I just can't believe it!

All day long I've been wondering how in the world we have two beautiful little three year olds running around our house!

I clearly remember the day that we found out we were pregnant. We were actually in Montana. I had a feeling and Cory wondered why I just slept all day long! We went to the store (with his cousin Caleb actually!) and bought a box of First Response. The next day when everyone left but Cory and I, I went in the bathroom and took it. Three minutes later I looked and called Cory in. We got teary and hugged! We were shocked because that wasn't what we had planned, but we were excited. I couldn't even begin to describe the feeling in my heart when I looked at that positive result! The pounding and the excitement and the nerves were all just so jumbled!

The next step was to get a doctor's appointment. I happened across a name, Dr. Starley and knew I wanted to go there! I called and it turned out that he didn't take pregnancies anymore so I decided I'd try out his office partner, and I am SO glad I did. Dr. Merrill is the best doctor I've known! Anyway, Cory had morning orientation for his new job and couldn't go to the doctor's appointment with me. It has actually been the only one he's missed because he's worked nights! Anyway, I was laying there and Dr. Merrill said, "Look, there's one and there's two!" I couldn't believe it! I got teary again. Cory and I had been joking about it because I had been SO terribly sick, and I even joked about it with the nurse, Carla when I first got to the Dr.'s. Well, he printed out a picture and I took it home. When Cory got home I was on the phone so I just handed him the picture. He said, "Is that what I think it is?" I nodded. We were both in shock, but I was excited. I thought it would be a lot of fun!

On Friday, December 14, 2007, Cory was at work and I was home alone. I had such pressure in my pelvis area that I could barely move. I figured it was just my body get stretched and "ready" since I had had similar feelings less strong over the previous weeks. I didn't think much of it but Cory was concerned. I have a high tolerance for pain so when I woke up the next morning to use the bathroom and couldn't move without tears flowing Cory said we were going to the hospital. He wanted to pack a bag and I said it would be fine because I still thought it was just my body getting "ready." When we got to the hospital, the nurse hooked me to the monitors and checked. I was at a 4 1/2. She said she would be right back. I asked her how long we would have to be there. She looked at me and said, "Honey, you're in labor, you're not going anywhere!" Then she proceeded to show me all the contractions that I was having but not feeling! This day was the longest, most boring day of my life!! I sat in the hospital from 8am doing nothing!! I slept a bit but not much. I felt a total of three contractions while I was there. They broke my water at 2pm. The nurse constantly asked me if I was ready for my epidural. I had always heard that you should get it when you couldn't handle the pain anymore. So I kept saying now. Finally she told me if I was going to get one that that was my last chance because Gage was getting to that "no epidural" spot. So I got it and felt every bit of it! Though I am told that was because I wasn't feeling the labor so I wasn't concentrating on something else. I can easily say that the epidural was the worst pain I have ever felt! At 10pm they came to take me to the O.R. (since I have twins they are all delivered there) and at 11pm I started pushing. At 12:02am on Sunday, December 16, 2007, Gage was born and at 12:38am, Taya was born.

I look back on that day and I remember every single thought and emotion but I just can't seem to explain them. I felt so much love and admiration for those two babies! We got to hold Taya first and it was amazing! I didn't want to let her go! I just wanted to curl up in the bed with her and go to sleep! A few hours later Gage was brought in! Again, I just wanted to lay with him forever! Watching Cory with those two was just amazing! I think that's the best feeling ever, watching Cory with those kids and just seeing the love radiate from him! There was a definite connection from the very second they were together!

Gage has the sweetest heart! He loves every single person in his family so much! His daddy is who he admires and wants to be like, his mommy is his snuggle bug, Taya is his best friend, Haylee is his shadow and he is her favorite person..always has been, Peyton is his pal and he seems to know how to make her enjoy playing with other people, and Alexis is his baby who he has protected from day one, quite literally actually! The day she was born, Cory was holding him in the hospital and the nurse was changing Alexis' diaper, which she was not happy about and started crying. Gage lay his head down on Cory's shoulder, very sad. It seemed that he wanted to go over and pick her up and protect her from that diaper change! Gage is very sensitive! He gets his feelings hurt easily! He will try and get one of the girls to play with a certain toy or play how he wants to and if they don't want to it makes him really sad! He loves to snuggle!!! He is just so sweet and I love him so much!

Taya is a sassy girly-girl!! She loves nail polish, makeup, dresses, and getting her hair done! She will get down and dirty but is all about the "girl stuff!" She loves to snuggle her daddy, she wants to do whatever I do, Gage is her best friend, Haylee wants to be like her, Peyton is her puppy, and Alexis is her baby sister who she loves to play with! She has always been attached to her blankie and MUST have it whenever she goes to sleep! She takes the corner of it and pats it up against her lip while she moves her lips, as if sucking a bottle. Then she moves to the next corner, and so on! It's really cute and I LOVE it! Taya is really happy and super goofy! She loves to make others laugh! She doesn't laugh too often out loud, but when she does it is the best laugh! Just like her daddy! She is so much fun and I love her so much!

Although I may not always show it correctly and I am far from the perfect mother, my love for them is perfect! I can't believe that was three years ago! It is just so surprising to me! These past three years have not been easy, to say the least, but I couldn't imagine my life without Gage and Taya. They have brought so much joy and happiness to me each day! (fun b-day posts to follow!)