Shakespear Awards Ceremony

I get sick when I'm pregnant. This time was a lot like last time except maybe worse. I started out throwing up everything and anything like usual, ended up in the ER for a 15 hour stay + 4.5 hour waiting period to be re-hydrated with a super slow dripping IV. Then I get my beloved Zofran but this time it wasn't as beloved because even though I took three 8 milligram tablets a day I was still throwing up every day for about 6 or 7 weeks. Now I'm all better. It was kinda hard to feel like a useless blob for so long.

During my 2ish-month bout of illness (I am SOOO grateful it wasn't longer than that because I know lots of you have it way worse) I had some angels to get me through it all. So now for the top awards...

Best Husband & Father Ever Award goes to: Jeremiah Shakespear! (of course)

I know it was hard on him ( I didn't realize how hard until recently) but I never would have guessed it during the time. He is so darn patient and easy-going, I wish he would share some of that with me.

*He would let me sleep in as long as I wanted on weekends or until he needed to go to school during the week
*He got the boys up, dressed, fed, changed, entertained until he had to go to school
*He picked up the house every day by himself
*He made dinner every night by himself
*He cleaned up dinner and the kitchen every night by himself
*He played with the boys and got them ready for and in bed every day by himself
*He took the boys outside for some sunshine and air every day by himself
*He ran all the errands and did all the chores (like laundry)
*He took the boys with him everywhere by himself like grocery shopping (I'm so sorry Babe)
*He brought me my pill and breakfast every morning in bed
*Changed all diapers when home
*He listened to me moan and cry
*He told me I was beautiful even though I hadn't brushed my teeth for 4 meals, hadn't showered or brushed my hair in 3 days, or worn make-up in weeks or worn anything but sweats (I violently threw-up when entering the shower so that is my excuse for my lack of personal hygiene!)
*He washed my hair for me in the kitchen sink so I could enjoy clean, ungreasy hair without violently throwing up

Angel Nana award goes to: Nana (Susan)

Somehow I have lucked out in the Mother-in-law department. I love my Mother-in-law and she has been such a blessing to me and this is one of the many ways. Jeremy had an externship up in Brimley in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for two weeks during my icky time and she offered to come help so she flew out here and stayed for two whole weeks!

*She let me sleep in as long as I wanted every morning (usually until 9:30)
*She got the boys up, fed, dressed every morning
*She played with the boys all day long and read them oodles of books and had pillow fights with Hyrum & ran them ragged down in the basement
*She took them places and let them play outside
*She made all the meals-bless her!-so I didn't have to enter the dreaded kitchen very often
*She cleaned up after all the meals and did laundry
*She kept me company during the evenings talking and watching movies
*The coolest thing, she was playing with the boys at the mall while I had my doctor appointment across the road when I found out we were having TWINS and I was so glad to have someone to scream with and be excited with!!!!! (I'm so glad you were here in person!) And she was so very excited for us-I loved it!

Bestest food maker friend award goes to: Andrea Richards!

My friend Andrea gets sick when she is pregnant too. Very sick. So she understands and when she found out I was sick, decided she would bring me food, and the yummiest food at that. Food that I could actually swallow and keep down, in fact I never threw up any of her food at all which was a miracle! I was so selfish with it too, I would eat it all by myself and somehow she knew when I was on my last serving and would knock on the door at 9pm with another delicious morsel for me. She kept me from having to fix myself food every two hours to keep the nausea in check. I get teary just thinking about her-sniff!

Best Chatty parents award goes to: Darlin' & Pa!

My Mom has recently received a cell phone and I'm so glad because she decided since she couldn't come out to be with us she was going to call me every day. It really helped keep me sane to talk to her. A lot of times things are much bleaker when we feel alone and looking forward to the phone calls helped so much. My Dad called a lot too! Thanks for letting me cry and moan and complain to you and for listening!

