8 Months...

We are 8 Months Old!!!

We can both crawl and have already mastered the art of getting into everything.  Our favorite place to play is under the end table.  Unfortunately, Mom took away all of the magazines so we have nothing to tear up anymore.  Instead we just play under it and have have fun.  We also know how to follow Mom around the house like little ducklings.  Sometimes crying as we follow, but mostly we are just excited because we can finally go where she goes now.  Our other favorite places are the bathroom and Kaysen and Gage's room.  There are so many little and fun toys that we don't usually get to play with in there!!

We are also getting really good at making growling noises and sounds like "mama, dada and baba." Our older brothers think that we are really talking now.  In the past couple days we have learned how to stand up on some furniture. Our favorite things to hold onto are the kitchen chairs, laundry baskets and carseats.  The couches are just a bit to high for us still, but we're sure to be standing up on those in the next couple weeks....or days. 

Teagen started crawling forward with his belly off of the floor really good on June 5th.  It took him a couple weeks to catch up to his sister but now that he can crawl too he has wasted no time getting in to things.  He started trying to stand up, using items to hold on to, the very next day.  He has also cut his two bottom teeth finally.  Man it seemed like that boy has been teethign forever.  This guy has quite the appetite too.  He is the bigger eater of the two and it shows in their size.  He is getting longer and longer while his sister is still this petite little thing.  Teagen is a FUN baby.  He laughs so easily and loudly.  He has this smile that takes up his whole face and the laugh that just starts down deep and bursts out. His older brothers love to play with him everyday because he will just randomly laugh at something they do, so they continue to do it (for qutie some time, until he stops laughing or they are tired.) He is a very "chill" baby too.  He wasn't always this way but as he gets older (so far) he gets better. He is the one that will just sit on your lap and be still as long as he has a binki, or a toy to hold on to.  The only time he really "flips" out is at bedtime. As soon as that lotion is rubbed on his body and that onsie slips over his head this trigger clicks and he starts screaming.  He knows it's about time for food, and he wants it now.  As soon as that bottle is held in front of his face, he opens his mouth big, and just grabs and attacks that thing.  He downs it in record time, nurses also, then gives a big burp and is down for the night. He is my early riser though and is the first one awake 6 out of 7 days. But boy is he a happy baby when he wakes up.  He is not a cuddly baby.  When he's tired, don't you dare try to rock him.  Just lay him down and he'll be happy. Which is wonderful, when we are at home.  Church is another story though seeing as how there is no where to lay him down.  He's is one cute, fun and happy baby.

Kynlee has been crawling for few weeks now and is the one who will venture into any room she can.  She loves to hold onto the kitchen chairs or the boys stool.  She loves exploring all of the new places in the house.  Of course, her and Teagen go in opposite directions though. I'm pretty sure they'll be a gate placed in their bedroom since it's right off the living room so that they can play safely in there when I can't watch them every second.  Kynlee is still this petite little girl.  She has a birthmark tha that started to bleed so I had to take her into the doctor to get it checked out.  When they weighed her she was 15lbs 7oz.  (Kaysen was that at 4 months & Gage was bigger than that at 2 months) But at least it's my girl that's the tiny one right?? She loves food, but not quite as much as her brother.  When she wants it, she wants it. When she doesn't, don't even try.  She also prefers to be nursed verses bottle fed.  She is a constant mover.  When she is held she is constantly trying to stand, face forward, face backward, just move, move, move all the time.  She also tends to "flip out" a bit before bed like her brother.  However, as soon as that bottle is gone, she is either wide awake and wants to play more or passed out and won't nurse also.  She almost always sleeps in about 30-60 minutes longer than her brother each morning.  So, if I can nurse Teagen a bit and he goes back to sleep I'm lucky and will have all kids asleep until around 6:30.  She tend to be a bit more dramatic.  If someone walks away from her, the tears instantly build up and start flowing.  She is so soft and cuddly.  She likes to just be laid down also but is a bit more willing to be held sometimes.  I love it.  She's tiny, cuddly and just so sweet.

Bath times have also become a favorite for them now that they are sitting up by themselves.  They'll splash, kick and suck on those toys for as long as we'll let them.  (excuse the blurry picture. They were moving too much.)

These 8 months have gone by at lightning speed.  Seriously, I was pregnant with them for almost as long as they are old. I'll tell you this has gone by much, much faster than the pregnancy did.  And I am enjoying every chaotic minute with these two.

One Month...

My babies are one month old today.


Honestly, sometimes it feels like I've been taking care of twins forever. Then other times, it feels like just yesterday that we were making that unforgettable drive to the hospital.


My days are filled.


Filled with feedings, diaper changes and laundry.  (By the way, we go through a MINIMUM of 18 diapers a day....and I do a full load of just baby clothes every 2 days)


Sometimes I wonder how I manage to get anything extra done each day. Sometimes I really don't get anything done besides those feedings and diaper changes. 


Dinners are pretty much something that is thrown together. I'm getting better at starting something earlier in the day, so that at night I have something planned and basically ready.  Thank goodness for crock pots!


My two older boys have learned how to do many more things on their own.  They keep each other entertained. I try to give them attention during the babies naps. However, many times it is during these naps that I am FINALLY getting something done. 


Like a shower.


Or dishes.


Or laundry.


Or a nap...(I wish)


I've found that I need sleep. My kids are understanding this. Kaysen has noticed that I'm a bit grouchier after a rough night. So he tries to get Gage to stay quiet while I lay on the couch for a few minutes. Man that boy is a life saver.  I've said it before. I'll say it again. He was definitely meant to be my first born.  He is my biggest helper. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have a kid like him to help me out.  He's awesome.


