Hi Five!!

Happy Happy Birthday to Arlo & Josiah!!

A&J celebrated their 5th birthdays on June 9 and we made sure to celebrate the entire week!! I decided ahead of time that I didn't want the pressure of hosting a big birthday party for lots of preschoolers while I was 8 months pregnant with twins, so we told the boys that we would spend the week doing lots of fun activities together as a family.

A few days before their birthday, we took a family day trip to South Padre Island to play on the beach. We buried the boys in the sand, played in the water and visited a few tourist-y places. Arlo & Josiah got shark-tooth necklaces at the souvenir shop and Miles picked out a Nemo postcard to take home. Successful trip!

On the Sunday before their birthday, we invited the Burnhams, the Karrens and the "Fox friends" (Jason's company) over for a BBQ and water balloons. The unofficial theme of the party was "little legos." The boys have graduated from duplo legos to those tiny little lego pieces that cost a fortune (that I curse on a daily basis as I find them under couches/dressers/beds/carpets & dig them out of the vacuum canister. Heck, I even found one of the teeny tiny pieces in the garbage disposal yesterday - after it got all ground up from the blades.)

 But hey, anything to make my little guys happy; they deserve it.  :)

THEN....came their actual birthday...and we celebrated at the Water Park!!

 

We had a GREAT week celebrating Arlo & Josiah's birthday and I am so grateful to have them in our family. Each boy has a unique spirit and personality. Arlo is my sweet, kind-hearted, forgiving, optimistic, and social little guy - he makes me feel so special - like I'm the most important person in the world. Josiah is my imaginative, smart, artistic, fun & spirited boy who loves his family so much. They start kindergarten this Fall and it's bittersweet, as a mother, to watch them grow up. I love seeing them learn and progress, but I realize they wont be little forever. Now is the time to treasure all of the little moments, because it won't be long before they grow into men and leave home. (I wipe a few tears from my face as I'm typing this.) But, until THEN....I can still carry them, and squeeze them and make all of their boo-boos better.  I love you Arlo & Josiah!

First Time Mother

Maybe this is just me, but I cry at EVERY new event or milestone that Arlo & Josiah experience, but I don't with Miles. Does this mean that I love A&J more than Miles?? Of course not. After evaluating this observation for a while now, I have concluded that I am experiencing these milestones with A& J as a "First Time Mother" - and because it's my first experience to have a child call me "mama" or a child go to preschool, I'm gonna cry.

Let me explain with a few recent real life examples.

1. I cried when Arlo & Josiah gave their first talks in Church Primary.
           & when they let go in the pool's deep water & swam to the stairs all by themselves.
           & when I dropped them off at preschool for the first time. 
           & when they graduated preschool.
           & when they started their first soccer practice.
           & when they said mama for the first time as babies.....
            etc, etc, etc, .........

2. I rejoiced when Miles went to Nursery/gym childcare without a fuss. We slapped high-fives & he went in without looking back. I can't believe that I didn't cry.  He goes through all the same type of milestones as A&J, but I don't ever cry. 


Heck, I even have "First Time Mother" moments for other parents & their oldest kids. For example, I cried when I went to Presli Burnham's first dance recital. And when I watched my oldest nephew pass the sacrament for the first time.

Am I the only one?

I love these little guys.

Preschool Graduation, May 2014

My Mother's Day present from Arlo, he made at school

My Mother's Day present from Josiah, at school.

Can I just say that EVERYONE loves Miles - he's like a celebrity when we go to A&J's preschool

And like most other people, he LOVES the attention. Can you tell?

Some backyard swim time.

Miles & his potato head creations

Presli Burnham at her first dance recital

Pregnancy & 2 babies

This past weekend I hit 33 weeks gestation for babies 4 & 5 and folks, it’s getting real.

Real; as in, these babies could come any day.  I will probably, most definitely have 5 children before the end of THIS MONTH.  It’ll be a serious reality check.

Am I ready?

