Lily, Jack, and Ben Rogers

Happy 4th! On the 8th...

2009-07-08T18:37:00.004-05:00

I, unfortunately, had to spend the first part of the holiday at work then drive the almost 2 hours to the country. This left Brian to load three babies and all of their junk into the car and drive them to Weatherford. And all he really forgot was Lily's red, white, and blue bow. Which matched her 4th of July shirt. Dang.

The 4th is a big holiday for our family. Several birthdays fall around this holiday so we always have a big pool party out at Uncle Eddie and Debbie's. This includes Brian's which is on the 5th.

It's always such a great time. Lots of food, fun, and laughter. Last year we spent the night so we could shoot off fireworks after the kiddos went down. This year we made it an annual tradition. Or so I hope...

The babies were a joy as always. Wherever they go they spread smiles and love. It's always amazing how easy it is to take them anywhere. They always have such a great time. This makes everyone else have a great time as well.

Their day started off with a neighborhood parade which Brian took the kiddos to in their wagon. I'm glad he took pictures for me because it looks entirely too hot for me. Such a good Daddy!

After a quick nap it was off to the festivities where lots and lots of flag waving happened!

Jack loves the water. This picture was prior to him falling into the hot tub. Don't worry, he landed on the first step. Ben likes to stick his feet in...and throw rocks into the water. Boys are silly.

Both boys enjoying the kiddie pool...with shorts and diapers on. Why did I even bother to take off their shirts? Better yet, why didn't I just put them in their swim diapers and swimsuits when they woke up? I'm still learning I guess.... Unfortunately poor Jack got a bit of chafing from my mistake.

Lily thinks those boys are CRAZY to get so wet and dirty.

Sweet Bennie bringing Mommy a flower!

Not to be outdone...Lily found an even BIGGER flower to bring to Mommy!

Nonnie's baked beans were a big hit!

But, the best part of it all is spending time with the people we love!

...and the really, really, really tall people!
Hope everyone had a great 4th! Happy birthday America. But, most of all, thanks to all of the men and women who give their lives for our freedom. We are blessed to live in such a great country.

Dear Dad...

2009-06-24T14:43:00.003-05:00

Thanks for all of the important jobs you do around here.

Thanks for always bringing home a big smile and a great attitude.

Thanks for being fun, involved, happy, and enthusiastic.

Thanks for teaching our kids how to be good people.

Thanks for making all of us feel, each day, how important we are to you.

Thanks for being you! And thanks for tolerating the fact that I am always late...

We Love You!

We Are Dog People

2009-06-18T15:36:00.001-05:00

Writing things down has always helped me get through difficult times. I often have dialogue running through my head and it is a relief to get it out on paper (or in type). We've been through a lot in the last few weeks which is why you haven't heard much from me. Bear with me, this is more for my me than anyone else. This is my therapy, this is my eulogy, this is my goodbye. So here you go.

Roughly 13 years ago, after having a frosty beverage or two... Brian and I headed out to Godley to check out some 8-wk old Siberian Husky puppies we had found in the paper. Just to look. Not to buy.

Yeah right... Have you ever seen one in person? It is simply impossible not to leave with one, we're lucky we made out with just one. One in particular seemed a little sweeter than the others. Brian was holding one, but I convinced him the one I had was the one we wanted. This was our first Christmas together and this was my present to Brian. We had been dating roughly 9 months or so, surely long enough to commit to something as important as raising a dog together, right? Oh how young and naive we were.

And so began our life with Kita. For almost as long as there has been a Brian and I, there has been a Kita as well. The honest truth is that if not for her there might not have been an us. No matter what the difficult times brought...arguments, stupidity, and even a long-distance relationship...she was the tie that was never broken between us.

I'd love to tell ya'll she was the best dog there ever was (which she was to us), but there may have been a little room for improvement in the obedience area. If it could be shredded, scratched, or ripped up she could (and would) do it. She has demolished kennels (plastic dog crates), carpet, walls, sheets, doors, and countless other things. If it could be peed or pooped on she could handle that as well. Once I'm pretty sure she stood in the middle of the room and spun around like a helicopter. How else could you explain poop on the walls and even in the electrical outlet? And the famous backpack incident? Yep, right in the side pocket on a $20 bill...and nowhere else. She could be diabolical. More than that, she could not be trusted in the least.

And, the thing she was famous for...escaping. The miles we have ran chasing that silly dog. Looking back I'm fairly certain we have spent most of the time trying to keep her from running away from us. Which is ironic considering how much she would cry and whine at the backdoor to get in. Once we found JUST her collar hanging on one of the posts of Brian's 7-ft back fence.

We went through multiple kennels because she scratched holes in them. She was also quite adept at somehow shaking the kennel all day until the screws fell out. We finally just zip-tied the darn thing together. We attempted once to get her a large wire kennel that had way more room and she could see out. That lasted about 1 day until she figured out how to scoot the plastic bottom out and dug all the way through the carpet and padding. Lost that deposit. Actually, I'm pretty sure we never got any deposit back on any apartment we lived in...

Once I came home to hear her crying. I ran around the corner and found just her head hanging out a hole that she had scratched in the side of the kennel. She was the only dog I have ever heard of that could somehow walk a kennel from room to room while we were gone. Luckily, in the past few years she calmed down enough that we didn't have to put her in it anymore.

She definitely had her fare share of oddities. She like to hide things...like cheese in the potted plants. She HATED other dogs. When she went into heat she latched onto odd items and they became her "puppy". She was unreasonably high strung. She hated for her tail or feet to be touched. She seriously disliked for her picture to be taken, wouldn't make eye contact with the camera, and usually looked annoyed at the picture taker. She hated to be brushed. She hated rain, baths, swimming, and basically water of any kind. And many more I can't remember right now.

And the hair. Oh the hair. Can I tell you how many times I cursed the hair? I wore her hair, ate her hair, vacuumed her hair, brushed her hair, lint-rolled her hair, and found her hair in the oddest of places. I can't count how many hundreds of times I wished that hair away.

Kita was spirited, to say the least. But, because she was simply beautiful, and completely ours (for better or worse) we put up with it all. She had a way of making you feel that you were lucky just to be hanging out with her. She got annoyed with us. She even got embarrassed sometimes. She never, even for one second, considered herself to be a dog. As far as she was concerned this was a level playing field and we were no more important than she was in this relationship.

Then there was the shear joy she had when she hung her head out the window while we were driving. And the sweet spot that you occasionally found when you rubbed her belly. And the times, if only for a few minutes, she let you curl up right next to her. Oh, and that puppy fur on our feet at the end of the day. I have ran miles upon miles with her by my side. Even with all that fur she loved to stretch out in the sun and bake for a while. She had a way of looking so content and happy with herself...half-closed eyes, tongue hanging out, nose to the sky. She liked to hide in our closet, or in the bushes, or under the bed. She also like to stretch out on a nice cool tile floor when available. And I can hear her contented sigh as she stretched out as far as she could right now in my mind. She could also roll herself up so tightly that her nose would tuck in right under her tail.

For so many years we dragged her everywhere. We stayed gone all day, we went out at night, and and she always adapted. She's lived in multiple houses and apartments. In the most unselfish act ever, Brian let me take Kita to live with me in Houston for the two years I was in grad school. And then I made him marry me to get her back! She was my companion for all of my drives back and forth to Houston. She even went on camping trips with us. She was always there, for the good and the bad.

I became an adult with her by my side. I graduated college. I graduated from OT school. I married the love of my life. I bought my first house. I bought my second house. I had my children. She has ridden shotgun in every car I have ever owned. I always had her.

For the past 2 years, barring the month I was in the hospital, she's been my constant companion every single day. She drove me crazy some days. I'm sure I did the same to her. And while I knew she was getting old, I never stopped to think how it would feel when she wasn't here anymore. Why is that? We tolerated each other like a crazy old couple who have been together for years, with sweet moments here and there. And a lot of nagging.

As with everything else we have done to her, she tolerated the babies. I can't say she was happy about it. But, we worked through it. There were days I would be so frustrated with her, but I realize now it was just a difficult situation for us both. I wanted to be able to trust her around the babies and she wanted them to leave her alone. There were days I thought it would be easier for me if she just wasn't here. This is the one thing I wish I could take back more than anything. Why is it so easy to take the simplest of things for granted?

Monday we had to make a difficult decision and had to have her put to sleep. She had advanced lymphoma and had gotten to the point of not eating or standing up. We made our decision with as much peace as possible and said goodbye. I think this was the hardest thing I have ever done. Which is saying a lot, I did have triplets ya know?

We only found out that she was sick a little over a week ago. We were told she had 2-4 months, and certainly didn't expect just a week. It happened too fast. It was amazing how completely unprepared we were for it when it did. The one condolence for me is that she wasn't sick for that long. She was far too proud to have tolerated that.

I wasn't ready. I had no idea how difficult it would be to say goodbye. I spent so much time at the end worrying that she was uncomfortable or in pain that I never stopped to think about how big the place in my heart was that she filled. I thank from the bottom of my heart both my parents and Brian's parents that they allowed me to spend some time just with her during her last days.

I miss her. I can't believe she's gone. She's just always been here. It is difficult to put into words or even describe how sad we have been. I just can't quite get it in my heart that I will never see her again. It is an emotion that has quite literally shaken me.

There will be no more whining at the back door. There will be no more piles of hair in the corner. There will be no more jingles in the middle of the night. It's a hard thing to accept. Impossibly hard.

But life moves on. Today was a little bit better than yesterday. Tomorrow will be a little bit better than today. It's hard being in this house without her. It's better when I am busy. Thank goodness I have three fantastic little distractions at my feet.

And I will always love that silly dog. Forever.

We're Home!!!

2009-06-02T20:25:00.000-05:00

Vacations just aren't the same when you have kids.

Pre-triplets we booked trips way in advance, couldn't wait to leave, stayed as long as we could, and didn't want to come back home. This time I held off as long as I could to give Brian the go-ahead to book, didn't start to pack until roughly 8 hours before we left for the airport, and couldn't wait to get home to see my sweeties.

However, we did have a fantastic time. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of our wonderful family who made it possible for us to have some time to ourselves. Thank you Brian for convincing me that this was a good idea...because it really truly was. The last vacation that we had all to ourselves was when I was about 8 weeks pregnant, which was a long time ago.

And, let's be honest, the kids were apparently having way too much fun to even notice we were gone. MawMaw and PawPaw kept them busy with trips to Bass Pro, Cabellas, and the park Nonnie, Poppie, and Grandmother took them on a train ride, to the park, and bought them a kiddie pool for the back yard. And...I'm fairly sure everyone was completely and wonderfully spoiled. Which is exactly how it should be.

As for me, I enjoyed the time with my hubbie. It's amazing how much of our lives are spent tending to our children which doesn't leave a lot of time for us. When we do have time together we're exhausted from chasing toddlers and working. We relaxed, hiked, drove along the coast, surfed (Brian, not me...), hung out on the beach, went sight-seeing, and ATE lots of great seafood.

We arrived in Seattle Wednesday morning, rented a car, and headed south to Oregon. We stayed in Gearhart in a condo on the beach. The beach was beautiful. We spent the first two days driving the coast, stopping when we wanted, and enjoying the scenery. Life at our own pace. Not so bad, huh?

The next day we made our way down to Tillamook...home of the famous cheese factory. We then headed back North to Oswald West State Park, home of Short Sands Beach. Brian rented a board and wet suit so he could get his annual wave fix. There is NO WAY you could have gotten me to get in that freezing water but he spent hours out there. We're a perfect match. He spends his time surfing and I spend my time relaxing on the beach and reading. Paradise.

Friday we drove back to Seattle and did some sight-seeing.

Saturday we took the ferry to Bainbridge Island and got some amazing views of Seattle, including Mt. Ranier.

We also saw a rather unique form of advertising.

The weather was unseasonably warm and sunny the entire time. Some people (not me) were even wearing bathing suits on the beach. Everything was just wonderful. The only hitch was that my suitcase went to Philadelphia instead of coming home to Dallas, guess it didn't want the vacation to end. Thanks to US Airways it was on my porch Monday morning.

Again, thanks to everyone who made this possible. When Brian and I weren't being mushy about how much we missed the babies we were being thankful for all of the support we have. As for the babies...I don't think they ever even noticed we were gone because they were having so much fun. All of us were completely spoiled when the trip was over...which is exactly how it should be!

Rhonda let me copy some pics they took while we were gone. See? They were having a blast!

Except Bennie...who wasn't so sure about the Zoo train!

Off To The Pacific Northwest.

2009-05-26T22:29:00.002-05:00

I know it's a good thing, but it seems like a very bad idea right now....

Brian and I are headed to Washington State and Northern Oregon for the next 4 nights, leaving bright and early (6 am) tomorrow morning.

I really am excited but I am going to miss my babies so much.

Thanks to my parents and Brian's parents for babysitting our little munchkins while we are gone. I expect them to be completely spoiled when I get back. I'm guessing they will have so much fun they won't even miss us.

Have fun MawMaw, PawPaw, Nonnie, Poppie, and Grandmother...and be sure to follow the 9 pages of instructions that I left you! (Think I'm having some separation anxiety?)

See ya'll Sunday and I can't wait to share fun pics, that is if I can find my camera battery charger!

Jumpin' Jack

2009-05-23T21:34:00.003-05:00

Just when you think you have it figured out they go and change the rules on you. They've been sweet, sleeping great, happy, basically pretty much perfect.

Until Jack grew wings yesterday. And climbed out of the pack n play during his nap. Multiple times. To be fair, I was at work, so poor Nonnie had to deal with the madness. I am just so sorry.

He did finally nap, briefly. Which would lead you to believe he would be tired and go to sleep easily.

Not so much.

Again, I completely missed all of the madness. I was at a work training class last night until 11:00. Darn.

Because.... He then climbed out of his crib. Per Brian, approximately one million times. Luckily it only lasted about 3 hours or so. Along with a massive amount of screaming and crying. Except for when he was running around the room, throwing stuffed animals into Ben's crib, ransacking the closet, and conveniently turning the monitor off. Then he was oddly silent.

He finally wore himself out and slept until about 7:00 this morning (not the usual 8:00.) I worked again today. I missed all of the fun.

Today a crib tent was put on his pack n play which worked well at nap time. Unfortunately because of the shape of our crib it will not work there. We turned the crib around b/c the front is about a foot lower than the back. THANK YOU Nana for the suggestion! You are so smart, we never even thought about that.

So, for now, we have outsmarted him. He did cry for about an hour. Followed by silence, which was worrisome. Luckily he was asleep...in his crib.

I sincerely hope he doesn't figure it out any time soon. I need some sleep. And so does Daddy. I am SO not ready for toddler beds.

You are in SO much trouble, mister.

The Very End Of A Very Perfect Day.

2009-05-20T20:25:00.004-05:00

Not every day is good. Not every day is bad. Some days are filled with laughter and smiles. Some are crowded with whines and tears. Most days are mixture of it all.

But, oddly enough...after all is said and done, after baths are given, after pj's are on, and after sweet babies are cuddled off to bed.... It's the end to another very, very, very perfect day. A day I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. Ever. Ever. Ever.

Thank you sweet babies for making the last 18 months breathtaking. I believe with all of my heart that each of you are pure magic. I am forever changed because of you. I pray each day that I can give you a life of happiness, friendship, and comfort. Because that is what you give me each and every day.

Thank you for loving hats...

Thank you for the daily reminders that nobody is perfect all of the time.

Thank you for reminding me that dirt doesn't taste so great...

Thank you for warming the hearts of those around you. Thank you for drawing our families close together to share all of this with you. But most of all...Thank you for giving me so many very perfect days... I love you.....

Lily,

Jack,

and Ben.

Think Before You Talk.

2009-05-15T20:11:00.005-05:00

I have certainly been known to stick my foot in my mouth a number of times. While I consider myself to be a high self-monitor, I've been guilty of saying the first thing that comes to mind...which isn't always the thing you should say out loud.

Having triplets I've experienced a lot of comments, questions, and intrusions into my personal life by complete strangers. Most are well-meaning so I answer as nicely as I can and move on. But people, the lady I talked with today takes first place in the bizarre question category. So much so, I immediately had to call Brian and relay the odd conversation.

But, I'll just let you be the judge. (Wording has been a bit paraphrased)

This particular conversation occurred on the way to my car. She was a middle-aged nice woman who was helping me to the car with my groceries. We were at Market Street where they do not have any outside grocery cart receptacles so the employees follow you to your car and bring the cart back. She appeared to be of sound mind. I have no reason to think otherwise anyway. I have inserted my inner dialogue in italics...

Shopping Cart Lady: "Hey, Wow, Your kids are really close in age."

Me: "Yeah, they're triplets. "

Shopping Cart Lady: "Really? Are you sure? I thought they had to all be exactly the same to be triplets."

Me: "No, they can all be different, I have two boys and a girl. None of them are identical."

Shopping Cart Lady: "Yeah I guess you're right" You think? "Those people on that show with all the kids have both boys and girls." I'm guessing John and Kate plus 8...and those are technically sextuplets... "But wow, I've never actually seen any real live triplets up close."I've actually heard this one before...but you still want to ask if she's seen any dead ones, right?... And really, what are we lady, a zoo exhibit?

