Bun and Biscuit's birthdays

Today we celebrated Bun and Biscuit's birthdays.  Bun turned 9 and Biscuit turns 2 tomorrow.

Bun, along with Danny's help, grilled hot dogs at the park for dinner.  He also picked up litter to finish one of the last three achievements for his Wolf in Cub Scouts.

All the kids had a fun time playing with sand, playing on the playground, and with bubbles from their goodie bags.

After dinner we came home and for Family Home Evening lesson listened to several examples of children who helped the planet by being humanitarians or environmentalists (the final thing in his Wolf book).  

After FHE, we had birthday cake for refreshments.  Biscuit was especially in awe at all the chocolate on the cake.  Her favorite!

Happy Birthday Bun and Biscuit!

I'm so thankful for children that play together.

I love hearing the chatter of make-believe.

Biscuit (left) loves sitting at this step-stool for snacks or play.  And both Biscuit and Peach love things just their size.

These three play together well too.  This pic was taken at Disneyland a month ago.  Bun, Pookie, and Gabbers were giving their best Cheshire Cat impression.

Admittedly, I'm not always thankful when the twins are doing things together.  Sometimes they get wild ideas. 

Here they are passed out at Disneyland.  Danny got lots of comments from people and some even took a few photos.  Hahaha!

And this Hammy of course, is the middle child. He's my mini-me in many ways-- he doesn't look like me (other than his big head).  He plays with Bun.  He plays with Peach.  He plays with Gabbers.  He plays with the twins.  He plays with whoever is willing.  

I'm so very thankful for the blessing of children getting along.  Those are the days that go much more smoothly.

Bun's big day

Today is Bun's 8th birthday.

Today he will be baptized by his daddy, Danny, and become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He has a testimony of Jesus Christ.  

Bun has been talking about this big day for a few weeks.  Each night has been harder and harder for him to go to sleep.

I am so pleased with his decision and so happy for him that this day has finally arrived.

Pookie has prepared a talk about baptism and Gabbers will give a talk about the Holy Ghost for Bun's baptism program this afternoon.  I am so pleased with them as well for taking part and being so responsible.  Hammy is even saying the closing prayer.  :)

All are welcome to attend.

Speaking of cute kids...

This little guy turned 7 the day before Biscuit was born.  It was perfect timing.  It may have been the ONLY day that week that I wasn't hemorrhaging or contracting. 

Bun was just thrilled about the cake Auntie Leslie made for him.  He was probably secretly thrilled that Mommy couldn't make it being on bedrest.  It would have been really lame.  My best attempts to impress the kids is a tasty frosting and let them at it with a jar of sprinkles.

I'm glad Leslie brought in the kids and the cake to my room so I could watch Bun blow out the candles. 

Taking Danny to our secret park

Peach and her tongue (she's cutting molars)

Hammy and Gabbers love to swing! 

Bun and his new sling shot

Squdge in a tree

This is our favorite park.  My friend said once, "[This park] is the secret nugget of parks in [this town]." Except of course, she used the park name and the city name. :P

It's true. It has picnic tables, benches, a bathroom, shade, terrific climbing trees, playground equipment, and NO ONE is ever there. Why? I can't figure it out. But we're not telling. It's the perfect place to chat with my friend and let our kids play for hours.

Tater, Peach, and some preggo chunk

I did tell Danny though about it.  Danny came home for an unexpected visit between training and deployment.  We took him to this park last Saturday after running errands.  I intended to get pictures of him with the kids, but somehow he ended up holding the camera.

Pookie talking about how some of his army men are camouflaged by the wood chips

Peach checking out the camera up close

Twin buddies on a slide (Squdge on left, Tater on right)

Me, Peach, and Pookie

The reason I have me a bag of Cadbury mini-eggs.

I don't Facebook.  I don't Tweet.  I do talk to my cousin though.  and I blog.  But you know about the blogging bit.  ;)

This blog is also like a journal for our family.  If I don't write it down, there's a good chance I won't remember it next year.  Or possibly even next month. 

The following is what I just instant messaged my cousin.  Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

So Bun was playing on the camping chair on the back porch. Pookie was lifting his feet. The chair collapsed and Bun smacked the back of his head on the cement. He screamed for about 10 minutes until we convinced him that we indeed understood he was hurt and could stop screaming.

Then like half an hour later he was saying he had the worst headache ever. So Danny decides we should take a look at it. He had a MASSIVE lump and trembled with cold sweats when he thought we were going to touch it.

I called the after-hours number to ask the doctor on call- but the phone service suggested I take him [Bun] to Urgent Care.

She asked which one I wanted to take him to. I requested the location about 25 minutes away. She said, "Be there before 8."

Well, I was there by 7:35 p.m. and their doors were locked. The sign on the door indicates they're open until 8 but take their last patient at 7:30 for registration. I was livid.

