32 Weeks 5 Days

This picture was taken on January 19, 2013. I was 32 weeks pregnant with the twins. It was the day that Stephanie and Carrie threw me a baby shower. So many people came and showered me with love and gifts and made me feel so much more prepared for the twins to come. It was such a fantastic day! However, by the end of the day I was feeling awful. I was so incredibly swollen and my body just hurt. That night something was different though, I couldn't tell you how but I was just feeling really awful. I tried to go to church the next day and I couldn't stay. I came home early. I was getting more uncomfortable, swollen, sore, tired, and not to mention grumpy. Monday was a holiday and everyone had plans except for me. Tyson was coming down with a nasty cold so he and I stayed home. My stubbornness got the best of me and even though I felt awful I was so tired of looking at the laundry that needed to be done, that I spent the entire day doing laundry. I way over did it, and by the end of Monday I was feeling even more awful and grumpy.

 

Sleeping at night was impossible. I couldn't get comfortable, I couldn't relax enough to fall asleep. 3-4 hours a night was about it. Going to sleep on Monday night I really hoped since I was so exhausted I would actually sleep. Well, by 3 or so in the morning and still wide awake, I decided that I would go sleep on the couch. I finally fell asleep somewhere around 4.

 

January 22 at 5:00am I was woken to my water breaking. It was the scariest moment of my life. I was 32 weeks along, I didn't know what to expect, but I knew babies weren't supposed to be born 8 weeks before their due date. I woke up Trevor and my parents and rushed to the hospital.

 

The plan was to give me the steroid shot to help develop the babies' lungs and keep me pregnant for at least another week. I wasn't having any signs of labor so they thought that would be best. The plans changed a few hours later when the doctor thought it would be best to wait no more than 48 hours and scheduled my c-section for then. He was afraid of infection.

 

No more than a few minutes after we had that conversation with the doctor, I started having contractions. For some reason they weren't being picked up on the monitor so I'm not sure the nurse believed me that they were getting really bad. She walked in one time, less than an hour after they started, and I was in so much pain I couldn't breathe. She checked things out, YEP I was in active labor! I was dilated to a 4 and contracting every 3-5 minutes. This is when everything happened so fast. The nurse came in and said I was scheduled for the next c-section and 10 minutes later I had an epidural. An hour later I was being wheeled to the OR to have my babies. I couldn't stop crying. I was so scared for the babies. I didn't know if they would be ok or how everything was going to play out.

 

I had never had a c-section before, but this was planned. I had an appointment the Friday before all this happened and the doctor and I had a conversation about what could happen when you have a normal birth with twins. The first baby could be totally fine, but then some pretty scary things could happen with the second baby. We talked about it and planned for me to have a c-section. I didn't know at the time how huge that decision was but it saved my little baby B from what could have been a terrible delivery.

 

January 22, 2013 at 2:54pm Maysen Lynne was born. She weighed in at 4lbs 3ozs and 17 1/2 inches long. I didn't get to see her before they hurried her into the NICU. I prayed like I had never prayed before that they would be alright. The second I heard her cry while being worked on in the NICU, just through the window, I could tell she was a fighter and that she would be ok. I still had one more baby to go. I could feel the doctor struggling to get her out. The comments he was making were making me a little nervous. Before she was even born he made the comment that if we hadn't chosen to have a c-section it would have been an emergency c-section to get her out. He struggled for a bit more, she was VERY high up, doing the splits and breech. He finally pulled her out, butt first. So at 2:56 Maddilyn Ann was born at 4lbs 4ozs and 18 inches long. They held her up for me to see her for just a split second before they handed her through the window to the NICU. I looked in her eyes and I could see she too was going to be a fighter, just like her sister.

 

I felt so much peace after they were born. I could hear them crying. The nurses were making comments that they didn't even need oxygen and were breathing room air. This was a shock to all and a testament that they were going to be fine.

 

A few hours later I got to see them for about 10 minutes on my way to the recovery room. I could only touch their hands. They were so incredibly tiny. I looked at them and couldn't believe they were here. It sort of seemed like a dream, but they were healthy and they were going to be ok. We had a long road ahead while they had to stay in the NICU but my prayers were being answered.

 

Looking back I can see the hands of the Lord in so many events that led up the their birth and after. It just adds to the proof that they have a purpose on this Earth. Part of the purpose is their story. The story of how I got pregnant. They story of being born 8 weeks early. The story of being 4lb preemies. The story of being in the NICU. Who knows what is next, but I feel so blessed to have them here. Healthy, and happy. They are pretty sweet little girls!

 

I will continue to document their story with more posts.

 

These pictures were taken a few days after they were born. I will post pictures from the first time I got to see them. These were just ones that I had here right now.