Me: "Well, yeah..." Honestly I just have no idea how to respond here

Shopping Cart Lady: "So, wow, they're like normal sized. I mean that's how big a normal kid is right?" Even my inner dialogue is speechless at this point.

Me: "Yeah, they're normal kids there's just three of them. They're actually kind of big for their age."

Shopping Cart Lady: "Huh. What's their names?"

Me: "Lily, Jack, and Ben."

Shopping Cart Lady: "So you have to have a favorite...Which one's your favorite?" This is insane...I'm blogging about this tonight.

Me: "I guess it depends on the day..."

Look pretty normal to me!

O.k., this one might be a little loopy...

Off To Never Neverland...

2009-05-13T18:27:00.003-05:00

Inevitably it was to come to this. I've been REALLY lucky to have enough family available at pretty short notice to either leave the well kids home or have someone go with me to the Dr.'s office. My luck was sure to run out eventually.

Kids get sick. That's just what they do. Jack apparently has a bit of a stomach bug which has manifested itself in a few icky diapers and a low-grade fever that has lasted for five days now. Lily had one day of fever but no other symptoms and seems to be fine. She is incredibly resilient. Ben has had a few icky diapers but no fever. THANK GOODNESS because when he gets a fever he means it...usually between 103 and 105.

So, after he woke up this morning with another fever I scheduled a Dr. appointment in the hopes that we could get a family member to come over. We just weren't able to make it happen so I piled all of them in the car for what was sure to be an adventure.

There's just a lot working against you when you do this by yourself. Visions of crowded waiting rooms, people gawking, an hour-long wait to see Dr. Hopkins, and let's not forget fitting a large- and-n-charge stroller into a TINY treatment room were all running through my head on the drive there.

I'm here to say we all lived through it. God was smiling on me today. No wait, quick visit, easy cheesy. Thank goodness. They were stellar as always. Jack didn't even cry. I'm not sure my heart could handle three children having a massive meltdown in a crowded Dr.'s office.

The final verdict is some sort of virus. Big surprise, huh? He also had a bit of a red throat but the Strep test was negative. No ear infection which is what I was really worried about with the low-grade fever. So, we wait and hope there is no fever some time in the near future. Love it when you spend $20 bucks and all you really come away is with what it's NOT...and that there is basically nothing you can do but what you were currently doing.

I am left wondering, however, when the proverbial poop is going to hit the fan (no pun intended). I mean I've been entirely too lucky so far with their fantastic public behavior and I am a-skairt of what could be coming. I would love to say I'm an eternal optimist, but let's face it, I'm dealing with toddlers. There is just simply no telling when they might turn on me.

I've Been Facebooked.

2009-05-12T18:15:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the age of social networking. All this really means, however, is that you spend WAY too much time looking up past acquaintances to see how the heck they turned out.

You want all the mean high school girls to be fat, ugly, divorced, or something not so nice. Not really. You hope all of your sweet sorority sisters have lots of beautiful kids and a hot hubbie. You can find out what fantastic jobs your fellow grad school mates have attained. In short, it's an amazing way to catch up with a lot of people in your past.

While I have definitely caught up on some good friends of the past, I've spent entirely too much time perusing Facebook. So that's what I've been doing instead of catching up on my blogs. I apologize. I will be better.

Fantastic Weekend!

2009-04-29T20:03:00.007-05:00

We had a great family day this past Saturday. I know I've said this time and time again, but our little guys are just so pleasant. I realize they could turn into tiny monsters any time, but until then I am touting their amazing ability to just go with the flow.

Our group of girlfriends have been trying to meet twice per month. Once for dinner and once for a family party or outing. I've been so lucky to be a part of a wonderful group of girls...um, I guess we're women now.

Anyhow, this months outing was a morning at the zoo. With so many friends around we were even able to let the boys out to run around a bit. Each time we go to the zoo they are more and more excited. Lily even barked at a Bongo.

After loading three tired tots up we decided to skip eating out for lunch. I got to feed a sandwich, 2 fruit bars, and a banana to them on the way home. It's amazing I didn't get car sick this time.

We got home and they took a 3 hour nap. It was heaven.Since we were SO well rested we headed out for a family dinner at a nearby restaurant. Everything was easy sailing until we headed out and realized we had a flat tire. I spent the next 30 minutes entertaining babies while Brian was laboring away in the parking lot. Thank goodness straws are so fascinating....

We had a blast this past weekend. We went to the Zoo with several of our friends and their families. I definitely should have worn shorts, however. We let the boys out to run around a little and I was sweating by the time we got back to the car!

I was so lucky to be able to host a baby shower for a good friend of ours that lives in Maryland Sunday afternoon. We are expanding our group by another baby girl! Thanks so much Kayleen for making the trip down to TX so we could celebrate with you! We love you!

New Friends

2009-04-27T18:33:00.003-05:00

We've been on several play dates lately. Some with old friends and some with new. Thought I"d share a few pics of our new friends.

Our first big outing was the New Member play date of a local Mom's League that I joined. Yep, I joined a big group of a lot of people that I don't know. I joined mainly because they have weekly playgroups, but I also felt that surely these local women could give me the scoop on what to do around here. Oh yeah, and hopefully I would make a few friends as well. I was extremely nervous, mainly because I was taking three toddlers to a park by myself.

I'd love to tell you that it was a fantastic time and I found all of my new best friends. It was o.k. I barely spoke to anyone b/c I was chasing the kiddos around. I did, however, find out that the boys LOVED the sandbox and Lily HATED it. Oh well, at least I could keep them somewhat corralled there. Mainly it was stressful, but I'm glad I went. I am making an effort. I am not giving up on them yet.

At first glance it would seem that the boys had made some new friends below. The boy in the green was actually taunting Jack with a really cool truck. He kept waving it in front of Jack's smiling happy face and telling him he couldn't touch it...all while Ben was inspecting his shoe. I'm not sure this is the type of friendship I was hoping for?

BUT.... Our next play dates have been amazing and wonderful. I didn't realize how happy it would make me to see my children make friends, especially when those friends are such great children...which of course they would be b/c they have great parents!

We met up with two of my friends whom I used to work with. Here's Gabe and Ben checking each other out.

Lily is just fascinated by BIG girls and was so happy to have fun with Molly.

Here's the whole crew. Kind of strange to think I brought half of the kids, huh? Lily liked Gabe so much she repeatedly stole his pacifier out of his mouth. I hope I don't have a bully on my hands!

Last Thursday my trio got to meet another trio. I have been lucky to find another triplet Mom who is helping me figure out how to do all of this. It's nice to be able to talk to someone who's been through all of this and survived. I'm finding with this new stage I'm having more and more questions. There's so many things I want to do and sometimes the only barrier is figuring out a way to do it by myself. I have also joined a local Mom's of Multiples group.

Here's having fun at Northeast Mall!

Here's Bennie checking out the ladies at lunch!

We've had a blast and are looking forward to lots of new experiences. I've especially enjoyed getting to hang out with my friends again!

Our New Crazy Cups.

2009-04-19T18:00:00.000-05:00

Each morning for breakfast I fix the babies yogurt smoothies. They LOVE them. As soon as Jack sits in his chair he starts signing milk. It's easy... 8 oz whole milk yogurt, 1/2 cup fruit, 1 tbsp wheat germ, 1/2 avacado, then 4-5 oz of milk. I've been serving them in the Take and Toss straw cups. Which has worked great until Lily became strangely obsessed with pulling the straw out. Then she lovingly taught her brothers how to do the same. Monkey see...monkey do.

So, I was wondering through WalMart one night(because that's what I do for fun these days), and I found these crazy cups. They were in the seasonal section, you know where they have all the fun plastic cups, plates, and serving stuff? They were only 96 cents so I thought I'd give it a try. Works great!

As an added bonus....they look like something straight out of "Dazed And Confused"!

So How Does One Go Shopping With Triplets???

2009-04-17T20:10:00.000-05:00

I've been to WalMart and Central Market several times with the babies, but I always had to unload the stroller, put them in it, then load it back up when we were done. It's just a lot of work for a very short amount of time. It's also not feasible to buy a large quantity of items because there's nowhere to put them. Unless you push the stroller and pull the cart behind you. Which some parents of multiples have to do. For reals.

Since we are now at of RSV season. (Yippee!) I feel fairly safe about putting them in a shopping cart now, I just wipe it off with a Clorox wipe before I load them in. There's a few logistical issues with a regular old shopping cart, however.

How about this picture below of the babies first shopping trip to Target. Notice we are breaking every single safety rule possible. No seat belts, standing in the cart, children in the cargo area. Oh yeah, we are flirting with danger.

After this trip, which was the quickest trip to Target EVER, I decided I had to rethink this. I didn't even buy anything. In all honesty, I just wanted to see if it could be done. It can and I did. There is, however, NO WAY I could have bought very much. It would have had to fit UNDER the cart for sure.

Clearly a weeks worth of groceries could not be purchased using this method.

Which leads me to our next adventure.

Shopping for groceries at WalMart. It makes you afraid just reading that doesn't it??? It should.

We've gone twice now. The first time was a little scary, not going to lie. We worked out a few kinks for the second trip. Here's how it can be done:

1. Use the Special Kid-Friendly Cart. Our Walmart has a whole row of special carts with two plastic seats on the back. Unfortunately they are located INSIDE. So, it's best to go after lunch when you can be sure at least one or two of these carts will be located in the cart holders in the parking lot. I did quite a bit of driving around the parking lot this last time, but it was worth it. It's better to load them in by the car. Otherwise you have to wipe down a regular cart, put them in, go inside, wipe down another cart, then strap them in. It's just wasted time.

2. Bring your own seat belts. Through our restaurant travels I've figured out that seat belts in public places only work about 50 percent of the time. Not great statistics when you have 3 children that need seat belts. The initial trip to Walmart included a very faulty seat belt for Jack which became a real problem at the check-out line. After the first trip I figured out that I had to bring my own. So I did. Brian bought me some belts from REI that work great. Technically you are not supposed to put a kid up top where a kid would normally sit b/c there's no leg holes. We do it anyway. I just belt them in for safety with my nifty REI belts.

3. Make a list. Organize it by isle/area. If you don't you will forget something important. Like milk. It is easy to get distracted when there is SO much going on in front of you. Lily wanted to stand up and kept reaching for things in the basket. Bennie kept sliding down and strangling himself with the belt. Jack was busy waving to EVERYONE and saying Hi! Thank goodness for the little man at the front door who gave them stickers which occupied them for at least 5 minutes.

4. Wear your tennis shoes and walk real darn fast. For some reason the faster you go the quieter they are. Weird, huh?

I'll take pics of them in the cart soon. It's just been a little too hectic to get it done so far.

Takin' It To The Streets.

2009-04-16T20:21:00.000-05:00

RSV season is officially over!!!

It's actually been over for a few weeks but we've been so busy that I haven't been able to post about it.

What does this mean? No more isolation. No more being a scaredy cat about everyone touching them. No more restrictions about who can come over and where we can go.

Yep, we're pretty much normal people now. Finally. The relief is overwhelming. I'm just a normal Mom with three normal toddlers that can do anything that normal toddlers actually do. Parks, McDonalds, grocery trips, playgroups, whatever. We can do it. I am just so excited I can't stand it.

I remember last year Brian and I having a discussion about what this would be like. I think he was worried that I would continue to be germ-phobic after our "quarantine" had ended. I really don't think he has anything to worry about. I'm so sick and tired of being abnormal I just want us to do the things that everyone else gets to do.

Instead I am finding that I have other worries.

With the relief, which believe me is the biggest emotion, I'm also finding that I have a little fear creeping in. Fear of the unknown. Fear of doing things that I have never done. Fear of doing things wrong.

I will admit my biggest fear in life(besides heights and closed-in spaces) is the thought of being embarrassed in public. I can't stand it. I go out of my way to avoid situations in which I have no idea what I am doing. My biggest fear is looking like an idiot. Or looking like I have no idea what I am doing. My tactic has always been to avoid being in situations like this. If I'm unsure or scared of something I just don't do it.

Then I had three wonderful, beautiful, amazing babies. They have now grown into three smart, social, inquisitive toddlers. They are also unpredictable? Oh yeah, and they have no common sense. On top of all of that they have no perception of fear or danger. They simply do whatever they want. It can be screaming in the middle of a store, running across a parking lot, or biting a fellow playmate.

Hmmm. I see a conflict, do you?

I have a feeling this summer will be filled with a lot of mistakes, a lot of do-overs, and a whole bunch of learning. I'm also guessing I will have my fair share of embarrassing moments, don't you?

I have promised myself that my fears and shortcomings WILL NOT stop me from doing things with my children. Even if it seems hard or impossible I will find a way, even if I look like a big doofus. Which I'm pretty sure I will at some point along the way.

My Mom has lots of fun stories about embarrassing things that I did. I believe I asked someone who was dipping snuff why he had worm dookie in his mouth. Oh yeah, then there was the time I peed in my Granny's front yard. Let's not forget about the time they had to stop an entire roller coaster because I freaked out.

I guess I can handle a few stares because I have to push Lily in a stroller, pull Bennie on a kid leash, and carry Jack...who is trying with all his might to escape. Please people, if you see this DO NOT stop me to talk.

I want them to experience all of the same stuff any other kid their age experiences. More than that I want to experience those things with them. I want to be strong and conquer my fears so they will not have the same fears someday. I want them to know that I'm always there to help them figure out how to do the things that are hard. Because life is hard and it is filled with lots of stuff that's scary.

This journey is teaching me a lot about myself. Not every day has been easy, but even the hard days end. I've also learned the difficult moments drag on forever while the fun times fly. I want to be the best at this that I can be, which means a lot of trial and error. I've got the routine down here at home now I have to figure out what works and what doesn't in the public eye. Nothing like trial by fire.

So here we go. Off to make friends. Off to do things that we have never done. Off to look stupid at times. Off to have fun. Off to make beautiful memories.

Stay tuned for all the antics!

See what I mean?

Yep. That's Ben on the back of the couch and that's Jack clinging to the couch for dear life. I hope they make it to their teenage years with all of their appendages.

Thanks For The Memories...And The Rest!

2009-04-06T20:03:00.003-05:00

Rhonda and Terry's birthday present to me this year (29) was a weekend of babysitting. Great idea guys! This present resulted in a weekend away for Brian and I... Brian did a fantastic job of

We headed out west to the Wildcatter Ranch in Graham Tx.

We had a great room in a log cabin with a beautiful view from our back porch. The rooms had all the bells and whistles including a gas fireplace. So romantic!

Ah yes...the self-portrait...of two very happy and relaxed parents of triplets!

I spent most of my time hanging out watching Brian fish and reading a new (not so long) book. In fact, I finished the entire thing on our trip. We also had a stellar dinner at the steakhouse.

And did a very small amount of hiking.

It was a great trip and much needed. Thanks to everyone who made it possible. I love the day-to-day grind with three toddlers, but a little R & R is always welcome. We went our own speed, did our own things, and ate a massive amount of junk food...Just the way a vacation should be.

The babies had a blast at Nonnie and Poppie's house and had lots of visitors while they were there. They kept them moving and shaking the whole time. Apparently wheelbarrow rides were a favorite activity. We sure did miss them, however, and as always had lots of conversations about them. It's funny how they are NEVER far from our hearts or minds. We love them bunches!

The Longest Book Ever.

2009-04-05T16:00:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to share with ya'll my latest accomplishment.

I love to read. I always have a book going. I'm an extremely fast reader. I read every single day.

And then one day I got cocky.

I purchased this book from my local Half Price Books.

Admittedly, it was one of the best books I have ever read. It is entertaining, insightful, and educational. I understand so much more about the history of man and religioun, the evolution of our current religious system, and the overall beliefs of the different sects of religion.

It was a fantastic read and I HIGHLY recommend it.

But Holy Cow. It took me about 5 months to read it. I read every night, almost. It is almost 1,000 pages of the very smallest print ever. And the smallest margins ever.

But, I did it and I am a better person for it.

My next 10 books will be mindless romantic comedies, however. With maybe a comic book or two thrown in.

The Conch

2009-04-03T16:00:00.000-05:00

Often the first question people ask when they know we have triplets is: "Do they play together?"

It's a great question. It makes sense, right? I mean, lots of parents of multiples have told me that is the BEST thing as they get older, that they have built in playmates. They will always have someone there to play hide-and-seek, imagination games, and of course to get into trouble with. And, let's face it, this is without a doubt a big bonus for me. When they do get to that point it will mean less entertaining that Mommy has to do.

They are most definitely NOT at that point now.

A most curious phenomenon has occurred in recent days. Brian and I have termed this phenomenon...."The Conch". (Ya Ya, remember "Lord of The Flies"?????)

Each day it's a different toy. Sometimes it's a toy that has been around for months and months, like a rubber duck. And, even though we have multiple ducks available to them, it is JUST the PINK duck. Sometimes it's a commonly used and very available item, like their cups that have their names on them. Again...three cups...only the one that has Lily's name on it is the most sought after item of that day. Often, it's not even a toy. It can be some one's shoe, the remote, or even some small piece of trash. Their is simply no logic to it.

