Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas! We have had a wonderful 2011!

Alex is enjoying his job and working a ton! I guess thats what happens when you are an AVP and salaried! Although we'd love him home more we are very thankful for his job and his dedication to providing for our growing family.

Nicholas is 16 and a Junior this year. He is also a Captain on his wrestling team. He stays busy working out, wrestling and of course playing video games.

Justin is 7 and in 2nd grade. He is still my crazy daredevil. That boy is always on the move! He just did a basketball clinic at school and LOVED it!

William is 1 and my little snugglebug half the time and my crazy climber the other half!

I am doing well. I think I have a bigger belly than Santa this year! I feel pretty good although I am starting to experience that 3rd trimester tiredness and by the end of the day my stomach muscles are screaming at carrying these babies around! We are so overjoyed to be adding another precious boy and our long dreamed about baby girl! Our dreams of having 4 children were beyond answered and we feel so blessed to be adding our 4th son and our 1st daughter! It is an amazing feeling after so many years to feel that our family is complete and all our children our with us! It's going to be a crazy life, but I am so looking forward to the craziness this house will hold! Of course if I am being truthful I am also a tad scared about managing a house of 5 children - but I know that with a ton of love, a schedule, and daily prayers I will make it.

I truly believe that our children our gifts from our Heavenly Father, his children - that we are entrusted to raise here on earth. Many times over the course of our marriage we have thanked god for Nicholas and been so thankful he was entrusted to us. But so many times we have cried and been angry while we tried to grow our family. Infertility is a disease that eats at your soul. I'm not sure why God chose us to experience infertility. But through the experience I have learned many things... To trust in God- although I may not know the outcome - he does, that patience is a true gift, to treasure each child even while hoping and praying for the next, to treasure my spouse as only you two can comfort each other in a way NO ONE else can (and when he's sticking huge needles into your butt you really don't want to make him mad :) and that God opens doors if you just trust and continue to move forward.

As I sit here this Christmas, I sit in amazed awe staring at my belly and my 3 boys! God has blessed Alex and I with 3 amazing gifts in Nicholas, Justin, and William. And he has blessed us even more with this little boy and girl moving and kicking in my belly! Just as Jesus Christ, Our Savior brought peace, joy, hope, and love to the world our 5 children bring those gifts to my life every day!

We are so excited for 2012. Our babies are officially scheduled to arrive at 37 weeks on Friday, February 17th at 8am. But my specialist said if they want to choose their own birthday he will allow them to arrive as early as 34 weeks.

I hope the New Year brings you joy, hope, peace and much love!

Merry Christmas and Happy 2012!

Love,
Kristi, Alex, Nicholas, Justin, William, baby girl and baby boy
and of course - JD, Max and Riley.

30 Week Dr Appt

The babies are looking wonderful!!! It is such a relief to see them and hear their hearts beating!
Our little boy weighs 3lbs 2oz and is measuring 29 weeks 4 days.
Our little girl weighs 3lbs 1oz and is measuring 29 weeks 2 days.
The specialists are very pleased with their weights and measurements! I am in awe that I have over 6 lbs of baby in me! None of the boys were over 7 lbs and together they are getting close to 7lbs. Its just crazy to me at how big I am getting and will get!!

My cervix is measuring nice and long!! Yea!

The fluid around our little girl is looking perfect right now. Our little boy still has a little too much fluid - still nothing to be concerned about BUT still something we are keeping a close watch on.

I took my 3rd and last 3 hour gestational diabetes test Thursday. I got the results today and ... I passed the fasting test- which means no immediate medicine. However I failed the rest of the test but just barely. So we are back to multiple finger pricks and diet control. He's hoping that at least for a bit I can diet control the diabetes! I am hoping so too!

Weight gain - still no gain! Yea me!

