The Story of Us {my sophomore & junior year} ♥

Brandon and I met in 2002 when I was a freshman in high school, and he was a sophomore.

Spring of my freshman year I was dating Brandon's best friend at the time. Brandon would bring him to my house since he could drive and we were not old enough to yet.

We broke up that summer, but Brandon and I stayed friends. We became very close my sophomore year. He was one of my best friends. We said I love you every time we got off the phone. I became part of his group of friends. He would pick me up for school when I needed him to.


Throughout my sophomore year I dated several guys. Brandon never said anything about it. Our group of friends constantly made comments about how cute/perfect we would be together. I was NOT willing to make that change in our friendship. He was someone I trusted with everything. There was nothing I could not talk to Brandon about. I explained to him I was scared if it ever ended we would be giving up a friendship. He said he understood.

We ate lunch together every day. We spent most of our weekends together. Whether we would go to the mall and dress each other up in stupid outfits, or hang out at his house. Ryan was normally with us, so it never seemed like a "couple"

At one point, I told Brandon I could see myself marrying him, I just could not date him.


In December of my sophomore year the guy I was dating was in musical with Brandon. He bragged about cheating on me to Brandon. Brandon immediately let me know. Needless to say, we broke up. 

In February, I dated a different guy. I had already made plans to spend Valentine's Day with Brandon. I ended up standing Brandon up to spend it with the guy I was dating.


In March, Brandon and I started dating. I told him we could try, but he had to swear we would still be friends if it did not work out. We dated not even 3 weeks, and I told him I thought it was awkward. We broke up, but still stayed close friends.

In May, my best girl friend, Sharlene, and I went to Brandon's to swim one evening. For some reason, Brandon was different to me this night. I can remember every detail of the evening and realizing my feelings for him. We made plans to go to the beach the next day. When I went home with Sharlene that night I told her how I felt. We talked about it all night and decided I had to tell Brandon. The issue was I had a boyfriend. So, I called him that same night and broke up with him. After that phone call, I called Brandon and explained my feelings. It went really well, and he was happy!

The next day Brandon, myself, Sharlene, and her boyfriend went to the beach. By the time we came home from Galveston Brandon and I were dating. This was on May 26, 2003.

We dated the rest of the summer and the following school year. We spent nearly every day that summer together. We went on a trip with our group of friends to the Frio River for a week. He was a Watch Dog for the cheerleaders his Senior year. I was a head cheerleader on the squad.


We went to homecoming together. I took him to Cheer Banquet. He took me to his prom. We had a blast his senior year while I was a junior.

Our songs were ...

My Best Friend by Tim McGraw picked by Brandon
Watch This by Clay Walker picked by me.

19 months ...

The boys are 19 months!

They are wearing 18 months clothing.

Hunter is still in size 4 shoes, but they are starting to get tight.

Drake is in size 5 shoes.

They are still wearing size 5 Pampers.

They had their first trip to the ER together this month. They were diagnosed with Croup.

The boys had Croup on Halloween, so they did not get to trick or treat that night. We went to trunk or treat the Sunday before, and they loved it! They were two monsters, which was perfect since they love to make monster noises. They spoke to everyone and loved to play the little games.

We had an eventful month with the boys catching a stomach virus. They caught it from daddy, then they passed it to me. It spread through Brandon's family too. We were not able to celebrate Thanksgiving this year. The boys went to Meme's with Brandon while I stayed home sick. Around 2 pm I decided I needed to go to the hospital, so Brandon left the boys there and took me to Texas Woman's.

My daddy came home this month, and the boys were perfect with him. They did not have to warm up to him at all! We did not get to spend as much time with him as we normally would because of the stomach virus.

The boys did not eat more than crackers, cheerios, and pedialyte for a week straight due to their stomach bug. The first couple times we tried to feed them anything other than that they threw up all over again. They have sensitive stomachs that take longer to recovery. Totally makes sense since we could not switch to regular milk immediately. They are now on refular whole milk :)

The boys will repeat anything you say now. I love to hear Drake say "oh gosh" Their little voices are adorable. They both pronounce Barney correctly now. Hunter says it perfectly and often, Drake not as perfect.

Hunter is in a "momma" phase. From the time that boy wakes up he says momma repeatedly. After the first hundred times ... oh. my. gosh. I repeat his name or ask him what several times, but it does not make him stop.

Hunter has started giving kisses more often. Drake gives the most perfect kisses. He loves to kiss!

They switched cribs for about a week. They preferred to sleep in each other's crib rather than their own. When we ask them if they are ready to go night-night they always run to their room and stand at their crib. For a week, they ran to each other's crib and would throw a fit to be put in that one.

The boys absolutely love books. They sit and look at books daily!

They are starting to build with their blocks more often.

They understand the concept of picking up their toys, and often help me.

They love to put things in the trash and put their diapers in the diaper genie.

They put their clothes in the dirty clothes basket.

Stranger danger has completely passed. Drake takes longer to warm up to new people, and does not showcase his personality immediately. Hunter does not take long at all! He will let strangers hold him now. They both love to say hi and bye to EVERYONE. They also say hi and bye to objects or animals. bye deer, bye car, etc.

They have started to pull their own pants up when they get dressed.