It can be a puzzle piece, a wooden shape, a piece of plastic food, the magna-doodle, a solo cup, a zip lock bag, the nose sucker, or my shoe. All it really has to be is something that somebody else wants. And what makes any item on any certain day THE CONCH, simply escapes me.

But, the most amazing thing, is the shear amount of frustration and anger that this one small and seemingly insignificant item can bring. Screaming, crying, hitting, hair-pulling, and biting are all apparently good ways to deal with this anger. Or not.

I mean, really, what kind of show would I be running if that was the lesson I was trying to teach?

They each have their own methods of winning, all of which work at one time or another.

Bennie, aka the Bendozer, uses brute force to steal. For reals. He just runs over and sits on someone and takes the toy. He then musters up as much lightning quick speed as his short little fat legs can handle. Let's face it, those things are meant for power not speed. But, for now it works for him. Until the other two get faster.

Jack, being my toe-walker, tippy toes over quietly, gives whatever the item is a quick yank, and runs off. He often loses his balance and either falls over or runs into a wall at this point. I mean, how many thieves do so in high heels???

Lily takes one of two routes. She never loses a tug of war. Never. I credit this to her being the last mobile baby. That was her only defense when her brothers would steal stuff from her and run off. Hang on for dear life and NEVER let go. That girl has some tremendous hand strength. She also somehow also knows to go low to the ground. She's like a pit bull that clamps down on something with it's jaws. It ain't lettin' go and neither is she. Her other method is a bit trickier. She sits on it. That's right, she hides it with her rear end. Genius.

Then there is the pain and anguish of losing something that is so dear to the heart.

Bennie handles it with a high and lonesome cry. He would make a great bluegrass singer. Or a girl.

Jack hits. Great. Or, he begins a long, low, deep growl that sounds part human and part beast. He is ANGRY and he lets you know it. And the neighbors. In China.

Lily, rarely cries. She's more about inflicting as much pain as quickly as possible. Usually with hair pulling but biting is a sure second. All with a set jaw and a face devoid of emotion. Scary stuff.

Man, oh man...what am I in for???

Isn't it funny, though? Each child so unique in their tactics. Makes a serious argument for nature doesn't it? (Nature vs. Nurture)

So, this is our latest challenge. The unhappiness brought on by love lost...or toy stolen. I would say this one thing is what creates the most unhappiness in our household these days. I have always said that we have been so lucky that we were blessed with such happy children. They just are. They all have such sweet natures. Their natural disposition is happiness. What an amazing gift. We have often had days where nobody cries all day long, unless they get hurt or they don't want to go down for a nap. I swear I'm not lying.

I'm beginning to fear those days are nearing an end, however. At least until they are old enough to grasp the concept of sharing or taking turns. Dang, that's a long way off.

We are muddling through this as best as possible. We praise turn-taking and sharing when it happens (usually by accident). We attempt to be fair and honest in the assessment of any situation. We try to teach right and wrong when given the opportunity. And, when it all gets too much, we ignore. Just like the government.

Then, we go out and buy a 5-ft tall castle-like monstrosity to put in the downstairs playroom. Notice it's nifty rock-climbing wall, slide, and steering wheel at the top? Now, what exactly is the steering wheel supposed to steer is what I would like to know.

We got it off of Craig's List after months of searching for the "perfect" one...aka not in McKinney and not $300 dollars. It is AMAZING what a hot item these are. There were several that I tried to get only to find that they were already sold. So crazy.

Yeah, I'd like to see them steal THAT from each other...

The Tyler Azalea Trails

2009-03-25T12:30:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to share some pics I got when the women-folk went into Tyler to check out the Azaleas. They guys couldn't be pried away from fishing to join us, of course. I've been trying for several months to get the babies to sit together to take a group shot, to no avail. You do remember the Christmas pics, right???

Well, they actually cooperated! Aren't they beautiful?

Our Weekend In East Texas.

2009-03-23T21:14:00.005-05:00

Thanks to both of our families for such a wonderful time this past weekend. Thanks to my parents for being such great hosts, and thanks to the Rogers for making the long trip to Lake Palestine.

The babies (really toddlers now) are so lucky to be surrounded by so many people that love them. Their lives are filled with a great amount of laughter, happiness, and fun! I know how much joy they have brought Brian and I, and can only imagine how our extended family feel. It was often brought up in conversation this weekend how blessed we really are. It is so amazing to be a part of a family that is so incredibly supportive of every aspect of their growth and development. I am so thankful for all of the love they receive and know that every second of it is enriching their lives and giving them every opportunity to become the best people they can become. To be surrounded by such good people can only lead to having a wonderful life.

I am learning quickly, however, that vacation with three kids is a lot different than my previous vacations. It takes quite a bit to pack, drive, organize, and keep the right balance between "fun" and "too much fun." Before the difference between fun and too much fun was a hefty hangover the next day....Not so much anymore. Late nights have been traded for early mornings. I'm pretty sure I got up a few times at the same time I used to come home... But it's all worth it and I can say everyone (especially these babies) had a fantastic time.

After breakfast each day we took their new safety harnesses for test runs. They work pretty well. I'm looking forward to the day when I can handle all three myself instead of using the stroller to get them in/out of places. Three kids and two arms doesn't work so well, ya know? They love being set free to roam the great outdoors. We picked a lot of wood and pine cones out of Jack's mouth, however. That boy will eat anything. Bennie's the best right now, Jack likes to stop and look at every tine speck of dirt, and Lily kind of looks like she's had a few cocktails. It's funny how their personalities are. Bennie will just follow you and go anywhere you go. Lily wants to go where SHE wants to go and you better follow or you get yelled at! I have no idea where she got that from.

Here's the little Bennie Bear checking out the great big trees with PawPaw.

Here's PawPaw in front of the Dogwood trees with the boys. Lily was a getting a little worn out and caught a ride on Dad's shoulders back to the house.

Here's Jack on MawMaw and PawPaw's new giant dock getting ready for his very first BOAT RIDE on Poppie's boat! Notice the regulation life jacket and sun hat. Thanks Mom and Dad for gating in a large play area for the babies. It was great hanging out in the shade on the water and I can just picture all the fun times ahead.

Here's MawMaw and Nonnie with their grandbabies. You have no idea how difficult it is to get them to all look the same direction at the same time.

Jack and Lily loved being out on the water right off the bat. Bennie, not so much. He pretty much spent the whole first half in my lap in the back seat. Here he is, right after we took off, realizing that he's not in Kansas anymore....

Now it could have been the allergy meds I had given him, but after we stopped the boat and let him walk around a bit, he seemed to be fixed. He his my cautious boy, so it's hard to tell which was the case.

Jack was all over the boat and having a fantastic time. Here he is up front with Brian and the super bubbles!

And Lily.... This picture says it all. She had so much fun she didn't want it to stop. In fact, she was convinced she would have even more fun if we would let her check out the water, which we didn't, and she was not a happy camper about it. She spent the last few minutes in a full-scale melt-down.

Here's Jack reassuring Bennie that this is SO MUCH FUN!!!

And, we all got a good laugh at PawPaw when we were getting them ready for bed. Do you see something wrong with this picture? (Come on Dad, you knew I couldn't let this one go!)

All-in-all it was a great trip. We filled each day with lots of eating, visiting, and fishing for the guys. I even managed to fit in a nap or two. Maybe next time I'll sleep in?

By the way, this is what TOO MUCH FUN looks like... While I was hoping the car ride home would be relaxing because they would be tired that didn't seem to be the case. The good news is that all of us were so happy to be out of the car by the time we got there that bedtime went well. We all went to bed early to recover from our trip.

We did manage to catch some sort of little bug this past week so keep us in our thoughts and prayers. We've got a lot of snot, coughing, and wheezing happening around here that I hope ends soon. We took a trip to the pediatrician today and it's nothing serious just a little virus. Let's hope we shake it soon.

Lunch With The Girls.

2009-03-20T15:05:00.000-05:00

So, I must admit, while I have taken RSV and Flu season VERY seriously, we have been on several public excursions over the months. There simply is a balance between obsessively worrying about them coming into contact with germ-filled people and setting them loose to lick public toilets. I, of course, have not let them do the latter.

We go walking A LOT, but have always done that. I've recently set them free at a few local playgrounds, early in the morning before any kids can get there to snot all over anything. Oh yeah, Clorox wipes are my best friend. The are portable and kill everything. So, I keep a super-sized pack in the stroller. They are all pretty mobile and love to climb so I usually get my daily workout as well trying to keep them from scaling rock walls and running into moving swings. Bennie's poor head has been the only casualty so far when he attempted to head butt said rock wall. His head lost. Ouch.

I've tried to pick places where they don't have any contact with people. So, pretty much they just ride around in their stroller, people watch, and enjoy a big old cup of juice. They're happy and I'm happy. So far it's been fantastic. I get out of the house, sometimes meet my friends, and I am able to do a little shopping. The good thing for my husband is that I can only hold so much when pushing around a 100+ lb stroller. But hey, I get my fix so it's enough for me.

We've gone to GardenRidge, Kohl's, several local Malls, JoAnn's, the Fort Worth Zoo, Sam's, and the Grapevine Antique Mall. For parents of multiples I do not recommend going to antique malls. I never realized how quiet they were. I also never realized how loud my children were. Pretty sure everyone could hear Lily screeching at the top of her lungs. Oh yeah, and they like to stick both hands out the sides of the stroller and GRAB anything at their level. Not good to be around breakable stuff when that happens. Probably won't be going back there anytime soon.

My basic rule is that no one touches them and if I touch ANYTHING I use the hand sanitizer I keep in the stroller. So far so good. While I do attract attention I haven't had anyone try to touch them. Mainly because I don't slow down long enough for them to catch up to us. The only problem areas are usually check-out lines. It seems like most people have been pretty respectful and I can't say that I've had any big problems. I can usually combat most of the attention by either not making eye contact and going on my merry way or by smiling and walking as if I am in a hurry. Now I really don't want to seem rude, but if I stopped at every person that made a comment or wanted to talk I would never get anything done. I'm also not one to make a lot of conversation with strangers, it just makes me nervous, can't help it. Plus, I just don't feel it's all that normal for people to stop and gawk at my kids, for them or me.

As they've gotten older I've got a bit braver. We've actually taken them to a few restaurants lately. I was SO nervous to do that. Mainly because I was increasing the chance that they could come into contact with stuff I don't want them to. But hey, every time they go to the stinkin pediatrician's office for a shot they end up getting sick. I was also nervous, however, because I could see all of the things that could go wrong. Food flying, kids crying, things being thrown, and trapped by people wanting to talk to us.

I am happy to say it has not been at all like that. Well, except for the food flying. We do leave an exceptional mess everywhere we have eaten so far. But I don't worry about that too much. The most important part is that they really seem to have fun. So far it's been great. I'm sure I do look like a freak because I wipe the table, the highchair, and everything within reaching distance down twice with Clorox wipes.

First we went out with a big group of family, next we went with Brian's Dad so there was one adult to each baby, then Brian and I attempted it by ourselves a couple of weeks ago. Besides the clean-up guy at Market Street that cornered us and would not quit talking, it has been great.

So, all of this has been leading up to this....

Today, I did it by myself! Yep, I took them to Grapevine Mills where I met with some of my girlfriends and had lunch. Go Me!!! I was so nervous but it worked out perfectly. Normally we walk around and I have to rush back home to get lunch in the babies because they are cranky and tired. Today we shopped, had lunch, shopped a bit more, got in the car, and I put them straight down for their nap when we got home.

Our only big adventure was that the highchairs had no seat belts which just made no sense whatsoever, right? I mean isn't it instinctive for toddlers to stand up in chairs? Maybe that's just my kids. As long as I kept a steady stream of food coming their way they pretty much kept their bums in the seats. Thank goodness Shelley had a few toys for her daughter Ryland that she let me borrow because I forgot the restaurant toy bag! I just can't seem to remember it all. Notice Ben chewing on plastic bag from my purse. Hey, he didn't know it wasn't a toy!

Yep, Lily has my keys...

So, good for me, bad for Brian because I love to eat out and I'm definitely doing it more. Ha Ha. It's so funny that prior to having triplets I would have never thought that eating out would elicit any sort of stress. I'm sure it's like that for anyone who has more than one child. It's scary to be outnumbered by wild unpredictable beasts. (Don't they look scary!)

Hope all of you have a great weekend, we're heading to my parent's house at the lake. Brian's family is going as well so I'm guessing we will get to sleep in!!! Hopefully I will return well-rested and ready for another fun-filled exciting next week. Love ya'll!

2009-03-19T14:52:00.000-05:00

The boys have gotten a bit shaggy since their last haircut so Brian got out the clippers again. This time we REALLY cut the top of Bennie's hair because it looked like this when he woke up that morning....

His hair is very difficult to tame and likes to stand straight up, especially in the back where his cow-lick is. This time there was no crying, but he obviously wanted a part in deciding how much Dad took off.

Yeah, he said two inches and he lost about 4 on top. Quite a shocker for the young man.

BUT, Mommy loves his new haircut b/c she can spike up his hair! Yeah! Doesn't he look like his name should be Butch?

A month in review

2009-03-17T12:13:00.000-05:00

Top 10 reasons I have been MIA the last month (give or take a few weeks):

10. It takes some time to pry Lily's bottom out of the small spaces she tries to stick it in....

9. I've been teaching all of the important body parts...

Ear:

Mouth:

and.....Nose!

8. I've been busy giving funny hairdo's to grumpy kids....Sometimes you have to be creative to entertain yourself...

7. We've been enjoying the great outdoors. Especially Dad....

6. I've been frantically trying to keep them from scaling my furniture (with little success).

5. I've been busy drugging them with ibuprofen and acetaminophen for the....10 molars that have wreaked havoc on my sweet babies. Yeah, that's right, you should feel sorry for ME.

4. It's taken some time to straighten out Jack's funny leg....

3. And even more time to straighten out Ben's funny hair....

2. Have you ever tried to scrub blueberry off this guy's face?

And the number one reason I have completely neglected the blog....is....We've just been having too much fun......

So, I will sincerely try to do better, if anyone even reads this anymore. Life has been crazy, but isn't it always? At least I'm guessing it's probably not going to slow down any time soon. So many funny things happen every day and I want so much to share them with you all. It's amazing to see these babies (actually toddlers!) grow and develop into little people. I am reminded daily how great this whole experience is. It is, in fact, fantastic. I feel so lucky to watch their quirky little gestures, listen to their chatter that is quickly turning into words, and know that I'm helping them to become little people.

Hey, listen, it's not all rainbows and puppy dogs...There are challenges, but there has never been a day that I went to bed at night and wished that I were anyone else.

Yeppers...They really are that dang cute.

2009-02-04T18:23:00.002-06:00

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Of course, it would be cuter without that annoying voice in the background.....

What is this strange thing on my finger?

2009-02-03T11:19:00.000-06:00

Hope you got a good look...because it's gone now!

Shenanigans

2009-01-29T03:00:00.002-06:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Thanks Nonnie and Poppie!

2009-01-26T20:39:00.004-06:00

The babies spent their first night away from home without Brian or I this past Saturday. I'm happy to report all went well! In fact when we went to pick them up they were running wild and crazy in the yard. It's pretty clear they like the country!

The babies were a little uncertain as to what to expect. Luckily I informed them that there are no rules at Nonnie and Poppies. They can stay up as long as they want...and of course NO napping because there is too much fun to be had. (Hee Hee)

As for Brian and I? We spent the first night alone in our house in a long time. My best calculation is that it's been around 16 months. It was very quiet. Strangely quiet.

We reminisced about our "single" days (aka pre-triplet). What the heck did we do with all of that free time? We concluded we were lazy people prior to having children. We also concluded we should have enjoyed it way more!

We went to lunch, took a nap, went out to dinner, lounged on the couch, slept late, watched TV in bed, went to lunch again, and topped it all off with 4 friendly games of bowling. Packed a lot in, didn't we?

Kita was exceptionally happy, I'd say. She enjoyed her only child status again, and might have been a tad sad for them to come home. I'm sure the disappointment only lasted until the next meal. She is exceptionally skilled at post-meal disaster clean up. Almost as skilled as Jack is at flinging food from the ceiling to the floor.

It was fun, it was relaxing, but who the heck are we kidding? It's nice for a little while...but we were SO ready to get our little monsters back. While the house was quiet and orderly it also lacked an enormous amount of laughter, fun, and of course chaos!

We're back in the old routine. Hopefully Nonnie and Poppie recovered and it didn't take them too long to clean up.

So, for all of you "single" people out there...take some time to enjoy your life of freedom. And, to all of you "tied down" people with one or more kiddos...take some time to enjoy all of the love that surrounds you. (Just know that the amount of love you have is indirectly correlated to the amount of relaxation in your life)

We settled back into our old routine quickly. The weather is stinky so we're starting to get a little stir crazy. Hopefully it didn't take Nonnie and Poppie too long to clean up! Thanks again!

