Charyse and Bryken

October 1st. 37 weeks and 2 days pregnant

We went into our appointment hopeful, but more expecting it to be another week or so until our babes would arrive. To our surprised we found out I was already at a 4-5 with a bulging bag, Half way there?! What the heck? That was the most exciting news ever.

We were extactic, thinking there was a possibility that we would have our two babies TODAY. A few hours later I started having real contractions, not just braxton hicks. Nog wanted to stay home with me but I told him to just continue his day like normal and I would call him if they got any stronger. He was so cute! My sister Laree and I went to the mall with all 7 kids and began to walk. Not much happened there but I'm sure it helped and I was too excited I didn't want to just sit at home. After, Kolli and I came home, took our daily nap. (Yep, I took a nap every single day the last couple months while Kolli took hers, it was quite amazing.)

I wanted my mama to be here for this birth so bad. When I called her after my appointment and told her what was going on she said she would get on the first flight she could. I love that lady! She got here at 3pm just as my contractions had picked up it was amazing how it all worked out. Nog came home from work and Laree came over too. At about 4pm they picked up even more, they were coming on about every 4 minutes. My mom kept telling me to hurry and finish up packing my bag so we could go to the hospital. I knew they were getting closer and stronger and that I should go but I really wanted to finish up folding the laundry and cleaning up the house so when we came home that would all be done. They were all laughing at me and trying to shove me out the door while I was hurrying around trying to finish, then stopping for each contraction, but I couldn't help it. :) An hour later we were off.

I wanted to handle this birth differently than Kolli's, not because I didn't love everything about hers, because I did, but because I wanted approach labor from a new perspective. I had read hypno birthing and loved it. I wanted to focus more on my breathing during contractions and focus on my babies moving downward and on what the contractions were actually doing rather than on the pain they brought. After each contraction I was able to blow it off and talk and laugh in-between them even as they got closer and stronger. Instead of closing my eyes through them I kept them open and stared at the ground while Nog, my Mom, and Laree took turns pushing on my back. (I had back labor the whole time, just like with Kolli.) When I kept them open it helped me focus on other things like, on my toe nail polish, the texture on the floor and walls, everyone's feet, and shapes of their toes. Haha it sounds so weird but somehow it kept me distracted and kept my mind off the contraction.

This was just before we left for the mall, I had to take one final pic of my large belly right? :)

 This is most definitely my favorite picture of my Mama and I, ever!

 This is when we just got in the delivery room and I was ready to walk around.
I love this man! He was sooo incredible during my labor I could not ask for a more wonderful husband. We had listened to a hyno birthing CD each night to help prepare me for labor and each time we did we would make fun of the lady talking on it the entire time. It was more hilarious just listening to it and laughing. On one contraction in particular he said... "And now babe, it's time to relax" which made me laugh since that was the first thing she said at the beginning of the CD and we would repeat it back to each other every time. He is my most favorite person and best friend in this whole world.

I would labor for an hour and then got monitored for 20 minutes. Notice how the bottom monitor band is pink and the top is blue. :)

 I LOVE Nogs face is these.

 Looking through these pictures I didn't realize how hard I was asking them to push on my back, they had to use their entire bodies. Boy do I love them!

 This is just before we walked in to our room to find out I was at a 7! :) I felt great and seeing these little beanies waiting for them was the best thing ever!

They told me when I first got there that I was literally sitting on her head so at this point I asked my midwife to break my water since I knew she was soo low and that would speed things up much faster. The second she did I felt the urge to push it was crazy how fast it came on. Just after she broke my water I looked around and saw everyone getting dressed and ready. It made me cry. My babies were actually coming after all this time!!

Everyone continued couching me through my breathing which helped me so much so stay focussed.  My midwife couched me through my pushing so that I wouldn't tear. She told me to stop at one point because I was pushing too fast and I told her I couldn't and she said "Yes you can!" I looooved how she did that. Then 30 minutes later our beautiful Charyse was born. They put her straight on my chest and I got to hold her, we all just cried happy tears.

 I felt so much love surrounding me and I remember saying and looking down at my belly while I held her, how crazy it was that I still had another baby inside me. Then I heard her tell everyone that I was only at a 9!!