We really noticed how much the boys want to be alike this month. When the boys got sick, Hunter was sick first. Drake's did not hit until 4 hours later. I had bathed the boys and put Hunter in a christmas shirt. I did not put one on Drake. He came running in the room wanting the shirt on. So, I put it on him. Then, Hunter threw up on his shirt. I bathed him and changed him. Drake threw a fit to have his shirt taken off. We have noticed this continuously happening.

Drake has such a sweet heart. He will always pick up two toys and take one to Hunter. He will get both of their snack cups, and take one to his brother. When I fix their cups with milk, Drake will take the first one to his brother and wait for the second one. It melts me to see the love the boys have for one another.

Hunter is very aware of my belly and the baby that is in there. He walks up to me often and says baby. He will lift my shirt and kiss it. Lately, my belly button has become a fascination. Drake will also say baby, but he does not do it as often as his brother

They absolutely LOVE their new cousin Bowen. They will do anything to help with the baby. Bring a pacifier, a blanket, etc. They love to give him kisses.

It is not always glamorous ...

My life as a twin mom is pretty amazing. I am blessed with two great boys that have made the past 18 months pretty easy. There are not many hard moments, but then again they may be hard to someone that is used to one baby. Two babies is my normal. Soothing both of them is my normal. Carrying two toddlers is my normal. I don't know how easy it is to do these things with one baby, so I think my boys are easy.

My husband thought he was getting sick last night before bed. Sure enough, he woke up sick. The twins woke up at their normal 8 am time and seemed fine. They dranl their cup of milk and we were watching Barney. Hunter comes up to me and begins throwing up all over the living room floor. Both boys proceed to say "uh oh" when he finishes. Their little minds are so precious. I cleaned it up and call my mom to please bring pedialyte. My mom arrives with pedialyte, and Brandon leaves for his doctor appointment. Thirty minutes later I am holding Hunter in the glider and he throws up over the side rail, on the opposite side of the living room. So, my mom cleans that mess up while I take the boys to the bathroom so I can go ahead and bathe them. Hunter is in the bath no more than 5 minutes and he throws up in the bath. I take Drake out of the bath and clean up Hunter and the bath tub. Run another bath and bathe the boys.

The boys play and Hunter seems to be feeling better.

My mom leaves and the boys go down for a nap at noon. I call the pediatrician and explain the situation. They call in Zofran for Hunter. Brandon arrives home and does not have the flu! He has some type of virus.

I have the monitor on to hear if either boys throw up during nap time. They sleep nearly 2 hours, and then we hear them talking and a strange cough. I go in to see and Drake has thrown up all over his bedding. He caught what Hunter has, of course. The life of twins. So, Brandon gets Hunter and I take Drake to rinse him off. I give Drake a bath and then I wash the sheets and bumpers.

The boys layed around on the floor in our bedroom for the next couple hours. They were definitely not themselves, but Hunter was not throwing up and was becoming more himself. Hunter climbs in bed with me and starts rubbing my belly saying "baby" He then kissed my belly which was so sweet. Moments like these are truly unbelievable to me.

He gets down and goes to lay with his brother. I go take a picture of how sweet they are and Drake starts throwing up within an inch of Hunter's head. I move Hunter and rub Drake's back. I think he is finished and put him in my arms to soothe him. Brandon brings me cleaning stuff and I clean up the mess while holding Drake. As soon as I finish cleaning the mess, Drake threw up all over me and the carpet again. He was so pitiful. Brandon cleans this mess and I get in the shower with Drake. He lays on my shoulder the entire time, completely not acting like himself.


We get out of the shower and I put his diaper on in our bed. I sit him up to look at him and Hunter leans over and kisses him. Oh I love these moments!! Then Drake threw up all over our bed. Yes, seriously.

So, I again clean up Drake and strip our bedding to be washed. After this Drake seems to be fine. I am praying he has everything out of his system. Hunter is back to normal and playing around the house.

Drake ends up laying on the living room floor with his blanket and throws up pedialyte all over the place. This time scared him and he could not calm himself, so I picked him up and he threw up on my again. We take another shower. After this, he is fine! Plays with his brother, daddy, and me. The boys sat in my lap and talked to each other. They kissed each other and rubbed each other's back. Today has really shown me their bond.

The boys went to bed early around 7:00, but they have had a rough day so I am fine with them going to bed earlier than 8.

I have cleaned up more throw up today than anyone would ever dream. Doing this while pregnant was really not fun. My carpet has taken a beating. I am going to need more Resolve. I have sprayed Lysol and cleaned toys. I found time to change the light bulb in their lamp and put new batteries in their soother. I did 4 loads of laundry. Everyone has clean bedding.

The most important part of today... my boys know they have a mommy that is always there. Whether it is for the fun times, the special moments, or to throw up on so they feel close enough to me to know they will be okay.

Today was not very glamorous, but I know my boys feel loved and that is ALL that matters.

Hunter after his bath this morning, still smiling.

Hunter kissing mommy's belly.

My sweet boys laying together this evening.

First ER Trip with { Drake & Hunter }

On Sunday when the boys woke up I thought they sounded raspy. Even when they would take a breath it seemed like I could hear something in their little bodies that was not right. As a mommy I know everything about the way they breathe and talk. Something was different. I asked Brandon about it and he said he had not noticed anything.

