Follow Our Journey - Triplets And Beyond!

Happy 1st Birthday, Baby Sister!

2012-01-18T16:34:00.001-08:00

Happy 1st Birthday, Baby Sister!
Cassidy! You turn ONE today! Mommy and Daddy can't believe it! We met you just one year ago, but now we can't imagine life without you!

What's this...a birth announcement? Why haven't you ever seen it? Well, it's because Mommy never got it together enough to actually order any and send them out! Awesome! But look how cute...You can just IMAGINE it in print, right? Too late to send them out now? Well, I couldn't send them out before the thank you notes from the baby shower, right? Oh wait...

Cassidy, I can't tell you how much you've changed our lives. I truly believe you were placed into our lives to jolt us back to life. It was such a hard period of time for me and your Daddy before we found out about you. It had been such a difficult couple of years and we were struggling to cope with so many disappointments - and we had slowly forgotten a lot of the joy that used to be there. I believe God had been knocking and whispering for quite some time for us to make changes - and I wasn't listening. Your existence shocked us so much that we had no choice but to re-set everything - WHAT A GIFT! You complete our family and bring so much happiness to all of us. Your bright smile melts everyone around you, especially your Daddy. We love you so much and we are so thankful that God brought you to our lives!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T12:06:00.000-08:00

Dear Kids,

You were so excited to meet Santa. Can't you tell?

Hello-o-o-o-o-o-o-o...

2011-12-20T22:50:00.000-08:00

How to begin. I don't know. It's been way too long. Is anyone even reading? Not likely.
So I will just address my kids.

Dear Kids,
I want you to know that the reason I haven't blogged in months is not that I stopped caring, but that I just couldn't do it. I've been busy. Very busy. I know you will understand this when you have your own kids and you look back at your tired old mother and realize, "HOLY CRAP - my Mom did this too, except she had her kids all at once and then had ANOTHER ONE and then OHMYGOSH, no wonder why she was so crazy and tired and yelled so much (sorry)!"

At least, I hope you realize that. I know I already owe you many apologies. But that's a completely different blog post for another time. So just give me a minute.

Back to it - It's been so long that I've actually lost my ads. It wasn't much money, but it did pay for some diapers, and we could use all the help we could get for that!!!
I feel bad that SO MUCH has happened, and it's now gone, with no real documentation (Facebook does NOT count). So I have made it my New Year's Resolution to get back to the blog. What does that look like? Probably something like once a week.
One way to make that easier is to find a way to get a new computer. When my computer died a couple years ago, there was a sharp decline in my already slowing blog-posting. I've been sharing a computer with your Daddy, and that's just not the same as having your own. Not that I am complaining - I love sharing everything with your Daddy, but it's much easier to do a quick blog post when I can just whip out my own laptop and type out a post and then click "publish", all while conveniently and comfortably sitting on the couch and watching NFL network with your Daddy, instead of folding laundry.

So that's the deal. A lot has happened in the past year. And while I won't be able to really describe it all, I will try to give it you some of it in a nutshell. Or, even better, a list. Here we go:

January - We had a big healthy FULLY COOKED baby. While I enjoyed that pregnancy, the birth (surgery) was AWFUL and I learned a lot about myself and my needs re: the birth process (even with c-section), which doesn't matter anymore since we aren't having any more kids.
I became crippled with anxiety.

February - I finally 'got' breastfeeding, but not before wanting to rip my hair out and crying many tears - sobbing, really. I completely lost my sh*t. And I mean completely.

March - My hair started to fall out in chunks. I went on Zoloft for post-partum depression. I started pumping late at night - EVERY NIGHT - to build a freezer supply for when I went back to work. FYI - that freezer supply, which I worked SO HARD to build, was completely depleted within two months after going back to work. I felt defeated. I cried some more. Then I shut up and kept pumping.

April - I moved baby-sister out of my bedroom and into her own crib. I cried. She didn't. The whole front of my head was bald. Not actually sure which month, but Your Daddy picked up a second job so that I could stay home with you for longer before going back to work. Because he is a good man and he loves us all. I cried a lot.

May - I started to gain back all the weight I just lost. I finally, finally FINALLY completely potty trained triplets (That's YOU). And then I died. Note: I would rather get a bikini wax every day, than potty train triplets again.

June - I started getting more sleep. I somehow didn't feel any less stressed. What IS that? I got a haircut to help hide the baldness.

July - Started swim lessons for the triplets (or was it June?). Did lots of playdates and day trips to keep things going, since I was really on the verge. Zoloft wasn't helping and I was a mess.

August - Went back to work. Bitter sweet. Started with just one day a week. Bawled my eyes out the first day. Then put on my big girl panties and sucked it up. I enjoyed seeing my friends again. Used my lunch break to feed the breastpump. Wanted to punch every kid that complained to ME about being tired. Good times.

September - Discovered Mother's Day Out (pay as you go 'preschool') at a local church. Saved. My. Life. Stopped crying every day.

October - Stopped taking the Zoloft because it screwed with my already screwy hormones and gave me horrible cystic acne. Still have the acne :-/ I never had zits the entire time I was in junior high and high school - but then I have a baby at 34 and go on anti-depressants - and I suddenly am covered with zits!
Dress all of you like Star Wars characters for Halloween. It was a hit.

November - Turned 35. With pizza-face zits like a 14 year old.

December - Here I am. A lot more has happened that I could really mention here. As challenging as this year has been, I have to say it has been an incredibly blessed year. There has been much healing and restoration in this home, and I believe that God blessing us with the surprise of baby sister (Hi Cassidy) was to do just that. I have been blessed with new friends, sharing in the same season of life, which has really provided much support and kept me from stabbing myself in the eye. Our family has been showered with love and blessings from friends and family, and I know that although we don't have it easy when it comes to finances, we are RICH when it comes to love from our friends and loved ones. We are so grateful.

Four Months - Baby Sister

2011-05-19T01:21:00.000-07:00

No excuses. I've let the blog go. I have four under four. Does that give me a pass? Nevermind, I DO plan to get back on the saddle. WHEN is then question. SO MANY THINGS to update. This blog is supposed to be a record of my experiences in raising these children. But I've got nothing to show for the last four months. It's been a hairy time. I don't have enough time to sit and catch you up just yet. But I will leave you with some pics of Jackson and Cassidy that touched my heart today. I didn't expect this boy to fall so deeply in love with his baby sister. Watching them together reminds me of when my parents brough home my own baby sister, many years ago. I adored my baby sister. I wanted to hold her and kiss her all the time. I had never loved anyone or anything so much in my life. I see Jackson dote on her just as I remember loving on my baby sister. Hs eyes light up when she enters the room and she looks at him with fond recognition. She KNOWS that he loves her. I imagine these two will have a very special bond their whole lives. So grateful for all my beautiful babies!

Happy Birth Day, Cassidy!

2011-03-02T16:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Birth Day, Cassidy!

There will definitely be a more detailed post later but here are photos from the day Cassidy was born and from the days I spent in the hospital!

Here we are just before leaving for the hospital. I was NOT looking forward to surgery, I have to admit.

Looking sexy in Triage. I had an enema shortly after this photo was taken. Oh yeah, baby.

Big baby girl!

Cassidy Makenna Spayth

9lbs 2.5 oz

22.5 inches long
(modesty patch in place, of course)

Meeting our baby girl

Already wide eyed!

Squishy

The kids meeting Cassidy for the first time!

I ALMOST didn't post this AWFUL photo of myself because the post-surgery swelling was just terrible. But, I keeps it real, folks.

First shot together as a family. I felt horrible.

Being wheeled out WITH a baby for the first time. Amazing feeling :)

Thank God we kept a carseat from the triplets!

More to come VERY SOON! There's so much to share!

I'm Sorry

2011-03-02T15:56:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry. I have been MIA from this blog and I know it. I am working on a picture post so you can actually SEE photographic evidence that I actually DID have a baby. I hope to get it published in the next couple of days.
I have a newborn & three 3 year-old potty training triplets - I have the ultimate excuse, right?!

Life is going by so quickly and although I am exhausted, I really want to take the time to get some of it down in the blog, although so much has already passed that I know won't be recorded :( We'll see. Stay tuned!

She is Here!

2011-01-24T12:33:00.000-08:00

She is here!

I owe my blog friends an apology. I am sorry. I am a horrible horrible horrible horrible blogger. Horrible. I do have an excuse, right? I am so busy and quick facebook updates from my phone have been much easier. Sitting down at the computer (like right now) is too tough for now. Things will loosen up soon. Anyway, here's the info!

Cassidy Makenna Spayth
born 1/18/11
1:15PM
9lbs 2.5oz
22.5 inches
Healthy, happy and beautiful!

I will have much more detailed posts with more info and some photos soon. How soon? I don't know. If blogging were as easy as facebook you'd have it already! There ARE some photos from the day of the delivery that I haven't yet shared on facebook. I will share them in the next post - I PROMISE!

In the meantime we are busy and I am tired and trying my best to heal quickly from surgery with 3 kids and a newborn. BREATHING!!!

Send prayers! ;)

Almost There

2011-01-16T23:05:00.000-08:00

Almost There

Don't worry I'm still pregnant. No baby yet! Although there were a couple nights I wasn't so sure that she wasn't going to make an appearance. But so far it looks like she is going to stay put til Tuesday.

WHICH IS IN LESS THAN TWO DAYS. HOLY CRAP.

Holy crap I am going to have ANOTHER BABY. HOLY CRAP.

I don't have much to report (besides HOLY CRAP) but I figured I would post SOMETHING just in case I run out of steam and don't get a post out tomorrow. Which is Monday. Which is the day before I am having ANOTHER BABY. Excuse me, while I go crap my pants.

We've been in high gear getting all our ducks lined up and for some reason it feels like we don't have enough time. And OF COURSE, we are fine and everything will be fine but Brian and I are very similar in the anxiety/perfectionist/'every single thing has to be checked off the list' way. So we tend to need to get EVERY SINGLE THING done in order to feel better. Which is really pretty unrealistic when you have three toddlers, a VERY pregnant woman and a daddy/husband who is already exhausted from the regular routine, much less the added load of the impending birth of his fourth child. FOURTH. FOUR CHILDREN. FOUR CARSEATS. FOUR SMALL PEOPLE. FOUR.

I am feeling increasingly more...pregnant. DUH, right? But I just don't know what other word to use. SUPER uncomfortable. Super tired. Can't sleep. My feet HURT and look like baked potatoes. Or eggplants. Nothing out of the ordinary for this late in pregnancy. I am just shy of 38 weeks pregnant. THAT is something I never thought I would say!

Still, though, I've got nothing to complain about. This is still easier than last time. This pregnancy has been a pleasure and a treat. Like I've mentioned before, I am sad that it will be over soon. I will always be so grateful for this wonderful surprise opportunity to be a normal pregnant woman! As tired as I've been, as busy as we are, as overwhelming as it has been to care for three toddlers and still try and take care of my pregnant self - this has been SO AMAZING. Thank you God!!

We were outside with the kids today and I asked Brian to get one more shot of me and the kids before I pop. They were so enthusiastic to be forced into a photo, let me tell you ;)

Who cares that no one is looking at the camera and that everyone looks PISSED OFF.

Tomorrow is our last day to get 'ready'. And by ready, I mean more mentally than anything. We can busy ourselves with projects and painting and lists, but ultimately we need to just sit down and breathe and let go. Everything will be done and if it isn't perfect, it will be fine anyway. I have to keep reminding myself of this :)

I will be taking the computer to the hospital so I can hopefully do a post with an update there. If I don't do a post before leaving for the hospital then I'll surely have a quickie update (like last time) soon after. Stay tuned! And PLEASE KEEP PRAYING!

HOLY CRAP.

37 Weeks!

2011-01-12T17:00:00.000-08:00

37 WEEKS!

I hit the 37 week mark this past Monday! I am FULL TERM! I have actually fully cooked a baby for the first time in my life. I am just so excited and grateful. I truly believed that I would never get this opportunity and I am still pinching myself - what a dream! I am enjoying this pregnancy so much and I am feeling a little sad that it's almost over. OK, very sad. Like it HIT ME the other day and I couldn't stop crying. OK, I know that's hormones too, but I really am sad that this is coming to an end. I have truly enjoyed this pregnancy. That's not to say that it hasn't been challenging or uncomfortable in any way. But I guess my perspective is that I can't really complain about any of it too much because this is such a gift! I am nowhere near "DONE". And BOY do I know what DONE pregnant feels like - I am nowhere near that feeling. I want to keep her in for much longer. Thankfully, there a wonderful prize at the end, so I think I'll be ok ;)
As far as symptoms/issues are concerned, I surely have them. Sleep is pretty awful nowadays. Reflux/heartburn is a constant. Painful swelling is round the clock. My hips feel like there are knives digging in to each side. I have numbness in my hands due to the swelling - nothing like last time though. It's hard for me to get in and out of bed/car/low chairs/etc. My belly button is SO SORE. My pelvic floor is uncomfortable, to say the least. My girl bits ache. I am tired all the time. Trying to chase three 3-year-olds all day long doesn't help!
I know, it sounds like I am CRAZY for enjoying this! But really, I am!
My skin isn't burning/bleeding this time!
Food tastes amazing this time!
I don't want to gag at every single thing this time!
I haven't thrown up in my mouth this time (ewww)!
I don't feel like my parts are falling out of my body this time!
I don't feel like I am DYING this time!
It's all about PERSPECTIVE, people!!! ;)

I had my 37 week appointment on Monday and everyone is still healthy. I lost a pound, which I was SHOCKED by, considering the fact that I am eating with reckless abandon. The ice cream consumption is obscene in this house. Thank goodness that's not all I want. I wanted to eat an entire bag of broccoli and cauliflower the other day - and I basically did it. FOOD HAS NEVER TASTED THIS GOOD. And yes, I have heard it from LOTS OF PEOPLE - I know I am going to have to lose this weight. I am not freaking out about it. I am enjoying my pregnancy and the miracle that is happening inside of me. For the first and only time in my life, food tastes good and I am allowing myself to eat what I want. Food issues pushed completely aside for now. I am comfortable with the way my body looks, rounded and full. But I am very aware of other women's body image issues as they project them onto me during this pregnancy - very interesting! Anyway, back to the appointment details!!!
Based on the ultrasound measurements and the fundal height measurements, Dr. Lantry ruled out the already slim possibility of VBAC - this baby is too big! Given the condition of my uterus and the size of the baby, she will not allow it. And although I wanted to keep it as a possibility (who wants to recover from surgery with 3 toddlers, a newborn and NO HELP - Brian goes RIGHT back to work the minute I get home from the hospital!!!), I was totally fine when we made the decision. As it is, she feels confident that the baby is already over 4000grams (8.8lbs) and for 37 weeks gestation, thats ENORMOUS. I know that there is a large margin of error for these measurements, but it was close enough to err on the side of caution, just to be safe.

Sooooooo, we scheduled a date -

Bonus Baby will be born January 18th!

