maternity photo session

my cousins wife val {who did our engagements and wedding photos} from valory jean photography came over this morning and took these amazing photos for me. i had the hardest time choosing which to post on here. so i apologize for the overwhelming amount of photos you are about to scroll through. i am so in love. i can't believe how amazing these are. 

as much as i am so done being pregnant, i think i may miss this basketball belly of mine. i will cherish these photos forever. what a way to remember being this pregnant with my precious babies.....

now, hurry up babies!! 

xoxo

bumpate {26 weeks}

worst quality photo. sorry the lighting was terrible! 

HOW FAR ALONG:  26 weeks with TWINS! {26 weeks 3 days in this picture} 

MATERNITY CLOTHES:  yep. all about comfy clothes now that im on bed rest. the top in this photo is actually a tunic from old navy. it's sweatshirt material and amazing. see it here. if youre preggo you need this in your life-trust me!

WEIGHT GAIN/LOSS:  i think i am up another 4 lbs from last time so a total of 15 or so lbs since the start. i am totally guessing i don't remember what the scale was at my last appt. which was only a week ago haha. get to go again today. 

BEST THING THIS WEEK: lets see, feeling them move so much. at times its annoying or even hurts me when baby girl kicks my ribs or in baby boy's case my pelvic bone since he is so low. i still love it. im learning they are already tricksters i saw babe feel and then they stop. already messing with their daddy! 

GENDER: boy & girl :)

MOVEMENTS: oh yes. since the whole hospital adventure they are so active. my belly gets super hard when they move due to my uterus being crazy still. they still are the most active at night or lately in the morning. 

FOOD CRAVINGS/AVERSIONS:  no aversions. although sweets don't usually sound that great to me anymore. so weird. im loving all the foods i used to love before i was pregnant. still crave french fries all the time. haha. 

WHAT I MISS:  being able to do more around the house. i know resting is the best for the twins and i but, still hard not to want to pick up that sock or whatever. thankfully my mom was here and helped so much and dan is doing so well with everything! love that guy! oh and my stretch mark free skin-yep i found my first few stretch marks! 

SLEEP:  last few nights have been get like 3 times to pee and adjust the pillows a million times kind of nights. the babies are stubborn and don't like when i sleep on my right side they move and then my belly gets super hard and SO uncomfortable. silly babies.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO: taking these next hopefully 10 weeks to rest and focus on me and these babies. thankfully the nursery is pretty much done well kind of. oh and my baby shower. my aunt and i were talking about it. made excited for when it happens in several weeks! 

there you have the 26 week bumpdate. even though im uncomfortable from the kicking and stretching of my skin i love being pregnant. i also feel so blessed to still be pregnant. gotta keep them in at least 10 more weeks-we can do it! :) 

xoxo

what's been going on....

Now, that things have slowed down and I have some time I want to write down what has been going on since Wens afternoon. This is mainly to update those who don't know all details and keep for our records of these babies. 

Wens afternoon I had a regular Dr appt with my regular Dr. My biggest worry earlier that day was the glucose test I had to take. We got to our appt-did the blood work and then went in for an ultrasound with our Dr. She usually starts by checking the babies real good but, this time for some reason she said she wanted to check my cervix and measure it since I was far enough along that it was time to start measuring it. 

She usually takes lots of pictures and talks to us a lot. This time she got really quiet. Made us kind of nervous at first {that would make any new parents nervous}. She then checked it herself and was able to stick her finger tip into my cervix and it is half the size its suppose to be. She said she probably could've stuck the whole finger but, didn't want to risk it just yet. She has me change back into my clothes and came back to discuss what was going on. 

She told me that my cervix was very thin and dilating. My heart started racing. She said she would like to admit me upstairs to Labor & Delivery. I started crying out of being utterly scared. I just held Dan's hand and up we went. 

They started placing heart monitors on both babies and me. Things are kind of blur at the start. I just remember that I started contracting quick. They put iv's in me and started pumping me with all kinds of medicine.  After a little bit the contractions slowed down and my Dad, Stepmom, little sister Oakley and Dan's Parents were let in. Dan, my Dad and my Father in Law gave me a Priesthood blessing {to read about the priesthood click here}. I felt an instant calming feeling take over me. I was still scared but, I knew with the help of the Doctors, Nurses and our Heavenly Father everything would be ok in time. 

After the blessing things slowed down and then I think randomly they started picking up again. The nurses called my Dr and she came back to the hospital. She arrived and said they may transfer me to another hospital that is better equipped to handle babies this early. I lost it. That scared me so bad. I felt totally out of control. 