Trooper Award goes to: Hyrum Macailif & Hunter Scott!

Last and most definitely not least in the awards this morning goes to my boys. They went from going places and doing things almost every day to doing absolutely nothing and going absolutely no where all day every day. Poor kids! I felt so guilty about that but did they complain? Never! They completely adjusted to our new and boring schedule.

*They enjoyed jumping on our couch pillows more than ever
*Hyrum got snacks and water, diapers and wipes for me, put things down the laundry shoot and other assorted jobs
*They endured weird and non-nutritious lunches
*They endured a mother who was half-asleep all day
*They enjoyed watching more than their fair share of movies
*Hyrum would frequently ask me if I'd had my pill yet that day and if I was feeling better
*When I would throw up in the kitchen sink Hunter would mimic me and laugh and Hyrum asked if I was trying to get the baby out

Thanks to all those other Mom's out there that commiserated with me in my condition and for all our family and friends that have been so excited for us in our TWIN adventures so far!

Gender Games

Can anyone guess what we found out at the hospital today?!!!!!?

Here are some more clues

I was really hoping for a BOY and a GIRL and I'm so excited we get just that!!! They both cooperated very well for their first photo shoot and we are 100% sure that Baby A is a girl and Baby B is a boy!!! Finding out the gender and feeling the babies move a lot this past week have really made this become real for me. I can't wait to meet our babies in just over 4 months! Everything was normal and looked very healthy and the babies were actually pretty big-the boy was 97th percentile and the girl 94th-we're shooting for nothing less than 6 pounds for each of them when they're born. Not to give out too much info, but my cervix is super long which is a great sign because it reduces the chance of preterm labor-hooray! I'm hoping to go to 37 weeks at least.

Jeremy really wanted a girl this time, I wanted both, Hunter doesn't care as long as he gets a cupcake and Hyrum was stuck on boys so I think everyone is happy. Hyrum told me in the car that he is going to call the boy 'Macho' and the girl 'Toot Toot'. I don't think we'll be consulting him a whole lot when it comes to picking out names :)

Bond. James Bond.

A week or two ago Jeremy and I wrapped up our James Bond movie marathon madness. Wow. We watched all 22 Bond movies within a few months thanks to our most obliging local library. They were all entertaining but I must admit I got really tired of the womanizing routine.

So after much evaluation (not really) the winner is:

Daniel Craig

The newer movies are just so much better and cooler and he isn't nearly as much of a womanizer as the previous Bond's so that's why he wins my vote. For all you fans out there, the 23rd Bond movie starring our winner will be out sometime in 2011

Jeremy and I are now looking for another series to watch because it was rather fun. Any suggestions?

Poop Camp...

Has officially started. August 15th 2009. 8 A.M. Cold Turkey. No more diapers. Ever. Wish us luck!

Baby Shakes 3 & 4

That's right, this Shakespear family will be welcoming TWINS to our home January 24th 2010 (or hopefully a couple of weeks before)

Need proof? Because I did...

Aren't they too cute side by side?

Our reactions to the news:

We are way too excited (and still in a bit of shock!)

Random Information:

I am 15 weeks along today and yes I'm showing like I was 25 weeks along

They each have their own sack and placenta, which is the healthiest for the the babieS(!) so they are probably fraternal but there is still a very small chance that they could be identical

We haven't found out the genders yet but will sometime in August

I have been super sick this time, just like the previous two pregnancies but am feeling much better now (more on that at a later post)

At first I wanted two girls but then I was admiring Hunter's extreme cuteness one night on the porch and got very sad (almost panicky) about the thought of never having another little boy, so basically we will be super happy with whatever we get but if I COULD choose it would be one of each

We are calling them Hazel and Howard until further notice

Hunter turns 2 on January 8th and Hyrum turns 4 on January 26th so January will be our party month-come party with us!