On Monday morning when I woke them up at 6:30 to leave for Sandy's I could hear something strange in their voice still. I also thought they had a fever. I thought about staying home. I went and got the thermometer and they had a fever of 99.2 and 99.3 Nothing major. As they started moving around they seemed fine, so I still took them to Sandy's. That night Drake woke up after bedtime which never happens. He was raspy and coughed a couple times. I was able to get him back to sleep, but knew that was not normal for him.

On Tuesday morning the boys still had that same raspy noise in their voice. I took them to Sandy and told her to watch them close if they were getting sick. I was going to be at work until after 9 pm that night due to a football game. So, Brandon got the boys that afternoon. I texted him and asked how they were and he said they had a cough. 

On my way home I called Brandon and he said Drake had already woken up twice crying. I called and took off work the next day immediately. I knew that something was wrong. When I got home he woke up crying again. When I went in their room it sounded like he was gasping for air. Completely freaked me out. He woke up Hunter in the process of crying and gasping. We put the boys in our room with Barney and I called the on call doctor. They called and asked if they could talk to Drake and listen to his breathing since he was the worse of the two. After listening to Drake wheeze into the phone they said we needed to head to Texas Children's Emergency room. 

We loaded the boys up at 11:30 and headed out. 

They got us in relatively quick. Getting out was the issue. They heard the boys cough and immediately diagnosed them with Croup. Croup is a barking cough due to swelling around the vocal cords and can cause breathing difficulty. We were taken to a room and given an oral steroid for both boys. They said it would take roughly 24 hours to really kick in and then the boys would be on the mend. The boys acted way better than I expected with it being so far past their bedtime! They were smiling, giggling, talking, walking around, and having a blast. We had a couple meltdowns, but with snacks we were able to keep them pretty happy. I need to thank Welch's for making fruit snacks ;)


We got home at 3 am after waiting for the doctor to come speak with us.


The boys slept from 3 to 8 am. They are struggling to sleep or nap for long periods of time. 


Today the boys have been fussy, wheezing, and coughing. Tonight it was worse than during the day. We put a humidifier in their room. We used Vapor Bath by Johnson and Johnson when we bathed them. I am praying these sweet boys are able to sleep tonight and wake up much better tomorrow. They will be spending the next two days home with my mom which I know they will enjoy :)

Drake

Hunter

Drake and Hunter really looking alike!

20 weeks with sweet Baby Luke ♥

I am halfway through my last pregnancy!!! I really cannot believe it!  We picked a name too! 


Luke Arthur Olive

Luke is a name I loved a couple years ago from a show I watch, One Tree Hill. Brandon was looking at pinterest with me at nursery stuff and there was a nursery with the name Luke and he said, what about Luke? I really really really wanted Carter, but he was not giving in on that name. I brought Luke up a couple years ago and Brandon said no. He of course does not remember this conversation ;)

Arthur is after my daddy. The twins middle names are named after Brandon and his side of the family. I fully believe middle names should be family names. We intended to use my middle name for a little girl. My middle name is shared with several of my daddy's family members. Since we are having another baby boy, we still wanted to incorporate my family. 

I started feeling Luke at 17 weeks. I was in total shock! I did not feel the boys until 22 weeks due to an anterior placenta. When the ultrasound technician told me at 12 weeks I again have an anterior placenta I was so disappointed. Having an anterior placenta means my placenta attached at the front of my uterus. Most pregnancies attach at the back and are posterior. This affects how early and strong you feel fetal movement. Basically, the placenta absorbs the kicks before I can feel them. 

Now, at 20 weeks I REALLY feel him. You can see my stomach move with his movement. Other people can feel him move. I did not feel the twins until 22 weeks, and other people could not feel them until a couple weeks later. 


I am so glad he is moving because I really don't feel pregnant. If it wasn't for the growing bump and his movement I think I would forget. He is such an easy pregnancy!!


So, I am thinking Mr. Luke is having a party in there! Tons of space that he doesn't have to share with a sibling and he is so excited to join our family ;)


It makes me wonder if he has a personality like my Drake. Drake was incredibly active in the womb and Hunter rarely moved. This matches their personalities exactly. Drake is still active and Hunter is laid back. 

I lost 5 pounds in the first trimester. Not sure how, but I did. I still have not gained them back. My doctor is not concerned that I have not gained any weight yet. 

I am DEFINITELY showing. I need to purchase some Maternity shirts. I did not have that many when I was pregnant with the twins. I was in the hospital by the time I was really showing so I just wore larger t-shirts most the time.

I still sleep on my belly just like I did with the twins. So, when I wake up in the mornings my belly is basically gone. By the time I get ready and leave it has popped back out :)

I have been having my cervix measured by my specialist Dr. Adam. It is measuring around 3.2 cm which is not terrible. Shorter than what it should be at this point, but not to the point I am on bed rest. I go back this Friday to have a final look and decide whether I am a candidate for a cerclage. Part of me wants them to do the cerclage. After 22 weeks you cannot have a cerclage done due to the fact it can cause pre-term labor. So, in my head what if mine shortens at 25 weeks ?!?! It shortened at 26 weeks with the twins. I CANNOT be on hospital bed rest again. I just can't. I would have to be sedated to be away from my boys. There is just no way. I am praying this cervix cooperates and stays nice and long. 


