First Christmas

Wow! What an eventful week we have had. I can't believe how blessed these boys are...we don't know what to do with all their new stuff! I am definitely looking forward to when they can use some of these toys...fun! Their new outfits are super cute, too! We are so grateful!!

Sadly, the boys are coming down with their first cold. Despite our attempts to keep them healthy, they are very stuffy right now. It is so hard to hear them sniffle, especially when they are trying to sleep. Luckily, no one has a fever and they are both still eating well. We are taking them to see Dr. Don tomorrow, just to get checked out and for peace of mind. I wonder how much they weigh now?? They are growing WAY too fast!!

We are looking forward to a quiet New Year's Eve, just the four of us hanging out. Who knows if we will even make it to see the ball drop, it may be time for us to sleep, feed or change diapers!! We would not trade this in for anything! Just in case we don't blog before New Year's, we wish everyone blessings for 2009!!

Time Flies!!!!

Diego likes to snuggle with his brother/Diego chilling in his boppy

Mateo hanging in his boppy/Mateo and Diego as Santa

Well, time officially flies by with little ones around!! I can hardly believe that it has been almost 3 weeks since our last blog...sorry! The babies are growing so fast, right before our eyes it seems. Adrian and I are loving every minute of this thing called parenthood, even the all nighters that happen every once in a while. Honestly, our boys are really good, and sleep for 4-5 hours most nights. Occasionally they like to stay up and party, but who wouldn't with fun parents like us??

As of their last appointment, 2 weeks ago, Mateo weighed 7lb 8 oz and Diego weighed 7 lb 2 oz. The doctor was amazed at their growth, and told us to keep it up. Well, judging by how they feel in our arms, we are doing just that. I can't pick them up with one hand anymore, and it is tough to walk up or down the stairs holding them both. They are both starting to smile more, although we haven't been able to catch it in a picture yet.

Both boys love their bathtime, and Mateo especially loves the baby massage after the bath. He goes right to sleep after his massage. Diego, on the other hand, doesn't really appreciate the massage, maybe it will grow on him...

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and we look forward to seeing all our family over at my sister, Monica's house. As you can see, the boys will be festively dressed in Santa suits, SO cute (thanks Grandma Paula!) Christmas Day, Adrian's family will come to celebrate with us, and the boys have another Santa suit to wear that day (thanks Mami Trini (Adrian's Grandmother). In between, the boys have 2 different Christmas PJ's to wear (thanks Grandma Trini and Auntie Ericka) so they will be festive the whole time!! I wonder if these guys know how loved they are??

Adrian and I wish everyone a safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy Hannukah! This season really reminds us of the importance of family and friends and how truly blessed we are to have you all in our lives. We will be sure to post more pics soon!!!

Five weeks!

Five weeks have passed since our boys arrived...CRAZY!!! Life as we know it has definitely changed, it is like Groundhog's Day around here. We are always feeding, changing, or snuggling with a baby, it is great! The boys are growing so quickly, changing every day. Lately they have started to smile. It makes those sleepless nights a little more tolerable when your baby gives you a big smile.

Tomorrow is our next growth check...I wonder how much they will weigh? They certainly feel heavier! The weather has taken a turn for the cold, so we don't get out much. We love having visitors come by and say hi, but for the most part we stay in the house. I am curious to see how much my PG&E bill will be...we have to keep it warm for the little guys. Hopefully it won't be too crazy!

Here are some recent pics, enjoy!

Three Weeks Old!

First day home from the hospital!/ Mateo, chillin in his swing

Diego / Tio and the boys!

Mommy with Mateo / Daddy and his sons

Diego on the left, Mateo on the right


Wow!! We have survived our first week home with the boys, and they are already 3 weeks old! It is hard to believe how much they are changing and growing! We are looking forward to Wednesday to see how much they weigh now.

The boys are incredibly amazing! Even though they like to party at night, Adrian and I continue to be thrilled in our new roles as parents. Of course, we have forgotten what a full night's sleep feels like, or how a meal tastes when it is piping hot, but these are minor sacrifices for the joy we feel!

We are looking forward to a quiet and restful Thanksgiving with Adrian's family. Adrian's parents, and his brother and wife are coming to spend the day with us and the boys. It should be mellow and relaxing, just what we all need!

Lately we have been resting when the boys rest, so we have found it hard to get on here to post new pictures, however, we have heard that people are eagerly awaiting updated photos, so here they are. Enjoy!