Its so strange to have a date - kinda cool! Last time, my water broke unexpectedly - so although I knew I was close, I was still surprised and overwhelmed. This time we can plan everything to the minute, which has allowed me to secure childcare for the triplets AND to make sure I have my FAVORITE nurse that day! Yes, I have a favorite Labor and Delivery nurse - weird, I know, but that's what happens when you live in a hospital on bedrest...you get to know the staff! It turned out to be quite a blessing and I am so happy she is going to be a part of this birth! :)
In the meantime, I am trying to get the bare minimum done and still take it easy to minimize the contractions I have been having. They are definitely real (not just braxton hicks), but very irregular in timing, so nothing to worry about. They certainly take my breath away now, so I am definitely slower nowadays. I can't do as much as before, so for a 'go-go-go' person like me, its a huge adjustment. Brian is really carrying me at home and he is exhausted but we are making it. I am so grateful for the help I do have, when I have it. Our dear family friend Megan comes for a few hours once a week so I can go to the doctor - and I can't thank her enough - she is AMAZING. Another dear friend comes one night a week so Brian and I can sit and eat a meal together and talk like grownups, and I am SO grateful for her generosity. She is the only one who can do our night-night routine! Times like these I really wish for more financial flexibility, just so I could hire someone. After a day of caring for three toddlers by myself, I am so beyond wiped out and I DREAM of a nanny! I'd even take one as obnoxious as that one from TV...Fran Drescher? Who knows. ;) Anyway, I am managing the best I can and have let pretty much everything go - no problem. If you've been to my house lately, you can vouch for this!
I have filled the gaps with friends as far as the week of my c-section. I have it all scheduled out. A couple of dear friends are going to provide coverage for the triplets as I will be in the hospital and Brian will be busy juggling being at the hospital with me and taking his shift with the triplets. The thing I am most freaked about is the time AFTER I come home. Brian, my mom, my sister - everyone works full time and no one has sick/vacation time or the flexibility to afford to miss any work. Which means no paternity leave for Brian. I am on my own, for the most part, during the day. The thought of caring for 4 kids after abdominal surgery scares me. We are running TIGHT as it is and if Brian doesn't work, we don't get paid. I am grateful for his job, nonetheless, especially in light of how rough his company has it right now too - don't forget, in an effort to avoid layoffs, everyone's pay was cut by 10% a few months ago. Times are tough. I am grateful he has a job! I will be collecting some disability but it is less than half of what my pay was, which was basically enough to pay for health insurance. YES, we have tons of willing helpers for after 5pm, but I don't really want a house full of people at night (I learned that from last time) - its not as helpful as you might think.
I just actually found out that my dad will be able to take a few days off - he actually HAS some paid time off! Although he has never really cared for the triplets by himself, he will learn quickly and will be a huge help!
I KNOW that we will figure it out. I KNOW that it will work out. I KNOW we will find a way to fill in the blanks. I KNOW. We brought home triplets with a strangely similar financial situation (what is it about me being pregnant and rough finanacial times anyway?!?) and we worked it out. I will need to be as scheduled and structured as I was last time to maximize my time and energy. I am up for the job. I KNOW that it will be hard. I know that there will be days that Brian and I will want to kill each other, simply because of the stress level , but we will work it out as we always do. We have done survival mode before. We can do it again.
I do have to say that if I hear one more woman with just one kid out shopping WITH her nanny complain to me about how tired she is, I will actually punch her in the face.

BIG SMILEY FACE :)

I didn't take a specific 37 week photo but here are some shots from the shower my sister gave me this past Sunday! I have mentioned before, it was kind of a last minute thing so we had to keep it small - please do not feel bad if you didn't receive an invitation! We will have a get together later in the year when the weather is warm and we can fill the backyard! :)

Here are some of my fellow Trader Joe's ladies - Trader Joe's employees are the best!

My Mom, Me and my sister Pamela

Some friend and family!

Brian's sister who is also expecting!), Brian's Grandma and me

Some of my dear friends

Niki, Me and Auntie Jenny

Me (apparently sinking into the chair!) and Blue - I can't even express how much I love this girl!

Miss Mary with her BEAUTIFUL daughter Eva

There are more photos but You get the idea! I feel awful that I didn't make more of an effort to make sure to get a picture with everyone. Its one of those things that slips your mind when so much is going on!

I am so grateful for this shower for the generosity of loved ones. As I mentioned before, we thought we were done so we got rid of almost EVERYTHING! We got lots of much needed stuff for Bonus baby and we are SO very grateful!!

All stress aside, I am grateful. We are surrounded by love and support and prayer. We have beautiful healthy children. One day at a time, I just have to continue to remind myself!

Stay tuned - and PRAY THAT MY WATER DOESN'T BREAK before the 18th! ;) I don't need any more surprises!

36 Weeks!

2011-01-05T18:26:00.000-08:00

36 WEEKS!

This past Monday I hit the 36 week mark! So crazy to think that I have three kids and have never been this pregnant before! Although I am HUGE, I am still no where near as big as I was near the end with the triplets. And I still have the loose skin to prove it - Nice image in your head now, right? ;)

This pregnancy has truly flown by - especially since I only knew about it 18 weeks ago! I already regret not taking more pictures so tonight I grabbed Brian as soon as he came home from work and told him to take a couple photos. These are with my camera phone (our camera is still being dealt with!!!) so they're not the best but they're better than nothing.

Getting all 3 to smile is nearly impossible nowadays so I take what I can get!

Healthwise, pregnancy is going swimmingly. No gestational diabetes, no high blood pressure - just and enormous baby (and enormous mommy)! The doctor was shocked when the gestational diabetes test results came back to show that I did NOT have gestational diabetes. Based on my weight gain and the size of the baby it was almost just assumed that I had it! THANKFULLY I am in the clear!

I just worked my last night on New Year's Eve. I was hoping to be able to go longer but being on my feet for 8 hours a night after caring for three 3-year-olds was too much and the doctor pulled me! I would definitely still be working if I had a desk job (and NO kids at home to wear me out!) that's for sure.

I have definitely reached the point of discomfort, but I really can't complain because this is still beyond easy compared to last time. I am very grateful for this! I have the typical end of pregnancy issues: belly button pain, indigestion, sleep issues, back pain, hip pain, swelling, numbness, etc. Nothing to worry about!

The kids and I were all sick over Christmas and New Years which made it really rough, but we survived and it looks like we're all in the clear now.

I have to admit, we are no where near ready for this baby. No birth plan. My bag is not packed. Nothing washed. Have not gotten anything ready. Don't even have any furniture. Anything we have is still in bags/boxes. And people keep asking me, "don't you have everything left over from the triplets?" The answer is "NO!" We gave it ALL AWAY because we thought we were done having kids! It still cracks me up! ;) I DO have lots of donated newborn clothes, blankets, a swing, carseat, boppy and 2 pack-n-plays. Thank goodness! If worse comes to worse, she can sleep in the pack-n-play. I'm not even worried about it anymore. I can't think too far ahead, and for a planner like me - that is a big deal. I had to let go. The stress of where the money/time/energy would come from is not mine to carry. I surrendered it (MOSTLY) because I have faith that everything will just come together. It always does. Not always the way I would plan for it...but it still works out.

NAMES - People keep asking and I am sorry to say we do NOT have a name chosen. We are down to 2 names though. He prefers one and I prefer another. I am considering putting a poll up on the side of the blog to see what people think, but then I don't know if I want everyone's opinions! And, boy do people have opinions when you're pregnant! Maybe I'll ask for votes at my shower :)

My sister is throwing me a small shower in a few days and I am looking forward to seeing some friends that I haven't seen in a long time. I think I mentioned in a previous post, we had to keep it small so please don't feel bad if you didn't receive an invitation. We are hoping to do another get together sometime in the spring after the baby is born. That will just be easier for all of us.

I need to run and make dinner but I am so glad I forced myself to sit and type out a quick update. I need to be a better blogger!

Thanks for checking in and stay tuned!!!

P.S. I feel weird/tacky posting this but many of you have been asking so here you go - We are registered at babiesrus under "Cindy Spayth". Thank you!

33 Weeks And A Quick Update

2010-12-15T14:09:00.000-08:00

33 Weeks And A Quick Update
I am just over 33 weeks pregnant and I am on my way out the door to see Dr. Lantry to check on Bonus Baby Girl, but I wanted to quickly post something. I realize that I've been terrible at blogging the details of this pregnancy. But know that no news is good news!
The triplets turned 3 on December 11! I can't even believe it! We aren't having their big birthday party until summer - a Half-Birthday Party! We figured it will be much less stressful then: I won't be 8+ months pregnant, We won't be right before Christmas, and we will have great weather for an OUTDOOR party so we can make the best use of the yard and have more fun! They don't know the difference at this age so we should be all good. We ARE having dinner at my parent's house this weekend to celebrate, but it's just us and a couple of their favorite adults - no party. Gotta run but here's a few shots of their squishy faces from playing outside this afternoon. :)

JACKSON

ALEXIS

ZACHARY

Oh, and a few of you asked if I was having a shower. Initially there wasn't one planned. It's tacky to throw your own shower so I wasn't even going there. And I figured since it's not my first pregnancy I wouldn't get one. As time passed, however, we quicly realized that we REALLY needed stuff. Remember, we have hardly ANY baby stuff because we gave it all away - WE REALLY THOUGHT WE WERE DONE HAVING MORE BABIES! Hahah - it still cracks me up to think about it :)

Anyway, so my sister is throwing me a small impromptu shower with just a handful of people, mostly work friends. I'm thinking we'll have to have a shower AFTER the baby is born so we can make sure to invite everyone. So please don't feel left out. This was kindof a last minute deal since I really thought we weren't going to have one and at a rough time of year (during the holidays) so it's small and fast. And it's RIGHT before my due date. Let's hope and pray that I don't go into labor before then! ;)

32 Weeks Pregnant - for the first time EVER!

2010-12-05T23:19:00.000-08:00

32 Weeks Pregnant - FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!
I meant to write this post a few days ago but then - I mean, REALLY do I need to explain?
This past week has been such an important one for me as I passed the 31 Week & 4 Days pregnant mark. That gestation is so important to me because that is when my triplets were born! My water broke at 31 Week & 3 Days but I had a full stomach so they had to wait several hours to section me (I had a full stomach of Panda Express, I believe). The babies arrived at 5:50AM, 5:52AM and 5:57AM on December 11, 2007, which means their THIRD Birthday is in less than a week. I CANNOT BELIEVE MY BABIES will turn THREE YEARS OLD. How did this happen???

Anyway, it's crazy to think that I've never been 'this pregnant' before. I HAVE NEVER BEEN 8 MONTHS PREGNANT before today. This pregnancy is SO SO SO different. It's so easy! Last time I was DYING and in tears near the end and in so much physical pain and LOSING MY MIND. This time, I'm chasing 3 VERY ACTIVE toddlers, working a couple nights a week (ON MY FEET!) and having no real problems at all. I am so grateful for this experience. It's like God knew that deep in my heart I always wanted to know what it felt like to carry "JUST ONE" and here I am!
Don't get me wrong, I am TIRED and clumsy and swolen and achy and uncomfortable - all those usual third trimester things. But these are not problems - just reminders that the baby and I are getting BIG!
And speaking of BIG, my belly is ginormous. Of course, NO WHERE NEAR as big as I was with the triplets, but still I am HUGE for being 8 months pregnant! And BOY is everyone letting me know. It's amazing what strangers say - THINK before you speak, people!
I am no where near prepared for this baby. I have not purchase one thing. And, contrary to what you may think - we dont have ANY baby stuff. Not one onesie or sock or anything. Actually we DO have a carseat, a couple of pack-n-plays, a swing (which I pretty much never used with the triplets) and a jumperoo. I gave EVERYTHING else away because we thought we were done! Although I am such a planner, I just couldn't freak out about it. There's enough to do around here! For now, we're switching some rooms around to make a room for the baby. I just hope this baby stays cooking for MANY weeks to come because we've got a lot of getting ready to do!
I've got so much more but I need to get to the things on my list and the steaming piles of laundry while I still have the energy.

Moms Of Multiples Are Freaks Of Nature

2010-11-23T22:42:00.000-08:00

This video has been going around between the Moms of Multiples on facebook and I just had to post it on the blog so I had it! It hits the nail ON THE HEAD! Sad but true - and HILARIOUS.

Zacky's Favorite Song!

2010-11-03T21:13:00.001-07:00

Zacky's Favorite Song!

Although they've not yet seen "The Sound Of Music", they know so many of the songs because I sing them throughout the day! Zachary absolutely loves music and singing and he remembers songs after only hearing them a couple of times. Pretty good for a 2 & 1/2 year old! Here's a video of him singing one of his FAVORITES. The quality is not great because it was taken with Brian's camera-phone, but still a great capture - enjoy! :)

Happy Halloween - Coming Soon!

2010-11-01T01:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween - Coming Soon!

We had a fun Halloween!

Pictures are on the way but here's a hint:

Mommy's Pregnancy Belly Button Is HILARIOUS!

2010-10-30T00:29:00.000-07:00

Mommy's Pregnancy Belly Button Is HILARIOUS!

25 & 1/2 Weeks And A Bit Of Real Life

2010-10-22T02:25:00.000-07:00

25 & 1/2 Weeks And A Bit Of Real Life
I am warning you now - ths post is long and all over the place. MUCH like the posts from last pregnancy. It's been a while since I've had a 'spill my guts' post, so I guess it's time. This one's more for me than for you (all two of you who still read this blog). I PROMISED myself I would do my best to document this pregnancy on the blog. So far it's been pretty LAME! This time around I am just SO BUSY. I haven't even taken any pics aside from the last one we posted at 22 weeks! So like I said, this is more for me (using this blog as my journal) than for you. Here is a recent shot - taken last night.

This baby won't have as much documented and I feel bad about that. SOOOOO a crappy photo is better than NO photo!
Yes I realize that I have one more child than is shown in the photo. Jackson would NOT be in the picture and was throwing a fit to the side. I wasn't willing to fight this time around, so you just get Alexis and Zachary! :)

There are SO many photos I want to post. Like - DUH - the 20 weeks ultrasound images! And from Jackson's recent haircut and our trip to Descanso Gardens to see the pumpkins. But they are on my phone and I am having problems getting the pictures off my phone. I am dealing with tech support and will hopefully get it resolved.
And why are they on my phone? Because our point and shoot camera has been dead for a while and I think (HOPE) all it needs is a battery. Another thing on the list to buy. We need to get on it because with that back in business it will be much easier to take and upload photos. And I REALLY want to make sure to document as much of this pregnancy as I realistically can -what's left of it, at least!
Otherwise, this pregnancy has been fantastic so far. At least from my perspective, being that the last one was EXTREMELY difficult. I have been feeling better than I did a few months ago (when I didn't know I was pregnant!) and I am SO grateful for this. I LOVE THIS PREGNANCY! I can, however, feel myself turning that third trimester corner. I am getting more tired and having some uncomfortable symptoms as I grow, which is to be expected. The only really bad pregnancy symptom I've had is the digestive problems. That's the nice way to put it, btw. Basically it feels like my guts are filled with granite. VERY uncomfortable.

I am in much less pain this time around. I would even say that I don't really have much pain except for nights that I work. Being on my feet for most of 8 hours is really rough on my lower back and growing hips and my feet get so swolen!

One of the things I enjoy most about this pregnancy is feeling this baby move. She is INCREDIBLY active. Not only is she a super kicker (like Zachary was) but a roller and wiggler (like Jackson and Alexis were). I don't know when she sleeps! And she kicks the strongest in the middle of the night. Without fail, she starts turbo kicking me somewhere between 2am and 3am. This is NOT good for my sleep schedule but I smile every time. I LOVE feeling this so much! :)

I am carrying higher than I imagined I would this time around. I figured since all my muscles were so stretched and wrecked from the triplet prengancy, that if I ever had another pregnancy it would be LOW. Not really the case, thank goodness. The only thing about carrying higher is that the heartburn is HORRIBLE. I would even say WORSE this time around. And, if you really want to know, my "fanny pack" isn't filling in. Which is NOT pretty! And THAT is why you are not getting any bare belly shots this time around - not just because Brian put the kibosh on it! You got enough last time anyway ;)

My appetite this time around has been ridiculous. I want the same things ALL THE TIME. Unfortunately it's all CRAP. I want cheese pizza (which I never really cared about before), Pancakes, Thrifty Rocky Road ice cream, and Whopper Juniors with no cheese - I KID YOU NOT. It's awful. And NOTHING can be spicy enough. It's like I can't even taste spice - I want everything hot! Not ALL of it has been crap. I do like Trader Joe's BBQ chicken salads. I want one every day pretty much.
I remember last time, all I wanted were peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, pancakes, gazspacho, pho, and cold cuts (which I wasn't allowed to have). There was not much else that sounded good because I was so sick! Last night I went to the mall to buy a pair of pregnancy pants and I was SO EXCITED about getting a slice of cheese pizza in the food court. SO not me! I think I could eat pizza every day this time around!

I am gaining weight pretty much the same way as last time - only up top. I basically look like a potato with toothpick legs. You may think, at first, that it's a good thing. But I didn't say I am all belly - I am gaining it ALL up top. Like a true "Apple" I gain it in the abdomen, back, chest and face. Blagh!

Life outside this wonderful pregnancy has unfortunately been stressful. Brian's most recent job interview didn't work out and he is still searching diligently for a new position. ANYWHERE. Especially now that his company announced that they're not doing well and that they are cutting everyone's salaries in an effort to avoid layoffs. The layoffs seem inevitable, however, based on the numbers of how the company is actually doing. eek. Praying.

My goodness, didn't we just do this last year? Or should I say, haven't we BEEN doing this since last year? When I look back to those old post, I really seen HOW ROUGH this past year and a half has been.

BREATHE.

And then I get pregnant.

