Life With Our Twins!

1 Year Pictures

2011-03-26T19:33:00.000-07:00

A few pics from our 1 year photo session. We went with a grey and yellow theme for family pics :).

Big smiles for the birthday girl!

His model pose

Such a precious lil girl

Our sweet boy

These ABC blankets were actually my baby blanket that my mom cut in half and sewed new batting on - light pink for Leah and light blue for Colin. I love love love them and so do the twins. Made with love twice!

Been a long time...

2011-03-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

Wow, so it's been 2 months since I last posted anything. Crazy how time flies...Well, made it through the blizzard of 2011 in Tulsa. Brad and I were home for 4 days. I was able to work, he went in for like a few hours on Friday and Saturday but the roads were pretty much impassible for 3 days and still bad that 4th day. Tulsa does not see weather like this...at least not until we moved here. Since we moved 2 years ago, we've had 2 blizzards and each year I have wished for snow because I LOVE the snow and knew that would be one thing I would miss from KC. Well, God sure listened when I prayed for snow and we ended up with 2 blizzards :). I didn't mind it at all though because I got to work from home and stay in with the family for almost a week and you just can't beat that.

The kiddos have been through a bout of sicknesses. Colin had strep which was awful for him. Leah was just finishing antibiotics from an ear infection so thankfully she did not get it from him. We went to KC and they caught an upper respiratory virus that we've been battling for two weeks now. We've had to do breathing treatments for Leah for a week and Colin was just a few days. Colin's pretty much over it but Leah's still fighting her cough and congestion, poor girl.

Had a blast in KC as always. It had been since last fall since we'd been there so it was really great to see everyone again and visit our old church. It's crazy how much things change but still stay the same. Picked right up where we left off with best friends and had a really great time. We both took off Friday and came down Thursday night which was great. Brad definitely misses it up there a lot and I do too but not as much since I love being down here with my mom and family. We are definitely going to have to make more trips up now that it's nice out, no more blizzards to worry about, holidays and the twins' 1st birthday are over, etc. Colin and Leah actually did great on the trip too. Made it in 4 1/2 hours on the way back with the twins napping most of the time and only stopping twice.

So updates on the kiddos...they are both talking a lot more especially Colin. He also knows when he's doing something he shouldn't be (like climb on the back of the couch and stand up...yeah he's all boy) and says "no no no no" letting you know that he knows I guess! Leah is talking too and just getting so big. They like to say dog/gog, out, uck, num num, yes, no, hi, and bye. It's so much fun with them talking and trying to communicate. I'm absolutely loving it and am so excited for them to learn more!

That's my pink pony, Colin!

With Kansas Grandma Patti and Logan

Love wearing Daddy's hat

They both love to put the shaped blocks in the bucket and are doing great getting them in the right slots!

Seriously a lot of snow. We had plenty of food, no loss of power, and didn't have to go anywhere so I was loving it :).

Came home last week to everyone taking a nap. So cute!

Colin & Leah's 1st Birthday - The Twins Winter ONEderland!!!!!

2011-01-15T20:22:00.000-08:00

Well after months of planning (literally I started jotting down ideas and looking online right after Halloween), Colin and Leah's first birthday was definitely a HUGE success :). There was lots of eye rolling by my adorable husband at my obsessive compulsiveness over the streamer wall and, well, every other little detail but he did admit today, after their party, that he was glad we did everything we did and that it turned out pretty awesome.

We went with a "Winter ONEderland" theme which was awesome for all the after Christmas sales. We also made their birthday banner which I decided we were doing after looking on Etsy and then finding a how-to on making them.

We made it with 8 inch letters and the ones on Etsy with 5" letters for this banner were like $50. I definitely did not spend that making ours and it was fun to pick out the backgrounds for the letters. Yes, I'm kind of a control freak especially about minor details such as the giant birthday banner ;).

We also had a hot chocolate bar with "melted snow" (white hot chocolate), peppermint chips, mini chocolate chips, marshmallow, and whipped cream garnishes, "snowballs" (cake balls), and "icebergs" (oreo balls).

Oh the infamous streamer wall. My plan was to make the wall behind the twins' highchairs filled with streamers for the background of their smash cake session. After 3 hours, 2 rolls of tape, and 10 rolls of streamers, we pretty much had it. Brad asked me if I was done beating the dead horse at 10:00pm the night before their party as I'm continuing to tape up streamers, but I was pretty darned happy with how it turned out.

Colin & Leah before their smash cake session. This was the only pic of them both smiling with their party hats on! My sister, Bridget, snapped it just in time!

The twins had a blast opening presents although Colin tried to escape the living room altogether a few times :)

The grand finale....the cake smash session!!! Their cakes were so beautiful (thank you Merritt's!) and I just loved their little smash cakes. They of course had such a great time diving in. Leah actually stuck her face down in the cake at one point and was also trying to sniff it, like up her nose. Colin somehow made an icing beard on his face and looked like a baby Santa which was too cute.

Such pretty cakes I actually didn't want to cut their big cake hehe :)

The icing beard...

I love my birthday cake!

Definitely have to say a big THANK YOU to Brad of course for putting up with my craziness over having the perfect 1st birthday party for them and staying up late and getting up early with me to finish everything. Also, to my mom who made the adorable treat bags (all 30 of them), helped decorate, and got up early to do all of the running we had to do the morning of their party. Thank you to my sister, Bridget, who helped the morning of the party watching the twins, sewed my dress up (how did I not notice that spot that was torn when I tried it on?), ran to get ice for us, took all of the pictures, and was my right hand gal during the party :). Last, but not least, thanks to my Aunt Peggy who also helped to decorate the house and treat bags, and serve the beautiful birthday cake so we could watch our babies eat their smash cakes. THANK YOU and LOVE you all SO MUCH!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY COLIN & LEAH!!!! Your dad and I love you so much and agree this has been the best year of our lives!

Christmas

2011-01-15T19:39:00.000-08:00

Christmas was a blast this year. With the twins being old enough to actually kind of open presents and play with toys, it was such a fun time. We did, unfortunately, have a few...."incidents" of sorts.

Christmas Eve Eve, Brad was holding Leah on the fireplace and she decided to pull at the stockings and pulled a stocking hanger right on her little noggin. At first we weren't sure if it hit her or not because of the delayed reaction but the tears came and so did a giant bump. I was freaking out a little, okay a lot actually, and decided we would all make a trip to the pediatric urgent care. After we got there, Colin peed out of the leg of his diaper and all over high pj's which they were already in. Guess what? Yeah no boy change of clothes. We had one pair of pink leggings and a pair of purple socks. So our little guy was in pink leggings, purple socks, and a blue and brown striped fleece jacket. Let me tell you, he rocked those leggings ;). Leah was fine and the bump was actually about half its size once we got to the urgent care and she acted as though nothing was wrong. They basically said she was fine and to just keep an eye on her over the next 48 hours.

Christmas Eve we were at my parents' house and it was getting kind of late and about time to head home. Just as I was going over to get Colin he fell into a low window sill...and bled and bled and bled. Okay I was pretty freaked out over Leah's bump but seeing this much blood come out of my little baby boy, I was mega freaking out. I seriously cannot believe that much blood can come out of one mouth. Once we saw it was from a one big gash on the inside of his lip and 3 small ones from his teeth, we called the urgent cares which were closed and the ER to find out if they'd stitch it. Thank goodness for my dad, the voice of reason, during all of this who suggested we call first because he did not believe they would stitch the inside of his mouth. Well, he was right. The ER called our pediatrician's husband (they own the practice together) and he said if it was the inside, no stitches, but if it had gone through they would. So our poor baby has scar tissue and a small bump on his lip :-(. This is one cautious mama around window sills now.

