Update on the Sick Kids!

Hey everyone, long time no post! It's been so busy around here with my 6 kids. I have good news, though! The kids are finally better. It's been so crazy having sick kids, I hate when they are sick especially now that I have newborn babies.

Sunday night was a pretty good night for them, no one woke up throwing up. Gage woke up a few times because he was uncomfortable from his fever, but I'd rather have that than throwing up! Monday morning none of them went to school, and Jeff took off from work to help me out. Jeff took Adrian to school, while I fed the babies and the kids were still asleep. Braylie woke up feeling great, she had no fever but was still exhausted from being sick for a couple of days. She just relaxed for the morning and was able to eat! Jamie woke up with a low grade fever, it was almost 100. He ate a little something and then went back to sleep. Gage woke up with a fever still, but he was much better than the day before! He ate breakfast and didn't throw it up. Jeff spent the day with the sick kids, and I, of course, spent the day with Emery and Nolan!

Tuesday Braylie went back to school because she felt really good! I was so glad that she only missed one day of school, which was Monday. Jamie didn't have school Tuesday, so he would be home either way! He was doing good, he had no fever and seemed pretty much back to normal! Gage, on the other hand, still had a fever. I decided to take him to the doctor since his fever was persisting and medicine wasn't taking it down. I dropped the babies off at our babysitter's house for about an hour and a half while I went with Jamie and Gage to the doctor. Turns out, Gage has strep throat! The doctor also examined Jamie, since he was there, and the test came back negative. Gage started medication right away and felt better by this morning! (Wednesday)

Today, Jamie went to school although Gage didn't because the doctor said to keep him home until he had been on medication for at least 24 hours. He is doing good as of currently, and we are thinking about sending him tomorrow if he still wakes up with no fever and is feeling good! I'm just so thankful that Jeff or I didn't get sick, because that would have made this so much harder. Also, if I would have gotten sick the babies probably would have, and that would be terrible since they are only 1 1/2 weeks old! Thanks for reading :)

Still Sick :(

Hey everyone, we are still very sick. I was hoping everyone would be better by today, but that's sure not the case!

We had a pretty rough night. Jeff was up all night with Gage, throwing up. Jamie didn't sleep well, just because he had a high fever again and was having trouble sleeping. Both Jamie and Gage woke up with a fever, but no nausea! I'm glad that they at least aren't throwing up anymore. Braylie woke up without a fever, which was good! She still isn't feeling very good, she feels nauseas. I'm hoping that she is just recovering, and not getting sick again! Jeff took Adrian to church, I dropped the twins off at our babysitters, and then I watched the sick kids at home. Braylie laid in her room all day, and she said her nausea slowly started to subside! She had a little dinner and was able to keep it down, so I'm hoping that she is over the worst part. Jamie's fever is still 102, I'm not sure what to do for him! I just keep trying to keep him entertained and comfortable. Gage is feeling sick still, he had a headache and stuffy nose, plus a fever all morning. After Jamie and Gage were able to eat a little something, I gave them some medicine for their fevers! I try to not give my kids medicine a lot unless it is necessary, and I felt that it was very necessary. Both their fevers went down and they had a good afternoon! They were able to walk around and seemed much better.

Currently, all 3 of them are still not going to school tomorrow. Braylie has no fever, but isn't feeling well still. Usually after the kids technically not "sick" anymore, because they don't have a fever and aren't throwing up, I let them have a day to recover! I don't want them to go to school and then maybe end up getting sick there because they weren't really over it. Jamie still has a fever, but it has lowered to 100. He is feeling good other than that, but since he still has a fever I'm keeping him home tomorrow too. Gage is the same as Jamie, except he has barely eaten all day long so he is very weak and tired. I predict he won't be at at school until Wednesday! If the kids still have bad symtpons tomorrow, I plan on taking them to the doctor just to make sure it's not strep throat or anything! I'm pretty sure it was just the 24 hour stomach bug, because all the kids threw up for about 24 hours and then they just had a fever. But, better safe then sorry! :)

In Sickness and in Health

Lately, the kids have been so good about getting sick! They have barely gotten sick, except for a week in the fall when they all got strep throat. Other than that, they have been managing to escape all of the flus going around this past winter, until last night.

When Braylie got home from school yesterday, she said she went to the nurse twice because her stomach hurt. Both times she took tums, and she said they only helped for a little bit. She didnt' have a fever, so she couldn't be sent home. I just told her to relax in bed and have some crackers and ginger ale, that usually helps an upset stomach. Around 5:30 we were about to leave for dinner, and she ran out to the kitchen and said she thinks she is going to throw up. Of course, I grabbed the trash can and she threw up in the trashcan for a few minutes. I took her to the guest room to lay down. When one of the kids is sick, they usually stay in the guest room so I can confine the germs to one place. I couldn't stay with her because the babies were screaming and hungry, so Jeff stayed with her and said she threw up a few more times in the next 30 minutes. I felt so bad for her, she was burning up and couldn't keep anything down all night! I knew that I couldn't get near her much, because I am constantly with Emery and Nolan and can't risk them getting sick. After I fed them I sanitized every room in the house and tried to kill all of the germs. Of course, Jeff was constantly washing his hands when he was with the other kids, since he was with Braylie. It was upsetting to cancel with my friend Lilia for dinner, but I'm sure she understands!