I think it's a really cool story so I will share a part. I get really sick when I am pregnant, where I am not able to really function. I have always wanted 4-6 kids but with each pregnancy it gets harder and worse. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to do this again but I really wanted at least 4! So I started hoping and actually praying for twins this time around. Moral of the story is to be careful what you pray for because Heavenly Father will answer prayers! And I'm so glad He did and that this is actually happening. I am a bit anxious too but mostly grateful.

Who wouldn't want two more of these cuties at the same time!!!

Ah....

Just a great day at the beach!

3.5

Happy Half-Birthday Hyrum!!!

Hyrum wanted a cake for his half birthday so we put frosting on his brownie, it became the brownie-cake and he was in heaven!

Here are some favorites about Hyrum these days

He is getting so brave (sidenote:Hyrum is an extremely cautious kid)One of his fears has become one of his most favorite things to do-- riding his trike around in the basement or outside. He has also started to love going down poles at the park and trying out the monkey bars

This kid LOVES to talk and honestly he is a motormouth ;) and it's so cute when he really gets into what he's saying, he starts pacing in circles and up and down the room until he's done (I think he gets that from his Pa!)

If he doesn't know a word for something, it never stops him, he just makes a word up and keeps going. Also, if he doesn't understand how something works he just makes it up-his explanations make for some very entertaining conversations

He has started having imaginary friends and they are all baby animals but they're not the typical cute and cuddly types. His favorites have been spiders, scorpions, caterpillars and lions. They always play with him during his quiet time

He makes the best silly faces and loves to make us all laugh, whether it's intentional or not

He loves when I tuck him in at night and we cuddle and I sing him a lullaby

He can be running around like crazy and jumping off couches and then all of a sudden it's silent and he's picked up a book and spends the next 30 minutes looking at books. This kid has the longest attention span when it comes to books-we usually read for 1-2 hours a day

He asks questions non-stop and is so curious about everything, especially animals. All I have to say is he is going to catch up with me fast and I'll have to start studying up for the answers soon

He is a super big brother and is always giving Hunter hugs, kisses and telling him he loves him and always apologizes for the times he kicks, shoves or snatches :0) They love to chase each other around and around and around and laugh together

Hyrum has started making up songs and I love to hear his little voice singing or humming throughout the day

He loves to help clean up the house and make food with me and proudly wears his apron in the kitchen

We love you Hyrum!!!

18 months

Hunter turned 18 months last Wednesday. I think we are going to start celebrating their half birthdays. Not much now, maybe just a special treat or something, but when they're older maybe they can have their friend party in the summer. It's fun to be able to do something outside and it's nice to get presents not so close after Christmas.

Some favorites about the Bug...

1. He is all boy-loves trucks, rocks, cars, crashing, jumping, bugs etc. One night he was almost asleep while I was rocking him and when I got up to put him down he mumbled 'cars, rock, bus' so I guess we know what he dreams about at night

2. He likes to make funny faces for us, usually his eyebrows go up high and his mouth shapes into an 'O'

3. He loves to eat strawberries, apples, steamed veggies, cookies and anything anyone else is eating. He is the biggest scrounger ever! No matter how much he has eaten, if anyone else is eating then you will hear 'bite, bite!!' until he gets some

4. He loves books, right now some favorites are 'Go, Dog, Go' and 'Big Bad Bunny'

5. He thinks he is the biggest boy ever and tries to mimic everything Hyrum does and often succeeds at it

6. He loves being tickled, or thrown around by Daddy bear and if he really likes it he will say 'agin, agin, agin' (again) until you're exhausted

7. He loves to go outside and down in the basement to play

8. He gets so excited about everything, even things we do every day like see a truck drive by the house

9. He has so many words! He is starting to string some of them together like saying 'My truck', 'Doggie goes ruff ruff', 'Poop bum' ;-) and 'Big book.' Some of my favorite words he uses are skunk (kunck), 'shunshine', pickle, honk (gonk) and any word that ends in an 'S' sound like mouse, house, cars, bus because he really emphasizes the ssssss.

