.

Twins turn TWO!

2011-09-07T22:10:00.000-07:00

September 6th was the twins' second birthday!

Mikayla with her Tangled barbie.

She crouched down all cute for this pic.

Caleb got a "tar" (guitar) from Gpa/Gma Huntington. He loved it!

Thanks for celebrating with us!

Mikayla and her new shopping cart. She's been pushing it all around the neighborhood.

Caleb and daddy with his new Choo-choo train.

Cambria is so stinking cute. We call her "Bunny bunny foo-foo".

The twins think Cambria is their new playmate. The next few pics explain what they do for fun...

Might as well eat it, if the twins are shoving it in your face.

Yummy cake.

Mommy was having fun putting the sugar things all over it. (Note: they don't taste good.) My fav part is the backwards #2. I didn't realize it until after.

Opening the presents from Drew and "Mamie" (Amy).

An impulse buy. It lasted 24 hrs. I realized I had 3 human babies already to take care of. The puppy seemed to be the perfect solution to a bad day though. :)

I couldn't comb her hair--it looked too awesome!

All 4 grandkids at Gpa Tony's and Gma Jane's house.

Yes, he fell asleep like this.

Mikayla emptying ALL the tissues from the box.

Baby Cambria and Twinners

2011-07-28T15:58:00.001-07:00

Cambria Camille Williams

Born June 12, 2011

7 lbs 10 oz, 19 inches

Delivery was a succesful VBAC by a Certified Midwife. I only had to push 45 minutes. My goal was a natural birth, with an open mind to epidural if I felt I needed one. I made it to 7 cm dilation, +1 station, and had my water broken before I finally opted for one. For all of you women who have given birth naturally....you're amazing!

Cambria's classic "furrowed brow" expression. It's as if she's always annoyed by us. Miss Mikayla in her pretty pink hat. Tangled is the twins new favorite movie....no ifs, ands, or "butts" about it.

Baby Cambria enjoying being outside. Her hair will probably turn reddish and then go blonde like her mommys did.

So many different expressions from this little face.Yum! Chocolate pudding. Mike and I thought the twins deserved a treat for doing so well adapting to new baby Cambria.

She looked like a hobo.

Funny story....my mom chose my house to drop Nancy off at just after her wisdom teeth were removed. My mom went to pick up her prescriptions, and I enjoyed recording Nancy's weirdness from the medications on my blackberry. The videos are now on youtube...if any of you want a good laugh.

Caleb in his car seat.

Mikayla with her pretties from Gpa Steve.

Cambria eating her fingers.

I've been having fun decorating cupcakes with a new piping kit Mike bought me.

Sleeping little angel.

A little jaundiced, but super beautiful. She's been a great sleeper. When she was two days old, she slept 6 hrs straight. She has continued to only wake once per night. It's so great!

Mike and I call Cambria our little "robin baby who's always waiting for her worms!"

Brand new baby with tired, but proud daddy Mike.

Happy 26th Birthday Mike! We love you!

Mikayla preparing for baby Cambria by enjoying the uses of a car seat.

Poor Caleb. Mikayla likes to pick the "black" car seat....so Caleb gets stuck with the pink one.

Mikayla cheesing it.

36 Weeks

2011-05-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

This is pregnant Melissa finally hitting the 36 week milestone! Wahoo!

Mikayla's new power walk

2011-05-13T22:17:00.000-07:00

This little walk was completely untaught. She just started doing it on her own... and it's really cute.

Mikayla chasing the neighbor's cat

2011-05-13T22:16:00.002-07:00

Caleb's " hew hew hew" dance/song

2011-05-13T22:16:00.001-07:00

Walking "gengah", Spencer and Glo's dog

2011-05-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

Collecting dandelions

2011-05-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

Little slide time

2011-05-03T22:29:00.000-07:00

Falling asleep during lunch

2011-05-03T21:28:00.000-07:00

Playing with bubble wands

2011-05-03T14:09:00.000-07:00

What happens when kids refuse to nap...

2011-04-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter, Park Fun, and Twinners

2011-04-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

Caleb's new favorite thing is to try riding on different objects. This time it happened to be Mikayla's baby.

He's growing so old. 19 months here.

Mikayla and her daddy.

The twins love to play "Ring-around-the-rosies". They are in their 'Thing 1' and 'Thing 2' Dr. Seuss outfits here.

Easter at the Williams home. Notice the other set of twins, Miri and Izzy.

Easter egg hunt at Aunt Kathy's.

Mikayla was ecstatic about picking up all the candies from the ground.

Oh, the wonderful bubbles.

Mikayla's new friend, affectionately known as"Meow", of whom she will not part without.

In the van after visiting Gpa and Gma Williams. Mikayla has a black-eye here (left one) from playing with her pony. Its ear knicked her outer corner of her eye...and of course...the next day she had a black-eye. Poor little girl. It looks better now.

Caleb fell asleep in the van with his new toy from Gpa Williams.

Caleb on the slide at the Park.

Mikayla climbing at the park.

The twins with daddy at the park.

Mr. Caleb, who is probably supposed to be sleeping here.

The big 32 week pregnant mommy of one baby. I'm eating a yummy fruit roll-up here.

BLUEBERRY MIKE

2011-03-26T15:53:00.001-07:00

Mikayla, Mike, and Caleb inside the "big, big ball" we bought from Costco. The babies love it!
Thought this might be a fun future Halloween costume!

Naked Runners

2011-03-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

CHEESERS

2011-03-24T13:42:00.000-07:00

Caleb's "cheeser" smile. He needs another hair-cut in this photo.

Mikayla's "cheeser" smile.

Caleb's first hair-cut by Gma Jane. (He looks a lot like my dad did in one of my dad's baby photos. Weird.)

