Life in the NICU

So the weirdest thing I experienced after giving birth to the girls, was knowing that I had just had twin baby girls, but not actually having them with me. It was a very strange and almost unexplainable feeling. On one hand, I was exhausted and in pain, but on the other hand, I had a longing to be with my babies. I loved going down that long hallway to see them

....everytime I got to see and hold them was like a refresher for my Mama heart. The first few days, the NICU nurses only wanted us to hold them once in the morning and once in the evening so that they did not get overstimulated. That was tough because the only way we could touch them was through the small holes in the isolets. I would take turns with each girl softly talking to them and stroking their little hands and arms. It was so hard to see the tiny little IV's and blood pressure cuffs attached to them. The second night after having them, was a really tough one for me. We made the trek down to see them around 9pm. Before all this, I had taken my first shower and removed the dresssing from my incision. That in itself really took it out of me. When we got to the NICU, the nurse asked if I wanted to change Saylor's diaper. Well, honestly I didn't because I was so weak and tired, but I was the Mama, so of course I said yes! Then I realized she expected me to change this 4lb baby's diaper through the isolet! Mind you, this is probably the first diaper I had changed since I babysat in high school. I put my arms through the small openings and began to change my first of THOUSANDS of dirty diapers. 

 I think I used about 12 baby wipes. I felt like the biggest idiot. I did get to hold my sweet Saylor that night though and although I was having such a rough night, it was like heaven to breathe in her sweet little head. 

 The day that we were being discharged I woke up and got everything ready to go. We went down for our morning visit to the NICU to see the gals. Up to this point, We had only been able to hold the babes while they were wrapped up in blankets to maintain thier temperatures. Well for some reason on this day, the nurse asked me if I wanted to nurse Everly. I was shocked and very nervous but I said, yes of course! Up until this point I had just been trying to pump in my room and was getting NOTHING. It was very frustrating. So she unwrapped Ev and handed the tiny little fuzzy headed girl over to me where I placed her on my chest skin to skin for the first time. Very unexpectedly, I broke down into tears....Renan asked me what was wrong and I said, "I've been waiting so long to hold her like this." It was the sweetest moment ever. 

I have a sports bra on here so don't freak out. 

 After the nurses set up a more private area for us, I began to nurse Everly and she did everything perfectly. I was absolutey amazed. Renan and I just kept looking at each other and were just in awe that this tiny baby knew exactly what to do. It was such a bonding experience, not just for me and the baby, but also for Renan. I was not able to nurse Saylor then because she needed to stay under the lights to get her Bili count down.

