started pulling at my leg, so I picked her up, turned around and set her in the rocking chair, and turned back around just in time to see Luke's little legs kicking in the air. Meaning he had fallen, HEAD FIRST, out of the crib. Boom. HEAD FIRST. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!! Owie, mama, BIIIIIG OWIE!!!!" You get the picture. I mean, literally, I had turned around for .37 seconds. Yikes. Houston, we have a problem indeed.

So on Saturday morning, we converted the crib to a toddler bed. Luke was very excited...as was Em, and they spent lots of time getting on and off the bed, saying "nigh-night! nigh-night!" Nap time came, went very well, and when Luke woke up he very politely knocked on the door for us to let him out.

SWEET!!!! We have survived the toddler-bed transition!!! We are NOT those people who let our kids stay in the crib and get injured, because we are obviously AWESOME at getting our super-smart-genius kid to transition seamlessly to his toddler bed! I was actually excited (even more than usual, heh) for bedtime!!!

Uh...not so much.

At nap time, we always close the door to the nursery all the way. At night, we leave it cracked a little, because Em doesn't like the dark so much. (Luke does. So nightlights don't work. Thus one of the MANY twins-in-the-same-room problems. I digress.) So this night, we shut the door all the way because we don't want Luke to get out and, say, drive around the neighborhood. So life is good, everyone goes to bed, everyone is happy! Until Em wakes up at 9:30, and can't go back to sleep because (gasp!) it's dark in the room. Usually we just let her cry it out, but once we realized the problem Scott decided we needed to open the door. So we cracked the door, listened to her scream for a bajillion years, and once she fell asleep we went to bed.

Luke woke up crying about 3am or so, and I figured I had better go in there and see if he was okay. I opened the door of the nursery, and immediately Em pops up and says "Hi!" Great. Luke is asleep on the floor by the toys, so I pick him up and put him in bed. I go to lay Em back down, and discover that her crib is full of toys. Thus explaining the sudden stop to her screaming several hours before...Luke had tried to calm her down by giving her lots of toys. I guess it worked. Good job, buddy.

About 7 minutes later, we hear Emily say "uh-oh! Uh-oh! UH-OH!" followed by a click. We look at each other and Scott jumps out of bed. Luke has left his room and shut the door behind him. Here is what transpired:

Scott: Hey buddy, what are you doing?
Luke (pointing to my purse): Mama! Keys! Bye-bye! (apparently he did want to drive around the neighborhood ;) )
Scott: Uh, Mama's in bed, dude. Are you ready to go to bed?
Luke: No!
Scott: Well, you have to go to bed, buddy. You can't just walk around out here like a ghost all night.
Luke: No! (and you have to imagine the "no's" in the highest pitched voice imaginable.)

Alas, we finally got the child back into bed, and we all slept until 9 the next morning. Which is pretty much unheard of. The next night was the 4th of July, so no one got much sleep...but the next night I only had to put him back in bed once, and the last two nights have been a breeze. So we seem to have made it over the hump...until Em jumps out and it starts all over again, that is :) :)

And I know the story could have gone like this: Luke jumped out of his crib so we converted it to a toddler bed and we didn't get much sleep for a few nights...but what fun is that?

Flowers for Grammy

2010-05-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

Big Helper

2010-03-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

Luke helped Scott put together our new bookcases. He sat there forever, waiting for Scott to hand him the next piece so he could put it in the hole. He did a pretty good job, actually. He has such a tender heart...always wanting to help, comforting his sister when she gets upset, coming in for a quick hug or to say "HI!"...We sure do love our Lukey boy!!!

Thanksgiving

2010-03-11T17:32:00.000-08:00

I ~~let~~ made them watch the parade while they ate breakfast :)

Em: "Hmm, what's for dinner?" Luke: "Hmm, how can we get it off the table?"

Almost there, just a little farther...

Um, Grandpa, I think the chair is supposed to go on the floor.

Wow, new toys!

Posing for the camera is hard after a long day :)

And he's outta there!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-10T08:04:00.000-08:00

When you take a brownie from a baby...

2010-03-08T10:29:00.000-08:00

Halloween!

2010-03-07T12:28:00.000-08:00

Luke carrying around a fake light-up pumpkin

Emily looking somber as usual :)

Just pushing my "baby" around, mom.

Don't worry, Uncle Brian, I know how to steer!

Just checking to make sure she's okay!!

We're BACK!

2010-03-04T14:56:00.000-08:00

I know the blogging hiatus has gone on for long enough...so we're back in the game! Downloading pictures off the camera and getting ready for a whirlwind of updates to cover Halloween through now!!! Stay tuned...

Cookie Bandit!

2009-10-28T20:15:00.000-07:00

The getaway! Hmmm...no pants. Must be in stealth mode. :)

Oooh! I got one for each hand!

Contemplating his next move...

The evidence!!!

(If you enlarge it, you can see smudgy fingerprints on the table.)

Pigtails!

2009-10-26T12:14:00.000-07:00

So THAT'S what these things are for!

2009-10-19T20:42:00.001-07:00

Luke's a walking, climbing machine...uh oh!!!! (or as Luke says, just "uh" :) )

Happy Birthday...almost!

2009-10-15T14:36:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to put up birthday pictures for the last hour and a half...but they are coming up all in the wrong scrambled order. And the babies just woke up. So no birthday pictures for now...but I promise, I am trying!

Luke's Big Day!

2009-09-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

Luke's eye surgery went really well! It was a simple procedure to unclog a tear duct in his right eye. He had to be put under, but only briefly. He was gone from us for about 20 minutes before the doctor came out and told us he did great! It was a long day...we had to wake up around 2:30 am so we could get ready to go and be checked in at Sacred Heart in Spokane by 6 am. We were home by 10:30! Luke slept the whole way home, and was back to his normal, happy self by the time he got up from his afternoon nap. God is so good!

Dad and Luke waiting to get checked in

Luke pointing out that we weren't allowed to have coffee while we waited for him :)

Mom and Luke

Getting his blood pressure, temperature, etc.

Checking out the bed and putting on his little gown...it was so cute!

Little tiger gown

Hospital bracelet around his little ankle...we compared it to the one he had when he was born when we got home. What a difference!

In recovery, trying to reattach the little pulse monitor to his toe.

He really didn't want that thing on there!

All done and ready to head home!

Blessings

2009-09-02T20:06:00.000-07:00

Today was a bad day.

It was one of those days where nothing went like it normally does, right from the start. The babies slept in, which in normal land would be a good thing, but around here it meant that they took crappy morning naps. Which, in turn, meant that they were overtired by the time their afternoon nap came around and Emily didn't fall asleep for over an hour and Luke didn't fall asleep AT ALL. And screamed for 3 hours straight. And if that doesn't grate on your nerves, friends, then you can give me lessons.