Christmas itself was great. The twins loved opening presents and Brad and I had a blast watching them. This was actually the first year too that I wasn't really sad the day after Christmas. I absolutely LOVE Christmastime so usually I'm a little bummed when it's all over and kind of wean myself off of the Christmas music but this year I was so excited for the twins' first birthday that I really didn't mind it being over.

Looking at Grandma's Dancing Rudolph and the Island of Misfit Toys

What are these things doing?

My goofy kiddos on Christmas Eve (pre-lip injury)

Christmas Day - We loooove our new Disney sofas!

It's the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse sofa!

Dad with the kiddos

11 Months and Leah's First Steps

2010-12-13T20:07:00.000-08:00

Well, we knew it wouldn't be long until Leah took her first steps too as she was right behind Colin on crawling and was getting more and more brave about not holding onto things. She took one step and then two but then realized she could just fall forward if our arms were out without taking any steps and mommy or daddy would catch her. This became a funny game so no more walking yesterday which was also their 11 month birthday.

It is crazy to think about how much time has passed. I can't believe they'll be 1 year old in just one short month. They are getting so big! Time definitely flies by especially once you have kids!

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

2010-12-13T20:00:00.000-08:00

The Sunday after Thanksgiving we took Colin and Leah to see Santa at Bass Pro. They didn't cry but were actually fascinated with Santa! He was a great Santa too with a real beard and played with them a little before the picture. You can hardly see it in the picture but Leah has her Christmas tutu on which I absolutely love.

Well hello Santa! Is it really you?!

Colin, what would you like for Christmas this year?

Leah, what would you like for Christmas this year?

These "Peepers" are a tradition in my family. These are not the originals - those are with my mom. These peepers are on the look out before Christmas and report back to Santa. They are hidden in the Christmas tree but they see all....

Happy Thanksgiving and We Have a Walker!!

2010-12-13T19:44:00.000-08:00

We went to my aunt and uncle's new house for Thanksgiving this year and had a lot of fun. Colin and Leah got to eat some turkey and green beans and mashed potatoes. I was glad that this was their first Thanksgiving and they were able to enjoy it. It was interesting though being in a house that's not baby-proofed with two crawling busy kids :). Speaking of their mode of transportation, Mr. Man took his first steps the day before Thanksgiving. He's cautious but is getting more and more mobile on his feet. He just can get where he's going faster crawling so that's still his preferred method of travel.

My sister, Bridget, and my mom

Happy Halloween!

2010-12-13T19:31:00.000-08:00

Well it has been since Halloween so I probably need to post some pics of Colin and Leah in their costumes. Not a lot has necessarily been going on in the Breuer house but then again we've still been busy with the normal holiday stuff.

Halloween was fun but short. We of course had to dress the kids up and they were definitely the cutest Shrek and Fiona ever! We went to my parents' house and my aunt's and uncle's house but then the kids were done with the whole trick or treating thing and ready for bed.

Made a trip to the zoo that weekend and had lots of fun!

Shrek trying to escape and Fiona just thinks it's hilarious!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

We had a nice long weekend and took the twins to the pumpkin patch in Bixby on Saturday. We had just enough time to take some pictures, pet the goats, and pick out pumpkins before it started raining.

As you can see, Leah was thrilled at first about sitting in a giant pile of pumpkins.

She finally did warm up to the idea and with Brad and me and my parents all talking to her and standing on our heads, we got a little smile.

We put Colin down next to Leah and he was loving the whole pumpkin patch experience. Shortly after this, Leah let us know she was ready to be picked up and out of the pumpkin pile.

Colin thought it was great that the pumpkins moved a little and he could play on them.

Then he realized he could lick them (gross!) and we picked him up after that. This is his "scrunchy face" which he hasn't done since he was about 6 months old. Now it is his tell for being mischevious or bugging his sister or one of the dogs. We see the scrunchy face and we know something's about to happen!

This little goat was not so sure about Colin at first. He warmed up to him though and let Colin pet him which Colin loved (no you may not bring home a goat, Colin).

Leah enjoyed touching this tiny goat's muzzle. So cute!

We have pumpkins but where are the babies???

Ahh found them! They were asking the scare crow for directions hehehe :)

New Cars and the Fair

2010-10-10T20:57:00.001-07:00

So what have the Breuers been up to lately? Well, the twins got a new car to share. The first day Colin "drove" it around the living room in circles. They both love it because it's soft and roars when you press on the top of it.

Mom got a new car too. It is a little bigger than the twins' new ride. It's an 09 Tahoe and I absolutely love it. I wouldn't have believed you if you told me that I would be trading in my Equinox on a Tahoe because I loved the Equinox but we really needed something bigger especially since we make fairly frequent trips up to KC. The Equinox was great but just not enough room. My brother got a great deal on it too since he's the Internet Sales Manager at a Chevy dealership here :). It is so nice to have room for all of the baby "staples" we have with us at all times (double stroller, portable high chairs for eating out, diaper bag, etc) and enough room for groceries or other shopping.

This weekend we went to the Tulsa State Fair. Angie, my BFF, and her boyfriend, Tim, came down and went with us and Colin and Leah. It was a little warm but we had plenty to see in the Expo buildings and really I just go to eat all the fair food. The fried Snickers was better than I remembered from last year and we tried fried pickles and fried green tomatoes which we did not have last year. Brad realized today though that we didn't have a funnel cake while we were there and was pretty bummed. We'll have to watch for when the circus will be in town so we can go get him one :).

8 Months Old

2010-09-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

Love these "Born in 2010" onsies from Children's Place

Loving his daddy

I think she's actually pulling my hair in this picture and thinks it so funny

I'm sure he's thinking about something he can get into in this one :)

Leah's goofy face

It's rare now that we can get a picture of both of them because Colin doesn't hold still much anymore :)

Colin is crawling all over the place and pulling up on anything and everything he can. Our living room is barracaded and gated (why did we go with the open floorplan when building?). We have furniture and gates blocking all openings and he does not like it one bit! Leah is rolling and army crawling but it won't be long before she's all over the place too!

They are both wearing 12 month size clothing and putting away the 9 months clothes was pretty hard for me. I may have been a little teary even :)

Leah is "talking" quite a bit. Colin doesn't have much time for talking because he's always on the move. Leah says "mumumum" and "baaaaa" and "daadaadaadaa". Colin says the same "words" but not as much at this point.

They both just light up our lives and their smiles melt my heart :)

Screaming

2010-08-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

Colin has learned how to scream - literally. I'm not talking a little squeal. He thinks this is great and uses it at will - when I walk out of the room, when his toy isn't doing what he wants it to, when he can't (sort of) crawl as fast as he wants to...you get the idea. I mentioned when I walk out of the room. This is generally a scream that turns into a cry as Colin has become a bit clingy. He has always been a mama's boy but he has definitely been more clingy over the past few days and I'm hoping it is just a phase. It's something I don't know exactly how to handle.

So Colin kind of crawling. He gets up on all fours and then rocks and then lunges himself forward on his belly. He just can't figure out those hands yet. Leah started rolling from place to place and is doing sooo much better with being on her tummy. I seriously thought there for a while that she was just not going to crawl because of her hatred for tummy time. It is still not her favorite and she doesn't like being on her tummy as much as Colin does as she would rather sit up which she does so well. She loves to sit on the quilt on the living room floor and play with her toys - especially the magic mirror. This is actually a favorite of both of them and they especially love it when mommy sings along. Yes, I know all of the magic mirror songs and the order that they play. I also know their favorite ones and their favorite parts of the songs. They both love "Head and Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" and "If you're happy and you know it" and the peek-a-boo part of one of the other songs.

C'mon people...really?

2010-07-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

Ok so we get quite a bit of attention and questions when we're out with the twins. Here are a few of my (not sure if this is the best word) favorites....

