The Braga Fam

christmas 2011 cont.

2012-01-23T12:14:00.000-08:00

sissy and mama

nana Karen!

Nana Roxy and Papa Jim!

Christmas 2011 come and gone!

2012-01-22T12:39:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas in Gooding with all of our familes, we had a great and almost relaxing time. I say almost, cause we aren't quite there with the twins yet for complete relaxation. We got to be home for a week which was nice not to have to make a quick trip home and turn around and come back. The kids are old enough now that they love being with their cousins and aunts/uncles and of course their nanas and papas. They have been talking about them since we left and can't wait to see some of them again for their birthday!

Kam and Ry are becoming the best of friends, even though they squabble here and there, they are really aware of each others feelings and speak for each other a lot of times. When Kam needs something Ry will make sure that we hear what she is needing by repeating it even louder. When Ry is just waking up from his nap, Kam will usually greet him with "Hi buddy, did you have a good sleep?" They are so funny to watch and listen too. They are both in their big kid beds and are doing rather amazing in them. Ry has fallen out at least 8 times, but it doesn't seem to interrupt his sleep too much. We are working to get Ry potty trained. He will go potty on the toilet at least once or twice a day but refuses to wear his pull ups or big boy underwear! Sis has done very well in this department. Who knew potty training would actually be easy? She pretty much did it herself, and has had one or two accidents. She does wear a pull-up at night and nap still but will be done with that very soon! I cannot believe how fast our soon to be 3 year olds are growing! It seems like yesterday that we were bringing our 4lb bundles home from the hospital. Time flies!

We love our cousins!!

hmmmm... can i have a bite of your ice-cream?

fishy kisses!! and naked as usual!!

puppy cuddles!

hay ride with the big horses

grinding corn in papas big teepee

sharing hot cocoa!

Kam caught off gaurd

catch up time!!

2011-12-17T19:30:00.000-08:00

Wow the last few months have flown by! For halloween we met with our very good friends and went out with the kids to trick or treat for the first time. It didn't take them long to figure out that knocking on doors meant getting candy! They had a blast doing this with their little buddies!

Thanksgiving we spent with Troy's brother and wife and their family in Sdeattle! We had a great time and the twins really loved seeing their cousins!!

For Christmas we are headed down south! No, not somewhere warm! But down to Gooding to see all the family. We are excited to see everyone but dread the drive! We pray for good weather and lots of naps!! We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!!! Love to all!

Here are a few random pictures over the past few months!!

First snow!! guess who likes it and who doesn't!!

pillow talk!

silly kids!

My perfect Christmas gifts!

Pumpkins, pumpkins and pumpkins

2011-10-17T20:03:00.000-07:00

Fall is here! Even though I really love this time of year, it reminds me that winter is just around
the corner, which means lots of time spent inside the house, which means cabin fever and a crazy mommy! But I guess up here winter is unavoidable.

We recently went up to our favorite place this time of year, Green Bluff. Lots of pumpkins, apples, beautiful scenery and the petting zoo! We picked the most beautiful, sunny day to do this, it was absolutley gorgeous. With the exception of Kamryn getting her first bee sting, it was a pretty successful day.

On a different note, I have always heard the twins tend to have their own special language, I didn't think ours really had one until now. Kamryn keeps saying this word "Comino" and her speech is pretty clear to where we usually know what she is saying. So she kept saying this and i asked Ry what she was saying and he knew exactly what she was meaning, he said "comino for ry ry" and she kept saying no comino for daddy, but we are still are unsure what she is meaning! too funny!

Giddyup!!

Kamryn and her future husband!

CHEEESSSSEEE!!!!

Long day, exhausted kiddos!!

So for Troy's B-day present he was given a hall-pass to go fishing for a weekend! He and his brother had a great time and Troy caught a 7.5 lb bass!! Here is his proof!!

Quotes cont.

2011-10-03T07:05:00.000-07:00

I thought of a couple more funnies. The other day Kam was sitting in her car seat with her finger clear up her nose(just like her daddy) and I said "what are you digging for in there" she came back with "butterflies". Who knew?
While sitting in their highchairs one morning, Troy had just left for work, and Ry looks at me with concern and says "where did my special daddy go"?

Say What?

2011-10-01T11:14:00.001-07:00

Ok for those of you who are in or have gone through the two year old stage know that it comes with frustration, lots of no's, messes and time outs!! But also very funny things that come out their mouths! So here are a few of my favorite quotes that have recently been said: Kam thinks medicine is the answer for everything so it leads her to believe with every bumped head or stubbed toe, she needs medicine to fix it, so she frequently is telling me "I'm not feeling well" in order to get her "medicine" which is most of the time water in a syringe, but she doesn't seem to know the difference yet. She also has a big opionion when it comes to my hair or what I'm wearing, today she told me " I don't like your coat". Thanks sis way to make your mama feel good about herself. She does tell my often that she does like my hair though.
Ry is very much into trying to be a big boy, so everything he is doing starts out with "only big boys". So he and sissy were in the tub the other night, and she was pulling on his "thing" and laughing(which I'm surprised she hasnt discovered it long ago). I told her "Kam that is Ry Ry's pee pee and only Ry Ry can touch it k". He comes back with "yeah only Ry Ry and big boys can touch my pee pee". I think you better rephrase that one buddy! The other night we put them to bed and Kam usually goes right to sleep while Ry sits in bed and sings songs and practices his ABC's, so about an hour after they were put to bed, Ry was still talking, and we hear him say "is that fine sissy, sissy, SISSY" then he starts crying and saying "I'm scared, where's sissy" I go in there and tell him she's sleeping, he had to make sure for himself that she was in her bed, so I had to get him out and go look at her. The other day I was getting ready for the day, and I hear them talking in the living room, which they usually communicate to each other in high pitched, sweet voices. So Kam was telling Ry "I'm going to the store, I will be right back give me a kiss", I looked around the corner just in time to see Ry look up from his trains he was playing with his lips puckered up and Kam bending over and they gave each other a sweet kiss, so precious! They are both aware of their emotions and what kind of mood they are in, although not very accurate at times, they still can give me a pretty good idea about how they are feeling. Kam will tell me frequently "I'm so happy". Ry is really into saying "I'm crabby" in his most grouchy voice. Sometimes I wish I could push the pause button, cause all too soon they will be big kids in school!

Family pics and summer time!

2011-07-20T21:03:00.000-07:00

We recently got our family pictures done by a good friend who did an amazing job. It is really difficult to take photos of two moving targets and get good pics but she did it!!

We have had a busy but fun summer so far, first week of july was spent with both mine and Troy's families in Gooding. We had a good time with the families, had a couple stressful moments and sad ones too, losing our family dog Fletcher was really hard.

Two weeks ago Troy ran his first marathon in Missoula, MT. The kids and I were there to cheer him on. He did a great job and suprisingly wants to do another one soon. CRAZY!!!!

Below are some of our favorite family pics taken!!

Guess how this ends up!

Kamryn -1 Rylan - 0 (although it is usually opposite)!

