Mike and Mallory

San Francisco

2010-06-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

I can not get the pictures to post for the life of me, so you'll just have to imagine them:) I think most of you have seen them on facebook anyway, so here you go. Michael and I had one of the best vacations last weekend in San Francisco. We left early Friday morning and got into the city at a little after 11. We headed over to this fabulous place called Pete's Tavern across from AT&T park for lunch. It was so good. Then we headed over to the Exploratorium. Michael had never been there, and me being the science nerd that I am, I was excited to take him. We had so much fun! We were seriously like two little kids in there. After checking out the condo we were staying in (our room on the 22nd floor had a pretty good view), we headed down to Fisherman's wharf, which happens to be one of our favorite places. If you're ever there you have to go to The Fudge House and get the Raspberry bark. It is heaven! We hung out there for a while and then went upstairs to Swiss Louis for dinner. Out of all the restaurants we ate at that weekend, it was by far my favorite! The food and service were amazing, plus you sit overlooking the sea lions and you have a great view of the bay. I really recommend this place. Later that night we went down to Baker Beach (a nude beach!) with our clothes fully on :) to take pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge at night. The view was spectacular, I have never seen anything like it. It was kind of creepy though as we were walking back we realized someone else was on the beach and we hadn't noticed them! The next day we got up and found an amazing doughnut place while we were looking for a McDonald's. Those doughnuts totally have Mickey D's beat. They were fantastic. We drove on over to the beach right below the Cliff House. Did you know that at low tide you can walk out to Seal Rocks and look at/touch all the marine life living on the rocks? It was so cool! From there we crossed the street to the zoo. We had been there before, but it is a great zoo and fun to visit. They had a whole bunch of baby animals, including the cutest baby gorilla I have ever seen. He was dancing all over the place! After the zoo we went to the Japanese Tea Gardens inside Golden Gate Park. They are so beautiful and tranquil, I loved it! We walked around the Botanical Garden inside the park which was pretty too. We left there and went to get ready for a fancy dinner at Palio D'Asti, a great Italian place. It was fun to get dressed up and since it wasn't too far from the condo we walked. The weather was perfect for walking all weekend. After dinner we walked to different hotels in the Financial District (The Mandarin, The Hyatt Regency and the Hilton) that all offer spectacular views of the city. Let me tell you, they are even more incredible at night. So yes, we snuck up to the top floors of these hotels to snap some pictures. It was worth it. The next morning we headed back to Pier 39, walked around Ghiradelli square and checked out the ships at the Hyde Street Pier. They have some really cool old ships and barrels along the pier that have ropes and instructions on how to tie sailors knots. We took a Bay Cruise (if you go with a small boat instead of one of the large commercial ones it is a LOT cheaper) which took us under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz. I've seen the bridge from many viewpoints, walked it , driven across it, but none of these was ever as amazing as going underneath it. Seeing the immense power was incredible. We had lunch again at Swiss Louis ( I told you I liked it) and headed home. It was a busy weekend but truly incredible!

She's a maniac!

2010-04-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

Man that song is catchy. Okay, so I have been reading like a maniac, hence the title. In case you didn't notice I added a list of the books I have read so far this year. Yes, since January first I have averaged about 6 books a month, and I am hoping to reach 50 (at least!) by December 31st. The books with asterisks next to them are ones that I LOVED. I seriously could not put them down, and some of them I even finished in two days, they were that good. I've been on a young adult fiction streak lately (why are those books so much fun to read) even though I am almost 25. Everyone has a weakness right? So those of you who read my blog could help me out by letting me know what your favorite books are. Come on let's fill up that list!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

So with the crappy weather, it sure doesn't feel like Easter, but the calendar doesn't lie right? Is this year flying by for anyone else? I feel like we make it through one holiday and the next one is already upon us. This Easter was fun though because the girls could participate a little bit more. We had a small egg hunt in the backyard with eggs that Michael and I colored. It was so cute to see them get so excited when they found an egg and they were so proud to put it in their baskets. As far as other news, Bailey is working on teeth numbers 7 and 8 right now and Reagan is catching up with #5. Needless to say they are both kind of grumpy. They are both walking (okay, more like running) and they are always into everything. They keep me super busy, especially with Daddy being at work now. Their new favorite thing is to stick their hands in the toilet and suck the water off before somebody catches them. Why don't we just keep the toilet lids closed you ask? Good question; because we have a dog who is incapable of drinking out of anything but the toilet. Seriously. He will sit there dying of thirst until somebody lets him to the toilet. Guess it's time to retrain the dog, because I gag just thinking about the girls hands in there. Anyway, they're still a ton of fun and they light up our lives. Our next exciting milestone will be going to nursery after April 16th. Woohoo, Mommy and Daddy are excited!

Late Christmas Post and some randomness

2010-01-19T16:04:00.001-08:00

Is it really a surprise to anyone that it has taken me this long to write my Christmas post? No, I didn't think so. And just a warning, there are a lot of pictures to follow because I am a slacker. So Christmas this year was awesome. The girls weren't really interested in opening their presents, just playing with the bows on top of them. Note to self: next year save a whole lot of money on presents and just buy a big bag of bows! Anyway, after our Christmas here, we went next door to Michael's parents and opened a bunch of awesome gifts there. Then we went up to my parents house and we got to speak to my brother on the phone. I'm not gonna lie, it is really weird not having him here, and even though he's been gone for 7 months now, I still miss him a ton. It was so great to hear from him. He is all grown up now! My family was all taking bets that I would cry first when talking to him. Um yeah, try the LAST person to cry! I'm pretty sure they owe me $25. So that was Christmas. It doesn't sound like much, but it was truly fantastic. I can proudly say that I now have two "walkers" in my house. The girls still prefer crawling as their method of transportation, but they can walk. Reagan is also doing so well developmentally that her Early Intervention specialist thinks we can start to phase her out of the program. This is a good thing and we are so proud of our little peanut. Okay, I guess we'll get to the pictures now.

