4mo check up

Today we had our 4 month check up. It started out as a normal day until I realized that I couldn't find my keys. I had the kids loaded and ready to head out to the car when I noticed that my keys weren't hanging on the hook by the door. I called Bob and Erica and Auntie E came to our rescue. She brought our spare key to lock the house and drove the kids and me to the drs. Auntie E gets another gold star(she now has 2 if you are counting).

Bekah is now weighing in at 12lbs and is 23 1/2 inches long. Billy is now weighing in at 14lb 5oz and is 24 inches long. Both are doing exactly what they should for their age and are very healthy. We are adjusting their reflux meds a little, but other than that things are great.

We were given the ok to start solids in the next few months. I'm sure that will be quite the adventure. Now we have to figure out where to put the high chairs. We NEED a house. Everywhere you turn there is baby stuff and no room to do anything. I know it is only going to get worse when they get older.

Houston we have a spitter

Billy has discovered that he can blow raspberries. He blows his spit and then laughs at the sound he made. Uncle Bobby discovered this weekend that Billy is ticklish under his arm pits and laughs out loud when tickled. He also enjoys being tossed (gently) into the air. He laughs out loud at that too. We believe he is starting to work on getting some teeth in. He always has his hands in his mouth and is chewing with a goal. He is standing and sitting with support.

Bekah also enjoys being tossed up in the air. She has such a sweet laugh. She is doing great with sitting and standing with support. We believe that she isn't too far behind brother with her teeth. She is starting to put her hands in her mouth and chewing on her fingers. Her drool volume is starting to increase. We go through quite a few bibs a day between both kids.

Mommy is enjoying time off from work, but is realizing that Christmas break isn't long enough. We had a wonderful Christmas with our family that was able to visit. Grandpa Holtz got into a fun routine of having babies in bed with him while mommy made the bottles. Once Grandma found out, she asked if she could join in on the fun. So, we made a pit stop with Grandma, shared kisses and smiles, then made our way downstairs to Grandpa.

We are looking forward to our continuing Christmas celebration with Grandma and Grandpa Brand and Dottie coming up in Jan/Feb. We can't wait to share our growing bundles of joy with them.

Since Bekah and Billy were born, we have swaddled them when they sleep(naps and bed time). Now that they are getting older, we are going to try to wean them from that. Billy fell asleep tonight in the bouncer, so I carried him upstairs and put him down w/o being swaddled. We will have to see how long he sleeps like that. I'm sure this will be quite the process for the Brand babies, but we will see. I hope and pray they surprise us.

Our First Christmas

Christmas Eve

4 Months Old!

Christmas Vacation

I remember as a kid looking forward to Christmas Vacation. It always consited of sleeping in, making cookies and eating way too much sugar. I started off the traditions yesterday with the kids. I put them in the jumperoo and a bouncer in the kitchen while I made fudge. They had no clue what we were doing, but it was fun. I think they enjoyed the new senery. Today we are going to try to make cookies and pretzel treats. Brent and Deb will be here this afternoon and we are so excited.

Bekah and Billy are now 4 months old. :) I forgot to mention in my last post their weights. Bekah is weighing in at 11lb 10oz and Billy is 14lb. Both are growing great. We will get all of the new measurements and stuff on Monday when they have their 4 mo. check up and shots.

I will try to get 4mo pictures up soon. :)

Yesterday....

was quite the day. Both kids had been sick since Wednesday, and they just weren't shaking it. I called the dr and got them both in. Our appt was scheduled for 10:30 and we arrived around 10:20. Thankfully Erica went with me so that I didn't have both kids by myself. I didn't think that the visit would take too long, but brought bottles for a feeding just in case. Their next feeding should be around 12.

After waiting in the waiting room for quite a while, about 11:45 we were taken back to our room. Erica and I played with the kids on the table, they got to rip the paper(practicing for Christmas). Both kids started fussing and we knew it was time to feed them. Sure enough, as we started feeding them, the dr walks in. By this time the kids had ate their last feeding at 8 and didn't get in their normal nap. They ate their bottles while the dr checked them out. They screamed while the bottles were out of their mouths because they were hungry and needed a nap.

They had to have the RSV test (swab stuck in their nose and down the back of their throat) and that was pure torture. The part that went inside was about 3 inches long. Then they told us that they wanted urine samples. This involved cleaning them off with iodine, and placing a bag on them to catch their sample. Just after we got Bekah cleaned off, she peed all over the table (not in the bag). We had to put on the bag and wait for her to pee. She screamed bloody murder when she had her blood taken. The nurse had a hard time getting blood from her and now has quite the bruise. I'm not sure what upset her more, being held down or the poke.

Billy's turn was next. He was a trooper, he gave a few grunts as the nurse poked him. The first vein didn't give any blood, so he had to be poked twice. While she was getting his blood, he peed in the bag. It was almost like he knew what he was supposed to do.