Troy here. Thought I'd share a bit of what happened with Fletcher. As Katie mentioned above, we did suffer a very tragic loss while in Gooding on vacation. Fletcher had been in Gooding for over a week without me there - Katie, the kids, and Fletch went down a week before me. He was staying at my parents' house which is bascially dog heaven - 20 acres with a little river, quail, deer, pheasants. Fletcher loved that place. For a reason I'll never understand, after being there for a week, he got lost or decided to wander off, or both. Despite hours spent looking for him, we were unable to find him. A few days after he disappeared, a person saw a sign we had placed in a local grocery store. He called and told me that he had seen a dog matching our description laying in the grass on the side of a highway near town. My brother and I drove out there, and it was Fletch. He had obviously been there for a while, leading us to believe he likely got hit the day he disappeared or the day after. Definitely one of the saddest days of my life. For those of you that met Fletcher and know me, you then also know that the term "man's best friend" was made for this dog and me. Fletcher was almost 8 and he had a great run (often literally) in that time. It was devastating to lose him the way we did, but it is very fortunate our kids aren't old enough to have the emotional connection or understanding of what happened. That would be unbearable. They know he's not around, but they just think he went "night night". We'll definitely get another dog and it too will become part of the family, but it will take a little time before I'm ready for that.

shootin' hoops

2011-05-13T10:13:00.000-07:00

Troy here. As we've mentioned on the blog a few times, Rylan has quite the spirited competitiveness about him. He has also (much to my excitement) taken quite the liking to basketball - and by "liking" I really mean "addiction". And, I can honestly say he has developed this little addiction all on his own. Yes, I may have put a ball in his hands when we brought him home from the hospital a couple years ago, but that was all I had to do with this!

He loves nothing more than to "shoot hoops" on his little hoop at home, and going to the "b-ball gym" with daddy. We were at the gym a few nights ago, and while I was shooting around I realized Rylan was trying to copy my every move. He was watching very closely to see what my hands did when I was shooting the ball, and then he was trying to hold the ball the same way. I snapped a few quick pics with my phone. Then I tried to help him a bit, but that only resulted in something we hear 20 times per day - a very loud and direct "No. Ry Ry do it!".

I'm expecting an epic battle next month trying to keep Rylan contained in his stoller and off the courts at Hoopfest. Maybe I should just put him on our team!

mama's helper

2011-05-09T14:29:00.000-07:00

Kamryn has moved quickly into the motherly role, poor Rylan now has 2 mommies!! She is quick to tell him not to do something, and the other day we encountered our first, Im sure out of many to come, tattle tail!! I was standing around the corner so I can't see what Ry is doing, but I have Kamryn in my visual range, she starts screaming "Ry Ry hitting kitty", I come around the corner and sure enough he is wailing on the cat! Kamryn also likes to assist in the changing of the diaper department. I walk into the kitchen with Rylan bent over and Kamryn has his pants and diaper pulled out, looking down his pants saying "checking for poopies", once again she was right, big ol'poop!! When I am changing his diaper she likes to wipe him too.
My 2 little comedians make me laugh at least 10 times a day! They were both in the tub the other night and Kamryn started making bubbles with her bum bum(tooting), Rylan starts laughing hysterically and says "do it again, do it again"! They take such good care of each other and are beginning to have a really special twin bond. It is so fun to watch them grow and laugh with each other! I am truly one blessed mama!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-25T20:42:00.000-07:00

I find myself anticipating every holiday, outing, and vacation because the twins are at such fun ages. They understand things more everyday and can actually get involved! Troy sometimes has to keep me grounded and remind me that they are still only 2 years old, and I as the mom may be more excited about things then they are, so not to get too dissapointed if they don't react the way I want them to. I still love to watch the look on their faces when doing and trying new things for the first time!

We had about 3 mock easter egg hunts before the actual day. I knew that our little, competitive Rylan would need some practice runs so we wouldn't come game day and have him smack some helpless child over the head with the easter basket because they touched his egg. They both did very well and had a blast gathering eggs. There were only a couple melt downs, and although Rylan did get a bit competitive, he did not smack anyone. We also dyed some eggs for them and they were able to put on stickers. Only 3 eggs ended up cracked during the sticker applications, which I thought was pretty good! We ended the Easter festivities with a wonderful church service, which reminds us of the true and only reason for this season!!

Nana "Rocky" got to come visit us for a few days, and was able to enjoy being with the kiddos. We had a a couple days of wonderful sunshine and spent each second that we could outside! We had a lot of fun with Nana and can't wait to see everyone again in the summer!

Tender heart

2011-04-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

I knew my boy had a sweet and tenderness about him from the moment he was born. He would open up his tiny little eyes and peak to see if his sissy was laying right by him and then would lean his head over close to hers and fall back to sleep! His sweetness still melts my heart to this day.

Kamryn cut her finger last night and it was bleeding quite a bit, so she was cuddling with me and crying. Rylan walks over to her, hugs her, and says, "sorry sissy", and gives her a binkie and her blankie.

So today, they were both sick. While cuddled up together watching Toy Story 2, it came to a very sad part. I was trying to hold back the tears (yes i cry during toy story), I look at Rylan and he turns to me with big tears in his eyes. At that time, I wasn't crying because of the movie anymore! Love those moments!

Couldn't resist this picture!

Wrasslin'

2011-04-01T14:56:00.000-07:00

Rylan long ago discovered that he likes him some rough-housin'. Unfortunately, the usual target for his fun-loving aggression is his not-so-aggressive sister. This means when Rylan gets the itch to wrestle, the result is usually him laughing and Kamryn screaming (it is mean, but usually it is mom and dad laughing too).

But, every once in a while, Kamryn decides she is ready to participate and not just run for protection. The other day, at a friend's birthday party, she got the upper-hand on Rylan. Although she thought she was really tormenting her brother with her relentless attacks, he was actually loving it and it left him thinking she was fair game for a wrestling match anytime he wants to throw down.

So, Kamryn's plan to put Rylan in his place backfired just a bit, but at least she had a brief moment of glory - and we ended up with some funny pics for the blog (thanks for snapping these, Connie).

And by the way, the nice little wound on Rylan's head is not from his sister and her expert wrestling moves. That would be a self-inflicted wound from slamming his head into the carpet during a fit (a fit he was probably throwing after getting in trouble for trying to wrestle with his sister!).

...and we're 2!!!

2011-03-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

Two 2 year olds in the house can be entertaining, frustrating, and hilarious all within the same 5 minutes! I remember looking at my newborn babies, thinking toddlerhood is soo far away, but we are already there. I can't believe it. I heard this saying the other day, "the days seem long, but the years are quick". So true. Some days seem to drag on, but in the whole scheme of things, it is such a short time that they are little. Even through my most trying and frustrating days, I try to cherish these moments, because my 2 little blessings are literally growing before my eyes!

We had a Shrek themed party for the b-day. We invited their 3 best friends, who we get together with at least once or twice a week. It is so fun to watch toddlers with their besties. They hug and giggle and five seconds later are fighting over the same toy!! They really develop a sense of relationships at such young ages. They had a blast playing together, eating tons of cake and wearing their shrek ears, even though 3 out of the 5 kids had diarrhea, it was still a success! We also got to enjoy nana Karen coming to visit us for the week!