First random, non Christmas picture... Reagan with a "big girl" ponytail!! I like to call it her pirate pony, because it reminds me of the ponytail Orlando Bloom sports in Pirates of the Carribbean :)
Bailey modeling her hat and pj's, both gifts from Mommy and Daddy.
Reagan also sports her gifts.
Bailey and Reagan digging into their stockings.
I love that face!
Poor Reagan had some major bed head going on Christmas morning.
Checking out the goods under the tree. Please ignore my appearance :)
Another random pic. Not only is our daughter a red head, but she is a red head with curls! Love it! We hope it stays that way.
Bailey LOVES to make funny faces so people will laugh at her.
And I just had to add this one because it is one of my favorite pictures of Reagan. Look at those eyes! They make me swoon!

Santa Claus is coming to town!

2009-12-19T17:14:00.000-08:00

He was at Dillard's to be exact. I was fully expecting the girls to cry (well, at least Reagan), but neither one did. It was a Christmas miracle! Reagan did try to jump off Santa's lap though, so as soon as the camera clicked he set her on the floor! Santa is not germ conscious like some of us. Bailey sat still but she wouldn't smile. I don't think she was impressed with the big guy. So even though they didn't smile in the pictures, I'm still happy we went. Maybe next year will be better. After Santa's visit, we went to Pottery Barn to say hi to my Mom's coworkers. That store is so gorgeous at Christmas time (and every other time) so we took some pictures in front of their tree. We were getting the weirdest looks, but at least my Mom actually works there. The manager told us they had random families come in last year to take family pictures! I've also been doing a lot of baking and decorating this year. The picture above is my first attempt at making "pretty" cookies. Some turned out pretty good, others... not so much. Anyway, we are really looking forward to Christmas and hopefully we'll have some more pictures to share soon!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-27T16:11:00.001-08:00

This was my first time holding both girls at the same time and I was a little nervous!
These photos are all from last Thanksgiving. I'm sharing them again to show how much we have to be thankful for. I know it has taken me a long time to realize that, and I apologize. It's just when you're in the situation we were in, it's hard to look past the present and think about a happy future. But we're finally there. These two little miracles are our whole lives. They are healthy and perfect. I promise, I am not writing this to get sympathy or anything. We were given so much of it at the time. I just really needed to let everyone know that I know how blessed I am, and that I am thankful for it all. I'm grateful that we had such an awesome NICU team, because without all of their hard work and dedication, they would not be where they are today. I'm also grateful that Michael and I have such amazing families who have been so supportive and helpful since the girls arrived. They sat with us during surgeries, fed us, took me to visit the girls (we only had one car at the time) and just engulfed us in love. I am so thankful for my friends who snuck (good) food and ice cream into the hospital, who showered us with love and support and who love our girls more than we could ask for. I am also thankful for the support, strength and guidance from my church and it's leaders. I hope everyone can be as blessed as we are in this coming year. As soon as Michael uploads the pictures from his camera, I will post our pics from yesterdays Thanksgiving.

Happy 1st Halloween!

2009-11-05T13:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I know this technically wasn't the girls first Halloween, but Michael and I agreed that since their first one was spent in the NICU it didn't count. This year the girls went to two Halloween parties, one at my parents ward and the other at our own. They had so much fun seeing all the other costumes and sharing our food. I decided to get some more use out of their birthday tutus so I added wings, tights and wands and voila!, fairies! They were pretty darn cute! Of course they couldn't go trick-or-treating, but we figured they deserved some sort of Halloween treat. So we let them lick the beaters covered in chocolate frosting. They loved it! Also, Nov. 3rd was the one year anniversary of Reagan's heart surgery. Look at that little peanut now! Bailey's one year mark will be on Saturday the 7th. She has to do everything her big sister does! We are so proud of them because they have worked so hard to get to where they are today. Here are some pictures, enjoy!

I love the look Bailey is giving us!

You can tell that Reagan was very enthusiastic about her treat.

So cute! She wouldn't let me put her hair in a ponytail though :(

She'll make all your wishes and dreams come true!

I love how it looks like she's smelling the flower!

Such a cute happy girl!

Our cupcakes turn 1!

2009-10-22T11:43:00.000-07:00

This year, October 16th was a happy day; a day for celebration. We threw a cupcake themed party for the girls on Saturday, and I have to admit, it was really fun. We celebrated with family and close friends with presents, ice cream (home made by my Dad) and of course cupcakes. It was so much fun watching the girls dig into their chocolate cake. They had so much fun that Bailey even fell asleep before she opened presents. But she woke up just in time to play! There are a lot of pictures here, but I just couldn't narrow it down! For some reason the pictures are in random order and not from beginning to end. Hope you enjoy them anyway.

Close up of the cupcakes. I made pink and purple fondant flowers for them.

A cutie tutu bootie!

Poor Bailey Bug was tired!

She was such a ham that day, which is not her usual style.

Reagan was digging the chocolate.

Bailey was a little less sure of hers.

So cute!

Reagan and Grandma.

Silly face Bailey and Papa.

Our good sweet friend, Grandma Jackie.

Look at all those cupcakes, yum yum!

Little stinker would not leave her headband on!

Apple Hill

2009-10-12T18:13:00.000-07:00

I adore fall. I love everything about it: the cooler weather, the leaves changing color, wearing scarves and hats, hot chocolate, apple cider, baking, and above all, our traditional trip to Apple Hill. For anybody who has never heard of Apple Hill, it is a collection of farms that grow apples (obviously), pears, berries, pumpkins and more. There are also crafts, candy shops, animals and pie houses. It is amazing. I have gone every year since I was little and even as an adult I still look forward to it. Let me tell you though, this year was the first time I have gone with my own children and it was by far the best ever. I loved watching them take everything in. Their were constantly looking from side to side seeing what new thing was waiting for them. Each farm held new treasures. Bailey loved the ponies and would squeal in delight when we saw them. Reagan was fascinated with the rabbits. We discovered that they both love pumpkins about a month ago when I picked up to mini ones at the store for them. Imagine their delight then at seeing pumpkins as big as they are! It was nice to spend time with family and eat delicious treats. We didn't get to go last year because I was in the hospital, but the trip this year more than made up for it. I'm trying to find a way to squeeze in a second trip before Halloween! So here are some pictures for you... (Oh and a big huge thank you to my amazing and wonderful husband for taking these gorgeous pictures! Love you honey!)

