We're back!

I have been catching a lot of flack for my lack of updates! I am sure most of you know Lauren and Elizabeth were born on June 2, 2009. They are 4 weeks old today. Elizabeth was born at 3:29pm. She was 18 inches and 7 lbs. 12 ozs. Lizzy had to stay in the NICU for a day because they wanted to monitor her breathing. She looked like a toddler compared to the other babies in the NICU. Lauren was born at 3:48pm. She was 19.5 inches and 7 lbs. 8 ozs. She went to the NICU for a couple of hours for observation and then got to stay with us after that. The first month has been interesting! They seem to switch personalities on a daily basis. It is crazy. One day, Lauren is fussy and the next Lizzy takes the reins! They are adjusting to their schedule and are great babies.... most of the time! :) Kara loves being a big sister. She calls them 'her babies'! She has meltdowns now and then (what 2 year old doesn't!), but overall she is excited. She tells us that she is excited to teach them to crawl and talk! I personally want to enjoy the baby stage. They grow up so quickly.

Kara starts gymnastics in two weeks and she has her tonsil surgery in 3 weeks. I will be headed back to work (summer practice and camp!) in a few weeks as well. Next week, Jason will be out of town on business. It should be an interesting week.

Here are some pics.....

Elizabeth and Lauren back together after Lizzy's stay in the NICU.

Big sister Kara!

Elizabeth Ann LaBorde

Lauren Nicole LaBorde

Update and putting together the play park!

Well, no change from last week. For a minute, we thought Lauren flipped! It was crazy. Her heartbeat seemed to be registering at my belly button and her hiccups looked like they were at my ribs! Dr. Laden sent me to the ultrasound room to double check and they are both still head down. It doesn't really matter except for delivery. Anyway, the induction is scheduled for June 2nd. We have no idea how long the labor will be, so we are going to go at this one alone. With all the craziness of two births, we want to make sure I can be focused on the job ahead! Don't worry, we will call EVERYONE when they arrive. Knowing these two stubborn little girls, it may be another long day... and night! If you don't remember, Jason's dad made it in from Reno with 5 hours to spare with Kara. Our babies tend to put off entering the world as long as possible.

This past weekend Jason and Jim put together Kara's play park. That is Kara's term for a swing set. It took forever, but it is well constructed. It was definitely a labor of love! Check out the pics! I am also posting the BIG (and I mean BIG) 37 week picture.

Weekly update!

Well... everything went great at the doctor's appointment today. Lauren is estimated to weigh 6 lbs. 13 ozs. and Elizabeth is estimated to weigh 6 lbs. 14 ozs. They are both looking great... but it is getting to be a tight squeeze in there! Dr. Laden said I am 40% effaced and around 2 cm dialated! This is exciting because I was not dialated at all with Kara even when my water broke. On the other hand, I could walk around for weeks at a 2 and still not go into labor! I will be induced on June 2nd if the girls have not arrived by then. So... 12 days or less! I am going to continue working, walking, swimming, eating mexican food, etc and hope they come soon! My next appointment is Tuesday... but maybe we will have babies before then! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend!

June....????

Back from the doctor...again! Last night I was having contractions for a couple of hours, but they went away when I went to sleep. I had another NST this morning. Looks like the girls are just happy where they are! I am measuring 40 weeks even though I am only 35 weeks. That is normal for twins, but you can imagine how huge my belly is at this point. People are starting to stare! It is actually funny. So I guess the girls will probably wait until June to arrive. I have another appointment next Thursday. If they have not moved down at all, I may start doing jumping jacks! :)
I hope everyone is doing well! Have a wonderful week.

Another week almost done!

This week has been crazy! Jason had OTC (offshore technology conference) for work. He had to be at the conference every day and then he had business dinners, etc at night. Tuesday I took Kara to the ENT doctor. She has to have surgery this summer to remove her tonsils! Jason and I knew that would be the case, but when a doctor tells you a baby will have to be in the hospital overnight for observation, it is a scary feeling. Then I dropped Kara off at Mimi's house and headed to my doctor appointment.


I had another NST (non-stress test). These are normally no big deal, but of course Lauren did not want to cooperate. Elizabeth's portion of the test lasted about 15-20 minutes.... Lauren's lasted an hour and a half! She is fine, but every time the readings would be almost done, so would move and the heart rate would not register. The nurse would have to move the monitor and find her heartbeat and then start over. So... I was laying on this horrible chair for about 2 hours. I have never understood people who have anxiety attacks until the end of that test! I felt like I was trapped. I was sweating and sick to my stomach. It was crazy! The nurse was fanning me and had to get me a cold glass of water to help me make it through. I surely did not want to move and mess up the reading. Anyway, everything is great with the girls and I felt better as soon as I was able to move around.