1. Are they twins? Someday, Brad and I are going to get up enough nerve to answer, "No, me and his ex had them about the same time." They are the same size, we are walking together, and they do look like sibblings (not identical though - see #2).

2. Are they identical? This generally comes after they ask if they are twins and what gender they are. We dress them very gender specific (i.e. Leah is in pink and usually a dress, Colin is in blue). Since they are not the same gender, they cannot be identical twins.

3. How do you tell them apart? I would like to refer you back to #2 and the fact that I am their mother!

We've had other random questions. I loved it the day I was asked by the checkout lady at Marshall's if I breast fed them.

I guess we were just out a lot this weekend so we heard these quite a bit. Don't get me wrong - I totally love talking about my babies it just seems like these 3 questions get asked all the time. So, if you do see two babies who are obviously twins, please steer clear of these questions :)

Tooth and Nail Fairy

2010-07-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

Don't let this first pic fool you. She's sweet but she loves to wrestle with her brother. It's hilarious because she squeals with delight like such a little girl and Colin belly laughs when they wrestle. Oh the fun has begun...

6 months! So busy looking at everything around him but mom caught a big smile!

Leah at 6 months! Such a pretty smile and I love her funny face!

Loves to sit on the floor and sit up and play.

No matter where we live, we are KU babies!

Yay! Dad got Colin and Leah to smile at the same time AND caught the picture.

Colin is not so crazy about the pool but Leah loves the water!

Well, the tooth fairy has visited Colin and Leah. She left Colin 2 teeth and Leah one (Leah's not too jealous though). Colin's first one popped up 4th of July weekend and second one last weekend. Leah's first one popped up yesterday. They have actually done really great with teething and we really can't complain. Neither have run a fever and both have been a little fussy but not too bad.

So onto the nail fairy...I actually wish there was a nail fairy because trimming nails (times 2!) is not so fun. I seriously feel like I'm on a secret mission when I trim their nails. For the most part (like all but one time) I slip into their room after they're asleep and pick them up, one by one, bring them out to the dimly lit living room, and trim and file their nails. My eyes are straining and my body is tense during this whole process and I seriously feel like I need a massage to unwind afterwards! I'm sure the twins just think the nail fairy came at night and gave them a little manicure but someday they will see that the nail fairy is their mom...

The twins are now 6 months and I seriously cannot believe half a year has gone by! Seriously where does the time go?! At their 6 month appointment Colin was a little over 20 pounds and 27 inches long. Leah was a little over 18 pounds and 26 1/2 inches long. They are both growing like crazy. We stocked up on clothes newborn through 9 months when I was pregnant thinking they'd last us longer than 6 months :). We have had to buy sleepers (it seems like they always move up in these first) and are now stocking up on 12 months and up clothes. Speaking of, my favorite sleepers are definitely the Children's Place ones. They are soooo cute! I also love Children's Place clothes in general. They have some great bargains and $5 shipping and I am all about the online shipping deals now that we don't always have the chance to go out and shop on the weekends.

Weekend in KC

2010-06-09T19:19:00.000-07:00

We went to KC last weekend and had a really great time. It is really tough coming back because we do miss everyone up there so much. Driving back after going to church on Sunday is especially tough because we really love our church. They were like a family to us. We also miss our friends. It was wonderful staying with Angie but we run around so much while we are up there that I don't feel like we got enough time with her! It was also great seeing our friends, Evan and Casey, and their newest son, Grant. It was so crazy holding a newborn again! It's hard to believe the twins were that small since they're so big now. Speaking of big, on our way back to OK, Colin threw a fit about an hour from home. I'm thinking next time we're going to need a convertible car seat because I think he's a bit big for his (he's almost 18 pounds now) with the long road trip. Leah did great but I'm thinking she'll be more comfortable in a convertible too as opposed to their Chicco car seats.

Our friends, Sarah and Jim, and their kids, Kristin and Garrett, stayed at our house while we were gone. They thought we were doing them a huge favor but really they were helping us out by taking care of the dogs and our cat while we were gone :). It actually did work out great because they had the house to themselves and my mom didn't have to come over to take care of our pets. They were amazing house guests too and went above and beyond. They are definitely most welcome to stay with us anytime!!

I am writing from my work laptop so I don't have any pics to post but I will post some soon. They are getting soooo big!

Temper temper...

2010-05-29T05:46:00.000-07:00

Grr...the title is appropriate for 2 reasons now. One, I just wrote the entire post and when I tried to publish it, it erased it and said there were conflicting edits! Grrr. Two, Mr. Colin has been showing his little temper lately. They both love playing in the exersaucers. Colin, however, gets very angry when he cannot pull off the toys that are attached to it. He starts out kind of whining and fussing a little and then moves to what we call "the meltdown". He throws a fit and hits the toy or tries to bite it. At this point, he is removed from the exersaucer and consoled. We have removed all of the toys from the exersaucer that clip in and can be removed. There are two though that spin and make noise that are actually attached to it. These he hates. In place of all of the toys that were clipped on there are now loose toys that we put up there.

Leah doesn't seem to have the temper like Colin. She's very impatient though and when she wants something you better get it fast - bottle, nap, changed, played with, to swing....whatever it is she wants it now. She's still not much of a fan of tummy time (Colin rolls over and sleeps on his belly most of the time). She is doing better though and will tolerate it more and more. I think she doesn't mind it as much though because she constantly rolls over to her back. So it's more like tummy time for a second, then on her back, then us rolling her back to her tummy. She's been having on and off days with spitting up. Some days she won't spit up any and some it's every feeding. We'll be calling the doctor if it doesn't get better since she is on acid reflux medicine.

They are both sleeping all night for the most part. They each had one night this week where they woke up and we moved them to the pack-n-play in our room so they wouldn't wake up the other. Colin, we have realized, does not like having his bed elevated. We had slightly propped up one side of his crib since he had been having some allergies and congestion. Well, Thursday night he was not having it. So I moved him to the pack-n-play in our room and he fell back asleep no problem and slept until 7:30. This was the same night Leah slept until 7:00 and we are quite sure this was a rare occurence that we won't see for many years - like a solar eclipse or something. Well, Leah spit up in her sleep last night and woke up but was not wanting to go back to sleep. So I had to stand by the pack-n-play and make sure her pacifier didn't fall out - so fun at 12:30am :).

We went bathing suit shopping last night for me and the twins. Either I didn't get the memo about skirt bottoms being out this year or everyone wanting the skirt bottoms went early to make sure they got them. Either way, I hate bathing suit shopping and stores should be required to have skirt bottoms in stock on Memorial Day weekend for us women who have had babies this year and are wanting to make sure we're covered up and have waited until the last minute to buy a bathing suit because we were hoping for some miracle to happen and wake up with a sculpted Carrie Underwood body. So, pretty much I did not have a good time swim suit shopping for myself. I did, however, have a BLAST swim suit shopping for the twins. My mom and I went and she found Leah the pink tutu bathing suit at Target I have been eyeing but all of the hangers said sizes 12 months and up. Leah needs a 9 month size to last for the summer. Well, I looked online and no luck - all 12 months and up. My mom said one looked smaller than the others and looked at the tag. It was a 9 month size on a 12 month hanger!!! Okay, it may seem silly to get this excited but it's their first bathing suit and IT'S A PINK TUTU!! We found Colin some adorable blue Hawaiian print swim trunks and found them both swim shirts to match their suits, already had hats, and we're ready to go! I'm pretty sure they're going to look like little baby models in their pink and blue suits :). We also bought two float tubes for them to sit in with sun shades. We'll probably get to my uncle's house today (who has the pool) and they'll want to take a nap lol! I really won't be at all surprised though if Colin is less than thrilled about getting in the pool since he's not a fan of baths yet :). I will definitely post pics though of them in their bathing suits!!

