{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.

{daddy's little helper}

Rick took the week off to work on the basement, and hopefully get the drywall finished by the weekend or the first of next week. Because I've had to be down a little more than usual, he has also inherited more duties involving the kids. Emma is completely content to sit upstairs and watch a movie, but not Miss Kate!

She wants to be where the action is, and be a "worker gull" (in her words). She helps hand him hammers, drills, screws, or whatever else he asks for, and she eats it up. She will be down there for hours!! She sits inside the playhouse under the stairs, watches, and waits for him to call her. She even wanted to eat her lunch down there, so I packed it up and sent it down.


It doesn't end with the basement either--she loves to help in the garden, with the lawn, digging trenches, pulling weeds, and myriad of other projects that Rick has going on. Hopefully it will last...at least until she's 5!!

{30 week update}

I'm on the countdown! I am 30 weeks today, and will definitely have these babies in 7 weeks at the most. I am scheduled for a c-section on August 11th (37 weeks) if I make it that far, but more than likely I will go before that--35 or so weeks. I feel really good, and other than the major leg and feet swelling, I don't have much to complain about. I'm having twice weekly non-stress tests, along with my doctor appointments every 2 weeks. I have really wonderful doctors, and even though I feel like there is always another appointment to go to, I'm grateful for such excellent medical care.

I have been steadily working on my list, and I'm happy to say that it is whittled down enough to seem manageable. We sold our van within a week, then found another vehicle within 3 days. It was a huge blessing, and one that was sorely needed. The cribs, bedding, and clothing are ready to go, the end table painted, and the nursery will be finished being painted tomorrow. I have a few decorating items to finish, but those won't take long. My good friend Erica found really cute car seat covers for me--ones that usually retail at $85--for only $30. So, instead of getting new car seats, I can use the covers. I'm happy about that, especially because my babies have never been in their infant car seats longer than 7-8 months.

The basement? Well, progress is being made. It always seems like whenever there is a major project that needs to be completed a million things find their way in that need to be done too. We are on a timeline though, and feeling good about it.

Well, after much deliberation, and MUCH coaxing from my sister, I am actually posting a picture of myself, taken this very morning. I don't know why I am so anti-picture during pregnancy, other than I don't have that "cute pregnant girl" look. I swell all over, including my face, and it shows very early. I have friends that look good the whole time, even after labor, and I have finally come to accept that it's just not me. So, for the sake of posterity, here you go:



and for your viewing pleasure...my lovely feet and ankles (I couldn't bring myself to show the legs too!):


As you can see, my toes are in real need of a pedicure, but I have finally hit the point where I can' reach them anymore. I think Rick is in for a real treat this week, when he gets to paint my toes. :)

All in all, things are going well, and we are enjoying our summer. I have found that it is still possible to do most things, even though they take a little more time. I know I need to enjoy the time I have with my kids now, because I know that will change all too soon!

{5k run/walk/waddle?}

Saturday was our community's annual Run/Walk. We love it, and participate in it every year. Rick, Ryan and I have run the 5k the past few years, with the girls doing the "tot trot", but this year was a little different for me.

Since I can't run, I decided to do the 5k walk. No big deal, right? Yeah.
That morning was perfect running weather---a little on the cool side, but not cold. We all had matching t-shirts on (except for me...mine didn't fit), and were ready to go with our chips (I didn't wear one...I did not want proof of how slow I knew I was going to be), race bibs, and water bottles.

About 10 minutes after Rick and Ryan started their run, the girls and I were off. I started toward the beginning of the pack, but that quickly changed. Soon I was being passed by all sorts of people (and even the fact that I had technically had 4 children with me didn't make me feel better), and I was wondering if I was going to end up dead last. That didn't settle well with me. In my mind, I knew I could go much faster, and when my body wasn't cooperating, it was killing me! So, I set my sights on people in front of me that I really wanted to beat. The 80 year old man? Really. I really needed to beat him. At the mile marker, I was feeling good, and felt like I was keeping up a pretty good pace. Then it hit. I had to go to the bathroom so bad, and the pounding on the pavement didn't help.at.all. I knew I could never make it to the end, so I headed over to the nearest volunteer and race official. They didn't know of any facilities close by, and even when they radioed in they didn't have an answer. Then the woman volunteer that was there offered her house, which was incredibly generous. I was also much too desperate to turn her down. So, the girls and I veered off course to head to this woman's house. We did stop at a church a couple of blocks on the way, hoping it might be open, but it was locked up tight. Another block or so down we reached her home, and I unbuckled the girls to take them in. I have to admit I had the slightest twinge of nerves when we walked in, but at that point I couldn't have turned back if I wanted to. It was so nice of her to offer, and I was very grateful.

After Emma got her hand caught in the back door, and was treated with an ice pack, we were finally on our way back to the course. I walked fast those few blocks, but I realized I must have been gone longer than I thought. I saw that there was NO ONE left on the course, and the policemen were taking down barriers and letting traffic through. I'm sure when they saw me they were wondering what in the world I was doing, especially since I wasn't even coming from the direction I should have been! So, I walked on the sidewalk, but kept up my pace. I decided I would keep going and finish, even though I could have headed back to the community center.
After Rick finished his race, he came back to finish walking with me. By then I was getting a few contractions, and had to stop a couple of times to lean against a tree. But, I did it! It was totally worth it, and despite all the craziness, I'm glad I did it.

