The Scotts

Growing Way Too Fast

2009-10-02T19:08:00.001-05:00

Time just needs to slow down! I can't believe how quickly time has flown by...

~Laney has now begun sitting up just like Mason! I knew it wouldn't be long as she doesn't like her brother to do something she isn't! And vice versa, of course...

~They now are riding in style...in their new carseats! No more carriers! They look so grown up in the big seats. This, of course, is a whole new world for momma, daddy and Leslie. Sitting in high chairs in restaurants, sitting in the actual seats of the stroller...they love the new view, though!

~We went to the fair this afternoon with Leslie, Garrett and Leighton...and our friends Melisse and her boys Cayden and Cole, and Laura and her daughter Presley! Laney and Mason love to people-watch so they were having fun riding in the stroller taking in all the sights.

~We're going to be attempting sippy cups this weekend, and since they like sweets so much, I figure they'll catch on pretty quickly! I hope so, anyway!

Leighton, Mason & Laney ~ September 2009

Taking in the sights of the petting zoo at the fair!

Laney snoozing in her swing.

Playing in the floor.

Lovin' our new car seats!

We can sit up now!

Tuckered out in his swing...this is his favorite sleeping position!

The Nursery

2009-09-12T11:15:00.001-05:00

Various Pictures

2009-09-12T11:06:00.002-05:00

Mason

2009-09-12T10:47:00.003-05:00

Mason William

~you already have two teeth! The bottom two in the center came in at the same time.

~you love your food! You really try to feed yourself...and if momma would let you, you probably could!

~you are already taking steps when holding on to someone's hands.

~you aren't scared of anything! You bravely let go of momma's fingers while you were standing up so that you were standing by yourself for a second!

~you are so close to crawling...the "army scoot" you do is too cute

~you have big hands like your daddy

~your smile just melts my heart--you know just when I need to see one, too!

~you are so good to sleep through the night!

~you are quite a character who is going to keep momma and daddy on their toes

~you are so protective of your big sister. You defintely don't like it when she is upset and you are always looking to see where she is.

~you love the Exersaucer--and pretty much stand by yourself in it.

~you are a such a sweet boy!

Laney

2009-09-12T10:31:00.005-05:00

Laney Kayte

~you love to smile! Your smile just melts my heart.

~you growl at us--it's too cute! You do it to play, and it sounds like a little Ewok! It's precious.

~you give the greatest, sloppiest kisses and the best hugs in the world!

~you really love rolling over in the floor...it doesn't take long for you to get to the other side of

the room

~what a big girl you are to hold your own bottle!

~you love watching people

~I am so proud that you leave your hairbows alone (most of the time!)

~your painted toenails makes you look so grown up!

~is very close to sitting on her own!

~may have a career in the circus in her future...she makes that jumperoo go crazy! She loves it!

~you are such a sweet girl!

Trying Cereal for the First Time--August 2009

2009-09-12T10:04:00.006-05:00

Sitting in the high chairs for the first time...not quite sure what to think...

Mason's first bite of cereal didn't go as well as I thought it would....after this, he threw the biggest walleyed fit...and then had to finish his cereal like this...

What an awesome dad Kodi is! He is so good with the kids. It makes my heart just burst when I see how much he loves all of his babies!

Laney liked her cereal!

This is cool, momma!

July 2009

2009-09-12T09:52:00.005-05:00

Time to move into separate pack-n-plays! They slept in one pack-n-play in our bedroom until July, and then we moved to two pack-n-plays...and then moved them to their cribs August 4th.

Gus is really good with the babies! He's really protective and puts up with a lot! They love him!

The first picture I was able to get of them both smiling together! Wish Laney had a hair bow...

Their adorable 4th of July outfits Aunt D'Lyn got them! We went to mom and dad's for a cookout and then to Plainview to watch fireworks. Laney fell asleep, but Mason stood in Kodi's lap actually watching them. He would track and follow them from the ground up to the sky...it was really funny.

Boy, it's been a while...

2009-09-12T09:42:00.002-05:00

I am so sorry that's it's been so long since I've posted! Things have been a little crazy...hehe. The transition of me going back to work has taken a little longer than I've expected. It's been smooth, but it's just taken longer to get into a routine.

The kiddos are now five months old! Where has time gone? I am going to give you the run down on each one in other posts...