4 months and counting...

2010-05-21T21:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I know it's been a while when my address bar doesn't remember my blog's address :). So, what's new with us...

Well, the twins are now 4 months old. I really try not to say "the twins" but it just happens sometimes and it's just easier than always typing or saying their names. I do try though to say their names so that I don't get in the habit of saying it and they know their individuals. Okay off the subject but just typing out loud. They had their 4 month appointment on Tuesday this week. Stats:

Colin:
weight - 16#12.5oz (90th percentile)
height - 24 inches (25th percentile)
head - not sure on cm (75th percentile)

Leah
weight - 14#8oz (75th percentile)
height - 24.5 inches (75th percentile)
head - once again not sure (75th percentile)

So, Colin is a chunky monkey and Leah is too but just more proportionate :). Their first round of shots, they did fine. Ran a slight fever but were just sleepy for the most part. This time not quite so easy. They were both super fussy Tuesday night and wanted held and bounced. They ran a fever Tuesday night so we gave them Tylenol (well the generic kind since the recall). Wednesday morning they both slept in a little but seemed okay when they woke up. My mom called me at 11:00 and I could hear both of them screaming in the background and she asked if I could come home to help. Even though I hated it that they weren't feeling good, I really loved spending the afternoon with them especially since they wanted to be held and snuggle :). They've also been battling some head congestion on top of this (it seems allergy related). We were going to go to KC this weekend but with all of this and them having not felt so great this week, we opted to stay here and not make the 6 hour drive up (takes a little bit longer with baby stops). So we are going to go up the weekend after Memorial Day instead.

Colin is rolling over and over now and actually enjoys being on his belly. He wants to crawl so badly but just can't quite figure out the arm coordination yet. Leah still hates tummy time but we're working on it and she's becoming more tolerant at least. She'll roll over when she gets good and mad but she's still not too interested in laying on her tummy. They're both smiling all the time and are starting to giggle a little too. They are so much fun and we are just having so much fun every day with them!

Back to work...

2010-04-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

Well I went back to work a few weeks ago (3 to be exact). It was definitely hard but I am so glad my mom is watching Colin and Leah. I cried of course and Sunday nights and Monday mornings are still hard but thankfully the week does go by fast. I am also thankful that I do really like my job so if I have to work, I'm glad it's there.

Colin and Leah are both getting so big. Leah LOVES the rainforrest playmat. She kicks the little chimes that hang down and grabs at the stuffed frog. She does "lizzard lips" (a phrase coined by her grandparents about her mother :) where she sticks out her tongue and licks her lips. It's so adorable!

Colin actually enjoys tummy time now. He pushes himself up (although I don't know how since he's so chubby!) and looks around. He's so close to rolling from his back to his belly. He gets on his side but just can't quite get all the way over. Leah still hates tummy time so we usually have to do "naked" tummy time with just a diaper on. She will tolerate it like this but does not actually like it by any means!

We found out Leah has acid reflux so she is on liquid Zantac now which is definitely helping. They are both sleeping all night (YAY!!!). They go to bed between 8:30 and 9:00 and usually wake up between 6:00 and 7:00am. This morning they woke up at 5:30 but ate a bottle and went back to sleep until 9:30 (Colin) and 10:30 (Leah). It was pretty amazing. :)

I finally found the usb to download pictures. They are getting so big!

So my life has been a little crazy lately.... :)

2010-03-09T11:17:00.000-08:00

Leah...

Colin...

I haven't found the USB to download new pics from the camera but abobe are some pictures we had taken by the photographer who also did our maternity pics (they were 3 weeks old for these) and some other pics...

Wow. Looking at their pictures from my last post is crazy! They were so so little! Well, they are 8 weeks old today and their 2 month birthday is on Friday which I totally cannot believe. We closed on our house we were building on February 19th (still waiting on sod though...) and that same weekend both Colin and Leah had RSV. Yep, my little babies got RSV. I took Leah to the doctor on Friday, the 19th, and everything sounded fine as far as her breathing and oxygen level went so the nurse practitioner said to just keep an eye on her. Well Friday night I just felt like Colin's breathing wasn't normal so we made a trip to the pediatric urgent care. He also checked out fine but tested positive for RSV. The ped at urgent care said his oxygen level and breathing were fine but to watch for any difficulties breathing and to call 911 if he turned blue. Well, this new mom and dad took shifts Friday night (after moving all day and taking a late night trip to the urgent care) staying up all night and basically watching to make sure both of our babies didn't turn blue. It was a loooooong day on Saturday and we ended up breaking from moving around dinner time. Brad's dad came down and helped us move and cooked dinner for us Saturday night which was great since we were both exhausted. We both turned in around 8:00 that night. I still woke up several times throughout the night to make sure they were both breathing. They slept in their bouncers (to stay more elevated) right beside the bed and we left the bathroom light on so I could just wake up and see them. I have noticed that my senses are like superman now that I'm a mom. I can hear them breathing and see the smallest movements to indicate breathing in half light. I did actually read an article that moms have hightened senses and I believe it! Leah recovered fine from the RSV but Colin's cough got worse so we took him back to the pediatrician and he has been doing breathing treatments which have definitely helped his cough which is almost gone now.

Some things I have noticed after becoming a mom....

Time, which went so slowly during my pregnancy, is now at warp speed. Has anyone else noticed this? Is it a conspiracy and all the clocks were programmed to speed up?
I went from being a fast lane driver (I may have been a little speedy) to driving like a "grandma".
Life involves feeding, pumping, changing diapers, and sometimes napping. Yes, I admit I do miss sleep sometimes but it's wonderful cuddling Colin and Leah at all hours of the day or night :).
I have never been so excited about poop in my life. Leah would go 2-3 days between dirty diapers. She is now doing better since we switched formula and I am attempting a dairy free diet.
The papsan swing is a twin mom's best friend especially when they both decide that they're hungry. Leah will almost not even tolerate the regular travel swing. Colin will swing in either. Colin is also the more patient and laid back of the two. Leah demands when she's hungry/wants picked up/etc. She's definitely a little princess lol :).
Even though I like my job, I am totally dreading going back to work and have tried to think of some invention to make millions or a job I can do from home - nothing so far but I have 4 weeks left....The whole powerball thing hasn't worked out yet either.... :(

So as noted above I have been attempting a dairy free diet to see if that helps with Leah's gassiness and mild constipation. I think I've only actually gone 2 days total in the last week or so as it seems everything has dairy in it! Things I never would have guessed have dairy in them and some things that I would think do have dairy don't (like Oreos which I am totally addicted to) :). I have tried soy milk and just bought some almond milk last night which I haven't tried straight yet. The vanilla soy milk is okay. I have used it on cereal and for dunking my Oreos which thank goodness are dairy free and it's fine for those. I don't crave a big glass of it to just drink straight or anything. The plain soy milk works fine for substituting in recipes. I haven't noticed any difference in flavor or anything by using it. It's funny because I had never been a big milk drinker and then craved it when I was pregnant. Unfotunately, it made me sick especially if I had any milk or ice cream before bed.

To sum it up life has been crazy lately with two sick babies and moving but it's still been wonderful. I mostly facebook because I can do this on my blackberry while pumping (oh how I am thankful for staying connected with my blackberry) :). We are all looking forward to our trip to KC the weekend of March 19th! It's been since October that we've been there and we sure miss everyone!

Colin and Leah's Arrival

2010-01-24T14:47:00.000-08:00

Just before we went home on Thursday. Look at all that blond hair! :)

Colin Lee

Leah Colleen

The proud dad to be just before going to the operating room for delivery

Right after delivery...our new beautiful family

Colin's first bath - he was NOT happy at all (he hates to be naked)

Leah's first bath - she cried a little but was okay after a minute or two

Daddy has mastered the art of holding two babies at once!