We host the recital tomorrow. It will be a long day, but Mother's Day should be relaxing! I am going to try to work half days next week and then take off! If I make it through May 15th at work, I think that will be enough. After the 15th, I will be praying for the girls to hurry up and get here!! Thank you for all of the prayers and well wishes. Jason and I feel so blessed to have made it this far. I can't wait to post pictures of our little sweet peas! Have a great weekend and a wonderful Mother's Day!

Our family picture at the dance team banquet! Kara looks so big! She is growing up so quickly.

Almost time!

I have been waiting to find out my fFN results before posting.... well.... the test was negative! Yeah! This means we should get to 35 weeks! Once we get to that point, I may be praying to go into labor. This was a big doctor's appointment. We had another ultrasound. They are estimating that Lauren weighs 5 lbs 4 ozs and that Elizabeth weighs 4 lbs 15 ozs! That means they are almost a pound ahead of schedule. I really think I was made to have fat babies... not that that is a bad thing. Anyway, you couldn't tell much on the ultrasound because they are all smushed together, but they looked healthy and happy. You can tell they both have hair. Especially Elizabeth, she looks like Elvis! It looked like white fuzz sticking out at least an inch from her head. After the ultrasound, I had my actual appointment with Dr. Laden. She said she will not let me go past 38 weeks which would be June 3rd. Even though that is only 5 weeks away, it seems like forever! Then in the next breath, she said that if I went into labor next week, she would not stop it. 5 weeks is a little too long, but next week is too close! She is going out of town for two weeks, so she wanted to do the fFN for her piece of mind and mine. I am so glad it is negative. If this crazy swine flu will stay away from Magnolia, I will be completely done with my drill team commitments for the year in two weeks. It would be so nice to finish up everything at work and then be able to relax and just take care of my girls. I did officially start working half days. It is hard for me to make it for long periods of time sitting or standing, so I am only allowed to work 4-5 hours a day. I still check emails and get things done at home, but it is so nice to work from the couch in my pjs!!

I am posting a picture.... ugh.... I feel like a tank, but everyone has been asking to see a picture. Here goes nothing. This is what 33 weeks with twins looks like!!

Here is a picture of the awesome rainbow after the huge storms on Monday! The pictures really do not give it justice!!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Another week....:)

My doctor's appointment went well yesterday. I had a non-stress test which is basically a way to monitor the babies' heartrates and movements. They told me to be prepared to stay a while, but it did not take much time at all. The nurse said the girls were both happy and healthy according to the readings and so it only took about 30 minutes for both girls to be tested. Dr. Laden said everything is still looking great. Another week without having to take the fFN test because of the good report! Next Tuesday, I will have an ultrasound. I can't wait to see the girls and to hear about their estimated size. I have a feeling they are packing on the pounds. It seems like my belly gets bigger every day! Keep up the praying!! Praise God that the girls are staying inside!
This week is the last week of practicing every day after school! Starting next week, I only have to stay after two days a week! Hopefully, I can make it through a few more weeks of working and then take off and have these babies!! Technically they will be full term in a month.
Jason and I promised to pull out the baby pool for Kara this weekend. I will try to get some good pictures and post them next week. I hope everyone has a safe weekend!

Gold Star!!

Just an update on the last week! It has been busy. Easter weekend was a lot of fun for Kara! She got to visit family and hunt for Easter eggs. She also got to use glue for her project at church. This was a bigger deal than the actual final product. After a weekend of eating good food and chocolate, we needed a vacation. No time for that... Monday started another week for us. On Tuesday, I had a doctor's appointment. Dr. Laden said I was going so well that I did not have to take another fFN test! She gave me a gold star for doing so well! I did not have an ultrasound, so I do not have any size updates, but by the size of my belly I can assure you they are growing. I will start going to the doctor every week now. At my appointment next week, they will do a non-stress test (NST). During this test, they will place a belt around my belly and monitor the heart rate,etc. They will actually perform the test twice... one for each baby! Dr. Laden said it is just another way to monitor their progress and make sure everything is okay. Please keep the prayers going! God has blessed us tremendously by letting the girls stay put for this long! I am 31 weeks and full term for twins is 37 weeks. 6 more weeks is really not that far away!!!

Update....

I went to the doctor today. The ultrasound turned out great. Lauren is estimated to weigh 3lbs 2 ozs and Elizabeth weighs approximately 3 lbs. They are measuring a week ahead of me, so that is good news. Their fluid levels, heart rates, and movement are great! The last fFN test was negative, so I should make it until Easter at least! My next appointment is in two weeks. I will have another fFN test, so pray that it is negative as well!! They say 37 weeks is full term for twins, so only 8 weeks to go. Sometimes it seems like I have been pregnant forever, but other times it seems like it has gone by so fast. I am so excited the girls have made it this far. Each day they stay put is such a blessing. Please continue to pray that the girls stay inside for as long as possible. Jason and I are really praying that we can take our little pumkins home with us after they are born. I can't imagine going home without our new little bundles. Have a great week!