I had a friend over, and I was supposed to be helping her get some things done, but I'm sure I was more of a hindrance than a help.

I have been sick for the past 3 weeks. I'm on the mend, but still not feeling my best. And I'm tired. So, SO tired. And I'm behind on everything. Laundry piled practically to the ceiling. I haven't made baby food in ages, and have been feeding my poor children applesauce from a jar. Which, I know, isn't the end of the world, but it isn't how we generally do things around here.

Luke is having eye surgery tomorrow. It's a simple procedure to unclog a tear duct, and it's very, very routine. But still. It's my baby, and he is going to be put under and he is going to be away from me. And to me, it's a big deal.

So with the chaos of tired babies, and not getting any laundry done, and screaming babies, and trying to get things packed and organized for tomorrow for TWO babies in TWO different locations, and SCREAMING babies, and STILL not getting any baby food made and oh good Lord will they EVER STOP SCREAMING, I had a bit of a meltdown. I called my poor husband at work and got angry at him over things that were not his fault and were totally out of his control. And I cried and cried and cried.

Then Bill called Scott on his way home, just to see how things were going, and offered to come over and mow our lawn. A kind, simple gesture that I'm sure he didn't think much of, but I don't think he'll probably ever completely know how much that hour and a half meant to me. To my family. It was such a blessing, a HUGE blessing on a day when I needed it the most and deserved it the least. A shiny, silver lining to the big black cloud I lived under today.

Thank you, Bill. And thank you, God, for putting such wonderful, kind friends into our life. They are truly a blessing.

And our lawn looks great :)

Standing man

2009-07-28T12:00:00.001-07:00

Bed head

2009-07-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

At the lake

2009-07-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we took a spontaneous day trip!!! Gayla's cousins had flown into town to visit for a few days, and we decided to head up to the lake to say hi! The babies enjoyed their first trip to the lake, even though it was woefully abbreviated :)

Luke loved having his feet in the water, he splashed and splashed!

Emily, not so much :)

Where's June?

2009-07-06T10:31:00.000-07:00

Can't believe it's July already! I feel like June flew by. We've been busy!

We took a family trip to Indiana. With the babies. On an airplane. With the babies. ON A PLANE. Well, it was a big deal to us :) We had a great time, lots of pictures and stories coming soon!

We had a great little get-together for the 4th...lots of fun pictures from that, too!

Luke is a standing man. A pulls-himself-up, no-stopping-him-now, standing man. Wow! Where is my baby???

Em is still just happy where she is! No crawling yet, but she moves from a sitting position onto her hands and knees now. Or onto her belly, rather. That head is just. so. HEAVY! :) But when she wants something, she goes for it!

So that's us for now...more posts coming soon, if July doesn't disappear like June did! Here's a little something for you in the interim :)

Sleeping Beauty

2009-06-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

Bookworm

2009-06-12T08:20:00.001-07:00

Luke LOVES books...almost as much as his mama!

Although I think he likes them for different reasons...

Oh well, at least he chose a good one!

I never found those corners either...I wonder if they come out the same as they go in?

Happy Helper!

2009-06-11T15:17:00.001-07:00

Mom, I can help you fold all these clothes!

This is just so fun!

Oh my! There's more?!?

I'm not so sure I want to do this anymore...

The last one...finally!

.:Needless to say, we do lots of laundry around here...it's good to get excited about it!:.

Playtime

2009-05-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

Zucchini!!

2009-05-26T21:00:00.001-07:00

Happy 6 months Luke!

2009-04-10T15:12:00.000-07:00

.:Luke:.

At 6 months, you...

...LOVE to play with your toes...and sometimes you suck on them!

...love your snuggly little giraffe blanket

...roll all over the place, from back to tummy to back, and can scoot to get things

...don't talk often, but when you do you have the sweetest, softest little voice

...LOVE to eat!!! You hate to be stopped to burp :)

...reach out and touch faces of the people you know

...give momma lots and lots of kisses, you grab my face and pull it towards you

...love to snuggle

...like to go to bed. When you're ready, you're ready, and no one better get in your way!

...don't really like to be laying down anymore, you would rather be upright, observing the world

...have the best grin--it lights up your whole face, and you give smiles so easily

...like to play in your exersaucer--the pig toy and the green teether are your favorite

...LOVE the bath! You try to put your feet down so your head goes under...it's getting quite difficult to bathe you :)

...still try to suck your thumb all the time

...have been teething for over 2 months now, but still no teeth to show for it!

...love it when Daddy sings to you

...have two big dimples, one in each cheek

...are getting so long and strong, and you are so lovable and kissable that's all I do all day!!!

Happy 6 months Emily!

2009-04-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

.:Emily:.

at 6 months, you...

...ALWAYS have your ankles crossed, just like a little lady

...talk non-stop! Sometimes loud, sometimes quiet, but usually all day long!

...cross your wrists and put your hands in front of your face when you're sleepy

...flip your left hand over and suck on your middle two fingers

...smile and giggle, especially for Daddy

...love to play on your gym and in your exersaucer

...lift your legs up and slam them down when you're laying on your back

...hit your side with your right arm when you're excited

...love taking baths

...suck on your bottom lip

...have the teeniest, tiniest feet ever...the 0-3 month shoes still fall off your ankles!

...love to feel textures, like blankets and pants

...your favorite song is the itsy bitsy spider

...you LOVE this little stuffed dinosaur toy...you like to chew on his feet and tail :)

...you wake up in the middle of the night just to happily babble, and when we go in to put your pacifier back in, you give us the most adorable, excited squeal...

...are SO difficult to feed...you have been a picky eater since the day you were born!

...have chubby wrists and feet and cheeks, and are so soft and snuggly and kissable, that's what I spend all day doing!

To be fair...

2009-04-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

...I thought I should put up a picture of the babies in their Cougar getup.

Please don't begrudge the cute babies their ugly outfits ;-)

New Talent

2009-04-09T13:15:00.000-07:00

Bow Down to Washington!

2009-04-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, mom, I think I'd like pork for lunch, please!

2009-03-27T17:41:00.000-07:00

Bright Eyes

2009-03-27T16:56:00.001-07:00

Self Portrait

2009-03-21T10:28:00.001-07:00

Sleepy Time

2009-03-20T14:20:00.001-07:00

Lucky Day

2009-03-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

Last year on St. Patrick's Day we had our first OB appointment. I was really nervous, for lots of reasons that I won't bore you with, and after what seemed like a million hours of "OB Education" we finally got to see Dr. Smith. All our waiting paid off, because he wheeled that ultrasound machine right in and we got the surprise of a lifetime...twins! I can't believe that only a year ago our sweet babies were just two little blinking heartbeats. Today they are 5 months and 1 week old, and they are so wonderful! They are happy, smiling, laughing little babies who are rapidly getting bigger! They are changing so quickly, and I can't wait to go into their room every morning and see their sweet little faces beaming up at me. What a difference a year makes! I'm so glad that we found out they were twins on St. Patrick's Day, because not only will we always remember it, everyone else will be celebrating too!