Sleep Deprivation

As all new parents know, sleep is hard to come by with new babies in the house. Adrian and I knew this was coming, and we are thrilled to finally be experiencing it full time! Yes, it is hard sometimes, but we feel eternally blessed to be parents.

The boys are eating well and hopefully gaining weight...we will find out tomorrow at their first doctor's appointment. They are eating about 2 oz. every 3 hours. I am amazed at how many diapers we are going through and how much laundry these two guys create! Mateo likes to pee through to his outfits, and gets more wardrobe changes than Usher at a concert!

David came home today, we are still deciding whether or not to have anything for him. All we can ask now is for prayer for our entire family. We are taking it one day at a time, learning, growing and loving it!

Coming home!!

The boys are coming home today. Adrian and I are beside ourselves, we can't wait. Luckily we got a good night's sleep last night...there won't be a whole lot of that going on in the near future! How exciting!!!!!!!!!!!! We will update over the weekend. Blessings!

One Week Old

Well, more like 10 days by now, but close enough! Adrian and I are baffled by how much our sons change each day. Each day, we can't wait to see them, hold them and love them. Honestly, it has been hard for me to leave them each day, even though I know they belong there for now. The good news is that they will likely be coming home early next week...no word on the exact day, but next week is just around the corner. We can not wait to have them here and to be full time parents.

The boys had a nice visit with one set of grandparents over the weekend, and this week some other family has come to visit as well. They are still waiting to meet lots of family, but we are only allowed 2 visitors at a time. As soon as they get home, we are sure that lots of people will be coming by to meet them and love on them! Unfortunately, with cold and flu season upon us, we have to be super careful not to expose them to harmful germs. Their little lungs are susceptible to infection easily, so we hope to keep our home as germ free as possible!!

We were hoping to give the boys a bath over the weekend, but that did not happen as planned. We needed to wait until their cords came off, and today that happened! So, hopefully, we will get to give them a bath tomorrow. In the meantime, the nurses have been giving them sponge baths.

Both boys have had their feeding tubes removed, and on Monday, Diego had his nasal cannula removed as well. It is so nice to see their precious faces with no gadgets attached. They are both taking their entire feedings from a bottle, and when I am there, they are both nursing really well. It is a learning experience for us all, but we are getting more and more successful daily.

Below are some pics from this week. Don't they look cute??

Diego sucking his finger, Mateo relaxing after eating


Mateo and Diego hanging out together...Mateo has his fingers in his mouth.

Weekend Update

Our boys are growing so fast, it is crazy! Just this weekend they have changed and grown so much! Mateo is already in an open crib, the last step before he comes home...yeah!! All he has to do now is take all of his bottle from the nipple. Right now he is eating slowly, so he still has to take a portion from the tube. Diego is taking his entire feeding from a bottle, but he is still having trouble regulating his breathing. Each day he has improved, so we are looking forward to him moving to an open crib very soon. Today, the nurse said we can bring clothes from home for them...how exciting!!

Tomorrow they will get their first bath, we can't wait! We will post pics of the wet and wild fun as soon as we can. In the meantime, here are some pics from this weekend. In case you can't tell them apart yet, Diego still has the nasal cannula to help him breathe room air. Mateo only has the white feeding tube.

Our baby boys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello everyone and thank you for all the prayers! Adrian and I are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support we have received from our friends and family. The last 18 days have been crazy!! Being in the hopsital for so many days can make a person feel nuts, but I was blessed by the distraction and love of so many people. Here is a brief summary of our/my stay:

I was admitted for high blood preessure and possible preeclampsia. The plan was to draw my blood each morning to check my blood levels for any abnormalities. Each day, believe it or not, my bloodwork got better!! At first I was frustrated, but soon realized that the Lord was keeping me in the hospital for a reason and I had to accept it. My purpose was to cook babies, so I did :) !

About midway through my stay, I started to have regular contractions. I was transferred to Labor and Delivery, and monitored for changes. I contracted for about 6 hours with no change in my cervix and then, miraculously, my contractions vanished and I was sent back to my room. I was frustrated, but ready to wait the extra week for our scheduled c-section.