Out in the wagon at Gpa Steve's and Gma Tifani's house.

Mikayla has developed this "attitude" lately. She definitely is establishing her independence by frequently saying, "No." She prefers to do most everything by herself.

Mikayla and Caleb at Great-Gma Grace's birthday party. (I tried matching their outfits for fun).

Mikayla with Aunt Taylor (or "Tay-Tay" as Mikayla calls her). Once again, another "Cheese!"

Mr. Caleb riding the big kitty. Caleb (and Mikayla) also love to ride on their daddy's back for horsey rides.

Didn't have a binky....so the necklace seemed to suffice.

Caleb and Mikayla in January 2011. Such cute babies!

Mommy's Growing Belly

2011-03-20T14:11:00.001-07:00

Here's the belly at 26 weeks 5 days. Nice and huge. Mikayla is in my arms doing her "cheeser" smile. I'm kind of worried this may be an awfully big baby....since Mike was like 10 pounds!

Growing Twins and Mommy's Growing Belly

2011-03-14T15:59:00.000-07:00

Caleb and Mikayla at 18 months on March 6th, 2011.

Well, it's been a long time since I (Melissa) have updated my thoughts on this blog. Many things have happened in our little family that have kept us super busy (we call it "survival mode") over the past year and a half, which has also contributed to us not updating this blog as we'd have liked. I guess that's what happens when you have twins though. So here it goes to a FRESH start.

Babies were born on September 6th, 2009. Mommy Melissa had post-partum depression which lasted a whopping 8 months after that. Melissa finished nursing school and received her Associates in Science in Nursing at Utah Valley University, and began to work as an RN at Utah Valley Specialty Hospital on the Med-Surg floor. Mike, meanwhile, has been working hard in school in order to obtain great grades to apply for Medical School. Mike has wanted to be a Pediatritian as of late. He knows he is a "caregiver" and enjoys the helping professions. Being a daddy has been extremely natural to him, especially when the babies get sick or bonk their heads, he seems to have a wonderful calm about him and insight for caring for the twins. (These qualities would make him an excellent Pediatritian.)

Mike started to have back pain in March/April of 2010. He recieved an MRI which indicated he needed back surgery related to a largely slipped disc between L4-L5. The surgery occurred in July in which Mike recovered quite quickly.

The twins had their one year birthday on September 6th, 2010. We celebrated it at Gpa & Gma Williams' house. We had a special cake made for the twins with an edible photo of them on it (a chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting). We rented a bouncy house sports castle and put it in the backyard for all the kids to play in. Caleb devoured his blue-iced cupcake, while Mikayla daintily (spelling?) licked the pink frosting off of hers. One week prior to their birthday, Caleb learned to walk. Mikayla followed two months later.

In October 2010, we found out (much to our surprise!) we were expecting baby #3. Melissa was coming home from work extremely nauseous, tired, and dizzy....so she expected something was up. When the pregnancy test came out positive, a baffled husband named Mike stated, "There's no way! That can't be a plus sign!" But, surprisingly, there was a way, and now baby #3 will be coming on June 20th, 2011.

In February 2011, we found out this special baby is a GIRL. This excited us due to the fact that Mikayla would do well with learning how to share more attention, and to keep the girl trend going in the Williams' family.

This past March, we sold the black Honda and purchased a blueish-purple Astro VAN from Gpa & Gma Thomas. Buying the van basically became a necessity as we realized there was absolutely no way to fit 3 car-seats in our tiny cars.

So, yes, we live the typical UTAH stereotype. Mike and I got married early at the ages of 21. We had twins within 2 years of marriage. We will be having baby #3 in June of this year (If you do the math that's three kids under the age of 2). And, we have now bought ourselves a VAN. Laugh all you want. One day we'll be rich and famous...and probably still living in Utah next to our parents. But, as for now, we are very happy and satisfied with what we've made of our lives, and look forward to how our lives will continue to turn out in the future.

Coming soon will be a pic of my vastly expanding belly. I've had a hard time being okay with pics taken of me since I have not lost all my baby weight from the prior pregnancy. We'll see....

Playing the Piano

2011-03-02T14:25:00.000-08:00

Squeezing Oatmeal

2011-03-02T14:24:00.000-08:00

Duck Pond

2011-03-02T14:23:00.000-08:00

Small Photo Update

2011-03-02T11:35:00.001-08:00

Snowsuits/Leaves

2010-11-16T22:58:00.000-08:00

Just Before Nap Time

2010-11-16T22:57:00.000-08:00

Testing Out The New Blocks

2010-11-16T22:54:00.000-08:00

Photo Update

2010-11-16T22:31:00.001-08:00

Babies in a Basket

2010-08-28T21:38:00.001-07:00

Thanks to my talented sister Amy, here are some fun pics of our twins at 10.5 months. It's scary to think they'll be ONE year old on September 6th! Time flies when you have kids. But it's also so much fun.
Mikayla smiling and Caleb choosing not to.

Uncle Dylan walked up the stairs and saved the day by getting the twins to both smile!Caleb now having fun, while Mikayla tries to figure out why.

Hmmm...maybe there is a bug down there or something.

Tubbie Time with Two Twins

2010-07-22T21:46:00.000-07:00

Summer Babies

2010-07-16T16:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my sister Amy, here are some more adorable pics of my babies!
Mikayla finally smiled for the camera....once she saw her mommy!
Caleb is already a little thinker!

Sometimes we say Mikayla has eyes that look like a lemur since they are so big (and beautiful).

Caleb wondering why Amy is taking so many pictures of him...

Mikayla's laugh

2010-06-29T17:39:00.000-07:00

Peek-a-boo with mommy

2010-06-28T14:37:00.001-07:00

The twins with teething crackers

2010-06-28T14:37:00.000-07:00

Caleb has a new favorite person.