Everything was fine until about 9pm. Jeff said Braylie was feeling a bit better and was able to keep down a few crackers and a sip of water. I put Gage and Jamie to bed (they sleep in the same room) and was just in the living room with Adrian. I heard Jamie crying uncontrolably and ran back to his room only to find out that he had thrown up. I felt so bad for him, throwing up scared him because he had never thrown up before, except when he was a newborn of course. Jeff cleaned everything up while I took him into the guest room with Braylie, he slept in the other bed. Our guest room has 2 twin beds! The night was rough for Jeff, he was up all night with Jamie. While I, on the other hand, had a normal night up every 2 hours with Emery and Nolan!

This morning Braylie was feeling much better, she still had a fever but had a piece of toast for breakfast and said she didn't feel nauseas. Jamie was still throwing up and a 102 fever. I dropped Emery and Nolan off at our babysitter's house like I planned, and took Gage to his soccer game! Part way through he wasn't feeling good, so we left early and he ended up throwing up when he got home. So, we had 3 sick kids, it wasn't fun at all!

Currently, Braylie's fever is gone and she is feeling good! I'm thinking it was just a 24 hour bug. Jamie is doing okay, he only has a low fever and hasn't thrown up in about 2 hours. Gage is still sick though, he can't keep anything down and has a high fever. Adrian hasn't gotten sick yet, and neither have Jeff and I. I'm really hoping that I don't get sick, because then Emery and Nolan will most likely get sick, since we are breastfeeding. I would really appreciate positive thoughts and prayers to help our family get through this!

Why we chose Emerson Rose and Nolan Lynden

When I announced the names Emerson Rose and Nolan Lynden, lot's of people wondered why we chose this name, because Emerson is unique as a girl's name and many of you have never heard of Lynden before!

We chose Emerson because I have always loved the name Emerson for a girl. I like unique baby names, and I like Emerson because it has a cute nickname, Emery. I think Emery sounds very feminine and pretty. Emerson means brave and powerful, and I like the idea of my little girl becoming brave, she will have to be growing up in the crazy family she is in! ;) Rose means flower, and it will add femininity to her name. I also think Emery Rose sounds adorable together, and we are thinking of calling her Emery Rose instead of just Emery.

We chose Nolan because Jeff and I have always loved the name Nolan, and it was our backup choice when Gage and Jamie were both born. Nolan means noble, and our baby will grow up to be a very noble man! I absolutely loved the name Lynden, but Jeff wasn't so keen. He thought it was too unique and didn't want to call his son Lynden. So, we compromised and decided Lynden would be the middle name! The name Lynden is taken from the trees and the flowers, and I want Lynden to love nature and spending time in the great outdoors :)

I hope this helps explain to everyone why we chose the names we did, and I really hope that you love them as much as we do!

Emery and Nolan's 1 Week Update!

I can't believe that my babies are 1 week old today! This week has gone by so fast, I can't believe that a week ago I was all the way off the country in another state delivering my twins.

Emery has been having a good week! She was having trouble breastfeeding, but after a few days she got it down! She eats every about 3 hours and is starting to look a little chunky! We have tummy time every day, and she loves it! Obviously she can't hold her head up yet, but I can tell that her neck muscles are getting stronger and hopefully in a few weeks she will be holding her head up! Emery also has been able to recognize the different between Jeff or I, and a stranger. I will have one of my friends hold her when they meet her, and she usually cries! But, when she comes back to Jeff or me she quiets down. I think it is so cute how she is attached to us already :) She is currently needing to be nursed to sleep, because she has trouble falling asleep. We have tried rocking her, bouncing her, and so much more but only nursing works. 

Nolan has been having a good week too. He eats every 2 hours, and when he eats its for almost half an hour! He loves eating, and never wants to stop! I'm thankful that my milk supply is enough to supply milk for both of my babies, because I know some women don't produce enough milk. Nolan has tummy time every day, too, but he hates it! He cries and makes grunting noises whenever I put him on his stomach. He likes being held outward, so he can see everything. He hates being held against our chest, because then he can't look around! Nolan is the opposite with strangers than Emery, he doesn't mind it! He just lays content in their arms. He doesn't like being set down though, someone always has to hold him. Another good thing about Nolan is that he goes to sleep very easily! Jeff or I just need to bounce him and walk around and he will be fast asleep in minutes. I'm so thankful that he sleeps so easily!

We also had a 1 week doctor appointment for them this morning, and this afternoon I went to my 1 week postpartum visit! I will make a separate update for my visit. The twins visit went great! They are still very small for their age, just because they were born at 37 weeks. They aren't technically even "born" yet because their due date is May 15th! Our doctor said that their weight and height is good for 1 week old and that I have nothing to worry about but just let him know if nothing changes. I'm so grateful for two amazing, perfect, healthy babies! I couldn't ask for anything more. :)

Weekend Plans!