 

Maysen (she's almost always in purple)

Maddilyn (she's almost always in pink)



2012

I didn't post very much in 2012. I wish I would have been better at blogging because boy it was a great year! Just for fun, here is a list of some of the highlights of the year.

Hayden turned 9.
Tyson turned 5.
Brooklyn turned 8 and was baptized.
The hubby got his dream job working out on the road as a police officer.
Tyson graduated Preschool.
We took an amazing trip to Texas to see family. AND LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!
We made sure to go on an outing every week during the summer. Seven Peaks Water Park season passes were the favorite.
Found out we were adding TWINS to our family.
Hubby got his assignment and his cool cop car that the kids think is SUPER cool. So does the hubby actually.
Kids started school. Including Tyson starting Kindergarten.
Had a great holiday season starting from Halloween clear to New Year.

I am missing so much, but that is what I get for not keeping up on the journal all year.

We really were blessed this year. It seems as though we are finally on the upswing from the past 4 years. I was reading over some past posts and it reminded me of how hard things seemed. We really were going through so much. 2012 was the year to look back and say "now I get why that happened." I feel so blessed for how things have worked out.

2013 is going to be interesting, but will be one that we will never forget. I don't really have many expectations for this year, but here are a few things that I hope for.

To survive 7 more weeks of pregnancy.
To survive having two newborns.
To be able to live in every moment without feeling too overwhelmed. This is something that I really regret every time I've had a newborn.
To be a better mom by being more patient, gentle and understanding.
To be a better wife by offering support, love and encouragement.
To prepare for owning our own home again.
To have a super fun summer like we did last year. We really did have so much fun.
To be more aware of where I am needed so I can make sure I don't miss a moment of service.
To better myself spiritually.

Ok, so maybe I have more expectations than I thought. Well, ok maybe I need to just live in the moment, and take each day one at a time.

It's Been Too Long!

Baby Girl A at 28 weeks

 

 

Baby Girl B at 28 weeks

Surprise! Yes, you read that right. No, this is not two pictures of the same baby. We are having twins! They are due on March 14, 2013. I am 29 weeks. They will actually be making their arrival in about 8 weeks or so. Shocked? Yea, so am I!

Remember THIS post from a while back about my IUD being misplaced? Well, little did I know that that was the start of these little girls' journey to this family. There story is nothing short of a miracle. Not quite like most miracles. Let me explain.

Soon after I found out that my IUD was misplaced I had a procedure to have it removed from my fallopian tube. It was lodged inside and also had attached to the uterine wall. The doctor was able to remove it, but I was advised to not have another IUD placed for fear that it could happen again. So I opted for another procedure that was permanent. We were sure that our family was complete. It didn't seem like anyone was missing, and to be honest we really have a lot on our plate and didn't think that we could handle it financially, emotionally, or physically. I had the Essure procedure done. It's where they take a plug and block the inside of the fallopian tubes. Scar tissue then builds up and permanently blocks the tubes. This procedure has more than a 99% success rate. In order to see if it was a success they have you go in for xrays with dye to make sure they are fully blocked. Well, to make a long story short, I had the procedure done, but when the doctor was trying to insert the plug on the side where my IUD was he found the tube was too damaged and full of scar tissue. He was unable to insert the plug but was certain that it was fully blocked anyway. I went in for the xray a few months later and found that the procedure was a success on the one side and that both tubes were fully blocked. I was officially sterile.

As personal as all that information is, it is important in understanding how it really is a miracle that I got pregnant. In July I found out I was pregnant. I was SHOCKED to say the least. I honestly didn't see it coming. When I called the doctor's office to talk to the nurse about it, she was sure it was a false positive. They had me come in for blood work, just to make sure. It couldn't have been more positive. A few days later I was in having an ultrasound to make sure that all was ok with the baby and that everything was ok with what they had done as far as the procedure goes. All was well with both.They saw the baby (just 1) and a heart beat. I found out that I was about 5 weeks along. A few days later I got a phone call from my doctor that they wanted me to come in and have another ultrasound done to get a better image of a good strong heartbeat. I went in, still shocked that I was pregnant. While laying there during the ultrasound I was looking at the screen looking for a good heartbeat. I pointed it out, "Oh look there's the heart! Looks pretty good right." All the tech could say was "Uh Hu." I asked her if everything was ok since she didn't respond much. She then said "Do you see two heart beats, like I see two heart beats? Looks like you're having twins!" If I could have fallen over I would have. I started to cry. I was so shocked! It was so hard for me to wrap my brain around the fact that I was pregnant. Now I was having twins! It all seemed like a dream...and I had to still tell my hubby.

