Fun in the sun!!!

We enjoyed a great Memorial Day out at Uncle Eddie and Aunt Debbies. The triplets had their first swim...and their first dose of sunscreen for their pasty white complexions. Pretty sure they enjoyed it. Pretty sure the soaking wet diapers weighed more than they did when they got out...

Here's Lily Bug...I think we need to get her a one-piece. She's definitely too young for a bikini...and maybe a little too chubby. (Sorry-big boned.)

This, however, is a more accurate view of how she can be seen these days, as she now has TWO teeth poking through her gums now. Not gonna lie...it's been a rough week.

Here's Bennie with Nonnie. He was a splashin' fool. So much so he got it in his eyes.

Ahh yes, Bennie with his man-boobs.

Here's Jack kickin' it with Poppie.

He didn't seem to be a fan of the sunglasses...

Ahhh yes, the group swim!

WHAT...We're How old???

6 MONTHS!!!

Can you believe it? Time is flying! We had our 6 month check-up today.


Jack weighed in at a stellar 18 lbs 3 oz today (50-75th percentile). He's 27 1/4 inches long (75-90th)


Bennie weighed in at 19 lbs 6 oz (75-90th)!!! He is 271/2 inches long (75t-90th).

Lily is 19 lbs 2 oz (95th). She is 26 inches long (75th)




Not too bad, huh? Lots of big news going on around here. See below....


These two are eating rice and oatmeal cereal off spoons!!! Lily is particularly enthralled with cereal. She actually cries when I stop feeding it to her! She manages to eat and eat and eat and not get any on her bib. In just a week and a half she has become a real pro. Jack isn't quite as excited, but he's on his way. These two are also getting teeth. They haven't begun to poke through the gums yet, but you can see two little bumps on their bottom gums. Dr. Hopkins said probably by early July. Fun times! Luckily they aren't fussy all of the time, just in little spurts. So far. As you can see...we are dealing with A LOT of drool!


And then there's Bennie, who likes anything off of a spoon about as much as he likes tummy time. Funny enough, he's a really easy baby. Except when you want him to do things he clearly does not want to do. Then he screams...like a girl. He easily goes down for naps, doesn't cry when he wakes up, and will often just play or suck his thumb in bed until somebody comes to get him out. He only REALLY cries when he is hurting...exceptionally tired...when he's on his tummy...and when a fully loaded spoon is coming at his face. Mind you, he's also the best eater of the bunch, he rarely doesn't finish an entire 8 oz bottle and I am now giving him extra. He's the smiliest, happiest, giggliest baby ever. So for now, we're playing in rice cereal, letting him lick it off of his hands, and letting him chew in the spoon. I figure when he's ready he'll let me know. All three of them are eating four 8 oz bottles a day! They have also been sleeping 12 hours at night for about 3 weeks!!!! It's pretty fantastic. They love to play, play, play! The favorite toy is the jumperoo. I swear Jack would stay in that thing all day long if we let him. Bennie is especially fond of the super-crazy jacked up exersaucer we bought. No kidding, I think it has hydraulics on it. He just spins around in circles playing with one thing then the next.


Jumpin' Jack...as we're now calling him, is always ready for a smile! He's my cuddly baby. He loves to be held at my shoulder and snuggle. He has the LONGEST eyelashes you have ever seen. I have no idea where these come from. His eyes are kind of green right now. We're still waiting on what the final color will be. It is a complete mystery right now. He's a happy-go-lucky kind of guy...reminds me a lot of his Dad.


All are rolling from their back to their tummy. Lily is the pro. So good, in fact, that she wakes us up a couple of times in the night crying because she has rolled to the side of the bed and can't figure out how to roll back. It's easy, though. Walk up the stairs, enter the room, flip her over, and go back to bed. She goes straight back to sleep. It must be tough to be a baby and have this happen to you. Jack likes to sleep on his side staring at his waterfall soother. Bennie has rolled over once. He rolled to his side, then with a quick surge of power rolled to his belly. It took him about a minute to figure out that this is not where he wanted to be. He then cried like a little girl. Unfortunately, he has not mastered the roll-back. To my knowledge he has not attempted this again, and in fact, is probably avoiding it at all cost.
Bennie is trying his darndest to sit. Unfortunately he looks like he's doing the chicken dance. It looks like his eyes are going to be blue. His 1 1/2 inch long hair, which appears to be blond (I'm still holding out for red), likes to stick straight up all the way around his head like a halo. Not gonna lie, it's pretty darn cute. I have also never seen anyone drool the way he drools. He can be wearing a bib and in 30 minutes have soaked the bib all the way through to his shirt, which is also wet. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. He also is in love with his left thumb. I'm fairly certain he likes this little thumb more than he likes me. I'm glad I'm a close second, however. When he does not have his thumb inserted into his mouth he can be found with an entire fist in his mouth, or the now popular double fishhook. He has the best fine motor skills. He can grab just about anything...soon followed by shoving it into his mouth!
Ahhhh...Our little Buddha baby. Isn't she adorable??? I keep telling her the cellulite looks cute on her...she keeps telling me she is just big boned. She, unfortunately, did not get the eyelashes. She did get the big pouty lips, though! She is all girly-girl. She loves to cuddle and talk softly to you while you hold her in your lap. She really is just the sweetest thing ever. She also has the loudest and bossiest cry...which she is not afraid of using to get whatever it is that she wants. The winner of the smiliest baby goes to Lily. She has a grin that stretches from ear to ear and melts your heart. She already has everyone wrapped around her finger!