 We left the hospital at about 11am that morning, knowing we would return that afternoon so I could try to nurse Saylor. I did cry on the way out of the parking deck, but I knew that my babies were in great hands and I would be able to see them lots.....It was just hard to leave with no big belly and no babies....kind of an empty feeling for sure. The next few days went like this: Wake up at 8am and call the NICU to check on the girls and find out what their feeding schedule was for the day. Go to the hospital around lunchtime, and nurse each baby. Go home and nap for about 2 hours. Eat dinner. Go back to the hospital and nurse each baby. Meanwhile while I was home, I would wake up to pump every 3 hours. I wasnt getting much out of the pumping sessions, but I felt like it was the one thing that I could do for my sweet girls since the NICU nurses were doing everything else. I would bring the bottles with me each time we went and they were also supplementing them with formula. It was physically and mentally draining. It was also hard to juggle visitors that wanted to come love on our girls but also try to have time with them as well. I felt alot of guilt about that. Once we hit the One Week mark, was when I started getting really antsy to have them home. They were looking great, gaining weight and I was starting to feel human again so I wanted my babies!! When we talked to the NICU doctor one afternoon while visiting, she mentioned the fact that Everly had another Brady episode. Basically this is something that most premies do where they slow down their breathing and that will slow down their heartrate. Everytime this happenes, it would buy them an extra 5 days in the hospital. Well Saylor had not had a single episode so they were telling us that she would probably be ready to go home in the next day or so, but that Everly would be there longer until she stopped the Brady's. I BROKE DOWN crying. My mom was with me that day because Renan was working and I just couldnt stop crying. For some reason, the thought of leaving Everly by herself without her buddy absolutely broke my heart. That was harder than leaving them both together! That day, I held them both a little closer and a little longer.....and just cried. I called Renan and filled him in and he was able to be the strong one for me. He helped me to feel better about it and helped me remain somewhat calm. I kept texting him throughout the day and he would continue to encourage me that it would be ok and Ev was in the BEST place possible. I knew he was right but my heart was not cooperating. I was praying SO hard every day that our girls would come home soon but I know that the Lord was guiding every step. Our entire story surrounding these babies has been about "Waiting" Waiting to get pregnant, Waiting for them to arrive, Waiting to bring them home. I hate waiting. I'm the most impatient person on the planet. The Lord is definitely molding and shaping me. Working on softening these rough edges I have. That evening I prayed for the Lord to help me be ok with leaving Everly alone. When I woke up to call the next morning the nurse told me that Saylor had her first ever Brady episode at 10pm the night before. That put her and Everly on the same 5 day countdown!!!! I know it's weird that I was happy about that but I knew it meant that my girls would be together still. The next 4 days went by and I was on pins and needles!! Each morning I called and they told me no episodes, I was breathing a sigh of relief mixed with anxiety about the next day. On Tuesday morning Renan and I were sitting there while I was tandem nursing both gals behind the partitions that the nurses had set up for us. We heard our nurse Kimberly on the phone saying, "no one has had a Brady since Friday." "OK, so they can room in with the girls tonight and go home tomorrow?" Renan and I were silent but staring at each other with HUGE eyes......a second later Kimberly hung up the phone and said, "did you guys hear that!?!?" We said, OH YEAH!!! OUR BABY GIRLS WERE COMING HOME!!!! In the NICU at Shelby, they ask you to "room in" with your baby for a night so that you can get used to it while the nurses are still monitoring them. Ren and I RUSHED home and got our bags packed, carseats installed, voted, took Benjamin to the groomer, picked him up, left the key for my sweet friend to come clean the house that evening, then hit the road back to Shelby! We got set up in the room across the hall from the NICU and we had to watch a CPR video and then show the nurse that we could do it correctly before they wheeled the girls in our room. They were off the heart monitors, but still hooked up so the nurses could monitor them a little. We had to keep track on a sheet of every feeding, diaper change, and had to call the nurse each time we fed them so they could get vitals. It was an exhausting night for sure. 

 Not only were we alone with our babies for the first time, every little beep of the monitors would scare us to death! I MIGHT have slept 2 hours total that night. We woke up around 7am and Renan and I both were ready to go!! HOURS went by while we waited for the NICU doctor to arrive to do his final check of the girls before he would discharge them. I had packed a few snacks for us, but when 1pm rolled around, Renan had to go to the cafeteria to get us lunch. It was almost 3pm before we got the word that the doc was there and they took the girls back to him. He came in and told us they were healthy and happy and we were gonna do just fine. When he left, we both just looked at each other with a mix of excitement, nervousness, and absolute sheer terror. haha!! We changed them into their "coming home outfits" that my mother had made them and put them in the carseats and started the walk down to the car after saying the biggest thank you we have ever said to the precious nurses. We strapped them in and off we set for home! I asked Ren on the way home if he was nervous. He said, no, but I sure was!! 

 Overall, our NICU experience was a blessing in disguise. Yes, it was extremely hard and draining to have babies in the NICU. My heart broke many times for many different reasons. It was a complete rollercoaster of emotions that you have to experience to truly understand. But it also gave us time. Time to recover, time to rest, time to learn how to care for our premies. Renan and I were encouraged along the way and ministered to by so many people in so many different ways. It was a humbling experience and we were taught lessons once again by the Lord. I could not have gone through this without the support of my precious husband and our family and friends. I hope that I can one day minister to someone going through this experience one day. One of my friends told me, "no mess, no message." Well, I feel like my life is nothing but a mess so hopefully Renan and I will both have a strong message of Hope and Grace from our God.

Not our Plan, but His Plan is Perfect!