After the poking and prodding was finished at the drs office, we had to head to the hospital for chest xrays. Bekah screamed her head off while Aunt Erica held her down. It was actually a good thing that she was screaming, because they had to do the xray when she took a deep breath in.

Billy, didn't fuss too much until I held him down. They had a hard time getting a good picture of his lungs because his breath in was quick and it was hard to time.

After hours of testing the poor kids, an exhausted mommy, and Erica returned home. The kids slept forever. They were making up all the sleep they lost. The results were good, it is a viral infection. We are thankful that it wasn't more than a virus, but feel bad that we had to put the kids through all of that. It is better to be safe.

What a day! Aunt Erica gets a gold star for all her help.

3 months old(Nov. 23rd-Dec. 21)

3 Months, 3 Weeks, and 3 Days

I just noticed on the ticker at the top that the kids are 3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days old!

.....

Sorry, I found it amusing, proceed back to your normal day lol :)
-Bill

We are growing and changing!!!

Ms. Rebekah Marie has been quite the silly little girl. She has learned the new trick of rolling from her tummy to her back. She starts crying when she hits her back because she wants to be on her tummy and roll over. She is fine if you put her on the floor on her back, but if you put her on her tummy, you better be ready to keep flipping her back over. She is full of whole face grins. She has started to "talk" and has a very girly voice. Her eye-hand coordination is amazing. She will look straight at her toy, reach up and grab onto it. She bats at toys that are around her too. Every morning she is full of smiles when we wake her up. When she is unwrapped from her swaddle, she stretches like a big girl and pretty much does a back bend on her crib. This morning when daddy went in to give brother his pacifier, he found Bekah at a 45 degree angle. Picture this, she is swaddled tight, laying in a sleep positioner. She has moved her head from where it was, all the way to the crib rails with her forehead pressed against the rails(left a dent for a little while). Her feet are now kicking her brother in his legs. She is quite the mover. She is also trying to roll herself over while she is in the swing. She likes to have her face snuggled into a blanket (or even the crib rails). Bekah still doesn't have much hair, and the hair she does have is a mixture of blonde, red and light brown.

Mr. William Glenn is our vocal man. He always has something to say and will often crack himself up. He will sit in his chair or lay on the floor and "talk" to his toys. When you talk to him, he gives you a huge grin and shys his face away. His cackle is to die for. Last night at bath time, I showed him how to move his legs in the tub. This was a bad idea. He kicked so much that water hit me in the face, was all down my shirt and ended up all over the floor. I couldn't stop laughing and so he started laughing. This created a crazy circle of laughs. Neither one of us could stop. He doesn't mind if the water gets into his eyes, but he sputters if it ends up in his mouth. He thinks that everything mommy and daddy does is funny. When we dry him off from his bath, he laughs as we rub the towel on him. His favorite part is when you dry his hair. His hair is starting to come in more and it looks dark brown/black. Such the handsome little man. Billy is the calm baby and is very relaxed. He loves watching football with daddy and listening to mommy and daddy play rock band. He gives quite the look to Bekah when she is crying and he is trying to sleep. Billy loves to sleep and could sleep all day like daddy if you let him. He has a whole face grin that is to die for and an Elvis smirk that is hilarious. He loves his pacifier and is instantly calm when you give it to him. If he doesn't have his pacifier, he tries to shove his fist into his mouth to chew on. Some days we think he just might get it all in there.

Reflux is starting to become more manageable. They each get their dose of Prevacid first thing in the morning. They are starting to do better with taking their meds. I think their med was mixed differently this time and was a little better flavored. We aren't going through quite as much laundry, only about 1 load every other day to every day. Before it was 1-3 loads daily.

Mommy and daddy are getting into a good routine with the kids and household chores. We each do our part to keep the house running and to stay sane. It isn't easy, but we take it in stride. The kids love their sitter and we love her just as much as they do. It is such a blessing to have such a wonderful person take care of our kids. Someone who has adopted them as their own and loves them like we do. We don't know what we would do without her, she is such a God send.

Kaylee has finally adjusted to life with a brother and sister. At first she didn't really like sharing her mommy and daddy time, now she knows when the kids go to bed it is kaylee time. She loves it when we get home every day. She runs and greets the kids still in their car seats. Some days she even gives them kisses. The kids think she is pretty cool too.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We were able to spend it with Brent, Deb, Grandma Heldt, Bob, Erica and Jen (a friend of Erica's from college that lives down here). We had a blast playing and laughing together. Grandmas and Grandpa were able to enjoy play times, bath time and feeding times with the kids. They got to share a bunch of fun times with us. We have a bunch of fun memories of our time together.

Our Christmas tree is set up and ready to go. A few days after we set it up, the kids started to notice the lights. They now look at it in awe and stare at the lights. Kaylee wasn't sure what to think when we started decorating the house. We had all the boxes out and were unpacking things and she seemed to be unsure of what was happening. When things were all put away, she was much happier. We keep soft ornaments at the bottom of the tree, because Kaylee doesn't have control over her built in whip. If she does, and has us fooled, she doesn't demonstrate control. :)

Bill and I find our selves staring at the kids in awe. They look like angels when they sleep, crack us up when they laugh, make us smile when they smile, and break our hearts when they are sick. Parenting has brought its share of concerns and questions, but it has also brought us the greatest blessings. We are so thankful for our two little miracles. We miss all of our friends and family in Michigan. It is hard being so far away from everyone.