Well, long story the did transfer me via helicopter to the University of Utah Hospital. Dan followed in our car with his mom. It was a quick trip about 5 min. By the time they got me into a room in Labor & Delivery. Dan, and his parents and my Dad were right behind me. 

Things kind of hectic at first. Lots of people in the room. Doctors and Nurses. Hooking me up to things and so on. That started a scary night of being constantly monitored. Dan and my Dad both stayed with me and my in laws went home to try to get some rest. While my Mom and Stepdad were on the way from CA {driving all night!}

It was a night of being constantly monitored. Not much sleep happening with all the Nurses coming in and out. My contractions were pretty close 1-5 min. After an hour or two of being on medicine they spaced out to 3-5 minutes. After a few more hours they had spaced out a lot. Around 6 am they came in and asked how I was doing since they noticed that they had slowed down a lot. I said I felt a lot better just, hungry! {I hadn't eaten since 2pm wens}. Around 8 am they took us in for an ultrasound and said that when we got back they were going to switch us to a new room. Ultrasound went great. When we got back to our room they said they were ready to take us to our new room and take out my iv's and take off the heart monitors. Such a relief. The new room we are in is amazing. Comfy bed, and such a nice break to have less people coming in and out. 

We have been in the new room since about 9am yesterday. They have come in every few hours to monitor the babies and me. We are all looking great. Still no new contractions or anything. I haven't dilated since Wens/I guess Thurs at midnight. Through this whole ordeal the babies have been great. Never been in any distress or anything. Just super active since they are still so little. Each only over a pound. We are praying they stay in a few more weeks!

This morning the head OB here came in and said during rounds that the other Ob's are please with the amazing progress and they may send us home this weekend. For me to be on bed rest at home. We are staying positive and are so grateful for all the prayers that have been sent our way. We truly feel blessed to have so many people thinking of us and these babies.

This had been such a scary and trying time in our lives. We have really relied on family, friends and most importantly our Heavenly Father. We know with faith and understanding things will be fine. 

I want to take a minute to say how lucky I am to have Dan by my side. He has been unbelievably strong even though I know he was just are terrified as me. He has been my rock. I feel so blessed to have an amazing husband to be with me through this journey. I love that man so much. He will be the best dad to these sweet babies. I love Daniel! 

There you have the story. I am sorry if it doesn't make sense I am still a little tired. Again we appreciate all the prayers and ask to keep them coming these next few weeks. Our goal is to keep them in at least 5 more weeks or longer would be best! Thank you so much we love each and everyone of you! 

xoxo



   

bumpdate {22 weeks}

HOW FAR ALONG:  22 weeks 1 day in the photo with twins!-currently 22 weeks 3 days

MATERNITY CLOTHES:  oh yes. this question is going to get rather silly from here on out. i can wear some non maternity clothes but, maternity are much more comfy. 

WEIGHT GAIN/LOSS: gained about 11 lbs-a little hard to see that scale go up but, i know it will just keep on going up. only for these precious babies. really it's just baby so far, i haven't noticed weight going anywhere else. {knock on wood} people say i don't look pregnant from behind then i turn around and bam. haha. 

BEST THING THIS WEEK: having our 20 weeks scan {a little late} and being able to see our cute babies. even confirm the genders for sure. we were able to see that both babies are healthy and look perfect! it's crazy to see all their little parts their cute little feet melted my heart and their precious little noses. gahh i love!

GENDER: 1 baby boy and 1 baby girl! so excited.....cannot wait to snuggle them. 

MOVEMENTS: um, yes they love to move after dinner and lately in the middle of the night. the other night they were pretty much boxing each other for 2 1/2 hours. it was great that they were moving but, not so much at 3 am. silly babies. 

FOOD CRAVINGS/AVERSIONS: french fries and a cheeseburger. that seems to be the common craving around these parts. oh and fish tacos. random! no food adversions anymore! huzzah! 

WHAT I MISS: bending over without feeling sooo out of breath-that is something i just have to get used too. 

SLEEP: still hit and miss. i never know how the night will go. lucky me, i still can nap if i want too. sometimes i find myself falling asleep on the couch around 4pm. haha. 

WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO: getting their cribs and putting the nursery together. i feel like we have so much to do and so little time. hopefully these babies stay cooking until at least 36 weeks! 

this week we were able to see the babies two days in a row. tuesday with the tech for our anatomy scan and wens with my real doctor for a check up. can i just say how much i love our doctor? she is amazing. she makes me feel so comfortable and she is the right fit for us. 

she said i am measuring 25 weeks which is normal for twins and that everything looks great. the next appointment is going to the "dreaded" glucose test. i already have that orange drink in the fridge. wish me luck on the 30th with that. i think after this next appointment we start seeing her more often and then start seeing someone up in labor and delivery for monitoring the babes closer since, i am consider higher risk than a normal single pregnancy. 

we also discussed a little about delivery and she did say if baby a {our baby boy} stays the way he is {fingers crossed!!!} that we will be able to have a {excuse the word} vaginal birth. so let's pray he stays that way. we appreciate the thoughts and prayers from all of you! i feel so blessed that both babies are doing great and i am as well. despite the normal aches and pains. huzzah! 

oh and i got a flu shot for the first time in years and guess what? the very next day i felt so ill. darn you stupid flu shot. its all for you babies!

that is about all that is new so far. i am getting really really excited for my babies to be here. i cannot wait. as much as i am excited i need them to stay cooking for a little longer at least until im 36 weeks! :)

see past bumpdates here. 

bumpdate {18 weeks}

HOW FAR ALONG:  18 weeks 3 days in the picture with TWINS {18 weeks 4 days as i type!}

MATERNITY CLOTHES: yep. with this cooler weather i have been wearing my maternity pants and loving them. while my mom was here we got some more pants and i think i am set for now! just need to get some long sleeve tops for when it gets cold. still a challenge figuring out what to wear. yes, the weather is cooler but not cool enough for all my sweaters i am dying to wear! 

WEIGHT GAIN/LOSS: guys, i have finally gained weight! a whole 4 pounds. my dr isn't worried anymore because the babies look healthy and are growing as they should be. hoping they do through out!

BEST THING THIS WEEK: finding out what these precious babies are and feeling them move around. oh and having strangers ask when our baby is due. we then say, we are having twins and then seeing their faces. so funny! 

GENDER: 1 BOY and a 70% chance baby B is a GIRL. the dr looked and looked for another boy part but didn't see one. she saw three little lines. which means she has girl parts. she looked for a while and said she was 70% sure it was a she. so, we are going with that chance! 

MOVEMENTS: oh yeah, mostly at night after dinner. our little guy is more active then our little girl. i have a feeling we have a hyper boy on our hands and an easy going calm baby girl. haha. 

FOOD CRAVINGS/AVERSIONS: everyday is different. i get cravings that come out of nowhere. currently its a big mac. which is weird because i haven't had a big mac in years! so weird. not sure if should even think about indulging in that craving. i don't indulge in all my cravings, that would be bad! ha. 

WHAT I MISS: being able to walk with our being in pain. lately i have been suffering from back and leg pain. which is normal and will only get worse til they are here. fun stuff! 

SLEEP: some nights are better than others. few nights ago i slept 9 hours with out getting up to pee. i felt like a new woman! ha. 

WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO: decorating their room. we have gathered a few pieces already and i cannot wait to put it all together. hoping the vision i have in my head will look good in real life. :)

i cannot believe how fast this pregnancy is going. i will be 19 weeks on thursday. say what??! lately with all these aches and pains i am realizing i can't do all i used too. my mom was here for a few days and boy it wore me out. all the walking and such. i still loved having my mom here. she is the best. she helped us so much. thanks momma! 

i work in the nursery in church and after yesterday i realized it is too much for me now at this stage in the pregnancy. it makes me so sad though. i love those kids and really do love working with them every sunday but, i got to take care of my body and know my limits. 

let's see, what else is new not too much. just super excited that we finally know what they are. we love our baby boy and baby girl. cannot wait for them to get here! :)

what you don't expect, when you're expecting {part 2}

hi ladies, im back for part 2 of this little series on the blog. in case you missed the first part click here. i am sharing bits and pieces of what i have learned/experienced so far during my pregnancy. these are my own opinions and words. every pregnancy is different so you may not experience these things or you may. 


you get the memory of a pea
this is something i would tease friends for when they were pregnant. not fully understanding it was a real thing. let me tell you i forgot everything these days. dan finds it pretty funny. 

crying is a common thing
you will cry a lot. its ok because you have an excuse. your hormones are so out of whack  i cry sometimes at commercials, if i drop something and im exhausted, if dan gives me a weird look, thinking about how big i will be at the end, or what have you. you will cry. its ok to cry. trust me. 