We ended up shopping at Target (which was across the street) while waiting for a phone consult. Because he didn't ever pass out, vomit, or seem confused, we decided not to go to the ER and just keep an eye on him. The doctor said to keep him up for 4 hours from the time of the injury. We did. He was exhausted. He seems okay this morning--- except a huge lump.

P.S. Tomorrow we move the fridge into the right spot in the garage.  Then we can organize it and take pictures!! 

Sometimes homeschooling is too easy.

Pookie and Bun put together this world puzzle that Grandma W. gave them for Christmas.  

It was part of their homeschool history lesson for the day.  

They sang the continents song they learned from the K12 program they were in.  Actually we all sang it . . . about 12 times through.

and

They talked about different climates and landmarks.

and 

They talked about which was their favorite continent.

PLUS

They got along!

My kids lick shiny things -- still.

So, y'all know we recently came back from vacation.  Just before the vacation I switched the babies from their infant car seats into convertible carseats (still rear-facing of course).  This made it possible to squeeze Hammy and the twins into the first bench together in the van. 

The down side to switching from their infant seats is we couldn't use our double stroller that infant seats pop into.  We also couldn't just set their infant seats directly into shopping carts.  And we basically told them in church, "You are no longer strapped and trapped.  Feel free to seek and destroy while we try to listen reverently in Sunday School."

In case you were wondering, or haven't been with me for at least the last two years, these babies, like their four older siblings, ALSO love to lick shiny things.  It's one of those pesky little habits they picked up in line while waiting to be born.  "Ahh you are going to Nikki and Danny.  Here's a freebie."

So now, we are experiencing a virulent case of Rotavirus here in Pookieville.

All this to prep you for the latest Kiddie Kwip, brought to you by Bun, the recently turned five year old.  You can send your thanks in the form of Quilted Northern.

Bun 5 years:  "Daddy, I have good news for you!  This time when I had a lot of poop you don't have to plunge the toilet.  I did enough flushes to get ALL the toilet paper down."

What's better than a scooter and a Lego Star Wars hat?

The candy bar poster!

An easy birthday present for children from 5-95 is a candy bar poster.  For just a few dollars, a sharpie, and a hot glue gun you can create memories for your birthday boy that he'll never forget.  And who doesn't love candy?

Tomorrow is Bun's fifth birthday.  It was originally going to be a big friend birthday, but I kinda got pregnant and sidetracked.  And he doesn't remember, so shhh.  We're going bowling.  And yes, we don't normally have big friend birthdays at five.  We have them at 4, 8, 12, and 16.  But I was hospitalized with twins on his fourth birthday.  Poor kid.

In case this picture doesn't get bigger when you click on it, here's what the poster says:

Dear Bun,

Just be-TWIX you and me, I hope you have GOBS of fun on your birthday!  I just know you'll SKOR big with WATCHAMACALIT?  oh yeah, BOWLING!  The REISEN I wanted to tell you to ignore the NERDS, is because you are worth more than 100 GRAND!  Just some friendly advice from a couple of LIFESAVERS. 

Love Always,         

Mommy and Baby Ruth 

Cheap, easy, and memorable works for me!

Bun birth story and letter

On July 28, 2005, at dinnertime, Danny left the hospital (not long after I got an epidural) to go find food for himself. I was relaxed and comfortable. I fell asleep for a short time. It was maybe thirty minutes. I awoke suddenly with a very uncomfortable fullness. I felt like I needed to push. I called Danny to say, "I feel uncomfortable like I need to push." He said, "Have you paged the nurse?" I replied, "Not yet. But I will now." And then I hung up.


The nurse came in and I told her, "I think I need to push. I feel pressure." She said, "Oh, you shouldn't be feeling anything. It will be a little while more until you're fully dilated." I assured her, "No, this is really uncomfortable, at least on my left side. Could you check my cervix?" She did. I was 10 centimeters dilated. I called Danny back.

Nikki: Danny, I'm ready to push. I'm 10 centimeters. Where are you?


Danny: I'm in the drive-thru at McDonald's getting something to eat.


Nikki: Well SPEED over here!


Danny arrived. SuperDoctor arrived. (Seriously I'm not going to put his name out there but he's the best OB/gyn in the world. And if you live near me, and you know if you do, I will be glad to recommend him.) One and a half pushes later and no need for stitches, Bun was born at exactly 36 weeks gestation weighing 7 lbs. 1 oz. and measuring 20 inches long (I had to look up the length). He had black hair and was totally blue. I don't recall holding him. I think they just showed him to me. And scurried him away to the NICU.


They cleaned him up, got him breathing, and had him under a little oxygen hood thing-- which name escapes me right now. I got myself down to the NICU to see my new little miracle. There he was just relaxing away. I asked the nurses if they sedated him. They said, "No. He was very cooperative." I peered through the oxygen hood at his sweet little face and his black hair just sticking up all over.