Well, We last left off around my baby shower and I was showing some signs of protien in my urine and elevated blood pressure. So on Friday June 27th, I got called to come in to the Doctor's office because my protien in my urine was really a lot higher than they wanted and they needed to monitor me. After waiting FOREVER to see the on call Doc that day, they decided to send me over to L&D because they would be able to get my results back faster. So over we went and spent the majority of the day in one of the nice Labor rooms watching TV and listening to our babies on the monitors. They let me leave that day with a giant jug to collect my tee tee over night and instructions to return it to them on Saturday morning. So with that task completed, Renan and I spent the morning cheering on Brazil in the World Cup at Carlos and Dana's house. We had a blast and ate Chicken Hearts which i LOVE! We came back home and rested a bit before heading back out to the Promenade to return some baby items and grab some nachos at Mama Goldbergs. So stinkin' good!! The next day was Sunday and I went to church while Renan went to the Fire Station for his shift. I sat with Mom and was SO uncomfortable through the service. I could not get comfortable and was very swollen. I was also still fighting the sinus infection. So Ma sent me home with orders to REST all day. No problem on that one, I was miserable so I didnt mind just chilling out. As the day progressed, my blood pressure seemed to be creeping up and by the time I went to bed, I had a small headache. I took some tyelnol, and went to sleep. I awoke at 2am with my headache a little worse but again took more tylenol. When 6am rolled around, I was in agony. My head was splitting open and I was alone while Renan had to go straight to UAB after his shift for a rotation. I made the decision that I needed to go to the hospital because there was no way I could wait until 8am for the Doc to open. I had tried cold packs on my head and neck, everything but it was only getting worse. Mom and Dad came to get me and took my to L&D at 7am. I begged Renan to stay and finish is rotation because we REALLY needed for him to get them all done before the girls came! He didnt like it, but he agreed. We arrived and they immediately put me in a triage area where they started IV's and took blood and BP and started monitoring the girls. I laid there with my eyes closed trying to breathe through the horrible headache pain. After about an hour, they gave me some demerol and phenegren for pain and nausea. It took effect almost instantly and I felt the edge being taken off my pain and i started feeling sleepy. About that time, my sweet Renan appeared at the door in his rotation scrubs. I just started bawling. It was a mixture of such relief to have him there and knowing that he really did need to finish his rotations! He assured me that everything was taken care of and to relax. We were then taken to a room and told we would have to stay the night and the girls would probably need to be delivered the next day. I was contracting some and had dialated about 2cm so Dr. Rodriguez was more concerned for my health at this point, because even though the girls would be early, they were a good size and had strong heartbeats. They gave me 2 rounds of steroid shots to build up their lungs. I did not sleep that entire night between my back killing me in that hospital bed and being so nervous about what was going to happen....I even got up around 5am and just went in the bathroom and got in the shower and cried my eyes out because I was so uncomfortable. Where was my husband you ask?? Sleeping peacfully!!! haha! That kid never moved all night. Bless him. The next morning, my Blood Pressure was holding fairly steady and my headache was completely gone. Dr. Rodriguez came back in and said that she felt like we could try to do Bed Rest and just come back in the office every couple of days for monitoring. We were so happy and felt like if we could just keep them in at least another week, we would be good to go!! Well, the next morning, I went in the office at 8am for my appt. to be monitored. I did my normal pee in a cup and weigh and saw I had put on 7 lbs in 4 days. Red Flag #1. My Blood pressure was elevated again when it was checked and I was REALLY swollen in my legs. Red Flag #2. They hooked me up to a monitor and left while I read an article about the new season of Trueblood. Probably not even 10 minutes into the monitoring, Dr. Rod. comes back in and says, "the protien in your urine has doubled again" Red Flag #3. "WE NEED TO DELIVER TOMORROW." I was honestly shocked. I was really thinking I would be able to just be on bedrest and hold these gals in for awhile, but things with me were no longer holding steady, but were progressivly getting worse. I was told to go home and return to Labor and Delivery that evening and we would deliver the girls at 7:30am by C-section. I was alone at the office and I was freaking out. Renan was at work so i sent him a text. "We are having babies tomorrow." His response...."YOU SERIOUS?!?" So i go home, and thankfully my sweet friend Heather was already set to clean my house