{the first day}

Finally. The moment that they've been waiting for all summer as arrive. (It was also a highly motivating factor in the potty-training process, since the beginning of the year!) The girls' first day of preschool was today, and it had been much anticipated. They were up early, dressed, and ready to go in PLENTY of time.

I was so excited for them, because I knew how much fun they were going to have. Ryan went to this same preschool, and we love the teachers and the school. It was surreal though, as I was driving away, when I realized how big they were getting, and how fast. I better stop typing now. I might just start to cry.



The girls brought these caramel apples to their teachers this morning--it's a fun twist on the traditional "apple for the teacher". I used sticks from my yard instead of the usual Popsicle stick, whittled down to a point at one end so it would go easily into the apple. Yum!

{ballerinas}

I was 6 or 7 years old. Just imagine a shiny-blue-fringy-stretchy-sequiny costume, and the song "Uptown Girl". It was my debut performance, as well as my finale. With my interests lying much more with sports (and my talents as well), I traded in the dance shoes for shin guards and cleats. I was a tomboy, through and through.

Fast forward 20+ years, and two cute little girls later. To my surprise, I went a little crazy when they were born. Bows, flowers, bracelets, clothes, shoes...I was more girly than I had ever been in my life. Last fall, I got on the waiting list for the dance teacher I wanted a full year in advance, just to make sure we got in.We even went on a special girls' shopping trip to buy ballet shoes, and have been looking forward to their first class all summer.

So, today was finally the day! They were dressed and ready to go almost 2 hours before we had to leave, and they kept on asking when they could put their shoes on.

Once we got there, I realized there isn't much cuter than a group of 3 year olds on stage--lifting their arms, pointing their toes, and learning how to curtsy.

So, who knows if this will be something they love to do, or if they want to continue. Maybe they will want to trade in their ballet slippers for another type of shoe, and if they do, I will be just as excited about that.

But for now, I am relishing all the pink, tutus, and ballet slippers. Who knew girls could be so much fun?

{the nursery...and other randomness}

I finally finished the nursery. Almost. I have one more smaller half wall that needs something, but that shouldn't take too much time. It's in our loft-like bonus room and doesn't have much wall space, but I love the simplicity of it. It's exactly what I wanted.



Other random items:

*Ryan is at his first Scout campout tonight. One of us may need to go get another job to finance his Scouting...it cost a small fortune to get everything he needed. He is super excited though, especially when I told him he needed to pack clothes that it didn't matter if they were stained, ruined, or burned. "That could really happen??" he asked. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything about that.

*It is amazing the things you learn when you take your 3 year old girls with you exercising. For example:

1. Cattails look like hot dogs.
2. They can't make it 1 mile (sitting in the jogger, mind you)without stopping at home for a snack. Must be hard work to sit and enjoy the scenery.
3. I can sing "I'm a Little Teapot" 10 times before being totally out of breath. It also looks really funny to any cars that might be passing by when you are demonstrating the spout and the handle.

*Cuddling is a good thing.


*Kate informed me that the way she tells the babies apart is that Henry has the biggest head, and Jack has the littlest head.

Hmmmmm. She's right.

{big day}

I love the first day of school. I loved it when I was young, and I love it now. There is just something so exciting about new pencils and binders, choosing an outfit, packing a backpack, seeing your friends again, and getting a new teacher. It also marks the beginning of fall, my favorite season of all!

Unfortunately, it wasn't the morning I would have wished for Ryan today, because I spent the early hours of the morning in the ER with Henry, who was running a high temp. After getting home at 4am, I wasn't super awake at 7am, but by the time he left, I was ready to do my motherly duty and take the his picture per tradition. I think we'll have to re-schedule the big breakfast for tomorrow!

Today is also a big day, because it's our anniversary! I have to laugh, since there isn't much difference in how we celebrated when we were first married, and now. In the beginning, we were poor students that couldn't afford much. Now we have too many kids! :) We did get to celebrate last weekend when we got away without the kids for a day, and it was wonderful. I'm also banking on next year...

Happy Anniversary babe--it's been an amazing 14 years, and I'm looking forward to many, many more.

Yikes! Weren't we young??