Thankfully...(knock on wood, cross my fingers and anything else that won't jinx what I'm about to say....) we've got the twins sleeping better at night.  Lately they have been going down around 8:30pm. Then they wake around 12:30am or so then again around 4:30am and once more at 7:00am. When one of them wake up, I'll hurry and feed that one and pray the other one continues to sleep while I'm feeding their sibling.  Then I lay the first one down and wake up the next one to feed. Total this usually takes just under an hour to feed, burp and change both of them together. I was feeding them both at the exact same time but Kynlee is a guzzler and needs burped about 10 times during each feeding. Her brother on the other hand is much more calm and just enjoys his meal. He rarely even needs burped.  So, its a bit hard to keep one of them attached and feeding when I'm constantly having to take the other one off to burp. So for now, seperate feedings, but basically at the same time are how I'm doing it.  I found it really isn't taking much longer than it does to feed them at the exact same time becasue  I can focus on just one of them and get it over with sooner.  Plus it gives me a little more one on one time with each baby.


I've found I don't like to leave the house quite as much...unless I'm going to be gone for a while.  Loading 4 kids into a car is a bit of a job....especially in cold weather.  Each morning I take Kaysen to school at 8:15, then pick him up at 11:40. Then we eat lunch and its time to take Gage to school at 1:15. Then I have to pick him up at 3:15.  So I hate loading all of them up, for that 5 minute drive to the school. But, I have to do it. So I do.  Well unless I'm right in the middle of a feeding. Then I have amazing family members around that are always willing to help out in some way. Luckily they all have kids to pick up too. Trying to get feedings and naps done at the right time takes quite a bit of planning. But sticking to that schedule is what keeps me sane.


I nursed Gage as a "demand feeding" type. If he acted hungry, I fed him. It obviously worked good for him. He's a big boy and he was such an easy baby and good sleeper.


I read a book on parenting. It is written by two doctors. One of which has triplets. They suggest feeding your babies every 2.5-3 hours. They say it will get them on a routine and sleeping through the night sooner. I decided to give it a try. Boy am I glad I did. When I tried the demand style feeding this time, I felt like that was all I was doing. It was wearing me down. Plus my babies would just snack and not get a full feeding in. They also were never hungry at the same time. They were waking every hour or so to feed at night. I was exhausted. Now though, they sleep 4 hours straight at night, and are almost always hungry at the same time, and I'm in heaven.

I'd be kidding everyone...especially myself if I said that this past month has been a piece of cake. Juggling two babies and two boys is demanding.  However, it hasn't been as bad as I feared.  There have been a couple days when Jerry has come home from work and I've definitely been near tears and a bit frazzled. Luckily, he's an amazing man and can see it and just steps in without being asked. 

This month has been hectic.

Yet it has been amazing too.

I really am learning new things already.

Like my kids can put toys where they want as long as they are put away nicely.

My house can be a bit cluttered and unorganized as long as I can see my floors, counters and have clean dishses I'm ok.

It's okay to ask for help. Especially when help is offered. I am not weak because I finally ask for help.

A shower is a heavenly thing. Especially when I can lock the door.

An afternoon walk alone is a brain saver and needs to be done more often.

Pillow talk doesn't happen before bed anymore. It happens at 1:00 in the morning. (I found that Jerry is actually more awake at this time and talks much more.) He makes those feedings go by so much faster, I laugh almost the whole time I'm up.

Being in a good mood really does depend on me.  If I wake up grouchy, that's how the rest of the day goes. If I slap a smile on my face (even if I'm pretending) then the day goes much smoother.

Most days I feel...Rushed. Crazy. Lost. Hectic. Tired. Snappy. Grouchy. Busy. Exhausted. Blessed.

Let's see what the next month brings...



p.s. Teagen rolls over from his belly to his back.  He doesn not like tummy time and will roll over within 30 seconds of being placed on his belly. He's small but strong.  Kynlee however likes her belly and just relaxes and almost falls asleep every time.

Doubly Blessed...

(36 Weeks Pregnant with Twins)

On Sunday, October 2nd I went to the hospital at 11:00am because I was having hard contractions every 5 minutes. By the time I arrived to the hospital they were every 2 minutes and getting harder. I was a 4 and 90% effaced. My doctor informed me that because I was 36 weeks she would not stop my labor but would also not do anything to speed it along. 


So I was to stay in bed, hooked to an I.V. If I would progress to a 5 then she would break my water but not until then.  So they checked me again at 5:00pm and I was still a 4 and 90% effaced.  I checked myself out of the hospital, knowing they weren't going to do anything to move it along and that I would be much more comfortable at home.  My doctor was oh so nice enough to give me an induction date of October 16th though...


All week long I had contractions.  Sometimes as close as 5 minutes apart again but I still put off going to the doctor until I was in "good" labor.


On Wednesday I had a BPP done. The ultrasound tech noticed that something looked different in Baby A's upper right chamber on her heart.  It was decided that I'd go to the valley to get a stage 2 ultrasound done to see just what was going on. If something was wrong then I'd stay in the valley to deliver. If not, I could come home.   Turns out it was the moderator band that we saw. It is supposed to be there, sometimes it just looks odd. 


My doctor informed me that because my blood pressure was steadily rising she would be willing to induce me on Sunday, October 9th instead of the 16th.  I was thrilled. I knew I only had 2 days to go!!


On Saturday morning I woke up and felt a little wet. I really thought that my water had broke.  I gave it a few hours and waited to see if anything else happened.  Nothing happened but I called my water to give her a heads up. She didn't think that it was my water that broke. So I resumed my normal plans and we had a grandparent birthday party dinner for Kaysen.  All the while I was having some good contractions but put them out of my mind knowing that I was being induced the next morning and my doctor would probably just tell me to wait it out unless they got "really good."


