Easter in May and 30 weeks

So I am finally getting around to posting our pictures from Easter weekend. How terrible is that?? You would think with all of the bed rest I would have plenty of time but I tend to just move from bed to couch with two little toddlers at my side and then spend my evenings in Ashlyn's room laying on her bed doing homework or playing games. The bedrest has been well worth it because I have finally made it to 30 weeks!! We are very happy to be at this point but hoping for as many more days or weeks as we can get. Thanks to everyone for their support and to my wonderful husband for keeping our crazy household going each day.

On to the Easter pics (no pictures of big sister Ashlyn because she was just starting to get that terrible flu bug that went through our house)...

Visiting with cousin Gracie

The little girls

Two little monkeys jumping on the bed

Pretty McKenna

Handsome Parker

Sitting with Nana (I love the look on his face!)

Waiting, so patiently, for their Easter baskets from Nana and Papa

Easter egg hunt

My favorite picture from the day

29 weeks!

Believe it or not we have made it one more week. I am 29 weeks now, 2 days further than I was when I delivered the triplets, and feeling a little bit more hopeful that we can make it a few more weeks rather than just a few more days. I received a good report from the high risk doctor on Friday. The baby is growing well and my body is holding steady since our scare last week. Thanks so much to all of our family who helped us get through my first week of bedrest. Thanks to my parents, brothers and Aunt Sandy and Marianne for watching the kids and helping with the house and to Aunt Nancy for the great meals. We couldn't have done it without you!! We have a sitter starting this week and I'm sure all of you have been counting the days :)

On another note, the kids were starting to get bored with all of their baby toys so Daddy bought them a play kitchen this weekend. They LOVE it and have spent the whole weekend opening and shutting doors and chewing on pretend food. Thanks Daddy! Here are a few pics...

A walk and a rainbow

Our family walked as a team for the March for Babies this past weekend. I was so disappointed not to be able to go but was amazed by all of the "Watson Walkers" who showed up to raise over $1000 for the March of Dimes. After we lost Hadley my biggest fear was that somehow she would be forgotten and that Mark and I would be the only ones to remember her and the short life she had here with us. Seeing all of the pictures from the walk with Hadley's name on the back of everyone's shirts was overwhelming to me. She has not been forgotten and her memory continues through everyone that has followed us on this journey. I wish that I could explain how important this is to me, as a loss mom, it is all that I could ever ask for from the people who love us.

Ever since Hadley passed rainbows have been a symbol for me to know that she is with us. Whenever I am having a really tough time or just aching for some sign that she is near I see a rainbow. The minister who performed Hadley's memorial told me that rainbows mean "I am here." After the walk, when the day was winding down we looked out our back window and there was a huge rainbow over our lake. We could see the whole thing from beginning to end right in our backyard. And she was here.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to the Watson Walkers:

Nana & Papa
Uncle Kyle and Aubrey
Uncle Brett
Aunt Marianne and Amanda
Aunt Sharon and Ashley
Aunt Mo
Sue and Kara
Kelli and Ava
Michelle, Rick and Jeffrey
and of course my amazing husband and kids


Daddy and McKenna

Ashlyn walking for her little sister, I couldn't be more proud!

Daddy and Parker

Our family sign


The Watson Walkers, we love you guys!!

Update on the next Watson

Well first I will start with the good news:
- I am 28 weeks pregnant today
- The baby is doing well
- I am at home

Now here's the rest of the story... this past week I ended up in Labor & Delivery. I got the flu and ultimately went into labor. I was admitted and things slowly got under control but lost what little cervix I had left. I was sent home Friday on strict bedrest so we are now just taking things day by day. After all we went through with the triplets we were really hoping for a semi-normal pregnancy this time but it turns out that is not going to be the case. We are working on arrangements for the day to day care of everyone around here and trying to keep things as normal as possible. So far the kids are all hanging in there, probably better than we are! We would appreciate it if everyone could keep this little one in your thoughts. I have already told Parker and McKenna to talk to my stomach and explain to their little brother or sister that the first couple months are no fun out here if you decide to come this early!

Many thanks to our friends and family for your support and a very special thank you to my parents, brothers and Aunt Marianne, Sandy & Nancy. I don't know what we would do without all of you. I continue to be amazed by your love and support for us.

Sick, sick, sick

I would love to post our Easter pics because we have some great ones but right now the flu has invaded our house. Poor Ashlyn has been sick, sick, sick. She has had a terrible flu since last Friday and by Monday our pediatrican took one look at her and sent us to the ER because she needed rehydrated through an IV. She has been a toughy though and did great with her IV and everything else she had to go through at the hospital. Well just when she was starting to perk up and we thought we had gotten through it without it spreading to the rest of the house McKenna started with the same syptoms. So far she is staying hydrated, thank goodness, but is battling a high fever. So back to the pediatrician we went. She gave us the okay to send Ashlyn back to school (Ashlyn was VERY happy about this, she almost jumped off the exam table) and confirmed that McKenna has the same. So we are hoping for two things right now... a fast recovery for McKenna and no flu for the rest of the family! Parker moves so fast that maybe there is no time for any germs to hit him :)
Hopefully Easter pics will be up before Christmas!

18 months old!

