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 ♥