Well, is anyone ever truly ready?  Sure, we’ve read books, bought the cribs, carseats, strollers, diapers & enough clothes for the first few months. But can you mentally, emotionally & physically be prepared for a baby? Yet, here I am having more children and I couldn’t be happier.   I must be crazy. =)

It may be embarrassing, but yes, I am doing the belly/maternity pose outside of a restaurant. Let's be real....at home I can't keep my mirrors clean long enough to take a mirror selfie, so I have to ask friends to do it while I'm out in public...lol

 For the few who may be interested in my specifics, here you go…laying it all out on the table.

Weight gain 30lbs 

Waist 42 inches

Babies are over 4lb each right now, each with his/her own placenta.

We are 90% sure that we have the babies’ names picked out – but going along with southern superstition, we will not reveal names until after they are born. 

I just noticed my first stretch mark and I’m trying to be okay with it – those cute babies will be worth it. (But still lathering my belly in coconut oil/essential oils in an effort to stop any more potential marks.)

I’m still hitting the gym at least twice a week –the exercise keeps my joints from getting too stiff and the endorphins help me stay positive :P

The babies “dropped” at 32 weeks and I’ve had to slow down a lot this past week. Excuse my crudeness, but I feel like I have an oversized bowling ball between my legs. It’s not comfortable.  And it’s not pretty…I waddle now.

Arlo & Josiah came at 33 weeks/5 days. My goal this time to get past that date and hopefully all the way to 35 weeks. Every day counts. It’s one less day that they stay in the NICU.  So, in an effort to postpone delivery, I am taking a nap/resting for an hour every day. It’s against my personality to nap, and sometimes I have to force myself to sit on the couch. The other day I turned Netflix on for the boys so I could rest and at some point I dozed off. When I woke up I realized that the boys had lost interest in the show a long time ago and had taken matters in their own hands. The toy/family room was a disaster zone of toys and Miles had let the dog out to the backyard unsupervised (where she jumped the fence, followed some walkers/bikers & we finally got a phone call from a concerned citizen who checked her collar – she was over a mile from home….good grief dog!)   So, I need to plan a little better next time I take a rest.

On to a serious note.

I’m thrilled that we are expecting again. Timing is not what we planned, but there are so many wonderful things for which to be thankful.

1.       We conceived with NO MEDICAL help. In 10 years of marriage we had NEVER conceived without IUI or IVF – this pregnancy is not short of a MIRACLE.  (Time to start using birth control, darn it – I’ve got to give my body time to recover before it happens again.)

2.       Not only did we spontaneously conceive, but somehow we got TWINS!! DOUBLE MIRACLE.  I’ve told my story to several doctors and none have ever heard of a story quite like ours.

3.       I don’t have to be pregnant through the entire south Texas summer. Thank heavens.

4.       No complications during this pregnancy & we are praying for a healthy delivery.

5.       These babies will be welcomed by 3 little boys who are SO excited. They will be smothered in brotherly love. 

And can I please give a small piece of advice to all those “with good intentions” ???

PLEASE PLEASE do not imply that this should be my last baby/babies. You may certainly ASK if I want more children after this, but do not vocalize the assumption that this is my last. What right do you have to make that decision for me??  I have had multiple acquaintances and strangers tell me “Oh great, you will get your girl, now you can be done having babies.” NO/MAYBE/YES…..I don’t know if this will be my last pregnancy, but don’t you dare TELL me this is my last.  

Let me respond to you politely, “We haven’t made any decisions yet and don’t plan to do so until the time comes and Heavenly Father tells us what is right for us.”

So, let me enjoy my boys and look forward to the sweet little ones that will be coming soon.

Miles' 2nd Birthday!

So, Miles actually turned 2 LAST month (April 18), but I'm not too worried, because he has changed SO MUCH the past month and now I get a chance to tell you all about it.

But FIRST, a few photos of the birthday boy....

Mini cupcakes - footballs, baseballs & soccer balls

It's a little blurry, but I LOVE that he's holding up 2 fingers! (I asked him how old he was)

Some of his loot.

The party guests - Nate & KJ Burnham family, Kasey Anderson, Matt (Fox), Jerom (from Fox) & the sister missionaries

With the ghetto football pinata that I made him. (When we hung it up, the top part ripped from all the weight of the candy - the kids didn't seem to mind though)

Wearing his new superman belt while drawing on his magna-doodle from Grandma & Grandaddy Hall

Now, on to the details of this little man's ridiculously cute personality.  First of all, when you ask him, Miles will tell you that he is 2....but he likes to act like a 5 year old. He thinks that he can do ANYTHING. I love & admire his desire to do it all - but I wish he would stay my little baby a while longer. Just to give you a few examples of what I'm dealing with on a daily basis....