that morning. My BFF Katie who came in town early from Fairhope came over and we made sure my bags were set to go and we just hung out and acted silly. She saved my life that afternoon by taking my mind off everything. I also took a shower and curled my hair. Even though I was laid up basically all afternoon, my legs and feet continued to swell to epic proportions. Around 4pm, Renan and I left our house with our furbaby Benjamin and knew we would return no longer being just us. It was scary, but also exciting. When we arrived at L&D, they were already expecting us and I told the front desk nurse, I'm here to move in! They took me straight back to room 7 and everything was ready and waiting for me. My nurse Renee wasted no time in getting my IV in and hooking me up to monitors for the girls. I also had to be pumped full of Magnesium to help control my Blood Pressure. Magnesium has some LOVELY side effects. You basically feel like someone is putting hot sauce in your blood and just an overall crap feeling. When that hot tingly feeling started creeping over me......i had a PANIC attack. I started crying and hyperventalating at the thought of how much my life was about to change. I was also feeling TERRIFIED of the surgery. I just could not believe that it was going to be easy and I was letting it consume me. I actually said to my mom through my panicked tears, "Why do people have babies?? This is horrible!!" That night I took an ambien but still had trouble sleeping. Things started early that morning with my lifesaver of a nurse Orlita coming it to get me started. She had twins herself and was such a precious person. All the NICU nurses, CRNAs, doctor, everyone kept coming in and letting me know their part in everything. It was all a blur to me, but I did manage to get up and put on makeup. I wanted to look good for my C-Section at least!! They came to roll me in the OR and I literally was terrified but I just tried to pray for peace and rest in that. The Lord really showed up and I was strangely calm while I sat on the operating table and leaned over for my spinal block. There was the Anesthesia doctor, as well as the Nurse Anethesist Dave, who looked about my age. They quickly got things set up and kept telling me when they were 50% done, 75% done, and then it was DONE. I could not believe how easy and painless it was. The steroid shots in my butt literally hurt worse that this spinal block. The quickly laid me down and the sheet went up in front of my head. I started losing feeling below my chest, but I remained calm as I knew the Lord was with me. Everyone got in place and the incisions started. During this, I felt my sweet husband step in by my side. He started telling me what was going on and the next thing i knew, I heard crying!!! My sweet Everly was out! I was smiling and focusing on breathing when I realized that my Mom was next to me too!! I was so happy to have her there. They told her last minute to come in and she was ecstatic. Having her there to hold my hand while Renan was goign back and forth between the girls and me was priceless. About this time, i heard another cry....My sweet Saylor girl was out and screaming too! They let me know they weighed 4.6 and 4.11 and the next thing I knew, Renan was by my head rubbing my arm and they brought the girls around to my head. I was so overwhelmed and I said....."Can I touch them?" Then i noticed my Saylor's sweet little lips poked out so I said, "Can i kiss her??" I stroked their faces and kissed them and I could not believe how beautiful they were. Renan kissed me and told me how proud he was of me. It all could not have been more perfect....I know this was 100% because the Lord was with us the entire time giving us His peace and calm. There is nothing better. Then it was over, but i honestly cannot remember getting back to the room or anything like that. Renan took the girls down to the NICU with the nurses and took pictures for me to see. It was a very strange feeling to have just delivered my babies, but not have really seen or held them at all. I of course was on a pain pump right after surgery and that kept me in and out of sleep all morning. Anytime someone would come in the room to visit, i would fall asleep every time. Orlita told me that if I wanted to go down to the NICU, i would have to be off the pain pump. Well that was enough motivation for me to kick that thing.....I delivered the girls at 7:49am and by 2:30pm I was off the pain pump and just taking oral medications from then on out. Renan and Orlita helped me stand and walk for the first time that afternoon and I literally took tiny penguin steps. I couldnt believe how much pain it was to walk. That's when the fact that I had major surgery hit me. I got in a wheelchair and Renan wheeled me down to the NICU to really and truly see my girls for the first time. Sitting in the wheelchair and all the bumps along the way was very unpleasant and I was feeling very nervous to really meet the girls. When Renan pushed me up to them in the NICU, I could not hold back the tears. I couldnt believe they were here and they were mine. What amazing miracles our God had created. I was in LOVE.