Laney has developed two hemangiomas (tumors made up of blood vessels)--one on her chest and one in her left nostril. Usually, these things go away on their own anywhere from 6 months to a year of age, but they can grow very rapidly until then. We haven't been concerned about the one on her chest (although it's pretty big), but the one in her nose grew so fast that it was almost closing off that nostril. After seeing her pediatrician and a surgeon here in Lubbock, we finally ended up going to a plastic surgeon at the Children's Medical Center in Dallas who specializes in hemangiomas. We started off on a high-dose steriod regime, with the hope that it would stop the growth of the hemangiomas. Well--I am happy to report that they did better than that--they have actually shrunk! This means no surgery for Laney! We will continue on the steriods until she is six months old and then go back to the dr in Dallas in February. They should totally disappear without any sign of them being there.

Laney and Mason are doing great with Leslie! Momma had a hard time leaving them at first...and still cries on the way to work about once a week...but seeing them thrive is so worth it. They've had lots of field trips and fun outings! We are so thankful for Leslie!

Enough of all of that...on to the pictures...

12 weeks!

2009-06-29T20:50:00.004-05:00

It's so hard to believe the kiddos are 12 weeks! Time is flying by and they are changing daily. They both are starting to smile and are trying really hard to talk and laugh. Mason has slept through the night twice now, and Laney has slept eight hours at a time several times...just at the wrong 8 hours (from 2:00 AM to 10:00 AM). I am hoping that they'll be sleeping through the night when I go back to work...which is in about a month! I am not looking forward to that day! But--it will all be ok!

At their 2 month appointment, Laney weighed 10 pounds, 9 ounces and Mason weighed 11 pounds 5 ounces. We are guessing now they weigh probably 12-13 pounds. They are really close on their sizes still! Mason just seems so much bigger, though.

Eight Weeks Already!

2009-05-31T16:44:00.003-05:00

I cannot believe how fast time is flying by! I wish it would slow down. We took the kiddos for pictures today...here are some of the best ones. It's gonna be hard trying to get two to cooperate! I apologize--I can't get the pictures to rotate since they are from the photographer's CD. Sorry!

Seven Weeks

2009-05-25T17:51:00.004-05:00

It's so hard to believe the babies are 7 weeks old! They are changing daily. We weighed them as best as we could yesterday (so these weights are approximate) and Laney weighed around 10 pounds and Mason 11 1/2! They are eating a lot and filling out just as fast! Mason has rolled from his back to his tummy twice and Laney isn't far off of doing it herself. It's amazing to watch them learn and develop!

Mason's Girlfriend and Laney's Best Friend

2009-05-25T17:41:00.002-05:00

Our best friends, The Kacal's welcomed their new baby girl, Leighton Reese, into the world on May 18th! Michael, Leslie, Caden and Garrett are having so much fun with a princess in the house! Leslie was Kaylee's babysitter when I went back to work and is truly a Godsend. She is awesome with kiddos and Kodi and I never had to worry about the care Kaylee was in. When we found out we were pregnant, we sure hoped Leslie would keep the baby....and then we found out it was two.....we hoped Leslie would be the one to keep them, but knew that we couldn't make any guarantees about it due to Leslie's commitments to other kiddos--and we understood fully! Then....Leslie found out she was pregnant...and due 4 weeks after us! We knew then that we would need to make other child care arrangements, but Leslie wouldn't let us. From the word go, the babies have been dubbed "The Triplets". Leslie is going to have her hands full, but she's the only one I know that can handle it.

The babies finally got to meet each other this past weekend....although briefly due to Leighton's jaundice and having to be under the bililights. There will be lots of fun from these three in the future! It will be fun watching them grow up together...we know they will be best of friends. Not to mention that Leighton will be Mason's girlfriend.....

Mother's Day Pictures

2009-05-12T11:17:00.005-05:00

Laney and Mason with our nephew Caden and niece Carley.

One Month Old

2009-05-09T22:35:00.004-05:00

We absolutely are in love with these babies! It is so hard to believe that they are already a month old. Time needs to slow down! They have been great babies and are so much fun.

When I laid them down for their nap...I laid them about a foot and a half apart from each other...and when I went to check on them no more than 5 minutes later...this is how I found them. I PROMISE I did not stage them this way...this is totally them!! They get really upset if they are not together and they don't like being apart...especially at night and during naps.

Sweet Babies

2009-04-29T22:48:00.001-05:00

Pictures

2009-04-29T08:59:00.003-05:00

Laney playing possum...

Mason playing it cool...

Laney didn't think her first bath was much fun...

Neither did Mason...

The First 10 Days...

2009-04-17T16:43:00.004-05:00

The best attempt at the birth announcement picture.

Laney Kayte

Mason William

Going home from the hospital!

Too sweet!

