Our first boy

I have realized, what with this pregnancy and all, I haven't done an update of my first born in way too long. The light of my life. The little man. The goofball.

I wanted to take some time to write about this little man that I love so very much.

He is getting so big. He loves to run, jump, be a plane, be a helicopter, be a car and last but not least, he LOVES to play that he is a robot.

His imagination astounds me. He is learning to play by himself and I just love to watch as his little imagination comes alive. He can make any object into whatever he desires it to be. His dialogue with his toys is so funny and clever. I love to watch him as he explores the imagination only his mind can grasp and see. I just get to behold this wondrous boy grow and I love it so much.

His smile pretty much melts my heart. He loves his mommy and I love him. He adores and loves his Daddy and his Daddy adores and loves him. Joe and I keep saying, "is it really possible to love more children the way we love Dallin?" I sure hope so. My heart seems like it will already burst it is filled with so much love for him already.

He says the funniest things and sweetest things. Like:

Mom, I'm a robot and I'm charging( as he stands still) I can't move until I'm done.

Mom, I'm not a big boy, I'm Dallin.

Mom, chocolate milk is sooooo good. It's yummy, I love it.

Mom, I love you, you are so pretty.

Mom, I have a surprise for you...(stands with something behind his back), Surprise (as he whips out any object he happens to find on the ground from behind his back)

Mom, guess what...Me: What? Dallin: I love you!

Mom, I don't need to sleep, I'm a robot...robot, robot, robot (in a robot voice)

And the list could go on. He is so hilarious, so fun and so full of energy. We are working on his temper tantrums, as a two year old he is bound to have them, but he is learning quickly and I just love to see him process the information.

You can literally see his little mind at work as he grows and learns. His face contorts in concentrations and he will ask me follow up questions. He is such a smart boy and I love to see him grow.

He loves his doggy still and carries it everywhere with him. I don't know how long this attachment will last, but my guess is right before kindergarten.

He is so big. He really is. He is measuring the size of a four year old. He is close to 41 inches tall and not even 3 years old yet. He wears 4T's and even some of them are getting small. For this reason he is judged a little harshly by others. I think they expect him to act more mature, to be more well behaved and to be more obedient than he is. I have to keep reminding them and myself that he is only 2. He is so smart and so well behaved for a two year old and I need to stop others and myself from holding him to too high a standard. It's hard to remember he is two at times, when he dwarfs the other 2 year old's all the time.

He is such a sweetheart. He is always picking things off the ground for me, he is always kissing my owies (right now its my ginormous belly). He says he loves me constantly and like he picked up from the movie "Tangled," he often tells me he "Loves me most." I love him so much and I am so glad he came to our family. I can't imagine my life without him.

34 weeks

34 weeks with Twins

It is now just a few weeks until I would for sure deliver and I am getting so excited to meet these little guys. I could deliver any day, but I am hoping I will make it to at least 36 weeks. They would induce me at 38 weeks, but I definitely don't want to go that long, but I would if it meant these little ones are that much more healthy.

My body aches everywhere. I wear to belly support, one belly band and one back brace that also has belly support. I just can't get over h0w large my belly keeps getting. The pictures really don't do it justice. I literally stick out an entire foot from my side. It is pretty crazy.

They move so much, I think they are itching to get out. They have the craziest time in there it seems. It is such a cool experience to pull up my shirt and see my bare belly and watch them just move and squirm. The ways that it looks is sic-fi at times. I do look like I have an alien ready to pop out at times.

They are super healthy so far, and I hope it remains that way.

33 weeks!

33 weeks with twins!

It is getting so close now. This last week we finally got both cribs all put together, with mattress, bumpers and blankets. I bought like 30 onesies, and I am sure that won't be enough. I stocked up on diapers and got my hospital bag ready to go. It is hitting me just how soon these little guys are going to come.