Luke is completely healthy and growing on track. We will see him again on Friday which will be fun :)


I will be attempting to have a vaginal delivery. If I end up with a c-section I am okay with that. I just want the chance to be able to have a normal delivery. Since I have had a c-section I cannot be induced. I would have to go into labor on my own. I do not foresee that being an issue since my preterm labor history, but if I make it to my due date we will schedule a c-section. 


We have started making plans for Luke's nursery. We are doing a Dr. Seuss theme. I want to do the red and turquoise Dr. Seuss. I found a bedding set on Etsy that I love. We are going to begin emptying the guest room as soon as we have time. October has been pretty crazy. I have ordered some outfits for our Luke. We have absolutely EVERYTHING this baby boy could ever need from his older brothers, but I want him to have some things of his own. I definitely don't want him to always have "hand me downs." 

We will be moving the changing table from the boys' room to Luke's nursery. We are taking the long dresser and moving it to Luke's room also. There is nothing but baby stuff in it right now anyways, so the twin's are not using it. 

I will order Luke a crib soon. 

The twins are staying in their cribs until they climb out. I am not looking forward to when that occurs ;)


Here is to 20 more uneventful weeks with Luke ♥

Diapers Diapers Diapers

We have been so blessed and have not had to purchase diapers. I went a couple months ago and bought my first diapers. Babies R Us had a sale so I bought several boxes. I am down to one box, so I knew I needed to do my research and make a decision on where we would be purchasing diapers.

We are a Pampers loving family! The swaddlers were amazing when the boys were in the small sizes, then they transition into the cruisers. We love love love them. The boys don't leak, and they fit well.

I researched Wal-Mart, Target, Diapers.com, Amazon, and Babies R Us. We are currently in size 5 Pampers Cruiser diapers. I found the cost per diaper at each place and compared. 

Wal-Mart was in the lead with .33 cents per diaper.

Amazon had .33 cents per diaper with the subscribe and save option. This is where you choose to have them delivered once a month, twice a month, etc. You can cancel at any anytime, even right after you order for the first time. It saves you 5% by choosing to "Subscribe and Save"

Babies R us was .35 cents per diaper.

Diapers.com had .36 cents per diaper with the $10 off coupon for a first time order.

Target currently has 10% off diapers if you order 2 or more boxes. This brought them to to the lead at .30 cents per diaper!

I had decided I was going to order from Target, but kept doubting myself. I knew there was some other savings through Amazon. After looking around the website I found what I was looking for! If you join Amazon Prime for $79 per year you receive 20% off diapers and wipes! You also get free 2 day shipping on most amazon items! I will be purchasing diapers for the next couple years especially once Luke makes his debut. I also love to shop Amazon. I ordered nearly the boys ENTIRE christmas from Amazon last year. So, the 2 day shipping also had my interest. 

This brought the cost of our diapers to .27 cents per diaper with the subscribe and save option included. I currently chose to have 2 boxes delivered once a month. This should be plenty for Sandy's house and our home. I can cancel it any time. There was an immediate option to "Skip next delivery" which I may do once I pay attention to how many diapers we use in a month. 

I am happy with my decision and look forward to having diapers and wipes at my door ;)

Drake and Hunter at 18 Months ♥

My boys are growing and learning so much. They want to repeat anything and everything. They constantly imitate us.

Some of the words we hear often are bite, gone-gone, bye, hi, snack, baby, night-night, bubba, momma, daddy, nadi, papa, meme, nanny, pop, shoes, croc, bath, brush, Bar for Barney, Bop for Baby Bop, car, outside, bird, duck, deer, book, uh oh, cheese (for  picture), luke, bo, ruff-ruff, quack-quack, bananas, and rawrr!

Hunter often messes with his fingers. He will be watching tv, standing listening to me talk, etc. and he will be rubbing his fingers together. It is a habit I just recently noticed.


The boys are in a stage right now that they do not like to get up in the morning at 6:30. When I go to wake them they roll over and pull their blanket back over themselves. Hunter often wants to be put into Drake's bed at this point. It melts my heart, and makes me wish I could stay home!


Drake LOVES to give kisses. He has the perfect pucker and will give kisses all day long. Hunter went through a week long stage of refusing to kiss anyone. He would kiss stuffed animals, but not us. He finally started kissing us again, thank goodness!

They know most of their body parts. Nose, ear, eyes, teeth, head, shoulders, toes, belly, bellybutton, and butt.

They love to throw diapers away in the diaper genie! They recently also bring you a diaper if you ask them to!

My boys absolutely love to wear shoes. They typically wear shoes ALL day long. They may be in diapers and crocs a lot of the time at home ;)


They are in size 5 pampers.

Drake is a size 5 shoes and Hunter is a size 4.

Clothes are difficult to size right now. Carters is my favorite and runs small, which is perfect for my preemie boys! So, they are in size 18 month shirts from there. They are still a tad big for Hunter but not too bad. They fit Drake perfect. They wear size 9 to 12 months from Children's Place because they run big. 


The boys absolutely love books. Especially my Hunter. They will sit and read a book and point out different objects they know.

They have a new cousin this month!!! Brandon's sister Lacey gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Bowen Michael Nowetner. He was 7 lbs 14 oz and 19.25 inches long. They were fascinated by him the first time they met. Lots of kisses were given and lots of "be gentle and sweet" was heard :)



They still sleep 12 hours or more at night. They take a 2 to 3 hour nap during the day.