Today the babies are 18 months old... it has been an amazing year and a half. Parker and McKenna have grown into thriving, healthy little people and are more than we could have ever hoped for and, as always, we miss our little Hadley and wish she was here to celebrate this milestone with us too.
Here's is what our toddlers are up to now:

McKenna
24 lbs. 1 oz, 32 inches tall
Words-Mommy, Daddy, Parker ("parpur"), Sissy ("sushi"), apple, cheese, cracker, turkey, chicken, milk, up, down, all done, again, eat, ball, bath, bye bye, go, eww, more, "baa baa" for sheep, "moo" for cow, "baby peepee" whenever one of them stinks :)
Signs- more, all done, eat and milk



Parker
20 lbs. 1 oz, 30 inches tall
Words- Mommy, Daddy, bye bye, apple, turkey, cheese, ball, bath, up, "baa baa" for sheep, "moo" for cow, eww
Signs- more, all done, eat, milk and baby

Bye, bye

The past few days McKenna been gathering things that we need to go somewhere and then saying "bye, bye" over and over. Yesterday she followed me around the kitchen dragging the diaper bag behind her for the longest time. The girl is determined! Well this morning she saw my vest and had to have it on and then wanted my purse too because she had decided, once again, we were going "bye bye." She walked around the house all morning like this and was thrilled with herself. Thank goodness Daddy was home, he took her for a little drive so she could finally go "bye bye."

Dancing Machines

The kids are turning into great little dancers. They love music and stand in front of the cd player bobbing up and down until I turn it on. I caught their moves on camera tonight but watch closely, it doesn't last long and doesn't exactly look like dancing either :)


Ms. Teenager FINALLY let me get a picture or two of her tonight. She's so grown up!

Ashlyn and Parker showing his silly face.

"Hmmm, how quickly can my hands on those glasses?"

Bye!!

Happy St. Patty's Day

We finally had another nice day this weekend so we headed over to the park. Our poor kids have been inside for so long they had no idea what to do. They figured it out quickly though and in no time Parker was helping himself to all of the wood chips he could eat! They had their cute St. Patty's Day shirts on so I thought I would pull up their picture from St. Patrick's Day last year. Amazing that this was just a year ago...

5 months old

17 months old!

Saying "hi" from atop the slide

Traffic jam at the bottom

Walking with Daddy... I think this is one of my favorite pictures ever!

The Squealer

Squealing has become a favorite activity in our house, before we could turn the camera on they were both squealing back and forth but by this point Parker was the only one still going... surprise, surprise!!

Outside!

It was finally nice enough to take the kids outside yesterday and, once they got over the shock of fresh air, they loved it. They ran back and forth over and over again on our deck. It was too cute not to post...


McKenna and her frog prince

Parker just finishing up playing in the dirt

Loving the wind on her cheeks

How do I get down there?

Winter break

The kids are doing great and keeping us busy as always. Mark is off for the whole week which is great. Ashlyn is enjoying her winter break too and got to come with me for an ultrasound yesterday. She was excited to see her new brother or sister and was really fascinated by the whole thing. It was great to have her there. We got a great report on the baby's growth and an "okay" report on how my body is handling this pregnancy. I'm not sailing through as I had hoped to but am hoping to at least stay out of the hospital until it is time to deliver this time. As for the babies, it is a whole new ball game over here since Parker started walking! Here are a few recent pics...


Their new favorite thing to do, run around with pjs on their heads!

I think this is the binky-transe look.

Happy McKenna

Looking for trouble...

Struttin' her stuff

Names, please!

We are really stuck on names this time around so would love some ideas. Mark and I can't seem to agree on any. I like names that are a little bit different but not too out there and Mark, well he likes the same names he liked when I was pregnant with the triplets that I still don't like. So help us, send comments with names... thanks!

Superbowl Sunday

Daddy put both kids in Parker's football shirts for Superbowl Sunday and here are a few pics. Yes, my daughter looks like a total boy, thank goodness for the barrette. Later in the day she even ended up in a pair of camouflage pants. She was a little crabby today and I swear it was because she didn't agree with her outfit selection... my little Ms. Priss! Oh, I should add, our new camera takes great black and whites so hope you don't mind we aren't in color :)

We tried for a 16 week belly pic and it turned into a big event again. This is my favorite shot, Parker is checking out McKenna's tummy while she is looking at mine...

Daddy, daddy, daddy...

Last night Mark and I were going through a baby name book trying to agree on even one name for the next little Watson. So as we were scanning the "M's" we came across the meaning for McKenna:

McKenna- daughter of the handsome man

Well this was all my husband (the man who gives himself a pat on the back for changing a diaper) needed to feed his ego. It's been more than 12 hours and I am still hearing about it... "McKenna, come see your handsome Daddy, Parker, you are the son of a handsome man etc, etc, etc." The comments go on and on (insert eye roll here).

In all seriousness though, Mark is a phenomenal daddy. My kids truly could not have anyone better. He has become a more wonderful dad to our children than I could have ever imagined. We have made it through the most awful thing a parent should ever go through and his strength and support have carried me through it all. Not many people can say that their marriage was stronger after suffering the loss of a child but ours is and it is because of his continued love and support of me through the good times and bad. He is truly a hands-on father and I know there are million things he does now that he would have never imagined himself doing doing a few short years ago. How his life has completely changed, but I know he loves and appreciates every minute. I can't wait to bring one more little Watson to this "handsome" Daddy. We love you!

Everyone's walking

Parker is walking! He started just how we thought he would, one minute he was taking a step or two every now and the next thing we know he is off and almost running. His walk is almost more of a dance, he sort of waddles side to side to keep himself up and gain momentum. Go Parker!!