meeting babies soon

I'm really getting curious to see what our babies will look like.  It's one of those things- I guess it won't really matter because even if they look like wrinkly little grandpas we'll think they're adorable. I wonder if they will look similar to each other, more like me, or more like Brad. I hope they get some of that latin flare. :) I think they've got decent odds of being cute babies as I checked out me and Brad's baby pics today.

Will they look sweet sleeping like this?

Will they have big eyes like this?

Will they get Brad's sweet smile?

Or my killer glare?

Will they get any Guatemalan genes? (or Hagen redhead genes?)

Or Welsh or Scottish from my side?

Will they be all chill like Brad?

Either way, it's apparent to me that they need a couple sailor outfits for pictures:

Dear babies,

Don't worry- we'll love you no matter what you look like. :)

We can only wait 3 more weeks to meet you. See you then!

a loved fridge

When do people actually take down all their cute Christmas cards? It felt so good to take down the rest of Christmas, but pictures of our friends and family that adorn our otherwise naked fridge seems wrong.
I'm noticing I have a hard time throwing away things people give me, as evidenced by a box of jr. high notes I found the other day... am I a hoarder?

becoming 33 (weeks that is)

I'm not gonna lie, I'm really sick of being pregnant. Each week is just a bit more uncomfortable than the last. I feel like my stomach has maxed out, and yet there are still several weeks to go. I think my babies are trying to figure out how to escape from the side and front region of my stomach. They haven't torn through yet, but I'm pretty sure they're working on it.
Today my doctor asked me about setting a date to get the babies out if they haven't come yet. After talking with him and Brad we are all penciled in at the hospital and I know that we can get this show on the road in just 1 month! I can do that. It's official and we're really excited about it.

sneak peak

So I finally dared to painted a tree in the nursery, I've been planning to do it for a while. I didn't really want to tell Brad I was doing it the other night because he is very skeptical when I begin things and has a hard time envisioning them. I kinda like that he always wants to be involved in everything, but it comes hand in hand with strong opinions that tend not to align w/ mine...

Half way through the project I made the mistake of asking for his opinion. First, he was surprised I was painting on the wall (I don't blame him there). He could only see a dead branch and thought I should have had him tape things and make stencils ("see how this leaf is bigger than all the others, that will always bug me")  I tried to explain that it was a hand-painted tree... I was going for a more organic look and a project I could complete on my own in a couple of hours. (if I wanted a "perfect" tree I could just buy an expensive wall decal) I became less confident that the tree would turn out good and that he (and I) would like it. I still went back to doing it my way and luckily it turned out just how I wanted it!
In the end, he liked it too, but now that he knows we're painting on the nursery walls he wants to get his own wall to paint on. I guess it's only fair, but I'm still not sure how I feel about it because I have been thinking about the nursery and planning it for months... I kinda want to just do it all my way. I told him if he comes up w/ a good enough idea we'll do it- but I have the right to veto anything I think is weird. Fair enough, right?

P.S. I'm about to start the crib bedding so the cribs won't be so naked...

keep rubbing my muscles, I'm eating for 3

Brad is a good husband. He gave me prenatal massages for Christmas and I just got my first one today. Best. Gift. Ever.
I had high expectations and it totally lived up to it. There were special shaped cushions all over the table like a puzzle with big dips for lumpy places on your body- I got to lay on my stomach for the first time in months. It was so amazing. Everything about it was awesome, if you were all prego like me I'd expect you to be pretty jealous.

I decided to take a pic today of how funny my tight t-shirts are now.

Before I had to hold back all the loose shirt for a pic, just to make sure you knew I had a girlish figure. :)

A ranting side note: when I first went in to the massage place I noticed she had pics all over the walls of her water birth. Yummy... She proceeded to give a little shpeel about natural home births. I've already learned my lesson not to be over zealous about sharing my strong opinions on the topic, so I just smiled politely and thought to myself "you have no idea how pointless it is to talk to me about this lady"...Now massage my sad muscles, please. :)
Its gotten easier to not go off on my opinions on such topics since I no longer have crazy/hippy/liberal ideas being dished to me daily from U of U professors. (Who would have thought nursing school had so much to do with global warming, dogs, and gay rights?) And if you have a nurse midwife for a professor you also get to learn about how women don't need epidurals or those fancy-shmancy "hospitals".
Since this is my personal blog and those who don't like it don't read it- I don't fear offending the kind souls who do read it (or worry about having my name submitted in the world of gossip and rumors). So I will tell you this- I believe that modern medicine and technology is a blessing that can and should be used to benefit and promote a healthy life. I know it's all trendy, but pretending like you're a pioneer without all of these benefits is so silly to me. The miracle of birth is still there whether you're in pain or not, at home or in a hospital, or even if you end up needing a c-section. The miracle is a new life coming into the world, that's the important, beautiful part. I never got sick of seeing that in L&D, it is seriously incredible. Do you have any idea how different survival rates are for newborns because of what can be done for you in a hospital when something goes wrong? You could never be monitored and ready quickly for an emergency c-section if needed at home like you would be in a hospital. I don't get why you'd take your chances when dealing w/ a baby's life... but that's just me.

the strangest dreams...

