List

4- Meeting at school & Sleepover
6- Lexi turns 12!
8- Program at school
14- Kaylee kinder graduation
16- Lexi field trip
17- Lexi end of year program
18- Mikey end of year program & Lexi choir field trip
22- Lexi & Kaylee field day
23- Mikey field day
24- Last day of school
30- Babies dr's appointment

I'd say May is going to be BUSY!!!

3 Months

My little babies are 3 months old today....

It makes me quite sad actually. The past 3 months have passed by so quickly. I need time to slow down so the next 3 months don't feel so rushed. I'm in awe of my beautiful babies. They are changing everyday, both love to talk and chew on their hands. They will hold toys but only for a short while. They really like to lay in the bed with mommy or daddy and coo and talk to us and give us the most beautiful smiles. They haven't mastered rolling over yet. The big kids are still very smitten with their baby brother and sister.

So the first day of May is tomorrow and its going to be a busy month. Besides school and work we will have award ceremonies at school, end of year programs, dr appointments for the babies. The big kids are all due for well checkups and dentist appointments. Lexi is having a birthday this coming weekend and having a sleepover with some friends friday night. I'm not looking forward to summer starting. On one hand I will have all my kids at home and the big kids are great helpers. On the other hand I'm not looking forward to the fights and the summer school some of the kids will be doing. Lexi is actually doing a 3 week summer school program that is going to get her a head start on her Hindu language class she is taking next year in junior high. Oh my gosh I can't believe I am going to have a child in Junior high! Ahhhhhhhh! She will do her summer program and Kaylee may be going to summer school herself. I hope its not a long program. Last summer she did speech and it was a pain 2 times a week. I hope I hear something soon because I don't want it to be last minute.

Working Weekend

I did nothing but work this weekend! I love my job but I hate working the whole weekend. I feel like I don't get to see my family and it makes it worse when I don't get out of work on time. I really didn't want to work today as today is mine and hubby's 12th wedding anniversary. I had asked off but didn't get it, I don't even think my request got looked at. I was off on friday and we went out to dinner. I did go ahead and ask off for the 4th of May, Lexi is having a sleepover and Daddy wont be able to throw the party all himself. Plus I'm sure Lexi would rather me home.

Tomorrow the babies will be 12 weeks old. I really can't believe they have been here that long. I guess tomorrow I will need to take a small photo shoot of them. I need to find a darker background though. I'll have to look around and see what I have. I really want to get some photos of them sleeping but I don't knw if its going to work out.

Sickness

We've had sick people in the house! It first started with Mikey then Lexi next was Harley although his wasn't so bad, then Mike, then Me, then Mikey again, Ella was next which the poor baby ran fever and cried so much, and Kaylee was last. It just consisted of a sore throat, fever and headache. I am glad it wasn't anything much more. Not ready to deal with snotty noses on infants. I am glad everyone is feeling better and I hope no more sickness will be in this house for quite awhile.

Summer break is upon us and I am ready. Getting up early on little sleep is killing me! It would be nice to wake for that 5 am feeding and be able to go back to sleep afterward but instead I have to stay up until 7 to get the kids off to school. Before everyone got sick the babies were sleeping in longer stretches, I just need to work on getting them back to that point and I think life will be so much easier. It's a real pain to get home from work and have to feed them and then they want to stay up and play until 1-2 am.

Have some great stuff coming up, a family reunion, a visit from my sister and her family, summer with the kids and planning a camping trip with another sister and her family. The camping trip is really exciting me, we haven't been in well over a year and I am so ready to get back to it. We really hope we get to go in the fall but if not it will be spring break. Here in the next few weeks I will make 3 trips to the school for award ceremonies and I can't wait. I hope the babies cooperate too.

Saving

I have decided I am going to save up for a dslr camera. I would really like a good camera to take pictures. I have a really good point and shoot but I would like a higher end camera and I think I am finally going to get one. I just love taking pictures of the kids and I would love to learn more about photography and take wonderful pictures of my kiddos. I'll be so glad when I finally have enough saved and can make my purchase!!!