Bailey hanging out in the pumpkin patch at one of our favorite farms.

Such a happy loving family!

Reagan kickin' back with the pumpkins.

They enjoyed eating the hay and giving Mommy and Daddy heart attacks.

Our cute little pumpkins.

I love that messy face.

Reagan and Papa enjoying some lunch.

Look at all those yummy apples!

Our sweet and pretty Bailey Bug.

Nerd alert

2009-09-10T22:14:00.001-07:00

Oh yeah. I'm a total nerd. Check out the new addition to the side of my blog. Obsessed much?

Blah

2009-07-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

That's how I've been feeling lately. I guess I'm just having a pity party for myself. I don't know. So I haven't really felt like updating the blog. I'm such a slacker, I know. We went to Vegas during the middle of June and stayed at our timeshare, Tahiti Village. We always have fun there and it was nice to get away. All six cousins were there so it was pretty hectic at times. One night Michael's parents watched the three youngest while the adults and three older ones got to go out. Michael and I went and saw The Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian. It was absolutely fantastic. The costumes and sets were amazing! I saw it in California when I was little and I don't remember much of that show, but I would go see this one again in a heartbeat. Plus tickets are half off for Nevada residents. Score! The girls and I have gone swimming once a week at a friends house. They are becoming quite the little water babies and I like to joke that they are half mermaid. For the first time in my life I'm actually getting tan too! July brought many birthdays, including my own. I got a new ipod touch which is awesome! The girls have finally started sitting and are pulling their knees up underneath them when they're on their bellies. I think they'll be crawling by their first birthday. They have also taken off on eating solids. They love it, well, except for chicken with chicken broth. They both sat there gagging and spitting until they finally threw up. It was awful. So as usual, here are some pics to sum up the post. Sorry to those who have already seen these on facebook!

I just like Bailey's face in this one

Bailey is such a happy girl

Reagan doing her thing

Reagan loves sweet potatoes

Nana and Papa with all six granddaughters at the forum shops in Caesar's palace (in September they will be getting two more granddaughters and their first grandson when Uncle Chris gets married!)

Babies chillin in the pool. Everyone kept coming over to look at them. They are quite the attention getters.

Our life

2009-06-13T18:40:00.000-07:00

Life has been a little hectic lately. Two weeks ago we took the girls up to Ogden Utah for the first time to visit Michael's sister and her little family. We had a lot of fun playing with cousins and friends. We went shopping in Park City and four wheeling in Little Moab with Michael's friend Andy and his girlfriend and kids. We had a great time with all of them and can't wait to see them again in August. We came home right as the girls were getting sick and of course I caught whatever they have. They have also learned to roll, Reagan being quite the master doing three rolls in a row, and with their stuffy noses leave little slime trails wherever they are. The girls are quite active now and love to people watch and observe what's going on. They are no longer content being infants on the couch. They are big girls and love to be up and about. I'm so glad that they waited until Daddy was out of school to become so active because I need all the help I can get. Michael is so great at taking care of the girls in the morning so I can sleep in. He is such a fantastic Father and Husband.

Andy's turn

Michael trying not to give us a heart attack since he had Katie's kids in the car with him!

Katie and I with the girls. It was windy, so please excuse the hair!

Bailey and Reagan in the hammock at Aunt Nicole and Uncle Brian's.

What's new?

2009-05-22T08:55:00.000-07:00

We went on a picnic to Dog Valley and it was really windy. Every time a big gust would come through the picnic site Bailey would stick her tongue out!
Reagan holding her bottle

Not much has been going on in our little family. The girls are right on track developmentally for their adjusted age which is a huge relief. We've been told since day 1 that our micro babies were going to face so many challenges and that they were really going to have to struggle, but we have been blessed that they have not. They are at such a fun stage grabbing everything they see and trying to sit up. They talk to each other and hold hands and get so excited when they see one another. They have each rolled a few times from tummy to back and Reagan held her bottle on her own the other day for about 30 seconds. The physical therapist and developmental specialist are so pleased with their progress. Mom and Dad are pretty proud of their little fighters too! After 6 and 1/2 months of giving the girls breast milk only I decided to stop pumping (sorry about the subject!). I couldn't keep up with them anymore and was having to feed them more often. My supply was decreasing because of the stress, so I stopped. They have to take a special preemie formula and they don't sell a lot of it at the store so every time we go in we buy every can that they have, usually 3 or 4. Our pantry looks like we're hoarding baby formula! The only other thing that is new lately is that I have taken up a new hobby. I am learning to quilt and so far I love it. Michael says he doesn't know how I can stand to sit there and cut out all those little squares perfectly, but I like it!

A day late...

2009-04-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

And don't they look happy about it! I should have posted this yesterday, but I got busy and forgot, so it's a day late. The other exciting thing that happened yesterday was that my brother Skyler got his mission call! Unfortunately, the stinker is making all of us wait until tomorrow night to hear where he's going! He swears he's not going to peak, but I don't think he can do it. You can see a video of him getting it in the mail on his blog to the right. I'll let you know where he's going tomorrow! I can't wait. I can't believe my baby brother is leaving us for two years!

Sometimes no news is a good thing

2009-04-15T17:55:00.000-07:00

Yay! Bailey bug is off her oxygen. She's so cute when she sleeps!
Playing at the park. They were so worn out when we got home.
I love that sweet little smile!
Even the baby size bunny ears didn't fit :(

It seems like so much has happened the past 6 months, that it's nice to finally kind of settle down. The girls both recovered quickly from their bronchitis, but not before passing it on to Daddy who ended up getting pleurisy from it. The infection got into the lining of his lungs and he was in excruciating pain all the time. He would wake up at 3 am doubled over in pain. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do for it except wait it out which can take over 2 weeks! He's finally feeling better.