At 8:30 I decided to call it a night.  I wanted to be rested up for my induction the next morning that was to happen at 8:00am.  I quickly fell asleep as Jerry browsed away on our laptop. 


At 9:05pm I woke up with an excruciating pain in my stomach.  Jerry helped me get out of bed and I barely made it into the bathroom before my water broke. This time there was no doubt that it had broken.


Jerry immediately called his mom to come and stay with the boys and at 9:15pm we headed to Show Low. I called my doctor to give her a heads up. Then I asked Jerry to say a prayer that we would make it to the hospital in time, as he drove. At that time my contractions were about 10 minutes apart and not very intense. Boy was I in for the most interesting and intense drive to Show Low in my entire life.  Jerry was driving 85-50 mph most of the time and would speed up during my contractions. By the time we got to Taylor my contractions were coming every 5 minutes and getting pretty hard.  Then by the time we got on the Deuce of Clubs my contractions were every 2 minutes and VERY intense. 

Did I mention that I had epidurals with my previous two children so by the time REALLY intense contractions came I was so oblivious to the pain I was smiling and sleeping throughout them???  I am no longer niave to REAL contraction pain and I must say that although it hurt like crazy, it is somewhat nice to know that I could handle it. (although screaming came along with them)


My Mom was waiting at the ER entrance of the hospital for us.  They had been notified in advance that we were coming and were supposed to have a wheelchair ready for me.  However, it wasn't ready. I stood in the entrance of the ER and had two horrible contractions and could literally feel the baby. Finally they got me in a wheelchair and up to a room in Labor and Delivery. 


I really think that the hospital staff didn't think that I was in REAL labor. The nurse told me to get in a gown and that I could go to the bathroom.  I went in the bathroom to change but knew there was no way I could go to the bathroom. I had a contraction as soon as the door closed and once again I could feel the baby.  Jerry managed to get me back to the bed and helped the nurses strip my clothes off and put a gown on during a contraction.  The nurse went to check me but only had to lift up my gown to see that the baby was coming. She yelled at me not to push and ran out the door to notify the nurses that I was complete and ready. 


They wheeled me into the Operating Room.  Simply because I was expecting twins and it is high risk and many times an emergency c-section is needed.  I was having contractions like crazy at this point and really needed/wanted to push but was constantly being told not to. 

They got me on the Operating Room bed and 30 second later my doctor arrived.  Finally the nurse said, "Okay Charlsye. With this next contraction you CAN push."  I was so relieved. Contractions are bad enough...but having to keep a baby inside while having these contractions was pure torture.  So as soon as the nurse said those words a contraction came and at 10:26pm Kynlee Claire Miller was born. She weighed 4lbs 12oz and was 18 1/2" long. From the time I arrived to the hospital to the time our sweet girl arrived was 11 minutes. The prayer we said on the way was definitely answered and we couldn't be more grateful.

The ultrasound tech had just arrived and was ready to figure out where Baby B was at so we could try and deliver. At the same time, my doctor was checking me and felt his feet.  Yep. He changed position again and was trying to come out feet first.   She tried to manipulate him but as soon as she tried that his heart rate dropped to 56 and mine dropped to 59.  An emergency c-section became necessary.  I was put under general anesthesia and at 10:44pm Teagen Blake Miller was born.  He weighed 4lbs 10z and was 18 1/2" long.

 

Teagen (left) Kynlee (right)

I came out of anesthesia around midnight and the nurses informed me that my babies were good and healthy. I was so out of it at first that I couldn't really remember that I had just given birth.  At 1:30 am Jerry and my mom and sister were finally able to come back and see me. Then the babies were brought into my room and I was able to hold them both for the first time. 

They let us enjoy our babie for a few minutes before having to take them back for a bit more evaluation.  Since they were twins born at 37 weeks the hospital likes to keep them back in the nursery for 6 hours of evaluation.  At 4:30 they put me in a new room in postpartum and Jerry and I slept until 6:00 am expecting our babies to come any minute. Finally around 8:00am we were able to be with our babies again. 

Kaysen has been the best big brother.  He LOVES to hold the babies and feed them when given the chance. 

Gage loves them too but he doesn't want to hold them or help them as much. He's to busy. He likes to say hi to them, tell people their names and give them a quick kiss, then he's ready to move onto something more fun. 

We ended up having to stay in the hospital until Wednesday morning because it has been hard for Teagen to keep his blood sugar up.  He doesn't have enough body fat stored for his body to regulate the sugars enough.  His weight dropped to 4lbs 6oz and Kynlee dropped to 4lbs 8oz, which isn't a lot at all but when you are as small as they are, you don't have much you can lose. The doctors wanted us to supplement Teagen with formula so we did that for a bit but it didn't really seem to help so I am just nursing both of them for now. They both seem to be doing great.  

 Our family

 All dressed up and ready to go home.

 I love their naked little bodies. Look how small they are!

They already have little secrets....

We love these two little babies and are so excited to have them in our family. We know the next little bit is going to be rough but we are ready for the challenge and the memories we are about to make.

Did I mention how awesome of a family we have? We came home to find some homemade cards from our awesome nieces and nephews. And more offers for help than we know what to do with.  We really are blessed to have such an amazing family! 

Frustration....

So...I've had many phone calls and texts from my wonderful friends and family wondering what in the heck is going on in the Miller home.

Have our babies arrived yet???

Umm....No.

But I'll let you in on the happenings of the past week that have driven us crazy!