The girls had their "Tot Trot" next, and they loved the little obstacle course that was set up for them. We let the kids play for a little while, then headed home. We were all tired, but a good tired. We spent the rest of the day doing yard work, then had roast hot dogs and made S'mores at the firepit.

It was a great day.

{memorial day and more}

The past week and a half has been packed full, mostly because we had the pleasure of having Rick's brother Robert and his wife Toni visit us from Utah for a week. We had such a great time...we miss them already!

~Beach~

One of the places we knew we had to take them was our favorite beach about an hour away. We LOVE it there, and spend as much time as possible there during the summer months. The day was a little chilly, but the sun was out, and we were hoping for the best. We had no intentions of getting in the water, but thought we would build sandcastles, walk along the beach, and enjoy the sound of the waves. The girls insisted on wearing their "soups" underneath their clothes, so I acquiesced, thinking there was no possible way they would really want to get in water that had ice in it just barely a month or two ago. I was proved wrong. It started with rolling up the pant legs twice. Then I rolled them as far as up as they would go. Finally, off came the clothes, and there my girls were, in freezing cold water, having the time of their lives. Robert also was crazy enough to dive in, saying he had come this far, he might as well try it. It was a wonderful day, and I'm so glad they got to see one of our favorite places.

~Memorial Day~

The Memorial Day Parade is a tradition in our community, and in our family. I love having everyone dress in patriotic colors, wave flags, and celebrate our country and those that have fought for us over our history. We met up with our friends there, and enjoyed being with them too. The kids always bring their grocery sacks for the crazy amounts of candy that are thrown, and all-in-all it makes for a great morning.



~Just Because~

One of of my favorite time to take pictures of my kids is right before we leave for church. They are usually at their cleanest, and their hair is generally closet to the way it was when I actually did it. Sometimes you just need all the advantages you can get!

~In other news~

1. Our garage sale is over! We prepped on Thursday, then held the sale on Friday and Saturday. I'm glad we did so well on Thursday and Friday, because Saturday was much slower due to an antiques festival that was in town. Our girls (my friend and I each of 2 girls--one of her's is only 6 weeks old) did amazingly well, playing outside most of the time with occasional movies inside the house. They were filthy at the end of each day--black feet, Doritos cheese covering their mouths (and eyebrows in Emma's case), and otter pop juice splashed down the front of their shirts--but they they were happy and tired, and so were we! We will definitely be doing it again, hopefully making it a yearly tradition.

2. We sold our van! It only took a week, and showing it to two potential buyers to seal the deal, and we couldn't be happier. However...we don't have another vehicle yet! Good thing we can still (barely) fit in Rick's car, so we have something to drive until we find what we're looking for.

{no need for loincloths...}

The babies finally have clothes to wear when they arrive. I honestly don't know how the time has escaped me---and when I realized that the girls were born less than 8 weeks from the point I'm at now, I kind of panicked (okay, I REALLY panicked).
I'm usually much more prepared than I feel now, but I have to keep reminding myself that I also have two additional children, and have been extremely busy over the past few months. Still, it wasn't settling well with me, and I now have a plan.
So, when Rick had the day off yesterday, I seized the opportunity to head down to our nearest outlets, which are about 40 minutes away. We don't have much shopping available in our small town, so usually a trip is necessary to find everything you need. I totally lucked out, and found nearly all the items on my list, and on sale! Can I tell you how much I love the Gap?

Here's the rest of my to do list:

1. Garage sale this weekend! My good friend and I decided to do one together for several reasons--much more fun, and much more fun. :) We also didn't really have enough stuff separately to really have our own. So, I have one more day to mourn the fact that I am selling all the girls' headbands, hair bows, handmade toddler beds, and other items that I feel really sentimental about.

2. Next week/weekend: Paint nursery (chocolate brown), paint cribs (white), make canvas boards with initials and ribbon for nursery walls, put up vinyl lettering (my favorite nursery saying), find a lamp and ribbon to run through shade, re-finish end table. I totally scored, and found the most adorable brown gingham (it reverses to sold chocolate brown with the gingham around the edges) bedding on clearance.

3. Mid-June: Buy new car seats! Since I went all pink with the girls, we are starting from scratch. Also make sure bottles, liners, formula, burp rags, and diapers are squared away.

4. Ongoing:

-Continue to advertise our van (went up for sale 5 days ago), and look for a Sequoia (which we finally decided on, but is not available within 100 miles...)

-Keep plugging away on the basement--which is to be the new family room/playroom. Electrical is almost finished, and drywall should be going up soon. Hopefully we can really push ahead and finish quickly, since I need all the stuff out of the current playroom (new nursery-to-be).

5. Not go on bedrest. :)

Oh yeah...and decide on NAMES (details, details...).