We are looking forward to our first Christmas as a family. We are anticipating visits from family around Christmas and the months after. This Christmas has changed me. I look at the holiday differently as a mother. I think about what I want the kids to know about Christmas and what traditions I want to share with them. Bill and I are going to continue our tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve (Christmas pjs) with the kids. I'm in search of the Christmas story in a children's book form to read on Christmas day with the kids. When they are older, I want to read it straight from the bible. I want to teach our kids the joy of giving to others and how the holidays are all about family and being thankful of everything we have.

We hope that everyone is doing well and that you have a wonderful Christmas with your families. God Bless!

The Brands
Bill, Karrie, Bekah, Billy and Kaylee

Around the House

Videos!!!

12 Weeks Old

11 weeks old

10 weeks old. First trip to the Mountains!

9 weeks old!

Bath Time

Happy 2 Months Bekah and Billy

8 weeks old

Learning to sleep!

Well, we know how to sleep, but we are learning how to sleep in the pack in play/crib. Mommy put us in here for our nap and we looked at each other, cooed and looked around. This seems pretty cool. Eye lids are getting heavy, drifting off.

Bye Bye,
Bekah and Billy(with mom's help)

7 weeks old

Bekah and Billy turned 7 weeks on Saturday. I can't believe how fast they change. The last two pictures were taken after baths on Sunday. They look so cute all wrapped up in their towels. Both are starting to smile more often, it just makes our day. I'll try to get more pictues up that really show how much they have changed. 

We are starting to get into a better routine. We eat, diaper, play then nap. This is repeated until bed time. We still never know if they are going to go 2, 2.5 or 3 hrs between feeds. For the past few days they were eating every 2 hrs durring the day. My guess is a growth suprt. At this moment they have gone 3 hrs since their last feed. I'm sure I'm going to hear them in a few moments. :) Nights are starting to get better, they are only up a few times a night. I hope and pray they continue to have good nights sleep like this when I return to work on Monday. 

We have been practicing with the bottle a lot so that they are ready when Meloney starts watching them. This is also nice in the evening because we give them a bottle before bed. This way Bill and I get to spend some one on one time with each of them. I fed Bekah last night, so I will feed Billy tonight. One of the hardest things for me right now is getting some one on one time with the kids. I feel like I'm running around taking care of their basic needs, and having a hard time fitting in the fun time. I'm working on it though.  

6 weeks old

Time is flying by. I return to work Monday the 20th. Both kids went to the dr yesterday about their reflux. Their medicine was changed from Axid(3 times a day, treats acid) to Prevacid(1 time a day, prevents acid). We are in the transitioning time between medicine and it is pretty tough. Both have been pretty fussy. I can't blame them I would be too if I was dealing with the acid.

Bekah weighed in at 7lb 12oz and Billy at 9lb 6oz. Billy has moved up to the size one diapers and Bekah will follow shortly. Both are starting to transition into 0-3month clothes. The newborn pants still fit our skinny little babies though. To give you an idea, we go through about 20 diapers a day. That means we have used about 920 diapers so far if my math is correct. Yikes!

Since both babies have reflux, we have to keep them upright after feedings. We have been using their chairs to do this. They have also been sleeping in them because it keeps them upright while sleeping. As soon as the medicine really kicks in, we will be working on getting the kids back into their cribs. Please pray that this is a smooth transition.

The Belly!

After much request, here are the belly pictures. You can view 7weeks-37weeks. At the very end is a belly pic from today, almost 6 weeks after birth.

TWO NEW SLIDESHOWS!!!

Happy 1 month birthday!

3 and 4 weeks

Doctors Visit

We took Bekah to the dr today because she was showing the same signs as her brother. We now have 2 babies with reflux issues. Thankfuly we didn't wait around on taking them in for this. Our dr told us today that it can really do quite a bit of damage if it isn't treated. 

Both babies are looking great and have great weights. As of today Bekah is 6lb 13oz (5lb 2oz at birth) and Billy is 8lb 4oz(6lb 4oz at birth). The dr was very happy about their weights. 

Billy is a much happier baby with his reflux medication. He is back to his happy self and cries when he is hungry. 

Bekah is uncomfortable from the reflux, but I'm sure she will be back to her happy self when the meds kick in. 

Tomorrow they will be one month old. I can't believe how fast time flies. We keep trying to remind ourselves to take pictures and I will try to get some up tonight or tomorrow. We will try to do a better job of posting pictures. We get so busy with the kids that we forget about it.

2 weeks old!