2010-06-20T09:37:00.001-07:00

Screaming in the car

2010-06-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

The twinners are crawling

2010-06-11T09:31:00.000-07:00

Caleb and Mikayla's first day swimming

2010-06-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

A Fun Little Video

2010-05-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

Mikayla +Caleb = Mikaleb

2010-05-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

Family Pics

2010-03-23T22:39:00.000-07:00

Our family pics taken on March 20, 2010.
Happy family of 4.

Princess Mikayla.

I love Caleb's eyes here.

The twinners at 6.5 months.

Mommy (that makes me sound so OLD) and Mikayla.

Caleb wasn't so sure about the whole picture taking thing...

The grandkids: James, Tira, Caleb, and Mikayla.

The Huntington family.

Grandpa Steve and Mikayla sticking her tongue out.

3 Year Anniversary!

2010-03-10T16:24:00.000-08:00

March 10th was our 3 year anniversary! Mike surprised me with roses and chocolates.

Grandma Grace holding Caleb. This is prior to her heart surgery in which she got 4 stents placed. We are so greatful she is doing well now.

My cousin, Samuel's, science experiment....hatching chickens. They were so cute.

The three chicks that hatched: Buster, Fancy, and Squirt.

Nice day outside, so the twins went on a walk with Gma Jane. They loved it!

Caleb in the stroller.

Mikayla eating the stroller seat belt. Here is a pic of her helmet that she needs to wear for the next 3-4 months.

Family Fun!

2010-03-10T16:06:00.000-08:00

McKay, Erica and Caleb at Grandma Graces.

Mikayla and Caleb at 5 1/2 months old.
Caleb cuddled up and fell asleep on me while I was eating dinner.

Erica, Mac, Mikayla, and Caleb at Grandma Grace's house!

The other twins at Reed and Douglas' baptism get-together. (There are a ton of twins in the family!) Seth smiling big for the camera.

Uncle Jake, Aunt Lacey holding Mikayla, and Gma Camille.

Mike, Chris, and Gpa Williams eating the delicious food.

The aunts and uncles socializing.

The two Jakes with the twinners. They were sure good with them!

Blog #2 in Same day

2010-01-28T16:35:00.001-08:00

Our cute twinners in their outfits from Gma Jane. Love the little ears!
Twins showing their personalities.

Stroller ride with mommy!

Side view of stroller. Packing them up takes a lot of work!

Daddy with Caleb. Caleb is a beefy little guy.

Princess Mikayla in her outfit from Gma Tifani.

Twins in their car seats. Mikayla has her "big sister" shirt on here. She was born one minute earlier than Caleb.

BABIES!

2010-01-28T15:58:00.001-08:00

The twinners about one week ago. They are so precious!
Mikayla has to get a helmet for her head. She has plagiocephally...which means her head hasn't formed correctly and is flat on her back right side. She was so sad, I felt so bad.
The nylon mesh prior to the fiberglass stuff.
Aunt Lacey with the twinners.

Caleb screaming. He loves to hear the sound of his voice and will scream just for fun...for forever.

Mommy and Caleb.

Daddy and Mikayla. She looks so small. Love the urp spot on daddy's shirt.

With twins you have to learn how to accomodate both while meeting their needs.

She looks like a little Mary in a Christmas pageant here. Just thought it was cute.

Birds-eye-view of the twins in their bumbos playing across from one another.

The twinners in their outfits from Gpa Steve. Caleb's face is funny here.

Jake's Birthday party at the Pizza Pie Cafe. Lots of fun!

Twin Babies

2010-01-05T14:33:00.000-08:00

Caleb is getting so chubby! He is 4 months here.
Mikayla with her big blue eyes sitting in her bumbo. This is also her 4 month pic by my cell phone.

Mikayla and Caleb. It's fun to dress them up as dorks and they don't even know....
Bumbos! I can now play school with them or read them story books. They seem to really like them.
The twins love to eat each other while next to one another.
Holding hands...so cute. They are about 3 1/2 months here.
Grandma Grace holding Mikayla. She's giving her stink-eye look.
Tummy time for Mikayla. She sure hates it. Aunt Lacey seemed to know the trick though because she tolerated this time pretty well.
The favorite Johnny Jumper.
Once again, mommy and daddy are having a little too much fun.
Mikayla's "So Big" look!

The twins in their Winnie the Pooh outfits. How cute.

Some Baby Videos

2009-11-24T09:21:00.000-08:00

Fuzzy Wuzzy Bears

2009-11-23T18:17:00.000-08:00

Happy family of 4 with babies in their new "bear" suits from Grandma Jane and Grandpa Tony.

The twins by each other. I'm not sure Caleb likes his suit....

Mikayla content as can be.

Caleb content as can be.

The twins. Mikayla is just a bit too serious here. Caleb is doing his half-smile.

Finger puppets from my sister Amy...like the best gifts ever!

Caleb after his bath.

Blessing day on November 1st. Both the twins like to sleep like this.

Proud parents of such sweet little angels.

Halloween costumes from Georgina, our next door neighbor.

Kimchee and Jake helping out. Thanks so much everyone for the continued support and help!

24th Birthday Fun!

2009-10-31T21:58:00.000-07:00

My favorite blueberry cake!
Family of 4

Sweet little Caleb drinking his bottle.

Twinners and I.

Funny Mike with sleeping twins. What a good daddy!

Happy family all together!

Annette with Mikayla.

More of the family.

Tony, Caleb, Annette, Tira, Amy, Mikayla posing for the pic.

My funny family.

James definitely loves parties!

This is for Amy. She thinks Mikayla looks like a bull-dog here.

Just Can't Get Enough of Them!

2009-10-10T22:32:00.001-07:00

Caleb and Mikayla in boppy.