Alex and I went on a maternity tour last Tuesday and I brought up a few concerns to the specialist: no special care nursery - and after he chuckled a bit and insisted he really needed to write a book about a pregnant woman's fears he assured me that the nurses were wonderful and Noone would steal my babies if I was alone with them and he actually really understood my fears about being alone at night but was insistent that all would be ok! Plus after posting on facebook my fears i had some wonderful friends offer to stay with me and the babies at night so Alex could be home with the boys! The specialist also told me that there will be a team for each baby in the delivery room (OR) to check them out and care for them. I love that they each have their own team and will have individualized attention!! He also said that he'd love me to make my scheduled csection at 37 weeks BUT if my water breaks or I start having contractions at 34 weeks we will not stop anything and we will go ahead and deliver.

I am now seeing the Specialist every week. One week for ultrasound and diabetes and bp monitoring, the next week for a non stress test and diabetes and Bp check. Oh plus the OB every 2 weeks also. Yikes!!!

I can't believe that in 7 short weeks (at the latest) that I will be holding my precious babes in my arms! So many emotions! Excitement to see their faces and kiss their cheeks, terror at the thought of 5 children -3 under the age of 2, scared to death to be cut open for the 3rd time and hoping that my body is put back together easily, sadness at the end of my carrying babies, and joy that our family is so wonderfully complete - complete in a way that I had only ever dreamed possible!

Christmas 2011

We all had a great Christmas this year. The boys got what they were hoping for and were very happy. There was a lot less under the tree but the boys got 1 big gift from Alex and I - William his new truck, Nic an iphone and Justin an ipod touch. They also got a few things from Santa and the rest from family. We really asked them to scale back their lists to items they really wanted and it worked out really great this year! Grandma and Grandpa Fisher were here to celebrate with us - it was nice to have family here :)
Nic's iphone

Basketball hoop!


All 3 boys

Nic's book and Shoes

Justin's pillow pet

William opening his metal tonka truck for the outside

Is this for ME???

A new movie

I am overwhelmed!

iTunes gift cards

28 Weeks!

28 weeks today and my stomach may just EXPLODE!!

I feel so big and stretched to capacity! Its getting harder to stand for long periods of time. Harder to walk at the grocery store. Harder to chase after William to change his diaper. Harder to carry him or rock him to sleep.

But, the babies are growing and everyday I carry them the healthier they will be when they are born! That is my wish, healthy babies and healthy mommy to take care of them!

Picture Perfect Pregnancy

Much to the amazement of my specialist I am having a perfect pregnancy! The babies look wonderful and are measuring right on track! I have been off blood pressure meds for 2 weeks and my blood pressure is perfect! I passed both my 3 hour glucose tests -I have 1 more to take on December 30th at 30 weeks. If I pass that we are done with testing! He seems to think I will have gestational diabetes by then - I'm out to prove him wrong!
The only thing we are now watching is the fluid around the babies. It seems that I have a little too much. Sometimes it can correct itself, sometimes it doesn't cause any problems, and sometimes it can send you into pre-term labor as it makes your uterus think it's big enough and it's time for the babies to be born especially with twins when it is already big with two. The specialists answer is if it becomes a problem - just take a little fluid out with an amnio needle. I'm sure you can all now picture me freaking out! This of course is my worst nightmare as the last amnio I had was with Justin and sent us straight into an emergency c-section. But... as a friend pointed out if it's time to take out fluid it means the babies are in danger of preterm labor so if I do it it might buy us some time to keep them baking and we could end up with no NICU time and if I don't it's definite NICU time as they will come on their own. So, looking at it that way I guess it's best to let them stick the hugest needle ever into my belly! The good thing is that both cords are under the babies so they won't nic them going in and the specialist said that if he hits an arm they will just say ouch and move - they will get worse needle pricks when they are born (that was him lightening the mood and trying to be funny.) So we are praying for the fluid to correct itself and for these littFle babes to keep growing and developing on tract and for their birthday to not take place until between 36 and 37 weeks!

Baby Boy - Measuring at 26 weeks 0 days and 2 lbs 1 oz.

Baby Girl - Measuring 25 weeks 6 days and 1 lb 14 oz.

And life keeps on moving....