• He likes to pick out his own clothes, shoes & PJs....and will throw a FIT if I try to change his choices.  And he tries to dress himself - and he will only allow Arlo & Josiah to help him though.
• He moves the kitchen chairs around the room to get up on the counters & cabinets. Scares me to death. 
• He started climbing out of the crib at 22 months, so I changed it to a toddler bed and he REFUSED to sleep in it. He insisted that he sleep in the queen size guest bed in his room - it's pretty cute to see his tiny body laying in such a big bed.  (We will get him a twin size bed of his own when we get to Utah.)
• Insists that he drink out of a big boy cup while at the table - and he has to drink the same drink as A&J. (He spills his darn cup almost once a day - so I only give him a tiny bit of drink, at a time)
• He LOVES when I pack him a lunch bag on errand/doctor days - He gets to have a juice box, slim jim, pretzel/cheese dippers, sandwich etc....He loves to feel big, like A&J.
• He has been swinging on the big boy swing & climbing up tall playground ladders for the past 6 months already - he is a pretty steady boy and can do it all at the playground. 

Jason and I love to sit and talk about how cute Miles is and all the new things that he has learned - especially in the past month. For example, he now willingly goes to gym childcare & church nursery - he walks in and doesn't even look back - and he is great with a babysitter. He wasn't talking much until he turned 2; then it was like a light-switch went on and now he can communicate so well! It's been fun listening to some of the things that he says. My favorite was the other day when I asked him where Miles' mommy was - he pointed to me....then I asked him where Arlo's mommy was - he shrugged his shoulders and said "I don't know?" Jason and I laughed about that for days!! When you ask him a question, 90% of the time his answer will be "yyuuupp!" Miles doesn't sit down for TV yet, but he has recently discovered a love for "Finding Nemo" He asks to watch it every time we get in the van & he loves to carry around Arlo's Nemo stuffed animals.

We weaned him from his binkie about 3 weeks ago and he has been doing GREAT! I told him that the puppy ate it - and he seems to accept it. Naptime/sleepytime/bedtime have been an adjustment, but we are finding ways to calm down & for him to self-soothe. As for the potty-training, I would love to get him out of diapers before the twins arrive, but I just don't have the energy or motivation to deal with it right now. Potty-training will be a priority once we get to Utah this Fall.

I can't believe that our little Miles has only been with us for 2 years because I can't remember when he wasn't "one of the boys." He is such a joy to have in our family and can make the grumpiest person smile. Even strangers in the store are drawn to his beautiful eyes, deep dimple and sweet smile. WE LOVE YOU MILES!!!

Time to get fit!

I'm almost 21 weeks and have been feeling really good lately. Other than tiredness and some back pain at the end of the day, I'm back to my usual routine. And with that I've joined the gym again! I got a 4 month membership and started back yesterday. I'm posting this on my blog bc I need someone to hold me responsible.

I went to the doctor today and babies are looking great! I started to feel them moving a few weeks ago and I LOVE that feeling, it gives me reassurance and excitement for their arrival.

Here are my stats so far:
21 weeks.
13.5 lbs gained.
37 inch waist.

17 weeks along.

Well, my belly has certainly popped out faster for this pregnancy. I guess I don't have the strong ab muscles like I used to before Arlo and Josiah were born:) We found out last week that we are having a boy and a girl.....I seriously couldn't be happier. I've already been to the consignment shop and bought her a few outfits and some hairbows at a craft fair. And sweet baby boy already has a few Rubbermaids full of clothes from his big brothers. I've been brainstorming about how their nursery is going to look....I'm thinking either yellow or turquoise wall- that way I can decorate each crib area any way I want. I would live to hear suggestions.

Conception

Well, our biggest news lately is the announcement of baby #4 & baby #5, coming this July.  Since making the “official” announcement on Facebook about two hours ago, I have received many messages/comments/texts with Congratulations from friends. I can read it in their words though, everyone is thinking “HOW did this happen???! Was this on purpose? Did you use fertility? Are you CRAZY?” “I hope it’s at least one girl!”

