34.....35.....35 1/2 weeks!

Since I updated last, we reached 34 weeks on November 25th and I was able to be released from the hospital to spend Thanksgiving at home like we had hoped! It was such a great few days at home and Ryan and I were so thankful to spend the holiday together with family and a little more comfort! My bed had never felt so good :)

So, the plan was to stick to my medication schedule to maintain my labor and make it to our appointments with my doctor on Monday afternoon. We almost made it! On Monday morning we went back to labor and delivery at St. Vincent hospital because my contractions were getting stronger and closer together and the babies had completely dropped and their movement had slowed way down - all things we were supposed to go back in if I experienced. We spent a few hours in triage before they couldn't get my labor to stop once again and we were re-admitted. At least we got a different room this time! They hooked me back up to IV meds and we waited for our doctor, being told at this time that we were most likely having our c-section in a few hours because the nurse that we were with at the time thought I had dialated further. While we waited, Northwest Perinatal came and did a growth ultrasound on the babies and we were so happy to find out that they were HUGE! This was Monday, November 30th and baby girl weighed 5lbs 10oz. and our baby boy was 6lb 4oz. We were so surprised and so were all of the nurses and our doctor! Even though the babies were so big and it looked like things were progressing, our doctor decided she still wanted us to wait and hopefully make it to 35 weeks and maybe even 36 weeks after that. As tired as I was at that time and as much pain as I was in, even one more day seemed so long. So, they got me comfortable and we settled in to our room for an undetermined amount of time once again. Talk about a roller coaster ride of emotions.

The next morning, my doctor came back and had decided to change the plan. They took me off the medication to stop my labor because it clearly wasn't doing anything other than adding more side effects. She had changed her mind from not wanting me to progress further to wanting me to dialate when my body is ready. So they set a plan for pain medication and hopefully a way to keep me comfortable and possibly sleep. We would just need to wait it out. We spent a few more days getting used to the medication change and then my doctor decided once again that I could do my bedrest from home and hopefully make it to 36 weeks. So, Thursday we packed back up and headed home with a plan to hopefully make it through the weekend and see my doctor this Monday morning. She did mention when she released us that if we could make it to our appointment on Monday with hopes of a few more days, she will most likely consider scheduling us at 36 weeks (Wednesday or after)! At 36 weeks we will be able to deliver at the hospital we had originally planned to be at (one of the reasons she wanted to get me home before next week)and it would not be necessary for the babies to require time in the NICU if all goes well. This all sounds so fantastic - especially after what will be 4 weeks of pre-term labor!

I can't wait to make it through the rest of the weekend and see what our doctor decides on Monday! Even though we have been going through this for so long now, the idea of having the babies in our arms next week seems so soon even now. I can't believe it. 36 weeks seemed so far away and almost impossible at one point so I am so happy and proud that we have made it this far and hopefully have a few more days to go! I can't wait to meet our 6lb babies! They sure have been testing my patience already :)

"There are two things in life for which we are never truly prepared: twins." ~Josh Billings

A few more days...

Today we are 33 weeks and 5/7 days, which means only a few more days until our 1st goal of 34 weeks! It seems like I have been here at the hospital forever...12 days and counting. In some ways it has taken forever to get here and then on the other hand I can't believe we are almost to our 1st goal. It seemed so far away when we first came in at 32 weeks.

As of right now my contractions are still the same, ranging anywhere from 8 minutes apart at the most to only 3 minutes apart at times. We have learned that the contraction medication doing all that it can do and is not going to be able to make them go away so it's mainly about keeping me comfortable from here on out. I sleep a lot when I can because of the pain medication so that is why I haven't been able to update in a few days. The good news is that the babies are still doing great and are continuing to grow and become stronger everyday. We had an ultrasound on Friday checking their development (practicing breathing, movements, etc) and the babies looked great. My cervix has stayed pretty much the same despite all of the contractions so far, so we are kind of just in a waiting game now to see what happens. I still see a doctor here everyday and the nurses have been very nice (minus a few!)

