18 weeks

I had my 18 week appointment today (although I technically won't be 18 weeks till tomorrow). It went really well. We were excited when they told us they would be doing an ultrasound. With twins, its just too hard to find them both with the Doppler, and know you are getting both babies heartbeats, so checking quick on ultrasound is the easiest way. Well the ultrasound tech is awesome and "slipped" to check the genders! And lots of other things too.

So we got to find out that we are having 2 BOYS!

At first, baby B was uncooperative and had its legs closed. So she moved to Baby A who immediately made it known he was a HE, and very proud of it! She checked the heartbeat, and got some cute pictures of Baby A, then went back to Baby B, who had decided to cooperate. We saw right away that he was Also a HE.

Here are a couple of pictures she took of the babies.

After my ultrasound, we saw my Doctor really quick, who answered all my questions as always. Everything is going great!

We left and called some family members. They were excited to hear! We are excited to know, and to be able to start planning better. We are a little nervous to have 3 boys. Our house will definitely not be a quiet and peaceful place. We easily picked some girls names, but don't have a single boys name we agree on, let alone two!! So naming these two monkeys will be VERY difficult. We are very open to any suggestions! We are excited that we have a bit less stuff to buy since we have a lot of boy things already.

As far as my pregnancy goes, I can't complain too much! I kind of feel like I just skipped several weeks. With Payton, I remember feeling GREAT from when I stopped feeling nauseous (week 15 or so), until like week 30, when I started to get a bit uncomfortable from getting bigger. This time, I finally completely stopped feeling sick at week 16....then had a week or so where I felt fantastic! Then all of a sudden this last week I am getting a pretty sore back, lots more sciatic pain, and pelvic pain. They are just growing like crazy and I am feeling it! Oh well, its still very tolerable and I know its only gonna get worse.

I haven't shown a whole lot, which has kind of surprised me! I expected to just pop out a few weeks ago with there being two babies. I was so surprised when I didn't, that I got a bit nervous they weren't growing enough, something was wrong etc. I was happy to see that everything is just fine! I am finally starting to notice a difference in the way my clothes fit, and may have to bust out some maternity clothes in the next few weeks. I feel like I am carrying them really far in, which is part of the reason I think I have back pain. So here are 3 pictures, from weeks 16, 17, and 18. I notice a difference looking at these pictures, I think more then I've notice seeing the gradual change myself.

16 weeks

17 weeks

18 Weeks

I'm still doing great with work, and getting everything done that I need to. I am happy to have a bit more energy lately. Everything is going great! We moved Payton into his new room and new bed so we can start getting the nursery ready. I am so excited to find a fun theme, and redecorate it for these two boys. Payton has been talking about the "2 baby brothers" all evening. We know he will love having two little brothers to play with!

Pictures of Payton

My very talented friend Heidi took some pictures of Payton. She did an incredible job! I am so happy to have these pictures! I can't wait to get some printed to put up on my walls.


This last one was really fun. We have him in his big brother shirt and asked him how many babies is mommy going to have. So he holds up 2 fingers. It was cute!
This little guy is getting so big! He is talking like CRAZY! It is so cute to hear him put sentences together now. The other day he came and stole something from my room while I was getting ready...I think it was my hairbrush. Then he ran as fast as he could to the family room where Devry was. All I hear is him yell. "Hurry, hurry, Mommy's gonna get me!!!" We were laughing so hard! He is such a little character.
I think some of our favorite moments are when he first wakes up, in the morning or from naps. He says the funniest things. When we hear him starting to stir, we just wait for him to start talking so we can laugh. Lots of mornings he asks for his cousins, or grandparents, or the dogs. Other mornings he yells things he wants (apple juice, socks, jacket, his monkey etc). Other mornings he just has little conversations with himself about who knows what. One afternoon we had to go wake him up from his nap to go help Devry's Brother Tim with something. We go in and ask him if he wants to go see uncle Tim. He Yells " NO WAY! Go away" I guess he wasn't ready to get up.
He makes us laugh all the time. He is so sweet and gives me hugs and kisses constantly throughout the day. He loves playing with his toys, especially his cars and farm set. He loves watching movies, especially Cars, toy Story and Curious George. Devry is always saying how much he changes when he is gone for 9 days to WY. It makes me so sad that Devry misses so much with him. Hopefully it won't last forever.

