Playing at the Day Break Park

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Weekend at Erin's

We had so much fun spending the weekend with Erin.  The kids had so much fun playing on the big pile of sand, and digging in the sand, and throwing the sand everywhere and at each other!

When I called and invited myself down, Erin hesitated because she was going to get a sitter and go out with her hubby for dinner and a movie.  I jumped at the chance to watch them and Chloe was so excited to be able to help babysit!  They were so much fun and since we had just been down for Hannah's baptism, Jack didn't cry when he saw me.  I think he might have even remembered me!!!

I think Josh is thinking, "Oh, no!  They caught us trying to each the fire place ashes again!"

Uncle Kendall got out Sam's bow and he showed us he knew what he was doing!

I loved his tongue in this picture:

He was nice enough to give both kids a try, under careful supervision:

Sam was shocked that Chloe, a mere girl, new what she was doing!

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Johnson's Day III

WHEELER FARM

The baby geese were so adorable, the kids loved feeding the ducks.

We'll call her Bessie:

Don't worry, He Knows What He's Doing!!!

Chloe's just brave enough to feed the goats LONG pieces of hay and Ethan surprised me by looking too much like a teenager...

These girls just never stopped partying!

Maggie got a little nervous around the pigs, but her favorite Auntie Laura was close by and able to be hugged:

The outhouse was a kick; the kids didn't believe Grandma that people would have gone to the bathroom in a special little house like this:

These two buddies dressed alike today all on their own.  I was so mad that I didn't snap a picture of them as they slept.  Since Chloe was with Hannah, Sam and Seth had a slumber party too and both slept in Sam's bed.  I'm sure they'll be glad we missed that photo opportunity in years to come.

Loved this ladder idea:

And wouldn't you know it, these girls were still scheming and after having lunch at Grandma's they made plans to sleep over, together, again!!!  They were so excited to spend some quality time with Grandma!

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Johnson's Day II

Becky and Laura came over to sew with us and brought the rest of the party, Hannah Jane!  She and Chloe were in heaven together; dancing, singing, and giggling in secret.  They even schemed to spend the night together at Hannah's. 

While Chloe was swimming with Hannah, we went and ate dinner at a park.  The kids had a blast running up and down the big hill and playing on the swings.  Kendall was pushing the kids and decided to palm the bar.  He panned to swing out and land a little ways out after swinging back and forth in between the swings.  But, his hands slipped after his last push and he landed flat on his back in the wood chips.  It was the funniest thing Erin and I had seen all day!  Thanks Kendall!!!  (He was just fine)

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Johnson's Day I

Even though there wasn't any sand yet, this was one of the funnest places to play, under the big shade tree in the back yard ~ Man, I can't wait to have a finished back yard!!!

 Another cute find in Erin's kitchen

 Josh & Jack

They were so much fun, so mellow and happy.  I think I might be able to tell them apart now... Maybe...

 We had some instant entertainment!  The kids were stuck to the sidewalk watching these big machines roll by ever so slowly.  They laid down a center strip then came back on to cover the road in fresh new pavement.  It stunk but they were all enthralled!!!



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Visiting the Johnson's

The plan was to come next week, but there were appointments that we had to avoid.  It seemed weird to finish the last day of school, go and come home from camping, rest on Sunday, then pack our car full to the maximum and head to Erin and Kendall's for a week.  We tried to get there as early as possible, which meant around 11 am...  I like to tease my baby sister that she has the tastes of a 90 year old woman but I had to take some pictures of the cutest things in her house:



I just love this old lamp and its blue shade and the curtains she made:

 

 her mantel is so cute:

 I loved these tulips from Becky and her turquoise lamp base:

 Some of her fabulous art work:

 A door hanger wreath I missed out in making:

 her kitchen shelf:

 More artwork: 

 Follow your own bliss ( From Becky also):

We had planned to craft for days and I started out very sadly.  I had planned to make a scripture bag for Chloe and remembered the instructions but forgot the pattern.  I guess that just gives me more time to hold, snuggle, feed, change, smell, smother, & love the boys!!!

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Twins, Continued

It had been a long day and I was too tired to drive home.  I spent the night at my moms house and borrowed one of Laura's sleeping pills.  I don't know if it was the coldness of sleeping in moms basement or the comfyness of her fabulous bed but I slept until 10:30 AM.  I really needed the rest.  I kind of lost it when the P/R type person came to tell them there was something wrong with Baby A's lungs.  I started to tear up listening to her and before I knew it I was walking out the door.  I made it to a bathroom just as the sobbing and hysterics took over. 

Every time Hannah's has more problems with her kidney's, any time I hear of horrible news of accidents or injuries of my nieces or nephews my mind travels back in time to the horrifying moment the funeral director thought he was being helpful and told us that there would be enough room next to our little Dayna that one other and possibly two babies could fit on her plot, next to her, at the cemetery. 

I know my fears are irrational.  Little Jack is doing well.  His lungs are getting stronger by the hour.  My silent prayers have been continuous and he will be all I think of this fast Sunday.  But I am ashamed and embarrassed that I couldn't stand by my sisters side, supporting her in her time of need.  Instead she lifts me up and once again amazes me with her strength.  She is a Super Woman!

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The twins have arrived!