The shock hasn't worn off. It still seems like a dream, even when I look at my huge belly, even when they don't stop moving. At times it has been a little hard. I hate admitting that especially since one day they might read this. I don't want them  to ever feel like they weren't wanted. But changing my mindset from being done with having kids, and getting rid of ALL our baby stuff, to surprise, your having twins has really been hard.

I have had some pretty incredible moments with it all though. I asked my hubby for a priesthood blessing to get some comfort. I was blessed that my testimony would grow from all this. At the time I couldn't see how, but let me tell you, it has! I feel so lucky to be bringing these girls into the world. I have no doubt that through all the circumstances they are coming to this earth, in this family, at this time to do amazing things! Not many people get tangible proof that there is a God. I get that! Because there really is no other explanation for all this. It's the Lord's plan. Plain and simple. I except it, and I don't think I would have it any other way. These girls are a huge blessing.

So there you have it! The beginning of their story. To answer some questions that I get all the time:

Hayden will be 10 years older than the twins, Brooklyn almost 9 and Tyson almost 6. Big difference, but they will be good helpers.

I am slowly getting things for them. I really didn't have anything, but it's kind of fun to get them stuff.

They are doing great so far, and so am I. Well ok, I'm really uncomfortable. It's been hard, but nothing crazy has happened, and that is good.

They weigh about 2lbs 10oz each right now.

The doctor doesn't want me going past 37 weeks which means they will be here on our around Feb. 21st.

They are pretty sure they are identical. They can't say 100% until after they are born, but they share a placenta, and are both girls, and have a very thin membrane separating them (they are in their own amniotic sacks). These are all indications that they are identical so we are kind of counting on that.

And just for fun, here I am at 28 weeks...

Officer In Training

My Little Man is SOOO obsessed with anything law enforcement! Especially Police Officers. He wears this uniform EVERY.SINGLE.DAY! He couldn't wait for Officer Broadhead to come over last night for a BBQ so he could show it off. Officer Broadhead was a good sport and took him out to his car and let him turn on the lights and the siren. HE WAS SO EXCITED! He hasn't stopped talking about it all day! Just a few more weeks and he can do this with DADDY's CAR!

Help?

I can really use your help. I need to print pictures today for the Princess' Baptism invitation and I can't decide which one to print. Comment which one you think would be best.

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Patience

You know that saying when you pray for patience you will be given opportunities to have patience? Well I have had many opportunities in life where I am forced to learn patience but NOTHING like waiting for my hubby to get hired on at a police department.

So here's the deal. My hubby made this goal 2 years ago to become a police officer. At the time it sorta seemed to have come out of no where. But he had the opportunity in life to pick what direction to do and this is the one he choose because it was something he always wanted to do. He sponsored himself through the academy, finished his degree in law enforcement, and was the intern for the academy all while he was testing at different departments. I lost count a LONG time ago with how many times he has tested. The process, in case you don't know, goes like this:

The department posts that they are hiring.

You fill out a huge application and deliver to the department.

The department will invite you to come do a physical fitness test and sometimes they throw in a report writing scenario.

You show up and work your tail off.

Then you wait to hear if you have been invited back for an interview.

If you are lucky to have an interview they will then rank you on how well you did and how many preference points you get for things like being in the military, being LEO certified, having a collage degree, etc. Then they will rank you on a list and are given a number.

That number will determine what happens next. For example if they are hiring 5 people they will usually take the top 10 people to do background checks on. WHICH CAN TAKE FOREVER. Trevor has been through this stage 5 times.

If you make it through the background check and are one of the top ones on the list still (after people get eliminated from bad background checks) they will then send you to do a polygraph test.

Then they will have you interview once more with the Chief or with a background board. Or both.

Then if you get through all that they will give you a job.

It may be 5 months later by this point so maybe you can see why I have been thrown into learning patience? It took FOREVER to get hired on the Jail.One department he tested for a YEAR ago just completed his background. It had been so long they made him test again for the job.

He loves working for the jail and it has been so good for him. It has taught him so much. We can see why he needed to start out his career there. But he wants to be out on the road.

With all that said (bored yet?) here is a little update with where he stands right now. Still working at the jail, but there are 3. Yes 3 departments doing background checks on him. This process is so stressful. It seems so close but just not there yet. You know? I'm trying not to get excited, but how can you not when it is THAT close.

I came home from a field trip today to find out that one of the departments had been here in the circle talking to all of my neighbors about my hubby. This makes me even more excited. They have done this before but this department feels different. I even know a timeline of when they want to do things yet I still find myself being impatient. I just want it for him so badly.