Rylan's verbal skills and vocabulary have really increased over the past month or two. He repeats everything we say, I mean EVERYTHING!! He doesn't miss a beat! His favorite phrases right now are, "I love you sunshine" (we are into loving everything), "sissy's funny" and "I did it". He is hilarious to listen to! He is ALL boy - busy, destructive, loves to build, is obssessed with B-ball (thanks to daddy), loves cars and airplanes - but, he still has a very caring and tender spirit.

Kamryn is a little sweetheart/spit-fire!! She loves to cuddle with mama and is always aware of where I am at. She is a big show off, especially for her brother. She loves making him laugh, which is quite often. Her fashion opinions have alreay started. She picks what shoes she wants to wear, even if it doesn't go with the outfit, I let her choose! We are slowly easing them into potty training, and Kamryn has gone potty on the big girl potty 3 times. Who knew that would be so exciting for us parents! Even though our interest in the big potty has passed for now, we will try again later! I love my amazing job, being a mom!

Here are some random pics and photos from the birthday party.

What month is it?

2011-01-24T12:38:00.000-08:00

Wow, Christmas flew by, the new year flew by even quicker and now we are planning our almost 2 year old's birthdays, time does fly!! I feel like I need at least a week or so to catch my breath! Our holidays were wonderful as usual, we were able to spend them with both of our families, it was relaxing and fun just being home!! The twins were completely spoiled and had so much fun opening their presents and of course fighting over who got to play with it first!! Believe me, there are definite perks to having twins, but the whole sharing concept is not one of them!

We are slowly embarking on the potty training journey, they each have their own potty seat and are quite intrigued with using them. Kamryn is a little more excited to sit on it, she tells me "poop", then "potty" so we rush her to the bathroom, rip off her pants, and she sits on it for a minute and then says "toot, toot", sometimes, she actually goes. She has gone twice now, and she gets so proud of herself when she does it! Rylan will usually tell us after he has gone in his diaper. But at least there is some interest in that department! They are growing like weeds and say new things everyday, it amazes me how much they really know and understand at such a young age. If you ask them what color something is the answer is ALWAYS yellow, and if you ask how many? they will always shout out 2!! We definitley have begun the terrible two year old attitudes and tantrums, hoping that this "stage" soon passes. It is forcing mommy and daddy to contemplate moving out to the garage for the next year!

Say Cheese!!!

2010-12-17T14:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, so i was trying to cut cost and take my own Christmas picturse of the twins, i thought i would just stick them in front of the tree and get a couple cute shots of them. It didnt quite work the way i planned, so here a few of the pics i took, needless to say i did not use one of these photos for our Christmas cards!! This is why we do professional pictures from here on out!! We wish you all a blessed and happy Christmas, may Jesus remain the center of this holiday season!

First "official' vacation!! (with the twins)

2010-11-22T16:09:00.001-08:00

We took our little family on our first vacation to visit our wonderful friends, the Darcy's, in California! We had such a good time visitng them, and enjoying the sunny weather! We took the kids to their first zoo trip, they loved it, especially the monkeys. We also made a trip to Yosemite Park, which was absolutely beautiful, but needless to say we had very tired and cranky kids by the end of the day, which resulted in tired, cranky parents, which resulted in a nice mixed beverage to top off our long day! After 4 days of wonderful conversation, road trips, and parks we were quickly back on the plane to come home, wondering where the time went!!

Rylan has no fear when it comes to exploring new things. He climbed right up next to this goat at the zoo and started brushing it. When he stopped brushing, the goat let him know how she felt about it. This video stops just short of the knockout blow, but you can see where this was headed.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T11:24:00.000-07:00

We survived yet another halloween. We weren't sure we were going to get these 2 in their costumes, they took one look at them and screamed because they were scared! So through the howls and some kicking and screaming, we were able to hurry and slip them on! We took them downtown CDA, to numerous business who provided candy for the trick or treaters. Even though we were drenched from the rain, it was fun seeing all the other costumes! Mommy and daddy enjoyed eating most of the babies candy as well! Here of some pics of our eventful night, we werent able to get too many close pics of them, everytime we bring out the camera they stop performing and look away!

We tried getting a pic of them in the bathtub this morning, giving each other kisses but the hair pic was the best that we could capture!

Animals and pumpkins

2010-10-11T11:46:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the summer is already gone and we are now easing into cool weather and the changing of trees. I love this time of year! We took the kids to a couple petting zoos over the last month. It was pretty entertaining watching fearless Rylan try to ride a small pigmy goat, and try to swim in the horse's water. He loved every minute of it! Kamryn on the other hand had a death grip on me the whole time, she did brave petting a bunny or two!
This past weekend we went up to Greenbluff, which consists of numerous orchards and farms that you can go and pick your own pumpkins and fruit from. They had tons of fun things for the kids and thank God the weather permitted and we were able to enjoy the day with warm weather and good food!
These children are growing before our eyes! Each morning when I go and get them out of their cribs, I feel like they have gained a pound or two over night(it's probably just their wet diapers)!! They are soo fun. Kamryn's vocabulary has really blossomed, she pronounces her words very well. Her favorite ones to say are yellow, apple and cheerios! Its hilarious having her say them. Rylan has now figured out his favorite word to say, which is football, daddy is so happy to have a fellow football watcher in the house now!
Here are some pics of our recent outings!!

Summer fun pictures cont.

2010-09-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

What a fun summer...

Daddy and Kamryn waiting for the 4th of July parade to start!

The Bishop cousins!!

Uncle Aaron and Rylan on top of a big rock

Kamryn and Papa Arden sitting on the beach

2 hotties and a cute little boy!

Braga family campout picture!

Kamryn and Papa Jim, chillin

The Braga cousins!!

Mommy trying to scarf her food so that she doesnt starve, we all know how much i like my food!

Is summer ending already?

2010-09-02T16:59:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the delay in blog postings lately. Everytime I sit down to post, someone is needing me or needing me to do something!! Yes that is my life these days, catering to 2 demanding 18 month olds. I don't think they are any more demanding than any other child their age, i think it is just the age! I have begun to think that the infant stage was simple compared to the stage we are currently at! Yes, we are getting more sleep and still having to nurture, feed and love on them but the actual having to parent and discipline has set in. Some days to say the least can be quite trying. Our favorite new word in our household, is the typical toddler, NO, used by both parents and children.

We had a really good and adventerous summer that has seemed to go by so quickly! Everything that we do these days is adventerous with 2 toddlers! We celebrated the 4th of July in Whidbey Island with uncle Aaron and aunt Jaimie! The babies experienced their first ocean, the weather was chilly but it didnt seem to phase them at all! As long as their were enough rocks to throw, and in Kamryn's case, enough rocks to eat, we were content! We celebrated our countries independence by going to the parade downtown, and then induldged ourselves with greasy food at the carnival! The babies were in bed by 8:30, needless to say they missed the fireworks, they can catch them next year!