A few days later, on Sunday, November 2, my blood pressure sky rocketed and the medications were doing nothing to keep it down. Around 4:00, the doctor told us we were having our babies that night between 8 and 9. The next few hours are foggy in my memory, a lot of family wishing us well, smiling faces, tears, etc. Before I knew it I was in the OR getting a spinal and the surgery began. It was the wierdest most surreal moment in my life. The docs struggled to get Mateo out, he was stubborn, but when he finally emerged and started to cry, my heart felt weak. There is no better way to describe it! Diego came out 2 minutes later, then David 2 minues later. David was quickly assessed, cleaned up and handed to his daddy, where he spent the duration of his short life. Adrian and I watched as he struggled to take his first and last breaths, fighting to live, but finally letting go. We were able to keep him with us and clean him up during recovery. Many family members came to say goodbye and got a chance to hold him as well. We know he is in heaven now, we know that he went from one daddy's arms to another daddy's arms, and we are confident that we will see him again. We miss him terribly, and will love him forever.

Mateo Armando 4 lbs 9 oz, 10:03 p.m.

Diego Jacob 4 lbs 11 oz, 10:05 p.m.

David, our beloved, 3lbs 13 oz, 10:07 p.m.

OK, here are some pics, I know you all are waiting---btw, they are SOOOOOOO cute! I am truly biased :) We will post more soon!! Babies are in the NICU doing well, mommy and daddy are at home resting and eagerly awaiting our time with then tomorrow!!

Day before surgery...232 lbs!!!!!!

Mommy and David

Daddy and Mateo...kangaroo time!

Diego, very sleepy after delivery!

Mateo with mommy...so cute!

In the Hospital

Hello everyone! Sorry we have not blogged in a while. We wanted to briefly update everyone regarding the status of mom and the boys. Last friday evening at 12pm we went into Kaiser because Vanessa was having more than 6 contractions per hour. We ended up staying the night and were released on Saturday. We went to our scheduled clinic appointment on Tuesday and we were sent to Labor and Delivery immediately. Long story short, the boys are fine they are concerened with Pre-Clamzia setting in at which point they will take the boys. They will be here any day. Please keep us in your prayers as we will get to meet our beautiful boys but will have to be faced with the reality of our Beloved David who is not doing well and is being taken over by his brothers. Mateo currently weighs 5 + pounds as well as Diego the two little piggies. These babies are huge for triplets! Also, keep Vanessa in your prayers during delivery.

Thank you everyone for your blessings!

Adrian & Vanessa

31 Weeks...and counting!

Another week under our belt...yeah!! Our next appointment is Tuesday, so we have to see what happens then. At our last appointment, we were sent straight to the hospital for an overnight visit to monitor my crazy high blood pressure. I was sent home after 24 hours because all the other tests they ran looked normal. We were at the hospital again a few days ago because I was feeling unusual pressure in my pelvis. Turns out, that is part of the package, and Mateo is just very low. We were sent home within a couple hours, phew!! I much prefer sleeping in my own bed! (By the way, that is 4 hospital visits so far, with 2 sleepovers!)

So, I have spent three full weeks on bedrest now, and I have developed some unusual preferences. The following is a list of things that I can not live with out right now:

• Pillows-I'm talking tons of pillows, surrounding my whole body (Adrian still gets one, too!)
• Straws-Have you ever tried to drink anything while lying down??
• Tums-heartburn...crazy heartburn
• Peppermint Extra Gum-There is just something so good about it!! I can't really explain.
• Cran-Grape Juice-Again, can't really explain how good it tastes!
• Netflix-Why didn't I ever do this before...probably because I wasn't spending all day on the couch or in bed!!
• DVR-It's amazing how many shows I can tape and watch the next day...even reruns!!
• Wireless Internet/Laptop-Oh, I would be so bored if I couldn't check my email and update my netflix account from the couch...online dominoes are fun too!!

Of course, the support from Adrian, my mom, sisters, family and friends have been amazing. Adrian continues to do his best to make sure the house is running properly. My sisters and mom make sure we are fed and stocked with what ever we need. My nieces and nephews provide me with much needed distraction and company. My friends have also come to visit, or call regularly and assure me that life outside this house is still happening, much to my surprise!! I know that there are a lot of people looking forward to these babies...we can hardly wait!!

I tried to add a voting poll to the blog, it should be working soon...remember to vote for when you think the boys will be here. This will likely be the most important vote you cast all year, so let your voice be heard!!!!

Daddy Shower Surpise!