The next 16 days were long and filled with tears and worry. Eight of those days he was intubated for his under-developed lungs. I stood my ground with the nurses and NICU doctors about not bottle feeding him when he was extubated. I even lectured (read: yelled at) the NICU doctor the day I took him home revealing that I did indeed know more about nursing a baby than he did and that no matter what he says, "I will be taking my baby home, TODAY."

On August 13, 2005, I brought him home from the hospital-- and he has been a wonderful blessing to our family ever since. His nickname on the blog and in real life is "Bun" because when I was pregnant with him we couldn't agree on a name and referred to him as "The bun in the oven." Eventually, still during pregnancy, he came to be referred to as "The Bun." For example: "Danny, please bring some of those little powdered donuts home on your way home from work. The Bun wants donuts."

Dear Bun,

Today you are three years old. You are a sweet-natured happy little guy. I can hardly believe you are mine. You are the sunshine in the morning always waking up happy. You are willing to cuddle at a moment's notice.

Around others you are reserved and a little shy. You have very good manners and want to be able to do everything your older brother and sister can do.

When baby Ham was born, I was worried you would feel left out or jealous. But you surprised us. What a wonderful little helper you are- bringing clean diapers and wipes for the baby, taking away dirty diapers, playing peek-a-boo, and hugging and kissing him especially when he's sad.

I love you Bun. And I'm so sorry I yelled at you and put a spank on your bum a couple days ago when you wouldn't put on the Pull-up I picked out for you (because it didn't have a helicopter on it) and threw a tantrum. I was so sad to see you fall asleep sad for your nap. Even though I had apologized and cuddled and kissed you, I know your feelings were still hurt. I knelt by your bed and cried and prayed to be worthy of being your mom.

Someday someone will want to marry you and take you away. And that breaks my heart right now to think of you not being here with me. But I know you will make a wonderful husband and father one day.

I love you Bunly Wonder.

A Snickerdoodle Story for You

Bun (17 months) begging for Snickerdoodles.

Bun pleading and crying for Snickerdoodles.

They're that good!

Bun was my shadow last week when I baked Snickerdoodles for the Airmen Cookie Drive.

 I purposely started to bake them during naptime so I wouldn't have little beggers. But he woke up early from his nap and watched me very intrigued.

First he was fascinated with the balls of dough and really, really wanted to play with them. He said, "Pease," and "More" while signing "please" and "more".

Then as I rolled the balls of dough in the cinnamon-sugar mixture he became upset that I was playing with the little balls and not him. When I had the nerve to flatten all of them with the bottom of the glass, he melted into a little Bun-puddle on the floor and sobbed sadly.

Ever hopeful he arose to see what was next and was absolutely horrified that I would stick the whole pan of flattened little balls in the oven!

Bun knows that the oven is hot and off-limits and that there's no return.  He sobbed and sobbed and told his cow, Mooly, all about his woes- but he still stayed in the kitchen.

When the cookies came out of the oven. and Bun could smell their cinnamon-buttery goodness. he regained hopefulness. But then I slid them onto the cooling rack just out of reach of his chubby dimpled hands. And he signed, and smiled, and said, "Pease" repeatedly.

I cooled off a cookie as fast as I could and shared it with him.

It was then he had the realization that he'd rather have the baked cookies then play with the dough balls-- and he would not leave me alone until all the cookies were bagged and out of sight (which was six pans later).

He cried and reached up at the dishwasher (where he knew the cookies were) everytime he finished one. I think that little Chubba-Bun ate half a dozen cookies that afternoon.

Bun 11 months

It's hard to believe Bun is 11 months already. Here he is with his new best friend, Cousin Monkey. G wasn't very pleased with his choice, given he was her's once; but her best friend for the last six months has been Akhmad.

Bun 3 months

Almost a dimple smile.

Bun October 16, 2005. He's such a smiley baby, but it's hard to capture his dimple smile on camera.

Tummy Time

Of all three kids, Bun has tolerated "tummy time" the best. Maybe it's because he has a very pleasant disposition. Here he is in a cute striped outfit from my friend Tynel. I love stripes on the kids!

Bun updated picture

Here is Bun on the quilt at 8 1/2 weeks old.

Ah! Sleeping baby Bun.

Here's Bun asleep on my chest today. He is 8 1/2 weeks old.

He's such a sweet baby. And it's very soothing to hold a sleeping Bun.

Bun close-up

Here's a close-up of our Bun also taken today, August 25, 2005, his due date. He has been a sweetie for us these past four weeks!

Bun on his baby quilt

Here's a picture of Bun at 4 weeks old on his baby quilt Grandma C. made for him. I saw a layout in a scrapbook magazine where a baby had his pictures taken once a month from birth to one year on his baby quilt. I thought it would be a fun way to look back and see how much he's grown.