Here are some pictures of our second week of life outside of mommy. Update on Billy: we took him back to the dr today and were told some different tricks to help him feel comfortable. We are continuing his reflux medication and adding some other medicine to help him feel better. At the moment we are working on ruling out colic, but aren't sure. Please continue to pray for our little man so that he can be comfortable and enjoy checking out the world around him. 

Life with twins...

Sorry we haven't updated in a few days, as everyone can imagine we've been a little busy. My Dad sent me an email with a bunch of questions about the kids, and it made me realize how much has gone on in such a short period of time. Both kidos have gained weight since their first doctors appointment. Billy was at 7lbs 2 oz and Bekah at 6 lbs as of Monday. With the weight gains, their faces have started to change already! It's nothing dramatic, but you can tell Bekah's cheeks are fuller. We'll try and post some pics tonight/tomorrow and hopefully you'll be able to see the difference. Oh, speaking of difference, their belly buttons have completely healed too!

The reason we were at the doctors on Monday is for our poor little man. He has reflux issues, and before the meds, he would scream bloody murder for what appeared to be no reason. He's been better since we've started him on the meds, but by no means has he been a happy baby. It takes a few days for the meds to fully work, so we should start seeing progress anytime now. As far as their gas issues, the both are still needing the drops to help out. Speaking of doctor visits, poor Billy has to go in on Sept 22 for another circumcision type procedure. It's not another circumcision, but the do have to numb him up and remove some more tissue. I'll spare you the not so wonderful details.

Both kidos have been more observant, staying awake for longer periods then they had before (not that 20 minutes is long or anything). Bekah is still the queen of facial expressions, where Billy doesn't say much with his face but with his eyes. When he's awake, his eyes are WIDE open. Those suckers are huge!! Our nights are still hit or miss, some nights they keep us up for hours at a time, and then others they sleep over 3 hours before feeding again. Karrie has been wonderful to me, letting me sleep through at least one of the overnight feedings so I can get rest for work. She is such a wonderful mommy! She has been quite the trooper while I've been working, and she'll stay home with them until at least Oct. 20th before returning to work.

Speaking of Karrie, she has been doing great with her recovery. Her incision is healing great and she's been able to do most everything she wants. She's even taken the kids out to the doctors by herself! Oh, and she's lost 43lbs!!!!! Needless to say she's a little thrilled with that! We've both had our moments, but for the most part we are just so happy to finally be holding our little miracles. It's hard to explain the joy I experience when I get home from work and say "How's my little man?" and have my son turn to look at me with those big puppy dog eyes of his. Or to watch my daughter smile at you during her sleep. We still need all your thoughts and prayers as this is a very exhausting time for us, but really we couldn't be happier.

First week

Birth Day!

Just click on the slideshow to see it larger.

Ok, now for the details...

Ok, by now you most likely know that the twins were born yesterday. Let's rundown the events that led up to it, and some of the fun stats about the kidos.

Earlier Saturday morning, at about 3:45am, Karrie was awoken to very strong contractions and some pretty damp underwear. She made her way to the bathroom and sure enough her water had broken, as she proceeded to create a small puddle on the floor. She jumped into the shower to try and relieve some of the pain from the transactions. At 4:30am she called for me from the shower and I hoped out of bed (ok, more like groaned lol). My first thought was, "Are you sure?" She assured me that it had and I had to jump to action. We had been cleaning the apartment in anticipation of our family arriving, but had not finished as of Friday night. I ran Kaylee outside and started picking up the odds and ends still around downstairs. After cleaning the kitchen floor, I ran upstairs to shower and gather the rest of Karrie's bathroom stuff.

Just before 6am we arrived at the BirthCenter and headed for Triage. Dr. Harris verified that Karrie's water had broke, and at about 6:30-6:45am she was measuring at a 4. We finally heard the words we had been waiting for, "We're sending you back to 'your' room." This was it, we're finally going to meet our children!!!

After they admitted Karrie to her room, she was measured at a 6 at about 9am. Around the same time the doctor administered Karrie's epidural. Before that the contractions were so strong that Karrie was having an extremely difficult time even breathing through them. After the epidural, things were much better and she started to progress nicely. By around 11am she was approx and 8-9, and she stayed there for the next couple hours. They doctor decided to administer some Pitocin and by about 4:45 or so she was ready to push. Fortunately, while she was stuck at an 8-9, all our family that was coming down from Michigan arrived. Karrie was very thankful that she was able to say hi to everyone before she went to delivery. After prepping us for OR (because of a twin birth, she was not going to be able labor in her room). Dressed in my Michelin Man outfit, we took Karrie down to OR. Bekah's head was already peaking out before we got to OR, and it only took about 3 cycles of pushing before our beautiful little daughter was here. Karrie was able to hold her for about a minute or two and they whisked her off. Then came Billy. He was not nearly as easy as his sister. Karrie pushed very hard a couple of times, with no progress. At the same time, Billy's heart rate was dropping. Dr. Harris made the decision to do a section as to not risk any further complications. In a matter of minutes I was rushed out of of the room and Karrie was switched to a separate bed and knocked out.