Then:



Now:




And yes, I did search for a picture of us together, but those are hard to come by.

At least one that I approve of. :)

{hide and seek}

Tuesday was one of those days. My schedule was packed all day long, and I still had several items that evening to attend to. I had meeting at 7pm, and Rick was supposed to be home around 6:50pm so I could get out the door. He called, saying he would be late.

I was sitting in the truck, ready to back out. As soon as he came up the driveway, I was off with a wave.

When I got to the meeting, I turned my phone to vibrate. After it was over, and on my way to my next appointment, I checked my messages. The first one I listened to was Rick's frantic voice, telling me he couldn't find Henry. He had searched the whole house--every bed and bedroom, the pack 'n play, the swings, their crib, and any other place he could think of.

I checked the next message. He had just gone to check and see if the car seat was in the mudroom, just in case.

It was gone.

Oops.

I forgot to tell him I took Henry.

I guess that's one of those details you shouldn't leave out.

{5}

I am the mother of five children.

I am the mother of five children.

I am the mother of five children!!

I just kept counting them today, over and over. We had our first outing as a whole family today, when we packed up our vehicle and went to church. Every time I turned around to look, I was surprised. I really don't know why--I was there at all of their births. :) For the first time, it seemed really real.

Maybe it's because I never planned on having this many. Rick and I always talked about four kids--it seemed like such a nice, even number. But once we had Ryan, and then had so many infertility issues, I had finally resolved in my head that we would have one child, and if were lucky, two. It took me such a long time to get to that place, that I'm having just as hard of a time realizing that I have exactly what I've always wanted.

Maybe it's because just over three years ago, I only had one child. One. One child, and a car.

Maybe it's because I'm not old enough to have this many kids, right? Because I feel like I'm in my early twenties, at least.

All of this aside, I am deliriously happy. I have five beautiful children, ones I have waited and wished for. I know how lucky I am, and I wouldn't change it for anything. Life is good.

First day at church!!

{blessing}

The boys were blessed last night, at home. We couldn't bring them to church just yet, and with my parents leaving this morning, it was the best option. It was wonderful. Really, really perfect. It was a sweet moment, and I'm so glad it worked the way it did. Unfortunately we were so busy after the blessing that I didn't get many pictures, but thankfully I took some of the boys before we went downstairs.

Here are some other recent pics...

Jack:

Henry...I love this pose. He sleeps like this often.

Henry, eating Jack's head! He is our hungry boy, and EATS like crazy, He is already up to 5-6 oz. at a time, and just turned 3 weeks old.

Two sweet boys.

It's amazing, isn't it, how much your life can change in just a short period of time. Already we can't imagine our lives without these two in them.

Also, just a public thank you to my parents---you are the BEST. We couldn't have made it without you, truly. We miss you already.

{59}

I feel like a new woman! Remember that picture of my huge and swollen feet? Well, this will give you an idea of exactly how big they were...after 14 days, I have lost 59 pounds!!!! So, despite the fact that I still have a lot more to lose, I feel like the skinniest woman alive!!!

And my boys? They are eating and sleeping like crazy, but mostly eating. They are up to 4-5 oz. per feeding, and I do think I am going to go poor buying formula. They are quite simply the most adorable babies on the planet though!

{priceless}

curling iron...$45

hair barrettes--$2

a grandpa trying to curl two 3 year-olds' hair? PRICELESS!

I woke up this morning (despite my dad's best intentions to let me sleep) to see my girls perched on my bathroom counter, and a curling iron clasped in my dad's hand. He actually was managing quite well, but was very relieved when I offered to finish up for him. It was sight I've never seen before (and honestly never thought I would), and tells you a little something about the kind of dad and grandpa he is!!

I wish I had a picture--but I had to get some hair done!

{berry patch}

The state we live in is well known for it's blueberry production, and in our little area there are several berry patches where you can go and pick your own blueberries. They are inexpensive at $1.00 per pound, you can eat as many as you want to while picking, and they cater to whole families. Everyone gets their own buckets, even the littlest ones, and it's a really great family activity.