First. Last Thursday, September 22 I went into the hospital for my standard NST and Biophysical Profile that I have to have done twice weekly.  Well I had a few minor contractions while I was there but nothing that the nurses or my doctor were too worried about.  I hadn't been checked since I was in the hospital a few weeks ago so my doctor decided that she wanted me checked.  So I was. Turns out I was a 3 and 75% effaced. Then my contractions started picking up quite a bit.  I was admitted to the hospital and  put on Magnesium. That stuff is HOR-RI-BLE. I was on it for 24 hours but I had double vision the whole time I was on it, plus another 6 or more hours until the stuff worked its way out of my system. 

I was released late Friday night and Jerry and I decided to just spend the next couple days at my parents house in case something happened.  My doctor told me I only needed to make it to 35 weeks and then I wouldn't be airvaced and they wouldn't stop my if I went into labor. So we only needed to make it to Sunday, the 25th and we would be good.  So I stayed on my meds and bed rest.

While at my parents house, Papa gave Kasyen one of his old cowboy hats. The boy has been asking for one of those for quite some time now and does not take it off for anything but meals and prayers.  Here he is tipping his hat and saying "Yee-Haw!!!"

On Saturday, Gage and I took a nap together while Jerry and Kaysen went to the car show.  Have I mentioned that I am married to a car fanatic?

The guy was in heaven. If only he could have stayed longer. Kaysen's legs were getting too tired so they didn't spend all that much time up there.  Enough time for them to get pictures of some of their favorites. 

Like this...

and this....

and this...and this smokin' one...

Kaysen has a thing with "hot fire cars/trucks" if it has flames painted on it, it definitely the COOLEST car in sight.  No matter if its a hideous station wagon, or a bus, or a truck. Yes we have more than one of each of these types of "hot fire" photos and he's in love with each one.

I stopped taking my medication on Monday morning and that morning I had another NST and Biophysical Profile done.  And they checked me just to be safe. I was almost a 4 and 75%. So I hadn't really progressed all that much in those couple days. 

Jerry had school that afternoon so I told him to go and that I would meet him at home later since we had both vehicles in Show Low.  My mom and I got a pedicure, which was pure heaven.  At 2:49 my first contractions started and I continued having them every 10 minutes. I told Jerry to come back to Show Low just in case something happened.  Well I didn't want to be sent home from the hospital so I waited to make sure my contractions were really going to stick around.  They stayed around the 8-10 minute mark until 9:00pm. I wanted to get our boys to sleep at my parents house, then head to the hospital, hoping that if the babies arrived they would arrive by the time the boys woke up in the morning and all would be well.  However, at about 9:30 my contractions started slowing down so I just stayed at my moms.

I sent Jerry to work on Tuesday morning, thinking that nothing was going to happen because I didn't have much go on during the night. He had already used 3 days of vacation time so I wanted him back at work.  Although he still has 180 hours left...I just don't want him wasting his hours sitting around my parents house being bored-out-of-his-mind!

Well I woke up Tuesday and thought my water might slowly be leaking. I waited until noon to make sure. Then I called the hospital to see if they could perform the test that makes sure in is amniotic fluid and not something else.  So I headed up there and gave Jerry a little warning. They performed the test and it came back positive. So I told Jerry to get over to the hospital because they wanted the babies delivered within the next 13 hours.  Jerry arrived and 5 minutes later they tell me that my doctor wants to perform a different kind of test to make sure it it amniotic fluid.  This test came back negative. At this point I was having contractions every 2-4 minutes and they were intense.  My doctor wanted to stop the contractions...again!

I was beyond mad.  She said she really wanted me to make it to 36 weeks and I was only 35 and 3 days. She informed me that if it was true labor, the meds wouldn't stop the labor. So we decided to give it a try. It took two doses of terbutaline and nephedapine to stop my labor. I was actually still having minor contractions every 8-12 minutes.  My doctor said that she would let labor progress if I was at least a 5. So I got checked...again and she said I was a "good 4 and 80% effaced and baby a's head is about a -1" I swear I was really a 5 and she just didn't want me to go into labor...but that just may be my bad attitude.

My doctor wanted me to go back on my meds until Saturday night at midnight.  At first I refused.Then Jerry talked sense into me saying tha if I didn't do it, I'd probably go into labor the next day and my doctor would just want to stop it at the hospital...AGAIN!

So, now I am at home, on my meds every 4 hours until Saturday night.  I am strictly on bathroom privileges only and I still have contractions. However, with two little boys to take care of I'm really not doing that well. Frankly, each day that brings me closer to 36 weeks I do more than I am allowed. Even when I do just lay and rest my meds only last about 2 hours before the contractions start picking up. I'm sure that once I'm off of them I'll go into labor really quickly.  At least this is what I'm hoping for....I made my doctor look me in the eye and promise me that if I went into the hospital on Sunday, the day I turned 36 weeks then she would not stop my labor again. 

She promised...in front of my ultrasound tech, Duane. He is a twin and was 8lbs 2oz at birth. He told her, "There isn't a jury in the world that would convict me of murder if she tried to stop my labor again" and that "what she was doing was cruel and unusual punishment." Haha. My doctor laughed and just said that she just wanted those babies in there as long as possible.  Which I totally understand, but are meds that great for me and my babies after 6 weeks? Oh well...1 1/2 more days and I'm done with medication and hopefully these two little ones will grace us with their presence in a quick and healthy manner. 

Kaysen wanted to take a picure of me this morning...so here it is although somewhat blurry.  I am now 35 weeks and 5 days and that belly of mine has definitely gotten large. 

