Prim & Hagen Birth Story - Part I

You might want to grab a blanket and a cup of hot chocolate because this is going to be a long one. 

 30 Weeks  - my last belly shot before delivering 

I had a pretty uneventful pregnancy for the most part.  Just regular aches and pains that come with pregnancy.  Each time I would ask my OB about this pain or that he would reply, "yeah, you are pregnant .... with twins!"  I was considered high risk because of age and twins so I was seen often and had an ultrasound each time (a nice perk).  I never needed to see a specialist or had any concern that anything was wrong.  The babies were growing and stayed somewhere in the 40% .  Both babies were head down for a majority of the time.  We felt so blessed that the twins were doing so well! 

At my 30 week appointment my doctor told me that I would for sure make it to 38 weeks.  With twins they generally don't let you go past 38 weeks.  I was measuring full term (40 weeks) and getting pretty uncomfortable.  I asked if maybe we could push that up to say 36 or 37 weeks?  

One week later, Wednesday September 7, 2016.  I went to work just like any other day but was having a bit of an off day.  I was just tired (duh!).  I spent most of the day in my office, sitting.  I had been warned not to over do it even if I felt good.  So I heeded the advise and sat most of the day.  That evening I was presenting at a New Teacher Academy meeting so I skipped pilates and took a nap before heading to my meeting.  I think I even left work a little early.  After my presentation I headed straight home telling the other presenters that I just didn't feel well.  I was having an off day.  As the evening wore on I just kept feeling more and more blah.  As Erik made dinner I tried sitting at the bar but even that felt like too much, I just wanted to lay down.  Man this pregnancy thing was getting hard!  As I headed to bed I told Erik that I was having SO much pressure in my pelvis and even some cramping.  Well no surprise, I had two heads in my pelvis!  I remember specifically praying that these babies would not come yet.  We needed more time.  As I went to bed I told Erik that I wasn't ready to have these babies yet but didn't really think much of it.   I went to bed thinking that I would wake up feeling better the next day!

Sometime just before midnight I woke up.  At this point I was waking up several times a night so this was nothing new.  But this time was different.  I was all wet!  Had I just peed the bed?  Oh my gosh I can't believe this is happening!  I got up and went to the bathroom.  As soon as I sat down there was a big gush!  Oh dear!  That sure didn't feel like pee!  But it has to be.  I am only 31 weeks.  I am not in labor.  So I sat there a little longer.  Another gush!  Ok!  That definitely was not pee!  

I will say that I am pretty good in tense situations.  I didn't panic or freak out.  Not wanting to wake Erik (why? I am not sure) I quietly changed my pants, got my phone and went downstairs.  I called my OB after hour calling service.  I waited the ten minutes they said to wait for a call back before calling the hospital.  I called Utah Valley because I knew that this early in my pregnancy I would have to go there (thank goodness we had talked to the OB about this).  I talked to a charge nurse and  told her what had happened but that I was not in labor.  I felt fine.  She told me that I should probably come in to get checked.  I asked if I could just go to American Fork because it was much closer, if I had just peed my pants I could go home, if my water was broken I could go to Utah Valley.  She said NO!   I needed to come straight there because AF was not equip to deliver 31 weekers.  

While I was on the phone I had a few more gushes so I was all wet again.  Gross!  I went up stairs, turned on a light and changed my clothes hoping Erik would wake up.  Well he didn't.  Ready to walk out the door I walked over to his side of the bed.  "Erik."  I whispered.  "Erik!"  He opens his eye.  "Hey, you should probably sit up.  I think my water broke, we need to go to the hospital and get checked."  Erik FLIES out of bed!  Seriously he practically jumped over me!  "Erik!  I don't think you are really awake.  I think you should sit down.  I am not in labor!"  It was just like a scene in a movie.  He starts running around our room in complete panic.  "Oh my gosh!  What do we do? We are soooo not ready for this!"  He puts on a t-shirt, takes it off and puts on another one.  "I guess I will be rep'in the Y if the babies are born tonight!" as he puts on a BYU t-shirt.  "Great! Let's go."  He then changes his shirt two more times.  "We don't even have a hospital bag packed! What are you going to take?"  "Nothing, my purse.  I don't even know for sure that it was my water that broke." I tell him as I am standing in one place with my purse.  "Erik we need to go."  I was starting to cramp and my third pair of pants were now wet.  He was just kinda running around the house.  It is actually pretty funny!  