Striking a pose, I actually thought this one was funny, so I put it up, and now that I see it on here, I think my belly looks smaller than any other picture this week, LOL:)

Really, it seems so surreal this week. I could deliver next week at 34 weeks and they most likely wouldn't have to go into the NICU. I just can hardly wait to meet them. I am at the point now where I am in so much pain, I just want it to be over and have them in my arms. I know the nights will be sleepless and I will be recovering from a whole other injury, but I can not wait to finally be able to walk up stairs without being completely out of breath, or to have my quads and legs burn like I just ran for 3 miles. I can't wait to be able to bend over again, to sleep on my back again. But, most of all I can't wait to hold these little boys at last. To finally see what they look like, to kiss their little hands and feet and meet the ones that have made me realize how hard of things I can really accomplish. Being pregnant with twins has been the hardest thing I have ever done. Harder than my facial reconstruction, harder than my college career, harder than adjusting to married life. This pregnancy has been emotionally trying and physically taxing beyond anything I have ever been through. But, I know, that these little boys are going to bring such joy to Joe and I. I can picture Dallin playing with them a few years from now when they are the age of the 3, and Dallin is almost 6. I think they will be best friends and that thought makes all that I am going through sooo worth it:)

They thought they were coming Today...but no.

Close call today.

Went in for a non-stress test. My contractions were so strong, the Perionatologist thought I was in labor or some form of it. They admitted me into Labor and Delivery. After 4 tests, and being hooked up to a monitor for 4 hours, and one very strong shot, they determined, that right now I am just having some very strong contractions, but I am not in active labor (thank goodness).

I admit, I got scared there for awhile. I watched the monitor as my contractions came and went and I was reminded all to closely about my labor with Dallin. The contractions were about the same, and they were piggy-backing each other like they did with Dallin. I was so relieved when the cultures and samples came back negative. Apparently, there is some protein, or enzyme that is only present in your cervix during active labor and there wasn't any today. I am so glad. Plus I am only dilated to a 1 and some women, in fact, most women, can stay at a one for weeks.

After 6 hours in the hospital I was finally able to go home. I have never been so thankful to be leaving a hospital before. It was hard being there by myself for most of it. Joe had to work and had appointments he just couldn't miss, so for the most part I was alone and it was not something I want to do again anytime soon.

I have to go back tomorrow for more observation. They gave me a nice shot of steroids to help the babies lungs develop quicker, just in case. I will get another one tomorrow. They stick it right into your backside and let me tell you, it hurts worse than getting an epidural into your spine. My bum burned for like an hour. More info than some might want to know, but hey.

Let's hope tomorrow goes more smoothly than today and I get to come home after a couple hours and not several. I just want these boys to be healthy and strong. Stay in there little ones, you don't need to make your debut any time soon....at least not for four more weeks please!

32 weeks and Growing!!!

32 weeks pregnant with Twins

This week was one of a lot of stretching and pain. I could feel my ligaments stretching to their maximum and yet, they will keep right on stretching. I hit a milestone this week, 32 weeks is a great week for these babies. They are statistically clear of things like scoliosis and spine-abifida. All the medical research shows that if they came today, they would be much healthier than just one week ago. Exciting right?

Things are stretching like I said and my body just keeps on taking it on each week. The babies are moving like crazy. We get to see them on Tuesday again and I am excited to see just how large they are now. I am guessing almost 5 pounds, because my Maternal fetal Medicine doctor is predicting 7 lb. babies, so I would think they need to be quite large at this point.

It is amazing to me that I have two human bodies inside me, growing and developing. When I was pregnant with Dallin I was in awe of the whole miracle of child bearing, but this is even beyond what I felt with Dallin. I can just not believe it sometimes, that there are two. We feel so blessed and I feel so blessed to be their mama. I am so thankful this week, even with the pains and the stretching, I just keep thinking back to those hard years of trying to conceive and can't be anything but grateful that I have these two little ones inside me. I feel so blessed this week and I can't wait to meet them....

But hopefully still in 5 weeks and no less:)

I officially hit my 30 lb. weight gain this week. Good bye goal of staying under or reaching 30 lbs. I figure if I can just keep the weight gain around a pound a week, I will be good with a 35 pound weight gain, since that is actually the overall recommended weight gain for someone of my height and starting weight, I will be proud of myself.