June 6, 2011

34 weeks 5 days pregnant

We have a date set!

June 6, 2011

Pretty crazy right? I'm still having a hard time believing it myself. That is only 18 more days!

Today we went and saw Dr. L. She came in and the first thing she said was "Baby A still hasn't flipped" with a discouraged look on her face. We kind of knew what was coming. She said that since he hasn't flipped and he is closest to my cervix, and will be delivered first that we have to do a c-section. Unless by some miracle, he flips all the sudden they will probably be delivered by c-section. The likely-hood of him flipping is slim to none. So she set the date of June 6th. UNLESS, I go into labor by myself before then. Which is a possibility. I'd still have to have a c-section. But at this point, they wont try to stop labor with shots, bedrest or anything. She said they are developed enough that they will be completely fine, and will come home with me after my stay. She said the hospital stay will likely be 3-4 days after the c-section.

Right now I am 1cm dilated and 50% effaced(or thinned out). So I'm just barely barely starting the process. But she said that some one progress really fast, but others take their time. So we'll see! It could be anytime!!! Crazy!

I really can't believe I have made it to 35 weeks without any problems. I am blessed. My body must have been made for this! Although I've definitely had my tough days, I make it through them. I'm still working full time, besides the fact that I am down at Intermountain Medical Center like twice a week! Soon to move to 3 times a week. The next 2 weeks my schedule goes like this:

Tuesday 24th: Non-stress Test 2:00pm

Thursday 26th: Appointment with Dr. L 10:15am
Friday 27th: Non-stress test 2:30 pm
Tuesday 31st: Non-stress test 2:00pm
Thursday 2nd: Ultrasound 9:00am
Non-stress test 10:00am
Friday 3rd: Appointment with Dr. L 2:30pm

Then the next monday, the 6th, is my scheduled c-section! I might as well build a fort outside the hospital an sleep in it!! I am down there so much!

We got the nursery all finished!

Now we are just waiting... the funnest part right? I say funnest is a word today, ok? I need to get the hospital bag, diaper bag, boppy's, carseats and stuff packed in the car. Especially since I could go any day now. They are all ready inside, just not in the car yet! I'll get on that one. But the clothes are washed, the house is pretty much clean, the nursery is done, and my sister is in town.

We're ready! So come out, come out where ever you are!

Pioneer Stock

32 weeks 5 days pregnant

Yesterday at work, I was told that I am pioneer stock. That I am like a pioneer woman, and I could walk all day and all night, pop these kids out on the side of the road, and continue right on. It's a compliment.

Most people at work thought I'd be gone on bedrest by now. A long time ago actually. To be honest I'm a little surprised too. At this point though, sitting at work in a chair for 8 hours a day, getting up and down to get loan files, things off the printer ect... is tough. It's much more comfortable to be in jammies at home where I can lay down. Especially since my feet and hands are swelling a lot. My work clothes aren't fitting so well. I should be allowed to wear pajamas to work. Haha!

Well today we had an Ultrasound, Non-stress Test and Dr.'s appointment. First the ultrasound went good! Baby A weighs 4lbs 6oz and Baby B weighs 4lbs 13oz!
Um holy crap! They're growing like crazy! No wonder everything is getting so much harder, I'm walking a little slower, and feeling more tired! I'm really glad they are growing so well.

Then the NST was fine. They got me hooked right up and the babies were cooperating pretty good. They did have to do sound wave stimulation again, but this time it was to wake baby A up. They did monitor two contractions during my NST. They were just little and I didn't feel them. Monday I woke up with terrible lower back pains and some really strong, painful contractions! I was worried. But I only had about 3 really strong ones and then they wore off. I still feel some smaller ones occasionally.