Bailey has been off her oxygen for about 2 weeks now. I love having portable babies! We've gone shopping, to church, to the park, on lots of walks and to dinner with a friend. And it is sooo much easier bathing them. Because they are both off they finally sleep in their own room. They absolutely love sleeping in their crib and will sometimes cry until we lay them in there. They calm down immediately. Daddy and the dog are also sleeping better with them in their own room. I am the only one who is getting even less sleep than before. I am constantly getting up to check on them, and I get paranoid when they don't make any noise.

Easter weekend was so much fun. A very dear family friend (she's been part of our family for almost 23 years!) came to visit. The girls loved her and were always smiling and giggling with her. She went shopping with my mom, sister, me and the girls on Saturday. We had the girl's picture taken with the Easter bunny. We all went to church together on Sunday and then had a big family dinner. She left Monday and we all miss her already!

Look Mom, no oxygen!

2009-03-20T10:39:00.001-07:00

That's right, Reagan is officially done with her oxygen. Here she is on Wednesday or as I like to call it,"no more O2 day." She loves parading around the house and has already been on a lunch date with Auntie Leah and Auntie Alisha for Leah's birthday. Grandma doesn't know she's off yet. Boy will she be surprised when she comes home from London! Reagan may even make an appearance at church this Sunday.

So sad, our baby fits in the fruit bowl. There was no fruit in it at the time.

I don't know why everything is blue and underlined now, so forgive me. Sweet Bailey bug did not get to come off her oxygen because her machine did not record her data. That is okay though because we kept getting false readings which probably would have caused the doctor to keep her on for another 4 weeks. Instead, she will be doing another test next week and will hopefully be off in time for Easter!

In other news, the girls had their first trip to the ER on Tuesday night. On a side note, I've learned that the wait at the ER is veeeery short if you are pregnant, have a baby, or your skin and eyes have turned yellow. Tuesday evening, I noticed that both girls felt pretty warm. They had been sleeping most of the day and were grumpy when they were awake. Reagan's temp was 101.5 and Bailey was 100.8. At the advice of our awesome Brother-in-law (also known as our after hours physician, Thanks for all your help Brian!!) we took them to the ER. They had chest x-rays and RSV and flu swabs. The swabs came back negative and the x-rays were clear, leading the doctors to the conclusion that both girls had upper respiratory infections. We were sent home at 2 am Wednesday morning with instructions on how to keep the girls cool and to give them Tylenol every four hours. They did find that Reagan is missing some bone in her right arm up near her shoulder, so we will be seeing her pediatrician next Thursday to find out what testing he wants done to determine the cause. We will keep you updated. Prayers for her would be appreciated, because even though we are confident that it is nothing, there are some causes of missing bone that are a little unsettling.

Doctor's appointment update

2009-03-11T17:28:00.000-07:00

The girls had another appointment with the pulmonologist yesterday. Bailey now weighs 10 lbs. 7 oz and is 20 inches long. Reagan is 8 lbs. 7 oz. and 19 1/2 inches long. They have grown so much in their little 5 month lives. Both girls did really well during the 10 minute room air test the doctor did. Even Reagan stayed up at 99-100 when she was upset. She lowered Bailey's oxygen flow from 50 cc's a minute to 25. So she is now on the same amount as her sister. We'll be doing another overnight room air test either late this week or early next week, but I have a feeling the girls still won't be coming off the O2. The doctor said that our areas RSV season has been extended through April, so once again she is "not in a hurry to take them off of the oxygen." She said to me "you'll be so glad once all of these tanks and tubes are gone." Umm, you think so? Sorry, that was mean, but she has obviously never had a child (let alone 2) holed up in her bedroom for 3 months because they're hooked up to equipment that makes it very difficult to travel. I really do like her though, especially when I told her we were waiting to bless the girls until they were equipment free and that I was afraid they would be a year old before they could be blessed. I know nothing of her religious views but her response was " the real blessing is that your girls are here and they are healthy." I guess I needed to be reminded of my many blessings and to stop having a pity party for myself.

Me A-Z

2009-03-02T17:56:00.000-08:00

I'm a bad blogger. I can't think of interesting things, so I either post dumb stuff or wait for a fun one that is pretty much already done for me. Like this...

A - Age: 23
B - Bed size: King
C- Car you drive: Gold Hyundai. It's my grandparent's and I'm borrowing it while they're on their mission.
D - Dad's Name: Jeff
E - Essential start your day item: A kiss from my husband

F - Favorite actor(s): Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Daniel Craig
G - Gold or Silver: white gold, preferably with some diamonds
H - Height: 5'2
I - Instruments you play(ed): I used to play the piano, but have since forgotten how. I have played the violin since I was 10.
J - Job title: Mommy
K - Kid(s): 2 and you know all about them!
L - Living arrangements: A weird question, but okay. In a house with my husband, daughters and dog.
M - Mom's name: Lora
N - Nicknames: Mal, Mally
O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: Tonsilectomy when I was 3, pre-term labor, gall stone removal (both last year)
P - Pet Peeve: I honestly can't think of one right now.
Q - Quotes you like: Okay, I love the office, so I have a lot of favorite quotes from there: "We're off like a herd of turtles", "Next time I'll let you get the cake and I can scream at the birthday girl." Those are just two of my current favorites.
R - Right or left handed: Right
S - Siblings: Little sister and little brother.
T - Time you wake up: Whenever the girls decide they want to eat. Usually between 6 and 8.
U- Underwear: Under there. Under where? Haha i made you say underwear..... (That was another weird one that I didn't have an answer to.)

V - Vegetable you dislike: Squash. I have never liked it and to this day it makes me gag.
W - Ways you run late: It used to be that I just couldn't get up on time. Now it's because I've got 3 people to get ready for the day instead of one!
X - X-rays you've had: Teeth, wrist and gall bladder.
Y - Yummy food you make: I make lots of yummy food :)
Z- Zodiac: Cancer

First Born

2009-02-27T14:49:00.001-08:00

Originally uploaded by mikes_muse

I stole this from a friend because I thought it was cute, I hope she doesn't mind!