The next weekend was followed by the Braga campout! Even though, I was dreading the thought of keeping 2 curious and "independent" toddlers entertained, and out of the fire pit, I agreed to go on the camping trip!! We had a wonderful time with the family and we were at a great camping location, thanks to Troy. We spent most our days swimming in the lake, visiting with each other and of course trying to corral the kids! They slept pretty good through the nights, thank God, but I was still very excited on the last day of our camping vacation when we were headed home!! I was TIRED!

In August we had family up to our place for the week, it was such a fun week and like always nice to have extra hands to help out with the busy bees! We rode the trail of the hiawatha, which is a 13 mile bike ride through the mountains, it was very fun and entertaining, we only peed our pants a few times! We had a lot of fun showing the family around the place that we are beginning to call home!

Rylan is still taller than his sister by a good inch but almost a pound lighter. He is beginning to repeat everything we say and most of the words that come out are pretty clear, we are still working on some of them. He is a very busy and intelligent little boy, always having to figure out how his toys work. He loves to climb on things and figured out how to climb up the chair and watch out the window at airplanes that he hears up above, he also loves to watch for daddy to come home and wave out the window at him. He still has a very sweet and tender demeanor about him, but can also be very stubborn.

Kamryn, our little "ninny", is all girl from drama to fashion to attitude! She is too, very jabbery and repeats words that we say to her. Both of them carry on conversations between just the two of them quite frequently, i think they are planning and plotting against us at times! Kamryn loves to be busy and absolutley loves books, she is always bringing us a new book to read to her! I love being in the kitchen and feel this tight little squeeze around my thigh and look down to a huge smile and her tiny arms wrapped around my leg, she is very cuddly and lovey. We have had some recent changes in the Braga family, Troy has accepted a new job located in Spokane, so the same amount of travel time but in the opposite direction. He is the finance director at a non-profit organization. He is liking the new gig so far, and will also be able to have more time with our ever so changing babies! He will have a more family friendly schedule, which is so important to all of us!

Here are some pics of the babies over the summer!

First boat ride and silly babies!!

2010-06-24T09:41:00.000-07:00

So, we are due for an update!! We are finally getting nice weather here and able to enjoy being outside! It is about time! We took the babies on their first boat ride, needless to say, it was an adventure! Only about 5 things went into the water, luckily none of them were the kids! They loved the ride, but we only lasted about an hour out there, not bad, i must say!! I was a nervous wreck the whole time cause they wanted to be right next to the edge and look over at the water. Our little climber, Rylan kept trying to climb over! and YES we do have life jackets for them, they just didnt want to wear them the whole time, but we are going to work on that for the next boat ride!!
Well at least daddy can quit begging to take them out there on the boat, Im sure he will be much happier going alone next time!

Kamryn is not fully walking yet, she takes 5 steps and then her legs collapse underneath her. She isnt the most graceful child either when she is walking/falling(sorry baby, you take after your mama)!! she loves to have her brothers shoes on at all times(which are too big for her), she brings them to me and i have to put them on her, somtimes over her pajamas! She seems to be tolerating her brother a little more these days, even though they still have their moments she laughs at him and wants to be next to him more. And if she doesnt, then we will hear about it, she has quite the voice. She jabbers all day long, we say she speaks spanish and Ry speaks chinese!! She is turning into a little toddler, with long skinny legs and starting to lose her toddler belly, which makes me so sad, my babies are getting so big!!! She loves to cuddle with her daddy, and wont have much to do with me when he gets home from work!!

Rylan is ALL over the place. He pretty much runs everywhere he goes, he loves to climb on everything, we have to keep an eye on him at all times, cause he is busy. He loves the outdoors and wants to do everything by himself. He is still our sweet little tender boy. He is always laying his head down on his sissy and giving her "loves". He is quick to share his things with her too. She dropped her binkie the other day and he ran over and picked it up and gave it to her. He loves to cuddle with mommy, and when he talks he gets thes hilarious facial expressions like he is really serious about his conversation.
We are taking a few mini vacations this summer so we are so excited for those!! We are first going to Whidbey Island to visit my brother and sister-in-law there, meeting my parents, sister and her family and my grandparents there, that will be so much fun!! Then we are going to go camping the following weekend with the Braga family, which will also be fun, but very stressful Im sure, trying to corral and entertain two toddlers, good thing nana and papa will be there to help!!! In August, my mom, sis, aunt and g-parents will be coming up to CDA to see us!! so excited to show them up here!
Here are some pics from our boat ride and other fun moments!!

Vacation fun and Baby love!!

2010-05-11T14:35:00.000-07:00

Troy and I just got back from our cruise to the Caribbean for 9 days, 9 days full of fun, sun and tears! We had a really good time and got caught up on our sleep, we took advantage of taking naps, it was awesome!! BUT there were many tearful moments when I just couldn't stand being away from the babies!!! The twins had a BLAST at their Nana and Papa Braga's. They got to hang out with both sets of grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins. They kept very busy, ate well, slept well and pooped well!! Which are all the questions I would ask when I would call home! I don't think they missed us too much, but I was happy to hear they were doing well and having a wonderful time. I'm sure their Nanas are going through withdrawls without them!

Rylan is full force walking now, he loves being able to do it by himself and will no longer crawl anywhere! It is amazing to see him be so independent and give us that huge "look at me" grin! He eats a ton, but is still pretty tall and skinny. I think he burns all his calories running around!
Kamryn is still full of personality. Since her brother is walking now, she will come grab our hands and make us walk her around too, so she isn't left out. She likes to do whatever he is doing and copies his every move! Her precious, round cheeks are starting to thin out a little, which makes me sad because she is turning into a big girl!! We are loving every minute of them and I am so blessed to be their mommy. I wasn't able to see them on Mother's Day, but the next morning when we were able to see them was such an amazing feeling. I don't think we will be leaving them for that long again, at least not for awhile!!
While we were gone, Denise, a family friend came and took pictures of the babies, she did a BEAUTIFUL job! I will also post pics from our cruise a little later!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

Saturday, I met up with a friend and we took our babies to the church's easter egg hunt. The weather was cold, rainy and windy! So when i finally got the kids loaded in the stroller, and I found the right place to be, the easter egg hunt was over. But I was determined to get pictures. So we sat the babies down in the cold, surrounded them by eggs and snapped some pics. Here are a few of those, with the twins friend Payson(who is the same age as them)! Needless to say, my 2 were a little less then amused to be sitting in the cold,wet weather! The day turned out better, we took our friends over to silver resort and road the gondola up to the top(i havent been up there for 2 years, bad huh), we had lunch and watched people do pond skimming(idiots in swimsuits, skiinng down a hill trying to clear a freezing cold pond). It was pretty entertaining!!!

Sunday, we went to church(wonderful service), and had the kids all dressed up in their Easter outfits. They were so cute! The weather was actually nice and the sun was shining so we took a walk down by the laske and enjoyed the warm sun!!!! I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter and really took the time to reflect the true meaning of this glorious holiday!!

A year full of fun!!!

2010-03-19T12:34:00.000-07:00

So we have successfully reached a year with our sweet babies! With many laughs, tears, fights and smiles, It has been fun and unbelievably amazing!!! I still look at our babies and sometimes can't believe they are ours, we thank God everyday for allowing us to be their mommy and daddy!!

