Introducing our new babies

 (Left) Bryson Woodruff Cutler

5# 10.8 oz 

19 1/4 in

1:54 pm

10-21-14

(Right) Quinn Woodruff Cutler

6# 2 oz

19 3/4 in

2:01 pm

10-21-14

We are all doing perfect! Since the boys were born at 35 weeks and 6 days, they were technically 1 day short of that "full term" 36 weeks and had to go to the NICU to be monitored. While being at the NICU they were under the microscope which made us stay longer than the average time sadly. 11 days later we have finally made it home! 

Questions to be answered:

Although the picture above might lead you to believe I had a C-section, I did not, thank goodness, and have recovered from birth and delivery amazing quickly this time around. (In this picture above I am holding Bryson and Casey Quinn.)

Yes, the boys are identical! I just found out today actually! I get asked a lot already if I can/how I can tell them apart. Face wise I do think they look different, Quinn has a tiny bit of a rounder face and just seems like different features than Bryson. BUUUUUUUT the number one way to tell them apart, drum roll………………………………..Bryson has a freckle/dot under the left eye! You can see it in the top picture, it's our saving grace. In all pictures you can always see one of the left sides of the boys so we can already tell the different between them in pics. 

My mom arrived when they were 3 days old and stays for a total of 2 1/2 weeks. We'd be drowning without her. When se leaves, Casey's mom comes in the next day. We appreciate all the help we are getting so very much!

Maxson has done so wonderful thus far with the babies. He was SO excited for them to come home. "Babies" is definitely the hot word at our house. He didn't mind one bit that I was gone for so long at the NICU.

Birth story later. I have a bunch of stuff written in Word docs but I didn't have internet while at the NICU so have been unable to to blog. Hopefully I can soon!

Home video July-Sept 2014

Here's some recent videos of our lives of summer and fall!

We love watching these videos, especially Maxson, they are some of his favorites! Our favorite part is Maxson's laughing right before 7 minutes. We love that little boy!

ps- happy birthday Scotty!

This and that from last week

We went to see Meet the Mormons on opening weekend! It was only showing in Omaha (an hour away) so we were trying our hardest to figure out how to make it work with Maxson and sitters, and timing and wanting to go to Costco. In the end we decided the best option was to bring Maxson to the movie with us. Ha, I thought we were so totally crazy but it kinda was our only option. 

 Bringing Maxson actually ended up being just fine. Max loved the previews, ha, and was wowed by such a huge screen. We had a coupon for $1 large popcorn so Casey felt like he just had to get the drink too, which did end up being tasty (side note on the drink- we have soap by our kitchen sink that I thought smelled EXACTLY like Dr. Pepper and every time I used it I had this sudden craving for Dr. Pepper. But I don't drink soda, so it was rely strange. Well I kept telling Casey this and one day he went and bought Dr. Pepper "for himself/me" ha. I ended up trying it and it was awful. It was just too carbonated and not what I had imagined and hoped it to be. Well Casey happened to get Mr. Pibb here at the movie, I tasted it because I was thirsty and THAT WAS THE TASTE! That's what I imagined the soap to taste like! So I was very pleased with this Mr. Pibb choice but I remind you, I don't drink soda usually ever so this was so weird!) The popcorn and drink kept Maxson entertained for a long time and once he lost interest in that and began making loud "mama dada" noises we brought out the iPad and he played games and watched clips of some movies for the next 50 minutes ha. So it worked out fabulous! (We sat in the highest upper left corner so the iPad screen wouldn't bother anyone).

 It was a win for everyone. We all enjoyed our experience of the movie and Casey and I very much enjoyed the movie overall! Go see it if you get the chance, it's worth it!

 Just stacking blocks, ya know...

 There's constantly tractors working around the corner from our house and we hear them almost every morning. Well every morning for the past month Maxson asks to go watch the tractors. First we'd walk over to the tractors. Then we transitioned to driving to the parking lot by the tractors, getting out of the car to go watch the tractors. Now we just drive to where the tractors are, park illegally, and watch the tractors while staying in the car (this was before bed rest began ha).

 One of the reasons I really wanted to get out of the hospital was so I could go home and get my pedicure! I had originally set a goal for myself that at 36 weeks I could go get my pedicure. Then I changed it to 34 once I found out that the average for twins to arrive is 36 weeks, so I wanted to be safe. Well 34 weeks came and went and we just never got around to it. As we were in the hospital at 35 weeks I was kicking myself for not getting my pedicure before! Grr! And at the beginning of the week Casey and I had planned to get our pedicures for Friday (the next day). So we went through our plans and got our pedicures n Friday! It was great. They felt wonderful. (yes Casey got one too, because remember, he likes pedicures:)

 Blue for my boys! Not my typical color, but Casey liked it lots so I went with it :)

These are two of my happiest moments on my first full day of bed rest

a. This beautiful fall tree down the street, it's just so big and so beautiful.

b. A surprise package from a friend: A huge diaper box, oreos, and nursing pads. Best surprise ever!