As I waited outside, the nurses brought Rebekah over to me to hold before they did a few more tests and such. About 15 minutes later I heard my little son crying from the other room. The nurses brought him out after a bit and I was able to be with both of them for a good half hour or more before Karrie was awake. Unfortunately for Karrie she had to go through both vaginal labor and a c-section, but she was thrilled that the kids were here and safe. The two of us couldn't be more proud, or happier, that our little miracles are here. They are so beautiful!

Now for the stat sheet:

Rebekah Marie Brand
Born 8/23/08 at 5:17pm
5lbs 2oz and 19inches long

William Glenn Brand III
Born 8/23/08 at 5:38pm
6lbs 4oz and 19inches long

They're Here!!!!

Real quick before I finally go to sleep (I've been up since 4:30am), here are a couple pics of our wonderful little miracles

William Glenn Brand III

Rebekah Marie Brand

Mom and kids are doing wonderful. Full story with stats and more pics to follow tomorrow, stay tuned!

Dr update :)

I made a little progress. I'm now 2-3cm, and 80% effaced. My dr stripped my membranes (between the bag of water and cervix) to help encourage labor to arrive. 

If labor doesn't come on its own, I have a check up on Friday and induction scheduled for Monday, August 25th. Dr. G that I saw today said that she would love for me to have the babies on induction day because it is her birthday :)

Stripping membranes can help encourage labor, but if my body isn't ready, it won't happen. If it does happen, she thinks it will be late tonight or early tomorrow. We will just have to wait and see now. 

37 Weeks

We made it to 37 week. The kids are now considered full term. We have an induction date set for Aug 25th, if I don't go into labor first. Only days from now we will be meeting our beautiful little blessings. Please pray for a safe labor and delvery. 

Back from the Dr.

I just walked in from my drs appointment. The kids did great on the monitors. They were moving around and heart beats were wonderful. 

We did a quick scan to double check that their heads were down and they are :) Bekah ready to push her way out. 

I'm dilated 2cm (same from Friday) 60-70% effaced and at a station  -2. I found a chart online that says dilation from 0-3 is early labor and the other two stages are 4-7 and 8-10. Effaced means how thinned the cervix is(0-100%). The stations refer to how high the head is. -3 is the highest 0 is middle and +3 is delivery. Many people are dilated to a 10, 100% effaced and at a station -2(so being at a -2 isn't a bad thing).

If labor doesn't happen on its own, we will be looking at inducing either Monday, August 25th or Friday, August 22nd(hospital doesn't like weekend inductions). She said with the way my cervix is looking, we probably won't have an induction. If we do have to have one, she said she is sure it will be a very successful one. 

We promise we will call everyone as soon as something happens. :) Eventhough there wasn't much change from Friday night, my body is contracting and getting ready. With me "only" at a 2 doesn't really mean anything. I could have the babies tonight or be induced on the 25th, it is really hard to say. 

36 Weeks

I have dropped even lower!!! I don't know how much more this belly can drop without my knees carrying it. :) 

After our visit to the hospital on Friday, I have had fairly strong and regular contractions. I was able to get a good night sleep on Friday night, but about 1pm on Saturday they started up again. They aren't as close as they need to be to go to the hospital, but they are strong. All night Saturday night, I couldn't sleep because they were strong and were coming 20-30 min apart(I couldn't sleep even with the Tylenol PM). I had cat naps between the contractions. On Sunday during the day they backed off at times and became stronger at times. I found some time to nap in between the strong ones. 

Last night I slept great because the prescription strength medication they gave me for sleeping, works wonders. I've already had a few strong contractions this morning, so we will see what happens. I have a drs appt today at 3pm. This visit should last about an hr, but could last much longer if they are backed up. 

I'm going in to work on my classroom to see how much I can finish. I'm almost done, but every time I think I'm finished, I think of something else to do. I will update everyone as soon as I can.

Friday at the hospital

On Friday evening I started having strong contractions. I was resting on the couch and they continued to come. We went out to dinner with Bob and Erica and they continued to come strong and I started timing them at 8 min apart. After they continued for an hour and a half at 8 min apart, the all of a sudden dropped to 4-5min. apart. 

My dr had suggested to get into a bath of warm water to see if they stoped (real contractions wouldn't). After about 30 minutes in the bath they were just as strong, and same minutes apart. As I got out of the tub and dried off, they coninuted and I called my dr. She said to come on in to the hospital (she was already there). While we were finishing packing our hospital bags, in the car, walking into the hospital and getting on the monitors, they came strong at 4 minutes apart. 

Then, they started to back off. :( Not as strong and not as frequent. I was checked when we arrived at 10:30 pm and was at a full 2cm dilated. Once they were able to track good rates on the babies hearts, they allowed us to get up and walk around. I had some strong contractions while walking (had to pause our walk) but they weren't coming at 4 or 5 minutes. :( We did a combination of walking and monitoring and when I was checked again about 12:45am, still at 2cm. 

