Being the creative person that I am I decided I would take our Christmas card pics this year. This was a seriously bad idea. If there's one thing I'm learning about one year olds it's that they don't seem to follow directions very well...and they simply will not sit still.

Take 1:
My Mom helped me with this attempt. We were both sweating and out of breath from chasing babies and hats and eventually gave up.

No one will look at the camera...and there are no smiles...


Got Jack to look at the camera, off with Lily's hat, and Bennie decides the tinsel is out to get him.

Bennie goes MIA, running from the evil tinsel.

Lily soon follows.

Scene change, Lily's hat immediately comes off, but look at that grin! Jack is pulling the tinsel apart and eating it. Bennie really, really hates tinsel.

Attempted to squeeze them in their bumbos with red towels. Mind you, they haven't sat in them in like six months. No one smiles, their legs look strangely deformed, and no amount of cropping will fix the odd angle of their bodies.

Take 2.

I come up with an idea that is bound to work. They certainly can't escape a giant box wrapped in Christmas paper, right? I am Seriously thinking I am a genius at this point and even have Brian on board to help me.

Hats immediately come off...and surprise, no smiling. How can you not like Santa hats?

What is this look? Don't they know Christmas is supposed to be happy?
Things begin to get rowdy.
The box actually falls over and out run babies in every direction (no babies were harmed).
I am making stupid noises, shaking a lamp in the air, and STILL NO SMILES??? I think Jack is plugging his ear.
At this point we gave up and everyone will be receiving a card in the mail with a picture that is four months old. Deal with it.

Here's My Excuse!

As you can see below, I really have been busy. Their birthday came and went, then there was Thanksgiving, and now Christmas is coming? Holy Cow. I have a faint feeling of always being behind these days. I'm hoping to catch up this week. I've started a list an entire page length and am slowly checking things off.

These little guys are keeping me busy. It seems they have sprouted extra arms. They can somehow spot the one thing in the room they shouldn't touch and are on it in less than 3 seconds. I'm figuring out I'm not that fast. We've had a few bruises, more than a few messes, and on unfortunate episode where someone (not naming any names here) ate the goldfish out of someone else's puke. That one almost made me puke.

Here's some footage of their newest tricks. Ben is almost running, Jack is walking, and Lily has taken the vertical route.

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Our days are spent eating, drinking, playing, and not nearly enough napping. We've been blessed to spend a lot of time with family over the past few weeks. We've all enjoyed our time together. It amazes me each time just how enjoyable these babies are. For kiddos who have always been on a schedule they are so flexible when we're not at home. They just go with the flow. They obviously have inherited Brian's easy going nature!

It feels like we've had a lot of changes happening around here. We've transitioned to whole milk with meals. They are doing a lot of self-feeding and meals have finally started to get easier. (I'm probably jinxing myself here.) We've got both playrooms up and running, one upstairs and one downstairs. We moved out the old off-white sectional couch upstairs (it needed to go), added a long gait, and moved our old set of leather furniture upstairs. This has really opened up the room and gives Bennie a chance to run laps. The real reason we had to move the furniture around, however, was Lily's climbing. There just wasn't a way to arrange the sectional that seemed safe.

They got new carseats for their birthday! One unfortunate...and unforeseen issue has come up, though. Car sickness. Ugh. It seems like everytime they ride in their seats I have to clean one of them. Those stupid seats weigh around 25 lbs and aren't so easy to get in and out of the car. Lily puked on the way to the zoo, Bennie puked on the way home from Thanksgiving, and Jack had his turn on the way home from my parent's house on Saturday. I'm talking projectile in massive amounts. I know one thing, I am NEVER feeding anyone strawberry applesauce again. After smelling it mixed with curdled milk for two hours on the drive home I am officially banning it from the applesauce rotation.

A Year of Firsts

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Here's to the best year of our lives. Thanks to our families for their unconditional and unwavering support. Thanks to our friends for sticking by us when we're just not as fun as we used to be. Thanks to our babies for being the most amazing little people I have ever met.

This year hasn't been easy, but it hasn't been hard either. It is true that there was very little that we could do to prepare for what lay ahead of us, but it is also true that sometimes you have to just sit back and enjoy the ride. I would not change one minute of our journey.

It's been exciting, it's been fun, and at times it has been a little stressful. I've always said we have an amazing love that could withstand anything. That is true more so now than ever. Somehow not knowing what the heck you are doing together, at least, makes it a whole lot more doable. Go figure.

Treats...not tricks!

Have you ever tried to get 3 babies to all look at the camera at the same time? Impossible.

Or have them sit still for more than 2 seconds?

Jack and Daddy monkeying around!

Jack found his bellybutton!A very wired Lily Bug.

Such a cutie pie!

Apparently he likes pumpkin.

Mr. Frogman found it incredibly difficult to walk in frog feet.

