An update of updates

Part One:

Last I wrote I was pregnant, gathering the last few items & getting restless for June. Well today I write you as a mother to FIVE! Yep, I didn't make it to June. There is part of me that is sad my body sadly gave out and another that is elated my babies are here!!!! On Tuesday, May 21st I had a specialist appointment (34 weeks exactly). I went into that appointment looking good and feeling fine. They quickly deflated my happy bubble. My blood pressure was extremely high and I had 2+ proteins. They did a sonogram and the babies were fine but apparently I was not. So when they said, "We need you to go straight up to Labor and Delivery" I was thinking, "Ummm I'm supposed to be getting my last pre-baby pedicure today after this appointment. Then when they said, "Don't plan on going home, you'll either be admitted for the rest of the pregnancy or scheduled to deliver. I was feeling so good so this was just a complete shock. I called Riley with the news and arranged for child pickups from school. Both my ob and specialist wanted me admitted and a 24 hour urine collection started. One of my ob's associates was on call and came to see me. Before labs were even confirmed she said that I was scheduled for a csection at 4:30 on the 22nd if things didn't look good. I was so shocked and nervous!!! It was a long night!!! The next day was a wait and see. My ob came in and we talked about my labs. My 24 hr urine had less than one gram of protein but my blood pressure was so high he was afraid I'd turn toxic fast. He was worried I'd have a seizure or a stroke, which neither of us wanted! He was still waiting on my specialist to make the call (this is 2pm on the 22nd) deliver or hospital bed rest. I told him please let me know because Riley was still at work and we needed to make sure our kids were covered. He comes back and says, "Call Riley, surgery is at 4:30pm." Oh my goodness everything happened so fast after that!!!!! I start having anesthesiology come talk to me, the NICU, another person to explain the surgery, and paper work for tubal (who would have thought I'd ever need this?). This is when things started getting crazy REAL!!!! I called my brother who was in Disney World and told him the babies couldn't wait (he had told me not to have them while he was on vacation, lol). Then I called my kids and told them I loved them. I hadn't seen them since the day before. Riley got there and was instant calming. The fear set back in the minute they rolled my back though. They got me set up with a spinal and all I could do was cry because I was scared. My babies would be six weeks early. Then it was like an out of body experience. You can't feel anything or move anything. They brought back Riley and he sat by my head. Next thing you know they hold up Barrett and he wasn't crying but blue. They wisk him to the NICU table set up in the OR. Then Brennen is lifted up and he is screaming. I'm asking Riley why isn't Barrett crying and then the most beautiful sound in the world...... He starts crying!!!! Whewwwww!!!!! They wisk him to the NICU so we only got a picture with Brennen. Then the ob confirms I want a tubal and I don't remember much after that. They started me on Magnesium and thankfully it didn't make me sick (vomiting) but very loopy!!!!! They had to put both babies on the cpap but only for a short time. They both checked out to be healthy, all their organs fully developed, no lung issues, and just needed to gain weight. Brennen was 4lbs 3oz and Barrett was 4lbs 7oz. Once I was put on magnesium I wasn't allowed out of bed for 24 hours. Which meant I didn't get to touch or see my babies for 24 hours. That was so hard!!!!! I'll write more later but I'll leave you with some pics!!!!!

Checking in

Oh my goodness can you believe I'm 33 weeks 4 days?!?!? Not much longer!! Overall I'm feeling great. By evening time if I didn't get to rest as much as I should have I'm a little sore and I don't recognize my feet. Overall though I'm not uncomfortable and have lots of energy! I had a specialist appt on Tuesday (33wks exactly). That appointment went great! No proteins, no contractions, babies had great fluid and movements. Then on Thursday I saw my ob. Again great appointment! We even scheduled my csection!!! I'm not ready to share their projected birthday yet but I can't believe it's around the corner!!!! From here on out I'll be seeing the specialist on Tuesday and my ob on Thursdays!!! My only wish at this point is that babies stay put and I don't miss my B's awards ceremonies and Ben's pre-k graduation!!!

Since my feet have been swelling (which my ob said is normal with a twin pregnancy at this point) my hubby sentenced me to our bed for this Saturday. Anything to keep these babies in and my feet to where I can bend my toes. It's as weird feeling having swollen numb feet. The kids are keeping me company and looks like a Netflicks marathon! Riley on the other hand has a super busy day planned! He gets to replace our dishwasher again! We bought a new one a month ago and a few nights ago it decided to start pouring water out the door. So on Thursday we took it back to Lowes and got a full refund!! We decided to replace it with a Kitchenaid! Hopefully this one will be a keeper! Then he is going to get the pack n plays set up and later get his truck washed to sell. We will be owners of a new Expedition in a week or two. That way both vehicles will accommodate everyone! Sometime today I plan to really organize my hospital bag! I need to remember to pack the shirt I had made for Riley, it says, "I make TWINs whats your superpower?" I packed the babies diaper bag few days ago! It's ready to go!!!!