Rick and my dad took the kids last week, and they were there all afternoon. The girls ate their weight in berries--not too many actually got in their buckets. They call them "blue sugar", which tells you how much they like them! The boys concentrated a little more on the actual picking, and they came home with a big box of berries.




Rick had to have something yummy right away, so my mom kindly made him a yummy Blueberry Buckle. Let's just say it didn't last too long!

We're looking forward to the next time we go--nothing beats fresh berries and family time together!

{introducing...}

Jack McKay and Henry Benjamin! They were born on Sunday, July 26th, at 1:55pm and 1:57pm respectively. Henry was 6 lb. 8 oz., 19 inches long, and Jack was 6 lb. 0 oz., and 17.5 inches long.

(Jack on the left, Henry on the right)

Here's how it happened...

I started having regular contractions around 7am on Sunday morning, between 8-10 minutes apart. After an hour and a half, and lying in bed, they still hadn't subsided, so I called the doctor. She had me come directly into labor and delivery, where I could be evaluated. I was 35 weeks that very day, and while I was far enough in my pregnancy to be fairly safe, another week would have been even better. So they tried several things to stop the contractions and prevent labor. After two bags of IV fluid, lab tests to rule out infection, and a shot of Terbutaline (which would stop labor only if it was false), the contractions still kept coming. My blood pressure also kept rising, and was significantly higher than normal. At that point, the decision was made to go ahead and take them by c-section.

The rest of of my family was at church, along with the babies' doctor who would be there for delivery. We called our family to let them know, and they paged to the doctor to come right away. I was prepped for surgery, signed a million forms, and tried to prepare myself for the fact that I was actually going to have two more children. We have an excellent hospital, and that includes all the doctors, nurses, and staff. They put me right at ease, and everything went smoothly.

They were born about a half an hour after I got in the OR, but after only one quick glance, they were whisked away for evaluation. Baby A (Henry) was fine, and didn't require any oxygen. Baby B (Jack) had had a knot in his cord, some fluid on his lungs, and needed a little help breathing when he was born. He did need to have antibiotics through an IV to prevent possible infection, but luckily, did not have to have oxygen either.

My parents brought the kids up to see us the day after they were born. This experience will go down as one of the sweetest I've ever seen. They were only able to hold Henry, since Jack wasn't quite ready for visitors, but they were able to see him in his bassinet. The girls were enraptured by the babies, and Ryan was wearing a permanent grin the whole time. They each got to take a turn helping feed the baby, and Kate and Emma sang him a lullaby (Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star). They weren't able to stay too long, but it turned out perfectly.

The next day, they were both discovered to have borderline high bilirubin levels, so they spent the next 24 hours on dual photo therapy, under bili lights. This morning the levels had thankfully decreased, so they were able to be out from the incubators, but we did bring them home today with bili blankets. I'm so grateful they were able to come home when I did though, and hopefully their levels will be down on Friday so we can hold them a lot more!!

Jack

Henry

I realized very quickly just how things might be different now, while attempting to leave the hospital. Trying to take pictures of 5 kids and 7 people? Getting two babies dressed while three other kids are jumping off beds and are needing to go to the bathroom? It's a really good thing that my parents were there--otherwise it would have taken us 3 hours instead of 2!! We finally made it though, and I do have to say that they were pretty patient while I made them sit for what I'm sure seemed like hundreds of pictures.

Jack is blond!

One more redhead...

Welcome baby boys! We are so glad you're here!

{family movie night}

We love family movies, but with the vast difference in ages, we've usually watched something with the girls, then put them to bed and watched something else with Ryan.
Since the girls turned three, I have really wanted to start watching movies as an entire family, making it a night that everyone could enjoy together.

So, we set a date a week out, and the plan went into motion. The kids each had a cup we kept on the counter, and they were able to earn "movie money" (from Monopoly) by doing extra chores, going the extra mile, being kind to each other, and anything else I decided to give money for. :) This money was to be used at our family concession stand, chocked full of yummy snacks, treats, and even a fruit. I did take requests, so it included Snickers, Reese's, Hershey bars, paper bags full of popcorn, gummi bears, juice boxes, and apples. I saved the cardboard flats that canned goods come on, which are just the perfect size for concession trays. (Our next project is to paint the trays and personalize them.)

