5 kids

For most of last weekend we watched my three nieces.  Overall it was pretty good.  I felt bad for my nieces because we don't have many older toys, but they found a few things to entertain them.  They were all pretty good and helped out when I asked them too.  Only Michael seemed to have a tough time, but he loves his cousins so he got over it quickly.

Because of their ages (they are all about two years apart and the youngest is 18 months older than Michael) and the fact that they look like my kids led to some interesting looks and conversations.

Sunday we had a Regional Conference instead of normal church meetings.  We just went to our normal church house, but there were a few wards there.  We got a lot of interesting looks.  I overheard someone in our ward trying to figure out where the extra kids came from.  I'm still not sure if they figured out they weren't ours, or if they think Josh has kids from a previous marriage.

On Monday I had to run to the grocery store and pick up a few things and took them all with me.  People just stared at me and shook their head.  Well, a lot of older ladies smiled, but anyone under fifty just stared wide-eyed.  It probably doesn't help that I'm very obviously pregnant.  When I was checking out the cashier even asked if I knew what I was adding to my brood.  Yup, she called them my brood.  I just told her I didn't know and left, I didn't want to correct her.

So is it when you hit 5 kids that people think you are crazy?  Or is it when they think you are about to have 6 kids?  

Some Nights

Some nights, and pregnancy cravings, call for making granola and brownies.  They taste amazing by the way (thank you Internet).

These brownies were so good and rich that Josh couldn't finish the two I gave him, which if you know how much he loves brownies is amazing!

I made the granola hoping my kids will eat it with yogurt and fruit in the morning so I'm not always making eggs or pancakes.  Once again I can't have milk during my pregnancy, so we avoid cereal or I'm just sick and grouchy all day.

Well...they liked the idea, but didn't like everything mixed together.  Michael wanted his strawberries separate from his yogurt.  Kinda weird, but okay.  Plus I have yummy granola to snack on all day.  So does Michael.  He had me fill up his bowl three times for his snack.

He couldn't even stop eating while he was coloring.  Which is why he now has marker all over his head.  Why is washable marker so easy to get off of furniture and clothes but not skin?

Easter

We've decided I'm the Scrooge of every holiday.  I just don't put in the effort.  Our kids wouldn't have had anything in their Christmas stockings if Josh hadn't decided to buy crackers, candy canes, and plenty of puffs to stuff them with.  Easter wasn't much different.

Luckily, we have family that does fun stuff for our kids.  They had three Easter egg hunts this year.  The first was Saturday morning at my grandparents house.  Elli loved it!  There were plenty of eggs "hidden" on the grass for her to collect.  My grandma always puts change in them, so she was loving shaking them as she ran to pick up more.

 Michael on the other hand was having a really difficult time with the whole thing.  Partially because as soon as everyone was released into the back yard to search he fell face first on some bricks.  But as you can tell he was just more interested in sweeping.

My BIL tried to help him, but he still wouldn't give up the broom

It was a warm day so it shouldn't be a surprise this happened on the way home.

 After very long naps we headed to Josh's grandparents house for another Easter egg hunt.  Instead of money in the eggs there was candy.  Michael suddenly became much more interested, while Elli realized the eggs didn't make as much noise and wasn't as into it.

 What Elli did love was the swing

 Not that you can even tell from this picture.  She says "weee" or "wow" every time she is pushed.

Michael started having meltdowns because I wouldn't let him have a lot of candy.  People kept sneaking him candy.  As you can imagine we had a tantrum on our hands...for a few days following.  Luckily the tantrums stopped a few days ago.

I guess I did do one fun thing for Easter.  Since I didn't get the kids Easter baskets, I decided to make bunny pancakes.  Okay, okay, I made ONE bunny pancake, and it was quickly cut up for Michael to eat.

I didn't get any pictures of the Easter egg hunt my mom had on Sunday.  Both of my kids seemed to get it at this point.  Michael found his eggs and snuck away to eat all of his candy before I could take it away.  Elli was teething once again so she ate her eggs for dinner (which were all yogurt melts).

Point of this story?  Thanks family for doing things on holidays so I can pretty much put zero effort into every holiday.

Conversations with Crumpets

Michael has said some funny things lately.  Unfortunately most of them happen to be bathroom related.