To quote Scott: "Two? Two BABIES??!!?!?!?"

toes

2009-03-13T15:17:00.000-07:00

I will suck my thumb, I will, I WILL!!!

2009-03-05T11:06:00.000-08:00

I will suck my thumb through the handle of my pacifier!

I will suck my thumb while I am eating!

I will even suck my thumb with my sister!

And most importantly, I will get my sister to suck her thumb, too!

Happy Birthday Kate!

2009-02-15T10:45:00.000-08:00

Baby Kate is ONE today! We are looking forward to her party this afternoon...it will be so much fun to see her enjoy her cake :) The babies are especially excited, as it will be their first time attending a birthday party! They are planning on getting dressed up for the occasion :) On this day last year, I got to watch sweet Isaac while we waited for his baby sister to enter the world! We ate fried rice (his favorite) and he picked out flowers to bring to Vicki when we got to the hospital, where he proudly exclaimed "Baby came out!!!"

Happy Birthday, beautiful Kate!

Luke can roll!

2009-02-15T10:33:00.000-08:00

This is a few weeks old now, but I couldn't find the camera cord. He doesn't really roll anymore, though, because he figured out that when he is on his tummy he can see around the room. Now he just looks around. Silly boy!

You know you're a mom when...

2009-02-09T12:03:00.000-08:00

...you automatically stick out your hand because the baby is about to spit up and there is no burp cloth in sight.

You then look down and realize that your hand is, actually, full of puke. And not only has it not grossed you out, it hasn't even fazed you.

Ew.

Someone get this kid some food!!

2009-01-25T22:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Scott!

2009-01-23T17:00:00.000-08:00

In honor of Scott's 28th birthday today, I thought I would share a story about him...he doesn't get much face time on the blog! As most of you probably know, Scott is into deals. When I say "into", I mean that he spends the majority of his free time (which isn't much these days) searching for his hot deals. When he finds one, he jumps! The most recent deal was at Lowe's. I stood with two very tired babies the other night while Scott scoured the aisles for special packages of batteries that contained $10 off $50 coupons, then stood there while he contemplated how to best split up our items so as to get the most bang for our buck, so to speak. Most shopping trips with Scott involve multiple transactions :) When I asked him why we spent so much time looking for batteries when we were just essentially paying 10 dollars to get a 10 dollar off coupon, he said that we were doing it because we got the coupon and it was like getting the batteries for free. Oh. I didn't remind him that he doesn't let us actually use alkaline batteries. (We use only rechargeable batteries. There was a deal on those, too. In fact, we have 6 battery chargers just hanging around! But I digress, as that is a long story for another day.)

Then there was the deal with the HD DVDs. As that format has now given way to Blu-Ray, all the movies are dropping in price, thus leading the way into hot deal territory! We just got a delivery the other day from Canada of 14 movies...(I can't complain about this one too much though, as the order included Pride and Prejudice, and he actually watched it with me.) I usually find out first thing in the morning what we will be getting in the mail that week, as Scott tends to do his dealing at night. You would think being up so many times in the night would just make you tired, but Scott sees this as an opportunity to surf for hot deals and jump on them as soon as they become available! Talk about making lemonade!

Scott's love of hot deals is one of the many, many things I love about him. He is the best husband, and it has been pure joy for me to watch him with the babies. He truly loves being a dad and he is a great one! I'm looking forward to many more birthdays together! Happy Birthday, Scott!

Sucker

2009-01-22T08:27:00.000-08:00

Luke has taken to sucking his thumb lately. He slips it under his pacifier and pops it out, then slides that thumb right in. It's not usually that smooth, actually, most of the time he gags himself, and he seems to enjoy the act of trying to get his thumb in his mouth more than actually keeping it there. I don't really want him to be a thumb sucker, seeing as how you can't take it away like you can a pacifier, but it's just so darn cute! Plus, when you have two screaming babies one who can pacify himself is very appealing...

It could be, however, that he just likes sucking it because it tastes good. That would explain why Emily likes to suck on it too!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-07T10:50:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas pictures!

2009-01-05T16:16:00.000-08:00

Smiles

2008-12-30T10:54:00.000-08:00

All I want for Christmas...

2008-12-22T14:28:00.000-08:00

...is nothing. Really. This year, I have all I've ever wanted. It was just last Christmas, though it seems like so long ago now, that this dream seemed so out of reach...

When we got married, (almost 5 years now!) we had every intention of waiting several years before starting our family. We wanted to have fun, travel, get to know each other. It was just three months to the day of our wedding, however, that sweet baby Isaac was born to our dear friends Bill and Vicki. We decided maybe we didn't want to wait so long, and maybe we would just see what happened.

We waited and waited...saw a doctor, who said to wait some more...no luck. After 3 years of this, I decided to make an infertility appointment with a new doctor. He seemed so optimistic, and said that we had every chance of getting pregnant...we were young and healthy, and he started me on infertility drugs. Three months went by, and nothing. Up the dosage. Three more months, nothing. Up the dosage again. At this point Dr. Smith suggested that I might have endometriosis, and scheduled a surgery to look for/take care of the problem. So last December 7, I had the surgery. I didn't have endometriosis, but he did find another problem- I was born with both of my tubes closed. The doctor was so sweet about it, saying that he hoped he was wrong, but in all his years of doing this surgery he hadn't been wrong yet.

So we spent last Christmas researching other options, trying to come to terms with the fact that although we could still have children, it wouldn't happen the conventional way. I cried for days, weeks really. We moved on. Stopped the drugs. Made an appointment with a specialist in Spokane. Made an appointment for one last test to make sure the tubes were really blocked.

It was at this appointment that a miracle occurred! We watched the screen as the test showed the dye reaching the first tube: blocked. The second tube: blocked. Then all of a sudden, one broke free! It came unblocked! The next month I was pregnant. I got to cancel my appointment in Spokane, and the day before that appointment would have been, we found out that we were having twins. Two babies. Two miracles!

So this year, I have everything I have ever wanted: A faithful and loving God, who knew the deepest desire of my heart and gave it to me, times two. Two sweet babies, who remind me every day that miracles do happen. A Savior who came into this world as a baby Himself.

And really, how could I ever want more?

Pictures with Santa!

2008-12-19T15:53:00.001-08:00

We got Emily and Luke's picture taken with Santa a few weekends ago...it turned out so cute! Can't wait for next year to see if anyone cries...bet it's Luke!

10 weeks!