We have a busy weekend ahead filled with family and fun! Tonight at 6 we are leaving for my cousin Lilia's house for dinner, she wants to meet the twin's and it's always great to have a break from cooking dinner! The kids love playing with their 2 second cousins, so it'll not just be a good break for me but fun for them, which is always important! Tomorrow morning I am taking Gage to his travel soccer game, and dropping Emery and Nolan off at my friend Julia's house. She is our babysitter, and hasn't met the twins yet! She has experience with newborns, so I trust her completely even though the babies are only a week old. Gage's soccer game is only an hour and a half long, so we won't be gone for more than 2 hours. Hopefully the babies are good for her and sleep the whole time!

Saturday night my friend Jill is coming over for the evening to spend time with us and bring us a meal! We are involved with our church, and lately we have been having people come bring us meals. It's just a really nice thing our church does to families with new babies! Sunday morning Jeff and the kids are going to church, I am staying home with Emery and Nolan though! I don't plan on bringing them to church until they are at least 2-3 months old, by then their immune systems will be strong enough to take them to public places. Sunday evening dinner is being brought to us by a friend Jamie, also from church! They are spending the evening with us too, her kids are super sweet and my kids love them!

Keep an eye out for my next post, it will be Emery and Nolan's 1 week update!

Fun Times with Friends!

Hey everyone, this morning was a great morning so I thought I'd share about it! After all of the kids were off to school it was about 8:30, except for Jamie because he doesn't have school on Thursdays. My good friend Kayla called and was wondering if she could come over to meet the twins! She has a 3 month old baby of her own, Alyssa, and 4 year old twin boys, Alex and Abe! Jamie loves playing with Alex and Abe, so I agreed because I knew he would be bored! She arrived at about 10, and the boys played in the playroom while we talked! I haven't seen Kayla in about a month, so it was so great and relaxing to catch up with her. She loved holding Emery and Nolan, and I thought Alyssa was absolutely adorable! I love that age, when they are just learning the smallest things. I can't wait until the twins get bigger! On the other hand, I never want them to grow up.

The kids were getting a little bored cooped up, so we decided to have a picnic lunch at the park! Adrian had a half day at school, so we picked her up at 11 and we all went to the park! It was the twins's first official outing anywhere other than dropping Jamie off at school. Adrian watched the boys, and all 3 babies were sleeping, so Kayla and I could just relax on the picnic blanket, talking together! We stayed for over 2 hours, I fed the babies multiple times and so did Kayla. Around 2pm the kids were getting tired so we said our goodbyes and headed on home! I put Jamie, Emery, and Nolan down for their naps and did some unpacking while I had some free time to myself before the kids all got home. Now, I am nursing the babies and preparing dinner!

I need suggestions for my next post, so leave your opinions and ideas down below! :)

First Full Day at Home with Twins!

Hey everyone, our first full day at home with the twins went surprisingly well! Last night was good, too! I put them to bed at the same time, and like clockwork they woke up every 2 hours! It was a good night, they woke up at 11, 1, 3, 5, 7, and then 9 for the day! I got about 4-5 hours of sleep, which is the most I have gotten so far since they were born, except for that one night Jeff let me sleep and took care of them for half the night! Anyway, Jamie woke me up at 6, so I got him breakfast and ready for the day. Adrian came out at 6:30, fully dressed and ready to go except for breakfast! I got her on the bus at 7 and then fed the babies while Jamie played in his room. Jeff watched Emery and Nolan while I woke up Gage and Braylie at 7:30. They got ready for the day and then had breakfast, and Jeff drove them to school at 8:15! Their school starts at 8:45. Jeff headed straight to work, he usually has to be there at 6 but got an exception to arrive at 9 so he can drive the kids to school! It's such a huge help to me!

Jamie goes to 3 day a week pre-school, but his school doesn't start until 10, and it goes until 3. By 9:30 the girls were fed (again!), changed, and in their carseat to drive Jamie to school! We got home and I put them down for their 10:00 nap. I am trying to get them on a schedule, up for the day at 9 and then nap at 10! They absolutely hate the car, so they never nap in the car like my other kids did. It's so stressful driving around when they are screaming in the back! They slept until noon, and I got a lot of work done! I unpacked all of my things and did a few loads of laundry, and did the dishes and vacuumed. I fed them again at noon, and then we had tummy time and play time around 2, until I put them to sleep in their car seats! Adrian got home at 2:30, and she stayed home with Emery while I took Nolan to pick up Jamie. Emery wasn't very happy in her carseat, but Nolan was fast asleep! I was so surprised when Nolan slept the whole way to pick up Jamie and then the whole way back! Gage and Braylie got home on the bus at 3:45, and then the babies were in their bouncers in the kitchen while the kids did their homework at the bar and I helped them while starting dinner. Jeff got home at 5:30, and he finished up dinner while I fed the babies again. We had a 6pm dinner, and Jeff played with Emery and Nolan while I did some work on my computer and then got Jamie ready for bed, and then Gage. After the kids were asleep, Adrian wanted to spend time with the babies, so she played with Nolan while I fed Emery and watched some TV to relax! I just put the babies to sleep for the night, and Jeff and I are going to relax together and then go to bed early to get as much sleep as we can.

At Home!