After the NST I went and saw Dr. L. She said she is thrilled with the way they are growing. But the fact that Baby A is still breech isn't such a great thing. She said he still has time to flip, but c-section is becoming more likely. I'm preparing myself for a c-section to be honest. I don't think the little bugger will flip, unfortunately. I told her about the contractions i've been having, and she said it is ok, as long as I don't have more then 6 in an hour. So I need to monitor them really carefully. My feet and hands are swollen, she said it's ok for now. Then she checked my cervix. I was nervous for this part thinking I might have dilated a little. Still closed! It's a good thing! But I think her checking me has caused stronger contractions :S Uh oh! Hopefully it didn't aggravate it too much!

So I'm still working, still chugging along day to day, week by week. It's not getting much easier, but the longer these little guys can stay in the better! I'm grateful for every week that they are still in there and healthy!!

31 Weeks 6 days pregnant My dad took this picture last night. It looks great, doesn't it?! My dad recently bought a new camera, and he loves playing with it and editing photos. He enhanced it a bit, but I definitely need it at this point! Thanks Dad!

So far so good I guess! No contractions, or signs of pre-term labor yet. But I think I am getting to the point where I'm just uncomfortable all the time. Yesterday I ended up going home from work early cause I was so worn out! I thought I was uncomfortable cause I didn't sleep well. But last night I slept awesome, and I'm still uncomfortable today. It's to be expected though. Tomorrow I'll be 32 weeks which is a huge milestone! It's considered their 'viable' point! Yay! So it could be anywhere from 2-4 weeks! That is just crazy to me!

Yesterday I had another NST (non-stress test). It went SO much better. It was a night and day difference. I only waited in the waiting room for 2 minutes, the nurse took me back, hooked me right up and I got to relax for 20 minutes! Baby A passed on his own, but Baby B was so sleepy they had to wake him up. They took a little device that looked like a flash light but makes low decibel sound waves and put it up to my belly to wake him up. When they did it, it almost felt like I was being shocked! But it was just the babies jumping from being startled by it! It was crazy, but it did the trick! So both babies passed within the 30 minutes! Thank goodness!

Well, I'll keep it short and sweet! Until next week!

Maternity Photos

30 Weeks Pregnant

I pretty much love these.

Jalene at J. Taylor Photography took these! Isn't she amazing?!

So, if you need someone to take amazing pictures like these, check her out! Engagements, wedding, bridals, maternity & more!

Seriously!

Justin and Jalene were childhood best friends. They lived right across the street from each other. Their adventure stories are pretty great!

Thanks Jalene! We love you!

I'm still alive!

29 Weeks 3 Days PregnantSorry it's been a while since my last post! Not too much has been going on. Well ok, some things have been, but there haven't been a lot of pictures to document! So we'll start on February 26th. One of my best friends, Tatjana threw me a baby shower! It turned out so great and I owe her! It was so nice to see old friends, catch up and have a good time! We had some way yummy food, then we played some games. One of them were jars of baby foods with the labels taken off. We had to guess what they were. Guess how many I got right... ZERO! Haha! I thought I had at least one of them, but boy was I wrong! Then we played a matching game and got some fun candy that coordinated with the word! I got some great gifts, really I got spoiled. I'm so lucky to have such great friends that support me and my family! I love them all! Thanks to everyone who came, and to everyone that has sent gifts that couldn't make it. It means a lot to me!

On Tuesday April 5th our really good friend Jalene Taylor with J. Taylor Photography did my maternity photos! Holy cow I'm SO excited to see them! She posted a little sneak preview on my facebook last night, and I can't wait! She does such a great job, and she makes the shoots fun and exciting! I love her!

Then on April 7th my work threw me a shower! That was fun! All the girls from work got together and we had some delicious Sweet BBQ Pork sandwiches. They were heaven! And once again, they all spoiled me. Mostly with clothes, which is exactly what we need! We now actually have clothes in our dresser and closet! It was so fun! I'm so grateful to friends who care about us and support us! We are very blessed!

Also on April 7th, I had a check up with Dr. L. Even though I waited in the lobby for 45 minutes, then in the room for another 45 minutes we had a good talk. We talked about breastfeeding, birth control after the babies come, who their pediatrician was going to be, and some other important things. She is glad that I am willing to do my best at breastfeeding, but that I'm not against supplementing. Breastfeeding two is not impossible, but she said that it would be a challenge if that's all we were doing. So I feel good about the decision to supplement when needed. She also checked my cervix. Luckily my "seal is still tight" :) (I think that's a pretty decent way to put it right?). My hands, legs and feet are a little bit swollen, but nothing too bad. They don't look like balloons yet, so that's good!