Once we make it to 34 weeks, the next goal to aim for would be 35 weeks - December 2nd. I want my December babies!! Taking things one hour/day/week at a time. My doctor has mentioned that if they can keep me on this schedule of medication for the next few days without anything changing, then I might get to go home to finish my pregnancy with a little more comfort! I would still be confined to a bed and would be taking all of the medication, but it would be MY BED and I wouldn't have to spend Thanksgiving in the hospital. She made the comment yesterday that even if it was only for a few hours it would be better than nothing, and I couldn't agree with her more! So, we won't know the answer to that decision until Wednesday but we are remaining hopeful.

"In life, as in football, you won't go far unless you know where the goalposts are." Arnold H. Glasgow

Update from St. V's

Thank you again to everyone for your thoughts and prayers! Having so much support and hearing from all of you is a blessing.

We ended up getting a visit from the doctor yesterday after I updated because the medication schedule they had me on to maintain everything wasn't working as well as it should have been. At this point they are thinking that I will need to stay in the hospital so that they can supervise everything for the remainder of my pregnancy. We will take things one day at a time and each day that we make it through is one more day for the babies to grow and hopefully less time that they will spend in the NICU afterwards. The goal that the doctors have set is still to make it to 34 weeks, a week and a half from today - November 25th - and then if we make that goal we will set another one.

To be honest, Ryan and I are both surprised by the news that most likely I won't be going home between now and the birth of our babies unless something changes. I think we both really thought that if they could get me on the right medication I could do the same bedrest at home and we would have some time before coming back to the hospital. My mom is in town to help and we have a lot of help from family so we thought we could make it work. But, my body and the doctors have other plans that are out of our control and so we are adjusting and getting ready for the way that it will be from here on out and after they are born. My doctor will be coming tomorrow to go over more details so you never know...the plans may change again and with the way things have been going, most likely they will :)

A lot of people have been asking how I am feeling and I want you all to know that I am doing alright. It is an emotional roller coaster everyday and I am trying to adjust to the fact that I can't do things the way that I want them :) It's difficult to be confined to a hospital bed when so many things are running through my head! The medications and side effects aren't the most pleasant but they are doing what they need to do and that is what counts. I just want our babies as healthy, happy, and as BIG as possible when the time comes for them to meet us...whenever that may be. I am following orders, I promise!

My mom brought me a book from home that I used to write quotes in that meant something to me for one reason or another. Here is one that made me smile today:
"Expecting life to go the way you want because you are a good person is like expecting an angry bull not to charge you because you are a vegetarian." Shari Barr :)

Where we are now...

So I wrote last week with the intention of updating on all sorts of things - which I hope to come back to soon. But, for now my focus is going to be on my family and how things with our pregnancy and babies are going. I have been trying to keep everyone in the loop as best as I can and Ry brought in our lap top last night so I thought this might help also and give me a connection with the outside world! It has been a scary, emotional, roller coaster of a week so far and I really appreciate everyone's support. Sorry if this is a lot of information all at once.

My original due date is January 6th, so going off of that we are 32 weeks and 4 days along today. My doctor had moved my due date up to December 28th a while back because of the babies growth but it was decided to go back to the original date for the remainder of my pregnancy and for scheduling since we will be having a c-section. So, I hit 32 weeks this last week and went in to Good Samaritan Hospital on Wednesday for my 1st scheduled Non-Stress Test, checking for the babies movements and to see if I was contracting. As most people know, I have been on bed rest or modified bed rest for a while now so I have been laying low and trying to do everything I can to help keep these babies growing. Well, something wasn't working I guess! I knew I hadn't been feeling quite right but I've never had a baby before so I didn't know what to expect!

We checked in for my appointment at 1pm and they immediately picked up contractions on my scan. They started a few different medications to try and stop them and none of them seemed to be working. So, things progressed pretty quickly and I was admitted. My doctor came by and I had dialated to 1.5cm (sorry if that's TMI for anyone) so it was decided to put me on an IV of the heaviest meds they could give me to stop labor and gave me steroid injections to help the babies development if they were to need to be born. Talk about a change of plans from thinking we had anywhere from 4-6 weeks to go. Good Sam Hospital doesn't have a qualifued NICU to deliver babies before 36 weeks, so I was transferred to St. Vincent Hospital for them to take over from there. The IV meds had to run through my system for 48 hours so they constantly monitored me and the babies throughout and finished the 2nd round of meds for the babies development. They were able to get my contractions to slow down from what they were and got them to hold at about 6-8 per hour and as far as I know my dialation has stayed the same also. I did the full amount of the meds I could do so now they have me on a combination of pills/shots every 6 hours to keep me to that amount. They are still monitoring everything and these active babies still look great...they just need to keep my body doing what it's doing now - but no more than that for as long as it can! Once they give you the full IV dose once they aren't able to do it again so if things progress they can no longer stop it from here on out.