BREATHE.

I know in my heart that God knows what he's doing. But let me tell you it's HARD to keep mindful of this sometimes. I am tired. I am tired of struggling like this. This is NOT where we saw ourselves. We have made lemonade out of lemons but it's HARD on us. Hard on our marriage. And I hate to admit it, it DOES affect our kids.

BREATHE.

Back to it - This whole salary cut/potential layoff was definitely bad news, especially since I am working fewer hours now that I am the size of Rhode Island.
And, let me tell you, I would be willing to MOVE to Rhode Island if there were a job opportunity for Brian that would provide for our family.
We have opened our search back up to ANYWHERE, since this economy is so rough and California's unemployment/cost of living is not improving. His last interview was actually for a position in Dallas. Although it didn't pan out, we continue to pray that something will open up somewhere.
In the meantime it's tough with both of us still working opposite hours - Brian doing the Monday through Friday 8-5 thing and me doing the nights and weekends thing. I REALLY miss having weekends and doing fun stuff (birthday parties, etc). And, NO, we didn't suddenly grow a nanny/gardener/house cleaner tree - we are still doing it all ourselves. So you can imagine the state of our house nowadays. Now that I am pregnant and more phyisically tired I have to let go of even more, which is not easy. Some things just don't get done, which unfortunately adds stress. Its truly a balancing act.
As far as help is concerned, we don't have the help we used to, like that first year with the triplets - HOLY CRAP WAS THAT CRAZY! Oops, sorry - just thinking back to that time makes my head spin. ;)
Nowadays, we are stretched THIN. I pay a friend to come once a week to watch the kids for a couple of hours on Fridays so i can leave for work before Brian get's home from work. They LOVE her, which is really nice. :) My parents come once a week on Sunday nights (while I am at work) to play with the kids and to help Brian with dinner and baths. He uses this time to get a lot of his work done (yardwork, kitchen, etc).
A few months ago, in a moment of frazzled fury we were coming apart at the seams (this was even before finding out I was pregnant) I ended up calling our friend Jen - in tears - and we ended up asking her to come over one night a week to help us so Brian and I can relieve some stress and avoid killing each other (AND, of course, so we can get stuff done). It had gotten to THAT point. Since then, Jen has been so generous with her time, giving us one night a week - every single week. She has TWO jobs herself but loves us and the kids so much that she has happily agreed to extend us this help. And she really wants us to stay married to each other ;). Although it's literally only about 2.5 hours a week - her help is SO MUCH. We are so very grateful.

SO much is up in the air - so many questions.
Can we find a less expensive place to live and move before this baby comes? Will I still have to work nights with a newborn and pump in the store-room and leave Brian home alone at night with FOUR under four? Can Brian's comany at least keep it together until we find another job for him - maybe a job that actually pays more than unemployment did and one that actually provides benefits? Can we add ANY more to our plate?
I can't control everything.
At this point, I am one day at a time, sometimes one hour at a time! I can't think past tomorrow. It just stresses me out too much. I have to believe that God's timing is perfect and that as long as we continue to do our VERY BEST, the right solutions will present themselves. I have hard days, I can't lie. I never saw us in this place but I know that everything that is truly important is still in tact. I am SO grateful for this fact.
This baby will be here in a matter of a couple of months and although I would LOVE if all of this stress were resolved before the baby arrives, I am fully aware that it just may not be. And we have to find a way to make it work no matter what.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6

You Wish You Were My Neighbor

2010-10-11T12:25:00.000-07:00

You Wish You Were My Neighbor

Words I have spoken to my kids today:

"NO PINCHING YOUR BROTHER'S PENIS!!!"

"Daddy's nipples are on Daddy's chest. Daddy is at work, you can ask him about his nipples when he gets home."

"Pumpkins actually don't have penises, that's a stem."

"That's not really a 'po-po' (aka butthole) it's just the bottom of the pumpkin."

Our neighbors must love us.

I am 24 weeks pregnant today. A real update is coming SOMEDAY.

It's A Girl, NO...Boy...NO, really...it's a GIRL!

2010-09-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

It's A Girl, NO...Boy...NO, really...it's a GIRL!

I just got home from an appointment with Dr. Lantry and I am still giggling because there was a little confusion during my appointment today. When I got there and was talking to my nurse she said that the report from my 20 week ultrasound with Dr. DeVore said that Bonus Baby is a BOY, not a girl as we have believed for the last 2 weeks. Turns out that it was just an error and that #4 really IS a girl, but for a while I was not so sure! Funny thing is I wasn't disappointed to hear it was a boy. I was excited and happy! This pregnancy has been such a surprise blessing - I really don't care either way about the sex of the baby. I like the idea of 2 boys & 2 girls and I LOVE the idea of Alexis having a sister (I LOVE MY sister!), but I was surprisingly pleased when I thought it was a boy. It's a WIN-WIN people! I get to be pregnant with a singleton - something I thought would never happen. I am so grateful and excited about this baby coming. Brian and I are really happy. As you know that's NOT how he felt in the beginning, but as the shock wore off, we have become so excited about having another baby. We can't wait to see how the triplets are with a little baby sister! Brian even added "Baby Sister" to the kabies' nightly prayers. It melted my heart to hear that HE WAS THE ONE to think of it, not me.
Now their nightly prayers go like this:

"Dear Jesus,

Thank you for Mommy

Thank you for Daddy

Thank you for Mimi (Alexis)

Thank you for Zacky (Zachary)

Thank you for Jackson

Thank you for Baby Sister

A-MEN!"

Hearing him say their prayers with them every night (the nights I'm not working) MELTS my hormonal heart! Sooooo excited to see this caveman with a new little baby. :)

The appointment went well. No ultrasound but we did hear the heartbeat. I haven't been worried at all because I feel her kicking me NON STOP all day/night. I wonder when this baby sleeps. She is a feisty one! Zachary was the feisty one in utero but has turned out to be the mellow one after being born. Let's hope Bonus Baby turns out mellow too. I don't know if I can keep up with another feisty one!
I asked Lantry if I could go back to exercising and even running around the Rose Bowl again while pushing the triple stroller. She said it was NO problem, as long as I don't let my heartrate go over 140BPM. This was great news! Now I need maternity workout clothes. I can no longer fit in any of my running shorts. Do they even make maternity running shorts? Something to look into!

Otherwise the pregnancy is going very well. I have some minor issues but NOTHING compared to last time. This is a piece of cake compared to last time and I joke that I could do this 100 more times! Brian does NOT laugh when I say that ;) In reality I am very happy with four kids. I wouldn't mind be pregnant again but I am done having more kids. Maybe surrogacy is in my future? Hmmmmmm...

I gotta go throw something in the washing machine before the kids wake up from nap. thanks for the love and support and please continue to keep our family in your prayers!

P.S. I will be shifting over to blogger comments soon. Hopefully that will resolve the issues that so many of you report having with not being able to leave comments. Sorry about the problems - hopefully the switch will resolve all of that.

22 Weeks Belly Shot - Bonus Baby!

2010-09-27T00:06:00.000-07:00

22 Weeks Belly Shot - Bonus Baby!

We haven't exactly been documenting this pregnancy like we did the last one. Not that it isn't exciting or important. It's just that...who has time?!?! But I figured I better start taking belly shots so I can have the memory for us and for the kids (if they even end up reading this blog when they grow up!).

Here's my 22 week singleton belly!

I realize that I look almost as big this time at 22 weeks as I did with triplets at 22 weeks. They say you pop sooner and grow bigger the second time around - who knows. I feel MUCH better this time around. I am not in constant pain like last time. This is a piece of cake compared to carrying triplets! Last time I was in MISERY by 22 weeks. UGH!

Here's my 22 week TRIPLETS belly. MISERY!

20 week ultrasound images are still coming. I know, I know.

An Incomplete Update

2010-09-25T01:29:00.000-07:00

An Incomplete Update

...Incomplete because I have no images for you. I realize that you have been waiting on us to post ultrasound images and I will do it - I PROMISE - but there was an issue with the format of the video and compressing it and...i don't exactly know because that's Brian's department. Stuff like this always takes longer than we want it to and with ALL OUR FREE TIME...well, you know. I think "we will get it done tomorrow", but then tomorrow is actually a day full of all the usual stuff and me on my feet at work til 10pm and everything else just falls off the plate. It's coming. I promise.

Nothing back yet on the job interview from last week. I think I've chewed all of my fingernails down to the quick because I am SO good at being patient and letting things happen. NOT obsessing at all.

R i g h t.

The pregnancy is moving right along. I am a little over 21 weeks and I am still in shock sometimes. My belly is just as big now as it was at 21 weeks with triplets. I don't get it. This baby (let's call her Bonus Baby) is a kicking machine! She seriously doesn't stop moving. Which is W O N D E R F U L. Sometimes she kicks so hard it feels somthing like an electric shock. I don't know how else to explain it. And the somersaults - like everything turning inside out inside of me. Such a strange feeling. I LOVE feeling my baby move inside of me. I savor every single kick, and wiggle. I KNOW I will miss this very much.

I am still working, but only three nights a week (instead of four). It is good because I don't think I could handle any more since I am SO PHYSICALLY exhausted after 8 hours on my feet each night. But, it's really scary because that's FOUR days of pay that I am no longer earning each month. I didn't know it could get tighter, but it has.

If you are my friend on Facebook then you know we went SWAGGER last week. If you don't know what that means I am gonna give you a moment to watch this video. I'll wait.

I NEVER thought I would own a minivan. NEVER. NEVER EVER EVER. But then we had a gaggle of babies at once and I thought that it was MAYBE in our future. And THEN I got pregnant with #4 and reality hit.

Where the heck are we gonna put this baby???

We have NO ROOM for the new baby in either of our vehicles. We barely have room for the kids we already have! So we started looking for what we could afford and praying that we would find something reasonable.
We got more than we dreamed of. Long story short, a generous family member asked us if they could help us with a car that would safely fit all of our children. Pride aside, we knew that this was an answer to prayer and would be best for our family. I am still so overwhelmed by the generosity of our loved ones and by how loved and prayed for our family is. Life isn't always comfortable but we are richly blessed with love that surrounds us. I really feel that. If you are one of the folks praying for us, "Thank you!" I am so grateful! Oh, and I LOVE my minivan. I cannot believe I did the first 2.5 years with triplets without one! If you've got 2+ kids, its a MUST!

It's 1AM and although Bonus Baby will be kicking the crap out of me for a long time, I MUST at least try and get some sleep. There's your update for now. Please keep praying for us. Hopefully next post I'll have ultrasound images and job news. :)

It's A.....

2010-09-15T22:56:00.000-07:00

It's A......

GIRL!

Hey Everyone! I know it is LATE LATE LATE and most of you are already sleeping. So sorry I haven't updated sooner. Today was SUCH a busy day and I am exhausted! I'll have Brian upload the ultrasound video and pics tomorrow. In the meantime I thought I would at least spare you the suspense and tell you that everything went very well, everyone is healthy, my cervix is LONG (NO BEDREST - YAY!!!) and we are right on track for a January 31 due date. We are SO excited to have another girl. Alexis will have a sister! :) We've already got a couple of names that we are thinking about, but we're keeping that a secret until we decide ;)
Brian also had a job interview this morning. It went well (I think?) - it was over one hour and fifteen minutes long - I almost had to leave for the ultrasound without him! There are several other candidates going for the position so we are remaining cautiously optimistic. Please keep our family in your prayers!

Ultrasound video next time - stay tuned!

20 Weeks Already!

2010-09-14T21:56:00.000-07:00

20 Weeks Already!

It's funny when you miss half a pregnancy, things just seem to happen so quickly! ;)

It's late Tuesday night and we have our 20 week ultrasound appointment tomorrow morning with Dr. Devore. Please pray that He finds everything in good shape. I am a little nervous and hoping that he doesn't put me on bedrest. I know that's unlikely but I guess I am just feeling a little anxious! If the baby cooperates, we will find out if it's a boy or girl at the appointment too. I can't wait!!

Also, Brian has a job interview first thing in the morning (before we leave for the ultrasound appointment). Please pray for him too!

Sorry I've been bad about updating. As you can imagine, I am more busy than ever! Stay tuned :)

Zacky's New Do! - UPDATED

2010-09-04T23:09:00.000-07:00

Zacky's New Do! - UPDATED
Taking a short break from surprise baby talk to tell you about our busy day! This is the first Saturday in FOREVER that I didn't have to go to work (not exactly for a good reason but that's another post) so we had a busy family Saturday TOGETHER. We had fun visiting with "Guncle Garey" and Great-Grandma for Mexican food lunch. The kids LOVE Mexican food!

After naps (yes, MOMMY TOOK A NAP TOO!!!) Brian and I spontaneously decided it was time to get the kids haircuts. Zachary was the only one really interested in the whole idea so in the end he was the only one to get it done. Mommy & Daddy weren't interested in forcing the kids into their first haircuts and causing more stress than necessary. You should have seen it. He was totally calm and happy and cooperative. I think he really ENJOYED it! I love his new do! It was LONNNNNG overdue.

Before (he looked more like Will Ferrell's impersonation of Harry Caray): Like a mad scientist
His hair looked more like the fried & over processed hair of some women I know.
I LOVE this one. Totally calm, cool and collected.
'sup.

Look how HANDSOME Zacky looks!
We wore them out in the park and then had a big MESSY spaghetti dinner outside! It was SO nice to enjoy a Saturday together as a family. Don't take it for granted folks! :)
They got in bed SUPER late but it was well worth all the time we got to spend together. Enjoy your weekend! More baby updates coming up!

Holy Crap - Part 2

2010-08-27T00:49:00.001-07:00

Holy Crap - Part 2

I know you're going crazy and you want the stats NOW. Here you go:

How pregnant am I?

EIGHTEEN WEEKS. Yes I was (STILL AM) SHOCKED too. That's 4.5 months. The baby is about the size of a small mango. I have been pregnant since end of April/beginning of May and had NO IDEA. More on this in the next post.

What is my due date?

January 31, 2011. This may change after I see the perinatologist. The baby will be about 3 years younger than his/her older siblings (born 12/11/07).

How many are in there?

Thankfully, there is only ONE BABY. Screw you guys who were wishing for another set of multiples!

Do you know the sex of the baby?

Dr. Lantry's guess is that it's a girl. But she said NOT SURE so don't paint anything pink yet.

Here are some not-so-great shots of the baby. I will have better pics after visiting the perinatologist (Dr. DeVore - remember him from last time?).

This one looks like the baby is showing girl bits:
Here's the head:
Blobbish weird blurry pic:
baby kind of bent over. you can see the spine:

I have a longer post that goes into more detail about my whirlwind emotional day, but I will leave it at this for now. Stay tuned!!!

Holy Crap - Part 1

2010-08-26T22:25:00.000-07:00

Holy Crap - Part 1

Well, slap me in the face and call me Shirley!

I didn't sleep much last night. Here's why:

And because I didn't believe it, I took the second one:

And then I still couldn't believe it, so I drove to the drug store in the middle of the night and bought this one:

Because I apparently needed it spelled out IN WORDS.

To answer your questions:

YES, these are mine. This is not a joke (I would NOT joke about this).

Yes I am sure. It was confirmed at the doctor's office today.

No, we were NOT trying. If you read the last few posts you will see that this is not what we would have chosen as the best timing. But we are grateful.

We are still in SHOCK, to say the least.

Your prayers are much appreciated. First ultrasound next week. stay tuned!

All By Myself

2010-08-05T23:04:00.001-07:00

All By Myself

It's been a busier than usual week since Brian has been out of town in Anchorage, Alaska for a trade show with his company. Which means I have been alone with the triplets and LORDY am I tired. He is coming in on the redeye tonight which means he will be back in town very early in the morning. Which also means he will not have slept and will need to go right to sleep when he gets home. Which also means another day alone with the kids. And OF COURSE, I totally understand. I've already got the day planned tomorrow so I will survive one more day!

I actually feel bad for HIM since he spent most of the week in Alaska but was not able to do any fishing and I know that was killing him! But work is work so fishing in Alaska will have to be somewhere in the future for him. WAY WAY in the future, unfortunately.