Routine

Going from a family of 5 to a family of 7 took a bit of adjusting to our normal routine. Rather than the normal we were use to, we had to adjust to feeding two infants and changing two infants, just plain making sure all their needs are met. The hardest for me was getting use to getting up at night with them and I think I have done pretty darn good. Another hard part is getting up on time in the mornings and getting the big kids ready for school. It was a struggle at first, most morning I was wanting to just go back to bed and I still have some mornings where I am just watching the clock until the big kids leave out the door to go to school so I can lock the door and go back to sleep. But I guess when you are staying up until midnight, sometimes later it is ok to go back to sleep in the morning, it just makes for a shorter day, especially when I have to go to work in the evenings.

The kids have done really well adjusting to a new brother and sister. I haven't seen much jealously issues like I thought I would, maybe when they get older. All the big kids really like to help out and I try to let them help when they ask. Sometimes I do have to ask for help and I feel guilty asking. They need to be kids and not little Momma and Daddy. There has been many times Lexi will offer to change or feed one and I make sure to tell her she doesn't have to. I really don't want any of the big kids feeling like they have to help and grow to resent the twins, me or Mike.

Getting up in the mornings have been tough like I said above, we have only missed the bus three times. Two of those time I loaded everyone up and got them to school on time. One of those days I just decided they could have a day off from school and stay at home. This past week we woke at 7a.m., the kids got dressed and out the door in 7 minutes which was amazing. I was really proud. I thought for sure I would have to take them but Lexi piped up and said if we hurry we can make the bus and they all made an effort to make it on time and they did.

February & March

We were finally home from the hospital and the month of February was filled with lots and lots of Dr's appointments. It was really crazy. The babies went the Saturday after they were born. That Monday I had a follow up with my Dr. where we decided my blood pressure was high and I was put on medicine for that. The 7th I had to take the babies to the hospital for their pku test. The 8th I had a wic appointment for the babies. The 9th we had to go see the pedi again for a weight check. The 15th I had to see my Dr for a check and get my staples taken out. The 17th the babies had another weight check. The 22nd I had yet another visit with my Dr. I tell you what I am so tired of Dr's and only have had about a week total without Dr's visits. Finally the pedi was happy with the babies weights that we didn't have to go back until their two month check up which was the 28th of March and all was very well. I had my very last appointment with my ob on the 31st and my blood pressure was still high.

My blood pressure issues are finally subsiding. For my past three checks its has been low, yesterday it was 113/51! Excellent! So I have dropped myself to 1 pill a day and hopefully in a week I can quit all together. I really can't afford to pay out of pocket to see a Dr so I hope its finally going back to normal. I also had alot of trouble with swelling which thankfully my Dr helped me out on by prescribing water pills, I was so glad to finally quit swelling and get all that water weight off. I was swelling worse than when I was pregnant. And now I have very little swelling and that's just after work from being on my feet.

March was filled with Dr's appointments and Mikey turned 10! Hard to believe my boy is 10! I went back to work too. I am so glad to be back. I do miss all the kids when I am at work but its good to get out and be making money again.

Ella Grace & Harley James

Ella being observed by the NICU

Harley being observed by the NICU

Mommy finally getting to hold her babies! That really was the longest wait ever!

Daddy holding Harley James

Grammi holding Harley and Grandpa holding Ella

Getting ready for pictures

Getting ready to go home! Look how little they look in their carseats!

Ella and Harley finally home!

Ella and Harley came home on Thursday, I decided to come home on wednesday. I really couldn't stand another night in that horrible hospital bed. Some people said I should have never left my babies but they weren't in my position. Plus I really missed my big kids and I was so glad to see them. Thursday morning Mike and I got up and arrived at the hospital about 8a.m. We talked with the babies nurse and as soon as the pedi was done checking them over came to speak with us and said they could go home and that we would need to bring them in on Saturday for a check up. Wednesday before we left Ella since being so tiny had to pass a carseat test. She had to eat and then an hour later be placed in her carseat for an hour and make sure she didn't quit breathing. She passed so they both came home. I was really bittersweet to finally have them home. They are amazing and beautiful and we all love them so much.

Loser I tell you!!!