Don't worry, they immediately began to put things back where they were supposed to be.

Jack was pretty happy to see Pooh.

Bennie wondering when he gets to come back???

The mourning of a mullet.

2009-01-12T10:51:00.003-06:00

There comes a time when a mullet just isn't cool anymore. We told Jack it was time for it to go. Time to step out of the 80's and embrace a new look. Not gonna lie, he looks pretty excited, doesn't he?

One last peek at his glorious Pat Benetar 'do....

Jack's giving Dad a few last pointers on exactly what he wants done.

Uh oh. That last minute of panic hits when he knew there was no turning back.

Looks Great! Dad did a fantastic job.

Bennie, sadly, wasn't a fan of his new haircut. Guess we'll take him to a real barber next time.

Christmas 2008...from Lily, Jack, and Bennie

2009-01-02T20:27:00.011-06:00

Since Mommy is apparently NEVER going to get around to telling everyone how fantastic our Christmas was we thought we would try to get the job done.

We love our parents and all but they did not do a very good job of telling us how great this Christmas thing was. All we heard was blah blah blah...something about this guy Santa...blah blah blah...and that we better be good. Well, CLEARLY we are good so we just kind of stopped listening. Kind of like Mom at a stop light if it doesn't turn green real fast and she starts digging in her purse and then someone honks at her. Yep, just like that.

We woke up on Christmas Eve morning just like every other morning with no real indication that this was a special day. Jack had been a bit under the weather but was feeling much better, thank goodness.

We waited for what seemed like forever in our fuzzy pajamas. Then, it was pretty much like any other boring day at home. Except for Mommy running around like crazy...

Lily passed the time perfecting her yoga moves.

Bennie passed his time by just being darn cute...I think he was hoping we would pass on a good word to that Santa guy.

Jack kept trying to tell us something important...but we just couldn't make out what he was trying to say. It's hard to take him seriously with that mullet he's sporting these days.

So, along went our day without too much excitement. UNTIL...Bennie woke up from his last nap with a 104.2 fever! Bennie swears he wasn't trying to get extra presents but we're not sure. If that was his plan it totally backfired because he got a freezing cold bath instead. Jokes on him. This was Ben after his dunking. Unfortunately his polar swim made him afraid of the bathtub for a few weeks but he seems to be over the trauma.

Thank goodness Bennie got to feeling better because MawMaw and PawPaw, Nonnie and Poppie, and Mommy and Daddy had a party that night and we got to go! Here's us with our party hats on!

Bennie is obviously feeling MUCH better!

Lily's ready for her turn.

Sweet Missy sparkle pants.

AND they let us open one present each. We really just wanted to eat the wrapping paper but didn't want to hurt their feelings.

The day kept getting better and better!

All in all it was a very good day indeed. But, you know what the best part was? When we woke up in the morning...guess what? There were even MORE presents. So many that we couldn't count! We even got a really cool tent to hang out in.

And an even cooler red wagon! We are going to look so good riding around the neighborhood in that thing.

Notice our vanity plates?

So we think that Santa guy is pretty neat. We can't wait until next year when we get to meet him and have our picture taken with him!

Thanks to all of our fantastic family! We had the greatest Christmas ever. Boy are we excited to take it easy and relax, though. It's pretty hard being this small. It takes a whole lot of energy being this darn cute.

2008-12-10T14:56:00.004-06:00

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!

2008-12-08T14:18:00.003-06:00

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

2008-11-20T21:23:00.002-06:00

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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!

2008-11-01T20:23:00.006-05:00

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...

2008-10-26T20:04:00.005-05:00

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!

2008-10-15T16:01:00.003-05:00

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

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LOCKDOWN!

2008-10-14T10:51:00.000-05:00

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

2008-10-13T10:38:00.002-05:00

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!)

2008-10-05T19:20:00.004-05:00

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...

2008-09-23T19:41:00.003-05:00

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....

2008-09-20T19:57:00.004-05:00

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!

Look! It's a Jack in the box....

2008-09-13T13:53:00.000-05:00

Under the Sea!

2008-09-12T14:40:00.005-05:00

Thanks to all of my friends who got together to go to the Dallas World Aquarium. We had a fantastic time! We have all worked together at various times at Our Children's House in Dallas and have kept in touch. Now we get to enjoy each other's company with a few kids in tow. Really no different than it was at work, come to think of it. Thanks girls for inviting us. Stay tuned for more adventures!

Bennie and Jack checking out the manatee. Or was it checking them out?

I swear Lily wasn't smiling until I pulled the camera out and pointed it at her.

Camo goes well in a rainforest, huh?

Busy Little Bees.

2008-09-10T09:12:00.006-05:00

They are all on the move and cannot be trusted. I leave them in one place, turn my back for a second, and they are hanging off the mini blinds. Oh my. I am starting to feel outnumbered.

It's amazing. They seem to be compelled to move ALL OF THE TIME. Bennie especially. He is pulling up on everything and is now turning around and leaning so both hands can be free to play with something. He has no fear and is made of rubber. It's like he is playing a constant game of chicken. He leans...and leans...and takes a few steps...then...He falls...he rolls back over and gets back up. Rarely are their tears. If more people had his constitution we would be a more productive society.

So, really, what's cuter? The beer belly, the double chin, or the thunder thighs? He is quite the butterball these days. As you can imagine this tornado can do some damage.

Both Jack and Lily have been pulling up on furniture as well. Lily cannot be stopped. Once she sees something she wants that's it. She's off. There's no sidetracking or distracting her. Determination and grit is what she's made of. Except when she falls and she CRIES. I mean loud, can't breath, sobbing tears. It's terrible. But, she's soon to wipe away the tears and put on her normal happy face. Especially when there is a camera. She always turns it on for the camera!
Lily pulling all of the toys out of the toy basket...and having a ball. She also loves playing peak-a-boo.

For some strange reason the bathroom holds secrets I cannot imagine. We have to leave the door closed now. Did you know toilets are fascinating? How about toilet brushes? Apparently that is where the real fun is. Ick.

They play together a lot now. By together I mean they crawl over each other, try to rip ears off, and are especially interested in gouging eyeballs out. Mine or theirs it doesn't matter. Then there is the toy stealing. Poor Jack has taken to playing by himself because if he gets near the other two they steal his toy. It's so sad. He just looks at the toy...looks at me...and looks back at the toy. Then he whines a little and holds his arms out...He's my little lover. He's happiest when he's being cuddled. He rarely wiggles or wants to be put down. Such a sweetie.

We seem to be having a particularly difficult time changing Jack's diaper lately. He is a flipper. As soon as you get him down he turns over. Fast. I've gotten really good at changing diapers upside down. Heck, I've gotten good a changing diapers period.

Watching the Cowboy game with Dad.

Just hanging out in Jack's bed.

Apparently it's actually a toy built for two.

Movie Monday

2008-09-08T16:20:00.002-05:00

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The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You....

2008-09-04T13:00:00.001-05:00

Thanks to MawMaw & PawPaw and Nonnie and Poppie for taking good care of these little future Longhorns while we went South for the weekend.

Brian and I caught the opening UT game, which was no where near as blistering hot as we thought it would be. I was prepared to sweat like crazy and it wasn't that bad. We went down for the weekend with our friends Jason and Kim. We hit Trudy's before hand and enjoyed some Mexican Food. A fantastic day filled with good friends, good food, and a good game. Which, of course we won, against some team I had never heard of before. We did spend quite a bit of time stuck in traffic, and there is a strong possibility I broke a few laws while finding a parking spot, but I did find the very last spot on the top of a nearby parking garage. Of course, I also got stuck for an hour trying to get out of said parking garage. We finally just parked a whole floor down (yes it took an hour to make it only one floor) and enjoyed a local pub while waiting for the traffic to die down. Worked like a charm!
We stayed in New Braunfels at a nifty little rental house on the river that Brian found. It was the perfect place to relax and replenish my sleep.

And...the REAL reason for the trip??? A visit to a few of our fine State's finest BBQ joints. The first stop was Smitty's Market in Lockhart, TX.

After a shocking wait in front of a blazing hot pit fire (Brian and Jason) I see Brian emerge from behind the double doors with a heck of a lot of meat wrapped in brown paper. Kim and I were holding seats in the common area. He carried it like carries his own babies. Carefully...very carefully. It contained a selection of Smitty's finest...perhaps cut by Smitty himself (an unusually slow older gentleman, thus the 45 minute wait). Smitty's is consistently on the top 5 list each year and was well worth the wait, even if I just sat in the AC and sipped my Pepsi. Hey-it was entirely too hot in that room and there's just no reason we all had to suffer, right? Your only utensils are spoons for the beans and a knife to cut the sausage up. Other than that you had to use the two hands that God gave you to stuff mass amounts of meat in your mouth. It was fantastic. The overall favorite was the ribs. My second favorite thing was the sausage. Pure greatness.
The next stop was Cooper's in Llano. Again, another wait, but at least not in an actual oven. I LOVE their BBQ sauce. The brisket was my favorite there. The best part is that they will soon have a store in Dallas. I can't wait!

We took the scenic route back. As good as it is to get away for some much needed rest, I miss those babies so much. They are a lot of work and some days can be exhausting but they are the joys of my life and being away from them is just so hard. I know it is good for all of us to have some time to be spoiled, though. I'm pretty sure that if I wasn't the only one driving I might have snuck home Saturday night. They probably would have told me to go away because they were enjoying all of the spoiling they were getting!

9 Months...

2008-08-27T15:51:00.007-05:00

This has been a big month. So much has happened. So much is about to happen.

This little cheeky monkey is now crawling...slowly...but with great purpose. I think the last month has brought the most changes for Lily. She has just blossomed! She was always pretty good with her gross motor skills, but in the last 30 days Lily has really figured out all of the fun and nifty things her hands can do. We've always joked about how much Lily loved her hands...she would spend HOURS staring at them, moving her fingers, turning them over, you name it. She was also extremely interested in anyone else's hands, especially if they had pretty rings on them. She is such a girl! But, she was always a little slower than the boys at picking up things and manipulating toys. Not anymore. She figured out all of the things she could pull, grab, and maul...namely my hair. She's even picking up small pieces of food and putting it in her mouth just as good as the boys, maybe better.

She is smily, happy, and a joy to be around. She has the flirtiest little laugh which just draws you to her. She turns it on for the camera. When you point it at her...she always gives you the best grins! In fact, it just seems like she is always smiling.

She was the first to mimick. She can shakes her head "yes" and "no" when (most of the time), but will ALWAYS do it when you go in to pick her up out of her crib! She's usually on her tummy...looks up at you over the rail...and gives you a big grin...and shakes her head up and down. So adorable. She also snorts with her nose and has waved a few times. And I SWEAR...when you say "Lily's a good girl", it sounds like she says "good girl" right back at you. She obviously agrees.

She's a Daddy's girl and lights up when he comes in the room. She's eating like a champ and has begun some pieces of table foods. She has 7 teeth! She's just doing amazing and words can't express how much in love with her that we are!

9 month stats:

Wt: 22 lbs 14 oz (>95th %)

Ht: 30 inches (>95th %)

Bennie is a mess! The boy is in constant motion. He's crawling EVERYWHERE...fast! Actually, he does a funny scooting thing where he pulls with his left arm, pushes with his right foot, wiggles his little butt, and shoots across the room full speed. He is so fast and gets in to everything. He's pulling up on some lower furniture, playing on his knees, and will go over whatever...or whoever is in his way. His new nickname is the "Bendozer" and it is extremely accurate. Many times a day I am pulling him off of his brother or sister b/c the fastest route to whatever he wants is over them. They are not pleased by this.

He loves to play...and loves toys...especially those that someone else is playing with! He is the ultimate toy thief. He will actually steal a toy, turn around, and crawl away with it. Shameless. He knows no fear and sees no obstacles. He's always smiling and always ready with a crazy giggle.

He almost has 4 teeth, the top two are coming in right now. He loves his sippy cup. You know he's hungry when he gets a little whiny and the thumb goes in the mouth. He has NO interest in table foods, loves anything sweet, and has finally gotten over his hatred of anything green. Mainly because he loves to eat.

But, the one thing that makes my heart melt, is that Bennie is a Mama's boy. He loves me and I eat it up. Wherever I am in the room he wants to be right next to me, in my lap, or in my arms. Somewhat problematic with three babies but fantastic at the same time.

Oh yeah, and he still has his big tall hair!
9 month stats:
Wt: 23 lbs 13 oz (90th %)
Ht: 30 1/4 in (95th %)

The Jack Hammer. Jack is the last to crawl. To be fair, he can move forward, when you are not looking. When you look...encourage...give him your support...he holds arms and feet up in the air and screams. He just seems to be a little timid. He gets up on his hands and knees, rocks, and begins the process. He then gives up and collapses. I think we just haven't found the right motivation yet.

Jack is the sweetest boy ever. He is my cuddler. He just melts in my arms, nuzzles up to me, sighs, and makes me feel so loved. He is so gentle. He softly reaches up and strokes my hair and face. He's just simply content to be held. Not a problem for me.

As sweet and gentle as he can be, the guy also has a TEMPER. He gets frustrated fairly easily (note crawling here) and we often joke that he needs a little anger management. His middle name is Casey after all... He will look at you, straighten his arms out, grind his teeth together, and let out a deep, guttural, growl. Sometimes he growls so hard he coughs after. Crazy boy. This is often followed by throwing himself backward. This is what you call a real fit.

He's a big talker. Lots of "blah blah", "ma ma", and "dee dee". Funny enough, he has the sweetest and softest voice. He's almost clapping when you clap. He tries so hard but can't get his hands to meet!

Jack's not really into the table foods yet...those silly boys prefer me to feed them! He has two teeth on the bottom, two middle teeth on top, and two more coming in next to them.
His sweet gentleness is matched only by his sharp mood swings and temper! But, he does have the dreamiest eyes...and the longest eyelashes.

9 month stats:
Wt: 21 lbs. 12 oz. (75th %)
Ht: 30 in. (90th %)

The changes are happening so fast. Every day they are doing more.

We got the go-ahead to switch to 20 cal/oz formula instead of the 22 cal/oz. They now have a bottle 3 times per day instead of 4. They spoon feed 3 times per day. They are still napping 3 times per day, but are showing signs of getting ready to drop that last nap.

They are doing great, I'm doing great, and I can't believe it's already been 9 months. It has been so much fun. I love being with them every day and they bring out the best in me. It's hard work, but I'm with my very favorite people all day long, so it doesn't even feel like work. I'm REALLY ready for the temperature to drop because we haven't been out much lately. It's just not worth all of the sweating that is involved. Things are getting a lot easier, the schedule is getting a lot more flexible, and they are just really happy babies. That makes my job pretty cushy, right? I can't wait to see what the next month brings!

I've been tagged.

2008-08-13T15:18:00.000-05:00

Six rather unspectacular facts about myself.

1. I have a serious addiction to small pieces of candy. Namely, tic tacs. I go through 2, sometimes 3 packs per day. For reals. Imagining a day without them makes me a little sweaty. When I was pregnant I ate Smarties constantly. Like pounds of them. Oh yes, and the tic tac people lie. They are actually 1.9 calories, not 1 calorie like they advertise. When I got serious about losing the pregnancy weight, I stopped the tic tacs, and immediately lost 5 lbs...within days.

2. I have strange eating habits. If left to my own devices I would eat the exact same food for weeks...maybe months on end. I get on a kick of say, quesadillas...or salads...or frozen grapes...or baked potatoes...or kettle corn...and I eat that food until I am sick of it. Sometimes I eat the same thing for dinner for 3 months straight. Even I understand this is strange. I also don't eat unless I'm hungry (most of the time). This drives Brian crazy b/c I'm never hungry at night when he wants to make dinner. Food just doesn't taste good to me unless I really want it. I also do not ever heat up leftovers. I always eat them cold no matter what it is. If it isn't good cold, I don't eat it. I especially like cold meats.

3. When I need something, whether it be a tank top...a book...a belt...a purse...whatever. I am compelled to go out and buy multiples of that item. For instance, last summer I needed tank tops for our trip to Mexico. I swear I bought 8. Some of them I have not even worn. It is a compulsivity I cannot overcome. I have tried. I have been in a store staring at a number of a certain item...sweating...not able to choose. So, I buy them all, with the promise to myself to return them, but never do. It's maddening. I just bought three books on infant activities. I narrowed it down from nine. I am extremely proud of myself. I mean, really, how many different activities can infants actually do?

4. I am bizarrely good at pitching games. Pitching washers, pitching horseshoes, pitching into a bucket. Whatever it may be. You want me on your team.

5. There was a time in my life I was scared of bank drive-thrus. This is really weird, I admit. I am over it now...so I can tell you. I refused to use the outside lanes at the bank. The specific time frame was high school, college...and grad school. I would ALWAYS go inside to the teller. I was afraid of those canister vacuum things. If I was in a hurry and it was a situation, I would go to the lane where there was a real person. If it was too long...I would go inside...and NEVER use the scary sucky thing.

