To my baby girls

What a miracle you have been!! From the time I found out about you on March 31st (11 weeks) to now - 33 weeks - so many wonderful things have happened in my life. I only dreamt that we would make it this far together. And here we are. I am in awe of the wonderful blessings you have brought into my life. Your Daddy and I have never been closer. Valarie can't wait to see you. My neighbors who I used to take for granted have become great friends and confidants. Some people say that it is not until you have to go through something really hard that you find out who your true friends are. If that is true, then I had no idea how many friends I truly had. So many people care about you and hope and pray for the best for you. We all love you very much and can't wait to see you and hold you once you are born. Life is a beautiful thing - with all of it's ups and downs. Like I've said before, I'm the luckiest to have been blessed with you precious babies.

One Week Left!

I don't know how many of you remember the movie, Airplane, but I remember it fondly. There's a lady in the movie who gets a bit hysterical when they encounter problems in flight. A whole line of people wait for their chance to try to get her to calm down - some with their fists, others with bats and belts. It's pretty funny because it's not real but, in my current situation, that's about how I feel at times. I need a whole line of people to get me to calm down and relax and wait the seven days I have left to wait to see these babies. I must say, the hospital hasn't been that bad but it hasn't been that great either. I've been glad that I haven't had to deal with the extreme heat of the summer. A few of you have first hand experience with how batty I got with the little heat I had to endure prior to being in the hospital. I'm glad too that I haven't had to do the daily chores around the house at home. That was getting hard to keep up with. I have to admit my jealousy though of people outside walking or running along. They don't know how lucky they are to not have to be strapped to a hospital bed 7/24 (as Steve would say). A few friends from work stopped by yesterday to surprise me with a visit. It was great to see them and to feel of their friendship. Afterwards, Aynn, my professional photographer :o), stopped by for a photo shoot. We had fun trying to take pregnant pictures of me. I'm grateful for her and for her enthusiasm. As for this last week with my little girls growing inside me - I feel happiness that we've made it this far and sorrow that I'm going to have to let them go on their own. Being pregnant is a wonderful experience. You're never as close to another person. I can remember being sad that I wouldn't be pregnant with Valarie very much longer (that was before her due date and the ensuing two weeks that passed after her due date that I still waited for her to come). I remember thinking that I'd never again be able to be as close to her as I was then. Now, with this pregnancy and all of it's surprises, I am again sad to lose the closeness - more so now because I know what my babies face once they're born. In a lot of ways, I'm not ready to let them go even though I know that I must. If I could, I'd hold onto them forever.

Twinks

My mom gave that nickname to Valarie a long time ago - it started with Twinkle Toes and then got abbreviated to just Twinks. Twinks has been having a fun time in the Sixth Grade. She gets herself up in the morning, gets ready, and then walks to school with a friend. And she's always early. Heaven forbid what would happen if she wasn't at least a half hour early to school. I'm glad that she's so independent but I don't know where she gets it from...I mean, there's no way I was ever early to school. I was always pushing it so that I just barely made it on time. Minutes more sleep in the morning before school were like precious hours to me.

Britney took pictures of Val for me on her first day of school. She and her kids, Amelia, Sydney, Grady and Ainsley, brought them to me yesterday. They were sooo adorable. Each one of the big kids had something for me - a delicious slushy from Sonic, a plate full of home-baked sugar cookies (the BEST in the world - just ask Bobby, who btw is jealous and will be coming later today to have some) and the CD with the pictures on it from handsome Grady. It was great to see them. They are my angel neighbors. I am the luckiest to have them in my life.

Susan and Aubrey came yesterday too. They brought me the most adorable little bear and blankets for the girls that Susan had made. Susan has been holding down the fort for me at work. Aubrey is due two weeks before me and looks as if it could be her carrying twins instead of me - that's a compliment, btw. One of my nurses told me the other day that I don't look like I'm pregnant with twins - more like I've just got a gut. It makes me sad because I want these babies to be as big as they possibly can be and, if that means that I look as big as a house, then so be it. But even Jer said it later last night when he, Clysti and the kids came, you just don't look very big for having twins and being almost eight months pregnant. He said it was a compliment and I'm not holding it against him. You be the judge.