Time is going by so fast! Soon it will be 2012 and then shortly thereafter I will be a mom of 5. I wish I could slow down time just a bit. Not because I don't want to see and cuddle these babies but because I'm a little (maybe a lot) scared of managing a house with 5 children who all need me. I'm not worried about how to love them all because I do already beyond imagination! But finding time to make sure they all know how much I love each of them and how important wanted and loved they each are is worrying me a tad. I also really want to nurse them and that can take considerable time with a very needy toddler under 2 that is stressing me too! I know it will work out ok families adapt but it is getting to the ok part that is worrying. Somedays I am convinced that everything will work out fine and other days I wake myself up at night worrying.

Nicholas' life right now is wrestling. He gets home at night between 630 and 7 - matches are even later. He then eats showers does homework and heads to bed. This past weekend he went to a 2 day overnight tournament. He had a blast even though he came home with some bruises welts and a black eye. He didn't make the 106 weight for the 106 weight spot on varsity he was certified at 106.2. He was so disappointed even more so when he couldn't beat the other 112 wrestler for that spot. So he tried for the open 120 spot on varsity. That's his spot. So... Basically meets are a learning experience and a chance to get a little better as it is hard to win wrestling kids that can be about 15 lbs heavier than you. He also has a "girlfriend". They are getting to know each other by talking on the late bus and texting. And so the adventure of teenage dating begins!!
Nic giving William his favorite - a piggy back ride:


Justin is loving school! He started a basketball clinic last week and finishes this week. He has been having so much fun! Luckily Alex has been home on vacation days or left work early to help me with William at the game and with lifting his stroller in and out of the burb. Yesterday Justin also stayed after for craft day. The kids got to stay until 515 make a craft watch a movie and buy snacks and hot cocoa. He had a blast and is seeming to make and find friends from his class easily at these events. He is doing do much better with his reading. It has improved a 100%! He is even asking to and reading chapter books. Not sure if it finally clicked for him or if it is his teacher but either way I am ecstatic! Justin is still crazy and loves to run and jump and be outside. He is great at riling up William and then being done playing with him and goes upstairs leaving me with a 16 month old running in circles screaming.
Basketball Pics:



William is crazy and a sweetheart all in one. He loves giving kisses and blowing them. He also still loves to cuddle and rock to sleep at night. He also loves to be a wild man! He loves nic to pieces and will scream for him until nic picks him up. He loves to play ball with JJ but the 2 of them rile each other up something fierce! It usually ends with Justin escaping upstairs and William running in circles screaming. Oh Joy! He is also at the stage where he will give a kiss and hug and share a toy. Then want it back and if it's not given back immediately he screams and hits and wrestles for it. He is definitely my worst so far with climbing (yes he is worse than J- which is terrifying)! He is also the worst with temper tantrums. I am praying he is getting out all the terrible 2s and horrible 3s now and be an angel when the babies come! A mom can dream right??? His vocab is increasing and it is so fun to hear new words! He loves balls and loves to toss around mini beach balls.
William watching Justin's game:

Stealing mommy's coke off the table and running for the laundry room to hide:

Uh Oh! Mommy caught me!


Alex is doing better, his dizziness was just a calcium deposit in his ear. They have no idea what causes it but it can happen to anyone. They also switched his bp med that was making his bp too low! I guess the drs need to be careful but an overnight hospital stay and a mention of brain tumor with an MRI thrown in is too much! CRAZY!!

I am doing well. I passed my 2nd 3 hour glucose test and my blood pressure has been so low that they took me off blood pressure meds and we are holding steady! I feel great in the morning but by afternoon I am ready to sit and not move! My hips hurt so bad, the babies are all upfront so... I ordered a belly bra this week! Hopefully it works!

Life keeps on moving along...at a gallop! I wish it would slow down so I could savor all the moments longer!

William is 16 months!

Wow 16 months has flown by! This month William learned to climb up the little tykes play gym all by himself. Everytime I turn around he has climbed on something new or learned a new word!

24 weeks!!!

The Babies have reached VIABILITY!!!

So much relief that if I go into labor now, I can go to labor and delivery and they will try and stop the labor and help the babies!!!

