The first six weeks!

Dear Zachary,

We made it through the first six weeks! They have been exhausting but you guys are starting to sleep better at night now. A few things of note lately:

• Last night you both slept for a five hour stretch, which was so nice.
• At your two month appointment two weeks ago you each weighed 8 lbs. 5 oz. 
• During your first few weeks of life, you often had a very concerned look on your face (your eyebrows would scrunch up) but I don't see that expression as often anymore. 
• Your siblings love you. Oliver is really good with both of you. I feel it is my daily mission to protect both of you from Josh and Eleanor. They are so loving, I'm afraid they might hurt you. They are constantly in your faces, laying on you, climbing on your Rock n' Plays, etc. 
• Noise definitely doesn't phase either of you. You sleep through almost anything. You seem to like the vacuum and the doorbell never wakes you. You definitely have older siblings. 
• You have smiled a little bit a couple of times, which was so sweet to see. 
• Yesterday I looked into your eyes and felt the Spirit so strongly. You are so fresh from Heaven and there is a beautiful spirit about you. 

We are grateful you're in our family. We already love you a lot.

Love, Mom

Your Birth

Dear Zachary,

You are here and you finally have a name! You and your brother were born one week ago from today, Monday, July 31, 2017. I was being induced and we were supposed to check into the hospital at 6:00am. We got up a little later than planned, so we ended up checking in closer to 6:40am (after a quick breakfast of a bagel at home and a yogurt parfait from McDonald's (my least favorite fast food place ever) on the way). Being induced is a "hurry up and wait" game. I was also induced with Eleanor so I knew what to expect. In both cases, it took the entire day, mostly because I'm positive for Group B Strep, so I had to have two round of Penicillin, wait four hours, then have another round, before starting Pitocin to induce labor. (This is why I don't mind being induced - I can get the Penicillin in without them having to stop labor to do this step.) Here is a rough timeline of the day:

6:45 am Checked into the hospital and got settled into our room. We had an awesome nurse, Cheryl, and a nurse in training who was shadowing her.

8:00 am Got an IV and started Penicillin (So painful! The Penicillin makes my arm feel like it's on fire and aching the entire time it's being administered, which is hours.)

11:00 am Started Pitocin. I started feeling contractions but not too painful.

12:35 pm I got the epidural. The contractions weren't too painful yet but I knew I was going to get an epidural anyway and the anesthesiologist had an opening at this time, so I got it before the contractions got too painful. The epidural was more uncomfortable than I remembered it being in the past and this one was super strong. I couldn't feel my legs at all, which I didn't like.

1:00 pm Dr. Allen came to check on me on her lunch break. I was at 5 cm, so progressing slowly. (When the nurse checked me, she said she could feel your brother's head.) I was so tired, I literally could not keep my eyes open. It felt like the epidural made me sleepy. Maybe it was just how warm and numb my legs felt. My blood pressure was low so they gave me an oxygen mask for the rest of the day until delivery.

5:15 pm I got my last dose of Penicillin. It wasn't as painful this time. I believe it was around this time (maybe a little later) that Dr. Allen broke Nathan's water.

Around 6:45 pm, your dad was hungry so he went to the cafeteria for some dinner. I told him to keep his phone close because it could be any time. Just after he left, I started feeling pressure. The nurse checked me (a new nurse by this point, Bri, who was also awesome) and I was at 8 cm. It was go time! I called your dad and he came back and put scrubs, a hat and mask on for the Operating Room (I was delivering in there in case they had to go to an emergency c-section quickly). The nurses wheeled my bed into the OR, where Dr. Allen and an anesthesiologist were waiting, with some other assistants. They wheeled my bed next to the OR bed but I couldn't roll over myself because of the strong epidural, so they put a matt with wheels under my back to transfer me over. Then it was time to push! Nathan was born at 7:14 pm. I had a quick break while Dr. Allen broke your water and then I immediately starting pushing again to deliver you. Maybe because I was already tired from delivering Nathan, but it was more difficult to get you out. Dr. Allen said your heart rate was dropping and she would need to vacuum you out to keep you safe. She gave me one more chance to push before vacuuming and that did it. You were born at 7:26 pm, twelve minutes after your brother. You were a little purple when you came out but quickly recovered.