Talking into his toy phone
Michael:  Hello
Me:  Who are you talking to?
Michael:  Brookey
Me:  What are you talking about?
Michael:  Poop!

Me:  Michael what is that?
Michael:  A choo-choo
Me:  That's what it says, what is it?
Michael:  A train
Me:  What does the train do?
Michael: Poop!

Me:  Michael did you poop?
Michael:  No
Me:  Then what's that smell?
Michael:  Elli pooped
Me:  Elli did you poop?
Elli:  Poop!
Yup, my little girl already knows how to say poop because of him


Another obsession he has is with Frozen, which I still can't understand since he has only seen the movie three times.

Me:  Michael what movie do you want to watch?
Michael:  Frozen!  Let it go, let it go!

Michael:  Wanna watch Charlie
Me:  No, we're reading Harry Potter
Elli:  Pott-ott
Me:  See, Harry Potter
Michael:  Wanna watch Frozen!  Wanna build a snowman!  Let it go, let it go!


Elli has been saying a bunch of words lately too

Me:  Elli come here
Elli:  Elli (Elli-ee)
Me:  Yeah Elli!  That's you name!
Michael:  No Elli-ee, Elli-ee
Me:  No, Elli
Michael:  No Elli-ee!

Me:  Please put down your Arthur book
Michael:  No want Arthur book
Elli:  Arthur book!
Josh and I:  What??
Elli:  Arthur book! (said perfectly)
Michael:  No Elli, my Arthur book


If you've been around Michael lately you know that he narrates his life and talks in third person.  Also, he thinks he has a baby in his tummy like me, and he thinks he's always hurt.  We hear the following constantly:

• "My baby hurt me"
• "My baby kick me"
• "Michael hurt me"
• "Michael hurt my knee"
• "Elli hurt me, Elli hurt Michael"
• "No Elli!  That my baby tummy!" (referring to his own tummy)

I'm just happy Elli is starting to talk a little bit more and join in some of these conversations.

4 years later...

This is very long, like most of my posts :P, so skip through if you want to.

A lot of my facebook friends that I went to high school with are all posting about graduating.  Some are married, most aren't, and none of the others that have a kid are graduating.  It's bittersweet for me.

I never pictured myself getting married young.  For one reason or another I always thought I'd get married when I was around 30.  Of course that dream of mine involved me going to Medical School so it made a lot more sense.

When I did get married at 18 I rethought my plan a little.  We would both go to school and graduate, then think about having kids.  I even researched the easiest years in Medical School and found that between first and second year was probably the easiest time (not that it would be easy in any way) to have a child.  Right before your first year you could be moving across the country, and I had to think about Josh getting a job.

Well, Josh and I both had a really strong impression we were meant to have a child.  In fact, it was more of a slap in the face.  So six months after being married we really discussed it and what it would mean for our plans for the future.

I should add a little about Josh here.  Josh knew exactly what I planned for my life when we got married.  He knew I wanted to wait five years to have a baby, and he was fine with that, especially since I would only be 23, and he would only be 27.  As far as me working though, we never saw eye-to-eye on this.  We both knew we wanted someone home with the kids, but didn't know how we would make that work.  He always wanted a large family, but knew that I never planned on one.  Somehow we both got married knowing we could possibly spend years and years fighting over this.

After a month or two of discussing the logistics, especially financially, we dived in.  It took a whole day for me to get pregnant.  When we did the math we knew this wasn't just a fluke, we were meant to have a baby.

Well we had Michael.  A mixture of postpartum and looking at our future plans again led us to having another baby.  Five months later we were pregnant again.  Elli was born and we examined our plans again.  At this point we still felt it was possible for me to be a doctor.  We saw that I could stay home with the kids until Josh was done with school then I could finish, just a few years behind schedule.

Months passed and we didn't look at our plans again.  In fact, we avoided that discussion completely.  One day I joked that we should just get off birth control for a month and see if we got pregnant.  If we did it was meant to be, if not we were done.  We both realized that we had been thinking the same thing, we weren't done, but we didn't know what to do.  Without thinking about future plans, we decided to have another baby.

When I got a positive pregnancy test Josh didn't know how to respond.  He was happy, but scared that I would be upset about our future plans not working out.  To his surprise I was very excited.

That positive sign has changed a lot for me.  I've given up my dream of being a doctor.  All of my future plans are gone.  Who knows when I'll go back to school.