It was about 1 AM at this point.  We get to the hospital in record time!  I had to remind Erik to slow down a couple of times that I was not in labor.  We pull into labor and delivery parking right by the front doors.  Erik gets out of the car and heads to the hospital door .. without me.  I get myself out of the car and start waddling after him.  "Um Erik? Wait for me!"  he explains that he doesn't know where we go so he is going to check things out.  As we approach the security guard he points to the elevator and tells us to go to the 4th floor.  Erik yells, "her water broke!"  I think it was pretty obvious why we were there at 1AM.  We get in the elevator and Erik pushes the 4th floor button like 30 times.  

Labor and delivery was expecting us and took me right back to a room.  Before the poor front desk girl could get out of the room I was stripping down.  I just wanted out of these soaking wet pants!  As soon as I was in the care of the L&D nurses Erik calmed right down which was a relief.  It took about three seconds for the test to confirm that my water had indeed broken.  "Well my dear, you are here to stay!" was my nurses response.  She got me and the twins hooked up to monitors.  All that cramping I was having .... well it turns out that those were contractions.  I actually WAS in labor.  Who knew!?!  

That first night was a very long night!  My doctor had ordered lots of IV fluids, magnesium drip and antibiotics.  The hope was to stop labor and keep these babies inside for three more weeks all while on hospital bed rest.  

To be continued ..... 

I'M BACK!!

Pretty much since my last post, nearly three years ago, I have been thinking, "I should start blogging again."  One day lead to the next and before I knew it three years has past.  When I was pregnant with the twins I had a friend, who has twins, tell me that the first year with twins is a blur.  She advised me to take a lot of pictures and write stuff down.  The twins are 14 months old, we survived the first year and well she was right!  The first year WAS a blur!  Most of my memories come from my Instagram post.  So that is my motivation to start blogging again.  I want to remember and share!  It will probably take me a while to update my header and bio but at least this is a start.

So how do you catch up three years worth of life?  You don't!  Trying to catch up is just too overwhelming.  So I am just going to post on topic and/or stories.

Update:  What am I doing now?  Well let me tell you.  14 months ago I had girl/boy twins!  Prim and Hagen were born nine weeks premature and spent 50 long days in the NICU.  They are our miracle babies.  I had NO idea how much I would change becoming a mom.  I love them more than words can express.  Total bonus that they are nearly perfect babies.  A lot more post coming on that subject!  After the twins were born I resigned as a high school assistant principal, becoming a full time stay at home mom.  WoW! That was so much harder than I had anticipated -- more post on that topic coming as well.  So when BYU asked me to supervise student teachers, which lead to teaching a class as an adjunct professor I said YES! It is a dream job!  I absolutely love it.  I teach two days a week.  It is just enough to get me out of the house and to do something that I love .... teach!  Wife, mom, teacher.  That is my life right now.  Raising twins and juggling life isn't always easy but it's worth it!

Farewell to my 30's

It is my birthday eve.  I am saying good bye to my 30's as tomorrows birthday is the big 4.0.!  I can hardly believe I am turning 40.  I asked Erik if he could think of a way to just postpone my birthday for a little longer.  I don't feel ready to be turning 40.  In prepping myself for the inevitable I decided to reflect on my 30's by coming up with 30 accomplishments of my 30's (in no particular order).

1.  Of course the biggest (and best) thing to happen in my 30's was getting married!
2.  Travel -- I did a lot of traveling in my 30's.  Mediterranean, Caribbean, Baltic Sea ... just to name a few places.
3.  I went to and graduated school and earned my Masters in Educational Leadership and Administration
4.  I made a little career change (ha!) and became an Assistant Principal at a great school.
5.  I was teacher of the year -- nominated by students.  It was one of the proudest moments of my teaching career.
6.  I figured out the cause of life long migraines!  I had my heart fixed (PFO) and was given a nearly headache free life!
7.   I remodeled my townhouse (just in time to get married ... but it was exciting for the two months i lived in it).
8.  I bought a new car.
9.  I was named the 'Golden Child' of the school district.  Really I was just given a scholarship of sorts for grad school.
10.  I ran 3 half marathons.
11.  I did my first triathlon.
12.  I road in my first bike race (tour de Tucson).
13.  I paid off my car.
14.  I swam Alcatraz (for the third time).
15.  Just two months into my 30's I bought my first home.
15.  I met Erik for the first time.
16.  I got scuba certified
17.  I hiked Timp
18.  I grew my hair out from pixie to half way down my back.
19.  I ran my first 5k.  This race launched me into many other races.
20.  I took the GRE (it sucked!)
21.  One year I attended the temple once a week.
22.  I learned to can (bottle/preserve).  I have done it every years since with my sisters.
23.  I improved my art (being an art teacher sure helped!).
24.  I made it through grad school debt free.
25.  I was in my first parade.  BYU homecoming with my family
26.  I crossed a couple wonders of the world off my list.  ie.  Arches, Yosemite, Hagia Sophia
27.  Career accomplishments.  Over the years I have had a lot of career accomplishments. Dep. chair, district arts coordinator, SWAP board member, just to name a couple.
28.  The last ten years have had a lot of first and trying new things.  Like sailing
29.  My testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ has grown.
30.  Last but not least ... I learned that I can do really hard things.  I learned to live life to the fullest.  I learned to love my life.