I love this picture of your dad holding both of you.

I didn't get to hold you or Nathan until you were both cleaned up. I was so happy to finally have you both in my arms. It was so surreal to finally meet you both after such a long time. I got tears in my eyes and couldn't stop smiling.

After labor, I was so incredibly hungry (I hadn't eaten since breakfast at 6 am that morning). The nurses brought me a cheese and fruit plate and a veggie / pita / hummus plate. Our friend, Molly Farabee, brought us Cafe Rio as well (bless her heart!!). I was so tired but just wanted to hold you both and spend time with you.

Grandma Utah, Oliver, Joshua and Eleanor wanted to come meet you both that night, but it was past bedtime by the time you were born so they had to wait until the next morning. Grandma and Grandpa Schultz came by for a brief visit that night though.

Josh was so interested in both of you. He spent a long time analyzing your fingers and toes.

Any day now

Dear Sweet Boy,

It's just about time to meet you and your brother! At my doctor appointment on Thursday, she told me I was at 3 cm, and then Friday morning I went to a movie with the kids and Aunt Meagan and her girls. I had contractions almost the entire movie, and they were very close together (about a minute apart). I went to the bathroom and felt like I might have an anxiety attack. It wasn't until then that I realized how unprepared I feel for your arrival. Things are a little chaotic, as your dad is remodeling our loft (turning it into a bedroom with a walk-in closet and a laundry room), so it's a construction zone here, plus everything from the loft is in different parts of our house (including your and your brother's room). The thought of caring for two infants while also caring for three active children is a lot, too. I said a prayer in the bathroom and felt a lot of peace. But I have continued to feel nervous with the uncertainty of when you two will come and how messy and chaotic our house is right now. Thankfully, the contractions stopped right after that and I have only felt them sporadically since then (including right now at this moment).

Very good news - you were breech at my appointment on Thursday but flipped to head down by the time I had my ultrasound appointment on Friday afternoon. (Maybe that's what caused the contractions on Friday morning?) This is good because it's less risky for your birth and there's also less risk for c-section. Also, your estimated weight (currently) is 6 lbs 7 oz. Your brother is the same. So I really don't think it will be much longer.

I need to get to sleep. I am so tired near the end of this pregnancy and even get out of breath just standing up.

I'm excited to meet you and your brother.

Love, Mom

From about a week and a half ago. 

33 Weeks

Stretch marks: I feel like I get a new one every day. 

Sleep: Sleep is uncomfortable these days. It is painful to turn over in bed as well as sit up from laying down. I wake up 1-2 times to pee and often get woken by Josh another time in the night. 

Best moment this week: Feeling constant movements from you and your brother. 

Movement: Still so much movement, especially after I eat something sweet! You guys are active boys. 

Food cravings: Still sweets but sometimes something salty. 

Gender: Two sweet boys.

Baby Stats: The two of you are estimated to weigh 4 lbs 5 oz and 4 lbs 7 oz. I'm not sure how accurate that is but it certainly feels about right. 

Symptoms: The most recent symptoms are a painful pelvic bone (it actually hurts to walk a lot of the time), sometimes my hips hurt (and sometimes go numb while I'm sleeping at night), my back and neck are really tense and tight after waking up in the morning, my tailbone still hurts, I get out of breath and so tired very easily (even just standing in the kitchen or walking upstairs) and I'm overall very uncomfortable. 

Labor signs: No but I do have Braxton Hicks contractions on occasion. 

Belly button - in or out? Out. Very much out. 

What I miss: Energy, feeling more comfortable and working out (I just can't do it at this point). 

What I am looking forward to: Meeting you and your brother.

Some of my friends gave me a baby shower last week. It was amazing!

*Pictures

Recent belly shots: 

Taken at the pool. Looking down at my big belly. 

32 Weeks

29.5 Weeks

Stretch marks: So many. 

Sleep: I still wake up to pee once a night and feel pretty uncomfortable through the night. I don't sleep great. It doesn't help that I am a very light sleeper (since becoming a mom) and your brothers get up around 6 am. 