Now onto week 36 for delivery so I can hug and snuggle and kiss their little faces!!!

Congratulations Nicholas!

Nicholas is a CAPTAIN on his Wrestling Team this year!!!

YEA NIC!!!!

All his work during the little kid wrestling program - helping train, Summer Camp, and Off Season Training has paid off!!!

We are so PROUD and HAPPY for you Nic!
The Team:

Nic in blue:

Perfect babies!

Twins: Baby boy on top and baby girl on bottom facing each other:

Baby Girl:

Baby Boy:

I had my specialist appointments today for the babies! It's so amazing how we saw them at just a few weeks old and they looked like a grain of rice with a beating heart and here they are now at exactly 23 weeks and looking just like little babies! It is so AMAZING!!!

Baby boy is measuring at 23 weeks exactly and weighs 1 lb 4 oz. Baby girl is measuring at 22 weeks 3 days and weighs 1 lb 3 oz.

They each had an echo cardio gram and their hearts look perfect!
All this extra testing sometimes feels a bit overwhelming but it's also reassuring that they are growing perfectly!

My cervix is measuring perfect! Yea! I've been cautioned again to take it easy and rest with feet up as often as I can. I always laugh - keeping up with William is definitely not a sit down job!

All is great, I go back for another 3 hour glucose test the day before Thanksgiving and then back to the Specialists in 3 weeks.

Boys!

Do you understand your boys? Although I know usually how my boys will behave given certain situations, do I fully understand their behavior and how their minds work? Absolutely not!

William- why ride on a toy when you can stand on it? Why sit on a rocking chair when you can stand on it or better yet use it as a step stool to the mommy chair and stand up taller? Why use a table to eat on when you can stand on it to get to mommy's computer mouse? Why sit on a couch when you can climb on it and then run - HOW FUN! What is it with boys and their climbing falling craziness?

Justin - Ditto the entire above when he was William's age! And now...
Why sit on a couch when you can use it as a slide to slide onto the floor. Tile? Wasn't that mean't to be a skating rink? Carpet was definitely meant to be rolled on. A swing? Meant to be jumped off for sure! Bunk beds a most definite jumping hazard - who needs a ladder! Stairs were meant to be jumped off, from the highest step the better! Justin is a moving climbing machine!

Nicholas - at 16 he has definetely calmed down A LOT! He runs and lifts weights and loves to wrestle - he's hoping to make Captain this season. - THis I get.
But he LOVES video games - can play for hours - How? I will never know! Likes to check out girls and can spend longer than a girl in the bathroom getting ready!

Growing up with all sisters boys were totally foreign to me - ok, mostly still are. But, I have learned how loveable boys are and throughly enjoy all their crazy antics when my heart hasn't stopped beating with fear! I love these boys so much and can't wait for our new little Mr. to join his brothers with all his crazy climbing and jumping! And ofcourse for our new little Miss to add some pink and girl drama to our family!

A delivery

I felt like I had a baby shower in a box yesterday. My sister Kelly sent me a ton of Ava's clothes, newborn, 0-3 and 3 months. It was so wonderful taking out outfit after outfit and then seeing all the pink and purple and ruffles all over the couch! My mom also sent some really cute outfits for both the twins! Don't worry little Mr is not neglected in the clothes department he has so many left from William! Some even still have tags! It's funny how you think you will need so many clothes at the beginning but since you are kinda homebound onsies and sleepers are the clothes of choice! I'm thinking the babies and I will be stuck here for a while. Since it will be cold and flu season we will be pretty much quaranteened!

I am so lucky, my list is dwindling so fast! I am just going to pick up a going home outfit for each baby and some fancy frilly dresses and I am good with clothes for the 1st 3 months or so! :)

Thanks to Melissa and her little girl who passed on their bumbo seat and tray! I LOVE these so much and will love having the twins close to me sitting in it while I cook dinner.

And a mom in my church who has triplets has offered us her stroller and carseats. So grateful! I am going to need a triple stroller as William will still be so little and to get one that takes carseats is so expensive it's a bit daunting to think about!