They absolutely HATE the pediatricians office. She said it is completely normal. They cried their entire 18 month check up. Hunter was worse this appointment and that never happens. They did not even have to get shots and the boys were still petrified.


They HATE the vacuum cleaner.

They love Welch's fruit snacks.

Barney is still the only show that holds their attention. They will bring you the remote when it is the end to turn another episode on to watch.

Hunter is in a stage of scrunching his nose and it is precious!

Drake likes to come up behind me and push on my back while I am sitting down. He thinks he is hiding and it is a game.

They love bath time. Hunter figured out how to pull up the stopper and keep it out. So, we have to refill to bath sometimes.

They are still doing AMAZING with Mrs. Sandy. It is so sweet to give them kisses and they tell me bye in the mornings. I know they are well taken care of and loved there.

The boys have had a couple mosquito bites in the past months and we realized they are most likely allergic due to how large, hard, and red they appear. This month Hunter woke up with a HUGELY swollen and red hand. I called the pediatrician several times, but since there was no streaking up the arm they were not worried. Benadryl and cortizone was the solution. It took nearly 3 days for his "Hulk" hand to go down.

My daddy came home this month and the boys did not have to "warm" up to him. They immediately went to him. I was so excited!!!!

Drake weighs 23 lbs 9 oz.

Hunter weighs 22 lbs 14 oz.

Gender Reveal for Baby ♥

I had heard of a blood test that could tell the gender of a fetus at 12 weeks when I was pregnant with the twins. I already had an appointment scheduled, and then had the surprise of a lifetime when I was told it was twins. I cancelled my appointment and trusted my specialist to tell us the gender. 


So, fast forward to the new baby! I knew I wanted to do this test and find out the gender early. I had the appointment at 12 weeks and the results were in at 13 weeks. Sandy called and found out the results when I was 13 weeks. I invited all of our family to come over for  reveal of the gender. 

Lacey decorated her stroller box for the balloons to go inside! Sandy bought the balloons and loaded them in the box, keeping it a secret from everyone. This was NOT easy to do! Especially when I saw her daily to drop off and pick up my boys. She would burst out laughing constantly. Or smile ear to ear when I was telling a sad story.

On Sunday, September 16th, all of our families came over to find out. Everyone wore pink or blue for what they thought the baby would be! There was quite a bit pink and some blue mixed in!

We went outside after everyone ate pizza ready to open the box! I was convinced it was a girl! The pregnancy had been so different, and the pencil test said I was having a girl. 

Imagine my surprise when blue balloons came out :)

I am so truly excited to have another boy. I am not upset about carrying another beautiful Olive boy! I was disappointed in the fact that I will never have a daughter. This will be our last child. I thought of all the things I would never do. Get a daughter ready for a school dance, cheer, help plan a wedding, be there when my daughter gives birth, etc. 


I am in a much better place now that it has all sunk in. I am excited to have my 3 boys. I cannot wait to raise three amazing men! I want them to marry wonderful women that will want me to be around during their important moments in life and the every day moments. I will love dancing with my boys at their wedding just as I dance with them now in the kitchen. I will have 3 little momma's boys! Who could be unhappy with three healthy boys?!


We are undecided on a name! I am now making decisions about a nursery. Thankfully, this baby is due the same time as when the boys were born! So, all of their beautiful clothes can be reused!

Our boys are 17 months ...

My boys have definitely become toddlers. They run everywhere! They are losing their "baby" faces.

They try to repeat most words you say. They say taco thanks to Aunt Lacey! They repeated me saying Brandon. Some new words are gone gone, hi, taco, book, daddy rather than dada, and many others!

They love going to library time with Sandy! Drake stays with her until he is comfortable in his surrounding, and this is typical for him. Hunter is my independent one that is off exploring. 

My boys LOVE LOVE LOVE books and it makes this momma happy! I love that when they are upset I can tell them to go get a book and they will calm down. They want momma and daddy to read with them. This is so important to me that they have a love of books and reading. I want them to remember reading bedtime storied with their parents. 

They are able to crawl up on the couches now. They understand us telling them to sit down. If they don't and Brandon has to stand up, they immediately slide down to a sitting position. They know we mean business ;)

They like to hide behind the curtains. Drake even removed the curtain rod today ;)

They absolutely love shoes. They want shoes on at all times. 

They eat pretty much anything. Drake loves fruit snacks. Hunter still does not like things that are too cold. 

They no longer drink any juice. It became too hard on their tummies and we had our first diaper rash. My family always had an issue with drinking juice as a child, and apparently my boys have the same issue. Since stopping juice I have seen a major difference. 

I got a huge bruise this month on my leg. They call it my "bobo" and Hunter will kiss it for me. It is so sweet.

They kiss my belly and say "baby" They do not understand that a baby is in there obviously, but it is so sweet to see.

They sleep 12 hours a night. They nap for 2 to 3 hours a day. They are finally starting to get over the being fussy in the evenings. 

They still love bath time! Hunter prefers to sit near the spout and Drake likes to sit in the back. Hunter figured out how to pull the stopper up. When he does it makes noise because of the water going in the drain. He gets so proud when he gets it up. Of course it closes right back because he doesn't know to turn it to keep it up.