It has been a while since I have blogged, like everyone we have been extremely busy running in and out of doctors appointments and pharmacies. The time is quickly approaching and Vanessa doesn't think she will make it more than two more weeks. Vanessa actually measured at 42 centimeters which means her body thinks it is 42 weeks pregnant! The goal is to make it to 34 weeks, today we hit the 30 weeks mark. This weekend we finished putting together the nursery, child seats, and the mobile which made me realize that very soon we will be parents.

This past week my previous boss and still friends Larry and Diane asked me to come to a "sales" meeting to discuss a project. I accepted with alot of questions because I had already met with him just a couple of days before. I showed up for my appointment right at 3pm and he met me at the door. We proceeded to walk into the Board Room and all of my co-workers were sitting there with balloons, decorations, presents, and a Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake (My Favorite). Thank you to Diane, Pam, Amanda, Larry, Tyler, Dave, Melinda, Rick, and Patti ( I am pretty sure I put everyone in). I had an opportunity to sit there with them for close to one hour catching up on everything and I really enjoyed myself. They are a great group of people at GBH and I am very appreciative of their constant support and for throwing this great party. I really enjoyed the Ice Cream cake and I must have a reputation of eating large amounts as they served me a large piece of cake. This act of kindness and generosity is a reminder to me of how blessed our family is to have friends and family like the individuals at GBH. Despite the current economy the Lord has always provided for us in so many different ways, some in planned events and others that come in surprises.

Also, our teacher friends from Coyote Ridge visited us the following day with a babies scrap book for all of the boys. They had obviously spent hours putting it together and the scrap books were incredible. Thank you to Julie, Denise, Jen, Lisa, Brenna, Mona, Lindsay, Lisa F. and Kelsey and anyone else who helped in putting this together for our boys.

I don't know how we would have made it to this point with out all of our family and friends. We look forward for everyone to come over to see our son's once they are home. Everyone has been a blessing on our lives and we hope to return the blessings. Thank you Lord for giving us our daily bread!

Adrian and Vanessa

Bed Rest!

So...these pics are from last Saturday, at Andrea and Caleb's engagement party. It was so fun, we really loved hanging out and meeting Caleb's family. They are all so nice! We can't wait for the wedding!! Judging by the amount of fun we had last weekend, the wedding will be a night to remember!!

Monday I felt off all day, just kind of yucky. I slept most of the day and woke up in the later part of the afternoon. Around 4:00 I noticed some contractions, so I monitored them for a while. When they were about 15 minutes apart I called Kaiser and they had me go into Labor and Delivery. I was admitted, and by the time I was put on the monitor, my contractions were about 2 minutes apart. My cervix had barely started to dilate, they called it a fingertip...basically less than one, which is good news. They needed to stop the contractions so I got a shot of terbutaline and was told I was going to stay the night. A while after the shot I was given Nifedipine, a blood pressure medication that relaxes smooth muscles, like the uterus, which helped to make the contractions more spread out.

Before being sent home Tuesday morning, I was given a steroid shot, which stimulates lung development in the babies. I went back today for my last installment of steroids, and was checked my Dr. Mentakis, the other doctor in the high risk clinic. My cervix is now 80% thinned out, or effaced, but still no change in dilation. I am taking Nifedipine every 4 hours, and am tracking my contractions. If I have 6 in an hour, back to Morse we go. Until then, bedrest!

With proper care, there is a good chance that everything will progress as normal for a triplet pregnancy. However, I ask that you please continue to pray for our boys...they need to keep cooking just a few more weeks!! Thank you!!

27 weeks!

We are officially in the last week of our second trimester!! Crazy to believe that we are entering into the final phases of this pregnancy!! We saw Dr. Hendershot today. She showed us our active boys, and continues to be shocked by my progress. I am still free from bedrest, at least for another 2 weeks! She said that she thinks my body was designed to carry multiples...I am not so sure about that!!!

Mateo and Diego are measuring at between 29 and 30 weeks, and David is right on track at 27 weeks. This is good news, all 3 boys are thriving and growing and the bigger the better!! Diego was his active self as usual, getting into everyone else's frame. Mateo was even a little squirmy. David was mellow, but his heartbeat remains strong. His chest cavity is full of fluid, which has hindered his lung development, poor little guy!!