Colin and Leah 1 week old. It went by so fast!

They are here! Colin Lee was born at 3:49pm on 1/12/10 and was 6#5oz and 17 3/4" long. Leah Colleen was born at 3:52pm on 1/12/10 and was 6#10oz and 19 1/2" long. They are absolutely perfect and the most beautiful babies I've ever seen. They are so precious and we are so blessed.

We went into the hospital on Monday evening at 7:30pm and they got the process going with cytotec and then started the pitocin Tuesday morning at 6:30am. My contractions were starting to get stronger so I got my epidural around 10:00am and it was super easy after that. At about 2:45pm I was dilated to a 5 and then it felt like Colin was about to drop out at 3:00pm so I called the nurse back in and sure enough I was dilated to 10! It was crazy. My doctor was at another hospital so she called him and he came right over and we went to the operating room at about 3:30 (in case a c-section was necessary). I pushed for probably 15 minutes with Colin and then it only took 2 pushes with Leah. It was actually really easy and I can't complain about my labor and delivery at all. I was so glad we didn't have to do a c-section at all.

So the labor and delivery was a piece of cake but I do have to say that the 4 days afterwards were pretty uncomfortable...okay they were REALLY uncomfortable. On day 5 though I started to be able to move around a lot better and have been feeling better and better ever since.

They didn't have to stay in the NICU at all which was awesome. They were a littel jaundice but didn't have to do the lights or anything. We just had to have them checked the first 3 days after they left the hospital to make sure their levels didn't get too high. They did lose some weight since we were just breast feeding but we started supplementing some formula and now their almost back up to their birth weights.

I have to brag a little and say that they awesome babies. They stay pretty much on the same schedule. They may get off a little bit but catch back up within a feeding or two. They really aren't fussy unless their hungry or when Leah has gas. They have been going 2-3 hours between feedings during the day and 3-4 hours between feedings at night on average which is nice :). They are so super cute and make the funniest little faces and just crack us up on a daily basis! I don't know what we did before them!

Breuer Babies Coming Soon!

2010-01-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

Well, we went to our doctor yesterday for our 36 week appointment and we scheduled a date to be induced! It may be tmi but I am about 80% effaced but have not dialated at all. Dr. Sterling has been very surprised about how well I have done carrying them :). When I asked about setting a date though since it seems that they're just going to stay put, I wasn't really expecting him to ask about THIS TUESDAY! I just nodded and smiled when he asked if that would work. Then when we left, I did kind of panic a little. Brad and I went to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant (who doesn't love free queso and sopapillas with every meal?!). He obviously knew something was up when I basically didn't talk all through dinner. It's not that I'm not so excited. It's just a reality check that I will be delivering two babies in just a few days. Plus, there's the whole unknown about what kind of delivery I will have - both vaginally, Colin vaginally and Leah C-section, or both by C-section. They are both head down so we are trying both vaginally but things could happen that could cause option 2 or 3 to occur. They could become distressed during labor or Leah could turn to be breach after Colin is delivered.

In addition to the actual delivery part of Tuesday, there's the fact that I will instantly become a mom and that's kind of scary too. It's a huge responsibility that I definitely don't take lightly so I'm a little nervous about it as well. There's also so many questions about breastfeeding, whether they'll adapt to the same schedule, and just how will I take care of two babies once Brad and my mom and others who help me at first go back to work?

Above all the scariness though is an incredible amount of excitement to finally meet the two babies that have been with me now for 8+ months. After all of the waiting and feeling like time was going so slow, I will finally get to meet them and hold them and snuggle with them. I cannot wait to see what they look like and who they look like and to hear their little coos and cries - hopefully not too much on the crying though :). I am really trying to enjoy the feeling of them moving around these last few days as well since I will miss that. They both got the hiccups on Tuesday and I'm really glad I got to experience that. It was such an interesting feeling with them both hiccupping in my belly at the same time! It will definitely be so worth it to hold them though and I look forward to that more than anything.

35 weeks and going strong!

2009-12-30T17:59:00.000-08:00

Well we had our ultrasound on Monday and Lindsay, Dr. Sterling's nurse, called me today to let me know everything was great and that they are perfect! She actually said I should carry twins every time I'm pregnant. I think this is the one and only time but I am glad that it is going so well. The ultrasound Monday estimated Colin's weight at 5#8oz and Leah's at 5#9 oz so they are very close together which is great. We got some great face shots of Leah but Colin, who has been camera shy for pretty much every ultrasound, would start to turn his head towards us and then would turn away like he knew we were trying to get a picture of him. I may be a little bias but based on the ultrasound pics Leah is the most beautiful baby girl I've seen and Colin (based on his profile) is the cutest little boy I've seen :). I can't wait to meet them in person!

We had our 35 week appointment this afternoon and I am not showing any signs of going into labor anytime soon. Dr. Sterling was amazed :). He is also the best doctor ever as he told us that if we go into labor on a night he is not on call to have the nurse call him because he wants to be the one to deliver them. It was such a relief for this mom-to-be to know that my doctor who has been there the whole time and who I am familiar with will be the one to deliver them no matter what. He is so excited which I just love! He said I will only be the second patient of his to deliver twins vaginally in the last 4+ years. I am so excited about it too with them both being head down. I was a little nervous about it when Leah was not head down but she has turned and should stay that way at this point.

3 more weeks will be great for them to develop and fatten up. I just hope it flies by because I can't wait!

34 Week Update

2009-12-27T18:24:00.001-08:00

We had our 34 week appointment last Wednesday which went great. Dr. Sterling said he would love for me to make it 3 more weeks but is thinking I will probably go sooner. The ultrasound estimated Colin's weight at 5#3oz and Leah's weight at 6#2oz. We are also having an ultrasound tomorrow (Monday) at the hospital we are delivering at just to check their weights there and also their fluid. Our doctor is not able to see much anymore on the ultrasound machines in the exam rooms so he wants to have everything checked out since we are getting so close to delivery. My parents are going to go with us tomorrow which will be fun especially since the twins are so big now. Colin and Leah have both had the hiccups lately so I wonder if they will while we're having the ultrasound tomorrow. It also sometimes feels like they're blowing bubbles so I wonder if we'll see that too. Pretty much the only thing we can see now on Dr. Sterling's ultrasound machines are their heads!

It was crazy to think this was our last Christmas just the 2 of us. We had a white Christmas (which I had been hoping for) so that was exciting. I could have done without the ice though. Our neighborhood is one solid sheet of ice and I don't know when it's going to warm up enough to melt it. We were at my brother's house on Christmas Eve when it really hit. One of Brad's windshield wipers broke so we drove home with only the driver's side windshield wiper working. It took us about an hour for a usually 15 minute drive. This is the first time in years (like 20) that Tulsa's seen a white Christmas. I hope the twins will get to experience one.

We are going to my uncle's house for New Year's Eve if the twins have not made an appearance yet and the roads have cleared by then. It should be a great time although I highly doubt we'll make it to midnight :). The only time I see midnight is when I'm waking up for a bathroom run!

We finished the twins' room and organizing their closet. We also have our bag and their bag packed and ready. I had a couple contractions early this morning but after I turned over to my other side they stopped so no real progress yet. It's getting so close now and I wonder if they will be born in 2009 or wait until 2010....I believe at 35 weeks there is no mandatory NICU stay at St. Francis where we're delivering but I need to double check this. Brad or I will update our Facebook probably from the hospital (since it's on our blackberries) and I will try to update the blog when we get home but I'm not making any promises on how soon it will be :).