Otherwise we have been keeping busy with our awful schedules. We are still doing the "he works days and I work nights" thing. It's hard. Very very hard. It's hard on us physically and emotionally and it's hard on our marriage. But it's what we have to do right now to keep it going. The stress level is very similar to the first few months of the babies' lives. Except we don't have the help we did back then so it's a LOT of work. I admit there are days that i am ready to burst at the seams and I lose my patience regularly. Stress brings out the worst and I have to work hard to manage myself. There are days that just the thought of going to work all night after working a whole day with the kids makes me want to cry. And sometimes I do cry.
I miss freetime and hanging out with friends and not always being in a rush. I know this is temporary. I know it I know it I know it. But I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. And I REALLY WANT TO SEE IT. Sometimes I wish we had moved last year because the cost of living here is OUT OF CONTROL and what you get for the money is so not what we want for our kids. We live in a rental house with problems we can't afford to fix and our landlord won't fix without raising rent. EVERY SINGLE dime we make is allocated to living. So many of our friends have moved out of state for better quality of life for their families and I really wish we could do that righ now. But now is not the time. It is definitely in our future, however.

I need to get back to the steaming piles of laundry or else they will take over the house. Thanks for checking in! :)

Giggles!

2010-07-21T01:50:00.001-07:00

0720001755.3g2
Originally uploaded by Tripletmama

Giggles!

This is a poor quality video since it's from my cameraphone (our regular camera isn't working!) but it still captures the giggles that I love!

Just A Quick Prayer Please

2010-07-04T23:45:00.001-07:00

Quickly - it is 11:45 PM on the 4th of July. I had to work tonight (as I do all Sundays) but I was grateful to be off work earlier than usual so that I could be home in time to experience fireworks with the kabies. As tough as things are right now for us, I am so grateful that we are all healthy and can spend the time we do get to spend together as a family.
Everyone (But ME, of course) is asleep and I have been sitting here in front of the computer, bawling my eyes out for my dear friend Jodi. This weekend marks the one year anniversary of the sudden loss of her precious son, Matteo. Would you please say a prayer for Jodi and her amazing family?

http://martinomadness.blogspot.com/

Wiped Out And Stretched Thin

2010-06-25T22:12:00.001-07:00

Wiped Out And Stretched Thin

I know its been FOREVER since I've posted. My house has been sick for weeks and weeks. I actually got the sickest and had to go on antibiotics. The kids are fine now and I am finally over the big sinus infection that leveled us a couple weeks ago.
Unfortunately, I woke up this morning VIOLENTLY ILL and have had a rough day. I think I have stomach flu or food poisoning. Whatever it is, it feels like death and I cannot wait to be rid of it! I cannot afford to miss any more work. WE cannot afford for me to miss any more work.
I am sure my immunity is low because we are overextended, burning from both ends and stretched too thin. Its the only way we can make it right now. We are still working our way back since Brian's layoff last year and this has proved to be much more challenging than I could have ever anticipated. We have completely opposite schedules and no days off together. We are like two ships in the night and both our plates are overflowing. It has taken its toll for sure and the only consolation I have is that we have no choice right now. This is what we need to do for right now - it's not forever. But I can't lie, we are really struggling. This kind of life is hard on a family and I continue to pray that we make it through this challenging time with minimal damage.
I started a very candid post last week but I just haven't finished it. Aside from the time, it's emotionally draining to talk about. For the handful of readers left, thanks for sticking around :) Talk to you soon!

Grandma's Surgery

2010-05-15T12:41:00.001-07:00

Grandma's surgery went well! Thanks for all your prayers!

To My Praying Friends

2010-05-12T17:22:00.001-07:00

To My Praying Friends

Hey I just want to ask you very quickly if you would keep Brian's Grandma in your prayers. We have recently discovered that her cancer has returned and she will be undergoing surgery TOMORROW. Her name is Janice and she is 92 years old. We greatly appreciate your support.

Thank You

I Don't Even Know Where My Camera Is

2010-05-03T17:00:00.000-07:00

I Don't Even Know Where My Camera Is

I know that you used to be able to count on this blog to provide photgraphic evidence that I actually have three children. I know that this is no longer the case.

Something happened when they started walking. Suddenly, it was too difficult - nearly impossible - to take as many pictures of them. At least ones that actually showed their faces and not the back of their heads as the ran 100 miles an hour in three different directions.

So I put the camera down and have been running around trying to keep up with the three-headed tornado that once lived inside my body.

The only photos I've taken are from my cameraphone. I take pictures of the trio with my phone every single day. I haven't had a decent quality photo of my children since one was taken with SOMEONE ELSE'S CAMERA. Pathetic.

We went to Descanso Gardens today to look at all the "pretty flowers" and to say "Hello" to the ducks and fishies. Did I remember to bring my camera? Of course not. I even forgot my phone.

So....all I have are the three pictures from my sister's cameraphone. Here you go:

Impressive, I know!

But really...I know you're dying to see photos and get some details about who they are. I will have to find my camera and some extra time. Don't laugh.

Good news is I have a few pictures from a Descanso Gardens adventure from last week. OF COURSE they were not taken by ME, but my twin-mom friend Niki. Thankfully she sent me the photos so that post is next!

Stay tuned ;)

How Do People Do It?

2010-04-20T20:32:00.000-07:00

How Do People Do It?
I have a bunch of different posts in my head but I just can't seem to find the time. I guess I actually COULD find the time, but I would be stealing from sleeping, laundry, working, husband time, kid time, showering....I am feeling overextended. I miss my friends. I feel bad having to constantly say "NO" to hanging out but not everyone can hang out super late at night when I get off work. That seems to be the only time I can really socialize without the kids or have any real quiet alone time. And then I end up staying up too late and not sleeping enough. I am CRAVING some ME time - some ALONE TIME. I would like to press "pause". This post has no real point, by the way. Just venting. I need to go put my kids to bed and do laundry.
Tell Me...how do you balance it all? I work nights 30+ hours a week, I am with my kids all day, I don't have a house cleaner, maid, nanny, cook, gardener, dishwasher. There are seriously not enough hours in the day. Seriously Moms...how do you balance all that you do???

Wide Load!

2010-04-07T13:37:00.001-07:00

Rose Bowl Walk
Originally uploaded by Tripletmama

WIDE LOAD!

I have been so busy with sick kids and being sick myself (as well as Brian starting a new job...I KNOW, I know... I need to update you!) that I totally forgot to tell you about our new and AWESOME triplet contraption.
Ever since I had the babies I really wanted a triple jogging stroller, but I put it out of my mind since they are SO EXPENSIVE! But recently, I've been checking them out on craigslist and I thought that maybe, just MAYBE, I could figure out a way to buy a used one. I found one in GREAT condition and for an unbelievably reasonable price. After much prayer and deliberation (Sounds like I was buying a car or something big like that, I know!), I figured I would sell a bunch of stuff to come up with the $195. A friend of ours heard about my venture and asked if he could buy it for the babies, as his gift to them. Can you believe that?! At first I said "no' because it's so expensive. But he was so happy to do it. So I relented! And I am SO GLAD I DID!!! And the seller also agreed to come down a little in price. WIN-WIN!
I can now do more 'normal Mom' things like walk my kids around the Rose Bowl 3.1 mile loop! I have really enjoyed it. We took a short break from the walks since we all got sick but we are back on the horse and I love it! It's a great workout too! The stroller is lightweight and rides so smoothly which makes pushing all that weight really nice. Now I just need to jog the whole loop. I'l get there :)
Thanks to Wayne for this generous gift!

Now, maybe I'll burn off this extra cargo in the fanny pack ;)

I Love You Daddy!!!!!

2010-03-26T00:55:00.001-07:00

I Love You Daddy 03/2010
Originally uploaded by Tripletmama

"I LOVE YOU DADDY!"

OH HOW I LOVE THESE CHILDREN!

Cutest Little P.I.T.A. In The World

2010-03-17T12:35:00.001-07:00

0317001129.3g2
Originally uploaded by Tripletmama

Cutest Little P.I.T.A. In The World

This beautiful and charming child is the PICKY-EST eater EVER. She is the epitome of picky toddler. It is quite frustrating and I am constantly trying to get her to eat.

Alexis's favorite foods are:

1. Ketchup - not what she is dipping into the ketchup. She will use the french fry merely as a spoon and lick all the ketchup off of it.

2. The coating of a chicken nugget - NOT the chicken itself. She will sometimes eat ONLY the coating

3. Gravy - JUST GRAVY.

4. Yogurt

5. The filling from a peanut butter cracker - NOT the cracker

6. The cream filling from a cookie sandwich (Trader Joe's brand of Oreos)

7. Applesauce

8. SOMETIMES cheese.

She pretty much hates EVERYTHING ELSE.

The boys eat EVERYTHING. Green veggies, black eyed peas, smoked fish, Etc. ALEXIS will have NONE of it.

I have resorted to putting half & half in her sippy cup to get her the calories that she is lacking. I have to take her to the nutritionist, per the pediatrician's orders, because she is not gaining enough weight. The boys are off the charts but she is under the curve because she WON'T EAT ANYTHING.

I've tried to feed her STRAIGHT BUTTER. She hates it.

Feeding time has become a source of stress for me.

But listen to that voice and look at those pigtails. God made her this cute for a reason! ;) Thank goodness she is so dang cute!

Helloooooooooooo

2010-03-09T15:17:00.000-08:00

Hi there.

Did you break up with me? Is there anyone even reading anymore? What can I say...I have even less time than I did before since I started working. I haven't blogged in so long I even lost my ads :(. I swear things will get better. I have to keep believing it.

So much has happened and yet I feel I have nothing to report. The kids are healthy. Alexis has pee-ed in the potty twice. Brian has had job interviews and possibly an offer. His temorary contract job is ending and we are scurrying to figure out a way to make ends meet. We are possibly going to have to move out of this house. The landlord can no longer afford to rent to us at the reduced rate he has so generously extended us. I feel like we just moved in here! We have lived here 2 years. The babies were just 3.5 months old when we moved in. How time flies! I continue to pray and work hard and that's all we can do.
I am still working at Trader Joe's and I enjoy my job. It's definitely not how I pictured things but I am grateful to have a job and to have medical benefits for the kabies. I am also grateful to not have to put them in daycare. It's a stretch and its HARD but we make it work. The babies are with me during the day and with Brian at night while I am at work. My sister comes 2 days a week to help bridge the gaps and we are SO grateful for her help. The kids are always with either me, Brian, or my sister.
I really need to sit down and do a big brain dump post but now is not the time. Hopefully I will have good news next post. :)

Stop...POTTY TIME!

2010-02-02T10:43:00.001-08:00

It's Potty Time!

IMG956807.jpg
Originally uploaded by Tripletmama

Now that we've got the stomach flu out of the way (PHEW!!!) it's time to jump back on the potty train.
I AM VERY AFRAID!

Not Even Funny

2010-01-25T22:20:00.002-08:00

Not Even Funny

I am indulging in this quiet moment to quickly update this poor forsaken blog. The last few days have SUCKED. Sick babies, Emergency Room visit, more laundry than I could ever have imagined I would ever do...we are exhausted. Jackson has been very sick. I spent all day Sunday with Jackson at the ER while Brian stayed with the other two. I came home, handed Jackson off, showered and went to work. Unfortunately when I was at work, things took a turn for the worse. When I came home @ 11:30pm the house smelled like vomit and Alexis was puking her guts out. All over the wall, carpet, crib slats...EVERYWHERE. I think she puked 20 times throughout the night, I kid you not. I think I slept two hours - not in a row. I feel like I did when we had new babies at home. Completely sleep deprived and overwhelmed and stressed.
Jackson is showing signs of great improvement but Alexis is still pretty sick. My house has a heavenly scent of puke and I can't even keep up with all the baths and crib changes. And because all that hasn't been enough...Brian has it now too. So its just me and Zachary who haven't gotten sick and I am PRAYING that it stays that way. I would cry if I had the energy.

The washer and dryer have been going NON-STOP. Some things didn't even have a chance to cool off from the dryer before they were puked on again. If it were summer, I would just leave the sickies naked but its been so cold at night so I don't have the option.

To keep myself from losing it, I have made a list of things I am grateful for:

- We have a washer and dryer in the house. I don't know what I would've done throughout the night if I couldn't just wash everything here. I would surely have run out of clothes, towels, blankets.

-Zachary is still healthy

-We have enough food in the fridge. I don't need to go do a big trip, just milk and bananas.

-My Sister came over in the middle of the night to help with needy babies so we could clean puke off the walls, carpet, etc.

-My Mom came after work tonight and helped me with the Kabies and then proceded to fold 549 loads of laundry for me as I was getting the kids ready for bed.

-Brian stayed home today so I wouldn't be alone with sick babies (but then unfortunately ended up getting sick himself - that part is no fun).

-I don't have to be a work until Thursday.

-We are loved and prayed for by so many friends and family.

This is hard. I feel like things have been hard for some time now. I am trying very hard. I don't want to focus on how hard it is or how things could be. I just want to keep moving. But I am burning out and I just want to escape. I know that sounds terrible but its true.

Remember Evie from Out Of This World? Cheesy show but I LOVED it when I was a kid. I remember she had the ability to stop time by just touching her fingertips together.

THAT'S what I want. I just want to stop time and get caught up. Caught up with my sleep, chores, e-mails, my thoughts and my recorded TV shows.

I told myself that I would spend more time blogging in 2010. I really veered off in 2009 and I know that if I hadn't discovered facebook, I would probably still have been using the blog for the cathartic release that I once used it as. I really feel that my decline in journaling (published blog post or just private brain dump of my own) has really affected my stress level. As wonderful as things like television and social networking sites can be, they are time-wasters. I don't have extra time! I need to steal a bit from my facebook time and re-allocate it back to my blog. Hopefully you will be seeing more posts from me.
The dryer stopped so I gotta go do more laundry and wash some sippy cups. Please send prayers and positive thoughts for my family to get well quickly!

PANTS ON FIRE!

2010-01-22T00:30:00.000-08:00

PANTS ON FIRE!

OK, I am not usually one to publicly comment on tabloid crap. There is a fine line between celebrity news and trash. I admit I have a soft place in my heart for People Magazine, but I don't feel its trash. Just a little fluffy. I refuse to go to Perez Hilt0n's site and give him the traffic that provides him all that ad revenue. I will NOT watch TMZ. Its trash. Its poisonous gossip and I think people who make $ stalking people's private lives should be sent to the same island that the people who write computer viruses should also be sent. That being said, I do follow families with multiples - for obvious reasons.

I kept my mouth SHUT about Nadya Suleman (octo-mom). I don't like when strangers bring her name into conversation when they find out I have triplets, but I try to be graceful and just ease the conversation in another direction. I pretty much keep my feelings to myself regarding Nadya Suleman. HOWEVER...

I saw on facebook this morning that Nadya Suleman is now on the cover of Star magazine posing in a bikini. So far, no problem. Awesome! You go girl! Except....wait. Something's not right. She is lying. She is claiming that she has had NO plastic surgery. The cover says "no nips, no tucks, no lipo."

LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE.

Why would you lie about that? Seriously. I mean, let me tell you, the minute I can afford to get this fanny pack sliced off, along with the hideous stretch marks, I am going to do it. AND I plan to be perfectly honest about it. Now, I don't mean I will announce to the world, "Hey everyone! I just got a tummy tuck to fix my post-triplets pregnancy belly! No more saggy skin!" Of course I won't do that. BUT...If I ever plan to post pictures of myself IN A BIKINI, you bet your sweet aspercreme that I will be honest about why the skin on my belly no longer looks like a sack of jello.

I am not saying that it is not possible to lose all that weight. That is totally do-able with hard work, eating right, exercise, etc. I AM saying that there is NO WAY after her belly stretched out THAT FAR, that her stretch marks disappeared. NO WAY.

Look at her pregnancy photo:

STRETCH MARKS.
This is supposedly one year later.

YES she looks fantastic but PUH-LEASE. Tell the truth. TUMMY. TUCK.

Stretch marks do not just erase themselves.

Remember these bad boys?

These stretch marks currently live on my body, along with a lovely c-section scar. Now imagine that belly of mine, except imagine it deflated. I'd show you but you know we've talked about this before. Brian put the kibosh on my showing post pregnancy belly shots. Understandably so. Maybe he will consider letting me do a "before and after" once I get to have a tummy tuck? We'll see.
The point is, THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL that her skin went all the way back down -and without stretch marks- after having FOURTEEN children. Especially after carrying OCTUPLETS.
This could have been a real opportunity for her to relate to other women by sharing her honest experience - By sharing what so many of us Mom's of multiples don't talk about. She could have made herself seem more human and maybe even likeable. But, not surprisingly, she made the decision to lie and further alienate herself from real women.
I am not really surprised, but still disappointed!

