The Weekend of all weekends

We had a very busy week this week with Jon's graduation from the BYU MBA program (hey-oh!!!), the Easter egg hunt, Easter, and spending time with family.  Jon had finals up until the day before he graduated so we really didn't get to breathe until Sunday afternoon when we ate Easter dinner with my family at Laura's house.

Jon's graduation was at 8am and he had to be there at 7am to line up with the rest of the graduates which left me with gathering the kids, toys, candy, movies, etc. to keep them busy during the long ceremony.  I parked as close as I could to the Marriott Center where the graduation was held but I still ended up carrying Sophie on my hip, dragging Jonah by one hand, and carrying two kid's backpacks, a diaper bag, and my camera in the other arm for about a half mile uphill.  I got many pitiful looks on the way up and even one lady cheered me on as if I were finishing a marathon.  That's kind of what it felt like, too!

The ceremony was beautiful and I cried the second I sat down long enough to look at all the people gathered.  My mom and dad drove all the way from Colorado the night before to be there for us and that meant the world to me. 

Thank goodness for snacks, candy, iPods, and grandparents to distract.  They really were very good though.

Jon's dad is a professor in the Humanities department at BYU and had his robes on from his alma mater on Saturday.

After the ceremony, we had a little family luncheon at our house and basked in the graduation glory and relief.

Saturday brought the annual neighborhood Easter egg hunt and the kids had a blast.  Jonah kept saying he wanted to get at least 60 eggs (the limit was 5).  You can imagine future soccer games in our family by the display at the hunt:  me screaming, "Go, Go!!  Faster!!  Look here, here!!" and then hurriedly ushering them back to the starting line where the first 3 kids to collect their 5 eggs one a solid chocolate bunny.  Sophie took third and Jonah took First in his age group.  I was so proud!! ;)  Jon said he always knew I was a pageant mom.

On Sunday, we packed up our homemade rolls and chocolate mousse and headed to Laura's for Easter dinner.  We dyed some eggs while the funeral potatoes finished cooking.  The kids lost interest in about 3 minutes but Jon and I enjoy dying them even more so we didn't mind.

My dear sister broke out her scissors and master hands and gave Sophie, Jonah and I new hairdos.  I'm forever in Laura's debt for the constant mullet prevention she does with my growing-out phase.  

Before

 

After (ADORABLE!)

Before

After (tough guy, I can hardly get him to smile anymore unless I say, "Boogers and Poop!!" before snapping the shot)

And at last, I had Jon take another belly shot this week.  I had my 27 week appointment on Friday and the girls sounded good.  They've been moving a ton and often keep mommy up at night or during attempted naps.  I'm measuring at 36 weeks so you can imagine my eagerness to be done (even though I still have 10 or 11 weeks left).  We went to the mall on Saturday and one little girl pulled her mom's sleeve and said, "Whoa!! Mom, look!!!"  Then one kid in primary said, "Wow! Sister Bush has a ball in her shirt!"  Yes, thank you, kids!  Honestly though, I didn't mind.  I think the same thing each time I look in the mirror.

27 Weeks with Twins

37 Weeks with Sophie

It really was the most wonderful weekend (sugar highs and crashes included).  And now a tribute to my awesome husband:  Jonathan worked so hard these past 2 years and even before his MBA to make sure he was doing the right thing and going to the right school and getting the best experience possible to support our family.  I watched him take on challenge after challenge and he morphed into an even more amazing husband and father than he already was.  I'm so proud to have him next to me and am overwhelmed by gratitude to our Heavenly Father who, no doubt, made miracles to get us through school.  Our parents and family are also indispensable in our success these last few years and we owe them big time!  I love you Jonathan!

Staying Busy

Every once in a while the Good Mom in me comes out and I try to do fun activities with my kids.  So often these past few months my kids have only had the company of the Crabby Mom.  Here are a few things we've been up to:

Bunny Ears!

This provided hours of fun for my kids.  We saw these on the Sprout channel and I thought they were so cute and decided I'd try to be patient enough to make them with my kids.  They hopped around for days afterwords, chasing each other and laughing (a welcome sound at any time).

Wrestling Daddy!

Poor Jon has been absolutely slammed with finals and projects and homework.  I'm sure he's wanted nothing more than to come home to his bed and sleep but being the amazing dad he is, he let's his kids climb all over him and wrestles with them for a good half while I finish up dinner.  I've been fairly fragile lately, keeping me from the more aggressive playing with my kids.  My belly is sensitive and in the way and my back feels like it's about to snap in half.  Luckily, I just purchased a maternity belt which should make these last few months a bit easier.

"Camping"!

