love

My wonderful and talented friend took these beautiful pictures of the boys when they were 10 days old. 

the hospital stay

Much of the hospital stay is a big blur! I wish I would've written something down earlier but you know I have twins. Eric was a huge help because I couldn't do much but lay around and nurse. My parents arrived the day after the birth and they were a great comfort and a lot of help as well.

It was really hard trying to take care of two babies, learning how to nurse and recovering from both types of delivery. On top of all that I had this horrible rash all over my legs and feet and they were still extremely swollen. I also lost a lot of blood during the c-section and had to have a blood transfusion. It was a crazy time for me. Not only was I exhausted physically but emotionally as well. I really wanted to have the birth I had practiced, envisioned and prepared for and it didn't quite go as I had hoped. But the boys arrived safe and were healthy and that was the number one goal so of course I was happy. But I was still coping with the fact that I had to have a c-section, which was the number one thing I didn't want.

Another interesting thing I remember thinking was that I pushed one baby out and next thing I knew I was going under and when I woke up I had two babies. It was really weird to experience one of their births but not the other. I also felt guilty that I didn't get to see Nathan be birthed or hold him right away but I did with Thomas.

 

Something else that I felt (that I wasn't expecting) was an inability to enjoy it all like I so desperately wanted to. It was hard to enjoy it and soak up the joy of these new babies because my body was trying to recover from so many things and I was just trying to stay afloat. I wanted time to slow down a little and my recovery to speed up so I could cherish my little boys how I had always imagined I would. Really the first 6 months were so hard and I was just trying to get through the days that I had a hard time enjoying most of it. I kept wishing the newborn stage would end and therefore felt like I didn't enjoy their littleness and the excitement of having a newborn. I blame it on the twin factor. Or maybe my expectations were too high. I imagined (with one baby) this beautiful, peaceful, happy time snuggling with a little baby all day. And that was not my reality with the twins. Trying to meet both their needs usually at the exact same time was (and sometimes still is) very difficult. But I would never EVER change having twins. They are so fun and it's been such a privilege to be mom to these amazing boys.

 

The boys did great in the hospital and only lost a little weight. Thomas nursed like a champion from the start but Nathan took a day or two to get the hang of it. I was blessed when it came to nursing, I never had any problems and it never really hurt that bad. We did have some ups and downs the first couple months but from what I've heard from others experiences, I think the boys were great and I had it pretty easy.

The hospital and nurses were great but I still experienced the typical hospital things like never really being able to sleep and not having good food. One of my regrets is that I didn't (or that I didn't make someone) take more pictures with a regular camera. We have a lot from our iphones which I am grateful for but the quality is lacking.

 

We ended up spending 4 days in the hospital and all went home together.

Except I forgot shoes so I walked out of the hospital with bare feet.

 

 



these two boys of mine

My little boys are 10 months old. It's hard to believe that they'll be 1 so soon.

Thomas loves to clap and bounce to music. He puts everything in his mouth but his favorite thing to eat is paper. He loves to mimick us and puts his hands to his checks when you say uh oh. He also gives the best hugs, he's our snuggler.

Nathan loves his binkis and is very good at stealing Tommy's straight from his mouth. He bables a lot and says mama and mom all the time. He shakes his head no no and loves to read books. He's our mellow and happy one.

They both crawl everywhere, laugh at each other, love food and are the same height and weight. But they are two very different boys and I love it.

They both bring so much laughter and joy to our home and family.

 

introducing

Thomas Winn Kimble (on right)

10.21.11 @ 9:32am

4 lbs 12oz 18.5in

Nathan Brewer Kimble (on left)

10.21.11 @ 9:48am

5lbs 9oz 18.5in

 

nursery dreams

inspiration

Source

 Source

Source 

the cuties

I was getting kind of nervous and anxious before the ultrasound this morning. Most days I feel pretty good and it makes me nervous because I worry about the little ones and if they are still doing ok {most people have informed me that the worrying never stops... great}. So it's always a relief to see/hear their heartbeats. And this week was even better because you can actually see their little bodies forming. It is so amazing! We are in love with them and so excited.