I apologize for not posting the past few days, I have been so crazy busy! Easter was spent in the hospital, it wasn't fun at all. My parents came to the hospital for the morning before easter dinner, just to spend time with me! She watched the babies so I could nap for a few hours. I haven't been getting any sleep, as I mentioned in my last post. The babies aren't on any kind of schedule so it is tough. Yesterday we were released from the hospital at noon! I was so glad to get to my parents house, I missed living in a normal house. We spent the whole day packing though, which wasn't very fun! I went to bed super early, at 7pm! I was just so tired that Jeff let me sleep until midnight undisturbed and stayed up with the babies and fed them their bottles (pumped breast milk of course).

We woke up early this morning, to get all of the last minute things together! The girls actually had a pretty good night, they slept from 1am-5am, and then I fed them and they slept until 8! I was so glad that I got good solid sleep last night. We left for the airport around 8:30am, and arrived at 10am. We got through security by 11:15, and we boarded at 11:45! We had just enough time for me to feed the babies and get some lunch. The 5 hour flight went really well! I was nervous because they are only 4 days old, but it was surprisingly well! We were on the section of the plane with certified nurses and all other parents with babies under the age of one. Emery slept the first 3 hours of the flight, then I fed her and she was awake, content until we landed! Nolan slept for an hour, I fed him, and then he slept for another 2 hours and I fed him again! Nolan and Emery were both awake for the last 2 hours of the flight! They weren't crying, they were just looking around and cuddling with us. We made sure to put them to sleep before we landed though, because it's easier getting off the flight and all if they are asleep! I fed them one last time when we got in the car, and then they were both good for the next 2 hours!

The drive home is 1 hour and the last half hour wasn't good. Emery started screaming, and we figured out she had a poop explosion! It got all over her clothes, so we had to change her diaper and outfit. Her screaming woke up Nolan. He was sleeping peacefully, but once he was awake he wanted to eat. Emery ate too. After they were burped we got them back down and started to drive again. Nolan suddenly spit up all over and started fussing. I cleaned him up and tried to sooth him, but it's hard when I can't take him out of his carseat! Him and Emery were fussing the whole rest of the drive home, and I was so glad when we finally got home, around 6:30!

Currently, I just finished feeding the babies and put them down in their cribs for the first time since they were born! It feels so good to have them back home in LA with me, it's all starting to sink in and feel real! I also gave Jamie his bath and put him down to sleep. Now I'm just relaxing while Jeff brings everything in from the car! Gage is showering, and then Adrian will read him stories and I'll put him to bed. After they are sleeping, Braylie and Adrian are going to help Jeff and I unpack! We have so much to do, I'm sure it will be a late night, trying to get as much done as possible. Even though it means getting back into the swing of things (which means work :() I'm still so happy to be home! :)

Change of Plans

Thanks to my friend Steph'a advice, she let me know of an airline that has certified nurses on board and roomier seating, just for babies! The plane is about half the size of a regular airplane. We booked tickets for Tuesday at noon and have 5 hours on a plane! It'll be so much easier than driving, I'm still astonished! I am so happy that this all finally worked out. All thanks to Steph :) Be on the look out for the twins pictures later tonight! 

Emery Rose and Nolan Lynden Newborn Photography!

Our last minute photographer, Carrie, did an absolutely amazing job! I am not going to show you all of the photos, because that would take up to my space. I am just going to show you my favorite of all of them :)

Emery is on the left, and Nolan is on the right! Do you see how they are holding hands?? Absolutely precious! <3

First Day and LA Plans

So far, the first day with my babies has been doing very well! Last night both babies were able to figure out breastfeeding, and breastfeeding is going great. I love it so much, it is such a bonding experience! I can't wait until I can tandem breastfeed. Last night was a tough night though, the babies kept Jeff and I up all night! What is the hard thing is that they both are on completely different schedules. For example, at 1am Emery woke up to eat. At 1:30 she went back down after changing her diaper. Then, at 1:45 Nolan woke up to eat. At 2:30, after being changed, she went back down. At 3:30, Emery woke up again! I would love to get them on the same feeding schedule once we get home and settled. It's so crazy with twins!

Speaking of going home, we have gotten a lot of questions about what we will do on getting back home to LA. We were originally planning on leaving Sunday night, but that isn't an option since I won't be released from the hospital until Monday morning. But, the kids will be flying home Sunday, just not Jeff and I! My father and my uncle are flying with them and staying at the house with them so they don't miss any school. Their school starts back up again on Monday! Jeff and I have a big dilemma, though. It is not recommended for a baby to fly until 2-3 months. 2 weeks is the minimum for some babies, as long as the doctor says it is okay, but it's still strongly discouraged. Premature babies have a weaker immune system too, like my babies. Jeff and I obviously want to get home and settled, and don't want to wait 2 months! We have decided that we are going to have to drive from Florida to California. It is a 1 day 16 hour drive. This morning after the photographer left and the babies were sleeping, we mapped everything out! Tuesday morning early, at 2am, we are getting in the car and starting to drive. We are going introduce the bottle to the babies Monday, even though it is still very early. We will be pulling over every 2 hours to tandem breastfeed, and that takes about half an hour. We are just planning on having bottles incase something goes wrong, and the babies need to be fed but I can't breastfeed at that exact moment! We are planning on driving 16 hours Tuesday. Technically, 2 hours of that will be breastfeeding, so we will have gotten 14 hours down Tuesday, 26 hours to go! We are checking into a hotel (we already made reservations) Tuesday night. We plan on eating an early breakfast (6am) on Wednesday and leaving by 7. We plan on driving until 11, which would be another 16 hours, technically 14 hours because 2 hours will be spent breastfeeding. We are checking into another hotel Wednesday night! Thursday at noon we are beginning to drive again, and should arrive home around 1-2am Friday. This coming week is going to be absolutely crazy, I can not believe we are attempting to drive 40 hours with twin newborns. Wish us luck!