11 Months (and 1 week...and a few days) in review...

Man, I'm behind. I do have a few good excuses. The one problem with blogging is that if you don't keep up with it, all of the sudden there is so much you need to catch up on. Then, the task becomes daunting. But, I'll do my best here to catch everyone up! Believe it or not, I started this post on Monday and am just now finishing it. I might be overworked.

Life has never been better. Besides the whole stuck at home afraid of nasty germs part...this is by far the absolute best time of my life. My days are filled with sweet smiles, hugs, laughter, and a whole lot of mess. I like mess. Sort of. Well, I'm learning to like it anyway. Embrace what you cannot change, right?



It seems they are doing more, getting bigger, and are into everything. We've gotten the downstairs playroom set-up. They are getting tired of being in their walkers because they get around better without them. They can spot the smallest, tiniest, piece of lint...to taste. They have broken my mini blinds upstairs. And, diaper changes would go a lot better if I had at least two more hands. Between the rolling and wiggling of the baby who's being changed and the insatiable curiosity of the other two...who just have to get their hands in there and help me...and who find it an opportune time to pull hair and explore the eyeballs and nose of the helpless baby who is being held down by Mommy...we have some crazy times around here.

We're down to two good naps a day. Well, most days they are good. Jack has been ostracized to the guest bedroom because he apparently requires a little less sleep than Lily and Ben. So he says.

We've adjusted their bedtime/wake up time (HALLELUJAH!) They now go down at 7:30 pm and wake at 7:30 am. Brian gets to see them almost two hours when he gets home at night now. And...Mommy sleeps in. Now, three years ago if you told me that I thought sleeping until 7:00 am was sleeping in, I would have laughed. Aren't they cuties in their pyjamas?

Feeding rocks. O.K., most of the time it rocks. They are now eating mostly things that we eat. No more pureed stuff. Yeah! I love it when less work is required of me. They are eating a lot of finger foods. Lily will eat anything, Bennie most things, and Jack is still a little unsure of things with too many lumpies. But, he's getting better. He's just a bit more cautious than the others. I feel really good about the variety of foods that they eat and we try to give them a lot of healthy veggies and stuff. The favorite foods are still yogurt and anything crunchy. Coming from someone who has fed A LOT of picky eaters in my professional life...I am exceptionally proud of the fact that they will try absolutely anything. Rarely do they turn up their nose at foods. Even Jack will almost always take a bite, he may spit it back out at you, but at least he will try it.

Now, to the mess. Holy Cow. Did you know food fits well into ears? Oh yeah, and it works as a great hair styling product. For all of us. Check out Lily...apparently finger feeding spaghetti was a very, very, very bad idea. And, yes that is duck tape.


We are done with bottles! They are now on to the Nuby soft spout sippies. Such good babies. And, most amazingly, they hold the cups themselves. Yeah! O.K., most of the time they do, anyway.

Let's see...am I forgetting anything?

Oh yeah...Bennie has some big news!

Crawling is an old skill. For Bennie, walking is his new one! I promise to post video soon. He gets so much better at it every day that as soon as I video something...it becomes out-of-date. Jack and Lily aren't far behind!

Happy Halloween...I'll put some pics of their costumes tomorrow. Check back!

My Mom reminded me that I hadn't posted this...enjoy!

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LOCKDOWN!

I just can't believe it's already here. I should have posted this two weeks ago, but I think I was in denial. RSV season began October 1st here in Texas.

For those of you who don't know what RSV is...click here. Note how incredibly contagious it is.

When an adult or an older child gets RSV it is simply a cold...but, when a baby gets it they can be hospitalized and left with life-long respiratory problems. And, while our babies are big, strong, and healthy they were still almost 7 weeks premature. Premature babies are at a higher risk of complications from contracting RSV because of lung maturity.

So, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that I want to keep that stinky virus as far away from my little monkeys as possible. It would definitely mean breathing treatments, could mean hospitalization, and worse...could mean life-long issues with asthma.

So, what does this mean for us?

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do not come to my house if you are ill, suspect you are becoming ill, or have had any symptoms of illness. Even if you think that your allergies are to blame. RSV shows up as a common cold in adults and some may have very minor symptoms.

No children are allowed to visit our house. Germs are easily spread by children and parents may be unaware of their symptoms until it is too late. RSV is extremely contagious and runs rampant in day cares, schools, and churches.

If you have been sick you must wait a minimum of 12 days from the onset of symptoms to visit our house. Most bugs will run about 7 days and I ask that you then wait an additional 5 days to ensure you are indeed well.

We require that adults who interact with them have their flu shots.

When you do visit...You are required to wash your hands and arms thoroughly and apply hand sanitizer. Think about where you have been prior to visiting our house. If you have been in a Dr.'s office surrounded by coughing and sneezing people, it's probably not a good idea to come over unless you shower and change clothes. The virus can last up to 6 hours on hands and 12 hours on hard surfaces! I'll also ask you to remove your shoes because they have been in all kinds of nasty places and my children have some sort of weird attraction to chewing on them. That's right, I have shoe lickers. Yuck.