We still have quite a bit more to get but the list is dwindling and getting more manegable!

All clothes sorted:

From Grandma:

newborn outfits:

0-3month outfits:

3 months:

sleepers:

hats, socks, and holiday outfits - Easter, St pats, 4th of July etc:

Little Love

I just had to post this picture because William is just so cute. He plays hard, eats well, and falls asleep fast!

Halloween 2011

We went to our church's trunk or treat on Friday night and Justin really had a good time! Then Monday he had a parade and party at school. Monday night I took William and Justin trick or treating. We just went around the block, but Justin had a really good time and got just the right amount of candy. Not to much but enough to make him happy!
Justin was an ASU football player for church and school and he was Bumblebee from his favorite movie, Transformers for Halloween night. Alex brought him home some cool light up bracelets and a ring to wear Halloween night.
William was a very cute lion.

William's 1st haircut

It was so hard to cut those beautiful curls but we had to do it. Now he looks like such a big boy!
Before pics:


Cutting his hair. He was sad to loose those beautiful curls too!

Justin

Poor Justin has strep again...or still as he was only off anitbiotic for 2 days before it flared up again. But they don't take out tonsils until you have it 6 times in 1 year.

Every time he gets strep he gets more sick. The first time he barely complained about his throat hurting. Now he sleeps all day, vomits like crazy, runs a 102 to 103 fever, his body aches, and he cries every time he wakes up that his head and throat hurt! It's awful!

This time he started throwing up at 3 am. Went to the Dr's at 9:50 where on the way he threw up in Circle K when Alex tried to be nice to get him a cold drink to cool his throat, threw up in the Dr's parking lot, and Alex had to pull over 2 times on the way home for him to be sick and as soon as he walked in the house he opened the slider and threw up all over the back porch. He slept all day yesterday. Didn't want any food other then cambells chicken noodle soup broth - no noodles at all! And when he was awake he layed there and cried, wined - and not the poor me give me attention but the I'm hurting kind. Noone could make any noise at all in the room he was in or he would burst into tears because his head hurt! My poor kid!

The Dr asked Alex if he had a blanket in the car for him since he had the chills and was shivering so bad in the office.

My poor boy!

Nic had a run of strep in 3rd grade and he was put on maintenance antibiotics to get him threw the last few months of school. If he didn't get it again after school we would assume there was a carrier in the classroom. He still has never got strep again, so some how he built up a good immunity to it. Poor Justin, I hope he builds up an immunity too!

He was up about 5 times last night before Alex (Thankgoodness because if I didn't get some sleep I would have been crying myself!) took him downstairs and he finally got him settled down enough that they both fell asleep on the couch some time in the night. I am so hoping the medicine has kicked in overnight and he feels much better today! Although I am giving him more that the usual 24 hours off of school. Technically he could go tomorrow, but I sent him right back last time and this time I think we are going to give his body a little more healing time before we send him back.

5 Months

Today I am 5 months with my little Miss and Mr! I still can't believe there are 2 babies growing in my tummy some days! This pregnancy is going so fast - I think because it's my last one I am trying to treasure every moment!

My tummy is quite large, according to my scale though, I still haven't gained any weight but have stopped dropping it as dramatically as before - bummer!

My c-section incision is sore as are my stomach muscles and hips. I guess that's too be expected with 2 babies growing. It does make it painful to sit and get up off the floor and to carry William. I try to let him walk and get Alex or Nic to help him up and down the stairs as much as possible. When I sit down my stomach sometimes feels likes it's stretching apart - I'm thinking that's the babies needing more room cause I'm so short. I have to eat a lot of small meals as my stomach gets full so fast and some nights I am up every hour to use the bathroom.
(disclaimer - I am not complaining, just want to remember... I'd hate people or God to think that I was complaining about these babies that I've prayed for, for so long - it's a fear of mine - irrational? Oh probably!!)