Last pregnant photo!

Feeling calm!

Everly!

Saylor!

First look.... I love the way Ren is looking at me here. He was my rock. 

First family photo!

Sweet proud daddy

Not sure this Mimi could be more excited!

Ev in the NICU

Saylor girl in the NICU

Being wheeled in the NICU for the first time. Overwhelming to say the least.

I couldn't hold it together! 

First time to hold my baby Saylor

First time holding my little fuzzy headed Everly

32 weeks

How far along? 32 Weeks!  The big belly is measuring 38 weeks! duh, I have over 8lbs of babies in there! Total weight gain: 34lbs, I gained another 3 lbs In the last 2 weeks which puts me steadily gaining a little over a pound a week. I think I will probably go over my goal of only gaining 40 lbs but hopefully not by much. Healthy weight gain for a twin pregnancy is between 35 and 50. Maternity clothes? I have been house bound much of the week and I've been living in these black stretchy yoga type shorts I got at Old Navy. I had to wash them and I felt like a lost puppy looking for something to wear in the meantime. I also wore a non-maternity dress for my shower this week and although it fit perfectly 2 weeks ago, this belly has protruded more making it a tiny bit too short but I wore it anyway. Nothing you haven't seen before peeps. Stretch marks? No, however my belly button piercing is being stretched to its maximum! I curse (kidding) Kimberly Nowak for being a bad influence when I was 18 years old and taking me to get it done. My mom told me not to, but this kid didn't listen. I mean, it was cute but it's not cute to have a hole in your belly!!! Sleep: pre pregnancy, I would normally sleep about 8-9 hours every night. Now I'm lucky to get 5-6 and that is including 5 pee breaks, 72 times to adjust my pillows, and waking up 43 times just because. This is causing extreme exhaustion during the day, but can I nap? Of course not!! That would be too easy! Best moment of the week?  Even though it was a tough week emotionally for me, I had a lot of good spots. My sweet Mama and Dad each came over and helped me by organizing my house and pulling weeds for me. My sweetheart took me on a date night and we had the best time together.  Then we had our big Baby Shower at church. First you need to know I hate traditional baby showers. I despise games and I think it's awkward to watch people open gifts. That's just me. But my precious hostesses set mine up as a Baby Tea where they would open gifts in the back and then display them for everyone on tables. This left it free for me to mingle and talk with everyone and the guests could come and go as they pleased.  It was perfect. The girls got the CUTEST things and we got most everything that we needed.  We are so blessed by our church family. I can't imagine going through life, marriage, parenthood, without this amazing support.  I am so thankful and humbled at everyone who came out to celebrate our little twinkies! Miss Anything? Breathing through my nose. Wow I had no idea how much I took that for granted! See symptoms below. Food cravings: i literally couldn't wait to eat cake at the Shower. Y'all this cake is so stinking good and I think it's from Walmart! I took the remainder home and indulged the next day but then I threw the rest away. These thighs needed a break and they thanked me. Symptoms? So I started feeling like I had a mild cold early in the week which turned into a full blown sinus infection.  And see, I don't do anything halfway, so I get it all, SEVERE congestion, HACKING cough, exhaustion, the works. Doc called me in a Zpak and other than that I'm pretty much on my own.  The Neti Pot and I have formed a great relationship, however sometimes I am so congested that even that won't even help. When you already have 2 babies squishing your lungs and then you are removed from breathing through your nose.... You may have a panic attack and feel like you are drowning. Just saying. Anything making you queasy or sick? Not a thing. Labor Signs: at the doc this week I did show signs of protein in my urine and had a slightly elevated blood pressure. I am usually on the very low side of BP and I was in the normal range so we are keeping an eye on it. The doc did say, " your body may be getting ready" OMG. I am praying for these girls to stay in for at least 3 more weeks so we can maybe bypass a stay in the NICU. Part of me can't wait and part of me is scared to death. Why would anyone trust me with 2 baby girls!? I am an idiot. Wedding rings on or off? Fake rings pretty much all week. Happy or Moody most of the time:  Y'all don't even want to know how moody. This week I was having an especially uncomfortable and emotional day. Renan is gone 70% of the time trying to squeeze in all his rotations, school, and work before July and on this day I hadn't seen him in probably 48 hours.  I had already cried to my mom on the phone that day bc my friends were at the beach and we couldn't go. Well when Renan walked in the house, I just let it fly. I started crying SO HARD that I couldn't talk. I'm talking gasping, snotty, red face crying. He just sat there rubbing my hair and let me cry. I love him. I have no recollection on why I was that upset but after that I felt a bit better. Looking Forward to Anything? We start going to the doctor weekly now and I'm actually looking forward to that! I love my doc. We see Jessica Rodriquez at Shelby and she is fabulous for me. Very chilled and listens to me. We are the same age and I feel like she just gets me. 