Who knew the terrible twos would begin at a year? Both kids are becoming quite independent, stubborn and throw fits like they are pros! The arching of the back and the stiffness when they dont want to be put down can be quite humerous to say the least!
Rylan is still walking along the furniture, he has not ventured out on his own yet, but will walk with us while holding our hands. He has become a little show off and makes the most adorable faces when you look at him. He scrunches up his nose, closes his eyes and sticks out his tongue, he loves to get people laughing at him. He is still 1 lb smaller than his sissy, but an 1 1/2 taller than her!!!

Kamryn is on the go, she crawls everywhere and is pulling herself up and standing while holding onto furniture! She continues to have attitude and has developed a really loud scream to get your attention!!! She is love with her daddy lately and puts her arms up for him to hold her then lays her sweet head down on his shoulder. I know his heart melts everytime!!! She always has her plastic rings with her, one in the mouth and one in each hand!! She never drops them even when she is crawling around!
They are both playing very well together, they arent fighting as much as they were, they giggle at one another and follow each other around! They are both very healthy and happy little babies! We are so unbelievably blessed!!

Survive Year One - check

2010-03-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

Well, as absolutely unbelievable as it seems, a year has already gone by since we doubled the size of our family. I guess it is time to sit and reflect on what a whirl-wind the last 12 months have been. Oh wait . . . now we have two babies approaching toddlerhood at warp speed - no time for reflection. Guess we'll do that in about 17 years.

The birthday party was perfect. We were surrounded by friends and family, the kids knew exactly what to do with their cakes (as the pics will indicate), and there weren't any major meltdowns by any kids or adults.

I've thrown in a few pics, and I'm sure Katie will add more when she gets a little free time (may be a while).

1 more month!!!!

2010-01-30T11:56:00.000-08:00

I remember this time last year we were awaiting our sweet babie's arrival, now they will soon be 1!! I can't believe how fast they grow and change from day to day. It has been such a joy waking up with them each morning and tucking them into bed each night and every moment in between!!
Rylan is on the loose, he loves to terrorize his sister every second that he can. He takes every toy away from her, when she is headed towards something, he scoots her out of the way to get to it first, and as soon as she doesn't act interested in it, then he is finished with it too and has nothing to do with it. They are becoming quite competitive, they even race to see who can get to mommy first. Needless to say it's usually Rylan who wins. He still has a sweet tenderness about him and makes me melt with each toothful smile!! He walks around the couch while holding on, I am anticipating/dreading his first steps!!!! His giggle is so bubbly and contagious, it will make you laugh just hearing it.
Our sweet little Kamryn has developed quite the attitude(she is all girl)!! She screams everytime her brother gets near her, because she knows he will take her things away from her, and if she wants something or is trying to get your attention she tightens her fists and growls. She has the sweetest smile and her big personality seems to get bigger each day!!! Her facial expressions are priceless!!! She is crawling all over the place and loves to follow her brother around, even though he drives her crazy! They mimick each others noises and sounds and are definatley aware of each others presence. If one of them is not in the same room, they scan the room to see where they are at! Being parents of twins is an absolute blast, even though we are busier and would love to know what sleep feels like again!!! Here are some random photos of our little monkeys!!!!

Some Christmas photos

2010-01-08T11:34:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year, we were able to spend it with both sets of parents and had a great time. We lost our camera (when I say we, I mean me), so i have a few pics from Christmas from the Grandparents, and I am waiting to get more, so then i will post more after I get them.

Papa dressed Kamryn up like she was from Iran!(this child could be so many different nationalities)

Papa reading stories, they love books!

Holiday Cheer!!!!

2009-12-17T10:05:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since our last post, I apologize, we have been extra busy with the holidays and sick kids, and sick mommy and daddy! Hopefully we are all on the mend!

Rylan is turbo crawling everywhere, he doesn't take anything slow. He is pulling himself up to a standing postion and stands there for a long time, I know he is anticipating his first steps! He is learning the word NO, he is told that quite often, since he likes to play with the DVD player and yank out cords from the wall. He does really well though, when he is told no, he just freezes and sometimes puts his head down on the ground. He has 2 teeth on the bottom and 2 more up top that are almost completley through.He is soo full of energy and jabbers non stop. He is saying both mama and dada, which makes our hearts melt!! He is such a sweetheart and always crawls right up to us when we are sitting down on the floor and gives big loves!!!

Our little Kamryn is just as funny as can be. Her expressions still get us laughing hysterically. She hasn't quite figured out the crawling thing yet(which Im ok with, I am in big TROUBLE when both of them start moving). She gets into the crawling position and then flattens her body out with her face flat on the floor, then she gets mad. She is very content to just stay where she is at, and is a pretty happy girl most of the time(she is the easy baby at this point). She giggles a lot and has started saying mama(which makes my heart melt again). She isn't saying dada YET!!!! She has 1 adorble little tooth on the bottom! Her little hands are always moving as if she is wanting to just grab everything in sight. She still has a head full of hair, that is always in her face, it is so precious! I love going and getting her out of her crib in the mornings or after naps, cause she always has a great big smile for me!!!

They love being by one another and smile and giggle at each other. If one is jabbering loudly the other usually pipes in and starts jabbering even louder. We are trying to teach Rylan to not pull sissy's hair, she tolerates him very well. He has started putting his fingers in HER mouth and she just sits there and sucks on them, except the other day she chomped down on them with her 1 tooth and that made him cry.
We have a lot to be thankful for and are looking forward to having our first Christmas together as a family.
Both Troy and I's parents will be up during the Christmas break, we are excited to spend time with them!!! Merry Christmas to everyone and God Bless!!

First waterpark trip and randoms!

2009-11-12T12:26:00.000-08:00

We finally took the babies to the waterpark at Troy's work. They weren't very thrilled when we sat them in the cold water at the toddler pool, they clung to us for dear life. So we settled in the warming pool and held them while they splashed their feet and legs, Kamryn really started to like it, but Rylan wasn't too sure of it. Here are a few pics of that day and a few other randoms of Rylan getting into things and becoming such a busy boy!!! They might enjoy that trip a little more when they are older!!! Good thing we can go anytime we want to!!

My sleepy little princess, and yes those cheeks are soo kissable!!

Rylan attacking his sister, a common occurance in this household!

My little mischevious boy! He loves to take out all the DVD's

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T16:14:00.000-08:00

The babies were so fun to dress up. We enjoyed it way more than they did. They couldn't quite understand what we were laughing at! They did good though! Here is my little skunk and my little flower!!!

Time for an update...

2009-10-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

We got the twins 6 month pictures done which you will see a few of them below. They were so good and patient, but by hour 3 of pictures they were DONE and had enough!! Rylan is rolling all over the place, he makes rounds in the living room and hits each corner and he rolls on by. He gets in the crawling position and has moved his legs a couple times, he will be crawling soon, then I'm really in trouble!! Kamryn, on the other hand is quite content stay in place, she doesnt move around a whole lot which makes it easy for her brother to take toys away from her cause he knows she wont go after him to get it. They are both sitting up without help, a little wobbly at times, but for the most part they do very well. Like mentioned earlier, Rylan takes Kamryn's toys away from her and she just kicks her feet and flails her arms and gets really excited, she doesn't seem to get too mad at him, YET!!! He is a typical brother and loves to grab onto that beautiful, dark hair of hers and yank it, that makes her wrinkle up her face and nose then sobs, it is so sad!!! They think daddy is so funny, he can get them laughing so hard. Then when it comes to snuggles and cuddles, that is mommy's job!!! Here are just a few pictures taken, I will post more once I get the CD!!