I'm thinking that maybe this is my final test in being patient. Then hopefully by the end of next month he will have 3 departments knocking on his door to hire him. Wherever he ends up they will be lucky to have such an amazing man working for them. He was born to do this, I just can't wait for him to actually do it!

It has been so long!

When I first started this blog (seems like it was forever ago) I never thought I would be able to keep up on it. I didn't think that I had anything interesting to say. Then as I went through my days I realized that I actually did have lots to say. I unloaded on here for years. Almost everything that was going on in our lives was documented on here.

Then life got pretty intense. Some things were posted on here and other things were just better left unsaid. As time went on I just stopped posting. I really just felt pathetic. That I didn't have anything to say that was worth saying. Looking back I really wish I would have documented more. In the midst of all the bad there was a lot of good. And now I feel like I am forgetting all that.

So today I wish to start again. To post more often so I can later in life remember the things that are keeping us busy. Remember the times of trials and now that things are getting much much better remember the great times.

So here is my update as of today.

My hubby has spent the last 2 years working hard at following his dream of becoming a police officer. I am so incredibly proud of him for all that he has accomplished. He is an Officer at the local Jail and LOVES LOVES LOVES it! It is evident to us now that this is what he was meant to be. Many things in his life have lead up to him being an officer and it's so fun to be able to connect those dots now. He is a different person, just so happy, now that he has found something that he loves. And I just have to add, the thing they say about a man in uniform is SO true! Man he looks good ;)

Little Dude isn't so little anymore. He is 9 and just finishing up 3rd grade. WOW time really has gone by fast. He is playing basketball at the local Rec. Center and is having so much fun! He is such a smart kid. He loves attention and loves to tease which can really be annoying sometimes but he honestly is pretty funny.He has a personality just like his dad. He loves to help people and be a part of all the action. Every Saturday he follows his dad and/or Grandpa around working on projects. He adores his little cousin Max and LOVES it when he comes over. Thankfully Max loves him back and only wants him when he is around. Even though it's been a rough year for him I really feel he is maturing into an incredible young man. I love spending our nights reading books in bed and the times that he loves to come cuddle next to me. I am really proud of him!

My Princess is also not little anymore. She just turned 8 on Saturday. She is so excited to be baptized in a week and a half. She is prepared and very ready! It will be a fun day. She is doing pretty good in school, it's been a rough year for all of us, but she's learning so much. She's an incredible reader. She lays in bed on her top bunk every night with her lamp on and reads stories to Tyson on the bottom bunk. I have such a hard time when I have to tell her it's too late and to go to sleep. It's just too cute to interrupt. She is taking gymnastics and LOVES it! She is pretty good at it too. I think she is upside down more times than right side up and cartwheels everywhere she goes. I get a kick out of it. She takes incredible care of her diabetes. I am so proud at how far she has come and how I rarely hear her complain about it.

Little Man just turned 5. He is the silliest boy. And moodiest boy I know. He is OBSESSED with anything law enforcement. I kid you not. He can impersonate a cop car and a fire truck like you wouldn't believe. He has an entire fleet of cop cars, firetrucks, and k9 unit cars that he sleeps with every night. He is about to graduate from preschool and move onto kindergarten at the end of the summer. I can't believe it!! Where have the last 5 years gone? Diabetes is a daily struggle with him. He tries and we take great care of it, but the emotional side of it all has been so hard on him. Sneaking food, creaming at site changes, not wanting to test, crying at meals, refusing to eat food. It's hard on him. We have had a breakthrough though when he recently wanted to test his own blood sugar (with a little pushing from mom, we have to practice for when he gets into school). This is HUGE actually. He is still a brave kid and I am still super duper proud of him. He is loves to play with Lego's and can spend hours building things. He loves to ride his bike too, but his favorite thing is to spend time with daddy in whatever he is doing and counts the days down until daddy has a day off. This kid keeps me on my toes but I love being able to spend my days with him.

As for me, I have feel like there is nothing exciting to report. I watch my nephew Max two to three days a week. I love that kid and can't get enough of him. I feel really lucky that I get to spend time with him. All the other days are just filled with regular old mom stuff. It's about to get busy though. I volunteer with the JDRF still and am helping with the Mentoring program, being a mentor, and a family team chair. Then Wendy and I are also co-chairs for the walk entertainment committee. Team Wendy and Shannon can kick some booty and have a pretty dang good time while doing it. :) I still teach the Beehives at church. Best calling ever! I hope they never release me. I miss my hubby since it seems that he is never home. I feel like I am covering as both parents almost all the time. I'm not going to lie, it's hard. We are still adjusting to the whole "shift work life". The kids can go days without seeing their dad. I am still so confident that this is where our family needs to be though. Things are on the upswing for us and the future is exciting.