This month the boys had allergies. Brandon has very bad allergies, but did not have them until he was an adult. The have the puffy eyes and runny noses. 

The boys were able to see the space shuttle Endeavor when it came through Houston. Sandy took them outside in a wagon and they saw it fly over. I know they will never remember it, but they experienced it :)

The boys stranger danger is nearly gone. They don't like to be picked up by strangers, but will talk and be around them with no issue. I am so proud of them.

We spent "National Night Out" next door with our neighbors grilling. We met new neighbors too! The boys had fun and so did we! By the end of the night, they were chasing after the older boys!

Our morning routine has not changed at all. We go straight from the nursery to the garage.  I load Hunter first and Drake stays in the garage. When I go to get Drake he runs back to the door thinking we are playing chase. It has been great in the mornings except when they are not feeling well due to the allergies.

They are wearing size 5 pampers!

Drake is in a size 5 shoe!

Hunter is in size 4 shoe!

The 12 month shirts are getting snug on Drake.

I just placed my first order for fall clothes since it is cooling off :)

13 weeks with Baby Number 3

I am pregnant. Really. I do not think it has truly sunk in that I am going to have another baby. Brandon said to someone I have two and one on the way, and I felt like he was speaking about someone else's life.

I do not feel pregnant. At all. I have been sick 5 times this pregnancy.

I am definitely showing. I did not show with the twins until 17 weeks, so it is strange to me to show so early.

We decided to go to Genetics Center of Houston to have our First Trimester Screening. They are able to determine the gender of the baby by drawing the mom's blood. There will be y chromosomes in her blood if it is a male, and  no y chromosomes if it is a girl. I also had an ultrasound to measure the nuchal fold and other things. The baby had the hiccups during the assessment and was also quite stubborn! It took a while to get all of the measurements.

My OB is concerned about my cervix. We will start measuring it around 18 weeks to be sure it is not shortening early. I think it is already short. I watched the ultrasound tech measure it and it was 3.5 cm. When I was pregnant with the twins it was over 4 cm at 24 weeks. I am praying that this is not going to be an issue. If it does become one I will have a cerclage which is fine with me. Anything to keep this baby in until it is full term. I want an uneventful and healthy pregnancy! I want to be able to walk around at 8 and 9 months pregnant! I missed so many things while on bed rest, so I am praying this will be completely different!

This Sunday we will have a gender reveal with our family! My sister in law decorated the box, and Sandy will find out the results! She will put balloons into the box, and we will open them with all of our family here. I cannot wait to find out ! Of course, there is a random shortage on helium so you cannot blow up balloons! Remember, I lost my luck? ;) So, I went and bought one of those helium tanks that blows up some balloons! This way we will definitely have balloons to release on Sunday!

I have the Sonoline B Fetal Doppler and I am able to hear the baby's heartbeat. It is always in the high 160's to low 170's. I typically listen once every couple days.


Here is Baby Olive at 12 weeks...

Our boys at 16 months ♥

The boys try to repeat most anything you say!

New things they say are uh oh, will "shhh" you with their finger over their mouth, try to say Drake and Hunter, banana, taco, bite. Hunter is good at repeating names with me. I can say a name, he repeats it. We go through all the names he knows and try new ones like Aunt Lacey and Uncle Casey.

They went to the lake this month and had a blast! We went with Brandon's parents and grandparents. We took the boys to the lake two days. Hunter is quite the water bug! He loved to lay in his float. He had his head back and his feet up. Drake would rather be out of the float and able to walk around in the water, so it took time for him to adjust. They played in the lake and in a small pool. They did great sleeping there! I was hoping they would sleep well and not have any issues. One night a decoration fell off the wall at 4 am and woke the boys up. So, I turned their music on and hoped they would go back to sleep. Hunter would, but Drake was not having it. I ended up picking them both up and laying them with me. Drake stayed awake for 2 hours. He would randomly roll over and kiss me, then smile. He knows he has me wrapped around his finger. Hunter rolled right over and went to sleep. Drake kept trying to touch him and said "bubba" at least 10 times.

They started going to Sandy's this month and have done absolutely wonderful! They rarely cry when I leave. Tonight Brandon and I were going through all the body parts they know.... nose, ear, teeth, etc. We said hand which had never done before and imediately Hunter started opening and closing his hands! I knew Sandy must have taught them this, sure enough she did! So proud of my little boys!


Lately we have been short on luck! Our dryer stopped working one week, the next week our air conditioning stopped working, and the boys got sick. I am praying that October is going to be much nicer to us!


This past weekend I threw Lacey a baby shower with some of her other friends at her house. Brandon hosted the diaper shower for Casey at our house. It went amazing! The boys came with me to Lacey's and we stayed the night so the men could have the house! The boys enjoyed breaking in some of Bowen's toys, clothes, and bath towels!


They now think it is funny to crawl on the floor. They will crawl after one another around the house giggling the entire time!

My dad came home this month !!! We only had a short amount of time with him, but it was great. The boys warmed up immediately! It normally takes a couple hours and food! Hunter sat with grandpa and Drake was giving him kisses. I am so glad my boys are still able to have such a great relationship with my daddy while he has to work out of town.