On a super positive note, we had an ultrasound on Friday afternoon to check the babies' growth and we found out they are both over 4.5 pounds at least! Once nurse came in and said she thought she saw that he measured 4.11 oz and she was 4.7 oz. Either way we were very excited to hear these results and so were the doctors. They seemed happy that even if they do have to come very soon, at least they would be on the larger size for 32/33 week twins. Very good news!

So, now we are waiting until sometime tomorrow to see my doctor again and get a plan of action. We are just trying to do what we can do prepare ourselves for any possible situation. I just want to be able to take our babies home as soon as possible after they are born. Obviously the sooner the babies are born the more problems they could potentially have so as it is exciting to think about meeting our babies soon, I want to keep them growing and put off their birthday as long as possible...I'm still hoping for December babies and am keeping that my ultimate goal!

All of the doctor's that have been working together with us have been great and are hopeful that we will make it anywhere from at least another week or as long as 2.5 more weeks if at all possible to get to 34 weeks. The plan has changed so many times now to be honest I am really looking forward to tomorrow to see my actual doctor again and get the real deal. Each time a new nurse comes in they talk about a new plan of action and it ranges from the babies coming by this Wednesday to keeping me here on medication until hopefully December 1st. So, now we wait....

I will update more as I know more or possibly have someone update for me if need be. Thank you for all of your concern, messages and phone calls. We love you all and really appreciate hearing from all of you. Hopefully tomorrow will bring good news.

" Never let go of hope. One day you will see that it has finally come together. What you have always wished for has finally come to be. You will look back and laugh at what has passed and you will ask yourself..."How did I get through all of that?"-Anonymous

This and That

Hubby just informed me that I am "really bad at keeping up with my blog and I need to do better" :) I can't disagree with him on this one so I had to tell him he was right...I don't like to make a habit of that very often so I will do better and prove him wrong!

Things are going well in the Brown household - changing everyday with many more to come before the new year. I have more than a few things to update on and hope to do so over the next week. In the past month, give or take a few days...I had my last day of work, we had amazing baby showers in Portland and in Washington, took a trip to Colville and spent time with family, had maternity pictures taken, added a new niece to our big family on November 2nd and entered the 8th month of pregnancy! Of course there were a few other things in there but that should sum it up for now!

I am also planning to share pictures of our nursery soon so stay tuned for all sorts of updates, picture sharing and randomness..in no particular order :)

"May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to keep you happy."-Irish Blessing

Pregnancy Update

I have so much to share and it will definitely take multiple posts to do it! So, I'll start with updates on my pregnancy and the babies. Many of you may already know everything I'm sharing, so I hope you don't mind hearing it again :)

So much has happened since I updated at 16 weeks...geez I need to get better about this! We are 23 weeks this week and have seen the babies quite a few times in the past few months. We had our big ultrasound at 18 weeks and found out that we have 1 boy and 1 girl for sure! It was so fun to find out 100% and begin to call them "he" and "she". They are extremely active babies and the techs always complain about them not holding still to get their measurements. Getting into trouble already! At this point both babies are measuring perfectly normal, a little on the larger size actually which is great, and my doctor is very pleased with their progress. We got to see them again last week and they look so much bigger each time.