Oh yeah. Baby B...our boy is a moving machine.  Baby A, our girl has stayed in the head down position (and I mean HEAD DOWN) for the past 4 weeks at least.  Her brother on the other had has moved in every possible position.  Last Monday (the 19th)  he was head down on my right side. Thursday (22nd)  he was transverse with his head on my right side. Monday (26th) he was transverse with his head on my left side. Tuesday (27th) he was head down with his head on my left side. Yesterday (29th) he was semi-transverse/vertex with his head on my right side.  I seriously don't know how he has the room to roll around like that inside my belly but he manages to change positions almsot daily.

My doctor plans to have an ultrasound tech present during delivery so that we can watch what position he really is in and manipulate him into a head down position as his sister is delivered. That way he'll come out right behind her and head down...hopefully.

Hopefully in a couple days I'm posting pictures of our two little ones!!!

33 Weeks...

So 2 weeks ago my Dr. said she'd be surprised if I made it 2 more weeks....I did! So far we are doing pretty good too. Contractions still come everyday, sometimes as often as every 15 minutes but that is usually when it is close to the time for me to take my meds again.  Then they stop after the meds are fresh in my system.  I hate taking meds, but if it's going to keep these little ones in there then I'm all for it. So our goal is another 2 weeks. 35 weeks would be like a normal singleton pregnancy delivering at 38 weeks so we will be happy to make it there. 

In other news....this is how I now look carrying twins at (almost) 33 weeks. I know...I'm not in the most attractive apparel but this was right before bed last night. Let's face the fact too that being on bedrest doesn't make me want to (nor am I allowed to) get up and get really ready most days.  So this is what I'm looking like 5 out of 7 days. Lovely huh?? And I decided to do a bare belly picture ...just to show what it REALLY looks like. Clothes can be deceiving.

And just for fun....here I was 32 weeks pregnant with Gage...once again I'm in pajamas here but I didn't have the excuse of bedrest then. This was just one random morning when I decided I finally needed to get a picture taken of my belly. 

And here was Kasyen (almost 2 years old), that same morning, showing off his belly as I showed off mine.  Crazy to see how time flies. That boy will be 5 years old in less than a month!

Close Call...

On Tuesday morning I dropped Kaysen off at preschool then headed into Holbrook. They have reading time at the library every Tuesday at 9:30 and I thought it would be a good distraction for Gage. We were early so I took him over to the park for a bit of fun before hand. Well, I lost track of time and realized too late that it was already 9:45 so we just left the park and headed to the store for a few items.

Like always, this little guy had to go to the bathroom at the store. So I took him and realized I needed to also. I need to be thankful that he needed to go because I realized I was spotting. We paid for our 1 item and left the store immediately. I headed home, laid down and tried to think of what to do. I didn't want to over react and have it be nothing. I didn't want to do nothing and put my babies life and mine in danger.

Finally I called my Dr. and she told me to go the Labor and Delivery at the hospital. So I called Jerry and he left work, checked Kaysen out of school and we headed to Show Low. On the drive he kept asking if I was having contractions. I didn't know. I felt my belly getting tight but with Kaysen and Gage I had such bad lower back pain and minimal stomach pain that I was looking for that instead.

My mom met us at the hospital and took Kaysen and Gage with her. We got to Labor and Delivery and they hooked me up to the monitors. Turns out I was having some pretty good contractions every 8 minutes. Then they got even more strong. Eventually I was having contractions every 2 1/2 minutes...and that was after one dose of Trabutaline (sp?) So they gave me another shot of Trabutaline and a dose of Procardia to help stop the contractions. Plus I got a steroid shot to help develop the babies lungs incase they really were coming. Did I mention that those steroid shots hurt. I felt like I got kicked in the rear end by a horse.

Eventually my contractions slowed down but they wanted to keep me overnight. Luckily my contractions weren't causing me to dialate but my cervix is getting "soft" so they wanted me there for a bit more observation. Finally at 4:00 pm yesterday they gave me another dose of the steroid shot and sent me home.

I am now on modified bedrest. Meaning I have bathroom priveleges and minor kitchen ones. I can take my boys to school and that's about it. I have to stay down for at least 70% of the day. That's pretty hard with 2 kids to take care of.

Today has been long and boring. My amazing mother-in-law showed up at 7:30 this morning and took the boys. She kept them until after 12, just in time to drop them off so they could take a nap. So, thanks to her I haven't been up much at all...I've just been bored out of my mind. My Dr. says to hang in there as long as I can. 3 weeks would be pretty good. But she told my pediatrician that she'd be surprised if I made it another 2 weeks. I am determined to do all I can to last at LEAST 3 more. Each week I can put it off is that much healthier they will be.

But boy this is hard for me. I want so badly to do all that I can to keep these babies healthy yet I feel like my other two are going on the back burner. Luckily I have an amazing family that is willing to do so much for me. My sister in laws are offering to take my boys to school and pick them up and I am so grateful. But that makes me feel horrible too. Each day that I pick up Gage he runs out the door and says, "Mom, you came back!" and hugs my legs so tight. I love that reaction and I don't want him feeling like I'm neglecting him. Plus his birthday is next week (what????) and I had stuff planned for it, now I don't know how much of that will be getting done and I don't want my little guy disapointed. Kaysen keeps telling me that he's going to be my big helper and boy is he ever. He feeds the dog, waters the garden, gets drinks and treats for Gage, gets the laundry out of the dryer and much more. Man I owe that boy a lot. He's been amazing. However, it makes me feel incompetent. Jerry is already so busy with work, school and our addtion. Now he's being Mr.Mom. He's doing a spectacular job but as I lay on the couch watching him work it just makes me feel that much worse. I know I shouldn't but I can't help it. I just hate not being able to do anything. Oh well. Just a few more weeks and I'll be able to help out again.