Sorry I haven't posted pictures...I know y'all have been waiting! Things have gone really well the first 10 days. Of course, we have had lots of help that we wouldn't have been able to make it otherwise! The babies are really laid back (hope it stays that way) and are on a pretty good schedule so far. They are eating a lot and growing and changing already!

Happy Birthday, Crazy Kaylee

2009-04-12T00:00:00.003-05:00

Happy 2nd birthday, precious girl. We love you and miss you more than you know.

They're here!

2009-04-08T14:49:00.004-05:00

Mason William Scott

Laney Kayte Scott

Laney Kayte and Mason William made their much awaited debut on Monday, April 6, 2009 at 4:55 and 4:56 respectively. Everyone is doing great--they have been in the room with us this whole time and have done wonderfully! Laney weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long. Mason was 6 pounds, 2 ounces and was 18 1/2 inches long. They are super eaters and sleepers and seem really laid back...so far! They look very similar, but not exactly alike.

Here's how April 6th started.....we had a monitoring appointment with Dr. Hales at 8:00 that morning. We noticed when I was hooked up to the monitors, I was contracting about every 5 minutes. I didn't feel any of them, so they decided that all was ok and we went on to my 9:30 appointment with Dr. Owen. She was out of town all last week, so we caught her up on what happened and she decided that she wanted to see if I had dilated any more. Sure enough, I was dilated to a 6, and Dr. Owen said, "Let's have some babies today." She didn't want me to get home and get into trouble if I were to rupture or anything, and we agreed that a controlled situation instead of an emergency situation was going to be much better. So, Kodi took me to labor and delivery and got me checked in, went to the house to get our bags and the waiting began. We went back for the c-section about 4:30 and waited to hear those cries! The surgery went well and I really am feeling good, too.

They prefer being together and when one cries the other one looks for them. It's already been so neat to see the "twin" bonds between the two of them. We know there is more of that to come!

We cannot thank everyone enough for all of their prayers and thoughts throughout the last year. We truly believe that these babies are a gift from God with lots of help from their big sister!

Will post more pictures later!

Home from hospital...no babies yet!

2009-04-01T11:18:00.002-05:00

It all started around 3:00 Monday morning...I was actually sleeping pretty decently, but kept having these pains. They weren't bad--in fact I almost thought I was dreaming them because I never totally woke up, but was just conscious of them. I knew they ended about 5:00 and I woke up around 6:00. I had a monitoring appointment at 8:00, so I got in the shower and started getting ready. About 7:15 or so, I noticed that I was bleeding a little bit. So, Kodi decided to go with me to the doctor and we headed on up there. I told them what all was going on, and as soon as they hooked me up to the monitors, I started contracting fairly regularly. They decided to check to see if I was dialated or anything, and I was already dilated to a 4. So, they gave me a shot of terbuteline to stop the contractions, and that worked. They did a quick ultrasound check and Dr. Hales decided to go ahead and send me to the hospital for bed rest until the babies arrive. He felt very confident that we could hold out another week but wanted to be able to keep me on monitors and then have access to the operating room if need be. He let us go home and get some bags packed and Kodi and I got up to the hospital around noon.

I get settled and hooked up to monitors and sure enough, I was still contracting, but as long as I kept getting those terbuteline shots, we could stop them. The babies looked "textbook" and I really was feeling pretty good! That evening, Dr. Hales decided to put me on a pump--it is much like an insulin pump--that would automatically give me the doses of terbuteline I needed instead of having to give me a shot everytime. Since I have had the pump, I have had no contractions!

We were told from the word go that I would be in the hospital till the babies got here, so we were mentally (as best as I could be) prepared for that...but yesterday at noon the nurse practitioner came in and said that they wanted to check me and if my dilation hadn't changed, they had thought about sending me home for bed rest. Well, I hadn't changed--and still no contractions, so we got home around 6:30 last night. I am on strict bed rest here at home...and am supposed to go back to the hospital if I have the slightest little pain. We will go to be monitored tomorrow morning with Dr. Hales again and then just hang out as long as we can! He seems to think we can still hold out until the 14th, which we are going to try to do. The only time I am supposed to be on my feet is to walk to the bathroom, to bed or to the couch. I am so not used to that! But--we'll do it and just pray and hope we can hold out as long as possible. The longer we hold out, the better everything will be!

When we do go to the hospital, we will have internet access so we will post pictures as soon as we can!

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and prayers.....we'll keep you all updated!