10. He LOVES to give hugs and still lets us cuddle him before and after he goes to sleep

Happy Independence Day!

I love my country and I love celebrating the 4th of July! We are so blessed to live in a place where we enjoy freedom every day.

Per tradition we headed up to the Ann Arbor Independence Day parade. I LOVE parades and I have a secret wish to someday attend Macey's Thanksgiving parade in NYC (if they still do that). Hyrum's favorite part? All the candy that is thrown to him-it was like Halloween all over again but less walking.

Hunter and I enjoying the parade and the free popsicles thrown to us by the Washtenaw Dairy float-yum!

Always my favorite part. They have tons of old-fashioned bikes and the people riding them dress up like Newsies and such. I think it would be so fun to try to ride one (with training wheels of course)

This crazy lady was demonstrating to the crowds how much butterflies love wild flowers.

My next favorite was the Revolutionary war band that played

No AA parade would be complete without a theatrical troupe or two sword fighting

After we enjoyed a fun BBQ, Jeremy took Hyrum on a date to see the fireworks show at a nearby lake. They waited until after 10:30 but they never started the actual show for some safety reasons. But they had a blast anyway eating "chloklate" ice cream, cloud and star gazing and watching some families set off some of their own fireworks. I love it when Hyrum has a date with Daddy bear and so does he. Those two love pulling faces for the camera. Hunter and I enjoyed our evening at home sleeping :)

turner fun

My brother Zac and his family came up from Pittsburgh to play for a weekend and it was so fun to have them! We went to Millpond park to play on their great play equipment but spent the ENTIRE time in the creek water (the kids anyway) and they had a blast! I think Hunter preferred the mud instead of the water though :)
Thanks for coming guys!!!

fourth and final week!

So I am a bit behind but I had to post about our last 10 days of Jeremy's vacation. The best part-- Nana was able to come and spend those 10 days with us! Here are my two favorite conversations from that week.

Mommy: Who do you want to read to you tonight Hyrum?
Hyrum: Nana! Because I love her sooo much!

&

Daddy: Who is your best friend Hyrum?
Hyrum: Nana!!!!

Holland part Deux-we just couldn't stay away! We had to take Nana to enjoy the chilly beaches and tulips that were still blooming. We hope to make many more trips over there this summer.

We went to Belle Isle in Detroit. I wasn't too impressed with the island because there was trash everywhere. The part we loved was the conservatory. Wow. We are DEFINITELY coming back in the dead of winter and enjoying the large range of tropical plants again.

Ann Arbor Arboretum. My only question to myself is why hadn't we gone before in the previous 3 years we have lived here??? It's 10 minutes from our house! It was gorgeous and huge and very green and we will be going back a lot.

If asked where his big belly is, Hunter is only too happy to show you

Fun at Millpond Park-it has an amazing castle-like structure. I've never seen a play structure that was so enormous!

Greenfield Village (part of the Henry Ford Museum) I have always wanted to go and it was so fun. They were having Civil War reenactments and people were really getting into it. They had tents and supplies all set up and people were dressed up and marching around. Highlights for me: We saw some old trains, I was able to sit in an old Model T (if only I could drive one now!) and Hyrum overcame his fear of the carousel.

Hunter gave some great hugs

Hot dog roast at the "Hot Dog Park"

The Castle Park at Eberwhite Woods

Jeremy, Nana & the boys went to Brighton for Memorial Day and enjoyed a parade, walking along the river, a yummy lunch and playing at the park. I enjoyed a long nap at home :)

Nana had a birthday (almost) while she was with us and we celebrated with home made Pad Thai and Texas Sheet Cake-Happy Birthday!!!

Jeremy is now back at school working hard. The month went by fast but we made lots of great memories and have about 1000 pictures to prove it! Thanks U of M-we're looking forward to another week break in July!