I felt the babies move around 17 weeks...little tickles just like everyone had told me. I had been waiting and waiting and then it just happened one night. I was laying on the couch looking at my tummy and I felt it! I started freaking out and Ryan was like "What, what is it?" Then we both saw my tummy move! I was shocked! From then on it hasn't stopped! It's like as soon as I knew what it felt like I could feel it all day. It took about 3 more weeks before I felt them kicking and I have to say that is probably one of my favorite things. I'm sure I may change my mind when they get even bigger and stronger, but for now I love it. I hold my tummy all day just so I can feel them. I think it helps to give me peace of mind that they are healthy and growing. Little man likes to hang out way up in my ribs and our little lady lays way down low so it usually feels like I'm getting pulled in two different directions. When they both get to kicking it's like a circus in my stomach and I always laugh outloud no matter where I am. I am sure this will come to embarrass me one of these days :)

I wish that I could share that I have had super weird food cravings that you always hear about, but I'm sorry to report that I'm pretty boring. My favorite after work snack is 2 sliced pickles and a piece of cheese, which Ryan thinks is weird enough. I could eat a cucumber for every meal and if it were up to me I would eat cold veggies and salad everyday, all day. These aren't new things for me, just maybe more multiplied than they were before! I still love anything orange flavored and I go through about a gallon of orange juice a week. I like to put it in the freezer and then eat it like a slushy :) At least it's healthy! I could drink a smoothie/slushie anytime! I still have the same food aversions and don't want bread or ice cream. I guess the weirdest thing for me is that the other day I wanted a piece of chocolate when I was working...I don't even really like chocolate! It's funny to me because I remember my sister telling me that the girls really liked chocolate when she was pregnant :) Who knew I would! I tend to crave spicy/mexican food at times and I am usually the biggest wuss when it comes to anything spicy. I think my taste buds are changing for sure. I have suggested tacos so many times in the last few months and I didn't even realize it until he said something.

Overall I have been feeling pretty good throughout my pregnancy. I am monitored very well by my doctor and am very pleased with the way I have been taken care of by my clinic and the perinatal clinic. I have been dealing with some pain issues over the past few months and was put on bed rest once before and now again for what might be a while. Everything with the babies is totally fine, but they are trying to get my pain under control which means staying off of my feet, resting and laying on my back a lot. I have a very high chance of having pre-term labor so they are taking every precation to make sure this doesn't happen and these babies continue to grow as long as they can. I am trying my best to follow all of their orders and do what I can to have a long and healthy pregnancy. I have learned that I can't do everything I would normally do and that's ok. I am able to work from home so I have been making it all work to the best of my ability for the time being. I go in for another ultrasound next week so we will know more about what lies ahead of us then.

So, with that I will quit rambling and leave you with our latest ultrasound pictures! These are from our 18 week appointment (I haven't had a chance to upload the ones from last week).

This is our little man. He definitely has Ryan's nose and lips and he has calmed down on the camera so we get to see more of him than just his buns finally:) (The first few times all he wanted to do was stand on his head and moon us). I love this profile picture of him..he looks like such a little man and I can't wait to see what he will really look like. I have no doubt that he will look just like his daddy though :)

This is our little lady. The tech told us that she has a little button nose like me! She could have told me that she had my elbows and I would have been happy :) She is so sweet and I can't wait until our active little girl is here.

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us and supporting us. We wouldn't make it through this without our friends and family. Only a few months left and we will be able to share our little ones with all of you!

"God touched our hearts so deep inside, our special blessing multiplied." ~Author Unknown

Pointed Toes & Tu-tus

Two of our nieces, Adysen & Bayleigh, turned 5 this past month and are starting school this fall!! I can't believe it. They were just babies 5 minutes ago! They have such personalities and I know their teacher is in for a real treat :) They are smart little cookies and have the wildest imaginations. They continue to surprise me every time I talk to them and constantly make me smile.

My sis allowed them to pick 2 activities that they wanted to start in the fall with school. They chose soccer and ballet...and are THRILLED about both! Tiffany made them tu-tus for ballet and here are some pics she sent me of them trying on their special outfits and practicing!

Tricks! Miss AdysenStrikin' a pose! Check our their new ballet shoes they got for their birthday :)

Miss Bayleigh

"Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's looking." -Unknown-

"We are the Champions"

Well, not me...but Ryan's co-ed PGE Softball Team is!!