Today's Ultrasound

2009-03-26T20:43:00.002-05:00

We had another ultrasound today at Dr. Hale's office. Everything looked great--plenty of fluid and no signs of labor anytime soon! The shocker of today though was the weight estimates....they both are estimated to weigh 6 pounds! YEA!!!! That means they could very easily weigh over 7 come the 14th. They had already started the breathing motions, which was a great sign. This means that their lungs are ready to go! So, they told us to keep doing what we're doing and hope and pray they make it to the 14th. I will still be monitored twice a week and then they have another ultrasound (the last one) scheduled for April 9th. We absolutely cannot believe that's it's already time! Better get the bags packed.....

C-Section is scheduled!

2009-03-24T08:32:00.002-05:00

I had my regular appointment with Dr. Owen yesterday, and we scheduled the c-section! Tuesday, April 14th at noon will be the time they will deliver the babies unless they decide to come earlier. Our prayer is that we hang on for three more weeks! Kodi and I are really set on doing everything we can to keep them "cooking" until the 14th in hopes of avoiding the NICU. We don't want to come home without the babies!

Everything is continuing to go very well...I am still being monitored twice a week and other than the babies being stubborn and contrary some days (wonder where they would get traits like that) everything looks great. I am now on maternity leave, so with the extra time to take it easy, there shouldn't be any reason why we can't make it 21 more days.

We have an ultrasound on Thursday, so we'll update then with the latest sizes! Thanks to all of you for your support and prayers! I guarantee you we wouldn't have made it this far and have been this successful without them.

Uneventful Update...That's a good thing!

2009-03-13T21:48:00.002-05:00

Things have been pretty uneventful around here and we are very thankful for that. The babies are still moving around like crazy! I am continuing to go to Dr. Hales twice a week for a non-stress test in which they are monitoring the babies' movement, possible contractions/uterine activity and the babies' heartrates. I think these kiddos are already quite stubborn (wonder where they get that...poor things are doomed from ALL sides! hehe) as it has taken over 30 minutes to get them set on the monitor a few times, resulting in over 2 hour sessions at the doctor!

Everything still looks good and we are still shooting for the week of April 13-17, although it could really be any day now. Today was my last day at work (minus the box of things I brought home to work on) and now we'll just focus on finishing getting ready for Laney and Mason's arrival and me resting as much as I can.

Nursery pics are still on their way...have to finish up some projects first...

9 pounds of baby....6 more weeks to go

2009-03-03T19:24:00.006-06:00

Today, we had another ultrasound with Dr. Hales. It had been three weeks, so we were anxious to see how big these babies were getting. I knew that they had to have had quite a growth spurt just based on how uncomfortable I was getting. They measured approximately 4 1/2 pounds each. Laney was 4 pounds 5 ounces and Mason was 4 pounds 8 ounces. That's about 9 pounds of baby! This is about 2-2 1/2 weeks ahead of schedule. YEA! We would much rather them be big than too small. It is also really good that they are so close in size. The doctors say that as long as the two babies are within 20% of each other's weight everything is fine, but our babies have been pretty much the same size the whole pregnancy. Everything looked great today. Laney is in the breech position, and Mason is still laying sideways towards my left side. No wonder my left side and back have been causing trouble! Their heads are together at the top of my belly.

Everything looked good and the doctors are still thinking that the chances of me going into labor anytime soon are very slim. I am still being monitored twice a week for contractions, but that is pretty standard at this point in the ballgame. Last week, I was given the steroid shots to help mature the babies' lungs in the event that they are born early. As of right now, they aren't planning on giving me any more of those shots. I am on medication to help relax my back muscles and another medication to relax my uterus, so those seem to be working as expected.

We are hoping that we make it about 6 more weeks! It's so hard to believe that it's almost time...this pregnancy has really flown by!

P.S. Nursery pics will be posted as soon as I get it finished...I've got to get on the ball!

Update

2009-02-24T18:57:00.002-06:00

Well, it's been an eventful last few days. Between a trip to labor and delivery and now being monitored twice a week, things definitely have changed around here!

We laugh because our doctor told us that when we hit 30 weeks it really becomes a test...and he wasn't kidding! On Sunday, which was the day that I hit 30 weeks, I was having major back spasms and couldn't move at all pretty much. I have been dealing with a bad cough and congestion the last 3 1/2 weeks and my muscles were really sore anyway from coughing, and I think they had just had enough. It was extremely painful and nothing I did could help me just relax. So, we called Dr. Hales since we had his numbers, and he happened to be up at the hospital and wanted me to come in for monitoring. We did, and at the time, I wasn't contracting, but he wasn't convinced that it wasn't back labor, so he checked me to see if I was in labor. That was enough to send me to contraction land. They gave me a shot to stop the contractions and then gave me a dose of demerol to ease the pain (which did absolutely nothing...scary). They kept me on the monitor for a while to make sure the contractions stopped--which they did--and then gave me a muscle relaxer since the demerol wasn't doing anything and sent me home with some pain pills.