ultrasounds will be your favorite 
every time we have an appointment i get so giddy. i love seeing our babies and watching the grow. ah it really is the best. i wasn't prepared for all the emotions the first time we saw them, i was blown away how amazing it is. there are two precious human beings growing inside of me right now. amazing. 

your body isn't the only thing changing
your marriage will too. you have all these crazy hormones going on and it's bound to happen. the little fights here and there. it's been a crazy ride so far and i know it's going to continue once the babies are here. this is something we are really working on. working on communicating, making time for each other, and putting each other first. easier some days then others but, isn't that true for marriage in general. 

your husband needs love still 
this is something i have tried to make a huge effort in doing. poor husbands tend to get left out when it comes to pregnancy. of course they helped in creating the babies but, they don't get to carry them and create that special bond right away. i don't want dan to feel left out or like it's all about the babies now. i try to plan things for us to do that don't involve anything baby related. {sometimes aka most of the time we end up talking about them! haha} he is probably more excited than me for these babies. ok, maybe we are tied with the excitement levels. 

so, all you mamas don't forget to show your husbands some love through out the pregnancy!

if it sounds good, eat it
this may not be true for every single pregnancy. in my case it was. since i was so sick my dr said "if it sounds good eat it". now that im in my 2nd trimester i try to eat a balanced diet as well as eat what sounds good. if i have a craving i indulge. i also drink TONS of water! that can be applied to every one! 


....i could probably go on and on with more but, i will save those for later on. if you have any questions feel free to email me {find my email under the contact me tab!} 

what you don't expect, when you're expecting {part 1}

hi ladies! i'm about to get real with you on this here blog. these are my opinions and my words. i am by no means saying any of these things will happen to you. every pregnancy is different. i have been pondering over this post for a few weeks. trying to think of the best way to go about this and how i want to share these things. not all are "bad" things because, when it comes down to it. i LOVE being pregnant. it really is the best!

i am going to share somethings i have experienced or learned so far through my pregnancy. i will split it up into two parts. so come back thursday for the rest! 

you will be sicker than sick

i knew all about morning sickness or as i call it anytime sickness before we saw that + sign. i don't think i was fully aware of how sick i would get. {lo and behold it was because there are two babies in there. two babies=twice the sickness} every time i  got sick i would cry because, i hated throwing up so much. it lasted about a month and i lost about 10-15lbs. i couldn't cook dinner, i couldn't walk in the kitchen, or watch certain commercials without getting sick. it was terrible.

once i hit the 2nd trimester it got so much better. i was so relieved! if you are currently experiencing morning sickness/anytime sickness know it will get better and there a few things you can do it ease it. here a few things that helped me before i got zofran from my dr. i went a long time without the meds {i like to tough things out if i can. haha!} anyways, back to what helped me. sea bands-can be found at walmart, lemon heads, lots of water, plain white bread, sleeping, cool wash cloths on my head, and lots of resting. there are vitamins you can try too like, ginger pills and  b6. they didn't help me at all. just made me more sick. 

you think you get tired now

i know we all know the tired feeling but, when you are baking a baby or babies the tired feeling is SO different. i was so exhausted all the time. no joke. i napped every single day for 2 hours and even would get plenty of sleep at night. still, so tired. 

the only thing you can do here is sleep and keep chugging along during the day. if you are able to take naps like i was. girl, you need too! again, this feeling went away for the most part when i hit the 2nd trimester. 

watching your belly grow will amaze you

going into this pregnancy i didn't know how soon i would show or how i would feel about getting bigger. yeah, i am only 17 weeks with twins so i still have a TON of growing to do but, i still love watching my belly grow everyday. i started showing around 10 weeks again because there are two babies. i love it. i love that i have a belly and people can tell i am pregnant. best feeling watching this belly grow. 

pregnancy induced carpal tunnel is a thing

who knew? not me. when my hands started tingling and really bugging me i asked my dr. she suggested wearing a brace at night and seeing how it goes from there. it helped a ton. i still wear it {when i remember....pregnancy brain. see next point} if i feel the tingles coming back. this is something that is very common. again, who knew! ha

feeling your baby/babies for the first time
will make you cry and bring the biggest smile to your face. i thought i could feel them for a while but, wasn't sure. it wasn't until last week {at 17 weeks} when i felt one and knew it was for sure. i rushed to the other room to have dan feel and he felt it too. i started to get a little teary eyed. it is amazing. i love feeling them move around so cute! they seem to like my in laws house. we go over there every sunday for dinner and the last two weeks after dinner they both start moving like crazy. my mother in law and niece even felt one this week! so exciting! 

come back thursday for some more "what you don't expect, when you're expecting".....

for the babies

ivebaby boppy cover//freshly picked moccasins//candy kirby leggings//skip hop versa diaper bag

few items i am swooning over for my babies. all gender neutral and adorable. of course i will need two of all but the diaper bag. ha. 

which is your fave? 

bumpate {14 weeks}

thats like the worst picture. i look so tired! haha. sorry and the quality sucks. apologies!