1. WAS YOUR FIRST BORN'S PREGNANCY PLANNED? Yes. Michael and I tried to get pregnant for 28 months before it finally happened.

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? We had been married for almost 4 years.

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? I got the phone call and all I could say was "I am?" And then I started to cry, and the nurse had to book my next appointment for me because I couldn't talk.
4. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 22

5. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? It was the first month that I did not take a pregnancy test, because I was so sure the cycle had failed. I was waiting for the nurse to call me back and say it was negative and give me the protocol for the next cycle. They hadn't called with my blood results by 4:45 and the girls at work kept telling me to call them. Michael was on his way to pick me up so I waited for him so that he would be there for me to cry to. The receptionist answered and said "let me go get the nurse," which I took as a sure sign of it being negative. She got on the line and said "honey, you're pregnant. Your beta was 278!" I said "I am" and Michael just broke out in the biggest smile and said "I'm gonna be a daddy!" We're lucky he didn't crash, he was so happy I don't think he could concentrate on the road!

6. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? I immediately got on the phone with my family (all four of them just happened to be at my parents house and they all started screaming) and Michael called his parents.

7. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? Definitely, I like to have everything planned out. Plus I wanted to go shopping!

8. DUE DATE? January 7th, 2009

9. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? I had all day sickness! It was the first time I had thrown up in over 10 years!! And I am not lying.

10. CRAVINGS? Pineapple and Mandarin Oranges. My sweet visiting teacher Nicole O'Neil brought me some cans of oranges.
11. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? The rude comments. Like people saying "well that's what you get for doing fertility treatments" when I told them I was having twins. Or being told that I was selfish for doing the treatments because I could have "easily" adopted a child.
12. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? Two girls! I was convinced we were having one of each though.

13. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? No, we would have been thrilled with whatever we were given.

14. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? I lost 25, and gained 17 of it back by the time I delivered.

15. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? Yes. I am spoiled rotten and I had 3! My amazing sister -in-law threw the first one for me and it was beautiful. Then my visiting teachers threw one, and my sweet sister and Teri threw the last one.

16. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? I knew about all of them, but my Grandma did fly up for the 3rd one to surprise me.

17. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? Yes. I had bleeding early on and was told that I was probably going to lose Reagan at the first u/s. Then I had some umm *difficulties* that landed me in the ER. Then because of Reagan's size they thought I had twin to twin transfusion. Then all of a sudden my cervix shortened, I was contracting, and Reagan's water broke, so I ended up in the hospital, and everyone knows the rest!

18. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? In Reno at St Mary's. I looooove the labor and delivery nurses and could not have been happier with the care I received.

19. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? 24 hours. The stupid on call doctor did not believe me that my contractions had broken through the 3 meds they had given me and that I was having back labor.

20. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? We walked! Okay, so Michael drove me to my doctor's appointment because I wasn't allowed to, and she is right across the street from the hospital.

21. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? My husband, two doctors delivering, the anesthesiologist, two nicu nurses, a nicu doctor, two respiratory therapists, and a nurse to assist the doctors delivering.
22. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? Emergency c-section. It sounds much cooler if you say emergency :)

23. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? I didn't have a choice, but I would have asked for an epidural even if I didn't have a c-section.

24. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 1 pound 14 ounces and 2 pounds 4 ounces.

25. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN ? 12 weeks early on October 16, 2008

26. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Bailey Jane and Reagan Lee

27. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN? 4 and a half months!

Valentines Day

2009-02-11T14:53:00.000-08:00

I love Valentines Day. I love making cards for my family, baking sugar cookies and decorating them. I just love it. I think it's because I'm one of those mushy romantics (shameful, I know). Unfortunately, my husband hates it. Don't get me wrong, he is a very loving and romantic man. He just thinks it's ridiculous to have 1 day devoted to the people you love, instead of showing them you love them all year round. Because of this, and the fact that the girls are still on oxygen, we are not doing anything this year *sigh*. Oh, speaking of oxygen, the girls did their room air test last night. We turned off their oxygen tanks and attached them to a machine that measures their oxygen saturation and records how many desaturations they have. They spent the whole night like this and I think they did pretty well. As soon as the darn medical supply company comes to pick up the machines, they'll give the results to the doctor and she'll let us know if the girls can come off. Maybe once they are off they will seem like real babies instead of preemies. It's hard having your child confined to one room of the house and not being able to carry them around with you. Okay, now I'm just starting to complain, and that's not the point. The point is that Michael and I want what is best for the girls even if it means tripping over and pulling on cords for a little while longer.

Food

2009-02-01T15:38:00.000-08:00

I love food. And I love to cook food too, not just eat it. Whenever I am stressed or sad, I'll go whip something up in the kitchen. I also love cooking magazines and looking for new recipes. I'll share these two that I just found because they are soooo easy and really good too. They are from Katie Lee Joel. I like her stuff because it's so simple and you can do a lot of it in minutes. If you decide to try them, great, I think you'll like them. If not, I still love you :)

Chili Cheese dip:

1 pound ground beef

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 16 oz. jar of salsa

4 oz. cream cheese cut into cubes

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Brown the meat in a skillet. Pour out grease. Add taco seasoning and salsa; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes stirring every so often. Add cream cheese and cheddar and stir until melted. Serve hot with tortilla chips

Reese's Brownies

This recipe is even easier. Prepare a box of brownie mix according to the instructions on the back. Pour half of the prepared mix into a pan. Top with Reese's peanut butter cups (the big ones, about 16). Pour remaining half of batter over the peanut butter cups and bake according to instructions.

Not much going on

2009-01-26T17:58:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm quite proud of myself so I had to share. This is the cake I made for my sister's 22nd birthday. It was my first time ever doing a "sculpted" cake and also my first time working with fondant. It's not perfect, and it definitely had it's flaws, but I think it turned out pretty cute. The cake was delicious by the way. I got the recipe from Williams - Sonoma and it was fantastic. And even though my sister was probably a little old for this cake, she humors me because she's my princess and best friend.