2008-12-19T15:46:00.000-08:00

The babies are 10 weeks old today! I can't believe it. Time really flies...last week they had their two month well check with Dr. Everett. They are doing great! Emily weighs 8 lbs, 14 oz, and is 21 3/4 inches long! She's in the 10th percentile for weight, but the 26th for length! Luke weighs 10 lbs!!!! What a chunky monkey! He is 22 inches long. He's in the 15th percentile for weight and almost the 20th for length. Their percentiles don't seem very high, but considering they were twins and 3 weeks early, and not being measured on the preemie scale, they are doing quite well. We just love these little miracles so much, and cannot believe how much joy they have brought into our lives...they are smiling on a regular basis now, and are starting to babble! They love laying on the floor playing on their little "gyms," and Luke especially loves his swing. They also love looking at the lights on the Christmas tree! They have changed so much in these 10 weeks, and we can't wait to see what else is in store!

We love sweater vests!

2008-12-07T11:26:00.000-08:00

Don't my babies look so cute in these sweet little sweater vests? They were handmade by the Queen, can you believe it? Oh, to be so talented...She is having a sweet baby boy very soon, and I can't wait to see all the duds she knits up for him!

For Angela

2008-12-07T11:18:00.000-08:00

Angela gave Luke and Emily these sweet little soft loveys...and recently Luke has really taken to his! He loves snuggling it, and it usually puts him right to sleep. I love the way he buries his little hands in it and rubs it on his cheek...

Thanks twin! We all love and miss you guys!

Congratulations Natascha!!!!

2008-12-07T11:11:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago my dear friend Natascha came all the way from San Francisco to visit us and meet Luke and Emily! It was a wonderful visit; we had so much fun visiting, laughing, and of course eating :) But the best news came the next week when we found out Natascha passed the California BAR exam!!!!! Congratulations to the newest hot shot attorney in the Bay Area, we are SO proud of you!!!!!!

Wonderful Wedding Weekend

2008-11-17T16:10:00.001-08:00

Last weekend (hmmm...I guess it was two weekends ago now) we were able to travel to Portland to see one of my very, very dearest friends get married. How were we able to do it? My mom. She came with us. And fed babies. And got up in the night. And watched them while we were at the wedding, dancing away. It was wonderful. She is wonderful. Anyway, we had a fabulous time. I was able to spend a lot of time with Angela--at the rehearsal dinner, in the morning while she was getting hair and make-up done, at the wedding...it was an amazing wedding celebrating two of the most beautiful people I know. And I am SO glad we were able to be a part of it. (For the record, the babies did great in the car. Although I don't think we will be attempting a weekend-long road trip for awhile :) )

All the girls at the reception...the traditional AXO picture :)

Emily Jane holding Emily Jane

Scott and Luke in their dress-up wedding clothes :)

The beautiful bride!

For the record, I tried to put these pictures up in reverse order. Three times I tried. Apparently, blogger doesn't realize that I have two babies that need attention.

Sweet Babies

2008-11-17T15:35:00.000-08:00

My mom caught them holding hands in their sleep...awwww!!! So cute. I love that my job is to look at and hold them all day long. We've been busy (can you be anything other than busy at this point?) and I'm trying to be better at updating...I'm sure I'll get the hang of this eventually!

Sick

2008-10-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been so bad about updating lately...things have been so busy around here! You wouldn't think two people who are so tiny could add so much extra work, but they sure do! To top it off, I got a nasty case of Mastitis...resulting in an ER visit and a VERY tired mom who is doing her best just to keep her head above water! I'm definitely on the mend, and we have lots of pictures, so I will try to be better about putting them up! Here's a little something just to keep you coming back for more :)

Before and After

2008-10-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

Before... On my birthday, just 5 days before the babies were born!

...and after!!!

Just one week later! I can't believe they ever fit in me!

Emily left, and Luke right

Two miracles in two minutes!

2008-10-18T12:01:00.000-07:00

Emily (left) and Luke (right)

Our babies are finally here! They arrived Friday, October 10th.

Emily Jane

7:59 am

5 lbs, 12.5 oz

17.5 inches long

Luke Allen

8:00 am

5 lbs, 13 oz

18 inches long

We are completely exhausted but are so in love with our little babies! It has been a crazy but wonderful week. Many more updates and pictures to follow!

Friday it is!!!

2008-10-08T08:00:00.001-07:00

We had our appointment Monday, and the C-section is scheduled for this Friday, October 10, at 7:30 am!!!! We are very excited, and busy getting all the last minute things done around the house. I think we're pretty much set!

Update

2008-09-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

We had an appointment with Dr. Smith yesterday, and things are looking good! We're moving right along. The NST went well...as far as the babies go, they still have good, strong, reactive heart rates. I don't know what it is with me and the NST, but there is always something! This time they tried to enter Megan's information onto my forms...sigh. Only a little while left, right? Everything looks good with the babies, and our plan is to have a BPP on Thursday with Dr. Kates, and if everything still looks good we will stick to our next appointment on Monday and schedule a date for a C-section! Things are getting exciting!

Cravings :)

2008-09-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Scott and I had a free afternoon, and I decided we should go to Costco! I needed stamps for my thank you notes, and Scott said we didn't need to go that far for stamps. I confessed that I really wanted to go because I wanted a hot dog :) So off to Costco we went! As we were checking out, Scott looked at what we were buying: muffins, spinach dip, and broccoli. He said, "I thought we were getting stamps?!?" I laughed and told him don't worry, I won't be pregnant for much longer! But I have had a great day today, with a muffin for breakfast and spinach dip for lunch! And I got my hot dog yesterday. Life is good!

35 weeks today!

2008-09-25T17:01:00.001-07:00

35 weeks today, and I am huge! I am pretty sure I get bigger every day, I should really start measuring around my waist. I think I haven't yet because I'm scared to see the result!! We had an ultrasound this morning, and the babies are getting bigger! Baby A weighs 5 lbs 3 oz and Baby B weighs 5 lbs 5 oz! I can't believe I have 10 1/2 lbs of baby in me! Actually, I can :) Most likely just a few more weeks and we will finally get to meet these little ones! Next appointment is on Monday, with Dr. Smith, so we will know more then about when they are coming, etc. They are still in the breech/transverse positions, and now Baby B is bigger than Baby A, so we are 90% sure it will be a C-section. Like I said, we'll know more on Monday.

33 week pictures

2008-09-18T09:27:00.000-07:00

So I know that today is actually 34 weeks, but I never posted these last week so I'll do them today and then add the 34 week ones tomorrow. A pretty normal week, including the now-routine THREE nurses to get TWO heartbeats on the NST...yes Julianne they have had to use the buzzer but she doesn't respond to it! I think she's stubborn :) I have another appointment tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have some updates! And my goal is to post slide shows of the baby showers...I now have three to do!