Ever since I have been pregnant I have intense, vivid dreams that are crazy and seem very realistic.  For the entire first trimester most of my dreams involved babies falling out of me in one way or another.  That was disturbing, I guess that fear eventually left.  I have since then had a few really disturbing dreams that made me cry just thinking of them afterwards.  Sometimes I just have super random dreams that really make me question where they could have originated without drugs...

Last night I dreamt that our babies were just home from the hospital in their crib.  I looked at them and they were the most gigantic babies I'd ever seen, probably 5x the size of a normal baby.  They both had pierced ears, bright red lipstick, and looked just like miss piggy.  I realized I had to pretend I thought they were pretty.  We were trying to figure out which baby came out first and which one was named which.   All I could do was stare at how weird they both looked and think, "I can't believe these are our babies."
I really shouldn't be surprised since I have already given birth to a wide variety of species and talking babies in my dreams. These pregnancy hormones are seriously like being on crack at night, I can't wait to get off them and go back to my normal dreams...

sisters, sisters

\

A lovely belly line up of me, my sister Melinda, and sister-in-law Meg.  All expecting within weeks of each other!  It's too fun.  So that's 4 new babies coming next month in the Lewis household.  The Hagens will add 3 to their # this year with me and my sister-in-law Emily.  Plus there are 2 more bonus babies coming in a few months on the Lewis side if you count pseudo-sister Maja's twins. And if you've been on facebook recently you may notice every other news feed is about someone having a baby.

So, if you've been considering having a baby, now is the time- everyone is doing it.

We just went to the doctor again today- our girls continue to grow healthy and strong- 50th percentile in size, no signs of preterm labor at all. This is great news, but its also looking like we may have to go hang out at "jump on it" for Valentines to get things moving along. :)

2011 comes in w/ a BANG

Dear 2011,
I forgive you, but you better make it up to me...
Not the happiest New Years- I was crazy sick all day, which I learned is a bad combo when you're 7 months pregnant. Without the nasty details- I was in the bathroom every few minutes for one reason or another. I couldn't keep a sip of water, sprite, or gatorade in me, which led to some severe dehydration, which led to contractions. I was in so much pain and started feeling almost too weak to walk to the bathroom- after several hours I decided I probably needed some fluids.  We went to the L&D unit and I got a couple thousand mls of D5 1/2NS pumped into me, as well as some much appreciated anti-nausea meds. My ketonuria was so bad that the nurse thought it was hematuria at first, can't say I blame her- that was some weird looking pee. I wish I could have just been given fluids and been on my way, but of course I had to go through the whole hoopla and we were there for over 4 hrs- I can't really complain though because I felt like a different person afterwards- like I was just normal sick, which felt way better than super dehydrated w/ frequent contractions on top of everything else...
I never thought yesterday would end, I'm soo happy its today now.

ring out the old, ring in the new

2010 was pretty great, it was my first time spending a whole year's events w/ a husband and this year we'll get to share most of the year with our twins. I can't wait!
A few 2010 highlights:
We had our 1st Valentines (we're hoping to get 2 little girls for our Valentines this year- big upgrade!)

We escaped the cold to AZ:

We made a pretty sweet rap video to try and get on the amazing race, they didn't even consider us...that's okay- it wouldn't have worked pregnant.

Brad turned 30 and I turned 25:

We worked on our house, A LOT. (for the past 7 months I've been able to call it "nesting")

I survived my first March Madness, which is not a small accomplishment in the Hagen household.

We enjoyed spring and Easter, I attempted to control our crazy yard...

I participated in a cooking competition and overcame some inhibitions making cooking videos.

I also poisened my family  (1 and only time, I swear.)

I graduated from nursing school (hallelujah):

We got our one and only pet, Solo:

Then we went to Alaska where we killed and ate many of his distant relatives:

We also visited Carmel and San Francisco a couple times.

I practiced looking like a mommy:

I baked and cooked, and cooked and baked. All year long, and I loved it.

I explored my obsession with chocolate more deeply.

We got pregnant with twins.

We saw Paul McCartney perfom live.

I hiked Timpanogos, pregnant. (15 miles- 5,000 ft. elevation)

We celebrated our first Anniversary.

We visited the Outer Banks.

I grew a belly.

We went to Disneyland.

We enjoyed Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas w/ all the festivities.

Thanks for the memories 2010, I'm so excited for this year!