I'm going to pretend it's the weather and my belly keeping us from a real camping trip (instead of the real reason I'm now terrified of camping with my kids).  This was a great way to ease the seemingly constant stressful atmosphere in our home and the kids had a blast!  The best part about it, besides the s'mores with dark chocolate, was the fact that we got to go inside, have baths, and sleep in our own beds!

25 Weeks

I've been going to the doctor every 2 weeks since I hit 20 weeks but still only have an ultrasound every 4 weeks.  I will never get over how wonderful it is to see these babies growing.  My summation of a twin pregnancy thus far is that it IS very different from a singleton.  The main differences are the size of my belly and the constant movement of the babies in separate parts of my belly.  I'm much more worn out at this point when usually I'm feeling fantastic at 25 weeks.  I'm getting very uncomfortable at night and have to get up at least 2 times to pee!  Jon's mom volunteered to buy me a maternity belt because she "doesn't want to see my belly dragging on the floor!"  That tells you just how pregnant I look. 

It is strange feeling "done" when I know I have three months to go.  I'm anxious to be more comfortable again but LOVE being pregnant simply for the miracle of it.  Plus, I'm not anxious for these girls to come out early.  I want to avoid the NICU at all costs and if that means being immobile for the last few weeks and so uncomfortable that I can't sleep at all, I'll do it!

This was our first ultrasound where we didn't get to take home any pictures but the girls looked beautiful and are growing wonderfully.  The doctor estimated Baby A to be 1lb 11oz and Baby B to be 1lb 10oz.  Can't ask for better growth in twins!

I forgot to ask Jon to take a belly shot so we'll have to settle with a self-portrait.  It doesn't exactly show the girth but it's what a see when I look down. ;)

25 Weeks

Hey look, it's Spring!

We had a few beautiful days last week to go to the park and play.  I took the camera along for one of them.

Cafe Rio for the poor

We've been watching our pennies lately which makes it difficult to spend money on going out to eat.  There's only so much you can do with chicken and rice and I even made Jon go get the propane refilled because I needed another way to cook and add flavor.  We grilled for 3 days straight and it was delicious.  It came time again to throw something else into the mix yesterday so I decided to throw some chicken in the crock pot with some green enchilada sauce that we happened to have on hand.  I added a few fresh garlic cloves, some cumin, and some red chili powder.  I shredded it about 2 hours before we ate and busied myself making the pico de gallo and guacamole.  I also whipped up some cilantro, lime rice.

Not only was it lovely to eat, it was lovely to look at!  It wasn't quite the same as Cafe Rio but it was a good loose interpretation of the real thing and was very satisfying!

Pregnancy Must-Haves

I've found that a few things are absolutely vital to my survival and happiness during pregnancy.  In no particular order:

1. My Kindle - I've spent more and more time on my bed with my feet up during this pregnancy than my others and my Kindle is always in my hands!! How nice to be rid of the stack of books on my dresser.  I even read my scriptures from my Kindle every night. LOVE it!
2. Ice Water - It's always been difficult for me to drink enough water but now it always sounds good to me.  There's nothing like a giant cup of ice water to keep me feeling refreshed throughout the day.
3. MAC Studio Fix Powder and Concealer - Some lucky ladies get that "pregnancy glow" but I get the "pregnancy blotches" instead.  I hate heavy makeup and never wear foundation.  These products give me just enough cover to look normal and cover the dark circles without being a greasy mess.
4. Fruit - Luckily, I'm always craving a good piece of fruit.  Don't get me wrong, I still need my chocolate and the occasional candy but often if I eat a piece of fruit first, I feel satisfied!
5. Jonathan - With only 13 weeks left to go (can you believe it??) I'm starting to slow down and have needed my honey's help much more lately.  He has been a wonderful support and partner through it all.  He'll often make me lie down while he bathes the kids and puts them to bed.  He lets me nap if I'm super tired and he's not drowning in homework.  I love this guy!

What are some things you can't live without?

The first of many this year

You might think there was something going around the Green/Bush families when you hear the number of babies joining our families this year.  On the Green side, 4 of the 5 of us girls are pregnant.  That means there will be 5 new babies this year, starting with Audra who is due in just a few days.  Then there's me and the twins, Laura and her second baby, and Annie with her third in October!  For the Bush side, we've got Melissa who just had a beautiful baby boy this week, me (with the two), and Natalie with her fourth in August. 

Grand Total: 7 babies

My sweet sister-in-law, Melissa, had her sixth little bundle of joy a few days ago on the 30th of March.  He is so precious.  Melissa found out after a few months of her pregnancy had passed that the baby had Down Syndrome.  He also has clubbed feet, meaning his feet rotate inward at his ankles (the cutest little feet you've ever seen).  Needless to say, it's been a difficult journey for her and her family to adjust to the reality but what a blessing that little boy is!  He's been in the NICU since he was born trying to gain his strength and things are looking really good for him.  Jon and I were able to drive up to the hospital yesterday to visit them and to see the baby (he's still nameless ;) ).  Melissa had requested that I be there at the birth to document for them but that little guy decided to come a few days earlier than scheduled!  