When I see a new post related to graduation I'm not jealous anymore, I'm not sitting around thinking about when it will be my turn.  Lately every graduation post has made me happy that I'm a mom.  I could have put off having kids, but what would I have gained?  Eventually I'll get a degree, so I don't really see that counting against me.  I could have maybe gone to Europe.  I'd probably own nice clothes and a new car.  I possibly could have been the same size I was in High School.  But what would I have lost?

I would lose Michael running into my room every morning with a wet kiss and telling me to wake up.  I would lose Elli's cute giggles every time she pulls a sock out of a drawer.  I would lose feeling this third baby move around every time Michael and Elli attempt to sing 3 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.  I'd lose Michael telling me every letter he recognizes on every sign.  I'd lose laughing every night at the crazy position Elli decides to sleep in.  I'd lose a million little things that mean a lot more to me than any future plans.

So four year later I can honestly say I'm glad I'm not graduating.  I'm glad we chose the path we did.  What would I do without these cute kids?

Puny Piano Players

I'm trying to be more creative with my titles, can you tell?

Last week after my midwife appointment we stopped by my in-laws house and hung out for a little while.  Michael, like normal, asked to play the piano.  This time Elli decided to play too.

The best part was Michael "playing" Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  He loves to just hit random notes and play along to his singing.  He also like to "play" Once There Was a Snowman.  Elli just enjoyed hitting random notes and dancing a little here and there.

Where do they get this love of playing the piano?  I can guarantee it's not from me.  When I was there age I'm pretty sure I ran from the piano.  There is only one picture in existence that shows a toddler me sitting nicely at the piano and playing it, but I was looking off towards the TV.  Maybe it's one of those things that skips a generation.

Hopefully in the next few years we can get them a piano.  Until then they will probably continue to ask every grandma if they can play theirs.

Late walkers

As you probably noticed, walkers was plural.  Yup, we have two kids walking now!  

A week ago today I stood Elli up and frankly told her she really needs to start walking.  I guess she decided to listen to me because she took ten wobbly, but good steps.  Later when Josh was home she pulled up on the couch and took twenty steps around the living room.  

She is walking everywhere now and can push herself up off the ground to get started.  She loves walking and isn't too far from running.

I guess I just produce late walkers.  Both of my kids haven't started walking until 14 months.  Michael was late sitting up and crawling, but Elli hit those milestones early, so I don't know what causes my late walkers.  Michael didn't walk until Elli was born.  I think he realized he wasn't going to be carried much anymore.  For Elli it was realizing that my huge belly isn't that fun to be wrapped around.  

Can I just tell you how grateful I am that I have small kids?  I can't imagine carrying around a 30lb child right now.  

So here are a couple of pictures.  Every time I tried to take her picture she would grab onto the couch.  This might be as difficult as trying to catch her smiling on camera.

Bunk bed builder

With baby #3 on the way there are very few things we need.  When Elli turned one we bought another forward facing car seat, so that is taken care of.  The only thing we had left was a bed for the baby to sleep in.  Well, we needed to get a bed for Michael so we could bump everyone up a bed.  We decided to go the bunk bed route because we figure with three kids two of them will share a room.  For a while we've been looking at bunk beds and trying to decide what we wanted to do.  We finally decided to go with an IKEA bunk bed that was unpainted/unstained wood.  We then stained it a very light grey color.  Last Sunday we finally put it together, and Michael enjoyed helping

He kept putting the long screws into random holes and using his toy hammer to hammer the bed.  He also has a toy drill he kept trying to use.  Needless to say whenever we needed another screw we played a game of I-Spy.  

We bought a dresser and nightstand that we still need to stain and put together, so when the room is done I'll post a picture of that.  Last week we had some friends staying with us and we gave up staining anything.  This week Josh has to finish up his senior project so I doubt we'll do any work on it unless I decide to tackle that as part of my nesting (which started a few days ago).  

The only downfall about the bed is that it doesn't seperate.  We can make it work because we'll always have two kids of the same gender, but it would be nice to seperate them if we needed too.  We were able to put it up without the rungs on the ladder so Michael can't climb up anything.  Even though it doesn't come apart, you can't beat spending less than $500 on a bunk bed, dresser, nightstand, and mattress!