6. Besides the last one, which I am over now. I am REALLY only afraid of two things. Heights and closed-in spaces. I do admit that these are large categories, which cover everything from zip-lines, roller-coasters, snorkeling, sky-diving, small planes, scary bridges, isolation chambers, and storm cellars. My husband has recently said that I am no fun because I don't like to do lots of new, different, and fun things. I think this statement is a gross exaggeration of my situation and the more I have thought of it the more I believe it is untrue of the actual circumstances. I believe he also called me a scaredy cat. Again, untrue. Given my rathers, I do not choose to go white water rafting. I do not choose to water ski. I do not choose to plummet down the side of a mountain with my elbows tucked in a small inter tube wearing a helmet going down the longest cement slide I have ever seen. I just prefer to do safer things. Free time is a rare commodity around here and I don't want to fill it up with things that could potentially endanger my life, render me incapacitated, or maim me for life. I have three children now and I feel that would be irresponsible. I also do not like to do anything that I could potentially look stupid doing. Besides, you know you people need someone to hold your purses and coats when you ride all of the rides at six flags. I am that guy.

Now is the time that I pass on the evil that my friend Julie passed to me. By the way, I am the person who hates chain e-mails and I feel this is a version of that. But, I like Julie, and what else do I have to do but sit around and think of all of the ways that I am a little different from the next guy.

I pass the torch to:
Emily
Heather
Carole
Jeni

I'm only passing in onto four people because that is all of the ill-will I can afford for one day. Good night.

By the way, today was a MUCH better day. It's amazing what a little sleep can do for you!

On a serious note.

2008-08-12T19:46:00.003-05:00

Most days go extremely well. Some just don't. Since the beginning of time, every mother out there has had a few moments of complete, utter, insane, exasperation. Often these moments are preceded by...spitting food, whining, not eating, playing in throw-up, crying, and not napping...for me. It's funny how some days it's funny, some it's an inconvenience...and some you want to go and run and hide under the table because it all seems like too much. How does that happen? If I knew I would be rich from writing self-help books. There are other factors, of course. Not sleeping well, hormones, hunger, fatigue, all good things on which to blame the lack of tolerance.

Men don't get it. They just don't. I'm sure they have felt the same short-temper at some time in their lives, but they just don't seem to dredge up that particular memory when you are venting to them at 8:00 in the morning...already...literally an hour and a half after waking up. I'm also fairly certain the only thing on any sane husband's mind at this point is to get the hell off of the phone as quickly and nicely as possible. Can't say he's not smart.

But then, at the end of my day, God gave me a little reminder at how very lucky I am to be living in every single moment-both good and bad. I have three healthy, beautiful, perfect little people...who can be pains...but at least at this point they don't mean to be...they are just simply being babies.

I just read about another triplet Mom who delivered her babies at 26 weeks and 4 days, and one of her boys passed away after 4 days. It just stopped me. I felt so terrible that I had let myself get so frustrated. I felt sad that I could let myself even go there. I felt thankful for each moment the day had brought me. I felt hopeful for tomorrow. I felt happy that I not only get to feel each difficulty of being a mother of three, but I get to feel every joy, every touch, and every piece of food that hits me in the face. It's all good. It's all part of it.

Besides, there will be a day when they are not babies. There will be a time when they are five and they are deliberately doing things they know they should not. They will be teenagers some day who deliberately don't do things they should. Someday I will not be the center of their world and then I will really be sad.

I'm counting my three blessings right now. I'm hoping that tomorrow brings a better attitude, better insight, and a better way to handle the emotions that come with trying to raise little beings that have their own minds. I'm only good at so much...but I want to be the very best at this that I can possibly be. Is that really too much to ask? Probably.

Can you believe it's even possible to have a short temper with these dreamy eyes...

Or this cute little butt....

Or this sweet little smile?

I certainly can't...now that they are tucked nicely in bed for the next 12 hours....

What? Sippy Cups already???

2008-08-08T14:07:00.000-05:00

Well, around here it's all about feeding, feeding, and more feeding. Bottle feeds four times per day and spoon feeding 3 times. The babies are eating a pretty good variety of foods. Veggies: zucchini, yellow squash, butternut squash, sweet potatoe, asparagus, broccoli, and green beans. Fruits: avadado, banana, mango, nectarines, peaches, apricots, apples, and pears. Yogurt is the FAVORITE! Here's Lily after eating the whole bowl>...

They will be 9 months in less than two weeks. We have started the little Gerber puffs and they seem to like them. Lots of changes will be happening in the next month or so. One, the sippy cup, has happened much sooner than I expected. Bennie...the easy one? He hasn't been so easy lately. I'm assuming his teeth are bothering him. He has become deathly afraid of his bottle. It's the weirdest thing ever. He wants it, he cries for it, he reaches for it...but when it comes near his face he whacks it away. So, the nurses recommendation was to try a sippy cup. So, we did. Bennie and Jack are great at them. It was ridiculously easy. I was so prepared for a much harder transition. I'll take some time right now to thank my lucky stars... It's a little too much for Lily right now, but 2 out of 3 isn't bad.

Here's Jack showing off his skills!

Here's Bennie crawling over to Jack, crying, trying to steal his sippy cup.

Here's Jack practicing good manners and wiping his face off...sort of.
We're also done with crib bumpers. Jack had a poop party one night by taking his diaper off and doing some fine finger painting all over his bumper pad. We've also found them with their faces mushed up against them quite a bit. They were also starting to find the strings and untie them...so off they went!

Bennie's crawling everywhere. He's getting really fast and into everything. Lily and Jack are still trying to figure it out.

All in all, the babies are doing great.

Happy as little clams!

New digs.

2008-08-07T08:51:00.000-05:00

Well, what do ya'll think? I've been working with Judi from Doodlebug Designs to create a fun new look for our blog. She did a great job!

Islands In The Stream...

2008-08-04T15:12:00.000-05:00

That Is What We Are....

Once in a while a good friend comes by that you will have for a lifetime. You know, the kind of girl who always wanted Ralph Macchio to be her boyfriend, who would sit and sing "Islands In The Stream" for hours upon hours with you, and who managed to memorize a completely inappropriate country song (about binge drinking, if I remember correctly) entitled "Drinkin' My Baby Goodbye" by Charlie Daniels Band.

Oh, the good memories we shared.

I can fondly remember lazy summer afternoons playing "Little House On The Prairie"...of course she was the pretty one so she got to be Mary. I can also remember our cabbage patch kids, our secret club, and ice skating. For the life of me, however, I can't remember her pretend dress up name...I do remember mine...Electra Vanderbilt. Oh yeah, there was also cow tongue and rock polishers...have those two things ever been used in a sentence together?

She moved away to Kansas when we were 12, leaving me heartbroken. We were re-united in college...and this past week we were re-united again.

We've been friends for, oh...around 27 years or so? Man, we're old, huh? We recently got back in touch with each other when I was phenomenally and largely pregnant. She came to visit me last week and got to meet my kiddos...and it was great to see her. She and her family were an important piece to me growing up to be the wonderful person that I am (no snickering). It's a very special thing....to have a very special friend...who has played a very special part in my life....and who I am glad to have back in my life. I've decided not to let her go again. I don't care what she says. So, could you get your butt back to Texas?

Now....

Then...
Yeah, even with all the spit up in my hair...I think I'll stick with my new 'do.

2008-08-01T13:00:00.000-05:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

See any similarities?

We have our first crawler! Uncoordinated as it may be...and as distracted as he gets...Oh wait, he does take after me...

I've Become A Tree Hugger.

2008-07-31T10:00:00.000-05:00

I now recycle. I have, in fact, placed the recycle bin in the pantry so it is a daily reminder that we are responsible for the planet on which we live. I also conserve water by giving the plastic Lean Cuisine trays and yogurt cartons to Kita to clean out so I don't have to waste valuable time (and natural resources) doing it myself. I also spend a good 10 minutes each day digging through the trash and picking up beer bottles as Brian is not as enthused by my green ways. Some battles are just not worth fight.

We use earth friendly, biodegradable, non-toxic household cleansers. This decisions was mainly made for the sake of the babies. Neither Brian nor I felt good about having a bunch of chemicals lying around to be mistakenly consumed, inhaled, or absorbed. It took a little explaining to get the cleaning lady on board, probably more of a language barrier, though... I switched to Clorox Green Works because they have a great line of products that smell great and aren't harsh at all. I bought them at WalMart and they are REALLY affordable, no more than "regular" cleaners. Because Clorox didn't have any cleaners specifically for wood floors or furniture polish I use Target's Method cleaners for those...a tad bit more expensive. I also use vinegar and water for cleaning all the baby's toys and highchairs and stuff. I've switched to ammonia for stains in the laundry. (If you decide to do this, please don't do what I did and open the jug and take a big whiff...I almost killed myself) I'm probably going to try vinegar for a fabric softener b/c I'm using the Downy free and I'm always up for an experiment.

I don't douse myself with body sprays or perfumes. O.K., except for my Nina Ricci which I only wear for special occasions...it was a gift...and it smells really good... Other than that, it's lavender water for me, which smells pretty good, but has pretty much no lasting aroma. We use California baby products for the kids, for now (they're stupid expensive). There's this great website out there that rates cosmetics and other personal care products on toxicity, or something like that. Check it out, it's really interesting.

Knowing the above information now... I also wear non-aluminum deodorant. To be exact, it's made of liken. Liken may or may not be the green mossy stuff that grows on rocks. That's what Brian told me anyway, so I cannot vouch for the accuracy of that statement. He also likes to tell people I rub patchouli under my pits. So rude. As for the efficacy...on a scale of 1-5 I would rate it about a 3. By that, I mean I don't smell too bad when I finally sit down for a minute after the babies are in bed. Sometimes I have to add a little Dove at the end of the day, which may be defeating the purpose, but oh well. I am trying so give me a little credit. If I had the time to take a daily shower I would probably not have that problem. Not sure I should have admitted that. Have I reminded you lately I have three almost-8-month-olds?

I don't shave my legs. Not really. Just checking if you are really really reading this and not just skimming. I shave them a couple of times per week...see the above shower comment.

I obsessively keep the AC turned to 77 or above in the upstairs, 79 downstairs, and turn it off in our bedroom during the day. I also keep all unnecessary lights, ceiling fans, and small appliances turned off when not in use. This is really more of an electricity bill issue, but whatever. I say I am trying to reduce the need for nuclear power plants or something. I'm pretty sure they have to be bad for us.

We keep our water heaters off to conserve gas. O.K., again not really. To be exact, our water heater appears to be possessed and the pilot light goes out every day. Used to be every couple of days...now it's a daily thing. There appears to be absolutely no reason for this to be happening...which makes it pretty difficult to fix, huh? Because believe me...we have some pretty smart people in our family that can pretty much fix ANYTHING...but not those dang water heaters. Oh yeah, we've also had two plumbers out as well. Nothing. To tell the truth, it was pretty obvious with the first guy he wasn't committed to figuring out the puzzle. The second guy actually tried, but told me before he left..."can't fix what ain't broke". I beg to differ. Something is definitely broke. So, I'm holding out for the ghost theory...or some sort of gas demon. I mean, what else explains BOTH pilot lights going out? I'm just using deductive reasoning, guys.

I use glass instead of plastic as much as possible. Of course, I'm pretty sure I alone have depleted the earth of about 400 trees considering the amount of paper plates we have consumed in the past 4 years. Oops. Look, I'm trying to make it right. No more plastic cups, plastic ware, or paper plates for me. Yeah, me alone. Brian is still using it, but I'm hoping he will see the error of his ways soon. I can live off of one bowl, glass, plate, knife, spoon, and fork per week. Good for me.

I buy organic as much as possible. Oh wait, I buy expensive as much as I can.

We use glass bottles for the babies and I use glass containers to store their food. This may change when they start holding their own bottles and bopping their siblings on the head. We'll see. I have heard a good alternative for plastic bowls are stainless steel or tin. That won't make a lot of noise when chunked across the room. They also make stainless steel sippy cups. They are roughly 4 times the cost of a plastic one. Oh well, so were the bottles. Instead of having 12 bottles I have 3 that we use and 3 stand-by's. It has worked well, I'm used to the washing, and is a lot less clutter on my counters. I don't like clutter.

I make their baby food. It's nowhere near as hard as it sounds. I swear. Of course, I have come up with some pretty strange concoctions, but no one has gotten sick yet. I have had a few funny faces, though. I bought this great book and frequent this great website. Between the two I have felt very informed, prepared, and enlightened. Most of the foods I buy organic, if I can. Clean it, chop it up, and steam it. Puree it with a hand mixer or a blender. Pour it in ice trays, freeze it, put it in baggies, and keep it in the freezer. Easy cheesy. I can control the texture of the food (sort of). Plus, I can do strange things...like Bananacado...and Sweet Potatacado...and Butternutazuchinniapea. They have no idea that I am having so much fun at their expense. Ha Ha. Plus, I get to feed them stuff that looks like this...

Nothing is more memorable...

2008-07-30T13:57:00.000-05:00

I am in the process of doing a major overhaul on the blog. I am so excited. But, you have to wait...

Today's story is a tale of inspiration...and of ingenuity. Today I discovered I am truly a genius...and quite possibly the world's greatest efficiency expert.

This story begins with the words below. I've been searching high and low for a saying, poem, quote, or inspiration on which to build my writing. Something that makes the loyal reader, casual fan, or accidental visitor to our little blog want to come back. I want ya'll to be inspired by our story, feel like you are part of our family, soar with the highs, and wallow in my self-pity during the lows. I read this and it spoke to my heart...and it immediately brought visions of the inspiration that you will see at the end. I hope you enjoy.

Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains; another, a moonlit beach; a third, a family dinner of pot roast and sweet potatoes during a myrtle-mad August in a Midwestern town. Smells detonate softly in our memory like poignant land mines hidden under the weedy mass of years. Hit a tripwire of smell and memories explode all at once. A complex vision leaps out of the undergrowth.-- Diane Ackerman

This is my inspiration... The diaper can. The whiff you get when you quickly open, shove more in, and slam the lid back is truly memorable. The poo detonates softly in my memory like a poignant (pungent?) land mine. So many explosions does it contain...

This is my solution. Take off the window screen, open it up, and toss the bags to the can below. (As you can see it's kind of hard to film and hit your target at the same time.)

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Good looks run in the family.

2008-07-29T08:53:00.001-05:00

Brian 1973...

Ben 2008...

Brian 1974....

Jack 2008....

??????........

Still not sure who Lily looks like. However, I am holding out that she will not go through the awkward years that "someone" did. One thing is for sure, I will NEVER give her a permed mullet...no matter how much she begs.

Play Freebird.

Bennie! Don't kiss your sister!

2008-07-25T14:00:00.000-05:00

Don't attack her head either!!!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

...and the answer is, yes they are noticing each other quite a bit these days!

A Few of My Favorite Things

2008-07-23T09:19:00.000-05:00

There are a few things that have SIGNIFICANTLY improved my life while raising triplets. Some were gifts, some we happened upon by accident, and some were recommended by friends/family members. I thought I would create a list for those of you who have new babies, are expecting babies, or who know someone who is.

Boppy lounger.This is a MUST for preemie babies as well as new babies. I love it because it creates a little "nest". We used ours until the babies were 6 months old. For the first few months the babies were always on them because they were warm, we could put them on it and place them anywhere, and they were at a great angle after feeding. Even though it says not to let babies sleep on them, we even went through a phase where we swaddled them, put them on the loungers, and then placed them in the crib. We just felt better about keeping them at an angle while they were sleeping to decrease spit-ups. LOVE this thing! Many people use the regular horseshoe shaped boppees, which we use now. However, when they are little they just don't fit very well in them and you have to constantly reposition them. This is a must have, I swear.

White washcloths. I credit Nana for coming up with this. I remember opening a gift during one of my showers, pulling out the washcloths, and wondering when on earth I would need these. This is probably the single most used item in our house and has been since day one. We place them under their chins during feeds instead of big bulky burp cloths, they are small and easily stored, we use them to wipe up "spills", and they are great for all kinds of cleaning. Plus, you can bleach them as needed and they won't look too grody.

Kangaroo bibs. I was unprepared for just how messy feeding was going to be. If you have one baby to feed, you can keep on top of the hands in the food, food all over the face, and hands in the mouth after taking a bite. With three, you cannot. Unless you actually are an octopus, which would come in extremely handy. It's a disaster zone...times three! Food everywhere. These bibs are great. They can't put them in their mouths, they can't play with them, you can easily wipe them off, and they can't pull them off. They are like little plastic shields. Fantastic idea...couldn't live without them now. (As a small side note on this subject. Dear Dixie...I'm not sure I wrote you a thank you note for this. I know I meant to, but I just cannot remember if I did....If I DID NOT... This was a fantastic gift, one I didn't even know I needed, and one I am extremely thankful for several times a day!)

Here's some live action video of how great they are!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

As a second side note... I have an extreme addiction to classic country as you will hear in this clip. Dinner time is also time for the babies to get a taste of my good music...as you can tell I turn it up and let them enjoy it! I also take this time to satisfy any karaoke needs I may have and inflict an insane amount of bad singing on my children. I hope there is no permanent damage.)