Look what we made!

2010-01-15T02:47:00.001-08:00

Look what we made!

0115000219.jpg
Originally uploaded by Tripletmama

Its Almost Funny

2010-01-05T02:41:00.000-08:00

I apologize again for the delay in posting. Brian is home. UCLA neurologist ROCKED and we feel we really have a better sense of what may be going on with him. UCLA neurologist seems to think it may NOT have been a TIA (although it is still on the list of considerations) but more likely a complex migraine (not to be confused with "common migraine" or "classic migraine"). It's not a definitive diagnosis by any means. In fact, TIA is still on the table (although very low on the list) as well as seizure disorder. The current working diagnosis, however, is complex migraine. These are commonly mistaken for strokes and TIAs because the symptoms can be so similar.
He has further testing to do (EEG and a sleep study - to see what is going on inside his brain while he sleeps since two of his 'episodes' seem to have started right after waking up) and we look forward to the answers that these may provide. Thank you all for your concern and prayers and encouragement!

As if we haven't spent ENOUGH time in hospitals, I actually just got home from a fun night in the Emergency Room. Diagnosis: Conjunctivitis (AKA Pink Eye). Because things haven't been crazy enough - IT'S ALMOST FUNNY.

Almost.
The ER doctor says it is very likely that I got it this afternoon when I was at the DMV. Makes sense. TOTAL BUMMER THOUGH! I've been prescribed a pain medication (this stuff really hurts!) and antibiotic drops. I am PRAYING PRAYING PRAYING that the babies stay healthy. God help me if I end up with three crusty eyed toddlers. This stuff is extremely contagious but I am crossing my fingers that they steer clear of it. YUCK!!!

It has been a while since I've posted an unflattering picture of myself. Don't you remember the hobbit feet? Or the super sexy stretch marks close-ups? How about this conversation in which I was hell bent on sharing the saggy bag-o-skin my triplet pregnancy left me (still gonna TOTALLY post a pic someday...maybe a pre-tummy tuck pic)? Here's a real beauty for you. No makeup. Just got home from Emergency Room. 2am with pink eye. Nothing is hotter, I tell you.

I can't really describe the funk coming out of my eyes. Truly unpleasant. I had no idea that pink-eye actually HURT. You learn something new every day :)

Back to Brian...I'll let you know more as we know more. For now, I am grateful that he is healthy and that we seem to be moving in a good direction with great doctors!

Thanks for checking in :)

better and then worse and then better and then worse again...still no answers

2009-12-31T16:20:00.000-08:00

better and then worse and then better and then worse again...still no answers

I am so sorry it has taken so long for me to update you. I have been mostly on Facebook as it is easier and faster. I don't know where to begin...no time for too many details actually. Brian was in the hospital a couple of days and then released Christmas eve. Lots of tests (CT scan, MRI, attempted Lumbar Puncture, echocardiogram, etc..) TIA (transient ischemic attack) was the thinking, although there was no diagnosis (TIA's are hard to diagnose). A few days later he was back in the ER with intense head pain and nausea/vomiting etc. The next day doc gave him vicodin for pain and nausea meds. Today he had another episode and was not able to keep down the vicodin and nausea meds due to the intense vomiting. I have never seen him like this. He is now at UCLA medical center ER with his sister (I am with the kids) and is waiting waiting waiting. We are exhausted and confused and frustrated. I'll update when I know more.

Quickly...Prayers Please!

2009-12-23T11:34:00.001-08:00

Hey. I know its been a long time. Things have been so busy since I started working. I'll have to fill you in later. For now I am just asking for you all to pray! If you're my friend on facebook then you already know this but Brian was taken to the hospital in an ambulace yesterday afternoon with stroke like symptoms. He is in the hospital now. Not a lot of details for now but one possibility that they are looking into is a transient ischemic attack (TIA). No real answers yet. waiting on results from MRI, Lumbar Puncture, Echocardiogram and I don't even know what else. I'll update as soon as I can.

cindy

Babies' 2nd Birthday

2009-12-13T22:48:00.001-08:00

Babies' 2nd Birthday!

Dad here. Things have been pretty crazy at the Spayth house. Cindy started a new job last month, and I have been at home with the kids. Both of us have been doing our best to adjust to the new schedule, and needless to say it hasn't been easy for either of us.

On Friday the babies...err...kids turned the big 2!!! We didn't have a party, but we did have a few family members (and a couple close friends) come by to have cake and celebrate. I'll skip right to the good suff---PICTURES!!!

Here is the trio wearing their b-day hats:

Alexis wasn't too happy with the hat, but she did a good job!

Jackson kept fiddling with his...

Zachary didn't like his hat either. It took a few minutes to get a picture of him with his hat on..

mmmm, ice cream cake...

Sorry, no pictures of them blowing out the candles. However, Jackson managed to put two candles out with his hands, WITHOUT burning himself. How did he do it?--I have no clue.
(and no, that is not a typo on the cake; we call them "Kabies"--short for Korean Babies)

...and then they got messy!

Jackson is such a ham

Oh, how I LOVE that smile!

Alexis was having a good time digging into her piece of cake.

Pretty girl!

It was hard to get a good picture of Zachary; he was moving too fast! Here are a couple of shots I was able to get:

messy girl!

Zachary spent more time trying to stab his plate than eating his cake!

One of the few moments when Jackson wasn't hamming it up...

...then Alexis started getting REALLY messy. We aren't sure, but we think she was trying to look like a Smurf!

"Who, me???"

...still a ham

After cake it was time for presents!

Here is Alexis with Emo, and Zachary with Halmony

Jackson with Mommy

Zachary and Alexis with Emo

Halmony with Zachary

Mommy and Jackson

Emo and Alexis

Cousin Luke's Birthday Party

2009-11-26T10:45:00.000-08:00

Cousin Luke's Birthday Party

Dad here. Just a quick 'picture-report'. These pictures are a little old (September) and are from the babies' first cousin Luke's 1-year birthday party. We had a GREAT time!!!! Enjoy!

Click HERE for the rest of the album!!!

What's One More? You know...with all the income we have.

2009-11-19T13:06:00.001-08:00

What's One More? You know...with all the income we have.

Me: Hey can we have another baby?

Brian: I'm good, thanks.

29 Again

2009-11-06T14:21:00.000-08:00

29 Again

Hey there. I'm here. Barely...but I am here.

I have a couple of posts in the works with pictures and fun updates but we're currently busy getting my house ready for a party. And, NO, I don't have the $ to throw a party - BUT, our friends are throwing (all the planning, funding, organizing, etc) my sister and me a joint birthday party tomorrow (I am turning 33 on November 7 and my sister is turning 25 on November 8)! All we are providing is the tidy house...so you SEE WHY I AM BUSY? I've got to somehow get this house in shape for tomorrow. All while someone just pulled every single wipe out of the box onto the floor and someone else just smeared black beans on the wall. Let's just pray that no one takes a dump on the floor.

Oh, and because I am not busy enough, I start a new job on Monday. I'll be working 5 days a week PM shifts so that when Brian does find work (PLEASE GOD) I can stay with the kids and then go to work while Brian stays with them at night. This Means Brian is with them and we're making huge adjustments. Yes, I realize that sounds insane but we don't want to put them in daycare if we don't have to. And really? I don't have a choice. We've had no income (besides unemployment which barely covers rent) and HUGE expenses like medical insurance. The well is DRY and the bills keep coming. This economy sucks. I know 6 other families whose breadwinner lost their jobs in the last 3 months. Layoffs. SUCKS.

So, like I said, I am starting a new job on Monday. I will be making less than I was making when we first got married 7 years ago and I am excited about it because we need the money. We need the benefits. We need not to be in the same house together 24 hours a day because, let me tell you, that's not good for anyone. Do I want to leave my kids? No. I will leave during their nap and get home way WAY past their bedtime. It kills me. But we gotta survive and while Brian continues to pound the pavement, I am glad and grateful that I found something. So many people need jobs right now.

Everything feels like chaos right now. I wish I could go into it more but I have things to do so I need to go do them. More posts soon. Pictures and updates and general bitching for sure.

Please continue to pray for our family.

P.S. OMG I am going to be 33 tomorrow. Remember when that was OLD? When did I get so old? *SIGH*

Recent Fun

2009-10-21T02:58:00.000-07:00

Dad here. No good news on the job front, but here are some recent pictures:

On our way to the annual Oktoberfest in Montrose.
Here's daddy trying to get everyone together for a picture.

Yeah, the lighting isn't perfect, and only daddy is looking at the camera. Getting triplets to look at the camera at the same time is almost impossible. **Notice Zachary is not in the picture. He slipped away and started playing with his wagon! sigh.

OK. Now mommy's turn. Poor Jackson didn't want to take a picture! LOL

...he still didn't want to take a picture!

...and again. He was ticked off! GOOD ENOUGH.

Here are the boys in their stroller, getting ready to face the crowd at Oktoberfest.
Zachary was super happy. Jackson, not so much.

Alexis was happy to have her own stroller.

We stopped for a quick photo...

Grandaddy and daddy feeding the babies some yummy bratwurst.

Our friends recently moved back to the states from Germany and decided to have an Oktoberfest party. The babies had fun playing with their friends!

Here are all the Baldwin & Spayth kids together
(From L-R Emma, Jackson, Zachary, Luke, Alexis, Julia & Trevor):

Here's mommy and the trips

...daddy and the trips

We tried for a group shot. Good luck getting everyone looking!

We saw these backpack-leashes at Target. Cindy SWORE she would NEVER put her kids on a leash....that is, until we had triplets. Now that they go in three different directions its impossible to keep up with them. They are FAST. We thought these would be a great idea!

Look at Jackson's face. Its almost like he is saying: "Yeah, right. Good luck!"

He was right....

TOTAL Chaos

...and more chaos

Just fooling around in the playroom...
Here is our handsome Zachary

Oh my goodness. Look at those eyes!

More Zachary...

Are you ready for some football?
Daddy and the trips getting ready for Monday night football...
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!

We also went to the trio's cousin's First Birthday party. The babies had a blast playing with the other kids. Here's a group shot of all the family who attended (From L-R Zachary, Brian, Alexis, Cindy, Jackson, Joan, Grandma Janice, Luke, Mandy & Michael):

And finally, here's a random cute shot of the three BIG babies. Alexis is going in for a hug - CUTE!

In Short

2009-10-07T04:22:00.001-07:00

In Short

No good news.

No jobs. Its taken its toll.

Very dark time right now. I don't know how much I am going to blog about it. Sorry.

I am working on a picture post of the babies. I love my babies.

Problem Solved!

2009-09-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

Problem Solved!

No, no, no...not the problem of unemployment...the problem I had with my sidebar being all the way at the bottom of the page! Did you even notice? I was pulling my hair out trying to figure it out. Its fixed now so you can see the ad and the comments without scrolling all the way down! Fellow triplet mama, Casey, helped me figure it out - Thanks Casey!

I've got to run and feed some babies but I just want to let you guys know that we're still hanging in there. There have FINALLY been some bites and Brian has talked to some people. He has an interview this week. PRAY!

Gotta go!!!

Of Unemployment And Poop

2009-09-11T22:52:00.000-07:00

Of Unemployment And Poop

I've been a horribe, horrible blogger. Yes, its been while. Want excuses? Probably not. But here you are...

1. I haven't had my laptop since I spilled diet coke on the keyboard. This was a month ago. I haven't ordered a new keyboard yet. They cost money. I am on Brian's computer. I don't feel as inspired to blog on his computer for some reason. Something similar happened last year, remember? Facebook is much easier. Mindless. Which is why you're still seeing me on there.

2. I don't know what to type. I don't know what to say. Things are hard. Still no jobs. Actually, I think I am starting a part-time job but I don't know for sure yet. Anyhow, I am doing everything I can to keep my anxiety at bay but I am not doing a very good job. This is hard. It sucks. Whine.

We've been trying to keep busy with the babies and we've been enjoying the time together. We've done things. There are pictures. I'll get to those posts. maybe.

Everytime I sit down to write a post my brain fills up with all of my fears and worries. And then I don't want to type. I hate to sound so negative.

Yes, things could be worse. We have been here before and we will survive. We have each other. I am grateful for everything good in our lives. But not knowing how we're going to pay bills is so scary. I've talked to our landlord and without sharing too many details, we have a little longer to stay in this house than we originally thought. For the time being, he's letting us stay at a reduced rent and the biggest thing is that if we have to break our lease, he will NOT charge us the penalty...which would have added up to close to $14,000. Unfortunately, we will not be getting back any of our $2000 security deposit. Understandable.

And as you can see from the poll on the upper left of the blog, moving out of state is an option. Not that there are a million jobs anywhere else, but its an option. We eventually DO want to move out of California. We've been talking about it for years. But not now. Not yet.

Right after he was laid off, Brian went and visited some friends in a state to which we would eventually love to re-locate. If there was a job for him there we would move ASAP, and be VERY happy about it. If things don't pan out here pretty soon, we may go anyway. Its cheaper to live there, their unemployment rate is lower than California's, and the money we DO have will go further there. Its where we want to probably end up anyway. My parents plan to eventually follow. Its just not the timing we like. But, as we've learned before...God's timing doesn't always match ours. I am struggling to keep the faith and surrender my anxieties. I KNOW that God has a plan. I KNOW that all of our needs have always been provided somehow. But my GUTS are twisting and turning. I want to know. I WANT TO KNOW NOW.

And, by the way, if you want to see some of the people in your life get negative and crappy, tell them you're considering moving out of state. It makes the difficult decisions on our plate that much more difficult. The same thing happened when we announced I was pregnant with triplets. We were completely surprised by people's attitudes and reactions. But...I digress.

We are continuing to pound the pavement and are staying open to any and all possibilities. Please continue to pray for us.

To end on a brighter note, I'll leave you with some funny stuff!

Recently, the babies have been learning that its fun to take off all their clothes and their diapers. This has led to some messy good-mornings. Several days in a row, we would go into the babies' room in the morning to find Zachary completely naked. One morning, he was not only completely naked, BUT he also managed to take the hugest dump in his crib. And then play with it. With his hands. Did I mention he had the runs that day? Every single crib slat, the wall, his face, hands, blankets, the floor...EVERYTHING was covered in crap. THANK GOD Brian was there with me that morning. I nearly ralphed all over the place as I cleaned every surface and scrubbed everything within a five mile radius. He's not the only one. Alexis also pooped ALL OVER her crib one day. I have been at my wit's end. STOP POOPING EVERYWHERE.

And, YES, we've tried it all. Onesies, putting their pajamas on backwards, layers...Don't even suggest it because its already been done. In fact, we are now calling Zachary "Houdini" because he can get his diaper off under any circumstance. The day we tried using onesies, he somehow managed to remove his diaper without even unsnapping his onesie. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE. It's like that scene in Flashdance where she removes her bra without taking off her shirt. Too graphic? Probably...but you get what I mean.

One day I walked into their room after nap and all three of them were naked, soaking wet from pee and jumping in their cribs. After taking ten deep breaths and a shot of whiskey I grabbed Zachary and began to shuttle him into the bathroom to hose him down. Just when we hit the hallway, my phone rang. I ran to the kitchen to get it. Mind you, this took one second. ONE FREAKING SECOND. I turn back around just in time to see a turd dropping from between his legs. I told him to stand still and used my phone to take a shot of it right then and there.

And, by the way, I was TOTALLY joking about the shot of whiskey. It was Tequila.

It was after that day that I had HAD ENOUGH. I got the duct tape out. I AM GOING TO WIN THIS.

The tools.

So far, the duct tape has worked. SO FAR.

I AM TIRED OF CLEANING POOP. I am in a constant state of "sweaty-ness." DRIPPING SWEAT. This has NOTHING to do with the whole poop thing, by the way. It has to do with the fact that there are THREE toddlers living in my house.

SWEATY!

These kids are SO much work but I love it. All joking aside, I love being with them. The thought of possibly leaving them all day long makes my chest hurt. It has been a real struggle to make it on one income thus far but it was so important to us to do whatever we could so that I could stay home with them for at least the first three years. I am SO grateful for this. And, much less importantly, the cost to put three babies in quality daycare is through the roof. Before Brian was laid off, I was starting to look into some preschools to put the babies in for a few hours a week. Now there is NO way we can afford that. Unfortunately we are at a breaking point and we have to do whatever we can to survive. So far that means both of us do whatever we can to make money. Possibly working opposite hours so we can avoid having to pay for child-care. It looks like I'm probably getting a job that I applied for but it is nowhere near enough money to even come close to making it. We're still praying that Brian finds a job making close to what he was making before.