Answers to your questions: 1.The usual way

                                             2. No

                                             3. No

                                             4. If not, we will be soon.

                                             5. I’m not holding my breath for girls – the odds are against me so far. But yes, I would LOVE to have a daughter, or two. =)

Let’s back up for just a moment….

When it comes to in/fertility issues, I am not a quiet person. But, during my so-called “infertile” years I didn’t really talk about it to anyone other than my family and a few select friends. Jason and I were at BYU surrounded by couples who seemed to all conceive on their honeymoon – I thought we were alone and that no one understood our struggles.  THIS IS NOT TRUE! As I began talking with other women years later, I realized that this is a very common trial that couples endure. 

I don’t advertise our fertility struggles, but I am ALWAYS happy to share my experiences with others. Most people who know me, also know that we used in-vitro-fertilization to conceive all three of our children. I don’t mind sharing this with others because everyone needs a friend during that scary & emotional process – and I will always volunteer to be that friend. During my in-vitro experience, I did not know anyone who had been through it before and I wish that I had someone who could empathize with me – physically, emotionally & spiritually.

Okay, moving on to the juicy part of my story….

Sooooo, Jason and I had never conceived without medical help. As Jason likes to say so eloquently, “I have to pay another man to get my wife pregnant.”   So, why waste our money with birth control?? It seemed unnecessary, so we never bothered.

Then we got pregnant last August/September – whoops! I had my usual pregnancy symptoms, so I took a pregnancy test – and I cried. I had always had the “luxury” of planning our pregnancies with the doctor and THIS was not planned. I was overwhelmed, but soon I accepted the idea and started making plans. It would be great! They were short-lived plans because I miscarried soon after.  

From past experiences, I knew that it would take a few months for my body to readjust after the miscarriage. So, we carried on with our usual business and I assumed that was a one-time fluke – still no need for birth control.

The night of November 22: Kids were in bed, Jason in the shower & I was putting away one last load of laundry before our trip out of town. I opened the linen closet to put away towels and I noticed an extra pregnancy test in my stash of toiletries. I had an overwhelming feeling come over me “TAKE THE TEST.”  For no reason, other than the prompting, I took the test. It was positive. I told Jason that there was no way it could be correct because I had ZERO symptoms. We spent that night googling possibilities and we came to the conclusion that I still had embryonic tissue on the lining of my uterus (from the September pregnancy/miscarriage) and that it was releasing the hormone that gave me a positive pregnancy test.  So, we made an appointment with the OBGYN the next day and went in for the sonogram. We expected that I would need to have a D & C  - boy, were we wrong.

When the ultrasound tech gave us the news you could have heard a pin drop on the carpet.  And then I cried.

Jason never said a word – stunned silence.

Want to hear the CRAZIER part??? (if that’s possible)….I have the EXACT same due date as I had with my first set of twins!!! Arlo & Josiah were due on July 19 – as are these babies.

So, after almost 2 months of having this knowledge, I think we have accepted the news and started to embrace it.  I’ve been down this twin road before, so I know what to expect – it’ll be a whole lot of work, but an equal amount of fun. Arlo and Josiah are THRILLED beyond words and are hoping for a baby sister. Poor Miles will be the epitome of “the middle child.” (But I think he considers himself a triplet with A&J, so it’ll be fine!)  I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for our family and I am putting my faith in Him. I will be on my knees praying for help a lot this next year, but I know that He has my back.

We are now accepting applications for live-in nanny….anyone crazy enough to apply??

Boys in their Habitat

I LOVE playground photos. 

I feel like they capture the authenticity of a child in his true habitat. Climbing, swinging and jumping come so natural to children; like they were born knowing how to do it. Jason bought a fancy new camera and took it to the park with us recently. He took over 100 photos, but here are a few of my favorite moments. 

(please ignore Arlo's pajamas, I'm not sure why we let him leave the house without clothes! And yes, Josiah wanted to wearing matching clothes with Miles. What crazy mother would let her kids out looking like this? haha, guilty.)