Update on the Babies!

The babies are doing great! I'm sorry I have been posting so much today, it's just that everyone has been commenting with so many questions, it is much easier to just make a post than to reply to everyone's comments! The babies are good, Emery is breathing on her own now and Nolan is still the same, doing well! Emery fed once, she did good! It was a little tricky for her to latch on, but once she did everything was okay! I can tell she is going to take a little longer to catch on though, but I'm sure it will end up fine. I do plan on tandem breastfeeding, once they are a few weeks old and are better at breastfeeding. Now, to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about the birth and delivery...
Q: Are Emery's lungs okay?
A: Yes, she is doing well! The doctors said that she just needed assistance in the beginning, but once she got the hang of it all she was completely fine!
Q: Did you circumcise Nolan?
A: No, of course not. I believe to keep my babies intact, it is an awful procedure to have an infant go through and they are in so much pain during it all. I would never torture my baby like that.
Q: When will you let out photos of them?
A: We had a photographer back in California, but here in Florida we had to find another one. We plan on having her come to the hospital tomorrow morning to get photos, and I should have them by late tomorrow!
Q: How long do you plan on breastfeeding?
A: I plan on exclusively breastfeeding until 6 months, when I will introduce solids. But remember, food before 1 is just for fun!
Q: What foods will you feed them when they begin eating solids?
A: I will only give them puree fruits and vegetables in the beginning, and I will cook everything myself and won't buy any baby food because of all of the harmful chemicals.

I hope this answers some of your questions, leave some more questions down below that you want me to answer next! :)

Hospital Update!

I have good news! The babies are doing well, and I was taken to my room about 20 minutes ago! Emery is also doing well, they were able to take her off oxygen and she is breathing on her own. So haven't been able to hold her yet, but the nurses said soon I will! I have been with Nolsn this whole time, he was the bigger of the 2, 6 pounds 9 ounces! Emery was only 5 pounds 1 ounce. Nolan has caught on quickly to breast feeding, he's doing well and has fed twice already since birth! I'm so glad that's he's doing so good and hopefully we won't have trouble with feeding. As for Emery, I'm not sure! I'm really hoping she does well, but it's known that smaller babies are not as developed and aren't able to breast feed as well. Wish us luck! :)

The Babies Are Here!

Hey everyone, I have amazing news! The babies are finally here! I feel like I have been waiting forever, and I am so happy that I have to wait no longer :) Emerson Rose Lancaster was born at 5:12pm, on April 18, 2014. A few minutes later at 5:18, April 18, 2014, Nolan Lynden Lancaster was born! I am so in love with my babies. When I first heard their cries, I couldn't believe they were mine. I love them so much and wouldn't change how it happened for anything!

They finished stitching me up around 5:55, and I am currently in recovery. It is 6:30 now! They are planning on moving me to my permanent room at 7:15, as long as everything goes well. I would still appreciate positive thoughts and prayers, Emery's lungs were not completely developed and she is on oxygen still.

Exciting Announcement!

Hey everyone! Labor hasn't been progressing, I have a high fever, and the babies heartbeats are lowering. Dr. Ash is really worried, so I'm being rushed to an emergency C-section! This is not how I wanted labor to go, I wanted to go all natural and see my babies coming into this world. But of course, what is most important to me is the safety of my babies. I am waiting in the waiting room, they are coming to prep me any minute now, and the babies should be here by 5:30pm! I will definitely update you when they arrive :)

Blogger Fair!

I am very happy to announce that my family and I will be attending blogger fair! We were personally invited this morning, the kids are so excited! It is Thursday May 29-Sunday June 1. I am taking the kids out of school that Friday, so we all can go and make a little weekend trip out of it! Emery Rose and Nolan will definitely be here by then, and I am so excited for them to meet all of you.

I will be on a Mommy Blogger's panel Friday, May 30, night from 3-7 in the rec room of Hotel Louise in Orlando, Floor 13D. I hope to see you there! I will be on the panel with 4 other mommy blogger's, and it will be so much fun to take questions from everyone and just socialize! We are also having a meetup on Saturday, May 31st, from 12-4. It will be at the open garden near entrance E of Hotel Louise in Orlando. Jeff and all of the kids will be there, including the twins! I look forward to meet all of you and hope you are able to come :) RVSP to my facebook page, links on the homepage of this blog :)

Labor Update!

Labor has been slowly progressing, slow but surely. Last night when I was trying to go to sleep, my contractions were getting closer together and very painful. They were about 5 min apart! But, I fell asleep and when I woke up contractions were gone. I'm not sure if that was false labor or not! I woke up to 10 min apart contractions, they don't hurt very bad but I can still feel them. I had another appointment this morning, and Dr. Ashley checked me and said I was 3cm dilated. I progressed 1cm over night! 