This was their 1st year playing in the league and they went undefeated! Games were every Thursday night and it was always fun to watch them all play together. I'm actually sad it has come to an end!Celebrating after the big win! They were SO excited! It wasn't much of a nail biter (I think it ended up 17 to 9) but it started out as a close one!

Team Trophy Shot! Congrats PGE Hotsticks! I guess I should also share that Ry got a home run off of a pop fly to the catcher (hehe). He was embarrassed to take it, but hey...it was for the big trophy after all :) These are all guys he works with and they have become like family to him. I am thankful he LOVES his job and his co-workers!

"Are you Crying? Are you Crying??? There's no crying in baseball!" - A League of Their Own (might be one of the greatest movies of all time!)

Beach Weekend

We headed to Seaside, OR for the weekend and I couldn't wait to get on the road. I have to admit that on top of everything else I was looking forward to getting out of the super hot heat for a few days. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the summer...but this heat is ridiculous!

Ryan and his Dad, Jimmy, were playing in a golf tournament on Saturday bright and early and I had originally asked if I could tag along to get out of the city...add in my mother in law and brother in law and it made for a fun family getaway! I wish everyone could have came with us, but there is always next time. The weather was gorgeous. A little cloudy and cold in the mornings but high 70's and beautiful in the afternoons. We stayed right on the beach so I spent a lot of time staring at the ocean. We relaxed on Friday evening and then on Saturday the boys headed to golf and Kathy and I spent the day walking around and taking in the sunshine - and ALL of the people! There was a huge motorcycle weekend ("Bike Fest") going on so the town was packed! I have never seen so many people on the beach in Seaside as well as that many Harleys in the same place at the same time. I think I saw some of the most amazing bikes I've ever seen. We strolled and window shopped on the promenade for most of the morning, layed out on the beach and took in some sunshine for the afternoon (I got brave and let my baby bump show on the beach! Agghhhh!) and then met back up with the boys for some dinner and karaoke. A Brown tradition wherever it is available! We had a lazy day Sunday and got in some baby shopping at the outlet stores which was a fun bonus...after all it was their 1st trip to the beach :) It was my 1st clothing purchase for the babies believe it or not! All in all it was a nice, relaxing, great time. We needed that!
I couldn't stop staring at the ocean this weekend and Ryan and I both decided that we need to take advantage of living this close to it more often! From our house in traffic it only took us about an hour and 20 minutes. We made a trip to Seaside last summer with my Mom, Dad and brother and we had a blast also. Definitely something we plan to do more of!

"I have the world's largest collection of seashells. I keep it on all the beaches of the world...perhaps you have seen it." Stephen Wright

Week 16 Update...A few surprises!

We had our 1st doctor's appointment at the Perinatal Center last Wednesday which made for a very exciting week! It included an ultrasound with a new tech and was the most detailed ultrasound we have ever had...measuring every little bone in their bodies. I was so nervous of what they might find or say was wrong but so far so good. Everything appears to be going well and both babies are healthy and right on track. We got to stare at them for about an hour! The clinic was really nice and I think they are going to take really good care of us there - very thorough that's for sure!

The babies were very active as usual and the quality is much better on these machines than our last ones so every movement was amazing to see. I had just seen them 2 weeks ago, but they have grown SO much again...which I guess I shouldn't be surprised about each time :) These little ones are changing fast and the doctor actually moved my due date up a week and 2 days because of it. The babies have been measuring slightly ahead of what they thought my due date was from the beginning but they wanted to wait until I got to this clinic to change it if need be. So that was the 1st of a few surprises.

Next came the big one, or two I guess I should say. First of all, Baby B is 100% confirmed a boy! We did not plan on finding anything out last week and I really didn't think we would be able to see anything but let me tell you, this little man wanted us to know what he was! He showed us more than a few times that he was a boy if you know what I mean :) He is the one on the left that always stands on his head, hides and acts silly and for some reason I have called him a "he" the whole time. Guess it was for good reason! My mom said that is my mother's intuition coming through :)

So, after that news the tech did some more measurements on the little guy's sibling. At this point the tech is 85% sure Baby A is a girl! He said he couldn't get the perfect shot to prove it but based on his measurements and what she (at least he thinks so) is looking like...he thinks we have a little lady in there too! We have our next ultrasound on August 7th for some more testing and will confirm everything then, but for now it is SO fun to think about! There is still a slight chance that it could be 2 boys, which we would absolutely love also, but just knowing a little bit has made everything so much more real. I still can't believe it's all happening and am so appreciative to have healthy babies.