The nurseries are getting close to being done... I still need to buy:
- Material for 1 more blanket for little Miss.
- 2 Mattresses
- A pink crib sheet
- Sheer curtains - or material to make them.
- Brown material for little Mr's and William's crib dust ruffle and curtains.
- Light blue binding to bind William's new crib quilt to match his baby brothers.
And misc items:
- Going home outfits
- a small travel swing - I have a big 1 upstairs and a big 1 downstairs and thought a small 1 so I could carry up and down so they each have 1 in both places.
- a bouncy/vibrating seat
- 2 carseats
- a stroller
- a bumbo seat - hopefully I can find in pink or purple. William LOVED sitting on the counter in his while I cooked AND he wouldn't scream that I wasn't holding him! I LOVE these seats!!

Gosh, writing it down makes it sound like a lot! I've been watching craigslist for some of it, but am waiting for more $ to build up to chip away at the list.

In the good news department...

My mom and sister's packed up a lot of my niece Ava's 0-3 month clothes and shipped them out this week! I can't wait to go through them and see what if anything I will need! What a blessing and SO much $ saved for me! Thak you so much Kelly and Ava! It will be like Christmas opening the box! And, as little Miss needs the next size we will get more boxes. I will save them as she outgrows them too so if Kelly has another little babe I can mail them back to her.

The whole house - indoor and out has been fall cleaned! The big trash pickup came Wednesday and all items have been moved out of little Miss's room! I couldn't have done it without the boys and Alex. Actually with Alex's crazy hours Nic has helped the most, lending his muscles to move things - although he thinks his mom is now a crazy cleaning lady and I've heard him making fun of me to his friend :).

In the mixed news Department:
Alex's work has decided that they can only carry over 1 week vacation into next year. Last year he carried over 3 and this year he was going to carry over 4. It's almost like a layoff $ plan for us. If he got laid off he would get a check for 4 weeks pay in addition to what they gave for the layoff if anything. In this economy you can never plan enough... But hopefully that doesn't happen! So now he needs to find a way to use 3 weeks or he loses it :(. Good thing is he will be home a few more days and I will have some extra help with William. That will be nice for him too as he has been working so much lately! He still has a lot of vacation for next year. He gets 4 weeks and will carry over 1 so that's 5 weeks. Plus he gets 3 months paid paternity although he is only taking 3 weeks - we like his job too much to take off more than that in this economy...

Stay tuned for some blog changes soon. I need to change out all the boy things and make it boy and girl both! So exciting! Plus I found the perfect new name for my blog! I'm in love with it! It will be....

"IF you think my HANDS are full, you should see my HEART!"

It's just so perfect! My hands will be so full taking care of my 5 children but oh, will my heart just be overflowing and huge with all the LOVE I have for them!

William at 15 months

Stats:
Weight: 19.1 lbs - 3rd percentile
Height: 30" - 15th percentile
Dr watching that he has fallen on the growth chart, but not overly concerned. Recommended trying to get more calories in his diet through pediasure because she will be concerned if he hasn't gained weight at his 18mth check-up. I think he is eating normally for his age. He is picky about certain foods and loves others. His favorite food right now is fruit - banana's, grapes, cantelope and pears - which has few calories though... He is very active running and climbing. 1 shot and the flu shot today. Happy and Healthy.

Stealing daddy's pool sticks off the rack! We have to find a new home for them!
Giving mommy a heartattack standing on the chair.
Eating your favorite fruit - a nectarine - you run and steal them out of the fridge when we open the door.


William you were 15 months on Monday October 17th! You are growing up so fast!

You are both independent and Mommy's cuddlebug!
You like to feed yourself and do pretty well with a fork. You try and hold a piece of pizza just like your brothers and take a bite. You have learned to climb on the couch all by yourself and like to run on it - scary! You love to be outside walking around and swinging on your swing. When we have guests you get a little shy and like to stay with mommy until you are comfortable. You love to give kisses and hugs! And you still love to get books off your bookshelf and read with mommy, daddy, or your brothers. You still usually take 2 naps a day - during the 1st one I try and clean and during the 2nd I try and rest with you.