I would still appreciate positive thoughts and prayers through this labor :) 

Is this it?

I think that Dr. Ashley might be wrong, and that the babies are coming soon in the next few days. I am having mild contractions, they are about 15 minutes apart and slightly painful. I am not terribly in pain, it feels almost like menstrual cramps. I called Ashley and she thinks that this might be it, if the contractions keep getting closer apart or if my water breaks! Or, it could just be false labor. That's the hard thing about labor, sometimes you can't tell if its real or just your body preparing for labor. If labor goes like it has with my other babies, I think I will have the baby by early tomorrow morning! With Adrian, labor was 6 hours, Braylie it was 12, Gage it was 7, and Jamie it was only 4! I would really appreciate prayer and positive messages as labor progresses :)

Baby Name/Gender Reveal!

There was one thing I didn't tell you about my doctor appointment today. We actually requested an ultrasound, and we found out the gender of the babies! It was an accident, we forgot to tell them we didn't want to know, and they just showed us! But I'm still so glad that I found out because Jeff and I finalized our baby names. So, we are having a........ BOY! and we are having a........... GIRL!

Jeff and I are so excited, we were hoping for a boy and a girl! It will even out our family, 3 girls and 3 boys. Plus Jeff and I! I can not believe that soon our family of 6 will become a family of 8. I am so happy! Oh, the names are........ EMERSON ROSE! and........NOLAN LYNDEN! Emerson will go by Emery Rose, and Nolan will just be Nolan :) I couldn't be happier by the way everything has turned out :)

Baby Name Ideas!

Since these babies seem to be coming a little quicker than I thought, I need to finalize the babies names! Now, we are not sure of the genders, but are hoping for a boy and girl to even out the family :) I will list my top names for boys and girls (in no particular order) and comment below your favorites!

Girls:
1. Kylie
2. Emily
3. Emerson (Emery for short)
4. Rose
5. Talya
6. Alyssa
7. Kendall

Boys:
1. Tyler
2. Caleb
3. Lynden
4. Riley
5. Benjamin (Benny for short)
6. Denali (Danny for short)
7. Laker

Crazy News!

At my doctor appointment today, we got some big news! As you know, my doctor in California scheduled a visit with a doctor here to check on how the babies are doing.

This doctor said everything looked okay, and the babies were each normal weight for 36 weeks. She decided to check me, just to see. Turns out, I am 2 cm dilated! I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions, but they haven't been painful and I know it was normal. Apparently, the doctor thinks that maybe they weren't Braxton Hicks, and they were real contractions! She said I can not travel, so I'm having this baby in Florida! She thinks they won't be here for another few days, since my water hasn't broken and I can't even feel the contractions much, but she doesn't want to risk flying. I contacted my doctor and let her know, and she thinks the best idea would be to stay here and put me on bed rest! I know that the babies would be okay being born now, but they aren't technically full term until 37 weeks.

I'm a little upset that I will have to have the babies in Florida, I really wanted them to be born in California, but at least this way my mom will be here for the birth. I'm doubt they will be here by Sunday when we were supposed to fly out. Jeff is obviously staying here with me until they are born, but I am not sure about the kids! I don't want them to miss school, but I obviously don't want them to miss the birth of their baby siblings!

Swimming, Family, and Picnicking!

Hello everyone, we have been having an amazing time in Florida! We have been doing so much, but it's all been tons of fun :)

Monday we went to the local pool after lunch and the kids spent the afternoon swimming with their cousins! My kids are big swimmers, because we have a pool in California and during the summer they swim almost every day. Jamie is still learning, he can swim, but I still put him in floaters because he's still litter! I predict by the end of the summer he will be able to swim without assistance. I started all the kids in swimming lessons early own, and introduced them to water early so they would feel comfortable. I think that's one of the main reasons my kids aren't scared of the water! After swimming, we went home and changed then went out to dinner with my parents! We went to Burger Heaven, and then my mom took Adrian and Braylie shopping while my dad took Gage and Jamie mini golfing! They had so much fun spending quality time with their grandparents, because they don't see them very often. Also, Jeff and I loved the alone time!

Tuesday, we went to meet my sister and her family at the park! We had a picnic at the park, and us adults socialized while the kids played. It was a very relaxing afternoon, one of my favorite days in Florida yet! We had dinner at home and spent the evening relaxing. Wednesday we went out to a local cafe for lunch with my brothers and their families and then went home and packed for Jeff's parents house! We drove the hour over there yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon and spent the evening settling in! Today we plan to go over to Jeff's brother Gale's house to spend time with his family. But, Jeff is taking me to my doctor's appointment soon, just to check on the babies :)

Pregnancy Update!

My pregnancy is dwindling to a close! The babies are almost full term, I am actually excatly 8 months pregnant as of today! The babies are due May 15th, and today is April 15th. I am almost 36 weeks pregnant, I will be on Thursday.