Oops, I said I was ending on a brighter note. Here...I'll inundate you with random cameraphone cuteness!

Somebody likes to find new uses for the table.

Our baby circus at the grocery store.

My sister pulling the babies on a walk through Montrose.

Alexis LOVES plain tart frozen yogurt.

My handsome boy. Looks like a Mini-Brian.
Princess was HOLY TERROR after spending 24 hours at Halmonee's & Grand-Daddy's house. TANTRUM.

The rascals together in Zachary's chewed up crib.

Thanks for your support. By the way, leave me a comment and tell me your thoughts. About moving. About jobs. About duct tape. About poop. Whatever. I am curious to see your thoughts on our situation.

Picnic Fun

2009-08-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

Picnic Fun
To answer your first question, NO...no job(s) yet. I am doing my very best but I am scared. I hate not knowing how we're going to pay bills. I hate feeling this helplessness.

To answer your second question, YES, moving out of state is still on the table. But we've made no decisions on the matter. Details to come later. In the meantime, VOTE (upper left corner of the blog).

In the meantime, I've been busy with the babies. Can I still call them babies? I figure I still can since they are still in diapers. And to sidetrack for just a second, the thought of potty training THREE BABIES makes my head spin. We're not there yet. They still wake up from naps wet so I think we are not ready yet.

A couple of weeks ago we took the babies to the Baldwin family annual picnic in the park. remember last year? I cannot believe how quickly time has flown. It was so nice to see our family friends. Although we don't get to see each other often, its great when we do! Its also nice to see everyone's kids play together. And new babies too! Our friends Daniel & Amanda had a baby boy this year and our friends Nick & Nena are expecting their first baby in October - a BOY!
Now, did I get any pictures of everyone together this time? OF COURSE NOT. This year was VERY different than last year in that our kids are mobile now and they run about 100 miles per hour - and each in a different direction. I don't know who was more tired that day, us or them!
Here are the shots I DID manage to get!

It was so great to see everyone! It was nice to be able to thank our friends again in person for their help with the diaper club. I really don't know what we would have done without their help. What a blessing!

BTW - sorry I uploaded those so small! I didn't realize it until they had already uploaded. You're going to have to click on each photo to see a larger version. I don't want to go back and re-do it!

Anyway, later that night after the babies went down, we went to my sister's boyfriend's surprise birthday party. My sister was actually able to pull off a real surprise - he had no clue!
Here's a shot from the night of all four of us together:

I have more updates to share...I just have to get them together!

Please continue to pray for our family. I KNOW that God is in control. I just have to remind myself sometimes.

Here's an added bonus for making you wait SO long for a post. Here's a shot of the babies one year ago.

I am fighting back tears b/c I just cannot believe how quickly they've grown. Its all gone in a flash. Oh how I miss those tiny chubby babies! :)

P.S. I just found out that Nena got some shots from the picnic on her camera. I'll add them to the post as soon as I upload them!

Triplets At The Pool

2009-08-10T01:57:00.000-07:00

Triplets At The Pool
Hey everyone! Sorry I've not been posting much lately. It's been hard to get motivated to write a post when much of what's on my mind is no fun. We're figuring things out and job hunting. And trying not to stress. Some days are good. Some days are...not as good.
In the meantime we've tried to take advantage of some free time by taking the triplets to my sister's boyfriend's swimming pool. They LOVE IT! I haven't been able to take as many photos as I'd like since my hands are FULL with three kids at the swiming pool but I caught a few shots -check them out!

Zachary with Uncle Aaron
Alexis wearing her shades in the car on the way to the pool...she didn't keep them on for very long.

Right before they darted in three different directions...thank goodness we had one adult per kid!

Here's Jackson with my sister. It was SO great having my sister on one of the swimming days b/c it freed me up a bit to take a few pictures.

Brian with Jackson, Aaron with Zachary and Alexis with Pam.
The kids LOVE shooting up in the air!

Snack time. We learned after the first visit that a pack & play would be MANDATORY. SOOO helpful!
Mommy with Alexis. Look at that cute little tummy. Thank goodness MY tummy (the much taked about but never actually seen "Fanny Pack") wasn't showing.
All five of us in the pool! Sometimes I can't believe that we are actually a family of FIVE!

Up In The Air

2009-08-01T03:19:00.000-07:00

Up In The Air

Its been a busy few weeks for us, I was sick, The babies were sick, Zachary had a bizarre Emergency Room scare (everything is fine now), I flew up to San Jose for a funeral, Brian was out of town for 5 days, and a million other things seemed to be swirling around. I've been avoiding writing a post because I just don't feel like sharing right now. But I know I need to. Its been a busy few weeks and things hit the fan recently. Brian's company had to lay off employees and his whole department was cut. Brian lost his job about two weeks ago. We are now without income and scrambling to figure things out. I have been in and out of tears. Brian has been quiet.
As you may know, we have been blessed to have been living on Brian's income thus far. Its been tough - VERY TOUGH - but we've somehow managed. We've been blessed with generous family who has helped when they can with diapers from time to time, some help with formula when we were using it and many more blessings. We've had the privilege of having an amazing group of family friends who have contributed every month to what they call "The Diaper Club", which has basically paid for half of our diapering expenses thus far. Its been SO TOUGH, but we have been so grateful that blessings always seem to appear just when we need them. That's why I have to have faith that everything will work out. I BELIEVE everything will work out somehow - that somehow we'll land on our feet.

I believe it...but I'm having a hard time right now. We're having a really hard time right now.

I have been putting off writing this post because I just don't want to write it. Who wants to talk about life when things are stressful and the air is thick with tension? Anxiety is high. I am worried. Brian is stressed. Our house is a house of stress. Brian has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Spending day after day, hour after hour, searching for jobs has been incredibly discouraging. Unemployment in California is somewhere around 13%, just over the national average (which is very high anyway). Its a tough time right now and we're really feeling it.
Even if both of us find full time employment, the cost of childcare for THREE babies overwhelming. It's one of the reasons that my staying home with them made the most sense for us. I mean, we knew we wanted for me to stay home with them for as long as possible anyway, but the cost of putting them in childcare versus what I could bring home made it a no-brainer.
We are weighing out our options and agonizing over some tough decisions. I am trying to stay positive and hopeful. But some days...its hard. I go back and forth between being hopeful to being so anxious that the knots in my stomach make me nauseous. I am already a crappy sleeper, but now I am sleeping even worse.
And yes, I KNOW things could be much worse. I am grateful for my health, for my children's health, for Brian's health. I am grateful that we are all healthy and safe. I am grateful that we currently have a roof over our heads and food on the table. But my gut hurts because I don't know how long we can do this. Its causing such stress between us. We feel like we're in limbo.

As you know, my friend Jodi lost her baby, Matteo, just three weeks ago. I know that I am so blessed to still have my children and her horrible loss has given me such perspective. I was able to attend Matteo's funeral just a few days before Brian lost his job and I imagine I would have handled the news of his layoff much differently had I not had the perspective from seeing Jodi and her family experience this horrible loss. When I heard he lost his job, I immediately felt so grateful that we were all still together. That we still had each other. Jodi doesn't get to say that. She lost her baby. Who the hell am I to be freaking out?

But I am scared. I feel devastated. I feel more stressed now than the day he lost his job. The reality of the job market and the current economy has sunk in. Yes, Brian can get some $ from unemployment for a while. It will mostly go to COBRA so we can continue having health insurance for the babies. We were barely making it as it was. I am a coupon FREAK. I already downgraded everything I could. I dont color my hair. I don't buy clothes and shoes - I wear the same clothes I've had forever. I plan meals based on what's on sale. I never go to Starbucks. We rarely went to restaurants. If I ever got any of these treats it was usually with a gift card or because my sister would treat me. My point in sharing all of this is I had already cut a lot of the fat before the babies were born. That's how we were surviving. Sure, we'd buy some extra stuff at the grocery store sometimes but that wasn't a whole lot. It was already stressful to sit down and pay the bills every month.
If we dont find something making enough soon we will have to move out of this place. The rent was tough enough for us as it was. Unfortunately we are in a lease until March 2010 so we may be penalized and lose our deposit but what do we do?

I could boo hoo over the details but I think I'll stop. I don't want to sound negative. I'm just afraid right now. I go up and down. It takes a lot of energy to manage my thoughts so that I can be upbeat and good for the babies. I don't want them to feel our stress.

We're mapping things out, assessing our options and making some tough decisions. We've been here before, as you may remember, at the beginning of my pregnancy. And we got through it together. One day at a time. A solution will present itself. In the meantime I am continuing to put one foot in front of the other, hoping and praying.

Thanks for "listening".

My Big Baby Girl

2009-07-31T12:41:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by Tripletmama

My Big Baby Girl

Bear With Me

2009-07-26T04:11:00.000-07:00

Bear With Me

I had a post I was working on while Brian was out of town this week. However I spilled a diet coke on my computer and am not sure what the deal is. Great job, Cindy.
Anywho, I am on Brian's computer and plan on just starting over with a post to update you very soon, all while I pray that I didn't completely botch my computer :( So much has been going on this month that I need to just unload. I hope to do so tonight when things quiet down. Wait...do things ever really quiet down??? Anyway...post coming soon...
In the meantime, have some bathtime eyelashes:

Three Little Monkeys Jumping On The Bed

2009-07-18T21:30:00.001-07:00

Three Little Monkeys Jumping On The Bed

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Originally uploaded by Tripletmama

Yes, I know I shouldn't let them jump on their beds. I've LONG since given up on fighting them. Its seriously a lost cause. Its kinda cute though, right? :)

I've got more in-depth updatey (that's so a word) posts I need to write but its been so unusually busy around here. Brian is out of town for the week so I'll be pretty busy, all alone with the kids, but I will try to sit down and update you this week.

BTW - I don't know why the video is over to the right. I was trying to fix the problem that some of you were having. I haven't figured it out yet. At least you can see it now right?

You Know You Have Multiples When...

2009-07-16T02:39:00.000-07:00

You Know You have Multiples When...

I totally swiped this from Pam. But I laughed OUT LOUD at some of these b/c they are SO TRUE! I highlighted the ones that really hit home. It's long, but worth the giggles:

You know you have triplets when……

Your stroller has its own zip code.

Dinnertime is officially declared an Olympic Event

You are the only parents who can utter, “Stop playing with that, it’s not YOUR penis” with a perfectly straight face.

You arrive at your doctor’s appointments early just to read the magazines in peace.

Root canals are a great chance to catch up on your sleep.

You laugh at singleton moms that are struggling to get their stroller out of the car.

You wonder how come singleton moms need a diaper bag the size of a suitcase, while you travel with enough for your babies in a bag half the size.

You can unload two, or three babies (or more) from car seats and put them in your stroller WHILE you are laughing at the singleton mom getting her stroller out of her car.

Your husband has seriously tried to motorize your stroller.

There is no room in your refrigerator for food, all available space is occupied by pre-prepared bottles of formula.

You look at a closet full of diapers and think “I’m running low”

A regular sized pack of diapers lasts only 3 days.

Every morning you mentally prepare yourself for the worst before your enter “that” bedroom, (naked toddlers, wet bed sheets, diapers on the floor and three little voice saying “poop, poop”)

Your biggest dilemma is how to keep those dang diapers on.

You are obsessed with diapers.

You can throw French-fries to the rear set of seats without looking and none end up on the floor.

You can change diapers standing up, while in line, at the Children’s Museum.

You feel like a sheepherder instead of a parent

You have people asking if you run a daycare because that’s what your yard looks like.

You can carry 3 plates of food and 3 cups (or 4) to the table without spilling anything and you’ve never been a waitress.

A trip to Walmart for diapers is a vacation even at 1:am.

Your stroller costs more than your first car.

You can hold at least three conversations at the same time.

You no longer have a proper name you are either “The Lady With Triplets” or Moooooooooommmmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyyyy

You consider the commute to work Mommy time

You find yourself singing songs from Yo Gabba Gabba while at Walmart

You can quote Monster’s Inc. verbatim.

You automatically divide or multiply everything by 3

You have diapers in your purse, in the glove compartment, your desk drawer and in every room of the house – just in case.

Every square inch of seating in your vehicle is taken by car seats.

You know you are a MoM when you can sweep, talk on the phone, AND read to your children all at the same time.

Your monthly grocery budget is greater than the annual budget for the State of Rhode Island.

Four hours of sleep is “fully rested” and falling asleep over the kitchen sink is a “fulfilling nap”

The first thing you ask upon arriving home is for the poop and pee report.

2 minute tasks take 30 minutes because you have to keep returning to the play room to break up fights, peel the kids from the wall, change a diaper you can actually smell from the next room, break p more fights, remove a child from the top of the couch, perform surgery on the VCR because there is an UFO inside of it, fill sippy cups back up with water because whatever was in them disappeared mysteriously (only later when you sit down on the couch you will find where it went) remind them not to jump on each other, break up a few more fights and change more poopy diapers.

You not only are familiar with what a 300 count box of Kleenex looks like when they are all removed from the box one at a time, but you know for a fact you can’t put them back because you’ve tried.

You curse stores for only having two of something in a package, or for only having two of something on their shelf.

You buy Baby Motrin, Cough Syrup, etc, 3 at a time, and the clerk looks at you funny, while the whole time you are wishing they sold it in gallon containers.

You pull 3 tickets for Car seats at Toys R Us to take to the register, and when you get there the clerk says, “Ma’am, I think you picked up too many of these or they must have been stuck together”

You’ve fallen asleep in any of these places: The shower, washing dishes, sitting on the floor reading them a book, with your fork on the way to your mouth..

You agonize over what it will be like when they get to school and you have three teachers to visit on parent night, three different sets of homework, and your babies aren’t even out of the NICU yet.

Instead of a wallet full of photos you carry around a CD because it holds 700 megabytes of them.
700 megabytes is 1 night worth of photos.

Everyone in the neighborhood knows who you are, even though you’ve never met them before.

The grocery store clerk has commented on the 6-9 gallons of milk you buy each week, telling you it would be cheaper to buy a cow.

You’ve ever truly considered strangling someone who said, “you’ve got your hands full” or “I’d shoot myself”.

You’ve ever been so sleepy that you can fall asleep with the baby lying on your chest and fail to wake up despite the fact that the baby is screaming directly into your left ear.

You are both shocked by the rudeness, and amazed by the kindness of strangers in the same 60 seconds upon entering Walmart.

Walmart is probably your favorite store, since its open till Midnight, diapers and formula are cheaper there, and they have triplet carts. Oh, and you consider going to Walmart at 11pm “going out”

If you’ve ever charted poops pees and food intake.

You know at one time you did have a spouse, but now you can’t remember

You have to wash the dinner dishes by hand because the dishwasher is full of bottles.

The singleton mom in front of you at Walmart buying one can of formula and one bag of diapers complains about the price and you have to restrain yourself from hitting a complete stranger.

The clerks at the grocery store have to regularly restrain you from pummeling any singleton mom that takes the last multi seat-shopping cart.

You are both revered and hated by the staff at your pediatrician’s office.

You don’t see anything unusual with the fact that you know not one, but several, quad moms.

You no longer have to wonder what a “poop painting” would look like.

A complete stranger walks up to you in the mall and says “my niece has triplets, her name is _________ do you know her?” and you can answer “yes I do”

The awareness of silence strikes terror into your soul.

You know the black market value of a Runabout stroller.

You consider cereal dumped on the middle of the floor, not to be bad parenting, but rather a unique picnic breakfast!

All kids are aware that any sippy cup left unattended is fair game.

Whining is heard not just in stereo, but in surround sound!

You go to an amusement park with your triplet stroller only to realize YOU’VE become the source of amusement, or you go to the Zoo and find the other visitors watching your kids more than the animals!

Your peri says you look like a beached whale at 24 weeks.

You know what the word Peri stands for.

You use the word singleton.

You need a hitch for your stroller

You refer to your babies as A B and C

$15.00 baby outfits seem too expensive.

You buy a single weeks worth of formula, and the clerk asks you if you are stocking up.

You laugh at singleton moms for sterilizing pacifiers. You can’t stop yours from sucking on each others fingers, nose, ears, toes etc, so you just shake your head because you know those germs are building up their immune system.