Dr. Hendershot would like to see us make it to 34 weeks...that is only 7 weeks away!!!!!!!!! Wow, are we ready?? Ready or not, we are soon going to be parents. One year ago, I never would have imagined being at this place. The Lord has blessed us so much, I remain in awe! Hopefully our house will be back in order by the time they come. Please pray for these boys to keep cooking as long as possible. Although 7 weeks seems like it is around the corner, our sons may try to come sooner. The longer they stay inside, the shorter time in the NICU, the sooner they get to come home and complete our family! I will do my part, taking it easy and relaxing. Adrian has been awesome, taking care of all the house chores, grocery shopping, cooking...I could get used to this!!

We will post a picture sometime this week. I am getting really big!!

A flood, a shower and contractions

Oh yeah, it has been a CRAZY week!! I guess I will start last Wednesday, when Adrian and I eagerly awaited the arrival of our brand new washer and dryer. I was particularly excited to wash the babies clothes and blankets. The washer and dryer were delivered and the installer started the washer on an 'express wash' cycle. I was told to leave the washer alone and that I could start my laundry after the 26 minute cycle. He left and I went downstairs (please note that the washer and dryer are upstairs.) Approximately 15-20 minutes later, a very nice cable installer called us upstairs telling us that we had a problem. Adrian and I rushed upstairs to see the front of the washer wide open and gallons of water gushing out onto the laundry room floor and into the hallway.

We immediately began sopping up water, I called Sears right away to try to get someone back to help us. In the meantime, the door opened up 2 more times, expelling more water each time. VERY long story short, the water seeped down stairs, through the sheet rock, into the garage, basically all over the place. Sears had me on the phone for 5 hours, transferring me constantly to someone new, each time requiring me to retell our story. I was definitely trying to remain calm, but the evident water damage in the home was making me a little nervous!!

Sears eventually told us not to touch anything, and that someone would call us within 24 business hours(translation: 3 days.) Two days later, with the upstairs carpet still soaked, Sears had not contacted us, but the owners of the house (yes, we we are renting this beautiful home) decided to take action. They had a drying company come in to get rid of the water problem. They came in late Friday evening and got to work. They tore out baseboards, ripped up carpet, drilled holes in the ceiling and left 15-20 industrial size drying machines to run 24 hours until Monday. The noise was virtually unbearable, like standing on an airstrip all day long. Now all the machines are gone, but we are waiting on Sears insurance to come and look at the reconstruction needed. We could be waiting for a long time :) The total damages could reach up into the $20,000 range!!

Saturday evening my sisters and mom threw us a shower at Ericka's house. It was so great. I love being able to share these special moments with friends and family. Thank you to all those who were able to come. Adrian and I can feel the Lord continually bless us through our friends and families. It is truly amazing. Special thanks to my sisters and mom: the food was delicious and the party was fantastic!!! I couldn't have asked for anything better.

Sunday night we started having contractions. We went to Kaiser and were monitored for about 3 and a half hours. The contractions were irregular, and apparently, normal with triplet pregnancies. The boys were very active, and hard to monitor because of the activity. The nurses had trouble tracking their heartbeats because the little stinkers kept moving. The nurse told us that this would most likely not be our last trip to Labor and Delivery. Since Sunday, I continue to have minor contractions, but they are not painful. I am just trying to take it easy and rest, luckily I am out of work. We see our doctor again on the 16th, next Tuesday. We can't wait to see these active boys again!

Goodevening and Happy Labor Day Weekend!

We apologize that we have not blogged in a while, we have been real busy with our most recent move. We plan to get back on track with our weekly updates.

We would like to first of all praise the Lord for the generosity of all of our family and friends. I don't have my Bible with me but I do know that the Lord loves all people more than the lillies of the field and the crows of the sky so He tells us not to worry about tommorrow as He will always provide for us in the time of our need. Words are not enough to thank every one out there that has generously given their time, weekends, weekdays, baby gifts, gift cards, labor, moving trucks, washers/dryers, and love to our family. We are so grateful for all of you and it is incredible that our babies' room is full of clothes, swings, bibs, rocking chairs, diapers, and much more. Thank you to all of you for being a blessing to our family and we pray that the Lord be with you. The servitude that we have seen out of all of our family and friends is truly a display of our Savior as He was the perfect servant. We pray that we may be able to serve you as you have served us. Thank you!