Good news, it was most likely early labor. Bad news, it could last for days. :( I was given something to sleep and sent home. I'm happy that the babies are still inside for at least a few more days. The more time they spend inside, the less time they would spend in the NICU. 

Back from our ultrasound

After a day full of contractions(irregular) and a night filled with them(20-30 min apart), I haven't made any progress. I was having them about 10 minutes apart when we arrived for the ultrasounds, so I mentioned it to the nurse. After the ultrasound, the nurse had the on call dr check me. I'm still the same as I was yesterday. I know that I could have the babies as early as today, or it could be a while, you never know. 

The ultrasound showed that both heads are still down :) and that Bekah looks like she will be the first to arrive. Our sweet little Bekah weighed in at 5lb 4oz (4lb 5oz 3 weeks ago) and is measuring in the 24th %(expected because she is a twin). Our little man Billy weighed in at 6lb 4oz(5lb 3 weeks ago) and is measuring in the 59th %(above average for a single pregnancy). I'm pretty thankful this isn't a single pregnancy and only carrying Billy, I can't imagine how big he would be at 40 weeks. 

I'm rushing around trying to get everything finished for my classroom/sub. I worked all afternoon yesterday in my classroom getting things organized and in order. I'm going to take a nap and then head to school to work more on my room. I'm praying I get everything finished before our children decide to arrive. :)

Doctor's Appointment

Karrie just called me after her doctor's appointment this morning. She is dilated between a 1 and 2, and the doctor said "I will schedule an appointment for you for Monday, but I doubt you'll make it that far." AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There's a chance I will be a daddy before Monday, HOLY CRAP! I'm so excited! I can't stop smiling, beaming is more like it. I catch myself looking over at my calendar in awe. We have an ultrasound scheduled for tomorrow, so expect another update then (if you don't hear from us sooner ;)

35 Weeks!!!

Bill realized as soon as he was taking the pictures that my belly has really changed this past week. I don't know if you can tell from the pictures, but I've really dropped. It is a strange feeling not having them up in my ribs anymore. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. 

I've started nesting, I cleaned most of the house on Saturday and felt great about it. Bill has been great about it and doing the things that I can't do. I can't believe that they will be here any time. From today on, my drs said they wouldn't stop labor. We will be meeting our little ones in 3 weeks or less. We are shocked that it is only 3 weeks(or less) away. 

Dr update

Today I went in for a normal NST(non stress test) and a check up. They had a hard time keeping both babies heart rates on the monitor, because they continued to move. The NST is checking for their heart rates when I have a contraction. Everything looked good and I'm scheduled for next week. The drs are just waiting to see when these little ones will decide to come. The dr mentioned she would like to see them make it at least another week, so that is the focus for right now. 

Next Tuesday I will have a NST and a normal check up. Wednesday morning I will have a growth scan to see how the babies are doing. Thankfuly Bill will be able to go to the scan with me. I'm so excited to see them on the ultrasound again. This could be the last time we "see" them before they are born. 

I think my belly button is officially gone. It used to have a slight dip in it. At the moment its pretty flat. 

Yesterday Bob went into my classroom to help set it up. He was a great help. The best part for me was that he could put the decorations on the wall w/o using a chair. I couldn't believe how easy it was for him to reach stuff. One of my coworkers came in today to help me with my room. It is pretty much finished up. There are more things I'd like to do to it, but if they don't get done I'm not too worried. Now I need to focus on my lesson plans for my sub. 

Oh yeah, and the knee looks worse than it did yesterday. I cleaned it out with peroxide and put some ointment on it. I don't want to even look at it right now because it looks so bad. YUCK!

Yucky looking knee!

34 Weeks

Can the belly get much bigger?
One of my favorites right now, Papa John's meats pizza. YUM!!!
Kaylee helped mom and dad with the laundry, as always she was dressed up in stuff we are getting rid of. 

Ouch!

My right knee looks the worst cut wise, but my left knee is very bruised and there is a scrape on the outside you can't see. Both knees are swolen and make it interesting to walk. 
My ankle isn't too bad, just minor scrapes. 

Like one of my friends said, I need a stunt double. 

Interesting Night ...

So Karrie and I had an interesting night last night/this morning. We were lazy and didn't get out of bed until almost 11 yesterday, so when it came time to go to bed neither one of us were tired. As a result, I was up till about 12:30 playing games with Bob and Karrie was surfing the internet. Before we called it a night, I had to walk some trash down to the dumpster. I asked Karrie if she'd want to walk with me, and help carry and empty box for me.

So we started to stroll down the side walk towards the dumpster. As Karrie went to step off the curb and into the parking lot, she just so happened to pick the one place that the curb dropped quickly. In the dark, and carrying a box partially blocking her view, she tripped and fell off the curb. With the box in her hand, she was not able to brace her self and landed 50% on her knees and 50% directly on the left side of her belly. The result was a massive contracting of the her stomach muscles that lasted 20 minutes or so, and two badly scraped knees. We quickly went back inside, where I proceeded to clean my poor wifeys wounds as she called the emergency number for her Dr. The doctor told her to come in immediately. So I ran the trash, which was still sitting out in the parting lot, down to the dumpster and we headed for the hospital.