So, today I am 16 weeks. My new due date is December 28th, 2009, which means if I can carry them to 38 weeks which is the goal they are estimated to arrive sometime around December 14th. 36 weeks would be November 30th. I want them hanging in there as LONG as possible so I am going to be praying for December babies.

Sharing all of the news so far has been an incredible experience. We have been waiting for these moments. Telling our families about our surprise of a boy and possible girl was so much fun. This will be the 1st boy grandson on Ryan's side of the family out of 5 grandkids so everyone was over the moon to add a boy into the mix. See his 1st Football below :) On the Tripp side we have the twin girls and 1 little Mr. Parker so he will be happy to have a playmate! The girls had decided over 4th of July weekend that 1 boy and 1 girl would be best because it would be a girl for them to play with and a boy for Parker too so they just might have got their wish. Many people have predicted a boy and girl combo since the beginning (including my mom from day 1) and a few are rarely wrong...shout out to Trevor Rollinger for most likely his next correct prediction - I believe he is in the 20's now for picking right! We will find out for sure on August 7th so stay tuned!

I don't mean to be too sappy in this post but I have to say that I am overjoyed with being pregnant. Each day is new and exciting and I feel so fortunate for each experience as I didn't know if we would ever get to go through this. I look at life so much differently now and I love the way that I see things. I can't wait to share more as we go and to introduce you all to our new family. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers for us and I am happy to report that all is going well!

There are two things in life for which we are never truly prepared: twins. ~Josh Billings :)

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles." - Audrey Hepburn

Monday Shout-Outs

A few things on my mind....

I'm so thankful that my grandma made it through her surgery and time in the hospital last week like a trooper. I am so proud of her for being so strong and am so thankful that my family members were able to be there for her, especially my mom...the best nurse in the whole world! She is a miracle worker.

I'm very proud of my sister for making it through an entire week away from her kiddos, especially her youngest Parker for the 1st time, while she took her dance team to camp at Gonzaga. I know that was a really hard thing to do and it was surely a long week but she made it through! She has had so much going on lately with the twins' 5th b-day on Father's Day, then a week of camp and Parkers 1st b-day this weekend. Another strong woman in the family. I learn a lot from her.

I'm so thankful that other than a few relatively small things, I feel pretty darn good right now. I was able to get out and do a few things this weekend that I haven't done in a long time. I feel very fortunate that things are going in the right direction with this pregnancy. Once my energy comes back a little more I'm hoping to get a few things done that have been on my list for a while!

Good luck to Gayle today with Simone's first day of swimming lessons! It's only her 2nd time in the water and I know Gayle is nervous. I know Simone will enjoy herself and I hope Gayle will too. I can't wait to hear all about it and hopefully come watch!

I'm so thankful that on Thursday afternoon Ryan and I will be on a plane to Washington to spend the holiday weekend with family. We have a wedding to go to on the 4th and our nephew Parker's 1st Curious George birthday party on Sunday. Other than that, it's relaxing, visiting and hopefully taking in some sun until Tuesday...maybe a day at the lake! I love home and I can't wait to see everyone.

I want to wish my friend JoAnna (and her fiance Joseph) as little stress as possible as she prepares for her wedding on the 11th (less than 2 weeks)! She has so much going on and I hope that she will get to enjoy herself and this time with family, friends, and future in-laws :) Joseph's family is all coming in from Atlanta so it will be a lot of company, hosting and coordinating everyone's schedules while working and trying to get last minute details done! I can't wait to see her walk down the aisle and be there by her side!

Happy Monday All!

"Before you put on a frown, make absolutely sure there are no smiles available." Jim Beggs

All we want for Christmas...

For those of you who check in on my blog from time to time, I have been a very bad blogger. I go through phases where I get back on track and then life gets in the way! Well, it's happened again. It has been quite the few months.