Then on Friday April 8th we had a measurements ultrasound. The ultrasounds are getting really tough to determine what is what now. They are getting cramped I guess! Haha, but they are still looking really good! Still measuring a week ahead! Baby A weighs 3lbs 1oz and Baby B weighs 3lbs 2oz! That's 6 whole pounds of baby in me! Isn't that CRAZY!? I think it is. But can you imagine what it's going to be like when they each weigh 4 or 5 pounds! That will be fun... I emailed pictures to my brother who is on his mission and his only reply was "GET IN YOUR BELLY!!! That's huge!" Haha! I got a good laugh out of that!

For the most part I'm feeling pretty good. There are days or times (like at night) when I feel uncomfortable. But that is to be expected. And my heartburn sometimes is out of control. I don't care for heartburn at all! My ribs are still hurting, and I don't think I'll get relief from that until they are born. The last week or so my hips have been hurting at night when I sleep. So I flip and flop all night long. That's fun... It's hard to get comfortable, but I can deal. I love feeling my babies move. They're crazy little buggers! They mostly move just after I wake up, in the morning or from a nap or whatever. Then after meals, or just completely random times during the day. Mostly when people aren't around... of course! When people are around and want to see them move, they don't do a thing! Haha!

Well things are coming together. I've got their diaper bag started, and also my hospital bag. It makes me feel more organized and ready if something last minute were to come up. The nursery is looking good. Instead of a changing table or rocker, we went with a 9 cubical sorter with light blue storage bins. It looks really cute! I just need the bedding, and then I'll feel like the nursery is complete :) I'll be sure to take pictures when I have the bedding and everything done!

On another note... MY SISTER IS IN LABOR!! Yipee!! I think waiting to find out what her baby is has been one of the hardest things! But she's been loyal to her word, and didn't find out. It just makes this day even more exciting! Her water broke at 2am this morning, and unfortunately her contractions slowed from every 2-7 minutes to every 15 minutes :(. We were hoping that would only speed things up. But she's still just hanging out at home, in fact she just went to Walmart and got groceries! She's a trooper! We can't wait to meet their baby! My mom is a little bit bummed that she can't be out there for the delivery, since they don't fly out until the 19th. But at least she gets to see them in a week! I don't know when I'll get to see them :( I just CAN'T WAIT!

It's going to be a great day!

Q & A

27 weeks pregnant

This many not be the most fun post ever, cause I don't have any new pictures. But here's the update!

This week I had an Ultrasound and also saw Dr. L. The ultrasound was just fluid measurements, so we didn't get the weight or anything on the babies. The fluid measurements were just fine. We did notice that Baby B has flipped again! So now they are both breech. From what I've been told if, Baby A is anything but head down, they wont even attempt a vaginal delivery. So Baby A needs to be the ones doing the flips! Not Baby B! Oh well, we've still got time. After the ultrasound was my appointment with Dr L. When the assistant took me to my room she informed me that it was my lucky week! From here on out they will check my cervix every 2 weeks. They do it as a precautionary with twins to make sure I'm not dilating or thinning. Joy.

Luckily Dr. L said that I am still fully closed and strong! Yay! I think if I start to dilate at all they will put me on bed rest. I'm determined to go another 2 appointments of not being dilated, that's a month! I feel great, so I just might make it :)

My sister is 36 weeks today. I can't believe how fast it is coming for her! She's going to have a baby anytime now! She was 1cm/70-80% effaced at her appointment this week, so her body is definitely getting ready! I can't wait to meet her little one and find out if it's a girl or a boy! It's going to be soo fun!