Mikayla hugging Caleb.

Twins sticking tongues out!

Cute little Caleb. He's finally starting to fill out his face.

Mikayla in her ducky outfit. (This one is for you Grandma Tifani!)

Grandma Jane with twins.

Grandpa Tony with twins. Both seem to like looking up at him.

Me and twinners.

The Twins laying by each other posing for the camera.

Funny little faces.

Mikayla and I. (It's weird because I look like a MOM now. I guess that change just takes place out of nowhere.) Also, daddy Mike wasn't here in the pics because he was at home busy studying his homework. We are so proud of him!

Twinneroos!

2009-10-09T19:08:00.000-07:00

Caleb wondering why someone is holding a camera and not his bottle. He's also all decked out in his sports attire.
Our little "turtle" (aka "Chubby Bunny") getting her bath. Picture says it all...she's just so cute!

Chubby bunny dressed in her ladybug outfit. (This one's for you Kimchee!)

The twins right next to each other. Notice their crossed legs. I still wonder how they both fit in me.

Caleb trying to eat Mikayla....

Imagine them both saying, "Ta-dah!"

Two cute bundles of joy!

Once again....they are wondering when their next feeding is.

Mikayla sleeping with her one eye open. This happens to be a Huntington trait, we've since found out. It worries me that her eyes are going to dry out one of these days....jk.

Little Caleb. He likes sleeping with his arms out too.

Caleb in his boppy. He likes to sleep this way. I think he's absolutely irresistable in this pic!

The twinners with their blanket from our cousin Jenny! (Thanks so much!)

Caleb saying hi to the camera.

Don't ask us how she sleeps like this. She must be practicing her "I'm so intellectual" pose. (She tends to have a ton of different facial expressions and is in her own little world.)

The twinners dressed in their matching attire from Grandpa Steve and Grandma Tifani. (Contrary to Mikayla, when Caleb is awake he is very alert and aware of his surroundings. He smiles a ton and has two very cute dimples.)

Our two little matching burritos.

All the Helpers!

2009-10-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

Grandma Jane removing Mikayla's name-tags. Mikayla is 4 days old here.
Grandma Tifani helping Mikayla get ready to go home from hospital!

James Caden holding Caleb for his first time!

Grandpa Steve with both twins. Mikayla is looking up at him so cute. Caleb is probably getting sick of all the pics we take of him! :)

Uncle Matt holding Mikayla and proud Aunt Amy. This was their first time seeing and holding Caleb too.

Grandma Camille feeding Caleb ever so gently!

Grandpa Richard holding Caleb! What a proud Grandpa! (FYI Mikayla is the first grand-daughter on the Williams side. There are already 12 grandsons, which will make for an interesting future of family gatherings!)

Grandpa Tony and Grandma Jane with both twinners!

Grandpa Tony proud as ever!

The Twins are finally both home!

2009-10-09T17:11:00.000-07:00

The twins are re-united in their crib for the first time since birth! (This pic is supposed to be the 4th one down on this blog....but I couldn't figure out how to do that. Sorry. )

Mike holding Caleb's little finger in the NICU. Today was the day he got to come home!

Mommy Melissa with Caleb. He is 2 weeks here!

Caleb wondering what is going on and dressed in his cute clothes from Grandma Tifani. We sensed he knew that he was going to finally be coming home and that he could finally re-unite with Mikayla. (We tried to frequently remind him that little Mikayla missed him.) This was a joyous day for us, especially since most the family hadn't seen him yet, due to the NICU's new policy of only allowing 4 visitors.

Caleb all snug in his Winnie the Pooh blanket from Crystal. (Thanks so much, by the way!)

Mikayla all snug in her pink Winnie the Pooh blanket (also from Crystal).

Happy and proud daddy Mike with both the twinners!

Me with twinners in their matching outfits. This was such a great day for all of us! We are officially a family of 4!

Beautiful Babies!

2009-09-14T14:09:00.000-07:00

Our little "bunny". Mikayla likes to sleep like this. It's pretty cute.
Mikayla wearing her "Daddy makes me smile" shirt, since Daddy has been sick and not been able to be around her.

Going home from the hospital! Little Caleb still needs a bit more time in the NICU to learn how to feed better.

Our little Caleb. I feel so bad he has to have all those tubes in him. It's hard to have a baby in the NICU. It really makes you feel guilty as a mother.

Baby Caleb. We are doing skin-to-skin. He loves it.

Mikayla coming home from hospital.

Coming home from hospital again.

Little Caleb all stretched out in the NICU. The nurses all love him to death. He is very responsive and has very cute expressions. He currently is doing better with feeding.

Little Mikayla Grace with her wolf from her daddy since he hasn't been able to be around her much. He is almost better though!!

The Day That Would Never Come!!!

2009-09-07T18:11:00.000-07:00

Mikayla Grace (in the pink hat) & Caleb Michael (blue hat)

Well, the day has finally come. After months of bed-rest, nausea, cramps, swelling, ER trips, etc..., little Mikayla and even littler Caleb were born on September 6th 2009 at 5:41 and 5:42 PM respectively. There were born at 36.1 weeks gestational age.

Mikayla

Mikayla came in at 5 lbs. 5 oz. and 18 inches long. She is doing great down in the nursery, healthy and strong. She has a wonderfully cute scowl that she came out with. She's small but doing great so far. Bottom line is that she is perfect and amazing.

Caleb

Caleb is a small little one at 4 lbs. 9 oz and 16.5 inches long. He is up in the NICU right now because his blood sugar levels are low (which is common for premature babies), but everything else is fine. Like his sister, he is amazingly and perfectly wonderful and beautiful.

A proud Dad

I HATE DOCTORS!!!