Chi Omegas celebrating these Chi O legacies! 

Conte's

Being pregnant is hard y'all!

My love

Best Mama in the universe

My sweet man who never leaves my side.  Love my Benjamin! 

31 weeks

Real life.... Puffy face from a cry fest day. Just because! :) 

How far along? 31 Weeks! Total weight gain: 31 lbs. I gained 3 lbs in the last 2 weeks which I was ok with. We got an ultrasound and Saylor was measuring 3.12 and Everly was 3.7! About 7 lbs of baby in this body and still have 5 weeks to go!  Maternity clothes? I am sorry to all of you who see me in the same thing all the time. It's either skirts and a tank top or a dress. Stretch marks? No! Sleep: ugh. Guys, it hasn't been a good sleep week. I am waking about every hour each night to pee and am having lots of discomfort. I even had to adjust my pillow set up this week. There is just nothing pleasant about it right now. It's leaving me a lot more tired during the day too.  Best moment this week: Being COMPLETELY surprised with a baby shower from out sweet buddies. We were set to all have a Shrimp Boil at Brad and JiJi's which would not be out of the norm for us. When I walked in, I was floored by all the detail they had put in to celebrate our girls. Pictures will be below. It was so fun and special and they loaded us up with diapers, wipes, and cute things. JiJi even set up an activity to decorate onesies and everyone got Into it... Even the guys! Plus the shrimp boil was fabulous so it was a great night! It's rare to find a large group of friends that you can totally just be yourself with but we have that and we love you guys! Also loved getting to the gym this week to keep up my light weight lifting. It just helps my sanity.   Fathers Day was also this weekend and I gave Ren a sweet keychain pictures below. He is going to be the BEST Daddy. We also gave my Dad a shadow box to put my Papaws flag from his funeral. Dad loved it so much and that made me happy. Miss Anything? Getting outside. I am a gal that loves to be outside a lot.  I love the sun and the heat. However the 90 plus temps this week are really taking a toll on me so I am having to stay inside more so than not. I wish I had access to a pool to just float in and not be surrounded by kids everywhere. I also miss cutting the grass! I know you probably think I'm crazy but I actually enjoy doing that and I actually feel guilty watching my hubby sweat it out doing it himself. Food cravings: No real cravings this week. Mom and I did go to the farmers market in Alabaster and I got some excellent peaches! We also got Popsicles there that were FAB! Mine was Lemon Ice Box Pie and it literally tasted like eating the frozen pie on a stick. I have been cooking alot this week also. I made grilled chicken one night, Porquipine Balls ( meatballs with rice in them), and beef tips all with either squash, zucchini, broccoli, or sliced tomato. It feels good to get off my butt and cook a little. Symptoms? I started swelling this week. Until now I have had ZERO swelling in my feet or ankles, but for some reason out of nowhere on Friday evening I noticed my ankle bone was in hiding. I don't know why but this really upset me. They haven't really gone down since then so I just feel like a swollen whale all the time. My legs, hands, and feet all seem to have a little swelling in them. I also noticed that the movements of the girls have changed. Instead of hard kicks and punches it's more rolls, pushes, and pushing out. I know they are getting squished because I feel like I have no room and it is really uncomfortable. Especially in the evenings. Sometimes I am almost in tears by bedtime. Anything making you queasy or sick: The heat sometimes makes me feel a bit weak, but nothing severe. Labor Signs: Nope! Let's keep it that way!  Wedding rings on or off? Fake rings pretty much all week. Happy or Moody most of the time:  SO moody! After the swelling started, basically everything bothered me.  I had a breakdown at church Sunday morning.  My mom was not there but one of my many other mamas Mrs. Rob sat and let me cry it out.  It's just tough because I feel like I am in an aliens body and I'm miserable. BLAH! .Looking Forward to Anything? My Baby Shower is this week and I am excited to see everyone and celebrate the girls. I'm also excited that Renan is home Saturday and Sunday which is a miracle!! 