I had to call Dr. Hales office the next morning, and he wanted to monitor me that day to make sure I wasn't contracting. Well, I wasn't exactly contracting, but my uterus is what they call "irritated," meaning that there is some activity in my uterus. Not enough to send me into labor or anything...or even not enough to even count as contractions, but enough that they want to stop the activity. So, he put me on medication for that and wants to monitor me twice a week from here on out.

I think everyone at both doctor's offices could tell I was pretty disappointed yesterday, because they all assured me that this is 100% normal and happens in ALL twin pregnancies. It's just my uterus is stretched to the size of a full term pregnancy and it's tired! The surprise here is that it usually happens a few weeks later than your 30th week, but because the babies are bigger, it's happening sooner to us. This by no means indicates pre-term labor and the doctors still think I will make it to 37 weeks.

So, I am working part time now...until March 13th when I'll be off work for good (or at least until next August).

We are just relieved that this is a normal occurence and something that I couldn't have prevented or anything...it's all part of having twins.

Drum roll...

2009-02-12T08:32:00.003-06:00

We have decided on some names for poor "Baby A" and "Baby B"...or the boy and the girl...or Pancho and Lefty as they've been called...

Laney Kayte and Mason William

William is Kodi's middle name...and a name that has been on his side of the family for MANY generations. As for Kayte, my middle name and my mom's middle name is Kay, and then it is honoring Kaylee. We got Kaylee's name from the Kay being our middle names and then Lee is Kodi's dad's middle name. So, this way, we are honoring Kaylee, too.

Doctor's Appointments

2009-02-12T08:17:00.002-06:00

We have had both doctor's appointments this week. They were pretty uneventful! We saw Dr. Owen on Monday. My blood pressure was 110/70 and my belly measured 37 weeks. That's pretty much full term with a singleton! The heartrates sounded great and I had lost 4 pounds. I've had the chest and sinus crud pretty badly, so she did give me some antibiotics for that since everything else were trying short of medicine wasn't working.

The ultrasound with Dr. Hales was on Tuesday. The boy measured 2 pounds 14 ounces, and the girl measured 2 pounds 11 ounces. I was very concerned about this as it didn't seem like they had gained enough since the last appointment. But--it was a different ultrasound tech and their measurement points could have been slightly off. Kodi had to remind me that this is just an estimate! Either way, that is still about 2 weeks ahead and everyone was pleased with that. They had changed positions--the boy is now laying transverse, or horizontal across the left side of my belly. The girl--who has ALWAYS been head down--is now breech--and laying at an angle from the top right to the bottom left of my belly. It really doesn't matter for the delivery since we'll be having a c-section, but it sure does make it hard for me to tell who is who! Evidently I didn't have a blood pressure at Dr. Hales' office as they tried to take it 4 times and couldn't get a reading. They just said that my reading from the day before was ok.

Dr. Hales' comment from the appointment was, "It's about as perfect as we could ask for." So, that is a big relief. He doesn't see any reason why we can't make it to 37 weeks, but he also made sure that Kodi and I understood that anything can change in a heartbeat.

My last day to work--right now--is March 13th. Both doctors were very relieved that I had narrowed down a date...I had been avoiding it for quite a while so that I could just see how I felt. But--they were about to the point where they were going to mandate my stopping work if I didn't make up my mind. This DOES NOT mean bed rest, but just means rest and relaxation.

I will see Dr. Owen again in 2 weeks--February 23--at which we will most likely be starting steriod shots to mature the babies' lungs in the event that they are born early. The next ultrasound will be on March 3rd.

It's so hard to believe we are this close--the time will just fly by and then they'll be here!

BIG Babies!!

2009-01-20T16:47:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was our appointment with Dr. Owen. Everything was great...my blood pressure was great, I had only gained 4 pounds (for a whopping total of 10 so far...this is important information for the rest of the blog...hehe), the babies' heartrates were great. Dr. Owen started measuring my belly and got this puzzled look on her face...and then her eyes got really big. She said, "That can't be right" and measured again...and again....and came up with 33-34 centimeters, which means I was measuring 33-34 weeks gestation. She said these are some big babies! I had my gestational diabetes test and that came back great, so no worries about diabetes! She mentioned that she doesn't really want us going past 37 weeks--my goal had been 38 weeks--but she doesn't want me to go any further because you can also have problems with the babies if they are in the oven too long. So, that puts us at looking at the c-section the week of April 13-17 sometime. Right around Kaylee's birthday...April 12th. How perfect could that be?