Random thoughts

2009-12-21T17:51:00.000-08:00

Well I don't necessarily have anything in particular to write about - just some thoughts on what I've been thinking about lately. I'm getting very anxious and excited about the twins' arrival. I am also a little nervous about giving birth. Dr. Sterling said I have the option of scheduling a C-section or I can try the vaginal delivery since Colin is head down but Leah has not been for the last month or so. Since she is not head down she may have to be turned once Colin is delivered if she does not turn on her own but there is a chance that she will not turn or cannot be turned and will have to be delivered via C-section. So essentially I could have a vaginal birth and a C-section. I have decided though that since my doctor believes that we can have a successful vaginal delivery for both of them I am going for that. I may end up having both but I would rather at least try for a vaginal delivery. Our next appointment is on Wednesday so hopefully Leah will have turned :).

It's so crazy that it's getting so close. I'm really only 3-4 weeks out at the most and it could be anytime. My bag is packed and the nursery is done and I believe I am as ready as I will ever be for them! Of course I'm still nervous about becoming a mom and taking care of two newborns at once but I can't wait for them to be here!

We had our birthing class on 12/12. It was an all day Saturday class which I'm glad we did instead of the4 week shorter classes. It was actually very informative and I felt like I learned quite a bit from it especially the postpartum and newborn care. I think Brad learned a lot too. I think my favorite part of the class was when the guys practiced the masssage techniques they learned :). It was kind of funny how they timed the birthing video. It was actually right before lunch! I am usually kind of squeamish (okay I passed out after getting a TB test once) but I did okay during both the vaginal birth and the C-section. I have to say I was very proud of myself. I've really tried to get over my issues with blood and haven't passed out at all when I've had blood drawn during my pregnancy (let me tell you that this is quite a feat for me).

If I do not post before then, I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Braxton Hicks and Belly Pics

2009-11-23T18:45:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks I have had Braxton Hicks on the brain. I didn't think I'd been having them but I guess I was. I kept reading and talking to friends about what theirs felt like and I was really 50/50 as to whether I thought that I was having them. It felt like the twins would ball up in separate spots in my belly and press out. I talked to Dr. Sterling's wonderful nurse, Lindsey, though last Friday and she confirmed that it was BH contractions that I was experiencing. She said I should try to stay very hydrated which should help so I've upped my water intake to about a gallon a day. I was already drinking about 3/4 of a gallon but if I need to drink a gallon of water, then that's what I'll do. I get uncomfortable sitting for very long anyways so it just gives me a reason to get up pretty frequently and walk around.

We have the nursery pretty much done. We still have a few pictures to frame and have to hang the letters for their names and to wash their bedding but we have washed all of their newborn and 0-3 months clothes, blankets, and towels and put all of them away which took literally an entire day and that was just the newborn and 0-3! We picked out their "going home from the hospital" outfits this past weekend. We optimistically picked out newborn outfits instead of the premie size as we are hoping and praying that I can make it full term (or as close as possible) and that they will be big (at least for twins) babies.

So some of these are a little old but I had to include a pic of my Halloween costume which won me first place in the Halloween contest at work! I also included a pic of me and my cousin, Jordan, who is due January 14th. My belly is um a little big bigger.

26 weeks - Decorating the nursery and holding my favorite nephew, Brody, in our Halloween costumes..

Me and Jordan at her baby shower last weekend. I think I win the biggest belly contest!

The Big 3-0

2009-11-23T17:40:00.001-08:00

No, it is not my 30th birthday but I am officially 30 weeks today! I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. Every day I look forward to meeting them more than the day before. Lately we've been having fun watching and feeling them roll body parts (I'm guessing knees and elbows) across my belly. Totally cracks us up too when we can see them (and I can feel them) "jump" around in my belly. On Monday, I felt Colin in one spot and just poked him softly and he wiggled around. I'm sure he was thinking "Stop it Mom! I was in a comfortable spot!". :)

Today we had our 30 week doctor's appointment which went great! Colin weighed about 3 pounds 11 ounces and Leah weighed 4 pounds 3 ounces! They were in the 64th and 86th percentile!! We are so excited about this since twins are usually small and a major risk is preterm labor and delivery. Dr. Sterling still thinks that I should be able to go full term and was very impressed with the size of the twins. He said it would be great if they could get up to 7 or 7.5 pounds each. He measured me today for the first time just to see and I was 39 cm from my pelvic bone to the top of my uterus. The rule of thumb is a centimeter for every week so my belly is basically full term at this point.

As this is the day before Thanksgiving, I would like to end this post by saying I am so thankful for two beautiful, healthy babies, my wonderful husband, all of our family and friends! Happy Thanksgiving!!

4-D Pics and Third Trimester

2009-11-13T20:26:00.001-08:00

Last weekend we went for a 4-D sonogram (pictures below) which was amazing. Since this is most likely my only pregnancy, I have really wanted to do all of the "pregnancy things" and this is one of them. We got some great pictures of Leah but were afraid for most of the ultrasound we were not going to be able to get any of Colin. Thank goodness he FINALLY got into a position where she could get some pictures of him during the last half. Poor little Colin is a bit squished (okay it looks like a lot squished) by his sister who has lots of room laying on top of him. It was very cute though because they are both head down and had their little heads together as they are already best friends :).

On Wednesday, we went to see Dr. Sterling for my 28 week appointment which marks the beginning of my third trimester. Looking back on the last two, I would have to say I have definitely preferred the second to the first. My first trimester was a little rough with being sick all the time. My second trimester though I felt great, I felt the babies both move for the first time, Brad felt the babies both move for the first time, we picked out names, I had my baby showers...it was just a really great trimester. I am very much looking forward to this trimester as it will be the best in that the twins will arrive. Starting my third trimester comes with more intense feelings of anticipation and excitement as well as some nervousness. I cannot wait for them to be here and that is pretty much what I think about all day. I feel them moving all the time now and their movements are stronger and can be seen by just watching my belly which is soooo cool. After eating Mexican tonight (nothing spicy even) they were rolling around and running elbows or knees or something pointy along my belly. I know I will miss feeling them in my belly but holding them will more than make up for it! So back to the actual appointment...we got great news! My doctor said he thinks out of the 5 patients he has carrying twins that I have the best chance of making it full term and he has a really good feeling in general about me going full term. I haven't had any complications or problems or issues. He was pleasantly surprised I had not had any Braxton-Hicks contractions. My cervix measured great at the last appointment. All in all, everything is going very smoothly for carrying twins and we could not feel more blessed. It is truly an answer to prayers that everything has gone so great with all of the complications that can come with having twins. He has another patient who is also 28 weeks who he just had to put on bed rest and they have given steroid shots to so I am so fortunate to not have any of the problems so many moms carrying twins have. This weekend we are going to finish setting up the nursery and organizing everything we moved into my aunt's house that we are staying in until our house is built. I can't wait to have the nursery done and ready for our two little miracles!

Colin with Leah's head on the left side kind of squishing him... :)

Our little Leah

Colin and his cute little feet!!

This is Leah's little pouty face...so cute! She looks so peaceful.

Baby Showers

2009-10-28T18:30:00.000-07:00

So I have not been on in a looooong time and so much has happened! First of all, I have new belly pics from the fabulous baby showers that my friends, family, and coworkers threw for me. Thank you all sooo much!! I had such a great time at all of them and we appreciate everyone's generosity so much! We have lots of fabulous things for the twins to wear, sit in, and play with which is great :).

We went to the doctor today and had an excellent visit. Leah weighs 2 pounds 3 ounces and Colin weighs 2 pounds 5 ounces which is larger than average which we thought was great. For one, they are both staying right about the same which can be a concern with twins as sometimes one will grow great and be much larger than the other. For two, they are bigger than average which is good since twins are full term at 38 weeks and the greatest risk with twins is preterm labor so we want these babies to be big :). It might be tmi, but my cervix is measuring great at 4.5 and they want it to be at least 2. Basically everything is looking great which is always such a relief to hear!