2009-09-01T11:55:00.001-07:00

Here is my belly at 35 weeks 3 days (Sept.1st). It is huge. I currently hate my doctors....and my body for not going into labor. My doctors said the earliest they'd induce me is September 9th after amniocentesis to determine lung development. This is still 8 days away. I know it seems like nothing to most people...and like it's such a short time...but honestly it is NOT. I am so miserable it is not even funny. The babies are so heavy. My back aches. Oh yeah, and not to mention the bladder infections I keep getting....which I'm finally on a maintenance dose of antibiotics for. (Earlier I had one and 4 days later I got another one. I've never had one in my life, but I figure the babies are just sitting on everything down there always, causing it to get infected.). But the main reason I hate my doctors is they do not understand how miserable I am. My one doctor was in favor of the amniocentesis, but only at 36 weeks. The perinatologist said he was not in favor and wanted to know my reasoning for it....me being COMPLETELY MISERABLE was just not enough for him. (I wish a HUGE case of MY pregnancy on him in the next life or something...then he'd realize why he should have induced me like 3 months ago.) Mike and I are just praying the babies lungs will be okay so I can be delivered. The day they'd tentatively be born is 09/09/09...kinda interesting. (It's better than September 11th though.) I still have no clue how I'm going to make it through one more week. It continues to get more difficult every day.
My side profile at 35 weeks 3 days. I don't wish a twin pregnancy on anybody. By the way, as of last Tuesday, Baby A is 4 lbs 13 ounces and Baby B is 4 lbs 11 ounces (plus or minus a few ounces). I'm sure they're in the 5 pound range now that it's one week later.
James, Tira, and Annette babysitting me while Mike is at school. (Preparing meals makes me nauseas. Coupled with no energy, this requires me to be babysat. Yes, I am 23 years old. Obviously, INDEPENDENT me, has had to learn to let people help her....actually I've had to learn that this whole entire pregnancy. I am ever so greatful for everyone's help though.) FYI the movie in the background is Stardust.

Little Tira wanting her picture taken. James and she want to name our babies "Lion" and "Leopard" after their stuffed animals. They also like "Cookie" and "Froggy".

Tira's Tinkerbell Hair-do. She loves it and wanted a picture taken of it.

This reminds me of me. I used to curl up in the blankets to be warm and comfortable. Mike would say I was sitting on my "Rock nest" like a penguin incubating its eggs. Just thought it was funny that Tira does it too.

LIfe couldn't be more MISERABLE!

2009-09-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

So, one would think I couldn't get any bigger....or would be delivered by now...but of course my luck is always horrible! This is a side profile of 34 weeks 5 days. I'm finally in the clear if I do go into labor...the doctors will actually let me. The problem is my body won't for some reason. I currently have constant contractions which start to become regular and very painful for a few hours, and then they just stop altogether. My feet and legs are swollen to the max. I can barely stand on them to get up to go to the bathroom. I have these horrible hormones which create awful hot flashes, which sends a feeling comparable to ucky puss surging throughout your body. This also causes me to feel incredibly nauseus. I still have barely any stomach capacity too. I eat like 4 bites of rice and I'm full. It's awful. This increases my feelings of blacking out and extreme fatigue. I'm also starting to look transparent. My veins are sticking out all over my chest and upper stomach, where the fat has been sucked off my body. Honestly, if there was ever a time I wish I were 400 pounds, that time is now. Then I'd at least have energy reserves...cuz that's what fat is.
Here is the front profile at 34 weeks 5 days. I still wear Mike's clothes. The stretch marks have turned into one red mass. My skin on my belly is shiny and stings to high heaven when it stretches. I'm still surprised it hasn't burst open yet. It sure feels like it will.

Side profile at 33 weeks 4 days. No fun.

Front profile at 33 weeks 4 days.

My sweety buns with long hair. School just started and so we took a picture prior to it getting cut by my sister. (FYI This pregnancy has been so awful and Mike has stood by me throughout every minute of it. I love him so dearly! He is the best husband in the world!)

Annette and Mike after the hair-cut. Mike is oh so handsome!

Watermelon Belly

2009-08-10T20:47:00.000-07:00

Just thought we'd post a few pics showing what a mommy pregnant with twins can expect....

#1 Watermelon Belly: These stretch marks erupted overnight...no joke either.
#2: Closer view of the ugly stretch marks needing constant lotioning to aleviate the pain, stinging, and itchiness. (32 weeks here- compare to last blog only one week ago)

#3: Side profile of creeping stretch marks and low hanging belly. Thank goodness I can still manage to eat some things. I actually lost 1 lb these past two weeks, but apparently the babies are still growing which is good! (As of late I've only been able to consume about 1200 calories per day due to no stomach capacity. This adds to the light-headedness and feelings of blacking out quite often. Once again, it confines me to my bed).

#4: Endless bedrest with mounds of pillows: Somehow a pregnant woman has to get some sleep. Mike and I have figured out a way.... the high pillows help alleviate acid reflux and allow for comfort and easier positioning while sleeping.

Anyways, just thought we'd scare all you new moms with such fun things to look forward to. (Of course though, my pregnancy has been one of a kind.) We are currently 32 weeks and are hoping to make it to 34 weeks somehow. I just hope my stretch marks won't burst open....

31 Weeks and counting...

2009-08-04T14:54:00.001-07:00

This is a belly pregnant with twins at 31 weeks 1 day...a sight all women can look forward to if they want to have twins. Obviously, throughout this pregnancy, I have learned that my body was not meant to have two babies in me...but somehow it is working out. We just finished getting my 2nd Betamethasone shot from the hospital. (To enhance the babies' lung development). I have been regularly having contractions every day and have to take Nifedipine to stop them. The side effects of which are not very fun: dizziness, headache, and oh yeah more nausea. Yes, that thing in the middle is my belly button. My friend Kimchee looked aghast when she saw it and wondered what the heck it was.
This is a side profile of my belly at 31 weeks 1 day. Lovely stretch marks.