Baby shower fun! 

Sweet girls!

So shocked! 

Sad swollen ankles and feet.... 

Trying to get out some aggression at the gym!! Haha

30 weeks

Sorry, nothing fancy. Post work out photo....

How far along? 30 Weeks! I feel like this is some sort of milestone even though it really isn't. 6 weeks to full term! Total weight gain: probably over 30 but I will know later this week. I have been trying to fill up on healthy foods this week instead of junk. Maternity clothes? Mom and I went in search of more maxi skirts and shorter jersey cotton skirts. Of course Old Navy came through once again! Stretch marks? No! Sleep: I will be sharing a photo of my bedtime set up for you below. I must have these exact pillows in this exact formation to sleep. I have had some unrestful nights this week due to being really stopped up and unable to breathe. It also makes me burn up when I can't breathe well so it's just not pleasant at all. Best moment this week: I was able to drag my butt to attend Alabaster City Fest this week which I look forward to every year! Dad has a handicap parking tag due to his bad back so we were able to park really close and only walk a short distance. However even at 7pm it was still 90 degrees and there were the SMELLIEST people there!! I mean, I know these people did not prepare with extra deodorant like I did. Heck, some didn't even feel the need to put on clothes that had been washed. Bless. However I was able to last an hour and got my footlong CORNDOG which I have been dying for!! Also got a shaved ice to keep cool. Strawberry and blue raspberry combined. I am also getting back into my couponing which I love. My goal is always to save more than I spend. My best deal this week was 6 bottles of Herbal Essence for 1 dollar!! I am trying to stockpile tons of our basic items now so that when the gals get here we will be good for awhile. My biggest stock are things like shampoo, toilet paper, paper towels, pasta, pasta sauce, etc.....my stockpile is pretty amazing. I will post pics below. Miss Anything? For real y'all, MY HUSBAND!!! this is our basic schedule for a week. Renan will work 24 hrs at the fire station, wake up and go directly to UAB to do a medic rotation, come home and take 2 tests, wake up and spend a whole day at school, come home, take 2 tests, REPEAT. Then in between all that I am trying to talk his ear off because I have so much that builds up through the days! Bless him because he is trying to cram everything into June so that his July is less busy In case the gals make their debut early. It's not easy and I get very lonely, but I'm thankful to be married to a man who works his butt off to better himself and does it all for us. Love him.   Food cravings: PEACHES! seriously I have been eating them nonstop. We have a man who sells them out of his truck by our house and I am at his truck literally every 3 days or so. I love summer because of all the fresh fruits and veggies. John and Cheryl have an excellent garden this year so they are loading us up with squash and zucchini too. Oh, and my CORNDOG from City Fest... ;) Symptoms?  So that pinched nerve on my upper belly has gotten AWFUL. It literally hurts all day everyday. It feels like I have a hot poker pushing through my belly in that one spot. I know it's just because they are getting bigger and I have to deal with it, but MAN it hurts! Especially when Miss Saylor balls up and decides to put her little booty right on the nerve. Ouch! Anything making you queasy or sick: Yes, all the hot sweaty dirty people at City Fest. You need soap and deodorant. Labor Signs: Nope! Let's keep it that way!  Wedding rings on or off? I actually wore my wedding band a couple times this week. I am switching between the fake and the real ones depending on how chubby my fingers feel at the time. Happy or Moody most of the time:  I had a major moody moment this week. Mom and I were driving in the car at the promenade and some guy was not respecting the 4 way stop but had the nerve to make a mean gesture at me! Guys, I think the Loch Ness Monster came out of me at that moment. I went NUTS screaming at that guy and letting him know that he had NO IDEA WHO HE WAS MESSING WITH!!! All of this from inside my car of course. Mom just looks at me and says, breathe!!!! Hahaha! .Looking Forward to Anything? Looking forward to giving Renan a little something I got for his first Fathers Day! It should be coming in the mail this week and I can't wait to show everyone! 