I'm going to do a little Q&A of the most popular questions I get asked, I have probably answered most of these in previous posts, but just for kicks:

Do twins run in the family?
Yes, my mom is an identical twin and Justin's aunt and uncle are twins! So it most definitely runs in our families!

Did you do fertility treatments? (there was a med student who listened to the babies heart beats this week who asked me this question - along with several other people who have!)
Nope! All natural :)

Do you have names picked out?
Yes, Cade & Cole. Baby A is Cade & Baby B is Cole! As far as middle names we'll either do Cade Justin Ballantyne & Cole David Ballantyne or we'll do both as David! We'll see

Are you going to dress them the same?
Absolutely not. I think this is Justin's biggest pet peeve. We will most likely put them in the same shirt, different color, but we will NOT put them in the exact same outfits. Justin wont allow it, haha!

Is Justin excited? How is he feeling?
Honestly I think he is more anxious then I am! I spend 24-7 with them, feel them move daily, and get to experience who they are already. I feel like I know their personalities. Justin doesnt always get to see them move. Whenever I tell him to look at my belly or feel, they stop... Of course. But we've had some good times! The other night he had his head laying on my belly and he started getting kicked in the head! It was great. He's really excited, but naturally we're both equally nervous! He's going to do great!

Have you had any weird cravings?
Actually, no. But I will say that when I set my mind on something that I want, I want it now. Haha! The other day one of my co-workers walked in the bank with a king sized Kit-Kat bar. I had to have one! And then the next morning, all I could think about was the fruit tarts at Kneaders. I didn't go get either of them but still when my mind is set, I really really want it! Luckily I have a little self control for all the sugar cravings!

How early do you think they'll arrive?
I don't really know. I'm keeping my legs crossed for as long as I can! Doctors have said plan on delivering around June 3rd which is 37 weeks. That's 10 more weeks. I got this!

Do you play music for them?
Um if you count blasting Rihanna in the car then yes. Lol, I love Rihanna right now for some reason! No -- really I haven't done a lot. One night I did turn my iPod on some lullabies and put it down by my belly while I fell asleep. I think they were already asleep cause I didn't notice movement, but I like to think they enjoyed it :) Even I like lullabies!

Are you going to breast feed?
Yes, I'm going to try my hardest! I'm not opposed to supplementing at all though! So I'll breast feed and pump as much and as long as I can! I think pumping is beneficial because it keeps up the milk supply, and it allows others to help with feedings. So I'll definitely be investing in a good breast pump!

Are you going to do photo shoots/a birth story?
Yes! I'm SO excited! We have decided to go with a great friend of ours, who Justin grew up with -- J. Taylor Photography! Jalene has even said she'd be more than willing to do a birth story for us if everything works out (if I go c-section only Justin can be in the room). At first Justin wasn't so sure about it. He just wanted him and I in the room, but after thinking about it, he thinks it would be really great to have Jalene in the room (up by my head) to get the pictures we want. We all know Justin doesn't like taking pictures, so we need someone to do it :) Plus I know Jalene well enough that I feel comfortable with it, and know she's going to do great! We'll do maternity photos soon and then a week or two after the boys come we'll get newborn pictures done too! I can't wait!

Does this shirt make me look fat?

25 Weeks 5 days

Getting big right? Ok, many of you may not say so. But I just FEEL huge. And it's only going to get worse. Luckily I'm not sick, I'm sleeping pretty good and I haven't felt any contractions (at least I don't think I have).

Last night my Dad said to me, with a concerned (but nice) look on his face "Em, you're going to get HUGE. If you're only 25 weeks now, imagine what its going to be like in a month or two!" Haha! He meant it in the nicest way possible, and I agree with him 100%! This is going to be fun :)

In the last week, my ribs and hips have really been hurting. My ribs especially. At first it was just the right side, and I thought it was because Baby B's feet are up in the right side of my ribs, but it's both sides now. It's awesome. Sometimes I have a hard time catching my breath. At night, my hips hurt if I lay on one particular side for too long. So I shift my position A LOT! Plus I'm sure they're spreading anyway.