This is me at 29 weeks...just barely starting to get stretch marks. (And yes, I tend to wear this outfit a lot).

Another side profile to show my stretch marks on the other side (29 weeks). This pregnancy has been a horrible one. I just recently was released from the hospital for hard core nausea. I had to see a GI specialist and get blood work done. Lucky for me I got 4 hours of sleep (due to my IV pole beeping constantly) and my IV site got all red, inflamed and swollen. Of course, the nurse then decided to reinsert another IV in which she was unsuccessful and just caused me immense pain. (This was Friday, July 31st and Saturday, August 1st). Sunday, I went in to the hospital for painful contractions only to learn I had a small bladder infection as well. I now take Amoxicillin (antibiotic), Nifedipine (uterine relaxant), Prevacid (antiacid for heart burn), Unisom (for nausea), and Phenergan (for break-through nausea) on a daily basis. I hate drugs as it is...and dealing with all the wonderful side effects of more nausea and dizziness is no fun either.

Anyways, I should stop complaining. It has been a horrible pregancy. One I did not ever imagine could be possible. Occasionally I am blessed with one good day, and then have to deal with several awful days of nausea and trying to cope with life, while wishing this pregnancy was over. Of course though, my OBGYN says if my water does break early, they will keep me in the hospital until 34 weeks anyways while giving me bigger drugs to stop the contractions. Such is my life lately. I just cannot wait until this is over. It is horrible!

I am ever so greatful for my perfect husband, Mike, who has stood by me through it all. He has helped me immensely through every hard time. We call him my "built-in nurse." I am so greatful for him and all he does to help me. We are also greatful to all of you who keep us in your prayers and have served us in so many ways. Thank you so much. We are ever so greatful.

7 Months and Counting...

2009-07-12T16:18:00.001-07:00

4th of July...I finally got ready, minus the makeup.

We spent that day at Mom and Dad Williams house. That night we went to the park and watched fireworks from our car window. I am 26 weeks 5 days here.

Sunday, July 5th. I am 26 weeks 6 days here. Wow...I got ready again. The belly is getting bigger!

27 Weeks. Notice some stretch marks finally appearing on my left side. My appendix scar has stretched to like 3 or 4 inches too (It used to be 1 inch long and pretty hard to notice.)

27 Weeks 5 days. This is our little girl. Both babies weighed in at about 2 lbs 10 oz. Her heart rate was 148 bpm. She is head down...still right on top of my bladder. The arrow on this pic is next to her nose (just in case you have a hard time seeing what is what).

Here is Baby B, our little boy. You can see his brain quite nicely here. The arrow is by his nose. His heart rate was 152 bpm. Our goal now is to make it to 32 weeks. This is the next big hurdle! We are anxious to get them here! Thank you again everyone for your help, love, support, and prayers. We are so greatful!

The Twins at 23 Weeks

2009-06-12T20:19:00.000-07:00

This is our little baby girl--our future soccer player due to her unending kicks and jabs to my uterine wall. Her head is on the right of the photo. My bladder is the black spot right next to her head....
This is our little boy (Baby B)--Mr. Acrobatic. You can see his profile quite nicely. Both babies are about 1 lb. 6 oz. which is right on track!

Still Counting....

2009-06-12T20:02:00.000-07:00

19 Weeks

20 Weeks

21 Weeks

23 Weeks 4 Days

Here are some pics of my growing belly. We were happy to find at our 20 week ultrasound that both babies are healthy and doing great. Baby B is a boy and Baby A is a girl. (They determine this by which twin is closer to the cervix. Baby A is actually located on my left side.) Baby A kicks all the time. Her head is sitting very low--right on my bladder. The ultrasound tech commented on how surprisingly LOW she is, as in she's wearing my bladder as a hat right now which makes for frequent trips to the powder room. Baby B tends to do somersaults (spelling?) often. Mike and I will be looking at my belly and it will have this random lopsided bulge. This is when we know he's doing his acrobatics. Overall we are very happy to be pregnant. This pregnancy has not been an easy one, but we know we are getting through it because of everyones' prayers, fasting, and love. Thank you so much!

Bed Rest....

2009-04-16T20:05:00.001-07:00

As many of you are well aware, I have been on bed rest for the past 2 weeks. After a scare of heavy bleeding on April 4th, we learned in the ER that I have a sub-chorionic hemorrhage. Medical professionals don't know what causes it. It just happens. According to my doctor the best possible treatment is bedrest and monitoring the babies via ultrasound.

As stressful and worrisome a time this has been, we have been very blessed to learn that our babies are alive and well. We also would like to thank everyone for all they've done for us in easing this burden. You have all been so kind and loving. Thanks for the dinners, visits, books, movies, house cleaning, words of encouragement, etc. We truly believe you are all angels. (This top pic is from one of my primary girls, named Ashley. She decorated an Easter egg at school and gave me her tulip. She said it was for me so I would remember her. She is 5.)
This is my bed-side table, full of books, movies, crosswords, aroma therapy, and more. Thanks again everyone!

I thought I might show some pics of my growing tummy and babies. (FYI, we were excited to find out Baby B is a girl!!! We finally broke the William's record! It actually is possible to have a female Williams. We still do not know the gender of Baby A. I think it's a boy--Mike of course thinks its a girl. We'll see...) In this pic I am 8 weeks (2 months) along!

I'm 12 weeks here (3 months). It was kinda hard to see with the shirt covering my tummy.

Here is a profile of the twins at 12 weeks.