Half a YEAR!!!

2009-09-23T10:46:00.001-07:00

We are 6 months old already!!! It seems like yesterday we were bringing home our under 5 lb. babies!! They have now tripled their birth weight! At our 6 month appt. Kamryn finally passed her brother in weight by 1/2 an oz. She was 15.05 lbs and Rylan weighed 14.15 lbs. Ry is 26 inches long and Kamryn is 25 inches! They are getting so big and are full of energy, which makes mama very tired!

They are eating veggies and cereal and will soon start fruit. No teeth yet, but I think they are definatley in the making, with all the drooling and chewing on things. They are sleeping 8 hours a night, which is huge for us sleepy folks! They are both rolling all over the place and are very close to sitting up on their own. Rylan acts like he wants to crawl and gets in position, but just can't get those hands and feet to coordinate and move together!

We have been enjoying the beautiful sunny weather while we still have it, and go down by the lake often, the babies love being outdoors! Here are some recent photos of the babies!

This is poor Rylan after sissy puked all over his head!!!

Growing and Growing!!

2009-08-13T13:54:00.001-07:00

The babies have reached so many new milestones, their learning ability and growth is endless and it never ceases to amaze me! Their personalities are HUGE and they are growing into their own people! They smile and laugh all the time, I hope they never grow out of that! Rylan is rolling from front to back and back to front, he is all over the place. When we place anything in front of him, his curiosity comes out and he has to discover his surroundings and he gets so excited. He giggles out loud and is extremely into his toes. He talks and babbles nonstop and squeals at the top of his lungs. Kamryn is hilarious, she is so funny to watch, with her facial expressions and her excitement that she gets when she sees mommy and daddy! She laughs outloud and likes to talk as well, she isnt as talkative as brother, which suprises me! She loves to cuddle and will quickly fall asleep in your arms as soon as you hold her! We have been experimenting with rice cereal, which it is taking awhile for them to get use to. We are enjoying every minute of these beautiful babies!!! Here are a few snap shots of the kiddos doing what they do best, making us laugh!

4 months

2009-07-07T20:59:00.000-07:00

It has already been 4 months! The kids had their check-up yesterday. Everything is great. Rylan is tall and skinny (24.5" and about 12 lbs 8 oz). Kamryn appears to have more chunk but it is really because she's almost 2" shorter than her "little" bro. She was 23" and about 12 lbs 2 oz.

Rylan's big thing right now is mimicing all of his daddy's noises and faces. Kamryn's big thing right now is growling at and trying to eat her stuffed monkey. I don't think it is coincidence that the child who spent the first 6-8 weeks of her life looking eerily similar to a chimpanzee loves her pet monkey (even though the monkey is shown with Rylan below)! Also, I'm supposed to note that comment is from dad, not mom. :-)

They are both real close to laughing, and both have had random rolls from their tummy to back.

All is well and we are having a blast watching them discover something new every day.

Rylan with a tight grip on sissy's pet monkey.

ALASKA

2009-07-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I took the trip of a lifetime up to Alaska. It was a week-long fishing trip that my brothers, Dan and Tyler, and friend, Kevin joined me on. We spent the week touring around and fishing on the Kenai peninsula. This was mine and my brothers' first time up there. The trip was really too incredible to try and describe here, so I'll just post some pics and call it good.

Day 1 - Leaving Anchorage

View from our hotel in Seward

Our boat for halibut fishing - Got Fish!

We all entered a derby where you could win $10K. We fell well short of that, but the daily prize for biggest fish was a free charter for next season. The daily winner the day we went out was 128 lbs. This fish was 120 lbs! Close, but no cigar.

That there is a freezer full of 'but -- about 300 lbs worth!

Exit Glacier just outside Seward - the picture just does not do it justice.

Day 3 - this is the first thing we saw when we pulled into our lodge in Soldotna. In fact, this picture was taken from my driver's seat before I even stepped out of the car when we pulled up.

This was our lodge in Soldotna - Jimmie Jack's Fishing. Awesome people and place. These guys were great.

This is Mt. Redoubt - an active volcano on the opposite shore of the Cook Inlet. This picture was taken from the private ocean front property at Jimmie Jack's -- about 30 yards from our lodge.

Russian River MADNESS!! We had to experience it once. Unbelievable how many people cram onto that river -- it was packed like this for miles in both directions.

This is what all the combat fishing is for -- Sockeye salmon. This was our take for the day.

A fantastic ending to an amazing trip!

new pics!!

2009-05-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

The babies are growing so fast, they seem to be changing daily!!! They are keeping us busy, but we enjoy every minute of it. They make me laugh with their hilarious facial expressions and they way they interact with each other!!! here are a few more snap shots!!!

2 1/2 Months

2009-05-14T14:06:00.000-07:00

Wow does time fly!! Our babies are over 2 months old now. At our 2 mos. appt. Kamryn weighed in at 8'15 and Rylan was 9'1. Kamryn still feels more "solid" than he does but he is very long. They are both doing very well and sleeping 5 hours between feedings at night, which is huge for us sleepy parents! They are both giving us big, beautiful smiles everyday and have discovered their hands. Kamryn think it is easier to do a sit-up and chase her thumb, while she grunts instead of just moving her hand towards her mouth to get it. Rylan just sticks the whole fist in his mouth. They are both cooeing, and look like they want to just start talking in sentences at any minute. We will be taking our first trip and flight with the babies in the beginning of June, which will be an experience. We will be going to Boise to see friends and then head to Gooding to see the nana's and papa's. Needless to say the grandparents are having baby withdrawls!! Here are a few pictures that I have snapped here and there!

Pics

2009-04-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

I turned on the camera today and found out what Katie does in the little spare time she gets each day with the kids -- pictures, pictures, and more pictures. Here's a few of them. The kids are starting to lock arms almost everytime they lay next to each other. I'm guessing its pretty unintentional, but it is fun to think they know what they are doing, and it sure does make for some good photo ops.

Both of them are eating really well and sticking to a pretty good schedule. Kamryn is packing on the pounds in her cheeks and Rylan is getting longer daily. Its hard to tell for sure, but just by holding them, it seems like Kamryn probably has 1/2 a pound on Rylan, and he seems to have an inch of length on her. I doubt its really that much but we'll find out in a couple weeks at their 2-month check up.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T16:46:00.000-07:00

New pics

2009-04-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since we updated this with new photos. Sorry about that -- haven't had a lot of free time lately! :-) Here's some new pics including their first outing to the lake. I think they are ready for the boat and a fishing pole now!