Someday our house will be finished and there will be no more baby stuff in boxes in the living room...sigh. Although I guess the baby stuff will still be everywhere :)

Watching my brother open presents on his 18th birthday...and yes, I am as tired as I look here...times about a million!!!

A new-found talent :)

10 things about my morning...

2008-09-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

1. I had an appointment with Dr. Kates.
2. Scott was running behind so I had to go by myself...at least for awhile.
3. Scott went to the wrong doctor's office...
4. It took a LONG time to get the bio-physical profile done (usually only takes about 10-15 min.)
4. The babies weren't moving very much (or at all for Baby A) so I had to drink lots of Tang.
5. Tang is yucky.
6. I still had to roll from side to side to get her to move.
7. Dr. Kates was concerned so he sent me to the hospital for a non-stress test.
8. You get to lay in a real bed that is comfortable and has a pillow when you have a non-stress test at the hospital!
9. The nurse at the hospital is WAY better at finding heart beats than the nurse at the doctor's office.
10. It took almost an hour to get enough movement from Baby A to make the nurse happy...Baby B was jumping all over the place by this point :) However, she was impressed that I wasn't have ANY contractions at all...apparently by this time usually twin patients are contracting more than I am. And she didn't make me drink any Tang. I'll take it ;)

No worries, though...babies are fine, I am fine...Scott didn't get to work until lunchtime, so I'm sure he's fine-although probably a little stressed :) I get to spend my afternoon napping, so I think I'm definitely in for a great rest of my day! Maybe one of these days I'll get to have an appointment that is uneventful :)

32 weeks!

2008-09-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

Whew! I feel like I'm getting bigger by the minute! 32 weeks is a big milestone, at least according to Dr. Smith...if the babies were born now, they would have to spend some time in the NICU but would definitely be okay! We're hoping to make it 4 more weeks to 36 and get nice, chubby 6 pound babies! All the appointments this week went well--Baby B's varix hasn't grown and there is no sign of a clot, so that is good news. No signs of pre-term labor, and that's great news! Both babies are transverse (laying sideways), for the second week in a row...it's looking more and more like it will have to be a C-section. As long as they're healthy, we don't care!

Here you can see some progress--two car seats and less baby stuff in the living room! Yay!

Non-stress? Not really!

2008-09-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

Today was my first non-stress test. A pretty simple 20 minute test where they put a contraction monitor on your belly, as well as heart rate monitors for each of the babies. I was supposed to press a button when I felt the babies move, and it records their heart rates at that time or something like that. That's how it's supposed to go. What really happened is this:

They were about half an hour late calling me back--I'm used to waiting when I go to the doctor's office, so I wasn't concerned--but when the nurse came and got me she apologized for the wait and explained that they had just had a set of twins that weren't cooperating with the test so it took a little longer. I think it was a sign! Today was not a good day for twins and non-stress tests!

I got in the chair and they laid me back and strapped the contraction monitor on. Right on top of Baby B, actually, but I figure they know what they are doing so I don't say anything. The cute little nurse then proceeds to try to find Baby A's heart beat. She can't. She moves it around and around and is now trying to find ANY heart beat. She can't. I'm not worried, seeing as how the babies are moving and all...she asks me how they are positioned and I tell her exactly where they are. 10 more minutes, still no heart beats. She leaves to go find another nurse. Nurse #2 walks in and takes the monitor...she moves it around and around, still no heart beats. Lots of comments on how much the babies must be moving and how I'm just not far enough along for this to be easy, it should get better the next few weeks, etc. She FINALLY finds Baby A's heart beat, way down low, by pressing the monitor in really REALLY HARD. I'm supposed to hold it there because we lose the heart beat if it isn't pressed in so far. She then starts pressing really hard and moving the second monitor all over to try to get Baby B's heart beat. She finally finds it way over on the left side, and kind of down in the middle.

Let me stop here and explain that there are no babies on the left side of my belly. Baby B is really high and laying sideways, and Baby A is breech, sitting and leaning to the right. So there are no babies over on the left side. But I digress.

They watch these heart beats for a few minutes, and I'm thinking that they must be monitoring Baby A twice, because they sound exactly the same, and the second reading (supposedly Baby B) is really light, and they keep losing it. Lots more comments about how he is just moving too much to find a steady reading. Finally the first nurse decides she is going to take the readout to Dr. Smith and see what he has to say. (Note: I am not supposed to see Dr. Smith today.) She comes back, and sure enough, it's the same heart beat twice. I ask if I can get up for a minute, because I am about to faint from laying on my back so long and having them dig into my stomach. I lay back down, and we start over. Baby A, right away. Baby B, not so much. I AGAIN tell the nurse exactly how high Baby B is...and again, she can't find a heart beat because she is looking low and to the left. After about 10 minutes of this, they decide to go GET Dr. Smith, and have him bring in the ultrasound. It takes him approximately 32 seconds to come in with the machine, find the baby on the ultrasound, and put the heart rate monitor EXACTLY WHERE I HAD BEEN POINTING. He says we have lots of good readings for Baby A, so we can take that monitor off (yay!) and just watch B for 20 minutes. Nurse #2 leaves.

We finally got all the readings, and once they found Baby B's heart beat, it was good and strong and he was doing lots of moving. Dr. Smith came back in a few minutes later just to make sure everything was going okay, so we ended up seeing him I think 3 times when we weren't supposed to see him at all. No wonder the doctors there are always so busy! We also got to talk to the original nurse, who was now the only one in there with us. It was really neat to get to talk with her--she has been through lots of the same infertility problems that we have, and she actually has boy-girl twins herself! They were adopted, and they got them at 10 weeks old. She also has an older son whom they were able to adopt right after he was born--they took him home from the hospital! Her family even attended the same church that we do a few years ago. It was nice and refreshing to realize that the people that work there are real people too. Plus we got lots of good twin tips!

So all in all, everything turned out okay--the babies are healthy, and that's all that really matters. Hopefully next week our 20-minute test won't take 2 1/2 hours!!!

Updates...finally!!!

2008-08-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

I'm back! We have been so crazy here lately...the basement is almost done, the nursery is almost done, the babies are almost here...it seems like time is flying and there is definitely not enough of it! We've been keeping busy with doctor's appointments and house projects...I'll try to be better about updating more frequently!

This is what I looked like at 30 weeks. This week we had our regular appointment and our ultrasound, and on the ultrasound they found out that Baby B has an umbilical vein varix. This is basically a varicose vein of the umbilical cord--it's herniated a little bit where his cord enters his tummy. It's nothing to be too worried about, but it needs to be watched closely--since the vein is wider there, blood could pool and cause a clot. If this happens, the babies have to be born relatively quickly so the clot doesn't travel into the baby. Dr. Kates told us blood clots are rare--but so is the varix in the first place. We've been moved up to weekly ultrasounds to monitor the progress. This week they measured the babies and Baby A weighs 3 lbs, 6 oz and Baby B weighs 3 lbs, 2 oz! That's 6 1/2 lbs of baby and lots of weeks to go still!