The boys still absolutely love Barney ! They call him "Bar" and Baby Bop is "Bop" They dance and smile the entire time. They will bring you the remote at the end to turn it back on.

They are starting to watch other cartoons at times. Hunter is definitely more of a t.v. watcher!

Hunter has an ear infection right now. It has been a rough couple days with my easy going baby not being happy. Drake does not understand which also makes it difficult. Hunter is normally very independent and rarely wants to be held. Drake is such a momma's boy he wants me within a few feet if not holding him. Hunter has wanted his momma while he is sick and it melts my heart. Drake is not loving this though.

These boys favorite word is "Dada" Especially our Hunter. He is such a daddy's boy. It is precious when they walk up to pictures of Brandon in the house and say Dada.

They are growing and learning more every day! Hunter was 23 lbs 5 oz this week when we went to the doctor! I am not sure about Drake, but he is definitely still bigger, so I would guess 25 lbs.

Off to Mrs. Sandy's we go ...

This week I had to return to work, and I absolutely loved spending the summer with my boys. I have a good friend, Sandy, that has planned on keeping my boys for the past year after my mom stopped. We were so incredibly blessed that my mom watched our boys the first year. She did an amazing job, better than I ever expected. She had to be here early, and do the job of a young mom of twins. I could not ask her to do it more than that year. I want her to be able to visit my daddy, sleep in, go to her camp, and not be tied to always keeping my boys. It was a rough adjustment this summer. She was very emotional, and so was I. I think of all the little things that I need to let Sandy know. She was so great about listening to me go on and on about things most people don't care about.

Things like,

They have to sleep in the same room
They go to sleep with music on
Hunter's teeth are sensitive to cold
They only drink milk out of straw cups
They love Barney
They call each other "Bubba"
They love bananas
They love fruit loops
They are always thirsty when they wake up
Hunter is not really a big fruit eater
Drake loves fruit, especially peaches


She keeps one other little boy that is 6 months older, and her daughter is 4. These will be the kids my boys are with on a daily basis. This week there were more kiddos because school starts next week. Her son Nick is 6. She also has 2 older daughters, Natalie and Lauren. I taught Natalie this past year and she is now a freshman in high school. Lauren just left for college as a freshman :)

I was incredibly nervous about leaving my boys. I have never left the boys with anyone except family. They have never been crying when I left. I have really never had to wake them up to go anywhere. They sleep until like 8:30 or 9, so this would be an adjustment. Drake is a major momma's boy and he was the one I was more worried about.

Our mornings look like this...

Wake boys up at 6:45
Change diapers and get dressed
Walk out the garage by 6:55

I fully expected for this to take longer, but it has been great! They never actually walk into the living room. We go straight from their bedroom into the garage to leave.

The first morning we arrived they sat on her couch drinking their milk. I stayed 45 minutes with them. They played with toys, and then sat at their table to eat cheerios. I was able to sneak out and the boys never noticed!! It ! It went better than I ever imagined.

The second morning was just as easy, but I only stayed 15 minutes.

The third morning was off from the time they opened their eyes. They were already fussy when I woke them up. I was not feeling well at all either. When we arrived they were crying immediately without me leaving. I was in a hurry and just walked out. Listening to both my boys cry momma and walking out the door was awful. Within 2 minutes I had a photo from Sandy of two happy boys playing with Nick.


Hunter absolutely loves Nick!! Nick cannot leave the room and that is who Hunter wants to hold him.

Hunter has been the one that had a harder time adjusting, which totally shocked me.

Both boys are freaked out by her husband, Terry. He is a Sherrif, so it seems to be the uniform that freaks them out. By the third day they were much better with him.

I underestimated my boys. I underestimated Sandy. She has been absolutely amazing, not that I did not think she would be I just envisioned my boys having a harder time being away from what they know. I get pictures often of my happy boys playing! I could not have asked for this week to go any better. I am so blessed that Sandy became a part of our lives. I trust her totally and completely with the most important part of our lives, Drake and Hunter.

Here are some pictures from the week :)

Healthy 8 Week Baby ♥

I went back to the doctor after two weeks to make sure the baby was growing properly. Brandon and the boys went with me :) 

Unfortunately, my amazing OB did not get to deliver my boys. They did not even call her to come in on Easter. She was upset that she did not get a call after she had me in antepartum unit for months. So, I wanted to her to meet them finally!

When we were being walked back to the room we saw Dr. Schroeder, who is the OB that delivered my boys! We introduced ourselves and I thanked her for keeping me calm that day. She did an amazing job, and my incision is perfect. 

Dr. Bruce is currently mentoring someone so she has been in both appointments I have had with this pregnancy. They came in and she was so excited to meet the boys. They were great with her! Gave high gives and smiles. Anytime I have told her in the past that the boys have differences, she says it is impossible since they are identical. She agreed right away that there are differences :)

Now, time for the ultrasound!!! I was so ready to see this baby after a stressful two weeks. Immediately you could see ONE healthy baby! I was so relieved that the baby was healthy! I think it has been an adjustment knowing I am pregnant with one baby. My "normal" is two babies. It is all that I know. I don't want to say I was disappointed there was one, but it was a strange feeling. 

The baby was perfect! Healthy and measuring between 7 weeks 5 days and 8 weeks. 

Baby Olive { Round 3 }

Yes, you read it right! 