I'm 14 weeks here (about 3.5 months). Starting to get some stretch marks.... Mike and I feel incredibly blessed to know our babies are doing well and are growing. They are really cute too. We have a VHS of the ultrasound, but first have to figure out how to show it on our blog. I'll leave that to Mike who is my skilled, resident nerd. (Just kidding--kind of. I love you!!!)

Ammon's Birthday Party

2009-04-16T19:55:00.000-07:00

Crystal and Adam's little boy Ammon turned one on March 19th. All the girls got together to celebrate. It was lots of fun!

Of course all the "aunties" had to hold him! He has grown so much since we last saw him.

Paige and Ammon. Love his little hat.

Kimchee must have pinched him...he looks worried here. Just kidding, he loved her.

Crystal and Ammon. This was the cutest pic. She's such a good mommy! It was so much fun to get together with everyone!

First comes love, then comes marriage....

2009-02-18T19:42:00.000-08:00

Just in case you are all uninformed about our current status in life, we learned 2.5 weeks ago that we are having a baby! Yes, that's right....Melissa is prego! After a little scare of some spotting over this past weekend, the doctor ordered an ultrasound to make sure the baby was okay. While in the room, the lab tech informed us that the baby's heart rate was 116 bpm. She said the baby looks normal and healthy. She then adjusted her imaging and focused on another mass. Much to our surprise she then stated, "And baby B's heart rate is 124 bpm."

Immediately Mike and I gasped as we realized what this lady was saying. Yes, she was speaking English. And yes, she was informing us that we are pregnant with TWINS!! Wahoo twinners! So you can all feel as special and happy as we currently do (well almost), here are some pictures of our beloved and precious little "A" and "B" babies (that's right, it's plural).

Whole perspective of my innards: including uterus, bladder and two little babies up top.

Close up on the little ones...due October 8-9ish.

Measurements. According to the imaging, they are about 6.5 and 6.4 weeks along.

Anyways, in all seriousness, it was one of the most amazing things for us to wittness their little hearts beat and actually hear them. So, instead of being devastated about the health of the "baby", we felt incredibly blessed to learn there are two which are both alive and healthy.

Christmas with the Fam...and baby Hal!

2008-12-29T12:25:00.000-08:00

Mom and Andi cooking waffles for Christmas morning breakfast.

Too much excitement for Josie...

Derek, aka Legolas, firing his bow and arrow at intruders.

The intruders...aka Jake and Lacey...with the conquering Derek.

Mike LOVES to make sugar cookies (which tasted freakin awesome)!

Our little, cute, and beautimous Christmas tree.

Chacos for Christmas. Score.

High-heels for the first time ever! Walking in them is the next challenge...

Presents!

Hair that Melissa HAD to bleach for fun.

Grand Finale: Melissa holding baby Hal for like 4 hours straight! Very therapeutic!

The Hunnys Who Love Each Other

2008-11-25T10:18:00.001-08:00

So, it has been a bit since we've updated due to our busy schedules in work and school. Here are some Christmas pictures that my sister Amy took. She's all into this photo stuff and is really talented, so we just had to get our pictures taken. Looking at the pic now, my shirt is like a putridy vomitty color...so flattering on me. My hunny buns looks great though.

Mike and I are really happy this semester is almost over! We just discovered he has 1.5 yrs left to graduate, and then comes grad school (we have no clue where that will take us). In 2 more semesters I will have my RN license. The annoying thing is when I do get that much desired license, I will have been in school for like 7 years...and most people are called doctors by then. (Plus I will only have my associates degree. Sad!) The journey of school seems like it will never be over; I guess that's why we're supposed to enjoy the journey...

We are very excited for the holiday season. My sister Annette & her fam will be coming to stay in December while Dan finishes his residency for Pharmacy school. We can't wait to hang with little Tira and James Caden. Also, Matt & Leigh had little Henry (Hal) Richard Williams. So that means we get to see them and finally hold the little guy. We love family time and are so proud of our families! One day, Mike and I will have a family of our own!

Happy Halloween

2008-11-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

We tried to be somewhat festive this year and dress up for Halloween. We mulled through all of our options and decided to be Dwight and Angela from the TV show: The Office. We thought we looked pretty good.

We had a lot of fun turning my hair into Dwight's hair:

The side profile looks even better:

Hobbit Sister

2008-09-30T21:30:00.001-07:00

After watching Lord of the Rings the other night, Mike surprised me by saying he thought my sister looked like Frodo Baggins. At first thought I didn't think so because Frodo is a male and my sister is obviously female. Although, once we placed their pics side by side, I realized their resemblance is amazingly similar! I don't know if it's the eyes or the cheekbones, but for some reason they look identical. Who would of thought my short sister even looks like a hobbit! (I love you Amy!)

Arizona Part II

2008-09-12T15:24:00.001-07:00

Mike, Annette, James and Dan hanging out in the living room.

Little Tira with socks on her hands. I don't know why she had them there.

James and Aunt Melissa.

James and Tira all dressed up in their Thomas the Train and Snow White costumes.

Static electricity...don't we just love it?

Of course, Tira needed to try too.

Mike and I had a really fun time at their house over the weekend. Annette, ever so kindly, made up our bed with "Twister" (the game) bedsheets to make our stay even more enjoyable... We ate a Brazilian dinner one night, in lieu of Mike's mission, and an Italian one the next. We also watched some old fashion show (that I surprisingly liked--it was in color) called "Support Your Local Sheriff" and played Scrabble and the game Operation. I did realize Mike needs to work on his fine motor skills a little more...he struggled with taking the bones out of the man. We had an awesome time and were greatful for the break before school.

Arizona Part I

2008-09-12T14:50:00.001-07:00

Melissa and Mike on their way to Arizona...bored out of their minds.

"Sego Lillie," not to be confused with...

"Saguaro cactus!"