I have a doctor appointment next Tuesday, as soon as I get back. My doctor thought it was risky for me to travel so far away from home, and I agreed it would be a little tough! I feel like I know my body pretty well and the signs I'm going into labor, and I have a feeling that I'm going to go late. My doctor keeps telling me that every pregnancy is different, and I agree I just feel that the babies won't come for another few weeks yet. My doctor did get into contact with a doctor at a local hospital here in Florida, and I am going in Thursday morning for her to check things out and make sure everything is okay. We are just taking precautions, because I'm not just carrying one baby, but two!

The symptoms I have been having are just increasing day by day. Of course, I have a terrible time getting to sleep! I'm so uncomfortable because my belly is so big. I sleep with 2 pregnancy pillows, but I still feel uncomfortable. When I get into a good position, I have to get up and go to the bathroom. I usually get up to pee 4-5 times per night. That alone makes me tired! I also have heartburn like crazy and lose of breath 24/7. The simplest things make me out of breath, I think it is because the babies are pressing up towards my lungs. They kick like crazy! Sometimes it shocks me, and I almost fall down. They are getting so strong, and I can't wait until they can finally come out and I can get some decent rest! Although it is likely that this will be my last pregnancy, that's just what my doctor predicts. I feel like I should cherish every moment, because once they are out I am positive I will miss the feel of being pregnant, my body forming around theirs.

Q and A

I was tagged for this Q and A by one of my good friends, Steph! She created this tag, so I decided to do it and add a few of my own :)

Q: What type of car do you drive?
A: I drive a minivan that seats 8, just enough space for our family when the twins arrive! Ryan drives a      Toyota.
Q: How many states have you and your family lived in?
A: 2 states, Florida and California! We lived in Florida with our family until Braylie was born, she was      only a few months old when Jeff's job took us to California.
Q: Do you have any siblings?
A: Yes, my older sister Amanda and my younger twin brothers, Alex and Tyler!
Q: Does Jeff have any siblings?
A: Yes, Jeff has 3 younger brothers, Jake, Emmett, and Gale!
Q: Favorite vacation spot?
A: Definitely Maine! We have a house there that my cousin April lives in, and we always stay for              multiple weeks every summer, and sometimes other times during the year if we can.
Q: Favorite things to make for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
A: Breakfast: scrambled eggs, sausage, and pancakes. Lunch: pasta or soup. Dinner: lasagna or                  homemade pizza.
Q: Any picky eaters?
A: No, when growing up I always gave my kids a variety of foods, so they like a lot of things! Of              course, there are obviously things they don't like a refuse to eat, but I wouldn't say they are                    particularly picky.
Q: How did you and Jeff meet?
A: I worked at Olive Garden for over 4 years as a teenager, and he worked with me and we fell in love!
Q: Any plans for more kids?
A: Yes, currently I am pregnant with twins! We want more children, but my doctor says that I only            have maybe 2 more years to conceive, so we are thinking of adoption.
Q: What is everyone's middle name?
A: Kathlene (Kate) Elizabeth, Jeff Matthew, Adrian Olivia, Braylie Samantha, Gage Matthew, and Jamie Carsen (the twins names are secret until they are born)
Q: What are everyone's birthdays?
A: My birthday is August 16th, Jeff's is March 18th, Adrian's is May 28th, Braylie's is October 11th, Gage's is November 24th and Jamie's is July 14th!
Q: Do you have pets? If so, how many and what are their names?
A: Yes, we are a family that loves animals! We have one dog, Kayla, and 2 cats, Copper and Lily.
Q: Do you work out?
A: Of course! I consider myself very fit for having 4 children and pregnant with twins. I used to run for      30-60 minutes every day before I got pregnant, and worked out 5 days a week. My doctor told me it      is not safe for vigorous exercise after 28 weeks while pregnant with twins, and I trust my doctor and      don't want to harm my babies. So what I do now is walk our dog every day and walk on the                  treadmill. I also do yoga 5 days a week which helps relax my sore muscles!
Q: Where do you and Jeff work?
A: Jeff works in real estate. I went to college for special education and worked as a teacher for about a        year or 2 until we had Adrian. When Gage was a baby I went back to school for graphic design, and      got my degree. I have been working with website design as a side hobby for friends and family, but      lately is has turned into something more! I have clients now who are willing to pay, so it's become          my own little business.

Hope you all enjoyed learning more about me in this tag, thank's to Steph for creating it! :)

First 2 Days in Florida

I didn't realize how much I missed spending time with my extended family until I spent time with them! I love my parents and am having such a good time visiting them for the week.

Our plan arrived Friday night around 11, and until we got our luggage and all, we didn't get to my parents house until 1am. Jamie was asleep in Jeff's arms, and Adrian carried Gage because he was half asleep. It is always so hard getting out of the airport with sleeping kids and a pregnant mom, but we got through it! We all slept in late Saturday, so our day didn't really start until about 1pm. The kids played with their grandparents while Jeff and I unpacked and got everything settled for the week. After dinner, we went to the local pool to go swimming! The kids love swimming and it's always so fun for them. We met my sister and her 3 kids there too, Ally, Jeremy, and Tyler! They are 5, 9, and 13 so the kids love seeing them. We all went to bed early Saturday night, because the kids, not me mention Jeff and I, were having trouble adjusting to the 3 hour time change.