After I had held her for a few minutes my doctor came over and pushed on my belly to help move Bryken's body down because he was up so high. Once he did, I felt the urge to push again. It's the craziest feeling holding your baby and realizing there is still another baby in there and you have to do it again. Then after those 5 (contraction free) minutes of holding her my doctor said, "Well, are you ready to have another baby?" And I just laughed and said "YES!"
I pushed for just a few minutes and then came our little Bryken. They put him into my arms and I got hold them both, I couldn't have asked for anything better.

Life does not get better than this moment. Having a child, let alone 3 is the most heavenly experience I will ever have in this life. I know angels were in that room helping me and helping them. I can't help but think, what did I do to deserve ALL this?
  

 

In this picture below Nog had just cut Charyse's cord and they had just taken her to get weighed. 

Then I heard my Doctor say to me "Are you ready to have another baby?" 

I started laughing and said "YES!"

 Then came Bryken.

 Our beautiful baby Girl. 

Charyse Jayne Pearce

Born on October 1st
at 11:17pm (same time as Kolli)

19inches long

Weighing 6lbs 1oz

 My handsome baby Boy.
Bryken Jay Pearce

Born at 11:24pm

19inches long

Weighing 6lbs 5oz

 When our little Kolli came to visit! 

While walking out the door she said "bye bye baby sister and baby brother." All on her own, she's already loving being a big sister.

First family picture with all of our babes!

I can't believe this is real life, and that this is MY life.

We have never been happier. We are ready to start our lives as a family of 5!

2 days shy of 35 WEEKS!

It has been forever since I posted on here and since I am 34 weeks and 5 days today. Yep! People, I am term (for twins) in just 2 DAYS! I could cry I'm so excited to finally meet these kids that have been kicking my ribs and punching my bladder all day long. My favorite is when they have hiccups at the same time, it's the coolest feeling ever. I must say that having been pregnant with one baby and now with two, well they are completely different pregnancy's in every way. I never got too uncomfortable with Kolli, well because I never got this big. It's fun to compare my belly pics with her and my belly pics now, it's quite the difference. She never got high enough to punch my ribs like this little man does and I never had to wake up in the middle of the night up to 3 or 4 times to pee and at 4am to have a bowl of cereal because I'm starving and couldn't possibly wait 3 more hours until morning time, or... kept my house at 70 degrees. (Nog even had to wear long sleeves) I love that I've had both experiences.
Kolli has been talking like crazy these days, she learns so fast it's amazing! People always say how smart "their" child is and I think riiiggghhht it's just becasue it's "your" kid and well now I'm going to say it too, I have the smartest child there ever was. Ha. I love this girl in all her forms. She can be quite feisty when she knows just what she wants and wants it just then but I love that about her. She makes us laugh all day, and each day it gets closer for her sister and brother to come she talks about them more and more. She tries sitting on my lap which really doesn't exist and gets mad when she can't force herself back far enough to actually have a seat on it.
Kolli just turned 2 on the 6th which was such a great day! Every time she would get bored I would give her a new present to open and that continued all day. She was loving all the attention and gifts and is still saying even today, "Happy Birhtday Kolli." She got spoiled by all her cousins and family, they are the best.

Also, today Kolli and I made a paper chain. ha ha ya we sure did. Approximately 24 more days till we will be a family of 5, give or take of course. We colored all the pieces on the chain and wrote everyone's predictions on each chain to see who gets it right. It was pretty dang exciting, not going to lie.

Here's my beautiful girl on her birthday.

This is Kolli's bed/bench she got from the Duncan's. She lives on this thing with her new baby doll she got from Grandma. We found her the next morning like this.

 

 I've watched this video probably 200 times, it gets funnier every time. Her faces kill me, she's so animated.

 I just finished my last day of doing hair yesterday, for I'm not sure how long. When I finished I found these two cuddled up watching "The Incredibles" together. Nog is such a great daddy.

Just the cutest picture ever.

 Birthday bunny, I think, at least that's what Kolli called it. ;)

 Kolli reading to Ashers and Oakie. Kolli calls him "Ashers."

 Now when I take pictures of things she'll say "I wanna smile, I wanna smile." over and over and over again until I finally take her picture.

 

This is me the night before I went into labor with Kolli at 40 weeks and 5 days.

 Here is a picture of my belly I took this morning. I had to do it bare belly because clothes can be deceiving and make you look smaller or bigger than the real thing so here it is. No stretch marks yet... Sure hope it stays that way!

 And our super exciting chain, can't wait to show Nog!!..... Wanna make a prediction? 

Winner gets a snickers bar.

And now, put your phone, or your computer to your chest and watch this video.