Ever since Friday morning (just after midnight), the babies have been giving me fits. They must have known that Friday was 32 weeks for them and that my OB was out of town for a few days because it's been scary listening and watching their heartbeats. My doctor is back now and he says that everything is fine and not to worry. So there you go. I'm not supposed to overreact over their heart beats going low unless it's for like eight or ten minutes. Let me tell you, that's easier said than done.

Val's first day of Sixth Grade

This is Val last year on the first day of 5th grade Every year on Val's first day of school, I take the day off of work and stay home to take her to school, make her chocolate chip cookies (like my mom did for me all through school - even college!), and pick her up from school. It's a bit of a tradition and I love traditions.

So today is VERY hard for me and Valarie. She's bearing it tolerably well, I'm sure - it's just her mom who is struggling. Thank goodness Bobby got home last night! I know that she said that she'd be fine with Boonge home but Val likes it when at least one of the two of us is home. Valarie has always been extremely independent (except for that first year and a half of life that she spent glued to my left hip). She gets up on her own for school, does her own hair (good luck convincing her to let you try), and assures me that I don't need to worry and that everything's going to be just fine. I remember her telling me one time (from her car seat in the back), "Mom, BE-lax!!" I guess I've always been a little high strung.

Yin and Yang

According to the latest ultrasound, this is the position of the babies - Alexandra in white and Danielle in black. True to form, Alexandra's been good and Danielle's been my problem child. Her heartbeat sunk low last night - not way low, but not normal either. This prompted a team of nurses to rush in to my room and start feverishly working on trying to do whatever they could to get Danielle's heart rate back up. All of a sudden, I was rolled to my left side and propped up by rolled blankets, breathing in oxygen and watching the flurry of activity that was taking place all around me. Poor little Val wasn't sure what was going on and I worried for her so I called Bay to come and get her so she could get some sleep. While Val was getting ready to go, she said, "Mom, don't call Bob. I think this would stress him out too much." And then she started crying. Poor little girl. She didn't want the babies to have to come so soon. Thankfully, they didn't have to and they are doing great today. My doctor, who is the best doctor any gal could have, got me a massage. I'm telling you, I lucked out in getting him. My massage is supposed to begin shortly. I'm super excited. I'll let you know how it turns out. :o)

Seven Years Today

This is a picture from our trip to Vegas in April 2008

Seven years ago today Bobby and I went out on our first date. Sure, we'd known each other for a while before then but it wasn't until our date that I realized how incredible Bobby was. We met at his house and took his truck down to a place down by the dunes. We went four wheeling first (that was my first time on a four-wheeler and it was awesome). When we got back to the truck, Bobby put together a barbecue that Jeremy had given him and we cooked up some Wrangler hot dogs (another first for me); we ate grapes, listened to music and watched the stars until dark thirty. We had a great time. It wasn't until we went to leave that Bobby realized that the music we'd been listening to for hours had drained the battery on his truck. He said that we had one chance to start the truck and that I better push while he tried to pop the clutch on the truck. Thankfully Bobby had parked on a bit of a hill, so it was no big deal to get the truck started again. Long story short, one thing led to another and here I lay tonight in a hospital bed waiting for the birth of our babies. Who would've guessed...

40 Days and 40 Nights

Yes, it's been that long now since I've been in the hospital. Hard to believe on the one hand but on the other...my permanently purple cheekies don't lie - it's been especially hard on them. :o)

This is Lia, Bobby's daughter-in-law - she's been my salvation while I've been laying in the hospital. If it weren't for her, I just don't know what I would have done. She took Val last weekend and helped her get all of her school shopping done. She found the most adorable clothes and Val loved every minute of it. Today she took Val to get her hair done in Santaquin and then brought her back here to the hospital. She's amazing and I love her.

The Power of Prayer

Bobby and Val brought me these lovely roses.

You know, I can't hardly believe that I've made it this far and that everything is going so well for the babies. It gets me thinking about how incredibly blessed I am; blessed to have a wonderful, loving family; blessed to have extremely supportive and helpful neighbors and friends; blessed to have the best ob/gyn any one could have; and blessed to be able to have these two beautiful girls. I recognize that things are going as well as they are because of everyone's prayers for Bobby and I and the girls. I want all of you to know that it means everything to me to have so much support and love.