Drake and Hunter are going to be big brothers! 

We were happily surprised on July 22nd that we are expecting a baby March 2013! 


Lacey and Casey were the first to know. I knew I would not be able to watch 3 hours of the Bachelorette and not tell her since she knew I thought I was late.

We told Brandon's parents and grandparents on Monday the 23rd. I had Sandy create Big Bro shirts for the boys to announce it to our families. Pam got it immediately once she saw they both had Big Bro shirts on. Paul, well it took him longer ;) 

My first prenatal appointment was Wednesday, July 25th. I was nervous to take the boys alone, so luckily Brandon's cousin married a great girl who has become one of my best friends. Adriana came with me to help with my boys. I knew they were going to probably freak out when I was on the table. So, the morning of I was too stressed about their reaction and took them to my mother in law's work while I was at the appointment. Adriana and her 18 month old son Rex still went with me to the appointment. 

Dr. Bruce was able to see a gestational sac and a yolk sac. Unfortunately, we were not able to see the baby yet! She was not worried, but of course I was. When I went at 6 weeks with the boys you could easily see 2 babies and 2 heartbeats. She said it looked like I was more 5 weeks along, meaning I ovulated late. 

So, she asked I come back in 2 weeks to check on baby :)
E I was convinced I was not pregnant since I have no symptoms. I have not had any of the signs that I had with my previous pregnancy.

We told my family on Thursday the 26th when my daddy flew in from California. Brett and Brittany immediately understood both boys wearing Big Bro shirts! This gave it away to my dad when they were excited and congratulating me! It took my sister a while to get it and it took my mom a while! Everyone was very excited!


I spotted when I was 4 weeks pregnant, but had no idea I was pregnant. I coached a cheer clinic the entire day.

I had cramps on and off during weeks 3 to 5.

I have no tenderness in my chest.

I feel perfectly fine!

I have had a loss of appetite and skipped several meals before knowing I was pregnant.


So, I plan on enjoying every moment of my last pregnancy! Did you notice the color I wrote my blog in? I figure if I think pink it will help! ;) We will be happy with a healthy baby of any gender, but would love to have a little girl!

It was not in our plan to have this blessing so soon, but we are excited to know our family is growing ♥

15 amazing months with these boys ♥

What a great month! I was home all month with my boys which was perfect. I love that I am able to spend my summers with them.

Hunter got all 4 molars at the same time this month! Poor baby! He was fussy for almost 2 weeks, but now they have all popped through.

Drake got 1 molar on top this month! He has not been fussy at all.


Drake weighs 22 lbs and 14 ounces.

Hunter weighs 21 lbs and 6 ounces.

The boys love to watch Barney. It is the only show they will sit and watch. In the mornings while they drink their milk they sit on their couch and watch it. I loved Barney as a child, so it makes me smile :)

They love bellybuttons and say it in the sweetest way. 

They have spent a lot of time with their cousin Rex this month. They had their first sleepover. We stayed at their house one weekend, and they stayed at ours the next. They managed to flip the play tent, sneak into the bathroom, play in the toilet, bathe together, and play :)

We went to the Children's Museum for the first time. Adriana invited us to go with Rex. Her best friend Ashley and her daughter Scarlett also came with us! What an amazing place! They have an area called "The Tot Spot" specifically for ages 9 months to 35 months. They loved it! I did not have to worry about them getting out because it is sectioned off. We played for 2 hours, and then went to grab lunch at Wendy's. The boys did amazing!

They have started standing up and leaning over to put their head on the ground. It is hilarious! I need to get a picture of it soon!

We celebrated my 25th birthday this month! We went to Ichibon and Kemah Boardwalk. The boys loved dinner. Hunter especially watched the guy while he put on a "show" as he cooked. We went to the water area in Kemah and they loved it! Drake ran through the water more than Hunter. Drake is definitely more of a water baby. There was another set of identical twins there and they were 13 months. One of the twins had a skin tag on his ear just like Drake. It was really neat!

Drake got his first busted lip. They were playing and ran into each other. It bled for a little while and he took it like a champ :)

We are in size 4 diapers. I think we will probably be in size 5 next month! They are starting to get snug on Drake especially.

They are still in size 12 months clothing. The shirts are getting tight on Drake's belly. 

Hunter's feet grew and he is in a size 4 like Drake.

They spent the night with Aunt Lacey and Uncle Casey for the first time! I took them over around 3 pm. They played and ate dinner with them. They fell asleep around 8 pm which is their normal bedtime. Drake woke up at 4 am crying! I think he was just trying to prepare them for a newborn ;) Hunter woke up at 6 am. These boys have not woken up before 8:30 all summer! They stayed playing until the afternoon!

They went to a cheer camp with me at Lomax Jr. High. They loved it! They ran around and talked with the girls. They played with their toys I brought, especially all the balls. I was happy to know they enjoyed it :)

They are great eaters! They eat anything and everything. They love bananas, raisin bread, cookies, chicken, hot dogs, and many others! Hunter likes Blueberry muffins more than Drake. 

Drake has said Hunter 3 different times with my mom! I cannot wait to hear him say it!






Here are the boys at the Children's Museum... Hunter has always been the more aggressive twin!





Here are the boys playing this month!







The boys enjoying Barney :)

The