2 months old!

2 month appointment

Well I realize it's been awhile since my last post. Life has sure been crazy hectic, as you can probably imagine. Harper and Owen are growing like weeds! They are the size of newborn babies now - YAY! We had our 2 month appointment and the doctor said they are "perfect". I happen to agree :)  Harper now weighs 8 lbs. 3 oz. and Owen is finally the BIG brother at 8 lbs. 8 oz.

The last 2 months have been a whirlwind to say the least. The first couple of weeks we had them home were pretty tough with quite a few tears....and the babies cried a little bit too. Ha! But we have had a lot of wonderful people helping. We are so thankful for all of our family and friends who have come to visit, brought food, called and offered positive thoughts and prayers. We've been learning every day and just trying to get into a routine. Our daily routine consists of feeding, changing, feeding, changing, playing, pumping, (sometimes changing again), napping (the babies - not me of course).... and then doing it all over again. Oh yes - and did I mention cleaning about a thousand bottles a day, doing about 100 loads of laundry, and changing about a million diapers?!! Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating.... a tiny bit. But you get the picture.

Little man (Owen) is our high maintenance one! He has a set of lungs on him, and he is not afraid to tell you exactly how he's feeling - especially in the middle of the night. He is also our little spit-up monster. Hardly a day goes by where momma isn't covered in spit up. My favorite bonding time (haha) is when he decides to spit up, pee and poop all at the same time - the trifecta!....on momma! So fun. And the diaper rash! Poor little guy! You know it's bad when I lay him on the changing table and he screams because he knows what's coming :(

Little princess (Harper) is just that! I guess God decided we needed one "easy" child (for now anyway, that could all change soon). I'm still not sure how she sleeps through Owen's screams! However, this child has had some of the nastiest diapers I have ever seen!!!! It's amazing how much poo can come out of something that tiny! But at least the poopy diapers are only about twice a week with her. Daddy got to experience one of these scary diapers one day. However, I might add that he needed a little assistance. Haha! Seeing 3 grown men surrounding little Harper on a picnic table attempting to change her diaper (and her outfit) was one of the funniest things I've seen.

Isn't it funny how conversations are so different after children?! It never fails - poop seems to be the topic of most conversations these days! Even with all of the spit up, poop, pee, tears, etc. these kids have brought so much joy to our lives. And we know this is only the beginning of so many fun, crazy, hectic times.
Daddy is already making plans for little man to help him on projects in the garage. And mommy can't wait til little miss Harper can join her for a day of shopping and pedicures. But for now we'll settle for spit up and smiles.
We want to again thank everyone for the visits, food, gifts, phone calls/texts, thoughts and prayers. It means the world to us, and we couldn't be happier. We feel so blessed to have so many people that care!

THEY ARE HERE!!!!!

OK - so those of you who read my last post (on Feb. 20th) knew that these babies were trying to make their grand appearance into this world! Well that night at 11:30 PM (I was exactly 34 weeks) my water broke! We were sleeping (YES, I actually was sleeping for the first time in maybe 3 weeks! And probably the last... Ha!) and I was suddenly awakened by what I can only describe as an explosion! It literally felt like a huge water balloon had burst inside of me! I thought I was dreaming. There was no question that it was time to get to the hospital. As I woke up Kyle (by whacking him in the face of course) we both jumped out of bed and panicked for a few brief moments. Then, as I was trying to clean myself up and change clothes (not an easy task for a super-pregnant woman) Kyle managed to pack a bag (no he hadn't packed one yet!), take a shower (yes a shower!!!), put the dogs outside, start a load of laundry (because of the wet sheets), and load the car.... By midnight we were checking in at the hospital.
The next few hours were a like a whirlwind! After getting changed, poked, prodded, and answering a few questions I was in the operating room having my c-section. And before I knew it, I heard Owen's loud scream...what a beautiful sound! On Monday, Feb. 21st at 1:26 AM Owen Brock Malone was born (4.0 lbs.) & at 1:27 AM Harper Lane Malone was born (4 lb. 3oz.)!

Owen Brock

Harper Lane

Other than being 6 weeks early, Owen and Harper were very healthy tiny babies:)
Because they were not 35 weeks, they were required to stay in the NICU. Harper was there for 10 days and Owen was there for 11 days. Not bad at all! They were never on oxygen, they just needed to learn how to suck, swallow and breathe efficiently, eat enough, and maintain their body temperature. During their stay, we learned a LOT from the NICU nurses. They are wonderful at what they do, and we knew that this was the best place for the babies to be.

Our first family pic!

Daddy holding the twins

Daddy feeding Owen

Mommy feeding Harper

We are now at home with the babies, just trying to figure everything out and working on getting a schedule down. It's a trial and error learning process, and although we have had a few sleepless nights, we couldn't be happier to have these two little miracles to hold and love!

At their first appointment with our pediatrician, the babies were doing wonderful! Owen had gained 8 ounces above his birth weight, and Harper had gained 6 ounces. We couldn't be happier to have two healthy, beautiful amazing babies!!!!!!