Spring Break Fun...

Spring break has been fun, but it was so busy! Monday, I organized the nursery. It is not completely done, but it is getting there. Tuesday, Kara and I cleaned house and then she had her picture taken for the last time by herself. Mom and Dillon went with us so Dillon could have his birthday dinner. He picked Cheesecake Factory-of course!- and we ate too much food!! Wednesday, I went to the doctor. Everything seems to be fine! I had that super cool test, but I called Friday and the lab lost the test. As a result, I have to go back to redo the test. Nice... oh well. It happens. Wednesday night was a big first for Kara. She had her first sleepover with her best friend Carly! We all ate dinner, played outside, and watched Lion King. The girls took their baths, put on their pjs and cuddled up for bed. Kara told us it was okay to go! She is getting to be such a big girl. The next morning, the girls got donuts and Jason picked up Kara. That day, Dad, Bobbie, Mary and Raymond came over to hang out. Raymond grilled so Jason got to watch the Aggies win their basketball game! Friday, Kara and I had our hair trimmed. Kara did a great job. She sat in the chair next to me while I had mine cut and then she jumped up in the big chair and sat down for her turn. They curled her hair with a curling iron. She had ringlets all over her head! It was too cute. Friday afternoon, we all headed to Katy for a little crawfish party. Jason cannot pass up a chance to eat crawfish! Kara played with baby Morgan and Laura and I got to visit. Today, Jason is playing golf with the guys.

Kara in her new booster seat. We have to switch to booster seats so the car seats will fit!

Kara playing dress up and practicing her moves.

Our spring break is pretty much done. :( Oh well... back to work and all of that fun stuff. Only 10 weeks left until Summer! If I can work the next 7 weeks, I will be done with drill team stuff. We shall see! Have a great weekend....

Spring Break is finally here!

We had a busy week, but spring break is finally here! On Thursday, I picked up Kara so she could attend a shower the Fillies threw for me and the girls. I had just enough time to drive to Tomball, pick Kara up, and head back to school before my next class. Of course, when I have everything planned out... something happens! I was loading the car and my elbow must have hit the automatic locks. I never take my keys out of the car at my mom's house, so when I shut the door, I heard the horn honk. You know... the sound the car makes with the doors are all locked and the alarm is activated! It was a mess. At least Kara was not in the car. Thank God! So, I had to take my mom's car and drive to my house to pick up the extra set of keys. Did I mention that it was raining cats and dogs for the first time since IKE!! Oh well, we made it back to school (a few minutes late) and everything went well. Kara had a blast opening presents, eating sweets, and playing with Emma.

This week, we have big plans to rest and relax! Kara and I are going to have our hair trimmed, my dad and the whole crew are going to come for a visit, and I have a doctor's appointment. I will make sure to update Wednesday after my visit. I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Doctor Visit #50067

You are probably wondering about the title... it feels like I have been to the doctor a million times... thus the title!! Anyway, everything went well today. The girls are doing great. They are both currently weighing in at 1 pound 12 ounces, which is about 2 days ahead of schedule. I am measuring 29 weeks (even though I am only 25 weeks) which means I have plenty of room for the girls to grow according to Dr. Laden. It seems to me there is not much room for growth, but I guess they technically have plenty of room. They are both 'vertex' which means they are head down. Dr. Laden said they are smart babies for being head down. Kara was the same way! This means we have a better chance of having a regular birth. I go back in two weeks. At the next appointment, they will test for a protein or something that can predict if you will go into labor in the next two weeks. If it is not there, then we will have some peace of mind for two more weeks. From today, it looks like Lauren and Elizabeth want to stay inside a lot longer. This is such a blessing. I know there are a TON of people praying for the girls! Please continue to pray for their continued growth and progress. Also, please pray they stay inside my belly for a few more months.

Only a week and a half until Spring Break! Yippee!!

The BIG Reveal!

Okay... here are a couple of pictures of my BIG belly! Kara has learned her to say her sisters' names. Lauren is really clear, but Elizabeth sounds more like Elizabif. It is really cute. Tomorrow, Kara and I will be headed to a baby shower for the girls. I am excited to see everyone. I went to the mall today to get a new outfit.... I think it was my last trip to the mall. I am exhausted! I know that sounds pathetic, but these two little ones are getting heavy.

Tuesday is our next doctor appointment. I will make sure to let everyone know how it goes! I am praying the girls want to stay inside for at least 3 more months. I am also praying that bed rest is not on the horizon! I might drive everyone crazy if I get put on bed rest!