More pics

2009-03-18T18:11:00.000-07:00

Here's some more pics of the kids. One is of our friends, the Burton's (thanks for the lasagna guys!), and then a couple other random pics including some shots of their first St. Patties day - no Guinness this year, but they still had a good time.

Delivery Story

2009-03-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

Ok so it is my turn to post on the blog, Troy has done a wonderful job posting updates, but didnt go into detail on the whole delivery and how things took place so I will take the honor of doing so. If I start to mispell words, it is due to the lack of sleep!!
So at the last ultrasound, the Dr. noticed that the babies werent gaining as much weight as they should have gained at that point, so he ordered some tests to check the heart rates of the babies and to check they umbilical cords to see if they were getting enough nutrients to the babies. Both tests came out normal, but the Dr. still was concerned because of the unknown reason why they werent gaining. So he gave me steroid injections to mature the babies lungs, and we planned a c-section for the following thursday, March 5. So on Sunday, March 1, I went in for another scheduled fetal heart monitor test, just to make sure things were still good. I woke up that morning with horrible pain from my sternum radiating to my back, it was hard to breathe and very uncomfortable, with no relief. I went in for my test and told the Dr. about the pain. He didnt seem too concerned, but wanted to take some blood tests just in case. So I had my blood drawn and was sent home, and was told they will call with results. We walked through the door at home and I just had laid down on my bed, when the phone rang and it was the Dr. saying get back to the hospital now, were are taking the babies tonight!! So I panicked, Troy panicked and then we called our parents and they panicked!!!! my blood tests showed that I was begininng to have HELLP syndrome, which is a very scary thing that can happen in pregnancy, that can kill babies and mommies. Your liver starts to shut down and your body rejects the babies. My liver tests were 3 times the normal levels and my platelets were dropping quickly. It was time to get the babies out!!! So we went in for a c-section at 10:15 that night and delivered the most perfect, beautiful babies!!!! Not to mention that they were healthy, thank GOD!!!!! I was waiting for their first cries, Kamryn let out a huge cry, which was music to my ears, but after Rylan was out, it took him a second to cry, but finally I heard it!!! I got to quickly see my beautiful babies and then they were taken to the nursery with daddy. I was sent off to recovery, where I was determined to move my legs quickly so I could go see my babies, sure enough when they asked me to move my legs I lifted them right off the bed, that spinal didnt hold me back!!!!
So the next couple days were still pretty serious for my health, I was at risk for having seizures or strokes from the complications of the HELLP syndrome. I was put on magnesium, which is a horrible drug, for 2 days. It made me very loopy and my coordination was completely gone(I know, nonthing unusual there). My blood tests finally started to improve after a couple days, but I had to stay in the hospital for a week, which was fine with me, cause my babies were there anyways. I am much better, and havent had any effects from the c-section!!! We have so much to be thankful for and our babies are just amazing, I have the best job in the world, being a mommy!!!! Thank you all for your prayers and support, we wouldnt have made it without them!!!!

Sleep? We don't need no stinkin' sleep . . . .

2009-03-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

We had our first doctor visit with the kids today. Everything looks good. They are passed their birth-weight, and the doctor doesn't normally expect babies to reach their birth-weight until 2 weeks, so they are ahead of schedule.

Having them home is great. Katie and I are adjusting to sleepless nights, but its definitely going to take some practice. They do pretty well as far as staying on a similar schedule, but we have had a few instances where as soon as we think we have them both down, one wakes up, which wakes the other one and we're back to square one.

Here's some pics of their first night at home and some new outfits that they wore to their first doctor appointment.

Home sweet home

2009-03-09T17:29:00.000-07:00

We brought Kamryn and Rylan home today! Getting the car seats in, getting the babies into the car seats and keeping a very excited Fletcher away from the babies were all part of the chaotic but enjoyable process of getting the kids from the hospital to our house. So far everything is going well -- pretty much the same as the hospital but at least its at our home. Feed, sleep, diaper change, feed, sleep, diaper change, and on and on . . .

I'll try to post some new pics tonight or later this week.

Almost home!

2009-03-08T18:06:00.001-07:00

Got word from the doctor this morning that he fully expects us to be heading home with the kids on Monday. They are both eating very well, gaining weight, and ready to get out of the hospital - Katie and I are more than ready to be done with that place too!

This is a picture of our 8 month old God-son, Dominic (Dom Dom) meeting his new buddies. And, yes, he is that big and they are that small. It was pretty funny watching him stare them down trying to figure out what he was sitting next to.

More pics to come when we finally get them home, hopefully tomorrow.

HARD TO EAT WITH ALL THESE FLASHES IN MY FACE!

2009-03-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

Closer to home!

2009-03-06T09:06:00.000-08:00

Well, we are inching closer to getting to be at home. Katie is being discharged today. The babies are feeding very well from Katie and from the bottle. The tubes in these pics are feeding tubes, but they haven't been used for their last few feedings. They are keeping them in for the "just in case" situations. As soon as they start to gain some weight we should be ready to take them home.

Last night was one of the most fun nights we've had with them. They were both awake and very alert (I can't believe how alert they are for only being 4 days old). We had them laying by each other and they would stare at each other, and then turn to look at us. They were responding to our voices and seemed to be amazingly aware of who we were and who they were laying next to. Pretty incredible to watch.

These pics are from after they went to sleep after all the fun. They definitely seem to have a deeper calm about them when they are next to each other.

No more IV's!

2009-03-04T10:33:00.000-08:00

The kiddos are off the IV's, Katie is off the drugs -- just got to get the kids on the boob now and we are on the path for getting home! They are spending most of the day in the room with us today which is awesome because its really our first chance to have them side-by-side for an extended time and with Katie coherent enough to know what is going on.

The pics with my finger and hand are with Rylan. Their heads literally fit in the palm of my hand. Crazy how tiny they are!

Pics and update

2009-03-03T21:40:00.000-08:00

Well, this evening has been a slew of good news. First, they told us Katie was being taken off the magnesium, which is the drug they've had her on for the liver problems she was having. It was making her very woozy and ill-feeling. They took her off it and within an hour she was no longer cross-eyed and could sit up some without wanting to puke. :-)

Then they came and told us that Rylan was off oxygen, and both babies were close to being done with the IV's. In fact, they basically turned them off and are only leaving them in just in case they need them again - this way they can avoid having to poke them again. Both babies spent a few hours with us in our room tonight. They have made huge strides in only two days!

I've posted some pics from the last day or two. I'll post more as we get some.

KAMRYN FAITH and RYLAN SCOTT

2009-03-03T16:28:00.000-08:00

Kamryn Faith Braga and Rylan Scott Braga arrived Sunday, March 1. Kamryn was first weighing in at a wopping 4 lbs 13 oz and 17.5" long. Rylan came second and beat out big sis by weighing in at 4 lbs 14 oz and the same length, 17.5".

This is some video we got the night they were born. They've already changed a lot since then so we'll post more pics and video later. Mom and babies are doing well -- just looking forward to leaving the hospital soon and getting home!