Mommy needs to cut your hair but I can't bear to cut off your beautiful curls!!!

You are growing up so fast! I Love you to the moon and back 1 million 5 thousand times William! And yes, that is a lot!

Reality...

I keep seeing cartoons making fun of Facebook users stating, "if only my life was as good as I make it sound on Facebook".

Well my life is that good! All the time? No. But am I going to complain about teething or a fresh teenager? No.

Here is my reality!
I have a 16 year old, is he fresh, Absolutely!
I have a 14 mth old. Is he sleeping through the night every night? NOPE!
Am I exhausted after getting up with him and getting up to use the bathroom countless times because I am pregnant? Absolutely!
By the end of the day am I fall down exhausted with slightly swollen feet, a sore back, and aching hips? Absolutely!
Do I wish my husband didn't have to work so many hours that during the week and some Saturday's I am a single mom? Absolutely!
Do I yell at my kids sometimes and then feel bad? Absolutely!
Are my degrees gathering dust on the shelf in the closet! Absolutely - the most expensive pieces of paper we own doing nothing :)
Do I sit on the floor most of the day because William screams bloody murder if I sit on the couch? Absolutely!
Do I HATE doing homework with my 7 year old. Yes! HATE IT!
Do I LOVE my life? ABSOLUTELY!

My life is wonderful and I am so thankful for this time right now! I hope it remains in my memories when things are really rough!

I love being pregnant with all the good and bad. Luckily, I have relatively easy pregnancies and when I am not feeling well I can't complain about something I chose, hoped for, prayed for, wished for, and spent a ton of $ on. My pregnancies and my children are wishes, dreams and answered prayers. My life right now is spent being their mom and even on mine and their worst days I couldn't imagine or want a life where I wasn't doing exactly what I am doing every day! Taking care of them, loving them, being their mom!

And even in the midst of an argument with my husband, I am always extremely thankful for his willingness to accept Nic as his son and love him, to go on the very difficult emotional and financial journey of IVF 3 times to grow our family, and for his willingness to work so hard and such long hours to support our family. And even more so his willingness to support me as a stay at home mom raising our children.

I use to think that God only gave us what we can handle. I no longer think that. I believe that God gives us more than we can handle so that we turn to him. There was a time that life was overwhelming - hospital bills, lack of hours at work, Alex working 3 and 2 jobs. I remember sitting and just pleading with God that I couldn't handle any more and that I was breaking and to please help. And, over time life has improved... I try now to turn immediately to God for help because for sure some burdens my shoulders are not strong enough to carry, but God's shoulders are strong enough for all our burdens and to hand them over to him grants us such peace! And that is not to say that by handing over our burdens we stop helping ourselves, but with God's help, helping ourselves and all it entails, becomes much easier.

The Twins - Gender Reveal!

I Just Love My BOYS!

And that is a Wonderful thing!


Because...

Baby A is a....

BABY BOY!
Trucks and Cars, Puppy Dogs and Balls, Running and Climbing, and lots of BLUE!


And...

Baby B is a....

BABY GIRL!

PINK, PINK, PINK

Lace and barbies, Bows and Ribbons, Dresses and Dolls!

I feel so completely and utterly blessed. 4 Sons and 1 Daughter. My Dream Family!

PS: If this is a dream I don't want to wake up! I am so excited that William will have a brother so close in age to be his best buddy! And I am so excited to have a little girl to dress all girly, play dress up with, share my barbies and my dolls and doll clothes with. And heaven help her boyfriends with 4 older brothers and an overprotective father! :)

18 Week Specialist Appt

Babies and Mommy are doing GREAT!

Today we saw the Mommy Dr Specialist and the Baby Dr Specialist.

Both babies are measuring 8oz and are perfect! Just what we want to hear!!

My blood pressure is weigh down 115/70 and I PASSED my 3 hour glucose. I will repeat the glucose test at 24 weeks and then again at 30. The Dr thinks it's just a matter of time, but I am going to eat real healthy and we will see if we can beat this, this time!