So I have to have Non-Stress Test done twice weekly, a BioPhysical Profile done weekly and take Procardia every 6 hours to hold off contractions. Plus I get to wear some pretty sexy compression socks. Since I am down so much they don't want blood clots forming. I have to wear them for at least 23 hours a day if possible. Man I'm stylin....

All in all it was a pretty hectic couple days, but during that time I never felt scared. I was comfroted the whole time and I know that everything will turn out well if I just listen to my body and my doctor. The next 3 weeks are going to be rough but I just hope that I can last that long so our babies have a better chance of surviving and being healthy. Thank goodness for prayer. I know that is what is keeping these babies alive and well so far.

Showered...

On Saturday my wonderful friend Cayla and my Mom threw a baby shower for me and the twins. It was held in my Mother-in-Law's back yard and was wonderful. Unfortunately my mother-in-law took some pictures of the party but I haven't gotten them from her yet....they will hopefully be posted soon.

The shower turned out great. The food was delicious and so many wonderful friends and family came and I couldn't believe all of the wonderful things they got for us. It was a huge blessing and boy am I grateful to all of them.

After looking at the large pile of diapers my friend LuAnne said, "Well, you have enough to last you 2 months maybe." And boy is she right I bet. Diapers are going to be coming in and out of our home like crazy soon.

It is so crazy to think that in just a few short weeks we are going to be adding two new ones to this household. I used to think my life was busy...boy was I wrong. Nowadays I spend most of my time just getting extra stuff done, playing with my boys, reading books and taking it easy. Kaysen and Gage both still take naps most days so that is at least 2 hours each day that I have to myself. That isn't going to last long. I'm sure those two hours will be filled with nursing two little ones.

Most of the time I CANNOT wait for these two to arrive. I just want them here. I want them healthy. But then I think I'm crazy, I should be wanting them in my belly as long as possible because once they are here, my life is never going to be this laid back.

Jerry just wants them here. He doesn't like it when I'm pregnant. He worries too much (although I didn't know he worried that much until our miscarriage. Then he let his worries be known a bit better. He holds it all inside) He wants to know that his babies and I are healthy so he's ready for this pregnancy to be over.

My nesting has hit full force now and I am trying to organize everything as best as I can. It is much harder this time around. We have twice the stuff coming in, and he have half the room to put it in. Kaysen and Gage's closet is jam packed with diapers, clothes, blankets, burp rags, etc. Someday soon it will be their closet again and full of just toys and clothes for them. Jerry just laughs at me because each day I'm asking him to take one more item off the shelf in the garage so that I can clean it and get it ready for the babies. Most of the time it drives him nuts, but then he admits that he's glad I am doing it. He knows it is keeping me sane to feel like I have something to do.

So I am 31 weeks now and am just trying to keep these little ones in there for AT LEAST 4 more weeks. I had an ultrasound last Wednesday and we saw that the girl was now 3lbs and was in the 50%. Her ultrasound 2 weeks ago measured her at 2lbs 3oz so she gained 13oz in 2 weeks! That was great news. Our boy was measuring 2lbs 14oz and was in the 45% so he gained 9oz in 2 weeks! Yay. They are both growing well and we just hope they keep it up. Baby A, our girl is still breech and Baby B our boy is laying transverse. Unless they both get head down in the next week or so, they will be delivered by C-Section. Supposedly most twins run out of room to switch positions around 32 weeks.So we'll see how these little ones decided to grace us with their presence...only a few more weeks and they will be here and our life will get just a bit more crazy!!!

How about a Penny???

Today Jerry finished up our sewer line. I wish that I would have taken pictures of our boys digging in the dirt and "helping" their Dad. However, I move a bit slow these days and by the time I got around to getting the camera, they had moved onto bigger things.

Towards the end of the project, Kaysen was helping Jerry and Grandpa pour the dirt back in the trench. Jerry and Grandpa both had shovels and the tractor. Kaysen had hit little garden shovel and thought he was putting more dirt in the trench than they were because he was digging faster and boy were his arms moving fast trying to get that dirt in there.

Jerry looked at him and said, "Wow! You are a hard worker. We should pay you a quarter for all your help, huh?"

Kaysen quickly replied, "How about a penny!"

Jerry and I laughed and said, "Sure. If you really want a penny instead of a quarter."

Kaysen nodded his head up and down quickly and let us know that a penny was definitely what he wanted.

Who knew that such good help would cost so little??


In other news Jerry has been working 5, 8 hour days for the past two weeks. I am in heaven. He has been somewhat bored with the new job because he has had to do all the boring orientation stuff that he's gone through a hundred times but the past couple days he has been able to go out in the field and work. That made his days go by much faster. I told him (somewhat nicely) that I didn't have much sympathy for his boring days because I LOVE his 8 hour days. They go by so much faster than those 12 hour ones. We've had so much more time together each day and it has been awesome. I just know I'm going to love it as time goes on.

Some not so happy news....for me. Not a big deal but not GREAT news anyways. Today I found my first stretch marks on my belly. Okay, so I had two small ones already there. One from each previous pregnancy, but that is it. Just this morinng I was checking my belly out to see and NOTHING new was sighted. Then this afternoon I commented to Jerry that I felt like my belly/skin was stretching...but put the idea aside. (denial) Now just a mere 10 minutes ago, I was laying on the couch watching my belly dance (from the babies moving around). My shirt was pulled up above my belly and Jerry commented that he saw new stretch marks.

WHAT!!!!

I quickly did a scan of the area and lo and behold there they are. I knew this pregnancy would be the one to REALLY make my body change and never go back to like it was but I'll admit I was in a bit of denial about it too.