In other news, can you believe these cuties are already over 3 months old? Seriously where has the time gone? They fill every day with love and amazement. I am so lucky to be able to stay home with them every day. They are tons of fun. I have started losing my hair though because they both love to grab onto it and pull it to their faces. When I finally get free, their chubby little hands are wrapped around 5 or 6 strands of hair. This happens multiple times a day, and I'm thinking I may need a haircut before I go bald! Anyways, Bailey loves to snuggle and makes the funniest faces we've ever seen. She is constantly making her Daddy laugh. She has also started pushing up with her arms and lifting her head at which point she rolls her body side to side or does this hilarious head bob. Reagan is our little sweet pea. She is rarely fussy and is perfectly content just looking around, cooing and sucking on her hands. She is such a sweetheart and still a tiny little thing. So far we have avoided RSV, colds, and the flu, and we are praying it stays that way. Daddy started school last week and the three of us girls miss him a ton when he's gone. But we are so proud of him and always look forward to seeing him at the end of the day. The only exciting thing coming up is the girls' appointment with the pulmonologist on February 4th. She should determine that day when the girls can come off the oxygen. Mommy can't wait because she is so fed up with all of these tubes and wires!!

Reagan and her cute little mohawk!
Hehe, I love this face. I caught her right before she started to yawn.

Bailey and Reagan's room

2009-01-12T14:33:00.000-08:00

Okay, so the girls' room has been finished for a while now, thanks to my amazing husband. He painted the room, dresser, and set everything up for me! I'm so proud of how it turned out, so I thought I would share. Plus, I'm kind of bored. *You can't really tell because of the lighting, but the room is a pale green. It's very similar to the color of the background of this blog.

The top of their dresser. Their initials are next to their set of footprints.
Two diaper cakes from my showers and a shadowbox I put together with stuff from the hospital. It has their hospital birth announcement cards, hats they wore and more footprints. What can I say, I love their tiny little feet!
My recliner, which Michael's sister gave to us. It is so comfy, I love it. I've loved fairies ever since I was little, so a few years ago Michael bought me the hanging metal fairy mobile in Apple Hill. It is the cutest thing.
I know I keep bragging about my husband. But he picked out the girls bedding. It is gorgeous, and I couldn't have picked something better myself.
The wall letters that we painted. We thought about putting "and" in between the names so that it doesn't look like one name, but it looked funny.

2008

2008-12-30T14:46:00.000-08:00

So this was the first year that I didn't send out Christmas cards. It's not like I didn't have the time, I just didn't feel like doing it for some reason. Instead I'll just catch you up on some of the highlights of this year. Most of it is old news, sorry!

January- My sister Juliann was married January 5th bringing another Michael into the family! It was also the same day as one of the worst snow storms of the year. We just barely ended up with a reception!

February- I had surgery the day after Valentine's day.

March- We went to Cancun, Mexico (one of our favorite places to visit) with our friends Jamin and Taneil, Andy, Janet and Michael's brother Chris.

April- We found out I was pregnant on April 30th.

May- It's twins! We also went to visit Michael's sister Nicole and her husband and kids in Utah. We had a lot of fun.

June- My brother Skyler graduates high school.

July- I turned 23!

August- We found out we were having 2 girls on August 5th. Michael and I celebrated our 4th anniversary on August 7th with a week long trip to Vegas. We went and saw Blue Man Group again and had a very romantic dinner! Even if you aren't very far along in a pregnancy, Vegas is miserable in the summer!!

October- I was hospitalized on the 3rd. Bailey and Reagan were born on the 16th.

November-Reagan and Bailey both have heart surgery the first week of the month making it the most stressful week of our lives! Michael turned 27.

December-Bailey and Reagan make it home just in time for us to spend their first Christmas with them!

The girls first Christmas

2008-12-25T20:05:00.000-08:00

The girls both came home on December 23rd, making this the best Christmas ever. We thought that Reagan would come home first and we would be visiting Bailey in the hospital today. I guess she decided she didn't want to be alone at the hospital and started eating like she was supposed to. They are both still on oxygen though and apnea monitors, which we are greatful for as they have alerted us to several apnea/bradycardias. So anyways, Nana and Uncle Chris came over to open presents with us. Poor Papa was sick so he stayed next door and watched us on ichat. The girls are wearing the Christmas dresses that Grandma made them. We couldn't find any small enough to buy so she used a dolls dress pattern for them. Aren't they cute? Grandma and Grandpa came over later with Uncle Skyler and we opened presents from them. The girls got some fun books and toys and lots of cute clothes of course. Mommy and Daddy got a lot of fun presents too but all we really wanted for Christmas was to have our sweet little angels with us, and we got that. Santa was good to us this year!

Bailey is on the left and Reagan is on the right. We kept pushing Reagan's arms down and she would raise them right back up.
The two best presents under the tree
Mommy and Daddy are a little tired. It was a long night!

Quick Update

2008-12-18T20:43:00.000-08:00

I'm really tired, but I thought I should update quickly. First off we were told last Saturday that Reagan would be coming home this past Tuesday so we would need to stay the night Monday. Well Monday came and they told us that she wasn't doing as well as they wanted her to and so they were going to keep her longer still. We were devastated but my sweet sister brought up the fact that the Lord does things for a reason. And he truly does. You see, I had been having some abdominal pain and nausea for almost a week. On Tuesday Michael noticed that my eyes were yellow, and by Wednesday my skin had turned yellow and I was exhausted all the time. I went to the ER for the second time this year and they ran a bunch of blood tests, an MRI and an ultrasound on my gallbladder. My Liver enzymes were really high and my bile duct had dilated from 3mm to 11mm in 2 months which was quite a jump. This morning they had me go in for an ERCP where they put me to sleep and put a scope down my throat, through my stomach and into my gall bladder. There they found a large gallstone wedged in my bile duct, and it was not going to move. So they cut a slit in the duct and pushed the stone out. I woke up while the scope was still in and gagged a whole bunch. Yuck. And I will have to have my gallbladder removed eventually. So while all of this was very unfortunate and I'm kind of sore now, it's actually a blessing that Reagan didn't come home because we would not have been able to keep her at the hospital with us because of the risk of infection. And once babies leave the NICU they're not allowed back in so they don't contaminate other babies. So it all worked out. And now I'm even more tired after typing it.