Best moment this week: Feeling constant movements from you and your brother. 

Movement: Still so much movement! You guys are active boys. 

Food cravings: Still sweets. I honestly think I could eat ice cream every single day (but don't). 

Gender: Two sweet boys.

Baby Stats: You each weigh 2 lbs. 11 oz! 

Symptoms: Many of the same symptoms...sore back, swollen feet and fingers, pain in my tailbone, difficulty sleeping, restless legs, but now I'm having Braxton Hicks contractions, mostly in the evenings. They are not comfortable. 

Labor signs: Nope (thankfully). 

Belly button - in or out? Out. Very much out. 

What I miss: Energy, better sleep, my pre-pregnancy clothes, my pre-pregnancy body.  

What I am looking forward to: Meeting you and your brother.

Recent belly shots (29 weeks)

My belly comes in handy as a table these days. 

Update

Stretch marks: Lots. 

Sleep: I wake up to pee once a night. Last night I didn't sleep well at all because I was so uncomfortable. I tossed and turned (which is not easy to do at this stage in my pregnancy). 

Best moment this week: Feeling you both move at the same time. 

Movement: So much movement! You guys are active boys. 

Food cravings: Still sweets. Sometimes french fries or other salty things. But mostly sweets. 

Gender: Two sweet boys.

Baby Stats: According to BabyCenter.com, you're supposed to be around 1.5 lbs and are the size of a rutabage. 

Symptoms: Many of the same symptoms...sore back, swollen feet and fingers, pain in my tailbone, difficulty sleeping, but now I'm having Braxton Hicks contractions, mostly in the evenings. They are not comfortable. 

Labor signs: Nope (thankfully). 

Belly button - in or out? Out. Very much out. 

What I miss: Energy, better sleep, my pre-pregnancy clothes. 

What I am looking forward to: Meeting you and your brother.

Recent belly shot @24 weeks:

My belly is HUGE and I still have three months to go! 

24 weeks

It's time for a little update. I feel like we should be nearing the end, compared to my other pregnancies. 

Your mouth is open here, which is kind of funny. 

Stretch marks: Lots. 

Sleep: I wake up to go to the bathroom and I toss and turn more, trying to get comfortable. Plus the other kids still wake me once or twice a night, so I don't sleep very well.

Best moment this week: An ultrasound. Any time I get you to see you guys on the screen makes me happy. It's so fun to see your sweet little bodies. This ultrasound was fun because we got lots of 3D pictures. We think your brother resembles Josh a little and you might look more like Oliver and your dad. It's kind of hard to tell this early on but it's fun to speculate.

Movement: I feel you guys move quite frequently. Mostly from the inside but sometimes from the outside.

Food cravings: Sweets. Still. Daily intense cravings. Lately it has been Nutella but any chocolate is good. And ice-cream. I try really hard to eat healthy but I can't resist the cravings. I'm going to have a lot of work to do on the other side of this pregnancy.

Gender: Two sweet boys.

Baby Stats: You each weigh a little over a pound, which is right on track. 

Symptoms: My back still hurts, but instead of just when I wake it, it is most of the time. My feet and fingers are swollen. I can no longer wear my wedding ring so I have to wear my "pregnancy wedding ring" (another band your dad got me that was too big and I never had it resized, which is perfect for when I get to this point in my pregnancies). My tailbone hurts a lot and often feels like it is spreading or going to crack. There are often sharp pains in my tailbone area if I am laying down and try to adjust or turn over. I continue to be exhausted. But it's all worth going through for you guys, of course! I know it's going to get worse so I can't complain too much at this point.

Labor signs: Nope (thankfully). 

Belly button - in or out? Out.

What I miss: Feeling less exhausted and having more energy than I do now. I'm also missing my pre-pregnancy body a little, along with that wardrobe. 

What I am looking forward to: Meeting you and your brother.

Most recent belly shot (22.5 weeks):

19.5 Weeks

Dear Sweet Boy,

We're halfway through this pregnancy! I am definitely feeling it. It makes me excited to meet you and your brother.

Stretch marks: Lots. 