Oh well, it's the price I gotta pay to get these two little ones here safely.

28 week appointments...

On Wednesday I had my 28 week check up and ultrasound.

Baby A, our girl, is sitting breech (sp?) directily on my bladder. No wonder I'm dashing to the bathroom 50 times a day. I even have to get up at least 3 times during the night...I never had this problem with my other pregnancies. Good new though....she now weighs 2lbs 3oz. She has gained 1lb in 4 weeks. She is in the 28 percentile so she is on the small side, but she is growing and that is what matters.

Baby B, our boy, is laying transverse across the top of his sister. His foot has found the perfect little nook inside of my right side rib cage. He too has gained 1lb in the last 4 weeks and now weighs 2lbs 5oz. He is in the 32 percentile so again...he is small.

But the news we got was great. We have been so worried that our little girl wasn't going to be growing as well but we now see that both of them are growing just fine. I was also told that my cervix actually thickened to 3.0cm, thanks to over a gallon of water a day and bedrest. This measurement is actually good for how far along I am and for the fact that I am expecting twins. These appointments just made my stress level go down a whole lot and I know that each week brings us one week closer. If these two little people decided to come early, I know that their chance of survival is actually really good. Yay!!

The only news my doctor didn't like was that I've gained 21lbs. I thought that I had gained 26lbs...but according to them it's only 21. She wants me to pack on a bit more if possible. On average, twin pregnancies should gain around 40-50lbs. I only have about 6-8 weeks before these little ones make their grand apperance and so it doesn't look like I'll be gaining that much. So I'm drinking Ensure and trying to fit more food into my already packed belly. I have noticed that I have a bit more energy now that I'm drinking the drinks, I guess these little ones just like to take all that I have, and in the end there isn't much left for me. So we'll see just how much I can fatten up in the next few weeks. Also, since Baby A is breech and Baby B is transverse the probablilty of a c-section are high. Unlsess they magically turn, which they'd have to do in the next 2 weeks or so before they run out of room.

I also met with a new pediatrician. She has been in the NICU for a hospital in New Jersey for 17 years and has just moved to Show Low. She is willing to be on site when my babies are born, even if she isn't the doctor on call. She is also willing to be there and watching over them if they are born at 35 weeks. Our hospital sends most babies born before 36 weeks to the valley. So, As long as I can make it to 35 weeks, which is September 18, I will be able to avoid being air vacced (sp?) to the valley, as long as the babies and myself are healthy. That is a major relief. I want to keep my babies here if at all possible. Unless there is a problem, then I want them at the best facility available. However, if my labor progresses too fast and they are born here and end up needing to be sent to the valley, I would have to stay here and they'd be sent with out me. That is something I DEFINITELY don't want. So I'm just praying they will come after 35 weeks and healty!!

I go back in 2 weeks for another ultrasound and then I'll start having Non Stress Tests every week. It's so crazy how fast the time has flown. Our addition is NOT done but I'm honestly not even worried about it anymore. I just want these little ones here and healthy. As does Kaysen, he's getting pretty anxious for these little ones to arrive.

This 'n That.....

Today we had one heck of a rain storm. It really only lasted for about 30-45 minutes but this is the lake that was in our back yard after it. Our boys were having the time of their life just walking around in the mud and water.





Note: Gage is in this new stage. He wants to change his clothes a million times a day and is very picky about which clothes he wants to change into. All of which happen to be clothes that are a) pajamas or b) do not match at all. I'm a little picky about matching clothes. I know I need to let my kids be kids but this is something I really struggle with. Kaysen never really did this type of thing. He has wanted to wear some pretty strange things...like snow boots with shorts. Or my personal favorite...a really tight belt with his shirt tucked in and his pants pulled up a bit too high....or he loves to wear long socks with shorts. I don't know why that one bothers me so much but it REALLY does. I'm figuring out that my boys are starting to get older and want to do things their own way. Kaysen is the kind of boy that will choose what he wants to wear each day, but if I hint to him it doesn't match, 90% of the time he'll change it. He sticks to what I want, because it makes me happy (I'm selfish huh?) and in the end, he makes choices that I would make. Now he will only wear certain shirts with certain pants/shorts. And when Gage chooses something that doesn't match it really bothers him too. He is so OCD like me its funny....sometimes. Gage on the other hand, could care less about anything. If he wants it, he wants it. Regardless of anything...there's hardly any room for negotiations with that boy. Just one more way to show how different my boys are already.

This is the 4th outfit of the day for Gage....


Right here Kaysen is telling me that he "hates that dang dog because he stinks so bad." Yes it has been quite some time since Ruger has gotten a bath but I really think that even if he would have gotten one in the past week he would still have that "wet dog" smell that all dogs have when they are wet. It's not appealing to me at all and I don't blame Kaysen for not liking it either. I did try to talk the word "hate" down to "don't like" and focus on not liking the smell vs. not liking Ruger.

And here is a little bit better picture of me at 27 weeks. It's a bit more in focus, and at least my hair is pulled back and I have some mascara on.

I have been "nesting" for a few weeks now. Except I'm not really nesting because I can't get anything done. Our addition isn't done, and I've come to face the fact that it probably won't be done before these little ones arrive. I'm okay with that. They can sleep in our room for a few months, they would be doing that in our new room anyways, the only difference is our new room is bigger.

The part that really gets to me is that I can't get their clothes, blankets and other "stuff" organized yet because I have no where to put it. They will be using the closet that we are currently occupying. We have no other place to put our clothes until our addition is done. So I've been going a bit crazy.