Furthermore, I would like to thank Vanessa for everything she does. Since the day we learned that Vanessa was pregnant she has done everything by the book in terms of taking the proper nutrients and vitamins recommended for a triplet pregnancy. I know that is why the doctor is amazed that the pregnancy is being carried so well and she allowed Vanessa to keep working. Speaking of work, as a husband it hurts me to see my wife work as she comes home with swolen feet, legs, carpel tunnel, and much more. She is extremely exhausted and I really don't know how she does it. She has pulled up her boot straps and doing amazing things for our family. Being newly self-employed does not always have immediate results and I just pray that I may be able to provide for our family. I tell Vanessa all the time, but I would like to reiterate how wonderful and beautiful she is and I will never forget what she has done for our family. She is going to be a wonderful mother and a delight to watch in action. The Lord has continued to teach me to trust in Him and he continues to teach me how to have Faith and be dependent on Him. I pray every day to help me live the life of Jesus and through Vanessa and all of our family/friends I have seen the most amazing acts of service and love. I hope to give back and multiply the blessings given to our family to the rest of you and others we don't know.

Next is an update on Mateo, Diego, and David. All of the boys as of last week weighed about 1.07 Lbs! That is larger than most triplet pregnancy averages. They are all very active including David and it is amazing to feel them move around. David, still has minimal liquids in his birth sac but his bladder has emptied but unfortunately there is still no opening for the liquid to get out and stop putting pressure on his chest cavity. We pray every night for all the boys and for David's healing, but we are preparing ourselves in the event David does not make it pass birth. I pray that the Lord if He chooses to take David, that he gives us a few minutes, hours, and hopefully days to spend with him. I give praise for any time we get to spend with David. I know through David the Lord will allow us to continue to spread the Good News of the Lord, although we are very troubled by his condition we praise the Lord for choosing us for this challenge. In the story of Job, the Lord allowed for many bad things to happen to him because he knew that Job would never turn from the Lord or denounce His Name. We pray for the same strenght that Job had, that although we may lose our son that we will never denounce the Name of the Lord. Just like He gave His only Son for our salvation, there is no greater love than the one demostrated through the crucifixion of Jesus. We accept the cup the Lord has given our family.

Finally, we would like to thank the Haskin's family for opening their home up to us. Although, we are excited about our new home we will miss our time with the Haskins. I really enjoyed seeing them in the morning and hearing them come back to school. My wife has turned my nephew into a Nintendo junkie and I turned my brother - in - law into a Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, and Laura Ingraham fanatic. We enjoyed daily golf car rides through the hills of Lincoln driving through the "Streets of Dreams" and driving on private golf courses, and not being able to make it up the hill with over 4oo Lbs on an electric golf cart. The golf car rides were very relaxing and we were able to covet people's back yards and homes for a couple of minutes. Speaking of Nintendo, as I am writing this blog my nephew just came upstairs to turn it on and start playing. I have worked out of their home for the past two months on a round desk upstairs and will miss everything except for the lack of cell phone reception. My niece is wonderful and just laugh at how cute and bossy she is. Thank you to Monica for all of the breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. We are very grateful to them and all of our family who provides blessings for us.

In closing, we have another appointment on Thursday and we are excited to see the kiddos. It will be here sooner than later as we are two months and counting. Thank you again to everyone and blessings to all of you.

Adrian and Vanessa

Back to School

It has been a long time since our last post, sorry. Anyone who has been near me the past few weeks knows how crazy back to school time is! School started on August 11th and I have been non stop ever since. I survived the first two weeks, barely, and now I am working half days...4 hours per day. This is only the second day, and it is definitely a transition, but I think it will be the best scenario. The kids will get to transition slowly into their new teacher, and I get to still interact with the little ones, but get to put my feet up around 1:00. I think it is the best of both worlds.

Last Friday, my grade level team, threw me a lovely shower. It was at Julie's house, and it was so much fun. The food was great, the game was awesome, and the company was perfect. I feel truly blessed to be a part of such a great staff at Coyote Ridge. I couldn't have asked for a better shower. Thanks to everyone who participated, but a special thanks to Julie, Jen, Denise, Kelsey, Brenna, Mona and Lisa who put the whole party together. When I do go out on bed rest, I am going to really miss you guys!!!

This weekend is our move. We get our keys on Saturday morning, and our crew is ready and waiting. It will be weird not to live with Monica and her family, it seems so natural now! Adrian and I will miss all of them so much...luckily the are just up the hill so we can come visit as often as we want!!