I haven't even updated since December? What in the heck is wrong with me? Well alot and I mean alot has happened since December!

 Kaylee celebrated her birthday on January 20th, I can't believe she is six!!

 My maternity leave began on the 20th as well! I was really excited about that, the swelling in my feet was really getting to me and it was finally getting hard to stand for 4 hours at work. My pelvic area hurt so bad, it really felt like a baby was going to fall out! Me and Mike had some alone time and spent it trying to walk the babies out! I had a false alarm and really thought the babies were coming but no, good news I was dilated to a 4 but they couldn't keep me, so that's when the walking began, I did all I could stand!

 Finally on January 30th I had woke, not that I was really sleeping much anyways. Woke to use the rest room, tried laying back down, watched a bit of TV, got back up to use the restroom and this time my water broke while sitting on the toilet. What luck right? I didn't mess up the bedding or the floor. I woke Mike and told him my water had broke, he jumped up feeling the bed thinking it had happened there, lol. I filled him in and asked if he would get the kids up and dressed and I was going to jump in the shower real quick. I tell you my water was just gushing out it was crazy. My water had never broke on its own before and I had always hoped it would, guess I got my wish. After my shower I put a pad on and within minutes it was soaked, how in the heck was I suppose to get all the way to the hospital this way. Finally I had an idea, I had one of the kids bring me a diaper. I used it like a pad and guess what? It worked like a charm. Just in case I put a towel in the seat of the car but I didn't leak at all. We finally got out the door, I was so nervous too.

My water broke at 2a.m. and after dropping the kids off at my mother's house we finally arrived at the hospital at 3a.m., we got checked in and hooked up to monitors and finally admitted at 4a.m. Even though I was clearly leaking they had to do a test to make sure I wasn't making it up, geez whatever, when I walk slippery fluid was running down my leg, I don't believe I was making it up. By this time my contractions were really coming along, they got me to my room and I decided I wanted an epidural. I got that at about 6a.m. My Dr had come in and did a sonogram and Miss Ella was head down ready for her big debut but Harley was transverse. Because of this I had to deliver in the operating room. That was a big bummer because I wanted my mom and Lexi to be in the room. I was checked and said to be 6cm, this was around 7a.m., I was told as soon as I felt pressure to call for the nurse. 15 minutes later I was at a 9 and was being taken to the operating room. Everything was set up, I was checked again and determined to be a 10 so I started pushing. I gave a hard push and was told to stop because her head was presenting. The Dr finished getting ready and I pushed, I was told to stop pushing because her head was out, she got suctioned, gave a gentle push and she was out. Miss Ella Grace was born at 8:47 a.m. weighing 4lbs 5oz and 17 3/4 inches long and a very strong set of lungs.

My Dr then broke Harley's water and actually placed his hand inside of me to position him for delivery, everything was moving quick and there was alot of pressure because he was trying to get him turned. He was coming head down and the cord was wrapped around his neck, the Dr got him free but was coming breech and got tangled again. His heart rate was dropping and the Dr decided to do an emergency c-section. Everything was very quick, lots and lots of pushing, tugging and pressure. Finally he was out but not crying, they reassured me that everything was fine. I could turn my heard up and and to the left see they were working on him. It took a few minutes but he finally came around and started to cry. Mike was holding him in no time. Mr Harley James was born at 9:01a.m. weighing 6lbs 1oz and 19 3/4 inches long. Mike went with the nurse to the NICU, I layed on the table and got my tubes tied and then stitched back together. I started getting nauseous which trying to throw up while laying on your back is not an easy task. Finally they moved me back to my room and everyone was waiting.

I had to stay in recovery longer than usual because my temp was so low, it was 91 and I needed to be 97.3 before I could be moved. Finally within an hour I was in my permanent room. I was so hungry too and was given some juice and broth which I threw up. Had some water and some more broth and thought it was going to stay down and it didn't, I promptly threw all that up too. My nurse ended up giving me an anti-nausea medicine and it worked. I was finally able to eat and hold my dinner down.

I finally got to see my babies at about 8:30p.m. Mike and the kids came up and we all held them. The big kids were so excited to get to see and hold their baby brother and sister.