Ziplock bags.
Organization is the key. If you are unorganized and you have triplets, God help you, I don't know how you do it. Baggies are a must for me. This is how I organize things in the diaper bag, travelling bags, and for baby food item storage. I have baggies of washcloths, bibs, clothes, bottle parts, swimsuits, toys, and lotions/creams just to name a few. I often need to find items quickly and this helps me. It also helps me to remember for each trip what I need. I just keep the bags packed and add as needed.

Rubber mats.
We keep these interlocking colorful mats all over our house. Upstairs we have it to protect the carpet from various spills, spit-ups, and other unsavory fluids. They are comfortable, easy to clean, and provide a good play surface. We keep them downstairs on the wood floor in the play room as well. Brian found these at Sam's and we keep buying more!

Disposable Washcloths
I am the predominant baby-bather around here and this is another item that has improved my efficiency. I use the Huggies brand. The soap is built in and you can throw them away after you use them. They contain more than enough soap, are tough and durable, and the soap washes off easily. Love them.

Inchbug BumpyName Orbit Labels
These are awesome! If you have more than one kid you have to have them. At various points we've had babies that have used different bottles, different nipples on the same bottle, and had different amounts in the bottles. This totally took the confusion out of it. We will use these for a LONG time to come. Love, love these!

My Triplet Stroller
I just can't tell ya'll how much I love this thing. It's so easy to maneuver, is really well-built, breaks down to fit in the trunk of a car, and we have received excellent customer service. This company is owned by the guys from Phil and Ted's Strollers. We did a lot of research and felt that this would best suit our needs and it totally has. (Pam-to finally answer your question, yes it does fit through most doorways. The website has the exact dimensions, but I haven't had any problems fitting through any public doorways so far.) The only downside is that it does come from New Zealand so we had to wait longer for it and had to add a fairly hefty shipping expense to the cost of the stroller. But, it was worth every penny. You do not need a double stroller, either, because you can easily pop the top seat off and it becomes a side-by-side double jogger. So, if you are out and about with another person they can push the third child in a single stroller.

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. After several months of BabyWise, I took the advice from some other Mom's of multiples and ordered this book. It was a life saver. It gave me great advice on how to handle various problems we were encountering, how to tell the signs of a tired baby, and how to create a good sleep schedule for the whole family. The best part of the book is that it gives you a variety of ways to handle situations based on your belief system...from a no-cry sleep solution, to a sometime-cry, to cry-it-out. The other thing I liked was that it gave good explanations as to why you were doing things. I really feel that we have such happy and healthy babies because we have worked very hard to create good sleep habits. We have also worked hard to make sure the babies get the amount of sleep they need.

I highly recommend these things. They are great gift ideas for new Mom's! Thanks to everyone who either gave us these gifts or told us about them.

This is what happens when your giggle box gets turned over!

2008-07-22T09:19:00.001-05:00

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

We Love Our Cuz!

2008-07-18T19:26:00.000-05:00

Lily, Jack, and Ben got to meet their cousin Taytum for the first time this last week. They all fell in LOVE! Being my favorite niece and all, I can completely understand their adoration. Taytum lives in Colorado and comes once a year during the summer to visit the Texas relatives. She's beautiful, sweet, easygoing, and makes a mean blueberry pie. We all had a blast and really enjoyed her visit. Here are a few pics!

Watching Saturday morning cartoons at the lake.

Lounging by the pool.

A little girlie time!

As always we thoroughly enjoyed her visit and we absolutely can't wait to see her again!

This Teething Thing is For the Birds...

2008-07-18T15:55:00.001-05:00

In most aspects I definitely feel like babies have it made. They're fed, changed, bathed, cuddled, and generally loved on as much as possible. People even wipe their butts. I mean, come on... how hard could their life be? Of course, there is that stage where their hands go a little crazy and they beat their own selves about the head and shoulders repeatedly. Oh yeah, then there was that stage where they would turn over on their bellies and couldn't get back. That was funny. Unless it was 2 am. Then it quickly became annoying. AND there is the endless embarassing pictures! I have some incredible footage of a tiny little naked Jack getting his very first bath...I'm sure when he's sixteen he's going to love this fantastic little pre-circumcision video. Can we say blackmail?

Then there is teething. It's like an all-systems failure of their little bodies. There is the massive leakage of drool from their mouths. Which they swallow...the result being a massive leakage of the other end. Then there is the spit-up...of the drool mixed with whatever else might be hanging out in their little tummies. Yum. There is the fever. There is the grunting, crying, whining, wiggling, and the demon that takes them over. This is also accompanied by a fairly nasty diaper rash. Let's not forget the incessant chewing, chomping, mouthing, and licking of everything that is within reach.

This is where we are. Three teething babies. Fun times. Three uncomfortable, irritable, and sad little babies. They still find lots of smiles and love for us, but it is fairly obvious that they just feel like poop. Today, they are on a hunger strike. My babies that are super eaters don't want anything to do with their bottles. So you can add hunger pains to the list of complaints. Unfortunately, it hurts to eat...and they are so impossibly unreasonable at times.

Last weekend Lily had 3 teeth break through her gums in 2 days. HORRIBLE. This makes a total of 5 teeth for her! There's one more coming in on the bottom as well. Jack has two on the bottom and is apparently working on more somewhere. He has been really fussy the last few days. Ben FINALLY got one today!

It feels like this will go on forever and ever. You feel so sorry for them. There's just no relief. Here's a fun fact for you. Over the next two years or so they will have 60 teeth come in. That's right. There are 20 baby teeth...times three! Now I feel sorry for me. So, only 52 more teeth to go. When is my next vacation???

The anger!

The frustration!
The sheer madness of it all!

2008-07-11T10:37:00.000-05:00

I'm taking a temporary blogging vacation. I will return Friday, July 18th. I have been busy with the holiday, birthdays, my niece visiting, and two out of town trips. I just wanted everyone to know so they don't think my family has tied me up and locked me in a closet. Yeah, right...How would they survive without me??? If anyone has any questions they are dying to ask me...now is the time to do it. I realize my posts have been a little short...and mostly pictures, but I'm hoping to get back to my witty ways soon.
Love, Steffie

The Many Faces of Lily...

2008-06-27T16:14:00.000-05:00

Sleepy.

Happy.

Quiet Contemplation.
Surprised!
Pensive.
I have no idea.

All About Jack!

2008-06-24T19:42:00.000-05:00

Didn't want him to feel left out! Every time I tried to get video of him laughing he clammed up... So how about live action video of his new favorite toy?

While very cute...Brian and I admit we are becoming a tad bit scared. They are mobile. Uncoordinated, inconsistent, and flailing as well...but mobile all the same. Kita is highly enjoying their new-found mobility, however, as bumper-car time is after dinner time...which means lots of licking of guacamole hands and faces...and occasionally puke.

Belly Laughs

2008-06-23T16:32:00.000-05:00

There's just nothing better, is there?

O.K., the only thing better is Bennie's 2 1/2 inch long hair which sticks straight up!

Did you notice Bennie and his raspberry echo at about 45 seconds? No, I have not forgotten Jack, I just don't have any good video of him laughing yet. Everytime it happens I don't seem to have the camera handy. Give me some time...I just figured out how to put video on the blog!

I Hate It When Computers Are Smarter Than Me...

2008-06-18T20:03:00.000-05:00

So, long story short, I've been trying for two days to figure out how to post this slideshow. The fact is, yes, I would have STILL been a day behind Father's day...BUT, as many of my excuses begin...Better late than never. I can get it to post in the blog, but it cuts half of each picture out, which kind of defeats the purpose. So, click on the link below to view it.

I would LOVE to say lots of nice things about my honey on his very first Father's Day (which was 3 days ago). But, the fact is he would probably kill me. I'm not kidding...he doesn't like to be embarassed.

I will tell you that for the past few weeks I've been secretly baiting him with lots of little meaningful questions...my intent being to post his answers to these questions. Yes, this might embarass him, but I really thought it would be a neat insight into how he's really feeling about being a new father...in his own words, not mine.

This is the gist of what I got...you can see that it would have made a pretty short post.
Me: What's your favorite thing about being a Dad?
Brian: Babies.

Me: So, what's the most surprising thing about being a new Dad?
Brian: How much I like babies.

(O.K., let's try a new angle here...)
Me: What's your favorite thing about the babies?
Brian: I think they're cute, and sweet...and they smell good... I REALLY like babies!

(WHAT? You're kidding me....I'm going to try again)
Me: Looking back, what advice would you give to a new Dad?
Brian: What's up with all these stupid questions?

I absolutely SWEAR this is how it went down.

So, here's to my very deep, introspectful, and emotion-wrought husband. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for rolling me out of bed, heaving me off of the couch, and spending every single night in the hospital with me. Thank you for still telling me I was beautiful when I very clearly was not. Thank you for all of the sweet care you give to ALL of your babies. Thanks for washing bottles and making formula. Thanks for endlessly putting together baby junk...and endlessly hauling diapers and boxes to the curb. Thanks for growing and learning and just experiencing all of this with me. We must be crazy to think this is so much fun.

Click on the picture below.

Happy Daddy's Day!

Wordless Friday...Actually on Friday.

2008-06-13T12:04:00.000-05:00

The Great Bow Thief...

2008-06-08T18:53:00.000-05:00

Lily is a girly-girl who LOVES the big, pretty bows that Mommy puts on her head!

As you can see...Bennie (being a man of high fashion) has become rather enamored with the obvious present for him that decorates his sister's noggin.

He has spotted the target.
He reaches, quickly, with great stealth to obtain that big, pretty, colorful toy that Lily is keeping on her head.
Lily, being a gal of high fashion, is obviously not amused by this thievery.
She looks to Mom to get it BACK ON MY HEAD RIGHT NOW AND I MEAN IT!

So, I put it back on.... And Bennie spots it again!

That's right!!! You know what happens next!

This time he thinks he'll give it a little taste.

SO, you guessed it...back on with the bow, which is promptly followed by a grab (he's getting good at this).

BUT, why waste time....when you can go for the bow... with the WHOLE HEAD attached!

Persistence is a virtue?

Wordless Fridays...A New Tradition?

2008-06-05T13:12:00.000-05:00

Meet the Adventure Buggy!

2008-06-02T20:29:00.000-05:00

Yeah!!! It's finally here! We ordered this nifty triplet stroller almost two months ago...from New Zealand...and it finally got here Monday. There are no words to convey my excitement. It was getting a little tough carrying a 20 lb baby strapped to my chest. My back has just never been the same since I was pregnant and traipsing around the mall was getting to be painful...and hot.

As you can see it has a double side-by-side seats down below and a seat facing me up top.

It's nice and comfy.
It also comes with baby sleeping bags (not pictured) and an all-weather blocker and windshield. Just in case you happen to be out in -20 degree weather while it is snowing, I guess? It must get really cold in New Zealand, I'm guessing.
The seats recline, for greater comfort of course!
Here's the seat up top. It also reclines.

It also has a windshield...and a sunshield/mosquito blocker (not pictured).Here's Lily checking out her throne.Note the all-terrain tires. I took it out for a spin and it handles curbs, gravel, inclines, and potholes very well.

Also while out on my spin I decided, what the heck, let's open this baby up. So, I jogged with it...for a very short distance, but STILL. Me being the multitasker that I am...I ran, talked on the cell-phone (touting it's awesomeness to Brian), and steered with one hand.

I LOVE IT. It fits easily in the back of my car, folds down flat, and is a nice shade of camo. I guess you can take one look at it and figure out who ordered it, huh? His excuse was that stains couldn't be seen hidden in camouflage. A somewhat convincing argument, but we all know the truth.

Fun in the sun!!!

2008-05-29T14:04:00.000-05:00

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???

2008-05-21T08:14:00.001-05:00

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.

2008-05-13T16:45:00.000-05:00

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!

2008-05-06T08:39:00.000-05:00

Lily loves it.

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

We're Home! A Recap of Chairman's Club 2008...

2008-04-30T19:51:00.000-05:00

I had a fantastic time. I did miss the little munchkins A LOT at times, but I am so glad I went. Brian and I definitely needed some time together that didn't involve feeding, diapers, or spit up. A HUGE thank you to Nonnie, Poppie, MawMaw, and PawPaw for taking EXCELLENT care of the babies. We are so lucky to have such great grandparents that were not only excited to take care of them but excited for us that we had the opportunity to take a vacation. They followed my 7-page instructions perfectly and the babies were not broken I am happy to report. I wasn't really worried, I just like to tease them a bit.

So, here's a quick overview of our trip. It was more than I ever expected! Charles Schwab footed the bill for a first-class shindig. I expected it to be nice, but this was beyond nice. The events scheduled were fun and each night we had gifts waiting in our room. The little details really made this trip unforgettable.

We arrived Friday afternoon and settled in. Friday night we partied on the beach to Reggae singers and traditional Jamaican fair.

Saturday morning we had breakfast on the East Lawn and Brian had meetings in the morning. I got up for breakfast...then went back to bed until noon. It was FANTASTIC. We then hung out on the beach for the rest of the day. (And yes, I wore my bikini proudly...with a size bigger bottoms.)

We came back...cleaned up...and headed to the Ballroom for the awards ceremony. Dinner was great, my favorite...surf and turf. Followed by a private concert by JOHN LEGEND! He was amazing. You can't tell but the picture below is me with him in the background.

Of course...after we took this pic I was handed a surprise backstage pass to actually meet him. It was so nice of the couple next to us to share it with me.

Below is a pic of Brian and I at the reception afterward. I was pleading with him to hit the dance floor. No go.

The third night was a free night so Brian's regional boss took a few of us to dinner at SeaGrapes in the Half Moon Hotel.

We hitched a ride on a catamaran and went snorkeling then had lunch on the beach.

Brian participated in a diving contest off of the boat...he performed the only watermelon...

The final night was amazing. We had a farewell party at Rose Hall which was a local haunted mansion.There were tours of the house, dinner, drinks, and a stage for entertainment.

Oh yeah...they also had palm, tarot card, and tea leaf readers. We opted for the palm/tarot card reader named Jana. She had some interesting info for us. Apparently on top of the triplets we already have there are....TWINS....in our future, if we aren't careful. Oh dear.

The evening ended with a stellar fireworks display... A perfect end to the perfect trip.

We had a blast...but I was so ready to get home. After a long..LONG day of travelling we arrived home at 9:30 on Tuesday night. I crept into their rooms, gently woke them up, and gave them all big hugs and kisses. They looked at me with sweet sleepy eyes...and just looked confused. Not really happy...just a little confused...and really sleepy. Not quite the homecoming I expected. No big grins, smiles, or looks of joy. Just really, really, really sleepy. Oh well. I'm happy they weren't sad while I was gone...but they could have looked a little more excited about seeing me, right?

I am so sad.

2008-04-24T15:47:00.000-05:00

I am leaving the country. I am not leaving out of frustration, fatigue, or insanity. I am leaving on vacation...to Jamaica...away from my babies...

It seemed like a good idea. Until now. Now it seems like a very, very, very bad idea. Terrible actually. I swear I don't need a vacation. I don't want to go away.

Let's forget that it's free. Let's forget that it's at the Ritz-Carlton. Let's forget all of that. Can we forget to go to the airport???

I know I can do this. I know that I need to do this. I know that a few days of relaxation, sleep, and sun worshiping will rejuvinate my heart and soul. Plus, did I mention that it was free?

But what about Jack's big open-mouthed grin that he has for me when he sees me in the morning? What about Bennie's squeal of delight when he sees me peek over the top of his crib? What about Lily's big, giant, amazing smile she has for me when I just say her name? How can I leave all of this? They are so amazing and wonderful I don't want to miss one minute...much less four nights.

I know they will be well taken care of...if not EXTREMELY spoiled. I also know that if they are too spoiled I will make the grandparents come back and fix them. I'm serious...I know ya'll read this.

I just love being with them. I've gotten so used to them and their funny little ways. They seem to kind of like me too. Will they miss me as much as I miss them? Heck, will they even know I'm gone? I think they will.

I am SO PROUD of Brian and his success. This trip is courtesy of Schwabb and Brian's great work ethic. He made Chairman's Club this year and we are on our way to meet good old Chuck...and get a private concert from John Legend. We will be living the high life for the next few days...Brian really deserves this. He is one of a kind and his hard work allows me to enjoy raising my babies at home. Thank you and I love you!

Farewell. I will be back Tuesday and will share pics of my first vacation as a Mom. I sincerely hope that I will not be crying in all of them.

Short stories by me... (I don't have the time to write much but I'll try to get the point across)

2008-04-22T20:33:00.000-05:00

Last week I woke up and decided today was the day to get out of the house. I couldn't stand being cooped up any longer. No matter how hard it was we were going somewhere....somehow...

This was no easy task.

I had to feed the babies, get them dressed, and get myself dressed.

Pack the car.

Put the babies in the car...and take a funny pic.

Back out of the garage and run over a box (which was not supposed to be there).

Leave the house, drive a mile, realize I didn't know where my cell phone was, search the car, drive back home, find it in Ben's car seat.

Almost give up...but persevere.