We have had so many friends and family members offering support. THANK YOU to all of you who came to visit at the hospital, called, sent texts, sent flowers and gifts, and said prayers for us. And thank you to those of you who have brought food or come to visit us at home. We are truly blessed with wonderful caring friends and family:) We love you all so much!

Harper meeting her cousin Elliot, who is 20 days older

"we love our nap nannies!"

mommy with Owen - before his first outing! he's so excited

"me too!... actually I just want to eat!"

"I want a kiss mommy!!!"

34 weeks!!! WOOOHOOO!!!

Another milestone! Yes we've made it to a point in our pregnancy where any couple expecting multiples hopes to make it - 34 weeks:) And boy is it getting tough. We think Harper and Owen are telling us that they are ready to make their grand entrance into this world. We had a small scare at our latest doctor visit. I'd been having contractions and cramping for a couple of days, however I didn't realize how many contractions. Luckily, we had our non-stress test scheduled for this visit. The test shows a few things, one of which is the frequency and intensity of contractions. Lying there for about 25 minutes strapped to the monitor was anything but comfortable! Then we learned that I'd had 10 contractions in 20 minutes! Wow! Not good. In addition to this, my cervix had thinned even more and the doctor said I was on the verge of dilating. This made us realize that it isn't going to be long before we meet these babies.

I was given some medicine to hopefully stop the contractions, which I've been taking religiously. It seems to be working - the contractions aren't as bad, but they are still there. In addition to the contractions, the past week has been pretty rough and just seems to be getting tougher. I've almost kicked this head cold that i've had for 3 weeks, but the cough and congestion are still lingering a bit. Kyle and I seem to be giving it back and forth to each other (this is one thing a couple does NOT want to share)! Other pregnancy symptoms that are making me completely miserable: SWELLING! Wow I never thought my legs could get this big! I have elephant legs! And the right one is about twice the size of the left. Seriously, not only do I have cankles but, is there a term for the disappearing of your knee when the thigh just continues to the calf?? If not, there should be. I believe this contributed to my 6.5 lb. weight gain in 1 week!!! HEARTBURN! Food does not even sound good to me (and if you know me at all you know that's definitely odd). It's like there's a fire in my esophagus even when I drink water! Yikes! HEADACHES! Yes the awful tension headaches are back and painful as ever.
BACK PAIN! I'm sure the fact that my 5'1" frame Is supporting about 35 extra pounds in my abdominal region contributes to the low back pain - just a little. However, the elephant legs do make supporting this extra weight a little easier. Until they start going numb!
WADDLING! Yes I am officially a waddler. There's no way around it. INSOMNIA! Sleep? What is that? And comfort? I can't even remember what it's like to be comfortable! And just when I'm
about as comfortable as I'm going to get, the URGE TO PEE EVERY 15 MINUTES really ruins it.
The final complaint is BED-REST! Watching movies, reading, online shopping, Facebook, Words with friends... I'm sick of it all. And especially sick of looking at my living room, knowing that it's 75 degrees outside and I'm stuck in this recliner :( However, the visits from friends and family have really cheered me up and make the time go by much quicker :)

Okay okay, I'm done complaining for now. I'm sure that just made every one of you who hasn't had babies super excited about pregnancy. Haha! The good news is Harper and Owen are continuing to grow and are healthy. They most likely both weigh well over 4 lbs by now. So whenever they do decide to come, they will be fine. They are still in the same position (not much room to move around), with Owen breech and sitting really low in my pelvic region. It feels like he may just push his way out any day - which is REALLY uncomfortable for mom. Miss Harper is still on top lying transverse and taking up most of the room. We're wondering if she may be the more dominant one?! Or maybe the bully! Haha!

Harper and Owen could come any time, and momma and daddy are sooo ready to meet them. So for now, the bag is packed and we just wait! As always thank you to all of our friends and family for the kind words, visits, phone calls, thoughts and prayers!

BED-REST :(

I guess I'm lucky to have made it to 31 weeks before I got put on bed-rest. Feb 4th (2 days before my 30th birthday) was the day I found out it was time for the dreaded bed-rest. The ultrasound showed that my cervix had gotten thinner, which is a sign of pre-term labor. So that means the more I'm off my feet - the longer I can keep these babies in. I had unfortunately gotten a taste of what bed-rest would be like due to being sick for the entire week AND the crazy snow storm. Sick & pregnant during a snow-storm means this chick is NOT moving from her recliner! So, maybe that was all a blessing in disguise to keep me off my feet (trying to be a little positive).

Happy 30th birthday to me!
So, I did sneak out of the house for a family dinner to celebrate my b-day. Then, Kyle left for several days for a "work" trip in Vegas. (I'm sure they worked REALLY hard at the superbowl party, casinos, golf course, dinner parties...) you get the picture. I'm not bitter at all ;-)
However, my mom stayed with me until he got back, which was wonderful!!!