 Casey's Elder's Quorum had their shotgun shooting activity right when we got back from the hospital. Although he's in charge of it he wasn't going to go because, well I need him home when at all possible to help with Max. But my sweet friend, Kylie, offered to help take care of Max so Casey could go. We were all happy he was able to go and have fun and I was so very grateful for my friend!

 Casey got home from school Friday and I begged him to take Maxson somewhere to play and burn some energy. He sent me pictures all afternoon of them at the park, the library, and out to lunch together. I think they had a wonderful father son bonding afternoon :)

 More little snippets of the days :)

35 weeks and still pregnant!

Shocking. I'm truly surprised my body hasn't been like "Ok, this is getting ridiculous, let's shut this down" because that's kinda where I am mentally.

We had a few hours in the hospital last week.

We had a few hours of real contractions going on.

We got pedicures.

But we've gotten those babies to stay in!

I've decided it would be most comfortable to have a heating pad on my back and an ice pack on my belly at all times. Those two combos would feel great.

We had to turn the heater on the other night to keep Maxson and his room warm enough. In our room we had the fan blowing straight on me all night, the heating vent closed as much as possible, Casey huddled under the large comforter and myself sleeping without even the sheets atop me. Seriously I'm always HOTT.

Bed rest has begun. I can tell how it's actually already helped my body surprisingly. My body isn't physically as tired each night, my back doesn't KILL, I have less contractions, bed rest works my friends.

You guys, this picture is ridiculous. I remember feeling SO LARGE and uncomfortable in this first picture while pregnant with Maxson. I look at that belly and think "Holy crap, I was so small!!!" ha what a difference!

and a funny picture of Maxson :)

In Denial

SOOOOOOOOOOOOO,

We had a doctor's appt on Thursday. Did the ultrasound first and everything looked great. Baby A was head down and Baby B was slightly transverse but easily favorable to become head down. Everything looked great on me and them. The doctor (not my normal Dr, she's out of town) came in and we chatted about delivery and options and things to watch out for all was well. Since I did actually call her Tuesday night (I was consistently having painful contractions for 2 hours about 6 minutes apart, it seemed kinda real at the time- we waited it out and they went away) she checked to see if/how far I was dilated. I was/am at a 3. So she was just sure I'd come into the hospital that weekend while she was on call ha. I reassured her I wouldn't and would be keeping these babies in a tad longer.

The sonographer and doctor left and the nurse came into do my blood pressure. She didn't say anything and began walking out of the room after taking my blood pressure. I immediately asked her what it was (I do that to every nurse because no on tells me what it is themselves and that was the reason they induced me with Maxson) she said some crazy high number like 150/90 something in those number ranges I believe (140/90 is the cut off for "healthy")

I was stunned.

WHAT?

No.

Last week was 110/60 or 70 something. Why in the heck would it just spike. I was sure she needed to check it again.

She didn't (she's not my favorite nurse). I laid down and a couple minutes later the doctor came in to double check it. It was a tad lower but still high. So she said off to the hospital you go to get monitored. She said often times the blood pressure goes down and people get to go home and I was right along side her saying heck ya I'm gonna go home, there's no way I'm having these babies already!

Thinking about it now I did begin swelling up a little/retaining water around Tuesday so I shouldn't have been surprised my blood pressure was…but I still was.

So to the hospital we went. Casey had to cancel his afternoon dental patient (it would be his first root canal! darn, ha). My lovely friends bounced Maxson around between them. And for the next 4 or so hours we hung out in the hospital. They did blood samples (all came back perfectly normal), urine sample (A-OK) and blood pressure checks every 15 minutes. Those hospital grade blood pressure monitors are of the DEVIL. They squeeze the living daylights out of your arm and I literally feel like I am getting my arm cut off!!!!! I think that thing makes my blood pressure higher, I did have to take my ring off that hand.

Casey was beginning to mentally except that we could be having the babies today/tomorrow. But I just kept thinking and saying "No. There is no way we're having them today. It's too early. My doctor is not here. I am not going to have them today. We are going home." I was so surprised he was ok with having them already, ha. On the other hand I think it was just a couple days prior that I said out loud to Casey "I think it would be easier to have them out now and not be pregnant and deal with the NICU than continue like this" but now that I was actually in the situation of it maybe  happening I was like HECK NO!!!!!!!!