This was yesterday, at 31 weeks! Look how much bigger I've gotten in just one week! These babies are really growing fast! We had our usual lineup of appointments...Dr. Smith said everything looks great, I don't have any signs of preterm labor or anything so I should hopefully be okay for a few more weeks! He wants to start giving me non-stress tests, so next Tuesday will be my first one. I'm not quite sure how they work, but I'll let you know on Tuesday! He says with the babies being monitored by the NST (non-stress test) at the beginning of the week and ultrasound at the end of the week, we should be able to keep them in there for as long as possible. We went to Dr. Kates in the afternoon, and the varix hasn't gotten any bigger nor has it developed a clot. Yay! It was a day of good news! Next week we start having THREE appointments a week! Whew!

Last Friday we painted the nursery! You can't really see the border, but it has blue, pink, and yellow Hawaiian flowers with little green leaves. The crib sheets are Hawaiian and are bright colors as well, so it should look really cute!

Here is Scott starting to assemble the cribs...it took awhile! Luckily, the second one went much faster than the first! I tried to be helpful but mostly laid on the floor and watched :)

Here are the cribs, all put together! I will post more pictures when the rest of the room gets done. This weekend we have to find a dresser to go in the closet, and then I can get everything washed and put away! I can't wait to have it finished and ready for the babies, whenever they decide to come!

I also have pictures from my baby shower a few weeks ago--as soon as I can figure out how to make a slide show I will put them up. I received the most lovely things and can't wait to use them!!!

Guardian Angel

2008-08-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

I have an angel! My sweet angel and her two adorable and oh-so-lovable angel babies made a casserole for us last night and brought it over. It could not have come at a better time--it sure is getting harder for me to get up and do things, and I certainly haven't been making many meals lately!

Lately I've had to get used to others doing for me what I usually do for myself (and others). While I appreciate all the help, I sometimes feel useless. And while it's getting easier to accept the help, it's very difficult for me to ask for it. I didn't expect pregnancy to be so difficult. Not being able to do the simple things, like laundry and cleaning the bathtub, has been a very humbling experience.

Scott has been working really hard on finishing the basement...it's getting close! We have been very lucky with all the help we have been getting--yesterday my dad, Scott's brother Kevin and Scott's dad came over and helped. I spend all of my time upstairs, which gets lonely. The TV and computer don't really talk back :) It was so nice to have my friend stop by, even if it was just for a few minutes.

Thank you, Vicki, for everything. The dinner was DELICIOUS--we gobbled it right up! And it couldn't have come at a better time. I appreciate you so much!

Tagged by Julianne!

2008-08-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

Answer the following using the first word that pops into your head (and remember, use just ONE word!)
1. Where is your cell phone? couch

2. Your significant other? amazing

3. Your hair? up

4. Your mother? bubbly

5. Your father? quiet

6. Your favorite thing? Scott

7. Your dream last night? none

8. Your favorite drink? slurpee :)

9. Your dream/goal? babies!

10. The room you’re in? living

11. Your hobby? sewing

12. Your fear? snakes

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? here

14. What you’re not? sarcastic

15. Muffins? blueberry

16. One of your wish list items? nursery

17. Where you grew up? Kennewick

18. The last thing you did? ate

19. What are you wearing? jammies

20. Favorite gadget? microwave

21. Your pets? none

22. Your computer? nice

23. Your mood? cheerful

24. Missing someone? yes

25. Your car? Cadillac

26. Something you’re not wearing? shoes

27. Favorite store? fabric

28. Like someone? husband

29. Your favorite color? pink

30. When is the last time you laughed? today

31. Last time you cried? yesterday

I tag Vicki, Megan, and Heidi!

Baby Brunch!!!!

2008-08-02T09:04:00.001-07:00

We had a great time in Portland last weekend! It was nice and relaxing--we had lunch with Adam and Staci, Angela made us dinner, and of course we had the baby brunch!! It was just lovely--lots of good friends and lots of good food! Always the best combination for a perfect party :) We didn't do much else, just a little shopping--although it's hard to shop when you're not supposed to be on your feet for more than 30 minutes at a time. We managed it though! Here are some pictures from our wonderful brunch. I'll put them up, although I want everyone to know that I am NOT as fat as these pictures make me look :(

Thank you Angela for such a fantastic weekend!!! I love you!!!

Cute baby balloon

Adam and Staci

Dave, Sara (hidden :) ) and Scott

Lovely gifts

Ben and Angela, world's best hosts and the cutest engaged people I know :)

Opening presents

Sara and Dave

yay for cute baby dresses!

Angela, Sara and I

Another lakehouse weekend!

2008-07-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

We spent this past weekend at the lake with Duane and Gayla, Scott's parents. It was a wonderful weekend, full of the best kinds of lake house things--relaxing, card playing, and eating! We had a card tournament with the neighbors, and Scott and I won! It was really fun, and kind of a fluke that we even got to be partners, because we drew numbers to see who would be playing with whom. What a fun night! The neighbors up there are the best, we all just laughed until our bellies hurt! Scott did some more fishing, and he caught 5 bass! I got a picture of the first one, it was pretty big! but Scott informed me that the other 4 were just "teenagers" and he threw them back before I could take a picture. It was a great weekend, and we can't wait to get back up there!

Scott and his fish --"I caught you this delicious bass"

Scott being...well, just being Scott :)

100 days to go!!!

2008-07-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe I only have 100 days to go! And if they come early, it won't even be that many! I'll be 26 weeks on Thursday, and I figured it was time to get some updated belly shots on here. This weekend we are going to Portland, and my dear Angela is having a baby brunch for us and several friends! I am very excited, and will post pictures as soon as we get back next week! Then maybe you can see one or two with me, my belly, AND my face!

This is 23 weeks...

And this is 25 weeks! They are getting bigger!!!!

Babies

2008-06-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Our ultrasound went pretty well on Thursday, except we didn't get any good pictures of the babies! It takes SO long for them to do these ultrasounds (almost an hour and a half), and they spend most of the time measuring everything and making sure stuff looks good. Well, everything looks good, but we didn't even get to see their faces! They can do the 3-D ultrasounds with this machine, so I was hoping for some good pictures to put up. The babies were just moving around too much, and it took him a really long time to get all the necessary stuff done so we didn't get to play around in 3-D. Oh well, maybe next time.

The babies are doing really well! Baby A (she's the girl) is on the bottom and she weighs 1 lb, 2 ounces! She's head down, which is good since she's been breech up until this ultrasound. She moves ALL the time. I can tell she's gonna be a feisty one!