But most of all, I just ask that you help me protect them. They are at an age where EVERYTHING goes in their mouth and much to my chagrin they do not possess good personal hygiene skills at this time. They can't protect themselves so we have to.

We are trapped at home until Easter. Can't say that sounds all that great. But, 3 sickies sounds much worse. These are the precautions we must take. We appreciate in advance to our friends and family for respecting these rules because I know we all want the best for these babies. Plus, if I found out that you got my babies sick with RSV....I will not be a happy camper.

This is the last winter we will be under strict precautions. We will make the best of it, grit our teeth, and pray for sanity for the long winter months. I swear I'm not a germ freak...just a freak to keep germs out of the house that could cause serious illness in my children.

Brian and I also have to be careful when leaving the house. If you have been sick, please let us know because we don't want to take those germs home with us.

I truly dread the next few months. We will not be leaving the house very much...which will get extremely old. Sadly, they will be turning 1 in just a few weeks so we will not be having a big birthday bash. Thanksgiving and Christmas will be small family get-togethers. BUT...We WILL NOT get sick...so it will be worth it.

Girls Trip 2008

For those of you who have been missing me...I've just returned from a relaxing and fun time in Hot Springs, Arkansas!

I have been so blessed in my life to be a part of a wonderful group of girls. Most of us have been friends for 10+ years and they have truly made my life memorable. I think we have something very special and are unique. Each girl brings something different to the group and those diversities have helped shape the fantastic women we have become.

When we are together the laughs, tears, and stories keep coming. It's amazing to have experienced so much of life with them. It's also amazing to feel so secure and loved by so many. I know I have a special place in their hearts...as they do in mine.

So, here's to you girls! Allison, April, Amy, Shannon, Shelley, Kayleen, and Rebecca...thanks for making this such a fun trip. And to Mary Jo and Audrey, who couldn't make it this year... We missed you so much and look forward to next year! Love you guys so much! (Pics will be coming as soon as I get around to it!)

Here's a great basket of fun toys!

Which we could have saved a lot of money by not buying because their favorite things to play with are rubber mat edges,

laundry hampers,

doorstops,

bags of dirty diapers,

Solo cups,

and boxes...lots of boxes....

They do not discriminate, however. They love plastic boxes,

packing boxes,

and diaper boxes all the same!

And with this great big play room...

They prefer to play in the hallway.

Crazy kids.

This is so dang cute you better sit down...

Tonight we gave the babies their very first tub bath together. It was hilarious. We all had a blast. But, the pictures are better than any words I could use to describe it....


Lily trying her hardest to pull off Bennie's 'do.
Can you believe how tan Lily is compared to the boys?
I think Jack had the best time. He hit the water over and over to make big splashes.
Poor Bennie got the safe seat. He just wasn't quite sure what to make of the whole thing. He kept trying to stand up, crawl, and get out....So we gave him a duck to gnaw on for awhile...

Been a little busy....

This week has flown by. I have a tremendous amount to talk about it with very little time to write. So, this will be short and sweet...

To Mom, THANK YOU for coming and staying. You gave me a much needed break, helped me while Brian was out of town, and gave me some great adult conversation. Thanks for always being concerned about me and putting me first. I love you so much and am so thankful that I have you to talk to, lean on, and be my friend. You know me like no one else could and always know the perfect things to do and say when I don't feel well, am a little stressed out, or just plain need a little help (and aren't good at asking).

To Nana, THANK YOU for being my Nana too. You have given me the help and support that I have desperately needed with a wonderful smile, the kindest of hearts, and a quick wit. You often know what needs to be done before I do. It amazes me how much you can get done in the shortest amount of time. But, most of all, you give me a mental and physical break each week that lets me take a breath...and enjoy my babies all the more. I have so enjoyed the time we have spent together and it means so much to me that such a wonderful person is playing such an important role in the lives of my children.

To Brian, THANK YOU for being such a great father. I love you more as each day passes. These babies have brought out the very best in you. You laugh a little louder, smile a little wider, and love with your whole heart. You always make me feel like we are in this together and that you are having the time of your life. And I truly believe that you are.

To my sweet babies...Happy 10 months! I hope it has been as good for all of you as it has been for me. Most of all, I hope each day brings for each of you as much happiness and joy as it brings me. You all have exceeded my every hope and dream. You all make this job so easy. I thank you for every smile, every giggle, and every time you reach out for me to hold you. I thank you for your patience...which is seemingly endless. I thank you for your easy-going nature. I thank you for not realizing how much of a novice I am at this. I thank you for letting me hold you when you cry and letting me be the one to make it all better. I just simply cannot believe how wonderful each of you are.

To Nonnie and Poppie...Here is your baby fix...and we are glad you are almost back home!