Well we were lucky enough to have one of the absolute coolest nurses around. Jaime. We absolutely loved her guts, she was funny and easy going and straight forward and a teensy bit sarcastic. We were just so happy to have her. She assured me she'd get my blood pressure down so I could go home. And she was right!

After a few hours of monitoring and a second opinion from the perinatal specialist, I was released to go home. My blood pressure never went back down to "normal" it kinda stayed in the higher range but it was right there under the cut off so I was good to go!

I was so so so very happy.

So I've been sent home on modified bed rest meaning I can still function and do things as needed (bathroom/food) but if at all possible stay sitting and lay low. I also interpret that as if there's book club, a baby shower etc to go to I can do that since I'll be sitting the whole time anyways, ha.

I just want to make it a little longer, I want to get past the NICU and have them come out as big and healthy as possible (they were measuring around 5#11oz and 5#12oz on Thursday, good boys! [I also can't believe there's almost 12 pounds of baby inside me already, ha]) and come home with me and stay in our hospital room and have a good beginning nursing experience. All hopes, I know, but I am definitely hoping badly for all good things with these twins.

Pictures of the days activity (ya know, in case it really WAS the day)

a. A very unflattering phone picture of my belly size

b. Anti-climatically waiting for the nurse to come take us to our room. It took forever

 a. Casey left for awhile to go visit Maxson and get my hospital bag and I was so borrrrrrred

b. Casey and Maxson's lunch at home

 Maxson wasn't going down for a nap so Casey brought him to come visit because we thought we were going home soon (I don't think I actually went home for at least another hour or more). The 30 minutes Maxson hung out with me was fun and at the same time exhausting on Casey's end because Max wanted to touch EVERYTHING. SO they went home pretty soon after arriving where Max fell asleep in the car. And then as soon as Casey put him down they said they were discharging me and Casey had to immediately come back.

 View from our room. Fall is here in Lincoln and so beautiful.

 Once home this was how I began my bed rest. Pushing Maxson on the swing while I sat in my chair. 

Friends have been so incredible in response to my bed rest, I am completely humbled by their generosity. Offering to bring in meals, come help with Maxson, help clean. They've just been so great. The past few weeks people have been offering to help with Maxson but I've kind of turned it down knowing there might be a chance in the near future I'd truly need their help because of early delivery of the babies or bed rest. So now that I truly need their help I'm so incredibly grateful for it. How lucky I am to be blessed with wonderful friends and neighbors (and a child who willing and excitedly goes to anyone's house).

Of course I'd like to make it as long as possible with these babies in, 37 weeks would be ideal since that's "full term" of a singleton baby but just 36 would be great (which is Wednesday), and beyond that I'd just really like my doctor there which is Monday. We shall see what happens!!!!!!

Father's and Sons campout

Again, since this was technically Casey's activity, I convinced him to write about it! So another guest post from Casey!

I was excited to take Max on this campout since he kind of understands what it is this year. Here are some pictures of the tent setup and basically Max getting into mischief. He kept running away to all the scouts that were camping at the same site, but not with our group. He kept wanting to take their balls. Haha!

I was afraid that Max was going to be starved because he has been very picky lately with eating food. He loved the Chilli-cheese Brats that we ate so I was excited about that. I also, spoiled him by letting him have some Dr. Pepper. He really liked that and marshmallows and anything with sugar.

This is our little campsite and pictures of the cute baby boy. I love this boy! I'm gladly looking forward to taking him on many more of these events.

We took Cornhole with us and played it at night by lamplight, it was actually very awesome and fun. The kids that were still awake loved it. I love roasting marshmallows they are always so tasty.

So I have to tell a story, Max was a gem, he went to bed at like 830 and was just an angel. He fell asleep on my shoulder so I just put him to bed. At about 2 A.M I here a cry and he is standing up in his pack-and-play wanting to get out. I let him snuggle up to me on the ground for 30 minutes or so. He fell back to sleep for a few minutes than woke back up. He did this several times and I tried putting him back in his bed a couple times, but he kept just crying and was wide awake, he wanted to go outside. I thought in my head I am not dealing with this. So at like 3 in the morning I leave in the van and take him home. (20 minutes away so not a big deal). He went back to bed around 3:30. Me on the other hand, I was awake and could not fall asleep so I just stayed up for the rest of the morning because I knew I had to be back out at the camp ground at 8 A.M. for breakfast. It was a long morning, but still worth it. Max will get better and will learn to stay sleeping.