Last Wednesday I ran to Babies R Us and bought the last few things we needed!! That was so much fun!!!!! The biggest purchase was our double stroller! After reading lots of reviews we decided on the Jogger City Mini Double. I also picked up some quilted sheet savers in chocolate brown, some lap pads (I love these to put in the bottom of bouncy seat/swings in case of blowouts), some carseat mats for the van, and some adorable "bee" outfits I found with matching hats!!!!

I'll close with some pictures.....
The first one is me before Brits recital. I was 33 weeks 4 days. The second is from yesterday.

Little Ballerina

It's been a busy few weeks getting Brit to and from extra dance practices. As much as I love that she's in dance I'm so glad we have wrapped up dance until camp in July!! It's so much fun though and honestly I was so worried I wouldn't get to see her dance if I ended up on bed rest or the hospital. Getting to sit in on the theater practices and the actual production made me so happy!!!! Thursday and Friday night were full dress rehearsals but Saturday was extra special! We spent most of the morning getting her ready! First was hair!!! Let me tell you the girl has some hair!!!! I also used a net on it so it would hold up through two show times. Then it was makeup and stage eyes! They have to wear blue eyeshadow and we took it up a notch with Stila blue glitter eyeliner. I wish I had her perfect porcelain skin. Finally it was time to get dressed!!! The production was The Wizard of Oz and her part was "Oz Friends". The show was amazing and she danced beautifully!! Afterwards she was exhausted!!! I gave her the royal treatment once home. A head scrubbing, deep conditioner (to combat three days of heavy hairspray), a facial with my clarisonic mia and a light moisturizer. She loved it and then asked to go to bed, lol. While she looks adorable dolled up, fresh face and looking like a little girl is my favorite. I'm happy I got to spend a memorable time with my baby girl!!!!

32 weeks 1 day

I can't believe that we are getting so close to the finish line! I am getting more and more excited each day to meet my two new little men! I didn't get a chance to update on Friday so I'm going to back up a little bit....

On Friday I had an appointment with my OB. Since we are so close to twin full term Riley met me up at the office so we could discuss delivery questions.  Two sets of ears are better than one. His office is only 10 mins from my ob and normally I don't wait to terribly long to see my doctor. Riley had a manager meeting he had to be at later in the morning but we thought we would be out of there way before he needed to leave. My appointment was early and there was hardly anyone in the waiting room. So 9:45 turned into 10:45 and 10:45 turned into 11:45. Still no doctor just the nurse sticking her head in to say he will be in soon. Poor Riley is getting text messages saying his group was leaving the office to head to the restaurant they were meeting at. I told him to go, that I would be fine and I knew he needed to be there (the meeting was for the manager that is leaving and Riley is his replacement). Riley was so torn and I felt bad for him because I knew he wanted to stay. Not five minutes after Riley left the doctor came in.  I do have to say this about my doctor when he does make it in the room he is never in a rush, he makes you feel like he has your undivided attention and answered all my questions!!! Next time I see him I will be 34 weeks and he said we should be able to schedule my c-section! My blood pressure was great that day, no proteins and the babies heartbeats were good!! Afterwards I had planned to hit Buy Buy Baby for a few items BUT I was so tired. I ran home, ate some fast protein and took an hour nap before starting my crazy afternoon. While I was out picking up Ben from school, my MIL called and said she would pick up the older B's and bring them home for me. Then after they were home and I got Brit ready for dance practice, she took Brit to dance for me! Which meant the boys could stay home and play Wii, I could rest and Riley could pick up Brit. That was so nice and helpful!! On Saturday and Sunday Britney had dance recital practice at the theater so the weekend was busy getting her to and from. Riley took on the role of "dance dad" so I could organize all our baby gifts and the closet I've been shoving everything into, lol. My front living room look like a bomb went off!!

Oh my goodness that was a job but oh so FUN and I still feel like I need someone to pinch me! By the end of the day the closet was completely organized, baby bath towels/wash clothes, receiving blankets, swaddlers, and all newborn clothing was washed. I got their dressers all filled and sorted out the 0-3, 3-6, 6-9mth clothing! My brother and SIL called to ask if they could bring over the swings they bought the babies and it was so good to see them!! Afterwards we decided dinner out was in order!!  The kids of course picked The Burger Box. It was so nice we decided to eat outside!

On Sunday morning Riley and I sat in the living room and got everything put together but the pack in plays. That consisted of two Graco swing frames, two car seats, two bouncy seats and the Snap-n-Go double stroller frame.

Having all this stuff put together and seeing it makes this seem even more real. I know I say that alot but I still CAN'T believe this is fixing to be our reality. I see my belly growing, I feel my babies moving ALOT, and I see our ultrasounds but I still feel like I'm living in a bubble. Maybe it's because it took so long to get pregnant and I never thought it was in the cards for me. I can't wait to see what they look like! Will they have hair? Will it be light or dark? What color will their eyes finally be...deep chocolate like Riley or blue like mine? Will they look alike even though they are considered fraternal?