HOW FAR ALONG:  in this picture 14 weeks 2 days with twins

MATERNITY CLOTHES:  i can still wear most pants with a rubber band but, their not too comfy for very long. i will be needing a belly band, like stat. shirt wise i like my maternity ones better on. they look better, instead of making look chubby i look pregnant in them which is good. the on in this pic is not a maternity shirt actually! 

WEIGHT GAIN/LOSS: still haven't gained anything. which means wens my doctor will probably get mad at me again. im trying to eat and eat. so we will see. hopefully i have gained atleast something. fingers crossed. that is hopefully the last time i say that about gaining weight. haha

BEST THING THIS WEEK: hitting 2nd trimester, woohoo!!!! :) 

GENDER: not sure yet. few more weeks. still hoping for one of each but, starting to think its 2 boys. we will see! dan is hoping for one of each too! 

MOVEMENTS: sometimes i think i can feel little flutters but only when i lay completely still. my mother in law says it could be possible but idk. maybe its just gas. haha!

FOOD CRAVINGS/AVERSIONS: french fries and anything bad for you. oh cucumbers, tomatoes and grapes those are good for you! 

WHAT I MISS: sleeping a whole night without 2-3 pee breaks. 

SLEEP: night sleeping is still hit or miss. i catch myself sleeping in weird positions which isnt very fun the next day. since hitting the 2nd trimester i take less naps but still am tired. just not as tired. 

WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO: the babies being here, so we can snuggle them and love them. i also really really cannot wait to know what they are.  so the shopping can begin! {aka spoiling!}

at times it feels like the pregnancy is going slow but, others feels fast. i know before we know it, they will be here. which is so exciting. i think dan is the most excited. the other day we went swimming and dan said "i wish the babies were here, so i can take them swimming!" or he will say "when the babies are here im gonna teach them this..." he loves them so much already! 

he will be the best dad, i just know it. these babies are so lucky they get him for a daddy! let's see anything else new? not really. been missing my momma these days. wish she was closer so, she could see the bump grow in person. hopefully she comes to visit soon. {psssttt.....momma come in september, please!!} 

i hope you all had a wonderful weekend. come back this week to see some photos from lately! 
xoxo

bumpdate

how far along: 10 weeks 4 days right now as you are reading this! {10 weeks 1 day in the photo} with twins!

maternity clothes: one shirt. ive lost so much weight. i've lost about 10 lbs now so, pretty everything fits but not everything looks good. haha. im in the i have nothing to wear phase. i am so ready for fall so i can wear my sweaters with no problem!!! 

weight gain/loss: lost 10 lbs 

best thing this week: the bump made it's appearance  i know at 10 weeks, but there's two babies in there!! im going to be HUGE! 

gender: we don't know yet. im hoping for one of each but we will see! :)

movements: nope. 

food cravings/aversions: i never really know what will set me off. i force my self to eat so i don't feel sick but, still food isn't my fave yet. haha. 

what i miss: cooking-i don't remember the last time i cooked dinner and sleeping. 

sleep: i have to nap everyday or i am not a happy camper. at night its hit and miss. never really know how the night will go. last night, not so well. 

what i'm looking forward to: the 2nd trimester. praying i don't feel sick all the time and finding out what these babies are!! :) 

i thought what a better way to track this pregnancy then to blog about it every so often. i know you are thinking "woah, she is already showing" well peoples, there are two babies in there!!! i love my little bump. it is a lot harder and bigger at night but it is still there all day. it's my fave. 

the last few days i have been feeling really anxious to start buying baby things. i am dying to know what these babies are. i want to decorate the nursery so bad. like, way bad. i have so many ideas and cannot wait to put them to use. only a few more weeks {haha. like a lot more weeks} til we know! 

hope you are all having a good monday, im going to take a nap now! :) 

xoxo