Sleep: Still the same. As long as the other kids sleep, I sleep okay. I always wake up with my back hurting though.

Best moment last week: My ultrasound. Now we know for sure you an your brother and boys. So exciting! We can't wait to meet you!

Movement: I feel you guys move quite frequently.

Food cravings: Sweets. All the time! It's ridiculous.

Gender: Two sweet boys.

Baby Stats: You each weigh 11 ounces. 

Symptoms: My back hurts when I wake up. I'm so exhausted.

Labor signs: Nope (thankfully). 

Belly button - in or out? Out.

What I miss: Feeling less exhausted and having more energy than I do now.

What I am looking forward to: Meeting you and your brother.

A few pictures from our family gender reveal party. I put some blue whipped cream in two cupcakes. Oliver's cupcake represented Twin A and Josh's cupcake represented Twin B. Oliver was kind of hoping one of them would be pink but both boys were excited to find out they're having brothers.

A little update

Taken a few weeks ago.

It has been a while since I have updated. I feel that life has never been busier than it is now. It has been especially busy lately with potty training Eleanor, moving her to a toddler bed, Josh and Eleanor being sick (which wakes them at night, especially her, and then she can't go back to sleep), we went to Utah for Spring Break last week, and Josh broke his arm while we were there. Daddy was at a Scout campout / hike at the Grand Canyon and will be back in about an hour or so. Every day I feel like I'm racing to keep up and my to-do list never gets shorter. But life is good and we are so excited to meet you and your brother in August. :)

Stretch marks: I'm not sure if there are new ones this time around but there are plenty from before so I'm not too worried about it.  

Sleep: I am still able to sleep fine as long as everyone sleeps through the night. But that hasn't been happening lately with Norah's sickness and Josh's sickness and broken arm. I feel like a zombie half of the time.

Best moment last week: My sister hosted a small family baby shower for me in Utah. It was fun to celebrate you and your brother's upcoming arrival. I got some cute little clothes and a few other things (a couple of packages of diapers. Yay!). It was so sweet and thoughtful of her.

Movement: I am definitely feeling you guys move pretty regularly. Not every day but pretty frequently. It's still little movements down in my lower abdomen at this point. 

Food cravings: I crave sweets all.the.time. It's not good but it's hard to resist. I'm scared about how much weight I will gain!

Gender: At my last detailed ultrasound appointment last month, the tech was "pretty sure" you are a boy and then at my last doctor appointment a couple of weeks ago, she confirmed Baby A is definitely a boy! So it looks like we're having two boys if the first ultrasound tech was right. We are excited! It would have been fun to have a sister for Norah but we love boys too. :)

Baby Stats: You're each supposed to be as big as a mango, 6" long and weigh 8.5 ounces. You are also developing your five senses at 19 weeks.

Symptoms: I have a little more energy than I did in my first trimester but I'm still pretty exhausted. I have varicose veins down the backs of my legs (especially my right leg), my back is already starting to hurt, and I feel huge (but know I'm only half way there!). 

Labor signs: Nope (thankfully). 

Belly button - in or out? Out now.

What I miss: Feeling less exhausted and having more energy than I do now.

What I am looking forward to: My detailed ultrasound next Tuesday to make sure everything looks good, get a better look at you two and confirm your genders. :)

Ultrasound pictures!

Dear Sweet Boy,

I had a detailed ultrasound with a specialist a few days ago and he is almost certain you, Baby B, are a boy! It was so fun to learn your gender. It's not 100% certain since it's so early on, but from the ultrasound pictures, it looked pretty obvious and the ultrasound tech said he would bet money on it. Over a year before I got pregnant, I had thoughts that there was another boy who would come to our family. This was before I felt promptings from the Spirit. I didn't think too much of it because I didn't feel like we would be able to have more children, due to our age / exhaustion / a lot on our plate. But I had that thought several times (to the point where I started saving boy clothes instead of giving them away, just in case) so I'm not surprised Heavenly Father is sending us a boy.

Here are the ultrasound pictures.

This one is my favorite. I love how it looks like you are waving. 

We are excited to meet you. We love you already!

Love, Mom