Yesterday I saw my specialist (32 wks exactly) and will see him weekly now. Here are the boys giving me a hug before I left for the doctor. They can barely wrap their arms around me (Brit wasn't feeling well so I didn't get a pic with her)

They hooked me up for a non-stress test and will do this each week. Both babies heartbeats were great and I wasn't having any contractions (which was nice to know, I didn't think I was). Then he did an ultrasound and checked their cord blood flows which he said was great. My blood pressure was good and I didn't have any proteins. His exact words were, "These are some great looking babies and I don't see why you don't go the entire way and just keep doing what your doing."

This weekend is going to be awesome!! Miss Britney's dance recital is Saturday and I can't wait to see my baby girl dance! They are doing The Wizard of Oz and I can't wait to put her in her costume! I'll be sure to post pictures!!! Then Sunday is Mother's Day and we have some fun easy going plans for that!

Baked Chimichanga's

I’ve been seeing a few recipes on Pinterest for baked Chimichanga’s. I absolutely LOVE Chimichanga’s but definitely don’t need all the fat from being fried. I wasn’t sure how baked one’s would taste but decided to take a gamble! They turned out AWESOME and were a big hit at our house. You know something is good when the entire dinner table is quiet. I did make the Pinterest recipe my own and now I wish I had taken more pics along the way. Also, I don’t really measure anything when I cook so bear with me on spice and/or measurements, I’m a sprinkle it until it looks good girl. Lol!

Ingredients:

1 package of large flour tortillas (my package held 8)

5-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 8oz package shredded pepper jack cheese

1 tub of whipped cream cheese

1 small can of diced mild green chilies

1 can of mild green enchilada sauce

1 tbsp of sour cream

Taco Spices (cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, pepper, onion powder, dried oregano, salt)

3 handfuls of fresh spinach leaves finely chopped (I promise you won’t taste this and it’s great for the kids!)

½ Red Bell pepper chopped

Fresh chopped Cilantro

1 tbsp of Canola Oil

Directions:

On a plate season your chicken with your taco spices, place chicken on a hot grill and grill until done. Once cooked chop and set aside. In a sauce pan heat your enchilada sauce, add a tbsp of sour cream and stir well. In a separate bowl add entire container of cream cheese, 4 oz of shredded cheese, diced chilies, red bell pepper, spinach, chopped cilantro, taco spices and chopped chicken. Mix well. Once mixed fill flour tortillas (make sure and fold over, fold in sides and fold over again) with mixture and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment. When all tortillas are filled brush lightly with cooking oil and place in a 350 degree oven for approx. 25 mins. Then if not crispy enough place under the broiler until a soft tan color forms. To serve place on a plate, top with enchilada sauce, some additional shredded cheese and chopped cilantro (I did some small tomatoes too). ENJOY!!

PS. We had enough to eat another night. I wasn’t sure how well they would heat up but they were great! Placed back in the oven for approx. 35 mins and they crisped right back up!

31 wks 1 day

31 weeks!

Yesterday marked 31 weeks! Everything so far is going great. I've had to adjust my schedule quite a bit to make sure I'm off my feet because if I'm on them very long they swell really bad. So if I'm at home I'm in bed with elevated feet. We go back to the OB on Friday and I've got a ton of questions to ask him. This week has also been one of lots of emails to make sure I've got my calendar all set up for the kids events. Brit's dance recital is next weekend so I needed to make sure I knew the times she needed to be at dress rehearsal at the theater. Then I've been emailing teachers to see when award ceremonies are. I want to make sure in case I get put in the hospital or go into labor that I have Riley or inlaws there to see those accomplishments!

My shower was on Sunday and it was amazing!!! Brit and I spent the entire morning getting ready before we picked up Granny and a family friend. When we got there I was so busy socializing that I didn't take any pictures with my phone. One of the hostesses though had her camera and was snapping away. SO I'll be posting those pictures as soon as I get them I'll do a bigger post about it once I get some pictures! I was soooo busy talking to everyone I didn't even see my cake before it was cut, lol. The whole event was beautiful, thoughtful and so special!! I have so many amazing people in my life! There were some really special people there that as soon as I saw them I started crying. We got lots of nice things for the boys. My sister in laws grandma crochet the boys these beautiful blankets. I absolutely love them and I really appreciated her thoughtfulness! They will be treasured forever! Another wonderful friend of mine embroidered several onesies for me and they are so precious, I appreciate the effort and time that I know it took! I need to get busy on Thank you cards!!

Ok, sorry this is short. I wanted to write really fast. My MIL offered to take Ben to therapy so I didn't have to sit for three hours. So I'm to elevate my feet and then pick him up at 10:30 and take him to school. The two hours I get to rest will make a big difference tonight!!! I'll check in hopefully Friday after my appt!