My first shower was on 10/10 and was thrown by my best friend who I have known since kindergarten, Sarah, and my best friend since high school, Angie. October 10th was coincidentally the 11th anniversary of Brad and my first date. :) It's crazy to think that 11 years after that day, I would be at a baby shower with our twins on the way.... :)

Sarah made this awesome diaper cake...so cute!!

Angie brought the cutest rattle cakes!

Me and my fellow twin mama, Jessica...

Angie, Me, and Sarah

My next shower was on Sunday thrown by our church family. Brad and I definitely think of them as our extended family and were so happy to see everyone while we were in K.C! Thank you all for you prayers and support!

Me and Julie and me and Ina...

Martha, me, Ina, Patti, and Kristi and Martha, me, Ina, and Patti

Me and my mom :)

Our shower in Oklahoma was a couples shower and it was really great to get to see Brad get to be involved in the baby showers. He has definitely been very involved in my pregnancy and has made every doctor's visit and loves feeling the babies move and kick. His eyes light up every time he feels their little movements.

Names update

2009-09-26T06:56:00.000-07:00

Sooo I think we have decided on names.....Col(l)in and Leah :). We haven't decided one "l" or two yet but I think those are the names. :)

In my last post, I talked about moving and how we'd sold our house. Well we were supposed to close Wednesday, the 23rd. Note I said "supposed" to. Yes, long story short we are now not closing until October 9th :(. Even though it's just a few more weeks, we were very excited to be done with that house and just not have to think about it anymore!

We had our "big" ultrasound last Monday with the specialist and he said everything looked great anatomically and structurally. Leah was 15 ounces and Col(l)in was 14 ounces so she's still a little bigger but he said usually boys are bigger at birth than girls so we'll see. It was about an hour long ultrasound which was really fun since we got to see them for so long. Leah looked like a little contortionist with her legs bent over her head like she was folded in half looking at her knees! It looked very uncomfortable but she stayed in that position a while so I guess it was comfortable for her! According to babycenter.com, the average size of babies right now is about the length of a carrot. It's amazing how fast they're growing and how quickly time is passing until they get here.

Last Saturday we went to the T-MOM's (Tulsa Moms of Multiples) sale. All the twin stuff was super cute! We found some adorable boy/girl outfits. We also went to the Tulsa State Fair kick-off the weekend before last. Let me just say free fair food and being pregnant are a dangerous combination :). I think by the end of the night I had at least tried a bite of everything there. They didn't have all the fair food but they had a good assortment and did I mention it was free? I did have a grilled turkey leg and some corn on the cob so I rationalize that those offset the corn dog, cheesecake, and fried potatoes :).

Names and Moving...

2009-09-10T19:42:00.000-07:00

So it's been forever since I last wrote but a lot has been going on. We finally sold our house (yay!!!) which is such an answer to our prayers. We close on the 23rd and so far everything is going fine which is a relief. We found a neighborhood we absolutely love down here and decided to build a house. We signed a contingency contract on a lot close to the park and pool and now that we have a contract on our house, they have started the process!!! It is now a race to see which will happen first - the move into the new house or the arrival of our twins! We are praying it is the house first but who knows :). Since we sold our house in K.C. we spent last weekend moving most of the rest of our stuff down. We had left the house staged so we still had furniture and decorations up there along with some other miscellaneous things in the basement and some clothes. We will also be back this weekend to move the rest of it and clean one last time. It is such a blessing having sold the house but it will also be sad once we close those doors for the last time.

Speaking of moving, I am starting to feel the twins move which is pretty much the coolest thing I've ever experienced. At first it felt like little muscle twitches and now it's more like popcorn popping in my belly. It's so fun and I love feeling them moving around. I am a little nervous about having two sets of arms and legs kicking and punching me once they get bigger and stronger though! :)

We went to the doctor yesterday and our twins are now sitting side by side with our girl on the left and our boy on the right. Dr. Sterling told us we could remember because boys are always right...we girls know that's not so true though :). He measured each femur and our little girl is in the 67th percentile and our little boy is in the 44th percentile which he said was fine. He did a check on major organs and everything looks good :). We still are going to see a specialist though on the 21st as he is the expert and there is a higher risk with twins so our doctor feels it's best for him to check everything out thoroughly. I really enjoy going to my appointments though and seeing them every few weeks so I don't mind an extra long ultrasound at all. It's amazing how much they grow in just a short period of time. Looking back at those first pictures of our little circles it's so crazy to see them so big now.

So now the names part of the blog. We thought we had names picked out - Braden and Gabriella (Brady and Gabby) - but it seems we have changed our minds and are back to the drawing board as far as deciding goes. Names are such a hard thing! We have some ideas but nothing solid. It's such a big decision because they will have these names for the rest of their lives and we want them to be perfect as I'm sure every parent does. Our plan is to at least have it narrowed down to three by the time they get here because we really have no idea. :) I told Brad tonight we need to at least come up with nicknames for them. They're just our little girl and our little boy right now but it would be fun to give them cute nicknames while we pick their actual names. Any ideas on nicknames?

Brody's Arrival!!

2009-08-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

Well, Brody decided he was not going to wait (typical trait in the Creed family) and decided to come into the world 7 weeks early on August 19th at 3:18am. He weighed 4 pounds 9 ounces and was 17 inches long. Being early, there was a concern that his lungs would not be adequately developed however they were great and he had a great APGAR score of 9 a minute after birth and a score of 10 five minutes after birth. After he was born, he was prepped for surgery as he has gastroschisis which his intestines were outside of his body. They were able to put most of them back in his abdomen with the first surgery and the surgeon has been amazed at how well he is progressing. His final surgery to close up the hole in his abdomen will be this Monday. Hopefully soon after that Michelle and Brian will finally be able to hold their little boy. He is absolutely adorable and I have already told him that I am his favorite aunt. He even opened his eyes to take a picture with me last night (proving I am definitely his favorite aunt) :).

Belly Pics and Brody's Baby Shower

2009-08-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday on 8/15 we attended my brother, Brian, and Michelle's baby shower for their little boy, Brody Stephen. It was a coed shower and Brad and I both had a great time. It was so fun seeing all of the cute baby things and thinking about how much fun it will be once Brody is here. Michelle and I took this opportunity to take some belly pics together and I am amazed at how quickly I am catching her considering she's 4 months ahead of me :).

Twin Pics!!!

2009-08-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

Since our doctor is amazing and wonderful, he gives us awesome 3-D pictures at our visits now which we LOVE since they are amazingly clear pictures of our babies. Our little girl obviously is not camera shy as we've been able to get 2 great pictures of her and we have one of them together with our little boy's profile and our girl's back.

Oklahoma!

2009-08-23T10:54:00.000-07:00

Well, last weekend we went to the official home of the Rodgers & Hammerstein production of Oklahoma (a must for living here now) at Discoveryland. It was a fantasti c show as usual and the first musical for the twins who I am sure enjoyed the show. My Aunt Peggy was able to get us free dinner beforehand and free coupons for ice cream and snow cones during the show which was absolutely delightful. It turned out to be a nice night especially given that it was August in Oklahoma.

It's a BOY...and a GIRL!!