The night finally arrived, and the kids were so excited they couldn't stand it. I have never seen them eat dinner and take baths so fast! I gave them their money, and each concession item had a price. I even had an "Ultimate Pack" (Ryan's suggestion), which included a candy bar, popcorn, and drink for a certain price. It was a huge hit! They loved the movie, loved the food, and I loved watching my whole family together. My parents were in town by then, so they were able to be in on the fun.



It turned out so well, we decided to make it a monthly occasion. We will still continue to watch movies like we did before, simply because there are many that we want to watch with Ryan that just aren't appropriate for 3-year olds (and Ryan's not so fond of Cinderella. :)), but this is just one more way we can spend time as a family.

With such a large gap in ages, I have always searched for things that we can do as a family to bridge that gap. I'm so glad I have found one more thing to add to that list!!

{you know you're big when...}

-Very nice men at church that you rarely speak to otherwise, ask you when you are going to have "those babies". (and that was 2 weeks ago!)

-People don't look at you in the eye anymore--it's all about the belly.

-Someone who works at the hospital (in the cardiology department no less, nothing to do with maternity), after giving you directions to the ultrasound department, actually meets you at the door with a wheelchair.

-Even full-panel pants don't fit over your belly anymore. Thank goodness for Motherhood's extra stretchy comfort panel and pajama pants with lots of elastic.

-You actually get asked (more than once, mind you) if there is "more than one baby in there". Okay, so there is, but still! What if there wasn't?

-Getting dressed is like running a full marathon. Just trying to lift my leg high enough to get my pants on gets my heart pumping!

-You've passed the point of waddling. I'm not even sure what term might be used, and I don't really think I want to know.

Fun times I tell ya, fun times.

{a little scare}

I woke up this morning about 2:45am out of a deep sleep to a pretty strong contraction. I'm used to getting them often, but this was a lot more painful than usual (especially since not much wakes me up, lol). I decided to start timing them, and soon realized that they were coming about every 8 minutes or so, and maintaining their strength. Being the obedient girl that I am, and following orders, I spoke with the doctor on call around 4am, and he told me to go straight to Labor & Delivery.

Bad news? Rick was out-of town. In Kentucky. I warned him that if I went into labor while he was gone and missed the births of our children (which he would for sure, since I'm having a c/s--no labor time)...well, let's just say it would not be a good thing. I called him on his cell phone, not even thinking he would answer it (since he sleeps about as deeply as I do), but amazingly enough, he did. When I told him I was headed to the hospital, he was still a little groggy, and didn't quite get it. Then all of sudden, I heard him perk up, and say "What?? The babies?? Now?? I told him that I would call him and let him know what happened, but that I really felt like everything was going to be okay. It could just be a scare. I have a feeling that as soon as I got off the phone he started searching for flights.

Good news? My parents had arrived to stay with us not even 8 hours before, therefore saving my dear friends from being called in the middle of the night. It was wonderful to have my mom come with me, and my dad be at home with the kids.

The best news? After 4 hours in the hospital, with contractions varying between 4-6 minutes apart, lots of tests, TONS of fluid, doctors, and nurses, it was discovered that I had an infection, which was causing the contractions. I went home with an antibiotic, an order to rest for the day, and still avoiding bed rest. So, babies are doing well, I'm doing well, and I can still see Harry Potter on Wednesday. :)

{4th of july}

I love Independence Day. It is my favorite holiday next to Christmas, and I look forward to it all year. To me it is the epitome of summer...family, friends, BBQs, fireworks, and celebrating the freedoms that we have the great opportunity to enjoy. Plus, it's just fun!

This year we didn't get together with our friends until later in the day, so we had plenty of time to get some much-needed projects completed. (Can I say nesting?) I cleaned out all the storage tubs in my basement and ended up with a good pile of garbage sacks full of things to go to Salvation Army. I also had time to enter them all into the computer, so they are ready to go! That was a huge item on my list, and I'm so glad it's done.

We spent the latter part of the afternoon at a nearby park to BBQ with friends, then headed to the church for dessert and fireworks.

It was one of those perfect days.