Today was our appointment with Dr. Hales, the high-risk doctor. This means ultrasound! We told the tech when we went in what Dr. Owen measured me at yesterday and so we were all very anxious to see just how "big" these babies are. And yes, they are big. The girl weighed approximately 2 pounds, 3 ounces and the boy weighed 2 pounds 4 ounces. That means they gained just about a pound in the last 3 weeks. They are technically measuring about 2 weeks ahead of schedule. YEA!! We are so relieved at that...if they were to be born early, then their survival rate is that much higher due simply to their size. That means if the babies are weighing that much and I've only gained 10 pounds...I am not up very much at all! YEA!! I asked what they thought they would weigh at birth, and they said that if all continues to go as it has, then they'll be well over 6 pounds. YEA!!! Again!! The bigger they are--the chances are better that we stay out of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and can go home when I am ready to go home. All of the organs and everything looked great and we got to watch them in 4D which was really cool.

We are so thankful that everything has continued to go so perfectly so far...and we know that is because of all of the prayers and thoughts on our babies' behalf. We can't thank you enough! Our continued prayer is that everything keeps progressing this way....it can all change in a heartbeat, but we're going to do everything in our power to keep these babies going until April 12!

Our next appointments are in 3 weeks!

**I have had lots of people say that they haven't been able to leave a comment...I changed the settings on the comment box to where you don't have to have a password/user name to leave a comment. You can either click on "name" or "anonymous" and then hit publish.**

Latest Ultrasound.....

2009-01-02T14:27:00.000-06:00

We had another ultrasound on Tuesday, December 30th. Yes, I know I am late in posting this, but the holiday break from everything has included my computer for some reason!

Everything looked great--we got some good pictures this time. There is ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT that these babies are a girl and a boy!!!! Both babies were head down. They were able to check all of the organs and everything on both babies checked out a-ok. Thank goodness!

Baby A--the girl--weighed 1 pound, 4 ounces, and Baby B--the boy--weighed 1 pound, 5 ounces. We are so thankful that they are so close in size. This size continues to be on the big side...better big than too small! We pray that it continues to be this way!

We did get some 4D images--a great one of the little girl's face and one of the boy with his head on his forehead as if to say, "Good grief...what are they doing now?" I am trying to get them scanned in but for some reason the new scanner isn't cooperating. I'll keep trying.

My blood pressure continues to be on the low side, which is also good...and there are no indications so far of pre-term labor. The doctor had a "pep talk" with us that we would be shooting for 37 weeks and I told him that my goal was 38 weeks. Kodi's goal is 40 weeks. HE obviously isn't carrying them! HAHA

They are moving like crazy...all of the time! That is a big relief to me, because then I know that everything is ok. I keep telling them though, that it is ok to take a nap every once in a while!

We're working on getting the nursery and everything ready! I'll post pictures of that when we get it done.

Christmas with Kaylee

2008-12-23T09:43:00.001-06:00

Kaylee had so much fun at Christmas last year! She loved the tree. We had to surround the tree with baby gates so that she couldn't get to the presents or ornaments. That didn't stop her, though....she would pull up on those baby gates and stand on her tippy toes to reach the lights and the ornaments. We'd tell her no, and she'd just laugh and laugh.

She loved opening presents. She was quite good at ripping that paper! She got a couple of dolls...which at 8 months old I have no idea how she knew to do this, but she would pick one of the dolls up, cradle it in her arms just like a baby and rock back and forth as she was sitting on the floor. She also got the Little People farm and house which she had lots of fun with.

Kaylee was a great sport with all of the traveling and everything! She loved people so all of the visiting was right up her alley.

Here she is Christmas morning with her cousins, Caden and Carley:

Here she is with GiGi (Kaci's mom) and Carley on Christmas Eve in her Christmas dress:

Kodi and I loved the magic that a child brings to Christmas. Yes, we miss her terribly right now, but we have such good memories to help us make it through this year. Next year will be very different with TWO 8-month old babies to make memories with. We are setting up some family traditions for us to do with the twins in honor of Kaylee, so that will be nice to do each year.

May each of you have a wonderful Christmas holiday, filled with that magic and excitement that makes lots of memories. Our love to all of you!

