I Could Get Used to This

Working from home... it's the best of both worlds.  Using my brain and making some money while the buggies sleep, but still being home for them.

I got the opportunity to help out with some data entry for a friends business.  I am not sure how long it will last, but for now I am grateful.  I am going on one month and still no sign of my disability check so this is REALLY going to help, plus I feel... hummm what's the word?  "Useful" for more than cleaning house and wiping booties.  This is JUST what I needed!

Yesterday we checked up on Baby H and he was great.  Fluid levels were amazing and AGAIN showing the package and breathing.  I had a different doctor this time and he is VERY thorough.  He recommended NSTs TWICE a week.  My jaw dropped and all I could mutter was "I have twins."  Childcare is SUPER hard for me to come by right now.  I used to be able to count on Thursday help, but given my Grandma's situation I don't know when and if I will have that for awhile.  OH MY GOODNESS... update on that.  Surgery went well, they went in twice and are pretty sure they were able to remove the whole spot.  We will know the results on Monday and will go from there.  Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers.

Anyways childcare right now is pretty much non-existent so the NSTs and the weekly doctors appointments just made my heart sink.  Thankfully the doctor agreed to NSTs just once a week.  I picked Thursdays for appointments and NSTs in hopes that between my Mom and Grandma we can work something out.  My Mom is usually off Thursdays, but for extra money she often picks up an extra shift that day and/or has errands and things she needs to do as well.  Soon enough the boys will be in pre-school two days a week and then I will be on a mission to find a Hudson sitter a couple days a week.  The hunt NEVER ends.  Those of you who have childcare help from family, please NEVER take for granted how lucky you are.

They were able to get me in for a 4:30 NST so thankful for that because the Daddy was home with the boys by that time.  I found the test to be pure heaven!  A quiet hospital room (the same room I labored with the boys, that brought back some memories) surrounded by pillows, the sounds of Hudson's little ticker, and a remote to a TV.  What wasn't to love?  They handed me a button to push when he moved.  Well wouldn't ya know it, it was the most active he has EVER been and he had hiccups the entire 30 minutes.  I was sent home passing with flying colors, the babes is doing great.  I was told to watch for labor signs and get into L&D at any signs so they could be sure to have enough time to remove the cerclage and prep for the c-section.  Just 28 days of less...

30 Days, Prayers, and an Overload

30 days until Hudson makes his debut.  30 days until we are starting all over with a newborn and I am indulging in strawberry soda and sushi.  Oh and maybe a couple weeks later I will be having my first taste of a Skinny Girl Margarita or a nice crisp glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Yesterday a friend of mine took maternity pics, it was HECTIC to say the least.  Trying to get the boys in the same picture as us was utter chaos. But at the end of the day we some how managed to get some decent shots.  We weren't going for the lets stand a smile and pose kind because that's just not our life anymore.  I CANNOT wait to see how they turned out.  Seriously CANNOT wait.

Yesterday I took the boys out to lunch and to get a car wash.  There was a woman there with two kids (older than mine of course) and a 7 week old.  Lunch was arriving and she was dealing with that and at the same time the baby got hungry.  I started to panic slightly for her.  But nope she swopped up the baby held his bottle with her chin and carried on helping the older kids.  I began to wonder if breastfeeding would be just as easy, easier, or maybe harder.  I didn't really "breastfeed" the boys.  I pumped and fed them because Noah never really latched.  I am having quite a bit of anxiety over what is "right for us this time."  I say I want to go with breastfeeding, BUT bottles seem SO much easier with all we have going on.  I can pass him off to friends and family to help and won't have to figure out how to try to breastfeed him discreetly in public places and then what happens a few months later when I go back to work?  At the end of the day I DO want to give it my best effort, BUT I am not going to let myself feel like a failure if it doesn't work out.  I know at the start it WILL be harder than bottles, but eventually it WILL be easier.  So the plan is to try to attack it with every ounce I have.

Tomorrow is the big day, Gram's surgery please please please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

 Somebody thinks he is the baby

 Daddy got a back up singer at his last event

 The temporary fix to our diaper issue until the pull-ups arrived

 Adding Hudson to the mix

 Probably one of the cutest baby butts EVER, I am sure he will love this someday

 Another picture, really?

 Aaden LOVES his Papa Wayne

 Kissing and showing Mama where Hudson is

 Aaden and Cousin Julia

 Noah taking in the view

 Noah & Cousin Julia

 First time fishing

 Our little guys

For some crazy reason Aaden is our biggest chatter box, but I manage to have more videos of Noah talking.  Probably because Aaden won't do it on command.  Ya know "Aaden what does the doggie say?" The kid just looks at me like stupid.. you know what the dog says.  He instead will just carry on a full conversation when you least expect it.  Noah, he will play copycat with me, so here are some copycat videos and a Hudson kicking video.