As some of you know and some of you may not, Ryan and I have been trying to start a family for a few years now. It has been a long and winding journey and has taken a lot of support, faith, hugs, patience, tears, love, hope and so many other things to get through the past few years. Our families and friends have helped us more than I ever thought possible, and I hope that someday we will be able to thank them as much as they all deserve.

I am overjoyed to share that I am 11 weeks pregnant with twins. It is still amazing and surprising to say that out loud and to believe this is all really happening. I have fallen in love with the word "Believe". It kept coming around in one way or another throughout our journey and it is something that I know will continue to help me get through the toughest times. This pregnancy has had a rough beginning but is now going by so quickly and going well. Each week is a little bit different and we are taking things one day at a time.

Our little ones have a twin due date of December 23rd, 2009. They are measuring perfectly so far and we will get to see them again next Tuesday. It is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I can't believe how much they change each time. We still have a long road ahead of us but are so excited to see what this new journey has in store for us as we become a family of four!

"In our lives there is bound to come some pain, surely as there are storms and falling rain; just believe that the one who holds the storms will bring the sun." Anonymous

fresh cut grass

I love it! The way it looks, the smell...it smells like summertime.

I had to stay inside and miss the sunshine the past few days but did get to enjoy it on Saturday morning. I was sitting on our deck, reading, listening to music and taking in the sunshine. It was the best few hours I've had outside in a long time. Plus I got the bonus of a visitor stopping by :) which made it even better!

Every year when it starts to get sunny again I always say how much it makes me feel better. I'll say it again this year...the sun totally lifts my spirits and I can tell it does for many people around me! So everyone....enjoy the sun while it lasts and let's all hope it comes back again to play soon.....

because I'm sure by the time anyone reads this it will be raining in Portland again :)

Day 59 of my 365

1. Fridays: Jeans at work...my favorite day of the week. Enough said.

2. Hot Showers: REALLY hot showers. I make a point to savor my shower every morning and sometimes in the evening too if I'm spoiled that day. They are one of those true pleasures in life... long, hot, burning showers. Ahhhhhh.

3. Hot tea: Orange Spice Tea is my ultimate favorite and I have got to have it 3 times this week! I'm getting a cold...can you see a trend here with the hot stuff?? :)

4. Windows in my office: I'm one of the lucky ones these days that gets to see the sunshine while I work!

5. Ryan watching my shows with me that I have saved in our DVR to get caught up...even though he claims that he's not into them :) right.............


"Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning." - Gloria Steinem

love this photo...and the message

Rules from God for 2009

Got this today and thought I would pass it on...

1. Wake Up !! Decide to have a good day.
"Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" Psalms 118:24

2. Dress Up !! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart." I Samuel 16:7

3. Shut Up!! Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. "He who guards his lips guards his soul." Proverbs 13:3

4. Stand Up!!... For what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything.. "Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..." Galatians 6:9-10

5. Look Up !!... To the Lord.
"I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13

6. Reach Up !!... For something higher. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, And He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6

7. Lift Up !!... Your Prayers. "Do not worry about anything;
Instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING."
Philippians 4:6

Day 13 of my 365

Refresher: The idea is to have the goal to post whenever it works best for me for 365 days - a list of five things that have graced my life, either on that day or at any time in my life. Simple pleasures.

1. Text messages - anytime of day, for any reason

2. sunflowers, someone once told me they always make you happy

3. a clean(er) office

4. mixed CD's from when Ry and I first started dating

5. Sunday afternoon naps


Hope is passion for what is possible. -- Soren Kierkegaard.

Day 1 of my 365

I don't know if anyone reads my blog and that's ok. A lot of things I write on here are just putting my thoughts on paper so to speak; sometimes for others and sometimes just for me. I have recently stumbled upon a project called "Grace in Small Things". The idea is to have the goal to post every day (or whenever it works best for me) for 365 days - a list of five things that have graced my life, either on that day or at any time in my life. I figured that this would be a good place to do this.

The woman who started the project explained why she did it... "The world we live in is loud and bright and demanding, and it is easy to slide into a less than thoughtful survival mode in which we do what we have to do to make it through the day with the least amount of strife possible. This robs us of the time and energy to be mindful of ourselves and those we love and to recognize the grace that exists in small things."