The infamous CORNDOG. It was everything I wanted it to be. 

My pillow fortress. 

A buck for all of these. COUPONS!! 

Parts of my stockpile. It's not very organized right now. I have over 40 bottles of laundry detergent and didn't pay over 2 dollars for any. The food pantry is a complete mess but has my staples that we use on a regular basis. This does not include my toiletry stockpile... That's a whole other pantry! 

29 weeks

How far along? 29 weeks and the belly is measuring 34 weeks which is right on track for my little gals!  Total weight gain: I refuse to get on the scale but I will weigh in again next week at the Doc. I am hoping these little sisters are gaining lots of fat though! Maternity clothes? Remember the maxi skirt I got from Kohls last week? It's still my obsession!! I also got a fitted dress at Old Navy on clearance... It's super cute but I am self conscious of how much it hugs my big booty so it may be a Date Night only dress....Stretch marks? Still no but the belly button is popped out! I had a really shallow belly button to begin with so I knew early on it was only a matter of time before it POPPED! . Sleep: Well Renan says I have been snoring a lot at night but it's because I can't breathe!!! My nose gets so stopped up at night! Ren seems to be sleeping well regardless because he elbowed me in the face one night and I yelled and punched him and the kid never even woke up!!!! Hahaha!. Best moment this week: The guys at Calera Fire had a big Crawfish Boil this week. I LOVE crawfish! We had a blast just hanging with all the firefighter families and eating all kinds of good food. We have been hugely blessed for Renan to work with such an awesome group at Calera. Ren and I also went to see Malificent in 3D and it was great! We got popcorn and Icees and just had fun. Of course I had to get up and pee during the movie. Miss Anything? My hubby! He has started back to Medic school for the summer semester so I don't get as much time with him. He will be finished in December and I am SO proud of him for pushing through these last couple of years but it isn't easy to be alone so much. Especially when I feel like there is so much we need to get done and so little time left!!  Food cravings: Well I have been wanting lots of fresh fruit lately... Got my first batch of peaches this week. Not the best but they were still good. Can't wait until they are at their peak! I also have LOVED making tacos this pregnancy. I have a very specific way I like them. Crunchy corn shell, canned chicken, fat free refried beans, and Taco Bell mild sauce top with cheese and bake them. It makes the shell not break when you bite into it! So this week I go to preheat the oven and begin making my tacos. I was by myself that night and a few minutes later I look over at the oven and it is GLOWING INSIDE!! The oven was on fire!! I turned it off and once it settled down I realized the element in the oven had broken and caused the fire. I called Ren yelling, THE OVENS ON FIRE!!! He calmly says , "well turn it off!!" I know he secretly loves my dramatics. Symptoms? Feeling good this week. I will just ride that wave as long as I can! Anything making you queasy or sick: Negative! Labor Signs: No way Jose. These girls are moving so much though that sometimes I think they may be trying to punch their way out of my belly button. Wedding rings on or off? Moment of silence..... They have been retired. Well kind of. They were just getting tight and leaving indentions so we went to Walmart and got a set for 8 bucks that look surprisingly nice! I'm sad, but I would be more sad to have to get my wedding rings cut off my big fat fingers! There are still times i can wear them but lots of the time it's uncomfortable. Happy or Moody most of the time: I have been a bit moody this week. Lots of work stuff going on and little things that set me off. I can go from nice to irritable at the drop of a hat. .Looking Forward to Anything? Looking forward to seeing how my little girlies are doing at the ultrasound next week. Also my shower is set for June 22nd at church so that will be fun also! I am SO not a baby shower person so this will really be my only shower and it will be more of a tea where the hostesses will open the gifts and display them and everyone can just chat and come and go as they please! Oh.... And CAKE! Haha!

The twins first summer accessories!