Next appointment is September 4. Looking forward to seeing our boys again soon. Oh, we are starting to feel a lot of movement lately...it is so neat!!

Late Pregnancy Class

Even though I am only 21 (almost 22) weeks along, it was suggested to us by our doctor that we take the late pregnancy class at Morse Hospital where we will deliver. She wanted to ensure that we take the class before I go on bed rest. Last night was our class, and we were surrounded by other pregnant couples, most due in the next 4-6 weeks, all with singleton pregnancies. So, Adrian and I were definitely out of place with our situation, but we still learned a lot.

We learned where and how to check in on our delivery day. We were given a list of things to bring along with us so that we are comfortable, and we were given the visitation 'rules.' Since this class was not for multiple pregnancies, it did not include a detailed tour of the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), however, our teacher was extremely sympathetic to our situation and pulled some strings for us. We were able to go and talk to the charge nurse of the NICU after the general tour and have several of our questions answered.

The whole experience was extremely overwhelming and pretty emotional. Our hearts broke over and over as we attempted to wrap our brains around what our experience is going to be like. While talking with the nurse at the NICU, we had the opportunity to see a baby in a warming bed who was 33 weeks gestationally. He was so little and helpless, it brought tears to my eyes. The NICU was buzzing with tons of doctors and nurses, even at 8 pm, so I know our boys will be well taken care of. We will probably be sent home before our boys can come with us, so we plan to spend a lot of time at the NICU with our sons. Unfortunately, we can not stay the night with them after we are discharged.

Nothing can prepare us for the unknown. We know that we must take life one day at a time. It was nice to have some questions answered, but ultimately, we know that the Lord is in control of our lives. It is with trust, faith and prayer that we will get through this time of happiness and pain. The roller coaster of emotions that Adrian and I are experiencing on a daily basis is overwhelming. We are grateful for all of our friends and family who are supporting us through prayer, encouragement and distraction. Thank you to you all!!

Friends, Family and Fun!

On Saturday, Adrian's parents threw us a beautiful baby shower. The weather was perfect, the food was delicious, and it was great to spend time with old friends and family! Adrian and I feel tremendously blessed to have so many people who already love our kids. It was clear to us what a blessing these babies are going to be for so many people. Every day that passes makes us more anxious to meet our sons, and now we have so many cute things to look at to pass the time. Thank you to everyone for the gifts, we are overwhelmed at the amount of support we are receiving!

This week has been interesting. On Tuesday I was called to jury duty. Luckily, I was dismissed in just enough time to make it to our appointment with Dr. Hendershot. We saw all the babies and heard all the heartbeats. They are growing so fast, which is not hard to believe given the size of my belly! It was a very quick appointment, not much to report. All babies appear to be the same, David is still struggling to move because of the lack of fluid in his sack. Diego still interferes in his brother's frames. While we were looking at David, Diego's hand came into the picture, almost like he was patting his brother's back. How cute! Adrian and I like to think he was encouraging his brother...but I secretly I think he just wanted us to know he was there! Mateo was hanging out, being mellow...same old story. The most important information we got from this appointment is that I do have to go back to work...TOMORROW!!!!

I spent all of yesterday in my classroom preparing for the first day of school, Monday, August 11th (yes, that's right, my birthday!!). The AC was broken, and I think it must have been close to 90 degrees inside the classroom. It was so uncomfortable, but I had no choice. There was so much to do. I will go back today for a few hours and hopefully finish up. Tomorrow will be spent in meetings, so I won't have to much time to get work done. Our next appointment is August 19. Dr. Hendershot will check me out then and decide if I should keep on working.

Adrian and I found a house to rent in the Twelve Bridges neighborhood. We are going to sign our lease today. We should get the keys the last weekend of August. It will be weird not living with my sister and her family. We are so comfortable here! Luckily, they are just around the corner, and one of my other sister's is around the corner the other way!!

Lastly, my niece Andrea got engaged last week to Caleb. We are super excited for them. The wedding is April 4, right around the corner. Andrea is becoming quite the wedding planner, I am so proud of her! I can't wait to be a part of their special day. It also gives me motivation to lose the baby weight fast, I don't have a lot of time before I will have to squeeze into a bridesmaid's dress. Gold's Gym, here I come! Wait...will I have time for that???? I guess we will have to wait and see!