I'll say it again, I'm lucky. I have had a great pregnancy so far! My boss told me this morning that her friend is having twins. She's only 8 weeks, but she's been flat in bed for 2 weeks now. I never had sickness or anything that put me flat in bed. Thank goodness. I'm really blessed!

Here are the boys cribs. We don't have bedding yet, but my sister made me these ADORABLE minky blankets, and the teddy bears were a gift from my baby shower. She also made the brown/teal nursing cover. She's SO crafty! I love them!

Cute books Justin's mom gave us!

More books I got from my shower!

I'm excited for a shower I have coming up in about a week! I am so thankful for friends and family who are willing to spend their time and money to have showers for me. You know who you are :)

Baby Shower & A Great Weekend!

24 weeks

We had an awesome weekend! My sister headed up from Arizona on Thursday! I was so excited to see her and Lincoln again! Really, it will be the last time we see each other before we both have new additions to our families! CRAZY! My sister is 33 weeks and I'm 24... so we're about 9 weeks apart! I can't wait to find out what she's having! It's still a surprise!

So we spent all weekend preparing for a big shower that my sister and mom planned. They did an amazing job and I'm so grateful for all the work, time and money that they put into it! It turned out great!! It was nice to visit with the family and friends from my moms ward! And we got spoiled. Thank you to everyone who came and supported us! We love you guys!

Here are some pictures from this weekend (a little out of order):

Sunday:

Reading bedtime stories

Lincoln asked Uncle Kyle to lay with him until he fell asleep. So cute!

Our last picture together before they had to head home on Monday.

Saturday at the shower:

The food! Doesn't it look awesome?

The chocolate fountain... MMM!

Opening gifts

I have a ton more gift pictures, but didn't want to overwhelm you with them!

Then we had to get the pregnant sister pictures!

32 weeks & 23 weeks

I had the silly picture that mom wanted to take on here, but for my sisters sake I took it off. She'll thank me for it later :)

The diaper cake my sister made me! My sister totally spoiled me! She made me this diaper cake, a hand made nursing cover, and two hand made blankets! They are sooo cute! She spent so much time on all of it. I love everything. Thank you Sis!

A diaper cake my Aunt Roberta made me! Look at all the fun toys! It had handmade burp cloths & bibs on it too!

We got a ton of other things! We have tons of bath time items, like shampoo, lotion, towels, washcloths and more, along with lots of diapers an wipes. I'm sure we dont have enough diapers and wipes, but it sure seems like it! We got some cute outfits, books, toys, feeding items & lots of really cute blankets!

Again, I'm so grateful to everyone that came! We really appreciate your support!

I've been battling a cold this week. I thank my little nephew for that. Not fun! But I'm starting to feel a little bit better. I'm really glad it is Friday so I can rest up this weekend and have this cold gone by Monday. It is crazy to think that I'm 24 weeks. My goal is 12 more weeks!!! Only 12... now that's a reality check. I don't even feel close to being ready. There is SO much that still has to be done. There aren't even sheets or bedding in their cribs! I feel like I need to start thinking about what I will need to put in our hospital bag too, just in case, so it's ready. If you know me, I'm a TOTAL plan ahead person. So if things are ready early, then I feel MUCH better. It's going by much quicker now, and my belly is growing by the day! I can now actually watch my belly and see them move! Not just feel them. Justin saw them move last night too. He always thought I was lying cause I'd tell him that I could watch them move and they would never do it at night when he wanted to see it! They're both pretty crazy. I always thought Baby A was the crazy one, but lately I've been seeing Baby B move just as much!

Oh, and it's pretty much official:

Cade & Cole Ballantyne

We just started telling everyone that those were the names at the top of our list, and they stuck. Everyone is calling them that anyway, and we really like them! They just sound right! We're not sure on middle names, but I'm leaning towards giving them both their dads middle name. David. It works for both of them, then it is just as special for one, as it is the other. Not sure on that yet though!

I call Baby A, Cade and Baby B ,Cole. But Justin says whichever one comes out first is Cade. We'll see though :)

I can't wait to meet them!