Baby B (he's the boy) is on the top, laying sideways. He's very mellow...I can feel him move, but he doesn't move NEARLY as much as Baby A does. Hopefully I'll have at least one easy baby! He weighs 1 lb, 1 ounce, and the doctor is amazed at how close they are staying to each other (growth wise). Apparently fraternal twins can grow at different rates...it's kind of like having 2 pregnancies, except they are happening at the same time! So Dr. Kates is surprised that they continue to be so close together (last time they were only 6 grams apart!).

For more exciting news, we got a bunch of baby stuff! This weekend we went hog wild and bought 2 cribs, a changing table, a travel system (stroller/car seat combo) and a pack n play! I'll post pictures when I take some. All of the bedding has come now, and we're expecting a big box from Carter's to come today! I'm starting to get really excited...now if only our basement was done!

Scott's big fish

2008-06-25T10:23:00.001-07:00

We spent last weekend at the lake with our friends the McClains. We had a great weekend...even though it wasn't very sunny, it was still warm and we got to do all the fun lake things--play in the lake, play cards, roast marshmallows and make s'mores, and eat lots of yummy food! The highlight of the weekend (well, for Scott at least!) was the HUGE bass he caught on Friday night! We measured this guy at over 21 inches, and although we didn't get to weigh it, it was gigantic! Scott let it go...reluctantly :) Here are some pictures from our weekend!

Scott and his big catch!

This sucker was HUGE!

Scott and Maddy roasting marshmallows

Sarah and Natalie eating s'mores! Natalie doesn't seem so sure about this! :)

Sarah and I getting ready to go. I think one of the guys must have said something funny!

I have another big ultrasound appointment tomorrow, so hopefully we'll get some good pictures and I'll be able to post them! We'll let you know how it goes!

Home Sweet Home!

2008-06-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

It's so nice to be home! We were in Orlando last week for 9 days...Scott attended Microsoft TechEd, and I spent the week relaxing! It was a great week, but I'm glad to be home. Traveling when you're pregnant is just not the same as traveling when you're not. However, Scott had a great time at his conference, he learned a lot, and I had a great week shopping and laying by the pool! Being in the pool was SO wonderful! I am trying to convince Scott that we need one now :) We got some great baby shopping done--I picked out my baby bags (actually, Scott picked them out--who knew?) and we got lots of great stuff at the Carter's outlet. And we ordered the crib bedding! We don't have cribs yet, but that's another story :) I'll post pictures of all the great stuff when it gets here. This week I'm working on relaxing and doing laundry, and then we are going to the lake this weekend with some friends. Should be a nice, relaxing time that doesn't involve airplanes, rental cars, or work!

We didn't spend ALL our time working--here we are at the Magic Kingdom!

And finally, the much requested and anticipated belly shot. It's getting quite big, no? 20 weeks-half way there! I'm betting it's going to get much bigger than this! (gotta love the Bella Band!)

I'm here! I really am!

2008-06-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

Ugh--I've been the worst blogger ever lately! And the most ironic thing is that I get really antsy waiting for my friends to update their blogs :) So this might be long, but I'll try to keep you updated on what we've been doing the past month.

We went to the Oregon Coast for our Anniversary (May 22, 4 years!) and one day we ventured from Cannon Beach to Tillamook. We toured the cheese factory, which was awesome (there were lots of samples :) ) and there was also a delicious grill and an ice cream shop with over 40 flavors of ice cream! How can a pregnant girl go wrong??

We also went to the Pioneer museum in Tillamook. It was also really neat-there was a room full of weaponry, from Indian arrowheads and spears to Civil War rifles. There was also a re-created Pioneer house, a doll collection, a Victorian style room, and much more--including a LARGE taxidermy display! (My LEAST favorite, and probably Scott's most favorite :) )

Here I am outside the Pioneer Museum--not the best tummy shot, but you can kind of see it. I'm 17 weeks here.

We drove out to the point and saw the Cape Mears Lighthouse and the Octopus tree-- a HUGE Sitka Spruce that looks like an upside-down octopus, shaped by strong coastal winds. It was SO cold and SO windy.

After the beach, we stayed in Portland for 3 nights and saw some of our dear friends. Here are Adam and Scott with their beer samplers at Rock Bottom Brewery. We also had dinner with one of my best friends from college, Angela--she cooked us a DELICIOUS meal and her sister, Jen, and boyfriend (now fiance!) Ben were there. All in all, it was a great trip. Very relaxing and a much needed vacation! We are in Florida right now for a work conference for Scott, so I'll update about that soon--I promise!

Welcome to the Jungle

2008-05-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

Since we moved in, almost 4 years ago, we've always had problems with our lawn. At first, we didn't have one in the back. Then we put in sprinklers and seed, and sure enough, a lawn came up. A tiny, sparse, crunchy, brown lawn. Not the kind you picture in your head when you are putting down the seed. It's been like this the past 3 years. Last year was a little better, but you still couldn't walk on it barefoot, it was just too prickly. This year, however, is a different story. We are on irrigation now, and I don't know if it's the difference in the water or it just finally decided to start acting like a lawn, but our yard is, no other word for it, LUSH. It's amazing! We keep having to mow and mow, and it just keeps growing! And it's green! And SOFT! However, Scott has been pretty busy at work these past few weeks, and we neglected to mow the back for 3 weeks. This is when I affectionately dubbed it "The Jungle." It was so long that when the wind blew, it looked like amber--umm, green--waves of grain. It was so long that it Scott had to mow it twice--it took the poor guy two nights. All that grass filled up our entire garbage can and TEN big black garbage bags. I was a little worried that the garbage man wouldn't take them all, but he did. During all his mowing, Scott, being the nature boy he is, found a little mouse hiding in our grass. He of course took about a million pictures of it, and after reassuring me that there was NO WAY it could get into our house (I still have my doubts) I'm putting one up here for him. The Jungle is no more, and hopefully we will stay on top of it more for the rest of the summer! And the mice will go back to the fields they belong in!

Road Trip!

2008-05-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

Megan enjoying her milkshake at Miner's

The beautiful flowers my mom planted for me for Mother's Day

My new view! Scott and I agree that this makes my belly look bigger than it actually is, but it's the best I could do by myself :)

Yesterday Megan and I went on a road trip! Megan had a craving for Miner's, so we loaded up the car and went to Yakima! It's fun being pregnant with someone else...we indulge each other's cravings quite often! I've had a busy few weeks. We had a doctor's appointment on the 2nd, and we got to see the babies again! They have grown so much that we couldn't see both of them on the screen at the same time. We have an appointment with a high-risk specialist in two weeks, and we'll have a big ultrasound then. They'll be checking to see if the babies are developing normally, and we'll hopefully be able to find out what we're having!