It was 1am at this point and I had to be up by 7am for work. We got to the hospital and the hooked up the monitors. We heard the most beautiful sounds in the world ... the steady, slightly excited heart beats of our wonderful little ones. After things calmed down, Karrie told me to go home and get some sleep. The nurse informed us that the minimum Karrie would be in would be 4hrs. The plan was for me to go home, grab a couple hours sleep, and get Karrie around 5am. I woke up at 6am and still hadn't heard from her. In a bit of a panic, I quickly sent her a message to see what was going on. The nurses were saying that she was having consistent contractions and that they might have to keep her for 24hrs. The final say was the doctors, and fortunately she determined that Karrie's contractions were her "usual" ones that she's been having for a while now.

With me on my way to work, and my wonderful brother on the way to pick up Karrie at the hospital, I finally received the good news at about 7:15am. So Karrie's home safe and sound, passed out with our puppy. She's doing fine, minus a couple scrapped up knees, and the kids are as good as ever. I just thank God that he was watching over us and our children!

33 weeks

I can't believe how huge my belly has become. Bill keeps tellling I look normal and then there is the belly. :) I will be going every week to the drs. I went last week and will go on Tuesday. If I make it to 36 weeks we will have another ultrasound. :) According to some of the growth websites, the babies should be over 17 inches long. I can't believe I have that much baby in me right now.

It is the most amazing feeling, feeling them move around and knowing they are our children. We have waited and prayed so long for our family. God has blessed us so much that at times it is overwhelming. 

Please pray for our babies and their growth. They are looking great right now, and we pray that it continues that way. I would like to get to 36 weeks before we deliver. They will have the best chance at going home from the hospital with us at that point. Knowing that the babies will be here soon also brings great joy to our home because we know that when they arrive, family will be arriving too. We have missed everyone so much and can't wait to see family. :)

Check up!

Billy is on the left in this picture and Bekah is on the right in this picture(they are on my opposite sides Bekah is on my left).

This may be one of the last together photos we can get of our little ones before they are born because of how big they are getting.

Bekah weighed in at 4lb and 5oz, measuring in the 44th percentile (very normal not to be above 50% because of being twins).

Billy weighed in at 5lb, measuring in the 66th percentile (staying steady percentage wise).

My dr is very happy with their growth and how healthy I am. Right now I weigh 2lbs more than I did when I found out I was pregnant. I lost over 25lbs in the beginning and have gained that back plus 2lbs. 

I asked her about our hospital visit and asked after what point won't they stop contractions. Her response was 35 weeks. I'm in shock. That means if I go into labor in 18 short days, they won't stop it. Both heads are down, and I would like to try for a vaginal birth. My dr said since they have had their heads down for the past month, they most likely won't change. I will be able to labor in my birth center room but I will have to move to OR for the delivery. She also said since I'm having twins I get the largest room in the birth center. :) he he, that will be nice. 

I'm not allowed to travel more than 30 min away anymore, so that will be strange. Also 32 weeks is a huge milestone, and the next one is 34. If I can make it to 34 weeks, we have a great chance of bringing home the babies with me when I leave the hospital. :)

While I was watching them on the ultrasound, I could see their chests rise and fall. They are already practicing their breathing. They have both have had hiccups the past two weeks, and that is them practicing their breathing. :)

32 Weeks

I can't believe that we are at 32 weeks already. The longest they will let me go is 38 weeks, so that means in 6 weeks or less we will be meeting our wonderful blessings from God. 

I'm having a harder time sitting or standing for a long period of time. I'm most comfortable when I'm laying on the couch. 

My next drs visit is scheduled for Wednesday. I will have an ultrasound to see how the kids are growing and then will have my normal visit. 

Happy 7yr Dating Anniversary!

Then....
Now....

Bill,

As I sit here and reflect on our past 7 years, I can't believe how much our love has grown. Back then I never could have imagined how much I could love you. I sit here and look at my belly move as our children are growing inside me. My eyes start welling up with tears, just thinking how happy I am to be your wife, and soon to be the mother of your children. 

I look back through the pictures of us dating, engaged and married. I see how crazy we can be and how much fun we have together. We have grown from teens to adults, learning what true love really means. We have been there for each other through the difficult and wonderful life experiences. I don't know where I would be today without you by my side. 

I'll never forget the fireworks we were watching when you asked me to be your girlfriend, the first trip to the cabin and "my" rock. I'll never forget the first time we said "I love you", our first kiss and hours spent talking(into the middle of the night). I'll never forget the picnic in the back of your jeep, my first Red Wings game, or how I felt when you were in your car accident. 

I'll never forget our fun memories at college, the long walks around campus, or the Sunday pizzas. I'll never forget the moment right after my "dip" in the bay, the tears we shared when I said "yes", or the fireworks that were beautifully planned. 