A Baby Story - or two

We are so THRILLED to announce that we are pregnant!!

So here is a little more of the story...



On August 12th, I FINALLY saw this...

And I cried. And cried. And took another test...because I didn't believe it. And cried some more when it was positive too. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. I ran and danced around the house with Payton, and jumped up and down. Devry was in Rock Springs working, and we were going to see him the next day. So I used every ounce of will power I had, and I didn't tell him!

And on August 13, we got to rock springs. And Payton handed him a present. In it was the positive pregnancy test and this picture.....
And we danced around and cried some more!

Then on August 22...I started feeling sick. Very very sick. I threw up everything. I was nauseous all the time and could hardly stand to look at food. And even worse were the migraines. I started getting them 2-4 times a week. And I couldn't take a thing for them. I am sure it was partially from hormones, partially from stress, and partially from dehydration...but they were probably the worst thing. I was grateful for the sickness because it meant I was pregnant. But it was surprising because I was only slightly sick with Payton And never had a single migraine. Not like this. I went in for IV's, and took nausea medicine that didn't help much. But I was so grateful to be pregnant. And I was determined to keep it a secret and not complain (other then to Devry of course :) )On one visit for an IV The NP who I was seeing said, "Well if you weren't this sick with Payton, then maybe this time it's a girl!.....or twins." haha really funny!

Then....on September 23, I went in for my 10 week Ultrasound. The same NP was the one doing it. And we saw this...

and realized her joke about twins wasn't really a joke any more ....
I saw two babies right away. And I think I started hyperventilating. I said to the NP "ummm you need to tell me what I see, because I think I know what I see so you need to tell me right now!" And she says.. "well there are two babies." And went to get one of the Dr's to do a more thorough U/S. I looked at Devry, and he was as white as a Ghost. I asked him if he was ok, and he just says "was she joking?" Nope. no joke. 2 babies. Dr. Prince came in and showed us each baby, and how it each has its own sac and placenta. We saw two strong heartbeats and they measured only 1 day difference, which was right when I thought I was due.

We left the office in shock. Total and complete shock. I cried. I was overwhelmed. I was so unbelievably overwhelmed. How could I do this? I am a working mom with no husband most of the time, and its hard with 1 kid! Adding 2 more seemed impossible! How could I work with 2 babies and a toddler? How could we afford for me not to? When would I EVER get to sleep? Don't get me wrong. I was incredibly grateful to be pregnant, and to get 2 babies! Wow! But the excitement took a while to come. A few Weeks.

And then we both kept feeling like we are supposed to have these babies. That there is such a bigger picture then we have been able to see. There is a reason it took us so long to get pregnant. There is a reason for the age gap that I was so worried about. It all of a sudden became a huge blessing to know Payton will be almost 3 when I have them. Not 18 months to 2 years like we had hoped. I knew everything we have gone through to get these babies happened the way it did for a reason. And I could be so much more grateful for them because it took time and patience to get them. It became clearer and clearer that although it would be hard... we could do it. I could do it. And when I felt that incredible peace and comfort... I could begin to be excited! And then...around October 4, I felt them move! I thought I was crazy. But I kept feeling it. It was unmistakably fetal movement. Before 12 weeks! And then I read, and read, and read about twins. And I wasn't crazy. I could feel them sooner because there are two of them! And I remembered how incredible it is to feel a sweet baby growing inside of you. And I get to feel two of them! How exciting! What a blessing! Oh and about 12 weeks, I stopped throwing up everything I was eating. And each week the nausea got less and less. So Now I just have some "normal" nausea throughout the day, and I feel it getting better all the time. Hopefully soon It will be gone!

So on October 20th, I actually switched from the family practice office I was going to (which I was SOO hesitant to do, because I LOVE their office and my doctor....but I knew seeing an OB was probably the best thing with twins). So I chose one of the OB's I work with, and went in for my next appt. 14 weeks. And we saw this...