You pick up a dropped paci, and just blow the dust off rather than rinsing it because after all, 5 minutes ago they shared it with the dog, and you didn’t get to it in time before they put it back in their mouths. What’s a little dust?

You intentionally feed all 3 kids from the same spoon and bowl even though one is sick, because you can’t bear the thought of 3 consecutive 2 week cold sessions, you’d rather have them sick at the same time.

You enroll them in or join every activity and playgroup you can, you visit every playground in a 10 mile radius, sometimes more than 1 a day, just so you can be out of the house from dawn to dusk so you have less to clean up.

When discussing child proofing and singleton moms say “you just have to tell them no, you can’t child proof everything” and you laugh and say “Wanna Bet?”

After 20 minutes in the car you realize you are not only listening to the kids tape, but you are singing along with it, and there are no kids in the car.

The $250 travel system stroller that singleton moms complain about being too big, look like toy strollers to you.

You’re not sure if what you squeezed on your toothbrush was toothpaste or diaper ointment, but you’re too tired to care, and too tired to check, so you keep brushing anyway.

You say to your husband “if you wake up these babies I’ll kill you” and you mean it.

You say to your mother “if you wake up these babies I’ll kill you” and you mean it.

You say to your cat “if you wake up these babies I’ll kill you” and you mean it.

It doesn’t matter, you ARE buying them out of ProSoBee, and the other moms can just get over it.

All of a sudden everyone you know, knows someone with triplets.

Crib Tents? You can’t afford NOT to buy them.

You know what a crib tent is!

You consider leashes a viable safety option

You burst into laughter at the site of a diaper Genie… AS IF….!!

You celebrate the birthdays of the people who invented the spill proof sippy cup and the auto repeat replay function on DVD players.

You bought a dog (or have thought about it) to cut down on post meal cleanup time.

On the way to rescue a paper towel roll on the verge of destruction you suddenly realize that it might buy you 5 minutes to check your e-mail.

The next day, the kids wake up too early, you open their door long enough to throw in a couple of rolls of paper towels and you go back to bed.

You discover Nirvana when you finally convert to that all one color/all one size/all one style of socks, system.

Your home has become a complex maze of gates, locks and barricades.

Your kids have never actually walked through the zoo or store, because getting out of the stroller is NOT an option.

You are not horrified at the idea of “waking a sleeping baby” to eat. After all, it is time to EAT so sayeth the master schedule!

You seriously wish someone would sell Orajel in a toothpaste-sized tube. Is this little tiny tube supposed to be a joke? And that’s with the one day supply of infant Tylenol… don’t they know I need a 10oz bottle?

You delivered 14 lbs of baby, and didn’t set any records.

Your nickname for a period of time was Bessie.

You spend more time pumping than sleeping

You don’t think the Suburban is a large vehicle.

When hearing of a new pregnancy, you first question is “just one?”

You call one baby a singleton (before your triplets arrived, it was just “a baby”)

All your friends have multiples.

You send 7 invitations to a birthday party, and you have 15 kids show up, and you were expecting more.

You don’t want to potty train because the though of trying to take all 3 to a public bathroom yourself sends shivers up and down your spine.

You make formula by the gallon and it lasts only 24 hours.

Your pediatrician’s office recognizes your voice.

And you know you have a friend who is also a multiples mom when:

She gets as excited as you by the phrase “Buy one get one free”.

You don’t find it strange that she has driven to five or six doctor’s appointments this week.

You can remember her children’s birth weights, and gestation at birth, but you can’t remember her phone number.

You know you will have someone to grumble with you about the establishments that require a one child/one parent policy

You’re not embarrassed by the fact that she has seen the inside of your house, van, diaper bag, etc.

You refer to her as “your support group”

Outsiders think you have your own private M.O.M. language of terms and jokes, and they are right!

It doesn’t matter if the two of you had nothing in common before your kids arrived because you have EVERYTHING in common now!

One that I would add: You look forward to going to the gynecologist, just to get a break during the day!

Triplets' 18/19 Month Photo Shoot

2009-07-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

Triplets' 18/19 Month Photo Shoot

I'm warning you right now...I am dropping some SERIOUS cuteness here. You are going to need to hold onto your britches, because you are about to lose your crap. Seriously.

Fellow triplet mama and photographer Tammie Halcomb came over today and took some AMAZING shots of my babies. She is one of my favorite photographers and OF COURSE a friend! Check these out!

Oh Lord. Look at my angel baby.

LOOK at my handsome green-eyed boy!

Look at those blue eyes and those pink cheeks. DELICIOUS.

Jackson is my squishy doll version of Brian...even down to the facial expressions! SAME blue eyes as his Daddy...

Its like he can see me.

One word: EYELASHES.

These two absolutely KILL ME. I LOVE THEM. Look at the cute smile on Zack's face!

I LOVE upside-down grinning Jackson! Alexis is just sitting pretty (as usual)! I also LOVE the contrast of Alexis's bright pink dress against the green. And the fact that Zachary is climbing towards trouble - perfect representation of their personalities! AWESOME!

OH how I LOVE these photos! Totally worth the sweating and the near melt-downs to get these precious shots!
Are you in Southern California? Have you called Tammie yet? If you haven't...what are you waiting for??? She is so talented and her prices are so very reasonable. Give her a call!

Now I need to go pass out from the cuteness!!!

Birth Control Via Video

2009-07-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

Birth Control Via Video

My head is pounding from today's opthalmologist appointment. Eighteen month old triplets, two days in a row of doctor's appointments...where is my drink???
Their eyes are fine BTW.
I forgot to share some video from yesterday's appointment with the pediatrician. This video was taken about 2.5 seconds before my blood pressure reached an all time high and I burst into flames.

Forget the whole controversy about birth control vs. abstinence education. Just show high school kids videos like this.
Unfortunately my cameraphone can only take up to 30 seconds at a time. Otherwise you would have seen that right after this my brain melted and oozed out of my ears.

P.S. If you are having problems viewing this video, here's the link to it on Flickr (Click Here).

To Get You Caught Up...And Prayers For Jodi

2009-07-07T23:07:00.000-07:00

To Get You Caught Up...And Prayers For Jodi

I know, I know, I know…You’ve been waiting to hear what happened to Zachary. I’m sorry. Things got crazy. What a surprise.
To get you caught up, after my last post, Zachary got much worse. His temperature continued to climb and he became very lethargic. He didn’t even want to play. He just wanted to lay in my lap while the other two played. The following evening, he woke up SCREAMING and burning up. Per doctor’s orders, I had been giving him Tylenol and then Motrin, alternating every 4 & 6 hours. His fever would cut but then climb back up. His fever got as high as 102.5 which made me nervous since the pediatrician said to go to emergency if it went higher than 103. When I tended to Zachary that second night, Jackson started wailing as well. I checked on him and he was burning up as well. Two screaming babies with fevers, one crib covered in vomit….I had to wake Brian up to help me. Mind you, this was about 3:30AM and he had to be at work the next day. Brian helped me and we took their temps, gave them pedialyte and Tylenol, I changed the sheets and cleaned up the puke…we ended up putting them back down after 4-something. My poor babies were miserable and I was exhausted. Still recovering from the flu myself, I didn’t know how the heck I was going to make it alone with three babies – two of whom were sick - with basically no sleep. Somehow, I managed. I was stressing though, because I had a 4th of July party planned at our house within a couple of days and I was thinking I would have to cancel. Thankfully though, the boys seemed fine by Friday so we kept Saturday’s party on. Good thing because I had already bought 20lbs of tri-tip!
Everything seemed fine on Saturday. The party was great, the babies had so much fun! The next morning, however, was bizarre. When we woke up Sunday morning, we went to get the babies for breakfast and Zachary was unable to walk. His knee was swollen and he couldn’t put any weight on it. He only scooted on his butt around the playroom floor. We watched him to see if it would get any better and by the time he woke up from nap we knew we had to take him to the emergency room. Of course these things happen on Sundays when the doctor’s office and urgent care are closed!
My parents and my sister came over to watch Alexis and Jackson while we took Zack to the emergency room. It was so weird, the two of us with just one baby! We waited forever, had x-rays done and then were finally seen by a nurse practitioner. The x-rays came back fine. There were many possible explanations – long story short though…he is completely fine now. Bizarre and stressful but I am grateful that the babies are OK. We had their 18-month appointment (even though they are almost 19-months old now) today and everyone was fine. The shots were hell but its over and I am so glad. Taking three wriggly toddlers to the pediatrician’s office is no easy task and I am exhausted! I’ll have to do another post with details and their stats.
We’ve got yet another appointment tomorrow for all three of them to see the opthalmologist. After this week, I am DONE with doctor’s appointments.

Bla bla bla – lame update I know. I just needed to type it up to share it with you but I have to tell you honestly that my heart is heavy and I have been so upset the past couple of days. I found out yesterday that my dear blog-friend and fellow multiples mama lost her precious baby on Sunday. Brian came home with a strange look on his face and red eyes. He told me and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This devastating news has shook me to my core and neither Brian nor I have been able to stop thinking about Jodi and her family. This has brought both of us to tears. I am so overcome with sadness for this beautiful family. I have spent the last two days in and out of tears. Their precious baby boy, named Matteo, was just shy of 18 months old.
I can’t think of anything worse than losing a child. I would rather die a thousand deaths than have to bury one of my children. Just the thought of it makes my eyes burn with tears.
Jodi is such an amazing woman and had become such a positive force in my life. The internet has provided me with such a wonderful support system of beautiful and intelligent moms whom I have grown to love as surrogate family members – friends “IN the computer”, so to speak. Jodi has always been such a supportive and positive voice for me. Even in her facebook statuses – never negative, nasty or gossipy – such a positive woman. Not that anyone deserves it, but why her??? I don’t understand why these things happen. I cannot imagine what she and her husband are going through right now. I have been praying. That is all I can do. Platitudes never help. There are no words that can provide any comfort. I am sure all that she wants is her baby back.
Jodi wrote a gut-wrenching and beautifully written post about her experience here. She wrote about holding her dead baby and has shared so honestly about the grief that has overcome her family.
Would you please pray for Jodi and her family? I am praying for Jodi to somehow find the strength to get through this, for the love that they have for Matteo and for each other to keep them close and hold them up. I am praying for Matteo’s siblings who may not understand now what has happened to their precious brother. I am praying so many prayers - she is heavy on my heart. Please lay your praying hands on the Martino's as they grieve this unthinkable loss.
http://martinomadness.blogspot.com/

Fierce Prayer Please!

2009-07-02T02:06:00.000-07:00

Fierce Prayers Please!

So I thought I was in the clear, but now I'm not so sure. Zachary had been clingy and a bit different all day and sure enough by the end of the day I knew he wasn't right. He was burning up so I called the pediatrician. I felt bad calling his cell but it was after hours (6pm-ish) and I was so worried about my baby!
I am keeping an eye on Zack and now PRAYING that the others stay healthy. Its 2am and I am going to go check on him for the 468th time tonight (only a slight exaggeration) and then going to S L E E P. I am only posting so that I may ask for your prayers that he does NOT end up having the flu (like I did...it's going around) and that the other two stay healthy. Maybe its just a teething related thing? We are in molars hell, BTW. PLEASE GOD, I don't know if I can take any more sickness. I am exhausted and still not 100%. Please also pray that I have the energy I need to make it through another day!
Thank you.

Mostly Back, And Less Whiny

2009-07-01T02:02:00.000-07:00

Mostly Back, And Less Whiny

I am feeling lots better. I am not 100% yet - more like 85% - but MUCH better than the sweats/fever/chills fest I was having for a few days. Mommies just don't get sick days. But...Mommies married to Super-Daddies have some help. I am so grateful. I don't know what I would have done without Brian's help. The poor guy spent the end of his vacation from work taking care of three toddlers and a wife with the flu. Between you and me (and whoever else reads this blog), Brian was very ready to get back to work. I am thinking he was toddler-ed out. I can't blame him. I was alone with them all day today and I am feeling spent. Being out of commission means there lots to catch up on...I'm a bit overwhelmed with all that needs to be done. I'll feel better once I've checked some more stuff off my list, but as for right now I'm parking my butt right here and catching up on my e-mail, blogs and the ever important Facebook.

One of the blogs I've been catching up with is my friend Mary's. Our friends Mary & Dave are a part of a huge baby wave among our peeps. They are expecting their first baby and we are so excited for them! Mary is actually past her due date, so she may pop at any moment. While we wait for baby news, she posted the long awaited nursery 'reveal' (slideshow here) on her blog and, BOY, do I wish she were around to do all my decorating! I absolutely LOVE it - right up my alley. Very modern. I LOVE the wall graphics! Anywho, I am mentioning it because I want you to check it out AND go to ratemyspace to give it your rating.
Who knows, maybe some more attention will encourage their little babygirl to come on out! It would be PERFECT TIMING if the baby would wait until the 4th...that way they could join us for 4th of July tri-tip, and then go home and have a baby. HA HA! If only it worked that way!

Thanks for all the get-well wishes!

A Crappy Update

2009-06-27T18:21:00.001-07:00

A Crappy Update

Brian has been on vacation from work this week and I was planning on sitting down and updating you on the week. Unfortunately, I just got sick. I feel like I’ve been runover by a truck. Chills, nausea, body aches, HORRIBLE headache, chest congestion…all the fun stuff. I feel so crappy and miserable that I just wanted to cry today. YES, I am whining. One thing I miss about the pre-baby days was actually being able to rest when I am sick (at least on the weekends). Thankfully, Brian let me sleep in today and helped me with the kids the rest of the day. I was counting the minutes until their bedtime! The minute we put them down I went directly to my bed. I couldn't wait to lie down. I LOVE my kids - SO MUCH - But...its just so hard to take care of someone else (x3!) when you're sick.
I am having a party at my house in exactly one week and aside from cursing the horrible timing of this sickness, I am wondering how I will be able to get everything done this week.
We are praying for 1) the babies stay healthy and 2) me to get well very quickly.

And, of course, for the laundry to do itself.

OK, enough whining.

I’ll leave you with some camera-phone cuteness from the week to tide you over. If you're my Facebook friend then I think you've seen all these.
Can you believe how big they are???

Someone is ready for summer - TOO CUTE!

I am going to try and will myself to be all better by Monday morning when Brian has to go back to work.
I am going back to bed

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T04:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the best husband in the world and the best Daddy I could have ever wished for my children.

Thanks for working so hard to take care of all of us. I love you so much! :)

Cindy

Chick Chat, With The 3 Bay B Chicks!

2009-06-16T22:34:00.000-07:00

Chick Chat, With The 3 Bay B Chicks!

When Francesca from 3 Bay B Chicks asked if I wanted to participate in one of their upcoming Chick Chats about Moms of Multiples, I was thrilled! But then...the day got closer and I started to get a little nervous.

"I have to talk on camera?"

The thought of it made me want to throw up. In fact, the whole day before recording my little talk, I was anxious. My stomach was in knots. I like talking...don't get me wrong. However, there's something about sitting in front of a camera and recording yourself that feels kinda weird. Before I finally sat down to do it my armpits were sweaty. My face was hot. I was seriously going to throw up.

But I did it.

I don't think I can watch it though, because I would rather not start the whole sweating/nausea thing. I've posted it on here though:

And yes, I totally said "BOOBS". Because THIS, my friend, is a classy blog.

Please check out some of the other Moms of Multiples who participated:

- Helene @ I'm Living Proof That God Has A Sense of Humor - This woman has TWO SETS OF TWINS. Amazing.

- Jen @ Buried With Children - Triplets and a singleton!

- And of course, check out the 3 Bay B Chicks! I'm so grateful that they chose to include me. They can hit me up anytime! :)

Be sure to leave me a comment and tell me how silly and sweaty I look.

P.S. I realize the sound isn't great. Next time I do anything like this I'll have to use a web cam & microphone instead of a video camera. Hey, look on the bright side...at least I didn't throw up.

First Ride Facing Forward!

2009-06-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

First Ride Facing Forward!

Check it out! We (Brian) just turned their seats so that they face forward. No more rear facing babies! I guess its not such a big deal but I can't help but feel a little excited and mushy about it. Excited, because its so much more fun to see them in the mirror and to have them watch the ride. But, I'm a little mushy about it because - SERIOUSLY PEOPLE - these are not little babies anymore :(

Check out my big babies!

Remember these seats? They were for my itty bitty babies! They have WAY outgrown them now!
I'll leave you with a clip of them saying bye-bye!