Blessings and Thanks

2008-12-03T23:11:00.000-08:00

If you can't tell after reading this post, I'm emotional tonight. This year for Thanksgiving I really started thinking about all of the blessings that we have received and all that we have to be grateful for. I realized that through some of the biggest trials we have had, came the greatest blessings. We dealt with infertility for two and a half years and the bitterness and heartache that came with it, went through surgery because of infertility, spent tons of money on treatments, went into pre-term labor, had two heart surgeries for the babies, and have to leave our babies in the NICU but... we have the two most perfect angels we could ever have asked for. I know it sounds kind of cheesy to say that they were worth the wait, but they really were. I would go through all of that and more for them again without hesitating. Michael and I are more grateful for them than they will ever know. They truly light up our lives and have brought so much love to us. Our hearts have literally doubled in size. It has also brought Michael and I closer together and reconfirmed how much we mean to each other. I now realize that I spent way too much time focusing on all of the negative and putting too much energy into being bitter, that I forgot about all that Heavenly Father had already blessed me with. We have a very rich and blessed life. This was taken on Thanksgiving. It is the first time the girls had been together since they were still inside me. Bailey is on the left and Reagan on the right

*Update: The babies are now in an open air crib together and are taking every other feeding from a bottle. Yesterday, Bailey took her whole bottle without any oxygen!

Bath Time!

2008-11-26T17:07:00.001-08:00

Last night, Michael and I went to the hospital at 10 pm to watch the girls get their 2nd tub baths. They had us watch and sort of assist so that this Friday we can come in and do it ourselves. Reagan loved the bath and looked like she was relaxing at the spa. Miss Bailey on the other hand wasn't too thrilled about being taken out of her warm bed. But she calmed down once it was done and Daddy started brushing her hair. So here are some pics of their tub time!This is right before Daddy put Bailey in the tub. She was so mad and squirming all around and she pooped in her Daddy's hand.

Hehe, Reagan's Baby Booty. I couldn't resist putting this picture up. It's so cute, I just want to pinch her little bum!!

   Bailey wasn't crazy about her bath
   Fluffy head Reagan

   Reagan relaxing during bath time

Some of my favorite pictures

2008-11-19T03:41:00.000-08:00

Reagan with her pretty bow!
Sweet sleeping Bailey.
Reagan's itty bitty hand.
Mommy and Bailey.
Mommy and Bailey again.

Our Baby Loves

2008-11-18T17:28:00.000-08:00

I was able to get a few pictures today of both girls. Actually, I only got one of Bailey before she got mad. You can't really tell because of her blanket, but she's wearing clothes. You can see the collar of her outfit sticking out above the blanket. And that's Reagan all spread out before I change her diaper and with her pacifier, which she loves. If you try to take it from her mouth, she'll start sucking really hard and really fast!

Time really does fly

2008-11-17T15:26:00.000-08:00

I can't believe the girls are already over a month old. That is so weird. We don't really have a whole lot of news on them right now, but that's a good thing. As of our last visit, Reagan was up to 2 pounds 9 ounces and taking 23 cc's of milk, and Bailey was at 3 pounds 4 ounces and 20 cc's of milk. Reagan also had her PICC line removed so she is no longer receiving lipids through that, just the nutrients from the milk. Bailey should have hers removed any day now. Bailey is also wearing clothes!! They're preemie clothes and they're still huge on her, but she loves them. She just lays there with a little smile on her face, it's so cute. Can you tell that we're totally in love with these babies? I can't find our current pictures of the girls, so I put their footprints up instead. Reagan's are on top and Bailey's are on the bottom. That's my finger next to them, and they're actually about the same size (appx. 2 inches long) but Bailey's are wider.

Oh Bailey Jane!

2008-11-08T09:04:00.000-08:00

Why did you have to put your Mommy and Daddy through this stress? Bailey apparently decided that she needed to be exactly like her sister and have surgery as well yesterday. So now they will have matching scars. This time was much easier, but still kind of scary. The surgeon asked if they were identical twins (they're not) because he said that anatomically their hearts are exactly the same. Well, it should only get better from here. Actually, both girls are already doing much better. They've lowered both girls oxygen, and Reagan is hardly having any apnea/bradychardia episodes. Yay!

It's finally over

2008-11-03T18:03:00.000-08:00

Reagan's surgery is done, so I think I can relax a little. We got to the hospital at 7:30 this morning so that I could hold her before she went into surgery. She was so alert and watched me the whole time. At 9:00 I had to put her back so that they could draw blood. It was so painful to hear her cry! Then the anesthesiologist came in. He starts off by saying, "I'm sure you've heard this is a minor surgery, but it's not. Open heart surgery is a major operation." I think I liked it better when I was being lied to. Surgery was scheduled for 10:00 so at 9:30 they started to intubate her. I sobbed as I listened to her scream because the tube was too big, and as her heart rate dropped to the low 40's. They finally got the right size in and let me come over to see her. Her mouth had blood all around it, and her chest was still heaving. We walked with her down to the operating room and they let Michael and I give her a kiss. She just stared at me so pitiful and helpless, and it broke my heart that I couldn't be with her and comfort her. The operation ended at about 12:00 because it took 8 people 45 minutes to get a special IV in her. We were allowed to go see her at 12:30. They had given her a medication to paralyze her so that she wouldn't move around too much or pull anything out. She looked beautiful and had her tongue sticking out under her ventilator. Her vitals are great and they are going to keep her sedated on morphine for the next couple of days. Michael and I are exhausted from all the stress, and so relieved. I don't know if I will be able to hold it together if Bailey has to go through this as well.