I hope this list doesn't sound like I am bragging.  It is more of a reflection of where I have been and where I want to go.  I hope that my 40's bring me as much joy, growth and adventure as my 30's.

Blast From The Past

This whole trying to catch up thing isn't really working.  So I am going to blast you with pictures from the last year and then move on!  So hold on ... here we go!

 Erik gets artsy!

 My Mom turned 70!

 Engagement picture

 Honeymoon in Seattle

 We took a day trip to Victoria

Chihuly museum

 Fall in Provo Canyon

I took a little girls trip to Vegas while E was in Chicago

 Traditions continue .. hot chocolate outing with Aunt Sari AND "Prince Erik"

 Erik participates in his first art show.  He did a great job!

 Second honeymoon -- Hawaii 

 Christmas in Hawaii

 Surfing in Hawaii

 Choir tour to So. Cal with the high school

Thank goodness Jennie lives close by and could save me a couple of times.

 Crowther's and JD met me for a day of Disneyland

I have such good friends!

 Weekend trip to Moab

 First time to Arches - so cool!

 I chopped my hair (E was in China)

 Race for Red

 A very spontaneous trip to So. Cal to visit friends

 Movie in the park

 Sunday at the Ghetty

wish they lived closer

 Jennie D. visits for the 4th of July

Morning bike ride and we were interviewed by the news!

 Sundance full moon lift ride

 My family went camping -- weird I know but it was dang fun!

 Home improvement.  Starting with a little color

 Weekend trip to the Manti temple

Laura and E both take first in their age division 

Just a little glance to the last year!  It was a great year!

Marry Me?

Do you want to hear our engagement story?

(walking up to the meadow, sweet outfit!)

Erik and I first started talking about getting married around the 4th of July.  We had been dating about a month (in round 2.5 anyway)  Erik was pretty adamant that I not start wedding planning or telling anyone until we were engaged ... officially!  Well that wasn't really working for me.  I knew that as soon as school started my life would be crazy.  I also knew that we were not planning on a very long engagement so I wanted/needed to get started.  I was pretty good at not doing much planning (don't think I hadn't started pinning lots of wedding stuff on Pinterest) but I wasn't so good at not telling people, that's a hard secret to keep!  Let's be honest ... I was totally telling people.  Erik is pretty traditional, so he insisted that he talk to my dad before we got engaged/make it official (I totally love that about him).

 

 Erik had a work trip to Europe coming up.  This was a perfect time for me to be planning so I was pushing him to make it official before he left.  He promised me he would at least talk to my dad before he left but that I wasn't going to get my ring until he got home.  Well isn't he sneaky!  A couple days before he left he told me not to make plans on Friday night.  We were going on a date. 

 

My mom called me earlier that same week and told me that Erik had made an appointment to talk to my dad.  Oops!  I guess that was suppose to be a secret.  I kinda messed that up too .... it was the 24th of July (a holiday in Utah) and Jennie and I planned a friend/family swim party BBQ for that night.  Well that is the night he was coming to talk to my dad!  He tried to be so sneaky and we let him think that he was.  I totally knew the whole time that he was in the living room talking to my dad. 

 

Friday night finally arrived.  He had told me to bring my headlamp.  What?  Ok so we are going to dinner at Sundance and I need my headlamp?  What am I suppose to wear?  After asking him 100 questions he finally told me to just show up.  He would take care of the rest.  (he loves that I ask lots of questions ... ok no he does not love that).  We had a lovely dinner on the patio at Sundance (seriously the best salmon every!) After dinner we drove up to the cabin and parked.  He told me he wanted to take a walk.  Well I totally new what was about to happen.  So I told him I needed to run in and use the bathroom (kinda true .. I always need to go).  I went up to the bathroom and started praying my guts out!  I said something along the lines of, "Heavenly Father I know what he is about to do and I plan on saying yes.  If that is not what I am suppose to say you have ten seconds to let me know!"  I sat there for a few minutes and didn't hear anything back so I took that as a good sign.  We decided to walk up to the meadow (totally his plan -- round one of dating we had gone snowshoeing up there and it kinda stuck with him).  We walked up to the meadow and were just enjoying the surroundings.  He turned to face me and called me my full name (he never uses my full name .. ever!).  After that he said some amazing things (sorry not sharing .. too personal).  Just trust me that they were so sweet!  Then he got down on one knee and asked, "Will you marry me?" while he pulled a ring out of his pocket.