Kara likes to feel the babies kick!

Check out that big belly! Can you imagine what it will look like in a few months? Scary!

Here is one of Kara in her favorite sweatshirt and cool sunglasses!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Only two weeks until Spring Break! Yippee!

So much going on!

Well... I know we have not posted an update in a while! There has been SO much going on. First of all, we had another doctor appointment on Tuesday. Dr. Laden was happy with the twins' development, so my next appointment is not for 3 weeks! I feel like I am being rewarded for good behavior. :) Our ultrasound specialist, Roxanne, double checked to make sure they are really girls... of course they are still girls! We are actually excited about our clan of girls. I think we have even decided on names which is surprising. Lauren Nicole and Elizabeth Ann are the big selections. Kara has my middle name, Nicole is Stacy's middle name, and Ann is Cathy and my Aunt Teri's middle name. That way we are keeping it in the family without having a namesake or junior!

Things have been busy at work for Jason and me. Jason has been traveling at least once a month to Louisiana for business and I am in the middle of contest season. Jason has been serving as my unpaid assistant director! It has been a huge help and my girls act like Jason is their second dad! He records all of the dances and makes sure I am constantly drinking water. He has even coordinated with my Fillies dads to complete one of the many drill team projects needed for this year. I must say, Jason is quite the handy man!

Kara is growing like a weed! She is so tall and skinny. She is officially in big girl panties and doing very well. She has Elmo and Dora and Ariel. Each morning, Kara brushes her teeth and makes the big decision about which ones to choose. It may not sound like a big deal, but to her it is the highlight of the day. Strange to think that she is growing up so fast. We are really trying to enjoy our last few months of having an only child before the choas begins. She talks about her 'sisters' all the time. She will even show you how they feel when they kick. (By the way, they kick ALL the time!) She kisses my belly and checks my belly button to make sure it is closed. When she finds it closed, she proclaims they are still growing and need to stay longer! Oh..the things kids say and imagine. I am including a picture of Kara and Jason 'jamming'! Kara thinks she is really a rock star when they play guitar hero.

I hope everyone has a great week. Maybe I will muster up the courage to take a pic of my big belly to post. It is really getting out there....

Amanda

Two more girls!!

Well, Jason and I found out we are having twin girls on Tuesday. Of course, we are excited about our clan of girls! We are also happy to report that both babies are doing great. Dr. Laden came in after the ultrasound and said she had good news. The girls are both 'average' sized. This is important because Kara was over 10 pounds, and the concept of 10 pound twins is downright scary! However, after checking Kara's chart, the news was not as good. It seems Kara was 'average' sized at 20 weeks too! We will be going back in two weeks to check on the girls and make sure I am not overdoing it during contest season. Hopefully, they will continue to grow and stay healthy... just not too big. Well, Jason's life will always be surrounded with pink and dancing and boys chasing his little girls! We will be starting a prom dress and wedding fund shortly!

Christmas Pics

I finally got around to downloading a ton of pictures from Christmas. Kara had a wonderful Christmas. She still asks to watch 'The Grinch' and 'Rudolph'. She also talks a lot about Baby Jesus. "Elfy", her Elf on the Shelf, sat right next to her nativity. Every night she would blow a kiss to Baby Jesus and Elfy.

Here is a picture of Kara's present from Santa- PINK COOKIES! Handmade by Santa! :) I can't wait until she is asking for iPods and a laptop... I am going to remind her how sweet and innocent her requests were at 2!

Kara also got her own twins! We had already planned to get her a baby, but when we found out about having twins, we decided to get her the Bitty Twins. She named them Brother and Sister. She is obsessed with changing their diapers, feeding them, and putting them to sleep. I hope she is this excited about the real babies. I think she will be a great big sister.

Another Christmas Pic! Kara is playing with her Dora bubbles.

Well, competition season is about to start and I am sure Jason will have to travel a little for work. It will be a busy Spring with all this and preparing for the twins. Please keep praying for the babies! We are really hoping and praying for a healthy-and LONG- pregnancy! We will post more about the little ones after our next doctors appointment.

Have a blessed week!

Welcome to our new blog!

Welcome to our new blog! We wanted to make sure everyone is up to date on what is happening with our little family. First of all, our 'little' family will be growing this summer! The LaBorde twins (I know it is scary to think of two LaBordes arriving at once!) will be here sometime in late May or early June. We have our big 20 week appointment on the 27th. Trust me... we are anxious to find out what we are having. I think we are secretly rooting for two boys...which probably means we are destined to have two girls! I think Jason may have to go on a golf weekend trip if that is the case. Anyway, we will try to keep our blog updated with news and pictures. Hopefully, this will be a great resource for our family and friends who live far away!