Doctor's Appointment

2008-12-16T21:47:00.001-06:00

We had another doctor's appointment yesterday. This time it was with Dr. Owen. My blood pressure was great (actually a little on the low side) which is a huge relief! She did a quick ultrasound and the boy had turned, so that both babies were head down and facing each other. The first thing we saw were four arms and four hands....and it looked like they were fighting! They're starting that WAY too early. Dr. Owen just laughed. They were definitely interacting with each other. Their heart rates looked good and they still looked about the same size, which is good. So far so good...our prayer is that it stays that way! Our daily prayer is that these babies hold out until the end of April so that we can stay out of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

I am feeling them more and more...when just one moves, it's hard to tell which one is which, but I know that will change. Every once in a while, I can feel both move at the same time...which is really weird!

We are past the halfway mark...full-term for twins is 37 weeks and I am already at 20 weeks. It's so hard to believe we're already this far....time will fly by.

Today's Ultrasound

2008-12-08T19:40:00.000-06:00

We had another ultrasound today. Everything looked great...although they were much harder for Kodi and I to pick out what was what! I don't know how those techs do it! The babies are much bigger, therefore, not as much room to pick out major features for the amateur viewer.

The babies are still a boy and girl...hehe. We wanted to double check--3 medical professionals all agreed, so we'll believe them. They are measuring ahead of schedule and are just about the same size. The girl (baby A) weighed about 11 ounces and the boy (baby B) measured 12-13 ounces. This is the first time the boy has outweighed the girl! Their heartrates were 158 and 157. The doctor is pleased with my blood pressure and the overall progression of everything. The girl is head down, and the boy is breech right now, but of course, that could change. Since we are having a c-section anyway, it's not so important that they are facing the right direction anyway.

I am feeling them move more and more and even felt both of them at the same time the other night. Now that I know their current layout, I think I can begin to distinguish which baby is moving. I know that the movements will become MUCH more defined later on as they grow and grow.

All of their major organs look good so far and we'll be checked again on December 30 at the next ultrasound.

We visit the other doctor, Dr. Owen on Monday, the 15th, so more updates there!

Well......

2008-11-13T21:35:00.000-06:00

We had another ultrasound today...this time revealing what the twins are! And--our gut instincts were right...Baby A is a girl and Baby B is a boy! We're three for three (our gut instincts were right with Kaylee, too)! They are both weighing 5 ounces and measuring almost a week ahead of schedule. Both babies are really long legged, armed, etc...if they keep this up, they're liable to be really long babies! This time, though, the star of the show was Baby B. He decided to finally wake up and let himself be seen! He waved to us and sucked on his thumb....all while being propped up against the placenta like he was watching a football game in his recliner. We think that Baby A--the girl--rules the roost as she kept turning towards him...telling him what to do, of course! Everything looked great and we'll go back for another ultrasound in about 3 weeks. It is so awesome to see how much they change in such a short amount of time. Thanks so much to everyone for their prayers and well wishes--we truly are blessed!

What do you think?

2008-11-06T20:13:00.001-06:00

So we will hopefully find out what the twins are on the 13th...but we want to know what you think! Cast your vote......we'll see who is right!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T08:34:00.000-05:00

Kaylee's Halloween last year was so much fun....she loved her costume! Kaci caught a lot of flack for her costume choice for Kaylee...but she did make the cutest little cow. Kaylee was 6 months old last Halloween. She was just starting to crawl around this time and her little tail would stick straight up and she'd just laugh and laugh. We would too, of course. The knees are so worn out of the costume that there is no hope of passing it down to Kaylee's siblings. It's pretty funny. She didn't fight the costume at all and always smiled for the camera. We are so glad we took so many pictures that day!

Another Ultrasound

2008-10-20T20:08:00.000-05:00

We went to Dr. Hales' for another ultrasound today. Both babies are doing great! They measured a tad bit ahead of what they should...and their heartbeats were going strong. We actually got to hear them for the first time. Baby A's heartrate was 170 and Baby B's heartrate was 155. Both were really strong and about the same size. They are just about decided that these are fraternal twins--the membrane between the two babies is very thick, and in identical twins, the membrane is usually very thin. Both placentas are in a great place so that we shouldn't have to worry about problems with that later on down the road. Everyone said they looked great! Baby A has really long legs right now, too....they looked like cute little toothpicks!

We should find out what they are at the next ultrasound, which would be November 13th...that is, if they cooperate. Let's hope and pray that they do so we can start shopping! We also will see Dr. Owen on the 13th, so we'll knock out both doctors on the same day. Maybe by then I'll get our scanner hooked up so that I can post the ultrasound pictures.....