Update

2009-02-14T18:48:00.000-08:00

So I have been getting in trouble from family and friends for not updating my blog more, so here it is. The babies are growing like weeds, at our last appt. they were both weighing over 4 lbs which is the same size as a singleton at that stage. So they are not lacking in the weight!!! They are very active and so much fun to watch(i know, they are still in the belly, but it's cool). I am officially uncomfortable, the back pain and the sleepless nights are getting to me. I really can't wait for our babies to be here so I can hold them and kiss them ALL the time!! WE are once again shown how wonderful our friends and family are. Troy's work threw him a MAN SHOWER(pics will be posted soon). He had to wear a bib rattles on his wrist and had to drink his beverage from a bottle!!! It was quite fun!!! They gave us some wonderful gifts and are just so supportive and uplifting to us!!! WE are soo lucky to have such wonderful family and friends!!!
WE are down to the count down!! Approximatley 3 more weeks until the arrival of our bundles of joy! I can't beleive how fast the time has gone! But we are ready, as we ever will be!!! I will post some pics once I get them!!!

Belly pics created by Andrea Turner!!!

2009-01-13T18:38:00.000-08:00

2009-01-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

So we went to our 28 week appt. Had a fun ultrasound, which the babies are head to head right now, baby boy is laying cross ways and baby girl is standing up under him, they like to show off for the ultrasound. Baby girl had her foot right in her brother's crotch, she doesn't put up with anything!!!! They are weighing 2lbs 9 oz and 2lbs 10 oz. Very healthy and going strong!!!
Me on the other hand, have to watch what I eat now, no carbs or sugar. My sugar level was very high so that could mean that I have gestational diabetes, which I pray I don't, because I could end up with 10lb babies EACH!!!! So I have another round of blood tests to do, hopefully they will be fine. So my diet now consists of lots of protein and dairy!!! I was really thinking this pregnancy thing would allow me to eat WHATEVER I wanted and enjoy eating, but that hasnt been the case, besides the no carb diet, I have Horrible heartburn, I just started a new medication for that, so hopefully it helps. I cannot complain though cause our little babies are healthy and I can't wait to see them! Thanks again for all your prayers and support!!!

My friend Emily and I

2009-01-05T12:27:00.000-08:00

Shower

2009-01-05T12:22:00.000-08:00

While we were home for Christmas, my sister threw me a wonderful baby shower. It was soo much fun and so good to see friends and family that I haven't seen in awhile. I got so many neat things and am so blessed to have so many caring people in my life. Thank you to everyone for all your support and prayers!!
We have another appointment in 2 days with more US pics. I am 28 weeks today, gladly going into the third tri-mester, I can't believe we are already there. Time is flying by and we still have a ton to do!!!!

Baby Update

2008-12-13T18:05:00.000-08:00

WE just had our 24 week appointment, and everything is going well!!! I am measuring 5 weeks bigger than 24 week measurements should be, but that is cause there is 2 babies not just 1!!! Im very happy that they are growing and healthy! They are moving tons, and most of the time I can tell who is who. They like to get each other going! I can just imagine how that is going to be when they are older!
We are all moved into our home in CDA and absolutely love it. Stop by if you are in the area!!WE wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!!! Pics soon to follow.

20 Weeks

2008-11-16T19:06:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture, finally!!! I swear I feel even bigger than that!!!

BOY and GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-11-11T12:41:00.000-08:00

We are soooo excited to be announcing the sex of our babies. We are getting a boy and a girl!!! Troy and I were both determined that they were the same sex, boys or girls. The US tech. first labeled baby A as our little girl and Troy's reaction was "yup I'm right, its 2 girls, then she went to baby B and right away said, this ones a boy!!! WE couldn't be happier. We are blessed once again. I'm so excited to start the shopping and the decorating, we have been waiting forever to find out what they were. They have been moving and wiggling lots. Now that we know which baby is located where it is cool to feel their movements and be able to bond with them even more. Baby girl is 11 oz. and baby boy is 12 oz. My belly is growing daily and I will soon be a whale, but i have come to terms with it, so I will continue to eat until my heart is content!! I PROMISE I will be posting prego pics soon, I will blame the delay of that on Troy, who can't find the batteries to the camera(his fault). So I will post that and the updated US pics as well. Thank you all for your love, support and PRAYERS!!! We are also in the process of moving over to Coeur d' Alene. We bought a house there and cant wait to get over there into our new home!!

13 week ultrasound

2008-09-25T18:11:00.000-07:00

We had our 13 week US yesterday. It was amazing to actually see something that looks like a baby instead of a bean!!! Both of their hands and toes and even little noses were visible on the US. The US tech took 48 pictures of our little bouncing babies!!!! This is a little 3D clip of our babies, I will get some still pictures up as well of the normal US pics. So we have to wait just a little longer until we can find out if we are having little Troys or little Katies or one of each!!!!! They are our little miracles and I already have fallen in love with them!!!

2008-09-25T17:39:00.000-07:00

2008-09-05T11:59:00.001-07:00

This is our first US, I got this fortune a week before finding out we were having two!!!!

Due Date

2008-09-05T11:41:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention the exciting due date is the end of March, but will most likely be earlier than that, due to the fact that twins like to come early!!!(I hope not too early) I will try and post some ultrasound pics on here soon!!!!!

10 weeks and counting

2008-08-31T20:46:00.000-07:00

Here is an update for those of you who aren't aware of the long fertility journey that Troy and I have had to endure. We have been trying to get pregnant for almost 2 years. We had 1 unfortunate miscarriage, and then had no success after that. I knew after few months of trying that things were not going for us naturally. So being my unpaitent self, made apoointments with the Docs. I went through a series of tests, which all came back normal. This was frustrating cause I just wanted answers. We had a couple procedures done, that were again unsuccessful and left us searching for answers elsewhere. I then heard about a reproductive endocrinologist through a wonderful person going through the same thing, that I met through a mutual friend (Wendi and Sarah you guys have a lot to do with these babies). I heard how good he was and how high his success rate was. To make a long story short, we did the same procedure that was unsuccessful for us the first time, with a round of different medications to help things "work". After the procedure took place I just gave it all to God and felt a peace that I had never felt through this whole process.
When it was time, I forced myself to take a PG test, even though I didnt want to look at it and see another negative. I built up the courage to test, and there it was the darkest, most beautiful pink line I have ever seen!!! Still reluctant to get overjoyed, I showed the stick to Troy and his reaction was the same as mine, here is the beginning of a long journey and hopefully it turns out good. I had the blood tests to confirm the pregnancy and my HCG levels were very high, leading us to believe that there could be more than 1 little bean in there. So at our first ultrasound the Dr. said to hold up my fingers to count how many babies there are. In my mind I was thinking oh God dont give me more than 2. And there they were 2 little sacs. Thank GOd only 2!!!!!! The Dr. wasnt very convincing though, because before we left, he said "2 isnt my final answer"!!! I was like, what does that mean? But we are positive now that there are only 2.

Through this whole emotional roller coster of trying to conceive, I couldnt help but question God and his plans, but I have learned to trust in him because he does know best!!! He has blessed us with 2 little miracles and it has been so exciting to see them grow(from a poppyseed to a raisin), and hear the heartbeats!!!! It's amazing. We will try our best to keep this updated and show pics as the babies and I grow!!!!