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!!

Line up

I am determined to get belly pics to chronicle my pregnancy this time. We tried with the triplets but never got enough so tonight Mark was going to take my 14 week shot and the next thing we knew there was a line up at my belly. I can only imagine how fascinated they will be when I'm really big...

McKenna giving me a little pat.

This one is my favorite, he was particularly interested in my belly button.

Just a sweet pic of McKenna in her jammies.

Back to the chair

Last Christmas Aunt Casey bought the kids the cutest matching sweaters and I was so excited that they finally fit (thanks Aunt Casey!). They looked so cute that we decide it was time to attempt a photo shoot in the chair again. Needless to say no one sat still and this was the best we could do. I love the one where McKenna is moving so fast her little arms are a blur!

A few other pics Daddy took today...

The Watson Salon

Brushing hair is a big hit around here right now, do you need a cut, style or one-year-old to pull your hair??

14 months ago...

So last night I started watching NICU videos, most of them I have never seen. That time was such a blur and it has taken me a long time to even be able to go back and reflect on the long journey we spent there. I came across this video from Thanksgiving last year and it just amazed me that the two babies in this video are the same one-year-olds running around my house right now. Many people didn't see the kids in the NICU so this video is a glimpse at life about a month and a half after they were born. By this time they had doubled their weights since birth, weaned off the ventilators and lost their iv's. So even though they look so tiny and fragile this is nothing compared to where they started. Amazing, amazing, amazing...

The best Christmas present

We had an extra surprise this Christmas, here is the video of the babies telling Mark all about it. I apologize in advance for the semi-swearing, Mark said apparently he reverts to street slang when he is in shock :)

Christmas 2008

We had a great Christmas this year. Last year the babies had just gotten home from the NICU so this year brought us plenty of time to reflect on how far they have come. It is just amazing to have two little toddling, babbling people running around our house each day. I do have to get a little better at watching this many kids open presents though. I spent many years watching Ashlyn's every move on Christmas morning and now I need eyes in the back of my head to keep up with all of the gift opening (and wrapping paper eating)!

In the same spot, for a second, checking out a new toy.

Ashlyn with her favorite Christmas present

Knock, knock, can I come in??

Posing with our gingerbread house... we improvised a little on the decorations :)

McKenna with her new baby stroller, she's such a big girl!

I bought Mark a new camera for Christmas and he has taken some great pictures. Here are a few of my favorites...

McKenna's first glimpse of all the presents under the tree.

Parker peeking at his presents

Christmas morning

No caption necessary :)

We have a walker...

McKenna took her first steps this week, the more she tries the braver she gets. I can't believe she is old enough to walk. It was a year ago this week we brought her home after 70 long days in the NICU. She has come so far. By the way, the background "whine" is Parker who was helping me videotape.

Finally, the chairs!

Aunt Nancy made the cutest chairs for the babies' birthday and, I am embarrassed to say, we are just now getting pictures of them with the chairs. I've tried on my own a few times but we always lose a chair, a baby... something before I could get a good picture so while Mark was home today we got a few good ones. Thanks again Aunt Nancy!
Look how cute we are...


Okay they never stand this still and they never pose, I think Mark just happened to get them at the exact second I stood them there. It looks like we have such well-behaved children :).

Happy McKenna

Having fun on the couch

Lots of fun!

Okay, you have to know this video is cute since I am showing myself in pjs with no makeup on for it. They are just so adorable, always next to each other, and now they have found a way to push their toys together. Although if one falls by the wayside the other one just keeps on trucking with the toy... we still have to work on that :)

Oh and if you are waiting for a cute Christmas picture card from us this year, you may have to wait another year. After about 10 failed attempts at getting a good picture of all of the kids I think we may have to give up on it this year. Here is the best of the worst... don't look at the laundry in the background, I think I was so busy just trying to get them all to pose that I lost track of the scenery... and yes, those are Ashlyn's glasses in Parker's hand!

Here's a cute one of Ashlyn, she was the only one who would pose, only after bribery though :)

We want to play outside!

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving over Nana and Papa's house. The kids didn't know what to do with themselves at first because they haven't been out of the house much since RSV season started but they quickly realized there was lots of exploring to do and made themselves right at home. Parker decided to entertain everyone with kissing and some very exaggerated spitting, I managed to get a few minutes of McKenna talking too but Parker had to steal the show again with more spitting...



Parker eating his first Thanksgiving dinner, Daddy couldn't feed him fast enough, he loved it!

McKenna with Mommy at the dinner table. The only thing we could get her to eat was a roll but at least she was smiling. She did love the fancy glasses though!

Parker with Papa, back for round two of turkey.

Nana gave McKenna some pearls to keep her happy and she loved them, she kept them on for hours.

Playing drums on Nana's coffee table, notice the pearls are still on, Daddy's in big trouble with this little princess!

Parker helping Ashlyn with her word search, he had his eye on her mechanical pencil.

Kisses

McKenna has the cutest way of kissing Parker. We have been trying to catch it on video for ages and I finally caught it. Whenever we say kisses he just leans his head in and waits for one. It is so sweet...

Goofing around

My kids are turning into nuts at the dinner table. For some reason as soon as they are in their highchairs they start putting on a show. Always looking for a good photo op I grabbed the camera before dinner last night and sure enough the show began...

Parker waving at the camera,

and doing any other move he can think of to keep the camera on him.

McKenna being a goofball...

no that is not a barrette, it's a piece of ravioli that she was very proud to have stuck in her hair.


We also had a fun visit with Aunt Casey, Uncle Keith and cousin Gracie this weekend. Parker loved Gracie's curly hair and kept trying to put his hands in it. They are going to have a blast growing up together especially with Gracie's new brother or sister on the way.


Sitting (sort of) with their big cousin Gracie.

"We are Parker and McKenna and our mom won't stop matching our clothes." I really have a problem with this. I buy clothes I don't even like just because they coordinate. I promise I will stop before they hit grade school, well, unless they still want to match of course :)