Baby A is measuring 9w1d with a heart beat of 178 bpm (baby A is laying on it's side)

Baby B is measuring 9w2d with a heart beat of 148 bpm (baby B is laying on it's back)

Here they are together

bi-winning

we  had our first ultrasound this morning. i am seven weeks pregnant and we saw two little heartbeats. it was incredible. we are having twins. i am just hoping and praying that both stay healthy and it all continues to go smoothly. due date is approximately 11/12/11. but because of the twin factor they will most likely come early.

i think it's all beginning to sink in a lot more now that i've actually seen them. but sometimes i still can't believe this is happening for us. we are so excited and feel extremely blessed. it's a miracle. i can't stop smiling and crying.

here are the two day 5 blastocyst embryos we transferred on 2/24/11

here are the ultrasound pics from this morning 3/30/11 at 7 weeks pregnant. i scanned them in and the quality is not so great but it's just so exciting, i had to share.

blood doesn't lie

we got results on monday and my numbers indicate pregnancy. i am beyond thrilled but it just feels so unreal right now. and of course i am feeling extremely cautious because i'm only five weeks along. i debated back and forth about posting on the blog so soon. the only reason i wouldn't is because it's so early and there's still a chance of miscarriage. but i decided that if i were to have a miscarriage i would probably be sharing that anyway.

so after 39 months {feels like decades} of trying, i'm finally pregnant. and it feels so incredibly weird and exciting to say that.

the best gift

a little sampling of our christmas fun. it was very nice to be together and see everyone.

our homemade gift exchange is the best. everyone's gifts were very creative this year: pillow, memory book, fabric dry erase board, etched glass, christmas stocking, scarf, moccasins, cake balls and granola. but i think the gift i received was the greatest.

my brother, aaron, is an amazing pianist. not only can he just sit down and play anything you put in front of him... he can sit down and create amazing pieces from scratch. he composes beautiful music. it's an incredible gift... and he gave it to me. he made a CD of him playing some beautiful piano music. also included on the CD are a couple original pieces that he composed, they are amazing. like i said, the greatest gift.

fail

last week i decided on all the interior paint colors. it was a long process of picking them all out, but i felt good about them. then yesterday, the painting was complete and there are a couple rooms that i love how they turned out but the color in the kitchen looks really purplish {not what i was going for and if you didn't know, E hates the color purple... hate is not a strong enough word}. and the family room is just kind of blah. i don't mind the color, but it's just kind of a tan. and we have tan carpet and tan tile and our couch is a shade of tan. so now, we're considering re-painting. ugh.

first morning in the new house. i love the master bedroom. there's nothing special about it but it just feels really nice and open. or maybe it's just the feeling of change and being in a new place. either way, i like it.

20 miles

over our 2 days in sedona and 1 day in flagstaff we hiked a total of 20 miles. my legs are sore. it was such a good weekend. it reminded me of our trip to canada in august 2007... gorgeous scenery, camping, hiking, exploring new places and endless hours with E. pictures and stories tomorrow.

thursday thoughts

tomorrow = {seven} years since we met in hawaii + {six} years of marriage.

for some reason this number {six} seems even more significant than last years {five}. i've never felt like this in any of the previous years... i've always just thought - ok another year under our belt. and with {five} i felt like - we made it to the big milestone {five}. but maybe it's because now it means we're in the next bracket {like the 6-10 years of marriage bracket, if there is such a thing} i'm not sure. but it feels different... as if i'm on a new level - wiser and seasoned. although i know {six} years is still such a short time + there is still much more to learn. anyway, that's where my thoughts are today. plus a lot more mushy and sentimental musing that i wont smear here. i'll just smear them all over E this weekend.

2003 - hawaii

2004 - engagements in downtown SLC

2005 - dinner with friends in SLC

2006 - backpacking in the unitas

2007 - canada

2008 - u of u football game in san diego

2009 - backpacking in the san bernardino mountains

2010 - huntington beach

we're headed to sedona early tomorrow morning. i am really excited. right now, these weekend getaways are the only thing that keep me going during the week. and i'm nervous because next weekend we have nothing planned.

i heart

swaptree - been swapping books for a couple weeks now and i love it. it is fun and a great way to reduce, reuse and recycle.

this wide angle lens

our truck - we loaded 1.5 tons (3000 lbs) of rock into it this weekend. it was awesome.

this fabric

mesa farmer's market - it's every friday morning in downtown mesa and it is amazing. i've never been able to go before because i usually work fridays. but now with my summer schedule of fridays off, we've gone a couple times and we heart it, like a lot.

these shoes

"Doctor Humus" {and pesto from said farmer's market} - this is a new thing for us and we are loving it. we put it on pita bread and add cheese or tuna or eat it plain. we are coming up with new creations daily. my new fav flavor - jalapeno and cilantro humus.

this awesome yellow bag

the new iphone 4 - um yes please. except this time it's E's turn. so i will have to wait.

this photo

the story of the trapp family singers - i am reading this book {got it through swaptree} and i love it. seriously it is good. i wasn't sure what it would be like, but i so far i've been pleasantly surprised. E finished born to run, he LOVED it and has been begging me to start it.

maple leaf cutting boards

ode to ali

happy birthday sis, you rock.