2009-08-06T17:15:00.000-07:00

Okay so it's been a little while since I last wrote so time to catch up. What have I been doing the last few weeks? Well, we went up to K.C. a few times to do a little work on our house for sale (does anyone know anyone looking for a house?). It was pretty exhausting driving back and forth but it will be worth it when it finally sells :). We have some very interested potential buyers so we'll see what happens. God has a plan so we just have to wait and see what it is. Other than that, it's pretty much been work and hanging out with Brad and my family. Last weekend was kind of a weekend of long time friends. Friday night, Brad and I went to dinner with my friend, Michelle, and her husband, Brandon and then I went to sleep about 9:30 :). Then Saturday we went to the zoo which was so mcuh fun! The day started out with very nice weather and it started getting pretty hot as we were leaving. I love the Tulsa zoo and going there reminded me of being a kid and made me think of when we'll take our twins there. I also went to a Tulsa Moms of Multiples (T-MOM's) meeting with my mom on Tuesday. WOW is all I can say. I did not realize there would be so many moms of twins or multiples there!! It was really great though. We had a group session with just expecting moms or moms with multiples less than a year. They had some great advice and I definitely learned a lot. It was a great meeting to go to as they had a twin panel which consisted of identical 11 year old twins girls and identical 14 year old twin boys. Everyone was asking all kinds of great questions which I believe will definitely help me as a mom of twins.

Speaking of twins, we went to the doctor yesterday and he's not 100% sure but he was pretty sure we are having a boy (baby A born first) and a girl (baby B born second)!!! We were very excited to find out what they both are. We go back in a little less than two weeks and he said we would know for sure then. Our little girl was kicking our little boy which we both thought was kind of funny - his sister is already picking on him! It was crazy to see them moving around and kicking and moving their arms. They looked so much different than at our last appointment. They looked like little babies this time and it was so amazing. Our doctor (who is so awesome) also did a 4-D sonogram of our little girl and we got a picture of her from it. If you have seen these, you know how realistic and clear everything looks. It was breath taking. I couldn't believe how real the picture looked. I was looking back at the first pictures we had of them when they were tiny little dots and to look now at how much they've grown and how clearly we can see everything is amazing. It's been an experience that I will always remember.

Insomnia

2009-07-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

I have never really had a problem sleeping. In fact, Brad will tell you I can fall asleep mid conversation so sleeping has never been hard for me. For some reason, I find myself waking up in the middle of the night at least once and staying awake for a good half hour or so. Last night, it was more like two hours. Two hours in the middle of the night do give a person a lot of time for reflection and thinking and praying since there's no one else to talk to. I thought about our house as we have an interested buyer who will be flying in to look at it in two weeks after having her brother look at it. I prayed about that and that she and her two children would love our house and feel that it would be a good home for them. If not them, that someone would need and want our house (we ARE expecting twins so having a "vacation" home in K.C. is not so ideal). I have thought about leaving this woman a picture of the twins and pleading with her in a note left strategically on the front door when she comes to look at the house but Brad doesn't think this would be a good idea :). I also thought about our lives now and how crazy it is finally being pregnant and thanked God for our twins and that we were blessed to have two miracles at one time which is still just mind blowing and absolutely amazing to me. My mind wandered and I thought about our twins and what they would look like and what kinds of things they will enjoy and if we have two boys, two girls, or one of each. I thought about their first smiles and first words and all the joy they will bring us. Some people may not have been very excited to learn they were expecting two babies at one time but we could not be happier. Yes, we know it will be more work but we also know it will bring us twice the joy and happiness. We had friends and family who told us that God had something special in store for us when we were discouraged not being able to get pregnant right away and they were definitely right :).

Speaking of twins, I am now wearing maternity clothes and actually don't really mind it at all. Yes, the pants are not the most fashionable but they're actually not that bad either and they have a lovely elastic waist that comes in handy for a growing mid section which Brad makes fun of daily :). I heard him tell his mom yesterday that I swallowed his basketball he'd been looking for. No, it's not that big yet but I'm sure it will be soon! I'll post pics of the growing belly soon I promise.

Heartbeats and the 4th of July

2009-07-05T08:01:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a long time since my last post (see previous post regarding all day sickness). I am finally feeling better after two different anti-nausea medications (one which made me more sick) and weeks of feeling pretty icky. It was perfect timing though that I finally started feeling better on the 4th of July! We went over to my Uncle Richard's house for some barbeque, swimming, and some game involving golf balls and a structure made out of pvc pipe that Pam and I dominated as a team. :) It was so nice to enjoy some great food and fun with family on what turned out to be a beautiful day after the rain cleared off.

I have included my 8 week belly pic as I am starting to get a belly which Brad thinks is so cute. Right now, I don't feel like I necessarily look pregnant to the outside world but more like I need to do a few crunches :). It's really crazy though how fast it developed. It seems like overnight I started to grow and then last night I really noticed how pronounced it is getting.

Our last doctor's appointment was June 25th and we got to hear both heartbeats! It was absolutely amazing. One baby's heart rate was 166 (baby "A") and the other baby's heart rate was 167 (baby "B"). They are referred to as baby "A" and baby "B" by the doctor as baby "A" will be born first based on the positioning. They both measured right at 8 weeks which was perfect :). It was very relieving to hear both strong heart beats and to know both babies are growing as they should be. Our next appointment is July 27th and I'm sure it will be amazing to see how much they have grown in 4 short weeks!

Morning lasts all day...

2009-06-18T16:42:00.000-07:00

So my "morning" sickness apparently does not know when it is no longer morning as I seem to be sick all day. The nurse at the doctor's office said that twins usually means twice the symptoms - twice the exhaustion, twice the nausea, etc - and boy was she right! I am a fan of food and am usually hungry and can eat all the time but this is so not the case anymore. I will be soooo glad when this part of my pregnancy is over! Ok enough complaining.... The good thing is that Brad has been sooo great. With feeling exhausted and nauseous most of the time, I have been so fortunate to have such a helpful husband. He has been so wonderful around the house helping me out and doing things so I don't have to - laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. I do not know what I would do without him. :)

DOUBLE the Blessing!

2009-06-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

From my 6/9/09 entry....

That's right...we just found out we're having TWINS! Are we excited?! We are everything times two now! We're excited, ecstatic, and a little nervous :). We feel so blessed to have two little ones that we will be able to bring into the world. My official due date is February 3rd but I've been reading about twin births now and it looks like they usually go early. I have a million questions now for my doctor but I obviously couldn't think of much when we found out. So the moment we found out...I was laying there and Brad was holding my hand and the ultrasound had literally just begun when the doctor says that we're having twins. I asked him at least three times if he was kidding and then started laughing uncontrollably which made it difficult for him to do the ultrasound since my abdomen shaking so much. Since I was laughing, Brad started laughing, and the doctor and nurse both started laughing. The doctors and nurses outside probably wondered what was so humorous in our room. I did hold still long enough so we could get a couple pictures of them ("them"...crazy!).

Expecting

2009-06-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

So I started a blog, Breuer Baby on Board, but needed to change it to Breuer Babies on Board since we found out we're expecting twins! This is from my original 6/5/09 blog entry.....

Apparently blogging (and especially baby blogging) is the thing to do so I’m jumping on the bandwagon. It will be especially nice to be able to share our experiences with all of you friends and family in K.C. Yes, we definitely miss all of you after making the move but we are enjoying Oklahoma too. It’s a short drive too so no excuses not coming down here to visit! :) Well, the reason for the blog…We found out on Memorial Day, we are expecting and we couldn’t be happier! Memorial Day is kind of a special time for us. We got engaged over Memorial Day weekend and we have always taken an extended vacation that weekend. For five years we went camping with friends and last year we went to San Francisco by ourselves (which I’m glad we did since that was our last couple vacation for a while). :) So my first doctor’s appointment is this Tuesday, June 9th. The nurse said we should be able to hear the heart beat which is soooo exciting. I have been reading up on pregnancy, what to eat, what not to eat, things to do, things not to do, etc. (I like to be very prepared to say the least) and apparently our baby is about the size of a sesame seed right now which is pretty good considering he/she started out poppy seed sized. Babycenter.com (which has a plethora of information) has this whole slide show which shows you your baby’s size with seeds and fruits and vegetables. It’s kind of cool to be able to relate the size to something familiar. Well, that is it for now but more to come soon!