I can't promise that I will be able to post to this project everyday or even every week - but my plan is to post when I can; when I have something in my heart to share. Simple things. Small things. I need to take advantage of the grace in my life. "Cherish life's simple pleasures" - right Mom?


My Day 1 of 365:

1. A long hug after a long day

2. Help at work today from a new employee on his 1st day of work

3. A hot shower with candles

4. People having faith in me

5. My pair of OLD adidas sweatpants that I stole from my sister many, many years ago and she will never get back :)


"Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be."-- Charles "Tremendous" Jones

Oops...Forgot to post :)

We went to a good friend's wedding over Christmas break and I forgot to post pictures! Our family has been friends with the Fogle family for as long as I can remember. Their oldest daughter, Tasha, got married on December 28th and we were able to make it! Tiffany and Tasha were best friends growing up and they also had 2 other daughters and one son. We were all about the same age and Elizabeth and I were good friends as well. We used to make houses out of pine needles in their back yard :) Here are some pics:

The Tripp & Fogle Girls: Liz, Tiff, Tasha, Alaina, Deyna

Me & Liz. Liz is getting married on the 4th of July this year.

Me & Ry at the wedding.

With the girls :) They were really excited to see the wedding!

Keep Us

Anyone who knows me well knows that I couldn't live without music. It's on while I get ready every morning, while I drive into work on my commute, on my computer all day at work when I'm at my desk, then on my commute back home. The funny thing is Ry has a habit of watching music videos On Demand (it seems to be his favorite thing, especially lately) so really I just cant get away from it. It's not only that I just like to have the noise, I relate music to everything that is going on in my life. When I hear something I like, I write it down and look it up later. I am really into lyrics. I write them and have for many years. I appreciate others lyrics and like to find songs that mean something to me or help me through a particular thing I am going through. I post song lyrics on here from time to time, so I figured it was time I explained myself!
I am listening at work this morning and this song came on, a song I have never heard. It really spoke to me so I wanted to share it. I really like his sound. It is soothing and to be honest it just made me feel better. That is what music can do, sounds silly...but it's like a friend that always knows what to say at exactly the right time :)

http://www.myspace.com/peterbradleyadams

When the rain set in we had nowhere left to go
so we just stayed in bed while the thunder rolled
there's a comfort in the rain, one that love only knows
so we lay hand in hand while the water rose ...

Every season will turn til the world is upside down
rivers overflow then go underground
but in the eye of the storm, in the safety of this house
we lay hand in hand while the world turns wrong.

So keep us and keep us, keep us from the storm.

There's a lesson in the rain that change will always come
let us ride this wave and then greet the sun
and though the ground may shake and we’ll think
we’ve had enough
we must raise our flags for the ones we love.

So keep us and keep us, keep us from the storm.
Keep us and keep us and keep us from the storm.

random online siting!

I got a text this morning from one of my best friends saying..."Holy crap! Did you know one of your wedding pictures is on the front page of spokaneweddings.com"

I had no idea, so I checked it out....sure enough!

http://www.spokaneweddings.com/

Mal just got engaged on Friday night! So she said she was doing a little wedding planning and was surprised to see us on the website. Small world.

Summer vs. Winter

:)

Snow Day

We had quite a day in 3 feet of snow! It's amazing how much a little cold weather made me feel like a kid again :)

Christmas Eve in Colville

Christmas was in Colville, WA this year and Christmas Eve was spent with my Dad's side of the family at my parent's house. We had a great time and I wanted to share a few pictures. There were so many to choose from so I have just picked out some of my favorites for now!Adysen & Bayleigh with their curlers, getting ready for Christmas Eve! They look so grown up here! You should have seen when we first took the curlers out...they looked like Curly Sue. Me & Ady
Little man Parker. He has the sweetest smile.

The girlies.

Me, Tiff & TJ...plus a little sneaker in the bottom left :)

The Christmas Eve fam. Grandma & Grandpa Tripp in the middle.

Me & this guy I know :)

This is one of my all time favorites!

Ryan with what I think was his favorite present...new spices - all his favorite kinds for BBQ'in!

The gang. We love you all.