Baby Update
Dakota and Brooke and doing well. We are currently having an issue of Dakota acting like she is hungry all night. I gave her a bottle at 5 am this morning then let her nurse and she slept 4 hours. Dakota now weights 5.5 lbs and Brooke weights 5 lbs. that is up 13 oz from the weight check 3 days prior. They go back to the doctor in a week for the 1 month check up next week.

It is hard to believe that they are almost a month old. Looking at the calender had I not delivered on my own this would have been the weekend that I would have been induced and able to bring my girls home.

Dakota is a solid child - chubby chubby. I can tell the difference in the girls in just their weight. Brooke is more petite but is so observant and loves to look around!

Their first bath was a little hetic - they do not like to be cold. Now, their first shower was much more calm for both me and them. I took each baby to the shower with me and they just loved it. Matt had to do the dressing and the calming of the other one and they were not so happy about being out of the warmth!

Yesterday I posted a slide show of the babies - enjoy!

I got to Stamp!!

Yesterday I sat down to make Matt an anniversary card for today! It wasn't my best first attempt but he seemed to like the card! We have been married 5 years today!

This card is a 5x5 card. I used the Mr&Mrs set from Inkadinkados that I found at the Flower Factory. I used my cuttlebug to emboss the vellum and used some mono adheasive to mount to the card. It is a pretty simple card - I try not to over to cards for Matt as he always tells me I put way too much time into these cards.

Since I do not have 5x5 envelopes I told a regular 5x7 envelope after seeing a tutorial here - where I used my cuttlebug to punch hearts out of the envelope and the insterted a pieces of colored paper to seal off part of the envelope so that my card would fit nicely on one side. I think I like this better then trying to figure out how to make the envelope myself. Below is a photo of the card and envelope together:

Here are some recent photos of the girls - the babies - they are ever changing!

Great Frist Night Home
It is amazing how the night went last night. I think being the 3rd pregnancy I finally learned to take it easy. I didn't have 5 million things that I felt that I had to get done when I got home. I just relaxed and nursed my girls. When Madelyn was born I knew I was started classes the following week and had a lot to do. When Grace was born we knew we had to be out of our apartment in 30 days and move into our house. With Brooke and Dakota I just have to get my taxes done. And they will get done.

Last night I did their 7-8 feeding and then just crashed. Woke up around 11 to Brooke stirring so I got her up fed/changed her and she was out! Then it was Dakota's turn. At 3 am Brooke had started to stir so I got her up and did the routine all over again. Matt got up with Dakota to help wake her a little so that it would not take me so long. Then I was back to bed again until about 7 am. It really was not bad at all. I figured the first night home with them would be rough but the only issues I had was that my tailbone started to hurt and I am producing way more milk than the girls are drinking so engorgement was a little issue. My milk is fully in now at this point and we are doing well (minus the tailbone being sore).

I am spending the day in bed with Grace playing games and watching cartoons! That way I can get rid of the aches from delivery - my pelivs and ribs were so spread that they ache while trying to realign.

As promised here are a few more photos:

This is Brooke (top) and Dakota (bottom) while in the Nursery

Madelyn holding Dakota - Brooke was still being watched closely and only Matt and I really got to hold her.

Dakota Mae Carver - finally released from Nursery Prison.

Dakota's Close Up!

Brooke holding her Binki

My 4 Girls - Grace has Dakota - Madelyn has Brooke

The Fire Dept Sign - Thanks Chrissy and Kailey!

More photos and videos posted here and here!

The Babies are here!!

They were born Saturday the 28th at 10:32 and 10:37 am. My water broke here at the house at 8 and by the time I got to the hospital I was 7 cm dialiated.

The labor was pretty tolerable -no real pain until it was time for the epidural and at that point I wanted to push. I don't think I would have asked for one had it not been required. I pushed 5 times to get out both girls. 4 for Dakota and 1 for Brooke. Brooke was born breech (feet first) and came out peeing on the doctor.

My doctor walked in the room at pushing time with half a haircut - Matt barely made it. He was at work - I called him and he was a ways out on a route - he walked in right as the epidural was being put in.

I had a minor bleeding issue after delivery because my uterus was so huge. I had lost a lot of blood as was encourged to sleep/eat as much as possible in the first 24 hours. I was told when I got there that there was a 20% chance that these babies would be transported to another hospital. They did not. Each challenge the faced they passed with fying colors. I am so glad things went as well as it did. Dakota was kept in the nursery until 6pm and then was removed from IV and released to be with me. Brooke was kept in the nursery until the following morning and then was removed from her IV around 9am on Sunday. It looked like Dakota was stealing nutrients from Brooke so it was good that I delivered when I did. They did not need any oxygen and the biggest thing left for them was to eat - both nursed very well and still doing well at that.

Dakota Mae Carver was born at 10:32 am 5lbs 6.6oz 19inches (left)
Brooke Lynn Carver was born at 10:27 am 5 lbs 2.4oz 18.5 inches (right)

Here is a photo of the girls - I will post more soon!