Picturas de iFono

Yesterday I asked the sister missionaries to come over to my house and help me with some deep (and not so deep) cleaning. Oh man, was I ever so grateful for them! A bunch of the little things I've wanted clean got done thanks to their help, they were such a blessing! You should have seen my huge to do list and they crossed off every single one, loved them!!! Beyond that, I'm actually having tons of contractions but hopefully that doesn't mean much!

a. Helping make popcorn

b. & c. We blew up the bounce house in the basement one day, it was hilarious. Good news, it will work for the winter down there!

d. Grocery shopping with dad leads to donuts at the store...

a. Came in to get Maxson from a nap one afternoon and found him like this…pulling the curtains open is his new favorite thing.

b.-d. Playing with our little friend Violet during the Women's Conference session.

a. Adorable boy

b. Pulling friends in the wagon

c. Apparently he knows what to do with a video game controller and the headphones…I wasn't amused nearly as much as Casey (cue head shaking)

d. Getting Halloween out!

a. Tractor watching (we almost do this everyday)

b. The tractor museum- so STOKED to get on one finally. He's obsessed with tractors.

c. Flat Stanley (more on him later) visited the tractor museum with us and CORN FIELDS!

a. The pull out bed was a hit for a good half hour

b. TWO adorable boys post church

c. Found Maxson after a nap with a shirt he had pulled out from his dirty clothes around his waist…really funny sight

d. Tractors...

a. Fall has arrived for sure!

b. Tractors…

c. Doodling

d. Fell asleep on the way to the grocery store, but the show had to go on. That 30 pounds of dead weight was probably much cuter to look at than to hold

a. One morning when Max woke up WAYYYYYY too early, I was desperate and let him watch Frozen on the iPad. You guys, I need my sleep these days ha.

b. Baby!

c. Hanging out in the car. He loved this activity. Always insisting on turning on the DVD player but it never works, I don't know why he continues to try, ha.

d. Watching Max and Casey play outside while I tried to nap.

a.-c. Cake and ice cream at a neighbor's birthday party

d. Getting ready for the babies!

a-b. Casey's on an intramural football team with a bunch of LDS dental and Law students, they all really enjoy it. They've only lost 1 game- the one all the wives came to watch, ha. It's funny because the whole team is much closer to their 30's and most the people they play are about 20, I just think it's funny

c. Proud wife and son even after a losing game (I did see his touchdown!)

d. Maxson was great at eating their post game snacks one of the wives brought, capri sons and cookies!!!

a. So my niece sent me Flat Stanley in them mail. They read a book about how Flat Stanley was squished by a bulletin board so his family would mail him to places he wanted to visit. So she mailed him to me and I showed him around Lincoln!

b. He went to the dental school and got a check up

c. He went to lots of playgrounds because Lincoln has the most amount of City parks/playgrounds in one city of the whole US

d. We were sad when we had to mail him back!

And there we are, all caught up on pictures! Next up: a new home video!

General Conference Oct 2014

Yesterday was one of those awful pregnancy days. The one I talked about in my 34 week post when I was 33 weeks, remember that? I woke up and just knew it was going to be an awful day. I felt way bigger and slower and uncomfortable than usual. I wanted to be  good mom to Max all day but I just physically couldn't. I mustered up the energy to take him in the car to watch the tractors around the corner from our house and organized the toys into 4 boxes instead of 3 for rotation. It'll be nice now that there will be less toys out at a time as well as now 4 different toys groups to rotate through instead of 3. After that I took a nap with Maxson, I don't remember the last time I missed a nap when Max is napping, it's kinda mandatory these days. I took a shower and made dinner and those last 2 items really killed me. These next 3 weeks are going to go soooooooo SLOWWWWWW. I'm really ready to be done now. I am 35 weeks today, whoopee!

Onto happier items thoughts and activities:

Oh how we loved General Conference this year! Every conference time is truly inspiring. It's never the same now that we have a little toddler running around but we try our hardest. During both morning sessions Maxson was awake and we tried our hardest to distract him and listen intently at the same time. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not. But both afternoon sessions we received a tender mercy and Maxson slept through most of those sessions. Oh how grateful we are to hear the prophet and his apostles' voices!

b. fruit necklace that I had prepared the day before was definitely a win. Kept him quiet for a whole talk or more!

a. During Priesthood session, a few girlfriends and their kids came over and hung out

d. After all the sessions were done on Sunday evening, we all played outside for a LONGGGGGGG time.