2 tiny little babies. Baby A is head down and lower, and baby B is sideways and on top. We saw them moving all over, and realized exactly why I felt them so much! And we saw where each baby was, and where the placenta's were, and where the 2 sacs meet. It was incredible. The u/s tech showed us so many things on these babies. She was so thorough, and SO kind. She made the comment that we would be seeing a lot of each other. They u/s twins a lot! First of all to check the heartbeats. Its really hard to doppler twins and identify whether you are getting two different heartbeats or the same one twice, especially when they are little so they just look and make sure! And second of all for their size. They want to make sure they are both growing well. This concern is less for me, since I have Dichorionic-Diamniotic twins ( or DiDi- two placentas, two sacs). So basically they each have their own nutrition system and won't steal from each other! So I will probably have an u/s almost every appointment. This is fun because I get to see them grow! I will have a photo album of U/S pictures before they even get here! Its also fun because we can double and triple check the genders once we know them!
So I saw my doctor and had TONS of questions! First of all...are they identical or fraternal?? I thought, ok DiDi, that means fraternal right? My Doctor said NO and explained they could still be monozygotic, or identical if it was one egg that split in the first 3 days. Interesting. He says the only real way to know is blood work, or if they Look identical. Or if they are a boy and a girl...then obviously they are fraternal. So we will see.
He was fantastic! He was so thorough, and answered all of my questions. And even better...he didn't treat me like a L&D nurse. I know that sounds weird...but Dr's sometimes have a tendancy to assume I know everything pregnancy related because of my job. It is frustrating, because sometimes they jump over information that I didn't know, or even more I have to explain 10 x more to Devry because he has no clue. So I LOVED that my Dr went through the same things he would with everyone else. And Devry could understand. We learned lots together. I was so happy with our decision to go to this Dr. I know we will be very well taken care of.

After my 14 week appointment, I felt comfortable enough to announce our exciting news. We had told our families (just parents and siblings) at 12 weeks. But I wanted to wait till my appointment before telling anyone else. So we found a really fun way to tell people! I saw this Halloween costume online last year, and remembered it. I thought it was perfect since I'd be 15 weeks by halloween. So I had it made! So fun to see people figure it out, then see if they were brave enough to ask if it was true.
At 15 weeks...I am feeling pretty good! Much less nausea, NO vomitting! Less exhausted, more energy! NO Migraines! I actually lost about 13 lbs when I was sick...and I gained back 3 of it in the past few weeks. I'm not showing at all yet, although I'm sure I will soon with 2 growing babies! I haven't had to bust out any maternity clothes yet, and I'm hopeful that MAYBE my height will be to my advantage and I won't get as massive as I fear. But I probably still will. Oh well. I have some of my appetite back...and actually enjoy eating again! I have been craving tomato soup and steak. Payton is kind of catching on to the concept. He says "2 babies in mommy's tummy." and kisses my tummy. He tells me he is going to be a "big brovver to TWOOOOO babies" (and holds up 2 fingers). Not sure if he really gets it, but it sure is cute! I have been spending hours and hours reading about twins. Everything from what I will need to get to how to nurse them, to how to parent them as teenagers. Yes I'm probably getting a little a head of myself. I am learning lots and enjoying knowing as much as I can before they get here!

We did make the decision that although we aren't sure HOW we will be able to do it financially.....I NEED to be home with these babies longer then a 12 week maternity leave (and 12 weeks would be the max...more then likely I will have to stop working earlier then that and only get 8-10 weeks after they are actually born). So I will return to work after my maternity leave is over...for a month (This month is required for insurance purposes). We are hoping this month will be in July when My mom is here to help. Then after the month, I will HOPEFULLY go PRN (which means I will work 3-4 shifts a month and can pick which ones they are). Then besides the few shifts a month, I will be home full time. I am excited for it. We know it is where I need to be. And we will figure it out financially.

So that is the story of our Twins. So far. We really are excited for them! We hopefully will get to get a sneak peak of their gender at my next appt (18 weeks...november 17th)..and if not I will have my "20 week u/s" 2 weeks later where they should be able to tell (if we have cooperative babies). So the 1st week in December. We can't wait to start planning for them. And deciding on a nursery theme, and names, and everything else!

Happy Halloween!!

I know it's not even Halloween, but here is my Halloween post! Unfortunately Devry has to be in Rock Springs working so we don't get to celebrate with him at all. We had our party and "trunk or treat" for our Ward tonight, and since that's really the only thing we are doing for Halloween I thought I'd post about it.

Payton wanted to be a puppy this year. He was so cute crawling around on the floor and barking!

When I told him we were going to get Candy, he was headed out the door! haha silly kid!

And here is my Halloween costume!