Today, Sunday, was filled with visiting family! We are having Easter with my family, so we wanted to spend Palm Sunday with Jeff's family. His family lives about an hour away from where we are staying with my parents. We had lunch with them, and it was great to see the kids playing with their cousins! Jeff has 3 brothers, and total they have 6 kids and 2 on the way. His brother Jake used to live in California with us until last year, so we have really missed seeing Jake, his wife Eliza, and their 3 kids Samantha, Christy, and Luke. We went out to Pizza Palace for dinner with just Jake's family and Jeff's parents. It was such a good time connecting with Eliza again, we had so much to catch up on! We haven't seen them since fall. We were going to stay overnight, but the kids were just exhausted and grumpy so we decided to head back to my parents house so we could get a good nights sleep someplace where they are used to. We do plan on staying overnight with Jeff's parents later this week, but no rush because we aren't leaving until Sunday night! :)

Nightly Routine

Hey guys! As I'm here waiting in the airport, I decided it would be fun with you all to share our nightly routine! Ever since the kids were babies, I believed strongly that nightly routines are very important for kids to feel comfortable going to sleep, and usually that's by having the same routine each night.

Our routine starts at around 7:00pm. Jamie is only 4, so I like to get him to bed early! First, he gets a bath. Jeff and I rotate giving him a bath. After his bath, I get him into his pajamas and read him his stories. I then get him some juice and rub him in his bed until he falls asleep! Jamie almost always sleeps the whole night through, except some times he gets up to go to the bathroom, and he always wakes me up because he doesn't like going to the bathroom by himself! He is still terrified of the flush.

Gage takes his shower or bath, depending on the night, around 7:45. Then I get him dressed and he likes Adrian to read him stories. They have always had a connection and he loves when she reads to him! I usually put him to bed 8:15-8:30, depending on the night and how tired he is!

Around 8:00 while Gage is reading with Adrian, Braylie gets her shower and gets dressed for bed. She gets in bed around 8:30, but she reads in her room until 9 or a little after. You wouldn't think Braylie would like reading, what with her stubborn personality, but she loves to read! She begs to stay up late reading, and sometimes I let her stay up late because she loves her books so much. I'm so glad that at least one of my girls loves to read like me!

Adrian goes up to her room around 10:00, but she's usually on her phone or labtop until about 11. It may even be later than that, but I never know! I go up to my room to sleep around 11:30, and Jeff usually follows soon after. He likes getting a lot of work done at night when it's quiet, so he's usually up later than me.

Spring Break Plans!

This week, for us here in southern California, is spring break! I am so excited, because the kids haven't had a day off since Christmas, so it'll be a much needed break. Our family lives in Florida, so we are planning on visiting them this break break!

Our plane leaves tonight at 6pm, and it is a 5 hour flight. We won't land until 11, and then until we get to our parents house it will be past midnight. I'm definitely not looking forward to flying, because I hate flying so much, especially now that I'm pregnant! We are leaving at noon, because we have a 2 hour drive to LAX, and probably traffic. I like getting to the airport early so we have time to get some food, and just relax and not be sprinting to our gate.

Flying with children is definitely tough. I always need to have plenty of activities for Jamie, because he thinks flying is boring. Even Adrain gets bored on long flights, and she's 15! I make sure to bring a bag of new things to do for the kids, so they don't get bored. Once we arrive I'm not worried, though! My mom always has tons of things for the kids, since she doesn't see them very often! I'm so excited to see my family, and I know this break will be so much much.

Welcome!

Hey everyone, my name is Kate Lancaster! I am a busy mom of 4 with 2 on the way. I am a stay at home mom, but I love to write so I thought a blog would be a good way to be creative and talk about my amazing family :)

I am married to Jeff, and we have been together 19 years. We got married at 19 on August 16th and have been happy ever since! I am 38 years old and so is Jeff. I worked as a special education teacher for 4 years until we decided to start a family, so I became a stay at home mom as soon as our first daughter was born. Jeff works in real estate, and he has a busy schedule. Even though he works a lot, we still find time to spend quality time together and with our children :)

We have 5 children, our oldest is 15. Adrian has dark curly hair and brown eyes. She is intelligent and loves art. Adrian has a boyfriend, and his name is Ricky. I'm a little hesitant to let her have a boyfriend at 15, but I can tell she loves him and he loves her and he makes her so happy! Our next child is 12 year old Braylie. She is our stubborn child, she hates school and is always making trouble. Gage is 8, and he loves sports! He plays football and baseball with Jeff all of the time. He is always outside having fun playing with his little siblings. Jamie is 4, and he is the baby of the family! Although he won't be for much longer, because I am having twins soon! I am 8 months pregnant and they are due May 15th. We chose not to find out the gender, just because we love surprises! I am so excited to have these babies and so are all the kids. I am hoping a boy and a girl, so then we would have 3 girls and 3 boys :)

I hope blogging will be a lot of fun for me, because I need a place to talk about my children and document things to look back on in the years to come. I know my life may be crazy and I am losing my sanity day by day with a house full of children, but in 20 years when all the kids are out of the house I know I will trade anything to travel back in time to today when they are all young and wonderful :)