My Future Baseball Star and 33 Weeks

Updates and Prayers

It always seems to happen that just when things are going smooth you hit a bump.  I am at a time in my life where I couldn't ask for much more.  I am home with my bugs enjoying the Summer, my amazing amazing amazing friends and my super wonderful family.  I am surrounded by supportive, optimistic, fun, and loving people not to mention an amazing Husband and two wonderful little boys with one more on the way.  I fall asleep with a smile on my face, and wake up to the sounds of my monkeys chatting in their room.  Really.. at a great place.  So wouldn't ya know it that a bump would come along?

7 years ago while in the midst of wedding planning the unthinkable happened and my Grammy was diagnosed with lung cancer.  I have mentioned my Gram a bit on here and that's because she is a huge part of my life and a huge part of me.  My Mom was young when she had me and my Mom became a single Mom when I was VERY young.  My Gram played a huge part in my life.  Many a Summers and weekends would be spent at her house where I learned to cook, and clean, learned religion, and saw what a wonderful marriage looks like.  Even still my Gram plays a huge part in our lives and comes over every Thursday to take care of the boys, or more recently just hang out with us and chit chat and help me out with the boys and the house.

So 7 years ago Gram fought through.  She took that cancer and squashed it!  They were able to remove the spot on her lungs and no additional treatment was needed, although YES it was a very invasive surgery and took her quite some time to heal, but she did it and even climbed to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite a year later.  Well after a routine mammogram a few weeks ago they found a spot on her breast.  Quickly after that they sent her in for a biopsy, well because of the location and the blood vessels around the spot they were not able to perform the biopsy.  She waited for an appointment and was able to get in with the specialist.  He thought that going in for surgery to remove the spot made the most sense.  So on the 28th Gram will go in for surgery to remove the spot.  At this point we are not sure if it is cancerous or not.  They will do their best to remove it and some of the cells around it.  We pray for a safe surgery and also pray that the spot is not cancerous.  Please please keep my Gram in your thoughts now and in a couple weeks as she goes through the surgery and awaits the results.

In other not so important news my chest pain is doing WAY better today and yesterday I got to see baby H.  I had what is most likely my final ultrasound and cervix check.  Cervix was a 3.8, holy moly no shortening going on here and more than likely that has little to do with the cerclage.  My cervix just didn't handle twins all that well.  Hudson was breathing like crazy and even managed to show the doc that his testicles have dropped... YES Hudson we KNOW you are a boy, you don't have to keep rubbing it in Mommies face.  hehehe.  Surgery date is set, we will first remove the cerclage and then move on with the c-section.  I opted NOT to tie my tubes after a lot of going back and forth.  Do I think I will be having more kids?  NO!  But it was too hard to make such a final decision at just 29.  However, I WILL be getting on something more than just birth control pills in the future.  Next hard decision will be what to do with the five frozen embryos.

In buggie news this week has FLOWN by, I am not quite sure how I did all this and worked, I am LOVING staying home and spending time with them.  I have done some schedule switch up and it seems to be working great.  Bugs wake up around 8, but chit chat a bit then we have some breakfast and play together.  From 10 - 11 they watch Sesame Street in their room while I do some clean up and laundry.  11 - 12:30  we color or do puzzles, play at the park, play outside, or go for a walk.  12:30 is lunch time and 1:00 is nap time.  It's crazy how naps from moved from 11:30 to 1:00 in just 7 months.  But I LOVE it because if we decide to go out it gives us much more awake time to do something instead of hurrying home for naps.  They awake usually around 3 and we take a snack outside and play.  About 4:20 on Tuesday, Thursdays, and Fridays the Daddy comes home, which we LOVE!  Mondays and Wednesdays he doesn't, which can make for a long day.  We all have dinner around 6 and then baths have been moved to 7:30 and bedtime to 8:00.  It's working great, they very rarely fight sleep now that nap time has moved 30 minutes later and bedtime has moved 30 minutes later.