This is the beautiful woman I saw, once I arrived at her hospital suite. She had freshly painted toenails and had artfully applied her make up with her hair all curled ~ she was in control!

I wanted to be able to sit with my baby sister while she was in labor, waiting and waiting for the contractions to get seriously close. She had an appointment to come in at 6 AM and by the time she got there she had progressed from 1 cm to 3-4 cm's and twenty % thinned or efaced{spelling?}. Scheduled or not, she was in labor!!! I dropped my carpool off and then took Seth to Auntie Kate's {Thanks AGAIN!!!}. By the time I got there it was almost 10 AM and she had already had the epidural in place. In the picture above you can see 6 little black screens. These are all pregnant women hooked up to their monitors with a white line showing the progression of their contractions. The green line shows their sweet babies heart rate just beating as fast as fast can be. But in Erin's screen there was an extra little orange line, she's always had to be special!!!

We played cards and laughed and joked to the rhythmic music of these twin heartbeats. They were still so active and moving around even as confined as they must have been ~ the nurses had to keep coming back into her room to readjust one or more of the three monitors on her robust belly. Kendall won the game of Mormon Bridge and I insist it is because Erin and I were so distracted, it was hard to pay attention... We started watching Meet the Parents and things started to get a little painful. I'm not referring to Ben Stiller's attempts to endear himself to his hopeful in-laws. Erin's epidural seemed to be wearing off. She could feel her toes, then her legs and even her bum. Her contractions were reaching the highest point of measurement on the monitor and although she tried to play it down and was successfully breathing through the contractions, she was in too much pain. She had experienced some contractions like this when she was at home. They didn't come every three to four minutes, the pain and the hardness of her belly stayed constant. Without the rise and fall of the contraction, without a break to catch her breath, she was soon in tears forcing Kendall into action. We quickly saw the anaesthesiologist adding the strongest medicine he would administer to the tubing leading to her spine. He told her he would give her half an hour to make sure this works before they would have to adjust the insertion point in her back...

I don't know how a husband watches a wife, completely helpless. I actually chickened out and switched with my mom. She was watching Sam and Maggie at her house. I needed someone who had no fear and could muscle there way through these medical people to make sure my baby sister was not going through unnecessary pain!!! They broke her water and Kendall left to grab a bite of lunch. He got back and I left for reinforcements. Tommy got to mom's house arround 3:30 PM and he offered to continue watching the kids, so I could head back over. I got there maybe 20 minutes later and as I was approaching her hospital room, I saw the wheels on the foot of her bed roll on out. Followed quickly by a very smiling face. Erin was dialated to 9 cm and completely efaced and ready to start pushing!

They moved her to the OR for more space. Her doctor, a radiologist for ultrasound, two nurses per baby, Kendall and Mom all took their spot to welcome these boys. I had burst into tears of joy and sat down to say a little prayer, pleading for all of their safety. After brushing away the tears, like brushing away the awe I felt, I sprang into action and started to call everyone. Their coming, their coming, it shouldn't be too long! Before I even finished the last call a nurse/worker was returning the bed on wheels to her room. She let me finish the call I was on and told me that the patient would be moving down the hall. I paused and looked at her all silly like and she smiled and said, "I shouldn't tell you but she's delivered both babies and all three of them are doing well." More tears, more joy, more awe. I told the lady I could've kissed her! Just then Kendall's mom and sisters arrived and they helped me move everything to the new room. This is what we saw next:

Sam told everyone that his brothers names were Jack and Egg, this is Sam and Egg!

Maggie has a little cough so everyone she came with needed a cough catcher...  She just wanted to kiss him and hold little Josh so badly!

I missed out on getting any pictures of sweet baby A as he was rushed to the NICU because he had fluid in his lungs.  Mom had already taken Sam and Maggie home when a P/R type Medical Person came to inform us of baby A's status.  He was having problems with his lungs.  Even though she carried these boys for 37 weeks.  Even though he weighed 6 pounds and 3 ounces and measured 17 1/2 inches long.  Even though he came out first and was screaming up a storm, the doctors quickly learned that his lungs weren't fully developed.  He was trying to breath so hard and the effort was getting to be too strong, if he hadn't gotten the assistance he did his lungs might have collapsed because he would have had to have given up. 

Erin and Kendall went to visit him before Grandpa Johnson came back to help give him a blessing.  They knew which names they wanted but needed to see them together to decide who was who.    I called Mom to come back and she arrived just in time to get to go in with them for the blessing.  When they got back to the room they announced that Jack Wayne would have to spend up to a week in the NICU.  There is a miracle drug, Strivectan{spelling?} that helps a great deal.  He has tubes all over for blood pressure, oxygen levels, heart rate, etc.  He has an IV on the side of his little head.  He is slightly sedated and when he isn't being attended to they keep a little cover over his eyes.

Hopefully someone will post a picture of Jack-Jack soon.  He is continuously improving with every visit or phone call made.  Erin also received a blessing and it just amazes me the strength of this young couple and the joy this young family has.  Erin and Kendall lived with Mom and Dad for three years, almost right up to the end and it is a true honor to see Kendall in action.  He is a Super Man.  These boys came exactly four weeks after Dad died and Laura mentioned that her boss suggested we show them pictures of their Grandpa Tom ~ he would bet that these boys would recognise their grandpa from the last four weeks they got to spend with him!!!

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