Being in the NICU was a new experience for me.  If you've never visited one before, here are a few things I observed.  First, you have to scrub in (yes, I was living my Grey's Anatomy fantasy).  Being in the NICU is an emotional thing.  All of these babies wouldn't have had a chance 100 years ago.  It's a miraculous thing.  It's kind of a solemn, peaceful place with dimmed lights and angel nurses tending to these little, tiny humans--some with feet no bigger than my big toe.  I'm grateful that those babies and families have the second chance a NICU offers.  I also know that I don't ever want my babies to have to go there.  It's emotionally draining and difficult to see your tiny baby with countless tubes and wires connected to their little body.  It seems unfair.  Looking back on the births of my two kids, I'll always be grateful for those first hours I could spend immediately after birth holding them next to my skin and nursing them and enjoying them.  With NICU patients, most are whisked away immediately after birth to start treatments, often without the mom ever touching them.

Baby McKrola was born on March 30th, 5lbs 9oz.

Welcome to the Bush family, little guy!  We love you!

My Jonah is 4 years old.

We celebrated Jonah's 4th birthday last week.  He's been asking about his birthday for months and each time we'd venture to the store and there happened to be toys, he'd ask for something and I'd have to tell him "Maybe for your birthday!".  Magic words.

Jon and I decided to get Jonah a bigger bike this year because he's been riding a little tiny one we borrowed from Jon's brother and he's outgrown it.  We picked it up the night before Jonah's birthday and Jon put it together while I decorated the kitchen with balloons.  Jon was so excited to be building Jonah's first bike for him.

The next morning we wheeled his new bike out during breakfast and his reaction was classic:

Then he got to ride it when he got home from school that morning.  It is taller than his old bike so he has to learn to hold it up and balance it which makes him nervous.  He did great!


That night we went to Pirate Island with Jon's family to celebrate and Jonah was so excited!  I don't think I've ever seen him so excited about something before.  The kids had a great time playing games and I had a great time sitting and watching and eating pizza!

We celebrated with cake and ice cream on Sunday with Jon's family.  I asked Jonah what kind of cake he wanted and for a while it was a "bowling cake" but I was able to convince him to have something a little more age appropriate (all the bowling cakes I saw pictures of online also said, "Happy 80th!").  Jonah decided on a Knuckles cake (Sonic and Knuckles).  After a few minutes of free-hand drawing the cake, I worried I'd be frosting over the whole thing with blue frosting instead. 

Happy Birthday, Jonah Boy! We love you!

An Artist Emerges

I've always tried to encourage my children to develop and explore their artistic sides.  I consider myself more of a right-brained person and enjoy expressing creativity (however poorly its done) so I'm always pleased when one of my kids shows me a project they've been working on.

Yesterday was just a normal day and as the afternoon wore on, Sophie woke up from her nap around the usual time.  We've pretty much completed the day-time potty training so when I heard her at her door saying, "I went potty!" I figured she'd done so in her diaper and didn't worry about it.  We haven't quite reached the nap and sleep time training.

When I opened the door, it was as if someone had thrown a ton of bricks constructed completely of POOP right at my face.  I looked down to see a naked Sophie with poop-crusted hands up to the wrists.  All I could say was, "Go get in the bath, now!" to which she responded happily, "OK!"  I found the soiled diaper on the floor, along with a nice giant poop streak on the floor. 

I began gathering up the dirty sheets and blankets nearby and looked up to find another little surprise on one of the twin beds.

I was pretty mad at this point and made sure to get back in the bathroom to tell her how mad I was and how naughty she was.  She responded by asking for more bubbles.

I grabbed some towels and headed back to the room to begin cleanup duty when my eyes lifted from the carpet and up to the walls.  Cave paintings.  Poop smeared everywhere.  Poop on the wicker chair where she stood to reach the walls; poop on the twin bed's comforter; poop flakes on the floor in a visible trail around the bed; poop on the wall on the other side of the bed.

At this point I decided to go back in to the bathroom in another attempt to make her feel guilty (an impossible feat) and soon gave up and decided to growl and groan and mutter under my breath, hoping someone in the cosmos would be listening and understanding my pain.

It took approximately 1 hour, 5 towels, 2 washcloths, 3 paper towels, a good dose of Oxy-Clean, 3 loads of laundry, and finally a sweep over the soiled carpet with the carpet cleaner to remove the putrid smell and remnants of Sophie's artwork.

Proud?  I say, Let's try another medium...maybe crayons on some good, old-fashioned paper.  Shoot, draw me a few nondescript scribbles and I'll secure the means for your very own exhibition and gallery.