My favorite talk this year was "Rescue in Unity" by Elder Chi Hong (Sam) Wong. He outlined the story in the Bible about a man stricken with palsy in Mark 2:1-5. I was so touched how he brought such a new light to these 5 simple verses in the scriptures. I was inspired how he brought the scriptures to life and showed how every person in a ward has a purpose and can help and we all need each other to get things done; good things take work from everyone.

There were of course so many other wonderful talks I was filled with the spirit with while listening but I can't exactly remember them. I cannot wait to read through them again! You can read through/re-watch them here

Aspen Grove friends.

6 girls.

5 states.

3 kids.

3 fetuses.

1 new job.

1 new husband.

A lot changes when you haven't all talked in a year.

But even though we all haven't been together in 5 years, we can still talk and laugh for a good hour and a half on google hangout before the 3 hour time difference gets in the way of our fun. Wish we all lived closer. Love you ladies.

ps- one of these ladies is the brilliant creator of andyoverthinks.com.
Go take a looky for a good laugh, it's one of my faves

Getting pumped up for babies.

Have I ever mentioned how Maxson is OBSESSED with the home videos we make? Seriously, he pays more straight up attention to those than anything else in life. His eyes are glued. He laughs at silly things, he says "no no" on naughty moments or sad moments. His new thing is starting the throw a crying fit when it's time for the video-Maxson to go to sleep. Like tears you guys. He doesn't want it to end. It's super funny.

Well today we were looking at a picture of some babies online (Casey's cousin who had twins a little over a month ago!) and Maxson caught up a glimpse of them and wanted to see more and more! He really does love babies. So I pulled up the 2 videos of him when he's 2-3 months and 4-6 months and he was entranced. He snuggled so close to my face, he giggled at funny parts, he kept pointing and exclaiming "baby!" I kept trying to tell him those videos were of him when he was a baby but I highly doubt he got that. But oh man you guys, watching those videos got me SOOOOOOOOOO excited for these two little boys to come!!!!

Maxson 2-3 months from Kimber Cutler on Vimeo.

Maxson 4-6 months from Kimber Cutler on Vimeo.

At this stage with Maxson I just keep thinking how rather easy it is compared to times in the past: he helps get things for me, he wipes his hands off, he throws (with great force) his dishes in the sink, he opens and closes doors for me, he entertains himself a lot, he truly interacts with me and exchanges words and emotions, etc. It's just so much stinking fun.

And I've been comparing this to what it's like to have  new little baby. Don't get me wrong, I remember babies are cute and cuddly and squishable, but I also remember that they are a lot of work. So many more diaper changes, they want to be held a ton, sometimes they cry and you don't know why, they kinda just lay there for a long time, can't really entertain themselves, definitely no help in the cleaning up department, a little interaction but not interaction like a 2 year old, it's just different. But watching those videos got me SO PUMPED up to be having babies again. They're cute sweetness is overwhelming, watching them grow is incredible, they're so cuddly, they don't make mischief, they're just so sweet!!!! Ah, I cannot wait you guys!!!!

And continuing to watch Max interact with babies right now gets me really excited to be bringing monkeys home to him. We put the pack n play up in our room and other than the fact that he really wants to get in it, he loves to throw put his baby doll in it. Like I said in the videos, he loves to point at them and gets really excited when he sees babies in general. I'm a little worried about the over smothering part and the babies getting boring to him part and the mom is cuddling too much with them i'm jealous part. But eh, we'll deal with it when it comes.

Worms and other things

After a few days of a ton of rain the kids found that there were tons of worms in our playground area. They dug forever and were so happy when they found one (our little neighbor Julie was a great finder). I showed Max to put his hand out to let Julie give him the worm and the same hilarious thing happened over and over again. He'd immediately drop it and at the same time they ALL would start screaming and laughing. It really was so darn funny (to me at least). There's a video of it on instagram and I just love it.

 My sweet friend Valerie threw me a diaper shower last weekend! So kind of everyone to come. We're going to go through diapers SOO fast over here. There were delicious donuts all around (one of my favesthis pregnancy), apples with amazing dip, and the more incredible homemade hot chocolate. Thank you again friends!

 Four of us are pregnant right now, all due within like 2 months of each other. I throw off the balance of that statement a little bit I feel like…kind of embarrassing to look at this picture, ha.

 Came home from a photo shoot one night to see these 3 dads taking their 3 littles on a walk (with a slide in hand) to the school across the street to have more room to drive their (really cool) remote control cars. It was just too cute.

 Max literally always RUNS to his little trike as soon as the back door opens. Pretty cute.

 And then there's my cute husband. Love this guy