The ring!  Let me give a little background on the ring.  As long as I can remember whenever I visited my grandparents in California I would ask my grandma if I could try on her ring (this ring).  It was not one she wore very often.  The two middle diamonds were her mothers earrings and the side diamonds were her aunts.  She had them made into this ring.  I have always loved it. When she died my mom told me that she would save this ring for me.  So when Erik and I first started talking about getting married I told him about the ring.  I told him that it was up to him what he did with this information.  We never looked at rings so I assumed he was going to use it.  The rest of the proposal story goes like this:

 

He is down on one knee and pulling a ring out of his pocket.  When I see the ring and realize that it isn't MY ring I blurt out, "What is that?" He doesn't say anything and goes to put it on my finger (I was so shocked and distracted by this ring he was trying to put on my fingers).  Well it doesn't fit.  It is too small.  He starts going on about how sorry he is he thought it would fit.  I take the ring from him and say, "I will make it fit!"  I was not about to let this moment be ruined by the ring not fitting!  So I cram that thing on my finger!  He stands up and says, "Oh no!  Can you get that off?"  I say, "Why would I take it off?" (it was kinda ugly by the way ... so NOT me or what I wanted).  He then pulls out my real ring and says, "Because I brought a backup just in case."  Haha!  Well isn't he funny!  Except now I have this fake ring stuck on my finger!  I started licking my finger trying to get the thing off.  It did come off eventually.  He put my real ring on my red and swollen finger.  But wait ... I had never answered his question (like I said I was very distracted)!  Erik said, "You never answered my question.  Let's try this again."  He got back down on his knee and asked me again.  This time I said yes! After a little kissing and hugging (well duh!  We just got engaged!) we headed back to the cabin.   

(horrible fat hand picture!  I think its the angle .. yeah that's it!  I took this a couple days later at work.  I was having a very hard time concentrating as you can imagine.)

It was so fun calling family and friends to tell them the news.  The date was set (after checking on BYU's football schedule) for a short 9 weeks later.  I could hardly believe this was happening! 

And that is our story!

Family Reunion = Test

Erik invited me to go to his family reunion in Jackson Hole Wyoming.  I guess he had never brought a girlfriend to the family reunion before so of course everyone thought this was a BIG deal.  Little did they know that we had already talked about getting married and I even had the date in mind.   

The drive to Jackson was beautiful.  We had some serious storms.  

 I didn't realize that this was a bit of a test.  A road trip is a good test.  I guess I passed ... and so did he.  

 We had a great time.   We hiked to the beautiful lake.  E and I even swam to a rock out in the middle of the lake.  We drove by the Tetons.  Very cool!  

 We "camped" outside his sisters house.  That is MY idea of camping.  

Erik kept asking me if I was doing ok.  I had to remind him that I have known and been friends with his sisters longer than I have known him.  How great is it to marry into a family that you are already friends with!  

What Erik didn't know was that the girls kept sneaking into the house and looking at wedding stuff on Pinterest.  I don't think anyone was very surprised when we got engaged a couple weeks later.

Dave and Stacy Get Married and My Summer Vacation

In between finishing school and starting my new job I took a ten day trip to California (June 2013).  My real reason for going was for Dave and Stacy's wedding (it is super awesome when friends marry each other!).  I took advantage of my trip and had myself a little vacation.  I totally think I deserved a little break (I had been working so hard!).  Of course I planned the trip before Erik and I were dating.  No worries, we talked every day!

I love both Dave and Stacy!  I take A LOT of credit for them getting together.  It was a great day!

You may recognize Stacy from my cruise pictures.  That is how we became friends!

She was such a beautiful bride!

Weddings are soo fun!  Look how much fun we are having.  (totally posed)

We had a little time between the wedding and the reception so we headed over to Watts.  Ya, Watts, Los Angeles!  It was a little scary I won't lie.  But seeing Watts Towers made it so worth it.  If you are going to LA you should put this on your list.  What a wacky place this is.

You know that Jennie Doezie is one of my favorite people.  We spent lots of time at the beach and I loved it.  

My last day there we went to Glen Ivy.  It is pretty much one of my favorite places.  (who doesn't love a day spa in So. Cal.?)

I drove back to Utah with Jennie.  I don't love road trips .. but this one is ALWAYS fun with Jennie D.  

It was a much needed break!  It was a great way for me to decompress after a very stressful month!  But I won't lie, I was excited to get home to see E.  I totally missed him and I am pretty sure he missed me!

Two days later I started my new job.  Not the summer breaks I am use to that's for sure!