In Birthday Buggie news... a party has been planned!  I am big on Birthdays, they are special to me.  I rarely let special days of those I love go un-noticed.  We thought long and hard about what to do for the buggies considering Hudson will only be two weeks old.  We thought about just doing nothing, or trying to combine their Birthday with a welcome baby party for Hudson or even combining it with a friend of mines son whos Birthday is the day before the boys for some party help.  Well the boys WILL be getting their special day or two.  Their actual birthday falls on opening night of football, which also happens to be RAIDER football.  My Husband is a DIE-HARD Raider fan so we will have a pizza and football party at home for close friends and family.  The following weekend we will have a Choo-choo train party at the park.  Nothing crazy, the guest list has been cut a lot from last years since it isn't their first birthday.  I have already created and made the invitations via Heritage Makers scrapping and last night I ordered all the supplies.  Sort of.  I ordered about half the napkins and plates we need because frugal me plans to go to Target and buy the other half in a solid color to alternate and make them stretch farther, same with the table cloths I will buy a solid color.  No goodie bags either, instead I ordered a train pinata.  So after a target run for my solids and some candy all that's left is food.  Pretty sure it will be burgers, hot dogs, watermelon, and BBQ chips.  Remember keeping it simple here as I will have a three week old.  My beautiful and amazing friend Andrea has agreed to make two train cakes, one for each boy.  I heart her, her and my amazing friends are the reason I opted for this party because I know they will be around to help me out.  Here is a party spoiler...

http://www.birthdayexpress.com/Two-Two-Train-2nd-Birthday-Party-Supplies/64713/PartyKitDetail.aspx

July 4th, What a Difference Five Years Can Make...

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Ouch!

So yesterday shortly after lunch I started getting some pain in my chest, and more specifically behind my heart.  It was a tightness feeling that hurt when I took a deep breath, straightened my back, coughed, or stretched out my left arm.  I initially thought it was a little gas bubble, but as the problem continued with NO relief I started wondering.

This morning I called the OB to see what they thought.  To much surprise they urged me to go to the ER right away.  The ER with my twins?  Huh?  Thankfully my sister was at home and up for watching them.  When I got to the ER they rushed me in right away and three nurses and the EKG man followed me.  Talk about scary!  Within 10 minutes or so I was checked-in, vitals done, as well as the EKG.  The doctor came in and said my EKG was okay, not perfect, but acceptable.  He said he heard a pretty substantial heart murmur.  I had been told I had a mild one off and on throughout my life, but this doctor said it was VERY noticeable and that sometimes pregnancy can make it worse.  They did blood work to rule out a heart attack, uhhh talk about scare me half to death.  Baby H was kicking away and probably was enjoying some down time.

The ticker seems to be okay, although the ER doc would like me to follow up with a cardiologist for an echo cardio gram sometime in the near future for the murmur.  Turns out my rib bones have shifted and are irritating the cartilage in my chest wall bone which is causing the pain.  It is a condition called costochondritis.  Usually is lasts 1 - 2 weeks, but who knows in this case.  Unfortunately I can only take Tylenol for the pain and try to avoid doing the things that irritate it.  I decided to rest when the boys rested today, so here I am cuddled up on my couch hoping to make this crazy thing go away.

I am VERY thankful that is all it was and it makes sense because the little dude is pushing on my rib bones.  Had I not been pregnant I guess this also comes on related to stress, but since I am pregnant the doctor assumes it is from the baby pushing on my ribs.  Either way I am planning to take it easy as I can with two 22 month olds.  Yup, bugs turned 22 months yesterday!  Their speaking and interacting with each other is totally mind boggling lately.

Maternity Leave, The 4th, and a Smart Cookie

31 week appointment went great. Baby H is doing perfect and the Doc wasn't at all worried about my placenta being "mature" she said that doesn't mean much. My cervix was great at about a 3 and baby boy was head down. He has hair and was doing his breathing. What an over achiever. At the end of the appointment I asked about maternity leave as I wanted to get an exact date. Doc looked puzzled and walked over to my chart and said "you're working?" I told her I was and she said that I should have been off around 28 weeks because this is still considered a high risk pregnancy and I have every reason to be taking it easy. So that was that. I finished out my week at work and wrapped some things up and here I am.. AT HOME until December!

I will say it is NOT very relaxing being at home, but I am loving it. Although an incident about 30 minutes ago I could have done without. Friday nights the Daddy has softball, so after lunch I decided to give the boys a bath early. After baths I put them in their cribs for a nap in ONLY a diaper. BAD MOVE! About 45 minutes later I heard a loud thump and then a scream. YUP, Aaden had finally made his way out of the crib, but wait... POOP! Yup he had taken his diaper off and painted poop all over the crib. I stripped the crib and glanced over at Noah who's crib had smelly spit up in it. Too much cheese for my guy, he has a sensitive tummy even still. Both cribs got stripped and both boys headed back to the tub. Happy Friday!

The Smart Cookie - Noah Warren