My Ode to Motherhood...a little late.

Better late than never, right? I am SO behind it is ridiculous. But it is for an EXTREMELY good reason! Two weeks ago we ventured into a land of the unknown. The land of sleep. To be exact...the land of 12 hours of sleeping!!! My sweet babies must really love me because they gave me the best gift EVER. That's right...7 pm to 7 am. It is fantastic. But, to get it done we had to adjust their bottle times during the day which means I'm feeding them 3 times during the day by myself instead of just 2. My busy day just got a whole lot busier. It was a bit of an adjustment, but it's getting a lot easier. But, on to my first Mother's Day.

As I sit here, over a week late, I ponder what it is exactly I have learned in the last year. Am I any smarter? Do I now possess skills and talents that I did not have before? Have I actually become superhuman? How am I different today than I was before I was a Mom. So, of course, I compiled a list...


Things I have learned from being a mother (original title, huh?)

Yes, I am indeed superhuman. I formed three perfect babies, stretched my super-elastic skin, and survived months of solitude. I have done things most have not. Looking back I am amazed. I also never wish to go through any of it again. Most Extreme Pregnancy is not for everyone. I am overjoyed at the outcome, but I would be an idiot do want to do it again.



I am the ultimate multitasker. I can feed, burp, change, and diaper three babies in under 30 minutes. I can do all of these things while drinking a cup of coffee and talking on the phone. I could probably also balance a plate on my head, but I have not tried this yet. I can then spend the next hour entertaining three babies. This may include: Tummy time, acting like a total goof time, exersaucer/jumperoo time, or basically anything and everything that will keep them busy. I can then rock and put three babies down for a nap. I can pack and organize an impromptu trip to the lake, to a restaurant, or to the mall and only forget one or two things. I am every woman...and probably 3 men as well. Go on, you try it, see if you can do it.



I may be slightly schizophrenic. There are days that I relish in my skills and abilities. They are sleeping through the night, they nap well, they are eating great, they are the happiest and smiliest babies ever! These days are often followed by days in which I question everything... Am I doing this right? We have what I term a "jailbreak" day. Nobody is napping, everybody is grumpy (including me), the house is in complete chaos, and I have quite obviously lost control of the entire situation. Luckily, there are way more good days than bad. Even when there are bad days, the good can still be found in a smile, a laugh, or a hot shower.


I am adventurous. O.K., not in the roller-coaster, zip-line, dare-devil way. More like... Taking three babies to public places by myself. This is an adventure sport I assure you.

Organization is truly the key. Schedule...Schedule...Schedule... I love my Schedule!!! You must know where things are at all times. You must be able to grab the things you need at a moments notice. You must not deviate from your plan. Do not be afraid when a day goes awry...chart the overall trend and you will see things getting incrementally better. That being said...you must also concede the losses and know when to call it quit. Not every plan comes to fruition but as long as I can at least figure out what does NOT work...all is not lost.

No matter how smart I am, they may be smarter. Or...am I just dumb from being overworked and under slept? Or...just when I think I have it all figured out they go and change the rules on me. This applies to: Pooping, sleeping, eating, crying, etc.



This is a job. Let me repeat...THIS IS A JOB. A 24-hour per day job with no sick days. People yell at you at the top of their lungs for no good reason. You have to wipe butts. You are neck-deep in bodily fluids of all types. There are many, many strange smells. (Sounds strangely like a nursing home, but isn't.) I should apply to be on the show Dirtiest Jobs for sure.