Leave the house again and drive to the mall. Look at the clock and realize the whole process has taken well over two hours so far.

Unload, snap in, and go. Two babies in the double stroller and one strapped to me.

Thoroughly enjoy freedom!!!!

All in all it was a positive experience. I did learn a few things.

Pack and get ready the night before.
Use the bathroom BEFORE you leave the house.
DO NOT drink a large coffee and large glass of water before you leave.
Wear cool clothes because a 16 lb baby strapped to your body has a tendency to overheat you.
Do not wear a color that will show the sweat stains.
Park on the right floor of the parking garage so you don't have to scavenger hunt for the elevator.
If you want to enjoy another floor of a department store you have to use the elevator. (So didn't consider that)
All of my wheelchair driving experience will come in handy for something...And I'm still a bad driver of all wheeled things.
Realize that no matter how hard you try to blend in you are still a spectacle.
As long as you walk quickly and with purpose people will not stop you to ogle. Except when you knock over a display in the middle of the isle. You are pretty much screwed then.
Wear your hair in a ponytail as the baby who is strapped to you will (sneakily) suck on your hair.

OTHER NEWS...

They are FIVE MONTHS OLD!!!!

And one last cute one of Bennie...Love it!

Things I did not expect to happen to me today.... (Or... Icky, yucky, nasty things that happened to me today)

2008-04-15T13:06:00.000-05:00

1. I did not expect to have to clean throw up out of my bra.

2. I did not expect to have to clean throw up off of my back...then later find it on my butt. Not sure if that was actually a continuation of the spit up that Ben managed to shoot down my back or if I sat in someone else's puke later.

3. I did not expect to have to clean up throw up from way down in the guts of the couch between the back cushion and seat. See above. When you sit down the seat pulls away from the back of the couch and creates a little pocket that puke loves to hide in. This is the third time it has happened which only leads me to believe that it probably has happened more but I am the only one that catches it. I am amazed that this couch does not smell like cheese. In my mind those little stinkers give each other points for puke "baskets." 10 points for Mom's hair, 10 points for down her shirt, 20 points for hitting the lap top, 25 points for making it in Mom's drink which is sitting on the floor, 30 points if she actually takes a drink because she did not realize that there is in fact regurgitated formula floating in it, and so on... My only consolation is that they do indeed also puke on each other. Ha. Ha. Ha. We have even been known to "aim" at each other while burping babies. We may have mental problems.

4. I did not expect to have to scrub poor little Jack's face to get the crusty throw up off of his hair, eyelashes, and ears. Apparently he spit up while doing tummy time and I was changing Lily in the other room. He never cried, wimpered, or made any noise that anything was wrong. I don't know if I should be proud of his sweet disposition of feel bad because he just gave up and layed in it.

5. I did not expect to have to dig hard poop out of someone else's bottom with a thermometer. O.k., actually this happened last night but I was so traumatized by it that I am still suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome. Poor Lily appears to be a tad constipated. I'm not sure who cried more, me or her. She is now on a strict regimine of pear juice. This will not happen again or we will both run away from home. Apparently I am the only one qualified to perform this operation (because I once worked in a hospital?) and no one else will touch that thermometer (which actually has butt written on it with a sharpie) with a ten foot pole.

"You're gonna do what?"
"Please...I'm begging you...NO!"

All pooped out...literally.

6. I did not expect to have to pick up poop from off of the floor. The harder and rounder it is...the more it appears to roll out of the diaper, take a few hearty bounces, and hide behind the door. I'm sure this could be put into lyrics to "On Top of Old Smokey". Yuck. Yuck. Yuck.

7. I did not expect to have to emergently wash their sleep sacks because one had poop on it (the poop bounced off of the wrap first), one had pee on it, and somebody (not naming any names) puked on their brother's wrap. I will only say the wrap was green...

8. I did not expect to get a little teary-eyed (damn hormones) this morning when I had all three babies lying on a blanket in the floor and they were all smiling and giggling at me. I am their Mommy. They love me. It is the most fantastic feeling in the whole world. They are damn lucky I am not bothered by gross stuff.

Addendum... Stuck my thumb in more poop and performed my first ever enema tonight (obviously not on the same baby whose poop I stuck my finger in). Let the good times roll.

Best Buds....

Anybody know where my last post went???

2008-04-13T13:35:00.000-05:00

Pretty sneaky Sis...

2008-03-27T20:08:00.001-05:00

Notice the sly grin on Lily's face...Could she be up to something???"Quick... He's not looking, maybe if I slide it this way real slow..."

"What the...?"

"Ha, Ha...Mom gave me another one!"

Dad and Jack enjoying a little tummy time at the end of the day'

Jack trying his hardest to show Bennie how it's done. Unfortunately Bennie has immediately face planted into the cushion and can't see. Typical.

Now does she look sneaky at all? Looks can be deceiving!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T16:33:00.001-05:00

It just isn't possible for them to get any cuter!

Well, Easter didn't turn out quite as we had planned. This was to be our first outing to somewhere besides the pediatricians office. We were going to Nonnie and Poppie's house! Everyone was quite excited and looking forward to it. I was, of course, worried we would forget some very important piece of baby junk. It was not meant to be, however. Poor Poppie got sick so we decided not to risk it. Brian threw together an impromptu Easter dinner of pork ribs (yum!), we dressed up the babies anyway, and took lots of pics.

Pretty Lily in her girly-girl dress.

Jack posing for the picture.
Bennie and his double chins.
Thanks to my Mom and Dad for spending the night and spending Easter with is. These pics are from my Mom, I'm too lazy to download my pics. Poppie-we missed you so much, and hope you get well fast. To everyone else...we will be planning another outing soon.

Oh yes...News from the Doc.

We went to see Dr. Hopkins on Friday and he was so happy with how well the babies are doing. Here are the current weights/heights:

Lily

24 1/2 inches long and 14 lbs 6 oz. She's in the 50-75th percentile for height and the 75th percentile for weight!!! Go Lily!

Jack

25 inches long and 14 lbs 6 oz. He's in the 50-75th percentile for height and the 25-50th percentile for weight. Better watch out, Jack, their catching up to you!

Ben

Here's the BIG surprise. Ben has taken the lead. That's right...He weighs the most! Only by one ounce...but still the biggest!

24 1/2 inches long and 14 lbs 7 oz. He's apparently a tad short so he's only in the 5-10th percentile for his height but he's in the 25-50th percentile for weight. He has been working really hard to catch up.

In case any of you are wondering what the percentiles mean, here's a refresher. Percentiles are the most commonly used way to compare the size and growth patterns of children. They rank the position of one child by comparing them to other children their age. So, when they are in the 25th percentile for weight this means that they weigh the same or more than 25 percent of other kids their age and weighs less than 75 percent. Obviously that means that the higher the percentile the better. So, they are doing great considering they were born almost 7 weeks early and they are being compared to other babies their age who were born full-term. Yeah!

I wanted to leave ya'll with two more pics. I've had more than one person say to me that poor Lily will have to put up with two boys picking on her for the rest of her life. As you can see below she is doing a fine job taking care of herself. Notice how sweet and cute she looks in the first picture. Then notice what she's doing in the next pic. Pretty sneaky sis. (please disregard my bad hair, I decided to sleep longer instead of fixing my hair...)

Updates...Updates...

2008-03-16T21:37:00.000-05:00

Here's a run-down of the current situation around the Rogers' household.

Well, since they pretty much only eat, play, and sleep...(get it?)...we'll touch on each topic.

Eating:

Fantastic...Easy cheesy...Right on track! I think that pretty much sums it up. They love, love, love to eat thank goodness. About 6-8 weeks ago they just turned a corner. Eating was no longer hard. Gone are the days of leaky mouths, sleeping through meals, spitting out, and refusing.

Would you believe that Ben is now eating up to 6 1/2 oz each feeding? My littlest guy is now my very best eater. He is working so hard to catch up to his brother in weight. Lily eats around 5 1/2 to 6 oz each meal and Jack is hanging out at a good solid 5 to 5 1/2 oz each time. I can't believe they came home from the hospital eating 40 ml. That's just a tad over an ounce. They have just made such great progress...it is amazing to think about it. There were times that feeding was a struggle but now it is just a breeze. It's completely possible to feed all three at once by propping their bottles up and burping them at the end.

We made the switch to the Born Free glass bottles a couple of months ago. The main reason was because of all of the fuss in the news about a chemical in some plastic bottles that could possibly lead to developmental delays and neurological impairments. Who knows if this is even possible, but we made the switch anyway just for peace of mind. There are a million things out there that could go wrong, huh? It wasn't that big of a deal to change so we did...and the babies really like the bottles. The switch was so easy, which was unbelievable considering all of the problems we had early on. We were using Avent and Playtex Ventaire bottles which both contained the chemical. Besides, my friend Caroline is very proud of us for being ecologically friendly now. Good for us!

AND, they just continue to grow, grow, grow! We go for their 4 month check-up next Friday and I can't wait to see how much they weigh. My best guess is between 14-15 lbs. They have graduated to size 2 diapers! It's really funny to look at their preemie diapers compared to their big kid diapers. They are now wearing size 3 month clothes!

They will also be receiving their first round of shots next Friday. Yuck. I'm a little nervous. We opted to wait until their adjusted age to get their shots. So because they were almost 7 weeks early we are getting their 2 month shots at four months. I've also requested that we follow an alternative vaccination schedule. I really do believe that it is important to vaccinate children against dangerous diseases, we just want to be a little more cautious because there could be side effects. It's tough when one baby gets vaccinated, but having 3 uncomfortable all at one time might be terrible. So instead of getting 4 vaccinations we will be getting two and then going the following month to get the other two. By only giving two vaccines at a time we hope to decrease the chances of a chemical overload from grouping so many chemicals all together at once. This allows their little bodies to adjust better. It will also only give one live-virus vaccine and one aluminum-containing vaccine each time. This will also make it easier to figure out what vaccine they are reacting to, if a reaction should occur. You can go to http://www.fitpregnancy.com/vaccines_autism_alternative/yourbaby/1205?subsection=baby_health_development to see the list.

Playing:

Fun times for all. Their very favorite pastime is hanging out in their play gym. Everyone is swatting away at toys. They are grasping things you put in their hands. I caught Ben the other day grabbing at his elephant's ear. He was completely amazed that he could do this and it was really funny watching his face.

They have discovered how fantastic hands and fingers are in their mouth. Again, Ben is SO funny to watch. He will have both hands fisted directly in front of his face and will look back and forth at them. I can just hear the commentary running in his head. "Get in my mouth, dammit...Come on, get in there...Ouch...you stupid fist you hit me in the eye...Ouch...that's my cheek...Ouch that hurt...Get in there...yes, yes, closer...YES!!! It's in my mouth...AHHHHH...it fell out...Ouch it hit me again....." I guess you get the point. It's pretty freakin' hilarious. Everyone is also great at grasping their hands together.

Tummy time is going great! Jack is by far the best. He can get all the way up on just his forearms and look around for a long time. Lily is second best because she lacks a little endurance. Ben, not as great...but we are working on it. He likes to give up and just suck on his hand. Oh well, he'll get there. I swear I thought Lily was going to turn over the other day. She had the rocking motion down and kept kicking with one foot. She almost had it. I even got the camera out to record it. However, she got worn out and gave up. Maybe next time...

The two things we absolutely cannot live without: First, the mirror. My children are vain. I can't imagine who they got it from? They love, love, love staring at themselves. Second, the swing. Thank God for that swing. Wake up early from a nap??? Go to the swing! Feeling a little fussy??? That's right...swinging will cure that too. Hungry, but it's not time to eat! Fill up on some swingin'. This is truly a miracle invention. Thank you to all of you people who gave us swings!

The other favorite thing? The bumbos. This is my favorite picture right now. How stinkin' cute are these guys? I mean look at Lily! She's having a blast! My sweet babies. And yes, they are as sweet and fun as they look!

And the smiles... They can light up a room. Every smile is like a wonderful little gift they give us. They are cooing and I swear they chuckle every now and then. One of my favorite things is to peek over the crib at Lily after she wakes up from a nap and say "Lily Bug...Where's my smile?" She gives me this HUGE grin that just melts my heart. This is what it's all about, my friends. This is so worth the 95 lbs, the bedrest, the c-section, the high blood pressure...you name it I would do it all and more.

Sleeping:

I'm happy to say we are doing o.k. in this department. Pause for a second while I find some wood to knock on... Both the babies and Mommy are getting a lot more of the good stuff these days. Here's how it goes down: Brian does the 5:30 a.m. feed by himself while I get off of the couch and move to a bed somewhere. The babies go directly back to bed after this feed and sleep until at least 8:30, sometimes as late as 9:30. This is my best time to sleep. They wake up, eat, play, then go down for a morning nap for about an hour and a half. Wake up at 1:30, eat, play, then nap again. This nap is a little touch and go, for some reason they just don't sleep as well then. This time in particular the swings are mighty handy. Eat again at 5:30, cuddle on the couch, down for bed by 7:30. Up at 10 to feed and right back to bed. We usually have to wake them for this feed and they are usually asleep by the end of it. I go to bed then. O.K., I camp on the couch outside of their room then. I was getting up about 2 or 3 for a "dreamfeed" where I don't wake them, change their diaper, or even burp them. I just fed them a few ounces in the dark and they snooze right through it. Until 3 nights ago when I decided to risk it and let them sleep. It hasn't been completely bump free, but we have had 2 nights now with no middle of the night feed. This is not to say I have been getting any more sleep at all...because that is not the case. There have been a few tears, but they have drifted back off to sleep after a little crying. Jack is my hero. He has completely taken to this and has no problem at all. Ben seems a little frustrated, but if all else fails the good old trusty swing works wonders at 4:30 in the morning. Lily screams bloody murder and it's hard to get her quiet...but I've managed to do it. This all leads to less sleep for me right now, but I'm hoping this will just be for a few days. Brian's back up at around 5:30 to feed them again and the day starts all over again.

I have made the shocking discovery that these babies NEED a bunch of sleep. While they may disagree rather loudly at times naps are not negotiable. If they don't sleep they are bears by the end of the day. This is when quiet time in the swings is priceless. The more sleep they get the happier they are. The secret also seems to be getting them to the bed before they are completely drifting off and sleepy. Who knew? When we figured that out things go easier. They do still cry and protest but it's getting so much better. Of course, this is a new week so they may choose to revolt as soon as I think I have it figured out.

Other news to report:

Jack is no longer a fusspants. Lily now has this title, maybe we should say fusskirt? That girl can wail. Jack will give up after a few minutes, but not Lily. The cry it out method sure doesn't work for her once she gets worked up. Fortunately, we can usually avert this by making sure she gets enough sleep.

Lily is stinky. I'm not sure where it's coming from, she is after all named after a flower? We call her stinky Lily. For reals. They all eat the same stuff, why is it so much stinkier when it comes out the other end? I just don't get it.

Jacks chins now have fat rolls. His little wrists have fat rolls. We call him Jackie Chin. It is adorable on him! He has big round eyes and the sweetest little face! Love it!

Bennie has had quite the belly on him now! He's really plumping up nicely. He's by far the hungriest little guy ever. He loves to eat. The last two nights when we skipped the night feed the first thing he does in the morning is SCREAM as if to say: "You forgot to feed me...how dare you!" I mean he is frantic. It's pretty sad actually.
I guess that's about it. I know it's a lot of news, but when you are a blogging slacker like me you have to try to fit it all in when you can. As for me, I'm settling in fairly well to this staying at home thing. Some days are better than others, but it seems like things are definitely getting better. I have frequent shots of reality that I'm not sure what I'm doing, but I'm doing the best that I can. I try to take a shower every day and I don't think I look too terribly frazzled by the time Brian gets home. I try to get a few projects a week done, but I also try not to put too much on my table. I am finding I have guilt about things I never thought I would, don't care at all about things I thought I would care about, and am finding a new sense of myself through this whole process. Some days seem long but the weeks are just flying by. I am also amazed at how well Brian and I are working together to get all of this done.

I do have a very special thanks to send out. If it weren't for all of our loved ones who chip in a few hours each week to help us out I would have no where near the clarity or sanity to take care of these little guys. Grandmother helped me get my feet back under me for weeks. Nana comes every week and gets the dog hair under control, folds laundry, and has even been known to get stains out of the carpet. Brian's parents are always up for some late night baby duty and my parents love to chip in and spoil the little guys as well. I get out a few days each week, can peruse WalMart and Target at my leisure, and Brian and I usually get out at least once every two weeks for a date. Sure, there have been some rough days, but when you know that you have help tomorrow or over the weekend it makes it a whole lot easier to get through a tough day. All in all we are doing a stellar job, I think. Keep up the good work guys!

Happy Birthday To Me!!!

2008-03-03T20:52:00.000-06:00

That's right. Another year older and supposedly another year wiser? Not sure about that today, check with me tomorrow. I thought I would dedicate this post to me. That's right...No babies. Just all about glorious me. I'm sure everyone is dying to hear about how I'm doing these days, right?