Finally, I bought a new dresser for Kaysen and Gage today. They just had this itty bitty one that is perfect for babies. It literally held their pajamas, socks and underwear. They are now nearly 3 and 5 years old. Their clothes were just getting too big for it. All shirts are hung up and all pants have been on shelves in their closet. Now, they have a bigger dresser that holds all of their pajamas, pants, undies and socks. Shirts are still hung up because its much easier to keep them nice and organized that way.

By moving their pants I was able to fit baby blankets in on the shelves, plus I was able to make more room for the boxes of diapers I have stored and will continue to store.

Tomorrow we are going to buy a matching dresser and it will be for the twins clothes. We were just going to have them use the old small one, but that was when I thought I'd have a whole closet to put the rest of their clothes and supplies in. So now all hats, gloves, belts and shoes are in this small dresser and it has changed the look of thier closet. I wish I would have taken a before and after picture to show my accomplishments.

I honestly can't express how much organizing just these couple things have brought my stress level down. As Jerry has pointed out to me in the past couple years...I am a bit OCD about certain things and things like this just happen to be one of them. I have to have things in the right place, or I go crazy.

When thinking of preparing for these little ones is this what I pictured?

Definitely not.

Do I wish we were in our new room?

You betcha. That extra space and new bathroom would be HEAVEN.

Do I wish I had their room set up completely?

You got it. I'd love to have those cribs up, rooms decorated and clothes organized.

But alas, I don't have any of these things and I just gotta deal with it. My husband is over here bustin his little rear end off trying to get us in that new room and I'm sure that me being little miss antsy pants isn't helping any. (although I'm pretty proud of myself for not nagging on him much at all...he just knows me and knows it's making me crazy.) But we are getting one step closer and boy am I grateful....as I am sure Jerry is too.

27 Weeks...

Here I am at 27 weeks pregnant. (once again, photo courtesy of Kaysen Miller) I've been meaning to get so many pictures but each time I think about it, I'm in pajamas, no make up, tired as heck, or if I am actually somewhat ready, Jerry isn't around to take a picture. Tonight I decided it was time to get a picture no matter how tired I looked. So out came the camera. I am feeling bigger and bigger each day (duh?) yet people tell me I can't possibly be carrying twins. I know that I am much more uncomfortable now that I was at this stage with my last two pregnancies though. I finally made it to the chiropractor on Monday and I now wonder what took me so long to get in there. I kept putting it off but man I feel soooo much better.


On July 6th we went to a high risk specialist in the valley. We were able to get some 3D pictures of the babies. Here is baby A or our girl. Turns out that she is literally being smashed by her brother so her picture is really distorted. It took nearly an hour to get all of the needed photos of her because she is a little contortionist and wouldn't hold still.

While we were there we found out that she has a marginal umbilical cord insertion to the placenta. Basically, it means that her umbilical cord attached to the edge of the placenta instead of the "meaty" center part. This can cause her to not get the nutrients she needs. She has always been bigger than her brother but in this ultrasound she was 3oz smaller. (Not a big difference at all, many twins are 1lb different towards the end. ) But, it is something that we have to monitor. I am still on slight bedrest, my cervix is still thin but not opening so we aren't too worried about it right now. But now I'm down because if I am laying down, my blood flow goes to the areas it's needed more and that would be the placentas. If I'm up and moving the blood has to go to many more areas and the placentas don't get everyting they need. So hopefully this helps our babies get what they need a bit more. I get another ultrasound next week. If her growth has slowed drastically, the only thing they can do is to induce labor and perform a c-section around 30-31 weeks. Most twins stop their growing at that point so she would have a better chance of growing outside the womb. We are just praying that she is developing and growing stronger each day, even if she is small, and making it all the way to at least 35 weeks. Other than that, she looks 100% healthy and we are so grateful!!


By the way...she is probably (99.99999% sure) going to be named Kynlee Claire Miller. Claire is after Jerry's grandma who passed away years ago.

And here is a 3D picture of baby B or our boy. His picture is more clear. Don't ask me what is in the photo to the right of this one. They printed it with the others and didn't label it. I tried to crop it out of the pic, but my computer won't let me. If you can decipher what it is...let me know. :)
He looks 100% healthy and is growing great. This time we got to see him kick his sister in the head. Usually he is pretty laid back and is taking all of the kicking from her but his time he was moving like crazy and kept kicking up a storm in there.

And this is going to be Teagen Jett or Teagen Blake Miller. We are really divided on the middle name right now. We like Jett because it is different (well now I know a lot who are using it for a first name but I still like it soooo much) I didn't want this little guy to be named after anyone because Gage isn't and I didn't want Gage being our only child not named after someone. ( I tried to get Gage to be Gage Hunt Miller, after Jerry's grandma's maiden name but he didn't like it. So he is Gage Ryan. Then a year later we talked about it and Jerry wondered why we didn't use it because he now liked it...ugh!!! ) We both like the name Blake and it is my Grandpa Duncan's name and he has no one named after him. So we are still debating the middle name for this little guy. Hopefully we'll agree on it sometime soon :)

p.s. Jerry got a new job as an Electrician and Insturment Repairman Apprentice. He starts Monday August 1st!!! So this is his LAST set of nights!!! He actually loves shift work and isn't looking forward to giving up his 1 week straight off per month. I too am not looking forward to that but I am looking forward to having my husband home every day at 3:30pm and getting him every holiday and Sunday!!! It came at just the right time! I was soooo not looking forward to having 4 kids at church by myself 2 Sunday's a month or trying to keep 2 new little babies quiet while he slept (especially if I was up all night alone with them while he was working.) This new job is an apprenticeship, where APS pays him and trains him in this specific line of work. It will last about 4 years, then he will be a journeyman. He has a lot of hard work and studying ahead of him but I know that he will do great!!!