You get bonus points for creativity. You prop bottles when you have to...with things like rolled up towels, or ankles, or another baby's foot. Whatever works at the time. Sometimes you have to burp 3 babies at one time. Which can be done. It does, however, usually end up with spit-up on your back, on your leg, or down your shirt. It is also possible to carry three babies at once. It is probably not entirely safe, especially when descending stairs. You will line babies up and howl like a coyote, bark like a dog, or sing and dance like Janet Jackson to keep them happy for the next 15 minutes until it is time for them to eat. I have done all of these things. If there were cameras in my house I would also be up for America's Funniest Home Videos.



There will be days when you feel extremely unappreciated. Why? I don't know. Probably because you look around and the only other people there don't really speak English yet to tell you how great you are. Thank goodness they finally start to smile and laugh at you. If it weren't for that you would all be sunk.



However difficult something may seem at first it will quickly become doable, if by necessity alone. I thought it would be impossible to take care of them by myself, but I did. I thought they would never eat an entire bottle without falling asleep half way through, but they did. I thought they would never drop the 2 am feed, but they did (arguing the entire way). I was scared to death to take them anywhere by myself, but I did it. I thought they would never sleep through the night, but they are. I'm learning that while I am an extremely impatient person and want things to happen NOW, it is better to just relax-stay on my course, and let things work out as they should. Oh yeah, it doesn't hurt to say a prayer or two...or four hundred. It also doesn't hurt to crawl under the sheets and hide every once in a while.



Peace and quiet is a dream you will be chasing for the next 18 years. It can all turn on a dime. The tranquility of three babies slumbering away during their afternoon nap is just simply not something you can count on. It doesn't matter if you peek in on them and they are clearly DEAD ASLEEP. The second you run sprinter-speed down the stairs, strip down while running through the living room, and attempt to take a shower...they know. Just like they know when you try to catch a quick cat nap on the couch. They just know. This is their cue for ALL HELL TO BREAK LOOSE. But, just as soon as you don't take a shower... a neighbor shows up to talk.



Sometimes they cry. Sometimes it is for no reason at all, and sometimes it is because they need something but you can't get to them right now because you are tending to another baby. I had to make peace with this. As a mother you want to instantly satisfy and pacify your crying child. I cannot always do this with three babies and it can be stressful and sad. There have been times when we are all crying. Is this o.k.? I don't know. It just has to be for us. We are not an attachment parenting style household. We are a schedule-following, parent-led, dictatorship around here. I do the very best that I can and if their current condition is any testament to my skills, I am doing a fantastic job. This does not mean that I don't constantly worry and question my parenting skills...but doesn't everybody?


Happy, well-balanced, loving parents raise good kids. I know because I am the product of such a household, as is Brian. We're just passing it on. We are so well-balanced because our families allow us to have nights out for dinner or to see friends, stay the night to give us extra help (or to let us sleep in), and go on vacation. They also come over and do a load of laundry, vacuum the floor, wash bottles and dishes, and help install TVs. Not bad, huh? I will say it again... There is just no way we could be pulling this whole operation off without A LOT of help. Thank you each and every one of you a million times over. These babies are as much yours as ours and I want you all to enjoy every second of this.



Humor is the key. So is a positive attitude. Teamwork. A whole lot of hope and ingenuity helps as well. A talent to remember the bad parts but hold on to the good. Throw in a pinch of solidarity and presto! It all works. Beautifully.



There are probably many other things I could list, but I think these will be enough for today. This has been a year of one million firsts for us all. The past years have been a bit monotonous for us. We've been working on building a nest egg, our careers, and living the American dream. This past year has been one of change, growth, and learning. I expect to see more of the same in the coming years. This is all new to me. I am learning along the way. As long as some days may seem, they all seem to be flying by. All of the sudden they are six months old! Sometimes the days are so busy I get scared I'm missing out on the little things. Sometimes the changes are so fast I can't believe it.



The state of the union is indeed good around here. The state of this Mom is spectacular. I never like to do things the practical or easy way. I guess this is no different. This is definitely not the easy way. I would say it is the fun way, however. It is the daredevil way, don't you think?



So, how DID I spend my Mother's Day?

I slept in...

I got an special gift from my Mom (the artist).... She drew and framed a collage of the babies. She took the images from pictures we have taken along the way...all the way back to their birth. It was the most amazing gift I have ever received.

I hung out with the most spectacular Moms I know...who graced me with their company.

Oh yeah, I also hung out with the coolest triplets I know...

I kissed some big fat cheeks.....



And some big fat chins...

Got my hair pulled....
And...put on a big girly bow!

Good old tummy time!

Lily loves it.


Jack loves it.
Daddy loves it.
Pretty sure this is what Bennie thinks about it.