It's been one heck of a crazy year. This time last year I had just had an awful week. The reproductive endocrinologist had called off a cycle because I had an overreaction to the meds. I remember being heartbroken and really down about this. My whole infertility trip had been one step forward and two steps back. Little did I know that in about six weeks I would be pregnant. I had a terrible week at work. I had failed a student. It was one of the toughest decisions I had made professionally. I had many sleepless nights over this decision, but in the end the decision was made for me. The funny thing is if she had spent half as much time treatment planning, completing assignments, and putting things in charts as she did on revenge she would have been one of the best students I had ever had. Oh well, can't win them all can you?

Then I found out I was pregnant. Then I found out we were having triplets. Such a mix of emotions. I can say my fear outweighed my happiness at times. But we got through it and accepted that this was the path we were meant to take. This was a special thing given to us because we could handle it...and handle it we did. Looking back now I can still feel all of those emotions. Fear of the unknown. I was worried the babies would have complications, I was worried about the logistics of raising 3 kids, I was worried about quitting my job, and I was worried about how my body would handle it all.

I made it through it all. Quitting my much-loved job. Saying goodbye to the career I had worked so hard for, knowing that this was just a momentary pause and that I would be back someday. I got bigger by the second, I swear. We quickly finished renovations on our current house. We bought a new house. We moved. We had baby showers. It got harder and harder to get around. I became increasingly uncomfortable. Hip pain, ass pain, back pain, side pain, etc. You just can't be pregnant with three babies without experiencing a little discomfort.

Why, yes...that is one hell of a belly.

Then came the fateful day when I landed myself in the hospital. A month on bedrest spent in one bed. I honestly don't know how I did it, looking back. Actually I do, I had a lot of people praying for me. I know in my heart that gave me a peace to just grin and bear it because it really, really, really sucked. They were almost here twice and the process of keeping them in almost killed me. Then they were here...and they were perfect.

Less than an hour before delivery...Looking good! This is what 213 lbs looks like...

I had pregnancy induced hypertension which turned itself into pre-eclampsia. I had high blood pressure and they had to put me on meds. The meds were pretty tough. There wasn't a moment at the end that I didn't hear my heart beating LOUDLY in my ears. I snored. My nose was so stuffed up I had to wear breathe-right strips and stuff Kleenexes of Vick's Vapor Rub up my nose. I watched my feet and legs swell to epic proportions. I had pitting edema. I gained 95 lbs. The day I delivered I weighed a whopping 213 lbs. I weighed more than Brian. I stopped peeing. The babies came because my kidneys just stopped working right. I did not, however, get stretch marks.

The first time I held my little girl...

Then came the NICU stay, the c-section recovery, and we were home bound with 3 babies. I lost 55 lbs just with delivery. I still have 15 to go. We had no idea what to do. I still have no idea how we didn't break them, but we didn't. Today they are happy, fat, healthy little munchkins whose smiles light up the room. I have been blessed beyond my wildest imagination and cannot believe how lucky we are.

I am a Mom now. I am a stay-at-home Mom. I have no idea what I am doing. I'm winging it. I'm a little tired at times and Brian would tell you I get a little grumpy. I feel a little lost as to who I am now because all of this is new. I don't deal well with change, I'm a happy status quo kind of girl. My life has been riddled with nothing but change and I've had to learn how to handle it. Sink or swim. I kind of do a doggy paddle sometimes.

I am all about positive reinforcement. Good jobs, thank-yous, and recognition for my accomplishments. I was successful in school, met my professional goals yearly, and loved to take on lots of added responsibilities. I got raises and promotions. I was respected by my peers.

I'm noticing quickly that these darn babies haven't said thank you once for the fact that I get up in the middle of the night and feed them. The nerve. I'm worried that I see a pattern developing here. They just expect me to do all of these things without getting anything in return? No pats on the back? Wait a minute...this is simply not how I work. I need recognition for all of my good deeds. Huh.

I'm also noticing that my heart is more full of love each day. Just looking at those sweet chubby faces can bring me to tears. They are amazing in every way. They are pure perfection. I am the luckiest person in the world to spend each and every day with them. We play, they smile, I sing, and they look at me like I am the best thing in the whole world. I guess I'll count that as my positive reinforcement!

This is the most important job I will ever have. I REALLY want to be good at this. I want more than anything to raise children who are self-assured, happy, smart, and have a sense of humour. All the while keeping mine...and keeping my sanity. There are about 10,000 different books on how to do that, and I'll probably attempt to read about half during their childhood. Of course, real idiots have raised successful kids. I'm not an idiot. Surely if I go about this as I have other endeavors I will have some moments of clarity and direction along the way. I know I will have a lot of caffeine anyway. Maybe I'll have some sort of stimulant-induced epiphany?

Me and my boys...

So here's to a new chapter. This is so different. I'm a little scared sometimes. I'm sure I'm feeling the same emotions that many Moms have over the years. It's a completely different way to look at myself. Don't worry, I'll get it. I haven't outright failed at anything yet. Oh dear, I guess there's always a first time. I hope Brian has patience with my moodiness. It stems from my attempts to overcome my self-doubts. That's a new feeling for me, you know. I've always been pretty sure about myself. Pretty sure about what I'm doing and why. Not so much now. I hope he doesn't lose faith in me and wonder if I have any idea at all what I'm doing. More than any other time in my life I need him to be the one to give me the thank yous, the pats on the back, and the recognition I need. Don't worry, though...I will be training these kids to tell me how wonderful I am!

Do you think they are discussing a raise?

As I sit here on the eve of my 32nd birthday I've decided to make a few professional goals for myself for the next year. Some goals to set my sites on that don't have anything to do with sleep schedules, weight loss, or crying. Sorry for not sharing right now. In case I don't accomplish them I don't want anyone knowing. Sad but true.

"Help...she has no idea what she's doing!"

I know, I know...it's been awhile.

2008-02-24T12:52:00.000-06:00

Sorry. I have no other excuse than to claim that I have been VERY busy chasing pacifiers.

This has indeed turned into a full-time position. You would think that I might have been spending time feeding, changing diapers, sleeping, whatever... Nope.

Oh for the love of a Wubbanub... For those who do not know what I'm talking about, they are small stuffed animals attached to pacifiers... As far as I know you can only get them online. Which I did, about a month ago. I was sure these were the answer to many of our pacifier problems, but they might have created more...see below.

Pros:

There are 3 babies...three different animals...MUCH less pacifier confusion.
Less pacifier chasing...Those stupid things can roll 20 feet and hide under a couch in less than 2 seconds.
They are much less able to projectile spit them across the room. The stuffed animal portion weighs them down. My children could win a sunflower spitting contest hands down.
They are a little bit easier to keep in their mouths because you can prop the animals next to them in bed. This is mostly wishful thinking...
They are pretty stinkin' cute.

Cons:

They are still pacifiers.
It is in a pacifier's nature to fall out. This is what they do. They are evil.
They appear to collect things like dog hair, fuzz, and are wonderful at absorbing puke.
Instead of just falling out they like to attack faces. For reals. I stick it in, I turn around, the baby starts crying, I turn back around, the animal is flailing around their face beating them about the head and shoulders. O.K., not really, but that's what I imagine they think is happening.
They turn into flying objects. Not kidding. Lily has indeed managed to fling hers halfway across the room... That girl has an arm on her.

Jack and Red Dog...

Jack is somewhat ambivalent about the whole pacifier thing. UNLESS you want to stand there and hold it in for 45 minutes or so. Once you put it in you better be committed. The next hour will be spent putting it in, walking away, screaming, running back to put it in, repeat forever... It's gotten to the point we just ignore the fact that we have a Red Dog unless it is almost time to eat because that is the only thing that works at that point. Good old Red Dog is our last means of defense. Thank God for the swing.

Ben and Frog Man.

Once again I find myself uttering the phrase..."Thank goodness for Ben." He is the success story. Frog Man ALWAYS works and he holds it in his mouth 80 percent of the time. In my book that is a winning percentage. Talk about double standards. This means Ben always has Frog Man and it is stuck in his mouth a bunch. When I am downstairs and hear him screaming all the way upstairs I can put it back in his mouth and it buys me another 30 minutes. I can't ask for anything more. Sweet, easy Baby Ben. On the flip side...this is his baby crack. I'm fairly sure he would toss me aside in favor of Frog Man. He is seriously, sadly addicted to this little green guy. I admit I feed the addiction out of pure self preservation. I hope I am not creating a monster.

Lily and the Penguin...

This is a failed relationship. For as good as Ben is at holding Frog Man in, Lily is equally as bad. That poor girl. She actually does a pretty good job keeping it in her mouth but it takes some concentration. As soon as she loses concentration for a second the mayhem ensues. The damn penguin begins to attack her face. O.K., what really happens is that the thing falls out of her mouth, it startles her, and she begins to flail wildly with her arms. Imagine little baby karate moves. This somehow propels the penguin toward her face where it appears to dance around and peck her eyes out. I imagine this is how she pictures the whole ordeal. All the while she is whacking at it. Somewhere in the middle she screams angrily, snorts, screams angrily, snorts, and so on. Her cry really needs some work. It's a great source of humor for us. It then gets thrown on the floor or across the room. I am a terrible Mom because I never wash them off after they hit the ground. It's just an impossibility. I then fetch and repeat the dreaded process. Again, she really only gets it when she's hungry or nothing else will calm her down.

So you see how I spend my days. It's a lesson in futility...for us all. I have sworn that I will be rid of these dreaded pacifiers by the time they are 9 months. Any veterans out there who have said the same thing? I know they need them right now because sucking is the way they soothe themselves. I'm beginning to think the way I can soothe myself is to set them on fire. Which I will do. Someday. Until then I pray they find their fingers. Soon.

Oh yes, one more thing. Valentine's Day came and went and I was a terrible blogger and didn't post their first pics. So here you go. You will notice Ben got so excited about the morning photo shoot that he spewed his breakfast down his chin. And on my bed. Yeah!

Rejuvination...

2008-01-16T13:00:00.000-06:00

Well I'm happy to report that I am now among the living again. I have fully recovered from my sleepless night and am no worse for the wear. I had a night off!!! I spent Friday night with my best girlfriends for our traditional "Spaghetti night", then spent the night at Audrey's house where I got a full 8 hours of sleep! Brian's parents spent the night at our house and took care of the babies for a night and Brian got a full nights sleep as well! Yeah!

This was the first weekend in a long time that actually felt like a weekend. The past weeks and months have sort of melted together in a blur of days. When you can't go anywhere or do anything Saturday and Sunday are really no different than a Wednesday. Brian being home or being able to spend more time entertaining me was the one very bright exception! Good thing I like him, huh? I'm definitely assuming he likes me as well or he wouldn't hang out with me as much as he does... Of course it could be the guilt? I was carrying all of his babies...AND I'll be spending A LOT of time with them in the next few years....he better be nice to me or we could gang up on him... Ticklefest??? That should put the fear in him.

I digress... So I had a great Friday night with my girlfriends. Then, Uncle Eddie and Aunt Debbie called us Saturday and offered to hang out with the babies for a few hours while we went to dinner. It was fantastic... Thanks to everyone who made this fabulous weekend possible. It was definitely what I needed.

So on to the babies because I know that's what you want to hear. My friend Carol recently wrote a post on her blog about her life as a speech therapist. She inspired me to write about being an Occupational Therapist that has worked with many, many babies... and now has many, many babies.

First and foremost I have not followed all of the advice I have given my parents over the years. Daily tummy time??? Oops. To be fair they are just now hitting their due date and have been sleeping all of the time...so they haven't been doing that much. I promise this will become a daily routine starting tomorrow. It's also difficult when we have grandmothers, grandfathers, and great-grandmothers who want to hold babies all of the time! What a terrible problem to have, right? So here are some pictures of our our daily activities...

Group play and socialization: We are working on showing active interest in toys and people (Mommy). As of yet they don't seem to really notice each other much. Except in the crib when Lily likes to whack the boys on their heads while she sleeps.

Visual Activities: We are working on tracking toys in various planes and staring and gazing at objects.

Fine Motor Skills: We are working on actively grasping a toy and bringing hands to midline.
Self-Care Skills: We are working on holding pacifiers in mouths. This is especially important as Mommy is not an octopus and does not have enough hands to hold them all in. Prior to feeding time it often becomes a game of whack-a-mole where I try to put them back in as fast as they spit them out.

And, of course, TUMMY TIME. You can see from the pics below that all they want to do is sleep... The last one is of Daddy participating in tummy time. He's just trying to show them how it's done!

2008-01-11T08:41:00.000-06:00

I am so tired. Demons inhabited my sweet babies last night. I know they couldn't be responsible for the madness that occurred. Dear sweet gentle Ben who NEVER cries wailed for hours last night for no apparent reason. I changed him, I tried to feed him, I gave him gas drops, but nothing worked. The only thing that did work was to hold him...for hours...and hours. What happened? Who was this child? Has Jack been telling him secrets? Is Ben switching over to the dark side? NOOOOO! I rely on my two easy babies to be able to handle Jack the fusspants. What if being a fusspants is contagious? What if it slowly spreads to all of them and I never get to sleep again? Then they will see the real fusspants!

Ben finally took a bottle at about 1:15 but was so tired from crying that he could only eat about 2/3 of it which I knew would be a big problem about 4:30 or so. He was so worked up he couldn't coordinate sucking and breathing...he was more sucking like this was the last bottle ever then gasping for breath. I reassured him that I would make more and that he would never go hungry...but I guess he didn't get it. He fell dead asleep FINALLY before he finished it.

Then fusspants woke up. He was totally fine when I fed him, then all hell broke loose and he CRIED and CRIED. He is so loud. My head hurts just thinking about how loud he wailed. At least Ben's cries are pretty soft and pitiful. Again, I tried everything to no avail. He finally cried himself tired and fell asleep at 4:00 and then I got to sleep...for an hour until Lily woke up screaming!!!! Which woke Jack up screaming!!!! Which woke Ben up screaming!!!!

I hid under the covers and plugged my ears.

Brian got up this time to start feeding Lily. Ben and Jack continued to cry. Loud.

I got out from under the covers and surrendered, knowing it was no use to hide from them because they were not going to stop until Someone fed them. My name is Someone.

I put them on the couch with Lily to warm their bottles and a chorus of screaming and crying ensued. All of them at once singing an evil melody trying to drive the sanity out of my clouded mind. I gave up and just laughed, it was all I could do...the last of my sanity slipping away into a puddle of fatigue.

Who are these children? Where did my sweet babies go? Where did my sleep go? How am I supposed to function on less than an hour of sleep? I am so tired...so very tired...

Oh the Monstrosity!

2008-01-09T03:19:00.000-06:00

We bought a triplet stroller yesterday. Wow. The pic below explains the name of this post! I'm not sure how I feel about this. I know it is much needed. I know I will want to take the kiddos out by myself on occasion-especially come spring. But really, could it be any more of an eyesore? It's huge. Can you imagine the stares and gawks I will receive? I'm not typically someone who wants to draw attention to myself in public, I pretty much like to blend in with the crowd....I don't typically talk to strangers or make casual conversation with people I don't know. Guess those days are over if I go into public pushing three babies in this thing! Don't get me wrong. I am so proud to be the mother of three babies...and I LOVE to show them off, but from my experience of just telling people that I was pregnant with triplets, strangers ask some VERY invasive questions... I remember watching a story on TV about a family who had triplets. They showed their first outing with the babies in public and people literally flocked around them. Of course, that could have been the camera crew as well. I've been thinking of creative ways to deal with this. What do you think? No habla English? Sign language? Just stare ahead and pretend I don't hear them? Repeat every question they ask to me back to them to make them think I'm crazy? Hmmmm, actually this could be kind of fun!

Well enough about me...What about the babies???

They are getting FAT. Monday was a milestone as that was the original due date they gave me if I were to go to 40 weeks. Tuesday they were 7 weeks old. They are eating well, awake and interactive a lot more, and sleeping well (just not at night). Fusspants (Jack ) continues to be a challenge as he appears to be a tad high strung and likes to cry when he is awake. Ben and Lily are nice and laid back...they don't cry unless there is a problem. I'm just waiting until the day that they figure out how much attention that Jack gets from being fussy. That is the day I may run away from home! Below are some before and after pics...

Lily Bug..

Jumbo Jack..

Bennie Bear...

Haven't they changed? It's amazing. I remember in the NICU when they started feeding them through a tube in their nose 10 ml and now they are eating 4 oz, which is 120 ml! They eat every four hours and usually wake up before it's time because they are hungry. I'm pretty sure that Jack would eat us out of house and home if we would let him...He is HUGE. I'm guessing around 8 1/2 pounds. I remember how tiny they were when they were born. They seemed so fragile and breakable. Now they're beginning to hold their heads up, rolling from their sides to their backs, and staring at us like we are crazy most of the time! Lily and Jack are completely out of preemie clothes and Ben is out of most of them. I've been putting them up as they grow out of them... Here's a little perspective on just how small they were...

How about some cute pics of the week?

Lily and her feaux (not sure this is how you spell it?) hawk!

Dad and Ben trying to make up for all the lost sleep...

Jack with a state-of-the-art "hands free" bottle holding system...