Pumpkin Surprise

2008-10-16T17:47:00.001-05:00

As I pulled into the driveway from work today, I notice there was something sitting in front of out garage...I get out, and this is what I see...

The card attached says, "Special Delivery for Kaci and Kodi" and the card inside says, "From Someone who loves you. Halloween Smiles."

This is just too precious.....and totally made my day. We have absolutely no idea who did this, but whoever you are out there, THANK YOU. We have received such touching emails and messages from so many people and we can't say enough how much they all mean to us. We truly are thankful for all of the thoughts and prayers on our behalf. Everyone means so much to us! It is such a nice feeling to know how much Kaylee and these babies have touched so many lives, also. We truly are blessed.

Introducing...Pancho and Lefty

2008-10-14T16:51:00.000-05:00

We had our first doctor's appointment today and...there are still two! I have to laugh because I still don't think it has really truly hit me that there are really TWO miracles growing in there! (Kodi has dubbed them Pancho and Lefty. Leave it to him to think of something Willie Nelson related!) Everything was just great at the appointment. My blood pressure was perfect and I haven't been sick at all. Because Dr. Owen wasn't sure where in there they were, she did a quick ultrasound to see the hearts instead of trying to find them to hear them. One baby didn't stop moving the whole time...and the other one was fast asleep. So--one is just like Kodi and the other one just like Kaci...you can guess which one! ha! The heartrates looked great and they were about the same size which Dr. Owen said was right on target. She mainly just wanted to look at the heartrates, so she didn't go into depth. We have an ultrasound with Dr. Hales, the high-risk doctor--on Monday, and he'll go more into depth with everything.

Dr. Owen did mention that we would be doing a c-section. We figured this would be the case, so we were somewhat prepared for that. She said she doesn't even consider anything else because there is such a risk of something happening during the birth. She also said it would be about a month before we could hopefully tell what they are...if they cooperate (and if they're anything like their father........ha).

So--other than being tired and hungry, all of us are doing great! We'll update again on Monday after the ultrasound.

More than just a heartbeat....

2008-09-17T18:53:00.000-05:00

We had our second ultrasound today. Yes--that would be two in a week. Many people have questioned why we were having another one so soon. Well, we had another so soon in order to confirm twins. Yes--that's right--TWO babies.

Let's go back to last week.......Kodi and I are looking at the screen while the technician is measuring the baby and the heartbeat. I kept thinking to myself, "boy, that looks awfully weird." I wasn't thinking "it" looked like it did with Kaylee. I asked the tech what the heart rate was, and she said 111. I panicked because I just knew that sounded really low. I said, "That sounds low....is that ok?" The tech replied, "Well, their hearts just started beating a couple of days ago." Mmm....I thought. That doesn't make much sense....wait....did she say "THEIR?!" She really said their.........a few seconds passed and I finally said, "You are only seeing one, right?" She laughed and said, "No, there's two." I immediately started crying and looked at Kodi and all he said was, "Cool!" and had this huge smile on his face. Not the reaction I was expecting.

The doctor comes in and says that it is still so early, that there is a chance we have a vanishing twin. We did have two heartbeats, two sacs and two placentas, but they couldn't really see the second baby. So, they asked us to come back in a week to verify and check to see if both babies were viable.

And...they were! They are just about the same size measuring right on schedule and the heart rates were 160. We had a conference with the doctor to discuss the risks and things--this is a high risk pregnancy now. He didn't seem to think that there would be any reason why there would be any troubles--he said that I had a good history and since they were spontaneous twins that the odds were in our favor. That was reassuring news!

So my due date is May 3rd (which ironically is Kaylee's Angel Day) but the doctor said we'd probably be looking at the middle to the end of April. We'll know probably in late November/December what they are (although our gut feeling is a boy and a girl....we were right with Kaylee, so we'll see if we are right again).

We know this is a God thing! With practically no history of twins (2nd cousins is too far away) and no fertility anything, we are just in amazement at God's handiwork. We're excited....overwhelmed, but excited...........the journey is just beginning!

First Ultrasound

2008-09-12T18:40:00.000-05:00

We had our first ultrasound this past Wednesday. It was still very early, but there was a great looking heartbeat! We didn't get any pictures because there wasn't anything to see--everything was too small and there wasn't a "baby" to make out on the screen. The only thing Kodi and I saw was a little flicker--the heartbeat. It brought back so many memories of the first time we saw Kaylee's little "blip" on the screen. This whole process is truly a miracle and we are so thankful and blessed to be able to experience it again.