We're almost 33 weeks!!!!!
The good news is Harper & Owen are doing great. She's still a little more active and a little larger then Owen. As of last week (31 weeks) Owen was 3 lbs 4 oz & Harper was 3 lbs 11 oz. Right on track! And I'm not dilating yet.
The bad news - swollen hands & feet, cramping, Braxton-Hicks, peeing every 10 minutes, can't sleep... Oh and I'm not sure if my belly can possibly stretch anymore!!!! Uuggghhhh!

Anyway, overall things are good and we're hoping to make it to 35 weeks (which will be the end of the month). We'll keep everyone posted and appreciate your help, love, support & prayers!

  

                                                             

     

  

30 WEEKS!!!

Well - another milestone! We're now 30 weeks pregnant, and still doing good. The babies are about 3 pounds each now, and still moving like crazy! Harper is now a little bigger than Owen, and still the more active one. Their growth is on track and everything still seems to be going just as it should.

However one thing has changed within the last few weeks. Mom's cervix has gotten shorter and thinner-  NOT good! So, I've been given the word from the doctor to quit working and exercising :(  The more time I'm off my feet - the better.  For many people this may sound like great news. ha! But those of you who know me at all - realize this will not be easy for me! I'm a busy-body - and there's still SOOO much to do before these babies arrive! The good news is, I'm not on actual bed-rest. I'm still able to get up and about, run errands, etc. I just have to listen to my body, and make sure I'm off my feet for a good chunk of each day. My oversized, electric recliner and I have become good friends! Haha. I try to sit with my feet up (reading, watching movies, surfing the net, planning baby and house stuff...) for a good part of the day. But I've realized that I need one 'outing' every day - or I go crazy!

I know this is for the best. The longer we can keep the babies in, the more they develop and grow. These last few weeks are vital for their development.  I've realized that a huge stress has been lifted off of me. I feel much better since I've been relaxing more. People keep telling me to take advantage of this forced time off because it will probably NEVER happen again! Soooo true!

On another note, I had my last baby shower last weekend. My wonderful friends put together an awesome shower! I had a great time seeing tons of friends and family, many of whom I rarely get to see. Wonderful friends/family, amazing food, and so many amazing gifts! I feel very blessed!

Guess how big around Stephanie is????

25 weeks!

Well, it's been awhile since the last post, but everything is going great! Since a pregnancy with multiples is more risky, it's good to have small milestones along the way. 24 weeks was our most recent milestone. That's when the babies are considered "viable". And the fact that I'm almost 26 weeks and not on bed-rest is a small milestone in itself! I really have felt good. I'm fortunate to have had such a smooth pregnancy thus far! We just pray that it continues.

The babies are around 2 pounds each now and very active! Harper still seems to be more of a busy-body (wonder where she gets that from??) but Owen is definitely growing and moving as well. He is a little lower (meaning lots of pressure on the bladder) and Harper is higher up (making it difficult to breathe at times).  But they are growing at the rate of a single baby, so everything is right on track! :)

 Update on mom:
A few weeks ago the doctor was a little worried because my cervix was starting to become thinner (which is fairly common due to the weight and pressure of an extra baby), however we started weekly progesterone injections and since then my cervix has not gotten any shorter or thinner - Good news! The belly is definitely growing by leaps and bounds. We can tell a difference each week! I'm pretty uncomfortable most days, and the feet are VERY swollen and sore at the end of the day. I now know the definition of 'cankles'! Uggghhhh:( But if that's my biggest complaint - I'm doing ok! 

We start weekly doctor visits next week, and our childbirth classes in January. If we can make it 10 more weeks (March 6th is the goal date) that will be 36 weeks! We'll keep everyone updated on the progress. Please continue to pray for the babies and for us!

We love you all! MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

21 Weeks - Over Halfway!!!

Well, things are still going great! The babies are growing just like they should be (and so is mama). Supposedly, they are the length of large bananas now (about 10.5 inches long). As of last week, Owen was 14 ounces and Harper was 12 ounces. We think Owen is a little bigger because he is the lazy one! haha! Harper is definitely the active one! She moves around like crazy on a daily basis. Not only is Owen a bit lazy, but also a little shy. He's hiding his face each time we try to get a good pic during the ultrasounds. We're definitely curious as to whether this is going to be the case after the babies are born:)  Is Harper going to be the outgoing, social butterfly?? Will Owen be more introverted?? Who knows! But we sure can't wait to meet these little ones!

As for mom - the doctor has said to really start slowing down & taking it easy. The extra weight and pressure on my cervix makes things a little more risky than a normal (single-baby) pregnancy. Those of you that know me at all, realize this will be extremely difficult! However, it will be worth it! Anything to avoid (or postpone) bed-rest and prevent  pre-term labor.

As always, we appreciate the continued prayers from our friends and families. Your support and love mean so much to us! Thank you for being there for us, and please continue to follow our blog:)