It can't just be easy

2008-11-01T10:01:00.001-07:00

Just to warn you, this is a pity party post. You're brave if you read on any farther.

So our little peanut of a baby Reagan has to have surgery on Monday. It's rather minor as far as surgeries go and the surgeon doing it has a 100% success rate and has done hundreds of these surgeries over the years. She has a duct on the outside of her heart that will not close. This is common in preemies because the duct usually closes later on in pregnancy. Right now her sweet little heart is working overtime and she is beginning to show signs of some lung problems. I know that this surgery will be good for her and that it will help with her apnea, but I am so upset. Why does my sweet little girl have to go through this? Why do either of my babies? I'm afraid it's going to be hard on her little body, and I've been warned that she won't look good after the surgery, but that in a few days time she'll be back to normal. I don't know if I can bear to see her like that. It's hard enough with all the tubes and wires sticking out of both of them right now. I'm scared and I'm going to go cry now.

Our little princesses!

2008-10-23T16:03:00.000-07:00

I'll update with pictures soon! Our girls are doing so well. They have been off their ventilators for 4 days now, and are on nasal canulas (not sure if that's spelled right). They are requiring very little extra oxygen as well. They were fed with Mommy's milk today and tolerated it well. It's been fun to see their little personalities developing already. Bailey is so calm and serene and hardly ever fusses, even when they are working on her. She likes to open her eyes and just watch us. She also loves to sleep with her hands tucked up right against her face, just like her Mommy. She even tries to suck on the hand that has her IV and is covered in tape and cotton. Reagan is quite the wiggler and is more sensitive to the NICU sounds than her sister. She doesn't like a lot of stimulation unless it's coming from Mommy or Daddy. Then she calms down. She also puts up a fight if she is not sleeping on her stomach. That is her favorite position and she will fuss until the nurses turn her over. They all think she is the cutest thing because she is so tiny. Michael and I got to hold them for the first time yesterday and the nurse said she has never seen a baby do so well on their first Kangaroo care as ours did. Neither one cried, lost any body heat, or varied in their vitals. It was an amazing experience and we had so much fun doing it.

2008-10-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

So it appears that the twins are just as impatient as their daddy. At 9:18 and 9:20, Reagan then Bailey Orton were born and weigh 1 lb. 14 oz. and 2 lbs. 4 oz. Everyone is as healthy as can be expected and doing well. Here are our girls-

Taking the good with the bad

2008-10-08T08:56:00.001-07:00

The good: On Sunday we learned that our sweet little Reagan is using her head to plug up the hole in her sac. Needless to say, we are very proud of her!! She is having a difficult time getting enough nutrients from her placenta which is why she is so small, but she's holding strong. Our Bailey bug on the other hand is growing right on track and is very active. In fact she likes to keep her mommy awake at night with lots of kicking and moving. I am hooked up to heart monitors for the babies so Michael and I enjoy the comfort of falling asleep to those precious little heartbeats.

Now for the not so good : The dr's believe I have some sort of infection that is causing all of this. The even bigger problem is that they have no idea what the infection is. They know I have cholestasis and have put me on a pill to help relieve the itching that keeps me awake at night. I also had 14 vials of blood drawn in addition to the 2 they take each morning which are being tested for all sorts of infectious diseases. I'm also on medication to stop the contractions that have started again. This shouldn't seem like a big deal except that an infection could be potentially hazardous to our little one's. So for now we wait and rule things out one by one!

Thank you all for your love and prayers. I know that this is what will give me the strength to keep our girls healthy.

Pre-term labor

2008-10-05T10:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry, this is about to get long. On October 1st my perinatologist sent me home on strict bedrest because Reagan was right on my cervix and it was beginning to shorten. On Friday, 10/03 I had an appointment with my OBGYN. She noticed that I was 1.5 centimeters dilated and that my cervix had really started to thin. She immediately sent me over to labor and delivery and they got me hooked up to some monitors. Turns out I was having contractions every three minutes. At about 12 that afternoon, Reagan's water broke. It has slowly been leaking, but the ultrasounds show that she does still have some fluid left. I am currently taking magnesium sulfate to stop the contractions. Talk about hot flashes! I thought my skin was on fire. I have also had 2 steroid shots to help mature both girls lungs and hearts. I'm also on a constant dose of antibiotics to prevent bacteria from entering Reagan's amniotic sac. My arms and hands hurt from the 12 blood draws I have had in the past 48 hours, and my back is very achey. But I know that I can stay strong for our baby girls. This is my job and I want to do it the best that I can. For now our goal is to make it to 34 weeks, only 7.5 weeks away. With all the love and prayers that we have been receiving and with Heavenly Father watching over us, I am hopeful and positive that this is possible. Thank you all!

Stuff we love take 2!

2008-09-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

Our baby girls. This was their first ultrasound.
Hawaii. As you can tell, we love to travel!
Mikey, Savannah, and Arden, three of our four beautiful nieces.
Most of Michael's family. Brian, Mikey and Arden were missed.
And our newest niece, Madison.

Sorry about having to put them in two posts. I'm not very good at figuring this stuff out!

Things and people we love

2008-09-07T16:18:00.000-07:00

Chichen Itza in Cancun Mexico.
Our chocolate lab, and spoiled baby, Bear.
Michael loves off-roading and working on his jeep.
Michael and his Dad on a hunting trip.

My family: Mom, Dad, Juliann and Skyler. And Bear's butt.

22 week belly

2008-09-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

This is my baby belly at 22 weeks. For those of you who may not know, Michael and I are expecting our first children in early January. We are so blessed to be having two sweet baby girls, Bailey and Reagan. Both girls are growing well and are healthy, though Reagan is quite a bit smaller than her sister. The doctor thinks that she is just genetically smaller, which unfortunately means she got her Mommy's genes. Both are quite active and love to kick Mommy and each other. We are so in love with our little ones and we can't wait to meet them.