P.S. Stay tuned for a vlog. I feel silly and nervous about putting up a video of myself talking but I'm doing it anyway. Check in tomorrow!

A Total Daddy's Boy

2009-06-07T22:05:00.000-07:00

We took the babies to dinner this weekend and I captured a quick shot on my cameraphone of Jackson looking up at his daddy:

Jackson LOVES his Daddy. I think Daddy is maybe even his favorite person in the whole world. It was so cute watching Jackson sniff, hug and kiss Brian's arm at the restaurant. It really melts my heart and I know it turns my big husband into a bowl of mush and makes his heart all warm and fuzzy.
And BTW, they love going to restaurants! Not that we do it that often (not budget friendly) but we enjoy taking them out when we can. Zachary ate everything (zucchini, carrots, garlic bread, mashed potatoes, turkey, peach ice cream...). I mean, LOOK...He wouldn't even stop eating for a second to take a picture!!! Jackson ate most of everything. Alexis...not so much. Alexis is our pickiest eater. She even turned away peach ice cream. WOULD NOT EVEN TRY IT. What baby doesn't like ice cream???
Here she is (with her Grand-Daddy) giving me the stink eye and saying, "I don't want to try any of your stinking ice cream, Mommy!"
Girl does NOT know what she is missing!

Finally Captured on Video

2009-06-01T22:09:00.000-07:00

Finally Captured on Video

I've recently shared on Facebook that the boys are KILLING EACH OTHER over a toy.

A VERY SPECIFIC TOY.

The Fisher Price Corn Popper:

Biting, kicking, pulling, hitting...these boys will stop at NOTHING to get this popper from each other. They will even use the popper itself to club each other over the head. I am NOT exaggerating when I say that this toy has become the most dangerous weapon in our house.
They fight over it all day long. ALL. DAY. LONG.

ALL. DAY. LONG.

The noise is actually nauseating. The constant fighting raises my blood pressure to levels that I never experienced before. I think this is only a taste of things to come as far as what life may look like with two boys the same age. GOD HELP ME.

Of course, whenever I tell anyone about it, they say "GET IT ON VIDEO!!!"
Easier said than done, trust me!
I have been unable to capture the carnage on video...until now. I finally captured a small example of the fighting. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), the video does not include any biting or clubbing. Its pretty mellow in the scheme of things but still a capture!

After they fight, I try to make them hug and kiss each other but sometimes that turns into a whole 'nother fight. *SIGH*
Maybe I should get two more, so they each have their own?

Seriously

2009-05-28T19:45:00.001-07:00

Seriously...My husband is the
BEST FATHER EVER!!!

That's all :)

BTW - Stay tuned for a video post. I finally captured them fighting over the popcorn popper (those of you who are plugged into my Facebook know what I am talking about!). I'll try and post it tonight or tomorrow.
If you aren't my Facebook friend and want to be, e-mail me and I'll give you the deets!

Triplets on Trampolines!

2009-05-24T22:09:00.000-07:00

Triplets on Trampolines!

This post is only about a month late...which is pretty good nowadays!

About a month ago, we took the kids to our friend AJ's 7th birthday party. Since the bigger kids were in the front yard, we went to the back yard to play with our twin friends (Payton & Killian). The main attraction was the big trampoline. Can I just tell you that these kids were CA-RAZY about jumping on that thing! I was expecting a little anxiety and fear but there was none at all. In fact, they were upset when it was time to get down.

Check out Zachary catching air!
The trio playing with Killian

These boys were in HEAVEN. We may have to get them a swing set/jungle gym of their own!
Playing with rocks.
They could not get enough jumping!

Jump Jump Jump!!!
Look at Jackson jumping and smiling with Auntie Jenny!
Zachary catching more air with daddy...its like he couldn't jump high enough!
*SIGH* She is just too pretty.

Cheesy Snacktime Smiles!

2009-05-20T16:43:00.000-07:00

Cheesy Snacktime Smiles!

Sweet Kisses

2009-05-18T19:13:00.000-07:00

Sweet Kisses

We are in a super huggy & kissy phase!

The babies are currently really into showing their affection. They think its so much fun to hug and kiss Mommy, Daddy, their comfort items (blanket or stuffed animal, depending on the baby) and whomever I tell them to give hugs or kisses to! All I have to say is "give _____ kisses," or "give______ big hugs" and they just do it!
I've been teaching them to give EACH OTHER kisses. Its SO stinking cute!

This one is short and the quality isn't so hot (cameraphone) but its SO cute!

This one is a bit better quality and it has all three of them in on the lovin'!

Tell me...is there ANYTHING sweeter than baby kisses???

Are They Natural?

2009-05-13T20:35:00.001-07:00

Are They Natural?

Just so you know…when you ask someone the “Are they natural?” question, what you’re really asking is if they had fertility problems and if they made their baby(ies) by having sex or not. And I don’t know about you, but my Mama taught me that it was rude to ask people very personal questions just because you really really really want to know the answer. My Mama would have actually smacked me in the mouth for being so nosy and obnoxious. Asking a perfect stranger about possible medical problems or about their sex life is actually very tacky. And yes, I judge you for doing so. Also, asking one of these questions in a crowd of people so that everyone stops what they’re doing so they can hear the answer is terribly inconsiderate.

Here’s the deal. If you know me well enough, you already know that I am a very open person. I share a lot. All the time. I have touched upon this subject at least once before. Sharing is the way I deal with stuff. I mean, HELLO, look at some of the stuff that I’ve shared on this blog (I know its been a while. Cut a sister some slack). That being said, if you don’t know the answer, then maybe it’s none of your business. You don’t get to know everybody’s business just because you’re curious.

What is with the way things are nowadays, anyway? Is it the tabloid culture? I am being very serious by the way. I really wonder when it stopped being rude to be so rude and nosy. Your sex life? None of my beeswax. Why you’re 35 and have no kids yet? None of my beeswax. But apparently I am the minority. It has become so common for people to thoughtlessly ask any question they want. And the part the gets me the most is that they seem to feel entitled to the answer. I am floored by the audacity of GROWN-UPS who seem to lack any sense of social boundaries. When did we stop learning the value of discretion? Isn’t this just a part of the etiquette that parents (should) teach their children at home?

Maybe I should start asking people with children if they had sex to make their kids or if they had to “do fertility”. Maybe next time I am around twins I’ll ask the mom IN FRONT OF HER KIDS if they did IVF. I’ll make sure there’s a crowd of people around while I am at it. Maybe the next time someone asks me if they’re natural I’ll say, “Do you mean to ask if I had fertility problems? Because, YES, I did actually, and it was a pretty painful process for us. Thanks for asking.”

But here’s the rub. I don’t get to be reactive and bitchy just because they’re being rude. “Tit for tat” isn’t the right thing to do. You don’t get to be rude to someone just because they were rude to you. You see, that’s another thing I have learned. Take the high road. Keep moving. That’s not to say that I don’t think its OK to be assertive. But there is a fine line between reacting with emotion and asserting my boundaries. I am still learning this. Ok, I’m done venting :)

And just for listening, I'll give you a recent cameraphone shot of the cuties.

2.6 seconds after this photo was taken, they put the rocks in their mouths. Toddlers.
And here are the boys during a recent trip to the grocery store. And, YES, I was that freakshow baby circus at the grocery store (Alexis not pictured b/c I was wearing her!). Does that explain the rant? :)

Baby Video part 4

2009-05-05T23:26:00.000-07:00

Baby Video part 4

Baby Video part 3

2009-05-03T23:35:00.000-07:00

Baby Video part 3

Here is part 3 from the babies' first year video:

They Only LOOK Sweet And Innocent

2009-04-30T02:37:00.000-07:00

They Only LOOK Sweet And InnocentSure, they LOOK like sweet and perfect children. However, lets just say there are those days that I have to look at pictures like these to remind myself how cute they are. Its the only way, sometimes, to keep me from giving in to the urge to pack them in a box with blankets and leave them on someone's doorstep.

{Crappy quality because - you guessed it - it was taken with my cameraphone. Do I even take any REAL pictures anymore? Guess not.}

NICU Video Part 2

2009-04-28T19:44:00.000-07:00

NICU Video part 2

Triplets' First Smoothie!

2009-04-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

Triplets' First Smoothie!

I know that its been a LONG time since I've given you a really good update. So much has happened, I don't even know where I will begin when I finally sit down and type it out. It has been quite a busy and (unfortunately) stressful last couple of months. And we've got another crazy busy month ahead of us. In the meantime, we've just been showing you glimpses of the some of the cuteness taking place around here.

Last weekend we were out and about and it was HOT HOT HOT. In the upper 90's! I am not a hot weather fan so when it gets that hot its pretty tough for me. Luckily for the babies, they can just play in their diapers on super hot days! Lucky for my neighbors, I kept my clothes on. Though I will admit, I was tempted to join the babies by just hanging out in my chonies! Thank goodness that heatwave lasted only a couple of days and we went back to the beautiful "not-too-hot" spring weather!

On one of those super-hot days I got a juice smoothie and decided to let the babies try it out. WHAT HAVE I DONE??? They went crazy over it and could not get enough! I wish I had video of the very first sips. Their eyes widened and they all said "mmmmmmmmmm!" Mind you, the babies have only had milk and water so far in their sippy cups. This must have tasted like HEAVEN to them! Im glad I remembered to grab the camera to capture the smoothie frenzy. Check it out (Notice Zachary's pterodactyl-like schreech/whine because he couldn't wait his turn):

Thank goodness they saved me some!

Also, there is more of the NICU video montage coming. Notice it is coming from Brian and not me. Also notice that I haven't finished the birth story. I know I kinda left you hanging there. I'll get to it, I promise. Its just that in the process of typing it all out, I really realized how traumatic the period of time right after their birth and through their NICU stay was for me. More traumatic than even the time when we first had them home or even during our move. I can't even sit and finish the birth post because of it. At least, not yet. I get very emotional. And I've had enough emotional business in the last couple of months so finishing up the birth series will have to wait. Thanks for understanding.

NICU Video Part 1

2009-04-22T00:48:00.001-07:00

NICU Video Part 1

Dad here.

The Triplets Visit the NICU

2009-04-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

The Triplets Visit the NICU

Dad here. During my time off a couple of weeks ago we paid a visit to the NICU.

Here is Jackson with Robin. She was his one of his girlfriends there.

Ha with Alexis.

We tried to get a picture will all of them looking at the camera.
Um, yeah. That never happens.
Here is the best we could do this attempt...

Dr. Mapp talking to Alexis and Jackson

Of course it was ME that wasn't looking at the camera

Maria, Cindy, Ha, and Robin

..and a group shot. Yeah, when I look at the right camera, they don't. Figures.

Stay tuned for a video from the NICU I compiled for the triplets Tol party. It was too big to upload in one file, so I had to break it up into smaller files. I know, I know, we should have uploaded them sooner but we have been SUPER busy the past couple of months.

Future Stunt Woman

2009-04-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

Future Stunt Woman

I've been meaning to post this one for a while...this girl is amazing (taken with my cameraphone)...
My tiny little daredevil has no fear. And apparently, great balance!

The Triplets Meet the Easter Bunny

2009-04-10T23:10:00.000-07:00

The Triplets Meet the Easter Bunny

Dad here....

...So we decided to take the triplets to see the Easter Bunny. We fed 'em, put 'em in the truck, and off we went.

We took some pictures on the way out. Here is babygirl looking up at the camera

Alexis, how big are you? SO BIG! (All three of 'em do it)

I WANT the camera!

I want the camera too!

Handsome boy!

Babygirl was D.O.N.E. She did NOT want to be in the truck anymore!

So where did we go to get pictures with the Easter Bunny?
Bass Pro Shops!

We were the family that took too long. Jackson thought the Easter Bunny was a big stuffed animal and kept hugging it. He WOULD NOT look at the camera. Zachary was OK for a few minutes, but his patience faded fast. Finally Jackson looked at the camera just as Zachary lost it, and that's when they took the picture.

The boys looking at the big fish tank. (if you look closely you can see a largemouth bass)

On the way home they fell asleep.

...except for Jackson. He played with Leap the ENTIRE ride home

Spaghetti Time!

2009-04-04T23:04:00.000-07:00

Spaghetti Time!

No other reason for this post except to share the CUTENESS from the fun spaghetti dinner we had the other night!

Wait...do you see that? SOMEONE popped a bunch of teeth OVERNIGHT and now has 6 teeth! Guess who...Alexis!!!

Handsome boy!
Gorgeous big smile!
We LOVE spaghetti!!!

Click HERE for more pictures

Backyard Fun With The Triplets!

2009-03-30T22:56:00.000-07:00

Backyard Fun With The Triplets!

One benefit of Daylight Savings Time has been that we have lots of sunlight before dinnertime, which is PERFECT for playing outside with Daddy when he comes home from work. The kids LOVE playing outside, but ESPECIALLY playing in the backyard. I don't know why they prefer the backyard over the front yard but it works for me. Problem is since no one can see me in the back yard, I sometimes look like a schlumpadinka and then somebody takes pictures.

Note to self: Don't skip on the showering and getting dressed for the day. Inevitably, there will be pictures.

Anywho...whatever you do...PLEASE ignore the frumpy looking, pasty white woman pulling the wagon. Please...do it for the kids.

I am like ALBINO, I am so white. I need to work on that.

Moving right along...Brian took TONS of photos the other day - check them out!

LOOK at this face.

Hi, I'm Jackson and I'm basically a miniature version of my Daddy...except I've got Mommy's round face. And I've got Daddy's attitude too.
Babygirl. She's takes my breath away.
Have you seen such a handsome smile? I think NOT.
They never ever EVER tire of riding in this thing.

" Yes, I know how cute I am."
Babies in action and LOOK...there's that god-awful woman again. She's sending shots of the kids with her cameraphone BTW.

The boys "helping" Daddy with the hose.
Alexis is 'supervising'

There's that sweet handsome face again!
One of the many leaves that the babies handed us. They love to pick things up off the ground and hand them to us. Soooo cute.

Yes, you are seeing straight...the boys are dressed like Brian. He loves when they look like his little "Mini-Me's!"

I LOVE this one!

Proudly eye-ing his collection.

The dimples...
I love this girl.
Emo dropped by for a quick visit. LOOK at Jackson's face. He LOVES being spun around!

Those dumpling cheeks need to be gobbled up. I'll get right on it.

I'll add the link to the flickr set later (or I'll have Brian do it :) )

P.S. Are you having any issues loading my blog? Please give me any feedback you may have...I am looking to make some changes around here and would appreciate any info you can provide.

Breathing Through My Mouth

2009-03-30T21:23:00.000-07:00

Breathing Through My Mouth

First of all, I don't get why he gives me permission to post about FARTING but won't let me post The Fanny Pack.

Soon after eating dinner, Brian retreated to the couch for a few minutes to relax before getting up to finish some work around the house. I sat right here on this computer relaxing and Facebook-ing.

Suddenly, I hear the all-too-familiar sound of "wind" being broken...

Him: Oh MAN! Are you getting any of this? Its AWFUL! WHEW!!!!

Me: *HUGE ANNOYED SIGH*

Him: (Continuing to fart and wave) Do you smell it? WOW. Split pea soup...Kimchee Soon Dubu...No beer though. That would have made it MUCH WORSE...

Me: OH MY GOSH...STOP WAVING IT. STOP IT! STOP IT!

Him: So you got some of it...

Me: (totally pissed off that my mouth was open) HOLY CRAP! AAAGH!

Him: I KNOW, right?!? Its TERRIBLE.

Me: STOP!

Him: Wanna come give me a kiss...

Me: NO!!! You're such an a-hole!

Him: (continuing to fart and wave) What does it smell like to you?

Me: It smells like DIVORCE papers.

Him: NICE.

Where's Your Moustache?

2009-03-28T18:13:00.000-07:00

Where's Your Moustache?

The quality of this video isn't great since it was taken with my cameraphone. HOWEVER, you MUST see the cuteness.
Yes, I am that mommy that teaches them silly things. Check it out!

This makes me giggle every time! I LOVE that they picked this one up so quickly! They do LOTS of silly things because I am straight up NUTTY. But HEY...I am ALONE with them ALL DAY LONG. A Momma's gotta get her laugh on! :) I have taught them some super silly moves and I am working on some more. I can't wait to capture more and show you!

P.S. This one was for YOU, J.K. :)