I have had many visitors since I last mentioned them - namely: Susan and Gary (Bobby's sister and brother-in-law), they brought me beautiful flowers and a lovely white blanket for the girls; Candace, Tim and the kids, they brought me delicious candy and a fun magazine and helped me to understand what it will be like to have these babies born premature; Tami from across the street - I'd never formally met her before but she had heard that I was here and came and brought me lovely flowers - we had a fantastic visit - what a sweet, sweet sister; Valerie from down the street came and brought me encouragement and books and kara mint chocolates (I've finished one of them so far and thoroughly enjoyed it); Bishop and Sister Kline (from my ward in Florida when I was growing up and now my ward in Payson - small world, I know) came one night and we caught up on old times (that was a riot) and then they came again and brought Bishop and Sister Bushman and I received a blessing from Bishop Kline and Bishop Bushman - what an experience!; Jer, Clysti and the kids stopped by again one night with Wendy's - I really needed that (the food here is okay but sometimes you need a break!); Lupe and her mother from across the street came and brought me flowers and an adorable "It's a Girl" balloon; Susan from work and her family, Jim and Aubrey, came to see me and we laughed and laughed; Julene from work came yesterday and brought me lunch from Magleby's Fresh - delicious!; and, of course, my darling Mom and sisters come and see me regularly (pretty much daily). Bobby has been doing my laundry for me and everything else around the house, including taking care of Val and getting the girls' room ready for when the baby comes home. I'm definitely blessed.

Finally, I neglected to send this birthday wish yesterday for my cutie nephew Seth.

Happy 4th Birthday !!

Aunt Catherine loves you very much!!

A Midsummer's Night

Last night my lil sis, Gonzo, took me on a wheelchair adventure to see the meteor shower. It was really fun. She came to get me at a quarter to 1 a.m. We got all kinds of weird looks from the security guys outside the elevator and riding around in their little golf carts. It was pretty darn funny. You could tell they were thinking, "what the he** are they doing?"

I saw a couple of little meteors streaking across the sky right away but it wasn't until we went to leave that I saw a super big meteor. It was awesome. Gonzo didn't see the one I saw because she was preoccupied with trying to push me in the wheelchair. I think she saw some good ones on her own though.

I asked the doctor about pushing the September 3rd date to the next week and he flat out said no, that we'd get the results we want with having them on the 3rd. So, there you have it. We're delivering these babes on the 3rd. In the meantime, I'm still on continuous monitoring and loving every minute of it... :o)

Hold the press!

Bobby would like us to wait another week on the delivery of the babies. He says that the perinatologist was fine with it, so we should wait. I agree with him that I'd rather have the babies stay inside than out if it means less time for them in the NICU. Now I have to convince my doctor who I'll see tomorrow.

Btw, I neglected to mention that I've missed a few birthdays other than Oli's while I've been in the hospital. So, here's a BIG old Happy Birthday to:

Cambree and Colin on July 31st - Happy 6th!!

Chlo-Bug, just yesterday - Happy 7th!!

Finally - some BIG news

My doctor and I just set the babies' birth date!!!

I had an appointment yesterday with the perinatologist to measure the babies and see how they're doing. I braced myself for the worst - hoping for the best. The best happened! Danielle is now weighing in at 3 lbs. 5 oz. and Alexandra is 3 lbs. 10 oz. (+/- a few ounces, of course). When Dr. Townsen was done looking the babies over she said that she'd see me back in four weeks. I was like, "WHAT?" and she was like, "it's way to soon to have these babies. They're growing well and their heart tracings look good." So there you have it - the perinatologist thinks there's nothing wrong with going another four weeks! When my doctor came in today, he said, "How about setting a date?" I was like, "OK - let's do it." He said that his regular surgery day is Thursday and that he'd like to have the babies during the week so that every one we need to be there will for sure be there (specialists and such). He said, "you'll be 34 weeks on September 4th, a Friday, so how about scheduling the babies to be delivered on September 3rd?" I said, "that sounds PERFECT!" 9/3/9 - I like it. I like it a lot.