And Also my 15 week baby bump Picture!
Hope you all have a Great Halloween!!

October.

Now that it is October, I feel like I have a bit more time and can breathe. This week was my first week in a Regular Part Time position at work. That means I am now scheduled only 2 nights a week instead of 3. 1 less night may not seem like a big deal, but let me tell you..it is! I only have to work 8 nights a month. I have several breaks between shifts that are 4-8 days long. A small amount of stress was lifted at the start of this month. Knowing I now only have to leave Payton 2 nights a week and only have a couple days a week with little or no sleep is so much more manageable with Devry gone.

I found a wonderful babysitter to come stay at my house when I work. She is the best! Payton adores here, and gets so excited when she comes. She is so helpful and helps me keep my house clean, jumps in to help with everything, and entertains payton so well! Payton is doing really well adjusting to everything. It helps so much that she comes to my house and follows his routine exactly.

I am SO grateful to have such an amazing hard working husband. He is works his butt off 5 hours away, because it was the only way for me to cut back. We both knew cutting back was much needed for me, and especially for Payton. It is the hardest thing ever to have Devry gone, but we both know it is the right thing for us right now.

Devry is home right now for his 5 day break. It is SO nice to have him here. We are enjoying our time together so much! Hopefully this doesn't have to last too long though.

Migraines

Fair warning. If you don't want to be invited to my pity party, then don't read this post. I will start out by saying that I am completely aware that MILLIONS of people have it a MILLION times harder then I do. I am trying so hard to look at all the positive things in my life, and really focus on my blessings....but it is really hard to do right now.
Besides Devry being gone over 2/3 of every month, which sucks I might add, and besides having to play single working mom with very little sleep, I have been struggling with TONS of HORRIBLE migraines. Not just once or twice a month, like they were 6 months ago, but 2-3 times a week or more! It is absolutely miserable. When I get them, I can't see, I can't think clearly, I can't stop throwing up, I can't drive, My whole left side goes numb, I feel like there is a bomb going off over and over again inside of my head, and light makes me what to stab my eyeballs out. Yes. gross I know. I can't function. My poor child is placed in front of the TV, and I BEG him to leave me alone. I lay on the couch with a cool pack on my head and neck, with a pillow over my head to try to block out all light and sound. And I hope that when I am coherent again, Payton will still be sitting there like a zombie, glued to that hypnotizing box. Oh my poor child. I hope he survives me.
So I have been trying everything I can think of. Identifying triggers, taking preventative things, taking the meds I can when I get one, avoiding anything that I even think could be a trigger, trying homeopathic remedies. It is frustrating to read about them though. Most resources will say that the best way to prevent them is to get enough sleep and eliminate stress. HA. Right. So I have ANOTHER Dr's appointment for them, and a chiropractor appointment. I am trying everything I can think of. I have been getting them at work, after work, when I'm not working. I don't even see a rhyme or reason anymore. I luckily haven't had to call in sick very often for them...mostly because I take something and go try to make it through the night. I feel extremely guilty calling in sick to work, so I really have to be in bad shape before I will let one keep me home. Luckily (like tonight) I can request call, and hope that I get to stay home, and not get called in. So here is my whine fest. Like I said, I am really trying to be positive....but it is very hard when my head feels like it is going to explode a huge portion of the time. I am VERY open to ANY suggestions anyone has!

Payton's 2nd Birthday!

Well, although my posts are coming very late, I still want to make sure I post them!

On July 27th, Payton turned 2 years old. Unfortunately I had to work that day, so we didn't do a whole lot. We waited until the following Saturday to have his birthday Party. Family and friends came over and celebrated with us. We had a gorgeous day and enjoyed lots of fun and yummy food.

The kids all played in the pool and with the sprinklers. They loved it!

We blew bubbles!

Then had some fun in the hammock.

We had a yummy barbeque, then sang Payton happy birthday. He had a Cars cake this year. I had fun making and decorating it, and Payton loved it!

Then Payton opened his presents with the help of his cousins and friends! He was so spoiled and got so many wonderful gifts!

We had a ton of fun celebrating Payton's 2nd Birthday. I am still in shock that he is 2 already! He is getting so big and independent. He is talking a ton now, and has such a funny imagination. I am amazed at all he is learning, and how quickly he picks things up. We love this little guy so much and are so grateful to have him!