On Labor Day weekend, Mike and I drove the 10 hr drive to Arizona to visit my sister. On the way, I bet Mike $1 that the big green cactuses were called "Segolillies." (I swear I had learned that somewhere in one of my history classes growing up). He thought they were called "Saguaro" cacti. After calling our knowledgeable brother Dan, we found out Mike was right, so I owed him a buck. He bet me on the name of "Joshua trees" too, in which I also lost. I have learned from this experience that my husband has this well of knowledge that is extremely huge. I should never contradict him because he remembers the most random facts after hearing them once. (By the way, segolillies are the UT state flower).

Michigan Road Trip

2008-07-24T12:39:00.000-07:00

Little Issac helping to load the moving van

After we got all packed up we stopped at a place called Warren Dunes.
Which is 1/2 campground. . .

. . . and 1/2 sandy beach on the shore of Lake Michigan

Green Thumb

2008-04-20T19:31:00.001-07:00

The full and completed look.

I had to buy this cute little bug.

The right sided view of our flower bed.

So we decided to plant a flower bed in front of our home, it being our first one ever. With a little advice from Aunt Betsy, we gathered our tools, bought some pansies/petunias, and found about 100 pounds of turkey crap (aka Nutri-Mulch) to cover our front yard with. (Side note: We were glad to find that our turkey mulch contained "no human waste", thus helping with the smell.) In the end, our flower beds turned out beautimous (thanks to my hubby's strong muscles). We're keeping our fingers crossed that it will actually survive and not be wiped out by any April snow blizzards. (Another tip of advice we didn't know: "Don't plant flowers until AFTER Memorial day in May!" which was told to us by Donetta, my loving manager.)

Bearded hubby and Nursing Program

2008-04-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

Well, I have two more weeks left of my first semester in the nursing program. Sadly to say it has reminded me a lot of Relief Society; our teachers bring treats to class often and enjoy telling personal stories the whole time. I wish lectures were more factual...then I'd actually feel they were worth going to. But, nonetheless, going to class will bring me a future in medicine, so if that's what it takes, I'll continue to go.
My hubby, Mike, has been growing a beard for the last two weeks since his soul has become crumpled from his job. Working with (or should I say "babysitting") rebellious teenagers all-day-every-day tends to take its toll. His beard has been a valiant attempt, but it still looks like a chicken that has only been half-plucked of its feathers. Not to mention the exfolliation I get every time I nuzzle up next to him (ouch!).
On the brighter side of things, we love a man named John Ravarino. Bless him and his posterity for giving us a bountiful tax return! We are forever indebted unto him.

10 Months & Going Strong!!!

2008-01-16T18:34:00.000-08:00

View from the front door. Check out our hot mirror.

Our beautiful living room!

The freezing cold weather in Utah...

Mike and I have officially been married for 10 months now. Just a few more to go and we've hit our anniversary for the first time. An update on us:
Mike is taking a semester off at BYU to de-stress and refresh himself. He is continuing to work for the school district with the troubled kids. It's been a lot of work and stressful at times, but he continues to be patient and a great help to the kids in the class. His presence keeps the program running. He also plays ward basketball to keep up his amazing skills and has been enjoying our Projector/Sound System we got for Christmas.
I am currently in the nursing program at UVSC. In 4 semesters I'll have my RN license. Mike and I have moved into the little house that Matt and Leigh lived in. It's been a lot of work to move in, but we've survived. Our favorite thing about living in our own home is we can be as loud as we want, without having to worry about the "neighbors upstairs." We also love the pink leather sectional in the living room. We call it the "Flesh Couch" (Matt and Leigh really named it). Life has been full of blessings for us. We love life, our families, and of course, being married.

House centipedes (aka "Daddy long-leg centipede alien bugs!")

2007-09-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

Mike and I are still new at this blog stuff. But, life is good for us. We love being married and have so much fun together. We also love our little basement apartment we live in, even though it is infested with spiders and house centipedes. Mike has taught me to remember to scream, "Bug!" when I see one instead of just scream (sometimes he's left trying to figure out what I'm screaming at, and that can make his imagination wander too). Luckilly our house got sprayed so we've been okay for the time being. I'm getting better at facing my fears though.
Since we're the typical poor newly wed couple, we go on fun and cheap dates. Last night, Mike and I went to feed some ducks on the Provo River trail. We only had two pieces of bread, but the ducks didn't seem to mind. They got really close to us too. Our other dates consist of us driving to Cedar Hills to my dad's. We "rent" movies from him to save money and switch them out each time we visit. We also watch "The Office" with them, since it is our favorite TV show (and we don't have TV).
Other than our fun dates, Mike and I have been very busy with work and school. Mike works full time at Dixon and goes to BYU full time too. I've been going to school at UVSC and am in the process of applying to the nursing program. I work at an LTAC hospital PRN and work part-time at an apartment complex called Carriage Cove. (Honestly it's the easiest job I've ever had. I get paid to eat treats, answer the phone, and watch TV, along with a bit of other trivial tasks). But life is great for us. We're going on 6 months of marriage (almost 7) and are still going strong!!

Trying to Blog

2007-06-29T23:03:00.000-07:00

The cold, but wonderful day in March.

Bridal shot.

I have 5 way good girl friends that all got married in 2007. Four of them are here in the pic with me. Paige, who was first to get married (February), was gone with her honey in California at another reception, so she wasn't in the photo. I was next (March), then Crystal (April), Jessica (August), Kimmy (August), and finally Nikki (September). It was a great year full of tons of bridal showers and fun!

A beautiful picture of the newlywed lovebirds!

We thought that we would also give this online thing a shot. Our lives our bland compared to most, but it's all we got! We started our lives together on March 10, 2007 in the Provo, Utah temple. We are the typical "still on our honeymoon" couple, living life on cloud nine.