I need to be done the deep housework cleaning and yardwork now. The babies are getting too big in my tummy to keep up the lifting. So it's time to slow down just a bit and no more bending unless I have something to use to hold onto to bend and stand back up.

I am so happy, that all looks well! :)

Vacation time

This is the boys 2nd week of vacation. We aren't doing anything big as we will be going to CT in June. Can't wait! But a little anxious to fly with 5 children! Mostly we have just been hanging out and getting stuff done around the house.

The 2 older boys had their physicals yesterday. They are both healthy and well! Justin is my biggest boy, 50th percentile for weight and height! They got their flu shots also. We had the choice between the mist and the shot, but after hearing the mist was a live virus which could cause the flu, we went with the shot.

With Alex home this week (he actually took a whole week of vacation off!) we've moved onto more of the outdoor work. The garden and trees are weeded. The curbing has been weedwacked and weeds pulled outside the curbing. Alex rebuilt the roof of the playscape. Tonight we will hopefully move the weight bench and move cribs upstairs. Tomorrow the plan is to put the roof on the house, close up the hole for the rockwall area, reput a fence around the garden and if the rain holds off to spray weedkiller. Then Thurs's plan is the doorstep - it needs to be built out a bit for the screen door and fix a light.

William has been enjoying being outside with us swinging or sweeping the porch. He loves to hold on to the broom and move it back and forth. He really hates stepping on the grass even with shoes on though.

I am so excited for Friday and to see the babies again. They feel heavy in my stomach lately and I think that I am as big as I was at 8 months pregnant with William. Hopefully by the time they arrive I will still have clothes that fit me! :)

Hows it going?

Life is going well. The boys are both on a 2 week vacation. Alex is taking next week off, hopefully we can find a farm to go pick some pumpkins and go on a hayride. Yesterday we went to the pool and today Justin is having a friend over. Nic is playing live on the xbox and hanging out with his friend Spencer. William is getting into everything! He got his 1st black eye last night falling on a block. Poor baby!

We are doing lots of cleaning in between having fun. The whole house is done being fall cleaned including defrosting the freezer :).The to do list is getting a little shorter. As of now we have to clean the garage, do the backyard, and move the weight bench down and finish the nursery. Not bad! The boys have been super helpful, pinching in with little complaining. Nic moved furniture and did some vacuuming. Justin loves polishing with the murphey's - I think it was the spray bottle :). Today we worked a little more on our front tree trimming and trimmed and weeded Grandma and Grandpa's. I have spaghetti sauce and meatballs in the crockpot - leftover sauce will be the start of my freezer meals for when the babies come or I need to rest.

I have started 1 of the babies crib quilts. I have it all tied and just need to bind it. I have made 4 bibs, 2 burb cloths and 2 receiving blankets. I love all the soft material and am so excited to get it all put away in the nursery.

I went to the Dr's Monday and my blood pressure was way down. :) I came off the metphormin on Friday and did the 1 hour glucose test Monday too. I'm still waiting on the results. I go back to the specialist next Friday. But so far we are doing well.

The Distructonator! :)

This is why all my cabinets are locked except for the 2 tupperware ones. What a crazy boy!

Specialist

Yesterday was my 2nd visit to the specialist. I loved seeing the babies! Alex was a little freaked by the 3d, but I love it! First we did the scan and they are just so cute! Baby A wouldn't stay still, but baby B was all tucked up and more quiet, just chillin. They were able to tell us with pretty good accuracy what they are - but I'm keeping it a secret for just a little bit.
The Specialist is pretty happy where my sugars are, I have been so careful with food counting carbs like a crazy person! Alex and I stopped for a quick burger on the way home and I got mine as a carb special with lettuce leaves for a bun :). The Specialist wants me to go off the metphormin on the date the IVF protocol calls for, a few days later we will do the sugar drink test and see how I do. The blood pressure meds are working, hopefully my body will adjust to them and I'll start to feel better. I go back on Oct 6th for another scan and a check in.
The Twins - Cuddled together :)

Baby A in 3d

Baby B in regular ultrasound.