The love back then, doesn't even compare with the love I have for you now. As we join the wonderful world of parenthood, I reflect on the road that brought us here. It has been a long road, but perfect for us. I can see how God planned it all out, just for us. I can't wait to meet our children and to see you hold them for the first time. 

I love you,

Love,

Me :)

31 weeks/ trip to the hospital

Mommy and daddy had quite the adventure yesterday. Uncle Bobby and Auntie E came over to play in the pool. All I did was walk down to the pool and get in. I wasn't playing around or anything(the boys were playing basketball in the pool). I started having a bunch of contractions. I thought it was very strange because the pool usually helps me relax and this time it didn't. I tried sitting on the steps and not moving. That didn't work either. 

I told Bill and we all headed back inside. It took me forever to make it inside, because the contractions were getting pretty strong. I headed to the shower, thinking maybe that could help. The contractions didn't stop and started to have a 3-4min. pattern and getting even stronger. 

I knew that my dr would have me lay on my left side and drink fluids. So to the couch I went with water. I started writing down my contractions on a note pad, Bill looked at it at the 45min. mark and couldn't believe how many I had(there was quite the list).

After being on the couch for 90min strait, they weren't slowing down or getting easier. I called the nurse on call and she passed on the message to my dr. My dr returned the call very quickly, and she asked me to come in to the hospital(I knew she was already there, because the number that came up was the hospitals number). 

By this time I was having a difficult time talking through the contractions, and Bill looked a little nervous. 

When Bill dropped me off at the front door, the security guard met me at the door with a wheelchair(no guessing why I was there, lol). He wheeled me upstairs before Bill could even make it to the front door. They checked me in to a triage room, and started a bunch of questions. I answered them the best I could through contractions. 

Minutes later, my dr entered. She explained that she wanted to do check my cervix and run a few tests and give me a shot(terbutaline)  to stop the contractions. My cervix checked out ok, I wasn't dilated at all. So that was good news #1. The nurse put the monitors on my belly to check out the babies and contractions. She gave me the shot and tried to start the IV. The shot wasn't too bad and she wasn't successful with the first attempt with the IV. She managed to make the side of my wrist swell up and look like I had a growth. By this time I started feeling very strange from the shot. I told the nurse that the room was getting very dark and that I thought I was going to pass out.

She took out the IV from my arm and called in another nurse to put the IV in my other arm. They ended up putting me on oxygen and had me keep talking to them. It was the strangest feeling in the world, come to find out my blood pressure had dropped (didn't tell me what it dropped to). The other nurse was able to get my IV in w/o a problem. I can hardly tell where my IV went, but I can tell you exactly where the first one went, it is very bruised today.

They pumped me full of 2 bags of fluid and had me rest. My dr had to head to OR and said she would check on me as soon as she was finished. While I was waiting on my dr, the nurse came back in and said that my test results came back and that I was negative for actual pre term labor. 

When my dr came back, she said that my tests came back great. She said one of the tests showed bacteria, but she was sending it off to the lab and would contact me if I needed to be treated for it. She said that this could have been caused because of it being a twin pregnancy, an infection, dehydration, or the combination. 

So now I'm taking it even easier than before, drinking a bunch of water, and that is about it. Please continue to pray for our little ones and that they stay inside longer to "cook". We know that God has everything under control, and that he has it all planned out. We can't wait to meet our little ones, but we know they need to stay inside a few more weeks. 

Thanks for reading my "book".

30 Weeks

You can see how my belly is filling in more at the top. That is where it is getting painful. The kids are using my ribs to play on, and it doesn't feel the greatest. 

Mommy and Kaylee Grace. Don't worry, her paws were in my hands and I had to convince her to jump up, she won't do it on her own.
I was warm and we had been outside quite a bit of the day. I'm really not burnt, just warm. 
Handsome daddy. We don't get too many pics of daddy, but here is one. :) He is going to be such a great daddy.

Weekend fun!

Mini golf in Charlotte. Daddy had the camera. Can you tell? No pictures of daddy :(

Uncle Bobby!
Auntie E being her cute self. 
This is mommys new way of shopping, in a wheelchair. I did too much over the weekend, so to take it easy and still do what we wanted, I used a wheelchair. 

This is why....

we need a new car. This is the trunk after putting only the stroller in. Where is luggage and a pack n play going to go. How in the world are we ever going to make it to MI to see family in this?

Where would we put Kaylee? I don't think she would be too happy to fit in this little space. 

29 weeks

I posted 3 post today, so make sure you look at them all(kaylee and nursery too).

STRETCH MARKS!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! Every one of them are worth it :)

Kaylee Grace

Look at me I LOVE the fan. 

Please.......can I have an ice cube?
This is what happens when I don't get my nap durring the day, I crash. Did I mention I LOVE Uncle Bobby?
Who can say no?
Day 2 of very little naps, I'm very sleepy. I just woke up when daddy got ready to take the picture. He he he.