I spent last week getting ready for our KIX performance. The performance was on Sunday, Mother's Day, and the kids did a great job--just like they always do! AWANA finished two weeks ago, but this is the first week everything has been done. I feel a little bit like I don't know what to do with myself! It's weird to be ending everything, because things will be different in the fall. I won't be doing AWANA, and although I'll still be helping out in KIX, I won't be doing my regular job and will be gone for awhile in the middle when the babies come. In a way I'm glad things will be slowing down, because I know they'll be picking up at home!--but I'm also a little sad. I'll miss all the kids :)

Next Tuesday we are heading to the Oregon Coast for our anniversary, followed by a few nights in Portland. It will be really nice to get away, I think we are both in need of a nice, relaxing vacation. We'll also be able to spend time with some of our dear friends who live in Portland and the surrounding area. I'll be spending the rest of the week doing laundry and getting ready for our trip!

Happy May Day!

2008-05-01T09:07:00.000-07:00

When I was little, we used to make little paper baskets and fill them with lilacs and snowball flowers (picked, of course, from over the neighbor's fence :) ) and leave them on people's doorsteps. I haven't done that in years! Maybe when the babies get older we can carry on that tradition. The neighbors behind us put in a lilac bush last fall, so in a few years it should be ripe for the picking! Just kidding :) I'm 14 weeks pregnant today, which means I've entered the second trimester! The babies are between 3 1/2 and 4 inches long, and weigh about an ounce each. They will be doing a lot of growing in the next few weeks! I ordered a twins book on the Internet, and it should be here today. I'm really looking forward to it, because none of the books I have have more than a chapter on being pregnant with multiples. It will be nice to be able to see a picture with TWO babies in it, instead of seeing just one and guessing where the other one is. I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow, so we might get to see the babies again. Today I'm off to Target to try and find some new pants, as none of mine seem to be fitting anymore. We're going to Seattle this weekend to see Scott's brother and his wife and their new house, and I'm sure lots of shopping will be involved! That's the benefit of going with your in-laws...the guys can do whatever they want, and the girls can just shop, shop, shop!

We have a ceiling!

2008-04-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

The finished product!

The Happy Helpers!

I think they broke more sheets than they hung...but they sure did have fun!

Well, in some places we have a ceiling. Scott and Bill really got to work yesterday! They rented a sheet rock jack, got some expert advice from one of Bill's buddies, and 9 1/2 hours later we had a ceiling in 2 rooms! It's all very exciting, considering we've lived here for almost 4 years now. Kevin came over after lunch and helped for a while too! I think at the end of the day, Scott and Bill were both glad that they don't hang drywall for a living. (Even though they did a great job :) ) I had an EXCELLENT day. It consisted of a doughnut for breakfast, followed by a nice nap shortly after lunch, and to top it all off, Vicki invited us over for dinner! She made the most amazing fried rice and egg rolls...I mean, she actually MADE the egg rolls! The woman is amazing. I went over to help her get dinner ready, but all I did was hold baby Kate. Not very helpful, I'm sure, but it was wonderful to snuggle that sweet baby girl! All in all, a very productive and enjoyable day!

Just Peachy

2008-04-25T07:37:00.000-07:00

I'm 13 weeks pregnant now...only a few more days and I'm out of the first trimester! The babies are as big as peaches this week...almost 3 inches long from crown to rump! And they already have their own fingerprints! It's amazing to me how they are so tiny still, yet God has already made them unique individuals. I am feeling much better, thanks mostly to the medications that relieve my nausea and let me get some sleep. I am still exhausted most of the time, but am hoping that will go away in the next week or two and I can feel more like myself. I'm still not really showing, but when I wear the right clothes you can definitely see something there. I'll post a picture when there's something to show!

Tummies and Toes

2008-04-22T21:31:00.000-07:00

Today Megan and I got a pedicure! She is pregnant also, and almost exactly 4 weeks behind me. I'm excited that our kids will be the same age and will grow up together. I never had any cousins that I was close to so I am looking forward to this. I'm also really excited to have such a good friend to be pregnant with! I'm sure there will be lots of tootsie pampering in our near future. For now, I was able to take the picture looking straight down, as I really have no tummy to speak of yet. But soon we'll have to have someone else take our picture! (Mine are the red toes with the brown flip flops :) )

Watermelon

2008-04-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

Now that I can eat again, I've been looking forward to eating all sorts of delicious treats and not feeling (too) guilty about it. I haven't really had any cravings, though, other than watermelon. It's all I can think about. It's been on my mind for weeks...the only problem is that watermelon is not yet in season. I finally got a tiny personal one at Yoke's...I actually left the store without one because it was $2.50, and I thought that was a little high for one or two cups of watermelon. But, alas, I went back and got it, and after tasting that delicious, sweet, juicy pink goodness I would have gladly paid $25 for it! Thank goodness summer is right around the corner and we have a great farmer's market here! I'm sure I'll be frequenting it!

Time Travel

2008-04-19T16:27:00.001-07:00

Today we had a girl's day. There's just nothing like all your best girlfriends and Starbucks to really make you forget about nausea! I hadn't seen the girls in quite a while, most since before I found out I was pregnant. So I got to share my fun story with them, and I thought I'd share it here too!

I found out I was pregnant in February. Scott was out of town on a skiing trip with some people from work, and we'd agreed that we would wait it out and not take a test until he got home a few days later. I woke up early the morning after he left and couldn't go back to sleep, so I just decided to take one. I've never really been of the "wait and see" mentality, I'd rather know either way and get on with my life. So I took the test, and it turned pink immediately! I ran around for a few minutes, crying and saying "two pink lines!" I have seen plenty with one pink line, but never any with two! Then I called Scott, and he didn't answer. So I called his work cell, and he STILL didn't answer. He sent me a text saying he would call me later when he woke up, and I wrote back saying "call me RIGHT NOW!" After we got off the phone I went to Wal-Mart and bought all the different brands of pregnancy tests they had. (FYI, the Wal-Mart brand works just as well as the EPT brand :) ) Needless to say, it was a very exciting day. Scott skied that day and then came home that night to celebrate!

12 weeks

2008-04-18T12:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our 12 week appointment. It went really well, aside from having to wait for awhile and then almost fainting during the checkup. We got to see the babies on the ultrasound again, which is always fun. They have grown so much! We could see them squirming around and moving their little arms and legs. Baby B looked like it was picking it's nose, so I said it must be a boy! Dr. Smith was able to give me 2 prescriptions to help ease the nausea, which has been considerable. I woke up this morning feeling better than I have in over 5 weeks. The only downfall is that one of them makes me very sleepy. Having an excuse to sleep all day and not throw up? I'll take it!